Tell Me About It Tuesday: The Play-Based Preschool Free Resource

Tell Me About it Tuesday has typically been a day where I review some great products for you, my wonderful readers.  I will be using this day to more tell you about a preschool resource we have been using.  (Product links are provided if you are interested in picking them up for yourself.)

Today's resource -- a Science Journal.

Now this is not something you would typically think of for preschool. Let me tell you this ... my kids had a blast using it!

*full disclosure these pictures are from when we used this resource last winter ... Little Miss was 5, not in school yet and Little Mister was 3.*

Here is what we did.

First we gathered our supplies (I knew I was going to do this with them the night before and froze water on the cookie sheet over night.)


We made our guesses and wrote/drew them on our journal page.



Time to test our guesses!


Like all good scientists we documented our results.


I loved this activity for them because it engages them from the start to finish. They had to work on taking turns, but they both made guesses when it was the other's turn.

It worked on their critical thinking skills as they documented the process. They had to think about how they were testing the item. They had to think about the different items they were testing. Little Mister said that both Rubble and his dump truck would slide because there were both construction trucks.

Today was all about the process. Sometimes they drew, sometimes they wanted to trace.. If we were to do this again I am sure they would want to write letters. At the bottom of the page they have to color yes or no answering "Did it slide?" This is a great way to discuss what they thought and what actually happened. Little Miss had told me that the eraser didn't slide because it was softer than the block.

My favorite part of this activity is that even after we tested all the items they wanted to keep doing it. We kept going after we filled all our journal pages talking about the different items as we tested them.

**This activity is included in the FREE PREVIEW!

What's New Wednesday Link Up

Happy Wednesday All!  Time for What's New Wednesday!

I am about to upload a new pumpkin unit.  Here are some of the great things that are going to be in it!

It has 20 hands on activities and a full set of preschool task cards. I am super excited to get it loaded for you all!

So what is new with you? New blog post? New freebie? New product? I would love to see one of each!

An InLinkz Link-up

What's New Wednesday #3

This is not something that is new … I am exhausted.

We have been short staffed – we were short staffed before we had 2 people quit. So things have been a little crazy at work. We have moved and we are getting settled in our apartment. My Jamberry business has been super busy with the launch of a new catalog. To be honest the thing that seems to be taking the biggest setback is actually my Teachers Pay Teachers store. I am so thankful that the sales keep coming in without much (any) new things posted in a while.

I do have quite a few things about ready to post. I have updates for the All About Me bundle about ready. I have gears and robot updates loaded to the bundle, but not the single products. I am updating my apples products and about to add to my pumpkin product lines. So there is a lot coming down the pike. I am excited to get them up and ready for you all.

Pretty excited that Halloween products are already starting to sell too!  What do you have going on? Link up your newest item below. You can link up one paid product and one free product. I love it when people also link up their newest blog post. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Fall Lapbooks: Pumpkin

So I have found this new obsession love.  I keep seeing all these amazing interactive notebooks.  I wanted to know more about interactive notebooks. That was my first mistake.  That is how I stumbled upon ...

Lapbooks

Lapbooks are these amazing things that fit into a file folder.  They are interactive and custom.  They really work for any age.  The older the kids are the more custom they are.  This is the one I made for 4 year olds.  

Once I figured out what I wanted to included it was pretty easy to put together. 

Creating the flaps was much easier than I was fearing.  You simply fold the edges to the middle creating a new way of opening.  I have found that this is called a 'shutter fold'.  It basically divides the folder into fourths.  

I am already thinking of all sorts of other things that we can do with these. The back of this one I added a pumpkin patch play mat.  A small file folder type game can be on the back and the pieces stored inside.  

That Pp flap there on the bottom is covered in packing tape so that we can use it over and over again. Under the flap is a blank area for all the words she can think of that starts with the p sound.  An area to draw or write.

I love just love it!  

I am already dreaming up ideas for Christmas ones.  

Do you love it?  Do you want one?  It's at my Teachers Pay Teachers Store. 

What's New Wednesday - Relaunch

What's New Wednesday is a place for us educators to link up some new stuff. Did you recently post a product? Have you posted a tour of your classroom in a blog post? Did you post how your first week went? Have you recently updated a product you want to share?  This is the place for you!

My newest product is a bundle. It a product a year in the making. 

Alphabet Lapbooks

I hope to have a full blog post on how to assemble and use these lapbooks here soon. These bad boys work on assembling the letter, tracing and writing the letter, phonics and visual discrimination of the letter. It works on both upper case and lower case letters.

Be sure to try it out by downloading the preview. You will get 3 letters for free!

Now it is your turn. Link up your newest product, update, freebie, or blog post below. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Teaching Tuesday: Back to School Tour

Last week I was able to have an entire day to label and set up my room. Here is your virtual tour.




Welcome to The Purple Panda room. We are a room of old 2's and young 3's.

