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26.26 Playgroup Orientation Training Video

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26.27 Playgroup Orientation Packet (Spanish)

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26.27 Playgroup Orientation Packet (Spanish)

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SP Playgroup Orientation Packet 26.27 Final

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26.27 Playgroup Orientation Packet (English)

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26.27 Playgroup Orientation Packet (English)

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Playgroup Orientation Packet 26.27 Final

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Trinka and Sam Series (Resource to help children process environmental disasters ENG/SPA Printable)

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Trinka and Sam Series (Resource to help children process environmental disasters ENG/SPA Printable)

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Free Printable Copies in Spanish and English. 5 Stories (different versions tailored to different disasters: Earthquakes, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, COVID).

Disaster resource: Story, coloring book, and parenting guide combined

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Trinka And Sam Disaster Series | Piplo Productions & NCTSN

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Free series to help families & communities heal after disasters. Over 350,000 copies shared.

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Emergency Preparation for Childcare Providers

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Emergency Preparation for Childcare Providers

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Helping Young Children recover after the Northern California Wild Fires (SPANISH) (1)

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Helping Young Children recover after the Northern California Wild Fires (SPANISH) 

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Helping Young Children recover after the Northern California Wild Fires (SPANISH) 

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Helping Young Children recover after the Northen California Wild Fires (SPANISH) (1)

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Custom404 • County of Humboldt • CivicEngage

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The page you are looking for has been moved, deleted or does not exist. You could go back to where you were or visit our homepage that has a search function to help you explore further.

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California Department of Conservation administers a variety of programs vital to California's public safety, environment and economy. The services DOC provides are designed to balance today's needs with tomorrow's obligations by fostering the wise use and conservation of energy, land and mineral resources.

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INSIDE: Snowball Rescue Sensory Bin is a great fine motor winter activity for toddlers and preschoolers. Rescue the snowballs in this easy sensory bin activity!

My Sensory Bin and STEAM Books

Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.

Also check out my new book coming out in the Summer 2021: Super STEAM Activity Book! Stay tuned for more information!

The Best Toddler Homeschool Program

I am currently developing a new Toddler Homeschool Curriculum called Play2Learn Toddler Homeschool Program. Be sure to sign up for my newsletters so that you get first dibs when it is released! It is includes tons of fresh and new ideas!

How to Set Up Snowball Rescue Sensory Bin

Grab your sensory bin and place inside of it different sized marshmellos, cotton balls or white paper scrunched up into balls. I wouldn't add all of these items but they are just one. But the best thing about this sensory bin there are tons of items you can use so use what you have at home! Also use the item that best suits the age of your toddler.

Next, grab your painters' tape and tape across the sensory bin to create a web for your toddler or preschooler to maneuver their tongs or spoon through. Set up a separate basket or bin where your little one can transfer the snowballs into. You can place this beside your toddler or at a distance to turn it into a gross motor activity. They will have to hold the snowballs in the tongs or balance it in the spoon across the room to transfer it into a separate container.

Hand your little one a pair of tongs or a spoon and have them try and grab or scoop the "snowballs" out of the sensory bin and transfer them to the next container! Super simple and fun!

Snowball Rescue Sensory Bin was a Total Hit

Once again this idea was a total hit and my toddlers loved it. It was also a fantastic fine motor skill activity.
My twins are 2.5 years old.
Looking for more Fun Winter Activities? Check out these fun ideas:

Supplies

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

WILL YOU TRY SNOWBALL RESCUE SENSORY BIN WITH YOUR TODDLER OR PRESCHOOLER THIS WINTER? PIN IT FOR LATER!

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Snowball Rescue Winter Sensory Bin - HAPPY TODDLER PLAYTIME

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INSIDE: Snowball Rescue Sensory Bin is a great fine motor winter activity for toddlers and preschoolers . Rescue the snowballs in this easy sensory bin activity! Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids .

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Make beautiful snowstorm art with this easy winter painting project! These abstract paintings, covered with glue and epsom salt, bring stormy winter weather to life.

Process art is such a fun way for kids (and adults!) to express themselves creatively. This activity is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, but is fun for any age group. These sparkly snowstorm paintings turn out so beautifully!
This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a small commission which helps us run this website.
DIY Winter Painting

Helpful Tips:

1. You don't have to stick to purple, blue, and white paint! These colours definitely look the most wintery, but letting kids choose their own colours often results in awesome looking art!

2. If you'd like the epsom salt to stick only to the glue (and not the paint), allow the paint to dry before adding glue.

How long do these winter paintings last?

Our winter paintings only lasted about two days. After that the epsom salt turned white and most of it fell off of our paintings. This is a super fun way to make art, but you probably won't be hanging your snowstorm paintings on the fridge.

How do I prevent the salt from falling off?

The Epsom salt sticks well to the glue, but after a day or so it falls right off the acrylic paint. If you want the salt to stay on your painting, wait for the paint to dry before adding the glue. Then use a paintbrush to spread a generous amount of glue around your painting where you'd like the salt to be.

How do I keep the paper from curling?

We used cardstock for our art project because it's thick enough to hold layers of paint - but it definitely curled up after it dried. Acrylic paper or watercolour paper, which are meant to be painted on, work well and will keep the paper from curling.

