Playing with our Cardboard Theater: Ocean and Renovation

We've done so many activities around this cardboard theater this time! Its been actually a few days of various types of playing. We've done art, reading, role play, play do.... Check it out:

Toilet Tissue Roll Craft for Kids: Storybots

We love watching Youtube channel Kids TV 123, Santino has been watching it since before he even turned 2 years old. We've watched other countless channels, too. Recently, though, we have discovered another channel, the Storybots, and loved it a lot!

As we were watching these fun videos after breakfast this morning, Santino sadly stated, that he doesn't have a robot. Hey, recycling craft to the rescue! We crafted these fun storybots-looking characters.

Cardboard Project: A Knight's Shield

Santino has a foam sword and a rocking horse, that he likes to sit on, waving the above-mentioned sword. I've been thinking about making a shield for him, especially after we've read "Franklin is Messy" book a hundred times in the past week. In this book Franklin makes his own sword and his own shield. Santino just can't get enough of this story. Today we finally did! We made a shield for Santino.

Santino's Art: a Dinosaur, a Dragon, and a Rocket Ship

I found, that encouraging Santino to draw is much easier, when I give him a project, a task and then explain how to do it. Maybe he is not as creative at this moment to enjoy scribbling random lines and zigzags, but he definitely gets more excited and tries to draw after he knows exactly what to do.

Preschooler Art: Making Valentine's Cards

Our days have been filled with dinosaurs (and now also dragons! yay! at least some change) activities, sensory boxes and books. I haven't been pushing art on Santino, since lately he is not interested in any art activities at all. I do take out paint and brushes almost every day, and ask him to make me a picture, doesn't matter what. Something. Usually he wants to draw a dinosaur, and if he is drawing anything, I'm happy with it. Stamping doesn't help either. I just hope that some day it will change.

This Valentine's cards project has been going on for a while, too. Every day I encourage Santino to do a little bit of stamping, or writing in these cards. The project is still in the making, but I am quite happy with the results.

 

More Dinosaur Activities. Art.

Here is a short post. Just a photo of more artistic ways to create a dinosaur! Santino is loving this. I am proud of his development and how persistent he is in pursuing his love for the dinosaurs. He is creative in finding ways to make another dinosaur shape. Magnetic letters and sponge stamps, for example.

Countdown to Christmas. Day 17. Salt Dough Puffy Paint.

We've done puffy salt dough paint before, but I was inspired by this blog post and decided we can do it again! I didn't add peppermint essential oil, as I don't have it. So we just stuck to the salt, flour, water and paint.

Countdown to Christmas Activities. Day 14. Christmas Tree Collage

This is one of those activities I read about in various Montessori books. Not necessarily the same activity, but I was inspired by the Montessori ideas.

Christmas Countdown Activities. Day 12. Stamping.

I am a couple of days behind posting our activities. These are actually rather short and easy ones.

Countdown to Christmas Activities. Day 11. Playdough Sparkly Snowflakes.

So we missed one day with our countdown activities, but now we are back.

This was a painting activity. We used our playdough, which I made a couple of weeks ago. (And yay!, I made my own playdough and it worked! For a while I couldn't do it. I had a playdough block, so to say.) Anyways, we've been playing with this playdough, rolling it, smashing it, leaving it to dry overnight and throwing it in the garbage. All kinds of fun! And here is a Christmas activity. Snowflakes!

Countdown to Christmas Activities. Day 8. Rudolph Foot Stamp Art.

Santino's friend Joe came over to play. Among other things they did, they each picked a video to watch, and Santino's pick was "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". After the movie finished, I suggested we all make some Rudolph art.

Christmas Countdown Activities. Day 7. A Field trip to the Toronto Christmas Market.

Toronto has Christmas Market, that takes place in the beautiful part of the city, the Distillery District. This historic district is an awesome place as it is, with its shops, restaurants, and theaters, but every year now it also hosts a Christmas Market, European style, making it a great attraction for the Torontonians and visitors.

 

 

Christmas Countdown Activities. Day 6. Dinosaur Christmas "Habitat".

Here is a fun installation we came up with today. Well, we first decorated a couple of cones with glitter and pompoms. I actually found some old hair gel with glitter. I let Santino squeeze it all over the cones, and he enjoyed it, squeezing away.

Christmas Countdown Activities. Day 5. Popsicle Sticks Ornaments.

Santino and his best friend Joe had a play date in our house. To let them do something different from jumping on a trampoline and dumping all the toys on the floor, I suggested we do a little Christmas craft.

Countdown to Christmas Activities. Day 4. Cottonpad Snowman.

Directing Santino's attention is quite a challenge these days. He is into physical activities, like soccer, golf and simple run and crash onto couch or pillows. Nevertheless, I try to get him to sit down for a few minutes and read a book together, play with letters and draw or paint. Or do some Christmas crafts.

"Countdown to Christmas" Activities.

As I've been told multiple times by multiple people, it is normal for the little boys not to be interested in art, creative activities, painting, gluing. I still encourage Santino to do something creative every day. Even if it is just a few strokes on the blackboard. Something!

Making wreaths or any other kind of Christmas crafts is a challenge here. Well, not the "making" per se, but the interest in such activity. Santino only wants to play with dinosaurs (anything related to dinosaurs) and silly wreaths had nothing to do with them. Now they do!

Montessori Summer Art Activities: Foot Printing

About a month ago I joined a Facebook group called "Montessori Summer Art and Music activities for the 2-6 year olds". The group was organized by Lisa Nolan, who offers easy activities and engages moms in the conversations about the challenges they face and the progress their little ones show. I "met" Lisa on Google+, such a wonderful place to find like-minders!

Mystery Bags and The Colors of a Rainbow

I wanted to practice listening skills with Santino. I find, that a lot of times my voice is more like a white noise to him, I have to really come close and turn his head to me and repeat the same thing over and over for him to catch what I want from him. Now, this is not always, many times he hears me and does what I say, so I know this is not a hearing issue.

I just wanted a simple and fun activity, that I need to explain and he needs to understand and then follow the instructions. Mystery bags seemed like a good idea.

Easter basket of mini "dinosaur" eggs

Santino hasn't been very co-operative lately, very uninterested in any sensory activities, art or crafts. I have set up a table with a comfortable armchair in his play room, covered with large sheets of white construction paper, put all the art supplies in his reach and encourage him to draw at least a little. We have colored a few coloring sheets, but that was it.

Toddler art: St. Valentines 3D poster

Here is a beautiful St.Valentines poster me and Santino made with a large sheet of construction paper, a few tissue sheets, masking tape and glue.