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Tot School Units

Autumn Baby Activities: Tiny Tot School

Fall is finally here! It’s my favorite time of year, so I’m usually planning and anticipating by late July. Unfortunately I live in a part of the country where Fall takes a little longer to arrive. Nothing says autumn like 85°F weather and 99% humidity!! But now it’s October and the days are getting cooler, pumpkins are everywhere (and in everything!) and I am ready! This month I’m excited to share our Autumn Tot School theme. I have activities planned for children of all ages … ok not much for the teenagers 🙂 but today I’d like to start with some Autumn Baby Activities for our littlest tots.

Autumn Baby Activities - sensory play, Montessori treasure basket and fine motor activitiy

I like to call it ‘Tiny Tot School’ as these activities are ideal for children 6 – 18 months old. As always, watch your child oh so carefully since EVERYTHING goes in the mouth at this age. You know your child best, so please trust your instincts if you feel your child isn’t quite ready to perform an activity safely. But that’s enough with the disclaimers – let’s have some fun with our littles!

Autumn Treasure Basket

Montessori Treasure Basket with Fall Themed items For Autumn Tot School

Are you familiar with the Montessori treasure basket concept? I mentioned it here, and I really couldn’t say enough good things about it. The treasure basket is simply a basket full of a variety of objects, usually centered around a theme. Often the baskets focus on providing a variety of textures, colors, or even smells. All you have to do is pick a theme and run through your house with a basket in search of items that fit!

Baby Playing with Fall Themed Montessori Treasure Basket for Autumn Tot School Unit

Once your basket is prepared, present it to your child and allow him or her to explore at their own pace. Often this exploration will include tasting as much as touching, so be mindful of your objects and your level of observation. Personally I like to take the lesson a step further and discuss the objects as they are touched.

“That is a pumpkin, it has a pretty orange color! Do you see the stem? How does the pumpkin feel, rough or smooth?”

An older child may be able to answer some of your questions while the littlest tots seem to ignore them, but I guarantee they are all absorbing what you say.

For our autumn treasure basket I included the following items:

  • An Orange cotton cloth
  • Several Small pumpkins with beaded sides for enhanced texture
  • wooden beads strung on a pipe cleaner (and firmly secured!)
  • Several yellow and  orange spiked rubber balls
  • small yellow and red toys
  • a plastic toy apple
  • An orange bath louffa
  • a red ball
  • a green toy pear

This was by far baby’s favorite activity. He spent at least 20 minutes working through it all and would probably have spent another 20 if he had the opportunity.

This baby had so much fun playing with our fall themed Montessori Treasure Basket. It was a perfect easy addition to our Autumn Tot School Unit for Babies
Extension Activities:

Hide objects under the cloth and feel them with hands only, good for older siblings, or play 20 questions with hidden objects.

Pumpkin Sensory Bag

Squishy Halloween Jack-o-lantern Sensory Bag for Babies

This was such a fun activity, and although baby didn’t love it as much as I expected, Nugget certainly did! The best part of this activity is that the presentation can be easily modified to suit the child’s development. I offered the bag loose to baby, but a child who is interested in standing might enjoy having the bag taped to a window where he or she could stand to squish the contents around. On the other hand, it could also be secured to the tray of a highchair for a less mobile baby. Or try all 3 options and see which your child prefers!

Easy Halloween Pumpkin Sensory bag for Babies

Supplies:
  • Large 1 Gallon Size Freezer Bag
  • 1 Large container of hair gel – I like LA Looks from Walmart because it’s inexpensive
  • Black Fun Foam Cut into Jack O Lantern Features.
  • Orange Food Coloring, Glitter optional
  • Clear Packing Tape
Instructions:
  1. Cut out the jack o lantern features from fun foam and set them aside. I keep it simple with eyes, nose and mouth. Make sure they are large enough to be easily visible once they are within the bag.
  2. Fill the bag halfway with gel and add a few drops of food coloring. Seal the bag and mix together until your desired color is reached. This is also the time to add glitter if you wish to do so.
  3. Place the foam face pieces inside the bag and seal it with a thick layer of packing tape.

Pumpkin Squish Bag for Babies at Halloween

Puff Ball Pumpkins in a Jar

Easy Fine Motor Practice with Pompom Pumpkins and an Empty Bottle - Easy tot school activity for Babies!

Seriously guys. This may be the easiest tot school activity EVER. I almost feel silly even listing it except it works SO well. This is actually an activity I devised a few years ago when Goose was little. He outgrew it but it has been used again for Nugget and most recently, baby. As you can see in the pictures, it’s just an old juice bottle and a bunch of large orange pom poms.

Puffball Pumpkin Fine Motor Activity for Babies

The idea is to have the child stuff the pompoms into the open lid of the jar. This is a fantastic fine motor activity because it requires a surprising amount of dexterity. It also teaches concepts like object permanence and problem solving as the child attempts to get the pompoms back out of the container. Baby loved this activity although it was quite challenging for him at 11 months, and Nugget still enjoys it at 2.

Easy Fine Motor Activity for Babies, tot school, Halloween, Autumn, Fall

I have considered cutting a whole in the lower edge to make retrieving the pompoms easier but have feared that the kids would use it as a shortcut and the entire purpose of the activity would be defeated. It’s definitely an option to consider though. Overall just wash an old container, and find some pompoms that are just barely larger than the opening at the top. Show your child how to push the pompom inside and then let her go. You will be amazed by how a simple activity can captivate your child!

Fall Sensory Bottle

Glittery Autumn Leaf Sensory Bottle for Calming Kids

You know I love to make sensory bottles out of Voss water bottles and this unit was no exception. I’m constantly attempting to improve my sensory bottles and this one turned out particularly well. My goal was to use some leaf shaped sequins within the bottle and create a mixture that would allow them to slowly fall when shaken. It took a few attempts but the recipe below resulted in a nice relaxing pace, perfect for entrancing an overstimulated child.

Easy Autumn Sensory Calm Down Bottle
Supplies:
  • 1 Voss Water Bottle  or similar
  • Super Glue
  • Water
  • Clear Hair Gel
  • Gliter (I used a combination of orange and gold)
  • Orange Food coloring
  • Small Leaf Shaped Sequins in fall colors
  • Light Corn Syrup
Instructions:
  1. Begin by washing your bottle thoroughly, you don’t want anything growing in it down the road – yuck!
  2. Fill the bottle 1/3 with water, then add roughly 1 Cup hair gel. Shake to combine.
  3. Add food coloring, glitter and leaves until you reach your desired concentration.
  4. Fill the remainder of the bottle with corn syrup, and repeat step 3 if neccessary.
  5. Screw on the lid and shake the bottle thoroughly to observe the movement within your sensory bottle. Now is the time to make any adjustments if it isn’t quite right.
  6. Remove the lid and apply superglue to the inside so that it is fully secured.

Easy Fall Sensory Calm Down Bottle for Tot School Autumn or Fall Themes

Did Your Child Enjoy These Autumn Baby Activities??
Are you excited about Fall? Have you conquered your Fall Bucket List?
Tell me all about it in the comments!

 

 

Preschool Space Activities: Part 3

Teach your child about space with this fun collection of educational activities for kids! Great for tot school, preschool and home school!

Our preschool space activities unit is finally wrapping up, but I have a few activities left to share with you. We made nebula slime, planet toast, and I’m even offering my readers a free download of my latest educational eBook for kids! Let’s dive in!

Nebula Slime

This easy to make slime recipe is fun for kids and shows all the colors of a nebula in space

This was my first attempt at making slime (I know, I know, ‘what rock have I been hiding under??’) and it wasn’t initially a success but the second attempt was a total win! I was trying to keep my slime recipe a little safer by avoiding Borax. Instead I used StaFlo liquid starch. Honestly I’m not positive it’s that much more ‘natural’ than Borax but I figured if it’s safe enough to spray on clothes that are worn against your body all day then it can’t be too bad. We still made a habit of washing our hands thoroughly after handling just in case. I’ll show you the recipe, and then give you some tips and tricks so that your first batch turns out perfectly!

Easy Space Themed Tot School Activity: Nebula Slime!
Recipe:
  • 1 5oz bottle Clear Elmer’s Glue
  • About 1/2 C. StaFlo Liquid Starch
  • Food Coloring
  • Glitter

Pour the glue into a glass bowl and add food coloring and glitter until the desired appearance is reached. Once you are satisfied with the color, begin mixing in the StaFlo in small quantities. You can use a spoon initially, but eventually you will need to use your hands to really work it together. It’s a little like making a roux – the slower you combine the ingredients the more easily they mix. Continue adding StaFlo until your slime has reached your desired consistency. I prefer a less sticky slime so I used just over 1/2 C.

Get Messy Learning About Space with Nebula Slime!
Tips:
  • Go out and buy clear glue instead of trying to use some white glue you have around the house. The clear has a much more attractive appearance. When I used white glue the end result resembled a pile of intestines – believe me it wasn’t pretty!!
  • Store your slime in a jar or sealed bag – it will dry out and develop a weird film on top. Yuck!
  • To create the nebula affect in the pictures, I made 2 batches of slime – black with silver glitter, pink with black and silver glitter, and purple with silver and pink glitter. Complete each batch separately and then swirl together.

Planet Toast

Did you ever make milk toast as a kid? It was a favorite treat growing up and proved even more fun now! Best of all, you get to eat your art when you finish! This was an absolute hit with Nugget and Goose and we will definitely be doing it again. We ate our toast with just a bit of butter and jam but I’d love to see this worked into some seriously fancy grilled cheese sandwiches!

Planet Painted Toast for Space themed preschool, tot school or homeschool educational theme. Easy cooking for kids!
Recipe:
  • Several slices of bread, preferably white or a light colored wheat bread
  • food coloring
  • milk
  • round cookie cutter
  • clean paintbrushes or basting brushes
Planet Toast is easy to make and fun to eat! Perfect for a space themed tot school, preschool or homeschool unit!
Instructions:

Use the cookie cutter to slice the bread into circles. Pour a small amount of milk into several small ramekins and add food coloring to reach your desired colors. Now the fun part: use a paintbrush to paint designs on your bread. Once complete toast and enjoy!

painted toast planets for preschool space activities

What about those extra bread crusts??

This delicious bread pudding was created by Rachel at AMotherFarFromHome.com visit her site to get the recipe!

Don’t throw your crusts away! That’s just wasteful and you’d be missing out on a seriously awesome recipe. Instead save your bread crusts to make this delicious bread pudding recipe from Rachel at A Mother Far From Home! While you’re there – check out her website. She has some fantastic posts on schedules for babies and toddlers and lots of tasty recipes.

Free Space E-Book for Kids!

This kid friendly e-book is full of fun facts about our solar system and the people who explore it!

I was trying to think of a fun and different printable I could make to go with this unit, and to be honest it felt like so much has already been covered. We have the printable playmats, the nomenclature cards, what else could I make?So I decided to offer my readers a free download of my latest eBook! This is the first book in a new series of educational books for kids called ‘Fast Facts with Nugget & Goose’. The eBook is available on Amazon.com for $2.99 but I have a .PDF copy available for download FREE in my Digital Resource Library! I really hope you’ll check it out, and if you enjoy it please feel free to write a review on Amazon.com.

The 24 page book features beautiful watercolor illustrations and lots of entertaining and educational facts about the planets in our solar system.  If you don’t already have your access code for the digital resource library, just sign up below and one will be emailed to you right away. I hope you enjoy!!

I hope you’ve enjoyed all of the fun preschool space activities over the past few weeks. We sure enjoyed experimenting with them! If you missed my other posts you can see part 1, part 2, and a special feature on space themed books for kids by clicking the links. Comment below with any ideas for themes you would like to see in the future!

Preschool Space Activities : Part 2

This post is full of fun and easy activities to teach your child all about space.

So I’ve been dying to ask, “Did you try out any of the Preschool Space Activities introduced on Monday?” I have a dear friend who tried making the planet magnets yesterday and even though they ended up pretty lopsided (she was ready to call them a fail!) her kiddos LOVE them! She called me this morning and couldn’t believe how much fun her little girl was having. She kept asking her the names of the planets and then going around the house looking for things they would stick to.

If you’re having a little trouble remembering the planets yourself, then today is your lucky day! I’ve designed a new set of space themed Nomenclature Cards. I also have a fun new sensory bin and a constellation activity. Let’s jump right in!

Space Themed Nomenclature Cards

Preschool Space Activities free nomenclature cards

If you’ve been hanging out at Nugget & Goose for any amount of time you’re already very familiar with my love of Montessori nomenclature cards. I don’t see myself ever leaving them out of a tot school unit. If you aren’t already familiar with them, this handy post will explain everything you need to know about how to use them and why they are so fantastic.

This set of space nomenclature cards consists of 27 unique images and covers all of the planets in the Safari Ltd Safariology Solar System, as well as many of the objects in the Safari Ltd Space TOOB The images are all high quality photographs that are sure to attract your child’s attention. But since this is starting to sound like Ad copy I’ll get straight to the good stuff: how to play with them!

Montessori Nomenclature Cards: Space and Planets Free Download

I found that this set of nomenclature cards worked really well in conjunction with the clay planet magnets and play mats I mentioned earlier this week. Nugget really enjoyed when I showed him a nomenclature card with a planet, and then he could find the corresponding magnet to hold up. If you really have it together you could use the images on the cards as your guide to make the clay planets. Then they would match quite a bit better than my own 🙂

I have also used the cards with Goose to play several learning games. I allow him to independently match the cards to their corresponding Safari Ltd. pieces which he always enjoys, and then once I feel confident in his vocabulary I ask him to play sorting games where he finds all the cards with a ‘M’ sound etc. He is really on the cusp of reading so phonics games are great at this age! A final game we play is what I call the ‘story game’, he uses the cards as prompts to tell a story. So for example he might have to make up a story about Neptune, a lunar rover and a space chimp. I try to record these when he tells them because they always crack me up!

Would you like to download your own free set of Space nomenclature cards?

Of course you would! Why waste your valuable time making what I already have? This set of cards and many others are all available for free in my Digital Resource Library. All you have to do to get access is join with your email address below.

Space Themed Sensory Bin

Here is another way to use the Safari Ltd. figures I mentioned above, and best of all it’s EASY! All you need is a few tablespoons of black water beads (and a few clear as well if you have them). Pour the beads in a small bin and submerge in water overnight. When you wake up you’ll find a glistening bin of plump black water beads ready for play! I buried all of our Safari Ltd. figures and prompted Nugget and Goose to go on a ‘deep space scavenger hunt’!

I still have to watch Nugget pretty closely with these beads because they look a little too food-like for my comfort. They have a particular tendency to bounce so if one escapes from your bin you may never find it (but I guarantee if there’s a toddler in your house they will find it the minute you turn your back.) … Or is that just Nugget? 🙂

Flashlight Constellations

Preschool Space Activities Flashlight Constellations

I feel like so much of what we learn about space can feel very abstract. We tell our children about these  far off planets and colorful nebulae but they can’t really see it and experience it themselves. Spending time outside star gazing is a fantastic way to bridge this gap and create a connection for your kids. If you live out in the country you’re absolutely golden (and I’m super jealous!) but for the rest of us there are usually parks or even a planetarium that you can visit to help your child get close to the cosmos.

I created this activity to teach my boys about constellations. It doesn’t require too much preparation and even my nephews who are in 5th grade enjoyed this activity! So gather your supplies and then check back in the comments to let me know how it went.

Supplies:
  • 1 basic flashlight (with batteries of course!)
  • a few sheets of black construction paper or card stock
  • piece of foam or cutting board
  • small hammer
  • Golf Tees (or for an older child, nails)
  • White, Silver or Gold pen
  • A Rubber band
Instructions:
  1. Begin by cutting your construction paper into circles the same size as the end of your flashlight.
  2. Use your pen to draw dots where the stars should be to form a constellation. Label it, if you wish. You can search google for constellation ideas, or use the ones I’ve provided below.
  3. Place the stack of constellations, golf tee or nail, and hammer on a tray beside the piece of foam. Invite your child to place a constellation on the foam. Use the hammer and tee to punch holes where the stars are.
  4. Once your child is finished punching out constellations, attach one to the end of the flashlight and secure with tape or a a piece of cellophane. Turn down the lights and let your child shine the flashlight against the ceiling so the constellation shows up.

Extension Activities:
  • Provide some blank pieces of paper and allow your child to draw his or her own constellations to punch out.
  • Discuss the shapes and stories behind the constellations, for example you could share the Greek myth of Hercules.
  • Ask your child to create their own myth and design a corresponding constellation
  • Take your constellation flashlight outside at night and try to find the constellations that they made (big dipper etc)

 

 

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Preschool Space Activities

This new tot school unit is full of preschool space activities to help your future astronaut learn about the universe!

Hello! I’m finally back with another full-length Tot School unit! The past month has been so busy with traveling, getting the kids back to school (school started on July 31st here – it’s insane!), and most importantly Goose turned 4! Needless to say I have had my hands full, but even when I wasn’t here sharing content with you I was still brainstorming ideas and I have some AMAZING stuff in the pipeline for you guys. First, is this awesome tot school unit full of toddler and preschool space activities. This will be a longer than normal unit, so be sure to sign up for my emails so you won’t miss a thing. I’ll never spam you but I WILL send you access to my complete library of free resources. Think worksheets, templates, TONS of nomenclature cards and more!

 

So, the ‘Great American Eclipse’. Did you watch it? I feel like the whole country went crazy with eclipse fever and of course our house was no exception. We were loaded down with our eclipse themed snacks (Moon Pies, Sun Chips, Capri Sun, & Milky Way Bars of course!) and I even made eclipse pancakes for breakfast. After all the hype I feel like the experience was kind of a letdown. We live close enough to experience 97% totality and if no one had told me we were having an eclipse I probably never would have noticed. The one good thing that came out of it though was a newfound interest in space for Nugget & Goose. Now both boys want to be astronauts and fly to Mars.

I created these preschool space activities and tot school unit at Goose’s direct request, so they are definitely kid tested and kid approved. I can’t wait to hear how your kids like them too – tell me in the comments!

DIY Solar System Magnets

These DIY magnets are easy to make and serve as an excellent teaching tool to help children learn about the solar system.

These magnets were so much fun to make and require absolutely no artistic ability whatsoever. Best of all, your shopping list only has 2 items on it! This is definitely a project that you could knock out during nap time while you binge on Netflix, or if you have an older child let them help or even make their own. At (almost) 2 and 4 both of my boys have enjoyed working with these magnets. Nugget enjoys the resistance of lifting the strong magnets off the cookie sheet and matching them to the play mat. Goose is able to name all of the planets and is now working on placing them in their correct order.

Edit: It has now been more than a week since I introduced this activity and Nugget is still requesting it multiple times a day. This may be one of my most successful activities ever!

Supplies:

  • Sculpey Clay in Assorted Colors (I like this multipack)
  • 1 package of small Round Ceramic Magnets
  • An assortment of round objects from around the house in a variety of sizes to use as stencils. I used jars, lids, cookie cutters, and even a pill bottle. Just about anything will work.

Oven Bake Clay is the perfect medium for these fun and easy solar system magnets. Perfect for helping your toddler or preschooler learn about space!

Instructions:

  1. Start by laying out your stencil items and making note of which item you will use for each planet. It may help to remember that the sun is the largest, followed by Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Mars, Venus and finally Mercury.
  2. Decide which planet you want to start with and select the colors that you feel best reflect your planet’s appearance. I used solid colors for Mars, Mercury and Uranus. Earth was just a solid blue circle that I added some tiny green continents to, and the Sun, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune were made by swirling multiple colors together.
  3. You’ll quickly learn that this clay is super easy to work with – if you can roll a ball and smash it flat you can do this.Once you have your planets decorated, flip them over and gently press a magnet into the back to make an indentation – DO NOT LEAVE IT THERE! – Remove the magnet and use a thin snake or tube of clay to make a lip around where the magnet will go. You are trying to create a well in the back of your planet to hold the magnet once you are done. This, combined with some super glue should make it more difficult for little ones to pry the magnets loose.
  4. Once you have finished decorating your planets and creating your magnet housings on the back you can place them on an aluminum cookie sheet and bake at 275°F for 15 min. DO NOT BAKE YOUR YOUR PLANETS WITH THE MAGNETS INSIDE.
  5. Allow clay to cool fully before handling your planets, then use Super Glue to adhere your magnets to the back of your planets.
  6. Pat yourself on the back – you just made something awesome and your kids are going to love it!
8 Images showing how easy it is to make your own Sun magnet for your space themed tot school or preschool lesson.
This image shows the back of the planet magnets once they have baked and are ready for adhering magnets.
Notes:
  • I highly recommend using Sculpey brand clay for this project. Fimo is an alternate product but I don’t like working with it. The product is too crumbly and difficult to blend.
  • When decorating your planets, an easy technique is to lay a thin strip of accent color across the surface and then use your finger to smooth and smear it. The clay blends really easily and this will create a more natural mottled look.
  • If you go to glue in your magnets and one doesn’t quite fit, you can use a craft knife to plane out the edges to make room for your magnet.
  • I hate that I have to say this in nearly every post, but as always please use common sense. Magnets and broken pieces of clay are just 2 of the many things your child should not ingest so please use your best judgment on when your child is ready for this activity and always supervise them to ensure their safety.
The Best Part:

OK, you’ve spent an hour of your valuable time making these things – what do you do with them? I have that part covered for you! I designed a set of 3 play mats to use with your solar system magnets. The first play mat features all of the planets in our solar system for easy matching. This is a great starting point, particularly for younger children. After your child becomes more comfortable naming the planets and their order you can progress to the second play mat which shows the sun and lines for each planet’s orbit. Finally the 3rd play mat is an image of space with no planets. This is perfect for free-play or allowing a child to fully recreate our solar system on her own. I recommend laminating your play mats for increased durability and using them on a small baking sheet.

These Awesome FREE Printable Play Mats feature beautiful watercolor images of the planets along with orbit guidelines to help your child learn about the solar system.

Ready for your FREE Printable Play Mats? Sign up below to get access to our free digital resource library full of fun printables and activities!

Toddler Star Sorting Boxes

A few Boxes and Some Wooden Stars are all it takes to make this fun and educational size sorting activity for toddlers!

Size discrimination is an early math skill that builds the foundation for so much later in life. This activity takes those size discrimination skills a step further by adding a fine motor component. When you do sizing activities with your toddler they develop vocabulary (larger, smaller, medium) and communication skills. Would you ever have guessed before having children that putting objects in boxes could be so educational?!

Supplies:

  • 1 package of small wooden stars in assorted sizes
  • Gold acrylic paint
  • 3 small cardboard boxes with lids
  • An Exacto knife or box cutter

Wooden Stars are the Perfect Durable Material for a Toddler Size Sorting Activity

Instructions:

  1. Begin by painting your stars gold on one side. Once they have dried, flip them over and paint the other side. Don’t stress about making it perfect – you’re going to be painting at least 30 of these things. Your toddler will never notice a streaky paint job.
  2. Measure each size star to determine the maximum width between points and draw a line on your box tops to match each size.
  3. Carefully cut a slit in the lid of each box to correspond to the size of your stars. You should have one large slot, one medium slot and one small slot.
  4. File the edges of the slot to ensure that it is smooth (and while you’re at it check for rough spots on your stars and touch those up too).
  5. <Optional> Decorate your boxes with paint, stickers, etc. I left mine plain since I think I will be recycling this activity at Christmas 🙂

Star Sorting Boxes - Preschool space activities Toddler Space Activity : Size Sorting Stars

I find that the activities I create draw more attention when I present them in an attractive way. This makes it seem ‘special’ and the child is eager to participate. I recommend placing all 3 boxes on a tray along with a small bowl or basket containing the gold stars. When your child is ready, demonstrate the various sizes of stars and show them how to place a star in the slot. As a Montessori-inspired activity it is self-correcting. This means that the child will only be able to fit the large star into the large slot, thereby correcting the child if he or she attempts to place it in the wrong box. Once all the stars are in the box you can show your child how to open the box to retrieve their stars. This will probably be their favorite part.

Nugget had so much fun with this activity. He isn’t interested in the sorting the stars, but Goose really enjoys helping him with that part. In fact, I assumed this activity would be too easy to attract Goose but he really enjoyed helping to sort the stars and experimenting with how many could fit in one slot. Anything that occupies both boys and has them getting along is a HUGE win in my book!

 

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River Habitat Sensory Garden

On a recent trip to the library we borrowed a book called “Beau Beaver Goes to Town“. It was a relatively cute story (a bit dry but very educational) but it has sparked a real interest in beavers for Goose. As a surprise I picked up a Safari Ltd River TOOB and we made a River Sensory Garden.

Educational Children's Sensory Garden Activity

Supplies:

  • 1 Large Aluminum Roasting Pan
  • Potting Soil
  • Several Small Stones or Pea Gravel
  • Terrarium Charcoal
  • Assorted Miniature Plants & Moss
  • Blue Glass Vase Filler
  • Safari Limited River Toob
  • 1 Plastic Water Bottle, Sliced in Half
  • 1 Small Plastic Food Storage Container or Similar

How To:

To make our little garden I started with a large aluminum roasting pan and a wide selection of miniature plants from our local nursery. I began by covering the bottom of the pan with a layer of small stones. This was then covered with charcoal followed by potting soil.

Sensory, Fairy Garden Idea with Waterfall for children's education

The most difficult part was creating a “river”. After a few false starts I cut a plastic water bottle  down to size and buried it in my soil, I tried to create a gentle angle for water to run down and then placed the spout of the bottle in a small Tupperware. Both containers were lined with blue glass rocks (also from the nursery).

Learning About Forests and Rivers is Easy for Kids with this Fun Sensory Garden Activity. Great Fairy Garden Alternative for Boys!

The final step was adding the plants, and that’s when it all came together. Our Sensory Garden finally looked like a garden!  The project ended up being a bit more time consuming than I expected but the look on Goose’s face made it totally worth while.

Easy Educational Sensory Garden Activity for Kids with Beavers and More!Easy Educational Activity for Kids: Sensory Play Garden

He has spent several days playing with his river habitat. We are keeping it wet with a spray bottle of water (another great way to build hand strength!) and I place it in indirect sunlight for a little while each day.

A Sensory Garden is a fantastic boy-friendly alternative to fairy gardens!

 

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Easy Early Tot School Color Unit

Learning colors is easy with this fun color themed tot school unit. Featuring rainbow sensory bottles, color matching clip cards and more!
This fast and easy tot school Color Matching activity is a perfect way to help preschool aged children learn about colors and the rainbow.

Learning colors is easy with this fun and educational tot school / preschool unit!

Lately Nugget has really been developing his vocabulary. It seems like I hear a new word several times a day lately, and I love it! He didn’t speak as early as Goose (which I think is quite typical for younger siblings) and all too often I find myself comparing the two. I know that’s a major no-no but it’s so hard not to, when two children are so close in age. Luckily, his new-found interest in vocabulary has resulted in some major interest in tot school activities. So this week I have focused more on Nugget and developed an early tot school color unit.

Of course Goose has known his colors for quite some time, but even he has enjoyed some of the activities I devised. Since he doesn’t require vocabulary building I focused on visual discrimination, sorting, and of course fine motor skills.

Rainbow Colored Sensory Bottles

Fast and Easy Rainbow Color Sensory Bottles for Preschool or Tot School Make Learning Colors Easy!

