This snowflake STEM center is such an easy way to stretch students' learning! Just grab a box of Q-tips and you're ready to go.
10 minuten dozen. Of je nu vakantie hebt, thuisonderwijs geeft of voor de klas staat, deze busy boxes zijn een uitkomst! Niet voor niks hebben ze namen als time
I created this game for our preschool unit "b is for babies." The game features 17 pictures of mommy animals nursing their babies...
Help your little one build logic and reasoning skills with a tangram puzzle! He'll re-create this picture using the geometric shapes of tangram pieces.
This Zacchaeus Met Jesus Spot the Differences activity can help children understand that Jesus died for all people, no matter what they have done.
Time to play a fun little build-a-word beginning reading game we call Roll, Read, Write. This idea comes from the awesome new book just out called Busy Bags Kids Will Love by Sara McClure, a
Compound Nouns List with Pictures PDF Exercises Worksheet For Kindergarten For Download PDF Worksheet, Click Here; Compound Nouns List with Pictures PDF Exercises Worksheet For Kindergarten Compound Nouns Words List in English PDF Worksheet For Students aboveboard afterbirth afterburner afterglow afterimage afterlife aftermath afternoon airbrush aircraft aircraft airfield airfield airlift airline airliner airmail airman airmen airplane airport airport airship airtime allover allspice alongside also another anybody anyhow anymore anyone anyplace anything anytime anyway anywhere armchair armpit around arrowhead ashtray authorship babysitter backache backbite backbite backbone backbreaker backdrop backdrop backfield backfire backfire background background backhand backhand backlash backlash backlog
We didn't get a chance to share any new Halloween posts with you this year. We've both just been crazy busy with other projects (busy bags, anyone??) But we do have some fun ideas you may have missed so I've rounded up the ideas + freebies for you all in one post. And keep reading ... Read more
Visual Prompts, Visual Schedules and Visual Supports for Children with Special Needs: Classroom Adaptations for Visual Learners via RainbowsWithinReach
This simple busy bag activity will keep your preschooler occupied during quiet time. Great for restaurants, waiting rooms, and church (to name a few)!
I love teaching and being a teacher. There are a few tiny things that do annoy me in the classroom, however. Perhaps the most, is that little consistently-occurring question of "what do I do now?". For as long as I have been a teacher, and a little time before that, I have told my students "Be Busy". In just 2 words words, I am telling them both WHAT to do and HOW to behave. When I first introduce them to this idea, we explore what being 'busy' looks like. I have had "Bee Busy" stations set up in a few different ways. I have had them: in a stand of trays (tote tray shelf) a little low-table with activities in containers and baskets, a Bee Busy Cupboard and a pocket chart holder. Now I am trying drawers! In the past my Bee-Busy learning center has been very flexible, largely write-n-wipe activity cards. For my drawers, I want more of a structured system. I have combined these ideas in one easy-to-prep packet, - the Bee Busy Drawers. Start with a 6 drawer unit (or more if you need it)! Each drawer houses a different STYLE of activity. The goal is to have your students as independent as possible. If the drawers stay the same, students will become increasingly independent and focused each week. Structured drawers help create more freedom and flexibility for you. I know, how does that work?! Well, it makes your other resources more versatile. Slip them into the routine and piggyback off the experiences your students have built up. You can add ANY printable activity you already have, or find on sites like TeacherspyTeachers and incorporate it into a framework your students are confident and happy with! Optional: Cup of Popsicle sticks on Top Have one for each activity, matching the color of the drawer. If you have 4 activity options in the green drawer, have 4 green sticks. When students take an activity out, they take the matching stick. Students become more responsible for returning equipment (and put their stick back) They can quickly see what is available - instead of opening and flipping through drawers - if there are no green sticks, they wont need to open the green drawer. First Drawer The top drawer is where you keep all your bits and bobs - pencils, dice, clips etc. Label the Drawers Label each drawer, so the student become familiar with the activities and can return the equipment properly. Keep it Simple For each activity, think of the simplest way of presenting it. I like elastic bands around the cards, but you could also use baggies, small containers or pouches. The less fuss, the more attractive to students that are eager to do something. It also strips back your classroom routines. Your students will be engaged in a focused skills based activity in a a matter of seconds. Why is this important? Well, you can use up those little 5 minute blocks of spare time and make them irresistibly valuable! I hate wasting time, and like to squeeze every once of learning I can into the school day. Starter Pack My packet includes 16 activities to get you started. That is 4 per drawer. I have selected activities that focus on the basics. The idea of a "Bee Busy" station is that students are reinforcing and consolidating skills already learnt. No need to monitor, assess, regulate. Print and Play Activities I took extra time to 'package' these activities as 'Print and Play Games" - if you use my resources you will know what I am talking about. These are packets I make to use in small group rotations and center-based learning time. Each file includes a cover page, worksheet and detailed instruction sheet that is handy for giving to an adult helper working with your small groups. These additional pages are not necessary for the Bee Busy Drawers, but I included them so that this packet can be multi-use to you! Once you have used them in the Bee Busy Drawers, you can file them away for use in other areas of your program. Yay! If you would like to try my 'Bee Busy Drawers" idea, I have just listed it at TpT. Thanks so much for stopping by today!
