The SEEDS Network, LLC was created to support early childhood educators, administrators, care providers, advocates, supporters and parents of young children via state of the art resources and high quality seminars and events. 23 May 2013 23:00:00 GMT http://www.theseedsnetwork.com Outdoors We put together some of our tips for planning a successful Preschool Field Day (PART 1), and now we have some additional planning sheets so you can think about how to organize your staff for the day.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/planning-for-field-day-in-preschool-part-2 Outdoors At the end of our school year for the past few years, our preschool has a Field Day where the children rotate through a variety of gross motor activities and spend most of the morning outside playing and working together. It is a great day, but definitely requires planning to make sure it goes smoothly.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/planning-field-day-in-preschool Shapes Here's a simple and fun activity we did with our preschoolers to help learn about the shapes of objects throughout our classroom. We took them on a SHAPE HUNT by creating outlines of various objects around the room onto some construction paper. For our 3 year olds, I put 3 shapes per paper, and each child had their own paper. Before sending them on their hunt, I held up some of the papers and we talked about what objects might fit into the outlines.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/going-on-a-shape-hunt-in-preschool Science This is a great scientific experiment to do with young children to talk about how different liquids react, and to learn about color names and color blending.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/milky-science-color-explosion Spring This project is perfect for toddlers and young preschoolers to do during Spring. Read stories and talk about birds and how they live in nests made out of sticks, leaves and things found in nature. Then, assist them in making a bird's nest of their own, using modeling clay or playdough and sticks.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=329 Open-ended art It's no secret that I LOVE doing activities with "sticky paper" (AKA: clear contact paper). I usually do "sticky projects" as a small or large group activity. For this project, I decided to have children make an individual piece of artwork, and let them explore and create with the materials as they wished.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/making-sticky-collages-in-preschool Open-ended play Three simple materials = a great opportunity for children to explore their creativity, problem solving and fine motor skills!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/making-bead-mazes-in-preschool Nature Half art project, half nature project - these one-time use bird feeders are very simple and fun to make!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/making-simple-cardstock-bird-feeders-in-preschool Director Support Here are some ideas for team building with your teachers and staff at your school or early childhood program. These fun activities provide a way for your staff to feel more together as a team, and feel a sense of group morale.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/team-building-for-preschool-teachers Colors Here's an idea to have children make discovery bottles for their classroom. Engaging children in the process of making colorful collage discovery bottles is a good activity for learning colors and a great opportunity to practice sorting.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/making-color-collage-discovery-bottles-in-preschool Valentine's Day Looking for an easy Valentine's Day craft for toddlers and preschoolers to make on their own? In this video clip (filmed for ehow.com), I show you how you can use a heart shaped doily to make pretty Valentine's Day art!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/heart-shaped-art-in-preschool Winter Painting with (and ON) snow is a fun way to let children explore concepts of color mixing and the scientific properties of snow.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/painting-with-snow-and-other-fun-snowy-activities Social-Emotional This is a series of 2 posts from guest blogger Charlie Margolis regarding how overinflated self-esteem and excessive praise affects our children. Join in on the discussion.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/bursting-the-self-esteem-balloon-part-1 Winter During the colder winter months, a popular topic in preschool is winter weather ... featuring snow and ice! And how about those animals that live in icy climates? Arctic animals can be fun to learn about, and who doesn't love a cute penguin? We had a teacher make an adorable penguin door display at our school .... so I searched around for some fun penguin activities to go along with it!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/P-is-for-penguin-in-preschool Best of Just like we did last year, we thought it would be fun to see what our top posts were from 2012! It is fun to take a look on Google Analytics from this perspective and see which posts generated the most interest.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/our-top-posts-of-2012 Christmas Here's an instructional video that we filmed for ehow.com that shows two cute reindeer projects that you can do with your toddlers and preschool-age children. You can read the instructions, and then view the video to see more.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/reindeer-art-for-toddlers-and-preschoolers Christmas Oh Christmas tree – so MANY WAYS to make a Christmas tree in preschool! From tissue paper to egg cartons, sticks to straws - there are so many different materials that can be used to make Christmas Tree Art projects. And lots of learning that can take place in the process – creative expression, counting, sequencing, fine motor development … so here’s a round-up of some really creative trees that can be made with infants to kindergarteners!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/oh-the-many-ways-to-make-Christmas-trees-in-preschool Literacy While doing a recent "Book and Boogie" activity with the story "Pete the Cat and his Four Groovy Buttons" at our local library, I wanted to have something for the children to take home with them so they could retell the story. The activity below provides a hands-on counting component to the story while you read it - but can also be used to retell the story afterwards.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/counting-and-literacy-activity-with-pete-the-cat Music and Movement This video features a book and song component related to learning the alphabet. The story we chose is "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom", with all the lower case letters racing to the top of a coconut tree. The story helps children begin to recognize upper and lower case letters, while enjoying the rhyming text. Watch the video to see the fun "Alphabet Boogie" component that Tressa adds for you to do AFTER reading the story!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/do-the-alphabet-boogie NAEYC Attending the annual NAEYC conference for the very first time was a wonderful experience and as Laura and I returned home, I’ve had some time to reflect on our trip. I learned a great deal of information that I can apply to my job as a Director of a program, as well as information I can apply to our SEEDS Network. More importantly though, I feel that the conference provided me with a boost of energy, a little pick-me up…a reminder that early education is fun and exciting.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/NAEYC-final-reflections NAEYC We are still processing all the great experiences we had at the NAEYC annual conference in Atlanta last week. A frequent presenter at the conference was a childhood favorite of ours ... Mr. Bob McGrath from Sesame Street! How fun it was to sing songs that I remember from the show (all the words come back to you!). As an early childhood professional, it's interesting to look at all those songs with different eyes ... and how those songs tie into early learning concepts for children.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/NAEYC-singing-a-long-with-bob-mcgrath NAEYC One of the main highlights of our trip to the NAEYC annual conference in Atlanta was attending workshops with, and seeing performances by, some authors and illustrators of children's books that we love! "Pete the Cat" was a BIG draw this year, and the conference was lucky to have BOTH the author (Eric Litwin) and the creator and illustrator (James Dean) in attendance.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/naeyc-meeting-the-creators-of-Pete-the-Cat NAEYC Tonight, Laura and I attended our first Annual NAEYC Conference seminar; actually it was a networking playground. Tech on Deck gave us the opportunity to talk with technology experts about the latest innovations in using early childhood technology.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/naeyc-tech-on-deck NAEYC We are very excited to be here at our first national conference...here are some initial thoughts on the experience.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/naeyc-initial-thoughts NAEYC In five days Tressa and I are heading to Atlanta for the 2012 NAEYC Annual Conference and Expo! It's our first time, so we plan to soak it all in and blog about everything we see and hear! I'm hoping to take A LOT of pictures, and to share our experiences and things that we learn.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/naeyc-atlanta-bound Social-emotional In a preschool classroom setting, depending on the extent of the impact of the storm, teachers and caregivers need to be sensitive to children's concerns and fears about the storm and its aftermath. It's a time of uncertainty for some children - for others, it's an exciting learning opportunity. During times of storms, large and small, I found some online resources that can be helpful to you in talking with and teaching the children in your care.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/helping-preschoolers-deal-with-hurricanes-and-other-natural-disasters Music and Movement This video features a book and song component related to the farm. You can use these when talking about farms or animals. During the story and song, you can make it interactive by having the children make the animal sounds as you read and while doing the dance component.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/book-and-boogie-old-macdonalds-farm Music and Movement This video features a book and song component that can be used when talking about farms, pond life or animals. "This Way Ruby" is an engaging story, which lends itself to pause at times, pointing out all the things Ruby sees on the pond adventure she has with her siblings. Get the children involved in the story by having them call out “This way, Ruby!”]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/book-and-boogie-ducks-in-the-pond Music and Movement This video features a fun a popular book "Don't let the pigeon drive the bus" - along with a modern, jazzy version of the ever popular "The Wheels on the bus" song (you have to hear this one ... adults and children alike will love it!)]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/book-and-boogie-the-wheels-on-the-bus Music and Movement This video features a book and song component to go with a discussion about trains. You can make the story more fun and engaging by having the children repeat the train sounds that they hear as you read.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/book-and-boogie-here-come-the-trains Music and Movement This next video features a book and song component related to dinosaurs. The story we chose describes all kinds of dinosaurs in terms of opposites (big/small, short/tall, fast/slow) and rhyming text. Get your kids marching, stomping and roaring like dinosaurs!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/book-and-boogie-dinosaur-post Music and Movement It's here! Today we are releasing the first half of our new "Book and Boogie" video series! "Book and Boogie" is a children's program where we incorporate books and literacy with music and movement activities geared towards children ages 3-6. We bring together story themes with a music and movement component to go with the stories, which gets children moving and actively learning.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/introducing-book-and-boogie Technology To incorporate the many ways children learn, teachers have a "toolbox" ... materials, strategies and knowledge that they rely on to instruct and care for young children. No ONE method, manipulative, experience or strategy will work for every child or situation. Those of us in early childhood need to be FLEXIBLE, and we should always be seeking ways to add more tools to our vibrant and colorful toolbox!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/technology-as-another-tool-in-the-teachers-toolbox Technology Adding some technology tools into children's pretend play is relevant - they live in a multimedia world. But, early educators who do not have the funds to bring in the latest in high-tech gadgets can still incorporate some technology elements in very low cost ways ... read on for some ideas!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/adding-technology-to-preschool-play Music and Movement In August we hinted about a new project we were working on. We are ready to give you a sneak peek before we unveil our entire new video series on October 15th!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/book-and-boogie-a-sneak-peek Fall As a contributing author on the popular "PreK+K Sharing blog", I talked about some fun learning books and activities you can use as we focus on a teacher's favorite fruit ... APPLES!]]> http://prekandksharing.blogspot.com/2012/09/what-we-can-learn-from-apples.html Dr. Seuss Fun and colorful book and activity to help children discuss feelings.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/our-many-colored-days-ice-cube-painting Fall Our preschool always schedules a field trip to an orchard, which helps the children learn about where apples come from and they really enjoy being able to pick their own.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/its-apple-picking-season Back to School At our school, the after-school staff put together a cute snack to greet the kids as they got off the bus - check out their Welcome back ROBOTS!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/greetings-on-the-first-day-of-school Back to School I have to admit, I love the first day of school! I can remember as a young child not being able to sleep the night before the first day of school due to the excitement and anticipation I felt. And now, as a Director of an early childhood center, I still become excited about the first day of school.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/making-the-first-day-count Creativity This the third and last post in a series from veteran educator and interview coach Charlie Margolis on creativity, higher order thinking and raising creative children. Charlie continues the discussion here ...]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/raising-creative-children Creativity This the second post in a series from veteran educator and interview coach Charlie Margolis on creativity, higher order thinking and raising creative children. The first post talked about the process of creative thinking, and how creativity is for everyone. Charlie continues the discussion here ...]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/can-creativity-be-learned Creativity This is the first in a series of posts from from veteran educator and interview coach Charlie Margolis on creativity, higher order thinking and raising creative children.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/more-than-magic-the-importance-of-creative-thinking Coming Soon Tressa and I had fun today working on a new project that we are looking to bring to our website REALLY SOON! It's a program that we've been doing locally here in Connecticut, but we wanted to find some way to be able to share it online for any early childhood teacher, parent play group or recreational organization to use and have fun with. We aren't ready just yet to unveil what we are doing, but here's a sneak peek into our session today!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/new-project-underway Summer The Summer Olympics are a great way of teaching children about sportsmanship, teamwork and trying your best. As the Summer Olympics wrap up this weekend, we think back to our "Summer Olympics at summer camp" week and some of the favorite activities that were part of our games!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/favorite-preschool-summer-olympic-activities Pinterest Are you on Pinterest?? Do you like to follow other preschool teachers, parents and blogger boards to get ideas for your classroom, play group, homeschool, birthday party (... the list goes on, doesn't it?!). If you are looking for some great pin boards to follow that are related to early childhood ideas, concepts, practices ... then here's where you can start!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/pinterest-early-childhood-link-up Summer If you are looking for some activity ideas for your own Olympic fun, take a peek at some of the ideas we have planned!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/summer-olympics-at-summer-camp Literacy We filmed a video clip with some activities to go with the popular children's story, "Goodnight Moon".]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=445 Teaching I am eager to hear from Directors, Teachers, and Parents across the country in regards to how to best prepare four year olds for Full Day Kindergarten?]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/how-is-full-day-K-changing-the-preK-experience Summer Last week was our "cruisin' the seas" theme, which lent itself to great projects and experiences like building tin foil boats, making sandcastles and seashell picture frames. The week ended on a truly high note when we had none other than Captain Jack Sparrow!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/sailing-the-seas-at-summer-camp Social-Emotional In this video clip, I talk a little about the emotional differences between preschool and school-age children. For a lot of schools that have both preschool and school-aged students, it's really important for teachers to understand that there's going to be emotional differences. Understanding the emotional differences between these two age groups can help teachers to create better environments for them.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/emotional-differences-between-preschoolers-and-school-aged-children Social-Emotional Today we'll share a video clip that we filmed for ehow.com, about ways teachers can help make a shy preschooler smile and feel comfortable.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/helping-shy-preschoolers-in-your-classroom Parenting We had a question on a recent blog post about picking up your baby at the end of the day from child care, and ways to ease that transition.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/picking-up-baby Father's Day Ok ... it's the day before Father's Day ... do you need a quick, simple yet personal gift idea that the children can make?? Don't have time to run to the store? Try personalizing a coffee mug!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/last-minute-fathers-day-gift Play dough We've enjoyed making and experimenting homemade made play dough all year long ... and by far the most favorite was the mystery play dough we made last week!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/mystery-play-dough-in-preschool Parenting For parents and children, the end of the day can be a busy and stressful time. When picking up young children from their child care center ... are we connecting with our child and child's teacher ... OR are we on the phone, sending texts or focused on where we have to rush off to next? Author and parenting speaker Bill Corbett provides some tips for parents to make the transition at the end of day more relaxed and enjoyable for parent and child.