What, I used Voss water bottles to make a set of sensory bottles for a tot school unit?? You’re shocked I’m sure. This set of sensory bottles was so fun and easy, and best of all I had all the supplies I needed around the house. I actually made these when Goose was little, but pulled them out of storage this week to introduce to Nugget. As you can see in the pictures, the boys have hidden my red bottle so please forgive my incomplete rainbow. Lately hiding things (and themselves!) seems to be a favorite game of theirs.

These rainbow colored sensory bottles are perfect for any rainbow or color themed tot school or preschool unit. Help your child learn colors with this easy diy!

Supplies:
  • 6 medium Voss water bottles
  • Super Glue
  • a WIDE assortment of colored items from around your house (examples below)
Instructions:
  1. Empty your Voss bottles (I water my plants with it because I can’t stand the taste. Great for crafting, awful for drinking!)
  2. Remove labels by warming with a hairdryer to loosen adhesive
  3. Allow bottles to dry thoroughly before proceeding. Even a tiny bit of moisture can cause mildew to form inside your bottles down the road.
  4. Fill your bottles by color until they are mostly full, leaving just enough space for items to shake and move.
  5. Use superglue to secure the lid.
  6. Give them to your kiddos and watch as they stack them, shake them, and turn them into light sabers (or is that just my boys?) and hopefully learn their colors along the way.

 

Tot School Rainbow Sensory Bottles are easy to make and offer endless opportunities for learning!

Some suggestions on filling your bottles:

This is a great opportunity to clean out that junk drawer, the back of your craft closet, and even that pile of random mismatched toy pieces. You can fill your bottles with ANYTHING. In fact, the more variety the better. Mine include Easter basket grass, beads, sequins, ribbon, pompoms, pipe cleaners, a barrette, cheap plastic toys that we’ve gotten free  from the dentist office, baby food pouch lids and more. Seriously – anything goes. You don’t even have to worry about choking hazards since the bottle is glued shut!

Color Discrimination Cards

Develop your child's vision and color awareness with these fun and easy color matching cards made from paint samples.

I designed these color discrimination cards using paint samples from my local home improvement store. They were easy to make and the only cost was a package of clothespins and about 20 min. time. The idea of the cards is to help the child discern between varying shades within a color family. Some of these required a second look for me, so I know this is a challenging activity for kids. Goose really enjoyed matching the colors to each strip, but then took the task one step further by going around our house looking for matching colors. I suspect I will be finding color clips around the house for weeks, but he was learning and having fun so what more could I ask for?

Easy Tot School or Preschool Color Matching Activity

Supplies:
  • 2 sets of paint sample cards from your local home improvement store. I selected a strip in each of the ROYGBIV colors and then grabbed a duplicate set of the same strips.
  • A package of clothespins
  • Hot glue gun or other adhesive

Nice to have but not necessary: a square hole punch (about 1″x1″), and a laminator.

Instructions:
  1. Using a square punch or scissors, cut a 1″x1″ square from each color.
  2. If desired, laminate the squares for added durability
  3. Use hot glue to attach one square to the top of each clothespin
  4. Match each color to its color strip and use the clothespin to attach it.

Early Tot School Color Sorting

This simple color sorting activity is perfect to help toddlers learn about colors, sorting, and matching. Perfect for your preschool or tot school rainbow or color unit!

This activity is so simple I feel like the pictures alone are pretty self-explanatory. All you need are 2 colored bins full of matching ball pit balls or similar, and one eager tot. Dump out the balls and then help your child to sort them by color into the appropriate basket. Depending on your child’s age you could make this more difficult by adding additional colors.

Homemade Wooden Rainbow

This beautiful wooden rainbow was handcrafted to make it easy for my kids to learn colors.

OK, how amazing is this wooden rainbow. If I can take a moment to brag, my Dad made this for Goose for his birthday a few years ago after he saw me lusting after the Grimm’s 6-Piece Rainbow Stacker. I would love to give you guys a detailed tutorial on how to make one yourself but honestly, he’s a craftsman and I know absolutely nothing about woodworking. The rainbow was just too pretty not to show though, and has proven to be such a versatile plaything. If you have the money I totally recommend buying one from Grimm’s 6-Piece Rainbow Stacker. If like me, you can’t justify shelling out that kind of cash for wooden blocks here is a tutorial from Shape of a Spoon.

The individual arches have seen use as headbands, bridges, car garages (of course!), and toy animal pins. Mixed with traditional blocks they open up so many new avenues for creative play. Plus they help teach colors!

Touch & Feel Color Cards

Use DK Touch and Feel Color Cards to introduce a tactile element into your tot school color lessons.

If you followed my posts during our Farm themed tot school unit you’re likely already aware of my love for the DK line of touch and feel picture cards. They come in a wide range of themes and so far we have loved every set we order. To help add a tactile element to our color learning activities I brought out our My First Touch and Feel Picture Cards: Colors & Shapes. As you can see in the picture they are large, sturdy enough to withstand a rough toddler and each card features a large tactile surface. The images are bright and compelling – just right for slowing down your busy mover long enough to learn a little. The backs of the cards feature several conversational prompts for you to use with your child, as well as translations to introduce the word in multiple languages. As you’ll see in the picture, the color blue is expressed in Spanish, French, German and Chinese.

 

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Why Fine Motor Skills are So Important

Fine Motor Skills: What are they? Why are they so important? What can YOU do to keep your child from falling behind?

Why are fine motor skills so important and what can I do to help my child develop theirs?

If you have spent much time at all on my blog you’ve heard me talking about fine motor skills. Nearly every tot school activity I introduce focuses on building vocabulary or fine motor skills (and often the activities do both!). If you aren’t already taking an active role in your child’s fine motor development you are missing a critical opportunity to help them reach their full potential.

What are Fine Motor Skills?

Stacking is one of many ways for a child to develop deterity and fine motor skills.

Fine Motor Skills (also referred to as dexterity) is the blanket term for activities that require control of small muscles in the hands. If you think of the way that a newborn uses his or her hands, they are clumsy and awkward as they bat at things. Even the simple ability to grasp and release is an acquired skill. Now think of your own dexterity. You and I can perform complex tasks with our hands easily. The development of fine motor skills is the path that a child takes from those early baby days to reaching the skill level that you and I share.

Why are Fine Motor Skills Important?

Many studies suggest that the use of fine motor control is the basis for all intellectual functioning within the first 2 years of a child’s life. This reliance on fine motor control for learning continues throughout childhood. Children naturally learn with their hands, this is why increasing the skill level with which they are able to use their hands is so important.

Fine Motor Skills are Developed by Coloring

Development of fine motor skills is vital for developing independence, self- confidence and even social skills. A child with advanced fine motor abilities will stand out amongst his or her peers in a preschool or early elementary setting. This child will be early to dress himself, early to excel with cutting or playing with small toys, and most importantly early to write. Children are cognitively ready to write at a much earlier age, the lack of congruent muscle ability is what delays them.

