Montessori-Inspired Spider Math Activities Using Free Printables

By Deb Chitwood from Living Montessori Now 

Many young children are frightened of spiders ... and many young children love spiders. Spider activities can be helpful in either case. Of course, Halloween is another good reason for spider activities. 

So, today, I'm sharing ideas for free spider printables and Montessori-inspired spider math activities. I had a post here in 2013 with Montessori-inspired spider activities using free printables. I couldn't resist adding some more spider activities today except with the focus specifically on spider math activities. And I have a post at Living Montessori Now with free spider printables. 

You'll find many activities for preschoolers through first graders throughout the year along with presentation ideas in my previous posts at PreK + K Sharing. You'll also find ideas for using free printables to create activity trays here: How to Use Printables to Create Montessori-Inspired Activities. 

At Living Montessori Now, I have a post with resource links of Free Printables for Montessori Homeschools and Preschools.  

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.  

My Spider Counting Book Free Printable: Spider Counting Book from Fun-a-Day 

My Spider Book (Image from Fun-a-Day)

For this activity, I used a Multicraft tray, washable stamp pad, and Crayola Twistables for drawing the spider legs. Use a stapler or whatever form of binding you like to make a book. 

Younger children could just make one page if they prefer. This printable is simply cute ... and so are the fingerprint spiders. So this is a great activity for young children with a fear of spiders.


Spider Counting and Transferring Activity

  Free Printable: Spider Numbers (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber) 

For this activity, I used a Multicraft tray, plastic spiders, toast tongs, and Bambu large condiment cup to hold the spiders. There are 72 spiders in the package, so there are plenty for this and the DIY spider cards and counters. 

This activity works well for younger children who are working on counting and transferring skills. Just choose one number and the corresponding number of spiders. 

 

My 2¾-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, loves transferring objects with tools like toast tongs. She thought this was lots of fun. 

For our floor work, we always use a Montessori Services hemmed work rug. 

DIY Spider Cards and Counters Free Printable: Spider Numbers (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber) 

For this activity, I used a a Multicraft tray, 55 plastic spiders, and a Melissa & Doug wooden box to hold the spiders. 


 

I like to lay out my numbers and counters in the traditional Montessori way of rows of two counters with a left-over counter centered below the bottom row. This gives a visual impression of odd and even. For more about creating DIY numbers and counters and a link on how to present the lesson, check out my DIY Cards and Counters post.  

Spider Web Lacing 1-25 Free Printable: Spider Web Lacing 1-25 from Making Learning Fun 

For this activity, I used a bamboo plate holder and black yarn (7" x 25 plus a bit more). One of the plastic spiders could be added to the finished web. 

This is an advanced lacing activity but very cool!  

Spider Skip Counting Puzzles

  
Free Printable: Spider Skip Counting Puzzles by Kim from Life Over C’s at Creative Family Fun 

For this activity, I used a pencil box to hold the puzzle. There are a variety of puzzles in the pack, so pick the level appropriate for your child or students.  

Roll and Draw Spiders Game Free Printable: Printable Roll and Draw Spiders Game from Childhood 101 

I like that this is a mixture of math, science, and drawing. I think this would make a nice multi-age cooperative game by having one game board where the younger children can count the dots and older children can draw the spiders.  

Spider-Themed Puzzles for 2-Digit Addition Free Printable: Spider-Themed Puzzles for Double Digit Addition from Life Over C’s 

For this activity, I used a multicraft tray, piece of felt, golden beads from Alison's Montessori (you could use the tens and colored bead bars if you prefer), a Montessori Services basket to hold the tens, and a smaller container I have for the ones.

  

(Note: The layout doesn't show the step of putting the tens and ones together to find the total.) I would have the child complete the puzzle after adding the beads as a control of error (way to check the work).

More Free Spider Printables

Go to my post at Living Montessori Now for links to free spider printables from around the blogosphere: Free Spider Printables and Montessori-Inspired Spider Math Activities. And be sure to subscribe to my email list if you'd like to get an exclusive free printable each month (plus two more awesome freebies right away): Free Printables.

Helpful Post with Animal Classification

Montessori Animal Classification

Halloween Posts at Living Montessori Now + Halloween Pinterest Board

• Montessori-Inspired Pumpkin Activities, Homeschool Halloween
• Montessori-Inspired Pumpkin Unit
• 25+ Montessori-Inspired Halloween Activities
• Halloween Grace and Courtesy, Montessori-Inspired Friendly Ghost Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Halloween Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Skeleton Activities
• Free Spider Printables and Montessori-Inspired Spider Activities
• 20 Pumpkin Phonics Activities
• Free Halloween Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
• Halloween Activities for Montessori-Inspired Themes and Parties
• Montessori-Inspired Pumpkin Hammering for Toddlers
• 20+ Pumpkin Hammering Activities for Preschooler
• Free Skeleton Printables and Montessori-Inspired Skeleton Activities
• Kids’ Halloween Activities Pinterest Board

If you'd like to focus on manners with children, please check out my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to Teach Grace and Courtesy! It's written for anyone who'd like to feel comfortable teaching manners to children ages 2-12. I'm also one of the coauthors of the book Learn with Play – 150+ Activities for Year-round Fun & Learning!

Happy fall! :)

Deb Chitwood is a certified Montessori teacher with a master’s degree in Early Childhood Studies from Sheffield Hallam University in Sheffield, England. Deb taught in Montessori schools in Iowa and Arizona before becoming owner/director/teacher of her own Montessori school in South Dakota. Later, she homeschooled her two children through high school. Deb is now a Montessori writer who lives in San Diego with her husband of 41 years (and lives in the city where her kids, kids-in-law, and toddler granddaughter live). She blogs at Living Montessori Now.

HOW TO ENGAGE A CHILD'S BRAIN and More!

CREATIVE BRAIN DEVELOPMENT OF OUR CHILDREN
Introducing iBG
Intellectual Brainwave Games

Hello again!  I'm so grateful you chose to spend some of your time visiting my blog. Back in 2001, when I founded the F.A.M.E. Foundation, now known as the Global Learning Foundation, one of

the first sets of strategies I created were unique physical brain games that went along with the rhythm of very specific music. As I began to play these games with young children, I noticed they loved the physical activity and teachers noticed they were more focused after playing them. We did some research and we found improved performance in many areas. Enjoy the image below of some brain games and this short video from me to each and every one of you!

A Storytime Session, led by Enrique at Make Way for Books in Tucson, AZ, which quite often begins with iBG, Intellectual Brainwave Games to help everyone enter their optimal zone for learning... and get some exercise!

Here's a quick glimpse of the research we first documented which helped our Foundation create a name for itself. Today we continue to research the impact of these proven brainwave games.

People kept asking me to make videos and I thought, I don't want my face on a video playing these brain games.... and I thought about it for years while I kept creating these brain games.  

That's me! And I stuck to my guns... I am not the face of
these videos...whew!  Just not play-based enough.

Today there are 324 of them!  We've been crossing our mid-line in time with specific classical music with specific frequencies and there has been a lot of learning, laughter and the creating of a natural desire to learn!

Since 2001, over 85,000 children and families have experienced our many strategies, including iBG, but only with the live format.  Together with many of my colleagues and their children we used these brain games to:

• Create a more alert learner at any age
• Improve cognition with young children ages 3 - 6
• Improve patterning skills with young children ages 3 - 12
• Create short and enjoyable brain breaks for any learner
• Remind adult learners how to elevate their energy and create new messages for their brain
• Help all learners of all ages reduce their stress level.

The challenge for many of us who present around the country is there is only one of us, yet I knew these brainwave games needed to be accessed by any family, school or organization.  My 92-year old mentor who just recently passed away, was also insistent with his question "How do we get IT out there?" About a year ago while in a meeting with one of my creative teams, we were creating the first of a new series of children's books titled Sam the Ant. 

Daughter/Father Co-authors of Sam the Ant Series,
Sam Sierra-Feldman and Enrique Feldman

Illustrator Abe Mendoza and his wife.

