Lake Day! 

Quotes from the kids' journals:  "We threw rocks."  "We fed the ducks."  "We played ball games."  "We collected shells."  "We had a picnic."

After field trips, the kids dictate what they did, what they learned, and what was fun.  I then print a picture that they paste to their paper for a keepsake of their day.  

Later at home we also made a diorama of the goodies be collected at the lake. The kids painted the boxes blue and added a "beach scene."  I then wrapped it in clear wrap to keep the sand and shells from spilling out.

What to do with all those extra seashells!!!  Paint them, of course!
We painted the extra shells and then added them to a block of plywood that was covered in mosaic paste.  Fun project for preschoolers and older children!  A great keepsake from our day at the beach!

Free preschool printable for Father's Day that any father will be sure to treasure!  Consider framing it and wrapping it for an easy and thoughtful Father's Day present!

Consider the Preschool Palace Curriculum Program!

This program is design for children ages 3-5 for use in a family childcare home, preschool, or homeschool environment.  The curriculum is divided into 10 months, each with 20 days.  You may start any month at any time.  However, it is recommended that Month 1 starts in September, Month 2 in October, etc.  Seasonal and holiday lesson plans are separate and can be found at the end of this lesson plan book.

Daily lesson plans are easy to follow and implement.  Materials needed are simple and low-cost.  Most daily lesson plans include 1-2 songs, circle time activities/themes, a movement activity, sensory activity, craft ideas, and a printable worksheet. 

During circle time, you may choose to incorporate attendance, weather, and calendar activities in addition to the suggested circle time activity and lesson of the day.  It is also suggested that a story be read during circle time as well.  Most preschoolers are only able to handle a short period of time during circle time and that is why the rest of the curriculum revolves around other activities that can be included during other times of the day, depending upon your schedule.  Overall, each day strives to  promote each child’s cognitive, social, gross motor, fine motor, and other kindergarten readiness skills.  Just one  sample of a full-day childcare program with integrated preschool is below:

  7:00    Welcome, breakfast, free play.
  9:00    Circle Time (welcome song, calendar, counting, letters, shapes, colors, story, sharing, learn new song/rhyme, etc…)
  9:30    Music & Movement.  Interactive songs like Ants go Marching or Hokey Pokey, free-style dance to Music CD, dance/hop like animals.  Stretching and tumbling on nap mats. 
  9:45    Snack/potty/clean-up.
10:00    Table time.  Age appropriate paperwork (learn to write their names, patterns, scissor skills, math, journal, etc.).
10:15    Craft.
10:30    Outdoor play/neighborhood walk/park day.  Trikes, slides, bubbles, playhouse, sidewalk chalk, etc. Create natural playscapes which allow children to interact with bugs, plants, water, trees and nature.
11:30    Centers:  blocks, puzzles, dramatic play, kitchen area, tool bench, sensory table.
12:00    Clean up & wash up, Lunch.  Children participate in food prep, hand washing, setting table, serving and cleaning.  Family style meals are a great way to expose children to social skills, math, and language skills. 
12:30    Story & nap time.
  3:00    Snack/potty/clean-up.
  3:15    Outdoor play.  Group play like gymnastics/parachutes/races/tag/jumprope/hopscotch, hide & seek.
  4:00    Inside wind-down.  Children play with materials in activity areas while teacher uses time to focus on one-to-one activities with each child or pairs in organized games like Candy Land/Hi-Ho Cheerio.  Floor puzzles, free-style art with provided materials.  Free-play. 

Most daily lesson plans will reference a printable with a page number.  Those printables are part of the Printable Package that is included in this program and is a separate document.  The circle time posters are also included in that printable package.  Consider printing and laminating all the circle time posters for use and display throughout the school year.  You may print as many copies as you need of the worksheets for your class.  This program is provided in digital format so you can print one or as many as you need. 

You can print one complete set of this document and 3 hole punch it so that you will have the entire year’s worth of curriculum and lesson plans in one binder. 

Click here for more info!

May 12-16, 2014 is Children's Book Week.

Children’s Book Week, a literacy initiative, is an annual event that began in 1919. Since 2008, it has been celebrated in the United States in May. 

Celebrate Children's Book Week and read some of your childhood or current favorites!

Need some ideas, check out some suggestions of books to read to your preschooler on one of my idea pages here.

Happy Reading!

Heat wave here...time is right for some popsicle painting!

1. Add paint & water or paint & food coloring to popsicle tray or muffin tin. 
2. Insert popsicle stick or craft stick. 
3. Freeze. 
4. Paint!

Free Mother's Day printable for preschoolers.  Space to draw a picture of child and mom and space to write out original answers.

Blank printable here: