Preschool Hands-On Activities - Part 2 of 2

Hello hello!  I'm back again today with the second part of our Preschool Hands-On Activites series.  If you missed Part 1, it was about the top five preschool hands-on activities for science.  You can find it here.

Today, we're looking at the stuff you can do over and over everyday.  These are the activities I was referring to in my last post when I said they are all over the internet.  Everyone seems to be doing these.  There's a reason for that... because they work.  Here's my top five hands-on activities that can be used every day for every letter, number, color, and shape.

 

Top Five Every Day Hands-On Activities

POM POM MAGNETS



These are all over the web and are so easy to make.  I used this tutorial and list of free printables.  It's as easy as getting pom poms and glueing them to magnets (super glue worked better for me than hot glue).  Then print (and laminate if you're feelin crazy) all the free worksheets and go to town. 

Cookie sheets from the dollar store help to contain everything.

 

 

LETTER AND NUMBER MAGNETS

 

Again, the dollar store is your place to be for finding some on the cheap.  These, however, are from Mudpuppy and they don't fall into the cheap category necessarily.  They're so pretty and modern, I knew they'd be hanging out on the wall in my girls' room and I just couldn't be reasoned with.  They come in upper and lowercase letters and numbers and they have designs for girls and boys.  Just search for "Mudpuppy Magnets" on Amazon or Google. 

 

 

DO-A-DOTS OR BINGO DOTTERS

 

 

These happy little bottles of pure joy never get old.  Never.  I got this set from Dabby at Hobby Lobby for $5.99 minus 40% (I love their coupons don't you?).  They are also available on Amazon. You can find the "Do-A-Dot" brand of these markers, but let me just warn you that they are some pricey little bottles and work exactly the same.  The Do-A-Dot brand does have more color choices though, so there you go. 

 

Remember all those free preschool packs of printables I told you about?  Here's the link again for where to get them.  They all include do-a-dot sheets.  Your preschooler can use them to identify letters, finish a picture, represent a number, identify a number, and on and on.

 

 

GEOBOARDS

 

This geoboard is from Melissa and Doug.  We've got some fine motor skills work going on, color matching, creativity, etc. It's good stuff.

There are cheaper ones available but I got the Melissa and Doug kit because it comes with many colors of big and small durable bands and it includes different templates.  But most importantly, it's clear, which means I can make my own templates and put behind it for my little munchkin to follow.  Somewhere down the road, I'll be posting letter templates for this board to use for the letter of the week.
 

IMAGINETS

 

This recommendation came from Confessions of a Homeschooler (great website full of resources for homeschooling) and boy was she right on the mark.  It was worth every penny.  I got it here.  All my kids love it and have no idea they are learning while playing.  And perhaps the very best thing... it comes with a case that folds up and latches and gets neatly put away.  There aren't many things that work that way in my house. 

Again, on that day called "someday" I'll be posting letter templates for this also to use for the letter of the week.

 



 

 

BONUS IDEA:  MUSIC!!!

 

Photo Credit:  www.tlgmusic.com

 

My favorite preschool music is from the author of the Pete the Cat books, Eric Litwin.  He has several CDs and most of the songs are guided activities, just fun stuff to do with your preschooler.  You can go to his website here that has free videos, free downloads, ideas for how to use each song, activities to go along with them and so much more.  We love it!

 

I really hope you've been finding this information helpful.  I don't know if I was just overwhelmed when my oldest kids were younger or if I didn't know where to look, but I did not have this information or these resources.  It has really given me some satisfaction to make all of the information from this series and the "To Homeschool or Not to Homeschool" series available in one place. 

 

I'll be updating as I go along with more ideas, resources, and free printables so check back often.

 

Here's wishing you a good day of learning with your little one!

Preschool Hands-On Activities - Part 1 of 2

Here it is, the post I've been promising.  I'll tell ya, homeschooling my preschooler gets a whole lot more fun when we get to the hands-on part.  "Hands-on" can be absolutely anything and there are 100s and 100s of ideas out there.  (Just try searching google or pinterest for "preschool hands on" or "preschool fine motor".)  There are ideas to go along with every subject imaginable.  But here are my favorites that I think are effective in developing those fine motor skills and sparking their imagination.

Some of these ideas are pretty popular on the web and some I haven't seen anywhere - they came from my visit to this year's SCECA Conference (South Carolina Early Childhood Association of Educators Conference) or I picked it up from other teachers.  So you're getting the inside track here. 

As I started to compile the list it got way too long, so I'll be posting in two parts. Today, we'll look at my picks for the top five hands-on activities for science and exploration (translation - just to experiment with and have fun!).  Later, we'll look at the top five hands-on activities that can be used every day over and over. 

Top Five Preschool Hands-On Activities for Science and Exploration:

 

DINOSAUR PUTTY



This is a big favorite! 

You can find it for just a few dollars here.  It comes in several different colors with different kinds of plastic dinosaur fossils buried in it. 

 

It does not come with those tweezers.  You can find different kinds of preschool tweezers on amazon that are very similar but I have only been able to find this specific kind at our local teacher supply store.  They were four for $5.00.  Here is a good alternative.

 

Side Note:  Did you know you do not have to be a teacher to shop at the local teacher supply?  I didn't.  I thought they carded you at the door demanding to see your teacher ID.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out they do no such thing.  It's open to the public.

 

Once your preschooler removes most of the putty from around the fossil with the tweezers, they can pull it out.

Cool huh!

Using a tray is a good thing since you can reuse this putty again and again.  Just bury the dinosaur and start over. 

 

And even though I'm calling this a preschool activity, beware that your older kids will steal this and love it too.  Shoot, I had to do it a time or two myself.

MAGNETS



I got this set here.

I'm planning on also getting these.

 

Ideas:

Ask the children questions that help them discover polarization (magnets pushing away from each other or pulling towards each other). 

Let them play!

 

 

INSTA-SNOW

 

 Image Credit:  www.objectlesson.net

 Image Credit:  www.givesimple.com

 

This is a favorite too. 

Here is the kind that seems to work best.

You can also find it here or here.

 

Ideas:

Talk to your preschooler about why the snow got bigger (water retention).

Let them build a snowman.

Put it in a container with other winter toys (plastic polar bears, penguins, trees).

Put it in a large container with measuring cups, spoons, etc.

Let them play!

 

 

BUGS AND TWEEZERS

You can pick up little packs of small plastic bugs at the dollar store, Walmart, Target, etc.

 

Ideas: 

Ask the kids to sort them into piles of 1, 2, 3, 4...

Ask them to sort them into piles of big and little.

Ask them to make a letter shape with them.
You can either write on the tray with dry erase markers or put a piece of paper underneath a clear tray with shapes to outline.
Let them play!

 



WATER BEADS

My All Time Favorite

I picked these up at a teaching conference but you can find a million different kinds of water beads on amazon for just a few dollars (much less than I paid).

They look like tiny little beads before you add water.

Add warm water and wait.

This is what they look like after about 5 minutes.

 

This is what they look like after about an hour.

These little bulb tweezer tong thingys can be found at your local teacher supply shop.  I have not seen them online anywhere, but if you find a source please post a link in the comments.  You'll be helping us all out.

 

Ideas:

Ask your preschooler to sort them by color.

Ask your preschooler to push them into the shape of a letter.

Ask your preschooler to make a picture with them.

Let them play!

 

 

BONUS IDEA:  BODY PUZZLE

 

You didn't really think I could stop at five did you?

You can find this puzzle in a girl or boy form.  Inspire those future surgeons!

 

Coming up are my top five every day hands-on activities.  See you soon!

R is for Rainbow

Thought I'd share with you an easy rainbow activity we did for spring.  The little one and I got together with some preschool buddies and made these rainbow streamers. 

 

It is modeled here by one of the older munchkins because the youngest one, although totally in love with anything having to do with rainbows, wanted nothing to do with it when it was time to make them.  I have no idea why.  That's life with a preschooler.  ::shoulder shrug:: 

 

I made her make it of course.  And when her older sister liked it, she magically fell in love with it again.  Amazing how that happens.

 

Anyhoo, I'm pretty sure your preschooler will love it. 

 

You can pick up these round metal hoops at your local craft store (in the jewelry section) and tie on a bunch of ribbons. (It turns out nicely if you fold the ribbon in half lengthwise, slip on the ring, and tie the knot so that you end up with two strands of equal length hanging down.  I tied a few knots to keep it on tight.) 

