2 year olds
Ramps, Tubes, and Balls: Enriching Creative Play
Why is it the box the toy came in is more engaging than the toy? Because children get to use their imagination, be creative, and build an experience bigger than any toy can create! Creating an atmosphere of enriching creative play doesn’t have to be hard. Here’s some ideas to get you started: – balls, […]
Preschool Lunch: Predipped Veggies
This is an easy dish for kids to help make, and it is perfect for lunches and picnics. Save space and have less leakage with this veggie dip tip! First you will need a container tall enough to stand your vegetables in. We used baby carrots, but any kind of dippable veggie will work. Put […]
Color Blending With Play Dough
Show your preschooler how primary colors are blended to make secondary colors in this fun and simple color blending activity. You will need play dough in three different colors – red (or pink), blue, and yellow. You can buy dough or make your own. We made this easy soft dough recipe and divided it into […]
Easy Soft Play Dough Recipe
This super-easy play dough is not only is it easy to make (only two or three ingredients and you probably already have them!), it’s a snap to clean up and makes for a great sensory experience. You need some hair conditioner (whatever you have should work), cornstarch, and, if you want, food colors. I started […]
Backyard Fun: Digging for Worms and Bugs
It’s always fun to dig in the dirt when it’s not work. Kids love getting dirty and finding little critters to put in their buckets. If you’re closing up your garden for the season make sure to let your kids dig around a bit for this great sensory activity! It’s a brilliant way to get […]
Homemade Time-Out Glitter Bottle Timer
Make these sparkly glitter bottles with your preschooler. They are fun to play with but have also been serving another use: Time-Out Timers! Have your child shake the bottle when upset, and then watch it settle to calm down. When everyone is settled down, normal life can resume. All you need: empty water bottles, glitter, […]
Rainy Day String Pictures: A Fine Motor Activity
For this fun and easy indoor project, all you need is some lengths of string or yarn. The more colorful the better! Try this creative, fine motor activity with your preschooler. Show your preschooler how to use the strings to make shapes and pictures. The sky is the limit! Beware – this project is fun […]
Rainbow Letters Coloring Pages: Free Printables for Beginning Writers
A great activity to work into your preschool letter lessons is Rainbow Letter Tracing. The idea is for the preschooler to trace the same letter several times with different colors to get the hang of how to write that letter. They create a rainbow of colors on the letter. It’s a great way to get […]
Basic Shape Pictures
Learn about shapes, colors, and the basics of drawing while making fun pictures with paper cutouts and glue! All drawing starts with basic shapes, and you can introduce your child to this concept while reinforcing the names of shapes and colors and practicing gluing. You will need several sheets of construction paper, scissors, and glue. […]
Flying Butterfly Craft: Straw and Construction Paper Butterfly
Make this impressive butterfly with craft supplies you already have lying around. You will need: construction paper (2 colors for each butterfly), scissors, a cup and a pencil (for tracing circles), pipe cleaner, straws, and brads. 1. Trace the butterfly wings on one sheet of construction paper using the cup as shown. 2. Stack the […]
Make Your Own Modeling Clay
Make your own modeling clay! This simple homemade clay is lightweight and easy to work with. It can be air dried or baked when you are finished molding your creations. You need three ingredients for this dough – corn starch, white school glue, and baby oil. Start with equal parts cornstarch and glue and stir […]
Backyard Car Wash Play for Hot Hot Days
Next time it’s just too hot outside for comfort, break out the buckets and rags and start a backyard car wash for your preschooler’s riding toys! We would have let then have free reign over cleaning our car (less work for us!) but as we were in the midst of moving for my husband’s job, […]
Rock Art
Kids love rock art…OK, I do too! It’s so much fun to find the perfect rock and write a message on it or paint a mini picture. What you need: – rock – pencil – paint pens How to do it: 1. Go on a rock hunt. Find a few great rocks with […]
Recycled Foam Helicopter Craft
If your preschooler is obsessed with all things flying, then you will love this easy helicopter craft. You will need: a foam egg carton, a foam craft sheet, scissors, and split pin For each helicopter, you will need to cut out one egg carton section (do this ahead of time, as it’s definitely an adult […]
Color Circle Suncatchers
These impressive suncatchers are easy to make – all you need is paper, a black marker, a cup, and some crayons. Note: For a suncatcher that lets more light through, use waxed or tracing paper. To make the design on your suncatcher, trace around a cup with a black marker. For more varied shapes, you […]
Learning About Feelings Balloon Activity
Young children often experience frustration when they cannot communicate how they are feeling. Help your preschooler learn how to express their feelings with this fun balloon activity. You will need: balloons, markers, and lots of air! Blow up a balloon. Ask your child how people look when they feel happy. Draw a smiley face on […]
Yogurt Parfaits for Kids
Here is a kid-friendly recipe that is good for breakfast, snack, or dessert. These parfaits are almost as much fun to make as they are to eat! You will need: small cups (clear ones look prettier), a spoon, plain yogurt, jam or jelly, and your child’s favorite cereal. Start the parfait by putting a spoonful […]
Summer Fort Coloring Page
Marc, our fantastic designer, dreamed up this summer time tree fort and created a coloring sheet to get the kids thinking about their dream summer fort. Make every coloring page great by finishing the sky with watercolors. The crayon acts as a resistant so you can’t mess it up! Let your child water color […]
Popsicle Stick Kazoos
This popsicle stick kazoo project is easy and fun. Kids enjoy making then and them making music with them afterwards! What you need: – 2 popsicle sticks – washi tape – 1/2 in wide strip of paper – 1 wide rubber band – 2 thin rubber bands Start by decorating your sticks with […]
DIY Play Camera Necklace
While they may be way too young to check out ViralRace and other sites to boost followers on social media (although that may well be yet to come), kids love pretending to take pictures! This activity lets them make their own camera to play with. You will need: craft foam, pencil, scissors, and glue. It’s […]
Simple Science Experiment: Making an Eruption
To make this simple eruption all you need is 2 small containers, baking soda, and vinegar. We did the experiment outside so we didn’t have to worry about the mess. If you’re doing this inside, do it over the bathtub or container. To conduct the experiment, start with one container with a bit of baking […]
Bottled Spring: Fine Motor Nature Walk
Put spring in a bottle! This is a fun nature walk sensory project. All you need are a few kids who like exploring, some empty water bottles (clear), and colored tape. Give each child a bottle. Talk about spring and how wonderful it is to see everything growing and blooming. Then go out to the […]
Sensory Texture Crayon Rubbings
Use this project to introduce your preschoolers to different textures around your house and yard. What you need: crayons, paper, and hard surfaces with different textures. Show children how to rub the crayon over the paper to transfer the texture of a surface. Good surfaces include wood grain, woven chair seats, textured walls, and bumpy […]
Contact Paper Transfer Art
Do you ever find yourself scrambling to find a quick, easy, and fun project for your preschooler(s)? This is an idea that fits all 3 requirements! And the best part? It only takes a minute for set up and clean up! It can’t get any better than that! Here’s the few items needed to get […]
Where The Wild Thing Are Masks
What preschooler doesn’t love Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are? Here’s how you can make your own monster masks to play with next time you read the story. You’ll need: brown shopping bags with plain backs, white paper, markers, scissors, and glue. First draw Wild Thing faces on the plain backs of the paper […]
Pipe Cleaner & Straw Preschool Jewelry Project
Here’s a fun beading activity for very young children. The pipe cleaners are easier to handle than strings or shoelaces and they fit perfectly inside the straw-beads. What you will need: pipe cleaners, colored straws, scissors, and tape. First make your beads by cutting the colored straws into one inch pieces. If you are working […]
Origami for Kids: Jumping Paper Frogs
Today we made jumping paper frogs. These are a very simple origami project that kids love, because they really jump! All you need is some paper and crayons or markers. I used small strips of paper, about 3×6 inches, but 3×5 index cards would work well also. Start by having the children color the paper […]
Simple Nature Scavenger Hunt Printable
It’s spring, and chances are it’s beautiful outside! I’ve spent the last couple of days researching Tree Care in Amador, San Joaquin, Tuolumne Counties as it has definitely been too long since we gave our backyard some love! My two toddlers adore spending time outside together, so I’m always looking for new outdoor activities to […]