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Paper Plate Beach Ball - Kid Craft Idea For The Summer | Summer preschool, Preschool crafts, Preschool activities

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Jul 6, 2015 - Paper Plate Beach Ball - just a simple paper plate, colorful tissue paper & school glue. It's simply perfect for a summer or camp theme!

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Summer Sensory Fun Series: Ball Art | Preschool art projects, Art activities for toddlers, Preschool art

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Jun 15, 2014 - Welcome to Day 2 of my Summer Sensory Fun Series! If you missed yesterday's post, read about how to create a Summer Sensory Fun Box of yo...

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I recently shared cotton ball painting on Instagram and I got such a great reaction that I wanted to talk about it a little more here! Cotton ball painting is a simple activity and it works especially great for toddlers and preschoolers!

Goose and Belle love doing art projects and this usually keeps them busy for a while. Sometimes I hesitate when it comes to painting because I can't stand giant messes, but this manages to stay pretty tidy.

Here's all you need for cotton ball painting:

Clip one cotton ball on each clothespin, dip it in the paint, and start creating! You don't need very much paint on the cotton balls, just a little dip will do. We keep extra cotton balls nearby just in case my little artists are less than gentle.

A muffin tin isn't a requirement, but it helps keep things neater. It's also great for mixing paint together and talking about the new colors you can make.

To paint, your little ones can do a stamping movement or use strokes, like a paintbrush. Whatever you decide, your child is exercising their fingers and getting awesome fine motor practice.

Cotton ball painting makes really cool textures that I think would work beautifully for a nature picture. I definitely see us using this for animal fur or leaves on trees.

And like most art activities, this allows for a ton of self-expression and imagination. You can have a theme or topic in mind, but there are no limits to what your kiddos can create! Belle is almost two and she mostly likes mixing the colors up, but Goose is approaching four so her pictures are more intentional.

Another easy craft we love doing is tear art! And if you're having trouble with the aftermath, see how I taught my kids to help clean up!

For more like this, try our cotton ball painting snowmen and cotton ball heart painting!

What are some crafts your kids like? Tell me in the comments! I'm always on the hunt for fun activities to do with my girls!

Talk to you soon!

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Cotton Ball Painting: Fun Craft for Toddlers and Preschoolers *

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I recently shared cotton ball painting on Instagram and I got such a great reaction that I wanted to talk about it a little more here! Cotton ball painting is a simple activity and it works especially great for toddlers and preschoolers! Goose and Belle love doing art projects and this usually keeps them busy for a while.

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Painting with balls is a fun way to combine process art and science. Use these simple ideas to extend your art activity to include science.
I love making art. I love it, even more, when art and science can be combined. Painting with marbles and balls is the perfect combination of creativity, experimentation, and exploration for kids. Let me show you how you can do so much more than just roll a sphere around on a piece of paper.

Supplies

For this process art project, you need four supplies.

The ball, of course, is the most important supply. We can't call this "painting with balls" without one. It's fun to experiment with different types of balls. Try some of these ideas:

whiffle balls

marbles

playground balls

smooth balls

nubby balls

koosh balls

suction cup balls

footballs

golf balls

tennis balls

ping pong balls

ball pit balls

water beads

a ball of yarn

Styrofoam balls

Your box needs to be big enough so that you can lay a piece of paper at the bottom. The sides need to be high enough to contain a ball. You can use the bottom of a pizza box, or pick up some nice shallow boxes on your next trip to Sams or Costco.

If you want to test the box to see if it's a good one. Use a cat. Cats are the best box testers. This is my baby Gracie, and I'm excited to find an excuse to share her picture on this website :).
Gracie approves of this box!
You may also want to use some plastic containers to hold the paint and balls. You may want some eyedroppers to add paint to the paper and tongs and spoons to pick up paint covered balls and marbles.

How to Paint with Balls

There is no set way to make a ball painting. Play around with it and use the method that works best for you. Kids can use an eyedropper to add drops of paint directly onto the paper.

They can then add balls to the box and roll them around through the paint until a beautiful work of art is created.

Here's another way to do it. You can also place the balls in containers of paint. Kids can add the balls to the box with spoons or tongs. Then, they can move the ball around in the box to create their masterpiece.

We did find that these suction cup balls stuck to tongs. It was pretty funny, but a spoon would probably be a better choice next time.

Use Different Types of Balls

It is so much fun to use different types of balls to create artwork. Ask kids to predict what type of artwork each ball will create. Why does this ball make a different design?

The suction cup balls make cool circle patterns. The biggest ball in our collection made the tiniest little dots of paint on the paper.

The football rolled around much differently than the other balls. Why do you think this happened? The grooves in the ball left thick lines of paint on the paper.

Marbles created thin lines, racquetballs created thicker lines, and plastic golf balls created a line with a little bit of texture.

My favorite painting ball was this koosh ball. The sea anemone-like arms created the most amazing patterns on our paper.

Talk About It

Here are some additional things to think and talk about as you paint:

Movement - Hold the box at different angles. Does it change the way the ball moves?

Speed - Do some of the balls move faster than others? How can you make the balls move faster or slower? Does fast rolling ball art look different than the art created by slow rolling balls?

Color - Kids can look at how the colors blend together. Are new colors created?

Quantity - Make artwork with different quantities of balls. How are they different?

Weight - Are some balls heavier than others? Does this change how they move?

Time - Kids can roll balls for different lengths of time (use timers) How is the artwork different?

Other - After the artwork dries, kids can use a magnifying glass to examine the artwork.

Ramp it Up

Do you want to add more fun...and more opportunities for scientific inquiry to the ball painting experience? Add a ramp! I taped together a couple of stiff pieces of cardboard to make a ramp. I butted the bottom of the ramp up against a flap in the bottom of a box to keep it in place. You can hold a piece of paper in place with a couple of clothespin clips.

Kids can place a paint-covered ball at the top of the ramp and let it roll down. Did it roll fast or slow? Did it roll in a straight line? What kind of paint line or pattern did it create?

Make ramps with different slopes. Do the balls roll differently as they go down the different ramps? Does the paint line or pattern that a ball creates look different on the different ramps?

I hope that you and your kids have fun painting with balls.

Do you have any additional ideas for using balls and marbles to create art? I would love to hear about them in the comments at the end of this article.

STEAM Activities in the Store

Are you looking for additional preschool STEAM activities for your kids? Check out the following resources in my store. Click on the images below to check them out.

Click on the images below to check out these STEM resources in my store.

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Painting with Balls: How to Easily Combine Art and Science - Early Learning Ideas

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Painting with balls is a fun way to combine process art and science. Use these simple ideas to extend your art activity to include science. I love making art. I love it, even more, when art and science can be combined. Painting with marbles and balls is the perfect combination of creativity, experimentation, and exploration for kids.

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For morning choices today, I put out a few random materials for the students. I had recently cleaned out part of our closet at work and discovered extra golf tees (leftover from Holey Pumpkins) and fancy toothpicks (leftover from potato turkeys). I remembered how much fun the kiddos had with both of those activities, so I checked the school workroom for something that might work well with those supplies. Then I found them . . . Styrofoam balls. These materials led to an amazing open-ended art activity!

As the children started arriving, I set out the Styrofoam balls, the golf tees, and the fancy toothpicks. I wasn't sure if they'd be too interested, but I had miscalculated on that! I couldn't even take a quick picture of the materials before a couple of the kids were diving into things. Of course, I think that was because they wanted to grab the two biggest Styrofoam pieces!

As more children trickled into the classroom, the crowd at my table grew. Not all of the children were interested in this activity, but most of them were. I had fun watching as their creations came to life, and even more fun listen to them describe what they were doing. One of my girls was intent on covering as much of the Styrofoam ball as possible. She was really focused on the process, rather than a specific outcome. I can respect that! 🙂

Another gal tried to figure out how to connect a few of the balls together. She was pretty proud of herself when she discovered one way to do it. After she was able to connect some of the balls, she informed me we needed more so she could make a super tall snowman out of Styrofoam.

Some of the children noted that the golf tees and the toothpicks left holes in the Styrofoam, and there were observations about which would leave larger holes. One of the boys also discovered he could use the tees and toothpicks to write/draw in the Styrofoam. Then he decided he'd rather make "a bad guy named Metal".

One of the boys was there for the entire time, creating "Spike". He had tons of fun making Spike talk to the other creations, photo bomb some of the pictures I was taking, and he just couldn't stop giggling! Ahhh . . . the humor of preschoolers!

My favorite creation was made by a few of the girls working together. He was called "Corn Teeth", for some reason I wasn't privy to. I just love how they created a face and legs for their creation!

All in all, a fun time was had by the kiddos this morning. I was asked multiple times if we could do this activity again, so I think it was a success. I was also asked if I could get more Styrofoam pieces of different shapes and sizes next time. I think a trip to the craft store is in my immediate future!

Shared at Tuesday Tots, Tot School Tuesdays, Mom's Library, It's Playtime!, Kid's Co-Op, TGIF Linky Party, Sun Scholars' For the Kids Friday, Sugar Aunts' Share It Saturday, Train Up a Child's Sunday Showcase, Red Ted's Art Blog, Raising Memories' Sharing Time, Delicate Construction's Made By Little Hands Monday

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Open-Ended Art with Styrofoam, Toothpicks, & Golf Tees

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For morning choices today, I put out a few random materials for the students. I had recently cleaned out part of our closet at work and discovered extra golf tees (leftover from Holey Pumpkins) and fancy toothpicks (leftover from potato turkeys).

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We had a lot of snow last year in northern Virginia allowing for some snowy fun outdoors, but if you live in a snow-free area (like we do now in southern California), use cotton balls to learn and create with these cotton ball snowball math and art activities for some fun, indoor learning. My then 3-year old and 6-year old completed these and had a great time (and a full morning) of creating and learning.

These cotton ball snowball math and art activities are simple enough that I could feed the twins while my daughter and son worked on them. Once you explain these activities, your children can work while you get something around the house completed!

The first activity was a counting one for my 3 year old. I wanted to reinforce one-to-one correspondence, number recognition and number value. I started with a piece of construction paper and drew a small chart on the paper to create sections. In each section I wrote one number and drew a circle to correspond to that number symbol's value, so there are three circles in the section with #3, for example:

After explaining that we were going to pretend that the cotton balls were snow balls, I presented this paper to my daughter, counted with her as I pointed to each number symbol and told her that she could glue a snow ball onto each circle to show how many each number represented. "See, there is one circle for "1", there are two circles for "2", and so on.I did have to show her how much glue to use so that she had the information to try it herself-just giving her a glue bottle with no guidelines could have been disastrous! (This then becomes an exercise in gluing too.) This is her finished work:

When she was finished, we counted each amount together. Sometimes with toddlers, just completing a project is success whether the concepts taught were really learned or just explored!

My Kindergartner wanted to participate too, but I needed to adjust the project for his level. I created an addition practice sheet for him. I simply drew lines on a piece of construction paper to divide the paper into four sections. In the first (top left) section I simply wrote '6'. In the other sections I wrote one addition fact that equaled '6' (a different one in each section). I wanted to test if he would notice that all the facts added up to the same result. He used the cotton ball snowballs as his math manipulative and worked through each fact. Here is his completed paper:

After these structured learning activities, we needed to do something creative, so using the cotton balls again, I encouraged my son to make a winter scene. I picked up the snowflake stickers from the dollar aisle at Target and already had glitter glue. (You can find similar snowflake stickers at Amazon.)

All I said to him was, "You can use the cotton balls as snowballs and make a winter picture." He designed the rest. I did have to help him make the snowman's face with the glitter glue. It was a cute piece of art that blended creativity with fine motor skills. (I think my kids were on a snowman kick, because we ended up reading Snowmen At Night about 25 times over the month!)

I hope these simple cotton ball snowball math and art activities can keep cabin fever away on these cold, winter days. You can find even more wintry fun and learning in this post or visit my Winter board on Pinterest.
What activities have been popular in your house this winter? Any with cotton balls?
Enjoy your time at home!

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Cotton Ball Snowball Math and Art Activities for Kids | The Stay-at-Home-Mom Survival Guide

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We had a lot of snow last year in northern Virginia allowing for some snowy fun outdoors, but if you live in a snow-free area (like we do now in southern California), use cotton balls to learn and create with these cotton ball snowball math and art activities for some fun, indoor learning.

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No I am not suggesting your kids paint their eyeballs, but rather paint WITH eyeballs ( or balls that look like eyeballs). This is a simple and fast activity that is perfect for the ghoulish, gross-out season upon us without being too icky for more squeamish kids. Be mindful of doing this with kids who are still putting things in their mouths, opt for bigger balls for them, if it can fit in their mouth get a new ball that can't.

Gather your materials. You will need some liquid paint in your kiddo's favorite colors ( this is also a great color mixing activity if you want to throw a lesson into it), some eyeball bouncy balls ( found in Halloween section of 3 big box stores I have been to), paper and a box or container.

1. Add the eye balls - we added a bunch at a time!

2. Paint! Roll the eyeballs around in the box and watch them paint.

3. We added more paper after the first one and rolled off the excess paint, I like this painting better!

Let dry and hang up where your kids can show it off!

Two Scary Books

Twelve Terrible Things by Marty Kelley is horrifying to me, yet my son loves this book. He must have slipped it in our library bag because I have no recollection of choosing this book, and I didn"™t pre-read it when we got home. By then it was too late, my son was hooked on the dark humor this book delivers. The book offers up 12 terrible things, like a scary clown, a goldfish on it"™s way down the toilet and monsters under the bed. The illustrations are all from the reader"™s view point, so the scary things are looking right at you! I am easily scared, I can"™t watch horror film trailers without getting nightmares. I screamed twice reading this, my son just wanted "more more!". I really don"™t recommend this book for young kids although some older ones who like scary things will love it.

The Book That Eats People by John Perry makes me laugh hysterically, so hard it was hard at times to read the words, but it's really gruesome. This is not a book for kids that are squeamish, prone to imaginative nightmares or anxiety about death. That said if your child can handle a funny little horror, they will love this book. The story follows this human eating book as it wreaks havoc and gobbles people up! I beg parents to pre-read this because it may be hilarious to me and my macabre little man but it may seriously frighten your child.

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Not Too Gross - Eye Ball Painting - No Time For Flash Cards

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No I am not suggesting your kids paint their eyeballs, but rather paint WITH eyeballs ( or balls that look like eyeballs). This is a simple and fast activity that is perfect for the ghoulish, gross-out season upon us without being too icky for more squeamish kids.

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It's no secret we love to explore painting and movement. My little sensory seeker still talks about our messy bouncy ball art and rhythmic pom-pom drumstick painting activities. For an easy Christmas activity, we're using our bouncy balls to create Christmas bell art.

You'll need the following materials:

Bell Template [resize during printing to 75% for ornament]

Bouncy Balls

Washable Paint

Bowls

Paper

Tape

Scissors

Ribbon or String

After gathering your supplies, print out your Christmas bell template [pictured above is the larger, full-size bell for a holiday picture]. Tape the template on a hard, covered surface. Dip your balls in paint and bounce, bounce!

Big balls don't bounce as high, so they are great for smaller, less messy projects like table bouncing. Smaller balls bounce super high and are great for floor bouncing with larger, outdoor process art projects.

You need very little paint, a dime to quarter-size is plenty [pictured above is the smaller bell template for an ornament]. If your little one doesn't catch the ball easily, cover the floor will a little newspaper. We bounced lightly and made minimal mess, aside from his hands [the fun part!].

After you're all bounced out and dry, cut out the bell, add ribbon, and place it on the tree for an easy, kid-made ornament. For sound, add asmall jingle bell to the finished ornament.

Bouncy ball art is messy fun, encourages movement for gross-motor play, and a wonderful sensory experience for kids.

More adorable jingle bell painting activities:

More fun Christmas activities for kids:

Are you following our Kids Crafts & Activities Board on Pinterest?
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It's no secret we love to explore painting and movement. My little sensory seeker still talks about our messy bouncy ball art and rhythmic pom-pom drumstick painting activities. For an easy Christmas activity, we're using our bouncy balls to create Christmas bell art.

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Activities with Balls for Preschoolers | Creative curriculum preschool, Activities, Preschool activities

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Jun 17, 2018 - Preschoolers love to play with balls. You could plan a ball theme or a shapes theme. You could include ball activities in other themes, such as summer, ocean, or beach. You could add a little more gross motor action in some of your centers.

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Painting with Golf Balls | Sport art projects, Kids art projects, Preschool art

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Oct 20, 2013 - Using golf balls to paint – such a fun experience!

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Friends. Shape art was fantastic. This took me a hot second to put together, my kids loved it, I loved it, and everything was pretty much perfect.

Shape art works. Here's why.
RELATED: Wish you could have activity ideas each day? Check out my activities program - Playing Preschool.
Why do a shape art activity with kids?

Kids need to play. They need art. They need math. They need all of the things that this activity offers them. Shape art is one perfect activity.

And it was so easy to put together.

There's always this rumor going around that kids need crazy intricate or super elaborate activity set ups. THEY DON'T.

Kids need open-ended, fun, engaging activities to help them grow and learn. They need experience and exposure - and this activity gives them experience and exposure to shapes and art. It's fantastic.

This doesn't have a complicated set-up AT ALL!

Altogether, this took my about 2 minutes to set up and the most challenging part was taping it to the wall.

THIS ACTIVITY IS SO EASY.

I pulled off some Kraft paper and started drawing overlapping shapes all over it.

My five-year-old helped me tape it to the wall and that completes the set up.

I wasn't kidding that it's a really easy activity to start.

OMG DOES IT GET ON THE WALL?!

No. Kraft paper is super thick and I've never had a problem with it bleeding through.

Of course, you do your own test just to make sure but this has always been great for me.

Materials:

Busy Toddler is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.

Don't worry: your kid won't then start painting the walls.

Kids are smart.

Kids get context.

Just because they are allowed to paint onto paper on the wall doesn't mean they're going to paint on all walls.

Think about water: in the bath tub, kids know they can pour water from a cup. At dinner, they know they can't pour the cup of water on the table. Kids understand when they can and when they can't do something because they are really smart like that.
RELATED: Looking for more quick and easy activities? Check out this page!
My kids loved this shape art!

What an absolute hit for my 3- and 5-year-old! My daughter definitely had much more control in her motor skills for the detail painting work - and obviously. She's almost two years older.

My three-year-old loved having shapes to fill in - this was perfect for him since he wants to play with coloring books but they're just too small and detailed for him.

Shape art up on the wall was perfect for both of them.

This was the perfect math / art activity

We loved this part math, part art activity - it was EVERYTHING.

Grab some paper, make some shapes - your kids will love it too.

When will you make this easy kids activity?

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Shape Art Activity for Toddlers and Preschoolers - Busy Toddler

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Friends. Shape art was fantastic. This took me a hot second to put together, my kids loved it, I loved it, and everything was pretty much perfect. Shape art works. Here's why. RELATED: Wish you could have activity ideas each day? Check out my activities program - Playing Preschool.

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Are you dreading winter? Not so much because of how cold it gets, but because of the phrase you know you are going to hear.

Oh, you know the one! "Mom! I'm so boooored!" Don't you love how kids drag out that word?

Well, you don't have to fear Old Man Winter anymore. In fact, I'm going to bring you some of the internet's best DIY boredom busters.

But I can do you one better. Some ideas are really fun for kids but have a tendency to drive the parent trapped in the house with those fun-loving kids a little bonkers.

Well, these ideas are not just fun for the kids but should be easy on your nerves and your home décor.

Fun DIY Indoor Activities for Kids

Here is what I've come up with to help you combat the boredom in your home:

1. Ball Pit and Slide

This idea is for the smaller kids, but it looks like tons of fun. You can either purchase an inflatable ball pit or an inflatable pool.

Then fill it with balls and add a kid-sized slide. Watch your little one spend hours climbing up and going down the slide. It is sure to be a blast!
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
2. Pom Pom Sorting

This activity is not only one that will help develop fine motor skills in your kiddos, it also looks super relaxing. Seriously, I think I want to create this for myself.

So the idea is that your kiddo will use a clothespin to move pom poms to the cup that matches the color of the little ball. I like sorting things so it looks like fun to me.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
3. Crayon Push Activity

This activity is another one that will help your smaller child develop fine motor skills. It also looks really easy to create as well.

So you need an empty oatmeal container. Then punch holes in it so you can easily slide the crayons through the holes.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
4. Stain Glass Window

This is a really cool idea that kids of all ages would love. Unfortunately, the post with the tutorial is no longer available.

But you can see from the picture that you hang up a sheet of plastic, and then cut up squares of tissue paper. Then allow your children to glue or tape the pieces on. What a cool work of art to create!
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
5. Racing Pom Pom Balls

This is a game that I feel like my own children would enjoy so much. I have 3 boys, and they are very competitive.

So what better way to bring out that competitive nature, then to tape a track to the floor and allow them to blow pom pom balls around the track with a straw?
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
6. Target Golf

This looks like a really easy game to create. You just take a cardboard box and place numbers over each entry hole that you create.

Then you allow your child the opportunity to hit a golf ball into one of the holes. Whoever scores the most wins.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
7. Indoor S'mores

You are going to love this idea when you get a little further down in the post. But for now, you can easily create indoor S'mores.

So when you feel like your kids need an exciting snack, then you can always pull out this idea. And don't get all creeped out. This idea was originally shared for an at-home date idea, but it would totally work with the kids too.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
8. Easy Indoor Swing and Crash Pad

This looks like another idea my boys would love. I'm not sure if it is every family with boys or just mine, but my kids can be downright destructive at times.

So when I see something that allows them to hang from the ceiling and crash without hurting themselves (or tear down the house) I'm all about it.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
9. Pool Noodle Playhouse

It is that time of year when the pool noodles go on sale. Take full advantage of it and buy as many as you can.

Then come home and create this awesome playhouse that is made out of pool noodles and bed sheets. Let's say it together: Easy to make, hours of fun for the kiddos, and peace for the parents.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
10. Indoor Camping

This is where the previous indoor S'mores idea comes in handy. You simply set up a tent in the living room or basement.

Then create a fake campfire, and pull out the indoor S'mores. You will have some happy kiddos making some fantastic memories.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
11. Indoor Climbing Space

This is such a cool idea. As soon as I saw it, I thought, "We've got to do this in the basement!" If you have children with tons of energy, you'll probably love this too.

So it is literally an indoor gym. It has room to climb, a rock climbing wall, and a jungle gym. Not to mention, the bed is under it so if they fall, it won't hurt. It is great!
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
12. Cardboard Box Coloring

This is a great idea if you have smaller children. When my kids were little they were like most kids and colored on the wall at one point in time or the other.

Well, you can beat that epidemic by placing your child inside a cardboard box, giving them a crayon, and allowing them to color until their little hearts are content.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
13. Drive-In Movie

We did this for our end of summer bash with the kids at church a couple of weeks ago. They absolutely loved it!

So you just turn a cardboard box into a car and allow the kids to sit in while they eat popcorn and watch a movie. It adds some excitement to movie time.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
14. DIY Indoor Climbing Wall

This is another great idea to help kids to stay active and get out some energy when it is too cold to go outside.

So if you'd like to keep your kids active this winter, then consider adding this to a room where they can climb the days away.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
15. Cotton Ball Painting

I love this idea to make painting easier for both the kids and parents. You just attach cotton balls to a clothespin.

Then you dip them in the paint to paint with. When you are ready to clean up, you just throw the cotton balls away.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
16. Pillow Sumo

I almost didn't share this activity because though it looks like a blast, I could just see one of my boys going over a couch or across the coffee table because they rammed each other so hard.

So if you have children that know their limits, then this might be a good activity for them on a cold winter day. If you have children like mine, then you might want to move on to the next activity.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
17. Paper Plate Tic-Tac-Toe

This is a really awesome idea. My kids love to play games like tic-tac-toe and checkers. I love how this really brings that basic game to life.

So basically, you'll just outline the board with tape. Then you'll make your pieces from paper plates. It is easy to make and inexpensive too.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
18. Balloon Stamp Painting

This is another fun arts and crafts idea that doesn't require a lot of money or mess to create.

So if you like to do fun artsy crafts with your kids over the winter, then you should check this out and give it some consideration.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
19. Balloon Tennis

This game looks like a lot of fun. You just blow up balloons and use a fly swatter to keep them from hitting the floor.

However, be sure you have the room to do this activity. You don't want anyone flipping over furniture trying to catch a balloon.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
20. Paper Airplanes

Making the perfect airplane is no easy task. I teach a class each Sunday, and I find it funny because all of the boys try so hard to make such a perfect plane.

Yet, there is one little girl in my class that can make them in two seconds flat. So truly, this is an activity that all children can enjoy.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
21. DIY Moon Sand

Kids like to play hands-on activities. It is just natural. They like to get their hands on things so they can better understand and learn.

So I like to encourage that with any activity we do around our house. This moon sand is one of those creative activities that allow them to get their hands dirty, literally.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
22. Kid Made Instruments

This is a really neat idea for the child that is really into music. All of my boys are into music so this is something that really hits close to home.

So if you have a child that loves all things music, then allow them to build their own drum set and kazoo with this tutorial.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
23. Borax Free Galaxy Slime

This slime is something really cool to look at and play with. My children made some homemade slime at one point and really loved it. Secretly, I did too!

But I love that this recipe doesn't use Borax. Borax is great for many things, but it is still a chemical, so I think it is best to be safe and leave it out if possible.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
24. Tin Can Bowling

Do you have a child that loves to bowl? Well, you don't have to get out in the cold to take them to an alley thanks to this activity.

Instead, you can just paint some old tin cans, and grab a ball. They can have their very own game in the comfort of their own home.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
25. Tissue Transfer Art

This is another really cool art project that you can do with your children on those cold winter days when you have to stay inside.

Not to mention, these crafts are so cool, that they'd make great Christmas gifts for the grandparents.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
26. DIY Ring Toss

This ring toss game is one that would allow you to upcycle items that you might normally toss and create a fun game at the same time.

So you need an old paper towel tube. Then you need to cut the center out of paper plates. Finally, you decorate and toss your homemade rings around your paper towel tube.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
27. Knock the Balls Nerf Game

This game is another one that allows you to upcycle some items. You need a cardboard box as the base and some old paper towel tubes.

Then you use those tubes to hold a ball that is worth so many points. You see which balls you can hit with your Nerf gun. This looks like lots of fun too.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
28. Air Dry Clay

This clay is another one of those fun things to make because not only does it feel cool, look cool, and make cool stuff.

But it is also super easy to make and the kids love it. So go ahead and give it a try.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
29. Marble Run

This game looks like so much fun. You just use a basic cardboard box and make a few DIY obstacles for the marble.

Then you place the marble on the cardboard box and allow it to run down. It'll keep your kids entertained for hours.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
30. Ball Toss

This is another classic game that takes very little to make. If you enjoy ski ball, then you'll love this idea as well.

So you just place point amounts on different bins and then toss a ball into one of the bins to see how many points you can rack up.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
31. DIY Laser Maze

This maze is created in a hallway out of crepe paper. You can tape them up in any form that you'd like as long as it is challenging for your children to go over and under.

Then you allow them to hustle through the maze without getting caught (or breaking) the crepe paper.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
32. 2-Ingredient Play Dough

Do your kids like to build things with play dough? My youngest absolutely loves the stuff. It isn't super expensive to buy at the store, but you don't get much.

Plus, you aren't ever really sure what is in it. Well, solve both problems by cheaply and easily making your own natural play dough.
Check out this DIY kids' indoor activity
Well, you now have over 30 different DIY kids' indoor activities that should be fun for them and peaceful for you.

We love hearing from you!

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32 Fun and Creative DIY Indoor Activities Your Kids Will Love

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Are you dreading winter? Not so much because of how cold it gets, but because of the phrase you know you are going to hear. Oh, you know the one! "Mom! I'm so boooored!" Don't you love how kids drag out that word? Well, you don't have to fear Old Man Winter anymore.

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Here is a massive list of 70+ of the BEST and MOST FUN process art activities for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners!

What is process art? It a piece of art where the finished product isn't the primary goal instead the creative process is emphasized. Check out this wonderful article that discuss more about what process art is and why it's important.

Supplies

(This post and list contains affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I may earn a commission. Please visit my disclosure policy for more information.)

Process Art Activities for Toddlers, Preschoolers and Kindergartners

Ball Painting - Happy Toddler Playtime

Sock Painting - Happy Toddler Playtime

DIY Paintbrushes for Kids - Parenting Chaos

Lipstick Resist Process Art Activity - Moms and Crafters

LEGO Printing - Happy Toddler Playtime

Toddler Art with Flour Paint - Simple Fun For Kids

An Invitation to Give Mom a Minute - Days with Grey

Balloons and Sharpies: A Creative Table - Mama.Papa.Bubba

Balloon Printing Process Art - Happy Toddler Playtime

Painting on Foil: An Easy Art Activity Inspired by Van Gogh - Messy Little Monsters

Messy Process Art for Toddlers - Artfully Adventuring

Fork Printing Process Art - Happy Toddler Playtime

Fireworks Salt Painting for Preschoolers - Finding Myself Young

Snap Painting: Process Art for Preschoolers - Walking by the Way

Shape Printing Process Art - Happy Toddler Playtime

Painting Sensory Bin - Happy Toddler Playtime

Racing Rainbow Painting Cars - Fantastic Fun and Learning

Tile Art for Kids That Everyone Will Enjoy - Best Tile Art Idea - Natural Beach Living

Dinosaur Painting on Foil - Craft Kids at Home

Farm Animal Process Art Painting - Happy Toddler Playtime

Painting on the Lawn - Simple Play Ideas

Shaving Cream Painting Process Art for Preschoolers - Fun with Mama

Circle Process Art Painting - School Time Snippets

Bubble Wrap Stamps - Arty Crafty Kids

Painting with Dinosaurs - Happy Toddler Playtime

More Fun Process Art Activities for Kids

Butterfly Painting - Happy Toddler Playtime

Citrus Painting Process Art - Rhythms of Play

Painting with Nature Process Art - Kids Craft Room

Sensory Stomp Painting with Bubble Wrap - View from the Step Stool

Leaf Prints Process Art - Parenting Chaos

Rainy Day Splatter Painting - Mama.Papa.Bubba

Nature Paint Brushes - Messy Little Monster

Q-Tip Texture Art for Kids - Crafty Kids at Home

Process Art: Painting with Liquid Watercolours and Droppers - Buggy and Buddy

Train Track Prints - Play Teach Repeat

Car Painting - Happy Toddler Playtime

Printed Tissue Paper Art - Kids Craft Room

Q-Tip Painting for Kids Using Watercolors - Buggy and Buddy

Drawing with Wet Chalk - The Craft Train

Painting Trees with Toddlers and Preschoolers - Pink Stripey Socks

Pipe Cleaner Painting Fine Motor Activity - Best Toys 4 Toddlers
Fizzy Painting - STEM Process Art Activity - Taming Littler Monster
Art for Kids: Cardboard Canvas - Mama Smiles

Recycled Art Process Art - Moss Wood Connections

Cardboard Roll Printing - Teach Me Mommy

Still More Easy Process Art Activities for 2 - 6 year olds!

Paint the Horses - Happy Toddler Playtime

Colour Mixing Sensory Play - Day with Grey

Watercolor Paint Fabric Art - The Art Kit

Finger Painting Prints - Walking by the Way

Magnetic Painting: Five Minute Craft - Left Brain Craft Brain

Nature Painting Kids Art Project - Green Kids Crafts

Soap Foam Printing: Brilliant Messy Art for Kids - Fire Flies and Mud Pies

Sensory Process Art with Recycled Materials - Views from the Step Stool

Rainbow Flower Craft using Spin Art - Messy Little Monster

Exploring the Senses: Painting with Tea Bags - Fantastic Fun and Learning

Decorate the Diaper Process Art - Happy Toddler Playtime

Sponge Painting Process Art - Busy Toddler

Yarn Stamp Art - Fantastic Fun and Learning

Easy Butterfly Art - Arty Crafty Kids

Painting Clouds Sensory Activity - Sugar Spice and Glitter

How to Make a Mud Pie: Nature Art Activity - Rhythms of Play

Watercolor Resist with Masking Fluid - Sacred Acres Blog

Rainbow Comb Painting - The Imagination Tree

Body Paint Process Art - Busy Toddler

Pop-Up Paper Plate Rainbows - Pink Stripey Socks

Easter Egg Drip Painting - Happy Toddler Playtime

Paint the Trash - Busy Toddler

Runaway Process Art for Preschoolers - Walking by the Way

Water Gun Painting - Messy Little Monsters

Painting with a Spatula - My Bored Toddler

Indoor Rain Painting for Preschoolers - Crafty Kids at Home

Roller Painting for Kids - Adventure in a Box

Paper Plate Twist Process Art for Kids - Buggy and Buddy

Easy Bubbles Art Activity for Toddlers - Mommy's Bundle

Line Painting Process Art - Play Teach Repeat

Bubble Painting - Glitter on a Dime

WILL YOU TRY ANY OF THESE IDEAS WITH YOUR KIDS? PIN IT FOR LATER!