 

When you and your preschooler are done tying ribbons on (while talking about colors and rainbow order, etc.) the kids get to run around making rainbows with it.  Then you can hang it up as a windsock until they want it again.  Yes this is my front porch.  No, it isn't staying there.  It's actually in the littlest one's bed where she is fiercely guarding it from her older sisters. 

 

I thought it might be fun to hang a couple in a shady tree in the back yard this summer making it a cool reading spot. 

 

Or, of course, you can always walk around the house with it on your head proclaiming that you are the "rainbow princess".  Or maybe that's just my house.

 

I'll tell ya, doing this craft made me love rainbows again.  It's the simple things.

Vintage Armoire

So I did eventually ditch my pajamas and, as promised, I've got pictures of the (very) old armoire after I was done with it.  At least it didn't take me another four years to finish this one. 

 

BEFORE

 



 

AFTER

 

 

 

I was very lucky to find this in such good condition.  It's a solid piece.  Dovetail carpentry and all. 

 

It's painted the same color as the dresser from a few posts ago - Sherwin Williams Meander Blue. I realize it looks like a different color but it's just different lighting.

 

After I painted it, I transferred an image onto the wood to accent those insets.  I was lucky to find this image that was the same shape as the inset on the doors.  I used this method to tranfer the image but I only let it set for about an hour instead of overnight because I didn't want it dark, then I intentionally rubbed bits of the image off.  I wanted it to look like it had been there forever.  What do you think? 

 

 

I finished it off with a coat of satin finish polycrylic.

 

My favorite part of this piece is the clothes rack that pulls out.  Love it.

 

 

This will be a sweet addition to my girls' room.

 

 

I'd love to show you pictures of it in their room, but we are moving soon and right now their room looks something like this...

 

 

 

You'll have to check back in a few months for pictures of it all put together.

 

 

Here's wishing you something to look forward to!

 

Strawberry Calendar Cards

Mondays are not my favorite so let's brighten this one up a bit, shall we?  I've got a new set of calendar cards to share with you... and they're strawberry.  It's almost time to go to the strawberry patches and pick some yummy goodness.  I may be just a little impatient this year. 

 

You can download them here or click on the picture.

It's a pretty safe bet that I'll have more of these as we go along. 

Oh and did you see the new fancy shmancy list of freebies over there on the right? 

And as soon as I convince myself to get out of my pajamas (if I convince myself to get out of my pajamas), I'll be working on finishing up that refinishing job on the old armoire and putting together a post of hands-on activities to do with your preschooler.  See you then! 

Vintage Dresser Redo

It's an overcast morning here, soft and quiet.  My little one fell sound asleep unusually early this morning and it's feeling like heaven sitting here in a quiet house watching her nap on the couch.  I hope your morning has a breath of peace in it too. 

I've been up to my old tricks again, gathering up some lost and lonely furniture and giving them a new look.  I've been planning to refinish this particular dresser for four years now.  Four!  Here's the only before picture I have (so sorry for the terrible picture quality).





Before



 

After

 

I love these vintage inspired glass pulls.



 

And it's sidekick - the nightstand.



 

Those details kill me.  So pretty.

 

The color is Sherwin William's Meander Blue in a satin finish.  It's soft and unassuming but still has some personality.  I finished it with a coat or two of polycrylic also in satin. 

Next up is this beauty.  It's almost done too!  I'll be posting pictures of this one in the next day or two after I get the doors put back on.

 

Here's wishing you something soft and pretty!

Part 3 of 3: To Homeschool or Not to Homeschool

Hello, hello again!  Man does that sunshine feel good.  I hope it is finding its way to you as well.  Here is part 3 of the series “To Homeschool or Not to Homeschool”.  I’d like to share with you some of the ways I’m bringing some of the elements from the classroom into my home to homeschool my littlest munchkin.  I’m limiting the conversation to homeschooling your preschooler with the intention of prepping them for public or private school.  These ideas will also work if you are planning on homeschooling long-term.

Where to Start:  If you are just starting to homeschool, or even just considering it, I’m guessing that you are feeling what almost everyone (myself included) feels… overwhelmed!   Where in the world do I start??!!??  Right? 

Here's some good news:  I'm going to help you get started and I'm going to make it simple. 

A good place to start is with a calendar board.  It brings so many of the pieces of homeschooling together and gives you a launching off point.

