nursery rhyme activities

1-2-3 Come Do Some Little Miss Muffet Activities With Me

Our spider unit is one of my students’ favorite October themes.

It’s a perfect time to plug in a few nursery rhymes like “Little Miss Muffet”.

nursery rhyme activities, little miss muffet activities, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme posters, spider activities, spider craftsMy Y5s absolutely love doing hands-on craftivities to reinforce lessons; so I designed these quick, easy and fun craftivities to help students sequence and recite the nursery rhyme.

First up is a simple "flip the flap" craft.

nursery rhyme activities, little miss muffet activities, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme posters, spider activities, spider craftsThere are 4 Little Miss Muffet “cover” options to choose from, along with their matching “backs”.

Pick your favorite or give children a choice.

As always, there are full color patterns so that teachers can quickly and easily make an example to share, as well as black & white options for students to color.

All of the packets include background information on the nursery rhyme, along with a colorful anchor chart poster of the poem, which you can use to introduce your lesson.

nursery rhyme activities, little miss muffet activities, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme posters, spider activities, spider craftsAfterwards, share your sample to help explain what you want your students to do. 

Children color and cut out the two squares then glue them back to back. Attach the "spider strip" with a piece of Scotch tape, that "hinges" it to the top, so that you can flip the strip from the back to the front.  

When everyone is done making their own, recite the rhyme as a whole group, using the manipulative.

Students begin the rhyme by showing the front square, where Miss Muffet is "eating her curds and whey".  When they get to the part, "...the spider sat down beside her", children flip the spider to the front. For the last stanza, "...and frightened Miss Muffet away!" they turn their square over to reveal a scared Miss Muffet fleeing.

For further reinforcement, have children pick a partner and take turns sharing their “flipper” with each other.

nursery rhyme activities, little miss muffet activities, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme posters, spider activities, spider craftsNext up is my newest creation "Instagame", inspired by "Instagram". 

I debuted this idea with my "First Day Jitters" literacy packet, and thought it would be wonderful for nursery rhymes as well.

I don't know about your kiddos, but mine are fascinated with taking pictures and anything trendy & current. 

Students color, cut & glue the “picture tiles” in the correct order, which helps practice the “sequencing & retelling a story” standards in a quick, easy and super-fun way.

nursery rhyme activities, little miss muffet activities, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme posters, spider activities, spider craftsSo that you can assess comprehension, and the ability to sequence correctly, I’ve included a “mixed up” worksheet option, where the picture tiles are not in order, as well as an easier one, for younger kiddos, which is in the correct sequence.

There’s a cell phone option, as well as a larger tablet worksheet.  Pick your favorite, or give students a choice. 

Use your colorful copy as a whole group “Let’s Sequence” activity.

You can do this during and after you read the “Little Miss Muffet” nursery rhyme.

Simply print, laminate & trim, then pass the tiles out to your students.

nursery rhyme activities, little miss muffet activities, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme posters, spider activities, spider craftsWhile you’re reading the nursery rhyme, pause for the child holding that picture tile, to place it on the phone/tablet poster.

After you’ve read the rhyme, pass out the tiles to different students, and see if they can put the pictures in the correct order. Grab that “teachable moment” to reinforce ordinal numbers as well.

Use tape, magnet dots, or Velcro squares, to attach the pictures to the phone/tablet poster. From here, students can transition to completing a worksheet of their own. 

nursery rhyme activities, little miss muffet activities, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme posters, spider activities, spider craftsSince my storytelling wheels have been so popular, I decided to make them for nursery rhymes as well.

Children really enjoy "turning and learning", as the wheels are easy to put together. The pictures help prompt the student to retell the story, or in this case, recite the "Little Miss Muffet" nursery rhyme. 

For writing practice, and to check comprehension, have students complete the “If a spider sat down beside me…” writing prompt worksheet, then color it.

nursery rhyme activities, little miss muffet activities, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme posters, spider activities, spider craftsThere’s a full color pattern, so you can quickly make an example to share, or do as a whole group activity with little ones. 

nursery rhyme activities, little miss muffet activities, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme posters, spider activities, spider craftsFinally, a "spider slider" is another craftivity that will help your students sequence and recite the rhyme.

There are two, “Little Miss Muffet” options, with their own matching sliders and poster-poems.

Pick your favorite, or give children a choice. 

nursery rhyme activities, little miss muffet activities, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme posters, spider activities, spider craftsI purposely designed Miss Muffet inside a rectangle for easy-peasy cutting. 

