color activities

1-2-3 Come Do Some Snowman Activities With Me

We didn't have much snow in December, but January is certainly making up for it. There's certainly enough to make a few fat snowmen; so I wanted to feature some of my favorite snowman-themed activities.

snowman crafts, snowman activities, color word activities, color games, color activities, snowman clock, digital time activities, analog time activities, telling time to the hour activities, telling time to the half hour activities, telling time games, emergent readers, free emergent readers, color booklet, end punctuation activities, skip counting activities, snowman puzzles, January bulletin board ideas, winter bulletin boardsA snowman's head is perfect for reviewing 2D shapes.  I had a lot of fun making these shapely snowmen.  You can make a set for a winter bulletin board, anchor chart-posters, large flashcards to review and assess the shapes, a center matching activity, or have students choose their favorite and make one. 

Look carefully and you'll see that the snowman's facial features also match the 2D shape of his head.  Click on the link to view/download the shapely snowman packet.

snowman crafts, snowman activities, color word activities, color games, color activities, snowman clock, digital time activities, analog time activities, telling time to the hour activities, telling time to the half hour activities, telling time games, emergent readers, free emergent readers, color booklet, end punctuation activities, skip counting activities, snowman puzzles, January bulletin board ideas, winter bulletin boardsReinforce a variety of standards with these 7 snowman puzzles that cover upper and lowercase letters, counting backwards, plus skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s.  Make a set to use as puzzles for an independent center.

These also make a lovely bulletin board.  Caption: Learning is “snow” much fun!  Have students choose a snowman that they want to make.  Run off copies, they trim and glue to a sheet of blue or black construction paper. 

For a mosaic appearance, tell students to put a small space in-between.  Add a bit more pizazz by having students make “snowflakes” with a Q-tip dipped in white paint.  For that finishing touch, sprinkle the wet paint dots with opalescent glitter.

snowman crafts, snowman activities, color word activities, color games, color activities, snowman clock, digital time activities, analog time activities, telling time to the hour activities, telling time to the half hour activities, telling time games, emergent readers, free emergent readers, color booklet, end punctuation activities, skip counting activities, snowman puzzles, January bulletin board ideas, winter bulletin boardsIf you are working on colors or color words with your students, I think you'll enjoy the Snowman Color Match packet. Students can play the game as an independent center, or choose a partner and play a spinner game. 

snowman crafts, snowman activities, color word activities, color games, color activities, snowman clock, digital time activities, analog time activities, telling time to the hour activities, telling time to the half hour activities, telling time games, emergent readers, free emergent readers, color booklet, end punctuation activities, skip counting activities, snowman puzzles, January bulletin board ideas, winter bulletin boardsMake an extra set and have students glue the puzzle hat and scarf pieces to the appropriate snowman and use them for your winter word wall. There's a plain set for students to draw in their own snowman face, as well as an illustrated set.

snowman crafts, snowman activities, color word activities, color games, color activities, snowman clock, digital time activities, analog time activities, telling time to the hour activities, telling time to the half hour activities, telling time games, emergent readers, free emergent readers, color booklet, end punctuation activities, skip counting activities, snowman puzzles, January bulletin board ideas, winter bulletin boardsThe snowman-themed emergent reader, covers lots of standards, as students read the repetitive sentences, circle capital letters, add end punctuation, trace and write the words, and color the pictures. 

Days of the week + color words are reinforced. Three graphing extensions, a game, bookmark and a worksheet are all included as well.

snowman crafts, snowman activities, color word activities, color games, color activities, snowman clock, digital time activities, analog time activities, telling time to the hour activities, telling time to the half hour activities, telling time games, emergent readers, free emergent readers, color booklet, end punctuation activities, skip counting activities, snowman puzzles, January bulletin board ideas, winter bulletin boardsFinally, help review analog and digital time to the hour and half hour, with the snowman clock matching game

Print the snowman template on white construction paper; laminate and trim. 

Run off the hatband-time words, the digital time-rectangles and the analog clocks; laminate and trim.

Students choose a time and then match all of the pieces and parts to complete that snowman.  Make an extra set and glue together for a "Time For Winter" bulletin board. 

Students can also make their own snowman clock to use as an assessment tool.  Run off the analog clock and digital time box templates, on glossy photo paper.  Children trim and glue to their snowman. They now have a dry erase digital and analog clock

Teacher calls out a time. Using dry erase markers, students draw hands on the clock and write the digital time in the box, then hold up their snowman when they are done. 

This is a quick, easy and fun way to whole-group assess, as you can see at a glance who is having difficulty. Children use a tissue to wipe off that answer, so they can play another round.  Continue the game 'til you have covered/assessed all of the time options.

snowman crafts, snowman activities, color word activities, color games, color activities, snowman clock, digital time activities, analog time activities, telling time to the hour activities, telling time to the half hour activities, telling time games, emergent readers, free emergent readers, color booklet, end punctuation activities, skip counting activities, snowman puzzles, January bulletin board ideas, winter bulletin boardsWell that's it for today.  Thanks for visiting.  I hope you found some useful activities to help bring out the brrrr-illiance in your kiddos.  As for me, it's time to brave the wintry artic to buy a few groceries, as Mother Hubbard's cupboard is indeed bare, and I'm clueless what to make for dinner.

Hopefully it won't take too long to find my car under the avalance of snow it's frosted with.  Wishing you a stress-free happy day.

"I get a special feeling when I walk on snow that no one else has.  It's a mixture of awe, adventure and amazement; and makes me wonder if this is something akin to what explorers and astronauts experienced, when they left their footprints on places yet to be discovered by others.  Certainly a pleasant feeling of accomplishment at being first." - Diane Henderson

1-2-3 Come Play Some Number Games With Me

As things are winding down, for a much-deserved Thanksgiving break, you may want to plug in a few educational, yet quick, easy and fun games on that last day.

fraction activities, fraction games, colors, sequencing numbers 1-10, 10 piece fraction pie, number words, number word games, number word activities, math games, number puzzles, turkey activities, thanksging activities, thanksgiving games, turkey games, fraction flashcards, The Easy As Pie Learning packet, reviews all sorts of standards, with a cute little turkey game that's easy to differentiate, for a variety of learning levels. 

fraction activities, fraction games, colors, sequencing numbers 1-10, 10 piece fraction pie, number words, number word games, number word activities, math games, number puzzles, turkey activities, thanksging activities, thanksgiving games, turkey games, fraction flashcards, Use the 10-sectioned pie pattern, to simply make a 10 piece puzzle, for younger students to practice counting and sequencing numbers 1-10. 

