Nest Obsessed - Five Activities and a Book

It began with a book.  Written and illustrated by my co-worker, Lory Britain, Mama Crow's Gift is about a crow who brings treasures home to her family, making their nest beautiful and cozy.  When disaster strikes and all seems to be lost, Mama Crow's most valuable gift becomes apparent - her optimism and ability to delight in even the smallest beauty. 

After Lory read the book to our preschool class, one of the children picked up on the theme, and played it out day after day, being a Baby Crow while I was the Mama Crow.  

Since then, we have done several nest themed activities with our class, and I have done some others with my son.  Here they are!  Which one is YOUR favorite?

 NEST  #1 - Paper Bag Shred and Glue

 

Run a bag through a paper shredder (or cut it into narrow strips yourself).  Turn a large bowl upside down and cover the bottom with plastic wrap, taping the edges to keep it in place.  Set out the shred and any other materials you want (we used yellow craft feathers and red tinsel).  Also put out a bowl with a generous amount of glue.  With your hand, spread a layer of glue on the bowl.  Then show your child how to dip the nest materials in the glue, coating them fully.  Layer the materials on the bowl.  When it is finished, add another layer of glue.  Let the nest sit for a few days, then gently detach it from the plastic wrap. 

Original idea from The Chocolate Muffin Tree

NEST  #2 - Mud and Grass

Similar process, but this time put the plastic wrap INSIDE the bowl.  Your child will enjoy scooping gloopy mud mixed with grass, flowers, pine needles etc. 

Also from The Chocolate Muffin Tree.  Gotta love that blog!

NEST  #3 -Willow Branches

We didn't make this one.  It is a permanent fixture at our local bird rescue center.  A visit there inspired even more bird-themed dramatic play!  Cascades Raptor Center

NEST #4 - Grass Clippings

My son and I made this after visiting the Raptor Center.

 

NEST  #5 - Pine Boughs with Ribbon and Pipe Cleaner Decorations

This was built by two preschool classes after hearing Lory read her book. 

Do you have a favorite?  Leave a comment and let me know! 

Muffin Tin Prints

I originally saw this idea on The Imagination Tree, and it's become one of my favorites!  Teo was about 2 when we tried it, and he was instantly focused on the fine motor task of painting the tin.  I've also done this with kids up to age 5. 

To set it up, lay out a large sheet of paper on a tarp.  Offer some paint, a brush, and a muffin tin turned upside down.  After your child paints the bottom circles, you can demonstrate how to turn it over to make a print.  Then your child can try doing it herself (or maybe she will find another way to explore). 

Variations

An older child might be interested in using a finger or the end of the paint brush to draw letters or symbols in the paint circles before printing.  I'm tempted to do this project myself and write L  O  V  E on the circles and use the finished piece as wrapping paper. 

Once you've tried printing with a muffin tin, let your imagination run wild and try other objects for printing.  Here are a few suggestions.

- a potato cut in half and carved with a shape / letter / etc (an easy way to do this is to press a metal cookie cutter into the potato and use a knife to cut away the extra)

- a child sized rolling pin or a toilet paper tube with cardboard or foam glued on

- wooden blocks with a raised letter  OR  legos

- nature items like pine cones, leaves, stones, etc.

- kitchen utensils (potato masher, fork, the rim of a cup, cookie cutters)

- other household items (clothes pin, fly swatter)

- toy animal / doll foot prints

- body parts (hands, feet, elbows, noses)

As you can see, the possibilities are endless. 

What are we learning?

Fine Motor Skills, Creative Expression, Early Math (possibly patterning, counting), Sensory, Language / Literacy (if letters are involved, or if you talk about shape names, etc)

Body Painting

Offer your child a variety of non-toxic WASHABLE paints (I use tempera), and some brushes.  Set him naked or diapered on a tarp / old sheet, and let the body art begin.  Of course, this is more fun if you join in as well!

If you are doing this in a classroom, you can simply roll up the children's pants and offer this activity as Foot Painting instead of full body. 

Check out Pepper Paints to see some lovely African tribal face painting for inspiration!   

What are we learning? 
Body Awareness, Language (names of body parts),  Creative Expression, Fine Motor Skills, Sensory Experience. 

Painted Playdough and More

We make our own play dough, and periodically it needs to be tossed and replaced.  If you are about to throw it away anyway, you might as well do something irrevocable (and interesting) with it. Here are a few ideas.

- Paint it.

- Make it into a big ball and play catch with it outside (it will definitely be ready for the trash after hitting the ground multiple times). 

- Also outside, lay it on the ground in a ball and stomp on it with bare feet (sure to be repeated amid many giggles!).  

- Take it to the sand box.

- Put it in a sensory tub with water and enjoy the sliminess. 

- Use it to make a volcano shape for this activity. 

- Make cookies or snakes or sculptures, and then set them in the sun to dry out.  Check them periodically and observe with your child how the dough changes as it sits in the sun.

- Use is as a soup or potion ingredient (along with whatever other materials you can think of).

Any other ideas?

Click here for my favorite no-cook play dough recipe!

Colored Ice Cups with Marbles

My son, Mateo (2 1/2), basically invented this activity, and I have to say, it is truly awesome.  He started by sorting all the marbles from a Chinese Checkers game into some paper cups.  He poured water into them, and then used a paint brush to transfer water color paint to each cup.  He then suggested putting ice into the cups as well.  

