Theme Thursday {Spiders & Bats)

So I'm trying to prepare for next week and as always I'm looking for new ideas. My theme is spiders and bats and this is always LOVED by all the kiddos. I have a few fantastic ideas up my sleeve, but there is room for more so here is what I've found from pintrest and I'm hoping you will add yours as well. 

Ok so this is totally fab! Spiders with missing numbers that the children can fill in. CUTENESS! 

Click the picture to download.

I did these last year and plan on doing them again--they were SO MUCH FUN! 

L.O.V.E. doing these----along with the rolling the marble inside a box on black paper with white paint spider webs of course--

From the talented Mrs. Jump---

So, please share my friends....what activities do you like to do when you study spiders and bats at school? Please share!

Theme Thursday {All About Me}

So next week I'm starting my All About Me unit and here are some things I have found that I'm using or tweeking a bit:

I purchased this unit last year and used it with my firsties and they LOVED it. We worked on a couple pages a day and at the end of the week we shared them to the class. I'm kind of anxious to see what the kinders will create, but they are excited about talking about "me" all week.

Learn and Grow Designs: (click to purchase)

I purchased this unit last week and I'm excited about using some of the activities out of it!

Creative Classroom

I also took advantage of this MARVELOUS unit by Deanna Jump before school started. I used it mainly during the the beginning of school, but this is one of the projects we didn't get to, so I'm pulling it back out and we're going to do it. I know my kinders are going to love it....of course I'm going to be sweating as they are cutting (many of mine are still have difficulty holding scissors--AHHH) BUT- they love love LOVE tearing paper, so this will be their favorite. 

Mrs. Jump's Class:

This is also when I start to introduce my bucket fillers and talk about "heart felt words" and making our friends feel good. Here is a picture of what I use in my classroom as bucket fillers. As for the beginning of the year I am the only one using these. When the kids do something to make me happy (fill my bucket) I give them a pom pom to fill their bucket....because when you fill someone's bucket you also fill your bucket! 

I cannot remember where I snagged this sign from....THANK YOU if it was you--I'm thinking it was Room 36 but I'm not sure. 

Sorry about the darkness of the photo....I'm sitting in the dark because it relaxes me! I do have labels for my buckets, but I forgot them at home today so I'll be bringing them bright and early tomorrow morning and putting them on. This is actually a 24 shoe hanging organizer with plastic cups inside.

I also start my VIP (Very Important Pirate) and I start with information about myself. Each day is something different and I actually got the idea from What the Teacher Wants....and just tweeked it to fit my pirate theme. Also, whoever is VIP of the week, they get to spend a weekend with Cupcake our class pet (parrot) whom I have previously mentioned. 

Enjoy my friends!

Happy September!

Happy September, Teacher Friends!  This is one of my all-time fave months because it marks the beginning of FALL!!!  I canNOT tell ya'll how much I LoVe fall!  The cooler temps, the bright blue sky, & all the harvest fun are just a FEW things I love about this month!  

To start off our September days, I just finished making my new September calendar set.  I've decided to offer a new calendar set FOR FREE each month to all our beautiful readers!  I know I'm a little late getting September to you, but I promise to get the next ones to you much sooner!  Enjoy!!!

Sept Calendar

I'm preparing to do an apple unit with my little one in a couple of weeks.  So, I've been doing some late-night blog stalking to find the best and cutest ideas out there.  Check out some of the fun things I've found...

Ten Apples Up On Top activity from I Can Teach My Child

Apple Transferring from Getting Messy With Ms. Jessi

Cork Painting from Getting Messy With Ms. Jessi

Johnny Appleseed Bars from Frites & Fries

Johnny Appleseed Counting from Handprint & Footprint Art

Oreo Cheesecake Apple Truffles from Raising Memories

Ok, so no matter how much I blog hop, I still miss so much cuteness, so now it's your turn...

Tell us what fun apple activities you have planned for your classrooms or your homeschool.  We would LOVE to see your ideas!

Chicka Chicka Freebie

Happy Monday, Cuties!  First things first, let me wish our Darling Dolphin, Jennifer, a HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!  Today starts her first week with ALL of her kinders, and we wish her the best of luck!!!   
It's also Jennifer's hubby, Stephen's birthday too, so best wishes to him as well!!!  

