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

My Y5's enjoyed putting puzzles together.  Since it was one of our report card standards, I made time for them to work on puzzles for a few minutes at the end of the day.  With this in mind, I thought I'd design some "paper love" using puzzle pieces.

While I was diddling around with the puzzle idea, I wondered if there was some sort of easy & inexpensive gift my kiddos could make to give their mom to go along with their card.  Since the card was all about pieces, Reese's pieces came to mind. 

You certainly don't have to include them with this craft, but it's a simple way to add a little something to their creations, so you don't have to make something else.  Thus, there are several options for putting this activity together.  

Take a photo of each of your students and then have them cut it into puzzle pieces.  You can make them look more like a puzzle by placing my puzzle template over the photo and then cutting on the lines, or you can use carbon paper and trace the template onto the photo for easier cutting.

If you think this is too difficult for your students, they can simply cut their photo into several pieces.  Remind them to cut their photo into only 3-6 pieces, or you can bet that they’ll snip away, with no chance of gluing things back together. 

For preschool kiddos, have a room helper do this for you and then put each photo in a snack Baggie for students to put together.  They'll be surprised to find that it's a photo of them.

Students can glue their photo puzzle together onto a sheet of construction paper, so that all of the pieces fit snuggly together, or you can have them trim a bit from the edges so there is a gap between the pieces.  

I like the effect of this better, but I made sure that I cut my puzzle, so that it did not slice up the facial portion of my photo. If you're going to have your kiddos glue their puzzle this way, make sure you show them a sample, and explain the importance of not cutting through the center of their face.

Have students sign their picture puzzle and then glue it to the “I love you to pieces” paper and trim. 
I’ve included a template for mom, as well as a blank one for students who don’t have a mom, or if you wish to use this card for Grandparent’s or Father’s Day.

It's nice to give children color options, but I chose orange and yellow construction paper, because I wanted to include some Reese’s Pieces as a gift, with a double play on words. 

To keep the cost down, you can buy small packages of the candy and staple the little bag to the bottom of the photo puzzle, or you can buy it in bulk and fill mini snack bags.

Brainstorm with your students why they love their moms, and make a list on the board, so that students can refer to it as they complete their writing prompt.

Run off the large puzzle template and have students write six reasons why they love their mom (special person) to pieces (one reason in each of the six puzzle pieces). 

Have them glue their photo puzzle to the side of their writing prompt.

I mounted the writing prompt to a sheet of construction paper as well.  You could also attach it to the back of the picture puzzle and not trim that down.

I’ve also included an “I love you to pieces” header in two sizes.  Have students color the word with a yellow marker.

You can add the larger one to your Snack Baggie, or use the smaller one and glue it to the corner of the writing prompt for that finishing touch. (This is what I did for my sample.)

I forgot to do it in my photo, but have students outline their puzzle pieces with crayons or markers.  As I was working on my sample, I thought this would also make a sweet end-of-the-year gift for your students.  Have a helper take a photo of you with each of your kiddos. 

You cut up the puzzles and put them into a Snack Baggie that you attach to a box or bag of Reese’s Pieces, then complete a puzzle note for each child. 

Tuck them into their backpacks the last week of school, or they can put them together at the end of the day, while they eat a few pieces of candy.  Make sure none of your kiddos has a peanut allergy.

Click on the link to view/download the "I love you to pieces" packet.  Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.

"A mother's hug lasts long after she lets go." -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.

Thank you for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  My "Pin it" button is at the top of the page.

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