Trick or Treat Blog Hop

Thanks so much to The Classroom Game Nook for hosting another fun blog hop!  I'm back to share a "trick" with you that I like to use in my classroom, and a few "treats", too!  Continue on the hop to pick up lots of great ideas, freebies, and enter some fun giveaways! 

School is in full swing and I'm really enjoying my class this year!  We are very busy and having lots of fun, and I'm finding that setting up clear expectations, practicing our routines, and using visual clues to manage classroom behavior is really working! Many of my students are in school for the first time, so we spent lots of time in September learning about our classroom rules!  Here's one of my favorite management tricks...I find that with pre-kindergarten students the more simple, the better! 

This super simple poster hangs in the front of my classroom, the concept is so easy for my pre-kindergarten students to relate to!  In the beginning of the year, we model how "silent snakes" sound, we use this example when we're walking in the hallway, practicing for a fire drill, or listening on the carpet during a whole group lesson. We are "quiet koalas" for most of the day, during centers, snack, small group work, and our daily message.  "Chattering cheetahs" are saved for outside and gym time.  Super simple, right? These familiar representations have really helped me to control the noise level in the room and set us up for a successful year! 

Here's another little "trick"!  This FREE file also includes smaller versions of the cards, I like to print and laminate them and attach to a lanyard.  I can wear this lanyard during the day for easy access and quick reminders! Hurry, this FREEBIE TREAT is only free through October 31st! 

 Be sure to grab this FREEBIE before Halloween and I hope that you'll join in the fun for a giveaway! I'm so excited for this blog hop that I'm giving away a $10.00 credit to my TpT store!  All you have to do is enter using the Rafflecopter below.  Good luck! 
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now, continue hopping through for more great ideas, freebies, and giveaways!

Early Childhood Blog Hop - ARRRGGH you ready for back to school?

Are you ready for Back to School?  Or are you like me and your teacher bag is still in the garage? Not matter how much I procrastinate, it's coming (and many of you may already be back).  I'm teaming up with a great group of early childhood teachers for some fun giveaways to give you a head start!  This blog hop is hosted by Erin at Kindergarten Dragons! If you haven't checked out her blog, you need to, she's been working so hard this summer to share tons of ideas from kindergarten classroom! 

I'm giving myself one more weekend before I get back into my classroom, but my computer, printer and laminator have been working pretty hard at home!  I love my new Rainbow Decor Bundle, I can't wait to give my classroom a fresh look this year.

 To help you get your classroom ready, I'm giving one away to a lucky winner...plus a $10.00 credit to my store!  Check out the rafflecopter below for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now, keep hopping for more back to school giveways!  The next stop is Teacher Design!

Splish Splash: Summertime Blog Bash!

It's almost summer for me, and many of you may already be on summer vacation!  I have less then a month left, but tons of fun activities to try to squeeze in.  I'm kicking off the summer with a fun blog hop hosted by The Classroom Game Nook!  Be sure to continue clicking through the hop...there are over 40 bloggers participating with freebies and giveaways! 

Today, I'm sharing (and giving away) one of my favorite units to teach and it's so perfect for spring and summer...BUGS! We had so much fun with the unit, I stretched it out for two weeks and we even enjoyed a presentation about insects from our local Science Museum. Here's a look at what we did...

Check out this unit on TpT!

Hunting for alphabet matches in the sensory tub, shredded paper is cheap, quick, and easy to clean up!  You can grab this activity for FREE in the preview of my BUGS unit!

The writing center is always popular in my room!  We used circle stickers to decorate butterflies, it's great practice for little fingers! 

We added some grass from the Target Dollar Spot and some plastic bugs to our Block Center and it was a hit!  The kids happily built houses around the bugs all week! 

Who knew "Write the Room" was so much fun!  This activity was differentiated to meet the needs of my students, but by the end of the week everyone was searching the room for the vocab cards and copying the words! 

These ladybugs are adorable!  The patterns are included in my BUGS unit, just print on colored paper and allow the students to cut out! The students rolled two dice, and added them up to determine how many spots to put on their ladybug. We used black paint and foam pouncers for the spots!

Here's your chance to win!  Enter using this rafflecopter, I'll select two winners to receive my BUGS unit!  Make sure that you're following me on FB, that's where I'll announce the winners! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm wrapping up the school year, so it's time to start planning the summer!  I'm looking forward to watching my kids play in the backyard, working in my garden, and taking a break from our busy schedule.  If you need me, I'll be sitting here...