I mentioned the brainwave games and an idea for the videos, so simple yet profound, came to me. I said, "Why don't we animate Sam the Ant and have the Ant be the face of these Brain Games. It felt playful, honoring and like the beginning of a new journey. And so we have done exactly that. Here's the first time I have ever shared this image with anyone! 

Sam the Ant comes to life in 3D real time with iBG.  The Sam the Ant team are big fans of perspective building and
as you can see, that grass looks more like a forest of grass!

How do you play these brain games?
Simply open the videos and follow Sam the Ant's lead as you:

• Cross your midline
• Do that in time with the classical music
• Start from easy brain games and move up the challenge levels
• Change the speed of the video to slow it down or speed it up

Sam the Ant in the middle of a brain game.  Each video is short and designed to help your child get off the technology and use their own body.

Today these games are known as iBG, Intellectual Brainwave Games, and guess what?!   It is an online platform that allows you to access brainwave videos that are designed to take the young learner or old learner OFF the technology.... as a friend of mine said, from Online to Offline.

The Co-Author of the Sam the Ant books, Sam Sierra-Feldman
 back when we started this journey in 1998!

I find some key elements of this journey truly amazing. When my daughter and I began creating the Sam the Ant stories, I didn't realize it would lead to these brainwave games. If we had not followed our curiosity, and if I had not paid attention to my daughter's interest in creating original stories, who knows what might not have happened. 

Sam the Ant demonstrates a simple brain game.

Children mimic a simple brain game, or is it so simple?  It's food for
your brain!

I'm so pleased that children love both the videos and playing the brain games off the video.  The images to the left are a great example of how the movements shown by Sam the Ant, become physicalized by the learner, in this case, young children.  Some of these look simple, but not all are...lol!

Which videos do I use for children and which for adults?

Numbers 1 - 4 are for young children, and number 5 is for adults.  When you experience number 5, you will experience what a young child feels like when they are playing games 1 - 4.

The first 5 games are the original 5 and more will be coming out.  Watch each short video (15 - 20 seconds), ideally with a young child, and copy what the Ant is doing.  As was pointed out earlier,you can even choose your speed.  Soon, there will be brainwave game videos for all ages and you'll be able to create your own iBG playlist.

iBG being used with adult leaners! Creating new messages for our brains wakes us up from our routine adult lives
and creates a different energy that improves how we do whatever it is we do.... such joy!

Today is the first day you can actually purchase these brain games for a school, a center and even for your own use, and it's extremely affordable for individual users. A big thank you to our first school user, Outer Limits Preschool!

"I'm so excited to be the face of iBG!"

But what if you're not a school?  The school license would not be affordable for an individual. For a limited time, we am offering the first set of brain games for $11.99 a year, which comes out to less than a $1 per month. You can begin engaging your young children in your home and begin to build their brain in a very playful and relevant way!

Sam the Ant is all about following your curiosity
and helping others.

With recess being lessened (and it needs to be put back in!), and the general level of attention span diminishing, these videos are based on the live playing of the brain games.  Actually, the point of these brainwave videos is to help you and your child learn how to play them and then play them whenever you want.  We'll keep adding brainwave videos and you can keep expanding the capacity of your child's brain... and your own!

All you have to do is click on our Sam the Ant website and you'll be on your way. Over time you'll continue to receive more brainwave games.

For schools who purchase the school license, my Foundation is offering heavily discounted professional development workshops, and in some cases, waive the cost completely! If you are wanting more information on this, please click on my public speaking website and fill out the contact info and I'll be in touch.

We also want to thank Barnes & Noble and Mildred and Dildred's Toy Store for there support of all things Sam the Ant!  For the many upcoming events, click here!

Thank so much and now it's time to feed your brain!
Enrique C. Feldman
Creator, iBG
Co-Author, Sam the Ant Children's Book Series
Founder, Global Learning Foundation
Performing Artist and Composer
Producer, Kaleidoscope
(Music for Children)


Free Bonus Resources
Sam the Ant videos for improved critical thinking and creative problem solving.  Just click here! There are currently 13 videos and 17 more to come.  Each one is 15 - 20 seconds long and offer you an authentic opportunity to engage young 
learners with great questions.

Illustrator Abe Mendoza creates the images of Sam the Ant for our videos and books!

Make A Teacher's Day! Random Acts of Kindness For Your Favorite Teacher

Hi! I'm Ayn and I am a Ga. Pre-K teacher, serving 4 and 5 year olds in an inclusive setting. I share my classroom adventures on my blog, little illuminations.


Do you ever have a bad day? A bad week? I sure do! It seems that it has been one thing after another for the last couple of weeks! 

We started back to school and our building was undergoing a re-model. Most of the school is staying the same, but we are adding on and the addition is connected to my classroom. This meant cutting a small portion of my classroom to make a hallway for the new classroom. As with any re-model, things have not gone exactly as I had hoped, and the workers, trying to work around my teaching schedule, have had to come in after class hours. Often times (sometimes more than once or twice in a single day, almost every day, for the last few weeks) that has meant moving part of my classroom so the workers could have access. It has entailed dust, noise, distraction and many other annoyances. Can you spell S-T-R-E-S-S????? As I am trying to get my classroom ready for the new school year bulletin boards have come down and been moved. My areas for learning centers have had to be flexible because the electrical outlets are not all working while the electric has been worked on for the new room. 

It's been tricky getting a new group of kids on board with our routines and putting things in their places when things have been changing on a daily basis. BUT, I'm a teacher ---I can be flexible! (Or I try to do a good job of faking it, anyway!) I try to see things with a glass half-full perspective. It is a GOOD thing that our other Pre-K class will be getting a much larger room, the same size as the one I've been blessed with these last few years. It is a GOOD thing that we will have another class for our one year olds and we will be able to accommodate many of our families. My kids are loving, kind and excited about learning and they keep my bucket full. 

We've been looking forward to this past Friday as having most of the work done and we were scheduled to have a half day as a scheduled teacher workday. Yayyyyy! We were finally going to get our room in order. But wait. Not. So. Fast. It turns out that we were getting new (and much needed) carpet for our center. The workers would be coming in over the long weekend to put it down. Translation: instead of putting the room in order, we would pack the ENTIRE room up and move it up and out so the carpet could be laid. Then, Tropical Storm Hermine showed up on the scene. The Emergency Preparedness folks in our area suggested that we cancel school for students due to a threat of high wind. The upside is that we would have the full day as a teacher workday to pack the room up. (I was trying to keep a happy face on it but honestly, my bucket was beginning to leak.) 

Last month I was working on a post I thought was going to be pretty great. While doing that, I was making several "freebies" to go with the post. Just before the post was scheduled, I came across some really great things that I decided to share instead. I thought that I would add more great "freebies" and share them this month. I have been working on these all month and have been very excited to share them here with you. I was planning to add the finishing touches this weekend and schedule the post for today. Sounds great, right?

When I got home Friday evening, my computer started having one of those no-good-very-bad-days of its own. It went bonkers! I had my technician work on it all weekend. When I got it back Monday evening, I was told it was a good news, bad news situation. The good news was that the computer had been saved. It was restored to the condition I bought it in. The bad news is that it was in the condition I bought it in. Every file, picture, document, etc, that was on it was gone. Microsoft Office was gone. All the major applications that I use regularly---GONE.  (All those delicious "freebies" that I have worked on for the last month? Well, those are gone, gone, gone, too.)  

So I got up Tuesday morning and put on my "big girl pants" and went to school VERY early so I could put my room back together. I walked in and the carpet was BEAUTIFUL! My lights in the classroom had been switched out and I had bright, beautiful light in my room! I went to work putting the room in order again. (For the umpteenth time, but who's counting? ;) And then, someone did something nice for me. A small something. It wasn't much, but it made me feel better. It made me smile. I came home and this meme was the first thing I saw when I turned on my computer. 

from the No-Exceptions.org facebook page

Is all that other stuff what is important? It's stressful, yes. But in the grand scheme of things, is it REALLY important? And I realized that it doesn't take much to make someone's day. Someone can be having a REALLY "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" and one small something can turn it around for them. It is IMPORTANT to do good deeds for others. It makes them feel great and it can also do a world of good for the person doing the good deed.

