seasonal activities
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Flower Garden Theme Ideas for Preschool
Planting flowers and watching them grow is a natural activity for any gardening theme, but there are so many other amazing activities that can support learning about all things related to gardening. Some of these lend themselves better to the classroom environment than others. Here are my favorite ideas for exploring flower gardens with preschoolers. Look for flowers in children’s environments – walk around school, bring photos from home and other places that children go often Visit a garden center or nursery Identify different types of flowers Invite someone in to talk about gardening (a local homeowner with a beautiful garden, landscaper, staff from a botanical garden, florist, etc.) Ask…
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Ideas for Exploring Camping in the Classroom
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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Printable Camping Activities for Preschool
Camping is one of my favorite summer activities, so it makes perfect sense that I’ve always loved sharing this topic in the classroom too. Camping supplies lend themselves perfectly to math an language activities, and it’s so fun to find authentic materials to supplement these activities. Here are my favorite camping activities for the classroom – all of these are printable and available HERE!
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New Resources for Summer
As you start to think about your summer plans, please be sure to check out my latest summer themes and resources! You can learn more about each of these here!
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Classroom Materials for Easter
I just love introducing seasonal materials into the classroom. Children see these things in their homes, but they aren’t always allowed to play with or explore them in the way that they’d really like to. This means that in the classroom they WANT to use them and the materials keep them engaged in learning without even knowing it. Here are my favorite picks for the Easter season (all links are affiliates). Bunny animal figures – Add these to your block area or sensory table and the children are sure to come up with amazing stories. They can explore habitats and create little worlds for their rabbits together. Pompom Chicks –…
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Preschool Easter Activities
Are you looking for some super easy Easter resources?! I’ve got you covered. Check out my TPT store to download and print some preschool Easter activities that have been designed just for the youngest learners. These will keep children busy and engaged, while making sure that your lesson plans hit all of those important learning milestones. Click on the image below for more information. All of these resources are also available as part of my Easter Activity Bundle, and in the April Month of Preschool Set!
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Jellybean Relay Races for Preschool
Relay races are a perfect activity for the preschool classroom – they help children practice teamwork, waiting their turn, hand-eye coordination, and motor skills. It’s definitely possible to do the same races over and over throughout the year, switching up the materials to be seasonally appropriate, and children will love it every single time. This can be a wonderful way to assess how these social and motor skills are improving as the children grow. Here are some ideas for using jellybeans in relay races: I’d love to hear about some of your favorite relay races in the classroom!
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Jellybean Taste Test Freebie
Jellybeans are one of those seasonal foods that are usually pretty easy to get kids to taste (as opposed to green beans and sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving!). That said, we all have our opinions about which color of jellybeans is the best . This little mat is an easy way to help children identify how they feel about each specific color. You can also extend the activity by graphing everyone’s preferences. Click on the image above, or download HERE.
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Preschool Art with Jellybeans
There are so many fun ways to use jellybeans in the classroom. They’re such a versatile manipulative, and they make an amazing art medium. Here are some ideas for jellybeans – and definitely feel free to buy them on clearance after the holiday and do these projects then! The last option – just telling the children to create art with them – is an amazing opportunity. I’m always amazed by what little ones come up with when they’re given free reign!
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Easter Egg Dye Art
Egg prices definitely have me rethinking the dying Easter egg tradition this year. BUT I have a great classroom alternative! I don’t love to dye eggs in the classroom typically because they just don’t end up getting eaten. I appreciate the process and all of the learning experiences (differences between raw eggs and hardboiled, dying sensory experiences, peeling dyed eggs, taste testing, etc.), but it definitely comes with a cost factor. This year I’ll be sticking with egg-free experiences, and dropper dying is one of my absolute favorites. To do this great activity all you need is egg dye, water, eye droppers, and paper towels. Make sure that you have…