What are your plans for the summer? Leave me a comment, I would love to hear about it! I hope that you enjoyed this freebie and good luck with my giveaway. Now, keep hopping to grab some more freebies and check out new bloggers!  Click on this picture to head over to Knowledge Mobile! 

 Have fun!

Dollar Tree Giveaway!

            

So, I spent way to much at Dollar Tree, but it's for a good cause! The Housekeeping Center in my classroom needs some major refreshing and I like to go all out for St. Patrick's Day! Here's the rundown of what I grabbed...
- Kitchen utensils, measuring cups, placemats, oven mitts, and dishtowels for the Housekeeping Center
- A pack of six toothbrushes to use in our Sensory Table this week
- Four really fun little trashcans with swinging tops...I want to make a sorting center with these
- Three reusable shopping bags for the "Shamrock Shop" that I'll set up in a few weeks
- Gold coins, foam shamrocks, tinsel, a green tub, and RAINBOW glow bracelets

I'll post about my updated Housekeeping Center this week, but in the meantime I want to help you refresh your classroom, too!  Click on the rafflecopter to enter for a chance(s) to win a $10.00 gift card to Dollar Tree (continental US only, please).  I'll send the winner a fun little package (so you'll have to provide me with your mailing address).  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

500 followers on Facebook!

Follow me on Facebook!

I'm soooooo close to 500 followers on my Facebook page! Thanks for all of your support! I'm planning a celebratory giveaway...stayed tuned!

Back to School Sale and my new bundle!

Is it sad be be so excited about a TpT sale? Teachers, I'm sure you understand! I hope that you're grabbing some great products to help this school year. I just posted a bundle that I use all the time in my classroom! I created my "I can learn the alphabet" and "I can learn the numbers" books a few years ago and I love them! I copy and bind these in September and then I have my workbooks ready for the whole school year. These sheets are the perfect complement to your hands on lessons, the students can spend a few minutes working on letter and number formation after your fun games, songs, stories, and art projects.  I like to date the sheets and then use them to show progress at parent meetings.  Grab this bundle today or tomorrow for less than $4.00 and you're ready to print and go!

Find it here

Sewing for my classroom and MADE pattern giveaway!

      Now that school is over, I'm ready to relax and have some free time to spend on some of my interests...reading, gardening, sewing, and drinking iced coffee! I actually really like to sew, but don't have too much time to dedicate to it. So, when Dana from MADE asked for some volunteers to test out a new dress pattern for her, I figured it was a great opportunity for me to kick start my summer sewing goals. Have you read MADE? You really should! It was one of the first blogs I started reading, I was so drawn to her style and fun color choices. 

I make these bats for my house every year!

I want to make these for my next party or to use in  my classroom!

I love the projects she makes for her kids' school!

 
I made the dress and it turned out so cute!  Dana's patterns are user friendly with lots of pictures, perfect for beginners!  She even has tutorials on her YouTube page that are sooooo easy to follow!

Check out the pattern on MADE!

 Now that I'm back in my sewing groove, I'm ready to start some projects for my classroom!  My goal is to switch things up a little bit this year with some fun patterns and bright colors.  I'll be working on a new reading bench, curtains, storage covers, and pillows!  Here's a sneak peak...

Photos and fabric from the Online Fabric Store!

Do you have any summer sewing plans?  For your classroom or home? Dana has generously offered to give away two copies of her new pattern "First Day Dress and Top"!  Enter below and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Planting Week in PreK and Kindergarten

Wow! This blogging thing is hard, I really give a lot of credit to teachers who are able to keep up with it! Now that school is winding down I'm hoping spend some time updating my materials, visiting blogs for fun ideas, and working on my blog! 

We still have about a month left in school, but we're definitely preparing for the end of the year. One of my favorite spring activities to do with the little ones is planting! It's so fun to when the kids come to school in the morning to discover seedlings in their little cup! I like to plant marigold or zinnias, they are normally pretty dependable and quick. I came up with lots of fun activities to do with my kids this year, and just listed a new unit on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Check it out here!

A whole week's (or more) worth of materials!

This leaf counting activity was so fun, my students loved rolling the dice to determine how many leaves to add to their flower!

I'm giving away a few copies of this unit, would be lots of fun for a summer class or camp, too! Enter below or find it at my shop and I'll email it to a few winners this weekend! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Three Million Teachers Strong sale! I love TpT!

Thanks Krista Wallden!

