Books We Read
One of my favorite activities to do with the children is read to them.  I have books that correlate with each of my themes for the year.  I pick books up about anywhere:  book sales, library, thrift stores, garage sales, Barnes & Noble, etc.  I put labels with my name on all my books, so if I lend any out, people know where to return them.  I always tell the children who the author is and who illustrated the book.  We discuss what the author does and what the illustrator does.  I ask them questions regarding what they think might happen next as I read the book. 
A is for Apple and Beginning of the Year Books:
Read It, Don't Eat It! (a great book about book handling).  Ian Schoenherr
Welcome Fall:  Leaves.  Marilyn Easton
The Night Before Preschool.  Natasha Wing
Johnny Appleseed. Steven Kellogg
The Kissing Hand.  This comes with Kissing Hand stickers. Audrey Penn
Huggapotamus.  (teaches children to give loving, gentle hugs and not to be too rough). Steve Metzger
Teddy Time.  This is a book the children picked from the shelf and asked me to read.  They love it because they can move the hands of the clock when the story tells them to move it. 
B is for Bugs
Insect Homes.  Lydia Carlin
Ladybugs.  Mia Posada
Bugs and Spiders.  Barbara Taylor
It's Time to Call 911.  This is another book the children asked me to read to them.  This book has a phone built into it, and the children love pushing the 911 buttons.
C is for Cats
Love Splat.  Rob Scotton
Pete the Cat; I Love My White Shoes.  Eric Litwin.  Every year I read this book, the kids absolutely love it!  You can find lots of activities centered around this book online to use with the kids.
Fat Cat.  Sue Graves. 
D is for Dinosaurs
Dinosaur Roar!  Paul & Henrietta Stickland
Dinosaurs Don't, Dinosaurs Do.  (about manners).  Steve Bjorkman
E is for Eggs

F is for Friends and Feelings

G is for Mother Goose


H is for Hats Off to Community Helpers

I is for Instruments
Library Books
Just How Long Can a String Be.  Keith Baker
The Show-and-Tell Lion.  Barbara Abercrombie
Snowmen All Year.  Caralyn Buehner
On a Beam of Light; Story of Albert Einstein.  Jennifer Berne.
 

Activity Pictures

Before posting any pictures of children on this site, I did get written permission from parents--very important!

 Apple Mouth:  Sliced apple pieces for lips, mini marshmallows for teeth, peanut butter to "glue" it all together!  Healthy snack!  However, the kids enjoyed making these, but then they did not want to eat them.  Oh well, more for teacher to eat!

 Proud of her Apple Mouth!

 Rounded spreaders (I don't know the technical term) work well with small hands and are safe. 

 Each week, I scrapbook a Bible verse, which the children are to try to memorize (the children's Bible memory verse is at the top; a quote for parents is added to the bottom).  If the parents want to put the Bible verse on their fridge, I thought they might appreciate putting something nicely scrapbooked up rather than just a Bible verse on plain paper.

 Building together fun!

 Why do we bother purchasing toys?  Playing with a big box is the biggest hit of the day!  First, the box was used to hide under; later, it became a ship!

 B is for Bugs week!  I collect (I choose not to refer to myself as a hoarder) all kinds of household supplies for the kids to use for art:  old spools, paper towel holders, twist ties, plastic fruit containers, etc., etc.,--really anything I deem safe for them to use as art!  I keep these items all together in a huge plastic bin titled "Imagination."  The above picture is a "bug" made with Jake's imagination!

 Madison's bug!  However, I mentioned to her that if she stood it upright, it looked like a lighthouse.  She thought about this and then asked, "Do you have a light we could put in it?"  I told her we would put one in once it dried a bit better (the top is not glued on, so we can take it off and insert a small battery-operated tea light).  Imagination!  This art project utilizes lots of fine motor skills, also!  The kids also had an opportunity to make choices of what items from the Imagination bin they wanted to use.  They had fun sorting through the bin!

 Of course, I had to make a bug, too!  I used an acorn we picked up on one of our nature walks!

 Casey's bug!

 These are the only "bugs" I want in my house/school!

 Acorn Snacks:  We used Hershey Kisses, bite-sized Nutter Butters, and chocolate chips.  Peanut butter is the "glue" that holds the acorn together!  Again, the children enjoyed making these but did not want to eat them.  Again, more for teacher to eat!

 C is for Caterpillar.  I precut enough C's from computer paper to each child to have four C's for their caterpillars.  First, they colored in the grass and sky.  Then we glued the C's down to construction paper.  Next, add eyes, pipe cleaner antennae, and draw feet!  I don't always have the children do a pre-created project, but sometimes I do, mainly because I want them to learn to follow directions.  However, if I give them a preconceived idea of what we are making, I try to allow them to decorate around the project however they wish.

 Casey said he did not want googly eyes but, instead, wanted to draw his eyes on, so that is what he did.  Looks adorable!

 My daughter used mod podge to decorate the lid of this bin, which I will use as a sand/water table.

 Our collection from one of our nature walks!

 What shapes can we use to make a cat?  Circles, triangles and trinangles inside of triangles, and circles inside of circles.  I had the children put the tail together from smallest circle to the biggest circle!  They chose what background paper they wanted for their cats.

 Spin Art!  The children loved this activity!  I used a Spin Art machine from Michaels.  The kids really enjoyed turning the machine off and on when they wanted in order to create just the design details they wanted.  The machine came with four colors of squeezable paint, and they enjoyed squeezing the paint out, also (strengthening those little fingers).  One of the students was sick the day we did this, so the other two decided they wanted to make a picture for the child who was sick!  Sweet.

 C is for Cats, too!  I provided four stuffed cats for C week and some cat toys.  This looks like rest time, but it was not.  The kids found my chair cushions, put them together, and gathered the stuffed cats to play with.  Not sure exactly what their idea was, but I'm sure they knew.

 I was worried about not having a plastic or wooden jungle gym, but I need not have worried.  They kids created their own climbing fun!  The branches are not too  high off of the ground, so I don't worry about the kids falling.  However, if they ask to climb higher than what I am comfortable with, they know I have to be standing right under them to help them.  Fortunately, this is just a bush, so they cannot go too high, as they would in a tree.  But they don't know the difference, and this is where they head every day when we go outdoors, and I do take them outdoors as long as it is not raining.

 Madison wanted to pose!

 "I want my quad!"  I hear this every day from Casey.  He has to use his legs to push it along, but he does not mind.  He chooses this over the pedaled bikes just about every time. 

 Just playing!

 Freezer pop break!  The kids all went over to the swing together all on their own, sat down, and started enjoying their treat!

 When I started taking pictures, Casey couldn't resist a funny face or two!

 And Jakey couldn't help copying!

 So good!

 Casey discovered these little mushrooms in the yard and called me over.  he said they were "Smurf houses."  Looks like a busy little community of Smurfs live here!  I did, however, ask them not to touch but just to look. 

 Our bug house!  So far, we have caught a wooly worm and a grasshopper. 

 I would not have a preschool without these big blocks.  The children use them every day to build something different. 

They also like to use the containers the blocks come in, although I usually discourage this so I keep the containers in one piece.  That is why I am always looking for big boxes for the kids--so they can use the boxes to hide in rather than my containers.