Dec 28, 2013

Toddler Craft Ideas for Winter

There are many craft ideas for the winter holiday season for young children to make. Sometimes, the material and steps are not age appropriate for toddlers, ages one to three. The following crafts bring fun results through simple methods. They allow toddlers to have the hands-on enjoyment of creating art, as well as providing sensory experiences and introduction to new material.


 
 
 

Winter Snowflake Art Activity

Materials Required:

  • Dark construction paper (black, or blue)
  • Large Paper Doilies
  • Small Paint Rollers
  • White Paint (kid safe)
  • Tape
  • Small shallow paint containers

For the following art activity each toddler is provided a piece of dark construction paper, black or blue, with a large paper doily taped in the middle. White tempera paint is then placed into small shallow containers beside each child with a small paint roller made for children, which can be purchased at most craft establishments or large outlet stores. Alternatively, the toddlers could use a large paintbrush or sponges for painting. Young children love to paint, and enjoy the process equally and perhaps even more than the product. The children will hopefully paint their entire paper white. When dry, the doily is carefully peeled off by grown up hands and the image left behind resembles a winter snowflake.

Photo from SheKnows Parenting

 

Snowmen Craft Activity

Materials Required:

  • Contact Paper
  • Scissors
  • Cotton Balls
  • Googly Eyes
  • Orange Paper
  • Black Paper
  • Paper plates or firm paper (optional)

Before the toddlers begin this activity, the caregiver has some material to prepare. Small carrot noses and black hats should be cut out as well as snowman shapes from the contact paper. If this activity is being prepared for a large group of toddlers and there is a budget, simply make the snowmen smaller to allow the contact paper to be spread into more individual projects.

This activity is a fun, sensory experience for young children as they place soft cotton balls onto sticky contact paper. This paper can be found at most stationary or office supply stores. The children are provided snowman shapes and when the paper is peeled back, they are left with adhesive paper that can hold the cottonballs. The children can cover their snowman and finish the project off with eyes, carrot nose and a hat. Alternatively, the contact paper can be glued or stapled to a firm paper, such as small paper plates or thick white paper.

 

Painting with Holiday Cookie Cutters

Holiday cookie cutters provide wonderful winter shapes for paint stamping. The material required is paint, paper and the cookie cutters. This activity can be done as a group activity with toddlers on a large piece of paper taped to a table. The paper can then be used for wrapping paper or card making.

Final Thoughts



Toddlers love to be introduced to new material and fun hands-on activities. They may try to place the material into their mouths, but through the learning experience of cause and effect will soon realize it's better for paint to be used on the paper! Parents and grandparents truly appreciate these first time holiday creations.

Dec 18, 2013

Mitten Preschool Songs



Mitten Song #1

To the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"

Warm. warm. warm and dry
Mittens feel so nice.
So grab a pair in chilly air
Or in the snow and ice.


Mitten Song #2

To the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell"

Each mitten has a pair
Each mitten has a pair
Can (child's name) find its friend
(He/She) 's looking here and there.


Mitten Song #3

Thumb in the thumb place
Fingers all together
This is the song
We sing in mitten weather



Mitten Song #4

To the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus"

The mittens on my hands
They keep me warm
They keep me warm
They keep me warm
The mittens on my hands
They keep me warm
All winter long!



Mitten Song #5

For Jan Brett's The Mitten





To the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell"

The mitten on the ground.
The mitten on the ground.
Heigh-ho! It's cold outside.
The mitten on the ground.
The (mole) snuggles in.
The (mole) snuggles in.
Heigh-ho! It's cold outside.
The (mole) snuggles in.
(After the last animal, all pretend to sneeze and fall out of the mitten.)


FURTHER RESOURCES: Snow and Ice Preschool Activities
                                            Winter Felt Board Activities


Online Early Childhood Workshops with Circle of Ideas