Category: Activities

Materials

Handkerchief

How to Play

1. Place the handkerchief over the baby’s head and pretend you cannot find him.
2. Say, “Where’s (baby’s name)?”
   When the baby takes off the handkerchief, get excited and say, “Oh, there’s (baby’s name)!”
3. Encourage the baby to put the handkerchief on his head all by himself.

Delicious!!

Ingredients

1 Can Pillsbury Grands
Vegetable Oil
Cinnamon Sugar

Small Round Cookie Cutter

Directions

Click here for recipe.

Materials

Cardstock in tan or brown (really any color can work)
Chocolate chips
Sharpie Marker
Scissors
Circular object for tracing

Directions

Trace and cut out 10 or more large circles from cardstock.  Write numerals 1-10 or larger if your child is working on recognizing numerals past 10. Invite your child to identify the numerals and place the right number of chocolate chips on top of the cookie shape.  For toddlers, use dot stickers to place on cookies.  Invite your toddler to place one chocolate chip on each dot sticker.  Practice counting with your toddler and point out the numeral. Younger children may want to begin with just 2-3 cookies. of course, it’s always fun to eat the chocolate chips when they are done with the lesson.

Lesson Adaptions and Extensions

1. For toddlers and young preschoolers, draw with a marker or place colored dot stickers that are the same colors as M&M’s on each cookie cutout.  Invite your child to place M&M’s on matching dots. Count the M&M’s.
2. Encourage your preschooler to line up the cookies in numerical order and then add the chocolate chips.

Materials

Brown construction paper
Black construction paper or black dot stickers
1 piece of cardstock cut into a large circle
Glue stick
1 piece of construction paper for mounting
Scissors

Directions

Using the large circle cut out of cardstock, invite your child to cut or tear brown construction paper pieces and glue them onto the circular shape. Encourage him, but don force him to cover the whole “cookie shape”. Once the cookie is covered with brown paper, invite your child to glue some black dots cut out of construction paper, or use black sticker dots to add to the cookie to make it look like a chocolate chip cookie. Once the mosaic is dry, mount it onto a piece of construction paper for displaying. 

Reread If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

Ingredients

1 Cake Mix (any flavor)
Eggs
Oil
Mini cupcake papers
Mini cupcake pan
Melon baller
Can of Frosting (any flavor)
Sprinkles

Directions

Follow the directions on the box of the cake mix. While you’re mixing, invite your child to place one cupcake paper in each cupcake holder. This is task provides great fine motor practice, especially using the pincer grasp. Once the batter is mixed, help your child use a melon baller to scoop the batter into the mini cupcake tins. Bake as directed.  Once cool, frost and invite your child to add the sprinkles.  Serve as a special treat!

Materials

Brown Construction Paper
1 piece of cardstock
Simple Muffin Shape template
Brown Tempera Paint
Paint Brush
Scissors

Directions

Draw a simple muffin shape on cardstock to use as a template.  Using brown construction paper, trace around the muffin shape and cut it out. Pour brown tempera paint in a small bowl or cup.  Invite your child to paint the muffin.  Reread: If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff.

Materials

Paper Plate
Pink Tempera Paint
Large Googly Eyes
Pink Construction Paper
Paint Brush
Black Sharpie Marker
Glue

Directions

Pour pink tempera paint in a small bowl or cup. Invite your child to paint the paper plate pink. While the paint is drying, cut out two pink trianges for the ears and one pink circle for the nose from pink construction paper.  Help your child draw two circles as nostrils on the pink circle. Once the pink paint has dried, encourage you child to glue the two triangles toward the top for the ears, two googly eyes on the paper plate, and the pink construction paper nose on the center of the plate. Tape a large craft stick to the bottom of the plate. Have fun using the pig puppet as you reread the book, If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff.

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie – Sensory Art Activity

Basic Materials

Elmer’s school glue
Shaving cream
Large bowl
Spoon
Paint brush

Directions

In a large bowl, mix well 1/2 cup Elmer’s glue with 1 cup shaving cream.  Your child will love exploring how it feels.  Use the puffy paint to make interesting paintings.

Painting Ideas

Snowy Picture: Invite your child to use a paint brush and make a snowy picture on blue or black construction paper with the puffy paint. If desirous, sprinkle glitter while paint is wet. Allow paint to dry. The paint will continue to get puffier as it dries.

Cookie-Shape Painting: Read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Nuneroff. Add brown tempera paint to the puffy paint  and stir. Invite your child to paint a paper plate to look like a cookie. Cut small circles out of black construction paper. Add them to the painting to look like chocolate chips. Display the cookie once it has dried completely.

Ingredients

Directions

Ingredients

Box of Nilla Wafers
Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Melting Wafers
Wax Paper

Directions

Melt chocolate in microwave according to instructions. Invite your child to dip Nilla wafers into the chocolate, covering half the cookie.  Place on wax paper to dry. The Nilla wafer is the sun; the chocolate coating is the moon passing in front of the sun. Frost the Nilla wafer with the chocolate coating to represent a total solar eclipse.  Enjoy!