Learning Is Child's Play

BLACK FRIDAY!

2011-11-25T14:18:00.107-06:00

If y'all remember, I am a Independent Consultant for Story Time Felts and More! I personally think we have the most beautiful felts around. They are made in America out of super soft 1/4 inch flannel and they are even washable!

Today Story Time Felts is having their MOST "Awesomest" Sale of the year! It's the first time Story Time Felts has ever had a BLACK FRIDAY Sale! So you know they are going to do it BIG! Now, if you haven't been watching my facebook page, I'm going to show you a few of the fabulous goodies up for SALE! This sale is going on now until 11:pm tonight over at my Story Time Felts & More's Consultants website!

First up is the Aesop's Fables w/CD Set

Regular Price $34.99

Special Price $19.99 uncut

Aesop first told these fables in the 7th century BC, and we still tell them to our children today! These Stories teach valuable lessons such as "honesty is the best policy" and many, many more. There are 15 fables in all. Book includes five felt pages, 57 felt figures, stories, and the CD

Fashion Dolls Uncut

Regular Price: $17.99

Special Price: $11.99

On the job or on the slopes, on the town or on the beach this set is sure to make any young lady very happy! Felt dolls are so much better than paper dolls! Girls will have hours and "years" of fun because of our felts durably! Forty items of clothing and four beautiful dolls on regular felt offer dozens of dress combinations!

Classic Fairy Tales

Regular Price: $27.99

Special Price: $19.99 / uncut

Five all time favorite fairy tales can be told with this comprehensive set. You and your child or children can tell these fabulous favorites:

* Goldilocks and the 3 Bears

* The 3 Little Pigs

* The Gingerbread Man (my favorite!!)

* Billy Goats Gruff

and

* Little Red Riding Hood

And here are a few more:

Baby Kari

Crazy Good Deal

Regular Price: $27.99

Special Price: $6.99

Create-a-Face

Regular Price: $24.99

Special Price: $14.99

Butterflies

Regular Price: $11.99

Special Price: $ 5.99

Friend Dolls

Regular Price: $3.99 each

Special Price: $2.00 each

And those are just a few! We have "3" pages filled with "going, going until they're gone items!!

Hurry over to my Consultant Page HERE and click Shop! Then Click on the BLACK FRIDAY button on the top left! If you need any help with your orders or have any questions please contact me at: laleighma1@cobridge.tv

Happy Shopping!
Laura

Found Freebies!

2011-08-20T12:54:00.002-05:00

Are you a Freebie Lover like me? I bet you are ;) Most Mommies and Teachers LOVE anything Free! Right? Oh Yeah! Here is an excellent site with LOTS of Fantastic FREE goodies! It's called:

Freeology

It has lots and lots of fabulous printables! Like...

Classroom Posters and Signs!

AND

Alphabet Printables

AND

Awards and Certificates

Number Printables

Reading Goodies

Coloring Pages

Environmental Printables

Grammar Goodies

Plus Lots More!

Now, scoot over there and get yourself some awesome Freebies and don't forget to share ! ;)

Make Every Day a Child's Play Day!

Laura

Circle Time Seating Idea

2011-08-03T11:20:00.001-05:00

I know Ms Deborah's post from Teach Preschool will be all over Facebook today, because this idea is SO awesome!

(picture from TeachPreschool.org)

Circle Time is a great way to start your day at school, but sometimes not everyone is happy about where they end up sitting! The complaints I've heard.... "I can't see you Ms. Laura because ______ is too big!" or "_____ is touching me!" or "I'm being smushed!" or "I can't hear you Ms. Laura because _____ won't stop talking to me!"

I know we have all tried different ways to get the kids sitting comfortably and paying attention during Circle Time, right? I've tried putting tape strips on the carpet with their names. I've tried using contact paper pictures with their names on it, but they don't stay long and well, it kind of messes up the rug too!

I've "chalked" seating spots; used laminated construction paper and mini note pads with Velcro on the back and I've even purchased mini rugs, BUT this idea that came from someone on her Teach Preschool Facebook page is Rocking!!

Using Place Mats to Sit On!

Is that a crazy good idea or what?! You know it is! Wow! I can't believe I had never thought of using them! Wow!

What ideas have you tried to control seating at Circle Time? Please share! :)

Thanks! Have a Child's Play Day!

Laura

2011-01-09T21:09:00.001-06:00

ImageChef.com I Am Awesome

Ghost Rhyming Game

2010-10-30T17:06:00.001-05:00

I made this game myself and wanted to get at least "1" cute item on the blog before the end of Halloween! I barely made it didn’t I? Gees! I hope you like it .

I scanned the images and printed out a set for my Mom's class. They came out just fine, yeah! I used white tag-board and will of course laminate them for durability. I stored them in a little velour pumpkin bag that I picked up last year at the Dollar Tree. Sorry there isn’t a picture of it because my Hubby took the camera to the hunting camp! Go figure!

Ghost/Toast & Thumb/Drum

Flag/Bag & Door/Store

Pig/Wig & Wink/Drink

Skate/Gate & Mice/Ice

Cheese/Squeeze & Soap/Rope

Moon/Spoon & Truck/Duck

King/Ring

Happy Halloween!

An All About Me "Ms. Laura" Book

2010-09-24T12:27:00.008-05:00

When my class did our "All About Me" unit each child made their own book at home, with the help of their parents. I scheduled a few kids at a time to bring their books, so they could "read" them to the class. This way I wouldn't be overwhelmed with having all of them at once. Each book was unique in its own way and totally fabulous! I so wished I had taken pictures of each and every one, but I didn't! Teachers and parents, take pictures of everything, seriously! Living in this digital age it now can be done and stored on a disk! I love that! But, when I was a younger teacher I couldn't afford to take so many pictures. I did get help from the parents via my Giving Tree.

I made a tree into a "Giving Tree" bulletin board and placed it right by my front door. It was simply an apple tree poster that I had gotten from Scholastic. I put apples, which I cut from tag board, on the tree. Each apple had different things we needed or used often in our class! The parents could just grab one on their way out and it worked very well. I never had to ask for stuff very often...well not much anyway ;)

But, back to the All About Me books! I made this one 12 years ago, so don't giggle too hard at the pics! Thank you ;) My own kids still get a good laugh at it today. It has become a mini scrapbook in time for us. Each page is in the shape of an apple, which I made from red poster board. But any shape would work just find. One of my students made their book using the different letters in their name. It was really cool! (I wished I had thought of that) I laminated my pages and brought the whole thing to Kinko's to have it bound. It wasn't much and it has lasted all this time, even with many little hands flipping through it over and over again! It was well worth the cost.

Looking back, I wished I hadn't handwritten the wording but would have printed it out with the computer. That way I could have caught any typos too. Gees! And it would have been more uniformed and much neater looking. I decided on the content from a page that I will add at the bottom. So here it is, just to get your brain brimming with ideas on what YOU could do!

Here is the page I sent home for the parents. It is from Leap Frog Press, now known as Frogstreet Press! Yup it's that old! ;)

And here is a fabulous link up to another great PDF file/printable on All About Me!

Mrs. Kilburn Kiddos

And here are some more links to sites with All About Me Ideas:

Alphabet Soup ME Songs

Hummingbird Educational Resources

Preschool Education

Child's Play

Leave me a comment if you "Like!"

Laura

Never Forget 9/11!

2010-09-11T15:54:00.001-05:00

A Donut Felt How to!

2010-08-25T11:15:00.001-05:00

I have always wanted to make my own felt foods. This one is easy enough even for me! A great "starter" project :)

See Delicious Felt Donut and 1000's of others - or share your own on Cut Out + Keep

Laura

Teaching Heart's Back To School Party!

2010-08-10T08:47:00.000-05:00

Teaching Heart has always been one of my favorite sites for all holidays, themes or anything classroom related! Colleen's awesome talents and fabulous ideas are right at my fingertips and usually just a click away!

One day I'd like to learn how to make my own printables, but until then I will continue visiting her site for the latest and greatest goodies. She has tons of Freebies (my ALL time favorite!) and CD's you can purchase that are filled to the brim with terrific content!

As a PreK Teacher, although retired, the beginning of school was always the scariest for me! Yes, even after 28 years that period before the big day was very exciting, but also very scary! Teaching Heart's CD's, ideas, shares and freebies made me feel more secure, more confident and better prepared for the 1st day of school AND all throughout the year!!

I still enjoy all of her terrific ideas on making learning fun and I know you will to! So click on the links below and join her facebook page and enter her Big Back To School Party for a chance to WIN tons of her product! And when you do, and you know you will ;), tell her Laura from Learning Is Child's Play sent you!

Teaching Mom Blog

Teaching Heart Facebook Page

Primary Teacher Timesaver Product Page

Back to School Page

Laura

School Has Begun!

2010-08-09T21:03:00.000-05:00

My son started school last Thursday and my daughter started today! Where did the summer go?? This is the first time we didn't even get away for a "mini" vacation! My Grand has been sick, I was working a second job, hubby was working too and our favorite spots on the gulf were closed due to BP's oil spill!!

Ever since the kids were little we have always managed to get away for at least a weekend, but not this year! So sad! Poor things don't even have anything to write about for their "What Did You Do This Summer" essay! Hopefully we will get to plan one for Labor day! I hope so! I really, really hope so! All work and No play makes a Mama and her kiddos "Grumpy!" ;)

I hope those of you who still have some time left before school starts, get to enjoy a little family summer fun!

Laura

New Orleans Students Challenge Schools on Use of Oil

2010-08-02T11:46:00.000-05:00

New Orleans Students Challenge Schools on Use of Oil Center for Ecoliteracy

This was a great read and an excellent way to get students involved in whats happening in their enviroment!

Laura

Cancer Sucks!

2010-07-30T21:01:00.001-05:00

My daughter and I visited my Grand today, she was awake and alert, but barely. This strong, dynamic, classy lady has simply "melted" away, right before our eyes! In 9 months she has lost so much weight and become so thin that the veins in her hands are bugling out.

She is slowly drifting away from us ...body, mind and soul. It is heart wrenching to watch and brings me to tears every time I say goodbye, not knowing if "this" will be the last time I see her! Cancer is a horrible, horrible disease! :(

Laura

The Grands!

2010-07-23T09:31:00.000-05:00

I am heading to spend the weekend with my Grand! This gal is so strong! We were told that she only had 2 weeks to 6 months to live and last week she is going on 9 months!! A lot of stuff has happened in those 9 months...good and bad...but Wow!

So I'm off to visit and enjoy the time God has given us! Have a Super Blessed Weekend!

Laura

Happy Birthday America!

2010-07-04T18:35:00.001-05:00

My your flag always fly high, Your people stand strong and tall!

May God Bless our Country, May we continue to live as a "Christian" nation,
One that our fore fathers would be proud of!

May we abide by and protect our Constitution!

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

The Constitution of the United States of America

Here is another link to get a Pocket-sized copy of the Constitution for FREE! here

Happy Independence Day to Us All!

Laura

National Anthem by 5 little girls!! amazing...

2010-07-04T18:32:00.001-05:00

BP is just Sickening!

2010-07-02T10:34:00.000-05:00

I still can't believe this is happening to our beautiful coastlines and marshes! The whole thing seems so surreal!? How in the world could something like this have even happened in this day and age!?

Today via PBS, BP has 2 more "options" to try and stop this oil leak! The meter above was from the PBS site and shows how much oil has leaked into the Gulf already! It is just Sickening!!!

BP's chief of Gulf Coast restoration Bob Dudley called the well polluting the Gulf of Mexico "just a very unusual problem." Oh my goodness! This is SO Not "just an unusual problem!" It looks to me to be a Terrible, Horrible Very Bad "Problem!"

The links below tell this horrific story of the Gulf Spill Disaster far better then I could ever do. But be advised you may need a whole box of tissues to read some of it, I know I did! :( It truly is the worse oil spill in the US and not just for the Gulf areas, but for us "all!"

So Sad! So Sad!

* Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society (facebook page)

Everything is connected and this event connects and touches us all.

Jean-Michel Cousteau

* The Gulf Oil Spill: 7 Ways to Help

* AP Tries to Put Gulf Oil Spill in Perspective, Fails Miserably...

"The amount of oil spilled so far could only fill the cavernous New Orleans Superdome about one-seventh of the way up. On the other hand, it could fill 15 Washington Monuments and two-thirds of the way up a 16th. If the oil were poured on a football field -- complete with endzones -- it would measure nearly 100 yards high."

* In Photos: Haunting images of the gulf oil disaster

* The Cry of the Oil-Soaked Pelican

Tears! Tears! Tears!

* BP Recasts Spill Size As Oil Fouls Louisiana Marshes

Please Pray for Our Once Beautiful Marshes, Wetlands and Coastlines

Laura

I Want One Of These!

2010-06-22T22:02:00.000-05:00

There is a fabulous, awesome and super cool give-away going on at Southern Hospitality Blog! I had to post a little blurb about it for a chance to win this:

A Silhouette Craft Cutter!

It is one of the neatest things I've seen in a while! Perfect for making all kinds of paper crafts, vinyls and even glass etching! Wow! I always wanted to make stuff with glass etching , but was afraid too because of the chemicals involved! Dang! If I win, I could now!

So go here to leave a comment and get Your chance to win too! Tell Rhonda that I sent you! ;)

Thanks!

Hugs and Kisses.....Laura

(casting crowns)A Tribute To Our Soldiers

2010-05-31T11:46:00.002-05:00

Thank You to All the Brave Men and Women Who Gave Their Lives
to Keep Us Safe!

Laura

Web Freebies for Teachers, Homeschoolers and Kids!

2010-05-07T13:36:00.001-05:00

FREE Poster from Educational Tours

FREE Child Safety Kit from ADT

LOTS of Freebies for Teachers

FREE Worksheets

FREE Lesson Plans

Art and Design Freebies

Highlights Magazine Freebies

FREE eBooks for Children

LOTS of Free Printable Activities

FREE Tools and Templates

FREEBIES for Educators

FREE Fonts

FREE Printable Games, Crafts, Cards and More!!

