Friday, October 21, 2011

Hidden Diamonds Water Beads Sensory Bin



I've been wanting to join in on the water bead craze and so I went and bought a bunch of colors. L picked the clear ones to try first and while they were soaking I still had no idea what I was going to do with them. That is until they were done growing. They were so pretty, I immediately thought of the plastic diamonds we have in my craft supply!



I poured the beads into a clear glass baking dish (so its a sensory dish actually) and added the diamonds. They REALLY blended in. How well they blend in really only shows up on camera WITHOUT the flash.



and he loved it!







and when I put a red table cloth under it, it became even harder to spot the diamonds.





Yep, loving water beads! Can't wait to try different things with them!


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Thursday, October 20, 2011

Cereal Box Book



We are big cereal eaters in this house and L loves to look at the back of the box. He is content looking at the back of the same box each time he's eating his breakfast. SO, I started cutting the back of the cereal box out and saving them to make a cereal box book. I keep them together with a bookring.

Some are just colorful and fun to look at, some have easy games like "hidden pictures," or mazes, or jokes and riddles. We keep it in the car to keep L occupied on longer carrides. He loves it!

I've been asking my friends to save me their kids cereal boxes to build on our book!

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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The Children's Art Group: Apple Printing

Apple Printing
After constantly wishing there was an alternative to the expensive art classes and camps, I decided to start a local Children's Art Group. With 30 members, some awesome little artists, and enthusiastic parents, we are having a BLAST focusing on process art and projects.



For our 4th meetup, I hosted an Apple Printing Playdate. The kids made apple prints with apples, washable paint, and paper. When the kids were done and off playing, the adults made apple print shirts with fabric paints!






For an added element of play, I made an Apple Picking Sensory Bin, VERY much inspired by the one I saw HERE at Pink and Green Mama.





Click HERE to see the details of the APPLE PICKING SENSORY BIN.




I was really blown away at how creative the adults were with their apple print shirts!







I love to see art drying all over the counters!



I loved this meetup!
 I thought it was fun to get the parents involved in the art activity too!



For more info and ideas about starting a Local Children's Art Group yourself or hosting large group art playdates, click HERE, or the page link at the top of my blog.


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Apple Picking Sensory Bin




 I hosted an Apple Printing Playdate for my Local Children's Art Group recently and inspired by the theme I went perusing blogs to find apple sensory bins. I stumbled upon one HERE, at Pink and Green Mama's blog. So, very much inspired by hers I made the one you see above.



I made the mini baskets using acorn caps, wire, and hot glue.
I also made the mini ladder with little sticks and hot glue. The trees I copied from Pink and Green Mama's idea and are toilet paper rolls and felt leaves. (brilliant!)








apples and cinnamon... perfect combination!



The kids loved it!



and L continues to play with it at home.



Transferring apples from one bucket to the other with tongs


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