The Essential Arts and Crafts Supply Cabinet

One of the most popular areas in an early childhood classroom is the art center.  The art center can be quite a chore to stock to maintain the children's interest.  To keep up with the demands of a high use center I find relying on tried and true arts and crafts supplies to be key.  I also like to rotate in inexpensive and often free/recycled items. The following list includes items that I frequently used in my preschool classroom and in our lab classroom. 

• Paint--tempera, watercolor, fingerpaint   
• Various sizes of paintbrushes
• Sponges--to cut into shapes 
• Stamps and stamp pads
• Crayons--different sizes and shapes 
• Markers--fat and thin 
• Pencils--different sizes 
• Colored pencils
• Erasers 
• Colored and white chalk
• Oil pastels
• Paper of all sizes and textures--construction, newsprint, lined, wallpaper, butcher, fingerpaint 
• Glue, glue sticks, paste
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Hole punchers--three hole, one hole, and decorative 
• Tape--scotch, washed, and masking (preferably multiple colors)
• Yarn--various sizes and colors 
• Contact paper--cut into manageable sizes for impromptu collages 5 x 7 is a good size
• Tissue paper--scraps work well here
• Stencils 
• Play dough, cookie cutters, rolling pins and other tools 
• Coffee filters 
• Envelopes
• Paper plates--great for project bases or paint plates
• Paper lunch sacks 
• Cardboard tubes--for art projects and to protect children's rolled papers 
• Wiggle eyes
• Craft sticks--various sizes
• Pipe cleaners 
• Collage materials--sequins, stickers, scraps, feathers, Pom poms, straws, glitter, confetti, buttons, beads, ribbons, etc. (I like to organize collage materials in empty class pack marker or crayon boxes.) 

Teacher Planning Resources:

• Smocks, aprons, or paint shirts 
• Display space
• Containers to store supplies in for children's use--juice cans, baskets, boxes, and plastic/lidded containers
• Hand washing area
• Baby wipes
• Newspaper or plastic tablecloths--to protect tables and floors 
• Space for projects to dry
• Clothes pins--for hanging items to dry 
• Sharpies--to add names to masterpieces with children's permission 

Favorite Teacher Trick:  When filling paint containers, line with a plastic baggie first and then add the paint...lids will still fit and when you run out of paint or want to switch the color...simply throw the baggie away...no mess! 

Sensory table experiences...the custodian's nightmare!

When I was going through my early childhood coursework we didn't learn much about using sensory tables other than having sand and water in the classroom were nice additions.  When I landed my first teaching job in a preschool classroom I had two sensory tables.  I was fortunate to have a fairly large table that was initially filled with sand...it was metal and had wheels on one end so it was easy to move when filled.  My water table was a clear plastic tub in a metal frame...it had a drain spigot but I found it easier to carefully carry the whole tub to the classroom bathroom and dump in the toilet (the sink drain was not fast enough to handle that volume of water).  When dumping the water tub the metal frame was left unattended and was often occupied by a preschooler using like a walker for the elderly.  In the beginning I was not very adventurous when it came to the sensory options in my classroom...you could play in the sand or the water...and the water might have bubbles in it.  This post is devoted to remembering the some of the favorite materials I have used over the years in my sensory tables...for some I will indicate the overall theme of the classroom. 

Not my sensory table but the propped up
lid is familiar. 

• Snow--real snow (or crushed ice) to be enjoyed with gloves and mittens 
• Styrofoam peanuts (simulated snow)
• Cotton balls--snow and with doctor theme
• Plastic Easter grass--with plastic bugs or jungle animals
• Uncooked Oatmeal with plastic spiders--nursery rhymes
• Dried beans/seeds--beware--damp kid hands + dried beans/seeds = sprouts
• Flour--bakery theme...this was a great idea in my head...not a good idea for a carpeted classroom...and with slightly dampened children they ended up looking like little ghosts
• Dirt with plastic veggies and silk flowers--gardening theme
• Pumpkins--with the "lids" cut out
• Water with live fish--this didn't last long
• Mud--the kids transformed dirt to different consistencies of mud 
• Colored rice--my old apartment probably still has remnants of the first 20 pound bag I colored
• Bubbles, baby dolls, and wash cloths 
• Cooked spaghetti with a little oil 
• Ribbons, cardboard tubes, yarn, masking tape, & scissors
• Fall leaves, pine cones, twigs, sticks, 
• Rocks, pebbles, aquarium gravel 
• Ice blocks, water, and polar animals
• Sod, water spray bottles, scissors, plastic animals 
• Pseudo moon sand--flour and baby oil
• Clean mud--toilet paper, grated ivory soap,and water 
• Paper hole punches

I usually kept a small whisk broom and dust pan near my sensory table for the kids to clean up...some kids enjoyed the broom action better than the materials in the tubs.  I tried not to annoy our custodians, so I spent quite a bit of time cleaning things up as much as possible...but I have heard numerous custodians grumble about sand clogging the vacuum cleaners and other gripes.  I did make a few logistical mistakes with my sensory tables...do not place a sand table too close to the computer work station or a sink.  The computers took on a lot of flying sand in every nook and cranny.  The sink issue at first became a problem because of the kids adding too much water to the sand table...a little water added a new dimension to the play...but too much and it was a soupy mess.  The second sink issues was caused by the kids adding sand to the sink which clogged the drain...three different times...I learned several things from that experience...when kids do weird things with the materials it is time for a change and after the first call to the physical plant to unclog the drain it was easier to just shop vac out the sand in my own.  

There are so many possibilities for sensory play...be creative and follow the children's interests and needs.  

From Preschool Teacher to Early Childhood Professor

In the fall of 1990, I started my freshman year at Missouri Southern State University as a secondary history major thinking it would be cool to teach history in high school.  During my first semester I had an introductory education course that placed us in our desired grade level for a short observation.  After my introductory time in that history class I quickly decided that high school was not the place for me.  Luckily, it was still my first semester and I had not taken classes that wouldn't work with another major.  Knowing that I still wanted to be a teacher but with smaller kiddos I switched my major to elementary/early childhood education.  I enjoyed the courses and the field experiences through which discovered where I belonged.  I even joined a student organization geared toward elementary and early childhood.  I graduated in May 1995 after a 10 week student teaching experience split between kindergarten and first grade.  

I got married less than a month after graduation and had secured a summer job with the local parks department as a playground director.  For this summer gig I spend my days supervising activities for kindergarten to sixth grade kiddos at a local park...it was hot and tiring but I was really tan that summer...and if it rained...I didn't have to work.  Before summer began, I had interviewed for a few positions in early elementary grade classrooms and a private preschool program...those situations didn't work out because I lacked experience (how does one get experience if they can't get hired because they lack experience?) and most of the programs didn't fit my personality or beliefs.  One day in August, I was alerted to a small newspaper ad for a teacher position in 3-5 year old classroom in the lab school at the college from which I had just graduated.  I applied for the job and was soon called for an interview.  The day of the interview I was working at my park job and it started raining in the afternoon which meant the park kids were picked up early and I was able to run home to shower and change for my interview.  I remember that my hair was not yet completely dry when I arrived for the interview...but at least I was visibly clean.  The interview went well and maybe a week or so later the director called and offered my the job...which I excitedly accepted. 

I started my teaching career in August of 1995.  I loved having my own classroom and I enjoyed the other teachers.   settled into a good routine with planning and executing fun activities in my classroom.  I inherited a gerbil named Fred who passed away shortly after I started...which may be the topic of another post.  The next summer I attended the Project Construct Basic Institute for a week to learn more about the curriculum model used by the Child Development Center.  I decided it made since to enroll to get graduate credit for attending the institute.  Little did I know this would be the start of my masters program.  I continued to take a class or two a semester from Missouri State University, they brought their masters program to my campus.  Soon it was announced that our program director would be retiring and we formed a search committee.  To make a long story short I ended up applying for and becoming director...I never had any aspirations to become a director and quite frankly wasn't sure what I was getting myself into.  

Upon becoming director I had a lot of things to learn...enrollment, purchasing, licensing, accreditation, hiring/firing, billing, and so much more.  One little job that came along with being director was advising some of the early childhood majors...which I found that I really liked.  During the first few years of my directorship I was coordinating an early childhood conference and teaching continuing education courses for child care providers.  Within the first few years as director I had a baby and I finished my masters.  I was soon asked to teach one of the early childhood courses...scary but fun!  After a few years of teaching adults I decided this was a new direction for me to pursue...which meant I needed to begin a doctoral program.  

In 2003, while pregnant with my second child I was accepted into the Ph.D. program at the University of Arkansas  in curriculum and instruction.  I started my doctoral work in the spring of 2004 while working full time as the center director, teaching one EC class, coordinating and teaching continuing education courses, coordinating an early childhood conference...with two kids, a husband, and a dog at home.  Now my plan was to wait for the lead early childhood faculty member to retire (or die) so I could have her position.  

Well...nothing happened until sometime in late 2007 when I saw a newspaper ad for an early childhood faculty position (and lab school director) position at my school's closest rival Pittsburg State University (only 30 miles from my home).  I thought, "What the heck..."  I was ABD and held the qualifications required...so I quietly applied for the position.  I was called for a phone interview and later an on campus interview in February 2008.  A few weeks later they called and offered me the job...I did the obligatory "let me think about it" and then accepted the position.  I made the announcement in March that I would be leaving my current job in July...lots of drama...lots of lessons learned soon my office was packed up and eyes were dried.  I said my goodbyes and then I had about a month to prepare for this new chapter in my life.

After a family vacation to Florida I got settled into my new office and began preparing for my fall courses while interviewing my subjects for my dissertation. It was a busy semester...everything was new and much of it was a blur.  I attended my first NAEYC conference that November with my new colleague (the lead preschool teacher) and a group of students...this would become an annual event (I have now presented at the conference for three years in a row).  I felt like I had settled in well and felt very comfortable.  As expected, the spring semester went even smoother than the fall.  In April, I defended my dissertation and graduated in May 2009.

My time at PSU has been great...I love working with people who want to work with young children.  I also enjoy being one of the advisors for our early childhood student organization.  My major accomplishments the past few years have been serving on the KAEYC governing board (as a member at large and now secretary); getting an article published in a journal;  contributions to a few regional publications and one popular parenting magazine; numerous local and regional presentations; achieving NAEYC accreditation of the preschool in 2012; and earning tenure and being promoted to associate professor in 2013.  I always say I have the best of both worlds...I work with the college students but I can sneak in and enjoy the preschool kiddos as needed.  

