Pre-K Pages » Blog

Science Magnifying Board

V. Levin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:01:26 +0000

This is what I like to call a “Lakeshore Hack”, which is when you make something yourself for much less money than it costs at the Lakeshore Learning store.

I recently discovered these petri dishes in the Target Dollar Spot and was immediately reminded of this fantastic idea from A Little Learning for Two. I searched high and low for affordable petri dishes last summer after I initially read about this idea but had no luck.

I bought the petri dishes and the magnifying glasses at the Dollar Spot and the rest of the materials I had on hand at home. I started by turning over an old wooden puzzle frame and attaching the petri dishes to the back using E6000 glue. If you are not familiar with E6000 glue it can be found at Wal-Mart in the home improvement section or at any craft store, it will permanently adhere anything to anything.

Next, I placed the items inside the petri dishes and used the glue to permanently seal the lids closed. I have listed the items I put inside my petri dishes below but you can use anything you have on hand or think your students will be interested in:

Rice
Text cut from a science magazine
Picture cut from the same magazine
Dried pumpkin seeds
“Fossil” (dried playdough with an imprint in the middle)
Bolts

This would make a great addition to your science center. Students can use the magnifying glass to examine the items inside the dishes.

To introduce this activity I read an age-appropriate book on the topic of sight titled Look! (Amazing Body: The Five Senses) by Dana Meachen Rau.

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Penguin Counting Game

V. Levin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:01:58 +0000

This Penguin Counting Game is the perfect addition to any winter theme, lots of fun for young children and great practice for counting, number sense, and one-to-one correspondence.

If you have never used Insta-Snow in your classroom your students are in for a real treat. Just add water and you will have snow for weeks that never melts.

You will need the following items:

One big bowl
Water
One foam die
Insta-Snow
Penguin Rubber Ducks

Here’s how to play the Penguin Counting Game:
Follow the directions on the back of the Insta-Snow and mix it in the bowl. Place the bowl of snow in the middle of the table so it can be easily reached by all the students in your small group. Place your penguins in a basket. Students will take turns rolling the die, counting the dots, and placing the corresponding number of penguins in the snow- or as my students said “On the North Pole.”

If you teach your students a penguin chant they can say it each time the die is rolled, here are some cute penguin chants.

I’m linking up with No Time for Flashcards Link and Learn Linky Party.

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Science Sound Shakers

V. Levin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:01:23 +0000

I’m always finding things in the Target Dollar Spot that I think I can use in the classroom but I’m not quite sure how. When I saw these round ice cube trays I knew they would be useful for something. Then, I saw this post from Karen at Prekinders and I had a “light bulb moment.”

Karen uses coin storage tubes in the science center to explore magnetic properties. I had not seen these tubes before but I thought that they might fit in the round ice cube tray so off I went to search for them. It turns out that dime storage tubes fit perfectly in round ice cube trays. I also like how the use of the ice cube tray allows the sound shakers to be neatly displayed in the science center which invites children to interact with them more often.

To make the sound shakers I filled pairs of coin tubes with small objects that made sounds such as rice, nuts and bolts, sand etc. Since the tubes are clear I covered each one with the same color masking tape and placed them in the tray. Students select tubes, shake and listen, and identify the pairs that make the same sound. I created a free printable to go with this activity for you at the bottom of this post.

I use this book that is very appropriate for young children to introduce the concept of sound; the title is Sound: Loud, Soft, High, and Low (Amazing Science) by Natalie M. Rosinsky.

Printable Sound Shaker Recording Sheet

Click on the picture above to download this free printable. Students will place matching pairs of tubes on the happy faces and draw a picture of what they think is inside each pair.

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DJ Inkers Valentine Printables

V. Levin — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:01:39 +0000

Can you feel the love? I’m teaming up with DJ Inkers again to bring you two free printables for Valentine’s Day plus a chance to select two complimentary Valentine digital downloads of your choice from DJ Inkers (up to $15). Keep reading to get your freebies and find out how to enter!

