Letter O Crafts and Activities

Oatmeal fun
Items needed
* Flour
* Oatmeal
* * Bowl
Water

Combine ½ cup flour, ½ cup water and 1 cup of oatmeal in a bowl and have your child knead together until smooth.  The roll and cut into shapes like playing dough.  This dough can be refrigerated but is perishable so be sure to make in small batches and throw away after a few days and make a fresh batch.

Obstacle Course
Items needed
* Your body

Call out 3 different things your child should do in order throughout the house and then come back to you when they are done.  For instance, 1) touch the TV, 2) knock on the door 3) pick up the paper on the ground and come back to me.  Then switch up the course and have them do 3 other activities.  This is a great outdoor activity as well. You can even get things done as well as throw in some fun exercises – for instance pick up all the books, do three jumping jacks, knock on the door.

Octopus craft
Items needed
* Styrofoam cup
* Pipe cleaners
* Markers
* Pencil

Turn the cup upside down and make 8 holes with your pencil on the open end of the Styrofoam cup. Insert the pipe cleaners into each hole for 8 legs.  Then draw on eyes, nose and mouth for an adorable octopus!

Letter N Crafts and Activities

My Name is Special

Items Needed

* Cardstock
* Stencils (optional)
* Glue
* Miscellaneous decorative items (buttons, pasta, glitter, feathers, paint, sequins, foam)

Kids love to see their names or initials on everything. Cut each letter out of cardstock and have your child decorate their own initials or names according to their own tastes and interests. Make sure you have plenty of craft items that can be used to decorate such as glue, glitter, jewels, sequins, baseball cards, pictures of Barbie, silk flowers, shells, buttons, beans or anything you can think of.

Noodle Necklaces

Items Needed

* Pasta
* Glue
* Paint
* Glitter
* Floss
* Ribbon
* Frozen juice containers

Anything goes for this one! Paint, glue, glitter, string together for necklaces and bracelets. Of course, strangulation caution should be used in anything that goes around a child’s neck.

Noodle Necklace
Items needed
* String
* Macaroni noodles (uncooked)

Have your child make a necklace by stringing the noodles onto the string. Tie a knot after the string is full.  You can also color the noodles with markers or paint before stringing.

Nature Walk
Items needed
* Your body

No matter what the weather, take a nature walk with your child this week.  Take the time to point out colors and animals and trees and when appropriate, collect nature items that you can put into a nature box or book.  Take photographs of things too large to bring home or those that should stay where they are.

Napkin Rings
Items needed
* Empty toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls
* Stickers, markers, etc

Cut your rolls into 1-2 inch lengths and have your child decorate each with stickers, markers and more.  Slip a paper or cloth napkin through and set one at each place setting for dinner!

Letter M Crafts and Activities

Mobiles

Items Needed

* Old picture frames of various sizes
* Dental floss, yarn, or string

Choose two different size picture frames, just use the empty frame. Use the dental floss and tie a piece at each of the four corners. Also tie four pieces of floss together at the top to create a triangle. Tie the small frame to a larger frame so it hangs below. Be sure to use the same length of floss! Use more dental floss and randomly tie things to each of the frames.

Draw Maps
Items needed
* Paper
* Pencils
* Crayons

Pick a location that your family visits often. Just pick one at a time so you can make easy maps, when your child learns maps you can add more then one location to the map. Map the location using street lines, mark various spots and landmarks you see along the way and let your child color in trees, buildings and other areas. The next time you are out and going to that location, take the map with you so your child can follow along! Have him identify the different things on the map so he can point them out.

Marble painting
Items needed
* Washable paint
* Paper
* Large dish tub
* Marbles
* Small containers

Put a small amount of paint into different small containers, one for each color.  Drop a marble into each container and roll around to coat the marble with paint.  Put a piece of paper into the large tub and drop each of the different colored marbles into the tub.  Roll the tub around letting the marbles paint onto the paper in various lines and shapes.  Remove the marbles carefully and allow your paper to dry.

Math Money
Items needed
* Pennies
* Nickels
* Quarters
* Dimes

Put a bunch of each of the coins into a small box or jar and have your child sort into groups.  Talk about the value of each coin and then pretend to buy things with the money he has in front of him.

Letter L Crafts and Activities

Lid Collage
Items needed
* Old lids from containers, milk jugs and jars
* Glue
* Cardboard or heavy cardstock

After the lids are washed and dried, glue them all over the cardboard. This is a fun and easy lid collage! See what pictures can be made using the colored lids.

Ladybug Thumbs
Items needed
* Red washable inkpad
* Paper
* Black marker or pen

Using the red inkpad, have your child red fingerprints all over the paper. Wash hands then use the pen to draw a head and add dots! Don’t forget to add antennae and legs.

Leaf Rubbing
Items needed
* Leaves
* Paper
* Crayons

When the leaves have fallen to the ground you can pick them up and work on a fun craft project! All you need to do is put one leaf under a piece of paper. Then use the side of a crayon (remove the paper first) and rub gently over the leaf. The shape and veins will show through the paper! Use different colored crayons on each leaf. Also try making a leaf rub of different colors on the same page. You can easily make a beautiful picture.

Leapfrog
Items needed
* Lots of kids!

Leapfrog is a fun way for kids to use their gross motor skills!  The first child squats down as small as he can and the next child jumps over his back. When he lands, he moves forward slightly and then crouches down too so that the third child has to jump over both bodies.  Keep going until the last child is crouched down, and then the first child gets up to go over the rest.  Continue on until no one wants to leap anymore!

Letter K Crafts and Activities

Key Tracing
Items needed
* Old keys in various shapes
* Pencil
* Paper

Have your child trace around the various keys on the paper. Cut the key shapes out. Then match the correct key and shape! You can also cut the shapes out then cut them up. When you are finished you have a key puzzle to work out!

K Balancing
Items needed
* Your body

Have your child form the letter k with is body while standing – balance on one foot with the other leg out and one arm out and up. Have your children take turns balancing and count, see who can balance the longest!

Knots
Items needed
* String

Making knots is great practice for fine motor development. Show your child how to make a knot with string and have him do it over and over on the same piece for practice.  This is also a great time to start showing how to tie shoes and practice!

KoolAid Play Dough
Items needed
* Packets of unsweetened drink mix
* Homemade or commercial white play dough

Knead a small amount of drink mix into your play dough until the desired color consistency is reached.  It makes your dough smell great too! Just because it smells good does not mean it tastes good, make sure any younger children do not eat the colored play dough.

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