The Imagination Tree

Creative play and learning for kids

  • Home
  • Start here!
  • Welcome
    • About Me
    • Popular Posts
    • Play Challenge
    • Subscribe
  • Age
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Preschooler
    • School Age
  • Activities
    • Literacy
    • Numeracy
    • Creativity
    • Physical
    • PHSE
    • Science
  • Resources
    • Spaces
    • Toys
    • Books
  • Contact
  • Kindness Elves

Decorating Foam Eggs on the Window

March 14, 2013 by Anna Ranson

Create some beautiful patterned Easter eggs using craft foam on the window or in the bath! This activity is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, combines creativity and maths and is completely mess free! Plus it can be reused over and over again with limitless possibilities for the outcome, making it a truly open-ended activity.
We love to use craft foam shapes on the window as it opens up a whole new way of playing and creating, as well as being a fantastic way to encourage kids to work on a vertical plane, thus increasing strength in their shoulders and control in their arms while working. In the same way that working at an easel is great for posture and early gross motor control and co-ordination, standing to play at a window is equally beneficial, and thankfully plenty of fun too!
I cut out three large white egg shapes from A4 sized pieces of craft foam, and stuck them to the window using water. Then I cut lots of matching shapes using scraps of coloured craft foam, and arranged them along with a pot of water and some brushes as a little Invitation to Play and create! The girls have played with our Spring pictures and lots of other pieces on the window before, so knew exactly how the foam would stick and got busy straight away.
Cakie immediately wanted to make some patterns and chose shapes that she could use to make repeated patterns and also arranged them into pictures. I played alongside them and we talked a lot about the shapes we were using, their names and properties and how to match them up or make them repeat in a pattern.
Pop matched a lot of shapes together and made a partially symmetrical picture on her egg, talking about the colours and naming some shapes correctly, and others she guessed.
Baby Bean wanted to get in on the action too, and this proved to be a perfect activity for her. She had been watching the big girls dipping their foam pieces in water and she tried doing the same, then stuck them to either the window itself or onto the eggs.

It was great for her fine motor development too as she had to work really hard to pick off and place back each little piece, and she concentrated really hard to achieve it each time! It’s so sweet to watch them all playing together, with the little one not quite so little any more, sob!

What they are learning while they play:
creativity: combining materials, exploring shapes, colours and patterns, working on a large scale
maths: copying and inventing their own patterns, recognising and naming shapes, matching shapes
physical: working on a vertical plane, strengthening shoulder and arm muscles and control, using small tools and materials, pincer grasp for fine motor development

Cakie: 4.6
Pop: 2.11
Bean: 12 mos

 
See also:
Spring Foam pictures on the window
Playing with Shapes on the window
Making Matisse masterpieces in the bath!

Never miss a play idea again! Sign up to have all posts delivered straight to your inbox.

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner
Join us on The Imagination Tree facebook page for daily play ideas and conversation with the early years community!

See our huge range of  Spring play and creative activities here!

Related Posts

  • Counting and Addition Activity Tray
  • Alphabet Sound Machine
  • Nature Exploration Table Nature Exploration Table
  • Counting and Measuring with LegoCounting and Measuring with Lego
  • Counting with Beads and Pipe Cleaners Maths Activity
  • Count and Sort Posting Box Maths Game

Filed Under: Age, Art, Art, Art and Craft, Baby, Craft, Create, Creativity, Easter, Eggs, Foam, Learn, Make, Motor Skills, Patterns, Preschooler, School Age, Shapes, Spring, Toddler, Toys & Games, Window Art, Window Play Tagged With: Preschool Ideas

« Threading with Pipe Cleaners and Beads
Count and Sort Posting Box Maths Game »

Comments

  1. Kirsty says

    March 14, 2013 at 6:52 pm

    Cute idea!

  2. Anonymous says

    March 15, 2013 at 2:51 am

    I ԁon’t drop a comment, however after looking at through a lot of remarks on “Decorating Foam Eggs on the Window”. I do have a few questions for you if you don’t mind.
    Could іt be οnly mе or doeѕ it look like like some οf these commеnts apрear lіke thеy are left by brаin dead individuals?
    😛 And, if you arе writing on other ѕocіal
    sites, I would lіke to follow eveгything fresh уou have to рost.
    Would you pοst a list οf all
    of your ѕocial netωorking pages like your tωitter
    feed, Facebook page or linkedin profile?

    Also visit my wеbsite – Daniel Chavez Moran

  3. Serendipitychild says

    March 15, 2013 at 2:11 pm

    This is agreat fun idea, I love it. I think I recall you did a similar thing inspired by mattisse?
    I am looking forward to doing this sort of activity with my little one who is a similar age to your but at the moment he loves the texture of the foam too much and it ends up being chewed and broken into bits!

  4. Emma says

    March 16, 2013 at 9:01 pm

    I’m disappointed in myself, because I want to ask if they came off the window ok? 😉

    I love the window idea, I want to try with some contact paper soon.

  5. Mama D says

    March 17, 2013 at 3:15 pm

    Cute! I love how versatile foam is. I will have to try this idea out.

The Imagination Tree on FacebookThe Imagination Tree on TwitterThe Imagination Tree on PinterestThe Imagination Tree on G+RSS feed from The Imagination TreeThe Imagination Tree straight to your inbox

Search The Imagination Tree

About The Imagination Tree Hello and welcome! I'm Anna, Mama of 4, early years teacher and play enthusiast from the UK! Click here to read more about me.

The Kindness Elves Store
Play Ideas on The Imagination Tree

Create with The Imagination Tree

Makes on The Imagination Tree

Sign up for our FREE emails:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT