"Dinosaur Romp" Active Song goes DIGITAL!

"DINOSAUR ROMP!"

YIPPEE!!! I have translated another of my original children's songs into DIGITAL format! In the zipped file you get an MP3 version of the song, a powerpoint format of the lyrics and some Pdf's for some fine motor dino fun. 

The song has a hard-driving beat. 

Think AC/DC goes to PreK.

Think T-REX on wailing guitar. 

You're going to need your air guitars for this one! 

Let me demonstrate my AIR Guitar for you. 

That's how you really wail. 

Throw back your shoulder and it howl. 

That's a dinosaur hat on my head from the dollar store....

so be on the look-out! 

Here's another Dinosaur hat variation. 

I remember finding this on a vacation trip in a novelty store. 

Be on the look out. 

As I ALWAYS promise you: 

"If you put something on your head, you will have more eye contact from the kids!" 

The best way to go on a Dinosaur Romp is to think of playing "Follow the Leader." 

YOU get to be the leader -- unless you invite me! 

Here is a classroom of PreK's with their air guitars 

and following along as we stomp through the prehistoric swamp.

Dinosaurs make the PERFECT art project. 

They lend themselves to 'interpretation.' 

Take a look at an entire Bulletin Board full of handpainted and PERSONALIZED Dinosaurs in the Preschool setting. 

True Confessions................ 

The zipped file is not quite zipped up. 

We have safely arrived in sunny DENVER!!! 

Got back here to Clement central around 'our' east coast midnight. 

Still need to get this together, but the RockieWonders are monopolizing my heart. 

Maybe later today?

Or more likely..... tonight after they go to bed! 

Yes. That's the plan.

Zip and upload after they hit-the-hay! 

Jungle Animals as Door Decorations in Preschool

JUNGLE (ZOO) ANIMALS & EXCELLENCE

Are you ready for some serious early childhood EXCELLENCE? These images are 'hot' off of my memory card from just yesterday. It has been a road-trip sort of weekend. I had the opportunity to speak for ACSI in Chesapeake, VA. The event took place in the midst of an incredible ECE building, We gathered together at the Greenbrier Christian Academy.  

Walking into the preschool commons, I was greeted with these three amazing 'decorated' classroom doors. Currently the program is doing an "Around-the-World" theme. I learned at the end of the day, that the teachers change their door decorations in response to the season and or their theme. I also learned that this is the second year for these beauties to be used (and hence the lamination -- making them glorious from year-to-year.) 

I knew that you'd want to have a close up of each animal's "face"....... so I was focused in my photo taking, on your behalf. ENJOY! Be certain to look at the eyelashes from animal to animal. These are even given a three dimensional effect. Such attention to detail! 

If you're brand new here, you don't realize my affection and enthusiasm for all things giraffe. {My second picture book is entitled "Tall Giraffe" and is base on the original song for children that I wrote by that title.} I presented my two break out workshops in the very commons area outside of these classrooms! Imagine how THRILLED I was to see this GLORIOUS creature. 

Of course I had to pose in my giraffe costume with such a perfect backdrop. 

Now take a look at the other two brilliant completed projects. 

Here are a few more glimpses of  goodies around their rooms. 

These headband animal crowns are absolutely classic!

These lovely "Z" is for Zebra projects were on a bulletin board in the Commons as well. I LUV LUV LUV that each child was given the genuine freedom to create their own Z!

I have two earlier articles here and here on my blog filled with jungle/zoo animal projects. 

You'll want to go back to take a look at all of those ideas. 

The first article is at this click and includes the monkey decorated door below.

Would you be a sweetheart and pin from this article? 

That's the way that folks 'find' me for the first time! 

Thanks!!!

I now have 145,000 followers at Pinterest. 

Plus this weekend I clicked over to my first thousand followers at Instagram! 

P.S. On our way back home from VA we were able to make a quick stop to see my parents again. 

Here are the four of us in the hallway at church this morning. 

We leave on Thursday for Colorado and that portion of the family. 

Mom. I put this together and know that you'll appreciate it, too! 

Snowflake Symmetry in Kindergarten + Anchor Charts

Symmetry! 

Symmetry in Snowflakes! 

Symmetry in KINDERGARTEN!!!

I just LUV LUV LUV seeing what children are capable of creating! 

These are simply stellar examples of what is possible. 

These beauties were on display on the classroom bulletin board in Texas. 

I had a chance to see them up close and personal earlier this month

during my author-illustrator school visit. 

Here's what the whole geometric snowflake collection looked like in the Kindergarten classroom!

An entire bulletin board of radial symmetry!!! 

FANTASTIC: each and every one. 

While I'm searching through the memory card of that visit, 

I found some other goodies! 

I'll need to add these to my earlier Winter anchor chart RoundUP.

Here's a little composite of all four of the Winter Poems! 

