TpT Cyber Sale on November 26th and 27th!

Happy TpT Cyber Sale Greetings! 

Many of my products are on sale on Monday, November 26th and Tuesday, November 27th! I have  new toddler and preschool-themed winter packs that will engage and entice the youngest of learners to investigate Elves, Snowmen, Santa's North Pole, Winter Fun Activities and more!

I am offering 83 of my products at 20% off! Remember to stop on by my store for lots of great deals next week! 

Here's a sneak preview of some of my newest packs below! Click on the link below each cover to view! 

Elf Unit 

Holiday Toddler Pack 

Santa's North Pole Pack 

Winter Fun Pack 

Happy Holidays! 

Jennifer 

What a Hoot!: Owl Unit for Toddlers, Preschoolers, and Kindergartners! Plus Some Owl Facts Too!

Do you give a hoot about owls? I certainly do! Owls are amazing birds whose nocturnal nature has intrigued people since the beginning of time. From their large, luminous eyes to their sharp, curved beaks, their aura of mystery and beauty have made them a whimsical and special creature to many. 

I myself have a Pinterest board dedicated to owls and collect anything owl related. From stuffed animals to an owl purse (I have it). One of my favorite items is this Lucite, owl pen holder that I keep on my computer desk. Isn't he adorable? 

 Here's a look at my Absolutely Owl-Mazing Pinterest Board

That's enough about my owl obsession, let's get to some fun fact about these fantastic flyers. 😀

• Owls eyes cannot move. They have binocular-like vision. 
• An owl's ears are unevenly placed on both sides of their heads. This allows them to hear sounds from many directions. 
• Some owls dine on other owls (such as the Great Horned Owl). 
• A parliament is what you call a bunch of owls. 
• An owl can turn it's head 270 degrees. 

Source: 11 Fun Facts About Owls (Audubon)

If you would like your little ones to learn more about owls, why not take a look at my owl unit for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners?

The Owl Unit for Toddlers, Preschoolers, and Kindergartners includes cute and simple learning activities that can be performed by these ages.

Included in this unit: 

This unit includes:

8 Rhyming Owl Pairs Cards

Owl Symmetry Puzzles

Part of an Owl

How Many Owls Are There? Counting Worksheet

Is It a Sentence? Worksheet

Owl Word Search

Small, Medium and Large Owls Sorting Owls

Tree Owls Sizing Sorting Mats

All Answer Keys Included!

Click on the link below the cover to view the unit! 

Owls Unit

I promise your students and children will have a hoot! 

Apple Picking, Crafts, and a Preschool Apple Unit! Oh My!

It's apple picking time! Fields upon fields of apple trees are beckoning you to pick these delicious, red, green, and yellow beauties from their branches. If you have a farm nearby, it's definitely your perfect chance to taste fall's natural treasures!

Thankfully, I live fairly close to a beautiful farm in Sturtevant, Wisconsin called Apple Holler. It has a great restaurant with traditional American food such as burgers, ribs, and fried chicken. Oh my God, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. The food is absolutely delicious. I have never picked apples or pumpkins at this farm, but they have been named one of the "10 Best Orchards" by USA today in 2015, so they must be excellent.

I have to say the setting is gorgeous. It is literally in the middle of nowhere. The land is untouched and fabulously rural. It reminds me of a Thomas Kincade painting of true Americana. A time when life was harder, but simpler at the same time.

They offer hayrides for families and have an adorable country store! If you're ever in the Wisconin area you should definitely stop by! You will not be disappointed.

If you can't travel to your local orchard, you can get in the "apple picking spirit" by creating a few of these adorable apple crafts I found!

Creating crafts with students is a wonderful way to spark creativity, encourage critical thinking and  fine motor skills, and improve color identification and recognition.

Take a look at the crafts below to start creating! Click on links below each picture for directions.

Easy Apple Craft  (Paging Supermom) 

                                         Apple Coffee Filter Art (Mom to 2 Posh Lil' Divas)

                                               Bubble Wrap Painted Apples  (Somewhat Simple)

Aren't these crafts so cute. I've done somewhat similar crafts to these with my preschoolers too! It's amazing how few craft supplies are truly needed for these projects. They are really simple and easy to make with just a little preparation and time. 

Okay, I hope you enjoyed the crafts I found, but what about other possible activities that the children can explore in the classroom? Don't worry, I got you covered with the following ideas and my newest Preschool Apple Pack I'm selling on my TpT store! 

Science Center and Science Activities

Cut an apple open and let the children observe the inside of the apple. Place lemon water on the flesh so that the apple doesn't brown as quickly. Provide plastic spoons so the children can scoop out the seeds, too. 

Find  and make a simple applesauce recipe. 

Compare two types of apples and record there differences using a graph or better yet, a venn diagram. 

