White Board and Easel Games

I have tried very hard to use my great easel in my classroom, but I struggle.  We cannot always have paint, although all the students would love it!  It is hard to have enough space to use the easel since it is so big!  So I began trying using it it for various things.  In the beginning of the school year I use if for "Look Who Is Here" with their pictures and their name card.  In the morning as my students arrive, they hang up their picture or their name matched to their picture.  

I use the back side for painting weekly but, not every day.  I use it for drawing too, but we needed something new.  Below are the games I have began using and I am in the process of creating more.  My easel is a magnetic white board.  If you don't have this type, setting aside space on your white board will work.  Buying a  smaller white board may also work.

The cards seen here are laminated and have magnets on the back.  I use the sheet magnets from Oriental Trading Company.  They have a stick side to adhere to the cards.  I add the cards to a bucket on the shelf and give the students a few dry erase markers and they are ready to write!  I have now added a number line to put at the top of the board so that my students had a number to look at or copy if they needed a model.    The first one I made is Count and Write Dental!  The one below is Count and Write Bugs.  My students love finishing all of the cards and then getting their photo taken with the work they did.  I print it out and place it right in their portfolio!  So easy!  I can also assess them using our Teaching Strategies Gold documentation for their final assessment for each quarter.  It has become a favorite activity!  We hang up their picture on our door when they finish this too!  It is quite special.  Their parents love it!

Stop by and grab one of these Count and Write games at my TPT store.  

                                                         Count and Write on TPT

Dental Week in Preschool

We had a prospective donor coming to our program so we spiced up our dental activities.  We began by talking about things that keep our teeth healthy.  We gave all of out students floss and got to practice what it was like to use it.  We had this tray to practice as well.  The students had green play dough to use as food stuck in between our teeth and then plastic lanyard to use as floss.  Our mega blocks were the teeth.

We made my favorite art project too!  The pink play dough and white Lima beans for the teeth is quick to set up and funny to photograph!  We let each student make it and then take their picture next to their art.  I left out this student's face but we created a book of our funny faces with teeth!

I have recently been trying to find new things to do with my easel.  It is hard to use it for painting with so many things going on in the room.  It usually takes an adult to monitor it.  So her dis what I have come up with of this week.  We made it a math station.  The picture cards are lamina tined and have magnets on the back.  There are dry erase markers and each student comes, counts the objects on the cards, and writes the answer.  Then we photograph them so that we have it for their file and we even send it to their parent over my cell phone.  I had great responses from the parents who received the picture of their child's accomplishments.  They were very proud.  

We also jazzed up our tooth brushing table but we had trouble taking a picture that made it look as good as it does in person.  The kids love it.  As they come out they have picture cards of foods that are good and bad for teeth.  They place their food card on this table and then sit down to brush!

 We are trying hard to make our students learn as much as they can about teeth care!  I think they love going out to our fun table so I know we are making an impact.  They get to brush now to music thanks to one of our co-workers.  I know they love that!