Peppermint Bath Salts

Looking for a thoughtful yet inexpensive gift?  Try making these!

All you need are a few items, a few minutes and a voila-  you've made a great gift!

What you'll need:

• Epsom Salts
• Peppermint Essential Oil
• Red Food Coloring
• Kerr Wide Mouth Half Pint Jars

In small bowl, mix together 1 cup Epsom Salt and 4 drops Peppermint Essential Oil.  Stir well

In separate small bowl, mix together 1 cup Epsom Salt,  4 drops Peppermint Essential Oil, and 6 to 8 drops Red Food Coloring, depending on how dark you want it.    Stir well. 

Carefully spoon the mixture into the jar starting with the red layer.  Tap it down before adding a layer of white.  Tap that down and continue to layer until your jar is full.

These make wonderful gifts.  I give them to my parent volunteers at Christmas time as a small thank you for all their hard work helping in the classroom.  

Don't forget about yourself!  I always put any leftover salt into a large Mason jar and I keep it next to my bath tub.  I can't tell you how wonderful it is to treat myself to a relaxing, detoxifying soak after a long day teaching kindergarten. 

You can use this recipe to make many different scents too, just change the Essential Oil and adjust the coloring if necessary.

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Halloween Fun

Every year my wonderful staff chooses a theme.  This year we were all crayons.  We teach at an all kindergarten school so the theme was absolutely perfect!  The kids loved it!

"We are like a box of crayons, 

each one of us unique, 

but when we get together, 

the picture is complete." 

 The Crayon Box That Talked

Happy Halloween!

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Attribute Block Turkey Patterns

Every year my kindergartners work on patterning.  

Here is a fun way to showcase their knowledge of patterning!

I have my kiddos build different patterns on the rug, and then I have them move the pattern to form a circle.  This reinforces that the pattern must continue uninterrupted.  You would be surprised how many kid really don't get that concept.

After we build our patterns in a circle I then send them to their desks and they rebuild that same pattern using paper pattern block pieces.  Luckily my school has a die cut machine with these shapes so prepping them is very easy.  We glue these to construction paper and that becomes a turkey tail.

We finish the turkeys by gluing on a turkey body, legs, eyes and a beak.  They alway turn out so cute!

The last part of the project is to count the shapes that we used and add them up. 

I have this activity on my TpT store if you want to grab it.

Leave a Comment Bulletin Boards, Holidays, Math

Fun End of the Year Activity That Keeps Kids Active During the Long Summer Break

As the school year draws to an end,  I'm always looking for fun activities to do with my class.  

Here is a really cute project made by my good friend Tracy Geisinger.  

She has created these fun and engaging  Summer Fun Count-Down Rings.  

These rings are filled with fun and creative tasks for kids to do during the summer. 

I love these activities because they get kids outside doing something, or they involve creative endeavors like drawing,  building or making something.   I've just shared a small sampling of the activities you get.  There are also blank rings to write your own ideas.  You could add some academic tasks or visits to your local parks or museums.  Put a date on one and meet your kids somewhere for a picnic or afternoon of reading your favorite books.  Be creative and personalize these.

Parents will love these because it battles the inevitable "I'm bored" phenomenon that happens.  (There is nothing more frustrating to hear as a parent.)  I include a ring with a beach day where I invite all my kids to meet me at the beach (with their families of course) and we spend the day frolicking in the waves and building sand castles.

I made these with my class last year and parents told me they had so much fun completing the tasks over the summer with their kids.  The activities got the whole family engaged in the fun.

These are super easy to prep and kids love making them. 

They really are perfect for those last few days of school.

Click on any of the photos 

or click here

to get your own copy.

Happy end of the school year!

Leave a Comment End of the Year, Fun Stuff, Holidays

Valentine's Day

Are you looking for an inexpensive and super cute Valentine idea for your class?  This is what I do for my kids every year and they LOVE it!

I simply collect the old broken crayons from the previous year and then I peel off the wrappers and melt them in a silicone baking tray.  I make mine into heart shapes, but you could choose any shape that you want.  Once you use the baking tray to make the crayons, it is no longer viable for food so keep that in mind.

I let my kids choose the crayon that they want.  They have so much fun coloring with these because it is always a surprise what color will rub onto the paper.  I put the extra crayons in my writing center along with sight words or CVC words that I want them to practice writing.  The novelty never gets old.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Leave a Comment Art, Fun Stuff, Holidays, Valentine

Celebrating Diversity in a Pre-K Classroom

It's the third week of school for me.  I have a brand new class of EAKers- that's Early Admission Kindergarten.  In my district we have a special program that is available for kiddos that aren't old enough to start regular kindergarten but that have birthdays after January- EAK.  I'm the EAK teacher this year and January 4th was our first day together.

I'm loving this group of sweet kids.  Most are 4 years old and are about to, or have just turned 5.  We are busy learning the letters and sounds and just getting to know each other.  With MLK as our first holiday, it's the perfect time to celebrate our individuality and to find our shared interests.

My little guys aren't writing yet (we are still practicing writing our names) so doing any kind of writing for MLK is out of the question.  But I wanted the kids to have some concrete way to represent diversity so I used the fabulous book The Crayon Box that Talked.  

If you haven't read this book before, it's an essential for your classroom library.  It's totally relatable for a young learner.  After reading this we had a great discussion on diversity.  Then I had my littles complete a very easy worksheet to put on our writing wall.  

They only had to write two words- their name being one and their favorite color the second.  I have the color words on display on the wall so we looked at those and I modeled writing my favorite one.  After that I talked about how I can like other colors as well and those I simply colored in using my box of crayons.  Easy peasy.

 FREEBIE!

Click on the picture below to grab the worksheet.

My kids were fine with copying their favorite color word from the wall.  They were thrilled that they actually wrote a word.  Then they were even more excited with they used the wall again to read each other's favorite crayon colors.  Seeing their little faces so excited as they discovered that they were readers and writers is really what my job is all about.  I always say that I have the best job in the whole world and I really mean it!

FREEBIE!

Click on the picture below to grab the poem.

To continue our discussion of diversity, I will read them another of my favorites.  It is called The Colors of Us and it celebrates all different skin tones.

My plan is for the kids to complete the sentence "My skin is the color of ____."  Then I will break out my skin colored crayons from Lakeshore and have them draw themselves using my Portrait Templates.  

Click on the picture below to get these.

So, that's how we are studying diversity in my class this year.  I would love to hear what you are doing in yours.  Thanks for stopping by!

Leave a Comment Bulletin Boards, Fun Stuff, Holidays, Literacy Actvities

Oh Snap! It's Almost November!

Oh Snap! It's Almost November!

It feels like it October just started, but when you look at the calendar, November is right around the corner so it's time to start planning.

I'm linking up today with the bloggers over at Teacher Deals and Dollar Steals for their fabulous monthly linky party.  I don't know about you, but I absolutely LOVE that blog.  It's a great place to get deals on some wonderful products.

Thinking ahead to November, here is one of my favorite bulletin boards.  It's my TURKEY GLYPH.

If you don't know what a glyph is, it's a pictorial way to collect and organize data

Kids answer questions and based upon those answers they build a turkey. The turkeys come out really cute and they make a beautiful bulletin board.  We like to decorate the front office with ours.  All the parents who come into the office get a chuckle from the signs the turkeys are holding.

The Turkey Glyph contains:

 directions and black line masters for making the turkeys, a glyph key, a glyph book, a poem, a literacy center idea, a data collection sheet, and photos of completed turkeys.

**********************************************************

I also have a fun Turkey Tail Patterning activity.  

In this activity, kids use pattern blocks to make a circular pattern around the turkey tail.  Then they glue the turkey body on top and add the beak, eyes and legs.  This also looks great on the wall and covers so many skills.  Kids have a lot of practice making patterns in a straight line, but can they transfer that knowledge to a circular shape?  You will be surprised at how this simple activity really stretches their thinking.

Aren't these cute?

Grab them now and get ready for November.

Thanks for stopping by.  You can click here to head back over to the link up.

Leave a Comment Bulletin Boards, Glyphs, Holidays, Math, Teacher Deals and Dollar Steals

Leprechaun's Lunch

Look what Silly McGilly brought for us... a magical leprechaun lunch!

He left bags of pudding, milk and spoons.  All we had to do was record our observations, mix and enjoy!  The kids were amazed watching the white powder turn green right before their eyes.  They even discovered small pieces of gold in the green pudding- yes, they found gold!  (Don't you love their imaginations?)

After tasting this treat, I asked them if they liked it or not and we graphed the results.

You can grab the directions for mixing your own Leprechaun's Lunch here.  It's a great math and science activity.  You can pre-measure or have the kids do it, depending on time.

2 comments Cooking, Fun Stuff, Holidays, Math, Science

Leprechaun Mischief

Look what just arrived in the mail!  Or should I say "who" just arrived?  Well, it's Silly McGilly and he's courtesy of A Cupcake for the Teacher.  She hosted a giveaway on her blog and I won!

