Thursday, February 14, 2013

Toddler Craft Valentine Potted Wildflower Seeds

Toddler Craft Valentine Potted Wildflower Seeds
Follow Me on Pinterest
Use general potting mix and small pots to be painted by teacher or children.
Then use Popsicle sticks and glue small hearts to them we used small foam hearts from the dollar store. Place in potting soil mixed with wildflower mixture. Water and watch grow! Kids love them.

Valentine craft- toddler preschooler handprint

Valentines Day Craft-Toddler Hand print
Follow Me on Pinterest

We made a print from the book " Clip art for winter" by Carson - Dellosa Publishing
Made copies then put children's hand print on them. I was running late on time I would have had the kids color the paper first then done their hand print.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Easy Banana Muffins

Easy Banana Muffins
Follow Me on Pinterest
Easy Banana Muffins

These banana muffins are great for toddlers! I decided not to add the nuts to prevent a choking hazard for my little ones in daycare.

The mixture takes only about 10 minutes to mix by hand I used only a fork and one bowl.


Ingredients:                                       350 oven

1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 overripe bananas (if only 3 bananas I added 1/2 cup applesauce to make up the difference.
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup canola or cooking oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Peeled and mashed overripe bananas in bowl with fork (added applesauce then too). 
Then stirred in brown sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla after that mixed in dry ingredients- white flour, whole wheat flour, salt and baking soda.

Greased cupcake tins and filled 3/4 full cooked for about 15 min until centers were done. 



Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Follow Me on Pinterest
Fun and Easy Snow Day Activities Children Will Love


Turn Snow Day into Fun Day with These Great Activities
December 08, 2009 by Danielle Crofford Fetters

If you are a kid then the words "snow day" are a welcome break from the normal routine of getting up and going to school each day.. However those same words can bring a sense of dread and anxiety to parents as they anticipate a day stuck inside with energetic and bored kids. Snow days don't have to be feared by parents, there are a lot of fun indoor activities that you can engage your children in to help pass the time,keep them busy and out of your hair all day. To help you have a stress free day here are ten snow day activities that you can do inside your home with items you probably already have on hand.

Edible Snowflakes

Fold flour tortillas in fourths and use scissors to cut shapes out pf the folds, just like when you cut a paper snowflake, Brush with melted butter. sprinkle on cinnamon sugar and bake at 350 degrees until crispy.Yum!

Snow Cream

Make this yummy treat using clean fresh snow. fold in a mixture of vanilla,milk and sugar to taste. You have a perfect treat for a snow day at home.

Board Games

Pull out your board games and have a fun day playing them. Some good ones to play are Sorry, Monopoly and Life. If you have younger children games like Candyland, Chutes and Ladders and Memory are good choices. If all you have is a deck of playing cards bring them out and teach the kids how to play Go Fish, Slap Jack or War.

PJ and Popcorn Movie Day

Let the kids wear their pajamas all day, make some popcorn and watch movies. some good choices for a Snow Day movie marathon are Jack Frost, Snow Dogs,Snow Buddies, and Snow Day.

Snowflake Art

Put your coffee filters to good use and let the children fold them in fourths and cut small shapes from the folds to make beautiful snowflakes. You can drizzle on glue and sprinkle with glitter for a sparkly effect. Once dry use scotch tape to hang in windows and around the room.

Freeze Dance

Put on some music and let the kids get some energy out by dancing. When the music stops they have to freeze in place. Anyone who moves while frozen is out. The winner is the last person dancing.

Sock Puppet Show
Put those unmatched socks to good use by letting the kids use craft materials to turn old socks into sock puppets for a Snow Day Puppet Show. An old box can be decorated and turned into a impromptu puppet stage. Kids will enjoy putting on a show for the whole family.

Snow Painting

Kids will enjoy using spray bottles to paint on snow.

Fill a few spray bottles with a few drops of food coloring and water. Bring in a pan of fresh snow and let the kids spray paint on snow. Talk about how the colors blend to make new colors and what happens when the colored mixture hits the snow. This activity is a fun art and science project rolled into one.

Indoor Picnic

Make some sandwiches and other picnic foods, bring out a blanket and have a picnic indoors. While enjoying your lunch talk about the things you like to do when its warm outside.

Indoor Scavenger Hunt

Give each child a list of common household items and have them go on an indoor scavenger hunt. so the kids aren't running all over the house limit this activity to a couple of rooms and make a no running rule. Have a small prize available for the winner.

With just a few supplies and a little creativity you can turn a boring Snow Day into a fun experience for both you and your children.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Valentines Day Crafts- For Toddlers and Preschoolers Handprint Flowers

Follow Me on Pinterest
Valentines Day Crafts- Here is a fun project to do with your preschooler or kids enrolled in your daycare:
We used a  piece of pink or white construction paper, then we traced each child's hand print (both hands)
My daycare kids range from 5 months to 4 years old, so it was a little hard to keep there little hands steady to trace.

Then we outlined the flower first and used red glitter for the hand print flower-then outlined the leaves and used green glitter. Its kinda hard to see the glitter sparkling in the picture but it was and they were cute and the parents loved them.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Christmas Ornament Crafts- For Toddlers and Preschoolers

Follow Me on Pinterest
Christmas Ornament Crafts- This is a toddler preschool craft we did at Christmas time.
First I went to our local Christmas tree lot. I asked the attendant if I could have the thin little cut off piece from the stump of the Christmas tree when they cut them for their customers.
We then took the children's photos and cut them into the circle to match their "Christmas tree stump piece"
Glued it on the added glitter to finish off the edges.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Hand Print Turkey Craft For Kids

Follow Me on Pinterest
Today in daycare we made hand prints as the feathers for our turkey craft.
*Trace the child's hand print
*Put about 3 pieces of construction paper under your hand print template- proceed to cut out the child's hand print. You should have 3 different colors of small hands.
*Then draw a semi oval shape. for the turkeys body- (look at the picture) and draw a turkey head.
*Glue or staple all the pieces together and voila there is your child's handprint turkey
Happy Thanksgiving

Friday, May 7, 2010

Mothers day craft hand print and poem

Follow Me on Pinterest
Oh my goodness, I forgot Sunday was Mothers Day! And I needed to do a craft project with the daycare children. After scrolling through net I came across a few ideas- I had to think and use what I had in the house, paper plates,paint,glitter.tissue paper.This is what I came up with:
Paper plate hand prints with a tissue flower and poem on the back attached and threw in some glue an glitter "voila" this is what we made. I hope you enjoy. Below is the poem we put on the back for mom.
  

Mothers day Poem:
Children have a certain way
of growing bigger every day,
But these little hands
and this special smile
will stay in our
hearts a long, long while.

Monday, March 15, 2010

St Patrick's Day Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe

Follow Me on Pinterest
St Patrick's Day is almost here! Here are some toddler or daycare food ideas for you to serve at your next St. Patrick's Day Party:
Green jello-Make rice crispy treats, add a little green dye to marshmallow mixture-Green M&M's-Green Guacamole and chips-Green cupcakes or pancakes-Green apples-Green kiwis-Green pudding-Broccoli and Celery w/dip-Green Mashed potatoes.If you have any ideas post a comment! Thanks

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
Yields 5 dozen-

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
  3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

St. Patricks DayCare Craft Ideas


Follow Me on Pinterest
Green Play dough

1 cup flour
1 tbsp vegetable oil                 
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt }
2 tsp. cream of tartar
Food coloring
Mix all ingredients in saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly until ball forms. Cool and knead until smooth.    
Read About Green
Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr.Suess
Purple, Green & Yellow by Author Robert Munsch

Fun With Green
What Do You See?
In advance draw a teddy bear face onto several different colors of construction paper.. Glue the bears onto craft sticks. During group time pass a bear out to each child. Chant the following rhyme: Green bear, green bear what do you see? The child or children with the green bear must stand up and identify something in the room that is green. Continue with the other colors. **Here is a Shamrock pattern you can use click the image below:

 

