This month my 4 year was learning how to mix colors. We used books and Colors Worksheets Preschool (Learn to spell 11 Colors) Color Mixing Activities from Teachers Pay Teachers. First I taught her the primary colors; red, yellow, and blue. Then we read the books over and over and she learned how to mix red and yellow to make orange, yellow and blue to make green, and blue and red to make purple.
First we drew a monster outline on a large piece of paper and placed the paper inside a cookie tray. Then we dropped some red and blue paint on the paper and added a few marbles to the cookie tray. She moved the tray back and forth to have the marbles move through the paint and mix the colors. We did another monster with red and yellow paint drops and a third one with blue and yellow paint.
Finally she wanted to do one with all three primary colors of paint.
After the paint dried we cut out black paper to look like mouths and eye brows. We also added googly eyes to the monster.
She loved this book and asked to read it every night for a while.
The Dot
We read The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds and she make several paintings with all sizes and colors of dots on her easel. She even experimented with mixing paint colors to make new colors of dots.
Painting on her easel is one of her favorite activities.
Today we read Color Dance by Ann Jonas and then tried to mix white with each color and black with each color.
We made 3 circles of each color and then added white paint to each color on the column on the left and added black paint to each color on the column on the right.
Mixing Colored Ice Cubes
I froze red, blue, and yellow water. Then she placed the ice cubes in the jars to mix the colors.
red ice cubes in the first jar
red and yellow in the second jar
yellow in the third jar
yellow and blue in the fourth jar
blue in the fith
and blue with red in the last jar.
Painting with Primary Colored Ice Cubes
I also let her paint with the ice tubes. She could make a rainbow by mixing the primary colors.
You might find some more good ideas for learning toddler colors here:
Storm cut out the strawberry shapes. She told me the name of each shape as she glued it to the Strawberry Patch. The shapes included circle, square, triangle, rectangle, oval, diamond, star, heart, crescent.
Flower Colors Cut & Glue
She cut out the flower colors. She told me the name of each color as she glued it to the Flower Garden. The colors included red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, brown, black, white, gray.
The Valentine’s Day Preschool Pack also included many other cut and glue pages that she enjoyed.
Here are a few of the coloring pages from the Valentine’s Day Preschool Pack. These covered shapes, colors, and numbers. There are also some Bible Verse pages too.
Valentine Volcano
This was one of her favorite activities today. We made the volcano in a clear glass heart dish and added glitter. After we made the volcano she played with it for a long time. We got this Valentine Volcano from the Valentine’s Day Preschool Pack too.
Trace & Color Pages
Here are a few of the tracing pages from the Valentine’s Day Preschool Pack. These pages covered the shapes and the numbers.
We had a fun ocean themed lunch at school for our “Anchored” week at school. Each day we found creative ways to incorporate all of the food groups. We also had to keep the calories and sodium counts down to meet the state requirements for serving food to the school children.
We used clear plastic cups for the pudding, jello, and the banana cup. We also offered milk everyday even though it is not pictured.
Monday
Ham & Cheese Sea Monster Sandwich Goldfish Crackers Broccoli Ocean Sprouts Coral Reef Fruit Cocktail Shark Pudding (Gummy Sharks)
Tuesday
Fish Shape Nuggets Barnacle Baked Beans Sea Dragon Punch Blueberry Bubbles Teddy Graham Beach Jello (Umbrella Toothpick)
Wednesday
Peg Leg Chicken Sea Shell Pasta Salad Green Sea Beans Dolphin Banana in Grapes Mermaids Delight Ice Cream (Mermaid Sprinkles)
Thursday
Hot Dog Octopus on Seaweed Spaghetti Crab Leg Carrot Sticks Sea Cucumber Slices Green Sea Turtle Apple
(We added the hotdog bun to get enough whole grain. And we added a banana, because we had extras left from yesterday.)
Friday
Sand Dollar Pancakes Sea Foam Scrambled Eggs Treasure Tater Tots Poseidon’s Red Pepper Sticks Orange Boats
September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. We made a fun pirate themed lunch for the kids at school. The lunch staff also wore pirate hats and we bought eye patches for the kids.