Older students can practice numbers and their number words, if you cut the puzzle slices into numbers and number word pieces, making a 20-piece puzzle.

You can also review colors with your little ones, by running off the number wheel pattern, on 10 different colors of construction paper; mixing and matching pieces 'til you have 30-mini puzzles, each with 10 different colored pie slices.  It only took me a few minutes to make 10.  Store them separately, in Ziploc Snack Baggies.

 fraction activities, fraction games, colors, sequencing numbers 1-10, 10 piece fraction pie, number words, number word games, number word activities, math games, number puzzles, turkey activities, thanksging activities, thanksgiving games, turkey games, fraction flashcards, Reinforce life skills, by playing with the puzzles as a partner game.  You can use dice and practice addition, or use the spinner (3 are included) to play that way. 

fraction activities, fraction games, colors, sequencing numbers 1-10, 10 piece fraction pie, number words, number word games, number word activities, math games, number puzzles, turkey activities, thanksging activities, thanksgiving games, turkey games, fraction flashcards, Students take turns rolling one dice, to fill in pie slices numbered 1-6, then use two dice and add them together, to play puzzle pieces 7-10.

fraction activities, fraction games, colors, sequencing numbers 1-10, 10 piece fraction pie, number words, number word games, number word activities, math games, number puzzles, turkey activities, thanksging activities, thanksgiving games, turkey games, fraction flashcards, If your kiddos are also studying fractions, they can play Memory Match or "I Have; Who Has?" games, with the turkey's pumpkin pie fraction cards. There's also a larger set to use as flashcards.

fraction cardsFor more fraction practice, I've included a set of black and white pocket chart cards that you can run off, so your students can make an Itty Bitty fraction booklet.  Click on the link to grab this fun fall FREEBIE:  Easy As Pie Learning Thanksgiving Game packet.

fraction cardsThanks for visiting.  It's really started to snow outside, so I'm off to go find the snow shovel, as it is tenaciously sticking to the ground. 

Sigh... I am so not ready for winter yet, but then I don't think I'm ever happy when it truly arrives either. 

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

1-2-3 Come Do Some More Pete The Cat Activities With Me

I'm back, with some more "Cool Cat" activities that will go nicely with any cat-theme you may have going on.  The story element packet is also perfect for Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, or Pete the Cat's Rockin' School Shoes. 

pete the cat activities, story elements for pete the cat, story elements activities, graphic organizers, pete the cat crafts, cat crafts, retelling a story activities, sequencing pete the cat, color activities, color word activities, graphing shoe color, venn diagram templates, venn diagrams for pete the cat, The packet includes a variety of activities to help review and practice story elements, and includes pocket cards for character, setting, and event.

pete the cat activities, story elements for pete the cat, story elements activities, graphic organizers, pete the cat crafts, cat crafts, retelling a story activities, sequencing pete the cat, color activities, color word activities, graphing shoe color, venn diagram templates, venn diagrams for pete the cat, Two graphic organizer options, help students write about the beginning, middle and end of the story. 

pete the cat activities, story elements for pete the cat, story elements activities, graphic organizers, pete the cat crafts, cat crafts, retelling a story activities, sequencing pete the cat, color activities, color word activities, graphing shoe color, venn diagram templates, venn diagrams for pete the cat, There are 6 Venn diagrams as well, that will help introduce comparison and constrast to your students. 

Venn diagrams are a quick, easy and fun way to visually show students similarities and differences. 

Children can practice this form of writing, by comparing two different cat characters, 2 different cat stories, and/or compare their shoes with a friend, or even the cat's. 

pete the cat activities, story elements for pete the cat, story elements activities, graphic organizers, pete the cat crafts, cat crafts, retelling a story activities, sequencing pete the cat, color activities, color word activities, graphing shoe color, venn diagram templates, venn diagrams for pete the cat, Practice graphing, by having children fill in the color shoe that they are wearing.  

pete the cat activities, story elements for pete the cat, story elements activities, graphic organizers, pete the cat crafts, cat crafts, retelling a story activities, sequencing pete the cat, color activities, color word activities, graphing shoe color, venn diagram templates, venn diagrams for pete the cat, For more color practice, I've included a trace and color word worksheet too.

There are also four, "I Spy a Word" games, featuring 56 words. ( Most of them from the Dolch word list.) 

All of these words appear in Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes story.  The "I Spy a Word" worksheets, are a simple and quick way to whole group assess word recognition. 

Choose students to call out a word.  Children find that word and then cover it with the little tennis shoe card. 

pete the cat activities, story elements for pete the cat, story elements activities, graphic organizers, pete the cat crafts, cat crafts, retelling a story activities, sequencing pete the cat, color activities, color word activities, graphing shoe color, venn diagram templates, venn diagrams for pete the cat, If you don't want to use the game each year, simply have students circle the word when they find it. 

For more practice, have them write the words in alphabetical order on the back of their paper.  You could also have students use the word in a sentence. 

pete the cat activities, story elements for pete the cat, story elements activities, graphic organizers, pete the cat crafts, cat crafts, retelling a story activities, sequencing pete the cat, color activities, color word activities, graphing shoe color, venn diagram templates, venn diagrams for pete the cat, Finally, in keeping with the Pete the Cat stories, there are 3 posters (including a poster-definition of what "the moral of the story" means). So that students can practice reading the repetitive lines, hold a poster up when you come to that part of the story.  

pete the cat activities, story elements for pete the cat, story elements activities, graphic organizers, pete the cat crafts, cat crafts, retelling a story activities, sequencing pete the cat, color activities, color word activities, graphing shoe color, venn diagram templates, venn diagrams for pete the cat, Click on the link to view/download the Cool Cat Story Elements and More packet. 

