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I love doing plant experiments and sprouting seeds with young children in the spring. Not only do they get excited to see how plants grow but planting seeds also teaches them patience and how to wait for gratification which is very important in this fast-paced, instant gratification world in which we now live. In this post I'm sharing some of my favorites from over the years.

What Liquid is Best for Growing Seeds? Experiment

This experiment tests what type of liquid is best for growing seeds and can be done using a wide variety of liquids. Since we already discussed that plants need water to grow, we first tested different types of water to see if it made a difference. We decided to test tap water, bottled water, sugar water (1 cup of water with 1 Tbsp sugar), and salt water (1 cup water with 1 Tbsp salt). I used grass seed for this experiment because it sprouts fairly quickly but you can use bean seeds (lima beans soaked overnight in water work well) or any other type of seed you wish.

We added the same amount of soil and seed to each cup and labeled them. We then measured out the same amount of water for each cup and watered the seeds with the different types of water and set them by the window. Students make predictions as to which one they feel will work best.

We observed the seeds for 5 days and were a little surprised that the bottled water didn't grow as well as the tap water. The tap water grew the best, followed by the bottled water, the sugar water had a few blades come up, and the salt water did not have any.

When looking at the label of the bottled water we found that additional ingredients are added (calcium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and magnesium sulfate) which most likely lead to mineral imbalances in the soil that slowed growth. Liquids with very high sugar or salt levels can actually pull water away from the plant or seed rather than allowing the water to be absorbed. In conclusion, simple pure tap water worked best.

We then do the experiment with liquids other than water to see if another type of liquid could be used if water isn't available. You can use any liquids you have on hand, just make sure that one of them is water to use as the comparison. We have tried vinegar, oil, rubbing alcohol, lemon juice. As expected, water always works best. Last year students had the idea to test liquids that we drink to see if plants would drink them too. I thought this was very creative! We tested vitamin water, pop (soda), and juice.

We added the same amount of soil and seed to each cup and labeled them. We then measured out the same amount of liquid for each cup and watered the seeds with the different types of liquids and set them by the window. Students made predictions as to which liquid they feel would work best.

We observed them for a week. Our results were that water was best, followed by the vitamin water. Neither the juice or pop had any sprouts.

Using liquids that are very acidic or very alkaline lead to mineral imbalances in the soil that will kill plants or slow growth. Liquids with very high sugar or salt levels can actually pull water away from the plant or seed rather than allowing the water to be absorbed.

I have students record their results.

How Plants Drink Science Experiment

This experiment has been around for years and is a great way to demonstrate to students how plants get water from their roots all the way up to their leaves.

It is very simple to set up. Celery stalks that have leaves at the top work best. The stalks on the inside of the bundle of celery usually have the most leaves.

Cut about an inch or so off the bottom of the celery stalks.

Fill each container about halfway with water and drop 10-15 drops of food coloring in each glass. Place the celery stalks in the water.

I also like to do a split stalk one. Cut one stalk in half part way up and place one half in one color and the other in a different color.

Observe the celery at the end of the school day. You may see a little color in the stalk or the leaves. Observe them again the next day and you should see color in the leaves. After 48 hours you will really notice changes and color in the stalks and leaves showing that the water traveled up through the stalk to the leaves.

The split celery stalk should show the separate colors on each side and then a mix of the colors in the leaves in the middle. In the pictures below the blue is on the left, red on the right, and some purple leaves in the center.

You can cut open the stalks to allow students to see the small tubes inside the stalks that carried up the colored water to the leaves.

After cutting open the celery we discuss the results. I introduce some bigger vocabulary to them when we talk about the science behind the experiment, but I basically just want them to understand that the water travels up the stem through tiny tubes to the leaves. Here is a simple explanation:

The Science Behind It:

This experiment demonstrates how plants use capillary action to draw water up their stems. Capillary action is the process in which a liquid, like water, moves up something solid, like the tubes (xylem) in the stem. The leaves help pull the water up the xylem through transpiration. The leaves have little holes that let out the water that the plant is done using. This makes room for more water to come rushing up through the stem.

I have students record their observations by coloring the celery on their recording page (I created pages with the celery already drawn to make it easier for my young students). Then they write what they learned along the bottom.

Do Plants Need Light? Experiment

This experiment tests whether plants need light to grow. You can choose to plant 2 containers of seeds and set one in direct sunlight near a window and one in complete darkness OR plant 3 containers and set one in complete sunlight near a window, one in partial light, and one in complete darkness (it is important that there is NO light).

Plant the same number of seeds in each container with the same amount of soil and label each container.

Have students help you decide the best places in the room to place each container (by a sunny window, in a closet that gets NO light, in a file cabinet drawer, on a shelf in partial light, inside a closed box, etc.)

Observe the containers for about 2 weeks (or however long it takes to see growth) watering as needed. At the end of the experiment, put the containers side by side and discuss the results.

We do 3 containers - one by the window in full sunlight, one on a shelf that gets partial light, and one in the back of the closet behind a box.

The one near the window shows the most growth, the one in the partial light has growth on the side of the container that received partial light and grows towards the light, the container in total darkness has no growth.

The Science Behind It:

Plants need light to grow because it is an important part of photosynthesis, the process plants use to convert carbon dioxide and water into food. Without light, photosynthesis does not work properly and therefore the plant does not get enough food. However, not all plants need the same amount of sunlight. There are types of plants that need a lot of bright sunshine and some that can survive with only a little light, but in the absence of ALL light plants will not survive. If you had a seed sprout in the dark, it may have used energy stored up in the seed to begin growing but it will not continue to grow without light.

I have students record their results on recording pages.

Growing Grass Science Activity

Growing grass is a great activity to do with young children because it is easy to plant and grows fairly quickly. It also teaches them about the needs of plants and develops patience because they have to wait for the results and observe changes over time.

A fun option that I like to do is put faces on the cups or containers and have the grass be the face's hair. You can glue on actual photos of the students' faces or have them draw faces on the cup or use accessories such as wiggle eyes. You can also do this activity around St. Patrick's Day and put leprechaun faces on the containers and grow green leprechaun "hair".

I have students use plastic spoons to fill their cups about ¾ full with dirt/soil. Then have them sprinkle grass seed on top of the dirt. There is no need to measure out the seed, however I usually tell students to cover the dirt with seed (the more seed, the more grass that will grow). Then have them cover the seeds with a small amount of dirt.

Lastly, I have students water their seeds with a spray bottle. I like using a spray bottle because it prevents over watering (and then once the grass "hair" starts to grow, students pretend the water is hairspray lol).

I have students help determine the best location in the room for their grass seed (next to a sunny window) and guess how many days they think it will take for their grass to grow.

We usually see some type of growth by day 3 or so.

Once it sprouts the grass grows fairly quickly.

I've done several different activities with students. One is having them predict how long they think it will take their grass to grow and then recording the actual results.

We practice measurement skills by measuring how tall the grass has grown.

After students' grass hair grows, I let cut their hair with scissors and then estimate how long they think it will be until it grows back.

Growing Bean Sprouts

This is another experiment that has been around for years but is a wonderful way for students to observe beans sprouting and see what happens underground when a seed is planted.

I have done this experiment 3 different ways.

Growing Beans in a Jar

This is a good method to use if you want to do a class experiment and you do NOT want each student to grow their own seeds.

Stuff a large jar with paper towels. Students can help.

Slowly pour some water in the jar to wet the paper towels but do not flood it. If you have any excess water at the bottom pour it out. You want the paper towels to be damp not soaking wet.

Push your seeds down in between the jar and paper towels and make sure they are firmly in place (a snug fit between the jar and towels).

Place several seeds around each side of the jar. Place the jar near a sunny window.

Check on the jar daily. You should see a root come out of the seed first within 3 days. If you used bean seeds you should be able to observe the plant until it grows to the top of the jar.

I like having students keep plant journals because they improve their observation and recording skills and give them a record of the seed's growth. Students do a recording page for each observation.

Sprouting Beans in Baggies on a Sunny Window

This method requires a bright sunny window on which you can hang baggies that contain the seeds. You are making a plastic baggie "greenhouse" for the seeds. You can choose to have each student plant their own beans in their own baggie or plant a few baggies as a class. If you choose to have students do their own seeds and baggies, it's a good idea to plant extra seeds in case some students' seeds do not grow. If this happens, switch out the seeds when students are not there to ensure that each child has at least one bean that sprouts.

If doing individual bags for each student, have students write their name on their baggie with a marker. Optional: you can also have them write the date. If doing a class experiment, you can write the date on the baggies.

For each baggie, place a dampened, folded paper towel along the bottom. It should have a fair amount of water but not be soaking or dripping wet.

Place one or several bean seeds between the paper towel and the baggie.

Tape or Sticky Tac them on a bright, sunny window.

Check them daily. You should see a root come out of the seed first within 3 days.

I have students keep plant journals similar to the one shown above but the recording pages are slightly different. I have the baggie already drawn for them to make it easier. Students can also upload real photos to Pic Collage and complete their journals using the app.

Growing Seeds in a Greenhouse on a Window

This method is the same as the baggie method shown above except students make a greenhouse from construction paper and place their baggie in the opening.

Hang them on a sunny window and make daily observations.

The journal pages I use for this method have the greenhouse already drawn to make it easier for students to record results.

We take the bean plants that have grown to the top of the jar or baggies and carefully put them in soil. I explain to students that the plant needs the support and nutrients from soil to continue to grow larger.

What Do Plants Need to Grow? Pages

I like using these pages to check individual student understanding of what plants need to grow. On the first page they have to circle the correct pictures. On the second page they unscramble the words and write the correct words on the lines.

If you would like to use the printables, activities, word wall cards, label cards, play dough recipe, and more with your students they are available in my Plants & Flowers Science Activities resource. It also includes experiments for plants & seeds, step by step directions with photos for easy set-up, plant journal pages, and more. Click here to see complete details and photos of each activity.

You may also like:

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Plants Science Experiments & Teaching How Plants Grow - Lessons for Little Ones by Tina O'Block

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I love doing plant experiments and sprouting seeds with young children in the spring. Not only do they get excited to see how plants grow but planting seeds also teaches them patience and how to wait for gratification which is very important in this fast-paced, instant gratification world in which we now live.

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This is a great activity for any child that is still struggling with writing their name.

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Where Do I Live? Kid Activity - Introducing Geography and Teaching Kids Their Address - Rock It Mama

Enjoy this project with your little one to help teach them address memorization and geography concepts.

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Where Do I Live? Kid Activity - Introducing Geography and Teaching Kids Their Address #kids

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Where Do I Live? Kid Activity - Introducing Geography and Teaching Kids Their Address - Rock It Mama Enjoy this project with your little one to help teach them address memorization and geography concepts.

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Looking for an easy Easter bunny craft? Make these adorable sock bunnies with materials you probably already have at home!

Do you have a bunch of unmatched socks and don't know what to do with them? You can use them to make this cute Easter bunny craft in 5 minutes! Absolutely NO sewing involved! It's an easy Easter craft for kids and teens. They also make fun easter crafts for adults and the elderly too.

There are so many things you can do with these cuties.

We ended up using them to make a DIY Easter vignette on our dining table for our Easter home decor. But you can also give them as gifts, they make a great Easter craft to sell at craft fairs, fundraiser crafts, classroom crafts for teachers, and more...

In this tutorial I will show you how to make this easter bunny craft with a simple sock, rubber band, some rice and a marker.

If you'r looking for Easter craft ideas, add this bunny sock craft to your list. You'll love these adorable little bunnies so much, they might just end up multiplying around your house!

Looking for more bunny inspired ideas? Check out my Bunny Bum Candy Cake (makes a great dessert for Easter, or any bunny inspired party)

Now back to the tutorial. Let's "hop" to it!

Easter sock bunny tutorial

Materials needed for this Easter bunny craft

1. Unmatched socks

2. Uncooked rice (around 1 cup per bunny)

3. Rubber bands

4. Black Sharpie Marker (or any black marker)

5. Pretty Ribbon (Optional)

6. Scissors

Instructions for the no sew sock bunny

Step 1. Take the sock and place it over a tall glass so its easier to pour the rice into.

Step 2 Poor the rice into the sock. I used a measuring pyrex cup to make it easier to pour, but you can use anything.

Step 3: Take the rubber band and tie the top close

Step 4: To make the head and body shape, take another rubber band and tie it between the head and the body.

Step 5: Use another rubber band and make the bunny tail.

Step 6: To make the ears, cut any excess sock so that there is a couple of inches for the ears. If you want floppy ears that flop down,then leave them a bit longer.

Once the excess is gone, cut the top portion down the middle.

Using a marker, draw on a bunny ear shape. Take your scissors and cut along the marker line. Once done, your bunny ears should stand up straight (or flop down if you want floppy ears)

Step 7: Use the Sharpie to draw the bunny eyes and nose. To make the eyes, simply color in two dots with the marker

To make the nose, draw an "x" shape. Super Easy!

Step 8: This part is optional but it really adds a nice decorative touch to your bunny craft. Cut a long enough piece of ribbon and tie a bow around the bunnies neck. I used both fabric and plastic ribbon. They both worked well, but I like the look of the fabric ribbon a bite more. You can also use bakers twine, instead of ribbon if you have some lying around.

Your done this bunny easter craft project!

Some extra tips for this bunny easter craft DIY

To make smaller or bigger bunnies adjust the amount of rice used.

Use bakers twine instead of the ribbon to make a bow tie around the bunny's neck

To make sock bunny's out of black socks, use a white fabric paint or white glue ( that doesn't dry clear)

Make different types of bunnies. Some with floppy ears that don't stick up, some with shorter ears, some with longer ears that stick up.

Use different colors of socks or even patterned socks.

Use kids or baby socks to make small bunnies

To make these bunny easter craft to sell, use new socks.

Glue on googly eyes for the eyes and a small pom pom for nose, with pipe cleaner whiskers.

Use them as bunny decor for Easter in your home or in an Easter vignette

Great idea for Easter craft activities for elderly

Easy Easter Craft fair ideas - if your looking for an Easter craft to sell or for a fundraiser idea

Fun Easter craft for adults, craft parties, gatherings, family events, etc..

And there you have it, a super easy Easter bunny craft that you make in 5 minutes or less! Hope you have a hoppy time making them!

We loved our DIY Easter bunny craft so much, they multiplied (and my stash of unmatched socks got a wee bit smaller to boot!). Check out our other bunnies!

If you liked this post, you might also like these other easy DIY crafts:

If you liked this Easter Bunny Craft, please pin it!

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The Easiest Easter Bunny Craft using Unmatched Socks {No-Sew}

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Do you have a bunch of unmatched socks and don't know what to do with them? You can use them to make this cute Easter bunny craft in 5 minutes! Absolutely NO sewing involved! It's an easy Easter craft for kids and teens. They also make fun easter crafts for adults and the elderly too.

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Making your own wrapping paper is an easy way for kids to get involved in gift giving at this time of year. Children of all ages can easily be involved with creating wrapping paper. From abstract toddler paintings to hand stamped designs by older children, you can use many different artistic ideas and techniques to create one of a kind wrapping paper that will make your gifts look extra special.

This year we decided to try some rolling pin printing!

Four Ideas for Rolling Pin Printing
You will need

Large sheets of paper

Rolling pins

Paint

Paint trays

Brushes (optional)

Various textured items to attach to rolling pins

To make
We bought rolls of plain white wrapping paper to make our custom wrapping paper but you could use sheets of painting paper or any other paper you have that is large enough to wrap your gifts in.

We raided the kitchen drawer and play dough accessories for rolling pins and hunted around for different items we could attach to our rolling pins that would leave an interesting pattern when printed. You need things that have a distinct texture and that can easily be attached to the rolling pin. We came up with the following items...

Jumbo bubble wrap (regular sized bubble wrap would be great too) which we attached with double sided tape

Rubber bands that fit neatly over the rolling pin, spaced out evenly

A piece of plastic mesh bag that the oranges came in that we attached with double sided tape

Blobs of plasticine that stuck nicely to the plastic rolling pin. You'll need to roll this rolling pin on a nice hard surface to flatten the blobs evenly before you add paint

We chose Christmassy coloured paints and used old container lids as our paint trays but we soon discovered it was often easier to get the paint onto the rolling pins with nice fat brushes, rather than trying to roll them on the trays.

So now all you need to do is cover your textured rolling pins with paint and roll your way across your paper to see what patterns you can make!
Will you be making your own gift wrap this Christmas? What techniques do you like to use with kids? Related Posts
Kate Fairlie is an early childhood educator and Mum of four who lives on a small property, 'The Pickle Farm,' in 'almost rural' Victoria. Kate blogs about all kinds of crazy things - twins, gentle parenting, gardening, trying to be a little self sufficient, activities for kids, a recipe here and anything else that pops up in her crazy life!

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Make Your Own Wrapping Paper: 4 Ideas for Rolling Pin Printing

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Making your own wrapping paper is an easy way for kids to get involved in gift giving at this time of year. Children of all ages can easily be involved with creating wrapping paper.

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Here is a fun printmaking project inspired by artist Paul Klee and his painting Castle and Sun.

Do your kids watch Little Einsteins? My little girl loves them and was watching them the other day. If you do watch them, you know that they feature an artist and a composer each episode. Paul Klee was the artist in this episode. My daughter wants to know everything and anything that she can about the great artists. Klee was one that we have not covered yet, so she, of course, wanted to know more about him. We read a little about him online and then looked over his collection of works. Castle and Sun caught our eye. The combination of colors and shapes reminded us of building blocks. I thought that it would be fun to try stamping with the building blocks and create our own Paul Klee inspired artwork.

*The Pinterested Parent is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. In addition, text and image links in this post may be affiliate/referral links, which means we may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through these particular links* See full disclosure policy.
What you will need: Building blocks
A piece of paper

Paper plates

Paper towel

Here's how:

I gathered a couple of blocks in each shape and spread out a bunch of different colors of acrylic paint onto two paper plates. My daughter and I both chose blue construction paper for our canvas. We dipped our blocks into the paint and began stamping them onto the paper.

Some blocks offered a few different shapes depending on the edge that we used. We took advantage of every side of our blocks.

The blocks did get a little muddy after being dipped in a few different colors, so we wiped them on paper towels often to keep our colors true.

My daughter and I worked together side by side. She gave me a play by play of what each print represented. Her thought process is always my favorite part.

I just stacked shapes and added small houses throughout mine, similar to the painting that inspired us.

My daughter chose her own original design. Her creation was of a bridge on the water with a ship on it and a village in the background. She did make sure to add the big orange sun though, that was her favorite part of the original painting. We set our paintings aside to dry and washed off our blocks.

This was a fun project and I just love how my daughter's stamped masterpiece came out. Didn't it come out lovely?

Thank you as always for stopping by. Please follow us on Facebook as well.

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Paul Klee Inspired Block Printing - The Pinterested Parent

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Spread the loveHere is a fun printmaking project inspired by artist Paul Klee and his painting Castle and Sun. Do your kids watch Little Einsteins? My little girl loves them and was watching them the...Continue Reading...

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Foghlaim conas bhur iallacha a cheangailt- Learn to tie your shoe laces.

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Kenn Nesbitt’s Poetry4kids.com – Funny poems for children

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130 activities that are really easy to do at home.

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As teachers, we know the importance of parental involvement in a child's education. Most parents truly want to know how they can help their child at home, but they need exact tips on how to do that.

How many times have you had a parent ask what they can do to help their child? I think many times, as teachers, we assume that all parents know exactly what to do with their children at home to help them with their academics, but this simply is not true.

These lists are perfect for sending home during the first week of school, or during Parent Teacher Conferences. They are an easy reference to all parents of some simple things that they can do at home to help their children.

These lists look great printed in color, but that is definitely not necessary. If you don't have access to a color printer, I have also added a black and white version to these printables. They look great on colored paper.

To download this FREEBIE, just click HERE or on any of the pictures at the top of the post.

I'd love for you to leave me some feedback in my store after you download them.

If you need some more back to school ideas and products for your classroom, make sure to check out my Back to School section HERE.

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Helping My Child Succeed...Printables for Parents

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As teachers, we know the importance of parental involvement in a child's education. Most parents truly want to know how they can help their child at home, but they need exact tips on how to do that. How many times have you had a parent ask what they can do to help their child?

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Get creative by using alternative paintbrushes!

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Not all learning needs to be a worksheet!

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Do you ever wish you had a blueprint for what to do with your kids? "Teach them this, read them this, talk to them about this, do this activity with them." I know I do.

Can you imagine the relief of knowing what to teach your child each day? No more flying by the seat of your pants. No more wondering how to make it to nap time each day. No more worrying that they aren't learning.
Get ready for a whole lot of relief.
I've made a simple homeschool preschool curriculum to solve this problem for us.

Welcome to Playing Preschool

Welcome to having a hands-on, simple-to-follow curriculum for teaching children at home. Sure, I can set out on a whim each day and make fun, random activities for my kids but I wanted more.

As a former kindergarten teacher, I wanted a little more structure.
A little more planning.
A little more sequence to their learning.

I couldn't find what I was looking for in the homeschool preschool curriculum world so I made Playing Preschool: A sequenced, 190 day play-based learning program. Then, I decided to make Playing Preschool Year 2 (to keep the party rolling).

What is Playing Preschool?

Playing Preschool Years 1 & 2 are ebooks. They are each broken in to 19 units of homeschool preschool done easy: sequenced, planned, hands-on activities in a simple daily lesson plan. Not only are these activities fun, but they're educational - think reading, math, science, and art!

Each year of the program is 190 days of lessons aka a traditional school year, but without the pressure, commitment, or financial burden of traditional preschool.

Playing Preschool is a system of teaching young children that I developed over my years as a classroom teacher. It's play-based, low key, and easy to follow.

It's also "evergreen" which means it isn't based on a calendar or season or holidays. You can start this when your child is ready - in the fall, after the new year, or in the middle of April!

It's a program for building background knowledge for your child so when he or she enters school and the teachers say, "Today we will be measuring things," your child can unlock prior knowledge and feel confident in class. " I know what measuring is - my mom and I do that all the time!"

What's inside this program?

Each year of Playing Preschool is 19 thematic units spanning 38 weeks, 26 alphabet letters, and 190 days. With Year 1, you'll also find a 20+ page Start-Up guide - so I can give you all the insight possible on how this program works. With Year 2, you'll get an Introduction and School Readiness guide.

You'll find weekly overviews and daily lesson plans packed into the 300+ page programs. These are lessons I wrote out and scripted for you to help you be the best teacher possible for your child.

There's structure: each day follows a predictable pattern.
There's planning: every day is planned for you.
There's a sequence: these aren't random activities. The skills in these activities grow and develop along with your child.

What else is inside?

Playing Preschool Years 1 & 2 are built on 19 themed units - each unit is two weeks long.A homeschool preschool day in Playing Preschool includes a handpicked book perfect for the theme, questions to ask your child, conversations to have, and two simple activities.

But these are not tradition activities. These are my kind of activities:
Easy. Fast to set up. Minimal supplies. Packed with learning.
All the units are themed so the activities "go together"

And the units are sequenced and build in their complexity as your child ages. These aren't random activities set at a random point in time. Playing Preschool follows a clear line of progression: skills build and grow.

This is a unique feature to Playing Preschool from other online homeschool preschool options. The lessons grow as your child grows.

For example, math activities in Year 1, Unit 1 focus on numbers 1-5. In unit 19, the focus is on numbers 1-12. The following year, they're counting groups of 20 and joining numbers togethers.

This program as a clear scope and sequence. The Unit 19 activities are a lot more challenging than Unit 1 activities - and they should be!

