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Structure Building with Pool Noodles & Shaving Cream

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Up for some messy sensory summer play? Try structure building with pool noodles and shaving cream! It’s messy but totally engaging for all ages. It cleans up easily too so don’t let the mess deter you. The kids will remember the day they played with shaving cream, pool noodles and rinsed off in the sprinkler.

Structure Building with Pool Noodles & Shaving Cream

Materials for Building Structures with Pool Noodles and Shaving Cream

For this STEAM activity, just hit the dollar store for some pool noodles and inexpensive shaving cream. You could choose to use Colorations Foam Paint in place of shaving cream, but it’s much more expensive.

Structure Building with Pool Noodles & Shaving Cream

Use a serrated knife to make pool noodle slices. Vary the size for extra fun.

colorful pool noodles cut in slices

You may prefer to just put out bowls of shaving cream rather than full cans. I felt it was engaging for my older ones to allow them to spray the cans but they may have focused more on building structures if I just put out bowls of cream for them to dip the noodle slices in.

bowl of shaving cream sensory play

Dipping the foam pieces is easier for younger ones.

Let the play begin!

We have some wood crates that serve as outdoor toy storage or tables when the lids are on. I just put the materials out and let them at it!

Structure Building with Pool Noodles & Shaving Cream

Spraying the foam is the most fun. The girl in the photo below is squirting shaving cream into the hole of the pool noodle.

Structure Building with Pool Noodles & Shaving Cream

What kind of structures can we build?

How about castles and walls…

Structure Building with Pool Noodles & Shaving Cream

…Towers and “layers”

…or donuts and cupcake creations!

No matter which way they chose to play with the materials, it was fun!

Structure Building with Pool Noodles & Shaving Cream

Structure Building with Pool Noodles & Shaving Cream engaged my group for a long time. Then clean up itself kept them busy for another 45 minutes or so.

Rinse away to clean

Cleaning up is part of the fun! We rinsed and sprayed off the foam pieces before putting them in the sun to dry.

Check out more architecture activities for preschoolers.

Architecture Activities for Preschoolers

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As we experience “Art in Italy” in week one of Mother Goose Time’s Art Studio, we learned about how buildings and structures are designed and planned through play and creative architecture activities for preschoolers.

Architecture Activities for Preschoolers

An architect decides the shape, size and what the structure is made out of.

Architecture Activities for Preschoolers

Children are block building architects!

  • Architecture Activities for Preschoolers
  • building structures with blocks in preschool

The Colosseum Invitation to Create

The Roman Colosseum is one of the most famous and historic structures in the world. We used a beautiful image of it for our Invitation to Create 3D art structures.

The Roman Colosseum

The idea is the image will inspire creatively, not that the children will build a mini Colosseum. If nothing else, my little learners will have been introduced to a historic structure and may recognize it again someday.

The Colosseum Invitation to Create from Mother Goose Time Art Studio theme

We used starch noodles and toothpicks to create our structures. I supplied half sheets of colored paper as a surface to build on. That gave the projects a base and a little stability.

preschool building activity

Starch noodles stick together very quickly if they are slightly dampened. We used a wet paper towel on a little paper plate to dab the starch noodles on.

using starch noodles to build

I had some leftover starch noodles and colored toothpicks from previous activities that I added to the supplies provided in Art Studio.

starch noodles and colored toothpicks STEAM building activity for preschoolers

Some just pushed the noodles onto the toothpicks. A great activity for fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination skills and using both sides of the body.

toddler using starch noodles

Don’t worry about little ones poking themselves. They didn’t. Even if that happened it would cause much damage. My youngest will be two this month and she loved this activity!

building structures with starch noodles and toothpicks

You can also supply glue to connect the noodles. I prefer to limit the liquid with the starch noodles or they crush and clump up quickly.

Architecture Activities for Preschoolers

This structure is simple but colorful.

starch noodle structure 3D preschool art

Creative Construction

In addition to our starch noodle structures, we attempted to create structures with clothespin clips and jumbo craft sticks. What can you make with a bowl of clothespins and craft sticks? We made a structure to keep in the lions and the tigers. Now I’m guessing this fence wouldn’t keep the lions and tigers in but in our play world, yes!

This boy spent a lot of time creating this structure.

Cup Stacking Structures

Building structures with cups is so fun! Did you know that cup stacking studies show that cup stacking improves reading test scores and cross patterning brain development?

This fun and intense game actually “forces” the child to cross the midline with their hands as well as their eyes, which engages the right and left hemispheres of the brain needed for higher learning concepts.

I found these “mini Solo cups” at the Dollar Tree. The cups come in packs of 50 and they are heavier duty than the regular sized cups so they hold up well.

I thought cup stacking fit in well with our architect activities for preschoolers. I have one more idea relating to architecture activities for preschoolers that incorporates building structures and sensory play – check out Structure Building with Pool Noodles & Shaving Cream.

