1-2-3 Come Do A Super-Fun Writing Prompt With Me
There's never enough time to get in all of the wonderful "Getting to know you" activities we do for back to school, so I do at least one each month.
My kiddos LOVE sharing about themselves, so they really enjoy this type of writing. Plus, it's fun to continue to learn more about our classmates.
With this in mind, I designed "Me!" A Fall-Themed Writing Prompt packet.
All you have to do to get excited about this "craftivity", is make a sample of your own, to see how much fun this is!
An added bonus is that completed projects make an easy bulletin board you can keep up for months! Woo hoo. Caption: "Fall Into Writing!"
Plus, this activity is so versatile, it can be done by PK kiddos with one-word answers, all the way up through 5th grade!
Have older students write 3-4 things in each section.
You can also encourage the use of adjectives too.
There are 7, autumn-shapes to choose from: an apple, 2 pumpkins, 3 leaves and an acorn.
Because they are all fall pictures, you can give students a choice for an eclectic bulletin board display.
Just pumpkins in a patch, leaves and acorns blowing in the wind, or apples on a tree or in a big basket look terrific too.
If you choose the pumpkin pattern without a leaf, have children trace their hand on green construction paper, trim and add to the top for a "keepsake" leaf.
I've also included blank templates, so you can dream up your own writing prompts.
Do in class, or send home as a homework assignment that your kiddos will really want to do!
For that finishing touch, add a school photo. I also have my students choose 2 or 3 colors, so we can practice an AB-AB or ABC-ABC pattern, which really makes their completed writing prompt stand out.
Click on the link to pop on over to my TpT shop to have a look see at this 20-pager: "Me!" Fall Writing Promt Craftivity packet.
While there, I'd so appreciate it if you'd follow me. That way you'll know when I post FREEBIES, Diane's Dollar Deals, new stuff or have a sale.
I know it sounds silly, but I really get excited seeing that number grow. I'm anxious to reach 700 followers. Whenever I achieve a milestone, I create a special freebie that will hopefully knock-your-socks off!
Speaking of FREEBIES, today's featured free item is a 15-page leaf-themed math worksheet packet. Reinforce numbers, sequencing, skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s & 10s. Plus, there are "What's Missing?" worksheets, and some for counting to 120. Click on the link to grab a copy.
Well that's it for today. It's a chilly morning, but no frost on the pumpkins yet (PTL).
I am so not ready for winter-weather during fall. Wishing you a warm and snuggly kind of day.
"How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of life and color are their last days." -John Burroughs
1-2-3 Come Do Some Awesome Autumn Craftivities With Me!
To help motivate my Y5's to get down to business, stay focused and complete their morning table top lessons, I'd often offer a simple & quick craftivity that they could transition to, when they were done, or if I spied them quietly working. The textured acorn is perfect for this.
Here's How:
Use the acorns as a border on your bulletin board that displays student work. Your caption can be: “We’re simply nuts about...” and then fill in whatever you’re studying. Click on the link to view/download the scent-sational acorn craftivities.
Another sweet-smelling craftivity I call the pumpkin pie pomander. Simply cut a paper plate into 1/8ths.
For a quick and interesting review of fractions, do this in front of your kiddo's to demonstrate how fractions are formed, by first cutting the plate in 1/2 then in 1/4ths and finally into 1/8ths. I've included a set of fraction pies for even more reinforcement.
Punch a hole in the corner and tie a yarn or ribbon loop. Call quiet students up to the painting center. They paint their slice of pie with light brown paint. While the paint is still wet, help them sprinkle on ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Shake off excess. When it dries students can glue the little poem to the back. I've also done this as a whole group activity.
You can skip painting and simply have children color the edge of their "crust" with a light brown or tan marker or crayon. Instead of using paint, students brush Elmer's glue onto the bottom portion of the pie using a Q tip.
Remind students that they just want to make their pie sticky and not sloppy with glue puddles. Have a mixture of cinnamon-clove powder sprinkled on 8" paper plates (1 per table). Students carefully place the wet side down onto the powder and press. Click on the link to view/download the Pumpkin Pie Pomander craftivity.
Finally, since the Thankful Tree was such a popular download, I thought I'd make another option called the Thankful Wreath.
I've included a variety of leaf templates + an acorn. Prior to the activity, brainstorm with children about the things they are thankful for. Write them on the board so students have help with spelling.
There are several ways to make the wreath: Children flip over a paper plate and glue the poem in the middle.
They select 8 leaves that you have run off on a variety of fall-colored construction paper. Older students can cut their own leaves, but I'd pre-cut for pre-K's to expedite things. If you want them to have some cutting practice, have them trim the elm leaf.
Children write something they are thankful for on each leaf. Before they glue, have them arrange the leaves in a circle around the poem. When they are satisfied with the appearance, they glue the leaves to the wreath. In the picture I used two oak leaves to make a "bow" and put an acorn in the middle with a child's photo glued to it.
The other way you can make the wreath is to skip the poem and cut the center of the plate out. As I was making samples, I liked a thinner circle so that the white didn't show through, but you still had enough "base" to glue things on, so I cut quite a bit of the ribbing off as well.
After students have written on the leaves, they rub glue all over the wreath and then press their leaves on.
My Y5's absolutely loved anything with glitter, so I thought that some "sparkles" would help add the "wow" factor they so enjoyed.
Completed projects make a lovely bulletin board, or hang them back-to-back from the ceiling in the hallway. Click on the link to view/download the Thankful Wreath patterns.
Thanks for visiting today. Feel free to PIN away. I blog and design daily, so I hope you can stop by tomorrow for the newest FREEBIES.
"Without Thy sunshine and Thy rain, we could not have the golden grain. Without Thy love we'd not be fed. We thank Thee for our daily bread." -Unknown.