I used to just throw away a dried out marker. Now, I save a dried out marker in three easy steps. This is one of those tricks I wish I would have done ages ago. I can't even imagine how many markers I've thrown out thinking they were useless when they actually had lots of life left in them. It doesn't matter if it's a fine point marker, dry-erase marker, or a chubby marker. I was able to give View Post
Gingerbread Christmas Ornament
Need the perfect Christmas ornament that children can make by themselves? This Gingerbread Baby Sticker Ornament is perfect, and even toddlers can make this! Once December hits, there's no denying my gingerbread adoration! This year my kids made these gingerbread baby Christmas ornaments, and we absolutely love them. We were inspired by the book Gingerbread Baby which is written by Jan Brett. View Post
Natural-Dye Liquid Watercolor
I have been waiting to do this Natural-Dye Liquid Watercolor recipe for months! We use liquid watercolor weekly, and it is one of my all-time favorite items to have around. When my friend Asia, the writer of Fun at Home With Kids, told me that she had figured out how to make liquid watercolor with natural ingredients, I knew I had to try it. She mentioned that the recipe for natural dye liquid View Post
Educational Gifts for Children
As a teacher I love to give educational gifts as often as possible. Some items are great for a season, but educational gifts can be wonderful for years and easily be passed along to other children once the child has outgrown them. I'm going to share with you my top rated picks which are teacher and parent approved. I don't use television in the classroom often, but when I do, I have one tried View Post
Candy Cane Stripe Counting
Candy canes are pretty irresistible, so this has been the perfect counting busy bag. It was a cinch to make, and all of my kiddos absolutely love it. I found solid colored candy canes at the grocery store then curled pipe cleaners/chenille stems around them and trimmed them. The edges were a bit sharp so I pushed them down as well as possible. So far no one has complained about them, so that's View Post
6 Ways to Make a Calm Down Jar
Calm down jars are a must-have when there are children around, so I'm sharing six ways or recipes on how to make a calm down jar or glitter jar or some call it a mindfulness jar. I want to give you six recipes here so that you can choose which one works best for you, or you can try them all. They provide healthy and effective ways for little ones to help soothe themselves, calm down, take View Post
Peppermint Slime
I'll admit that I was hesitant to do slime. This peppermint slime recipe completely made my mind up about it though. The texture is wonderful and doesn't leave hands goopy. Children who do not like messy play were interested in this, and my class couldn't get enough of it! I will dare to say that we like it even more than playdough! The first time I brought it out, every child played with it View Post
Pumpkin Suncatchers
Suncatchers are some of my favorite crafts to do with the preschoolers. These pumpkin suncatchers turned out just as beautifully as I had wanted, and we even used a "secret ingredient." The goal of my suncatcher was to make it beautiful and simple to make. We had all the ingredients on hand, so I was thrilled not to have to go out and buy supplies. Have you figured out the "secret View Post
Meltdowns — The Not So Perfect Storm
Meltdowns have no boundaries. They happen in any place: at home, in school, the store, restaurants, airplanes, birthday parties, appointments... you name a place and it's a candidate. I'm no stranger to meltdowns. After teaching young children and having two of my own, I see them on a regular basis. The honest truth is that they still make me cringe. I don't bat an eye at a siren or other loud View Post
Brown Bear Lacing Cards Busy Bag
Make Brown Bear, Brown Bear Lacing Cards for fine motor practice while reading a beloved book or for a Brown Bear theme or Eric Carle theme. We are reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear this week, and I thought that it would be perfect to come up with a fine motor small group activity or busy bag inspired by this dearly loved book! I'm including free printables for this lacing activity, so you can View Post