You can also cut out cardboard from a cereal box or buy inexpensive canvases at the dollar store.

What type of paint to use for winter painting?

We used acrylic paint, mostly because it's what we have on hand. If you're working with younger kids you may want to use tempera paint, which is washable. Watercolour paint would also work well for this art project.

Just keep in mind that the salt may not stick to the wet tempera and watercolour paint, so you may need to add more glue before you add your salt.

What if I don't have epsom salt?

Epsom salt has a really nice icy look to it, but there are definitely other options to sprinkle on your paintings. You can use sea salt, kosher salt, or regular table salt. Each one has a unique texture and look, so experiment and see what you like best!

Confetti and glitter are fun non-salt options that would look great sprinkled on these winter paintings. They'll also stick better to the glue and make your paintings last longer.

Stay nice and warm as you celebrate the winter season with these gorgeous (and simple!) snowstorm paintings. This type of process art helps increase fine motor skills, and is known to build focus and nurture creativity.

Each winter painting is unique, and there's no wrong or right way to do it - making it the perfect mixed media art project for kids of all ages!

Here's even more winter art project ideas:

Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
How to Make Coffee Filter Snowflakes Salt and Watercolour Snowflake Art

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Easy Winter Painting | DIY Snowstorm Paintings

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Make beautiful snowstorm art with this easy winter painting project! These abstract paintings, covered with glue and epsom salt, bring stormy winter weather to life. Process art is such a fun way for kids (and adults!) to express themselves creatively. This activity is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, but is fun for any age group.

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Toddler at Play | Kids Crafts & Activities

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Here's a simple activity you'll love! This easy Torn Paper Snowflake craft is perfect for all ages and is super quick to set-up too! The list of materials is only 4 and you probably have all of them at home, isn't that sweet!

This craft is a great way for kids to stay busy, happy and learning! Perfect for fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and as an independent activity. Take a look below to see exactly what areas of child's' development are being improved and how!

MORE LOW-PREP CRAFTS that will take you less than 5 minutes to prep!
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.
Materials for Torn Paper Snowflake:

Tear the light blue cardstock into about .5″- 1″ pieces and place in a bowl (my little wooden bowl is from Hobby Lobby).

Next, using the permanent marker or pencil, draw a large, simple snowflake on the white cardstock.

Prepare the glue stick and light blue torn pieces for the child to glue.

Instructions:

Hand-eye coordination (gluing the small pieces of cardstock along the snowflake lines)

Fine motor skills (picking up the pieces of cardstock, gluing)

Independence (great activity for some quite, down time where the child can easily work on his/her own as there are no hard directions to follow)

What is my child learning and improving?

This is an awesome craft to use up those old pieces of scrap paper. Even purple, lilac and pinks will look beautiful!

Make this easy Torn Paper Snowflake craft today with your kids while there's still snow on the ground and when you do, let me know in the comments if your kids enjoyed this craft! 🙂

And don't forget to follow us on Instagram and facebook!

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Torn Paper Snowflake Craft - Toddler at Play

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Here's a simple activity you'll love! This easy Torn Paper Snowflake craft is perfect for all ages and is super quick to set-up too! The list of materials is only 4 and you probably have all of them at home, isn't that sweet! This craft is a great way for kids to stay busy, happy and learning!

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Toilet Paper Roll Snowflakes Toddler Activity

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A super and easy craft to make your own snowflakes - fun toddler activity

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Snowflake Balance Activity is fun and easy gross and fine motor Winter themed activity for toddlers and preschoolers. A great indoor activity for those cold winter days when you need a simple to set up activity to keep them entertained!
This was a lot of fun for my toddlers and a great balancing and gross motor activity. It was also very easy to set up.

Looking for more Fun Winter Activities? Check out these fun ideas:

Snowflake Balance

Setting this up is super simple. Grab your painter's tape and create a giant snowflake on the floor. The bigger the better. Grab a bowl or basket and cotton balls. Set them beside your giant snowflake.

First, I modeled what I wanted them to do. I walked along the tape snowflake with a cotton ball in hand walking one foot in front of the other. Then I placed the cotton ball at the end of the snowflake and walked back to grab another one. I asked my toddler to balance and walk along the snowflake to decorate it with snowflakes.

I had my toddlers continue doing this until most of the snowflake was covered.

How to Extend Play

Another great way to extend this activity is to have them line up the cotton balls along the lines of the snowflake to make it white like snow.

Supplies

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

WILL YOU TRY SNOWFLAKE BALANCE ACTIVITY WITH YOUR TODDLER OR PRESCHOOLER THIS CHRISTMAS? PIN IT FOR LATER!

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Snowflake Balance Activity - Happy Toddler Playtime

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Snowflake Balance Activity is fun and easy gross and fine motor Winter themed activity for toddlers and preschoolers. A great indoor activity for those cold winter days when you need a simple to set up activity to keep them entertained! This was a lot of fun for my toddlers and a great balancing and gross motor activity.

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Fill winter days and keep the kids entertained with a Winter Magic Watercolor Craft. Watch as winter scenes magically appear beneath their paint brushes. This post contains some affiliate links. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
Winter Magic Watercolor Craft

1 - Pick your designs. For this craft, I selected winter themed images - holly berries, snowflakes, snowmen, and evergreen trees. Pressing firmly with the china marker, draw the winter images on the watercolor paper.