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Process Art Activities for Kids - HAPPY TODDLER PLAYTIME

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Here is a massive list of 70+ of the BEST and MOST FUN process art activities for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners! What is process art? It a piece of art where the finished product isn't the primary goal instead the creative process is emphasized.

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Have you ever thought of testing science with balls?? Science activity. Which ball bounces hig… | Creative curriculum preschool, Study creative, Creative curriculum

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May 9, 2013 - Have you ever thought of testing science with balls?? Science activity. Which ball bounces highest?

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Nov 15, 2014 - Water Sensory Science Experiment   Water sensory science activity with cotton balls for water absorption! Water absorption is one of our classic science experiments. I have been wanting  to add sensory science experiments to our play time.  On several occasions, I have noticed that he has ...

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Learn how to make DIY Bouncy Balls with simple ingredients from your kitchen! In this easy science project for kids, you'll use chemistry to make a DIY toy.

When I first started trying science projects with my kids I fell into the "It has to be really complicated to be amazing" trap. You know, the one where we think that we need to invest in some fancy materials to be able to create an appealing science project for our kids.
This post has been sponsored by Dover Publications. All opinions are my own.
Here's a little secret: The best science experiments for kids can be done with common household ingredients. You don't need special kits or hard to find materials, though sometimes those are fun to add in to your repertoire, you really just need to raid your pantry. Case in point, today's simple science experiment featuring polymers: DIY Bouncy Balls.

DIY Bouncy Balls is a project from the book Science Around the House: Simple Projects Using Household Recyclables by Roz Fulcher and published by Dover Publications. Dover has kindly sponsored this post but all opinions are my own. And they are all fab! I have actually been a big fan of Dover for a long time and my guess is you have too, only you may not even realize it.

Dover has so many titles in print it's hard to even skim the surface, but what I love most are their science and craft books for kids along with all their reprints of classic math, science and puzzle books. I have waxed poetic about Martin Gardner books in the past, they are all available through Dover. Science Around the House has 57 easy projects and judging by how many post-its I have on it marking projects we want to try, I am positive you'll find some awesomeness in here!

Okay, so let's learn how to make a homemade bouncy ball! This is a classic chemistry project that explores polymer science and you only need a few materials from your pantry/craft stash to make them. If you don't have Borax it can be found in the laundry section of most supermarkets.
SAFTEY NOTE: Please read this post regarding Borax safety. If you have children with skin sensitivities you should have them wear gloves when making the bouncy balls. This post contains affiliate links to products.

Materials

Instructions

Time needed: 15 minutes.

1. Make Mixture #1: Borax + Water
In a cup, mix 1/2 teaspoon of Borax with 1 Tablespoon of warm water. Stir to completely dissolve the Borax. You will probably still have some Borax at the bottom.

2. Make Mixture #2: Glue + Cornstarch + Food Coloring
In a separate cup mix 1 Tablespoon of white glue with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Add in a few drops of food coloring and stir to combine.

3. Combine Mixtures
Add 1/2 teaspoon of the dissolved Borax mixture to your glue/cornstarch mixture and stir.

4. Form the Bouncy Ball
Once the mixture starts to harden, remove it from the cup and quickly knead it with your hands. As it becomes more pliable, roll it between your palms to form a ball. Be sure to add some pressure as you roll it to smooth out the surface.

Once shaped it's ready to bounce! Be sure to wash your hands after playing with these.

Tips

Add a tiny drop of the Borax mixture to the ball once it's shaped to smooth out the outer surface. This also helps if your ball becomes sticky as you roll it between your hands.

Rub a little cornstarch on the outside of the bouncy balls for the smoothest bouncy ball surface ever!

Keep a paper towel handy to dry your hands off while shaping the ball.

Store these in an air-tight baggie or they will quickly dry out.

These are best used and played with within a day or two. They will flatten out a bit as they sit.

Try making a few in different colors! Just be sure to wait on adding the borax water until you are ready to knead them.

Variations

Try using clear glue or glitter glue. I have not tried this but it would be a fun experiment.

Double it! The recipe is above is halved from the original recipe in Science Around the House. Try doubling the recipe for a super sized bouncy ball!

Make them glow. Try glow in the dark glue for an extra cool homemade bouncy ball!

The Science

In this project we are using a chemical reaction to make a very strong polymer. In a chemical reaction, two substances undergo a chemical change to form a new substance. The chemical reaction in this project occurs between the dissolved borax (sodium tetraborate) and the PVA (polyvinyl acetate) glue (AKA white school glue).

And what is a polymer? A polymer is a substance made up of long chains of molecules. Polymers are typically flexible materials like plastic or gum. There are two polymers in this project: white school glue and wet cornstarch. The chemical reaction that occurs when the borax mixture meets the polymer mixture causes the molecules in the polymers to crosslink and become even stronger and more elastic in nature.

More

So this simple science experiment required no fancy equipment or materials but resulted in one awesome project, right? My kids really enjoyed playing with the bouncy balls. In fact my 4 year old kept trying to sneak a few to play with while I was shooting these pics...

I hope you guys check out Science Around the House: Simple Projects Using Household Recyclables and some of the other Dover Publications science and craft publications for kids!

For more fun Chemistry Projects for Kids hop over here:

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How to Make DIY Bouncy Balls with Simple Ingredients!

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Learn how to make DIY Bouncy Balls with simple ingredients from your kitchen! Use a chemical reaction to make a DIY toy.

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Science Project Ideas - Moving Balls Down a Yardstick Road #STEM #yardstick #scie… | Kids learning activities, Science activities for kids, Science experiments kids

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Aug 12, 2019 - Science Project Ideas - Moving Balls Down a Yardstick Road #STEM #yardstick #scienceproject #jdaniel4smom

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This experiment will take 3 minutes to set-up and will likely result in numerous giggles from the kids. I find that it's often the simplest experiments that cause the most enjoyment.

In this experiment, it's fun to watch the ping pong balls move in the air and if you're not careful they will eventually fall to the ground. Enjoy!

Please note that the air from the hair dryer can get hot so as with every experiment, use caution when performing them.

Watch The Floating Ping Pong Ball Video

Floating Ping Pong Ball Science Experiment

Supplies Needed

Floating Ping Pong Ball Experiment Instructions

Step 1 - Take a hairdryer and point it up towards the ceiling and turn it on high speed.

Tip from Danielle: Always use caution when using the dryer because the blowing air can get hot. If possible, use the cold air setting on the hair dryer.

Step 2 - Place a ping pong ball in the blowing air of the hairdryer and watch it float.

Step 3 - See if you can get two ping pong balls to float at the same time. What about three? Do you think you could get a baseball to float? What about a balloon? There are so many different objects and observations you can make.

How Does the Experiment Work?

The floating ping pong ball experiment is a great example of Bernoulli's Principle. Bernoulli was a Swiss scientist who, in the 1700s, discovered that the pressure of a moving fluid (air or water) is different from the pressure of a fluid (air or water) at rest. Bernoulli's Principle states that the faster air moves, the less pressure the air exerts.

The ping pong ball will fly up from the hairdryer until it reaches a point that the force of gravity pushing down on the ball is equal to the force of the air pushing up on the ball. The air coming from the hairdryer is moving much faster than the air around it. Because the air is moving faster, it has less pressure than the air around it. The ping pong ball stays within the column of low-pressure air because of the high pressure surrounding it.

More Fun to be Had

Enhance the learning and the fun but attempting to make other objects float. Can you get multiple ping pong balls to float at the same time? Do you think you could get a baseball to float? What about a balloon? There are so many different objects and observations you can make.

I hope you enjoyed the experiment. Here are some printable instructions:

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Floating Ping Pong Ball Science Experiment

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This experiment will take 3 minutes to set-up and will likely result in numerous giggles from the kids. I find that it's often the simplest experiments that cause the most enjoyment. In this experiment, it's fun to watch the ping pong balls move in the air and if you're not careful they will eventually fall [...]

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What makes a ball bouncy? Have you ever wondered why some balls bounce higher than others? A ball's ability to bounce has a lot to do with its elasticity. So what is elasticity? It's an object's ability to return to its original shape after being stretched or squeezed. Objects that are more stretchy are usually more elastic, too. Do you have pajama pants with elastic material in the top? You can stretch to get into them, but they will shrink back to fit your waist!

In this science fair project, we'll investigate bouncing ball physics to determine which ball has the highest elasticity and find out how elasticity contributes to bounce height.

Which of the following balls has the highest elasticity: a rubber ball, a marble, or a ping pong ball?

Wooden board (a cutting board or a piece of scrap plywood will work great)

Yardstick, meter stick or tape measure with centimeters

Rubber bouncy ball

Marble

Ping pong ball

Table or wall

Tape

1. Set the wooden board flat on the ground next to a wall or table.

2. Tape the meter stick to the wall or table as shown. Make sure that the meter stick starts with 0 is at the bottom. Before conducting this experiment, use this time to formulate your hypothesis. Which ball do you think will bounce the highest? Why?

Have a partner drop the rubber ball from the 25 centimeter mark and record the height of the first bounce in a table like the one below. Repeat 5 times and record bounce height for each of your 5 trials. It's important to drop the ball and not throw it downward. Why do you think this is?

Average the recorded bounce heights from each trial together to find the average bounce height for the rubber ball. Here's how to calculate an average:

1. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the marble.

2. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the ping pong ball

3. Have a partner drop the rubber ball 5 times from the 50 centimeter mark and record the height in a table.

4. Average the recorded bounce heights from each 50 cm trial together to find the average bounce height for the rubber ball.

5. Repeat steps 7 and 8 for the marble.

6. Repeat steps 7 and 8 for the ping pong ball.

7. Have a partner drop the rubber ball 5 times from the 75 centimeter mark and record the height in a table.

8. Average the recorded bounce heights from each 75 cm trial together to find the average bounce height for the rubber ball. How do you think the height at which the ball was dropped affects how high it bounces? Why? You should see a pattern emerging!

9. Repeat steps 11 and 12 for the marble.

10. Repeat steps 11 and 12 for the ping pong ball.

On average, the rubber bouncy ball will bounce the highest, followed by the ping pong ball. The marble will bounce the least high.

When all three balls are dropped from the same height, the rubber ball will bounce the highest because it has the greatest elasticity. When the rubber ball hits the ground it gets compressed, or squished, and because it is very elastic, it quickly returns to its original shape. When it does this, it pushes back on the ground shoots back up into the air.

The marble, which is the hardest out of the three balls, has the least elasticity, so it does not bounce as high. It doesn't get squished when it lands, so it has a harder time changing its direction from down to up. The balls dropped from 75 centimeters will bounce higher than those dropped from 50 centimeters, and the balls in the 50 centimeter trials will bounce higher than those in the 25 centimeter trials. This is because the higher the starting height of the ball, the higher the ball's potential energy. An object has potential energy because of its position. If an object is going to be dropped from high up in the air, it has lots of potential energy because the earth's gravity has plenty of time to accelerate, or speed up, the ball when you let go of it-and the longer an object falls, the faster it gets. So what happens to potential energy when a ball is dropped? It turns into kinetic energy, or the energy an object has when it is moving. The faster an object moves, the higher its kinetic energy. Which object do you think has a higher kinetic energy: a car or an airplane?

Because gravity has the most time to do its job when the balls are dropped from 75 centimeters, these balls have the most kinetic energy by the time they hit the ground. When the ball hits the ground, all that kinetic energy has to go somewhere. A lot of it goes back into the ball, giving it more force to pop back up into the air-so the higher the potential energy, the higher the kinetic energy, and the higher the kinetic energy, the higher the bounce!

To explore gravity and gravitational forces, get a stopwatch and time each ball from the time it is dropped until it hits the ground. Which ball hits first? Does weight matter? Does elasticity matter?

Result: All balls should take the same amount of time to reach the ground when dropped from the same height. Weight and elasticity do not matter.

Disclaimer and Safety Precautions

Education.com provides the Science Fair Project Ideas for informational purposes only. Education.com does not make any guarantee or representation regarding the Science Fair Project Ideas and is not responsible or liable for any loss or damage, directly or indirectly, caused by your use of such information. By accessing the Science Fair Project Ideas, you waive and renounce any claims against Education.com that arise thereof. In addition, your access to Education.com's website and Science Fair Project Ideas is covered by Education.com's Privacy Policy and site Terms of Use, which include limitations on Education.com's liability.

Warning is hereby given that not all Project Ideas are appropriate for all individuals or in all circumstances. Implementation of any Science Project Idea should be undertaken only in appropriate settings and with appropriate parental or other supervision. Reading and following the safety precautions of all materials used in a project is the sole responsibility of each individual. For further information, consult your state's handbook of Science Safety.

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Bouncing Ball Physics: What is Elasticity? | Science project | Education.com

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What makes a ball bouncy? Have you ever wondered why some balls bounce higher than others? A ball's ability to bounce has a lot to do with its elasticity. So what is elasticity? It's an object's ability to return to its original shape after being stretched or squeezed.

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When school is starting, it's the perfect time to pull out all your fun, new "getting to know you" classroom activities or icebreakers for kids. Back-to-school icebreakers can go a long way in the early weeks of school to help your students feel more comfortable in the classroom, get to know you, and help them get to know their classmates!

Whether your school shuffles students around from year to year, you've got a batch of pre-K or kindergarten students who are brand-new to attending school, or you've got some new kids who just moved into the district, using first day of school and first week of school icebreakers can make a big difference in creating a team atmosphere and maybe even help your students forge new friendships.

The teachers on the Teach Starter team have put together some of our favorite ideas for breaking the ice and helping students through that crucial getting to know you phase of a school year. Read on for tips on how to introduce an icebreaker and some ideas for your elementary classroom.

What Is an Icebreaker?

If you're not familiar with the idea of "getting to know you" icebreakers, maybe it's simply because you haven't used that term before.

Icebreakers are activities that are fun and built around loosening students up, helping them "break the ice" so to speak with you and other classmates who they might not know very well.

Maybe you've done your own fair share of icebreaker activities in staff meetings or during an orientation, but they were called openers or challenges that just so happened to kick things off? Then you know they can help give people something to talk about and help them quickly build up a rapport.

Best of all ... we've got plenty of fun icebreaker games and activities for kids from pre-school on up to middle school!

See our favorite teacher-created first day of school resources!

Icebreaker Games and Activities for Kids

It's important that any icebreakers you use to help your students in the getting to know you phase aren't requiring young kids to take social risks they aren't ready for. This can do the opposite of what you're hoping to do - forcing shy students back into their shells, rather than creating familiarity and comfort in the learning environment.

You'll also want to steer clear of icebreakers for kids that are just too cheesy. Primary students may give you a pass, but those older kids - especially fourth grade on up - will let you know they're just not into it!

One final note, before we share out favorite fun icebreaker games and activities? Focus on points of commonality that don't leave students out. Asking students to share information about their family, for example, can be rife with sensitive spots. Make sure students can all be on equal playing fields.

Getting to Know You Fortune Tellers

Whether you call them cootie catchers or fortune tellers, the popular paper flap games are a big hit in the classroom. But did you ever think to use them as an icebreaker? Print out the fortune teller template (it's free!), and fill it in with getting to know you questions such as "what day is your birthday?" and "how many siblings do you have?"

Photocopy, and distribute to your students, splitting them into groups of two to play "fortune teller" together. They'll have fun seeing if the fortune teller can guess the correct answers!

Best for grades: 3 through 6

Find Four Icebreaker for Kids

Find Four is a great icebreaker for helping kids get up and get those wiggles out while introducing themselves to their new classmates. The premise is simple:

Students are given a card broken out into different squares with instructions in each square (You can print a pre-filled Find Four card here !).

Each instruction tells them to "find four" classmates who meet different criteria such as "find four classmates who have a dog."

It's up to your students to wander the room and ask their peers questions about themselves to see if they can "find four!"

Students can write the names of their "our" in the boxes - a great way to help kids commit new names to memory.

Best for grades: 2 through 5

Name Chase

Remember 'Duck, Duck, Goose'? This fun icebreaker activity is a twist on the classic playground game and a great one to help new students remember each other's names.

Students sit in a circle with one person, "it", standing on the outside.

The person who is "it" walks around the circle, gently tapping each person on the head, saying that person's name as they do (instead of saying "duck").

If the person who is "it" taps someone and says the class name instead (e.g. "Ms. Green's class" instead of saying "goose"), the tapped person has to stand up and chase "it" around the circle trying to tag them before "it" takes their spot.

