• Friday Freebie – Beach Counting

    Happy Friday! I hope that you are enjoying these summer weeks, I still haven’t figured out why they seem to fly by so much faster than the rest of the weeks during the year. Today’s freebie is perfect for summer, or for your beach theme.  These play dough counting mats from Over the MoonBow encourage children to practice math skills while being creative.  Go download your set and have a wonderful weekend!

  • Books about the Beach

    I feel like summer themed books don’t always get the attention that they deserve because there are so many things to do in the summer besides read.  There are a ton of beach books that will add new elements to your discussions about the beach.  Here are a few of my favorites (all links are Amazon affiliates): At the Beach Good Night Beach Beach House A Day at the Beach Check these out and be sure to take some time examining the pictures, which might help you add to your list of dramatic play props to add to your own beach play!

  • Dramatic Play Beach Props

    While you may not be able to get to the beach this summer, you can definitely make your classroom feel a little more like the beach.  Here are a list of props that you can collect for your dramatic play center to help create imaginative beach days: Beach towels Empty sunscreen bottles Sunglasses Beach umbrellas Sand toys Rafts and inflatable pool toys Beach balls Sun hats Flip flops Snorkel and flippers Your students can help you make a list of all of the things that they would need to take to the beach, they might come up with additional items that you had never even considered!

  • Beach-Themed Sand Play

    We may have hit the official halfway mark for summer when we celebrated the 4th of July last week, but that just means that we still have half of summer left to enjoy! What better way to enjoy all things summer time than with a trip to the beach?! While I would love to live near the beach – and around here we can make a day trip to Lake Erie happen – it’s not exactly a place that you can take a field trip to.  Child care licensing tends to frown on large bodies of water, so we usually have to bring the beach to us.  The perfect place…

  • Friday Freebie – Number Puzzles

    Happy Friday! Aren’t holiday weeks the best?! They go by so fast and then it’s the weekend again. I love these number sequencing puzzles, and this summer set from Klever Kiddos could not be cuter! These are great practice and can be used to focus on the number sequencing, or putting the picture together in the correct order. Go download your set and have a wonderful weekend!

  • Fun Ideas for Star Marshmallows

    I cannot resist holiday-themed treats, I always buy them, use a few for the holiday, and then find them in my cupboard 3 months later.  One thing that I purchase without fail (knowing full well that I will never use) are holiday shaped marshmallows. So this year I thought I would share some fun ideas for using them up, even after the holiday, in the hopes that this list will inspire me to use them up! If you missed out on the 4th of July Marshmallow fun you can probably still find them in the grocery store – maybe even on clearance! So what exactly could you do with these…

  • Happy 4th!

    Image Source Happy 4th of July! I hope that you are all taking time to enjoy your families and celebrate freedom and summer today!I’m looking forward to spending time outside and lots of barbecue.  My family also has a tradition of making homemade ice cream for the 4th and I can’t wait to get my hands on some of that! Enjoy your holiday and your celebrations!

  • Children’s Books for the 4th of July

    I think that 4th of July books often get overlooked because it isn’t a holiday that takes place during the traditional school year.  This is unfortunate because there are some real gems out there.  When it comes to celebrating Independence Day, here are my favorite books to share with young children (all links are affiliates): The Night Before the Fourth of July The Story of America’s Birthday F is for Flag Independence Day Do you have any favorite patriotic books? Feel free to share them in the comments!

  • Friday Freebie – 4th of July Bingo

    Happy Friday! For many of you this is the start of a long Holiday weekend and I hope that you enjoy every minute! Today’s freebie is an adorable printable 4th of July Bingo game from Crazy Little Projects.I especially love the variety of images included on this Bingo board, it would be a great way to introduce some new vocabulary and historical figures as you play.  Go download your copy and have a wonderful weekend!

  • 4th of July Fruit Salad

    I love to make fruit salad with little ones for a couple of different reasons.  First, and most obvious being that it gets them really excited about eating fruit – they get to help every step of the way and that ownership gives them the confidence to try things that they otherwise may not.  The second wonderful thing about fruit salad is that it is relatively easy to put together, you may need to cut up some of the ingredients, but other than that it is just pouring and mixing.  There is no cooking involved at all. This fruit salad is perfect for a patriotic summer event. It uses red…