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/picking-up-your-child-at-the-end-of-the-day Father's Day Just in time for Father's Day, the "Preschool Blogger Network" has gotten together to share a host of ideas that you can do with your children (or class) to celebrate the special men in their lives. We have each paired a book with activities or gift ideas to go along with Father's Day.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/fathers-day-book-and-gift-idea-blog-hop End Of Year Instead of purchasing store-bought graduation hats, we made our own. Here is how we made ours to celebrate the end of the school year.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/making-graduation-hats-in-preschool Literacy Today I spent the morning volunteering at a Scholastic customer appreciation sale ... as the title of this blog post says, it is a teacher's DREAM to see all those great children's books on sale!! Discounts ... 25% off ... 50% off ... books for $1 or $2 ... oh my! If you have never attended one of these before (either as a customer or volunteer) ... here are my top 5 reasons why you should!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/book-sale-teachers-dream Outdoors The topic for this video is outdoor craft ideas for preschoolers. Since the videos were shot inside - my ideas are shown on a much smaller scale. But when thinking of allowing children to be creative outside ... think BIG! The playground, park, backyard ... those are the canvases for children's art!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/outdoor-activity-crafts-in-preschool Mother's Day Need a last minute idea to make with your child (or children) for Mother's Day? A one of a kind gift? Try making these action photo bookmarks with your child!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/action-photo-bookmarks-for-mothers-day Mother's Day For Mother's Day, a fun story to read to your class is the book called "Five Minutes Peace", about a mother elephant who only wants to have five minute's of peace and quiet from her energetic children by taking a bath - and then have them make some bath salts as a gift!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/five-minutes-peace-for-mothers-day Planting Outdoor planting is a great long-term project for children. It is one that takes a bit of time (and patience ... and dedication) to see the results. But often times, young children benefit from seeing a "faster" result in a short-term project. To that end, Tressa explains some preschool projects you can do with "fast-growing" seeds in a video clip.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/watching-seeds-sprout-in-preschool Communication Here is the last post in our series from veteran educator and interview coach Charlie Margolis. Charlie has been providing tips for teachers and parents about communicating with children.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/talking-points-communicating-with-kids-part3 Communication We are continuing our series of posts from veteran educator and interview coach Charlie Margolis. Charlie is providing tips for teachers and parents that may help when communicating with children. Yesterday we posted PART 1 ... now onto PART 2!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/talking-points-communicating-with-kids-part2 Communication We have another great series of posts from veteran educator and interview coach Charlie Margolis - this series will provide teachers and parents with tips for effectively communicating with their young children.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/talking-points-communicating-with-young-children Going Green There are SO many great ideas out there for reusing recycled materials in preschool - ideas that are cost effective, earth friendly and a wonderful educational experience. So I though I'd share a few more ideas that we've done ... and that some of my blogging friends have posted online.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/more-ideas-using-recycled-materials Going Green We have banned together with the "Preschool Blogger Network" to bring a blog hop - to bring a host of ideas that you can share with your children or class for Earth Day. We decided to pair each of our activities with a book, for and added opportunity to extend the learning objectives.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/earth-day-books-and-activities-blog-hop Easter Celebrate the true meaning of Easter by making this 3-D craft, showing the cross of Christ on a hill.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=428 Going Green We are participating with a group of preschool bloggers to have a great EARTH DAY BLOG HOP starting next week ... books and activities revolving around Earth Day (fantastic!). I'm looking forward to it and seeing all the great ideas and books that my blogging friends will share! But, while we are waiting, I am seeing other great activities popping up around the web using recycled materials ... so thought I'd share a few ideas!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/oh-the-things-you-can-reuse Craft For use at home or in the classroom, these bookmarks are colorful and easy to make!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=426 Open-ended play was inspired by the textured clothespin idea from Teach Preschool, so we used some other materials to make some textured clothespins of our own! Using these around the preschool classroom is a fun sensory experience and wonderful for fine motor skill development.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/having-fun-with-textured-clothespins-in-preschool Shapes Inspired by other "sticky table" ideas that I've seen around the web ... I thought it would be fun to use the sticky table idea to have them create shapes from thin foam rectangles and some large shiny "twist ties". We referred the rectangles as "lines" and read the book "When a line bends ... a shape begins".]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=425 Open-ended play I have been trying more and more to incorporate open-ended opportunities in the activities that I plan for preschool. A time for exploration where I don't really know exactly what the end result will be. Lately, my "go-to" open-ended activity involves sticky paper ... and the more I look, the more I see the possibilities with it are endless!!! And not JUST with contact paper, but other types of sticky materials can be used for creative exploration.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/exploring-everything-sticky-in-preschool Going Green Here's a great project for Earth Day -- Children can save their empty containers from their lunch or snack and see what types of art they can make with it.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/making-a-recycle-city-collage Music What can be used to make music? Practically anything! The musical washboard is proof that people have found creative ways to make music from all kinds of interesting objects. You can see, hear, color and find complete directions on making a kid’s size washboard from easy classroom materials from Daria!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/a-whimsical-washboard-for-creative-musical-fun Music Yesterday, Daria shared how children can make a quiet rattle that helps teach kids to practice the art of listening. Today's instrument is called a "guiro"!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/make-music-while-sharing-Latin-American-culture Music The National Association for Music Education has named March “Music in Our Schools Month”. It’s a great time for taking a look at how music can be a powerful force in the classroom – especially the early learning classroom.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/music-in-our-preschools-this-month Social-Emotional We asked Bill Corbett to explain his idea of having children create their own "Dream Book" as a way for them to discover their passions and encourage their dreams.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/getting-kids-to-dream-big Teacher Support Thanks to many suggestions from readers and teacher bloggers ... we are now up to our 3rd (and final ... for now) post on strategies that teachers have used in their classrooms to handle undesirable behaviors.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/handling-undesirable-behaviors-part3 Teacher Support As educators, we all have certain strategies/practices that we use when dealing with behavioral issues. Sharing these strategies is helpful so that we can ALL have more ideas to pull from when faced with situations such as this. No one strategy will work in every situation/every child - so having insight from others to draw from is useful. So, we reached out to some additional teacher bloggers and our Facebook readers ... and they so kindly shared their experience and suggestions in how to handle this issue. So, here is PART 2 on this topic!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/handling-undesirable-behaviors-part2 Dentist Here's a way for young children to learn about flossing their teeth during a theme on Dentists / Community Helpers / Healthy habits.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=420 Teacher Support We had a question from a teacher who is looking for some ideas on how to handle challenging behaviors. Here is her question: "At my school, children seem to be copying the wrong behavior from one another. Let's just say, it's not behavior that is desirable. I need to come up with a positive behavioral plan that HAS worked for others. Any suggestions?" Bill Corbett from Cooperative Kids gives some advice.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/handling-undesirable-behaviors-in-preschool Teacher Support Here is PART 2 on having a successful parent-teacher conference from professional educator and interview coach, Charlie Margolis. Read on for more tips for teachers ...]