Best for grades: Pre-K and up

Classmate Scavenger Hunt

Send your students on a scavenger hunt to break the ice with their new classmates ... only they don't need to find something. They need to find someone, or rather several someones! Very similar to Find Four, this icebreaker for kids may be more appropriate for smaller classes where "finding four" might be tough or for younger students.

From someone who has a pet to someone who has blue eyes, this activity gets kids up and moving, as well as meeting and greeting their classmates.

You can print a pre-filled scavenger hunt template here .

Best for grades: 1 through 3

Two Truths and a Lie

This game is a classic (and fairly addictive) icebreaker for kids that can be played as a whole class or in small groups.

1. Each person in the class comes up with three statements about themselves. Two should be true statements, and one should be false. Depending on the age of your students, you might allow them to think up the statements and keep them in mind or to practice writing them down.

2. Working your way down the class list, call on students one by one.

3. When called on, each student should announce their 3 statements for the rest of the class to determine which statement they think is false.

Some different ways to play this game are:

Have the entire class vote by a show of hands, guessing which statement they think is false.

Have each student write down which statement they think is false, and see who gets the most correct.

Beach Ball Icebreaker Game

Image credit: 4 the Love of Teaching

The Beach Ball Icebreaker game is another classic and fun way for you to get to know your students and for your students to get to know each other!

Use a permanent marker to write a question on each panel of a blow-up beach ball.

Standing or sitting in a circle, students throw or roll the ball to someone else in the circle.

When students receive the ball, they answer the question that is facing them. Then they pass or roll the ball to someone else.

This game can be so easily tailored to suit the context of your classroom or the time of year. You could prepare a variety of beach balls to bring out for brain breaks too (check out six of the Teach Starter teachers' favorite ways to use balls in the classroom)!

For example, with a new class, you may write some more basic "getting to know you" questions such as "What is your favorite thing to do on the weekend?" Returning from a break with a class you already know you may write different questions like "If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?"

Pentagonal Me

Your students have come back from summer break brimming with stories and updates about their lives. Harness that energy with Pentagonal Me, an icebreaker activity that doubles as a fun way to introduce geometric shapes.

Print a Pentagon Template that's been broken into 5 separate sections.

Each section directs students to share 5 facts about themselves in different subject areas.

After the kids have written out their 25 facts, set your students up in groups of 5 (if possible), and have each student choose one section of their pentagon to read out loud to their group.

When the group is done, send students back to their seats, and ask students to share 5 things they've learned about their classmates.

The filled-out templates also make a great display for a Back-To-School Night or Meet the Teacher Night. Parents will love spotting their child's pentagon on the wall.

Best for grades: 3 and up, but this could be extra fun for 5th graders!

All About Me Cube Games

This hands-on activity can be used in different ways. Download and print enough copies of the All About Me Cube Template for every student in your class (and a few spares to go into any "new student packs" you may have prepared for kids to join your class later in the year!). You may decide to enlarge these to tabloid size for extra creative space and to make a fun display.

Here are a few different ways you could use the cubes to turn this craft activity into a group-sharing, icebreaker activity:
#1 Cube Clumps

The teacher calls out one of the topics on the cube (e.g. birthday months, hair color, special places, favorite hobby).

Students find all of the other people in the class who share that same month, characteristic, or interest and stand in a "clump."

For topics that leave students standing alone (e.g. they are the only person in their class with that birthday month, characteristic, or interest) use this as a way to highlight the amazing diversity and individuality in your class!

#2 Cube Mix

Students complete all sides of the cube except for the name and self-portrait sides.

Collect the cubes, and mix them up in a bag or box.

Hand a cube out to each student making sure they don't get their own cube.

Students look at the cube they received, and see if they can figure out who it belongs to.

#3 Cube Stack
In groups, students use the complete cubes to create 3-D sculptures or displays in your classroom by stacking cubes with the same face out.

The name and birthday side can be used to create a birthday display by stacking all of the cubes from each month together.

Stack the cubes with the portrait side facing out to make a 3-D sculpture.

Use the "special people" or "special places" sides to create a display, or even to use as writing prompts throughout the year.

Best for grades: 2 through 5

Wipe That Smile Off Your Face

Hey, we promised these icebreaker games were fun, right? Well, this one is FUN, and for fans of the YouTube "try not to laugh" challenges, it will be a big hit!

Students sit in a circle and the teacher chooses one person to start the game.

That person smiles their widest, biggest, cheesiest smile at everyone else in the circle, trying to make them laugh. However, they must be silent, and cannot pull faces or be silly, all they can do is smile.

For every person in the group who laughs at their smile, they receive one point.

After they have smiled at everyone in the group, they 'wipe' the smile off their face with their hand and 'pass' the smile to the next person in the circle.

Best for grades: Pre-k through 3

Heads or Tails

This is an easy icebreaker game to play in the classroom that requires almost no set-up. All you need is a pile of pennies and your whiteboard markers!

On your whiteboard, create two separate lists with the word "Heads" on top of one and "Tails" on top of the other.

List One should be a list of favorites such as animal, color, book, etc.

List Two should be "would you rather" questions - would you rather have a dog or cat, eat cereal for breakfast or dinner, etc.

Have your students pair off, and give each pair a penny.

Students in each pair then trade off flipping the coin.

If they get a "heads," they have to share an answer from list one with their partner, working down the list in order.

If they get a "tails," they have to tell their partner their answer to a "would you rather" question from the list, working down the list in order.

Alternate ways to play:
Instead of writing it all out, choose one of the Would You Rather question sets below that are available in Google Slides!

teaching resource

"Would You Rather" have a brain break that uses a set of 29 task cards as a fun end-of-year activity or...?

5 pages Grades: 3 - 6

teaching resource

Would You Rather use this set of 31 question cards or eat a can of worms?

1 page Grades: 1 - 5

My Memory Matching Game

Another twist on a familiar classic, this is a great icebreaker game for older students. In this game, students create their own cards to play a game of memory with a partner.

Provide students with an even number of blank cardboard squares or rectangles that are all the same color and size. They will create two memory cards for every fact about themselves (i.e. To create 3 facts every student needs 6 cards. To create 5 facts, each student needs 10 cards.).

On each pair of cards, students write or draw a fact about themselves. You may like to provide students with a list of prompts to help.

When they have finished creating their 'My Memory' cards, students shuffle their cards with a partner and play a game of memory.

Students can rotate to play with other new partners too.

This Is Me Task Card Game

This icebreaker game is great for the lower grades, and it makes for a great movement break during those early days of school. Download the task cards, and tell your students to stand up near their desks or in a circle. If the weather is nice, you may even want to take the class outside to get some of their wiggles out while the kids get to know one another.

As each card is read aloud to the students, they respond appropriately if the information applies to them, e.g., jump up and down if you have an older brother. Students will find that there will be many cards that do apply to them, and many that do not. They simply stand still for those cards that are not applicable and get to know their classmates!

Best for grades: Pre-K and up

STEM Icebreaker Activities

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) activities make fantastic icebreakers as they encourage kids to work together and start building a team mentality. It can also take some of the pressure off shy students who may feel uncomfortable with activities that focus on aspects of themselves and their own lives.

STEM tasks help you to assess where your new students are at in terms of general knowledge and higher-order thinking skill development. Additionally, you will be able to see how students work in groups which will help with classroom and behavior management planning.

Here are some great open-ended STEM tasks that your students can work on in small groups.
Early Elementary STEM Task Cards
This set of STEM task cards for early elementary students contains 22 different challenges that students can complete with commonly found and easily sourced materials. From creating the tallest button tower to racing cars without using their hands, these activities are a super fun way to get kids engaging with their new peers.
Upper Elementary STEM Task Cards
You can download this "Build a Raft" STEM challenge ! Or you check out our STEM Challenge Task Cards for upper grades too.

Banner image via Shutterstock/ Andrew Angelov

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16 Fun "Getting To Know You" Icebreakers for Kids Perfect for School

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Check out these fun icebreakers for kids! These games help kids learn about their classmates, as well as making great first week activities too!

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Painting with balls is a fun way to combine process art and science. Use these simple ideas to extend your art activity to include science.
I love making art. I love it, even more, when art and science can be combined. Painting with marbles and balls is the perfect combination of creativity, experimentation, and exploration for kids. Let me show you how you can do so much more than just roll a sphere around on a piece of paper.

Supplies

For this process art project, you need four supplies.

The ball, of course, is the most important supply. We can't call this "painting with balls" without one. It's fun to experiment with different types of balls. Try some of these ideas:

whiffle balls

marbles

playground balls

smooth balls

nubby balls

koosh balls

suction cup balls

footballs

golf balls

tennis balls

ping pong balls

ball pit balls

water beads

a ball of yarn

Styrofoam balls

Your box needs to be big enough so that you can lay a piece of paper at the bottom. The sides need to be high enough to contain a ball. You can use the bottom of a pizza box, or pick up some nice shallow boxes on your next trip to Sams or Costco.

If you want to test the box to see if it's a good one. Use a cat. Cats are the best box testers. This is my baby Gracie, and I'm excited to find an excuse to share her picture on this website :).
Gracie approves of this box!
You may also want to use some plastic containers to hold the paint and balls. You may want some eyedroppers to add paint to the paper and tongs and spoons to pick up paint covered balls and marbles.

How to Paint with Balls

There is no set way to make a ball painting. Play around with it and use the method that works best for you. Kids can use an eyedropper to add drops of paint directly onto the paper.

They can then add balls to the box and roll them around through the paint until a beautiful work of art is created.

Here's another way to do it. You can also place the balls in containers of paint. Kids can add the balls to the box with spoons or tongs. Then, they can move the ball around in the box to create their masterpiece.

We did find that these suction cup balls stuck to tongs. It was pretty funny, but a spoon would probably be a better choice next time.

Use Different Types of Balls

It is so much fun to use different types of balls to create artwork. Ask kids to predict what type of artwork each ball will create. Why does this ball make a different design?

The suction cup balls make cool circle patterns. The biggest ball in our collection made the tiniest little dots of paint on the paper.

The football rolled around much differently than the other balls. Why do you think this happened? The grooves in the ball left thick lines of paint on the paper.

Marbles created thin lines, racquetballs created thicker lines, and plastic golf balls created a line with a little bit of texture.

My favorite painting ball was this koosh ball. The sea anemone-like arms created the most amazing patterns on our paper.

Talk About It

Here are some additional things to think and talk about as you paint:

Movement - Hold the box at different angles. Does it change the way the ball moves?

Speed - Do some of the balls move faster than others? How can you make the balls move faster or slower? Does fast rolling ball art look different than the art created by slow rolling balls?

Color - Kids can look at how the colors blend together. Are new colors created?

Quantity - Make artwork with different quantities of balls. How are they different?

Weight - Are some balls heavier than others? Does this change how they move?

Time - Kids can roll balls for different lengths of time (use timers) How is the artwork different?

Other - After the artwork dries, kids can use a magnifying glass to examine the artwork.

Ramp it Up

Do you want to add more fun...and more opportunities for scientific inquiry to the ball painting experience? Add a ramp! I taped together a couple of stiff pieces of cardboard to make a ramp. I butted the bottom of the ramp up against a flap in the bottom of a box to keep it in place. You can hold a piece of paper in place with a couple of clothespin clips.

Kids can place a paint-covered ball at the top of the ramp and let it roll down. Did it roll fast or slow? Did it roll in a straight line? What kind of paint line or pattern did it create?

Make ramps with different slopes. Do the balls roll differently as they go down the different ramps? Does the paint line or pattern that a ball creates look different on the different ramps?

I hope that you and your kids have fun painting with balls.

Do you have any additional ideas for using balls and marbles to create art? I would love to hear about them in the comments at the end of this article.

STEAM Activities in the Store

Are you looking for additional preschool STEAM activities for your kids? Check out the following resources in my store. Click on the images below to check them out.

Click on the images below to check out these STEM resources in my store.

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Painting with Balls: How to Easily Combine Art and Science - Early Learning Ideas

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Painting with balls is a fun way to combine process art and science. Use these simple ideas to extend your art activity to include science. I love making art. I love it, even more, when art and science can be combined. Painting with marbles and balls is the perfect combination of creativity, experimentation, and exploration for kids.

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This balls theme for preschool page includes preschool lesson plans, activities and Interest Learning Center ideas for your Preschool Classroom!

A ball theme? Really? Preschoolers love all kinds of balls: beach balls, basketballs, super duper bouncy balls!

You'll find more themes to help you with your planning on my preschool themes page.

Let the Ball Theme Planning Begin!

You can either scroll down through this page to see all of the preschool activities for your theme or click the link below to go to specific preschool activity types you are looking for.

Balls Theme Art

Secure LARGE paper and balls (dodge balls, tennis balls, whatever!) and paint. Yes, I said paint!

Bowl or toss balls that have been dipped in paint onto the paper!

Materials: yarn, watered down glue, small balloons, brushes

The children brush glue on the balloon.

They wrap the yarn around the balloon and brush more glue on it. (Optional: sprinkle glitter on them before they dry!).

Let dry.

Pop balloon and remove

Play games with their yarn balls or hang from the ceiling.
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Balls Theme Block Center Ideas
Ball Tubes
Provide paper towel tubes and other cylinder shaped blocks to the block area as well as balls that will fit in the tubes.

Provide dump trucks.

The children will figure out how to transport the balls to the different parts of the block area!
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Balls Theme Circle Time Ideas

Circle Time is such a great time for children to learn the social skills of being together as a large group AND to learn more about your theme!

Although this may be something you do at the beginning of the year, it is always nice to revisit each others' names!

Sit in a circle. Name a child's name and roll the ball to that child. Only that child should reach for the ball.

That child then names a friend's name and rolls the ball to them.

Tell the children to only choose a friend who has NOT had a turn yet!
The Magic Ball
Of course, this is great. You pass the ball while singing the song. I am not a fan of games for preschoolers where they are "OUT", as this song suggests. If you do this, a great time would be when dismissing them from circle to go to another activity. When they are "Out" in this song, they go to choose their next activity, or got get their jacket on, etc.

The magic ball goes round and round.

Pass it quickly if you are around.

If you're the one to hold it last.

That means it's time for you to __________(sing activity here..get jacket on, go to interest centers, wash your hands, etc.)

And you are out!
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Snack Recipe Ideas to Cook Up for Your Theme!

Cooking with children helps develop their math skills and helps them to learn how to follow directions. It also allows for some great conversation!

Ask many questions while cooking with your children to encourage conversation! Be sure to ask specific themed questions while making these fun snacks!

Ball Shaped Snacks Thank you Susan for this idea!

Offer snacks such as clementines, pretzel wheels, and blueberries. I also think that any kind of dough you could have the kiddos roll into balls and bake would be fun!

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Balls Theme Ideas to Transform Your Dramatic Play Area
Sports Ball Store
Provide boxes with different balls for the children to sell in their store.

Provide a cash register, paper and pens for receipts, bags for purchases!
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Balls Theme Ideas for your Easel

More Than Just Painting (Although that is always THE favorite in our classroom!)
Create A Ball
Provide paper plates instead of paper. The children are going to create their own ball! My thought was for them to have a circle shape and create their own design on the circle so they are creating a design on the circle (ball) shape.
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Balls Theme Large Group Games

that help build their muscles while they have fun together

Provide large exercise balls for the children to use! They lay their belly on the top, feet on the floor and try to balance on them. Be sure the floor is padded and the activity is supervised.
Bowling
Rather than purchasing a plastic bowling set, why not make your own instead with the children? Collect 2 liter plastic bottles or 1/2 gallon plastic milk containers. Put a little bit of water or sand in the bottom and provide heavy balls to roll!

Felt Balls Thank you, Wendy R., for this idea!

Have the children help make balls from felt. They can then paint them and use them in tossing games or parachute games to promote motor skills.
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Balls Theme Ideas for Your Library and Literacy Activities for your Preschool Classroom

Book Suggestions for the Library

(I LOVE Amazon, and if you choose to get yours there, they do send me a few cents--which supports my coffee habit!)

Ball! by Ros Asquith

Elmo's World: Balls! (Sesame Street) (Sesame Street(R) Elmos World(TM)) by John E. Barrett

Beach Ball by Peter Sis

Bear and Ball by Cliff Wright

Hit the Ball Duck by Jez Alborough

Kipper's Lost Ball by Mick Inkpen

Little Pig's Bouncy Ball by Alan Baron

Sam's Ball by Barbro Lindgren

The Story of Red Rubber Ball by Constance Kling Levy

Don't limit yourself to these titles! Look for other books both fiction and non-fiction to have around your preschool classroom!
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Balls Theme Activities to help your Preschoolers develop their math skills and those small muscles in their hands!
Bouncy Ball Sorting
Provide cups or bowls that are numbered 1-10.

Provide a large collection of bouncy balls.

Provide un-numbered bowls/cups.

The children place the correct number of balls into the numbered cups.

The children sort by attribute (color, specks, etc.) into the non-numbered bowls/cups.

Balls Theme Music and Movement Activities and Ideas to get your Preschoolers Movin' and Groovin'!

Take me out to the ball game.

Take me out to the crowd.

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks.

I don't care if I ever get back.

Cause it's root, root root for the home team.

If they don't win it's a shame!

And it's ONE, TWO, THREE strikes you're out!

At the old ball game!
One, Two Three!
Here's a ball (make a small, ball shape with your fingers).

And here's a ball (make a ball shape using both hands).

And here is a great, BIG ball as you can see (make a huge ball shape using your arms)!

Let's count them together...Ready?

One, two, three (make each shape again as you count)!
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Balls Theme Activities for the Senses!

Mhmmm...always a fun sensory activity!

The children try to predict if each type of ball will sink or float!
Ball Sand
Add a spray bottle to your sand table as well as melon ball scoops and ice cream scoops for the children to make sand balls with.

Sand Golf (Thank you Jennifer for this idea!)

Set up two baking tins with a scene from a golf course and put alligators and other animal figures along with a pond area and provided little Pom poms and other movable balls with sticks/ wooden and or real for them to hit into hole area with flag.
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Balls Theme Science Activities--for your Preschool Scientists in Training!

Provide some slightly deflated balls and pike pumps.

Work with the children to inflate and deflate balls.

Provide paper bags and other bags to try to add air to (such as baggies) to experiment with air.

Provide scales to weigh balls. Use balance scales and actual scales.
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Writing Activity Ideas for Your Ball Theme!
Pom Pom Names
Have the children print the letters of their name or the letters they know with a marker.

Give them colored pom poms to glue onto their letters for a textured name or alphabet!
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Please with any activities you'd like to see added to this page! This is such a fun theme that leads to so many child-directed preschool lesson plans in the classroom!

Go to MAIN THEMES page from this Balls Theme Page

Go to Preschool Plan-It's Home Page

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This balls theme for preschool page includes preschool lesson plans, activities and Interest Learning Center ideas for your Preschool Classroom! A ball theme? Really? Preschoolers love all kinds of balls: beach balls, basketballs, super duper bouncy balls! You'll find more themes to help you with your planning on my preschool themes page.

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Physics is one of those science fields that is really easy to study with kids. Many of the basic concepts involve materials you have at home. Young children can begin to understand simple physics concepts. This will help prepare them for future science learning and understanding more complex physics principles. Plus these preschool physics experiments and activities are just plain fun!

Preschool Physics Experiments and Activities

Exploring Color and Temperature - This is an easy to set up experiment. Learn about how different colors affect heat absorption. Your preschooler can probably handle all of the steps by himself.

Cars and Blocks Measuring Expe riment - Such a fun way to turn a child's love for cars and blocks into an experiment!

Inventing a Bouncy Ball Machine - 4 year old Aiden invented this bouncy ball machine. It combines two simple machines, a lever and an inclined plane, to release bouncy balls on the ground. What kind of machine will you build?

How to Make a Rainbow - Use supplies you find around your house to make a real rainbow.

K is for Kinetic Energy - A great introduction to kinetic energy for toddlers and preschoolers using ramps!

Kinetic Energy Experiments and Activities - More kinetic energy ideas: Learn with ramps, convert elastic potential energy into kinetic energy, and explore the transfer of kinetic energy.

Make a Rubber Band Powered Car - Design your own vehicle and then power it using rubber bands!

Make a Hovercraft - Build a hovercraft and then practice measuring skills.

G is for Gravity - Conduct a simple gravity experiment with toddlers or preschoolers.

What Can You Learn from a Cardboard Tube? How about a little introduction to friction. Let your toddler experience this concept while having fun!

Dump Truck Counting Game - Get your little ones thinking about balance {a physics concept} while playing a fun counting game.

Density Experiments

D is for Density - Ideas for teaching density to toddlers and preschoolers.

Saltwater Density Investigation - Learn how to make density layers using saltwater. {Great investigation for many age groups.}

Layering Liquids Density Experiment - Use fruit juices to make density layers in this colorful experiment.

Holiday Themed Physics Activities for Kids

Easter

Easter Egg Rocket Races - Make rockets from plastic eggs and send them flying through the air on a string.

Egg Drop Experiments - Tips for conducting the classic egg drop experiments plus 8 different versions to try.

Launching Easter Eggs Experiment - How far can you launch a plastic Easter egg? Does the size or weight of the egg impact the distance traveled?

Christmas

Sleigh Races - Build paper sleighs, attach some wheels, and race them down a ramp. Change the size of the sleighs, the height of the ramp, and more.

Exploring Magnetism at Christmas - Which Christmas themed items are magnetic?

Christmas Listening Game - Play What's that Sound? with Christmas objects.
What are your favorite physics experiments and activities?
See more Kid Science ideas on Pinterest:
Follow Trisha | Inspiration Laboratories's board Kid Science on Pinterest.
Stay connected with Inspiration Laboratories so you don't miss a thing! Follow us on Facebook . You can also subscribe to the Inspiration Laboratories weekly newsletter. Each issue has exclusive hands-on science explorations for children, a recap of our latest activities, and special resources selected just for you!

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20 Preschool Physics Experiments and Activities | Inspiration Laboratories

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Physics is one of those science fields that is really easy to study with kids. Many of the basic concepts involve materials you have at home. Young children can begin to understand simple physics concepts. This will help prepare them for future science learning and understanding more complex physics principles.

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Grab some cotton balls for a simple toddler fine motor activity, from Julie, that adds incounting and sensory elements, too!

My daughter loves fine motor activities. And like most toddlers, she also loves to line things up!

That's why this simple cotton ball lineup was the perfect low-prep fine motor activity for a rainy day!

Try a no-prep fine motor pipe cleaner activity for your child!

Quick Cotton Ball Toddler Fine Motor Activity

For this toddler fine motor activity, you'll need:

painter's tape

cotton balls

bowl

flat space to play

To get started, place a long piece of painter's tape sticky side up on the table. Secure it down with two smaller pieces on each end.

Next, place a handful of cotton balls in a bowl. The bowl comes in handy so you don't end up with cotton balls all over the living room!

Toddlers love this simple fine motor activity with paper clips!

Then you're ready for your child to play!

Counting & Sensory Fun for Little Hands

Here are a few ideas we used to get started:

Count and Squish: Have your toddler line up the cotton balls on the tape, counting each one while she squishes the balls onto the tape.

Make counting part of your play with these easy toddler math ideas!

"Dot, ball, dot, ball, dot, ball!"

Make a Pattern: I helped my daughter practice a pattern. Squish and remove a cotton ball to make a dot, then place a whole cotton ball on the next space.

Walking on Clouds: We also practiced toddler fine motor skills by using our fingers to "walk on the clouds" down the line of cotton balls.

Try this super fun fine motor toothpick activity!

We repeated this quite a few times and my daughter loved it! She asked to "do it again" three or four times!

It really takes no time at all to place a new line of tape on the table.

It doesn't get any easier than painter's tape and cotton balls, and your toddler is sure to love it!

What is your favorite simple fine motor activity for toddlers? We'd love to check out your ideas!

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Quick Cotton Ball Toddler Fine Motor Activity | Hands On As We Grow®

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Grab some cotton balls for a simple toddler fine motor activity, from Julie, that adds incounting and sensory elements, too! My daughter loves fine motor activities. And like most toddlers, she also loves to line things up! That's why this simple cotton ball lineup was the perfect low-prep fine motor activity for a rainy day!

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Fine motor activity using a spiky ball and loom bands | Preschool fine motor activities, Fine motor skills activities, Fine motor activities for kids

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Apr 7, 2018 - Here is a simple fine motor activity using a spiky ball and loom bands. It's lots of fun for preschoolers or children needing to build their hand muscles for writing and gripping objects. Occupational therapist would also be very interested in this easy idea for kids.

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I am always looking for playful and inviting ways for kids to develop their fine motor and hand-eye coordination skills using fun resources. These felt balls are so tactile and sensory and kids absolutely love playing with them.

I set up a challenge using the felt balls, suction pads and tweezers. I challenged the kids to transfer the felt balls from the basket and balance them onto the suction pads without touching them. As they played, we introduced a timer and two friends competed to see who would balance all the felt balls first. There are other ways you can also play with the felt balls, suction pads and tweezers.

What you will need?

You will need felt balls (the ones pictures are 1cm), tweezers and suction pads.

The suction pads are small anti-slip mats used in the bathroom. I have turned the mats over to expose the suction caps to use in this activity.

You can find these bathroom suction pads in a range of colours, shapes and pictures in the bathroom or nursery isle in most shopping centres. I found these colourful circles in the baby/nursery isle at Toys-R-Us.

Pompoms are a great alternative to using felt balls.

Children transfer the felt balls using the tweezers and balance them onto the suction caps.

Some Ideas:

Sorting and matching colours.

Count the felt balls as you place them onto the as it is placed onto the suction mat.

Introduce a sand timer to add an element of challenge.

Create patterns using the different colours.

Miniature tongs are a useful alternative to the tweezers shown in the earlier photographs.

Using the fingers is also a great way for developing fine motor and coordination, particularly the pincer grasp. The pincer grasp enables a child to pick up small items using the thumb and index finger and is important for tasks such as holding writing implements and manipulating items such as zippers, buttons and shoes laces.

Let's Learn

The felt balls and suction pads also provide an opportunity to explore patterns using the different colours.

Water Play with Eye-Droppers is another great activity to encourage the pincer grasp.

Fine Motor Development

Hand-Eye Coordination and Control

Concentration

Language development - colour names and describing what is happening.

Mathematics - patterns, counting

Creativity and imagination

Learning Opportunities

Click here for more FINE MOTOR activities & play ideas

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Balancing Felt Balls - Fine Motor Fun. I am always looking for playful and inviting ways for kids to develop their fine motor and coordination using fun resources. These felt balls are so tactile and sensory and kids absolutely love playing with them. #Finemotoractivity #pincergrasp

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Looking for some fun toddler activities to keep your little ones busy and learning? I have some great ideas to show you today, and they came from The Ultimate Toddler Activity Guide. Fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and more in this fun book.

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What Mum Loves: Fine motor skills activities for toddlers

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Fine motor skills are one of the fundaments of a child's independence, they help him to tie the shoelaces, write, button up a shirt and eat with cutlery. As parents can enormously help their children to improve those skills, I am here today to share with you a few simple and fun activities that you can set up for your toddler.

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There's just seriously not enough time in the day to get it all in . . . so what do we do with those kids that need extra fine motor practice? I'm not a huge fan of homework in kindergarten. I don't like to send things home with my kinders. I would prefer they are outside playing or spending time with their families. But really, sometimes 10 minutes of fine motor exercise at home can mean the difference in finding success in kindergarten with writing and months and months of struggle and frustration.

Please note, this post includes affiliate links.

PARENT BROCHURE

So what can we do to 'get' those 10 -15 minutes of additional exercise? Well, there are a couple of things you can do actually. Initially, I think it's always helpful to educate all your kinder parents with what 'fine motor' skills are and why they are important. So I send home a simple little brochure at the beginning of the year just to give parents a heads up. It's often surprising for a parent of a really bright child to hear that their child is struggling, because they can't hold a pencil. This little brochure gives them an understanding of fine motor skills and why it's an important thing to master in kindergarten.

I find that most of the time, parents want to help their child be successful. It's just sometimes they really need someone to point out ideas and activities that will work at home. They generally appreciate having a few tips to help them get started and this little brochure can do that.

TAKE HOME KIT

The second thing I like to do is to have a couple of Fine Motor Home Kits made up. These are simple, little inexpensive kits that students take home for two weeks and then bring back to me.

This post contains affiliate product links.

Before sending the kit home with a child, I always have a conversation with their parents just to let them know that I think perhaps their child could benefit from a bit of additional practice at home. I make sure they are 'on board' with the plan and understand that their child should pick only one activity each night and work at it for no more than 10-15 minutes.

When they get the kit home, it will have a myriad of activities from which their child can choose one. I say one each night so that all the items aren't pulled out and lost or mixed up. Parents are generally really good about this, and I haven't had any problems with lost pieces.

There is also a ringed set of task cards included in the kit as well. These show parents and students exactly what items are used for which activity and it explains how to use them.

KIT ACTIVITIES

All the activities fit inside my little Steralite Carry Tote, safe and snug. It's small enough for little ones to carry on their own or pop in their backpacks, but big enough to hold everything I need.

POPPER BEADS

I like to include popper beads in my kit because they are engaging, colorful and, most of all, boys and girls alike enjoy using them so I know it will be an activity they want to do.

To add a bit of a challenge to the activity, I suggest that students use the color or shapes to make different patterns.

You can sometimes find popper beads at craft stores, and they are also available on Amazon as well. I used a small bag of 17o beads from Amazon to make three different kits. Also, get this, one reader told me there are Alphabet Pop Beads.

They're already in my Amazon cart!

PUNCH A LETTER SOUND

Paper hole punches are the 'great silencer.' No kidding! If you want a room full of quiet kinders, hand them each a paper hold punch. (I actually have a class set.) Just punching holes in a piece of paper is somehow mesmerizing to them and, at the same time, such a great tool for building those grasping muscles.

I've included the added challenge of 'punching out letter sounds' as part of the kit's hole punch activity. Students look at the pictures on the strip of paper, identify the beginning letter sound, and 'punch out' any letters that are not the beginning letter sound.

Paper hole punches are pretty easy to come by. You can pick them up at any department store or office supply store. I ordered a class set from Amazon a couple of years ago just so I'd have the opportunity to capitalize on those 'great silencer' moments.

BULB SYRINGE RACES

Bulb syringes can be found in the baby section of your local department or dollar store. They are super cheap and a ton of fun. If you'd like, you can change a syringe for a turkey baster, and it has the same effect.

Having your students pinch the bulb repeatedly while pointed at a puff ball makes for a fun and engaging race. The motion needed to push the air out of the bulb helps work those pincher muscles, and it's just plain fun.

TENNIS BALL MUNCHY MOUTHS

Until recently, I always made these munchy mouth tennis monsters with your run of the mill, everyday yellow-green tennis balls. But then a friend told me about these oh-so-cute animal print tennis balls that are actually for dogs, and I knew my kinders would go crazy for them.

You'll have to use a knife (It seems to work best if I use a serrated knife . . . just be careful, ok!) to cut the mouth and then simply hot glue google eyes to the front. It is surprisingly challenging for students to get that mouth open. They want to push it against their body and against the table, but I remind them that they have to 'pinch' the mouth open for the monster to get a good bite.

To make it more challenging and engaging, I play a game where two students get the same amount of little mini erasers (I like to use ones from Oriental Trading. They last forever and I can make quite a few sets.) Each player takes turns rolling the dice and reading the number. That is the number of themed erasers (I used fish in the picture above.) that they feed their monster. The first person to feed all of their fish (or erasers) to their monster, wins.

PLASTIC LINKS AND NUMBERS

Without anything added, plastic links make a great fine motor activity. Students love to see how long they can get their chains and often make a challenge for themselves by including intricate color patterns. But if you add a few number cards with hole punches, it takes this activity to another level.

PLAY-DOH EXTRUDERS AND LETTERS

If you have an arsenal of play-doh extruders like the one below, you know how much your students love working that plunger with their fingers to push that dough through the different shapes. Although parents often poo-poo play-doh as being too messy, it's one of the best tools for working those little hand muscles. Add a pair of scissors to snip of the extruded play-doh and it adds a nice resistance tot he activity. If you parents grimace when you give them activity, remind them of the importance of those finger muscles when their child starts writing and suggest they have them work on a small cookie sheet to control the excess play-doh pieces.

If you'd like to add a bit more challenge to this tool, copy off some mini ABC play-doh mats on Astrobrights card stock. I like to include only a few letters at a time-usually whatever letters that student has been focusing on in school.

RICE BOWL SEARCH

Mini erasers are tiny and tough to grab hold of which makes them a perfect addition to my fine motor kit. Here I use a small disposable container to house some colorful dyed rice and in the rice bowl is hidden some more of those fun mini erasers you can find at Oriental Trading. (One order goes a long way, but I tend to by lots of different thematic ones.)

Add a small tweezer or other small tong type instrument and send your students searching. I always count how many erasers are included in each bowl so students know when they have found them all. Set a timer to see how long it takes them and if they can better their time each try. Just make sure they use only the tweezers to secure their 'catch.'

THERAPY PUTTY SEARCH AND SPELL

While you can use other putty for this activity, I'm always partial to therapy putty just because . . . well . . . it really is the best. It has the right amount of resistance and it's super stiff which you really want. I especially like it, because it lasts forever. Sure you can use something like Silly Putty in its place, but I find that I would have to purchase 3 or 4 containers of Silly Putty to equal what I can get from one container of therapy putty. For this kit activity, I like to hide beads, colored pony beads or even letter beads if you have them, inside the putty. Students can search the putty, naming the letters as they find them, or you can see if they can use the letters to make words or spell their name.

NUTS AND BOLTS

Hands down one of the most favorite activities of all fine motor kits that I can offer a student. There is just something about nuts and bolts. You can use the plastic, toy kind of nuts and bolts if you prefer. It still will engage your students hands in grasping and turning, but I tend to prefer a variety of shapes and sizes of the 'real thing.'

For this activity, I have students time themselves to see just how long it takes them to find all the nuts that match the bolts in the kit. They need to twist the nuts all the way on the bolt for it to count. Then I time them to see how long it takes them to get them off. They enjoy seeing if they can better their time with each try.

PUNCHING NUMBERS

Button type paper punches are also a good way to build up fine motor strength while engaging your students. Just punching the paper is really a challenge. But if you'd like to add a spin to it, label several different sheets of colored Astrobrights paper (colored paper makes everything more fun) with a number and have students 'punch' that many times.

You'll find thematic button punches like these at craft stores, but I generally can pick them up from garage sales here and there as well.

While I would LOVE to send anyone who wanted one of the kits one of their own, the least I can do is get you the printable task cards, brochure, number link cards and mini ABC play-doh mats. Just click below and enter your email. A verification email will be sent to your inbox, but sometimes it likes to hang out in your SPAM folder. So if you don't see it in a few minutes, check there.) Once you have verified your subscription to my mailing list, your file will be downloaded to your computer. Just check your 'download' file on your computer and you'll probably see it there. (If you're looking for the ABC punch cards, you can find them on my side bar - right there on the right hand side of my blog - for free!) I sure hope this gives you some ideas and help in getting your kinders finger ready for fall. Enjoy!

If you'd like so see a whole series of monthly fine motor morning work station ideas and free printables, please check out my other fine motor blog posts, starting with Fine Motor Morning Work Stations! You can get there by clicking the picture below or by going HERE.

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Fine Motor Home Kits - Differentiated Kindergarten

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There's just seriously not enough time in the day to get it all in . . . so what do we do with those kids that need extra fine motor practice? I'm not a huge fan of homework in kindergarten. I don't like to send things home with my kinders.

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This ping pong ball fine motor activity is fun way for toddlers and preschoolers to develop the fine motor skills needed for cutting paper and other life skills.
Affiliate links below.
A while back I wrote a post about our favorite preschool supplies and one of the top items on the list was this super cool fine motor tool set. We use the tools in this kit while doing many activities. A few weeks ago, we even used them in this fun alphabet water sensory bin.

My kids never tire using the tools. My preschooler gets frustrated with cutting exercises, but will happily use the scooper tongs in this set. So I create activities that utilize these tools and he gets some of the practice he needs! With this activity, my children were using the same small hand muscles needed for cutting to open and close the scooper.
Related Read: Ping Pong Ball Math Game
Setting Up the Fine Motor Activity
Supplies Needed:

Just put the ping pong balls in one of the bowls and your good to go!
Related Read: Snowball Throw Alphabet Game (with ping pong balls)
Ping Pong Ball Fine Motor Activity

I showed my toddler how she could transfer the balls from one bowl to the other with the scooper. She was very happy to jump and start doing it herself. She did awesome and gave those small hand muscles lots of exercise.

After about 7-10 balls, her hand started to get tired from using the scooper, so she came up with other ways to pick up and transfer the balls. She would put one hand on each handle and open and close the scooper that way. Excellent problem solving skills, huh? Either way, she was developing fine motor skills and enjoying herself, so I was happy. She did switch back and forth between the two ways of transferring them.

My son just had to get on the action and he needs the fine motor practice - especially with the muscles used for cutting. So I turned it into a game for him. I set a timer for 1 minute and he tried to transfer as many balls as possible in that time. Then we counted how many he got in the bowl. We did this a few times for varying amounts of time. He loved the racing aspect of it!

Here are some more fine motor activities for your kids!
Monster Munch Fine Motor Activity Fine Motor Skills with Bouncy Balls Cutting Straws and Play Dough

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This ping pong ball fine motor activity is fun way for toddlers and preschoolers to develop the fine motor skills needed for cutting paper and other life skills. Affiliate links below. A while back I wrote a post about our favorite preschool supplies and one of the top items on the list was this super cool fine motor tool set.

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Winter days may technically be shorter but with lots of hours indoors we need to fill our time with engaging and motivating activities for our little ones. We set out this "snowball" cotton ball fine motor activity at our snow themed sensory play date!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click through to Amazon from this page and purchase anything, we will get a small profit for referring you!

My friend Megan's 13 month old was the most interested. If an activity is a good developmental fit for a child, it will capture their attention causing them to repeat the steps over and over. This was evident when the youngest toddler played with this more than the older ones.

The kids are working on adding one cotton ball per one section of the tin or ice cube tray. One to one is a pre-counting math skill as children will recognize later that one numeral represents one item. When we count, we say one number per object.

Fine motor skills are in full affect as we work on aiming, scooping, dumping, and picking up the cotton balls.

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"Snowball" Cotton Balls Fine Motor Activity

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Winter days may technically be shorter but with lots of hours indoors we need to fill our time with engaging and motivating activities for our little ones. We set out this "snowball" cotton ball fine motor activity at our snow themed sensory play date! This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

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Have you ever pondered - what can I possibly pursue with Pom Poms? I'm so glad you asked, my friend! There are so so many activities to plug in using Pom-Poms. And, many Pom-Pom crafts are a perfect solution to encourage fine motor skills.

But, before we cheer for Pom Poms - what materials are Pom Poms made out of? Some materials can be made out of cotton, acrylic, wool, plastic, paper and thread. And, they usually come in a beautiful array of colors and varieties.

However, we highly recommend these adorable and affordable fuzzy Pom Pom balls from Amazon, made from acrylic yarn. They come in an assortment of colors and are the size is about 1 cm in diameter {be careful with little ones}. This colorful Pom Poms package holds about 2000 Pieces and works well with our Pom Pom crafts and projects. MiniPoms (.4cm) are another great resource, and even Glitter Poms if you're learning around the holidays.

Activities to Encourage Fine Motor Skills

Pom Poms are one of the more creative activities to encourage fine motor skills. But, what's the big deal about developing small motor movements? Don't they get it from everyday tasks? Yes, but there are so many more to discover. Here I share with you why fine motor skills are important, and how to encourage small muscle movements in your everyday activities.

Pom-Pom Activity Sheets

Now, let's get onto how we get encourage fine motor skills and movements. I have a nice list of free Pom Pom activity sheets you'll love to use with your kids. Let's start with robot Pom Poms! These Pom Pom activity sheets are available for free and they come in 3 gorgeous colors.

Each colorful robot needs help finding all its parts! Students use colorful pom-poms to match the dots on each robot. Plus, grab this wonderful large set of tweezers to help your students build stronger small motor muscles. And, I have even more good news worth sharing - it prepares them for handwriting skills in the future.

Sorting Patterns by Size

Sorting by size using these colorful fuzzy balls is also a great way to ensure your proper development in understanding math concepts.

As mentioned, patterns prepare your child for learning more difficult math concepts later in life. Who would have thought building beautiful patterns with Pom Poms would help develop key math skills?!!

Sorting by Color

Another great idea of building fine motor skills for 3-year-olds and up is sorting by color. Ask your preschooler to use this large set of tweezers and sort all Pom Poms, regardless of size, by color. While it seems like a simple task, they are strengthening those small muscles in their hands and developing hand-eye coordination.

Picking up Poms with Clothespins

Just when you thought there couldn't possibly be another activity with Pom Poms! How about these adorable clothespins to help grab Pom Poms. Ask your child to choose large poms with this colorful array of choices for clothespins.

Or, make it a fun game with your classroom - ask your preschooler(s) to choose a 'blue' clothespin and pick up a 'large' soft fuzzy ball. The possibilities are endless when it comes to engaging your students with a flurry of fun activities!

Pom Pom Rainbow

Get creative with Pom Pom rainbows! Ask your child to grab his/her large tweezers to build a rainbow with an assortment of sizes and colors, and even textures. Rainbows technically appear in seven colors of the spectrum including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo (deep blue), and violet. If you have different shades of blue, the rainbow colors are perfect!

Otherwise, pick several colors and ask your child to sort them until they make a beautiful rainbow in a 'bowed' shape. Or, you can try a wreath shape that includes a beautiful array of color patterns and textures.

Picking up Poms with Tweezers and Transferring to Jar

Now that we've exhausted all of our ideas on how to encourage fine motor skills with cute fuzzy balls, it's clean up time! Another fine motor skill activity to consider is asking your preschooler to pick up all of the Pom-Poms using their kid-friendly tweezers. It can be as simple as putting them all in a jar, or multiple jars sorting by sizes and colors.

Pom-Pom Alphabet Mats

Before we close up shop, you may be interested in more fun and engaging Pom Pom activity sheets you can use to build fine motor skills for 3-year-olds and up! It's a great way to learn their alphabet while strengthening key skill sets.

Let me introduce to you Alphabet Pom Pom Mats! Each mat features a different letter of the alphabet for handwriting practice and a beginning word picture to write. This awesome skill builder holds a colored example to help recreate pictures for young ones.

This fine motor activity pack includes 26 pages of alphabet letter pom pictures. And, it complements Fine Motor Letter of the Week Activities. Don't forget to grab their kid-friendly tweezers to prepare them with mastering pencil and writing skills.

Here, you'll find beautiful butterfly Pom Pom activity sheets that will enamor your preschoolers with a vast array of colors. Butterfly wings give your children a unique opportunity to identify repetition using Pom Pom patterns in a row. Plus, this butterfly activity teaches math, symmetry, and art all at the same time! You can't go wrong with this Pom Pom patterns in a row activity.

Learning and identifying patterns are key for preschoolers. The ability to recognize and build patterns helps children observe and make predictions. Thus, it's a critical component for learning math!

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Have you ever pondered - what can I possibly pursue with Pom Poms? I'm so glad you asked, my friend! There are so so many activities to plug in using Pom-Poms. And, many Pom-Pom crafts are a perfect solution to encourage fine motor skills.

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Make some interactive phonics ball games for preschoolers and young school learners with these easy DIY ideas! Perfect for those children who are beginning to learn their letter sounds and then use them to create small words.

If you've been around here for a few years you'll know that apart from making play dough recipes, my other favourite thing to do is to create things out of the recycling bin!

I love simple DIY toys and games (here are some homemade toys for babies and toddlers you could try!) and I am particularly keen on homemade learning resources.

If your little one had a ball pit at some point in their baby or toddler hood then chances are you've got a big bag of these colourful balls somewhere in the garden shed! 🙂

They make an absolutely brilliant DIY learning resource so go and dig them out and let's make some phonics learning games for home or school! If you're a parent reading this and feel extra kind, you could make a set of these and donate them to your child's Early Years teachers at school or nursery. They will love you for doing the work for them.
Materials needed:
Ball pit balls. Ping pong balls work too as you can see from these DIY Ping Pong Alphabet Balls activities we did! But the size of the ball pit balls makes them a perfect fit for the packaging container.

Empty fruit box packaging. You can simply pick this up at the supermarket- they are very keen to donate it as it goes in the bin otherwise.

Black Sharpie marker
Make the game
Write each letter of the alphabet, in lower case, onto the ball pit balls. Next write the digraphs ch, sh, th, wh, oa, ee, oo, oi, ng, ow, qu and ai.

If your child is fairly confident with their initial letter sounds then you could also go onto the next stage and add in some trigraphs. Such as igh, ear, air, ure, tch.

Write the corresponding sounds onto the fruit box packaging and then jumble all of the balls up in a large bowl or tray.
Ready to play!
Simply call out the sound you want your child to find and get them to identify it, SAY IT and then match it!

This first stage may seem super simple but it's critical as it helps consolidate recognition of the letter sound correspondences. If they find this enough of a challenge then leave the fame here and come back to practise it again the next day and so on until they can find, say and identify those sounds super quickly.

Equally, if your child is ONLY JUST starting out with phonics learning then limit this activity to just 3-6 sounds to begin with. Follow the programme your child's school is using. It will most likely begin with letter sounds SATPIN.

If you're eagle eyed you'll see that my daughter is at least two years younger in this picture. Yes, it really does sometimes take me that long (or longer!) to finally write up activities into blog posts! She's 7 now and I think she was 5 here 🙂
Word building phonics ball game!
For those children now confident recognising and saying their initial letter sounds and beginning to be confident in digraphs and maybe even some trigraphs, let's play WORD BUILDER GAME!

When your child or class is ready to start building words here is the next step. It's lots of fun and there are some variations you can make too.

Find an egg carton to become a holder for the balls (or get another fruit box and cut it into strips with 3 spaces.) Alternatively, use three shallow dishes or egg cups.

Cut some pieces of paper or card and write simple words using 3 sounds in each. A simple 3 sound word that is very easy for young children to decode, read and then write is called a CVC word. This stands for Consonant Vowel Consonant and you'll notice they form the bulk of early reader books for good reason.

Here's a simple list you could try making first, but they're very easy to think of yourself too.

cat, dog, pig, hen, bin, pen, top, tap, lid, dig, red, tug, hug, big, got, fig, log, bat, sat, mat, pin, map, tip, got, mum, dad.

Set out the cards alongside the balls and the container, then ask them to choose one, read the word and then create the word using the corresponding balls.

When they've mastered simple CVC words, try adding some new words which include digraphs and trigraphs.

Examples of these are: chair, flair, sigh, high, sure, bear, catch, watch, flight, church, this, hatch, ship, boat, soon, etc!

Make sure to ask them to look for the digraph/ trigraph sound on one ball, rather than to create it with separate sounds. Perhaps keep those combined sounds in a separate bowl to make them easier to pick out.

As with the simple CVC words, ask them to clearly sound out the word on the card first, then find each sound and create it in the right order in the stand.

The next step is fun and one my kids thought of themselves. It simply involved them thinking of words themselves and testing each other with them, writing their own words on cards for the others to complete. Kids love creating games for each other and trying to make it as hard as possible!

If you want a real challenge, remove the cards altogether and simply call out words for them to hear, say back to you and create,

Once the games are over, store the balls in a box (alongside the fruit boxes if enough space) and pull it out another day to practice again and reinforce the learning.

You can use the same phonics balls in the water tray to play an alphabet fishing game (like this) or in any kind of sand/ messy play tray just for hiding, finding and saying the sounds they're holding. Roll them across the classroom in phonics circle time and the one who catches it must say the sound they are holding. Pass a few around a circle in a drawstring bag and get each child to pull one out and say the sound they have. There are many ways to play with this one resource!

I hope you loved these phonics ball games and will share them with others!

You can find a HUGE selection of phonics, pre-writing, mark making, early writing, pre-reading, storytelling and early reading activities ALL in my PLAYFUL LITERACY archives here on the blog. Pin your favourites for future use!

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Phonics Ball Games - The Imagination Tree

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Make some interactive phonics ball games for preschoolers and young school learners with these easy DIY ideas! Perfect for those children who are beginning to learn their letter sounds and then use them to create small words.

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I know sensory activities can look intimidating...and messy

But sensory doesn't have to equal messy.

Kids can learn to play without making a giant mess, inside the rules of the activity, and keeping the sensory bin area (relatively) clean.

It just takes some good ol' fashioned firm, clear, and consistent boundaries.

Set yourself up for success and set your child up for success - a little pre-planning and extra thinking before starting a bin is paramount to it's success.

It's time to start your sensory bin journey!

Remember: sensory bins don't have to be messy.

Sensory bins don't have to cost an arm and a leg to set up.

Sensory bins don't need to be anything fancy.

It's all about providing your child with a bin that sparks their imagination and captures their attention. Have fun with it!

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Sensory Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers - Busy Toddler

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I know sensory activities can look intimidating...and messy But sensory doesn't have to equal messy. Kids can learn to play without making a giant mess, inside the rules of the activity, and keeping the sensory bin area (relatively) clean. It just takes some good ol' fashioned firm, clear, and consistent boundaries.

