Showing posts sorted by relevance for query creative play. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query creative play. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query creative play. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query creative play. Sort by date Show all posts

Cute Monster Paperbag Puppets: Video, Monster Trouble: First in our KCC Kid's Creative Play Series for Kids

Make your own paper bag monster puppets for Halloween

In honor of my favorite holiday (Halloween) we explore Monsters. Special thanks to Alex Toys for providing the crafts and toys in this post. These Paper Bag Monster Puppets came in a kit but you could make your own with construction paper shapes and lunch or colorful party bags. Play a Monster Game too.

Explore Monsters in a Pretend Play Monster Hunt Outdoor Creative Play


Paper Bag Monster Puppets are fun for a Preschool or Toddler Birthday Party.
 Paper Bag Monster Puppets are fun for a 
Preschool or Toddler Birthday Party.



Creative Play allows children to forget about stress and school work and let their imaginations run wild. 


I'm a huge fan! The Play Connection, Inc. offers many opportunities through our Sensory Messy Classes, Costumes/Puppets and Kiddie Play Productions.

First, we made Paper Bag Monster Puppets. The kits includes 5 colorful paper bags but with the leftover supplies you can make even more with white or brown paper lunch sacks.



cute monster paper bag puppets to make
Paperbag Monster Puppets.

After monster making, we went on a CREATIVE PLAY adventure and filmed it for you! The monster in the video is wearing the Face Paint Kit by Alex Toys and his weapons of choice are the Connect a Giant Monster discs. 

We hope you'll join us over the next few weeks as I find my inner videographer and the kiddos explore their improvisational skills in our first video production, The KCC Kids Creative Play Series Videos


The KCC Detective Agency presents MONSTER TROUBLE.




Find the Undercover Spy Gear here. After tracking monsters, you can get some much needed target practice when you clean up in the bath with this Screaming Monster Tub Target.



Monster Bath Tub Toys.

Each month, we'll go on a fun adventure and share it with you. Stay tuned next month for our tribute to Thanksgiving and the Wampanoag Indians.

We'd love to hear from you! Do you have ideas for future KCC adventures? Do you want to join in the fun? Leave a comment below or subscribe to our posts.


Recommended Reading:

Monster Toilet Paper Roll Cardboard Tubes

Birthday Party Game Kids Love

Monster Birthday Book by Boynton

How to make your own DIY Edible Face paint Ideas & Recipes & Build Self-Esteem: The Thing About Monsters is

How to make edible face paint and recipes for Toddlers and Kids of all Ages

Remember, You Can do it with Creative Play and a Can-do Attitude. Recently, we did a post about Monster Trouble (Our first KCC Kids Video) check out the fun here. SCROLL DOWN to see DIY Face Paint Recipes for face paint/makeup, lip gloss, sensory play and Witchy Me.


Monster Trouble?
Face Paint for Kids
Face Paint Kit by Alex Toys.

In the video in the post, a sneaky monster is made with items from our costume trunk/creative play stash and Alex Toys Face Paint Studio. Not once, have we posted pictures or recipes of our homemade and edible face paints. During our creative play and messy classes playing with face paint has been a staple. So, read on to discover many ways to create self-esteem, a fun day of creative play, how to make less of a mess, and enjoy the little time you have with your littles and not so little ones.


How to make edible face paint and recipes.
Sneaky Monster peeks out of the brush.


DIY Face Paint Recipe and Monster Face
I see you and your Monster Face paint.
It's hard to see, but he was modeled after the Connect a giant Monster kits above from Alex Toys. The Monster has a purple and green nose and red and orange eyes. This is a great kit for your older kids. Give them a mirror and a book of silly face ideas and let them go wild! Creative Play is a great self-esteem builder. Let them try out different faces, remove the paint with a little water or vaseline on a cotton ball, and be sure to tell them how great it looks. No buts or maybe ifs allowed.



Homemade face paint.
What's that you say? You don't want to have to clean up the mess? Put them in an empty tub the mess will clean itself, but make sure your little Max Factor helps. They might complain, but cleaning up after themselves teaches responsibility and independence. I can do it! Yes, you might have to tidy up- just don't complain about it.  You don't want your child thinking they can't do anything. If they can't even clean up after themselves they'll stop trying! So, count to 10, take a deep breath, and then say, I love how you are learning to clean up after yourself; it makes me so proud!

Do you want to be remembered as the Mom with the spotless house or the Mom who was so fun and positive? Your choice, you decide.



how to make your own face paint recipe
Crazy Blue Face Paint Fairy.

How to Make your own Face Paint (Recipe):

Cold cream, Food coloring, Cornstarch, Egg Carton.

