How to organize those pesky calendar pieces!

Before I get into my excellent organization idea, I just need to show you what is happening outside of my front door.

Yes, that's snow. No, that's not a lot of snow, but it's still snowing and I don't need a lot of snow to be excited. It doesn't take much for us to get a weather delay OR the day off. It's been snowing since 1:30pm, but didn't start sticking until around 4pm. That probably has something to do with the fact that it was in the lower 60's this weekend and the ground is warm.

60's one day & then snow the next? Yeah, that's actually not odd around here. In case you're unaware, I live in Delaware. You know, a tiny state on that little thing that just hangs off the United States like it's earring, or a booger in it's nose. Take your pick. (no pun intended) Either way, we get crazy weather & we can't handle snow. I'll keep you posted about my day tomorrow! :)

Back to the point of this post. How do I organize those dang calendar pieces that are spilling all over my bulletin board drawer?!

This is how mine looked:

They get shoved to the back and they fall out of the bags and I'm constantly sticking them back in the bags. This had to stop. Insert nifty organizer purchased at Staples.

It already has 12 sections & came with labels so I could label each one by each month. It cost about $7, so not too bad. I re-bagged some of my pieces so they were all in zip locks. Put them behind each month.

I also have two solid color sets just in the front. No I can't fit this flat in my drawer, but I have storage space by my calendar in the classroom so I put it on the shelf under my calendar. Perfect, organized, and clean.

Snowman Button Counting FREEBIE

Well here's one new years resolution I'm sticking to- posting more freebies! That one about going to the gym at least 3x a week; not so much.

One of the changes I made in my classroom for our winter break return was to have a separate science area and math area during our center play. We do math and science activities during small group time, but I felt that we didn't do enough. So I have used two tables and am now planning a specific science and math activity to put at each table during centers. For our first week back, here were our activities:

Hot Chocolate Counting: use tweezers to apply the correct number of marshmallows in each cup.

Visit TpT or TN to purchase the mug cards. They are included in the winter activity bundle.

Magnetic Pipe Cleaner Bottles: use the magnets to move the pipe cleaners around inside of the bottles.

This week we will have snowman button counting at the math table & our magnetic pipe cleaner bottles again, but with a recording sheet. I have both of these items to share with you!

I could have just made some snowmen on construction paper but then I wouldn't have been able to share them with you! So I made these ones myself. They are missing scarves because that was above my capabilities! You can download for free below.

Snowman Button Counting

 Don't have a Scribd. account? Download from TpT or TN.

You can also download the recording sheet I made for the science center. In order to create these bottles all you need are some pipe cleaners. Cut them in small pieces, fill your bottle, and hot glue the lid on. The students think this is SO NEAT! Download the sheet for free below.

Pipe Cleaner Bottle Recording

If you want to check out some of the other things we did in our classroom this week, head over to my classroom blog by clicking here!

P.S. Don't forget, mine and Julia's giveaway for each our winter units ends on Monday at 3pm central time! Head over to Julia's blog to enter! :)

The Mitten Mini Unit

I was able to get around to making more activities with The Mitten clip art from Kirsten! Woo hoo! And, I also can't believe I didn't start using Powerpoint to make my activities a long time ago. I feel so silly having used Microsoft Word for SO LONG! I'm in love with using Powerpoint!

Now, back to the point of this post! I created a 30 page mini unit with more The Mitten activities. 

Activities included are:

•Number Counting: Mittens with animals inside. Students count the animals and fine the matching number card. Recording sheet included as well. (pgs. 3-11)

•Memory Cards: Print two sets of this cards and your students are ready to play a memory game! (pgs. 12-13)

•Vocabulary Cards: Character pictures with name on large rectangles. (pgs. 14-19)

•Read, Trace, Write Cards: One page for each character in the story. At the top of the page the students read the word, then they trace the word, then they write the word in the bottom box. I suggest printing & laminating. (pgs. 20-30)

I could have probably kept going, but that would have defeated the purpose of a mini unit. (And I also have some valentine's day stuff I need to get to work on!)

Head on over to TpT or TN to purchase this mini unit for just $2.00! And also while you are there, be sure to check out my other items. I recently reduced some prices! :)

Can I offer a freebie during a giveaway?

When Kirsten from KPM Doodles posted that she was making a clip art set for "The Mitten" I thought ooo I really hope she posts it soon we're reading "The Mitten" on Friday! I was completely shocked when the bottom of her post said it would be ready in an hour or so. Of course I bought it Wednesday night, right away!

