So we melt old crayons into various shapes all year long in the oven, but because it has been so hot, we wanted to see if the SUN could melt our crayons. 100 degrees yesterday, and yes, the sun melted our crayons!  Great science experiment for the summer!  Tip:  set a timer for 30-60 minutes so that you can go back outside and check the progress.  Smaller pieces may melt better.

Have a collection of corks sitting around?  Wrap them up in tape and make some cork stampers!  Great chunky grip for little hands.  We made flowers and mosaics, there are so many other design options to create!

Another fun and easy activity for the Summer months!  Teach a lesson about ice, melting, and freezing.  Talk about what happens when 2 colors are mixed together.  

What a great way to beat the summer heat and get creative with a tasty treat!  

Click the image below to download a PDF file of my free Summer Reading Bingo Printable.  This can be used for a range of ages, not just preschool, and not just school age, but both!  We are heading to the library today to get started on our summer reading program and to check out some new material.  Many libraries have free summer reading programs that your children can sign up for and receive prizes after completion of their reading goals.

Homemade file folder activities are inexpensive and easy ways to introduce letter and number recognition.

The games made here also show introduce number and alphabet order.

Repurpose your bottle caps and turn them into a letter matching activity! 

The letters are lined up in ABC order. 

You can also use the foam numbers to make a number line matching activity as well.

Making our own chenille stem and bead obstacle course was so much fun!  First we painted a piece of old foam board. Then we added chenille stems by poking through the foam board.  Beads were added throughout.  Pom Pom Trufula trees were also add later.  The kids added trains, play figures and cars and had a fantastic time!

The end of the school year is a great way to review the shapes.  The kids loved using a brush just like the dinosaur archeaologists to gently brush away the sugar to reveal the shapes.  Can be used as a quiet table time activity indoors or outdoors for an outside activity during this beautiful weather.

Messy craft play is so much fun!  

To make your own paper towel roll paintings:

1.  Add foam stickers to empty paper towel roll
2.  Roll the paper towel roll into a shallow tray of paint and then roll again onto a blank piece of paper.  
3.  Repeat with new colors.

Allow children to design their own paper rolls with foam letters, numbers, shapes, etc.

Provide multiple trays of paint in different colors for a dramatic effect.