Disclosure: I am a blog ambassador for Lakeshore Learning and am compensated for my work. I received product free of charge, but all thoughts and opinions are 100% mine. I know it's only July, but I also know that teachers like to plan during the summer months. When I was teaching, I never truly took a summer off. I took classes and also planned out themes and center ideas. Today I'm sharing some awesome math center ideas. These centers would be great in early childhood classrooms. We tried … [Read more...]
Number Formation Rhymes for 11-19
A couple years ago, I created printable posters to help children learn how to write the number 0-10. I've been blown away at the response from teachers and parents. Shortly after that, I made lowercase alphabet rhymes, uppercase alphabet rhymes, and shape rhymes! Thank you to all that have downloaded and purchased these rhymes. I'm SO happy to hear how they've been used in classrooms around the world. Today I'm very excited to share with you my number formation rhymes for numbers … [Read more...]
Recycled Art for Kids
Lincoln asked me the other day what our activity for the day will be. I had not planned one, but he just LOVES doing activities so I quickly looked in my craft cabinet for an idea. I had been saving some cardboard recyclables and so I thought of an art activity for him. It turned out to be so fun! If you're looking for something to do, you'll have to try this recycled art for kids. Here's what you need for recycled art: cardboard recyclables (I also used some scraps of sandpaper) … [Read more...]
Road Trip Binders for Kids
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure for details. We just got home from an epic road trip! My husband and I took our three boys on a 20 hour road trip down to Florida. I was a little bit nervous about the trip, which is why I put together the road trip binders for my kids. It turned out to be an amazing resource to help the road trip go by more quickly! I shared what was in them over on Instagram and many of you wanted me to share about it on a blog post, so I … [Read more...]
Star Pool Noodle Activities
The other day I was walking around Target and I spotted a blue star pool noodle. I had to add it to my cart because I knew we could use it in lots of ways. We ended up doing quite a few fun activities with it and I'm excited to share them with you today! Since I wanted to have star pool noodle pieces, I decided to use a serrated knife to cut them. They were about 1 inch thick. For our first activity, I gave my 3.5 year old some shaving cream and a tray and asked him to build a … [Read more...]
Pineapple Pops – Healthy Frozen Treat
When the weather warms up, my kids beg for cold treats to eat. I try to stay away from sugary popsicles since they have no nutritional value. Instead, I buy 100% fruit popsicles or make homemade pops. Today I'm excited to share with you a recipe for pineapple pops! My boys loved them and they only need two ingredients, so it's so simple! Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. See my privacy policy for details. Here's what you need for pineapple pops: blender or food … [Read more...]
Spring and Summer Sensory Bins
We love sensory bins at our house! It's such a great way to engage the senses, allow children be imaginative, gives them freedom to explore new materials, and it's an overall fun activity! Today I'm sharing with you some super sensory bins for spring and summer! Why are sensory bins important? Using sensory bins is a type of play that is very beneficial for children. Starting at birth, babies begin to explore the world around them using their five senses. As children grow, their senses … [Read more...]
Pineapple Volcano
If you're looking for a quick and fun activity, this pineapple volcano is perfect! We were eating pineapple this week and my son thought of this activity idea. So we picked up a new pineapple and tried his idea out. It was great! Here's what you need for the pineapple volcano: 1 pineapple knife baking soda vinegar tray squirt bottles & bowls (optional) Start by cutting the top off and carving out the fruit using a knife. Please be super careful doing this and … [Read more...]
Summer Learning Notebooks
This summer I decided to add in some structured academic activities into our day. It is nothing that will take too long or is strenuous, but it's to help retain what they've learned in school. We are on our second week of it and my kids are really loving our summer learning notebooks. I thought I would share what we are doing in case you're interested in making one, too! I can't take credit for the contents of this notebook, since I purchased them or downloaded the free printables for … [Read more...]
20 Gifts for Father’s Day
Father's Day is just around the corner! This is a great time to let dad know how special they are to us! It's not always easy coming up with ideas for dads, so today I'm sharing with you some cute, homemade gifts for Father's Day. There are so many great ideas, that hardly cost anything! Father's Day Magic Card from Easy Peasy and Fun Paper Bag Father's Day Book from I Heart Crafty Things Flying Super Hero Craft from Kids Craft Room Tape Resist Mug and Bowl from Happy Hooligans Paper … [Read more...]