# data[].attributes.headline
Coughing, Sneezing, & Runny Noses Activity

# data[].attributes.subject
Coughing, Sneezing, & Runny Noses Activity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
PHW03 - Coughing, Sneezing _ Runny Noses - Activity.pdf

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
SE02 - Expressing Feelings - Activity.pdf

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A free Printable 30-day LEGO challenge calendar to use anytime during the year. Print it out, hang it up, and give it to your kids. Feel inspired and take your LEGO building time in a new direction. I have written out 31 Days of fun LEGO challenge ideas using bricks you already have. Hopefully, it will get you thinking of new ways to use those special pieces that don't see much action. We love kids' LEGO activities!

Fun LEGO Challenges

For our printable LEGO challenges calendar, I wanted to develop a few unique ideas to add to some classic LEGO building challenges. If you take a closer look, I have tried to add an extra element wherever possible such as attaching a marker to a car for drawing. This takes a classic Build a Car LEGO challenge and adds a cool new twist.

30 Days of LEGO building fun!

We have made a few other printable LEGO challenges, including our LEGO Math Challenge Cards and our LEGO Travel Kit and Challenge Cards.

Get the LEGO challenge calendar for great activities to keep the kids busy after school, on camp, during school vacation, or when they are stuck inside!

Although these LEGO challenge ideas provide a bit of structure, there is tons of room for creativity, imagination, and design for your kids. It makes a great boredom buster for screen-free fun!

If you want to learn more about building your LEGO collection on the inexpensive side or more about , we can help with that too!

LEGO Challenges

We try not to use many fancy pieces if at all, so anyone can have a go at these LEGO ideas at home.

Discovering how to use the LEGO pieces you already have to make something cool is a great skill for kids to learn early on. You don't always need more of something. Instead, you need to use your imagination and work with what you already have!

Click the links below for inspiration or directions to build some of our coolest LEGO challenges. Remember, our pictures are just a guide to get you started with the pieces you have available.

A fun and easy way to explore physics, a LEGO catapult can provide hands-on learning for potential energy, kinetic energy, and more! Start with a safe internet search to check out different types of catapults or trebuchets!

Time to see Newton's 3 Laws of Motion in action with a LEGO balloon car! This is always a blast, no pun intended!

Gravity makes thing go! Kids of all ages will love this cool LEGO zip line challenge. It's up to you whether you grab a simple pulley to add or not!

What do you get when you combine baking soda and vinegar with LEGO? A cool chemistry project for kids that's what! Take this LEGO volcano outside or place it in a plastic tub inside.

Classc fun with a DIY LEGO marble run! All you need is a baseplate, a pile of bricks and pieces, and a marble to get started. You can make it as simple or complicated as you like!

LEGO Ice Melt Rescue

Help! Yo need to rescue the LEGO man from ice! Combine states of matter with LEGO fun with this LEGO ice melt activity

Learn about this fun paper football game and design your own goal standard to play with a friend! Fun rainy day activity.

Design and build mini LEGO robots as part of our LEGO screen-free coding activities! You can also grab these free LEGO robot coloring pages!

Combine art and LEGO with this fun process art technique to create an unique cityscape!

Famous artist, Piet Mondrian, was known for his bright primary colors (black and white too) as well as his bold geometric designs. This simple LEGO mondrian art project is perfect inspiration!

Get sorting to create a LEGO mosaic and learn about the monochromatic color scheme with this LEGO STEAM project!

Build yourself in LEGO with a brick built LEGO self portrait challenge! If you love creating unique self portraits, here are a few more portrait activities to try.

More Cool LEGO Ideas

Printable LEGO Challenge Cards

Theme LEGO challenge cards are the perfect way to breathe new life into your building challenges for each season and holiday.

Our Ultimate Brick Building Challenge Bundle makes printing LEGO challenges and activities easy! Plus, you get access to a whole bunch of fun extras!

Click on the image below or on the link for more awesome LEGO activities for kids.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Printable LEGO Challenges For Kids - Little Bins for Little Hands

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Want some great new LEGO building ideas for your kids or family? We have a 31 Day LEGO challenge calendar for screen free fun.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Free printable colouring pages for kids. Get ready to have some colouring fun with Crayola's free printable colouring pages. Browse our wide selection of free colouring pages categories -seasonal, holidays, science, math and of course all your favourite character colouring pages.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Every walk is an opportunity for children to learn about the natural world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Virtual field trips are a game changer. Not only do they fill in for real field trips when budgets and other roadblocks prevent in-person options, but virtual field trips also open doors to educational experiences all over the country and the world, both past and present. No fundraising or permission slips required!

(Note: For anyone who needs it, YouTube offers a closed-captioning option. Just click the CC button in the bottom right-hand corner.)

Amazon Career Tours are free virtual field trips that inspire students to pursue careers of the future. Tour whenever, wherever on Kahoot! Each tour comes with a Teacher Toolkit that includes a facilitation guide and student worksheets.

2. The Zoo

There are so many amazing online options when it comes to zoos that we couldn't narrow it down to just one. Most zoos have live webcams in some of their most popular exhibits, such as the KC Zoo Polar Bear Cam and the Giant Panda Cam at Smithsonian's National Zoo. However, some zoos offer a more in-depth look. You'll definitely want to check out the San Diego Zoo as their site for kids includes behind-the-scenes videos and stories, as well as a variety of printable activities and online games. Check out our full list of virtual zoo goodness.

3. The Aquarium

It's a similar story with aquariums. You have your pick of live webcams, but our favorites are the Georgia Aquarium's Ocean Voyager webcam (wait for the whale shark!) and the "Jelly Cam" at Monterey Bay Aquarium (so soothing). The Seattle Aquarium even has a 30-minute video tour. Want more under-the-sea fun? Here's our ultimate list of virtual aquarium field trips.

4. The Farm

The classic preschool field trip goes online! You can have your pick of dairy farm field trips, but we like this one from the Dairy Alliance and this one from Stonyfield Organic. Farm Food 360 gives students the opportunity to immerse themselves in Canadian farm and food tours-from raising pigs to making milk and cheese. We're also loving these virtual egg farm field trips from the American Egg Board.

[contextly_auto_sidebar]

5. An Art Museum

We found 20 art museums with virtual tours, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art's # MetKids and its awesome Where's Waldo? setup. And you can't miss the world-famous Louvre in Paris (no passport needed!). Check out the current virtual tours: Traveling Materials and Objects, the Advent of the Artist, the Body in Movement, and Founding Myths: From Hercules to Darth Vader!

6. A National Park

From webcams at Hawaii volcanoes to a virtual run along the rim of the Grand Canyon, you have tons of options here. Our top pick would have to be Yellowstone. The interactive maps are a great way to see the Mammoth Hot Springs and Mud Volcano, but we think kids will be psyched about the Old Faithful Geyser livestream and the opportunity to make their own predictions for its next eruption. Check out everything the National Park Service has to offer virtually.

7. A Planetarium

Through Stellarium Web, kids can explore over 60,000 stars, locate planets, and watch sunrises and solar eclipses. If you enter your location, you can see all the constellations that are visible in the night sky in your corner of the world.

Take your students on a virtual field trip of a recycling center and a modern landfill. Plus, there's a full-on curriculum that includes lesson plans, take-home handouts, and more.

Nickelodeon teamed up with two astronauts on the International Space Station to demonstrate how slime reacts to microgravity and had kids reproduce those same demonstrations back here on Earth. It makes for an amazing 15-minute virtual field trip.

The Nature Conservancy has a brand-new virtual field trip entitled "You're the Scientist! Citizen Science, Frogs & Cicadas." Check out their full library of videos on topics like climate change and water security.

Discovery Education hosts a variety of virtual events -each with a companion guide with hands-on learning activities. Current offerings include "Making a New Life: The Courage of a Refugee" and "The Future Is Now" (architectural and engineering innovations). Stay tuned for their upcoming civics virtual field trip, "The American Ideal."

This virtual field trip from Great Lakes Now has three components: coastal wetlands, algae, and lake sturgeon. Each video is a quick five minutes long.

Explore online exhibits and discover the history and evolution of play. Check out board games that changed play, sports video games that shaped digital play, and the making of Monopoly to name a few.

Kids can learn about the most recent Census and how census data is collected and used. This virtual field trip also features interviews with subject matter experts and an interactive challenge.

The "Museum of We the People," the Constitution Center serves as a "headquarters for civic education." Check out the Interactive Constitution section, and be sure to watch the virtual tour.

Houston, we have a virtual field trip. Three, actually. All with companion educator guides. The star of the show is the behind-the-scenes tour of the Johnson Space Center.

Boise State put together this fully interactive virtual field trip with text, photos, audio, and video about the history of music. The four featured music locations are: Vienna, Austria; New Orleans, Louisiana; Cleveland, Ohio; and Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia.

This living-history museum provides a look into life in an early American community. The website offers five different webcams featuring areas such as the tavern and the armory.

This virtual experience of George Washington's home is incredibly well done. Enter the different buildings-from the opulent mansion to the chilling slave quarters-and click on different items for video and text explanations.

This virtual tour comes with a real tour guide! Blaine Kortemeyer is the Assistant Chief of Interpretation and Education, who lends his expertise on the building of this national monument. The 3D Explorer is also an excellent tool.

Take a visit to the National WWII Museum for "a cross-country virtual expedition to discover the science, sites, and stories of the creation of the atomic bomb." Don't forget to download the classroom guide!

For a look inside the iconic building, check out the 360° tour of some of the most historic rooms of the People's House, from the Situation Room to the Oval Office. Examine each room and check out the contents up close.

The National Museum of Natural History's virtual experiences are self-guided, room-by-room tours of permanent, current, and past exhibits. Be sure to send kids to the second floor Bone Hall so they can take a look at all different kinds of skeletons.

A collaboration with over 1,200 leading museums and archives, Google Arts & Culture is an incredible storehouse of monumental works of art. We recommend the Street View and Play sections.

Boasting the world's largest collection of 360° image videos, 360 Cities provides kids with the opportunity to see stunning panoramas across the globe, including their video of the ice floe on the Vistula River in Poland.

It's the official residence of the Queen of England, and boy, is it opulent! Get a peek inside the gorgeous Grand Staircase, White Drawing Room, Throne Room, and Blue Drawing Room.

See one of the wonders of the world with this amazing, thousands-year-old fortification system known the world over. This virtual tour has four scenes available (you have to pay to get access to all 14). The bird's-eye view of Mutianyu pass is a highlight.

Most of us recognize the giant stone statues of Easter Island, but what's the story behind them? Nova's online adventure "Secrets of Easter Island" delves into the mystery with a virtual tour.

National Geographic lets you explore the world's largest cave, located in Vietnam. Use the interactive map to enjoy the fully immersive experience (sound on!).

You don't need a time machine! Discovering Ancient Egypt has a ton of free resources, but it's the interactive pyramid map and 3D temple reconstructions that really give it a field trip feel.

Virtually visit Turn Back the Clock, a museum exhibit that ran for two years at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. Through compelling personal stories, innovative interactive media, and pop culture artifacts, the exhibit takes guests through seven decades of history-from the dawn of the nuclear age to significant policy questions our leaders face today.

No, really! You can absolutely "go" to the red planet. With Access Mars, you can see the actual surface of Mars, recorded by NASA's Curiosity rover. Trust us-don't skip the intro. And if your kids liked that, check out this 4K tour of the moon. These may go down in history as some of the best virtual field trips your students get to experience.

Take a virtual tour of this historical battleship located on the Camden waterfront. This battleship has traveled more miles than any other!

No need to travel to Rome! Take in the amazing art and architecture located in the Vatican Museums with these 360-degree views.

Download the app and climb aboard the virtual tram line! Take a virtual walk through the Space Center Houston with informational stops along the way.

Virtually visit museum rooms in the famous Louvre located in Paris. Even check out The Louvre kids' site for student-friendly galleries and stories. You can't visit The Louvre without seeing the Mona Lisa, so check out their immersive Mona Lisa experience available in the app store.

This interactive tour of Ellis Island lets students explore places like the Baggage Room and the Stairs of Separation through short stories, historical photographs, videos, and audio clips. Students can also hear the stories of real kids who recently immigrated to the United States, explore colorful charts and graphs with immigration data, and watch a 30-minute movie that includes a Q&A with National Park Service Rangers who explain what coming to America was like for many immigrants.

38. Plimoth Patuxet Museums

Travel back to the 17th century with options for free, on-demand, digital resources or a live, 1-hour virtual school program led by a Plimoth Patuxet Contemporary Indigenous Museum Educator. Students explore Wampanoag daily life and history; discover the real history of Thanksgiving and the legend behind it; meet a 17th-century Pilgrim; get an interactive sneak peak into 17th-century wardrobes; and learn about simple machines and water power at the Plimoth Grist Mill. There are also options for virtual hands-on history workshops, including Wampanoag Pottery and Write Like a Pilgrim.

When you can't visit the museum in person, 3D virtual field trips to the Children's Museum Houston are the next best thing. All videos are produced and curated by museum educators and feature hands-on activities that can be done in the classroom. Topics include nutrition, math, states of matter, forces and properties of water, and more.

Beyond the Battle Field is a virtual field trip for grades 2-8 hosted by Lauren Tarshis, author of the I Survived historical-fiction series for kids. Students will meet a museum educator as well as the museum curator, and explore artifacts and documents from the American Revolution. Plus they'll hear the stories of teens who served during the war. There's also a Classroom Kit available with a vocabulary list and discussion questions by grade level.

If you liked this roundup of the best virtual field trips and want more resources like this, be sure to subscribe to our newsletters.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
40 Amazing Educational Virtual Field Trips

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You can't always get there in person, but lots of places will let you "visit" online. These are the best virtual field trips out there!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
with friends and family. Coloring Nature is for children adults. We have more than Have fun coloring! 700 FREE printable coloring pages with new pages added weekly. Our coloring categories include serious science: biomes, anatomy, animals, plants and more, plus some pure whimsy - just for fun. Now that you've found us, please

Please Note: These coloring pages are free to print and color, however, they are copyrighted illustrations and may not be altered or used in other publications without written permission from the publisher. To use any illustrations for commercial product development, see our licensing information or email us at: info@coloringnature.org.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Coloring Nature - Free Printable Coloring Pages

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
with friends and family. Coloring Nature is for children adults. We have more than Have fun coloring! 700 FREE printable coloring pages with new pages added weekly. Our coloring categories include serious science: biomes, anatomy, animals, plants and more, plus some pure whimsy - just for fun.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Visit DLTK's Animals for Crafts and Printables for all sorts of animals

Visit KidZone Animals for Fun Facts, Photos and Activities about all sorts of Animals
Animal Coloring Pages by National Geographic for Kids
Coloring pages are fun for children of all ages and are a great educational tool that helps children develop fine motor skills, creativity and color recognition!

BENEFITS OF COLORING PAGES:

1. Self expression

2. Color recognition

3. Therapy

4. Building motor skills

5. Focus

SOME TIPS FOR PRINTING THESE COLORING PAGES:

To print the coloring page:

1) If you have JavaScript enabled you can click the [Print] link in the top half of the page and it will automatically print the coloring page only and ignore the advertising and navigation at the top of the page.

2) Click on the coloring page image in the bottom half of the screen to make that frame active. Then click the print button in your browser to print the active frame.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Visit DLTK's Animals for Crafts and Printables for all sorts of animals Visit KidZone Animals for Fun Facts, Photos and Activities about all sorts of Animals Animal Coloring Pages by National Geographic for Kids Coloring pages are fun for children of all ages and are a great educational tool that helps children develop fine motor skills, creativity and color recognition!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Leaf People Lesson Plan: Recycling for Kids - Art on a Shoestring (Making art from recycled materials)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Students and kids can make people out of leaves and twigs they find in the yard.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Emotion Wheel: What It Is and How to Use It

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Plutchik's "Wheel of Emotions" covers 8 fundamental emotions. We take a look at joy, sadness, acceptance, & other emotion wheel feelings.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Play educational games, watch videos, and create art with Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, Big Bird, and more of your favorite muppets!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sesame Street: Elmo Teaches Abby How to Blow Bubbles

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ready for some simple preschool science? This week as part of our Poppins Book Nook, a virtual book club for kids, we decided to take our "To The Laboratory" theme and do some simple preschool science experiments with force and motion. This is a simple way to introduce physics to preschoolers and all you need is a kid, a ramp, and toy cars!

Preschool Science: Learn Physics with Cars & Ramps
Post contains affiliate links for your convenience, see disclosure for more info.
For this month's virtual book club we decided on the book Move It!: Motion, Forces and You by Adrienne Mason and then did some experimenting with force on cars to extend our reading. It's a great book that talks about how we can create motion and force in simple ways! It's an easy to understand preschool science book and my girls really enjoyed it.

Ready to get learning about force with cars and ramps?
Materials:

Similar & different size/weight cars (we used matchbox cars and wooden cars)

Ramps (blocks, cardboard tubes, cardboard packaging, rain gutters...)

We recently got a new washer so I pulled some of the cardboard packaging out to use as ramps and grabbed a few cars from our toy bin. We then used these to experiment with force, motion, & gravity. I set the ramp up using a table in our playroom and then girls pushed the cars down with different amounts of force.

At first we only gave them a little push, a small amount of force, to send them down the ramp. Then we talked about how far they went and what would happen if we added more force when we pushed them? After we guessed what would happen they went back and tried it with a bit more force to test if their predictions were correct.

