Pick 3 Pinterest Picks - February

I am very excited to be joining PAWSitively Teaching and the Inspired Owl again this month. Here are three of my favourite pins for February.

Click here for original pin.

This sensory bin caught my eye because it is placed on top of a light table. What a great idea! I also love the funnels. The colours are perfect for February and Valentine's Day.

Check out my Pinterest board dedicated to all things sensory!

Click here for original pin.

Speaking of Valentine's Day, here is a pin of a fantastic alternative to candy gifts. This is homemade play dough that has glitter added to it! A wonderful fine motor activity that students can play with at home. The gift tags are a free printable that can be found by following the Pinterest link. 

I am a huge fan of non-candy valentines.

What do you do for Valentine's Day with your class? 

One thing I learned was to ask parents of kinders to address valentines to "my friend" instead of actual names. Last year, I spent my lunch break with my teaching partner, the principal, and our educational assistant sorting over 1000 valentines into pouches because at this age, most of the students were unable to recognize and identify their classmates' names.  

Click here for original pin.

Here is a wonderful idea for a dramatic play centre for February. I would encourage the students to make a price list, take orders, count money, make signs for different flowers etc. I have even been to a classroom where the flower shop had real dirt and pots for the fake flowers to be planted in. The floor was covered with a plastic tarp to make cleanup easier! So much fun!!

Thank you so much for reading! :)

-Ms. Makinson

1000 Teachers Pay Teachers Followers CELEBRATION!!

First of all, thank you to every one of you who has followed my store. I am truly grateful! I cannot believe 1000 teachers are interested in my resources. It is such a wonderful feeling. I LOVE TpT!

I will be posting more details about product giveaways and flash freebies on my Facebook page. Be sure to check it out so you won't miss anything! My ENTIRE store including bundles will be on sale for the next three days. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart! 

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Pick 3 Pinterest Picks - January Linky

Today, as I was browsing my favourite blogs, I came across a post by An Apple for the Teacher (which I adored)! This is a linky that is posted every 3rd of the month and you are welcome to join in! Click on the above picture for instructions. Here are three of my favourite Pinterest picks for January.

Click for Original Pin

I love the idea behind this pin! It reminded me of a similar graph idea that I did a few years ago after going on a leaf hunt. I love using concrete materials for graphing and I like that it begins with a survey question that just begs for a prediction to be made! I can also see a discussion occurring about the results and why students prefer wearing gloves or mittens. Also you could ask whether or not the survey results would be different in the spring vs. winter. So fun!

Here is my pin from our leaf graph!

Click for Original Pin

Did you know that I adore sensory bins? 

I love creating them, I love watching students engage with them, and I LOVE playing and learning along with my students. I thought this particular idea would be perfect for a play-based/inquiry-based kindergarten classroom. I can just imagine the "I wonder" questions that may come up to be explored! 

Click for Original Pin

This pin caught my eye for a few reasons. This activity is great for measurement, making predictions, graphing predictions and results, connections to science, etc. It would be so exciting to check up on the snowman after lunch, gym, or recess to see how it changed.

Also, last year when I taught kindergarten, we had a few "snow eaters" late in the year when the snow was absolutely filthy. My teaching partner and I invited a few snow eaters to pick the cleanest looking piece of snow/ice to bring into the class to watch it melt. Although it looked clean, when it melted we discovered dirty water filled with sand and small rocks. What an eye opener! I am sure this snowman would have the same effect after it melts when all that is left is "snowman soup"!

Thank you for reading. I hope you are having a terrific Tuesday.  Please consider following me on Pinterest if you haven't already! :)

-Ms. Makinson

Free Spring Themed Write the Room

Hello everyone!

One of my absolute favourite kindergarten centres is "Write the Room". Watching the kiddos with their clipboards searching the room just melts my heart! I love any activity that allows my students to get up and moving. I find that this type of centre is always a hit and it seems to motivate even the most reluctant writers. A few weeks ago, I made this Spring Write the Room to accompany some of my FREE Spring Themed Words.  I hope that you will be able to use it in your classroom! :)

 I also printed the Spring Words (four per page) and posted it near the writing centre! :)

I hope you're having a fantastic week! :)

- Ms. Makinson

DIY CVC Sliders

Hello everyone!

Let's get this blog back up and running! I posted on my Facebook page this morning that I was making some CVC word sliders. I didn't anticipate such a huge response! I am so excited to share these with you. Please follow the link to get your FREE starter copy! CVC Word Sliders - CLICK HERE!

Materials needed:

- card stock paper

- clear tape

- scissors

- a printer

First, you will need to print the file! 
The arrow is to show your students which way the card slides out. It is also a great visual to show them where to put their thumb. The red line is there to indicate that the word is complete and to not pull out the card any more. In other words, STOP sliding! The cards can be tricky to reinsert. 

 These rectangles are what will hold your sliders. 

 Cut out the holders and the CVC word cards carefully. 

 Line up the word card with the top of the holder. Note: The side with the arrow should be sticking out a bit. I changed the size of the rectangle after I took this picture.

 Fold up and press carefully to make sure the card will fit. Note: The side with the arrow should be sticking out a bit. I changed the size of the rectangle after I took this picture.

 Turn it over so you can see the black outline at the top.

 Fold the flap over like an envelope. NOTE: Slide your card in and out a few times to make sure it fits well before the next step. 

 Tape the flap down securely.

Try sliding the card in and out. You can tape the end closed if you'd like. You are done! :)

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

-Ms. Makinson

100 TpT Followers Giveaway

Woohoo! I am celebrating having 100 followers on Teachers Pay Teachers by hosting my first giveaway! I've decided to raffle off my most popular item right now which is my Fall Themed Literacy and Math Activities for K-1. Thank you to everyone who has supported my little store over the last two months. It has been so much fun so far and I am looking forward to the future! :) -Emily

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Clothespins in the Classroom

Ever since I decided to dye some clothespins with food colouring, I have been searching for different ways to use them while teaching. I started my search on Pinterest (without much luck). So, I am going to let you do all the work! :) I hope this blog post can help other teachers who are looking for new ideas!