It has been an unusually mild winter around here. There has been very little snow and the temperature feels more like spring that winter. It has been interesting talking and learning about winter while you barely need a jacket outside!This week, we used some heart-shaped ice cube trays to make colored ice for the discovery […] Read more…
Reserved Parking Only: Parking Lot Playmat
We made this parking lot to use in our block center the last few weeks. We used a large piece of brown felt for the pavement. The colored spaces are parking spots for the cars. Each parking spot is made of felt. We guided the children in matching their cars to the space that was “reserved” for […] Read more…
Math Trays for Multi-Age Preschool
One of the challenges we face in our program is the multiple ages and developmental levels of the children we serve. We constanly strive to meet the learning needs of all the children in appropriate ways. One activity that we have started doing this year is math trays. I found these baskets at Target for […] Read more…
Ten in the Bed
When I was a child I remember my family snuggling in my mom and dad’s bed and playing this game. We would say, “There were 5 in the bed and the little one said, ‘Roll over’”. Slowly but surely each family member would roll out of the bed until finally only one remained. It is […] Read more…
The Napping House
Throughout the month of January we have been enjoying stories and activities that have to do with Night Time. This week, the preschoolers really enjoyed the story The Napping House by Audry Wood. After introducing the story we added some story props to act out the story. We used my old lady from “The Old […] Read more…
Teaching Kindness…It's Like Magic
I was at my favorite store this week, Target, and low and behold found another treasure in the $ Spot! As a part of Conscious Discipline, we encourage children to look for ways to be helpful/kind. I found this little Valentine Tree with heart shaped ornaments and knew right away that it was the perfect […] Read more…
Making Commitments
This week I began teaching my first Conscious Discipline class for parents. As a part of our “Brain Smart Start” we make a commitment. Since Conscious Discipline is a journey, I chose to use the vehicles to represent each of the class participants. They chose their preferred “mode of transportation”, read the commitment for the evening, and […] Read more…
Senses of the Season
Each year our Gingerbread Man unit of study is a big hit! It is a perfect opportunity to explore the five senses. Next week I will be using a couple of new activities I’ve created.On Monday, when I introduce the 5 Senses, we will be singing the following song and doing related activities.“Senses of the […] Read more…
Christmas Greetings
I have recently created some new Christmas greetings for you to use in your classroom to help with “making connections”. One of my classroom jobs is a “greeter”. Each day, the children are greeted by me when they arrive. They are also greeted by another child at circle time. They love trying out new greetings! […] Read more…
Planting a Pumpkin
This is a very relaxing and gentle way to connect with someone you love. This is great just before bedtime or during quiet times of day. The original idea of “Planting a Flower” came from Mary Jo Huff at a recent early childhood conference. My daughter and my students love it so much that I wanted to create […] Read more…