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. To do this, each child had to have their own sticky
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Three simple materials = a great opportunity for children to explore their creativity, problem solving and fine motor skills! Right after the holidays, I had a lot of large pieces of styrofoam that was used to pack some of our Christmas gifts. Like, nice, solid blocks of styrofoam. Now, like any good preschool teacher, you don’t just THROW that kind of stuff away! So
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Half art project, half nature project – these one-time use bird feeders are very simple and fun to make! We did this activity during our theme on love, friendship and kindness – so we thought about the birds in the wintertime and how we could help them. Looking at our snow-covered ground outside, it was easy for the children to see that the birds
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Today I’m going to give you 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. In this video clip (filmed for ehow.com), I will share 3 team building activities that you can do
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Most preschool teachers I know LOVE discovery bottles! We like to find all kinds of ways to make them engaging and interesting for children to explore. We search for interesting objects to put in them. We search Pinterest to get new ideas. We hoard (ah, I mean, COLLECT) and save our empty water bottles for when we are ready to make our next batch. So, last
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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! This eBook is filled with over 100 gorgeous heart-shaped
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These pictures are of a cozy/quiet space decorated for Valentine’s Day created by Ms. Katelyn at our preschool. Our “cozy cabana” is used when children need a place to go to be alone; and is filled with quiet activities to help a child work through their feelings – (possibly of saddness, tiredness or being overwhelmed). I love how Katelyn decorated this for Valentine’s Day
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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! Using liquid watercolor, watercolor paints or large dot markers, children can decorate the doilies. The thin paper of the doilies works well with the
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Below is the first of two posts from veteran educator and interview coach Charlie Margolis. “I think high self-esteem is overrated. A little low self esteem is actually quite good. Maybe you’re not the best, so you should work a little harder.” — Jay Leno Have you seen the State Farm Insurance commercial that features Green Bay Packers quarterback, Aaron Rogers? The setting is an
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This the second post from Charlie Margolis regarding how overinflated self-esteem and excessive praise affects our children. Pedagogy today is far superior to what – for those who are old enough to remember – teaching was like when no one cared how we felt. Unlike the “good old days,” stellar students do not receive all the attention while those of less academic achievement are ignored. Learning disabilities
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