Colorful Rainbow Popsicle Stick Stars

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Fullbloomcreativity

I am starting a new Dollar Tree Challenge where I will be using 5 items or less from the Dollar Tree to create a project. For today’s project, I made rainbow popsicle stick stars with my son.

I will admit that I have an addiction to the Dollar Tree. Well, I can’t help it. I find so many great things there to use for activities. What is your favorite thing to buy at the dollar store?

Today’s craft can be used for learning about stars and rainbows. They also make great Christmas ornaments. You can use these popsicle stick stars in many different ways.

Use this activity to talk about the colors of the rainbow. You can expand on that by discussing primary and secondary colors.

SUPPLIES FOR POPSICLE STICK STARS

Colored Popsicle Sticks

Hot Glue Gun

Twine

If you do not have colored popsicle sticks, you can paint plain popsicle sticks to use. Personally, I used regular sized popsicle sticks, but you could also use the jumbo size.

All of the supplies came from the Dollar Tree.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Begin by sorting your popsicle sticks by color. You will need 5 popsicle sticks for each star. If you do not have colored popsicle sticks, you can paint plain ones.

2. Create your star out of the popsicle sticks. Then, glue the ends of the popsicle sticks together. Follow along through the step-by-step pictures below.

Just a reminder that an adult should use the hot glue gun.

3. We found a branch that had fallen off a tree in our backyard and hung it with twine from our ceiling. Then, I added twine to the popsicle stick stars and attached them to the branch in order of the colors of the rainbow.

I look forward to sharing more Dollar Tree Challenge activities with you. For another project from this challenge, check out my “Mess-Free Love Painting.”

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All activities here are activities I feel are safe for my own children. As your child’s parents/guardians, you will need to decide what you feel is safe for your family. I always encourage contacting your child’s pediatrician for guidance if you are not sure about the safety/age appropriateness of an activity. All activities on this blog are intended to be performed with adult supervision. Appropriate and reasonable caution should be used when activities call for the use of materials that could potentially be harmful, such as scissors, or items that could present a choking risk (small items), or a drowning risk (water activities), and with introducing a new food/ingredient to a child (allergies). Observe caution and safety at all times. The author and blog disclaim liability for any damage, mishap, or injury that may occur from engaging in any of these activities on this blog.

Snowflake Sensory Bin Matching Uppercase and Lowercase Letters

Posted on December 30, 2020 by Fullbloomcreativity

For Christmas this year, I created three smaller sensory bins for our son, Ben. I picked up three clear 6 quart containers with latching lids from Target and filled them up with lots of fun items. Today, I am sharing the snowflake sensory bin that I created for Ben to practice his uppercase and lowercase letters.

Ben is fairly consistent with being able to identify all of the uppercase letters of the alphabet. Recently, the focus has turned more to identifying the lowercase letters. So, I thought that this would be a fun activity to bridge the gap.

Snowflake Sensory Bin Matching Uppercase and Lowercase Letters

SUPPLIES

Plastic Bin

Rice

Snowflakes

Glittery Styrofoam Balls

Recycled Water Bottle Caps

Paper

Markers

Optional: Scoops and/or Tweezers

I purchased most of the materials at our local Dollar Tree, which is one of my favorite places to shop for art supplies and sensory bin fillers.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Begin by assembling the snowflake sensory bin. This could not get any easier. First, dump a bag of rice into the clear container. Then, add the snowflakes and small glittery styrofoam balls.

2. Next, using a black permanent marker, write the uppercase letters of the alphabet on the recycled water bottle caps (one letter on each cap). After you have finished, add the bottle caps to the sensory bin.

3. Once the sensory bin has been assembled, it is time to draw snowflakes on the paper. The center of the snowflakes should be a circle that you can write the lowercase letters of the alphabet in the middle. I used three pieces of paper to get all 26 letters in snowflakes.

Matching Uppercase and Lowercase Letters

4. Finally, set everything out for your child. Explain how to find the bottle caps in the snowflake sensory bin and match the uppercase letter to the lowercase letter on the paper. Then let them take it from there. I also gave him a few different scoops to use in the sensory bin.

Snowflake Sensory Bin with Water Bottle Cap Letters

INVITATION TO PLAY AND LEARN

Ben absolutely loves sensory bins! He really enjoyed digging in to find the different letters. He did a great job matching the uppercase letters with the lowercase letters. However, he did need help with some of the harder lowercase letters.

Matching Uppercase and Lowercase Letters using Recycled Water Bottle Caps

This was such a fun activity. After Ben matched the letters, he continued to play with the snowflake sensory bin. He even built a maze out of blocks and had the styrofoam balls navigate their way through it.

Matching Uppercase and Lowercase Letters using Water Bottle Caps

I hope that you give this sensory bin a try with your little ones, since it is both educational and fun. Yay!

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How to Make Watercolor Ornament Christmas Cards

Posted on December 17, 2020 by Fullbloomcreativity

One of favorite mediums to use for art are watercolor paints. To start with, they involve one of Ben’s most favorite thing in the world… Water. He loves to mix the paints together and watch his water cup change color. I used his artwork to make watercolor ornament Christmas cards.

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SUPPLIES FOR WATERCOLOR ORNAMENT CARDS

Watercolor Paints

Paint Pallet

Paint Brushes

Watercolor Paper

White Cardstock Paper

Marker

Scissors

Glue

Optional: White Crayon and/or Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Draw Designs with White Crayon

First, use a white (or another light color) crayon to draw designs on a white piece of watercolor paper. I drew loops, zigzags, dots, swirls, etc. you do not have to draw anything if you do not want to.

I recommend using watercolor paper versus other paper because it can handle a lot of water. If your child is like mine, more water ends up on the paper than actual paint.

2. Prepare Paint Pallet

Next, I set up a paint pallet with different color liquid watercolor paints and a cup of water. I love this simple plastic pallet, because it is the perfect size for Ben and it is easy to clean. It has held up well through many projects. If you do not have a pallet, you can use a paper plate.

3. Paint

Now on to the fun part, let your kid paint. No other instructions. As they paint, the hidden designs will reveal themselves. Surprise!

4. Add Salt (Optional)

In addition, you can sprinkle salt onto the painting while it is still wet. It will make the paint look splotchy. Once the paint has dried, just brush the salt off the paper. This is an optional step.

5. Cut Out Circles

After the paint has dried completely, cut various size circles out of the artwork. I cut out 3 different sizes to make watercolor ornaments for Ben. Set them aside for now.

6. Cut Out and Fold Cards

Next, I cut the white cardstock paper in half to make two rectangles that measured 8 1/2 inches by 5 1/2 inches. I then trimmed 1/2 inch off the long side to make is 8 inches long. Then I folded the paper in half to make a card that measured 4 inches by 5 1/2 inches. I made mine this size, because I already had envelopes that fitted a 4 x 6 card.

If you do not want to make your own card form, you could purchase plain white cards at your local craft store or online.

7. Glue the Watercolor Ornament Cut-outs on to the Cards

One of the last steps is to glue the circle watercolor ornaments on to the front of the cards. Add as many or as little as you want.

8. Draw Strings and Bows

For a final touch, I drew lines from the top of the card to the top of the ornament to look like they were hanging. Lastly, I drew a bow at the top of my ornament at the bottom of the line.

For more ideas about watercolor resist painting, check out our blog post, “How to Make a Color-Resist Watercolor Spider Web.”

For another homemade Christmas card, check out my blog post: “How to Make Christmas Tree Cards Using Paint Chips.” Happy Holidays!

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How to Make Christmas Tree Cards Using Paint Chips

Posted on December 12, 2020 by Fullbloomcreativity

This year, I decided to make homemade Christmas cards to send out to family and friends. I loved being able to involve my son, Ben, with this activity. For these cards, I used paint chips to make Christmas trees.

SUPPLIES

Paint Chips

White Cardstock Paper

Scissors

Glue

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Start by cutting different size triangles out of various shades of green paint chips. The great thing about using paint chips is that you can get them for FREE at your local hardware store.

2. Next, I cut the white cardstock paper in half to make two rectangles that measured 8 1/2 inches by 5 1/2 inches. Then, I trimmed 1/2 inch off the long side to make is 8 inches long. After that, I folded the paper in half to make a card that measured 4 inches by 5 1/2 inches. I made mine this size, because I already had envelopes that fitted a 4 x 6 card.

If you do not want to make your own card form, you could purchase plain white cards at your local craft store or online.

3. Next, glue the triangles onto the front of the card.

4. Finally, an additional option is to write on the front of the cards. Therefore, I wrote “Merry Christmas!” and “Happy Holidays!” on some of the cards.

