Color Code The Directions
North, South, East, West or “Never Eat Soggy Waffles” is how I learned to remember these directions! Directions are so important. Not only for kids...
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Name Writing
September 14, 2020
by Annie Miller
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This is a question I get a lot from parents during parent/teacher conferences and yes, it is okay. If after age 7 they consistently still...
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Whisk Apple Trees
September 14, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Did you know that whisks could turn into apple trees? Well they can! I took some kitchen whisks, placed them in some playdough and gave...
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Cut Your Zebra Stripes
September 11, 2020
by Annie Miller
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It’s Friday! Take it easy and cut some zebra stripes! This is a super easy activity but it got my kids cutting while recognizing and...
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Triangle “Treasure” Trace!
September 10, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Make it fun, spice it up and turn today into a TRIANGLE treasure hunt! Get out your Magna-Tiles and find those triangles! Inside the tiles...
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Describe the “Good”
September 8, 2020
by Annie Miller
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I challenge you to try this! Too often we use the words, “good job” but what do those words mean to a child? Those words...
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Water Drop Apples
September 8, 2020
by Annie Miller
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September means apple season so let’s get in the spirit! We did another super simple activity that doesn’t require a lot of set-up. With markers, I...
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Sort Letters From Numbers
September 8, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Do your kids mix up their letters and numbers? That’s okay! It is very developmentally appropriate for young children to mix up numbers and letters when...
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What Goes Together
September 5, 2020
by Annie Miller
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My kids both loved this game!! It was a great critical thinking skill because instead of sorting the toys by one attribute they really had to...
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Sierra Is Nervous For Preschool
September 5, 2020
by Annie Miller
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The first day of preschool for kids can be hard. It is hard learning a new routine, having “strangers” as your teachers and friends and ultimately...
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Color Connect Small, Medium, Large
September 5, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Here is another pretty simple activity but very effective! Think about how often we use the terms big, medium and small when comparing. When you...
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Adding Multicultural Materials to Your Play
September 2, 2020
by Annie Miller
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I hope these little tips are useful for you in your home or in a classroom!
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Build The Match
September 1, 2020
by Annie Miller
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As I have stated before, my kids LOVE Legos. My son loves to put the sets he gets together and he is quite good at...
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Help Me Practice Turning Pages by Hiding The Alphabet In The Book!
August 31, 2020
by Annie Miller
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When we think of early literacy, we think about letters, sounds, writing, stories but we forget to think about some of the critical components like...
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Week 19: Lots in a Box
August 31, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Here is the new box for the week! This is so easy! Just gather the materials listed around your home, place them in your box...
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Deep Sea Diving
August 28, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Right here was HOURS of fun! The set-up was easy and the play was extra long! My kids love to sit in these containers with...
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Tommy’s Distant Learning Kindergarten Puppet Show- Social Emotional Learning
August 27, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Featured during Covid September 2020: This episode hits home because I have an upcoming kindergartner this year who will be distance learning part of the...
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Cut The Alphabet
August 27, 2020
by Annie Miller
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My kids love to cut. EVERYTHING! This should be a good thing because I want them to practice those fine motor skills but sometimes things get...
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Land and Sea Sort
August 27, 2020
by Annie Miller
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It’s #multiculturalplay day so I decided to bring out the globe! My kids obviously first loved it because it was a “globe beach ball” and I...
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Build The Pattern
August 25, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Since my kids love building and legos, we decided to pull the Engineering and Math out of the acronym STEM and “build the pattern. using Legos. ...
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Tommy Goes To Kindergarten! Social Emotional Learning First Day Of School
August 25, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Fall of 2020: (False Alarm) Tommy thinks he is going to kindergarten so he ventures out to get his school supplies only to find out on...
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Connect Your Name (Rainbow Style)
August 24, 2020
by Annie Miller
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All it takes are markers and paper! Since Max (6) loved Connect The Pattern we did a while back I thought we would try to connect...
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Week 18: Lots in a Box
August 24, 2020
by Annie Miller
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NEW! Take a look in box 18 to see your preschool activities this week! Remember that kids learn through play so providing one or two...
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1st Car for 1st Birthday!
August 22, 2020
by Annie Miller
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It was my nephew, Peyton’s 1st birthday a few weeks ago and we struggled with what to get him. He has two older brothers so...
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Inside/Outside Letter Hunt
August 22, 2020
by Annie Miller
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There is SO MUCH learning taking place during this activity and it doesn’t get much simpler than this! Here is what is taking place: Fine Motor :Squeezing...
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Large, Medium, Small Lego Sort
August 21, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Sorting. It is an activity that everyone does everyday. Think about your life: Some people sort clothes by color, groceries by kind, toys by function,...
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Build Duplo People
August 19, 2020
by Annie Miller
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I have always loved the block people that I have seen where there is a bottom and top and they are interchangeable. Have you seen...
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Silly Pose Shadow Trace
August 19, 2020
by Annie Miller
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We decided to explore shadows in a really silly way! Max(6) wanted me to keep tracing him while he danced and froze (in a silly...
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Banana Color Poke!
August 17, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Don’t throw the peel away yet! There is more fun to be had! Why waste a banana peel when you can turn it into an...
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Fill With, Hugs and Kisses
August 14, 2020
by learnprek
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What can be better than drawing kisses and hugs?! Using x’s and o’s, the international symbols for hugs and kisses, can also be some fantastic pre-writing strokes....
