1-2-3 Make A Gift Baggie With Me

If you're still in school and want to make a sweet treat for your kiddo's to give their dad's for Father's Day, you may want to try this puzzle activity.

I designed two different puzzle headers: I love you to pieces as well as, we love you to pieces.

You can use the "I" header for a beginning of the year treat bag for your students, or a gift for Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Use the "We" header for a gift for Secretary's Day.

You can buy bulk Reeses Pieces at Sam's Club. Have children put a few scoopfuls in a Snack Baggie.

If you're only making a few gifts for volunteers or secretaries, you can buy Reeses in a snack package or mini box, and attach your puzzle pieces to the top and bottom.

Run the headers off on white construction paper and have children color them lightly with crayons in an assortment of colors.

Add a bit more pizzazz by having students glue their school photo to a puzzle piece and then sign their name on yet another one.

Click on the link to view/download Love You To Pieces Gift Baggies.

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"A college degree and a teaching certificate define a person as a teacher, but it takes hard work and dedication to be one." -Paul McClure

1-2-3 Come Make A Puppy Pal With Me

This puppy "craftivity" is really versatile. 

You can use the slider template and review upper or lowercase letters, 2D flat shapes, counting to 30, or skip counting by 2's, 3's 5's, or 10's, by cutting slits and inserting the appropriate strip of paper (slider).

These make a nice end-of-the-year activity, to send home with students as a fun way to review and practice over the summer, so they don't forget what they've learned.

Likewise, they are a terrific way to introduce your new students to these concepts at the beginning of the year as well.

Sliders are an easy way to whole-group assess and a fun way to review standards via playing "I spy" games.

Children can also make a keepsake card for Father's Day or Mother's Day, or to give to anyone else, by simply writing the recipient's name on the bone.

What makes this puppy extra special, is that you trace a student's foot with their shoe on, to make the puppy's ears.

Add a school photo for even more pizzazz.

I made the card on the right for my daughter, from baby Kaiden.

Finally, you can also use the Puppy Pal as a topper for a variety of writing prompts.

I've made writing prompt "bones" for the beginning of the year as well as the end. i.e. "I'll have a dog-gone great school year because ..." or I had a dog-gone good school year because..."

Click on the link to view/download the Puppy Pal Writing Prompt Card

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"The best teachers teach from the heart, not the book." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Make A Mother's Day Gift With Me!

Are you looking for some quick, easy and inexpensive ideas for making a Mother's Day gift that will become a cherished keepsake?  You've come to the right blog.  How about some "paper love" where that adorable creation becomes even more special when their child reads it to them!

I've designed several easy readers that teach a variety of common core standards. Be sure and read the completed projects as a whole group to reinforce concepts of print, and as a fun way for students to practice before they take their treasures home to read.

My Book Of Flowers reinforces color words. Students read the simple sentences and add end punctuation.

They trace and write the words in their matching colors, color the flower the appropriate color, and then color, cut & glue the matching picture.

The end of the story includes a Happy Mother's Day greeting with a  lovely bouquet.  I've also included a blank template for students who are giving the booklet to someone other than a mommy.  Click on the link to view/download My Book of Flowers Mother's Day easy reader.

Where Are The Flowers? is another easy reader,  This one reinforces spatial directions. 

Students read the simple sentences and add end punctuation.  The sentence "clues" tell where they should glue the flowers (in, above, under, between etc.)  

Children trace and write the directional words.   The surprise ending has a 3D door where Happy Mother's Day wishes and a lovely bouquet await mom when she flips it open.

As with the above booklet, I've also included generic pages, so students can fill in another special person. Click on the link to view/download the Mother's Day Spatial Direction booklet.

My Mom is my personal favorite.  Here students use adjectives and adverbs to describe their mommies. 

They also draw a picture and cut out the Happy Mother's Day heart.  You can make this booklet even more of a keepsake, by adding a school picture.

I've done the pages in traceable format for little ones.  Older students can simply write their own pages.

Click on the link to view/download the My Mom easy reader.

Finally, Thanks For All You Do Mom was my Y5's favorite.  They especially enjoyed making a blue-ribbon badge for their mom and tucking it in this easy reader.

The list of things that "mom's do and are loved for," was compiled throughout the years by my Y5's via a discussion, so the booklet is truly from a child's perspective.

Students read, trace, write, color, cut, glue and add end punctuation.  I've updated this packet and included 3 booklets for various ages/ability levels + the original one in color. 

Older students can draw their own pictures, where as younger kiddos color, cut and glue the picture to the page, as well as trace and write the main idea words.

I've included a variety of little square pictures for students to choose from to include on their blue ribbon badge for mom, or you can have children draw their own.  

The pictures reflect the ideas in their booklet and were thought up by my Y5's.  Click on the link to view/download the Thanks For All You Do Mom activity packet.

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"Teaching is the one profession that creates all other professions!" -Unknown