The girls also tested larger and heavier cars. They made observations about what the same amount of force on a larger car would result in. They were excited to discovered that the lightweight cars went farther with a small push. That the heavier cars that needed a bigger push to go the same distance. It took a few tests to understand the concept but soon they were 'racing' two cars and correctly predicting which one would go further or how much force they wold need to make one win vs the other one.

With older kids you can use this to introduce different types of force such as gravity, tension, friction, spring and more. For my younger kids this simple preschool science activity was a great way to begin talking about motion and applied force. Plus it's just so much fun for them!

Share your easy preschool science activities with us below!

Looking for more crafts and activities? Check out our index for 100+ plus kids activities! Find activities by theme, materials, skills, age and much more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Preschool Science: Learning About Force with Cars & Ramps

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ready for some simple preschool science? This week as part of our Poppins Book Nook , a virtual book club for kids, we decided to take our "To The Laboratory" theme and do some simple preschool science experiments with force and motion.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
All of us are aware that kids need a routine to provide structure and discipline in their lives. When we were younger, most of us were told to go to bed at a certain time, wake up at a certain time, do our homework after school, eat dinner at a regular hour, shower, even play with our friends at a specific time. But what about adults? Many grownups do not have a set daily routine and 'wing' their day. They have no idea what they are going to do when they wake up each morning because they have not thought about creating a schedule to adhere to. As a result, many people feel like they are stressed, anxious, overwhelmed and falling short of their goals and true potential. The answer lies in carefully designing a routine that works best for each of us, one which helps us be productive, in control, and be the best person we can possibly be.

I used to view having a routine as being boring, rigid, and stifling, and I know that many people share this view. They live their lives in a capricious and whimsical manner, believing that it frees them somehow. On the contrary, I have learned that designing and adhering to a personal daily routine is the path to freedom, productivity, happiness, and fulfilling our true potential. Here is why all of us would be better off with a set routine:

3. Creates Structure in Our Lives
A daily routine provides structure and a logical sequence in our lives. It provides the framework within which we live our lives and conduct our daily activities. Soon we become familiar and comfortable with what we have to do each day. It allows us to experience a flow to our day.

4. Saves Time, Our Most Valuable Resource
Time is the most precious asset at our disposal because, once lost, it is non-retrievable. By following a routine, we free up time that would otherwise be spent on planning, decision-making and preparation. Our routine has predetermined our schedule, allowing us to use our time efficiently.

7. Helps Us Become More Proficient
When you have a routine, you start to become better at doing certain things because you do it regularly. That is one of the keys to mastering any skill. Think about something you are skillful at. More likely than not, you developed your skill because you have performed the task over and over again. Practice makes perfect!

10. Reduces the Need for Determination and Willpower
When we brush our teeth in the morning, it does not require a lot of determination or willpower because most of us have made it a daily ritual. We hardly think about having to brush our teeth; we simply do it. The same holds true for other tasks when we follow a routine. It simply becomes, well, 'routine'!

11. Reduces Procrastination
When a set of tasks and activities become routine, it reduces the chance that we will procrastinate doing them. It becomes ingrained into our system and we almost do it subconsciously. For example, I do a few minutes of yoga every morning when I wake up. I do not have to think about it. I simply do it because it has become a habit. We all know that procrastination is a waste of time and having a routine is one way to combat it.

12. Builds Momentum
As we all know, when you do the same things repetitiously, it builds momentum, making it easier to persist. That is why going to the gym gets easier the more frequently you do it. Momentum is a huge factor when it comes to ensuring success and following a routine helps build that momentum.

13. Builds Self Confidence
When we adhere to a routine and stick with it, it helps build self confidence and gives us a sense of tremendous satisfaction. That provides us with the 'fuel' to continue our routine and reap the benefits associated with it. And a lack of self confidence is one of the main reasons people find it difficult to change their lives for the better.

14. Saves Us Money
When we follow a routine and do the same things over and over again, it can help us save money. For example, part of my routine involves juicing fruits and vegetables each morning. Because I know that I will follow this routine religiously, I can buy my fruit and vegetables in bulk, saving me money. The same holds true for many other things such as the cost of a long-term gym membership.

15. Helps Reduce Stress and Facilitate Relaxation
There will always be things in our lives that are beyond our control, and we need to accept that. However, there is so much that we can control, especially if we follow a routine. When we design and stick to a routine, it eliminates a lot of stress because we do not have to think and worry about what needs to get done. The act of 'doing' gives us a sense of control and helps us relax instead of fretting about the tasks at hand.

18. Keeping Track of Our Success
When we slack off and fail to follow our predetermined routine, it is a clear sign that we are falling short. It is an excellent way to monitor our progress. We can subsequently make adjustments and get back to following our personal routines while having the confidence that we are on the right track again.

Keep in mind that it is fine if you decide that you only want to follow your routine on weekdays and not on weekends, or if you have a different routine on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, etc. It is also perfectly okay to set aside certain times to do nothing. The point is that you have thought about it carefully and are mindful about your choices. After all, having a routine is nothing other than a conscious choice to live your life in a certain way through healthy repetition. It is one of the keys to success and happiness.

Each of us is different and has different goals, needs, desires, and resources. That is why it is important to develop our own routine after carefully deciding what we want to achieve in our lives. The rewards to be reaped are definitely worth the effort. Today is a brand new day and it is never too late to start your own routine.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
18 Reasons Why a Daily Routine Is So Important

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
All of us are aware that kids need a routine to provide structure and discipline in their lives. When we were younger, most of us were told to go to bed at a certain time, wake up at a certain time, do our homework after school, eat dinner at a regular hour, shower, even play with our friends at a specific time.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Tired of doing the same old preschool art activities with your kids and students? Here are 25+ AWESOME art projects for Toddlers and Preschoolers to do at home, daycare or preschool.

It's no secret that the toddlers and preschoolers in my daycare love creating art! Naturally, they enjoy regular, everyday art like painting, and colouring with markers, crayons and chalk, but we always have the most fun when we're doing a cool art project, exploring unusual substances and materials like (shaving cream, melted wax, food colouring), and using creative techniques (resist art, print making and, smoosh painting) to make our art.

Thankfully, there are countless materials and tools right in your own home to create really cool art with your children. These unusual materials, tools and techniques will allow your kids to explore, create and learn in ways that they can't with just a box of crayons or markers. Don't worry though. They're all easy!

Today, I'm sharing over 25 of my favourite easy art techniques for kids! I think you and your kids will love them all. My toddlers and preschoolers have really enjoyed each one, but older kids will love the techniques and the projects in this post as well.

Put away those paintbrushes and pallets. These are not your ordinary art projects.

From resist art to sensory art, to dripping and ripping, you'll find plenty of unusual ways for your kids to create art in ways they've never dreamed of.

Each of the activities described here contains a click-able link which will take you to the step-by-step instructions. Just click on the coloured, underlined text.

25 Easy, Awesome Art Projects for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Make a gorgeous "tie-dyed" bookmark with Sharpies and rubbing alcohol! Great fine-motor exercise and a super homemade gift for kids to give a parent, grandparent or teacher!

Toddlers and Preschoolers will love "shaking up" a colourful masterpiece with this fun and energetic golf ball painting process!

Sharpies are the star again in this simple "stained-glass" art project. You'll never guess what we coloured on to get such glossy, vibrant results.

Take your sidewalk chalk art to a new level with a little dipping pot of water!

The hooligans spent ages exploring water absorption and strengthening their fine-motor skills with this drip-art technique.

Older kids can use the same process to make these City Skyline Silhouette s,

and these Tie-Dyed Heart Sun Catchers.

Here's a great warm-weather art project! Little ones will love painting with coloured ice outdoors on a sunny summer day.

One of our absolute favourites! To make homemade puffy paint, all you need are 3 kitchen ingredients and a microwave!

Dyeing coffee filters is always popular with the hooligans. See how we used ours to make a pretty paper plate wreath.

Your child can stamp up a one-of-a-kind piece of art for his or her bedroom using a thrift shop canvas and some cardboard rolls. And for Valentines, you can tweak the process a little and stamp a canvas full of hearts.

Scratch Art is one of those classic art projects that every kid loves. Remember doing scratch art when YOU were a kid? Here, we've made a family portrait to give to a parent or grandparent.

Spin painting is a very cool process for kids to do at home or in the classroom. All you need is a salad spinner!

Turn your toilet roll tubes into stamps for some print-making. Your child can frame this stamped heart art project or hang it on a bedroom wall.

If you've never tried colouring on tin foil with Sharpies before, you must! It's such a slick feeling, and the iridescent colours that result are beautiful. We the process to decorate personalized name plaques.

Without a doubt, melting crayons to make Van Gogh's Starry Night art is one of my all-time favourite art processes for kids.

See how we turned an old thrift shop painting into a custom piece of art for our playroom using this mess-free smoosh painting technique!

Make your own gift wrap in a matter of seconds using this awesome hair-dryer painting process!

These cork-stamped flowers were my very favourite spring art project this year. Not only because they're so pretty, but because they're so versatile! You can use this technique to make homemade cards and wrapping paper or to embellish a wreath or a tote-bag!

Cotton-pad art teaches kids about water absorption and colour blending, and the process helps develop fine motor skills.

This "big art" post is chock-full of ways for a little one to explore a variety of painting tools on a large art surface on the floor.

Tape resist art is so much fun! It's simple enough for toddlers to enjoy, and older kids will appreciate the cool results.

Scrape painting is another one of my all-time favourite art techniques for kids. The process is easy yet fascinating, and the results are always just beautiful!

Kids who enjoy messy play will love this sensory art process! It's fun for one, and also a great group activity for the backyard.

This salt, glue and watercolour process was a really neat (and gorgeous) way to work on letter and name recognition.

Crayon resist art is always a hit with kids of all ages! Even I can't resist a good resist-art project!

Transform your driveway art with this simple chalk and water technique!

Paint a perfect rainbow every time with this nifty art technique!

And lastly, here are three of my all-time favourite art techniques for kids:

Creating stained glass art with bottle lids and washable paint.

Making marbleized prints with shaving cream and food colouring.

Creating beautiful Monet-like art with markers and paper towels.

Pour painting is a TON of fun. We've made Christmas ornaments this way, and most recently, these stunning paper weights for Father's Day.

Painting with frozen, coloured paint pops is always fun on a summer day too!

Make marbled paper with shaving cream and food colouring! It's SUCH a cool process!

And if you're looking for another collection of terrific art projects for kids, check out these 30 Art Techniques from Buggy and Buddy!

More Cool and Creative Activities for Kids:
Easy science Experiments for Toddlers Homemade Paint Recipes for Kids Disney's "Frozen" Crafts, Activities and Recipes
Get the 3-5 Playful Preschool e-Book!

25+preschool activities by 25 bloggers, 10 printables, 50 links to activities not featured in the book all for $8.99!
Download your copy today:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
25+ Awesome Art Projects for Toddlers and Preschoolers - Happy Hooligans

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
25+ Awesome art projects for toddlers and preschoolers. Your kids have never made art like THIS before! Creative, fun,and gorgeous art techniques for kids.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Art is one of the best ways for your preschooler to express themselves. While it may look like they are just making a mess they can actually be learning important motor skills or even something as simple as just letting things go if they make a mistake. Art will also teach your preschooler how to make a decision when they are picking out colors or what supplies to use.

In order to make the following crafts on this list your children will have to use their listening skills to follow along step by step. This is a skill your children will use throughout their life so why not let them learn it in a fun way?

The following craft ideas are pretty simple and fun to make. Most of the items used can be found around the house or they are very inexpensive if you have to buy them. Don't be afraid to let your kids use their own imaginations and make these ideas their own and most importantly have fun!

10. Paper Plate Instruments

Make tambourines and other musical instruments from paper plates and simple decorative items! This perfect noise maker is made from basic materials and provides your preschooler with their very own musical instrument crafted from their own artistic hands!
Materials:​

Paper plates

Beads or dried beans

Stapler

Markers, glitter, glue, stickers, other embellishments

Create paintings and other works of art with ice! This opportunity enables kids to swirl paints over assorted papers to create beautifully unique designs.​

Materials: ​

Craft sticks or popsicle sticks

Assorted papers

Ice cube trays

Liquid child-friendly paints

Use old CDs and clean up unwanted clutter by saving this item from the trash bin and letting young children make their own sparkly works of art from it!

This fun recycling project helps kids to learn the value of recycling and provides them with a fun and entertaining experience at little to no cost.​
Materials:

Sparkly craft items like beads and sequins

Fishing line or beading wire

Child-safe scissors

Craft-style glue

Newspaper and other papers

This activity lets children make their own glittery water bottle full of sparkles and fun! Within the bottle are alphabet letters jumbled up to provide immense fun for toddlers who are trying to learn their letters.

Materials: ​

Alphabet beads or shapes

Empty water or soda bottle

Assorted glitter colors

Sequins and other decorations

Water and corn syrup

Paper sheets

Highlighter marker

6. Blown art

This activity provides an innovative and fun new way for your toddler to perfect their artistic and painting skills. Blow painting will have your toddler giggling as he creates unique splotches and shapes in an array of vivid hues.​

Materials: ​

Watered-down paint for a sheer effect

Plain paper

Bending straws

Spoon

Container with sides to hold liquid in

Much like homemade play-dough, this recipe makes use of common household items like baby oil or cooking oils. For the ultimate in cheap and entertaining play opportunities, sensory dough will have your toddler safely entertained while they pull and squish joyfully through this non-toxic and all natural dough.
Materials:​

Baby oil - 1 cup

Flour - 8 cups

Plastic container

Food colorings (assorted)

Rainsticks are instruments that feature a hollow core and that are filled with small objects like rocks or beads to produce a variety of interesting noises and effects. Rainsticks make special noises when they are turned side to side and upside down and will have your child engrossed with the different effects they can produce with their changing hand motions.
Materials:​

Colored markers

Cardboard tube (from empty paper towel roll)

Aluminum foil

Small objects like dried beans or rocks

Masking tape

All children love to color, whether it be on paper, books, or even on walls! Rarely are kids presented with opportunities to draw on alternative sources such as wax paper that offers impressively different results from coloring on regular paper.

Have your toddler-aged children cut out shapes and give them markers and crayons to decorate the shapes to their heart's content. As they watch nearby, you or another adult can carefully iron the art to create a seamless melding of bright cheery colors that you can hang up in your child's room or elsewhere.
Materials:​
2. Clothespin Caterpillars

This arts and crafts project enables your child to create their very own vibrantly hued caterpillar bug. Complete with small accessory eyes and pipe cleaner antennae, this lovable and whimsical caterpillar toy will be your young one's favorite toy as he lovingly carries from room to room.

Assisting in promoting color recognition, and strengthening fine motor skills, this art project is both entertaining and educational.
Materials:​

Elmers-style white glue

Colored pom-poms in a variety of sizes and colors

Pipe cleaners for antennae

Googly eye decorations

Magnets

Clothespins

1. Melted Crayons

This art project lets your kids pick out their favorite colors of crayons and lay them out in a way that looks good to them. Then they will learn about heat and how it melts the wax crayons. This project will strenthen their decision making ability as well as their fine motor skills. This is a fun craft that also looks good and is very simple to make.
Materials: Additional ideas for awesome arts and crafts activities for your toddler-aged child!

Tape-resistant art - Place pieces of tape on paper while children color over the paper and tape. Peel off the tape to expose uncolored areas that create a cool collage effect

Color mixing activities - Free paint into paint-cubes within ice tray compartments and bring them outside on a hot day to see the paint streak and run and create drippy works of art that will have children enthralled

Sponge art - Simply cut sponges into familiar shapes like circles, hearts, stars, and squares and have children dip sponges into their favorite colors and dab away to create their own sponge paint masterpiece

Add sensory touches to any arts and crafts projects to provide a multi-sensory experience that ups the educational ante. Anything with texture (such as grains of salt and sugar, tissue paper, and flour) are great sensory additions to art work

Shave crayons and melt them with your hairdryer as your little ones look on at awe while your crayons melt into a seamless rainbow of hues

Try very simple cooking or preparation idea with your little ones, by letting them do simple tasks like stirring batters and carrying utensils to the sink

There are so many fun art projects for preschoolers to create and they will have so much fun that they won't even notice that they are learning. Through the use of color, imagination, blocks, shapes, and ample opportunities for self-expression preschool is a time where a child's brain is exposed to many of the important components of the world around them. Children can learn so much through art, self-expression, and creativity. ​

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Creative & Educational Art Activities for Preschoolers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Art is one of the best ways for your preschooler to express themselves. While it may look like they are just making a mess they can actually be learning important motor skills or even something as simple as just letting things go if they make a mistake.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Preschool Math - Preschool Play and Learn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn Preschool Math with hands on activities plus math games and worksheets. Lots of creative ideas because kids learn best when they are having FUN!

# data[].attributes.body
https://youtu.be/U-wrtk1P11I

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
StoryBots | Songs About Daily Routines | Wake Up, Get Dressed, Brush Your Teeth | Learning Songs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Vooks is a streaming service for kids, where storybooks come to life!

# data[].attributes.body
You don't have to use spoons for the memory game, you can use whatever you have at your house.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There is a new Preschool Letter Matching Game you have to try. This alphabet activity is as fun as it is simple. It takes just minutes to set up, stores easily, and is a big hit with kids.

