Circle Time Binder Assembly

7/27/2013

I'm so excited to walk through how to assemble my Circle Time Binder with you. I'm a visual learner, so I created this post to help my customers assemble their binder. I'll walk you through page by page! If you haven't purchased it yet, you may want to check out this post on how to use the circle time binder with your program!

Here's a quick video of the binder in action so you can see what it
looks like assembled!

Velcro & Page Protectors

Let's talk about velcro dots and page protectors!

I'll be honest, applying the velcro dots is the most complicated part of assembling this whole binder, Once you get in a groove you will see how easy it really is.

Velcro dots come with 2 sides: a hook (the rough side) and the loop (the soft side). For the purpose of this binder we will only be applying the hook side of the velco dot to the outside of the page protectors and the loop side to the actual interactive "pieces" that the children are handling. There are a few instances where we will use a hook side without the loop, and I will draw your attention to that in the directions.

In the directions below, I will refer to the page protectors similar to the pages of a book. Your printed circle time pages will be inserted back to back inside each page protector. Once you have placed your 8 page protectors inside your binder you may find it helpful to number them with a sharpie marker as a reference.
Let's get started!

To assemble this binder you will need:

Supplies:

Your printed copy of the Circle Time Binder Digital Download
A Binder (with a clear cover preferred)
Page Protectors
Velcro Dots
Laminating Supplies (Laminator, Laminating Sheets) *optional for durability
Scissors or a Paper Trimmer
Clothespins for the feeling clip cards

Cover

Select one of the four covers and slide it into the front of your binder.
*Tip slide all 4 covers inside, and change them out with the mood hits!

Insert Page Protectors

Insert your 8 page protectors inside your binder!

Circle Time Skills

Slide your circle time skills forms into the the first page protector. This is pg. 1!

Sign in Activity

Select which of the 3 Sign in activities you plan to use!
Insert the Who is at Home? into pg. 2
Insert the Who is here today? page into pg. 3

Velcro:
1. Connect the hook & loop dot to each other.
2. Attach the sticky back of the hook dot inside the place holder (star, hand, owl) on top of the page protector of the Who is at home/Who is here today pages. Carefully place them in the center of each place holders.

You should now have the sticky side of the loop dot facing outward. We will assemble the sign in name cards and come back to this.

*This will take 1 set of hook and loop dots for each child you have.

How are you Feeling?

Sign in Cards:
1. Laminate your sign in name cards (for durability)
and cut one out for each child.

Velcro:
1. Carefully align the cards on top of the sticky side of the loop dots you have already attached and press down firmly. Repeat this process for all of your name cards.

100 Days

Next, simply place your how are you feeling chart into the pg. 4 page protector, and slide the 100 Days Chart into the pg. 5 page protector.

To assemble your how are you feeling clip cards:
1. Laminate (for durability)
2. Cut out each card
3. Use with a clothespin or other clip on "marker" of your choice

The current season and weather

Place the current season is page into the pg. 6 page protector.
Insert the weather is page into the pg. 7 page protector.

Velcro: Place a hook only velcro dot inside each of the circles on the current season is and today's weather is pages.
(We'll wait to add the velcro to the weather boxes!)

To assemble your season and weather cards:

1. Laminate (for durability)
2. Cut out each card
Applying the velcro:
For your season cards:
Use season boxes on The Current Season is page as a guide.
1. Attach a loop dot to the existing hook dot of each season box on the outside of the page protector. The sticky side of the loop dot should now be facing out.
2. Align the back of your season card to the sticky side and firmly press down, so that the velcro dot attaches to the back of the card.
3. Gently pry up the card being careful not to detach the velcro.
4. Repeat this process for all of your season cards.
For your weather cards:
Repeat the process above using the previously attached velcro hooks on the Today's weather is page.
Attaching the hooks onto the Weather grid
Your weather cards should now all have the loop side facing outward
1. Attach a hook dot to the loop dot the back of a weather card. The sticky side of the hook dot should now be facing out.
2. Center your weather card on top of the correct weather box and firmly press down, so that the velcro dot attaches to page protector.
3. Gently pry up the card being careful not to detach the velcro.
4. Repeat this process for all of your weather cards.

Days of the week

Insert the Days of the week poster into the pg. 8 page protector.

Velcro:
1. Attach the hook side of the velcro dot to center of the circles on this page.

Assemble the days of the week cards
1. Laminate for durability
2. Cut
Velcro:
1. Attach the loop side of the velcro dot to the hook dots inside each circle (so that the sticky back of the loop dot is facing outwards).
2. Gently center your day of the week card and press down firmly to attach.
3. Repeat this process for all day of the week cards.

Once complete it will look like this!

Months of the Year

Insert the months of the year poster inside the pg. 9 page protector.

Months of the year cards and Velcro
Repeat the same assembly steps as the days of the week cards.

Calendar

Slide the "Month" calendar page into the pg. 10 page protector and the "Year" calendar page into the pg. 11 page protector.

Assemble the date cards and special events cards
1. Laminate (for durability)
2. Cut
Velcro:
1. Attach a hook & loop dot to the center of each calendar box. The sticky side of the loop dot should be facing outwards.
2. Firmly press each of the date cards onto the sticky side of the loop dot.
3. Gently separate the cards from the calendar.
4. Repeat the process with the special event cards until they all have loop dots attached to the back of them.

Letter Posters

Insert the letter posters into the pg. 12&13

Color Poster

Insert the color poster into pg. 14

Assemble the interactive paint brush pieces:
1. Laminate for durability
2. Cut
Velcro:
1. Apply velcro hook and loop dots (as per previous instructions) to each color splatter on the page protector.
2. Firmly press down each paint brush piece.

Shape Poster

Place a shape poster (of your choice) inside pg. 15

Assemble the interactive shape pieces and apply velcro using the same process as the paintbrush pieces.

Completed interactive color and shape posters!

Congratulations! You have now
completed your binder!

The circle time binder provides the perfect opportunity for you to get your creative juices flowing. You can make it as simple, or interactive as you want. Add different activities and circle time resources to your binder to make them easy to find! You can even create one for each child!

I'd love to see how you are using it in your space-please be sure to tag us on instagram #prekprintablefun or share inside our FB Group!