Putting the Pretty In Preschool
Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences
A Reptile Theme is THE WAY to encourage early learners to get more comfortable with animals such as snakes, lizards, and turtles. Little ones often have a fear of these animals, partly because of how they get depicted on television. Hands-on activities alleviate fear and encourage an interest in learning more about these creatures.
This Frozen inspired shadow box scene features neutral and cool colors and textures. The color palette is gorgeous and is relatable to my experience of winter. Your child will enjoy using similar hued loose parts to create unique shadow box scenes.
On the weekend of August 25 and 26, 2017, Chinese Valentine’s Day was celebrated at the Edmonton Chinatown Multicultural Center, located in downtown Edmonton. This traditional Valentine’s Day celebration dates back to the 1800s in China, and is celebrated on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, in late August.
A scissor skill snow cutting activity snipping craft supplies is sure to attract your child’s attention. A rich base will be created for small world and sensory activities. A bonus is that this snow will never melt or be too cold to play with.
A Winter Forest Play Mat is handy for Christmas topics and can be used into the New Year in winter-themed small world play. I first created the table mat in this post for Mr. and Mrs. Santa paper dolls and then thought of more early learning activities for it. The versatile play mat is free to download below. It was designed for size 11-inch x 17-inch photocopy paper but could be printed on 8 ½-inch x 11-inch cardstock or regular paper.
As everyone can attest, Superhero activities are hugely engaging for children. Superheroes is also a topic I was hesitant to plan a full theme around for many years. I was afraid that the children’s excitement level would go up, and never return to a manageable rate.
One year I decided a generic Superhero theme could be feasible as the last one of the school term. I thought the children might get riled up, but I would be sending them home for the summer afterward!
The Superhero theme was a hit and turned out to be perfectly manageable. Dress up props were available in the gymnasium, where loud noises and running were the norms. A number of books read in the classroom highlighted good character traits of Superheroes. Puzzles, manipulative toys, and sensory trays rounded out our activities.
[Read more…] about Superhero Party
The birds are chirping, and there is excitement in the air. Everyone seems to have a skip in their step. I think it is because Spring has come early to our city and… it’s the Easter long weekend!
Here’s a couple of easy bunny art activities that will add some hop to the skip, and be sure to keep everyone’s good mood up.
One in a thousand baby green sea turtles lives to become an adult. Sea turtles face many challenges in trying to survive. Here’s how they get their start in life.
At night, baby green sea turtles scurry to the ocean from the deep hole they dig out of. They hatch from eggs deposited by their mother (also at night) on a sandy beach above the high tide line. The small, white eggs are buried in a blanket of sand to keep them warm and hide them from predators. The eggs are left alone to incubate for 50 -70 days.
The temperature of the nest determines the sex of the turtles. Warmer eggs become males; cooler eggs become females. Both males and females can dig out of the same nest, because the temperature can vary in different parts of it.
The hatchlings hurry to the ocean in the dark when it is less likely that they will be eaten by crabs or shore birds like gulls or herons. Most babies do not make it to the ocean. Even if they safely make it to the water, they could be eaten by birds hovering above the waves or predatory fish lingering close to shore.
[Read more…] about Saving Green Sea Turtles
It’s March, but there is still lots of snow outside in Edmonton. St. Patrick’s Day activities and the green color they surround us with are so welcome. Here are three centers my class is currently playing in.
[Read more…] about St. Patrick’s Day Activities
It’s been said that you should buy beautiful things you are drawn to, even if you are not sure how they will fit into your color scheme or wardrobe collection.
When I purchased a narwhal themed sequin pillow, I wasn’t sure how I would use it in preschool play. I loved seeing color and shape change sequins in children’s clothing, and thought a sensory item like this would be nice to explore in the classroom.
Then I saw some “Glamping” pretend play posts on social media and knew this pillow would be perfect for an igloo “glamping” pretend play center.
