1-2-3 Come Get Ready For Winter Recess With Me

Do your little ones take "forever" to get dressed for recess or to go home? Do they put their mittens on, only to have to take them off, because they haven't zipped their jacket? Do they put their boots on first and then get their feet stuck inside their snowpants?

I found that if I put a poster up in the hallway that listed the articles of clothing that should be put on first, second and third etc. my Y5's not only got ready so much faster, but I had a teachable moment for them to learn about ordinal numbers. 

So children know the order of how to get dressed, show the poster and explain the order.  To help review the ordinal steps, ask children why they think putting on winter clothing in a specific order is important.  

I included the line about socks, because for some unknown reason, many of my little ones were peeling them off along with their shoes wasting more time.  Print off several posters and put them up in various locations in your hallway by your students' lockers. 

Wahla! No more wasted time taking stuff off and starting over again using up valuable recess time.  Before the helpful poster, many of my kiddos barely had time to play, because recess was only 15-minutes long, and they burned up most of those precious minutes getting ready to waddle out the door. 

Dressing quickly had another incentive.  I hung up a sticker chart of who got done the quickest.  The first three done, got snowflake stickers; 10-stickers meant a trip to the treasure box. 

This incentive was truly motivational and really got things moving quickly.  I don't think the sticker was as much of a big deal, as the fact that my Y5's were highly competitive and merely wanted to be the first one done and out on the playground.

If you'd like to try this, I've updated the file to include a chart.  Simply add your students' names, explain the concept, get some stickers, hang the chart and let the racing begin.

To reinforce the order of how to get dressed, as well as review ordinal numbers, I designed a worksheet where students match the article of clothing to the order it should be put on. 

For vocabulary building and word recognition, I've also included a worksheet where students label a boy or girl who is dressed to go outside.

So that you have samples to share with your kiddos, I've completed the two worksheets for you to use as anchor charts to easily explain what you want your students to do.

Another dilemma for my Y5's, was getting the correct boot on the appropriate foot.  I had a room helper cut silver Duct tape squares with me.

We stuck them on the right toe of everyone's right boot and taught students to put their right boot on FIRST. (The one with the silver square on it!) 

This was not only a terrific time saver, but helped save my sanity as well.  Click on the link to view/download the This Is How We Get Ready! winter poster packet.

I hope these items help your students get ready fast, so that they can get outside, get those wiggles out, and have a great recess; with the added benefit of learning from a less exhausted teacher.   

Thanks for visiting.  It's time to brave the minus windchill factor and take my poodle pup out.  All she needs is her leash; if only getting my grandchildren out with us were that simple.  Wishing you a fun-filled day.

"Perhaps the wind wails so in winter for the summer’s dead. And all sad sounds are nature’s funeral cries for what has been and is not." -George Eliot (Spanish Gypsy)