As we head back-to-school this year, the topic of how to make friends once again becomes the focus of our character development conversations around the dinner table. Friends are an important part of our lives. They bring value to our lives in numerous ways.

As my children get prepared to start a new academic school year, we focus on remembering how to make new friends.

How to Make Friends

Although my children are extraverts, they have struggled at different times throughout their early childhood years with making and keeping friends (hey, I’m an adult and I am still practicing this skill of making new friends) 

These are our tried and true methods for making friends:

Tips for teaching kids on how to make friends.

1. Smile

Yes, this sounds so very simple, but our number one tip for making new friends is to “look friendly” to others – one way to do this is to smile. If you are in a classroom with 20 new children, a smile can be a ray of sunshine in your day.  If you are a little nervous about making new friends, a smile may give you a boost of confidence as it is a reminder that you are a kind and happy person that others want to spend time with.

2. Listen to what the other person has to say.  

This is a big deal in our house. We find that the kids are so excited to talk that they forget to listen.  We are practicing being a good listener:

• maintaining eye contact
• repeating back what we hear
• not interrupting
• asking questions about what the other person has to say

3. Be Yourself.  

My kids are funny, quirky and creative.  It is my hope that they find friends who value who they are on the inside.  It is important when making friends to be yourself. Not every child will connect with each other in the same way.  If you don’t like horses and someone asks if you do, do not pretend to like them. Be honest.  Your friendships will have a stronger beginning. *I find that the kids start to notice this more around 2nd grade, but some do earlier.

4. Ask others to play with you. 

My daughter had a really hard time making friends last year.  It was a new school and friendships had already formed.  She really felt sad about not having anyone to play with on the playground.  We practiced inviting each other to come play with us and she eventually starting asking children to come play with her on the parallel bar.

5. Say Hello and Good Morning.  

These words are simple and a great way to start connecting with others. Practice saying them at home prior to school. Make it part of your daily routine and soon your child will be saying them too. 

ACTIVITY: Write about Making Friends

Kids as young as toddlers can help write and draw about making friends. In fact, this activity is one of my favorite first week of school activities to do with kids from preschool to first grade.  You could illustrate several pages each day and combine them together at the end of the week for a delightful home-made book that children can re-read with family members.

CLICK HERE FOR ECE PRINTABLES including the Friends Can booklet

For younger children: limit the pages to 4.  Encourage them to trace 2 circles on each page to represent the friends.

For older children: allow them to complete the book independently.  Encourage them to write and label their drawings.

Learning Objective: Create a DIY book to represent being a good friend with drawings and words.

Focus Skills

• fine motor
• creativity
• writing
• early literacy
• book making

Materials Needed

• Scissors
• Stapler
• Crayons
• Copy of the Friends Can book. This activity is a printable available on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Directions to make the DIY Friends Can Book.

1. Print a set of Friends can booklet.
2. Stack the booklet in the order you want the pages to appear.
3. Staple the left side.
4.  Read the pages with your child. Let the child illustrate each page.

After I print the Friendship books out, I set them out in the writing center for the children to work on in small groups. Here is what our center looked like:

Each child completed their own friendship book.

If you are short on time, you could have each child work on one page, then assemble it to make a class friendship book as well.

I like that this activity allows for children to participate even though they are on different academic levels.

Toddlers are learning the vocabulary of friendship and how to use a variety of writing utensils. Their pictures may be mostly scribbles with some lines and circles forming.

Preschooler – Kindergarteners are forming bodies and faces. They are able to grasp more abstract concepts of friendship.  I would encourage children of this age to use a minimum of one color per age. If you are 4 years old, then 4 colors should be used. (this paper is still a work in progress). If they have forgotten important details of people, hand them a mirror and encourage them to double-check their illustrations of body parts!

Here’s an example of what Kindergarten writing looks like.

Grade Schoolers – are really past this book, but my oldest wanted to participate too. I never turn away a kid who wants to draw, write and read. These activities allow children to express their creativity.  For struggling readers, making a book for a younger child is a great way to provide opportunities for them to interact with text at their level without being “too young.” When having older children write alongside younger children, it also provides a model for them as well. Extend their learning by having them write a story in paragraph form about how to make and keep friends.

Picture Books about Friendship for Preschoolers

Reading books about friendship with your child is a great way to start a discussion on how the characters in the story made new friends. Ask questions during the story such as: What do you think ___ will do? How would you handle the situation?

