It’s about that time of the year again. The end of the school year is getting closer. So you know what that means. Graduation time! It's also time to get your graduation certificates ready.
That’s right. You have spent an entire school year helping your students grow their young minds. As a preschool, Pre-K, and/or Kindergarten teacher you are so proud of them. They’ve progressed in so many ways. Socially. Academically. And even emotionally. I’m sure you’ve heard them even talk about how they are ready for “Big Kid” school.
For that reason, graduation is one of the best ways to celebrate completing the school year.
Graduation ceremonies are a special time. Especially for teachers, students, and families to experience and enjoy. But sometimes planning them out can be overwhelming for teachers. From decorating the space to ordering caps and gowns. There’s so much to do. In very little time.
So let’s help take away at least one less thing off your hands for this event.
Prek let’s play has created graduation diplomas, invitations, and end-of-the-year award certificates. These certificates help preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten teachers save time and money. They are already made for you to use and editable. Need very little prep work. And when downloading this product, it’s yours forever! Visit the Pre-k Let's Play shop and get your copy today.
Using this editable graduation printable is easy. All you have to do is download and open the certificates. Type in the information needed. This includes your student’s name, the school name, and the date. After that, print out the certificate and sign it. It’s really that simple.
Here’s the best part. You can use and edit these graduation certificates every year. You don't have to worry about ordering new diplomas and certificates ever again. This is because you can print as many copies as you want. Whenever you want. And you don’t have to worry about running out of these digital products. Super convenient right?!
You can find these digital products at the Pre-k Let's Play shop. There are 3 versions for each grade. They are for Preschool, Pre-k, and Kindergarten classrooms. Each version is available for you to choose from and download. The diplomas come in 2 designs as well.
This download also comes with 30 superlative certificates. Also known as end-of-the-year awards. So when creating this product, I got my inspiration from award ceremonies, such as the Oscars and Emmy’s. That is why I decided to create a similar themed background on these award certificates.
In addition, I created tons of classroom superlatives that related to the theme. For instance, at the Oscars, they announce the nominees and winner for “best film writer”. So for this product, I created a certificate award for “best writer” to give to one of the students.
Here are examples of a few awards included in this product.
Giving out these awards is a great way to recognize your students’ strengths and talents. Especially in front of their families. It’s also an awesome way of acknowledging them for who they are. This shows your appreciation and support for your students. Accordingly, this also makes your students feel good and boosts their self-confidence. Because when kids notice that their family is proud of them, they tend to be proud of themselves as well.
So for graduation ceremonies, I usually plan them by finding an empty room in my school program. My coworker and I work together and transform that room to look like an award ceremony venue. Like the Oscars or Emmy’s.
I always encourage parents to dress up their children for this event. As we all know parents love dressing up their children. It definitely gives them a reason to take pictures and create memories! As a result, this event is always a success and much needed. It gives teachers and families a chance to show appreciation towards each other. Especially towards the children. As a teacher, I always find this to be a very humbling experience.
Families love the graduation certificates as well. It shows your appreciation towards their children. Parents love it when their child’s teacher notices and appreciates their child. Especially their child’s personality, educational strengths, and interests.
They also love it when a teacher has positive things to say about their child in public. Presenting these certificates encourages and confirms that. It also gives teachers a chance to use those certificates as a way to express this positivity.
For that reason, they often cherish these certificates. As well as consider it as their child’s first educational certificate. It’s awesome to say that you were the first teacher to give these young learners their first diploma of many.
To make this graduation day more special, you can also pair this product with a graduation gift. Pre-K Let’s Play has you covered with magazine cover templates. Trust me. These personalized magazine cover templates make great graduation gifts. It’s true. And it’s easy to make.
All you have to do is download and open this product. Select any popular magazine cover that reflects your student's personality. Replace the original photo with a picture of your students. Then type in your student's name. That’s it.
You now have a student who’s on the cover of a popular magazine cover parody. And many more to choose from. Feel free to print it onto glossy paper and frame it. Parents will find this gift too adorable and memorable.
For more info about this product, check out my blog post. I give the 5 benefits of using magazine cover templates. Don’t forget to download your copy today.
Just remember. Whenever parents look at these certificates, they will think of you as their child’s teacher. They will remember your impact on their child’s life. And also the memories that they’ve shared with you. Especially this graduation memory.
So grab your copy of these graduation certificates. They are available in the shop section.
And lastly, congratulations on educating these young future leaders. You should be proud. Their path to greatness started with you.
]]>Preschool Magazine cover templates make a great gift to create and give to your students and their family.
Graduation is approaching soon. You’ve been with your students for an entire school year now. They love you. Even their parents appreciate you. They respect the impact you’ve had on their child’s early life as a teacher. I’m sure you feel the same way towards your students and their families. Besides, this is the perfect time to express those feelings back.
That is why Pre-K Let’s Play has created magazine cover templates. Made for you to personalize and give to them and their families. In this blog post, I will go over 5 reasons why you should use these magazine cover templates.
Before that, feel free to check out the popular magazine cover templates that Pre-K Let’s Play has to offer. Get your copy today!
This is the most obvious reason. But it is so true. Parents and families love pictures of their children. Especially creative pictures. So when you create these personalized magazine covers, families will be blown away. They will enjoy it, cherish it, and remember this kind gesture from you.
As a teacher, you most likely spend about 40 hours a week teaching kids. It’s true. You spend lots of time with them. As a result, these kids have definitely developed strong connections with you. This is because you created and shared tons of memories together. You helped them grow socially. Academically. Even emotionally. For those reasons, they will remember how well you treated them and made them feel. Most importantly, they respect and appreciate you for that.
Of course, you feel the same way. You appreciate them too. That is why creating magazine covers is a great way to show your appreciation for them.
Giving them this as a gift shows that you are grateful for them. You care about them and view them as special people in your teaching lifestyle. It shows that you appreciate the whole experience of teaching them. In addition, it also shows that you value being their teacher, friend, and role model.
Families may already have respect for you. However, creative gifts like these encourage them to increase their level of respect. Especially towards you. From my many years of teaching, I noticed this from many families. This is because families love to see a teacher show appreciation towards their child. Especially when it comes to receiving creative gifts like this. It’s thoughtful, kind, and considerate. Download your copy today.
Making these magazine covers are easy. It’s really simple and it doesn’t take long to create. All you have to do is download the templates. Pick and choose one of the popular magazine covers that interest you. Next, take a picture of your student. Then replace the original stock photo with the picture of your student that you had just taken. Add their names to the template. Viola! You’re done.
Also, feel free to print it on glossy paper and/or frame it for a better presentation. Parents and families will be so amazed and grateful. Most importantly, they will remember you for this too.
As you know, every kid has a different personality. No one is the same. That’s what makes us so unique. One of the best parts of teaching young children is helping them develop their identity. Supporting them. Making them feel comfortable with being who they are.
Throughout the year, you start seeing the interests that they gravitate towards. Things they like to do often. Topics include playing Sports. Playing on the computer. Playing with toy cars. Building with legos. Pretend Cooking in dramatic play. Art. Music. Fashion. The list goes on. These interests show their personality.
So take pictures of your students while they are engaging in these interests. Then turning those pictures into magazine covers. This is a cool way to highlight their interests and personality.
This download comes with 11 magazine cover templates. Choose a cover that matches your child’s personality and identity. For instance, you may have a student who has an active personality and loves sports. Our sports cover may be the best fit for that child.
Or maybe you have a student who loves music and singing school songs. Then the MusicSpeaks magazine cover may be suitable for that student.
Overall, magazine cover templates are great for showing your students’ personalities and interests. It also shows what they like to do in school in a visual way. That’s what makes this gift so cute, fun, and awesome.
It’s graduation time. Your students are have learned so much from you and they are ready to transition. You are so proud to be their teacher. The best way to show your gratitude towards them is by acknowledging them. Especially on graduation day.
Creating magazine covers for your students is a great way to show and express that. It shows the value you see in your students. It shows the students and families that you are thankful for them just as they are. And what they achieved throughout the year.
Therefore, each cover that you choose for each student showcases their strengths. If instance, imagine you have a student who loves books, reading and listening to stories. These are amazing strengths. Now take that student's picture and place it on a Reader’s Digest magazine cover template! This is a creative way to acknowledge and recognize those strengths.
It also shows that you value and appreciate those strengths. But more importantly, it makes the student feel individually recognized. In addition, it makes that child feel special and important. As a result, this also can lead to your student feeling proud and confident of themselves.
So if you’re a teacher looking for a gift, then this is the right product for you. This gift is perfect for graduation and even for the holiday season. So get this download today!
So there you have it! Personalized magazine covers make an awesome gift. They are great for showing your appreciation towards your young learners. It’s also a visual way of expressing what you admire about them and what makes them special to you. Your students will enjoy it. Their families will love it. And everyone will always remember you for such an amazing gift. And most importantly, for being such a great teacher.
Visit Pre-K Let's Play's shop and download your copy today. Enjoy!
]]>
Pre-k Let’s Play has created a dramatic play garden center for preschoolers. This Dramatic play theme is a great resource to use in your classroom. Great for helping your students practice using their imagination. It's also great for helping develop their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical skills.
Kids love the spring season. Fresh air. Birds chirping. Sun coming out more. Kids often think about flowers and playing outdoors when the Spring season comes to mind. So why not bring that environment and imagination into your classroom? You can do this by turning your dramatic play area into a pretend garden. Your students will be so excited to explore the lifestyle of gardening. They will enjoy pretending to be gardeners.
This download offers tons of resources, ideas, and activities for your students to use. Continue reading... as I share with you 8 things you need to transform your dramatic play center into a pretend play garden.
The first thing you need to create your pretend play garden is plants and flowers. What's a garden without flowers? Right? These props can be real, fake, or both. But either way, they provide a realistic and engaging environment for children to play in. You can use potted plants or flowers. Or even create a garden bed by adding soil or mulch to a designated area in the play center. But if you decide to use real plants, make sure that they are non-toxic and safe for children to handle.
The picture above is a pretend garden bed that I created for my students. I used a brown towel to make it look like dirt. I also bought pretend flowers from a local Dollar Tree store. My students loved it.
Including different types of plants and flowers in your garden is also a great idea. This helps children learn more about flowers, their differences, and their characteristics.
Gardening tools are another crucial element of a pretend play garden. These can include shovels, rakes, watering cans, and gloves. Providing a variety of tools allows children to engage in different gardening tasks. Tasks such as digging, planting, grass cutting, and watering. These tasks and gardening tools help children develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
It's important to always consider the safety of the materials you are using. Make sure that your gardening tools are appropriate for their age and skill level. Always supervise children during playtime to ensure their safety.
In my classroom, I turned a toy baby cradle into a lawn mower. I placed a green carpet in my dramatic play center to represent grass. The children were so excited to "cut the grass". Especially those who have seen their family actually cutting grass. It felt relatable to them and a great way to reenact what they saw through pretend play.
Including fruits and vegetables adds an extra layer of realism and educational value. You can use plastic toy fruits and vegetables. Like the picture below. Encourage children to "plant" and "harvest" the fruits and vegetables. You can even set up a pretend farmers market (or grocery store) to sell their produce. This can help children learn about healthy eating habits and where their food comes from.
Always Remember! The plan is to make your dramatic play center look and feel like a garden. That's why having nature-themed decor adds a realistic touch to your play center. You must add this to your dramatic play area.
This can include items like birdhouses, toy bugs, nests, and rocks. Adding small details like these creates a more engaging environment. This is also the best way to make the pretend play garden feel like a real outdoor space for children to play in. This type of decor should also inspire kids to want to feel like gardening.
This decor theme also encourages children to learn about different sides of nature. Once kids see the garden theme decor, they become intrigued. This causes children to ask questions about nature and gardening. How do plants and vegetables grow? How come bugs and worms like to live in the garden? Where do butterflies come from? Why do plants need water? These are a few questions that my students asked me in the past. All because of the garden décor setup. They can't help but ask and learn through play.
You can also encourage children to provide garden themed décor of their own. In my classroom, I asked my students to draw pictures of their favorite fruits, flowers, and vegetables. I placed them throughout the dramatic play center for them to touch and see. I also paired each drawing next to a real image. They were proud to see their work and inspired to play!
Adding signs, pictures, and labels to the pretend play garden can help children learn about the many things they may encounter in a real garden. You can encourage your students to create signs for different fruits or vegetables.
Signs can also provide structure for children. For example, we use open and closed garden signs. These signs help children know if this pretend play garden is open for play or not at the moment. It also helps them recognize the words open and closed.
It's also recommended to create labels for different sections of the play center. This can help children develop their reading skills and vocabulary. It also provides children accountability to place objects where they belong after use. This is especially helpful during cleanup time.
Providing real-life gardening pictures throughout your dramatic play can also be helpful. This prompts children to ask and learn more about different aspects of gardening. It also helps them identify certain fruits, vegetables, and plants.
Make sure you have printables related to gardening in your dramatic play center. Providing this can be a great way to extend learning beyond the pretend play center. Worksheets can include activities like coloring, drawing, and writing. Printables can encourage children to practice writing numbers and letters. They also encourage role-playing as gardeners.
Here are children acting out how many flowers they plan on planting in their garden. You can find and use this printable shown here in the "Pre-K Let's Play Dramatic Play Garden" resource.
Book, books, books! Kids love books. They are great to have and see in a dramatic play garden center. Try placing books about gardening and plants in your pretend play garden. This can help children learn even more about the natural world. It can also help build their interest in nature and gardening.
You can choose books that are specifically about gardening. Or even books that feature plants and seeds. The more realistic and nonfiction books you have, the better. Absolutely! Make sure you place these garden-themed books all around your dramatic play center.
Pre-K Let's Play offers a garden theme resource for you to use. This is another great addition to have in your dramatic play garden center. This digital download includes a variety of educational resources. These resources are specifically tailored to a garden theme. Such as printables, props ideas, setup ideas, signs, labels, activity ideas, and so much more. By using this resource, you can save time and effort in creating your own materials. It also ensures that your dramatic play center is educationally sound. As well as developmentally appropriate for your children.
In conclusion, a pretend play garden can be a fun way for preschoolers to learn about gardening. It requires incorporating a variety of elements. These elements can include... flowers and plants, gardening tools, fruits and vegetables, nature-themed decor, garden signs and labels, printable worksheets, and books.
By incorporating these elements, you too can create a well-rounded dramatic play center. An environment that's engaging and educational for preschoolers. An area that supports children using their imagination and learning new skills. An area that encourages social interaction and collaboration.
With a little creativity and planning, you too can create a play center that will excite children. All you need is this dramatic play garden theme for tips and ideas to get started setting up a pretend play garden. Download this dramatic play garden theme to enhance your children's learning experience today.
]]>
Kids love to play outdoors. So bring that environment and imagination into the classroom. You can do this by transforming your dramatic play center into a pretend campsite. Watch your students use their imagination to explore nature. They will enjoy pretending to be campers.
]]>Pre-k Let’s Play has created a camping dramatic play theme for preschoolers. This Dramatic play theme is a great place for your students to use their imagination.
Kids love to play outdoors. So bring that environment and imagination into the classroom. You can do this by transforming your dramatic play center into a pretend campsite. Watch your students use their imagination to explore nature. They will enjoy pretending to be campers.
This download offers tons of resources and activities for your students to practice. Keep reading as I share with you 7 tips that you need to create a camping dramatic play site in your classroom.
Props are definitely needed for your dramatic play center. They allow your students to use their imagination. Props can also make your dramatic play area feel like the great outdoors.
For this Dramatic play theme, feel free to put stuffed animals all around your pretend play area. Your students can use these stuffed animals can as pretend woodland animals. Try to use as many stuffed woodland animals as possible. As a result, your dramatic play campsite will feel way more realistic. Some examples of stuffed animals include bears, squirrels, raccoons, turtles, and many more.
I was also able to find and use real-life materials that people like to use when camping. Many students were familiar with some of these items and their uses. However, there were also other camping items that they weren’t used to seeing.
For instance a compass, Binoculars, magnifying glasses, and flashlights. These are a few examples of props that you can add to your camping dramatic play theme.
You can also make your own props. For this theme, I created pretend bug spray from empty shaving cream cans. I also created cameras from blocks. Your students will love ideas like these for pretend play.
You can find many props like these for your pretend camping site. This download offers a list of props and materials for you to find and create at your local dollar tree store.
Lastly, place medical props in your dramatic play. That is a great way to get your students to practice and talk about safety while camping or hiking. Try mixing pretend medical props with real medical materials. For example, band-aids, cotton balls, and gauze pads are great for pretend play. Your students will love using these props on themselves. To heal their boo-boos. To stop mosquito bites. Even check their temperature. Overall, props are so much fun to play with.
Signs are great to have and show in your camping dramatic play area. Placing camping signs can make your students feel like they are in a camping environment.
Signs also help kids understand the value of print. It will help them understand that signs/words have meaning. Once they learn this, then this will lead your students to follow the instructions of these signs.
I always like to set up signs like open and close in this pretend play center. This helps students learn when it’s time to play in this area. That is the perfect way to help start developing discipline and routine while young. It will also help them get used to seeing and reading these kinds of sight words.
Also, place common signs that you would see in real life camping sites. Signs like “don’t feed the bears”, directions to trails, and “no littering”, are great for dramatic play. Below is a picture of one of the signs that I used in my dramatic play area. You can find this sign as well as many others in this camping dramatic play theme too.Labels are great to use in your classroom. Placing labels throughout your dramatic play can help bring out your camping area. Labels have many purposes for your classroom. Because of this, they are helpful for your children in so many ways.
Labels help students learn new words. Each label in this resource comes with the word along with its picture. This is a great way for your students to make the connection as well as recognize the letters and words. This also helps them understand the purpose and importance of reading words. So feel free to place labels under many camping items.
Additionally, labels help students understand what things are. They give students the chance to ask and learn what these camping items and props are. These questions lead to conversations. For that reason, these conversations help them understand the use of these items or props.
Labels also help remind students where to place items. After they finish using the pretend prop, students use the labels as a guide. To help them find or remember where the item was last placed.
This is great because these labels help kids keep your Dramatic play clean. It also helps them build a cleaning routine. As a result, you don’t need to be there too much to remind them to keep the area organized. That job is for the labels. As a teacher, this saves you time to focus on other things.
Acting is always seen in dramatic play. Kids enjoy it. This is because acting gives them a chance to pretend to be anything they want. So including role-play into your camping dramatic play area is a great idea.
For this theme, your students can imagine being characters. They can be campers, hikers, park ranger, or even woodland animals. Included in this download are role-play cards. Generally, these cards work as necklaces. Your students will enjoy wearing these necklaces. It will help them get more into character and pretend to be camping in the woods.
Here is an example of one of my students playing the role of campers. He is pretending to hike into a bear cave.
Another benefit of role play is for students to play together. Playing together encourages your students to communicate with each other. This results in your students practicing their language and building communication skills. This builds friendships and develops their social skills as well.
These printables are also great to use while they role-play as campers. Your students will love to show their list writings to their friends. Especially as they explain what they need for their next camping adventure.
I also created printouts for your students to do a pretend scavenger hunt. They can use the printables and binoculars to find certain stuffed animals. Such as the ones that they would notice in the woodlands. Once they find anything that looks the same on the list, then they can color or check the animal off their list.
In addition, these printouts give students a chance to practice writing. This is a fun way to help improve their fine motor skills. Feel free to put writing materials and printouts throughout your dramatic play. Your students will have so much fun writing and using their imagination.
You now know how to turn your dramatic play into a camping area. You have the 7 key tips. Sometimes these tips can take a long time to make on your own. I want to make this process easier for you. So I made a camping dramatic play themed resource. All you have to do is download this resource at the Pre-K Let's Play shopping section.
This resource has 155 pages of printables, labels, signs, images to refer to, and a lot more to choose from. Ready and made for you. Download, print, and prep. That's it. It’s that simple! Your students will love this theme and have so much fun learning through play.
So there you have it! 7 tips to create your own pretend play camping area. Enjoy and don’t forget to download this dramatic play themed resource. You can find it from the Pre-K Let's Play store. Have fun!!!
]]>
Learning how to count numbers is common in preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten. Kids start learning this concept at an early age. But, teaching numbers and how to count doesn’t have to be boring. It can also be a fun hands-on activity to teach your students. That’s why Pre-K Let’s Play created number strip counting puzzles.
1-10 (medium)
11-20 (medium)
10-100 (hard)- skip counting by 10s
Completing these counting strip puzzles is the goal. To do this goal, this process requires thinking and trying out many ideas. Whether these ideas work or don’t work out. A lot of thoughts would be going through the young minds of your students. They will ask themselves questions like…
Looking for fun activities to help teach about shapes? There are many ways to teach shapes. Especially in preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten classrooms. One classic way of learning about shapes is by using math pattern block templates. Oh yes! Students love to play with pattern blocks.
Math pattern blocks are small shaped blocks. Made from wooden or plastic material. Here's what a set of block shapes look like.
You can find and buy these popular pattern blocks online. Websites like Amazon, Lakeshore, and Learning Resources sell them. Or you can find them at your local educational supply store too.
So Pre-k Let’s Play has created pattern block templates to compliment pattern blocks. it takes very low prep work and students enjoy playing with them. You need to have these in your classroom. So if you’re looking for math activities to entertain your students, then these templates are for you. In this post, I will go over 5 benefits of using these block pattern templates in your classroom.
Also, feel free to check out these themed pattern block templates that Pre-K Let's Play has to offer. They are available at the Pre-K Let's Play store. Click on any of the covers below and get your copy today!
Pattern block templates work like puzzles. As a matter of fact, that’s what they are. These Pre-K Let’s Play pattern block templates feature high-quality images of animals. Each animal has a body made up of block pattern shapes.
So do your students play with these puzzles? Easy. Your students have to pick and name all the shapes needed on the template. Then they have to piece them together shape by shape. This is how you complete these puzzles.
This is a great way for them to get familiar with shapes. This also gives them a chance to get used to understanding how each shape looks like. Taking each shape and matching it onto the template. This helps confirms their ability to recognize and identify shapes.
Building fine motor skills are important for the development of your young learners. Definitely. Fine motor skills are the ability to make movements by using and strengthening the small muscles in your hands, fingers, and wrists. Using pattern blocks along with pattern block templates can help. It makes a great way for kids to practice fine motor skills. It is a great resource. This is because it encourages your students to pick up and use these block shapes. It makes them use their hands, fingers, and wrists.
It also encourages them to use these pattern blocks templates as a guide. This guide helps them adjust and position pattern blocks. Again, with their hands, fingers, and wrists.
As a result, this form of practice helps your students in other areas of their need. Examples include better use of writing with pencils. Or even better use of cutting with scissors.
By the way, practicing fine motor skills with pattern blocks and templates is also fun. It's creative. And it's also engaging and entertaining. Let’s not forget to mention that part too.
Problem-solving is a useful skill to learn. Especially at a young age. The earlier the better. This is because it encourages your students to think. It also helps students develop strategies. In this case, the strategy is on how to approach and complete these block pattern templates.
