Being a preschool teacher was never easy, and the number one problem is how to keep these children busy. So with my low cost supplies I provided an entire morning class with something to do. So I saw this snake made with simple art supplies, and wood cloves. I found the tutorial out at http://www.freefamilycrafts.com I would type it all out, but I am just out of energy for the night guys. The site has pictures and lists of items needed. Thanks for taking a look. Post your comments or other low cost activities. -Linda
Safe, Non-Toxic "play doh" 2 1/2 cups of flour 1/2 cup salt 2 packages dry unsweetened Kool-Aid 2 cups boiling water 3 tablespoons oil Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Mix the liquids together and pour them over the dry ingredients. Stir the mixture until it forms a ball (this may take a while - keep stirring). As the mixture cools, it will become less sticky. After the mixture has cooled, take it out of the bowl and knead it until it is smooth. I played with this stuff through out my childhood.... ate a ton of it too, as it smells really good, but as you can see, there is nothing in it that would harm a kid.
We have a "sensor table" It has legs and is at kid height. I has compartments built in it for water, sand, dried beans, oatmeal, marbles, etc. My husband built it and my son LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVES it!
I have never had a shortage of ideas for things to do with my preschool-aged kids, especially arts and crafts stuff. One of our favorites is to paint coffee filters with watercolors, cut them out in snowflake or flower shapes, and hang them in the windows. Paper plates and paper lunch bags provide an infinite number of possibilities, and are very affordable at Big Lots or other overstock/dollar type stores. If you add some yarn and/or pipe cleaners, you can make just about anything you can imagine. We even used pipe cleaners to weave a basket last week (but my younger child mostly just watched). Last spring, we drew big flowers on small paper plates, I punched two or three holes in each of them, tied them together and presto! A flower mobile! a band of elastic, ends sewn together, to fit around child's waist or head (usually same size fits both waist and head) is a whole dress-up box in and of itself. Combined with a sock rolled around the elastic and tucked into itself, it's a bunny tail. With a scarf or playsilk, it becomes bunny ears or a horse's mane or tail, or a super cape. With several scarves, it can be a tutu or princess skirt. An old threadbare pillowcase becomes a monster, or a dog, or whatever else the child can think of, without even having to cut eye holes (if it's worn thin enough, they can see right through it). A stack of old magazines is an incredible resource. The pictures from last year's calendars make great collages when glued onto a poster board. Just about anything can be glued onto paper and turned into art. Doesn't have to be new paper, it can be old newspapers or even old artwork reused to make new art.