Sand and Water Table
Add green food coloring to water and freeze. Add green ice cubes to the water table. Color uncooked rice with green food coloring for a change in the sand table.
St. Patrick's Day Crown
Construction paper (white and green)
scissors
glue

Cut a 2 inch wide strip of white paper long enough to fit around your head.  Tape the ends together.  Cut two more strips of paper, each 1 inch wide and 12 inches long.  Fold one strip in half and make a 2 inch cut in the center.  Glue that strip from one side of the headband to the other. Glue the second strip on so that the band is divided into quarters. Tuck and glue the center of the second strip into the cut of the first. Cut a shamrock shape from the green construction paper and glue into the center.  Decorate the crown with small green shamrocks!
Shamrock People
Cut out a large shamrock from light green construction and glue on small construction paper (dark green) shamrocks for eyes, nose & mouth. Attach paper strips, folded accordion style, for arms and legs,  attach small paper shamrocks for hands/feet.

St. Patrick's Day Tube
Paper towel tube
yarn
green tissue paper
aluminum foil, colored foil paper, or colored cellophane
snack food and/or small toy
paper
scissors
glue

Cut a section from a paper towel tube to make it a little shorter. For a handle, tape the ends of a piece of yarn to the inside of each tube end. Cut and glue a strip of green tissue paper around the edge of each end of the tube.  Cut slits in the tissue for fringe.  Cover the tube with glue and foil/cellophane.  Add cut paper shamrocks.  Place small snack food or toy inside the middle of the tube.  Stuff the tube ends with crumpled tissue paper. 
Stuffed Shamrocks
Cut two large construction paper shamrocks and decorate with a special St. Patrick's Day stamps or stickers. Punch holes along the edges and lace together with yarn or ribbon, leaving several inches open. Stuff with crumpled tissue paper, finish lacing, and tie a bow at the top!

Shamrock Lunch Bags
decorate your kids brown paper lunch bags for the occasion.  Use potatoes cut in half and carved into the shape of shamrocks. Dip in paint and press on to paper bags. 

Bean Bag Toss
Cut a large (or two smaller) pot of gold shaped holes in the front of a large piece of cardboard or the front or top of a cardboard box.  Decorate in a St. Pat's Day theme!  Have the kids practice
throwing bean bags (gold) into the holes. 
 

Lucky Clover Bookmark
Although it would be nice to use a four-leaf clover for this craft, the more common three-leaf variety will do very well indeed! The bookmark will be lucky, in that it will help prevent you from losing your place when you stop reading!

Here's what to do: Put your clover between 2 sheets of white paper, and press between the pages of a heavy book. In a few days, when the clover has dried, take it from between the pages of paper. Cut a strip from some colored construction paper, and carefully glue your clover to the top end. You can also laminate your bookmark to make it last longer!


Shamrock Ice Cream Sandwiches
Mmmm! These are yummy, and a great GREEN dessert option for St. Patty's Day! Just make some green sugar cookie dough (you can cheat, and buy the refrigerator rolls and then mix in green food coloring!), roll out the dough, and cut out shamrock shapes with a cookie cutter, or a pattern. Bake as directed and allow to cool.

Now take some green ice cream (vanilla with food coloring, pistachio, mint chip- whatever you prefer!) and allow to soften slightly. Spread some ice cream onto the flat side of half the cookies. Place the remaining cookies, flat side down, on ice cream. Press cookies together lightly. Wrap each sandwich in foil and freeze for at least 2 hours.

 

Leprechaun Finders!
Have fun hunting for leprechauns! Draw a magnifying glass shape on cardboard or card stock and cut out 2 patterns. Don't forget to cut the middle for the "glass." Cut out a piece of green plastic wrap, just larger than the magnifying glass hole. Glue the two cut-outs together, with the wrap between them to form your magnifying glass look-alike. Decorate the frame of the finder with shamrock stickers, green marker, glitter, etc.

Now write the directions that follow on an index card on how to use the finder to hunt for leprechauns! Attach to the handle by punching a hold in the handle and another in the card, then tying the card on with a length of green ribbon. Now you're ready to hunt!