Tag Archives: kids activity

Digging toys in ice sculpture

Posted on September 29, 2014 | Leave a comment

An enthralling sensory play to experience melting ice. Very simple activity but has a lot to discover and learn. You will hear lots of ahhhhhs once your kid touches the ice. Nady was so fascinated by his frozen toys and got so excited to melt the ice and take them out, he got so driven, he forgot how cold the ice was.

How to do this beautiful sculpture? I put Nady’s favorite small toys in 3 different shape containers, added few drops of food coloring and froze them for over night. To remove the ice, I ran water over the outside of each container and held it upside down. I placed the three parts on top of each other to make the sculpture like form.

We started with squeeze bottles full of warm water, Nady was in a hurry to take out his yellow ball!

Nady was so enthusiastic, he was eating raisins when we started the play, he grabbed the bowl to fill it with water to throw it on ice, experiencing different ways maybe the gush of water can melt the ice faster!

Now it’s hammering time we should get all toys out!

It’s a fun activity for all the family actually, we were all playing with Nady! We must admit it’s a senses stimulating play, (experiencing hot – warm – cold and of course solid – liquid or frozen – melted) it fosters learning in all developmental areas and engages extra words to your kid’s lexicon.

All toys are out, mission accomplished! Nady’s hands were ice cold, but he was warm at the heart! He really enjoyed playing…

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chalk spray art for your kids

Posted on August 14, 2014 | Leave a comment

It’s a definite outdoor activity; so much fun but so messy, I am telling you! (but since it’s a washable paint don’t worry).

Lucky us we have a beautiful space at jeddo and teta house, but still my little artist manage to spray the walls, plants, curtains… leaving behind memorable pieces of art.

To make the chalk sprayable paint you need:

spraying bottles
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup baking soda
3 cups warm water
food coloring gel (wilton as i always recommend)

You have to really mix well until all dissolved, and shake it before starting to spray.

The world of water, colors and art provides a soothing sensory experience and it’s an excellent avenue for children to learn physical, cognitive and social skills. I love those kind of messy activities, It’s an important part of early education. Children will be given the tools to develop and practice fine motor skills, for instance, spraying bottles are great for developing kids tiny hand muscles.

Get down on the floor with your child. You are the ultimate plaything, and any activity will seem more fun if your child can share it with you. Introduce the game and let your child improvise. But always talk to him while you play and you’ll help boost his language skills.

Chalk spray art develops concentration, problem-solving and planning. He learns how to aim correctly, but trust me in the beginning he will spray everywhere.

This game is open ended. You can introduce the brush or your kid favorite play thing. Nady decided to spray the balloons, his favorite toy. He was extremely happy!

Small tip: If your bottle nozzles are clogging, means the inner tubing is touching the floor of the bottle. You only need to snip off a small piece of the tube so it doesn’t sit in the residual corn starch and get clogged.

Happy playing!

kids spring/Easter crafts, yellow flowers (DIY- step by step)

Posted on March 31, 2014 | 3 comments

The color festival is still on! Celebrate the spring and pre-easter season with your kids. Develop their fine motor skills, and teach them colors.

My boy is learning the spring season and the yellow color at the nursery. I thought of DIY yellow paper flowers. Why not? It could be the table centerpiece at Easter. Lets have fun!

First we need a vase. Empty cheese jar was an excellent idea. We decorated it with colorful japanese washi tape.

The minute I set down the material on the table, Nady showed an unbelievable excitement.

You will be surprised how much you can do with just papers; Pinwheel daffodil, marigold, daisy, tulip and geranium, for this time.

Follow me step by step on how we do the pinwheel daffodil.

Marigold:

Daisy, tulip and geranium. Click on flowers cut outs for a high resolution file.

Green straws for the stems.

Et voila!

Simply gorgeous! Nady was so happy, contemplating the beauty of the flowers.

So excited, he started to collect the flowers to make a bouquet.

Nady’s reaction to this activity was unexpected. I was extremely happy from his response. Crafting today was extremely beautiful and fun. He grabbed the vase and started to fill it with the flowers.