Snowman activities

1-2-3 Do Some New Year Activities With Me


snowman matching game, 77 favorite January children's books, snowman activities, snowmen, snowman games, happy new year bookmarks, free 2014 bookmarks, free happy new year posters, free happy new year cards, happy new year 2014 activities, happy new year activities, new year activities, new year crafts, new year writing prompts,color word activities, color words, snowman activitiesI hope everyone had a safe and relaxing New Year.  We enjoyed watching the Tournament of Roses Parade.  I made up a few interesting writing prompts that you can give your students on the day they come back.  They are nice for the writing portion of your Daily 5

One prompt packet is about the parade and includes a Venn diagram comparing Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to the Tournament of Roses New Year's Parade.   Click on the link to view/download the New Year Parade Writing prompts. 

The other is a Happy New Year writing prompt-craftivity. Run the balloon pattern off on a variety of colors of construction paper.  Students choose one, trim, and complete the 3 writing prompts.  Children add hands to the clock so that it reads midnight.  Gluing on a school photo adds that finishing touch.  

cov hny writing prompt balloonYou can also have students write a longer prompt on the back of their balloon.  Tie with yarn or curling ribbon and dangle from the ceiling. 

I've included a pattern for this New Year (2014) as well as two with a blank for whatever number (201____ and 202____)  you need, so that you can use this craftivity each year.  Click on the link for the Happy New Year Writing-Prompt Craftivity to view/download it.

snowman matching game, 77 favorite January children's books, snowman activities, snowmen, snowman games, happy new year bookmarks, free 2014 bookmarks, free happy new year posters, free happy new year cards, happy new year 2014 activities, happy new year activities, new year activities, new year crafts, new year writing prompts,color word activities, color words, snowman activitiesThere's also a packet of New Year posters, mini-cards and bookmarks that you can print off and place in your students desks, on their tables or tuck into their backpacks.   Click on the link to view/download the Happy New Year Poster-Bookmark packet.

snowman matching game, 77 favorite January children's books, snowman activities, snowmen, snowman games, happy new year bookmarks, free 2014 bookmarks, free happy new year posters, free happy new year cards, happy new year 2014 activities, happy new year activities, new year activities, new year crafts, new year writing prompts,color word activities, color words, snowman activitiesI had a request for a list of my favorite books for January, so I compiled one with 77 of my all-time favorites.  Click on the link to view/print it. January Bibliography 

snowman matching game, 77 favorite January children's books, snowman activities, snowmen, snowman games, happy new year bookmarks, free 2014 bookmarks, free happy new year posters, free happy new year cards, happy new year 2014 activities, happy new year activities, new year activities, new year crafts, new year writing prompts,color word activities, color words, snowman activitiesFinally, in yesterday's blog article I promised to complete the Snowman Color Matching Game that's a great companion to the Snowman Colors packet.  Click on the links to grab them.  There are several ways to use the Snowman Color Matching Game packet. 

snowman matching game, 77 favorite January children's books, snowman activities, snowmen, snowman games, happy new year bookmarks, free 2014 bookmarks, free happy new year posters, free happy new year cards, happy new year 2014 activities, happy new year activities, new year activities, new year crafts, new year writing prompts,color word activities, color words, snowman activitiessnowman matching game, snowman activities, snowmen, snowman games, happy new year bookmarks, free 2014 bookmarks, free happy new year posters, free happy new year cards, happy new year 2014 activities, happy new year activities, new year activities, new year crafts, new year writing prompts,color word activities, color words, snowman activitiesStudents can match the scarf and hats to the appropriate color word snowman as an independent center, or children can pick a partner and take turns spinning. 

Whatever color they land on, is the snowman that they "dress" in the matching colored items. I've included a blank set, where students can draw on their own snowman faces, as well as a set that has faces on them. 

You can give each student their own snowman to complete and have them glue the hat and scarf on.  These can then be used for your winter word wall. 

snowman matching game, snowman activities, snowmen, snowman games, happy new year bookmarks, free 2014 bookmarks, free happy new year posters, free happy new year cards, happy new year 2014 activities, happy new year activities, new year activities, new year crafts, new year writing prompts,color word activities, color words, snowman activitiesStudents can also make their own personal "favorite" color snowman, as I've included a snowman pattern for that too. Click on the link to view/download the Snowman Color Matching Game. 

snowman matching game, snowman activities, snowmen, snowman games, happy new year bookmarks, free 2014 bookmarks, free happy new year posters, free happy new year cards, happy new year 2014 activities, happy new year activities, new year activities, new year crafts, new year writing prompts,color word activities, color words, snowman activitiesThanks for visiting.  Feel free to PIN away.  I design and blog daily, so I hope you can stop by tomorrow for the newest FREEBIES.  I'm working on some adorable mitten activities, interesting stuff for Martin Luther King Day, as well as some super-fun things for Chinese New Year.   

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do, than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” -H. Jackson Brown from P.S. I Love You

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


Since the Venn diagram downloads have been so popular, I decided to make some with a snowman theme.  There are lots of wonderful winter books out there featuring snowmen

snowman activities, snowman venn diagrams, comparison and contrast activities, venn diagram activities, color activities, days of the week activities, graphing activities, end punctuation activities, punctuation activities, capitalization, color word activities, days of the week word activitiesThey are great for comparison and contrast writing promptsVenn diagrams are perfect to help students organize their thoughts before they write.

There's one where they draw details on the snowmen to look like the two characters they are comparing.  For the other one, they contrast two snowman books.  Click on the link to view download the Snowman Venn Diagrams.

snowman activities, snowman venn diagrams, comparison and contrast activities, venn diagram activities, color activities, days of the week activities, graphing activities, end punctuation activities, punctuation activities, capitalization, color word activities, days of the week word activitiesThe positive comments about the Gingerbread easy reader, which reinforced color words, were a deciding factor in designing one featuring snowmen

I took the snowman packet a step farther and also reinforced the days of the week. 

Students circle capital letters, add end punctuation, trace and write the color and day words, + color the hat and scarf on the snowman. (See photo for a close up.)

snowman activities, snowman venn diagrams, comparison and contrast activities, venn diagram activities, color activities, days of the week activities, graphing activities, end punctuation activities, punctuation activities, capitalization, color word activities, days of the week word activitiesA worksheet, 3 graphing extensions, a bookmark and spinner game, are also included.  Click on the link to view/download Snowman Colors.

I'm also working on a matching snowman color puzzle to go along with this packet.  Students can put them together as an indendent center, or play a game with a partner.   You could also give each child one of their own to complete and then use for your winter word wall.  I'm putting the finishing touches on, and will post it with tomorrow's newest FREEBIES.

snowman activities, snowman venn diagrams, comparison and contrast activities, venn diagram activities, color activities, days of the week activities, graphing activities, end punctuation activities, punctuation activities, capitalization, color word activities, days of the week word activitiesSo glad you popped by today. Feel free to PIN away. 