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/the-parent-teacher-conference-part-2 Teacher Support Whether you are talking to several hundred people or holding a parent/teacher conference, it’s about how you make the audience feel. Charles Margolis is a professional educator and interview coach and will share some ideas and insights into about how to have a successful parent-teacher conference. ]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/the-parent-teacher-conference-part-1 Meet the Experts We are pleased to introduce a new guest blogger, Charlie Margolis, to our site, who can share his expertise on public speaking and preparing for interviews and presentations. If you have questions on this topic, submit them on our blog or here on FB. Charlie will be sharing some articles with us that we'll begin posting next week!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/expert-on-public-speaking-and-presenting Dr. Seuss I have found some wonderful Dr. Seuss activities around the web this week ... so this post is all about sharing some of those great ideas with you!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/celebrating-dr-seuss-in-preschool Shapes My friends Donna and Sherry over at Irresistible Ideas For Play Based Learning posted about the MAD DOT CHALLENGE they were doing along with their friend, Marc Armitage. The challenge … to take something that is completely white, give young children a bunch of DOT stickers … and let them stick to their hearts content!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/mad-DOT-challenge Hearts We are glad to be part of the LAST giveaway in support of "The Heart Project"! We are doing a collective giveaway for a printed copy of "The Heart Book"!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/heart-book-giveaway Hearts See some pictures of a cozy/quiet space decorated for Valentine's Day. I love how it's decorated for Valentine's Day ... with words of love written in the hearts in all different languages. It looks so visually appealing, and maybe a child who is feeling sad at the moment will see the hearts and know that they are loved.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/love-in-many-languages Multicultural For the past 3 weeks, we have been exploring other countries in preschool! Each classroom is focusing on a particular country – learning about its culture, architecture, climate, games, food, music and dance (among other things). First up … “Ciao Italy”!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/exploring-countries-in-preschool-Italy Giveaway Ok, now it's our turn to join in the fun of co-hosting a giveaway in support of "The Heart Project"! Melissa & Doug have generously donated 2 of their Trunki luggage riding toys to be given away in support of this project! Woot woot!!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/the-heart-project-trunki-giveaway Paper Bags I had these very cute small paper bags (3 1/2" x 6 3/4") and as I played around with it, I wound up making a small treat bag that looks like a mouse. Now, maybe it doesn't look exactly like Mickey .. but put a bow on the top, and we definitely have the resemblance of Minnie!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/mouse-shaped-paper-bag-treat-bags Hearts About 18 months ago I had heart surgery. Never in a million years did I think that at age 32 I would need to have surgery on my heart. For 20 years I was told I had a seizure disorder when in reality I was suffering from mini-stokes (TIA’s) that were being caused by two holes in my heart. I was born with the two holes; one known as a PFO and one called an ASD, but for 30 years went undetected. It was also discovered that I had a genetic blood clotting factor that causes my blood to clot too much. There was no doubt that I was gearing up for a major stroke…..my body was “the perfect storm.”]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/a-story-about-my-heart Giveaway We are SO excited to be participating in this important fundraiser! In addition to "The Heart Book" - from now until Valentine's Day, there will be some online auctions and giveaways each day to help raise additional funds for the American Heart Association. You are not required to donate in order to enter in any of these giveaways. We just want to help bring awareness to the American Heart Association.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/the-heart-project-giveaway-list Hearts Announcing ... The Heart Project! A true labor of love organized by Jamie at Hands on : as we grow – this project is dedicated to raising funds and awareness for the American Heart Association. We have been collaborating with more than 70 childhood bloggers to create an eBook showcasing craft ideas all about HEARTS!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/giving-from-the-heart-for-the-heart Helping Others Our family (along with MANY other families) spent the morning packing meals for the people of Kenya, Africa. It was a great way to show our children how people can come together to help others, and that THEY can make a GLOBAL impact. They are NOT too little to help. They are NOT too little to let someone know that they care. They are NOT too little to begin to understand that there are others in need.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/children-helping-children-one-meal-at-a-time Behavior Management During the past couple of weeks there has been a lot of debate over the way that the Town of Middletown, CT was handling behavioral issues with elementary school students. Many reports have mentioned the use of “scream” rooms for children who needed to be removed from classroom situations. How can we as early education providers help to prevent these types of stories?]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/getting-a-handle-on-behavior-in-preschool Director Support Tressa discusses her meeting with CT Senator Beth Bye as she helps directors better understand the state's view on early childhood education.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/the-changing-landscape-of-early-childhood-in-CT Director Support Tressa discusses her meeting with CT Senator Beth Bye as she helps directors better understand the state's view on early childhood education.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/the-changing-landscape-of-early-childhood-in-CT Winter Making snowman pancakes on a snowy Saturday morning!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/Snowman%20pancakes Financial Advice Below is the second post which provides tips on tax deductions for pre-kindergarten teachers from financial consultant, Steven Daar. Please read through to fully understand the "teacher expense deduction", and what pre-kindergarten teachers can/cannot deduct. (And if you think it's unfair, there's a call to action at the bottom!)]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/what-is-the-teacher-expense-deduction-part-2 Financial Advice This the first in a series of posts to provide tips on tax deductions for pre-kindergarten teachers from financial consultant, Steven Daar.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/pre-kindergarten-teacher-tax-deductions-part-1 Martin Luther King Today our preschool classes made an "I have a dream" mural to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day today. Before we made the mural, we read a story and had a discussion about who Dr. King was and why we celebrate his birthday.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/making-a-mural-for-MLK-day-in-preschool Martin Luther King We want to share some additional resources that you can use in your homes and classrooms on Monday to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/childrens-book-and-music-for-MLK-Day Martin Luther King Monday, January 16, 2012 we will be celebrating the life of Martin Luther King Jr. in the US. It is a good opportunity to talk to our youngest students about fairness, equality, friendship and peace. Parents and preschool teachers can recognize this day with some age appropriate art and learning activities.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/celebrating-martin-luther-king-day-in-preschool Martin Luther King This project is a great addition to a celebration of Martin Luther King Day, or any discussion on peace, friendship and diversity. This year Martin Luther King Day falls on January 16, 2012.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/i-have-a-dream-handprints Animals This cute craft looks like it's ready to waddle like a real penguin!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=406 Giveaway We are super excited to offer our first giveaway in the new year! Popular children’s performer, DARIA is giving away 2 COPIES OF HER "I HAVE A DREAM CD", just in time to celebrate Martin Luther King Day (January 16, 2012)! Entry period for this giveaway is January 5, 2012 until January 12, 2012 at 12:01am EST.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/i-have-a-dream-CD-giveaway New Year I've been inspired by some of my favorite early childhood bloggers to create a "Best of 2011" list! It is fun to take a look on Google Analytics from this perspective and see which posts generated the most interest. Not surprisingly ... the top posts also were some of my favorite activities that we did this year!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/best-of-2011 Christmas Here is an activity to go with the story "The After Christmas Tree" by Linda Wagner Tyler. The story is about happens to the family Christmas tree after Christmas is over.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=405 Christmas Children can collect things from nature, bring in items from home or use collage materials from school to make shadow boxes. The shadow boxes we made here are Christmas themed.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/seasonal-shadow-boxes Christmas Ready for some homemade musical fun for the holidays? Time to recycle those little bells you have around the house or pick up a small pack from a local store and make your own jingling bracelets, anklets, belts or jingle sticks for thrifty family fun.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/make-your-own-jingle-bells Hanukkah Hanukkah (or Chanukah) is an eight day celebration known as the festival of lights. Learn some of the history of the Hanukkah dreydl game and how to play.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/play-the-dreydl-game Literacy The other day I read this wonderful idea in the paper in the "Ask Amy" column. It was about a literacy campaign that she launched with the Family Reading Partnership called "A Book on Every Bed." The idea is to put a million books at the foot of a million beds for a million children on Christmas morning.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/put-a-book-on-every-bed Christmas In the story "Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree", Mr. Willowby's tree was so tall, it couldn't stand up straight in his parlor. Mr. Willowby asked his butler to chop off the top of the tree. And through the rest of the story, we follow the treetop as it gets shared. I searched for a fun activity that preschoolers could do to go with this story. I wanted something special that went with the story - and found this stackable tree idea from the Bella Dia blog.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/stackable-christmas-trees Winter Today we brought in some seasonal items from nature along with some play dough ... and just let the children have at it! We used winter nature items from our area, such as pinecones and pine branches. Since I still had some extra scented pinecones - we used those. Some of the pine branches also had a good pine scent - so this was definitely a sensory experience for the hands, eyes AND nose!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/open-ended-winter-art-in-preschool Christmas We have been exploring "scents of the season" these past couple of weeks in preschool. As we get ready for Christmas, I saw these cute pinecone trees on The Wool Acorn blog, and I thought this would be wonderful for the children to make. But I wanted to incorporate a holiday scent for the children to explore ... so we made sure our pinecones were scented!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/making-scented-pinecone-christmas-trees Snow I saw these adorable snowman treats on The Amazing Mess blog - so I made a bunch for myself and bagged them up as small gifts. But then I thought - this was so easy and fun ... the kids would LOVE this! And even though making these are fun (and tasty) - there were other ways to extend this activity so that the children learn a little something along the way, too!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/melting-marshmallow-snowmen-in-preschool Thanksgiving At this time of year, children get excited about all the holidays coming up. It is important to take some time before and during Thanksgiving to talk to young children about their blessings ... what they have to be thankful for.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/we-are-thankful-in-preschool Thanksgiving This seasonal craft idea is perfect for Thanksgiving!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=395 Fall I was very inspired to try making a "sticky table" after seeing the Pumpkin vines on the sticky table activity on the Teach Preschool site. I thought this would work very well with various items in nature that we have outside during this time of year.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/playing-with-nature-on-a-sticky-table Blogging I am excited to be participating in a new collaborative blog of preschool educators called PreK + K Sharing!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/prek-k-sharing Literacy Have a fun time promoting literacy at your child care program or school by having a "Storybook Character Parade". This is a fun opportunity to allow children to come to school in costume, and can be done at any time of the year.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/having-a-preschool-storybook-character-parade Pumpkins As we continue to enjoy the Fall season, we have explored pumpkins in our classrooms in many ways! We've opened them up, scooped them out, counted the seeds and made delicious pumpkin treats!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/more-pumpkin-activities-in-preschool Pumpkins Here's a recipe we have for NO COOK pumpkin playdough (complete with pumpkin seeds!)]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=230 Farms This is a creative wall display for a theme about farms and Fall!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=386 Pumpkins This is a wonderfully simple activity that allows for creative expression and is great for fine motor development. Provide children with colored playdough and some rolling pins and play dough tools and have them decorate a real pumpkin! This idea came from a Pumpkin playdough decorating post at Teach Preschool.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=385 Going Green This project teaches young children about reducing and reusing food waste, and how food scraps can be turned into something useful for the environment. This is great during an overall theme on conservation and recycling or during a project that involves gardening.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=384 Director Support I’m sure that many of you Directors out there feel as though you are being pulled in a thousand directions most days. If only you had a few more hours each day…right? I know that there are weeks when so many things are happening at once, I feel as though I’m running a marathon.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/taking-time-to-network-with-other-directors Farms We have been "down on the farm" at preschool these past few weeks, and one of the favorite activities for the children was getting to milk a cow! Ok, not a real cow - but a really cool wooden cow!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=383 Literacy It's no secret ... I LOVE children's literature! I love finding out about new books (and books that are new to me). One way to find out about a book that you may want to read to your children or to your class is through a book recommendation from another parent or teacher. This post is a review from a parent of the book "If I Took the Moon for a Walk".]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/book-review-of-i-took-the-moon-for-a-walk Parenting We received another question from a reader for our Parenting Expert, Bill Corbett. This is an issue that many parents and caregivers deal with during the toddler years ... BITING. What is the best way to handle this? Bill Corbett weighs in on this topic.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/what-to-do-when-toddler-is-biting Literacy The following post is from Colleen Brunetti ... our Early Literacy Expert. She will be doing a series of posts on early literacy for preschoolers. Since this ties in so nicely with our recent Book Study Blog party of the book "Literacy Beginnings" (Fountas & Pinnell, 2011), I'll interject a couple of quotes from the book along the way!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/choosing-great-books-in-preschool Fall This project can be done during any season, when talking about changes in the weather and how that affects the environment. We did this in the Fall during an apple theme - and it coordinates well with the books "Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree" and "The Apple Pie Tree".]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=380 Discovery Bottles Discovery bottles are a great learning experience for toddlers and preschoolers. These can be filled with most anything ... the ones shown here go well with a Fall or Spring theme as they are filled with SEEDS! ]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=381 Fall When planning a theme on apples, it is a good opportunity to teach about life cycles and plant growth. Depending on your location, a field trip to a local apple orchard is a wonderful hands-on experience for young children to see where fruit (apples) come from. However, when a field trip is not feasible, you can try to bring the apple orchard to your school!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/bringing-the-apple-orchard-to-preschool Blogging Yay - I'm excited to be nominated for a blog award from a favorite blogger of mine, Ayn from Little Illuminations! The Versatile Blogger Award is a way for bloggers to recognize each other's work - and I am glad to be in such good company!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/the-versatile-blogger-award Literacy Preschools and elementary schools around the country can join in to help set a book reading record by participating in Jumpstart’s Read for the Record Campaign on October 6, 2011. The purpose of this event is to spread awareness of the importance of early childhood literacy.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/read-llama-llama-red-pajama-and-set-a-record Farms This is a good activity during a farming theme - but can also be adapted to a discussion of shapes (CIRCLE) and concepts of things that are ROUND.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=378 Literacy Helping young children to learn the letters of their name is an important first step to reading. Print with children's name on cubbies, artwork, birthday boards, etc around the room is one way teacher's reinforce name recognition. This activity is another way for children to begin working with the letters in their name. It is a physical (kinesthetic) way for children to learn the features of each letter of their name - and it's also good for helping to develop their fine motor skills.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=377 Infant/Toddler During this past summer, we expanded and added a new infant room for 4 children. As a director, I was thrilled to be granted the opportunity to expand and was ready for the challenge of creating a new room from the ground up.