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Raina Kennedy

Inspire, Enrich, Create

Our sandbox - thinking outside the box

7/12/2014

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This is a fun sand play area. The pirate ship is washed up on a beach. Kids can play with sand in and out of the ship. It's such a fun theme for dramatic and active play. I used PVC pipes to create the sling shot, filled the beach area with real beach sand, placed several pirate accessories around and built a fun hose powered water station.

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Mess Free: Straw Art Activity For Kids

1/24/2014

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This is a fun twist on the painting with a ziplock bag activity.  The kids really enjoyed working with the straws and seeing the paint come through.  They also had fun moving the paint around with their hands on the surface.  
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Fun sensory for infants, toddlers and preschoolers

11/25/2013

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I strung these jingle bells up and hung them along our window.  The kids really took to them.  I used this activity during our Indian Village week but plan to do it again for our santa's workshop week.
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Shaka Shaka Art

11/18/2013

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This is a great one! The kids really get into it. We call it Shaka Shaka art.
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DIY Oar 

11/15/2013

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For Our Indian Theme this week, I made the kids a canoe and created this fun oar to go with it.  I filled the oar with corn so it would make sounds when they rowed the canoe.
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To make: Get a piece of PVC Pipe, fill it with corn or rice, close off the ends with duck tape, cut a piece of cardboard and tape with duck tape. Cover the rest in a fun design with duck tape
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DIY Moving fire activity for kids

11/14/2013

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This Elefun Toy makes a great fire prop.
We covered ours in red and had the kids place red fire ambers inside.  The fire explodes with ambers when turned on.  We used tissue paper because it was light enough to take air.  I wanted the fire as a prop and activity for our Indian Village Theme this week.
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Rainmaker Wand

11/13/2013

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This mailing tube makes a great sound toy.  We filled ours with corn and covered with fun Duck Tape colors.  
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We call ours the rainmaker. It's a great prop added to our Indian Village Dramatic Play.
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Indian Village Theme Activities
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Flubber Fun

11/11/2013

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Click Here For Our Flubber Recipe

Flubber Attack!

The kids have fun escaping from the drooping flubber.  We set the game up in our playroom.  The kids crawled under the table and tried to make it out without being attacked by the drooping flubber.
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Flubber Soup

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Flubber Soup is an all time favorite for these guys. They love to pretend cook and this substance is great for filling pots and pans- the flubber oozes out for all sides. We add plastic bugs, letters and numbers to create the soup.
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My Favorite Flubber Recipe

11/11/2013

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How to Make Flubber at Home: The Ingredients 3 cups Warm Water 2 cups Elmer’s White Glue Liquid Water Color (food coloring stains) 20 Mule Team Borax, available in the grocery store laundry section. (Please see NOTES section below for safety information about Borax.) Glitter (optional) White Vinegar (for cleaning) The Steps In a large container combine and mix: 1 ½ cups very warm water 2 cups Elmers white glue A few drops of water color and/or glitter if using clear glue Make sure this combination is completely mixed In a small container combine and mix: 1 1/3 cups very warm water 2 level tsp 20 Mule Team Borax. Adults, please do this step. (Please see NOTES section below for safety information about Borax.) Make sure the Borax is completely dissolved. Combine the glue and borax mixtures: Mix well using your hands until all the liquid is absorbed. You may need to squish, mix, and break up the flubber to get it fully combined. Store the flubber in a plastic, air-tight container at room temperature. For best results, measure precisely and mix well as noted above. Notes About Saftey Adults, please keep the box of powdered borax out of the reach of children. If kept in an airtight container, the Flubber will keep for up to 2 weeks. Vinegar dissolves Flubber from carpet, hair, furniture, clothes, and pets. This recipe makes enough Flubber for six children.
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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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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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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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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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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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Apple Playdate: Learn through Play

10/29/2013

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Our Apple Tree. The kids will pick apples during their dramatic apple stand pla
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Our Apple chute. The kids will take turns dropping apples into the basket while counting each apple.  The tunnels are made of clear ketchup bottles and black electric tape with magnets fastened to the back.

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Our apple stand came out so good! Its a lemonade stand converted for the playdate! It set the stage for some great dramatic play of buying and selling apples.


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Dinosaur Playdate: Learn through Play

10/29/2013

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Start with a fun set up displaying any dinosaurs you have
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As a sensory activity- bring out the play dough and have the kids make dino foot prints

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Teach the kids about eggs and how some dinosaurs may have come from eggs.  I cracked a few shells prior and washed them out knowing the kids would want to feel the shells.


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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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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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Water and Ball tunnels for your playarea

10/28/2013

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Our kids just love experimenting with gravity and water.  I made them these wall and deck activities with a quick stop at our local hardware store.
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Here's a magnet ball and tunnel system.  I picked up a sheet of metal and used base board frames to create the border.  The tubes are made of clear ketchup dispensers and fastened together with electric tape.  I fastened the magnets to the back and lined the tubes up in various ways to create a fun and interactive play.

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I call this tunnel system tulips and tunnels.  We combined the clear ketchup bottles with PVC pipes and connectors.  The tunnels are attached with grey plastic electrical fasteners. The tulips are attached with velcro so the kids can pick flowers


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Fun Outdoor Art Station

10/28/2013

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Children's wall of art.. a great theme for your child's next outdoor birthday party, a fun playdate or just for your munchkins.  Kids love to create.  The messier the creation the better the creative!  Make sure to tell parents that the kids will need a second set of clothes to change into. 
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Here's a photo of an art wall made with white sheets.  If you don't have poles to attach the sheets, you can use two easels.  Just place one on each end of the sheet.  For best results, get some stakes at a hardware store and line up two or three sheets to make a long wall of art. For younger kids, make sure that the sheets are lower.   If possible, try to set the art wall up so that the kids can go around it and paint the other side.  Or just opt to hang over a fence like we did.

I placed a few paint bins on the fence so its a one stop area and more organized.  The kids can play with fun paint props like spray bottles, squirt bottles large rolling brushes and fun paint on decals.




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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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