In celebration of Earth Month, I’ve gathered 12 fun activities to help get kids learning about the earth, conservation, pollution, and all things earthy. These activities are hands on, teach other important skills as you go, and will help kids to better understand the world around them and appreciate and care for the environment. Read on to find 12 of the best preschool activities for Earth Day from the Kid Blogger Network.
Recently we experimented with making dough from baking soda and corn starch, and ended up with a ton left over after we created hand print ornaments. I thought it would be fun to create a few Easter egg ornaments with the Bear and let him paint them. The boy loves a good project, and every time we get the paint out he gets so excited. This ended up being a really fun craft to do with him and would work for kids ages 2 and up. I’ll share the details of our process along with a few things we learned and would do differently next time.
The Bear and I love a good project. This little Easter Egg Garland was a really fun one to create with him, and gave him lots of great fine motor skill practice. Stringing objects is part of his upcoming skills check with our pediatrician’s ages and stages questionnaire, so we’ve been working on it together. I thought making an egg garland would be great practice and give us a festive decoration for our mantle at the same time. He is so proud of his creation, as you can see above. His two year old attention span couldn’t handle making the whole thing in one day, so we worked on it bit by bit over several days.
Winter weather combined with high energy toddlers can be a recipe for cabin fever. The Bear needs to run, so I make little indoor obstacle courses for him on a daily basis. We run laps around the loop (living room-kitchen-dining room), and climb over pillows and under chairs.
The benefits of early music education have long been touted, but signing up for mommy and me music appreciation groups or finding instructors to teach private lessons can cost a lot. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to provide your kids with exposure to music at home and on a budget, from crafting your own instruments to taking online music classes. Here are some easy but effective ways to give your children experience with music which can positively aid their growth and development.
Does the idea of letting your preschooler play with paints make you cringe and give you the beginnings of a headache? No worries. We’ve been painting like crazy all summer and the Bear and I have it down to a science. Yes, it’s messy, but it is also fun and can be stress free. Here’s how we do it.
What You Need:
washable non-toxic paint
paper (really any kind will do, but we prefer cardstock or construction paper)
a 20-30 minute time slot
a hose or kiddie pool
an outside work space
Make It Happen:
We set up on the picnic table my husband made for the kids. He’s working on a tutorial if you’re interested. Use one sheet of paper as your child’s palette. Let them pick 2-3 colors to start with and put a dollop of each color on the palette. Take off your child’s shirt. Show them how to dip their fingers in the paint and use their finger as a paint brush. We also read a book about Curious George mixing paint before we painted for the first time to help with the concept.
Step back and let them create. Resist the urge to correct. Let them mix and swirl and get messy.
Every few minutes bring in a new sheet of paper. Show them how to make hand prints, a useful skill for grandparent gifts later. Take some photos and enjoy the flowing creativity.
After about 20 minutes, ask if they are ready to be done (if they haven’t stopped already). Grab your hose (and possibly and inflatable kiddie pool) and strip them down to wash off. This might be as fun (or more) than the actual painting. Give them 2 cups to fill up or and help facilitate a little rinsing. While they are rinsing, lay out the masterpieces to dry and pick up the paints. Give your table a wipe down, then dry off your now clean child. You’re done, and you both survived with your sanity in tact and you get the fun mom of the year award. Everybody wins!
