Friday, November 30, 2012

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{FREE} Christmas Tracing / Cutting Practice!!



Tracing and cutting are great ways to improve fine muscle coordination and strength!  Add in a little holiday fun with these five pages! Click here to download this free file!  

These pages are easy to use and the fun pictures are inviting and encouraging!  You can let your child trace them with a finger, marker, crayon, or any other "writing utensil" or cut along the lines with child-safe scissors.  Alternatively, you could place them in sheet protectors and use them with dry erase markers!  

Clip art is from the very talented KPM Doodles and used with permission. 

You can see the five pages in the file here: 

 
 

 

Click here to download the file for free!  You do have to register with Teachers Notebook (a free process!), and after you register you will have access to hundreds of free and inexpensive teaching resources!  



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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

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Christmas Cantaloupe Stars



These Christmas Cantaloupe Stars are the perfect holiday snack food--they're delicious, healthy, and so very fun!  They're also easy to make: I usually cube melons for my kids anyways, and this only added a few extra minutes!!  They're perfect on their own, but could also be combined in ton of different fun ways--wouldn't they be adorable atop a Christmas Tree Pancake?  The possibilities are endless...of course, none of mine survived our 10:00 am snack-time!  Here's the easy step by step:

Simple Supplies:

  • cantaloupe
  • sharp "butcher's" knife
  • small star-shaped metal cookie cutter

Easy How-To:

1- Cut the cantaloupe in half and scoop out the seeds.

2- Slice the cantaloupe so each slice is about 1/2 inch thick.  The size is not critical, as long as it is not as thick as your cookie cutter.

3- Use your cookie cutter to punch out stars from each slice.  Or let your children help!

4- Serve it up!!

5- You will probably want to use your knife to cut the extra melon off and serve it when the stars run out. 




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Monday, November 26, 2012

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Christmas Preschool Packet {3 Day FREEBIE!!}

It's a 3-day FREEBIE!!  Share the news and spread the fun!!

This Christmas Packet is perfect for preschool and kindergarten students--both at home and school!!



The 22 pages included in this packet are:

1- Cover
2- What Comes Next (abab)
3- What Comes Next (abbabb)
4- Which One is Different
5- Which One is Different
6- Word Search
7- Word Search
8- Word Search
9- Doll Puzzle (4-piece)
10- Doll Puzzle (6-piece)
11- Santa Puzzle (4-piece)
12- Santa Puzzle (6-piece)
13- Train Puzzle (4-piece)
14- Train Puzzle (6-piece)
15- Maze
16- Maze
17- Maze
18- Candy Cane Dot-to-Dot
19- Gift Dot-to-Dot
20- Measure Each Line Using the Train Ruler
21- Measure Each Toy Using the Train Ruler
22- "My favorite part about Christmas is..."

Clip art is from the very talented KPM Doodles.

Click here to download the packet!!  If you are not a member of Teachers Notebook, you will need to register first (registering is totally free!)--then you will have access to many free and inexpensive teaching resources!

Here's a few pictures from the Christmas Preschool Packet:










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Friday, November 23, 2012

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Candy Cane Science Experiment

The Christmas season is here and school time is still running!!  Candy seems to be popping up everywhere...here's a fun science experiment to learn a little more about all that sugar! It's a colorful, sugary science project that the kids will love.




 Depending on your children's age and ability, you can use this experiment to talk about dissolving, polarity of water (and how it is the "universal solvent," density,  experiment variables, or the structure of candies.  You can expand and enrich this experiment in many days--click here to download a free preschool-appropriate worksheet to do with your child!  The best part is that even preschoolers can perform each step of this experiment!

Simple Supplies:

* warm water
* "mini candy canes
* small bowls


Easy How-To:


1-  Fill small bowl about 1/2 full with warm water.  The warmer your water, the faster your reaction.

2- Unwrap the candy cane and place it in the warm water.  It should be completely covered.

3- In less than a minute, you should see little bubbles rising off the candy cane as the water dissolves the sugar.


4- In about five minutes, the red strip should be completely dissolved.  Most of the red dyes will sink to the bottom of the bowl.  You may see some at the top of the water as well.  (Note: Candy canes are made white, and the stripes are added as one of the last steps!)



5- After about 25 minutes, the entire candy cane will be completely dissolved!!


6- Let your child choose ways to change the variables in the experiment...does cold water affect anything?  Do M&M's behave the same way?  Does adding salt do anything?  Will it dissolve in oil?  Remember this is an experiment, not just a demonstration: let your child try changing things up to see what he or she will learn!



