A lot of these ideas could also work for a Percy Jackson party!! For us, we decided not to call it that so we could also focus on telling the stories too. The idea behind this program was to repli…

In November, I decided to add some new items to the library makerspace . I dedicated $350 to buy materials and games that we did not al...

Tonight was Back to School night because like it or not school starts on MONDAY! I can't believe it. I feel like I have been functioning at 150% at an operating speed of 200 mph. The last week and a half have been CrAzY! But I'm excited to finally share my classroom photos. I'll be back soon with some of my co-workers cute classroom photos too. You would never believe that I got the blanket (yes blanket!) used to cover the bulletin board & create the curtains (yes I did cut it!) at the local thrift store for just a few dollars or that I got that AMAZING blue chest for $5 at a garage sale last Saturday. Yay! Thing 1 was $8 on Ebay. (Look close and you can see the outlet covers. You can see my earlier tutorial post here.) 25 yards of red ribbon at the thrift store: 2 dollars. Yes it was. Shelf, mirrors & leather garbage, yep, you guessed it - ALL from the DI or garage sales. You can see the original $3 shelf post here. Found these guys for $1 each at the DI (local thrift store) and couldn't resist making these... They are seat covers for my previously called "Students of the Day" now to be my 'Thing 2' and 'Thing 3' (there was no Thing 1 shirt :(, plus we already have a Thing one in our room :) Blue mail slots - $5 at the DI. Red bow-tie shelf - $2 at the DI (I painted of course). Flat Pendant from Target. Vinyl quote from Etsy. (Below) This is our classroom continents rugs & library reading area... Homework tray & pencil cup labels Schedule cards huge thanks to Melanie Conger. You can get the cards here. I always display our spelling words for the week. (Available in my classroom pack - see end of post) Our phonogram board, Dr. Seuss abcs & truffula trees! Seussified teacher space place. Love the hanging lantern lights. You can see my blue filing cabinet post and get the birthday balloon template free here. Cute hiding places! Our Saxon Math Meeting/Calendar Board. (Calendar & pieces from Michaels). East sign & clock numbers Back to School Poem for students + erasers from Target Classroom door display. ADORABLE Quotes available here and cutouts from Target. Things 1-26 Locker Tags (in my classroom pack - see end of post) Seussified Wreath End-Result (see original post here) Peeking through the door. See the curtains and chair covers? Easel area & Planet Rug Oh wait! There's more!? Here's the HANDSOME boy that I came home to. Seriously, check. him. out! And look what he's working on.... a Seussified shelf ALL for me and my kiddos! How sweet he is. Best. husband. ever. Pictures to come! Leave me a comment if you like it! Or send me any questions you have. PS - If you want to download the Dr. Seuss Classroom theme things that I created go ahead and click the image below! You can get the classroom labels for free here. Jessica @ Tales of a First Grade Teacher, Lorraine @ Fabulous 4th Grade Froggies, and Corinna @ Surfing Through Second are all hosting fun linky parties highlighting Classroom Themes/Design. I have been working so hard (and excitedly) on my theme for this year... Dr. Seuss and couldn't wait to join the parties!

You've worked hard with your students all year - putting books in their hands, reading aloud and talking with them about books. They are engaged and reading more than ever! But, what happens when summer hits? They no longer have constant access to books and a strong reading model. Take your students on a library

Travel around the world with a good book. Take the Uncorked Reading Challenge to read more diversely. Explore the best new books.

This Kindergarten back to school activity is a fun way for kids to get to know each other and for the teacher to learn about the new students.

Believe it or not, I got the idea for this one from “Oregon Trail.” Only this time, there’s no dysentery :) After we went over the rules of Lego Club, I started talking about the…

The activities below are available for free download, and are to be used in educational and/or private settings. They may not be used elsewhere or for other purposes (such as for profit) unless exp…

So I am loving these little cones I bought at the Dollar Tree this summer. I am using them as a classroom management tool and it has been w...

Children’s librarians tirelessly go through the shelves day in and day out to reorganize the books kids carelessly pull out and shove back in at some other totally random spot. I cannot imagine how frustrating it must be! The school gives kids paint sticks to mark where they removed the book so it can be returned to the same spot if necessary, but not every kid grabs one and sooner or later they’ll all have to be able to figure out the books’ rightful place – including my son. Before he got started with the library-inspired activity I made, we read a sweet book about library puppets (used during story time) that come to life when the lights go out. It put us in the mood for our own imaginary trip to the library. When the story was finished, I gave my son some laminated “books” I’d made. On several were written the author’s names with a fine-tip dry-erase marker; the rest had card catalog numbers. Download a 2-page PDF of these book spines here. I asked my son which were fiction and which were non-fiction books. He wasn’t sure. I explained that at the library, fiction books were shelved alphabetically by the author's last name. Non-fiction books were shelved by card catalog numbers. He promptly sorted the books into two piles – those with authors (fiction) and those with numbers (non-fiction). Now I told him to put them in order. He looked at the card catalog numbers on the non-fiction books, and put the book with the smallest numbers first and the largest numbers at the end of our imaginary shelf. He alphabetized the fiction books by the first (and sometimes second) letter of the author’s last name. Books with numbers like 145.21 and 110.4 tripped him up a bit. I explained that you focus first on the digits in front of the decimal. “Which number is smaller: 145 or 110?” That was easy for him. My son beamed with pride when all the books were reshelved in the right order! Maybe he’s a future librarian.