In honor of Jennifer's birthday, here's some fun freebies!  As part of my Chicka Chicka Boom Boom unit with my little one, I made some color trees to match the color word to the color of palm tree.

Color Trees

I also made a bus template for a torn paper collage.  We used aluminum foil for the wheels.

Bus Collage

I also made some coconut tree clip cards for number recognition and counting.  Simply use clothespins or paper clips to identify the correct number.

Coconut Clip Cards

Have a marvelous Monday, friends!

Theme Thursday!

It is my first week back to school and I am exhausted!  I am having so much fun getting to know my new kinders for this year!  We will be starting a color unit next week.  We have a color or colors of the day, and I ask parents to dress the kids in the color(s).  Here are some ideas I found to use with my color unit for next week!

The last day is a rainbow day! I love this idea from Share and Remember-

Ice Cube Painting

Each day we like to have a colorful snack that goes with our color(s) of the day

Cute Color Mixing Activity with shaving cream from No time for Flash Cards

There are so many things to do with colors! I am so excited for the colorful weeks ahead!

Classroom Theme {Pirates}

So sorry about posting about pirates again my friends, but I'm in pirate mode and I've been finding SO MANY fabulous ideas out there I just HAD to share! 
Click the picture to be directed to the blog I snagged the photo from! 

Pirate Numbers! Yay!

I couldn't stop myself from buying this! 

Love this idea for classroom jobs! Which reminds me....do ya'll have any ideas for pirate like names for classroom jobs?? 

This is where I found my inspiration for my hallway display. Thanks Mrs. Jump!! 

She also offers this as a FREE yes...I said FREE download! YYAAAHHOO!

Oh my word....TOO CUTE-- in our county- we cannot do ANYTHING with our doors. 

:( Blah.

Too precious!

Cute desktop tags

I really like this idea. I am going to use it, but change it just a little. I'm going to use the little metal buckets and put a treasure chest on the front of the buckets and label one Lunch from Home and the other School Lunch. I will have coins with their names on it inside a small pocket chart that they can place inside the buckets each morning. 

Sail ho! Have a jolly Thursday Matey!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

"Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, will there be enough room?"  I'm sure that's what some of you are saying as you try to find a spot for everything in your classrooms!  I know I thought that every year! :) 

One of my favorite books that I read to my to my kindergarten kiddos and now to my own little Munchkin is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by  Bill Martin Jr.  I'm planning on using this book as a theme with Noah when we start our "Flight School" in a couple of weeks.  I have searched the blogosphere for ideas & found some very creative projects to do and snacks to make (all with FREE downloads)

File Folder Game from Oopsey Daisy 

Coconut Tree Snack from The Page's of Our Story

Lapbook from 1+1+1=1

tree craft from The Crafting Chicks

  

magnet board activity from Playing House

Here's a video to show your kiddos.

So, if you need some fun activities to do in your classroom as centers or at their seats, I made a new Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Mini Unit.  It's for sale in our Teacher's Notebook Shop.  It is 22 pages of language arts, math, and fine motor activities including...

-Name Handwriting Practice

-Beginning Letter Sounds

-Uppercase / Lowercase Letter Match

-Patterns

-Find the Difference

-Handwriting 

-Fine Motor (Do-a-Dot or Circle Magnet Pages)

-Counting

-Number Recognition

-Color Words

-Beginning Reading

Click the picture to view the product.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, ya'll!

End of the Year {Theme Thursday}

I don't know about you, but I just cannot believe that we only have 1 more week left of school! WHOA! Where does the time go? Well, it is starting to get a bit overwhelming, and it is beginning to look like the 3M store blew up on my desk due to all the notes just laying around. So, just like many of you- I have made myself a little end of the year checklist. I love checklists, because I absolutely LOVE checking those things off. So here it is friends---I know it will not help many of you to download it, but it may help you get an idea of how to organize your own. 


Click the picture to download

I begin each year talking about Oceans and I like to end each year going into more depth with Oceans. Since my whole "theme" is Oceans it just works out best that way....plus that's all we are thinking about right now is summer time and the beach anyway! I had to head on over to Deanna Jumps blog and purchase her new Ocean Unit and it is SUPER DUPER cute! I can't wait to get started on it Tuesday (Monday is our last field trip)! Kind of sad. 

Click the picture for the link to purchase that awesome unit friends--

Happy Thursday All---now off to watch the Season Finale of Grey's Anatomy---surly Meridith does not really get fired!!