A Hearty Messy Table

Pouring, scooping, measuring and more…
that’s what the messy table is for.

Here is another idea that promotes motor development and color/shape recognition through play.



Here is what you need:

A plastic container
Water
Red Food Coloring
Small Hearts (I found ours at Wal-mart)
Spoons, Cups

My son played with this for the longest time. He enjoyed seeing the water change, and catching the hearts in a measuring cup.

He pretended that the hearts were fish.
“Mama, Hearts"(As he makes a fish face)

I’m not sure which was cuter, the fact that he said “Heart”…or the Toddler Fish Face. :)

A Sweet Masterpiece: Painting with Icing :)

This art activity is one of my favorites. It promotes fine motor development and reinforces color recognition.

Here is what you will need:

Icing
Food Coloring or Tempura Paint
Craft Sticks (Optional)
Card Stock or Heavy Construction Paper

We used tempura paint and mixed it with the icing, to make Valentine’s Day colors.(The children may want to help mix the colors, which is great for science development.)



Set out the materials, discuss, and allow children to explore them.


“Pink!!!” (He identified a color…best thing to happen all day!)

Think Pink

I just found a cute alternative to using finger paint. It was SUPER EASY to make.

All you need is a few teaspoons of flour, food coloring, and water. Mix the ingredients until they have the consistency of a paste and that’s it!





Since my son is still warming up to the idea of “getting his hands dirty”, I began by using craft sticks.

He eventually stuck his finger in the paste, only after I did it, for the total “Sensory Experience”.

We even talked about the color, and texture of the paint.

*This art activity facilitates Fine Motor, Science/Sensory, and Language Development.

Hunting for Hearts

This activity will reinforce the concept of shapes
(Math Development), in a really fun way.

Materials:

Heart Cut-Outs
Basket/Bowl (optional)

Cut out several medium sized hearts
(Foam Sheets, Paper...be creative)



• Hide the hearts around the classroom, or the house.
• Review what a heart is, let the child see one of the hearts.
• Explain the game.
• Give the child a small basket to carry.
• Help them to find the hearts as needed.

Optional:

Count the hearts, once they are gathered.
Allow the child to play with the hearts that they have discovered.

Happy Heart Hunting!

Save The Construction Paper!

I am always looking for new ways to get my child interested in Art. After all, it helps his Fine Motor Development. How can I make the “same old” Art materials… “brand new”? Here is an idea. What if I saved a piece of construction paper, and used something else instead?


Yesterday, I put out “Bingo Dots”.
He was interested (but not for long).
Same construction paper. Same tools.

But then…

I went to the kitchen and put foil where the paper had been.
"OOOOooooooo, Mommy”, he exclaimed.
He loved it, and he played for a very long time.
"Dot,Dot,Dot!" :)


*Optional: If you don’t have “Bingo Dots”, try crayons on the foil
it looks awesome!

Really Red Play Dough

Letting children help in the kitchen does more than keep them busy. They are actually learning Science & Motor Skills. One of the things we do in our kitchen is make play dough. Learning and saving money…you can’t beat it. In honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought we would make “Really Red Play Dough".





Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
Red food coloring, one packet of Fruit Punch Kool-Aid or ½ container of Cran-Grape Crystal Light


In saucepan,or large bowl, mix all dry ingredients with a spoon. Next, add a generous amount of food coloring, the oil, and water. Mix well. When all the ingredients are combined, place the pot on the stove. Set the burner on medium heat, stirring constantly!
Once the dough has formed a ball, remove it from the stove. I set the dough on a piece of wax paper to cool. When the dough is cool, I like to add a little flour. Then, knead the dough until it’s a nice consistency.

Optional Fun…

*Instead of food coloring and Kool-Aid, you can use Beet Juice or Cocoa.

>Language Development: Engage the child in dialogue during play. Talk about how the dough smells, looks and feels.

*Storage: Store in a plastic container or a Ziploc bag for about a week.