📌 Using Pinterest to Share and Organize My Teaching Materials

Pinterest has quickly become one of my favorite tools for sharing the educational materials I create. Honestly, apart from Eduki (and my blog), Pinterest is pretty much my only other “audience.” But that’s part of the fun! Not only does it help me reach other teachers and parents, it’s also a fantastic way to reflect on my own lessons, see what works best, and feel slightly less like I’m talking into the void.

🎯 Planning Ahead: Scheduling Pins

One of the things I love about Pinterest is that I can plan pins in advance. Before going on vacation, I scheduled one pin per day so my content keeps reaching people automatically. Afterwards, I plan to post one or two pins per day. This way, my teaching materials stay visible without me having to constantly manage the system.

🖼️ Visual Storytelling: Making Pins Stand Out

Pins aren’t just images—they’re a way to tell a story. For example, my “Leopold’s Bubblegum Camera” pin shows how each lesson has a creative side, with visual snapshots of what the kids have made or explored. Other pins, like “Counting with Leopold” or “Shapes,” highlight interactive activities. Testing different images and text allows me to see what grabs attention most.

✏️ Reflection and Recap

Creating pins is more than just marketing—it’s a tool for reflection. As I design them, I think about what stood out in my lessons, which activities were most engaging, and which vocabulary or concepts children remembered best. It’s a helpful way to recap and improve my teaching.

📊 Testing and Optimizing

I love that Pinterest gives instant feedback. I can see which pins are getting clicks and saves, and adjust my approach—changing pictures, wording, or titles—to maximize engagement. It’s like a mini-experiment for each lesson!

🌟 Popular Pins

Some of my pins so far include:

• Counting, Colors, Feeling and Shapes with Leopold

• Games like 2 Words Trouble

• Storytelling with Leopold’s Bubblegum Camera or How Leopold Came to Earth

• Blogposts like “Flashcards: More Than Just Show & Repeat”

Using Pinterest has become a creative, reflective, and practical part of my teaching practice. I enjoy seeing what works and sharing ideas with others around the world!

✨ Homemade is Better! ✏️🃏🎲

🌟 How I Design My English Lessons for Kids 🌟

Yes, I create my own materials ✏️🎨. It may sound like a lot of work – and at the beginning, it really is ⏳. But: it’s worth it! 💪 Individually tailored material not only brings more joy into the classroom 🎉, it also keeps the children engaged, thinking 🤔, and learning actively 📚.

Today, I’ll show you how I plan and implement my lessons using handouts 📝, flashcards 🃏, and games 🎲 – maybe you’ll even find an idea or two that inspires you ✨.

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1️⃣ The Handout – individual, but with structure

I work with a master file 💻, which I fill with new exercises depending on the topic 🎯. The characters Leopold, Bubblegum, and Friends 👾👧🧸 create a familiar framework for the children – this gives them orientation 🧭.

Each week, I design the content anew 🔄.
Example: For the topic bugs 🐞, I included short rhymes (“poems” 📖). The children had to recognize words from the text 🔍 and then draw them 🎨 – and they absolutely love tasks like these ❤️!

Additionally, I use small icons for orientation, since many children cannot read yet.

• 👍 👎 for right/ wrong

• 🗣 ✍️ 👂 for talking, writing, listening

• 📖 🔍 for reading, translating, decoding

🔎 Practicing Decoding
When decoding, we don’t just practice the meaning of a sentence, but also the structure of the language 🧩.

Example:
What do you do?
→ Was machen du machen?

Sounds strange 🤪 – but it’s super effective! And often really funny too 😂:
Butterfly 🦋 = Butter + fly 🪰

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2️⃣ Flashcards – the underestimated heroes 🃏

Flashcards are the foundation of almost everything in my lessons 🏫:

✨ They are both a warm-up and a review.
✨ They can be used flexibly: one by one, in a stack, on the board, individually, or in a circle.
✨ They make games possible 🎲 (more on that soon).
✨ They still work weeks later ⏳ – for example, for “What’s missing? 👀” or pantomime 🎭.

Creativity has no limits here 🎨 – but variety is always a must 🔄!

 

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3️⃣ Games – learning through laughter and movement 🎲🤸

Games bring language to life 🌟 – and with the flashcards already at hand 🃏, you can create endless variations again and again 🔄.

🪜 Snakes and Ladders
A game board with rockets 🚀, shooting stars ✨, and planets 🪐 – every square hides a new task. Flashcards on the back make everything come alive 🎭.

Rules for older children, such as:
➡️ “Roll again! 🎲”
➡️ “Your starship 🚀 went missing – wait a round ⏳”
add extra fun and language input 🗣️.

🔍 2 Words Trouble

A bit more technically advanced ⚙️, but a real hit! I use a presentation file 💻 where ovals are automatically filled with images 🖼️. Each pair of cards shares exactly one vocabulary word 🗝️.

Younger children play in a team against me 👶👧 – and they can even ask for help:
➡️ “Can you help me, please? 🙏”

This way, language is used completely naturally 🗣️✨.

🕵️‍♂️ Secret Word

A tricky game for children who can already write ✍️:

Feather 🪶 – Ruler 📏 – Outside 🌳 – Melon 🍈
→ The secret word is: F-R-O-M 🔑

This game promotes careful listening 👂, thinking 🤔, and practicing the alphabet 🔤.

🎯 The Target Game

With a simple spinning wheel 🎡 and a paper clip 📎, I create small partner exercises 🤝.

“Show me your …”
Easily made in Word 💻, printed 🖨️, and reinforced – the vocabulary topics can be swapped out flexibly 🔄.

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✅ Conclusion: Yes, it takes effort – but it’s worth it!

Creating individual materials gives me the opportunity to respond to each group and every child 👶👧🧒. It stays varied 🔄, creative 🎨 – and effective ✅.

If you feel like trying out games or ideas too: go for it! 💪 And most importantly: have fun 😄. When we enjoy teaching ourselves, children feel it too – and join in with enthusiasm 🎉.

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📩 If you have any questions or like a template or game idea, feel free to reach out! I’m excited to share and exchange ideas 🤗.