Sea Shaped Fish Nuggets
Our food supplier doesn’t have fish sticks, but they do have fish nuggets in the shape of sea creatures.
Treasure Map Cheese Sticks
We just used Sharpies to draw a red X on the cheese sticks with black dotted lines for the trail.
We placed blue Jello in the bottom of clear plastic cups and added an orange wedge on the top. Then we added a Pirate Flag to the orange wedge to look like a Pirate ship.
Carrot Stick Planks
We cup up carrot sticks and called them “Carrot Planks”.
Here is our toddler Christian Board Book Library. I usually put a small board book in the kids Easter baskets and I also get them a book each Christmas as well. I have included the books that we have with links to purchase them yourself if you wish.
We read books each night before bed. It is the best time for cuddles and kisses too!
One Foot Two Feet by Felicia Zekauskas was one of my favorite books. It gives the singular and plural of some of the more challenging English words for young children to understand. Goose-Geese, Foot-Feet, etc…
Abeka Numbers Concept Flashcards (card number 3), count the animals on the back of the card and then turn it over to see the corresponding number. Lay the cards with the number side up on the floor in random order. Child will put them in numerical order and then stand next to the number one. Jump to the next number and count and she jumps.
Abeka Numbers Concept Flashcards (card number 4), count the animals on the back of the card and then turn it over to see the corresponding number. Lay the cards with the number side up on the floor in random order. Child will put them in numerical order and then stand next to the number one. Jump to the next number and count and she jumps.
Abeka Numbers Concept Flashcards (card number 5), count the animals on the back of the card and then turn it over to see the corresponding number. Lay the cards with the number side up on the floor in random order. Child will put them in numerical order and then stand next to the number one. Jump to the next number and count and she jumps.
Abeka Numbers Concept Flashcards (card number 6), count the animals on the back of the card and then turn it over to see the corresponding number. Lay the cards with the number side up on the floor in random order. Child will put them in numerical order and then stand next to the number one. Jump to the next number and count and she jumps.
Abeka Numbers Concept Flashcards (card number 7), count the animals on the back of the card and then turn it over to see the corresponding number. Lay the cards with the number side up on the floor in random order. Child will put them in numerical order and then stand next to the number one. Jump to the next number and count and she jumps.
Abeka Numbers Concept Flashcards (card number 8), count the animals on the back of the card and then turn it over to see the corresponding number. Lay the cards with the number side up on the floor in random order. Child will put them in numerical order and then stand next to the number one. Jump to the next number and count and she jumps.
Counting & Soring Shapes & Colors (number 8 page), count the objects and circle the correct number. Also, you can place the numbers on the table and let the child count out shapes to match each number.
Abeka Numbers Concept Flashcards (card number 9), count the animals on the back of the card and then turn it over to see the corresponding number. Lay the cards with the number side up on the floor in random order. Child will put them in numerical order and then stand next to the number one. Jump to the next number and count and she jumps.
Counting & Soring Shapes & Colors (number 9 page), count the objects and circle the correct number. Also, you can place the numbers on the table and let the child count out shapes to match each number.
Abeka Numbers Concept Flashcards (card number 10), count the animals on the back of the card and then turn it over to see the corresponding number. Lay the cards with the number side up on the floor in random order. Child will put them in numerical order and then stand next to the number one. Jump to the next number and count and she jumps.
Counting & Soring Shapes & Colors (number 10 page), count the objects and circle the correct number. Also, you can place the numbers on the table and let the child count out shapes to match each number.
First we read 10 Apples up on Top by Dr. Seuss. Print out the free 10 Apple Stack from Teachers Pay Teachers. Then Storm glued a picture of herself to the bottom of the paper and cut out the apples and glued them in numerical order on top of her head.
I got to teach a “Music Maker Week” at our Summer Camp. I had about 10 kids Kindergarten-5th grade. Each day we did a Body Percussion song, STEM activity, and made an instrument. For younger kids we watched Little Einsteins.
Oobleck comes from the Dr. Seuss book called Batholomew and the Oobleck. It is a non-Newtonian liquid; which means that Oobleck has properties of both liquids and solids. You can look at the mixture sitting there as it appears like a liquid, you can even stick your fingers in it and it will feel like a liquid. You can also grab a handful of it and squeeze it into a ball, then it feels and looks like a solid until it relaxes again.
