summer

  • Teacher summer gift

    Teacher Appreciation Gifts on Amazon 2024

    It’s teacher appreciation week! If you need a last minute gift, I’ve got you covered. All of these are available on Amazon and can definitely be mixed and matched for an excellent gift. Any of these would also be excellent for Mother’s day if you’re trying to get all of your shopping done at once! All links below are affiliates. Cocktail travel tin set – This is pure fun and just screams summer. The great thing about this set is that is can be used to create a great cocktail OR mocktail, so it truly is appropriate for anyone. Turkish towel – These are my favorite! They’re easy to pack…

  • Summer learning supplies

    Materials that make summer learning easier (and more fun)!

    Part of preparing for summer is collecting the materials that will support all of our learning plans. Here’s what I’ve already gathered for this summer – and why (all links are affiliate links). Stencil set – My girl loves stencils and these are an excellent way to support handwriting. This set has so many different options that I know she love and use, plus it’s an activity that she can do completely independently. Supply box – Keeping everything in one spot is key, I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to stop what we’re doing and go find a pencil, or a glue stick, or a pair of scissors.…

  • summer learning

    Summer with a First Grader

    Yesterday I shared how I planned for our summer learning last year. Go check out that post! Last summer my girl had just finished kindergarten and my goal was to make sure that she didn’t lose any of the skills that she had learned during her first year of school. This year my goals are a little different. I want to really dig into the things that she finds fascinating and show her that she can take on her own learning. I also want to build a true love of reading for both fun and out of curiosity. Last year we kept one theme for a whole month, but this…

  • Summer activities for a kindergartener

    Planning for Summer with Elementary School Kids

    I’ve been hard at work at planning for our summer fun (and learning), but before I share what this year’s plans look like, I wanted to share how I put everything together last year. Here’s the post on how I organized all of it! If someone asked me to choose ONE word to describe myself it would definitely be the word “planner.” I truly love to organize my thoughts, lay them out on paper and fill in any missing pieces. It helps me feel in control and gives me the structure that I need. When it came to figuring out what our summer will look like, I started with daily…

  • Goodbye Summer Sunshine Freebie

    Goodbye Summer!

    I’m definitely looking forward to the structure of the school year (and I might be ready for pumpkin spice season…), but it’s always hard to say goodbye to summer! I put together a really easy craftivity that you can use in the classroom to help children focus on the very best parts of their summer as you all move into fall together. It would be the perfect activity for a last day of summer party, just like the one I shared on Wednesday. Click HERE to download the Goodbye Summer Sunshine Freebie!

  • last day of summer ice cream party

    Last Day of Summer Party!

    I’m happy with any excuse for a party! This one is a little bittersweet – so ice cream felt like the perfect theme. A “last day of summer” party is a great way to help children mark the end of one season and move into the school year with a positive attitude. This can also be a really powerful tool for the classroom. If you have students that have been with you all summer and they’ll continue to stay with you throughout the school year, this can help make that mindset change from summer to the school year. It’s also a great way to say goodbye to children who were…

  • soaking up summer

    Making the most of your last summer days

    We’re down to our last couple of weeks of summer and I’m trying to be really intentional about soaking up summer. This time of year seems to fly by, so slowing down a bit to really lean into our last summer days feels like a gift. Here’s what we’ve been doing to make that happen: I’m also planning a special celebration for the last day of summer – as kind of a send off – so check back for those plans later this week!

  • food truck clipart

    August Clipart Set!

    I feel like I say this every month, but gosh I just love this latest clipart set. Seriously, how cute are these food trucks?! August is all about fairs and festivals in my world, so food truck clipart made perfect sense – but of course these can be used anytime throughout the year. You can get yours here!

  • Preschool Camping

    Camping Activities for Preschool

    One of my favorite units to use in the summer is camping! It’s something that my family loves to do together, and I know that the children get so much more from my passion for this subject. Here are some of thecamping activities for preschool that are available in my TPT store: