It's Playtime with Shamrocks and Rainbows

March is a busy month for kid bloggers: Dr. Seuss's birthday, St. Patrick's Day, Spring, and this year, Easter.  It's an exciting month filled with Cat's hats, rainbows, flowers, shamrocks, and Leprechauns.  Check out these It's Playtime features for a colorful playtime with your kids.

Inspiration Laboratories shows us that it's easy to make a rainbow from items you have laying around the house....literally.  This activity is sure to keep your toddler/early preschooler busy and teaches color word recognition.

Combine art and science with these Magic Fizzing Shamrocks from Gift of Curiosity   Kids will love the messy fun and fizzy reaction they get from exploring this project.

If you were featured this week, don't forget to grab your special "featured button."

<a href="http://messypreschoolers.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEYKQj4S7oHoLKfsA3PoeXgaNMJ5dxkdUxIphbmwXOlbFg78Gwl73-rT8AdMTgmqYmIJZrkJRYOqOEItkCbR_exui4YhZqLlwZaBHXhC5slGyqPScnxvq-zrQezw9-MdIUiecgW3fxKg/s1600/featured-messykids.jpg" width="150/" /></a>

These activities plus more can be found over on the It's Playtime Pinterest Board.  Happy Pinning! 

Now, on to this weeks play date! 

It's Playtime is a community and Thursday link-up hosted by:

* Rachele : Messy Kids (That's me!)
* Rachel & Holly : Quirky Momma
* Jillian: A Mom With a Lesson Plan
* Jenny : Let the Children Play

How to Play :

* Link up a post about a playful learning experience enjoyed by kids.

* Give us love and pop a button into your post/blog. Invite your readers to the weekly play date!

<a href="http://messypreschoolers.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VWLA7lm_Fqc/TaNHGpGSuVI/AAAAAAAAEX0/DGSvqIT7fyU/s320/RED-itplaytime.jpg" width="150" /></a>

* Stop by one of our blogs every Thursday and add your link about play. Your link will show up on each of the blogs in the It's Playtime community.

* Each week the playtime hosts will choose favorite posts to feature. (By linking you are giving us permission to use an image and link to you, if featured.)

* Be sure to visit some of the links that catch your eye. Commenting on posts that you find interesting or inspiring is a wonderful way to develop your own playful community.

By linking up you give us permission to grab a picture and feature you here, on a site we write for, on FB or Pinterest.   If we share your link, we will always credit you, send people to your original post and use only ONE photo.

Split Pea Sensory: Perfect for St. Patrick's Day and Spring!

 

Split peas are a great medium for sensory play!  They are perfect for scooping, pouring, and transferring.  When I purchased my split peas I bought them in bulk and was able to buy both green and yellow (inspired by No Time for Flash Cards Green and Gold Sensory Tub).  I loved the colors mixed together!  Reminds me of a leprechauns pot of gold.  I put this sensory bin together with spring in mind, but now that I look at it, with a few small additions, it would be perfect for St. Patrick's Day!  Here is how my son enjoyed it and at the end I'll list a few ideas for turning it into the perfect St. Patrick's sensory bin.    

 Michael loves pretend cooking.  He thought he better taste his "soup" before getting started.

 Funnels are great for kids!  They love to watch items pour through them, especially if you have see-through cups.

 Michael decided I needed to "eat" too so he transferred some peas to my plate as well.

A lot of sensory play teaches children how to judge amounts of an item.  Michael poured an entire cup of peas onto his plate realizing it was too much!

Funnels are always fun at the sensory table!  

What I loved about this sensory bin is the versatility.  We had it for months but simply changed some of the items we'd added for variety.  Here are some ideas:

St. Patricks Day:

• Plastic, gold coins
• Green flowers
• Green and/or gold rocks, gems, floral stones, or aquarium gravel
• Use a green or black cauldron to house the split peas
• Green and/or gold tinsel, ribbon, or any other shiny material 

Spring:

• Plastic snakes, bugs, lizards and/or frogs
• Plastic flowers
• Fairies
• Add some dried red beans
• Miniature and small sized flower pots for scooping and/or "planting"  
• Decorative birds and/or butterflies  
• Add some soil for a different sensory experience  

It's Playtime: St. Patrick's Day Play

Kids love St. Patrick's Day!  Why?  It's all about the magic.  Who doesn't want to believe there are little people running around, hoarding gold, that you could possibly catch and trick them into handing over their treasure?  Children want to believe there is magic all around: Leprechauns, Fairies, Santa Clause.  And I belive it's our duty to keep that magic alive for as long as possible.  So for the next couple of weeks I'm planning to feature the wonderful St. Patrick's ideas posted on It's Playtime with the hope that you'll create your own magic at home with your children.

Mom to 2 Posh Lil' Divas shared how they made these lovely Tie Dye Shamrocks using dot painters and coffee filters.  I love how vibrant they are!

Candy?  Math?  Sounds like fun!  Criss-Cross Applesauce has a free printable M&M Rainbow Math Game for all of you.

Need an activity for older children?  How about these adorable Racing Balloon Leprechauns from Housing a Forest (video included)?  If you have younger children, the Leprechauns could simply fly around the room rather then race.  Fun for all!

Toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy going on a St. Patrick's Day Green Hunt shared by Little Family Fun.

This St. Patrick's Sensory Box is loaded with green items to explore and wear.  Check out Our Daily Craft for the list of items she's included.

The Gingerbread House shared how bell peppers are perfect for Printing Shamrocks!

If you were featured this week, don't forget to grab your special "featured button." 

<a href="http://messypreschoolers.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEYKQj4S7oHoLKfsA3PoeXgaNMJ5dxkdUxIphbmwXOlbFg78Gwl73-rT8AdMTgmqYmIJZrkJRYOqOEItkCbR_exui4YhZqLlwZaBHXhC5slGyqPScnxvq-zrQezw9-MdIUiecgW3fxKg/s1600/featured-messykids.jpg" width="150/" /></a>

These activities plus more can be found over on the It's Playtime Pinterest Board.  Happy Pinning!  

Now, on to this weeks play date! 

It's Playtime is a community and Thursday link-up hosted by:

* Rachele : Messy Kids (That's me!)
* Anna : The Imagination Tree
* Rachel : Quirky Momma
* Jamie : hands on : as we grow
* Jenny : Let the Children Play

How to Play :

* Link up a post about a playful learning experience enjoyed by kids.

* Give us love and pop a button into your post/blog. Invite your readers to the weekly play date!

<a href="http://messypreschoolers.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VWLA7lm_Fqc/TaNHGpGSuVI/AAAAAAAAEX0/DGSvqIT7fyU/s320/RED-itplaytime.jpg" width="150" /></a>

* Stop by one of our blogs every Thursday and add your link about play. Your link will show up on each of the blogs in the It's Playtime community.

* Each week the playtime hosts will choose favorite posts to feature. (By linking you are giving us permission to use an image and link to you, if featured.)

* Be sure to visit some of the links that catch your eye. Commenting on posts that you find interesting or inspiring is a wonderful way to develop your own playful community.