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preschool skills

How To Make An Itsy Bitsy Spider Preschool Sensory Activity

February 24, 2026 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Creating a sensory activity bin about the Itsy Bitsy spider nursery rhyme turns it into a multi-sensory learning experience. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool for more learning ideas and teaching tips.

This fun rhyme has hands-on exploration, early literacy, science concepts, and fine motor development.

For example, instead of just singing about the spider climbing the spout, your child can move a pretend spider or pour rain over it.

How To Make An Itsy Bitsy Spider Preschool Sensory Activity

And when children pretend play and act out nursery rhymes they understand the stories.

Too, sensory bins are perfect tools for strengthening little hands. Fine motor skills are essential for future writing skills.

If you’re homeschooling multiple young children, a sensory bin is equally engaging for all ages.

PRESCHOOL HOMESCHOOL RESOURCES

Next, look at these preschool resources.

13 Preschool Homeschool Curriculum Options

Look at what your homeschool preschool curriculum might look like with some suggestions for activities, books, and learning ideas.

Preschool Math at Home: Simple Activities to Build the Best Possible Foundation for Your Child

Preschool Math at Home will guide you step-by-step as you introduce your preschooler to the world of numbers. Your child will develop a thorough understanding of the numbers up to ten, including: counting comparing and ordering numbers recognizing written numerals beginning addition and subtraction.

Slow and Steady Get Me Ready For Kindergarten: 260 Activities To Do With Your Child From Age 0 to 5

Looking for quick, engaging activities to prepare your child for kindergarten? Spend a few minutes a day with your child in productive, interactive play with Slow and Steady Get Me Ready For Kindergarten!

Slow and Steady Get Me Ready For Kindergarten abounds with hands-on developmental activities that parents can do with their children between the ages of 0 and 5 years old to get them prepared for kindergarten. June R. Oberlander, a 19-year veteran kindergarten teacher in Fairfax County, Virginia, first published this book in 1988. Now her granddaughter, Hannah Oberlander, a current teacher in Loudoun County, Virginia, has updated and enhanced these classic activities for today's parents of the next generation.

Developing the Early Learner: Level 1 by Simone Bibeau

BOOK 1 of 4 (AGES 2-6) Book 1 is a pre-reading experience designed to provide your child with a complete program in perceptual readiness. Here are some of the unique qualities that you will find within these pages. We include all four major areas of perception: visual, auditory, motor, and comprehension skills. Each major category is then broken down into specific sub-skills so that you can understand just what type of learning is taking place. Every page develops only ONE sub-skill to avoid confusion when the child is working the page. A target score on each page quickly gives you a score as well as an incentive for the child to work toward a certain goal.

My First Book of Patterns: Pencil Control

A perfect fun activity book designed for early learners to develop pencil control and motor skills. By following the arrows and tracing the dotted lines, the little scholars can complete the tracing exercises and creative activities leading to development of their early writing skills. The child will also learn to identify, write and revise straight, curvy, zig zag lines and multiple patterns. The book is also an excellent first step to prepare for school.

Before Five in a Row: Second Edition

Designed to be used with children ages 2 through 4, Before Five in a Row is a rich treasury of creative ideas that help you gently, consistently prepare your children for the lifelong adventure of learning. Now in a revised second edition, this bestselling volume is the foundation for inspired learning through great books and future studies with the entire Five in a Row curriculum.

408 Pcs Lacing Letters Alphabet

Rich Numbers: you will get 2 buckets of lowercase letter beads, including 384 lowercase letters and 24 ropes, a total of 408 items, and the equipped storage buckets are easy to storage and protect these accessories; And the quantity is very large, which can meet the needs of daily learning and playing

A Unique Flexible and Beautiful Preschool Homeschool Planner

This unique flexible and beautiful preschool homeschool planner is the perfect homeschool planner to use for early learners. While creating this 47-page early learner planner I included flexible planning pages.

Forms like 21 thematic planning pages, a year at a glance page, and 12 months of planning your theme are a few included.

Adding in an editable lesson planning template and 4 colorful
attendance sheets helps you to easily meet record keeping guidelines if
necessary

Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

Science books for your preschooler's curriculum should be simple and colorful but contain rich information in small bites. Nature Anatomy and The Big Book of series are perfect resources to keep on your shelves for preschoolers as they will grow with them for years.

The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library Favorites: There's No Place Like Space!; Oh Say Can You Say Di-no-saur?; Inside Your Outside!; Hark! A Shark!

This sturdy boxed set of four bestselling Cat in the Hat's Learning Library books includes something to pique the interest of every child! Beginning readers will learn all about our solar system in There's No Place Like Space!; all about dinosaurs in Oh Say Can You Say Di-no-saur?; all about the human body in Inside Your Outside; and all about sharks in Hark! A Shark!

Preschool Exploring Creation Together Science

At the preschool level, science is all about exposure, not memorization of facts. It’s helping the youngest explorers understand that their world is discoverable. Through guided exploration of their world, young children learn how to naturally incorporate all aspects of language (expanding vocabulary), math (counting and recording), science (observing and experimenting), and art (drawing out ideas) into their understanding of how their world works. Most importantly, children will come to understand that their world is wonder-full, peace-full, and beauty-full because God created it full of His love and wisdom. Preschool Exploring Creation Together is a spiral-bound curriculum with 2 distinct sections included

Fun-Schooling for Beginners - Do-It-Myself Journal: Letters, Numbers, Animals, Coloring, Tracing, Mazes, Logic and Drawing (Full-Sized Activity Book for Preschool & Kindergarten)

Fun-Schooling for Beginners - Do-It-Myself Journal: Letters, Numbers, Animals, Coloring, Tracing, Mazes, Logic and Drawing (Full-Sized Activity Book for Preschool & Kindergarten) (Volume 1

A1 & A2, ideal for ages 2-6 (Preschool & Kindergarten) A beginners journal full of 100 educational and fun activities. This secular journal can be used by children of any religious background Includes colors, numbers, letters, feelings, early reading & writing, and more.

