107 Things to Put in Your Sensory Table

Here are some ideas for your sensory or "sand and water" table, from traditional to unusual. Keep in mind that you don't need a commercial table for any of these - a large shallow plastic container works fine.

You can also use more than one material in your table. For instance, bury some plastic "jewels" in sand for a treasure hunt or put shells in sand for a beach theme. Add soil to water for mud or mix rice, beans and popcorn for a variety of sensory experiences.


Sensory Materials

1. Sand
2. Water - plain or lightly colored
3. Water with liquid soap or bars of soap
4. Rice - which can be colored with food coloring if desired
5. Pasta - one kind or a mix; can also be colored
6. Snow
7. Fake snow - it's awesome!
8. Hay
9. Soil - use organic for safety; add live worms if you're brave
10. Sod
11. Homemade silly putty
12. Jello - make a few large pans of it and dump it in
13. Cereal
14. Sugar or salt
15. Leaves, acorns, twigs, pine cones
16. Easter grass
17. Shaving cream - can be colored with food coloring
18. Ice cubes or crushed ice, or a large block of ice
19. Shredded documents - from a regular or cross-cut shredder
20. Birdseed
21. Seaweed
22. Grain - or pellets used for animal feed
23. Dog biscuits
24. Fish tank gravel
25. Flour
26. Popcorn
27. Packing peanuts
28. Cedar chips - check your local pet store
29. Sawdust - ask your local lumber company
30. Marbles and cardboard tubes
31. Feathers
32. Applesauce
33. Cotton balls
34. Strips of bubble wrap - you can buy it in large rolls
35. Plastic "jewels"
36. Beads and string
37. Cooked spaghetti - add a little oil to keep it from sticking
38. Curling ribbon
39. Homemade play dough
40. Yarn and string
41. Confetti
42. Pebbles, gravel, rocks
43. Hair gel
44. "Oobleck" - equal parts cornstarch and water
45. Shells
46. Glitter
47. Homemade slime
48. Magnets and small metal objects, like paper clips
49. Potato flakes (dehydrated)
50. Shampoo
51. Live goldfish or minnows - for a short amount of time, and under direct supervision only!
52. Tinsel
53. Smell bottles
54. Natural clay
55. Real or fake flowers
56. Bubble solution
57. Water and a bottle of mineral oil or baby oil
58. Finger paint
59. Jingle bells
60. Wood scraps and sandpaper
61. Papier mache - soak strips of newspaper and put in blender with flour and water
62. Hand lotion
63. Sponges and soapy water
64. Beans - several types
65. Buttons
66. Insides of a cleaned-out pumpkin - or whole gourds/mini pumpkins/decorative corn
67. Pudding
68. Used coffee grinds
69. Toilet paper - add a little water if you like
70. Cornmeal
71. Different kinds of tape or pattern scissors
72. Doll or pillow stuffing - really cheap at Wal-Mart
73. Separate bowls of vinegar and baking soda for mixing
74. Polymer crystals - they are used to provide water to plants; they absorb it and turn into a gel
75. Toothpaste
76. Oatmeal
77. Nuts - use a variety, still in their shells
78. Crepe paper streamers
79. Pom-poms
80. Poker chips
81. White glue
82. Stretchy/squishy toy worms/insects


Tools and Accessories

83. Measuring cups and spoons
84. Cooking and serving utensils: Spoons, tongs, mashers, whisks, etc.
85. Eye droppers or pipettes
86. Turkey basters
87. Small lidded containers
88. Bowls
89. Strainers/colanders
90. Scissors
91. Popsicle sticks
92. Clothespins
93. Dowels
94. Cookie cutters
95. Fishnets
96. Small buckets and shovels
97. Toy people, boats and vehicles
98. Plastic animals and insects
99. Magnifying glasses
100. Bubble wands
101. Funnels
102. Spray bottles
103. Lengths of plastic pipes and flexible tubing (hardware stores carry different diameters)
104. Straws
105. Magnet wands
106. Toothbrushes
107. Plastic fruits and vegetables

Printable Animal Coloring Book

Well dear readers, I've been knocked down by a sudden and nasty case of strep throat, so please excuse the brevity of this post. Even though the antibiotics have sucked away all my energy, I didn't want to break my chain of continuous daily posts. And because I vow to put something practical and useful in every single post, today I'll just direct you to this great collection of animal coloring book images, courtesy of National Geographic.

The pictures are detailed and realistic, just as you'd expect from NG. I particularly like the Monarch butterfly, as it shows the insect's whole life cycle. I'd like to color some of these myself for display in my classroom. It'll give me something to do over the next couple of days, in between the chicken soup, penicillin, and wild swings in body temperature. I believe in the healing qualities of a 120-count box of Crayolas. Don't you?

Amazing Free Paper Crafts & Card Models - Print, Cut & Assemble

I've discovered some incredible sites that offer printable paper crafts. These are not your average cut-and-fold giraffes or origami cranes; the ones I'm listing here are truly impressive. This craft is often referred to as "card modeling" because heavy cardstock is the preferred medium.

Many of these are highly detailed and labor-intensive, so unsuitable as a project for younger kids. I'm going to make some animals to use in finger plays, though, and some of the toy-making projects might be fun to use with the little ones. Here are my picks for the best, along with some other links I found along the way.

1. Canon 3D Papercraft: Just wonderful! Make pop-up cards, seasonal decorations, ornaments, animals, boxes, masks, or flowers. There is also a collection of 40 buildings and vehicles that can be used together to make a miniature town. Or choose to make some famous buildings or... or just go look, it's amazing!

2. Yamaha Motor: Yes, the motorcycle company. This Japan-based site (it's in English) features models of motorcycles, animals (like the macaw pictured above), and seasonal items. They are so breathtakingly realistic you may have trouble believing they're made of paper. Lots of work but worth it if you enjoy a challenge. (Nissan, not to be outdone, also offers some paper models of cars. This site is in Japanese, though, and the cars aren't nearly as real-looking. Honda also has some cute cars, but again - in Japanese.)

