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Awesome Markers
I have this problem… I LOVE art supplies. Markers are my weakness, mostly because I refuse to use a dried out marker, oh, and because I love markers that have a perfectly new tip. I’m the teacher who hoards a box of markers so that they are always in new condition when I need to use them. So it should come as no surprise that I love shopping for markers – any kind of markers. Here are some fun products that would be great for the classroom! All links are affiliates. Super Tips – These are the best markers! They have a fine tip, but you can also draw with the broad…
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Friday Freebie – Creative doodling
Happy Friday!!!! I’ve been sharing great ideas for art projects that use markers all week, and I have one for you today that you might even try this weekend. This graph paper drawing idea is a great way to encourage creativity. Children can use their imagination and express what the graph paper looks like to them. The best part is that Kate from Picklebums shares where she got her free graph paper, that comes in all different fun shapes! Enjoy your weekend and feel free to share your students doodles (or your own!).
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Marker Tie Dye
Marker tie dye is one of those activities that I can count on to keep children engaged no matter what. It’s a science experiment disguised as a magic trick and it requires very few supplies or materials. The idea is simple; children use washable marker to color on a coffee filter and then they spray their coffee filter with water from a spray bottle. When the children spray the coffee filter with water the colors from the markers bleed together, creating a tie dye look. Once the coffee filters dry they are perfect for hanging in windows where light will shine through, or for other projects. Over the years I’ve…
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Elements of art: line
We know that when children are drawing they are practicing pre-writing skills, but did you know that they are also learning about elements and principles of design? I stumbled across this amazing ABCs of Art Booklet (on Pinterest of course) a while back and it has become one of my favorite things ever. The pages provide incredible inspiration for the children as they draw. My favorite page in the booklet is the page on line. It is the perfect poster for the art area, or to leave in the middle of the table while the children work. When it comes to playing with lines, I think markers are the best!…
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Experimenting with permanent markers
Yes, you read that title right, permanent markers. Think about it – all of those other art supplies you use make a colossal mess, so why not use permanent markers too? Sure, they might get on your tables, or on the children’s hands, but if you take the same precautions that you would for paint – covering the table or using a tray, making sure the children wear smocks, etc. – then you can minimize the mess. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to talk to the children about using the markers appropriately, and expressing your expectations clearly. If you want to be prepared with a few clean up tricks up…
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Friday Freebie – Art Supply Labels
Happy Friday! I have been waiting for this day since January because as of 2:30 this afternoon I am officially on vacation!!!!! I’m sure many of you are in the same boat, so therefore, today we are celebrating together! I also have a fabulous freebie for you. These art supply labels from Joanna Minor are amazing because they include real photographs of the supplies. These are perfect for organizing your art supplies, which somehow have a mind of their own – I know, I’ve been there! Download these labels and have a wonderful holiday weekend!
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Friday Freebie – Phone Number and Address Practice
Happy Friday! As we slowly get closer to Easter (and my spring break, yay!) I can’t help but be amazed that it is already that time of year – you know, spring, the time of year when we really focus in on those academic skills and making sure that our oldest preschoolers are going to be ready for kindergarten. They’ll make it, and they’ll be successful, whether we stress about it or not. This freebie makes one of those pre-kindergarten skills just a little more fun (therefore making your job just a little easier). This phone number and address freebie includes three simple printables, all of which are editable so…
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Age appropriate chores for children
I saw this list years ago and have been looking for it ever since, I finally stumbled across it again today and knew that I just had to share. When I taught toddlers and preschoolers I was constantly surprising parents by telling them what their children did during the day at school. These simple chores teach responsibility, but more importantly, they are self help skills that build fine motor skills, coordination, attention, and listening skills. This awesome list is from The Montessori Notebook, so make sure to spend some time exploring the other wonderful ideas on their blog after you print this list to share with your families! If you’re…
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Using chores to build responsibility
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Favorite pins of the week
I pin a lot of stuff. If you’ve seen my pin boards you know that they are organized by domain and season (among other things…). I use my pins to help me lesson plan, so I need them to be easy to find when I’m looking for them. I appreciate that wen I need social emotional activities I can go to the social emotional board and be filled with inspiration. At the same time, I also like to look at all of my pins at once and see what I’ve pinned recently. Here are my favorite ideas that I’ve pinned this week, I can’t wait to try these out! How…
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Great app to share with families
I am a self-proclaimed family engagement queen, I tend to collect ideas and resources for sharing with families and not have enough opportunities to share all of them! This one must be shared with all of you because it is amazing!!! Go check out Vroom – do it right now! This site is all about building parents up and reminding them that they have what it takes to help their child’s brain grow and develop. From the videos and information on the site itself, to the great materials that families can download, to the free app that gives them daily activities personalized for their child’s age, this site is an…
