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preschool

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.

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

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.

Image for Counting Collection: Counting Cars

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.

Image for Mr Littles Noisy Car (Lift-The-Flap)

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.

Image for 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 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

How To Teach Geography To Preschoolers: Around The World Bin

November 28, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

How to teach geography to preschoolers should be hands-on but it is not about teaching them continent names or capitals. Also, look at my pages How to Homeschool Preschool and Hands-On Simple And Best Homeschool Geography Ideas & Tips.

Preschoolers are naturally curious about the world around them. And teaching geography to preschoolers needs to begin with their immediate world and spark interests in other places.

For example, show your preschooler a picture with the house and your child in the picture. This also teaches spatial awareness.

How To Teach Geography To Preschoolers: Around The World Bin

Next, talk about where is the grocery store, the park or gas station. Places your preschoolers visits regularly helps associate location.

Even creating a me on the map activity give your child a starting point.

In addition, plenty of picture books gives your child an idea of other places.

ANIMAL GEOGRAPHY RESOURCES FOR KIDS

First, look at these fun books for preschoolers.

Use them for read aloud.

7 Animal Geography Resources

We refer to Wildlife Anatomy quite a bit for zoology, it is worth adding to your collection.

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

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

Bestselling author/illustrator Julia Rothman shares a delightfully illustrated guide to all the beasts of the wild, from lions, tigers, and bears to musk oxen, monkeys, elephants, giraffes, foxes, badgers, bats, crocodiles, owls, flying squirrels and much, much more.

Image for Waypoint Geographic World ScrunchMap - Up-to-Date & Easy

Waypoint Geographic World ScrunchMap - Up-to-Date & Easy

Wall Maps: These world wall maps feature bright colors for easy identification of places of interest. This map of the world can be easily folded or "scrunched" Into the included storage pouch. Lasts longer than paper maps.

Image for The Big Book of Beasts (The Big Book Series)

The Big Book of Beasts (The Big Book Series)

In The Big Book of Beasts, Yuval Zommer’s wonderful illustrations bring to whimsical life some of the grizzliest, hairiest, bravest, wiliest, and most fearsome beasts in the animal kingdom. Brimming with interesting facts from beast consultant Barbara Taylor, this charming picture book is a beautiful way for parents to introduce young children to the animal world―and for older children to learn by themselves.

Image for Around the World with Picture Books Part II (Download) -
Photo Credit: www.bfbooks.com

Around the World with Picture Books Part II (Download) -

Each country visited features a selection of animals indigenous to those regions. These beautiful drawings will familiarize students with some remarkable creatures, their habitat and habits, cultivating respect and wonder for the natural world. Part Two covers Europe and South America. In Europe we cover France, Spain, Italy, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, and Great Britain! In South America we cover Ecuador, Chile, Peru, and Brazil!

Image for Rand McNally Junior Classroom Atlas of the World

Rand McNally Junior Classroom Atlas of the World

Our colorful, engaging atlas is ideal for students in second through fourth grades and was developed from our award-winning Classroom Atlas, just simplified for younger students. Completely redesigned with a new layout,eye-catching pictures, informative graphics, and fully updated map content. Teaches map and globe skills to younger students. Features photos, graphs, interesting facts, and thought-provoking questions that reinforce map concepts.Includes 15 physical, political, and thematic maps.

Image for A Child's Introduction to the World: Geography, Cultures, and People--From the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall of China (A Child's Introduction Series)

A Child's Introduction to the World: Geography, Cultures, and People--From the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall of China (A Child's Introduction Series)

Explore all the fascinating things that make Planet Earth such an exciting place to live with this lively introduction to our world, its geography, culture, and people.  Get ready for an incredible journey, one in which you’ll visit far-off places, meet interesting people, and learn all about continents, countries, climates, and more. This book is also full of fun facts about animals, sports, foods, inventions, and holidays from all over the world.

Image for Animal Atlas

Animal Atlas

Lift the flaps in this quirky 3D atlas as illustrator Ingela P. Arrhenius takes the youngest of readers around the globe, introducing an enchanting selection of animals. Did you know that flamingos hide their heads while they sleep? That a Galápagos tortoise can live for a hundred years? That baboons have pink bottoms? Or that a peacock’s tail is used to impress potential mates? With interactive flaps and a central pop on each colorful spread, this is a stand-up gift for small children who love animals of all stripes.

Then, look at these other preschool activity resources.

MORE PRESCHOOL GEOGRAPHY RESOURCES

  • Learn About Indigenous Animal Geography Fun Activity for Preschool to Elementary
  • 5 Mexico Crafts For Preschoolers And Free Activity Pages
  • Sensory Play Made Easy: Crafting a Community Helpers Sensory Bin
  • How To Teach The 50 States To Preschoolers | 50 States Busy Book
  • K is for Kangaroo| Australia Theme
  • Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play
How To Teach Geography To Preschoolers: Around The World Bin

In addition, look at these ways to teach geography to preschoolers.

