2D shape activities,

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

With all of the spooky goings on in October, I thought it would be a fitting time to study spiders; using that as a theme to practice a variety of standards. 

common core spiders, spider activities, spider crafts, non fiction spider activities, spider centers, spider writing prompts, graphing spiders, 2D shapesWith that in mind, I designed a "Speaking Of Spiders" packet, which provides a nice assortment of non-fiction spider activities and includes writing prompts, a mini-report, worksheets, a graph, plus a “flip the flap” craftivity.

common core spiders, spider activities, spider crafts, non fiction spider activities, spider centers, spider writing prompts, graphing spiders, 2D shapesI’ve included several pages of non-creepy spider facts.

Choose which ones are the most appropriate for your age group, then share them with your students.

common core spiders, spider activities, spider crafts, non fiction spider activities, spider centers, spider writing prompts, graphing spiders, 2D shapesAfterwards test their comprehension by asking them to complete a few fill-in-the-blank statements, or make up some “true or false” questions to answer orally, by simply referring to these fact pages.

Students also use this information to complete a variety of worksheets, some of which relate to knowing the difference between a fact and opinion. 

common core spiders, spider activities, spider crafts, non fiction spider activities, spider centers, spider writing prompts, graphing spiders, 2D shapesI’ve included black and white templates for students, as well as full color patterns, so that you can do some of these activities as a whole group, especially with younger children. 

The spiders "Can-Are-Have" flip the flap craftivity, is also an interesting way to check comprehension.

common core spiders, spider activities, spider crafts, non fiction spider activities, spider centers, spider writing prompts, graphing spiders, 2D shapesI've also included a one-page, graphic organizer that acts like a mini spider report.

common core spiders, spider activities, spider crafts, non fiction spider activities, spider centers, spider writing prompts, graphing spiders, 2D shapesThere's a KWL worksheet to introduce and end your spider lesson with, which can be done individually or as a whole group.

I've also included a fun writing prompt about tarantulas as pets, with a real photograph to grab attention, plus a spider webbed paper to write on. 

common core spiders, spider activities, spider crafts, non fiction spider activities, spider centers, spider writing prompts, graphing spiders, 2D shapesMany of the completed worksheets make a nice spider-themed bulletin board.

common core spiders, spider activities, spider crafts, non fiction spider activities, spider centers, spider writing prompts, graphing spiders, 2D shapesI also use a spider to practice 2D shapes. My Y5s have really enjoyed making "Inky" the 2D shape "spider slider". (He's very busy eating them.) 

I’ve included templates if you want to pre-cut the circles, as well as patterns you can run off to have students trim their own.

There are also eye patterns with and without pupils, so students can add wiggle eyes with glue dots for that extra bit of 3D pizzazz, or they can draw their own.

To reinforce the fact that a spider is an arachnid and not an insect, we count the 8 legs and I remind students that insects have 6.

Accordion-folding the "legs" is not only fun for your students, but a great fine motor activity that will help strengthen their finger and hand muscles. I think it also adds that “finishing touch”

common core spiders, spider games, spider centers, addition games, fall math games spider activities, spider crafts, non fiction spider activities, spider centers, spider writing prompts, graphing spiders, 2D shapesChoose the 2D shapes you want to review and print those sliders off. Children color, cut & glue the strips together.

The 2D shape options are the basic 5: circle, oval, triangle, square & rectangle, as well as options for a hexagon, pentagon, octagon, star, heart, trapezoid and rhombus.

There are sliders with the blank shapes, as well as patterns with a fly on each shape. My students like to pretend that the spider is slurping up the flies as we identify the various shapes.

The spider sliders also provide a quick, easy and fun way to whole group assess.

common core spiders, spider games, spider centers, addition games, fall math games spider activities, spider crafts, non fiction spider activities, spider centers, spider writing prompts, graphing spiders, 2D shapesFinally, my students practice math skills, with this quick, easy and fun spiderweb game. 

PK children pick a partner, then take turns rolling ONE dice. Whatever number they roll, is how many web "sections" they color in. 

Older students practice their addition skills, by rolling a pair of dice, writing and solving the equation on the worksheet, then coloring that many sections of their web. 

common core spiders, spider games, spider centers, addition games, fall math games spider activities, spider crafts, non fiction spider activities, spider centers, spider writing prompts, graphing spiders, 2D shapesFor an additional math extension, students "guess-timate" how many sections are in the web, then record their answer along with how they figured that out on the worksheet provided.

common core spiders, spider games, spider centers, addition games, fall math games spider activities, spider crafts, non fiction spider activities, spider centers, spider writing prompts, graphing spiders, 2D shapesCompleted projects make a nice bulletin board, as each web is colorfully different.

I've included a "We're Caught in the Web Of Learning!" poster for the center of your display. 

common core spiders, spider games, spider centers, addition games, fall math games spider activities, spider crafts, non fiction spider activities, spider centers, spider writing prompts, graphing spiders, 2D shapesToday's featured FREEBIE is a "Spin a Spider" 2D Shape Game.  Students take turns spinning.  Whatever shape they land on, they color or bingo dot the matching shaped spider on their web. 

 I've included a "match the spider shape to the shape word worksheet", which they can also complete using the spinner.  

A set of shapely spiders and their shape words are included in this packet, which you can use to make an Itty Bitty "trace & write" Spider Shape Booklet.

common core spiders, spider activities, spider crafts, non fiction spider activities, spider centers, spider writing prompts, graphing spiders, 2D shapesThat's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. Time to put on my "Nana hat" as my grandchildren are coming over this afternoon.

Wishing you a love-filled and snuggly day. 

