summer activities
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4th of July Fruit Salad
I love to make fruit salad with little ones for a couple of different reasons. First, and most obvious being that it gets them really excited about eating fruit – they get to help every step of the way and that ownership gives them the confidence to try things that they otherwise may not. The second wonderful thing about fruit salad is that it is relatively easy to put together, you may need to cut up some of the ingredients, but other than that it is just pouring and mixing. There is no cooking involved at all. This fruit salad is perfect for a patriotic summer event. It uses red…
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Patriotic Ribbon Wands
For Memorial Day I shared a tutorial for paper pinwheels that would be perfect for a parade or party decorations, so today I wanted to share another fun party toy that is easy for kids to make: Ribbon Wands. I know that this is not a new or novel idea in the slightest, but young children often love he simplest things and there are so many different variations and materials that you can use to create a basic ribbon wand. It is easy for children to personalize their own, and you can select materials that meet your budget constraints as well as the theme or tone of your party. For…
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4th of July Play Dough
On Friday I shared a free set of 4th of July Play Dough Mats, so today I wanted to make sure I gave you a play dough recipe to go with it. I am very picky about my homemade play dough, I don’t like it to be too oily or too salty, and I really don’t like it when it dries your hands out while you play with it. I tried a ton of different recipes before finally finding my favorite, which is from Kristalynn.com (follow the link to see the entire recipe). You can make it any colors that you want, and it’s the perfect base for adding fun extras.…
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Friday Freebie – 4th of July Play Dough Fun
Happy Friday! How does the summer fly by so quickly?! It’s already time to start thinking about the 4th of July. Today’s freebie can be used in your classroom or with your own children, making it perfect no matter what you’re up to this holiday. Go download this set of 4th of July Play Dough Mats from Preschool Unplugged, and have a wonderful weekend. Check back next week for a ton more 4th of July activities too!
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Fourth of July Round Up
The 4th of July is my all-time favorite holiday, but it has a way of sneaking up on me and I always seem to find myself slightly unprepared. Since it’s coming at us quickly, and it just happens to fall at the beginning of the week this year, I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to share all of my ideas with you! I’m going to start with some past posts for the holiday because the ideas are still great! So as you start your own planning, make sure to take some time to check these out: Teaching Patriotism 10 Ideas for Exploring Fireworks Last Minute 4th…
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Firefly Crafts
It always feels like it’s officially summer when the fireflies show up – and usually it’s right around this week (at least it is where I live). I know that it’s typical to explore bugs and insects in the spring, but fireflies would be a fun, different summer theme if you’re looking to switch it up from the usual beach and barbecue themes. Here are some fun firefly art projects to try out while you explore these amazing little critters! Eric Carle inspired Firefly Suncatchers 3D Glowstick Fireflies Beaded Fireflies Plastic Egg Fireflies Firefly Jar Which one will you try first?
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Making Kindergarten Prep Fun
When parents ask me for ideas to help them prepare their children for Kindergarten, I’m sure they are expecting me to tell them to practice letters and numbers, and help their children learn how to tie their shoes. There are ways to practice Kindergarten readiness skills that can be fun for the entire family, so often I suggest activities like; Going to the Zoo: Practice staying close to family members while waiting your turn to see your favorite animals, and introduce new vocabulary as you learn what animals eat, and where they are from. Visiting the Science Museum: Explore hands on science concepts while interacting with other children. Attending a…
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Teaching disguised as outdoor play
Outdoor fun has been a huge theme on my blog this summer, probably because I’ve been spending as much time outside as possible. We may be halfway done with summer, but that just means that we still have half of the summer left to enjoy the sunshine! Beautiful weather makes me want to stay on the playground all day long, but I can only justify it if I can sneak in some of my lesson plan while we’re outside. I just found some really fun ideas on Oriental Trading’s website that kids and teachers are both sure to love. These are classics that every child should learn how to play…
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Summer Fun!
It has been hot hot hot around here, and it definitely feels like summer! I wanted to share some previous posts that offer some fun ideas for summer activities that will keep you busy while you beat the heat! Water Play with Preschoolers Water Play with Infants and Toddlers Summer Activities for Preschoolers Summer fun – Activities to do at home (or school) Summer fun – Activities to do around town I hope that you will use some of these ideas to make memories that last a lifetime!
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Ideas for observing clouds
Yesterday I shared some questions to ask that might inspire a cloud investigation. Today I wanted to share a couple of ways that you can have the children document their observations. I should start with this warning: you can’t really put these activities on your lesson plan because you have to wait for a day when you actually have clouds to observe. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve planned this activity and there were no clouds in the sky, or the opposite happened and the sky was covered by one great big cloud, which makes it difficult to observe. Just take my word for it and let this…
