Pin it! Scavenger Hunt for Preschool Activities Weatherman's Day

Preschool Weather Ideas from Pinterest

Bet you didn't know there was a National Weatherman's Day (or person to be politically correct). So, when is Weatherman's Day? Tell your preschooler, this U.S. holiday is observed February 5 of each year. It recognizes people in the field of meteorology, weather forecasting, and even storm chasers. Observed for John Jeffries one of the first weather observers of record in the United States. (Wikipedia)

Weather Ideas for Preschool.

For this Pin it! Scavenger Hunt, the winning preschool activities  pin was pinned by Dawn Marelli (you knew it was) in the keyword category WEATHER for National Weatherman's Day. The featured blogger with a cute weather idea for preschool is Queen Vanna at the queen says a little about a lot of things.

Here are 3 fun ideas for Preschool Weather lessons!

Teach Preschool made rain in a jar! What an easy activity for preschoolers to learn about weather science.

Make Rain in a jar from Teach Preschool blog.

Hop over to Fantastic Fun and Learning blog for a roundup of weather science experiments for preschoolers from the Kid Blogger Network.

Fantastic Fun and Learning blog has a round up
of weather science experiments from the KBN.

After all that weather science, your preschoolers will need a weather craft. This rainy day umbrella is the perfect preschool weather craft. You can find it at Brook's Child Care on Tumblr.

Rainy Weather Umbrella Craft from Brook's Child Care on Tumblr.

Looking for more Weather Ideas for Preschoolers? Check back often for more fun posts! For more weekly preschool pinning fun ideas join our board Pin it! Scavenger Hunt.


Recommended Reading:

Oh Say Can You Say What's the Weather Today?

Kids' Weather Book: From Tornadoes to Snowstorms, Puzzles, Games, and Facts That Make Weather for Kids Fun!

Sign up for our free newsletter!

Art Activities for Preschoolers

Easy Preschool Art Activities

Preschool art activities don't have to be all finger painting and paper plate crafts. We've collected some art activities for preschoolers that include sensory fun. Read on for easy preschool art activities that are destined to become mini masterpieces.

This post contains affiliate links.

Art activities for preschoolers.

Bubble Painting is a fun, sensory way to introduce your preschooler to art. They can experiment with color mixing, layering, and layout. Scoot on over to Kelly Noel's Living the Dream blog for more details.

Bubble Painting Preschool Art Activity from Living the Dream.

Another fun way for preschoolers to experience sensory art activities is to let them play with food coloring and shaving cream. Skip over to our post on how to paint with shaving cream. 

Coffee Filter Mobiles. All preschool teachers adore coffee filter crafts. Remember the days of the milk carton crafts? Wonder what we'll all switch to when coffee filters become a thing of the past? These coffee filter and cardboard paper towel tube painted mobiles are self-explanatory. We found them posted here but are sure they originated somewhere else. Please leave a comment if you know the original source.

Coffee Filter Mobile Preschool Art Activity.

Art, like sensory play, develops critical thinking skills and hand eye coordination. Click here to learn about how art can aid in brain development.

Handprint and footprint art is a staple in the world of preschool. Introduce your preschoolers to Pointillism with these beautiful fall handprint trees from Arty Crafty Kids.

Handprint Tree Preschool Activity from Arty Crafty Kids.

The Jammy Jigsaw offers up an art activity for preschoolers that serves double duty as a science project. This salt dough bone necklace is the perfect companion art project for a lesson on dinosaurs.

Salt Dough Bone Necklace Art Activity for Preschoolers from The Jammy Jigsaw.

Looking for more art activities for preschoolers? Visit our Pinterest Board, Preschool Scavenger Hunt.

Recommended:

Homeschool and Preschool Companion Book Activities

For activities and games to play with preschoolers check out our Circle Time Handbook on Amazon.

Early Childhood Teacher Study Online

10 Things ECE Teachers are Studying Today

What are early childhood teachers studying today? Curriculum for ECE teachers is constantly evolving to keep up with the latest topical trends and innovations. Young children live in a world where computers, tablets, smartphones, music players and gaming devices are readily available, including in their classrooms. Anyone studying to become an ECE Teacher needs to keep up with these trends in technology. The best way to do that is to get your ECE training online and we highly recommend getting your professional development training at ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI.)

This post contains Affiliate Links.

ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI,) the industry leader for online professional development, offers courses that cover the latest in everything from technology and STEAM to bullying, attention disorders and more. Every early childhood teacher and their staff can benefit from the online ECE training at CCEI. Here at Kids Creative Chaos, we've taken several courses and enjoyed each one of them, including CCEI122: Active Learning in Early Childhood course! Check out our review, here. We’ve also reviewed CCEI's online professional development for early childhood teachers in these past articles: Professional Development for Preschool Teachers and ECE Continuing ED Online. No matter how long you've been teaching, you'll discover something new and have an “a-ha” moment during CCEI’s course training.

Personally, I’ve taken many courses online and offline receiving certificates and credits toward my ECE (Early Childhood Education Certification) and CCEI is the best! ChildCare Education Institute offers certificate programs and coursework that meets the requirement for national credentials including the CDA. CCEI also has online certification programs for Director and Early Childhood Credentials. CCEI, a Council for Professional Recognition CDA Gold Standard™ comprehensive training provider, is nationally accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) and is accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET.)

Below, is a list of the most popular things ECE teachers are studying. What are you most interested in studying? After you’ve taken a look at the list, let us know your thoughts in the comments below the post.

10 Things ECE Teachers Should Study

Here’s a list of TOP 10 trending topics that ECE teachers are studying today (that teachers wouldn’t have studied 10 years ago), according to CCEI:

• Children on Devices: CCEI’s CHD103: The Child’s Digital Universe: Technology and Digital Media in Early Childhood online course shares the latest research and recommendations regarding children's use of technology and digital media and ways in which digital devices are reshaping childhood and early childhood education.

• STEM and Robotics: Children are growing up in an increasingly digital world, and technology, coding and robotics in schools are getting a lot of attention. CCEI’s courses  CUR113- STEAM: Enhancing STEM Education with the Arts and CUR123: Robotics in Early Childhood Education: Hands-On and Playful Approaches helps teachers explain robotics to children.

• Trauma Informed Care: ECE providers work with diverse groups of students from all walks of life. Statistics show that 26% of children living in America will experience some sort of trauma in their life prior to the age of four. CCEI offers SOC108: Establishing Trauma Informed Practices in Early Learning Environments which focuses on ways to incorporate trauma informed practices into the environment and interactions with children. 

• Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices can prevent instances of undesired behavior, increase focus and engagement and promote a feeling of ownership and empowerment for children. As an additional benefit, classroom communities tend to be more empathetic and kind. CCEI offers SOC106: The Value of Mindfulness in Early Childhood which explores calming and reflective approaches when working with young children.

• Spirituality: CCEI’s CHD109: Supporting Spiritual Development in Early Learning Environments is based upon the work of Deborah Schein, author of the book titled Inspiring Wonder, Awe and Empathy – Spiritual Development in Young Children. The course explores what spiritual development is and why it is important to overall development. Participants will also learn how to create moments within their learning environments that promote spiritual development in young children.

• Caring for Allergies: Child food allergies are on the rise in the United States and continue to be a public health concern. CCEI’s CCEI119: Food Allergies in the Early Care Setting online course provides an overview of food allergies and basic safety principles to employ in the early care setting. Upon completion of this course, teachers will be able to provide a safe environment for children and staff who suffer from food allergies, identify the eight major food allergens, list the theories associated with the rise in food allergies and identify the importance of food labeling and packaging.

• Dual-Language Learning: In some areas, non-native English speakers may make up the majority of a classroom. It is important for all early childhood educators to be prepared to meet the challenges of guiding a child toward English fluency while maintaining fluency in (and respect for) their home languages and cultures. CCEI offers CHD102: Dual Language Learning in the Early Childhood Environment to provide early childhood professionals with strategies and tools for helping young children develop language and literacy skills in English.

• Attention Disorders: CCEI offers courses like SPN102: Attention Deficit Disorders to help child care providers understand the symptoms, subtypes and common treatment strategies associated with attention disorders.

