Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

Painting With Clothespins and Natural Sponges

2012-01-31T21:59:00.000-08:00

If you follow my blog, you know how I am always looking for ways to work those fine motor muscles. When I saw this activity using clothespins and natural sponges over at Vanessa's Values, I knew I wanted to try it with my 2's class.

I cut natural sea sponges into smaller pieces and clipped them to clothespins.

I set out trays of paint and heart-shaped construction paper.

I loved how the colors blended!

I've washed and dried the sponges so they can be used again for another project. I think I will try this at the easel, too!

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This activity was inspired by

Peppermint Play Dough

2012-01-31T07:38:00.000-08:00

What's on our play dough table this week? Peppermint play dough! I was inspired by Jill over at A Mom With a Lesson Plan.

I used the basic play dough recipe and added some peppermint extract and enough red food coloring to make a nice pink.

And then I added some glitter and sequins.

I don't know about you all, but both my 2's and 3's love LOTS of play dough. MOUNDS of it. The more the better to dig and poke and squish. So, I put out last week's white play dough so they could mix it with the peppermint play dough.

Play dough LOVE!

I set out a tray of heart cookie cutters and some heart tins saved over the years.

Today the 2's will be introduced to it and I know they will love it just as much, if not more.

For more play dough ideas, check out my play dough Pinterest board!

Corn Syrup Painting

2012-01-27T16:46:00.000-08:00

Today we painted with corn syrup and water colors.

I put a couple of tablespoons of corn syrup into a jar and added some liquid watercolors.

I had the preschoolers stir the mixture because the paint had separated from the syrup. They noticed how thick the mixture was as they stirred with their paint brushes. I added a bit of water to thin it up a bit.

Some of them first drew on their paper with a Sharpie before painting.

And yes, it was sticky. Quite a sensory activity!

Sticky on the hands for sure, but easily removed with warm water.

I loved how the colors mixed. I was skeptical when I was told these would not be sticky when dry, but they really weren't! As long as the paint isn't too thick (which is why I chose smaller paintbrushes), it dries clean and shiny.

I cannot wait to display these on our walls. I think they will look so vibrant. And not one looks like the other. Love that!

Pajama Day with the 3's!

2012-01-25T23:41:00.000-08:00

Towards the end of every January we have pajama day with the 3's and pre-K 4's classes. What I love most is when the preschoolers arrive and are so excited to not only see their classmates in PJs, but also their teachers!

Out comes my family's waffle baker (that hasn't been used since the LAST pajama day - I need to fix that!)

Cups with the names written on them, set out in alphabetical order, makes it much easier with a big class of 17. I wish we had more time, but we don't. So, being prepared is important.

I call the children to the table in groups of 3-4 at a time. They mix the batter in their cups and I pour it onto the waffle baker.

And we wait. That's the hardest part!

Ah, but so worth it when they are ready to eat! This is the first year every child wanted syrup.

The preschoolers brought their favorite stuffed animal or other "lovie".

And we go about our morning as usual, except in our jammies.

"I wish every day was jammie day!" I heard that from a few of the children today. I have to admit, I agree. Although I kept wanting to curl up and take a nap, the way it was so dark and rainy outside.

You can read about our past Pajama Days here:

Pajama Day 2011

Pajama Day 2010

Golf Ball Painting with 2's

2012-01-24T16:17:00.000-08:00

Last week the 3's class painted with golf balls. This week we decided to try it with the 2's.

We used a cardboard box instead of the larger Rubbermaid tote, so it would be easier for them to reach in and retrieve the golf balls and paper.

Drop the painted golf balls into the box. (I love their concentration at this time!)

Then start moving the box around to make those golf balls roll!

Such fun process art!

This post was proudly featured at:

Crayon Resist Painting

2012-01-23T20:09:00.000-08:00

Crayon Resist is nothing new, but I absolutely love it, especially when vibrant colors are used.

The preschoolers first drew on their papers. I prefer scrapbooking cardstock.

And then they place their paper on a tray and brush watercolors over it. When using watercolor trays, I prefer Prang. They don't crack easily when drying out like their competitors. They seem to last a lot longer. I was lucky to pick them up for 99 cents during back-to-school.

I also like to use clear containers for the water (baby food jars work well) so they can see the color change as they rinse their brushes.

I'd love to frame these for the walls in my house!

I'm linking up with:

(Because if you have watercolors, crayons and paper, you can do this. Thrifty!)

Colored Pasta

2012-01-22T22:03:00.000-08:00

I spent some time this afternoon coloring pasta for February. It's perfect when you have a box or bag of pasta that isn't enough for dinner, but enough for something at preschool. Or, go ahead and color an entire bag!

{Then, set it on your kitchen table to dry and fool your entire family into thinking it's red licorice pieces, until they look closer.}

There are directions on how to color pasta and rice all over the internet, but I'll go ahead and share while you are here. In case you don't know. And if you do, you can skip this part.

Place the pasta or rice in a gallon-sized Zip Lock bag, add desired amount of food coloring and a little bit of rubbing alcohol. You do NOT need that much! Seal the bag and toss it around until everything is coated. I like to let it sit in the bag awhile to really absorb the color.

{That's some real fine pasta, by the way, that I bought awhile back for my family but never knew what to do with it. I think it will be great glued on collages, hearts, etc.)

Pour the colored pasta on a sheet lined with paper towels and let dry. I love the red in these shells!

Here are a few things in the past we've done with colored pasta:

Sorting by color.

Christmas Necklaces

Counting

Lacing

I decided to search the 'net to see some other fun websites that have used colored pasta and rice. I pinned them on my Pinterest Boards. Take a look!

Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds Colored Pasta and Rice on Pinterest

Source: mynameissnickerdoodle.com via Sheryl Cooper on Pinterest

Source: onehookwonder.typepad.com via Sheryl Cooper on Pinterest

Source: onehookwonder.typepad.com via Sheryl Cooper on Pinteres

Source: littlebusybodies.blogspot.com via Sheryl Cooper on Pinterest

Source: educationalcreativity.blogspot.com via Sheryl Cooper on Pinterest

Preschool Collages

2012-01-21T15:18:00.000-08:00

I love collages with both my 2's and 3's.

Place a fresh sheet of paper across a table and provide whatever materials you want.

I love how they bring the children together. I hear the most wonderful conversations. I see them pass materials to each other. Teamwork!

I often hear teachers ask for ideas for helping children get to know each other. This is one of my favorite ways.

They respect each others' space, yet will also cross over that line when feeling comfortable to merge ideas.

What's best is how independent this activity is. Pure process art! No two murals could ever look alike. They take on the personality of those who participate. Preschoolers can stay as long as they want, or walk away and return later.

A great community project!

Golf Balls and a Large Bin Equals Big Fun!

2012-01-19T08:26:00.000-08:00

This isn't my first post about golf balls, but I just had to share with you the fun our 3's had yesterday. My co-teacher set up one of those large Rubbermaid storage bins along with some trays of white paint, spoons, golf balls and black paper.

It was a pretty independent activity, with everything within reach. The preschoolers set the black paper in the bottom of the bin and spooned the painted golf balls inside. Plop. Plop. Plop. Such a good eye-hand coordination activity!

And yes, sometimes the ball didn't quite make it into the bin, but no matter. Just scoop it up and toss it in!

Then, they used their entire upper body to move that bin around, grasping the edges with their fingers. (Large and fine motor movement.)

When finished, scoop the balls out of the bin and remove the paper.

Looks like snow tracks or a blizzard!

What I love about this type of activity is that it's pretty independent, has a few steps for them to remember, engages the upper body and the fine motor muscles, and can be used with most any type of bin you have on hand. Not to mention...

it's fun!

I'm linking up with:

Thrifty Thursday

It's Playtime

It's About Squeezing Glue with the 2's

2012-01-17T11:59:00.000-08:00

What are my 2's loving these days? Squeezing glue. They don't care what the glue goes on (or in), they just love to squeeze the bottle and watch it squirt from the tiny hole.

They get a bit impatient when the glue takes its time traveling downwards, but I like that. I like that it makes them slow down and really have to work at it. It's a great exercise for those hands and fingers!

I decided to tint a few of the bottles blue. (I used to tint glue when my oldest did his art projects at home. I forgot how much he loved it.)

And then, we needed to refill the bottles. (Tip: Buy the big jug of glue and refill your glue bottles. Much cheaper!) The 2's loved holding the funnel and watching the glue disappear into the bottles.

We've had fun gluing all sorts of recycled objects, such as wrapping paper tubes and boxes.

Squeeze that glue and have some fun!

Our Hot Cocoa Day

2012-01-16T15:56:00.000-08:00

All week we had been waiting for our hot cocoa day in the 3's class. The excitement! The children brought their own mugs and we provided the cocoa and marshmallows.

Truly, what got the preschoolers so excited about hot cocoa was Teach Preschool's hot cocoa song. Each time I took out my binder of songs and finger plays, they would say, "The hot cocoa song!" If you haven't seen it yet, head on over to Deborah's Little Fingers That Play's page. (This is how I first found Deborah's great website, by the way. I can't wait to try her other hot cocoa activities this week!)

After the children scooped the the hot cocoa powder into their mugs and, with help, added hot water (that we let cool a bit), we all sat at tables with baggies of marshmallows. And yes, it looks like some of the children added some very big scoops of cocoa in those mugs!

We then all recited the Hot Cocoa Song and added the marshmallows to our cocoa as the song indicated. So much fun to actually do this instead of just pretending!

We also laced mittens and added snowflakes to it (with a self-inked stamp).

We painted coffee filter snowflakes with blue watercolors.

We used the remaining marshmallows for a counting activity.

Our after-school enrichment program wadded up white tissue paper to use as snowballs as well as white balloons.

Now it is trying so hard to really snow outside. We've had a few teases, but nothing is sticking. Still, pretty to watch fall!

Books we read:

Journals with 3 Year Olds

2012-01-15T15:59:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of the school year, I ask each parent to provide a composition book for their child. I label the covers with their names and photos.

I keep their journals in a basket that sits on a shelf in our reading corner all year. When we rotate our small groups each day, one group sits at the journaling table. However, the journals are available for the 3's to use at any time. They are quite proud of their books and take good care of them.

I introduced their journals by drawing a circle on one of the pages and providing markers. They could do whatever they wanted with it.

Then, I provided circle stickers. Some placed them in a circle shape, others placed them inside the circle. I added some other shapes, too, such as a gingerbread person when the 3's were very into The Gingerbread Boy book.

Then, some dictated what their picture was about.

And they started trying to mimic my writing.

I vary the writing tools. I have added stencils, letter stamps, stickers, and textured items for rubbings.

Often, when the children finish other small groups, they ask if they can move to the journal table. They are so focused, adding their own pages. Even the ones who might not normally enjoy focusing on fine motor activities love their journals. This is a great start to future journal writing!

Salt Painting

2012-01-14T14:40:00.000-08:00

When I saw a post about salt painting over at A Bit of This and a Bit of That, I just had to try it with my 3's. I love any activity that is process-oriented, and this one definitely was. Plus, there was some great fine motor going on here, with squeezing glue, spooning salt, pinching pipettes!

1. Squeeze glue onto heavy paper.

2. Spoon salt on top of glue. (Notice we did this in a box top lid.)

3. Shake off excess salt.

4. Squeeze liquid watercolors on salt/glue.

5. Watch all the colors blend and shine from the salt.

Simply beautiful!

I've linked up with:

Ice Cream Snowmen

2012-01-12T19:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we made snowmen out of ice cream. And even though it was close to freezing outside, it was a tad bit too warm indoors for these guys and they melted quickly. {Not to mention that I got distracted with a parent who wanted a tour of the classroom and I forgot to put the box in the freezer beforehand.}

I sent home a note a couple of days prior asking the children to bring some small edible items that they could place on their snowmen. Aren't these peas and carrots cute? They are actually jelly beans! Thanks to one of my creative parents for finding them!

It was actually kind of cute that they were melting so quickly, because it reminded us of a finger play we've been learning, about a snowman who can't play out in the sun or he will melt away.

A big thank you to NurtureStore for inspiring me to try this!

Tomorrow: It's hot cocoa day! The weather is perfect for it!

I'm linking up with:

TGIF Linky Party

Thrifty Thursday
Come Together Kids Winter Fun

Foam Snow People

2012-01-10T16:51:00.000-08:00

When I saw Cathy's Foam Snowman over at Pre-School Play, I thought it would be a fun activity for my 3's.

I cut simple snow people shapes from cardstock and mixed glue and shaving cream. {Some of the snow people didn't get enough foam, like the one pictured above.}

So I started adding more shaving cream.

While some got into the details of what to put on their snow people, others loved the feeling of the paint and foam in their hands.

I set out various materials like orange triangles, plastic milk jug caps, yarn, buttons....

And I think they turned out cute! I love how each has its own personality, just like the children.

It did help to read Snowballs first {see post before this one} and I set the book on the table so they could see all the different snow people and animals.

Tomorrow we will be making ice cream snowmen!

I'm linking up with:

Thrifty Thursday

Link and Learn

Snow Dough! Oh My!

2012-01-09T21:32:00.000-08:00

Melissa over at Chasing Cheerios shared her experience with snow dough last month and since then, I've seen others talk about it.

I thought it would be perfect after reading Snowballs and In the Snow.

So, I bought a bag of flour (12 cups) and a large bottle of generic baby oil (1.5 cups) and I mixed it together in our sensory table. I then taped 2 heavy pieces of cardboard across the middle as "table" to set the bowls on. (I need to find something stronger.)

I knew the 3's would think this was pretty cool, but I didn't realize HOW cool! Oh my goodness!

I seriously think they could've played with it for hours. We will definitely be keeping this out awhile!

It packs nicely, but also crumbles into powder, too.

I did realize (rather quickly!) that tomorrow we need a big tarp under the table because when it fell on the linoleum, it was rather slippery.

And it also left nice tracks on our hallway carpet, like footprints in the snow! (It came up very easily when vacuumed, though.)

Glitter Bottles

2012-01-07T18:48:00.000-08:00

I pinned Sherry and Donna's Glitter Jars over at Irresistible Ideas for Play Based Learning awhile back, and decided this was the perfect time to make them. I accidentally bought 12 UNITS of plastic bottles instead of 12 PIECES years and years and years ago, and I think we've now used them all up. Finally!

I love all the steps involved in making these! I made sure to put a tray under the bottles when they poured to catch any spills. They concentrated very hard while pouring the water!

We then added a couple of drops of glycerine.

And added shiny plastic balls, foam snowflakes, cut up straws, and other shiny pieces.

Oh, and glitter. Lots of silver glitter.

{I've read that some preschool teachers never use glitter. If you are one of those, you might want to close your eyes about now.}

And yes, it got everywhere. But I happen to love a nice mess when there is fun and learning involved! And yes, my husband knew what we had been up to when I got home with glitter on my face and hair.

We hot-glued the lids so they cannot be removed.

The preschoolers walked around proudly shaking and comparing their glitter bottles. They'd put them down, then pick them up again to give a good shake. They sat them on the light table, stacked them on the tables, danced around with them!

A winter wonderland for sure!

Sticky Table....Sticky Wall!

2012-01-06T22:20:00.000-08:00

I've seen many different ideas about using clear contact paper for a sticky table or sticky wall, or even a sticky window. So, I decided to back a large square of cardboard with clear contact paper and tape it to the table for our 2 year old class.

To tie it in with Winter, I filled a tray with blues, whites and silvers -- transparent pieces, foam snowflakes and tissue paper.

It took them awhile to grasp that the pieces would stick. However, because contact paper isn't real sticky, most could be pulled off and repositioned.

Some other objects from around the room made their way to the sticky table, like this zebra finger puppet.

The following day I decided to tape the sticky cardboard behind one of our rolling shelves for the 3's class. They were quick to figure out that heavier pieces fell off the board.

I like it so much that I think it will stay here for as long as it holds up. We have a rather small classroom so every bit of space counts. The back of this shelf was wasted space. Not anymore!

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Shiny Collages

2012-01-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

I saw Childhood 101's All Asparkle Collage and it inspired me to have our 3's do individual shiny collages.

I stapled sheets of aluminum foil to construction paper (making sure to leave a "frame" around the foil) and provided trays of shiny objects.

The preschoolers then glued whatever they wanted onto the foil to create their shiny collages.

Everything we glued onto the foil was recycled. My favorite kind of project! I can't wait to display these on the bulletin board!

Added the following day:

Okay, here are pictures of the collages on the bulletin board. Each one so unique!

(There's a spot at the bottom just waiting for one more collage whose artist loved glue so much that it's still wet!)

I'm linking up with

Playing With Words 365 Thrifty Thursday

It's Playtime

Living Life Intentionally

Zip Lock Baggie Painting

2012-01-03T19:05:00.000-08:00

I pinned an idea from No Time Time For Flash Cards awhile back and knew it would be a fun activity with my 2's class.

I used:

Gallon-Sized Zip-Lock Bag

Knobby Balls (You can use any type of ball with texture.)

Paper (Cut a bit smaller than the bag.)

Liquid Paint

Place paper and balls into the bag.

Squirt some paint into the bag and seal.

Pick up the bag and shake, shake, shake!

When finished, remove paper from bag.

Because our balls were so heavy, it left more of a cloud effect. This will change depending on what texture/weight ball you choose.

Perfect for 2's, and I'm sure our 3's would enjoy it, too!

