This activity was a science and vocabulary lesson I did to help the kids learn about the difference between "hard" and "soft." I started by gathering up a tray of items that were either hard or soft. I included hard things like a book, a marble, a wooden instrument, a plastic cat toy, a wooden banana, and a nut and bolt set. I included soft things ... Continue Reading
Easter egg memory game
Have you ever played Memory - the game where lay down a lot of images then flip them over two at a time to see if you get a match? This Easter egg memory game works very similarly. However, instead of matching pictures, the goal is to match objects inside of plastic Easter eggs. In our case, I decided to have the kids match colored pom poms. Note: ... Continue Reading
Easter egg sound matching game
On a recent morning during our homeschool preschool time, I set up a fun and simple Easter egg sound matching game for QBoy and XGirl to play. Montessori learning for the preschool years focuses a lot on developing children's senses. This activity takes a Easter-themed Montessori approach to helping young work on honing their sense of hearing ... Continue Reading
Crayon resist Easter painting
Have you ever tried crayon resist painting? Kids think it is magic because images just begin to appear right before their eyes! For this crayon resist Easter painting activity, I wanted my kids to experience the joy of seeing a decorated egg come to life as they painted. Note: This and other Easter activities can be found on my Easter ... Continue Reading
Pasta rainbows
We recently made rainbow colored necklaces using dyed penne pasta. Because we had leftover pasta from the activity, I decided to use it by having the kids make their own pasta rainbows. This activity was one of several St. Patrick's activities I have done with the kids. But it's also a fun anytime activity that works on colors. Note: You ... Continue Reading
Easter sensory bin: How we used it
With Easter coming up, I was so excited to create an Easter sensory bin for my kids to use and explore.There really is so much that children can learn from engaging with sensory bins and other forms of sensory play. In this post I'm sharing how I created my Easter sensory bin. I'm also detailing the various ways that my kids used the bin, with ... Continue Reading
Stringing a rainbow necklace
One recent night after the kids had gone to bed, I decided to make some rainbow colored penne pasta for the kids to use in some projects. The first project we made with the colored pasta was to string together some rainbow necklaces. This is a perfect activity for kids working on learning their colors. It is also a great St. Patrick's ... Continue Reading
Gross motor shapes activity {teaching shapes}
I try to make learning fun for my kids. That means that my approach to teaching shapes is to do so as much through games and play as I can. We have a long driveway, which provided the perfect setting to do a gross motor activity that involved teaching shapes to my kids. Note: For more ideas and free printables to help kids learn shapes, see ... Continue Reading
Magic leprechaun rocks {St. Patrick’s Day activity}
Growing up, St. Patrick's day was not a particularly big deal for me or my family. Of course we wore green so we wouldn't get pinched. But that was about the extent of our celebrations, as far as I can recall. But I've been inspired by so many wonderful St. Patrick's activities I've seen online to do a bit more with the holiday with my own kids. ... Continue Reading
St. Patrick’s math activity {free printable}
We do a lot of hands-on activities in our home, including several St. Patrick's activities. I'm not someone who believes that preschool children should spend a lot of time doing worksheets. But I also think that doing them every once in a while, especially if the kids enjoy them, is just fine. With St. Patrick's coming up, I decided to create a St. ... Continue Reading