Affiliate links included to books:

A Dance of Friendship (Angelina Ballerina) I love Angelina in that she is always such a kind mouseling. This book introduces how to deal with friendship and feelings of jealousy. Read more here

Franklin’s New FriendWhen the moose family moves in, Franklin is initially a bit afraid of moose because of his size.  When the two get to know each other, they realize that despite their differences, they become new friends.  Read more here

Learning to Be a Good Friend: A Guidebook for Kids (Elf-Help Books for Kids)This book is part of a series of stories designed to help children navigate through life situations.  A good springboard for parent / child discussions.  Read more here

Friends: Making Them & Keeping Them (American Girl) Geared for girls 7+, this book covers friendship issues common to grade school girls. Read more here

How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends? This story is a perfect introduction to SHOWING young kids how to play with dinosaurs, I mean friends. Geared for children ages 3-5, but would be enjoyed by older and younger children as well. Read more here

Llama Llama Time to Share This book is set in the cute rhythmic pattern of all llama llama books. It is set in a home environment, making it perfect for young children in a homeschooling setting. Read more here

How to Make Friends from the Teach ECE Education Blogger Team:

We are teachers, moms, and homeschoolers of young children sharing FREE resources to parents, teachers, and educators every Wednesday. Stop by any of our blogs for new lesson plans each week.

Here is our Preschool Schedule:

Find on social media using the hashtag #TeachECE

Role Playing How to Be a Good Friend by Mom Inspired Life
Songs About Friendship for Kinder and Pre-K by Capri +3
Teaching Kids About Friendship and Being a Good Friend by Raising Lifelong Learners
Making Friends: Teaching Kids to Learn and Respect Different Names by Munchkins and Moms
How to Play with Friends a Preschoolers Visual Guide and Game by Powerful Mothering
Helping Your Homeschooler Socialize by Still Playing School
Making Friends Even When You Are Homeschooled by Learning 2 Walk
Book Friends by Growing Book by Book
Tips for Helping Preschoolers BE a Good Friend! #TeachECE by The Preschool Toolbox BlogFree Friends Play Dough Printable by Life Over C’s
Working Together to Create a Classroom Community by Fun-A-Day!
Teaching Kids How to Make Friends by The Educators’ Spin On It

You may also find these guides helpful for Back to School…

We all have feelings. Now’s the time to bring them out, talk about them, and address the excitement and fears (both yours and your children’s)

It doesn’t matter if your child will be preparing for School Brings Mixed Emotions for both Parents and Children

• starting preschool for the first time,
• is headed off to their first day of kindergarten,
• or will be starting their homeschool curriculum.

Preparing for school sets off a mixture of emotions for both parents and children. Know that your emotions during the preparation for back-to-school time may run on overdrive. Reach out to family members and friends to share your excitement and discuss any concerns you may have. You are not alone!

My friend said it best: “I am excited and sad at the same time”

The kids may be feeling some of the same emotions. Make time as you are preparing for school to address these feelings together.

Where we are this year:

This year, my almost 3 year old will be going to a traditional preschool classroom 2 mornings a week. I’ve never had any of my babies go to school this young, but we are butting heads big time and our family has decided 2 mornings a week with other kids may be just what he needs. The rest of the time he will be with me, doing “mommy school.”

My 5 year old will be attending kindergarten. He is thrilled to be going to school at the same place as his big sister. We keep reminding him that they will not see each other during the day. He says, “don’t worry, she will bring me to my classroom every morning.”  <tear>

My 9 year old will be entering 4th grade. Oh where did the time go. I’m already hearing the buzz about middle school. She’s a voracious reader with an advanced vocabulary and a thirst for knowledge.

I am not a homeschooler. We afterschool. Meaning, when my children come home from public school we play board games, do science experiments, go on educational field trips, sew, garden, read, write letters and do all the academic and life lessons we feel may not be covered to the full extent during the classic school day. 

For us, it’s the best of both worlds. We have friends who send their kids to public schools, private schools, homeschool, and even ones that unschool. No matter what school you have chosen, we hope you are finding it a good fit for your family.

Preparing for school can be exciting.

Yes, starting school is a new and exciting adventure for you and your child.  It’s O.K. to be giddy happy as you see what an amazing person your child is growing up to be and all the possibilities that the world holds for them. Preparing for school brings out new clothes, new backpacks, and new supplies. It’s an exciting new beginning for both you and your child.

We just got back from Target and my 5 year old picked out his own “big boy” backpack to use for the next few years. His little brother (2 1/2 latched on to a Paw Patrol backpack) He put it on and said it was his new back-pack for school.  My heart got so warm seeing them running through the isles all smiles for school and learning.

Share the excitement together.  Smile.  Talk about the new adventures your child will go on.

– I’m looking forward to helping you learn your letters this year.

 -This year will be a great opportunity to make some new friends.  Let’s make sure to plan some park playdates!

– You can draw a triangle, but I bet you will be able to draw even more shapes by the end of the year.

– My favorite class at school was math.  I can’t wait to see what your favorite subjects to learn will be.

Tips for children

• Ask your child what they are excited about.
• Let them select their own water bottle or backpack.
• Have them draw a picture of how they are feeling.
• Make up and sing a silly song:

Back to School Song

by Amanda Boyarshinov

To the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb

Fill your child’s name in for Sarah.