Year 1 builds into Year 2

When you start the second year of Playing Preschool, the skills pick up right where you and your child left off. And just like in Year 1, the skills continue to grow and increase in complexity as your child develops.
The learning done in Year 1 is a "prerequisite" for Year 2; Playing Preschool Year 2 assumes you and your child already completed Playing Preschool Year 1.
Okay, so how does each day look?

I put all my teacher skills to use designing this homeschool preschool program. Each year is broken into 19 units. Each unit is two weeks long.

A week is 5 days of learning activities. Here's what each day looks like:

Start the day: calendar, song/poem, and an introduction to the topic

A read aloud perfect for the theme

"Things to Talk About": a conversation to have with your child about the book/theme

A learning activity - this is an activity usually done by parent AND child to develop a targeted skill (but still fitting within the theme)

An easy activity - a quick & easy themed activity that the child can typically do independently

Each week comes with a unit overview (so you can see what the week looks like) and daily lesson plans (complete with full written direction, some photos, and pre-made questions to ask).
There's also a supply list, book list, song and poem for each unit.
This program couldn't be simpler to follow!

Playing Preschool is a different kind of homeschool preschool.

This is not a traditional homeschool preschool curriculum.

I designed this program to be something you can do quickly - each day is only about 45 minutes long. Don't have time for that? Do it throughout the day (you can totally break things up!).

Playing Preschool can be done while the baby is napping. It can be done with a baby on your hip. It can be done all day long in short 5 minute bursts. It can be done in a playroom, in a school room or on the floor of your family room (that's where I teach my kids!).

What age group is this for?

I designed Playing Preschool Year 1 for ages 2.5 - 5 years old. It's an incredibly open-ended program that is designed specifically to meet the needs of a wide range of children. When I wrote Year 1, my kids were 2.5 and 4 years old. BOTH my kids love these activities and BOTH have learned so much from this program. I've also built in a lot of extensions to lessons so it's easy to see how to bump up the challenge level.
Year 2 assumes that the child has completed the FULL Playing Preschool Year 1 program. Once your child has finished Year 1, they are ready for Year 2.
Don't skip Year 1

I'll keep reminding you: Don't skip Playing Preschool Year 1 because your child is on the older end of the age spectrum or because they "know" their alphabet.

Year 2 is built on knowledge learned in Year 1, and these aren't easy concepts like letter names or counting to 10. These are concepts like how to sequence events, how to classify data, using a ten-frame, measuring with non-standard instruments, and predicting events in a story (just to name a few).

There's also a lot of parent learning that goes on in Year 1 and I want to make sure you have all the information on how to teach the program, the skills, and the concepts. Year 1 does a great job of laying a foundation of knowledge for both you AND your child.

The skills your child will work on during this program are perfect!

I didn't pick every skill in the world for your child work with during Playing Preschool Year 1 or Year 2. I picked a few - ones I believe can be easily taught at home and will build background knowledge for entering school later down the road.

Here are the skills for Playing Preschool Year 1:

Sorting: learning to sort, classify, and work with groups of objects

Predicting: asking and answering questions

Alphabet Knowledge: an introduction into each letter of the alphabet

Recall and Retell: learning to retell a book, information, or sequence of events

Shapes: introducing simple shapes and their attributes

Measurement: learning measuring vocabulary, working with capacity, etc.

Number Sense: working on learning about numbers (one to one correspondence, number recognition, quantity, counting)

Here are the skills for Playing Preschool Year 2:

Reading Comprehension: predicting, cause and effect, compare and contrast, vocabulary, and sequencing skills

Alphabet Knowledge: learning more about letters with a focus on letter sounds and sounds in print

Math Skills: measurement, sorting, graphing, patterns, and shapes

Number Sense: understanding value, joining numbers together, comparing numbers, and recognizing numbers in various arrangements

Recall and Retell: continuing the work from Year 1 on retelling information

School Skills: exposure to cutting, gluing, folding, and tracing

But that's not all! Both programs are full of science, fine motor skill, gross motor skill, art, and sensory based activities too.

We want to teach the "whole child" and honor the fact that children learn in various ways. By exploring topics through different subjects and activities, our children will glean and learn even more.

Holy cow - that seems like A LOT!

Each day in each program, you'll focus on TWO skills with your child. Just TWO.

And the best part is: you'll get into a routine with these skills because they repeat each week on the same day (think fish sticks Friday but teaching style). Every Tuesday is always alphabet knowledge and number sense, Fridays are always recall and retell.

You'll get comfortable. You'll become an expert at teaching measurement because every Wednesday in Year 1, you'll do a measurement activity with your child.

"But my child knows their alphabet and numbers already, is this program right for them?"

I hear you and that's great! Alphabet knowledge continues to grow through elementary school and number sense skills develop throughout their life (high school algebra is still number sense!).
What we are working on in both Playing Preschool Years 1 & 2 is moving beyond memorizing.
We want them to understand letters as a building block and tool for reading. With numbers, it's so much more than counting. It's understanding numbers, their purpose, how numbers fit into our lives, and grasping their value.
Remember: repetition and practice are a good thing. It's important. LeBron James still goes to practice each day and takes simple shots.
What your child won't do with Playing Preschool?

Sit and do seat work. There's none of that here. This is a vibrant, hands-on curriculum. Your child will be active, moving, and engaged as they learn and explore the world around them.

You also won't find any worksheets in Year 1 or Year 2.

I designed this to be "do-able"
This isn't an overwhelming program - neither year.
When you get down to the guts, this program is a book and a few activities each day with your child. It's just that these activities aren't random. They're in a well-thought out, sequenced design, and in fun thematic units.

And just think: you'll know what you're doing each day for the next 9+, and another 9+ months after that with Year 2. Two full school years' worth of activities at your fingertips!

I wrote each lesson with you in mind - with tips for teaching it, extensions for your child, and explicit instructions so you feel comfortable.

Wondering how to start it all?

I wrote THE BESTEST Start Up Guide possible! I remember being a teacher, sitting down with a new program, and thinking "Ugh, where do I start?!"

So I answered that question for you with a 20+ page Start Up Guide full of information on how I set up this program, the whys behind the choices I made, and tips galore for how to teach it.

I was a teacher before I became a Mom so I've used both those skill sets to make this do-able and achievable for every busy family.

Are you ready to start this easy homeschool preschool program?

I'm ready for you to dive in too and get your hands on Playing Preschool Years 1 & 2. I'm ready for you to start building background knowledge with your child to help them be school-ready someday.

You can buy Year One here: the entire first year of the program - 38 weeks of learning - with the Start-Up Guide for just over a $1 a week. That's a lot cheaper than traditional preschool!

You can buy Year Two here: just promise me you've already finished Year 1 so I know you'll be ready to tackle all that is Year 2 (wink wink).

You can buy BOTH YEARS here in a bundle and of course save some money! It's a screaming deal to buy the programs together.

Not ready to commit? I get it. I'm a convicted visual learner. Let me show you part of the first week of Year 1 for free. Just follow this link and you'll get a preview of Year 1, Unit 1: Apples. You won't have the luxury of my amazing Start Up Guide, but you'll at least get an idea of how this program is laid out.

Check out the amazing things being said about Playing Preschool:

"Thank you for a program that values the individual development of kids and shows such HONOR to the work they are capable of, while never pushing them in ways they're not ready for. I have three munchkins under 5 and I also love that this curriculum is something I can have the 2 year old join in with and also do with a baby on my hip. I already bought both years and if you ever get bored over there and write a kindergarten program, I will buy that too!" - Sarah (child age 4.5)

"Susie, you have allowed me to not get discouraged by other homeschool preschool programs, handouts, print outs, curriculums etc. You spell everything out so easily and make homeschooling young children fun versus daunting! I was able to start this just a few weeks after moving and it doesn't feel overwhelming at all." -Kristin (children ages 3.5 and 2)

"I have a toddler (2 1/2) and a baby (6 mo.) and I originally bought the program to have something to do with my oldest. I had looked at Pinterest a million times but often forgot to check it or got overwhelmed by putting things together. Your program is what I wish I could have done myself! I feel so much better equipped to teach my daughter and communicate with her. In particular, the 'Alphabet hunts' showed me that we can take our learning outside/on the road/in the cupboard. My little one (2.5) has always been really eager to learn and this program has proved to be a wonderful balance between wanting to teach her academic concepts and letting her learn her best way." - Brooke (child age 2.5)

"Playing Preschool works. When I say "works" I don't just mean it's an effective teaching method (it is absolutely is), I also mean it works for US-it's doable, it's manageable, it's ENJOYABLE! I taught preschool for 8 years before becoming a stay at home mom-I wanted to teach my own children, but I didn't want it to be a chore for me- this has made it so easy and fun. I have seen so much growth in my kids development since starting this program, but it has also helped us develop a daily rhythm and provided a framework for our day that has been invaluable to me." -Serenity (child age 4)

"I love the program because I know for at least 30 minutes of the day we are having fun and she is learning something. Some things are still over her head but at I know with the exposure one day it will click! I also love that I can modify the program based on what I know will catch my daughters interests." -Cris (child age almost 3)

"I purchased Playing Preschool year 1 for my son (4 years old, now 5). I had loved and tried many of the activities on the Instagram page and have loved how easy they are to set up. I thought - why not give the program a go. My son as autism spectrum disorder and adhd so although he goes to kindergarten four days a week I wanted some ideas to help boost his learning and the hands on activities are fantastic for that (as is a good sensory bin)." -Amy (child age 5)

"My kids are 4 years and 21 months old and I love that Playing Preschool can be adapted for different ages! It's great to have them work on fun activities and learn valuable skills at the same time." - Allison (children ages 4 and 21 months)

" My daughter (turns 3 years next month) gets so excited to do "school" each day! She has enjoyed every activity so far. I love it because the prep for the lessons is so quick/simple, the materials used are mostly things we already have around the house, there are scripts/question prompts included to encourage conversation, and I like the variety of activities offered each day." -Rachel (child age almost 3)

It's time to jump on board.

Stop flying by the seat of your pants each day and let me do some of the navigating for you. Playing Preschool will give you a school year's worth of learning activities with your child - now that's one amazing way to make it to nap time.

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Homeschool Preschool: The Playing Preschool Program - Busy Toddler

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Do you ever wish you had a blueprint for what to do with your kids? "Teach them this, read them this, talk to them about this, do this activity with them." I know I do. Can you imagine the relief of knowing what to teach your child each day?

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This could be adapted to write in flour, salt, sugar, soil....etc.

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This quick and easy to set up activity uses a few basic materials and is fabulous for practicing number writing, counting, subitising and more. It can be a great independent activity that promotes self checking and self correction.

(Maddie was 4 here. See the bottom for Handy Tips to simplify or extend to meet your child's needs)

Materials: Table Salt, Dish, Cardboard squares, marker, paintbrush

On one side of each card, write a number and on the other side draw the corresponding amount of dots.

The child counts (or subitises where possible) the amount of dots on the card. They then write the number in the salt. Flip the card to see if you got it right. If not, shake your salt tray a little and then copy the number correctly.

For Maddie I did numbers up to 30. As the numbers got larger it was harder for her to subitise them (automatically recognising the amount shown without counting), but we worked on seeing them in chunks. She noticed that the 9 was 3 rows of 3 dots. It was then also easy to automatically see 6 dots and 3 more.

She loved attempting the numbers and then flipping the card to see if she got it right.

The self correction aspect meant that this would be a great independent activity and perfect for a literacy station in schools.

Capturing pride through accomplishment. All children need the opportunity to experience success and to feel proud of their achievements. Activities such as these allow for children to practice and self correct until they succeed.

Always time for some free play as well.

Using the end of the paintbrush was great for a pen but it's also fun to write with your fingers.

Maddie made up her own little game of find the number. The paintbrush is perfect as a little palaeontologist tool.

Rather than number writing you could focus on counting and one-to-one correspondence as shown above.

- Simplify this activity by providing numbers 1-3 to begin with and then slowly expanding on the numbers. Try out some of the ideas directly above. Rather than number writing, focus on counting and corresponding amounts to the dots shown.

- Extend this activity by:

Focusing on teen numbers or higher.

Having the children make the number cards themselves

Mixing up the number cards and having children order them from smallest to largest or largest to smallest.

Playing "Which comes next?" or "What comes before?" where whichever number is chosen from the pile, the objective is to write the number that comes before or after that number. You can make varying number cards to suit this specifically if you like.

- Mix it up by doing the activity the other way around. Have the written number side up and encourage children to recognise the number and draw in the corresponding amount of dots.

- Here are some of our other activities that help us practice number writing.
Click the following pictures to take you to the activities.

We like to play here as well. Come play with us :)

New Here? Subscribe to get all activities sent directly to you

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Number Writing Activity. Salt Tray Game.

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This quick and easy to set up activity uses a few basic materials and is fabulous for practicing number writing, counting, subitising and more. It can be a great independent activity that promotes self checking and self correction. (Maddie was 4 here.

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A nice Science activity you could do at home

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Kids love to send cars down ramps! The faster the better, but did you know that this favorite playtime activity is also an awesome science lesson for kids of all ages? Explore ramps, angles, and friction with just a few simple materials. This physics activity is a fun way to introduce friction, ramps, and angles to kids through hands-on play!

Exploring Ramps, Angles, and Friction
Supplies Needed

Materials to make ramps; you can use cardboard or wood planks!

Variety of toy cars

Variety of textured materials to create friction - There are so many ideas! We used a hand towel, sandpaper, and rubber grippy mats. You could also use foil or parchment paper, a piece of rug, or even dirt.

Tape to secure materials if necessary so they do not slip off the ramps

Stopwatch and measuring tape. These are optional but a fun way to extend the activity and encourage making predictions.

Determine how many materials you want to test and how many ramps you want to have available. This is fun inside or outside! Leave one ramp free of materials as a test ramp. Secure your materials to the other ramps as needed. Determine how you will set up the ramps. We used stairs, but you can also stack books. Gather your cars and kids!
Ramps and Friction Activity Set Up
Ramps and Friction Science Activity Play and Learning

Allow your kids to explore the bare ramp as they wish. They are going to be super excited to play, so it is often best to let them explore the activity freely for a bit first! You can also test out angles at this point. Which ramp angles are faster or slower? Which cars move faster? Heavier, lighter, longer, or shorter cars move at different speeds. This is a great way to get them thinking about the way things move!

Note: You may want to split this activity into two learning times since exploring the ramps is great fun all in itself and is still a simple physics lesson.

When the kids are ready, move on to your textured ramps. Let the kids feel the textures and describe them to you. This is a great time to introduce the term "friction" if you would like! Read a little bit about friction below and keep it simple for young kids!

Ask lots of questions! Before they test out the cars, invite the kids guess which texture might slow down the car or speed it up as it goes down the ramp. Make predictions on which cars will go faster or slower. Let the kids race cars down the different ramps. If appropriate, you can use a measuring tape to see how far the cars travel off the ramp. Which car goes the farthest? Which car is the slowest? Which car crashes, falls off the ramp, or doesn't make it to the end?

What is Friction?

Young kids learn by exploring, observing, and figuring out the way things work by experimenting. Exploring ramps and friction encourages all of the above. Kids will learn that friction can be two surfaces rubbing against one another. We experience this when we rub our hands together when they are cold. Friction is also the resistance an object meets when moving over another surface. The materials you attached to the ramps changed the surface of the ramp. The different cars will experience different amounts of friction when going down these ramps causing the cars to speed up or slow down some.

Simple STEM activities like this ramps and friction experiment are a wonderful way to get kids thinking, exploring, problem solving, and observing what is happening around them. There are many ways you can explore ramps, angles, slopes, and friction. Get creative with the supplies you have on hand and you can set up this science activity today!

BIO: Sarah is the creator of Little Bins for Little Hands where she shares simple science experiments, STEM activities, and tactile sensory play recipes. She is also the proud mom of a busy little boy. Check out their favorite science experiments and STEM projects all year long! You can connect with her on Facebook and Pinterest.
More Science Ideas

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Science for Kids: Exploring Ramps and Friction - Pre-K Pages

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Create textured ramps for kids to experiment and explore for a fun science and STEM activity; for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten.

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I love learning activities and want to encourage my kids to develop in all areas, physical, mental, emotional. We do it all- letters, numbers, balance practice, running outside.

There is one thing that I did not want to work on though. I was too nervous. It wasn't safe. We weren't going to do it.

Until I knew we had to.
Scissor skills.
Yep, learning how to cut is actually really important for kids. And it means I had to hand a sharp deadly weapon to my child and sit by while he almost cut his fingers off.

Maybe it wasn't that bad. In fact, there are a lot of really important reasons to work on cutting skills, and there are a lot of super safe ways to do it.

Here is why cutting skills are so important and easy cutting activities for preschoolers. (And of course, I'll be including some fun free printable cutting activities for preschoolers at the end.)

What's In This Post?

Why Scissor Skills Are So Important

Why are cutting skills just so important? Can't we just wait until kids are older and better at being careful before we have them practice with some sharp scissors?

Teaching kids to cut is about a lot more than lines on paper.

Bilateral Coordination

Cutting is unique to some early crafting skills in that it builds bilateral coordination. That means it uses both sides of the body at the same time.

Preschool cutting activities require your child to hold and turn the paper with one hand and cut with the other hand. It isn't easy! But this is good practice for future activities that use both sides of the body at the same time, which is a lot of things in life.

The physical act of using scissors to open and close works fine motor skills. Sure, there are other ways to practice these skills too, but cutting works the hand in a unique way.

Fine motor activities help kids when it comes to holding pens and pencils to write and for manipulating small items.

You can think of doing a cutting activity as being like when you do reps at the gym. You are doing a repeated activity that builds up muscle strength. It's just that muscles are in the hand and arm.

Cutting practice helps to build visual motor skills, aka hand-eye coordination. To cut children need to follow a line on a page with their eyes AND the scissors in their hands.

Hand-eye coordination is important for everyday tasks like writing, eating, catching a ball. It also helps with skills like reading. The eye needs to be able to track smoothly to read well, and scissor skills work the same process.

Cutting practice for young kids strengthens hand muscles. We use our hands a lot so this helps with many skills and just life in general.

We use our fingers to manipulate objects in very specific and fine ways. Cutting actually requires a lot of individual movements from our fingers giving lots of practice to this.

Ben tends to cut with his left hand. Left-handed scissors make this a whole lot easier. We like these Left Handed Scissors for Kids. They are relatively cheap and work well for tiny hands.

If you think your child is a leftie check with their teacher to see if they have enough pairs of leftie scissors. Like a lot of things they tend to disappear easily, so keep your kids supplied.

Good Scissors for Preschoolers

Here are some more good scissor options for you. The most important thing is to have scissors the right size for your child's hands.

Cutting Activities for Preschoolers

Let's Practice Cutting!

There are a lot of fun crafts and activities to practice cutting with your child that also keep safety in mind. Basically, you can work these skills with scissors and stop your worries that you will end up in the ER.

If you aren't ready to hand over the scissors yet you can start with a hole punch. The old fashioned, handheld, single hole kind. The work on a similar principle to scissors.

I drew shapes on pieces of construction paper and had Ben punch holes along the lines. (Bonus shape work!) You squeeze the hole punch the same way you do scissors and can work on following a line as you go.

This isn't exactly the same as scissor skills, as the punches bounce back and you have to open scissors manually. But it is a great start, especially if you are a nervous mom like me. (This is a great one for two-year-olds who want to be like big brother too!)

You can get Play-Doh kits that come with scissors. The great thing about these? Those scissors are just for cutting the clay. That means there is about no way to actually cut skim with them.

Besides simple safety play-doh offers nice resistance to build hand muscles. It also is stiff and holds its shape while being cut.

Play-doh is also great because it is reusable. You can cut, reform the dough, and cut again. This is helpful both for just conservation and for perfectionist children. You can always fix it and try again.

Paper plates are great for cutting because they are stiffer. That makes it easier for little ones to hold with one hand safely far away from the scissor blades but still control the paper for cutting.

This can be a freeform activity where you just hand over a plate and some scissors and let your child go. You can trace a line on the plate to follow. (Paper plates lend themselves to cutting curved lines very well.)

It's also fun to draw a face on the plate and let your child give it a haircut.

Toilet Paper Tube Hair Cuts

This is one of my favorite ways to practice cutting because my kids got a big kick out of it. Gather up some toilet paper tubes and construction paper.

Tape some construction paper around the top of the tube, leaving it pretty long. Then draw a cute little face on the tube. Now your child is ready to give it a hair cut! (Scissor practice just lends itself so well to haircut activities.)

This activity also keeps the scissors far away from tiny fingers, and it lets your children explore their creative side.

Cut Different Textures

Another fun way to keep cutting practice fresh is to just cut different textures. Try straws, yarn, several sheets of paper at once. If you have extra fabric or felt pieces try cutting those.

Do you have thin foam sheets? Or perhaps bubble wrap? The idea is just to try new things and get a feel for the scissors. You can then use the pieces to create a collage!

If you want to work more specifically on cutting straight lines, curves, and zig zag lines you can print out worksheets for your child to cut. And you guessed it, I've included some here!

These are a fast and fun way to work on simple cutting skills. You can find them in my library of free printables! Gain access by using the sign-up form below. That gets you all my free worksheets and activities to do with your kids plus signs you up for the Team Cartwright newsletter. (You can unsubscribe at any time.) I hope you and your kids enjoy the free worksheets!

I have found these easy activities take away my fear and open up all kinds of learning for my kids. (Although I am still eternally grateful to all the preschool teachers that hand scissors over to a class full of kids. Such bravery!)

Happy cutting!

Try some of these fun learning activities!
Learn the Benefits of Coloring and Get Free Coloring Pages Number Sense Activities Easy and Mess-Free Sensory STEM Fun!

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Cutting Activities for Preschoolers - Team Cartwright

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I love learning activities and want to encourage my kids to develop in all areas, physical, mental, emotional. We do it all- letters, numbers, balance practice, running outside. There is one thing that I did not want to work on though. I was too nervous. It wasn't safe.

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This could be adapted to any animal or shape!

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Spring and Easter Crafts are so much fun! This Bunny Thumbprint Art is a great activity to do during springtime. This fun sensory craft uses a simple bunny shape to create a bunny silhouette with a cute fluffy tail! It's a perfect activity to include in all of the Easter fun.

Materials Needed for the Bunny Thumbprint Art:

White paper

Bunny Template printed onto cardstock (see below)

Scissors

Masking tape

Paint - Use Easter or Spring Colors

Glue

Cottonball

Getting the Bunny Thumbprint Art Ready:

To get this craft ready, prepare the bunny template by printing and cutting it out.

Get the paint ready for the kids to use by putting it out onto a plate or something the can press there thumb onto.

It also helps to get the tape ready by rolling it into pieces, ready to use to stick the bunny down.

Doing the Bunny Thumbprint Art :

The students will start by taping the bunny template onto a white piece of paper using rolled up pieces of tape.

Now it's time to make thumbprints! Start by making thumbprints all around the outside edge of the bunny shape. Make them overlapping or close together to fully outline the shape.

This time we used one color of paint, a light blue, but we also used bright Spring colors which also looks great!

After the shape is outlined with thumbprints, begin making thumbprints all around the paper, as close together as you'd like. Go all the way to the edge. You can keep using the same color, or switch to another Spring color to mix it up a bit.

Before moving on, it's best to let the thumbprints dry completely.

Now it's time to peel up the bunny shape to reveal the silhouette. Slowly pull up the bunny shape, being careful not to tear the paper.

After peeling up the shape, it's time to add a cute, fluffy tail! Use glue and a white cotton ball to add a tail to your bunny. We pulled apart the cotton ball just a bit to make it extra fluffy.

Now your bunny is complete!