Calendar Time:  Calendar Time, Circle Time, or whatever you want to call it, can help you and your preschooler get focused for the day.  

Here's a simple way to do it.  We got some foam board from the Dollar Store and printed everything you see here except the main calendar.  I'm going to share with you the links for where I found everything.  For the main calendar, you could just as easily print out a calendar and have your preschooler cross each day off as you move through the month.

The main parts that you saw in the classroom (in part 2 of this series) are all here:  Day, Week, Month, Season, Weather, Temperature, Letter/Number/Shape of the Week.  Mine doesn't include a color of the week because my little one has that down pat.  Be sure to add it if it's needed.  We'll be adding some more elements as we go like a bible verse and character trait of the week.  I'm also really excited to add a section about the members of our family.  We'll practice spelling their names and learning their birthdays (just like we did in the classroom with our classmates).  I'll show that too when it's done.

Here are some links for you:
Main Calendar (for purchase on amazon)
Seasons Free Printable
Alphabet Cards Free Printable
Number Cards Free Printable
Shape Cards Free Printable
Gardening Calendar Cards (and lots of other calendar cards)

 

The weather wheel and thermometer are mine.  You can download them here.  There is no "windy" on the wheel because I wanted to make it simple (my four year old is confused when it is rainy and windy and doesn't know where to put the arrow.)  If you prefer, you can also download them as cards with labels for each type of weather and temperature here.  The cards do include "windy". 

 

 

 

I made the days of the week, months of the year, and holders for the letter/shape/number of the week from this set of free printables.  I can get in trouble for sharing those, but the good news is I do plan on making a set of my own that I will share. 

Also, I chose to laminate all of these.  Here is the machine I have (I bought mine at Hobby Lobby).  And I used LOTS of velcro dots.

So, just by walking through this calendar set-up with your preschooler, you've conquered half of homeschooling! 

Worksheets:  The next part is getting some good writing practice in. 

I am so excited to share with you a worksheet that you can start with everyday.  Why am I excited?  Because I never had this in the classroom and would have LOVED to use it.  You can see it below.  It recaps all the information from Calendar Time and uses the same graphics.  I think it's extremely effective and will increase your childs' retention of the information you cover during calendar time.  Here is it for you for free. (I love free!)

The expectation is that you would do this together after calendar time.  I wouldn't expect a 3 or 4 year old to do this by themselves until they've done it many times together and even then will still need some assistance.

Have your child write their name at the top if they can.  If they can't write their name yet, have them trace their name each day after this worksheet.  Here is a super helpful blank tracing sheet. 

Next, my personal opinion is that it's good to have one letter tracing and one number tracing sheet each day at a minimum.  There are SO many good worksheets available for free online.  Or you can buy a curriculum set.  It's up to you.  A surprising find are the letter and number tracing workbooks at the dollar store.  They are really good!  As long as you are covering at least one letter, one number, and learning one shape and color per week, you're off to a fantastic start!  Some of the best preschool packs I've found are here:  http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.com/PreschoolPacks.html  These are all free to download and are organized by theme. 

I chose to put it all in a binder. Makes it super simple to grab it and get started. 

OK.  So.   You've got your calendar board and your binder.  You rock! 

Hands-On:  Lastly, it's time to have some fun!  Make letters out of playdoh, read a book together and do a craft that goes with it, or play any number of educational games.  Sing, run and play...  there is SO MUCH you can do. 

I'll be doing a post soon on lots of hands-on activities and educational tools that I've found.  Stay tuned! 

Classmates:  Of course, the one thing about homeschooling that is hard to recreate are the classmates.  The good news is that there are homeschooling groups everywhere.  But it doesn't have to be official.  Get a couple kids in the neighborhood together for crafts once a week.

Yearbook: One more thing about that binder. In the back, put lots of sheet protectors. Each time you do a craft with your little one, if it's something you can save, stick it in a sheet protector. If you do a worksheet that took some extra effort, stick it in there too.  If you go somewhere or get together with some other moms, take some pictures and put them back there. At the end of the year, you'll have a wonderful yearbook full of memories. 

I'll have lots more to share as my little one and I go through the year including craft ideas and templates, more printables, etc.

I hope this series has helped to inform you.  If you are homeschooling your preschooler, my hope is that this post took some of the pressure off and made it simple for you. 

We can do this!