Category: Activities

Materials

1 paper plate
Large marshmallows
Various tempera paint colors
Large piece of construction paper

Directions

Place a small blob of each color paint onto the paper plate. Place a marshmallow in each color paint. Invite your child to use each marshmallow to make dot prints onto the construction paper. Dry completely and then display.

Materials

Download and print worksheets
Ink dauber

Directions 

Invite your child to use the ink dauber to add spots to the cow, then count the dots; count the farm animals on worksheet 2 and place the same number of dots next to each animal; follow the trail of numeral dots to help the horse find the barn on worksheet 3.

Because it is polk-a-dot week, we decided to decorate our windsocks with colors dots, but you can invite your child to decorate his windsock any way he chooses.

Materials

12×18 construction paper
Ink daubers in various colors
Paper streamers (Dollar Tree store)
Tape or glue stick
Scissors
Yarn
Hole punch
Stapler

Directions

Invite your child to decorate one side of the construction paper using the ink daubers (or markers).  Turn the paper over and glue or taper paper streams to the bottom of the paper.  Streamers should hang down and be approximately 2 feet long. Once the streamers are secure, roll the paper into a cylinder shape and staple or tape ends together. Use a hold punch to make 4 holes at the top and string two pieces of yarn through the holes, having them cross in the center. Tie at the top. Hang it in a breezy, dry area, or invite your child to take it outside to run with it.  

Materials

12×18 Construction paper in an assortment of colors
Avery Dot Stickers
Stapler

Directions

Cut the construction paper down to be about 8×18 in size. Invite your child to place colorful dot stickers all over the construction paper. Once your child has placed all the stickers that he wants to do on the paper, measure the paper around your child’s head to fit the crown snuggly on his head.  Staple the ends together. Your child will enjoy wearing the crown for the day!

Materials

Box of Baking Soda
Vinegar
Food coloring
Pipettes or eye droppers
Small plastic bowls
Plastic shallow container or tray

Directions

Place baking soda in the shallow container or tray. Pour a small amount of vinegar in each bowl. Add a few drops of food coloring to each bowl. Using a pipette, invite your child to squeeze and release the pipette in the vinegar.  This will take some practice for your child to get the pipette to suck up the vinegar. Then ask your child to squeeze the vinegar-filled pipette over the baking soda, allowing the vinegar to drop onto the soda. Observe what happens when the vinegar reacts with the soda. Allow your child to continue exploring, though keep a watchful eye. Your child will have fun watching the vinegar and baking soda bubble.

Materials

Cylinder-shaped wooden blocks or styrofoam objects – one for each color paint
Tempera paint in 3-4 different colors
2 household sponges cut in half
Paper or plastic plates – one for each color paint
9×12 construction paper

Directions

Place a sponge that has been cut in half on each plate. Pour a small amount of paint onto the sponges, each sponge having a different color of paint. Place a cylinder shaped block or piece of styrofoam on each plate.  Invite your child to dip the end of the cylinder shape into the paint on the sponge and then press it onto a piece of construction paper.  Encourage your child to try all the colors, reinforcing the names of the colors as they are used. Allow paint to dry before displaying.

Materials
Box of Trix cereal
Six small bowls

Directions
Pour Trix cereal into a child-size cereal bowl. Invite your child to sort the cereal by their colors into separate bowls. Preschoolers may like to count the different colors.  Which color has the most? Which color is the least?  Enjoy eating the cereal as a fun, colorful snack.

Materials
Paper
Dot stickers
Black Sharpie

Directions
Using a black Sharpie marker, draw lines or curves on a piece of paper. Invite your child to place colorful dot stickers along the black lines.  

Lesson extensions:

• Encourage your child to use his index finger to trace along the lines
• Count the dots
• Count all the yellow dots, the blue dots, etc.
• Invite your child to draw the line or curve, then place stickers on it

 

Materials

Various colors of craft foam sheets 
Scissors
Circle template
Sharpie marker
Large plastic tub of water or bath tub
Cups, basters, water bottles, etc. for playing and exploring

Directions

Using a circle template, trace circles onto foam sheets.  Cut out.  Fill a large container with water. Place the foam circles and other ojects for water play in the container. Invite your child to explore and play. Do the foam circles sink or float? What happens when I pour or squirt water on them? Can they stick to the sides of the container?

This is an excellent activity to do in the bathtub! Children will love sticking the foam circles onto the side of the tub or on the wall. Allow dots to dry on a towel before putting them away.

Lesson Extensions:

After allowing your child plenty of time to explore on his own, encourage your child to sort the dots by color, count the dots, make patterns with the dots, or create pictures with the dots.  

Your child may also want to use a spay water bottle to make dry dots stick to a window, mirror, chalkboard or white board. Your child will love using these dots over and over.

Materials
Piece of canvas board
Painter’s tape
Tempera paint in 3-4 colors
Dishwashing brush

Directions
Make stripes on the canvas using the painter’s tape.  Pour paint, one of each color onto a paper plate. Provide a dishwashing brush for each color of paint. Invite your child to use the brush to dip into the paint and then dab onto the canvas.  Many children chose to move the brush back and forth, rather than dab.  That’s just fine.  It is all about the process and experience. Encourage your child to cover the entire canvas with paint. Once the paint has dried completely, remove the painter’s tape for a fun striped surprise!