January Writing Prompts

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

activities for the jacket i wear in the snow, crafts for winter, winter writing prompts, activities for shirley neitzels books, winter clothing activities, Do you read the story “The Jacket I Wear In The Snow?”  My kiddos and I really enjoy Shirley Neitzel’s books.
They are perfect for sequencing and retelling a story too.

With that in mind, I designed several craftivities that you can transition to after reading the tale. I'm featuring two of my latest creations on the blog today.

activities for the jacket I wear in the snow, writing prompts for january writing prompts for winter, activities for shirley neitzel books, winter clothing activities, winter crafts for kids, winter bulletin boards, First up is my "Jacket Packet", which includes 4 writing prompt options for older students, as well as 2 jacket patterns, so little ones can also do the craft.

* One jacket pattern is generic, which students can color, or you can run off on a variety of colors of construction paper.

activities for the jacket I wear in the snow, writing prompts for januarym writing prompts for winter, activities for shirley neitzel books, winter clothing activities, winter crafts for kids, winter bulletin boards, * The other jacket looks like the one in “The Jacket I Wear In The Snow” story.

Pick a jacket or give children a choice, then choose a “lining” for your craft.
There are 5 options, plus a blank version to dream up something else.

* The first “lining” has pictures of the story elements in chronological order, which is a fun way for students to practice the “retell a story” standard.

* The other 4 “linings” are writing prompts.
Students cut the jacket on the dashed line, then glue just the sleeves, to the “lining” creating a booklet, when flipped open reveals the pictures or one of these writing prompts:

activactivities for the jacket I wear in the snow, writing prompts for january writing prompts for winter, activities for shirley neitzel books, winter clothing activities, winter crafts for kids, winter bulletin boards, ities for the jacket I wear in the snow, writing prompts for january writing prompts for winter, activities for shirley neitzel books, winter clothing activities, winter crafts for kids, winter bulletin boards, 1. “Here’s what happened…” (Checks comprehension. Can be written as a “beginning, middle, end” prompt, or as a “sequential list” of what happened, or as a “paragraph of summary”.)

2. “The jacket I wear in the snow is…” option: (Descriptive writing, adjective practice).

     Children color the jacket pattern to match their own coat, then describe their jacket.

activities for the jacket I wear in the snow, writing prompts for january writing prompts for winter, activities for shirley neitzel books, winter clothing activities, winter crafts for kids, winter bulletin boards, 3. “My favorite thing to do when it snows is…” option: (Short & simple. Limited to one thing.)

     Children write about what their favorite thing to do in the snow is, then draw a picture underneath.

4. “When I’m all bundled up for winter I like to…” option: (Longer, expanded, can also be a list.)

     Children write about all of the things that they enjoy doing when they play in the snow.

Because they are very different, you can do the “retell the story” picture jacket, as well as the generic jacket with a writing prompt.

Possibly one for class and another for “early finishers” a fun homework assignment, or tuck in your "sub tub".

activities for the jacket I wear in the snow, writing prompts for january writing prompts for winter, activities for shirley neitzel books, winter clothing activities, winter crafts for kids, winter bulletin boards, * Besides the black and white options, I’ve also included full color, plus my samples, so teachers can quickly & easily make an example to share. 

Completed projects make a sweet bulletin board or hallway-wall display. I’ve included several posters to use for the center of your display. 

activities for the jacket I wear in the snow, writing prompts for january writing prompts for winter, activities for shirley neitzel books, winter clothing activities, winter crafts for kids, winter bulletin boards, Finally, since my storytelling "sliders" are such a hit, I also made one for "The Jacket I Wear In The Snow", which will help your students retell the story in chronological order.

activities for the jacket I wear in the snow, writing prompts for january writing prompts for winter, activities for shirley neitzel books, winter clothing activities, winter crafts for kids, winter bulletin boards, Because I've become quite the clip art collector, there are 5 outside slider versions to choose from. I LOVE options and thought you might too.

activities for the jacket I wear in the snow, writing prompts for january writing prompts for winter, activities for shirley neitzel books, winter clothing activities, winter crafts for kids, winter bulletin boards, Pick your favorite or give children a choice. Students color the story elements on the “slider strip” then cut and glue it together.

activities for the jacket I wear in the snow, writing prompts for january writing prompts for winter, activities for shirley neitzel books, winter clothing activities, winter crafts for kids, winter bulletin boards, As they pull on the end of the “slider-strip” the various pictures go through the “window”, so that children can take turns retelling the story to a partner or reading buddy, then take their craftivity home to share with their family, once again practicing these standards.    

activities for the jacket I wear in the snow, writing prompts for january writing prompts for winter, activities for shirley neitzel books, winter clothing activities, winter crafts for kids, winter bulletin boards, Storytelling sliders are also an easy & interesting way to assess comprehension.