Preschool Themes

Many early childhood teachers use a thematic approach in their classrooms.  There are some keys to choosing a good, developmentally appropriate theme:  

1. relevance--tied to real life experiences, builds on child's background knowledge, helps children understand the world around them
2. possibility for hands on activities--firsthand experiences or simulations
3. available resources and materials
4. potential for in depth projects to emerge

My first experience in planning a theme was in my junior or senior year in an undergraduate EC curriculum course.  The class was taught my by favorite teacher and later mentor, Dr. Nancy Smith.  A major project for the course was to choose a theme to plan activities around that would be taught in small groups and later be added to a thematic learning center.  We also had to coordinate a dramatic play center to be implemented with our theme.  I love planning and was excited to get started.  I had already decided I would choose a insect theme.  There was a slight problem, I didn't choose a backup plan for a theme and the day we announced our theme to the class someone else (who announced before me) chose an insect theme...what would I do?  Well...when Dr. Smith called my name to record my chosen theme, I blurted out that my theme was "feelings".  Not sure what possessed me to pick that particular theme...but it wasn't a good choice for many reasons...but I made it through that course and never used that theme on its own again (later I used some activities in an "All about me" theme).  

In my almost 19 years working with 2-5 year old kids I have implemented quite a few themes that did work well.  Some day I may devote future posts to outlining activities with certain themes...but for now I will just list my favorite themes.

• All about me
• Apples
• Fall
• Pumpkins
• Thanksgiving
• Winter
• Spring
• Five senses
• Friends
• Family
• Pets
• Zoo
• Valentine's day
• Weather--wind, clouds, rain, rainbows
• Farm
• Ducks
• Dinosaurs
• Berries
• Pasta
• Pizza
• Insects
• Bubbles
• Colors
• Nursery rhymes
• Fairy tales
• Breakfast
• Transportation
• Garden
• Camping
• Clifford 
• Bakery
• Birthday
• Pond life--fish, frogs, reptiles
• Babies
• Grocery store
• Olympics
• Restaurant
• 4th of July
• Community helpers--post office, doctors/nurses, dentists, firefighters, policemen

Here are some pictures from my days of preschool past that highlight some of my favorite themes.  

Visiting sheep during a farm theme.  

Caging animals with our zoo theme.

Harvesting vegetables in dirt table with our garden theme

Washing babies.

To ask or not to ask...that is the question.

I have been grading lesson plans designed by my early childhood curriculum class and I keep running into the same issue on many plans...either in the closure or transition section of their plans they are asking two simple questions that serve no purpose.  Can you guess those two questions?  Hmmmm....think about it....here are the useless questions:

1.  Did you like the lesson?

2.  What was your favorite ________?

Here is why I do not think these are appropriate questions for preschool lessons.  First, these are closed ended questions that do not provide much information.  Ask a yes/no question and it gives the child the option of telling you that in fact, "no" he did not like your lesson.  Secondly, these questions do not attempt to gauge a child's understanding of concepts from the lesson.  Asking questions that cause a child to reflect on the activity would give you more information to determine the children's understanding of the lesson's target purpose.  If I ask a child about his or her favorite part of a lesson, I may find out that the sticking point was not my intended goal...which may be a good thing to find out...or I may find out that little Timmy's favorite color is blue and why do I need to know that? 

Here are some tips for asking questions that will yield more information:  

• limit the amount of questions it isn't a game of 20 questions
• provide time for the kiddos to answer
• don't ask a question if you really do not need or want the answer
• Types of questions
• observation
• reconstruction of previous experiences
• relating cause and effect
• prediction  
• evaluation 
• generalization
• comparison 
• discrimination
• reasoning 
• quantify
• imaging something
• proposing  alternatives
• using  factual knowledge
• decision making 
• application 

Preschool Tummy Time

I mentioned in an earlier that I would explain what I meant by "preschool tummy time". 

Several years ago while attending a conference, my co-workers and I were turned on to an idea for using "tummy time" with preschoolers.  The idea was for preschoolers to engage in activities while lying on their tummies in an effort to strengthen their upper body (arms, neck, shoulders) as well as fine motor control which would help prepare them physically for future writing.  I never looked into the science behind it because it made sense and it sounded like a fun idea.  

Back at our center, each teacher prepared an area of her classroom specifically for tummy time.  The teachers gathered suitable tummy time materials in individual baskets and added them to a shelf near her large group rug...small individual throw rugs were added for children to use if they chose a different area of the classroom as their space.  A small portion of each day was devoted to the children playing in this way.  It turned out that it was a great chance to get the kids engaged with different materials and activities in a low key manner. Think about it...it is hard to get too rowdy when lying on one's tummy.  It made for a mellow time during the day.  They kids enjoyed these experiences and often requested "tummy time" which meant it kept us teachers on our toes finding appropriate materials to stock the baskets.mm

Here is a run down of some of the baskets to choose from:

• Mr. Potato Head
• Etch-a-Sketch (although hard to shake/erase while propped on one's elbows...a protective helmet might have been a good call with this basket)
• Stationery, writing instruments, envelopes
• Sorting baskets--kid's meal toys were perfect here
• Small play sets--construction scene, doll house, dinosaurs, etc.
• Coloring books, crayons, colored pencils
• Puzzles
• Games:  dominoes, tic-Tac-Toe, checkers, card games, memory
• Lacing cards, dressing frames
• Legos
• Tray with play dough
• Stencils for tracing

There are so many possibilities and possibly so many benefits!

