Winter mornings are dark and cold, even down here in Florida! It's hard to force myself out of bed in the morning and the kids are struggling too. As part of the 100 Acts of Kindness Project I decided to try and give them something to smile about when they wake up so I've been leaving morning love notes for them on their doors. Morning Love Notes It's basically the same idea as "heart attacking" someone where you write sweet things on hearts and … [Read more...]
Valentine Hearts Spelling Game
Practice spelling words with a Valentine's Day twist! Kids will just love this valentine hearts spelling game. Valentine Hearts Spelling Game This game actually combines two of our previous games (Raining Hearts Word Game and Draw a Letter Matching Game). My son was having so much fun with the hearts I wanted to extend the learning further. We've been working on word families. Aiden chose a new word family to practice and I added in the … [Read more...]
Valentine Hop and Pop Gross Motor Activity
Preschoolers need lots of practice to develop their gross motor skills--good thing it's so much fun! I was talking to my friend Meredith from Homegrown Friends and she came up with the idea of using bubble wrap for a Valentine's Day activity and we could not wait to try it out. This is one gross motor activity even I had to try! Affiliate links are included for your convenience. Valentine's Day Gross Motor Activity bubble wrap paper … [Read more...]
Sight Word Pumpkin Patch
We are all about pumpkins this time of year! Recently, we made these pumpkin print craft with a secret item and thumbprints. (Seriously very fun!) We just had to use the cute pumpkins in an activity. My Big Sister (age 7) is a first grader this year, and the sight word practice continues. We've been practicing sight words in a lot of fun ways and this pumpkin patch sight word activity was a big hit! Sight Word Pumpkin … [Read more...]
Corn Silk Fine Motor Sensory Play
Summer means backyard cook outs, picnics, and fresh veggies. What is a key part of all of these summer things?? Corn on the cob! Kids love eating corn on the cob at picnics and summertime dinners. Peeling all of that corn is part of the summer experience and can be a family event if the kids are involved. When peeling the corn husks, I'm always amazed by the texture of corn silk. It's stringy, soft, and a little sticky. We are giant fans of … [Read more...]
Fine Motor Busy Bags for Kids
I am a huge fan of busy bags. I love having engaging and educational activities ready to go when I need them! They can easily go with you which makes them great for summer and travel. They are also a fun way for kids to develop the fine motor skills they need for Kindergarten! Fine Motor Busy Bags ABC Match Fine Motor Busy Bag. Use clothespins and a paper plate to create a sunshine busy bag that develop fine motor and ABC skills. Crazy … [Read more...]
What Do Phonics, Phonemic Awareness and Decoding Mean?
If you have a preschooler or a kindergartner chances are you've heard the terms phonics, phonemic awareness and decoding before. What do they really mean? This week as part of our Get Ready for K Through PLAY series I'm going to explain! Some of my longtime readers (thank you!) may know that I have my Master's in Reading and am a trained Reading Specialist, but you don't need a background in education to figure this out. I promise. All you need is … [Read more...]
Easy Homemade Bubble Recipe for Kids
One of our favorite things to do outside is to blow bubbles! It's always fun, but it's especially nice to do in the shade on a hot day. This is one of our favorite homemade bubble recipes because it is so easy to make. Homemade Bubble Recipe 4 cups of water 1/2 cup of corn syrup 1/2- 2/3 cup of dish soap You want the water to be fairly warm. I heat it up in my kettle and well before it starts boiling I take it off and dump it into … [Read more...]