They are so easy even the kids can paint them! 

Here’s how to make and play!

Pencil Themed Clothespins

This time of year is always a fun time to spark your child’s love of learning and school. Playing games inspired by back to school supplies help you kick off the school year with a focus on taking good care of all those products you just spent your money on.

Here’s how you can make simple but fun pencil themed clothespins with your child.  You can even make them personalized pencils for a special school work art display to highlight their special work this year.

One way to prep your child for reading success is to start off the year by working on the Dolch Sight Word List.

Disclosure: Affiliate links used to Amazon.  

Materials Needed for Pencil Themed Clothespins and Literacy Game

• Mini Wooden Clothespins 
• Shimmering Silver Acrylic Paint
• Acrylic Paint Canary Yellow
• Acrylic Paint Pink Parfait
• Paint Brush
• Scrapbook Paper 
• Scissors 
• Sharpie Permanent Marker Black
• Handwriting Paper
• wax paper or paper plate

Instructions for Pencil Themed Clothespins

1. Use the yellow paint to create the pencil by painting on both sides of the chunky clothespin covering 3/4 of the wood.  Be sure to also paint the sides too. Get your kids involved in this craft, it’s really easy and a fun memory to do together.

2. Then using the pink paint, it’s time to add the pencil eraser to the end of the pencil.  I made the end where you pinch the eraser portion so I could also paint the inside portion too.  Be sure to paint the edges on this task too pink.

3.  The last step is to use your silver paint to create the metal portion of your pencil.  The Shimmering Silver Acrylic Paint adds a special sparkle to the whole pencil craft which I highly recommend.  You can use it later in the year to create holiday crafts too, instead of using glitter.

4. OPTIONAL: You can paint a little black potion of the end for a pencil point, we left it off to make them easier to make.  Plus, if you really want your pencil painting to last you could also add an Acrylic Paint Sealer

Pencil Themed Sight Word Game

This can be a fun hands-on way to work on those high-frequency words for Kindergarten & First Grade! To create the pencil themed literacy game for sight words take your Scrapbook Paper and cut out with Scissors  24 squares.  They can be the size of around 2 inches by 2 inches for easy handling, you go make them smaller if you’d prefer. Add a few more if you’re planning to do spelling words for those double letters in words like the word “that.”

Write one letter per square with your Permanent Marker Black.  You can do it with your child watching you write the letters and discuss letter formations for younger kids OR I would have my child do it and have an alphabet chart on the table close by so that they can work on proper letter formations with you watching their handwriting skills.

Once you write all of the letters, it’s time to play!  You can start off with letter writing practice by choosing a letter card and putting it onto the Pencil Clothespin as a stand. 

Next, you can move to practice forming word families like choosing the word family -at and then selecting a few letter cards that would go with it like s, c, m, p, f, r.  Then challenge your child to see if they can read those words.

This activity would be ideal for spelling word practice too!  Have your child gather the letter cards and place them onto the Pencil Clothespins and then write them out on their Primary Handwriting Paper for spelling word practice in a hands-on way.

You can have them practice writing down each word that they made with the pencil themed sight word game!

Literacy Game with Pencil Clothespins

• Work on Spelling Word Lists
• Word Families
• Alphabetical Order
• Matching Upper Case to Lower Case Letters

Did you know that sight words make up around 75% of the words used in beginning children’s print materials? Sight words can give your child a better start in learning to read.

If your child is able to quickly recognize sight words then as a beginning reader they will be able to spend more time concentrating on the meaning and comprehension of the words as they read them instead of having to decode every single word.

Learning Materials for Back to School Writing

• My First Pencils Large Round
• #2 Pencils Box of 96
• Primary Handwriting Paper

Learn now Why You Should be Using Beginner Pencils for Handwriting Practice with young children.

Can’t wait to hear how your child’s pencil themed clothespins turn out and how they use them at your house. They would be a cute little teacher gift idea for their teacher too. You could even attach magnets to the back to create pencil themed magnets for their classroom.

You may also enjoy these activities with your child…

More Sight Word Games for Kids

• Sight Words with Glass Gems 
• Sea Shell Sight Word Game 
• Pumpkin Sight Word Game with Sensory Bottle 
• Fish Themed Sight Word Game

Want the best pencil to learn to write? Here’s our favorite!

