where we find activities! a GRAND resource we love!

3 days ago

Thursday, March 13, 2025

Do you remember where you were five years ago today?

We sure do!!!!

Our resident scrapbooker (Laurie) even found this photo

from that memorable day!

(Do you see that BIG bottle of disinfectant?)

It was Friday, March 13 (Yes, Friday the 13th)!

It was the day our world went topsy-turvy

AND

it was the last day either of us ever spent teaching in our classrooms!

Both of us remember our principals telling us to pack up everything we might need for “awhile.”

WHAT???

Laura recalls asking, “Should we plan for a few weeks? Until we return from Spring Break?” and getting the response, “It might be longer!”

WHAT???

We each returned to our classrooms (without kids) the following Monday….

to clean, to gather our students’ belongings, to phone families,

to get a crash course on technology,

AND

to get whatever we might need to finish out the school year teaching from home!

WHAT???

Team meetings took place (from a six-foot distance, of course)

and we wrapped our heads around this new reality of teaching!

DISTANCE LEARNING!

What will we do???

Our students’ supplies (and iPads) were lined up in school hallways

waiting for family pick ups

and deliveries were made to families who needed it!

Then…

we gathered up all our resources, supplies and curriculum manuals

and anything else we might need…

Honestly?

We had NO idea what we might need!

Teaching kindergarten remotely?

WHAT???

Somehow, we all got through it, but we’ll never forget

how Friday, March 13, 2020, changed all of our lives!

Now, do you remember where you were?

If so, we’d love to have you share more!

OKAY!

Enough reminiscing for today!

Let’s get on to our scheduled post!

This post is geared toward anyone who spends a lot of time with Littles!

You may be a Grand (like us) who provides needed childcare,

a parent looking for ideas to keep Littles busy,

a homeschooling family looking for a creative project,

a classroom teacher or childcare provider in search of resources,

a Sunday School teacher in need of inspiration

or, perhaps, you need help planning a kids’ party!

As retired kindergarten teachers,

we know of resources (often FREE ones) that others might not be aware of!

Today, we’re sharing one of our favorite resources for you to explore!

SURPRISE!

We love spending time with our Littles!

We love encouraging them as they play independently,

making choices and problem solving on their own.

So important!

But, sometimes, we just need a structured activity to break up long days.

Maybe it’s just the teacher in us! Who know?

Here’s one of the first places we go for inspiration!

We love our Pinterest boards, but this resource is one we head to just as often!

What is TPT?

Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) is an online marketplace and educational website

where you can find 3M+ resources (created by teachers)

for all ages - early childhood and up!

This was always one of our favorite resources as classroom teachers

and it’s FREE to use for ANYONE who creates their own account!

Anyone can browse and download resources whether they are a teacher or not!

Now, we head here often as Grands in search of a fun activity for our Littles!

While there is a cost for many of the materials, you can also find LOTS of resources that are free to download!

All items must be used for personal or classroom use, so please keep that in mind.

What we love about this site is that you can search for activities based on age, subject and/or cost. Once you’ve created an account, you simply search by grade (preschool - senior high) and topic (seasonal or subject).

NOTE; For younger Littles, simply add the word “infant” or “toddler” to your search (i.e. “toddler Easter”)

Look at all the preschool Easter resources available … 130,000+!

Then you have the option to filter further - we often do so by price and activity type (craft, game, learning experience).

Here’s the first four resources that popped up

when we searched preschool + Easter + free!

See what we mean!!!

We’ve also been known to search the site, find some inspiration, and then create our own version of an activity… Although, we have to admit that we don’t mind spending a few dollars to support a hard working teacher (let alone the time we save by downloading and printing out a visually pleasing worksheet that’s ready to go)!

Another perk? You receive credits if you review items and you can then use those credits to purchase items. Also., the resources you buy stay in your account forever! We’ve each been using this site for over ten years and together we have saved over 2500 resources!

As we’ve said, we’ve used TPT for many activities!

It’s a great resource for coloring pages and games (word searches and puzzles)

and SO MUCH more!

Below, we’re sharing just a few of the many ways we use these resources!

Learning Activities!

We love the hands-on learning activities we find on TPT!

We think you might, too!

Winter Write the Room!

This free activity, from A Teacher and her Cat, gave Laurie’s Little D practice in counting and tracing numerals!

An ABC Chart!

Laura’s Little L has become so intrigued with her ABC’s. Prior to a recent visit, Laura printed off this free ABC chart from Lavinia Pop.

Then Little L used her ABC coins (as shown below as part of our St. Patrick’s Day fun) and matched them on the new chart above!

Roll the Dice!

Littles love dice games and there are many to choose from on TPT!

While we couldn’t find the link to the above game, here’s a fun free Spring dice game from Miss Nicole at Home. to play with young Littles.

Play Centers!

Littles of all ages love dramatic play and TPT has lots of resources

to make this play time extra special

A Vet Center!

Laurie shared this idea in a prior post! She set up a fun vet’s office for her Little D! Laurie paid for this resource from Pocket of Preschool but it was so worth it!

It came complete with labels, checklists, x-rays and so much more! This has been an ongoing favorite for her Littles!

The Wheels on the Bus!

Laurie used these free story time song props from Teaching 2 and 3 year olds to act out this well known song! Her Little D and Little P have both loved these printables and we've used them regularly since they were babies!

Sunday School Finds!

TPT has lots of resources for Christian activities and projects, too!

They are perfect for Sunday School classes, church festivals

or for us Grands to share our faith with our Littles!

Popsicle Stick Bible Puzzles!

Laurie keeps a set of these puzzles from Preschool Mom in her Sunday School bag and kids can work on them if they finish a project ahead of everyone else or if they are waiting for parent pick-up after class. While this download cost $5.00, it was well worth it!

Nativity Coloring Sheets!

Laura made a copy of these free Nativity coloring sheets from Whimsy Clips during an Advent visit last year. Little L enjoyed coloring them and it was a great opportunity to talk about the Christmas story together!

Bible Games & Puzzles!

We’ve both used TPT to find paper pencil puzzles or word games for our Sunday School classes or confirmation groups. These challenge elementary and middle school kids and are great for “down time” moments or as a transitional activity!

Check out these fun free options for two ideas - 7 Days of Creation Word Search from 2 Smart Cookies and Bible Vocabulary Jumble Puzzle from House of Knowledge and Kindness.

Developmental Resources!

Sometimes you look for a resource that can help you learn more about a certain topic!

TPT has come to our rescue many times!

A Sound Chart!

There was a time when Laurie was wondering if some of Little D’s sounds were on track. Rather than googling it, she used this free Developmental Sound chart from Miss Leah SLP.