2 - On a paint-friendly surface, lay out the watercolor sheets. Tape down all four edges using masking tape.

3 - Mix assorted watercolor paint colors in small cups or bowls. I chose red, green, and blue. Let your little ones paint on the water color and watch as images "magically" appear beneath their brushes!

The twins always love doing this magic watercolor craft, and this time we gave our pictures to Grandma for a Christmas present.

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Fill winter days and keep the kids entertained with a Winter Magic Watercolor Craft. Watch as winter scenes magically appear beneath their paint brushes. This post contains some affiliate links. Click here to read my full disclosure policy. 1 - Pick your designs.

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Pom Poms

Large plastic container

Squeeze Bottle

Paint Brush

Colourful Bowls

Towel

Set Up

Put your pom poms into a small sensory bin or plastic container that will fit into your freezer, add water and let them soak. I let mine soak for a few hours simple because I forgot about them but about 10-15 minutes should be enough. I did not completely cover the pom poms in water. The ones on the bottom were submerged but the ones on the top were not. I just made sure that they were all good and soaking wet before I put them into the freezer over night.

Playtime!

Leave the block in the bin out and take it out on the table. Grab some squeeze bottles filled with warm water, paintbrushes, and other tools. Use the brush and tools to work them out. Make sure to have towels laid out on the ground to soak up the water, or if possible, do this activity outside.

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(Spanish) Template Family Emergency Plan

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(Spanish) Template Family Emergency Plan

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Checklist for preparing a family emergency kit

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Checklist for preparing a family emergency kit

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(Spanish) Checklist for preparing a family emergency kit

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(Spanish) Checklist for preparing a family emergency kit

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Tingalayo! Ven, burrito, ven, Tingalayo! Ven, burrito, ven.

Mi burro anda, mi burro habla

Mi burro come con tenedor y cuchillo

Mi burro anda, mi burro habla

Mi burro come con tenedor y cuchillo Tingalayo! Ven, burrito, ven, Tingalayo! Ven, burrito, ven. Mi burro come, mi burro duerme

Mi burro cocea con ambas patas traseras Mi burro come, mi burro duerme

Mi burro cocea con ambas patas traseras Tingalayo! Ven, burrito, ven, Tingalayo! Ven, burrito, ven.

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Tingalayo - Music With Sara - Best Song for Learning Spanish - Spanish Songs for kids

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Way up high in the apple tree,

Two red apples smiled down at me I shook that tree just as hard as I could

Down came the apples, mmmm they were good!

Way up high in the apple tree,

Two red apples smiled down at me. *Let the children pick the color

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Miss Nina - Music & Movement for Preschool

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Way Up High In The Apple Tree | Preschool Apple Song for Kids | Song with Motions | Miss Nina

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My dog Lima likes to roam,

One day Lima left his home. He came back nice and clean, Where oh where has Lima bean? Lima bean, Lima bean, Where oh where has Lima bean?

My dog Refried likes to roam,

One day Refried left his home. He came back nice and clean, Where oh where has Refried bean? Refried bean, Refried bean, Where oh where has Refried bean? My dog ______ likes to roam...

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Lima Bean (See description for lyrics and activities)

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De colores, de colores

Se visten los campos en la primavera.

De colores, de colores

Son los pajaritos que vienen de afuera.

De colores, de colores

Es el arco iris que vemos lucir

Canta el gallo, canta el gallo

Quiri, quirir, quiri, quiri, quiri

La Gallina, la gallina con el cara, cara, cara, cara, cara

Los polluelos, los polluelos con el

Pio, pio, pio, pio, pio

Y por eso los grandes amores

De muchos colores me gustan a mí.

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De Colores/ In All Colors (Illustrated by Laura Zarrin)-Read & Sing Aloud

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Singing in the rain.

We’re singing in the rain. What a wonderful feeling. We’re thumbs up ...

CHORUS:( Cheecha cha cha cheecha cha cha cheech cha cha. 2x ) Now swaaaaay. Singing in the rain. We’re singing in the rain. What a wonderful feeling. We’re thumbs up, shoulders back....

CHORUS Singing in the rain. We’re singing in the rain. What a wonderful feeling. We’re thumbs up, shoulders back, knees together...

CHORUS Singing in the rain. We’re singing in the rain. What a wonderful feeling. We’re thumbs up, shoulders back, knees together, bottoms out...

CHORUS Singing in the rain. We’re singing in the rain. What a wonderful feeling. We’re thumbs up, shoulders back, knees together, bottoms out, tongues out... CHORUS

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TheLearningStation - Kids Songs and Nursery Rhymes

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Singing in the Rain Song ♫ Original Kids Version ♫ Kid Songs by The Learning Station & Dream English

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Juanito cuando baila baila, baila, baila Juanito cuando baila

Baila con el dedito

Con el dedito, ito, ito, As? baila Juanito. Juanito cuando baila baila,baila,baila. Juanito cuando baila Baila con el pie, Con el pie, pie, pie Con el dedito, ito, ito As? baila

Juanito. Juanito cuando baila baila,baila,baila.

