summer
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Ice Cream Activities for Preschool
Have you ever explored ice cream in the classroom? It’s an irresistible topic, and a great way to engage children in activities that include a ton of academic topics. Here are some of my favorite ice cream activities to use with preschoolers; Ice Cream centers: This set includes 5 activities that are sure to keep your students busy (and probably giggling). Children can create their own ice cream flavor and write about the ingredients, answer questions about ice cream, graph their favorite flavors, and complete an ice cream glyph. It also includes a dice game where students get to roll the dice and collect cards to “build” an ice cream…
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Making Ice Cream in the Classroom
I’ve always been a fan of homemade ice cream, and last summer I shared my favorite recipe – coffee can ice cream, which I love to make with my students because they get to be a huge part of the process, and because it doesn’t require access to a freezer. I’ve been experimenting with a new ice cream recipe that would be perfect for the classroom and I wanted to share it with you! This recipe only requires two ingredients (yay!) but you can add your favorite flavorings and toppings for something a little special. It also needs time to set up in the freezer, so this is the perfect…
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Ice Cream Dramatic Play
Last week was all about camping, and this week is Ice Cream! If I could only pick two dramatic play centers to set up all summer long they would be a camping trip and an ice cream parlor. A camping trip is a great adventure, and an ice cream parlor is a dream come true! I’ve rounded up some great ideas for your classroom ice cream parlor; Maureen over at Spell Out Loud shares her ideas for ice cream scented play dough, and a super cute printable menu. Lindsey from So Easy Being Green shows you how to make an ice cream parlor out of a cardboard box. Sue over at One…
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Friday Freebie – Camping Discussion
Happy Friday! I’ve been sharing camping ideas all week and I’m enjoying my first camping trip of the summer as we speak (we’re in Amish country right now, so I may also be enjoying baked goods…). I’ve been sharing camping ideas all week, so it only seemed right that I share a camping freebie too. I created something brand new for you today, This set is designed to get your students talking! Ask the children to pretend they were taking a camping trip – what would they take with them? What would they want to eat? What would they want to do? What would they make sure to watch out for?…
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Cooking with a solar oven
My favorite thing to do when I’m camping is to eat! There is something about camping food that is sacred – I rarely make these treats at home, and when I do they just don’t taste the same. I love to share recipes in the classroom, but camping food is tough because the best way to cook most of these treats is over a fire, not exactly something that would be a great idea at school… but, then I came across this; This tutorial on how to build a solar oven is from Playdough to Plato and it is really easy, and her tutorial shows how kids can help put the…
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Camping Printables for Preschool
I’ve got a ton of camping themed activities to share with you today! These are perfect for summer and a great way to do some reviewing, without really feeling like work. I love putting together these alphabet books, it is a huge personal victory when I am able to come up with a word for every single letter of the alphabet, the camping alphabet book is one of my favorites. It includes words like E is for Evergreen, I is for Insects, and M is for Marshmallow. You can get your copy here. Letter matching is a great way to help children practice recognizing letters that are both…
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Camping fun in the dramatic play center
This month is all about camping for me, I’m going on three different camping trips and we’re gearing up for our first one this weekend, so I thought I’d share the fun here at Preschool Ponderings. I love to do camping activities with preschoolers because some of them are familiar with camping – they’ve gone with their families, or they’ve at roasted marshmallows in their backyard – while others have no experience with the concept and are over the moon excited about camping in the classroom. I like to introduce fun new topics like this by including related materials in the dramatic play space. This gives the children the opportunity…
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Friday Freebie – Summer Packing List
Happy Friday! I am psyched to share my freebie with you today because it’s to help you get organized for summer! Download my free summer packing list and start prepping. I’ve already got a few of my own filled out – I used one for the conference that I went to last weekend, and I need to do one for the camping trip I’m going on next week, and then another for my trip to Vegas in July. What will you be packing for?
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Summer activities for preschoolers
Now that the calendar says June, I am in full swing for summer! I wanted to share some great ideas for preschool age children, and I’ve got a huge collection on my Preschool Summer Ideas pin board. Whether you have students all summer, are running a day camp or VBS, are babysitting, or are looking for fun things to do with your own children, I’ve got a great collection of ideas on this board. Hop on over and check out the crafts, water play, Fourth of July games, snacks to beat the heat, camping fun, and large motor outdoor activities. Share a link to your summer pin boards in the…
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Friday Freebie – Popsicle Fun
Happy Friday! It’s starting to feel like summer, whether you are finishing up the school year or just looking forward to some summer fun, this popsicle number set is a great way to work on number recognition and sequencing while you enjoy some warmer days! It’s from Erin at Creating and Teaching, and it’s adorable so go download a copy!