"Grandchildren fill a place in your heart that you didn't even know was empty." -Unknown

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

Do you read Eric Carle's "The Very Busy Spider"?  It's one of my students' favorite spider stories.

spider activities, spider crafts, the very busy spider activities, correct the sentence, end punctuation activities, spider writing prompts, spider bulletin boards, I introduce the story, and grab my students' attention with this quick, easy and fun scissor activity. As my kiddos are gathered on the carpet waiting for me to start reading, I begin cutting out a spider.

spider activities, spider crafts, the very busy spider activities, correct the sentence, end punctuation activities, spider writing prompts, spider bulletin boards, Since it’s folded, you can’t easily tell what I’m cutting. Invariably a student will ask “What are you doing?” To which I reply I’m very busy cutting. Can you guess what I’m making?”

When I’m done, I slowly open the paper to reveal the very busy spider. After reading the story, I pick a name stick and give the spider to a child who was “very busy" listening.

After you’ve made your own, you can decide if this is an appropriate, whole group activity for your students. I've included a shaded pattern so it's easy to recognize what areas to cut out.  There's also a full-bodied "color me" spider for little ones.

spider activities, spider crafts, the very busy spider activities, correct the sentence, end punctuation activities, spider writing prompts, spider bulletin boards, You can also use this as a "topper" for a writing prompt. Remember to grab that teachable moment to discuss symmetry.

Completed projects look awesome glued to a square of brightly colored construction paper, then scattered on a bulletin board

spider activities, spider crafts, the very busy spider activities, correct the sentence, end punctuation activities, spider writing prompts, spider bulletin boards, spider activities, spider crafts, the very busy spider activities, correct the sentence, end punctuation activities, spider writing prompts, spider bulletin boards, I’ve included several “We’ve Been Very Busy” posters for the center of your display.

For a splash of 3D pizzazz, add some of those “pull apart” spider webs to each corner.  

spider activities, spider crafts, the very busy spider activities, correct the sentence, end punctuation activities, spider writing prompts, spider bulletin boards, After reading the story, we retell the tale together using the picture prompts on my "spider slider".  I have them guess which character they think comes next before I pull the picture through the “window”.

My students now know what’s expected of them, and are very excited to transition to making a "spider slider" of their own.

So that you can quickly and easily make an example, I’ve included a full-color slider pattern, as well as the black & white version for your students. 

spider activities, spider crafts, the very busy spider activities, correct the sentence, end punctuation activities, spider writing prompts, spider bulletin boards, There are two slider options.

A completed orb spider web, as well as a corner spider web with the very busy spider dangling as he weaves.

Children color the story characters on the “slider strip” then cut and glue it together.

spider activities, spider crafts, the very busy spider activities, correct the sentence, end punctuation activities, spider writing prompts, spider bulletin boards, As they pull on the end of the “slider” the various pictures go through the “web window”, so that children can take turns retelling the story to a partner or reading buddy, then take their spider slider home to share with their family, once again practicing these standards.

To assess comprehension, I’ve included a “sequence the story” worksheet, where students color and trim the picture “windows” then glue them in the correct order on the blank worksheet.

There's also a “Here’s What Happened…” writing prompt worksheet, as another way to check comprehension plus practice sequential writing, hopefully using a variety of ordinal numbers or other transitions. 

spider activities, spider crafts, the very busy spider activities, correct the sentence, end punctuation activities, spider writing prompts, spider bulletin boards, Another quick, easy and fun way to review the story, is with my 23, “Very Busy Spider” fix the sentence cards, which will also check comprehension and practice capitalization and end punctuation.

Read the cards together as a whole group to practice a lot of Dolch sight words.

Choose a student to come up and using a dry erase marker, circle letters that should be capitalized and then add end punctuation. (period, question mark & exclamation point).

For more practice, as an individual activity, have students choose X number of mini cards and rewrite the sentences correctly on the worksheet provided. 

spider activities, spider crafts, the very busy spider activities, correct the sentence, end punctuation activities, spider writing prompts, spider bulletin boards, I continue the "Very Busy Spider" theme for our Daily 5 writing block, where my kiddos contribute a page for our class-made book "The Very Busy Students and Their Spiders".

There’s a "trace & write" template for younger kiddos, as well as a pattern page for older students to fill in the blanks:
“My spider was very busy ___________. As for me, most of the time I’m busy _____________.”

Children complete the prompt and illustrate their page. You collect, collate and add the cover.

spider activities, spider crafts, the very busy spider activities, correct the sentence, end punctuation activities, spider writing prompts, spider bulletin boards, I’ve included a completed sample to help clarify what you want your students to do.

When you share the story with the class, each student can come up and read their page.

The parents really enjoy reading our class-made books during parent-teacher conferences

spider activities, spider crafts, the very busy spider activities, correct the sentence, end punctuation activities, spider writing prompts, spider bulletin boards, Today's featured FREEBIE is a glittering spider web craft.

I mixed Elmer's glue with white paint. A black construction paper circle is placed in a metal cake pan and a dollop of the paint-glue is put in the middle and a marble is placed on top. Students manuever the pan to "spin" a web. 

When they are happy with the results, they sprinkle opalescent or silver glitter on their creation, and can pick a plastic fly or spider to squish in the center.

spider activities, spider crafts, the very busy spider activities, correct the sentence, end punctuation activities, spider writing prompts, spider bulletin boards, I found some cute spider web stationery, so each child glued that on for a splash of color.  So you can do the same, I've included a colorful web with the poem on it. 

spider activities, spider crafts, the very busy spider activities, correct the sentence, end punctuation activities, spider writing prompts, spider bulletin boards, Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. It continues to be windy mixed with a misty rain; perfect weather to tackle my too long "to do" list. 

Wishing you a stress-free and productive day.

