Pet show valentine party

During the week or week before Valentines, I like to do my pets unit.  We learn about all the kinds of animals we might have aas pets and about caring for them.  We pretend to be veteranarians, and pet store owners, we add to our class made books by illustrating what kind of pet we would like to be.  Sooo much fun.  We sort dog food, from cat food, and different size dog treats.  The best part of the week is the last day, when we all come to class dressed as a pet.  This day is special because it is our valentine party.  We play all day and after a valentine exchange, we have a pet show.  Each different pet (aka student) does some pet tricks and each pet recieves a Best show ribbon for what ever they have done.   It is always a huge success and adds a little spice to the usual Valentine party.
The new thing this year was the bags we made to put our valentine goodies in:  I usually use a valentine man on the bag but this year I designed a cat or dog bag for the children to make. 
The original valentine man was from  http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/holiday-seasonal-crafts/valentines-day-crafts-cards-gifts-decorations/
 
 The idea for the dog and cat came from that and some valentine coloring pictures another teacher had.
The cat requires two large hearts.  One is for the head and one is for the body.  Then you need two smaller hearts for the years and 2 pink hearts a size down from that for the inside of the ears.
You also need 2 pink hearts the same size as the original ears for the paws.
1 more pink heart makes a nose.  Large google eyes were used for the eyes
For the dog it requires two large hearts for the head and body,  You need one heart a couple of sizes smaller and cut in half for the ears. 
2 smaller hearts for paws and then one a little smaller than the paws for the nose. 
I pre-made all the heart on the cricut except the head and body.  The children could look at my example but choose how they wanted to put their bag together. 

                                                  Very cute and we will do this from now on.

This Valentine.......

A few years ago I ran across a Valentine rhyming book for the kids to make for a valentine gift for parents or just for a valentine book.  I have used it for many years now, and have no idea where I originally saw it. 
The title page is This Valentine
Each page there after says p. 1 - This valentine is red and small
                                          p. 2 - This valentine is the BIGGEST OF ALL!
                                                    I have the children trace a big heart shape and cut out for this page
                                          p. 3 - This valentine is glittered and glued
                                          p. 4 - This valentine is shiney and blue
                                                              We are skipping this page and putting page 3 right before  page 7.                            
                                                                       I had planned to use eagle brand milk and blue food color to paint
                                                                       the heart, but I usually use a shiny blue paper and have them glue pieces
                                                                       on the heart.  (to many snow days have cancelled this page :()
                                          p. 5 - This valentine is covered in ribbon and lace
                                          p. 6 - This one has a Funny Face!
                                          p. 7 - Ths Valentine is made just for you,  and it says "I LOVE YOU"

Obiviously each page is decorated by the child.  I have made the words for each page in different fonts to make the book.  The children enjoy it as well as the parents.  I do many things and am attracted to ideas that create books just for the great literacy connection they make. 

also, I  wanted to share a really fun Valentine book that I have use since I found it at the Half Price book store a few years ago.

A few Cabin Fever busters

This post is dedicated to the kids in my class.  We have had school closed all week and we are all so bored.  Well here are some fun and easy ideas for home.

• Make some playdough-  MAKE IT SURPRISE BY ADDING THE FOOD COLOR BY POKING A HOLE IN THE BALL OF DOUGH, SQUIRTING A FEW DROPS AND SEALING IT UP.  The surprise will be shown as the child kneads the dough.  I have even made this a party favors for my own children when they were younger.  It was a hit. 

My Favorite Playdough Recipe

2 Cup flour
1 Cup salt
4 tsp. cream of tarter
2 T. oil
2 Cup water
food color or unsweet koolaide (for smelly play dough)
  Put dry ingredients in a sauce pan. Stir in water and oil and coloring, while cooking over med heat. Cook until mixture comes away from the pan and begins to ball up. Store in air tight container. Keeps for a very long time.