Sadly the development of fine motor skills has declined dramatically in recent years.Children spend more time watching TV, playing video games, or using an iPad. Consequently they spend less time working the many muscles in their hands. I have spoken to many teachers who lament the decline in their student’s abilities. One friend who teaches kindergarten says that today the majority of incoming students are unable to correctly hold a crayon or pencil. Even 15 years ago she says that most students possessed that skill by 3 or 4 years of age.

Rainbow colored rice offers sensory development as well as multiple uses for fine motor skill development.

It’s my opinion that children today move too little in all aspects of life. They have become so accustomed to electronic stimulation that they are not spending the time playing outside that children did even a generation ago. This impacts their fine and gross motor skills as well as their overall health. Spending one hour each week playing t-ball is not enough activity for a healthy growing child.

What does Montessori Say About Fine Motor Skills?

Maria Montessori was a strong supporter of movement as a means of developing mental acuity. She believed that the physical movements of the young child were directly connected to the child’s learning potential.

“In fact, it is only by movement that the personality can express itself.” Maria Montessori in The Absorbent Mind

“The child has to acquire physical independence by being self-sufficient; he must become of independent will by using in freedom his own power of choice and ability.”

This belief is repeated throughout the Montessori classroom. The use of motor skills is believed to increase the ease with witch a task is learned and understood. For example, the Pink Tower, a classic Montessori material initially appears to be a simple stacking activity. However, as the child stacks each cube he or she is building hand strength, muscle control, and learning about ordering. That very sense of order is vital to later math concepts.

Supervised handling of small objects is a great way to develop fine motor skills.

What Can I Do To Help My Child?

There are also numerous activities to build them. Most  can be practiced using items you already have around the house. Ultimately any activity that uses the hands and arms is going to be building muscle control. The important thing is for the child to practice a wide variety of activities so all of the muscles are worked equally.

Here are some simple activities to begin with:

  • Scooping or spooning activities
  • Pouring a variety of liquids and solids
  • Working with clay or playdough
  • Lacing
  • Stringing beads
  • Cutting
  • Coloring
  • Painting
  • Picking up small objects
  • Using tongs
  • Handling delicate objects

Here are just a few of the many activities I have featured that build fine motor skills.

  • Develop fine motor skills with this montessori inspired activity for your next 4th of july themed preschool or tot school unit.
    Poking toothpick flags into floral foam requires a strong grasp.

 

Want to See More Great Activities? Sign Up & Get Access to Our Free Digital Resource Library!

 

 

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4th of July Tot School Unit: Part 2

Easy and Fun Tot School Unit full of Patriotic 4th of July Activities and Crafts

Happy Independence Day! Are you going to celebrate the holiday by watching fireworks? My boys are completely terrified by the loud noise of fireworks, so the entire weekend has been one long cry fest as our neighbors celebrate (over… and over… and over!) Luckily we have had lots of educational 4th of July fun of our own. If you missed all of the patriotic activities I posted about last week, be sure to check out 4th of July Tot School: Part 1!

Montessori Tonging Tray

Montessori Primary Tonging Activity for 4th of July Fine Motor Skill Development

Tonging is a funny name for a really fun Montessori-inspired activity. As the name implies, children use a set of tongs to transfer objects. Similar to spooning and pouring activities, tonging develops hand strength and muscle control necessary for writing.

For this activity I used a set of star shaped plastic ice cubes that I picked up from Target last year. I found a set of small tongs at Bed, Bath & Beyond, although this set from Amazon looks similar. Initially I introduced the activity as a simple transfer from one dish to another, then as Goose mastered the tongs I increased the difficulty by adding a color sorting element. As a surprise I didn’t mention that the stars are intended for freezing, so after working with them at room temperature several times Goose was shocked to find them frozen one day!

I also allowed Nugget to handle the frozen stars in a basin of water one day for some patriotic sensory play.

Red, White & Blue Bead Stringing

4th of July Montessori Bead Stringing Tot School Preschool Activity

Our next Tot Tray featured a dish full of red, white and blue pony beads and a selection of pipe cleaners. The task was simple: string the beads on a pipe cleaner to make a bracelet or necklace. The mechanics of stringing alone were complicated enough for Nugget, while I encouraged Goose to design a pattern and stick to it. They both had so much fun with this simple activity and were eager to wear their ‘fancy beads’ at the 4th of July parade.

Independence Day Learning Resources

Books, Flashcards and worksheets to help children learn about American history and the 4th of July.

Our Tot Trays were augmented with a wide selection of historical and geographical learning materials that I have picked up over the years. Some are a bit advanced for Goose but he and Nugget both seemed to enjoy looking at the pictures as I read them different facts. Hopefully they each picked up some of the basics, at least.

  • The Story of George Washington by Patricia Pingry. This book is part of a fantastic series of board books about historical figures. We read the story of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Benjamin Franklin. The series also includes the story of America’s Birthday, Gettysburg, the Star Spangled Banner, Rosa Parks and more. I hope to add the rest of our collection soon.
  • Fandex Family Field Guides: Presidents. This guide is something I picked up last year at a consignment sale on a whim, and it turned out to be a valuable resource. Each page shows a portrait of the president and offers a brief bio. The stories are short enough that even Goose could follow them, and he delighted in picking the funniest looking presidents so I could read their stories. Even I have a hard time keeping some of the more obscure presidents straight (I’m looking at you John Tyler and Millard Fillmore!) So I don’t know how much Goose will really remember but if nothing else he is learning that history can be fun and that lesson alone is valuable.
  • Famous Folks of America (by Reading Discovery) and U.S. Presidents Flashcards: both of these materials along with the dry erase US Map came from the Dollar Spot at Target last year. The book is written at a 3rd grade level, and features short stories telling about key moments in US history. I didn’t have high hopes for it, but the stories proved enjoyable and the kid-friendly illustrations helped keep the boys’ attention. The flashcards have lovely portraits of each president but the facts were dry and my boys just aren’t ready to benefit from them beyond looking at the pictures. Really the flashcards were a little redundant with the Fandex so if you get that, you probably don’t need anything else for a while.

Montessori Salt Writing Practice

Montessori Tot Tray Writing in Salt pre-writing skills

Salt writing is a wonderful way for children to practice early writing skills. All you need is a small wooden tray lined with a piece of brightly colored paper, and a little salt. I have seen people use sugar or sand for this activity but in my experience salt works best at discouraging children from sticking their hands in it.

I let Goose use a chopstick to trace out letters in the salt, and then give the tray a quick shake to clear the writing and start over. (It’s like a primitive etch-a-sketch!) It can be helpful to provide some degree of direction so I like to use our Montessori Cursive Alphabet Flashcards. (Click the link to learn how to get your own free copy!).

Free Do-A-Dot Flag Printable

Free printable download for Do-A-Dot Markers - American Flag!

This free printable is designed for use with Do-A-Dot markers. The download includes 2 versions, one with letters denoting which colors to use, and one with blank circles. This simple activity is a fun and easy way to work on letter recognition, and fine motor skills.