Letter recognition and matching is an important preschool skill. Most incoming kindergartners are tested for their knowledge of the alphabet. However, it can be hard to get kids that age to sit and review them over and over again.

That's why having a variety of fun games and activities to practice is very helpful. Our favorite games, of course, are the ones that are cheap or free, easy to set up, and very interactive for busy little minds. This game meets all of those criteria.
*This post may contain affiliate links. Affiliate links are a great way for us to show you awesome products we love. The best part is, when you buy something you need through an affiliate link, they give us a small cut (at no extra cost to you) which helps us keep this blog running.
Preschool Letter Matching Game

Supplies:

You'll need plastic spoons. That's it - not a huge list. We assorted rainbow spoons, because colors make us happy. Plain white works though too.

To Play:

Write the alphabet letters on top center of each spoon. Make a capital and lowercase spoon for each letter.

Turn the spoons upside down, and lay them out in a grid. You may want to only do 8-10 letters at a time so that the memory game size is manageable.

Then, have the kids play their preschool letter matching game. Turn over two spoons. If they are a pair, you have a match. If not, turn them back upside down, and it's the next child's turn.

When you find a pair, you get to keep the spoons. The goal is to see who can find the most matches by the end of the game.

Make it Harder:

If your child is already an expert at letters, turn this into a reading game. Write sight words or CVC words on the spoons. Have the children read the words out loud as they work to find matches.

When the game is over, pop the spoons in a zip lock bag, and keep them for another day.

We hope you love the preschool letter matching game as much as we do. Let us know if you try it. Leave us a comment below or on Facebook or Youtube.

Happy Learning!

Have you tried these activities yet?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Preschool Letter Matching Game - Planning Playtime

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There is a new Preschool Letter Matching Game you have to try. This alphabet activity is as fun as it is simple. It takes just minutes to set up, stores easily, and is a big hit with kids. Letter recognition and matching is an important preschool skill.

# data[].attributes.body
Draw letters for your child with sidewalk chalk. Have them find the letter and do an activity, Example-“Find the H and hop on it 5 times. Find the B and bounce a ball 10 times…” You could also write letters on paper and spread throughout the yard. Example-“Run to the R, Skip to the S…” Have your child help think of actions that start with each letter. Example-“M-march, C-crawl…”

# data[].attributes.body
Draw a picture of what you want to be when you grow up. Have your child tell you a story about their picture and write it down for them. The possibilities are endless!!! Write down your child’s answer and take a picture to always remember!  Please share these with us!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Raise a reader by getting the best book recommendations, reading tips, and discounts delivered straight to your inbox.

# data[].attributes.body
Kindergarten Readiness

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Transform Game geometry and shapes for preschool through 3rd grade

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Birthday Candle Counting math activity for preschool, kindergarten, first grade

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Lose a Tooth Counting Game for preschool, kindergarten, and first grade

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Number Sculptures counting activity for preschool and kindergarten

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The infamous skittles experiment is easy, low-cost, and provides many investigative opportunities. Try using different temperatures of water, white vinegar or even lemonade to investigate what happens.

The skittles experiment is definitely a must-try science investigation for kids of all ages. It never gets any less impressive!

Colourful Skittles Experiment

What you need:

A plate or container - preferably white

Skittles ( other coated sweets work too )

Water - warm and cold

Skittles Experiment Instructions

Place your skittles or sweets into a white container, and try to alternate the colours.

Carefully pour water into the container; if the skittles move, push them back into place quickly.

Watch what happens.

Experiment with different shapes and patterns of skittles.

Why do the colours spread?

Skittles are coated in food colouring and sugar. When you pour water over the skittles, the coloured coating dissolves, spreading through the water.

The colour and sugar dissolve into the water and then diffuse through it, making the water the colour of the sweet.

Skittle Experiment Extension Ideas

Can you time how long the colours take to reach the centre of the plate using cold and warm water? Which do you think will be faster?

Try using other sweets. Can you find any that work as well as skittles?

Questions to ask and think about

Why do you think the colours don't mix?

Can you spot the 'S' from the skittles? What happens to it?

How can you speed up the reaction?

Do the colours mix eventually?

More science investigations using candy

Use any spare skittles to try some candy chromatography! Did you know that some skittles contain more than one colour?

If you liked this activity, you'll love my other candy science experiments!

How about one of my easy Roald Dahl themed activity ideas? Make potions for George, chocolate play dough for Charlie, a wormery for The Twits, an upside down house and lots more!

Playdough to Plato has a brilliant growing a gummy bear activity too. Who wouldn't want a bigger gummy bear? Do you think it will taste as good as a small one?

If your children enjoyed this skittles experiment, they'll love my book, Snackable Science!

Affiliate links

Last Updated on January 3, 2023 by Emma Vanstone

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Skittles Experiment - Candy Science for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Easy colourful Skittles Experiment. Investigate what happens when you add water to skittles, watch out for the explosion of colour.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The senses are the first and best resources for preschoolers to learn. The five senses help children explore the world and make sense of what's around them. These activities to help kids use their senses in lots of different ways.

Preschool Activities That Feature the Five Senses

1. Five Senses (Pre-K Pages)

2. One Color Sensory Bin (Pre-K Pages)

3. Science Texture Board (Pre-K Pages)

4. Sound Shakers (Pre-K Pages)

5. 5 Senses: Blindfold Games (Prekinders)

6. 5 Senses: Scent Hunt Game (Prekinders)

7. 5 Senses: Taste Test Activities (Prekinders)

8. I Can See: Drawing the Five Senses (Teach Preschool)

9. Senses Discover and Explore Kit (Teach Preschool)

10. Exploration of Smell (Teach Preschool)

11. Exploration of Sound (Teach Preschool)

12. High Five for Our Sense of Touch (Teach Preschool)

13. Scratch and Sniff Names (Fun-a-Day)

14. Apple Science Senses Activity (Little Bins for Little Hands)

15. Five Senses Discovery Table (Little Bins for Little Hands)

Preschool Activities That Feature the Five Senses

16. Five Senses Pop Rocks Experiment (Little Bins for Little Hands)

17. Exploring the Alphabet with Your 5 Senses (Growing Book by Book)

18. My Five Senses Book for Kids (Still Playing School)

19. Scented Cotton Ball Matching Game (Rhythms of Play)

20. Coconut Senses Activity (Fun-a-Day)

21. Number Sound Boxes (Munchkins and Moms)

22. 5 Senses Potato Head Game (A Little Pinch of Perfect)

23. Draw How It Sounds (Brick by Brick)

24. Three Ways to Explore the Sense of Hearing (Learn Play Imagine)

25. Texture Tray (No Time for Flash Cards)

26. Scented Painting (No Time for Flash Cards)

27. Sound Safari (No Time for Flash Cards)

28. Color Grading Activity (Gift of Curiosity)

29. Identifying 3D Shapes by Touch (Gift of Curiosity)

30. My 5 Senses and Popcorn (I Heart Crafty Things)

31. Scented Textured Finger Paints (Parenting Chaos)

32. Scented Sidewalk Paint (Parenting Chaos)

33. Glow in the Dark Sensory Rice (Parenting Chaos)

Follow mySenses Pinterest Board for more great ideas!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Preschool Activities That Feature the Five Senses - Pre-K Pages

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A collection of activities that lead children to explore the five senses in many different ways; for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn the basic rules and strategy of the card game of Go Fish.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reading # 282 “ Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Patterning skills develop as preschoolers have experiences with patterns in different ways. Identifying patterns, noticing similarities and differences, and creating repeating patterns are important skills for math and literacy development. These activities can help your preschoolers develop these important skills.

Patterning Activities for Preschool

Patterning with Flowers (Pre-K Pages)

Making Patterns with Cars (Pre-K Pages)

Making Patterns with Spiders (Pre-K Pages)

Pattern Activities (Pre-K Pages)

Holiday Pattern Activities (Pre-K Pages)

Mini-Eraser Activities (Pre-K Pages)

Mosaic Pattern Art Activity (Hands On As We Grow)

Block Patterning with Legos (Hands On As We Grow)

Drawing Patterns with Crayon (Teach Preschool)

Patterns with Lids (Teach Preschool)

Pattern Activities for Preschoolers (Frugal Fun 4 Boys)

Nature Patterns (Coffee Cups and Crayons)

Making Patterns with Preschoolers

Learning Patterns with Blocks (Hands On As We Grow)

Halloween Pattern Sticks (LalyMom)

Pattern Towers (Frugal Fun 4 Boys)

Shell Mandelas (Nurture Store)

Repeating Pattern Jewelry (Nurture Store)

Pom-Pom Patterns (Craftulate)

Creating Patterns (Brick by Brick)

Pumpkin Pattern Path Game (Educators' Spin On It)

Play Dough Kebabs (No Time for Flash Cards)

Patterning a Garden (Teach Preschool)

Pattern Grids (PreKinders)

Pre-K Math: Patterns (PreKinders)

Match and Build Patterns (Preschool Spot)

Check out our list of books about math topics, including patterns.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Patterning Activities for Preschool - Pre-K Pages

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Patterning skills develop as preschoolers have experiences with patterns in different ways. Identifying patterns, noticing similarities and differences, and creating repeating patterns are important skills for math and literacy development. These activities can help your preschoolers develop these important skills.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
My New Teacher & Me -  First Day of School Read Aloud

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Have a look at the Best Colors and Shapes Activities for preschoolers to figure out how to teach shapes to your kids. These ideas are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers . Not only will they be working on basic preschool shapes they will also work on early math skills and even learn preschool colors too. Don't forget to add this to your Preschool Shapes Theme Week. Did you know that preschool shapes recognition is an early math skill? You also may be wondering how to teach basic shapes to preschoolers or toddlers and what shapes preschoolers should learn. The shapes for toddlers to learn are: Star, Square, Triangle, Circle, Heart, Rectangle, Diamond and Oval. This page will be updated constantly to add more shapes activities. This list of Shapes themed toddler activities as well as preschool activities constantly make a reappearance in our home.

The Best Preschool Shapes Activities

Shapes Activities through a 4 year olds eyes Check out two of my daughters favorite shapes activities in her new YouTube video... have your child learn along with her.

Don't forget to follow our New YouTube Channel for kids.
This sticky shapes activity is a shapes sorting activity. The contact paper removes the need for glue and makes it easier for a toddler. This learning shapes and colors for toddler Printable activity looks as pretty as it is fun. My toddler had a blast placing the small stars in the big star.

Favorite Preschool Shapes Activities, Toys and Materials:

Please note that I will be adding more shapes themed activities here in the future so remember to bookmark this page.

Don't forget to check out these awesome preschool printable letter crafts too.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Colors and Shapes Activities For Preschoolers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Have a look at the Best Colors and Shapes Activities for preschoolers to figure out how to teach shapes to your kids. These ideas are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers . Not only will they be working on basic preschool shapes they will also work on early math skills and even learn preschool colors too.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Learning how to rhyme is an important pre-reading skill for your preschool student. The ability to identify similar sounds is also necessary for early spelling skills that your students will need later on down the road. With our free rhyming activities for preschoolers, your students will learn to recognize rhyming words by sound, while building key fine motor skills. These resources will equip you to teach rhyming, and matching to your students.

Rhyming Words for Preschoolers

Our free rhyming activities can be used in a variety of different ways, depending on the age and ability level of your student. The set comes with 6 different rhyming flap books and 3 pages of cut out rhyming pictures. For younger students, you might simply print out the rhyming word pictures and have them draw a line to match each of the rhyming sets.

Rhyming Games for Preschool

Older students can use the rhyming game as intended with the extra flap books. Flapbooks are minibooks that can be cut and folded to make an interactive element. They are great for hands-on learners, and they fit nicely inside a composition notebook. Each flap-booklet prints on a single sheet of paper, and basically, students will cut on the solid lines and fold on the dotted lines until they've made a "shutter-like" booklet (see below).

Rhyming Worksheets Preschool

Once the booklet is assembled, students then color and cut out the rhyming pictures. Each of the rhyming pictures is then glued behind the correct flap. Students can then practice reading the word on the outside of each flap, lifting each time to reveal the correct answer. "Bee....rhymes with....tree!" While students aren't expected to be reading these larger words in preschool, the exposure will help and some will memorize them by sight and repetition. The entire booklet can be glued into your composition notebook for review work down the line.

Additional Rhyming Activities:

Another way you might use this set, is to have students create their own rhyming flashcards. Creating their own set of rhyming cards will help personalize the activity and build those important scissor skills. Students can color and cut out the pictures, then glue them onto blank flashcards. The flashcards can then be used to play rhyming games like concentration. For students who are building reading skills, you can even have a set of "word" flashcards for students to match to the picture.

Is Your Student Ready to Read?

We've developed a comprehensive two-year program that will start your early reader off with a solid foundation in language arts. Featuring fun, interactive, and engaging material, our R.E.A.D. program can be started as soon as your child knows all their letter sounds. Download the first week free and get started today! Click Here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learning how to rhyme is an important pre-reading skill for your preschool student. The ability to identify similar sounds is also necessary for early spelling skills that your students will need later on down the road. With our free rhyming activities for preschoolers, your students will learn to recognize rhyming words by sound, while building key fine motor skills.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Learning Numbers with Hands-On Number Activities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If your kids are learning numbers, then this list of number activities is perfect for you! It is packed with fun, hands-on activities that will help children learn numbers! They are great for preschool or kindergarten math centers or for learning at home. So pick a number activity and have fun learning numbers!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Animals Under the Sea - Book Version - Whale, Lobster, Octopus & More - The Kids' Picture Show

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Have you ever tried to make the M of an M&M candy float? We did! The floating M candy science experiment is easy, quick, and pretty cool! We went crazy with the candy science, candy STEM, and candy math activities this year. We have tons of holiday candy leftover, and we can totally use it for f un science and STEM instead.

FLOATING M SCIENCE EXPERIMENT FOR COOL CANDY SCIENCE!

Candy science is hands-on learning that's tasty, fun, and educational too! Of course, you might have to try a piece or two in the process like we did with our Candy Taste Test Experiment! Now that was a science for the senses!

Our latest candy science experiment with leftover candy is to see if we could get a floating m off of an M&M. Find out the science behind how the M floats off the candy below or is it magic?

MORE FUN CANDY SCIENCE, STEM, AND MATH
Looking for easy to print activities, and inexpensive science experiments? We have you covered... Click below to get your quick and easy science activities.
YOU WILL NEED:

M&M's in all colors. Making a rainbow is fun.

Shallow bowl or mini cups (you can try this in individual cups like you see below or in one cup like the video)

So how does a floating m happen? First, you need to fill your container{s} with water. Place M&M's m side up in the water. What happens to the M&M? It sinks. Have your kids make a prediction before dropping them into the water.

Or try a single cup version for a fun and unique effect too!
Looking for easy to print activities, and inexpensive science experiments? We have you covered... Click below to get your quick and easy science activities.
The floating m doesn't happen immediately, but the color dissolving off of the M&M happened almost immediately. You may have to wait up to 10 minutes to see this happen.

The materials used to color the m&m aren't afraid of water, so they dissolve quickly and make rainbow colored water! The chocolate on the other hand did not dissolve quickly, but we wanted to see the floating m!

SIMPLE FLOATING M SCIENCE

And there it is! The floating m! Why does the M float? Some parts of this favorite candy are water soluble. What does water soluble mean? It dissolves in water of course! Water molecules are able to surround the molecules of the solid and dissolve it into the water.

With this floating M activity, you can see the colored shell of the candy is water soluble. However, the special m is not! As the shell dissolves, the M floats free.

It's made out of edible paper. You can also see this paper on cakes. My son wanted to go out and get a piece to eat, but I convinced him it wouldn't taste that great!

Turn it into an experiment and check out if Skittles candy works the same way?

Some other fun science to think about what solids dissolve in liquids. Set up a whole candy dissolving science experiment with your leftover candy. Of course, the classic skittles science is always fun to watch (video too)!

The first to float was the red m&m. They did not all have a floating m immediately. In fact, the last to go was blue.

It took about 10ish minutes to see the first floating m. They all floated by 20 minutes. We didn't set a stopwatch, but that would be a fun addition for STEM learning.

Can you make an m float for your next kitchen science experiment? Dig into your kid's candy bucket to find out! There's so much to learn already available at your fingertips. Set up simple science anytime at home.

THE FLOATING M IS COOL SCIENCE FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES!
More great candy learning ideas..click photo Looking for easy to print activities, and inexpensive science experiments? We have you covered... Click below to get your quick and easy science activities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Floating M Candy Science Experiment for Kids Candy STEM

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The magic floating m! Have you ever tried it? The classic floating m candy science experiment is easy and fun for kids of all ages. Explore water solubility with this dissolving candy science activity. Also fun is the classic skittles science experiment! We have videos for both great candy science experiments.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If your child's like most, she's been playing with (or at least alongside) other kids for a while. But now that she's entering the preschool years her social life will pick up significantly, and playdates may take place with less familiar pals on less familiar territory. By keeping some guidelines in mind, you can help ensure that squabbles, scuffles over toys, and tears at pickup time don't mar your child's (or her guests') playdate fun.

Making a "date"

Let your child lead. Ask him who he'd like to invite over. If he doesn't have a preference, take your cues from who he seems drawn to at daycare, preschool, or your local playground.

