Winter

  • Friday Freebie – Parent Letter about Holiday Celebrations

    It's a little early for this particular freebie, but it fits really well with this week's parent communication theme, so you can download it and file it away for later in the year.  This is the letter that I send out every year before winter holidays (usually the beginning of November so I have plenty of time to get it out, get it back, and start planning). It lets parents know why I like to include holiday activities on my lesson plans and gives them the opportunity to share what their preferences are when it comes to discussing holidays in the classroom.This is a great way to make sure that…

  • Friday Freebie – Winter Snap Cubes

    Happy Friday! I love a short week like this one, especially when a nasty bug is going around, I’m in need of a couple of weekend days when I can sleep in! I was so excited to find this freebie, there are certainly more than a few winter blues floating around my classroom (myself included!) so I’m always looking for ways to make winter just a little more fun.  These winter snap cube patterns look like just what we need. These are from Klever Kiddos, and I have the Easter set (which my students absolutely loved last year) so the winter set will be the perfect addition to my math…

  • Large motor activities that can be done indoors

    Winter.  The one word that strikes fear into the heart of preschool teachers everywhere.  cold winter days seem so much longer because the kids don’t have the opportunity to run around outside.  At three, four, or five years old, the opportunity to run wild is a necessity.  Kiddos can only sit for so long before they get restless, it’s normal and completely natural, but it makes teaching them so much more difficult! During the winter I make sure to give my students just as much time for active motor games that I do during the rest of the year, but these activities have to be a little more structured because…

  • Classroom Decorations for the Holidays

    I love to decorate for the holidays, and this includes the classroom, but I definitely don’t have room in my budget to buy extra holiday decorations for the classroom.  Thank goodness for printables! The easiest way to add a little holiday pizzazz to the classroom, without braking the bank, is to print some great holiday quotes and pop them into cheap frames.  Not only is the a quick solution, but this artwork can be be changed seasonally, making the frames worth the investment. I’ve rounded up some of my favorite images from Pinterest to share with you! Click the links to go to the full size image that you can…

  • Easy Ornament Gifts

    I am forever searching for gifts that my students can make for their parents that meet the following critera; they won’t cost me a fortune, and they can be completed in one sitting.  This year I came up with a cute idea that is not only quick and easy, but it might actually be something that families will keep for years to come. How cute is this Keepsake ornament?! And, of course, all of the pieces are printable, so I can share them with you! It’s a really simple idea, there are five questions typed onto strips. The questions are meant to capture what is important to each child at…

  • Big sale news!

    I hope that you haven’t used all of your shopping energy already, because TPT is having a BIG sale.  Mark your calendars for Cyber Monday AND Tuesday – yep, two days of sales on awesome stuff for your classroom, it really is the most wonderful time of the year! The month of December is chaotic, it just is, but I can help you with your lesson plans and holiday parties, which means less time spent planning! Check out my winter activities, they’re all on sale for two days! Don’t forget to enter the code TPTCYBER for extra savings! Happy shopping!

  • It’s cold outside!

    It has finally gotten cold and snowy in our neck of the woods, which means no more outdoor play time and planning lots of extra activities to keep our energetic kiddos busy. Here are a couple o the things that we have been working on: Masking tape resist snowflakes: simply use making tape to make snowflake shapes on a piece of white paper, then let the children paint over the tape. We used different shades of blue paint with a little extra sparkle, but silver or gray would be pretty too! When the pint has dried you can peel the tape off and you have white snowflakes. Name snowmen: this…