Learning Bottles - Removing the Labels

After much trial and tribulation, I have found a very easy way to remove labels cleanly from various plastic bottles. Here are the steps.

1. Choose the bottle that is the right size for your project:

                                                      

2. Rinse the bottle and fill it with the hottest water you can get from your water faucet and replace the lid tightly.  (The hotter the water, the better.)

 3. Slit the label and remove it carefully in one piece.

4. Often rubbing the glue area will remove much of it. A paper towel may be just abrasive enough to remove the residue. If not, do not scrub, you may scratch the bottle.

5. Use margarine to cover the adhesive residue. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Use a paper towel to remove excess margarine and residue.  Rinse the bottle (still filled with hot water) under hot tap water and dry with a paper towel. (If any adhesive remains, add margarine once more and let sit a little longer).

It works for almost every kind of bottle. So far I have not figured out how to get the black numbers off of the side of the soda bottles, but it does not seem to bother my kiddos at all. 

Be sure to dry the bottle completely (for several days) before filling it with dry ingredients like rice or  beans. It seems to work best on a dry rack rather than on a towel or paper towel. The air can then get in and the droplets dry faster. I have also put a dry paper towel inside the bottle and shaken in a circular fashion to get most of the droplets. If you use the papertowel method, I would still let it air out upside down at least over night so your rice or other dry ingredients do not mildew.

See the next post for learning ideas for these bottles.

Great books

Here is another cute but simple new book I discovered at the library today. I love books by Audrey and Don Woods. And "Blue Sky" does not disappoint. It would be great for talking about adjectives, introducing how to brainstorm, or just using your imagination.

Great new books

I love to go to our local public library to look at books (I know this is no surprise to any of you who know me.) We have a wonderful children's librarian named Mary Anne. When the library gets a new children's book, there is a yellow sticker affixed to the corner to let us know it is new. It then gets a place of honor on top of the children's book shelves. It is great fun to find a comfy chair in which to sit and read these new treasures. Today I found these new gems.

In this story, the little girl wants a dog for a pet. Instead her mom gets her a cat. She soon falls in love with her new pet ... Until the messes begin. The tiny kitty is blamed for messes that get bigger and bigger and harrier and harrier. As it turns out, we as the reader know that it is not the kitten making the messes...

This would be a really cute book for a writing activity. Students could choose a zoo animal to live at their house and tell of the issues this would cause. They could also be challenged to think of one positive scenario to having this pet, as the book Naughty Kitty does at the end.

Poor Shoe Dog finally gets a forever home complete with belly scratches and kisses. But he cannot revisit the temptation new shoes bring. Despite his owners best attempt to hide the new shoes, Shoe Dog finds them and the chewing begins. This is a great story of love and forgiveness and living with differences. The title page is listed below because the cover does not have the author and illustrator listed on it.

This book addresses the meaning of  "zero" in a numerous, playful way. 

Widgets

I am posting this to try out a new widget I installed on my blog. Let's see if it works.

Expanding my horizons

Please stop by my new professional Facebook page entitled KinderDawne.

Creative Cornerstones

Today I finished up my sessions at Creative Cornerstones. My half day sessions focused on Math instruction in Kindergarten and Preschool. I thoroughly enjoyed growing professionally as I shared ideas with others and gained new ideas from attendees as well. Today's session went really well. Thank you so much for your feedback and suggestions. Enjoy the rest of your week. Make the most of your time at Creative Cornerstones this year. Hopefully I will see you again soon.

Keep checking back as I continue to post more of the ideas that were shared this year. If you missed it, please consider joining us next year.

Original pattern block creations

This year my kids loved creating their own pattern block pictures. Each child was given one piece of paper upon which to build their creation. Using the ipad, we took pictures of their creations. They enjoyed copying each other's creations.

Next year we will make a book of their creations so they can recreate them even when the iPads are being used for other things.