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This colourful rainbow sensory bin is made with ice balls!
The following post contains affiliate links, which means that at no extra cost to you I can make a tiny bit of money to help support this blog. Thank you!
To make the ice balls you'll need:

*You could use food dye instead but there is an increased chance of temporarily staining your child's skin.

Mix the water and paint until the desired color is reached. Carefully pour the water into the mold, using the mini funnel to avoid spills. After the ice balls have frozen, remove them from the mold and store in the freezer in separate bags or containers. Repeat until you have as many colors as you would like!

When we were ready to play, I placed them all into a large plastic container. They looked SUPER pretty in all their rainbow colours!

F loved how they looked and we ran through all the colors. He picked one up and it surprised him by being cold - he hadn't realized that they were made of ice!

As the ice balls started melting the color actually intensified. F asked for some tongs as I think his hands were getting cold after a while!

I really wanted to paint with an ice ball or two - but the paints were too diluted to make much of a mark on paper unfortunately. We left the ice balls to melt and checked back on them periodically. The melted ice looked beautiful when the colors ran in to one another!

Amazing Rainbow Ice Balls for sensory play! #sensory Click To Tweet

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Lots of fun to be had with these rainbow ice balls!!!

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This colourful rainbow sensory bin is made with ice balls! The following post contains affiliate links, which means that at no extra cost to you I can make a tiny bit of money to help support this blog. Thank you!

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Wintry Fun for Florida Toddlers | Winter sensory bin, Sensory games, Sensory bins

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Apr 19, 2013 - It’s been a busy 2 weeks in our classroom since we returned from Christmas break! Even though the thermometer has read 80 degrees most of the time, we’ve been learning all about winter! No, our toddlers couldn’t go out and play in the snow, but we did learn about the cold! Our playground is in the beating tropical sun,…

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Give your kids some Halloween themed fun with this easy and cool Halloween sensory bin.

The holiday season is the best time of year in our home!

Since we try to soak up every last second of this time of year, we love doing different Halloween activities and crafts.

And this Halloween sensory bin made from eyeball bouncy balls and colored spaghetti was a smashing hit at our house.

If your kids love Halloween and slimy, squishy fun, they'll love this activity too!

Read on below or check out the video to see all the fun in action.

Halloween Sensory Bin For Kids

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. You can read my full disclosure here.

Halloween Sensory Box Supplies

Colored Spaghetti & Eyeball Sensory Bin Directions

2. Drain spaghetti and rinse with cool water.

4. Mix the spaghetti and dye around in the bag until it's completely saturated. Let sit for 1-2 hours to get completely absorbed.

5. Rinse the spaghetti in cold water, then place in the activity tray with the eyeball bouncy balls.

6. Set out two small bowls (for sorting the eyeballs into colors), the scooper scissors, child scissors and any other tools for your child to explore their Halloween sensory bin.

This sensory bin is so much fun for kids.

I mean, even I wanted to play with the spaghetti a little too!

You can simply let your children have fun and explore on their own or you can throw in a little educational spin by asking them to sort the eyeballs by color into each of the small bowls.

To work on numbers, you can have them count the total number of eyeballs.

Also, if they're old enough to be working on addition you can have them add the green eyeballs and the blue eyeballs together to get the total number of eyeballs.

Any way you play with this Halloween sensory bin is bound to be loads of fun!

More Halloween Activities For Kids

More Fun Halloween Ideas

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Spaghetti & Eyeball Halloween Sensory Bin

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Give your kids some Halloween themed fun with this easy and cool Halloween sensory bin. The holiday season is the best time of year in our home! Since we try to soak up every last second of this time of year, we love doing different Halloween activities and crafts.

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This post contains affiliate links, if you click through them I will earn a commission. You can learn more here.

Have you ever heard of water beads? They are fun gel balls that expand in water and are often used in flower vases. They also make a fun sensory station for children who are no longer putting things in their mouth. In this post I show you a water beards sensory play activity. These are also commonly referred to as Orbeez.

Water Beads Sensory Bin
Please note that affiliate links are used in this post.
Disclaimer! Water beads are dangerous if swallowed. Adult supervision is required for this activity. If your child is still putting items in their mouth, skip this one or use one of the edible water bead recipes at the bottom of the post.

My kids love playing with sensory bins so I try my best to create new sensory bins each month for them to play with. This gives me some down time while it gives them exploration time.

How to create the water beads activity:

I showcased on my Instagram stories how I poured the water gems into my sensory bin. I then added water. For this bin I used about 1/4- 1/2 cup of dry beads.

These are the actual beads I used in this bin and I am really happy with the quality. I also have these fun giant ones too.

I then looked around my home for different tools to add inside. I already had many because we do a lot of sensory table ideas at home.

I used this plastic bin with these fine motor tools. These tools are so versatile and end up in almost all of my sensory tubs. I also love these colanders and use them often. I knew my daughter would want to do a lot of scooping, pouring, etc so with that in mind, I added plastic Easter eggs that I had at home and some plastic shovels.

My daughter really wanted to feel the beads with her feet.

They are so much to play with.

My kids ages 4, 9 and 11 all enjoyed the sensory bin and went back to it each day. I covered it using the lid and it still looked great five days later.

The water beads bin would also be great for when you are working on a color theme unit.

For some edible waterbeads check out the following posts. The water gems in the post below are taste safe:
Sensory Water Bags Edible Water Beads More Edible Water Beads

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This post contains affiliate links, if you click through them I will earn a commission. You can learn more here. Have you ever heard of water beads? They are fun gel balls that expand in water and are often used in flower vases.

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One of the first supplies I bought when I first started out doing activities with Miss Z was to buy pom poms. They are so versatile, they are small and easy to manipulate and toddlers love them!

Supplies

Set Up

This activity is really easy to set up. Dump all the pom poms you have into a sensory bin. The more the better! Let your little one just explore the bin. Depending on their age identity colours and sizes together. When they have had enough of that introduce the colour containers.

I love these stackable balls because the small hole on top is perfect for stuffing pom poms. Also they have different shades of the colours that older toddlers and preschoolers can recognize. They can start to sort the pom poms based on shades as well as colour. For young toddlers stick with only use a few colour bowls in different colours

WILL YOU TRY POM POM SENSORY BIN WITH YOUR LITTLE ONE? Pin it for later!

Purchase your supplies now on Amazon.com

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Pom Pom Sensory Bin & Colour Sorting - HAPPY TODDLER PLAYTIME

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One of the first supplies I bought when I first started out doing activities with Miss Z was to buy pom poms. They are so versatile, they are small and easy to manipulate and toddlers love them! This activity is really easy to set up.

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You could also do another bouncy ball sensory bin by adding pvc pipes and ramps to play with.

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Thank you for visiting. We have recently moved this page. Please <CLICK HERE> to view our most recent Fine Motor Play Ideas and Activities

Printable Dot to Dot Alphabet Letter Charts : The Dot-to-Dot Alphabet Letter Charts are a re-usable printable that can be used part of learning centres, small group activities or independently to learn the correct formation of writing alphabet letters. Read more...

Pipe Cleaner Maze: Exploring and playing with pipe cleaners and beads with the Styrofoam while exercising the fine motor muscles. Read more.....

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Thank you for visiting. We have recently moved this page. Please to view our most recent Fine Motor Play Ideas and Activities Printable Dot to Dot Alphabet Letter Charts : The Dot-to-Dot Alphabet Letter Charts are a re-usable printable that can be used part of learning centres, small group activities or independently to learn the correct formation of writing alphabet letters.

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Number Knock Down | Preschool math games, Preschool games, Soccer drills for kids

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Mar 19, 2014 - The boys and I have been housesitting for a relative this week, so we’ve been taking full advantage of having access to a yard to play in and a safe, child-friendly neighborhood to explore. We are apartment dwellers, so usually when we want to enjoy outdoor play, we have to pack up and head to...Read More »

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great ideas I love this patterning game with balls | Creative curriculum preschool, Creative curriculum, Study creative

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Mar 21, 2012 - great ideas I love this patterning game with balls

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What is it about a beach ball that just makes an ordinary day seem more fun? We don't know the answer to that, but if you try these beach ball games and activities in your classroom, you might just find out.
We've included links to a few Amazon products we think you'll love. We earn a small percentage of the purchase price when you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you.
1. Get to know your students with a beach ball icebreaker.

This beach ball game works for any age group. Write a variety of get-to-know-you questions on the ball. Toss it to someone; the catcher has to answer whichever question their right thumb is touching (or nearest to).

Learn more: Joy in the Journey

2. Throw out some sight words.

Cover a beach ball with sight words and lob it around the room. The catcher reads the sight words that their fingers are touching. Mix it up by asking them to use the words in a sentence or close their eyes and spell the word too. ( Get dozens more sight word activities here.)

Learn more: The Happy Teacher

3. Play beach ball games to strengthen gross motor skills.

Create a game board with a variety of actions kids can do with a beach ball-throw, bounce, balance on head, etc. Use a paper clip-and-pencil spinner or toss a marker onto the board to see which action each student will perform.

4. Bounce the ball off the wall.

Use sticky notes to put letters, numbers, or anything else you like on the wall. Practice letter or number recognition by calling one out and having a student throw the ball to hit the correct answer. Up the difficulty with math equations or use this for spelling practice.

Learn more: Modern Parents Messy Kids

5. Lanzar la bola, por favor.

Foreign language classes can play beach ball games too! Write a series of questions in the language students are learning, then pass the ball in the circle while you play music. When the music stops, the student holding the ball reads the question aloud and answers it. ¡Que te diviertas!

Learn more: Fun for Spanish Teachers/Instagram

6. Bowl them over with math skills practice.

Make a set of bowling pins from empty plastic bottles and number them one to 10. Set them up and let kids knock them down, using a beach ball as a bowling ball. Then, depending on their ages, have students call out the numbers, count how many bottles are left standing, or even add up the numbers of the pins they knocked down.

Learn more: Learn With Play at Home

7. Have a ball with rhyme time.

Write a simple word on each beach ball stripe, then toss or roll it to a student. They read the word facing up and say a word that rhymes with it (e.g., bee-tree).

Learn more: PreK, My Style

8. Build a paper tower to support the ball.

Here's a fun STEM challenge: Given only simple supplies, like paper and masking tape, can your students build a tower at least one foot high that supports their beach ball? They'll sure have fun trying!

Learn more: Completely Kindergarten

9. Learn music terms with beach ball games.

Use a beach ball toss game to give kids practice identifying music symbols or notes, instrument groups, solfege ... anything and everything musical! Get more ideas at the link below.

Learn more: The Modern Teacher

10. Make a DIY FitBall.

Physical activity can provide a brain break that actually helps kids re-focus on the learning at hand. Toss a DIY FitBall filled with physical exercises or yoga poses around the room. A student catches it and announces the activity closest to their right thumb. Then the whole class performs the exercise together.

Learn more: Making Healthier Decisions

11. Gauge their reading comprehension.

These cool balls come in a set of two, one for pre-reading and one for post-reading. You can make your own or buy the set at Amazon.

12. Use beach ball games to review for tests.

Line students up and give each a shot to throw the beach ball into the bucket. If they get it in, give them a chance to answer a review question to earn two points. If they miss, they can answer the question for one point. Play individually or in teams.

Learn more: Teaching With Jennifer Findlay

13. Paint a masterpiece using beach balls.

This one's a little messy, so be sure to use washable paint. Kids dip the beach ball into different colors and use it however they like to create process art. Tip: Beach balls are easier to hold with one hand if you slightly under-inflate them.

Learn more: What Can We Do With Paper and Glue?

14. Seek out the elements of art around you.

Use a beach ball to go on a scavenger hunt for elements of art and principles of design in the world around you. Learn more at the link.

Learn more: Teach Kids Art

15. Practice basic math facts ...

This is more fun than flash cards! Write a different equation on each dot, and have kids solve the one their thumb is touching. (If you can't find these polka-dot balls at your local store, get two big ones or a pack of 12 smaller ones on Amazon instead.)

Learn more: The Kindergarten Smorgasboard

16. ...or up the math difficulty for older students.

Older kids can get in on the fun too. Because these equations likely take a little more work to solve, have the student use a small whiteboard or go up to the big one to show their work.

Learn more: Little Room Under the Stairs

17. Get ready to do the beach ball boogie.

Here's another beach ball STEM challenge. Using basic materials, kids design a device to carry a beach ball in a relay race. Get the details at the link below.

Learn more: Feel-Good Teaching

18. Send home memories with an autograph beach ball.

This adorable and easy craft is a fun way to remember the school year and your classmates. Simply have each student sign their name on every ball with a permanent marker. Done! ( See more end-of-year activities for every grade here.)

Learn more: Simply Kinder

19. Look back on the great year you've had.

Try this beach ball game to go along with your autograph balls. Toss the ball and have each student follow the directions to share a memory about the school year.

Learn more: Staffroom Education/Twitter

20. Work on prefixes and suffixes.

Prefixes and suffixes can be tricky for little ones. Try beach ball games to help them review what they mean and how they're used. Learn more at the link below.

Learn more: Teaching With Simplicity

21. Brush up on conjunctions.

Roll or toss a beach ball to get practice using conjunctions in sentences. You can do this verbally or have kids write it out.

Learn more: The Dabbling Speechie

22. Talk about feelings and emotions.

Help kids learn to recognize and acknowledge emotions in themselves and others, a difficult skill for some. Have the student identify the emotion under their right hand, and give an example of a time they felt that way.

Learn more: Hope 4 Hurting Kids

23. Build your teamwork skills with beach ball games.

Challenge two students to carry a beach ball back to back down a course and drop it in a bucket. Hilarity will ensue!

Learn more: Kids R Us Out of School Clubs
Looking for more inexpensive teacher hacks? Hit the dollar store with these 100+ clever ideas! Plus, check out 12 of our favorite board game hacks for the classroom.

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23 Fun Beach Ball Games and Activities to Pep Up Your Classroom

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What is it about a beach ball that just makes an ordinary day seem more fun? We don't know the answer to that, but if you try these beach ball games and activities in your classroom, you might just find out. We've included links to a few Amazon products we think you'll love.

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This ping pong ball math game is a fun way to learn and play in the water table. It is an excellent preschool math activity for summer!

We have lots of balls around our house. We often use them to play learning games of all kinds. This ping pong ball alphabet game was a huge hit and we had tons of fun making words with bouncy balls and ball run. They are also perfect manipulatives for math games.

This math game was a fun and highly effective way to work on one to one correspondence, adding two numbers and counting. I also added in some fine motor practice to get the most learning out of this activity.

I thought it would be even more fun to bring the learning outside in the water table. Evan enjoyed all aspects of this activity. I was pleasantly surprised by how long he wanted to play this game. Because it is super simple to set up, we can play it again and again this summer!
Supplies Needed:

Ping pong balls (I got 8 packs at the dollar store)

Pair of foam dice (another dollar store find!)

Bucket or bowl to hold balls

Scoopers or tongs (affiliate)

1. Throw the ping pong balls in the water table and add the dice to the water too.

2. Put the bucket or bowl in the table or right next to it.

3. Put your scooper or tongs in the water table as well.

Playing the Ping Pong Ball Math Game

I instructed Evan to throw both dice into the water table. Then he counted the dots to add the numbers together. Once he added the numbers together, it was his task to collect that many ping pong balls and add them to the bucket.

He used our scooper tongs to grab each ball. We really love these because he holds them just like scissors and using them is a great way to exercise the small hand muscles needed to use scissors. He still needs a lot of practice with this, but it isn't always his favorite thing to do. However, he loves to use the scooper.

This was a fun and highly effective way to work on one to one correspondence, adding two numbers and counting.

This post is part of the Math Made Fun with Manipulatives Series over at School Time Snippets. Check out all of the other posts by clicking the link above!
Here are some related activities I think your kids will enjoy! Learn Numbers with Water Balloon Basketball Frog Pond Alphabet Activity Water Sprinkler Alphabet Hunt

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Ping Pong Ball Math Game in the Water Table

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This ping pong ball math game is a fun way to learn and play in the water table. It is an excellent preschool math activity for summer! We have lots of balls around our house. We often use them to play learning games of all kinds.

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When the weather is freezing - or rainy - or scorching and your kids are stuck inside they tend to get a little wild. At least mine do. Have you ever considered indoor ball games? Indoor ball play ideas are a great way of helping them burn off a little energy indoors!

Now I know what you're thinking.... "Ball games for kids to play indoors? No Way!" As a matter of fact, I'm pretty lenient about letting the boys engage in active activities indoors even though our apartment is tiny. I set a few ground rules ( my #1 rule is no fighting) and make sure they're not aiming at my expensive china.

Just joking. I don't have any expensive china.