Photo Credit: www.bfbooks.com

Teacher Guide Around the World Part 1 - Homeschool Teacher's Guide

This teacher guide contains gentle Socratic questions designed to prompt discussion and discovery. Beautiful drawings of indigenous animals are also included which will familiarize students with some remarkable creatures, their habitat and habits, cultivating respect and wonder for the natural world.

Photo Credit: www.bfbooks.com

Early American History K-3rd - Homeschooling History Pack

Sure to ignite curiosity about our nation's history, this Early American History Through Literature study will take you and your K-3 homeschooling students through the first Indigenous people of the Americas, the Vikings discovery of America, the exploration, colonization, settlement, and establishment of the United States. Spanning 1000 AD to the mid-1800's this course makes teaching this literature-rich curriculum easy and fun!

And one of my favorite things about this nursery rhyme is that it introduces beginning science skills.

For instance, you can introduce weather words like sun and rain and science words like spider and water spout.

MORE SENSORY BIN ACTIVITIES

  • How to Create an Engaging Strawberry Sensory Bin for Hands-On Learning
  • How To Make The Great Wall Of Ancient China Sensory Bin
  • Easy and Fun Coin Hunt Sensory Bin For Kindergarten
  • How To Make A Squirrel Nest Sensory Bin With Preschoolers
  • Explaining Thunder And Lightning To Preschoolers Easy Sensory Bin
  • How To Make A Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Sensory Bin
  • How To Make A Dynamic Herb Garden Potion Sensory Bin
  • How To Make An Ocean Currents For Kids Sensory Bin
  • How To Create An Engaging Desert Sensory Bin For Hands-On Play
How To Make An Itsy Bitsy Spider Preschool Sensory Activity

Finally, look at how to make this fun Itsy Bitsy Spider sensory bin.

ITSY BITSY SPIDER SENSORY BIN

First, look at this easy list of supplies you should have in the house.

  • 3–5 cups dried pinto beans
  • Fresh grass clippings
  • 2–3 toilet paper rolls
  • Toy spiders
  • Small spray bottle filled with water
  • Craft foam sun (yellow foam cut into a simple sun shape)
  • Optional: small scoop or measuring cup

First, create the base.
Pour dried pinto beans into the bin to form the main filler. Spread them evenly across the bottom.

How To Make An Itsy Bitsy Spider Preschool Sensory Activity

Then, add the “outside” texture. Sprinkle grass clippings over the beans. This adds texture, scent, and a realistic outdoor feel.

How To Make An Itsy Bitsy Spider Preschool Sensory Activity

Next, build the waterspouts.
Stand toilet paper rolls upright in the beans. These become the “water spouts” for the spiders to climb.

How To Make An Itsy Bitsy Spider Preschool Sensory Activity

Then, place the spiders on top. Set the toy spiders right on top of the beans and grass. Keep them visible and easy to grab so kids can immediately start the rhyme play.

How To Make An Itsy Bitsy Spider Preschool Sensory Activity

Bring in the weather.
Place the craft foam sun in one corner of the bin.

Add the rain tool.Fill a spray bottle with water and add it to the bin.

HOW KIDS PLAY

Climb the waterspout.

Kids move the spiders up the cardboard tubes while reciting the rhyme.

Make It rain

Children spray water onto the spiders, pretending the rain is washing the spider out.

The light mist changes the texture slightly and adds a new sensory experience.

Out Came the Sun

After the “rain,” children can move the sun over the bin and help the spiders climb back up again.

Spider Hunt

Hide spiders under beans and grass. Kids dig and search, strengthening hand muscles while exploring textures.

Benefits of This Sensory Bin

Fine Motor Development
Spraying, scooping, pinching grass, and picking up spiders strengthen hand muscles needed for writing.

Sensory Exploration
Dry beans feel smooth and cool. Grass is soft and slightly tickly. Light mist from the spray bottle adds a new dimension without soaking everything.

Language Development
Reciting Itsy Bitsy Spider encourages rhythm, memory, and sequencing.

Imaginative Play
Children become storytellers, weather makers, and spider rescuers all at once.

Cause and Effect Learning
Spray the water. The beans darken. The spiders shift. The environment changes.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Teach Homeschool Preschool Tagged With: hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, homeschool preschool, preschool, preschool skills, rhymes

G Is For Giraffe Handprint | Awesome Life Of Giraffes

February 11, 2026 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

A G is for giraffe handprint is a cute way to introduce or reinforce the letter G for preschoolers or even toddlers. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool for more ideas and my Free Africa Lapbook for Kids Who Love Hands-on History.

Too, I have more ideas on my page Free Africa Unit Study for Kids Who Love Hands-on Learning | Free Continent & Country Reports.

Giraffes are fascinating animals with unique features that capture children’s curiosity. This simple craft opens the door to learning about wildlife, habitats, and the unique creatures in nature.

G Is For Giraffe Handprint | Awesome Life Of Giraffes

Their size and markings make them an easily recognizable animal for young children and a fun one to study on its own or as part of a larger Africa unit study.