Remember, too, that playmates don't have to be the same age. Pairing kids of different ages has some advantages: The older child will help direct play for his young friend, and he'll also relish being the "big kid."

Keep it small. Three really is a crowd when it comes to preschool playdates, says Sara Wilford, director of the expert in early childhood education at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. Instead, limit playdates to one friend at a time. Otherwise it's too easy for one child to feel left out, and sharing toys becomes that much more difficult.

Keep it short. An hour is fine for a first visit, and two hours is plenty for a get-together between seasoned preschool pals, says Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, teacher Lisa Church, author of Everyday Creative Play. Any longer than that and you're likely to have two bored, tired, and cranky kids on your hands.

Get the facts on food. Because playdates often involve snacks, be sure to ask your guest's parents about food allergies or sensitivities - or what their possibly picky preschooler likes to eat. Knowing a child's preferences ahead of time can help head off a snack-time showdown.

Consider inviting parents, too. For very young children who aren't used to being away from Mom or Dad, and even for older kids making their first visit to your home, consider making the playdate a family affair.

Invite the other parent (or caregiver) to join you for coffee and a chat while the kids play, or let her know that it's fine to hang out for a while until her child settles in. Many kids need to work up to the "drop-off" playdate, and many parents are wary about leaving their children in the home of someone they don't know very well.

Prepping for a playdate

Scratch screen time. Playdates can help kids improve their social and communication skills - something that's hard to do when they're staring raptly at a screen. Save the show or game for the post-playdate wind-down, and plan activities kids can do together instead.

Let your guest's parents as well as your own child know about this no-screen policy ahead of time. That way, the playmate won't show up expecting a private viewing of the new show your child's been talking about.

Let your child help set the agenda. Talk about the importance of making your child's friend feel welcome and then ask her which activities or toys she thinks her playmate might enjoy.

Hide favorite toys. Toy tug-of-wars are common for kids this age. You can talk about sharing until you're blue in the face, but expecting your child to be generous with her most cherished playthings is probably expecting too much.

If your child has a few favorite toys that you know she's loath to share, help her put them away before her friend arrives. Then set out some collaborative games and toys (blocks and play dough are good bets), as well as a few playthings she won't mind sharing.

But don't be surprised if your child suddenly tries to lay claim to a neglected toy as soon as her pal takes an interest in it! Help ease your child's tendency to hoard toys by explaining to her that her friend won't be allowed to take any toys home.

Plan some "break time." Besides having some healthy snacks on hand, it's a good idea to have a quiet activity ready in case the kids get too wound up. Sara Wilford suggests baking cookies or reading a book together, making a brief excursion outside, or doing an easy and relaxed arts-and-crafts project.

Playdate protocol

Get connected. As with any date, the first few minutes of a playdate can be awkward. To help the get-together get off the ground, spend some time helping the kids connect, advises Patty Wipfler, director of Hand in Hand, an organization focused on nurturing the parent-child connection.

You can do this by setting up a game or pulling out a few toys they can play with together (such as building blocks or a train set). Once the children are playing easily with one another, take your cue and fade into the background.

Be firm about clean-up. Before the kids get too involved in their play, explain that they need to clean up one activity before they can move on to the next. Waiting until the end of the playdate to initiate cleanup time leaves you with no leverage, and a much bigger mess.

If the kids simply refuse to tidy up, you can hold out a carrot - literally: "We're ready for snack time, you two - but you have to put the blocks away first." Of course, parents of younger kids will need to actively guide them during cleanup time.

Spark play. "Have free-form, open-ended activities available for a playdate," says Maggie Chaffee, a former kindergarten teacher and mother of three in Walnut Creek, California.

Some suggestions: Set up a play dough table; fill a plastic basin with water and let the kids dump, pour, and stir the water (never leave them alone, though - even a few inches of water can present a drowning hazard); stock a small sandbox or sand table with shovels and pails; or put out paper and crayons or finger paints.

Give the kids two or three options and let them drift from one activity to another (or even create their own games) as the spirit moves them.

Make yourself available. Young children need help establishing and maintaining interactions with each other, so don't expect to sit back and relax while you're hosting a playdate. You need to be a constant - though unobtrusive - observer and occasional cheerleader.

Resolving conflicts

Let kids work out their problems. While it's important to keep an eye on everything the children do during the playdate, don't jump in at the first sign of trouble. Small disagreements seldom last long, and if you hang back you'll often find that the kids work out their own resolution.

Intervene if you have to. If a conflict is escalating into verbal or physical confrontation, it's time to step in. Remain calm and make firm statements like, "I can't let you do that to Lily."

Explain that words and actions that hurt are not acceptable, and then coach the kids on coming up with a compromise to the original problem. If the fighting continues, separate the children for a while or introduce a new activity that's less likely to cause conflict.

Pile on the praise. One way to keep negative behavior to a minimum is to consistently acknowledge good behavior. Statements like, "Wow, you were so nice to let Kate play with your favorite train! That made her really happy!" encourage kids to keep it up.

Saying goodbye

Give fair warning. When the end of the playdate draws near, remind the kids that their time together is almost over. ("Five more minutes, guys. Time to finish your game.") If the playdate was a success, talk with them about what they enjoyed this time and what they might like to do at their next get-together: "You two had such fun building the block tower together. Would you like to play dress up next time?"

Send a memory home. If the kids created anything tangible (drawings, crafts, cookies), send your guest's creation home with him. If not, consider snapping a photo you can print out and send home. Kids are often so excited to share these treasures with their parents that it helps ease them out the door at the end of a playdate.

Take the playdate on the road. Some parents find that rather than leaving both kids wailing (and one of them kicking and screaming) when a guest's parent arrives to drag him out the door, it's easier to end the playdate by getting everyone out of the house.

If it's feasible, consider walking or driving your guest home, then make the trip there seem like an adventure: Have the kids race to see who can get their shoes on first, and talk about all the different sights you'll see on the way. You just might find that the goodbyes go more smoothly on your guest's doorstep than they would on your own.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Guide to great playdates for preschoolers | BabyCenter

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If your child's like most, she's been playing with (or at least alongside) other kids for a while. But now that she's entering the preschool years her social life will pick up significantly, and playdates may take place with less familiar pals on less familiar territory.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Play PEG + CAT games, watch videos, and download printable activities! PEG + CAT follows the adorable, spirited Peg and her sidekick Cat as they embark on adventures, solve problems together, and learn foundational math concepts and skills.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Inside: Learning shapes at home is super easy with these fun hands-on activities for toddlers and preschoolers! Free printables included.
Shape recognition is one of the earliest focuses from parents, alongside colors.

It can be daunting to know where to start.

As always, incorporating learning concepts into the child's play is the most natural way to allow for progress.

This compilation of shape activities focuses on using simple materials that you can easily set up within your own home.
Bonus! We've included FREE printable activities you can download today to share with your children. Scroll down to find the links.

Learning Shapes at Home with Hands-On Activities

Note: This is part of a series of At-Home activities for parents and caregivers. Make sure to also see our other posts in this At-Home series:

Pom-pom Shapes Printable - Toddlers and preschoolers will place pom-poms on the spots with the matching colors to trace the shapes.

Stamp Squares: Use your children's square blocks with paint for a simple art activity.

Circle Painting: Use paper tubes to stamp paint onto circle-shaped paper.

Shape Hunt: Cut shapes out of felt and hide them, like we did with our circle hunt activity.

Shape Sorting Sticky Wall - Adhere contact paper onto your wall with the outlines of shapes to sort foam shapes onto. (Modern Preschool)

Simple Shape Puzzles - Draw shapes onto multiple popsicle sticks to create simple shape puzzles. (Toddler At Play)

Square Painting with Cubes - Use unifix cubes or any other plastic cube toys that you have at home to dip into paint and stamp squares. (No Time For Flash Cards)

Tape Outlines - Stick tape outlines of shapes onto your carpet for kids to trace over with their small toys. (Learning 4 Kids)

Shape Slime - Add small foam shape pieces to slime for a fun sensory learning experience. (Pocket of Preschool)

Sticker Tracing - Draw outlines of shapes onto paper to trace by placing stickers over the outline. (Busy Toddler)

Paper Roll Stampers - Form paper rolls into various shapes to use as stampers with paint. (Chalk Academy)

Driveway Shape Large Motor - Use chalk to draw different shapes on your driveway and call out different shapes for your children to jump to. (Creative Family Fun)

Do-a-dot Shapes - Kids will stamp along the lines of these shape printables. (3 Dinosaurs)

Shapes Book - Help your child assemble a shape book for them to see examples of each shape. (Pastels and Macarons)

Playdough Mats - Laminate these free mats to mold over with playdough. (Free Homeschool Deals)
Easy Color Learning Activities 55+ Ways to Strengthen Fine Motor Skills 20+ Ways Toddlers Can Play at Home
More activities for at home:

Grab your printable list:

Free Shape Printables

Click on the photos for the pdf download:

Looking for more toddler and preschool activities?

I helped create a full set of toddler and preschool hands-on, playful lesson plans that build a variety of skills.

Shapes Fine Motor Activities

Now available: Shapes fine motor activities pack. Fun activities that work on building fine motor skills all with a shapes theme!
Click Here for Download Information
Prep once and use over and over again.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Learning Shapes at Home with Hands-On Activities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Inside: Learning shapes at home is super easy with these fun hands-on activities for toddlers and preschoolers! Free printables included. Shape recognition is one of the earliest focuses from parents, alongside colors. It can be daunting to know where to start. As always, incorporating learning concepts into the child's play is the most natural way to allow for progress.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What child doesn't like to play pretend? Not only is pretend play an excellent way for children to develop their social and emotional skills, but it's also a fun way for them to explore and make sense of the world around them. The key to taking a good pretend game and bringing it to the next level is often found in the form of an accessory-a child pretending to be a firefighter would be nothing without the helmet! A set of DIY binoculars are a necessity for getting into the zen-like mindset of bird watchers or perfecting the observatory gaze of animal behaviorists.

These binoculars are not only great for encouraging kids to engage with play-pretend professions that are STEAM (science, tech, engineering, arts, math) oriented, but also provide a good way for up-cycling toilet paper rolls. If you're like us, then you have a drawer or a cabinet filled with them (along with paper bags and egg cartons) waiting to either be put to use or thrown away.

The binoculars can be decorated and modified to be used in various ways, making them an excellent project for kids of all ages. No matter how your child decides to play with them-these binoculars are sure to be a hit!

Tip

If you want to use the binoculars to see things up close, use a hot glue gun to add in magnifying glasses as the lenses.

Materials

2 empty toilet paper rolls

White glue

String or ribbon

Construction paper or butcher paper

Decorating supplies, such as markers, crayons, stickers or tissue paper (optional)

1. Attach the Toilet Paper Rolls

Begin by connecting your toilet paper rolls. We chose to use three glue-dots to stick ours together. If the binoculars are going to be played with a lot, we recommend using white glue or hot glue for a stronger hold. Wait for the glue to dry before continuing to the next step.

2. Wrap the Rolls in Paper

This step is purely decorative, so feel free to skip to the next one if you'd like to skip this step!

Choose what paper you want to cover your binoculars in. Wrap the paper around the width of the binoculars and trim off the excess paper with scissors. Use glue dots to secure it around the rolls.

3. Decorate Your Binoculars

Decorate your binoculars however you choose! You can paint them, color them with crayons or markers, collage with tissue paper, cover them in washi tape or stickers, and even bedazzle. There is no wrong way to do this step!

For ours, we cut out tissue paper monstera leaves and glued them onto butcher paper.

4. Poke Holes Into the Sides

If you want to be able to wear your binoculars around your neck, make sure you add a strap.

Measure and cut your string.

Then use scissors to cut a small hole on the outside edge of each roll about a 1/2 inch from the top.

5. Tie on the String

Take one end of your string and thread it through the hole you made. Tie a knot to secure. Repeat with the other side of the string.

6. Go on a Safari

Use your new binoculars to go on a safari or expedition in your own home or backyard. Get up close to plants, play "I Spy inside," or lie down on some grass and look up at the clouds.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Make Toilet Paper Roll Binoculars

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These binoculars are a fun craft for your little explorer. Made from toilet paper rolls and string, you'll likely have all the materials you'll need.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Night Before Preschool - Children's Stories Read Aloud - Back to School Books for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Organized sports are great, but they've got some strikes against them, notably rules, equipment, and did we mention rules? Sometimes kids are best entertained with creative outdoor games that need few rules or regulations and more imagination. The most iconic outdoor kids games - think four square, horse, sardines - bring back memories of long summer days, pre-screens, when bored kids had to create their own fun.

To qualify for this ranking, these outdoor kids games had to be simple enough that they could be explained to a 5-year-old in the space of two minutes, yet have a sophisticated enough structure that winner and loser can be clearly delineated. Do the rules change? Sure. Are there myriad versions of these fun games for kids? Absolutely. We haven't even begun to crack the rich tradition of regional games. Does that matter? Absolutely not, because these outdoor games for kids are simple, fun, and easy to explain.

These 30 unorganized sports games for kids have been refined over the years from one lightly bruised generation to the next, getting better with age. From Kick the Can to Duck Duck Goose to plain old Tag, all of these activities have two very important things in common: They are light on rules and heavy on fun. Let the games begin...

(OBVIOUSLY, WHEN IT COMES TO SOCIAL DISTANCING, USE YOUR OWN JUDGEMENT. BUT, KEEP IN MIND, MOST OF THESE GAMES CAN BE KEPT IN THE FAMILY.)

31. HORSE

How to Play It: The first person does anything they want, from spinning around to closing their eyes, before shooting a basketball into the hoop. If they miss, it's the next person's turn to make up a crazy shot. If they're successful, everyone else has to replicate the shot. If you fail to replicate the shot, you get a letter, beginning with H and progressing to Horse. The last person standing without making it to horse wins.

What Makes it Great: It takes a classic game like basketball and leaves tons of room for creativity. It can be played with virtually any number of players, and can be adjusted for many age groups based on the height of the hoop.

30. Johnny on the Pony

How to Play It: One team crouches in a line, with their arms locked around each other's waists. Essentially forming a wall. The other team jumps on top of the line with the intent of staying on. If everyone makes it to the top, they win if they can shout "Johnny on a pony!" three times before the bottom team can shake them off.

What Makes It Great: This game is pure madness in the best way possible. Also, good practice for future rugby players.

29. Marco Polo

How to Play It: Everyone has to be in the pool. One person closes their eyes and counts to 10. That person then says, "Marco." Everyone must reply "Polo." "It" person has to try to catch one of the swimmers. No getting out of the pool, cheaters.

What Makes It Great: Exceedingly simple to organize - and, as it's all about stealth; kids tend to stay pretty quiet.

28. Kick the Can

How to Play It: One person is charged with protecting a can (or whatever) while other participants attempt to run up and knock it over. The catch? The kickers hide and join the protectors' team if tagged. The rules can lead to an impasse, but when they don't it's a blast.

What Makes It Great: You get to briefly live the life of a hobo during the great depression.

27. Steal the Bacon

How to Play It: Teams are divided evenly and each person is designated a number. Each team stands on opposite sides with a shoe sitting in the middle (doesn't have to be a shoe, just something easy to hold). When a number is called, the designated players from each team run for the coveted item and try to get it back to their side. If you succeed, you get a point.

What Makes It Great: Direct competition; plus, the designated caller can set up quality rivalries.

26. Freeze Tag

How to Play It: If the "it" person tags you, you are frozen. You can only be unfrozen if a fellow non "it" player tags you. If everyone is frozen, the "it" person wins.

What Makes It Great: It's tag, but encourages teamwork.

25. Arm Wrestling

How to Play It: Two participants put their elbows on a steady surface and grip each other's hands. Whoever can get the other person's hand to touch the surface wins. No use of second hand and no lifting elbow off the surface.

What Makes It Great: The ultimate one-on-one battle of strength and endurance. There's no way to gracefully lose an arm wrestling match.

24. Sardines

How to Play It: Sardines is the opposite of hide-and-seek. One person is designated to hide while the others count. If you find the hidden person, you join them. Last person to find them loses.

What Makes It Great: One of the few reverse games that actually works.

23. Stand-Off

How to Play It: Two people stand directly in front of each other. They hold out their hands, and try to push each other over while keeping their own feet planted. Whoever moves their feet first loses. In some cases, players can't push anything other than their opponent's hands, but that's optional.

What Makes It Great: You get to push other people over.

22. Duck, Duck, Goose

How to Play It: Everyone sits in a circle. One person is the tagger. They walk around the circle, touching each person's head and either saying "duck" or "goose." If they say "duck," things continue as is. If they say "goose" the person tagged must try to catch the tagger before they can get back to their spot. If the tagger gets caught, they have to sit in the mushpot (the middle of the circle).

What Makes It Great: It's one of the original "in class" games, which means everyone probably knows how to play it. Plus, everyone thinks of ducks and geese, which is pretty fun.

21. Monkey in the Middle

How to Play It: You try to keep the ball away from one person while throwing it back and forth with your partner. If the person does get the ball, whoever threw it is now the monkey in the middle. No points, no winning, just keeping away.

What Makes It Great: It almost always begins spontaneously and one person naturally ends up ostracized. But it builds character.

20. Silent Ball

How to Play It: A group tosses a ball around. If you drop it, you're out. If you make a bad pass, you're out. If you make a noise, you're out. Last person in wins.

