A beach has the best collection of loose parts for playing with and exploring.

It makes complete sense, to take loose parts found at the beach, and put them into a sensory bin. For times that you can't get to the beach.

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Sandi

a learning adventure

Last year, with the hope of upping my play dough game, I did a bit of googling and decided to add some loose parts to the textured rolling pins, play dough knives and cookie cutters that I put out for the kids.

My hope was that the kids would be more engaged, interactive and creative with the play dough.

That happened ... and more. I learned something. Again.  (Sometimes I am a Slow Learner.)

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Sandi

Sometimes you need a kid-frienndly painting project that will put a smile on your face.

Something bright and cheerful.

Jame's Rizzi inspired birds fit the bill perfectly. 

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Sandi

Ten frames are an important math tool in many pre-school, kindergarten, and first grade classrooms.

So, we include it in our calendar time. (We actually call it "together time", since we are together, and do all sorts of things ... I like to leave things open ended.)

We know that a solid understanding of how "ten" can be taken apart and put together is crucial for successful future math learning.

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Sandi

Every once in a while you come across a book that you wonder why you have never seen it before. And why everyone is not talking about it.

Everybody Needs a Rock is one of those books for me. 

And I am going to be a person who talks about it. 

Everybody Needs a Rock
written by Byrd Baylor
illustrated by Peter Parnall
published by Aladdin (1974, reprint 1985)

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Sandi

It's always a good time to celebrate with ice cream. 

We were getting ready to make ice cream and learning about colour and line getting ready to paint like Jackson Pollock - the perfect opportunity to make rainbow ripple ice cream cones. 

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Sandi