Taste test different types of apples. (Check for allergies first) 

Math Center 

Count apple seeds. Cut  out a red apple from red construction paper and  apple seeds from brown construction paper. Laminate all of the pieces and cut them out of  the lamination. Have students count seeds using number cards that can be created using index cards at the math center. 

Apple patterning

Cut several apples from scrapbook paper and have students create AB, ABBA, and ABC patterns. 

Dramatic Play Center 

Apple Picking 

Provide plastic bushel baskets, fake apples, paper bags for apple picking and buying apples, a cash register, and play money. 

Bakery 

Writing Center

Apple words 

Create a list of apple-themed words that your children can trace. Words such as bushel, tree, cider, pick, etc. 

Tracing apple trees

Create several apple tree shapes that your children can decorate and trace. 

Art Center

Apple prints

Cut apples in half and let your children dip  them into yellow, green and yellow paint. They then press the apples onto easel paper. 

Apple rubbings

Cut apple shapes from cardboard and have children place a piece of paper on top of the shape. Tell the children to rub a crayon over the cardboard apple shape to make a rubbing. 

Apple hats

Make a headband out  of long construction paper. Have children cut out apple shapes and glue to the headband. Staple the headband around the child's head with a stapler. 

Books

The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall 

Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington 

Ten Apples on Top by Dr. Seuss 

  Apple Pie ABC by Alison Murray 

You can also purchase my Preschool Apple Unit at TpT for more fun, easy-to-prepare apple centers and activities. Students can sort apples by size, play a color match file folder game, investigate non-standard forms of measurement by measuring foods made from apples using apples and much more! 

 This unit includes:

Things That Start with “A” Tree Mat

Things That Start with “A” Apple Cards

Apple Sizing

Measuring With Apples

Apple Objects to Measure such as an Apple Juice Box

How Many Apples are in the Basket? Math Mat

Math Mat Numbers with +, -, and = Signs

Apple Pieces to Count, Add, or Subtract

Apple Color Matching

How to Make an Apple Pie Sequencing Activity

Preschool Apple Unit

You'll be the "apple of your students' eyes" with these fun and educational activities! 

Get a Job!: The Importance of Classroom Jobs and Chores at School or Home

A young child eagerly waters the plants or sets the table at lunch. So what? Why would this be important, they're just helping out right. In a way yes, and in one way no. They are indeed helping out, but they are learning so much more. We, as adults, should take a page out of their book. They are so patient, willing, and truly want to have a special job of their own.

This is why so many early childhood educators use Classroom Job Charts. Classroom job charts encourage children to become part of a greater community then themselves. They are helping their friends, learning new skills, and challenging themselves as they gain life skills.

Classroom Jobs/Home Chores teach children...

• Respect. Each child needs to work together to get things done. Even though a job may be done individually, it still encompasses the running of the class as a whole.
• Teamwork. When children work as a team they are building their burgeoning, social skills and beginning to understand the feelings of others as they work as one. 
• Responsibility. Whether a child is three or thirteen, they need to learn to be responsible. A task for a three-year-old may be holding the flag during circle or helping pick up their toys after center-time and for a thirteen-year-old , it may be mowing the lawn or washing the dishes. While these may seem like trivial or mundane tasks, they are far-reaching and serve children well.  They begin to learn time management skills, learn that their actions will benefit the class or family as a whole, and give the children a self-esteem boost. Their self-esteem is bolstered because they now know that they are capable and able to perform these tasks on their own with little or no adult support. 
• Job preparation skills. Yes, you heard me right job preparation skills. They begin to learn that being  a leader and performing jobs on their own is a major life skill, but that they need to work as a team in a classroom and future work environment. The little boy, who choose to be a teacher helper may eventually become a teacher himself due to the enjoyment of helping his teacher "teach" and "prepare" for lessons or the little girl who loved to water and take care of the plants grew up to become a landscape architect or florist. Jobs allow children to grow and express their likes, dislikes, and independence by performing simple, yet skill-building tasks. 

Below you will find a link to a classroom job chart I designed for students. It is located under the Classroom Jobs Chart Cover. I created a bright, bold job chart with 17 simple classroom jobs that can be used for children from pre-k  - 2nd grade. It features a header and heart-shaped job cards that can be laminated and used over and over again.

Some of the jobs included in the job chart include: 

Weather Wizard (weather)

Lunch Helper

Librarian (picking up books and keeping the library tidy)

Clean Up Crew (children who help pick up after play time) 

Paper Passer

Supply Guard (checking for classroom supplies) 

Flag Holder 

Calendar Helper

Classroom Jobs Chart

Now it's your turn! Do you use a Classroom Job Chart in your classroom? If so, please post below the reasons why you feel classroom jobs are so important to your students?