1-2-3 Come Do Another "Room On The Broom" Activity With Me

Do you read “Room on the Broom” by Julia Donaldson?

It’s one of my students’ favorite Halloween stories.

With that in mind, I thought I’d design an activity to go along with this cute tale.

“There’s Room On My Broom” is a quick, easy & super-fun booklet craftivity.

As always, there are black & white patterns for students, as well as colorful templates so that teachers can quickly and easily make a sample to share.

There are 2 pattern options for the second page of the “booklet”.

Students can simply color the broom, or teachers can opt to make this a bit of a keepsake.

If you have some classroom help, then painting a child’s hand brown, and pressing it on the broom handle, turns out adorable. As a mom I love these types of craftivities that my children brought home. 

Another option is to have students pick a partner, then take turns tracing each others hand, on a piece of tan construction paper. Cut it out then glue it on the end of the broom handle.

You decide what’s best for your students & the time you have available, then run off a class-set of the patterns. Easy "Print & Go!"

There are 20 animals for children to choose from.

To save paper & printing time, I designed the top of the worksheet as the “booklet” portion of the pattern, while the bottom part - - with animal choices, is easily snipped off.

Children color, cut & glue, whatever animals they want to ride on their broom.

Whenever I’m doing an activity, I always try to think of what else I might be able to include in the lesson, that will easily practice additional standards.

I thought other teachers would like that too, so besides the broom booklet, I’ve also included three graphing extensions. 

With a show of hands, teachers write the names on the graph of which animal from the story "Room on the Broom" they'd also like to have ride their broom. 

There's also a graph with 5 animals (lion, gorilla, unicorn, skunk & elephant), which asks "Which animal would you definitely NOT want on your broom?" Have a fun discussion of why not. 

Math skills, as well as group cooperation are practiced with a “Greater Than/ Less Than” worksheet, where students compare there “loaded brooms” with 4 other classmates' brooms.

For language arts, there’s also an ABC order worksheet.

The second part of our 2D shapes standard, involves  “spatial directions”; so I designed a "Where's Your Animal?" activity. 

Before students glue down their animals, they choose one.  Slowly read each direction from the worksheet. 

Students then place their animal above, below, beside, on etc. You can quickly & easily see who's having difficulty as you whole group assess this standard.

I've also included a witch manipulative you can use to give a quick spatial direction review, before you begin the assessment. If your students are like mine, they will really enjoy this extension.

Another thing children can do before they glue their animals to their broom, is to sort & sequence them according to size (smallest to largest or the reverse), which allows you to practice this standard as well.

Students could also use ordinal numbers to label their animal riders, and as you can see by my sample, I also practice patterning by having my students choose 2 crayon/marker colors to write their name with, and then fill in the letters of the title, showing an AB-AB color pattern.  

Completed projects make a cute bulletin board, so I’ve also included 2 posters to add some extra pizzazz to your display.

To see my other "Room on the Broom" resources, click the LINK.

Today's featured FREEBIE is an apple-themed "Telling Time to the Hour & Half Hour"packet.

It's an easy-peasy "print & go" activity that you can use for a variety of center activities. 

I’ve included a tip list of ideas including the “Kaboom” game.

Digital, as well as analog time to the hour and half hour are practiced.

I've also included two assessment templates, plus a blank set to program with other times, as well as a black & white set of cards, plus a cover, so that your kiddos can make an “Itty Bitty” Telling Time booklet.

Thanks for stopping by.

It's in the high 40s today, with a wicked wind; giving us a taste of winter that will be here all too soon.

Despite the chill, I will be going on my morning walk with my faithful pup Chloe.

There's a sprinkling of vibrant, fall colors splashed here and there, making a brisk nature hike especially interesting. 

Wishing you a fun-filled fall.  Hope you enjoy "making room" on your classroom brooms.

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.” - Dr. Seuss

1-2-3 Come Do Some Activities For The "Room on the Broom" Story   

Do you read the story ”Room on the Broom” by Julia Donaldson?

Click on the book cover or this LINK to zip on over to YouTube to see a really cute animated version. (10-minutes).

The TV film was nominated for the Best Animated Short Film at the 2014 Academy Awards!

It’s one of my students’ all-time favorite Halloween stories and perfect for practicing the “sequencing and retelling a story” standards.

With that in mind, I designed this quick, easy and fun ”Room on the Broom”  slider craftivity, which will help your students retell the story in the proper order.

There are 2 outside slider options to choose from. One is a square for easy-peasy straight cutting, which is perfect for little ones. 

While the other choice is a "cut me out" larger witch, for more advanced cutters.

I made some "broomstick"  ends for the "slider strip" for the larger witch, as well as included a "broom straw" pattern to glue on, which results in the slider looking like a broom that the witch is riding on. 

Run these patterns off on brown construction paper, then add some shading details with a marker.

For extra pizzazz you can tie on a jute bow.

I make the big one for myself, and run the square craftivity off for my little learners.

Students color the story elements on the “slider strip” then cut and glue it together.

As they pull on the end of the “slider-strip” the various pictures go through the “window” on the witch’s cape, so that children can take turns retelling the story to a partner or reading buddy, then take their craftivity home to share with their family, once again practicing these standards.

I introduce the lesson by reading this rhyming Halloween tale, then share my completed "slider craft” with my students.
So that you can quickly, and easily make an example, full-color patterns are included.

After we read the story, we retell the tale together, using the picture prompts on my slider.
They guess which story element they think comes next, before I pull the picture through the “window”.

My students now know what’s expected of them, and are very excited to transition to making a “Room on the Broom” craftivity of their own.

Storytelling sliders are also an easy & interesting way to assess comprehension.

I’ve included a “Let’s Sequence the Story” activity for this, where students color and trim the picture “windows” then glue them in the correct order on their worksheet. There’s a larger, full-color option so you can do this as a fun whole-group activity with younger students.

There’s also a “Here’s What Happened…” writing prompt worksheet, as another way to check comprehension, plus practice sequential writing, hopefully using a variety of ordinal numbers and other transitions. You can use the colorful template to do this as a whole group activity with younger folks.

Woo hoo! There are two featured FREEBIES today. The first one is a set of Halloween safety tips. 

The tips are loaded with Dolch sight words, providing great reading practice and review.  Read the list together as a whole group, calling on different children to read a tip.  Afterwards, they can color the picture, then take it home to read to their parents. 

The second FREEBIE is a set of "Happy Halloween!" note cards, with 6 on a one-page template. 

They come in color as well as black and white.

Attach one to a treat bag, or tuck in a folder, lunch box or backpack.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.

It's dark, damp, dreary and raining outside, providing the perfect backdrop for creating some more Halloween "stuff". 

Stay tuned for several more activities to go along with the "Room on the Broom" story.  "Witching" you an easy-breezy day filled with lots of memorable moments.

"There is magic in the night when pumpkins glow in moonlight." - Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Sequencing and Retelling a Story Activities With Me 

Do you read the story “Big Pumpkin” by Erica Silverman? It’s one of my all-time favorite Halloween stories. My students love it too.

With that in mind, I designed 3 different “Big Pumpkin” storytelling craftivities, which are a quick, easy & fun way for children to practice the “retelling & sequencing” a story standards.

The gist of the story is that a witch has grown a gigantic pumpkin, which she cannot get off the vine. Even her spooky friends ( a ghost, vampire, and mummy) can't budge the pumpkin. So how does a little bat think he can succeed where the other stronger characters could not?

Read the story, then pick your favorite crafty option from these 3:

1. A "Big Pumpkin" storytelling wheel, which is in the shape of a pumpkin. Run the pattern off on orange construction paper.

Students trim, then using a brass brad, attach their picture wheel, which they've colored to the back.

2. A "Big Pumpkin" storytelling "slider" which is also in the shape of a pumpkin. 

Students color the graphics on the strip of paper, then insert it into the pumpkin to retell the tale, and finally  ...

3. A 3 dimensional pumpkin "flip the flap" booklet.

This craft is not as easy as the wheel and slider crafts, so I recommend it for older students.

The pages of the pumpkin booklet fan out so the witch and her "Big Pumpkiin" are  free standing, creating a nice wow factor, which makes a cute Halloween centerpiece.

All 3 options have  full color patterns to use for an independent center, as well as a sample to share, plus black & white templates, so students can make their own.

When everyone is done, practice retelling the “Big Pumpkin” using the manipulative.

For the pumpkin "slider", children pull the various graphics through the "window".

For the wheel craft, everyone starts by turning their wheel so that the witch with her pumpkin, appears in the “pie-slice window”.

For the flip-the-flap booklet, children begin by flipping the first page to where the witch is seen with her big pumpkin.

Call on a child to begin the story by turning their wheel, pulling on their slider strip, or flipping a pumpkin page.

Continue turning, sliding or flipping, calling on different students to tell you that portion of the story, explaining the “picture prompt”.

After the sixth picture (a slice of pie) is revealed and explained:(The witch made pumpkin pie and everyone ate a piece. After her guests left, she went back into the garden and planted some more pumpkin seeds.) in unison have everyone yell “Happy Halloween!”

To  further reinforce the retelling, have students pick a partner and take turns sharing their wheel or slider with each other.

Sometimes we do this with our older, reading buddies. This is a quick, easy & fun way to check comprehension too.

