Mommy & Me Monday EEK! Spooktacular Halloween fun

I saw this idea last year and just couldn't wait to make this wreath with my daughter. What better way to spend a Monday than by decorating for Halloween.
It is super easy and a whole lot of fun.

To make it you will need:
1 colorful boa
small styrofoam balls
1 styrofoam wreath
round glitter stickers
google eyes
ribbon
a wooden plaque (mine said EEK!)
Hot Glue Gun ***ADULTS ONLY

To make first tie boa to the styrofoam wreath. Have your little one wrap it around until it is completely covered. Then hot glue styrofoam balls onto wreath (not boa). I chose google eyes and stickers so my daughter could participate in sticking them on. I found all of my supplies at Hobby Lobby. She put a colorful glitter sticker on each styrofoam ball and then placed a google eye on top.
When she was all done, I hot glued my little sign onto the side. I looped a ribbon through the top for it to hang from. It looks adorable hanging from a wall mirror in my entryway. It adds the perfect amount of Halloween Spooktacularness! (pretty sure I invented that word)

Amanda and I have gone mad over creating our newest kit for teachers, and we are so excited to reveal it later this week. But here is a little sneak peek just for you!

We had our two favorite little mad scientists join us in the lab and work on some of their basic science skills. Kids are never too young to start practicing the skills of observation. From the time they are old enough to pick their head up they are busy taking in the world around them and trying to figure out how to make sense of it all. Take the time to focus that innate reaction and relate it to the scientific world.
We gave our little scientist a specimen jar full of ooey gooey eyeballs....ewww! They used their scientific tools (tweezers) to extract each one from the jar. At first they just wanted to dump the jar to get them all out. We had to explain to them how scientist have to use tools that help them to be safe and keep their experiments safe and consistent. Once they got the first one out with the tweezers the rest were quick to follow. This activity is so simple yet teaches so much. By introducing scientific vocabulary like specimen and observations you lay the foundation for the scientific skills that will come later as your child goes through school.

After the eyeballs were all removed from the jar they had to use their senses to observe them.

What did they feel like?
What did they look like?
What did they sound and smell like?

Using your senses to make observations is the key to understanding how and why things work around us.

While our little scientist weren't able to write down their findings we did discuss them together. If you have older children you might find our freebie below helpful to use with this activity. It is part of our Mad About Science Kit that will be available this Friday in our Simply Sprout store. Be sure to check back all week as we reveal a little more each day. We promise you don't want to miss this spooktacular classroom kit!

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Set Sail with Columbus Day Activities

In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.  I think we all have that line down, but do we know enough about what happened next?  Over 500 years ago Christopher Columbus landed in the New World, even though he was sent by the Spanish government to find a faster and more direct route to China and India.  Instead he and his crew landed in the Bahamas, and were the first Europeans to set up colonies since the Vikings landed in Newfoundland in the 10th century. 

Whether you're a fan of Columbus or not, days like Columbus Day are an excellent time to engage children in lessons about exploration and map skills. 

Egg cartons quickly become the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. Add a little brown paint or marker to the body of the ship.  Then place a small ball of modeling clay to the bottom of each vessel.  Make some masts out of white card stock paper and hole punch to slide a straw through.  Insert the straws in the modeling clay, and you've got an impressive fleet! 

Columbus was the captain of the Santa Maria, and it was a bit larger of a ship compared to the two others.  You could make that ship out of two egg carton sections, to be historically correct of course!

 

We made our map using blue paint and some homemade puffy paint. Have your little one use their fingers to paint a piece of white paper, using their fingers in a wave like pattern across the page. Once your paper is dry it is time to add some land.

We decided to make our own puffy paint to make our new world. We followed this simple recipe, comprised of things that were already in our pantry.

3 Tbs. Flour
2 Tbs. Corn Starch
2 Tbs. Water
1 Tsp. salt
Food coloring

You want the mixture to be like cake batter consistency. If it's too runny just add a little more flour and corn starch. Once mixed spoon a little onto your paper trying to spread it as you go so it doesn't get too thick. It will spread across the page so be careful not to add too much at a time. Place your paper in the microwave and heat using 25second intervals watching closely, do not overheat.

As the puffy paint heats up it will rise, dry and crack. It adds a little relief to a flat map, making it visually a little more interesting. Be sure to label your land masses and add a compass.
This is a great activity to introduce a few map skills to your little ones. Talk about directional words and ask your little one to show you (with the ships) how to move in a specific direction. For example Columbus sailed west to find the new world from Spain.

Pick up books like In 1492 by Jean Marzollo to share with children the excitement behind exploration and discovery.  Have students get up out of their seats to learn their cardinal directions around your room during a quick game of Simon Says.  Work together to draw a map of your school or neighborhood making sure to list north, south, east, and west.  Simple ways to get curious young minds exploring the world around them.

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Apples, Apples Everywhere!

Teachers are you tired of searching for quality resources that are new and engaging? Look no further Simply Sprout has what you have been searching for.  Amanda and I have been busy creating lots of new resources for the classroom. If you like what you see and want to find out more please visit our Simply Sprout Store and become a follower, you can follow us on facebook and on our website as well. If you are a follower you will be the first to view newly posted items for the classroom as well as be the first to know about our sales and promotional contests. We hope you enjoy our latest items.

The kit featured here is one of our favorite new kits for Fall. It has everything you need to teach concepts related to apples and then design a bulletin board around your student's work. Our Apples, Apples Everywhere kit contains 160 pages of apple resources for the classroom. Designed with Elementary students in mind the kit focuses on grammar skills, creative writing, and basic science concepts. The crisp black, red ,green and white used on the pennants and the apple themed word wall are a colorful addition that will brighten up any bulletin board and bring your student's work to life.
Our kit is simple to use, just print, cut and decorate.
With just a few simple steps you are ready to get your students excited about apples!

The word wall contains a word wall header sign and several 3x5 apple cards with apple related vocabulary terms on them. A blank design is also included so you can add your own terminology that fits your students needs. You can label the parts of an apple or use describing words to label your apples with adjectives.

Our grammar pages focus on adjectives and nouns helping students to  strengthen their sentences by adding some super new describing words.

 

An easy science/writing activity for your students. Have them examine the inside of an apple and then labels its parts. This activity is simple enough for primary students to be able to complete independently and is also a very valuable tool for our upper elementary friends helping them to learn basic science strategies that will help them learn how to document experiments and labs through labeling.

 

You can purchase our kit by clicking on the picture above. Let us know what you think in the comments below. 

We will pick one winner on October 15th to win a free kit!

 Just sign up to be a follower and leave a comment below!

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Kick off fire safety week with a fire safety party!

Next week kicks off fire safety awareness week. Educators and parents alike will be talking to their children about the importance of having a fire plan, checking fire safety equipment and stop, drop and roll. So why not make it a memorable event by throwing a fire safety party! If you are going to talk about safety you might as well make it a memorable occasion.













 For some creative and fun firehouse invitations visit: Magic by Marcy

For some fun finger foods try a few of these firehouse favorite:

Little Smokies: Mini hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls

Dalmation Cookies: Black and white cookies

Snap, crackle & pop: Rice Krispie treats

Firehouse Sub sandwiches

Fire cracked popcorn

Bring up the heat: Salsa & chips

 

What firehouse party would be complete without a super fun cake and some adorable cupcakes?

For some fireman fun try a few of these activities:

Borrow a fireman's suit from a local fire station. Have kids try it on for size or simply see how heavy it is.

With young ones you can play pin the horn on the firetruck

Give little ones a fire hat and have them race each other practicing their crawling close to the ground techniques, in order to avoid smoke.


Create a relay race with garden hoses where they have to uncurl and stretch out a hose before the other team.

Practice evacuating an inside area

Use toy firetrucks and have little ones race them

 We hope that we have ignited a spark of creativity for you to introduce some life saving skills to your young ones next week. For more resources please visit: NFPA
Fire Safety Checklist and Plan

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Lil Sprouts Book Club: Flashing Fire Engines

As we welcome in October and cooler temperatures we prepare to start spending the cooler days inside keeping warm. With heaters, fireplaces and candles being used frequently it is important to teach our young ones safety skills that will keep them safe whether they are at a friends house, a bonfire or simply trying to keep warm by the fireplace. Next week is fire prevention week, most schools will have fire drills and talk about fire safety. It is important to go over these skills with your little ones both at school and at home. The easiest way to start a safety conversation is through a story.  Our story this week is Flashing Fire Engines by Tony Mitton a cute rhyming story about fire engines and firemen. Illustrated with bright bold pictures, it is the perfect opportunity to introduce some new vocabulary words to your little one at home and start talking fire safety.

"Big Bold fire engines, waiting day and night, Ready for a rescue or a blazing fire to fight. As soon as there's a fire alarm, the engines start to roar. The firefighters jump aboard..it rumbles out the door."

The sing song tone is delightful to little ones and helps to make a scary topic a little easier to understand. This story will help open up the lines of communication for you in a non threatening way. Encourage your little one to ask questions and point out things that they notice. Ask them questions like, "What do you think firemen use a mask for?" or "Why do they carry a large hose?" Starting a learning discussion might just save your child's life one day.

After introducing fire safety with your little ones you should use your community as a resource. Reach out to a local fire department and stop by to take a tour. Having your children meet the firemen, see the equipment and big trucks.This will help them to be less fearful the next time they hear a siren or God forbid are in a fire and are being rescued by a fireman.
Local children's museums are also a great resource, some have role play stations where they can actually dress up like a firefighter, play on a firetruck and even try to evacuate a smoke (netting) filled room by crawling low and finding a door. We recently visited the Chicago Children's Museum while on vacation and our oldest, Kaitlyn, had a great time exploring the fire station, she dressed up, slid down a fire pole and even practiced evacuating.
By talking, visiting and role playing a very overwhelming frightening topic becomes much easier and less scary to start discussing.
After introducing fire safety and what firemen do, go over some fire safety rules of your own. Talk about the importance of never touching matches or fire (candles, fire pit or fire place) or placing anything on or near the stove. Work together to find a safe spot for your family to meet in the front and back yards if there ever was a fire. Two locations are important in case one is inaccessible.  Practice crawling low throughout your house and feeling the doors to see if they are hot. Show your kids how to get out as fast as they can and go to the safe spot outside. The more you practice the better chance you have of your child staying calm and surviving a house fire.


Get the conversation started in your family with the freebie below. Just save and print the image.

Get your older children involved by having them draw an evacuation map of the house, make sure they include a map key and label their exits and meeting places.

We hope that you are encouraged to address this very important topic with your family!
For more Family friendly resources please visit: Fire Safety Tips
Check out our pinterest board for a few more activities on fire safety.





edible fire snack
grape halves, pretzel sticks and slices of american cheese to look like flames








Use old boxes to create your own fire station

Use your hand print to create a team of firefighters who can help put out the flame!

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Mommy and Me: Sorting by Differences

My two year old is becoming very aware of differences.  He points out things that are bigger or smaller, taller or shorter, loud or quiet, and the list goes on.  These little observations are just the beginning signs that he is starting to categorize the world around him, and also lead to an easy Mommy & Me activity for the two of us on a Monday morning.

We gathered all the fire trucks that we could find in a bright red bin and headed to the porch.  Then we started sorting and classifying.  We compared trucks by their size, their equipment, their noises, their wheels, and more.  Classifying can be done with tons of objects around the house, outside, or in the classroom.  In my classroom I love giving my students random bags of items in which they have to brainstorm the best ways to classify the items into groups. 

Explore the world around you together!  Whether you're sorting items in your living room, pantry, or on the playground, you're teaching great thinking skills to your little ones!

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