TpT App

Just when I thought I had all the apps I needed on my iPhone, Teachers Pay Teachers introduces one of their own! Woo hoo!

Now we can all be super multi-taskers. 

Speaking of which, hasn't it been nice to slow down and do less multi-tasking this last week? As much as I love my job, I have really enjoyed thinking about other things for a while.  

Like these guys, for example!

These are my besties from high school.  We still get together whenever possible.  I'm all the way on the left and the little guy on my lap belongs to the lovely lady next to me.  Clearly the kids in this picture would have rather been doing something else!

Go download the TpT app if you have an iPhone!

Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

Freebie!

It was just one of those weeks, wasn't it?  Maybe it was just me, but I was exhausted and playing catch up all week for some reason.  I don't think I even took any pictures of the stuff we were doing! 

You know the feeling!

Anyway, I was able to create this fun little activity this afternoon.

Your littles will LOVE to hunt for the gingerbread man around the school. And, best of all, it's FREE!

{Click the picture download.}

Candy Cane Science

Today I did some Christmas science with my 4 year olds! 

I explained that scientists ask questions and then try to find the answers.  Today the question was, 

"How do we make the stripes come off of the candy cane?"

We put on our scientist hats and pulled out some candy canes.  The first candy cane went into a container of water. 

We took guesses as to whether the candy canes would dissolve in vegetable oil (second container from the left), corn syrup (3rd container), and rubbing alcohol (last container).  

It surprised me that the rubbing alcohol took as long as it did to remove the red from the candy cane.  According to my husband  (a chef), alcohol actually has preservation properties, and therefore the candy cane did not dissolve as quickly as it did in water.  

It took about 5 minutes for the one in the water to look like this:

 And of course we had to test how long it would take our saliva to remove the stripes! 

Every hard working scientist deserves a candy cane!

Fabulous Freebies!

Normally I really don't like the first of the month.  

The first of the month usually means I have a whole lot of work to do in order to shift my classroom into that particular month.  Change the classroom calendar, do the decorating, hang up the right birthday banner, get the new hot lunch menu posted... I could go on and on. But now I can actually look forward to the first! The lovely ladies at Freebielicious have organized a linky so that bloggers can participate in handing out freebies! What a fabulous idea!

{Click on the picture to go to their website.}

And here is my freebie contribution!

{Click on the picture to download.}

I use this with my 3 year olds littles to practice number recognition and numerical order.  They LOVE hunting around the classroom to find hidden things!

By the way, would you consider following my blog?  I thought maybe I could lure some followers in with a freebie. :) This is actually my second blog, and I started it about two weeks ago.  I always love feedback from other teachers!

Storytelling Headbands

Check out my latest packet!

I know that not everyone will be able to use it, but I work at a private school and we get to talk about Jesus' birth all year long.  I hope it is helpful to you if you get to do the same!

Here's a little something for everyone, though! 

Hide these little gingerbread boys around your  classroom for a fun number recognition activity. Click on the picture to download!

 

Cyber Monday

Are you ready for Cyber Monday? 

I am so close to finishing my brand new storytelling headband packet. It will be $2.50 in my TpT store.

Retelling stories increases comprehension, as well as children's ability to make inferences.  Plus, it's so much fun for them to act out a story and tell it their way! My storytelling headbands help your littles do this for Christmas time!

Please visit my store for the sale and to check out all my freebies!

{Thanks, Ashley, for the graphic!}

Turkey Time

For some reason, Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday.  I absolutely love teaching about it! I especially love introducing the story to the littles who are just learning it for the first time.  Around Thanksgiving, my classroom is filled with turkey activities.  This is a new one I tried the other day.

First, I drew a turkey on chart paper and wrote the numbers 1-6 all over him.  

 I had the littles roll these giant dice from Lakeshore and determine what number had come up.  (Great for subitizing!) 

Then they had to use a Do-A-Dot to stamp out that number on the turkey.  

This was a whole group activity, but you could easily use it as a center or independent work station. 

Another turkey favorite is these coffee filter turkeys.

My 3 year students loved this process! 

My Supplies:

1. Coffee filters (we used large ones)

2. Watercolor markers

3. Spray bottle with water

4. Die Cut shapes

5. Wiggly eyes

6. Small triangle for beak

The littles color on the coffee filter with markers, and then spray the filter with the spray bottle. (trying not to douse it, of course!) The next day, they can add the turkey shaped paper with a glue stick, and then make a face with the eyes and beak. You can also add feet, a wattle, or wings, but I wanted to keep it simple for my little ones.   

They make great decorations!

First Post

I am so excited to be starting this new blog! I have another blog, Mrs. Webster's Classroom Connections, but I am going to reserve that one solely for classroom purposes. I am so appreciative to all the knowledge and connections I have found through the blogging world.  I am hoping to give back by offering my ideas and freebies on this site.  Please come along on this journey with me!

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