10 Creative Art Activities (Love to Learn Linky #10)

When it comes to art, my daughter is a perfectionist. She gets frustrated easily if something doesn't "look" right, and quickly abandons the project. I have learned that it's best to give her more open-ended art activities and leave her free to be as creative as possible. 

Today I am sharing some really creative art projects that were linked up last week at the Love to Learn Linky, plus I'm including a few of my own and a few from my wonderful co-hosts. 

10 Free Printable Drawing Prompts

These drawing prompts are a great way to spark your child's creativity and imagination! 

Click here to Download 10 Free Printable Drawing Prompts by Totschooling

Free Printable Art Collages by Totschooling

Kandinsky for Kids by Left Brain Craft Brain

A is for Art: Homemade Clay Recipe by A Little Pinch of Perfect

Easy Seedy CD Art and Science by One Time Through

Dinosaur Stomp Painting by Cutting Tiny Bites

Packing Paper Art by the Science Kiddo

Crayon Transfer Library Totes by Creative Family Fun

Paperclip Painting by Mosswood Connections

Art doesn't have to be perfect by Mother's Madness

If you were featured, grab a button!

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Visit my co-hosts to see all the other features!

11 Unique Alphabet Learning Activities from Left Brain Craft Brain
20 Hands on Learning Activities from A Little Pinch of Perfect
Tips for Early Writing from One Time Through

LOVE TO LEARN LINKY

Now it's time for some more links! I hope you'll join me and a couple of friends for a brand new linky party!

Bloggers, link up your posts every Thursday and watch as we round them up and share them all over the place.

Almost anything goes, we're just hoping your activities teach kids (or us!) something. (science, art, cooking, behavior, crafting, parenting, etc...)

The Love to Learn Linky is Hosted by:

Totschooling: Viviana is a blogging mom to a toddler and a preschooler, sharing ideas and resources for early education. She specializes in unique, hands-on printable activities that are educational, fun and inspire creativity in young minds.

Left Brain Craft Brain: Anne is an ex-engineer, current stay-at-home mama writing about crafty ways to encourage creativity (and brain power!) in our kids. Each of her projects gives kids the chance to learn about a new subject and do something crafty at the same time.

A Little Pinch of Perfect: Katie combines creativity, play, and learning for the perfect mishmash of fun activities that keep kiddos entertained throughout the day. She wholeheartedly believes in the power of play and feels that all activities naturally provide a fun way to learn.

One Time Through: Sue is an Elementary School Teacher currently on leave to be at home with her preschooler son.  She shares ideas for connecting and learning with kids through meaningful, play-based activities that nurture curiosity and creativity.

Love to Learn Linky Etiquette:

• Posts should be about educating our kids in any way - science, art, cooking, crafts, behavior, parenting, etc. Please keep them family friendly and please no Etsy shops or giveaways unless they are relevant to the topic.

• Upload your direct post link to the InLinkz widget. Link up to 3 posts.

• Like the hosts on Facebook: Totschooling, A Little Pinch of Perfect, Left Brain Craft Brain and One Time Through.

• Or follow the hosts on Pinterest: A Little Pinch of Perfect, Left Brain Craft Brain, Totschooling and One Time Through.

• Post our button on your site.

• By linking up, you agree to have your images shared with credit.

Link up and grab a button!

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An InLinkz Link-up

5 Free Apple themed Printables (Love to Learn Linky #9)

Apple activities are everywhere this month, and our very own Love to Learn Linky is no exception. Today I am featuring 5 Free Apple themed Printables for learning colors, math, language and fine motor skills!

Apples come in so many different colors. This makes them perfect for learning about color gradients! A color gradient is a gradual change from light to dark or from one color to another. 

A simple activity to help your child learn about gradients is using two different colored paints and gradually mixing one color into the other until it changes to a different shade. For example, start with yellow and mix in a little bit of green, then a little more green, then more until you get a full green color. Make sure you paint each step along the way on paper so you can look back and see the color change.

After your child understands the concept of color gradients, try this free printable activity where you place the apples in order from red to yellow and from green to yellow. You can even try this with real apples!

Click here to Download your Free Printable Apple Color Gradient Activity!

And now for more Apple themed Printables that were linked up at the Love to Learn Linky!

Apple Do-a-Dot Printables by Gift of Curiosity

Apple Pack Language Update by 3 Dinosaurs

All About Apples Playdough Unit by Adventures in Wunderland

Apple Number Cards & Activities by Fantastic Fun & Learning

If you were featured, grab a button!

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Visit my co-hosts to see all the other features!

10 Ways to Learn Math by Painting from Left Brain Craft Brain
7 Creative Letter Learning Activities for Preschoolers from A Little Pinch of Perfect
Apple Learning Activities for Preschoolers from One Time Through

LOVE TO LEARN LINKY

Now it's time for some more links! I hope you'll join me and a couple of friends for a brand new linky party!

Bloggers, link up your posts every Thursday and watch as we round them up and share them all over the place.

Almost anything goes, we're just hoping your activities teach kids (or us!) something. (science, art, cooking, behavior, crafting, parenting, etc...)

The Love to Learn Linky is Hosted by:

Totschooling: Viviana is a blogging mom to a toddler and a preschooler, sharing ideas and resources for early education. She specializes in unique, hands-on printable activities that are educational, fun and inspire creativity in young minds.

Left Brain Craft Brain: Anne is an ex-engineer, current stay-at-home mama writing about crafty ways to encourage creativity (and brain power!) in our kids. Each of her projects gives kids the chance to learn about a new subject and do something crafty at the same time.

A Little Pinch of Perfect: Katie combines creativity, play, and learning for the perfect mishmash of fun activities that keep kiddos entertained throughout the day. She wholeheartedly believes in the power of play and feels that all activities naturally provide a fun way to learn.

One Time Through: Sue is an Elementary School Teacher currently on leave to be at home with her preschooler son.  She shares ideas for connecting and learning with kids through meaningful, play-based activities that nurture curiosity and creativity.

Love to Learn Linky Etiquette:

• Posts should be about educating our kids in any way - science, art, cooking, crafts, behavior, parenting, etc. Please keep them family friendly and please no Etsy shops or giveaways unless they are relevant to the topic.

• Upload your direct post link to the InLinkz widget. Link up to 3 posts.

• Like the hosts on Facebook: Totschooling, A Little Pinch of Perfect, Left Brain Craft Brain and One Time Through.

• Or follow the hosts on Pinterest: A Little Pinch of Perfect, Left Brain Craft Brain, Totschooling and One Time Through.

• Post our button on your site.

• By linking up, you agree to have your images shared with credit.

Link up and grab a button!

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An InLinkz Link-up

Fall Leaf Shadow Matching

Fall is just around the corner and I've started talking to my girls about the changing leaves. I got the idea to make a quick activity that involves matching different types of leaves to their shadows. This shadow matching activity is great for visual discrimination practice, and can spark discussions about nature and science. 

Why do leaves change color in the Fall?

If your little one asks you this question, don't panic. The answer is a bit complicated, but you can say it in simple terms. 

The green color in leaves is made from chlorophyll, which is a substance that trees use to make their food. Trees need the sun to make chlorophyll. Since Fall days have less sunlight, trees take a break and stop producing it. The green color fades away revealing the different colors underneath. 

Some colors, like yellow and orange, were always there but covered by the green chlorophyll. Other colors, like red, are only made in the Fall from different chemical reactions. Nature is amazing, isn't it?

Different Ways to use this Printable

Shadow Matching Game:

Match the colored leaf cards to their shadows. This can be laminated for toddlers, or can be done as a cut and paste activity for preschoolers. 

Memory Game:

Print off two copies of the colored leaf cards and play the classic game.

Matching Game with Real Leaves:

Go on a nature walk and collect real leaves, and match them to the colored leaf cards.

Click here to Download your Free Fall Leaf Shadow Matching Game

For more visual discrimination activities for all seasons, take a look at this set of 20 printable matching activities for ages 1 to 4 - click here!

Fall Playdough Mats & Other Fall Activities (Love to Learn Linky #8)

As much as I love Summer, my favorite season is Fall. There is just something about the cool, crisp air, the beautiful multi-colored leaves, the fun Halloween costumes and the delicious Thanksgiving food! Even though Summer is not quite over yet, I wanted to jump-start the Fall fun with 10 FREE Fall themed playdough mats. Plus, continue reading for more Fall activities featured on the Love to Learn Linky!