Change the backpack color if needed.

Switch the school supplies for additional verses.

Sarah had a blue backpack, blue backpack, blue backpack.
Sarah had a blue backpack she brought with her to school.
She filled it up with paper and pencils, paper and pencils, paper and pencils.
She filled it up with paper and pencils and took them all to school.

Really LISTEN to what they have to say.  Respond to their excitement. (Maybe even write it down, because that’s the stuff that you really want to remember when they are older, but may forget the exact way they said it. Here is the interview and writing prompts we use every year. )We also like to have a space to feature our children’s school work.  This display hangs up year round and helps us to keep the excitement going. Now would be a great time to set up this area with your child.

Preparing for school can be sad and nerve wracking.

For Parents:

I missed my child SO VERY MUCH the first day she went off to kindergarten. It was the first time we had been away from each other for more than 3 hours. She was the excited one, and I was the one missing her. She’s headed off to 4th grade and I STILL MISS her like crazy every day she is in school. Helicopter parent? Nope, I just love her from the tips of my fingers to the bottom of my toes and look foward to seeing her smiling face when she returns.

Now that my middle child is heading off to kindergarten, I’ve got the worries again.  Will he make friends. Will his teacher be kind and caring? Will she be patient and explain the same thing over and over until he gets it? Will he be happy?

It’s OK to be sad, nervous, and a little scared about what the future brings.

At one of the schools I taught at, the PTA (Parent Teacher Association) organized a Boo Hoo breakfast for all kindergarten parents the first day of school They knew that many would be missing their babies and be feeling a little sad. This breakfast provided opportunities for parents to connect with other families and led to longer friendships throughout the grade school years.

Even if your child’s school doesn’t organize a get together. Reach out to friends and schedule time to get together that first week of school and share your emotions.

Someways I almost worry myself to a stomach ache. Those are the days when I give my child a big hug and call my Mom or a Friend. I don’t tell my child that everything will be ok, because they are not always ok. I always reassure them that I am and will be there to help them navigate through life and that I trust they will make good decisions.

If your child is homeschooling, you may also have worries and fears too. Will my child miss out on school experiences? Will we find a group of families with similar views to share experiences with? How will I organize the year to cover everything we want to touch on? It may be harder to find time within the “school day” to find adult only time, but it’s important. Touch base with other homeschooling parents in these first few weeks of school.

For kids:

Grown-ups have sad feelings about back-to-school time, and so do kids.

They may worry about finding friends, new teachers, or even where to sit at lunch. Some of these worries are big worries and others are small. Make a point to really LISTEN to what they have to say. Respond to their fears or worries in a kid-appropriate way.

Tips for children heading off to school

• Do a routine walk-through the week before school starts.
• Pack a family picture in a backpack.
• Write a love note and put it in their lunch box. Even if they cannot read, they can see a heart or smiley face.
• Explain to them the new schedule, when and where they will be picked up.
• Show them the calendar and mark the day it is right now and when school starts.
• Give them a hug and tell them they can talk to you about anything.
• Read the Kissing Hand.

Preparing for School Activity

When I first started teaching kindergarten, we met with each kindergartner and their family prior to the first day of school. During that time, our team of teachers brought a little snack for the kids. It was a small bag with 26 teddy bear snacks 13 graham flavored and 13 chocolate bears.  We explained that the room was going to be filled with the same amount of children as there were bear snacks. With only one teacher, we talked about how to problem solve, get a teacher’s attention, and make friends.

You can do this activity with your child too.  Take any small snack that has 2 different flavors (Cheddar Bunnies have cheddar and pretzel) and count out the number of children that will be in your child’s class.  One color represents the boys and the other color represents the girls.  Thankfully, due to class size reductions, our early childhood classrooms are at 18! Although most classrooms are not an even 50:50 boy-girl mix, the little bunnies just help children get an idea of what to expect.

Once you have your small group of bears or bunny snacks:

• Count the snacks together.
• Explain that there will be the same about of children in the class as there are bunnies.
• Discuss how all the children (bunnies) would get from place to place. Line the snacks up in a single line. Yes it takes time!  It does in real life too!.
• Talk about how they might get the teachers attention if they needed help. (raising a hand is most commonly used)
• Pretend to have one bunny as another one if they wanted to play.

More Preparing For School Tips from the Early Childhood Education Team:

Back to School Tips for Parents PLUS Visual Morning Chart! by The Preschool Toolbox Blog

Starting Kindergarten-Books and Activities by Capri + 3

Make Back to School Books to Ease the Transition by Fun-A-Day

4 Back to School Tips: Preparing for School by Learning 2 Walk

Preparing for Preschool: Creative Center in a Box by Powerful Mothering

How to Plan for Preschool at Home by Mom Inspired Life

Supporting preschool learning at home by Rainy Day Mum

Setting Literacy Goals by Growing Book by Book

Preparing Busy Boxes for Preschoolers by Munchkins and Moms

Traditional Preschool or Homeschool Preschool or Both? by Still Playing School

Teaching Preschool at Home by Raising Lifelong Learner

Preparing for School Brings Mixed Emotions for both Parents and Children by The Educators’ Spin On It (HERE)

Prepare a Hands-On Preschool at Home by Life Over C’s

You may also find these back to school activities helpful…

ABC Order with Giant Pool Noodle Alphabet Beads.

