You'll have to forgive me, for yes, I did a lame twist on a JAWS quote.
In June, we had a week with a Shark theme. This was separate than our ocean theme, basically because I saw enough cute shark crafts to fill the week, and kids love sharks. I thought about making a paper mache shark to hang from our ceiling (the paper mache hot air balloon and horse were a big hit), but time was short so I skipped a few steps and made my Shape Shark instead. Unfortunately, this was before I started blogging, so I don't have step by step pictures, but here is the finished product:
(I know, I know, it isn't the world's most convincing shark, and it needs to be re-glued.
Sorry! He gets a lot of use.)
I only needed a few supplies for my shark: a box that once held Valentines, cardboard scraps, masking/painter's tape, gray paper, glue, googly eyes, and white craft foam. I cut out a mouth and used the scrap cardboard to form a shark shape, including fins and a tail. I cut a 2 inch thick white foam strip, about 6 inches long, then cut zig zigs down the middle for the teeth. I cut these to fit the mouth, then stapled them in (white glue won't hold them). I used plenty of masking tape to make the surface less smooth, then glued on my gray paper. Then I glued on my googly eyes, and I was finished. Shape Shark was born!
To play with Shape Shark, he "swims" around the circle so all the kids can see him, while I hum the theme to Jaws. At the end, he "splashes" into our blue center circle. I get out a set of wooden shape blocks that we have, with circles, squares, diamonds, triangles, and some thick foam glittery star stickers. (You can use anything, even paper, but these are just the right size and weight for little hands to push them through Shape Shark's teeth).
The first time we played with him, I explained that he was a nice shark, and that he LOVES to eat shapes, but that his teeth can't hurt people. I let each of the children feel his foam teeth, and pat his rough gray head. Then, I ask him some questions, and he nods or shakes his head to answer them. Sometimes he whispers in my ear, to tell me what snack he would like next.
For the youngest kids (aged 2), we just focus on feeding him. Some are overcoming fear of new things, some are working on fine motor skills, so I only ask that they pick up one block and put it in his mouth.
Once they've mastered feeding, then he asks for something of a specific color (anything yellow).
Next, he will be hungry for something in a specific shape (any diamond).
Then, he will only eat something that is a specific color and shape (red triangle, orange square).
If you are working on two step directions, Shape Shark might want a purple circle and THEN a blue star.
Shape shark might have a vest he wears that makes him hungry for letter flashcards, or numbers from your UNO deck. Who knows? I don't use him this way (yet), but he might like to find words that start with "B," or proper nouns, or a multiplication problem whose product is 56. He's fun to look at, fun to feed, and I think kids of any age will really enjoy Shape Shark!
I'm always looking for a great inspirational quote to stick on my mirror, make the screensaver of my smartphone, or include in my monthly newsletter. They make me feel good. So, in turn, I like to share them with students, parents, and other staff. Now I want to share a few with you.
This is just the tip of the iceberg (I used to send home a WEEKLY newsletter with quotes), but here are some that I enjoy. I hope you do, too!
(I used PicMonkey and Pixlr to make these, which are both free online picture editing sites. They're AWESOME!)
Sorry for the delay in posts; I was lesson planning for October and got a little overwhelmed! I would LOVE to credit this idea to someone, but I heard about it second hand, so.....thanks to the Music (?) teacher at Ryan's preschool for this idea.
Do your kids love stickers? Mine do. They love to peel them off of paper, stick them to their shirts, then peel them off of their shirts and stick them to their hands, then peel them off their hands and so on and so forth until they are stuck to my rainbow carpet, my tile floor, or, my favorite, the seat of my pants, at which point, the children no longer have that reward they were so excited about.
"But stickers are such a great reward!" you might say. "The fit in your pocket, they're inexpensive, less distracting than a toy, and kids love them!" And I would agree. Stickers are great...but not as great as Happy Chappy.
The way I heard about it was that this (sadly, unnamed) teacher would rub a little cherry Chapstick on each child's hand before they went back to their own classroom. The kids would be able to smell their hand and the Happy Chappy for a good portion of the day. I heard this and immediately grasped the possibilities. A reward that was longer lasting than a sticker but not as permanent as a temporary tattoo? A way to incorporate other senses into the classroom? A way to get rid of all of those flavored lipglosses I got for Christmas but haven't touched?
