6 Play Dough Recipes

Kid Approved Play Dough Recipes

I am so excited about these fun Play Dough Recipes linked up to last weeks Kids Co-op.  I can’t wait to try them all out.  Who knew you could make Nutella or Root Beer Float dough.  Love it!

6 Kid Approved Play Dough Recipes

Amazing Play Recipes

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Spin Art Snowman

Preschool Snowman Art Project

I adore snowmen, especially when they are created by kids.  There is something about haphazardly placed top hats, crooked buttons and extra large carrot noses that make me smile.  Check out how we created our simple spin art snowman.  It was so easy, and the kids love it!

Spin Art Snowmen ~ preschool snowman craft

Spin Art Snowmen materials

  • Spin art machine ~ if you don’t have one, you can make your own spin art machine or a salad spinner works great too.
  • 3 blue paper circles ~ for the body of the snowman
  • white paint in a squeeze bottle
  • black paint
  • snowman accessories

Spin Art Snowmen ~ preschool snowman craft

The kids can’t get enough of our spin art machine.  They love squeezing paint and watching it spin.  You don’t have to spin just tempera paint, try a new medium.  We love using watercolors, glitter glue and markers.

Spin Art Snowmen ~ preschool snowman craft

Instead of gluing on eyes and buttons, we decided to use paint.  The kids loved using the sponge brush.

Spin Art Snowmen ~ preschool snowman craft

I love this simple snowman ready to topple over.  So adorable!

Spin Art Snowmen ~ preschool snowman craft

Simple Preschool Spin Art Snowman Craft

Spin Art Snowmen ~ preschool snowman craft

 I love the personalities of these little snowmen.

Spin Art Snowmen ~ preschool snowman craft

Looking for more Snowmen Crafts and Activities?  Check out our:

Shredded Paper Snowmen

Counting Snowmen

Winter Sensory Bin ~ No Snow Snowmen

Bringing the Snow Inside

Polly Pocket Snow Fort Play

Indoor winter snow play

The last few days have been chilly, so we decided to revisit one of my first blog posts (bringing the snow inside).  It is one of my kids favorite indoor winter activities.  This time instead of coloring the snow, the kids grabbed the bin of Polly Pockets. Polly Pocket Snow fort play ~ winter sensory bin

Polly Pocket Snow Hut

I’m always amazed by kids imagination.  Nothing like a blank canvas of snow to get them thinking and being creative.

We love building forts all over the house (as I am writing I am sitting beside a colossal blanket fort).   So I was not at all surprised when they created a little snow huts for the Polly Pockets.

Polly Pocket Snow fort play ~ winter sensory bin

How to build an indoor Polly Pocket Snow Fort

The kids have made countless snow forts in our back yard, and they followed the same model to make their indoor huts.  The kids started by mounding the snow, and then hallowing out an area large enough to fit a Polly Pocket bed. Polly Pocket Snow fort play ~ winter sensory bin The kids have a few Polly Pocket houses, and brought bits and pieces into their snow village. Polly Pocket Snow fort play ~ winter sensory bin

 They even rigged up a little shower room, complete with a warm water.

Polly Pocket Snow fort play ~ winter sensory bin

I love the little decorative touches that adorn the top of each of the little huts.

Polly Pocket Snow fort play ~ winter sensory bin

The kids favorite addition to the little snow village was the hot tub.

Polly Pocket Snow fort play ~ winter sensory bin

 Who knew a bin of snow and Polly Pockets could be so much fun.

Polly Pocket Snow fort play ~ winter sensory bin

Looking for more Snow Themed Activities?  Check out our

How to Make Snow Ice Cream

Melting Art

Creating Colorful Icicles

Indoor Snow Painting

Bringing the Snow Inside

Ideas for Exploring Art with Kids

Art Exploration ~ get creative and have fun

I am always looking for fun ways to explore art with my kids.  They love trying new things like these creative ideas linked up to last weeks Kids Co-op.  These simple ideas for exploring art with kids include a number of different materials and mediums.  We created a spin art machine with our drill, but turning it into a painting machine is brilliant!  I know my kids will love it!

Exploring Art with Kids

Creative Ideas for Exploring Art with kids

If you were featured this week feel free to grab Housing A Forest’s Blog Button.

{If you are checking us out for the first time, we would love for you to follow along on Facebook or check out our Pinterest account.  We love sharing new ideas to play and learn with your kids. }

Cardboard Roll Heart Stamp

DIY Cardboard Roll Heart Stamp ~ Easy Valentine Craft Ideas for Preschoolers

We are all about simple Valentines Craft ideas.  We recycled a watercolor painting my daughter created a while ago, into a beautiful Valentines Masterpiece.  Watercolors are one of her favorite mediums to explore.  This particular painting, was a brightly colored watercolor abstract.  The perfect backdrop for printing our Cardboard Heart Stamp.

DIY Cardboard Heart Stamp ~ Valentines Art for kids

Heart Cardboard Tube Stamping

  • We shaped a recycled cardboard tube into a simple Heart stamp.  This can be done by simply creasing the cardboard roll in 2 places and manipulating it into the shape of a heart.  It is really easy to do, but I find that kids find this step difficult so I make the heart stamps ahead of time.
  • Red Tempera Paint
  • Paper plate and felt to make our homemade stamp pad.
  • Previously painted heavy weight paper

DIY Cardboard Roll Heart Stamp ~ Valentines Art for kids

I love how the crisp hearts contrast against the brightly painted watercolor paper.

Looking for ideas on how to use your beautifully stamped art work?  Check out our post on 10 Heart Stamping Activities your kids will love.  We’ve included a bunch ofour favorite ways to brighten your Valentines Day with this classic activity.

DIY Cardboard Roll Heart Stamp ~ Valentines Art for kids

Looking for more Valentine Craft Ideas?  Check out our:

10 Heart Stamp Activities

Symmetry Heart Valentines

7 simple Heart Animals

15 Origami Hearts

Glitter Tissue Paper Hearts

Paper Strip Valentines