Learning Objective: Put letters into alphabetical order.

Materials Needed

• ABC Pool Noodle Beads
• Long string.
• Alphabet chart

Click here for directions on how to make the ABC Beads.

How to play Pool Noodle ABC Order

1. Set the basket of pool noodle beads out with the string. Lay the alphabet chart near the basket.

2. Sing the alphabet song with your child. Point to the letters as you sing.

3. Talk about real life instances when you are using alphabetical order to help you complete a task.

• Looking up numbers in a phone book.
• Finding a word in the dictionary.
• Locating books in the library.

4. Search for the letters in alphabetical order.  Add them to the string together.

5. We tied the letter a on as a base so the pool noodle alphabet beads would not slide off.

6. When you finish beading the alphabet. Tie the Z.

7. Sing the alphabet one more time, pointing at the alphabet beads as you sing them.

Click here to watch a video on how to cut the Pool noodles to size for Pool Noodle Games

Pool Noodle Learning Activities for Kids

We have several Pool Noodle Learning Activities that you might also enjoy.

• Build a Word Tower with Pool Noodles 
• Pool Noodle Sight Word Boat Races 
• 15 Pool Noodle Activities for Kids 
• Giant ABC Beads with Pool Noodles (You’re Here)
• Pool Noodle Boat Matching Game 
• Pool Noodle ABC Basket 
• Base Ten Basket with Pool Noodles 
• Pool Noodle Alphabet Order Obstacle Course 

Click on the images below to see how to make and play these pool noodle learning activities! 

Which Pool Noodle Game will you try first?

Disclosure: This post contains amazon affiliate links.

Alphabetical Order Obstacle Course

Learning Objective: Say the alphabet letter names in order.

Materials Needed

• ABC Pool Noodle Beads
• Craft Sticks

Click here for directions on how to make the ABC Beads.

How to Play Alphabetical Order Obstacle Course:

1. Turn the abc pool noodle bead upside down.

2. Shove a craft stick into one side.

3. Place the stick into the ground spaced 3-5 feet apart from each other.

4. Let the kids run around the obstacle course in alphabetical order.

Option 1: (Easiest) Put the alphabet pool noodle beads in the ground in abc order and let the children run through the course and say the letter names out loud.

Option 2: Call out a letter name, have the child run through the obstacle course to that letter then turn around.

Option 3: (most challenging) Set the pool noodle alphabet beads out in a mixed up order. Have the children run the obstacle course from a-z.

Teacher tip: This activity works best in an open area with lots of space. Encourage children to take their time and not bump into the letter beads or each other.

We like to space kids out in the obstacle course every 5 seconds.

Pool Noodle Learning Activities for Kids

We have several Pool Noodle Learning Activities that you might also enjoy.

• Build a Word Tower with Pool Noodles 
• Pool Noodle Sight Word Boat Races 
• 15 Pool Noodle Activities for Kids 
• Giant ABC Beads with Pool Noodles 
• Pool Noodle Boat Matching Game 
• Pool Noodle ABC Basket 
• Base Ten Basket with Pool Noodles 
• Pool Noodle Alphabet Order Obstacle Course (You’re HERE)

Click on the images below to see how to make and play these pool noodle learning activities!

Which Pool Noodle Learning Activity will you try first this summer?

This article contains affiliate links.

A pollinator is an insect that helps to move pollen from the male parts of the flower (anthers) to the female parts (stigma).  This fertilizes the plant and allows for future plants.

Honey bees are responsible for pollinating much of the food we eat.  The pollen adheres to their body and legs and they transfer this pollen to the flowers nearby. They are vital to our food supply. In fact, they pollinate the flowers of:

kiwi, okra, celery, strawberry, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, watermelon, lemon, lime, persimmon, apple, mango and avocado.

A Honey Bee Craft and Science Activity for Kids

Materials Needed:

• Markers
• White Poster Boards
• Flowers (optional)
• Scissor
• Bee Magnet
• Magnetic Wand

How to Make:

1.  Read the book or a few pages of the book “Bees. “ Discuss the role bees play in pollination.
2. Draw a flower garden. Give each child a sample flower to look at, examine, and draw. Talk about the colors, the shapes, and the number of petals on the flower. Each child may make their own poster or work together in small groups for a collaborative project.
3. Demonstrate how to draw a large rectangle for the bee hive and encourage children to add one to their poster. As the children continue to color, cut a small rectangle at the bottom of the hive.
4. When the picture is complete, have the children set the poster on their lap and place the magnetic wand underneath.  
5. Act out the path the worker bees take from flower to flower and then into the hive using the magnetic wand.

