Playdough Angels

Playdough angels. They may not all quite resemble angels but it was a mixture of ages, and allowed to create from the resources available. 

• skin colour play dough (obviously), there were two shades
• plastic gems
• white feathers
• pipe cleaners (metallic)
• eyes
• pom poms
• match sticks

This is also on allplayonsunday my other blog, check it out for other ideas for Christmas

Post Christmas Challenge

Ok so rather late, but just went through photos.

Week after Christmas lull, cue a play challenge! And the results

Duplo Dragon Design for Box

Stickers to be added once made (scales, fire, eyes)

 The finished dragon!

Christmas Food

So tomorrow we are having kids Christmas Party lunch, so nice stuff made. Cookie Christmas tree (Not too much icing, you'll find out why in a mo)

Cranberry sauce made and in jars (a little organised me thinks)

Not quite finished chocolate cake, but look at the icing a little too much made (hence why all icing sugar used, had to keep adding. After decanting a bit off and adding a whole bunch more icing sugar the correct consistency was got - left. Im calling the other one sauce)

So anyone any festive ideas for chocolate butter icing and or sauce?

Ps. Icing sugar for Americans is actually powdered sugar

Bookworm Bookmark

Using unused blind fabric (the kind that doesn't fray) I cut out worm shapes. Felt pens work well on this.

Then using the materials from the wrapping activity (unplanned) the bookworm bookmarks were wrapped.

And a label made, again from the wrapping activity tray.

Christmas Fine Motor (2011)

So we had a similar activity last year, but this one requires a little more skill. I got new tiny sugar tongs from poundland, and had these other items hanging around the house. The aim is to tong the tiny pom poms onto the snowman saucer and the stars into the star cutter. I will let you know how they get on?
I have blogged about this activity previously, but today in an effort to conserve space on shelf I placed the cup tree into the bowl and the stars on top. HEY PRESTO, self enclosed activity think it will be remaining like this (may even stick it inside the bowl)

Cutting Snowmen and Christmas Trees

After observing some difficulty with Christmas templates I made this simple cutting activity. I folded the paper, drew half the shape on the crease side. I provided scissors, stickers and ribbon. For children to cut out and create independents.

A beautiful christmas tree

A cool sonwman

Nativity and tree decorating

The annual nativity display has been set up, this year with a new nativity. We still have lovely wooden one but this was on offer and we liked it a lot. This year it is set up alongside a small tree to decorate making the connection between the Christmas story and the festival.

A simple set up with star netting hanging from picture hook from top of wall.

A photo when it was dark (it's dark far too early), with a small battery operated light behind stable.

The tree to decorate, small decorations kept in gift boxes and gift bags.

.

Cup tree with bells on for easier decorating (they have tiny curtain rings on) or for playing and singing... jingle bells, jingle..

Christmas Activities

Wrapping practice and gift tag making. Gift tags simply cut out from last years Christmas cards.

One of the other activities availible is paper chain making, these strips come from that set, I thought they would be useful for some cutting practice though. Cutting each image out and sticking on something perhaps. Actually this is a bit below abilities but I am almost certain it will be a winner, just because of interest and sometimes thats ok in my opinion!!

Star Button Match

Selection of pairs of felt cut out stars, with buttons sewn to one pair and a slit big enough (but not too big) to accommodate a button. Children find matching stars and button them together. I also made a matching bag but a pretty box would be just as nice. This will supplements; christmas, twinkle twinkle and space themes/ interests, whilst the children develop fine motor skills, matching and explore connecting scheamas.

Journey to Bethlehem

This post was supposed to be on "all play on sunday" but accidently wrote on here, I was going to delte but thought it may be of interest to some of you (check out "all play on sunday" for similar ideas)So todays session was called "Journey to Bethlehem" inspiration given from Tidily Winks Red Book. However only limited aspects of session were used.

For play session we had :

King's Town playmat, (inspired by Filth Wizardry) complete with "The Kings Inn" and stable next door, a farm with sheep fields... get the idea modern day applications of what was around when Jesus was born.

Journey to Bethlehem matching cards (images obtained via google, I will add a link for all the printables at alljoinin.net in week)

Transport sorting, this proved way more popular than I anticipated. We were to use these later in one of the stories.

Nativity desert box (really popular, had some great conversations)

Another activity at the free play time was colouring "tiny" Mary on a donkey pictures. To first of all use in the story and then to complete an journey advent calendar. The donkey and Mary were an edited image available from Activity Village

The children coloured the advent calendar and drew Mary and Joseph in the stable.

After play we sat down in a circle like usual and discussed what we had been playing with as an intro to the story, which went in the direction of we have that story at home (nativity, its baby Jesus), we played with sand and trains... we played with all of it etc. and we focussed in on, on the table with the nativity we were playing with a place in the sand and on the mat we were playing with a place with concrete roads. We talked about the story we were going to think about was about a journey on a road, a sandy road.

I then told our special story from the Bible, from before Jesus was born using the nativity props, sand tray and wooden blocks to create shelters.

