Name and Numbers Post-It Note Fun

I love Post-It Notes!
I took out some Post-it notes and added tape paper for my 3-year-old...time to work on name and numbers.  One of my favorite activities!
I taped it to our refrigerator and let him match the letters and numbers.  I did this with my firstborn son and it stayed on his wall forever, and he used it a lot.  Well, my second son has already crumpled up a letter.  Yet another way my boys are so different.  We used it as a learning experience.  I asked him what letter he needed and he told me.  He really wanted his name to be "complete".  He has not crumpled up another letter, yet...
For more Post-It note ideas check out: http://mrsodaniels.blogspot.com/2011/08/post-it-notes-why-i-love-them.html?m=0

Gotta Catch Them All

Another birthday party and the theme was an easy one for my soon-to-be 7-year-old...Pokemon!  We had fun crafting up the pinata and bags, decorations, and snacks!  I always like to get my boys involved in organizing their party.  

 We went a little crazy with the "Pokeball" theme, but it was an easy shape to recreate with the pinata and snack trays!  The pinata took some advance preparation, but it was worth it!  He was so excited to tell his friends he made his own pinata!  Here are the directions: http://mrsodaniels.blogspot.com/2015/01/kaos-defeated-skylanders-party.html?m=1

Back to School with Pete the Cat

I am super excited about ROCKING the start of our Kindergarten year off with Pete the Cat!  It is always a favorite with my students and MUSIC is a topic we will be exploring as a school during the first semester.

Before school started I made a large Pete the Cat for my bulletin board and made colored high tops shoes to hang above my student work tables.

On the first day of school we read the book, Pete the Cat, Rocking in my School Shoes by Eric Litwin and danced around the room as we listened to the audio.

On the second day of school, we reread the book, this time there was a clue at the end of the book for us to search for Pete the Cat.  We toured the school in search of Pete as we met some very important people and places on our campus.  We sang as we walked from place to place.  We ended in the auditorium where we met our music teacher as we sang and danced in our school shoes.

All day they were looking for clues to find Pete.

We made our first class book where each student decorated their own school shoe and completed the sentence frame:  Here comes _(name)______rocking in his/her __________ shoes.

We ended the day with making musical shakers from old pill bottles and filled them with beans and lentils.
Next week we will continue to have fun with Pete the Cat singing, dancing, reading and decorating our wall with more unique shoes.

WE LOVE PETE THE CAT!  It was a fun, engaging and memorable way to start the school year!!!!

Link to the story: http://www.petethecatbooks.com/9780061910241/pete-the-cat-rocking-in-my-school-shoes/

Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-n6c6Ggs-Q

TShirts - I purchased on https://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-cm-licensed-pete-the-cat-tees

Summer MUST HAVES

Pool Noodle Bat

Sidewalk chalk ABC's

Looking for ways to keep the kids busy....  As a parent, it is always a challenge to finds ways to keep the kids active and having fun, while stimulating their brains.  Here is a list of must-haves this Summer and the best part is that the materials can be found at your local Dollar Tree store!  (The following activities can be modified to meet the academic needs or level of your kids. They focus on fine and gross motor skills as well as basic math and phonemic awareness.).

#1 Sidewalk Chalk:  Besides just drawing there are lots of ways to use chalk.  Create an extra large race track to run, hop, or ride bikes.

Try drawing shapes, letters or numbers.  Have kids line up, call out a letter, number, or shape and kids race to find and stand on the correct spot.  Try throwing a beanbag to their target letter or number. Write the ABC’s in random order on the ground and have the kids go on a beginning sound hunt by finding things in the yard that begin with that letter sound.

#2.  Paint Brushes and a Bucket of Water:  Paint shapes, letters, numbers, or sight words on the ground with water and watch them disappear!

#3.  Spray Bottles:  I am not a fan of water guns, and have found that spray bottles work great!  They are easy to refill and hold a lot more water.  Try having target practice with letters or numbers.  Using Post-It notes or chalk, write letters or numbers and place on the garage door or fence.  Call out a letter/number and have the kids spray/hit it.

