Recycle, Renew and Reuse for Preschool

I am pretty thrifty. I would imagine almost all preschool teachers are. I enjoy finding ways to recycle, renew and reuse items we've used before and creating something new and useful. On this thrifty day, Bella brought a lunch kit to school that contained a cute little water bottle perfect for little hands. We had left over foam pieces on the counter from a project we did the day before. I told the kids we should make something for our friends in the 2-year old classroom. They all agreed, and here's what we did.

                                

 We washed our bottle and made sure it was clean inside and out. 

We chose the smaller foam pieces since they'd be easier to stick in the bottle. 

We took turns placing the foam pieces in, this was great for our fine motor skills. 

More pieces to add...

Then, we filled the bottle about half way with water. 

I got out the hot glue gun to secure the cap. 

We talked about what might happen if the babies were to get the top off. 

Once our bottle was complete we talked about doing 

things for others and how kind they were to make something the 

toddlers could play with. 

This project went over really well since some of my class have siblings in the 2-year old classroom. They'd ask their siblings if they played with the toy we made. 

The two-year old teacher was fantastic in praising the kids for thinking of her class and she was very proud of them for using items they already had. 

Since this was not a planned activity, just a "teachable moment" I didn't have a book planned for the activity but I did find some cute ones after the fact. 

You might find these helpful if you're creating a theme or lesson plan. 

    

Happy Creating

The Wonderful World of Writing in Preschool

We have a table designated for writing only.  On any given day there may be pens, markers, crayons, note pads, or envelopes for the kids to explore. However, writing is not exclusively for our "Writing Table" only. Here are some other ways we explore the wonderful world of writing.

We use shaving cream on the tables to practice our letters. 

We use sidewalk chalk to be creative. 

The white board provides a smooth easy to wipe surface. 

Making name tags provide great detail and concentration.

Whatever the medium, surface, or opportunity it's worth it to explore the wonderful world of writing. 

Preschool Activity: "F" is for Fireworks

I'm a big advocate for using and re-using what you already have. In my Valentines theme box, I had red streamers left. From our Father's Day theme we had blue streamer left. We tore off pieces of the streamers and pinched them into little balls. The children took turns squeezing glue onto the large letters and pressing down their balls. This activity reinforced the letter "Ff" we were working on, and gave them and opportunity to work on their fine motor skills. You'll see these several times throughout my themes as I find it's one good way to evaluate which of my children still need more fine motor skill activities.

See a snapshot of some pieces below. Which ones would you say could use more fine motor skill activities?

The Power of Play doh

Squeeze it, push it, knead it, pound it, cut it, rub it, roll it, smell it, share it...oooh play doh. It could be store bought, homemade, scented or not; the benefits of play doh I couldn't do with out.

I can still remember what it was like playing with playdoh as a small child. I wasn't partial to the smell, and found out that it didn't taste so good either. But the smooth, creamy, squishy feel of it makes me love it again, and again.

Here are some of the benefits of play doh:
Provides visual and sensory stimulation
Promotes creativity
Entertaining
Inexpensive
Quick Clean up activity
Comes in many colors
Can be scented

When play-doh is a life saver
During transition times (while sending each child potty)
In your Sensory Table
At your Art Center
While you're cleaning
Preparing for dismissal

Extend your playdoh play with these fun ideas
add texture to your playdoh..try rice, oatmeal, or coffee grounds
add fragrance...try adding vanilla extract, lemon extract, or a package of kool-aid
add color...allow the kids to mix the colors, or add glitter
add a surprise...after making playdoh form several balls, stick your finger in the ball and add a couple of drops of food coloring, reshape the ball. When the kids begin to squeeze and knead it...SURPRISE!
add accessories...play knives, spoons, dishes, and cookie cutters

More on Play doh
http://www.hasbro.com/playdoh/en_US/