top 10: collections

Here is a list of my top 10 favorite items to create collections that the little people can then use for sorting, patterning, counting, and creating.


1.  stones
2.  carpet samples
3.  telephone cords
4.  bottle caps
5.  wine bottle corks
6.  dried flower petals
7.  buttons
8.  seeds
9.  discarded keys
10.  nuts and bolts


What types of things do you like to use to create collections in place of plastic-store bought manipulatives?

top 10: tools to paint with

Here is a list of my top ten favorite tools to use with paint!


1.  leaves and flowers
2.  trucks
3.  sponges
4.  fingers
5.  forks
6.  marbles
7.  string
8.  rolling pins
9.  cotton balls
10.  spray bottles

What are your favorite non-traditional tools to encourage creativity with paint?

top 10: sensory items

Here is a list of my top ten favorite items to encourage sensory play!


1.  shaving cream with rakes
2.  soapy water with whisks, bubble wands, and sponges
3.  colored water with pvc pipes and other other tubing materials, funnels, and cups
4.  a mixture of rice and beans with sieves, funnels, and scoops
5.  mud with sticks, leaves, and rocks
6.  dry sand with spoons and bowls
7.  dried corn with empty bottles and cans
8.  a collection of leaves, flower petals, and twigs with heavy rocks (or a mortar and pedestal)
9.  a tub lined with butcher paper, marbles, and squirt bottles of paint
10.  ice cubes

What are your favorite materials that encourage little people to dig in and explore in the sensory table?