The start of the school year, holidays and Teacher Appreciation Week are when many people think about doing something nice for teachers but random kindness is a GREAT way to show you care. Whether you are a parent and you'd like to show appreciation for your child's teacher or you are a teacher who wants to show a little love for a fellow teacher, here are a few simple things that don't take much to really brighten that teacher's day:

• A smile and a few kind words in the morning are a GREAT way to make a teacher's day!
• Offer to help in the classroom. You can read a story, cut things out, put up a bulletin board or even help with small group work or projects. Whatever your talents are, I'm sure your teacher will appreciate it!
• Send in school supplies. You always hear about how much money teachers spend for their classroom. Here's a secret: Every teacher LOVES Sharpies and colorful Post It notes! Or, take note of what items your teacher seems to use a lot. Does she tend to use a certain type of pen? Pick one up next time you are in the store. Or make a little "bouquet" with a few Post-Its, some pens, crayons and pencils!

• Candy! It doesn't have to be a big box of fancy chocolates! A candy bar with a sweet note attached can start a day off on a positive note and give the teacher something to look forward to later when she/he needs a little pick-me-up. I've had students bring me a single Hershey's kiss and that simple gesture went a long way in making my day brighter.
• A cup of coffee or a cool drink on a hot day. One parent brought us Sonic slushies on a really hot afternoon. It came up in my "Facebook Memories" last week. It has been several years, but when I saw the post, I smiled all over again. 

• A little snack. I once had a parent bring a HOT Krispy Kreme doughnut to me in the middle of the day. She said she was driving by and the "HOT" sign came on in the window and she couldn't resist driving through and picking one up for me and my assistant. Wowsers! 
• Bring in lunch! Something delicious is always a treat, especially when a) you don't have to cook it yourself and b) it's not cafeteria food!
• Flowers! A surprise bouquet is always a treat, but a quick snip of a flower from your garden will certainly brighten her day, too!

• Fruit baskets and Edible arrangements are nice, too! This one made my day and I still remember how yummy it was even though it has been a few years!

• A cute cup to carry drinks from home.

• A picture of the class with handwritten names on the matte. I have gotten several over the years and I love each one!

• Ask your child and their class mates what they love about the teacher. Make a video, card or poster with the responses. This will be a keepsake more precious than the most expensive gift money could buy!
• Spread the kindness! Encourage others to shower the teacher with little acts of kindness to make a truly special surprise!

These last 3 are BIG!!!    REALLY, REALLY BIG!!! And here's the thing....they are free. Completely free. BUT, they are sure to be some of the BEST ways you can show your appreciation and share a bit of kindness. Are you ready?

• Write a letter to teacher letting her know how much you appreciate her. Write from the heart and you will make her heart swoon. The "warm fuzzies" will last for days. Seriously. FOR. DAYS.!!!
• Write a letter to her administrator or principal. Let them know how much you appreciate her. Often times the administrators mostly hear from parents with complaints. Now you've made TWO people's day! (Don't forget to send the teacher a copy of the letter, too!)
• The Golden Apple. If you REALLY think the world of your child's teacher, nominate her for an award. Most towns have some sort of local award to recognize great teachers. The one in my area is called The Golden Apple Award. Teachers are nominated by families and recognized for their hard work and dedication. At the end of the year, there is an awards ceremony and a black tie banquet. It is truly a special recognition. Even if you have the GREATEST teacher in town and you think surely someone must have nominated them before, send a letter of nomination. I have a friend who got a Golden Apple Award after many years of dedicated service and teaching hundreds of students. It was well known that she was "the" teacher everyone always requested. It turns out that several families over the years thought of nominating her but didn't because they assumed she was so fabulous that someone else must have nominated her before. Finally someone did! It really made her year and has been an honor that lasts a lifetime!

I encourage you to make a teacher's day! Go big, go little, but show you care. We have way too many good teachers who are leaving our profession and we need to keep the great ones around! Remember, this is the person who loves and cares for your child for most of the day while they are away from you. Your Random Act Of Kindness can make a HUGE difference and in the end, you'll feel pretty good, too! 

