August 4th, 2025

Last week in our classroom: garden/Flower Theme🌸

The past two weeks themes have been gardening and flowers.

Sensory table: This week’s sensory table transformed into a blooming garden bed—rich with textures, tools, and opportunities for pretend play! In early childhood, a bin of black beans can turn into a whole world!

filler (black beans)
small manipulative (Hobby Lobby faux daisy flowers)
an assortment gardening tools
Two planter type cups

Activities:

seed process art: Squeezing glue bottles may seem simple, but for toddlers, it’s incredibly motivating—and a great way to build hand strength while exploring creativity.
carrot handprint craft: There’s nothing better than hearing a toddler giggle as you trace their hand—“tiiiickles!” This one was full of laughter and sweet keepsakes.
sunflower names: This activity was a favorite for personalization! Some kids practiced just their first letter, while others proudly wrote their whole name before gluing on sunflower petals. A great way to differentiate and celebrate progress.
coffee filter flowers: A classic that never disappoints. The magic of the spray bottle always brings excitement—and creates the prettiest, soft watercolor blooms.
paper plate bingo dauber flowers: Let’s be honest—some crafts just don’t go as planned. This one was a flop, but we still had fun trying!
nature cutting: A huge hit! The kids loved inspecting real flowers up close, and it was the perfect hands-on lesson in how to use scissors safely and with purpose.

A tip from your preschool teacher!

Want to make your preschoolers first day even less scary before it starts? Here’s how we do it!

This year’s Back to School Scavenger Hunt is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom themed—full of playful surprises and meaningful moments for the whole family:

1- Goodie Bags ready for pickup a few weeks before the event! Inside you’ll find:
— Enrollment paperwork
— A themed cookie from @cookiesby.courtney
— Freebies from @tlgkalamazoo
— A little something for moms from @thebabecave.bfs

2- Photo Drop-Off
Families are asked to bring a special photo to help us build connection and comfort at the start of the year!

3- A B C you at Playschool Scavenger Hunt
Kids follow a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom scavenger hunt—stopping at some of the daily favorites like the sensory table, the playset, and more.

Because pssst…
A told B and B told C—this is where you're meant to be!

Download a free Back to School Parent Journal prompt by signing up for our blog above!

To this week from our partners: Welcome to playschool

A Peek Inside Our Playschool Space
While we’re gearing up to kick off our September partnership content, I thought it’d be the perfect time to share a little tour of the Playschool space!

✨ Dramatic Play Area
This space changes biweekly to match our curriculum themes. At the table, you’ll often find Duplos, wooden blocks, or Magna-Tiles for building. On the shelves, I always include dress-up items, fine motor tools, and pretend play materials—everything carefully aligned with the current theme to keep things fun, fresh, and purposeful.

📚 Reading Area
If you haven’t explored your local library lately, this is your sign! I do biweekly pickups of board and picture books that match our classroom themes. I also rotate in favorites from my own collection—because there’s truly no such thing as too many books.

🌈 Sensory Area
With freshly two-year-olds, sensory exploration happens under close supervision so I can monitor loose parts. We use a Battat Light Table for translucent materials like wooden blocks, and an IKEA Flisat Sensory Table filled with rotating materials—think black beans, scoops, cups, and themed sensory tools. This space is always a hit.

🎶 Circle Time Area
Each student sits on their “sit spot” as we use shakers, scarves, and our bodies to sing, move, and learn! Circle time introduces our weekly themes, builds vocabulary, explores letter sounds, and supports early speech development—all through music, movement, and conversation.

🛠 Playschool Helpers & Calm Down Corner
Toddlers love having a job—and our classroom gives them just that! Helper roles include Clean-Up Bell, Line Leader, Germ Police, and more.
Our Calm Down Corner supports emotional regulation with tools like sensory tubes, a weighted animal, and a visual chart of emotion strategies (like “ask for help” or “take a deep breath”). It’s a cozy space that helps toddlers name their feelings and learn how to work through them.

✋ High-Five Routine
Each morning, children start their day with a high-five routine! With help from their parents, they tap a button to hear a learning prompt—maybe a letter sound, rhyme, color, or affirmation—then trace it with their finger, say it aloud, and finish with a high five! This routine rotates a few times each week and sets a joyful tone for learning.

This space has come a long way in the last three years. It’s transformed into playschool and I am excited to see how the partnerships take this space even further with their expertise to make sure we are looking at the whole-child approach to learning.