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

activities for the jacket I wear in the snow, writing prompts for january writing prompts for winter, activities for shirley neitzel books, winter clothing activities, winter crafts for kids, winter bulletin boards, There’s also 2, “Here’s What Happened…” writing prompt worksheets, as another way to check comprehension, plus practice sequential writing, hopefully using a variety of ordinal numbers and other transitions. 

Since Chinese New Year started on the 28th and runs through February 15th, today's featured FREEBIE is a quick, easy & super-fun Chinese Lantern craft.

Chinese new year crafts, chinese new year activities, paper lantern craft, crafts for kids for chinese new year, chinese new year activitiesIt provides simple cuttng practice, and an intersting way to help strengthen those finger muscles. 

Completed projects look terrific dangling from the ceiling, or as a border in the hallway.  

activities for the jacket I wear in the snow, chinese lantern craft, activities for chinese new year, chinese new year crafts paper lantern pattern, writing prompts for january writing prompts for winter, activities for shirley neitzel books, winter clothing activities, winter crafts for kids, winter bulletin boards, Well that's it for today, it's snowing once again, and I'm finding it difficult to break my reclusive habits; as I'd much rather be snuggly and warm crafting away, than braving the outdoors. 

Wishing you a delightful day filled with memorable moments.

Happy Year of the ROOSTER!

“One year goes by taking with it a set of hopes and aspirations. Another year comes in with bundles of new opportunities to relive your dreams and realize your goals. “ -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Winter Clothing Activities With Me  

This “getting dressed for winter” - themed packet, is jam-packed with all sorts of quick, easy & fun activities, which practice a variety of standards.

winter cothing games, winter clothing activities, winter worksheeets, writing prompts for January, activities to go with the story The Jacket I'll Wear in the Snow, color games, word gamesThere are easy-peasy activities for PK, as well as more challenging "Print & Go" ones for K-1st, which makes it simpe to mix & match to fit the various levels in your class.

The packet includes:

winter cothing games, winter clothing activities, winter worksheeets, writing prompts for January, activities to go with the story The Jacket I'll Wear in the Snow, color games, word games* Label the winter wear “color me” worksheets, with matching full-color posters for the teacher. 

* Picture cards to practice sequencing, ordinal numbers and the correct order to put things on. Can be used as a poster, center or game. Has matching BW bookmark.

winter cothing games, winter clothing activities, winter worksheeets, writing prompts for January, activities to go with the story The Jacket I'll Wear in the Snow, color games, word games* "Color Me" ordinal number, fill-in-the-blank (boy & girl) worksheets, with full-color posters for the teacher.  I've also included an ordinal number, whole-group assessment. 

* Picture & word cards for an ordinal number game.
* A graphing extension.

winter cothing games, winter clothing activities, winter worksheeets, writing prompts for January, activities to go with the story The Jacket I'll Wear in the Snow, color games, word games* 3 Emergent Reader Booklets:

1. ”Let’s Go! Let’s Play In The Snow!”  is packed with lots of Dolch sight words. Practices ordinal numbers.
There’s a full color teacher’s edition plus 2, BW options for students: a “color me” one, plus a “color, cut & glue” version.

winter cothing games, winter clothing activities, winter worksheeets, writing prompts for January, activities to go with the story The Jacket I'll Wear in the Snow, color games, word games2. “Wintry Colors” With lots more Dolch sight words. Students read the simple sentences; add end punctuation, trace, write & color the color words, then color the picture.

winter cothing games, winter clothing activities, winter worksheeets, writing prompts for January, activities to go with the story The Jacket I'll Wear in the Snow, color games, word games3. “My Winter Clothes” is my personal favorite, as it makes a sweet keepsake.  Students complete the sentences by filling in the blanks with the color of their clothing, then coloring the pictures to match.

winter cothing games, winter clothing activities, winter worksheeets, writing prompts for January, activities to go with the story The Jacket I'll Wear in the Snow, color games, word gamesI've included a matching “Let’s Go!” label-me poster worksheet option.

