Pumpkins and Ping Pong?

OK, I admit, these pumpkins with the ping pong ball eyes are the brainchild of the folks at Martha Stewart.  But what a great idea for your preschoolers for a change from triangle cutouts in a plain orange pumpkin.  Granted, Martha's crafters version will probably look better than what your kids churn out, but hey, you may be teaching the future Martha's! I love the idea of thinking outside the box for the eyes for this pumpkin by using the ping pong balls decorated with markers.  If you are worried about your preschoolers cutting the mouth out, consider using paint or gluing some felt cutouts onto the pumpkin.  I guarantee the kids will get a real kick out of making the bloodshot eyeballs!

The photo above is another idea from Martha.  The eyes of the pumpkins are made from PUSH PINS! Genius! Worried about the safety issue of letting the kids use the push pins?  Use some pompoms from the craft store.  Safer and just as attractive.

But my favorite is the bat-pumpkin in the back of this photo.  Just add some black poster board or balsa wood wings and you have bat-o-lanterns!  The bat-o-lantern looks best if shown off on top of a clear plastic cylinder so it looks like it's flying.  Don't use full size pumpkins for these, instead smaller 'individual' size pumpkins are perfect. 

Trying to save some $$ on this project? Work with plain orange pumpkins, they won't cost as much as the white ones and will look just as great for the kids.  Another option? Have students work in a group instead of each having an individual pumpkin.  They can show off their work at school instead of taking it home.  If your school has the space, consider planting some pumpkins next year, you may not have a large enough crop for the whole school but you won't need to buy as many. 

Supply & Demand Crafting

Baby Plant Craft Photo Credit

As teachers we all know how expensive supplies can be.  So whenever possible I like to reuse/re purpose items that parents have on hand or are easy to get.  Think about different projects you've made in your classroom repurposing products, I'd be happy to have you guest post.

This project, perfect for a mother's day gift, grows chives for the kitchen.  Easy to do and inexpensive.  All you need are a couple seed packets and some dirt and some paint to decorate the jar with.  Decorations can be as elaborate as you like and you don't have to use paint, use anything you have on hand.  Decorations can be holiday specific or just for fun. 

This project teaches students about how things grow and to enjoy planting.  It also encourages repurposing and caring for the environment. 

Eco-Project For Nursery School

Collage is a French word which means “glue.” The term was coined by Braque and Picasso in the beginning of the 20th century, when collage became a distinctive part of modern art. (link for quote and photo)

Color collages made from old magazines, paste and some recycled paper are fun for times you want to let your children explore their own design and art skills by using recycled materials.  Keep a lot of old magazines on hand for times you want to try this since you'll need a lot of photos that are all the same color family for this project.  Your other option is to have each child bring in some old magazines to use for the project.  Do you have any budding Picassos in your classroom?  You're sure to have some enthusiastic artists which is what counts. 

Consider adding a clothesline and hanging their 'masterpieces' for "Back To School Night" or Parent Meetings. 

What do you need for this project? Recycled large pieces of colored paper, glue sticks, children's scissors, and old magazines. 

This project encourages color identification, increased use of fine motor skills, following three step directions and decision making.

Making Your Own Pumpkin Patch With Kellogg's Rice Krispie Treats

Joey Fortman and friends have once again delivered some great Rice Krispie Treat recipes, these perfect for school halloween celebrations.  Their pumpkin patch treats have a unique flavor, no boring Krispie treats here!

For their recipe go to Joey's site, Real Mom Media.  You'll also find out how to win $100... hmmm... $100.... I do love to shop and every dollar helps! 

These treats are adorable and so much fun to make. Decorating them lets your students show off their creative genius. So you all end up a little sticky, so what? You'll have fun, the kids will have fun, and it's a great project to teach measuring, following directions, and provide students with a variety of tactile experiences.  Visit Joey's site for the recipe and more great pictures and try them at home, even if they're just for you and your family!