Tubes and tunnels

Sometimes the very simplest things turn out to be the biggest hits, don’t they? Take these insanely easy paper tunnels for example… A totally random idea, thrown together on the spot, and yet Sam just loves them. Do all little car lovers have a ‘thing’? I once nannied a little car lover who was obsessed…

These Rainbow Ice Tunnels are the perfect blend of science and art! Watch the colors etch tunnels into the ice molds to form a unique design!

Guess what I stumbled upon recently? The fact that you can cut paper cups to look like little tunnels. So, obviously, we have been pretty busy around here ... Of course, you already know this if you are in the coolest club around - The Quiet Time Club! You would know about this neat activity

Looking for math activities for the kids? Here are 50+ quick and simple math activities perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.

This collection of 10+ toilet paper roll activities is easy on the budget and builds multiple skills. Kids love them!

What can you learn from a cardboard tube? Experience science concepts like friction, make predictions, and practice observation skills.

After months of collecting paper tubes from foil and paper towels we were looking for an activity that we could do with some of them. After seeing them used as tunnels for pom poms on another blog...

A week full of fun, memory making moments is only a simple common, household supply away. Grab some cardboard tubes, big and small, and get ready for some perfectly simple paper roll activities.

A simple and easy STEM activity for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten that encourages exploration and problem-solving; Pre-K STEM exploration

Cardboard tube STEM activities for kids to try using cardboard rolls or tubes or even toilet paper rolls! An affordable and easy addition to your STEM lessons!

The Simple Machines theme is a part of your child's prek4 creative curriculum. Here are some book recommendations from the Children's librarians at Newark Public Library... check out your local branch library for bug books and sign your child up for a free library card. Underground (2012) by Denise Fleming Count on the Subway (2014) by [...]

This blog post will take you through section 1 of the Purposeful Play book by Kristine Mraz. This post is designed with preschool and kindergarten teachers.

This week's fine motor skill activity is SUPER frugal, and just uses an empty cardboard tube and elastic hair bands (hair ties). The following post contains affiliate links, which means that at no extra cost to you I can make a tiny bit of money to help support this blog. Thank you! This activity was based around No Time for Flashcard's Fine Motor Skills Challenge, which involved unwrapping elastic bands from corks. Instead of the cork I used a strong cardboard tube (from kitchen foil rather…

Magnetic Tubes – HAPPY TODDLER PLAYTIME - This is a very fun and easy STEM activity for toddlers and preschoolers to explore the power of magnets to move metal objects up through cardboard tubes!

Keep kids busy for hours with this simple sensory bin! They will love pouring colored beans through the funnels and watching them come out the tubes below. If you liked our PVC pipe sand and water table, you might enjoy this simpler option for indoors. We used PVC pipe that we had on hand to […]

Tubes & Tunnels Rebus chart

Work Task Wednesday featuring a test tube center to practice patterns, sequencing, color ID, following directions, hand dominance, grip, and more.

Cardboard Tube Activities for Kids - Most of us just toss or recycle toilet paper tubes without a thought. Instead, you can do STEM activities with toilet paper rolls that will keep kids engaged and thinking on the cheap. Join us at STEMtropolis.com for activities for kids and STEM challenges with toilet paper tubes and other household items!

An easy letter recognition activity that requires just a little bit of prep. It combines letter recognition and building using recycled materials!

All year we’ve been having fun with colors, but these past few weeks we had a fun pom pom center! This included a pompom drop and a place to sort the pompoms by color. I came across some great ideas for pompom drops on Pinterest, but this was just a quick throw-together. I would love to attach these to wood instead of just paper! Anyway, I began with cardboard tubes (I’m such a hoarder) and painted them 6 different colors using 2-3 coats of regular tempera paint. Then I attached them with…