As your kiddos get ready to go out for recess, snap their picture and then print them off, so that they can trim & glue to their worksheet and label it. 

As you can see by my samples, these turn out absolutely adorable, which makes for a sweet bulletin board.  There's also . . .

* A variety of worksheets which practice: contractions, plurals, alphabetical order, word recognition, compound words that begin with snow, ordinal numbers & color words.

winter cothing games, winter clothing activities, winter worksheeets, writing prompts for January, activities to go with the story The Jacket I'll Wear in the Snow, color games, word games* 2 sets of pocket chart-size, picture-word cards for winter clothing. Use on your word wall, as flashcards, or cut in half to make puzzles.


* Word games:
word scramble worksheet, winter clothing word search, “How many words can you make using the letters in jacket?” game, with a colorful 15-word answer key.

winter cothing games, winter clothing activities, winter worksheeets, writing prompts for January, activities to go with the story The Jacket I'll Wear in the Snow, color games, word games* 8, colorful “Dress the Child” cards, with a variety of outfits. There are 4 boy & 4 girl options which cover various ethnicities. 

My Y5s absolutely LOVE this independent center.
Use the matching BW options as a color, cut & glue worksheet.

winter cothing games, winter clothing activities, winter worksheeets, writing prompts for January, activities to go with the story The Jacket I'll Wear in the Snow, color games, word games* A set of colorful clothing cards for sequencing, patterning, & Memory Match or “I Have; Who Has?” games.

* 8, color-me “In the winter I wear…” writing prompt bookmarks
* 12, clothing word cards to use for more games, with a “Write a Sentence” worksheet.

* Colorful “Winter-Summer Clothing Sortcenter game, with matching BW worksheets.
* 10 sets of colorful clothing cards (red, orange, yellow, etc.) with matching word cards and sorting mats.

Use for sorting, patterning, and a variety of games.  Mix & match with the “Colorful Mittens” and “Colorful Hats” for more card options.

Elkonin Box Center Game, * A set of “trace, write & place” Elkonin box cards for an independent center; with 2 matching worksheets.* A set of “trace, write & place” Elkonin box cards for an independent center; with 2 matching worksheets.

winter cothing games, winter clothing activities, winter worksheeets, writing prompts for January, activities to go with the story The Jacket I'll Wear in the Snow, color games, word games* 21, “Dressed for Winter” number puzzles, which practice counting forwards (1-20), backwards, plus skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s, & 10s. One set comes in BW so children can color, cut and make their own; the other set is different and in full-color so you can use them for an independent center activity.

I’ve also included some tips, tricks and posters to help motivate your students to want to get dressed as quickly as possible, saving your sanity and precious teaching time. 

winter cothing games, winter clothing activities, winter worksheeets, writing prompts for January, activities to go with the story The Jacket I'll Wear in the Snow, color games, word gameswinter cothing games, winter clothing activities, winter worksheeets, writing prompts for January, activities to go with the story The Jacket I'll Wear in the Snow, color games, word gamesThere are also 3 snowman posters to use in your bulletin board displays of student work. 

Woo hoo! There are two featured FREEBIES today, which are both from the jumbo "Winter Clothing Activities" packet.  

winter cothing games, winter clothing activities, winter worksheeets, writing prompts for January, activities to go with the story The Jacket I'll Wear in the Snow, color games, word gamesThe first one is a set of boy & girl "Color-me" number posters which will help reinforce sequencing numbers and counting from 1-20.

The other FREEBIE is the "This is how we get ready!"  poster.  Reviewing these steps with my Y5s was a HUGE help in getting them independent.

Iwinter cothing games, winter clothing activities, winter worksheeets, writing prompts for January, activities to go with the story The Jacket I'll Wear in the Snow, color games, word gameshope you find them useful.  You may know that you don't put your boots on before your snow pants; or not to put your mittens on first or you won't be able to zip your jacket, but the "Littles" do not!