You need about 2 cups of Corn Starch to 1 cup of water, and then add food coloring for fun.
You can search for “subwoofer test MP3” and download different test tones and play to see what works best. Use 40 Hz, 50 Hz, and 63 Hz, and turn the volume way up.
Place a cookie sheet onto the speaker of a subwoofer, and pour in the Oobleck.
Before you play the MP3 you will need to place your fingers on the edge of the cookie sheet with gentle pressure to hold it flush against the sub.
Turn on the music and watch the Oobleck jump and dance.
You need about plastic tubs of different sizes (we mostly used large ice cream tubs), Just add water and then add food coloring for fun. Put in the freezer for a day or two.
Freeze water colored with food coloringin different-sized food containers and bowls.
When frozen, remove the ice shapes from their molds and place them in a tub (we used a plastic kiddy pool).
Add drumsticks and objects for beating the ice drums.
Day 4: Spin Drum
Homemade Instrument: Spin Drum
Cut the tube into 1 or 2 inch pieces (each child gets 1 pieces)
Take the tube and trace its circumference on the cardboard sheet twice, to make two circles.
Cut out the circles from the cardboard.
Use a sharp object to cut a slot on the side of the cardboard tube ring. The slot should be big enough to insert a straw through it.
Insert a straw through the slot of the tube section. Apply glue to the areas where the straw and the cardboard tube meet to attach them firmly.
Take a long piece of yarn and attach a jingle bell to one end of the strand. Tie a knot to secure the bell.
Use something sharp to poke a hole on each side of the tube. The holes should be on either side of the straw.
Place some tape around the end of the yarn to poke it threw the hole, twist around the straw and poke it though the hole on the opposite side. (the bell should be just long enough to wrap around the drum and hit the drum in the middle)
Pull the yarn through the other side of the roll. Add a jingle bell to this second side. Make a knot to secure the bell and cut off any extra yarn. Try to keep a roughly equal amount of yarn on this side as you have on the other side of the roll.
Glue your cardboard circles to both sides of the ring to close it
Use colored craft papers or paint to decorate the plain cardboard parts of the spin drum. Embellish as you’d like.
You can use the water xylophone to teach kids about pitch.
Fill 6 mason jars or glasses with different levels of water. Each should have slightly more water than the previous one. We added food coloring for fun.
Have your children to use their drumsticks or a spoon to gently tap on the jar.
You should hear different pitch for each jar that is tapped.
This tap creates a vibration sound wave that travel through the water. The sound waves change with different amounts of water in the jar. Higher sounds have less water because the sound waves travel closer together. Lower sounds are in the jars with more water producing a lower sound.
First we read the book The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau by Michelle Markel and looked at some of Henri Rousseau’s jungle pieces. We noticed that he painted a variety of animals and very large jungle leaves.
Next I had the kids watercolor green background: We talked about how Henri Rousseau used many different shades of green. Show kids how to use just a bit of water so the paper doesn’t take too long to dry. Show them how to mix green with yellow, blue, white, black, and brown to make different shades of green.
Next we found some tutorials for kids to draw animals:
Draw your animals and then paint or use colored pencils to color them. After it dries, use a black sharpie to outline them and the cut them out carefully.
I found some tropical leaf outlines to enlarge and print on cardstock to use as tracing templates. Teach the kids how to trace the leaves on the edge of the paper so not to waste paper. Cut out the leaves and then use sharpie to outline and add veins.
Glue the animal and leaves to the green watercolor background.
Crumple little pieces of brightly tissue paper as the flowers and fruit. Glue them to the jungle scene.
These girls love to paint (and do anything messy); play dough, bubbles, pain, baking, anything! So I decided to paint the back shed wall and let them have some fun while I took pictures of them.
She is 3 and a half now, and is getting so animated. She loves dancing and singing all day long. I found this child’s artist hat on Amazon.
She enjoys spending time with her niece, and asks me every morning if she is coming over.
We splattered paint on the back wall of the shed and then put down an old white sheet and splattered paint there too. Then we brought out their easel and paint and brushes. They loved that they were allowed to get as messy as they wanted today.
