Farm Week

Next week is Farm week in our class.

I love doing themes in my class. It is a really easy way to learn different things that are based on the same subject. For example where milk and eggs come from can be thrown into a what lives on the farm theme. I will share my farm theme with you

Monday

I always do a hands on project with them to save. This barn is where everything starts. After talking or reading books about what are barns this is a simple project you can do. First I cut out different parts on construction paper. Then let the kids glue their barns together on a white paper. There are so many ways you can add to this project also. You can glue the doors to open and close with a picture of animals inside or add a craft stick fence. I always hang my paper on the wall so the kids can see an example on how to glue it together.

For further fun you can find a cardboard box and make it into a barn for the kids to act out in or let kids glue animal pictures on. You can cut out animal pictures out of magazines or even let the kids draw their own animals. Their drawing might look like scribbles to you, but to them its a masterpiece. Also sing songs like old McDonald. Instead of saying old McDonald had a farm you can say he had a barn, and in his barn he had a ?

Tuesday

Old McDonald Had A Cow

Today we will talk about where milk comes from. Every year when I ask that question The kids will tell me from the store, or from the refrigerator. So expect those answers. I make my own booklets also. I print simple color sheet pictures on card stock. I staple them together and color the pictures. I will write on each page a little saying about each picture that way kids can see what I'm talking about as I say it. It also keeps their attention. I make one for each animal. For example here is a picture of one for a pig.

The class really loves it when I pull out these booklets. I store them protective sleeves in a binder.

So Back to the cow. Same process as the barn. I cut out the different cow pieces and let the kids glue them together .

Now another super fun activity we did with a glove. Fill rubber glove with water and tie off. Poke holes at finger tips. Then lets kids take turns and pretend they are milking a cow.

Wednesday

Old McDonald had a pig

So today we will be talking about why pigs love to play and lay in the mud. The mud keeps the pig's skin cool. Read a book about pigs and grunt around like pigs. For our hands on art project. Lets kids glue the parts of a pig together. For an even more hands on project, you can let kids paint the mud on using real mud. Our class might just do it that way because of the rain we just had.

Thursday

Old McDonald had some chickens

Today we will talk about where eggs come from. For our art project we mad a baby chick.

On Fridays I always have a review and free day. I review everything we learned that week. Also on this day you can have show and tell. Let kids bring something that goes with the farm theme

Here is also a picture of a horse we did one time also.

One Tip to Another

Now every teacher that deals with little kids has their own techniques. I would like to share some of mine. In any classroom you will have challenges. Of course I have to find the humor in it because if not I would go nuts or have gray hair. So I share my challenges I had in the past. Oh by the way I found this cute picture on http://www.beeinourbonnet.com/ They are actually cookies.

Tip #1

Every teacher has their own technique for keeping 11, 3 year olds still at one time. Here is mine. I make little booklets with pictures. That way they just don't hear me talk, and I can keep their attention. If your just talking you know the kids are thinking ok lady hurry up I just want to go outside and play. Or my favorite while a child is looking out the window they ask me if birds can fart. At this point you know you lost them. Cause now they are all laughing and when they go home and their parents ask what you learned today. It won't be about how milk comes from a cow. Of course it will be about if birds fart or not. Now you can just imagine drop off time in the morning.

Tip #2

Circle time has been a challenge for me. Try getting eleven 3 year olds in a circle for circle time. I tired the holding hands in a circle then sitting. This caused many effects. I had the child that thought we kept doing ring around the rosie. I had one trying to flip and pull arms out of sockets. I had one little boy that thought he was a break dancer and started doing the wave with their arms. So on to plan B. I tried the painting tape in a line on the floor. This cause the screaming of I can not see effect. Of course my yelling WELL THEN OPEN UP YOUR EYES did not go well with drop off time again the next day. So on to plan c. Plain and simple trying to bribe with candy does not work for long. Plan D I cut out round circles on felt. When it was time for circle time I tossed them in a circle and was amazed they actually sat down. Yay!! Now I even got them to cross their legs and put their hands in their lap by singing. Put your hands in the air. Clap Clap Clap, Tap Tap Tap (Tapping foot) get your hands and put them in your lap. We do this every morning and they even sing it. I bring out my mystery bag and everything is a breeze.

Tip #3

Plain and simple keep the toilet paper full in the kids bathroom. One day I had a very funny little boy go and potty. The bathroom is right out of my classroom so all I heard is MS. RHONDA, MS. RHONNNNDAAAAAA. I ask whats wrong. He then yelled back to me. There is no more toilet paper and these are my brand new underwear.

Tip # 4

Underwear is a very common subject in our classroom this year for some odd reason. Again another little boy that is obsessed with toy story, was in the bathroom. Again I heard the MS. RHONNDAAA effect. From learning from my mistake the last time. I just went to see what the problem was instead of asking from the classroom. The little boy turned around and said look Ms. Rhonda I have woody on my butt. Trying not to laugh at this point all I could say is wonderful are you finished yet. His response Yepppp

These are just some of many of my little tips. I will share more on a rainy day. Just remember when you have a challenge in your classroom don't give up just try to find what works for you. Also I have come to learn what might work for someone else might not work for you.

Not as easy as it looks.

Ok we all find something that is just not our thing. Some one else can make it look so easy then we try it and it becomes a total mess.

Well One (so called) easy project to do is melting broken colors to make new ones. This is something I never tried but always wanted to do. Well I had lots of time to spare today and I brought home my big bucket of broken colors. Here is a picture I found on pinterest of a beginning process. Of course they never showed what your counter will look like at the end or middle of the process.

Now for the normal person, that looks easy right. I guess I'm not normal. I made a mess. I think I went wrong with the colors. They used regular. But of course I'm not regular so I had to use jumbo. Here is my picture.

Well I tried. I did come out with a few of them but melting colors is not for me. But here is the site I found the first picture at. http://www.ohcrafts.net/kids-rainbow-crayons.php I just don't recommend jumbo colors they melt very thick and takes longer to melt. I will try it again one day with the regular size. Because I just saw a new idea about melting them in the used glue sticks.

Spring cleaning/ Vacation

Well I have been on vacation this week. So I decided to start blogging again. I tried many different blogs. but never had the time to keep up with them. Fingers cross I can stay focus on this one.

I been cleaning up my supplies and finding new ideas. I'm currently working on my kitchen center project. I bought bright blue, green, and pink bowls for our center. Also matching acessories and food. My boss laughed at me and said the kids don't care if it matches. Which is true and I might have a touch of OCD. But my whole point is to bring in bright colors and to lively up my kitchen center. So that way it is inviting and the kids want to play.

Here is a doodle I put together. Instead of two different color chairs I painted them both green.

My project is almost done and I can't wait to post a finished picture. I painted and revived two chairs I found at a garage sale. I will buy a round wooden end table at walmart for 8.00. Which they have been out of stock for 2 weeks so thats all I'm wating for. I will paint and cut the legs shorter for their hight. Everything will match up sooner or later. Fingers cross.