Stamp Painting with Kwik Stix

Kwik Stix Paint Sticks in NEON

Kwik Stix paint sticks

Painting to Mozart

Just a fun little painting project. I turned on some Mozart and had them put one dot of each color paint all over the page. Then I had them begin painting with long lines and connecting to the dots as they wanted to.

I love how they turned out!!  Parker's is a free flowing abstract and Graham's turned out to be animated fruit friends. - strawberry, banana, pear.

The paints are from discount school supply, trays from oriental trading.

Seed trees & water color on canvas

Last week I dyed some pumpkin seeds with food coloring and rubbing alcohol. I got the seeds out today for a little art project! Graham and Parker had a lot of fun with this project. It was challenging for them though. I made one for example and then they made theirs. Basically we put clear glue down on the canvas in the shape of a tree, added the seeds, a little more glue on top the seeds, and then liquid water colors! I gave them paint brushes to move the water colors around and create a pretty background blend. We used turquoise, purple, and magenta liquid water colors. I let them dry outside until dark, them moved them inside t finish drying. I will be hanging them up tomorrow!

Mine is on the left, Parker's in the middle, and Graham's is on the right. I think they turned out really nicely!

Parker, adding some water color

Graham, contemplating his next move

Parker's tree

Graham's tree

I did a little changing up of some things in their room. I swapped out the smaller table that the light panels were on for a larger table. The table we had the light panels on was too small. I had to place the panels on them vertically. I hated them being on their vertically because they couldn't use all of the space on the light panels. With the bigger table, the light panels can be placed horizontally, and all of the space can be utilized. The tables I am using are the lifetime adjustable tables. They are used for preschools as well as for any other use you would need a table for.  I really liked this table because it is adjustable and it is a fraction of the cost of traditional school tables. I wanted a nice large table that they could do any of our learning activities, art projects, playdough, as well as building with their blocks and such. These tables are awesome. They are very sturdy and so nice! I use duct tape to tape the panels and mirrors  securely to the table and voila! It works perfectly!  I have an IKEA pocket organized fastened to the front of the table, filled with some of their small light table accessories. The rest are on the shelving to the left. You can see the tables HERE.

I switched the block play area with the book nook, they love it!! It is working out really well!!

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Adventures with toys

Here are some highlights of fun things that Graham and Parker have been doing this week.

Translucent bracelets, plastic gems, and a pretty piece of plastic
that came off the end of a dollar tree water baton

My twins said it was a beautiful Octopus

I converted my twins step 2 car and canyon table into a discovery/sensory table

Inside the table is sand, sea shells, river rocks, small wood pieces from Lakeshore Learning, submersible LED lights
Plastic trees, animals, and some little cars, Oh! and a cave from the Fish Aquarium store.

Parker, filling a shell with sand

I changed our mirror play center and made it even more awesome!!
This is what it looked like when I first set it all up. click here.

I moved most all of our wooden blocks to this shelf, and moved the shelf from the other side of the room

Graham and Parker decided to revisit magna tiles on the overhead projector!

They love playing with light!!
See more colorful overhead projector fun here and here

Scented water play, ice, and shaving cream.........

Playing with colored ice shapes

Playing with a big ice shape made from a fancy cake pan

The ice floats in the water that is inside of the glass jar, and sticks to the large ice shape!

I changed our water play area around just a little

Lots of fun water play components 

Additions of shells, gems, and pine cones. They were moved from the sand play area

you can see the waterways pipe builders toy from Lakeshore in the center of the two white shelf tables

They still love this a year later!

The sand box was moved closer, see it in the far right corner

Inside view

close up inside view of shells, glass gems, and pine cones

I put one of the water tubs up high on a table this time, I added cinnamon extract and mint extract to the various water play vessels around out water play area!!  IN the past we have used mint, peppermint, orange, cherry, lemon, vanilla and a few others that I buy at wal mart

shaving cream and food coloring, an old favorite

busy

the waterways piple builders from Lakeshore Learning

water tub, up high

pure joy!

so pretty and filled with water and food coloring

more pretty water play items

playing with shaving cream

Shaking water from a salt shaker

Filling up a big water bottle from a water cooler with a carafe filled with water and food coloring

checking out the inside of the big water bottle

squirting water into the big bottle with a container I recycled that lemon juice came in

great aim, Graham!!

This boy loves shaving cream!

Using a face wash pump bottle I recycled to put colored water into the table of shaving cream

looks so fun!

adding food coloring

Graham said this was a red and white rainbow

awesome color mixing, so pretty!

scooping, funneling, and pouring water

a little man in the funnel, makes the water move slower  ;)

he painted himself  ;)

paint in a condiment bottle

When in Rome.........

After 15 years of not painting, I decided to paint on Graham and Parker's easel with their big toddler
brushes and tempera paint....  amusing results below....

While I am adding to my painting, Graham is painting on the next panel

A weasel was added....  haha

close up of my goofy weasel

another tree

My silly finished product  HAHA!!