• Scoop up some of the ice outside and bring it in put some salt and food color on it and watch the colors bleed. 
• it's almost valentines, get out the scissors, glue, stickers, crayons, glitter and whatever else you have and make homemade valentines.  ( I think I will do that tomorrow)
• make a tent in the living room with blankets and sheets.  I could play like that all day when I was a child and my girls did the same when they were little
• food color in eagle brand milk.  paint on white card stock.  when it dries it makes shiny and non sticky pictures.  It is sticky until completely dry. 
• golf tees hammered in card board boxes or styrofoam.  ( if you have toy hammers that is)
• egg carton race-  put 5 beans in each side of the egg carton at one end.  Let the child roll his dice and move his beans that many spaces.  other player does same thing on the other side.  First player to get all 5 beans at the opposite end wins.  Roll must be exact to get to the end, or you can improvise so there is no frustration.  ( kinda like manacula game, but simple for little guys) 

Well, hope these few ideas will get the friends I know through the Cabin fever days.

Brrrrrrr ----snow day in Texas a good day to blog about Buildings and machines

Well, our school is closed for bad weather today, and it's during one of my favorite units.  I love doing the building and machines unit, because the boys are totally engrossed in the learning during this unit. Warning though building unit is NOISY!!!!!!!!

Fun in Preschool......

I love preschool children, in their eyes the smallest discoveries are so grand.  We are learning about building this week.  We are also learning about the Fruits of the spirit  (Galatians 5:22-23) in our Bible time and this weeks fruit is PATIENCE.  I like to use Noah building the Ark, because he had to have patience, and because he had to build. We counted to 40 yesterday.  Kids like to race ahead if they know how to count, and those still struggling stay right with your pace on the count.  We stopped at about 20, because several had passed us in the count.  I said PATIENCE we need to count together.  We had already defined what patience was and it became a perfect example.  I get tickled when they rush through, like that makes it end faster, but they still have to wait on the rest of us.  Just one of the joys of preschool teaching. Little life examples are such a blessing when teaching God's word. 

Just a few of the things we will do, if our weather let's us go back to class

HOME LIVING: WE ADD TOOLS AND STYROFOAM AND GOLF TEES TO HAMMER INTO THE STYROFOAM. 

BLOCKS: WE BUILD WITH MANY DIFFERENT KIND OF BLOCKS, AND PLAY WITH GEARS

EXPLORING WE USE NUTS AND BOLTS, REAL ONES AND PLASTIC ONES.

ART; 1.WE USE PAINTERS TAPE TO TAPE OFF AREAS N PAPER AND THEN USE PAINTER ROLLERS AND SPONGES TO PAINT THE PAPER.  WHEN IT DRIES WE WILL PULL THE TAPE OFF TO SEE WHAT DESIGNS WERE MADE BY OUR TAPE.

2.  WE WILL PUT GLUE AND WOOD SHAPES AND CRAFT STICKS OUT, FOR DESIGN EXPLORATION.  (INTERESTING)

3.  WE TRACE BLOCKS, AND CUT OUT OUR SHAPES FOR A SHAPE COLLAGE
4.  WE ADD TEMPERA TO PRE-MIXED WALL COMPOUND AND USE  PUTTY KNIFES TO PAINT ON POSTER BOARD
5.  WE DRAW ON SAND PAPER WITH, CHALK AND CRAYON (TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE)

SENSORY:  WE WILL PUT PLOWS AND DIGGER CARS IN THE RICE,BEANS OR WHATEVER IS IN OUR SAND TABLE, AND SCOOP AND PUSH, AS CONSTRUCTION WORKERS DO ON THE ROAD.

LEARNING TABLE: WE EXPLORED RULER USING YESTERDAY AND TRACED AND MEASURED THE SIDES OF OUR BLOCKS.  THE KIDS DISCOVERED THAT TWO SIDES WERE THE SAME ON THE RECTANGLE MEASURING AND 4 SIDES WERE THE SAME ON A SQUARE.  ACTUAL DISCOVERY IS AN "AH HA" MOMENT WHEN OUR SONGS HAVE TOLD US THAT ALREADY. 

THE BUILDER UNIT IS PERFECT TO SPEND A LOT OF TEACHING TIME ON SHAPES.  WE WILL BE MAKING A SHAPE BOOK. AND ON THE LAST PAGE WE WILL BUILD SOMETHING WITH SHAPES ON PAPER. 

Pictures will be added of our fun week when I get back to school.

Oh by the way, putting a Noah's ark set in the blocks is a fun way to add the Bible to the play centers

and a giant ark shape on the wall with some glue sticks and brown paper strips to build the ark is fun too.