Make your reading come alive with Google Lit Trips. Your students will love visiting places all over the world that are mentioned in your book.

So this is a summer program we’ve been hosting for 5 years now. I’ve always saved this one for the week of 4th of July–the idea being I don’t put too much work into this on…

Beautiful green, long sleeve sweater that has v-neckline followed with a fold-over collar. This sweater is soft, cozy and a Fall and Winters dream. In addition this sweater has a slightly loose fit with a straight cut structure and can be worn on its own or layered. Our model wears Dark Blue Solan Jeans ONE SIZE (fits from US 2-4-6-8)  Length 21.65 in - Width 22.05 in Contextures: 27% polyamide - 30% polyester - 43% acrylic Washing: handwash

These book based activities for My Mouth is a Volcano provide great opportunities for talking about self-control and not interrupting.

New York Public Library ou apenas NYPL é biblioteca pública de Nova York, que conta com mais de 50 milhões de livros e é um dos destaques da cidade.

I wanted to share some aerial photos and maps without violating copyright. I finally located some done by US Fish & Wildlife Service which should not be under copyright. First a pretty picture picture of the atoll from the air: You can see on the bottom right side the channel the military blasted through to provide access to the lagoons. The military also put in an airstrip which is slightly left from the center of the photograph. The airstrip is on Cooper Island. This is the largest island and the location of the research station. Next are two maps from USFWS: Finally, I found a map of the research station buildings: You can click on any one of these maps to get a larger view.

The Japanese bookstore chain Tsutaya has just opened a new enchanted location in Nagoya! Bookstores in Japan always go the extra mile to surprise their customers but Tsutaya, already known for their aesthetically impressive designs, has really outdone itself here. Complete with a relaxing cafe space, fun play areas for children, and the grandest infinity bookshelf you’ve ever seen, this is the perfect spot for book lovers, architecture enthusiasts, and those in search of instagram-worthy wonders!

Free printable travel games for kids, including scavenger hunts, bingo, license plate game, hangman, word searches, connect the dots, and more.

A colorful set of bingo cards and a fun game cube to learn about Brazil. Plus, some fun facts to go along with the game cards. For kids of all ages.

Wondering what to wear in Japan in Autumn so you can create some spectacular photos while still being able to stay warm and explore? I got you!

Cafebreria el Pendulo is the coolest bookstore chain in Mexico City. These Mexico City bookstores are worth visiting

The most all-American, leaf falling, fire crackling, acorn popping, apple picking, pumpkin spicing, turkey roasting, eggnog nogging, coziest cabin, road trip tripping sweater of all. Orders for the Cozy Pumpkin Sweater in sizes XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL and XXXL placed on or after 7/15, ship on or around 9/15.  Orders for the Cozy Pumpkin Sweater in sizes S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL placed on or after 7/23 are a pre-order item and ship on or around 9/30.  Orders for the Cozy Pumpkin Sweater in sizes S, M, L, XXXL placed on or after 9/3, ships on or around 10/10.  Product Details: Hand Wash Cold, Air Dry or Dry Clean Women's Fit Woven Label 30% Wool 70% Acrylic blend Imported

Ikea has something for everyone, and teachers are no exception!

I'm pretty good at taking care of my things except when it comes to sunglasses. Somehow, they always end up scratched, broken or lost. So to help me in my plight, I made this little drawstring case, just the right size for a pair of sunglasses. I took one on my trip to Chicago last week and it did t

Reduce screen time with this super fun Gone Camping Count and Color Activity. As a bonus kids work on their number and counting skills.

Are you curious about Australia? Explore its culture, wildlife, and landscapes with these fun and educational activities and games to use at your Girl Scout's troop World Thinking Day event.

Discover these West Sicily highlights including gorgeous beaches and islands, off-the-beaten-track gems, and vibrant cities.

Check out this fun, dinosaur themed, workout for kids - your kids will have a blast and reap all the benefits of exercise for kids. Dont forget to print!

Class visits are an amazing opportunity for the library to set the tone for kids’ experience with us. I view my outreach trips as an extremely valuable chance to give high energy interactive …