Although many valiantly try, only to waste more time taking things off and retrieving a stuck boot in a pant leg.  Some just stand there totally befuddled.  I hope you find the poster useful and have as much success as I've had with it. 

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

The only good thing about the rainy weather today, is that it will hopefully wash away all the dirty, ugly snow blobs left here and there.  I am so looking forward to spring and some much-needed, and energizing sunshine! Wishing you a fun-filled day.

"No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn." -Hal Borland

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Check out my educational Pinterest boards.

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

Dr. King used nonviolent protest and the power of words, as a weapon for social justice.

MLK activities, martin luther king activities, martin luther king crafts, MLK crafts, writing prompts for January, writing prompts for martin luther king day, word work for january, daily 5 for january, MLK vocabulary words, Martin Luther King vocabularyThe vocabulary associated with this period in history, involves all sorts of “big words”; without knowing these words, one cannot begin to understand the times or Martin's life.

To break it down for my kiddos, I read a variety of stories, so I designed the "Building Vocabulary and Making Connections With Martin Luther King Stories" packet.

I use Martin’s Big Words, by Doreen Rapport to introduce his life.  Ms Rappaport has taken the words of MLK and woven in her own, creating an easy-to-understand book for youngsters.

MLK activities, martin luther king activities, martin luther king crafts, MLK crafts, writing prompts for January, writing prompts for martin luther king day, word work for january, daily 5 for january, MLK vocabulary words, Martin Luther King vocabularyMy students also enjoy Dr. Seuss’s The Sneetches. It’s the perfect illustration of how unfair and ridiculous prejudice is.

What if the Zebra’s Lost Their Stripes is another favorite, as well as The Crayon Box that Talked, and Sesame Street’s We’re Different, We’re the Same. The packet includes a list of 24 other favorites.

Later, we discuss words like discrimination, prejudice, injustice, unfairness, race, diversity etc.
After reading the books, and referring to the stories, my students understand more clearing these difficult concepts

Our discussion takes us through connections that we can make with the stories and characters. (Text to Self, Text to Text, and Text to World)
MLK activities, martin luther king activities, martin luther king crafts, MLK crafts, writing prompts for January, writing prompts for martin luther king day, word work for january, daily 5 for january, MLK vocabulary words, Martin Luther King vocabularyI’ve included worksheets for this that can be done as a whole group, or individual activity.

Encourage students to use some of the “big words” you’ve discussed. I designed this word work packet to reinforce that new vocabulary. Pick and choose what’s appropriate for your kiddos.
The packet also includes: Worksheets, a word search, student-made dictionary, plus 63 trace & write word cards.

From Dr. King’s words, and our word work, we turn to their personal hopes and dreams for the future. They express things in their own words (big and small) through writing prompts and craftivities.  

MLK activities, martin luther king activities, martin luther king crafts, MLK crafts, writing prompts for January, writing prompts for martin luther king day, word work for january, daily 5 for january, MLK vocabulary words, Martin Luther King vocabularyThe "67 Martin Luther King Writing Prompts"   packet is loaded with ideas.  I truly believe that if you provide students with interesting and intriguing prompts, they’ll get excited and want to get right down to the business of writing.

To jump start their thoughts, I’ve included 2 Venn diagrams, which are a quick, easy and fun way to introduce comparison and contrast.
There’s also a set of four, thought-provoking, poster-like worksheets, as well as a list of 60 other writing prompts to choose from.

Because I find quotations very motivational, I often use them to provoke discussion, which leads to writing what the quote means and if you agree or disagree with it and why.
With this in mind, I’ve included a list of my 35 all-time favorite quotations by Dr. King.

MLK activities, martin luther king activities, martin luther king crafts, MLK crafts, writing prompts for January, writing prompts for martin luther king day, word work for january, daily 5 for january, number puzzles, skip counting activities, skip counting crafts, january bulletin board ideas, MLK vocabulary words, Martin Luther King vocabularyPrint a copy and pass it around. Students choose one or two to write about. You could also write one each day on the board. Students comment on it in their writing journals. 

