Caterpillar

I will admit I have been slacking this week. I had family visiting and was so busy that I forgot about our letter C project. Originally I was hoping to make cars using house hold items, but it seems that I accidentally put the car parts into the recycle bin and they are probably being made into something else by now. After investigating our arts and crafts supplies, I constructed plan B, a caterpillar.

Supplies:

Pom-poms
Googly eyes
Glue
Letter C template
Marker or pen

(All found at the dollar store)




Instructions:

1. Glue pom-poms in the form of the letter C
2. Glue googly eyes onto the head of the caterpillar
3. Draw the caterpillar legs with black marker or pen






This was a simple and fun project. Kailynn identified the colors of the pom-poms as she glued them onto the paper. She practiced her colors and letter tracing skills simultaneously. Kailynn also played with her cars and colored with crayons on "C" day.

*As soon as I have the supplies, I promise to share with you how to make the cars I originally had in mind for this project. 

The Letter "B"

And so we continue with our ABC challenge! This week we will focus on the letter "B."

I have an alphabet app on my phone that Kailynn loves to play with. In the app, you "build" the letters. I thought why not turn this app into the real deal?

Since I already had the files on my laptop for each letter, it saved me preparation time on this week's alphabet activity. Be sure to have these tools handy before you start: scissor, glue stick, colored construction paper. (Feel free to use bottled glue if that's what you prefer. I used a glue stick because it makes for less clean up when it's in a toddler's hand.)


Step 1:  Print out letter "B"

Step 2:  Cut pieces of construction to fit into the shape of the letter

Step 3:  Glue construction paper pieces onto the letter

It's a simple activity that any toddler will enjoy. Kailynn loved this activity and has started pointing out the letter "B" in some of her books. I will admit that when I first started the alphabet challenge, I wasn't sure if she was going to understand much of it. To my surprise, she is able to identify these letters on her own. It seems to be working! Stay tuned for our next alphabet activity. I have a few creative ideas in mind that I'm sure you and your little one will love!

A is for Apple

As promised, we continued on our alphabet challenge. A few weeks ago, I decided to start doing arts and crafts with Kailynn revolving around the alphabets; focusing on one letter each week. A few days after we began, we went on a last minute vacation. Now that we are back to our normal schedule, it is time to continue what we started.

This weeks' project was a construction paper mosaic. Since the letter of the week was "A", we made an apple mosaic.  Follow these simple steps so you and your little one can create your own mosaic.


For starters, you will need:

• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Pen or marker

Now that you have your materials, follow these simple steps:

1. Draw an apple on a piece of construction paper
   
2. Cut small pieces of your preferred color of construction paper
   
3. Place glue inside the drawing of the apple
4. Place your pre-cut pieces of construction paper onto the glued areas
5. Continue steps 3 and 4 until the drawing is covered with pieces construction paper 

I had full control of the glue because I was pretty sure Kailynn would have squirted the whole bottle all over the place if it was in her hands. I would place a few dabs of glue onto the paper while she stuck on the pre-cut pieces of construction paper. I must say we make a pretty good team. Here is Kailynn showing off the finished product!

Squishy Sensory Bag

How many of you remember those water snake wigglies (a clear plastic tube filled with water and little toys)? Well, Kailynn was playing with one a few days ago and was so frustrated that it kept falling. I was determined to find a toy similar to the water wigglies that wasn’t so slippery. My mission to find this toy was a total fail! But not to worry, Super Mom is here! I decided to make one from scratch. I looked online to see if there were any suggested instructions on how to make one at home. I came across a few and to my surprise they’re referred to as sensory bags or squishy bags. The instructions were pretty similar. The only major difference was what was put inside the bag. Here is how Kailynn and I made our “squishy sensory bag”:

Supplies:

1- quart size plastic storage bag (Ziploc bag)

1- bottle of hair gel

Clear packaging tape

Beads or any other small toys

Step 1: Fill plastic bag with hair gel

Step 2: Put beads or toys into bag

Step 3: "Zip" plastic bag and wrap with tape to strengthen it

That’s it! It’s pretty simple to make and everything can be purchased at the dollar store if you don’t already have the items lying around the house. Your little one can even help make it. Kailynn and I will surely be making more soon!

Here are some other suggestions for filling your own “squishy sensory bag”: Use body wash, shaving cream, rice, or pasta instead of hair gel. Substitute the beads for marbles, plastic bugs or animals, foam stickers, plastic army men, glitter, or just about anything you can fit in the bag.