Buzzing sounds are optional.

BUZZZZZZZZZZZ……………

You can learn more about bees with this Bee Life Cycle Activity Pack.

Keep the learning going with the Bee Pollination Activity in your child’s playtime!

Connect this craft and science activity with a good honey bee book!

10+ Flower Garden Learning Activities for Kids

Alphabet Activities: Flower Vases by Growing Book by Book
Spring and summer are full of opportunities for preschoolers to pick flowers from the yard. Bring a bouquet inside and have fun arranging them while learning about the alphabet in this fun and playful activity.

Lavender Scented Sensory Paint and Pre-Writing Practice for Preschool! The Preschool Toolbox Blog
There are few things that excite our senses like the fragrance of flowers! Come try a lavender scented sensory paint to enhance pre-writing skills! Free lavender pre-writing printable for use at home (or in the classroom)!

Flower Hunt by Color by Mom Inspired Life
Get outside with your preschooler and explore nature while hunting for flowers by color! Use the included printable to record your findings and then practice various math concepts with your data.

A Honey Bee Craft and Science Activity for Kids from The Educators’ Spin On It
Flowers are not just beautiful, they have a purpose too! Many flowers turn into the food we eat. Honey bees are to thank for this! Grab your markers and celebrate the pollinators with this bee craft and science activity for kids.

Kid-Made Cupcake Liner Flowers
Children love to create art using a variety of materials. Grab some colorful cupcake liners, buttons, and pompoms and watch their creativity bloom!  – Fun-A-Day

Number Flowers by Still Playing School
There is so much playful math involved with our Flower Number Garden! Our kids especially loved the “magical” way we made them “grow!”

Colors and Numbers Flower Sensory Play for Preschoolersby Life Over C’sLearn colors, count, and practice fine motor skills with flower sensory play for preschoolers! 

Ending Word Sound Flowers by Capri + 3

Make an easy word family game with paper flowers to practice reading simple CVC or consonant- vowel – consonant words.Finger Print Flowersby Powerful Mothering. Ask your child to make a beautiful flower garden with their fingers, sit back, and watch the magic.

Letter Recognition Flowers by Rainy Day Mum
Work with preschoolers on letter recognition with this reusable flowers activity that is simple to make and can be used again and again.

If you are interested in reading more about pollinators, the United States Government just released the  National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators. The overarching goals of this publication and task force is to:

• Decrease honey bee loss
• Increase monarch butterfly populations
• Restore and enhance pollinator habitat acreage.

You may also enjoy these activities with your child…

My kids love building and reading. In fact, much of our days are spent doing both! I am a strong believer that children need opportunities to PLAY and interact with literature in a positive and meaningful way.

Disclosure: This post contains amazon affliate links.

Building Reading Comprehension Skills

Storytelling helps boost reading comprehension and we know that reading comprehension is VERY important to our little learners. Retelling gives children a chance to tell the story again in their own words.

It is, in essence, a summary of the most important parts.  

This activity not only gives them repeated exposure to vocabulary, but a chance to interact with the text in another way – BUILDING!

Read and Build was created for my 4 year old as a way to keep him excited and motivated about reading! Although the activity was designed to be used for ages 3-5, but can be adapted for younger and older if needed!

LEGO inspired Story Retelling: Read and Build

The read and build concept works well with ANY book! The activity is just that; read and build

Read the story with your child.

Then, build scenes of the book with your building LEGO DUPLO bricks. We used a larger platform piece as our “stage” or paper.  Encourage your child to “tell” the story in their own words as they build the scenes.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Eric Carle

I chose to feature Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar because it is a great book for preschoolers, is repetitious, sneaks in a little math, and most of us have this book in our closet – so that you too could snuggle in with your child to do this activity without any trip to the library or bookstore!

Caterpillar to Butterfly Science Activity with Balloons

Don’t forget to head over to the LEGO Week series page to check out all of the other great posts using LEGO bricks from our blogging friends this week.

PSST….

Don’t forget to grab this fun butterfly alphabet matching game for your butterfly adventures!

Buying LEGO Duplos:

When purchasing your LEGO Duplo Bricks, all you really need is a large container of bricks. We have found just one 31 piece set is not enough bricks for one child to build with (and I have three!)

We bought a large set and 2 extra boxes to extend the play. Most Duplo’s are recommended for children ages 1 1/2 – 5. To keep costs low, watch for them at garage sales, thrift stores, and even your local for-sale-or-trade groups. We were able to double are collection at a fraction of the cost.

