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Raina Kennedy

Inspire, Enrich, Create

Indian Village theme for Fall Activities

11/12/2013

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Created this Fun Indian Village to teach the kids about the Indian's and how they helped us when we arrived to the Americas. Here are the activities we did and the props I made for this theme.      
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The Canoe is an Expedit Shelf. The kids love sitting in their cube while they pretend to row along the river. I used blue painter's tape to create water lines on the floor (not seen here).
More Expedit Ideas
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Created the oars with PVC piping, cardboard, duck tape and corn. I filled the pipes with corn so that they made sounds when rowing. Also hung yarn and jingle bells along the window. This was a big hit and super easy to construct. My 11 month old loved it too.

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Blowing Feather Activity for Fall Theme

11/6/2013

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Start with having them blow the feather on the ground.  Then have them blow the feather with a straw.  For older ones, it can be a feather race game.  Finally, bring out the big blowing guns (hair dryers).  Have them blow the feathers across the room.  We used dryers with a cool setting.

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Hung feathers from the ceiling and had the kids blow them with straws. As an extended activity, I had them tape several straws together to form a big straw. While laying on the floor, they had to blow their feathers with their long straws.
See more Ceiling Activities for Kids
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Music and Movement playdate/lesson

11/6/2013

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Opera pitch hello and goodbye to get the kids experimenting with the sounds they can make. Also did sound exercises where the kids made different sounds with their lips.
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During circle time, we initiated a contagious giggle go round where we tickled the kids feet with feathers.
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Music note collage art. Just pre-cut a music sheet and let the kids paste it to a colored sheet. We also used music stickers.
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This is a fun sound activity. I filled these cans with two types of sounds and four containers. The kids were asked to listen for the containers that made the same sound.
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Follow the conductor movement, music and sensory activity. The kids danced like kangaroos and ducks on a path of bubble wrap and sticky paper.
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Tape contact paper to the floor with sticky side up
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Soft music and spatula painting.
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Spring Activities for Toddlers

11/6/2013

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Bug Week

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For bug week, we re-used some easter grass and buried bugs. We gave the kids some fun magnifying glasses and bug containers to collect their findings. Afterward, we hid the bugs around the house and had the kids search for them.
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This was fun for the younger toddlers too.
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The kids swatting flies with fly swatters. A great ceiling activity!
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We made some black playdough and had the kids make spiders for art today. Here's George and mom acting scared. This spider was George's creation!

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Sensory Activities for infants

11/6/2013

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Used a tennis ball to create this sticky ball.
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Taped paper to the floor and had her paint with dot paints. They're not as messy. She got excited about this one.

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Deals I Found

11/2/2013

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Check out the deal you get with Oriental Trading.  for .51 more you get 4 trays instead of 1.  Even better the 4 trays are color suited, as a second function you them for color sorting activities.  Oriental has the better buy
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$15.99 $14.99 On Amazon
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Super Science Test Tubes With Trays IN-59/1025 $16.50 1 Set(s) Oriental Trading
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Fall Themed Activities for Kids

11/2/2013

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Turkey trot and Turkey yoga. The kids have a blast going fast, slow, hopping, running in place like a turkey
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Have them form a turkey conga line and trot like turkey's along each shape taped on the floor
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Sailing The Mayflower water play. Have them try to blow the sails.
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I made these with craft sticks and wooden blocks. I would pre write the names of the kids on the sails and laminate prior to class. Ours flopped too soon during this play.

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Expedit shelf re-purposed into a Race Car

11/2/2013

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This took 15 minutes to make. It's the Ikea Expedit Shelving unit turned into a Race Car. Just cut up some construction paper and tape to the sides.
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Can't wait to see what other fun transportation themes we can come up with now the idea is born!
Looking for ideas on Birthday decor.  This decal took 20 minutes to make.  I covered it in clear contact paper so it could last several play sessions.  Still need to add his jet pack but love the way it's coming out.  My boys are totally into Turbo Snails right now.
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Turbo!
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An Indian Canoe for Fall Theme
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Tape yellow and blue paper to form the length of Expedit
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Turn over and draw zig zags with pencil
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Follow pattern with colored duck tape
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Sleep Tight Playdate

11/2/2013

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Also a good lesson for preschool age children
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Sleep Tight theme this week. I covered our hallway entrance with long black fabric. Here we did shadow shows and played with all sorts of fun light up toys.
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Catch a flying star. This is always a fun eye coordination activity. Hang the stars from the ceiling and have the kids swat with paper towel dowels
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Sheep Jumping over the fence. HAve the kids Baa as they jump. Create the fence on the floor with painter's tape
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As a craft, have the kids make wishing pouches. Each one has a star, moon and cloud.