 Are you ready for the TpT sale this week!  I'll be participating and filling up my cart!  Although I really need to go a clip art spending freeze, does anyone else have the same problem?!??  Don't forget to use the promo code TPT3 for an additional 10% off your purchase!  Have fun! 

Don't forget to scroll down and enter 

my Rafflecopter giveway (it ends tonight)!  

I'm giving away 5 free files from my store! 

I'm busy working to add a few more

titles before the big sale! 

Enter this giveway!

Giveaway! Help me reach 200 followers!

 I'm so close to 200 followers at my TpT store, how about a little giveaway to help me along!  The winner gets to choose any five products from my store!  Giveaway ends on February 26, so get your wishlist ready! Thanks for entering! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway winner!

Congratulations Kelly B.,  I've sent you an email! 

 I hope that you enjoy shopping with your TpT gift certificate! 

Thanks to everyone who participated in my giveaway!

Holiday Freebies and a Giveaway!

Grab your freebie HERE

One more week of school and then two weeks off for Winter Recess!   What are your plans for break?  I'm ready to sleep in, drink coffee, and not pack lunches!  I'll be spending lots of time with family and creating resources for the new year, I'm sure.  For those of you still in school, I'm adding a little holiday freebie to my shop.  Two cute holiday crafts for last minute decorating in your classroom and hallway.  I love using handprints in our artwork, such a great keepsake for the parents!         

 I'm also kicking off my last week of school with a giveaway!  Enter my giveway for a $15.00 gift certificate to use on Teachers pay Teachers (in any shop)!  Share this giveway to earn even more chances to win.  I'll email the winner a GC code that can be used to pay for your purchases!  Good luck and Happy Holidays! 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Back to School Sale!

Thanks to The 3AM Teacher for this button! 

Okay, so my week didn't go exactly as planned....no blogging!  As much as I would like to, I'm busy enjoying my last few weeks of summer.  But, my dining room table is covered with laminating scraps, so at least I'm getting some work done!  Just wanted to remind you that I'll be participating in the Big TpT Back to School sale, where you can get up to 28% off from your favorite shops!  Enter the code BTS13 for your discount! Everything in my store is on sale!  I've also been busy leaving feedback to earn more TpT credits, don't forget to go back and check your past purchases!  Have fun shopping! 

Would you like some free money for your shopping!  Last chance to enter my giveaway for a TpT gift certificate worth $10.00!

Click HERE to enter!

Yay for a Giveway!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway at the bottom of this post!!!  

 Oh no!  It's beginning - first day of school stress!  Many of you have already started the year, I hope that it's been smooth sailing so far!  I have a few more weeks of summer left, but a bit of an unusual classroom situation.  My classroom is being used for a summer program that ends the

 DAY BEFORE MY FIRST DAY!  

I have to sneak in and set up my room while the summer class is away on trips, so my time is limited!  I'm hoping to get a lot done this week, and to help you get a lot done, I'm hosting another GIVEAWAY! I'll pick a random entry to win a $10.00 gift certificate to my favorite store Teachers Pay Teachers!  Spend your gift certificate on anything, there is a button on the "checkout" page to enter GC codes.  Make sure you are logged in (follow me!) so I can contact you!  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Back to School Pins - don't forget to enter my giveaway!

I made it to my classroom today! It feels good to get a little bit of a start, even though I have 36 more days off (don't hate:)!  I'll be posting some pics soon, but in the meantime, I'm linking up with Just Reed with Back to School Pins!  I hope that you find some inspiration, link up and show us the
back-to-school ideas you've been pinning!

How come I've never done this!  On the to-do-list for this year!  Great idea from Boy Mama Teacher Mama!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom - a must have for September! Cute idea from Mrs Goff's PreK Tales!

Love these for discriminating colors - same colors, different shades!  I spent a lot of time at the paint store this week, this is my next project! So cute from The Rigneys!

A little dot holds a lot! What a great practice activity from Kindergarten Smiles!

This would be perfect next to the classroom door!  Love to support Etsy sellers, from Petunia Fitzgerald Creations!

Could I ever pull something like this off????  I need to give it a try!  So sweet, from Jo's PhotoMojo!

I'm thinking about a "pets" unit for next year, this caught my eye from SMART CLASS!

I was reminded of this today as I sorted my October books, love Cara Carroll's ideas!  Definitely repeating this one this year!

I'm using Pete the Cat this year for the first time!  Love these from Mrs. Jump's Class!

Simple and fun for school or home, my kids would love this!  Great idea from Reading Confetti!