These printable rhyming match games can be used in many ways and include pairs of matching rhyming picture cards. To play this Rhyming Match Game, print
This Quilt Sudoku Busy Bag for Kids combines colors and sudoku for a fun activity for kids. When finished, the color sudoku for kids makes a colorful quilt.
If you are a parent, you know that keeping the kids entertained while waiting at a restaurant is no small task! We rarely go out to eat, but for those special occasions when we do, it’s always nice to have a few fun ideas up my sleeve for keeping the kiddos happy while we wait. Here are […]
With all the other milestones our children have to meet – like potty training and eating – we forget the important emotional milestones our toddlers need to conquer. When toddlers have a hard time expressing their feelings they are more likely to get frustrated and aggressive and can lash out at those around them. How
25 must try LEGO activities for your block loving kids! They will have so much fun building, learning and challenging themselves!
Animation flip books are a really fun process for kids and toddlers to create their own short story. |Living, Crafts & Activities
Busy Bag for Learning Days of the Week
Rhyming Words Free Printable Ideas allow children to engage in a fun and interactive learning experience. This collection of printable resources offers a wide variety of rhyming word activities that help develop phonemic awareness skills. From matching games to word puzzles, these printables make learning rhyming words entertaining and engaging for young learners.
Get the printable HERE ! My Three Wishes Our newest free printable is excerpted from our resource, The Playful Therapist , a gu...
Teacher collaboration tips for members of a professional learning community. Learn how to create a positive culture through self-reflection.
One of the things I'm working on this year is incorporating more math literature/mentor texts into my math block-I have a great one to shar...
On the go or traveling requires busy bags to keep little minds busy and engaged. We love this simple engineering kits for kids that encourage creative thinking!
Yesterday I had the privilege of hosting a literacy bag exchange. WHAT???? Earlier this spring I held a toddler busy bag exchange for my 2 y...
I always tell everyone that having a child with Down syndrome enhanced our lives. It's absolutely true! In addition to the many blessings Liam bestowed upon our family, he also expanded my thinking. I now find myself thinking in terms of fine motor skills, gross motor skills, expressive language, and receptive language. I research early childhood development topics and therapy ideas. So much more knowledge has come from his diagnosis! I love to do activities with my kids and encourage learning in our home, but I've definitely been doing more since Liam was born. Whenever I decide to do an activity, I try to think of all the ways it will benefit him. Surprisingly, almost anything can become a therapy tool! As many of you know, Liam receives Early Intervention services in our home. Every week, he gets an hour of occupational therapy, an hour of speech therapy, and an hour of physical therapy. He's truly doing fantastic, and is right on track with milestones and development! Although I'll save it for another post, Liam just had his yearly Early Intervention evaluation and almost didn't qualify for OT anymore. The only thing that gave him a qualifying score was the fact that he didn't complete three tasks that he knows how to do during testing. Liam's amazing OT, whom we adore, said he reached all his goals, so now we're just going to refine his skills by making his tasks more difficult. It was time to get creative! After discussing ways to make Liam's therapy activities more difficult, I got to work creating fine motor Busy Bags using common, inexpensive household items. These Busy Bags are perfect for Liam's developing skills, but also perfect for keeping Lily occupied! Almost every Busy Bag featured has multiple activities for different skill levels. They work so well for our family. Lily can keep busy doing the more advanced activities, while Liam develops his skills! Even Dylan and Lexie, my BIG kids, had fun with a few of these! {ONE} Crazy Loop Straw Threading Busy Bag Crazy Loop Straws Foam Beads Have your child thread the foam beads onto the crazy loop straw. Bonus activities: Sort the beads into colors, sort the beads into shapes, and/or make a tower with them. {TWO} Pool Noodle Stringing and Stacking Busy Bag Pool noodle (Slice into 1 inch-2 inch pieces. Trust me, it's easy!) Piece of rope (Tie a large knot in one end.) Have your child string the pool noodle pieces onto the rope or stack the pool noodles as high as he/she possibly can! This probably goes without saying, but always supervise your child while they're using the rope. {THREE} Straw Drop Busy Bag Small container with a lid (Punch a hole in the lid with a large screwdriver.) Plastic Straws cut into 