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Teaching Sounds: Learn through play

11/1/2013

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Teaching sounds can be fun with these vienna sausage cans.  
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Only .50 cents each Remove Sausages, label, rinse and let dry .
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Combine 2 of the cans together with duck tape. Make sure to insert items that will sound different when shaken. We used corn, pennies, sand and cotton balls. Make 2 of the same sounding ones so kids can try to match their sound with another kid. This was a fun game for us. You can also teach about quantities through sound. Put 1 penny, then 2 pennies, then 5 etc. Have the kids listen to see which container has more/less
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Bonus- your little ones will enjoy it too.
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Ceiling Activities for Kids

11/1/2013

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No wonder Pinatas are such a hit at parties.  Kids love whacking things.  Here's a safer alternative to that dreaded stick used on pinatas.  Use Paper towel dowels instead.  We duck tape ours with fun colors.  Best part is you can hang what ever you want to match the theme of your party/lesson/play date.  Use duck tape to suspend all strings from ceiling.  It holds up best.
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Hang Stars and have kids swat with paper towel dowels
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As an extension, hand out robot arms and have kids pick up moon rocks (aluminum foiled balls).
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One of my favorite spring time activities. Print out fly images, cover in clear shelving liner, tie a string and hang from the ceiling. The kids swat the flies with fly swatters.
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Here's the image I used for our flies

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Add Bubble Scientist to your Resume ;)

11/1/2013

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Here's a great recipe for making your own bubbles at home.
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6 cups water, 1 cup Karo Syrup, 2 cups Joy dish soap.
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Magnet Fishing

11/1/2013

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Fishing for paper clips
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Fishing for pipe cleaners
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Fishing for magnetic letters
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This was my favorite fish. It gave us good letter learning time. We talked a lot about things named with each letter too. "J" is for John, Jack, Jump. This one lasted the longest.
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Also great for younger toddlers. She understood exactly what to do and loved it.
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So excited about her catch!
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DIY Flower Magnets

11/1/2013

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Created these flower magnets for our spring program.  They really brightened up the room and the kids love them!  They also act as a learning tool to teach about colors and textures.
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Here's what you'll need to make them
Picture The Magnet Source 1 in. x 5/32 in. Ceramic Disc Magnets (6-Pack) Model # 07004 Store SKU # 902181 Home Depot carries them for $2.59 / each















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Scotch 1 in. x 1.66 yd. Exterior Mounting Tape Model # 411-DC Internet # 100575385 Store SKU # 490070 Home Depot sells it for $4.97 / each
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Metal can from soup or vegetables 12-14 OZ.  Remove the lid with one of those openers that doesn't leave rough edges.  Use the lid as your base to hold magnets on one side and flower on other side.



Deconstruct the flower and glue each piece back together with hot glue gun.  Glue back section first to the lid and rebuild your flower piece by piece from there using the glue.  Adhere the magnets to the back using the mounting tape.  Cut the tape around the magnet to form the shape of magnet.
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DIY ABC Runner

10/29/2013

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Our 20ft long ABC run. This is a great activity to learn ABC's and get out lot's of energy. You can sing the ABC song slow or real fast. You can also have the kids land on certain letters. This is a simple DIY project: yellow craft paper, abc print outs and clear shelving liner.
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Learn through Play: Pumpkins

10/29/2013

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Get a big pumpkin, several little pumpkins, tie string to a magnet and then tie to a wooden dowel.  And let the pumpkin fishing begin!


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Learn Through Play: Street Safety

10/29/2013

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The kids learn about driving safety. Here they learn to follow street light signs.  Green means go.

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Prompting them to slow for yellow.


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Musical Art

10/29/2013

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We played and stopped music. The kids had fun working on art all around the table.

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A comb is a fun tool for painting

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Fun ways to teach about the seasons

10/29/2013

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We placed items that absorb and repel water to teach the need for rain gear in spring

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A fun demonstration of rain for spring

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Our season buckets. Here the kids learn about the items associated with each season.


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My Favorite Play Dough Recipe

10/29/2013

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3 cups flour, 1.5 cups salt, 3 cups water, 2tb veg oil, 1 tb cream of tatrtar and any food coloring you have. Cook over low until dough spreads away from the pan. It comes out so soft and lasts for years!

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Fire Safety- learn through Play

10/28/2013

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As a science activity- we used glass jars to teach children about fire and how it needs oxygen.  Here we illustrate how fire burns without the lid and how it blows out once the lid covers the jar.
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Here the kids watch closely as the fire goes out once the lid is placed.
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Fun weather Station for your playroom

10/28/2013

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This is a fun and cheap way to inspire the topic of weather and how we dress for it.  Found the boy and his clothes at Learning Palace.
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 I covered all in clear plastic shelf lining and added rings to hold the string.

I made the clouds out of cardboard and painted them white.  The weather signs are from printouts off the internet and placed them in these cute little frames.  We use this everyday!

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Learn through play activities for spring

10/28/2013

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In a grand effort to give my kids the best foot forward, I have been introducing education fundamentals through play.  After reviewing tons of eduction sites, I came up with a weekly curriculum that is used in pricey preschools and day care facilities .  Now my munchkins can have quality mommy time and a great education without breaking the bank.  It's so rewarding to see the light go on and be there to experience it with them.  The effort and time to create these activities is minimal compared to the  rewards!  Give one a try!

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 Here are three of our favorite activities where the kids learn to sort colors, letters and numbers with spring related items.


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Hay Sensory Play

10/28/2013

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This is a fun one inspired by the Fall Season.  1 bundle of hay will go a long way.  Just place the hay in several containers and let the kids have fun exploring the texture of the hay
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As an activity, have them work together to build a scare crow!

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Corn Sensory Play

10/28/2013

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Local Farm stores carry 50lb bags of corn for just $15.  Fill a kiddie pool and let the kids swim in the corn

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Bring out the buckets and props to encourage more play.  The sound of the corn being transferred from one container to the next is very soothing!  This is a great quiet time activity

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Tonka trucks are always a hit!

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Extended play with the tonka trucks :)


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    Raina Kennedy

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