It has been said that play is the work of children, yet more and more, play is being pushed aside to fit in more academics. As free time is being taken out of the school day, teachers are wondering how to incorporate play in their kindergarten day.While creative free play is still a childhood necessity, you may find that it is impossible to include this time in your kindergarten day.These suggestions will help you incorporate play in kindergarten when you don't have time for dramatic play.Why Is ...
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5 Tips for a Successful First Week of Kindergarten
Planning for the first week of kindergarten can be overwhelming. There are a million and one things to remember and do and, let's face it, there is a reason people compare the first weeks of kindergarten to herding cats!But take a deep breath, because i've got you. These 5 tips are guaranteed to make your first week of kindergarten a success (even if things still go wrong... because they will, but it will be okay!).Focus On Building RelationshipsFor many of our littles, that first day of ...
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Free Birthday Themed Sensory Bin Activities
Sensory bins are an amazing way to combine learning and play in preschool, Pre-k, or kindergarten. These free birthday themed sensory bin activities would be fun any time of the year!Why use sensory bins in the classroom?As their name implies, sensory bins allow students to use multiple senses to explore and learn. They help students focus, self-regulate, and retain information as students are activating multiple parts of their brain.Plus, they’re fun!Play is so important because it’s how kids ...
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How To Use Sensory Bins in Kindergarten
Sensory bins in Kindergarten are an amazing way to combine academic center activities and hands on play. But knowing where to start and how to use sensory bins effectively in Kindergarten can be overwhelming.I’ll be the first to admit that I resisted using sensory bins in my kindergarten classroom for years. It wasn’t until two years ago that I began looking into sensory bin ideas that would actually work for my kindergarten students (and myself).However, once I began using sensory bin ...
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The Crayon Box Name Craft You NEED To Make!
Crafts at the beginning of the year in Kindergarten are one of the best ways to incorporate academics, fine motor practice, and listening and following directions. I came up with this crayon box name craft 5 years ago as a way to make name practice just a little more fun for my kindergarteners, and it’s been a favorite ever since!Why are learning crafts important?I am 100% on team learning crafts in the classroom! Many of our students come in with weak fine motor skills and not much experience ...
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How To Use Your Magnet Letters Center in Kindergarten
Nothing screams kindergarten like a magnetic letters literacy station! But what is the best way to set up your magnets center? Are you wondering how to use magnetic letters in kindergarten (if you’re anything like me, you’ve got a million extras)?Today I’m going to walk you through setting up my magnetic letters center and how I manage it in my kindergarten classroom.Questions To Ask Before Setting Up Your Magnets CenterBefore setting up your magnetic letters center, there are a few questions ...
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