For writing practice, all three options include a “Here’s What Happened” writing prompt worksheet, which students complete and color.

There’s also a full color template so you can quickly & easily make an example to share, or do this activity as a whole group with little ones.

Since this story has a moral to it, I take time to define this language arts term.

I’ve included a poster in each packet for you to hang and use as a guide.

As you can see by the photographs, each packet's writing prompt worksheets and posters are different.

There’s also an additional writing prompt worksheet, where students explain the moral of the story.

Use the colorful pattern as a whole group activity, asking little ones what they learned from the bat, then write their answers down on the paper, which you’ve attached to your white board.

Today's featured FREEBIE is a candy corn-themed packet.

Use it to reinforce circles, the concept of small, medium and large; or  have students write whatever you want them to practice, on the individual sections of the candy corn pieces. 

I've made examples to give you some ideas, such as CVC words, upper and lowercase letters, shapes, showing a number, counting to 30, color words, writing down examples of things that are those colors etc.

If you're also working on fractions, I've included pocket chart cards for a quick review that you'll find helpful.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for popping in. 

It's going to be a chilly, rainy and damp day... perfect for creating some more Halloween activities.  

Wishing you a satisfying and snuggly kind of day.

"Acting is like a Halloween mask that you put on." -River Phoenix

1-2-3 Come Do Some Halloween Storytelling Crafts With Me  

Do you read ”The Spooky Wheels on the Bus” by J. Elizabeth Mills?
It’s put out by Scholastic and a new favorite of mine.

Perfect for counting, introducing onomatopoeia, and practicing the “sequencing and retelling a story” standards.

Click on the book photo on the left, or this LINK, to see it being read by a librarian on YouTube.

Since my students are familiar with and really enjoy singing “The Wheels on the Bus”, having an alternate version for Halloween fun is particularly enjoyable.

With these things in mind, I designed a quick, easy and fun ”Spooky Wheels on the Bus” “slider” craftivity, which will help your students retell the story in the proper order.

For educational fun on Halloween party day, read the story, sing the song, and make the slider craft.  Woo hoo for easy-peasy!!

Choose the simple square cut pattern for little ones, or the "cut me out" bus template for children with better scissor skills.

Students color the story elements on the “slider strip” then cut and glue it together. There are two options for these as well. 

I use the numbered strip because my Y5s are learning number recognition, plus how to count and sequence. 

You could also use the strip with just the graphics, and have students number their own to get in even more practice.

As children pull on the end of the “slider-strip” the various pictures go through the “window” of their bus, so that children can take turns retelling the story to a partner or reading buddy, then take their craft home to share with their family, once again practicing these standards.

I introduce the lesson by reading the book ”The Spooky Wheels on the Bus”, then share my completed "slider craft” with my students.
So that you can quickly, and easily make an example, I’ve included a full-color slider pattern.

After I read the story, we retell the tale together, using the picture prompts on my slider. I have children guess which story element they think comes next, before I pull the picture through the “window”.

My students now know what’s expected of them, and are very excited to transition to making a “Spooky Bus” storytelling slider of their own.

Storytelling sliders are also an easy & interesting way to assess comprehension.

I’ve included a "Let's sequence the story” activity for this, where students color and trim the picture “windows” then glue them in the correct order on their worksheet.

There's also a colorful, bus answer key poster, which you can use in various ways, including as an independent puzzle center.

A “Here’s What Happened…” writing prompt worksheet, is another way to check comprehension, plus practice sequential writing, hopefully using a variety of ordinal numbers and other transitions. 

Since the story is about the WHEELS on a spooky bus, I also made a story wheel craft as well. 

This option provides another way to sequence and retell "The Spooky Wheels on the Bus" story.

Like the slider craft, I've included a "Here's What Happened" writing prompt. 

There's also another fun writing option, where students continue the story by thinking of an 11th thing that might be riding the spooky bus. 

They fill in the blank, compleete the sentence with some sort of onomatopoeia then illustrate their worksheet. 

My example has 11 black bats, which go flap, flip, flap all through the town.  Students will enjoy sharing what they've come up with, and completed projects make a cute bulletin board. 

Today's featured FREEBIE is a set of apple-themed time cards for practicing telling time to the hour and half hour. 

There are blackline patterns plus a cover, so that students can make their own "Itty Bitty" Telling Time Flip Booklet, along with two assessments I think you'll find useful.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for dropping in. 

I'm absolutely loving the Indian Summer weather we've been having here in Michigan, so it's time to go rake a few leaves out of my flower beds, before the rain that's brewing changes my plans. 

Wishing you a fun-filled day.

"Autumn, the year's last loveliest smile." -William Cullen Bryant