Another quick, easy and fun thing you can do for Martin Luther King Day is an MLK number puzzle. 

If you'd like to mix math with literacy, have children color, cut and glue their puzzle to a sheet of construction paper, leaving a small gap in-between each piece to create a cool mosaic effect, then complete a writing prompt on the back. 

Punch a hole at the top and suspend from the ceiling. There are 31 puzzles to choose from.  They come in black and white as well as color, reinforcing sequencing numbers from 1-10, counting backwards from 10 to 1, plus skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s, and 10s. 

MLK activities, martin luther king activities, martin luther king crafts, MLK crafts, writing prompts for January, writing prompts for martin luther king day, word work for january, daily 5 for january, number puzzles, skip counting activities, skip counting crafts, january bulletin board ideas, MLK vocabulary words, Martin Luther King vocabularyToday's featured FREEBIE is an MLK crafty pinwheel prompt.

The results are awesome and look complicated, but are very simple.  Just follow my step-by-step picture tutorial.

I used black and white scrapbook paper, but a variety of color options would create vibrant results.  Punch a hole at the top, and suspend from the ceiling. 

If you missed yesterday's blog featuring lots more MLK writing prompt craftivities, simply scroll down.

MLK activities, martin luther king activities, martin luther king crafts, MLK crafts, writing prompts for January, writing prompts for martin luther king day, word work for january, daily 5 for january, number puzzles, skip counting activities, skip counting crafts, january bulletin board ideas, MLK vocabulary words, Martin Luther King vocabularyWell that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful MLK Day with your students next week. 

As for me, the wind is howling outside my window, whipping the dusty snow cover into swirling twirling patterns.  A good day to snuggle in and craft, a truly rewarding winter "sport".

"In crafting there are no mistakes.  Just unique creations." -Unknown

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

My kiddos absolutely LOVE snowflakes. The entire month of January, finds us in a flurry of snowflake-themed activities. I'm featuring two of our favorites today.

The snowflake word family craftivity packet, is a quick, easy and super-fun way to practice and review word families.

snowflake crafts, snowflake games, snowflake centers, snowflake activities, January word work, word family activities, January bulletin board ideas, writing prompt for January, 2D shape activitiesThe activities are great for a whole group, independent center or Daily 5 word work.

Completed projects make a simple, yet awesome winter bulletin board .

Put the two word work posters in the center, then scatter students’ snowflakes on a blue foil background (I use wrapping paper.)

The packet includes:

* 4 large snowflake templates
* 70 snowflake word family cards
* A list of the 70 word families, with 987 word examples!
* A word family sentence worksheet
* A word family bookmark, which students can use to write word family words on the back, plus . . .
* A cover to make a word family booklet 

snowflake crafts, snowflake games, snowflake centers, snowflake activities, January word work, word family activities, January bulletin board ideas, writing prompt for January, 2D shape activitiesAnother snowflake activity that I think your students will enjoy is the 2D snowflake shapes game. 

It's a quick, easy and fun snowflake matching game, with several ways to play.

Students can play independently as a center activity, or pick a partner and play a game. They match shape to shape card, shape card to shape card, shape to shape, or shape card to word card.

There's a "color the shape" spinner game as well. I often use these activities as an interesting and fun way to assess.

snowflake crafts, snowflake games, snowflake centers, snowflake activities, January word work, word family activities, January bulletin board ideas, writing prompt for January, 2D shape activitiesThe featured FREEBIE for today, also has a snowflake theme.

If you're looking for an awesome winter bulletin board or fun writing prompt that your kiddos will get excited about, then this "snow" special family snowflake craft's for you.

It's a quick, easy and fun "homework" assignment, which even PK kiddos can do with the help of their families.

Completed projects make a lovely bulletin board. Suspend a few from the ceiling above the board for that finishing touch. Caption:  "Brrrrr-illiant Work!"  

snowflake crafts, snowflake games, snowflake centers, snowflake activities, January word work, word family activities, January bulletin board ideas, writing prompt for January, 2D shape activitiesWell that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.

We have huge fluffy flakes gently falling outside my office window right now. PTL I don't have to shovel.  

Wishing you a warm and snuggly day!

