There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a ___________!

I am slowly collecting every There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a _____________! book known to man.  They really are quite fun and silly :)  I saw a cute garbage pail "old lady on Pinterest as well as a shoe box old lady.  I decided to combine the two ideas and create an old lady for all the old lady props we use with the book.

You can make on by picking up a swing top garbage can - I purchased this one at Target for $10.  You will also need a large old lady head!  Don't worry ~ I have downloaded one for you HERE :)  Cut out the mouth area and ModPodge her to the can opening.  Next, find some props for each story, or print some of your own.  Scrappin' Doodles has great old lady clip art to go with most of the stories. 

ENJOY!

Elf on the Shelf MEGAPACK!

I am BEYOND excited about my new Shelf Elf Preschool MEGAPACK!  It is chock full of awesome learning and fun.  Here is a list of all the learning activities you will find in the MEGAPACK:

• Color the Elf's Hat
• Size Sorting
• Shadow Matching
• Shape Recognition and Matching
• Cutting Practice
• Magent Page (E is for Elf)
• Alphabet Puzzles
• Elf Counting
• Same and Different
• Elf Antics Game
• Don't Eat Chippey! Game
• Cookies for Santa Game/Center
• PreWriting
• Visual Discrimination
• Let's Decorate the Tree Game/Center
• Hot Cocoa Counting Game/Center
• Unscramble Santa's Mail (Alphabetical Order)
• Elf Story ~ Position Words
• Magic Elf Mint Seeds (Labels and Tags for gifts)
• Elf, Elf, Who's Got the Elf? Game
• Elf Scavenger Hunt

I think the games are the most exciting part of this pack for me :)  We are hosting an Elf on the Shelf Shoebox Shindig for our daughter's preschool kiddos and I can't wait to do the Elf Scavenger Hunt with them!  What is an Elf Scavenger Hunt?  Well, I am glad you asked!  Just print out the elves on card stock and laminate them so you can use them year after year.  We also do a Ghost Hunt and a Turkey Hunt, so I use paint stirrers ~ they were generously given to me for free at our local Lowes ~ and I use velcro to attach them to the sticks.  This way I can swap out the "object" of our hunt all year. 

Outdoor Elf Scavenger Hunts are the best!

 

By the way ~ if you are a big fan of The Elf on the Shelf you will definitely want to get the movie if you haven't already.  It is ADORABLE!  It is perfect for preschoolers too since it is only about half and hour.  Our daughter begs to watch it over and over until Mommy can't take it anymore ;)  I highly recommend it!

The main character elf in the movie is named Chippey and he is such a cutie!  I had to make a game for him based on the popular games all over Pinterest: Don't Eat Tom!, Don't Eat Fred!, Don't Eat ___________!  I created Don't Eat Chippey!

Another excited part of the pack is the cute label and tag for some Magical Elf Mint Seeds to be delivered directly from the North Pole compliments of you Elf on the Shelf!  The Happy Home Fairy had a GREAT post about Magic Mint Seeds and we did it last year.  We planted our "seeds" in the first snow of the year!  What sprouts up in truly magical!  CANDY CANES!

I created some Magic Elf Mint Seed Labels and Tags so you could spread the magic to others! But now it is time for an ELF LOVE FREEBIE!!!  This is an interactive learning game that is sure to be a hit with your little ones!  What could be more fun than throwing snowballs indoors!?!  Print out the Elf Shape Cards on card stock and laminate for durability.  Glue a clothespin to the back.  Now you can attach it to the back of a bucket or basket.  Children take turns throwing snowballs into the buckets.  When they are done they count how many snowballs are in each shape.  Lastly, they complete the graph.  Our daughter had a blast!

GET YOUR OWN CARDS and GRAPH FREEBIE!  Click on the picture below to download your own:)

ENJOY!