5 WAYS TO TEACH GEOGRAPHY TO PRESCHOOLERS

Because kids this age need to move and explore, use their natural love for learning to teach geography through different sense.

1. USE MUSIC AND STORIES TO TEACH CULTURES

First, begin with music. Children love to dance and move to music.

Introduce stories and songs from a country you think would interests your child.

2. SIMPLE GLOBES & MAPS ARE BEST

Also, children can much more than we may think. Let the feel and spin simple globes to understand what is the world.

Besides, flat maps they can see introduces the shapes of continents. This early introduction can ignite a future love of maps.

3. GEOGRAPHY-THEMED SENSORY PLAY

Too, I will be doing a geography themed sensory bin.

Bins can have desert, ocean, or even snow themes to introduce a preschooler to different biomes.

4. CONNECT GEOGRAPHY TO ANIMALS AND NATURE

Additionally, my sensory bin will. be using something all preschoolers like which is animals.

Using nature and animals and where animals live fosters a love of science too.

5. CELEBRATE CULTURAL TRADITIONS

And because kids love to move, use traditions of countries to teach your kids about cultures. They can make crafts to celebrate different traditions.

Even go on a scavenger hunt teaches them directions.

Finally, look at how to make this around the world geography sensory bin.

AROUND THE WORLD GEOGRAPHY SENSORY BIN

Supply List

  • Uncooked rice
  • Blue food coloring
  • Zip-top bag or bowl for dyeing rice
  • Green felt sheets
  • Scissors
  • Toy animals

Dye the Rice: Add uncooked rice to a zip-top bag or bowl. Add a few drops of blue food coloring, seal or stir, and shake/mix until the rice is evenly coated. Spread it out to dry completely.

How To Teach Geography To Preschoolers: Around The World Bin

Prepare the Continents: Cut simple continent shapes out of green felt. Keep them recognizable but child-friendly and easy to handle.

How To Teach Geography To Preschoolers: Around The World Bin

Set Up the Bin: Pour the blue rice into the sensory bin to create the “ocean” base.

How To Teach Geography To Preschoolers: Around The World Bin

Add Continents: Lay the green felt continents on top of the rice to form a basic world map.

How To Teach Geography To Preschoolers: Around The World Bin

Add Animals: Place toy animals nearby or mix a few into the bin.

BENEFITS OF A GEOGRAPHY SENSORY BIN

Provides sensory input that keeps kids calm, engaged, and curious during play.

Encourages geography awareness by helping kids connect animals to different continents.

Builds fine motor skills while placing animals and exploring the rice base.

Strengthens critical thinking as kids match habitats to regions.

Supports language development through conversations about animals, climates, and continents.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: geography, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, homeschool preschool, preschool

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.

Image for The Mitten

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.

Image for Over and Under the Snow

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. 

Image for Bear Snores On

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!

Image for There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow!

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!

Image for The Snowy Day

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.

Image for Sneezy the Snowman

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.

Image for Owl Moon

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."-

Image for Ten on the Sled

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.

Image for Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter

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.

Image for Animals in 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.

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

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!

Image for The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin (Peter Rabbit)

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.

Image for Perri (Bambi's Classic Animal Tales)

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!

Image for Gray Squirrels (Woodland Wildlife)

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.

Image for 8pcs,Miniature Animal Squirrel Figures

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

Image for Life in the Neck Squirrel Trouble

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?

Image for The Adventures of Chatterer the Red Squirrel

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.

Image for Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

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.

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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.”

Image for Squirrels

Squirrels

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

Image for Miss Suzy

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.

Image for The Chisel-Tooth Tribe

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.

Image for Gray Squirrel at Pacific Avenue (Smithsonian's Backyard)

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!

Image for Grey Squirrel 8" Plush

Grey Squirrel 8" Plush

Silky plush and soft huggable bodies

Image for Squirrel (Animal World)

Squirrel (Animal World)

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

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

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

How To Make A Pipe Cleaner Fall Tree

November 5, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

For the littles today, we’re crafting a pipe cleaner fall tree to celebrate the autumn season. Also, you’ll love my page Fall Season Unit Study {Pumpkins, Leaves, Corn, & More}.

Fall is a beautiful time of the year. The air turns crisp, the leaves burst into fiery colors, and nature itself becomes a beautiful work of art

Do this fun pipe cleaner fall tree and your littles will never know they’re learning about the season changes as they develop their fine motor skills.

