Birthday Rocks

Birthday Rocks

Ha ha I just read that title and thought, yea birthdays sure do rock! But I didn't mean that kind of rock- I meant this kind:

For the past 2 years I have given these out as birthday presents to my students. My daughter used these rocks as part of her centerpieces at her reception and I have tons in the garage. Great way to reuse them and I probably have enough till retirement.

All you need are smooth floral rocks (for those of you that are garage-full-of-rocks impaired you can buy a bag for $1 at Dollar Tree), some stickers (these are scrapbook stickers), mod podge and sealant.

I use my thin permanent marker to write "Love, Mrs. Drake and Ms. Lisa" on the back of each rock.

Then place a sticker or two on each rock.

Mod Podge both sides and spray with sealant. 

I have to admit this is very little effort for big time return. My kids LOVE getting to choose their birthday rock and use it as weapons on their friends lovingly save it to show their mom.

If you decide to make some of these send me some pics! I would love to see yours.

Leave me a comment below on how you celebrate your students birthdays.

Pete The Cat

I bet you all are just like me and my class and just love Pete the Cat and all his adventures. 

Last year for teacher appreciation, one of my awesome talented parents painted a rockin' Pete the Cat and his shoes for our door display. 

Too cute!

My assistant and I decided to save Pete and use him as the main decoration to this year's room. We wanted our classroom theme to be Pete the Cat. But in shopping for bulletin board, borders, and other classroom decorations there are none!

So I decided to make some Pete the Cat bulletin board borders! And I'm happy to share them with you all! You can download the pattern for the shoes, buttons, and shoes and buttons at the end of the instructions.

Completed Border

First gather your supplies: print off the border, your choice of commercial border (I choose this border because it had a center that I could add my border to and the black and white fit my classroom color scheme), scissors, and glue. There are 3 printed borders to choose from: shoes, buttons and combo of shoes and buttons.

Carefully cut out the printed strips along the bold lines. It takes one sheet of printed border per commercial border.

Glue the cut our printed border to the commercial border.

I carefully glued the printed border between the pink lines of my chosen commercial border.

I laminated my completed Pete the Cat borders so they would last through the years (thus the glare- sorry bout that).

The printed border works on plain scalloped border too:

I hope you all enjoyed this post cause "it's all good!"

Download your free Pete the Cat border here.

Pics of the border in use in my classroom coming soon!

FREEBIE

To celebrate my new pre-k blog I am excited to offer my first freebie!

Back To School Stepping Chants!

Stepping chants are simple poems that use numbers and gross-motor movement. Simply put, the children have fun jumping on each set of footprints as they recite the simple poem.

Research shows activities that necessitate using both feet help develop the neuron pathways within the brain for reading and mathematics.

The performance of poetry promotes kinesthetic learning through large-motor activities. ESL children learn the English language faster when their whole body is used. This fun, rhyming stepping chant will engage and entertain your students. 

I hope you all enjoy this stepping chant. I use them in my classroom every year and the children love them. 

Print out the chant and then securely tape it to the floor and let the fun begin!

Get your free Back To School Stepping Chant here.

Rock on..........

Hello Blog World!

Well hello blogging world. I have finally decided to join the hard work fun and start a blog of my own.
I named the blog after my Pre-K class - I know they will be thrilled.
As my first blog entry I am sharing a couple of Dollar Tree finds. Don't you just love Dollar Tree?!

This is a dish drying mat I found in the kitchen utensil isle.
I cut it in half lengthwise for easier handling.
I think my kiddos will love weaving some ribbons through it.

And another find in the kitchen utensils area is these cutting boards. Say what? No way - they are answer paddles! Got a class set for less than 20.00. Sweet!

And check this out!! The packaging says coasters but actually they are sequencing tools to add to my housekeeping area. I'm going to let the kids "take orders" for the sandwiches and then the cooks will make them to order. Look out Top Chef - the Bears are in the kitchen.

That's it for my first post. Feels good to have the first one done. Hope and plan for many more.