*Mini Class video coming at the end.
Did you do anything special this week for Earth Day? April 22 was Earth Day and I shared a simple art activity idea for toddlers in our private Facebook group. If you want to check it, click HERE.
Actually, everyday should be Earth day. Don’t you think so? Earth needs humans’ help and care now more than any time in the past.
I was looking for a good book about Earth for toddlers and preschoolers and I was really happy to find this book.
I like Oliver Jeffers’ other books, too. 😊
Book “Here We Are” is a very informative book. Some words and informations might look a bit hard for toddlers to understand but the whole story is written in an informal and easy way, so I would still recommend it for both toddlers and preschoolers to learn about Earth.
✴Appropriate challenges can help children to be smarter and stronger!
“Here We Are” does not just focus on explaining what Earth is. It also talks about humans, uniqueness, love and kindness, It’s a heartwarming book. I love it.
Another thing that children can learn from this book is space, specifically Earth in space. The author shows that Earth is big but it’s small at the same time if we look at it in the space. I really like that he shows Earth from a further perspective. I think it will teach humility as well as knowledge about space.
After reading this book, you can talk more about space and what’s in the space. Different planets, moon, moon rocks, sun, stars and so on.
If your child shows interest in learning about space, try making space with play-dough.
Creating My Space
Materials
- Play-dough (black) – I have a great play-dough recipe. Check it in THIS POST.
- Base (Cardboard or a plate)
- Marbles
- Star shape cookie cutter
- Craft gravels
- Aluminum foil
- Clip arts of astronaut, rocket and spaceships. – If you become an insider by April 28, 2021, you can get this template for free. After this date, you can buy it from the shop.
- Q-tips
What To Do
If you want to make the play more fun and realistic, make black or dark purple/blue play-dough.
I used liquid watercolours and food colourings to colour my dough.
If you have black liquid watercolour or black food colouring, use that in your dough. If you don’t, you can mix red, yellow and blue to make black.
My dough is a little purplish. It’s because I reached a purple colour first and then mixed green to that. Try mixing different parts of red, yellow, blue – orange, green, purple as well if you want to go further in experimenting. Colour mixing is a fun experiment.
If you add glitters, it looks more like space!
Give a cardboard or a plate to your child to build her/his space on.
It’s more like a play invitation. There are no rules or goals. Your child is free to create anything that come to her/his mind when s/he thinks about space and galaxy.
The black play-dough can be a sky, space, moon, planet or galaxy.
Just provide different materials to decorate their space-related creation.(🤪) Things listed under the “Materials” are some of my suggestions. If you have other loose parts or craft materials that will go well with space theme, feel free to add them.
Adding astronauts, rockets or spaceships will make the play richer. If you have toy astronauts, rockets or spaceships, make sure that you add them on the table. If you don’t have those toy ones, get my clip arts. Download them, print them out and give them to your child to cut and make their own stick puppets (Q-tip puppets in my case 😁)
It’s my favourite way to add props to dramatic play.
With those puppets, encourage your child to make a story and do a dramatic play.
If you want it to be a complete independent play, avoid materials that are too small like craft gravels and marbles. You can add bigger rocks or bigger seaglasses.
Try making moon rocks with aluminum foil.
I was so happy to share a play invitation today that is child-centred and child-led and that will develop children’s creativity and independence. This is my kind of play and teaching!😘
I hope you enjoy this kind of play too!
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🦄 Do you want to do this activity with Missangela?
🦄 Get your materials and let’s do it!
Happy learning and quality time!
Missangela👩🏻🎀