"Advice is like snow-the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind." -Samuel Taylor Coleridge

 1-2-3 Come Do Some New Year "Craftivity" Resolutions With Me!

new year activities, hand print crafts, new year writing prompts, january writing prompts, new year resolution writing prompts, january bulletin boards, winter daily 5, daily 5 activitiesWhen 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. 

For a quick, easy and fun writing prompt, have your kiddos choose a partner, and take turns tracing each other's hand on the New Year's template.  Once done, they fill in the details: "I made these resolutions and I'm trying to keep them..."

This simple January writng prompt makes an interesting Daily 5 activity too.  Have students include the year (written on their fingers) and glue their school picture somewhere on the page.

Be sure and make a sample to show your class.  My Y5's always enjoyed learning about me.  I added a bit more pizzazz by gluing on flat-backed rhinestones to my "rings."

After students share, mount their work on a variety of colors of construction paper and sprinkle over a wintry-printed bulletin board. (I buy discounted Christmas wrapping paper with snowflakes for this purpose.)

Click on the link to view/download the High Five's For A Happy 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, For another New Year craftivity, I used Tagxedo, one of my favorite educational word art sites. 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" themselves "alphabetically".

Completed projects make a very interesting January bulletin board.  Click on the link for this great verb reinforcement tool and vocabulary builder.  New Year's Word Art Craftivities.

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, new year goals, new year resolution activities, january bulletin boards, january writing promptsAnother awesome bulletin board for January, features a  New Year's writing prompt as well.  Here, resolutions are viewed as goals.

Since basketball, soccer and football are all sports where players score goals, I thought it would be fun to have students write what their goals are for the New Year on the ball of their choice. I've included a poster that you can put in the center of your bulletin board as a caption. 

Besides the balls, there are also 2 writing prompt pages for journal writing, which includes one with a hockey theme.   Click on the link to grab the New Year Goals Packet. 

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, new year goals, new year resolution activities, january bulletin boards, january writing promptsFor another creative writing bulletin board and some 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 then creates a hilarious story. 

When everyone has completed the game, have students read their stories aloud, and enjoy all of the giggles, mount on construction paper, scatter on a few stars (suspend some from the ceiling) and you're done.  Click on the link for Fractured New Year fun. 

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, Finally, I’ve also designed a New Year's graphic organizer with some interesting writing prompts for students to complete. It also includes a box for their resolutions.

Children can draw a picture of themselves or glue a photo in 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, That's it for today.  I have quite a few finishing touches that I need to accomplish before I can finally rest and relax.

It's time to get some hustle bustle going, so once again I'm dashing.  Wishing you a productive and fun day.

"Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, it will be happier." -Alfred Lord Tennyson

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

happy new year activities, happy new year activities, new year activities, new year crafts, new year writing prompts, january writing prompts, january bulletin boards, january crafts, winter crafts, new year crafts for kids, As schools are coming to a close for a nice holiday break, I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a happy, healthy, safe and relaxing New Year.  I'm posting these popular New Year activities early, because if you're like me, I wanted to have my first day back, planned and run off before I left for a much-needed break.

I also didn't want to have to worry about putting up a bulletin board, so with that in mind, I designed some writing prompt "craftivities".  Completed projects make awesome bulletin boards or hallway displays.  (Easy-peasy and another thing checked off my list.)

Along with millions of others, we enjoy watching the Tournament of Roses Parade.  With that in mind, I made up 6 interesting writing prompts that you can give your students on the day they they return from break.  Quick, easy and fun, the "parade packet" fits in well for your writing block or  Daily 5

One prompt is specifically about the parade, and includes a Venn diagram comparing Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to the Tournament of Roses New Year's Parade.   Venn diagrams are a simple way for students to practice comparison and contrast writing.  The other 5 parade-prompts, are generic in nature, so children who don't watch those parades have other options.

Click on the link to view/download the New Year Parade Writing prompts. 

Another prompt, is a Happy New Year 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.   happy new year activities, happy new year activities, new year activities, new year crafts, new year writing prompts, january writing prompts, january bulletin boards, january crafts, winter crafts, new year crafts for kids, You can also have older students write a longer prompt on the back of their balloon.  

The photo shows last year's sample, but I've included two patterns with a blank for years (201____ as well as 202____) so that you can use this craftivity in years to come. 