Juanito cuando baila Baila con la rodilla, Con la rodilla, dilla, dilla Con el pie, pie, pie Con el dedito, ito, ito As? baila Juanito. Juanito cuando baila Baila,baila,baila. Juanito cuando baila Baila con la cadera Con la cadera, dera, dera Con la mano, mano, mano Con el codo, codo, codo Con el hombro, hombro, hombro Con la cabeza, eza, eza… As? baila Juanito.

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"Juanito Cuando Baila" with Gaby | Spanish Bilingual Songs for Preschool

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One little fishy swimming in the water, swimming in the water, swimming in the water,

One little fishy swimming in the water, Bubble Bubble Bubble Bubble Pop

Two little fishes swimming in the water swimming in the water, swimming in the water,

Two little fishes swimming in the water, Bubble Bubble Bubble Bubble Pop

One little octopus squiggling in the water, squiggling in the water, squiggling in the water,

One little octopus squiggling in the water Bubble Bubble Bubble Bubble Pop!

One baby shark swimming in the water, swimming in the water, swimming in the water,

One baby shark swimming in the water

Bubble Bubble Bubble Bubble Pop!

One enormous whale spouting in the water, spouting in the water, spouting in the water,

One enormous whale spouting in the water,

Bubble Bubble Bubble Bubble Pop!

One little fishy swimming in the water, swimming in the water, swimming in the water,

One little fishy swimming in the water, Bubble Bubble Bubble Bubble Pop

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Miss Nina - Music & Movement for Preschool

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Children's Song: Bubble, Bubble Pop! - Action Song for Toddlers, Preschoolers & Kindergartens

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Five little speckled frogs Sat on a speckled log Eating some most delicious bugs. YUM! YUM! One jumped into the pool, Where it was nice and cool, Now there are four green speckled frogs! GLUB! GLUB! --Repeat, decreasing to four little speckled frogs, etc.

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Five Little Speckled Frogs 🐸 Kids Nursery Rhymes

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Que levante la mano quien es un perrito

Guau - guau - guau guau guau!

Que levante la mano quien es una ovejita Mee - mee - mee mee mee!

Que levante la mano quien es un caballito Hi i i - hi i i - hiii hiii hii

Que levante la mano quien es un patito Cuac - cuac - cuac cuac cuac!

Que levante la mano quien es una vaquita Muu - muu - muu muu muu!

Que levante la mano quien es un pajarito Pii - Pii - Pii Pii Pii!

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Que Levante La Mano (Sonidos de Animales) ♫ Canciones Infantiles ♫ Plim Plim

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Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun

Please shine down on me

Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun Hiding behind a tree

These little children are asking you

To please come out so we can play with you

Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun

Please shine down on me

Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun

Please shine down on me

Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun

Hiding behind a tree

These little children are asking you

To please come out, so we can play with you

Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun

Please shine down on, please shine down on

Please shine down on me

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Mr. Sun - Children's song with hand movements!

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Cabeza, hombros, rodillas y dedos de los pies

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Cabeza, hombros, rodillas y dedos de los pies

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Cabeza, hombros, rodillas, pies, rodillas, pies.

Cabeza, hombros, rodillas, pies, rodillas, pies.

Ojos, orejas, boca y nariz

Cabeza, hombros, rodillas, pies rodillas, pies.

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Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes in Spanish - by Native Speaker | Cabeza, Hombros, Rodillas y Pies

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‘Ne-mohl, ‘Ne-kwoy-te-mehl,

‘Ner-err-kerhl,

‘Ne-skey-we-tew ‘Ne-mohl,

‘Ne-kwoy-te-mehl,

‘Ner-err-kerhl,

‘Ne-skey-we-tew ‘ney-leen ‘ne-chpey-geyr’ ‘ney-luehl ‘nerp’-em

‘Ne-mohl,

‘Ne-kwoy-te-mehl,

‘Ner-err-kerhl,

‘Ne-skey-we-tew

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Yurok Language: Head, Shoulders, Knees, Toes song

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Head, shoulders, knees and toes

Knees and toes

Head, shoulders, knees and toes

Knees and toes

Eyes and ears and mouth and nose

Head, shoulders, knees and toes knees and toes

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Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes | Fun Songs for Kids! | Good News Guys!

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Cuando Mas Juntos Estemos Con signos ASL

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Cuando Mas Juntos Estemos Con signos ASL

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Cuando mas juntos estemos, estemos estemos.

Cuando mas juntos estemos tanto mas feliz seremos.

Pues tus amigos son mios y mis amigos son tuyos.

Cuando mas juntos estemos tanto mas feliz seremos.

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The More We Get Together-Spanish version included

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The leaves are falling down,

The leaves are falling down,

Down down to the ground

The leaves are falling down (repeat 2x)

The leaves are blowing all around

The leaves are blowing all around

Blowing blowing blowing blowing

Blowing all around

We’re gonna push them in a pile

We’re gonna push them in a pile

Push and push and push and push and push them in a pile.

We’re gonna jump into the leaves

We’re gonna jump into the leaves

When I count to three

We’re gonna jump into the leaves… 1 -2 - 3 JUMP!

