back to school ideas,

 1-2-3 Come Make Some 1st Day Of School Gifts With Me

icebreakers, back to school, back to school gifts, back to school treats, water activities, water poems, words for water, adjective activities,Throughout my many years of teaching, I made all sorts of cute little gifts and treat bags for my students.  I especially wanted to have a little surprise to delight them on that first day.  

Because I had two classes of Young Fives, which usually added up to 40 students, I was always on the look out for something that was quick and easy, but also rather inexpensive.

ideas for the first day of school, gift ideas for students, back to school gift ideas, inexpensive back to school gifts, first day activities, back to school writing promtps, water facts, water bottle labels, the value of drinking water, the importance of hydrating kids, water facts, water poster, One of the things I gave my kiddos every year, was a mini bottle of water.  I made labels with their names on them and stuck them to the front, and to make sure they stayed intact, I put a clear piece of contact paper over them. 

As a great fine motor skill, I let students decorate their bottle with stickers.  Because I think keeping children hydrated is extremely important, I allowed them to keep their bottles on their desks for those often hot, first few weeks of school. 

We'd rinse them out at the end of the day and then fill them up.  I had a tiny refrigerator in my room and we'd set them inside. First thing in the morning, I put them back on the tables.  This could be a room-helper job if you wanted, as it’s a great way to help children learn to read each other's names.

spilled water, ideas for the first day of school, gift ideas for students, back to school gift ideas, inexpensive back to school gifts, first day activities, back to school writing promtps, water facts, water bottle labels, the value of drinking water, the importance of hydrating kids, water facts, water poster, If you're wondering about spills, I only had one mishap in the 10 years I taught young fives.   I paid a bit more, to have the caps that didn't have to be unscrewed. 

They had the "pull up" things to sip out of, where you shoved the cap back down.  No taking caps on and off, and if they forgot to push it back down, only a little water trickled out if they tipped over.  At the beginning of the year I simply told my students not to remove the caps, and if they misused their water bottle, they would lose the privilege of having one.  No one ever lost the privilege! 

And even if I would have had some problems, the good of keeping students hydrated, far out weighs the worry about spilling (unless of course they're sitting at a computer.)  If you teach little ones, you know what a time drain it is getting everyone lined up and down the hall to get drinks throughout the day.

icebreakers, back to school, back to school gifts, back to school treats, water activities, water poems, words for water, adjective activities,The need for water can hardly be overstated.  I did a few hours of research on the wonders of water.  "You don't slosh when you walk, or gurgle when you talk, but most of you is water." (60-70% depending on the source you're reading.) 

I read all sorts of studies, and articles about articles; the gist of it all, is that water has been proven to be extremely beneficial, "So don't say no to H2O!"

If you're interested in how beneficial, you can read the summary of my findings, which is included in the packet; like research showing that dehydration can affect mood and make people grumpy and confused.  If drinking water helps my kiddos think more clearly and be less cranky, then bottoms up! 

The bottom line here is that if we do something as simple as giving our students access to drinking water throughout the day, we help them avoid fatigue, headaches, irritability, confusion, dizziness, inability to concentrate and make decisions,  and a myriad of other maladies that a simple sip helps deter.

smiling kids, water bottle icebreakers, icebreakers for back to school, icebreaker ideas, first day icebreakers, ideas for the first day of school, gift ideas for students, back to school gift ideas, inexpensive back to school gifts, first day activities, back to school writing promtps, water facts, water bottle labels, the value of drinking water, the importance of hydrating kids, water facts, water poster, When the body is functioning at its best, students will feel better, which translates into happy campers. Let’s face it, if our students are content and focused, things run smoothly and teachers are happier as well. 

One study even showed that students who were offered water three to four times throughout the day had a boost in brain power.  Another, saw a dramatic decrease in challenging classroom behavior!  Woo hoo for water... 

All that smiling has its own benefits: "When you smile, neuropeptides are released throughout the brain that send messages to your body. Some of these feel-good neuropeptides are dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. They help your body relax, lower your heart rate and blood pressure, plus give you an energized happy feeling!"

smiling kids, water bottle icebreakers, icebreakers for back to school, icebreaker ideas, first day icebreakers, ideas for the first day of school, gift ideas for students, back to school gift ideas, inexpensive back to school gifts, first day activities, back to school writing promtps, water facts, water bottle labels, the value of drinking water, the importance of hydrating kids, water poems, 125 words that describe water, water facts, water poster, Enough said on the merits of giving your kiddos this beneficial gift. I’ve covered the “sense” of it, now here’s the dollar part.  This is such an inexpensive gift! 

You can get a case of forty 16.9 oz bottles of water (Members Mark) from Sam's Club, for only $3.98.  That's less than 10 cents a bottle!  What else can you get a child for only ten cents?

smiling kids, water bottle icebreakers, icebreakers for back to school, icebreaker ideas, first day icebreakers, ideas for the first day of school, gift ideas for students, back to school gift ideas, inexpensive back to school gifts, first day activities, back to school writing promtps, water facts, water bottle labels, the value of drinking water, the importance of hydrating kids, I cant spell success without u, water facts, water poster, If you'd like to jazz up your bottles, take the labels off.  They are not glued on, and fall off as soon as you cut them in half.   Run off my "labels" on a variety of different colors of copy paper. The first line says: "I can't spell success without u."

