summer
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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!
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Personalize your playground with children’s artwork
At school we’ve been focusing on making our playground a fun place for the children to explore. We did some fundraising so that we could purchase a beautiful new sandbox, but I also wanted the children to be able to put their mark on the space. The Reggio Emilia philosophy encourages us to find beauty in our surroundings and create aesthetically pleasing learning environments, so I rounded up some ideas that will add color and whimsy to the playground! Recycled water bottle sun catchers Cement garden balls DIY stones with natural impressions Natural materials garden stones Tin can lanterns Stone and stump games I can’t wait to do some of…
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Ideas to start your summer off right
Happy Memorial Day! I hope you’re enjoying your holiday weekend and taking some time to appreciate those who’ve served our country! Since today is the unofficial start of summer I wanted to share some posts from last year that list a ton of ideas for summertime activities with the kiddos. These activities are great for the classroom, or for your own children at home! Summer fun at home Summer fun around town Ice cream activities If you’re still looking for fun ideas to fill out your summer calendar, be sure to check out my Preschool Summer Ideas Pinboard and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
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Friday Freebie – Summertime
We made it to Memorial Day weekend! This is definitely cause for celebration, and I’ve got another reason to celebrate – I’m presenting at the OAEYC Conference in Sandusky Ohio today. If you’re going to be at the conference this weekend I’d love to meet you! I’ve presented at OAEYC a few times, but I’m especially excited this year because the conference is being held at Kalahari Resort and Indoor Waterpark, so I’m taking a mini-vacation with some of my favorite teachers. In honor of the unofficial start of summer I found a really cute freebie for you today. This ABCs of Summer book from Whitney Parlin would be a…






