Stop by and visit me anytime at littleilluminations.blogspot.com or visit the little illuminations fanpage on facebook! And be sure to check out PreK+K Sharing EEE!

Make A Teacher's Day! Random Acts of Kindness For Your Favorite Teacher

Hi! I'm Ayn and I am a Ga. Pre-K teacher, serving 4 and 5 year olds in an inclusive setting. I share my classroom adventures on my blog, little illuminations.


Do you ever have a bad day? A bad week? I sure do! It seems that it has been one thing after another for the last couple of weeks! 

We started back to school and our building was undergoing a re-model. Most of the school is staying the same, but we are adding on and the addition is connected to my classroom. This meant cutting a small portion of my classroom to make a hallway for the new classroom. As with any re-model, things have not gone exactly as I had hoped, and the workers, trying to work around my teaching schedule, have had to come in after class hours. Often times (sometimes more than once or twice in a single day, almost every day, for the last few weeks) that has meant moving part of my classroom so the workers could have access. It has entailed dust, noise, distraction and many other annoyances. Can you spell S-T-R-E-S-S????? As I am trying to get my classroom ready for the new school year bulletin boards have come down and been moved. My areas for learning centers have had to be flexible because the electrical outlets are not all working while the electric has been worked on for the new room. 

It's been tricky getting a new group of kids on board with our routines and putting things in their places when things have been changing on a daily basis. BUT, I'm a teacher ---I can be flexible! (Or I try to do a good job of faking it, anyway!) I try to see things with a glass half-full perspective. It is a GOOD thing that our other Pre-K class will be getting a much larger room, the same size as the one I've been blessed with these last few years. It is a GOOD thing that we will have another class for our one year olds and we will be able to accommodate many of our families. My kids are loving, kind and excited about learning and they keep my bucket full. 

We've been looking forward to this past Friday as having most of the work done and we were scheduled to have a half day as a scheduled teacher workday. Yayyyyy! We were finally going to get our room in order. But wait. Not. So. Fast. It turns out that we were getting new (and much needed) carpet for our center. The workers would be coming in over the long weekend to put it down. Translation: instead of putting the room in order, we would pack the ENTIRE room up and move it up and out so the carpet could be laid. Then, Tropical Storm Hermine showed up on the scene. The Emergency Preparedness folks in our area suggested that we cancel school for students due to a threat of high wind. The upside is that we would have the full day as a teacher workday to pack the room up. (I was trying to keep a happy face on it but honestly, my bucket was beginning to leak.) 

Last month I was working on a post I thought was going to be pretty great. While doing that, I was making several "freebies" to go with the post. Just before the post was scheduled, I came across some really great things that I decided to share instead. I thought that I would add more great "freebies" and share them this month. I have been working on these all month and have been very excited to share them here with you. I was planning to add the finishing touches this weekend and schedule the post for today. Sounds great, right?

When I got home Friday evening, my computer started having one of those no-good-very-bad-days of its own. It went bonkers! I had my technician work on it all weekend. When I got it back Monday evening, I was told it was a good news, bad news situation. The good news was that the computer had been saved. It was restored to the condition I bought it in. The bad news is that it was in the condition I bought it in. Every file, picture, document, etc, that was on it was gone. Microsoft Office was gone. All the major applications that I use regularly---GONE.  (All those delicious "freebies" that I have worked on for the last month? Well, those are gone, gone, gone, too.)  

So I got up Tuesday morning and put on my "big girl pants" and went to school VERY early so I could put my room back together. I walked in and the carpet was BEAUTIFUL! My lights in the classroom had been switched out and I had bright, beautiful light in my room! I went to work putting the room in order again. (For the umpteenth time, but who's counting? ;) And then, someone did something nice for me. A small something. It wasn't much, but it made me feel better. It made me smile. I came home and this meme was the first thing I saw when I turned on my computer. 

from the No-Exceptions.org facebook page

Is all that other stuff what is important? It's stressful, yes. But in the grand scheme of things, is it REALLY important? And I realized that it doesn't take much to make someone's day. Someone can be having a REALLY "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" and one small something can turn it around for them. It is IMPORTANT to do good deeds for others. It makes them feel great and it can also do a world of good for the person doing the good deed.