Sensory Bin on Top of the Light Table

2011-12-30T13:13:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite new ways to use our light table. Take a bin, place it on top of the light table, and add transparent materials.

In this bin I used epsom salts, some of that fake snow "confetti", and glass gems. We reuse these items many times, so it's really a very thrifty project. If you don't have those, grab whatever transparent things do have.

I place mirrors around it for more reflection.

And some little scoopers and plastic trays as well.

And make sure you have a small broom and dustpan so they can sweep what does fall on the floor!

I'm linking up with:

Playing with Words 365 Thrifty Thursday

;

Last January ...

2011-12-29T16:17:00.000-08:00

We experimented with melting ice from our sensory table.

We laced around a snowman's face.

And here they are completely finished.

We put "instant snow" onto snowman shapes.

We painted on mittens at the easel.

We filled our sensory table with water, added objects, and let it sit outside until the next class day so it would freeze. We had fun chiseling the objects out of the ice!

We stamped the letters S N O W and snowflakes in our journals.

We painted on the inside of a circle cut out of a box lid to make snowballs with puffy paint.

We made bird feeders.

And had fun with splatter paint! (Dried peas or beans inside a glove.)

We brought our favorite mugs from home and made hot cocoa.

We stepped in paint and walked across paper!

We hung paper mittens on a clothesline.

We used brayers (rollers) with paint at the easel.

We made bear caves in the gym with large waffle blocks.

We ended the month with our annual Pajama Day, complete with making waffles.

Here's to another fun, enriching January!

Some books we read in January:

Some songs we danced to:

We loved Teach Preschool's Hot Cocoa finger play:

Hot Cocoa

View another webinar from Deborah Stewart

Traditions

2011-12-24T11:15:00.000-08:00

This is me and my daughter yesterday, doing last-minute Christmas shopping. My husband was with us and we actually had a lot of fun! We stopped at Red Robin for lunch and sang to Christmas music in the car. People were very friendly and traffic was bearable.

I love traditions, especially this time of year. Tonight both sides of the family are joining us for our annual Christmas Eve party. My parents started this tradition about 30 years ago. When I started dating my husband, his family was invited, too. We relocated to Oregon and missed our traditions for many years. While Ian's family followed us up here pretty quickly, my family waited around 7 years. When they all finally joined us in Oregon, I decided to continue the family Christmas Eve tradition at our home. We've been enjoying it for 11 years here now.

Along the way we've lost a couple of loved ones. Ian's youngest brother, Jamie, passed away at the young age of 41 of a heart attack. We miss him terribly, especially this time of year.

Ian's aunt passed away this year, and his parents are both dealing with health issues. This has reinforced why our family traditions are so important. We must cherish each year. Each day!

Merry Christmas!

Wrapping It Up ...

2011-12-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

I love home-made wrapping paper. This includes using lunch sacks. And if you have a Target nearby, make sure to grab some of their colored lunch sacks for under 2 bucks each. They usually have red, white and blue.

In both my 2's and 3's classes, we used red lunch sacks for our gift bags to hold our ornaments.

The 2's stamped white paint with either a brush or one of those round sponges on a long handle (for lack of a proper name):

The 3's used letter stamps and spelled "JOY":

Add some tissue, a tag, a ribbon and they are ready to be given to parents!

Picture Frame Ornaments

2011-12-21T11:40:00.000-08:00

One of the gifts we gave our parents today, both in the 2's and 3's classes, were picture frame ornaments. I do this every year. I personally love pulling out ornaments that my own children made in school, especially the ones with their pictures in/on it.

With the 2's, we were very simple with some green and red tempera paint.

With the 3's, we used pipettes and watercolors. (Tossing a little fine motor in there!) I realized quickly we had to use paper towels to blot the puddles or the frame would start to shred and warp. (I really think the blotting of the paint was just as fun for them! And yes, I did save those paper towels - they were beautiful! And no, I don't know what we will do with them yet.)

After the frames dried, we added sparkly trees, silver reindeer, and tiny stars.

There was a Christmas tree lit in our gym, so I took each child's picture in front of it, had prints made, and placed them in the frames.

And I bet you'd like to see a picture of the finished product. But with everything going on, I forgot! So just imagine the above with a photo inserted and a ribbon added as a hanger. {I apologize for no photo!}

I hope they cherish these photo ornaments for years to come, like I do of my own children's.

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{I don't have a link to these particular frames, but here's a link to the frames I usually use, and wish I had used this year. Much nicer!}