You can also use it to focus on the letter G. The letter G comes to life with this adorable giraffe handprint craft. Using a painted hand and arm to form a giraffe’s long neck and head is a perfect way to combine letter recognition, art, and animal science into one engaging homeschool lesson.

Beyond the handprint craft, I have loaded you down with facts, hands-on resources, books, videos, and other resources to make it a fun and memorable lesson.

BOOKS ABOUT GIRAFFES FOR KIDS

First, look at these books about giraffes.

We use living books as much as possible and then add reference books too.

5 Giraffe Books

Grab one or two of these books to add to your learning day or for a fun giraffe unit study.

Giraffes (National Geographic Kids Readers, Level 1)

Explore the African savanna with giraffes in this exciting reader. Packed with beautiful and engaging photos, kids will learn all about these amazing animals. This level 1 reader is carefully leveled for an early independent reading or read aloud experience, perfect to encourage the scientists and explorers of tomorrow!

Giraffes Cant Dance

Gerald the giraffe longs to dance, but his legs are too skinny and his neck is too long. At the Jungle Dance, the warthogs waltz, the chimps cha-cha, and the lions tango. "Giraffes can't dance," they all jeer when it's Gerald's turn to prance. But with some sound advice from a wise cricket, Gerald starts swaying to his own sweet tune.

Wildlife Anatomy: The Curious Lives & Features of Wild Animals around the World

Julia Rothman's series of Anatomy books are beloved by children and adults alike. In Wildlife Anatomy, Rothman captures the excitement and distinctive attributes of wild animals around the world. The book is packed with hundreds of her charming, original illustrations, detailing the unique features of animals of the rainforest, desert, grasslands, oceans, and much more. From lions, bears, and zebras to monkeys, mongoose, bats, elephants, giraffes, hippos, and much more, Rothman's visual guide covers all the key features, right down to the anatomy of a lion's claw and a wild horse's hoof. All the illustrations are accompanied by labels, intriguing facts, and identifying details, such as: When is a Panther Not a Panther? and What Makes Aardvarks So Odd? Rothman's characteristic combination of curiosity and an artist's eye makes this wildlife treasury rich and full, and promises new discoveries every time it's opened.

A Giraffe and a Half

Featuring rhythmic verse and iconic illustrations, A Giraffe and a Half will leave every reader, young and old, laughing until the very end. Beloved for over fifty years, this classic captures Silverstein’s signature humor and style.

If you had a giraffe and he stretched another half, you would have a giraffe and a half. But what happens if you glue a rose to the tip of his nose? Or if you used a chair to comb his hair? Join this giraffe on a rollicking and ridiculous journey that will charm readers from beginning to end.

G is for Giraffe: An Alphabet Adventure

G is for Giraffe is truly an adventure! Beautifully hand drawn pictures, and melodic expressions that rhyme, celebrate and teach little ones on their journey to learning, and they’ll make some friends along the way too! Each hand drawn illustration draws on each child’s imagination on a soaring adventure that helps children truly recognize the alphabetical letters in everyday life, and beyond. They will be whisked away to meet the smallest of creatures, to birds that fly in the sky. The children learn from a vast array of colors and characters that are pure sunshine, while sewn together with explanations of what characters are up to during this journey. Animals from all over the world are only part of the magic for this adventure, while celebrating classic Americana and a love for everyday life. G is for Giraffe is a wonderful introduction to learning with lyrical words that read out loud like music.

Then, look at these giraffe facts.

7 GIRAFFE FACTS FOR KIDS

  1. Giraffes are the tallest land animals in the world at 15’ to 18’ tall.
  2. Their necks alone can be up to 6 feet long.
  3. A giraffe’s tongue is dark purple and can be 18–20 inches long.
  4. They live in Africa, mostly in grasslands and open savannas.
  5. Giraffes eat leaves, buds, and fruit, especially from acacia trees.
  6. Each giraffe has unique spots, just like human fingerprints.
  7. Despite their incredibly long necks, giraffes have the same number of neck bones as humans…just seven.

WHERE DO GIRAFFES LIVE

  • Africa
  • Warm climate
  • Open grasslands and savannas
  • Tall trees for browsing leaves
  • Space to roam and spot predators
G Is For Giraffe Handprint | Awesome Life Of Giraffes

Take a look at a map of Africa and locate countries where giraffes live, such as Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa.

Watch Savannah Animals to learn more about the habitat and the animals that live there, including our topic of the day, giraffes.

WHAT DO GIRAFFES EAT

Giraffes are herbivores, meaning they eat only plants. Their long necks and tongues allow them to reach food that other animals can’t, this an excellent example of animal adaptation and a great opportunity to explain the concept to children.

Some of their favorite foods are…

  • Flowers and fruit
  • Leaves from tall trees
  • Acacia leaves (even with thorns!)
G Is For Giraffe Handprint | Awesome Life Of Giraffes

And look at these hands-on ideas for doing a quick giraffe unit study.

GIRAFFE QUICK STUDY HANDS-ON IDEAS

I’ve added a few subject ideas here.

MATH IDEAS FOR LEARNING ABOUT GIRAFFES

  • Use a measuring tape to measure your child’s height and compare it to a giraffe’s.
  • Count giraffe spots on the craft we are making below.
  • Create your own Giraffe Number Sorter from this idea.
  • Sort animals by height, use printed paper animals or plastic toys.

