Nature
Simple Animal Masks
Dress up is always a favorite around here, no matter the occasion. Today we made this simple, but cool masks using only some basic supplies. Maybe you’ll be able to tell (or maybe not!) we were inspired after a talk about how Eric Carle might make his artwork in some of our favorite books, like […]
Monet Inspired Waterlilies Project for Kids
I think it’s fun to introduce kids to art history in a variety of ways! Luckily, here in Philly, we have one of Claude Monet’s paintings featuring his famous waterlilies. After seeing the painting in person, and looking at some of his other paintings online (like my favorite one at MoMA), we decided to make […]
Fall Leaves Mobile
Make this beautiful leaf-mobile to hang in your space! Kids will have fun learning about warm and cool colors, and the whole family will be able to enjoy your mobile once it’s hung! This project is fairly quick, easy, and cheap (three big plus’s in my book). We used coffee filters (white work best) scissors […]
Fall Placecards
We’re having a fancy Fall tea party, and we used leaves (which are so abundant in my yard!) and Sharpie paint pens to make some personalized placecards for our guests! I must say, I was so impressed by how these markers worked on an organic surface! We doodled on some leaves, wrote names of our […]
Play Binoculars from Cardboard Tubes
Birdwatching is a great winter activity for your preschoolers. With these “binoculars” they will feel like a pro! Obviously, proper birdwatchers will be equipped with professional equipment for their hobby, but we weren’t going to buy a quality spotting scope for the money reasons, as well as the fact that our preschooler is so young, […]
5 Great Reasons to Visit Your Local Playground
Do you enjoy taking your little ones to your nearest playground? Spending time with children in the great outdoors is a fantastic form of exercise. However, it is no secret that chasing after your children can take its toll on your muscles. Consequently, if you often feel tired and exhausted after a long day looking […]
Pantone Leaf Necklace
I seriously might have a problem, I think I’m addicted to paint samples. In any case, we did this fun project immortalizing the colors of Fall, and turned it into a beautiful fun necklace. Check it out! We started on a crisp morning with a walk around our neighborhood, collecting some “samples”. It was fun […]
Stand-up Paper Giraffe Project with Printable
Here’s a project to do before or after your next zoo trip. You’ll need: paper, scissors, a hole punch, pipe cleaners, and this printable. You can print the giraffe-printable on colored paper or print it out and use it to trace onto construction paper. If tracing, fold the paper in half widthwise first and make sure […]
Creepy Crawly Pipe Cleaner Creatures
Using this method, you can make any number of crawling creatures from your pile of pipecleaners. Besides pipecleaners, you may want to use some googly eyes and glue. To make legs, antennae, and heads for your creatures, bend pipecleaners into zig-zag shapes and twist as shown. You can make 3, 4, or 5-legged sections […]
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 […]
Daisy Flower Chain Instructions
Have you ever wanted to teach your kids how to make daisy chains? Here are simple instructions. You will need: flowers. Small flowers that grow in the grass are perfect for daisy chains; dandelions work great too! Make sure you leave a few inches of stem when you pick the flowers, as you will need […]
Dream Catcher Sculpture
These might just be the perfect summer camp craft. The sculptures are fun to make and can go in so many directions with a little creativity. I’ve never actually seen anything like them before. The idea came to me when I was thinking about creating a dream catcher activity and saw the stick sculptures one […]
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 […]
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 […]
DIY Bird Feeder
My preschooler loves any and all animals. If I had to ask her which one she preferred, I think it would change every minute. She just can’t make her mind up, bless her. It’s definitely not a bad thing though. I’m actually surprised that she hasn’t asked for one yet, which is fine. But they […]
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 […]
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 […]
Grow Onions in 10 Days: Great Growing Project for Young Kids
Grow your own green onions at home in 10 days! This is a great growing project for young children because they grow so fast the kids can see their plants grow day after day. What you need: – bunch of green onions – jar or cup – water What you do: 1. Cut the top […]
Nature Walk: A Weekend In An Enchanted Forest
It’s fun to let your imagination run wild when on nature walks. This weekend we were in an enchanted forest. We were on a hunt for banana slugs and fairy homes in mushroom villages. We also had a close encounter with a hibernating bear cave and had to move on quickly and quietly as to […]
The Perfect Leaf – Fall Coloring Page
Nature walks with the kids in the fall is so much fun. Inevitably you end up with a handful of leaves, pine cones, and other goodies that were just perfect. This coloring page really embodies the feeling of being outside, fall time, and finding the perfect leaf. Click to download the free printable coloring page. […]
Fingerprint Fall Foliage Art Project
Celebrate Autumn and make a cool tree with all different colored fingerprint leaves. You’ll need light colored paper dark colored paper scissors glue stick stamp pads in colors of fall leaves You, or your little leaf maker, will cut different sized strips of brown or dark colored paper. Arrange them on […]
Fun Autumn Activities for Preschoolers
For a parent or child care provider, summer offers an array of activities to keep your little ones happy – from walks in the park and trips to the beach to a simple paddling pool in the back garden. But as the nights draw in and the days get colder, lots of parents find themselves […]
Colorful Leaf Printmaking Project for Kids
As the weather gets cooler and we stay indoors more, it’s always nice to incorporate natural elements from the outside world into your room. One way to do this is to gather large leaves and have your preschooler(s) make colorful leaf prints, such as the ones seen here. After seeing these, I had to make […]
Fall Leaf Collage Sun Catcher
I’ve been doing numerous fall activities lately with my preschooler, but not many involve getting outside and actually enjoying the seasonal changes that are taking place right now. So I decided to hand my daughter a bag and take her for a nice outing in search of colorful leaves to make a collage to display […]
Watch it Grow: How to Take Stem Cuttings to Multiply Your Plants
Here’s a fun, long term project that will have kids excited about plants! There’s a certain pride that comes with a green thumb – share this delight with your kids as you watch a plant regenerate! One thing to bear in mind, if your houseplants are not properly looked after they may start having fungus […]
Garden Pets: make plant row markers with rocks
We made these plant row markers for my mom’s garden and she LOVED them. So I thought I would share. :) The process is pretty simple. 1 – Collect rocks and stones that are about 2-3 inches wide 2 – Wash and dry the rocks 3 – Paint both sides of the rock with […]
Seed Starter Idea: Strawberry Carton Mini Greenhouse
My mom gave me this idea years ago…use strawberry (or other berry) cartons to start seeds by creating a mini greenhouse. It’s super easy, thrifty, and kids love to help! Here’s how to do it: 1. Collect some strawberry cartons. 2. Fill the carton with dirt or your favorite garden soil. 3. Plant your seeds […]