Supplies

25 of the Best STEM Toys

December 4, 2017 by Jodi 3 Comments

This list of 25 of the best STEM toys has been slowly created over the past couple of years as I purchase new items for my Morning Tubs. I have become obsessed with finding new educational toys for my students that allows them to have fun and be creative. When students become interested in one of the items, I like to send a picture to parents to use as ideas for Christmas or birthday gifts. I thought that this list may come in particularly handy as you look to buy presents for your own children or for your classroom.

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase through one of my links, which helps to support the blog.

1. Zoob Builderz

These blocks are really durable, and I love how they connect like joints to allow my students creations to be moveable.

2. Bristle Blocks

The bristles on these blocks interlock anywhere, so there are more options in how they can be hooked together.

3. Learning Resources Gears
My students love figuring out ways to make the gears move.

4. Kanoodle

This is one of my new favorite toys. Not only is it great for the classroom, but I have to say, it is really addicting to play for adults as well! It would be perfect for kids on a road trip or to keep them busy at an appointment.

5. Roller Coaster Challenge

This is a recent purchase that I am so excited about putting into my Morning Tubs.

6. Playstix

These are similar to a soft version of Lincoln Logs.

7. Code & Go Robot Mouse

This has been a huge hit in my classroom this year. The students love programming the mouse to make it move through the maze.

8. Emido Building Blocks

I love how these interlock with each other on all sides.

9. Picasso Tiles

These are very durable for being plastic tiles with magnetic sides. I actually need to order another set of these because there were not quite enough for a group of 4 students.

10. Quadpro Magnetic Blocks

These were one of my first purchases for Morning Tubs, and they are still a favorite among my students.

11. Rainbow Flakes

These are so much fun! Over time, a couple of the flakes have broken, but they are still usable.

12. Goobi Construction Set

My students love using these blocks.

13. Block Buddies

These blocks come with cards that have pictures for the students to create items with the blocks.

14. Legos

Legos are always a popular toy.

15. Marble Runs

This see-through marble run allows the students to follow the marble all the way through the maze.

16. Keva Brain Builders

These wooden planks come with pictures of structures for the kids to build.

17. Topple

My students love playing this game and trying not to make the pieces topple over.

18. Emido Block Bars

These pieces were a little hard to snap together for some of my students, but they eventually got the hang of it. I would not recommend these for really young kids though.

19. Let’s Go Code

This is a great way to introduce coding without a computer. The pieces go on the floor and the children can step on them to follow the code.

20. Snap Circuts

This includes over 100 different projects. Some of them are easier than others.

21. Q-Ba-Maze 2.0

This is one that my own kids got last year as a Christmas present. You can make some really cool marble mazes with this.

22. Gravity Maze

This is another marble maze, but it involves a logic puzzle as well. You have to build a path to get your marble to the target.

23. Chain Reactions

This is perfect for teaching about simple machines and chain reactions.

24. Qwirkle

This is a great game for 2-4 players.

25. Ozobot Bit Coding Robot

This programmable robot comes with 20 games and activities.

Do you have any Must-Have STEM toys that you would add to the list?

Morning Tubs This Year

October 8, 2017 by Jodi 4 Comments

Earlier in the school year, I did a Facebook Live video about my Morning Tubs and promised to do another one when we started our new tubs. Well….time got away from me, and we are now on our third round of morning tubs for the year.

I wanted to share with you some items that we have used in our 2nd and 3rd round of morning tubs. You can view the video to check out our 1st round of tubs from this year.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase through one of my links at no cost to you, which helps to support the blog.

Round 2

I ordered these Picasso Tiles this past summer after seeing them at our local Children’s Museum. They were a great addition to our morning tubs. They are really good quality and have held up well to rough 6 year old hands 😉

Pattern blocks are always an easy addition to Morning Tubs. The students’ love them, and they are so creative.

Another item in our 2nd round of morning tubs were Brain Flakes. The students always love these.

Bristle Blocks are another fun item. They have plastic bristles that allow them to connect with each other.

These Matching Games are great for the classroom. This particular one is Dr. Seuss, but there are so many different ones to choose from.

I also added Base-10 blocks into the 2nd round of morning tubs. I love using math manipulatives during morning tubs prior to actually using them in math lessons.

3rd Round

I just purchased these Emido Interlocking Building Blocks, and they are so much fun!

Right now, my students are a little obsessed with making magic wands with them.

This was another recent find on Amazon from Emido. These Emido Block Bars have become a new favorite.

It took them a little while to really understand how they worked, but now that they have them figured out, they love them.

I also love to include these coloring pages from Creative Clips. She has so many different ones to choose from.

These Block Buddies are also a great morning tub item. They come with pictures of different objects for the students to create.

I purchased these small Halloween erasers in the Target Dollar Spot last year, and they made a wonderful addition to morning tubs. The students can use them to make patterns or pictures.

Another super easy, and cheap, addition to morning tubs are popsicle sticks. The students have been building with them, counting them, making pictures, and more.

So, that’s what we have been using in our Morning Tubs so far this year. You can find more Morning Tub ideas here.

My Guided Reading Must Haves

September 26, 2016 by Jodi 4 Comments

I love working with small groups in my classroom. If I could figure out a way to work with small groups all day long, it would be amazing. I feel like this portion of my day is so important. I really get to know my students strengths and weaknesses, and I’m able to really focus on their exact needs. So, what are my Guided Reading must haves?

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Erin Condren Goodies

July 25, 2016 by Jodi 2 Comments

Maybe it’s a teacher thing, but I love beautiful office supplies. I love to buy colorful and pretty notebooks, calendars, folders, etc. For this reason, when Erin Condren asks if you would like to review their products, the answer is a huge, YES!

Last Spring, I wrote a post about their new Teacher Planner, which you can read HERE. I absolutely loved it!

So, I was thrilled to check out some of their other products.

Let me tell you, they did not disappoint. Every single item is of high quality, and it is just plain beautiful!

First off, how cute is this lunch tote?

The flamingos are adorable, and I love that it’s personalized. They have so many cute designs, too. I may have to grab a couple for my daughters.

I was thrilled about this notebook. I have a little bit of an obsession with notebooks. I carry one around with me all the time since I’m constantly jotting down to-do lists, product ideas, and more. If I don’t write it down, I forget it.

These watercolor folders are just beautiful. I also love that Erin Condren can even make pencils and highlighters look good.

You can find so many great things at Erin Condren’s site. I am really loving her sticker sets right now. They are perfect for dressing up my Teacher Planner.

Head on over and check out their site. You will fall in love!

If you are placing your first order, you can receive $10 off by clicking HERE.

Erincondren.com gave me this product to review, but the opinions are all my own.

Classroom Supplies I Can’t Live Without

July 11, 2016 by Jodi 5 Comments

It’s officially time to start thinking about heading back to school. I know you may not be ready, but I also know that you can’t help but think about it. The school supplies are out in the stores, and they are just staring at us every time we go. I am proud to say that I have not purchased a single item, yet. I’m holding strong…until next week.

I wanted to share some of the classroom supplies that I can’t live without. These are items that I find myself buying every school year. Maybe this will help when you are ready to start buying. You’ll have some ideas of what you might need this year.

{This post contains referral links, but I would never recommend products that I do not truly love.}

1. Mr. Sketch Markers are my absolute favorite markers. They are perfect for anchor charts. One packet will last me the entire year.

(Click on any of the pictures to purchase.)

2. Crayola Crayons – This one is kind of a no-brainer, but they are definitely a necessity that I buy EVERY single year. I always stock up while they are cheap at Walmart. This way, I do not need to buy new crayons in December when ours are lost and broken. I can also pull out a new box anytime I need one, because in all honesty, I’m a sucker for a brand new crayon.

3. Laminator & Laminating Pouches – I use my laminator all.the.time! I purchased this one a couple years ago, and it’s still going strong. I buy my laminating sheets from SAMS in bulk.

4. A Good Pencil Sharpener – I have gone through SO many pencil sharpeners, but I finally found one that I love. This X-Acto Teacher Pro sharpener is my favorite! It sharpens the perfect point, and I love that light that comes on when the pencil is ready.

5. Stickers – I LOVE cute stickers! I usually just stock up at Dollar Tree.

6. Astrobrights Paper – I’m kind of a paper hoarder! I LOVE beautiful colored paper.

7. Coffee – This may not be a necessity for you, but it definitely is for me! I purchased this adorable mug from Bound to Be Loved on Etsy last year. I love it!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Boundtobeloved?ref=condensed_trust_header_title_items

8. Sharpies – I truly love Sharpies of all kinds and colors.

9. 2 Pocket Folders with Prongs – I use so many of these. I stock up at Walmart when they are super cheap. They are great for writing folders, my Comprehension Notebooks, Poetry folders, homework folders, etc.

10. Primary Writing Journals – I put these on our school supply lists, but sometimes they are hard to find. I always buy some to have for those that cannot find them. They are perfect because they have writing lines and a space to draw.

11. Post-It Notes and other notepads – I love cute notepads and colorful Post-It Notes.

12. Personal necessities – Mints, lotion, chap stick, snacks, Band-aids, etc.

I also always have a sweater on the back of my chair for those days when the air conditioning is on too high, or the heat doesn’t come on soon enough in the winter.

13. Thank you Notes & Blank Notecards – I always have a stash of Thank-You notes as well as blank notecards. You never know when you will need one quickly.

What classroom supplies do you find yourself buying every year?

Erin Condren Planner

May 3, 2016 by Jodi Leave a Comment

Have you heard of Erin Condren?

I absolutely LOVE her Life Planners, so I was so excited to be asked to review one of their new Teacher Planners that are being released TODAY!

Just like their Life Planners, this thing is amazing! They have thought of everything.

I always love the tabs that are typical with the Erin Condren planners. It makes it so easy to find each section.

The pages are so bright and colorful.

You will be amazed at everything that is included in this planner: calendars, student checklists, lesson plan pages, substitute information, notes, and more.

They also sent along this adorable clutch to carry the planner, pens, etc. and this t-shirt.

You truly need to check out their site. You will fall in love!

Plus, if you are placing your first order, you can receive $10 off by clicking HERE.