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There’s something utterly fascinating about rain to the young and curious minds of toddlers and preschoolers. From the rhythmic sound of droplets hitting the roof to the mesmerizing sight of rain trickling down the windowpane, rain captivates in a way few other things do. Tapping into this natural curiosity, we’ve designed an educational and engaging Letter R Rain Activity. It’s a perfect blend of creativity, fun, and learning, tailored specifically for little learners. This activity not only introduces the letter R but also combines art with the joy of discovering new letters and sounds. Let’s turn a rainy day—or any day, really—into an opportunity for a splashy educational adventure!
Activity Overview
- Age Suitability: This craft is good for toddlers aged children 3 years old and up with adult assistance.
- Mess Level: The mess level for this craft is medium.
- Difficulty to Create: Low.
Materials Needed
- Large sheet of white paper
- Black marker
- Paper plate
- Blue paint
- Toilet paper roll
- Painter’s tape
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare the Rainy Scene: On a large sheet of white paper, use the black marker to draw a large cloud at the top. Write the upper and lower case Rs inside the cloud. Beneath the cloud, scatter letters all over the paper, making sure to include a good mix of uppercase and lowercase Rs among other letters.
- Secure the Canvas: Use painter’s tape to attach the paper to a table, wall, or floor. This prevents the paper from shifting as your child engages with the activity.
- Create Your Raindrop Stamp: Take a toilet paper roll and pinch one side to form a raindrop shape. This will be your stamp.
- Set Up the Painting Station: Pour some blue paint onto a paper plate. This will be your “rain.”
- Start the Rainstorm: Invite your child to dip the raindrop-shaped end of the toilet paper roll into the blue paint and then stamp over all the Rs on the paper. Each R gets its very own raindrop!
How They Played:
Watching my kids dive into this activity was a joy. They were immediately drawn to the novelty of using a toilet paper roll as a paintbrush. Each found their own rhythm, some meticulously searching for every R to stamp, while others enjoyed the sensory experience of stamping and creating patterns with the blue paint. They even started making rain sounds as they worked, fully immersing themselves in the rainy day scenario we’d created. It was a beautiful blend of learning and imaginative play.
Tips for Success:
- Non-toxic Paint: Ensure the paint is non-toxic and washable, making cleanup easy and keeping the activity safe.
- Protect Surfaces: Lay down newspapers or a plastic tablecloth to protect surfaces from paint splatters.
- Embrace the Mess: Part of the fun is getting a little messy. Keep a damp cloth nearby for easy hand cleaning.
- Expand the Activity: Discuss the sound that R makes and list words that start with R, enhancing vocabulary and phonics skills.
Skills Learned:
- Fine Motor Skills: Gripping the toilet paper roll and controlling the stamping motion helps develop fine motor skills.
- Letter Recognition: Identifying and stamping the Rs reinforces letter recognition, an essential pre-reading skill.
- Creativity: Using unconventional materials for painting sparks creativity and encourages thinking outside the box.
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlersincludes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschoolwhich includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years.That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
Thesetoddler and preschool lesson plans and activitieswill definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book:Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more informationExciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy atAmazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book:Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copyhere.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book:Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast?The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 yearsold and up.
TV Show:Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV showCurious Craftingwhich launched in July 2022 onTVOkidsandTVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
Letter R Raindrop Activity Summary
Print Pin Rate
Materials
- Large sheet of white paper
- Black marker
- Paper plate
- Blue paint
- Toilet paper roll
- Painter's tape
Instructions
Prepare the Rainy Scene:On a large sheet of white paper, use the black marker to draw a large cloud at the top. Write the letter r in upper and lower cases on the cloud. Beneath the cloud, scatter letters all over the paper, making sure to include a good mix of uppercase and lowercase Rs among other letters.
Secure the Canvas:Use painter's tape to attach the paper to a table or floor. This prevents the paper from shifting as your child engages with the activity.
Create Your Raindrop Stamp:Take a toilet paper roll and pinch one side to form a raindrop shape. This will be your stamp.
Set Up the Painting Station:Pour some blue paint onto a paper plate. This will be your "rain."
Start the Rainstorm:Invite your child to dip the raindrop-shaped end of the toilet paper roll into the blue paint and then stamp over all the Rs on the paper. Each R gets its very own raindrop!
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