Preschool Powol Packets

A rainstick instrument is a sensorimotor activity perfect for older preschoolers to craft themselves and younger preschoolers and toddlers to play with! Bonus: it fits weather, rain, and Spring themes too! And it actually sounds like rain! The latest course I've taken with Childcare Education Institute (CCEI) is Bright Beginnings: Age Appropriate Activities for Infants and Toddlers . One of my favorite parts of the CCEI670 course was the discussion on sensory activities and how they are important for cognitive development. I love sensory activities, and this course inspired me to plan more sensory-based learning into our schedule. To start off my sensory-based learning, I decided to create rainsticks! Did you know that rainsticks were probably first made by indigenous people in Chile? They dried hollow cacti, broke the thorns off them, then pierced the thorns inside the cactus to make a bumpy path for pebbles that they added inside the stick. When the ends were sea...

Did you know that an active learning, full-body preschool activity also prepares your child to read? See how this fun winter-themed arctic animal preschool activity also counts as a reading lesson below! I just took an online course through  ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI)  called  Active Learning in Early Childhood.   This course explores how movement and active learning can be used to improve learning in reading, science, math, and other subjects!  (Keep reading for more details on that!)  I seriously loved it! I used my new knowledge from it to design this activity--you can do this activity with one child at home, or a whole group for an Arctic Animals Theme or Winter Unit Study! I did it with my preschoolers at home. First, show a picture (or use a stuffed animal) of an arctic fox like the one below.  Ask what it is. Talk about its characteristics.  Let your preschoolers touch some ice cubes to get an idea o...

Do I have a fun rhyme for kids that goes with an arctic theme, music, brain-building, preparing for reading and math, and can be done with one preschooler or a group? Why yes, yes I do! I recently took an online course through ChildCare Education Institute  called Building Literacy Through Nursery Rhymes and Children's Poetry.  This intermediate-level course explores how to prepare your preschoolers' brains to read, and I used that information to create this activity! (Keep reading for more details on that!) You can do this activity lesson with one child at home, or a whole group for circle time, music, or language time! I did it with my preschoolers at home. First, show a picture of a reindeer (you can use the one above!) and ask what it is. Talk about how reindeer (also called caribou) live around the north pole, mostly in Canada, Alaska, and Russia. Use a globe if you have one. What do you think they eat?  [Grasses and leaves in the summer; in the winter t...

Have you ever wanted to take a class to learn more about teaching young children? Or are you an early childhood educator who needs professional development? If the answer to either of these questions is "Yes!" you will want to learn more about ChildCare Education Institute . I remember one time when I was getting ready to renew my teaching license I needed to find 15 credit hours of professional development before I could submit my license renewal. The first place I went was the internet...I wanted to find a class that I could take online. ChildCare Education Institute  ( CCEI ) ChildCare Education Institute , or CCEI , provides over 150 courses in English and Spanish that are all online ! These nationally accredited and high-quality classes include a huge array of topics, from topics like Active Learning in Early Childhood,   Poetry & Nursery Rhymes for Young Children,   Trouble-Free Transitions, Positive Guidance 3: The Terrific Two's  and Ro...

As a LeapFrog Mom Ambassador I get to try new LeapFrog products and share my opinions about them with you. Today I am truly delighted to introduce you to LeapFrog Academy! LeapFrog Academy is a new 3-D learning world that actually covers a well-rounded curriculum in a fun and exciting online platform. Since ABC's and young children are practically synonymous I decided to introduce you to LeapFrog Academy and share my review with my own set of ABC's...and I'll admit my kids totally helped me come up with these! ABC's of LeapFrog Academy: A is for Avatar...and Accessories!  My 4-year old daughter's favorite thing to do is dress up her avatar and change her "accessories." Not even joking! Your avatar travels through the LeapFrog world as you click or touch (on a touch-screen) the path you want to travel. B is for Balloons! The LeapFrog world happens to be a series of really cool islands floating in the air, and you enter the world ...