"Ms. Betsy's Hugs and Happy Chappy" was born. At the end of each class, I get (and give) some one on one affection and a sweet smelling reward to each child.
I looked through some cosmetics drawers, and visited a few discount shops, and found a variety of six different flavors of lip gloss. They had a great selection at Gordman's, like boxed sets of candy and cola scents, including the Willy Wonka Brand, Hershey's, Dr. Pepper, Jolly Ranchers, and Bubble Yum flavors. I got the one on clearance with a coupon, so it cost about $.50 per tube of gloss. If you have a slightly bigger budget and/or prefer a balm to a gloss, I highly recommend Bonne Bell's Lip Smacker.
Pros and Cons
Happy Chappy isn't perfect, but it is surprisingly versatile. Here's a quick look at what it can and can't do.
Cons:
Some children are sensitive to certain cosmetics or fragrances
It isn't sanitary to use the same gloss/balm on multiple children
It will be gone after they wash their hands
Boys and Girls will like different flavors
Luckily, it is easy to come up with alternative awards (I know you didn't throw your stickers AWAY), and a baggie full of Q-tips can turn into single use applicators. As far as hand washing goes, try smoothing the Happy Chappy onto their wrists or the crook of their elbows, and, at this age, all kids want to smell like bubblegum or watermelon. If they don't, try more gender neutral scents like chocolate or cola.
Pros:
The smooth/glossy texture and scent is a sensory experience
You can use it for right and left recognition (only put it on one hand every single time)
You can let children choose the flavor for extra incentive
You can double up two flavors
You can change scents for the month, season, or theme
*An alternative to scented lip balm is scented lotion. If you rub the lotion in, this is a great way to incorporate a little massage and one on one time with each student. If they rub it in, this can increase fine motor control and reinforce movement for hand washing.*
Do you have other creative ways to positively reinforce your students for good behavior? Be sure to comment!
Also, thanks to all the people who have been adding me to your Pinboards! Feel free to follow me on Pinterest. :)
No More “Bored” Games: Using Board Games in Creative Ways for Multiple Ages and Skill Levels
Okay, this was originally written as a presentation I gave to some other preschool teachers at a corporate inservice we had, so it is very detailed, but I worked hard on it, and I think it has some really great ideas if you're on a budget or have a weird collection of old board games at your place.
Here are some suggestions to adjust these games to your kids' skill level. Some suggestions make them easier, some make them harder, and some make them very, very different.
Idea #1
Play the regular way. Kids love this game. If you have some children who get really competitive, remove the pink cards so no one gets a huge advantage or disadvantage.
Idea #2 (Cards Only)
Have children sort the cards by color. Then have them separate the cards with one square and two squares. Then, let them mix them all up again to play the game or try again!
Idea #3 (Cards only)
Use the cards as a listening game with colored (red, orange, yellow, blue, green and purple) blocks or Legos. Draw a card and have children build a tower according to the card. Ex: stack two red blocks, stack one yellow block.
Idea #4
Use a six sided die (or two) for kids who are learning to count. The game won’t change much, but you’ll be reinforcing number skills. If you still want to include the cards, make a rule to pick a card when a child rolls one (or whatever number).
Idea #5
Let children pick two cards from the stack at a time. Allow them to choose which card they want to use. Which will take them further? A single red or a double red? A double yellow or a double purple? Making this decision aids in problem solving and predicting outcomes.
Idea #6
Extreme Candyland : Take out the single square cards and use only the doubles for faster game play. Assign different physical activities for each color (Ex. Purple= spin in a circle, blue=j umping jacks, etc.) The children must perform the task before moving their game piece. (from SPDbloggernetwork)
Idea #1
This game allows players to match colors or numbers, and strategize which cards to play when. Some cards mean a change in game play (reverse, skip, etc) and drawing, holding, and discarding cards can improve fine motor skills.
Idea #2
Sort cards by color or number. If sorting by number, remove the “special” cards (Skip, Reverse, Wild, and Draw 4).
