Benefits of Hands-on Activities
There are a lot of benefits behind hands-on play when it comes to helping children learn and grow. Not only is hands-on play fun for children, but it also helps them develop essential skills. These skills include motor, sensory, cognitive development, social, and emotional expression.
- Motor Skills: These are activities that involve using your hand muscles and hand-eye coordination. Some examples of these skills could be playing with blocks or drawing a picture.
- Sensory Skills: These activities expose children to different textures. An example could be finger painting.
- Cognitive Development: These activities involve children using their imagination and problem-solving skills. An example of this could be playing a matching game or dress up.
- Emotional Expression: These activities allow children to build confidence and give them the chance to explore their creativity in a safe learning environment.
Gratitude Through Gift Giving
Gift giving is a major part of the holiday season. Everyone loves receiving gifts, but it’s crucial to teach children early on that there is more to the holiday season than just receiving gifts.
A simple “thank you” is a great start, but children must learn first from seeing what others around them model. When you tell your child “Thank you”, how are you modeling the behavior to them? Do you give them eye contact when you say “thank you”? What about offering a smile to show how appreciative you are?
Practicing this with your toddler or preschooler can be a helpful starting point when they come across a situation that requires them to have a thoughtful response. Additionally, it will help build their confidence and strengthen their relationship with friends and family.
Teaching your child the meaning behind a gift
Children develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the meaning behind gift-giving as they participate in family traditions over time. Gift-giving excitement can take over, and their focus is the gift, not why they got one in the first place.
As your family eases into the holiday season, take five minutes to explain to your child that the holidays are about spending time with friends and family. Shifting the focus away from the gift itself and the why behind can help children connect the dots between holiday traditions.
One meaningful way to introduce your child to the joy of gift-giving is by encouraging them to create something homemade. Putting thought, time, and effort into making a gift helps children learn the value of giving and the importance of showing appreciation for others.
Thanksgiving Crafts for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Leaf Rubbing Collage
This is a fun, interactive craft for kids. It is a great way to introduce different ways to create a craft.
Materials needed:
- Crayons
- White Construction Paper
- Leaves
How to create a leaf rubbing collage:
- Go on a nature walk and collect leaves of all different shapes and sizes
- Spread the leaves out on a flat surface.
- Place a piece of paper of your choosing and lay it on top of the leaves.
- Select different colored crayons.
- Begin coloring over the paper and you will see the details of the leaves appear.
- Continue coloring and it will reveal a collage of leaves.
Link to source: https://pocketofpreschool.com/19-fall-process-art-ideas/
Paper Roll Turkey
This is an easy homemade gift that your preschooler or toddler can make to give to someone in your family. The perfect way to incorporate using their motor skills using their hands to paint and build the turkey.
Materials needed:
- White & orange construction paper
- Paper rolls (toilet paper or paper towel rolls)
- Washable paints (red, yellow, orange, brown)
- Paper plate
- Googly eyes
- Glue
- Foam paint brush
- Black marker
How to assemble the Paper Roll Turkey:
- Paint your paper roll brown.
- Set it aside to dry.
- Use a different paper roll and dip it in paint.
- Lay down your white construction paper.
- Start pressing the paper roll with paint on the open edge onto the paper in an arch shape to make individual turkey feathers.
- Repeat this with all your paint colors until you reach the top of the paper.
- Take the paper roll you painted brown and either glue on each google eye or take a black marker to draw it on.
- Cut out a small square out on the orange construction paper and fold it from corner to corner to look like a beak.
- Glue the beak onto the paper roll you painted brown.
- Take the paper roll and glue it onto the middle of the paper you created the colorful arches on.
Link to source: https://www.3dinosaurs.com/wordpress/index.php/paper-roll-turkey-craft/?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=organic
Turkey Tracks Art
A fun Thanksgiving themed activity that your child will love. Creating the Turkey tracks allows children to use their imagination on how they think a Turkey would walk across their paper. It is a great way to make memories with your little ones around the holiday season
Materials needed:
- Thin pipe cleaners
- Orange paint
- Brown paint
- White construction paper
How to Create the Turkey Tracks
- Take a pipe cleaner and bend it into three U-shapes starting at the middle of the pipe cleaner.
- Once you’ve made three U-shapes, take your thumb and pointer finger and squeeze them together. This creates the shape of the turkey feet.
- Bring the ends of the pipe cleaner together and twist them.
- Bend the ends upward at a ninety-degree angle
- Now that you have the feet made, dip them in orange or brown paint and press them against your piece of construction paper.
- Continue pressing the pipe cleaner foot along the paper to look like the Turkey has walked across it.
Link to source: https://fun-a-day.com/turkey-tracks-turkey-art-for-kids/?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=organic
Whether your child is creating a collage using leaves or Turkey tracks across a page, each of these fun Thanksgiving crafts are beneficial to a child for them to learn and grow.
At Celebree School, one of the routines in the child’s day is process art. This is an experience that gives children the confidence to explore and use their imagination through creating art. Learn more about what types of creative projects our children learn about their world through by scheduling a visit today!
Other sources:
https://www.handsonplayot.com/post/how-hands-on-play-enhances-pediatric-therapy