For more LEGO ideas here at The Educators’ Spin On It, we recommend:

• Preschool Writing with LEGO Inspired Journal
• Preschool Reading Activities
• LEGO inspired Garden Math

Beginning reading and math skills are a big part of our daily playful preschool activities. In fact, we often start by playing and end up learning and discussing.

LEGO Garden Preschool Math with Flowers

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.

Just this morning we brought the giant bucket of LEGO bricks outside and dumped them out on the deck. My one-year-old proceeded to kick every last LEGO onto opposite sides of the deck, and so we had ourselves and the entire LEGO deck.

The spread of almost 3 combined containers of DUPLO bricks over the entire deck didn’t bother my 4 year old. (It bothered me a wee bit, but I took a deep breath, sipped my coffee, and moved on with life. A mess of LEGO bricks is small potatoes in the scheme of life)

He got to work right away making a picnic table for our DUPLO people.  While he worked, I got my 1 year old to kick the LEGO bricks back towards the center into a contained pile (if you can envision this activity!) I drank my coffee and yes, checked my facebook on the I-Pad.  

The boys played for almost an entire hour, building towers and a restaurant (4 year old) and kicking and taking the towers apart (1 year old).

Learning Prompts:

After they were starting to look played out. I asked them:

Can you make pattern tower?

Can you make your tower higher than mine? (let’s let little brother knock them down!)

Can we make a tower with 5 bricks?

How about a tower with 7 bricks? (ooh, we can do it! Yes, it is ok if little brother takes them apart!)

Now what about a LEGO garden?

WHAT?

Yes, a LEGO garden. Let me show you!

Number Recognition and Number Sense:

I showed him the numbers written down on little yellow circles.
We put them in numerical order first.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

Then we talked about what that number meant and counted up to the chosen numbers with our fingers.

And then, I asked my preschooler to choose a number and put it on the yellow, square LEGO. That was going to be our special number for the activity. His job was to put the same number of LEGO bricks around the center that the number said.

Literacy Extension:

To add a literacy component to this LEGO Garden Preschool Math activity, just write the words:

My flower has ___ petals.

on the top on your paper and have your preschooler fill in the number.

Connecting reading, writing, math, and engineering all into an awesome morning preschool lesson that includes a happy Momma who got to drink her coffee and check her Facebook on the deck!

Buying LEGO Duplos:

When purchasing your LEGO Duplo Bricks, all you really need is a large container of bricks. We have found just one 31 piece set is not enough bricks for one child to build with (and I have three!)  We bought a large set and 2 extra boxes to extend the play. Most Duplo’s are recommended for children ages 1 1/2 – 5. To keep costs low, watch for them at garage sales, thrift stores, and even your local for-sale-or-trade groups.  We were able to double are collection at a fraction of the cost.

For more LEGO inspired learning activities here at the Educators’ Spin On It, we recommend:

Preschool Writing with LEGO Inspired Journal

I remember reading in college about a research project where children were given different flavored jolly ranchers while doing homework and practicing for upcoming subject area tests.

The children who had a consistent flavor candy during spelling practice were then given the same flavor to suck on during the test. The results showed that those with the same sensory activation outperformed the group with no candy and with different flavored candy.

Of course, the study was small and I, for the life of me cannot find the research to share with you (I must admit it “may” have been a few years since I was in undergrad) but the information stayed with me throughout my classroom teaching years and as I became a mom.

Your senses matter.

They can have a powerful effect on your play and learning.

This activity is from Super Sensory Invitations to Play ebook – by Nurture Store BUY TODAY!

Knowing this, I try my hardest to be aware of children’s preferences. My oldest wants to taste things and has wild taste buds. She will eat everything from raw onions to cooked oysters.

My middle likes things LOUD. In fact, sometimes I wish he came with a volume button. He likes to bang drums and sing at the top of his lungs. With him, I change my voice to a whisper to get his attention. 

My little one… well, he’s a toddler and into E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. Sometimes it drives me batty, but he wants to feel and touch everything from the pancake batter (yes, he stuck his whole hand in it this morning) to laying on the tile floor soaking in the coolness on a summer day.

Calming Lavender Play-dough

Lavender Play-dough! It had just happened that we had a bundle of freshly dried lavender from our garden that we were trying to decide what to do. We have a small backyard garden and I love the smell of lavender, so tried planting some this year as part of our sensory garden.

When the flowers were mid-bloom – meaning they had already started flowering but were not at the very end, the kids snipped the flowers off with parts of the stem intact. My two year old ADORES cutting my flowers, which means we have lots of fresh bouquets and not a lot of blooms outside.

They gathered them in a small bundle and brought them indoors to dry.  A dry, dark place is the best for keeping the color.  We clothes-pinned them upside down and waited.

After a week, the flowers showed no signs of moisture, so we took them down and stripped the flowers off the stems.  (The house smelled SO good!)

You could put the dried flowers into a sealed container for use in a sensory project, or add them to a sachet for your closet.