Since all of the other "story sliders" that I've designed, have been such popular downloads, I couldn't resist making one for Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes.

pete the cat activities, story elements for pete the cat, story elements activities, graphic organizers, pete the cat crafts, cat crafts, retelling a story activities, sequencing pete the cat, color activities, color word activities, graphing shoe color, venn diagram templates, venn diagrams for pete the cat, To make one, simply run my cat pattern off on blue construction paper.

Students trim and add a bit of color for some pizzazz.

Run off the slider strips and sequencing pictures on white paper.  Pre-cut slits on the cat. (I used an Exacto knife.) 

Children color the pictures, cut them out and then glue them to their "slider" in the correct sequential order of the story. 

When everyone has completed their cat creation, review the story, by retelling it, via the pictures on the slider, adding details when appropriate.  Encourage students to share their cat slider with their families, so they can once again retell the story. 

pete the cat activities, story elements for pete the cat, story elements activities, graphic organizers, pete the cat crafts, cat crafts, retelling a story activities, sequencing pete the cat, color activities, color word activities, graphing shoe color, venn diagram templates, venn diagrams for pete the cat, Click on the link to view/download the Pete the Cat Story Slider. 

pete the cat activities, story elements for pete the cat, story elements activities, graphic organizers, pete the cat crafts, cat crafts, retelling a story activities, sequencing pete the cat, color activities, color word activities, graphing shoe color, venn diagram templates, venn diagrams for pete the cat, Thanks for visiting today.   It's one of those perfect-weather days.  My grandson is up from his nap, so it's time for a stroller ride.  Wishing you a love-filled day.

"Believe you can, and you're half way there." -Theodore Roosevelt

1-2-3 Come Do Some Pete the Cat Activities With Me

The Pete the Cat series of children's books, is a new favorite of mine.  Pete is a cool cat, and his positive up-beat attitude is refreshing.  "Does he cry when things don't go his way?"  "Goodness no!" 

Pete the cat activities, pete the cat I love my white shoes activities, pete the cat crafts, pete the cat games, pete the cat worksheets, pete the cat lessons, color activities, color games, color words, color word cardsPete is the brain child of James Dean, an illustrator, who in real life loves cats.  Eric Litwin, is a "folksy songwriter" who helps create the stories and writes catchy little tunes to go with the books.  Kids quickly catch on to the funky-repetitive lyrics.  They stick in your mind like "It's a Small World" and if your kiddos are like mine, they'll be singing the little tunes through out the day. 

Harper Collins is the publisher of the Pete the Cat stories.  Click on the link to check out the entire collection.  You can download a variety of FREEBIES there as well.

Pete the cat activities, pete the cat I love my white shoes activities, pete the cat crafts, pete the cat games, pete the cat worksheets, pete the cat lessons, color activities, color games, color words, color word cardsOne of my personal favorites is Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes.  You can hear it on YouTube by clicking on the link. 

Pete the cat activities, pete the cat I love my white shoes activities, pete the cat crafts, pete the cat games, pete the cat worksheets, pete the cat lessons, color activities, color games, color words, color word cardsIn this story, Pete has a brand new pair of white shoes.  However, they change to the color red, as he steps into a pile of strawberries, and so the story goes, for Pete's shoes continue to change color, as he steps into blueberries and mud. Finally, all of the colors are washed away, because he steps into a bucket of water. 

Oh no!  His shoes are now wet! Does Pete cry? Goodness no!  He just walks along singing his song, because it's all good.

Pete the cat activities, pete the cat I love my white shoes activities, pete the cat crafts, pete the cat games, pete the cat worksheets, pete the cat lessons, color activities, color games, color words, color word cardsEven though the story only involves four colors, I thought it would be fun to design some quick and easy activities to help reinforce 10 colors and their color words.

In the Cool Cat Colors: An Easy Reader packet, students read the sentence; correct the letters that should be capitalized and add end punctuation.  They trace and write the color words, and then color the shoe(s). 

For more teachable moments, be sure to reinforce the use of a variety of pronouns, as well as plurals in the sentences.  The last page of the story, asks students what color shoes they are wearing.

Children color a picture of their own shoes to complete the story.   Click on the link to view/download the easy reader: Cool Cat Colors.

Another fun way to reinforce colors and color words is by playing Memory Match and "I Have; Who Has?"  games. 

Pete the cat activities, pete the cat I love my white shoes activities, pete the cat crafts, pete the cat games, pete the cat worksheets, pete the cat lessons, color activities, color games, color words, color word cardsIn the Cool Cat Shoe Color packet, I've included shoe cards that students match up with color words. 

Pete the cat activities, pete the cat I love my white shoes activities, pete the cat crafts, pete the cat games, pete the cat worksheets, pete the cat lessons, color activities, color games, color words, color word cardsFor students just learning colors and color words, use the full-color word cards for the game. 

If you want to assess to see if your students can read and match the color words to their appropriate colors, use the set printed in black. 

Pete the cat activities, pete the cat I love my white shoes activities, pete the cat crafts, pete the cat games, pete the cat worksheets, pete the cat lessons, color activities, color games, color words, color word cardsI've also included a mini-color booklet for them to make.  They color the sneaker cards, then write the color word underneath in the matching color.  There's a cover for them to add.

Pete the cat activities, pete the cat I love my white shoes activities, pete the cat crafts, pete the cat games, pete the cat worksheets, pete the cat lessons, color activities, color games, color words, color word cardsFor even more practice, have students complete the color word matching worksheet.  

pete the cat, pete the cat activities, color games, color activities, common core state standards for k, CCSS for 1st, end punctuation activities, capitalization activitiesClick on the link to view/download the Cool Cat Shoe Color packet.

Pete the cat activities, pete the cat I love my white shoes activities, pete the cat crafts, pete the cat games, pete the cat worksheets, pete the cat lessons, color activities, color games, color words, color word cardsFinally, for the Cool Cat Spinner Game, have students pick a partner and take turns spinning the color wheel. 

