Activities for at Home
Art Activities:
- Paint with Kool-aid, using it like a watercolor.
- Place paper over of a piece of sandpaper. Let children color and feel the texture.
- Add scents to paint! (Vanilla extract, mint extract, Kool Aid, etc.)
- Finger-paint; Variation: Finger-paint with jello or colored pudding.
- Let children paint with their noses! Dip nose in paint, press onto paper.
- Make Footprint Mural.Tape a long piece of butcher paper onto the floor. Children step
into a shallow pan containing paint, then walk on paper. (Have a towel at the end to
clean up feet)
- Finger-paint with shaving cream. Add color &/or scent; Do it on bubble wrap!
- Add coffee grounds or cornmeal to brown paint (for texture and scent.)
- Put on music and have children paint or color to the music.
- Children can trace and cut out their hands.
- Fingerprint/thumbprint art. When dry, look at with magnifying glass.
- Paint with q-tips on paper cut out in the shape of an ear
- Add different textured items to your collage area – sandpaper, cotton balls, felt scraps,
fabric scraps, tissue paper, corrugated cardboard, faux fur, feathers, etc
- Make a texture collage. Variation: Glue textures onto hand shapes
- Make a collage out of magazine pictures (that the children cut out) add different I
tems they like to smell (or taste); Variation: Add color or scent to your glue
- Make and decorate toilet paper roll “binoculars” to look through; Variation: Use different
colors of Saran wrap.
- Paint using “Puffy Paint” - Have children draw a picture while looking under a
magnifying glass.
- Add “googly eyes” to your collage area (or to your bin of play dough tools.)
- Make Noise Makers. Staple 2 paper plates (that the children have decorate together three
quarters of the way. Let children put dry rice of beans in. Staple the rest of the way shut.
Add streamers, if desired, and dance with.
- Make flowers that smell! Cut out flower shape (or use a cupcake liner) Add a piece
of cotton to the center that has been sprayed with perfume.
- 3-D Junque Art! Boxes, cardboard rolls, etc. Discuss the concept of “3D” - Add jingle bells
to the glitter shakers!
- Blot Paint with cotton balls dipped into paint and pressed onto paper.
- Sound Matching Shakers (film canisters containing items such as dry beans, rice,
popcorn, paperclips, seeds, marbles, a penny, etc. Secure tightly. (Pharmacies will often
give unused prescription bottles if you ask and tell them what you want them for)Make 2
of each, for children to match, based on sound.
- Do color mixing experiment (droppers/colored water)
- Make lemon aid! Taste the lemons before adding sugar! Encourage discussion.
Movement and Motor:
- Dance and move to different types of diverse music. Encourage the children to “feel” and
experience the music. How do we know it’s fast? Slow?...Encourage them to really focus on
listening and feeling the music.
- Pin the Tail on the Donkey (blindfolded)
- Action song: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” (review body part names)
Outdoors/ Walking Activities:
- Sound/Listening Walk
- Texture Walk or Texture Scavenger Hunt (looking for various textures) - Place a piece of
paper over brick on a building or on the sidewalk. Let children color on the paper.
Discuss the texture.
- Add a drop or two of peppermint extract to bubbles for scent.
Supplemental Ideas/Activities:
- Make an Ice Cube Sensory Tray. Cut 12 small pieces of materials/objects with different
textures. Cut to fit into ice cube tray compartments. Let children feel different textures.
- Sound shakers – Fill clear, plastic soda bottles with dry rice or beans. Seal.
- Hot/Cold feeling classifying activity.
- Make a face, with features that Velcro on. Play “What’s Missing?” with it,
- Make beanbags out of different textured materials.
- Teach the children some basic sign language
- Make a tape recording of common sounds. Have children identify e.g. animal songs
- Walk across bubble wrap in bare feet (or some other texture)
- Make “stress balls” for the children to feel. In a balloon, put rice or
unpopped popcorn. Tie securely shut. (Variation: Use disposable gloves)
- Put sugar and salt on two small plates. Let children touch and taste the difference.
- Make “Squishy Bags” Seal zip lock baggies containing hair gel and confetti with
superglue. Tape over seal with clear packaging tape, to prevent accidental opening of the
baggie. Let children feel and manipulate.
Great Recipes for Fun at Home:
Gak
Mix equal parts white glue to liquid starch.
(Gak has the texture and consistency of Silly Putty)
Non-Hardening No Cook Play dough
2 cups self-rising flour 1 T. Alum (optional) 2 T. Salt 2 T. cooking oil
1 cup + 2 T. boiling water Mint or Vanilla Extract
Easy Play dough
2 cups flour 1-cup salt tempera paint water
Mix flour, salt and paint with enough water to make the
desired consistency. Variation: Add Kool-Aid for color and scent.
“Goop”
1⁄2 cup cornstarch 1⁄4 cup water food coloring
Let children explore texture – it is wet, but feels dry to the touch.
Puffy Paint
Mix equal parts of flour, salt, water, liquid tempera (for color). Put in squeeze container. Use on heavy paper.
