Items filtered by date: December 2011

Wally the Welcome Doorknob Dangler Snowman

As promised, here is my other recycled snowman project.  This is as inexpensive to make as the tin can snowman.

I went to the Home Depot, told them I was a teacher, showed them my project and asked if I could please have 20 paint sticks.  They said, “No problem.”   Wal-Mart, Meijer’s and other places that sell paint have also been generous.

Later, my class composed a thank you card and everyone signed it.  If your parents don’t have a problem with photographing their children, it’s always cute to include a photo, with students holding up their adorable creations.

Wally the Welcome Snowman is a “doorknob hanger”.  A dab of hot glue or a large glue dot will hold the yarn tie in place on the back.  Simply slip him over the doorknob and declare whether you’d like it to snow or melt.

Preparation:

Run off my heart templates on red construction paper and laminate.

Students cut out two.  They’ll need two pairs of Velcro dots.

After they have finished painting, one Velcro dot will go on the backs of the hearts, the other on the front and back of the snowman.  (Whatever heart you are not using, gets tucked away on the back so that you don’t lose it. )

You’ll also need mini Popsicle sticks.  To expedite things, glue them to the paint sticks.  This will help your students know what to paint white and what to paint black.

Even tho’ a hot glue gun works extremely fast, I find that young children are rough with what they work on and these little sticks have a tendency to pop off, so I glue them on with E6000.

It’s a stinky glue, so make sure you have proper ventilation.  Short of breaking them off, they will stay put!

Directions:

Children paint the bottom of their stick white.  I use the acrylic paint that comes in the little bottles for less than a dollar at Wal-Mart.  You can also get the larger size for around $2.  If you want your snowmen shiny, buy GLOSS paint.

Students can hang on to the hat part to paint the back of their paint stick, the front should be dry by the time they are done, so they can lay them down to dry.  In the afternoon, paint the hats.

I buy plaid ribbon during the after Christmas sales.  Cut 6-inch long strips and wrap them around the paint stick where you feel the snowman’s neck should be.

I glue these on with Aileen’s tacky glue.   Do this BEFORE students paint on a face, as it will help them know where to put their face on.

Using Q-tips, have students dot on a face, heart and buttons.  I put a tiny dollop of the various colors of paint on small paper plates in the middle of their table.

Toothpicks work best, if students want to make a little snowflake or holly on the hat.

Be sure and model how to paint these things, so they have step-by-step directions of “how to”.  Just as with the tin can snowmen, it’s a good idea for little ones to practice on a piece of scrap paper before they paint their face on their paint stick.

I use a fine-tipped black flair, to write the children’s last name on the bottom of the paddle, as many of them have long names and this would be difficult for them to accomplish.

Click on the link to view/print the pattern, directions and pix for the Snowman Paint Stick

Be sure and pop back tomorrow for how to make an adorable snowman out of a sock!

Do you have a fun snowman project that you do with your students? I’d enjoy hearing from you! diane@teachwithme.com

Connie Container Snowman A Recycled Gift

I’m big on recycling so I try to dream up some sort of hands on activity for my students each month involving recycled items.

Since everyone has tin cans at home they are one of the easiest things for a parent to save for us.  Cans are also a way to review the cylinder shape and make handy holders for a variety of things.

Connie Container Snowman is perfect for rulers, scissors and other tall “stuff”.  She’s made out of an asparagus can.

We eat a lot of asparagus at my house so I find it easy enough to simply save enough cans for my students.

If you don’t, simply send a note home at the beginning of the school year with a list of “SAVE these things” and explain to parents that their child will be doing projects through out the year involving these items and you just wanted to give them a heads up; that way you’ll always have a few extra’s for those children who don’t bring things in.

My Y5’s LOVE to paint and I find that even though their “mess-terpieces” are not as “perfect-looking” as I’d like them to be, they have fun, are learning, and are more of a keepsake because they did the entire project.

However, if you want to expedite things you can pre-paint the white bottom and have really little ones simply paint the top hats black. I use glossy acrylic paint.

An easy way for students to paint is to put their hand INSIDE the can and rotate as they go.  Make sure there are NO rough edges on the inside so they won’t get cut.

My mom gave me a smoothing tool from Magic Chef that goes around the lip of cut cans and presses down the edges so I never have a problem with this.

In the morning, paint the white bottom first. Let dry and then paint the black in the afternoon or on another day. 

Little ones will drip and slop paint, so make sure they are working over newspaper and have paint shirts on.

On a file folder, trace around the top of your can to make a circle template. Decide how wide of a brim you want to have.  Mine is just shy of an inch.

Draw the brim around your traced circle.  You will be cutting the circle out so that you can slide it over your can and rest it at the base of the snowman’s hat.  No gluing is necessary if you cut it so that it fits snug.

Pre-cut your black hat brims.  I used black foam.  Tag board and construction paper are cheaper, but you really have to be careful that they don’t tear apart when students slide them over their cans.

Using a Q-tip and the dabbing method of simply dotting on a small amount of paint, model how to paint on a snowman’s face.

I find that it’s a great idea to have students practice on a sheet of scrap paper before they paint their can.  This also allows them to design a few different faces to see which one they like the best.

Hobby Lobby, Michael’s Crafts and JoAnn Fabrics all sell ribbon by the bolt for a dollar or less.

Choose something that looks like a snowman’s scarf and tie it on the bottom of the cans for that finishing touch.  You’ll need a little over 12 inches for each student’s scarf.

Another Recycled Snowman Idea!

Use shorter veggie and soup cans, and instead of making a head of a snowman, students can simply paint the entire can blue, black or even brown.

After they’ve painted their cans, using a toothbrush, splatter the dried cans with white paint to look like falling snow.

I used a nail and hammer to punch holes in the sides of my can and then simply added a bit of wire with a rag bow on the top.

Craft stores have a huge assortment of colored wire if you want to make your cans less rustic looking.

You can put just about anything in these cans to give as a gift, including student work, a photograph, little “I love you notes”, a paper heart with a poem on it, candy etc.

Later parents can use them to hold markers, pens and pencils etc.

Click on the link to view/print this article's directions and pix.  Recycled snowman: Connie the Tin Can Container Snowman

Be sure and pop back tomorrow for another recycled snowman made out of a paint stick!

Do you have an activity that you do with recycled "stuff"?  I'd enjoy hearing from you! diane@teachwithme.com

4 pages An easy and inexpensive "green" gift for children to make. Charlie the snowman welcomes people by hanging on a doorknob announcing if it should "Let it snow" or "melt..."  If you want to make a matching ornament, use a large Popsicle stick.

• I specifically set up this 100-grid with the numbers starting with 10-20-30-40 etc. instead of ending with those numbers like most of the 100 number grids you’ll find.

•  I don't want students to be able to see that number coming at the end, so they are indeed memorizing it.  This is a difficult concept for some.

•  I also wanted to be able to take one strip at a time and focus on that complete set of numbers if I wanted to.

•  Another reason is that my students are learning to read from left to right so if I want to count by 10’s to 100 it’s easier for them to “see” that if the numbers are on the left going to the right.

•  I made this number grid horizontal so that I could make the squares bigger so that my traceable numbers could also be larger.

• I've also included a traceable 100's chart, which is often hard to find.
• After I got these grids designed I thought they’d be perfect for a slider.  So I made “Gabby Apple” with wiggle eyes.

I hope your students enjoy making and learning with her. Click on the link to view/print the pix, patterns and directions. 100 Day Apple Slider and 100 charts. Thanks for visiting.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find useful.

"What happens is not as important as how you react to what happens." -Thadddeus Golas

My 99 Year Old Granny

Because I always planned a zillion things for 100 Day, there just never seemed to be enough time for everything I wanted to fit in, so I decided to put a few fun things in the day before, to help build excitement.  One of them was my 99-year-old granny.

I asked my Y5’s “What number comes before 100?” Some of them actually guessed correctly.  I told them that my granny was 99 and asked them if they wanted her to come in and read a 100-Day story, the vote was always unanimous!

Granny is really me, dressed up in a white wig and little old lady mask.  One year a room helper heard my conversation with the children and thought it was just wonderful that granny was coming.  I didn’t know I sounded that convincing; too funny!

You too can easily have a granny or gramps come visit.  Simply plan ahead in October when masks and wigs go on sale at huge discounted prices after Halloween. 

A trip to the Goodwill for an old-fashioned dress and hat + my grandmother's cameo complete the look.

I tell my little ones that I have to go pick up granny at the home, so I’ll be gone during lunch time and a room helper will pick them up after recess and bring them to our classroom.

This gives me time to change into my costume and sit in my rocking chair.  I also tell them that granny is 99 and very very old.

We discuss how old people look.  So they are not scared, I tell them that some people have hurt granny’s feelings by telling her that she is so old and wrinkled that she looks like a witch and that made her cry.

We discuss that that was really mean and they would never do something like that.

This fends off any fears or comments they might have when they walk through the door and see this rather creepy creature sitting in my chair.

You can always hear a pin drop when they walk in and see me.  I greet them in my old-lady voice and bid them come in with my shaky hand.

I tell them that my granddaughter, Mrs. H, will soon be back, as she had to go park the car.

“Would you like granny to read you a story?” They are wide-eyed with wonder.  A few ask if it’s me, but even the doubters are happy to play along.

After the story, I ask if I can use the bathroom in their classroom. It takes a minute to take off my “stuff.”

When I come out as me, they are all talking at once, and can’t wait to tell me that granny was there and read them a story!  This truly cracks me up, as even the doubters can’t wait to tell me all about it, not once wondering how Mrs. H. got in the bathroom!

A few ask me if I was really granny.  I ask them what they think, but never really answer their question.  They all want granny to come again, but now it’s time to transition to the next activity…

I have a tool my students have fondly nick named Mr. Cruncher Muncher.

You put a piece of paper in, they turn the crank and it comes out looking like corrugated cardboard.

I LOVE the results and the students really enjoy putting their finished cut outs in Mr. Cruncher Muncher’s “mouth".

It’s a super fine motor skill, so I use it at least once a month.  We discuss how their faces will change when they are old like granny, discussing glasses, wrinkles, white or gray hair, age spots etc.

They return to their seats and cut out a large oval face, drawing what they think they will look like when they are 100.

Then they run their oval face through Mr. Cruncher Muncher to really add some 3- D wrinkles! Using scraps of white and gray construction paper they add hair. This too can be run through the rollers for more awesome effects.

Girls can fold large round white paper doilies in half and glue them to the back of their "grannies" for a nice old-fashioned collar.  For an antique look, dab the edges with a damp tea bag til they have a brown tone.

For an adorable 100 Day class book, give students a color choice of background paper. Have them glue their picture on and then collate their portraits in _________________’s 2107 Class Reunion Book, when 5-year-old students will be 100-years-old! This also makes an awesome 100 Day bulletin board. 

Click on the link if you'd like to print the article and pix. 100-Day Granny

Thanks for visiting.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find helpful.

"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but notheing can be changed, until it is faced." -James Baldwin