Hot Air Balloon
For our second anniversary (and way before children), my husband and I went on a hot air balloon ride, which has ALWAYS been a dream of mine. It was amazing! There is nothing like floating in the air and seeing…
License Plate Rubbings
You’ve probably heard of doing leaf rubbings in the fall, but this is a great way to practice number and letter recognition. Plus, it goes nicely with our transportation thematic unit! Here’s what you’ll need: a license plate (we used…
MAKE IT: A Safe Toy box for $13
Don’t be taken by purchasing a new toy box for your child’s toys–they are quite expensive. You can easily refurbish a chest (or basket with a secured lid) that you already have or buy one inexpensively at a garage sale…
Transportation Bible Story
It is sometimes easy to leave the Bible-story teaching to Sunday School…and I am definitely guilty of it. Yes, we read the boys’ Bibles each night before bed. But I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never taken the time to intentionally…
A Lesson Learned: Don’t Ask, Tell
What is it about the two letters, “N-O” that make a child feel so powerful? I’m not really sure, but if you have the answer…let me in on your secret! Lately Big Brother has been using this word quite often….
Alphabet Train Game
Matching letters is a great way to help children recognize letters in the alphabet. This is a very simple game that you can do with your preschooler! I used a pre-made alphabet that I bought for my classroom several years…
"I Spy"
Here is a new take on the old game “I Spy” It’s a great quiet time activity or you can make it for a very inexpensive gift for a child in your life! Or take it on a car trip…like…
Why do "Peek-a-Boo"?
Every parent plays Peek-a-Boo with their child. It must be written in the owner’s manual that comes with a kid…oh wait, there’s isn’t one–wouldn’t it be nice if there was? Sometimes it helps to know why we do something–rather than…
Early Graphing Activity
Graphs are visual representations of data. Even young children can enjoying creating hands-on graphs (even though we don’t necessarily have to use that term quite yet). Making graphs is great practice in math! I rounded up some different “modes” of…
Stoplight Beanbag Toss
This is a super-easy activity that teaches colors too! Here’s what you’ll need: 3 pieces of construction paper (red, yellow, and green), a piece of cardboard or posterboard, and bean bags (I didn’t have any, so I stole some beans…
Now’s the time to stock up on school supplies!
Since I am no longer teaching (in a traditional classroom) and I don’t have children going to school yet, I don’t really think about school-supply shopping or pay much attention to the markdowns. Until now! Last November I purchased school…
Pattern Train
We’re starting off on our first thematic unit–transportation! Patterning is a very concept for young children. It sets the groundwork for recognizing patterns in numbers in later years. It also helps children learn the skill of making predictions when we…
Banana Airplane Snack
I’m all about using what I have on hand! We used the rice krispie treats and the Keebler cookies I got for 50 cents each at Walgreens a couple weeks ago to make this fun airplane. Here’s what you’ll need: …
Clean-Up Songs
Getting your child(ren) to clean up can be such a hassle! Most of the time it feels like I am doing all the cleaning up. I have found that these two songs definitely help to motivate Big Brother. The first…
A Lesson Learned: Failing Gracefully
In an effort to remain as genuine as possible, I’m starting a series called “A Lesson Learned.” No, this won’t be the place where I share the best lesson one of my children learned this week. This “lesson” is not directed…
Plastic Baggie “My Body” Book
These little books are so cool! My good friend Sarah introduced me to these plastic baggie books and I decided to use pictures to help teach my boys their body parts. I made one last year for Big Brother and it was…
Reading To Your Baby
It may seem kind of silly to read to a newborn since they really won’t understand what’s going on in a book for many months. But it’s important for many reasons. First of all, it is a way that you…
Letter Boxes & Scavenger Hunt
Making letter recognition meaningful for preschoolers is crucial. Getting your child to automatically recognize letters is great, but children will retain information much more once they have had a variety of experiences with those letters. Making it fun and multi-sensory will…