Letter C: Blue Skies & White Clouds Painting, Cloud Shapes, Rain Clouds Science, Fizzing Cloud Dough (Day 5)

1) Blue Skies & White Clouds Painting from Preschool Alphabet: You'll need:

• White Card Stock
• Paintbrush
• Blue Liquid Water Color (food coloring or watercolors will work as well)

1. On a piece of white paper, draw clouds and a Letter C with a white crayon.
2. Mix water and blue liquid water colors in a small cup.
3. Have your child paint the paper blue, revealing all of the white clouds.

2) Cloud Shapes: We love contact paper crafts around here. You'll need:

• Contact Paper
• Tape
• Black Marker
• Cotton Balls

1. Draw different shapes with a black marker on the non sticky side of contact paper. 
2. Remove the film and tape the contact paper onto the window (sticky side up).
3. Have your child draw a cotton ball (clouds) from a bag and tell them (or ask them) what the cloud's favorite shape is. Then, have your child place the cotton ball on the same shape.

3) Rain Clouds from The Happy House Wife:

• Large Jar
• Water
• Shaving Cream (foam, not gel)
• Blue Liquid Water Color or Food Coloring mixed with water
• Pipette 

1. Fill the jar almost to the top with water
2. Cover the top with a "cloud" of shaving cream
3. Have your child use a pipette to drop food coloring into the cloud until the color starts "raining" into the water below. Explain that this is how rain works, too. The water collects in the cloud until there is too much, and then it leaks through, forming rain.

4) Cloud Dough: My boys (ages: almost three and one) love sensory bins and this one kept them well entertained. We added toy cars to the mix this time. It's starting to get cold outside, so we did this activity in the bath tub to contain the mess. Afterward, I scooped all the cloud dough back in the bin and it wasn't much of a mess to clean up. Here's what you need:

1. Mix eight cups of flour and one cup of vegetable oil together in a large bin. 
2. Add any type of toy - toy cars, stacking cups, play dinosaurs, etc.

If you want to add a surprise ending to your cloud dough play, try making Fizzing Cloud Dough from Powerful Mothering. Here's what to do:

• Mix 4 cups of flour, 4 cups of baking soda and 1 cup of vegetable oil together in a large bin. Optional: Add an oil based food coloring if you'd like color.
• After some play time, bring out a squirt bottle or cup of vinegar. Your kids will love watching the cloud dough bubble!