Fall and Nature Crafts and Activities for Kids {The Sunday Showcase 11/9/13}

November always makes me think of fall and Thanksgiving. We haven't had to much "spare" time to get crafty with seasonal projects but I have so enjoyed peeking at what everyone else has been up to. Here are a few of my personal faves from last week's linky shared by you -

Click any of the links below for the full post.

I just love these gorgeous, glittery Acorn Necklaces

(We-Made-That.com)

How fun is this Bobbling Head Turkey Hat - so cute!

(How Wee Learn)

Did you enjoy Paper Weaving as a child? 

I did! Now, I can't wait to do it with the Lil Divas.

(Kids Activities Blog)

What perfect Fall Activities!

Looking for more ideas?

Here are some of our favorite Fall Crafts & Activities for kids -

Now it's your turn to share!

Do you have any fun fall themed activities to share? 

Please share them with me in the linky, 

by commenting below or by visiting our Facebook page. 

Be sure to link up your child centered ideas while you're here.

I love to see what everyone is doing.

If you have been featured, grab a button you deserve it!

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The Sunday Showcase is hosted on FOUR blogs!

Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
Here Come the Girls

Inspiration Laboratories

Learn Play Imagine

Each blog showcases their own features so be sure to check them all out!

If you are here for the first time please read this informational post for the full details.  Anything kid friendly and/or child centered is welcome!  You are welcome to share more than one post,  but we don't accept links for giveaways,  shops, or downloads for purchase, etc.  They will be deleted.

If you're linking up we encourage you to visit other links 
& our Pinterest board!  

*Important* 

Please note that by linking up you are giving us permission to use a photo (with proper link to you!) in our featured section and on our Pinterest board!  

-------------------------------------------------------------

Link up and share your child centered ideas with us!

Bern

An InLinkz Link-up

Fall Tree Crafts for Kids {The Sunday Showcase 9/14/13

Fall is a great time to study trees and leaf changes.  There were so many great ideas shared last week. Here are some of my favorite Fall Tree themed ideas from last week's linky -

Fruit Loops Fall Tree

(Putti's World)

Fall Tree Snack

(Fantastic Fun and Learning)

Cork Painting Leaves

(Teaching Mama)

Easy Apple Tree Craft

(Reading Confetti)

Fall Hand Tree

(Enchanted Homeschooling Mom)

Fall Tissue Twig Trees

(Happy Hooligans)

 Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas:

Last week I shared 5 of my fave DIY Halloween Kids Crafts

(Yes, it's almost here!)

Click the picture above to take you to the post I shared last week 

with all the fun fall themed activity links!

Don't forget to check out my Fall Fun Pinterest Board

I've been pinning some awesome ideas

and all of our Fall Themed posts here on the blog.

Do you have ideas for fun fall themed activities for kids? 

Please share them with me in the linky, by commenting below

or by visiting our Facebook page. I love to see what everyone is doing.

If you have been featured, grab a button you deserve it!

-------------------------------------------------------------

The Sunday Showcase is hosted on FOUR blogs!

Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
Here Come the Girls

Inspiration Laboratories

Learn Play Imagine

Each blog showcases their own features so be sure to check them all out!

If you are here for the first time please read this informational post for the full details.  Anything kid friendly and/or child centered is welcome!  You are welcome to share more than one post,  but we don't accept links for giveaways,  shops, or downloads for purchase, etc.  They will be deleted.

If you're linking up we encourage you to visit other links & our Pinterest board!  

*Important* 

Please note that by linking up you are giving us permission to use a photo (with proper link to you!) in our featured section and on our Pinterest board!  

-------------------------------------------------------------

Link up and share your child centered ideas with us!

Bern

An InLinkz Link-up

Fall Crafts for Kids {The Sunday Showcase 9/7/13}

It's September! Which means it's almost fall - my favorite time of year.  I'm gearing up for some fall fun so I couldn't resist sharing some of your fall themed ideas from last week. 

Fall Leaf Suncatchers

(Fantastic Fun and Learning)

Counting Apples Busy Bag
(The Educator's Spin on it)

Pretend Play Apple Pie Making Sensory Tray

(Little Bins for Little Hands)

Apple Stamping
(Teaching Mama)

 Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas:

Some of my favorite fall themed activities from Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas - 

Click the picture above to take you to the post I shared last week 

with all the fun fall themed activity links!

Don't forget to check out my Fall Fun Pinterest Board

I've been pinning some awesome ideas!

Do you have ideas for fun fall themed activities for kids? 

Please share them with me in the linky, by commenting below

or by visiting our Facebook page. I love to see what everyone is doing.

If you have been featured, grab a button you deserve it!

-------------------------------------------------------------

The Sunday Showcase is hosted on FOUR blogs!

Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
Here Come the Girls

Inspiration Laboratories

Learn Play Imagine

Each blog showcases their own features so be sure to check them all out!

If you are here for the first time please read this informational post for the full details.  Anything kid friendly and/or child centered is welcome!  You are welcome to share more than one post,  but we don't accept links for giveaways,  shops, or downloads for purchase, etc.  They will be deleted.

If you're linking up we encourage you to visit other links & our Pinterest board!  

*Important* 

Please note that by linking up you are giving us permission to use a photo (with proper link to you!) in our featured section and on our Pinterest board!  

-------------------------------------------------------------

Link up and share your child centered ideas with us!

Bern

An InLinkz Link-up

10 Fun Fall Crafts for Kids

Fall is my favorite time of year! I love summer and all the fun that can be had on vacation from school and work but the scents, colors and crispness of fall have always been my favorite. Leaves changing colors, apples, pumpkins, pine cones - I simply can't get enough. 

I decided to compile some of our favorite fall themed crafts and learning activities for you (to date - there are of course more to come!) 

Pine Cone Leaf Painting

Faux Tie Dye Fall Leaves

Leaf Art

Coffee Filter Apple Art

Apple Roll Painting

Torn Paper Apple a

Sensory Coffee and Oatmeal Acorn Craft

Leaf Dream Catcher

Cinnamon Apple Spice Play Dough

(No Cook) Pumpkin Spice Jello Play Dough

Looking for fall themed books? 

Here are some of our faves -

Fall Picture Books for kids

Apple Themed Books for kids

For even more fall themed fun be sure to visit my Fall Fun Pinterest board - it's chock full of great ideas from around the web.

Do you have a favorite fall craft, activity or recipe? Do share so I can pin it. I'm always looking for more fun things to do with my girls. 

Happy Fall Posh Fans!

Bern

The Sunday Showcase - Painting and Art Activities for Kids 11/24/12

The Sunday Showcase  
featuring..... 
Painting & Art Fun for kids!

<a href="http://www.momto2poshlildivas.com/"><img border="0"src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprF8IjC0dTiFiH618BgolG0r9NI3Ge6zX_thLmfI72KoHLyurLJBIhKq6yP8y_KQsBWUR7Ur-T2OBIeiRFf1-QUbF_12X0M9-Iq1UfjYfkfYtHROSyFvTec9fvJfOc5oyiskZw8bGFkc/s1600/sundayshowcase.jpg" /></a>

The Sunday Showcase is hosted on FIVE blogs!

Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
Here Come the Girls

Inspiration Laboratories

The Iowa Farmer's Wife
Train Up a Child

Each blog showcases their own features (from the previous week's linky) so be sure to check them all out!

If you are here for the first time please read this informational post for the full details. Anything kid friendly and/or child centered is welcome! You are welcome to share more than one post, but we don't accept links for giveaways,  shops, or downloads for purchase, etc. They will be deleted.

If you're linking up we encourage you to visit some of the other links & our Pinterest board!  

*Important* 

Please note that by linking up you are giving us permission to use a photo (with proper link to you!) in our featured section and on our Pinterest board!  If you prefer not to be featured simply comment below or e-mail me to let us know.

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The Showcase Features:

Painting and Art are such wonderful activities to engage children in. 

Even the tiniest tots can paint and have fun  with this Edible Pudding Paint from Zayit and Ziva  and you don't have to fret so much if they put those cute pudgy little fingers in their mouths as babies are bound to do.

If your looking for a fun way to work your toddler or preschoolers fine motor skills you must try this Shaving Cream Bath Paint from Keeping My Toddler Entertained. This messy fun is sure to be a big hit!

Art and music are so much fun to combine. I love how Hey Mommy, Chocolate Milk invited her cute little guy to go Finger Dancing to the Blues.  What a fun way to express yourself through both music and art. 

Fall is the perfect time to explore leaf rubbings with kids and I was inspired by the Magic Leaf Rubbings Madtown Macs did with her kids. The finished product was stunning!

Red Ted Art shared another creative way to use fallen leaves to create art with her Goldsworthy Inspired Leaf Land Art. Imagine taking a stroll and coming upon such a treasure, simply lovely!

How about this Mandala Style Art at the Beach by Simple and Joyful. I can't wait to try creating our own art the next time we visit the beach. What a creative activity.

Do you have a favorite painting or art activity? 

Please share in the comments below.

If you have been featured, grab a button you deserve it!

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From your Hostess:

Did you see our FUN Pine Cone Painting

My preschoolers had a blast with this painting activity.

Thank You for sharing your child centered ideas with us!

Bern

Pine Cone Leaf Painting

I love pine cones. They have so much possibility. A few weeks ago one of my preschoolers gifted us with a box full of pine cones shipped from New York by his grandmother. I was in heaven! My mind was buzzing with ways to use them. 

