Memory wheels are a great end of school year activity for upper elementary and middle school students. Learn about memory wheel templates.

Our Kindergarten teachers approached me with a request for an art project for the back cover of their memory books. The kids have filled out pages in their memory books all year and they wanted a colorful back cover. I found a fun and easy way to make fingerprint art on the Frogs Snails and Puppy Dog Tails blog. Then, we used a great end of year poem by Helen H. Moore. We started by dripping water in pans of … Read more... →

If you're just starting out as a new Pre-K teacher, here are some practical ideas, printables, lessons for beginning the school year in Pre-K or

Are your toddlers and three year olds wanting more science fun? These science experiments for 2 and 3 years olds are perfect for any day!

Pre-K & Preschool activities for the first days of school. Find more Beginning of School Activities for Pre-K In the beginning of the year, we spend a

Find your name pdf among 1000's of free personalized name coloring pages for adults and kids at Stevie Doodles

Summer calls for lots of water activities, cool treats, and easy low prep activities like these summer dot activity printables. This post contains affiliate links. See my Disclosure Policy for details. GETTING STARTED With minimal prep

Fun STEM activity for outdoor play and makes a great science lesson! (Includes a printable rocket template).

It's Japan's Foundation Day & we're celebrating with amazing Joyful Japan Crafts for Kids! Take your pick from Origami, Kokeshi or Hinamatsuri!

Now that it's time for the kids to go back to school, why not use these free book covers.

Simple, developmental activities you should do everyday with your toddler to help them learn, even when you're busy. They require no set up or creativity.

Tips for a first year kindergarten teacher - for newbies and teachers new to kindergarten. Let's break it down and keep it simple. You can do this!

Find out why teachers should be using icebreaker activities for small groups all year long and not just at the beginning of the school year.

Here's a list of 52 fellowship activities that groups in my church have used through the years. This list is meant to serve as an idea starter for your group so you can come up with your own activities and plans for implementing them. The key is to do it together.

Boggle is such a great game for pattern recognition and spelling. You can even get a little math in there with the scoring. Kids (and adults) love it! Here is a template you can use with your class. The color version is for using with your document camera, while the grayscale version is perfect for ... Read More about Boggle Template: Make a New Game Each Time!

Looking for activities to do at home with a 2 year old? Look no further because we've got you covered with 20 awesome at-home activities.

You can grab these geometric art printable...and let your kids imaginations run wild! A perfect free printable to let the creativity flow.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Seattle's Best Coffee. All opinions are 100% mine.

