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 for Kids: A Toy House

Its not that my son loves playing with toy houses. We've never had one, and when we go to the Early Years Center, he rarely pays attention to the doll house there, even though there are lots of various dolls, dressed like different professionals (doctor, policeman, etc.) and a great variety of furnishings and utensils.

My idea for this project was to utilize the cardboard boxes, that I had collected for Santino to play with. I thought he would want to build towers or walls, but he never does. So I decided to re-purpose them. I wanted to build something "cool" like a fire station or a castle, but got side-tracked thinking how to decorate the insides of the rooms.

I came up with the idea to cut out photos from some interior design magazines, that I was about to throw out, and glue them to the floors and walls.

 

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.

Easy DIY Cardboard Project: Castle

This cardboard castle was made mainly by me. Santino is not coordinated well enough yet to cut cardboard or hot glue the pieces. And its not like he doesn't have a castle to play with; he does. I made this castle because I was inspired by a nice cardboard box, and because I want to instill in Santino's mind, that you can make beautiful and fun pieces with the simple materials on hand and you don't have to buy everything.

 

 

Theatre 2.0. Cardboard Mini Theater upgraded to an optional "Shadow" setting.

So, yesterday we played with our cardboard theater. This morning we continued and had lots of fun. Later on, tonight, we turned our theater into a shadow one.

Dinosaurs' Cardboard Mini Theater.

Here is how I made an impromptu mini-theater today. Simple, simple, simple! I used just a cardboard box, an old T-shirt and a thin rope. It took me a while to hand stitch the curtains and I spent some time thinking how to set up the curtain pulling system, but otherwise, it was a quick project.

Countdown to Christmas Activities. Day 19. Fire Starters Craft.

Pinterest is an ideas gold mine. Here is another craft I found there: Fire starters. We don't really plan to start fire with them, actually, but they look beautiful near the Christmas tree.

Christmas Countdown Activities. Day 18. Christmas Concert, Santa, and more Salt Dough Paint

We had a busy and fun morning today. Santino's preschool held a Christmas Concert for the parents and relatives, followed by the potluck.

I decided against posting pictures from the concert, as I didn't want to post other kids' photos without their parents' permissions, and I don't have them. To describe the concert in a few words: Santino again ran off the stage after the second song, and sat with me for a while. He didn't sing, didn't open his mouth once. On the bright side, he also didn't cry, like last year.

Countdown to Christmas Activities. Day 15. Danino Santa

This activity is a double shot: a dinosaur activity and a Christmas one! Santino will do anything if it involves dinosaurs.

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.

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 9. Building a Gingerbread House.

I have never built a gingerbread house before, and only saw them on pictures; but as we read Christmas books, there is always a gingerbread house featured, so I suggested to Santino we make one. He really wanted to do that! He kept talking about gingerbread house, until we went and bought it yesterday.

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!

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.

A Cardboard Fire Truck

Oh, what joy! Another fire truck, only there is Santino in this one! He couldn't keep his hands off and played with it until until it was ripped into pieces. Am I upset about this? Not at all! I am happy that he loved my craft so much!

Some DIY activities in preparation for writing

Santino was introduced to a few new exercises yesterday and today: matching and recognizing shapes and letters. He also showed a tremendous progress in managing playdough!