Five for Friday...The Simple Things

Happy Friday!  I'm joining the Five for Friday celebration to let you in on a little secret I've realized.  You know all the elaborate lesson plans we make?  The activities we do that take four times as long to prep as it does to actually do them?  Or the money from our own pockets spent on the latest TPT products?

 

Well, I'm here to tell you that it's the Simple Things that mean the most and you don't even need computer generated, full-color lesson plans filled with cutesy activities you purchased in order to successfully teach young children.  This week I rediscovered the beauty of the Simple Things!

 

Art made from crayon shavings, waxed paper, and a warm iron.  Simply beautiful.  The children were amazed when they saw the colors melt and blend together.  Some were thrilled they got to help hold the iron.  And others evidently saw an iron for the first time in their short little lives! 

 

 

A simple science experiment mixing paint colors and discovering the color orange!

Sorry the photo is upside down!  I have tried & tried to turn it!

 

 

The simple fun of collecting things on a Nature Walk! 

 Everyone was so excited to show me the leaves, sticks, rocks, bark, and pine straw they found!

 

 

 

 A simple yet delicious recipe using Pumpkin Spice OREO cookies and cream cheese!

 

 

 

Finished my autumn decorating!  I used a variety of simple pumpkins to decorate my house from October through Thanksgiving.  Nothing is too Halloween-ish and the warm colors automatically make the house feel like a cozy fall day.  The mantle contains everything from a Pier One platter to straw pumpkins from Target and beautiful gourds I found at TJ Maxx.  I promise I didn't pay full price for any of it! 

In the dining room, I created a simple display using an iron plate stand to hold a few of my prized pumpkins.

 

Have a great weekend and try to enjoy the Simple Things!