A Kindergarten Smorgasboard of Bouncy Balls!

How many of you went back to work today?  How many of you have to go back tomorrow?  I am so glad I have until Monday before we return!  I am actually going to school tomorrow to prepare for next week!  I even wrote my lesson plans today!  I know, I'm so good!  Or just an over achiever.  I wear that badge with honor!  Overachieving perfectionist.  Yep.

Today I want to share an activity that we do the first week back after the new year.  I always try to make this week fun with games and centers and I always do a fun science experiment!  The second semester is when I try to do tons of science experiments with my monsters.  Why?  For one, they're just more mature so we can handle ourselves better.  And two, science is so cool.  I love experimenting and finding out how things work and how things are made.  I'm a total geek like that.  I love the History channel and the Sci Fi channel (the mister hates when I watch the Sci Fi made for tv movies!)!  Science experiments are hands on, engaging, meet common core standards in math and writing and are great practice for listening and following directions!  Here is one of my favorites:

Make your own bouncy balls!  It's fun.  It's messy.  You know the kindergarten smorgasboard motto:  Messy=successful day in kindergarten!  And who doesn't love a good bouncy ball?!?

Click on the picture to to to my freebies page where you can get your free hands on science experiment pack!  It includes directions, materials list, scientific method labels and a recording sheet!  I would love your feed back on this creation because this is my new plan for my science experiments from now on.

I also whipped up some New Year's freebies!  Click on the pictures to get a copy of a New Year poem and an emergent reader!  What do you think of my emergent reader?

If you like these freebies, be sure to check out my Happy New Year pack!  It's full of ideas for the new year!

And now a personal request!  If anyone teaches is Chicago or the surrounding suburbs, I would love for you to email me privately!  We are planning a move to Chicago so I want to start applying for jobs in the area.  If you can help, please email me!  gregsmedley@gmail.com   Thanks!