Painting Prompts

I love putting out a variety of paints, including water colours, dye and acrylic paints for children to experiment, create, mix and explore. However, sometimes I give them a prompt to challenge them and let them explore different possibilities. These include setting up still life settings like fruit or flowers, cutting the paper into different shapes or drawing shapes or squiggles for children to add and create.

Here is a super cute idea that I did when we were reading and talking about Fairy Tales.

I cut little silver crowns and stapled them on the top of the painting paper.

The children were so excited to paint a King, Queen, Prince or Princess wearing the crown. This was a wonderful language activity as the children were discussing their creations with one another and the staff.

Once dry, we cut them out and put them around our 'Big Tall Tower'.

Do you think your children would enjoy this activity?

Niccola

Playdough Doughnuts

Here is a fun idea for the playdough table.....chocolate doughnuts!!

Set up your doughnut shop-

I added plastic plates with drawings of doughnuts, glitter, sequins, sparkly shapes and 100's and 1000's. I also added paper bags and playdough of course.

I added the plastic plates with doughnuts to reinforce the numbers 1-6.

The children made the chocolate doughnuts and added the various sprinkles. Some doughnuts went into the bags, others were counted on plates and some were sold to friends at the shop. This is such a simple activity but also is a great fine motor activity, helps children with counting and number recognition, promotes creative play and language and helps reinforce the 'circle' shape.

Mountains of doughnuts were made!!

Mountains of glitter was used!!

...... And lots of fun was had.

Niccola

Loose Parts In The Playground

Here are some examples of how I have used loose parts in the playground at my school. There are many, many more materials that can be used, but these are easily sourced. Loose parts are fantastic as they are open ended and encourage creativity, imagination and problem solving. The children can move, design and invent uses for the materials and as a result their play is creative, and always evolving.

1. Tree Cookies, Logs, Sticks

2. Rocks, Pebbles

3. Hay Bales

4. Fabric Pieces

5. Cooking Utensils

6. Wood, Bricks

7. Bamboo Tubes

8. Baskets, Nuts, Bark

9. Plastic Tubes, Funnels

10. Electrical Reels

What loose parts do your children love?

Niccola

Fairy Fun

We have been having a lot of fun reading Fairy Tales, making fairies, painting Kings and Queens, making magic wands and playing in our Indoor Fairy Garden.

Today I thought I would share a very simple idea for making a fairy.... Suitable for three year olds!!

Pop Stick Fairies

I used hot glue to stick some tulle wings on a jumbo pop stick.

The children twisted some pipe cleaner arms on the pop stick and drew a little face.

They then painted some beautiful fairy clothes with small brushes.

So so cute- don't you think?

Niccola