LANGUAGE ARTS IDEAS FOR STUDYING GIRAFFES

  • Introduce simple vocabulary to build language skills- giraffe, graze, grassland, gentle, giant, habitat, and herbivore. Have your child say each word, trace the letter G, or find objects around the house that start with G.
  • Make a Safari Themed Sensory Bin and have your child identify the beginning letters of each animal. Include letter tiles and have them match them to the animal to extend it.

ART ACTIVITIES FOR LEARNING ABOUT STUDYING GIRAFFES

  • Paint giraffe spots using cotton swabs.
  • Make a giraffe paper plate project.
  • Create a giraffe collage with yellow and brown paper.
  • 10 Fun Toilet Paper Roll Activities & How To Make A Paper Roll Giraffe & Free Template
  • Draw a savanna background with trees and grass.

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES FOR STUDYING GIRAFFES

  • Talk about why giraffes don’t need to drink water often because they get most of their hydration from their food, which is lucky for them since it is awkward for their long neck and legs to squat down to water.
  • Add plastic giraffes to your science shelf along with books to investigate.
  • Compare giraffes to other long-necked animals.
  • Crazy Cool Giraffe Science Experiment.

Finally, look at how to make this adorable giraffe craft.

G IS FOR GIRAFFE HANDPRINT

How cute is this craft that not only includes a sweet little handprint but a whole tiny forearm to create a long-neck giraffe?

You will need:

  • Sturdy paper
  • Yellow craft paint
  • Brown craft paint
  • Google eyes
  • Black marker
G Is For Giraffe Handprint | Awesome Life Of Giraffes

Paint your child’s hand and forearm yellow, up to the elbow.

Press onto the paper vertically to create the neck and head, tilting the hand as far to the side as it will go. 

G Is For Giraffe Handprint | Awesome Life Of Giraffes

It’s okay that the head is tilted upwards, as you can see, we are going to add some leaves for him to reach up to and munch on.

G Is For Giraffe Handprint | Awesome Life Of Giraffes

Paint or use fingers to create a few branches coming from the side of the page, and allow them to dry.

G Is For Giraffe Handprint | Awesome Life Of Giraffes

When the yellow head and neck are dry, you can add ears and the ossicones (horns).

G Is For Giraffe Handprint | Awesome Life Of Giraffes

And then spots, we used a round paintbrush to stamp them on.

G Is For Giraffe Handprint | Awesome Life Of Giraffes

Once the branches have dried us fingerprints to make leaves all over the branches for your giraffe to enjoy.

G Is For Giraffe Handprint | Awesome Life Of Giraffes

Attach a Google eye with glue.

Allow the rest of the paint to dry.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: alphabet, giraffe, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, homeschool preschool, letter sounds, phonics, preschool, preschool skills

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

December 2, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Reach into your craft supplies and let’s make a paper plate car craft with the kids. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool for more ideas.

We can turn it into a whole lesson on C is for Cars or cars in general to make it a memorable mini-unit for preschoolers.

Kick off your lesson by creating an adorable paper plate car.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

Preschoolers can paint or color their plates, add wheels from construction paper, glue on windows, and personalize their vehicle with their favorite colors.

This simple craft strengthens fine motor skills and allows kids to use creativity while reinforcing the letter C visually and verbally.

When preschoolers learn through motion, hands-on play, and imagination, the alphabet suddenly becomes exciting and memorable.

 C is for Car is a perfect early-learning theme because kids already love vroom-vroom pretend play, and this lets them literally “drive” the lesson.

BOOKS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION FOR KIDS

Transportation Themed Books & Resources for Kids

Add some of these fun books about transportation from the earliest times to modern.

Cars, Trains, Ships, and Planes: A Visual Encyclopedia of Every Vehicle

Explore the incredible world of automobiles, aviation and more, from mini motors to modern warships, helicopters to high-speed trains, with this engaging encyclopedia for children aged 9-12 perfect for young transport enthusiasts.

Counting Collection: Counting Cars

Young vehicle fans can use the sturdy picture tabs to turn to their favorite page for counting car fun, time and time again in Roger Priddy's Counting Cars.There are race cars, motorbikes, family cars, and all kinds of vehicles to discover racing across the pages of this awesome counting book!Organized into seven themed collections, the pages are packed with vehicles to look for, find, and count, along with lots of fun things to spot.The Counting Collection board book series offers a fun way to help young minds develop their math and visual skills with colorful images packed on every page for children to look for, count, and identify.

Mr Littles Noisy Car (Lift-The-Flap)

Before he can drive his car Mr Little has to find out why it is hissing and growling and squeaking. Help him discover what is wrong by lifting the flaps and finding the surprises hiding inside.

Peaceable Kingdom Giant Floor Puzzles with Uniquely Fun Shaped Pieces for Kids Ages 3+ Gifts for Boys and Girls - Racecar

Peaceable Kingdom Giant Floor Puzzles with Uniquely Fun Shaped Pieces

I also have many other ways that you can use Hot Wheels cars.

From creating playful learning centers throughout your homeschool day, making art with the wheels to using cars as a unit of measure to introduce a new math concept.

7 LEARNING ABOUT CARS PRESCHOOL ACTIVITIES

1. HOT WHEELS ALPHABET ROADS

Great for developing letter recognition and reinforcing sounds.

Make a large road on the floor using painter’s tape or poster board.

Write letters along the roads and have your child:

  • Drive a car to the letter C each time you ask for it.
  • Match cars with letter cards scattered along the roadway
Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

2. CAR SIZE COMPARISON

Compare big, medium, small. This is early math vocabulary, sequencing, observation.

Line up several cars and compare their sizes.

Ask:

  • Which is the biggest?
  • Which is the smallest?
  • Can you put them in order?