Some Thinking about Learning Centers

In the last week, I have been talking to two of my early childhood courses about using learning centers in EC classrooms.  I am a total believer in the power of learning through child initiated play activities...so I think one of the most important jobs of the early childhood professional is to plan the environment so that it works for the kids. To an outsider...the "play" centers in an EC classroom might not appear planned but they should and often do take much deliberation as to the choices of items to include.  One of my classes will be arranging a fictitious preschool classroom that must include a minimum of 5 learning centers.  My EC curriculum class is beginning to work on their thematic units that must include ideas for various learning centers.  
I get excited as my students are working on these activities...as I love to plan and I often begin plotting out new ideas I would like to put into motion.  

These assignments have caused me to reflect on centers I have implemented in my years as a preschool teacher.  In my classroom I always included the following centers:  blocks, dramatic play (corresponding with the theme), sensory tables (sand/water and anything goes), manipulatives, library corner, art, and often a thematic inspired area.  I have also tried some other centers for limited periods of time:  snack, computer, listening, music, science, and preschool tummy time (explanation to follow in a future post).  I was never brave enough to add a wood working center in my classroom.  

This past Friday, the lead preschool teacher, some of our student teachers, and I reworked the block area.  I wish I would have taken a "before" photo.  All the blocks were taken off the shelves, cleaned, and sorted.  Random blocks were gathered for use elsewhere.  Shelves were wiped down and new shelf labels were made.  A HUGE bin of extra blocks that had been in our playground storage shed was brought in...all blocks wiped down, and added to the newly organized shelves.  This cleaning and organizing adventure was the beginning of a block area enhancement project that I am working on for a future conference presentation.  I am planning on adding inexpensive simple items to lure the kiddos into the block area to play.  The block area has not had a makeover in quite a while and the kids need some new challenges.  The children's reaction to the items will be fun to observe and will provide the college students with some new skills to documents and ideas for their future classrooms.

The inventory on these shelves is a little more skimpy than others...more room for new items.

Nice load of unit blocks!

So nicely organized...until Monday.

Whole newly reorganized block area!

The first new addition to the block area are some tree blocks and forest animals as one of our student teachers is implanting a camping/forest theme next week. 

Happy Holidays Mrs. T!

As I was putting away my Christmas decorations this year I was reminded of some of my former kiddos because I was carefully packing away items that were gifts from my days as a preschool teacher.  I still keep in touch with some of the kids from days gone by...mainly through friendships on Facebook...I have former children who are planning to graduate from high school, who are in college, who just graduated from college, and a few who are now parents themselves...making me a "grand-preschool teacher".  Anyways...back to the gifts...I have had my favorites over the years...pre-Pinterest crayon monograms.  Here are some of the good...the bad...and the ugly (you determine the categories) from 18 years of working with little ones:

1. Coffee mugs--I don't drink coffee but these mugs have served a decorations and pencil cups throughout the years.  I always write the child's name and date on the bottom of the mug.  One time a coworker of mine enjoyed mugs of hot cocoa with her entire class using real mugs that were gifts from families--the kids thought they were so cool with their heavy breakable fancy mugs.  
2. Soaps & Lotions--After a day of smelling playground dust and dirty pants a hint of citrus, plumeria, and freesia never hurts.  Better yet...a gift card to Bath and Body Works!
3. Candles--I received many candles that I took home because we couldn't use them at school...after a while one runs out of room to store candles and the competing scents can be overwhelming.  
4. Ornaments--This insures that a former teacher thinks of you each year while decorating her tree...again...mark with name and year. 
5. Framed photos of child or group of children!
6. Restaurant Gift Cards--Always a nice choice for a teacher who is exhausted at the end of the day...preferably to a restaurant where one orders from a table and the bonus would be real table cloths.  
7. Photo albums or scrapbooks to document the events and activities of the coming year.  To this day, I keep albums accessible in my office and flip through them on occasion when thinking of particular activities or children.  One time I had a former student visiting our college and she stopped by my office to say "hello".  I pulled an album off the shelf and we reminisced while flipping through the pages.  
8. Personalized tote bags, pencils, note pads and classroom door decorations.
9. Classroom items--children's books, bean bag chair, puzzle, or a new nap-time CD.
10. Live scorpion.  Yes, this is a real item brought to me by a child...I bet you can guess which category it belongs in.  
11. Many items that represented the school I worked for...paperweights, pens, mouse pads, sweatshirts, more mugs...
12. Thematic wooden/plastic jewelry--While I do not dress much like Ms. Frizzle anymore, I used to totally rock the theme look from socks to earrings...every holiday and thematic unit had its own look.  I have a cool Santa necklace made from Legos!  
13. Movie Night Gift Basket--I have received this item twice!  Both times consisted of large bowls for popcorn, microwave popcorn, movie candy, pop, and gift certificates for movie rentals.  
14. Candy--This may seem like an easy fix for any teacher...and I do like candy...but I am kind of a candy snob...meaning not just any candy will do.  I prefer Candy House English Toffee to a Snickers...I prefer Brach's Candy Corn to Mallowcreme pumpkins...I prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate...and I typically choose not to each off brand Dollar Store candy (ever hear of cocoa moths?) or anything homemade.  