"When life gives you rainy days, wear cute boots and jump in the puddles." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Practice Shapes With Brown Bear And Me

2D shape activities, 2D shape crafts, 3D shape activities, 3D shape crafts, shape games, brown bear activities, brown bear crafts, back to school activitiesBrown Bear Brown Bear is one of my students' all-time favorite stories.

2D shape activities, 2D shape crafts, 3D shape activities, 3D shape crafts, shape games, brown bear activities, brown bear crafts, back to school activitiesWith that in mind, I designed a super-fun Brown Bear's Silly Nose packet.

It's chock full of cute, brown bear craftivities & games, which practice the following shapes: (3D) sphere, cone, cube & cylinder; plus (2D) circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, pentagon, octagon, rhombus, trapezoid, star, heart & crescent.

2D shape activities, 2D shape crafts, 3D shape activities, 3D shape crafts, shape games, brown bear activities, brown bear crafts, back to school activitiesThe packet includes:

* Pocket chart cards
* A large and small "Bear's Shapely Nose" slider craft, which is also a quick, easy & fun way to whole-group assess.

2D shape activities, 2D shape crafts, 3D shape activities, 3D shape crafts, shape games, brown bear activities, brown bear crafts, back to school activities* Whole-group graphing extensions
* Bookmark writing prompt
* 4 worksheets (graphing, attributes, spatial directions, shape words)

2D shape activities, 2D shape crafts, 3D shape activities, 2D shape posters, 3D shape posters, FREE shape posters, 3D shape crafts, shape games, brown bear activities, brown bear crafts, back to school activities* "Spin & Graph" game.
* "Roll & Color" dice game.

* 3 sets of "Memory Match" or "I Have; Who Has?" game cards.

2D shape activities, 2D shape crafts, 3D shape activities, 3D shape crafts, shape games, brown bear activities, brown bear crafts, back to school activities* "Pin the Nose on the Bear" game.
* "Brown Bear What Do You See?" whole-group chant activity, with different shaped noses, a poster & pocket chart chant cards. 

cov 2D shape poster packetI have two featured FREEBIES for you today. Both have a shape theme as well. 

2D shape activities, 2D shape crafts, 3D shape activities, 2D shape posters, 3D shape posters, FREE shape posters, 3D shape crafts, shape games, brown bear activities, brown bear crafts, back to school activitiesThe first one is a set of 2D shape posters. The 2nd is a matching set of 3D posters.  I hope you find them useful. 

2D shape activities, 2D shape crafts, 3D shape activities, 2D shape posters, 3D shape posters, FREE shape posters, 3D shape crafts, shape games, brown bear activities, brown bear crafts, back to school activitiesWell that's it for today. I imagine, like most of you, my summer is flying by, with still so much left to do. 

Wishing you a productive and fun-filled day; and hoping you have lots of relaxing moments.


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

Since the “Silly Shaped Lorax” and “Slick Shapely Chick” activities were such a huge hit, I decided to make “Funny Frogs”.

2D shape activities, shape games, shape crafts, shape bulletin boards, shape centers, frog crafts, frog activities, These cuties are a quick, easy and super-fun “print & go” craftivity, that will help review 2D shapes.

2D shape activities, shape games, shape crafts, shape bulletin boards, shape centers, frog crafts, frog activities, The packet includes playing cards with frog and lily pad graphics, which are shaped in the various 2D shapes: circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, pentagon, octagon, rhombus, trapezoid, heart, star & crescent.

I’ve also included cards with speckled lime green shapes, plus matching word cards, as well as shape cards with a fly on them.

Use the cards for one-to-one correspondence with little ones, or Memory Match & “I Have; Who Has?” games with older students.

As a math center activity, students can also use the cards to “feed” the appropriate-shaped frog head, by finding all of the matching cards, then placing them inside the frog's open "mouth".

2D shape activities, shape games, shape crafts, shape bulletin boards, shape centers, frog crafts, frog activities, I’ve also included a short “giggle” tale about Ferdinand the frog, and Princess Penelope who was turned into a fly!

I had so much fun writing it! 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 "test for comprehension" worksheet.

There are also 2D "tongue" patterns which feature a fly and the name of the shape.

2D shape activities, shape games, shape crafts, shape bulletin boards, shape centers, frog crafts, frog activities, Older students can also write their shape’s attributes here. 

For further reinforcement, I’ve included a few worksheets, plus a certificate of praise bookmark.

2D shape activities, shape games, shape crafts, shape bulletin boards, shape centers, frog crafts, frog activities, After sharing their frog, scatter completed projects on a blue (pond) background bulletin board.

You could also make some brown cattails to use for your border.

I’ve included 2 posters for the center of your display.

2D shape activities, shape games, shape crafts, shape bulletin boards, shape centers, frog crafts, frog activities, Since these silly shaped frogs have a big mouth, a cute story to read after making this craftivity, is “The Wide Mouth Frog” by Keith Faulkner. It’s one of my kiddos’ favorites.

2D shape activities, shape games, shape crafts, shape bulletin boards, shape centers, frog crafts, frog activities, Mother’s Day is just around the corner, so today's FREEBIE is a writing prompt craftivity entitled: A Rainbow of Love dangler.

Students write something on each colorful strip, of why their "mom colors their world with love."

2D shape activities, shape games, shape crafts, shape bulletin boards, shape centers, frog crafts, frog activities, Well that’s it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.

Wishing you a happy and blessed day.

“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” -Sydney J. Harris

1-2-3 Come Feed The Very Hungry Caterpillar With Me!