I already planned on doing a mitten character sequence, but the pictures of the animals that I have are a little tricky for some of the students to tell apart. I made new sequence cards using Kirsten's clip art. You can download them for free below.

They include all character cards, separate cards labeled, "1st first", "2nd second", & so on.
The Mitten Sequence
(If you don't have a scribd account, you can also download from my TpT or TN stores!)

It's just something quick and simple that I pulled together last minute to use. If I find the time I'd like to create some additional "The Mitten" themed activities. I'll keep you posted if I get around to them! :)

If you download this freebie, all that I ask is that you make sure you head over to Loving and Learning in Pre-K and enter the giveaway for a chance to win my Brr! Winter Activity Bundle & Julia's Winter Math Center Activities!

P.S. I hope everything turns out okay, this was my FIRST time using Powerpoint to create an activity. I ALWAYS use word!

Winter Activity Bundle Giveaway!

Are you ready to win TWO awesome winter activity bundles?! Myself and Julia from Loving and Learning in Pre-K are giving away our winter activity packs to 2 lucky winners! So, 2 people will win, 2 winter activity bundles!

Here is a preview of my unit:

Activities included in the unit:

Mitten Match: Print out two sets of the mitten cards below. Turn cards over to play a matching game. Students can also match hats, scarves, and mittens together by their colors. (pg. 3- 4)

Penguin Feed: Print out the penguin cards and feed the penguins that number of fish. Buy a container of goldfish for this activity. Include tweezers for fine motor practice. (pg. 5- 9)

Hot Cocoa Count: Print out the cocoa cups and put that number of marshmallows in each cup. Buy a bag of marshmallows (or white pom-poms) for this activity. Include tweezers for fine motor practice. (pg. 10- 14)

Penguin Alphabet Game: Print out the penguins and the fish. Hide the fish behind a penguin and have students guess letters to find the fish. A pocket chart works great for this activity. (pg. 15- 19)

Winter Spelling: Print the spelling cards. Use small letter tiles, or the included letter printouts. Laminate and apply Velcro. Students look for the missing letters to spell the winter words. Use the worksheet students to practice writing the words. (pg. 19- 22)

Winter Sorting: Print out the cards and the sorting page. Students look at the cards and sort winter items that you wear and winter items that you enjoy. (pg. 23- 24)

Snowman Size Sort: Print snowmen and have students place them in size sequence order. (pg. 25- 27)

Alphabet Matching: Print the worksheets for students to practice writing their letters. Students then connect match up the letter on the left and right side of the page. (pg. 28- 32)

Other Activities: Read the suggestions for more activity ideas for your classroom such as dramatic play, sensory ideas, and art ideas. (pg. 33)


Head over to Julia's blog to check out her unit and to enter the giveaway! You can leave comments about the giveaway here on my blog, if you like, but only the *entering* comments on Julia's blog will be used to select the winners! So head on over and find out the FIVE different ways that you can enter! GOOD LUCK!

P.S.: if you would like to purchase this unit you can find it in TpT or TN for $3.00!

New Look!

I got sneaky with a new design on you! What do you think?

I know I shouldn't change it often, but I was done with the pastels. I thought the new year would be a good time for a new look, and I'm loving the bolder colors!

Snowflake Letter Hunt- FREEBIE

I wanted to share this freebie with you yesterday, but if Microsoft Word fought me one more time on this document I was going to loose my marbles. So I had to give it a rest. But now I have it ready to share!

First, I made these letter search water bottles. I'm pretty sure no one reading this is a stranger to this idea, but in case you are...

1. Find some empty bottles.
2. Fill them with a small item of your choice. (Sand, rice, etc.)
3. Add other miscellaneous items. (I added beads and glitter)
4. Add your snowflakes. I used small foam snowflakes I wrote letters on.
5. Hot glue your lid on and voila!

Don't hate on my iphone photos OR lesson plan book backdrop!

I'm going to place this activity in our writing area and students can search through the bottles to find letters. When they find them they can write them down on the snowflake recording sheet below. You can download the sheet for free!

Snowflake Word Hunt

As far as making your snowflakes, I found winter foam kits/accessories on clearance at Micheal's for 70% off. No joke, I bought some of those $7.99 kits for only $2.39 a piece! These foam projects are classroom gold in my mind.

Is anyone else wishing they could get access to a laminator larger than their home one today?! (I'm sure those of you who have to work today do not wish you could access your school laminator!) I have printed out so much over break and would love to have it all laminated and cut! Ugh!