Are there activities you always have on hand just in case you need to come up with something quickly? I have a small stash of materials for those afternoons when we need something to overcome the crankies. There are always glow sticks in that stash. I grab them from time to time when we go to the Dollar Tree, and the girls are always excited to see a new batch of them set out for playtime.
So what do we do with them? Some days I just set them in the dark play room, and let the girls come up with their own ideas. Their imaginations take over and I hear them pretending the glow sticks are money, food, pet snakes…you name it!
Other days I give them ideas or we focus on a learning activity.
They create pictures like this caterpillar…
…and the butterfly it became.
We make shapes, and I sneak in an opportunity to talk about the characteristics of different shapes.
Some afternoons we make letters.
As we do so the girls are practicing letter recognition, letter formation, and often discussing letter sounds.
Do your kids enjoy playing with glow sticks? What other ways do they like to play and learn with them?
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GET CREATIVE LEARNING IDEAS!
Mary Catherine
I know I’ve already gushed over this post! 🙂 A little more gushing won’t hurt, though, right?! I’m featuring you at this weekend’s Share It Saturday!
Jodi
I love this and featured you at Mom’s Library tonight. I’d love for you to come on over and check it out. Great work creating fun ideas for kids! http://www.meaningfulmama.com/2014/01/moms-library-splash-math-giveaway.html
OneMommy
So fun! I have tons of glow bracelets I’ve picked up. Need to try this!
I love how great your pics turned out, by the way!
Shaunna Evans
Have fun!
Mary Catherine
Love, love, love! I know my son and I are going to try out a few of your ideas at our next movie night (well, after the movie)! Also, this might be fun for a preschool pajama day.
Shaunna Evans
Good idea, Mary Catherine! I bet your son will come up with some fun creations.
Natalie F
Those are wonderful ideas. We always keep our glow sticks for outdoor activities, but perhaps we should bring them more inside. Thanks for sharing with Afterschool!
Shaunna Evans
Thank you, Natalie! You’ll find a whole new set of fun options indoors! 🙂