I then read this story I created for this week, to tie in the transport theme I was focussing on. (I will post more details of this in the week)

We said the prayer (minor edits) from the tiddlywinks book.

The other craft option was decorating this donkey with fabric and sand (for dust). My crafts this week were rather prescriptive, this was for several 1. lacked inspiration for a simple yet purposeful craft 2. I wanted the children to take something home that showed a real link to session so parents could discuss it further 3. I realised that the children would likely be so engaged in the play they wouldn't want to spend ages engaging in craft (I was correct for some children)

Flag Christmas Drcorations

Really not suggesting you make these with children, I just had to show them off because I am sooo pleased with them! I've made them for a very good friend of mine and her husband she's English, he's American. There was no way I was going to manage to sew all the stars so I sewed three the size of their family! I'm hoping to make a heart one combing the union jack and star spangled banner! Sorry for my boasting, but just wanted to share! Forgive me

Christmas Tree addition and subtraction

Counting activities involving counting have been a firm favourite previously in a moment of inspiration I came up with this idea to use up a few scraps of green card. Initially I was going to write the numbers on the trees but instead did addition sums/ number sentences what ever you call them, knowing that this would be a very visual way of introducing the written concept of something that has been worked on verbally many times. I wrote the answers on trunks to match up to the correct tree once the decorations had been added and the answer had been established.
As requested by a little mathematician I put the corresponding subtraction sum on the back of each tree.

Pieces were stored in a little tray with small pieces contained in an empty Branston pickle and cheese snack pot. The counting decorations were mini craft gems and sequins (without sticky backs)

The activity was a real hit and so good for fine motor control, counting those tiny gems on to the trees which had a terrible incline to slip rather frustratingly at times. We ended up doing on a try in the end as carpet made the trees quite wobbly, I think I would use thicker card, laminate or use felt if I were to do it again.

Remember, learning should always be tailored to the individual needs of the child. Addition and subtraction should not be attempted until the child is confident in counting with one to one correspondence, has lots of experience or dealing with numbers in everyday activity, has experience of language such as one more, lots more, take one away etc. in everyday activities and through songs. The child can then begin to deal with problems in play and everyday activity e.g. "We've eaten two biscuits how many are left?" Only when a child is confident with such "problems" can addition and subtraction in this way even be contemplated.

For a printable version of this activity go to TES simply register for free and you can down load for free http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Christmas-Tree-Addition-6066768/requestAction/update/

Snow Transferring activities

Happy New year to all the readers, my resolution is to blog more frequently so am starting as I mean to go on. Who knows what weather chaos (or not) the new year will bring but whatever happens I'm sure there will be more snow and snowy weather calls for snowy activities, of the non cold variety. (Don't worry the window is not on fire)

Transferring seed pods (not sure what kind) painted White between containers, a shallow spoon was available but at point of photo was being used for something else, for fundamentalist montesorians among you, I'm so sorry!

Transferring White pom poms with a peg into a container with small hole. This actually proved quite tricky for little fingers as it was not a quick transferring activity, instead requiring a pause to for pushing the pom pom into the hole with a finger on the other hand. A great activity to encourage children to use both hands and to reach to midline.

Christmas Songs

Songs are an ever present part of Christmas from Slade to Ding Dong Merrily on high, and of course the cheesy children's classics. Here are a couple of songs that were on our shelves this years and have been particularly popular particularly the tree one, Snowmen were last year's favourite.

Twinkle Twinkle Christmas Star

(tune of Twinkle Twinkle)

Twinkle twinkle Christmas star

Wise men know what you are

Guided by your shining light

Helped them on there way at night

Twinkle twinkle Christmas star

Wise men know what you are.

or

Ten little Gold Stars

(tune of Ten Little Indians)

1 little, 2 little, 3 little gold stars,

4 little, 5 little, 6 little gold stars,

7 little, 8 little, 9 little gold stars

10 little gold stars for....(child's name)

Children taking it in turns to give them to their friends.

-----------------------------

Five Christmas Trees

(tune of Five Current Buns)

Five Christmas trees in the garden shop

Tall and spiky with a star on top

Along came.... (child's name)

With some money one day

Bought a Christmas tree and took it away

I purposefully made it "money" rather than penny in the hope that it would encourage children to say how much a tree would cost. My expectations were exceeded and we went as far as adding the right coins together and giving change some times we don't give children enough credit.

------------------------------------

Five little snowmen fat

Each had a funny hat

Out came the sun and Melted one

What a funny thing was that.

Four little...

I either get children to draw a sun on a piece of paper e.g. "Oh no, we haven't a sun we'd better make one quick" usually followed with "I will". Or provide them with a torch to shine it onto the chosen snowman, which is another great hand eye coordination exercise along with creating anticipation and encouraging visual tracking for other children.

Or

“I’m a little snowman, short and fat.

Here’s my carrot nose and here is my hat.

When it’s cold and icy I will stay,

But in the sun I melt away!”

Some wonderful Christmas son ideas are available at Perpetual Preschool