I'm so excited to bring this little guy into my classroom.  My kids have been wondering when the leprechauns were going to visit our classroom (they have already been in other rooms) and everyone is on the lookout on the playground for the little guys.  Well guess what kiddos... the leprechauns have arrived in Room 12!  Let the fun begin!

I know this will be a springboard for many math, science and writing activities.

Leave a Comment Fun Stuff, Holidays

Almost to 100 Followers on TpT!

Hi everyone,

I'm super duper close to reaching the 100 follower milestone on TpT.  I've just created a cute Snowman Glyph that could be used in grades K-6.  Really!  And I'm just dying to give it away as a FLASH FREEBIE!  Head on over to my TpT store and follow me (if you haven't already) and I'll make it FREE for the entire month when I reach 100 followers!  Now that's a great way to celebrate a milestone!!

1 comment Art, Glyphs, Holidays, Math

Turkey Tail Patterning

I just got a shock today when we were working on patterning.  My kids have been working on patterning since school started in September.  We pull out the pattern blocks, teddy bears, and other items and we make patterns.  All of my kids understand the simple AB pattern and most can make lots of more complicated patterns.

Well, imagine my shock when I did this cute project with them....

What's so shocking you wonder?  Well...

I began by cutting the circle and modeling a simple AAB pattern with red and yellow pattern blocks.  I put the blocks around the perimeter of the circle and asked, "Is this a pattern?"  I expected a resounding "YES!" but to my surprise, I heard,"NO!"

What?? No??  Umm, perhaps they didn't understand?  I asked, "Are you sure?  Let's see.  Red, red, yellow, red, red, yellow, red, red, yellow, red, red, yellow..."

As I was on my second loop they finally said, "Oh wait!  Yes it is!"

I then realized that we always make our patterns in a straight line.  I didn't give it a second thought.  But when I did this simple activity, they were thrown for a loop.  We had never made patterns in a circle shape.  What seemed so basic to me, was actually a challenge for them.  It got me thinking about so many other things that I teach.  I need to mix it up, keep them on their toes, keep challenging their thinking.  Isn't this really the root of the Common Core?  Challenging kids to become critical thinkers and problem solvers.  To do that they need to look at things in different ways.

I LOVE it when we have a day where they aren't the only ones having that "Aha" moment.  I had it too!

So, I got this cute idea from Pinterest.   I saw a lot of pins for "Symmetrical Turkeys" using pattern blocks.  I decided to change it up and make patterns for the tail feathers.  I think the project turned out very cute, but the best part is that I challenged their thinking and gave them a new way to see patterns.  I've got to do more of that... and I will.  If you want to challenge your kid's thinking too, you can click on any of the photos and you will go right to the blacklines and directions for doing this project with your own kiddos.

2 comments Bulletin Boards, Holidays, Math

Frightfully Fun Halloween Party

Teaching Kindergarten is always fun.  One of my favorite days of the year is Halloween.  The kids spend the whole month talking about their costumes, changing their minds, then finally settling on the perfect costume.  My school has a costume parade and I love to see all the cute, clever and scary costumes the kids pick.

Later that day, we have a Halloween party in our classroom.  We are allowed two parties a year so I choose Halloween and Valentine's Day.

If you are looking for some fun activities, here is what I do in my classroom.  We have a Cookie Decorating station, a Witch Hat Ring Toss station, a Candy Corn Bingo station, a Ghost Bowling station, a Touch It If You Dare station, a Spider Hat station, and a Dem Bones station.

At the cookie station we use unfrosted sugar cookies from the grocery store.  We ask the bakery department to mix up bright colored frosting in orange, green, black and purple and use popsicle sticks and sprinkles to frost and decorate.  You will need Bag of Bones Cheetos for the Dem Bones station.

This year we didn't make the Spider Hats because that parent volunteer was home with a sick child, so there is no picture of that.  I post a sign up sheet for supplies and volunteers and I make do with whatever we get.  If the supplies and/or volunteers don't come in, then we just don't have that station.

(If you like the activities below- click on the photo and a link will take you to the original website where I got the activity)

The kids have so much fun on Halloween.  Between the parade and the party, they say that it is "the best day ever!"  We make sure to say "Thank You!" to all of our fantastic parent helpers.  Without them, we wouldn't be able to have this fabulous and frighteningly fun Halloween party.

I hope this gives you some fun ideas for your next Halloween Bash.

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