What Makes It Great: Simple, but entertaining. Also gets kids to learn how to shut the hell up for a few minutes.

19. Dibble

How to Play It: Players stand at the edge of a pool with their backs turned to the water. One player places a whiffle ball, frisbee, popsicle stick, or some other buoyant objects at the bottom of the pool and then exits the pool. As soon as that player exits the pool, the other players try to spot and capture the ball. Whoever does, wins.

What Makes It Great: The thrill of the hunt. The surprisingly long waiting period. The slight risk of injury.

18. Three Flies Up

How to Play It: There is one thrower; everyone else is a catcher. The thrower stands about 50 feet away from the catchers and then tosses the ball up in the air towards the catchers. If you catch the ball, you get a point. First person to three points becomes the thrower.

What Makes It Great: It's catch with higher stakes. Plus it's fun to make a smug catcher miss throws when they have two points.

17. Colors

How to Play It: One person is chosen to be "it." They get out of the pool. Everyone else secretly decides their color. Once everyone has decided, the "it" person turns their back to the water and starts naming colors. If your color is called, you have to get to the other side of the pool without being tagged. If the "it" person turns around and no one is swimming, they have to take a step away from the pool. Whoever is tagged is now the "it" person.

What Makes It Great: Unorganized pool games that don't rhyme with like Flarco Folo are hard to find. This one not only does that, but is normally good for a few hours of in-water play before kids get bored.

16. Butts Up

How to Play It: All you need is a ball and a wall. Every time the ball bounces off the wall, someone has to grab it and make a clean throw back to the wall. Then the cycle continues. Anytime someone misses a catch, they have to run and tag the wall. If someone can throw the ball at the wall before the wall-touch happens, the person who didn't make it to the wall gets an out. First to three outs has to stand against the wall and the other players get one chance to try and hit them with the tennis ball (softly). Then you start again.

What Makes It Great: It's a perfect mix of chaos and competition. Plus, no other game matches the impending threat of pain.

15. Kickback

How to Play It: Form two lines of people. There is one ball. Each line of people kicks the ball back and forth.

What Makes It Great: There are no real rules or any sense of scoring or competition. Just a fun way to pass the time.

14. Hot Hands

How to Play It: One person lays out their hands with their palms facing up. The other player places their hands on that person's hands but with the palms facing down. The bottom person tries to slap the top person's hands before they can remove them. If the bottom person successfully slaps their opponent's hands, they stay on bottom. If they miss, they switch spots.

What Makes It Great: You get to slap another person's hands.

13. Double Dutch

How to Play It: Two people turn two long jump ropes in opposite directions as one person stands in the jump ropes and tries to jump without messing it up. Players add in different jumps and rhymes and everything else they see fit.

What Makes It Great: Builds coordination and stamina. Plus, it's endlessly upgradable.

12. Four-Square

How to Play It: The court is a giant square that has four equal-size squares inside (you can make it with chalk or tape). One person occupies each of the smaller squares. One square is the designated to top square. Then a second place square, third place square, and a fourth place square. The person in the top square hits the ball into another square. If it is hit to your square, you must hit it into another square before it bounces twice. If you hit it out or let the ball bounce twice, you are out.

What Makes It Great: It establishes a hierarchy that is often lacking in games. And kids somehow have an endless amount of ways to skyline a ball with their hands.

11. Four Corners

How to Play It: Same court as Four-square, except this time, runners stand on each of the four big corners while one person stands in the middle. People on corners try to swap before the person in the middle can get to either corner. If the person in the middle reaches a corner, the person they stole it from becomes the person in the middle.

What Makes It Great: The unsteady alliances. The mad dash to an open corner. It's a nonstop thrill ride unless you're in the middle.

10. Kill the Carrier

How to Play It: Someone has the ball. They are the carrier until they are tackled. Then they have to give up the ball. Whoever gets it next is now the carrier. And so on and so forth until boredom sets in or someone gets hurt.

What Makes It Great: People get tackled a lot. It no longer has a name that rhymes and is very offensive.

9. Throwing Rocks

How to Play it: There's no way to play it wrong, so long as things aren't breaking and people aren't getting hurt. Pick an inanimate thing a reasonable distance away and see how can be the first to hit thing with rock.

What Makes It Great: You're throwing rocks at things. Fun!

8. Shark & Minnows

How to Play It: One player is chosen to be "the shark." The rest are "minnows." The minnows try to get from the designated starting point to the designated finishing point without getting tagged by the shark. If you are tagged, you are a shark. Last minnow wins.

What Makes It Great: Brings a fun hunting aspect to the typical schoolyard antics. Plus at some point, people start betraying each other to survive the shark attacks.

7. Red Rover

How to Play It: Two groups stand in parallel lines facing each other. Each line must hold hands. One line declares one person they would like sent over, yelling "Red Rover, Red Rover, send Ethan over." The designated person - in this case Ethan - makes a furious run at the line. If he can't break the line and get two people to stop holding hands, the team that held strong calls a person from the opposing line to their chain. If they can't, they now join that line. Whichever line is down to one person first loses.

What Makes It Great: Top notch game for flirting. Also, you get to switch teams a lot, which is underrated.

6. Jackpot

How to Play It: It's essentially Three Flies Up, except the thrower can decide a catch is worth a certain amount. The winner is the person who exceeds a previously decided jackpot number (i.e. "Game is to 1,000"). More fun can be added by the thrower yelling one of the following terms: Jackpot (automatic win); Bomb (receiver who touches ball loses a designed number of points); Bankrupt (lose all points); IceBall (stay frozen for one throw); FireBall (steal one point from opponent).

What Makes It Great: It's catch, but on performance enhancers. So simple, but so satisfying.

5. Pickle

How to Play It: Designate two bases (could be real bases, shoes, or pretty much anything you have around) and choose two throwers. Everyone else is a runner. Throwers toss the ball back and forth and the runners try to get safely from base to base without getting tagged. If you're the last one alive, you win. Pegging is optional.

What Makes It Great: It's fun, and everyone gets to play. Plus, beating out a throw with your crafty base running never gets old.

4. Red Light, Green Light

How to Play It: One person is the traffic cop. All remaining players stand on the starting line and the traffic cop has their back to them. When the traffic cop says "green light," players try to run to the finish line. When the traffic cop says "red light," they turn around and the other players have to stop. First to pass the finish line wins and becomes the traffic cop.

What Makes It Great: Everyone knows how to play. Plus, one lucky person wields all the power, mercilessly deciding the fate of everyone else, which is a good microcosm of life.

3. Hide & Seek

How to Play It: The "it" person has to count to a predetermined number (usually 20) and then goes looking for the others. If you are tagged, you are "it," and it starts over. Alternative version: If you are tagged, you are out. Keeps going until everyone is tagged. There can also be multiple people who are "it." Normally if you're playing with more than 10 people, two taggers should be involved. No climbing trees. Want an edge? Here's some hide-and-seek advice from a Navy SEAL?

What Makes It Great: It taps into our innate survival instincts; it's the thrill of the hunt and the thrill of well-executed evasion.

2. Tag

How to Play It: If you are it, tag people. If you are not it, don't get tagged.

What Makes It Great: It's tag.

1. The Floor Is Lava

How to Play It: Do whatever you can to not touch the floor, which is now lava. Hop on chairs, couches, benches, logs, or whatever. Try to get from Point A to Point B. Don't touch the floor/ground, which is lava.

What Makes It Great: The palpable sense of danger around every corner. Plus, you know, lava.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
30 Unorganized Sports You Should Teach Your Kid This Summer

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Organized sports are great, but they've got some strikes against them, notably rules, equipment, and did we mention rules? Sometimes kids are best entertained with creative outdoor games that need few rules or regulations and more imagination.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A salt tray is a fun tool for kids to practice their early writing skills with. You just fill a tray with salt and provide an instrument for your child to make marks in the salt with. It's a great sensory activity and an exciting way for kids to learn how to form letters, numbers and write their name.

The other day, I made a salt tray for my daycare kids. I poured a cup or so of table salt into a styrofoam produce tray, paired it with a paintbrush and called the preschooler over. She climbed up to the table, eager to see what this new activity was all about. Without saying a word, I simply wrote her name in the salt with the end of the paintbrush.

Her face lit up as she read her name out loud. Then, I shook the tray gently and she watched, fascinated, as the letters of her name disappeared.

MY LATEST VIDEOS

Wowza!

I don't know why I ever waited this long to set up a salt tray writing activity for the hooligans! It was so easy to make, and such a hit! I made our salt tray in less than a minute, but it's going to provide hours of fun and learning for the preschoolers.

Why a salt tray?

Kids love sensory activities, ; activities that appeal to their sense of touch, sight, sound... And studies have proven that our capability to learn and retain information increases when multiple senses are engaged.

A salt tray does just that. The salt looks and feels interesting, and makes such a wonderful sound as your child scrapes through it with a paintbrush or a finger.

What better way for your child to learn and practice letter and number formation or when learning how to write his or her name? Your child can also doodle and draw on a salt tray, and anytime they want to start over, they just give the tray a shake. Voila... a smooth, clean surface of salt to write in again.

This wasn't our first time using salt for a letter-learning activity, but was our first time using an actual salt tray. It was a such a lovely experience! Seeing our drawings appear in the salt, and listening to the soft, scratchy sound it made was relaxing and therapeutic.

This little hooligan played with our salt tray off and on all afternoon. It's definitely an activity that we'll turn to again and again.

Let me show you how much fun she had.

For our salt tray writing activity, you'll need:

a tray -a baking sheet, serving tray, styrofoam produce tray etc.

salt

an instrument for writing - end of a pencil or paintbrush, a chopstick or craft stick etc.

For our tray, we started with a small styrofoam produce tray from the grocery store. Note: always run your styrofoam trays through the dishwasher before using them for crafts and activities. This will ensure they are sterilized.

To contain any possible spills, I set the produce tray on top of a baking sheet, and I presented it to my hooligan along with a paintbrush.

She climbed up to the table, eager to see what this new activity was all about. Without saying a word, I simply wrote her name in the salt with the end of the paintbrush.

Her face lit up as she read her name out loud. Then, I shook the tray gently and she watched, fascinated, as the letters of her name disappeared.

She spent a good 15 minutes or so making designs and letters in the tray, and then she asked if we could add some colour to the salt tray. This was likely because earlier in the day, we'd been dripping food colouring onto a tray of baking soda for this fizzing colour experiment.

The food colouring from that experiment was still sitting on the kitchen counter, so I grabbed the blue and the red, and dripped them all over our salt tray.

We tried using the ends of our paintbrushes to mash the colour into the salt, but that was a slow process, so I suggested that my hooligan just use her hands to mix it all up.

She LOVES getting her hands messy so she jumped at that invitation. She pressed her hands into the salt and she squished and squeezed and mixed until the colours were blended well into the salt.

Then, so she would have a larger surface for drawing and writing on, we dumped the salt from the styrofoam tray onto the big baking sheet.

Our larger tray required a little more salt, so she added some, and stirred it all in to the coloured salt.

A salt tray doesn't require much salt. A thin layer spread over your tray is enough. A dark tray works best because you'll really be able to see the letters that you write. Deborah from Teach Preschool often puts coloured construction paper at the bottom of her salt trays to add interest. You can see Deborah's colourful salt trays here.

The large surface of the baking sheet was great for drawing big pictures on and it provided lots of room for letter practice.

Your child can practice writing her name or any other letters she knows. Another thing you could do (we did it, but I didn't take pictures), is YOU can print several letters or numbers in the top half of the tray and have your child copy them on the bottom half.

And of course, your salt tray activity can simply be used for making art.

Once your picture or writing is finished, just give the tray a shake to "erase" your work and start again.

Or, if your child loves a good sensory experience like this little one does, hands can be used to clear the tray as well. 😉

Another wonderful way for your child to learn the fundamentals of writing, as well as reading, art and math is with my affiliate partner ABCMouse.com. ABC Mouse features hundreds of fun and interactive games, each designed to teach a specific educational concept. This fabulous, full online curriculum is designed for kids ages 2 to 7.

Click the image above for a FREE 30 day trial!

If you enjoyed our salt tray writing activity, you'll also like:
Writing our Names with Salt, Glue & Watercolours Zen Garden Activity Tray Dino Dig with Salt and Ice
Get the 3-5 Playful Preschool e-Book!

25+preschool activities by 25 bloggers, 10 printables, 50 links to activities not featured in the book all for $8.99!
Download your copy today:
Follow the Hooligans on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Salt Tray Writing Activity for Preschoolers - Happy Hooligans

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This fabulous salt tray writing activity is a terrific way for little ones to practice their pre-writing skills! It's a fun and creative way for preschoolers to work on letter and number formation, and printing their name. Even toddlers can strengthen their pencil grip while they doodle and draw in a salt tray.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Yay for keeping kids entertained - and learning! (Check out other busy bag ideas here.)

This busy bag is something that is really easy to make-you simply need two colors of permanent markers and 2 sets of 26 different colored plastic spoons. One set of spoons should have the uppercase letters from A-Z written near the top of the spoon and the other the lowercase letters from a-z written near the bottom (of the bowl of the spoon).

The kiddo instructions are to lay out the letters from a-z, matching each uppercase letter with its lowercase match.

Ds7 particularly enjoyed this. DS5 is working on the letters right now, so this is fun for him, too. But it's a little (OK, a lot) ahead of DS2. For now. 😉 Wouldn't this be a good Hebrew letter activity for older kids with the script and print letters? Or how about fractions and decimal matching?

You could also use some or all of the spoons turned upside down as a matching memory game. Or spell out words with correct capitalization. These spoons are a surprising amount of (educational - shh!) fun!

And everyone enjoyed the cleanup. 😉

***This post is getting a lot of hits from Pinterest. Please wander around and let me know what you think! You can find a bunch of busy bag ideas (with more to come!) and much more here. Or follow my busy bags board for more cool ways to occupy your kiddos of all ages. (Well, I mostly have things for kids under about 8 or 10. But whatever works for you!)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Yay for keeping kids entertained - and learning! (Check out other busy bag ideas here.) This busy bag is something that is really easy to make-you simply need two colors of permanent markers and 2 sets of 26 different colored plastic spoons.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This Dot Sticker Alphabet Match using a Paper Roll is one of those activities that's super quick to prep, doesn't require a long list of materials and best of all, will keep toddlers busy and happy!

I made this alphabet match for my kiddo one day when I needed him to stay a bit independent for some time while I got a few things done around the house. I always save paper rolls for crafts and activities like these, so I had one laying around. In under 3 minutes, I quickly wrote the alphabet letters on both the paper roll and dot stickers and gave it to my son. It totally did the job! He was excited to match up the letters and I was able to do my own thing 🙂

More dot sticker fun!
All activities should be supervised by an adult. This post contains affiliate links- this just means I earn a small commission if you purchase via links below, no extra cost to you! Read our disclosure policy here. Yup! Only 3 materials needed!
Materials For Dot Sticker Alphabet Match using a Paper Roll:

On a paper roll, write out letters A through Z with the permanent marker.

Next, write A through Z on the dot stickers.

Instructions:

Who would even call those instructions? Haha! So easy 🙂

Letters (recognizing and memorizing letters, visually matching them up)

Cognitive skills (analyzing the letters, comparing, matching)

Fine motor skills (holding the paper roll, peeling away the dot stickers and sticking them onto the paper roll)

Hand-eye coordination (placing the dot sticker over the correct letters)

Independency (this activity is great at keeping the little ones busy and giving you some time for other things)

What is my child learning and improving?

TIP- I like to work together with my toddler when learning the letters, numbers, new subjects, etc. So I stay with him and with this activity it's a wonderful time to SING THE ALPHABET TOGETHER, talk about how letters appear, what they look like, what sounds they make, what words start with each letter and so on. Simple to prep activities like this can still be a ton of fun!

Save those paper rolls and make this Dot Sticker Alphabet Match using a Paper Roll next time!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dot Sticker Alphabet Match using a Paper Roll

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This Dot Sticker Alphabet Match using a Paper Roll is one of those activities that's super quick to prep, doesn't require a long list of materials and best of all, will keep toddlers busy and happy!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my links, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.

These fun water games for kids are sure to help you beat the heat. There are many ideas for all size groups (2 to 20 or more) and ages...just scroll thru and see!

Water Games
1. Water Bomb Tag Materials:
This is a fun game for groups, small or large.
Instructions

1. The person who is "it" throws the wet water bomb to tag other players. If hit, they are the new "thrower".

2. This can also be played with many variations of the game such as Frozen Tag, etc.

2. Water Balloon Toss with a Twist
Materials:

✓ Balloons
✓ Something to poke a small hole in the balloon
Instructions

1. Make a small hole in each balloon, then filling the balloon with water and letting the kids toss the leaking balloon.

2. It becomes a bit of a time bomb, as you don't want to be the last one holding the balloon when it finally runs out of the water! Quick, easy, and fun!

3. Fill the Bottle Materials:
✓ 4 oz paper cups
✓ 20 oz plastic pop bottles
✓ Clean bucket
✓ Finish line
✓ Sense of humor and no fear of getting wet
Players: Small to large groups Instructions

1. Set up a number of teams possibly by the number of people willing to get wet.

2. On each team, one person lays on the ground while holding a 20-oz plastic pop bottle on their forehead.

3. Teammates run to the bucket to fill up their 4-oz cup then they attempt to pour it into the teammate's pop bottle while standing overhead.

