Hiking

This week has been fun. We have been learning about nature and hiking. We talked about what you might wear to go hiking and why that piece of clothing is important. One thing that I have found over the years is that most preschool kids love to dress up. So, I had a hat, weather-proof jacket, hiking shoes, and a Camelback all ready to go for the kids to try on.

 

The hiking gear was mine so of course it was too big for the kids. But, there’s something about wearing your mom’s clothes that makes this activity more engaging and hilarious.

Then, we played a “dress the girl” game. You roll the die to see how many spaces you move. Then, take that article of clothing you land on and put it on the girl.

After the game, we tried to see how many different outfits we could dress the girl in. There is a magnetic set that is similar to this that I was debating buying, but now after seeing how excited the kids were to play this game, I think I will buy the magnetic set so they can play it in the magnet center.

Running a home preschool has been fun. When I first started, I had to focus on buying the basic needs for the children. I had to make sure I had a table and chairs for them to sit at so we could actually do activities and learn. Next, I had to make sure I had a rough outline of what I wanted them to learn throughout the school year and how I wanted them to learn it. Then, I had to buy materials I needed to help them accomplish those learning objectives and activities. Such materials include paper, glue, crayons, etc. Last, I had to have toys! A huge part of preschool is interacting with others your own age through learning centers.

Over the years, I have realized that I buy toys based on the interests of the kids. My first year of teaching, the students loved playing in the play kitchen. So, I was always trying to look for new things that would be fun to introduce in the kitchen center. Last year, my students were really into dress-up. So, I made sure I bought a lot of dress-up clothes. **Just a little tip: The best day to buy dress-up clothes for your preschoolers is the day after Halloween.

I am so excited to see what the students are interested in this next school year.

Owning a preschool can get expensive when you think of all the things you have to buy. You have to make sure you have a curriculum, materials for each student, play toys, snacks, etc. I have to make sure I have those basic needs first before I can buy the extras. I also have to set some money aside for class parties every quarter.

I have loved using Mother Goose Time’s curriculum in my preschool. Each day is packed in a plastic bag and ready to go with enough supplies and materials for each student. There is a monthly supply list given that tells me what I need to buy or have on hand in order to complete activities. This saves me a lot of time and work that I would of spent going through the lessons on my own to see what materials I might need. There is also a party pack included with each month’s curriculum box. I don’t have to plan the party games and activities each time we have a party. Using Mother Goose Time, has made my life easier and has helped me spend my money on the right materials for each preschool day.

** I receive curriculum from Mother Goose Time for honest and authentic stories resulting from my daily experiences using the curriculum. This is my 3rd year using Mother Goose Time, and I am pleased to promote quality educational learning experiences through play with Mother Goose Time!