Idea #3
Remove one color of cards per player, 0-9. Shuffle them and allow the children to put them in the correct order. Once this has been mastered, give them different colored cards 0-9 for an additional challenge.
Idea #4
With two players, each child lays out a card and determines which is higher and which is lower. With a group, everyone lays out a card and, two cards at the time, make comparisons.
Idea #5
Have a child draw a card. Let them use teddy bears/ bingo markers/ pompoms in corresponding colors to show how many the card says. Ex. Red 8=8 red pom poms.
For younger children, limit the deck for numbers 1-3 or 1-5.
Idea #6
Play some additional Card Games using the UNO deck if you don’t have a traditional card deck. (Skip=Jack, Reverse=Queen, Draw 4=King) . Go Fish or Old Maid are popular.
Idea #1:
Turn all of the cards upside down and allow children to turn over two cards at a time in the classic version of this game. If a player picks two matching cards, they get another turn. Whoever has the most at the end, wins! This is great for early memory skills.
It comes in many formats including Dr. Seuss, Dora the Explorer, Toy Story, Strawberry Shortcake, The Backyardigans, etc.
Idea #2:
Try the classic game, but with some alternative rules.
Limit the number of cards/matches (some boxes have 72 pieces!)
No one gets an extra turn, even with a match, to prevent a slow down in game play
Collect the matches as children make them (no winners/losers)
Allow younger children to draw 3 cards at the time, improving the possibility of a match and speeding up game time
Idea #3:
Use the cards for simple identification. Ask children to name the object on each card. You could also place all the cards right side up and have each child look for a specific picture.
The original version is best for this, as some children might not be familiar with the themed characters.
Idea #4
Use half or all of the cards and have children separate them into categories, like clothing, animals, toys, or food, or pictures of a certain character if using a themed deck.
Idea #5
Make your own Memory Game. Use letters, numbers, simple pictures, or even photos of each student to create a game tailored to your own needs.
Do you have any other alternative ways to play mass produced games? Be sure to comment!
Do you have children who are struggling with their letter sense? How about kids who love to touch and feel everything? Do you just need more sparkle in your life?
Here's a fun, inexpensive, easy to do, hands-on display for the Alphabet.
What you will need:
Posterboard
Glitter in various colors
Hot Glue Gun
White School Glue
Small Paintbrush
Note: I used half sheets of white posterboard, but I think bigger pages or different colors could make it more interesting to look at.
What you do:
Section off your posterboard. Give yourself plenty of room to draw a capital and lowercase letter. I did six letters per page.
Draw your letters in pencil. I did fairly thin letters but thick ones would be good, too.
Here is the tricky part. Trace your letters using a hot glue gun. Make as thick of a line as possible over your letters. This takes time and patience, and I can't tell you how many times I accidentally strung out the glue. The good news is that very thin strands of hot glue will come off of paper pretty easily. Just roll your fingers over them after they dry.
Wait for the hot glue to dry. Your letters are now 3-D. Time to make them colorful.
You want a thin layer of white glue on top of your dried hot glue. The glitter can get clumpy if you use too much. I drew thin lines of glue over my letters with the nozzle, then used a small paintbrush to totally coat the top and sides with glue. I kept tissues handy so that I didn't get any glue puddles in the corners.
I did one letter at the time, as I was using different color glitter for each. I fully coated the glue with glitter and shook off the excess onto a piece of scrap paper, then turned the paper into a funnel and put the glitter back into its bottle. (I know you know how to use glitter.)
You're done! Your alphabet is now three dimensional, it catches the light, and it feels just a little scratchy to fingers that touch it. The kids will want to run their hands over this again and again, learning the shapes and motions to make upper- and lower-case letters!
I adore music. I don't play any instruments (though one day I really want to learn the ukelele), but I love to use music in the classroom. You can find all sorts of articles about how beneficial music is: it can improve memorization skills, increase motivation for learning, lower stress levels, etc, etc, etc... All these things are true. That's why most of us include music in our curriculum, but there's another reason. It's FUN.
There is the question about what sort of music is appropriate to use. There are, of course a ton of CDs and songs that cater directly to your Pre-K audience, some of which are outstanding. Some of my favorite early childhood artists are Dr. Jean Warren, Greg and Steve, Super Simple Songs (Their videos are really cute, too!), and The Learning Station. These groups do a lot of childhood favorites, as well as some original songs that line up with a Preschool Curriculum.
There are some issues with using only this kind of music in your school, home, or daycare, though.
I took a class once on Music in the Elementary Classroom, and we were encouraged to come up with a song that taught a concept. As most teachers are not also composers, we used simple, well-known tunes, like Three Blind Mice, Bingo, Twinkle Twinkle, etc. There are only so many different lyrics/topics your kids can learn to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell (including "The Colors in the Wheel," which is what I wrote for the assignment :) ). And really, do your kids want to jump around and dance to a song that teaches them the days of the week? (My 2 year olds do, so maybe this is a bad example.) As many awesome songs as your Pre-K albums may have on them, sometimes you want something a little different.
I should preface this next part by saying I'm absolutely in favor of the First Amendment. I believe that everyone has the right to express themselves as they see fit, but, as an educator, I try to keep things G-rated. If you don't agree with this, that is absolutely okay, but I try to think about the most conservative parent of a student that I have (or could have), then think, "Would that person be comfortable with their child singing and dancing to this song?" So, with that being said, finding popular music that is acceptable in the classroom is MUCH easier said than done.
A few of ground rules (for me, anyway):
Just because it is edited for swear words does NOT mean it is edited for adult content. Slang terms that are not deemed "foul language" still might not be something you want your 3 year olds repeating.
Just because it is featured in a children's movie does NOT mean it's automatically kid friendly. Some children's movies are rated PG, and their soundtracks, accordingly, may have language or themes your preschool crew shouldn't hear from their teacher.
I'm not always wild about Disney, but MOST Disney soundtracks are okay.
This might be extreme, and I'm sure I don't always succeed, but I try to avoid songs by ultra-controversial singers or groups.
If you're unsure, LOOK UP THE LYRICS. Better safe than sorry.
So, without further ado, here are some popular songs and artists that I've used for Movement and Music.
Great Naptime Songs:
Clair de Lune by Debussy
Con Te Partiro by Andrea Bocelli
All I Do is Dream of You by Michael Buble
Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven
Beachy Songs for a Luau or a Mellow Moment:
3 Little Birds by Bob Marley
Bali Ha’i by Peggy Lee
Can't Help Falling in Love With You by Elvis Presley
Day-O by Harry Belafonte (he does talk about rum, briefly)
Help Me Rhonda Beach Boys
Kokomo The Beach Boys
Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
The Tide is High by Blondie
Theme from Hawaii 5-0
Wipe Out by The Ventures
Love Songs for a Valentine's Day Party (And yes, we did this; they slow danced for 45 minutes. It was great!):
Build Me Up Buttercup by Foundation
I’m A Believer by The Monkees/Smashmouth
Faithfully by Journey
My Girl by The Temptations
My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion
Somebody to Love by Queen
Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers
That’s What I Like About You by The Romantics
Songs to Get Your Kids Pumped Up:
Ain't Nothing Gonna Break My Stride by Men at Work
Around the World by ATC
Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
I Feel Good by James Brown
I Like to Move It by Sascha Baron Cohen (Madagascar)
Rock n Roll Pt II by Gary Glitter
Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts
Mickey by Toni Basil
Dancing Songs:
Cha Cha Slide by Mr. C the Slide Man
Dancing Queen by ABBA
Everybody Dance Now (Gonna Make You Sweat) by C+C Music Factory
Footloose by Kenny Loggins
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
La Bamba Richie Valens
Limbo Rock by Chubby Checker
Move it Like This by the Baja Men
Rockin' Robin by The Jackson 5
Safety Dance by Men Without Hats (I picture this with Follow the Leader)
Shout! by The Isley Brothers
The Loco-Motion by Little Eva
Twist and Shout by The Beatles
YMCA by The Village People
Walkin on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves
We Got the Beat by The Go-Gos
Websites/Keywords to Try if You Need Something Different:
Are these the ONLY songs I play? Absolutely not. It could be a good start, though, and maybe it helped you think of more songs or artists to include for your center's daily playlist or for special events. Feel free to comment with your ideas!
