Caine was so inspirational, I could here the buzzing in the room as the kids discussed how "cool his arcade was". They were cheering when they saw so many people turn out to play at his arcade. Before I knew it I was being asked during play, recess and lunch if they could build an arcade. I consider myself pretty creative but I wasn't sure that I could handle that type of project in under a month. Then came a big box from a toy delivery......."It was on like Donkey Kong!" We brainstormed different carnival and arcade games that we could try and make. I also wanted it to be meaningful and represent the learning we did throughout the year. I challenged the students to come up with games that incorporated our inquiries this year. We went through several lists and plans until we felt it was the right fit. The class was divided up into teams and they choose what they wanted to build. Here was the activities they came up with. I still cannot believe how it all came togther. The students made invitations to send out to their families and other classes. I would definitely do this again next year!!
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Pinterest got me again! I saw a really cool pin on painted rocks for a mud kitchen and I was hooked. I convinced my hubby to spend his day off collecting rocks. This was no easy task, by the time he calculated the gas and time it would take it no longer sounded frugal. The long drive, hike and watching our son throw rocks into the water for hours was worth every penny. As we were collecting rocks I started imagining how they would transform based on their shapes. I was so excited to start painting. I woke up early and painted for hours before realizing that I should have breakfast. Here are some pictures: Whenever I started painting hours would pass by without notice. I can't remeber the last time that I felt to calm and relaxed. I'm exctied to see what else I can create in the upcoming weeks.
This is all for outdoor play. (Hopefully I don't get too attached to them) Let me know what you think! I have taken on a new project. . . our Kindergarten playground. This playground needs some serious "SOS flair". There are currently no outdoor toys besides some pine cones that we added about a week ago. With a very liimited budget I want to transform our barren play space to a learning oasis!
Outdoor learning is such a big part of our new curriculum and a good base to start inquiry learning. I have consulted good ol' Pinterest for some inspiration. Stay tuned to watch the transformation! Every Friday I try to do a whole class STEM activity. We have spent so much time on building structures, inventions, etc. It was time for a change. They had to compose and play familiar songs. We had an assortment of musical instruments and some BoomWhackers. The students used youtube tutorials to play songs with the boomwhackers and other groups tried to follow to the beat of their favorite songs. On Friday we released our Painted Lady butterflies. After a month of monitoring our caterpillars transformations, it was time to say 'Goodbye!" What an amazing journey!!! Download these printab;le journals here for free!
The class did such a great job mixing a classic look with a new twist!
I miss the look of the old vintage looking cards with lace and trim.. To start off right, let me share some love! Download this Candy heart Sight word search. here.
Hey All,
This site has been neglected due to the arrival of my son! Motherhood so far has been an amazing experience that has superseded my expectations. I have this little person that relies on me to understand the world around him. WOAH! That is a lot to handle! Knowing the expectations for a Kindergarten program I often imagine how my little guy will cope. I have decided to use my Early childhood background and start sharing some of my daily activities I do with my son. By no means am I an expert! I am however, very confident that I can find creative ways to teach young minds. I am excited to share my 'Survival Mom' journey with you all!!! Keep posted for some helpful freebies. This site has been over a year over due. I had meant to start this blog when I first stepped into my empty classroom two years ago before the start of school. It was the end of August and I was transferring to a new school. I was anxiously awaiting all summer to find out where my classroom would be located, who would be next door, and what materials I would have to start me off. Low and behold I walk in and there was absolutely nothing but empty furniture. I did not even have a pencil and piece of paper to write a list of what I would need! The classroom was not used in years and anything that was left had 'disappeared'. My room partner and I were left to start from square one. Once we beg and borrowed for materials we were left with a very limited budget to get everything else we needed. In Kindergarten you need many hands on materials. After getting the necessities we were not left with much funds for good quality hands-on manipulatives. With some resourcefulness and creativity we did our best. I hope my ideas help you if you are also in distress. Welcome to SURVIVING KINDERGARTEN!.
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Lisa mekhailKindergarten Educator Archives
June 2018
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