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Miss Nina - Music & Movement for Preschool

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Preschool Fall Song and Movement Activity | The Leaves Are Falling Down | Miss Nina Children's Song

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Hurry Hurry drive the fire truck

Hurry Hurry drive the fire truck

Hurry Hurry drive the fire truck

Ding ding ding ding ding

Turn the corner

Hurry Hurry turn the corner

Hurry Hurry turn the corner

Hurry Hurry turn the corner

Ding ding ding ding ding

Climb the ladder

Hurry Hurry climb the ladder

Hurry Hurry climb the ladder

Hurry Hurry climb the ladder

Ding ding ding ding ding

Get the hose

Hurry Hurry squirt the water

Hurry Hurry squirt the water

Hurry Hurry squirt the water

Ding ding ding ding ding

Back to the station

Slowly Slowly back to the station

Slowly Slowly back to the station

Slowly Slowly back to the station

Ding ding ding ding ding

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Hurry Hurry Drive The Fire Truck | Fire Truck Song | Lah-Lah Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs

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La Vaca Lola, la Vaca Lola tiene cabeza y tiene cola y hace ¡Muuu!

¿Y que más tiene la vaca? ¡Orejas! La Vaca Lola, la Vaca Lola tiene orejas, tiene cabeza y tiene cola y hace ¡Muuu!

¿Y que más tiene la vaca? ¡Cuernitos! La Vaca Lola, la Vaca Lola tiene cuernitos, tiene orejas, tiene cabeza y tiene cola y hace ¡Muuu!

¿Y que más? ¡Dos ojos! La Vaca Lola, la Vaca Lola tiene dos ojos, tiene cuernitos, tiene orejas, tiene cabeza y tiene cola y hace ¡Muuu!

¿que más tiene la vaca? ¡Tiene manchitas! La Vaca Lola, la Vaca Lola tiene manchitas, tiene dos ojos, tiene cuernitos, tiene orejas, tiene cabeza y tiene cola y hace ¡Muuu!

¿y que más? ¡Cuatro patas! La Vaca Lola, la Vaca Lola tiene cuatro patas, tiene manchitas, tiene dos ojos, tiene cuernitos, tiene orejas, tiene cabeza y tiene cola y hace ¡Muuu!

La Vaca Lola, la Vaca Lola tiene cabeza y tiene cola y hace ¡Muuu!

La Vaca Lola, la Vaca Lola tiene cabeza y tiene cola y hace ¡Muu

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Dúo Tiempo de Sol - La Vaca Lola Acumulativa

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A handout discussing how to take care of yourself during disaster or crisis

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A handout discussing how to take care of yourself during disaster or crisis

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Calm-down bottles are a fun visual sensory experience! I tend to make these with caregivers when they describe their kiddo as having BIG emotions. They're weighted just enough to shake and have fun while getting some input to help regulate themselves. I'll pair it with an emotions chart as a visual (just lying on the table) to help facilitate feelings and emotions. Maybe add a feelings book? Normalize big feelings! It's typical for younger kiddos, give them the words to help communicate those big, new feelings. Model the calm, create space to let those feeling out. I usually hot clue the tops to ensure they don't get opened. I've also seen recycled plastic water bottles used to make these.

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here.
With three ingredients you can make this stunning galaxy calm down bottle! This would also be perfect for the little ones who love learning about space!

Every year I love making a space themed activity, and this bottle is inspired by an amazing slime over at Two-daloo: Galaxy Slime.

Calm down bottles and calm down jars are great for teaching children self-regulation. And they are just amazing to look it. Calm down bottles are for all ages, babies to adults! They're great for use at home, or are wonderful to add to a preschool curriculum.

How to Make a Galaxy Calm Down Bottle

This is one of the easiest calm down bottles to make ever! No special techniques are necessary, and if you have never made one before, this might be the perfect one to practice on.
Ingredients
You only need three ingredients to make this!

I used a VOSS water bottle for this. You can read about where to find them and what other bottles are a good alternative in my post How to Make a Perfect Sensory Bottle. I love VOSS water so I pour it into another glass to drink and use the VOSS bottle for all of my many sensory bottles and discovery bottles.

Mineral oil and baby oil are one in the same. They are sold at drug stores, many grocery stores, some dollar stores, and online. Get enough to fill up most of your water bottle. I chose mineral oil because I want the confetti stars to last a long time. I'll keep you updated on that!

Candy dye is a must! Liquid watercolor and food coloring are not oil based, so do not use those! I found my candy coloring at Michael's, but it was the third craft store I hit, so I would probably just get it online next time to avoid the hassle of hunting it down! There are two types of candy coloring. I got the one with the primary colors.

I also used the candy coloring to make these color mixing sensory bottles!

Star confetti is at craft stores or you can find it online. I bought mine from Amazon because I am a Prime Member and highly addicted to free shipping!

Glitter is a perfect touch to this. I used three different types. I just used what I had at home already and made no special trips to the store. I used silver glitter from the dollar store as well as black and gold fine glitter from the craft store. I wanted to use silver fine glitter, but I was completely out from all of the other calm down jars I've already made.
Instructions
Pour the mineral oil into your empty water bottle. Feel free to use a funnel for this. I leave the top part of the water bottle empty. With the VOSS bottles I put just enough to go near the lid. You just want enough space to easily mix your bottle.