Cut the "labels" out (but don't trim the left and right edges, as they fit around a water bottle perfectly.) A simple piece of tape keeps them snuggly in place. 

smiling kids, water bottle icebreakers, icebreakers for back to school, icebreaker ideas, first day icebreakers, ideas for the first day of school, gift ideas for students, back to school gift ideas, inexpensive back to school gifts, first day activities, back to school writing promtps, water facts, water bottle labels, the value of drinking water, the importance of hydrating kids, water poems, 125 words that describe water, water facts, water poster, Besides the generic one above, I have 3 others to choose from.  If you visit often, you know I LOVE goofing around with word play.  I substituted the word WATER for "What are" and came up with a few interesting questions. 

Thus the water bottles are not only a refreshing gift, they are an icebreaker as well.  Choose whichever question you like best, or give your students a choice, by the water bottle that they pick. Go around the room having everyone share their answer.

I personally like "'Water' you thinking you'd like to be when you grow up?" as it's super simple and students can answer with just a few words. 

To incorporate some writing, you could have older students write "Water" their goals, or "Water" the things they want to learn, and use those labels on their water bottles.  My husband gave me that "you've got to be kidding" look, when I excitedly shared my “water” word play with him.  (Heavy) sigh...

I hope I'm not the only one who thinks this is sort of cute.  Your students may roll their eyes as well, but it's all in the name of hydrating fun and getting to know one another.  Click on the link to view/download the Water Bottle Packet.

smiling kids, water bottle icebreakers, icebreakers for back to school, icebreaker ideas, first day icebreakers, ideas for the first day of school, gift ideas for students, back to school gift ideas, inexpensive back to school gifts, first day activities, back to school writing promtps, water facts, water bottle labels, the value of drinking water, the importance of hydrating kids, water poems, 125 words that describe water, water facts, water poster, If the "water" sharing and writing don't fit the bill, I also putzed with some picture poetry and came up with a water drop poem. 

I made a large one to use as an example and anchor chart, as well as a small one (5 on a page) that you can run off on blue construction paper, trim and attach to older students' water bottles. 

After reading mine, and/or a sample of your own, challenge students to write their own water drop poem. 

smiling kids, water bottle icebreakers, icebreakers for back to school, icebreaker ideas, first day icebreakers, ideas for the first day of school, gift ideas for students, back to school gift ideas, inexpensive back to school gifts, first day activities, back to school writing promtps, water facts, water bottle labels, the value of drinking water, the importance of hydrating kids, water poems, 125 words that describe water, water facts, water poster, Since using “describing words” is a standard, and helps improve student writing, I also made up an alphabetical list of 125 words that describe water. 

As a whole-group activity, brainstorm a list of your own, and then have students alphabetize the list, or challenge them to come up with their own, awarding a prize of some sort to the one who thinks up the most appropriate answers. 

Can you top my list of 125?  Afterwards, you can share mine.  If you think of more, I'd really enjoy hearing from you.  dianehen@teachwithme.com or post a comment below. 

Click on the link to view/download the Water Bottle Gift packet

smiling kids, water bottle icebreakers, icebreakers for back to school, icebreaker ideas, first day icebreakers, ideas for the first day of school, gift ideas for students, back to school gift ideas, inexpensive back to school gifts, first day activities, back to school writing promtps, water facts, water bottle labels, the value of drinking water, the importance of hydrating kids, water poems, 125 words that describe water, water facts, water poster, Well that's it for today.  I sure learned a few interesting tid-bits about water consumption and hope you did too. 

All this thinking, typing, and looking at tantaliizing pictures of icy-cold water, has made me thirsty, which is a sign that I'm already dehydrated!  So let's drink chug-a-lug!

1-2-3 Come Play I Spy With Me

You can show a child or tell a child, where something is and hopefully they’ll remember.   Taking into consideration their short attention spans and roving thoughts, young children may look like they’re listening, but in reality they’re somewhere else. 

back to school activities, ideas for the 1st week of school, back to school games, back to school scavenger hunts, scavenger hunt ideas, school scavenger hunts, first day of school activities, first week of school activities, icebreakers, However, if you involve them, with some sort of hands-on activity, chances are you'll not only have their attention, but the information will be solidified.

Put yourself in a 4-year-old's place.  It's warm, you're tired and some big person is droning on showing you where "stuff" is.  Yawn.... Instead:  "How would you like to become detectives and go around the room spying stuff?"   Yippee! A game; movement to get the wiggles out.  Wahoo!

back to school activities, ideas for the 1st week of school, back to school games, back to school scavenger hunts, scavenger hunt ideas, school scavenger hunts, first day of school activities, first week of school activities, icebreakers, With this in mind, I designed a sort of scavenger hunt for the important things in your classroom.  It's a quick, easy and fun little "find it now, before you really need to..." activity.  