** LIKE IT? PIN IT!  **

Movement is so important to incorporate into our children’s daily life.  I believe it is our job as parents to encourage an active, healthy lifestyle. If your children get excited about the Olympics like mine do, than use this excitement to create your own living room or backyard Olympics.  

You can host different challenges every day for the family or even invite your friends.  If you are like our neighbors and stock a basket of little goodies to hand out as prizes to participants at the end, even better!

Warm up, Stretch, and Pick Your Challenge.

• Compete to master the challenge.
• Compete to complete a certain time.
• Compete to finish something as a team.
• Compete to finish a certain number of repetitions.
• Compete to get stronger.
• Compete to have fun!

As with all activities here at The Educators’ Spin On It, Parent supervision is recommended for every project and activity we feature on this blog.  Please read through the activity before you decide if it is appropriate for your child.

Although our family warms up and stretches before movement challenges every time, we would NOT do everything listed in this article. In my personal opinion, that would just be too much. This list is to inspire you!  Pick and choose the activities you feel would be good for you and your children. Create s would probably complete one, possibly two challenges in a day.  I find that if I participate, not only is it more fun, but I get a little physical activity too!

Living Room Olympics: Movement Activities for Kids Indoors

Warm UP – We like to start slow and get our bodies ready for moving gradually.

• Slowly jog around the yard or living room 2 times
• Move your body in a zig-zag pattern
• March with high knees
• Crawl like a caterpillar.

Stretch

• Reach up high
• Reach to the side
• Reach down low
• Stretch your legs
• Give yourself a great big hug

Make an Obstacle Course  Challenge

We like to set an obstacle course up using cones, rings, pillows and any other items that encourage kids to move in a different way.  How you go through it is up to YOU.
Kids can.

1. Hop
2. Run
3. Jump 1 footed
4. Skip
5. Shuffle
6. Jump 2 footed
7. Walk Backwards
8. Dance
9. Gallop
10. Tiptoe

to get to the end of the obstacle course.

You can also add other challenges to the obstacle course such as…

1. Set a timer and see how fast you can complete the course.
2. Pick a time and race to see if you can complete the course in under that time.
3. Set up 2 identical courses and race a sibling, neighbor, or parent.
4. Do the course holding a plastic egg on a spoon.
5. Complete the course forward and backwards for the entire race.
6. Add in a challenge, such as, jump 10 times when you get to the blue cone.
7. Call out a color and do the course to that color.
8. Add little flags with letters or numbers to the cones.
9. Put a bucket of bean bags at the start and an empty one at the end, children must obsticle with the bean bags to get them to the opposite side.
10. Make it a team challenge.  See how many times you and your child can complete the course in 3 minutes.

Jump-rope Challenges (this may be better outside or in the garage)

1. Lay the rope on the ground and walk on top of it (like a balance beam).
2. Keep it on the ground and jump over it; forward and back.
3. Now try jumping side to side.
4. Jump with 2 feet.
5. Jump with 1 foot.
6. Get another rope and play jump the brook, making the brook wider and wider.
7. Pick up the jump rope and jump.
8. Kris-Cross the rope before jumping.
9. Jump as fast as you can.
10. Jump as slow as you can.

Roll a Number Challenges.

For this set, you can either make your own number cube with number words or the actual number printed on it. The children roll the cube and complete the activity that many times before moving to the next.

1. Jump as high as you can.
2. Bend to touch the ground.
3. Balance on one leg.
4. Balance on the other leg.
5. Spin around.
6. Flap your arms.
7. Frog Jump
8. Reach to touch the sky.
9. Wiggle your whole body.
10. Star jumps.

Animal challenges

1. Move like a horse.
2. Move like an elephant.
3. Move like a squirrel.
4. Move like a rabbit.
5. Move like a snake
6. Move like a panda bear.
7.  Move like a kangaroo.
8. Move like a crocodile.
9. Move like a butterfly.
10. Move like a monkey.

Bean Bag Challenges.