I'm guessing that you will also want to see these earlier Winter Anchor Charts.

In fact, I'll add these new ones to the ever growing collection.  

If you are REALLY into Anchor Charts, 

you're going to want to go back in time to this RoundUP of over 100 examples. 

Will you be a sweetheart and pin from my article? 

That's how people 'find' me! 

Thanks in advance. 

DREAMS Really DO Come True: FILMING!!

DREAMS, DREAMS and MORE DREAMS!!!  

How do I even begin to tell this story? Giving you the setting seems an appropriate way to begin. Today's installment of 'Dreams Really Do Come True' is set in central Ohio. We travel the roadways from my custom designed "Mother/FIL Suite" (in the lower level of the Daughter S home) to the Award Winning Horizons Production Company on the exact opposite side of Columbus, Ohio. 

And how pray-tell do I have this invitation to FILM? 

Go back three months in time to NAEYC in Washington DC last fall. 

Here are some of the power players from Zaner-Bloser taking me out to dinner to talk DREAMS! 

And why do I have this power dinner in DC? 

Go back years and years: to the time of creating the CD, 

"Debbie's Ditties 6 the Handwriting Mix."

Look closely at the bottom and you see the ZB logo! 

Yes. They commissioned me to create this project.  

We had 'always' believed that videos of the songs would be the perfect teacher support. 

It just took a while for the stars to align. 

And now they have! 

Take a look at our day of filming at Horizons! 

The end project/video is designed for four and five year olds. 

Just so happens that I have 2 WonderTwinzees that are now five! 

Guess who got to travel to the horse-barn studio and participate? 

THESE TWO! 

We got the day started by filming the footage to support one of my ALL time favorite ZB songs: 

"Top to Bottom." 

Mr. Eyelashes was the brave one -- and went first.

I stood off stage and acted as the 'prompt'....... 

follow the marching, jumping GeeGee. 

Little Red required very little coaxing to join the fun. 

I have a feeling the finished product will catch her rolling her eyes. 

She seemed to think that was required for film. 

Here's the three of us enjoying our efforts! 

Little did either little star anticipate.....

They received actual MONEY for their participation in this fun! 

MORE MONEY than they had ever seen before!!!

Moral #1? Do what you LUV the reward follow.

Next is my turn! 

A quick-change and I get my turn on the green screen backdrop. 

We are all in agreement that the denim jumper I concocted will show up.

The film crew has never seen anything quite like it. 

There are some pretty hilarious moments as we get underway. 

Hopefully all of those are left to our memory. 

A quick composite of the nonsense would make a fun personal blooper reel!  

Here's a couple shots for my mom & dad to print off for their fridge! 

And that was the conclusion to our morning 'work.' 

What comes next?

PLAY TIME! 

While waiting for the lunch chow to arrive, the littles got to play with the green screen. 

As far as I know this was literally just for super fun. 

I don't think any of this will make it into our finished project. 

That's Kathleen's grand-daughter, who was a production assistant, having fun. 

Mr. Eyelashes is wearing an adult green suit.

What an opportunity for each of them! 

After lunch we had our next child-actor arrive to get filmed. 

This is four year old Esther. 

She looks slightly shy in this still, but trust me. 

She was the VERY best at taking direction from me. 

Once she got warmed up -- there was no stopping her! 

The afternoon was spent with me filming two 'teacher talks' about the songs we filmed. 

This is the last of my DIVA DEBBIE DAY Film shoot. 

Me. 

Checking back through the footage, for last minute corrections. 

Not yet ready for prime time reality series... but such fun!

Here's our crew. 

Needed each and every.single.person. 

****Taking ALLLLLL of these photos is the unsung hero of the day. 

My daughter Sarah. 

She gets all of the credit for my hair and make up, 

AND served as photographer to document the occasion.

I guess that makes these my Village. 

The VILLAGE people! 

How many women does it take to teach me about my iPhone? 
We are attempting to send the photo above to email addresses. 
Alas. Something about a password has gotten gummed up? 
In any case. I LUV LUV LUV this photo! 
These are the two women who have made the entire day possible. 
From left. Kathleen of ZB and Cherie of Horizons. 

This is the final glimpse of Ohio gray as we pulled out of the driveway. 

Horizons. 

What a true treasure to PLAY at your barn! 

One final p.s. to the story. 

You may have seen the transformation of the denim jumper a la my paint brush. 

Turns out that I also needed to 'repaint' my shoes. 

They couldn't have any green showing. 

So here's the before and after shot of the shoes.

Everything that was originally green got painted orange. 

BTW: these are my "MONA" hand painted beauties.

I only get credit for the repaint. 

So here's one more Post Script. 

Mom: click on this link to see the Peeps dancing.

This after they were all finished. 

Scott came to get them and we were just having FUN!