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Preschool Camping Theme
One of my favorite things about camping as a learning theme is that there are so many ways for children to interact with the supplies, materials, and activities that are actually part of a real camping trip. It’s all very authentic, and even the youngest children appreciate that! It also lends itself well to spending a ton of time outside, which everyone wants after a long winter! Beyond setting up a dramatic play center, here are some ideas for helping children explore camping. Set up a tent. Tents are tons of fun to play in, but actually putting them up is where the learning happens – following directions, working together,…
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Celebrating Student Birthdays
I’m a huge proponent of recognizing student birthdays. I know that all families do not celebrate birthdays in the same way, but in my classroom this is one way to help children feel valued and important. It’s a way to build that classroom community and acknowledge that we all bring something special. Over the years trends have definitely changed when it comes to recognizing birthdays in the classroom, but here are the things that I’m loving to share with students on their big days right now ( all links are afifliates)>
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Birthday Treats for School
Over the years I’ve seen so many different birthday treats that children of all ages have shared with the class. Some are absolute hits – and others make teachers want to cry (I’m looking at you neon frosted cupcakes…). Here are some of the easiest ideas that are an absolute hit with kids. This year my daughter is taking Stitch stickers in to her classmates for her birthday – It’s easy for her teacher to manage and they cost me less than $7. I call that a win!
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End of the Year Preschool Activities
We’re deep in the “Maycember” season over here! I’m all about this recognition that May includes a lot of different things, graduations, assessments, parties, finishing projects and investigations, and looking towards the following year (on top of Mother’s day and Memorial day). There are a few different resources that I have leaned on every single year at this time, so I thought they might make your life a little easier too. Here are my favorite materials for the end of the school year. I’ll have an in-depth look at my Kindergarten prep materials later this week, but this is my absolute favorite resource to share with families. Every parent wants…
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Summer Must Haves 2026
I’m so looking forward to summer! Part of that means stocking up on the things that we use over and over all summer long. Here are all of my must-haves for summer 2026! All links are affiliates. Elastic strap swim goggles – My daughter will only wear these goggles. She loves that they cover her nose and that they have the soft elastic strap that doesn’t pull her hair. Handheld digital microscope – This is the best for exploring outside! Children can watch insects, look closely at flowers, tree bark, and blades of grass, and just generally get a better understanding of the world around them. Sand toys with mesh…
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Summer Plans for a 9 Year Old
As my daughter has gotten older our summer plans have gotten more personalized. After kindergarten and first grade my goal was to keep her busy and mitigate the summer slide. After second grade she was old enough for more camps, so we added those in and focused on her favorite places to visit during the summer. Now that she is finishing third grade, summer is going to look a little different. This year she has a sleep away camp scheduled and 4H projects to complete. Those will take up the beginning of our summer, so I have the days planned out to ensure that we fit all of those tasks…
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Summer Planning
The end of the school year is right around the corner (we’ve got less than a month left here), and that means it’s crunch time when it comes to planning what the summer will look like. Every year has looked a little bit different for us. As my daughter gets older and her interests change, so do our summer plans. Here are some of the ways that I’ve planned our summers over the last few years. Click on the images for more information.
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Gift Cards Every Teacher will Love
The key to giving the perfect gift card is to know your recipient. When it comes to giving a gift card to your child’s teacher it can feel like you’re taking a shot in the dark. There are some options that are sure to be a hit every single time. Here are my favorite gift cards to give teachers.
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Easy Teacher Gift Idea
Sometimes you just need a gift that’s super easy and super quick. No worries, I’ve got you covered! These notecards can be downloaded, personalized, printed, and cut in less than 20 minutes. They’re a perfect gift for teacher appreciation day, administrative professionals day, thank you gifts, welcome gifts, and end of the year co-worker gifts. You can get your copy here and use them over and over again!
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Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas
Teacher Appreciation Week always sneaks up on me! Luckily, I’ve got Amazon Prime and a huge list of great ideas. If you’re looking to treat the teachers in your life, here are all of the ideas I’ve shared over the years. Click on the image for more information.
