Snowflake symmetry is an amazing math learning opportunity for preschoolers when we're stuck indoors during the cold winter months from Sarah at How Wee Learn! The snow is coming our way. We had some big, fluffy flurries in the air a few mornings ago. I can almost smell the winter air when I walk outside. Oh yes, winter will be here very soon. I am always excited about ...
Fun Trampoline Games for Learning Letters
We waited quite a long while before purchasing a trampoline (affiliate link). My kids wanted one for such a long time, but I was hesitant because of the safety issues. My kids get hurt walking down a carpeted hallway - so the thought of them bouncing on a trampoline? Kind of frightening for this Mama. But, long story short, after many promises of using it safely and properly, we ...
Snip Santa’s Beard as Cutting Practice for Preschoolers
Strengthening little hands for future writing. I have becoming rather repetitive in saying this. Friends, family, parents of students, the mail carrier... any one who even mentions teaching little ones to print (and quite frankly many who do not ask, as well). The teacher in me truly believes that far before little ones should be expected to hold a pencil and print their letters, ...
Perfect Quiet Busy Activity Boxes for Toddlers
Oh busy boxes. The idea of busy activity boxes for toddlers sounds to me like mess and trouble. I don't know what it is, but I just don't like that sound of it! Perhaps it's because when my toddlers are busy it often means I am busy too. So I call mine something different - Quiet Boxes. And since I don't actually use boxes, I in fact call them Quiet Bins. Doesn't that ...
Cute Potato Stamping Jack-O-Lanterns for Fall
Make your own Halloween pumpkins with a simple potato stamping jack-o-lanterns activity for kids! Is there anything you can't do with a potato? I mean you can bake it, fry it, and mash it - that in itself is pretty impressive. But oh, the crafting possibilities with potato stamping! You can carve a potato into just about anything you can imagine. Like a ...
Kid-Made Valentine Snacks for the Classroom
I absolutely love when I can make my little ones speechless. It happens so rarely, and when it does, I always feel like I'm awesome. These valentine snacks accomplished just that! And they make wonderful valentine snacks for the classroom too (so you could have about 25 little ones speechless ... AWESOME). Do you make homemade Valentines for school? Or try another one of our ...
Preschool Scavenger Hunt to Find Colors
If there are two things that I know about preschoolers it is this: they love scavenger hunts and they love sticky notes. Really. I have never met a preschooler who didn't love a good scavenger hunt or one who would not cover a room with sticky notes with a smile ear to ear. This preschool scavenger hunt to find colors is bound to be a hit! We made this a color scavenger ...
Stretching Out Words to Teach Kids to Read
As a teacher I have said the words, "stretch it out" more than I can count. It's a super useful phrase when you are teaching kids to read, but I have found it is way more useful with this little tool that helps when stretching out words. Teaching kids to read is a huge topic to cover. Way bigger than this post. And I know it is a topic that can feel overwhelming as parents. But ...
Oh Christmas Tree Busy Bag Puzzle
I knew I wanted to make up a Christmas busy bag to add to our Quiet Bin rotation. We are all about Christmas activities, crafts, and games right now. When I was over on The Huddle and saw Lena's fabulous Christmas Christmas tree puzzle I knew it would be a great busy bag for Christmas. Are you a Huddler? I am. I love popping over to The Huddle from Hands on as we Grow! It is such ...
Super Sight Word Pencils
It's a bird! It's a plane! No ... it's a super-sight-word-pencil-to-help-little-ones-gain-confidence-with-their-writing-um, thing! For some kids writing comes quick and easy. For others, they need a little time and encouragement. For children who are a bit slower to write, when the writing skills do begin to emerge, there is often a very important piece missing. ...
Fork Weaving: A Quick Craft When You Need It!
Oh dinner time. The kids are hungry, tired, and definitely not at their best. And facing facts, neither am I. I have given up on the hope that my little ones will play cooperatively and kindly while I prepare dinner and instead I plan a quick craft or activity. Nothing too fancy, definitely nothing messy, and most often a quiet bin from our stash. I have found that giving my ...
Ways Kids Can Use a Slide (Other Than Sliding Down It)
I am so relieved that lovely weather is arriving so my preschoolers can move their gross motor activities outside. The snow was fun in November and December, but come January (not to mention February, and March) I was over it. We managed to find some fun indoor gross motor activities to get us through the coldest of the winter days, but now we can take those activities where they ...
A Balancing Indoor Activity for Toddlers
Toddlers were not meant to be indoors. First of all, they are just so messy! Second, loud as the dickens. But what about when you need to be inside? That is when you need some awesome indoor activities for toddlers. In our house, we grow a special breed of toddlers. Super-duper busy ones. My daughter was an exception, but these two little boys - good grief. This indoor ...
BIG Beginner Weaving for Kids
So many of the crafts and activities we do with our little ones are FULL of learning already. Take weaving for kids as an example. It's a fun craft, and little ones love weaving, but it is also full of math. Counting, one-to-one correspondence, and patterning are all at play as my little ones are... well... at play. So, of course, I was excited when I found a cute weaving for ...
Absolutely Cute Polar Bear Craft to Make Right Now
This polar bear craft fits in perfectly with our winter crafts for kids to make! Who doesn't love a good polar bear craft? Good grief this one came out cute. And, best of all, it was actually child made. By a preschooler no less. We love doing crafts, especially in the winter. And this polar bear craft is a great addition to our crafting files. Polar bear crafts for ...
A Halloween Alphabet with Skeleton Bones
Make an entire Halloween alphabet using these skeleton bones! So cool and spooky for Halloween! It's that time of year again! The time of year when we, as parents, can finally spook our children, our neighbors children, and those unfortunate little ones who happened to pass by the house. Oh Halloween! I am kidding of course. In fact, I am not much one for spooks at all. I am ...
Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt: Leaf Counting
We love being outside. My kids are always outside exploring, playing, creating, and most definitely learning. The other day Sam, who is 4 years old, went on a nature walk scavenger hunt. This particular scavenger hunt had a math focus. We are working on one-to-one correspondence. I am a teacher, and a Kindergarten teacher at that, so I know first hand the importance of this ...
Learn the Alphabet! Plus, How to Make a Paper Chain Reusable
I want to take a moment to introduce to you Sarah of How Wee Learn. Sarah is going to start contributing her brilliant activities here once a month. She has great ideas that I think you'll love, including this cool activities to learn the alphabet with paper chains. Plus, you'll learn how to make a paper chain reusable! When my little guy finds something he loves, he tends to stick ...
5 Activities to Help Strengthen Sibling Relationships
Today's post has great parenting tips and activity ideas to help strengthen sibling relationships shared by Sarah of How Wee Learn. Have you ever said: “Please never put his foot in your mouth” or “Jumping over the baby isn’t a funny game”? If so, you must be the Mama of siblings. I truly feel that having multiple children is wonderful. But there are certainly unique ...