3. MEASURING WITH CARS

Introduce non-standard measurement, counting, estimation, cause and effect, simple physics, problem-solving.

Pick an object-a book, a shoe, a toy- and measure how many Hot Wheels cars long it is. Kids can line up the cars bumper-to-bumper to measure.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

4. HOT WHEELS RAMP SCIENCE

Use cardboard or a baking sheet to make a ramp.

Let kids test:

  • Which car goes fastest?
  • Which car goes farthest?
  • What happens if we make the ramp taller?
  • What if we use carpet vs. tile?

5. CAR WASH SENSORY BIN

This is fun for sensory play, fine motor, and practical life skills.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

Use a bin with warm, soapy water, sponges, and brushes.

Let kids wash their cars and then dry them.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

6. CAR TRACKS ART

And a fun car tracks art encourages creativity, cause and effect, pattern making.

Dip the wheels of Hot Wheels cars in washable paint and drive them across paper.

Kids can make straight lines, zigzags, swirls, or rainbow roads.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

7. NUMBER PARKING GAME

Try this number parking game to practice number recognition, counting, and following directions.

Label parking spots 1–10.

Ask your child to park a car on the number you call out. Or roll a die and park a car on the matching number.

MORE CAR CRAFTS AND RESOURCES

Here are some more fabulous car-themed activities and resources your child will love.

  • This C is for Car: Letter of the Week Snack for Preschoolers is the cutest thing!
  • Upcycle and create this Craft and Play: Toilet Paper Roll Car Craft.
  • Another fun car themed idea is to learn How to Build a Toilet Paper Roll Balloon Car.
  • Make a Car Themed Sensory Bin for Toddlers and Preschoolers to introduce stop and go, the parts of a road or car and more.
  • Watch Cars and Trucks Learning Video with your little one to help them learn more about cars and other types of vehicles.
Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

Finally, look at how to make this paper plate car craft.

PAPER PLATE CAR CRAFT

This cute C is for Car craft, is easy for little hands, and uses supplies you probably already have. Kids will love decorating their personalized car and “driving” it during circle time or while practicing the letter C.

You will need:

  • Paper plate
  • Paint, markers, or crayons
  • Construction paper (black, white, and any color you like)
  • Glue stick or liquid glue
  • Scissors
Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

Optional: stickers, bottle caps, pom poms, aluminum foil, and googly eyes

Cut a paper plate in half; you can save half for a future craft or make two cars.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

Let your child decorate the plate half by painting it a solid color, let it dry.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

Cut two circles from black construction paper for the wheels.

Cut out simple window shapes from white or light-blue construction paper.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

Glue the wheels onto the bottom curved edge of the paper plate.

Glue down one large, rounded rectangle for the main window.

Or two square windows for a boxier look.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

Paint on additional colors and patterns if desired.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

Let kids personalize their car with fun touches to let their personality shine…

  • Decorate with stars or racing stripes.
  • Draw a door handle
  • Add headlights using yellow paper circles
  • Glue on a license plate
  • Add racing numbers or stickers

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: alphabet, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, homeschool preschool, letter sounds, phonics, preschool, preschool skills

Fun Winter Books For Preschool Kids They Will Love

November 23, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have compiled a list of 10 fun winter books for preschool kids that can be used in conjunction with various winter topics. Also, grab more ideas and a free lapbook for winter fun on my page Winter Season Unit Study. And look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool for more ideas.

You can rotate through these during your winter unit, use them for read-alouds, story time, or to link to hands-on activities.

Some are sweet classics from your own childhood, like The Mitten, while others have become classics in more recent years, some cover a more scientific angle, but all entertain and will capture your child’s attention.

Fun Winter Books For Preschool Kids They Will Love

I chose these books because:

  • They cover a variety of winter angles, everything from snow play to nature/science, the transition of seasons, animals, and sensory.
  • They are age-appropriate for preschool and visually rich, mostly picture books and board books.
  • They provide hooks for activities (you can do a snow play experience after reading The Snowy Day, or explore “what lives under the snow” after Over and Under the Snow).

They lend themselves to rich vocabulary development and hands-on tie-ins.

WINTER TOPICS TO COVER

There are many topic ideas you can weave into your preschool winter unit. Pick whatever goes with your child’s pace and interest, choose all or just some of the suggested activities.

Seasons & Weather Changes

 What is winter? How weather changes: snow vs. ice vs. frost; shorter days / longer nights.

  • Vocabulary: winter, snowflake, frost, cold, freeze, thaw, icicle, blizzard, sleet, snowy, flurry.
  • Count snowflakes, match shapes of snowflakes, compare cold vs warm day (long/short graph).
  • Inexpensive Preschool Winter Activities & Simple Winter Busy Book
  • Create a “weather chart” for a week: daily temperature, whether snow/ice/clear.
  • Make paper snowflakes; experiment with water freezing in small containers.
  • Pretend you’re blowing snowflakes, stomping in “snow,” scooping “ice” sensory tray (with cotton balls + glitter).

Snow, Ice, & Play in the Cold

 Snow play (sledding, snowman), footprints in snow, ice skating, snowball.

  • Vocabulary: sled, snowman, snowball, snow angel, tracks, footprints, slide, melt, freeze.
  • Fun Ice For Kids Inexpensive & Easy Nature Sensory Activity
  • After reading The Snowy Day, have a mini snow-play indoors (fake snow with cotton or shaved ice).
  • Footprint painting: dip boots in paint, stamp on paper.
  • W Is For Winter | Snowman Oobleck Activity
  • Ice experiment: freeze water in different-shaped containers; observe melting.
  • MakeIce cubes with things frozen inside, this ABC Excavation Sensory Bin doubles as a wonderful way to practice letter recognition.
  • Talk about warm vs. cold feelings.
    Snowman craft, snowflake collage, painting cold-color scenes (blues, whites, silvers).

