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Halloween just ended and now the holidays are in full swing! And believe me, I know how hectic this time of the school year can be! By the time November hits, my classroom suddenly feels busier, louder, and a whole lot more unpredictable. The kids are excited, routines are thrown off, and attention spans seem to shrink overnight.  I love the holiday season, but teaching during it can feel like a juggling act. That’s why I’ve learned that the only way to survive the Thanksgiving season is to be prepared. I need activities that I can grab instantly—things the kids can do independently, things that keep them learning, and things that keep the classroom calm when the energy levels rise. The activities that help me the most this time of year are always the simple, hands-on ones. You can find the ones I created and use in my classroom here ! I know firsthand how overwhelming this season can get and how draining it feels to constantly think, “What am I going to prep for tomorrow?”  This bundle was designed to take that mental load off of teachers. They were created with the goal of helping teachers feel prepared rather than overwhelmed. It gives you a variety of literacy, math, fine motor, phonics, and writing activities that are all themed, all engaging, and all ready to print. So, continue to give your kids structure and something fun to focus on, and then give yourself some breathing room.  And hopefully, if you’re like me, you can look forward to starting that school break and kick your feet up and relax.  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

*This post includes Amazon affiliate links. That means if you click and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you.All opinions are my own, and I only recommend products I use and love. While October is often equated with fall and pumpkin themes, I like to always include the topic of fire safety . With Fire Prevention Week typically falling during the first week of October, I believe it's an important topic to cover with kids even as young as Pre-K! And it's not just stop, drop, and roll. We want to build early awareness that helps children make safe choices in every situations. First things first, we always discuss in length what a fire drill is. We create a chart with simple steps to follow and post it up in the classroom for students to read throughout the week. But more importantly, we practice it!!! If you need an idea of what steps to list out, here's what I write on my "Fire Drill" Chart: Stop what I'm doing. Quickly line up. No talking. Follow the teacher to the safe meeting spot. Stay until it's safe to return. It's important to elaborate on what each step means and to practice until students are comfortable with what to do. It's also great practice for me as a teacher to remember to bring our emergency go-bag and my class roster. I think it's great to have fire drills periodically throughout the year to ensure students remember what to do. Tip: I also encourage my parents to practice what to do if their families experience a fire in their home. Students love to come back to school and share their families' game plan of what to do. Of course, we read books that are on theme with Fire Safety. Here are a few of my favorites! I also highly recommend reaching out to your local firefighters to see if they can visit! Every year, we have them come out to speak with our kids about fire safety. They also show and teach us about the gear they wear and use. And of course, the kids get an up close view of what a real firetruck looks like! Here's also an activity idea include in your lessons that teach students about items that are safe or not safe to touch. They'll cut and paste various pictures to sort. It's great for independent work or to even come together to complete and discuss why items are safe/not safe to touch or play with. Fire safety doesn’t have to be scary — it can actually be really  fun and empowering! When we teach it with visuals, sorting games, and real-life connections, our students walk away with knowledge that sticks. If you implement any of these ideas in your classroom, let me know! I'd love to hear how it went or if you'd like to share any favorite activities your class likes to do for Fire Prevention Week. I always love getting new ideas to try. Happy teaching!

Looking for a fun and engaging way to practice counting and early math skills with your students? I’ve got something special just for you! Here is a set counting mats  that cover different seasons, holidays, and popular classroom topics . These mats are designed to make math practice hands-on, playful, and perfect for little learners. Here’s what’s included in this free resource: 35 Counting Mats  – pumpkins, apples, Christmas trees, ladybugs, beehives, pizza, and more! Numeral Cards 1–20  – practice number recognition with bold, clear numerals. Ten Frame Cards 1–20  – build strong number sense with visuals that make counting easy. 70 Addition & Subtraction Cards  – mix in extra math practice when your students are ready for a challenge. Why You’ll Love These Mats They’re hands-on  and interactive. Perfect for math centers, small groups, or independent practice . Great for differentiating — use numeral cards, ten frames, or math facts depending on your students’ levels. The themes keep things fresh and exciting all year long ! How to Get Your Free Set This entire resource is available FREE  when you join my email list. You’ll get instant access  to the 35 counting mats and all the number and math cards. Tip: Print, laminate, and reuse these mats again and again throughout the year. They’re classroom-tested, kid-approved, and will save you time planning math activities. I can’t wait for you and your students to try them out!

It’s October and fall is here! Even though it might not exactly feel like it since we’re still experiencing 80 degree weather some days here in Atlanta. I’m hoping cooler weather is right around the corner and will be here to stay.  It’s the perfect time of year to bring students outdoors for some hands-on learning activities! And here are some simple activities if you’re looking for ideas. Every year, our class does a field trip to our local park to go on a nature walk. You could also just take a walk outside the school building or on the playground. A nature walk is such a great way to connect with what we’re learning in the classroom!  We look for any signs of fall and have students collect leaves, nuts, pine cones, etc in a bag. And then we bring what we find back to the classroom. We’ll add some of our items to our science center. It’s a great way to build language as they get to describe what they found and how they compare to each other. We’ll also use the leaves we found and do a leaf rubbing activity. To do this, you place a leaf on the table and place a white paper on top. Using the side of an unwrapped crayon, gently rub across the paper over the leaf. The outline and vein details will start to show! Another great idea is doing a fall collage! Watch out with this one because kids can go crazy with the glue! But have them create a fall tree or a face or shapes.. Let them get creative with this one! But again, just keep a close eye on them with the glue! Sometimes, we even do a scavenger hunt! Students are given a clipboard with a checklist and team up to find various things - a leaf, squirrel, mushrooms, etc. My kids always enjoy this activity and it keeps them engaged!  I have the scavenger hunt here if you’d like to check it out!  I hope you find any of these ideas helpful! Fall is a favorite theme of mine to teach in the classroom. So, I love sharing any ideas that keep it simple enough, yet engaging for the kids. Happy Fall!

Hi friends! I’m so excited you’ve found your way to my little corner of the internet. If you’re a Pre-K teacher, parent, or just someone who loves tiny humans with big imaginations, you’re in the right place. This blog is where I’ll be sharing the resources, tips, and activities that I use every day in my classroom. My goal? To help make teaching Pre-K a little easier and a lot more fun. I’ll share: Hands-on activities that actually keep kids engaged Classroom hacks that save you time Freebies (because we all love those!) Real talk about what’s working—and what’s not—in my own classroom Teaching can feel overwhelming sometimes, but it’s also filled with so much joy. I’m here to remind you that you don’t have to do it alone—you’ve got a whole community of teachers who get it . So, if you're in, here’s to making bringing the magic in Pre-K, one activity at a time!