3. The Toymaker: Adorable, whimsical paper creations. Some are available in both color and black and white so you can save ink and color them yourself if you so choose.

4. Haunted Paper Toys: Perhaps a bit on the dark side for the younger kids, although the "Pocket Monsters" might be a fun one. There are some mechanical toys here, too, like a bat that flaps its wings when a handle is turned. Great detail, and perfect for Halloween decor.

5. Papertoys.com: Small, and not as detailed as some of the others - but relatively easy. A variety of vehicles and landmarks.

6. Mirkwood Designs: Tons of really nice printable templates for boxes, cards and envelopes. This doesn't quite fall into the "card modeling" category, but I like it so much I couldn't skip it in this list. I can see myself having the kids decorate these, and then doing the actual assembly myself. Older kids, say fourth grade and up, could do most of these unaided. In any case these designs would be wonderful as gift boxes or to hold holiday cards.


Other Sites to Check Out

HP Activity Center
Iceberg Bouwplaten
3D Papermodel
Currell Graphics
Cardmodelers.org
Space Station 42

Childhood Brain Modification

Just came across this fascinating page with all sorts of odd behavior ideas that bring me right back to my own childhood.

ATTENTION ALL GROWNUPS. Your "inner child" has long been waiting for a chance to usurp control of your body and force it to perform certain actions. The time is now at hand. Read and follow the instructions below. Do this now.

The site includes detailed instructions for such entertaining activities as creating giant static sparks, playing a blade of grass like a musical instrument, and crossing only one eye. Kidlike fun with a good dose of science thrown in! If nothing else, you're sure to find something that will get your kids' attention (or completely gross them out, depending.)

Make Your Own Envelope Glue or Stamp Paper

This easy technique makes lick-and-stick paper for envelopes, stamps and stickers. It's cheap, fast and easy, but takes a little planning ahead because the glue needs to dry before use.

Take four packets of unflavored gelatin and dissolve it in about a a third of a cup of hot (close to boiling) white vinegar. You can also add up to a tablespoon of vanilla extract or other flavoring, although with very small children this might encourage them to eat the paper. Stir well. While the mixture is still hot, use a sterilized paintbrush or toothbrush to paint it on the back of the paper you wish to use. Work fairly quickly, because the mix will begin to gel up as it cools. Hang and allow to dry.

Another recipe involves mixing equal parts vinegar and white glue, and applying as above. I've never tried this since I'm a little uncomfortable asking the kids to lick something that has a non-food ingredient. (And I probably have seen one too many episodes of Seinfeld.) Of course, they could always wet it with sponges instead.

Once the papers have dried, you simply lick or otherwise moisten the painted side to make it stick to other papers. A fun project stemming from this recipe would be to have the kids create postage stamps. They can make small designs on the paper and then cut them out with stamp-edged specialty scissors (about $2 at the craft store). You can put on the glue either before or after they make their designs. Stick them to envelopes and have them send messages to their friends!

DIY Treasure Hunt Jar

We've all seen those cool clear plastic tubes containing small objects surrounded by filler material. They're sort of like a 3D I Spy. You twist and turn them to find specific objects. I wanted one for my classroom, but these things retail for over $20 and that's a lot out of my paycheck for just one toy. So, of course, I made my own.

All I did was get a tall, thin, clear container. I used a tennis ball package, but you could just as easily use a pasta storage container or a tall water bottle. Don't make it too wide, or stuff will disappear in the middle part. I filled mine with rice and small toys - a ball, some alphabet letters, stuff from vending machines, and so on. I alternated the rice and the objects so they wouldn't all be together. I left an inch of airspace to make it easier to shift things around inside. Then I just put the lid on and glued it with Gorilla Glue, after which I wrapped it in duct tape so the hooligans wouldn't have a chance of opening it.

You can write little rhymes like those in the I Spy books, or just have them find things that start with whatever letter. Or just let them shake it and look. Either way, it'll provide some entertainment.

Country/County Fair Bulletin Board

This was a fun one, in celebration of "County Fair Week." I created the tent, roller coaster and ferris wheel, and then painted on the fairway with black paint. I made various boy and girl figures using a stencil, and the children decorated them. (Have them color before you cut so they don't rip off paper limbs in their vigor.)

To make the cotton candy, mix food coloring and water in a small bowl and soak cotton balls in it; allow to dry over a weekend. Glue bits of this into tiny paper cones.

The balloons were colored and added later, with yarn for the strings. The border is made of strips of tear-off event tickets that we had lying around in the storage closet. Click on the photos to see larger versions.

Modeling Dough Ideas and Simple Play-Doh Recipe

Kids and Modeling Dough

We all know that using modeling dough, clay and Play-Doh are very important sensory experiences for young children. These activities strengthen the fine motor skills students will soon need for handwriting. Working with dough encourages imaginative play. It's also part of early science learning. There are several things you can do to maximize your kids' time with this fun material.

First, be sure there is enough dough for each person to use. Preschoolers will want at least a cup or two to start, and probably more later on. Either make a lot of it available or limit how many children can use it at a time.

Provide tools for the children to use with the dough, or it may bore them quickly. Plastic cookie cutters come in countless shapes and are easy for small fingers to grip. Small rolling pins are important to have on hand; cylinder blocks work well too. Try the Dollar Store for cheap kitchen utensils such as wooden mallets and large spoons. Try a colander to push dough through. Muffin tins and small molds provide shaping and sorting possibilities. I also give the kids safety scissors and dull plastic knives for cutting. More mature children can be offered spray bottles to moisten drying clay.

You can purchase all sorts of accessories intended for commercial Play-Doh, but beware: those with moving parts, like presses and machines, break easily and will be fought over. I dislike using commercial products like that in my own classroom anyway. (Did you know that children are exposed to 20,000 advertisements a year?)