• Diversity and Inclusion: CCEI’s CCEI640: Creating a Multicultural Environment online training course helps teachers define the goals of multiculturalism, plan and implement an anti-biased classroom, incorporate multiculturalism into learning centers and other classroom activities and promote cooperative social skills in diverse classrooms.

• Bullying in the Classroom: Although bullying has been around for years, today’s teachers are more proactive about reducing bullying. CCEI’s GUI100: Bullying in the Preschool Environment online course helps teachers bring empathy and compassion to the classroom as a way of reducing bullying behaviors.

As you can see, CCEI’s course offerings are full of valuable information that keeps up with the latest trends in early childhood teacher study online. Whether you run a daycare from your home, homeschool preschool, or teach in a public early childhood classroom, CCEI has courses for you.

CCEI has over 35+ certificate programs offered in both English and Spanish! They’ve graduated over 15,000 early childhood professionals from its CDA and other certificate programs -- with over 5 million online coursework completed. Its web-based coursework is available 24/7/365. You can see a full list of certificate programs on their website here, but below are just a few of them:

● CDA (Child Development Associate)

● FCCPC (Florida Child Care Professional Credential)

● Director’s Certificate

● NAC (NECPA National Administrator Credential® Certificate)

Becoming a preschool teacher or caregiver is a rewarding experience, but it takes patience and perseverance. Not everyone is cut out for such an important career choice. When this is your calling in life, you want to be the best teacher possible for your students. Keeping up on educational trends is key to providing your preschool class a positive experience that will pave the way for their future educational endeavors. It's important to find a balance between fun activities and the solid building blocks of education. We always try to make learning fun.

If you're in need of continuing education for your early childhood program or for a new career in early childhood education, start here with our review of ChildCare Education Institute. CCEI offers many amazing continuing education courses for professional development in early childhood education. Their extensive course list is full of lessons that are relevant and current for today’s ever changing ECE programming. 

I encourage everyone involved with childcare and early childhood education, whether you work in a brick and mortar environment or a virtual environment, to sign up for a course or two. And for new CCEI users, you can take a trial course a NO COST!  To stay current, be sure to follow the recommendations on the top 10 things ECE Teachers are studying today. I love that they offer so many course options and each course is informative and easily applicable to your lesson plans and teaching technique. Check out CCEI today!

For more preschool and early childhood activities, follow us on Pinterest.

To read more about our experiences with CCEI's online professional development for early childhood teachers read these articles: Professional Development for Preschool Teachers and ECE Continuing ED Online.

Becoming a preschool teacher or caregiver is a rewarding experience, but it takes patience and perseverance. Not everyone is cut out for such an important career choice. When this is your calling in life, you want to be the best teacher possible for your students. Keeping up on educational trends is key to providing your preschool class a positive experience that will pave the way for their future educational endeavors. It's important to find a balance between fun activities and the solid building blocks of education. We always try to make learning fun.

Recommended:

Preschool Activities from Kids Creative Chaos

Best Preschool Activities Books

Fun Indoor Activities for Kids

39 Easy Games for Circle Time for Kids Creative Chaos

Preschool Bracelet Wreath Craft: Jingle Bangle Bracelet Wreath

Make a Wreath with a Bangle Bracelet

If you are looking for an easy preschool craft for the holidays, this preschool bracelet wreath craft, Jingle Bangle Bracelet, is the answer! It works fine motor skills, auditory sensory, and the sense of touch. Best of all, it is fun to make, and more fun to wear. Psst. It isn't just for preschoolers. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

Preschool Bracelet Wreath Craft: Jingle Bangle Bracelet Wreath.

This versatile craft can be used as a tambourine when singing jingle bells, a Christmas Tree Ornament, door knob decoration, or an actual bracelet for kids.

It is a fun craft to do at a Retirement Village too. Choosing the colors and listening to the jingling of the bell is fun for everyone.

Preschool Craft: Jingle Bell Tambourine Wreath.

Mayhem made the tambourine above in preschool class. They used a plastic bracelet, strips of holiday quilting scraps, and a silver bell (look right, center.)

We loved the idea so much that we wanted to create our own, but we only had holiday ribbons. So we cut the ribbons in 4-6" strips.

For our ring, we purchased a door knob jingle bell decoration from dollar tree, but any bracelet will do. Our ring had a strip of bells attached to a leather strip. We cut it, leaving only one jingle bell.

