In order to understand abstract concepts, your child has to abstract the ideas from their physical surroundings and from the objects that are significant to them. After listening to her mom read The Giving Tree, for example, 4-year-old Rose said, “This book is about selfish.” She was able to extend the theme from the story […]
 sand glue cardboard empty salt or oatmeal container tape Prepare by poking holes in one end of an empty salt or oatmeal container. Fill with sand, and seal up the opposite end with tape. Use glue to make a design on the cardboard. This could involve geometric shapes, pictures (such as a house), or simple […]
 Help your child round up circular items and create art with them.  picture book about circles paper plates or construction paper tempera paint paint tray round objects newspapers old shirt or smock Share a picture book about circles with your child, such as Round and Round and Round by Tana Hoban. Use your […]
 Collect objects around the house that children can press into paint and press on paper (empty plastic pudding cups, plastic bottle caps, corks, cardboard coasters, jar lids, and the like).  Invite your child to press the objects gently into small cups of paint and press them onto a large sheet of blank paper. […]
Grab your child’s interest with homemade books. • Drawing paper • Markers and/or crayons • Ink pad and stamps • Bookbinding materials: a stapler, or a hole punch and yarn or small binder rings  The Shape of Things: Can your child identify a circle, square, triangle, or rectangle in the objects around her? Take a walk and encourage […]
Shape-ly Sculptures  Learn about numbers and letters with these tasty bread sculptures.  • 1 cup water • 1 tsp sugar • 1 Tbsp quick-acting yeast • 1 tsp salt • 2 cups flour • 1 Tbsp oil • measuring cup • wooden spoon • bowl • plastic knives and forks • wooden board • baking sheet • cookie cutters (optional) Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  With […]
Shape Stamping Dip differently shaped objects into paint and stamp onto paper. You could use paper cups for circles, heart cookie cutters, blocks, etc.  Stained Glass Shapes Cut any shape out of card stock or thin cardboard. (cereal boxes work well) Cut a second shape inside the first, making a shaped frame. Try to […]
Card stock in assorted colors Scissors Hole punch Glue Paper fasteners Green glitter glue for alligator scales Flexible straws Pinking shears  Cut out the shapes as shown from card stock, using pinking shears to achieve a serrated look along the top of the back, tail, and teeth, as well as the bottom of the […]
