Thrift Found Candle Holder Turned into Crayon Holder

Ok, I am NOT a project person hardly at all, but when I found this candle holder at Goodwill I knew exactly what I wanted it for....

A CRAYON HOLDER

So, with a little bit of scrubbin and some spraypaint, the result was just as i'd hoped

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Rainbow Milk Jug

I made this Rainbow Milk Jug for play and fine motor practice. I cut a hole in the side of the jug then painted it with acrylic paint...rainbow of course! After it the paint dried, I modge podged the whole thing to seal the paint and prevent it from chipping.  

I had these little square foam cubes and I put them inside the jug. L grabbed them out of the big hole and dropped them through the smaller opening at the top. He thought this was lots of fun and he was getting some color recognition and great fine motor practice as well! 

 

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Eye Spy Jar

I just finished making colored rice and noodles. I knew L would love playing with it and so I used it as a sensory bin activity. He had a blast! See COLORED RICE AND NOODLES for directions! However, my original purpose for making colored rice and noodles was to make an Eye Spy Jar. I originally saw this post on a wonderful blog called The Magic Onions. There's was very simple and used no colored rice, but I had been wanting to make colored rice and noodles for a while anyway so I thought I could combine the two projects.

These were the two white rice jars I made. One for a boy and one for a girl. Each jar contains many different objects hidden within the rice and noodles. I also printed a picture of all the objects within each jar and used Scotch Self Sealing Laminating Pouches (no heat or machine needed) to laminate them. I attached them to the jar with a ribbon. 

I like the jar idea (pretty for sure) but I'll also be saving a water bottle or two to do a few more for safter handling (non breakable) and a great way to REUSE the bottle!

 

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Colored Rice and Noodles

Colored rice can be used in all sorts of craft and sensory play activities. Its also fun to color noodles because there are so many different fun shapes and sizes! It makes a great sensory bin material, which is how I used it when it was finished. 
I have a few crafty projects in mind for it after L mixes all the colors.

Its super easy to do!

What you Need

rubbing alcohol or vinegar

uncooked white rice and/or  a variety of noodles

food coloring 

plastic baggies or just a bowl
*essential oils or extracts for scent

Directions

1. Pour 2 tsp of alcohol into a bowl or the plastic baggie

-If you use a bowl use a metal bowl so it wont stain

-I used a bowl and not the baggie so I could experiement with the colors easier

2. Add your color to the alcohol (8-10 drops for very bright colors)

-Experiment with lots of different colors!

3. Pour 2 cups of rice or noodles into a baggie or bowl and then add your color mix. If your adding an essential oil or extract for scent, add it now as well.

-I don't recommend mixing rice and noodles together because its hard to get the color even

4. Make sure its sealed tightly and then shake, and manipulate the rice and color until all the rice is completely saturated.

6. Then lay the rice out on a cookie sheet to dry. Drying time will vary

-I put down wax paper over my pan first

-I set the cookie sheets outside for faster drying (1 hour)

When its dry your free to play! 
Store in sealed container or baggies.
Rice will be a bit dusty and you'll notice colored dust on your hands but it rubs and washed right off.

L's Rainbow Rice Sensory Bin
So pretty! I hardly wanted to let him play with it! haha

He loved funneling the rice

Put a plastic table cloth underneath for easy cleanup and less waste!

aaaand just another rainbow pic. 

I had to take lots because I knew it would stay that way for about 1 second after L started on it!

For more colored rice play, click on the photo's below

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Homemade Mailbox from a Diaper Box

"L" abosolutely LOVES checking the mail. A few times, my family and friends have been super sweet and sent him cute little letters with stickers and drawings... (friends like these are priceless). Anyway, I have been meaning to make him a special letter each week with a small trinket and stickers and coloring page, and a short letter which would talk about the fun week ahead and so on...this is in hopes that these letters will be keepsakes down the road. Like I said...I've been MEANING to do this for weeks now and my little procrastinating self just hasn't done it! So to motivate myself and because I know it will just make this all the more fun, I made "L" his own MAILBOX.

So, I took a diaper box and covered it with brown easel paper (which took lots of hot glue gunning). I then cut a hole for the door and handle (with an exacto knife) and a small slit at the top to insert the mail. Decorating will take place later because "L" just couldn't wait to play with it!

This was the motivation I needed to get started on his weekly letters!

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