Animals & Nature in Winter

Hibernation, migration, animals adapting to winter, and what lives under the snow (roots, insects).

  • Vocabulary: hibernate, migrate, adapt, winter coat, burrow, den, tracks, squirrels, deer, owl, bear.
  • Read The Big Snow: talk about how geese fly south, raccoons prepare.
  • Take a winter nature walk: look for animal tracks or signs of animals preparing for winter.
  • “Under the snow” experiment: bury small plastic animals under shredded paper/fake snow, “dig” them out.
  • Ask questions like- Why do some animals sleep in winter, some migrate, some stay? What do plants do?
  • Match animal pictures to tracks, sort animals by hibernate/migrate/stay.

Winter Clothing & Staying Warm

 What to wear when it’s cold, layering, protecting from wind, indoor vs outdoor dress.

Introduce size vocabulary (small hat, big boots), change (put on/take off).

  • Vocabulary: coat, jacket, mittens, gloves, hat, scarf, boots, windproof, thermal.
  • Dress-up station: have winter clothes and let children layer, talk about why. This is a great time to practice putting on coats, mittens, buttoning buttons, etc…
  • Sorting activity: Which items keep you warm? – Sort pictures of summer vs winter clothes.
  • Make a “mittens” garland or decorate paper mittens, try this Welcome December Weather By Making an Easy Mitten Wreath With Kids.
  • Count mittens/pairs; compare how many layers you might wear (1 vs 2 vs 3).

Winter Traditions

 Winter traditions- indoor/outdoor traditions, family time, warm meals, and community.

Fun Winter Books For Preschool Kids They Will Love
  • Vocabulary: tradition, family, celebrate, together, warm, gather, prepare
  • Create a “warm-meal” day: talk about soups, hot cocoa, how we stay warm.
  • Make a winter tree like this Winter Tree Art.
  • Talk about kindness, sharing warmth (coats, food) with others during cold seasons. Consider putting together homeless bags or gathering socks and blankets to donate.

Sensory & Science Explorations

 Ice vs water, snow vs ice, melting, freezing, cold vs warm, how snow is made, sound (snow crunch), texture.

  • Chunky paint with white + silver to create snowy texture; salt-painting technique to mimic frost. Check out this Sparkly Winter Process Art for Preschoolers.
  • How to Make Hot Cocoa Cloud Dough | 8 Hot Cocoa Crafts for Preschoolers
  • Vocabulary: freeze, melt, liquid, solid, crunch, soft, powdery, slush, icicle, frost, condensation.
  • Explore the Magic: Easy Northern Lights Crafts for Preschoolers
  • Freeze water in ice cube trays, add food coloring, and observe over time.
  • Polar Bear Science Activities Preschool | How To Make A Fun Dessert
  • Make “snow” in a tray (baking soda + shaving cream) and explore.
  • Snowball toss (indoors, soft balls) and talk about shape, size, and snowman building.
  • Count how many ice cubes melted, and compare speeds.

Finally, look at this fun list of winter books for preschool kids.

10 Winter Books For Preschool

Here is the precious list of winter books that will have your child investigating, using their imagination, laughing,creating, and making winter memories with you.

The Mitten

Set in a snowy forest, the fun begins when, one by one, animals crawl into Nicki’s lost white mitten to get warm until the bear sneezes, sending the animals flying up and out of the mitten. On each turn of the page, Jan hints at what animal is coming next in her signature borders, inspired by Ukrainian folk art.

Over and Under the Snow

Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow lies a secret world of squirrels and snow hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals making their winter home under the snow. This beloved nonfiction picture book reveals the tunnels and caves formed beneath the snow but over the ground, where many kinds of animals live through the winter, safe and warm, awake and busy, but hidden beneath
the snow. 

Bear Snores On

One by one, a whole host of different animals and birds find their way out of the cold and into Bear's cave to warm up. But even after the tea has been brewed and the corn has been popped, Bear just snores on!
See what happens when he finally wakes up and finds his cave full of uninvited guests -- all of them having a party without him!

There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow!

There was a cold lady who swallowed some snow.

I don't know why she swallowed some snow.

Perhaps you know.

The old lady is swallowing everything from snow to a pipe, some coal, a hat, and more! With rollicking, rhyming text and funny illustrations, this lively version will appeal to young readers with every turn of the page. And this time, there's a surprise at the end no reader will be ble to guess!

The Snowy Day

In 1962, a little boy named Peter put on his snowsuit and stepped out of his house and into the hearts of millions of readers. Universal in its appeal, this story beautifully depicts a child's wonder at a new world, and the hope of capturing and keeping that wonder forever. The quiet fun and sweetness of Peter’s small adventures in the deep, deep snow is perfect for reading together on a cozy winter day.

Sneezy the Snowman

B-R-R-R-R! AH-CHOO! Sneezy the Snowman is cold, cold, cold. To warm up, he drinks cocoa, sits in a hot tub, stands near a warm fire–and melts! But the children know just what to do to build him up again–and
make him feel “just right”. Hilarity chills the air with playful mixed-media illustrations by Stephen Gilpin as Sneezy attempts to warm himself with some silly results.

