Wake Up and Play!

EI Editor Posted On Jan 13, 2021 | Learning Through Play

Spending time with your preschooler strengthens your family bond, encourages positive behavior, builds communication skills, boosts self-esteem, and so much more. All good, right? So next time you have a morning free, surprise your sweetie and spend a few straight hours playing – together! Below, the Play Experts at EI share some of our favorite games, activities, and songs perfect for whiling away the winter hours with your little one, like:

Games to Play Together:

I Spy with My Little EyeSnuggle up and see what you can see – together! Spy things that are big, small, short, tall, square, circular, soft, hard, things that are certain colors, things with wheels or paws… you get the idea! This is a great way to build your little one’s vocabulary and introduce early math skills like shape and size.The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game!Spin the day away with everyone’s favorite preschool game! Celebrating its 10th anniversary as one of Amazon’s best-selling preschool games, The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game! helps kids master colors while building fine motor and pre-handwriting skills.

Bean Bag TossStand close together and see how many times you and your cutie can toss and catch a beanbag or balled up sock. Add a bit of a challenge by taking a step backwards every so often, taking turns tossing your beanbags into a laundry basket or mixing bowl, or balancing a beanbag on your heads while you play. A fun way to develop those gross motor skills!

Activities to Do Together:

Sensory BinsPreschool teachers trust these bins to build their students’ brains, including developing nerve connections, building language skills, enhancing fine and gross motor skills, and encouraging problem solving. Start by filling a large bin with Playfoam Pluffle, the mesmerizing, mixable, can’t resistable, feel-good fluffy stuff that never dries out. Then add a variety of objects for you and your little one to find, feel, describe, sort, match, and more. Find some fabulous Sensory Bin ideas on our blog and our Sensory Play Ideas Pinterest board.

ColorWho doesn’t love to color? Grab some printer paper and a new box of crayons and let your inner artists loose or print some of our free, downloadable coloring pages featuring your kiddo’s favorite EI characters. The trick here is that you need to color, too. Talk about the colors you’re using, give your creation a name, and make up a backstory – where does this creature live? What does it eat? What does it do all day?LearnLearning is more fun together! Our free, downloadable preschool packet includes colorful and engaging early literacy, math, and art activities perfect for sneaking some learning into your together time.

Songs to Sing Together:

I’m a Little TeapotTeaching your kiddos a new tune is always a blast. Here are the words, in case you need a refresher (or didn’t know there were actually two verses!). Don’t forget to show your little ones how to make their handles and spouts!5 Little MonkeysWarning – this little ditty may lead to some jumping on the bed. But it’s a classic every kid should know. Find the words here and encourage your kiddos to act the story out, complete with 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 countdown on their fingers.Itsy Bitsy SpiderThis sweet sing-along story has a happy ending – and helps develop those fine motor skills with specific hand movements, shown here. Sing the song a few times, then see if your little one can remember the words – and the moves!

Photo Credit: pre-kpages.comIf You’re Happy and You Know ItGet ready for some hand clappin’, palm-tingling good times! Show your sweetie how it’s done, then take turns calling out what to do if you’re happy – clap your hands, stomp your feet, nod your head, shake your tush, etc.

Whatever you choose to do together, time spent playing with your preschooler has a host of benefits – for you both. So get out there and play, sing, dance, craft, read, tickle, snuggle, and love on your little one right now!

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EI Editor | Posted on Mar 17, 2021

5 Must-Have Materials for a Well-Stocked Art Cart

The more accessible your art materials are, the more likely your kids are to use them! And with so many emotional, developmental, and educational benefits to crafting, encouraging arts and crafts is a super smart idea. EI’s Experts in Play are here to help you stock your art cart with five must have materials sure to inspire your kids to get crafty every day of National Craft Month – and beyond!1. PaperThe foundation for all kinds of projects, you’ll want to supply several different kinds of paper, including scratch paper, construction paper, cardstock, and even sheets of cardboard. Cut any bits left over from previous projects into shapes and squiggles to be used in future projects.

2. Pencils, Crayons, and MarkersInclude basic graphite pencils as well as colored pencils (chunky sizes are easier for little hands). Go for washable markers and be sure to separate each type of supply into its own cup or bin so kids can easily find what they need.

3. Paints and PaintbrushesWatercolors are wonderful for quick and easy painting projects. Tempera paints are washable and come in a huge range of colors that sticks to paper, cardboard, cloth, and even wood. They’re also great for finger painting! You’ll want to stock your cart with several sizes of kid-friendly paintbrushes, as well as a cup for water, a plastic palette, and a smock.

4. Sculpting MaterialsEncourage 3-D creativity with sculptable materials like air dry clay (or Fimo for older kids). Non-toxic, moldable Playfoam® is the perfect compound for your art cart since it never dries out and your kids can reuse it again and again.

Photo Credit: @madina_toys5. ExtrasInclude a bin for the extras, including child-safe scissors, glue sticks, pom poms, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, beans, beads, and glitter, if you dare.