However, I think the slider looks better trimmed. Check out the samples on your left.

This cutting is a bit more complicated, but once I show my students via "monkey-see, monkey-do" directions, how to cut around Miss Muffet leaving a white border around her, they usually opt to cut her out.

Students color Miss Muffet, along with the story elements on the “slider strip” then cut & glue it together.

As children pull on the end of the strip, the various pictures go through the “window” on Little Miss Muffet’s dress.

As with the wheel, the slider packet also has a writing prompt:  “I like / don’t like spiders because…” Students complete the prompt then color their worksheet.

I’ve also included a graphing extension as a follow-up for this activity.

2D shapes, spider activities, spider games, spider crafts, nursery rhymes, little miss muffetToday's featured FREEBIE also has a spider theme.  "Spin A Spider" is a fun way to help students practice 2D shapes.

The packet includes a game as well as a "trace and write" emergent reader booklet.

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

The temperatures have once again cooled, so the crisp fall air is calling me.  Time to go crunch some leaves. Invigorating!

"Most people see what is, and never see what can be." -Albert Einstein

 

1-2-3 Come Make a Mary Had A Little Lamb Bulletin Board With Me

back to school activities, back to school crafts, back to school bulletin boards, back to school writing prompts, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme activities, mary had a little lamb background, mary had a little lamb poster, mary had a little lamb crafts, nursery rhyme bulletin boards, activities for Mary had a little lambThis cute schoolhouse craftivity, is a quick, easy and fun writing prompt that will make an adorable bulletin board.

I try to design things that practice a variety of skills & standards, so I’ve added the Mary Had a Little Lamb nursery rhyme to this activity.

back to school activities, back to school crafts, back to school bulletin boards, back to school writing prompts, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme activities, mary had a little lamb background, mary had a little lamb poster, mary had a little lamb crafts, nursery rhyme bulletin boards, activities for Mary had a little lambThere are 2 writing prompts to choose from: “I like school because . . .” and “My favorite things about school”.

Children color the schoolhouse then cut it in half, gluing the ends to their writing prompt page, in such a way that they flip open, to reveal the writing underneath.

back to school activities, back to school crafts, back to school bulletin boards, back to school writing prompts, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme activities, mary had a little lamb background, mary had a little lamb poster, mary had a little lamb crafts, nursery rhyme bulletin boards, activities for Mary had a little lambStudents complete the prompt, add some color & draw a picture of themselves.

For that finishing touch, have them glue their school picture on one of the windows.
I also added my photo to make this a special keepsake for them.

To help explain things, I’ve included colorful completed samples, so you can quickly make an example of your own to share with your kiddos.

back to school activities, back to school crafts, back to school bulletin boards, back to school writing prompts, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme activities, mary had a little lamb background, mary had a little lamb poster, mary had a little lamb crafts, nursery rhyme bulletin boards, activities for Mary had a little lambBefore or after this activity, share the Mary Had a Little Lamb nursery rhyme.

I’ve included background information, a poster poem, pocket chart cards, plus some “trace & write” color-me worksheets.

back to school activities, back to school crafts, back to school bulletin boards, back to school writing prompts, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme activities, mary had a little lamb background, mary had a little lamb poster, mary had a little lamb crafts, nursery rhyme bulletin boards, activities for Mary had a little lambThe pocket chart cards come in a full-page size, as well as two smaller sets on one template. 

Laminate & cut them apart.  For an independent center, students read the cards and put them in proper order.

The poem fits the schoolhouse writing prompt, and is a nice segue for introducing the nursery rhyme genre, along with rhyming words.

back to school activities, back to school crafts, back to school bulletin boards, back to school writing prompts, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme activities, mary had a little lamb background, mary had a little lamb poster, mary had a little lamb crafts, nursery rhyme bulletin boards, activities for Mary had a little lambDiscussion: “What words rhyme in the poem?” (go-snow & school-rule). Can they think of anymore?

back to school activities, back to school crafts, back to school bulletin boards, back to school writing prompts, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme activities, mary had a little lamb background, mary had a little lamb poster, mary had a little lamb crafts, nursery rhyme bulletin boards, activities for Mary had a little lambYou can do this as a whole-group activity and write the words on the board, or have older students make their own lists on the worksheets provided.

To practice another skill, have them alphabetize the words on their list. I’ve included answer keys.