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Magic Letters Watercolor Painting Literacy Activity

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Continuing with our Art Studio theme from Mother Goose Time, we explored an art technique along with some alphabet work. Magic Letters is a watercolor painting literacy activity idea that really captured my group’s attention.

Magic-Letters-Watercolor-Literacy-Activity

Mother Goose Time incorporates all the basic concepts in each theme, integrating them in fun playful ways that engage learners. Drawing secret letters and discovering them while painting is so engaging and satisfying. The Art Studio theme is full of activities like this that promote literacy.

Magic Letters

Use a white crayon to make letters, shapes or numbers on white paper.

Rainbow Colored Wood Alphabet Letters 130 Piece Set

Magic Letters Watercolor Painting Literacy Activity

Paint over the letters with watercolors to reveal the magic letters!

Magic Letters Watercolor Painting Literacy Activity

The kids can help write the letters too, if they are able.

Magic Letters Watercolor Painting Literacy Activity

It’s fun to paint over the letters and see which one it is! In one case, E thought he was painting letter R. Once he finished, he realized he had letter G and it was upside down!

Magic Letters Watercolor Painting Literacy Activity

There are several observations we can make with this activity. Does the child write letters or letter like marks on the paper?

Magic Letters Watercolor Painting Literacy Activity

If the child didn’t make the letters, can the child identify the letter after painting the paper?

Can he or she make the sound that letter makes? My kids liked looking for the letters that belong in their names.

Magic Letters Watercolor Painting Literacy Activity

Crayon resist painting isn’t a new idea but it’s a fun one to bring out when working on letters or other concepts like numbers or shapes.

Magic Letters Watercolor Painting Literacy Activity

Mixing colors is fun too.

Magic Letters Watercolor Painting Literacy Activity

The magic letters turned out colorful and bright.

Watercolor Painting Literacy Activity

Here’s the surprise letter G that was first thought to be an R!

Magic Letters Watercolor Painting Literacy Activity

Combining art and literacy makes learning fun and memorable. Another reason why we love Mother Goose Time!

Watercolor Painting Literacy Activity

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Self Portrait Center

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It’s July and we’re on to the Art Studio theme from Mother Goose Time. Our first lesson was all about the self portrait. See how we put together a self portrait center and worked on creating our own self portraits like famous artists of the past.

Self Portrait Center for preschoolers - Art Studio theme from Mother Goose Time

This month your child will explore the beauty and creative freedom of art through the studies of shapes and colors. He will explore world famous artists like Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and others. Your child will explore different art forms, brush strokes, art tools, and discover his own way to use art for expressive purposes. Each week, he will investigate a different country’s art, culture, and traditions. This artistic adventure is sure to touch each child in a unique way.

https://www.mothergoosetime.com/themes/
July calendar and theme poster form Mother Goose Time Art Studio theme

We spend less time with circle time and calendar activities in the summer but the calendar and theme poster are an important part of our curriculum. Everyone wants to know what days are holidays or birthdays. We always write the numbers on the calendar and usually someone wants to put the day’s number up. Sometimes we have to do a little catch up and put a week’s worth of calendar numbers….

Art Studio

The Art Studio theme is awesome as it incorporates culture, art and history. Plus it’s fun!

  • Week One: Art in Italy
  • Week Two: Art in France
  • Week Three: Art in the Netherlands & Spain
  • Week Four: Art in England

Art in Italy

The first week of Art Studio starts with self-portraits and portraits. Right away the children are introduced to famous art pieces like one of Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait and the Mona Lisa.

Art in Italy Self Portrait Center for preschoolers - Art Studio theme from Mother Goose Time

Here’s the theme web for the month and the topics we’re covering for week one, Art in Italy.

I set up an art center for the Self-Portrait Invitation to Create so each child could take some time to look at their self in the mirror and draw.

Self Portrait Center for preschoolers - Art Studio theme from Mother Goose Time

Our Art Studio Self Portrait Center

  • a mirror
  • pencils
  • crayons
  • markers
  • Frida Kahlo’s Self Portrait with Bonito, 1941 Inspiration Photo
  • The book, The Colors of Us
Self Portrait Center for preschoolers - Art Studio theme from Mother Goose Time

Lesson 1 Self-Portrait

The Mother Goose Time teacher guides are beautiful and so inspiring.

Mother Goose Time teacher guide lesson plans for day 1 of Art Studio

Honestly, there are so many activities, we usually can’t get to them all.

Self Portrait Center for preschoolers - Art Studio theme from Mother Goose Time

I thought about providing collage materials for this activity but sometimes it’s better to keep it simple. Otherwise they would focus on gluing materials instead of trying to create shapes in portraits.

Self Portrait Center for preschoolers - Art Studio theme from Mother Goose Time

Drawing people can be hard and overwhelming. I remember being in elementary art class and feeling frustrated about being expected to draw a realistic person. I think the younger children maybe have an easier time trying to draw a face because they just “do” instead of overthinking it.

During snack time when I had everyone’s attention, I talked about drawing faces. When we look at Frida Kahlo’s portrait, it looks hard to do, doesn’t it? She made a beautiful portrait of herself!

Frida Kahlo's self portrait with Bonito

How to Draw a Face

Let’s take a closer look – what is the shape of a face? Circle or oval. We can all draw a circle or oval! Look at the eyes? What shape are they? What color? How many do we have? What else do you have on your face? So it’s not so hard! I found out the dry erase markers are all dried out so I didn’t have many options for colors! So a green self-portrait it was!

Self Portrait Center for preschoolers - Art Studio theme from Mother Goose Time

This activity is probably best for the older children but we can walk the younger ones through it. Look in the mirror. What do you see? What color is your hair? Can you draw the hair?

Self Portrait Center for preschoolers - Art Studio theme from Mother Goose Time

I love that each one was excited to take a turn and work on their portrait.

Self Portrait Center for preschoolers - Art Studio theme from Mother Goose Time

Each child is different and beautiful!

Self Portrait Center for preschoolers - Art Studio theme from Mother Goose Time

I included The Colors Of Us book at the art table because it has many wonderful artistic drawings of people. It really highlights how we are all different.

The Colors of Us book

The book is providing inspiration for this drawing!

Self Portrait Center for preschoolers - Art Studio theme from Mother Goose Time

I love how it inspired this boy’s work! It’s not exactly a self portrait but that’s okay! I was thrilled to see that he was inspired and created this amazing drawing based on an image he liked. Green hair? Why not!

drawing based on "The Colors of Us" book
Self Portrait Center for preschoolers - Art Studio theme from Mother Goose Time

Mix and Match Portraits

Day Two of Art Studio featured the Mona Lisa portrait and was about Portraits. With the shortened holiday week, we combined both days activities. The Mix and Match Portraits booklets (shown in the photo below) were a hit!

Self Portrait Center for preschoolers - Art Studio theme from Mother Goose Time Mix and Match portrait booklets

Cutting and coloring the pages to make fun faces was well, fun!

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O is for Otter Swimming

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Otters are sooo cute! We just loved watching some videos of otters swimming and creating some water for our otters to swim in. Enjoy our O is for Otter Swimming activities from Mother Goose Time’s A to Zoo alphabet theme.

O is for Otter

I love using letter blocks to spell out the words of our topics for the children to explore more closely. I put them in a small bowl and let them put the letters in order. Some like to take the letters to the writing table and trace them. You can also you magnetic letters for this.

O is for Otter Swimming

Otters float and hold their babies while they sleep. This video shows a newborn otter called a pup. This fun video shows many funny and cute otters but we have to remember that otters are still wild animals and can be dangerous.

O is for Otter Swimming

The Invitation to Create for O is for Otter Swimming was super fun. Any time you add shaving cream to paint, kids are enthralled. It’s not only art but a sensory activity. I know some places do not use shaving cream in their program due to licensing rules. If that’s the case, try foam paint.

O is for Otter Swimming preschool art

Thank you Mother Goose Time for the extra information provided about otters! I read this card to my group before we get started on our art or while they are working. I also use it for our displays when the art is ready to go on the wall.

O is for Otter Swimming

Creative Art

Here we are working on our O is for Otter Swimming Invitation to Create. My kids LOVE art. You know when everyone is engaged in their work when you hear SILENCE with 8 kids in the same room!

O is for Otter Swimming

We used blue liquid watercolor paint with the shaving cream. Stirring it together and seeing the different shades of blue is part of the fun.

painting with blue paint and shaving cream on green paper

Using an ice cream spoon to spread the paint and shaving cream mixture is a bit challenging. Some kids do not like to get their hands dirty so this is a concern for them. I calmly tell them we’ll wash when we’re done. They can either wipe their fingers on the paper or I give them a piece of paper towel to clean up with.

O is for Otter Swimming painting with shaving cream

Using the little wooden ice cream spoon to spread the paint is good fine motor practice too.

Liquid watercolor paints on colored paper have interesting results! You can see the paper starts to turn green. Some noticed an exclaimed about it which we decided was cool because the inspiration photo shows greenish colored water the otter is swimming in. In reality, pond or river water isn’t usually blue. Painting on green cardstock made this Invitation to Create more interesting with color and texture.

O is for Otter Swimming

The teacher guide suggested using the paint stick to make an otter. We decided to use the color page drawing from Member Resources.

I felt it was a little more balanced in size. Plus it turned out super cute!

Foamy paint is raised and wet at first. After it dries, the air escapes and the foam reduces, but it still leaves a wonderful texture. Give it a try!

A to Zoo Names

We’re loving the Animal Nametags included in the letter N & O lessons. Rocks are awesome manipulatives for literacy activities like this one. Now everyone can spell otter!

Make Your Own Letter Rocks

Find a variety of rocks and clean them. Or buy them at Michael’s or the Dollar Tree. Write letters on each rock with Sharpies, paint pens or acrylic paint. I didn’t seal mine but they can be coated with Modge Podge and then sprayed with a clear coat which would be needed if you intend to use them outdoors.

MORE A-ZOO ACTIVITIES

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