Owl Moon

"As expansive as the broad sweep of the great owl's wings and as close and comforting as a small hand held on a wintry night . . . The visual images have a sense of depth and seem to invite readers into this special nighttime world."-

Ten on the Sled

A favorite childrens song ("Ten on the Bed") gets a delightfully slippery, slide-y twist! In the land of the midnight sun, all the animals are having fun speeding down the hill on Caribous sled. But as they go faster and faster, Seal, Hare, Walrus, and the others all fall off . . . until just the caribous left, only and lonely. Now, a reindeer
likes flying-but never alone, so . . . all the animals leap onto the sled again! This beloved story is new in board and abridged for a preschool audience, and its ideal for reading, counting, and singing along with, over and over.

Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter

As leaves fall from their trees, animals huddle against the cold, and frost creeps across windows, everyone knows--winter is on its way!Join a brother and sister as they explore nature and take a stroll through their twinkling town, greeting all the signs of the coming season. In a series of conversations with everything from the setting sun to curious deer, they say goodbye to autumn and welcome the glorious first snow of winter.

Animals in Winter

This is a clear and appealing book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. Introduce kids to basic science ideas as part of discussions about the seasons and animals.

Have you ever seen a butterfly in the snow? Probably not. Butterflies can't survive cold weather, so when winter comes, many butterflies fly to warmer places. They migrate. Woodchucks don't like cold weather either,
but they don't migrate; they hibernate. Woodchucks sleep in their dens all winter long. How do these and other animals handle the cold and snow of winter?

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Book Lists Tagged With: book lists, books, homeschool preschool, homeschoolinginwinter, preschool, preschool skills, winter season

How To Make A Squirrel Nest Sensory Bin With Preschoolers

November 12, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

How to make a squirrel nest sensory bin with preschoolers is not only a fun activity but a great time to teach preschoolers about nests, season changes and squirrels. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool for more ideas.

As the leaves start to change and acorns begin to drop, fall is the perfect time to bring nature indoors.

One of my favorite hands-on activities for this season is a squirrel’s nest sensory bin. For a squirrel-themed bin, you can fill it with items inspired by what squirrels gather and where they live.

How To Make A Squirrel Nest Sensory Bin With Preschoolers

And sensory play is a natural fit to make learning meaningful.

Beside you can have conversation with your littles about animal behavior, hibernation, and habitats.

Encourage your child to tell a story about the squirrel. For example, ask your child where does it live and what is it collecting. Adding a small squirrel figurine can inspire play and build narrative skills.

BOOKS ABOUT SQUIRRELS FOR KIDS

16 Books & Resources For Kids Who Love Reading About Squirrels

If your child loves reading about all kinds of squirrels, they’ll love reading these books and add some of these fun resources to your unit study.

Arctic Ground Squirrel: Pictures and Fun Facts on Animals for Kids

The Arctic ground squirrel looks small, harmless and innocent. But this little creature survives some of the most challenging weather conditions that occur on the entire planet. It lives in the Arctic, which is literally on top of the world. In the winter it gets so cold that humans couldn't survive in the open!

The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin (Peter Rabbit)

The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin is an original classic by Beatrix Potter. Beatrix Potter's famous tale of a naughty squirrel who loses his tail is as popular today as it was when it was first published over 100 years ago. Join Nutkin, his brother Twinkleberry and all his cousins as they make their way over to Owl Island to gather nuts. See what happens when Old Brown, the terrifying owl guardian of the island decides he has had enough of silly Nutkin's cheekiness! Ouch!! Beatrix Potter is regarded as one of the world's best-loved children's authors of all time. From her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, published by Frederick Warne in 1902, she went on to create a series of stories based around animal characters including Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, Benjamin Bunny, Jemima Puddle-duck, Mr. Jeremy Fisher and Tom Kitten. Her humorous, lively tales and beautiful illustrations have become a natural part of childhood. With revenue from the sales of her books, Beatrix Potter bought a farm - Hill Top - in the English Lake District, where she later became a farmer and prize-winning sheep breeder. She launched the now vast merchandise programme by patenting the very first Peter Rabbit doll in 1903.

Perri (Bambi's Classic Animal Tales)

A young squirrel experiences the wonders of forest life and befriends a human toddler in this collectible edition of a classic animal story from the author of Bambi.Perri is a young squirrel living in Bambi’s forest. She grows up, learning about survival, friendship, and love as she observes and interacts with the complicated world around her. Most exciting of all, she meets a three-year-old human girl who can understand and talk to animals!

Gray Squirrels (Woodland Wildlife)

Gray squirrels leap from high heights to move from tree to tree. Discover these delightful rodents' life cycle and lifestyle in the woods.

8pcs,Miniature Animal Squirrel Figures

Fun Toys include 8pcs miniature squirrel figurines in different style. With bright color and cute designs. You’ll certainly be impressed by the amazing level of details of these squirrel character figurines

Life in the Neck Squirrel Trouble

Welcome to a new adventure in the Neck, a beautiful place where animals and humans live together in harmony--most of the time. In this book, a young boy named Eli builds a log fort with his dad, but it's not long before mischievous squirrels Chatter, Whistle, and Squeak move in and take over. As the nuts, acorns, and pinecones pile up inside, Eli realizes he's going to have to get creative to get them out. Will his plan work, or will the squirrels win?

