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Printable Desk Mats
Last year I shared a Jolly Phonics desk mat that I had created for student desktops in my Junior Primary classroom. Perfect for any Early Years setting, they proved invaluable support for the...
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Space Pretend Play - Play Ideas and Resources to Make
One of the most powerful learning tools in the Early Years is engagement. As a teacher or parent you can provide children with the best resources and setting yet if it doesn't capture a child's...
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Using a Visual Timetable - Why and How
One of the most effective tools I've used in my Early Years classroom is a visual timetable. Using daily schedule cards can support young children a number of different ways either in classroom or at...
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Lego People Challenge
It's the start of a new school year here in Australia which means a new school and a new class for me. Two classrooms in fact which means even more space to set up invitations for play! Not knowing the...
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What Am I? Playing Charades
Years ago I made some easy to read charade cards to use as a literacy centre activity but more often I have used them as a whole class activity. It's a quick and easy time filling game, perfect for...
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Initial Sounds Match Cards
Literacy centres have been a constant in my classroom timetable over the past few years. Why? Literacy centres are the perfect way to help reinforce early literacy concepts taught previously in a fun...
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Fairy Garden Play
We love our small world or imaginative play here and my children have enjoyed many hours this way. But it's summer time here in Australia and they have spent more time inside than out so during one...
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My Must Have Item
The start of every new school year is always accompanied by a pile of printing. As soon as a classroom teacher has their class list, the printing starts - locker labels, desk mats, wall displays,...
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Kinetic Sand Play
As soon as we opened the box, kinetic sand quickly became one of our favourite sensory rich materials for play. It made our list of favourite non-food items for sensory play back in 2014. It truly is...
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Literacy Centre Ideas
Literacy centres continue to feature in my classroom program and I'm always on the hunt for new activities I think will engage young children in their learning. You can see our other collections of...
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Alphabet Car Parking Mats
Anyone else have car crazy students in their class this year? With them in mind, I've created these car parking mats as a literacy centre activity for my class but they've been just as popular at home!...
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Easter Eggs and Kinetic Sand
Looking for a simple Easter invitation to play? This activity was easy to set up and provided hours of sensory rich play for the preschool children I get to hang out with. The best part about...
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Best Books for Big Emotions
As adults we understand that our days can be filled with many different emotions but children are still learning about their feelings and it is important for parents and teachers alike to help young...
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Teaching Double Numbers
Many young children learn best with the support of visuals. I use many visuals in my early years classroom for this reason. Allowing children to see a concept in action can make the difference between...
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Fine Motor Skills Gone Missing?
More and more young children are turning up at preschool without the fine motor skills to use scissors or hold a pencil to write. Experts are divided about the reasons why but in a child's early years,...
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Artful Colour Cards
Regular readers here will have noticed I'm slowly adding more and more printables. One of my favourites would have to be our artful colour cards. Throughout school I had dreams of becoming a high...
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A Bunch of Bunchems + A Giveaway
Recently, we were challenged to make something from a bunch of Bunchems. What are Bunchems? They're furry colourful plastic balls of fun! A perfect fiddle toy for small hands, they're like giant (soft)...
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Making Recycled Paint
So much has written about the benefits of process art v product art in early childhood. So what is my view? I think that children should be encouraged to experiment and bring something of themselves to...
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Activities for Car Crazy Kids
Looking for fun ways to engage young children in their learning? Not many kids can resist playing with toys cars which makes them an ideal resource to build activities around. The alphabet car park...
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Counting Syllables
I first made these printable syllable sorting mats years ago and have used them both for intentionally teaching syllables to my whole class and also as a follow on literacy centre for small groups....
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