FREEBIES for Homeschoolers

FREE Braille Alphabet Card

Suite 101 Freebie Links

Smokey the Bear Freebies to Print and Play

Environmental Kids Club

FREE Potty Training DVD

The Lorax Activity Book Printable

FREE Milk Matters Book

FREE Lego Monthly Magazine Sign Up

Have a Wonderful and Wacky Weekend!

Laura

Updates On Life!

2010-04-24T11:57:00.001-05:00

I am off to visit my Grand for the weekend and just wanted to fill you in on my where abouts! I've been busy with the store, updating new product and even have a GuideCraft Give-Away in the works! Thank You Rob!! So keep a look out for that...Coming Soon!

My Grand is "91" and she is a hoot! A rebel from the 40's and a Sassy Lady! She is dying from cancer, but my Dad and Uncle have chosen not to tell her, so she could be at peace in her last days. I wasn't too sure about that at first, but I see it as an act of kindness now. She has her salvation and stuff in order already, even down to the dress she wants to be buried in, so I'm pretty sure she "does" know.

The Doctors told us she could be here for 2 weeks or for up 6 months. It's been almost 3 months now and she is still kicking! :) She was always a fighter and she is still fighting today! The cancer is in her brain and spine and is slowly making her skin and bone. Cancer, is a horrible thing! I lost my favorite Aunt ( her daughter and my Dad's only Sister) to breast cancer in 1993, because it had spread to her brain. It was quick and she just went to sleep and never woke up. When I go, I hope it's just like that!

I like to always look for the best in everything and even in the face of death there "Is" a best! My Grand has never been close to us kids. There are 3 of us... Me-Laura, the oldest, Sister-Belinda, middle child and Brother-Champ, the baby. She was always closer to my Aunts kids, the one who passed from breast cancer, and would hang with them. To make a l*o*n*g story short...this is finally "Our" time.

My Sister and I spend the weekends at her house taking care of her and just talk! She is bedridden because she can't use her legs anymore so we watch Lawrence Welk reruns, go through photos, watch Joel and other great Preachers and are making up for all the years that we have missed and She is too, making up for lost time! Her words! :)

So, I'm off to visit her for the weekend and just wanted to let you all know what has been happening in our lives. Please be in Prayer for her and our family. Thank you and have a Blessed weekend!

Laura

"Grand" Christmas 2009

Facebook Fan Page!

2010-04-07T21:38:00.001-05:00

If you haven't joined my facebook page, please do! I seem to have an easier time updating there and posting the rocking finds I come across! Please share me with your friends too!

Bear Hugs and Butterfly Kisses to You All!

Laura

Happy 25th Anniversary to "The Very Busy Spider!"

2010-03-19T14:57:00.004-05:00

I LOVE Eric Carle books and today is one of his greatest 25th anniversary...The Very Busy Spider!

*The Very Busy Spider in the classroom here

* Printables from Making Learning Fun here

* Hubbards Cupboard here

* Awesome art ideas from blog Artolazzi here

* 90 Fabulous ideas from Lesson Planet here

* A Child's Place - Book Ideas here

* Ask Kids has a whole page dedicated to web links here

* Step by Step Childcare Spider Theme here

* No Time For Flashcards has Spider goodies to eat and make here

* A KDG Unit on Spiders, free download here

* Free Bingo game from Free Printables here

We LOVE You Eric Carle!

Laura

A Wonderful Freebie For St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-13T12:59:00.002-06:00

I know, like me, everyone loves a good "freebie" ...yes? Of course! March has come in a like a Lion so in all it's fury here's a little goodie to get us back on our feet....an eBook "Irish for a Day!" The eBook is offered from "Fave Crafts.com" and You can get the free download here. They have wonderful craft ideas for every holiday and for every skill level. Their is an awesome Crafting With Kids section, plus great ideas for us grown-ups too!

Laura

Lots of Teaching Ideas

2010-02-06T11:53:00.003-06:00

KinderArt has a wonderful list of online resources available to help you teach your child or teach your classes "Art." Excellent articles, book reviews, free printables (my favorite) and much more. Go HERE to visit their site.

Enjoy!

Have a Child's Play Day!

Laura :)

A Sweet Treat!

2010-02-05T08:27:00.001-06:00

Make and Takes has a great "how to" on her blog for making Chocolate Dipped Cupid Hearts. They are so sweet and prefect for class parties or to give all your special valentines! Go Here to learn how :)

(photo from Make and Takes Blog)

Have a Child's Play Day!

Laura