construction

Creating easy 3D Shapes

3D shapes

 

I love simple fun! Throw in a math lesson on top of a creative exercise and I practically break into excited hives!


That’s how I felt with this fun building and construction math lesson. One child is learning about 3-dimensional shapes in school (ie: cubes and spheres),  but my preschooler is still defining shapes (ie: square).


This fun started while having hot chocolate after playing outside. The mini-marshmallows were in high demand and then somehow the toothpicks were brought out. Suddenly our kitchen table was a sea of shapes. Both 3D and flat shapes. I watched in amazement as the kids built amazing shape sculptures with sticky marshmallows and toothpicks.


Another way to build is with soft Plastacine and plastic straws cut into 3 inch lengths.  It’s the same building principle without the sugar rush (much preferred by me). I didn’t find the sugary marshmallows did keep attention spans longer though.

 

Looking for other activities for shape practise for your preschooler? Try building a paper barn with pre-cut shapes or a homemade shape card game.

Posted by momstown mama on 04/02/2013 - 16:32
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Lego and Literacy: Combine books and creative building

lego and literacy

 

Lego and Literacy, can you think of a better combination for a family literacy activity?

 

A mom friend of mine recently mentioned her local library has started a little program with this theme and I thought it was brilliant! Since then, our family has started regular after-dinner evenings of “Lego & Literacy”. It’s super simple and so much fun for all ages (even Daddy gets into it!).


All you need is a Book and some Lego blocks (giant infant size Mega Blok type blocks or medium Lego Duplo size or regular small size Lego depending on your kids ages and stages).


Start by reading a book, any type or age or style of book, as a family together. Picture books are great as they help with ideas for images.


After you’d read the book together, open up the Lego and start to build anything from the story. Anything at all, you’ll be amazed the variances in what every person took from the book as an idea.


For children that need to be sparked for creativity, mention “ideas” indirectly as you read the book. Make suggestions for potential ideas. Like “Oh, what a large bear that is in the story” or “Look at all the food on that dinner table, what types of food do you see there?”. This will help your child confidently come up with his own ideas (ie: to create a bear or a pizza or a table…) for his own creations.


For the pictures shown above, our family read our momstown / Scholastic February book of the month called The Very Hungry Bear. Tons of ideas came from the cute story of a polar bear and a grizzly bear pair.

 

My son made a polar bear and a tree while eldest daughter really focused on making a blue fish (what the hungry bear likes to eat). My youngest daughter who loves to make lego duplo towers  connected her tower to the book by calling it a tall tree that the bear climbed (which he did). Mommy made an igloo and Daddy make a fork and fishing lure. I was surprised how every person takes something different from the book.


My favourite part about “Lego and Literacy” is it’s an unplugged time with my family,  downtime without the TV on and an easy wind-down activity in the evening. Or course, tying anything to a book makes me happy too.


Try “Lego & Literacy” with your kids and see where it takes you!

Posted by momstown mama on 01/27/2013 - 15:16
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How to make a gingerbread house with no gingerbread

Here's a super construction craft from momstown that doubles as a snack! And it's easy to make with graham crackers instead of gingerbread.

 

graham cracker house

 What you need:

  • Graham crackers
  • Royal icing (hardens well when dry)
  • Treats like gum drops, smarties

If you do this at a playgroup with lots of kids, make a smaller square house with a little roof of only 2 crackers. If you're at home with your child, you can make a larger 'cottage' as pictured above!

 

gingerbread house graham crackers

 

momstown Winnipeg did a whole village of these gingerbread houses at a gingerbread playdate!

Posted by Teacher Mom on 11/04/2011 - 12:27
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Loads of Construction Birthday Party Ideas!

It seems every little boy (and many girls too!) hits a construction- loving phase - so what better time to plan a construction themed birthday party?

construction birthday party

 

Crafts

construction birthday party

Set up a craft station complete with a gallery wall (patio door?) for the little artists to display their creations. You can use printable colouring sheets with favourite construction vehicles.

construction birthday party

Try this Digger craft that brings three dimensions and lots of sensory fun! These alphabet crafts D is for Dump Truck and R is for Road are perfect additions to your craft table too - for those you can pull away from the construction play site!

D is for Dump truck

R is for road

 

Activities

construction birthday partyFree play with construction toys will entertain (make sure there are plenty to go around!). Adults can get in on the fun by dressing up in their construction site finest! If you're lucky enough to have a spring or summer party, outdoor play in the sandbox is ideal.

construction birthday party

Set up a designated 'building station' with kid-sized tools.

construction birthday party

Playdough and dump trucks make another great activity station to keep little hands busy and engaged!

construction birthday party

If you've got a group that will sit still for storytime - we've reviewed some of the best construction themed books, perfect for young children!

 

Decorations

construction birthday party

Set a table with hard hats (can get these at the Dollar store) and a brown-and-yellow colour scheme! 

 

Food and Cake

construction birthday party

Turn a chocolate cake into a construction site using chopped up cookies and chocolate chips for dirt and decorations with mini construction toys!

digger cake

This cake was submitted during our momstown cake contest and it's a terrific Construction themed cake (much neater than ours!).

 

construction birthday partyHaving an outdoor party? Pack a 'construction lunch' into lunchpails and give the lunchpails as your lootbag gift.

 

 

 

Loot Bags

construction birthday partyLoad up brown paper bags with fun mini versions of real construction tools - hammers, drills, bolts, mini trucks - and of course everyone can bring home their hard hat!

Posted by Teacher Mom on 07/30/2011 - 12:41
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Build an Oatmeal Construction Site

What could be more fun at a playgroup or on a rainy day at home, than to make a construction site in your kitchen - using oatmeal! momstown has some great ways to use oatmeal to inspire your kids' creativity and exploration.

 

construction oatmeal

 

What you need:

  • Oatmeal (whatever your favourite dry oats is!)
  • Water 
  • Cookie sheet (s)
  • Construction toys
  • Cups
  • Blocks

 

Experiment with the amount of water you add - for different textures and sensory experiences.

 

construction oatmeal

Babies can use little cars, plastic spoons and their hands to explore oatmeal - let kids try it out dry, with a bit of water (gets sticky and makes a kind of glue), and then with more and more water... just like a real construction site!

 

construction oatmeal

The perfect texture to mimic loads of concrete and a dump truck!

 

construction oatmeal

And here's what happens when it rains on the construction site!

momstown has lots of sensory crafts to try with kids of all ages. You can use oatmeal for a great baby's first painting material, try making magic happen with milk, or make edible fingerpaints!

Posted by momstown mama on 06/09/2011 - 11:09
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Building Rock Houses

We took a family trip down to the lake recently - and out of nowhere, my kids started constructing!

 

rock house

 

They made rock 'houses' with the big flat rocks...

 

rock house

 

And added some sticks (I had to think of the Three Little Pigs here)!

 

rock house

 

Bringing pails and shovels to the lake or pebble-filled playground is a good way to ensure that more rocks stay on the ground or in the bucket (and not into their mouths)! A sand table at home would work well too if you can collect small rocks to build with!

 

If you bring a nice smooth rock home, you could make a great rock critter like the one below from Dazzle Art:

 

 

Or this Canada Day, get patriotic with flag-painted rocks!

 

Posted by momstown mama on 06/05/2011 - 11:40
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