1. Throw bean bags into a laundry basket.
2. Throw bean bags into a hoop that someone is holding.
3. Play catch with the bean bags.
4. Set hoops out on the ground with different number scores, keep track of the points
5. Put the bean bag between your shoes and hop to a given line.
6. Balance the bean bag on your head and walk a line.
7. Get a team to pass the bean bag in a pattern; over, under,
8. Throw the bean bag up in the air and try to catch it.
9. Stack empty boxes in a pile. Throw the bean bag at the pile and try to make it tumble.
10. Lay on the ground.  Set the beanbag on your chest and see how long it will stay there.

AND???? Let your children decide!!!
They usually have even better ideas than I can come up with.

Here’s some of our favorite Winter Olympic themed Books
AND Summer Olympic Themed Books for Kids

Don’t let Movement Be Your ONLY OLYMPIC FUN!!!!

Expand the Olympic theme with books, learning about the mascots and crafts! Host your Own Olympic Party with these Games and Crafts!

Don’t forget to follow our Olympic Pinterest Board where we are adding fun kid activities we find online.

Here are 10 Fun ways to get creative with your favorite nursery rhyme.

This post contains affiliate links to Amazon. 

This week’s theme for the Weekly Virtual Book Club for Kids in Nursery Rhymes. Do you have a favorite Rhyme? 

This Nursery Rhyme Book Set below is one of my favorites to have around the house. I pull them whenever we have little ones visiting our house too. Nursery Rhymes are something very familiar to small children and help them feel comfortable in new environments. They would be perfect to set out for our Nursery Rhyme Olympic Stations too!

Are you ready to see how I set up the Nursery Rhyme Olympics up for our guests for Tot School? 

Big Book of Nursery Rhymes by Felicity Brooks

Nursery Rhyme Activity Stations for Kids

One of my favorite things to teach preschoolers and Kindergarten students is Nursery Rhymes. Many of them already have memorized them from their childhood but at this age they begin to understand how text is and they now think they can read the whole nursery rhyme all by themselves. It’s quite adorable!  

Plus reading nursery rhymes really does help them learn to read and understand rhyming words.

I’ve put together 9 of our favorite nursery rhymes with coordinating activities to go along with them. You could do them on your own this week or you could invite friends over to rotate around to each station.

Host a Nursery Rhyme Tot School Playdate with friends!

You could even offer to help organize a Nursery Rhyme Olympic Day at school with your child’s teacher. Most of these activities are designed for outdoor play and water play so they’d be perfect for a water day with friends or your class.

Here are some ideas to do your own living room Olympics too!

The Itsy Bitsy Spider Activity

• Spider Web Balancing – Can you build a spider web? Using sidewalk chalk create a spider web on the ground.  To play the game challenge your child to walk around the web on the lines.  A great way to practice balancing, so don’t fall off the web!
• Spider Snack – Create your own lunchtime Spider Snack with your child and friends by making Spider Ball Meatballs!  
• Spider Jars– Make Your Own Spider Sensory Bottle

The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Iza Trapani

Little Miss Muffet Activity

• Spider Crawl!  Can you climb on your hands and legs in the spider crawl position with your tummy up from the Tuffet to Little Miss Muffet?  Children race to see who can get there the fastest.
• Pretend Spider – Surprise your little guests with a Moving Spider like this one that we made or pull out your Halloween decoration, I bet you have a big spider.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star by Jerry Pinkney

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Activity

• Star Toss – Cut our Star Shaped Sponges and have your child pick them up from a bucket filled with water and toss them into a large bucket. A great way to practice those gross motor skills and eye-hand coordination.
• Star Banner – Create a special shiny Star Banner inspired by Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Hickory Dickory Dock Activity

• Mouse Race Put on your Mouse Headband and see how fast you can race around the clock.  Make a clock out of a large box.
• Number Fun – See how fast you can put the numbers in order on the face of a clock!
• Rock Clock – Create a Rock Clock to work on learning how to tell time!
• Clock Race – Build your own Box Clock with boxes and roll a dice to see how many times you need to run around the tall box clock!
• Count Mice – Create your own Number Mice for number fun with this printable.

After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) by Dan Santat

Humpty Dumpty Activity

• Egg Puzzle – Create your own Egg Puzzle! Make a large paper egg and decorate with crayons, markers, watercolors or stickers and then carefully cut it into to sections to create a puzzle.
• Egg Spoon Race – Host your Own Egg Spoon Race.  