For that finishing touch, tie on some curling ribbon & glue on a school photo. Completed projects look wonderful dangling bak-to-back from the ceiling, or scattered on a bulletin board.  Click on the link for the Happy New Year Writing-Prompt Craftivity to view/download it.

happy new year activities, happy new year activities, new year activities, new year crafts, new year writing prompts, january writing prompts, january bulletin boards, january crafts, winter crafts, new year crafts for kids, Another simple New Year craftivity that makes a great January bulletin board, is entitled "Past Present and Future." Students reflect on the prior year, jotting down memorable moments from that year, as well as their current activities, goals and hopes for the New Year. 

My sample is also from last year and from a high school student's perspective.  As with the other dated activity, I've included templates through 2024, so you can reuse this idea for awhile as well.  Mount them on a variety of colors of construction paper, scatter on a few snowflakes and you're bulletin board's done.  Click on the link for the New Year Past & Future writing prompt.

Finally, my personal favorite, is a January writing prompt that I call "More or Less."  It's a nice way to review this math symbol as well. 

happy new year activities, new year activities, new year writing prompts, new year puzzles, number puzzles, new year crafts, new year bulletin boards, january bulletin boards,  january writing prompts, winter bulletin boards, january bulletin boardsHave students brainstorm a list of things that they think they should do less of (watching TV, playing computer games, fighting with siblings ...) as well as a list of things that they think they should do more of (studying, reading, exercising etc.). 

happy new year activities, happy new year activities, new year activities, new year crafts, new year writing prompts, january writing prompts, january bulletin boards, january crafts, winter crafts, new year crafts for kids, Write these on the board to help with spelling.  Students return to their desk and write their own list on the pre-writing paper. 

When they are happy with their lists, they write complete sentences on the greater than and less than symbol pages. 

Have students color the symbols their favorite colors.  When they are done, students trim their papers. 

To turn this into a really interesting January bulletin board, have students trace their foot (with their shoe on).  Offer a variety of colors for students to choose from. 

They cut out their foot, glue on the "More or less I will try to put my best foot forward in the New Year" square, add a photo, name and the year.  Click on the link to view/download the More or Less New Year Writing Prompt packet.

happy new year activities, new year activities, new year writing prompts, new year puzzles, number puzzles, new year crafts, new year bulletin boards, january bulletin boards, new year glasses pattern, january writing prompts, winter bulletin boards, january bulletin boardsThat's it for today.  Thanks for visiting.  I hope you found a few things here that will help launch the New Year with enthusiasm for writing. 

I have a few last-minute things to get for tonight's special dinner, so I'm hitting the floor running.  Wishing you a stress-free day. 

"Remember to enjoy the doing of your "to do" list, and not just the accomplishment of getting it done."

4 pages.

Here are 4 different writing prompts for 100 Day, that are set up as graphic organizers to help students organize their thoughts.

9 pages.

This is a wonderful fine-motor craftivity for your kiddo's for MLK Day.  The results are simply lovely.  Cover the "Poetry Genre" standard by incorporating the Langston Hughes poem, and add a writing prompt of your own as well.

1-2-3 Come Do Some MKL Day Craftivities With Me

MLK Day craftivities, MLK Day writing prompts, langston huges activity, langston huges poem, martin luther king day writing promtps, martin luther king day crafts, activities for martin luther king day, peace themed activities, mlk day bulletin boards, writing prompts for January, pinwheel scrapbook pattern, how to make a pinwheel card,January bulletin boards, kids activities for martin luther king day I know a lot of my visitors, also enjoy scrapbooking, so I wanted to design an easy craftivity for MLK Day using the simple pinwheel design.  If you don't celebrate MLK Day, these make wonderful Valentine's Day cards too. 

I chose a black and white theme to symbolize racial conflict, but you could use whatever colors you like. Simply pre-cut 2 large black squares + a variety of light and dark contrasting scrapbook paper.  Each student needs 4 light patterned pieces and 4 dark.

MLK Day craftivities, MLK Day writing prompts, langston huges activity, langston huges poem, martin luther king day writing promtps, martin luther king day crafts, activities for martin luther king day, peace themed activities, mlk day bulletin boards, writing prompts for January, pinwheel scrapbook pattern, how to make a pinwheel card,January bulletin boards, kids activities for martin luther king day Using my photo tutorial, demonstrate how to glue the pieces down, so they look like a pinwheel.

