Welcome to Paula's Primary Classroom! This blog is where I share ideas for teaching and learning with families, friends and other early childhood educators. Please don't use the photos or text of this blog without permission, but please do use any ideas you find useful. Thank you for stopping by!

Saturday, April 28, 2018

End of the school year stress got you crazy? Breathe...

I'm a pretty driven person.  I'm always juggling all the parts of my life, and if anything is going to get the short end of the stick, it's relaxation time - I mean, who has time for that? 

This week my son and daughter in law have been visiting, which has made me slow down, take lots of family time, and relax.  We saw this view on a lovely drive this week, and it's a beautiful reminder that no matter how hectic things can get, when I take the time to just breathe, I'm a happier, stronger, better person for it. 
End of the school year stress got you crazy?  Breathe...  from Paula's Preschool and Kindergarten

Sunday, April 15, 2018

11 FREE simple ways to learn in the natural world

With Earth Day fast approaching, and spring drawing us outdoors, this seems the perfect time to celebrate the natural world around us.  Here are a few of my favorite ways to celebrate all that nature has to offer.
11 FREE, simple ways to learn in the natural world, from Paula's Preschool and Kindergarten

1.  Stomp in puddles.


2.  No puddles?  Play with iceOr mud.

3.  Collect leaves and sort them by size, shape, color, or...?

4.  Collect natural materials outside, and use them to make mandalas.

5.  Sort natural items into things that are seeds, and things that are not.  You might find some surprises!

6.  Create temporary art.

7.  Make a tic tac toe board with sticks, and use rocks & leaves as playing pieces. Find sticks that look like letters.

8.  Lay in the grass and look at clouds.

9.  Look closely at the world around you.  Take a magnifying glass and a notebook, and see what you can observe about the critters and world around you.




10.  Play in the dirt.   Plant things.  Watch them grow.

11.  Take your inside learning outdoors.  Read books under a tree, practice patterns on the playground (up/down, left/right),


count everything,

look for shapes,


play I Spy, write your spelling words in chalk, or paint them with water on the sidewalk, practice numbers with hopscotch.
 Most importantly, think outside the box that is your classroom, put your neck out, and explore. 
Wishing you a glorious time outside!
xo Paula

Friday, April 6, 2018

$100 Gift Card Giveaway!

It's that time again - I'm participating in an awesome $100 TeachersPayTeachers gift card giveaway!  I don't know about you, but my shopping cart has 3 things in it right now, and my wish list is so long it's almost embarrassing - 95 things!  How fun would it be to just go splurge and get lots of those amazing resources right away?!  One lucky winner will get to do just that - enter our giveaway and it might just be you!


GIVEAWAY DETAILS:  
Prize: $100 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card
Giveaway Organized by: Kelly Malloy (An Apple for the Teacher)

 

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter to enter.  Giveaway ends 4/13/18 and is open worldwide.
Are you a Teacher Blogger or Teachers pay Teachers seller who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your store and social media?  Click here to find out how you can join our totally awesome group of bloggers! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway