Preschool Powol Packets

It's here!!  I'm so excited to announce Bears & Butterflies: 41+ Hibernation Activities is ready to go! This Ebook is perfect for teachers and parents--it has over 100 pages of hibernation-themed activities, ideas, information, experiments, printables, art projects, and more!  Math, Science, and Reading activities align with Common Core and Texas State Standards for Kindergarten!  Click here to learn more and download this awesome new Ebook ! To celebrate, I will be visiting some amazing blogs during the next two weeks and sharing some fabulous freebies and giveaways!  Here's the schedule: Each blog will have either freebies or a giveaway for you AND a chance to win a $10.00 Amazon Gift Card!  It's super easy to win...Here's how it works: 1- Join us at one of the blog stops and leave a relevant comment at the post.  Each commenter will be entered in the drawing for a $10.00 Amazon Gift Card.  There are 8 blog stops during the

Valentines games, crafts, and activities are tons of fun to do with preschoolers! If you've been following along here the last couple weeks, you've already seen the Ladybug Heart Card Craft and the Valentine's Sponge Painting , but you may not have seen these four from last year: Mixed Media Valentine's Art Project (top left) Word Puzzle Hearts (top right--FREE printable!!) Decorate a Heart Cookie Game (bottom left--FREE printable!!) Rainbow Heart Crayons (bottom right) I'll be posting more Valentine activities in February and link them to this list.  Do you have any favorites?  Leave a direct link in the comments and I'll be sure to stop by!! (update:) Here's another FREEBIE: Valentine's Math FREE printable : I may share at any of these parties !

Whether you're working on word families, puzzle skills, or have a child obsessed with construction trucks, these little puzzles are tons of fun! This {FREE} printable has four -and Word Family construction puzzles:  "band," "land," "sand," and "hand." Children learning to read can construct and deconstruct the words one letter at a time.  They can also use the picture to self-check their spelling! Younger children can practice their emerging puzzle skills by focusing on the picture...and you can still point out the letters to help them recognize them! To download this {FREE} -and Word Family Construction Puzzle file , you will need an account at Teachers Notebook, but once you log in you can download tons of other free and inexpensive printables!!   Do you (or your kids!) love all things construction?  Be sure to check out my {FREE} construction-themed game , and Construction Preschool Packet and the free poster at the end

This little ladybug card / heart shape valentine craft is a winner in so many ways--my daughter chose it from a variety of ladybug crafts, and she had a ton of fun personalizing it (check out the "beautiful eyelashes")!  We originally found the idea on Pazzles and then made a few changes to accommodate the 2-5 year olds I have here. Simple Supplies: red, pink, and black construction paper scissors white paint and paintbrush markers and/or pens  glue stick Easy How-to: 1.  Prepare the pieces:  1 big red heart for the wings, 1 big pink body (see the picture at the right...you want the pink tip to match the point on the red heart) , 2 small pink hearts for the cheeks, 2 pink antennae, 6-8 small black hearts for the spots. 2.  Older children can write a note on the pink body.  Make sure you mark off the top part where the child will be gluing all the pieces together! 3.  Let your child assemble the ladybug heart shaped Valentine card!  Use white paint for the

Pom poms are tons of fun for preschoolers, toddlers, and even older children!  Earlier this week I showed you how to make pom poms ...today I'm going to share a dozen math, science, motor skill, and exploration activities you can do with your preschoolers and pom poms! Early/Pre- Math & Science: (colors, counting, sorting, sequencing, patterns) 1.  Make pom poms in two different colors and give your child the pom poms and two tins or small pans.  Review the colors and let him sort them based on color. 2.  Make pom poms in two different sizes and see if he can identify the big and small poms and sort them by color. 3.  Make a pom pom snake by lining the pom poms up in a row.  Change it to a pattern snake and let your child complete the last pattern as you go. 4.  Use a "hungry puppet" that eats pom poms. Have the puppet ask your child for "two pom poms" and then gobble them up!  Vary the number to your child's skill level. 5.  Line sev

Today I'm going to show you how to make a pom pom...on Friday, I'm going to share a dozen math, science, exploration, and motor skill activities you can do with your pom poms and preschoolers! Making pom poms is really easy!  First, you need to gather yarn and scissors.  Then follow these steps: 1- Make a yarn bundle by wrapping the yarn around two fingers about thirty times.  If you want bigger pom poms, use more fingers and wrap the yarn more times! 2- Tie a piece of yarn around the middle of your yarn bundle once. 3- Slide the yarn bundle off your fingers, tighten the tie, then knot it 3-4 more times.  This knot must be very tight. 4- Cut all the loops! 5- Trim the edges and fluff your new pom pom! Ta da!!  Super easy...now you can make a pile of pom poms and check back in a few days for fun ways to use them!! I may share at any of these parties !

Let's see...preschoolers, paint, Valentine's, hearts, sponges...it sounds like a recipe for success! Preschoolers love to paint, and I love to see the endless ways they combine paint to create their masterpieces.  We love to "sponge paint," and then I realized, "This would be the perfect Valentine's craft!"  We're going to wait a couple more weeks, but I will share more pictures on Facebook when we do it.  For now, you'll have to settle with the above picture from the last time we sponge painted! Valentine ' s Sponge Painting: Simple Supplies: sponges cut in heart shapes (you can cut them into other shapes too!) paint cardstock Easy How-To: 1- Let each child choose three paint colors to go in their tin. 2- Make sure they understand how to make sponge "stamps," and give them a sponge heart (or two!). 3- Let them create a Valentine's card with their paint and sponge!  When it's dry, you can add

Announcements, Announcements, Announcements!! Okay, just one announcement, but I am very, very excited about it!  We've been talking about hibernation, and doing different hibernation activities, for several months now.  It's been a subject that keeps drawing us back to it because it is so engaging.  SO, I decided to create an e-book with dozens of hibernation activities!  Most of the activities include printables, but many are also experiential and fine arts projects.  The activities also meet Common Core and Texas State Kindergarten standards ! Each activity has an introduction page that includes instructions for the activity and biology about different animals.  For example, Do you know... What animal's heart freezes when it hibernates? What animal's entire body turns to ice during hibernation? What air-breathing animals hibernate under water? Before I release the hibernation e-book, I would love to have some of you look over the pages, try