 I tried to think of the things that were important for my Y5's to know where they were located and then searched for clip art to make a map of sorts. 

So that you can clarify things, show the paper to your students and point to the pictures asking "What's this?"  Hearing the vocabulary will also help any ESL students that you might have.  Explain what you want them to do (find the things and zap them with an X, or color them.) 

Pass out the papers and turn them loose.  I had a class set of clipboards that made students feel especially official and important.  You can buy them at The Dollar Store; they are well worth the investment.  I used them for read & write the room, science data collection, games, and interview writing, to name just a few ways I incorporated them.

If you are NOT lucky enough to have a bathroom and sink in your room, take your kiddos down the hall to your restrooms, to complete the activity and have a potty break at the same time. 

back to school activities, ideas for the 1st week of school, back to school games, back to school scavenger hunts, scavenger hunt ideas, school scavenger hunts, first day of school activities, first week of school activities, icebreakers, Click on the link to view/download the "I Spy Important Classroom Stuff" scavenger hunt activity. Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away. 

I spy my classroom.jpgI hope you found something here to make your life a bit easier.  Be sure and pop by tomorrow for another back-to-school FREEBIE. 

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone!" -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Stack Apples With Me!

I like to combine a variety of skills and standards into one lesson, that way I'm covering quite a bit in a short amount of time.  The "Apples Up on Top" Name Activity involves math, reading, science and writing, plus completed projects make an adorable back-to-school bulletin board!

Apple activities, Activities for Apples Up On Top, Apples up on top lessons, apple crafts, apple bulletin boards, common core apples, back to school ideas, Dr. Seuss books, back to school bulletin boards, apple graphing, Dr. Seuss activities, Dr. Seuss ideas, Dr. Seuss bulletin boards, name activities, back to school icebreakers, graphing activities,For example, if you run off the apple printable on yellow, red and green construction paper, students can learn the science fact, that apples can be 3 different colors. You can also teach students an ABCABC pattern. I've included a graphing extension to cover that concept as well.

Click on the link to view/download the Apples Up On Top Name Activity.

To further reinforce lessons, whenever I read a story, some sort of activity followed. Dr. Seuss' (Theo. LeSieg's) book, Apples Up On Top is a wonderful first week of school book, as we are in full swing studying apples. After reading the story, ask your students who the main animal characters are.  Run off the template that is appropriate for you, and have students choose one to color.

Apple activities, Activities for Apples Up On Top, Apples up on top lessons, apple crafts, apple bulletin boards, common core apples, back to school ideas, Dr. Seuss books, back to school bulletin boards, apple graphing, Dr. Seuss activities, Dr. Seuss ideas, Dr. Seuss bulletin boards, name activities, back to school icebreakers, graphing activities,Print off the apples of your choice (plain red, numbered red, plain black & white, numbered black & white) for your students to (color), copy and glue "up on top" of their animal.  When everyone is done, count to 10 forwards as well as backwards. There's also a graphing extension to see how many students chose a specific animal.

The printable can also be used as a dice game for older students. They choose a partner and take turns rolling first one die, for numbers 1-6, and then add a second die, enabling them to roll numbers 7-10, when they add the 2 together. 

I've included numbered strips for this game.  The numbered strips are also good for preschoolers who are not able to sequence yet.  This is great 1-to-1 correspondence for them. 

Click on the link to view/download the Apples Up On Top With Animals Activity.

Apple activities, Activities for Apples Up On Top, Apples up on top lessons, apple crafts, apple bulletin boards, common core apples, back to school ideas, Dr. Seuss books, back to school bulletin boards, apple graphing, Dr. Seuss activities, Dr. Seuss ideas, Dr. Seuss bulletin boards, name activities, back to school icebreakers, graphing activities,Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  If you'd like to see all of the other awesome educational FREEBIES that I PIN, click on the "Follow Me!" heart to the right to check out my boards.

"You give but little when you give of your possessions.  It is when you give of yourself that you truly give." -Kahlil Gibran

1-2-3 Come Make A 1st Day Of School Treat With Me

I know some of you have already started back to school (The Charter across the street from me went back the 5th!!!) but here in Michigan and Wisconsin our public school kiddo's (gratefully!) don't start til the Tuesday after Labor Day!  Wa Hoo for that decision. 

camp read away, camping activities, glow bracelets, back to school ideas, back to school treats, treat bags for school, ideas for the 1st day of school, back to school ideas, reading ideas, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin boards, bulletin board ideas for back to school So my brain is still "full-speed-ahead" designing some quick, easy and inexpensive treats for the 1st day of school.  My Y5's LOVED glow bracelets.  I gave them one during our Camp Read-Away activities, when they read in the dark with flashlights, while sitting comfy in tents.  If their tent was quiet, they received a "glowing report" and bracelet. (Click on the link to read all about it.)

