Group Project - String Eggs

All week the children and their grown up have had the opportunity to get sticky.

We have been building string eggs. 

What fun to stick your hand in a bowl full of glue.

Then trying to maneuver the string around a floating balloon.  Not as easy as it looks.

 We made one per day.  They dried overnight and we were able to pop the balloons in the morning.  It was fun to watch and listen to the balloon shrivel inside the string.

I cut away some of the string to make a window.  Then slipped in some Easter grass and this little duck-wanna-be-bunny.

This craft has been around since I was a little girl but it amazes me when I encounter someone who hasn't seen it before.  That happen quite often this week.  I think a few families will be trying this simple craft at home.

Shake, Rattle and Roll Egg Decorating

Last weekend I was at Dollarama and found large plastic eggs, the largest that I have ever seen. 
They open on the horizontal rather than the vertical so sit well on the table.  I also found little styrofoam eggs.  Put the two together and I thought we could decorate the eggs with these.

After opening the egg we spooned in paint.  At first we used pink, purple and yellow but found that it turned brown.

So took away the yellow for a nicer final look.

Add a styrofoam egg or a few. Put the lid on and start shaking.

We discovered that the styrofoam eggs were often to light to roll on their own.  They got stuck in the paint and wouldn't move.
Even turning the egg upside down didn't help.

Rolling it with our finger was messy and not as much fun.

We finally figured that something heavier needed to be in the egg to help the styrofoam egg move.  

We added marbles.

 

It worked!

And a bonus is the sound it makes.

It was a very popular art table today.

Bird's Nests

This week you'll find many birds and eggs around the room to play with.  

 Today at the craft table we made our own nests. 

We covered little bowls with saran wrap for prep then the children painted it with glue.

There were feathers to add first. I had a real nest to show how the adult bird used softer materials like feathers, hair or fur to make the nest warm and comfortable.

Then the gooey work began.

 Mixing shredded paper with white glue.

Some children liked it while others definitely did not.

Then we covered the prepared bowl with the sticky paper.

The nests have to dry for a day or two,

 but I did take one off the bowl mold to see how it looks.

 Add a cute little cottonball chick that we made a couple of days ago and we're ready to play.

Wind Up at the Light Table

A while back I saw a blog or two about sand on the light table.  I liked the look of it and thought the children would enjoy the feel.
I covered the table with a clear sheet of laminate and taped down the edges (hoping the sand doesn't get under and scratch the glass).

It was very appealing for the little ones and their grown-ups.
The grown-ups patiently showed their children how to wind up the toys (great for fine motor development) and talked about the different marks or tracks each toy made in the sand.
Which toys moved fast or slow.  Which ones didn't work well in the sand.  Which one was the noisiest.
Even after the curiosity of the wind up toys was done some children continued to draw, play and pick up the sand with their fingers.  I appreciate that our light table has a lip around it so it kept the sand on the table.
A lot of conversation happened around the light table.
Plus I'm always excited when I hear a parent say "I could do that at home.  We have wind up toys too."

Chicks and Nests

Today we made chicks in nests at the art table and eggs in nest at the snack table.

Using egg carton sections and cotton balls the children made a little chick to take home and hang for a decoration.

The children love painting and using the smaller paint brushes allows for more control especially when painting a small area.

They then glue in the cottonballs (I found these coloured cottonballs a couple of years ago and haven't been able to find them since).

Then tie on ribbons for hanging.

I'm always excited when I see children who are not limited by what they see on the table and will do their own thing.

Her finished art work is a piece with many chicks.

At the snack table we worked together to make birds nests to eat.
We used shredded wheat and the children had to break them all apart.

Then melted marshmallows and mixed the two together.

We then buttered our hands and made our own little nest.  We added jelly beans for eggs.

The shredded wheat works better than rice krispies because it stays malleable longer so if a child wasn't ready to make theirs or they arrived later then there was still some for them to use.