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Ready for Preschool Crafts
Ease Tension and Have Some Fun Before Your Toddler's Big First Day
By Kymberly Pratt
Starting preschool is an exciting – but sometimes scary – time for a toddler. Help make the transition a little smoother by doing these fun crafts before the big day.
Get ready for school with your own soap!
You'll need:
Soap flakes
Food coloring (liquid form works best)
Water and vegetable oil
Large bowl and spoon
Wax paper
Here's what you do:
Pour approximately 3 cups of soap flakes in a large bowl. Then add 1 1/2 cups of water to the bowl and let your toddler stir – but just a little! Now add a few drops of your child's favorite color.
Now for the fun part! Let your child mix up the soap mixture with his hands. You want your mixture to resemble play dough. Do not stress too much about the consistency. Make it fun!
Now it's time to shape the soap. Put a few drops of vegetable oil on your hands and your child's. Rub them together. Now shape the soap! Let your child get creative. Lay his creations on the wax paper and allow to sit overnight.
Tip: You can use cookie cutters to shape the soap.
It would be fun to read The Kissing Hand (Tanglewood Press, 2006) by Audrey Penn with this craft.
You'll need:
Paper plate
Bright red lipstick
Wooden ruler
Green paint and paintbrush
Yellow construction paper
Scissors, tape and glue
Stapler
Here's what you do:
Help your toddler paint the wooden ruler green. Paint one side and then allow to dry before painting the other (a great time to read The Kissing Hand). Or you can paint only one side, if desired.
Trace your toddler's hands on the yellow paper. Do at least seven or eight hands on your paper. Help your child use safety scissors to cut out the hands.
