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DIY Watercolors from Upcycled Markers

Sweet Pea is 6 years old.

From: I found instructions for this fun and frugal activity from Julie Finn at Crafting a Green World.

Material:

Several old dried-out markers in a variety of colors. Pliers. A few small glass or plastic jars with lids. (Julie suggests using old spice jars, but I had […]


Child Friendly Kool-Aid Dyed Play Silks

Sweet Pea is 6 years old.

From: Play Silks are a type of beautiful toy commonly used in Waldorf education. You can buy them pre-dyed, but at almost $15 each, it is very expensive to get more than a few colors. There are a zillion blog posts about how to dye play silks, […]


Using a Gravy Separator (and an Introduction to Density)

Sweet Pea is 5 years old.

Intro: This is a super easy practical life lesson with a good dose of science. During the holidays, Sweet Pea saw my gravy separator and wanted to know what it was, so I set up this quick little activity for her on the spot.

Prerequisite: Your tot should […]


Glow Sticks in the Tub

Sweet Pea is 5 years old.

From: I have seen variations on this in a few places: The Chocolate Muffin Tree, Play At Home Mom and Meaningful Mama.

Material:

Glow Sticks. (I found a tube of 15 bracelets in the Target Dollar spot for only $1 and Micheal’s Craft Store sells them like that […]


Rain Painting

Sweet Pea is 5 years old.

From: A couple of years ago, I read about this project in one of MaryAnn Kohl’s fantastic art idea books (either First Art or Preschool Art). Almost immediately, I bought powdered tempura paint (which is a great low-cost paint option if your family does a lot of painting), […]


Sidewalk Paint

Sweet Pea is 5 years old.

From: I have seen sidewalk paint recipes everywhere: Mom’s Crafty Space, Disney’s Family Fun magazine, river-girl, pink and green mama, and Meet the Dubiens.

Material:

1.25 cups Cornstarch (or even 1.5 cups. Most of the above recipes call for a 1:1 water and corn starch ratio, but we […]


Scientific Prediction and Observation: Sink or Float?

Sweet Pea is 4 years old.

From: “Sink or Float” is a common activity in Montessori classrooms, but I also found a ton of examples on other blogs : No Time for Flash Cards, The Activity Mom, Skip To My Lou, and Living Montessori Now.

Material:

A large clear jar or bowl filled with […]


Watercolor Spray Painting with Stencils

Sweet Pea is 4 years old.

From: I was inspired by this fun watercolor spray paint idea over at Creative Connections for Kids.

Material:

Food coloring or liquid watercolor. Spray bottles. (Teacher Tom recommended the brand from ACE hardware.) Paper. An old towel. Stencils. (You can also make these yourself out of paper […]


Scrubbing Appliances

Sweet Pea is 4 years old.

From: One day when I was cleaning the kitchen, Sweet Pea begged to help me. I found a spray bottle and a cloth and showed her how to wipe down the appliances.

Material:

Cloth. Spray bottle of water.

Procedure:

Show your tot how to aim the spray […]


Watercolor Resist Valentines

Sweet Pea is 45 months old.

From: Do you want to make some cute homemade Valentines with your tot? We loved these adorable watercolor resist valentines from One Inch World (featured on Teach Preschool’s excellent Tumblr blog).

Material:

Watercolor paint. (We used liquid water color, but a standard pallet of watercolors should work […]