Add some blue candy coloring dye next. I put in about ½ teaspoon. Add as much as you like until you get the color you want!

Caution: This is messy and stains! I always handle this part and let the kids do the other parts!

Add the confetti stars! I used about 1/3 of the package and then put the rest in some Starry Night Sky Slime!

Now add some glitter if desired. Since this is mineral oil, any glitter will work great. I used silver glitter from the dollar store as well as some fine glitter I already had around in black and gold. You can use any color.

Lastly, glue on the lid! I use Gorilla Glue and check it every few months to make sure it stays on. You would NOT want mineral oil all over your floor!

I love that the gold almost gave a shooting star appearance!

Now give your beautiful galaxy calm down bottle a nice shake and enjoy!

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here. With three ingredients you can make this stunning galaxy calm down bottle! This would also be perfect for the little ones who love learning about space! Every year I love making a space themed activity, and this bottle is inspired by an amazing slime over at Two-daloo: Galaxy Slime.

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What feels like many moons ago, I was introduced to Moon Sand during a teacher's staff meeting. I restrained myself from playing with the moon sand during the meeting - but mate, I loved the stuff. I had discovered a mess free version of wet sand. It blew my mind. Here was a material that had all the characteristics of wet sand, but unlike wet sand, brushed off your hands (and clothes) with ease once you'd finished playing with it. Blew. My. Mind.

When my kiddos were old enough to play with Moon Sand, I bought a few bulk packs of Moon Sand. My husband thinks the stuff smells like cat litter so he wasn't a fan. I didn't mind the smell. It was easy to clean up. The kids loved it and would play with it a few hours a week. The only drawback was that it got quite expensive to replace after awhile, especially when you compare it to the price of normal sand.

I looked online for a DIY alternative of Moon Sand and came across Flights of Whimsy's Cloud Dough. I thought the Cloud Dough would be a good DIY version of Moon Sand, so gave it a go.

Ingrdients
8 cups plain flour
1 cup baby oil (or any oil if you're concerned with using baby oil)
How We Played
We scooped it into small takeaway containers.

We made little cakes, complete with candles.

We brought our favourite toys to the table and created an engaging story of bravery and camaraderie.

We played. We created. We were together.
Some Notes From The Trenches
Like Moon Sand, this DIY version holds its shape very well when you mould it (using your hands or a cup, etc), but crumbles very easily once pressure is applied. Unlike Moon Sand, this DIY version is oily. When you play with it, the oiliness is not noticeable. It's when you tidy up the play area that you notice traces of oil wherever the Cloud Dough has been. I thought I contained the mess to one area of the house, but because the kids had it on their feet, the oiliness spread throughout the house. I had to give the floors a good mop after we played. This is messy play, but very engaging messy play. Well worth the clean up.
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Pauline & Lessons Learnt Journal is all about life with kids. Pauline is an Aussie mum and teacher who shares her love for play, math games, writing and reading activities. She believes that #playmatters, values curiosity & wonder, wisdom, obedience and respect. She also needs naps. When not blogging, she may be found virtually hoarding on Pinterest, trying to decide which Instagram filter to apply, or compulsively refreshing her Facebook feed.

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What feels like many moons ago, I was introduced to Moon Sand during a teacher's staff meeting. I restrained myself from playing with the moon sand during the meeting - but mate, I loved the stuff. I had discovered a mess free version of wet sand. It blew my mind.

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I would stay away from candy! This article is a great inspiration, though. Also, I like to use ground coffee in sensory bins. It's a tingly sensory experience and doesn't taste great, so less mouthing. Water play can be tricky. Use very little water to avoid big messes. It doesn't take much to make it a fun sensory experience.

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Updated August 2023
It's hard to believe, but fall is here! That means cooler nights, beautiful trees and lots of pumpkin muffins in my future. And don't forget hot cider, pumpkin picking and decorating. There's so much I love about fall, but today I wanted to share 10 fall sensory play activities that your kids are sure to love.

Many of these activities I set up at my kids' art classes last fall. I like to have a sensory bin component to our classes that the kids can migrate to once they've wrapped up the art activity.

Most of these sensory play ideas are also taste safe making them a great fit babies and toddlers too.
You might be wondering, "Why set up sensory play opportunities for my kids?". Here's why sensory play is important for kids and worth encouraging.

So, let's get started!

Fall Sensory Bins for Kids

Cloud dough is super simple to make.

For this Halloween version combine 8 parts flour to 1 part cooking oil. Then mix in cocoa powder to color it and make chocolate cloud dough. Finally, add in gourds, silicone cupcake liners, scoopers and candy corn (if you have baby/toddler you might choose to omit the candy).

2. Pumpkin Pie Oobleck
This stuff is so fun to touch and is a very satisfying material for young kids to explore.
It's not drippy like regular oobleck which you may be familiar with. Mix 1 cup pumpkin puree with 1.5 cups cornstarch. Tweak to your liking depending how firm or squishy you'd like it. Add in plastic animals (or other seasonal toys) to make footprints!

3. Water Play with an Autumnal Spin

The setup for this sensory option is super quick, so it is especially great when you need time to make dinner or even just a few quiet minutes.

For this I used a big plastic bin and filled it a few inches with water. Then I added pumpkins, oranges and some strainers and cups/bowls.