Because Eric Carle’s story, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” lends itself to “feeding” a caterpillar, I designed “Mr. Munch” as a quick, easy and super-fun way to review not just the story, but all sorts of standards!

caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, the very hungry caterpillar activities, 2D shape activities, alphabet cards, days of the week activities, Mother's Day activities, mothers day crafts“My caterpillar’s hungry. His name is Mr. Munch. He likes to eat all sorts of things, especially for lunch”. Is the poster poem I start the lesson with.

caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, the very hungry caterpillar activities, 2D shape activities, alphabet cards, days of the week activities, Mother's Day activities, mothers day craftsAfter reading the story, I pass out the life cycle of a butterfly cards, as well as the food cards to my students.

My Y5s absolutely love sequencing and retelling the story “feeding” Mr. Munch, as they drop the cards into his “mouth” in the appropriate order.

Simply attach the caterpillar pattern to the top of a Kleenex box, or large, ZipLock Baggie.

caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, the very hungry caterpillar activities, 2D shape activities, alphabet cards, days of the week activities, Mother's Day activities, mothers day craftsThere are 2 caterpillar head options, with 3 size choices.

I included a small, 4-on-a-page size, so students can make their own very hungry caterpillar, which they attach to a ZipLock Baggie.

This is an inexpensive and fun way for them to practice reading words to a classmate or reading buddy. 

Each time they play, run off a different set of word cards on a different color paper.

caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, the very hungry caterpillar activities, 2D shape activities, alphabet cards, days of the week activities, Mother's Day activities, mothers day craftsIn the end they’ll have a Baggie full of words that they can read, and a nifty activity to take home for more practice during the summer

They can also pull X amount of cards from their caterpillar’s “belly” to do the various “word-apillar” worksheets with.

caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, the very hungry caterpillar activities, 2D shape activities, alphabet cards, days of the week activities, Mother's Day activities, mothers day craftsIn addition to “feeding” the caterpillar, you can use the cards in a ton of other ways; as the versatility of the cards makes them adaptable for games, centers, and assessing.

I’ve included a tip list of ideas, including my students’ favorite “Kaboom” game, plus 15 worksheets”, which are perfect for Daily 5, table top lessons, a sub folder, early finishers, or homework.

Besides the cards that directly relate to the story (life cycle & food) I’ve also included:

caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, the very hungry caterpillar activities, 2D shape activities, alphabet cards, days of the week activities, Mother's Day activities, mothers day crafts* A set of days of the week cards
* 2D shape cards, with matching shape words, with 13 options.

caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, the very hungry caterpillar activities, 2D shape activities, alphabet cards, days of the week activities, Mother's Day activities, mothers day crafts* Time to the hour and half hour analog clock cards, with a blank set to program with additional times.

caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, the very hungry caterpillar activities, 2D shape activities, alphabet cards, days of the week activities, Mother's Day activities, mothers day crafts* Number word cards from 0-22
* Number cards from 0-140, with a blank set of caterpillar cards to program with more numbers, as well as an odd & even sorting mat.

* Math symbol cards(+ — = < > ), so children can make equations
* A set of ordinal number food cards

* Alphabet cards showing both upper & lowercase letters, as well as separate cards for each.
* Mini word cards for ALL of the Dolch word lists. Each set has its own graphic so they are easy to sort.

caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, the very hungry caterpillar activities, 2D shape activities, alphabet cards, days of the week activities, Mother's Day activities, mothers day crafts* 570 mini, long & short vowel word cards (60 on 1 page) with a sorting mat and sorting cup game.

* Word family cards for 22 word families, with blanks to program more. Plus…

caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, the very hungry caterpillar activities, 2D shape activities, alphabet cards, days of the week activities, Mother's Day activities, mothers day crafts* Butterfly color cards, with matching color words

*“The Caterpillar Creeps” game, plus ...
* Each set of cards comes with a matching “Itty Bitty” booklet.

It took almost a month of work to complete The Very Hungry Caterpillar packet!

However, I felt it was time well spent, as the versatility makes this something you can do throughout the year, hauling out your hungry caterpillar anytime you want to reinforce and practice all sorts of things. 

caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, the very hungry caterpillar activities, 2D shape activities, alphabet cards, days of the week activities, Mother's Day activities, mothers day craftsSince Mother's Day is just around the corner, today's FREEBIE is a quick, easy & fun Mother's Day "keepsake" craftivity made with a child's fingerprints.

Here's the poem that's part of the card:

"I've left some little fingerprints on just about every wall.  On furniture, doors and windows, I've really marked them all.  Here are some that won't rub off, to remember when I was small.  Because I'll love you forever, even when I'm big and tall."

caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, the very hungry caterpillar activities, 2D shape activities, alphabet cards, days of the week activities, Mother's Day activities, mothers day craftsWell that's it for today. I have an entire pile of weather activities I want to get done, so it's lucky the current weather is chilly and not providing a temptation to be outside playing in my garden.

Wishing you a stress-free day filled with everything you enjoy the most.

"A Mother's heart is the child's classroom." -Henry Ward Beecher

1-2-3 Come Do Some Spring Things With Me

During spring, it’s a good idea to once again assess things like colors, color words, and shapes

spring crafts, spring activities, bunny crafts, color games, spring writing prompts, flower crafts, Mother's Day cards, 2D shape activitiesWith that in mind, I designed the “Bunny Tails & Tales” packet as a super-fun way to practice, assess, or teach.

Add a bit of “crafty” to writing practice, and your students will be excited to show off their writing skills, with the “Bunny Tale” shape booklet.

bunny tale shape bookletThe cover flips up to reveal their bunny tale. Add a cotton ball for that finishing touch.

I’ve included my silly story about the “Magic Carrot”, so that you can easily make an example to share with your students.

Review thirteen, 2D shapes with the “Shapely Bunny” game.

bunny shape tail gameStudents match the appropriate shaped tail to the matching bunny with that shape word.

