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We are staying home for preschool this year…We’re taking a pretty relaxed/informal approach to learning kindergarten skills. I figure they have their entire lives to do worksheets and homework, right? Instead we’ve been taking our own “field trips”, and doing other hands on learning activities.  Every now and then we throw in a worksheet to help them practice writing their letters, or to help reinforce a reading readiness skill.

We try to keep it FUN and frugal with activities like this one:

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I came across a similar Watercolor Initials Activity on… you guessed it… Pinterest a while back, and I decided to simplify it even further for my crafty-challenged brain and my young learners.

For This Watercolor Alphabet Letter Activity You’ll Need:

• Construction Paper or Card Stock (You can use regular paper but it may wrinkle)
• Watercolor Paints (Check clearance racks from Back to School leftovers – we scored these for .30 a piece!)
• Painter’s Tape
• Paint Brushes
• Cup of Water

Instructions for Watercolor Alphabet Letters:

1. Use Painter’s Tape to make your child’s initial or the letter of the week on the construction paper or card stock.

2. Have you child paint around their initial with the watercolors. Be sure to cover the outside of the painter’s tape well with paint to outline the letter.While they are painting, you can name things that begin with their letter sound.

3. Allow the paint to dry completely.

4. Carefully remove the Painter’s Tape to reveal the letter underneath.

Fun + Learning + Frugal = Winning!

It’s been a while since I’ve done a “Fun for a Buck” post.  The whole surgery recovery and prior kinda stifled my creative juices, but hopefully I’ll have more frequent frugal fun posts to share from here out!

This one was SO EASY to create!  I originally this Cornstarch Sidewalk Paint on Pinterest, and decided to give it a shot.

You only need 3 ingredients to create this Sidewalk Chalk Paint:

• Cornstarch
• Water
• Food Coloring

Directions:

The easiest and least messy way to mix the paint from my experience is to take this entire activity OUTSIDE!  That way if things spill in the mixing process the mess is outside and not all over your countertops. 

I filled each individual muffin tin about 1/2 way full with cornstarch and then used a sports bottle top water bottle to fill and stir into a paste. You’ll need to mix 3-5 drops of food coloring to make bold colors.

I was a little worried about the food coloring staining the little people, their clothes, or the sidewalk, but everything washed up nicely and they kept the paint contained within the muffin tin for the most part.

My only regret was I should have had thicker paint brushes to cover the sidewalk better, but the boys didn’t mind one bit! Also, if you do this activity on a hot day, it dries very quickly, so you may need to water down your paint periodically.

Clean up is easier than it looks.  Water dissolves the paint mixture nicely – next time I’ll probably just wash it out with the hose. Can you tell that I like to keep the mess outside as much as possible?  =)

Hope you enjoy this “Fun for a Buck” activity as much as we did!

For more “Fun for a Buck” ideas, check out these:

• Macaroni Jewelry with Pipe Cleaners
• Painter’s Tape Roadways
• Shaving Cream Finger Paint

No matter how hard I cheer for spring to arrive, I know we still have lots of indoor days ahead.  Macaroni Jewelry is a fun, easy, and CHEAP activity to keep little hands busy and Mama happy while we wait for warmer sunshiny days! (Actually, the secret is I had fun making these too!)

All you need to make these is:

* Pipe Cleaners

* A Box of Macaroni

It’s a great activity to practice fine motor skills.  You can also incorporate colors and counting learning as well!

Tie a knot in one end of the pipe cleaner. Then, little hands can string the macaroni through to the end of the knot.  Continue to fill until the bracelet or necklace is full. Then simply twist the two ends together.

Simple. Easy. Fun for a Buck!

More Great Fun for a Buck Ideas: