Preschool and Elementary Wood Shop Learning Center

Child Size Wood Working Learning Center for Preschool or Elementary School One of my favorite memories in kindergarten was 'wood shop'. Schools can't provide real tools and wood working activities due to safety reasons; here are safe, child-friendly preschool wood shop learning center activities. Read More

Back to School Fall Science and Nature Detective Kit Activities

Back to School Science Kick-Off Activities: DIY Nature Detective Kit
Welcome kids back to school with science exploration kick off activities. Make easy inexpensive individual nature detective and science investigator kits for homeschool, elementary and middle school students. Here's a 'recipe' for back to school fun. Very hands on. Read More

Free Back to School Books and Activities for Children and Teachers from Scholastic

Back to School Teaching and School Supplies Shopping from Scholastic Back-to-School shopping isn't just for students. Teachers and homeschoolers need supplies, books and materials also. For great pricing, coupons, special deals, promotions, freebies and educational goodies galore visit Scholastic. Read More

Free eReader, Nook Software, College Study Software from Barnes and Noble: NOOKstudy

Back to School College Prep Activities Free Barnes and Noble Nook Study Download Each year more textbook choices become available for college students. Renting, etextbooks and digital downloads are provide more options. Barnes and Noble offers a free download called NOOK Study, free ebooks and homework help. Read More

DIY Preschool Sand and Water Table Activities

The sand table, also called the water table or sand and water table, is a staple in preschool learning centers,  early childhood special education and kindergarten classrooms. The sand table is a hollowed out table that can be filled with sand and/ or water for interactive play. Here are diy water table ideas for preschool, day care, homeschool, Montessori, kindergarten and any exploratory classroom environment. The water table is an important part learning centers based classrooms. The sand table provides tactile stimulation, interactive hands-on exploration and play therapy for special education and early childhood development. It fosters perceptual and cognitive development in special education students. It helps with special education occupational therapy.

You can purchase a sand table or make homemade one using one of these alternatives: dish pan, recycled plastic laundry soap bucket, shallow plastic covered storage bin, inflatable child's swimming pool, small hard plastic swimming pool or covered Little Tikes Turtle sandbox. I have used all of these as a DIY water table in my teaching career. The nice thing about using a smaller water table is that it's portable. If you choose a covered container for a sand table you can store in when not in use. The Little Tikes Turtle sandbox makes a particularly nice sand table as you can use it indoors and outdoors, as a pool or sandbox.

In the summer weather, take the Turtle sandbox outside for outdoor learning centers. In the cold, wet winter months, bring the sandbox inside and set up in your special education and preschool classroom learning centers. Cover the floor with an old recycled plastic shower curtain or tablecloth for easy clean up. Set a little broom and dust pan nearby so that children can sweep up sand and replace in sand table. This is good housekeeping practice for the house or practical life learning centers. For more special education lesson plans visit these blogs The Special Needs Child andPreschool Child Activities and Free Lesson Plans 4u and DIY Homeschool

Homemade Preschool Homeschool Sand Table, Water Table

Homemade Preschool Learning Centers: Sand Table Exploration The sand table is the backbone of a good learning center preschool classroom. The sand table provides hands-on,interactive learning, cognitive and perceptual development and tactile stimulation. Here are 20+ ideas for things to fill your sand table. Read More

Free Printable Back to School Organizers, Planners and Crafts

Free Printable Back to School Organizers, Planners and Craft Activities
"Back to School" has become a catch phrase in marketing. "Back to school" sales, shopping guides and promotions abound. We all know where we can go to spend money, but how about some money savers? Free printable back to school activities. Read More