Whatever color they land on, they color that sneaker on their recording sheet, and then trace and write the word in the matching color. 

Pete the cat activities, pete the cat I love my white shoes activities, pete the cat crafts, pete the cat games, pete the cat worksheets, pete the cat lessons, color activities, color games, color words, color word cardsThe first child to complete their bookmark with all of the colors, is the winner. I've included a certificate of praise for them.  Click on the link to view/download the Cool Cat Colors Spinner Game. 

Pete the cat activities, pete the cat I love my white shoes activities, pete the cat crafts, pete the cat games, pete the cat worksheets, pete the cat lessons, color activities, color games, color words, color word cardsThanks for visiting today.  Be sure and stay tuned, as I'll be busy designing more Pete the Cat activities for these sweet stories.  Remember, according to Pete, "it's all good"... especially when it comes to FREEBIES!

"Elegance is not about being noticed; it's about being remembered." -Giorgio Armani

 1-2-3 Come Scribble Away With Me!

As you know, when you scribble something, you write or draw it quickly. Scribbles are random and abstract and often done without lifting your pencil off the paper. 

back to school activities, icebreakers, scribble art, back to school bulletin boards, writing prompts for the 1st week of schoolAccording to Viktor Lowenfeld, an art professor who taught at Pennsylvania State University, the first stage of a child's art development is the scribble stage.

According to Lowenfeld, the first stage of a child’s art development is the Scribble stage. - See more at: http://www.funderstanding.com/theory/child-development/art-projects-for-kids/#sthash.DxstR8MC.dpuf
According to Lowenfeld, the first stage of a child’s art development is the - See more at: http://www.funderstanding.com/theory/child-development/art-projects-for-kids/#sthash.DxstR8MC.dpuf

Since my Y5's were wonderful scribblers, and each scribble is unique, I thought I’d turn some scribbles into an interesting get-to-know-you piece of art - and add some dice, turning it all into a fun icebreaker, for a creative back to school activity.  So...

Come scribble away and get to know your students today! Completed projects, make an eye-catching bulletin board.  (Woo hoo!) 

If you need help doing this with preschool students, have this be an open house or meet the teacher activity that children can do with their parents.  Collect and have them share during the first week of school.

back to school activities, icebreakers, scribble art, back to school bulletin boards, writing prompts for the 1st week of schoolHere’s How: Make your own example and share it with your students. A picture is definitely worth a 1,000 words.

Demonstrate how to make a full-page scribble. Explain that they need to create something simple, but that takes up the entire sheet of paper. I’ve found that little ones write large letters, but often draw tiny objects.

While they are scribbling, they should keep in mind that they need to leave enough room in their design to write something inside the sections. (A room helper can assist little ones with writing, recording what they want to say.)

scribble icebreaker, back to school activities, icebreakers, scribble art, back to school bulletin boards, writing prompts for the 1st week of schoolScribbles can have rounded shapes, angular shapes or a combination of both. If you think this is too difficult for your kiddos, I’ve included six templates that you can run off that they can choose from.

Pass out paper and scribble away. If time permits, allow students to scribble several examples and then choose their favorite. 

For young children, you may want to have them practice on a sheet of newspaper to get the feel of scribbling larger abstract-like shapes instead of little squiggles.

back to school activities, icebreakers, scribble art, back to school bulletin boards, writing prompts for the 1st week of schoolHave children use a different color crayon or marker to fill in 6 to 8 of their sections. I chose this amount because I wanted to reinforce the names of the various colors.

Results would also be more colorful, as young children sometimes choose to color with only their favorite color.

As a quick and easy icebreaker, and fun way to get to know your students, have them write some things about themselves inside the abstract shapes that they colored in.

This can be whatever they want to share, or you can give them further directions for what you’re looking for.

scribble icebreaker, back to school activities, icebreakers, scribble art, back to school bulletin boards, writing prompts for the 1st week of schoolThis was my rubric: Jot down 2 to 4 things you enjoy; 1 thing you did over the summer; 2 interesting facts about yourself; and 1 favorite thing. (Adjust numbers to fit your other directions.) 

I've made a poster for you to hang up, so students can refer to it while they're scribbling. 

This is what I wrote inside my scribbles:

  • Four things that I enjoy: I love gardening. I enjoy photography. I enjoy taking nature walks. I enjoy kayaking.
  • One thing I did over the summer: I road a train to Washington and Oregon to visit family.
  • Two interesting facts about me: I have a black poodle named Chloe. I have an identical twin sister named Kathie.
  • A favorite thing: Red licorice is my favorite candy.

Because of limited space, I kept my answers short when I wrote them down, but encourage students to add some adjectives when they orally share. i.e. On my paper: I have a pet poodle. Sharing: I have a black poodle named Chloe.

You can have students hold up their scribble and share one thing, or turn it into a get-to-know-you game and add some dice.

back to school activities, icebreakers, scribble art, back to school bulletin boards, writing prompts for the 1st week of schoolTo play with dice, have students number 6 of their scribbled sections. Take turns passing and tossing the dice and then sharing the matching numbered section that they rolled.  I use big foam dice to cut down on the noise. They also stay on a desk or table better.

back to school activities, icebreakers, scribble art, back to school bulletin boards, color game poster, color games, writing prompts for the 1st week of schoolIf you want to reinforce colors, make a list of colors and then number your list. Whatever number they roll will have a matching color that they share. I’ve included a rubric for this that you can display on the board.

I used rainbow colors, but you might want to adjust it to include pink.  I found that my little ones rarely chose yellow, but almost all of the girls consistently chose pink or purple.

To turn this into an interesting bulletin board, have students choose from a variety of colors of construction paper, and glue their scribble in the center. Gluing on a photo adds that finishing touch.

A caption could be: We are a unique and colorful bunch. OR... “We scribbled away to learn about our classmates today!”

back to school activities, icebreakers, scribble art, back to school bulletin boards, writing prompts for the 1st week of schoolClick on the link to view/download the Scribble Icebreaker Thanks for visiting.  Feel free to PIN away. 

It's time to stop scribbling for awhile and start a bit of cleaning...or not!  

"This world is but a canvas to our imagination." -Henry David Thoreau

 1-2-3 Come Do Some Icebreaker First-Day Activities With Me

icebreaker games, games for the first day of school, first day of school activities, 1st day of school activities, getting to know you games, icebreakers for the 1st day of school, icebreakers for school, M & M game, Skittle Game, candy games, candy icebreakers, back to school ideas, back to school games, back to school icebreakers,color games, My favorite classes in school, even up through college, were those that we had a real community going.   These were usually conducted by my favorite teachers, who felt that a classroom was sort of like a family.  They made time to make us all feel welcome, safe, and important.  I truly felt cared about.  

One of the ways they promoted these feelings, was that they spent some time getting to know all of us.  This also helped build camaraderie, and developed our classroom “family” plus a positive-caring atmosphere.

icebreaker games, games for the first day of school, first day of school activities, 1st day of school activities, getting to know you games, icebreakers for the 1st day of school, icebreakers for school, M & M game, Skittle Game, candy games, candy icebreakers, back to school ideas, back to school games, back to school icebreakers,color games, Icebreakers are a perfect way to do this, and are especially important on the first day of school, when students are a bit nervous and looking at a bunch of strangers.   They are quick, easy and a lot of fun.  I've always found that no matter what the age, most students really enjoy sharing something about themselves. 

I not only did an icebreaker on the first day, but included a simple one in the morning or at the end of the day, for our entire first week of school.  I even do icebreakers with my college comp classes.  I truly believe that if students get to really know each other, the class is much more interesting and fun, which I feel is conducive to learning, as well as a great motivational factor. 

icebreaker games, games for the first day of school, first day of school activities, 1st day of school activities, getting to know you games, icebreakers for the 1st day of school, icebreakers for school, M & M game, Skittle Game, candy games, candy icebreakers, back to school ideas, back to school games, back to school icebreakers,color games, icebreaker games, games for the first day of school, first day of school activities, 1st day of school activities, getting to know you games, icebreakers for the 1st day of school, icebreakers for school, M & M game, Skittle Game, candy games, candy icebreakers, back to school ideas, back to school games, back to school icebreakers,color games, It's always worked for me.  Thus, I’m forever searching for something new to add to my icebreaker bag of tricks and came upon the M & M's or Skittles Game, which goes by as many names as there are colors, and can be played in a variety of ways as well, so I made up a few of my own versions.

You can have students choose 2 or 3 pieces of candy and then announce that they will be sharing something about themselves.  Whatever color of candy that they chose will match a question on the poster.   Go around the room and have students share that information one question at a time.   As they share, they get to eat that color candy.

icebreaker games, games for the first day of school, first day of school activities, 1st day of school activities, getting to know you games, icebreakers for the 1st day of school, icebreakers for school, M & M game, Skittle Game, candy games, candy icebreakers, back to school ideas, back to school games, back to school icebreakers,color games, Remember to let students know in advance not to eat their candy before it’s their turn to share.  Since this may be extremely difficult for a young child, to expedite things, you can put one of each color candy in a mini cup on their desks.  

Tell students that they’re going to share the red candy question and then have everyone eat the red one at the same time.  As soon as the first person shares then the next one goes, til everyone has answered that color question.  

Remind students that you have limited time and to keep their answers short.  Most of the questions that I’ve thought of can be answered with one or two words.  Teachers need to keep things moving.

icebreaker games, games for the first day of school, first day of school activities, 1st day of school activities, getting to know you games, icebreakers for the 1st day of school, icebreakers for school, M & M game, Skittle Game, candy games, candy icebreakers, back to school ideas, back to school games, back to school icebreakers,color games, If you have a large class, and don’t have enough time to share all of the questions, you can tell your students to pick out their favorite flavor or color and then answer that question.  

I’ve included 4, different question template options, for you to choose from, (using both an M & M's and Skittles template) as well as a blank color copy of the poster, to make up your own questions. 

icebreaker games, games for the first day of school, first day of school activities, 1st day of school activities, getting to know you games, icebreakers for the 1st day of school, icebreakers for school, M & M game, Skittle Game, candy games, candy icebreakers, back to school ideas, back to school games, back to school icebreakers,color games, Remember to keep questions simple, easy to answer, not embarrassing or intrusive, and something that would be easy and fun for children to share about themselves.  

icebreaker games, games for the first day of school, first day of school activities, 1st day of school activities, getting to know you games, icebreakers for the 1st day of school, icebreakers for school, M & M game, Skittle Game, candy games, candy icebreakers, back to school ideas, back to school games, back to school icebreakers,color games, As a writing option, I’ve included a blank black and white M & M's and Skittles copy.  You can run these off and have students color their candies, and then fill in the answers to the questions that you read. 

For sharing time, they can look at their papers and choose one or two that they want to read and share with their classmates. 

Click on the link to view/download the Candy Icebreaker Game packet.  Do you have an icebreaker you could share with us?  I would enjoy hearing from you: diane@teachwithme.com or leave a comment below.  

icebreaker games, games for the first day of school, first day of school activities, 1st day of school activities, getting to know you games, icebreakers for the 1st day of school, icebreakers for school, M & M game, Skittle Game, candy games, candy icebreakers, back to school ideas, back to school games, back to school icebreakers,color games, Thanks for stopping by.  Feel free to PIN away.   It poured today, so I'm off to empty my flower pots, and rescue some drowning plants. 

icebreaker games, games for the first day of school, first day of school activities, 1st day of school activities, getting to know you games, icebreakers for the 1st day of school, icebreakers for school, M & M game, Skittle Game, candy games, candy icebreakers, back to school ideas, back to school games, back to school icebreakers,color games, Wishing you a blessed day from over here in Michigan.

"Nature does not hurry; yet everything gets accomplished." -Unknown

 

1-2-3 Come Do Some Bunny Activities With Me

The last week of April was sort of a catch up week for my Y5's.  I would plug in anything my kiddo's still needed to work on and simply give it a spring twist.  It was also a nice time to review and reinforce things that they should already have learned. 