4. Then the next teammate will do the same until the 20-oz bottle is filled. Once the 20-oz bottle is filled, the bottle person should run to the finish line without spilling. Source: funattic.com

4. Sponge Toss Materials: Instructions

1. Set out a bucket of water and a large sponge.

2. Soak them in the bucket and then toss it back and forth with the children.

5. Water Relay Materials:

1. Put children into as many teams as needed.

2. Fill one bucket for each team and place them at a beginning line where the game will start; place plastic cups in the buckets of water.

3. On 'Go" kids scoop up a glass of water and run to a set far line where additional large containers have been placed.

4. When the water is deposited, the child runs back to the next team member to continue play.

5. The first team to fill the container with water is the winner.

6. Frozen Feet Materials:
✓ Kiddie pool filled with water
✓ Buckets
✓ Ice cubes
Instructions 7. Pop Goes the Water Balloon

Materials:
✓ Water balloons
✓ Timer
Optional: Rewards such as candy or suckers
Instructions 8. Don't Get Wet Materials:
✓ Sprinklers
Instructions

1. Set up a number of sprinklers in between a starting line and a finish line.

2. Have the children try to run from one end to the other WITHOUT getting sprayed.

3. Have one of the youth control the faucet, turning it ON AND OFF AT RANDOM.

4. When the game is over-allow children to get wet-of course have them wear their swimsuits!

9. Over-Under Outdoor Game Materials: Instructions

1. Divide the group into two (or more) teams.

2. Have them form a single file line facing the person's head next to them.

3. At the head of each line put a bucket of water.

4. At the other end put a plastic pitcher- with a line drawn on it.

5. Give a sponge to the person at the head of the line where the water bucket is.

6. That person has to dip the sponge in the water to soak in as much water as they can. They have to then pass the soaking wet sponge OVER THEIR HEAD to the person behind- who then passes the sponge to the person behind them THROUGH THEIR LEGS.

7. The sponge makes its way back OVER THE HEAD of one person and BETWEEN THE LEGS of the next - UNTIL it gets to the person standing next to the pitcher.

8. That person must squeeze whatever water is left into the pitcher and run the sponge back up to the head of the line.

9. When that happens, everybody moves back one position- and the person who was at the back of the line now is at the head of the line. Continue the process till the pitcher is filled to the line.

Fun game on a hot summer day.

Submitted by Matthew Schlageter in funattic.com
10. Ice Cube Melt Materials:
✓ Ice cubes
Instructions

1. Divide players into two teams and line them up.

2. The first player on each team is given an ice cube.

3. The child rubs the ice cube between his hands for as long as possible to try to make it melt.

4. When he or she gets too cold, the ice cube is passed to the next child in line.

5. The first team to melt the ice cube wins!

11. Sponge Tag Materials:
✓ Large sponge
Instructions

1. A twist on traditional tag, this game is played with a big soft sponge, similar to the kind used to wash your car.

2. The player who is "It" must use the wet sponge to tag another player, who then becomes the new "It".

3. There will be no doubt about who is tagged because they'll be wearing a big wet splat mark on their back.

12. Water Balloon Volley Materials: Instructions

1. You'll need a bucket full of water balloons for this game.

2. Divide kids into two teams and pair them up.

3. Each pair gets a beach towel and each child holds two corners of the towel.

4. One side begins by placing a water balloon in the center of their towel. The object is to toss the balloon from one pair of kids to another, with the opposing side catching the balloon in their towel.

This can be played with a net, or simply pace off a distance between opposing teams.
13. Cold Potato Materials:
✓ Water balloons
Instructions

1. Have players stand or sit in a circle outside.

2. A water balloon is passed from player to player; however, the balloon is not passed around the circle as in traditional "hot potato".

3. It is thrown across the circle from player to player.

4. If a player fails to catch the balloon, or it breaks when he or she attempts to catch it, that player is out.

5. If a player intentionally throws the balloon hard to make it explode in another's hands, he or she is called "out".

6. Older kids can spread farther apart if necessary.

7. The game proceeds until there is one dry person left.

14. Water Limbo Materials: Instructions 15. Get Cool with a Pinaqua! Materials:
✓ 10 gallon-trash bag
✓ Water
✓ Rope
✓ A tree limb or play structure
✓ A bandanna
✓ Broom
Instructions

1. When temperatures soar and the afternoon gets hot and sticky, beat the heat with the fun of a pinaqua.

2. This activity, from the Family Fun Web site (familyfun.go.com), is similar to the pinata game, but the players cool off by taking turns hitting a trash bag filled with cool water while blindfolded.

3. Have children dress in swimsuits so they are ready to get wet.

4. Fill the trash bag with one or two gallons of water and then knot the bag.

5. Tie one end of the rope beneath the knot, toss the free end over a tree branch or structure and then tie it securely.

6. To play, each child takes a turn being blindfolded, gently spun a few times and then getting three whacks at the pinaqua with the broom. The winner is the one who manages to break the bag and unleash the tidal wave.

Check out our other 16. Make a Water Balloon Yo-Yo Materials: Instructions 17. Ring the Towel Relay Race Materials: fun blindfold games for kids Instructions

1. Separate two teams evenly having children face back to back in a straight line.

2. On a signal, the first player of each team dips a towel in a bucket filled with water.

3. The wet towel then passes over each head of the people in line.

4. The last person in line that receives the wet towel must ring it out into a bucket.

5. Then that person runs to the front of the line, dips the towel into the bucket of water and passes it over the head of his/her team.

6. It continues until the first person in line is in the front.

7. The team that wins- is the one that has the most water in their bucket.

8. To make it more challenging put a line on the bucket so they have a goal to reach.

9. The game goes on until the first team reaches its mark. If the towel drops it must go back to the beginning of the line. If the team members do not pass the towel over their heads it starts over also.

18. Water Balloon Squat Materials: . Instructions

1. This relay race needs at least 2 teams with equal players (or the other team has 1 person go twice). The start and finish lines should be about 20 feet apart.

2. Place the bucket of balloons at the start line in front of each team. When you say 'go' the first person grabs a balloon and runs to the finish line.

3. When they reach the finish line then must sit on their balloon and pop it. The player then runs back to the start line and gives the next person in line a high five, and then they go... and so on... until the whole team is done.

4. Make sure that the group picks up all the balloon pieces before moving on.

19. Raindrops are Falling On Our Heads Relay Materials:
This is a great game for large groups of 20 or more.
Instructions

1. Put a lot of pinholes in the plastic baggies.

2. The groups line up sitting down, one in front of the other, so that they are facing the back of the person in front of them.

3. The bucket that is full of water goes behind the last person; the empty bucket goes in front of the first person.

4. When the race starts, the first person takes the baggie to the back bucket, fills it with water and then tried to get the water to the front bucket, but it has to be carried OVER THE HEADS OF his/ her TEAM MEMBERS.

5. He/ she dumps the water that is left into the front bucket.

6. The line shifts up and the first person sits in the back.

7. The winner is whatever group has the most water in their bucket after the pre-determined amount of time.

✓ (1) bucket per team
✓ (30+) water balloons in each bucket
✓ Chalk
✓ Garbage bag
20. A Water Windmill
✓ (2) buckets per team (one filled with water)
✓ (1) plastic baggie per team
✓ Object to poke holes
Materials:
Note: Make sure that groups are not cheating by covering the holes - it might be best to say that they are only allowed to use one hand when passing the baggie.
Instructions

1. Half fill a child's pail (with handle) - with water.

2. Have children hold the pails in one hand-and hold that arm straight down by their side.

3. Keeping the arm straight, children swing the pail around and around in a circle.

4. No water should spill if pail is kept moving like a windmill.

5. Decide how many times the "windmill" will go around before the "next windmill" starts.

21. Water Bomb Target Materials:
This is one of those fun water games that can be played as a team relay race.

✓ Bucket with handle
✓ Water
Instructions

1. Hang up targets on trees or playground equipment.

2. Targets can be made out of cardboard, paper plates, aluminum pie pans or anything creative.

3. Assign different points to each target depending on position and distance. You can keep points by teams or individuals.

4. When a target is hit they receive points for the assigned target.

22. Water Balloon Dodgeball Materials:
✓ Splash Water Bombs
✓ Targets
✓ Trees or playground equipment

Players: Small to medium groups
Instructions

1. Have at least 5 water balloons per player.

2. Divide into 2 groups on opposite sides of a line with each side having their balloons in a plastic tub.

3. If you are hit with a water balloon you are out (like dodge ball).

4. The last one remaining wins.

23. Jump Rope Water Splash Materials: Instructions

1. Give each child a plastic or paper cup full of water.

2. While two players twirl a large jump rope, jumpers one by one are to attempt three consecutive jumps.

3. They are to do this while holding onto their cup of water and trying to do let any water spill.

4. The child that has the most water left is the winner.

5. You can keep playing until only one person has water left in their cup.

6. When you play games like this-make sure kids have their bathing suits on-let parents know that it will be "Water-Play Day!)

✓ Water balloons
✓ (2) plastic tubs
24. Dry-Dry -Wet! Instructions

1. As a child goes around the circle he/she says,

2. "Dry, dry, dry, dry, dry, WET! A small cup of water is poured on the person's head. Play continues just as in Duck, Duck, Goose!

Players: Small to large groups

Sara/Oakbrook From: funattic.com

Kids (and grown-ups) sit cross-legged on the ground in a circle.

One child is chosen to be "It" and he or she walks along the outside of the circle lightly tapping the top of each player's head saying "duck."

When the player touches another player's head and says "goose," the "goose" must jump up and try to tag the other player.

If that player can run around the circle and sit in the empty spot, he or she is safe.

Then the "goose" becomes "it" and has to walk around the circle saying, "Duck, Duck, Goose!"

25. Three-Legged Race with Water
Duck, Duck, Goose-is traditionally a younger child's game; however, with the water-school-age kids may find it fun!!!
Materials:
In case you don't remember how to play Duck-Duck-Goose...
Instructions

1. Cut rags in wide strips ~ 3 feet long.

2. Use old stockings; they are softer and have some give to them. Pair up into partners and stand side by side.

3. Tie one persons left leg to the other player's right or vise versa.

4. Practice walking together until you get a rhythm going and then try hopping or running. This can be played as a race or just for active fun.

5. An obstacle course can be created as well. For a real challenge, if it is warm try adding and avoiding an oscillating sprinkler. Be sure to wear swimsuits!

It's best to play in a grassy area or even a sandy beach.
In Summary
✓ Old rags or stockings

2

The kids won't be able to make it without getting wet!

We hope you have enjoyed this list of fun water games for kids. You can use these at summer camp, at home, at family get-togethers, or anywhere kids are looking to play games and have fun on a hot day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
25 Fun Games to Play with Water this Summer - Kid Activities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my links, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here. These fun water games for kids are sure to help you beat the heat.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Summer at my house means lots of playing outdoors, vacation and of course, popsicles. We go through tons of popsicles, which means that we have tons of popsicle sticks left over every single week. So, I started thinking about what I could possibly do with all of those popsicle sticks and I found 50 amazingly fun popsicle stick crafts that you will want to share with your kids this summer.

Popsicle stick crafts have been my favorites since I was a kid. We would always make something with craft sticks at summer camps and Bible schools and my kids love making things with those little sticks as well. I honestly can't wait to show them some of these projects. From picture frames and airplanes to so many teaching games and activities, you are sure to find a great way to use up those craft sticks this summer. I do love a good craft that doubles as a teaching exercise and may of these popsicle crafts create games that will teach your toddlers and preschoolers so many things. Be sure to also check out these 30 DIY sensory toys and games for your little ones.

Part of me honestly dreads summer because I just know that my kids are going to be bored at some point. That's why I thought these popsicle crafts were such a wonderful idea. They give your kids something to do, especially on rainy days, and when the crafts are finished, they have new toys that they will love playing with all summer long. And, if you tend to have bored children at home during the summer months, you should also check out these 50 fun crafts to keep kids entertained this summer. There is something in here for kids of all ages.

1. Handprint Flower Garden Art

Not only will your little ones love making their own flower stems from painted popsicle sticks, they will also love making this flower art. The flowers are made from their handprints - so this is a keepsake for you as much as it is a fun craft for them. And depending on how old your kids are, this one requires very little supervision.

Tutorial: funhandprintartblog

2. Easy Popsicle Stick Airplane

Little boys - and even a few little girls - are going to love making and playing with this popsicle stick airplane. You make this with different sizes of popsicle or craft sticks and wooden clothespins. They can paint and then glue their airplane parts together. This is a great little craft for summer birthday parties! You can make up baggies with all of the supplies and then let them have a blast making airplanes all afternoon.

Tutorial: makinglifeblissful

3. Adorable Alphabet Flower Garden With Popsicle Stick Stems

Kids will love making their own little flower gardens, complete with stems made from painted popsicle sticks. You will love that this is also a teaching activity. Your little ones can practice their alphabet with this one and you only need a handful of materials to make it. This will definitely keep them entertained for hours at a time.

Tutorial: buggyandbuddy

Avengers are so popular right now - at least they are in my house. That's just one of the reasons why I love these Avengers bookmarks that your kids can make from popsicle sticks. They're also really easy and fun to make. They can choose their favorite Avenger - there are so many to choose from - and make their own bookmark however they want it. Plus, this one encourages them to read!

Tutorial: craftsbyamanda

5. Popsicle Stick Balancing Game

Not only is this a craft that your toddlers can help you to make, it's also a game that teaches them about balance. It's a great DIY sensory game and so easy to put together. You need a collection of popsicle sticks, a piece of cardboard, a foam ball and just a few other basic craft supplies. This is a wonderful way to use up those craft sticks and give your little ones a fun summer activity that they can do indoors or out. Definitely add this one to your list of DIY backyard games this summer.

Tutorial: buggyandbuddy

6. Popsicle Stick Ballerinas

Now, this is probably a craft for little girls, although boys could do it as well, if they wanted. They could maybe do the stick people a bit less girly. You need a collection of craft sticks and some cupcake liners to make these cute little ballerinas. You will also need some paints - washable paints will work beautifully and be less messy - and a few pipe cleaners for this one.

Tutorial: gluedtomycraftsblog

7. Craft Stick Barnyard Animals

Kids love barnyard animals and they will really love making their own with their popsicle sticks. You can help them to paint the sticks the appropriate colors and then let them use their imaginations to create horses, cows, pigs, chickens and any other animals that they love. They could also do zoo animals with this - you just need paint, craft sticks, and google eyes, buttons and felt.

Tutorial: craftsbyamanda

8. DIY Craft Stick Marble Run

Here is another fun popsicle stick project that gives them something to make and then something to enjoy playing with for hours at a time. This marble run is easy to make from just an old cardboard box, a few popsicle sticks and some marbles. This is a great project for repurposing cereal boxes or you could use any cardboard box that you may have on hand.

Tutorial: frugalfun4boys

9. Popsicle Stick Picture Frames

Popsicle stick picture frames are such a traditional craft stick project. I remember doing these in school. They are so easy and so much fun to make, and your little ones can decorate them however they want. Use the DIY frames to house their favorite summer photographs or you could make them even bigger than normal and use them to showcase their artwork.

Tutorial: kidsactivitiesblog

10. Fun DIY Color And Matching Game

This DIY game is made from craft sticks and it is just as much fun to play as it is to make. Your toddlers are going to adore helping you to create the different colors and they will have hours of fun learning how to match those colors when the game is finished. I love a good craft that also serves an educational purpose and this is definitely one of those projects.

Tutorial: theconnectionweshare

11. Easy DIY Popsicle Stick Bird Feeder

Give your kids a lesson in nature while letting them enjoy a fun and creative craft stick project. This DIY bird feeder is made from popsicle sticks - and they can paint them various bright colors to make it even more fun. They just create the feeder by stacking and gluing sticks together and then fill it with bird seed and hang from a tree or the front porch.

Tutorial: motheringwithmindfulness

12. Fun And Colorful Craft Stick Popsicles

Your kids can use those popsicle sticks to make their own giant popsicles. This is a great craft project for rainy days or when it's just too hot this summer for them to go outside and play. They just take their popsicle sticks and use them as actual popsicle sticks for these large paper popsicles.

Tutorial: craftwhack

13. Popsicle Stick Water Color Sculpture

Let your little ones have a blast creating their own water color sculptures. They make these sculptures from popsicle sticks that they can paint in any number of colors. Then, they assemble them into a sculpture that you can hang on the fridge - just add a magnet to the back - or anywhere in the house with a bit of yarn or twine. These are so much fun to make!

Tutorial: childhood101

14. Genius Craft Stick Bracelets

Not only does this popsicle stick craft give your kids a new bracelet to wear, it helps to teach them about science. To make your own craft stick bracelets, you have to weaken the wooden craft sticks, which you do by boiling them in water for a bit. Once you have them limbered up,
your kids can decorate them with paint, yarn, stickers or any number of other embellishments.

Tutorial: mollymoocrafts

15. Cute DIY Popsicle Stick Dolls

Who says you have to spend a fortune on toys for your kids? You don't and your kids can even help you to make their toys. These DIY popsicle stick dolls are a great example. They just take those craft sticks and then paint them to resemble their favorite characters. They could make these in any number of styles and decorate them with yarn, paint or any other type of embellishment.