“I love snow for the same reason I love Christmas: It brings people together while time stands still. Cozy couples lazily meander the streets and children trudge sleds and chase snowballs. No one seems to be in a rush to experience anything other than the glory of the day, with each other, whenever and however it happens.” -Rachel Cohn

1-2-3 Come Snip Some Snowflakes With Me!

I don’t think there's another cutting activity more fun than snipping a snowflake.  Even young children enjoy this great fine motor practice.  There’s something magical about unfolding a cut-up triangle to reveal a lacy snowflake

snowflake activities, snowflake crafts, snowflake bulletin boards, snip snip snow, paper snowflake patterns, snowman activities, snowman crafts, snowman bulletin boards, winter bulletin boards, January crafts for kids, shape activities, shape crafts, directions for cutting paper snowflakes, The photo shows my Y5's creations (along with 3 of my own more intricate ones, that I used as samples.) I displayed them on our cafeteria door, which was located across from our room.  Everyone enjoyed them, and commented that they couldn't believe my little ones had made such awesome lacy snowflakes. 

I was extremely proud of their results and how far they had come with their scissor skills!  They absolutely LOVED snipping snowflakes.

For PK kiddo’s, fold coffee filters, so they are less thick and so much easier to cut.  You can also expedite things by having your snowflakes pre-folded, or use this opportunity to whole-group assess listening and following directions, as well as ordinal numbers.  i.e. First fold your paper like this.  Second fold this point over to this point etc.

Be sure to make quite a few extras for students who fall in love with creating them, or those little ones who get carried away snipping and make a snowflake that falls apart, because they didn’t keep spaces in between their cuts.

For extra pizzazz, spritz their creations with silver glitter spray.   (Make sure you’re in a well-ventilated area.  Even though it’s cold, I spritzed artwork outside.)  Completed projects look great sprinkled on a blue-foil bulletin board, used as a border, arranged in a huge wreath on the wall, or taped to a classroom window.

snowflake activities, snowflake crafts, snowflake bulletin boards, snip snip snow, paper snowflake patterns, snowman activities, snowman crafts, snowman bulletin boards, winter bulletin boards, January crafts for kids, shape activities, shape crafts, directions for cutting paper snowflakes, Before we made our snowflakes, I read Snip Snip Snow by Nancy Poydar.   It’s one of my favorite snowflake books and my Y5’s really enjoyed it.  They always asked if they could make a snowflake too, which provided the perfect segue to our paper cutting activities.    For almost all of them, this was a first-time experience, so they were extremely excited!

snowflake activities, snowflake crafts, snowflake bulletin boards, snip snip snow, paper snowflake patterns, snowman activities, snowman crafts, snowman bulletin boards, winter bulletin boards, January crafts for kids, shape activities, shape crafts, directions for cutting paper snowflakes, This easy snowflake pattern can be found over at Sociological Images in an article about Snowflake Bently.

snowflake activities, snowflake crafts, snowflake bulletin boards, snip snip snow, paper snowflake patterns, snowman activities, snowman crafts, snowman bulletin boards, winter bulletin boards, January crafts for kids, shape activities, shape crafts, directions for cutting paper snowflakes, To cut some really intricate snowflakes, which you can use as incentives, check out the tutorial at DIY Cozy Home. 

I'd cut 3 really awesome looking snowflakes and tell my students that they would be given to 3 "quiet as snowflake" students who completed their work. 

When I saw a child on task, I'd put their name stick in the cup that I would be drawing 3 students' Popsicle sticks from.  This was a very effective motivational tool.

snowflake activities, snowflake crafts, snowflake bulletin boards, snip snip snow, paper snowflake patterns, snowman activities, snowman crafts, snowman bulletin boards, winter bulletin boards, January crafts for kids, shape activities, shape crafts, directions for cutting paper snowflakes, There are quite a few more lovely lacy examples over at Designs That Inspire.

snowflake activities, snowflake crafts, snowflake bulletin boards, snip snip snow, paper snowflake patterns, snowman activities, snowman crafts, snowman bulletin boards, winter bulletin boards, January crafts for kids, shape activities, shape crafts, directions for cutting paper snowflakes, For more snowflake cutting practice, I think your students will enjoy making Snippy, the Snowflake Snowman.  He’s a terrific way to review 2D shapes. 

snowflake activities, snowflake crafts, snowflake bulletin boards, snip snip snow, paper snowflake patterns, snowman activities, snowman crafts, snowman bulletin boards, winter bulletin boards, January crafts for kids, shape activities, shape crafts, directions for cutting paper snowflakes, You may want to whole-group assess 2D shapes by using the snowman "posters" from My Shapely Snowmen. Make a set and use as giant flashcards. 

Have students count any vertices and review vocabulary like angles, corners, symmetry etc.  After your little review, have students transition to making Snippy.

Here’s how: 

  • Run off the snowflake shapes on regular white paper.
  • Review 2D shapes.  

snowflake activities, snowflake crafts, snowflake bulletin boards, snip snip snow, paper snowflake patterns, snowman activities, snowman crafts, snowman bulletin boards, winter bulletin boards, January crafts for kids, shape activities, shape crafts, directions for cutting paper snowflakes, Show my sample photographs, or make samples of your own.  Students choose a shape that they want for their snowman’s belly.

  • Give students a few moments to trim their shape, counting vertices as they go.
  • Demonstrate how to fold the shapes

snowflake activities, snowflake crafts, snowflake bulletin boards, snip snip snow, paper snowflake patterns, snowman activities, snowman crafts, snowman bulletin boards, winter bulletin boards, January crafts for kids, shape activities, shape crafts, directions for cutting paper snowflakes, I’ve labeled the shapes with numbers in each corner, to make this easier, however, there are a variety of ways you can fold your paper, as you strive for a folded shape that looks like a cone. 

There's a photo of each folded-paper shape, next to the cut-out snowflake shape, to assist you.

snowflake activities, snowflake crafts, snowflake bulletin boards, snip snip snow, paper snowflake patterns, snowman activities, snowman crafts, snowman bulletin boards, winter bulletin boards, January crafts for kids, shape activities, shape crafts, directions for cutting paper snowflakes, Older students can read the directions at the bottom of their paper.  For younger students, I suggest a “monkey see-monkey do”  whole-group direction activity.  i.e. Gather all of the students together who chose the circle shape. 

Fold once, and have children do what you do, then continue with the step-by-step folding directions ‘til they have the desired cone.

Also demonstrate how to snip a snowflake.  While you are cutting, explain symmetry to older students and remind them to snip the same “chunk”  on both sides.  This sort of cutting is difficult enough for little ones, so I simply let my Y5‘s snip away, with whatever shape they could manage.  

They were not able to make a heart shape, so if they wanted one, I snipped that for them, when they were done cutting.  

snowflake activities, snowflake crafts, snowflake bulletin boards, snip snip snow, paper snowflake patterns, snowman activities, snowman crafts, snowman bulletin boards, winter bulletin boards, January crafts for kids, shape activities, shape crafts, directions for cutting paper snowflakes, While you are demonstrating, remind students to keep their snowflake folded and to have a space in between each cut or they will have a snowflake with big holes that will likely fall apart.  I always had a few kiddo's who got caught up in snipping and failed to follow directions.  For this reason, it’s a good idea to run off a few extra shapes. 

If you want to be able to have more cuts show through, for a lacier snowflake, fold the paper one last time.  This will make the paper pretty thick, so students should be older, with more cutting experience.  

To avoid ripping their shape, show how students should SLOWLY and CAREFULLY unfold their paper. So they flatten out, have older students refold their shape, but only in the opposite way they were folded, so the paper can be flattened out and smoothed.  

  • Run off the snowman head and hat templates, trim and trace onto an old file folder to make a pattern that you can trace once and then cut 3-6 at a time.  Because your students are already doing a lot of cutting, I’d have the head and hat pre-cut.
  • So it's easy for children to have proper placement on their paper, have them glue the black hat to the white circle and then glue the snowman's hatted-head to the top of their paper.  Afterwards, they glue their snowflake so that it becomes Snippy’s body.  
  • So they don’t rip their snowflake, have students rub their glue stick over the construction paper area where they will glue the snowflake, and then gently press the snowflake down, carefully smoothing it, so that it sticks to the paper.  
  • Run off the shape-word hatbands on a variety of colors.  Students trim, trace and glue to their hat.  Glitter, or snowflakes cut with a paper punch can add a bit more pizzazz.   Punch a hole in the top, tie a yarn loop and hang back-to-back from a hallway ceiling.

snowflake activities, snowflake crafts, snowflake bulletin boards, snip snip snow, paper snowflake patterns, snowman activities, snowman crafts, snowman bulletin boards, winter bulletin boards, January crafts for kids, shape activities, shape crafts, directions for cutting paper snowflakes, I prefer making the snowman with just a snowflake tummy, but if your students would like to add mittens and boots for a more Frosty the Snowman look, I've included a template for both.  Click on the link to view/download Snippy, The Shaped Snowflake Snowman. 

snowflake activities, snowflake crafts, dot to dot snowflake, ballerina snowflake,snowflake bulletin boards, snip snip snow, paper snowflake patterns, snowman activities, snowman crafts, snowman bulletin boards, winter bulletin boards, January crafts for kids, shape activities, shape crafts, directions for cutting paper snowflakes, Finally, while researching paper snowflakes, I came across the lovely idea of using a snowflake as a paper tutu for a ballerina, over at Krokotak What little princess wouldn't want to make one of these! 

snowflake activities, snowflake crafts, dot to dot snowflake, ballerina snowflake,snowflake bulletin boards, snip snip snow, paper snowflake patterns, snowman activities, snowman crafts, snowman bulletin boards, winter bulletin boards, January crafts for kids, shape activities, shape crafts, directions for cutting paper snowflakes, There's also a connet-the-dots snowflake over at Calvary Kids with numbers to 78.

snowflake activities, snowflake crafts, dot to dot snowflake, ballerina snowflake,snowflake bulletin boards, snip snip snow, paper snowflake patterns, snowman activities, snowman crafts, snowman bulletin boards, winter bulletin boards, January crafts for kids, shape activities, shape crafts, directions for cutting paper snowflakes, Thanks for visiting today, feel free to PIN away.  I hope you can stop by tomorrow, as I post more winter FREEBIES.

"Hold fast to dreams.  For when dreams go, life is a barren field frozen with snow." -Langston Hughes

1-2-3 Come Do Some Snowman Craftivities With Me!

I LOVE rip and tear craftivities for little ones.  It's so important to strengthen their finger muscles and tearing strips of paper is an especially fun way to do that. 

snowman crafts, snowman activities, snowman bulletin boards, rip and tear activities, recycled art, recycled craft projects, december bulletin boards, january bulletin boards, snowman bulletin boards, name snowmen, name activities, name craftsRun off my snowman template.  I purposely make these small, so that children don't get tired and bored trying to fill up too big of an area.  Inform students to rip up their strips, putting each color in a pile, before they start to glue. 

This way, they can rub their glue stick over an entire section and simply press those colored pieces on that area.  This expedites the gluing and keeps children's fingers from getting too sticky.  You'll still have a few that will rub glue on that little piece and stick it on that way, which takes a lot longer.

snowman crafts, snowman activities, snowman bulletin boards, rip and tear activities, recycled art, recycled craft projects, december bulletin boards, january bulletin boards, snowman bulletin boards, name snowmen, name activities, name craftsYou can do this as a whole-group activity.  While students are at special, lunch or recess, place the strips on their desk/table area, so they can get started when they return. 

You can also do this as an independent center.  When students completed their table top morning lessons, I had special centers the Y5's could transition to.  This really helped children stay on task and focused, as they wanted to make whatever fun thing I had on those TV tray centers.

snowman crafts, snowman activities, snowman bulletin boards, rip and tear activities, recycled art, recycled craft projects, december bulletin boards, january bulletin boards, snowman bulletin boards, name snowmen, name activities, name craftsSo that my kiddo's didn't make a huge mess of all the colors of paper strips, I slid the paper in the openings of a plastic basket. 

snowman crafts, snowman activities, snowman bulletin boards, rip and tear activities, recycled art, recycled craft projects, december bulletin boards, january bulletin boards, snowman bulletin boards, name snowmen, name activities, name craftsAnother option for rip and tear, is to rip the paper parts and then glue them together like a puzzle. 

I suggest this for Y5's and older, as some of my kiddo's had a hard time figuring out where to tear, while trying to keep their paper folded and stay on the line.  Before hand, demonstrate this. 

snowman crafts, snowman activities, snowman bulletin boards, rip and tear activities, recycled art, recycled craft projects, december bulletin boards, january bulletin boards, snowman bulletin boards, name snowmen, name activities, name craftsIn later years, I held up the hat and said, "Do what I do." Doing this activity with step-by-step directions (monkey-see, monkey do) really expedited things.   These look wonderful hung back-to-back from the ceiling. 

In the photograph, they are hung along with our cylinder snowman windsocks.  My hallway was always decorated to the hilt, which was a real self-esteem builder.

These snowmen were also the January page for my Y5's  Rippin' Through The Year  monthly keepsake booklet.   Click on the link to view/download that booklet.  Click on this link to view/download the  Rip & Tear Snowmen packet which includes both kinds.

snowman crafts, snowman activities, snowman bulletin boards, rip and tear activities, recycled art, recycled craft projects, december bulletin boards, january bulletin boards, snowman bulletin boards, name snowmen, name activities, name craftsAnother group activity that's great fine motor practice, is "Stuffy." We have a recycled paper box in the teachers’ lounges through out our schools.  The last day we’re in school, before Christmas break, I visited these rooms and loaded up a big black trash bag, with as much paper as I could carry.

If you don’t have a recycled paper box in your school, start one.  These scraps are great to make “shred” and do all sorts of activities with.