These10 free Fall themed playdough mats include my favorite things about the season. In this fun pack, kids can create a Fall tree, a jack-o-lantern, a turkey, a bat, a witch, monster faces, ghost faces, spiders and more!

Download your Free Fall themed Playdough Mats here!

(If you're not quite ready for Fall, check out my Free Summer Playdough Mats)

Playdough mats work best when laminated. This is the laminator that I use. (affiliate link)

And now for more awesome Fall activities from the Love to Learn Linky:

Fall Crafts & Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers from Super Mommy Club

Autumn Leaf Wreath from P is for Preschooler

8 Creative Fall Activities for Kids from My Nearest and Dearest

Free Printable Leaf Identification Set from Look! We're Learning!

Fall Activities Kids Love from Teaching 2 & 3 Year Olds

If you were featured, grab a button!

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Visit my co-hosts to see all the other features!

Donut Shop Sensory Play from Left Brain Craft Brain
10 Easy Ways to Entertain Kids with Stuff Found Around Your House from A Little Pinch of Perfect
14+ DIY Gifts for Grandparents Day + Linky  from One Time Through

LOVE TO LEARN LINKY

Now it's time for some more links! I hope you'll join me and a couple of friends for a brand new linky party!

Bloggers, link up your posts every Thursday and watch as we round them up and share them all over the place.

Almost anything goes, we're just hoping your activities teach kids (or us!) something. (science, art, cooking, behavior, crafting, parenting, etc...)

The Love to Learn Linky is Hosted by:

Totschooling: Viviana is a blogging mom to a toddler and a preschooler, sharing ideas and resources for early education. She specializes in unique, hands-on printable activities that are educational, fun and inspire creativity in young minds.

Left Brain Craft Brain: Anne is an ex-engineer, current stay-at-home mama writing about crafty ways to encourage creativity (and brain power!) in our kids. Each of her projects gives kids the chance to learn about a new subject and do something crafty at the same time.

A Little Pinch of Perfect: Katie combines creativity, play, and learning for the perfect mishmash of fun activities that keep kiddos entertained throughout the day. She wholeheartedly believes in the power of play and feels that all activities naturally provide a fun way to learn.

One Time Through: Sue is an Elementary School Teacher currently on leave to be at home with her preschooler son.  She shares ideas for connecting and learning with kids through meaningful, play-based activities that nurture curiosity and creativity.

Love to Learn Linky Etiquette:

• Posts should be about educating our kids in any way - science, art, cooking, crafts, behavior, parenting, etc. Please keep them family friendly and please no Etsy shops or giveaways unless they are relevant to the topic.

• Upload your direct post link to the InLinkz widget. Link up to 3 posts.

• Like the hosts on Facebook: Totschooling, A Little Pinch of Perfect, Left Brain Craft Brain and One Time Through.

• Or follow the hosts on Pinterest: A Little Pinch of Perfect, Left Brain Craft Brain, Totschooling and One Time Through.

• Post our button on your site.

• By linking up, you agree to have your images shared with credit.

Link up and grab a button!

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An InLinkz Link-up

Tot School eBook

Every Parent Can Teach their Toddler: Learning Through Play Every Day

Do you want to give your toddler a head start? Or simply want to provide your child with a stimulating and fun environment? This eBook is the first and only resource of its kind. It is the ULTIMATE guide to "tot schooling" your child! 

Every Parent Can Teach their Toddler is a 135 page collaborative eBook written by 20 experienced tot schooling bloggers. It includes everything you need to know about teaching your toddler, from how to start and schedule your day, how to set up your learning space, to a multitude of activities for different age groups and subjects, including Montessori techniques, play based activities, printable activities, language and math development, potty training, transitioning to preschool and more!

I am so happy to announce that I am one of the contributing authors of this eBook. I wrote the chapter on Printable Activities and I also included 10 FREE toddler printables to encourage language & visual development. The printables focus on animals, vehicles, emotions, foods, household objects, body parts, clothing and musical instruments!

Take a look at the table of contents:

For another sneak peek, take a look at this short video:

Purchase your copy today for $9.99!