This is where we do all our large group learning. I have trays that we use when we are doing things right here on the floor. Every day during circle time we answer a question. This week we answered "How do you eat?" and they sorted food into spoon, fork or fingers.  I love this chart!

I added little labels all over the room. You can clearly see the cots one here. The very first locker is where I keep teacher circle time and large group activities. I also keep our carpet squares there.

My learning centers are small -- my room is small, so my centers need to be small. This is great for my kids because they are able to interact and engage. I keep things simple. I add as many theme oriented things as I can. Our theme at the start of the school year is All About Me, Family and Pets.  

Above my writing center are great things needed for the learning to write and read.. Like letters with phonic pictures and pre-primer Dolch sight words. They are able to use the chalkboard as much as they like and I have chalk available at all times.

This poster is actually one of my favorites. It is my "Theme in the Real World" It is pictures of families, kids and homes throughout the world.

This is my teacher supply corner. I spent a lot of time sorting and organizing this corner. This locker is also used to hold one of my 31 bags that I use to keep our week organized and my activities in one place. Also, every single thing I do has to be able to be broken down EVERY Friday. All organization must be portable, small and functional.

I love art. My kids love art. I have three art sections to my art center. The white table is our standing art space. This is where we mostly do our play dough. There is a drawing tablet on the wall for free drawing and the table for seated art work. Since my room can only have 7 kids I can usually just flatten the shelf and fit everyone around the table when we are doing large group art. These are end tables from IKEA.

Discovery and sensory is all about our Five senses during this theme. This area is a cramped so I am trying to find another solution.

We had a decent first week. I have found out things about them and they are learning their new environment.

I feel like we have not had enough interaction with the learning centers, and I feel like our centers time is much too long for this group, so I may be breaking things up some. Like moving our question of the day to the middle of center time and adding a second activity to it. Only time will tell. I have 2 new ones starting Monday so .... shall be interesting.

Let me know what you think! I love your comments.

What's New Wednesday: Link Up

Good Morning Lovlies!

I hope you have had a wonderful week. What's New in your world this Wednesday?

Newest in our world - Hickman #1 will be working from home - eek. I am not sure if I mentioned it but once again he was looking for a job. Seriously we have had the worst luck lately. He has been looking for about 5 weeks this time. I am really hoping (praying actually) that this is the last one.

Funny how God likes to show us He is listening. I have started writing our prayers, things we need on a post it or paper and putting it in my bible. This is exactly what I wrote "God we need Keith to get a job, a career really, that can take care of this family - in abundance. Thank you for all you do." The next day he was offered the job that he accepted. IF it is what they say, it is well in abundance. If it is HALF what they claim it is still more than what we need. If it is 1/4 of what they say it is we are covered . I am hopeful. Next week will show us much more.

What's New on Teachers Pay Teachers and Teachers Notebook?

Teachers Pay Teachers
Teachers Notebook

This is my newest Freebie.. It is a sample of the Bugs, Bugs, Glorious Bugs bundle. It has a little something from most of the resources in the bugs and insect bundle.

I have taken the Bugs and Insects bundle and split it into 8 packets if you are looking for just a portion.  Remember, bundles are 30% off purchasing all the portions individually.

Thank you to all of you who linked up last week! I got so busy that I wasn't even really able to promote it at all. We had over 30 link ups!

Now it's your turn! What's New in your world?

This link up is for your newest products (1 paid, 1 free - TPT or TN) and/or your newest blog post.

Can't wait to check them out!

An InLinkz Link-up

What's New Wednesday Link Up!

I know I have basically fallen off the face of the earth. Through each person getting sick over the last few months, allergies, job losses, some not-so constructive criticism and a class at church ... I guess I fell off a bit.

But ... I am back!

So here we are spinning our plates again. I am sure something will fall off again, but then we will just pick it up and get going again. Success is a journey.

What is New here with The Hickman Five

1. I have become a Jamberry Nail Wraps consultant. I know get paid to have pretty nails and help you have pretty nails too!

I am hosting my #instalaunchparty over on Instagram! Come party with me. I was just challenged to join the 25% club! To do that I need to sell 12 more wraps! Want to help? Get your wraps here.

2. I have added more to my Teachers Notebook shop and my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Teachers Notebook is mostly new by adding products that have already been in my Teachers Pay Teachers. It seems like there is a different clientele at both places, so I am enjoying have both stores open. Seeing that I have not been doing as much marketing as I would like on either it is nice that thing have been still selling on both.

Seeing that it is What's New Wednesday I am going to share with you one of the new products that is available on both stores.

This Robot Bundle is has 8 Hands On Resources! You can check it out here on Teachers Pay Teachers and here on Teachers Notebook.

What about you? What have you been up to? Link up below -- please limit product links to your newest (not shared before) 1 paid product and 1 free product. You can link up from either store. You may also link up your newest (1) blog post.

An InLinkz Link-up

Tell Me About It Tuesday: Freebies!