For another homemade Christmas card, check out my blog post: “How to Make Watercolor Ornament Christmas Cards.” Happy Holidays!

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Invitation to Play: Decorating Gingerbread Men Craft

Posted on December 10, 2020 by Fullbloomcreativity

Today, we decorated foam cutouts of gingerbread men. I love setting up open-ended activities for Ben. To begin, I assembled a tray of items to decorate the gingerbread men. I set everything out on a table and let Ben take it from there. This is an activity that entertained him for an extended period of time, and one that he kept going back to.

SUPPLIES

Foam Gingerbread Men Cutouts

Glue

Decorations: Googly Eyes, Stickers, Beads, Dried Pasta, Beans, Pipe Cleaners, Pompoms, etc.

I purchased the foam gingerbread men cutouts, along with most of the other supplies, at our local dollar store. You could also cut your own gingerbread me now out of foam paper, brown construction paper, cardboard, or recycled brown paper bags. Above are the decorations that we used, but you could use whatever you have on hand or things that your children would enjoy.

INVITATION TO PLAY

1. Begin by gathering items to decorate the gingerbread men. We used googly eyes, pompoms, beads, gems, dried pasta, beans, stickers, and pipe cleaners. I twisted the pipe cleaners into bows. I assembled everything on to a divided tray. You can also use buttons, ribbon, glitter, markers, etc.

2. Set out the assembled tray of decorations along with the foam gingerbread men cutouts and glue on a table. Next, I invited Ben to come play. He took over from there.

This activity is great to work on fine motor skills, hand strength, identifying body parts, counting and so much more. Please tag us on social media if you try this craft out. Happy Holidays!

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

I love to pair books with the activities that I do with Ben. Sometimes I am inspired by the books themselves, and sometimes the activities inspire which books we read. Here are a few books that we have enjoyed that also complement decorating gingerbread people:

The Gingerbread Man

Written and Illustrated by Gail Yerrill

The Gingerbread Girl

Written and Illustrated by Lisa Campbell Ernst

Gingerbread Baby

Written and Illustrated by Jan Brett

Catch That Cookie!

Written by Hallie Durand

Illustrated by David Small

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Santa Countdown to Christmas Advent Calendar – FREE Printable

Posted on December 1, 2020 by Fullbloomcreativity

It is hard to believe that today is the first of December. Every year, my family loves to use an Advent Calendar to countdown to Christmas. This year, I decided to mix it up with this FREE printable Santa Advent calendar. My four year old son is obsessed with Santa Claus and decorating for Christmas.

Enjoy this fun and easy way to countdown to Christmas!

SUPPLIES FOR ADVENT CALENDAR

Free Printable Santa Countdown to Christmas Calendar

Glue

Cotton Balls

Optional: Hole Punch and String

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Begin by downloading and printing the Santa Countdown to Christmas Advent Calendar. I recommend printing on cardstock for durability.

2. Starting on December 1st, glue a cotton ball each day on the corresponding number. When the beard is filled in, Santa will come that night, Christmas Eve.

3. If you would like to hang your calendar, you can punch a hole in the top and add string.

Click the picture below to download the FREE Printable Santa Countdown to Christmas Advent Calendar. Merry Christmas!

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3 Fun and Simple Fall Games for Preschoolers

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Fullbloomcreativity

Thanksgiving is looking a little different for many families this year, mine included. We are not having the traditional big family dinners due to the pandemic. To help entertain my son this holiday, I decided to make a few simple and easy fall games to play as a family.

I have included FREE downloads of the documents that I created. I hope that your family enjoys these games as much as we did. Enjoy!

1. Feed the Turkey

SUPPLIES

Plastic Bottle (I used Gatorade bottles)

Construction Paper

Googly Eyes

Pompoms

Dice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. First, you will need to create the turkeys. Personally, I used plastic Gatorade bottles. I found that the opening on most water bottles was too small when trying to remove the pompoms. Start with cutting out a beak and feathers out of construction paper.

2. Time to glue. You will need to glue the feathers onto the backside of the bottle towards the top. On the front of the bottle add googly eyes and the beak.

3. Now that your bottles are ready, it’s time to play. Each player will take turns rolling the dice (you can use either one or two). If you use two dice, you can practice addition with your child. Each player will count and add the corresponding number of pompoms into their bottle. The first person to fill their bottle with pompoms wins!