MLK Day craftivities, MLK Day writing prompts, martin luther king day writing promtps, martin luther king day crafts, activities for martin luther king day, peace themed activities, mlk day bulletin boards, writing prompts for January, pinwheel scrapbook pattern, how to make a pinwheel card,January bulletin boards, kids activities for martin luther king day Add the white writing prompt square to the back, or have students think of their own.

If you need MLK writing prompt ideas, I have a list of 60 they can choose from.  

For more pizzazz, students can choose another set of 4 different patterned-squares and glue them to the back, providing a border under their prompt.  A school photo adds the finishing touch.  

MLK Day craftivities, MLK Day writing prompts, martin luther king day writing promtps, martin luther king day crafts, activities for martin luther king day, peace themed activities, mlk day bulletin boards, writing prompts for January, pinwheel scrapbook pattern, how to make a pinwheel card,January bulletin boards, kids activities for martin luther king day Punch a hole in the top point; make a yarn loop, and hang from the ceiling.   Click on the link to view/download the MLK Pinwheel Prompt Craftivity.

I have two more "danglers" to share with you today.  Since I had no problem filling up my monthly bulletin board, I needed some other ways to hang up my students' craftivities.  Because of this, I designed quite a few things that could "dangle" from the ceiling in the hallway. 

Both of these files were done before I had all of the software programs and fonts I use now, but I think you'll find the hand-drawn patterns easy to follow.

MLK Day craftivities, MLK Day writing prompts, langston huges activity, langston huges poem, martin luther king day writing promtps, martin luther king day crafts, activities for martin luther king day, peace themed activities, mlk day bulletin boards, writing prompts for January, pinwheel scrapbook pattern, how to make a pinwheel card,January bulletin boards, kids activities for martin luther king day A very simple dangler that my Y5's enjoyed making was the MLK Letter "I Have A Dream" one.  It was a nice way to review letters and provided much-needed cutting practice to strengthen hand muscles and improve dexterity.

Turn it into a more in-depth writing prompt for older kiddo's, by skipping the heart on the back, and giving them a longer writing prompt for them to record on the back.  Click on the link to view/download the MLK Letter Dangler.

MLK Day craftivities, MLK Day writing prompts, langston huges activity, langston huges poem, martin luther king day writing promtps, martin luther king day crafts, activities for martin luther king day, peace themed activities, mlk day bulletin boards, writing prompts for January, pinwheel scrapbook pattern, how to make a pinwheel card,January bulletin boards, kids activities for martin luther king day Finally, one of my personal favorites, was the "stained glass" dove of peace dangler.  

I pre- cut strips of colored construction paper. My Y5's snipped them into squares and glued them in whatever pattern they wanted.  More fine motor practice was achieved by having them accordion fold the dove's wings. 

MLK Day craftivities, MLK Day writing prompts, langston huges activity, langston huges poem, martin luther king day writing promtps, martin luther king day crafts, activities for martin luther king day, peace themed activities, mlk day bulletin boards, writing prompts for January, pinwheel scrapbook pattern, how to make a pinwheel card,January bulletin boards, kids activities for martin luther king day To incorporate a bit of poetry and cover the "genre" standard, I ran off the Langston Hughes poem.   Click on the link to check out the background of this outstanding and prolific poet. 

You could also turn this into a writing prompt and have the poem be the cover that flips open to reveal your students' thoughts about peace and how to achieve it.  Click on the link to view/download the Martin Luther King Dove Of Peace Poem Dangler.  

MLK Day craftivities, MLK Day writing prompts, langston huges activity, langston huges poem, martin luther king day writing promtps, martin luther king day crafts, activities for martin luther king day, peace themed activities, mlk day bulletin boards, writing prompts for January, pinwheel scrapbook pattern, how to make a pinwheel card,January bulletin boards, kids activities for martin luther king day Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. " -Martin Luther King Jr.

10 pages.

For an awesome, yet quick and easy MLK Day craftivity, have your students make this MLK Pinwheel Prompt

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