Tutorial: mollymoocrafts

16. Fun And Easy Craft Stick Harmonicas

Not only are these little harmonicas that you make with popsicle sticks cute, they are functional. Your little ones can decorate their own harmonicas and then when they are finished, they can actually use them to make music! To make these, you need craft sticks, toothpicks, paper, rubber bands, and some stickers or other items for decorating.

Tutorial: makeit-loveit

17. Mini Hockey Stick Craft

If you have hockey lovers in your house, they will adore these little mini hockey sticks that you can make from popsicle sticks. You just need some glue and tape to create the colors that they want. You could even personalize these for their favorite hockey team and when they are finished, they can play hockey with them...well, tabletop hockey, but they'll still love them.

Tutorial: todaysparent

18. Popsicle Stick Initial Plaque

Let your little ones create their own bedroom décor with these cute little popsicle stick initial plaques. You just need a collection of craft sticks, some glue and some paint to make these. This is a great way to help toddlers and preschoolers practice on making their ABCs and they will love displaying their own initial plaques in their bedrooms.

Tutorial: creativefamilyfun

19. Colorful DIY Craft Stick Wreath

I love the colors in this wreath that your kids can make from popsicle sticks. You could let them do these to decorate their bedroom doors - maybe even add in their initial in the center - or let them make a colorful wreath for your front door this summer. The color choices are endless. They could do bright watercolors or even do a nice red, white and blue for the Fourth of July, and you can add this to your list of DIY Fourth of July decorations.

Tutorial: babbledabbledo

20. DIY Popsicle Stick Abacus

This DIY abacus that you make from popsicle sticks is not only a great summer craft for the kids, it's also a great learning tool for toddlers and preschoolers. Once you have the abacus made, they can use it to help them learn to count. It's an easy project that you make with popsicle sticks, plastic or wooden beads and bamboo skewers and you can get all of the supplies at any craft or hobby store.

Tutorial: kidsactivitiesblog

Help your kids enjoy reading this summer with these adorable clip on bookmarks that you make from popsicle sticks. The fun part of making them is that they can decorate them however they want. Plus, it helps encourage them to spend some time this summer reading and these make wonderful gifts that your little ones can make for grandparents, parents or even their little friends.

Tutorial: mollymoocrafts

22. Popsicle Stick Exploding Boomerangs

These little boomerangs that you make with popsicle sticks are so much fun. They don't actually explode but they do come apart once they hit their target. Now, they won't return to your kids like a regular boomerang but they will still have loads of fun playing with them. They can paint and decorate them however they want and then spend hours outdoors playing with them when they are finished.

Tutorial: icanteachmychild

23. DIY Folding Popsicle Stick Fan

Remember those old fans that you used in the summer when you were younger? They were so much fun and these DIY versions are just as much fun. Plus, they make a fan so your little ones can use them to help them cool off this summer. These are made with paper and popsicle sticks and they simply couldn't be easier. Plus, your little ones can decorate them however they want, which just adds to the fun of creating them.

Tutorial: pinkstripeysocks

24. Popsicle Stick Garden Plant Markers

I love teaching my kids about gardening. They enjoy learning about different plants and even watching their own plants grow each year. That's where these adorable DIY garden plant markers come in. Help your little ones to make their own plant markers and then watch as they enjoy nurturing those plants all spring and summer long. These are super easy and so much fun to make.

Tutorial: thecountrychiccottage

25. Montessori Inspired Alligator Math Game

Take a few popsicle sticks, paint them green and then glue on foam teeth to create this fun game for preschoolers. This game is based on the Montessori method of learning which is really popular and it helps to teach your little ones math. Not only will they love making the game with those popsicle sticks but they will enjoy learning from it just as much.

Tutorial: prekandksharing

26. DIY Weaving Loom

This DIY weaving loom is really easy to make and once it's finished, your kids will have loads of fun creating other things by using it. When the loom is done, they can use anything from yarn to leftover fabric scraps to create so many wonderful things. Weaving is a great learning experience too and it helps to teach toddlers about the different textures of fabrics.

Tutorial: buggyandbuddy

27. Popsicle Stick Kites

Kids love kites and they will really love making their own little kites from popsicle sticks. These are so much fun to make and decorate and they could even fly them when they are finished. They will want to fly them indoors, as they are really small and probably won't hold up well in the wind. But, you could have a ball playing with them indoors on rainy days.

Tutorial: mamajenn

28. DIY Popsicle Stick Word Spacers

I really do love fun craft projects that double as learning tools. These DIY word spacers can be made with popsicle sticks and they help your early learners to put legible spaces between their words when they are writing. These are great for summer learning sessions and they will be perfect for taking back to school with them in the fall.

Tutorial: therapyfunzone

29. Fun DIY Popsicle Stick Monsters

These little monsters are anything but scary and your kids are going to adore making them with you. You use a few popsicle sticks to make each one and then let them use their own imaginations when it comes to coloring and decorating them. They will have hours of fun playing with these or they could use them to decorate their bedrooms.

Tutorial: iheartartsncrafts

30. Craft Stick Movable Puppets

My kids loved putting on puppet shows when they were younger and yours will love it too with these DIY movable puppets that they can make with popsicle sticks. They can add images from magazines for the faces or you could print off photos of them and let them make their own little family of puppets. These are so much fun to make and even more fun to play with when they are finished.

Tutorial: mollymoocrafts

31. Popsicle Stick Puzzles

For these popsicle stick puzzles, you print off images - whatever images you want -and then turn them into easy to manage puzzles for your toddlers. You can use images of your family or their favorite characters. Go to the Disney website and print off Mickey and Minnie pictures to use or use whatever images they love. They will have hours of fun putting together these little puzzles and they are a great teaching tool.

Tutorial: adventuresofadam

32. Fun Popsicle Craft Boats

Summer is a great time for water play and your little ones will adore making their own boats from popsicle sticks. These float really well and are perfect for those hot days when they really want to play in water outdoors. The boats are super easy to make, even for your toddlers and preschoolers and they will love decorating them all by themselves.

Tutorial: craftysticks

33. Glittery Popsicle Stick Dragonflies

These little dragonflies are made with popsicle sticks and they are so adorable. Your little ones can put them together and even paint them with glittery paint to make them even more fun. These are great for outdoor play or they could use them to decorate any number of things from bedroom walls to DIY wreaths and other summer themed décor.

Tutorial: craftymorning

34. Tiny Popsicle Stick Easels

If you have a rainy day this summer, these little popsicle stick easels will help your kids to fight boredom. They can make a number of little easels for displaying their artwork and then create the artwork that they want to display. These are super easy to make and even your toddlers will enjoy creating artwork and showing it off on their own tiny popsicle stick easel.

Tutorial: ikatbag

35. DIY Popsicle Stick Fairy House Door

Kids love fairies and fairy houses and they can create their own little fairy garden, using a popsicle stick as the door. This DIY fairy door can be added to your DIY fairy house or you could simply attach it to a tree base or stump to look as if a fairy lives there. If your little ones love creating their own DIY fairy house décor and furniture, this is the perfect door to go along with them.

Tutorial: danyabanya

36. DIY Craft Stick Fencing

This DIY fence that you make from popsicle sticks is perfect for barnyard play. This would also be great for a little fairy garden. Just let your little ones paint their popsicle stick fences any colors that they want and they can use them to keep those barnyard animals corralled. This is also a great way to teach toddlers about colors and putting the fence together is a great hand eye coordination activity.

Tutorial: powerfulmothering

37. Cute DIY Popsicle Stick Mermaids

If your little ones love The Little Mermaid then they will really love these tiny mermaids that they can create from popsicle sticks. Not only is this a fun craft, it's also a fun playing activity once they have created their little mermaids. These are super easy and offer so much room for imagination. Your kids will adore picking out their mermaid colors and designing them all on their own.

Tutorial: gluedtomycraftsblog

38. Popsicle Stick Mother's Day Craft

Let your little ones create their own DIY Mother's Day gift for you or for grandmothers with this cute little popsicle stick craft. They just use the sticks to make a house and then they can decorate the house with construction paper, glitter, buttons or any number of other colorful embellishments. This is a great way to give them the joy of gift giving.

Tutorial: craftymorning

39. Popsicle Stick Patterns

These colorful popsicle stick patterns give you a great opportunity to teach toddlers and preschoolers about color patterns. They just paint the sticks the colors that they want to use and then attach them in specific patterns using tape. It's a wonderful teaching exercise for colors and for counting. They can count out how many blues they want for instance and then add reds, greens, or any number of other colors.

Tutorial: messforless

40. Easy DIY Popsicle Stick Vases

These little vases are so easy to make and depending on the ages of your children, they may be able to do them all by themselves. They just paint the popsicle sticks whatever colors they want - they could also use markers - and then line them up against a glass or small vase to create the design. These are super simple and so much fun to make and it gives your little ones the opportunity to provide you with adorable new home décor.

Tutorial: cutesycrafts

41. DIY Scooby Doo Popsicle Stick Dolls

When my son was younger, he absolutely adored Scooby Doo. If your kids love that whimsical pup then they will really adore these Scooby Doo dolls that they can make from popsicle sticks. They just have to paint them the various Scooby Doo character colors and they could even draw on faces if they wanted. These are super fun to make and to play with when they are finished.

Tutorial: kidsactivitiesblog

42. Fun DIY Popsicle Stick Bombs

Here is another great popsicle stick craft that gives your little ones hours of play time when the craft is finished. By painting popsicle sticks different colors, you create a Jenga type of game. Once the sticks are dry, you just stack them as high as you want and then when you are finished, just remove the bottom stick to watch them all come crashing down.

Tutorial: pbs

43. Cute Idea - Summer Boredom Buster Popsicle Sticks

An empty mason jar and those popsicle sticks are perfect for beating summer boredom. You just let your kids create any number of activities and then print them out on popsicle sticks. They can even decorate their sticks with washi tape or fabric scraps. Each stick contains a different activity and when they get really bored, they can pull out a stick for an activity that the entire family can enjoy together. This is also a really cute DIY mason jar decorating project.

Tutorial: whilehewasnapping

44. Popsicle Stick Treasure Box

Treasure boxes are so much fun for little ones. Not only will they love keeping their treasures in these little boxes, they will adore creating their own treasure box from popsicle sticks. You can use any number of paint types or colorful tape to help them create their design and then they just have to glue all of the sticks together to make the box. It even has a lid to keep their treasures hidden away.

Tutorial: powerfulmothering

45. DIY Velcro Dot Building Sticks

A collection of popsicle sticks and some Velcro dots are all you need to create the perfect building sticks for little ones. These are super easy to make and so much fun when they are finished. Let the kids help you to paint the popsicle sticks in an assortment of bright colors and then they can help place the Velcro dots, which helps to keep the sticks in place while they are building with them.

Tutorial: powerfulmothering

46. Popsicle Stick Wax Paper Lantern

Just a few basic craft supplies, including a few popsicle sticks and some wax paper will give your toddler the makings for these fun and adorable little lanterns. They will love creating these and displaying them when they are finished. This is also a good way to teach your little preschoolers about colors and putting the lanterns together is a great hand eye coordination activity.

Tutorial: artsyfartsymama

47. Craft Stick Caterpillars

How cute are these little caterpillars that your kids can make from popsicle sticks? They are so easy to do and they can design their caterpillars however they want. You just need a popsicle stick and pipe cleaners for each one that they want to make. You will also want some google eyes and glue. Wrapping the pipe cleaners around the sticks is great for teaching them coordination and they will adore watching their little caterpillars come to life.

Tutorial: orientaltrading

48. Summer Craft - Popsicle God's Eye

Remember going to summer camp and making these adorable God's eyes? I do and your kids can have the same fun with this popsicle stick project. To make these, you just need some colorful yarn and a couple of popsicle sticks for each one. Once these are made, they can hang them to help decorate their bedrooms or anywhere that they want to add some color.

Tutorial: hubpages

49. Craft Stick Spiderwebs

Kids will love these little spiderwebs that they can make from popsicle sticks. You just help them to paint their popsicle sticks white and then use white yarn to add the web effect. These are really great for Halloween decorations but they can make them in the summertime too. This is also a great nature craft and is a good opportunity to teach your kids about spiders and which ones they should avoid.

Tutorial: consumercrafts

50. DIY Popsicle Stick House

This may be my favorite popsicle stick craft ever. Kids will really love building their own little houses from popsicle sticks. They don't even have to paint or color the sticks, although they can if they want them to be more colorful. What a great craft for summer! This one is perfect for rainy days and once they have their houses built, they can play with them all summer long.

Tutorial: marthastewart

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
50 Fun Popsicle Crafts You Should Make With Your Kids This Summer

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Summer at my house means lots of playing outdoors, vacation and of course, popsicles. We go through tons of popsicles, which means that we have tons of popsicle sticks left over every single week.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's always great to find easy, affordable ways to beat the heat during the summertime. And even better when you don't have to leave your backyard. Pool noodles are a common find at the dollar stores as soon as spring hits. Why not turn one into something fabulous? This pool noodle sprinkler project is SO simple! Older kids could help you do this. It's much more affordable than those sprinklers you buy in the store that get used once before they bust - or before your kid loses interest! If you use this just once, you're only out a buck or so. Even less if you already had the pool noodle!

Supplies:

Let us know how yours turns out!

Want more ideas for your pool noodles? Check out this post - chock FULL of ideas!

Pin this post on your summer DIY boards!

Newsletter

Want more stuff like this?

Get the best viral stories straight into your inbox!
You may also like

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Make a Simple DIY Pool Noodle Sprinkler - Bite Sized Biggie

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's always great to find easy, affordable ways to beat the heat during the summertime. And even better when you don't have to leave your backyard. Pool noodles are a common find at the dollar stores as soon as spring hits. Why not turn one into something fabulous?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Enjoy this FREE printable Indoor Scavenger Hunt for kids - a super fun activity with a sneaky math twist!

We have a TON of scavenger hunts for kids, and yet -- most of them are outdoor hunts or holiday-related. So I thought it was high time that we came up with a fun hunt to do inside!

This *NEW* hunt is perfect for bad weather days, easy to do & an awesome cure for the "I'm bored" syndrome. Plus, it inspires kids to burn off some energy but doesn't include jumping on the furniture or chasing the dog from room to room ;)

This fun scavenger hunt is a great way to keep kids busy for at least a half hour or more! And similar to our Indoor Easter Egg Hunt, this one can also be done in almost any house -- at home, at grandma's, while visiting a friend, etc.

This is a fun activity to do at sleep-overs or birthday parties -- kids can either work together or give them each their own printed hunt. It's also a great thing to do for an indoor camping activity too!

In addition to finding the clues pictured on the hunt, kids also need to do some quick counting along the way too (it never hurts to squeeze in some math during a fun activity, right?!) For each of the clues on the list, kids will need to fill in the number of items you have in your home.

One of the BIG benefits to scavenger hunts is increasing a child's observation skills -- especially a hunt where you'll need to both find & count the items!

For example, one of the clues listed says "___ clocks" -- so send them off to search all the rooms in the house to count up the total number of clocks. Thus the 'get them up and moving' strategy behind this activity ;)

And you totally have my permission to roll your eyes at them if they just sit on the couch and ask you "How many clocks do we have in the house?" (Don't they know we're on to their tricks by now)

Scavenger hunts are a full-contact get-up-and-participate sport!

We're including a copy of the free printable Indoor Scavenger Hunt below along with affiliate links to some items we recommend for a successful hunt!

Tips for an Inside Scavenger Hunt

You only need a few items for a successful hunt -- here are our recommendations:

the FREE printable scavenger hunt (get yours below!)

a sturdy 9 x 12" Clipboard clipboard so it's easy to hold & carry from room to room

a pen or pencil (to fill in the number of items)

a quick tutorial for kids on how to "tally" numbers -- so kids can keep track of what they are counting (there's a SUPER great book called Tally O'Malley that's perfect for learning this skill!

If you have older kids who don't really need counting practice, you could make this a timed challenge! Just set a timer for 30 minutes and see if they can find & count all items before the buzzer goes off.
Psst.. If you happen to be a preschool or kindergarten teacher or homeschool family, this is a great activity for kids to do while they practice their counting skills ;)
Indoor Scavenger Hunt Clues

We included items that are pretty easy to find around the house, especially since kids will be doing some counting. Here's the list of clues they'll need to find along with a few hints to help them scout out the items:

Clocks - remind kids to look for digital and analog clocks

Keyholes - this could be a challenging item -- if you have any keys for doors, than there has to be a keyhole

Toothbrushes

Pets

Doors - it's amazing that kids seem to forget that closets also have doors ;)

Globes - another challenging item! If you don't have any, just put in a zero. I happen to collect mini-globes (yea - total geography nerd here!)

Televisions

Suitcases - you may have to give kids a hint on where you keep these!

Potted Plants - another challenging item especially if you're like me and frequently kill most plants that come into the house -- but live herbs count as plants, right?

Water glasses

Rulers

Refrigerator - most houses have 1 of these - if you have more, be sure your kids add an 's' to the word

Forks & knives - be sure to check the dishwasher and dry rack!

Pairs of socks

Windows -- ALL windows, those that open and ones that don't (eg. skylights are windows ;)

Stuffed animals - depending on your house, this one could take a while to count!