I've seen all sorts of wonderful "bright" ideas on Pinterest (My current drug of choice...who needs caffeine when you have Pinterest!) So I thought I'd throw in a few of my own, to add to the collection.  The best place to go for glow bracelets is The Dollar Tree.  They sell 15 in a pack, so for 2 bucks you're good to go, unless of course you have more than 30 punkins in your class, in which case, stop off and buy yourself a sympathy card from me, or better yet a bottle of wine!

camp read away, camping activities, glow bracelets, back to school ideas, back to school treats, treat bags for school, ideas for the 1st day of school, back to school ideas, reading ideas, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin boards, bulletin board ideas for back to school Click on the link to view/download "Come Glow and Grow With Us!"  freebie.

camp read away, camping activities, glow bracelets, back to school ideas, back to school treats, treat bags for school, ideas for the 1st day of school, back to school ideas, reading ideas, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin boards, bulletin board ideas for back to school I have a Bright Ideas Behavior Modification packet using light bulbs.

camp read away, camping activities, glow bracelets, back to school ideas, back to school treats, treat bags for school, ideas for the 1st day of school, back to school ideas, reading ideas, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin boards, bulletin board ideas for back to school I designed that because I wanted my students to have brilliant ideas, shine, as well as have all those light bulbs turning on, when they finally grasped a concept.  I thought I'd continue that theme and made a BTS bulletin board, with a matching bookmark. Click on the "Wishing a bright student a glowing year" packet to view/download it.

camp read away, camping activities, glow bracelets, back to school ideas, back to school treats, treat bags for school, ideas for the 1st day of school, back to school ideas, reading ideas, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin boards, bulletin board ideas for back to school Finally, to "Wel-gum" my Y5's to school, I gave all my kiddo's a piece of bubble gum after we went over our rules.  "We CHEWS to follow the rules and regs of our room." They could chomp and chew 'til the flavor was gone, while they finished up work, and then I passed a brown bag around to deposit the gum, lest we lose it later.

When I went to check out gum at the grocery store, I came upon Extra. Of course that got my wheels turning to wish students an "Extra special school year."  You don't need to give them an entire pack, just tape on a stick of gum. Click on the link for the "Wel-gum packet."  Click on this link for the Extra gum tag freebie.

If you've missed the latest back to school goodies and want to see more, click on the link and pop on over to that section and scroll away.  I'm wishing all of my visitors the best year yet.

camp read away, camping activities, glow bracelets, back to school ideas, back to school treats, treat bags for school, ideas for the 1st day of school, back to school ideas, reading ideas, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin boards, bulletin board ideas for back to school Thanks for stopping by.  As always, feel free to PIN anything you think others might find helpful.  My "Pin it" button is at the top.  If you'd like to see all the awesome educational ideas I PIN away my day doing, (so you don't have to) simply click on the "Follow me" heart to the right.

"The next best thing to knowing something, is knowing where to find it." -Samuel Johnson  (Hopefully you did, at TeachWithMe!!!!)

1-2-3 Come Make A Back To School Bulletin Board With Me!

http://content.mycutegraphics.com/graphics/schoolhouse/school-kids-schoolhouse.pngI like using cute little fish to make a Welcome To Our School bulletin board, as the word "school" has that double meaning.  I designed a back to school fish packet incorporating interesting "fish talk" that I think you'll enjoy, starting with this bulletin board idea:

Here's what to do: Run off the fish printable on a variety of colors of construction paper. You can pre-cut these and write your students’ names on them and have your b. board all done, so children can look for their name, as part of a classroom treasure hunt; or you can allow students to pick their fish, trim it and write their name on it.  It would probably be fun for them to also choose a spot to place it on the bulletin board.

back to school bulletin boards, ideas for the 1st day of school, back to school activities,  back to school ideas, icebreakers for school, icebreakers, treats for the 1st day, treat bags for school, gifts for kids for 1st day of school, open house gifts, o-fish-ally in kindergarten, fish activities, fish crafts, fishy cracker treat bags, free back to school bookmarks, Popsicle treats for the 1st day, Back-To-SchoolUse blue paper for the background.  If you want to add a bit of dimension, lay blue plastic wrap over the top.  You can buy a pack of small seashells at The Dollar store or Hobby Lobby.  Hot glue a few, so they look scattered, on strips of sandpaper, then staple the “sand” to the bottom of your board.

Twist green crepe paper into “seaweed” and staple to the bottom. Sprinkle on the fish, add some aluminum foil- bubbles and you’re set.  To make the board even more personal, take a group photo on the first day of school, print and cut faces into ovals and glue on top of their fish fin.

back to school bulletin boards, ideas for the 1st day of school, back to school activities,  back to school ideas, icebreakers for school, icebreakers, treats for the 1st day, treat bags for school, gifts for kids for 1st day of school, open house gifts, o-fish-ally in kindergarten, fish activities, fish crafts, fishy cracker treat bags, free back to school bookmarks, Popsicle treats for the 1st day, Back-To-SchoolI can't take credit for the adorable play-on-words for "o-fish-ally" as I latched on to that, after viewing quite a few ideas on Pinterest. There's everything  from o-fish-ally on summer vacation, o-fish-ally survived 1st, o-fish-ally in school, to an 0-fish-al graduate.  I did come up with "fin-tastic" though, and decided to incorporate these sweet sayings with treat ideas, in a back to school fish packet.