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/the-joy-of-expanding Fall This is a cool project that you can do for a theme of "At the Movies" or during the Fall when talking about corn/cornstalks. There are several ways you can go about coloring popcorn - the way we did it was by using powdered tempera paint.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=375 Fall Fall is a wonderful time to teach preschoolers many things about the season. The change in the weather (and the leaves), along with the harvest of apples and pumpkins are fun to learn about.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/learning-about-apples-and-pumpkins-in-preschool Farms Want to setup up a farm scene display, but don't have enough shelf room? How about using the ceiling!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=374 Going Green I recently attending a local workshop in my state called "Greening your Early Childhood Center". We learned about ways we can reduce energy and water use, create a healthy environment and save costs in our early childhood programs.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/going-green-in-preschool Social-Emotional We recently posted an article from ECCP about supporting infants and toddlers with transition times in their day. Now, it's time to provide some ideas to help preschoolers. Though preschoolers are slightly more adaptable to changes in schedule and routine, most children benefit from knowing what to expect.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/supporting-preschoolers-with-transitions Literacy We received the following early literacy question from a preschool teacher and would love some more discussion / opinions on the topic of displaying children's names in the classroom and teaching them to write their name (all uppercase vs. upper and lowercase).]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/displaying-childrens-names-in-preschool Social-Emotional We are honored to participate in a fun "blog hop" called "The ABC's of Teaching Preschool", organized by the awesome Deborah of Teach Preschool! Today she reached an incredible milestone of 20,000 "likes" on her Facebook page! Each participating early childhood blogger has taken a letter of the alphabet and come up with some fun and helpful tips that you can use with the young children in your care - We chose the letter "R" for "Relaxation" and have listed some activities you can do with preschoolers to help them learn to relax their bodies.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/r-is-for-relaxation Back to School Exploring feelings of "letting go" of your child as they head back to school.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/letting-go-on-the-first-day Back to School For programs who shut down over the summer or for those who run a summer camp program, its somewhat bitter sweat to return to school in the fall. For me, it is always sad to see summer come to a close, but there is also something exciting about a new school year starting. Here are some things that I look forward to as a new academic year kicks off….please feel free to share your excitement with us too.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/getting-back-into-the-swing-of-things Social-Emotional Infants and toddlers gain much of their sense of security from familiar adults, items, and routines. They are especially sensitive to change – even the smallest changes can cause stress. This post discusses ways to support infants and toddlers during transitional times during the day.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/supporting-infants-and-toddlers-with-transitions Pets Do you have pets in your preschool classroom? Learn about a grant program from PetSmart to help teachers bring a pet into their classroom.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/pets-in-the-preschool-classroom Literacy We are wrapping up our review of how to assess literacy learning in young children as part of the Book Study Blog Party review of the book "Literacy Beginnings" (Fountas & Pinnell). Today's post is on chapter 25, which provides four simple systematic assessments you can use at the end of prekindergarten to help you record the growth of your students, and provide information to parents and kindergarten teachers. ]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/an-end-of-prekindergarten-checkup Literacy Our early literacy expert, Colleen Brunetti, provides a guest post on how she fell in love with language, literacy and sign language!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/improving-literacy-through-sign-language Literacy We continue on with talking about how to assess literacy learning in young children as part of the Book Study Blog Party review of the book "Literacy Beginnings" (Fountas & Pinnell). We are now on chapter 24, which talks about ways to observe young children for evidence of sound, letter and word knowledge.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/observing-for-sound-letter-and-word-knowledge Giveaway We are excited to participate in the Crafty Kits 4 Kids Giveaway Event with 13 other crafty bloggers! The event will run from August 1st - 13th. (Winners will be drawn on August 14th). Hop around to each blog and enter in one or all of them to have a chance to win a crafty kit for your kids!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/crafty-4-kids-giveaway All About Me This is a two-part craft that is good to do at the beginning of the school year - or during an "All about me" theme. The tie-dyeing part can be used as an opportunity to talk about color mixing as well.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=371 Literacy As we continue to review "Literacy Beginnings" (Fountas & Pinnell) as part of the Book Study Blog Party - we will now look at ways to assess writing behaviors in young children.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/observing-writing-behaviors-in-preschool Meet the Experts We are glad to introduce a new member to our expert panel - Colleen Brunetti ... our Early Literacy (and Signing) Expert! Our experts will provide guest blog posts on specific topics, and help to answer questions that are submitted to us by our readers.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/introducing-our-early-literacy-expert Literacy We are nearing the end of our book study of "Literacy Beginnings" (Fountas & Pinnell). I have enjoyed all the ideas that I've gathered from the book and other bloggers in the Blog Party. We are now at the part of the book that talks about how to assess literacy learning in preschoolers.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/observing-reading-behaviors-in-preschool Animals As promised, today we have a guest post from Maggie Woodley of the Red Ted Art blog! I'm excited that Maggy is sharing one of her ideas that ties in perfectly with our recent Animal Week post, using recycled materials to make zoo animals.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/animal-craft-book-activity Summer Shaving cream is the magic ingredient in this ice cream to make it have dimension and texture!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=368 Parenting We had a question from a parent for Bill Corbett (our blog Parenting Expert ). This parent has a child who is having difficulty coping with decision making. She worries so much that she will make the "wrong" choice - that she gets so upset and argues. Bill Corbett shares some advice on dealing with this issue.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/parenting-advice-when-kids-are-interrupting Animals We are in the middle of summer camp, and last week was all about animals. We broke out each day to focus on certain kinds of animals - we had Zoo Animals, On the Farm, Pet Day, Pond Life and Jungle Adventure. Here are a few of the activities that we had for each of these days!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/animal-week-at-preschool Teacher Support Visual timers are great for helping children begin to get a sense of the "passing of time". They can SEE how much time is left to play/snack/rest or whatever they are doing. Learn more about using visual timers with young children. ]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/using-visual-timers-in-preschool Social-Emotional This post discusses ways to incorporate a quiet space in a preschool classroom.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/preschoolers-need-a-quiet-space-too Social-Emotional Infants and Toddlers often need a soft, quiet, protected place where they can relax and have some space away from loud or busy areas in the classroom. This post discusses ways to setup a quiet space for infants and toddlers.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/creating-a-quiet-space-for-infants-and-toddlers Fitness Let’s face it, lifetime habits start early. And the older we get those habits are harder to break. Fitness and health habits can and should start young.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/healthy-habits-start-early Fitness We are glad to introduce a new member to our expert panel - Shannon Perry ... our Fitness Expert! Our experts will provide guest blog posts on specific topics, and help to answer questions that are submitted to us. ]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/introducing-our-fitness-expert Parenting We had a question from a reader that I think most parents can relate to. Her children often talk over and interrupt each other in an effort to be heard. This dynamic can happen at home and at school, and there are a few approaches to dealing with the situation. We asked our blog Parenting Expert Bill Corbett to provide some advice.