Perils of the Pink-Eyed Monster: My Plight With Pink Eye

It's the stuff of nightmares people! Imagine a red-rimmed, pink-eyed creature complete with crusty goo and swollen eyes looking you in the face. What's worse is that it is just your reflection. A pure vision of conjunctivitis.

Yes, the dreaded pink eye. A common early-childhood disease that affects the eyes that is more contagious then tears during a Hallmark made-for-tv movie. Yep, and I am the lucky winner of this medical marvel. 

Even the doctors, nurses, and nurse's assistants shunned me after my diagnosis and hightailed it to the nearest sink or hand sanitizing station. Fortunately, through eye drops and time this despicable demon will be broken of its crimson powers.  

If you think you may have pink eye, check out the following links for more info: 

http://www.cdc.gov/features/conjunctivitis/

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pink-eye/basics/definition/con-20022732

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More!: Unique Ways to Spice Up Your Easel in ABC Order

I ain't gonna paint no more... at the easel that is!

Check out some unique and creative ways to develop fine motor (use of small muscles in the hands and wrists), creative arts, literacy/language and social studies skills at the all-important art domain known as the easel.

Other subjects covered are math related such as geometry (shape identification and recognition), color identification and recognition and spacial concepts. Your mini scientists will be fascinated as they use their sense of touch and tactile skills.

Hip-hip hooray let's go to the easel today!


Below you will find a list of mostly  no-paint  options listed in alphabetical order. Please note that most of these projects will require a very thick glue such as Aleene's Tacky Glue or Elmer's Non-Toxic White School Glue.

So what are you waiting for, go ahead and get your easel on!

ABC Easel Art Projects 

*Please note some of these items are possible choking hazards or allergens. Always supervise preschoolers and young children when using these objects. Remember to read all ingredient labels before using*. 

A - Ads, aboriginal sand art

B - Buttons, bows, bingo daubers, bookmarks

C - Cards, crayons, cardboard, candy wrappers, catalogs, old CD inserts 

D - Doilies, color-coded sticker dots (found at office supply stores) 

E - Etchings (Use a piece of cardboard wrapped in aluminum foil and a play-doh cutting knife to etch designs.), envelopes

F - Flags (coloring pages or clipart), foam shapes, fabric

G - Glitter mixed with glue, garland, plastic gemstones available at craft stores 

H - Handprints, hearts, horoscope animals, highlighters 

I - Ice pops made from tempera paint (See link about tempera paint at bottom of page), Impressionistic paintings created through use of bingo daubers

J - old, cheap costume jewelry that has been deshanked 

Project idea - Draw an egg shape and create a Faberge egg using jewelry. 

K - Kites, ketchup bottle labels 

L - Leaves, lace

M - Maps, markers, cheap makeup, magazines  

N- Newspaper, decorative napkins 

O - Oatmeal mixed with paint for a bumpy finish 

P- Pom-poms, paper dolls, photos, pipe cleaners

Q - Quilts (Use fabric cut into squares), Play money quarters 

R - Ribbon, Ric-rac, rubbings, receipts

S - Shaving cream dyed using food coloring (eek! dyed hands alert), stamps silhouettes, stencils, shapes, rubber stampers, scrapbook paper, seed packets, stickers 

T - Colored tape, clothing and gift tags 

U - Umbrella cutouts

V - Valentines, vases made out of paper, vanilla- infused paint 

W - Colored water in spray bottles, wooden shapes, wrapping paper 

X - Bright Xerox paper

Y- Yarn 

Z- Zebra stripes made from construction paper

Do you still have a craving for ways to use tempera paint? If so, check out a previous post about fun activities that use a hail and hearty supply of this messy, gooey, preschool staple from a boatload of bodacious bloggers. 
http://glitterandgluesticksforever.blogspot.com/2014/05/watch-you-tempera-whimsical-tempera.html

It's your turn. Do you have any crafty and innovative ideas that would help get our tiny Titians creative juices flowing? If so, please comment below. 

Memorial Day Memories: Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA Tribute

Thank you to all those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. May you rest in peace.

The following song "God Bless the USA" beautifully depicts the importance of our American homeland and those who risk their lives to keep the land of the red, white and blue free. 

Please be sure to read a previous post I'd written for ways to thank military members who have given their spirit, sweat, blood and tears for our great country.

http://glitterandgluesticksforever.blogspot.com/2014/05/may-force-be-with-you-celebrate-armed.html

Happy Memorial Day! A day to remember our fallen heroes, not a three-day-weekend for barbecues, sunshine and flip flops. 

Watch You Tempera: Whimsical Tempera Paint Ideas and Add-ins From Bodacious Bloggers

Tempera paint is a preschool art staple. It gets a thumbs up from crafting cuties everywhere because of its versatility, bold pigments, washability and most importantly messiness till the cows come home.

Inspire your tiny tots to design paint-stakingly super art using a little elbow grease and a lot of imagination.

Let the painting begin!


Tempera Paint Add-Ins, Projects, and Ideas 

• Colored Sand for a gritty finish

• Glitter for a sparkly look as seen in this gooble-licious turkey craft from thekeeperofcheerios.blogspot.com (http://www.thekeeperofcheerios.blogspot.com/2013/11/hand-and-footprint-turkey.html)

• Confetti just a party in a box 

• Shaving Cream, and white glue mixed with tempera paint makes perfect puffy paint (Recipe:http://www.ehow.com/how_8531847_make-paint-shaving-cream-glue.html)

• Create sidewalk chalk by clicking on the link to PlayfulLearning.net  (http://playfullearning.net/make-your-own-sidewalk-chalk/) *Attention: This recipe contains Plaster of Paris* 

 or 

• Readingconfetti.com’s Frozen Popsicle Chalk (http://www.readingconfetti.com/2013/05/frozen-popsicle-chalk.html)

• Make Spice Paint using spices found in your pantry from GrowingaJeweledrose.com (http://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2013/05/ice-play-spice-painting.html)

• Other Add-in sawdust, salt, crumbled leaves from the book First Art for Toddlers and Twos: Open-Ended Art Experiences by MaryAnn F. Kohl (Source: http://maryannfkohl.typepad.com/blog/2012/01/marvelous-homemade-paints-20-recipes.html)

I'm Glad I Was Your Teacher: A Good-bye Poem for the Apples of Your Eye!

The end of the school year is always a difficult time for most teachers. You have seen your students grow from sprouts to beautiful flowers full of knowledge and promise throughout the year.

 The preschoolers you had taught from the previous years are either being shuffled to "big kid kindergarten" or leaving your classroom for their next educational journey.

This year, I created a goody bag for my students which included a certificate that was quite a hoot, good job! sticker badge, a gold medal with the word "winner" emblazoned on its shiny surface, a sweet little pencil and a card with a very special poem tucked inside. 

During their final days, many of the students proudly showed off those "Winner" medals by wearing them as they paraded around the school. 

The following poem from A-Z Teacher Forum simply and cheerfully dictated the message I envisioned for the final journey of their 3-year-old preschool days: 

I'm Glad I Was Your Teacher

I'm glad I was your teacher

I've come to love you so. 

I can't believe the end is here. 

I hate to see you go.

Remember all the fun we had

in all the things we did, 

But most of all remember...

You're a very special kid! 

I hope all the children have a wonderful summer filled with sunshine and joy! I will miss your smiling faces and the winsome words you shared with me throughout the school year. 

Thank You! 

Check out my blog post for 2015 Graduation Day Goody Bags Here: http://glitterandgluesticksforever.blogspot.com/2015/05/oh-goody-teacher-goodie-bags-with.html.

May the Force Be With You!: Celebrate Armed Forces Day May 17th 2014!

Armed Forces Day 2014 Poster from the  Department of Defense 

Be valiant and soldier on! Today is Armed Forces Day. A day when we celebrate the commitment and upstanding contributions that our men and women in uniform endorse by protecting our freedoms in the face of bodily harm, unknown peril and even death.

Thank you for all our soldiers' efforts, living and dead, who have helped make America a stronger and more resilient nation throughout our history. Without you, we would live in a world filled with chaos and uncertainty.

Armed Forces Day is celebrated the third Sunday of every May and combines all branches of the military including the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force and our National Guard.


The following are ways that you can thank a soldier today and everyday:

• Schedule a visit to a local VA hospital. Unfortunately, many who sacrifice their lives for their country are often forgotten and lost to the traumatic effects of PTSD. A kind smile and generosity goes a long way to those in such dire need and pain.
• Volunteer for a local military family operation such as the USO.
• Hang red white and blue bunting or the American flag outside your door.
• If you see a soldier, thank him or her for his or her service.
• Read books to your children about the military. Ask your librarian to locate books which are developmentally-appropriate for your child's age. 
• Teachers can help young children whose parents are in the process of military deployment by printing out this treasure trove of exceptional  and supportive books compiled by NAEYC pertaining to military deployment: http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200803/BTJ_Military_Deploy_Resources.pdf and  Books for Military Children by the Association of the United States Army at http://www.ausa.org/resources/familyprograms/resources/readinglist/Pages/BooksforMilitaryChildren.aspx  Also, read the following poem from Apples4theteacher.com: http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/armed-forces-day/poems-rhymes/my-little-smart-trooper.html
• Read the following poems from Apples4theteacher.com : 

We Stood For Freedom

by Roger Robicheau

We stood for freedom just like you And loved the flag you cherish too Our uniforms felt great to wear You know the feel, and how you care In step we marched, the cadence way The same is true with you today Oh how we tried to do our best As you do now, from test to test How young we were and proud to be Defenders of true liberty So many thoughts bind soldiers well The facts may change, not how we jell Each soldier past, and you now here Do share what will not disappear One thought now comes, straight from my heart For soldiers home, whoe done their part I honored to have served with you May Godly peace, help get you through And now I end with a request Do ponder this, while home at rest America, respect our day Each veteran, helped freedom stay ©2002 Roger J. Robicheau Armed Forces Day by Del "Abe" Jones At the urging of Harry Truman The third Saturday in May The new Department of Defense Proclaimed it, "Armed Forces Day". A day to Thank all the Services Who defend our air, land, and sea Who serve our Country Proudly Defending, this Land of the Free. All those young Men and Women And too, all of those "oldsters" Who march, fly, and set sail As Airmen, Sailors, Marines and Soldiers. Some of them serve as "Regulars" And some just do, the weekend But all step forward, Strong and Proud When we need someone to send. The times have been a'changing And missions they are asked to Grow much more complicated Than what, they used to do. They must be Warrior and Diplomat With clenched fist or gentle touch Pass the ammunition, feed the hungry Build roads, hospitals, and such. "A Tradition of Heroes" Is what some people say And, we all owe them a, "Thank you!" On this, "Armed Forces Day"

• Visit a war museum such as the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Illinois. This museums incredibly detailed exhibits and walk-through recreations of the battle of Normandy and the sultry and terrifying jungles of Vietnam are absolutely mind-numbing and haunting. Visit their website at http://www.cantigny.org/.

Cinderella Eat Your Heart Out: The Queen of Hearts: A Shape Story by Jean Warren Flannelboard

Welcome to the royal ball! Join The Queen of Hearts as she tries on a bevy of frocks that keep her looking in tip-top shape. The kids had a blast during this fabulous shape recognition and language arts-based lesson plan featuring a queen who "just loved hearts". 

It was perfect for Mother's Day! 

The Queen of Hearts: A Shape Story Flannel board by Jean Warren (Lang. Arts - Retelling a story through a flannelboard and Math- Shape recognition)  (Source: Preschoolexpress.com)

To Do: Use coloring pages or Cricut cartridges to create queen and dresses templates. Give each student one of the shape dresses during circle time. Read the flannel board story, The Queen of Hearts: A Shape Story by Jean Warren and have each student place the appropriate shape dress (shape recognition) on board during appropriate sections as you are reading the story. Continue until all the dresses have been placed on the board. 

*Teacher Tip: You may also use this flannel board if you are doing a royalty or letter Q unit. 

The Queen of Hearts: A Shape Story by Jean Warren 

The Queen of Hearts, she just loved hearts.

