Playroom Learning

The Random Toy Collection

Doesn’t it seem like toys come out of the woodworks to find their way into your playroom and toy chests?

I am assuming every household has an assigned place for random toys, or maybe you make frequent trips to your local donation drop-off.

But, I have found that there are definitely uses for your toy bin (full of happy meal toys, childhood toys, birthday presents, and more.)

Here are a few ideas….all sorting activities:

(Remind yourself that I am NOT a photographer and I am NOT fancy)

1 . Write down the beginning letters that the majority of the items in the box start with on project paper or a sketch pad. Before you ask your little one to help you sort the beginning sounds TALK about the items and name each one first. For example, “here’s a /d/ /d/ duck and a /s/ /s/ swing, what is this (picking up a new item)?” Then, TALK about each letter: “This is the letter “S” it stands for the /s/ sound….are there any toys in our bin that start with that sound?”

2. Write as many color names as you want on a sheet of paper and name each color or ask your little one to help you sound out the color names that are listed. Then ask your little one to sort/group the items by their color. Ask questions about the “data” afterwards: “How many orange toys are there? How many more red toys than yellow?”

3. Write one digit numbers and their number word in a clear and organized chart. Ask your little one to find something (a person, a car, an animal) that has more than one of it’s kind in the toy bin. Give an example first like “There are only 2 cars in this toy bin so I will take them out and place them in my “two” square to show that there are two of the same kind of toy in my bin. Can you find something else in our toy bin that has a match that would make a pair?”

4. Write down size words in an organized chart, choosing whichever words you want to focus on such as “big/little,” “small/medium/large,” “tall/short,” etc. Then 1) demonstrate an example, 2) have your little one “help you” find another example, and 3) have your little one come up with an example on their own.

Have fun creating your own sorting charts and ALWAYS feel free to share photos of your mommy teacher “style” of doing things with The Mommy Teacher Fan Page 🙂

September 16, 2011 by Jessica | 0 comments

Old Fashioned Card Games

Simplicity is my middle name so expect nothing less from today’s activity…QUALITY simplicity. You will learn nothing new and inventive, but I will refresh your daily agenda with something I am hoping you will incorporate in today’s time with your little one.

Last time my friend Casey stopped by with her precious little boys we had some adult talk time and then she spent some time on the floor with James playing cards. I love this about Casey….she is so intentional.

I saw the wheels’ turning as James was recognizing the numbers on the
cards, problem solving, and strategizing.

So, today or tonight, play “Go Fish” with store bought or hand-made cards, and incorporate good old fashioned family time into your night. You can substitue any skill set based on what cards you choose (colors, shapes, alphabet, numbers, etc.) Click Here for a description of 5 super traditional card games I found at about.com

This activity provides great opportunities for social development to teach your little one how to be a good sport, to encourage other players, and to be a positive player who does not have self pity in poor luck.

August 2, 2011 by Jessica | 0 comments

Make a Phone Book

Alright, I know not many of us use hard copies of phone books anymore. Most of us use google, online white pages, etc. to find what we need. But, one element I LOVED in a classroom dramatic play center that would be GREAT in your home playroom is to put a homemade phone book by an old phone and allow your little one to role play calling their special friends.

Kids LOVE to roll play and this little activity gives them number recognition practice, familiarity with names starting with different letters of the alphabet, and research skills because they have to “look up” the names to call the characters.

My suggestion for how to make the phone book is to go online and find printable coloring pages of your children’s favorite TV or movie characters like Woody from Toy Story, or Dora the Explorer, etc. (try to find coloring pages WITH the character’s names on them), print them, and write made-up numbers on each page. Allow your child to color the pages and then place them in ABC order (you can even buy the alphabet dividers and make a binder of character’s numbers if you really want to be fancy). Another more simple option is to find an old coloring book and write the names and “numbers” of the characters and use that as a phone book.
Either way, jazz up the idea to your kids and get them excited about calling all their favorite “friends.”
Here is one example from PBS kids COLORING Pages:

After you print it you would add the number (I saved it as a screenshot, opened it in Paint, and added the text number just to show you what it might look like)

May 3, 2011 by Jessica | 1 Comment

Alphabet Art Prints GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!

I am back in business because FINALLY, after two weeks, I have a working computer…thanks to a friend named David who helped us fix our problem. So because I am so happy about having my computer back I am doing a GIVEAWAY.

My awesome friend Lauren with Lauren Haddox Designs painted this picture for her little boy’s nursery:

I loved it so much that I took a picture of each letter, and edited it to make a set for my playroom. I am going to back them to coordinating colored cardstock and hang them from a line using clothespins. They are so stinkin cute that I had to make a set, with Lauren’s approval, for my Mommy Teachers too.

Maybe you dont want them for your playroom; maybe you want to use them as “flashcards” or make a “picture book” out of them! But however you plan to use them, here’s how to ENTER:

You can have UP to FOUR entries:

1. “like” Lauren Haddox Design Facebook Page

2. “like” The Mommy Teacher Facebook Page

3. “share” either one of our pages and let me know you did (either in your comment or on facebook)

4. “comment” on this post by telling me how you are going to use the prints!

The giveaway ends at Midnight on Cinco de Mayo and I will announce the winner on Friday, May 6th! Good luck!

April 30, 2011 by Jessica | 35 Comments

A Penny For My Thoughts

My computer has had a virus for a week and a half and you would swear I am lost in my own home. We have got to get it fixed…even if it costs us. Speaking of costing us…. today we are gonna talk about MONEY, HONEY.

When I taught kindergarten one of the grade level expectations is that children can identify coins and their values. But coins can be difficult to teach unless you teach them ONE coin at a time. Kids always seem to recognize a quarter because they need quarters to buy candy haha, but the other coins all blend together in their minds. So, when I teach coins I will spend a week or more on each individual coin so that the children can really store and organize the information in their minds.

So, go on a penny hunt today and collect as many as you can and put them in a coin purse or a wallet. Then write various numbers with the cent sign on post-its and place them on toys in your child’s room or playroom. First, teach your little one about the penny. The penny is made of copper and it is worth one cent. President Lincoln is on the front and the Lincoln memorial is on the back (you can just say “a building.” In small handwriting you can read the words “one cent.” “When we use pennies we count by ones….let’s count some together.”

Explain to your little one that you put a pretend price on the toys in the playroom so lets go shopping. Tell them that you work in the store so if they want to buy anything they need to count out the right number of coins and pay you in exchange for the toy.

If your little one has already had plenty of practice with the penny, teach him/her about nickels and how to count them by fives, writing all of your value amounts on the post-its in multiples of fives.

April 25, 2011 by Jessica | 0 comments