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/parenting-advice-when-kids-are-interrupting Meet the Experts When Tressa and I talked about starting a blog on our website, one of the main reasons we wanted to do this was to provide a way for parents and child care professionals to ask questions and receive ideas and support. One way that we planned to do this was by inviting professionals in the field of early childhood to become part of our "panel of experts". Our experts will provide guest blog posts on specific topics, and help to answer questions that are submitted to us. We are VERY excited to introduce our first expert, Bill Corbett, the author of the book Love, Limits, & Lessons® and the founder and president of Cooperative Kids. ]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/introducing-our-parenting-expert Literacy We are continuing to read "Literacy Beginnings" (Fountas & Pinnell) for the Book Study Blog Party. Here we posted some book activities in response to Chapter 5 on Language and Literacy teaching.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/book-study-language-and-literacy-teaching Teaching What a priviledge to have some older children come in to teach the younger ones. Child-teachers have a quality that is unique and wonderful!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/kids-teaching-kids Literacy We are continuing to read "Literacy Beginnings" (Fountas & Pinnell) for the Book Study Blog Party. Let's dive into chapter 4 - An Organized, Engaging Environment!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/book-study-organizing-your-classroom-space Literacy We are participating in a "Book Study Blog Party" organized by Vanessa at Pre-K Pages. Several early childhood bloggers (including us) will be discussing chapters of the book "Literacy Beginnings" by Gay Su Pinnell and Irene C. Fountas. I read the first 4 chapters today and took some notes. Follow along with us!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/the-book-study-blog-party-has-begun Western Our summer camp is in full swing, and today we traveled back in time to the Wild West! Stop by, see our ideas and add some of your own!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/traveling-back-to-the-wild-west-in-preschool Social-Emotional Cute worksheet you can use in your "cozy space" or when talking about feelings.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/how-am-I-feeling-today Summer I'm planning preschool summer camp - and we are learning about the Wonders of nature. I included some ideas ... hope you'll stop by and share some of your own!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/wonders-of-nature-summer-camp-ideas Summer Here is a very cute "on the beach snack" that you can have young children help you make!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=358 Summer Another cute "beach snack" idea that uses pudding!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=175 Literacy Saturday 25 June is Eric Carle's birthday - and Kate at "The Amazing Child" is having an online birthday showcasing a week of activities that go with many of his wonderful books! We decided to join in and start with perhaps Mr. Carle's most popular book "The Hungry Caterpillar". Here are some ideas that we have found to go with this classic tale of the caterpillar who just kept eating!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/celebrating-the-man-who-wrote-the-hungry-caterpillar Literacy We just started our blog - and we're already having a party! I am excited to be able to participate in a "Book Study Blog Party" organized by Pre-K Pages. You're invited - find out what it's all about!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/get-ready-for-a-book-study-blog-party End Of Year As my daughter and I were putting together her teachers gifts for the end of the school year, I was thinking how a Wordle would make a lovely teacher gift!]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/wordle-makes-a-nice-teacher-gift Father's Day It's not too late to come up with a Father's Day gift that your child can make (and the special man in their life will love!) Here are some great ideas that we have made at preschool, and some that we have found around the web.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/fathers-day-gifts-preschoolers-can-make End Of Year Put together an album with snapshots of the entire school year (this definitely requires some advance planning, as you would need to have a good supply of photos throughout the year). This can be a class project with a teacher - or parents can coordinate having this put together as an end of the year teacher gift. ]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=357 End Of Year The end of the school year - from a preschool director's perspective.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/saying-goodbye-to-students-and-families End Of Year As the school year draws to a close, many children and families try to find ways to show their teacher how much they appreciate them. So, I thought it would be neat to list a few favorite and inexpensive gift ideas that I've either received, given or heard about.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/favorite-preschool-teacher-gifts Announcement We are very excited to introduce our the new SEEDS Blog! We are planning to use this blog as a way to interact with parents and early childhood professionals. We hope this will be a useful resource for you to ask questions, seek input and ideas and get support from each other.]]> http://theseedsnetwork.com/seeding/welcome-to-the-SEEDS-blog Father's Day Barbeque season is upon us, so here is a tasty sauce that your preschoolers can make – just in time for Father’s Day!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=356 Father's Day This adorable bookmark makes a great father's day gift!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=349 Pond Life This activity is great to use for during a theme on frogs, pond life or nature.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=177 Butterfly This sensory bag experience is very easy for young children to do - and exciting enough for even kindergarteners! Thanks to Deborah at teachpreschool.org for the idea!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=348 Bugs Get preschoolers counting as they create a caterpillar out of circle shapes.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=346 Butterfly This is a cute and colorful craft that toddlers and young preschoolers can do to make a butterfly!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=347 Bugs Get children excited about measuring by using worms! Ok, not real worms - but worms made from ric-rac or foam. This activity is great to help children begin to understand the concept of measurement by using pretend worms (non-standard unit of measurement).]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=345 Butterfly These bracelets are a cute way to reinforce the cycle of a caterpillar to a butterfly!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=109 Social-Emotional You can make these "relaxation bean bags" to use in activities that will help your child (or children in your class) relax. These are even great to help a group of children to wind down before nap or rest time.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=344 Spring During the Springtime, there are many great preschool projects that you can do about flowers. Here is one for SUNFLOWERS!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=333 Spring During the Springtime, there are many great preschool projects that you can do about flowers. This project teachers young children the names of the different parts of a flower and allows them to construct one from craft materials.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=334 Spring This project is perfect for toddlers and young preschoolers to do during Spring. Read stories and talk about birds and how they live in nests made out of sticks, leaves and things found in nature. Then, assist them in making a bird's nest of their own, using modeling clay or playdough and sticks.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=329 Spring This project is mainly for teachers in setting up a visual classroom display. Bring in a large tree branch from outside that has no leaves (or take leaves off). Make colorful flower blossoms from tissue paper and hot glue them onto the branch.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=330 Spring This project is fun to do during the Springtime, or during a theme on nature and bugs.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=331 Rainbows When doing a theme on colors or rainbows, why not add these bright and color discovery bottles to your science center area!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=328 Rainbows Another fun rainbow idea that incorporates creativity, learning about colors and math concepts through sorting. And a beautiful piece of artwork is created in the process.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=327 Community Helpers Begin this activity with a story about visiting the doctor. Talk about things that doctors use when caring for their patients (ie. bandaids, cotton swabs, tongue depressors, etc). Then tell the children they will make their own doctor bags.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=326 Community Helpers This is a fun and easy craft/activity you can do with preschoolers during a theme on Dentists / Community Helpers.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=325 Art This is a unique, 3-dimensional art project for preschoolers. Great for their fine motor development and creative expression!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=324 Colors and Shapes This activity is based on the series of "Elmer (the Elephant) " books by David McKee. This is a fun project for children to work on together in groups of 3-5.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=323 Rainbows During a unit on healthy eating, weather, colors or for St. Patrick's Day - plan a day to do many fun "colorful" activities called RAINBOW DAY! Include healthy snacks from all the colors of the rainbow, and have everyone dress in solid rainbow colors!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=127 Art This project is good for an art theme or during a unit on recycling. Have children collect small objects at home or school that they are no longer using, and would otherwise discard. They can use them to make a one of a kind, unique and personal work of art!