I used glue dots to add a mini, white pom pom to each piece.
This not only makes manipulating the tails easier, but the pinching aspect, is a great way to strengthen finger muscles.

If you’re making this center for PK, simply trace the tail shape onto the bunny, so they can practice one-to-one correspondence.

The packet includes patterns for these 2D shapes: circle, oval, triangle, rectangle, square, hexagon, octagon, pentagon, rhombus, trapezoid, star, heart and crescent. Choose those appropriate for your group.

color bunny matchaBesides writing and shapes, the packet also practices colors and color words.

I’ve included mini word cards for all of the basic colors, which are placed over the matching rectangle on that color bunny. Children then place the matching colored pom pom “tail” underneath.

kd bunny color gameThere are word cards in matching ink colors for little ones, as well as cards with black ink, so you can use this as an assessment tool as well. 

I wanted to see if you could do the games with a 3-year-old, so I tested them out on my grandson Kaiden, and he absolutely loved playing them.

When he got done matching the color words and pom poms he proudly exclaimed, "I did it!" 

He also enjoyed the shape matching game, so you're good to go with a preschool group.

PREVIEW Bunny Tail TalesFinally, the packet includes a sweet “just the right size” Itty Bitty Shape booklet.

Children read the shape word, write it on the bunny’s head, then draw that shape for a tail.

There’s a booklet with the standard 2D shapes, as well as optional pages for the rest.

When children have completed their booklet, graph which shaped tail they liked the best. 

Continuing with the bunny theme, I designed a packet called "The Shape Of My Bunny's Nose", which is a center activity, game and Itty Bitty booklet, that reinforces thirteen, 2D shapes.       

cover shape of my bunnys noseThe pattern comes in color on a full-page size, as well as a two-on-a-page size to use as a center activity.  I've also included shape word cards, so that older students can practice matching a shape to its shape word.

There's a smaller, 3-on-a-page size to use for games, where children pick a partner and play “Show me the shape.”  I’ve also included black & white patterns, so that children can make their own shape games.

screen shot preview bunny nose* To play the game as a large group, attach a soft Velcro dot to the nose section of the bunny, as well as the word section, then scratchy Velcro dots to the pieces.
* Pass out the pieces and call for a shape.
* The child holding that shape, comes up and attaches it. Everyone says the shape as the child points to the nose, then repeats it by reading the shape word as they point to it.

There’s also a black and white “My Bunny’s Nose” booklet, with options for additional pages which feature other shapes.

Children read the word and draw that shape on the bunny’s face, then color, trim and collate their shape booklet.

I’ve also included a graphing extension to practice another standard. 

cover 3d tulip craftFinally, since April showers bring May flowers, and Mother's Day is just around the corner, I designed this 3D tulip writing prompt craftivity.

PK kiddos can simply make the craft, while older students can choose from 2 writing promptsUse the blank pattern to program whatever.

tulip posterI've also done a "two lips" play-on-words, for a sweet Mother's Day card.

Cutting on a spiral to make the "stem", is wonderful fine motor practice. I've included a pattern for "lefties" as well.

Completed projects look wonderful suspended from the ceiling.  There's a "Spiraling Into Spring" poster for the center of your display. 

screen shot cover mustacheThe FREEBIE today, also reinforces colors and color words.

Since the "mustache craze" continues, I thought it would be fun to make an "I 'mustache' you about colors" game, with two versions, one for PK kiddos, plus another for older students.  

Well that's it for today.  The snow has finally melted here in Michigan, and although the sun is shining, temperatures are still in the 40s, so I'm looking forward to when spring truly arrives.  

Wishing you a stress-free, happy day.

"In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours." -Mark Twain

1-2-3 Come Chew On Some Common Core With the Very Hungry Caterpillar and Me

the very hungry caterpillar activities, the very hungry caterpillar crafts, graphic organizer for the very hungry caterpillar, the very hungry caterpillar bulletin board ideas, common core the very hungry caterpillar, alphabet activities, shape activities, 3D shape activities, 3D shape crafts, 2D shape activities, hexagon activities, pattern block activities, pattern block shape activities, skip counting activities, skip counting by 2's, skip counting by 3's, skip counting by 5's, skip counting by 10's, color word activities, color activities, color crafts, alphabet crafts, the life cycle of a butterfly activities, life cycle of a butterfly crafts Since so many people read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, I wanted to use Eric Carle's cute little critter as a spring board to studying a variety of Common Core Standards.

I created the caterpillar template and made a list of all sorts of ways I could use it, then set about to design the details.   You can choose which one you want your students to do, or give them a choice. 

Teachers could also make up their own set and laminate to use as anchor charts

Make several sets but don't glue the body-segment circles together, to use for independent, sequencing centers or to play games with.  

You could also use them to  independently or whole group assess the various standards.

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

I've also included a set where a bit of the butterfly's life cycle is also included with the letters. 

very hungry caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, spring bulletin board ideas, butterfly activities, butterfly crafts, 2D shape activities, 3D shape activities, alphabet crafts, skip counting activities, coin crafts, coin activities, telling time to the hour activities, spring word work, For example, for the letter  Zz, I added:  Zzzzzz sleeping in a chrysalis, and then included a butterfly pattern with the letters all over her wings to be cut and glued on the last section. 

Completed projects make a sweet spring bulletin board.  I've included a poster for the center of you display.

very hungry caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, spring bulletin board ideas, butterfly activities, butterfly crafts, 2D shape activities, 3D shape activities, alphabet crafts, skip counting activities, coin crafts, coin activities, telling time to the hour activities, spring word work, The packet also includes an alpha-pillar craftivity teachers can make, which features upper or lowercase letters, which actually look like the background pattern of Eric Carle's book! 