Things I never received as gifts...but would be awesome:  

1. Tervis Cups with Lids--This is my go-to item for my kid's teachers because you can use with hot or cold drinks and there are many designs to fit the style of the teacher.  
2. iTunes Cards--Today, if I were in a preschool classroom, I would love to be able to add some new apps to my iPad to use with the kids...or to be able to expand our music repertoire.  
3. Subscription to an appropriate magazine to use either for the classroom--Ranger Rick, Highlights, or for the teacher like Mailbox.  
4. Drink Gift Cards--Again, not a coffee drinker but if I were...I would love Starbucks.  But, gift cards to Sonic or other places where a teacher can grab an icy beverage before or after work is much appreciated.
   

Confessions of a Cereal Box User

The fall semester is back into full swing and I have caught my breath long enough to add a new post to my blog.  I have a list of ideas to tackle this semester and one thing that I love to think about is how to use junk or essentially "trash" in an early childhood classroom.  

So...this post is dedicated to my top 10 ideas for using cereal boxes.  Cereal boxes are easy to acquire.  First off, if you are an early childhood professional cereal makes an easy breakfast, lunch, and sometimes dinner so the boxes could be accumulating in your own stash of "things to take to my classroom." Second, kids love cereal...parents are usually pretty willing to save boxes for you to use or you may be using cereal in your program for activities and snacks.  If you are sending out requests for boxes be sure to add an end date or a certain number of boxes needed so you don't end up having to rent a storage unit to keep your boxes...don't keep unattended boxes piled to the ceiling in your facility...the fire marshal will not understand the need for 50 empty Froot Loops boxes.  

• The individual size cereal boxes can be made into a memory match game...I did this for a breakfast unit.  You can find variety packs of 10...the front of the box matches the back of the box...cover the unfinished side of the box, laminate, and match away.

• I have also created puzzles with full size cereal box fronts.  The kids liked the cereal box puzzles because it was something familiar to them. You could make it more difficult and use a side other than the "front" of the box.  

• There was a time when I cut the top off of cereal boxes, covered them with contact paper and stored my children's writing/drawing journals in them standing up on the counter or writing table.  It was a great way to keep them together yet easy to flip through to find each child's journal.  You can also add labels to organize the sets by group.  
• Cereal boxes, of the same size, with top flaps removed can be taped together, covered with contact paper and placed on a shelf to store construction paper by color.  It sure beats purchasing one from an   educational supply company and you have control over the number of paper slots.  
• Cereal box fronts can be hole punched and hooked together to make environmental print books.  Or you can place the fronts in freezer zipper bags and tape together for students who may like to mouth the book.  
• Stuff empty cereal boxes with newspaper...securely shut with packing tape and add to a grocery store inspired dramatic play center.
• Empty cereal boxes of varying sizes can be used a percussion instruments.  This is a great opportunity to hear and classify the different sounds make by different sizes of boxes.  Drum sticks are not necessary but could be cool...use hands, un-sharpened pencils, rhythm sticks, etc. Another instrument idea is to cut a hole on one side of the cereal box and stretch rubber bands around box and hole...instant guitar!
• Empty cereal boxes can be used for construction play.  They are easily stuffed, reinforced and covered to be used as large blocks in the block area.  A roll of cheap masking tape and a pile of empty boxes is a masterpiece waiting to happen.
• A cereal box cut in half from top to bottom can be used for many craft projects--marble painting "pan", collage base, spatter paint receptacle, paint palette, the possibilities are endless.Cereal boxes can be used for children to stuff--they can add a certain number of items to boxes that have numerals printed on them.  They can add cut out letters that match letters on the box--during "R" week add R's to the Rice Krispie box.  They can add items that match a particular color indicated on the box.  

Frugal Summer Fun for Little Ones!

Summer is quickly approaching!  Whether you work with preschool age kids throughout the summer in a program or you are at home with little ones...these frugal summer ideas work in all situations.  I have been in both situations and those summer months can feel like an eternity if children are bored.  The following ideas are tried, true, cheap, and often forgotten when we are planning activities for young children.

Here are the ingredients for cheap summer fun:

1. Painting with Water--give a child a bucket or cup of water with paintbrushes to "paint" the sidewalk, driveway, side of house, etc.  It is fun to watch a child witness the evaporation process...they often speed up their painting efforts to keep more of the surface wet.  It is also a great way to cool off!
2. Forts--grab some blankets, sheets, and clothespins and get creative building a fort outside or inside.  Bonus--nap time in a fort can be pretty cool!
3. Catch Fireflies--this works for late afternoon/early evening caregivers or parents--how much fun did you have catching fireflies as a child?  Optional variations for those who are not card carrying PETA members--squeezing rear end off of firefly to create glowing jewelry or practice swinging and aiming at fireflies with a plastic bat (they remain lit while sailing through the air).  
4. Painting Rocks--have children hunt for some rocks that they can paint and decorate.  Lately I have seen several Pinterest posts about decorating rocks to look like strawberries and owls...let your little one decide what to create...it might even turn into a pet rock or a pretty addition to a flower garden.  
5. Go on a picnic--in the park, the backyard, the living room floor.  Bonus--have the children plan the menu and "make" the food.
6. Plant something--test your child's green thumb by finding something to plant and cultivate during the summer months--could be a vegetable or flower!
7. Set up a lemonade stand--this could be a real lemonade stand for profit or a pretend one.
8. Sidewalk Chalk games--hopscotch, foursquare, or create a game together.
9. Cool off with spray bottles, squirt guns, water balloons, sprinklers, or the garden hose.  Bonus activity--create a rainbow with the water spray in the sun.
10. Make popsicles in small cups or an ice cube tray out of lemonade, juice, or other beverage of choice.
11. Bubbles!  I love blowing bubbles!  Experiment with different solutions, try new bubble wands with found items such as six-pack rings, berry baskets, fly swatters, pipe cleaners, or fashion a cool one by stringing yarn through two drinking straws.  Bonus activity--catching bubbles with wands, bigger bubble contest, and I am not sure if it works but it would be worth a try--glow in the dark bubbles by emptying a glow stick into bubble solution.
12. Cloud Gazing--spread a blanket or towel in the grass and watch the clouds.  Read a book about cloud shapes such as "It Looked Like Spilt Milk" and then try to figure out what the figures the clouds resemble.  Evening variation--star gazing and constellation naming!
13. Mud Pies--do kids ever get to play in the mud anymore?  Find or create some mud and provide the pans and other mud utensils for the creation of yummy mud pies!
14. Scavenger Hunt--create a list (with pictures) of items to find in the backyard, on a walk, on the playground or in the house.  Reward finishers with a silly prize!
15. Break out classics that today's kids may not have experienced--jump ropes, jacks, paddle ball, balloon catch, puddles to jump, a tree to climb, tadpoles to catch!  Think about the things you thought were cool when you were little and adapt those experiences for a new generation.  

In case you think these are silly activities that do not serve a purpose...think again!  Many of these activities target science concepts such as observation, problem solving, changes/reactions, cause/effect, cycles of life and water.  When children are playing with other children or adults they are building vital social skills for future healthy relationships.  The language possibilities are endless!  Children are able to practice and perfect their fine and gross motor skills.  Oh...and these activities are FUN!

Physical Requirements for Early Childhood Professionals

While I was teaching my class of early childhood curriculum students today I made someone giggle...well actually today was filled with giggles for some reason...but something I did was apparently surprising to one student in particular.  I was demonstrating what not to do when teaching their first lesson in their practicum...so I assumed my traditional teaching position, "criss-cross applesauce", except so they could see me I was on top of a table...which I guess my agility and grace was shocking.  

After class, my head was spinning thinking about the flexibility and other physical skills that one must possess to work with young children.  Many job descriptions for early childhood positions 
mention the following physical demands:  occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling; some climbing and balancing; some stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling; and some fine finger dexterity. Generally the job requires 10% sitting, 45% walking, and 45% standing. 

I think we should keep it real and let people know what they are getting themselves into...here is my expanded list of Physical Requirements for Early Childhood Professionals:

1. occasional lifting--baby, toddler, chunky preschooler, Scholastic book order box
2. carrying--chunky preschooler from playground to classroom, stack of nap cots
3. flexibility--stretching to pat the backs of two nappers while their cots are regulation distance apart
4. stamina--Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes is easy...can you keep up with Tony Chestnut after the Bear Hunt?
5. ability to push your pain threshold--length of time until you can get to some headache medication on a rainy day when someone brings out the box of instruments...the day after a candy holiday
6. finger dexterity--ability to lead finger-plays, find the end of a skein of yarn, scotch tape, unknot shoe laces, and remove splinters
7. climbing--ability to climb on a chair in the classroom to reach something on a high shelf with ninja stealth so that you are not be seen by children
8. germ resistance--ability to stay healthy despite the dirty tissues in your pocket that do not belong to you
9. balancing--ability to balance an adult size rear end on a child size chair
10. standing--skill to stand upright after sitting in a child size chair or floor, more skill if you were holding chunky preschooler on your lap
11. eye sight--ability to read books in near darkness at naptime also handy in the detection of lice
12. alertness--need to remain upright and awake in near darkness while listening to the purring of children sleeping with an Enya CD playing in the background
13. urinary continence--ability to hold it until you can get to an adult size potty (if not--this requires an more flexibility and balancing talent if available potty is child sized)
14. medical knowledge--chicken pox or mosquito bites?

I am sure the list could go on and on...but if you really knew all the demands of working with young children would you still sign up?

Singing in the Rain

We are four weeks into the spring semester and it has been a wild ride thus far...strange weather and illness abound.  I am a little late posting...crazy days...but I began thinking about something from last week.

I live in Missouri and work in Kansas...in this part of the country one cannot think for a second that our weather can be...well normal.  Last week we started off a little warmer than normal for January but it was pleasant.  On Tuesday the craziness began...we started the day under a tornado watch...with some wind, rain and dark clouds.  When it was time for morning preschool to dismiss it was pouring...a real gully washer which prompted some children and adults to begin singing "Rain, Rain, Go Away."  This got me thinking...we as adults typically have a love/hate relationship with rain...we know that we need it but it is an inconvenience at times...I for one hate to get my hair wet in the rain or push a full grocery cart to the car in the rain.  But little kids...do they really hate the rain?  I think not...and I can list some reasons...

1.  Singing to the rain to go away is fun...therefore...rain is needed for a little fun.
2. If it rains you get to wear a shiny slick raincoat that might resemble a fireman's coat and green galoshes complete with bugged out frog eyes.
3. Umbrellas are cool!  Holding an umbrella as a child is such a thrill...even if you don't hold it over your head the whole time...you have to look to check if it is still raining every now and then.
4. Rain makes puddles and puddles make splashes.  Moms and teachers typically try to make children avoid puddles but it is just water after all...pants will dry.
5. Worms venture out after a rain.  Who doesn't like worms?  Well, I actually have a strong aversion to worms but I can contain my hatred of wiggly squiggly pink and brown non-arthropod invertebrate animals in the presence of a wide eyed child. 
6. Ever notice the sounds the rain makes?  To a child it sounds better...remember the song in Bambi..."drip, drip, drop little April showers" that is rain to the ears of a child.
7. Playing in the rain is a sacred forbidden activity...typically children will continue to play in the rain because it is fascinating...until an adult realizes they are out in the rain and calls them in to dry off, "before they catch a cold"...ruining all the enjoyment.
8. Children notice things about the rain that as adults we tend to overlook...the streams of rain in a gutter...the washing away of dirt...the smell of the rain.  
9. A rainy day in preschool means a different schedule...if we cannot go outside we do inside activities that are sometimes forgotten favorites that only come out on rainy days.  We don't pop in a video or turn on the tv...we use icky weather as a chance to get out activities and games for the children to enjoy...while learning.
10. MUD...no need to say more!

There is one aspect of rain that children and adults both seem to enjoy...the need to curl up and get cozy on a rainy day.

P.S. Our preschool week ended with blowing swirling snow.

Worms do not like snow.

My Favorite Things...

You can start singing the song from the Sound of Music or envision me as Oprah...but I do have some favorite things that have saved my sanity in the world of early childhood.  

Here are my top 4 favorite items that every early childhood professional should have access to:

1. Diaper Wipes--I don't care if you work with preschool age kiddos or kindergartners...diaper wipes are an amazing invention.  These wipes do much more than...well...wipe dirty bottoms.  Diaper wipes can be used to un-stick crusted boogies from noses...what I hate more than a snot streak on my pants from a preschooler hug is boogies that get stuck on my pants and then rip from the child's nose causing great pain.  I have used wipes on my shoes after playground duty.  They are great at the art center.  A must have on field trips for many reasons.  Got lunch on your shirt...diaper wipe it and it helps!  Plus you can get them in many varieties.  I love the new soft packs they are in now...I keep a pack in my car and use them for many things!
2. Sharpies--I love Sharpies...all shapes, colors, and sizes.  Sharpies have helped me make many materials for my kids--from games to nametags.  I have even replaced faces on Lego men with sharpies...we even ended up with a John Lennon look-a-like and some with angry eyebrows.  I also have labeled many children's coats and other belongings because some families miss this step.  I always try to remind my families...if you saw a great jacket on sale for your child...chances are others noticed the same sale and there will be more than one of those jackets floating around the cubbies.  
3. Hand Sanitizer--I know that not every program allows the use of hand sanitizer but these are non-child related uses for the wonder anti-germ gel.  I have used it to help remove the sticky from price tags and left over stickers.  I hate to admit it...but in a moment of desperation I dabbed some on a zit I felt beginning...and I swear it helped it not appear.  It does make me feel a little bit more in control of my own germ party to use it throughout the day in addition to washing...I prefer a nice scent and one that isn't too drying.  It is amazing the power of a fresh scent on your hands to help muffle some of the less pleasant smells associated with little kids.  
4. Clear Packing Tape--The sound of clear packing tape ripping off of a roll reminds me of so many moments in my preschool classroom.  In my first classroom we used a lot of this tape to adhere name spots to the carpet, attach labels to shelves, and to "laminate" small items in a pinch.  I prefer the heavy duty thick, more expensive, variety with the cutter on the roll...the big mechanical rollers only frustrate me when the tape gets tangled.  I will pass on a tip of either rolling down the loose edge so it doesn't get re-stuck to the roll or adding a large paperclip along the edge so you can find it again.  I have repaired many torn books with this kind of tape...even though my librarian friends would prefer I use a gentler library tape.  The only drawback I can see with this tape is the noise factor so you cannot get crazy taping things during nap time.

Back to School...Back to Reality!

Well the time has finally come...the welcome letters from my kids' teachers arrived today!  Being a teacher, I love back to school time.  I got so excited when the stores started stocking all the great supply items...I love the look...I love the smell...I love the idea of a new school year!  To me the year begins in August...not January.  I am looking forward to my school year starting up again next week...even with a week's worth of meetings it is an exciting time.

Here are my highlights for the semester:

1. I am teaching my favorite classes--FCS 390 Interacting with Children and FCS 490 Developmental Planning!  I also have interns, student teachers, and senior applied learning students.  I am also teaching FCS 571 Directed Readings--it isn't that I don't like this class but it is online and I don't get the real interaction with my students.
2. I am mentoring a new faculty member.  This means that I get to go to the new faculty orientation sessions next week--stuff I have already heard before but I still like attending because it gets you excited about the new year...and sometimes even though I am the mentor I will meet new people and learn new things.
3. My Developmental Planning course was selected to participate in a pilot project in which all 5 of my students (small class is ideal for this project) will receive an iPad to use for the semester.  My job will be to guide them in how to use iPads in preschool/kindergarten curriculum and planning.  This will be fun...especially since the students have no idea about the iPads.
4. I am up for promotion and tenure so I get to turn in my dossier this fall--October 12 to be exact.  Butterflies...nail biting... nausea...OMG!
5. I am presenting at the NAEYC Annual Conference and Expo this November in Atlanta.  This is a first for me and I am so excited and freaked out all at the same time.

Those are my planned highlights...I am sure there will be many adventures along the way...blog worthy adventures...I hope.

Things I have done for kids...

I was reminded the other day of a few incidents involving me, bats, and preschoolers.  I don't mean wiffle ball or baseball bats...but the furry winged rodent type.  This memory made me think of the things I never thought I would do...but I did...because of children.

 
Back to the bats.  On two different occasions I was able to capture bats to show to my preschoolers.  I am not a huge nature fan so capturing these bats was quite a step for me.  The bats that I caught were both "hanging" out on the ceiling of our covered patio on our playground.  I figured bats are creatures of the night and didn't belong there during the day.  I wasn't sure if I could "shoo" them away...so both times I trapped them in butter tubs.  Imagine non-outdoorsy me on a step ladder with a butter tub and a possibly rabid bat.  Putting the butter tub over the little critter was easy...it was the next step I had not thought through...how do I keep it in the tub while I turn the tub over?  Next step was a piece of cardboard slid between the opening of the tub and the ceiling...keeping Mr. Bat in the tub.  I quickly went to the kitchen (not sure licensing or sanitation would have approved) and I covered the opening with plastic wrap.  I wasn't too sure if the bat wouldn't freak out and claw its way out of the wrap but I did it anyways.  This way it provided a window for the kids to see a real live bat up close.  Did you know that bats do not like being in butter tubs with plastic wrap windows?  I know this because when I saw it up close it was hissing and wrinkling its little nose in protest.  I still think bats are kind of cool.  The first bat visited all classrooms and then was turned over to animal control...in case he was dangerous.  The second bat still visited all the kids...but we were a little braver...he was released to the wild by a fellow teacher...who returned with two lipstick "bite" marks on her neck...hahaha!

The next story isn't about bats but frogs and it happened during my student teaching semester.  I was student teaching in a first grade classroom and our science topic was amphibians.  How can I possibly teach about amphibians without a live frog...I truly believe in first hand...hands on experiences.  I talked my then fiance (now husband of 17 years) into catching a frog for me.  So one spring evening we went out with a bucket, a net, and a flashlight to a pond at a local park.  It looked like we were up to no good but I swear we were only after frogs.  My man quickly went to work hunting for a frog...and soon he scored a bullfrog.  He was really excited because it was a HUGE specimen.  He brought it over to me and I cringed...I had to pick this thing up at school the next day...I didn't think I could do it...so much to his disappointment he had to release the big one and capture a more manageable size of frog.  With a reasonable size frog in my bucket (along with a little pond water, some grass, and a rock) I was ready for the next day.  Did I mention it was to be one of my recorded student teaching lessons?  When it was time for science I shared a flannelboard of the life cycle of the frog and then it was time for the piece de resistance.  If anyone is thinking this is a great idea...it was but...I didn't think though all aspects of my frog viewing.  I had the kids sitting on a carpet around me...which worked well.  Against my better early childhood large group management knowledge I stood up when I was getting ready to take the frog out of the bucket so it would be in view of everyone.  The other thing I didn't think about was the fact the frog was slightly wet and now high above the floor.  I was a little nervous and possibly squeezing a little when the frog popped out of my grip...and landed smack on the forehead of a little boy with a buzz cut.  I can still see his face...the kids scrambled...the frog hopped...there were screams and laughs...and the video camera kept rolling.  I did pass student teaching and I think the kids learned a little about frogs.

A few other small things that I have done for or learned from kids that do not involve animals:

1. I have fake drank milk...I am not a fan of milk but given a carton and straw I can fake it.
2. I was a picky eater as a child so there were many things I never would try...until I had little faces watching me at lunch time...thanks to preschoolers I like broccoli, peas, and cole slaw, and beans now.
3. I learned if a child dressed as a doctor tells you to close your eyes...don't do it...at least keep one eye open or else you will end up with a popsicle stick rammed really far down your throat...and I cannot guarantee that it was a sterile popsicle stick.
4. I can will myself to stay awake while patting backs during naptime...with Enya playing...while on a drowsy formula of cold medicine.
5. Given enough Advil in my system I will get rhythm sticks out.
6. I will blow bubbles inside on a rainy day...we use the slippery when wet signs from the block area.
7. I will do the Spooky Walk in April.
8. I will read The Bear Under the Stairs (or any other good children's book)...again...and again.
9. I am not scared of fingerpaint, play doh, markers, stamp pads, or scissors like your parents are.
10. I will love and cherish all the coffee mugs...dandelions...and apple Christmas ornaments.