back to school bulletin boards, ideas for the 1st day of school, back to school activities,  back to school ideas, icebreakers for school, icebreakers, treats for the 1st day, treat bags for school, gifts for kids for 1st day of school, open house gifts, o-fish-ally in kindergarten, fish activities, fish crafts, fishy cracker treat bags, Popsicle treats for the 1st day, Back-To-SchoolSo...if you want to carry the bulletin board theme a bit farther, with a little "welcome" surprise, print off the "Wishing you a cool school year" template on a variety of colors of construction paper.  Using an Exacto knife, cut slits on the lines and insert a liquid Popsicle.   I've also made a matching bookmark, as I tend to be a little "over the top" when it comes to the first day.

back to school bulletin boards, ideas for the 1st day of school, back to school activities,  back to school ideas, icebreakers for school, icebreakers, treats for the 1st day, treat bags for school, gifts for kids for 1st day of school, open house gifts, o-fish-ally in kindergarten, fish activities, fish crafts, fishy cracker treat bags, Popsicle treats for the 1st day, Back-To-SchoolIf you'd rather not mess with Popsicles, you can use the bookmark as a header for a Snack Baggie filled with Fishy Crackers.  I've also made a fish template as well, that you can run off on construction paper.

Click on the link to view/download the Welcome to our School fish packet.

back to school bulletin boards, ideas for the 1st day of school, back to school activities,  back to school ideas, icebreakers for school, icebreakers, treats for the 1st day, treat bags for school, gifts for kids for 1st day of school, open house gifts, o-fish-ally in kindergarten, fish activities, fish crafts, fishy cracker treat bags, Popsicle treats for the 1st day, Back-To-SchoolThanks for visiting.  As always, feel free to PIN anything you think others might enjoy.  My "Pin it" button is at the top. If you'd like to checkout all the cute educational stuff, that I spend way too much time pinning, simply click my "Follow me" heart to the right.

"Some students drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle." -E.C. McKenzie

1-2-3 Come Decorate And Hang Up Some Posters With Me!

Has anyone else out there lost an entire morning on Pinterest?  I swear their new pop up windows with suggestions of other boards is rather addicting.  I kept saying: "You are only going to PIN and putz around here for an hour!" Well it's 3 hours later, and the "just one more peek" has certainly gotten me away from my "to do" list, that I now have no desire to do.

free posters, free classroom posters, posters as writing prompts, teacher gifts, 1st day of school ideas, cool quotes,The good news is that I stumbled upon some wonderful quote boards.  I LOVE a quote that makes you laugh, nod in agreement, or come away with a wonderful bit of advice to reflect upon.

I chose a few favorites and turned them into posters, suitable for the classroom.  Hang 1 in your closet that will make you smile, when you go in there to sniffle, to remind you of why you became a teacher, as we've all had one of those days.  Print off some extra's and tuck them in the mailboxes of your teacher friends, as a sweet surprise on the 1st day of school.

The "I've got sunshine on a cloudy day!" poster is a great one for all of the above. My Girl, by the Temptations, is a personal favorite.  I thought I'd give the poster a unique twist by adding: "I teach!" after the lyrics.  I believe that all great teachers truly LOVE kids.  Children have a way of stealing your heart and leaving footprints there. Their empathy, sense of adventure, and wide-eyed wonder, can't help but bring sunshine to your life.  Their boundless energy, and enthusiasm can be contageous if let it. 

Click on the above link to view/download this "hope it makes you smile" poster.

free posters, free classroom posters, posters as writing prompts, teacher gifts, 1st day of school ideas, cool quotes,I also like to use posters as little life-lessons; pearls of wisdom that can become writing prompts.  The poster "Remember you don't need a certain number of friends..." is a great springboard.  Do you agree with the poster? Why or why not?  How is this good advice?  The "Put yourself in their place" poster, is a nice "make you think" poster.  What does this quote mean?  Would putting yourself in another's place help you understand them better?

free posters, free classroom posters, posters as writing prompts, teacher gifts, 1st day of school ideas, cool quotes,Click on the above links to view/download these posters.  If you missed the latest new ones I posted, click on this link to zip to the Anchor Charts & Posters section I have over 100!  I hope you find just the right one to add some sunshine to your day.

free posters, free classroom posters, posters as writing prompts, teacher gifts, 1st day of school ideas, cool quotes,Thanks for visiting. Feel free to PIN anything you think others might find useful.  My "Pin it" button is at the top.  If you'd like to see all the wonderful educational things I PIN, simply click on the "Follow me" heart to the right.  Be sure and set a timer so your morning doesn't fly by!

"So many PINS, so little time!" and "Thank you Pinterest for helping me feel so creative, even though I've just been sitting at my computer for hours!"

 

1-2-3 Come Make Some Back To School Things With Me

As I stated before, I know we all just got out of school, and the summer has barely begun, but somehow, June as usual, has simply flown by.  For a lack of anything better to write about throughout the summer, I decided to design some more back to school items. 

