summer
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Fun summer activities
Have you started planning for summer yet? Whether you’re looking for lesson plan ideas or fun things to do with your own children, here are some amazing ideas that I’ve been collecting: Twirling Twig mobile from Babble Dabble Do Aluminum foil river from Filthy Wizardy Outdoor play food from Munchkins and Moms Block Shadows from the Pinterested Parent Pineapple ice pops from Eats Amazing It’s no coincidence that all of these are outdoor ideas – we had a hint of beautiful summer weather for about a week in April, and ever since then it’s been rainy and chilly. I’m ready for sunshine and grass between my toes – I think…
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Summer Ideas for Year-Round Preschool Programs
I’ve learned more about the preschool world in the last year than I ever thought was possible, and the one thing that never ceases to amaze me is the sheer number of different schedules for preschool programs. I’ve always taught at year-round programs, which pose their own challenges: The children rarely get a break or vacation from the program The teachers rarely get a break Teachers have to engage the children in more activities because they are there for more days The teacher and children’s day are often longer than a typical school day They also come with some really great perks: once children learn the routine they don’t have…
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Make your summer goals… and keep them!
This time of year is all about finishing up all of those end of the year projects, and I’m not sure if it’s the weather or just knowing that other projects are winding down, but it seems to be the time that I started dreaming big dreams of everything that I’m going to accomplish over the summer. Those dreams are usually lofty, and then all of a sudden it’s September and nothing got done. So this year I’m going to do what I do best, make a list. I’m planning on writing down all of my goals, so that I can really determine which ones are realist and which ones…
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Ideas for exploring fireworks
When you say 4th of July, the first thing most people think of is fireworks. Watching fireworks is definitely the most memorable part of the entire holiday, and though children aren’t able to touch them, they are certainly able to experience them. Fireworks can also be a little scary – especially if children are close enough to hear the loud booms and feel the ground shake beneath them. This is why it is a great idea to explore fireworks with children before the 4th so that they have an idea of what to expect. Here are ten ideas for exploring fireworks with little ones; Watch videos of fireworks that include…
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Teaching Patriotism
The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays, I love spending time with my family and making time to just enjoy summer. I think this is probably true for most people, but there is more to this holiday than barbecues and fireworks, it’s about pride and love for our country – Patriotism. There is something about the 4th of July that makes us all feel united in celebrating together, no matter what state we are from, what age we are, or what we look like. There are many many ways to teach patriotism to young children, and celebrating the 4th of July is a great reason to talk…
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Quick and easy 4th of July activities
Where did June go?! The 4th of July is approaching just a little too quickly, and I know I’m not as ready for the holiday as I’d like to be, so I thought I’d share some of my favorite ideas from last year to help us all prepare for upcoming patriotic parties and picnics! Check out this post from last year, it’s full of game, snacks, and crafts that are perfect for celebrating Independence day with little ones!
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Friday Freebie – Summer Graphics
Happy Friday! It’s been a week, let me tell you – but I’m off on another camping trip this weekend and looking forward to relaxing a little! I have two freebies for you today, I figured since I’m sharing graphics I’d give you papers and clip art so you can make something fun! This beachy clip art set is from Graphics from the Pond. I love the sketchy look, and it comes with background scenes. This would be great for learning activities or summer scrapbook pages! The summer paper set is from Teaching Super Power. The bright colors are perfect with the clip art set, and make me wish summer…
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Water play with preschoolers
Most of the preschoolers that I know would be happy to play in the water all day, every day. If this is true for your students, then you are probably looking for ways to keep water play fun and exciting. If you do water play every day, you might try implementing a schedule with a different kind of water play each day – like this; Monday – Wading pools Tuesday – Water balloons Wednesday – Sprinklers Thursday – Ice play Friday – Squirt guns Doing something different each day gives children something to look forward too and breaks up the monotony. It also gives you some guidance when planning the…
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Water play with infants and toddlers
As the temperature heats up water play becomes more and more tempting. There are definitely safe ways to introduce water play for infants and toddlers that are tons of fun. As long as children are supervised when playing with water these activities are a great way to cool off and have a lot of fun! One great way to introduce water play is with sponges and small bowls of water. These are great for outdoor play because little ones can soak their sponges and then squeeze them right onto themselves. This is a great way to explore cause and effect. Here are some other great ideas for using sponges; Sponge…
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Friday Freebie – Ice cream writing
Happy Friday! It may be summer, but Fridays are still just as exciting. There’s something about knowing that the weekend is almost here that makes me feel great! This week has been all about ice cream. I shared Ice Cream Dramatic Play Ideas, gave you a new Ice Cream Recipe to try in the classroom, and shared my re-vamped Ice Cream Activities. Now I have a cute ice cream freebie for you too. This ice cream writing activity is from One Step Closer Teaching. It will help your students organize their summer plans, and give you a great writing project to share on an end of the year bulletin board.…