#4.  Pool Noodles:  They are not just used for the pool anymore.  Cut them in half and turn them into a bat or sword.  It is fun to use them to “ninja” pop the bubbles or hang a ball from a string on a tree branch and hit the ball with the noodle.

#5. Beach Ball:  I turn my beach ball into an “Alpha-Ball”.  Using a permanent pen, write the letters of the alphabet on the ball.  Roll, toss or bounce the ball to a friend.  When you catch the ball, call out the letter where your thumb lands.  You can create different balls using sight words, numbers, addition or multiplication problems,  etc…

I hope this list gives you some new ideas to get your kids active and having fun this Summer!  My 18 month old on up to our 12 year old neighbor enjoy these outdoor activities.

Classroom Theme and Community

I always love kicking off my school year with a theme that I can unite all my students.

Here are a few of my themes I have used in the past.

Each year my school chooses a semester theme that each grade level explores and investigates.  Last Fall is was COMMUNICATION.  I chose to start the year talking about how bees communicate and used this theme throughout the semester.  I kept the bee hive up all year and had a "cell"/hexagon for each student in my class with their name and hand print.  The bees were made in groups of 2-3 students.  They picked their own materials and created their own bees.

The previous year the Fall semester theme was WATER.  I started the year reading Rainbow Fish and talked about how we are all unique and special!  I kept up the large Rainbow Fish up all year with student names on each scale.

This year coming year our theme will be MUSIC.  I am thinking I will have to start the year with Pete the Cat and his groovy new shoes....stay tuned!

Alphabet Toss

A fun way to review the letters of the alphabet...toss letter bean bags into a bin once you have named the letter Or letter sound.   We counted bean bags that landed inside and outside the container.  Our goal was to keep going until all the bean bags landed inside.

Alphabet Toss and Determination

Arrow of Light Celebration Tips

Last night was our Arrow of Light Ceremony.  It was filled with many special memories, laughter and tears.  We are so proud of our boys!

1.  Arrows:  We ordered the arrows online and I highly recommend it!  The moms got together one night and we put them together.  It was a fun night talking about our boys and planning the ceremony.  We watched the instructional video provided and were done, no problems.  I know other dens have their boys put them together.  Super easy.   https://www.awardarrowkits.com

Arrown of Light

2.  Photo Cubes:. Each boy had to sand and paint a 3"x 3" wooded cube blue and yellow at a den meeting.  I then printed out 5 photos of each boy and Mod Podged them on each face of the cube. The bottom was an image of the Cub Scout ranks I found online. The boys presented them to their parents during the ceremony.

Memory Cube

3.  Cake Pops and Rice Krispies:  Our amazing moms volunteered to make the desserts and they were perfect - simple and delicious.  No need for plates and forks...just some napkins.

Blue and Gold Cake Pops

4.  Photo Slide Show:  We made a photo slide show of the boys and their cub scout journey to show during the ceremony.  It was a special tribute to our boys!

CONGRATULATIONS Den 5 boys from Pack 774!

FORTNITE Birthday DIY

FortNite Nerf Game

 Who wouldn't want a Fortnite Party?
We kept it all pretty simple this year...a fun park to keep the boys occupied, yummy snacks, drinks and cake, Fortnite music and dancing, and a game (which involved a Nerf gun).  We opted out of a Loot Llama pinata and instead, the kids had to shoot a target to get their "goodie" to take home.  They loved it!  My son helped me with the goodie bags and med kit rice krispie treats.  All Fortnite emotes/images were found online.  See the pictures below for the Fortnite All-Nite target shooter game.  I found the POP Fortnite keychains at Barnes and Noble and Hot Topic as their prize.  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/pop+fortnite+keychains?_requestid=8313813
 There were also V bucks chocolate coins in their bags.       

How to Make the Fortnite Shooter Game: One cup per party guest.  I poked 2 holes in each cup and placed on the box as to where I wanted them to be.  Then I poked string through the cups and box and tied on the inside of the box.

Then we placed the prize in each cup and taped tissue paper over the opening of the cup.  That's it!

Each guest took turns shooting until their broke through one of the cups.