As you may have discovered, just because you taught something in the first 9 weeks of school, and everyone passed those assessments, doesn't mean that they retained what they learned by the last 9 weeks of school.  Because there is so much to cover, in such a short amount of time, we seem to always be moving on to the next thing.

bunny activities, alphabet activities, number activities, color activities, shape activities, contraction activities, compound word activities, synonym and antonym activities, spring centers, spring games, common core bunniesIt's imperative though, that you continually reinforce standards throughout the year.  A quick, easy and fun way to do that is via centers, and games that students can do independently.  With that in mind, I designed the "I'm All Ears" packet. 

I think you'll enjoy the versatility of this packet, as you can program the bunny "ears" (craft sticks) with just about anything you want to continue to review. 

There's a large as well as small bunny template.  Choose one or make up a variety.  I used the large craft sticks for the bigger bunny, and the smaller Popsicle sticks, as well as spoon-shaped crafts sticks, for the smaller bunnies.  Program them with whatever and keep each set in their own Baggie. 

bunny activities, alphabet activities, number activities, color activities, shape activities, contraction activities, compound word activities, synonym and antonym activities, spring centers, spring games, common core bunniesThink of things that you teach that can be divided up into pairs, so that you can write/draw them on the craft sticks. 

Here are some of the ideas that I came up with:

  • uppercase-lowercase letters
  • number-number word
  • number-group/set
  • contraction-words that make up the contraction
  • compound word-two words that make up the compound word
  • word-antonym
  • word-synonym
  • shape-shape word
  • color-color word
  • equation-answer

bunny activities, alphabet activities, number activities, color activities, shape activities, contraction activities, compound word activities, synonym and antonym activities, spring centers, spring games, common core bunniesIf you think of anymore, I'd enjoy hearing from you diane@teachwithme.com or feel free to leave a comment below. 

To expedite things, I've also included a list of contractions, as well as a list of synonyms/antonyms to help you program those Popsicle sticks. 

If you'd like a list of compound words, I just finished updating a comprehensive alphabetical list of 3,317 compound words! Click on the link to view/download it. 

bunny activities, alphabet activities, number activities, color activities, shape activities, contraction activities, compound word activities, synonym and antonym activities, spring centers, spring games, common core bunniesClick on the link to view/download the I'm All Ears Bunny Packet.   Thanks for visiting today.  As always, you may PIN away.

"I wish I could be more resilient like the Energizer Bunny; after all my students are."

1-2-3 Come Do Some Very Hungry Caterpillar Activities and Crafts With Me

My life seems to be flying by!  Can anyone else out there relate?  I had planned to get these cute little caterpillars done the first week of April, but the past few days filled up with so many other responsibilities, that the caterpillars had to stay in their "chrysalis state" 'til now. 

the very hungry caterpillar activities, the very hungry caterpillar crafts, graphic organizer for the very hungry caterpillar, the very hungry caterpillar bulletin board ideas, common core the very hungry caterpillar, alphabet activities, shape activities, 3D shape activities, 3D shape crafts, 2D shape activities, hexagon activities, pattern block activities, pattern block shape activities, skip counting activities, skip counting by 2's, skip counting by 3's, skip counting by 5's, skip counting by 10's, color word activities, color activities, color crafts, alphabet crafts, the life cycle of a butterfly activities, life cycle of a butterfly craftsI hope you can still use them, or as the life of a pack-rat teacher goes, tuck these ideas away for next year.  Since so many people read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, I wanted to use Eric Carle's cute litter critter as a spring board to studying a variety of other things. 

I created the caterpillar template and made a list of all sorts of ways I could use it, then set about to design the details.   You can choose which one you want your students to do, or give them a choice.  A friend of mine liked them so much, that she plans to make 3 (a different one each week).

the very hungry caterpillar activities, the very hungry caterpillar crafts, graphic organizer for the very hungry caterpillar, the very hungry caterpillar bulletin board ideas, common core the very hungry caterpillar, alphabet activities, shape activities, 3D shape activities, 3D shape crafts, 2D shape activities, hexagon activities, pattern block activities, pattern block shape activities, skip counting activities, skip counting by 2's, skip counting by 3's, skip counting by 5's, skip counting by 10's, color word activities, color activities, color crafts, alphabet crafts, the life cycle of a butterfly activities, life cycle of a butterfly craftsIn The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats the Alphabet, students trace and write upper and lowercase letters.  I've also included a set where a bit of the butterfly's life cycle is also included with the letters. 

For example, for the Zz letter, I added:  Zzzzzz sleeping in a chrysalis, and then included a butterfly pattern with the letters all over her wings to be cut and glued on the last section.  

I glued just the thorax portion to the last "body" circle and bent the wings up so that the butterfly looks like she's flying.

Older students could also make a list of a food the caterpillar could eat that begins with that letter.  You may want to read Lois Ehlert's book Eating the Alphabet (Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z) to give students some ideas.  Click on the link to view/download The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats the Alphabet packet. 

the very hungry caterpillar activities, the very hungry caterpillar crafts, graphic organizer for the very hungry caterpillar, the very hungry caterpillar bulletin board ideas, common core the very hungry caterpillar, alphabet activities, shape activities, 3D shape activities, 3D shape crafts, 2D shape activities, hexagon activities, pattern block activities, pattern block shape activities, skip counting activities, skip counting by 2's, skip counting by 3's, skip counting by 5's, skip counting by 10's, color word activities, color activities, color crafts, alphabet crafts, the life cycle of a butterfly activities, life cycle of a butterfly craftsIf you'd like to review just the life cycle of a butterfly, you'll want to take a look at The Life Cycle Of The Very Hungry Caterpillar packet.  Students trace and write the words, then color, cut and glue the pictures. 

