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Hello! My blog is currently under major construction! You can still access everything by using the Navigation links on the right side of the blog. Please excuse my mess!

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Homemade Crafty Things
Recycled Crayons
Silly Putty
Water Colors
Puff Paint
Genius Finger Paints
Slime/Glurch
No-Bake Modeling Clay
Recycled Markers

Classroom Décor:
Big vs. Small
Circle Time
Block Center
Birthday Board
Sesame Street Friends
Bathroom Organization
Bear Door Decor
Word Wall
More Decor Ideas

Play-Doh Recipes
Galaxy Play-Doh
Gluten-Free Play-Doh
Peanut Butter Play-Doh
Chocolate Play-Doh
Kool-Aid Play-Doh
Cinnamon Play-Doh

Circus Links:
Circus Sensory Table
Circus Dramatic Play
Circus Theme Project Ideas

Camping Links:
Camping Theme Project Ideas
Camping Theme Dramatic Play

Community Helpers:
Sensory Table Community Helpers Project Ideas

4th of July
4th of July T-Shirts
4th of July Project Ideas

Halloween Theme
Sensory Table
Halloween Project Ideas

Eric Carle Theme
Very Hungry Caterpillar
Eric Carle Project Ideas

Mother's Day Theme
Mother's Day Gift
Mother's Day Ideas

Christmas Theme
Christmas Project Ideas
Cork Christmas Trees

Summer Theme
Summer Theme Project Ideas
Rainy Day Activity

Spring Theme
Spring Theme Ideas

Winter Theme
Winter Theme Ideas

Valentine's Day Theme
Valentine's Day Project Ideas

Dr. Suess Theme
The Foot Book Paintings Dr. Suess Project Ideas

Dinosaur Theme
Dinosaur Theme Project Ideas

Saint Patrick's Day Theme
Saint Patrick's Day Project Ideas

Space Theme
Space Theme Project Ideas
Easter Theme Easter Theme Project Ideas

Weather Theme
Weather Theme Project Ideas

Earth Day Theme
Earth Day Theme Project Ideas

Back To School Theme
Back To School Project Ideas

Gardening and Flower Theme
Gardening and Flower Project Ideas

Thanksgiving Theme
Thanksgiving Project Ideas

Farm Theme
Farm Project Ideas

Bugs Theme
Bugs Project Idea

Ocean Theme
Ocean Ideas
Ocean Themed Birthday Board

Zoo Theme
Zoo Project Ideas

Rainforest Theme
Rainforest Project Ideas

Sesame Street Theme
Sesame Street Project Ideas
Sesame Street Characters

MISC. Dramatic Play
Kitchen Dramatic Play

Creative Art and Easel
Art Ideas

MISC. Sensory Table Ideas
Rice & Scoops
Sensory Ideas

Cognitive Development Activities:
Letter Project Ideas
Shape Matching
Counting Cards
Interactive Counting
Ice Cream ABC's
Button Snake
Velcro Popsicle Sticks
Sorting Colors
I Spy
MISC. Preschool Activities

Christmas Trees

For our Christmas gifts for the kids to give to their parents we created Christmas trees out of corks. i think they turned out pretty cute. Here is how to:

Christmas Trees:
Step #1: Hot Glue corks together into tree shape. (Some of the corks came apart-synthetic corks will need to be glued together with E6000 or a different stronger adhesive.)
Step #2: Let the kids paint their trees green. We painted them three times. the first time we used a light green, the second time we used a dark green, and the third time we used a combo of both and added in glitter. We painted them three different times because our kids didn't fully cover the corks the first time or two and we really wanted them to be coated well and completely green!
Step #3: For the stump we used a 1 inch circular wooden stick that we cut down to size. We had the kids dip them in glue and then we used sand to cover the glue in order to come up with a realistic looking tree stump. Glue stump to tree.
Step #4: Let the kids decorate the tops of the corks (the front of the tree.) We used lots of different bling and sparkly mini pom-poms.

Cards:
Step #1: I cut out a bunch of Christmas trees on my cricut and gave each child a Christmas tree and a bottle or two of glitter glue. I let them go crazy with the glitter glue.
Step #2: I gave each child a piece of paper folded in half and a green and red marker. I let them color all over the outside of the card and then they glued on their Christmas trees.
Step #3: Each child told me what they wanted to write on the inside and I wrote it for them. They each tried to sign it with their name.

Packaging:
Step #1: Cut colored cardstock to 4 inches by 4 inches.
Step #2: Fold in half.
Step #3: Stamp a Christmas sentiment on white cardstock.
Step #4: Punch out sentiment using 1 1/2 inch circle punch.
Step #5: Punch out scalloped circle 1/2 inch larger than your circle punch. (Mine was 2 inches)
Step #6: Adhere sentiment onto scalloped circle together and onto the colored cardstock.
Step #7: Using a lunch paper bag, put your Christmas tree inside and staple on bag topper.
Step #8: Tie with ribbon or baker's twine.
Check it out:

The Foot Book

Dr. Seuss Week
My absolute favorite Dr. Seuss book is "The Foot Book." As a child it was probably one of my favorite books. For Dr. Seuss week we read the book and then painting with our feet. It was a huge mess but totally worth it for the fun! Check it out.

The Mess!

Shape Matching

Here is a shape matching activity that is very easy to make. I used my Cricut and the cartridge "Plantin Schooolbook." This is great for children ages 2-4 who are learning their shapes. Let's get started!

Step #1: Cut out 6 shapes. (3 1/4 inches)

Step #2: Trace each shape on white cardstock.

Here is what it will look like. (Try to make them more even than I did!)

Step #4: Let your kids match up the colored shapes on the white cardstock.

Mother's Day Gifts

Mother's Day Stepping Stones

This year's Mother's Day gift was a footprint stepping stone for the garden. We made them out of cinder blocks and used acrylic paint to do the footprint and decorations. To seal the paint so that it can withstand the weather we sprayed it with a clear acrylic sealer that is available at Michael's. The tags are just printed from the computer and cut out using a Spellbinders Scalloped Oval die.

Rainy Day Activity

There is nothing worse than a rainy day in a preschool room! In order to pass time I taped a large piece of paper to the table, gave each child a paint tool and dripped multiple colored drops of paint all over the paper. They went to town on it and it kept them busy for a good 30 minutes.

4th of July T-Shirts!

We used fabric paint to make 4th of July T-Shirts for our parade. Each Child made a blue hand print and I added red stripes...They looked super cute!
Here is a photo:

(Children's faces are blacked out for confidentiality.)

Eric Carle Artwork

To celebrate Eric Carle's birthday I had each of my kids color a green oval with their name on it. We put them all together and added a face to make the "Very Hungry Caterpillar!"

New Birthday Board

Our new classroom Birthday Board!
How to:
Take 4 poster board and tape together. Cover poster board in bulletin board paper and paint blue. I added blue sand and gemstones. Then tear a piece of white bulletin board paper and paint it a light brown. I added sand to that too. I cut out all of the fish and sea animals from the Cricut Cartridge, Life's a Beach. Each child's name and birthday are written on light blue circles, coming from the fish's mouth to act as bubbles. Super simple, super cute!