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Exploring the Outdoors with Preschoolers
Children are naturally curious about the outdoors, and spring is the perfect time to take advantage of their natural curiosity. The weather is beautiful, new plants are growing, bugs are crawling (and flying) all over the place! Spending time exploring outside is also a great way to meet some Science and Inquiry standards. Encourage children to explore by introducing a few fun tools that they can use. Great science tools for the outdoors include: Magnifying glasses Bug jars Binoculars Small scoops or shovels If your students need some guidance, or you want to encourage more focused exploration, here are some great ideas: Collect soil samples from different areas (or have…
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Friday Freebie – Teacher Appreciation
Happy Friday! Teacher Appreciation week might be over, but it’s always a great time to tell a teacher thank you. Today’s freebie would make a great end of the year gift for your child’s teacher, or a great thank you for the other staff members in your building. These cute coffee cup sleeves are printable, and will fit around a travel mug, or a paper cup from the coffee shop. Download them from I Should Be Mopping the Floor!
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What’s in my bag?
Yesterday I shared my favorite teacher bags, today I thought I’d give you a peek inside my school bag. I always find a few random things in there, it’s kind of a bottomless pit. Here’s a picture; Right now my bag holds My water bottle My iPad The latest issue of the Young Child Two empty zipper pouches My planner A picture that one of my students drew for me A picture that I drew An umbrella My school keys An old Michaels gift card A crumpled receipt My bag only gets cleaned out when I switch to a new one. I’ve been using this one since before Christmas, which…
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6 Great Teacher Bags
I have this problem, I love bags (way too much…). Over the years I’ve fallen in love with a number of bags that I’ve used to drag all of my stuff to school. Since it’s Teacher Appreciation week, and my favorite gift would be a new school bag, I thought I’d share my favorites with you. Vera Bradley Tic Tac ToteThis bag was my original teacher tote. It’s huge and can fit all kinds of things, plus it’s structured, so when I set it down on the floor it keeps it’s shape. Vera Bradley recently released a newer version, which has 6 interior pockets and a zip top. 31 Organizing…
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Teacher Appreciation Sale
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Since this week is all about celebrating teachers, Teachers Pay Teachers is having a sale! I’ve got a tradition here on Preschool Ponderings, for every TPT Sale I share my personal wish list (what I’ll be buying during the sale), along with a couple of great resources from my store that you can pick up at a discounted price. Today I’m linking up with Lisa at Pawsitively Teaching to connect you to even more amazing resources created by teachers for teachers. So first, I’ll share the best seller from my TPT store, a resource from my store that you can snag for just $1, and…
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A Pinterest Tip for Teachers and a HUGE Giveaway
I think it is awesome when teachers support each other. That is one thing that makes our jobs so much easier! For Teacher Appreciation Week I’ve teamed up with some amazing teachers to share tips that work in our classrooms, along with incredible prizes for very deserving teachers – YOU! Check out my tips, and make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to see the prizes and enter to win! I use Pinterest all the time, and the vast majority of ideas that I pin are for school. When I first started using Pinterest for school (a few years ago!) I had one board for preschool…
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May Currently
I meant to post this yesterday, but I was to busy enjoying my fun Saturday. Today will do! Here’s what I’m up to this month: Listening: I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen The Hunger Games – but it’s on TV so I can’t NOT watch it. Loving: This weekend and next weekend are completely free. It’s rare for me to have commitment-free weekends, so I take advantage of them whenever possible. I am really appreciating the opportunity to relax, and get things done. Thinking: I know, there is nothing fun about laundry, I can’t seem to catch up, and the number of loads I have to finish…
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Friday Freebie – Mother’s Day
Happy Friday! I’m hoping today’s freebie is as helpful for you as it is for me! I try to start planning for Mother’s Day early because I have high standards, and because I know how long it takes for my kiddos to finish a project. I have tough time choosing a Mother’s Day project every year because I want it to be something that Moms will really use, not just another piece of artwork that will end up in a pile. I also really try not to spend too much, because I can’t afford to, and because I know it isn’t about spending money, it’s about teaching children to take…
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Snack ideas for your Preschool Graduation celebration
Every Preschool Graduation that I have been a part of during my career has had some sort of snack component, which works out well for me because I love to bake. I always want to make something for the celebration, but I also usually encourage parents to bring something to share as well. Some of my celebrations have been very well-attended, and I can’t feed that many people by myself! I always appreciate the parents who offer to bring drinks and paper products, that makes my life so much easier! I also love it when someone brings a fruit salad or a veggie tray, they are always welcome among the…
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Preschool Activities that Teach Spatial Relationships
It’s Wednesday, and here at Preschool Ponderings, that means time to focus on the standards. Every Wednesday I choose an Early Learning Standard and share a number of activities that can be aligned with that particular standard. Remember, the Standards that I use every day, and am most comfortable with are Ohio’s Early Learning Development Standards – you can review them here, however I’ve found that even if your State’s standards differ, many of these activities can still be aligned similarly. I’ve rounded up some great ideas today!Domain: MathematicsStrand: GeometryTopic: Spatial RelationshipsPreschool geometry is all about shapes, and this particular standard focuses on how shapes fit in relation to the objects…
