Valentine's Day is over, but the color scheme works so well for a lot of things - and I have been too lazy to take the decorations out to the shed. So, red, white and ink STEAM it is! Fortunately, just about any STEAM project can be made to fit a color scheme!
Our messiest centers are always next to the sink. We now have these handy-dandy tablecloths to make clean-up easier, too! I put them on our Amazon wish list a while back, and two patrons have each purchased one so far. This one just arrived yesterday, in perfect timing! You can find there at this link (I am not an affiliate and do not get anything if you buy one!)
Fizzing Hearts
Good old baking soda and vinegar takes an artistic turn when you add liquid watercolors. I prefer liquid watercolors to food coloring, because it is less likely to stain, but I use both. Not pictured: old adult-sized t-shirts to slip on over kids' clothes first.
Of course, while this young lady was very precise, many kids just poured on the liquid. No big deal to dump the trays, but that created a traffic jam at the sink.
Next time I will put out a dump bucket and rags to dry with in the other direction.
Sweetheart Slime
Slime is always a hit! I add red food coloring to the water from the start, for less mess (if there is such a thing as less mess when it comes to making slime).
The table didn't stay that clean for long! Neither did the chairs. Or the floor...
I usually mix up some Borax and water in a cup for the stubborn ones that just won't gel, and keep it out of kids' reach. A little drop of that, and everything starts setting up nicely!
We Love Bubbles
Every time we use bubbles I see this guy from Finding Nemo:
Even before Covid, I made sure everyone had their own straw, because: ew.
You might station a trash can nearby just to make sure they don't get picked up and reused.
MY BUBBLES!
Rolling Along
You did remember to save all those tubes from your wrapping paper, right?
Of course any sort of ball works, but I had these pearls for some as-yet-undetermined-purpose and thought they were just special enough to go with Valentine's Day.
I Ran Out of Cute Names Balance Center
Anything with candy is going to be a hit! For this one you just need two kind that have different weights. Of course, you'll want to watch what goes into mouths - anything with tiny pieces I make sure to put on tables, so it isn't automatically in baby reach.
Does having the same number (ooh, counting practice!) on each side balance it out? Why do you think that is? How many red hots do you need to balance out one hard candy? (ratios and fractions at 3 years old!)
Tower Time
Simplest center ever. We use these tiny cups throughout the year to hold small craft items like sequins or googly eyes. Great investment.
I Suppose I Could at Least Have Called it Pretty Patterns or Something
Pony beads are always a hit (parents seem to like to play here, too!) They do go everywhere, which means keeping an eye out and scooping them up before the crawlers do.
Many kids just liked stacking them on the skewers, which was fine - still getting that fine motor practice in!
Sweetheart Sort
Again, very simple center, just grab everything red, white or pink you see in your craft stash. Sorting and classifying are huge in both math and science, and there are so many ways to build vocabulary here!
We had a lot of fun, and those tablecloths really helped with clean-up! What are your favorite crafts or activities to do with Valentine's Day?
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