6 Froggy Birthday Party Ideas for Book Lovers

Celebrate Froggy's Birthday with these 6 Fun Ideas

In honor of Jonathan London's newest Froggy book, which was released March 10, 2015, we're sharing 6 froggy birthday party ideas for book lovers. Feel free to share your own frog theme birthday ideas too. Enjoy!

Froggy's Birthday Wish by Jonathan London.

Froggy's Birthday Wish
Froggy is celebrating a birthday. He gets lots of wonderful, exciting presents, but he isn't happy. He wants something else. Finally, Froggy's mother shows him her present. Now Froggy is happy!

This book is fun to read in a classroom setting for a birthday celebration. You might like this fun birthday cake craft to go along with the story.

Birthday Cake Craft.

Another fun birthday activity is to make your own Pinata from construction paper and a cardboard tube. Froggy had a moon pinata, but we're making a traditional donkey pinata. This mini pinata is perfect as a party favor or place setting decoration. Just fill with your favorite candy or treats.

How to make a donkey pinata party favor.

You will need: construction paper, scissors, paste, 2 cardboard toilet roll tubes or 1 cardboard paper towel tube, and tape.

To make a donkey pinata birthday party favor:

Cut 1/2" strips of your favorite colors of construction paper. Use tape to attach to the base of the tube (torso) as seen in figure 1. Wrap until the cardboard tube is covered and tape to attach the end. Next, cut 1/4 of the other cardboard tube. This will be the head (see figure 2). Cut four 1/2" slits, 1/4" apart on one end of the head. This will allow you to connect the head to the end of the other tube. Leave the two center slits to attach the ears. With the leftover piece of the cardboard tube, cut two ears as shown in figure 3. Slide the ears into the center slits and then slide the outer slits onto the end of the other tube as shown in figure 4.

Next, wrap the head and ears just like the torso portion. Now, cut small strips and glue to cover the donkey until it looks like a real pinata as seen in figure 5. Cut two 2" wide strips of paper. Wrap one into a link, tape the ends, and stick into the head. This will be the nose. When complete, use construction paper to make a mouth. Use the other one on the other end- this will keep the candy in place. Finally, cut eyes out of construction paper and attach.

Congrats! You've made a mini pinata party favor. Breathe a sigh of relief... yep, it was harder than we thought it would be too, but if you are relaxing watching television you can knock several out in an hour. Practice makes perfect!

Froggy's Worst Play Date by Jonathan London.

Froggy's Worst Play Date
Froggy wants to go out to play, but all of his friends are busy. Good news! Mom has set up a playdate with Frogelina. He has to watch the Frog Prince. At the movie, they eat popcorn and have a food fight! In the end, Frogelina steals a kiss from her froggy prince!

Have you ever tried this movie popcorn trick?

Do you know the trick to eating popcorn?

This little girl doesn't know the trick! At your next birthday party, amaze your friends with magic. Did you know movie popcorn will jump on your tongue? Yep, all you have to do is stick your tongue out over a bowl of popcorn and Voila! The popcorn attaches to your tongue! Try this with our homemade microwave popcorn.

Fun Popcorn Recipe for a Birthday Snack

This is an fun alternative to Brown Sugar Pop Tarts.

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Popcorn

6 Cups Plain, Unsalted Microwave Popcorn (see recipe above)

¼ Cup Amish Country Buttery Popcorn Topping

¾ Tsp. Ground Cinnamon

¼ Cup Brown Sugar

Pour butter into paper popcorn bag and shake to mix. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, and shake bag again. Enjoy.

What else can you do with popcorn? Things to do with popcorn.

To celebrate the book, make a Frog Prince Puppet. Here's a similar frog puppet pattern and how to from DLTK. We used a mini paper plate and styled our puppet to look like Froggy! If you want, add a yellow crown to make a frog prince.

Frog puppet for Froggy's Worse Playdate theme birthday party.

 You will need: mini paper plates, paint or markers, scissors, tape, and construction paper.

Froggy's Best Babysitter
Froggy's parents are celebrating their 10th anniversary. Froggy has to stay home with his baby sister and a baby sitter. Froggy makes lots of messes, and he plays in the bathtub with his baby sister.

Froggy's Best Babysitter by Jonathan London.

As a companion craft for this book, and a fun activity for your frog theme birthday party, you might like to make a froggy pond sensory play bin like this one from Growing a Jeweled Rose.

A froggy sensory play bin, like this one from Growing a Jeweled Rose,
 is a fun birthday party activity for toddlers.

Have you enjoyed these books and companion birthday activities for book lovers? Are you ready to plan your own frog themed birthday party? 

