Memorable 2010 Posts from the Blogosphere

I was thinking about this past year...and all the ideas I've read from my blog friends. As I thought back, here are some of the posts that have stuck in my mind (in no particular order).

Intention Deficit Disorder - Amanda at Not Just Cute addresses just doing activities as opposed to having intention and purpose behind whatever you do with kids.

Photo from Not Just Cute

DIY Stamps - Sherry and Donna at Irresistible Ideas for Play Based Learning create stamps from lots of found objects and other stuff...and the kids get into the act, too.

Photo from Irresistible Ideas for Play Based Learning

White Glue Vs. Hot Glue Guns - Teacher Tom compares the results from using white glue and hot glue guns for construction. This is one of the several posts about hot glue guns from Tom that led me to give glue guns to my kindergartners.

Photo from Teacher Tom

Stunning "Glass" Sculpture - Valerie at Frugal Family Fun shows how to create a beautiful sculpture from tissue paper and clear contact plastic.

Photo from Frugal Family Fun

Repurposing Duplo Blocks - Lindsey at Filth Wizardry tells how to reuse Duplo blocks to spell words or create sentences.

Photo from Filth Wizardry

Pre-K Play: Our Performance and Pre-K Play: Epilogue - I enjoyed reading all about the process of Teacher Tom's Pre-K play. And the performance was spectacular.

Photo from Teacher Tom

Easy Fishing Game - Valerie on Frugal Family Fun creates a quick-and-easy fishing game. (I'm still slapping my head about using pipe cleaners/chenille stems as fish.)

Photo from Frugal Family Fun

Toddler Friendly Sewing Basket - Christine on Childhood 101 shows how to pull together a sewing activity for kids.

Photo from Childhood 101

Modern Wall Art - Use tape and circle stickers to create simple but cool art. Valerie on Frugal Family Fun shows you how.

Photo from Frugal Family Fun

Super Sized Marble Painting - Jenny on Let the Children Play led her kids to create a super-sized marble painting. This post was one of the inspirations for our canvas marble painting.

Photo from Let the Children Play

Q is for Q-Tip Art - Kristin of Preschool Daze provides paper, tape, and Q-tips and the kids produce some great art. Using tape is a new wrinkle for me.

Photo from Preschool Daze

Thank you, blog friends, for inspiring and challenging me. I could included many more posts because there are so many great bloggers and teachers out there. Here's to more memories, inspiration, and challenge in 2011!

Did I Fail?

Teacher Tom's recent post about his snap painting failure made me recall (again) my teaching resolutions for 2010. Especially this one: "I want to fail spectacularly in one activity I offer. I want to try something a little crazy and learn from it." As I think back (and look back through the blog), I discover that I don't think I had a spectacular failure.

I did have a few activities that "failed" in that no one really participated in them. Usually that's because they were engaged elsewhere in the room. But is it really a failure if kids get so engaged in what they are doing that they just don't get around to an activity?

I did have some activities that "failed" when kids took the materials and did something completely different from what I planned. For example, this counting activity became a fortress with jewels that were protected by traps. But is it really a failure if kids explore resources and create something that I never would have imagined myself?

I thought this was a failure when J began using a straw to spread out blobs of paint on the community marble and ball painting. But now this "failure" is beautiful, hanging on the wall of my office.

I did try a couple of "risky" activities that could have become failures but were rousing successes instead. Our large group marble painting seemed on the verge of chaos occasionally but proved to be a wonderful example of teamwork. (Well, someone did get paint on a dress; is that a failure?)

My 5-year-olds used glue guns to make picture frames. What some may see as a risky move became a powerful tool to create wonderful wonky frames. (Well, someone did burn a finger; is that a failure?)

All in all, I guess I failed to fail this year. But we took some "risks" and tried some new things. As I review those resolutions I made for 2010, they seem like good ones. I think I'll keep them for another year. Who knows? Maybe 2011 will be the year of the spectacular failure. And that will be just fine. As Teacher Tom says: "That's how we learn."

Christmas Message

And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.

While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough--because there was no room for them at the inn.

In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Don't be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people: today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough."

Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!"

When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough.

(from Luke 2:4-16)

I pray that you will know the hope and joy that came with the birth of Jesus. And the hope and joy that comes from knowing Him today. Merry Christmas!

Quick Tip: Mini Trash Cans

Recently we've had some activities that produce some trash. We used stickers when we made our frames. We had lots of small clippings with our snowflakes. So we've discovered that adding a small container (or two) on the table helps control the clutter and makes clean-up time much quicker. I have done this before, but with these two activities I'm a convert. We'll be using these more and more.

Keeping My Eyes Open

Last week when we were making our angels I observed one of my guys folding and cutting a coffee filter, making something that resembled a snowflake. So this week, I decided to follow his lead and put those things on a table for kids to use.

I told kids to fold and cut pieces from their coffee filters.

Some decided to experiment with cutting different ways or folding only once before cutting.

Results were impressive.

Lesson: Keep your eyes open and watch what your kids are doing with the materials. Never underestimate the power of observing your kids' actions and following their lead. You may discover some wonderful activities.

Angels

Earlier this month I read about peg angels on Irresistible Ideas for Play Based Learning. I knew we needed to do this sometime.

This week we were talking about the angel announcing the birth of Jesus to Mary and Joseph. I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to make the peg angels. I put out the peg clothespins, chenille stems, coffee filters, lids(!), wall tack, stickers, and fine-line pens.

The kids drew faces and experimented with creating their stand-up angels.

As the kids worked, we discovered that scissors would be a good addition, so they could trim the coffee filters.

The kids' ideas went in directions that I didn't expect (as they usually do). And I think the angels are definitely unique.

Next time I'll probably cut some of the coffee filters ahead of time. And we'll have white glue and brushes instead of glue sticks. But I'll definitely try it again.

"You're Letting Them Use That?!"

A while back I read about Teacher Tom's adventures with using glue guns. Irresistible Ideas for Play Based Learning also uses glue guns for fun activities. We bought some glue guns for our kids to use...and I've been waiting for just the right activity to introduce them to the class.

Well, this week we did it. We wanted kids to decorate frames with photos to give as gifts to parents. We couldn't find ready-made frames that would work for what we wanted to do. So we decided to let the kids make the frames as well as decorate them. We used colored craft sticks and the glue guns to make the frames.

When "G" came to the table and watched kids using the glue guns, he exclaimed, "You're letting them use that?" (Some parents may have said the same thing if they saw it.) I said, "Yes. You can do it, too, if you'd like." He did.

Then they decorated the frames with a variety of stickers.

Mrs. Cindy helped trim and attach the photographs.

The kids added adhesive magnets. Some kids put their frames on the board. A few others put theirs on the table, ready to go home. I love the askew frames - frames that look like 5-year-olds did them.

We had only one small "burn." (We put a small bowl of water to cool off a finger that touches something hot - an idea from Irresistible Ideas for Play Based Learning. Thanks, Sherry and Donna!)

We had a great time with the glue guns and will definitely be using them again soon.