Thankfully, I had all the ingredients for playdough too. And so, whipped up a batch, added some coloring in, and handed it to the kids. They sprinkled the lavender on top and kneaded it in.

The whole process was a delightful sensory experience. My 8 year old complained it wasn’t “strong” enough for her – so we added some lavender essential oil to her section too. 

I can imagine it will be fun to explore making this dandelion playdough next!

The children have now brought out the playdough every night before bed and have build lavender men (with the gingerbread cookie cutters), flowers out of playdough and my favorite – HEARTS!

My daughter made one for me and said she loved playing with the lavender playdough after dinner because it helped her calm down and get ready for bed.

*** Note- Not all kids can tolerate the lavender smell or essential oils

*** You could always switch it out for another herb as well.

Ready to make some lavender playdough?

Gardens are a great way to integrate social and academic learning into practical life, and everyday activity. There is so much potential in a garden classroom.

Affiliate Links included in this post.

Guest Post: Dayna is here as a guest writer to showcase some of these school garden learning activities and advice for starting up and maintaining a school garden. She is an enthusiastic, hands-on parent who shares her natural living, homeschooling and sensory play ideas at Lemon Lime Adventures.

School Garden Learning Activities

I am so excited to be part of the Gardening Team for Kids in the Garden at The Educator’s Spin On It. As an early childhood educator for 12 years, I have always loved gardening with children. It is one of my favorite parts of the year. A few years ago, I had the pleasure of creating a Preschool Garden with my co-teacher at our urban public school. It was one of the most rewarding experiences I had in all my 12 years of teaching and I hope to encourage you to try starting a preschool garden with these 10 tips.

Tip One: Build Children’s Background Knowledge

• Read nature books
• Go on nature walks
• Do seed explorations
• Sort flowers by colors

Tip Two: Plan the Garden with the Children

• Use graphs and picture charts to chart ideas for the garden (Favorite flowers, Favorite colors, Favorite vegetables, etc)
• Have children create lists of materials needed
• Encourage drawings and labels of what the children want the garden to look like

Tip Three: Involve the Parents and Community

• Have children make posters and letters asking for help
• Create a sign-up for jobs parents/community members can help with
• Ask for donations of plants, materials, tools to borrow, and even snacks

Tip Four: Prepare Your Materials Ahead of Time

• Borrow and collect as many tools as you can get
• Kid-sized gloves, shovels, rakes, and watering cans
• Weed and clean out your space ahead of time
• Have snacks and water prepared for the children and volunteers

Tip Five: Take Children on a Field Trip to Purchase the Plants (if possible)

• Let children pick their favorite colors
• Gather a variety of seeds
• Plan to plant a variety of sensory plants
• Wagons are extremely helpful for gathering materials.

Tip Six: Involve the children

• Allow the children to do the “jobs”
• Have enough materials to keep everyone busy
• Make sure you have “activities” for those that aren’t interested in planting

Tip Seven: Allow time for Explorations

• Highlight when worms are found
• Discuss the different bugs
• Let children explore the tools in open dirt

Tip Eight: Remember Not All Children Will “Plant”

• Gardening can be great for sensory input
• Some children might just enjoy digging
• Deep holes can be great for sensory needs

Tip Nine: Plan for the Future Care

• Make sure school staff is on board and willing to help on the weekends
• Create a schedule/sign-up for community and parent volunteers to help water and weed
• Plan extension lessons in the garden (journaling, measuring, science observations, etc)
• Remember it will take some time before your garden is full and lush.

Tip Ten: Have Fun!

I can’t stress enough how much fun a Preschool Garden can be. It can provide you and your preschoolers with so much fun while learning at the same time. From outside reading time to science experiments… The possibilities are endless!

Free School Garden Printables

Don’t forget to visit Lemon Lime Adventures for her FREE garden printables.

Want More Gardening Learning Fun?

Sensory Benefits of Gardening with Kids
Wiggly Worms: A Garden Science Activity
Checklists and Printables for Gardening with Kids

Dayna is a National Board Certified teacher with over 12 years of experience in the primary classroom. She writes at Lemon Lime Adventures, where she writes about the trials and errors of their life, life living as a blended family, and dealing with a son with Sensory Processing Disorder.

You can find Dayna rockin’ it over on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

For more gardening articles here at the Educators’ Spin On It, we recommend;

Join us for Kids in the Garden; Learning and Growing

Try these activities with children as you examine the life cycle of a praying mantis in your home or classroom.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links

Life Cycle of a Praying Mantis for Kids

Observe the Life Cycle of a Praying Mantis:

My child is fascinated with the life cycle of a butterfly. We have raised many over the years and he is confident in teaching others about their metamorphosis.

When I found out you can raise and release these helpful garden friends, I knew we had our next science project!