Pre-K Let’s Play has to offer pattern block templates. They contain labeled images. Each one converts into 3 puzzle forms based on your students’ level of problem-solving.
Completing these puzzle templates is the goal. To do that, this process involves trying out many ideas. Whether successful or unsuccessful. Their young minds wily ask themselves questions like…
How many shapes do I need for this puzzle?
Will this work if I use or move the shape this way?
Their active minds will become engaged and thinking of a way to finish the puzzle image. Without a doubt.
As a result, this forms a habit of always looking to find the solution. This leads to building up their willpower, persistence, and patience. These qualities can transfer into other areas of their personal life as well.
Completing these printable pattern blocks templates builds confidence within your students. It gives your students the chance to face a challenge. Your students accept the challenge by trying to complete these shaped puzzles. At first, it may seem difficult for them.
However, tell them not to worry. As a matter of fact, it's normal. Students should stick with it. It always feels amazing to overcome a challenge. It feels like winning. And we all know kids love winning.
Your students will feel a sense of pride, accomplishment, and satisfaction. Therefore, the more kids conquer challenges, the more confident they become. The more fulfilled they become too. They also become more willing to learn and try more challenges too.
You have heard the phrase, “Teamwork makes the dream work”. Well, this is so true when it comes to solving these pattern blocks templates. Now you can use these games for individual play. As well as small group and large group play.
But having these pattern puzzles in your classroom encourages students to work together. And communicate as well.
They can take on the challenge of solving these puzzles together. Your students do this by expressing their ideas on how to complete it. Going through trial and error. And also by supporting each other.
By trying to solve these puzzles with their peers, students are also encouraged to be more social. It allows them to practice using their language skills with each other. As a result, this helps them improve and practice their vocabulary. Speech. Tone. As well as ways to talk to each other.
But most important. This activity can also lead to helping build friendships in the classroom. As well as creating moments with each other. Indeed.
So there you have it. Those are the top 5 benefits of using pattern blocks templates in your classroom. Yes. They are ideal for teaching your students about shapes. Without a doubt. , these templates offer much more use to your students than just that. This includes developing their problem-solving skills. Social skills. Fine motor skills. Confidence. And also a sense of achievement.
For those reasons, pattern block templates are educational, challenging, and entertaining. They are also developmentally appropriate for all Preschool, Pre-K, and Kindergarten ages. In other words, what’s not to love about them!
So if you have an interest in having some of your own, then you are in luck. Pre-K Let’s Play has created a collection of pattern block templates to choose from. Below is a list of them grouped into 11 themes. Select the ones that interest you. Click the link on the themed cover and download your copy today!
]]>Pre-K Let's Play has created a pretend school dramatic play theme. Whether it's "real" school or "pretend" school. Two things are for certain. Preschool kids love school and teachers like you.
Your preschool students see you every weekday. They learn from you and love being around you. As a matter of fact, I bet there are moments where you may catch them pretending to be a teacher like you. Funny right? So a great way to support this is to apply this to your dramatic play area.
Turning dramatic play into a pretend school gives students many ways to learn. This also makes learning feel fun for them. In this blog post, I am going to show you pics of how I made my school play area. You will see the 7 things you need to make your own pretend school too.
If you like what you see, then feel free to visit the Pre-K Let's Play dramatic play collection and download this theme.
Are you ready?
Materials are important when it comes to making your area look like a real classroom. The more materials and play props you provide as a teacher, the better the quality of play. That is because students become interested when school-related items are in your dramatic play center. They get more engaged. It also allows them to express their imagination. Once your students feel this way, then they are staying in that area. Without a doubt! Instead of roaming around the classroom, they are keeping busy. For sure!
For this school theme, focus on giving them different types of handling props. Handling props are things that your students can pick up and use. For example, I used materials such as chalk, dry erase boards, markers, backpacks, lunch boxes, etc.
But if you don’t have many materials, then don’t worry. Nonspecific props (i.e. cardboard box) make excellent play props too. That is because they encourage your students to think of a better use for it to use it in the play area. So don’t be afraid to add props like that as well.
Using play props also causes students to share. Think about it from a social view. Sharing items gives your students the chance to practice communication skills. They are also building up their language skills. This can lead to better friendships.
Now let's take a look at it from a physical view. Play props can be key to helping your students build solid fine motor skills. Using dry-erase markers to write on easels. Writing with pencils to do their “homework”. Zipping backpacks. Opening lunchboxes. These examples are a few of the many chances students have to practice with these materials. And it all takes place in your pretend school dramatic play.
Keep this in mind. Your dramatic play area should have a few goals. One is to look safe. Welcoming. Not to mention fun and friendly from the viewpoint of your students. Another goal is to make it look like a school too. To make that possible, everything should be at the eye level of your students. This includes picture cards, school signs, and even furniture. Doing this will catch your students' attention. This would also make them excited about entering your area.
It is also best to make use of the furniture that you plan to use. For instance, the pic below shows how I covered the back of a shelf with black paper to look like a chalkboard.
Having an open space works well for students too. It allows you to switch props, such as chairs, into your area. It also allows them to choose to have circle time or a seated classroom setting.
I also recommend having a bulletin board display inside your dramatic play area. It’s eye-catching and it highlights the theme of your dramatic play area.
For tips and inspiration, my classroom decor can be an example of how to set up your dramatic play area. If you would like your dramatic play to look like a pretend school for your students, then check out the Pre-K Let's Play store.
Placing signs throughout your dramatic play will bring the school vibe that you want. That is because signs go well together with your students' imagination. By doing this, they can get into character. It also lets them refer to these signs while in character.
What I love about placing signs is that they can help your students recall past experiences. In my pretend play area, I included images and signs of activities we do in school. Many students were able to relate to those images. They used them for pretend play as teachers. Some even tried to reenact the images. I’m sure your students would love to do the same.
