Easy Cleanup Sparkles
We’ve moved on from pine cones painted in Thanksgiving inspired fall colors to pine cones painted pink. Shiny, sparkly pink. Not one to squelch budding creativity, I mixed up some washable glue with paint, and the shiny part was accomplished.
But the sparkles? We have managed to go three and a half years without bringing glitter into the house. Chris has a slight glitter phobia (”It gets everywhere! You can never get it all off!”) that was cute and quirky in our early years together, but has become entirely impractical with an aspiring fairy princess daughter. Every other craft supply imaginable has been provided in abundance, but glitter has been quietly left out.
Holding my breath, I offered a bowl of kosher salt with a dash of pink sugar crystals mixed in. The verdict? Water soluble, and three year old approved. Maybe sheltering from the outside world is an okay pro to add to the homeschooling decision making list after all.
November 12, 2009 14 Comments
Dress Up Turkey
I’ve seen bunches of cute turkey and feather activities this week with magnets, felt, clothespins, and all sorts of other creative materials. I wanted to create something similar, but where real feathers could be arranged over and over again without attaching anything to them, so we made up this quick felt and cereal box turkey with a pocket on his back.
It’s been fun just to play with, and we talk through simple math problems using the feathers as manipulatives, too.
The turkey’s body is made of felt glued to cardboard, and this cardboard arc on the back is glued at the outer edges to hold the feathers in place during play.
November 11, 2009 1 Comment
Popping Popcorn
Inspired by the sensory table, we’ve been experimenting with different kinds of popcorn. I tried popping some the old fashioned way on the stove so Eloise could see the action through the glass lid, and not only was it way more fun than the air popper or the microwave, but it distributes the toppings much better, too!
Our favorite is this cinnamon sugar variety. I put the kernels and a pat of coconut oil (butter would work, too) in the pan over medium heat, then stir in some cinnamon, sugar, and a tiny bit of salt. Quickly add a lid, preferably a clear one for entertainment value, then gently shake the pan once the kernels start popping to keep them from burning.
The toppings are perfectly distributed as it pops, without any wet or heavy spots. I never realized it was this easy, and I’m tempted to get rid of the air popper. Yum!
November 9, 2009 1 Comment
Early Writing
Eloise is really into writing these days. Her favorite writing projects are the authentic things she sees me doing too, like birthday cards or shopping lists. Initially she’d ask for words to copy, but now she often prefers that I just dictate the letters. It’s such a fun development to watch!
In the realm of the non-authentic, she’s a big handwriting workbook fan, too. Sometimes she likes to write as they’re intended, and sometimes she adds a lot more drawings to the pages than writing, which is even better! I think it’s really important to take an a relaxed approach and keep it fun when kids are on the precocious side with something like this. My wallet’s favorite workbook is this dry erase one. Dry erase or not, markers or pens are her favorite medium for writing, as her fingers get tired long before her attention span does when she uses a pencil or crayon.
November 6, 2009 No Comments
Harvest Sensory Table
In the touch table dishpan right now we have a harvest theme with popcorn kernels, a pumpkin, a few mini ears of indian corn, and several tools to scoop, sort and stir.
November 5, 2009 2 Comments
Pine Cone Painting
Ah, the pine cones. There are plenty left for other projects, but today I suggested that she paint some in fall colors. Remember the art with corn several weeks ago? She’s been painting that same ear of corn every few days since then. Something about filling in all those little nooks holds her attention for a nice long time, and we have the most paint coated ear of corn in the history of preschool art to show for it.
I think it’s really important to do art that’s all about the process- art that doesn’t have to “be” anything. We’re displaying these as a sort of centerpiece in progress, and I’m guessing they’ll be completely coated long before Thanksgiving.
November 4, 2009 No Comments
Pattern Blocks
I realized while sorting through the playroom today that while Eloise frequently makes pictures with pattern blocks, we had never actually used them for patterns. I suggested it, and she really enjoyed taking turns with me, continuing my patterns and creating her own for me to finish.
November 3, 2009 3 Comments
Pine Cone Hunting
We went for a walk in the woods today, and brought home a big bag full of pine cones. Lots and lots of pine cone projects will surely follow. 
November 2, 2009 1 Comment
Witch’s Brew
Our final, super easy, please-stay-busy-for-just-a-few-more-minutes Halloween themed activity was this witch’s soup pot. I found our biggest black pot, filled it with water, and set it up on a towel. Eloise cackled and added various waterproof toys. Poor little ducks.
October 30, 2009 2 Comments
Monster Dancing
I can’t go without posting about this song, because it’s been on repeat constantly here… and I haven’t gotten tired of it yet! It’s a lesser known track, Games Monsters Play, from the discontinued Sesame Street Monster Melodies album- but it’s on iTunes! We dance around and follow directions to “be a monster too” by putting claws on head, showing our fangs, and so on. We have yet to do this monster dance and not be giggling by the time it’s over.
October 29, 2009 No Comments