These make a wonderful  border, or puzzle center as well. 

very hungry caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, spring bulletin board ideas, butterfly activities, butterfly crafts, 2D shape activities, 3D shape activities, alphabet crafts, skip counting activities, coin crafts, coin activities, telling time to the hour activities, spring word work, very hungry caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, spring bulletin board ideas, butterfly activities, butterfly crafts, 2D shape activities, 3D shape activities, alphabet crafts, skip counting activities, coin crafts, coin activities, telling time to the hour activities, spring word work, There's also a set of uppercase, as well as lowercase (12-on-a-page) letter cards, with matching picture cards of things that begin with that letter, plus a set of word cards for those objects, which provides a variety of center activities and games. 

I also made a set of 2-on-a-page alphabet anchor charts, which feature the beginning letter object on the caterpillar's tail end. 

This packet makes a nice spring review, as I find that just because I've taught and practiced something with my kiddos at the beginning of the year, doesn't mean everyone retains everything later on.

very hungry caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, spring bulletin board ideas, butterfly activities, butterfly crafts, 2D shape activities, 3D shape activities, alphabet crafts, skip counting activities, coin crafts, coin activities, telling time to the hour activities, spring word work, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats a Rainbow, is a quick review of color words, plus days of the week, which follows the format of Carle's story line. 

There's a blank version, where older students think of something edible that color, then write it down and draw a picture of it, as well as a simpler version, where the black line graphics are on the page for children to color. 

I've also included a teacher's copy with full color graphics, so you can quickly make a sample to share. 

very hungry caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, spring bulletin board ideas, butterfly activities, butterfly crafts, 2D shape activities, 3D shape activities, alphabet crafts, skip counting activities, coin crafts, coin activities, telling time to the hour activities, spring word work, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats Some Numbers, is similar to the alphabet packet.

This caterpillar counts from zero to ten, where students trace and write the numbers as well as the number words

very hungry caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, spring bulletin board ideas, butterfly activities, butterfly crafts, 2D shape activities, 3D shape activities, alphabet crafts, skip counting activities, coin crafts, coin activities, telling time to the hour activities, spring word work, There are also caterpillar "body" circles for skip counting by 2s 3s, 5s, and 10s.

If you are practicing counting backwards from 10 to 0, simply have children put the caterpillar in reverse order. 

very hungry caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, spring bulletin board ideas, butterfly activities, butterfly crafts, 2D shape activities, 3D shape activities, alphabet crafts, skip counting activities, coin crafts, coin activities, telling time to the hour activities, spring word work, I've also included a "You Can Count On The Very Hungry Caterpillar" craft for teachers to make, just like the alphabet one mentioned above.

very hungry caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, spring bulletin board ideas, butterfly activities, butterfly crafts, 2D shape activities, 3D shape activities, alphabet crafts, skip counting activities, coin crafts, coin activities, telling time to the hour activities, spring word work, As with the alphabet packet, there are posters, anchor charts, games and a worksheet.

In all of the packets there are 4 patterns for the caterpillar's head, plus a variety of options for butterflies.

very hungry caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, spring bulletin board ideas, butterfly activities, butterfly crafts, 2D shape activities, 3D shape activities, alphabet crafts, skip counting activities, coin crafts, coin activities, telling time to the hour activities, spring word work, Since I have many requests for shape craftivities, particulary 3D shapes, I thought I'd make The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats 2D & 3D Shapes, which reviews: the circle, oval, triangle, square, rectangle, rhombus, trapezoid, star, heart & crescent, plus 3D shapes: cone, sphere, cylinder & cube.

very hungry caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, spring bulletin board ideas, butterfly activities, butterfly crafts, 2D shape activities, 3D shape activities, alphabet crafts, skip counting activities, coin crafts, coin activities, telling time to the hour activities, spring word work, There are various options to choose from. Simply choose which "body segments" are appropriate for your students.

Older students can write the attributes of each shape on the back. One of the options also practices the days of the week.

very hungry caterpillar activities, caterpillar crafts, spring bulletin board ideas, butterfly activities, butterfly crafts, 2D shape activities, 3D shape activities, alphabet crafts, skip counting activities, coin crafts, coin activities, telling time to the hour activities, spring word work, On the last day the caterpillar rests in his chrysalis, then awakens as a beautiful 3 dimensional butterfly with the various shapes on its wings.   

very hungry caterpillar activities, coin activities, telling time to the hour and half hour, telling time activities, caterpillar crafts, spring bulletin board ideas, butterfly activities, butterfly crafts, 2D shape activities, 3D shape activities, alphabet crafts, skip counting activities, coin crafts, coin activities, telling time to the hour activities, spring word work, Since telling time is also a standard, I made a "clock-apillar" which reinforces time to the hour and half hour

Use as a whole-group craftivity, game, center or assessment tool.

very hungry caterpillar activities, coin activities, telling time to the hour and half hour, telling time activities, caterpillar crafts, spring bulletin board ideas, butterfly activities, butterfly crafts, 2D shape activities, 3D shape activities, alphabet crafts, skip counting activities, coin crafts, coin activities, telling time to the hour activities, spring word work, Like wise, we are also studying coins at this time, so I made a "coin-apillar" too.

These caterpillars feature a penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar and dollar coins.

very hungry caterpillar activities, coin activities, telling time to the hour and half hour, telling time activities, caterpillar crafts, spring bulletin board ideas, butterfly activities, butterfly crafts, 2D shape activities, 3D shape activities, alphabet crafts, skip counting activities, coin crafts, coin activities, telling time to the hour activities, spring word work, The packet also includes "What's the Value?" caterpillar-coin worksheets.  

