Color Clips

I found a great idea on Pinterest that I couldn't wait to make.  Tonight I headed over to the local home improvement store and I picked up the paint chips and clothes pins I would need to make this activity.   I made four sets so that I can put them out at center time.  I put a quick mark of color on the back of the clip-each set has a different colored mark, so that I can tell the sets apart if the kids happen to get their clips mixed up.  It should be great as a color and sorting activity, as well as great for strengthening their fine motor skills!  I'm going to use it on Monday, so I hope it works!  

Painting Toast

 This is a simple activity:  Add a few drops of food coloring to a small amount of milk.  Then the students paint it onto their bread.  

Toast the painted bread, add a little butter, and enjoy!

I Spy Bags

For our 5 Senses unit I decided to make I Spy Bags for our day that we talked about sight.  If you look in the next picture you can see the rice that I colored for the bags.  You can color rice the same way you color pasta: Rubbing alcohol with food coloring.  Shake up the rice and alcohol in a Ziploc bag, let it soak for a few minutes, then pour it out onto something to dry.  Make sure it's thick because if it soaks through, it could stain your table!!!

 

I found 10 items around the school that we could use in the bags.

 

The kids started at one end of the table by getting a baggie then filling it up with one of each of the ten items in the bowls.  Then they could put three scoops of rice into the bag.  Last, I had the kids copy my card and write "I Spy" on the front of their own card and their name on the back.

 

I finished off the bags by using packing tape to tape the card over the top of the ziploc bag so that the kids couldn't open them up.  This was the first time I had tried this activity and I LOVED it!

(Sorry I don't have a picture of the finished product-you'll have to use your imagination!)

Rockets

These were really simple.  I just used extra scrapbook paper for the toilet paper roll and the triangles.  Then I taped the curling ribbon into the bottom for the rocket effect.  The kids had to draw themselves in the circle windows before gluing them on.  I know they are a little cheesy, but I promise the kids loved them!  I'm all about keeping things simple!

Lunch Bag Turkeys

Before starting, have the kids paint a clear spoon brown and set aside to dry.

For these cute turkeys, cut 1 inch strips down from the top of the brown bag.  Have kids color them various bright colors.  Then stuff crumpled newspaper into the sack and fill about 1/2 or 1/3 full. Twist shut and close with string or a twisty.  I used my glue gun to glue the feathers toward the bag so that they would stand up.  More strips can be colored if desired, but my kids didn't want to color them any more.  Now have the kids decorate the spoons.  We used foam cut into the shaped needed and googly eyes.  Glue feet to the bottom of the bag.  Finally use your hot glue to attach the spoon to the bag.

Reindeer Sandwiches

These reindeer treats are fun to make at our Christmas party.  I had a parent come up with the idea when I told her I was sick of every holiday being filled with sugary treats!  You could use raisins for the eyes, but m&m's are more popular with most of the kids.  You could also substitute cherries for the noses, but most little kids won't touch those either.  I usually use twist pretzels for the antlers, but these giant sticks were a lot of fun too.  If any students have a peanut allergy, just subtitute jam for the peanut butter.

Snowman Gift Bags

These are the gift bags that the kids made for the gifts for their parents.  The only part that I had to do for them was to tie the scarf.  It's a single know that looks like a scarf when it is glued on sideways.  The face and arms are all drawn on with black or brown marker.  I always love how these turn out!

Turkey Treats

I don't LOVE the way this one turned out, but the kids had fun making {and eating} them.  I used a rice krispy treat in the back.  Spread a little peanut butter on top of that then stick a Nutter Butter cookie on top.  Poke 5 toothpicks in, add cereal and top with a marshmallow.  Use m&m's for the eyes and candy corn for the beaks.  Let me know if yours turn out any cuter.

Halloween Bowling

I had some leftover soda bottles from the art project we had been making earlier in the month so I decided to use them, instead of throwing them out.  It was pretty simple...I put some paint inside and shook it and rolled it around until they were completely covered.  Then I used my black acrylic paint to paint the faces on the outside.  I gave it a quick spray with my finishing coat so that the black wouldn't come off as the bottles got knocked around.  I grabbed a ball I had laying around and then marked the floor with post-it notes for the pins.  This was one of the favorite games at our Halloween party!

Soda Bottle Halloween Monsters

 In October I asked parents to send in empty 2-liter soda bottles.  I turned them into the cutest decorations for Halloween.  (I think I adapted this from an idea I saw online for a bowling game, but these were too cute to be knocking over!)  I used my Cricut to cut out all of the pieces I needed.  The bats on the vampires are taped to pipe cleaners that are simply wrapped around the neck of the bottles.  I showed them how to assemble the different pieces, but then I didn't interfere after that, so you can see how each one has a different personality.  I made the Frankenstein with the 3-year-olds, and all of them with the 4-year-olds, over the course of three days.  These were a little more prep than I usually like to do (I keep things simple and easy) but it was worth it when I saw the finished products!