These would make lovely Easter cards or classroom decorations, and would be a lot of fun to do at an Easter party.
Need more Easter ideas? Rabbit Animal Study Easer Match-Ups Easter Book for Little Learners
You might also like Easter Bingo!

Download your Easter Bunny Thumbprint Art Template below!

Can you not find a resource that you would LOVE to have for your classroom? Contact me and I would be happy to make it for you.

Click the picture below to download. You will immediately be redirected to the freebie.

I hope that you and your students enjoy this Easter Bunny Thumbprint Craft!

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Spring and Easter Crafts are so much fun! This Bunny Thumbprint Art is a great activity to do during springtime. This fun sensory craft uses a simple bunny shape to create a bunny silhouette with a cute fluffy tail! It's a perfect activity to include in all of the Easter fun.

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with the plan to stay home the next few weeks, i've hopefully gotten through the worst of my panic mode about the fact that i forgot to buy any cauliflower WHATSOEVER lol. seriously woke up at 3am last night because of it.

it's gonna be a long few weeks, but "social distancing" is the only thing to do (if you're able to). while self-quarantining would be actually super appealing if arlo didn't live here (i would probably just watch every reality show in existence), arlo does in fact live here, so it's not as chill a situation. i've put together a ton of things to do at home - including some adult ones that you can just do during nap time, if needed.

whether it's a new one every day or general routine to follow, it always helps us pass the time having a list of what's on tap for the day. also helps keep me productive and arlo more aware of what is happening all day.

ok so we already do this everyday - but it's gonna be the only way to stay sane and feel like you're still in touch with your loved ones without any actual face time.

destroying your entire living room is sort of worth the 12 minutes of entertainment.

i'm not one of those people who sets up slow cooker dinners hours ahead of time, but since i'm home- i'm totally going to be one of those people!

another thing i don't do as often as i'd like because of the time commitment. but i love making bread and arlo hasn't been old enough to enjoy it till now! and the best part is it won't go bad. we can just sit and eat it for days! here's my super easy recipe.

because i'm not going to pretend we're not going to do that. p sure we're going to watch so much more TV than he has ever watched in his life. and that's ok!! just hoping i can convince him to watch some movies and not ONLY DANIEL TIGER ON REPEAT.

definitely no time like the present to tackle re-organizing all your monica closets- or is that just me? do one drawer or cabinet at a time before you destroy your entire house, but we already did one of arlos art supply drawers and it felt so good to get rid of all the empty sticker sheets and dried out markers.
kitchen drawer tour how i organized my spice drawer
if you have hulu with commercials, now is the time to upgrade lol. if you haven't watched love island UK yet and you're wondering if now is the time, DUH. and let me just say how truly jealous i am of you if thats the case. (don't forget to start with s3)

some of our favorite shows to binge watch (not including the obvious super popular ones) :
- patriot
- imposters
- master of none
- dead to me
- the sinner (s1 > s2)
- black mirror
- mindhunter
- any and all murder doc series (aaron hernandez, the jinx, scott peterson, don't f*** with cats)

ok i would be soooo happy if arlo was on board with this idea, but if nothing else it would be fun to do while he's napping. do a face mask, take a bubble bath, put cucumbers on your eyes. you won't be doing a manicure any time soon so paint your nails too.

you know this is gonna be our #1 pasttime. i loaded up on butter and sugar so we can get nice and plump - definitely arlos favorite thing to do so it'll be the perfect activity.

we still haven't watched a bunch of oscar movies we wanted to see but now seems like the time!! i wanna see knives out.

we love sending snail mail to my best friends baby, so i ordered some blank cards we can decorate. if you have an instax, we love to include a photo on all his cards too!! who doesn't love getting fun mail, especially in a time like this?

we've never done it but it seems so easy and fun, arlo would love.
from the mama notes
never thought i was the type of person to be sad i can't go exercise but i've gotten in such a rhythm and i'm worried i'm gonna lose all steam forever haha. gonna do my best to do workout videos when i can and also arlo loooves yoga so going to encourage we do a session every morning! (everyone loves cosmic kids yoga)

my SIL did this other day and arlo loved it!! draw a whole giant scene outside with chalk and bring a bunch of toy cars outside! definitely some long term play here.
a happy wanderer
i just bought an air fryer yesterday- i've been wanting one but hadn't taken the plunge, but the idea of air frying all the frozen veggies stashed in my freezer was just too appealing!! i think arlo will have fun experimenting with this too, and hopefully eat some veggies in the process.

there's something about doing a puzzle that feels sooo cozy. if you're trapped inside, you might as well cozy it up. i have so many puzzles and never find the time to do them!!

ok well this seems like the perfect time to potty train now, but i'm not really interested hahaha.

i don't actually have the supplies for this, but if you do- it looks like so much fun and you can store them too!
from butternut bakery blog
i've been wanting to restyle our kitchen shelves forever! now seems like the perfect time. whether you have open shelving in your kitchen, or bookcases or even a little shelf above your toilet, it's something creative to do.
our southwest nest
i have a giant box of unused black tea bags i got when i was obsessed with tea dying but i sucked at it, would be the perfect time to try again! if you don't want the mess of actual tie dye, try natural dyes like avocado - i used them to dye our napkins pink! if you don't have clothes to dye, think napkins, socks or make your kitchen towels cute!
avocado dyed linens feel + flourish tea staining
y'all moms know thats the one true break you get besides nap time. arlo loves these color bath drops!!

eating outside on a blanket was always very exciting for me as a kid. plus its something fun to change up the routine!

i've been wanting to paint underside of my kitchen island for years and never got around to it... (it's still the raw wood) should i finally do it?!

super easy and super free, you can get super creative like this and make a game out of it.
nora menzel pfefferminzgruen
if you've got a cardboard problem like us, get creative with what you have lying around - use old boxes, paper towel and toilet paper rolls. here are 15 things to do with toilet paper rolls!

and this girl i follow on instagram napkin apocalypse always creates the most amazing things out of cardboard ( like this truck too)! so inspiring.

elsie larson does a music jar to change up what they listen to every week. could be super fun to do it daily!!

fill some bowls and cups in the sink with water with some spoons, shovels, etc. arlo can usually do this longer than any other activity!

all you need is string and sticks to do these gods eyes!!

a fun way to change up arts and crafts, if you draw with crayon and then paint over with watercolor it resists it and looks like invisible ink.

like as simple as mixing vinegar and baking soda together! they do a lot of these kinds of things at arlos school and he loves them. i made an amazon list with kits to buy at the end of this post

a lot of people recommended this one! arlo loves hopscotch at school but an inside one would be super exciting (and rainy day friendly)

bonus points to go the extra mile and make little snacks and sandwiches with your kids, dress up, go all out. i mean what else are you doing?

a perfect nap time activity, or something you can do in your kids closet while they play. i did a blog post years back with some tips.

like tea party, i always see kids on tv playing restaurant and it seems so cute. make a menu, set the table, have your kid be the waiter! they'll love it.

because everyone probably has string and pasta or cereal around. super easy!

of course i made an amazon list with some things we love (like water wows!!! arlo can do these for hours) and i'll continue to add to it too.

and would love to hear more ideas if you have them!! please share in the comments! and i'll add to the post if i come up with more ideas as the days and weeks go by. stay safe everyone.

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35+ things to do while you're stuck at home with kids - almost makes perfect

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with the plan to stay home the next few weeks, i've hopefully gotten through the worst of my panic mode about the fact that i forgot to buy any cauliflower WHATSOEVER lol. seriously woke up at 3am last night because of it. it's gonna be a long few weeks, but "social distancing" is the only ...

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Games can be the perfect tool to introduce and teach social emotional learning skills to kids and young adults. These are the skills that help kids become more self-aware, develop positive relationships, show empathy towards others, manage emotions, use self-control, resolve conflicts, and make positive decisions. If you need more background on SEL, make sure you read up on the basics of social emotional learning.

So often, educators are so busy teaching our curriculum and content that we sometimes leave these skills behind. It's so important to make real time for them and incorporate them into many of the activities you already do! For kids who struggle with some of these skills, learning them can be real work. With that said, it's important to make learning these skills meaningful, interactive, hands-on, and fun. That's why teaching social emotional skills in the form of a game just makes so much sense!

Here are several games (some I've purchase and some I've developed myself) that target these critical social emotional learning skills:
1. Social Problem Solving Board Game
Why It's Important: Social problem-solving is our ability to understand a social situation and use reasoning to deal with it in the most socially appropriate way. We really use these skills every single day. At school, kids might have to problem-solve what to do when someone isn't nice to them or when they see someone else breaking a rule and aren't sure what to do. At home, they might use them when an adult tells them to clean their room but they don't feel like it at the moment.

How It Works: This game focuses on considering a social problem, thinking about what it matters, considering choices and consequences, and ultimately making a decision that is best in the moment. Kids will roll a dice and work through a game board, picking up a situation card for each spot they land on. My favorite part is that kids will also act out scenarios which can help them to generalize the social skills over time.
2. Team Pictionary
Why It's Important: Teamwork is a critical skill for all ages. This is a skill kids and young adults use throughout the school day, but also outside of school, whether it is during a sports game or playing a game with friends at home. While learning to work together as a team, kids also learn other valuable skills including assertive communication, how to listen, turn-taking, doing a fair share of the work, and how to respectfully disagree with each other. These are not only school skills, but life skills.

How It Works: Split up into two teams. Let each team pick an artist who will draw for their team. Let the artists pick a card with a phrase they will have to illustrate on paper or on the board. Let both artists draw at the same time, while their team tries to guess the correct phrase they are drawing. The catch is that the artist can only draw images and not words, so team members must work together to come up with what the artist is drawing. The team that guesses the phrase first wins! The game can continue again and again, as different artists from the group should be chosen.
3. Social Communication Board Game
Why It's Important: Simply put, kids need to be able to communicate well with others. That includes having small talk with a classmate in the hallway, understanding nonverbal cues, holding a full conversation with peers at lunch, and using our social filter before we speak. Our communication skills have a huge impact on how we get along with others and develop relationships over time.

How It Works: This game is ideal for all kids, but especially those with social language challenges. Depending on which space kids fall on, they will have to decipher social cues from a real life photo, discuss what they would do or say in a situation, identify how they should think before they speak, or say a specific phrase in a variety of different tones. Since there are over 150 unique cards, kids can just play again and again while practicing these skills.
4. Empathy Board Game
Why It's Important: Considering and understanding the feelings of others is a foundational skill that supports social success. In order to know the "right" or socially appropriate response to situations, we must first really understand how others feel. Developing empathy isn't easy for all kids, especially those with social challenges and autism. It's important to highlight situations by stopping to think how someone else might feel or think. While thinking about how you might feel in a situation is a good start, t's critical to target how someone else might feel. That's because true empathy is really about understanding someone else's thoughts and feelings, which can often be different from our own.

How It Works: Students will work in partners and small groups to get through an empathy game board. For a person's turn, they will roll the dice and spin the spinner. Their spot on the game board and the spinner will tell them how to answer each card. For example, they might have to answer: Why does it matter? How might they feel? What might they be thinking? What might you do? Students might also have to act out what they would do in that situation. There are over 150 unique situations that help kids discuss and build empathy over real-life scenarios.
5. Social Charades
Why It's Important: A huge component to social awareness is learning to identify and understand the social cues of others. These social cues, including our body language and facial expressions, often inform others how we're feeling, what we're thinking, and what our intentions are.

How It Works: Create a list of different actions or have the kids come up with them themselves. Any action will do! Some examples might be waiting at the bus stop, sharpening your pencil, listening to music, running in a race, taking notes in class, and so on. The idea is that kids will randomly choose one action and act it out for the others to guess. By acting out these scenarios, students will need to consider what social cues would be aligned with that activity. Best of all, this is a quick activity you can do with just a few minutes of class time left that kids will love.
6. Roll & Spin a Coping Strategy
Why It's Important: Being able to manage our emotions is a critical skill. We all experience tough emotions, setbacks, or challenges along the way. It's just a natural part of life. How we handle those difficulties can make a big impact on our success. That's why it's so important to explicitly teach coping strategies and skills to manage our feelings on the spot. Sometimes, kids cannot self-soothe without being explicitly taught these strategies. Kids and young adults need to learn they can take a quick walk, write in a journal, take deep breaths, and use positive self-talk to calm themselves and feel better in moments of difficulty. Additionally, it's important that kids practice these strategies when they are already calm so that they can really use them when they are emotionally overwhelmed.

How It Works: Using a one-page board, students will take turns rolling and spinning. Depending on what they roll and spin, they will fall on a space with a coping strategy that they will have to practice. Once they practice that strategy, they can cover up the spot with a chip. Note that students can have their own boards or share if you have different colored chips. The first person to get one whole row across wins! Ultimately, the idea is that kids are practicing a wide variety of coping strategies, giving them access to more skills when they truly need them.
7. Feelings Uno
Why It's Important: Self-awareness is a critical skill that helps individuals understand their own emotions. In this activity, students can improve their emotional vocabularies by discussing a variety of different feeling words and what they mean. It also helps to normalize talking about different emotions and being comfortable sharing how we are feeling in the moment. Getting kids talking about emotions is key.

How It Works: This game just adds a simple twist to your normal Uno game, which all kids absolutely LOVE! Using the Uno colors, discuss what each of the colors might mean. Blue can stand for feeling sad, tired, bored, or sick. Green stands for feeling happy, calm, focused, and in control. Yellow means feelings frustrated, worried, or nervous. Finally, red should stand for angry. Every time a student plays a color of a card, teach them to use an emotion word that matches the color, share a time they felt that way, or discuss when someone might feel that way.
8. Executive Functioning Challenge
Why It's Important: Executive functioning skills are the processes in our brain that help us accomplish tasks. Sometimes we might think of these skills as only related to academics, but that's actually not true. Our executive functioning skills help us use our self-control to stop and think before saying something inappropriate, our flexibility to consider different solutions for social problems, and our time management to make sure we meet a friend on time. When executive functioning skills are stronger, kids and young adults have greater chance for success in school and beyond.

How It Works: This game can actually be played two different ways: partners and small groups, or as a full class. The idea is that students work through a game board, answering a variety of executive functioning questions as they head towards the finish line. The game cards have students completing executive functioning challenges, acting out situations, naming executive functioning skills used in a situation, and proving their knowledge about the skills themselves. For the full class version, kids can work in teams, collaborating on the answers and getting "points" to win the challenge.

If you love the games I've put together, you can save by getting them as a whole set! This Social Emotional Learning Games Bundle gives practice with empathy, perspective-taking, executive functioning skills, communication, and more.

Use these games during break times, small groups, as an end of the week reward, or just a fun brain break. Kids will have fun but you'll know you're working on serious SEL skills that make a difference!

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Using Games to Teach Social Emotional Skills

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Games can be the perfect tool to introduce and teach social emotional learning skills to kids and young adults. These are the skills that help kids become more self-aware, develop positive relationships, show empathy towards others, manage emotions, use self-control, resolve conflicts, and make posi

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We found some of the most creative upcycled cereal box crafts. Ideas and projects for the entire family. From the most experienced crafter to someone just looking to create some raining day fun!
Upcycled Cereal Box Crafts

I remember when I was about 10 and didn't have hanging file folders. I wanted to organize my papers so I used manila folders, tapped on straws and allowed them to hang on my homemade file cabinet. My dad thought I was genius. Though, initially, I wasn't doing this to see how smart I was, I was being resourceful with my supplies, it created a spark in me to upcycle what I had.

If you love to create, craft, or perhaps see what genius things you can make from recycled materials, this post is for you! Take a look at these Upcycled Cereal Box Crafts and let us know your favorite! What have you tried?

You guys, first up for your cereal box crafts is this - because it's just genius! Create a DIY Mini Notebooks. Wouldn't they be so perfect for the kids? | Creme de la Craft

We our very obsessed with our own Cereal Box Craft for Christmas - create these fun gift bags! | Frugal Coupon Living

This is the cutest thing ever!? Use recycled cereal boxes to make these No-Sew Felt Animal Masks. I am inspired! | Flax and Twine

It doesn't have to be Cinco de Mayo for this Cereal Box Craft! Create Mini Pinatas for your next Mexican gathering! This could also be great for an adult party!| Oh Happy Day

This is a fun idea. Organize your desk using upcycled cereal boxes and some wrapping paper. We might never want to closer our drawer. | I Heart Organizing

Take some flight! I am really obsessed with this kids craft idea - create a Cardboard Space Shuttle| A Little Pinch of Perfect

Wouldn't this look cute on a desk? I love this! Create a DIY Cereal Box Mail Sorter | Buzzfeed

Here is another cereal box craft! Create a nightlight from a cereal box - who knew?! Great tutorial for this craft. | Instructables

I could see my inner child doing this! Create a Yarn Loom from a recycled cereal box! | Kix Cereal

We need this in our home! It's a great way to organize. Make a washi tape dispenser for your craft room. | Craft and Creativity

Upcycle a cereal box to make this fun miniature gift box. What will you put inside? | Stuff You Can Have

Use a cereal box to frame a picture! Enlightened? Me too! I didn't think of that either! | Love Grows Wild

A little contact paper and of course a cereal box for this DIY Magazine holder! No need to shove all those magazines in a basket or cabinet. | eHow

How precious are these? Upcycle a cereal box into homemade gift tags! I think our family will tackle this project!| Off Beat and Inspired

Making bracelets, sewing something fun. Create these Upcycled Embroidery Floss Spools using an old upcycled cereal box. I did this as a kid! | Fave Crafts

Afraid of the dark? There is a solution for that. How about this DIY Constellation Light box made from a recycled cereal box! | Handmade Charlotte

This could be great for a school assignment. Make a cereal box aquarium or display. | The Best Ideas for Kids

I love creative people and this blogger is! Create a Foldable Doll House with a recycled cereal box (perfect take along house) | Red Ted Art

WOW - this website is always creative with their projects. Make a torch from a Coke Can and Cereal Box! | Instructables

This is beautiful. Create an entire Christmas Village form Upcycled Cereal Boxes! Christmas villages are expensive, talk about an excellent way to save! | Honest to Nod from Land of Nod

Cereal boxes can be used to create this! Instead of buying gift bags, make your own! I love the idea! | A Beautiful Mess

Do you love upcycled crafts?

Take a look at these Paint Chip Crafts too. Pin to Pinterest.

Enjoy these activities with the kids - Five Minute Science Experiments for Kids. Pin to Pinterest.

WHAT'S TRENDING? Get inspired this Spring with Dollar Store Easter Decor.

Also access our Free Frugal Coupon Living Printables to help you find joy through embracing the chaos of motherhood more easily!

Stay in the know with daily deals, recipes, crafts, life hacks and seasonal content on Frugal Coupon Living. Receive this and more in your inbox.

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We found some of the most creative upcycled cereal box crafts. Ideas and projects for the entire family. From the most experienced crafter to someone just looking to create some raining day fun! I remember when I was about 10 and didn't have hanging file folders.

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I've been wanting to post this project for a year. This rainbow collage invitation was presented to my art camp kids one year ago today, which just happened to be the same day as the Pulse night club shooting in Orlando. My little kids obviously didn't know anything about this, their happy faces a stark reminder that there is so much good in this world. I had a hard time keeping my eyes dry that day, but for the five and six-year olds, it was just a happy rainbow-making time.

And now, on the one year anniversary of this sad day, here I am finally sharing these photos with you. I am a terrible planner, and I honestly forgot today was the anniversary until I listened to the radio on my way back from school drop-off. I had to change my intro to reflect my heavy heart today. I continue to focus on the good and decent people around me in my life, as I honor those whose dreams were cut short too soon.
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support!
The idea for these rainbows came from one of my favorite art studios, Collage Collage in Vancouver, BC. Owner Erin Boniferro not only has the most wonderful art ideas, she also runs a beautifully curated shop within her studio. A visit to Vancouver is on my bucket list!

Gather your supplies

~ Rainbow colored paper collage material (I used a combo of cut up old art, colored paper, scrapbook paper, and fabric)

~ Cardboard rainbow shapes (I used cereal boxes in these photos, but you can also use thicker cardboard from boxes)

~ Optional craft wire to make a hanger

Preparing materials and presenting your creative table

~ First, make a rainbow template. Cut out one rainbow shape from regular paper, and use that to trace on top of the cardboard.

~ Next, prepare your collage materials. I collect lots of scraps throughout the year so may of these odd shapes were already cut. I then went through my old art drawer and took out a bunch of paintings. I cut these into square and rectangle shapes. I also have a draw of colored paper and a drawer of patterned scrapbook paper. (I use the Alex drawers from IKEA to store paper and old art.) I selected a few pieces and cut them up. Next I found some fabric scraps and cut those up, too. Lastly, I separated each color into its own tray and added some buttons.

~ If you have pom-poms, put some in a basket.

~ To set up your table, just put one rainbow at each place along with one glue, and spread the collage material along the table. The children will have to get up and walk around to find the color they need. For smaller children who may just use what's in front of them, I gather a little of each color and put it next to their rainbow.

~ Then, just let the children do their thing. You can just stand back and enjoy watching their process and listening to their chatter.

~ When the rainbows have dried, you can punch two holes at the top and add a wire if you want to hang it up on a nail. This is optional.

Rainbow collages are a great birthday party craft idea

Last weekend I did a birthday party for 6-year old Riley and she chose to make these rainbow collages. What I love about this idea for a birthday party is that it's sort of a craft, but also very open-ended so that each child makes something different. Since there are no instructions to follow, it's stress-free! No right or wrong.

Here are some photos from the party. This time I used thicker cardboard.

I love looking at these rainbow collages. I wish I could keep all of them and hang them on my wall permanently. A rainbow wall of love and acceptance.

xo Bar

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I've been wanting to post this project for a year. This rainbow collage invitation was presented to my art camp kids one year ago today, which just happened to be the same day as the Pulse night club shooting in Orlando.

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This could be adapted to use the numbers 0-5

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A nice, simple art idea!

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Use Your Child's Toys To Make Shadow Drawings

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©º°¨¨°º©©º°¨¨°º©©º°¨¨°º©©º°¨¨°º©©º°¨¨°º© Beautifully Designed By Above and Beyond, Te Puna

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Username: trial
Password: trial

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Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily. Never email yourself a file again!

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Hands on sight word activities

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Learning letter sounds, how to blend and segment words, and various phonics skills are foundational for early reading. However, there are just some words that can't be sounded out. Sight words are commonly used words that young readers are taught to memorize. Since these words are used in high frequency, students are encouraged to recognize them by sight. Hands-on sight word activities merge students' kinesthetic learning with visual learning.

Learning to read is complicated and intricate. While learning to read sight words is only one component of reading development, it is a necessary and important component.

What are sight words?

Words like the, of, you, was are all words that need to be memorized and recognized by sight. They cannot be decoded using general phonics patterns.

Some words that we consider sight words are decodable words, but occur frequently. Those are often called high frequency words, although I have found that "sight words" and "high frequency words" are terms that are used interchangeably. Words like, and, that, as, on, in are all decodable words, but are also often taught as sight words.

Which words should you consider sight words?

Well, there's a couple of different answers. If your school district is assessing a list of words, consider that your list. If your school or district is not providing a list words, you can find various lists online, including Dolch Lists and Fry's Lists. While Dolch and Fry's are some of the more common lists, each reading program seems to develop its own list. Most lists are very similar.

Since it takes students so long to learn sight words, you might consider limiting sight word instruction to words that are common and irregular or not decodable. If you are teaching a phonics-based reading program alongside teaching students to memorize sight words, then they will learn how to decode and, had, last, then, with, not, much, etc. as they progress through the reading program. Don't waste valuable time on teaching students to memorize decodable words if you don't have to.

How do Students Learn Sight Words

There are a variety of ways for students to learn sight words. Frequent exposure is the key. You can do a read-spell-read routine whole class and in small groups. Parents can also easily learn to do this routine at home with flash cards.

All students will also benefit from using more hands-on sight word activities during your word work stations.

Here are 5 sight word activities for kindergarteners that help young learners remember high-frequency words while having fun!

1. Block Building Game

Turn a classic block building game, like Jenga, into a way for students to learn their sight words. Start by writing a high-frequency word on each block. Playing the normal Jenga rules, where a player removes a block from the tower and places it on top, have the student who removes the block successfully use the sight word in a sentence before the next player takes their turn. Or for an easier version, have players read and spell the words while moving blocks.

Download the game rules from education.com.

2. Tic-Tac-Toe

Kids love to play Tic-Tac-Toe! Add a twist by having the student read a sight word and use it in a sentence or read and spell it before adding an X or O to the board. Use sight word flashcards.

Try a variation by having students write the words along with an X or O on the board. Check out the templates and rules from sightwords.com.

3. Shaving Cream

Sometimes learning is messy! Break out the shaving cream on desks and tables, and have your students write out their sight words with their fingers. Save money on supplies by checking out a local dollar store or buying in bulk at a warehouse club store.

Clean up is easy. Just wipe down the tables and spray clean. One additional benefit is that the shaving cream acts as a soap and cleans up your table top!

A sand or salt box is another great tool to use, but a little less messy than shaving cream. Fill a small box with sand or salt. Using flash cards, have students turn over a card and draw the letters for the word in the box. The feel of the rough sand or salt helps kinesthetic learners memorize the words.

4. Use Manipulatives to Form Letters

For kinesthetic learners, using tangible items to physically form words can be an important way to show what they know! Try using Wikki Stix, playdough, or bendable straws to form words on mats or flat surfaces. Playdough is also a great medium for stamping letters to form sight words.

5. Journaling

Although open journaling or free writing may seem a little advanced for kindergarteners, you'll be surprised with how much they can write even in the beginning stages.

Give students a list of sight words and have them generate a story with a drawing. Or give students a seasonal topic with words and a few sight words.

Save these in a digital or paper portfolio throughout the year to measure growth. Tools like Seesaw are incredible for keeping portfolios of student work via video and other mediums.

These 5 sight word activities for kindergarteners will help your students learn their first sight words in no time. Do you want some more ideas?

Here are five more additional resources to help teach sight words in your classroom!

If you are looking for a tool for parents to use at home, these Sight Word Practice Cards provide small doses of daily practice and a routine for parents to easily implement.

I created these phonics readers to use with my own kindergartener at home. Although they focus on specific word families and phonics patterns, the resource also introduces two new sight words per word family. Sight words are learned and read along with the phonics patterns.

What activities do you use to teach sight words in your classroom? I'd love to hear about them in the comments below!

Are you interested in additional blog posts about teaching early reading? Here are a few more!

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5 Hands-On Sight Word Activities for Kindergarten

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Learning letter sounds, how to blend and segment words, and various phonics skills are foundational for early reading. However, there are just some words that can't be sounded out. Sight words are commonly used words that young readers are taught to memorize.

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The official website of RTÉjr & RTÉ Kids Online - Streaming shows, Podcasts and much more fun!

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Active Homework

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National 'Active SCHOOL Week' takes place every April and is a really enjoyable part of the school year for many children.

This year, because of COVID-19, it is not possible for this to go ahead so we are asking you to invite the families of your school to participate in the 'Active HOME Week' challenge instead.

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National 'Active SCHOOL Week' takes place every April and is a really enjoyable part of the school year for many children. This year, because of COVID-19, it is not possible for this to go ahead so we are asking you to invite the families of your school to participate in the 'Active HOME Week ' challenge instead.

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Amhráin faoin aimsir

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Ag foghlaim uimhreacha i nGaeilge ⭐️ Counting in Irish ☘️ Crèche • Preschool • Naíonra • Scoil • 🌟

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There are loads of ideas here for teaching sight words to children.

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This document contains a huge amount of creative activities for children.

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Lots of nice videos to get your child active.

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Activities designed to get kids moving and having fun. Each activity helps children develop fundamental movement skills, essential for physical literacy.

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Art videos as Gaeilge!

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Raising physically literate kids | Kids Activities

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Helping parents raise physically literate kids. Parents and educators will find fun kids' activities, engaging articles, and free resources.

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Irish numbers 1-100

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Maidir leis na briathra neamhrialta (i.e. the irregular verbs that we were working on), briseann muid isteach ar an gclár sin leis an liosta seo a thabhairt duit. Is cuid de tionscnamh (project) ag Transparent Language é - na huimhreacha ó 1 go 100 a scríobh amach i ngach blag (do na teangacha go léir atá acu).

Cuid mhaith agaibh, tá sé seo ar sheaneolas agaibh. Más amhlaidh an cás, b'fhéidir gur mhaith leat a bheith ag smaoineamh ar shamplaí de na huimhreacha in úsáid nó i gcomhthéacs. Is féidir linn colún eile a chur leis seo am éigin, le bhur bhfrásaí. Ceann de na cinn is fearr liom: Daichead a dó (uimhir árasán Fox Mulder agus, de réir Douglas Adams, an freagra don saol, don chruinne, agus do 'chuile rud (which includes " ach'an rud," " gach uile rud," and " gach rud ").

These are the " maoluimhreacha" (lit. "bald" numbers) and they are sometimes slightly different from the " bunuimhreacha" (lit. basic numbers, i.e. cardinal). The maoluimhreacha may be used after a noun ( Bus a Dó) or independently ( a haon agus a haon, sin a dó). But to do both sets of numbers in aon bhlag amháin (in just one blog) would be dodhéanta. Cuirfidh muid na bunuimhreacha "ar an gcúldóire." Sin ráite agam, seo iad na maoluimhreacha:

Ó, agus pointe beag bídeach amháin eile, the system as presented here doesn't deal with counting le scórtha nó le fichidí (vigesimal counting). Sin ábhar blag eile (S.Á.B.E.).

In pronunciation, the numerical particle " a" will tend to be absorbed into a preceding vowel and is barely articulated. So "FIH-huh uh HAYN" really ends up sounding like "FIH-huh-HAYN." The particle (" a") has no lexical meaning, it just tells you that the number coming up is " maol " (bald, or if you prefer, tonsured, hornless, bare, edgeless, blunt, obtuse, or unprotected)!

Irish Numbers 1 - 100
Slán go fóill - Róislín
Gluais: ach'an rud ('chuile rud, gach rud, gach uile rud), everything; briathra neamhrialta, irregular verbs; briseann muid isteach ar an gclár seo, we interrupt this program; comhthéacs, context; cruinne, universe; de réir, according to; dodhéanta, impossible; dóire, burner; i ngach, in every; ráite (having been) said; saol, life; seaneolas, familiar knowledge

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Irish Numbers 1-100 (with pronunciation)

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Maidir leis na briathra neamhrialta (i.e. the irregular verbs that we were working on), briseann muid isteach ar an gclár sin leis an liosta seo a thabhairt duit. Is cuid de tionscnamh (project) ag Transparent Language é - na huimhreacha ó 1 go 100 a scríobh amach i ngach blag (do na teangacha go léir atá acu).

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Irish numbers 1-20

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We've put together this table of Irish numbers from 1 to 20 for all students just getting started in the Irish language. We've also included a video with voice pronunciation below. One of the most important - and difficult - things a self-guided learner needs to do is practice speaking your target language out loud. Do it anyway; this is a very important part of the learning process!

When you're ready for more, check out our Irish Numbers 1 - 100 post!

Here's the video. Happy language learning!

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We've put together this table of Irish numbers from 1 to 20 for all students just getting started in the Irish language. We've also included a video with voice pronunciation below. One of the most important - and difficult - things a self-guided learner needs to do is practice speaking your target language out loud.

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Ten frames interactive games.

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A video tutorial is also available to demonstrate how to use this applet.

Modes

How Many: Identify how many items or empty squares there are.

Build: Drag a certain number of items to the frame.

Fill: Determine how many items are needed to fill the remaining squares.

Add: Drag items to complete addition problems.

Choosing Play All from the Games menu will randomize which of the four games is played.

Options

The items to be used can be chosen in the upper left corner: circles, bugs, stars, or apples.

How to Use

The Next button advances to the next problem.

The Done button should be clicked when a student believes that she has correctly completed a frame.

The number buttons at the bottom of the screen can be used to enter an answer, or the computer keyboard can be used.

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The four games that can be played with this applet help to develop counting and addition skills.

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Ten frames printables and activities.

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What are ten frames?

Most elementary classrooms are familiar with ten frames. A ten-frame is a graphic tool containing ten boxes pictured as two rows of five columns. Each box in the ten-frame can be filled with a counter or left blank to represent a number up to ten. A ten-frame is founded on the concept of benchmark numbers, five and ten. By arranging counters in different ways, students form mental images of numbers. The goal is for students to achieve automaticity as they recognize the number of counters without having to count them.

Why should I use ten frames?

Ten frames are an easy and cheap tool to implement into math instruction. Ten frames help students develop number sense using hands-on manipulatives that show numbers that are less than, equal to, or more than ten. The concept of ten lays the foundation of place value, and this skill is fundamental in fostering a solid understanding of number sense. Students must know what a number really consists of instead of solely identifying a number as a digit.

Ten frames help children organize numbers into workable chunks of five and ten. As dots are moved to build numbers, students can visualize smaller numbers inside larger numbers. This allows them to make connections with numbers and better manipulate and calculate numbers in their head. Once students master the ten-frame, they can move onto using a double ten-frame to add larger numbers. If a student adds 9 + 4 using a double ten-frame, they will quickly learn this calculation is the same as 10 + 3.

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Most elementary classrooms are familiar with ten frames. A ten-frame is a graphic tool containing ten boxes pictured as two rows of five columns. Each box in the ten-frame can be filled with a counter or left blank to represent a number up to ten.

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Memory and matching games.

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Activities to explore the use of memory, matching and targeting.

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Phonics and letter formation activities.

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The new activity First Phonics replaces the three activities developed in Flash: First Sounds, First Blends and First Words. The same words and pictures are included in the exercises, which range from initial sounds, to digraphs and blends, to whole words.

Legacy Flash versions of First Sounds, Blends and Words can be found further down this page.

This new version of Letter and Number Formation is suited to Interactive White Boards. It lets you choose where on the screen the character is traced. You can watch the animation at varying speeds, trace in the air or on the IWB. It also works with tablets.
Legacy Flash Version.

Speller has has been renewed to avoid restrictions on Flash. It now has the option to speak words; this can be used to check the word or as a spelling test prompt. It is a complete school, UK English spelling scheme. The sections have been renamed and re-ordered to better fit with the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence. Download printable record sheets.

Legacy Flash Version.

Practise spelling short words containing blends, such as 'br' and digraphs, such as 'ai'. There are 60 words to choose from, each with its own image and speech support. On-screen keyboard and scanning options are available.

Identify the first sounds in words. Users see and hear the word before attempting to pick the starting sound using the keyboard. Pressing the keyboard allows the user to hear the letters and diagraphs. Choose from 56 words, starting with vowels, consonants and the digraphs "ch", "th" and "sh".

Practise spelling simple words. Choose from 60 words targeted at the Early Level of the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence. Users look at the image and listen to the word being said before spelling, using their keyboard or the on-screen keyboard.

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Activities that explore phonics, digraphs and spelling.

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Some tips for using poems at home.

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Sharing poetry with kids is a great way to highlight language. Poems include humor, interesting words, tongue twisters, alliteration, and opportunities for choral reading among other important literacy concepts. This article provides guidelines for a family poetry jam - a great way to promote literacy and togetherness in your own home.

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Some tips for choosing and using audio books.

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You are welcome to print copies or republish materials for non-commercial use as long as credit is given to Reading Rockets and the author(s). For commercial use, please contact [email protected].