Our favorite ball to use indoors is the ping pong ball. It is light weight so it won't break anything ( use common sense, please), yet it still has a high bounce factor. To get you through the winter I'm gathering up our favorite indoor ball games, as well as some I've gleaned from other specialists in indoor play. Most of the choices work for kids of all ages, including toddlers and preschoolers. (This post contains affiliate links)
Don't forget, you can CLICK on any of the orange links below to find out more!
Indoor Ball Toss / Launch / Throw Games:

Set up a carnival style game using a large cardboard box. You can cut openings in a large box, label them with point values and start a competition!

Simple ball-cup toss. Set up a group of paper cups or plastic containers. If you like, wrap a long piece of duct tape around them to prevent them from falling over.

Use a homemade catapult for target practice. You can make a simple catapult with a plastic spoon or by gluing a bottle cap to a piece of cardboard and balancing it on a paper roll. We originally used pom poms as ammunition, but the boys have switched over to - you guessed it - ping pong balls.

Set up a group of large boxes for a ball toss. Vary the size and height of the boxes for extra fun. Use balled up socks for extra safety. I love how Little Bins for Little Hands did this on the stairs!

Set up a snowball launcher like this one. ( via All for the Boys)

This sticky tape spider web game works perfectly with newspaper balls. ( via hands on : as we grow)

This cup crash game doubles as a learning activity. Your kids will know their sight words in no time. ( via Coffee Cups and Crayons)

Indoor paddle play. This is a classic idea I originally saw a few years ago at Toddler Approved. Make paddles out of paper plates and paint sticks or rulers. She used balloons, but my kids usually use ping pong balls.
Supply list for above games:
Table Top Indoor Ball Games:

Ping pong ball battle. The kids invented this indoor ball game on their own. Tape two cups on opposite ends of the table. Each player gets a ball and a straw. ( Yours truly is of the opinion that a sturdy pencil would work better, but I was out-voted so what do I know?) The object is to get your own ball into your cup while preventing the other player from doing the same. One word: chaos.

Paper football. My oldest son likes to toss around his plush football but my husband taught the boys how to play table top paper football and now they can't get enough of it. ( Instructions via Spoonful)
Supply list for above games:
Indoor Ball Games on the Floor:

For a super easy ball game on the floor, turn a box upside down, cut little windows along the bottom of one edge and roll balls through the openings. Assign point values to each opening and practice your math skills!

Set up a tape shape on the floor with some painter's tape for some directed bouncing. This is so easy, but you would be surprised at how entertaining it is.

Mama Smiles has instructions for how to play marbles, French style.

Play pool with golf balls and pencils; it can also be played on the table ( via All for the Boys)

Race ping pong balls along a floor maze by blowing through a straw. Genius. ( via Frugal Fun for Boys)

Set up a court for Indoor Foot Volleyball. Be sure to clear the area!

Counting croquet teaches math to the little ones. ( via Toddler Approved)

Indoor bowling. Set up a tower up paper cups, yogurt containers, a variety of plastic containers headed for the recycling. TIP: the cups or containers don't have to match or be in an exact formation for kids to have fun. Experiment! See indoor bowling in action at Powerful Mothering.
Supply list for above games:
I hope this list of indoor ball games encourages you to let your kids burn off some energy indoors with a little rowdy ball play. It's okay, it really is! However, if you still remain convinced that fun indoor ball games are not for you, there are plenty of low key ideas on our giant list of indoor activities.
More awesome indoor games:

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When the weather is freezing - or rainy - or scorching and your kids are stuck inside they tend to get a little wild. At least mine do. Have you ever considered indoor ball games? Indoor ball play ideas are a great way of helping them burn off a little energy indoors!

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We had a lot of snow last year in northern Virginia allowing for some snowy fun outdoors, but if you live in a snow-free area (like we do now in southern California), use cotton balls to learn and create with these cotton ball snowball math and art activities for some fun, indoor learning. My then 3-year old and 6-year old completed these and had a great time (and a full morning) of creating and learning.

These cotton ball snowball math and art activities are simple enough that I could feed the twins while my daughter and son worked on them. Once you explain these activities, your children can work while you get something around the house completed!

The first activity was a counting one for my 3 year old. I wanted to reinforce one-to-one correspondence, number recognition and number value. I started with a piece of construction paper and drew a small chart on the paper to create sections. In each section I wrote one number and drew a circle to correspond to that number symbol's value, so there are three circles in the section with #3, for example:

After explaining that we were going to pretend that the cotton balls were snow balls, I presented this paper to my daughter, counted with her as I pointed to each number symbol and told her that she could glue a snow ball onto each circle to show how many each number represented. "See, there is one circle for "1", there are two circles for "2", and so on.I did have to show her how much glue to use so that she had the information to try it herself-just giving her a glue bottle with no guidelines could have been disastrous! (This then becomes an exercise in gluing too.) This is her finished work:

When she was finished, we counted each amount together. Sometimes with toddlers, just completing a project is success whether the concepts taught were really learned or just explored!

My Kindergartner wanted to participate too, but I needed to adjust the project for his level. I created an addition practice sheet for him. I simply drew lines on a piece of construction paper to divide the paper into four sections. In the first (top left) section I simply wrote '6'. In the other sections I wrote one addition fact that equaled '6' (a different one in each section). I wanted to test if he would notice that all the facts added up to the same result. He used the cotton ball snowballs as his math manipulative and worked through each fact. Here is his completed paper:

After these structured learning activities, we needed to do something creative, so using the cotton balls again, I encouraged my son to make a winter scene. I picked up the snowflake stickers from the dollar aisle at Target and already had glitter glue. (You can find similar snowflake stickers at Amazon.)

All I said to him was, "You can use the cotton balls as snowballs and make a winter picture." He designed the rest. I did have to help him make the snowman's face with the glitter glue. It was a cute piece of art that blended creativity with fine motor skills. (I think my kids were on a snowman kick, because we ended up reading Snowmen At Night about 25 times over the month!)

I hope these simple cotton ball snowball math and art activities can keep cabin fever away on these cold, winter days. You can find even more wintry fun and learning in this post or visit my Winter board on Pinterest.
What activities have been popular in your house this winter? Any with cotton balls?
Enjoy your time at home!

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Cotton Ball Snowball Math and Art Activities for Kids | The Stay-at-Home-Mom Survival Guide

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We had a lot of snow last year in northern Virginia allowing for some snowy fun outdoors, but if you live in a snow-free area (like we do now in southern California), use cotton balls to learn and create with these cotton ball snowball math and art activities for some fun, indoor learning.

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It's the Spring Break season and so many people are taking trips to distant destinations. That's what makes this airplane and cloud math activity perfect for young learners. It combines learning with things that interest a lot of children.

Counting Clouds Activity Mat

Print the Counting Clouds Activity Mat printable. (Printing in "high quality" is suggested so that the colors are vibrant.)

Laminate, if desired. This will ensure the activity mat can be used by multiple children or even annually during certain thematic units.

Cut out the cloud number cards.

Prepare an invitation to learn for children by setting up the activity on a tray or cookie sheet. I've found this to be an excellent way to encourage young learners to become interested in an activity. Cookie sheets can assist in keeping activity pieces together in one place. (You can find affordable cookie sheets at your local dollar store.) Set the scene further by placing some plastic airplanes around the trays.

This activity teaches young learners one-to-one correspondence, which is the ability to assign one number to each individual item. With this skill, children understand that each number represents a corresponding number of items.

To introduce this activity, you can encourage children to draw a number card and place the corresponding number of clouds in the sky. Once completed, the "clouds" can be counted to ensure accuracy.

You can supplement this activity with books about clouds and airplanes for kids.

There are many fun books that can be used to supplement this activity. Here are some of our favorites:

There are also several other activities that can be done to expand on this one. Some of them are:

Let children create their own cloud book like this one.

Lay on a blanket and watch the shapes the clouds create.

Click the link below to download

Follow Crayon Freckles on to get post previews and hear about other great activities! You can also follow Crayon Freckles on , . Instagram, and

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Cloud Airplane Learning Activities for Preschoolers

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It's the Spring Break season and so many people are taking trips to distant destinations. That's what makes this airplane and cloud math activity perfect for young learners. It combines learning with things that interest a lot of children. Counting Clouds Activity Mat Print the Counting Clouds Activity Mat printable.

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Rainbow Playdough Ball Ten Frames | Counting 1-20 Math Activity | Counting activities preschool, Math activities preschool, Numbers preschool

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Feb 26, 2019 - Rainbow Playdough Ball Ten Frames Counting 0-20 math center activity. Preschool and Kindergarten students practice counting, numbers, and number recognition 0-20 using playdough and the ten frame printable. These easy prep cards will fit perfectly with St. Patrick's Day! Great for math centers, morning work tubs, busy bins, tot school, homeschool, and Montessori!

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Goal Ball Machine. Residents write a goal on a ball and place it in the machine. I used tacks… | College bulletin boards, Work bulletin boards, Goals bulletin board

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Apr 23, 2014 - Goal Ball Machine. Residents write a goal on a ball and place it in the machine. I used tacks for the balls so I can easily remove any inappropriate ones. Bulletin boards, Resident Advisor, Resident Assistant, ResLife, Residence Life

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Balls with children doing these activities on a board

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Balls with children doing these activities on a board

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Let’s Play | Zelfgemaakte spelletjes, Activiteiten, Buitenspelletjes

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14-jun-2012 - Vous ne savez pas quoi faire de vos petits mimis un jour de pluie, hophop une balle, un bâton, de la ficelle et c’est parti pour une bonne rigolade. It’s raining outside, you don’…

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balls and large tubes for block center | Preschool activities, Blocks preschool, Block center preschool

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Nov 9, 2014 - This Pin was discovered by Tami Sanders / PreK Teacher+Te. Discover (and save!) your own Pins on Pinterest

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Ball study activities

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A ball theme can be a fun exploration for preschoolers. Or perhaps you want to include balls in your ocean and beach theme. These books will enhance your classroom library and encourage preschoolers to extend their learning and build their vocabulary and literacy skills. Find these books at your local library or shop online for used books to keep your costs down.

Ball Theme Books

A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka
In this wordless book, a dog named Daisy has a red ball that she loved to play with. But at the park something happens to her favorite toy. What will Daisy do now? (Your preschoolers can create the story that goes with these pictures.)

Yellow Ball by Molly Bang
Simple text with large simple pictures tell the story of a ball that floats away from shore but eventually ends up home again.

Bounce by Doreen Cronin
A book all about bouncing - both balls and your bodies.

Hit the Ball, Duck by Jez Alborough
Duck and his friends play baseball. Duck hits the baseball high into a tree. Now it's stuck. How can they get it down?

The Bouncing Ball by Deborah Kelly
A bouncing ball travels down the street and a great many other places.

How Far Will it Bounce? by DC Swain
A ball bounces out of the house and down the street. The rhyming text follows the ball's bouncing journey.

ABCs of Balls by Nina Snyder
This alphabet book explores all kinds of balls.

Ball by John Hutton
Simple text naming different kinds of balls (with various kinds of adjectives-shiny, small, and so forth).

Round Like a Ball by Lisa Campbell Ernst
This book is a riddle, giving clues throughout, for kids to discover the answer at the end.

Preschool Ball Theme Books

Little Football by Brad Herzog
Preschoolers can learn more about the sport of football with these simple rhymes and illustrations.

Little Basketball by Brad Herzog
Simple rhyming riddles introduce equipment and vocabulary associated with basketball.

Little Soccer by Brad Herzog
Introduce soccer vocabulary and related equipment to preschoolers with this book of short riddles.

Little Baseball by Brad Herzog
Short poems lead preschoolers to name different items and words related to baseball.

Ball by Mary Sullivan
A dog's joy, disappointment, and obsession related to chasing a ball.

Books That Drive Kids CRAZY!: This Is a Ball by Beck Stanton and Matt Stanton
The text says one thing but the picture shows another. This book can be a fun interactive experience with preschoolers.

Balls by Melanie Davis Jones
Explore all kinds of balls and how they are used.

The Story of Red Rubber Ball by Constance Kling Levy and Hiroe Nakata
A red rubber ball lies in the garden. What will happen to it?

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Ball Theme Books for Preschool - Pre-K Pages

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A ball theme can be a fun exploration for preschoolers. Or perhaps you want to include balls in your ocean and beach theme. These books will enhance your classroom library and encourage preschoolers to extend their learning and build their vocabulary and literacy skills.

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ball study activities for preschoolers - Google Search

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gross motor skills creative curriculum sports books teaching strategies ocean soccer lesson plans kindergarten fine motor

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ball study activities for preschoolers - Google Search

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gross motor skills creative curriculum sports books teaching strategies ocean soccer lesson plans kindergarten fine motor

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Balls Study Worksheets & Teaching Resources | Teachers Pay Teachers

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Browse balls study resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, a marketplace trusted by millions of teachers for original educational resources.

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Add different sensory balls into the book center

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Add different sensory balls into the book center

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Sep 5, 2012 - The balls at storytime bounce up and down, Up and down, up and down… The balls at storytime bounce up and down all through the day Other verses: The balls at storytime bounce way up high… The balls at storytime bounce way down low… The balls at storytime bounce all around…

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ONE SONG + ONE BALL = FUN AND LEARNING! | Preschool music, Kindergarten music, Gross motor activities

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Aug 2, 2015 - Introducing the Great Big Ball to the class. Hi from Miss Carole at Macaroni Soup: Active Music for Kids! In 24 years of t...

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Ball Song for Children | Learn Color Song for Kids and Toddlers

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Sports Balls Song for Kids | Pancake Manor

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Itty Bitty Rhyme: I'm Bouncing | Classroom songs, Preschool songs, Creative curriculum preschool

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Oct 1, 2013 - This Pin was discovered by Brownsburg Public Library. Discover (and save!) your own Pins on Pinterest

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Preschool Fingerplays

Fingerplays are a great way to introduce preschoolers to some simple poetry. They add motion to songs and short poems and help young children develop both their fine and gross motor skills. Learning short verses also helps develop children's language and literacy skills as they learn about the rhyme and rhythm of language. These simple sports themed preschool songs and fingerplays are a fun addition class.

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Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Preschoolers will have a blast singing and acting out this classic baseball song. It's a great song to sing when your little ones need to move around and burn off a little energy!
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Take me out to the ballgame. (Pretend to be swinging a baseball bat.)

Take me out with the crowd.

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks. (Use one hand to motion like you are popping a piece of popcorn into your mouth.)

I don't care if I never get back. (Shake your head back and forth like you are saying no.)

Oh it's root, root, root for the home team. (Pump your fist three times like you are cheering.)

If they don't win it's a shame. (Hold both hands out with the palms facing up.)

For it's 1, 2, 3 strikes - you're out (Count to three on your fingers and then point out to the side like a baseball umpire.)

at the old, ball game!

Three Little Balls

This fingerplay not only fits into a sports theme, it lets your preschoolers practice counting. Bring in three different sized balls and practice putting them in order from smallest to largest and largest to smallest to help students practice comparing and ordering things of different sizes.

Here's a little ball. (Make a small with your thumb and index finger.)

And here's a bigger ball. (Make a bigger ball using both thumbs and both index fingers.)

And a great big ball, I see. (Make a ball by holding your arms up over your head and touching your fingers together.)

Shall we count them?

Are you ready?

One, two, three! (Count to three with your fingers.)

More Fingerplays

Here are a few more preschool fingerplays about specific sports. They can all be sung to the tune of "Frère Jacques."
Baseball Player
Baseball player, baseball player

Swing the bat, hit the ball (Pretend to swing a baseball bat.)

Run around the bases, run around the bases (Pretend to be running.)

Homerun, homerun
Football Player
Football player, football player

Throw the ball, (Hold one hand back like you are going to throw a football.)

catch the pass. (Pull both hands to chest as if catching a football)

Run and don't get tackled, run and don't get tackled. (Pretend to run.)

Touchdown, touchdown (Hold both arms straight up to signal a touchdown.)
Basketball Player
Basketball player, basketball player

Dribble the ball,

down the court (Pretend to be bouncing a basketball.)

Stop and shoot a basket, stop and shoot a basket. (Pretend to shoot a basketball.)

Two points, two points. (Hold up two fingers.)

Add a few of these preschool songs and fingerplays to your circle time to make your sports theme a winner!

Image by lisa runnels from Pixabay

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Sports Themed Preschool Songs and Fingerplays

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Fingerplays are a great way to introduce preschoolers to some simple poetry. They add motion to songs and short poems and help young children develop both their fine and gross motor skills. Learning short verses also helps develop children's language and literacy skills as they learn about the rhyme and rhythm of language.

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Air with paper towel tubes to see which ball floats the highest