Then, we simply tied our ribbons around the ring with a single knot in the center. After that, we pulled both sides of the ribbon outside the ring to form a wreath. No sew. No glue. So, easy!

If you want to make it look like a traditional wreath, use green ribbons and fabric, paint your jingle bells red, and glue or tie them onto the wreath.

Our ribbons all had texture- which gives the wreath activity a tactile, sensory element.

When your wreath is complete, gather your group together and sing a round of JINGLE BELLS with Musical Accompaniement. :)


Recommended:

Make your Own Bell to Ring in the New Year

Jingle Bell Book for Preschool




ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products. *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

8 Easy Snowman Crafts fun for Kids they make perfect winter preschool activities

I love Snowman Crafts, what could be more fun for kids?

Snowmen make perfect winter preschool activities with their simple shape structure. There are so many fun Pinterest Winter Snowman Crafts and Activities for Preschool. I've been collecting snowmen over on Pinterest. Here's a list of my favorite winter snowmen crafts for you. Enjoy!

1. From The Educator's Spin On It Snowman Candy Bars

Great Teacher Gift.

2.  From Hands on as We Grow  Magnetic Snowman for Fridge

Magnetic Foamies make a happy Snowman.

3.  From Free and Fun Christmas Doughnut Snowmen

Powdered Doughnut Snowmen.

We made these in our program, one to eat, and a kit to give as a gift in holiday baggies.

4. From The Iowa Farmer's Wife  Snowman Lunch

5.  From Easy Preschool Crafts for Kids Snowman Paper Bag

Happy Snowman.



6.  From It's Gravy Baby Marshmallow Snowman for Preschoolers

Mini-Marshmallow Snow Friend.

7. From Kids Creative Chaos Peanut Snowman Pin or Magnet

8. From TLC Paper Plate Snowman Spiral

Okay 9... I found another.

From The Craft Room

Needlepoint snowmen.

Recommended Reading:

Sneezy the Snowman*

Little Snowman: Finger Puppet Book *

Snowball Soup by Mercer Mayer*









ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Turkey Craft for Preschool Cardboard Tubes

Recycle Cardboard Tubes into a Turkey for this Preschool Craft

This cute turkey craft is made from a cardboard tube. We used found recycled objects from a nature hike. These turkeys use Christmas bulb ornaments, cardboard toilet tubes, twigs, and fall leaves. Each one is unique, and your kids will enjoy the family time spent making them at home. Togetherness :)  Enjoy!

Preschool Turkey Craft: Amanda, age 2.
She added the feet all by herself!

Supplies needed to make turkey craft for preschool.

You will need:

Collect leaves from your yard.

Save cardboard toilet paper tubes.

Tacky Glue or Hot Glue.

Modge Podge.

Sunflower Seeds

Walnuts w/ Green Outercoating, Apples, or anything from nature that is rounded

IPO of walnuts we used plastic Christmas ornaments that I purchased at the dollar tree!

15 for $1 - the perfect fit into the cardboard tube.

How to make a 'Green' Turkey Craft:

Cover cardboard tube with glue.

Glue fall leaves on tube to cover entirely.

Turkey craft for preschool from recycled items.

I love this leaf! Isn't it a thing of true beauty? Squeeze a line of glue inside the top of the tube, and insert the turkey's head. Glue a leaf on the back to serve as his tail-feathers.

Draw on preserved fall leaves with a Permanent Marker.

Draw on leaves with permanent marker to make a gobbler, then cut it out and glue it onto your turkey. Also, use the marker to write your name.



Mommy's turkey place setting name card, age unknown.

Cute turkey craft from leaves and twigs.

These still look cute after 4 days in a heated house. You might want to coat your leaves with Modge Podge to make them last longer or click here how to preserve fall leaves.

Happy Turkey Crafts! I'll be adding a turkey-themed craft each week until Thanksgiving so check back often. Please share your favorite ideas or ways to improve mine.

Recommended Reading:

Cardboard Tube Christmas Tree

175 Easy-to-Do Thanksgiving Crafts (Creative Uses for Recyclables)

Crafts for Kids: A Month by Month Idea Book