On Valentine’s Day I have always given my students a treat bag along with a card enclosed in the bag. It recently occurred to me I could make this process more efficient if I created a treat topper for the bags and used it as my Valentine card.

To use these free Valentine Treat Toppers just print on cardstock, fold in the middle, and staple to the top of a bag filled with goodies. I created two different treat toppers for you using the February Dazzlers digital clipart download from DJ Inkers. One is for a teacher to give to students and the other is more generic and can be used by anybody. Just click on the picture below to download your free Valentine treat bag toppers.

Valentine Treat Bag Topper

I wrote the original poem on the topper, if you like it please feel free to share a link to this page with others. Terms of Use

I made this Valentine card for teachers to give to students using the Luv Kids Coloring digital clipart download from DJ Inkers. To use the card print and cut around the outside, then fold first on the horizontal fold, then again on the vertical fold. You can download this card by clicking on the picture below.

Valentine Card

Here’s how you can get two complimentary digital downloads from the DJ Inkers website!
First, visit DJ Inkers and check out the large variety of Valentine clipart they have to offer. Next, come back here and leave a comment on this blog post letting us know what your two favorites are and why (scroll down to the “Leave a Comment” section below).

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below; only the comment is mandatory, all other entries are optional. One winner will be chosen using Rafflecopter on Saturday, February 7th. The lucky winner will be notified by e-mail and can select two Valentine digital downloads of his or her choosing from DJ Inkers (up to $15).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received complimentary digital clipart courtesy of DJ Inkers used to create these free printables, I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are 100% my own.

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Post Office Play Printables

V. Levin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:01:24 +0000

I like to change my dramatic play center every few weeks to keep it fresh and exciting; not to mention the many academic benefits that are associated with play. One of the dramatic play themes that young children enjoy is Post Office play. The Post Office theme is very popular at this time of the year because Valentine’s Day provides a natural opportunity to discuss mail. I have created a free printable Valentine card for your students to use in the post office center, keep reading to get your copy.

Above, you can see some of the props in my Post Office center. I found the official USPS uniform shirt at a thrift shop. The Fisher Price mail bag was a garage sale find and the blue visor was fifty cents at the craft store. I used a paint pen to write the word “mail” on the visor.

You can make your own mail bag by writing the word mail on a fabric bag with craft paint. I found the little blue bags pictured above at my local craft store; they were three for a dollar.

One of my favorite books to introduce a mail/post office theme is Delivering Your Mail by Ann Owens. There is an entire series of these books and they are all very appropriate for young children with wonderful illustrations and a single line of text on each page.

Free Printable Valentine Card

To use the card cut around the outside, then fold first on the horizontal fold, then again on the vertical fold.

You can learn more about our dramatic play Post Office and download the 30 page kit here.

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Road Trip: Las Vegas

V. Levin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:02:30 +0000

Check out the road trip that Heidi and I are taking to Las Vegas this summer! We’re going to the I Teach K! National Kindergarten Teacher Conference July 9-12, 2012 sponsored by SDE. Don’t let the name fool you, there will be plenty of sessions this year for Pre-K Teachers too.

Some of my favorites will be there like Lisa Murphy (aka The Ooey Gooey Lady) and Jack Hartmann!

A big thanks goes to Heidi’s husband Greg for all the special effects in the video, he’s a genius!

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DIY Dry Erase Pockets

V. Levin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:01:59 +0000

Ever since my first colored duct tape project I’ve become fascinated with the stuff. The possibilities for using duct tape in the classroom are endless and those Michael’s 50% off coupons just keep coming so what’s a girl to do? I’ve mentioned my lack of talent in the crafting department before but I do love to save money and re-purpose things and this project fits the bill nicely.

