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Halloween Teacher Favorites
I’m loving that pink has become a Halloween color! This year’s list of my favorite Halloween goodies for teachers is heave on the pink and really leaning into cozy vibes. These are all items that would be fun to wear for the holiday OR to give as gifts. If you like a more traditional black and orange color palette then be sure to check out my favorites from last year. All links are affiliates. Reading ghosts sweatshirt – Is this not the cutest?! Perfect for a teacher, librarian, or anyone who loves to read. Bat slippers – perfect for a cozy weekend in or after a long day on your…
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Preschool Halloween Materials
It’s October, and in my world that means it’s Halloween all month long! I’ve always loved to incorporate seasonal materials into the classroom. I think that really fits with the idea of creating a more home-like classroom environment. Many families incorporate seasonal decor into their homes, so it makes perfect sense to do the same at school. Here are some of the supplies and materials that I love to have on hand because there are so many different ways to use them. All links are affiliates! Large plastic bowls – These can serve so many purposes; toss beanbags into them for gross motor practice, store materials for activities, hold the…
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35 Autumn Themes for Preschool
I’m always looking for new ideas, and sometimes that means exploring something different. Luckily, autumn offers so many natural themes! Here are 35 ideas to inspire your lesson plans over the next couple of months:
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Halloween Teacher Gift Inspiration
I love to make sure that my daughter’s teachers (and my teacher friends) know how much we appreciate them, so I try not to let a holiday pass without sending in some goodies. Over the years I’ve shared a number of teacher gift ideas, but the favorites are always baked goods. They can share them with each other or their families, and it’s not one more mug or candle to add to their ever-growing collection. For Halloween I’ve been collecting inspiration for a variety of different cookies so that I can put together a great big gift box. Here are the types that I’m considering at the moment: I’ll be…
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Fall Leaf Mosaics
It’s been a strange fall season so far – it hasn’t felt much like fall weather-wise, but I’m still yearning for all of the coziness and autumn colors. I’ve got a perfect fall preschool art project for you today! These mosaics require multiple steps (which mean that they can be on your lesson plans for a few days) and they target fine motor skills, sorting and categorizing, planning and execution, and artistic expression. To create beautiful leaf mosaics your class will first need to collect leaves in a wide variety of colors. This can be done on your program’s playground, on a walk in the neighborhood, a field trip to…
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Preschool Nature Mobile
Here’s another really easy fall activity for your lesson plans! This nature mobile requires children to collect the natural materials, and then some artistic planning involved in putting it all together. Once the mobile is complete you can also introduce a scientific component with identifying the objects and watching how they change as they hang in your classroom. This is an excellent way to explore the plants in your specific area. You can take a walk to gather materials as a group, or ask families to donate items that they find around their homes. I grabbed a long twig and used that to hang all of the items from. Introducing…
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Autumn Scribble Art
If you’re looking for an easy, low prep, and super powerful art experience this post is for you! Scribble art is developmentally appropriate for every age and can be done with materials that you already have. To make this really fit the fall season I stuck with traditional autumn colors, but it can be done with any color scheme which makes it an experience that you can revisit multiple times throughout the year with very different results each time. You’ll need paper, black markers or crayons, and colored markers or crayons. You can choose to have each child create their own art or use a larger sheet of paper for…
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Fall Fashion 2024
I woke up this morning to a cloudy, moody sort of day and it finally feels like fall! It makes me want all of the cozy warm things, like the pumpkin spice latte I’m drinking while I type this. It felt like the perfect time to share all of the looks that I’m lusting over for this season. Here are my fall fashion picks for 2024 (all links are affiliates). Wide Leg Chinos – I’m obsessed with the wide-leg look and I love that these are still refined and can definitely be worn to work. Chambray Button Down – I’ve always been a huge fan of a chambray shirt, it’s…
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Gross Motor Activities with Apples
Sometimes we have to get a little creative in order to support gross motor skills, but when it comes to exploring apples, there are tons of ways to incorporate practicing these skills! Here are some of my favorite ideas. Apples are ball-shaped (for the most part) which makes them perfect for tossing and catching – gently of course! They can also be rolled back and forth or used in games like bowling. Apples with stems can be tied to a piece of yarn and hung from a tree so children can practice reaching and pulling (or “picking”). They make excellent items for relay races – balance them on wooden spoons,…
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Fine Motor Activities With Apples
You can’t escape the apple theme this time of year, and for good reason! Apples are a wonderful way to explore the science behind plant life and nutrition, but they can also be a great way to exercise some fine motor skills. Here are some of my favorite ways to use apples: Use a rotating apple peeler (like this one – affiliate link) to encourage wrist movement. It’ll fascinate the children and make quick work of slicing all of those apples so that you can taste them or bake with them. Of course, it does have a sharp blade, so this is a one-on-one activity that should only be done…
