Valentine's Sensory Bucket

Let your little one's minds run love struck with fun this Valentine's Day!  This sensory bucket allows kids to sort, measure, count, feel, match and much more!  I used a heart shaped bucket, purple and red pom poms, plastic heart containers, foam glitter hearts and heart shaped measuring spoons--my absolute favorite!  Who says learning can't be fun?!

Letter T is for Turtle!

Kids will love learning about letter T with this fun, sparkly craft of making turtles!  Take a plastic cup, cover in glue, sprinkle with green glitter and add a pom pom green head and google eyes to it and you have your very own turtle. 

Salty Snowflakes---Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Looking for a great, winter wonderland activity?  Combine boiled water, glue and salt in a container, mix it around with a paint brush, add some more salt and let your kids have fun painting salty snowflakes!  You can also just put glue on the black construction paper and have them get a sensory experience by sprinkling the salt as well.  Have fun with your snowflakes!

Circles and Scissor Skills!

Have little hands that are itching for some cutting fun?  Have your little one(s) cut out circles and decorate them how they wish.  Great for shapes unit, winter wonderland unit for snowballs and practicing fine motor skills.  My stars HAD A BLAST cutting, building their confidence and decorating their circles. 

Pom Pom Scissor Skills Activity

Take some assorted plastic containers, pom pom craft balls, spoons, measuring cups and tongs and what do you have?  A fun time with toddlers that allow them to sort, count, use imagination and work on their scissor skills with the tongs!  This activity I love to do with my students as they explore math concepts and improve their fine motor skills.

Warm Fuzzy Friends

Warm Up with Warm Fuzzy Friendship Bracelets!

Good friends are something special, so we each picked out a color for our bracelets and handed out warm fuzzy compliments to each friend with a fuzzy to attach to their bracelet.  Good to help practice social skills with the kids, manners and friendship.

Look for Treasure with a Brush of Color!

Looking for a new way to teach colors to the little ones in a fun, hands on way?  My shining star students went on a treasure hunt, looking for two items that were purple, or could be the color purple.  The objects they found were interesting to them, easy for them to hold and even better, able to be dipped in washable purple paint.

We have a "Color of the Week" and this week it is purple, so I thought, what better way to help learn by going on a treasure hunt and doing some stamp painting artwork! 

Holiday Transition Time!

Ever get the holiday blah feeling after all the gatherings all over and you look around to see.....one big mess?  How does your child(ren) handle the transition?  Here are some helpful tips for you as the parent and the kids!
1.  Make a Plan
Plan the day you and the family will take down all the decorations and have the kids help get out boxes, put items in boxes.  Discuss with your kids their favorite parts of the holidays and think of ideas for the upcoming year!  Remember their goal cannisters?  You can continue to add pictures and ideas in them, or, even make one for yourself!
2.  Prepare a Family Favorite Meal
Gathering at the table for meals with the kids is very important and emphasizes the family values.  It also will help keep emotions in perspective to treasure the times of being together while you still can.
3.  Get excited for the next holidays approaching!
There are many different days and holidays approaching; even after New Years.  You can do google searches and even check out http://www.dltk-kids.com/ under the holiday section and scroll down because there are many "special days", birthdays and other holidays that you not only can learn about, but have your kids get excited and involved in.  Dltk's site also has many craft ideas to do with your family so all of you can look forward to the remainder of each winter month.
4.  Take Time for You
You always feel better when you are able to spend some "quiet time" and "quality time" with yourself or your spouse.  The saying is true, "When Momma ain't happy, nobody's happy!"  Keeping active and getting some time for yourself will help recharge your spirit and in turn, your kids will feel better too.
Enjoy This Winter Season!

Happy New Year!!! What does 2011 have in store for you?

It's time to start the new year with a new twist!  I know, I know, every year we hear others making resolutions and cliche goals, but this year, let's try something different.  Have you ever discussed with your child(ren) the importance of goal setting and really dove into their minds to see what they wish to accomplish in life? 

 This past week, my shining star students all discussed what they wanted to accomplish and set as their goals in 2011.  Using some imagination, construction paper, glue, glitter and containers, they each made a 2011 Goal Time Capsule.  Each child drew pictures of their goals and stuck them into their time capsules and over the year, will look at them and make a point of accomplishing their goals. 

This project opened my own mind up as well; not to just set goals plastered over the media, but to really push myself to keep moving forward.  In turn will not only help myself, but, set a good example for the kids that goal setting is a positive, attainable attribute to keep with you your whole life, everyday of the year. 

With that said, have a very bright and rewarding New Year with your star kid(s)!