Author: thebuildingblocksabc

Separation Anxiety

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Does your little one have separation anxiety? Try one of these when dropping them off at preschool, the babysitter, when you go off to work, etc.
When they hear the words “Good-bye” it seems so final to them; so let them know that you will be back after nap time, or after recess, etc. Don’t ever give them a specific time; this could set them up for disappointment if you get stuck in traffic or if you have to stay late for work.
And never sneak out without letting them know. I don’t know how many times I have had to calm a child down who was more shaken because his/her parent left without saying anything rather than just saying, “I love you and I will see you soon.”
If at all possible; another thing that you can do is arrive a couple of minutes early and play with your child in the classroom or at the sitter’s for just a minute and talk about the fact that you are going to work and they will be staying at school or with the sitter and doing all sorts of things that day. But you will be back to get them after their ______. Tell them that you love them and you want them to have a fun and wonderful day and you can’t wait to hear all about it when you pick them up. And before you leave; choose one of the phrases below.10492181_897136156964700_3440206383458942758_n

Dollar Tree Hack #3

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Lacing Cards!

Here is your Dollar Tree Hack #3!

This is a great playtime activity and also helps build those fine motor skills!

What you need:

Bulletin Board Accents (36 pc): $1

Paper Cut-outs (if using these, you will need card stock)  (32 pc): $1

Hole punch

Shoe laces: $1 per pack (2 laces per pack)

Total cost: $3 for 67 lacing cards and 2 laces! Not bad!

If using the Bulletin Board Accents; they are pretty sturdy on their own; so I just laminate them and use the hole punch to put holes in them. Fewer holes for the younger ones.

If using the paper cut-outs; trace them onto a piece of cardstock for stability; laminate and punch holes. I purchase the shoe laces at Dollar Tree and get the long ones. Go crazy and get colored shoe laces! Tie a knot in one end and let the kiddos sew away.

They have so many different Bulletin Board accents; fruits, animals, vehicles, sports equipment!

Once in a while I can find clear zippered file folders and I get those to keep my activities in. They are easy to see what is inside and easy for the kids to open and close.

Here is another fun thing: If the paper cut-outs or board accents are plain; let the kiddos decorate them with crayons or markers to make them special; making all the fish tropical, writing their names on the stars, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dollar Tree Hack #2

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Story Board!

I thought this was a great find! It was actually a 19-piece door decoration pack for a classroom. I used most of the pieces (some were just too big!)

I laminated the ones I chose. I will add either adhesive magnets or adhesive velcro to the backs and use on story boards. The kids can play with these making their own stories, playing make-believe. I can use them for different songs.

There were many different ones available and I will be going back to get others! Cost: $1! 
If you don’t have a Flannel board; simply use a piece of cardboard and attach (glue) flannel sheets to the cardboard (available at craft stores or in craft sections of Target and Walmart and even some Dollar stores).

Dollar Tree Hack #1

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Bean Bags! These bean bags are weather proof, won’t break open if they hit the concrete, and you can clean them off easily if they get dirty. You can make 4 of them for under $4!

You will need: Duct tape $1. (2) small bags of dried kidney beans $2. 4 sandwich bag .10- .20 cents each.  Total cost (without tax): $3.40.  These will last a LONG time!

Here’s a hint: Use snack size bags and get more for your money!

I had extra beans and extra duct tape (win for another project!)

Math and Numbers

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clipart-animals-insect-19 Numbers can be fun or frustrating depending on the time of day, the child, which way the big tree branch is pointing in the front yard. Sometimes there is just no rhythm or reason as to why some little ones pick it up faster than other or why some are interested and some are not. We cannot fear our child’s college prep score later just because they are not interested in numbers now. But we can help them become interested and have fun with learning. My belief is that when they have fun; they learn. They may not realize it, but they are learning. I hope you find the math items helpful. More will come as seasons change.

Learning to Spell

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We start with simple words; “it” “is” “at”.

Putting a consonant in front of those small words is easy and children get so excited when they see they have learned a new word. When they can put 3-5 consonants in front of one small word and make multiple words; you better believe the excitement multiples as well.

There are so many ways to introduce words to young ones. This is but one small step. Sounding out the beginning letter sound to make the correct word, this helps with letter recognition, and sight words.

When you begin; go over each consonant with your child; sounding out each one. Mistakes are okay. Smile, give a hug of encouragement and move on to the next one.

 

Art Project!

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It’s always fun to step away from the structured learning and have some fun with art.

This project can be done with ages 2-???? I have done it supervised with 18 month olds; but highly supervised due to the glue and salt.

You will need: Canvas, clear glue, water color paints, coarse sea salt. I was able to find all of this at my local Dollar Tree store.

Drizzle the clear glue in any design onto the canvas. While the glue is still wet, sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Allow to dry. Paint with water colors and allow to dry.

This makes a great gift!

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Summer Time Fun!

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It’s summertime and time to hit the beach!

So here are the pails and the seashells for your little ones to count.

I used textured card stock for the shells and used colored pencils to do the enhancements on them.

You will need: Construction paper, card stock (optional), glue, markers and colored pencils.

I found the templates for the shells on Just Paint It Blog.com and shrunk them down to the size that I needed them.