autumn
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Friday Freebie – Leaf Charts
Happy Friday! I shared a bunch of great leaf activities with you this week, and I wanted to share a leaf freebie to go along with them, but I couldn’t find one that I liked. So I made a new one! This brand new leaf documentation set includes three charts that you can use to record and document all of the work that the children do relating to leaves. There’s a page for recording new vocabulary words, a KWL chart, and a page for writing down conversations that you have with the children about leaves. Download them and print as many as you’d like!
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An Easy Fall Science Center
Fall is the perfect time of year to explore science – there are so many changes happening! It’s also really easy to find natural materials to use in the classroom (check out this list and this list for ideas), but sometimes I struggle with how to contain all of those natural materials. No more worries, I’ve found the perfect solution: How awesome are these leaf-shaped containers from Oriental Trading (of course) ?! I filled mine with tree bark, grass, pebbles, twigs, some small red leaves, and one larger green leaf. The best thing about this set is that it includes 24 containers, so your students could help you find all…
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Leaf Activities
When I saw these giant leaf cut outs from Oriental Trading, I had to have them. I didn’t really have a plan for them, but I was pretty sure I’d figure something out. Let me just say, I was really impressed with what I received – the images are great quality and the set included 48 leaf cut outs, so I had a ton of leaves to work with. While I was trying to figure out the best thing to do with all of them I came up with a long list of ideas, so I decided that instead of sharing just one or two, I’d give you the whole…
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Easy Leaf Art
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you know how hard I try to come up with art ideas that families will not only want to display, but will also keep for years to come. I found the perfect one for this fall with the help of Oriental Trading! This project could not be easier, your students will love it, and so will their families. I got the white ceramic ornaments from Oriental Trading’s Halloween collection. The “dipped” look is pretty popular, so that’s what I was going for. I put a little acrylic paint in the bottom of a plastic cup and added a little water so…
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Everything autumn
The fall bug has bitten me hard! I put out all of my autumn decor this weekend and I have been savoring my fair share of pumpkin spice lattes. If you’re anything like me you’ve already started thinking about incorporating everything fall into the classroom, so I thought I’d round up some of my favorite autumn activity posts to share with you. Happy planning! Sensory activities with autumn spices Pumpkin compare and contrast sensory activity DIY fall classroom decor Autumn manipulatives for preschool Preschool leaf activities Printable centers for autumn
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Slow Down Fall!
Fall is here! It might still be 90 degrees outside, but if you’ve taken a minute to read a blog, browse pinterest, or visit a store over the weekend, you’ve definitely seen the signs; Halloween decorations, apple recipes, and sweater outfits are out in full force. This time of year can be especially confusing for little ones – there are simply too many transitions. Back to school, different clothes, new routines, new teachers, then you throw in shorter days, busy weekends, festivals, and holidays. That’s a lot for a little one to deal with! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE fall (seriously, you should see my personal collection of pumpkin…
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Exploring spices
When I think Thanksgiving there are a few scents that come to mind, specifically spices, which are perfect for helping children explore their sense of smell. Here are some great ideas for exploring spices in the classroom: Create a Spice Tray Scent your playdough Paint with Spices Make Cinnamon Salt Dough Ornaments Learn scents and vocabulary Make a gift families can enjoy together Scent your pie art Make your own scent jars Match the raw spice with the bottled spice Taste test spices in cool whip or pudding Check back tomorrow for another great spice craft!
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What Thanksgiving means to a preschooler
Now that it’s November we can talk about Thanksgiving. When teaching preschoolers about Thanksgiving the key is to make the entire concept relevant to them. They can’t understand Pilgrims and Native Americans because they don’t have a grasp on our past or the history of our country, so I focus on three concepts that do play a role in the average preschooler’s daily life – food, family, and thankfulness. These three concepts are something that young children are familiar with, but Thanksgiving provides the perfect opportunity to dig a little deeper and build understanding in all three areas. Food: There are so many foods that are traditionally eaten during the…
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November Currently
I swear I just posted the October Currently, the last month flew by, and it looks like November will be just as busy! Here’s what I’m up to right now: Listening: I will watch Gilmore Girls whenever it’s on TV. That’s all I have to say about this particular topic 🙂 Loving: We finally finished our big addition (this has been 7 years in the making) and now I am spending all of my extra time enjoying it – walk in closet, new laundry room, and a great big master bathroom, it’s a dream come true! I actually enjoy doing laundry now! Thinking: I swear the weekend goes faster when…
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Compare and contrast with pumpkin
What do you do with all of those pumpkin insides after you scoop them out? Sure, they make a great sensory experience, but have you ever considered doing an authentic compare and contrast? Simply put a large scoop or the insides of your class pumpkin on a tray or cookie sheet. Next to it, place a similar size scoop of canned pumpkin. What do the children have to say about these two scoops of pumpkin? If they need a little guidance you could ask these questions: Those are both pumpkin, why are they different? What do they look like? What do they feel like? Do they smell different? What else…