Great Website for Ideas at Home: http://lets-explore.net/blog/
- Paint with Kool-aid, using it like a watercolor.
- Place paper over of a piece of sandpaper. Let children color and feel the texture.
- Add scents to paint! (Vanilla extract, mint extract, Kool Aid, etc.)
- Finger-paint; Variation: Finger-paint with jello or colored pudding.
- Let children paint with their noses! Dip nose in paint, press onto paper.
- Make Footprint Mural.Tape a long piece of butcher paper onto the floor. Children step
into a shallow pan containing paint, then walk on paper. (Have a towel at the end to
clean up feet)
- Finger-paint with shaving cream. Add color &/or scent; Do it on bubble wrap!
- Add coffee grounds or cornmeal to brown paint (for texture and scent.)
- Put on music and have children paint or color to the music.
- Children can trace and cut out their hands.
- Fingerprint/thumbprint art. When dry, look at with magnifying glass.
- Paint with q-tips on paper cut out in the shape of an ear
- Add different textured items to your collage area – sandpaper, cotton balls, felt scraps,
fabric scraps, tissue paper, corrugated cardboard, faux fur, feathers, etc
- Make a texture collage. Variation: Glue textures onto hand shapes
- Make a collage out of magazine pictures (that the children cut out) add different I
tems they like to smell (or taste); Variation: Add color or scent to your glue
- Make and decorate toilet paper roll “binoculars” to look through; Variation: Use different
colors of Saran wrap.
- Paint using “Puffy Paint” - Have children draw a picture while looking under a
magnifying glass.
- Add “googly eyes” to your collage area (or to your bin of play dough tools.)
- Make Noise Makers. Staple 2 paper plates (that the children have decorate together three
quarters of the way. Let children put dry rice of beans in. Staple the rest of the way shut.
Add streamers, if desired, and dance with.
- Make flowers that smell! Cut out flower shape (or use a cupcake liner) Add a piece
of cotton to the center that has been sprayed with perfume.
- 3-D Junque Art! Boxes, cardboard rolls, etc. Discuss the concept of “3D” - Add jingle bells
to the glitter shakers!
- Blot Paint with cotton balls dipped into paint and pressed onto paper.
- Sound Matching Shakers (film canisters containing items such as dry beans, rice,
popcorn, paperclips, seeds, marbles, a penny, etc. Secure tightly. (Pharmacies will often
give unused prescription bottles if you ask and tell them what you want them for)Make 2
of each, for children to match, based on sound.
- Do color mixing experiment (droppers/colored water)
- Make lemon aid! Taste the lemons before adding sugar! Encourage discussion.
Movement and Motor:
- Dance and move to different types of diverse music. Encourage the children to “feel” and
experience the music. How do we know it’s fast? Slow?...Encourage them to really focus on
listening and feeling the music.
- Pin the Tail on the Donkey (blindfolded)
- Action song: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” (review body part names)
Outdoors/ Walking Activities:
- Sound/Listening Walk
- Texture Walk or Texture Scavenger Hunt (looking for various textures) - Place a piece of
paper over brick on a building or on the sidewalk. Let children color on the paper.
Discuss the texture.
- Add a drop or two of peppermint extract to bubbles for scent.
Supplemental Ideas/Activities:
- Make an Ice Cube Sensory Tray. Cut 12 small pieces of materials/objects with different
textures. Cut to fit into ice cube tray compartments. Let children feel different textures.
- Sound shakers – Fill clear, plastic soda bottles with dry rice or beans. Seal.
- Hot/Cold feeling classifying activity.
- Make a face, with features that Velcro on. Play “What’s Missing?” with it,
- Make beanbags out of different textured materials.
- Teach the children some basic sign language
- Make a tape recording of common sounds. Have children identify e.g. animal songs
- Walk across bubble wrap in bare feet (or some other texture)
- Make “stress balls” for the children to feel. In a balloon, put rice or
unpopped popcorn. Tie securely shut. (Variation: Use disposable gloves)
- Put sugar and salt on two small plates. Let children touch and taste the difference.
- Make “Squishy Bags” Seal zip lock baggies containing hair gel and confetti with
superglue. Tape over seal with clear packaging tape, to prevent accidental opening of the
baggie. Let children feel and manipulate.
Great Recipes for Fun at Home:
Gak
Mix equal parts white glue to liquid starch.
(Gak has the texture and consistency of Silly Putty)
Non-Hardening No Cook Play dough
2 cups self-rising flour 1 T. Alum (optional) 2 T. Salt 2 T. cooking oil
1 cup + 2 T. boiling water Mint or Vanilla Extract
Easy Play dough
2 cups flour 1-cup salt tempera paint water
Mix flour, salt and paint with enough water to make the
desired consistency. Variation: Add Kool-Aid for color and scent.
“Goop”
1⁄2 cup cornstarch 1⁄4 cup water food coloring
Let children explore texture – it is wet, but feels dry to the touch.
Puffy Paint
Mix equal parts of flour, salt, water, liquid tempera (for color). Put in squeeze container. Use on heavy paper.
Great Website for Ideas at Home: http://lets-explore.net/blog/