Hopefully when you've recovered from the past year, and are starting to get excited about school stuff, you'll find this blog article featuring a few goodies to make for your new students. 

back to school ideas, back to school activities, pencil themed activities, back to school bookmarks, back to school treats, back to school treat bags, first day of school activities, first day of school gifts, first day of school ideas, student gifts, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin board ideas, bulletin boards for back to school, free bookmarks, free posters, If you're looking for something easy and inexpensive and an alternative to candy, I think you'll enjoy the Pencil Packet.

Since large office supply stores and retailers will be decorated to the hilt in the middle of July, with back to school stuff; offering wonderful loss leaders, you can usually find a pack of 20 to 40 pencils for only a dollar.

back to school ideas, back to school activities, pencil themed activities, back to school bookmarks, back to school treats, back to school treat bags, first day of school activities, first day of school gifts, first day of school ideas, student gifts, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin board ideas, bulletin boards for back to school, free bookmarks, free posters, Choose either a pencil tag in color back to school ideas, back to school activities, pencil themed activities, back to school bookmarks, back to school treats, back to school treat bags, first day of school activities, first day of school gifts, first day of school ideas, student gifts, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin board ideas, bulletin boards for back to school, free bookmarks, free posters, or the black and white tag and run off on yellow construction paper.  Punch a hole in the top and tie to a pencil and you're done! 

If you want a bit more, inlclude a few goofy erasers that you can buy packages of at The Dollar Store, or attach to a notebook that Target and others sell for just 15 cents at this time.

back to school ideas, back to school activities, pencil themed activities, back to school bookmarks, back to school treats, back to school treat bags, first day of school activities, first day of school gifts, first day of school ideas, student gifts, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin board ideas, bulletin boards for back to school, free bookmarks, free posters, You can also print off the cute bookmarks and place both on your students' desks for a special "Welcome to school" surprise.

back to school ideas, back to school activities, pencil themed activities, back to school bookmarks, back to school treats, back to school treat bags, first day of school activities, first day of school gifts, first day of school ideas, student gifts, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin board ideas, bulletin boards for back to school, free bookmarks, free posters,

To keep the theme going, print the large pencil on card stock and hang on your doorknob.   I've included two on a page so you can hang them on the front and back of your door, or put one up above your pencil sharpener.

back to school ideas, back to school activities, pencil themed activities, back to school bookmarks, back to school treats, back to school treat bags, first day of school activities, first day of school gifts, first day of school ideas, student gifts, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin board ideas, bulletin boards for back to school, free bookmarks, free posters, For a sweet back to school bulletin board, print off the pencil template, make an extra copy of your students' 1st day of school photos; trim and glue to the center of the pencil and write their name on the top.

Scatter them on your b. board with a school-themed boarder.  Using a piece of cloth or burlap as your background, adds a nice touch. Your caption: Mr(s). _______________'s sharp new bunch of students.

back to school ideas, back to school activities, pencil themed activities, back to school bookmarks, back to school treats, back to school treat bags, first day of school activities, first day of school gifts, first day of school ideas, student gifts, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin board ideas, bulletin boards for back to school, free bookmarks, free posters, Finally, there are 2 student roster posters. You can fill in your students' names, or pass the other one around, for everyone to sign.

Click on the link to view/download the Back To School Pencil Packet.

Thanks for visiting today.  Here's hoping this coming year is filled with your sharpest students ever!

back to school ideas, back to school activities, pencil themed activities, back to school bookmarks, back to school treats, back to school treat bags, first day of school activities, first day of school gifts, first day of school ideas, student gifts, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin board ideas, bulletin boards for back to school, free bookmarks, free posters, Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find useful.  My "Pin It" button is at the top.  If you'd like to see all of the awesome things I PIN, click on the "follow me" pink heart to the right.

"An education is not received, it is achieved." -Unknown

1-2-3 Make Some Back To School Treats With Me!

back to school ideas, back to school activities, back to school treats, treat bags for back to school, treat bags, ideas for the 1st day of school, starburst treats, gummy bear treats, gummi bear treats,first day of school activities, first day of school ideas, I enjoy browsing Pinterest to help trigger ideas.  A big thank you to all of those creative geniuses out there who make the time to share.

back to school ideas, back to school activities, back to school treats, treat bags for back to school, treat bags, ideas for the 1st day of school, first day of school activities, first day of school ideas, I especially think that a "play on words" is really cute.  I've used some favorites that have been Pinned in a variety of ways, and added my own twist, for some sweet back to school treats.

Click on any of the bolded links to zoom there.  Here's hoping they help you have a wonderful time getting ready for back to school!

As a special way of saying Welcome; I like leaving a little surprise on my students' desks on the first day of school.

The "I hope you have a 'bear-y' special school year", features Gummy Bears. You can buy individual packages, or bulk and make your own Snack Baggies.

