Why an Educational resource page on a Digital Scrapbooking Blog?? Good question and I hope the following links will more then answer it and give you tons of ideas for using up all that lovely Digital Scrap you have been ’saving’ for a rainy day’.
Why not? After all, I got into Digital Scrapbooking myself because, as a Qualified Registered Childcare worker in the Uk I wanted some new and fun graphics to help build up my rather boring stash of File Folder Games. What I found led me, eventually, to here and I’ve never looked back.
Not only did the Digital Scrapbooking community welcome me with open arms and teach me all I now know, it gave me a fabulous way to use up all my digi stash in a fun and unique way. The children in my care ranging from birth to 12 years just love playing all the homemade games and even better, participating in the craft of making them.
Although many of the sites I point you to are UK related, don’t let that put you off. Almost everything here is available all over the world or certainly adaptable to your needs so check out all the links and have fun.
You KNOW there was a good reason you were saving all those goodies, now you’ve found it.
Products created especially for Educational Use and site links to some great ideas. Remember, you don’t have to be in education to use these ideas. They work great for kids in all settings.
These are in no paticular order and are added as and when I find them. I hope you find something useful here. Create your own games using your digi stash. Enjoy.
File Folder and other Educational Games
My FF Games – Printable projects for pre-schoolers to 4th grade
Crafty Chic – File Folder Games and other activities
Make your own File Folder Game Tutorial
Christian Preschool Printables
Childcare Land – My FAVOURITE site. Great ideas, super regular content and wonderful customer service. I’ve never been disappointed.
e-how – file folder games
Amazon.com for File Folder Games
More to Come
You Tube Tutorials
Elijah File Folder Game by Christian Preschool Printables
Preschool Language Activities in Montessori : Letter Basket Montessori Activity
Preschool Montessori Activities : Playdoh Montessori Activities
Fine Motor Skills – Playdough Chain – From Shelly Lovett of ChildcareLand
Circle Time – Mystery Bucket – From Shelly Lovett of Childcareland
Beginning Scissor Skills Activity – From Shelly Lovett of ChildcareLand
Days Of The Week Songs – From Shelly Lovett of ChildcareLand
Learning Links Number Matching – from Shelly Lovett of ChildcareLand
Story Sacks
Story Sacks – The place it all began
How to create a Story Sack – About.com tutorial
French is Fun – Story Sacks supporting leaning French for youngsters – Scroll through the other resources here too. Lots of super ideas
Little Sheep Learning – Lots of ideas from how to make a story sack to what to put in them. Scroll through fro lots of other educational ideas too.
Below is a post I found relating to Story Sacks and how to make the most of them that I thought you might find interesting. Do check out the link for this ebay store as she has lots of super and very resonably priced story sacks. At the very least you should get some great ideas from this.
Go here for more on this site
People seem to understand the concept of Story Sacks when the sack revolves around a familiar story.I don’t think themed fabric bags are being optimised as a teaching resource in all area’s of early years basic provision.They can be much more flexible and allow the sack to be filled gradually and lead by childrens learning as a topic develops.
Here is a diary of how I have been using and filling my paw print fabric themed sack (sorry now sold out but other sacks are available in my e-bay shop ) during our current topic on animals.The focus for 2 weeks is pets and our role play area is a vets.
Last Thursday I announced that I was going to go to the RSPCA to get an abandoned puppy for nursery (obviously it wouldn’t be fair to have a real puppy but we wouldn’t tell our puppy in case he was upset to know he was a toy dog).We read at carpet time the QED book PUPPY which has great photographs and a section on ‘A shopping list for a new puppy’.I scribed the children’s ideas into a list and showed them the empty sack in which to keep the items.The children were bursting with ideas and we even got around to a list of possible names depending on his colour or pattern.We also discussed how we would have to treat him kindly as he could be frightened and how we would care for him-great PSHE.
Friday-We changed our small world table to be the puppy corner and looked at the items I had bought-basket, blanket, 2 bowls (because the book had said!) a tug and pull toy, collar, lead and all was ready…
Monday morning-On the table was a cardboard box when the children arrived.They quietly!! but excitedly gathered around the box.Inside was our pet (a life sized soft toy non threatening dog purchased at a carboot for £1 on the Sunday morning!)He was quickly named Sandy and he spent the day meeting the children and exploring the nursery.
Over the week he’s been taken to the vets.He’s had his injections and been sick on the carpet! So I have added to the sack as the week has gone on-a non fiction book on a vet and when we had read it Hairy MacClary Rumpus at the Vets (planned).With a flick of his lead Snady can be made to roll over for his tummy tickling.He’s even had his ball thrown to ‘fetch’ so I added a small photograpic book on dogs and trainning.I find it better to slowly add the resources to the sack.It can overwelm the learning intentions to present children with a filled to bursting sack at the beginning of the activity.
Tomorrow we are having a Pet Show and the children are all bringing a suitable toy pet to ‘talk about’ at group time and each child will be making a certificate for their pet and of course meeting Sandy.
On Friday Sandy will be missing.One thing I didn’t get was a disc for his collar.We are going to make lost posters and then a member of staff from main school is going to return Sandy mid session having ‘found’ him wandering without a disc.We will then make a disc adding the details he needs and laminate it.At carpet time we will review the week and
“Maybe it would be nice to have a cat too…?”
I have already started gathering my cat sack in preparation.
At the end of the topic the sack with all the items will hang in the role play area although I think this will become an outside sack once the weather improves.I think Sandy and his sack will be a great addition to our outside play.Throwing a stick anyone?
Update-Sandy and Murphy the cat were a great addition to our outside play over the summer.They joined ‘Baby’ ‘Picnic’ ‘Energancy’ ‘Builders’ and ‘Pirate’ outdoor sacks Both were frequently requested when not out.Lucky Sandy is fully washable as he got rather grubby!! I will certainly be repeating the experience in the future and have ideas for further sacks.
I sell a range of themed fabric sacks suitable for a variety of topics-animals, princess, elephants,transport which can be used a similiar ways.Search for me on the web.
I hope this post has given you lots of food for thought. many thanks to Jan of Sacks n Stories for this post.
Story Sacks uses – A PDF explaining what they are and how to get the best from them including suggested topics and Q&A for your Story Time.
More to come