Playdoh Mats

 Filling up the laminated mat 'trucks' with playdoh rocks. Number recognition, sensory, language, fine motor and imagination skills all in one with this activity. Great way to spend time on those upcoming rainy/snowy days!

Special thanks to 

www.prekinders.com

for these free printables!

Letter Reinforcement Activity for Early Childhood

Want an activity to keep our hands busy and our minds intent on a project? Try this one!

Lacing Letters is the activity of last Friday morning that captured the attention of these little guys. Ours are created from cereal boxes so no need to worry about them being overly 'loved'.

Cookbooks in Early Childhood

Sharing a post on the Stephanie's Stuff blog about a cooking experience. But I also want to give a little frugal thought to buying educational material for early childhood ideas in your kitchen.

This was $1 at a local antique store. It's copyright is 1932. The pictures are very clear on measurements giving children a good idea at what 1 cup looks like for instance. Those little hole-in-the-wall places have such cool things just waiting for reuse.

Check out your little stores and support small business. 

Why Save Paper Towel Tubes? And Toilet?

We like Dramatic Play in my childcare environment. And when you need something to fill the time, you make something the children can take home. But first, we do a 'Test Run'. After all, it's more fun to play with friends! Right?!

So showing you how we turned a simple color page into a way to extend our theme of Fire Safety into the Dramatic Play Center. This color page is from about 16 years back so sorry no link for making a copy.

But maybe you could find a back issue on Amazon??

 Notice the $5.50 price? Unheard of today.

 

Here is a view of supplies needed including a color page. We printed ours on cardstock for more longevity.

1. The color and cut stage
   
   
   
   2.Connect the long tubes on each end ONLY.
   
   
   
   
   

   

Masking tape works best.

 

For the "People", firefighters in our instance, use tape loops and attach to the smaller tubes.

 

 Finally, slide the fire truck in-between the longer tubes. It should be a snug fit. Trim the ends if it's a little long. And there you have it! Individual play sets for your theme to enhance Dramatic Play.

 

Skills Learned from Dramatic Play:

 

• Learning to cooperate, to control impulses (like tearing it up by 'crashing', leads to less aggressive tendencies.
• Eye/hand coordination, fine and gross motor skills
• Developing literacy skills with use of new language, role-playing and problem solving
• Learning to ask and answer questions. This introduces a larger view of the world they are living in. Some of them will relate the events of the evening news they see at home to their play. Great opportunity to 'be there' to discuss our times.

 

Talk with your caregiver about the importance of Dramatic Play.

 

 

An October Saturday

 

Can you guess where I spent a day last Saturday?

Traveled to Springfield for a childcare training with my

Food Program Reps.

Their theme was pretty darn cute.

 

This is a folder full of ideas & recipes.

I'll be sharing :)

 

 

Can you say Door Prize Winner???

 

(Yes, took this pic yesterday.)

 

 

While we were gone, my daughter thoughtfully purchased an item for the children.

Thank you Rachel. It's adorable.

 

Can you say Golden Glove Winners??

The Royals had 3 announced yesterday!!!!

Pretty awesome dontchathink?

 

Molina is still my favorite catcher in baseball.

Alas, sigh, he's a Cardinal.





It's October!!

Monday began with making a scarecrow.

Ours is donning a Garfield shirt. Thanks Mr. Ron for the donation.

We caught a tomato worm and planned to feed it for a few days. But it had other plans......

It made its cocoon and so now we wait and watch.

Have you ever painted on paper towels?

 

The highlite of the week was Macoy's #2 Birthday party.

We had to go with a Farm party.

After all, our letter of the week was "F".

 

Sorry if the sideways pic makes you dizzy. Imagine how the "bowling pins" feel

 

 

 

 

Mrs. Wishy-Washy is a favorite.

 

 

Macoy's gift set the theme. A gator with sound buttons.

 

Mom & Dad will know where he is :)



 

Laundry List

Upon visiting Pinterest, I happened upon a board for upcycling cardboard.

I was smitten!

We have since created a cardboard washer & dryer.

For this dramatic play feature, we added:

•  doll clothes
• dolls .......some ended up inside the washer :( good opportunity for discussing safety
•  pretend laundry soap
• measuring cup/scoop
• Laundry basket for wet/dry clothes
• Paper & crayon for 'laundry list' notes
• Tool box for fixing broken appliances
• Magazines to read while waiting on the laundry

At the next 'laundry day' I hope to add clothespins, clothesline and sorting items to pin up.

Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash storytime is also in order.

October News

I LOVE conversations with children that encourage them to share their thoughts!! The different life events we engage in is so often very much on their minds and they need a chance to voice their opinions,hopes,fears and more.

Their answers are so eye-opening as to what emotions they are experiencing.

The best part of all is the way it makes them feel important that someone asked 'what they think'.

 Excerpts from our October 24, newsletter below:

in other words.....

what "we do all day"

 

Upcoming learning centers will include “Awake at Night” &  “A Long Sleep”  w/Weekly Readers, Halloween Fun,  more letter learning & much more. Have a great week!!!

Stephanie

Infant/Toddler Fun

Fine Motor Activities:

Banging Activities:

* banging two toys together
* pound-a-ball toys
* banging hands on high chair
* toy workbench and hammer toys
* musical instruments

Learning Centers

Language: Weekly Readers – Animated story “Forest Animals” online w/weekly reader – Writing journals daily – I Had a Little Nut Tree poem/colorpage – Pp pumpkins displayed for writing journal inspiration – Do You Like Monsters?(graphing)  - Showers for Flowers (sort letters from symbols) – Stencils for writing journals

Math: Shape cards (find the hidden teddy bear) – Sorting letters/numbers on a chart & glue – ABC leaf bingo - Firetruck/ Burning house Maze – Firetruck Bingo – Sort leaf cutouts into colored baskets- Count the Fall Things page – Pumpkin Patch Phonics board game

Art: Blow Paint Art – Scare crow creation – shape face pumpkins cut & paste

Science: Baked egg-free cookies – Liquid layers in clear jar(tinted water, dawn dish soap, cooking oil) – Stop, Drop & Roll practice – Discovery windows w/leaves, acorns & walnuts displayed – Leaf hunt for rubbings & sorting activities -

Music: Autumn Leaves song – Down at the Firehouse – Musical letters game(each child had own paper & crayon to ‘write the letter’ when the music stopped

Manipulatives: Dressing vests practice – Magna tiles play – Hammer golf t’s into Styrofoam & remove (removing the t’s strenghthens the fingers to prepare for writing practice)

Dramatic Play: Firefighters prop box includes:

Fire hats, boots, oxygen tanks(backpacks), hand bell, gloves, flashlights, stuffed animals to rescue – Shoe Store prop box

Large Muscles: Stay Low & Go practice w/parachute -  Find the hidden “F” flames & put ‘em out – Letter Action Cards ( new Favorite!!!!) – Hula Hoop play – Jump over the fire (wiggling jump rope) – Parachute games: Turtle on your back crawl & Parachute roll(took turns rolling 1 child at a time on the parachute)

Stories  (not all-inclusive)

If You Give a Cat a Cupcake * Leaves  Are on the Trees

 Baker, Baker, Cookie Maker * Fighting Fires

Flashing Fire Engines * I’m Going to be a Fire Fighter

Firefighters! * Fall Changes *Halloween Bones

Llama Llama Misses Mama*Llama Llama Red Pajama

Llama Llama Mad at Mama *16 Runaway Pumpkins

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything