St. Patrick's Day on It's Playtime

Lot's of St. Patrick's activities were shared on It's Playtime last week.  Here are some of my favorites:

I love, love, love this activity from Gift of Curiosity!  Create your own Leprechaun Rocks then dissolve revealing a special surprise inside.  It's play, it's science, it's perfect for St. Patrick's Day!

Create a lovely Shamrock Sun Catcher like the ones over at Crystal & Co.  They used purchased shredded paper, but if you have a paper shredder of your own, run some colored construction paper through it.

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

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.

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.

Building an (Easy) Leprechaun Trap

*This post contains affiliate links

Both at home and at school we've been talking a lot about Leprechauns.  My son still remembers his milk turning green last year and is hoping for it to happen again.  Several times we've read the book: 

 

In the book, the children create several different types of Leprechaun traps.  There are great illustrations to this fact.  So our preschool assignment (because we also read it there), was to create a Leprechaun trap and bring it to school to share.  My son was extremely excited about this project. Here's what we did...

 We recycled an old Cascade container.  I sized and glued green construction paper to the sides.

Michael used dot art markers and Roll-On Painters to decorate.  He also glued on (minimally) some gold stars and gold colored pasta.

I created the ladder from pipe cleaners and attached it to the sides.  Now the Leprechaun can climb in

to claim his treasure, but he can't get out!

My son glued in some gold stars to attract the Leprechaun.  He also said he added the glue in order to catch the Leprechaun.  "When he climbs in he'll stick to the glue".  

So we will see what happens at school.  Will we catch a Leprechaun and claim our pot of gold? Probably not.  But I'm sure there will be mischief, fun, and if we are lucky, chocolate coins.  

Have you built a Leprechaun Trap?  Share your creation with me on my Facebook page.  

    

It's Playtime: Hunting for Leprechauns

With my son in preschool there has been a lot of talk about Leprechauns this week.  We had to make a Leprechaun Trap for school...

and the Leprechaun visited today leaving a huge mess along with a mysterious note threatening to return.  So this week on It's Playtime we are going to hunt for Leprechauns and their magical pot of gold.    

Check out this cute Leprechaun hat shaped trap created by Crystal's Ramblings.  Their Leprechaun did manage to leave some yummy candy coins.    

Why not make Hunting for the Pot o' Gold more exciting by turning it into a spy game?  That's how they did it over at Toddler Approved and it sure looks like a blast!  

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.

Leprechaun Tracks

*This post contains affiliate links

We thought we'd have some fun today and make some Leprechaun tracks...using Barbies!  To my dismay we were out of green paint so I decided to try and make some.  Here's my makeshift recipe:

Using 1/4 cup flour, gradually add water and mix until you reach the consistency you choose. Drop in desired amount of food and mix.

We put shoes on our girl Barbie so it wouldn't be just her toes.  Then the kids dipped their feet into the paint.

My daughter stamped the dolls feet onto the paper while my son made his do a crazy dance.

My daughter had her doll leap, walk, and hop.  

My son quickly moved onto painting with the doll's head.  

"Zombie Paint Monster!"

Then the kids added glitter...

and the Leprechaun tracks are complete!

Of course, painting with dolls can be done at any time during the year, the kids will have just as much fun.  It's always interesting for children to express themselves with different painting tools.  

What creative ways have you celebrated St. Patrick's Day?  Leave me a message below or on my Facebook page.  

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