In addition to tools, try giving the kids objects that can also become part of sculptures. Tongue depressors, craft sticks, toothpicks, and large wiggle eyes are great additions. Beads and buttons are fun. Pipe cleaners, cut in half, make cute antennae and legs.

You may need to model what to do with the dough. Depending on your group you can do this with the whole class or just sit at the center and show those who come over. Show the kids how to roll, flatten, and pinch it. I make large and small balls and put them on a flat clay "plate" like peas. I roll out long strands, then smoosh them and form bowls. I poke holes with my fingers. Then, I show them how to cut shapes with cookie cutters and add wiggle eyes to make creatures. After you've demonstrated, leave the kids to their work. You don't want to stifle creativity by making them think they're expected to be as good at it as you are.

It's essential to make sure your students understand the limits and rules around playing with the modeling dough. I'll give you some examples from my classroom. Children at the sensory center each get a tray, and that is where their dough has to stay. A central tray holds extra dough, tools, and so on; I teach the kids to put the stuff there when they're done so it's available for others. Dough that falls on the floor is to be thrown away, a rule that encourages them to be conscious of what they're doing. I also teach them that it's never okay to put the dough in their hair, throw it, or try to eat it. (Some teachers use edible dough - intended for consumption - but I find that confuses the kids then next time I make non-edible dough. It also gets in the way of me teaching them not to play with their food.)

Expose your kids to several types of dough. The soft Play-Doh variety isn't the only kind out there. Slick, non-drying modeling material is satisfying to use, although it does require more strength. Natural clay is also a core experience for young artists. Varying the kind of material gives children different sensory feedback, exercising small muscles and helping them interact better with the physical world.

You will also want to have times when the dough is just there to be played with, and other times when the children can save their creations. Play-Doh, and the dough recipe below, are not really intended to be dried out and saved. Oil-based modeling material won't dry either. Natural clay or paper-based clay can be air-dried and painted. Some clays are baked in a kiln (ask your local high school if you can use theirs). Polymer clays like Sculpey are baked in a kitchen or toaster oven. They are relatively expensive, but come in dozens of colors and hold detail very well. Makins Clay is similar to polymer clay but can be air-dried.

Finally, a note on colors. It's irritating for us type-A folks to make carefully measured portions of different colors (or spend a bunch of money on 12 colors of the commercial stuff) and then watch them get completely smooshed together within five minutes. Let it go, and let them do it. It's part of their learning. Leave the dough uncolored, or use only primary colors, and let them mix away.


Dough Recipe

This recipe makes enough smooth, soft play dough for two kids to use. I double or triple it for use in my sensory or science centers.

2 cups flour
2 cups water
1/2 cup salt
2 tbs oil
4 tbs cream of tartar OR 2 tbs baking soda and 2 tbs baking powder

1. Place water, oil and cream of tartar in a large saucepan and heat over low heat until hot.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Cook, stirring constantly, until it gets so thick you can't stir any more.
4. Remove from heat, cool to lukewarm, and store in an airtight container. It may seem a bit sticky but improves with time and kneading.


Variations & Tips

• You can add food coloring to the dough while it's cooking, or wait until it's done and divide it up to make multiple colors. If you do the latter, wear gloves and knead in the coloring.
• You can add Kool-Aid powder for color and scent. You can also try vanilla or strawberry extract, cocoa powder, or lemon juice.
• Try varying the texture with a quarter cup of one of these add-ins: sand, rolled oats, lint, glitter, or rock salt.
• This mixture does not have to be refrigerated. I find it lasts about a week with daily classroom use as long as you put it in a sealed container after use. If it begins to get dry, put it in its container overnight along with a wet sponge or paper towel.

Reusable Frames to Display Student Work

These frames are what I'm using this year to display my preschool students' art. I originally planned to do a quilt, but then realized that the paper we use is just too large.

It took a while to work out the details, including several failed attempts, but I think I've arrived at a good final product. They're convenient because switching out the work is fast and easy. They also reduce damage to walls from constant applications of tape or staples. These are easy to make, sturdy, adaptable, and reusable - they fit all my criteria for a good DIY project!

This example will make a frame that holds both small (9" x 12") and large (12" x 18") pieces of artwork. It is easily adapted to suit other sizes.


Materials Needed

1 sheet of posterboard for each frame
1 sheet of 12" x 18" construction paper
Velcro strips or dots
Ruler
Scissors
Pencil


How to Do It

1. Use a ruler and pencil to mark a line about 3" in from a long edge of the posterboard. Cut this piece off.
2. Fold the posterboard in half the short way; crease well with your scissors handle. Unfold.
3. Cut 1" from each of your construction paper's four sides. This will be your template for the frame opening. Center it on one half of the unfolded posterboard. Trace and cut out.
4. Use the posterboard as a template or stencil for all of your other frames you want to make. Just trace with your pencil and cut them out. It's slightly easier to fold before cutting.
5. Place three pairs of Velcro on each frame. One in the center just above the fold, serving to prop up artwork and prevent the bottom of the frame from bulging out. The other two pairs go in each of the upper corners to hold the frame closed.
6. Staple each frame to the wall through the back part only. The folded edge is the bottom. Staple in the center and on the four corners.
7. You can slide artwork into the top of each frame, balancing it on top of the concealed Velcro above the fold. (If it won't stay, add another pair of Velcro to balance it out, or use a dab of Sticky Tack.) For larger artwork, you can undo the top Velcro for added accessibility.


Variations & Tips

• Print out the students' names onto cardstock and place them under each frame. You'll have an instant art gallery and parents will always know where to look for their child's work.
• Have the children decorate the frames, if you like. Give them gel pens if you're using black posterboard.
• Use the frames for class projects, or allow children to choose which of their work goes in their frame.
• When you staple these to the wall, attach all of them using only one staple each. Then stand back to make sure they're lined up evenly. Do not put six staples in each one and then stand back and see that they're all crooked. Trust me on this.

