1-2-3 Come Do Some Chick Hatching Activities With Me

Do you study chickens or hatch chicks as a life cycle science unit?
Our preschool does; they get their fertilized eggs from a local farmer.

With that in mind, I designed this jumbo chicken packet, which is chock full of a variety of activities that you can easily diversify, as you practice all sorts of math, science & language arts standards.

The packet includes:

* A collection of posters:

These can be used as anchor charts, decorations, countdowns, reminders & bulletin board displays. Several are also included in black and white so that you can use them as worksheets for your students.
 * crafts:

Such as the "When Will I Hatch?" slider craftivity, which helps practice counting backwards from 21-0, as well as counting forward from 0-21.  

Children can show you an AB-AB color pattern, as they trace the numbers with 2 different colored highlighters.

There are also several Life Cycle of a Chicken craftivities as well. 

Children can make a "flip the flap" chick life cycle, or show the various stages of the 21 days of an embryo inside an egg.

Another version is a "flip the flap" egg-shaped life cycle craft, which begs the question: "What came 1st, the chicken or the egg?"

There's an incubator, as well as an egg option.  All patterns come in color as well as black and white.

* puzzles:

So that you can easily diversify lessons, there are a variety of puzzle options available.

There are the simple 3-piece sequencing puzzles, as well as the 6-piece "Chicks on a Roll" puzzle dice game.

My 4-year-old grandson absolutely loves playing these puzzle dice games, as do my Y5 & kinders. 

The 3-piece egg-shaped puzzles are a bit more complex, as students put together the number, number word and group/set of that many together. 

To make this independent center activity self-correcting, number the pieces accordingly on the back. 

The number "strip puzzles" practice numbers 12-21, which are great for those toughie teen numbers, as well as help to reinforce the 21-day "chick hatching" concept.

The large, 11-piece egg-shaped puzzle does the same thing.  All puzzles come in full color so you can use them for a center, as well as black & white, so that kiddos can color, cut and make thier own to take home. 

* Venn diagrams & graphic organizers plus...

* a variety of games: which practice ordinal numbers, patterning, sequencing, counting & a variety of other standards. There are also numberous ...

* writing prompts:

Such as "A Chick Hatched Today!" craftivity, which can be a simple sentence for PK kiddos, or something more involved for older students. 

I've included my completed sample, that you can print off to share as an example.

Fold over a diamond scrap of paper to make the chick's beak 3D.

Completed projects look adorable as a spring bulletin board, or hung back-to-back and suspended from the ceiling. 

The "If I Had A Chick For A Pet..."  is also a super-fun writing prompt, as many of our preschoolers ask if they can take a chick home once they hatch.  We return them to the farmer, so this is a fun "what if" for them. 

If you also get your eggs from a nearby farm, then you'll enjoy the "Thank You; I Learned A Lot!"  writing prompt card.

Use the colorful one for all your little ones to sign, or the black & white option, for older students to complete on their own, then drop the card(s) off when you give the chicks back.  The packet also includes plenty of ...

* vocabulary building & word work, which include Elkonin boxes, pocket chart cards, a word find, a "How many words can you make?" game, an alphabetical order race & more. (Perfect for Daily 5.) Plus...

* observations, experiments, & data analysis along with ...

* calendar & countdown activities:

Which includes a real calendar page you can do as a whole-group, or have students keep track on their own, jotting down a daily note of "what's happening".  I've included "stickers" for extra special days. 

Because my kiddos were forever asking, "How many days 'til a chick hatches?" I decided to make a countdown paper chain. We tear a link off each day. I've included several options, as well as a black & white pattern if you want your students to make their own.  

Students can also color an egg on their "countdown worksheet". I have my students choose two colors to show me an ABAB pattern. 

The "A-MAZE-ing" life cycle of a chick, "itty bitty" countdown booklet, is also a fun way to reinforce counting.

There's also...
* graphing extensions &
* worksheets: which practice a variety of standards in quick, easy & fun ways.

Because many children have not seen a rooster, chicken or chick before, I've included 33 real photographs.

Studying chicks wouldn't be complete without an "eggs-citing" scientific look into what's happening, so I designed 3 booklets.

You can do these as a whole group with little ones, using the colorful template options, or have older students color their own booklet; or mix & match doing several together & one or 2 independently. 

I don't take anything for granted when teaching my Y5s, as many of them have very limited experiences. 

With that in mind I designed the "Eggs-amining" An Egg activities and booklet to record their findings. They especially enjoy cracking an egg on their own, seeing if an egg will sink or float, & having a "spin contest".

They do this with both a raw and hard boiled egg then compare their findings.

Students can work individually, with a partner or in a small group. You can also do this as a whole group activity with little ones.

Another one of the booklets is "Chick This Out" an observation egg-shaped booklet where the teacher or students can record what's going on with the eggs/chicks each day.  

The 3rd booklet is a "Peek Inside" flip booklet where students record what's going on inside the egg.

These can simply be a few pages for little ones, or more in-depth observation and analysis through "candling" or learning about what's taking place via the photographs, "fast facts" information or educational links that I've included. 

Finally, as a culminating activity, I designed some "visitor" activities.

Since we have all sorts of people parading through the preschool to take a look at the chicks when they hatch (the principal, staff, & lots of other classrooms), I thought it would be fun to create a guestbook.

I've included a page for visiting classrooms to fill out then sign prior to their arrival, which includes a place for questions they may have.

There's also an invitation to hang up in the teacher's lounge, as well as an individual note, which can be placed in their mailbox. Welcoming posters, and a sign to hang on your doorknob, are all included as well. 

Well that's a quick review of what's in this whopping 342-page Chick packet, which is currently on sale for 50% off. 

As always, I give away 2 jumbo packets each month, along with a $10 TpT gift card, so be sure and check out my Face Book page, and enter to win my monthly "Flash Fun" Giveaways.  

Since Mother's Day is just around the corner, today's featured FREEBIE is a Mother's Day Cupcake Writing Prompt Craftivity.  I hope you find it useful. 

Well that's it for today.  It's been a long week, so it's time to relax and take a much-needed break.

Here in Michigan, spring has FINALLY sprung and the flowering trees are absolutely gorgeous!  Wishing you a wonderful and stress-free weekend.

"Spring is a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some 2D Spring Shape Activities With Me   

Years ago I drew my first "shapely" animals; and since the penguins were so popular, I continued to design different animals for the various seasons.

Today I'm featuring my newest creation, "Shape Up!" with  "Lions & Lambs" packet, along with 3 other popular springtime "shapely critters": chicks,  bunnies & frogs.

Whether you're teaching 2D shapes for the first time, or simply looking for a review, these cuties will add some zing to your spring, lion & lamb-themed lessons.

There are 3 crafty options.

Younger students can simply color the lion & lamb-faced worksheet of their choice with no cutting, or draw in their own head on the blank shape, while older kiddos can cut and glue a lion or lamb head to their favorite shape.

There’s a simple “straight-edge” shape pattern for little ones that’s easy to cut, along with a more challenging shape pattern where students cut the lion’s mane and the sheep’s body out for a more realistic look.

Children can glue the lion head to the “shapely” mane, or the lamb head to the “shapely” body of the sheep.

For more pizzazz & to add some 3D pop, students can accordion fold a strip of paper, glue it to the back of the head, so that it ”wiggles”.

The packet also includes posters & games with colorful cards to use as a center activity.

There are black & white patterns so students can make up their own games as well.

There’s also a selection of worksheets, which practice shape words, & attributes, plus a certificate of praise bookmark.

Make a set of your own to use as flashcards, anchor charts, or a “4 Corners” game, (Directions included).

Completed projects make an adorable spring bulletin board or hallway wall display.
I’ve included 2 posters to help enhance your display.

2D shapes included: circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, pentagon, octagon, rhombus, trapezoid, heart & star. 

Another springtime animal in this collection is an adorable baby chick.

The "Slick Chick" packet follows a similar format, but also includes 3D shapes, and an emergent reader booket.

Students read, trace and write the shape word, fill in the shapes to look like chicks; trace the shape and then draw that shape.

They also underline the capital letter and add end punctuation. 

The bunny rabbit is certainly a symbol of spring as well.  I had a lot of fun designing a cute little face for this "shapely" animal friend.

The 2D shapes are easily recognizable, as they are simply topped off with a pair of bunny ears.

To make them especially cute, I've included a pattern for a ladybug & 3D butterfly to add some extra pizzazz. 

The spots on their wings match the bunny's various shapes too.

Finally, many of my teacher friends have a springtime, frog theme going on, as they study life cycles; so perhaps the "Funny Frogs" shape packet works for you. 

The format is also similar, but also includes a short “giggle” tale about Ferdinand the frog and Princess Penelope, who was turned into a fly!

Read it as an interesting way to introduce the shape craft, then have older students "flip up the mouth" and write their own "fractured fairy tale" on the frog's "tongue".

There’s a set of discussion questions for the story, as well as a comprehension worksheet.

Today's featured FREEBIE is a whopping 41-page, whimsical"Shapely Mouths" packet, which will help you review, as well as assess 2D shapes and shape words.  I hope you find it useful.  

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

It's a dreary day here in Michigan; rainy, cold & windy.  Perfect for snuggling in and reading a good book, or putzing wth my "too long" To Do List.

Wishing you a cozy & cuddly kind of day, filled with all the things you enjoy the most.

"A rainy day is a special gift to readers." -Amy Miles

1-2-3 Come Do Some Chick and Bunny Craftivities With Me

I love springtime. There's something magical and invigorating about it; and there are so many themes you can incorporate into your lessons.

The chick and bunny seem to be popular symbols, so with that in mind I used them to design some quick, easy and super-fun craftivities, which practice a variety of standards. 

I'll be featuring 4 of my favorites, along with today's FREEBIE.  First up is a chick-themed -ick word family packet.    

The packet includes:

* An -ick chick word slider craftivity, featuring 20 words, with 2 size options.

* An -ick family poster with 22 words, plus  10 “flip the flap” -ick word booklets, as well as an “ABC Me” worksheet.  I've also included ...

* A cover to make an -ick word family dictionary, along with an Itty Bitty -ick word family booklet, plus a "Fill in the blanks” missing -ick word, sentence worksheet along with ...

* A set of -ick word family picture cards, with matching -ick word cards, so you can play “Memory Match” and “I Have; Who Has?” games, individually, with a partner or as a whole group activity.

* To mix math with literacy, there's an “Isn’t it slick that I can skip count with my chick?” slider craft, with 2 size options.
These number sliders skip count by 2s, 3s, 5s, or 10s. 

You can also practice the -op word family with my bunny packet.

The format is similar. The -op word family poster has an alphabetical list of 49 words, with some new words even to me, llke kop and trop, so I've also included a cover to make an —op word family dictionary.

I chose 18, or those -op words and made "just the right size", mini-cards.  Students can put them in alphabetical order, as an independent center, or partner up to see who can do it the fastest.  

Another idea, is to have children choose 2-3 cards and use the words in a sentence. 

The bunny and chick were also perfect to design some more "shapely critter crafts" which all started years ago with the penguin packet.

It's a wonderful, hands-on way to review 2D and 3D shapes.

Make a large set to use as flashcards, for whole-group games, and anchor charts, then have children pick their favorite and create their own.

Completed projects make an adorable bulletin board. 

I've included several posters for the center of your display. 

The packets include an emergent reader, games, worksheets, and a "certificate of praise" bookmark.  

For the emergent reader, students read, trace and write the shape word, fill in the shapes to look like chicks/bunnies; trace the shape and then draw that shape.

They also underline the capital letter and add end punctuation. 

Both animals are super-cute, but my personal favorite is the bunny.

There are 3 pattern options for the rabbit: A whimsical looking one, a "fluffy" faced one, as well as blank templates so children can draw their own.  

I've also included a paw pattern to make the shapes look even more like a bunny.

I think part of the bunny's charm, is that I also added a set of butterflies and ladybugs, which feature the various shapes. 

For a bit of 3D pizzazz, students choose one and glue the bug to the top of one of the bunny's ears. 

To get the 3D "pop" bend the ladybug's antennae forward. 

For the butterfly, give children 2 different colors.

They trim and fold one of the butterfly's wings, then glue just the thorax to the top of the other butterfly. Easy-peasy and looks fabulous! 

Besides the standard 2D shapes, due to many requests, I've also included the trapezoid and rhombus "pattern block" shapes, along with the hexagon, pentagon and octagon. 

Since many teachers are also teaching 3D shapes, there's also patterns for the cone, cube, cylinder and sphere.

Click on the links for the "Slick Chick Spring Shape Up" packet, and the "Hop To It" Bunny Shape packet.

Finally, while diddling around with pattern blocks, I discovered that you can use other pieces, to make a hexagon. 

Since this is a really new shape for my Y5s, it tends to be a "toughie" for them to remember. 

I think part of the difficulty, is because there are not many "real life" examples for them to see.  With that in mind, I designed the "Don't be vexed by the "hex", hexagon challenge.

I putzed 'til I created a dozen arrangements, and have included a full-color, as well as a black & white template (filled in with lines, plus blank) for them to place pattern pieces on.

Later, after they've created some patterns, turn it into a "Speed" game; set a timer and see who can make the most hexagons before it rings. 

Today's FREEBIE also has a bunny theme, which practices skip counting.

Your students will enjoy hopping to the next number, as they skip count with the bunny, by 2's, 3's, 5's, and 10's.  I've also included "What's Missing?" worksheets for each skip counted set.  These are great for "early finishers" or homework to send over spring break.  

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for visiting.  Time to switch gears and put my nana hat on, as I'm taking care of my grandchildren today. 

Kaiden (3) and Kaitlyn (1) put the grand in grandma. 

Wishing you a love-filled day filled with lots of hugs and giggles.

"I love music of all kinds, but there's no greater music than the sound of my children and grandchildren laughing." -Sylvia Earle

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

Since the Silly Shaped Penguins, as well as the Shapely Owls have been such popular downloads, I decided to design a spring "craftivity" too.  When I took a look at all of the spring baby animals, the cute little chick clicked for me! 

Like the Penguin and Owl Shape packets, I designed all sorts of shape-themed activities around these cuties. 

I hope you enjoy using them, as much as I had fun making them.

I've included patterns for the standard 2D shapes, as well as the pattern block trapezoid and rhombus shapes, plus the 3D cone, cube and cylinder shapes. 

For more pizzazz, tape a real feather to the top of the chick's head and accordion fold the legs.  Adding wiggle eyes also adds more pop. 

You could also make the wings moveable by punching a hole and attaching them with brass brads. Click on the link to view/download the Shapely Slick Chick Packet.

The packet includes a set of black & white shapely slick chick cards, as well as a full-color set.

I've also made 2 sets of shape-word cards.

These are perfect for Memory Match or "I Have; Who Has?" games. 

Run off the black and white templates and have students make an Itty Bitty Slick Chick Shape booklet.

There's also an easy reader booklet, which covers lots of standards. 

Students read the sentence, underline the capital letters and add end punctuation.

They trace and write the shape words, add features on the first shape to make it look like a chick; trace the second shape and then draw the shape. 

On the last page they tell which shapely slick chick they liked the best. 

I've included a graph, so you can record the results.  Standards are also covered with worksheets for spatial directions, attributes, and matching the word to the shape. 

Finally, to build self-esteem, I designed a sweet certificate of praise.  Click on the link to view/download the Shapely Slick Chick packet.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away. 

"The first day of spring is one thing, the first spring day is quite another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month." -Henry Van Dyke