We went from that to sticking the cups in the freezer for a couple of hours.  When they were frozen, we ran a bit of warm water over the cups so the ice would come out and we put them on a sheet pan.  They slid and spun and slowly melted, which was great, but the real fun came when I offered Teo a wooden hammer to smash the ice and release all the balls.  When he was done, he immediately suggested we make more, so we did. 

When the second set was done,  Teo got into the bath, and I set up a bath table by turning over a plastic tote and setting it in the tub.  Teo used a toy tea pot to pour warm bath water over the ice to melt them.  He pondered whether they would sink or float and tried that as well.  He was delighted to see the paint making color swirls in his bath water.  

Variations

I am so excited to try freezing other small objects or toys in ice.  I've seen people freeze big blocks of ice with things inside, too.  What fun!

What are we learning?

Physical Science (freezing / melting, floating / sinking, how objects move - sliding, spinning), Problem Solving,  Fine and Gross Motor and Eye-Hand Coordination (hammering, pouring), Sensory, and Color Matching / Sorting / Mixing.  

Toothpick Grape Construction

Here is a fun (and yummy) building project.  Offering two colors of grapes allows for patterning.  


Variations: 
If your child likes this, he might also enjoy making fruit kebabs - another great fine motor and patterning activity.


What are we learning?
Early math (patterning).  Fine motor skills.  Problem solving.  Food activity.

Coloring Water with Watercolors

Offer your child several cups filled part-way with water (or offer empty cups plus a squirt bottle of water, as shown here).  Your child may discover on her own how to transfer paint color to the water, or you can show her.  You can offer occasional reflections, such as "I wonder what would happen if you mixed red and blue together."  As long as your child won't be tempted to drink the water, you can inspire some dramatic play by asking her to serve you some blueberry / orange / lime juice / etc. 


Variations: 
Different children will approach this activity differently.  She may pour water from cup to cup.  She may simply ask for paper and want to paint.  Your child will enjoy and learn the most if you follow her lead.  

Another option is to offer pieces of tissue or toilet paper that your child can dip into the colored water to watch the color travel up the paper (suggested by Lory Britton, PhD).  Eye droppers are another great prop for transferring water. 

What are we learning?
Color mixing.  Fine motor skills.  

Balloon Painting

Fill the balloon with water and tie it.  Offer your child the balloon, a dish of paint, and some paper, and see what happens.  Your child might hold it by the knot and bounce it, or roll it around, or he might find another technique. 


Variations: 
To expand this activity, offer a second balloon filled only with air.  Your child can feel the difference  between them, and you can narrate his exploration, offering concepts such as light and heavy.  For more gross motor exploration with this, you can put the paper on the ground and attach a long rubber band or piece of elastic to the balloon knot.  Your child can swing and bounce the balloon while standing on the paper (best done outside!). 

What are we learning?
Children construct an understanding of their world in part by manipulating objects in different ways.  In addition to being an art project, this is a physics experiment. 

Tape Nature Bracelets

Make a tape bracelet (sticky side outward) for your child.  Show her how things will stick to it, and turn her loose in a field, forest, or just your backyard. 

What are we Learning?

This activity encourages your child to look closely at nature.  She will use fine motor skills to pick leaves and flowers and to press them on the tape.  

Calling All Mail Carriers!

To make a little post office, draw a rectangle for each mail slot on a cardboard box.  Cut the sides and bottom of the rectangles with a utility knife to make little doors.  Cut rectangles of different colored paper for each door, and affix with tape.  Write names on the doors (this could be names of family members, friends, or story / cartoon characters).  

Next, poke a hole in each door with the tip of your scissors, and thread through a piece of yarn to tie in a loop (this will make the doors easier to open).  Cut out rectangles for mail from each color.  Your child may enjoy writing / drawing / placing stickers on the mail. 

You may want to put the mail in a basket or bag for your little mail carrier.  Show her how the mail matches up to the mail boxes.  


Variations: 
If your child is beyond color matching, you can make each door the same color and your child can match by name (in this case, write the name of who the mail is for on each piece of mail as well).  Or, you can use single letters, shapes or numbers.

What are we learning?
Early Math (matching).  Fine motor skills (slipping the mail through the slots).  Dramatic play.  This activity also supports literacy learning in a meaningful context.   Even if your child is matching by color, she will probably begin to notice the letters on the mailboxes, and you can point them out as well:  "Oh, I see that Katie and Kerry both have names that start with K."  "Jo has a very short name.  It is only 2 letters."  

Shaving Cream Sqeeze Paint

To do these really cool paintings, put shaving cream in baggies with some liquid water color (or food dye) of your child's choice. Mix it up, then seal the baggies and clip the corner so your kiddo can squeeze the paint out onto their paper. Glitter can be sprinkled on afterward. 

Variation: 

This is a great way to use puffy paint, too (just mix a generous bit of glue with the shaving cream, and it will dry thick and puffy).  Without the glue, they are no longer 3D when they dry, but still very pretty. 

What are we Learning?

Squeezing the baggies develops hand strength and control.  This can also turn into a fantastic sensory experience if your child decides to explore the shaving cream with his fingers.