Homemade Ice Cream Recipe

It's a bit late in the season for ice cream in my part of the country, but we used this recipe over the summer with great success. I'm sure some of you live in places that stay summery well into October.

Each bag serves two kids, so I had my class of four-year-olds partner up to do the shaking. You don't need any unusual ingredients or special equipment.


Ingredients & Supplies (for two servings)

2 tbs. sugar
1 cup half and half
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 tbs rock salt (about a dollar for a big box at Wal-Mart)
1 pint-sized Zip-loc bag (not the newer easy sip slider type!)
1 gallon-sized Zip-loc bag (same as the small one - get the "old" type)
Crushed ice
Mittens (optional)


How to Make It

1. Put three or four cups of ice and the rock salt in the gallon bag.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients in the pint bag. Seal it well.
3. Put the pint bag into the gallon bag. Seal the gallon bag well!
4. Shake the whole thing for about five minutes. It will seem like a long time, which is why it's good to have partners share the job and to wear mittens. Just when you're sure it's not working, the liquid will suddenly begin to solidify.

The result will be similar to soft serve, although it might be more like store-bought ice cream if you freeze it for a while. You can add chocolate syrup, raspberry flavoring, etc. to the mix. It does melt pretty fast, so eat up!

By the way, this recipe will not work with whole milk instead of half and half, and it will not work if you omit the rock salt. You can go ahead and file that under "learn from my experience." :)

15 Ways to Increase Your Child's Self-Esteem

Here are fifteen tips for parents and teachers. What's crafty about self-esteem, you ask? Well, plenty, but in this case the "crafty" is that I've put the tips in a handy PDF that you can download and provide to your students' families. I like to copy stuff like this onto the backs of my parent newsletters.

• Foster their independence. Self-esteem does not come from constant praise. It comes from mastery of life skills.
• Celebrate their real successes (as opposed to praising for behaviors that have been mastered for months).
• Avoid overprotecting. Allow your child to experience losses, challenges, and failures so that real successes don’t feel hollow.
• Teach empathy, generosity, and gratitude.
• Show respect for teachers and education, and your child will do the same.
• Have high expectations. What you expect is often what you will get.
• Be firm. Children need limits to feel secure.
• Don’t compare them to other children, especially not their siblings.
• Listen. And when you speak, choose your words with care, because your child is listening too.
• Teach respect by giving it. Earn respect the same way.
• Teach decision-making.
• Provide them with ample social experiences and solitary private time.
• Give them chores. Age-appropriate tasks help a person feel like an important member of the family.
• Express love. A child needs to know that they are loved unconditionally.
• Work on your own self-esteem, too. You are your child’s most important role model.

How to Get Homemade Silly Putty Out of a Child's Hair

It's been a long day, folks. The upside is that you, dear readers, get to benefit from what I learned today. Knowing that is what got me through the hour-long process I'm about to describe.

All righty then. On the one side you've got your three-year-old wild child. On the other side you've got approximately two cups of homemade silly putty - the kind made with glue and liquid starch. Mint green (not that it matters). In a contest between the child's hair and the putty, the putty will win. It only takes moderate pressure, we discovered early this morning in my preschool classroom, to attach a very large glob of putty to one's head. Right to the roots of her thin, baby-fine hair. Super.

So faced with this situation, here is what I did. First, I detached as much of the goop as I could without pulling out the poor kid's hair. Then, I stripped her down to her underwear and pinned a bath towel around her. I did this because of the next step - vinegar. That's right, plain old white vinegar, and also some cider vinegar we had in the school kitchen. I poured the stuff liberally onto paper towels and wrapped them around the matted hair.

Vinegar is an amazing substance, don't you think? In this case, it reverses the chemical reaction between starch and glue, instantly returning them to their original states. You can also use cream of tartar or alum (both are powders found in the herb section of the grocery store). Just sprinkle them onto the putty and it instantly becomes sticky, runny and gluelike. It makes a good science experiment. (Alum is often used as a preservative in craft recipes, but that obviously won't work with silly putty.) I actually used all three and found that they worked equally well.

So I kept wrapping and wiping down the hair in vinegary paper towels until almost all of the goop came out. I also used a comb to prevent knotting. It's important not to allow the hair to dry, because then you'll have hard glue in the hair and that's just bad. Once I got most of it out, I shampooed her hair, took her outside, and poured a pitcher of warm water on her head to rinse it out. After that her hair dried very quickly and looked great... probably because vinegar is a good hair rinse.

Incidentally, the vinegar also works well for removing homemade silly putty from carpets and clothing. For rugs, pour some on and rub with a paper towel. For clothes, soak the affected area in vinegar for a minute or so and then rinse well with water.

Now, for the sake of completion, I'll list other products that are claimed to get glue or silly putty out of hair. I haven't tried these, but I'd love to hear from anyone who has. Also, note that some of these were tested on commercial Silly Putty, not the homemade stuff, so your mileage may vary.

• Hand sanitizer
• Avon Skin-So-Soft
• Eye makeup remover
• Baby oil or vegetable oil (any cooking oil, really)
• Cooking spray (Pam, Crisco, etc.)
• Cod liver oil
• WD40
• Peanut butter (although some say it works only for gum)
• Rubbing alcohol
• Hair conditioner
• Vaseline

No matter what you use to dissolve or soften the putty or glue, patience will still be required. Put some on and let it sit for a while to soak in. Comb gently and slowly. Try not to panic. I promise, no matter how bad it looks, you will not have to cut the child's hair. Although... that would certainly teach them a lesson, wouldn't it?

Good luck.

Photo courtesy of Kessiye (via Flickr).