Ready to "cook up" a great first day of school? It's easy with this recipe for a successful start to the school year! PREP: ➤ Think about how you will set the tone for your classroom on the first day of school. ➤ Plan to keep students engaged and active. ➤ Prepare to build a positive rapport with students from the first instant that they become a part of the classroom community. INGREDIENTS: ➤ Warm-Up Activity ➤ Get-to-Know-You Activity ➤ Game that gets students out of their seats ➤ Get-to-Know-the-Teacher Activity ➤ Writing Prompt ➤ Extension Activity Once you've gathered your ingredients, you can get "cooking!" (CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE RECIPE!) PROCEDURE: STEP 1: Begin with a warm-up activity. Place an activity on students' desks that they can complete independently. You might try a simple survey or poster. An All About Me poster is a quick way to learn about students. You can even gather them together for an awesome classroom display. Or, a survey is a wonderful way to collect information about students. You might include questions about where students like to sit, their favorite way to learn, and activities that they enjoy so that you can start connecting with students. Another awesome warm-up activity is an "All About You" name tag. Students answer questions about themselves while coloring in a name tag based on their responses. Then, students can place the name tag on their desks to help you learn your students' names. This activity is particularly awesome if you have multiple sets of students. You can collect the name tags and re-distribute them each day during each class while you learn names. Oh, and as a bonus, you can gather them together and leave them with substitute teachers throughout the year! If you'd like to check out ready-made Back to School Warm-Ups, just click here for the poster, here for the survey, and here for the name tags. STEP 2: Mix in a get-to-know-you activity. Give students a chance to share about themselves and learn about their classmates with an engaging get-to-know-you activity. One of my favorites is a doodle-inspired mini-book. Students transform a single sheet of paper into a doodley mini-book all about themselves. After students make the mini-book it's fun to hang them on a clothesline. Then, as students finish their work during the first days of school, you can encourage fast-finishers to grab a classmate's mini-book and learn about him or her. Check out the doodle mini-book HERE. Or, you could have students create this 3-D About Me Activity. Students create an infographic-style book about themselves. After answering some simple questions, they do a little cutting and gluing to create a 3-D "About Me" display. These are especially fun because students can set them on their desks and then everyone can tour around the classroom and learn about their peers. (These are awesome for Open House too!) Learn more HERE. STEP 3: Scatter in an activity that gets students moving. Since students crave opportunities to get up and out of their seats, plan to get your class moving on the first day of school. You might have students complete a scavenger hunt or even play a learning game that requires students to move around. I'm a huge fan of this simple get-to-know-you activity that gets students moving (and you can download it for FREE here.) First, students make paper airplanes. They write their name and 3 interview questions on the wings. Then, students line up shoulder-to-shoulder and launch the planes. Next, they pick up a classmate's plane, find him or her, and ask the interview questions. You can repeat the airplane launch as often as you'd like! Find everything you need to do this activity in this FREEBIE. If you'd like to combine movement and learning on the first day of school, then you and your students will love this Back to School Doodle Infographic. First students fill in the infographic with facts about school. There are 21 facts and you can hide them around the room to get students moving. Then, they put together the infographic to make a fun and doodle-y poster! Check it out HERE. STEP 4: Sprinkle in a chance for students to get-to-know-you (their teacher). On the first day of school, students are very curious about you. They want to learn about you, so you'll want to be sure to share about yourself. You can give a simple biography of yourself, or you might try these easy and engaging activities: Create a teacher interview question along with 4 or 5 prize cards for each student in your class. Then, tape the questions and the prize cards under students' seats before class begins. During class, explain to students that they all have something under their chairs. It might be a question and it might be a prize. If they get a prize card, have students keep it quiet. Then, call on students. They can either read a question for you to answer or reveal that they won a prize. If they won, you might give them a pencil, piece of candy, or a homework pass. You can find all my favorite questions HERE. Or, you might have students complete a "Teacher Guess" about you. First, they predict the answers to questions about you. Then, as you reveal the answers, they earn points for every correct prediction. It's a fun activity that students truly enjoy! You can check it out HERE. STEP 5: Add a fun writing prompt to your back to school activities. A writing prompt is a great way to gather a baseline for students' writing on the first day of school. You might give students a simple prompt about their summer or goals for the new school year. However, I love to add a fun creative writing prompt into the mix. For example, with this writing prompt students select a setting, character, problem, and 3 random objects. Then, they need to work them all into a story. It's fun, engaging, and a great way to see where your students are starting the school year. Find this writing prompt HERE or check out this collection of 10 creative writing activities. STEP 6: Top it off with a review of tomorrow's warm-up. Set students up for success during your next day of school by quickly reviewing what they will need to do when they arrive to class. If you're planning to have students work through warm-ups like these This or That ELA warm-ups where students choose to do the "this" or the "that" activity, then you might quickly review what will be waiting on their desks when they arrive. Taking the time to preview tomorrow's warm-up is a great way to set expectations for students! If you're looking for some daily warm-ups, you might want to check out these This or That ELA warm-ups or these This or That Writing warm-ups! STEP 7: Don't forget to have an extension activity just in case your lesson ends early. I love playing games like "Move If You..." which you can find for FREE HERE. While you may never get to the extension activity, it's a lifesaver if you need it! TIPS: When you're following this recipe for a great first day of school, you might want to: ➤ Greet students at the door and answer these questions for students right away: ➨ Where do I sit? ➨ Am I in the right classroom? ➨ What should I be doing right now? ➤ Also, be prepared to manage students' behavior on the first day of school. Ensure that you have a positive classroom management system in place and ready to use if you need it! Well, there you have it, my recipe for a great first day of school. Be sure to download all the ideas with links AND the FREE airplane activity HERE! CHECK THIS OUT! I've put together a 100+ page guide for back to school for teachers. It includes tips, tools, and printables for classroom décor, classroom organization, lesson planning, community building, and planning the first day of school. It's absolutely FREE! Just click here to sign up. When you sign up, you'll get access to 6 mini-courses that cover everything Back to School including classroom design, organization, curriculum planning, and ways to build a positive classroom community. There's also a TON of exclusive freebies, bonuses, and videos! If you'd like to learn more and sign up, just click HERE. Thanks so much for stopping by, Mary Beth P.S. If you'd like MORE free resources for your classroom, be sure to join the Brain Waves Instruction club!