Recommended Reading:

Birthday Party Activities and Ideas

Ladybug Picnic Party Activities

Froggy Birthday Party Supplies:

Kiss The Frog Party Game *

Froggy Birthday Party Kit - 32 Person*









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! :)

Art Activities for Preschoolers

Easy Preschool Art Activities

Preschool art activities don't have to be all finger painting and paper plate crafts. We've collected some art activities for preschoolers that include sensory fun. Read on for easy preschool art activities that are destined to become mini masterpieces.

This post contains affiliate links.

Art activities for preschoolers.

Bubble Painting is a fun, sensory way to introduce your preschooler to art. They can experiment with color mixing, layering, and layout. Scoot on over to Kelly Noel's Living the Dream blog for more details.

Bubble Painting Preschool Art Activity from Living the Dream.

Another fun way for preschoolers to experience sensory art activities is to let them play with food coloring and shaving cream. Skip over to our post on how to paint with shaving cream. 

Coffee Filter Mobiles. All preschool teachers adore coffee filter crafts. Remember the days of the milk carton crafts? Wonder what we'll all switch to when coffee filters become a thing of the past? These coffee filter and cardboard paper towel tube painted mobiles are self-explanatory. We found them posted here but are sure they originated somewhere else. Please leave a comment if you know the original source.

Coffee Filter Mobile Preschool Art Activity.

Art, like sensory play, develops critical thinking skills and hand eye coordination. Click here to learn about how art can aid in brain development.

Handprint and footprint art is a staple in the world of preschool. Introduce your preschoolers to Pointillism with these beautiful fall handprint trees from Arty Crafty Kids.

Handprint Tree Preschool Activity from Arty Crafty Kids.

The Jammy Jigsaw offers up an art activity for preschoolers that serves double duty as a science project. This salt dough bone necklace is the perfect companion art project for a lesson on dinosaurs.

Salt Dough Bone Necklace Art Activity for Preschoolers from The Jammy Jigsaw.

Looking for more art activities for preschoolers? Visit our Pinterest Board, Preschool Scavenger Hunt.

Recommended:

Homeschool and Preschool Companion Book Activities

For activities and games to play with preschoolers check out our Circle Time Handbook on Amazon.

Sensory Game for Children with Marshmallows: Fun for Kids!

Marshmallow Sensory Game for Kids

Need a few minutes of peace and quiet, Marshmallows are fun game for kids and this SENSORY game for children is the perfect fix. Kids can't talk with the straws in their mouths!  Everyone is intent on winning and they all loved it! Looking for more marshmallow activities for kids? In the sidebar, enter marshmallow(s) for a list of our posts with Things to do with Marshmallows. Enjoy!

Fold the straw in half and use it like chopsticks 
to pick up the marshmallows. This way is easier for preschoolers.

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Marshmallows make great sensory games for children.

How to play Sensory Marshmallow Game

• Open up a bag of mini-marshmallows and spread them in the center of a cloth covered table. Give every kid a cup and a straw. (The teenage counselors liked it too.)

• Start with a stop-watch to increase the excitement. Let the Marshmallow Games begin!  Ready, Set, Go!  It is a race to see who can suck up the most marshmallows and place them in their cup.  No hands allowed. Suck and hold until you drop into the cup.

• I quickly realized no stop-watch was needed and let them play until all marshmallows were gone. We counted who had the most.  The winner got stickers and candy and everyone else got to eat the marshmallows!

Aren't marshmallows fun?

For another sensory element, poke marshmallows with straw.
Then, try to pick up and place into the cup before they fall off.

Recommended Reading:

The Marshmallow Incident

Fun with Marshmallows

Marshmallow Math; Early Math For Young Children

Owen's Marshmallow Chick by Kevin Henke

Turkey Marshmallows

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.

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

More Paperbag Puppets for Teaching (Presidents)

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.

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

Have a Natural Nature Based Circle Time Activity Game: Sensory Saturday Play Based Learning

Perfect for a play based learning Natural Circle Time Activity for kids: Nature's Treasures

Circle Time is a time for children to learn to pay attention, to make connections with each other, and to have fun. This nature based circle time activity is fun for kids of all ages for summer camp, but is ideal for preschool circle time.

Didi from Duck Duck Octopus (She's no longer blogging) shared this awesome nature sensory game for circle time.

We learn about the world through our senses. The tart burst of flavor from a fresh-picked blackberry is a tell-tale sign of summer; watching leaves swirl around the sky shows us it's windy; and pitter-patter sounds of rain tells us to put on our wellies for jumping in freshly made puddles. Our bodies absorb a constant stream of information that we assimilate into experience, but we seldom intentionally acknowledge the senses that deliver the information; the information is "just there".

Get your group together, form a circle, 

and play Nature's Treasure in circle time.

The Nature's Treasures mystery game is an activity that facilitates a hands-on exploration of the senses and nature. Kids get to experience how their perception of the world is altered when their senses are limited. The use of natural objects connects kids to their environment, and allows them to experience things they encounter every day in a new way.
 
