Learn about fun and simple math games for kids in school and at home. I am a huge game nut! As a child I spent countless hours playing board games and card games with my family. At the time, I thought it was just a great way to pass the time. As soon as we declared we were “bored” my mom was ready with a new list of chores. Turns out that 3 hour game of Monopoly wasn’t so bad […]
Continue ReadingFall Dramatic Play Center Ideas That Your Students Will Adore
Fall means back to school and one of my favorite back to school activities is setting up my dramatic play center for fall. This is my favorite place in my classroom! I’m always amazed at how creative my students are in the dramatic play area – they use the materials in ways I never even considered. Personally, I like to start the year with a simple kitchen set up. This is a scene that is familiar to all students in […]
Continue ReadingClassroom Community for Distance Learning
Thanks to COVID-19 and the resulting school closures, teachers are facing many new challenges in teaching. One of these challenges is building classroom community with distance learning. How do you build a sense of community with kids when you aren’t physically with them? We know classroom community helps students feel comfortable and ready to learn. But, it is hard to support classroom community with distance learning – especially with young kids. We can’t read their body language as easily, can’t […]
Continue ReadingSummer Dramatic Play Center Ideas that Are Easy to Create
Summer time invokes visions of camping, trips to the beach, and visits from the ice cream truck. Children and adults long to take advantage of the warm weather every chance they get. But sometimes you are stuck inside during the lovely summer weather. I remember one May when it was gorgeous outside and it felt like an early summer (which is not always the case in the Midwest.) School was still in session, so we were all stuck inside for […]
Continue ReadingSpring Dramatic Play Center Ideas that Are Easy to Create
I remember one spring I was struggling with spring dramatic play center ideas. I finally settled on a school theme. I set out some favorite books from the year (easy, repetitive stories), a few simple big books, and added a pointer for the “teacher” to use. Then I stepped back and watched. The students loved it! As I watched them play, it was like looking in a mirror – they had adopted my teacher language and mannerisms. I kept hearing […]
Continue ReadingEasy Ways to Provide Student Choice in the Classroom
Before I started teaching, I envisioned what it would be like: A classroom full of eager learners, raptly listening to my every word. My teaching would be so engaging that classroom management would be effortless. Then I started teaching… As entertaining as I felt I was, my students didn’t always agree. I remember one year in particular, when I had several little guys who really didn’t care for my brilliant suggestions. They liked their ideas better – even if those […]
Continue ReadingHow to Make Time for Play in Kindergarten
“Play is the work of the child,” stated Maria Montessori. She saw how play was the foundation for learning in young children. I currently work as a K-1 literacy interventionist – a role that is highly focused on academic achievement for children. However, I am a VERY strong advocate for play in early childhood classrooms, including kindergarten. When I taught kindergarten, I always included a solid chunk of “play time” in my day because I value its role in child […]
Continue ReadingHow to Organize the Dramatic Play Center Materials
Now that you have your dramatic play center set up, you might be looking for some ideas to organize the dramatic play center. You want to organize the space in a way that the kids can take care of if without your help (mostly.) A few careful decisions on your part can make this more likely to happen. Kitchen Materials: When you organize the dramatic play center, the first thing to think about is all the kitchen supplies! The pretend […]
Continue ReadingHow to Get Started with Dramatic Play Centers
The dramatic play center is a popular area in so many pre-k and kindergarten classrooms. This imaginary play helps strengthen students’ social-emotional and academic skills. But if you are new to having a dramatic play area, you might be wondering: How do you set up a dramatic play area – especially if you are on a budget? Keep reading for suggestions about materials and organization for the center. Dramatic Play Materials If you have not had a dramatic play center […]
Continue ReadingChristmas Dramatic Play Centers that Are Easy to Set Up
Christmas is a favorite time of year for children. And the dramatic play center is a favorite play area in most preschool and kindergarten classrooms. December is the perfect time to combine the two to create a Christmas dramatic play center. Here are 3 fun ways to add Christmas cheer to the dramatic play center, while still sneaking in some learning. Gift Wrap Shop: Your kids will love wrapping pretend gifts for one another in this Christmas dramatic play center. […]
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