Try a different kind of finger painting.  • shaving cream • newspaper • powdered tempera paint or watercolor (optional) • washable surface such as plastic table or high chair tray Seat your child at a table (or in her high chair) and spread newspaper on the floor — this is messy! You might want to have your child […]
Do you always have to use a brush to make great paintings? • construction paper • tempera paints • clean plastic-foam vegetable or fruit trays • child’s paintbrush • assorted items: pine needles, feathers, twists of paper towels, yarn, plastic flowers, pipe cleaners, and so on Have your child put on a smock. Cover the table with newspaper. Pour some […]
Creating these unique hats will give children a “head start†in building creative-thinking and fine-motor skills! Materials: for base of hats: Large plastic containers (yogurt or margarine), Styrofoam plates or bowls, shoeboxes child safety scissors and sharp “adult” scissor white drawing paper markers, tempera paint, brushes collage materials such as yarn, pom-poms, wire, feathers, construction […]
Mix in a pot….  1 cup cornstarch 1/3-cup sugar 4 cups cold water  Heat stirring constantly. Once it starts to thicken – remove from heat – it will resemble wall paper paste initially but as it cools, is more like Vaseline. Divide between as many bowls as you have colors (food coloring). Add […]
 To enhance large muscle development and early math, science and reading skills by mixing paint and creating patterns and designs with this simple print-making technique.  • Attach large pieces (12″x14″) of bubble wrap to table top with masking tape. The bubbles should be large. Older (school age) children can use smaller sized bubbles. […]
 Try this fun, open-ended three-dimensional activity. Children will love experimenting with the various ways to use the materials.  To reinforce fine motor skills To promote hand-eye coordination To encourage cooperative play To encourage tactile exploration   Before You Start: You will need smooth and pliable air-dry clay, paper plates (or trays), various […]
Instead of spending money on activity gyms for your living room, position two sturdy wooden chairs back to back about 4 feet away from each other. Insert a broom through the rails of the chairs so that that broom handle rests on the seat of one chair and the brush side sits on the other. […]
Old MacDonald Had a Woodshop, by Lisa Shulman. Old MacDonald is building a surprise for the young animals on the farm. With a zztt zztt here, and a tap tap there, the other animals join Old MacDonald in using the many tools in her woodshop. At the end, they surprise the little ones with a […]
