• Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • About the Blogger
  • Disclosure

Last Minute Toddler Class Gifts

December 22, 2015 By Callie Leave a Comment

It’s that hour…things are getting crazy out there! I am an amazon prime person completely. That being said sometimes you just don’t know what you want to get someone and so you want to go out and look. God bless all of you who venture out to stores this week. If you’re looking for last minutes toddler friends gifts I’ve got you covered.

I always try to do something new and fun for the kiddos. It’s also nice to have a nonfood gift for the littles especially since so many have allergies nowadays.

IMG_4198

Row and I made these fun and easy snow discovery bottles to hand out to her music friends. Great for toddler, babies, and honestly my Kindergarten kiddos would have loved these too and probably up to second grade.

Supplies-

smaller sized water bottles

silver glitter

hot glue gun

tags-I found snow tags!

Remove the labels from each bottle.

IMG_4194

Open and remove the equivalent of two gulps 🙂 out of the bottle. You want the bottle to be full and be able to put the glitter in so don’t take out too much water. Add 1-2 scoops of silver glitter to each bottle. Using your hot glue gun glue the cap of the water bottle onto the bottle-I simply applied glue in a circle on the cap.

IMG_4196

Tag. Shake. You’re done!

IMG_4200

Easy and the kids loved them! Oh and you’ll look super crafty and it literally took 15 minutes for me to make. That’s less time than if I bought goody bags and stuffed them! And… these are great because if children in the class don’t celebrate Christmas it’s not super Christmas specific! Sno

Merry Christmas!

Filed Under: Christmas, Christmas Traditions, Crafts, Gifts, Sensory Play, Toddler Time, Tutorials Tagged With: christmas, discovery bottles, easy, gifts, toddlers, tutorial

Discovery Color Bottles

September 25, 2014 By Callie Leave a Comment

This week we went to the beach for Grandma’s birthday and we made discovery bottles! So I’ve been eying discovery bottles since I taught Kindergarten. I always had this pile-o-projects of things to make for the classroom and discovery bottles were definitely on it. So Row and I have been focusing on colors-a different one each week. Easy! Nothing major I just talk about one color more when it comes up naturally in conversation. When we read everyday I point out one thing in the book that is that color. So when I started the discovery bottle journey I decided to start with colors.

Red R-E-D-that’s where I started….why? Because I happened upon the red glitter at the craft store first. This is also your excuse to buy every color glitter imaginable. The first thing is choosing a water bottle that’s just right. On a side note the one I chose for this bottle I wouldn’t choose again. It’s too flimsy and I’ve decided I want a little bit smaller one. Aquafina small bottles! They’re firmer and smaller.

 

To make simply add in supplies-similar to those shown-remember that Dollar Store post???

IMG_0955

 

Fill with a couple of red items-not jammed packed, glitter, and water-not to the brim-just below. HOT GLUE THE LID! That one’s important step!

IMG_0956

 

Row is loving it and she can sling it around the room and it’s fine. I plan on making all the primary colors for now-a couple of weeks apart so as to not overwhelm her. We went to Galveston today for Grandma’s birthday and we walked on the beach-Row’s first time. We also gathered some seashells and sand to make a beach bottle!!!!

 

Do you have any cool ideas for discovery bottles? Any ways to store them? That’s definitely on my list!

Filed Under: Day Trip, Discovery Bottles, School Readiness, Sensory Play, Tutorials Tagged With: beach, discovery bottles, Dollar Store, red, Sensory Play, tutorials

Shopping at the Dollar Store like a Teacher

September 9, 2014 By Callie Leave a Comment

The dollar store ahhhhhhhhh!!! It’s teacher heaven, unless you live in Houston because there is an actual store called teacher heaven and I must say they nailed that one on the head. It’s so amazing the things you can find at the dollar store. Even more amazing is how teachers look at things a little differently and can find ways to use the most ordinary things in extraordinary ways. Come shop with me!

As a teacher I went to the dollar store weekly. As a mom I go monthly. It’s a great inexpensive resource for sensory play. I’m going to layout what’s in the bags and telll you how I plan on using the items. No doubt you’ll see a bunch of them in upcoming posts. IMG_0828

We will be going left to right, top to bottom-the way we read-teacher habit.

1. Brushes-snag these-they’re $10 at Hobby Lobby! I plan on using these to chalkboard paint my crock pot-hopefully sooner rather than later. I also am dying to make some burlap wreaths. Only problem I can’t really draw.

2.Pack of Gourds-Fall sensory tub

3. Spiders-Halloween Discovery bottle, sensory tub, cupcakes toppers-I used these to play a one to one correspondence game in Kindergarten where you roll the dice and put that many spiders on your hand-super cute.

4.Hair Ties-color discovery bottles-I want to make them so badly! I need more glitter!

5.Pumpkin-sensory tub and bathtub/water table play.

6. Vanilla Pudding-sensory play-put edible food coloring in and we will be making edible finger paint.

Next Row

1.Strainer-sand table

2.Beads-cutting apart for discovery bottles-notice a trend?

3. Grow a Robot-scientific method-I mean robots are cool!

4.Dinosaurs-Dino discovery bottle, sand table

5.Glow Sticks-bathtub play in the dark, discovery bottle

6.Baster-water table, bathtub play, and painting

7. Measuring Cups-sensory tub play, water table play

Bottom Row

1.Leaves-Fall sensory tub

2.Mike Wysowski-green discovery bottle-had too.

3. Q-Tips-used to make skeletons on paper for Halloween and an upcoming contact paper sticky project, also great to use for paintbrushes or for sharing glue.

4.Beans and Pasta-sensory tub base

 

Once you start looking at things differently it’s amazing what you can find. I always go with some upcoming projects in mind-on the burner and look for things that might fit. For example, I knew I wanted to make a Fall sensory tub for Row and start with the basic color discovery bottles.  Have you found anything cool at the dollar store? Any upcoming projects? BTW-water beads are at the dollar store too!!!! We already have them.

The same goes for garage sales! I’m a garage sale junkie! You’d be so amazed at what you can find.

Filed Under: Fine Motor Skills, School Readiness, Senosry Bins, Sensory Play, Shopping, Teacher Tips Tagged With: discovery bottles, Dollar Store, sensory bins, teacher tips, water play

About the Blogger

Living the dream as a thirty something infertility survivor who bakes, crafts, prays, and chases a toddler.

Callie Cakes on Twitter Callie Cakes on Instagram Callie Cakes on Facebook

I See a Pattern…

Archives

  • March 2020
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • November 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • May 2013
  • March 2013

Instagram

Instagram has returned invalid data.

Follow Me!

Blog Her

Find me there!

Copyright © 2022 · Lifestyle Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in