So, I am a big believer in physical activity, especially in the morning. We know that kids love to MOVE, so for 20 minutes each morning (and this does seem to be the magic number; 15 minutes isn't enough and 30 minutes is too long) I lead a combination of calisthenics, yoga, aerobics, and free dance. Most of the time, I feel like I look like an absolute fool, but I enjoy it and the kids do, too. As a bonus, it helps wake me up and get me ready for the day, and I get to count it as cardio, because by the end I am sweating!
My first tip for movement time in the morning is to GET OTHER ADULTS INVOLVED. If children see other caregivers sitting there, bored, then they will be bored. If they see that everyone is focused and enjoying physical activity, they will want to do the same.
My second tip is to find a space with very few distractions. If there is a way to crawl in, on, or under a piece of furniture, the kids will find it. If there is a crayon, a piece of paper, or an empty cup around, it will be picked up and thrown. If you have a way to clear your movement space of EVERYTHING, do so.
My third tip is to make yourself an awesome mixed CD, or a playlist if your music player allows you to plug in your mp3 player. This saves you the few seconds it takes to switch CDs or search for songs on Youtube, which can really add up (these are same few seconds it can take for one of your little friends to get distracted).
Here is part of my morning routine. I tried to be specific, but, basically, I use simple calisthenics and movement in time to the songs. Almost anything will work. I usually try to do about 20 minutes with the kids in the mornings, which is about 4-5 songs.
There aren’t any lyrics to this song except “Hey,” so it’s a little hard to describe. Sorry!
We start by stretching our arms up as high as we can, then putting our hands on our hips, then dropping down to the floor, trying not to bend our knees, then put our hands on our hips again, and start again. We do that slowly a few times, stretching as far as we can up and down, making sure we have space between ourselves and other friends. When the chorus comes, I ask, “Are you ready to go fast?” then we all chant, “Up, middle, down, middle, up, middle, down, middle, etc.” to the beat.
When the chorus is over, we stretch our arms out to the side “like airplanes” and lean to one side, dropping one hand to knee level and looking up at the ceiling where our other hand is pointing. Then we stand up in “airplane” position, then lean to the other side. Do this slowly, getting a good stretch, then, again, at the chorus, “go fast” and chant, “Side, airplane, side, airplane, side, etc.”
The next section of the song, we step and kick forward, low to the ground. We usually say, “Step, kick, step, kick” to help keep the beat.
When the music slows down again, we stand up straight and tall with our hands down at our sides, then jump our feet out and throw our hands up. We hold that for a few seconds, then snap our feet together, and repeat. When the music speeds up, so do the jumping jacks. Do as many jumping jacks as you can until the song fades out.
During the first chorus, I get the kids amped up, ready to go, and when the first loud “MOVE IT” is heard, we march, trying to get high knees and big swinging arms.
(Next, King Julian tells the listener to “move your body nice, and sweet, and sexy,” which is not super appropriate for toddlers, so I always try to talk over him J) We step from side to side during the verse, sometimes swinging our arms, sometimes clapping, sometimes saying “step- touch” to keep on the beat.
The next chorus, we take two steps to the right, dragging our left foot behind us, then two steps to the left, dragging our right foot behind us, all the while counting “one, two.” If your kids are able, you might want to try a grapevine here instead.
At the next bridge, we practice kicking forward and backwards, or sometimes we march, then run in place as fast as we can, then slow down to a walk. This goes on for a little while, then we start to dance downwards, lower and lower, until we are “dancing” on the floor.
When King Julian starts talking, telling a story, we start to dance back up, waving our hands, getting higher and higher, waving our hands more frantically, until he says “Jungle Boogie,” then we JUMP up and down until the song is over.
This is our arm warm up. We start the song off by clapping to the beat, and when the verses start we SWIM with our arms. The first verse we do freestyle, using both arms, like we are pulling something towards us. At the chorus, we clap, then sing, “It’s fun to swim at the Y-M-C-A,” doing the classic YMCA hand motions, then clap again.
