Fairies & Flowers Sensory Bin

I am a big fan of taking toys we already have and creating learning experiences from them. I love to expand on the natural interests of my young kids and use those interests to make early learning more fun and engaging.  Ladybug’s love of her fairies is my latest example of this.  She is working through her Fairy Printable Pack right now and also enjoying a Fairies & Flowers Sensory Bin!

Fairy Sensory Bin -1459

She got a fairy set  {it was a big set from Target, I can’t find a link to the one we got} for Christmas so I used them as my fairies, but I also saw these online that are cute too! I looked through our sensory bin small item collections and decided to add mini foam flowers, shiny rocks, mini butterfly erasers and heart/star/flower links {those are from Dollar Tree}.

Fairy Sensory Bin -1465

 

On a special theme week, I allow all of the toys within that theme in the schoolroom also, as a special treat.  You can see her fairy house {we got ours at Toys R Us for $30 on sale at Christmas time} and was a part of our play time too.

Fairy Sensory Bin -1479

 

Lots of simple learning happens with our sensory bins, below you can see we made colored beds for the fairies.  We sorted, counted, made patterns and enjoyed imaginative play together!

Fairy Sensory Bin -1495

Fairy Sensory Bin -1481 Fairy Sensory Bin -1482

 

Krash is almost 7 and still LOVES our bins.  He always finds a way to enjoy them, even if they are a bit “girly” he could care less!  Below you can see his rock pond, complete with flower lily pads for the frogs to jump around on.

Fairy Sensory Bin -1489

Fairy Sensory Bin -1492


Looking for more Fairy fun? 

If you haven’t read the Montessori Minute post about sensory play, be sure to read that to see why these bins are so wonderful for kids! See a Behind the Scenes look at Sensory Bin play with videos here!

Use this button to jump to all of my Sensory Bin posts anytimeimage_thumb1

Fairy Printable Pack

fairy printables

When I saw this adorable spring fairy clipart, I just knew we had to have a FAIRY week when we did letter F!  I got busy quickly since we were on letter D when I found it!  We are actually having our fairy week right now!

I hope many other fairy fans enjoy this free printable pack also!

Spring Fairies Printable Pack

Download the Spring Fairy Printables Here!


I also added a full size easy reader to the Easy Reader collection, you can find it here!

Where is the Fairy


Looking for more theme based printables, see this post!

Printable-Theme-Packs

Rainbow Tot Pack

Rainbow Tot Pack Button

Ladybug LOVES the song Somewhere Over the Rainbow.  My mom began singing it to her a long time ago and it has been a nightly song for her ever since.  She can even sing the entire things herself-she mixes up the verses, it’s so cute!  In honor of spring and her love of this song, I created a “Somewhere over the RAINBOW Tot Pack” for her!

Rainbow Tot Pack

I chose skills based on where she is at, so some of you may be able to use this with your younger or older children, but it is geared towards tots…ages 2-4.

We are using this as our theme this week, so you will see it in action soon in our Tot School post!

You can download the Rainbow Tot Pack for free on my website!



Looking for more Tot Packs, Preschool Packs, or Kindergarten Packs?

Totbookbutton150   Preschool Packs   Kindergarten Printables 

You can also now use my navigational menu up at the top of the blog.  Find direct links to all Tot Packs, Preschool Packs, and Kindergarten Packs we have! Hover over the age group, then let the menu drop down, and then out to the right again!

Pretty Bugs & Creatures Preschool Pack ~ Free Printables

I had fun making this preschool pack using the adorable girly bugs and flowers from Stockberry Studio. I had to rename it because a snail is included!  I know a snail is not a bug, but he was cute so I didn’t want to leave him out!  So I changed the name to honor his inclusion. 

Here’s a glimpse of what is included {all free} in this Pretty Bugs & Creatures Preschool Pack

Bugs

 

Focus Skills

  • Letter Bb
  • Find the Difference
  • Graphing
  • Patterning
  • Sorting
  • Colors
  • Positional Words
  • Shapes
  • Counting 1-20
  • Upper/Lower Case ABCs
  • Song
  • Bible Verse
  • Labeling
  • Tracing

You can download the entire

Pretty Bugs & Creatures Preschool Pack here on my website for FREE!

Enjoy!

 

See more Preschool Packs and Tot Books/Packs here…

Preschool-Packs522  Totbookbutton150522

PS-this pack was shared on my Facebook page last week, be sure to “like” me if you want access to these before the blog posts come out!!!  I often share notices about what is new on my FB page first!

 

I have the following Preschool Packs officially in the works…

  Ballerina-Pack_thumb1_thumb Cats-Preschool-Pack_thumb1 Under-the-Sea-Preschool-Girly-Pack_t 

Jolanthe has these in the works…

Peter_Pan_Preschol_Pack_Button_thumb Bugs-Preschool-Pack_thumb1_thumb Dogs Preschool Pack copy Star Wars Preschool Pack copy

Tot School ~ Spring Fun…Kites!

~Krash is currently 46 months old~

Learning Toys

We did ALL of his ladybug ABCs together, but it was way more fun to drive cars on the bug-road!IMG_2419

Stacker Pegs…always a BIG HIT {with both boys}… IMG_2440

He learned to put them on his fingers! {Visit my Play with Me post on Totally Tots for more play ideas with this awesome toy!}IMG_2444

K continues to LOVE these puzzles. By far his favorite puzzles. He has these and the dino set and asks for them a lot!IMG_2771

Remember these? Yup, we still love them. Krash can build them all by himself now…IMG_2827but his favorite thing to do is this… IMG_2828

Theme

We began our SPRING FUN this week {thankfully the SUN cooperated}, we enjoyed tons of KITE activities! You can find all of the files for these activities here on my Spring Fun webpage and also from Erica’s K is for Kite post!

He matched the kites…IMG_2343

Traced the lines {and amazed me with his ability to focus on this}! IMG_2346His control while tracing is unreal to me {since Pac Man was TOTALLY different}. IMG_2363

He dot painted his K is for Kite… IMG_2381

He counted 1-10 with me, putting his kites all in order {with help}…IMG_2560Then I had him practice 1:1 counting by moving each number over as he said it, to make sure he didn’t go too fast or skip any!IMG_2568

On another day we used erasers to match to the numbers 1-5…IMG_2804

We played the Build a Kite game… {I love these games for the number ID practice he gets}IMG_2597

He cut out all of his triangles and put his colored kite together… IMG_2796 IMG_2800

He read his Spring mini book a few times {Pac enjoys helping}…IMG_2554

He worked on his Spring ABC file folder several times. I gave him just a handful of letters to do each time so he wouldn’t get overwhelmed.IMG_2576

 

Post SubTitles ABC

We read the Gingerbread Baby and made F is for Fox!

IMG_2812 Some of you have asked if our letter matches up with our theme. NO it does not. I don’t worry about everything matching ;-) . We do lots of stuff within a theme and lots of random stuff. Young kiddos don’t care nearly as much as we moms do about things all going together!

Techy TotMy iPod has been a sought after item this week for both boys. It’s funny how some weeks they barely ask for it, and some they are both fighting over it! Krash has especially enjoyed his different apps this week. IMG_2748I got him a new one in honor of the Dr. Seuss sale! We have enjoyed reading through the book together with this app and he has played with it alone too! Adorable and only 99 cents right now! Find this app and more on our website!

mzl.cbomvznq

Rock Star Tot

Each morning during our calendar time, we practice our old verses. I always LOVE hearing Krash recite {sing} his verses from memory-it is so encouraging to me! IMG_2789

 

Tiny Tot School

Ladybug explored SPOOLS this week! I had a few plastic spools and some wooden ones my mom had saved for me. Again, such a simple object {and free}, but filled with opportunities to explore for a Tiny Tot! I love seeing her dig things out of the basket! IMG_2727She really liked seeing how many she could fit in her chubby little hands!IMG_2734

I added a clear empty container {parmesan cheese} and put them all inside, she had fun dumping them out, although she still just preferred to bang them together and hold lots in one hand!IMG_2778

Little bug is learning to get around much better now! I find her like this a lot now, just trying to get the courage up to drop and scoot!IMG_2745We had a little Tot School in the sun for a few days when God blessed us greatly!!!!!IMG_2663 Nothing better than the sun and big brothers who adore you, right? ;-) This princess has it made.IMG_2677IMG_2470Ladybug loves turning pages in books and will sit by herself and do this for a really long time! {yes, I know I am blessed-neither of the boys did this often or for nearly as long}. IMG_2481

 

Life School

The sun made for some awesome deck fun this past week. It is raining now {POURING actually} as I write this, so these pictures make me smile and long for the sun to return this week!

Krash practiced using a fan to cool himself from severe heat stroke {you know in the 58 degree weather}.

IMG_2507 Krash dresses himself most days now;-)IMG_2499

 

Moms Favorite

This boy just makes me smile. I simply adore him. Those brown eyes, that silly grin, those chubby cheeks. IMG_2397

Those are my feet, tickling him. I love remembering his contagious laugh.IMG_2409

 

This Weeks Tools