Memorizing the Moments

Thursday, March 10, 2022

St Patrick's Day Literacy Activities

I loved themed activities and my 3 year old loves visually appealing interactive activities. Coming up with hands on math ones is much easier for me than literacy ones. I think this is partially because he's a very "mathy" kid and partially because he is reading at such a high level that a lot of the "age appropriate" ones no longer work. Regardless, I am trying. Here is what I came up with for St. Patrick's Day!

Pot of Gold Word Families

St. Patrick's Day words syllable counting

Beginning blends. You could do these with movable letters or with dry erase markers. We're slowly working our way through All About Spelling Level 1 and happen to be on blends. Even if we weren't, I figure extra fun practice is always good.

Ending blends. I laminated these and used a dry erase marker.

Print your St. Patrick's Day Literacy Activities Here

Monday, March 7, 2022

St. Patrick's Day Math Activities

As I mentioned in my recent post about the math spinner game, I have been working on creating more hands on math practice for Archer. Here are some of the materials I have made this month for St. Patrick's Day.

Addition boxes may be new to us, but they're certainly not new. I have seen several examples on Pinterest, but never gotten to making them myself. Recently, I found some adorable little St. Patrick's erasers and the little boxes are from the dollar store. I put different amounts of erasers in each box and made a recording sheet in a dry erase sleeve. Archer was immediately drawn to it and insisted on doing all of them, even though I suggested chunking it into a few sessions.

This year we have slowly started working on adding coins. In the past, I have always had him create a certain amount (How can you make $0.22?"). This time, I decided to give him the coins and have him figure out how much money that totaled. I made the little recording sheet to go with it.

I saw this cute idea for hiding things in therapy putty from Differentiated Kindergarten. I used little star pony beads to hide the colors of the rainbow. Then I made a place to put the beads when he dug them out and a results sheet with some basic comparison questions about what he found.

This activity is very similar to the previous one, but I used some Lucky Charms cereal instead. There's a sheet to put the different kinds of marshmallows and then a results sheet for answering questions.

Print the St Patrick's Day Math Activities Here

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

St. Patrick's Day Math Spinner Game

I love hands on math activities, both because they're more fun than book work and because if I set them up, Archer is drawn to them. However, I find it a little harder to come up with activities as his math skills progress. This spinner game was a new one for us and I'm hoping he likes it enough I can make more in other themes!

I made sheets for both addition (5-9s) and subtraction (5-10s). The subtraction is still kind of a stretch for him, but we can always get out an abacus to help.

I taped one of these spinners to a CD case and then can just switch out the spinner inside. I gave him some green and gold coins (dollar store) to cover the numbers. Archer likes to just do it all by himself, but to make a game of it, you could see who gets rid of their coins first.

Subtraction version.

Print the St Patrick's Math Spinner Games Here

You might like some of my other St. Patrick's Day posts:

Monday, February 28, 2022

St. Patrick's Day Resources

Printables:

How to Trap a Leprechaun

The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose at School

What is a Rainbow?

Happy St. Patrick's Day From the Crayons

Clever Tom and the Leprechaun

How to Catch a Leprechaun

Pete the Cat and the Great Leprechaun Chase

There Way an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Clifford!

It's St Patrick's Day

The Night Before St Patrick's Day

Early Learning, Tot School, Preschool and Early Elementary Resources and Ideas by Theme

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Valentine's Day Resources

After over a decade of early learning and blogging, I'm am starting to accumulate a lot of materials and posts. I thought it might be helpful to start creating a landing page for each holiday

Printables:

Valentine's Printable Pack

Valentine's Cuisenaire Templates

Heart Pattern Matching Activity

Blog Posts:

Valentine's Message Hearts

Pre-K Valentine's Activities (2022 - 3.5 y.o.)

Valentine's Preschool Activities (2021 - 2.5 y.o.)

Tot School Heart Activities (2020 - 26 Months)

Valentine's Tot School (2020 - 21 months)

Tot School Valentine's (2012 - 15 months)

Tools and Manipulative Ideas:

Valentine's Day Dot Marker Book

Shape Stamps (for ink or playdough)

Heart Paper Punches

Valentine's Day Scatter (sensory bins, light table play, play dough)

Heart Fondant Cutters (play dough)

Valentine's Day Book Ideas:

The Night Before Valentine's Day

Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink

Bear Hugs

The Littlest Cupid

Llama Llama Be My Valentine

Slugs in Love

Love Splat

Splat the Cat Funny Valentine

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rose

Biscuit's Valentine's Day

Love from the Crayons

Llama Llama Loves his Mama

A Pizza My Heart

In My Heart

Happy Valentine's Day Little Critter

Where is Baby's Valentine's

Love from Bluey

Where is Love Biscuit?

Happy Love Day Daniel Tiger

Love Monster

I Love You Like No Otter

Love is My Favorite Thing

Plenty of Love to Go Around

Love Escargot

My Heart is Like a Zoo

Thursday, February 10, 2022

Pre-K Valentine's Activities

While we are slowly working our way through some purchased curriculum this year, I decided to also add in some themed activities that either go with the seasons/holidays or go with Archer's interests. Here are some of our Valentine's Day Themed Activities

We started out with a heart shaped hole punch activity from Early Learning Ideas

I've been trying to encourage more craftiness, so I got this set of paper punches for him to use. I put out some blank cardstock cards and some colored paper for him to punch a glue.

We tried our first pin poke activity. I just drew a heart on a notecard and we used a foam sheet folded in half to protect the table. He was so proud of himself when he finished!