The holidays are an amazing time of year, but it's also a stressful time! Teachers have the tricky job of keeping their students focused and learning, while there are added distractions and extra activities this time of year. Students may feel more anxious during this time of year, so having calm down toys available is so important! The Best Calm Down Toys Sensory Tubes These are great for a mess-free sensory experience. It's mesmorizing watching the sensory tubes! They are great for … [Read more...]
How to Remove Permanent Marker in the Classroom
One of the tricks I learned as a teacher is how to remove permanent marker in the classroom. It's so easy and it will help you reuse so many items. Now this trick only works on smooth, plastic surfaces. But don't worry, I'll also share tips for getting that stubborn marker off of other things, too! First up, the trick you need to know ASAP! It's only 2 steps, too! Steps to Removing Permanent Marker Scribble over the markings with a dry erase marker. Wipe away with a cloth or … [Read more...]
School at Home Due to Coronavirus
It seems that COVID-19 has decided to interrupt everyone's lives. Just a week ago I wasn't worried at all about this virus. Now it's all over the news and I'm certain I've gotten an email from every single place I've ever shopped about what they are doing about the outbreak. I know this is affecting so many people and that's extending to so many school closures. After talking with moms who now have kids at home with them all day (aka "suddenly homeschooling") I'm finding that they are worried … [Read more...]
Summer Schedule Cards for Kids
Our last day of school is today! Woohoo! We are so excited for our summer schedule, but I also know that means a big switch in our normal routine. Just like many kids, we thrive on routines. I find it to be important for us to create a good routine to follow in the summer to help our days flow well. Yes, we have a lot more free time, but I still like to have a plan for the day. When you’ve got all the kids home for the summer and it’s so hot out, it’s so temping to resort to more screen … [Read more...]
The Importance of Play in Early Childhood
The early years are a time filled with play and non-stop learning. While we all know that children learn during play, it is fascinating to understand just how much brain development occurs during play and how it is really the medium through which young children learn everything. Here is a reminder of just some of the benefits, so that next time you start a fun activity with your children or watch them as they play in the garden, you can be reassured that what they are doing has amazing … [Read more...]
Fire Safety Activities for Kids
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to Amazon. Fire Safety Week is October 7th-13th this year. I have to be totally honest we’ve never done fire safety week at our house before. Before now I would have not known what to do in an emergency situation. I feel like we should’ve addressed this sooner, especially since the house behind us had a bad fire recently. Since this was a new topic for me I approached it like all themes. I listed out what I wanted the kids to learn and then put … [Read more...]
How to Teach Phone Numbers
All children need to learn their phone number. If there's an emergency, they need to know how to dial 911. If they need to call their parents, they need to know their mom or dad's phone number. It's not always easy knowing how to teach phone numbers, but I think this hands-on activity is a great one! Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure for details. Here's what you need for this activity: paper plates (I used this one) glue stick double-sided tape … [Read more...]
Visual Routine Cards for Before and After School
We start school this week, which means it's back to routines! It can be challenging getting back in the swing of things and can make for stressful mornings rushing out the door. In order to alleviate that, I decided to make visual routine cards for before and after school activities. These would be great to use with children in kindergarten up through 5th grade. In my free printable, I included simple activities that happen in a morning and afternoon routine, such as brushing teeth and making … [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...]
Tot on the Pot – Simple Potty Training Solution
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Tot on the Pot. I received free product and compensation in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions expressed are 100% mine. This post contains affiliate links. Just hearing the words potty training can set parents into panic mode! I totally get it! I have potty trained three boys and each time I felt overwhelming. It takes time, effort, and lots of patience! But I recently discovered something to ease the worries and frustrations with … [Read more...]