When my students came back from vacation, we'd build our own two-snowball snowman out of a couple of white garbage bags.  My Y5’s named him “Stuffy.”  Children sat on our Circle of Friends carpet and crinkled up paper “snowballs.” 

As they got a snowball done, I had them toss it towards our big garbage can that was lined with the white garbage bag.  Every time they made a “bucket” they gave themselves a tally mark, under their name that I’d written on the white board.   If they missed, they simply tried again. 

Afterwards, everyone got a snowman sticker, and the one who made the most “buckets” got a trip to the treasure box.  This is great counting, and tally mark practice, as well as wonderful fine and gross motor exercise too. 

Take the garbage bag out when it’s pretty full and have students continue to stuff ‘til the bag is nice and round.  Make sure the bottom bag is bigger than the “head”.  When you are happy with Stuffy’s size, put your snowman "ball" in the corner of the classroom, so he leans against the wall for support and “build” him from there.

Using duct tape (It’s nice and sticky) put on the head.  Decorate with a real stocking cap and scarf.  Poke a hole on either side and use two rulers as arms. Two paint sticks work well too.  A pair of gloves or mittens, go on each end and wahla (!) your own inside snowman.

Add a construction paper nose, “coal” black eyes and red cherry mouth pieces, + some circles for the buttons; stick them on with duct tape.
Each month I tried to do something that was RECYCLED and Stuffy fit the bill for January.  Click on the link to print Stuffy's directions.

snowman crafts, snowman activities, snowman bulletin boards, rip and tear activities, recycled art, recycled craft projects, december bulletin boards, january bulletin boards, snowman bulletin boards, name snowmen, name activities, name craftsFinally, a simple and quick decoration for your students' lockers is to make the Snowman Name Stacker

If you don't have lockers, these look adorable lined up on a hallway wall.  Have your students help you arrange them in alphabetical order, or from tallest to shortest. 

You can make a template, trace once and cut out 3-6 circles at a time, or run off my template on white construction paper and have students cut out their own circles. 

For younger children, especially those with long names, have a 2-3-circle cutting limit and then allow them to add as many pre-cut circles as they need to spell their name.

Demonstrate how to glue just the edge of the "snowball" to another to "build" their vertical snowman stacker. Review vertical and horizontal vocabulary with them, as well as the circle, rectangle and square shapes. 

Give each child a pre-cut black square and rectangle.  Have them glue the shapes together to make a hat to glue to the top of their snowman

Using crayons or markers students draw and color a face.  Wiggle eyes are also fun. You could cut their school photo in the shape of a heart, and have them glue that to their hat as well.

Afterwards, students write a letter on each of the belly snowballs, so that they spell their name.  If you have the time, go over their letters with Elmer's glue and have them sprinkle on glitter. 

As a math extension, graph how many letters in students' names, or which letters were used the most. Add up everyone's totals for a grand total of how many letters for the entire class. Click on the link to view/download the Snowman Name Stacker.

snowman crafts, snowman activities, snowman bulletin boards, rip and tear activities, recycled art, recycled craft projects, december bulletin boards, january bulletin boards, snowman bulletin boards, name snowmen, name activities, name craftsThanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  My "Pin it" button is at the top.  

"Getting an inch of snow, is like winning 10 cents in the lottery." -Bill Waterson

1-2-3 Come Do Some Wintery Craftivities With Me


If you need a quick bulletin board for January, I think you'll like this simple but vibrant mitten craftivity.  Run off the template on a variety of colors of construction paper. 

mitten activities, mitten crafts, activities to go with The Mitten, the mitten by jan brett, snowman activities, place value activities, alphabet activities, snowman crafts, mitten crafts, winter bulletin boards, mitten bulletin boardChildren choose one and press their painted white hand in the center.  Gluing pulled-cotton to the cuff, adds that finishing touch.  For even more pizzazz, write students' names with glitter. 

mitten activities, mitten crafts, activities to go with The Mitten, the mitten by jan brett, snowman activities, place value activities, alphabet activities, snowman crafts, mitten crafts, winter bulletin boards, mitten bulletin boardIf you want, give students a writing prompt, and have them complete it on the back of their mitten, then suspend from the ceiling.  Click On The Link to get the mitten pattern. 

This is a fun activity to do with your kiddo's after reading The Mitten  by Jan Brett.

If your little ones are still working on identifying letters, another simple bulletin board "craftivity" is to have children choose either a mitten or snowman pattern, trace it on a wordy section of the newspaper and then trim.  

mitten activities, mitten crafts, activities to go with The Mitten, mitten money, money activities, shape activitiesthe mitten by jan brett, snowman activities, place value activities, alphabet activities, snowman crafts, mitten crafts, winter bulletin boards, mitten bulletin boardChildren complete a matching recording sheet, filling in their guess of how many letters they think they will find.  Afterwards, they find and circle, either the letter Mm for mitten, or Ss for snowman, counting as they go.  

When they are done, they complete the data as to whether their guess was equal, greater than or less than their correct answer.  If you want, have them figure out how many more or less they were off. 

Children who chose the snowman, add facial features; those who chose the mitten can color it their favorite color. 

Gather students together to discuss their results.  Do they have any ideas of why more S's  than Mm's were found?

Click on the link to get the newsprint mitten/snowman patterns.

mitten activities, mitten crafts, activities to go with The Mitten, mitten money, money activities, shape activitiesthe mitten by jan brett, snowman activities, place value activities, alphabet activities, snowman crafts, mitten crafts, winter bulletin boards, mitten bulletin boardIf you are starting to work on coins with your students, you'll want to take a look at Mitten Money.

This easy reader reinforces word wall and Dolch words, as well as all of the 2-D shapes, + the penny, nickel, dime and quarter coins.  Click on the link to view/download the Mitten Money easy reader. 

For more math activities check out the place value snowman.  Students can choose to draw their own face on the snowman, or color mine. 

mitten activities, mitten crafts, activities to go with The Mitten, the mitten by jan brett, snowman activities, place value activities, alphabet activities, snowman crafts, mitten crafts, winter bulletin boards, mitten bulletin boardTo turn these into a dry-erase "board" cut squares of glossy photo paper.  Each student needs 4 to glue on top of the squares on their paper.  

Print; laminate and trim the snowman number cards (0-9) Toss them into a mitten; call on 3 students to choose a card. 

These will make the 3-digit number that students write in the number box, using a dry erase marker.  

Children figure out the place value position of each, and write the appropriate numbers in the one's, ten's, and hundred's boxes.  

When they are done, they show their work; you can whole-group assess with a glance.  Play continues 'til all of your students have had a turn to choose a number.  Click on the link to view/download the Place Value Snowman Packet. 

mitten activities, mitten crafts, activities to go with The Mitten, the mitten by jan brett, snowman activities, place value activities, alphabet activities, snowman crafts, mitten crafts, winter bulletin boards, mitten bulletin boardThanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  I hope you can stop by tomorrow for the newest FREEBIES. 

"In seed time, learn; in harvest, teach; in winter, enjoy." -William Blake

1-2-3 Come Do Some New Year Craftivities With Me!

I wanted to get some “Happy New Year!” items designed and posted before you leave for Christmas break, so you can get a few things ready for when your kiddo’s return, before you take off that teacher hat and truly relax.  

happy new year activities, new year activities, new year crafts, writing prompts for january, new year writing prompts, resolution activities, graphic organizers, alphabet activities, alphabet crafts, alphabet games, math activites, subtraction activities, January Daily 5 activities, activities for January Daily 5, Start things out by leaving a bookmark on or inside your students' desks, as a sweet surprise when they come back.  I've taped a lollipop on the back of mine, that they can quietly suck on while they do their morning tabletop lessons.  Click on the link to print some off now.  Happy New Year bookmark.

happy new year activities, new year activities, new year crafts, writing prompts for january, new year writing prompts, resolution activities, graphic organizers, alphabet activities, alphabet crafts, alphabet games, math activites, subtraction activities, January Daily 5 activities, activities for January Daily 5, The Place Value “Happy New Year!” craftivity can be done as a whole-group or independent center. Students trace and write the numbers, cut them out, arrange them in correct order to form the New Year and then glue them under the appropriate place value “door.”

The last door helps children practice subtraction as they subtract the year they were born, from the New Year, to get their age. It’s self correcting, because they know how old they are!

Before hand, demonstrate yours on the board to review how this is done. Even when I was in my 20’s children always thought that was so “old!” Click on the link to view/download the Place Value New Year craftivity.

happy new year activities, new year activities, new year crafts, writing prompts for january, new year writing prompts, resolution activities, graphic organizers, alphabet activities, alphabet crafts, alphabet games, math activites, subtraction activities, January Daily 5 activities, activities for January Daily 5, Some of my kiddo’s had not mastered counting backwards from 10 to 0, so I designed the New Year’s Glitter Ball Slider to help them practice.   Even little ones are familiar with the New York, Times Square countdown ball, so this was a great Segway.  

I’ve also included a strip to count from 20.   Add some silver glitter for that extra bit of pizzazz. I had my kiddo’s crouch down and then jump up and yell “Happy New Year!” when we got to zero. Click on the link to view/download the Happy New Year Countdown Slider.

When one thinks about the New Year, it’s inevitable that a few resolutions come to mind. This was a new word for my Y5’s, so I presented it as a promise to themselves, of what they’d like to improve on.  

happy new year activities, new year activities, new year crafts, writing prompts for january, new year writing prompts, resolution activities, graphic organizers, alphabet activities, alphabet crafts, alphabet games, math activites, subtraction activities, January Daily 5 activities, activities for January Daily 5, With that in mind I designed some New Year word art craftivities last year, using Tagxedo, one of my favorite educational sites. You can set this up as an independent computer center for students to think up their own designs and words.

happy new year activities, new year activities, new year crafts, writing prompts for january, new year writing prompts, resolution activities, graphic organizers, alphabet activities, alphabet crafts, alphabet games, math activites, subtraction activities, January Daily 5 activities, activities for January Daily 5, The packet has a list of 68-positive "resolution" words + an ABC booklet for students to "improve" alphabetically.

Click on the link for this great verb reinforcement tool and vocabulary builder.  New Year's Word Art Craftivities.

vFor more parts of speech practice,  I know your kiddo's will enjoy playing the Fractured New Year writing prompt game.  Students take turns rolling the dice to fill in a word from the adjective, noun or verb list, which creates a hilarious story. 

When everyone has completed the game, have students read their stories aloud, and enjoy all of the giggles.  Click on the link for Fractured New Year fun.

cFinally, I’ve also designed a New Year's graphic organizer for students to fill in with some interesting writing prompts.

  Children can draw a picture of themselves or glue a photo to the center oval.

happy new year activities, new year activities, new year crafts, writing prompts for january, new year writing prompts, resolution activities, graphic organizers, alphabet activities, alphabet crafts, alphabet games, math activites, subtraction activities, January Daily 5 activities, activities for January Daily 5, Thanks for visiting today. Feel free to PIN away. I hope you can stop by tomorrow for the newest FREEBIES.

"Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passsed." -Cavett Robert

1-2-3 Come Plan A Christmas Party With Me

The day before any vacation can be pretty wild, as children are bound to be filled with lots of energy.  Their excitement for the season finds some of them not sleeping well, so you have cranky pants to deal with too. 

snowman activities, snowman crafts, alphabet activities, alphabet games, number games, math activities, math centers, math games, small medium large activities, winter arts and crafts, winter crafts, snowman craftsBecause of this, I planned all sorts of educational games and especially fun activities for the last day before Christmas break.  Our official "party" was "supposed" to take place at the end of the day.  Let's face it, when it's Halloween or Christmas time, the entire day might as well be a "party" and by the time the "end of the day" rolled around, my Y5's were also pretty much done and tired as well. 

Wearing my Santa hat and jingle bell necklace, I told my students that we'd be doing extra special lessons, games, crafts etc as part of our "party" and that we'd be having a great time all day, ending quietly with our gift book exchange and snack.  I never once had a child say: "When is the party going to start?"  They were also happily focused, busy learning all day, just in a different way. 

Behavior was wonderful, because they got the chance to get the wiggles out throughout the day. Gross motor activities were a part of our report card standards, so even our dancing and prancing around was legit.  To keep children calm, I also played soothing Christmas music throughout the day. 

snowman activities, snowman crafts, alphabet activities, alphabet games, number games, math activities, math centers, math games, small medium large activities, winter arts and crafts, winter crafts, snowman craftsI've compiled a list with brief explanations, of all of my favorite classroom Christmas games that I've played with my students over the years.  They are quick, easy, educational and fun.  Most of them require little or no preparation.  (Woo hoo!) I ho-ho- hope you find something that will fit in perfectly for your party day.    It's so important to give students brain breaks to keep them refreshed.  Click on the link to view/download the Christmas Games packet which includes 36 games!

snowman activities, snowman crafts, alphabet activities, alphabet games, number games, math activities, math centers, math games, small medium large activities, winter arts and crafts, winter crafts, snowman craftssnowman activities, snowman crafts, alphabet activities, alphabet games, number games, math activities, math centers, math games, small medium large activities, winter arts and crafts, winter crafts, snowman craftsI've up-dated the packet to include stationery for students to write how many words they can think of using the letters in Merry Christmas. 

Give students 5-10 minutes to work on this individually, then have them work in groups of 3 or 4 to combine their lists.  Remind children that they can make more words by adding an s or es to make plurals.  (A teachable moment.)  Contractions are another option, or ask students how many of their classmates' names can be made with those letters.