For the second and third verses, I switch up swimming style to include the backstroke, where we make big backwards circles with our arms, one at the time; the froggy swim (breaststroke), where we draw big circles with our arms in front of us at chest height; and the butterfly, where we make huge circles with our arms at our sides. I have seen an alternative to the breaststroke where you put both arms to the sides like wings and swing them in front of you, crossing one over the other, then swinging them back out. Really any swimming style will work, as long as the kids are moving and having fun!
Simple and fun, kids dance any way they want to until the music stops, then they FREEZE. This lets the kids be creative, and they will learn the pattern of the song so they know when to freeze, unlike musical chairs or other freezing games.
Hopefully everyone knows this one. I help guide the kids by saying “Clap your beaks!” (open and shut your hands while holding them at shoulder level), “Flap your wings!” (raise and lower your elbows with your hands in your armpits), and “Shake your tailfeather” (swing your wings back and forth and shake your tush, then clap four times). I think this repeats four times, then there is a little music break where we “fly the coop” playing Follow the Leader or just moving about the room, flapping our elbows. The fourth round of the song slows down a lot, so we slow our movements, too, then get faster and faster and faster until the song ends.
I will definitely be following this with more movement and dance ideas, but these are some of the songs the kids like the most. No worries if you are not the world's greatest dancer, your enthusiasm for physical fitness will be contagious!
Now, I'm sure you'll judge me for this, but when I interviewed for this job, I had no idea that most preschool lesson planning revolves around THEMES. You know, picking one topic for every week, two weeks, month, or some arbitrary time period, then trying to relate almost all of your lessons and activities to that particular topic.
In my research, I have found dozens of incredible resources for preschool teachers. Many of these sites have themes listed, as well as songs, games, fingerplays, crafts, printables, and other ideas to help you connect your theme to your curriculum. There are lots of themes that I saw again and again, mainly related to seasons and holidays. I could've copied someone's yearly themes, week for week, but no..... That's not my style.
Here is my list of themes for the year that include some basic ones (Apples), some more exotic ones (India), and some that only apply to the people in my little corner of the world (Kentucky Derby). I planned my themes for the year way back in January, and scheduled them all on my Google calendar, which is SO easy to use. I've thought about using it for my lesson planning, too, but I'm not there yet.
It is my GOAL (we'll see if it happens) to include my lesson plans and activities for these themes on this site. If there is one theme in particular you're interested in, be sure to comment and let me know, I will try to post about it sooner rather than later!
Popular Theme Ideas:
All About ME
Apples
Art
Balloons
Beach/Ocean
Bears
Bugs
Butterflies
Christmas
Community Helpers
Dental Health
Dinosaurs
Dr. Seuss
Fairy Tales
Fall
Farms
Fire Safety
Five Senses
Flowers
Halloween
Healthy Bodies/Nurtition
Horses
Monkeys
Music
New Year's Eve
Nursery Rhymes
Pets
Picnics
Plants
Pumpkins
Rules and Responsibilities
Space
Spring
Summer
Thanksgiving
Transportation
USA
Valentine's Day
Weather/Seasons
Winter/Snow
Zoo Animals
Less Common Theme Ideas:
American Presidents
Basketball/University of Kentucky
Big Cats
Books/I Love to Read
Chocolate
Dance
Fractured Fairy Tales
Kentucky Derby
Mardi Gras
Physics (Magnets, Force and Motion, etc)
Prom
Sports/Field Day
Over the summer, I did the overarching theme of "The World Around Us." Each week we would learn about one or two new places or things that were different in some way than the place we live.
World Travel Theme Ideas:
Africa
Alaska
American West
Australia
China
Europe
Farms
Hawaii
Hollywood
India
Japan
Mexico
New Orleans
New York City
Ocean
Russia
Washington, DC
Some of these were tricky to do! I had to get creative to plan my own themes from scratch, but I think it was worth it. What other themes have you used with success?
I'm sure that many of my posts will relate to sensory bins, but I wanted to share the types of materials I used to get started. For the bins themselves, I recommend:
A 60 quart bin (under the bed size) so that multiple kids can access the sensory bin
Clear bins with locking lids (15.5 gallon size works well to store your bins or for one or two children to play)
Trust me, you want the locking lids. I've had more than one mega-spill with the lids that don't.