2 inch segments Have your child put the straws into the cup through the hole in the lid. For older children, make it more challenging by timing them! {FOUR} Sponge Blocks Busy Bag Sponges cut into squares, rectangles, and triangles Have fun building with sponge blocks! My kids LOVE this one! Have your child create a tower with the sponge blocks. Afterward, they can sort the blocks by color, then by shape. {FIVE} Playdoh Busy Bag Small container of Playdoh Straws cut into 3 inch segments Kneading Playdoh is great for strengthening the muscles in the hands! After a few minutes of kneading, place the straws in the Playdoh. Advanced activities: Create animals with the straws, create patterns using the straws, or write letters in the Playdoh by poking it with a straw. *We used dry pasta in the past for this, but I was afraid it would get crushed while being stored. {SIX} Wiffle Ball/Golf Ball Threading Busy Bag Wiffle Balls or plastic golf balls Pipe Cleaners Have your child thread the pipe cleaners through the wiffle ball/golf ball. Advanced Activity: Make shapes by connecting the balls together using the pipe cleaners. {SEVEN} Paperclip Numbers Busy Bag Flashcards (punch a hole through the bottom corner of each card) Paperclips There are so many activities to do with this busy bag for all skill levels! Pick a flashcard and place that number of paperclips on top of the card. Count out the number shown on a flashcard using the paperclips and clip them to the card. Sort the paperclips by color. Make a bracelet by linking the paperclips together! All of the busy bags can be easily stored in plastic storage bags and placed in a storage crate. We keep all of our Busy Bag Binders and crates on a shelf in the hallway, within easy reach. Saying "I'm bored!" is not allowed! Lily and Liam are having so much fun with the fine motor busy bags that they don't even realize they're developing skills! What are your favorite fine motor activities? For more busy bags check out: Busy Bags Binder using items from the Target Dollar Spot Arts and Crafts Busy Binder LET'S CONNECT! TWITTER // FACEBOOK // INSTAGRAM // BLOGLOVIN // GOOGLE+ // PINTEREST
Hands-on, engaging, and systematic phonics for beginning readers! This short u packet is part of Phonics Made Fun Level A Bundle! Included in this bundle
These empathy activities for kids foster empathy as a social emotional skill in children. Use the empathy beads to build this skill.
Use these coping strategies task boxes to practice social emotional learning skills in a hands-on and interactive way! Skills targeted include matching, identifying, and choosing coping skills. A total of 12 task boxes are included, each with 12 cards. These would be an ideal way for educators to target social skills and emotions to students who need strategies for managing their emotions. Coping strategies highlighted in these task boxes include: taking deep breaths, coloring, using positive self-talk, listening to music, yoga, reading, counting, taking a walk, and more. Students will explore different coping strategies and then choose strategies that best meet their individual needs. Why Teach Social Emotional Learning Skills Social emotional learning skills help kids and young adults learn how to manage their emotions, develop stronger relationships, understand their own strengths and weaknesses, develop empathy for others, and learn to make positive choices. These skills are foundational for social and emotional well-being. In particular, coping strategies are the skills that helps kids and young adults manage their emotions on the spot. Prep Work Step-by-step directions with photos are included to make setup and prep as easy as possible! Educators will prep each task box by printing, cutting, and laminating each set. Some boxes require velcro while others only need clothespins or paper clips as markers for the correct answer. A directions page is included to make it easy for students to know what to do. The answer keys are glued or taped to the bottom so students can easy check their own answers. Just place the set in a crate, bin, or craft box and you are ready to go! How to Use Students can use each task box independently or with partners to practice coping strategies skills. Students just follow the directions included and complete each task in the box. Some tasks require matching coping strategies illustrations to a card, finding a photo to match a particular coping strategy, answering yes and no questions, and more. Table of Contents • Educator Guide • Directions • Task Box #1: Understanding Coping Strategies (boys) • Task Box #2: Understanding Coping Strategies (girls) • Task Box #3: Answering Questions (yes/no) with Illustrations • Task Box #4: Answering Questions (yes/no) with Photos • Task Box #5: Matching Coping Strategies • Task Box #6: Matching Coping Strategies • Task Box #7: Identifying Coping Strategies • Task Box #8: Using Coping Strategies • Task Box #9: Using Coping Strategies • Task Box #10 Using Positive Self-Talk • Task Box #11: Choosing Coping Strategies • Task Box #12: Choosing Coping Strategies Note that both color and black/white options are included. Need MORE Coping Strategies? { Mindfulness and Coping Strategies MEGA Bundle } Help kids and young adults utilize coping strategies and mindfulness to manage stress and challenging emotions including anger, anxiety, depression, restlessness, and more. Resources in this bundle include over 570 pages focused on teaching and practicing coping strategies and mindfulness to kids and young adults necessary for success. Mindfulness and coping strategies work especially well together to calm emotions, increase self-control, and create a peaceful community of learners. Follow Me! { Click here to follow my store! } Tips for Customers: If you have questions, please contact me through Q & A and I'll get back to you as soon as I can! Please consider leaving feedback on this resource to receive TpT credits! I always strive for 5 stars and love hearing your feedback. Follow my store for notifications about new resources and freebies. Terms of Use: © Pathway 2 Success. One license is for the classroom/personal use for one educator and their students. Materials may not be shared with other educators without the purchase of extra licenses. Materials may not be posted on the Internet where they can be publicly accessed. Personal and classroom use only. Please see full terms of use for more information. Disclaimer: These resources are for supplementary support/education purposes and are not a replacement for education or other necessary supports. Educators, parents, and others who utilize these materials are encouraged to seek out additional support, as needed.
1-2-3 Come Fly A Kite With Me! As the wind is whipping around your school this month, are you looking for some kite-themed activities? Well you've come to the right place! I'll talk about a few of my favorites here, and then give you a link for the rest. To help you review the Common Core State Standard: MD.1.3, I've designed a kite clock. The game is entitled "Time Flies!" and reviews digital as well as analog time. Click on the link to view/download the analog and digital time - kite clock. If you're working on colors and patterning with your students, you'll enjoy the Kite Patterning packet. You can quickly and easily whole group assess your students, as they have fun adding a variety of colored strips, to make a patterned kite tail. Kites come in a large array of sizes and shapes, so I thought it would be fun to see if I could find examples of all of the 3D shapes. I learned a lot doing this research, and found many examples of spheres, cones, cubes and cylinders. In the easy reader: 3D Kites, students trace and write the shape words as well as glue the matching pictures to the numbered boxes. Click on the link to view/download the 3D Kite booklet No kite unit is complete, without studying the -ite and ight word families. I made a kite poster listing these word families as well as included them in the My Kite Booklet. The easy-reader kite-booklet packet, is chock full of -ite & -ight activities, like the Zite Story Poem. There's also some trace and write worksheets as well as well as a graphing extension, plus 25 traceable word cards. The packet also includes an -ite -ight word family kite "craftivity." Click on the links to view/download the My Kite Packet. Finally, since all of the glyphs have been such popular downloads, I decided to make a kite glyph too. Click on the link to grab this freebie. To see more kite activities, click on the link to zip over to the kite section, with 23 kite activities! Thanks for visiting today. Feel free to PIN away. "Distance means so little, when someone means so much. " -Unknown
How sensory processing works across the 8 sensory systems in the body - with a look at the sensory spectrum, sensory development in infancy, and SPD.
Help kids pay attention to sermons with these free printable sermon notes for kids. Get kids engaged today!
My kids absolutely loved doing this activity. So did I. My sister-in-law has been a school teacher and has moved into a principal position. She has handed me some of the supplies she used to use in the classroom. The other day she gave me a bag full of straws. She said she was sure...Read More
Make your own sticky sticks to make a silly sentence or two makes learning fun!
Teaching digraphs in kindergarten and 1st grade phonics can be hard! This trick for teaching digraphs will help those sounds stick.
Melissa & Doug
Looking for a long a game to help your child master words with ay, ai, and a-e? Try this free matching game!
The schwa is the most common vowel sound. It is found in the unaccented (unstressed) syllable of a word. It makes the lazy short u sound.
These 15 creative paper towel and toilet paper roll crafts let you recycle and keep kids entertained at the same time! (They're also fun for adults!)
Never planned to homeschool, now wouldn't trade it for the world