She had them all around.

She wore them on her dresses

And on her jeweled crown.

Then one day, she got tired of hearts
Because hearts were everywhere.
So she ordered six new gowns
That sometimes, she could wear.

One was full of triangles.
One had lots of squares.
One was poke-a-dotted,
With circles everywhere.

One was filled with rectangles.
One had lots of stars.
One was sewn with diamonds,
That sparkled from afar.

Now the queen was happy.
She had lots of different gowns.
But always on her head,
She wore her heart shaped crown.

Source: Preschoolexpress.com You have to check this site out! It is a fantastic source for all things early childhood education! 

Blazin' Boards: May Mother's Day Mom's Queen For a Day Bulletin Board

A royally delightful bulletin board was designed for our queenly maidens to partake in their upcoming illustrious and motherly holiday, Mother's Day! Glimmering crowns created by our royal jewelers (ahem students) to honor their upstanding and beautiful moms.

To add an extra heart-y and personalized look, my co-teacher and I added a small photo of the children and their mothers under the crowns. The crown template and cutouts were created using Cricut cartridges. Small foam heart stickers can be added to create a three-dimensional look.

Unfortunately, I cannot show a picture of this board due to privacy issues since photos of the children were used.

See my sample below:

The Heart of a Queen!: Place a photo of the child and his or her mom on heart for a more personalized look. 

Stay in the Present!: A Lovely Gift for National Teacher Day!

Yeah! It's National Teacher Day! Have you thanked your teacher today?

Today, I received one of the loveliest gifts I have ever received in my short years spent as a teacher: a picture frame with a very elegant piece of burlap with the many adjectives that describe moi emblazoned on its humble fibers.

One of the mothers at our school created this simply stunning gift using a word processing program and a special printer that prints on fabric.

I thought that the glorious lunch and dessert was thanks enough, but add in this snappy little gift of gratitude from my students, and you get the proverbial icing on the cake for this perky preschool teacher.

*Take note that one of my kiddos described me as a princess!  Disney eat your heart out! Miss Hatcher has entered the building, but where's my scepter? I already have one very sparkly and glamorous crown!

Treats for Teach: Gift Ideas for Teacher Appreciation Week 2014

Next Week begins Teacher Appreciation Week! Teachers everywhere clamor to find deals at local retailers, restaurants, and museums during this national event.

Why celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week only once a year when teachers dispense knowledge, instill motivation, self-esteem and build confidence in students the whole year through? While we love Starbucks gift cards, which lend a pick me up at the beginning of a hectic morning, we often end up drowning in latte overload.

 Look below to see gifts that keep on giving the whole year through and maybe even years to come!

• Buy a simple picture frame with matting at a local craft or big box store. 
• Find a poem that celebrates the contribution of teachers and frame. 
• If possible, place a picture of your child inside and have them sign their name underneath. If they are unable to write, simply have them use their fingerprint and print their name underneath. 

• Ask the school principal what supplies they feel your homeroom teacher would need on a daily basis. 
• Buy a basket and fill it with the school supplies the principal suggested. 
• Wrap in cellophane and tie with a bow or curling ribbon.
• Variation: Buy a gift card from an office supply store such as Staples or a local teacher store.

• Create a cute little pencil holder by hot gluing colorful, unsharpened pencils to a ceramic pencil holder. 

Happy Teachers Appreciation Week Everyone!

Batter Up Against ALS: May is ALS Awareness Month

ALS is a debilitating neurological disease that devastates and tears apart families during the prime of their lives. Those who receive this devastating diagnosis are relegated to getting their affairs in order and watching each nerve and muscle slowly deteriorate, while being unnervingly aware of how their physical body is betraying them.

Military members and men are the most likely to contract this killer disease. Typically the lifespan of an ALS patient is between 3-5 years at best.

The most prominent figure who had this disease was the baseball player, Lou Gehrig, whose heartfelt speech from an ESPN documentary found below, ignited the fight for a cure.

Please spread the word and visit the ALS Association website for more information on advocacy, walks and charitable giving. Click on the highlighted link: ALS Association