Finally, if you want to practice reading with a very hungry caterpillar, your kiddos will enjoy making the versatile "Word-apillar".

I use this craftivity as a super-fun way to build vocabulary and practice whatever “word work” I want to reinforce: Dolch & Fry sight words, word-family words, seasonal words, whatever...

I’ve included a list of 31 “word work” ideas, along with ideas for games you can play after you choose your words.  

Whew! That's a lot of Very Hungry Caterpillar options!  I hope they help your kiddo-caterpillars blossom into smart little butterlies! 

keepsake craft for mothers day, shoe print butterfliesToday's FREEBIE also features a butterfly.

It's one of my personal favorite spring craftivities, which makes a wonderful keepsake for mom, as the wings of the butterfly are a child's shoe print.

Do this with your butterfly activities, then tuck it away for Mother's Day.

Click on the link for the "Fluttering By With A Mother's Day "Hi" craft.

The very hungry caterpillar activities, the very hungry caterpillar crafts, money activities, coin activities, emergent readers, graphic organizers, story elements for the very hungry caterpillar, caterpillar activities, caterpillar craftsThanks for visiting. I normally don't post on weekends, but I finished so many things up over spring break that I wanted to share. 

Wishing you a relaxing and fun-tastic weekend.  

"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." -John Dewey

1-2-3 Come Do Some Dr. Seuss Activities With Me    

 Seuss is on the loose and I'm celebrating with some super-fun Seuss-themed activities. Today's blog features some of my favorite ways to practice standards using a Seuss hat.

seuss activities, seuss crafts, seuss centers, seuss games, free seuss, cat in the hat activities, cat in the hat games, cat in the hat centers, cat in the hat crafts, seuss bulletin boards, seuss writing prompts, writing prompts for March, word family activities, 2D shape activities, shapes in real life activities, 3D shape activities, shape booklet, telling time to the hour and half hour activitiesFirst up, word families. The "Stackin' Up Word Families With A Seuss Hat" packet includes 39 word families! Not surprisingly, a lot of these words appear in Dr. Seuss’s stories!

Simply choose the word families that your students are working on.  

Use them for a bulletin board display, your word wall, centers, games, assessing and worksheets

seuss activities, seuss crafts, seuss centers, seuss games, free seuss, cat in the hat activities, cat in the hat games, cat in the hat centers, cat in the hat crafts, seuss bulletin boards, seuss writing prompts, writing prompts for March, word family activities, 2D shape activities, shapes in real life activities, 3D shape activities, shape booklet, telling time to the hour and half hour activitiesNext up are the "Flipping Over 2D and 3D Shapes!" emergent reader booklets.   

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

seuss activities, seuss crafts, seuss centers, seuss games, free seuss, cat in the hat activities, cat in the hat games, cat in the hat centers, cat in the hat crafts, seuss bulletin boards, seuss writing prompts, writing prompts for March, word family activities, 2D shape activities, shapes in real life activities, 3D shape activities, shape booklet, telling time to the hour and half hour activitiesThey trace and write shape words, then trace, color and draw the various shapes.

Gluing the top square to their cat’s hat, then snipping on the lines, creates a "flip the flap" booklet.

I really think it’s important for students to not only be able to identify the various shapes, but pick them out in real life and give examples

With that in mind, I designed both booklets with graphics of real life things.

When everyone is done, read the booklets together as a whole group, to reinforce concepts of print.

I specifically used lots of Dolch word pronouns for more teachable moments. I’ve also included a graphing extension.

seuss activities, seuss crafts, seuss centers, seuss games, free seuss, cat in the hat activities, cat in the hat games, cat in the hat centers, cat in the hat crafts, seuss bulletin boards, seuss writing prompts, writing prompts for March, word family activities, 2D shape activities, shapes in real life activities, 3D shape activities, shape booklet, telling time to the hour and half hour activitiesFinally, I created some Seuss-hat, telling analog & digital time to the hour and half hour activities for the "It's Time For Seuss!" packet.

There are dice games, worksheets, an anchor chart, cat clock craftivity, clothespin clip game, sequencing time "Speed" game, pocket chart digital & analog time cards to the hour and half hour, an Itty Bitty Time booklet, praise certificates and an assessment!    

seuss activities, seuss crafts, seuss centers, seuss games, free seuss, cat in the hat activities, cat in the hat games, cat in the hat centers, cat in the hat crafts, seuss bulletin boards, seuss writing prompts, writing prompts for March, word family activities, 2D shape activities, shapes in real life activities, 3D shape activities, shape booklet, telling time to the hour and half hour activitiesThe featured FREEBIE today is a Seuss hat writing prompt with a "Seussism" quote poster

Use the poster to introduce the lesson, then display it in the center of your bulletin board display, surrounded by your students' completed hats. 

Simply run off the template. Students write the things that they enjoyed doing the most during their day at school, writing something on each stripe of the cat's hat.

They write their name in the oval on the bottom.  Add a school photo for that finishing touch.

Since a lot of teachers decorate with Seuss for back-to-school,  I’ve also included a template for that special first day.  

seuss activities, seuss crafts, seuss centers, seuss games, free seuss, cat in the hat activities, cat in the hat games, cat in the hat centers, cat in the hat crafts, seuss bulletin boards, seuss writing prompts, writing prompts for March, word family activities, 2D shape activities, shapes in real life activities, 3D shape activities, shape booklet, telling time to the hour and half hour activitiesWell that's it for today. Time to get busy with Horton and Green Eggs & Ham stuff!  

Wishing you a non-crazy, carefree day!

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go!" -Dr. Seuss

1-2-3 Come Do Some Dr. Seuss Lorax Activities With Me   

Ever since the movie came out, my students absolutely love the Lorax. He's such a cute little fluff ball, and the inspiration behind my "Shapin' Up With The Lorax" packet.   