We have the Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden and have had an amazing experience with them.  If you purchase the butterfly garden, it comes with a coupon card for caterpillars. You need to redeem the card online and pay additional shipping the caterpillars to be shipped.  

The replacement Insect Lore Live Butterfly Culture are available on Amazon Prime too.

Where to Purchase Praying Mantis:

We purchased a praying mantis egg case with hatching habitat at our local garden center.  They have it for purchase on Amazon as well.

Friends of ours have purchased the Insect Lore Live Praying Mantis Egg Case and said their praying mantis never hatched. Insect Lore was able to send them a replacement kit to try again this summer.  

We are currently in week 2 of waiting for our nymphs to hatch.

Praying Mantis Egg Cases – 4 Extra Large Cases

Praying Mantis Egg Case With Hatching Habitat

Tips for Raising and Viewing the Life Cycle of a Praying Mantis

Warm weather is needed for hatching.

Do not keep inside an air-conditioned building.

Many nymphs will not survive more than a few hours.

Life Cycle of a Praying Mantis Technology Connection:

This video shows the transformation from the egg – nymph – adult.

Make a Praying Mantis Life Cycle Science Center

Ordering Life Cycle Stages: 

The praying mantis egg sacs must be handled with utmost care.  Although my children are tender handed, kind hearted children, we just used our visual observation skills to examine the praying mantis egg sacs.

This Praying Mantis Life Cycle Stages would be the perfect addition to a science center in your home or classroom.  Include a set of note cards with the stages on a table and encourage readers to match the pictures to the words and put them in order.

Draw and Label Body Parts

A larger than life Praying Mantis can be added to the life cycle science center. This can be used for children to trace onto a piece of paper and label the parts; head, abdomen, thorax. Encourage children to use inventive spelling or provide a teacher drawn sample. A Praying Mantis Finger Puppet with be fun too!

Sort and Compare:

Print pictures of different insects and arachnids or purchase a set of plastic Insects & Arachnids Bugs.  Set them in a small basket.  

Have the children compare and sort the collection in different ways such as by color or number of legs.

Science vocabulary word wall:

Teach the children the “fancy” words for what is happening.  Kids LOVE to learn new words about the world around them.  YES, these words are hard, but I do not expect my preschooler to remember them.  

We talk about them and write them down so that children have exposure to rich language.

Photo Credit: Rainy Day Mum

Incomplete metamorphosis: the change from egg to nymph to adult – no pupa stage during development.

Egg Case: 2-3 inch case holding up to 400 mantis eggs.

Nymph: Baby praying mantis that resembles the adult.

Exoskeleton: The outer layer on the praying mantis body.

Molt: The process of getting rid of the exoskeleton. A mantis can molt up to 10 times as it grows to it’s full size.

Literacy Connections for Life Cycle of a Praying Mantis.

Display Fiction and Non-Fiction Books about Praying Mantis:

I was extremely surprised to see how many books actually do exist about praying mantis insects.  If possible, I would set out a fiction and or non-fiction book in the book nook or science center.

Check your library to see if any of these books are available or consider purchasing one. If your classroom will be hatching praying mantis every year, consider getting a set and sharing with the grade level.

Add a Related Puppet or Toy 

We always like to have something interactive with our thematic reading units and like to include a toy or puppet for kids to practice story re-tellings and to help them create their own oral stories. This Praying Mantis Finger Puppet is cute.  

No budget for anymore toys?  Print a picture and tape it to a craft stick.  Same idea – lower cost.

DIY Kid-Made Book

Have the children draw a picture of a praying mantis.  Encourage them to write a sentence about what the praying mantis can do.  Collect the children’s drawings and staple them together to make a book.

Example: A praying mantis can eat.

Children’s Books About Praying Mantis

More Activities for Explore Life Cycles with Kids from the #PLAYfulPreschool Education Team

Butterfly Life Cycle Activities for Kids

Butterfly Life Cycle Story Board by Growing Book by Book
Life Cycle of the Butterfly in Art by Powerful Mothering
Playdough Butterfly Life Cycle by Learning 2 Walk
Butterfly Life Cycle Craft Necklace by Fun-A-Day

Ladybug Life Cycle Activities for Kids

Ladybug Life Cycle Song by Capri +3
Ladybug Life Cycle Activities and Sensory Play by Natural Beach Living

Frog Life Cycle Activities for Kids

Life Cycle of a Frog Sensory Bin by Mom Inspired Life
Fine-Motor Frog Life Cycle Craft by Live Over C’s
Frog Life Cycle Craft by Still Playing School

Mealworms Life Cycle Activities for Kids

Studying Mealworms with Kids by Raising Lifelong Learners

Sea Turtle Life Cycle Activities for Kids

Sea Turtle Life Cycle – Ordering by Rainy Day Mum

Praying Mantis Life Cycle Activities for Kids

Raise a Praying Mantis | Activities for Kids to Explore Life Cycles by The Educators’ Spin On It

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