classroom environment
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Valentine Preschool Classroom Materials
I just really freaking love Valentine’s Day! I don’t know if it’s the colors, or showing people how much we care about them, but it makes my soul smile – and right now, I’ll take all of that I can get. If you’re looking to infuse your preschool classroom environment with a little more Valentine spirit, here are my picks for fun, helpful materials. All links are affiliates. Wooden heart shaped bowls – These are classic and fun at the same time. You can’t beat the wooden feel and organic lines, and they really are useful for storing and displaying all of those manipulatives. 3D Felt Hearts – Since this…
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Creating a Cozy Classroom
The cold weather that we’ve had lately makes me want to curl up under a blanket and never move. Unfortunately that isn’t an option, so instead I’m dreaming of cozy space. While we’d all love to have a million dollars to redecorate our classrooms every season, I know that isn’t actually practical. There are some small things that you can easily do to make it as warm and comforting as possible. The links that I’m sharing below are affiliates, but I’ll also share other ways to source the same items if you’re working on a tighter budget. Add a yarn garland like this one. Yarn is an easy choice for…
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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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Aesthetic Classroom Ideas
I’m back with more ideas for your Amazon Big Deal Days! Today I’m focusing on the pieces that make a classroom feel like home – and let’s be real, we all spend as much time there (if not more) than we do at home. I firmly believe that a classroom should be both aesthetically pleasing AND functional. In my world that means well organized and super easy to use. Here are my pics for making an aesthetically beautiful classroom! (all links are affiliates, your support is TRULY appreciated!) I stumbled across this poster and it immediately become my favorite thing. It absolutely deserves a space of honor in any classroom…
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Best Preschool Products 2023
Have you heard?! Amazon is hosting their “Big Deal Days” next week. I am pumped to take full advantage of these to really refresh just about every aspect of my life. I’ve been doing a lot of cleaning out my spaces lately, now it’s time to replace what I’ve gotten rid of. One way to do this in the classroom is with new supplies. Let’s face it, toys and supplies get old and start looking a little sad after a while. Here are my picks for the best preschool supplies right now so that you can refresh your offerings a bit! (all links are affiliates, your support is TRULY appreciated!)…
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Back to school already?!
Now that all of my July materials are officially available, it can only mean one thing – it’s time to think about August, you know… back to school season! I might not be ready, but I will definitely take advantage of Amazon Prime day to help me get in the mood. Prime day is July 11th and 12th, so I’m making my list now, here’s what I’m buying on Prime Day for the classroom (all links are affiliate links and I may receive a portion of the proceeds): First things, first – my Prime membership always renews in August, which seems appropriate as we gear up to head back to…
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Summer in the classroom
Best Preschool Products 2023
Preschool Halloween Materials
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Summer in the classroom
There are so many different kinds of summer child care and preschool program situations – so it’s impossible to generalize one “right” way to do summer in the classroom. In my own personal experience, I’ve always worked for full-year, full-day childcare programs. our summers typically look exactly like the rest of the year, but summer always FEELS different. I like to embrace that and really do my best to incorporate the very best parts of summer into the classroom. For me, this has always included a little less structure and a lot more time outside. Now don’t get me wrong, we still do a ton of learning! It just feels…
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Building a Positive Mindset
I consider myself a naturally positive person, but the classroom can be a hard place to keep that going. Someone is always upset with someone else, there is always a mess somewhere, and I’m constantly having to change my plans. It takes a toll! When positivity doesn’t come naturally, there are some things that help me keep that positive mindset in the classroom. First and foremost, when I recognize that I’m struggling I make a conscious effort to find something (anything) positive that I can acknowledge. Sometimes this is as small as a child nicely walking across the classroom, or offering to share with another child. I’ll spend the next…
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All the Dollar Store Love
My family went camping this weekend – it was cold and rainy – but I planned ahead. A couple of weeks ago I went to the dollar store (in this case the Dollar Tree) and spent $25 on toys for my daughter – it was $25 well spent, I picked up balls, play dough, plastic animals, dolls, and sand toys. All of these items can get as dirty as she wants them to, and if we lose them or break them, I’m totally fine with it. This is not my first experience with dollar store awesomeness, as a teacher it was my best (and most regularly visited) source for materials. …
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Helping Preschoolers Feel Comfortable in the Classroom
A huge part of my back to school ritual each year is making sure that my new students feel comfortable in the classroom. When they feel at home they are more likely to build stronger relationships with me, and with each other. Helping children feel comfortable is also the first step in encouraging them to explore and learn. Here are some of my strategies for making sure that my students know that the classroom is their room as much as it is mine: Include them in the classroom set-up process. I rearrange my furniture regularly, to reflect the activities and interests of my students, and each time I move something…