Students can also share their schoolhouse at this time.  Completed projects make a sweet bulletin board.

back to school activities, back to school crafts, back to school bulletin boards, back to school writing prompts, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme activities, mary had a little lamb background, mary had a little lamb poster, mary had a little lamb crafts, nursery rhyme bulletin boards, activities for Mary had a little lambTo tie them into the poem, I’ve included a “_______________’s little lambs have found their way to school” poster for the center of your board, the nursery rhyme poster, plus some large sheep to go on each side. The photo shows the start of my bulletin board display.

You or your kiddos write their name on the little lamb cards, which are placed next to their schoolhouse. Add some border & you’re done. 

back to school activities, back to school crafts, back to school bulletin boards, back to school writing prompts, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme activities, mary had a little lamb background, mary had a little lamb poster, mary had a little lamb crafts, nursery rhyme bulletin boards, activities for Mary had a little lambClick on the link to pop on over to my TpT shop for my newest back to school writing prompt craftivity.

While you're there, I would so appreciate it, if you'd follow me.  I just need 11 more people to hit 500 followers.  I love designing milestone FREEBIES and have a really cute one that I'm working on, in anticipation of reaching that goal soon.  Thanks in advance.

back to school activities, back to school crafts, back to school bulletin boards, back to school writing prompts, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme activities, mary had a little lamb background, mary had a little lamb poster, mary had a little lamb crafts, nursery rhyme bulletin boards, activities for Mary had a little lambToday's FREEBIE features a variety of popular road signs that are perfect for your classroom.  They are especially fun if you're going to do a transportation theme. 

I've included large as well as small sizes.  Use the bigger ones as posters; I put a few back-to-back & suspended from my ceiling as gentle reminders. 

The smaller ones can be bookmarks, magnets or pencil toppers for your kiddos. Click on the link to grab this fun FREEBIE: Classroom Road Signs

back to school activities, back to school crafts, back to school bulletin boards, back to school writing prompts, nursery rhyme crafts, nursery rhyme activities, mary had a little lamb background, mary had a little lamb poster, mary had a little lamb crafts, nursery rhyme bulletin boards, activities for Mary had a little lambThat's it for today.  It's only 57 degrees out this morning, so fall is definitely in the air here in Michigan.  I am so not ready to let go of summer.  Wishing you a warm & wonderful day.

“August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time.” ~ Sylvia Plath 

 1-2-3 Come Play Some Long E Word Games With Me

Word work and vocabulary building was part of my Y5's every day activities.  Daily 5 came along and simplified or complicated things, and gave teachers something else to try and find "stuff" for.

To keep my students interested and semi enthusiastic about word work, I changed the theme of these activities each month, so although the skills were repetitive, there was variety because the theme was different. Doing this little adjustment was very successful and helped avoid tedium.

needle in a haystack activities, daily 5 word work activities, daiy 5 for Novmeber, when two vowels go walking activities, long e vowel activities, ea word activities, list of ee words, list of ea words, sheaf of wheat activities, wheat activities, word games, vowel games, nursery rhyme activities, little boy blue activities, With that in mind, I wanted to create an activity with a November theme.  When I taught kinders and first grade, we continued to practice vowels at this time, particularly "When two vowels go walking the first one usually does the talking." so I went in search of a symbol that I could use.

A sheave of wheat was pretty prominent and perfect for the ea vowel grouping.  Some of my kiddos were often confused with that long E sound wanting to spell these words with an ee, so I decided to make up a list of words for both.  Need, became needle and the haystack idea was also born. 

The Haystack Howdy packet is a quick, easy and fun way to practice words with a long E vowel sound, which have the double ee or ea letters in the middle of the word.

An Alphabetical List Of 124 Long ee Words, needle in a haystack activities, daily 5 word work activities, daiy 5 for Novmeber, when two vowels go walking activities, long e vowel activities, ea word activities, list of ee words, list of ea words, sheaf of wheat activities, wheat activities, word games, vowel games, nursery rhyme activities, little boy blue activities, The packet includes the Needle in a Haystack whole group file folder game, with 130 double ee "needle" word cards, plus an alphabetical list of the words in poster form. 

An Alphabetical List Of 124 Long ee Words, needle in a haystack activities, daily 5 word work activities, daiy 5 for Novmeber, when two vowels go walking activities, long e vowel activities, ea word activities, list of ee words, list of ea words, sheaf of wheat activities, wheat activities, word games, vowel games, nursery rhyme activities, little boy blue activities, The cards are small, with 22 on a page for easy printing.  Choose the ones you want your kiddos to work on.

Print, laminate and trim the cards.  Toss them into a container and have students choose 1 or 2.  Using the list, ask for a word. 

The child holding that card, shows it to the class, everyone reads it together, then they put the "needle" into the haystack.

needle in a haystack activities, daily 5 word work activities, daiy 5 for Novmeber, when two vowels go walking activities, long e vowel activities, ea word activities, list of ee words, list of ea words, sheaf of wheat activities, wheat activities, word games, vowel games, nursery rhyme activities, little boy blue activities, To make the haystack, simply print off a copy, trim and glue to a file folder. (I've included 2 color options, plus one in black & white.)

Using an Exacto knife, cut a slit wide and long enough for the needle cards to be slipped through the slot. 

Hold up the file folder, by putting a small basket in the back.  The cards will drop through the slot and into the basket.  Keep the cards in an envelope, in the folder and tuck into your file drawer.

sheaf of wheat, needle in a haystack activities, daily 5 word work activities, daiy 5 for Novmeber, when two vowels go walking activities, long e vowel activities, ea word activities, list of ee words, list of ea words, sheaf of wheat activities, wheat activities, word games, vowel games, nursery rhyme activities, little boy blue activities, The Sheaves of Wheat game works the same way,  with 107 ea "wheat" word cards to choose from, plus an alphabetical list of those words. 

There are plenty of other ways to use the cards as well.  For writing practice or a Daily 5 activity, have students choose 3-6 cards and use those words to create sentences. Afterwards, have them select 10 cards to alphabetize. 

If they are not familiar with a word, they can look it up and add it to their writing journal or student dictionary.  Children can also work with a partner and play Memory Match, Slap, Speed etc.  I've included a 4-page tip list of ideas.

For more teachable moments, there's also a background page about the idiom "needle in a haystack" as well as a definition page for the word sheaf.

needle in a haystack activities, daily 5 word work activities, daiy 5 for Novmeber, when two vowels go walking activities, long e vowel activities, ea word activities, list of ee words, list of ea words, sheaf of wheat activities, wheat activities, word games, vowel games, nursery rhyme activities, little boy blue activities, Finally, whenever a nursery rhyme fit in with a particular theme, I'd plug it in, so I could also review rhyming and this genre. 

I used to have an entire week for a nursery rhyme and fairy tale theme, but as standards became more demanding, I ran out of time.  I'm sure you all can relate with "so much to do, so little time to do it in..."

needle in a haystack activities, daily 5 word work activities, daiy 5 for Novmeber, when two vowels go walking activities, long e vowel activities, ea word activities, list of ee words, list of ea words, sheaf of wheat activities, wheat activities, word games, vowel games, nursery rhyme activities, little boy blue activities, Adding rhymes here and there, solved the problem.  Because a haystack is featured in the Little Boy Blue nursery rhyme, I've included some activities for that in this packet. 

There's a poster poem of the rhyme in black and white, as well as color, plus 8 pocket chart picture word cards, and a paper "strip" booklet for students to make. 

needle in a haystack activities, daily 5 word work activities, daiy 5 for Novmeber, when two vowels go walking activities, long e vowel activities, ea word activities, list of ee words, list of ea words, sheaf of wheat activities, wheat activities, word games, vowel games, nursery rhyme activities, little boy blue activities, I call these "strip" booklets because I fit anywhere from 5-8 "strips" on one page that students complete, trim and collate into a mini booklet. 

My kiddos LOVED making these emergent readers that they could take home and practice with.  Click on the link to view/download the Haystack Howdy packet.

needle in a haystack activities, daily 5 word work activities, daiy 5 for Novmeber, when two vowels go walking activities, long e vowel activities, ea word activities, list of ee words, list of ea words, sheaf of wheat activities, wheat activities, word games, vowel games, nursery rhyme activities, little boy blue activities, Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. 

This Nana is in serious need of some snuggle time, with her new grand baby Kaitlyn and little grandson Kaiden, so I'm off to visit my daughter. Wishing you a love-filled day.

"One machine can do the work of 50 ordinary men.  However, no machine can do the work of one extraordinary man." - Elbert
 Hubbard  

1-2-3 Come Do Some Halloween Craftivities With Me

When parents would ask "When does your Halloween party start?" I'd answer with a big smile, "When the children get here, and it lasts all day!"  The day before, I'd let my students know that we'd be doing all of our math, reading, writing and center activities as usual, but they'd all have a Halloween theme, so we could "party" all day.

Halloween party day packet, ghost pencil craft, spiral ghosts, Halloween activities, Halloween crafts, ghost crafts, ghost activities, october writing prompts, spiral pattern, watercolor washes, crayon resist art, halloween coloring pages, nursery rhyme crafts, peter peter pumpkin eater activities, pumpkin crafts, halloween craftsThey were then pleased and happy about this, and I wasn't constantly being asked: "When does the party start?" which interrupted everyone's focus.  They also remained calm, on-task and weren't all fidgety waiting.

In the 10 years I taught Y5's this day was never a crazy day, instead, it was one of my personal favorites, because I had lots of volunteers eager to help out.  We proceeded as normal, with only part of our lights on, to add just the right amount of ambiance.  (This also seemed to relax my students.)

ghost pencil craftThey wrote with their "spooky pencil pal" which was quick and super -inexpensive to make. (Directions in the Halloween packet.)

In the afternoon, our snack time would be extra special (cider, fruit, veggies, with some sweets & treats, which parents provided) and to practice and review a variety of standards, we'd play educational games.

I think one of the Y5's favorite parts of the day, were the super-fun centers.  Parents would come in to help, so I could plug in a few more craftivities.  What took me a bit of time to design and set up, they usually completed in just a few minutes, but that was OK as we had much to accomplish. They were enjoying themselves and learning at the same time.

spiral ghosts, Halloween activities, Halloween crafts, ghost crafts, ghost activities, october writing prompts, spiral pattern, watercolor washes, crayon resist art, halloween coloring pages, nursery rhyme crafts, peter peter pumpkin eater activities, pumpkin crafts, halloween craftsI share my party day ideas in a Halloween packet, but wanted to dream up a few new ones, as this was one of the first units I did, way before I had all of the cool software programs, fonts, and clip art that I use now, but perhaps you'll find a few things you and your kiddos will enjoy.  

These cute dangling ghosts are a quick, easy and fun little something to do on Halloween party day, or as a nice activity to transition to after reading some Halloween-themed stories.

I was "pinspired" by a Family Magazine holiday craft photo.  They did not provide a pattern, so I made up my own.

spiral ghosts, Halloween activities, Halloween crafts, ghost crafts, ghost activities, october writing prompts, spiral pattern, watercolor washes, crayon resist art, halloween coloring pages, nursery rhyme crafts, peter peter pumpkin eater activities, pumpkin crafts, halloween craftsCutting on a spiral provides wonderful scissor cutting practice, which helps strengthen little finger muscles. 

There's an easy ghost pattern with no arms for younger students, and to help out your left handed kiddo's, I've included flipped patterns for them.

spiral ghosts, Halloween activities, Halloween crafts, ghost crafts, ghost activities, october writing prompts, spiral pattern, watercolor washes, crayon resist art, halloween coloring pages, nursery rhyme crafts, peter peter pumpkin eater activities, pumpkin crafts, halloween craftsOlder students can write on the spiral and complete one of these prompts: "Things that are creepy to me are . . ." or "Things that I'm a bit afraid of are . . ."

As you can see by the photo, these look awesome dangling from the ceiling, where they'll twirl and swirl. 

Click on the link to view/download the Spooky Spirals Halloween ghost writing prompt craftivity.

spiral ghosts, Halloween activities, Halloween crafts, ghost crafts, ghost activities, october writing prompts, spiral pattern, watercolor washes, crayon resist art, halloween coloring pages, nursery rhyme crafts, peter peter pumpkin eater activities, pumpkin crafts, halloween craftsAnother Halloween craft that I found several versions of on Pinterest, was a photo of a child in a pumpkin

These too, did not offer a pattern, so I provide one in my Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater craftivity packet. 

There's a blank pumpkin, one that says: "Happy Halloween from your little pumpkin" as well as one with the nursery rhyme written on it that I revamped.

Peter peter pumpkin eater rhyme poster, peter peter pumpkin eater activities, spiral ghosts, Halloween activities, Halloween crafts, ghost crafts, ghost activities, october writing prompts, spiral pattern, watercolor washes, crayon resist art, halloween coloring pages, nursery rhyme crafts, peter peter pumpkin eater activities, pumpkin crafts, halloween crafts"Teacher, teacher pumpkin eater.  Had a student couldn't reach her.  Put _________ in a pumpkin shell and there she taught her very well." (Female and male options.)  I've included a poster of the original Nursery Rhyme. 

midnight magic watercolor wash, spiral ghosts, Halloween activities, Halloween crafts, ghost crafts, ghost activities, october writing prompts, spiral pattern, watercolor washes, crayon resist art, halloween coloring pages, nursery rhyme crafts, peter peter pumpkin eater activities, pumpkin crafts, halloween crafts Midnight Magic, is also a quick, easy and fun little ghost craftivity, perfect for Halloween party day because it's super-simple and has that "Oh Wow!" factor.  

This art is called crayon resist, as the wax in the crayons resist the watercolors. I've taken a picture of the 3 steps of how it looks.

Using a white crayon, (press hard) trace the simple ghost pattern onto squares of white paper.  Children will not see the ghost 'til they "wash" their paper with the "magical colors of midnight".  To their utter delight, a ghost will appear as they are painting. 

spiral ghosts, Halloween activities, Halloween crafts, ghost crafts, ghost activities, october writing prompts, spiral pattern, watercolor washes, crayon resist art, halloween coloring pages, nursery rhyme crafts, peter peter pumpkin eater activities, pumpkin crafts, halloween craftsAlthough an all-black wash is effective, I think the ones where children used purple, blue and black turned out better.  I did a ghost, but any simple shape (pumpkins, candy corn, or bat) would do.

I've also done these with children's names.   Click on the link to view/download the Midnight Magic Halloween watercolor craftivity.

Halloween crayon resist watercolors, halloween games, spiral ghosts, Halloween activities, Halloween crafts, ghost crafts, ghost activities, october writing prompts, spiral pattern, watercolor washes, crayon resist art, halloween coloring pages, nursery rhyme crafts, peter peter pumpkin eater activities, pumpkin crafts, halloween craftsIn the Halloween Crayon Resist packet, I've included 5 coloring pages for kiddos to choose from, along with directions of how to set things up. 

Finally, another quick painting craftivity, is Alphie Andy the candy corn alphabet cup. I used styrofoam cups, orange and yellow acrylic paint and a black ink pen to make these fun "I Spy a Letter!" game "twirlers".

Halloween crayon resist watercolors, halloween games, spiral ghosts, Halloween activities, Halloween crafts, ghost crafts, ghost activities, october writing prompts, spiral pattern, watercolor washes, crayon resist art, halloween coloring pages, nursery rhyme crafts, peter peter pumpkin eater activities, pumpkin crafts, halloween craftsStudents can add a face to the top white section, or leave it plain. First graders can write their own letters on the top of the cups, but I'd do this for younger kiddos.  (I did a class set while watching TV.  Takes a minute or two per cup.)

It's not at all difficult, but little ones have a tendency to write large, so they won't be able to fit all of the letters around the rim.   When you make yours, look at my photo.  Letters need to be close, with a small space.

Remember the cup is upside down when you write the letters on the rim.  Add a second cup so you have a sturdier surface to write on.

You can keep this simple and just make cups with the uppercase letters on them, or "double up" and add an additional cup with the lowercase letters.  This way, you can review more than one standard.  When you call out a letter, students twirl their uppercase letter cup til their arrow lines up with that letter; then they twirl the lowercase letter cup, so that letter matches up with the uppercase one.

Students literally take 2 minutes to paint a yellow and orange stripe on their cup. (Make sure they write their name on the bottom.) Set aside to dry. Add an arrow, insert cup(s) and play "I Spy!"  It's a quick, easy and fun way to whole group assess.  Children hold up their cup when they've found the correct letter and have the arrow pointing to it.  Click on the link to view/download Alphie Andy, the Candy Corn Alphabet Assessment Cup craft.

Halloween crayon resist watercolors, spiral ghosts, Halloween activities, Halloween crafts, ghost crafts, ghost activities, october writing prompts, spiral pattern, watercolor washes, crayon resist art, halloween coloring pages, nursery rhyme crafts, peter peter pumpkin eater activities, pumpkin crafts, halloween craftsThat's it for today.  Thanks for visiting. Have to go check my apple-crisp bars.  The cinnamon scent is wafting through the house and smells delicious.  Wishing you a warm-fuzzy kind of day.    

"Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis

 

1-2-3 Come Do Some Mitten Craftivities With Me!