This star treat features Starburst candy. I put 3 on a star, but 1 also works just fine. If you don't want students eating candy in school, simply have them tuck it in their backpack, or distribute them at the end of the day.

cov cerealMini boxes of cereal make a nice snack. Students can munch it dry, or save for home and enjoy with milk. "Cereal-ously" is a stretch for "Seriously" but it works.

back to school ideas, back to school activities, back to school treats, treat bags for back to school, treat bags, ideas for the 1st day of school, starburst treats, gummy bear treats, gummi bear treats,first day of school activities, first day of school ideas, For a really inexpensive and simple treat, there's nothing like a refreshing Popsicle at the end of a warm day.

Simply have your students choose a flavor at the start of school, freeze in your cafeteria fridge and take out for a sweet snack before your kiddo's leave.

back to school ideas, back to school activities, back to school treats, treat bags for back to school, treat bags, ideas for the 1st day of school, starburst treats, gummy bear treats, gummi bear treats,first day of school activities, s'mores, smores, first day of school ideas, Finally, S'mores are a real hit.  Children can eat separately right out of the Baggie, or have them assemble, place as many as 5 on a paper plate and zap in the microwave for 7-12 seconds, depending on your micro.

These are just a few of my newest back to school treats.  For more ideas click on the link.

back to school ideas, back to school activities, back to school treats, treat bags for back to school, treat bags, ideas for the 1st day of school, starburst treats, gummy bear treats, gummi bear treats,first day of school activities, first day of school ideas, Thanks for visiting. As always, feel free to PIN anything you think others might enjoy.  My "Pin it" button is at the top. 

If you want to see all of the truly amazing things I PIN, simply click on the pink "Follow Me" heart button to the right.

"An educated person is one who can entertain a new idea, entertain another person, and entertain himself." -Sydney Herbert Wood

1-2-3 Make Some Back To School Treats With Me!

back to school ideas, back to school activities, back to school treats, treat bags for back to school, treat bags, ideas for the 1st day of school, starburst treats, gummy bear treats, gummi bear treats,first day of school activities, first day of school ideas, I enjoy browsing Pinterest to help trigger ideas.  A big thank you to all of those creative geniuses out there who make the time to share.

back to school ideas, back to school activities, back to school treats, treat bags for back to school, treat bags, ideas for the 1st day of school, first day of school activities, first day of school ideas, I especially think that a "play on words" is really cute.  I've used some favorites that have been Pinned in a variety of ways, and added my own twist, for some sweet back to school treats.

Click on any of the bolded links to zoom there.  Here's hoping they help you have a wonderful time getting ready for back to school!

As a special way of saying Welcome; I like leaving a little surprise on my students' desks on the first day of school.

The "I hope you have a 'bear-y' special school year", features Gummy Bears. You can buy individual packages, or bulk and make your own Snack Baggies.

This star treat features Starburst candy. I put 3 on a star, but 1 also works just fine. If you don't want students eating candy in school, simply have them tuck it in their backpack, or distribute them at the end of the day.

cov cerealMini boxes of cereal make a nice snack. Students can munch it dry, or save for home and enjoy with milk. "Cereal-ously" is a stretch for "Seriously" but it works.

back to school ideas, back to school activities, back to school treats, treat bags for back to school, treat bags, ideas for the 1st day of school, starburst treats, gummy bear treats, gummi bear treats,first day of school activities, first day of school ideas, For a really inexpensive and simple treat, there's nothing like a refreshing Popsicle at the end of a warm day.

Simply have your students choose a flavor at the start of school, freeze in your cafeteria fridge and take out for a sweet snack before your kiddo's leave.

back to school ideas, back to school activities, back to school treats, treat bags for back to school, treat bags, ideas for the 1st day of school, starburst treats, gummy bear treats, gummi bear treats,first day of school activities, s'mores, smores, first day of school ideas, Finally, S'mores are a real hit.  Children can eat separately right out of the Baggie, or have them assemble, place as many as 5 on a paper plate and zap in the microwave for 7-12 seconds, depending on your micro.

These are just a few of my newest back to school treats.  For more ideas click on the link.

back to school ideas, back to school activities, back to school treats, treat bags for back to school, treat bags, ideas for the 1st day of school, starburst treats, gummy bear treats, gummi bear treats,first day of school activities, first day of school ideas, Thanks for visiting. As always, feel free to PIN anything you think others might enjoy.  My "Pin it" button is at the top. 

If you want to see all of the truly amazing things I PIN, simply click on the pink "Follow Me" heart button to the right.

"An educated person is one who can entertain a new idea, entertain another person, and entertain himself." -Sydney Herbert Wood

1-2-3 Make Some Back To School Treats With Me!

back to school ideas, back to school activities, back to school treats, treat bags for back to school, treat bags, ideas for the 1st day of school, starburst treats, gummy bear treats, gummi bear treats,first day of school activities, first day of school ideas, I enjoy browsing Pinterest to help trigger ideas.  A big thank you to all of those creative geniuses out there who make the time to share.

back to school ideas, back to school activities, back to school treats, treat bags for back to school, treat bags, ideas for the 1st day of school, first day of school activities, first day of school ideas, I especially think that a "play on words" is really cute.  I've used some favorites that have been Pinned in a variety of ways, and added my own twist, for some sweet back to school treats.

