Need some fun ideas for things to do with young children for the month of April? Here are some of my ideas and ones that I have found. Take a look and steal away, join in the fun. We are loving spring, especially when it is nice weather!
Easter Ideas
Pastel Colored Play-dough
We have been playing with homemade play-dough all month long. We love to use cookie cutters with it, plastic knives, and of course make lots of snakes and balls. Here is a great recipe. I have also heard it is fun to dye it with kool aide too! On the stove top heat:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
3/4 TBSP oil
1 TBSP cream of tarter
food coloring or kool aide
Rag Cloth Painted Easter Eggs
We got pastel colored paper, scraps I had laying around (purple, blue and pink). Then we used rags and dapped the paper with pastel colored acrylic paint. Let dry and cut into Easter egg shapes.
Egg Carton
Paint an egg carton all different colors and make it pretty to hold your hard boiled eggs in. We have plastic eggs in it right now. each one has a letter inside and we are using it for mini lessons with my three year old for capital and lower case letters as well as sounds and trying to write them himself.
Fun Ways to Dye Easter Eggs
Using Silk Tie's
Scuba Eggs/(from family fun magazine)
Materials: straw, water bottle lid, white label, marker, rubber band, hot glue, dye, and hard boiled egg.
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/dyeving-dudes-1002013/
- Easter Eggs Hiding in the Grass: Craft for Kids (family fun)
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- Spring & Easter Preschool Crafts for all abilities!
for Ages 3 Years and Up
Supplies Needed:
* Uncooked Spaghetti (10-20 strands)
* Green Food Coloring
* Plastic Bag (that seals closed)
* Rubbing Alcohol
* Waxed Paper
* White Glue
* White Foam Paper or White Construction Paper
* 3 Different Colors of Construction Paper
* Scissors
Time Needed:
* For Spaghetti: 5 minutes plus drying time
* For Craft: 15 minutes plus drying time
What To Do:
1. Break spaghetti into 2-3 inch pieces and put into a plastic bag.
2. ADULT ONLY: Add 5 drops of green food coloring and 2 capfuls of rubbing alcohol.
3. Remove as much air as possible and then seal bag closed and then tape closed.
This isn't ready yet. Notice the different colors. Keep "mixing' until it's uniformly colored
4. Shake the bag and gently move the spaghetti around until they look evenly colored.
5. ADULT ONLY: Pour colored spaghetti out of the bag and onto the waxed paper. Flatten and spread out spaghetti and let dry completely.
6. Cut out an Easter Egg shape from each color construction paper you've chosen.
HINT: Stack the 3 sheets of paper together and cut them out at the same time if you want them to look the same size and shape.
7. OPTIONAL: Decorate the eggs.
8. Glue the eggs to the white foam paper or white construction paper.
9. When spaghetti has dried use white glue to attach them to the bottom of the paper, under the eggs.
Try to put the grass on only 1 layer thick.
Overlapping pieces may not stick.
10. Let dry completely.
11. ENJOY! You're done! Show it off by hanging your masterpiece on the wall!
Easter Window Silhouettes (Studio 5)
You will need a roll of clear contact paper, paint brushes, paint (we used acrylic), fine sandpaper and masking tape. First cut a piece of contact paper from the roll. Cut squares about 5″ x 5″. Take a fine piece of sandpaper and lightly sand the shiny surface of the contact paper where you will be painting. Wipe off any dust. This step helps the paint adhere to the slick contact paper. Tape a piece of wax paper to the table to catch the mess. Tape the piece of contact paper shiny(sanded) side up onto the wax paper. Paint onto the contact paper square. Allow the painting to dry completely. Once the paint is completely dry take another square of contact paper the same size as your painting and peel off the paper backing. Cover your painting with the clear contact paper. Smooth out any bubbles. Trace around any shape of your choosing. Cut out the shape. Carefully remove the paper backing. This takes some time —-make sure you are only removing the paper (the back of your painting should be sticky). If you use acrylic paint it is plastic enough that it has a tendency to peel away from the contact paper, so peel carefully! If it does peel away and it won't stick back down just put a little glue stick between the layers. Once you are finished stick your silhouettes to your window. (taken from www.kidcraftweekly.com)
Remember Christ
Make a tomb out of a shoebox. Put a picture of Christ in it three days before Easter. On Easter Sunday take Christ out of the tomb and talk about how He is risen.
Make it a tradition to do the Easter Bunny and the hunts on Saturday.
Earth Day Ideas/Recycling
Go on a nature walk and collect things to make a nature collage.
Discuss what it means to recycle
Make a robot with trash items
Do some gardening or planting together (maybe plant grass)
Recyclable Egg Carton/Box Doll House (Family Fun)
Rainy Day Box April is known for it's crazy weather. But together a box for each child that has fun little toys or activities in it that are knew or not played with very often. Pull them out on these bad weather days. Also a good idea to have things like this for the doctor's office, long car rides, restaurants or church. They will play better with things they haven't seen recently. At least that is always the case with my children. A few suggestions that we like in our house for these types of boxes; puzzles, books, coloring book, little toy, snack, etc.