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Audiobooks are a wonderful way to expose your child to complex language, expressive reading, and fantastic stories. Listening to audiobooks also gives kids the valuable and enjoyable experience of using their own imaginations to visualize the people and places they're hearing about.

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Great website with lots of ideas for learning at home,

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Nibbler's Adventures

Nibbler's Aistear Adventures is a resource I created that is designed for teachers to
help incorporate the Aistear curriculum framework into the
junior classrooms - a framework for learning through play.

It is available from http://www.eduhub.ie. More detail and videos are available in the menu above.

Free pdf download on oral language and vocabulary development from the children's puzzle book from Nibbler's Aistear Adventures... https://www.cleverkids.ie/Nibbler_download.pdf

Language for Living

I am a firm believer in developing oral language and vocabulary skills in children. I developed 'Language for Living' (also referred to as Tip of the Tongue), which contains a wealth of inspiring resources for the development of oral language and vocabulary development.

Offers planned, intentional teaching of vocabulary...words of the day/ overused words and expressions etc.

A progressive, considered method to narrow the word gap

Hands on, ready to use.

Adaptable to the learning needs of different children.

learning through play, games and activities.

It is available from http://www.eduhub.ie (Ireland) or http://www.tts-international.com (UK). More detail and videos are available in the menu above.

We can share with our children a wealth of words...by closing the vocabulary gaps for children in our classrooms with their peers, we can offer them the vital academic tools for school success, alongside the capability to communicate with confidence in the world beyond the school gates.
Alex Quigley, Closing the Vocabulary Gap (2018)

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world
Nelson Mandela

Language is the most powerful instrument of human progress
Maria Montessori

Get In Touch

Mail: Julieannedevlin@yahoo.com

Twitter: @DevlinJulieanne

Instagram: @teacher_julieanne

Facebook: @teacherjulieanne

Nibbler the Puppet will take your pupils on an adventure around Sandy Shore as they explore each Aistear topic

Themed flashcards, big books, teacher's handbooks with all you need for the different suggested play areas (sand, role play, play-dough, junk art, construction, sensory, water, permanent maths & literacy, language, maths and cross curricular) and photocopy templates

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Nibbler's Adventures Nibbler's Aistear Adventures is a resource I created that is designed for teachers tohelp incorporate the Aistear curriculum framework into thejunior classrooms - a framework for learning through play. It is available from www.eduhub.ie. More detail and videos are available in the menu above.

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Food Dudes fun at home.

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Do you know that our taste buds can develop over time? As children, we can train our taste buds by exposing them to different foods. Over time we develop liking for certain healthy foods. This way we can expand our palette and add many new foods to our diet. If we introduce a healthy diet, full of delicious fruit and vegetables from an early age we can develop our taste buds to like many different nutritious foods as we grow older.

There is lots of evidence to show that the more we taste a food, the more we learn to like it. It can range from from just a few tastes of a food, to 15 or more tries to learn to like something. It ranges per individual child and it also depends on the type of food. That is why the Food Dudes programme gives every child an opportunity to try a new fruit and vegetable at least 4 times, over the course of the Food Dudes programme. This ensures that everyone gets the opportunity to learn to like new varieties of fruits and vegetables.

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Welcome to Food Dudes Fun at Home! We have games, worksheets, activities and videos for parents to download which are aimed to support primary school children of all ages to make learning about fruit, vegetables and healthy eating fun and interesting. Join the conversation on #FoodDudesFun

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NUMBERJACKS | Zero The Hero | S1E29 | Full Episode

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Printable phonics worksheets and activities.

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Save time and energy and take a look at our printable phonics resources, activities and worksheets to help you in delivering high quality phonics teaching.

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Phonics Blending Song CVC Words and More

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Many teachers will be told where they will be placed for September soon. I previousy worked with 5th and 6th for two years, 1st and 2nd for two years and third and fourth for a few months. I started teaching six little boys with autism last September and I love it. I have put together a list of websites I use a lot since starting with my class in September. I only found most of them later in the year but now you will have them from the get go!

The first is The Autism Educator. https://theautismeducator.ie/ I followed Amanda for a long time on her facebook page, and she recently set up The Autism Educator. She has so many amazing free resources, social stories, everything. Her corona virus social story went viral and has been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times around the world. She always replies to messages and is so helpful. Her resources are some of the best I have seen. She is also on Instagram under the name Little Puddins.

I also follow Occupational Therapy ABC on Instagram- she shares excellent videos and posts and gives so many practical ideas. She has two ebooks which I have to download, one on sensory processing and one on fine motor skills. Aoife is an occupational therapist and so really knows her stuff. https://sensoryfriendlyirelanduk.com/product/occupational-therapy-abc/

ASD Creation Station has an amaxing website and instagram page. She also recently set up online courses which are next on my list to complete this week. She has really original and creative ideas, and really practical advice on assessments and everything.

My OT and Me is another website with loads of information on all things occupational therapy related.

This website has lots of really good free printables, https://www.andnextcomesl.com/ definitely worth a look.

Middletown Centre for Autism has lots of material on their website and many online resources and courses. https://www.middletownautism.com/

The above links are more than enough to get you started! I check them almost daily when I am in school and honestly I get so many fresh ideas from them, which are easy to implement and carry out.

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Working with Children with ASD/ Additional Needs- Helpful Online Websites and Bloggers - Múinteoir Valerie

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Many teachers will be told where they will be placed for September soon. I previousy worked with 5th and 6th for two years, 1st and 2nd for two years and third and fourth for a few months. I started teaching six little boys with autism last September and I love...

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Comórtas Ealaíne ag tuismitheoirí Gaeltachta- Colouring Competition

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Comórtas Ealaíne ag tuismitheoirí Gaeltachta- Colouring Competition

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Send the entries to eolas@tuismitheoiri.ie nó ar WhatsApp 087 2461685 ROIMH 1PM DÉ CÉADAOIN 22 AIBREÁN!

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Mactíre Na Draíochta | Scéal an Lae | Cúla 4

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Dinnéar do Toby | Scéal an Lae | Cúla4

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Ruairí San Ospidéal | Scéal an Lae | Cúla 4

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Tá  tutorials agus achmhainne eile anseo atá an-deas.

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The Heritage in Schools Scheme provides a panel of 160 Heritage Specialists who visit primary schools throughout the country.

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Try out this colour hunt in your garden or around your house.

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A short Meditation to help the children calm before an activity or to settle them after an energetic break.

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Learn how to raise your energy and face your day with this empowering exercise.

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Leabhar deas le rudaí a mhiniú, A nice little book to explain what's going on for children with a familiar illustrator:)

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Dé Luain @ 10!
Monday @ 10!

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Coirpoideachas le Ciarán- 20-25 min sports activity as Gaeilge

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Coirpoideachas le Ciarán- 20-25 min sports activity as Gaeilge

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Lá 1: Corpoideachas le Ciarán (PE as Gaeilge) Seisiún HIIT

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Smaoineamh deas anseo ach tá go leor smaointí ann.

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Bain triail as ag comhaireamh as Gaeilge comh maith. Try counting as Gaeilge too.

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Jump, dance, and count to 100 by 1's with this funky jam!

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Seo smaoineamh an-deas má tá aon plúr ag crochadh timpeall an tí.

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How To Do Pasta Easter Eggs - The Best Ideas DIY Crafts For Easter's Day

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3D Shape Hunt

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Toraíocht Cruthanna 3T- 3D Shape Hunt (1)

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Spring Hunt

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Scéalta i nGaeilge do pháistí atá ar fáil le breathnú orthu saor in aisce ar Cainéal Youtube Glór na nGael.

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Number activities

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Easter themed activities.

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More e-books available on this site.

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Reading A-Z Books for Kids | Reading A-Z

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Award-winning reading solution with thousands of leveled readers, lesson plans, worksheets and assessments to teach guided reading, reading proficiency and comprehension to K-5 students

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Lots of e-books and resources here for emerging readers.

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BUSY PARENTS, TUTORS, HOMESCHOOLERS, TEACHERS ...“YOU can teach your child to read,write and spell at home with our system... GUARANTEED or your money back!”

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Readers and activities for all ages.

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Oxford Owl for Home: help your child learn at home | Oxford Owl

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Oxford Owl is packed with expert advice, tips and activities to help parents support their child's education. Help your child with reading, phonics and maths.

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Books to read with your child.

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Teach your class to read accurately and with enjoyment with book-banded titles from inspiring authors. Collins Big Cat offers over 700 titles - 50% fiction and 50% non-fiction - with full teacher support to help improve every child's reading ability. 263 titles from this award-winning range are available as e-books on Collins Connect.

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Collins Connect - free primary teaching resources

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Teach your class to read accurately and with enjoyment with book-banded titles from inspiring authors. Collins Big Cat offers over 700 titles - 50% fiction and 50% non-fiction - with full teacher support to help improve every child's reading ability. 263 titles from this award-winning range are available as e-books on Collins Connect.

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ESL Kidstuff – resources for ESL teachers – yearly fee of $25 but there is some free stuff and also has classroom ideas

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This was such a fun project from beginning to end. The end result turned out really pretty as well. My 3 year old thought the extra flowers needed to stay on her picture.

Start by picking some flowers. Around here there are not a lot of flowers yet but lucky for us (and unfortunate for my husband) the orchard behind us provides our yard with a lot of dandelions early spring. We ran out and picked a few before they were all sprayed. We even found some little purple ones. I'm sure this would work with any type of flower you can find.

I loved watching her run through the yard picking as many as her little hands would allow. She doesn't realize these are weeds to her they are as pretty as any flower. She melts my heart.

Next squeeze a little paint on a plate. Dip your flower in and start stamping away. Stamp gently.

The different flowers made some pretty fun designs.

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This was such a fun project from beginning to end. The end result turned out really pretty as well. My 3 year old thought the extra flowers needed to stay on her picture. Start by picking some flowers.

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Username: march20
Password: home

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A site packed with interactive phonics games, phonics planning, assessment ideas and many teaching ideas and resources to help children to learn to hear phonemes, recognise graphemes and develop the blending and segmenting skills that are vital for learning to read and spell.

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Readers

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SPELD SA Phonic Books are free to use

The SPELD SA Phonic Books were created to provide low cost / free resources to support the educational needs of children, young adults, and those who have English as a second language. Different versions of the same book can be used online, downloaded onto a computer, iPad, tablet or printed as a book. The books suit a variety of ages and abilities. Please use these books at your discretion, accounting for your child's ability, age or need.

Learning to read using phonic books

The best way to teach someone to read, regardless of age, is to start by systematically and explicitly teaching the relationship between letters and the sounds in English. The challenge is often to provide the learner with suitable texts that they can read independently from the start, using the letter-sound knowledge they have been taught.

The SPELD SA Phonic Books use the sequence of sounds used in the Jolly Phonics synthetic phonics program, which teaches 42 main sounds in English and how those sounds are represented as single letters and a combination of letters. Students say and blend these letter-sounds together to hear words. This is called decoding. Initially students may need practice decoding single words and then move onto phonic books.

The goal of reading is to engage with the written word, be it to find out information, to access different realities or immerse yourself in someone else's world. However, it is important that while a student is learning to read that they are given decodable phonic books to establish and secure their reading skills. While the words in the SPELD SA Phonic Books are deliberately limited to the letter-sounds in the sequence, each book includes questions and discussion points to encourage the reader to relate the content to their own knowledge and experience.

The SPELD SA Phonic Books Structure

The letter-sounds taught in the Jolly Phonics sequence are grouped into sets, as outlined below.

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SPELD SA Phonic Books are free to use The SPELD SA Phonic Books were created to provide low cost / free resources to support the educational needs of children, young adults, and those who have English as a second language.

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Some great resources on this site for addressing fine motor skills, visual motor skills, sensory processing needs, or other areas.

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Easy, actionable, and functional Occupational Therapy activities and interventions. OT resources and information to help kids thrive.

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Watch live streams of the elephants, penguins and African savanna.

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Check out what's happening at the Zoo on our webcams!