The start of the school year, holidays and Teacher Appreciation Week are when many people think about doing something nice for teachers but random kindness is a GREAT way to show you care. Whether you are a parent and you'd like to show appreciation for your child's teacher or you are a teacher who wants to show a little love for a fellow teacher, here are a few simple things that don't take much to really brighten that teacher's day:

• A smile and a few kind words in the morning are a GREAT way to make a teacher's day!
• Offer to help in the classroom. You can read a story, cut things out, put up a bulletin board or even help with small group work or projects. Whatever your talents are, I'm sure your teacher will appreciate it!
• Send in school supplies. You always hear about how much money teachers spend for their classroom. Here's a secret: Every teacher LOVES Sharpies and colorful Post It notes! Or, take note of what items your teacher seems to use a lot. Does she tend to use a certain type of pen? Pick one up next time you are in the store. Or make a little "bouquet" with a few Post-Its, some pens, crayons and pencils!

• Candy! It doesn't have to be a big box of fancy chocolates! A candy bar with a sweet note attached can start a day off on a positive note and give the teacher something to look forward to later when she/he needs a little pick-me-up. I've had students bring me a single Hershey's kiss and that simple gesture went a long way in making my day brighter.
• A cup of coffee or a cool drink on a hot day. One parent brought us Sonic slushies on a really hot afternoon. It came up in my "Facebook Memories" last week. It has been several years, but when I saw the post, I smiled all over again. 

• A little snack. I once had a parent bring a HOT Krispy Kreme doughnut to me in the middle of the day. She said she was driving by and the "HOT" sign came on in the window and she couldn't resist driving through and picking one up for me and my assistant. Wowsers! 
• Bring in lunch! Something delicious is always a treat, especially when a) you don't have to cook it yourself and b) it's not cafeteria food!
• Flowers! A surprise bouquet is always a treat, but a quick snip of a flower from your garden will certainly brighten her day, too!

• Fruit baskets and Edible arrangements are nice, too! This one made my day and I still remember how yummy it was even though it has been a few years!

• A cute cup to carry drinks from home.

• A picture of the class with handwritten names on the matte. I have gotten several over the years and I love each one!

• Ask your child and their class mates what they love about the teacher. Make a video, card or poster with the responses. This will be a keepsake more precious than the most expensive gift money could buy!
• Spread the kindness! Encourage others to shower the teacher with little acts of kindness to make a truly special surprise!

These last 3 are BIG!!!    REALLY, REALLY BIG!!! And here's the thing....they are free. Completely free. BUT, they are sure to be some of the BEST ways you can show your appreciation and share a bit of kindness. Are you ready?

• Write a letter to teacher letting her know how much you appreciate her. Write from the heart and you will make her heart swoon. The "warm fuzzies" will last for days. Seriously. FOR. DAYS.!!!
• Write a letter to her administrator or principal. Let them know how much you appreciate her. Often times the administrators mostly hear from parents with complaints. Now you've made TWO people's day! (Don't forget to send the teacher a copy of the letter, too!)
• The Golden Apple. If you REALLY think the world of your child's teacher, nominate her for an award. Most towns have some sort of local award to recognize great teachers. The one in my area is called The Golden Apple Award. Teachers are nominated by families and recognized for their hard work and dedication. At the end of the year, there is an awards ceremony and a black tie banquet. It is truly a special recognition. Even if you have the GREATEST teacher in town and you think surely someone must have nominated them before, send a letter of nomination. I have a friend who got a Golden Apple Award after many years of dedicated service and teaching hundreds of students. It was well known that she was "the" teacher everyone always requested. It turns out that several families over the years thought of nominating her but didn't because they assumed she was so fabulous that someone else must have nominated her before. Finally someone did! It really made her year and has been an honor that lasts a lifetime!

I encourage you to make a teacher's day! Go big, go little, but show you care. We have way too many good teachers who are leaving our profession and we need to keep the great ones around! Remember, this is the person who loves and cares for your child for most of the day while they are away from you. Your Random Act Of Kindness can make a HUGE difference and in the end, you'll feel pretty good, too! 

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