yippee!
the school year has started. this room has been graced with over 30 little bodies and minds.
our circle time has been moved to a corner, mirrors are around us and over us. fabric strips from last year’s graduation celebration soften the walls and add color. children are allowed to look at books at any point in the day on the purple rug or any other cozy spot in the classroom (we have rocking chairs, lots of pillows and a couch as well).
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each child has a cubby (open locker) to use during the school day. children also have a mailbox where we put notes intended for grown ups.
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our dear preschool families and church families have donated enough supplies to last a long time. it felt like christmas to sort through the bags and bags of goodies. i’m grateful (and so is our budget).
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our project shelf is stocked. in these first days of school, it is kept simple with tape, paper, scissors, stickers and crayons.
(i found these vintage crayons on the bottom shelf of our main street office supply store. score.)
starting next week, we’re getting messy.
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snack time is an important time. many children find this a soothing time of day. families have already signed up and we’ve enjoyed bowlfuls of berries.
in order to cut down on our amount of trash, we’re using (bpa free) cups. today there was help washing the cups (though we do a final wash/rinse) and then spontaneous baby doll washing.
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our puzzle corner and block corner are towards the back of the room where it is often quieter.
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(“hungry baby spiders who can’t nurse”)
a wash line was added to our family corner. good thing the sun always shines.
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there are memories of past years all over the room. children are asking for ms. carol and learning who we are. there are 19 new children this year. blessed, blessed be.
i am filled with hopes and prayers and good intentions as i watch children move in this space.
newcreationpreschool.com 
Your space always inspires me, Kristin.
we found our tape machine inspiration on teacher tom’s blog. i sent his photo (link following) to our families and this is what one papa came up with.
http://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/tape-machine.html
I love your site and visit often for inspiration and ideas. I’m looking for specifics on making a tape machine for my classroom. I’ve poked around the web a bit with no luck. Do you have that info to share?
Hope your first days go well!
soo exciting! Kelly
it actually belongs to a friend of mine. but i found it here: http://syracuseculturalworkers.com/poster-childrens-rights
Looks like you’re ready for another year of fun, mess, and learning!
purple mushroom.
Where did you order the “children’s rights” poster from- I’d love to get one? I also love the photos of your room!- got some great ideas for cozy areas in my own classroom!
I love your classroom, it inspires me. I plan on using some of the ideas in my family child care.
Absolutely fun and beatuiful!!! I love the poster “all children have a right to…” this is true for all people in this world! thanks for being you!!!
Looking good Kristen – I’m glad to see the tape machine is back for another year’s action and I love those fabric strips: so much colour and warmth.
You never fail to make me smile. :)
katie, did you know ethan made that tape dispenser? good stuff.
Oh, Kristin. . . as usual, it’s wonderful. And that tape dispenser. . . well, it nearly made me tear up!
Thank you so much. So much beauty there. I was just thinking about “my ideal early childhood classroom” for an assignment later this semester, and you just gave me SO much material for that paper. And for my own future classroom!
I am so excited to follow the progress of the year. That room looks like a little slice of heaven for kids and adults! So fun and colorful!