Christmas Gifts from Oriental Trading

Once again I was given a wonderful opportunity from Oriental Trading.  I was able to pick out anything from the Christmas or Teaching Catalog within a budget.   How Exciting!  It was definitely a Christmas gift to my students.   I was able to pick out several things for the children I work with.  

You will notice that a lot of the things I picked out were for the littlest learners I work with because that is the area I am lacking the most in materials.  Most of my things were not for the Holiday season they were things I could use year round.    

When I saw the Block Play Set I jumped for joy because I knew three things I wanted to make with it:  A beginning sound match, a rhyming match (both from thisreadingmama) and an alphabet tower building set(I just used stickers) that I saw on Pinterest.  

My students absolutely loved the activities.  They loved using blocks and building as they were working on the alphabet. I picked two sets of Block Play Sets and I still have some left over for the recess basket or maybe a sight word activity for first graders.    

Block Play Set
This Reading Mama

I could not believe the next wonderful item I found.  It was this Melissa and Doug color and shape puzzle.  It is just the item I need for several students who do not know all their colors and are still learning their shapes.  I had no idea the Oriental Trading had some Melissa and Doug items.  

I added velcro to the puzzle (a trick I learned at my grand daughter's therapy) to help keep the puzzle pieces together.  This is so helpful as the children walk with the puzzle from the bookcase to the table.   

Melissa and Doug Large Shapes Jumbo Knob Puzzle

I used these little gingerbread people and foam dice to create a game for identifying numbers 2-11.  This was a big hit with my little guys and even the first graders.  (I changed it into an addition game for the first grade.)

Gingerbread People
Foam Dice
Coming soon to my TPT store by the end of the week.  

The Sensory Letter Cards were another good pick.  I picked up some decorating sand at the dollar store and put it in bins. The little guys I worked with loved tracing the letters and drawing them in the sand.  This hands on experience is helping them remember some of the letters.   

Sensory Letters

I also picked out these Winter Stickers and mounted them on white card stock.  I am using them for working on patterns with the kindergarteners.  The children loved the winter pictures on them.  I think the ice skates were the favorite picture.  

Glitter Winter Stickers

Thank you again to Oriental Trading for the wonderful materials.  My students are enjoying all the wonderful learning activities.