DATELINE: DENVER! Early Education Excellence to share!
We're back home in our adopted palm trees and sunshine! I finally have some time to share some of our recent fun-on-the-road. Earlier this month we were in Denver long enough for me to present at two ECE conferences and spend quality time with our Rocky Mountain WonderPeeps (grandchildren.) How blessed am I?
We had planned sufficiently ahead to get on the agenda for our very own preschooler's calendar. The invite went out far and wide to join the fun! The 'sleeps' until the big show were dutifully counted and the plans were made.
Let me show you the idea that was hatched in response to my Valentine's Day school visit in FL. There the teachers and parents had the children create personalized Tshirts in honor of my first book, "You're Wonderful." What a brilliant idea! Now to spread that brainstorm! Here's what there beauties looked like.
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| Flashback to the Florida t-shirts! |
Under the watchful eye of our daughter-in-law, we recreated the same experience for our WonderGuy. I hope that you will ultimately be able to use and replicate this concept at your site, for your Wonders. I started off by drawing a template to be personalized. {Theoretically this is in a pdf format and I will ultimately list it above in the FREEBIES section. First I have to make a 'girl' version. Patience. I know. I know.} Take a look!
As you can see, we had fun creating a Denver Bronco version.
I got to cheer. He got to paint. A fun time was had by all!
Tempra paint was used for the clothing choices, plus the word 'WONDERFUL' was also painted letter-by-letter. Then permanent markers were used for the addition of the facial features, but I forgot to take any pictures of that later excitement.
Next mommy-Megan scanned the dried painting into her computer and added the border element to the design in that format. She knows just the product to make these REALLY work. I can't remember why, but she told me it best to use the DARK choice. (If you look in the lower left hand corner below, it says: DARK. This is item #3279 and purchased at most craft type stores.)
She has been making personalized 'onesies' since the kids began arriving, so she's a pro by now and had much insight. This is a full sheet iron-on 'decal' ready for application to the prewashed t-shirt.
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| The completed 'personalized t-shirt decal' ready for ironing on! |
And with that we could all go to bed for our final 'sleep' before the fun launched!
Here we are during the infamous introductory stage of our time together.
{Yes. Those are the two youngest Clements in our tribe of WonderPeeps.}
The theory was that Duncan might actually do the intros.
In the end Ms. Cindy, the center director did all of the honors.
It was too funny when she said, "I'd like you to meet Duncan's grandmother."
He looked up quickly and corrected Ms. Cindy and said,
"That's GeeGee."
We all giggled, waved at each other and began in earnest.
I got my first decade or two of experience spending about 90% of my time with preschoolers.
Now that I'm an 'author-illustrator' I get the VAST majority of my invitations to elementary schools.
Having the opportunity to return to my 'roots' is an honor and a delight.
No matter the location, I invite the participants to
"Close your eyes for the next surprise!"
There are MANY surprises!!!
I would be hard pressed to choose a favorite.
All too soon the fun together is over and I get to tour the facility, with the intention of sharing some of their Early Childhood EXCELLENCE with you here. There was so much to see, my camera could barely keep up with my snapping! Here are a couple of the views of the reading corners delineated with delight.
This one just screams spring to me!
Look closely at this amazing side of this length of the classroom. You will see there on the far left of the photo an INCREDIBLE original 'Mondrian' hangs joyously and was created by the youngest children in the entire program! Utterly glorious. The teeny children created their own single-color paintings on clear acetate notebook shields. Of course you can see that they used the primary colors for this experience. The collaboration was then taped together with wide black tape. VOILA! Mondrian!
I will need to add this idea to my Earlier Art History 101 article.
Look at this sculptural idea for your sensory table!
Fill it will strips and stripes of construction paper.
Add some scissors and glue sticks..........
Stand back and see what unfolds!
LUV LUV LUV LUV LUV it!!
Open-ended, PROCESS art: YES!
Fine motor development? YES!!!
Use up your bits and scraps? YES!!!!
PERFECTA!
I know that you like to see how your peers organize their classrooms.
That article on classroom organization is #2 on my All Time Hit parade of most viewed articles.
How cute are these individual student notebooks?
Standing at attention, waiting additions!
While I have your attention, I think you'll want to know three more links for this time of year.
Here's the one with dozens and dozens and dozens of Spring Arts Ideas.
This is the RoundUP of all things Mother's Day (Preschool + Kindergarten Ideas)
And finally, here's the link to my "End-of-the-Year" RoundUP
Have a great week!
Hope that I have added some inspiration from my travels!
By all means, can you help a girl out?
Please pin generously at every visit here.
Please pin generously at every visit here.
My invitation to present in Denver was as a result of my presence on Pinterest!
Your pin really makes a difference!
Thank you!
As a footnote, for anyone reading this in real time! I received a coupon from Shutterfly that is good today 3/30 until midnight. You get to choose your FREE gift from Luggage Tags, a photo magnet and personalized address labels. I am obsessed with these tags! Can't wait for them to come! Use the promo code: PICKME for your freebie!
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