Leprechaun Laughs

     This week, my kinder kiddos put their best thinking caps on to create the very best traps they could in an attempt to catch a leprechaun to get his beloved pot of gold!

     The traps were an optional family activity. I just LOVE what they come up with!

This one has a very intricate slide. At the bottom is a well with a chunk of gold at the bottom!

What leprechaun wouldn't like, "Free Lucky Charms"?

This trap has a huge rainbow lollipop, a real gold dollar coin and Lucy charms for bait. My kinder friend was awful glad he didn't actually "take" her special lollipop. 

This fancy contraption is that of my future mathmetician and/or engineer. I was shocked that the leprechaun got away from this one!

Ladders, cages, fences and trap doors galore!

Even the camo didn't trick that leprechaun!

Our special leprechaun did leave us a special, yummy kind of gold. (Along with quite a mess!)

What an exciting day it was. Many of us were just sure that the leprechaun was lurking about watching us, trying to trick us when we

left the room.

Ralph S. Mouse

     This month our school has participated in the "One School, One Book" project. We have enjoyed sharing the book "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" by Beverly Cleary with friends and family. This evening, families finished the last chapter. (My own fifth grader was sad when the book was over.)
     My kinder kiddos will be enjoying a special snack tomorrow for sharing the entire story with their families.
     I know they will be excited when they see these!

Ralph S. Mouse cupcakes.

New Friends

This year has gotten off to a great start! We are getting to know each other and building a community within our classroom. Here is one of the first class books we made together.

Each child sets a name puzzle. Some needed a model. Others did not. 

After setting the puzzle three times, each child glued his or her name

On the page.

Each child completed the page by counting the letters in his or her name 

and completing the sentence by adding the numeral. They also used their

Favorite colors to write the number again in the corner square.

I added decorative duct tape for strength in binding!

Interactive Number Line

During Creative Cornerstones this summer, a teacher in one of my sessions shared this wonderfully frugal idea. Jeanette Ladner used an empty lamination roll as the basis for this interactive number line. Each laminated number strip is wrapped around the tube and secured behind. This makes the numbers interactive, as you can push them forward and backwards as you count etc.

It would be perfect for addition problems too. If the problem was two plus three, the child could push the number flaps for two then push down three more to get 5. Of course, if you can use it for addition, then subtraction is also an option. 

It is perfect for comparing numbers as greater than and less them as well. The possibilities are endless!!!

Thanks Jeanette Ladner from Stow City Schools for sharing this great idea with me and giving me permission to share it on my blog!!!

Disappearing color experiment

After a day filled with Science at Creative Cornerstones, I opened Pinterest and this cool experiment was there.

Instead of mixing food coloring into water, this one shows you how to remove the  color from the water.

                                                To learn the directions for this experiment,
                                                      Click this link: disappearing color.
                                                            I can't wait to try it myself!

Networking with Teachers

Today was a Science filled day! It was fun networking with all of the PreK-K teachers at The Creative Cornerstones class. The participants were very helpful and supportive. I am thankful to one class participant, Heidi, for snapping some pictures of me as I did some experiments.

Making a rain cloud In a jar

Refrigerator Crystals

Rainbow in a jar

Napa cabbage is great for showing how leaves get/need water. This cabbage shows the colors really being soaked in colored water. I was surprised to find Napa cabbage was in our local Kroger store.

Procedures for these experiments will be posted soon!

Science Fair

Friday was the kindergarten Science Fair. It was a huge success!!! It was great to hear the kids each being the expert at his or her experiment. Last year a new member of our kindergarten team had a science background. She said that kindergrten kiddos can do science fair projects too. I had never really thought about it before. She was right!!! I am so glad she convinced me to do it. Now, I can't imagine NOT doing it. What a great experience!

Which color bird food is preferred by birds?

Peeps in different liquids

Gummy bears in different liquids

Which airplane flies the farthest?

Color mixing

Colored bird feeders, which is preferred by the birds?