Start with 1 C. of cold cream (Noxzema type)
Slowly mix in 1/2 to 1 C. cornstarch until it is a smooth, creamy consistency.

Divide into an egg carton or muffin tin.
Add 1-2 drops of food coloring. Experiment with more or less and color combinations.

Use cotton balls or paint brushes to paint a masterpiece on your face.

Most colors will wear off quickly or wipe off easily with water due to the cold cream. Sometimes, yellow requires a little petroleum jelly to remove all the residue. 

With experimentation you can get professional results with these ingredients. It does dry and get crackly. Some kids don't like this sensation others think it's cool.

Homemade Face paint and makeup recipes for Toddlers and Preschool.
Homemade Face paint and makeup recipes.

Make your own Edible Face Paint for Preschoolers and Toddlers:

Caregivers, do you need 20 minutes of me time? This is AMAZING. If you don't want to leave the little alone in the bathroom spread an old, white sheet or vinyl tablecloth on the floor. Cornstarch, food coloring or colored drink mix, water, white flour, big spoons, and mixing bowls.

Start with 1/4 C. of flour
Mix in 1/2 C. of cornstarch or powdered sugar (think icing)
1/2 to 1 C. Cool Whip (Readiwhip doesn't work.)
Sift with fingers to mix and enjoy the sensory aspects.
Slowly add 1/4 to 1/2 C. water stir with spatula
Water and cornstarch make an interesting science experiment so make sure to add the flour and Cool Whip first. Mix to a creamy icing consistency ~ Spreadable.
Divide into egg carton and add food coloring or Drink Mix powder (Kool-Aid) works best.

The little will have a blast studying their face and admiring their handiwork  Let them remove their shirt and paint tattoos on their belly or  bugs on their hands. This is a fun way to teach babies eyes, nose, mouth, etc.

The ingredient measurements are guidelines. Warm water vs. cold, warm house vs. cool all of these can affect the makeup- experimentation is key.

Mixing paint is great for fine motor skills and sensory learning.
Mixing paint is great for fine motor skills and sensory learning.


Kid’s Yummy Lipstick Recipe:

Petroleum jelly, honey, maple syrup, or non-imitation vanilla, unsweetened drink powder for color and flavor.

Put Petroleum jelly into microwave safe dish

Microwave the petroleum jelly for 30 seconds to one minute until 

warm, remove and stir.

Add Kool Aid and Honey

Mix well
Spoon into gift containers, refrigerate.

Changing Hair Color:

Experiment with Conditioner or Petroleum Jelly and unsweetened drink powder, & Baby Powder. Spray Aqua Net to set the color. May take several washings to wash out. We found a YouTube Video here.



Happy Halloween and Haunting  or Go break a leg!



Recommended Reading:

Winter craft ideas for Kids: How to Make Snow for Pretend Sensory Play in Ice Age and Christmas Village

Make Fake Snow with Wax Paper

This winter craft idea for kids focuses on how to make snow for your Ice Age Dinosaurs. In this DIY, you'll use wax paper. Enjoy!


sensory winter activities for kids how to make fake snow diy for Ice Age Dinosaurs
Ice Age creative play with Dinosaurs, Diego, and
wax paper snow activity for kids.
We've shared many sensory activities for kids, but this winter one is the cat's meow! So, I've been saving a a bag of snow since my Grandmother passed away.  I inherited it with a few pieces of her snow village.  A few years ago, I used store bought snow for my village, as I wasn't ready to use hers or risk losing it around the cats and little ones. This year, I pulled it out and dumped it around my village.  It was as remarkable as I remembered. Enjoy!


And then, it wasn't... 

The cat kept climbing in it spreading it all over the floor. During the holidays, I brushed it under the table to clean up later. Later came, I began carefully picking up the pieces preparing to place them in a baggie for next year, when somehow the glistening bits of fake snow appeared more familiar than I'd ever known. This wasn't fake snow at all.  It was tiny pieces of shredded wax paper!  I made a collage with snowy scenes around my house so you can see how natural it looks.



Make Fake Snow out of Wax Paper.
Make Fake Snow out of Wax Paper.
Ice Age Dinosaurs, Sensory Snow Play.
Ice Age Dinosaurs, Sensory Snow Play.
Make Fake Snow with Wax Paper
Grandma's fake wax paper snow village versus real snow
covered pine trees in the landscape.

Sneaky Grandma, surprising me from the grave. I hadn't realized she was so creative. One year, on my parents twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, she volunteered to get SILVER vases for the table centerpieces.  She brought them just before the guests arrived, and I was astonished to see plastic glasses of some sort wrapped in aluminium foil. Not her crafty-ist moment. It felt a little tacky for what I had planned, but certainly creative. 

And now, the snow.

What an easy project for your snow globes, snowman in a jar, I -spy Christmas ornaments, or just for an ordinary day of creative play with plastic animals or Legos.  We decided to play Ice Age with ours.  I'll save Grandmas, just thinking how she took the time to craft it makes me smile.




So, grab your wax paper.  Do not cut it. Tear it into tiny shreds and store in a Ziploc bag for your kiddos. So easy, so fun and perfect for SENSORY PLAY!  Thanks, Grandma!



What will you pretend?


Recommended Reading:

National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Dinosaurs (National Geographic Little Kids First Big Books)*

Dinosaurs! by Gail Gibbons*









ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Ten Easy Sensory Play Activities for Children

Easy Sensory Play Activities for Kids

Squishy, slimy, cold, hot, ooey, and gooey are a just few good words to describe Sensory Play Activities which help children of all sorts, but especially those with Sensory Processing Disorders. Enjoy!





sensory play activities for preschool and processing disorders
Sensory Play Based Learning Activities.

Splat! Release your inner Pollack:
Put on an old shirt, attach old white sheets to the walls and floors and get splatting. Don't be worried if it takes your child a while to warm up to the idea. Let them watch you or other kids enjoying the activity; before you know it your child will ease into the action. Some kids just like to watch. Their eyes are processing!


Wet! Release your inner Monet:

Play with your Food and Paint it with Milk Paint.


Milk paint on toast is fun edible art.
Milk paint on Toast. It is fun to eat!

Pound! Pretend You're a Chef:
Bake some Homemade Pizzas or Dough-nuts ~Donuts then pound, roll, and flatten. Even everyday family activities can be sensory play.

Sensory Play with Baking Activities
Pound a pretzel.
Sensory Play with Baking Activities
Baking is the oldest form of sensory play.

Slimy! Sensory Egg Sparkly:
Decorate them, crack them, and eat them. This is a virtually mess-free way to decorate eggs for those who have issues getting their hands dirty. Try to touch the eggs and compare and contrast the un-decorated egg versus the one with sparkle. How does it feel?


Decorating Eggs is a Sensory Activity.

Bump! Baby Boppers:
It's like Sumo Suits and Bumper Cars all rolled into one.
Bounce into your buddy or roll around on the ground- bet you 
can't get up by yourself! We got these at orientaltrading.com 

Bopper Inflatable Bumper Cars
Bumper Rings.




Cold! Shaving Cream:
Shaving Cream, Food Coloring, and the Great Outdoors what could be better? I know, Cool Whip and Food Coloring. It works great as Sidewalk Paint too.




We made a shaving cream cake in our Messy Play Class for preschoolers.

Blow! Marshmallow Sensory Fun: Squishy, Soft, Suck in through a straw, Hold, Drop into a cup. Times Up ~ Most in Cup Wins.

Squish! Sensory Spaghetti with Edible Paint

Sensory Spaghetti Play Ideas
Sensory Spaghetti Play Ideas

Think! Creative Play:  
Gone Fishin' with Rainbow Fish
and Ziploc Aquarium Squishy.


Things to do with Pool Noodles
Pretend to fish with Pool Noodles.


Packing Peanuts Sensory Play Activities
Packing peanuts are fun, but please be careful and never leave a child unattended. They are a choking hazard and if left alone, a child could suffocate in a large pile.


Tickle! Packing Peanuts:

More fun than a ball pit. Play in them or make a Snowy Craft.




Sensory Play Activities with Shaving Cream
Bearded with Shaving Cream Fun.



Recommended Reading:









ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


Valentine's Activities that Incorporate Sensory Play

Valentine's Day Activities that are perfect for the classroom

The Sugar Aunts are back with this fun classroom Valentine activity that includes sensory play. Enjoy!

Valentine's Day activities are so much fun!  This party activity is perfect for classroom parties or even a themed play date. We loved the sensory aspect of it and played for a long time!  

Incorporating sensory play into learning and play activities is a great way to explore textures, scents, and so much more.  The learning that comes from sensory play is vast!  For children, sensory play builds language, self-esteem,  and independence...all as they learn through the five senses.

Our classroom Valentine's Day activity does just that, with a little fine motor thrown in!


Valentine's Day Activities and Games can incorporate sensory play.
Sensory play activity for Valentine's Day.




We started with a bin of water and a half cup of pomegranate scented bath salts.  Any scent would do for this activity. We loved the pink color of these salts and the smell was divine!


Mix the bath salts in the water until all of the salt dissolves.  Depending on the amount of water you have, you may need more or less salt.  Add a little at a time until all of the salt is dissolved.






Next, I drew a heart shaped bulls eye on our chalkboard easel.  You could also do this activity on a white board.  I added some small numbers for keeping score. 




Sensory play activity for Valentine's Day.

I added some hearts cut from foam sheets to the scented water and set out a pair of kitchen tongs.  This activity alone was enough to inspire sensory play and exploration!  It was fun to just play in the sweet smelling water and grab the hearts with the tongs.

Grabbing the hearts with the tongs required fine motor coordination (especially to use the tongs correctly and not with two hands!)  Little Guy, age 4, was able to do this, but tended to switch over to using two hands on the tongs.  What a great pre-scissor skill this was! 

Eye-hand coordination was needed to grab the hearts with the tongs as they swished around in the water.  As we did, we were enjoying the scent of pomegranate!


After they caught a heart in the tongs, they could apply them to the bulls-eye.  Little Guy closed his eyes and tried to get the heart into the middle.  Baby Girl (age 2) liked to just play around in the water and stick the hearts up on the chalk board.  This was a good age-appropriate modification for her!

We had so much fun with our scented water bin, that we kept it out for a good portion of the day and enjoyed more sensory play!



 
The Sugar Aunts are three sisters who blog about all things creative in motherhood.  They love playful learning, creative kid's crafts, sensory and fine motor activities, kid's party themes, DIY, and so much more.  Between the three Aunts, there are 6 cousins (with more on the way!) who are around each other so often, they are more like siblings than cousins! You can see the action at www.sugaraunts.com.


Recommended Reading:

Kids Creative Chaos Cooks: Kitchen Kids Series: Holiday Recipes*

Printable Clipart Hearts for Valentine's Day Cards











ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


How to make a Kitchen Stove for Kids Pretend Play from a Cardboard Box

Recycle Boxes and Bottle Caps for the Best Cardboard Play Stove Ever.


Is there anything better than cardboard box for creative play? A box is the best toy ever so we made a cardboard kitchen stove for kids pretend play. Here's a 'how to make' picture tutorial.

Cardboard Kitchen Stove Pretend How to Tutorial
Cardboard Pretend Stove with all the Recycled and Upcycled bells and whistles, ahem, knobs and handles.
How to make a pretend stove from cardboard and reused items


DAY ONE
First, measure a width of wax paper and trace onto cardboard front of your box. Nevermind, if a flap is in the way, we'll fix it later. Now cut out the window (for your oven door) and reinforce the flaps with duct tape. Tape the wax paper on the inside. You can also use plexiglass and duct tape. Get a cardboard paper towel tube and attach to top of oven door. This will become your handle. 

The difficult part is attaching the interior shelf. Get a glue gun and attach strips of cardboard to each side to serve as the ledge the shelf sits on. Make them 2-3 pieces of wide, glue together, and attach face side to the right and left walls of oven. Cut shelf to fit. I used flaps from another box. Now it will slide in and sit atop your pieces of cardboard. I also added "legs" for extra play durability. (The cat likes to climb in and sleep on our shelf!)

Now tape up the bottom and back side flaps of the box. Leave the top box flap up to serve a the area for a clock and knobs. See the photo above, I also added a flap from another box to hold this flap upright, otherwise it likes to fall closed. You are tired and worn out from all of the cutting, taping, and thinking. Sleep on it and save the rest for day two.

DAY TWO
See picture below. Now, trace the fast food cup holders on the top of your box. You may have room for four burners. Cut the hole about 1/2" smaller than the tracing. I used duct tape to attach the burners, but I encourage you to use hot glue and reinforce with tape... BUT NOT YET.

First, cover the sides and the door with some leftover wrapping paper. I used a glue stick on the box and secured the edges with tape. Then, cover your cardboard tube with foil. Cover your stove top with foil. Yes, the whole top. Poke a hole in the center of each opening and cut a small "x". You will have a slit opening with triangles. Fold the triangles in and tape on the underside to the "stove top". Now you can attach your fast food "burners". Tip: I cut the foil about 3" more than what I needed to cover the top of the stove and neatly folded it down forming a chrome edge. 

Go take a break; it will look better after you've had some time away from it.

When you return, attach your knobs (soda and milk lids glued together) and your clock front (Numbers printed off from a Word Document). Let these dry for at least 15 minutes. Remind the kids not to really turn the knobs these are the push to start variety :) We lost one on the first play!

Now, call the kids! It's time for a session of creative play. We save the little french fry containers, small cereal boxes, and juice containers to pretend.

And... the Mommy you are awesome hugs and rewards are worth the frustration :)  


upcycle cardboard boxes to pretend play kitchen stove
Make a cardboard kitchen stove.

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