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Multicultural Emoji Puzzle Friends
August 12, 2020
by Annie Miller
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It is multicultural play day so I hope you enjoy this DIY matching activity! I am challenging myself (I would be fooling myself if I said...
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Trolls Rainbow Land
August 11, 2020
by Annie Miller
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We made Rainbow Land for the colorful Trolls themselves (but Rainbow Land for ANY toys will also work)! My kids enjoyed mixing the colors and...
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Peek-A-Boo Letters
August 11, 2020
by Annie Miller
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School (whatever that may look like to your family) is right around the corner so here is an alphabet game to “refresh the brain.” Kids...
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Nail Polish Rocks
August 11, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Yes, both of my kids are boys and yes both of them love their nails painted! Yesterday, I painted both of their hands and each...
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Mystery Treasure Hunt
August 11, 2020
by Annie Miller
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My kids love to “find” things! Whether it’s people, toys, letters, numbers or of course food! So I try to make them treasure hunts every...
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Dancing In The Multicultural World
August 5, 2020
by Annie Miller
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This is one of my favorite activities my kids have done because it became an amazing teachable moment. To see change, we must change. And...
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Sierra Says, I Love My Face Mask! Social Emotional Learning Puppet Show On Face Masks
August 4, 2020
by Annie Miller
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We are revisiting the face mask episode!! I was hoping we would only need to do an initial episode of a face mask but face masks...
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Code Your Snack
August 4, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Coding practice has become popular in this digital age and is now being taught to young children.Children who learn to code gain an appreciation for how...
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Chickpea Duplo Board
August 4, 2020
by Annie Miller
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As I noted in a previous post, I am obsessed with the colored chickpeas I made and my kids are obsessed so I am trying...
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Free To Create Squares
August 4, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Since we made triangles last week (see triangle trace below) I thought we could work on creating some squares this week! This was an easy prep activity,...
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Tommy’s Scavenger Hunt- Social Emotional Puppet Show For Kids
August 4, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Scavenger hunts have so many benefits for kids. They involve problem solving , teamwork, movement, recognizing and identifying objects and so much more. Not only...
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Sparkle Krispies
August 4, 2020
by Annie Miller
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“We don’t want Frosted Krispies, we want SPARKLE Krispies!” My kids thought it was so fun to make their own cereal simply because they didn’t...
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Shadow Chalk
July 28, 2020
by Annie Miller
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We decided to do some “shadow play” outside because the sun was out and the reflections were good! We grabbed our Magna-Tiles and headed outside to create...
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“Tommy’s Busy Box”- Social Emotional Learning: Long Car Ride Activity ideas
July 28, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Ahhh…the dreaded long car rides with kids. Have you heard, “Are we there yet” on repeat like I have?! Here is a solution….a “busy box”...
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Color Soup
July 23, 2020
by Annie Miller
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I have done a lot of activities geared towards 4 and 5 year olds to help prepare Max for kindergarten so I was trying to find one...
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Sierra Says, “What’s a Tornado?” Social Emotional Learning for Storms
July 23, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Tornadoes can be scary for kids because ultimately they are scary! Before I had my teaching license I worked in a childcare center with two...
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Paint The Rainbow
July 21, 2020
by Annie Miller
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My kids really enjoy painting rocks or as they call them, “gems”. They have painted several (even rocks as big as their head!) that they bring...
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Fill the Letters with Water and Oil
July 20, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Make sure you read the directions because the picture can be deceiving! Oil and Water..I love those two things together because they can create such...
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Week 13: Lots in a Box
July 20, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Bonus Added! There is a new addition to Lots In A Box! It is called, “PLAY WITH ME!” I have been doing social-emotional puppet videos...
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Cup & Water Drawing
July 17, 2020
by Annie Miller
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This is a good one!!! I know it was a great activity because we did it MULTIPLE TIMES!! My kids are born fish! They LOVE water...
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Blender Nature Shapes
July 16, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Do your kids love “cutting” the grass like mine do?! It’s so fun for them every once in a while to give the grass a...
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Professional Development Opportunities for Early Educators
July 15, 2020
by Annie Miller
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I MUST TELL YOU ABOUT THIS EXCITING NEWS! I was given this incredible opportunity to partner with ChildCare Education Institute who provides high-quality, online training...
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Bubble Volcanoes
July 15, 2020
by Annie Miller
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EASY. SIMPLE. FUN! Who doesn’t love bubbles? They are fascinating for young children..even babies! As an early childhood educator, I use bubbles with my students...
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Bike Spin Art
July 14, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Ever since I was little my parents would take us to the Minnesota State Fair and we would always have to visit the spin art...
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Watermelon Letter Poke
July 13, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Wait! Don’t cut it yet! Yes, I am talking about your watermelon! Before you cut it open turn it into a learning activity such as...
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Find Love Outside!
July 13, 2020
by Annie Miller
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Max and my mom have always enjoyed collecting rocks and they recently started looking for heart shaped rocks! But you could look for many different...
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Nature Number Hole Punch
July 10, 2020
by Annie Miller
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It was a rather cloudy cooler day yesterday so we spent some time outside going on a walk looking at nature! Nature is so fascinating for...
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Block Skyline
July 9, 2020
by Annie Miller
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A homemade skyline is as simple as can be! It is building on a windowsill or against any window at eye level. My kids love doing this...
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