Fall Sensory Bin

The kids loved playing around the pumpkins so much in our last project that I made a sensory bin of fall leaves (fake, it was too wet outside for real ones), and pumpkins (gourds) I picked up in the produce section of our grochery store.  This lasted for 3 weeks and I just threw out a pumpkin or 2 a week as they started to go bad.  The kids loved it!  They were able to explore different shapes, weights, textures, all sorts of things.

The Pumpkin Project

There were some ups and downs with this project.  The original idea was to have the pumpkin seeds sprout in our classroom so the kids could see it, then send them home with the families after.  Unfortunately, our pumpkins tended to mold a little faster then they sprouted (which they did indeed sprout, just not faster then the yucky mold).  So next time when we do this, we will send the pumpkins home the same day we "plant" the seeds!

This project did require prep work at home ahead of time for me.  I wasn't going to try to carve pumpkins in class with a knife next to a class full of curious toddlers!

So at home the night before I carved out the top of enough small pumpkins for each child to have one.

I used a spoon to loosen up the seeds and  insides a little to help with the sprouting after the kids would add the dirt to the inside.

Still carving.......

The day came and the kids were super excited to see the pumpkins, even more when they found out what we were doing with them.

After we were done, we sent them high on a shelf next to the window to get some light.  Again, next time, sending them home as soon as we are done with the "planting" part!

Just for those that were curious, this is what they ended up like after.  As you can see, some of them did sprout, but the yucky smelly mold was a huge minus.  But you learn something new every day.  Now we know how to do it better!

Name Caterpillars

Forgive the photo shopping on the art, but we do try to protect our kids identities at all times here, so no faces in pictures or complete names.

That being said, we used this as an opportunity to help the little ones know their names and the names of their friends.

I had the circles all cut out and ready and would write the letters of their names as they said them after me, then they placed them on the glue on the paper to make their caterpillars.

October Hand Print

Bats (or spiders, lol) and pumpkins!

C is for Carrot

Art for You Fundraising Project 2012

This is a fundraiser we do every fall.  Each class comes up with a project for their kids to do with certain restrictions (size, craft items allowed, etc), and has all their kids do one.  Then the parents get to order anything from T-shirts to coffee mugs, to tote bags, and so much more with this art image on it.  We send off the orders and a few weeks later (in plenty of time for Christmas gifts!), the items come back and get handed out.  This is what our class chose to do:

While you can't see their faces in the pictures (security reasons), what you are missing is priceless.  The expressions of wonder and ooooooooooo while I'm painting their feet were great!

They each chose the colors they wanted for their hand flowers.

Added names and dates for the finishing touch.  Wonderful project all around!