Instructions

1. Gather an assortment of familiar natural objects (e.g. a dandelion, rock, shell, lobster claw, stick, cattail fluff, maple leaf, an animal bone, feather, dirt, etc.). Collect enough items, so each child participating has an item. Make sure your collection is gathered and stored out of sight of your kids. You don't want to spoil the mystery!
2. Place one mystery object in an opaque bag; brown lunch bags are great. Seal the bag with ribbon or a piece of tape.
3. Place the bags in a "treasure chest" (a decorated cardboard box), and bring the treasure chest out for the kids.
4. Introduce the activity by talking about the incredible diversity that may be found in nature. Have your kids offer examples of colors, textures and shapes they may find in nature (e.g. tiny snails; red, orange, and yellow autumn leaves; prickly porcupines; furry raccoons; bumpy shells, etc.).
5. Using the examples provided by the kids, make connections to how people use their senses to experience the world.
6. Explain that each mystery bag contains one object found in nature. They must try to guess what is in their bag without using their sense of sight, sound, or taste.
7. Encourage each child to choose a mystery bag, and tell them to keep the bag closed tight. No peeking! :-)
8. Each child gets a turn to fully explore their object with their sense of touch and smell. If they go to smell the bag, they have to keep their eyes shut, or use a blindfold to help keep the mystery object hidden.
9. The child exploring the item may tell the group about the object based on their sensory observations.
• For example, if the object is a dandelion, a child may describe it as follows: There is a fluffy, soft part on one end. It is round. The round, soft part is stuck to something that is long and skinny. It smells like grass.
10. Ask the child doing the direct sensory exploration to identify their mystery object.
11. Then open the inquiry to the group. Does anyone think the object is something else?
12. Reveal the mystery object. Hopefully, when the object is revealed most of the kids will know what it is right away. If they didn't guess correctly, this is a great opportunity to ask the kids how their sense of sight, sound or taste would have helped them solve the mystery.

This activity works well with a large group of kids in a circle time setting, and is also fun to do at home as a family. Sometimes, I'll deliberately put a gag item in the bag I explore, just to add a big laugh at the end (think rubber chicken). 
 
What is the most interesting object you found to include in your Nature's Treasures mystery game?

Didi is a fun mom who likes to make mud pies, stomp in puddles, and fingerpaint. She is also the founder of duckduckoctopus.com, a blog about play-based learning, outdoor adventures, and mindful-parenting.

Be sure to follow Didi on Pinterest. Learn some fun facts about the mind behind Duck, Duck, Octopus at Play Dr. Hutch.


Recommended Reading:

14 Circle Time Activities

Four Corners Circle Time Activity for Preschoolers*

Circle Time and Group Activities for age 3 to 6 yrs.*






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! :)

6 Edible Apple Crafts for Kids

Here are 6 fun, easy things to do with apples!

Apples, Apples, Apples! It's September and the best apples are ripening on the trees. Around here, the apples and pears are falling off attracting wasps and bees. I need to collect these gifts from nature and do a creative craft for kids like this first fun apple idea from It's Gravy Baby.

Monster apples and pears from It's Gravy Baby blog.

What could be better than than scent of fresh apple pie?  Why not try to add some sensory play to your play dough? It's Gravy Baby also offers up this apple pie scented play dough. She must have a lot of apples too!

Apple Scented Play dough.... can you smell it?

How about this wormy apple craft from Babble.com?  Worms are squishy, ooey-gooey, fun. This edible apple snack is perfect for Kid's Birthday Party Treat, a Halloween Edible Apple Craft, or an April Fool's day surprise.

Apple Worm Craft for Kids from Babble.com

I'm not really a Star Wars fan, but lots of people think I am. You want to know why? I'm a Sesame Street fan. I LOVE me some Sesame Street. My favorite character is Super Grover. This translates to a special appreciation for Yoda from Star Wars. I even named my favorite pet bunny after him. So, when I saw this green apple craft for kids depicting Yoda I was all, I've got to try that one. Wait, no, I mean, I have to DO that one! Check it our for yourself at Bit Rebels.

Edible Star Wars Craft for kids from Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons.

Why is it watermelons make the cutest crafts for kids or baby shower edible art? I just love these mock watermelon slices made from green apples and jello. Find out how to make them at Chocolate on my Cranium blog.

Mock watermelon slices apple craft for kids snack.

And finally, you've probably seen better versions out there in the blogosphere, but this was one of our first craft idea posts for our summer camp. Turkey Edible Apple Crafts for Kids with Dollar Store candy. Since then, I try to make healthy edible art and crafts for kids!

Turkey Edible Apple Snack Treat for Kids.

Recommended Reading:

Apple Kids and Acorn Frolics: Linework Pattern Workbook

Apples by Gail Gibbons


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