As many of you may or may not know - I was a social worker, turned preschool business owner, turned teacher, turned at home mom. Some days I just "stay-home" and do all the fun stuff - play, errands, parent. Other days I "work-at-home" - I run a Teachers Pay Teachers Store. I also homeschool my two for preschool. 

Clip Art: Edu-Clips // Background: Ashley Hughes

Of course I love to test out my own creations, but then you get sick for an entire month and you are able to rely on other teachers creations.  Here are some of the Spring and Easter freebies I am looking forward to using with Little Miss and Little Mister.

Yeehaw Teaching in Texas

You hide pictures in eggs and they will match the egg to the answer sheet provided. They will color the eggs on the answer sheet to match the color egg they found the picture in.

Miss Mittereder

The flip flops come in two sizes and it comes with a worksheet. We will make a game or two with this resource. The worksheet will come in handy when I have to give Little Miss her own things to do to keep them separated and occupied.

Wild About Teaching

We do this activity different ways all the time. Around Fourth of July we did this with M&M's. At Valentine's we did this with conversation hearts. My two love these activities. I am looking forward to the added aspect of sorting into the circles first with this activity.

A Special Kind of Class

Matching games are LOVED in our house. How cute are those bees?!? When this is printed out the kids will match the noun on the hive with the noun on the bee.

Last year I made these color by number grids.  I am looking forward to using them again this year. 

Sara Hickman

What's New Wednesday #8

I am in a bit of funk the last few weeks. I am sure it has to do with us all being sick at some point and time over the last three weeks and now Hubsy has caught it.

One would think that I wouldn't be in such a funk with my birthday on Saturday but I just can't shake it. I get this way when I am trying to get tons of stuff accomplished and not really focusing. I should take that as a sign I need to refocus.

Since I am in a funk and need some inspiration I have a different kind of post today.

I am currently developing a Robot Unit.

How cute is this little guy from Make Do Friend?

Or these adorable recycling bin collage robots from My Adventures in Positive Space.

I am sure my kiddos would have fun with both of these.  

So what is new with you?  Link up below and share it with us all! 

An InLinkz Link-up

Best Seller Saturday #8

Hi all! How are you loving this winter weather? Here in Ohio we have been hit by the white stuff finally this winter. We were able to head out and play in it one time because to accompany the white stuff we are getting hit with Arctic temperatures. Makes for 2 not so happy little people in this house. Today we are getting blasted again. I will take it over our dear friends in New England any day.

So what are we here for today! to babble and rabble? ... YES! Nah just kidding. It is time for Best Seller Saturday.  I took a look over my sales this week. I have sold 1 item of everything that has sold this week.  Not even a double.  :)  Then I looked at revenue - one of the items was higher priced than the rest -- all week I sold only 1 and 1.50 items.  It was just silly!

So this is my best seller this week.

I love this coloring book. My dear friend asked me to make this for her daughter's birthday. I even left the dedication page in the book, so when it is purchased you are also graced with a jelly fish drawing from Little Miss.

You are not going to get all your standard animals in this one. A is for African Elephant instead of Ape.  E is for Emperor Penguin.  N is for Naked Mole Rat.  W is not for walrus, it is for Warty Pig. Many of these animals are inspired from our local zoo. If you purchase this I hope you love it as much as "Baby H" does.

As for my most downloaded freebie this week. It happens to be ...

more coloring pages.  This one was also put together with some little ones in mind. I will send my friends coloring books and resources from time to time. I hadn't done it in a while, so I put together this coloring book and sent it off.  It goes nicely with many winter themes.  Take a look at this feedback that I received on this one.

This is exactly what I go for when I design a coloring book. Simple and Cute.

Coloring books all started when I couldn't find simple enough coloring books for Little Miss when she was younger. These coloring books are truly drawn with 2 and 3 year old's in mind.  Simple enough for young hands, but complex enough for older children to still have fun.

Now it is your turn.  What are your Best Sellers this week.  Link up one paid and one free product below.

An InLinkz Link-up

Teach Me Thursday: Hearts, Hearts and More Hearts

Last week in preschool we learned with hearts, hearts and more hearts. {Click on each picture to go to the post about our activities.}

No Prep Printables

Letter Assessment with Hearts

Candy Heart Graphing

Fine Motor Skills

File Folder Games

Dot Hearts

What's New Wednesday week 7

We are back! Sick still, but on the mend.

Seeing that we have all been sick over the last 2 weeks (some of us for 4) I haven't really posted anything new.  I am currently working on a Robots Bundle. I am also updating the spring resources.

The latest thing I have finished is updating this Counting Flower Craftivity and File Folder Game.

Here is a peek inside for you!

Kids will put the number of petals on the flower according to the number in the center.  Play as a file folder game or do as a craft. That is up to you! You can get yours here.

Now it's your turn! Can't wait to see What's New in your world!

An InLinkz Link-up