Once you’ve stocked your art cart with the basics, you may need a bit of inspiration. Visit our Pinterest page for endless creative craft ideas for little ones. Welcome spring with crafts including step-by-step instructions for drawing Hoppy Floppy and creating a chick and a bunny out of Playfoam pods!

EI Editor | Posted on Jan 20, 2021

Wake Up and Play!

EI Editor | Posted on Jan 6, 2021

Wake Up and Play!

Little kids wake up rarin’ to go! Race into the day with them with these delicious breakfast ideas that pair perfectly with their favorite preschool games:

The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel goes nuts for muffins and your kids will, too! Start the day by whipping up a batch of these fun, fantastic finger foods – together!Ingredients:• 3-4 ripe bananas• 1 ½ cups flour• 1 tsp baking powder• 1 tsp baking soda• ½ tsp salt• ¾ cup white sugar• 1 egg• 1/3 cup butter, melted• ½ cup chopped walnutsBake-It-Together Instructions:1. You - Preheat oven to 350 degrees.2. Your Little One – Place a paper muffin liner in each cup of your muffin tin.3. You – Sift the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt together and set aside.4. Your Little One – Use a fork or potato masher to mash up the bananas in a plastic bowl.5. You – Use a mixer to blend the bananas, sugar, egg, and butter; slowly add the flour mixture and mix until smooth.6. Your Little One – Use a plastic spatula to blend the walnuts into the muffin mixture.7. You – Fill your muffin cups ¾ full and bake 25-30 minutes (10-15 minutes for mini muffins) or until muffins spring back when tapped.While You Wait:Enjoy a round or two of The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game!®, practicing colors, building fine motor skills, and enjoying some special together time with your favorite early riser.Benefits:Bananas help build lean muscle, fend off diseases, support healthy eyes and vision, promote a good night’s sleep, and help your body fight stress, anxiety, and depression. And the riper the banana, the stronger its powers, so dig into these muffins and reap those ripe banana benefits!

Fun-loving Frida can’t get enough of her favorite fruit salad! Check out our list of kid-friendly fruits below and let your little one help rinse, chop (butter knives only, please), scoop, and arrange your family’s own version of Frida’s Fruit Fiesta!Fruits for You to Prepare:• Strawberries – Remove the tops and bottoms, then quarter.• Grapes – Let your little ones pull them from the stem, then you cut them in half.• Pineapple – Slice off the top and bottom, trim the skin and remove the eyes, slice into small chunks.• Peaches – Halve the peach, remove the pit, and slice.Fruits for Your Kids to Prepare:• Bananas – Kids can slice whole bananas into pieces using a butter knife.• Melon – Let your little one loose with the melon baller!• Blueberries – Rinse and pat dry.• Raspberries – Rinse and pat dry.Once you’ve chosen and prepared your fruits, let your little one dump them into a large plastic bowl and mix – you may want to add yogurt or sprinkle a bit of sugar on top. Serve and enjoy!When You’re Done:Challenge your fruit-fueled little friends to a round of Frida’s Fruit Fiesta Game™! Spin the spinner, find the matching letter, use the squeezers to pick it up (and build those fine motor skills!) and place it in your nest. As you play, remind your kiddo of the fruits they just ate that match the letter sounds they’re finding – B – buh - banana!Benefits:Fruits, especially berries, can improve brain function and memory, build strong bones, aid in digestion, protect the body from disease, lower cholesterol, heal wounds, and even revitalize the skin!

Kids with crazy energy love the Pancake Pile-Up!™ Relay Game! Fuel their physical fun with a homemade pancake breakfast that you make together.Ingredients:• 1 ½ cups flour• 3 ½ tsp baking powder• 1 tsp salt• 1 tbs sugar• 1 ¼ cups milk• 1 egg• 3 tbs butter, meltedInstructions:1. Measure the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar into a bowl. Let your little one slowly stir to sift the ingredients together.2. Make a hole in the center of the ingredients for the milk, egg, and butter and mix until smooth.3. Heat your griddle or frying pan and prime with a bit of butter or cooking spray.4. Scoop ¼ cup of batter out of the bowl and pour onto pan.5. When you see bubbles forming on the up-side of your pancake, flip it over and cook the bottom until browned.6. Stack your pancakes on a plate, covering with a dish towel to keep them warm until ready to eat.Serve with your family’s favorite Pancake Pile-Up Relay Game-inspired toppings! Choose from butter, syrup, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, or even chocolate chips and get ready to chow down!When You’re Done:When your family is all fueled up, burn that breakfast off with a round of Pancake Pile-Up! Divide into teams and turn over an order card to see the order of your pancake pile. Then race to the other side of the room, use the included spatulas to scoop the correct pancake onto your plate, and race back to pass off your plate to the next player. The first team to correctly complete their stack – and top it with a pat of butter – wins!Benefits:The Pancake Pile-Up! ™ Relay Game helps kids develop important gross motor skills, balance, and coordination and teaches kids to follow a pattern – a key early math skill! Eating breakfast has big-time benefits, too, like providing energy to start your day, improving behavior, increasing the ability to learn and focus, and promoting weight management. It’s the icing on the (pan)cake!