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Lavender Scented Sensory Paint and Pre-Writing in Preschool!

We are pleased to join the #PlayfulPreschool blogging team in offering Flowers-themed playful learning activities this week!  Please be sure to check out more awesome activities that are linked at the bottom of this post!

Lavender has long been thought to bring a calming and soothing effect to both adults and children.  It would be rare to find anyone who could walk through a field of lavender without stopping to notice the heavenly fragrance!  According to Psychology Today, “When it comes to lavender’s soothing claims, science seems to be giving the nod to aromatherapy’s validity.”  Using lavender oil scented paint with preschoolers is an easy, soothing, and delightful sensory learning experience!

Disclaimer:  This post and others within this blog contains affiliate and distributor links.  Opinions are my own.

Lavender Scented Sensory Paint

Materials needed:

• Purple Washable Paint (for a lighter color, add a few drops of White Washable Paint)
• Lavender Essential Oil – just 3-4 drops per cup of paint
• Paint Tray or Paper Plate

Mix the purple paint, white paint, and 3-4 drops of the lavender essential oil on a paint tray or a paper plate.  You’ll immediately notice the aroma of the lavender oil.  It only takes a few drops to make regular paint a new sensory experience for preschoolers.  The paint is fun to use alone, but to create a special learning experience, try the pre-writing activity below!

Lavender Scented Sensory Pre-Writing Activity for Preschool!

Purpose:  to encourage stroke directionality, fine motor control, transferring, tracing, and pre-writing skills in preschool-aged children.

Materials needed:

• One lavender pre-writing free printable – Lavender PreWriting Practice
• Blank die or wood cubes (one for each child or small group)
• Permanent Marker
• Lavender Paint (made above)
• Painting tools – Q-tips or paintbrushes
• Paint Smock or an old T-shirt (to protect clothing)

Label the blank dice or wood cubes with various line paths (dotted lines, curved lines, straight lines, etc.).  Print one copy of the Lavender Pre-Writing Practice page (linked above) for each child.  Invite the children to roll the die (or cube) and then transfer (copy) the line pattern on the die to the lavender printable using the painting tool and the lavender scented paint. Remind the children to paint the line paths from the LEFT side of the page to the RIGHT side of the page.

For younger children:  Make line paths on the printable with a permanent marker and invite the children to trace the lines with their painting tool and the lavender scented paint.

For textured line paths, add small pieces of real lavender, lavender leaves, or glitter to the painted line paths before drying.  Allow the paint to thoroughly dry. When dry, invite the children to use their finger to trace the line paths, FEEL the textures, and SMELL the paths to see if they can detect the lavender scent.

The lavender paint creates a unique and FUN flower-themed sensory activity for practicing pre-writing and transfer skills!  Our kids loved the scent and asked to do the activity MANY days in a row!

For more great ways to PLAY with a FLOWER THEME in Preschool, please see the amazing activities below:

Alphabet Activities: Flower Vases by Growing Book by Book
Spring and summer are full of opportunities for preschoolers to pick flowers from the yard. Bring a bouquet inside and have fun arranging them while learning about the alphabet in this fun and playful activity.

Flower Hunt by Color by Mom Inspired Life
Get outside with your preschooler and explore nature while hunting for flowers by color! Use the included printable to record your findings and then practice various math concepts with your data.

A Honey Bee Craft and Science Activity for Kids from The Educators’ Spin On It
Flowers are not just beautiful, they have a purpose too! Many flowers turn into the food we eat. Honey bees are to thank for this! Grab your markers and celebrate the pollinators with this bee craft and science activity for kids.

 Kid-Made Cupcake Liner Flowers
Children love to create art using a variety of materials. Grab some colorful cupcake liners, buttons, and pompoms and watch their creativity bloom!  – Fun-A-Day

Chalk Art: Flower Power Letter Matching from Tiny Tots Adventures
Take learning outdoors. Fill the driveway with letter flowers and provide your child with plenty of opportunities to practice writing, matching, and tracing the alphabet.

Number Flowers by Still Playing School
There is so much playful math involved with our Flower Number Garden! Our kids especially loved the “magical” way we made them “grow!”

Colors and Numbers Flower Sensory Play for Preschoolers by Life Over C’s
Learn colors, count, and practice fine motor skills with flower sensory play for preschoolers!

Ending Word Sound Flowers by Capri + 3 – Make an easy word family game with paper flowers to practice reading simple CVC or consonant- vowel – consonant words.

Finger Print Flowers by Powerful Mothering
Ask your child to make a beautiful flower garden with their fingers, sit back, and watch the magic.

Letter Recognition Flowers by Rainy Day Mum
Work with preschoolers on letter recognition with this reusable flowers activity that is simple to make and can be used again and again.