After School Activities

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBVHs78XNXs&feature=emb_logo Home's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Sahad Rivera Sonda, one of our Product Managers!Ages: 3-7Supplies:• Construction paper• Markers and/or crayons• Playfoam• Tape• Scissors• Pencil• Googly eyes (optional)Procedure:1. Open your Playfoam pod – don’t discard the packaging!2. Trace the circular plastic backer card onto a sheet of paper.3. Draw an alien inside the circle and color it in.4. Cut the circle out…5. And add googly eyes to your character!6. Fold a paper sheet in half and cut out the main body of your rocket.7. Use tape to secure your alien circle to the rocket.8. Place the plastic Playfoam pod over the circle and tape it down securely.9. Tape the whole rocket to a sheet of black paper…10. Squish, squash and sculpt Playfoam to create the rocket fins and other details…11. Then use a white crayon to add stars on the background!Sahad Rivera Sonda has dreamed of being a toy designer since she was a child in Mexico! Her passion for miniatures and other playful oddities (her collection includes everything from a plush churro to a miniature French fry) eventually led her to Otis College of Art and Design in California, where she obtained a degree in Toy Design. Sahad’s dreams came true when she landed a job with EI, designing the look and feel for many of our toys and games, including Playfoam Pals, Design & Drill and our plush line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK2s32dvsyw&feature=emb_logo Home's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Sahad Rivera Sonda, one of our Product Managers!Ages: 3-5Supplies:• Construction Paper• Glue• Scissors• Craft StickProcedure:1. Sketch and cut a flower and flowerpot shape out of construction paper.2. Glue your flower to the top of your craft stick.3. Fold a sheet of paper in half and cut two slits, one about quarter of an inch lower than the first one. This will be your background.4. Slip your craft stick “stem” through the slits.5. Glue the sides only of your pot to your background paper, so the pot covers the slits.6. Move the flower up and down and see how it “grows”!Sahad Rivera Sonda has dreamed of being a toy designer since she was a child in Mexico! Her passion for miniatures and other playful oddities (her collection includes everything from a plush churro to a miniature French fry) eventually led her to Otis College of Art and Design in California, where she obtained a degree in Toy Design. Sahad’s dreams came true when she landed a job with EI, designing the look and feel for many of our toys and games, including Playfoam Pals, Design & Drill and our plush line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMnfNl3MbnY&feature=emb_logo Home's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Michael Sheridan, one of our EI Product Managers!Ages: 4-8Grades: pre-K to 2Supplies: • Cardboard box• Ping pong ball or marble (smaller is more difficult)• Construction paper• Marker• ScissorsProcedure:1. Cut the sides off of a cardboard box. Use a box that is at least 12” x 12” if possible.2. Cut the side pieces into ten strips, each about 2” wide.3. Tape or glue construction paper to the bottom of the box to make a flat surface.4. Write the numbers 1-10 (one number per strip) on the center of the cardboard strips.5. Fold the cardboard strips into a U shape and tape or hot glue the ends to the construction paper all around the inside of the box. Place them at random, number-wise and orientation-wise. Make sure your ball fits through each U shape before attaching it to the bottom of the box.6. Hold the box flat on your lap (or over a table). Start with the ball in the center of the box and tilt it all around to get the ball to pass through each number. The goal is to tilt the ball through the numbers in order from 1-10 as fast as possible.7. Start a tournament with a sibling or parent to see who can get through the entire course fastest. EI Product Manager Michael Sheridan is a jack of all trades! An avid surfer and former international soccer competitor, this outdoor and sporting enthusiast also has a degree in Astrophysics from UCLA and eight years of product development experience in a variety of industries. Prior to helping build EI's science products and brain game lines, Michael developed everything from folding chairs to electric scooters and skateboards!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6UzKahmKog&feature=emb_logo Home's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Sahad Rivera Sonda, one of our Product Managers!Ages: 3-5Supplies:• Green Construction Paper• Scissors• Marker• Tape• Playfoam Pod• Googly EyesProcedure:1. Cut four legs/fins, a head, and a tail out of construction paper.2. Tape the legs together, then tape them to the back of the Playfoam pod.3. Secure the thread and tail directly to the Playfoam pod.4. Add googly eyes to the head and draw a smile.5. Add a little note that says: “You are turtley awesome!” and you’re done! Sahad Rivera Sonda has dreamed of being a toy designer since she was a child in Mexico! Her passion for miniatures and other playful oddities (her collection includes everything from a plush churro to a miniature French fry) eventually led her to Otis College of Art and Design in California, where she obtained a degree in Toy Design. Sahad’s dreams came true when she landed a job with EI, designing the look and feel for many of our toys and games, including Playfoam Pals, Design & Drill and our plush line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci3_lddI54g&feature=emb_logo Home's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Sahad Rivera Sonda, one of our Product Managers!Ages: 3-5Supplies:• Bowl of water• Design & Drill bolts in various colors• Design & Drill wrench• Plastic cupsProcedure:1. Fill a large bowl ¾ full of water.2. Drop your Design & Drill bolts into the bowl.3. Show your kids how to use the Design & Drill wrench to “fish” the bolts out of the bowl, one by one.4. Place each bolt in a plastic cup as it’s removed.5. Try sorting the bolts into cups by color or creating a pattern with two or three colors in each cup!Sahad Rivera Sonda has dreamed of being a toy designer since she was a child in Mexico! Her passion for miniatures and other playful oddities (her collection includes everything from a plush churro to a miniature French fry) eventually led her to Otis College of Art and Design in California, where she obtained a degree in Toy Design. Sahad’s dreams came true when she landed a job with EI, designing the look and feel for many of our toys and games, including Playfoam Pals, Design & Drill and our plush line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7Lf8iS39eI&feature=emb_logo Home's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Sahad Rivera Sonda, one of our Product Managers!Ages: 3-5Supplies:• Paper• Markers• Pipe cleaners in various colors• Tape• Design & Drill bolts in various colorsProcedure:1. Tape a piece of paper to the table.2. Tape the top end of 5 different colored pipe cleaners to the paper.3. Use a marker to write the numbers 1 through 5 next to the pipe cleaners.4. Ask your kid to match the color of the bolts with the pipe cleaner and to lace the number of bolts written on the paper.Sahad Rivera Sonda has dreamed of being a toy designer since she was a child in Mexico! Her passion for miniatures and other playful oddities (her collection includes everything from a plush churro to a miniature French fry) eventually led her to Otis College of Art and Design in California, where she obtained a degree in Toy Design. Sahad’s dreams came true when she landed a job with EI, designing the look and feel for many of our toys and games, including Playfoam Pals, Design & Drill and our plush line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT1ebCxvG7A&feature=emb_logo Home's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Sahad Rivera Sonda, one of our Product Managers!Ages: 3-7Supplies:• Paper• Marker• PlayfoamProcedure:1. Draw a character.2. Squish, squash and sculpt Playfoam to create clothes; let’s start with the dress.3. Let’s add some hair.4. Now add some hair bows.5. Then let’s add some shoes.6. Add polka dots and you’re done!Sahad Rivera Sonda has dreamed of being a toy designer since she was a child in Mexico! Her passion for miniatures and other playful oddities (her collection includes everything from a plush churro to a miniature French fry) eventually led her to Otis College of Art and Design in California, where she obtained a degree in Toy Design. Sahad’s dreams came true when she landed a job with EI, designing the look and feel for many of our toys and games, including Playfoam Pals, Design & Drill and our plush line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ehOkl1SxhA&feature=emb_logo Home's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Janene Russell, one of our Product Managers!Ages: 2-4A cute way to practice one-to-one counting and encourage sensory learning!Supplies:• Pom Poms• Markers• Paper• Finger PaintProcedure:1. Draw a caterpillar, with each circle representing the number on your counting card.2. Have your child count each circle while placing a pom pom to match the number.3. For additional sensory play, use finger paint to place a print on each circle. Happy counting!A former teacher and current mom of two young children, EI Product Manager Janene Russell has more than 15 years of early learning experience! This So Cal native puts her little kid knowledge to good use, guiding the development of the Bright Basics and GeoSafari Jr. lines, as well as various preschool games and classroom resources.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTrfRx_9n3c Home's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Janene Russell, one of our Product Managers!Ages: 3+Supplies:• Sticky notes• Crayons or markersProcedure:1. Together with your child, generate a list of people, places, and things.2. Draw them onto sticky notes.Tip: Draw the head separate from the body so you can make a new character, ex: a cat with a giraffe body! Have fun switching them around to create new fictional characters and story starters. The possibilities are endless.A former teacher and current mom of two young children, EI Product Manager Janene Russell has more than 15 years of early learning experience! This So Cal native puts her little kid knowledge to good use, guiding the development of the Bright Basics and GeoSafari Jr. lines, as well as various preschool games and classroom resources.