Homemade Face Paint

We're well into County Fair and Halloween season now, so I dug up some recipes for paint that can be used on skin. There are lots of recipes floating around, but this is the one that seems to work best for me. I'm not a fan of the recipes with corn syrup (too tempting for the kids to eat) and shortening (greasy and hard to wash off). The one I use contains neither.

All you do is mix together about one part cold cream to two parts cornstarch or baby powder. Add a little water until you get the consistency you want. Divide into small containers (film canisters, baby food containers, etc.) and add food coloring to each. Don't forget to leave one portion white; in fact, you may want to make some extra white since you may need a lot of it. Optionally, check your Dollar Store for cheap eye shadows and blushes that can be crushed and mixed into the paint for a shimmery effect. Body glitter would also be a fun addition.

You can apply this paint with brushes or Q-tips. Try using stencils to get cool designs. For instructions on various designs, check out Face Painting Designs, Halloween Face Painting, and Community Playthings. For sheer inspiration, take a look at this incredible collection.

You already know it, but I'm going to say it anyway: be sure to check for any allergies before doing a project like this. This recipe uses very safe ingredients, but you never know.

Photo courtesy of Jenn (via Flickr).

Free Clipart for Teachers

There are lots of places online where you can find clipart and images to use in your classroom for those DIY projects - worksheets, center signs, stuff for themes, and so on. A few pictures can go a long way to make classrooms and classroom materials more interesting for your students. These are a few of my favorite places to find images, along with some tips for searching out and using them.


Discovery School Clip Art
Pics4Learning
Awesome Clipart for Educators
The Teacher's Guide Clipart
Noetic Art
WiseGorilla
Oxford Science Encyclopedia
Classroom Clipart

Of course, you don't have to go to sites specific to education. You can also use Yahoo! Images, Pixsy, or the excellent Picsearch to find what you need. Google Advanced Image Search is also convenient, with various filters for different types of images. Try altering your search to find only black and white or grayscale images, which are great for adding to worksheets that will be photocopied. Specify large black and white for coloring-page-type pictures on almost any subject.

Wikipedia has many images related to common curriculum topics. For photos, go with Flickr. For odd/humorous Photoshopped photos, try Worth1000. You can find fully digital images at Renderosity. Public domain images can be found at Gimp-Savvy, Moka, and Public Domain Pictures.

Bonus link: easily resize and alter your found images with pic resize.

Whenever using images you find online, be sure to check for any copyright laws that may apply. I doubt there are any realistically enforceable laws preventing a teacher from printing out a copy of an image and using it for educational purposes in the classroom. It never hurts to check, though. And I advise avoiding the use of images from TV shows and movies - companies like Disney and Viacom are notoriously selfish about allowing any unauthorized use of their characters. (Whatever. We didn't want that commercialized junk in our classrooms anyway, so there.)

Anyway, where do you find good images to use with your students? C'mon, people, this isn't a one-woman show! I know I have readers; I've got the stats to prove it. So start commenting, or else! :)

Super Easy Toy Boat From Craft Foam

This week in my school we have a transportation theme, and as part of it I've decided to put some toy boats in the water table. Unfortunately for me, money is tight and my new class is a bunch of hooligans. Seriously, they destroy everything. They're still toddlers in a lot of ways, though, so I'm understanding of their need to tear, smash, drop and crush the brand new toys I bought with my own money just for them. Hopefully they too will be understanding of my need to cheap out and just make disposable toy boats.

These boats are fairly sturdy and take only a minute to make. All you need is a rectangle of "fun foam" and a stapler. Overlap the corners of one short end as shown in the photo to the right. Staple. Then put another staple in the bottom corner. Repeat on the other side. Your boat won't sit upright on "land," but it will do so in the water. (The one in the photo above is propped up in the back.) It's not completely waterproof but it won't take on much water, and will still float even if it has a little liquid in it.

You could vary this by adding a sail, decorating with permanent markers, or cutting the edges with fun-shaped scissors. An anchor could be added with some string and black foam with a pebble glued on as a weight. A little life preserver from a donut of white foam would be cute, too.

These boats are strong enough to carry around a few Lego people. A large one made of a whole sheet of foam would be great to use in a pool and would certainly carry a larger doll. My little ones are going in a shallow tub of water - colored blue with a bit of food coloring - and I'm going to teach the kids how to have boat races by blowing the crafts across the water. We'll also experiment to see how many small, smooth stones it takes to make these puppies sink. Ahoy, matey, there be science ahead!

6 Ways to Preserve Autumn Leaves

What teacher doesn't like using leaves in art projects? They're beautiful, they make for great science learning, and they're free! Prevent those lovely leaves from disappearing too quickly with one of these preservation methods.

1. Press them: Dry your leaves carefully and press them between the pages of a telephone book. Or, place them between sheets of blank newsprint and weight them down. Your leaves will be flat and dry, but may crumble easily.

2. Dip them: Melt some beeswax in a double boiler. Dip each leaf in the wax, giving it a thin, even coat. Allow the wax to solidify before putting the leaf down.

3. Iron them: Place a leaf between two pieces of waxed paper. Put a towel or cloth on top and press with a warm iron. Remove the cloth and cut around the leaf, or try peeling away the waxed paper to see what you get.

4. Plasticize them: Combine one cup glycerin with two cups water and mix well. (You can get glycerin at drug and health food stores.) Pour the mixture into a shallow pan. Place fresh leaves in the pan and lay a sheet of paper on top of them. Put small stones on top to loosely weigh everything down. (I understand some people have had success just putting the tips of leaf stems or even whole branches in the solution, although I haven't tried it.) Leave for about a week; remove and rinse. The leaves won't seem very different, but they'll stay soft and lifelike for a long time.

5. Nuke them: Put 2-3 leaves in the microwave under a paper towel. Microwave for 30 seconds or so. You can also get a special microwaveable desiccant silica gel to place the leaves in first. It better controls the rate and evenness of drying.

6. Laminate them: Run them through a laminating machine. Make sure they're dry first, or the lamination won't stick.

Thanks for reading! I hope you keep coming back, because soon I'm going to be posting a bunch of projects and ideas for using those wonderful leaves.

Make a Coloring Page From a Photo

I was thinking today about a few activities around a "Student of the Week" sort of idea for my preschoolers. Naturally I considered the standard All About Johnny poster, making a weekly book in which the other children say nice things about the person, and even taking an enlargement of his or her photo and turning it into a puzzle. These are all great ideas that wouldn't be difficult to implement. But then I came up with a slightly more time-consuming but very satisfying idea: what if I turned that photo into a coloring page?

The easiest way to do this would be to take the child's picture against a light, plain background and enlarge it on a copier. You'll probably have to mess around with the settings, perhaps lightening it up a bit so it looks less like a photo and more like a drawing. You may not get that line-art look, but you'll get a reasonably good result.

If you have access to a decent computer, you can get something even nicer. I'm told some versions of Kodak EasyShare software have an option for this, although my (OSX) version doesn't. There are also numerous tutorials online for manipulating a photo into a coloring page using graphics software like PhotoShop. Photoshopsupport.com has a pretty simple one. Flying Sam has a couple of different methods. Fototiller has one with only three steps. There's also Intocartoon, a Windows-only program that does the work for you. It's not free but it does have a free trial download.

This doesn't necessarily have to be part of a "Student of the Week" plan, either. I'm thinking you could do it on a child's birthday, or give a child who is moving away a book with everyone's picture. It would also be a nice gift for a kid who is sick at home or in the hospital. Use photos of each child with their mom or dad - they can color it and frame it as a Mother or Father's Day gift. (Oh, I am so doing that! It'll be a hit!)

This might take a while to do, but the "cool" factor is pretty high. I think the idea is flexible enough that once you have it done the result could be used for several projects. Anyone have any other ideas about how line art pictures of your students could be used? Please, share them in the comments!

(Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com.)

Make it a Chalkboard!

I love this fun idea over at DIY Life - take a vase, and paint it with chalkboard paint to get a writable surface. I'm sure you can see how something like this could translate into the classroom environment.

That special paint isn't too expensive, and easy to find at craft stores and Wal-Mart. I think it would be fun to paint plastic trays so each child could have a drawing surface that would also prevent chalk from rolling away. If you're ambitious, you could paint a portion of a wall or door with the stuff. My director would have my head on a pole for doing such a thing, but maybe yours would be into it.

Glass Pebble Magnets

A few years ago, someone came up with this idea and it blasted its way across all the crafting blogs and bulletin boards. These make lovely gifts and are very easy to make. I once made several hundred in an afternoon, just for fun. It's very satisfying!


Materials Needed

Clear glass "pebbles" with flat backs (available in the floral section of most craft stores)
Pretty papers (this is a great way to use up scraps from scrapbooking or other crafts)
Gem-Tac or Jewel-It glue
Self-adhesive magnetic tape or magnet dots


How to Do It

1. Spread a small amount of glue evenly over the flat part of a glass pebble.
2. Position the marble on a piece of patterned paper and press firmly. The glue will dry clear. I've tested both brands mentioned above and they work fine. I doubt white school glue would work very well. Tacky glue might, though.
3. Cut around the pebble, trimming closely.
4. Press a piece of magnet tape or a magnet dot on the back.


Variations & Tips

• Obviously, this project isn't appropriate for small children likely to swallow the pebbles or drop them (they could shatter).
• Instead of patterned paper, you could use printouts of small pictures from the web, photos, hand-drawn art, or magazine clippings.
• Match the theme of the pictures to the occasion or decor of the recipient.
• For a super-strong magnet, use super glue to attach a small neodymium dot. (Do not use these around small children. If swallowed, they can cause severe intestinal damage! That's what was in those recalled Chinese Polly Pocket toys.)
• A decorated Altoids tin makes the perfect presentation box for these magnets.
• You don't have to make magnets with the glued-up glass pebbles. Once they have paper on the back, they're easy to glue to wooden boxes or picture frames as embellishments.

Make Your Own Flicker Lamp For Halloween or Christmas

All right, I admit it. This one's a stretch. It's not exactly school-related.

This is a simulated electric candle that I've been working on for some time. You know those cool new fake flicker candles? The little ones are cheap but plain, and the big ones are fairly expensive. And almost all of them run on batteries, which can be expensive and inconvenient. I wanted to make a slightly more lasting and less expensive arrangement - of course using stuff I could easily obtain. The project uses no actual flames and requires no special knowledge or tools.

You could certainly use this as a special effect around Halloween, although you'd need to keep it away from younger children. It would also be very pretty for Christmas or Hanukkah. Older kids, say 12 and up, could make these themselves. It's adaptable to use for other occasions; once you have the base complete you can make new "shades" very easily to match any occasion.

I'm really quite proud of this. However, as it's clearly not an education-oriented sort of project, I'm putting it on Instructables instead of here.

The Colors of Us

"All About Me" is a theme many early learning setting embrace this time of year. We take this time to help children learn more about themselves - everything from their favorite color to their height.

While talking about what makes people unique, let's not shy away from skin color. This basic characteristic is one of the first things children notice. My generation was taught to be "color blind." Unfortunately, this was a disservice. This is not a cookie-cutter world. We are all different. There is huge variability, even among those who consider themselves part of a group like "caucasian" or "black." The message we need to send is not that we're all the same inside, but that we are all different, inside and outside - and that's great!

A wonderful book, The Colors of Us, explores and celebrates the many shades of people. It's a joyful story with food-related imagery that all children will enjoy. I suggest reading this to your class and having them talk about their own skin colors. Help each child find the beauty in their own colors. Then, provide paint in many flesh tones and have them paint self-portraits.

Don't be afraid to explicitly compare and talk about skin color. Doing so in respectful and celebratory way helps teach children to appreciate, rather than ignore, the differences between people.

Post-It Note Holder Project

A few years ago, a group of parent volunteers at my school made a sweet Christmas gift for every single teacher. I found mine while cleaning out a box of stuff I'd packed when I left that position. I think it's an exceptionally clever idea and I we'll probably do something similar this year with the preschoolers. What I love about this kind of project is its flexibility: depending on how detailed you want to get, this one works for preschool right up through adult. It can also be adapted to fit any occasion: holidays, birthdays, thank you gifts, and so on.


Materials Needed

Plastic picture frame - one for each child. You need the one-piece, L-shaped acrylic type, like this one. 3 1/2 x 5 and 4 x 6 are good sizes.
Cardstock or construction paper in the colors of your choice
Rubber stamps
Decorative punches
Sticky notes (1 1/2" x 2" or 2" x 2" sizes work well - and the "Super Sticky" ones are great)


How to Do It

1. Cut a rectangle of cardstock or construction paper in the size of your frame. Most frames have an insert that you can simply trace.
2. Decorate your new insert as desired, leaving a space for the Post-Its. It's easiest to have the child place one sticky note right on the insert, and then tell them to decorate everywhere except on the note. This only really matters if you're putting words on, though. You have lots of options for decorating; see below for more ideas. The example above was stamped with a message and snowflake accents, and then punched with a decorative punch. A contrasting color of cardstock was placed behind the punched-out part.
3. Slide the insert into the picture frame just as you would with a photo, except upside down. Tip the frame over and turn it around so it slants upward away from you. This is how it will sit on the recipient's desk.
4. Stick a stack of Post-It notes onto the frame in the designated spot.


Variations & Tips

• More options for decorating the insert: tag art, photos, decoupage, watercolors, stickers, fingerprints, old greeting cards, or a printed-out poem to match the occasion.
• You could also embellish the frame itself. Try ribbons, small silk flowers, buttons, pebbles, google eyes, or beads.
• The holder doesn't have to sit the way I described. You could also have it upright like a regular frame, although it won't be as stable.
• Try this same project with magnetic acrylic frames - instant fridge sticky note holders!

Recipe: Silly Putty

A lot of books and sites have alternate names for this wonderful material, because they want to avoid getting in trouble for using a trademarked name. Well, too bad. If a person knows they want homemade Silly Putty, how are they to find the recipe online if people are calling it things like "Fun Putty?"

Anyway, to make your own Silly Putty, all you need to do is mix together roughly equal parts of white school glue and liquid starch. We get the glue in gallon containers and the starch is easy to find at any grocery store. If you only want a little, say less than a cup, measure out equal parts of each ingredient. You might want to go this route if this is your first time making the stuff. Try starting with a tablespoon of each.

If you want a lot, pour your glue into a big plastic bowl and then add liquid starch a little at a time. Don't bother measuring. Stir and knead until it reaches the right consistency - you'll know it when it happens. It will be smooth and rubbery. I like to just dump in the ingredients and hand the bowl to a child. Play your cards right and you'll never have to touch the stuff (although you'll probably want to!) I've also let each person make their own by pouring the glue and starch onto styrofoam plates. A chemical reaction causes the glue to become stretchy and more solid. You may need to drain off excess starch after mixing. If kids are doing the mixing you can have them gently dab their putty with a paper towel.

I've also made the same material using that blue gel glue. It comes out a transparent blue, which is really neat. It's stiffer than the white glue version, and not really stretchy, so I just kept it in a plastic bag and let the kids play with it that way. The result here might depend on the brand I used, so you should experiment to see what you can get with your locally available types.

You can add in food coloring or liquid watercolor to your Silly Putty for even more fun. Divide up the batch and make several colors for an entertaining color-mixing experiment. I wouldn't let kids do the initial mixing with their hands if you're using food coloring, though, because the concentrated stuff will really stain their skin and clothes. Stir the color into the putty a bit before you give it to them.

The more you play with this stuff, the better it gets, so let the kids smoosh it up for a good long time. You can use this putty the same way "real" Silly Putty is used... Pull it slowly so it stretches, and snap it fast so it breaks. Press it into molds, cut it with scissors or cookie cutters, or try using Play-Doh tools with it. It will also lift images from newsprint. Clean-up is pretty easy as long as you limit the kids to using it in one area. Putting down newspaper helps. Vinegar will take the stuff out of clothes, carpets and hair. When you're done, you can store the putty in Zip-loc bags, margarine tubs, or plastic easter eggs.

Fill up your water table with the stuff. It might give your director a heart attack, but it sure will entertain the kids. Good times.

DIY Ring Toss Game

I wanted to do up an article about making your own ring toss game that would knock your socks off, but I can't beat this great tutorial. It's a straightforward process of taping together empty water bottles.

For variations, you might put a little sand or rice in each bottle, or even colored water. It might be fun to use different sizes of bottles, with some bottles being worth more points than others. Of course, this would also go nicely with a lesson on recycling. The kids themselves could drink the water, and then you could talk about ways to reuse the bottles.

Start drinking that water so you can "toss" together this fun activity! (Sorry, that was bad. It's been a long week, okay?)

Review: Elmer Squeeze 'n Brush

Today I tested out Elmer's Squeeze 'n Brush paintbrushes with my class of three-year-olds. These brushes have thick handles that hold paint. To use them, you simply squeeze gently to squirt out a little paint, and then spread it with the brush. I was a little worried at first that the kids wouldn't be able to control the paint flow or would squeeze out all the paint in one go. I was pleasantly surprised with the results.

When you first open the package, you have to twist off the brush heads to remove the seals. I read some reviews on Amazon about people having trouble getting the brush part off, or having it fall off during use. I suspect these people failed to read the very obvious label on each brush. Contrary to most twist-tops, the brush part has to be twisted clockwise to remove it. In my opinion these brushes are very durable and well-made, and unlikely to break even with heavy use. Even after being used by 15 three-year-olds, a simple rinsing had them looking like new.

You'll notice that the hole through which the paint flows is quite small, but it's not so small that getting the paint out is difficult. The white brushes are fairly stiff and flat-bottomed. They wouldn't be appropriate for detail work, but they're perfect for young children just experimenting with the medium. (I believe there is a fine-tipped version available.) They'd be particularly good for easel painting because there's not a great risk of spilled paint or drips.

I found that my kids really enjoyed using these brushes. The amount of pressure needed to get the paint out is neither too much nor too little. None of the kids got frustrated; a brief demonstration was all they needed to understand how to use them. The washable paint was bright and not too drippy, and there was more than enough for all fifteen of the kids to paint. Clean-up was very easy - I just rinsed them under running water. The bristles are a plastic type of material that rinses faster than regular "hair" or synthetic bristles. Each brush comes with a clear screw-on cap to keep the paint from drying out.

One thing I really liked about these was the color mixing factor. Whenever I put out several colors of paint for the kids to use, by time the last kids get to paint the colors are mixed and muddy. With these brushes you can mix the colors (and they got some gorgeous results, by the way), but if you want to go back to one color you can just squeeze out more paint. If you want to get a really pure color after mixing, you'd have to rinse the brush, but that's not really a factor with most young children. The important thing here is that you won't end up with five paint cups of muddy gray.

The best thing about these brushes: they're refillable with any tempera paint. I'm going to buy at least two more sets and refill them with the paint my school buys. Although I won't use these exclusively - the kids need exposure to other painting methods - I predict we'll be using these brushes for most painting projects this year.

The brushes come in packs of three, five, nine, or twelve - in basic, neon, and glitter colors. They average out to less than $1 each. I bought mine at Wal-Mart, but Amazon has a better variety.

Painting With Combs and Other Hair Care Products

Painting with regular brushes can get a bit old. Why not try painting with other tools? One of my favorites has always been plastic hair combs. You can get them at the dollar store in packages of 10-12, and the varying widths of the teeth create different striped and dotted patterns.

This is a fun way to do large projects like banners and wrapping paper. For ease of use try finger painting or freezer paper; their glossy surfaces keep the paint workable for a longer period of time and allow more white to show through. Pour out a thin layer of paint (finger paint, tempera, or acrylic) onto your paper. Then run the comb through it, moving it to make squiggles or jagged lines. With young children, the teacher can use a large brush to spread out the paint before they begin.

More experienced artists might enjoy using specialty paints or specific color schemes. You can also get beautiful results by squirting out random "scribbles" of paint all over the paper, overlapping colors as you go. Add black or white paint in small amounts to change the color values. You can also dip the comb into a pool of paint on scrap paper and use it to make delicate designs on another sheet. Dab gently to make neat rows of dots like those shown above.

While you're in the hair care aisle, look for these other items that present possibilities for painting:

• Hair brushes
• Rollers (the kind with sponges on them)
• Bobby pins and hair picks
• Plastic headbands (make a horseshoe pattern)

I'm sure you'll see other items that will inspire creative ideas you can use with your students. Have fun!

DIY Sewing Cards

Today I'm making these bright, durable sewing "cards" for my class of threes. These are very fast and easily customized.


Materials Needed

Craft foam sheets (the regular type is good; if you can find the thicker kind that's even better)
Hole punch
Permanent marker
Yarn. ribbon, cord, or shoelaces
Large plastic needles (Wal-Mart has them)
Optional: Cardstock, foam glue (again, Wal-Mart carries it), colored permanent markers


How to Do It

1. Draw the desired shape on the foam sheet. If you want, you can use stencils, or cut out computer-printed shapes. (I'm tracing shapes I made in MS Word.)
2. Cut out the foam sheet shape.
3. Optional: Glue the shape to a piece of cardstock to make the card more rigid and durable. Be sure to spread the glue evenly over the whole thing, especially the edges. To make it even better, glue on another foam sheet to the back, making a sort of sandwich.
4. Punch holes about 1" apart all around the edge of the card.
5. Optional: Decorate with colored permanent markers.
6. Give the cards to your students with pre-threaded needles and show them how to sew in and out of the holes.


Variations & Tips

• In a pinch you can use any sort of cardboard to make your cards. Try recycling cereal or tissue boxes and having the kids do the decorating. They could use markers, crayons, or decoupage with pretty paper. Reinforce the edges with clear packing tape to make these last longer.
• Wrap tape around the ends of the yarn, or dip them in glue, to prevent the frustration of fraying. Or, use a shoelace.
• If you make two of each shape and only punch 3/4 of the way around, you can make cute pockets. Add a yarn handle to make a purse.
• Use that special foam glue to attach embellishments to your shapes: buttons, fake flowers, and glitter come to mind. You could also use stickers.

Easy DIY Feelie Box

One of the ways to help integrate the senses into a preschool curriculum is to provide students with a "feelie" box or bag. These are opaque containers that the child can reach into and try to identify objects by touch alone.

You can do this with a plain drawstring bag, but some teachers don't want the outline of the object to show on the outside and prefer a rigid container. To make mine, I used a large coffee can. You could also use a shoebox, but I wanted something more durable.

I covered the outside of the can with colorful paper and protected it with contact paper. Then I lined the inside with pieces of self-adhesive felt to reduce the noise factor. Next, I cut a hole about 4" in diameter in the plastic lid. I covered the inside of the lid with more felt and cut out the circle in the middle. Finally, I cut off the ankle part of a small black sock. Pulling it up through the lid, I glued the sock's top edge around the outside of the hole.

Put something inside, pop on the lid, and have your students reach through the hole and try to guess what's inside. This can be a center or a circle activity. I suggest starting it as a circle game so you can teach the kids not to pull off that lid. Have fun!