This simple dry erase pocket was made using laminate film remnants and duct tape. Of course, I could use simple page protectors but they drive me nuts because they are so flimsy and don’t hold up very well. To create a sturdier page pocket I started with some leftover, thick laminating film and cut it into two sheets, each 9 x 12. Next, I placed the laminate sheets on top of each other. Then, I cut strips of colored duct tape and used them to attach the two pieces of film together on three sides. I left the top open so a piece of paper can be slipped inside. I could have also put duct tape on the top of each sheet of film so there would be equal borders.

These DIY dry erase pockets are similar to those sold in commercial teacher stores but can be made for only a fraction of the cost. I’m not a big fan of worksheets but I do use recording sheets and lots of games which can be easily slipped into these pockets to save on laminating costs. The pockets can be written on with Vis-a-Vis or dry erase markers and erased.

P.S. – Don’t forget about the 20% discount Jack Hartmann is offering followers and subscribers of Pre-K Pages! Details can be found here

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DIY Dramatic Play Pillowcase Curtains

V. Levin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:34:40 +0000

I saw this little window frame with a planter at a craft fair and it was love at first sight. I’ve often been cursed with windowless classrooms over the years and this seems like the next best {and cutest!} thing to having a real window in my dramatic play center. Of course, no window is complete without curtains so I set out in search of the cheapest no-sew alternative I could find.

I came across these pillowcases for $5 at Wal-Mart and since they come in sets of two that made them only $2.50 each! Next, I did what I do best, I Googled “No Sew Pillowcase Curtains” and came across this great idea from Sunshine Blossoms. Sunshine paints her pillowcases but that’s way too Martha for me! I’m ashamed to even call this a “tutorial” because when you see how easy it is you will laugh. I don’t have a crafty bone in my body so if I can do this then anybody can do it!

Here’s what you will need:

Cheapo curtain rod from Wal-Mart {I think it was about $1}
One package of $5 pillow cases- color of your choice
Ribbon
Fake flowers of your choice
Florist foam
Scissors
Construction paper

Start by making two small cuts a few inches from the top of the pillowcase – the end that is sewn shut, one cut on the left and one on the right. The hole should just be big enough for the curtain rod to slide through.
Attach your curtain rod to the wall.
Use your ribbon to tie back the curtains.
Put your florist foam into the planter and insert the fake flowers

I also inserted a piece of light blue construction paper behind the frame.

I’m joining the Everyday Dramatic Play linky party at Teach Preschool

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Dramatic Play Pizza Shop Printable

V. Levin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:20:55 +0000

My dramatic play bakery inspired me to keep going and create a new pizza theme. I’ve also created a free printable for you that is available at the bottom of this post.

I’m still obsessed with felt food so I channeled my inner creative diva and bought this adorable felt pizza pictured above from the Melissa and Doug line.

I re-used my super cheap and easy DIY magnetic sign for the menu.

You could also use a pocket chart from the Dollar Spot to hold the menu cards.

I created some free, printable name tags for you below. These name tags can be placed in clear, vinyl badge holders with clips from Wal-Mart or you can just laminate them for durability, punch holes at the top, and put yarn or string through the holes to create necklaces. Place the badges in your dramatic play pizza shop for the children along with some Via-a-Vis markers and invite them to write their names on the badges.

Click on the picture below to download your free printable pizza shop name tags!

I’m joining the Everyday Dramatic Play linky party at Teach Preschool

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The Mitten Characters Printable

V. Levin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:48:43 +0000

Here is a free printable that goes along with the classic story of The Mitten by Jan Brett. The first page has pictures of animals, some are from the story and some are not. The second page is a t-chart that has picture cues at the top to support non-readers.

Students cut out the pictures of the animals and glue them to the correct side of the t-chart. One side is titled “Characters in the story” and the other side is titled “Characters not in the story.” This activity can be used to assess beginning comprehension skills as well as following directions and cutting.
Click on the picture below to download this free two page printable!

Check out the winter page for more activities and printables to spice up your classroom!

What is the most popular winter activity in your classroom? Share your success in the comment section below.

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