Preschool Powol Packets

Would you believe a couple simple props can open up a world of creative play?  Check out these simple weather activities! Sometimes I really believe we work too hard to entertain our children!  They have such brilliant little minds that sometimes need exercising more than entertaining, and when their little brains are allowed to work, they end up entertaining each other.  At the same time, they develop cognitive skills like problem solving and inventing, social skills, patience, and more! This umbrella occasion was actually created by my 4-year old.   (Umbrellas may have been on his brain...check out the book below!)   He decided to build a campsite out of umbrellas.  Eventually, they added a "fire," bench, and table! You can "invite" your children to create their own umbrella-based creative play world simply by placing an umbrella near them while they play.  If they don't notice it, try opening it up, closing it, and setting down.  Give them a s

Gardening with kids is both fun and educational, but it can be a little nerve-wracking if you have a child that likes to pop the flowers off of plants and eat them! I've been through this stage with two of my own kiddos and decided the best solution is to plant flowers that are edible!  I now have a yard full of edible flowers!  I thought I'd share this collection of some of my favorites so you can grow them and not stress when your little one decides to eat the newest blossom! A few quick precautionary notes: make sure you have the real plant and not a similar-looking, but toxic, imitation.  I like to buy the plants from our hardware store so I know exactly what they are. Also, I am no doctor or even herbologist...just a mom and teacher trying to share something helpful. If you're concerned about something your child has eaten call a doctor or poison control.  Anything your child is allergic to can be deadly if eaten. And, while many of these flowers actually

Space Sand is soooooooo much fun!! Not only does it tie into space units (which are one of my favorite things to study!), but it's just as much fun to make by itself as its own little project!  You an use it to practice writing letters or numbers, drawing, as a sensory bin, a place to bury treasure, or to pretend you're walking on the moon and you discover this amazing new texture.  And I will tell you...it is one of the  coolest textures ever! I will admit that I invented this recipe myself...it may or may not have any actual resemblance to the moon or sand from any other extra-terrestrial planet!  But, it is fun to pretend that when you travel to space you will encounter textures different than if you just walked into your own backyard... Anyways, making the space sand is just as much fun as playing in it, so we will start out with the super simple  recipe: 1 cup salt 1/2 cup cornstarch black paint This fills an 8" tray very nicely for one chi

Rock painting is a fantastic craft for preschoolers!  It allows them free expression on a process art project that strengthens fine motor skills, involves the outdoors, and provides sensory a experience with a variety of textures and colors!  And, it only requires two supplies: paint and somewhere to find rocks! First, let your little explorers go outside and find rocks!  You can do this in a backyard, on a walk, or in a garden.  Even when the weather is wet or cold, you can hop outside long enough to find a rock! When you get back, let your kiddos start painting!  I like to put a few colors on a plate for them to work with while their rock rests on the plate. Sometimes the plates get colored too! When you're done, you can decorate with your rocks, put them inside or outside, or give them as gifts!  They make great paper-weights for Mother's Day and Father's Day!  What would you do with a rock painting? I may share at any of  these parti

I am super excited to host a Name Recognition & Writing Series during the month of April! We have been working on learning how to recognize and write our names a lot lately, and I LOVE finding more ideas for fun ways to work on this...especially with my very high-energy little boy! I am just thrilled to bring you dozens of ideas for name recognition and writing from some of my favorite bloggers throughout April!  This is the landing page for this awesome series!  Be sure to bookmark, pin, and check back throughout April for updated links to all the brilliant ideas that will be shared for helping your kiddos learn to recognize and write their names! Here's a look at the schedule...with topics and sneak previews coming soon! April 1st Beaded Heart Names | Preschool Powol Packets April 2nd Glitter Glue Name Writing | Messy Little Monster April 3rd 2 Spring Name Activities | Toddler Approved April 4th 5 Playdough Activities to Learn You