I’m a Little Teapot

I’m a Little Teapot Activity

• Teapot Race!  How fast can you fill up your tea cup?  Create a large scale tea cup using a bucket and host a water relay race with a plastic tea pot racing to fill it up as fast as you can.
• Paint a Teapot. You can create your own paper tea pot with watercolors or you can even paint your own pottery tea pot.
• Nursery Rhyme Tea Party – Perhaps after the Olympics you can host your own Tea Party with friends with these tea party ideas the kids can make.

Hey Diddle Diddle Activity

• Moon Race – Grab a plastic dish and tape a spoon to it and race around the moon. We used this inflatable glow in the dark moon.
• Cow Jump. Create your own cow headband to wear for this activity and lay down a large moon on the ground for a child to jump over!

Nursery Rhymes (Kate Toms Series)

Little Bo Peep Activity

• Find the Sheep.  Create several sheep to make a scavenger hunt for your child.  Hide them around the area and challenge them to find them.  You could add a little bonnet to make the game match Little Bo Peer in the story.
• Cottonball Sheep.  Using cottonballs and a sheep outline have your child make their own sheet to go with the story.

Rain, Rain, Go Away by Caroline Jayne Church

Rain Rain Go Away Activity

• Rain Writing – You can start off with this Let’s Make Rain Pre-Writing Activity.
• Drip, Drip, Drop – Play the Game Drip Drip Drop with your child and friends.
• Rain Drop Art – Using watercolors, paint a few sheets of paper and then cut out raindrop shapes to create a raindrop mobile to hang the nursery rhyme from.

One of my favorite things that I used Teaching in my Kindergarten classroom were these Nursery Rhymes Posters. I’ve now brought them home and they sit on our easel where the kids can look at them and read through. 

Carson Dellosa Nursery Rhymes Posters 

I looked and saw that they are still available on Amazon. So worth the price of $12, you can use again and again and perhaps use as your set up a Tot School with your friends or gift to your child’s preschool.

NURSERY RHYME THEMED ACTIVITIES FROM OUR CO-HOSTS!

Five Little Ducks Counting and Story Retelling Activity – To Be A Kid Again
Hickory Dickory Dock Clock Play- Teach Beside Me
Humpty Dumpty Egg Sensory Bin – My Storytime Corner
Rainstorm Art Project (Rain, Rain Go Away) – Preschool Powol Packets
I’m A Little Teapot Pour Painting- Toddler Approved 
Itsy Bitsy Spider Printable Book -Growing Book by Book
Three Little Pigs Fine Motor Craft – Views From a Step Stool
5 Little Ducks – Mama Smiles
Nursery Rhyme Olympics – The Educators’ Spin On It  { That’s here! }
Little Jack Horner Paper Plate Pie Craft – JDaniel4’s Moms 

You may also enjoy these activities with your child…

This math activity works well for multiple age levels. We have used it for children ages 2-8 years old.

This article contains affiliate links.

Build a Base Ten Math Game with Pool Noodles

Learning Objective: Read and represent numbers 0-100 using base ten blocks.

Materials Needed

• 5 pool noodles of one color. We used orange.
• 1 pool noodle of another color. We used blue.
• Tape Measure
• 1 Large basket big enough to hold all the noodles.

When we make math manipulatives, we always try to have a plan for storage. My kids played this game for 30 minutes and then went on to use the base 10 blocks in other ways (more to come on those activities later)  We return to this game every day for about 1 week and then put them away.  I will bring the basket out after a week break.

So far, this basket has been well worth the money and time spent making it. My kids have really grown in just a few days in their understanding of larger numbers.

How to make the base ten box basket.

1. The adult cuts the 5 large pool noodles down to 20 inches each. This is slightly less than 1/2 the length of our pool noodle. We used a serrated knife and it worked ok. No matter what you use, use caution.

I did this part when the kids were sleeping because I did not want them to see me cutting the pool noodles.

2. Cut the 1 noodle of another color into 2 inch rounds. You only need 10 pieces, but you can make more if desired.

Watch the video of how to cut pool noodles 

How to play the base ten math game:

1. Call out a number 0-100.

2. Have the kids work together to represent that number using the base ten blocks.

3. Check.

4. Repeat

Game Options

• Let the kids take turns calling out the numbers
• Write the numbers down and have then represent the value using the pool noodle base ten manipulatives.
• After the children build the number, have them write it down on a piece of paper. Discuss the placement of the numbers and what the tens and ones place value represents.

Pool Noodle Learning Activities for Kids

We have several Pool Noodle Learning Activities that you might also enjoy.

• Build a Word Tower with Pool Noodles 
• Pool Noodle Sight Word Boat Races 
• 15 Pool Noodle Activities for Kids 
• Giant ABC Beads with Pool Noodles 
• Pool Noodle Boat Matching Game 
• Pool Noodle ABC Basket 
• Base Ten Basket with Pool Noodles  {You’re Here}
• Pool Noodle Alphabet Order Obstacle Course 

Click on the images below to see how to make and play these pool noodle learning activities! 

Which Pool Noodle Ideas will you try first?

Here’s how to play. 

This post contains affiliate links 

In our book 100 FUN  & EASY LEARNING GAMES FOR KIDS we wanted to create games using items that kids are naturally drawn to.  Sand and seashells are one of my kids favorite things to explore when they are outside.  

We even made a sight word game with shells from our adventures last summer. For this game kids gather some sand and shells to create a writing game.

It’s perfect for practicing sight words to avoid summer slide or to practice writing letters to get them prepped for Kindergarten and Preschool.

Here’s how you make and play my game called Words in the Sand which you can find on on Page 62 in our book.

BUY NOW

Kids Writing Game with Sand and Seashells

Find hidden words on seashells in the sand to encourage your child to learn to read. Players quickly memorize each word by writing it into the sand in a texture-rich experience. This multi-sensory game helps to engage children’s senses as they learn their sight words.

Focus Skill: identifying and writing sight words

Materials

• Permanent black marker
• Seashells
• Sand
• 2 plastic containers or trays

Directions to Make Kids Writing Game

1. Write sight words onto seashells.

2. Place the seashells in one container.

3. Place sand in the second container or tray.

Directions to Play Kids Writing Game

1. Players take turns pulling seashells from the container.

2. Once they’ve selected them, players identify the word and write it in the sand container.

3. Continue to play until all the word seashells are discovered and written in the sand.

Game Variations

In our book 100 FUN & EASY LEARNING GAMES FOR KIDS we share 3 variations for every game in the book .  We want to be sure once you create a game it will last.  Here’s the 3 that are featured in the book.

• Create letters in the sand for younger players to discover and write.
• Form words from letter shells in the sand and write them in the sand container.
• Write numbers on the shells for players to discover and write.

Kids Writing Games

Keeping kids writing all summer long is so important to help them maintain their skills that they’ve worked on all school year long.  Plus it will give little ones more confidence as they start school too.  

You could even extend this game to practicing how to use cursive for your older kids, trust me they need practice as they don’t receive the lessons that we all received in school as much.  

Here’s all of our writing activities for kids at The Educators’ Spin On It.

100 Fun & Easy Learning Games for Kids

Be sure to grab a copy of our new book to also see a few more ways to learn outside with! Here’s a couple to flag in the book for ocean theme fun this summer.

• Squirt the Letter Fish Page 23
• Word Family Beach Ball Toss Page 45
• Mystery Words with Sand Page 75
• Storytelling Seashells Page 78

You can learn more about our new book and where’s it’s available by clicking on this link.

100 FUN AND EASY LEARNING GAMES FOR KIDS: TEACH READING, WRITING, MATH AND MORE

100 Fun and Easy Learning Games for Kids: Teach Reading, Writing, Math and More With Fun Kid Activities is here! We cannot wait to share it with you our educational book for parents and teachers of children ages 3-7.

In our book we have a entire chapter creating for teaching kids about both handwriting and story writing with kids.  All super easy and fun so that you can spend time together playing while you’re sneaking in learning too.

May your summer be filled with fun games and activities that your kids will love!

Pool Noodle Sight Word Boat Races

Learning Objective: Read sight words.

Materials Needed for Sight Word Boats:

• Pool Water Noodles  cut into 1 inch strips *** This is an adult task.***
• Multi-Color Construction Paper 
• Scissors, 5-Inch
• Permanent Markers
• Straws cut in half
• Packaging Tape

Directions to Make the Sight Word Boat Racing Game:

To Make the Mast / Flags:

1. Cut the mast out.

2. Write the sight word on the mast.

3. Place a long piece of tape down sticky side up, a little more than twice the length of the mast.

4. Set the mast down.  Place the straw next to it.

5. Bring the tape over to cover both sides of the mast.

6. Press to seal the edges.

To make the boat:

1. Use the open end of the straw. Twist and push to make a hole in the top of the cut pool noodle.

2. Write the matching sight word on the boat.

How to play:

1. Choose your pool noodle sight word boat.

2. Hold it at the starting line. One player calls out “On your marks, get set, GO!”

3. All the players race their boats to the finish line without touching the actual boat with their hands.

* Make sure the tape is sealed tightly or the paper may get wet! You can substitute in craft foam for the masts as well.  We just didn’t have any in the house!.

Pool Noodle Learning Activities for Kids

We have several Pool Noodle Learning Activities that you might also enjoy.

• Build a Word Tower with Pool Noodles 
• Pool Noodle Sight Word Boat Races  (You’re Here)
• 15 Pool Noodle Activities for Kids 
• Giant ABC Beads with Pool Noodles 
• Pool Noodle Boat Matching Game 
• Pool Noodle ABC Basket 
• Base Ten Basket with Pool Noodles 
• Pool Noodle Alphabet Order Obstacle Course 

Click on the images below to see how to make and play these pool noodle learning activities! 

Which Pool Noodle Learning Activity will you try first this summer?

This would make a great sensory literacy center this summer in a classroom too!

Affiliate links to products included in this post.

Pool Noodle Alphabet Boat Matching Game:

Learning Objective: Identify the lowercase and uppercase letters in the alphabet.

Materials Needed:

• Pool Water Noodles cut into 1 inch strips *** This is an adult task.***
• Multi-Color Construction Paper
• Scissors, 5-Inch
• Permanent Markers
• Staws cut in half
• Packaging Tape

Directions to Make the Pool Noodle Alphabet Boat Matching Game:

To Make the Mast / Flags:

1. Cut the mast out.

2. Write the letter on the mast.

3. Place a long piece of tape down sticky side up, a little more than twice the length of the mast.

4. Set the mast down.  Place the straw next to it.

5. Bring the tape over to cover both sides of the mast.

6. Press to seal the edges.

To make the boat:

1. Use the open end of the straw. Twist and push to make a hole in the top of the cut pool noodle.

2. Write the matching alphabet letter on the boat. Use the same case as the mast for young children.  Use opposite (uppercase and lowercase) letters for children who are ready for this skill.

How to play:

1. Take all the masts off the boats. Gently mix.

2. Allow the child to find the matching mast for each boat. Encourage them to say the name of the letter and the sound it makes. Challenge advanced learners to also give you a word that begins with the selected letter.

3. Float the letter boats in a pool or bathtub.

Do you have a pool noodle fan at your house? Consider getting them a few noodles and this kit for connecting them! Read more here:

Pool Noodle Learning Activities for Kids

We have several Pool Noodle Learning Activities that you might also enjoy.

• Build a Word Tower with Pool Noodles 
• Pool Noodle Sight Word Boat Races 
• 15 Pool Noodle Activities for Kids 
• Giant ABC Beads with Pool Noodles 
• Pool Noodle Boat Matching Game  {You’re Here}
• Pool Noodle ABC Basket 
• Base Ten Basket with Pool Noodles
• Pool Noodle Alphabet Order Obstacle Course 

Click on the images below to see how to make and play these pool noodle learning activities! 

Which Pool Noodle Games will you play first?

Most of the time, our play includes WATER! Learn how to play this outdoor water game with kids for tons of our fun.

This gross motor game is a spin off the classic Duck, Duck, Grey Duck (or Goose!), but with a cup of water. I can’t take credit for creating the game as it was shared with me by a fellow camp counselor 20 years ago! It was a summer camp hit then and still is today.

Grab a bucket of water and a cup and try it with your kids this afternoon!

Affiliate links are included in this article.

Drip, Drip, Drop | Outdoor Water Game for Kids

Learning objective: The children will learn to follow directions, take turns, and run!

*This game is best played in a group of 3 or more children.

