Styrofoam Cookies!

A little project the kids can play with for a while! I prefer the little metal cookie cutters that I can press into the Styrofoam and make a cutting line. However, you can use what ever cookie cutters and trace if necessary.

 Make sure your Styrofoam is not to thick. If it's to thick it might be to hard for the kids to cut.

 Also test your pair of scissors. I discovered my preschoolers special scissors seemed to work better, but it could of been just because they were a better pair of scissors and newer. It could frustrate your child to try to cut with scissors that are to dull.

 After they get them cut out, let them decorate with fabric paint as if they were frosting the cookies!

 Don't forget the sprinkles!

 Also, remember this is not about perfection. It's more important the children do their project and are proud of their work.

Let them dry for a couple days....then they can put them with their play kitchen and serve pretend cookies they made. You might remind them they are not edible!

Pre Schoolers Daily Lessons Made Easy

So when it comes to my 3 year olds work I like to keep it simple. There is no need to buy some fancy curriculum. I buy my youngest a notebook just like her older siblings. We do a lot of tracing shapes, numbers, and letters. Talking about what shapes, numbers, and letters they are. We also talk about what sounds they make. Discuss caps and lower case. I draw her a worksheet according to her need that day and go over it with her.

If she makes a mistake I don't tell her that it is wrong at this age or review errors, but tell her what a great job she did and let her put stickers on her page. If she wants to color or do what ever to her page after she did her lessons, I let her. She is proud of her school work.

 Partly why I like to use this kind of notebook is so I can create the lesson each day based on what she has mastered and needs more work on. When I feel she is ready for a bit more of a challenge I put it in there.

 On the picture below I put her alphabet dot to dot more in a circle.

 Here I start to zigzag the dot to dot alphabet. Encouraging her to pay attention to what letters is next.

 I still don't correct mistakes, but go over it with her before she begins and encourage the right pattern. On this picture the number dot to dot is making her think a little more. I help her when she ask and encourage her to try.

 I don't usually let her use markers in her notebook because it goes through the paper, but everyone finds what is best for them.

I like to use a notebook because I can look over her progress throughout the year, without the mess of loose leaf paper. Notebooks are easier in my opinion.

 Her notebook page is her main daily assignment, then we often do a cutting page. Nothing fancy to practice cutting. I draw some lines on a construction paper because it is stiffer than regular paper. I help her learn how to open and close the scissors. We work on trying to stay on the lines. Ones she starts to understand the scissors a little bit, I let her go. She usually would try to cut on the lines and then continue cutting the paper until she had a bunch of pieces. Then we throw it away.

Eventually we did some real cutting projects.

I also did ABC flashcards and animal cards. Other simple worksheets. Hands on patterns with colorful bears. The last month of the school year she has mastered letter sounds and we have begun working on sight words. She can count at least to ten, sometimes farther. She is cutting shapes out quite well. She knew all her shapes near the beginning of the school year and colors the year before. She also recognized her name and her sisters names when spelled out. She can create and recognize patterns. I really believe any parent that wants to can teach their children at home. Especially at this age. No fancy preschool would ever be better for a child than one on one time with their parent learning. I know anyone can do this that sets there mind to it. This time spent with your children is so rewarding.

Where to put those Bath Room Toys?

Ice Cream buckets are good for a lot of things! Take a screw driver, or something bigger than an ice pic, poke holes in the bottom.

 The more holes the better drainage, so it depends on your bath toys as to how many.

 Hang it up on the faucet and you have a perfect place to hang your bath toys to dry.

 When you poke your holes be aware that if you poke it in the seem lines, it could make the bucket crack.

 If you have older kids or people needing to use the bath without the toys, you can have a second bucket to the side of the bath to set them in to keep your floor dry. Just remember to rehang when done!!

I plan on adding a little elastic skirt ruffle around mine, to make it look cute and match the pretty bathroom.

Learning Letter Sounds

Full piece size construction paper letters. Cut out very basic things that have the same beginning sound to glue on it!  Review and talk about the sounds while gluing, If you're having trouble finding basis shapes look for coloring pages for basic idea shapes.

Home made Barbie Beds!

A little bit of fleece and some hot glue to attach the material to a cardboard pencil box makes for a perfect Barbie bed! The plastic Barbie furniture always looks dirty and is expensive. Any box the right size and that is made to last can work. The trick is finding a nice box and converting it to be the furniture your little girl's barbies have always dreamed of!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 A little storage inside the box!

 Inside the box can also make some nice storage!

Coming soon......How to video for those of you who want a little more help!!!!

Invisible Words Signs

My Daughter and I decided to take on a project for her room. I had a simple idea to paint these boards, put some painters tape on them to make a picture or words, paint over it with a rough look, and then peel the tape off and be done! My daughter presented me with a challenge......She said we had to write words in cursive. I'm great at drawing bubble letters, but not in cursive and how were we going to get the tape cut just right?                                                                                        

So I had to come up with a way to make this work. So I used an ice cream bucket because the plastic is thin enough to cut, and the painters tape will easily peel off the plastic. I wrote the words on it, then put painters tape over it                                     

,

 I then cut out my words carefully..

 I peeled the word of the plastic slowly and carefully...

 

Got it positioned on the board..

Put a little Creative Paint on it!

 Peeled off the tape.....and I must say I think it turned out pretty good!