Wings and things!

As I was going through past photos of this year on my camera card..I found the long lost photos of our insect jars!  This was such a fun activity and it incorporated nature/creativity!  I printed off the mason jar template from here: http://sweetlyscrappedart.blogspot.com/2011/07/mason-jar-i-love-mason-jars-free.html

Then, during our insects and garden unit,  our class went for a nature walk and collected all little sorts of nature artifacts in ziploc baggies.  I pre-labeled the baggies with their names and all my assistant had to do was pull out their nature bag when it was their turn for art. 

I love how precise this one is... This student is always very careful and takes time in whatever she does.. We visited our school pond and it looks like she made some lily pads in her jar! 

Students were encouraged to illustrate their own insects...

I love this student collected a little bit of dirt...she said it was in case her ladybug got hungry..HAHA! 

I picked this game up at a garage sale last summer..FOR A DOLLAR!  So much fun...the bees are in the hive..students take turns pulling out the leaf sticks..a few bees fall into the personal trays and students count their bees at the end! LOVE IT! 

SO FUN when I see skills being practiced in action!!  Candid photos are the best!! I save my old cell phones and put a few in the pretend center so students are encouraged to practice oral language skills.... I had this one Spanish only speaking student this year..He could talk up a storm on one of these old cell phones!

I've been trying to encourage writing in all of the centers...  interesting and unique writing utensils like crayola twist up colored pencils, gel pens, and these flower pens are fun ways to get students to WANT to write! 

"telephone"  leave a couple of these pvc pipes in a center.. and just see what wonderful things can happen!  

FLOWER POWER!! These grass styrofoam boxes were a display to hold mini pinwheels at hobby lobby..I asked the manager if  I could have them and he gave me four!  Students practiced flower arranging and fine motor skills in the sensory tub!