The Adventures of Chatterer the Red Squirrel

Author and editor of numerous children's books, Thornton W. Burgess was also a noted conservationist. In writing for youngsters he combined a gift for storytelling with his love of the outdoors, creating an entertaining menagerie of animals whose adventures he skillfully recounted in a series of charming fables. In them, he taught young readers about nature and encouraged them to love the "lesser folk in fur and feathers."In this delightfully told tale, Burgess chronicles the escapades of Chatterer the Red Squirrel, who's known throughout the Green Forest as a mischief maker. Narrowly escaping the clutches of Shadow the Weasel and Redtail the Hawk, the bushy-tailed little fellow decides to leave the forest for a new home, only to learn that curiosity, carelessness, and mistrust can lead to a heap of troubles.

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry — and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart.

Nuts to You

How far would you go for a friend? In Nuts to You, the funny and moving illustrated novel by Newbery Medalist Lynne Rae Perkins, two squirrels go very far indeed to save a friend who has been snatched up by a hawk. Nuts to You “begs to be read aloud . . . another completely original and exceptional package from Perkins,” said the Horn Book. Nuts to You features black-and-white art by the author on every page, as well as exclusive material original to this edition.

Jed, TsTs, and Chai are the very best of friends. So when Jed is snatched up by a hawk and carried away to another realm, TsTs and Chai resolve to go after him. Mysteriously, the hawk has dropped him. They saw it. Jed could be alive. New communities are discovered, new friends are made, huge danger is encountered (both man-made and of the fox and bobcat variety) and the mysteries of squirrel culture are revealed. Nuts to You is wholly original, funny, lively, and thought-provoking. Publishers Weekly said, “Readers . . . will relish the squirrels’ adventures, as well as Perkins’s laugh-aloud illustrations and equally witty footnotes.”

Squirrels

Portrays the physical characteristics, behavior, life cycle, and natural habitat of the small mammals.

Miss Suzy

Miss Suzy is a little gray squirrel who lives happily in her oak-tree home until she is chased away by some mean red squirrels. Poor Miss Suzy is very sad. But soon she finds a beautiful dollhouse and meets a band of brave toy soldiers.

How Miss Suzy and the soldiers help each other makes a gentle, old-fashioned tale that has captured the imaginations of girls and boys alike for more than fifty years. Arnold Lobel’s enchanting pictures are sure to make the kind squirrel and the gallant soldiers the everlasting friends of all who turn these pages.

The Chisel-Tooth Tribe

Here, in a comprehensive and extremely readable volume, the author-artist whose many nature books are favorites with children gives an absorbing account of little animals equipped with chisel-like teeth for gnawing including their habits, appearance, and activities. The world of this army of small mammals is one which most of us could observe for ourselves if we wished to. No one reading these lively chapters about the squirrels, beavers, rabbits, prairie dogs, etc., could ever again take them and their interesting ways for granted.

Gray Squirrel at Pacific Avenue (Smithsonian's Backyard)

Children will enjoy this exciting story as Gray Squirrel darts and dashes away from predators while trying to gather up a tasty meal of bird seed and acorns. Reviewed by the Smithsonian Institution for accuracy, Gray Squirrel at Pacific Avenue is a fun and informative story with beautifully detailed illustrations. Watch your children have a blast reading and learning about the animals that live in an American backyard!

Grey Squirrel 8" Plush

Silky plush and soft huggable bodies

Squirrel (Animal World)

Text and illustrations describe the physical characteristics, habits, and natural environment of the red squirrel.

Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

See the world in a whole new way! Acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman combines art and science in this exciting and educational guide to the structure, function, and personality of the natural world.
Explore the anatomy of a jellyfish, the inside of a volcano, monarch butterfly migration, how sunsets work, and much more. Rothman’s whimsical illustrations are paired with interactive activities that encourage curiosity and inspire you to look more closely at the world all around you.

Next, look at more activities about squirrels.

MORE SQUIRREL ACTIVITIES

  • Crafting with Nature: DIY Flying Squirrel Craft You’ll Love
  • Dixie Cup Squirrel Craft
  • Fascinating Life of Red Squirrels | Paper Plate Squirrel Craft
  • Magnetic Squirrel and Acorn Fall Craft
  • Free Arctic Ground Squirrel Lapbook & Unit Study Resources
How To Make A Squirrel Nest Sensory Bin With Preschoolers

Finally, look at how to make a squirrel nest bin.

HOW TO MAKE A SQUIRREL NEST SENSORY BIN

First, look at this squirrel nest sensory bin.

Supplies:

  • Shredded brown paper or paper filler
  • Leaves
  • Small sticks or twigs
  • Acorns
  • Pinecones
  • Small squirrel figurines or toy squirrels
How To Make A Squirrel Nest Sensory Bin With Preschoolers

First, fill the bottom of your sensory bin with shredded brown paper to create a soft, nest-like base.

Add leaves and small sticks to mimic the texture of a real forest floor.

Scatter acorns and pinecones throughout the bin, perfect for squirrels to collect and hide.

Place a few squirrel figurines in the bin to complete the cozy woodland scene.

How To Make A Squirrel Nest Sensory Bin With Preschoolers

Invite kids to pretend their squirrels are gathering food for winter.

They can hide acorns under the shredded paper, build tiny nests with leaves and sticks, or sort and count the different natural materials.

Encourage imaginative play and storytelling as children create their own forest adventures.

How To Make A Squirrel Nest Sensory Bin With Preschoolers

This sensory bin supports fine motor development as children scoop, grasp, and manipulate small objects. It encourages imaginative thinking, language skills, and hands-on exploration of nature.

The different textures and natural materials also promote sensory engagement, helping kids connect to the sights and feel of the outdoors.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, homeschool, homeschool preschool, preschool, preschool skills, science, squirrel

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