Like I said earlier, between the hunting and the counting, this should keep kids busy for at least a half hour or more -- it's a fun activity to give them to do while you prep for dinner -- or finish that book you've been dying to finish!

Grab your FREE printable Indoor Scavenger Hunt and have some fun this week!

More Indoor Scavenger Hunt Ideas:
FREE printable St. Patrick's Day Scavenger Hunt
Indoor Easter Egg Hunt (with FREE printable clues!)
Finding Fingerprints: Indoor Science Activity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Indoor Scavenger Hunt for Kids (w/FREE printable!)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Enjoy this FREE printable Indoor Scavenger Hunt for kids - a super fun activity with a sneaky math twist! We have a TON of scavenger hunts for kids, and yet -- most of them are outdoor hunts or holiday-related. So I thought it was high time that we came up with a fun hunt to do inside!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Use Your Noodle: 6 Crafts to Make with Pasta

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Looking for a creative craft idea? Show your good taste with painted pasta.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this easy science experiment you will be designing a tin foil boat that will hold the greatest number of pennies. Get together with some friends and have a contest to see who can design a cargo boat that will hold the most pennies.

Materials

Directions

1. Cut a piece of tin foil 5 x 6 inches.

2. Fold up the sides of the boat so it will not sink and hold a cargo of pennies.

3. Place the boat in the bowl of water. Begin adding pennies for the boat's cargo.

4. See how many pennies your boat can carry before it sinks.

5. Have some friends over and try this experiment with them. See which one of you can create the boat that will carry the greatest amount of cargo.

6. Be sure to dry the pennies before you begin adding them as cargo because remember water has weight!

7. Have the person who created the boat begin adding pennies to their boat while another person counts the number of pennies as they are added to the boat.

8. Try different ways to distribute the weight of the pennies on your barge so you can carry the maximum number.

Try another science experiment.

1. Create a boat out of tin foil that is 4 x 5 inches. Make a prediction about how many pennies you will be able to carry as cargo in this boat.

2. Create boats out of clay and see if you can make them float and carry cargo.

Click for More Information and to Order
Science behind the experiment

There are two primary forces acting on this science experiment. The first force is gravity. Gravity is trying to pull the tin foil and pennies downward. The force of buoyancy is pushing the boat toward the surface.

The gravitational force is determined by the weight of the tin foil and the weight of the pennies in the boat. The force of buoyancy is the weight of the water displaced by the boat.

Your boat will continue to float as long as the force of buoyancy is greater than the force of gravity and you do not overload the boat so it will tip over or leak

More Links to Science Experiments

Elementary Science Experiments, Penny Drop In this fun science experiment you will see how many drops of water you can put on a penny without it overflowing.

Fun Science Experiment, Marble Powered Race Cars Create a ramp, a paper car and see how far you can make the car travel powered only by a marble!

Gravity Experiments, Perfect Landing Astronauts in the early days of space exploration returned to Earth using parachutes to slow their descent. In this experiment you create a variety of parachutes and test them.

Water Cycle Experiments, Floaters and Sinkers Try these amazing science experiments and find out how insects can walk on water!

Easy Science Experiment, Tin Foil Boats Create a tin foil boat and see how much cargo it can carry in this fun experiment.

Kids Fun Science The links on this page include information science activities, science experiments, plate tectonics, the rock cycle and much more.

Easy Science Experiments Lots of easy experiments for kids of all ages.

KIDS FUN Science Bookstore

Check out Myrna Martin's award winning textbooks, e-books, videos and rock sets. The Kids Fun Science Bookstore covers a wide range of earth science topics. Click here to browse.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this easy science experiment you will be designing a tin foil boat that will hold the greatest number of pennies. Get together with some friends and have a contest to see who can design a cargo boat that will hold the most pennies. Materials Directions Cut a piece of tin foil 5 x 6 inches.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This printable rhyming set could be used in many ways and includes several pairs of matching rhyming picture cards.

To play this Rhyming Match Game, print out the rhyming mats and the picture cards. Cut out the picture cards and put them in a bowl or basket with the corresponding mat. There are three sets of Rhyming Match Games. Children will take a card from the bowl and find the matching rhyming word on the mat. For example, if they draw a carrot from the bowl, they will match the card to the parrot on the mat. Continue playing until all cards are matched.

The Answer Key sheet can also be used as an observational assessment recording sheet during small group lessons. When a child correctly matches a pair of rhyming cards, you can write their name or initials in the square (shown in photo below). I always abbreviate my students' names with the first 3 letters of their name:

Download the Rhyming Match Game

Each set has mats with 8 pictures and 8 matching cards. Download the sets below. These printables are FREE, just click the links to download.

More Resources

You might also like this set of What Doesn't Belong: Rhyming cards, available in my shop. Its a unique way to practice rhyming skills.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This printable rhyming set could be used in many ways and includes several pairs of matching rhyming picture cards. To play this Rhyming Match Game, print out the rhyming mats and the picture cards. Cut out the picture cards and put them in a bowl or basket with the corresponding mat.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For those who want something different to do outside...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Demonstrate key math concepts in your classroom using our new virtual manipulatives!

# data[].attributes.body
Just a little activity for my families that also have infants/toddlers

# data[].attributes.body
A simple fun activity to do outside.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This summer we spent a full week at the cottage and when it's raining and the water is cold you have to get a little creative with making fun activities for the kids! That's when we started to think, what kind of games can we do with what we have? We have sidewalk chalk on hand and really, the sky is the limit with sidewalk chalk. You can make up any game - educational or not with just a few pieces of chalk. So we thought we would find 10 of the best sidewalk chalk ideas to share with you. Now the next time the kids say they are bored, grab this list and head outside with some sidewalk chalk!

10 Sidewalk Chalk Ideas
Sidewalk Chalk Outdoor Math Game
This is such a simple activity to set up. All you need is sidewalk chalk and some dice and you have a fun 20 minute game with the added bonus of learning math!

Grab some sidewalk chalk and learn about shapes with this simple activity! Do it again and again with different shapes until your kids have mastered the maze each time!
Driveway Shape Game
This game works best with two kids. Learn to tell time with the hour and minute hand by making this large outdoor clock!

Learn the alphabet with this simple sidewalk chalk activity. So many different ways to play with this game board once you have it set up!
ABC Sidewalk Chalk Game
Sight words need a lot of practice. This game will surely get the kids learning a word or two and it's fun!

This is a great idea! Set up a series of activities for the kids to go through and see who can complete the course the fastest.
Learn Sight Words Game Sidewalk Chalk Obstacle Course
These simple and fun letter activities will keep kids moving by doing actions to each letter that they find.

This is a great one if your child loves to play hide and seek! Hide different animals around your yard and match them to the letter.
4 Letter Activities
Includes trace your child, fun with the alphabet and bubble hop scotch. We love the trace your child idea. What child doesn't love getting their body traced!
Hide and Seek Letter Animal Game
This will be a hit with the car lover in your family! Make a map of your city or neighborhood and you can use it to teach them about your neighbors too.

Which of these sidewalk chalk ideas are your favorite? If you still haven't found one you like, try one of these other sidewalk chalk games. Let us know if you have any other ideas or games we've missed!

Other Sidewalk Chalk Games
3 Sidewalk Chalk Activities

Classic Hopscotch

Pictionary with chalk!

Can you draw? Prompt to draw different animals, shapes, letters

Build a Maze - build your own maze using chalk and have the kids complete the maze or build their own!

Life size Checkers Board, Tic Tac Toe or other game board

Trace your shadow! Instead of tracing your body, stand and trace someone's shadow! You can do this with shapes of toys too like dinosaurs and animal figures!

Chalk Art - draw balloons and take a picture of them holding them. There are lots of different chalk art ideas you can make. We like some of the ideas here.

Build a Map of Your City or Neighborhood
Looking for more fun kids activities? Try this play mud. You can do this in an outdoor sensory table and make a large mud pit for dinosaurs or other animals!

This bug sensory bin is a great way to introduce kids to different bugs! Then take them outside and see which ones you can find in your own backyard! Bring the magnifying glass along with you too!
Here are a few other sidewalk chalk games to play with the kids! Share this post on Facebook with your friends!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 of the Best Sidewalk Chalk Ideas - The Best Ideas for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This summer we spent a full week at the cottage and when it's raining and the water is cold you have to get a little creative with making fun activities for the kids! That's when we started to think, what kind of games can we do with what we have?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Need to get your kids off the couch?

I have something for you this week that will not only keep kids active, but also will do a lot of good things to their brain, their memory and even sleeping habits.

It's a sidewalk obstacle course.

Don't worry. No need to look for pool noodles or other equipment. You already probably have everything you need for this activity.

Create Sidewalk Obstacle Course With Chalk

Good chalk and a sidewalk are only two things you will basically need for this obstacle course.

Make a start point and work your way around the sidewalk (or wherever you are making the obstacle course) by drawing different activities. Include many different tasks such as dancing, jumping, hopping, turning around, jumping on 1 foot, clapping, going backwards, etc. You could even include rocks or other objects and create a task around it. It's a good idea to squeeze in some "break" activities such as make a wish, give high five to the sky, say your name, empty your pockets, etc. It makes the obstacle course more fun.
WATCH THE VIDEO
If you need a plan or some inspiration you can download our Sidewalk Obstacle Course printable and follow it. Here is a printable for obstacle course. Use this as a starter and idea generator, but don't let it keep you from creating your own very best obstacle course.

Why Obstacle Course?

I love obstacle courses mainly because it keeps kids moving AND playing, so they are always up for it. I try to encourage kids to create their own obstacle courses.

Did you know that kids aged 5-12 years should have a combination of moderate and vigorous activities for at least 60 minutes every day.

Keeping kids active is super important and obstacle course is a great way to do it. It can improve better sleeping habits, Help children develop friendships, increase confidence and happiness. It can also improve coordination and movement skills. It can reduce risk of unhealthy weight gain. It can improve concentration and it will reduce anxiety and stress for kids.
This is week 6 of our Weekend Camp at Home, where we try to occupy kids with fun and hopefully independent play activities on the weekends. So you can do your stuff.
Did you see the rest of Weekend Camp activities?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Need to get your kids off the couch? I have something for you this week that will not only keep kids active, but also will do a lot of good things to their brain, their memory and even sleeping habits. It's a sidewalk obstacle course. Don't worry.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Check out these 20 Simple Popsicle Stick Crafts for Kids to Make and Play - Save those Popsicle or Ice Cream Sticks or Craft sticks and have fun!
Wherever you are in the world, I can guarantee that you can make a Popsicle stick craft, because there are Popsicles everywhere!

When we were young, my siblings and I used to gather the sticks from all the ice creams we had and when we had a sizeable collection, we set out to make all kinds of things with them. I remember making tiny doll furniture, while my sister made little trinket boxes.

These days you can either collect ice-cream sticks or buy craft sticks - you even get them in bulk at pretty cheap rates. We always have loads of these sticks at home, because you never know when the craft bug will bite you and when it does, you got to be ready!

Try These DIY Crafts With Your Kids While You're Stuck at Home
**As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made through this site. Thank you!
Popsicle sticks are so incredibly versatile to craft with, and what's interesting is that you can make some pretty useful stuff with them! Yes, Popsicle stick gift ideas are a thing! Anyway, today we're not getting too complicated; instead, we're going to celebrate the simplicity of these sticks with some super easy Popsicle stick crafts for kids to make, play with, give their friends, and in short - enjoy!!

20 Popsicle Stick Crafts for Kids to Make

Want something to cheer you up instantly? Nothing beats a nice colorful rainbow! The Resourceful Mama shows us how to make a very simple rainbow with just glue, cotton pads/balls and craft sticks. Paint plain sticks if you want to or just stick to colored ones.

Snowflakes have this magical quality to them; no matter how simple they are, they always look lovely! This craft stick snowflake is fairly straightforward, but you can make it your own with the kind of embellishments you use. Attach a piece of pipe cleaner and it's good to hang!

Ooh, this little fishy looks all puckered up and ready for a selfie! Glued to My Crafts uses plain felt and sticks to make this fish craft, but you can use color themes to match the One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish Seuss book.

Get the slim variety of Popsicle sticks to make these dainty little dragonflies. Pipe cleaners turn into wings, while googly eyes give the dragonflies some personality! Attach a thin string and hang a bunch of these to create a spring-like atmosphere indoors.

No kid ever leaves childhood without playing with a DIY plane! NL Cafe has instructions to make these cute craft stick airplanes. You can translate the page into English or just look at the pictures - they're pretty self-explanatory!

These craft stick fairies are quite the chameleon - you can turn them into princesses, ballerinas or angels. All you need to do is play around with the wings and change the dress. Add a pointy black hat and you'll also get a witch for Halloween!

Handprint crafts are great for the younger lot, and this one from Make and Takes is just perfect! Get the pieces ready and let the child assemble it alone. Ideal for spring, Easter or simply when learning about baby animals.

These little bunnies will mark your page - so don't worry about losing your place! You really don't need much more than paper and craft sticks to make this craft, making it perfect for those impulsive 'I want to craft' moments!

Kids Craft Room has a fun DIY toy that also makes a great stocking stuffer! Love how you can mix and match to make any pattern. Go for jumbo sticks to have enough space to stick the snaps securely.

If you're having trouble teaching your little one to read, then these CVC theme flowers are here to help. This is a great resource for learning about word families and improving spelling in young kids.

Check out these fun monsters from I Heart Arts n Crafts, made with Popsicle sticks as the base. These are perfect for Halloween and the best part is that you can make them look as friendly or creepy as you want them to. Add more eyes, some fangs, arms - anything you like!

Give your small world dolls or action figures a nice comfortable camping site with these craft stick tents! Throw in some pebbles, light up a fire and let the songs and horror stories begin!

Homan at Home puts together some bright colored foam and craft sticks to create these cute bookmarks for some memorable summer reading. I can imagine making these for each season - snowflake or a tree for Christmas, rabbit or baby chick for Easter, pumpkin or witch for Halloween - take your pick!

I Heart Crafty Things embellish with beads, stickers, gems anything you like, you can have glitter paint to have a girly robot too

Want some subtle Halloween decor or just feel like pranking someone? Buggy and Buddy has the solution for you! Popsicle sticks give these spider webs shape will yarn finishes it. Don't forget a tiny plastic or rubber spider to make it realistic!

Is this a paper craft? Or a Popsicle stick craft? I think it's a little bit of both! Krokotak has a hilarious flying witch craft - look at the witches looking sideways at you!

If you're in a unicorn phase, then you must try this pretty craft from Hello, Wonderful!! That double layered horn gives the unicorn some extra glamor, and don't forget the rainbow yarn - it makes a world of difference!

Old fairy tales have their own charm, but adding puppets makes it so much more interesting! Storytime Toys has a project that's not too simple, but not too hard - yes, it's a set of Goldilocks puppets!

Kids Craft Room has a cute little bee craft is a stunner rather than stinger! Besides the craft sticks, those plastic milk containers used as wings is a genius idea. I think it should work well with any translucent material too.

A list of Popsicle stick crafts without a Popsicle craft?? Not possible! And that's why we have this giant paper craft from Tiny Rotten Peanuts, that's perfect for summer, or for ice cream lovers all year round!

These Popsicle stick crafts for kids are just a small selection from the huge collection out there, and these should give you inspiration to try more. Most of these craft require very basic craft supplies like colored paper, with a few requiring others like pipe cleaners, googly eyes and so on. So you're never at a loss when you want to craft - if you have Popsicle sticks, you're all set!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
20 Simple Popsicle Stick Crafts for Kids to Make and Play

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Check out these 20 Simple Popsicle Stick Crafts for Kids to Make and Play - Save those Popsicle or Ice Cream Sticks or Craft sticks and have fun! Wherever you are in the world, I can guarantee that you can make a Popsicle stick craft, because there are Popsicles everywhere!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This large set of blackline rhyming cards can be used in a variety of games. There are 56 cards, or 28 sets of rhyming pairs.

These cards can be used for rhyming word matching, and I made them small in size so they can be glued to die cut shapes, or even the decorative cut-outs like Trend and Carson Dellosa make. You could also print them on card stock paper and use them as they are. If you need a larger or smaller size, use the reduce/enlarge button on a copying machine.

Games to Play with Rhyming Cards

There are numerous games you can play with pairs of rhyming picture cards. Here are a few. If you come up with some creative ways to use them, be sure to share your ideas in the comments below!

Rhyming Game 1

In this game, the teacher places 3 rhyming cards on table: two cards that rhyme and 1 card that doesn't. Children guess which two words rhyme.

Rhyming Game 2

Children match pairs of cards that rhyme. One option is to give children about 6 cards and have them match the 3 pairs of cards that rhyme.

Rhyming Game 3

Another option is to pass out cards to half of the children in the class, and pass out the rhyming matches to the other half of the class. Ask the class to find their partner.

Rhyming Game 4

Pass out cards to each child in the group, keeping the matches in a pile to yourself. Shuffle your pile. Place a card in a pocket chart and ask the group who has the match. The child with the matching card will come up to the pocket chart and place their card beside your match.

Rhyming Game 5

The teacher "deals" out cards to each child in a small group. Each child should have about 5 or 6 cards. Call on the first child to say and show the first card in their stack. Other children look through their cards to find the match. Place the matches in the middle of the table.

Downloads

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This large set of blackline rhyming cards can be used in a variety of games. There are 56 cards, or 28 sets of rhyming pairs. These cards can be used for