My son wanted to play this game over and over. He loves to race, so this was right up his alley. This game helps to work on fine motor skills, counting, number recognition, addition and turn taking.

2. Fall Bingo

SUPPLIES

Fall Bingo Game (FREE Download)

Bingo Markers (such as pumpkin seeds, rocks, pompoms, etc.)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Download and print the FREE fall bingo game. I recommend printing on cardstock for durability. You could laminate the bingo cards and pieces. As a side note, this game includes 10 bingo cards and the call sheet.

2. Next, cut the pieces out on the call sheet along the dotted lines.

3. Then, set out a bowl with colorful pumpkin seeds to use as bingo markers and a bowl with the call pieces.

4. Everyone should pick one bingo card to use. Place a pumpkin seed on the FREE space in the middle.

5. Now it’s time to play! Call out squares one by one by picking pieces out of the bowl. As items are called, place a pumpkin seed on the corresponding square on your bingo card. Once you have 5 in a row (vertical, horizontal or on a diagonal), say “BINGO!”

This game was such a big hit with my son. We played it multiple times for several days. This game helps to work on fine motor skills, matching, fall vocabulary, and math.

Check out my previous blog post to learn “How to Dye Pumpkin Seeds.”

3. Fall Matching Game

SUPPLIES

Fall Match Game (FREE Download)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Download and print the FREE fall matching game. I recommend printing on cardstock for durability. You could also laminate the pieces.

2. Next, cut the game pieces out along the dotted lines.

3. Time to play. Place the pieces face down on the table in a grid pattern. Then, take turns turning over two cards to find a match. The person with the most matches wins!

My son has always loved matching games. I created this game to help with his vocabulary of fall words. This game helps to work on literacy, vocabulary, matching, memory skills and turn taking.

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How to Dye Pumpkin Seeds

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Fullbloomcreativity

My husband has always loved to carve a pumpkin for Halloween. Typically, we throw away the seeds and pulp. What do you like to do with the pumpkin seeds after you carve your jack-o-lantern?

This year, I decided to keep the pumpkin seeds to use for sensory activities. And considering that my son is currently obsessed with rainbows, I wanted to dye the seeds. Since I wanted to use these pumpkin seeds for fall activities, I opted to color them red, orange, yellow and green.

SUPPLIES

Pumpkin Seeds

Food Coloring

Plastic Zip Top Bags

Aluminum Foil

Baking Sheet

INSTRUCTIONS

1. First, you need to clean and dry your pumpkin seeds. You want to get as much of the pulp off of them as possible.

2. Next, spread the seeds out on a baking sheet in a single layer.

3. Bake in the oven at 200° F for approximately 2 hours.

4. After the pumpkin seeds are cool to touch, separate them into plastic zip top bags.

5. Add the desired food coloring to each bag. Then, close the bag and mix the food coloring with the pumpkin seeds until they are fully coated.

6. Finally, lay the colored pumpkin seeds onto a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil. Allow them to dry. I recommend allowing them to air dry overnight. You will want them to be completely dry before using them.

If you want to speed up the process, you put them back in the oven for a little while. Just note that this may alter their color.

Once the pumpkin seeds are completely dry, you can use them in different projects such as sensory bins, play dough kits, games, and crafts. I loved how intense and bright the colors turned out. I cannot wait to share these with Ben!

How would you use them? I would love to hear from you. Have fun!

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SUPPLIES FOR POPSICLE STICK STARS

INSTRUCTIONS

SUPPLIES

INSTRUCTIONS

INVITATION TO PLAY AND LEARN

SUPPLIES FOR WATERCOLOR ORNAMENT CARDS

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Draw Designs with White Crayon

2. Prepare Paint Pallet

3. Paint

4. Add Salt (Optional)

5. Cut Out Circles

6. Cut Out and Fold Cards

7. Glue the Watercolor Ornament Cut-outs on to the Cards

8. Draw Strings and Bows

SUPPLIES

INSTRUCTIONS

SUPPLIES

INVITATION TO PLAY

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

SUPPLIES FOR ADVENT CALENDAR

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Feed the Turkey

SUPPLIES

INSTRUCTIONS

2. Fall Bingo

SUPPLIES

INSTRUCTIONS

3. Fall Matching Game

SUPPLIES

INSTRUCTIONS

SUPPLIES

INSTRUCTIONS

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