Click on any of the bolded links to zoom there.  Here's hoping they help you have a wonderful time getting ready for back to school!

As a special way of saying Welcome; I like leaving a little surprise on my students' desks on the first day of school.

The "I hope you have a 'bear-y' special school year", features Gummy Bears. You can buy individual packages, or bulk and make your own Snack Baggies.

This star treat features Starburst candy. I put 3 on a star, but 1 also works just fine. If you don't want students eating candy in school, simply have them tuck it in their backpack, or distribute them at the end of the day.

cov cerealMini boxes of cereal make a nice snack. Students can munch it dry, or save for home and enjoy with milk. "Cereal-ously" is a stretch for "Seriously" but it works.

back to school ideas, back to school activities, back to school treats, treat bags for back to school, treat bags, ideas for the 1st day of school, starburst treats, gummy bear treats, gummi bear treats,first day of school activities, first day of school ideas, For a really inexpensive and simple treat, there's nothing like a refreshing Popsicle at the end of a warm day.

Simply have your students choose a flavor at the start of school, freeze in your cafeteria fridge and take out for a sweet snack before your kiddo's leave.

back to school ideas, back to school activities, back to school treats, treat bags for back to school, treat bags, ideas for the 1st day of school, starburst treats, gummy bear treats, gummi bear treats,first day of school activities, s'mores, smores, first day of school ideas, Finally, S'mores are a real hit.  Children can eat separately right out of the Baggie, or have them assemble, place as many as 5 on a paper plate and zap in the microwave for 7-12 seconds, depending on your micro.

back to school ideas, back to school activities, back to school treats, treat bags for back to school, treat bags, ideas for the 1st day of school, starburst treats, gummy bear treats, gummi bear treats,first day of school activities, first day of school ideas, Thanks for visiting. As always, feel free to PIN anything you think others might enjoy.  My "Pin it" button is at the top. 

If you want to see all of the truly amazing things I PIN, simply click on the pink "Follow Me" heart button to the right.

"An educated person is one who can entertain a new idea, entertain another person, and entertain himself." -Sydney Herbert Wood

1-2-3 Come Make A Back-To-School Treat With Me!

Are you looking for an inexpensive little something to give your students as a welcome treat on the first day of school?

1st day of school treats, back to school treats, back to school ideas, back to school gifts, first day of school ideas, ideas for the 1st day of school, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin boards, You've come to the right place.

I've designed several money templates that you might enjoy: A "You're going to have a grand time in (grade)" and "Welcome to school. You're worth a million!" that make sweet bookmarks.

The US never created a million dollar bill, but some novelty shops sell them for gag gifts.

1st day of school treats, back to school treats, back to school ideas, back to school gifts, first day of school ideas, ideas for the 1st day of school, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin boards, They feature everything from The Statue of Liberty, to various presidents and even Betty Boop!)

There was however, a real thousand dollar bill (featuring Grover Cleveland).

The largest bill the government ever made was for 100 thousand dollars (featuring Woodrow Wilson).

1st day of school treats, back to school treats, back to school ideas, back to school gifts, first day of school ideas, ideas for the 1st day of school, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin boards, Whenever I'm designing something, I love doing a little research. I found an excellent article telling the stories behind large-denominaton currency. Click on the link to learn some fascinating facts.

How To Make A Back-To-School Bookmark:

Print a copy of the template of your choice. I've made one for every grade from preschool to high school.

Trim a photo of yourself so that it fits into the oval. Run the template off on light green construction paper.back to school activities, back to school ideas, back to school treats, back to school treat bags, ideas for the first day of school, 1st day of school ideas, icebreakers, back to school treats, treats for the first day of school, gifts for the first day of school

If you want, buy a 100 Grand candy bar for each child and include that as an extra special TAKE IT HOME treat.

You can also wait, and take a first-day photo of each student.

To make cutting ovals of student photos quick and easy, make an oval template by printing off mine.

Trim and then trace onto a sheet of clear contact paper, lamination scrap or overhead projector paper, and trim.

1st day of school treats, back to school treats, back to school ideas, back to school gifts, first day of school ideas, ideas for the 1st day of school, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin boards, You can now place the clear oval on your students’ pix, trace and cut out.

Run off the blank money template on green construction paper. 

Print, trim and glue their photo inside the oval.  Laminate the page to make a bookmark that's sure to become a special keepsake.

You may want to make extra copies and turn this into a back-to-school bulletin board.

Die cut black and green letters to say: "We’re having a grand time in (grade)." Alternate the letters in an ABAB color pattern.  A yellow background will really make your board pop.

cov money pixClick on the link for the Back-to-school money bookmark templates.

1st day of school treats, back to school treats, back to school ideas, back to school gifts, first day of school ideas, ideas for the 1st day of school, back to school bulletin boards, september bulletin boards, Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others might find helpful. My "Pin it" button is at the top.

"We are all capable of climbing so much higher than we usually permit ourselves to suppose." -Octavia Butler

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