Trying to figure out how to prepare for your first teaching job is tough. I get that, I've been there! Here's help.

This printable end of the year memory book is the perfect activity for kids. Help them countdown the end of the school year with this fun and reflective idea. With 40 pages included, you can pick and choose what pages work for your elementary classroom.

Here are some great ideas about things to teach your 2 year old. Most skills can be achieved through these learning activities for two year olds

These all about me, back to school art activities for kids are engaging icebreakers. Encourage creativity and build community during the first week back

Free summer worksheets for preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. Summer activities, coloring pages, and more!

The Most Fun Things to do with Toddlers before they’re Big Kids! (Well, OK- plenty of these are fun for big kids too, but you can start playing today…)

Here are some helpful tips for name practice in Kindergarten. I also created some freebies for your first week of school.

Try these fun brain break ideas to help active kids stay focused and learn at their best like yoga, Go Noodle, and printable cards.

Fun and engaging ideas to get to know your students at the beginning of the school year. Build a strong classroom community with these free resources.

One of my favorite things about back to school, is knowing that I get to meet and love on a brand new bunch of kids for the school year. I’m sure you feel the same way, and have your lesson planner packed to the max with different “get-to-know-you activities.” I want to share with you […]

Free printable build-your-own-pizza craft. Fun and simple DIY kids craft. Build a pizza as a classroom activity or remote learning activity.

Grab our free, clickable Mega List of Themes and Skills for Pre-K & Kindergarten Lesson Plans to see what themes/skills I cover in my classroom all year!

This simple and easy teacher gift idea is the perfect gift for any teacher. Get your favorite teacher what they really want this year!

Check out this 2 year old curriculum for homeschooling preschool. You'll find some fun and educational options and a lesson plan template.

Spending the first week of school teaching classroom expectations and procedures is essential for a successful year. Glue is a tricky school supply for many little learners and there definitely needs to be instruction dedicated to teaching learners how to use this tool.Glue BottlesWhen learners are not taught how to use their glue correctly things

Free printable alphabet coloring pages (letters and numbers) with patterns for preschool, kids, and adults to colour! Use these A-Z

Preparing to homeschool but not sure where to start? This 5 step method has been my go-to for years and it totally works, you guys!

FREE printable Paper Hats that kids can color and wear when learning about community helpers, occupations, or when doing dramatic and pretend play. Great for preschool and kindergarten!

These 5 fun 3D shapes activities for kindergarten are a great way for students to learn about shape attributes while having a blast.

Summer is a season of sunshine, warmth, and relaxation. It's also a great time to capture your own image through self-portraiture. Whether your students are in kindergarten through 5th grade, drawing a self-portrait can be a fun and rewarding way for students to express themselves and document their unique features. In this fun and easy drawing guide students will draw themselves living their best summer lives!

Explore easy classroom management strategies and ideas from other teachers to keep the classroom running smoothly and meet the 3 C's.

Check out this adorable clipart freebie for all your classroom printable projects!

This fun sunglasses craft is perfect for the end of the school year or the beginning of the year! The sunglasses template paired with all of these wri

The BEST end of the year activities for the classroom and teachers. Plan the final days with arts & crafts, themed days, countdowns, gift and party ideas, games and outdoor activities, and more!

Starting the year off by focusing on these 5 science topics, will almost guarantee smoother labs and more engaged science learners.

10 fun and easy hallway songs to prepare students to go into the hall quietly!