How To Make A Pipe Cleaner Fall Tree

And little fingers get a workout as they twist the tree and branches and create with the pony beads.

Besides, while your littles are crafting it leads to conversations about why leaves change colors, how trees prepare for winter and the importance of trees to earth.

Next, look at some of these fun fall books.

FALL BOOKS FOR KIDS

I prefer living books so I know you’ll love this roundup.

15 Fall Books For Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To

With a chill in the air and leaves falling, grab one or two of these fun books for your home library.

Image for Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic

Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic

A compilation of Native American speeches affirming the desire to live in spiritual and ecological harmony includes the words of Geronimo, Sitting Bull, and Cochise, covering such topics as fishing rights, peace treaties, and the devastation of their land.

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Autumn Harvest

"Mr. Tresselt writes quiet, factual prose about katydids, reapers and threshing, falling leaves, apple-gathering, and the first frost."--New York Herald Tribune.

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Autumn Leaves

A concise text and crisp, close-up, color photographs of thirteen different leaves from North American trees teach very young children how to look at and compare the leaves of autumn, and are accompanied by an explanation of why they turn color.

Image for The Apple Pie That Papa Baked

The Apple Pie That Papa Baked

These are the apples, juicy and red,that went in the pie,warm and sweet,that Papa baked...for guess who!

Image for Sophie's Squash

Sophie's Squash

Kids will love this playful story of of a unique fall friendship between a girl . . . and her squash!On a trip to the farmers' market with her parents, Sophie chooses a squash, but instead of letting her mom cook it, she names it Bernice. From then on, Sophie brings Bernice everywhere, despite her parents' gentle warnings that Bernice will begin to rot. As winter nears, Sophie does start to notice changes.... What's a girl to do when the squash she loves is in trouble?

Image for Autumn Story: Introduce children to the seasons in the gorgeously illustrated classics of Brambly Hedge!

Autumn Story: Introduce children to the seasons in the gorgeously illustrated classics of Brambly Hedge!

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the miniature world of the mice of Brambly Hedge!

Bad weather is on the way and the autumn stores are still not gathered in!

Quickly, all the mice of Brambly Hedge set to work to finish the harvesting before the rain begins. Primrose, Lord Woodmouse's daughter, meant to help, but somehow she daydreamed her way over the cornfield and into the Chestnut Woods, and before she knew it, she was lost. The sun went down, the wind rose and it began to rain. Primrose was all alone in the dark and she was frightened.

Poor Primrose, would she find her way home again?

Image for Mr. Hermit Miser and the Neighborly Pumpkin: the green edition |

Mr. Hermit Miser and the Neighborly Pumpkin: the green edition |

Mr. Hermit Miser doesn’t like his neighbors, and they don’t like him. But when a pumpkin vine sprouts in Mr. Hermit Miser’s yard and makes its way into the neighbors’ yards, but he wants all those pumpkins for pies … well, what is he to do?

With adventures in pumpkin-snatching, failed attempts at baking pies, and pumpkin goo everywhere, this tale about being neighborly in a not-so-perfect way will be an endearing autumn story for all the readers in your circle.

This reprint of a 1949 classic adds some recipes, a poem, and a bit of pie-history as well.

Image for Dance Like a Leaf

Dance Like a Leaf

As her grandmother's health declines, a young girl begins to lovingly take the lead in their cozy shared autumn traditions. Poetic prose paired with evocative illustrations by Mexican illustrator Claudia Navarro make for a beautiful celebration of life and a gentle introduction to the death of a loved one.

Image for The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night

The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night

"[Spier's] finely detailed, action-packed New England autumn vistas are almost startlingly beautiful."—The New York Times  Over fifty years after he won a Caldecott Honor for The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night, legendary illustrator Peter Spier went back to this time-honored favorite in 2014 to paint the half of the book that was originally printed in black and white. In this glowing, restored vision of Spier’s beloved classic, follow the wily fox as he roams a sleepy New England town in search of a meal, with tones and textures so vivid you can almost hear the crackle of crisp fall leaves and the ripples of the river in the moonlight.

Image for Down Buttermilk Lane

Down Buttermilk Lane

An Amish family, traveling by buggy, spends a day doing errands in the village, visiting, and returning home in time for supper

Image for Fall Leaves

Fall Leaves

Autumn is in the air: days grow shorter and nights are long. Birds leave, flowers, too. Apples and temperatures fall—then snow!Part poem, part silent stage, this luminous picture book puts autumn on display and captures the spirit of change that stays with us long after fall leaves. Unlock the secrets of this busy and beautiful time of year as the natural world makes way for winter.

Image for Hooray for Fall!

Hooray for Fall!