Signs also help your students understand the value of print. Not to mention that signs help develop their literacy and math skills. For this school theme, I provide signs of numbers, letters, colors, weather, and so much more. A lot of printable signs to choose from. Lots! Your students will feel comfortable noticing and calling out their numbers and letters. Especially as they pretend to be teachers.
Labels also make your dramatic play feel like school. They are meaningful print. Great for your students to see throughout your area. They cause students to name objects around them. Labels even cause students to use school-related words during pretend play.
Labels also help your students see the connection between image and print. In my TPT download, I offer “image with text” labels as well as “image without text” labels. Feel free to give your students the chance to write their own labels (under the image). This can give them the confidence to write.
That's how labels can help develop writing skills. It also helps them understand why print is important. Especially their own print. Your students will be proud to see their own writing placed in their school pretend play area.
The use of labels is also a great tool for practicing cleaning skills. Labels can be a guide to show students where certain objects belong.
Labels can promote responsibility. It also makes your students feel “in charge” of helping. As teachers, we know kids love to help. So encourage your students to use labels as a reference for cleaning. This would inspire them to help keep their pretend school clean and organized.
Role play necklace cards are another prop that makes your dramatic play feel like school. It helps get students ready to play the roles of teachers and students. Each necklace pushes your students to use their creativity. As a result, it causes them to think and visualize the personalities, emotions, and perspectives of students and teachers. Put themselves in the shoes of students and teachers.
Playing the role of a teacher helps them act out what they believe leadership skills look like. Playing this role also shows self-esteem. It lets them practice being whoever they want to be.
Role playing also helps your students practice communication and sharing skills. For a student to play the teacher role, they would need another friend to agree to play the student role. They need each other. They would have to talk and agree on the roles and rules of this game to play. That's why growing these skills at an early age builds great long term social skills.
Role playing gives your students the chance to better their language skills too. This acting can introduce them to new vocabulary for them to use. This gives them the chance to practice using those new words and phrases in their proper context.
These school-themed printables gives your pretend school area an added touch. They are optional but should always be available for your students. These printouts are here to support your students' imagination. Put these printouts on some clipboards and watch your students act. As they pretend to be teachers, they can use the attendance worksheet to write down names. They can call out their friends who are playing the role of the student with them.
The ones playing the role of student can practice their homework worksheet. They can do this by writing their name, numbers, letters, etc, these worksheets are easy, fun, and encourage pretend play.
These printables are also developmentally appropriate for your students' learning. That's right! They help your students practice their fine motor skills. They can be used to practice writing their name as well as their friends, letters, etc... What a fun way to support writing! The best part about these printouts is that… it doesn't feel like learning! But don’t tell your students! Shhhh!
You now have all the ideas that you need to transform your dramatic play area into a school. Making these printables by yourself can take up too much of your time though. So save some time and effort by downloading the Pretend School Dramatic Play Theme from Pre-K Let's Play store. This download is awesome and will have your students excited to learn through play! It has 134 pages of printables, labels, signs, instructional pages, real classroom photos/examples of dramatic play for teachers to refer to, and so much more. The process is easy. It's simple. All you do is download, print, and prep. Grab the suggested props, set up your pretend play area, and let the fun begin!
What’s a school without books? Books are very important tools for everyone’s education. This is especially true for your students. Placing books throughout your dramatic play area is great for inspiring your students. It's good for their imagination. Also useful for when they role-play as a teacher or student.
Books help your kids understand its value as a resource for information about any topic at an early age. In this case, the topic is school. It would be best to fill your pretend area with books related to school. This encourages reading. It also helps your students learn more about school. As well as relate and share their experience of going to school.
So there we have it! These are the 8 tips you need to make your pretend school dramatic play area look like a real school. Enjoy!
]]>Setting up a laundromat in your dramatic play is fun.
Kids love to play pretend. It's fun for them in every way. They also enjoy playing and learning new activities. Laundry is an activity that kids will enjoy learning both at home and in school.
At home, many children watch their families do chores around the house. In fact, children can be so eager to help with these chores. As a result, many families let them help. Doing laundry is one of those chores.
That is why turning your dramatic play into a laundromat is a great topic for your students to learn about. They will enjoy sorting, washing, folding, and ironing. There are very many activities to do and lots of fun to have. My dramatic play laundromat resource can prove it.
In this blog, you will learn more about this resource. As well as the seven things that make a dramatic play Laundromat day a success. Let's get started.
Props and materials will make your students use dramatic play like a Laundromat. Without a doubt! These props and materials have to be creative. They also have to inspire your students to use their imagination. So when your students enter this play area, they should know that it's time to wash clothes.
That’s where pretend play props and materials come in. Of course, all props and materials should be safe for your learners. For sure! In my download, I have a list of props and materials that you can use to set up your laundromat dramatic play.
Make sure these props are within the reach and eye level of your students. It will keep them safe, and they will not need to climb things to get what they want.
Your dramatic play should have props that lead to learning activities. Props like clean clothes, empty clean detergent bottles, and laundry baskets, for example. Those kinds of props support the process of learning how to wash clothes. And folding too.
One way of making the most use for your props is by using props that mimic laundry use. For example, you can make iron out of a block. You do this by taking a picture of an iron and taping it onto a block. That way, your students can pretend to iron clothes after they practiced washing them.
Also, keep in mind to focus on getting materials that develop physical, social, and cognitive skills.
When it comes to learning physically in dramatic play...
Props help your students build fine motor strength.
Props help your students build fine motor strength. They can practice these fine motor skills in many ways. It's true. Folding clothes. Emptying pockets. Unbuttoning or unzipping laundry. Not to mention pretending to spray stains off with spray bottles. These are a few examples of how students can build this skill.
Dramatic play is all about social skills. This is where students learn how to share props and talk to others. Especially when playing in a group. Surely!
Pretend play props encourages your students to use language and become social. Preschoolers practice using their words to describe these props to their friends. They also like to talk about how they plan to use them for cleaning.
Your students will learn how to express what they want to each other. They will also like to ask you, the teacher questions about props and laundry. This helps increase their vocabulary. It also helps them see the connection between the name of the prop and its use.
Then there are cognitive skills. Your students can learn about stains. They can also learn about separating and sorting clothes by their colors. And how to wash them. So many ideas to choose and learn from through play.
Setting up your dramatic play area to look like a Laundromat should be the goal. This play area should get kids excited about doing laundry. One way to do this is by using your furniture for laundry use.
For example, I wrapped the backside of a furniture shelf with aluminum foil. Then I asked my students to help me make a circular door out of cardboard. Next, I attached it to the shelf to make it look like a laundry machine and dryer. Once I did this, my students knew that the theme of this dramatic play area was a laundromat.
A bulletin board display is another way to let kids know they are in this pretend play area to do laundry.
The way you display your laundromat in your classroom is important. You can make it fun by having shelves, plastic containers, hang lines, and baskets. For more tips, download this laundromat dramatic play resource. It's filled with ideas and images on how I set up my own dramatic play laundromat.
You can also visit your local Laundromat for more inspiration on how to set up.
You can find many signs inside real laundromats. Why not copy them for pretend play? Signs like "Open" and "Closed" will help your students understand when it is time to play in your dramatic play. They can also make the connection of how real laundromats have opening and closing times. Just like the dramatic play.
Signs help your kids see the use of certain areas inside the dramatic play. In my download, I added a “sitting area” and “clothesline” vocab picture signs. These signs help my students realize the use of chairs, clothesline, and clothespins. I'm sure this can help your students out too.
Signs help the children understand the purpose of reading and writing. This is great for building literacy skills. In this theme, you can find signs all around this pretend play area. You can even find them on pretend props, such as stain removal spray.
Signs help a lot in bringing up students' memories. They help them recall past experiences. This gives your preschoolers a chance to talk about their experiences doing laundry.
Placing signs in this dramatic play area is a great idea. They even help give students rules and directions. Kids often follow signs. It's like having an extra teacher. Signs show kids how important print is. That is why picture learning is fun and helpful for your students.
Labels are meaningful. They are print that makes your students connect items with their names. Your students will use the labels to talk about what they want. Place labels on every item on display.
Notice how the labels that I created are clear for students to see and read. For access to these labels, visit and download this resource at the Pre-K Let's Play store.
Your students should learn to make the connection between image and print. Labels can help with that. Doing this helps them become very confident and open to playing and learning.
Labels make learning fun. They also help students develop writing skills. In my resource, I also included picture labels without words. With your help as a teacher, you can use those labels to encourage your students to write in the words. Students love this because it’s their handwriting placed throughout the play area. They love to see that. This also makes them feel important and responsible for helping you.
Labels are also useful because they teach students how to organize. Put things back where they belong. Labels work as a guide to help your students practice self-cleaning skills. It’s like learning responsibility in a fun way. Besides, cleaning makes many students feel grown-up. We all know preschoolers love that.
Printouts have a lot of benefits in pretend play. They help your students practice their writing and fine motor skills. Printouts also give children a sense of responsibility in a guided way. In this case, their role and job is to wash clothes for pretend play.
In this instance, the kind of printout to use should relate to the Laundromat theme. That is why I offer a laundry list printout. Students use this printout to write their names. It is also used to count and write the number of clothes they plan to wash.
So learning without books is almost unheard of. Books can add a great touch to this pretend laundromat. You can use books that instruct how to wash. I have created and included books that focus on the steps people take when washing clothes. I also included different ways people wash their clothes all over the world. You can find these books in this download too.
You can provide young learners with different books and magazines. This is great to do as they wait for their clothes to wash.
If you can find books related to laundry or cleaning, then that's awesome. Great! If you can't, then that's ok too. It is. Placing different kinds of reading material is perfect for your students. It increases their imagination. It also makes doing laundry look as natural as possible. Certainly!
From books to magazines to pamphlets. It is a great opportunity to encourage your students to read and recognize print and letters.
Now you understand how dramatic play Laundromat works. I hope this inspired you to set up your own version in your classroom.
There are many other ideas of a Laundromat that you can create. Yet, coming up with ideas, props, signs, printables, and labels can be a problem. That's because it does take time. Doing all this at once can be overwhelming. From one teacher to another, I definitely understand. So why not save time and get access to all these and more? How?
Well, I want to let you know that this is possible. All you have to do is Teachers Pay Teachers store. Download this Dramatic Play Laundromat resource. I created this resource and still use it in my classroom. This download is quite helpful in giving you ideas for a creative and fun dramatic play setup. You will find real images and ideas of the activities that you can do with your students too. Enjoy and have fun teaching through play!
]]>
Pre-K let’s play has created a Pet Vet Dramatic play theme. Is there a doctor in the house? No need to worry. Your students will do. If you’re looking for a pet hospital, then you come to the right place.
Kids love to help and take care of animals. So bring all that care, fun, and imagination into the classroom. Do this by changing the dramatic play center into an animal hospital. Watch your students pretend to be doctors as they give the animals food and medicine. This pet vet theme gives students a chance to learn and practice many things. Especially literacy and fine motor skills.
Trust me. They won't be learning this in a boring desk setting. All this learning is happening through play. In fact, it's all happing in your dramatic play center. Continue reading and I’ll share with you 7 tips that you need to create a pet hospital in your classroom.
Props can be very useful for your dramatic play center. They encourage your students to use their imagination. Props also make your dramatic play area feel like a pet clinic. For this Dramatic play theme, feel free to add stuffed animals. As a matter of fact, it's best to place them throughout your pretend play area. Encourage your students to use these stuffed animals as pretend patients. The more variety of stuffed animals, the better.
I was also able to find and use real-life materials that pets often use. Students were familiar with many of these props. As a result, many students already knew how to use them. Animal cages. Dog bowls. Empty boxes of pet food. Pet toys. These are a few examples of props that you can use in your classroom.