We do this one every year and it evolves as my kids' get older.

( Inspiration thanks to fantastischer_raum for this super simple, yet beautiful autumn sensory play idea.)

In case you haven't heard, aquafaba is AMAZING! It is a delightfully fluffy and taste safe making it perfect for even the littlest ones to play with. I like to make different versions for the holidays and seasons!

Add fun embellishments for pretend bakery fun for older kids or hide some bigger plastic animals in the foam for babies to discover.
Find out how to whip up chickpea juice into the best sensory play foam for kids.
5. Foamy Water Play with Pumpkins

Get out the hand mixer, a big bowl and some tear-free bubble bath. Add water and bubble bath in a 2-1 ratio and begin to whip.

I was astounded by how quickly the foam got out of control! We had a whole Strega Nona pasta pot situation on our hands. Consider yourself warned!

6. Apples & Oats Sensory Play Bin

This bin reminds me of cozy fall days and warm mulled cider. Pour some oats, throw in some apples, add a few cinnamon sticks (and star anise if you have it)... and ta-dah! Or add pumpkins and guords as an alternative.

Inspiration thanks to @makersri who also wrote an amazing post for The Artful Parent about the importance of sensory play for kids.

7. Autumn Playdough
I mixed up some no cook playdough (if you've never made your own, watch how to make homemade playdough over on Youtube!
For the fall scent and color I used a mixture of liquid watercolors and spices for the browns (coriander, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg). And did you know, pinecones make beautiful rose prints in playdough?
We also love to use Autumn-colored and -scented playdough to make turkeys!
8. Orange Oobleck & Bumpy Gourds

Here's how to make oobleck, which is wonderfully drippy, yet firm. If you haven't made this yet, you must try it! Add food coloring or liquid watercolors to color.

It's a great sensory activity for babies to explore, especially with the addition of some bumpy gourds. I mean, look at that face!

9. Floating Leaf Water Play

This one is so simple that I almost didn't mention it. Go on a nature walk and collect some beautiful leaves. Fill a baking sheet with enough water to allow the leaves to float.

That's it! Babies will happily splish splash to their hearts content. The cutest!

10. Scrubbing Pumpkins & Gourds

This is a fun one for the pre-k crowd and older--kids really get into this activity! Gotta have a clean gourd, right?!

More Fall Arts & Crafts for Kids
Want even more Fall fun? Pin It for Later

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Try these 10 amazing fall sensory bins with many taste safe ideas that are perfect for babies & toddlers too!

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Fruit and Veggie pouches
Capri Sun
Fruit snacks
Soft granola bars

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You can color the tapioca pearls with food dye or leave them be, put in a bin, and let them kids play. They will love this activity, safer alternative to orbeez

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I am sure you have probably heard of water beads. They are a really fun sensory play product for kids. Have you ever tried tapioca pearl sensory play? Tapioca is the starch from the Cassava root.

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Make ahead of time for playgroup and watch the littles enjoy. Nontoxic with all natural dyes.

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Little Green Dot | Make your own natural homemade skincare

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Make It - Homemade Playdough | Little Green Dot

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yellowbox] Hi, if you're staying home because of the coronavirus pandemic, you're in the right place! I'm Militza, and I've been teaching student how to make safe and natural homemade products for almost 10 years.

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Mess free activity where little ones can see how mixing primary colors can give you more colors.

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Primary Colours Squishy Bag Experiment is a wonderful sensory experience for children to see how colours mix and form other colours. Children use their hands to blends and squish the different coloured paints together for form new colours.

The three primary colours, red, blue and yellow are the minimum number of colours that can be mixed to make the greatest number of other colours or secondary colours.

Primary Colours Squishy Bag Experiment is a fabulous follow on from the stories Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni and Red, Blue, Yellow Shoe by Tana Hoban

What you will need?

You will need a large tray (or flat surface), red, blue and red paint, clear plastic zip lock lunch bags and sticky tape.

The sticky tape is used to seal and strengthen the openings of the zip lock bag and to also tape the bags onto a flat surface.

Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni (affiliate link)

Red, Blue, Yellow Shoe by Tana Hoban (affiliate link)

Some Ideas:

Place the two coloured paints for each zip lock bag in the corners opposite each other. One bag with blue and yellow, second bag with red and blue and the third bag with red and yellow.

Use sticky tape to seal and strengthen the squishy bags. If you are concerned the bag may break, you can double bag it for extra strength. I find that by fastening the squishy bags flat on a surface with sticky tape also assists in avoiding the bag breaking.

Read the stories Little Blue and Little Yellow or Red, Blue, Yellow Shoe and talk about the colours and what it happening in the stories.

Gently press and push the paints to the centre of the bag to blend. Using your fingers gently rub the paint to mix and blend.

Watch as the colours blend together. Make predictions and talk about what is happening throughout the process. Use descriptive language.

Label and name each colour throughout and talk about the new colours that they see.

Ask questions, such as, which two colours made green? Name other objects that are green? Can you go and find me something that is green? What do you see? What does the squishy bag feel like?

Let's Learn

Re-use the squishy bags for a writing activity. Children can write letters, numbers, drawing pictures and shapes using a Cotton Bud (QTip).

Click here to download and print the shapes and number flip books.
Printable Numbers Flip Book Printable Shapes Flip Book
Learning Opportunities

Language development: Using descriptive words to express ideas and opinions.

Make connections with real life experiences.

Promote scientific thinking: predictions, observations, comparison, reasoning, experimentation and evaluation

Hand-Eye Coordination and Control

Cause and Effect

Language development - colour mixing, primary and secondary colours.

Colour recognition - name and recognise colours.

Click here for more PRIMARY COLOUR activities & play ideas

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Primary Colours Squishy Bag Experiment is a wonderful sensory experience for children to see how colours mix and form other colours. Children use their hands to blends and squish the different coloured paints together for form new colours.

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Sensory Walk - A fun sense of touch activity for kids! - Messy Little Monster

Good opportunity for parent involvement and sensory fun!

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Sense of touch activities are GREAT for toddlers, preschoolers, and even older kids. With this Sensory Walk, kids will explore the sense of touch using their feet! We use our hands during sensory play as we explore different textures frequently, but this sensory activity is a little different. Children are encouraged to feel different surfaces and materials with their feet instead. Scroll down for step by step directions to help you setup your own sensory walk activity!

There are lots of benefits to sensory play as a whole and this sensory walk activity focuses on both physical and learning benefits. With a sensory walk, toddlers and preschoolers get to engage in a variety of sensory play, show awareness of their body, follow adult guidance in regards to safety, and demonstrate willingness to try new activities.

This sense of touch activity is also great for emotion control as it can help sensory seekers self-regulate.
Scroll down below to get started on this fun sensory walk activity!
We mention toddlers and preschoolers, but this sensory walk activity is a lot of fun for older kids too! My 5 and 8 year old loved it as much as my toddler.

Large sensory containers

Selection of sensory materials (see below)

Sense of touch activity directions:

STEP 1: Gather your materials

First things first - get your materials! Round up all the supplies you plan to use. For the containers, make sure they are large and shallow enough to walk through. I advise to grab at least 3-5 bins.
You'll then need different textures for each one, such as:
STEP 2: Setup your sensory bins

To setup the bins, place all the containers in a line to create a "path" and start filling each one with a different sensory material. Add a towel at the end so toddlers can wipe their feet when they reach the end of the sensory walk.

STEP 3: Go for a sensory walk!

Once it's all setup, invite your toddler to go for a sensory walk through the containers. One by one, they step into the different containers and explore the texture with their feet. You may need to hold younger toddlers hands to keep them steady.

You can extend this activity by discussing the different textures and materials they step into as they walk. Ask if they feel hot, cold, soft, sharp, etc.

Feel free to repeat this with different textures, there's a lot of options for this sensory walk activity!

We hope your kids have lots of fun with this sense of touch activity. They are sure to enjoy exploring all the different textures using their feet as they take on this sensory walk. 5 senses activities are a great chance for kids to explore using different senses!

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Sensory Walk - A fun sense of touch activity for kids!

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Sense of touch activities are GREAT for toddlers, preschoolers. With this Sensory Walk, kids will explore the sense of touch using their feet.

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String Cheese
Fruit Pouches
Fruits and Veggies (cut to avoid choking hazards)
Yogurt Pouches
Chedder Bunnies/Goldfish
Fruit Bars

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Clean Up Song | Kids Song for Tidying Up | Super Simple Songs

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Circle Time Transition Song for Preschool, kindergarten

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Open Shut Them | featuring Noodle & Pals | Super Simple Songs

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Head Shoulders Knees And Toes | Noodle & Pals | Super Simple Songs

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If You’re Happy And You Know It | Kids Songs | Super Simple Songs

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Zoom Zoom Zoom We're Going to The Moon - The Kiboomers Preschool Songs For Circle Time

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This is a great article written by Dr. Kristie Brandt and Dr. Bruce Perry in response to the Napa wildfires, on how to support our littles during wildfire.  The concepts are super applicable for all the wildfire events currently happening

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This is a great article written by Dr. Kristie Brandt and Dr. Bruce Perry in response to the Napa wildfires, on how to support our littles during wildfire.  The concepts are super applicable for all the wildfire events currently happening

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(Spanish) Chandra Ghosh Ippen, the author of this book, does a lot of trauma healing through story telling.  This is a story that doubles as a coloring book and has some great tips for caregivers about how to support children. through traumatic events. This book is a free PDF that can be printed.

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(Spanish) Chandra Ghosh Ippen, the author of this book, does a lot of trauma healing through story telling.  This is a story that doubles as a coloring book and has some great tips for caregivers about how to support children. through traumatic events. This book is a free PDF that can be printed.

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Chandra Ghosh Ippen, the author of this book, does a lot of trauma healing through story telling.  This is a story that doubles as a coloring book and has some great tips for caregivers about how to support children through traumatic events.  This book is a free PDF available to be printed.

# data[].attributes.subject
Chandra Ghosh Ippen, the author of this book, does a lot of trauma healing through story telling.  This is a story that doubles as a coloring book and has some great tips for caregivers about how to support children through traumatic events.  This book is a free PDF available to be printed.

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(Spanish) A handout discussing how to take care of yourself during disaster or crisis

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(Spanish) A handout discussing how to take care of yourself during disaster or crisis