Feature Friday

I have to share my latest purchase - Xyron 500 Create-a-Sticker Machine. I featured this product in August. It is the coolest! The Xyron 5" create-a-sticker turns almost anything into a sticker by applying an even layer of adhesive to the back of all kinds of materials, including paper, photos, fabric, leather and more. Simply feed the item in, turn the handle and trim. An even layer of Acid-Free Permanent or Acid-Free Repositionable adhesive will adhere to items up to 5" wide. I purchased the Xyron at Wal-Mart for $20. The refillable cartridges were $10 a piece. (I bought the repositional adhesive and the permanent adhesive.) I am so excited. I cannot wait to try it out. The possibilities are endless - labeling cubbies & mats, making games, labeling containers, etc. I will keep you posted.


Xyron 500 Create-A-Sticker



Thoughtful Thursday

Last night I listened to the news for a recap of the final gubernatorial debate. An education major at a local university who attended the debate came away feeling more confused than ever as to whom to cast her vote. The student said the biggest problem with the debate was that it was "childish and catty" and neither candidate won her vote with the way they interacted with each other. She went on to say they argued about how many jobs were in the  department of education as opposed to talking about the real issues and how they were going to create  better education for the children of South Carolina. At this point she questions if that is how they are going to act in trying to be bi-partisan in the government.

As we approach election day on November 2, my advice is to read and study the issues for each candidate and make an informed decision. Go out and VOTE!

Workshop Wednesday

Halloween Transfer Activities (The Last Halloween Idea!)

Pumpkin Transfer: An egg tray with little pumpkins to transfer.  Pumpkins and tray are from Hobby Lobby.


Spider Tweezing: This is a fun little transfer activity. The pumpkin tray is from the Dollar Tree.  The little fake spiders are from Dollar General.  The tweezers are perfect for grabbing their little legs!


Spider Sifting: Use a slotted spoon to sift Halloween spiders out of a bowl of rice and transfer to another bowl. The spiders are plastic spider rings with the ring part cut off. Swapping the white rice for black or orange rice would be delightfully eerie!


Ideas taken from My Montessori Journey

Transition Tuesday

Need a quick tranistion activity to get the wiggles out. Try this idea.

Hands on Hips

Hands on hips: now turn around.

Plant your feet here in the ground.

Twist your hips, now stretch and bend.

Turn around. Smile at a friend.

Bend your body; sway and sway,

That is all we’ll do today!

(Read slowly so that children will have sufficient time to perform each activity.)

Make & Take Monday

One more Halloween Treat!

(Okay maybe not. )

Halloween Play Dough
Make 2 types of play dough for Halloween to add to your play dough center: black with lots of purple glitter and orange.  Both are unscented. Add Wilton gels, instead of food coloring,  to make the play dough brighter. (Be careful when making the black. Your hands will be stained a purplish/reddish color). Add  purple glitter to the black play dough and then add some pipe cleaners and wiggly eyes for spiders. Put out some Halloween cookie cutters with black beans for Jack O' Lanterns.

This make & take activity is sure to be a treat not a trick!

Feature Friday

More Halloween books for your classroom library.

Inside a House that is Haunted by Alyssa Satin Capucilli is a rebus read along, so it is repetitive and it builds upon itself. This is great for children who are eager to “read along” before they are able to read words. The repetitiveness allows them to anticipate what is next and feel included. Very cute even after reading it hundreds of times.

There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat! by Lucille Colandro will be a huge hit! It’s a reworking of the classic song "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly" only this one swallows a whole bunch of Halloween creatures, like a goblin, ghost and of course a bat.  She continues to swallow bigger and bigger things until at the end the old lady belches. Children will laugh hysterically.

Dem Bones by Bob Barner is sort of two books in one. The superficial layer uses the words of the ever popular old time spiritual with fun Halloween inspired skelleton illustrations. There is also a second layer that has longer text for older children that goes into the anatomy of the bones the song sings about. Great way to keep a Halloween theme strong while teaching about the human body!

Thoughtful Thursday

"Teachers and caregivers have daily opportunities to be the catalysts for spectacular developmental advances for children who otherwise seem destined to end up in a developmental wasteland.  We help provide love and attention, a healthful environment, good nutrition, and appropriate interpersonal interaction day after day.  So, whether we think of these dramatic changes as miracles or simply developmental advances, they are all around us, just waiting for a chance to happen — and waiting for us to help.  The opportunity to be part of such miracles in the lives of young children is a bonus of our professional work that should not be taken lightly."

How many lives have you touched today?

Taken from "Frankie's Story: Early Experiences Matter" by Bettye Caldwell.