Christmas !!

Okay, I admit it - I'm excited. This week is going to contain some super cute Holiday crafts - this particular blog focuses more on Christmas but I'll put up some Hanukkah and Kwanza ideas later.

First off we have adorable hand Santa Clause. It takes more prep on the teacher's part since they need some cutting out for the facial features, but they're super cute! The kids can glue everything - this picture was obviously made by an adult since everything is straight...

These Christmas tree ornaments are made out of yogurt lids. It's amazing the cute things that can come out of gluing on some seasonally colored buttons and adding some string. I'd recommend using super glue when you add the string as it doesn't like to stick with regular white glue.

This is my favorite Christmas craft. The kids can do EVERYTHING from gluing (or stapling the Popsicle sticks if the glue isn't holding, or your impatient like me). Add whatever is in your sequin / glitter bin and your good to go! Kids love doing this with Christmas sequins, you can pick those up at any chain store (ex: Target, Bartell Drug, Wal Mart...) or most craft stores (JoAnne Fabric or Michaels)

New Things !!

As most of you know I transferred to another center this week -- only after locking my keys in the running car and having a cellphone punk out on me did I finally get to start at the new center. Sometimes I swear this crap happens to me more often then not! I worked for a good 6 hours on Wednesday and from 10:30-4:30 yesterday to get this room in shape for a bunch of preschoolers on Monday. It was a ton of work but so rewarding at the same time. I am kicking myself for not taking before and after pictures... but as we always say in the classroom " you get when you get & you don't throw a fit ! "

  Sensory / Science area - with Holiday lights, of course...

 Our first art project ... GLITTER ART - it was great, some of the kids wanted to do the project over and over. I just kept the glue, glitter and paper coming!

 Home living - I picked up those great big stars on the ceiling from Dollar Tree. They are actually more stable than the star we picked up for my son's bedroom - which was a heck of a lot more expensive!

 Fine Motor -- what says fine motor more than sign language? -- Probably rubber band boards! Below is the wall of the fine motor area. It seems like just the right season to be practicing those coat buttons and zippers!

 Tempera paint on the window works wonderfully. It's a cheap and easy way to decorate windows. It does consistently need a little touch up, but so does everything else.

... all in a couple days work, a brand new classroom! This weekend I am looking forward to starting on the house - I promised my hubby I wouldn't put up Christmas till after Thanksgiving, now it's two days later and i'm ready for some decorations!

Gobble Gobble Gobble

It's November 1st -- that means Goodbye crazy Halloween and Hello Turkeys and being Thankful! This morning I spent the morning letting the kids "free play" while I ripped down the entire classroom. No more Halloween lights, ghosts, skulls and out into the dumpster went our haunted house. I always like the change of seasons, it gives me a chance to clean the room and start new... I also think it's great when all my parents come in the first week and comment how bare the classroom is. I think it reminds them of how much their kiddos actually do.

Today we discussed reasons why we are thankful. Tomorrow I am going to write those reasons on paper feathers and allow the kids to glue them on to Turkeys. Each kid should have at least three feathers of thankfulness, even if they are simple one word answers like friends, family and sharing. One child today told me he was thankful for his Halloween Candy - when we dove further into the discussion he was thankful because he got to share the candy with his older brother & they spent time together eating M&M's. He also told me he was saving all his M&Ms to share with his brother. It's amazing what kids will do just for a moment of time.

No pictures today as we haven't started any Turkey projects yet --- keep an eye out, it won't take long!