If you love science, be sure to check out my collection of over 150 tested and proven preschool science activities and preschool science experiments!  There is something here for everyone!


For more candy cane fun, be sure to check out my Science Experiment: Bend Your Candy Cane too!



Do you love Christmas-themed science experiments?  If so, be sure to check out my eBook, 25 Christmas Science Projects for Kids!


I also have more than a dozen fun Christmas science experiments and Christmas STEM activities in this FREE collection:



Just in case your house isn't over-flowing with candy canes already, here are two affiliate links for your convenience.  The first has mini candy canes and the second has big candy canes...you can use either!  The rainbow candy canes make a cool effect as they dissolve!




Happy Educating, Carla










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Monday, November 19, 2012

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{FREE} Thanksgiving File Folder Games!!


Thanksgiving is this week!!  So, my Thanksgiving present to you is a file with three free Thanksgiving File Folder games!!   I hope you and your little one enjoy them!!


Check out these fun games:








 To create your Thanksgiving File Folder Games:

1.   Go to the Thanksgiving File Folder Games file at my Teachers Notebook shop.  If you're not a member yet, you will need to register for free.  (After you register for free, you can access many free and inexpensive educational files!)

2.  Download the file {FREE!!} and print out the games you want!  Glue the pieces to a file folder games according to these directions (these instructions are also included in the file):

  • Matching:  To prepare, cut the pictures out on page 3 and cut each picture in half along the black line.  Glue one half of each picture onto the inside of your file folder.  Let your child match the puzzles together.  If you are making this for a younger child, glue the whole picture (page 4) onto the inside of the folder, and let your child match the pieces onto the same picture.  (Clip art for this file is from KPM Doodles and used with permission.) 
  • Feed the Pilgrims:   To prepare, glue pages 5-6 to the inside of the folder and cut out the corn groups on pages 7-8.  Let your child count the corn and match it to the number on each set of pilgrims.
  • Turkey FeathersTo prepare, glue pages 9-10 (or cut out the turkeys and glue them) to the inside of a file folder.  Cut out the feathers on page 11, and let your child match the feathers to each color description on the turkeys.  If your child is not reading yet, trace the color words with the appropriate color marker or colored pencil, and let your child match the colors.

Laminating the pieces and the finished file folders will help them last much longer!  Tape an envelope onto the outside of the file folder to store movable pieces in.



Please feel free to share these files by pinning, linking to this page, or linking to my Teachers Notebook shop.  Or stop by my Facebook page and say, “Hi!”   Also, I love feedback!  Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments!!  

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving season!!





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Friday, November 16, 2012

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Preschool Fall Wreath Craft





This Fall Wreath Craft is perfect for preschoolers and toddlers!  It lets them practice their fine motor skills while expressing their creative genius!  And it's pretty fast and easy too!  Here's your quick step-by-step:

Simple Supplies:

  • wreath board (cut this out of a cardboard box...remember that little fingers don't need a big wreath!)
  • Elmer's glue
  • ribbon
  • Fall decorations (Go on a walk and collect acorns. Wrinkle little pieces of crepe paper up to make flowers.  Grab or cut some felt leaves.  Use anything else your children would enjoy!)

Easy How-To:

1.  Cut out your wreath board and gather your supplies.

2.  Thread the ribbon through the corrugated "paths" in the cardboard, and tie a knot close to the cardboard.  If your cardboard isn't corrugated, just wrap it around the wreath and glue it in place.



3.  Let older preschoolers get to work!

4.  For younger preschoolers and toddlers, spread a very thick bead of glue completely around the wreath board.  The younger the child, the more glue you should put on!


4.  Show your child how to stick the decorations into place on the wreath board.  Let him get to work! 

5.  Tie a knot in the end of the ribbon, so your child's wreath can hang.  Or better, let your child knot the ribbon!

6.  Put the wreaths somewhere safe to dry.  If your child used a lot of acorns, squeeze another thick bead of glue around the top of them all, making sure to let some glue settle in between each acorn.  Let the wreaths dry over night before you hang them, especially if you used very much glue. 

Ta da!!  All done!!




 Make it a Learning Experience:

* Go on a walk to collect the acorns.
* Talk about how oak trees make acorns to protect their seeds.
* Dissect an acorn.
* Talk about the life cycle of trees.




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