Materials Needed:

• Bucket
• Plastic Cups

How to Play Drip, Drip, Drop Game

1. Children sit in a circle. One child is “it.”  They scoop a 1/2 cup of water from the bucket.

2. Starting where they were sitting, they dip their fingers in the cup and sprinkle a drip of water on the next child’s head and say, “DRIP.”

3. Play continues with drips until the child DROPS the rest of the water on someone’s head and says, “DROP.”

4. That person then chases the child who is it around the circle, trying to beat them back to their original space.

5. The player that sits last (or is still standing) scoops a 1/2 cup of water and goes around the circle again.

6. The game ends when all children have had a chance to be it or your water runs out!

* Paper cups will work, but they get soggy fast and you need a lot of them. The plastic disposable cups are a little better, but crack easily. If you have a plastic re-usable cup, they tend to hold up the best!

** Drip Drip Drop Rules: We always had a few kids who did not want to get wet. We had a signal that if they did not want to get wet, they would put their legs straight out and the child who was “it” would drip on their legs, not their head, and for the “drop” just pour it gently on their legs.

You may, of course, adapt the game to meet the needs and wants of your kids.

Water Activities from the #PlayfulPreschool Team:

• Alphabet Activities: Washing the Letter Dishes by Growing Book by Book
• Alphabet Hunt in a Water Sprinkler by Mom Inspired Life
• Turn Your Water Bottles into Musical Instruments by Life Over C’s
• Pie Tin Boats – an engineering challenge for the whole family by Rainy Day Mum
• Making a Solar Still-a Water Desalination Experiment by Capri + 3
• Water Displacement Experiment by Fun-A-Day
• Drip, Drip, Drop | Outdoor Water Game for Kids by The Educators’ Spin On It

Here’s our entire collection of super fun and easy water activities for kids!

Get your kids splashing around outside with Drip, Drip, Drop game, then dry off and come inside for some quiet reading time.

This level 3 reader from National Geographic provides a great introduction to the science of water. With high color photographs and detailed explanations of concepts and terms, children will learn about water cycles, flow, and evaporation.

National Geographic Readers: Water

Geared for more advanced beginning readers ages 6-9 to read independently. My little guys LOVE this book read to them. Here are some more Water Books for Kids!

Here are a few more fun ideas for outdoor water games!

Summer is just about to arrive at our house and we are so excited to begin our summer fun! To get planning I spent some time making plans with my daughters for what we want to do this summer with our kids.

Are you looking for ideas for this summer?

Summer Bucket List Ideas 

Instead of creating a huge list of activities, we thought it might be fun to focus on key concepts of childhood development. We focused on these 4 four main groups for Summer Fun. 

Here’s our Summer Bucket List Categories …

• Play
• Learn
• Make
• Go

PLAY – One of the most important things in childhood is time for play.

LEARN – Help you child avoid the summer gap by sneaking in learning during the summer months.
BONUS see if there is something they’d like to learn new during the break. Self-led learning can be so powerful for child. Summer reading falls into this category as well.

MAKE – Getting hands-on is crucial to your child’s development. The summer is ideal for starting projects that take a little extra time or are a little messier for your child to truly experience it. Trying out a new STEM project or recipe for kids can be a lot of fun.

GO – With a little extra time at home, summer makes for the perfect time to plan a few adventures outside of the house. We’d recommend picking an outing that ties into something you did during the week.

Grab our Summer Activity Calendar Bundle for hours of fun with your child!

Play : Learn : Make : Go : Summer Bucket list!

Using these four groups of Play, Learn, Make and Go we started to brainstorm.

My 5 year old sat down with Mommy and Daddy and created our own Summer Bucket list of things we want to do together.  

I’m sure little sister will enjoy her big sister’s ideas too. I can tell that after a year in Kindergarten she’s ready for some adventures with Mommy and Daddy. 

Ready to brainstorm your summer bucket list? Download and Print our Summer Bucket List Planner

Here’s a look at a sample list my 6 year old made with my 2 year old. As the years pass I know this list will change which is why these 4 Summer Bucket Categories are ideal to use. Even as teenagers they work!

Summer Bucket List Planner for Kids

This summer planner is a great way to avoid hearing “Mom, I’m bored”. Your child works to come up with ideas, here’s a peek at my daughter’s answers when she did this.

Here are a few tips for making summer memories with your child.

• Play at the splash park
• Play with my friends
• Play with my grandparents
• Play soccer
• Play t-ball
• Play water games like Drip, Drip, Drop
• Play with my sister and brother
• Play in the backyard and explore
• Play dress up
• Play outside in the backyard
• Play games with lids
• Play with my new Bear “Cupcake” and have teddy bear picnic
• Play with all my toys and donate ones I’ve outgrown
• Play with my sister and her friends at a special playdate

• Learn to swim underwater
• Learn to tie my shoes
• Learn how to tell time
• Learn about 5 new things
• Lead to read chapter books
• Learn about the 7 continents
• Learn new sight words
• Learn about the Earth
• Learn to sew
• Learn to ride my bike
• Learn to play the piano
• Learn about other places

• Make science experiments
• Make a story about the beach
• Make art projects
• Make a mermaid
• Make cloud dough
• Make ice cream
• Make art with sidewalk chalk
• Make a fairy garden
• Make food together
• Make one special summer project
• Make a summer reading list

• Go to the library and get my own card
• Go to the $1 summer movies
• Go to the butterfly museum
• Go to the art museum
• Go to the Discovery room at the Museum
• Go to Downtown Disney
• Go to Sea World or Aquarium
• Go get a hot fudge Sundae
• Go to the Smoky Mountains
• Go to Vacation Bible School
• Go to the Bat House
• Go to the Duck Pond
• Go to the Zoo
• Go to the Rocky Mountain National Park
• Go on an airplane
• Go on a picnic
• Go shark teeth hunting
• Go on a nature trail hike
• Go to the beach

Summer Schedule for Kids

You can break up this Play, Learn, Make Go Summer Bucket List Planner into the whole summer, monthly or even weekly to keep things fun and interesting all summer long.

Get started on your summer break by printing out our First Day of Summer Vacation Interview!

What’s on your Summer Bucket list ?

Share with us in the comments below. It can be a resource for parents who are making summer plans with your child.

DOWNLOAD our Free June Calendar!

We hope you have a GREAT SUMMER!

Looking for more ideas for summer fun? Try these…

Let’s see how to make this DIY bee math activity for preschoolers.

My 3 year old is in LOVE with his “squeezy pouches.” You know the baby food in a bag. We use them as occasional, on-the-go snacks now that he is older. The lids to these serving pouches make great eco friendly math games.

For this one, we made DIY bee math counters.

ECO Friendly Math Games | DIY Bee Math Counters

Materials Needed for both games:

•  Yellow Baby Pouch Lids We used Plum Organics Baby Second Blends, Pumpkin and Banana
•  Permanent Marker
• Pipe Cleaners 
• Scissor

  

Most of what I do is kid made – these counters however are best for an adult to make ahead of time.

1. Draw lines on the lids with the Permanent Marker.
2. Use the scissors and carefully cut the pipe cleaners in half. Push one end through the lid. Twist.  Then curl the ends in to make the antennae (and so they will not poke.)

Bee Counter Math Game 1: Number Match

Learning Objective: Represent the number of objects in a written numeral.  Example, the number 4 is represented by 4 bee counters (see image above)

Step 1. Write one number on a piece of paper. Use 10 pieces of paper for the numbers 1-10.

Step 2: Have your child select a number.  Read the number out loud. Then count the number of bees to match the written number. Place them on the written number. Say the number out loud one more time. Ask your child. “How many bees are here?” Encourage them to re-count the bees if needed.

Step 3: Select another number card and repeat.

Click to get a week of Bee Themed Activities

Bee Counter Math Game: The Number Bee Line

Learning Objective: Count objects in a line.

How to Play

Step 1. Make a number line. Cut your paper in half the long way. Tape the two pieces together to make one long paper rectangle. Write the numbers 0-10 in order along a line. Make a dot on the line above each number.

Step 2. Let the child grab a handful of bee math counters from the pile.

Step 3. Place one counter over each dot on the number line. Count and say the number.

Step 4. Take the counters off and place them back in a pile. The next person takes their turn (or the same child plays again).

You may also like A honey Bee Craft and Magnet Science Activity

You may also enjoy these activities with your child…

• The best Bee Books for Kids
• Learning about Bees in the Garden 
• Learning About Pollination with Zucchini
• Learning About Bees