You can find most of the bin filling items with trip to the grocery store and the Dollar Tree.
Plastic or squishy animals for sand, jungle, ocean
Measuring cups and spoons
Tongs
Small shovels, rakes, molds and scoops (a beach playset is perfect)
These ingredients are common in many sensory recipes you will find online (maybe even here!):
Jell-o
Plain Gelatin
Flour
Dish soap (Blue Dawn is the best!)
Bar soap (I like Ivory)
Toilet paper
White Vinegar
Rubbing Alcohol
Baking Soda
Cornstarch (get several boxes, you'd be surprised at how many sensory recipes call for them)
Cream of Tartar (for homemade Play-dough)
Now, once you have all this stuff, what in the world should you do with it?
Don't overthink it. For the sensory bin beginner, take any of the "basics" and pour them into your large bin. For example, Cheerios: Kids will pick them up, put them down, get great big handfuls of cereal or one Cheerio at the time. They'll squeeze/crush them, play pretend, and show you all the cool things about Cheerios you have long forgotten...and that is without ANY OTHER MANIPULATIVE. Give them some spoons and measuring cups, and it's time for a pretend gourmet meal. Give them some pipe cleaners (or some of your uncooked spaghetti), and they'll develop their fine motor skills threading the strands through the center of the cereal. Introduce a new element, like fruit loops (colors!) or glitter (sparkles!) to add to the fun.
I will definitely be including some of my own sensory bin ideas along with pictures, and links to some of the more fantastic ones I've found online and tried.
Oh, how I wish I had seen a blog post like this one when I was starting out. When I was hired as the center's preschool teacher, I was totally clueless! I was asked to give a supply list with all the materials I would need, for the classroom, the activity (arts and crafts room), and various centers around our building. I wasn't sure where to begin, so I started with the craft room.
In my experience, this is a great list to get you started, should you ever find yourself at square one:
Regular crayons, all colors including skin colors
Washable markers
Tempera paint (gallons if possible)- AT LEAST red, yellow, blue, black, and white; get orange, green, and purple if you have the budget for it
Next, I focused on classroom supplies. Some things could be shared with the Art Room, obviously, but for my own use, I asked for the following:
Large and Small Ziplock bags (quart and gallon)
Pencils and pencil grippers
Writing manipulatives: gel pens, wide tipped pens or
markers
Sharpies
Corkboard
Die-cut letters
Masking, Duct, and Painters tape
Hot Glue gun
White board
Food coloring
Play-doh, all colors
Index Cards
Stickers
Paper Clips, various colors
Colored Electrical Tape
File Folders, various Colors
Dry erase markers
Adhesive for wall- adhesive putty, stikki clips
Rubber Cement
Small Square table for center in classroom
Medium rectangle table for dramatic play
Command hooks for classroom walls
Double sided Velcro, adhesive back, dots or strips
Again, almost all of these things were found at a superstore or office supply store. I keep all of them in a large black storage cabinet in the corner of my room. My next post will include the supplies we purchased for our sensory bins.
It was a relief getting my hands on all of these supplies! We've been able to make almost all of our crafts and do our activities (except sensory bins) without additional purchases. Every few months, we restock, but I think this is a pretty comprehensive list. Let me know if I left anything out!
I'm Betsy, "Ms. Betsy" to my own preschool group, and this is my very first blog attempt.
With this blog, it is my goal to provide teachers, parents, babysitters, and other interested parties with fun, practical ideas for your child or group of children. I teach kids aged 2 to 5 in a nursing facility that caters to children with ongoing medical needs, so, as you might imagine, my activities are designed to appeal to a wide range of ages and abilities.
You'll find sensory bin ideas, preschool themes and activities, music and movement, games, pre-writing and math ideas, art suggestions, circle time activities, as well as party ideas for holidays and special events. I will try to only post things that have been "kid tested and approved," but, things don't always go according to plan, so I may post some things that didn't go as planned at ALL, in hopes that you'll have better luck.
If you come across this blog and love it, be sure to comment, and visit often! Here's to the beginning of a beautiful blogship!