What team had the most?  Put my list on an overhead; did they think of words that weren’t on my list?  Have them guess-timate how many words are on the list and then have them count them to see who has the closest guess. (I thought of 657!)

snowman activities, snowman crafts, alphabet activities, alphabet games, number games, math activities, math centers, math games, small medium large activities, winter arts and crafts, winter crafts, snowman craftsMake a copy of the list and have students circle all of the words that they don’t know.  For whatever time remains, challenge them to look up  as many words as they can and then share one or two with the class. 

Here are a few other table top lessons you could plug in to cover standards in a game-type fashion; also, any of the winter alphabet cards that I've been posting, would work well.  All those letter packets include a 3-page tip list of ideas, including games to play. 

If you're set for party day, but want something for that busy first day when you return after break, any of these snowman themed activities would also work. 

snowman activities, snowman crafts, alphabet activities, alphabet games, number games, math activities, math centers, math games, small medium large activities, winter arts and crafts, winter word games, snowman puzzles, number puzzles, inter crafts, snowman craftsThis snowman matching game is a lot of fun and reinforces numbers, number words, counting and tally marks.  It also includes a keepsake "craftivity."  Click on the link to view/download the Snowman Number Puzzles.

 Help reinforce upper and lowercase letters + numbers from 1-20 with an "I Spy" game.  Teen numbers are sometimes toughies for little ones.  Practicing with an "I Spy" game makes it more interesting.  My Y5's enjoyed playing "I Spy" daily. It was a fun way for them to practice, as well as a quick and easy way for me to whole-group assess. 

snowman activities, snowman crafts, alphabet activities, alphabet games, number games, math activities, math centers, math games, small medium large activities, winter arts and crafts, winter crafts, snowman craftsTeacher starts by calling out a number or letter; students trace it and then raise their hand when they are done.  I could tell at a glance who was having difficulty. Play continued with different children taking a turn to choose the number or letter for classmates to find. 

The worksheet served double-duty, as I'd tell my students to take it home to play again with a family member, this time circling the letter/number.  Click on the link to view/download the Snow Spy packet.

flat snowman covFinally, students catch on fast to the concept of small-medium and large, as well as the difference between a 2D and 3D shape, when they can do a hands-on craftivity. 

This was the reason behind  "Snowman Melt"  "My snowman was 3 snowballs, 3 spheres with a hat, now he's melted into 3 circles that are flat!"  Click on the link to view/download it.

snowman activities, snowman crafts, alphabet activities, alphabet games, number games, math activities, math centers, math games, small medium large activities, winter arts and crafts, winter crafts, snowman craftsFor more games and activities click on the link to visit Miss Mary's Victorian and Vintage archive.

snowman activities, snowman crafts, alphabet activities, alphabet games, number games, math activities, math centers, math games, small medium large activities, winter arts and crafts, winter crafts, snowman craftsIf you're looking for some online Christmas games for your kiddo's to play as a computer center,  I found a site that lists over 1,000. 

Make sure you play any online games first to make sure that they are age and content-appropriate for your kiddo & educations.  

For more ideas and FREEBIES, check out my winter Pinterest boards.  They are themed and filled with lots of creative fun.  I spend a lot of time searching the web for interesting and educational FREE stuff, so you don't have to.  You can also click on this December link to pop on over to that section of TeachWithMe.

Once there, you'll find categories for the following: Christmas, Elves, Gingerbread, Ornaments, Reindeer, Santa, Snowmen, Snowflakes & Wreaths.  Lots of these activities would also be terrific for your last day or Classroom Christmas party, particularly the ornament section if you're looking for a quick craft to do as a center.

classroom party games, easy games for classroom christmas parties, ideas for christmas party at schoolThat's it for today.  I hope you found some "We're Winding Down" tips and FREEBIES for those last few days before you can collapse, rest, rejoice and get energized for next year!   Feel free to PIN away.

"A good conscience is a continual Christmas." -Benjamin Franklin

1-2-3 Come Do Some Winter Crafts With Me

3D shape crafts, cylinder shape activities, cylinder shape crafts, snowman crafts, snowman activities, common core snowmen, snowman tin can, snowman windsock, snowman sockOut of all of the items I post, it seems that the crafty activities are downloaded and pinned the most. I’m so glad!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE doing hands-on art with children. 

You really can make some time for it if you turn the craftivities into an independent center, where standards can be reviewed and reinforced + they are excellent fine motor practice as well.

3D shape crafts, cylinder shape activities, cylinder shape crafts, snowman crafts, snowman activities, common core snowmen, snowman tin can, snowman windsock, snowman sockThese independent centers are a great motivational tool to get kids to focus and stay on task, as you reward those who do a good job finishing by allowing them to transition to a crafty center, when they have completed their work.

I know the day is packed, but perhaps if you ban together with the other teachers in your grade level, you can make a 1-hour block for a craft exchange.  This is especially fun for the last day of school before break.  Even older students really enjoy this.  When I taught 1st and 2nd grade we did 4-fifteen-minute craft exchanges and allowed 2-3 minutes to transition.   

3D shape crafts, cylinder shape activities, cylinder shape crafts, snowman crafts, snowman activities, common core snowmen, snowman tin can, snowman windsock, snowman sockEach teacher thought of a 15-minute quickie craft activity and supplied all of the materials.  We’d start with our own class and then rotate through to the next 3.  If “craftivities” needed to dry, we’d set them in a line in the hallway. Each teacher had their own section.  

We tried to think of things that students could do independently, without a whole lot of explanation.  We often included items that children could give as a gift.   When everyone had rotated through the rooms, students could wrap their items in tissue and then read some Christmas books. 

I’ve included some of my all-time favorite winter crafts in the blog today, and hope you find something to interest you and your kiddo’s.  I gave up on asking parents for empty cans, toilet paper tubes or whatever recycled item I needed.  It was simply much easier to save them myself and toss them into labeled waste baskets that I kept in my basement.  

3D shape crafts, cylinder shape activities, cylinder shape crafts, snowman crafts, snowman activities, common core snowmen, snowman tin can, snowman windsock, snowman sockI also had a special can opener that I bought from Magic Chef that seamed the top of the can in such a way that there were no sharp edges for a child to get cut on.  The Tin Can Snowman was a huge hit with my Y5’s.

If you don’t want to mess with painting, have students wrap the cans with paper or white & black Duct tape.  They have all sorts of colors available at craft stores now.  I cut the hat brims out of foam, but you could also use black construction paper for them as well.  Don’t forget to take a moment to reinforce circles and the 3D-cylinder shape with your students (A standard covered! Woo hoo).  Click on the link for the Tin Can Snowman.

3D shape crafts, cylinder shape activities, cylinder shape crafts, snowman crafts, snowman activities, common core snowmen, snowman tin can, snowman windsock, snowman sockAnother way to review the cylinder shape is by making  Silas, the Cylinder Windsock.
Students decorate the flat surface; glue a black strip to the top to make the hat and then gently roll the paper to make a cylinder.

Staple them at the top, in the middle and on the bottom.  Punch a hole on either side and make a yarn tie.  These look awesome displayed from the ceiling.  Click on the link to view/download the Cylinder Snowman Windsock,which can be found in the Winter Art & Activities Packet. 

3D shape crafts, cylinder shape activities, cylinder shape crafts, snowman crafts, snowman activities, common core snowmen, snowman tin can, snowman windsock, snowman sockYou'll also find this 3D snowman dangler, as well as the Doilie Dan Snowman. 

3D shape crafts, cylinder shape activities, doilie snowman, cylinder shape crafts, snowman crafts, snowman activities, common core snowmen, snowman tin can, snowman windsock, mitten activities, mitten crafts, penguin activities, penguin crafts, snowman sockHe reinforces a variety of standards, including small-medium and large. 

I did this as a whole group activity to assess listening and following directions, which also reinforced ordinal numbers (1st do this, 2nd this etc.) 

Spatial directions were also included. (Place this above, under, to the left etc.)  Completed projects made a wonderful assessment tool, as parents asked their child the questions that were on the snowman's tummy.

3D shape crafts, cylinder shape activities, cylinder shape crafts, snowman crafts, snowman activities, common core snowmen, snowman tin can, snowman windsock, mitten activities, mitten crafts, penguin activities, penguin crafts, snowman sockWinter Art & Activities was one of the first packets that I put together several years ago, before I had all of the fonts and software programs that I use today, but I think the simple hand drawn patterns are easy to follow.  

Besides snowmen, I've included penguin and mitten crafts as well.  Click on the link for this whopping 118-page packet filled with all sorts of fun. Winter Art & Actiities packet

3D shape crafts, cylinder shape activities, doilie snowman, cylinder shape crafts, snowman crafts, snowman activities, common core snowmen, snowman tin can, snowman windsock, mitten activities, mitten crafts, penguin activities, penguin crafts, snowman sockOne of my students' favorites was Charlie the paint stick snowman. He dangles from the doorknob.

Sample in hand, I’d go to a paint store or home-depot sort of place, show Charlie, explain it was for a kindergarten Christmas craft, and could I buy 20 paint stirrers. 

For 11 years no one asked me to pay, and they all thought Charlie was adorable.  If you'd like to make a matching ornament, simply use an extra large Popsicle stick.  Click on the link to view/download the Paint Stick Snowman.  

3D shape crafts, cylinder shape activities, cylinder shape crafts, snowman crafts, snowman activities, common core snowmen, snowman tin can, snowman windsock, mitten activities, mitten crafts, penguin activities, penguin crafts, snowman sock “Snowy.”  is my all-time favorite.  What home doesn’t have a pile of socks missing a mate?  Send a note home asking parents if they’ll donate them to your class.  Cut the toes off, tie the tops with a bit of yarn, flip up the “cuff” and tadah you have an adorable hat.  

3D shape crafts, cylinder shape activities, cylinder shape crafts, snowman crafts, snowman activities, common core snowmen, snowman tin can, snowman windsock, mitten activities, mitten crafts, penguin activities, penguin crafts, snowman sockYou’ll need some white tube socks as well.  These need to be the kind that are straight with no heel. 

I turn them inside out so they have a nice scruffy look.  A scrap of flannel with the ends frayed makes the perfect scarf.  

You can also use ribbon (plaid is a personal favorite) Adjust how tight you tie on the scarf so it  “sections” the body.  Wiggle eyes, buttons and a wooden heart all add to the cuteness factor.  I stuffed Snowy with pillow batting.  You can buy it by the bag at most fabric stores.  Click on the link for all of the directions to make this sweet sock snowman.

3D shape crafts, cylinder shape activities, cylinder shape crafts, snowman crafts, snowman activities, common core snowmen, snowman tin can, snowman windsock, mitten activities, mitten crafts, penguin activities, penguin crafts, snowman sockFinally, Snowman Prints is one of those keepsake  "Awww-dorable" craftivities that parents so enjoy.  This is not my original idea.  I've seen it all over Pinterest on glass ornaments, and wanted to make this safe and inexpensive for a teacher to do with her class, so I designed one using construction paper and added an aluminum foil top. 

3D shape crafts, cylinder shape activities, cylinder shape crafts, snowman crafts, snowman activities, common core snowmen, snowman tin can, snowman windsock, mitten activities, mitten crafts, penguin activities, penguin crafts, snowman sockSometimes, parents fail to realize that some of the art work,  especially this one, was made from their child's hand, so I wrote a poem to accompany this keepsake. 

I guess it did the trick because one mom said: "I loved Conrad's ornament and didn't even know it was his hand print 'til I read the poem.  Now I love it even more!"

I think they turned out super-cute and my kiddo's really enjoyed making them.  I experiemented with red and green construction paper, but think the blue background turned out the best. Click on the link to get the patterns for the Snowman Print Ornament.

3D shape crafts, cylinder shape activities, cylinder shape crafts, snowman crafts, snowman activities, common core snowmen, snowman tin can, snowman windsock, mitten activities, mitten crafts, penguin activities, penguin crafts, snowman sockThanks for visiting today.  I hope you can stop by tomorrow, as I will be posting lots more helpful FREEBIES. Feel free to PIN away.

"Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store." -Dr. Seuss from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

1-2-3 Come Do Some Winter Craftivities And Games With Me!

Did you ever have one of those days where you might as well have stayed in bed?  Well that was yesterday! The reason there was no blog article was that our main server (in Texas) crashed. It seemed everything techno in my world went on the fritz, from my e-mail, to the printer and even my favorite design software was having glitchy hiccups. 

I apologize if you tried to visit us and got an error-connection message.  I'm back to being a happy camper with lots of FREEBIES to share.

christmas tree crafts, christmas tree activities, christmas tree puzzles, christmas tree games, skip counting activities, counting backwards activities, activities for skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s, common core christmas, common core snowmen, snowmen centers, snowman games, snowman centers, snowman crafts, snowman puzzles, daily 5 for winter, addition and subtraction games, winter math games, shape activites, shape games, snowman shapes, hexagon activities, gingerbread shapes, gingerbread activitiesKeep review of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and skip counting fresh and interesting, by making these puzzles.  Laminate for an independent center (I've included a blank grid for kiddo's to place the pieces on), or have your students pick one, run them off and then they cut and glue them to a blue or black sheet of construction paper. 

If you're doing the alphabet, have students think of a word that starts with that letter on the puzzle piece, and then write it on the appropriate tree-strip.

christmas tree crafts, christmas tree activities, christmas tree puzzles, christmas tree games, skip counting activities, counting backwards activities, activities for skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s, common core christmas, common core snowmen, snowmen centers, snowman games, snowman centers, snowman crafts, snowman puzzles, daily 5 for winter, addition and subtraction games, winter math games, shape activites, shape games, snowman shapes, hexagon activities, gingerbread shapes, gingerbread activitiesRemind students to leave a little gap inbetween the pieces.  You can add a bit of pizzazz by dipping a Q-tip in glue and then dotting on "snowflakes."  For an awesome effect, sprinkle with white or silver glitter.

These make a lovely bulletin board too. Caption: Learning About Letters and Numbers Is "Snow" Much Fun! or "Look At All Of The TREE-mendous Work From Mrs. Henderson's Kinders!"  Click on the link for the Snowman Tummy Puzzles or The 13 Merry-Making Tree Puzzles.

christmas tree crafts, christmas tree activities, christmas tree puzzles, christmas tree games, skip counting activities, counting backwards activities, activities for skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s, common core christmas, common core snowmen, snowmen centers, snowman games, snowman centers, snowman crafts, snowman puzzles, daily 5 for winter, addition and subtraction games, winter math games, shape activites, shape games, snowman shapes, hexagon activities, gingerbread shapes, gingerbread activitiesSince the Silly Shaped penguins and Owls Shape Up "craftivities" continue to be in the top 10 downloaded items from my site, I decided to design a Shapely Snowman, as well as a Gingerbread set, with plans to make special shape pals for all of the months. (i.e. pumpkins for October and butterflies for April!) 

christmas tree crafts, christmas tree activities, christmas tree puzzles, christmas tree games, skip counting activities, counting backwards activities, activities for skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s, common core christmas, common core snowmen, snowmen centers, snowman games, snowman centers, snowman crafts, snowman puzzles, daily 5 for winter, addition and subtraction games, winter math games, shape activites, shape games, snowman shapes, hexagon activities, gingerbread shapes, gingerbread activitiesYou can make the gingerbread heads a game, by running the bow pieces off on red construction paper.
Instead of gluing the shape words inside the bows and then gluing them to the gingerbread head, glue only the bows.  Keep the shape-word circles separate.

Students place the shape word on to the matching shapely gingerbread's bow.  To make a girl gingerbread, glue the bows to the top of the head. Glue it as a bow tie under the chin to make a gingerbread boy. To add a bit of pizzazz, I used white puffy paint for "frosting."  Click on the link for the Shapely Gingerbread packet. 

There are also several things you can do with the Shapely Snowman templates.  Make a laminated set for a bulletin board, or use as puzzles for an independent center activity. 

christmas tree crafts, christmas tree activities, snowman glyph, glyphs, graping activitites, winter glyphs,christmas tree puzzles, christmas tree games, skip counting activities, counting backwards activities, activities for skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s, common core christmas, common core snowmen, snowmen centers, snowman games, snowman centers, snowman crafts, snowman puzzles, daily 5 for winter, addition and subtraction games, winter math games, shape activites, shape games, snowman shapes, hexagon activities, gingerbread shapes, gingerbread activitiesFor a center matching game, do not glue the hats on the snowmen.  Instead make only one hat with interchangeable hat bands.  Students pick a shape word-hat band and place it on the hat, then they look for the matching snowman and place the hat on his head.  Play continues 'til the child has used all of the hat bands and snowmen.  Click on the link to view/download the Shapely Snowman Packet. 

christmas tree crafts, christmas tree activities, snowman glyph, glyphs, graping activitites, winter glyphs,christmas tree puzzles, christmas tree games, skip counting activities, counting backwards activities, activities for skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s, common core christmas, common core snowmen, snowmen centers, snowman games, snowman centers, snowman crafts, snowman puzzles, daily 5 for winter, addition and subtraction games, winter math games, shape activites, shape games, snowman shapes, hexagon activities, gingerbread shapes, gingerbread activitiesAnother popular winter activity is the Snowman Glyph.  Each one turns out a bit different so this too makes an adorable bulletin board.  Click on the link to view/download the Snowman Glyph.

christmas tree crafts, christmas tree activities, christmas tree puzzles, christmas tree games, skip counting activities, counting backwards activities, activities for skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s, common core christmas, common core snowmen, snowmen centers, snowman games, snowman centers, snowman crafts, snowman puzzles, daily 5 for winter, addition and subtraction games, winter math games, shape activites, shape games, snowman shapes, hexagon activities, gingerbread shapes, gingerbread activitiesPractice addition and subtraction with Dominic the Snowman Domino-Dice game.  Click on the link to grab it.

christmas tree crafts, christmas tree activities, snowman glyph, glyphs, graping activitites, winter glyphs,christmas tree puzzles, christmas tree games, skip counting activities, counting backwards activities, activities for skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s, common core christmas, common core snowmen, snowmen centers, snowman games, snowman centers, snowman crafts, snowman puzzles, daily 5 for winter, addition and subtraction games, winter math games, shape activites, shape games, snowman shapes, hexagon activities, gingerbread shapes, gingerbread activitiesThat's it for today.  Thanks for visiting.  I hope you can stop by tomorrow for even more FREEBIES.  My brain is on over-drive again, and since the weather outside is "frightful" I might as well have a "delightful" time inside designing away.  Feel free to PIN away!

"Snowmen fall from Heaven unassembled." -Unknown

Let's Play A Math Game!

Dominoes are an inexpensive and fun math manipulative to help your students practice simple addition and subtraction facts.  Dominic the Domino Snowman makes it even more interesting.  He needs buttons for his belly! 

Here's how to help him:

  • dominoes, math game, snowman activities, math centers, centers, games with dominoes, math games with dominoes,snowman ideas, math facts, addition and subtraction activities, addition and subtraction games, If you want all of your students to play as a whole group, run off a class set of snowmen. Have students play in groups of 2-4 so they can share dominoes.  They sell them at The Dollar Store.
  •  If you don’t have dominoes, use my template and print off a class set, or some for your students so they can have a Dominic and dominoes to practice at home.
  •  You can color the snowmen, or have students color them and then laminate the playing boards so you can use them every year.
  •  Children will use dry erase markers to record their answers and then wipe them off with a wet wipe.
  • Write the directions: Roll, Find, Place, Write, Solve on the board.
  • Demonstrate how to play the game.
  • Students obtain the dominoes by rolling 2 dice twice and finding the appropriate dominoes.
  • i.e, If they roll a 1 and a 5, they find the domino with one dot and five dots and place that to the side.
  •  The student then rolls the second time and rolls a 2 and a 3.
  • They find that domino.
  • dominoes, math games, math games with dominoes, snowman activities, snowman ideas, snowmen, games, math centers, center ideas,Since the first domino has larger numbers, they put that domino on top so that they can subtract. They put the smaller numbered domino on the bottom.
  • Students add the “buttons” of the domino to get the first number to add and and then later subtract and then add the “buttons” of the second domino to get the second number to add and later subtract. 
  •  Students write these equations vertically on their snowman and solve the problem.
  • On a sheet of  paper, students write the equations horizontally and solve the problem.
  • Set a timer to ring after about 10 minutes.
  • The student with the most correct answers wins the game.

Do you have a math game that you play with your students? I'd enjoy hearing from you! diane@teachwithme.com and if you use one of my freebies I'd really enjoy a comment.  Thanks in advance.

Be sure and pop back tomorrow for more creative teaching tips.

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