Seuss activities, seuss crafts, seuss centers, seuss games, 2D shape activities 3D shape activities, shape games, shape crafts, shape activities, telling time to the hour activities, Lorax activities, telling time to the hour gamesThis craftivity is quick, easy & super-fun and includes a variety of game options.

There's also an emergent reader, which practices capitalization and end punctuation as it reviews shapes.

I’ve provided 2D shapes (circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, pentagon, octagon, trapezoid, rhombus, heart, star & crescent), as well as the four, 3D ones: cone, cube, cylinder andsphere. 

Make a set to use for a bulletin board display.

Seuss activities, seuss crafts, seuss centers, seuss games, 2D shape activities 3D shape activities, shape games, shape crafts, shape activities, telling time to the hour activities, Lorax activities, telling time to the hour gamesMake an extra set; cut them in half, and use as puzzles for an independent math center and an interesting way to review symmetry.

Seuss activities, seuss crafts, seuss centers, seuss games, 2D shape activities 3D shape activities, shape games, shape crafts, shape activities, telling time to the hour activities, Lorax activities, telling time to the hour gamesPlay 4-Corner FREEZE; a game that practices a variety of life skills, like listening and following directions, as well as the 2D/3D shape vocabulary, plus recognition, and counting backwards from 10 to 0.

My kiddos absolutely LOVE this game. Easy-peasy for me, and only takes a few minutes, so it’s perfect for the end of the day. I’ve included directions in the packet.

Seuss activities, seuss crafts, seuss centers, seuss games, 2D shape activities 3D shape activities, shape games, shape crafts, shape activities, telling time to the hour activities, Lorax activities, telling time to the hour gamesYou can also use the Lorax shapes as big flashcards. Hold one up. Children call out what shape it is, along with its attributes, like the number of vertices.

Play “Who’s Missing?” Display a set on the wall. After children leave, take one away. In the morning, children guess which one is missing.

Seuss activities, seuss crafts, seuss centers, seuss games, 2D shape activities 3D shape activities, shape games, shape crafts, shape activities, telling time to the hour activities, Lorax activities, telling time to the hour gamesI’ve also included a 2-on-a-one-page template, so children can pick their favorite shape and create their own Lorax.

There are 2 mustache options: “I ‘mustache’ you a question. What shape am I?” is written on one, the other is blank.

For a cute keepsake idea, students can use their hand prints as the mustache, and add accordion-folded legs and arms. (Super fine motor practice!)

Have older students write attributes on the back. 

Next up is a Telling Time With The Lorax Game, which practices analog and digital time to the hour.

There are several ways to use the packet.  Seuss activities, seuss crafts, seuss centers, seuss games, 2D shape activities 3D shape activities, shape games, shape crafts, shape activities, telling time to the hour activities, Lorax activities, analog and digital time activities, telling time to the hour gamesMake a large Lorax teacher’s clock to use as a whole-group assessment tool. 

You can also have children make their own, mini (4-on-a-page pattern) Lorax clock, to whole group assess in another way.

Ask children to show you 11:00 or whatever time. Sitting at their desk/table, they manipulate their paperclips to display that time.
You walk around the room making sure children have the correct time.

Seuss activities, seuss crafts, seuss centers, seuss games, 2D shape activities 3D shape activities, shape games, shape crafts, shape activities, telling time to the hour activities, Lorax activities, analog and digital time activities, telling time to the hour gamesAnother option: Instead of using paperclips, children can use a dry erase marker to draw hands on their clock, to show you the time, then erase it with a tissue.

The “clocks” can also be used as spinners to play the “It’s Truffula Tree Time!” game.

To use for a math center activity, laminate the full-size truffula trees, and medium-size spinners, and attach a large paperclip with a brass brad.

Using a dry erase marker, children play with a partner, spinning the paperclip to see what time they will trace on the truffula tree trunk.

Seuss activities, seuss crafts, seuss centers, seuss games, 2D shape activities 3D shape activities, shape games, shape crafts, shape activities, telling time to the hour activities, Lorax activities, analog and digital time activities, telling time to the hour gamesThe winner of the game, is the first one to fill in all of the times, or who has the most times traced when the timer rings.

So that children practice numbering a clock, I’ve also included mini-blank clocks without numbers. 

When students spin, they not only trace the time on their truffula tree, they also write that number on their mini clock worksheet.

I’ve included 2-on-a page templates of the game, so that you can play this as a whole group activity too. 

Children can play with a partner or in a group of 3-5.  Each student makes their own truffula tree, has their own blank clock, and shares the spinner. 

Today's FREEBIE also features Seuss's Lorax.  It's a super-cute writing prompt. Making a mustache to launch a writing prompt, is an interesting and "Suessical" way of doing things. I think your students will enjoy it.

Lorax writing prompt craft covFor an adorable bulletin board, take everyone's photograph wearing their mustache and put it next to their writing.  Your bulletin board title could be the same question you are asking: "We mustache you, would you save a truffula tree?" 

Flank the board on either side, with 2 colorful truffula trees, made out of strips of neon-colored tissue paper, and rolled up green bulletin board paper for the trunk. Stripe it with brightly colored boarder.

Seuss activities, seuss crafts, seuss centers, seuss games, 2D shape activities 3D shape activities, shape games, shape crafts, shape activities, telling time to the hour activities, Lorax activities, telling time to the hour gamesWell that's it for today.  I can't believe spring is just around the corner, as it's bitter cold today and the bleak view out my window is still snow covered! 

Wishing you a wonderful week!

"Life is like a mustache.  It can be wonderful or terrible, but it always tickles!" -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

Page 2 of 4