I did a month-long mitten theme in January with my Y5's.  They enjoyed all sorts of mitten matching games and activities, so I wanted to share the newest FREEBIES as well as some old favorites today.

If you teach the "magic e" spelling rule, I think you'll enjoy the Magic e Mitten packet.  It took lots of hours to complete, but I think it was time well spent.   Run the mitten patternsmitten activities, mitten crafts, magic e activities, a list of 86 magic e words, silent e activities, magic e wand pattern, mitten activities, mitten centers, mitten games, magic e games, magic e worksheets, mitten puzzles, mitten matching games, magic e puzzles, magic e worksheets, magic e dictionary off on a variety of colors of construction paper. 

I wanted mine to have a red mitten with a green cuff + a green mitten with a red cuff, so I ran off two of each page (one on red and one on green). 

Laminate, trim and then cut the cuffs off so that you create puzzles for a Magic e Mitten Matching Game.

The 29-page packet includes a My Magic e Words (dictionary).  Students trace the word, add a magic e to the end (use a different color) and then write the new word that is made. 

Encourage students to look up words that they don't know and define them on their new-word definition page. 

mitten activities, mitten crafts, magic e activities, a list of 86 magic e words, silent e activities, magic e wand pattern, mitten activities, mitten centers, mitten games, magic e games, magic e worksheets, mitten puzzles, mitten matching games, magic e puzzles, magic e worksheets, magic e dictionaryThere are also Mitten Math worksheets, where the word + an e ='s a new word, as well as an alphabetical list of 86 magic e words, + a pattern to make a magic e snowflake-mitten wand.

mitten activities, mitten crafts, magic e activities, a list of 86 magic e words, silent e activities, magic e wand pattern, mitten activities, mitten centers, mitten games, magic e games, magic e worksheets, mitten puzzles, mitten matching games, magic e puzzles, magic e worksheets, magic e dictionaryI added glitter to mine and glued it to a Popsicle stick.  Give students a word from the list, have them come up and write it on the board.

Everyone waves their magic e wand, and the child adds an e to the end, creating a new word "magically!"  Click on the link to view/download the Magic e Mitten packet. 

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Students cut and glue the matching numbered kittens as well as the appropriate pair of mittens to the correct page. 

Children read, trace, and write the simple sentences, reviewing number words. 

This packet reviews pairs, as well as skip counting by 3's.  I've also included 4 worksheets, a maze + a certificate of praise.  Click on the link to view/download The Three Little Mittens.

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Practice a variety of skills and standards with this cute 10 frame booklet. Students read, trace and write the number and number word.  Children see the numbered-mitten word in the sentence and say it.  They spy the number in a sequence and circle it.

Kiddo's X-out that many boxes in the ten-frame or use a bingo dot marker, stickers or stamp. Finally, students cut and glue the set/group to the matching numbered box.  Includes a variety of worksheets as well.  These counting booklets are great for your Daily 5 activities.

Click on the link to view/download the 1-2-3 Count Mittens With Me packet. 

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"If winter comes, can spring be far behind?" Percy Bysshe Shelley

It's Time To Mouse Around

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When looking into the background of this nursery rhyme, I discovered that it was indeed intended to teach about counting.

Who knows, maybe that led to the possibility of a little bit of time telling thrown in, as the reason why numbers were so important.

Hickory, dickory, and doc, is believed by some to mean,  8,9,10.  How we got to one and why a mouse is running around the clock, remains a mystery, but makes a wonderful writing prompt.

In my packet, Hickory Dickory Clock, I’ve included 2 such writing prompts that turn into what could be hilarious class books: Hickory Dickory Dock: Who Else Went Up The Clock and Why? Helps students use their imaginations and work on verb skills.

I’ve written an extension of the poem to help jumpstart their imaginations, as well as review all 12 numbers, where a duck waddles up the clock at 3, followed by a rabbit who hops up at ten only to do it over again, culminating with my favorite, the cow, who of course jumps over the clock at noon, hoping to later jump over the moon.

A trace and write the verbs worksheet is also included.

The other class book is entitled: Why Did The Mouse Run Up the Clock? Did he have a secret meeting with his girlfriend; was there a piece of cheese hidden up there; was he running away from the cat?  Your students will have fun solving the mystery on their page and illustrating it.