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=319 Classroom Organization Set up a child-friendly reading space/listening center with wooden chairs (brightly painted).]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=206 Classroom Organization Use the back of a bookcase as a backdrop to set up a writing center. Adding a shelf to the back of a bookcase creates space to store writing supplies; while a small table underneath creates a place for young children to write.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=207 Classroom Management A fun way to display classroom nametags which children can use when visiting learning centers. You can also use the bubble gum machine board to display birthdays or to take attendance.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=184 Tactile Table Fill your tactile table with all kinds of paper-based materials for children to practice cutting (paper, tissue paper, thin cardboard, etc).]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=215 Community Helpers When doing a theme on doctors or community helpers, add literacy to the dramatic play area by providing a clipboard and sheets of paper for children to write with.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=174 Colors and Shapes This is a cool way to display color words on a bulletin board or classroom wall. Cut out the shape of an artists painting palette out of the cardboard.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=254 Outdoors Children will love to see their reflections inside of these wooden people which are just their size!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=209 Art This is a great activity to do during a theme on transportation or community.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=178 Friendship This art project is a creative way for children to learn how we are different from each other, and to appreciate those differences. Friends come in all colors!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=186 Friendship This is a great activity for toddlers to learn about similarities and differences between themselves and others.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=185 Friendship This is a good activity in the Spring or during a theme on friendship.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=205 Art Make a colorful, sparkly piece of artwork using glue, salt and watercolor paints!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=307 Art This project is inspired by the artwork of Jasper Johns, and how he would take recognizable images (like flags and maps) and change the colors in fun and unique ways.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=306 Art This project is inspired by the artwork of Andy Warhol, and his famous paintings from photographs of celebrities. Have children turn a black and white picture of themselves into a colorful, unique work of art!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=304 Art Make pop culture art using styrofoam sheets and paint!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=305 Literacy This project makes for a colorful bulletin board display - while engaging children in recognizing letters of the alphabet.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=303 Fairy Tales This is a fun project to work on as a class as you read the fairy tale "Rapunzel". There are several versions of the story to choose from, so this can be a project that you work on over the course of a couple of days, as you read a few versions of the story.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=302 Winter Whether you live in a cold or warm weather climate, you can have pretend "snow" in the sensory table at any time!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=298 Winter Children will love experimenting and creating with this thick, textured paint. Once dry, the artwork will have a nice "glimmer"!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=296 Fairy Tales Great 3-D book for the children to take home and retell the story of "The Three Little Pigs" to their families!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=301 Fairy Tales Have children construct a collage of the 3 pigs from circle and triangle shapes. Good activity for learning about shapes, fine motor skills and literacy.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=295 Fairy Tales Read a version of "The Three Little Pigs". Talk about the materials the pigs used to build their houses (straw, sticks and bricks) - then give children those materials and have them try to build a structure.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=297 Gingerbread This activity will help expand children's understanding of stories and vocabulary.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=293 Gingerbread Great project to practice sorting skills, learn colors and develop fine motor and eye-hand coordination!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=279 Gingerbread http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=294 Music Talk to children about music and how it can make you feel. Slow and classical music can make us feel calm and relaxed - fast music can make us feel excited. Allow children to express that feeling on paper with crayons or marker by having them color/draw as they listen to the music you play. Play a selection of music so they can feel their mood change with the music.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=291 Music Show children a real keyboard (if you have one) or pictures from a book. Play some piano music and have children listen to the sounds. Then ask children to make their OWN keyboard and enjoy the results!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=292 Winter Read a story about mittens and then talk about how mittens match each other. Then have the children decorate a pair of matching mittens!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=290 Germs Have a discussion with the class about germs and the importance of washing your hands to get rid of germs and keep yourself healthy. Read the story "Why do I Wash My Hands?" and then do some cool experiments!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=287 Germs http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=286 Event The Early Childhood EXPO is an event to support early childhood professionals AND parents of young children through seminars, mini-workshops and networking opportunities. Located in Hartford, CT and brought to you by The SEEDS Network, LLC and The Hartford Association for the Education of Young Children (HAEYC) - it is our goal to bring in a broad range of organizations, businesses and professionals that support young children and the people who care for them. There will be high quality, interactive seminars, fun workshops and demonstrations, time to network with early childhood organizations and speakers and much more!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/expo Winter Use real popcorn to make a 3-dimensional snowflake!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=274 Winter During the winter, it can be fun to make a class book about things that can get snow on them.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=285 Fine Motor Toddlers and preschoolers can practice their fine motor and eye-hand coordination skills with this activity in your tactile table.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=284 Holiday This is a great project for toddlers and young preschoolers to practice their fine motor skills.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=283 Holiday Allow toddlers to decorate their own Christmas tree with this fun project!!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=282 Holiday Have children cut a paper plate into quarters, and tier the pieces to make a fun Christmas tree shape!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=281 Holiday An easy holiday wreath for young preschoolers to put together and it will last for years as a holiday keepsake!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=277 Holiday Here is a project that you can use with children to help them physically and visually countdown to Christmas day.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=270 Holiday This is a great keepsake craft for parents for a gift!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=263 Holiday This is a fun and simple way for young children to make an Advent Wreath for Christmas!]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=265 Holiday At holiday time, fill the tactile table with wrapping paper, small boxes, ribbon, bows, tape and scissors. Allow children to cut and wrap gifts. Children will love the freedom to explore these tools and it will enhance their fine motor skills.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=118 Fine Motor Allow children to explore their senses of touch, taste and smell by having them fingerpaint with colored vanilla pudding.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=86 Colors and Shapes Fill small individual cups with glue and mix food coloring into each cup (one color per cup). Allow children to dip in craft sticks and then let it drip on their paper into any design they choose. Show children what happens as they glue drips down when they hold their craft sticks high above their paper vs. low. Encourage children to mix the colors together and predict what new color they will make when the colors mix.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=211 Colors and Shapes Introduce shapes to young preschoolers by having them make a shape monster. Start with the head and ask the children what shape they should use for the monster's head. Ask what shape should be used for the body, arms, legs, etc. Allow them to put together the monster as they wish, gluing the pieces together.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=244 Colors and Shapes This is a terrific activity to help teacher toddlers and preschoolers about basic shapes, while they practice their fine motor skills.]]> http://www.theseedsnetwork.com/search_result.php?i=249