You can find many props for your pretend pet vet at your local Dollar Tree store. In my download, I also offer a list of props and materials for you to create your own pet hospital Dramatic play.
Medical props are also great for helping students pretend to take care of animals. Try mixing toy medical props with real medical materials. Items like bandaids, cotton balls, and medical gloves are great for imaginative play. Your students will love using these props on stuffed animals to help them when they’re sick. They can use these props to fix their bones. Check the temperature too. Props are so fun to play with. Don’t forget to use the lab coats too.
Classroom decor is very important for your pretend play area. The goal is to make your area look like a pet hospital. Doing this helps your students become interested in playing the role of veterinarians. Also known as animal doctors.
Place items like props, books, drawings, and pictures of animals all over your pet vet clinic. These items are great for pretend play decor. Another awesome way is to provide a table for your young veterinarians. This is useful for students. They can use it when giving stuffed animals' medicine. Or when performing surgery and taking care of them as patients.
Here's another useful idea to make your dramatic play area look and feel like a pet vet clinic. Include an x-ray section. In this section, you can add a small table, a computer screen, and a keyboard. Place x-ray pictures of animals around the section. You can get animal x-ray pics for your classroom too by downloading this product.
Another way to add decor to the Dramatic play Veterinarian center is by using a bulletin board. You can use this board to display pet vet related crafts. In my classroom, we displayed x-ray crafts made by my students. they cut pictures of animals and used cotton ball swabs To represent bones. This display board definitely lets students know that this play space is a pet hospital.
Signs are also useful for making your Dramatic play pet vet center. Placing medical-related signs can make your students feel like they are in a pet hospital.
Signs like open and close will let your students know when it’s time to play in this area. It will also help them get familiar with those kinds of sight words. So next time when they see words like that somewhere else, they can read it with ease.
This is also great because as teachers you don’t have to be there to let them know when an area is open or closed. The signs confirm it for them. Your students will understand and follow the sign’s directions.
Signs are also useful for pretend play. They help support the imagination needed to play pet vet. For example, Here is a picture of one of my students using an eye chart. She is pretending to check the dog's vision. She is also identifying the letters on the chart. You can find signs like this and more for your students to play with. Go to the Pre-K Let's Play store and download this resource.
Signs also encourage writing. For instance, try creating a large sign for scheduling appointments. For the pretend animals. Your students will love this. This sign encourages them to use their imagination as pet owners and patients. And it also supports your students to practice writing their names. This also helps them identify numbers and time, and understand the use of time. The best part of all is that it doesn’t feel like learning. This is all through play.
Labels are another good resource to use. In fact, you should have labels if you want your dramatic play to look like a pet hospital. Labels are very important for children.
For starters, labels help students identify what things are. Your Dramatic play area may have items that children are unfamiliar with. This is an opportunity for them to ask and learn what these items are. As well as its use.
Labels help them build their vocabulary. These labels include a picture along with the word. That way they can identify the letters and words. They can associate the letters to the picture. For that reason, your students will also understand the value of reading prints. Not to mention its purpose as well. It’s best to place many labels under your pet vet items. They should be all over your dramatic play. The more labels, the better.
Labels also help them know where things belong. When they finish playing, they know exactly where to place the item. Labels show them. They also encourage kids to keep a Dramatic play clean. That way, students don’t need many reminders from teachers when it comes to organizing. Labels can help with that. This also helps them build a cleaning routine.
Kids love acting. It gives them a chance to pretend to be anything they want. That’s why adding role-play into your dramatic play pet hospital is a wonderful idea.
Role-play gives students a reason to use their imagination. For this theme, your students can pretend to be pets, veterinarians, or even the owner of pets. Included in this download are role play cards. These cards act as necklaces. Encourage your students to wear these necklaces. It will help them get more into character and pretend to be in a pet hospital.
Here is an example of one of my students playing the role of veterinarian. She is pretending to do X-ray research on animals.
Role play also helps your students talk. By acting out roles, your students will be improving their language. This is also great for building communication skills. In order for role play to work, your students have to talk to each other. This type of play allows them to use their imagination together. It also encourages them to work as a team and build friendships.
Printouts are great resources to add to your pretend pet hospital. They support your students' writing and creativity. For this dramatic play theme, I created pet vet forms. Your students can use these printable forms to help take care of the stuffed animals. This is also great to use while they role play as pet doctors. Your students will love to show their writings to their friends. Especially as they explain the health of the animals to them.
They can also use the printouts to decide what kind of treatment does the animal patient need.
Additionally, these Printouts give students a chance to practice writing. This is great for improving fine motor skills. Place writing materials and the printouts throughout your dramatic play. Your students will choose to write on their own. They’ll have so much fun writing. It won’t feel like learning for them. That’s the best part.
You now have an idea on how to create your own pet vet dramatic play area. Such a cool idea right? However, creating this can be time-consuming. So to save you some time, I created a pet vet dramatic play resource. I got you covered. You can use this product in your classroom with ease. Right away. All you have to do is download this product at the Pre-K Let's Play store.
This resource comes filled with 125 pages. These pages consist of printables, labels, signs, images to reference to, and so much more. All made and ready for you.
Follow these 3 steps: download, print, and prep. It’s that easy! Your students will enjoy this theme and have so much fun learning through play.
Books are awesome. Kids love them. Teachers love them. What’s not to love about them? Books are a bonus tip for this blog post.
Placing lots of books in your play area will definitely help make it look like a pretend pet hospital. All you need are books about animals. You can also include books that talk about the vet. The more books that cover these topics, the better.
Make sure you add nonfictional books into your dramatic play as well. These kinds of books are perfect for this theme. They provide real-life information. Not to mention real-life pictures that your students can relate to. Students can learn a lot from reading and looking at nonfiction books.
So here you go! 8 tips to create your own pretend pet vet hospital. Not 7, but 8! Enjoy and don’t forget to download this pet vet dramatic play theme from the Pre-K Let's Play store. Have fun!!!
]]>