There’s an anchor chart poster of the modern version of the rhyme, as well as one of the 1901 Mother Goose version that uses the intro line “Hickety Dickety…”

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Also included are two “craftivities” and a spinner game, which help reinforce telling analog time as well as digital time.

Hickory Dickory Dock Clock Game:

Hickory Dickory Dock Glue the Numbers on Your Clock, is a spinner game that is played with 2 to 4 players.

Students twirl the spinner. Whatever number they land on, they snip & glue to their clock and trace the digital time on the pendulum area.

The first child to complete all 12 numbers is the winner and receives a mouse for the top of his clock as well as a mini-certificate.

The rest of the children glue their numbers on their clock to earn their mouse sticker as well.

Teachers can have students add a brad and paperclips for clock hands to make this game into a “working” clock to whole-group assess the students, if they want to take this one step farther, or stop there and make the paper plate mouse clock.

Paper Plate "Mousin' Around" Clock:

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Pre-cut small strips of black paper. Students will snip these into a point and glue one to the back of their mouse.  If you want the ears to be 3-D have them cut on the lines and bend back.  This will help them move the mouse to the different times, as they can gently tug on an ear.

Poke a hole through the mouse, add a brad and fasten it to the back of the plate.

Whole group assess to the hour, by calling on students to give you a time.  Children move the mouse’s tail to show that time and then hold up their clock.

Cat Got Your Tail? Time to the hour mouse slider:

Finally, “Time to Pull the Mouse’s Tail” also reviews time by the hour.

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Using glue dots, I’ve added wiggle eyes and a small pom-pom nose for that extra touch of pizzazz.

The teacher calls on quiet students to call out a time.  Children slide the mouse’s “tail” to reveal that time and hold up their mouse.

Play continues ‘til all 12 times have been shown.

I’ve also included traceable word flashcards for analog as well as digital times + covers to make an Itty Bitty booklet.

A sample of each one of the activities makes a sweet bulletin board: "Time to see what's up in ____________'s classroom!" or... Hickory Dickory Dock What's Going On On Our Side Of The Block?

Click on the link to view/download the  Hickory Dickory Clock Packet

I hope this idea comes just in TIME to be a nice fill-in for whatever you’re doing right now.

I’d enjoy hearing about how you use it. diane@teachwithme.com

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"Don't put a question mark, where a period should be." -Unknown

Will March Go Out Like A Lion Or A Lamb?

The end of March is drawing near and I have some SHEEP and LION activities to help you end the month in a fun way.

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Run off the sheep template on white construction paper and have students jazz them up with wiggle eyes and 2 cotton balls.

If you have students pull apart the cotton balls into a nice fluffy pile, the sheep fleece will look more realistic, be a great fine motor skill and avoid the problem of having students simply glue whole cotton balls to their work.

I’ve included a Trace & Write – Sheep Rhyming ABC Order Worksheet as well as the traceable word cards.

Click on the link to view/download the Sheep Slider Activities.

I never have enough time to cover nursery rhymes as a separate unit, so I plug them in with whatever theme I’m doing, whenever they fit, as an added genre during story time.

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If you’re looking for some easy readers your students will enjoy:

The Shape Of My Sheep, which reviews the 6 basic shapes.

Where Have All The Sheep Gone? and Where’s The Lion? which reinforce simple subtraction skills.  Click on the links to view/download them.

A fun writing extension  asks your students “Are you more like a lion or more like a lamb? Why? This March writing prompt is turned into a class book and can be found in March Class Books. Click on the link to view/download it.

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If you'd like to include a "craftivity" with writing, have students make a lion or lamb paper holder and display their work on a bulletin board, before you collate their work into a book.

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Adding a pair of funky glasses and wiggle eyes also adds a cute 3D effect.  I printed the ones in the picture from Lee Hansen's graphic website where you can download free clip art, paper crafts, and scrapbooking items.  Click on the link to check out this interesting site.

There’s a graphing extension included to record the results.

Besides this writing prompt, there is also one that's a great activity after you read the above Mary Had A Little Lamb Nursery Rhyme.  Ask students what animal they'd like to bring to school if they could bring any animal.  Encourage them to think outside the box and not just think of the usual "show & tell" pet like a puppy or cat.  Students complete the sentence with their animal and illustrate the page.

Click on the link to view/download this March Lion or Lamb activity packet.

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Whether your students are meek and mild lambs or roaring lions, I hope you found something here to keep them engaged and interested!

Be sure and pop back tomorrow for more springtime tips.