Do I sound like a broken record going on and on about fine motor skills? They really are vital to so many higher level skills that children need. Sadly kids today are losing their fine and gross motor skills at an alarming rate, so these are the types of activities that they need more than ever.

You can get your free American flag Do-A-Dot printable from my Free Digital Resource Library

Simple Punching Activity

Star Punching Tot School Activity to celebrate the 4th of July with easy educational crafts and activities.

My final 4th of July Tot Tray was a punching activity using this old star-shaped scrapbooking punch. I provided strips of red cardstock and a tray to catch the stars and let Goose go wild. The punch requires a good amount of hand strength so this was an ideal way to let him feel like he was playing while still increasing muscle control. We did this activity at Christmas last year using gold paper and I was pleasantly surprised to see how far his hand strength has come in the last 6 months.

Simple punches like this are an easy addition to any tot school unit, because the design makes it difficult (though probably not impossible) for a child to injure himself. Traditional office-style hole punches are a bit more prone to pinching skin so I would save those until you feel confident that your child can handle it safely.

Happy 4th of July!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday full of family and friends! Do you have any secrets for helping your little ones tolerate noisy fireworks? Comment below. I need all the help I can get!

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Farm Themed Tot School: Part III

This fun and educational farm themed tot school unit is full of free downloads, fun crafts and montessori-inspired activities. Visit www.NuggetandGoose.com to learn more!

It’s Friday, and that means the end of another fantastic week of Tot School. This is the final post of my Farm themed tot school unit. If you missed the first 2 parts, you can find them here, and here.

“Feed The Chickens” Tot Tray

This Montessori Inspired Spooning activity is an excellent way to develop fine motor skills in preschoolers with a farm themed tot school twist!

This is a fantastic Montessori-based activity that focuses on spooning. Spooning is a fantastic way to develop hand strength and muscle control which is vital when children begin learning to write. To present this activity I placed a tray on our learning center with 3 small ceramic ramekins, one larger ceramic ramekin, and a spoon. Inside the larger ramekin I poured about 1/2 Cup dried split peas. The 3 smaller ramekins each contained a chicken figurine from our Battat Farm Animal Set.

I then demonstrated for goose how to carefully scoop up one spoonful of peas and pour it into a ramekin. He up the necessary motions quickly and was soon rotating out his chickens so that all of our farm animals could be fed.

This Montessori Inspired Spooning activity is an excellent way to develop fine motor skills in preschoolers with a farm themed tot school twist!

It’s important to note that no matter how careful your child is, you will ultimately end up with peas on your floor. However, presenting this activity on a tray does help keep the mess contained.

Animal Sorting Activity

Allow your child to sort a variety of farm animals with this fun and educational farm tot school or preschool activity.

I came up with the idea for this activity when I noticed that Nugget was having a hard time distinguishing between the animals in our Battat Farm Animal Set. This set contains 60 figures, 5 of each species. Unfortunately, unlike Safari Ltd. Toob figures, these have less detail and very similar coloring. To be honest, there are times when I have to take a closer look to determine what animal I’m looking at. Instead of being frustrated I decided to use the similarities to help develop visual discrimination skills.

Free Farm Animal Alphabet Clip Card Download for Tot School or Preschool learning activities

I purchased these wooden trays several years ago at Target, but this one is very similar. Inside each tray I adhered a set of 4 Velcro tabs. The opposite side of the Velcro tabs was attached to a laminated image of each type of animal. This provided a great deal of variety in the sorting, because I could group up to 4 types of animal within each ‘fence’.

Once the activity was prepared, I gave a lesson to both Nugget and Goose. I showed them how to sort through the animals to find the ones that match the picture within each tray. For Nugget, I kept the activity very simple. I began with only a single, easily identifiable animal in each pen. Then I gradually increased the difficulty.

This sorting game is perfect for any farm themed tot school or preschool learning unit.

For Goose, I focused on the animals that looked the most alike. Then I encouraged him to carefully examine the animals to find characteristics that make them easier to identify. I.e. the goat and the dog figures are very similar so I helped him check for horns to tell the two apart.

Farm Animal Alphabet Clip Cards

Download these free farm animal alphabet clip cards for your next preschool or tot school farm unit.

I designed this set of clip cards to help children begin to recognize the sound that words start with, and then associate that sound with the corresponding letter. We love to play “the sound game” with Goose when we’re driving in the car. I pick an object and ask him to tell me what sound it starts with. Then we take turns trying to think of other words that start with the same sound. This is particularly great because I often come up with words that Goose isn’t familiar with so he is building vocabulary as I explain what the words mean.

Free Farm Animal Alphabet Clip Card Download for Tot School or Preschool learning activities

The sound game can easily be adjusted to accommodate older children. Ask them to identify the sound that a word ends with or even a middle sound. As children become more accustomed to this game, you can begin to introduce clip cards like these. The idea is for the child to name the animal shown, then identify the sound that it starts with. Finally, have them point out the letter that makes that sound. They are called ‘clip cards’ because parents often have the child use a clip or clothespin to mark their letter selection.

I like to present the cards on a metal tray or cookie sheet along with a set of small magnets. (As always, keep small magnets away from young children for whom they could present a choking hazard.) To get your free set of printable clip cards sign up below. You will receive your link and access code for my Free Digital Resource Library. Hint: There’s a lot more there than just clip cards!

Download these free farm animal alphabet clip cards for your next preschool or tot school farm unit.

What do you think? Did you enjoy this week’s farm unit? Let me know how it went, and what unit themes you would like to see next in the comments below.

 

 

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Farm Themed Tot School: Part II

This is Part 2 of our Farm Themed Tot School Unit which features Rooster Crafts, Free Printable Counting Mats, DIY Paper Bird Nests and More!

We are rolling right on through our farm themed tot school unit, and so far we have been having a blast! If you missed Part I, be sure to check it out. There were some really great crafts, recipes and activities for preschool or tot school. Today, our farm unit is going to the birds – literally! All of our crafts and activities revolve around poultry, so we will be feeding poultry, gathering eggs, gluing feathers and much more. Let’s get started!

Feed the Chickens Counting Mats

These adorable counting mats will help your child develop math and fine motor skills as part of your farm themed tot school unit.

I think counting mats are such a fun way to combine fine motor skill development with early math skills. Plus, they make counting just a little more fun. I designed these mats for counting up to 20, although you could easily use only the first 10 to match your child’s skill level. On each card I have featured one or more bird from the farm, and these birds are hungry! I recommend using dry corn kernels but you can use any dry beans or small counter that you have at home. As always, any small object (such as corn kernels) can post a choking hazard  to small children so use your own best judgement.

While Goose enjoyed working his way through all 20 counting mats, Nugget had fun helping by trying to name what type of birds were on each card. It’s always great when a learning activity can include both an older and younger sibling!

Visit my Digital Resource Library to download and print your free copy of my Feed the Chickens Counting Mats. Don’t have an access code? Easy! Just sign up below and one will be emailed to you right away!

Fruit & Veggie Search Sensory Bin

Fruit and Vegetable Search Sensory Bin

I wish I could take credit for this activity but all the credit for this one goes to Kim at Life Over C’s. Definitely check out her site for some fantastic learning activities and to download the printables for this fun activity.

This activity features a printable mat showing a wide assortment of fruits and veggies, along with a matching set of fruit and veggie cards. A quick pass through the laminator and a few Velcro tabs later and you have a fun and educational sensory bin search! I used Popsicle sticks and card stock to make garden signs that I adhered inside our sensory bin with a hot glue gun. This was definitely one of our cuter activities, and digging through the beans to find each fruit or vegetable kept Goose occupied for quite a while.

Fantastic black bean sensory bin with a fruit and vegetable search game. Perfect for farm or garden tot school!

When we began I figured this would be one of those short-lived activities that wasn’t challenging enough for Goose but was a bit advanced for Nugget, boy was I wrong! It turns out that Goose’s fruit and veggie vocabulary isn’t quite as advanced as I thought and he learned a lot as he dug out each card and then let Nugget help him find the match.

Of course, soon the tractor was digging out the vegetables, and I had to watch Nugget like a hawk to be sure he didn’t try to eat the black beans, but overall I would call this one a win!

Decorate Your Own Rooster Craft

This free download features a simple rooster design for coloring or making a fun rooster craft. Perfect for any preschool or tot school Farm themed learning activity. Visit www.NuggetandGoose.com to get yours!

For this project we decided to create our own pet roosters! Goose named his ‘Captain Picklepuss’, which is of course a very respectable name for a rooster. We decorated our roosters using glue, feathers, crayons, and pretty much anything else Goose dug out of our craft closet. The end result was a rooster that would be the talk of any barnyard, I’m sure.

This free download features a simple rooster design for coloring or making a fun rooster craft. Perfect for any preschool or tot school Farm themed learning activity. Visit www.NuggetandGoose.com to get yours! Download this free rooster printable to make a fun rooster craft or coloring page. It's perfect for any preschool or tot school farm learning unit.

Visit my Digital Resource Library to download and print your free Rooster Printable. Don’t have an access code? Easy! Just sign up below and one will be emailed to you right away!

 

Egg Gathering Imaginative Play

Learn how to DIY your own paper bag bird's nests with this fun and easy egg gathering imaginative play/ tot school activity.

My boys have very active imaginations and adore pretend play. I think that the creative thinking skills developed during imaginative play are vital to future success, so we put a lot of emphasis on it in our house. When shopping for toys I always avoid what Alton Brown calls ‘Unitaskers’. These toys that can only be played with in one specific way just seem limiting and are rarely the toys that see repeated play.

For this activity I made nests out of paper bags (instructions below) and then filled each nest with a few plastic Easter eggs. We were a little short on stuffed chickens so our nests included a variety of feathered occupants. After staging the nests, I also laid out a cowboy hat for costuming, and an egg carton for additional sorting practice. I gave each boy a basket and encouraged them to gather eggs and just have fun. Not surprisingly, Nugget decided to fill his basket with poultry and lovingly carry them throughout the house, carefully clucking and quacking at each one. This is such a sweet age! Goose took the task a little more seriously and was very intent on gathering all of the eggs, and opening each one in search of leftover Easter candy. As if candy would last that long in our house!

They returned to this activity several times this week, and each time they found new ways to interact with the nests. My favorite was when I walked into the room to find Nugget sitting very carefully on a plastic egg. Evidently his brother told him if he sat still long enough it would hatch! Oh how I hated to burst that bubble!

This egg gathering imaginative play is perfect for any farm themed tot school or preschool unit. Learn how to DIY your own paper bag bird's nests too!

Supplies:

  • Several Brown Paper Lunch Bags
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Plastic eggs

Learn how to DIY your own paper bag bird's nests with this fun and easy egg gathering imaginative play/ tot school activity.

Instructions:

  1. Begin by cutting off the top 2/3 of your lunch bags. You will need 2 bags per nest. (Don’t throw away the tops – I will be showing you next week how to use them for a fun craft!)
  2. Cut thin slices from the open edge of your bag down to the fold (see images). Don’t worry about making it perfect, messy is great for this project!
  3. Open your bag and then crinkle it in to a ball. The wrinklier the better!
  4. Repeat steps 1-3 on your second lunch bag, then open both wrinkled bags.
  5. Place one bag inside the other and using a rolling / scrunching motion to create a nest shape.
  6. Fill with plastic eggs, candy, or whatever else your little heart desires.

Our Favorite Farm Themed Books

Check our this list of our favorite farm themed books for toddlers and preschoolers. Reading is the number one indicator of future success - grab one of these books and read it now!

We had so many farm themed books in our collection, that this was one tot school unit that hardly required a trip to the library. Here are a few of our favorites:

Dk Tractor Shaped Board Book

This is a book that I picked up a few years ago at a consignment sale, and it has been a favorite of ours ever since. It’s pretty short, but the novelty lies in the fact that it places you inside the tractor. It’s a fun short read perfect for a toddler who is just getting into tractors.

 

Otis by Loren Long

This is the original Otis book, although there are now several in the series. It tells the tale of a sweet tractor and his friendship with a lonely calf. The illustrations are striking and the plot is well-written enough that parents and children should both enjoy this story.

 

The Grumpy Morning by Pamela Duncan Edwards

This is a cute book about the morning that the farmer overslept. I like the fact that the farmer is a woman, since too many farm books only feature male farmers. It also has a nice rhythm that makes reading it aloud pleasurable.

 

Moo by Matthew Van Fleet
Matthew Van Fleet is famous for his beautifully photographed and highly interactive children’s books. Each page features tactile stimulation and moving parts, sure to hold even the youngest child’s attention.

 

 

Cock-a-Doodle-Doo! Barnyard Hullabaloo by Giles Andreae

Giles Andreae is back again with this tour through the barnyard. Each page features a different animal and a short rhyme. The illustrations are fun and bright and the rhymes are playful. It’s definitely worth adding to your bookshelf.

 

Lift the Flap Farm by Hinkler Books

This book can be a little tough to find, but it’s worth the effort. It’s chock full of photographs of farm animals, equipment and even produce. My boys love lifting the flaps, and I love the extra questions at the bottom of each page to encourage critical thinking or find hidden extras.

 

Pass It On! by Marilyn Sadler

This is a fun and silly story about how a message can be distorted as it gets passed from person to person (or animal to animal as it were). It’s great for an older preschooler who can understand the concept of pass it on, but the humor might be lost on younger children.

 

The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson

I love love love Karma Wilson. Her books never disappoint, and always include an attractive rhyming structure along with a playful plot. If you buy one fiction book from this list – buy this one. It’s just plain fun to read!

 

Have you enjoyed our Farm themed tot school unit so far? Comment below!

Be sure to check back later this week to see the final portion of our farm unit. Some of the best is still yet to come!

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