If you look closely, you'll see that I glued down just the thorax with this butterfly too, so it looks 3 dimensional, like the larger one above.  Click on the link to view/download it. 

the very hungry caterpillar activities, the very hungry caterpillar crafts, graphic organizer for the very hungry caterpillar, the very hungry caterpillar bulletin board ideas, common core the very hungry caterpillar, alphabet activities, shape activities, 3D shape activities, 3D shape crafts, 2D shape activities, hexagon activities, pattern block activities, pattern block shape activities, skip counting activities, skip counting by 2's, skip counting by 3's, skip counting by 5's, skip counting by 10's, color word activities, color activities, color crafts, alphabet crafts, the life cycle of a butterfly activities, life cycle of a butterfly craftsThe Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats a Rainbow, reinforces colors as well as the days of the week.  Before hand, brainstorm what kinds of things the caterpillar could eat that are the various colors.  Write these words on the board to help children with spelling.

Students trace and write the color words and complete the sentence with something the caterpillar ate that was that color.  Adding end punctuation reviews another standard.  

Children then draw and color a picture.  I've included my sample so that you can quickly make one to share with your students. Click on the link to view/download The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats a Rainbow packet.

You may also want to read one of the following books for some great examples of rainbow-colorful food: I Eat A Rainbow, by Bobbie Kalman;  Can You Eat a Rainbow? by Anastasia Suen;  and/or  I Can Eat A Rainbow, by Annabel Karmel.   

the very hungry caterpillar activities, the very hungry caterpillar crafts, graphic organizer for the very hungry caterpillar, the very hungry caterpillar bulletin board ideas, common core the very hungry caterpillar, alphabet activities, shape activities, 3D shape activities, 3D shape crafts, 2D shape activities, hexagon activities, pattern block activities, pattern block shape activities, skip counting activities, skip counting by 2's, skip counting by 3's, skip counting by 5's, skip counting by 10's, color word activities, color activities, color crafts, alphabet crafts, the life cycle of a butterfly activities, life cycle of a butterfly craftsThe Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats Some Numbers includes counting from zero to ten, where students trace and write the numbers as well as the number words.  I've  included a butterfly pattern to glue to the last section if you want.

There are also caterpillar "body" circles for skip counting by 2's 3's, 5's, and 10's. 

the very hungry caterpillar activities, the very hungry caterpillar crafts, graphic organizer for the very hungry caterpillar, the very hungry caterpillar bulletin board ideas, common core the very hungry caterpillar, alphabet activities, shape activities, 3D shape activities, 3D shape crafts, 2D shape activities, hexagon activities, pattern block activities, pattern block shape activities, skip counting activities, skip counting by 2's, skip counting by 3's, skip counting by 5's, skip counting by 10's, color word activities, color activities, color crafts, alphabet crafts, the life cycle of a butterfly activities, life cycle of a butterfly craftsIn all of the packets there are patterns for the caterpillar's head if you want it to be made out of construction paper, as well as a pattern that students can color, like the "Skip count by 10's" caterpillar in the photo.

Click on the link to view/download The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats Some Numbers.

Since I have many requests for shape craftivities, particulary 3D shapes, I thought I'd make The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats Some Shapes. 

the very hungry caterpillar activities, the very hungry caterpillar crafts, graphic organizer for the very hungry caterpillar, the very hungry caterpillar bulletin board ideas, common core the very hungry caterpillar, alphabet activities, shape activities, 3D shape activities, 3D shape crafts, 2D shape activities, hexagon activities, pattern block activities, pattern block shape activities, skip counting activities, skip counting by 2's, skip counting by 3's, skip counting by 5's, skip counting by 10's, color word activities, color activities, color crafts, alphabet crafts, the life cycle of a butterfly activities, life cycle of a butterfly craftsThis is the largest packet, as I've included a caterpillar that reviews 2D shapes, as well as the days of the week.  For this caterpillar, students trace and write the shape words, as well as draw the shapes

I've included a butterfly pattern with the various shapes sprinkled on the wings, if you'd like to include that on the last "body" section.  For a cool 3D effect, fold the wings up and glue only the thorax portion down.

Another caterpillar, is a cut and glue the 2D shapes on the "body" circles.  Besides the standard 2D shapes, you can also choose to include the hexagon, pentagon, & octagon, and/or the pattern block shapes: rhombus and trapezoid

There's also a separate caterpillar that simply eats all of the 3D shapes. As with the above activity, students cut and glue the 3D shapes to the "body" circles.  Click on the link to view/download The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats Some Shapes.

the very hungry caterpillar activities, the very hungry caterpillar crafts, graphic organizer for the very hungry caterpillar, the very hungry caterpillar bulletin board ideas, common core the very hungry caterpillar, alphabet activities, shape activities, 3D shape activities, 3D shape crafts, 2D shape activities, hexagon activities, pattern block activities, pattern block shape activities, skip counting activities, skip counting by 2's, skip counting by 3's, skip counting by 5's, skip counting by 10's, color word activities, color activities, color crafts, alphabet crafts, the life cycle of a butterfly activities, life cycle of a butterfly craftsFinally, rather than make a caterpillar that covered story elements using this pattern, I made a graphic organizer - worksheet, to change things up a bit. 

To save you time, I included a template with the answers, so that you can make a quick sample to share with your students. Click on the link to view/download the graphic organizer for The Very Hungry Caterpillar's story elements. 

the very hungry caterpillar activities, the very hungry caterpillar crafts, graphic organizer for the very hungry caterpillar, the very hungry caterpillar bulletin board ideas, common core the very hungry caterpillar, alphabet activities, shape activities, 3D shape activities, 3D shape crafts, 2D shape activities, hexagon activities, pattern block activities, pattern block shape activities, skip counting activities, skip counting by 2's, skip counting by 3's, skip counting by 5's, skip counting by 10's, color word activities, color activities, color crafts, alphabet crafts, the life cycle of a butterfly activities, life cycle of a butterfly craftsThanks for visiting today.  As always, feel free to PIN away.   

 "Everyone is like a [caterpillar].  They start out ugly and awkward, and then morph into beautiful and graceful butterflies that everyone loves." -Drew Barrymore

7 pages.

Using dry erase markers, students trace and write the color words in matching colors.  When they are done, they cover the white toothbrush handle with the colored one that matches the color word. 

1-2-3 Come Do Some More Gingerbread Activities With Me

I LOVE drawing gingerbread boys and girls.  Each one has their own personality.  I try to give them that cuteness factor with special eyes and grins.  Since the "craftivities" I post are pretty popular, I decided to revamp a few favorites.

gingerbread activities, gingerbread lessons, gingerbread crafts, common core gingerbread, shape activities, alphabet activities, gingerbread arts and crafts, skip counting activities, counting backwards activities, activities for counting backwards from 10 to 0 and 20 to 0, Gingerbread Cookie Counting now has a variety of traceable number sequences.  Choose one for your kiddo's to trace and write.  I've included counting to 20, counting backwards from 10 to 0 or 20 to 0 + skip counting by 2's, 3's, 5's, or 10's

Children cut and collate their little booklet and staple the edge.  Glue the last page on the box on the gingerbread's belly and you're all set.  Click on the link to view/download the Gingerbread Cookie Counting packet.

gingerbread activities, gingerbread lessons, gingerbread crafts, common core gingerbread, shape activities, alphabet activities, gingerbread arts and crafts, skip counting activities, counting backwards activities, activities for counting backwards from 10 to 0 and 20 to 0, Look closely at the picture and you'll see that the cheek portion of the gingerbread is a pocket!  Students paint 2 paper plates brown.  When they are dry, cut one in half and staple it bottom-up, to the "face" of the gingerbread man to make a pocket. 

Children decorate their pocket to look like a gingerbread man's face, and fill with a variety of little accordion-folded books.  I up-dated this packet so that all of the booklets are now traceable. There are strips for counting to 36, skip counting by 2's, 3's 5's, and 10's.

I've also included templates for the hexagon, pentagon and octagon shapes.  Click on the link to view/download the Gingerbread Pocket Pal.

gingerbread activities, gingerbread lessons, gingerbread puzzles. gingerbread crafts, common core gingerbread, shape activities, alphabet activities, gingerbread arts and crafts, skip counting activities, counting backwards activities, activities for counting backwards from 10 to 0 and 20 to 0, Every month I put up a new paper chain that contained a link for each day in the month.  I used it to review a variety of standards.  We'd count the links and subtract one by tearing it off; we'd identify the colors in English and Spanish and state what the pattern was. 

Children would count how many were left in English and then up to 10 in Spanish.  Students told me that the number of links was greater yesterday than they were today etc. 

As a great fine motor skill, I'd sometimes have my Y5's make their own paper chains.  They could take it home, hang it up and countdown the days to whatever special occassion was happening that month.  I designed the gingerbread paper chain with all of this in mind.  Click on the link to view/download it.

gingerbread activities, gingerbread lessons, gingerbread puzzles. gingerbread crafts, common core gingerbread, shape activities, alphabet activities, gingerbread arts and crafts, skip counting activities, counting backwards activities, activities for counting backwards from 10 to 0 and 20 to 0, Another fun way to get some number recognition and counting sequences in, is to have students put together gingerbread 10-piece number-strip puzzles. There's one that counts to 10, another that counts backwards and finally one that counts by 10's. 

Print, laminate and trim and have students place the pieces on the numbered grid, or run off copies for everyone; they trim and then glue back together.  Click on the link to view/download the gingerbread puzzles. 

gingerbread activities, gingerbread lessons, gingerbread puzzles. gingerbread crafts, common core gingerbread, shape activities, alphabet activities, gingerbread arts and crafts, skip counting activities, counting backwards activities, activities for counting backwards from 10 to 0 and 20 to 0, I made a gingerbread dice game with a 6-piece puzzle as well.  Students pick a partner and take turns rolling the dice.  Whatever number they roll, they place that numbered puzzle piece on the grid.  The first one to complete their puzzle is the winner.

I've also included a black and white set if you want to run off copies for all of your kiddo's.  They color and trim. 

They can either glue their rolled pieces to the grid, or place them on so that they can take their gingerbread puzzle home and play again. Click on the link to view/download the Gingerbread 6-Piece Puzzle packet.

gingerbread activities, gingerbread lessons, gingerbread puzzles. gingerbread crafts, common core gingerbread, shape activities, alphabet activities, gingerbread arts and crafts, skip counting activities, counting backwards activities, greater and less than activities, sorting odd and even, activities for counting backwards from 10 to 0 and 20 to 0, I hope your students will also enjoy the Gingerbread Number Fun packet. This 33-page packet is chock full of all sorts of activities to help students recognize numbers; add and subtract; make groups and sets; show greater and less than; and count from any number.

I've included gingerbread number cards from 1 to 126, with a blank template for you to program with more.  There's also trace and write the number worksheets, "what's missing?" worksheets + skip counting activities by 2's, 3's, 5's, and 10'sSkip counting bookmarks to use as rewards, are also included. Click on the link to view/download the Gingerbread Number Fun packet.

gingerbread activities, gingerbread lessons, gingerbread puzzles. gingerbread crafts, common core gingerbread, shape activities, alphabet activities, gingerbread arts and crafts, skip counting activities, counting backwards activities, greater and less than activities, sorting odd and even, activities for counting backwards from 10 to 0 and 20 to 0, Finally, since the Clothespin Number Matching games have been so popular,  I decided to make some winter ones as well, and started with gingerbread.  Click on the link to view/download the Gingerbread Clothespin Number Matching Game.

gingerbread activities, gingerbread lessons, gingerbread puzzles. gingerbread crafts, common core gingerbread, shape activities, alphabet activities, gingerbread arts and crafts, skip counting activities, counting backwards activities, greater and less than activities, sorting odd and even, activities for counting backwards from 10 to 0 and 20 to 0, Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  If you'd like to take a look at the awesome educational things I spend way too much time pinning, click on the heart to the right of the article. 

I design and blog daily so I hope you can stop by tomorrow for the newest FREEBIES.

"Come sit at my table and share with me, warm gingerbread cookies and cinnamon tea." -Unknown

Page 2 of 3