All You Need is Love...& It's Playtime

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day.  Tonight, I have to finish my 5 year old son's Valentines because his attention span is all of 1 minute.  He wrote his name on 1, that's right, 1 Valentine out of 24.  But this week on It's Playtime, all you need is.....

This fun Love Painting was shared by Seattle Area Lifestyle Photographer.  It's creative, messy, and perfect for sharing on Valentine's Day.

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
* 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.

It's Playtime: Spectacular Spiders

I have a love/hate relationship with spiders. Inside my house, they are creepy, invading my space and freaking-out my family. Outside, spiders are fascinating and a thing of beauty.

I found this spider at my parent's house in their rose buses.  It's beautifully constructed web waits for a passing fly or bee.  I wanted to get closer but a large section of ice-plant (and buzzing bees) grew between the sidewalk and the spider.  I feared the bees stings more then this amazing creature.  Spiders work so hard to catch the bugs we despise.  If there were no spiders in our world, we would be over run with flies and other insects.  I don't want to even imagine a world with out them!

At Halloween we celebrate spiders for the horrific, marvelous and creepy beings they are.  So this week's It's Playtime will also celebrate spiders...preschool style!

My favorite post this past week are these glorious Glow in the Dark Spider Balls from All Artful.  They are simpler to make then they appear and the end result is outstanding!

 Chicken Babies created this Lair of the Spider Queen play/adventure course, surprising her young children after nap.  Streamers + Spider Rings= Afternoon Adventures!

No preschool Halloween is complete without Golf Ball Webs and Finger Spiders!  Instead of the traditional black and white marble or golf ball webs, happy hooligans used some Halloween inspired colors for a more whimsical feel.  And of course, the googly eyes on the spider remove all spidery creepiness!  

Who doesn't want to eat these Incy Wincy Spider Chocolate Treats from Puddles and Gumboots?

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>

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.

If Van Gogh Had Q-Tips

Q-tip painting is something I started doing when I taught preschool.  Sometimes I would give brushes to the kids to apply glue and getting them clean was always an ordeal.  So when I didn't have brushes, I would give the kids Q-tips.  They often looked at me confused and unsure, until I explained that we don't have to use only brushes in painting; there are a lot of different ways to paint that can be unique and fun.  The kids I painted with today gave me the same blank stare as I tried to explain the project.

I decided to try Q-tip painting out on the kids in my mom's group.  We had a play date at the park, so I packed up my supplies and headed out with my son to see if I could gather any interest.  The kids seemed excited (once they understood the method to my madness) and the parents were just glad the glitter I brought wasn't going all over the table at their house.  And I learned that for traveling art projects, I should always bring wet wipes.

So here's what you need:

Q-tip Painting (Winter Theme)

• Q-tips
• Blue, White, and/or Black Paper
• White and/or Light Blue Paint Tempera Paint
• Silver or Iridescent Glitter  

Prep:
Small plates work best for the paint because the Q-tips are short.  Yogurt cups or paint cups are fine but be prepared for paint on the hands.  Always place a bit of dishwasher liquid in the paint to help it wash easier. Placing glitter on small plates is good too.  You can teach the kids how to sprinkle the glitter on their painting rather then dumping it from a canister.  No plates?  Then let them sprinkle from the canister.  Excess glitter can be dumped into a cup then saved in a baggie for another project.

Instructions:

1. Give the kids a couple of Q-tips and explain that they will use them like a brush.  Then, stand back and let them paint.  Nothing they do is wrong.  They can scribble, draw, and drip to their heart's content.  Don't feel you need to ask them, "what is it?"  It doesn't matter.  If they want it to be something, they will tell you.   
2. When they are done painting, show them how to sprinkle glitter onto the wet paint.  Then take the picture rolling it slightly, and dump the excess glitter back onto the plate.

There will always be some kid that finds it fun to use their hands.  Don't freak out.  It's OK.  You can try to explain to them that, "this time we are using Q-tips.  We'll paint with our hands another day." Chances are it's too late.  Let it be apart of their art.  Some kids like the extra sensory.  This is why we put dishsoap into the paint.