Mama has a surprise for her three little squirrels: three bright red sweaters to keep them warm throughout the fall. Imagine the siblings’ surprise when they find that everything in the autumn woods—the leaves, the berries, even the setting sun—is red too, just like their sweaters.This celebration of a perfect fall day will have young and old alike looking for signs of autumn in their own neighborhoods. Kazuo Iwamura’s books celebrating the seasons (Hooray for Spring!, Hooray for Summer!, Hooray for Fall!, and Hooray for Snow!) are perennial favorites—introducing children to the beauty and joy of each season. Iwamura masterfully captures the small wonders of nature in his illustrations and his stories with their gentle humor warm the heart.

Image for Hopefully the Scarecrow

Hopefully the Scarecrow

The perfect Fall book for kids! A poignant picture book about a scarecrow who befriends the young girl who reads to him day after day until one day he's left wondering where she is.A scarecrow stood in the garden. Tall, proud, and smiling. Every day a girl brought her favorite books to the garden and she read to him. He heard tales of courage and of hope. And when she said, "The End," the scarecrow always felt a little bit taller and braver. Year after year, she came and she read to him.Until one spring, two different hands picked him up from the garden shed and placed him in the garden. He waited, but she didn't come to read to him.With poignant words from award-winning author Michelle Houts and lush illustrations by Pura Belpré Honor winner Sara Palacios, Hopefully the Scarecrow is a tender distillation of the enduring power of friendship and a heartwarming look at the ways stories connect us.

Image for Maple & Willow Apart

Maple & Willow Apart

Funny, relatable sibling dynamics make this story a wonderful way to address navigating big changes. Lori Nichols’s expressive artwork beautifully portrays Maple and Willow’s strong bond, and children will love the creative, kid-powered solution. Maple and Willow have always been inseparable. So what happens when Maple starts big-girl school and Willow stays behind? Well, of course, both girls have marvelous adventures of their own, but the truth is, they miss each other. And when they see that the missing is mutual, they find a unique way to feel connected even when they have to be apart.

Image for Now It's Fall (Lois Lenski Books)

Now It's Fall (Lois Lenski Books)

School bells and apples and big ripe pumpkins-all the pleasures of fall come alive in this newly reissued classic by award winner Lois Lenski. First published in 1948, Now It's Fall is a timeless celebration of autumn that will enchant a whole new generation of young readers with its gently recolored illustrations.

Next, look at more pipe cleaner crafts.

MORE PIPE CLEANER CRAFTS

  • How Do Mollusks Breathe | Easy Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft
  • How To Make A Pipe Cleaner Monkey | Howler Monkey Fun Facts
  • Fun Anatomy Activities For High School & How To Make An Easy Skin Layer Model
  • The World Of Slimy Insects: Snails Versus Slugs Unique Comparison
  • Explaining Thunder And Lightning To Preschoolers Easy Sensory Bin

Too, look at more fall craft ideas for preschool.

FALL CRAFT IDEAS FOR PRESCHOOL

  • Fall Y’all:Pumpkin Pie in a Bag (Easy Homeschool Co-op Idea)
  • Fun Corn Life Cycle Preschool Sensory Bin and Printable Lifecycle Foldout
  • Make Cute Felt Leaf Sachets For Fall Leaf Crafts for Preschoolers
  • How To Make Confetti Fall Leaves Crafts For Preschoolers
  • 10 Fall Felt Crafts & How to Make a Kids Felt Pie Garland
  • Fall Nature Crafts & How To Make A Pumpkin Nature Collage
  • How To Craft An Adorable Leaf Paper Plate Mask
How To Make A Pipe Cleaner Fall Tree

Finally, look at how to make this fun fall tree.

PIPE CLEANER FALL TREE FINE MOTOR ACTIVITY

First, look at this easy list of supplies.

  • Brown pipe cleaners
  • Pony beads in fall colors (red, orange, yellow, green)
How To Make A Pipe Cleaner Fall Tree

Twist a few brown pipe cleaners together to form the trunk of the tree.

How To Make A Pipe Cleaner Fall Tree

Leave several ends sticking out at the top to create branches.

How To Make A Pipe Cleaner Fall Tree

At the bottom, bend and spread out the pipe cleaners to make a sturdy “stand” so the tree can stand upright.

Invite kids to thread the fall-colored pony beads

How To Make A Pipe Cleaner Fall Tree

Benefits:

Seasonal learning – A hands-on way to talk about autumn leaves, colors, and changes in nature.

Fine motor skills – Threading beads onto pipe cleaners strengthens finger muscles and hand-eye coordination.

Creativity – Kids can design their tree however they like, experimenting with colors and patterns.

Focus and patience – Sliding small beads takes concentration, encouraging calm, mindful play.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: fall, fall crafts, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, homeschool preschool, preschool, preschool skills

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