One of the ways we have used some of these pine cones in my classroom (so far) is PINE CONE LEAF PAINTING

Kids love shaking, rolling and mixing things up to paint - it gets them moving, makes noise and they can watch the result forming art right before their eyes. I save boxes to use for this type of art/painting. As you can see my box has lots of paint splatter - I LOVE it. It's a piece of art all on its own.

I cut various large leaf shapes from card stock to use and let the children choose whichever one they wanted to paint with. We put some paint on each corner of the box (I choose fall colors - yellow, orange, red and green) and put in two pine cones. 

Then, the children got to shake, shake, shake the box to roll the pine cones around. We had a few fly away pine cones when the shaking and rolling got a bit too rigorous but for the most part the box keeps the mess contained.

The pine cones leave some great prints. The more you roll and shake the more pronounced the effect will be. Some children spent a great deal of time shaking and rolling the pine cones while some kept it simple.

We displayed our leaves on our classroom bulletin board and they look AWESOME! It definitely bring a bit of fall into our otherwise sunny South FL classroom.

This is so easy to do at home or in the classroom and it's great for kids of all ages. You can use a covered box if you like with smaller children or are afraid of flying pine cones but half the fun is watching the process and seeing the art right before your eyes.

If you decide to give this a try, 

here's what you'll need:

box top or large lid

large leaf cut outs
(it's best to use sturdy paper like card stock)
paint

Have fun Pine Cone Leaf Painting!
Bern

No Cook Pumpkin Spice Jello Play Dough

I was super excited when I went shopping over the weekend and scored some Pumpkin Spice Jell-O packets on clearance! I couldn't wait to mix up a batch of jello play dough for my preschoolers to play with this week. 

If you have never whipped up a batch of jello play dough - I urge you to give it a try. It's so moist, sticky and fun. Kids love the texture and this pumpkin spice scent was fabulous.

What You Need:

2 Pumpkin Spice Jell-O packets (I used the 3.4oz packets)

3.5 - 4 cups flour

1/2 cup salt

2 tbsp. cooking oil

1 cup hot water

glycerin (optional)

This is super easy to make so it's perfect for kids to help in the kitchen.

Pumpkin Spice Jell-O Play Dough:

1. Put 1 cup of water into microwave for 2-3 minutes - to bring to a boil. This must be done by an adult.

2. In a bowl combine your dry ingredients - 3.5 cups flour (save 1/2 cup flour for later - you will add flour as needed to reach YOUR desired consistency, you may even want to add more than I did!), jell-o packets and 1/2 cup salt - and mix well. 

3. Add in oil and stir.

4. Mix in water and stir - use caution with any children helping because you are using hot water for this step. Once your dough starts to form, get ready to knead.

5. Let cool just a bit before you begin to knead the dough. Knead your dough well, adding flour as desired. I used probably an additional 1/2 cup or more of flour. Jell-O is sticky so just sprinkle on additional flour as needed until you get the consistency you prefer. 

6. Add 1-2 drops of glycerin if desired. This play dough is pretty soft and sticky thanks to the jell-o so glycerin isn't essential. I added a drop just because I prefer shiny play dough. 

*Remember that jell-o play dough is sticky so you may want to add more flour than I did. I like it a little sticky because my preschoolers enjoy the sensory feel of it and since we use it a lot, it keeps it from drying out too fast (even when not put away for awhile).*

Enjoy!

Bern

Fall Themed Sensory Table in Preschool

My goal for this year is to present my preschoolers with a fun sensory table each month. In September we explored Water Beads  and I wanted to give the children a fall sensory experience for October. Being that we live in FL, fall is a pretty much non-existent season but I still wanted to expose the children to fall and harvest themes.

Here are a few photos of our

  Fall Themed Sensory Table

Not only do we not have as many fall items readily available (no lovely fall leaves - Boo!) but I also have to keep our play allergy sensitive so I did use lots of artificial items but the children LOVE our special "treasures" and they look forward to visiting the sensory table each day.

I used real hay as our base - it gives a wonderful aroma & sensory feel that can't be beat. Then I added lots and lots of different textures and fall themed items for discovery and play.

What in the table?

Base = Hay

Filler Items include -

mini pumpkins

various gourds (great texture)

small Indian Corn

corn kernels

dyed pasta noodles (for fun)

faux fall leaves

plastic acorns

plastic mini jeweled acorns

plastic mini jeweled pumpkins

small plastic jeweled leaves

pine cones (real - love the scent!)

fall themed stickers

For Play -

cups

scoops

rakes

shovels

strainers

I keep adding to the table as I buy items or we receive them as class donations. The hay is a bit messy, especially with 3 yr. olds, but the children really enjoy the table and it's so worth it.

What other items would you add? Keep in mind we are not in an area where fall items are so readily available and I can not include real nuts as well.

Happy Fall,

Bern

As always be careful of allergies to the hay before using & of course whenever you are using small parts be sure to supervise children while playing and discuss that these items do NOT get put in their mouth or eaten. :)