1-2-3- Come Do Some Elf Activities With Me
Since the story Elf on a Shelf continues to be very popular, I wanted to make a few new elf-themed activities.
I think you'll really enjoy how many skills & standards you can cover with this cute Little Elf emergent reader packet!
T
he book incorporates 34 Dolch sight words, rhyme, end punctuation (period, question mark & exclamation point), descriptive writing, use of adjectives, plus the five senses.
To spice things up with a little math, I’ve also included 5 graphing extensions as well as...
An interesting and super-fun rhyming activity that matches the 5 pairs of words that rhyme in the story. I’ve included answer keys.
T
his can be done independently on the worksheet provided, or students can work in teams.
As another option, do a different set of words orally, by having students stand up.
You start the game by saying the word go. (I chose this word for the oral competition, because I found 135 words that rhyme with it.)
The first student gives a word; you write it on the board so there are no repeats.
If a child can’t think of a word, they’re out.
Play continues ’til there are no words left, or whoever is left can’t think of another word.
There's a teacher's edition in full color, as well as black line masters, with 2, as well as 4 pages, on a one-page template.
To further reinforce the 5 senses, I've also included boy & girl elves to color and label.
There's also a mini "cut & glue" similar version. It's an Itty Bitty booklet where children read, add end punctuation, circle the capital letters, underline the adjectives, trace & write the 5 senses words; then color, cut and glue the matching picture.
Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop, where the 40-page, Little Elf packet is a dollar off for a limited time.
The featured FREEBIE today is the Santa's List packet. Students write why they think that they should be on Santa's "nice" list.
After students share their page, collect, collate, add the cover and make into a class book.
Includes a Santa's List poster to use as a good-behavior motivator, as well as a template for students to write a note to their Elf on a Shelf or to Santa. These make fun Daily 5 writing activities.
The elf is watching and reporting back to Santa. Students write why they think that they should be on Santa's "nice" list. After students share their page, collect, collate, add the cover and make into a class book.
Includes a Santa's List poster to use as a good-behavior motivator, as well as a template for students to write a note to their Elf on a Shelf or to Santa. These make fun Daily 5 writing activities.
- See more at: http://teachwithme.com/downloads/item/4029-christmas-elf-on-a-shelf-activities#sthash.pWWnOhjJ.dpuf
Well that's it for today. My brain is on overdrive, brimming with all sorts of things I want to design.
I LOVE December and all of the themes. My little ones make it even more magical. Wishing you a fun-filled day.
“Christmas gift suggestions: to your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.” - Oren Arnold
1-2-3 Come Do Some Letter Activities With Me
Because my Y5s study the alphabet all year long, I like to plug in some themed, letter activites each month. The single-letter alphabet wheels are perfect for this.
In the falll I feature the Aa is for apple, Ll is for leaf, Pp is for pumpkin and Tt is for Thanksgiving turkey wheels. (Click on each title to have a look).
For December, I created the Ee is for elf, and Gg is for gingerbread ones.
The Dollar Deal Alphabet Wheels, are a quick, easy & fun way to practice letters, and build the vocabulary needed to give an example of a word, with that beginning sound.
They feature 6 nouns that begin with that letter, and come in black and white, as well as full-color, so that you can use them as an independent center or individual word work activity.
Vowels, have word examples for both long and short vowel sounds.
I've also included a worksheet where students trace & write the words in alphabetical order.
Besides the individual letter alphabet wheels, I also have a collection of 20 seasonal alphabet wheels, which cover all of the upper and lowercase letters.
As you can see from the photo, there's a gingerbread man and a mitten alphabet wheel for winter.
Besides the alphabet wheels, another fun way to practice letters is with my elf slider.
There’s nothing quite like a quick and easy little craftivity, to make practicing a variety of standards fun.
The paper elf can be used as a “slider” or turned into a "belly booklet”.
I’ve also included an easy-peasy “color me” option, where you can skip the craft, or simply do both.
Your kiddos will also enjoy making the little mini, belly booklets.
There are 3 options:
* Upper & lowercase letters that students trace & write, with enough room for older kiddos to write a word at the top and bottom;
* Numbers 1-12, where students also trace & write (play the Twelve Days of Christmas carol, while they’re working).
* There’s also a shape booklet. Here students trace, draw & color the 2D shapes, then trace & write the shape word.
Each booklet is on a one-page pattern, so students could make all of them, over a period of a few days, for a really big belly book!
* The “sliders” are a quick, easy and super-fun way to whole group assess a variety of standards as well.
* There’s a slider for: numbers 1-10, 1-30, counting backwards from 10-0 & 20-0, as well as skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s, and 10s; plus one for upper case letters, another for lowercase, and finally one for the 2D shapes.
* Choose which one you want to work on. I have my kiddos trace the letter & number strips in a red and green, ABAB color pattern, and color each shape a different color.
To whole group assess, simply call out a letter, number or shape. Students “slide” to it, and hold up their elf.
You can see at a glance, who is having difficulty. Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop and have a look: Elf Slider & Belly Booklets
Today's featured FREEBIE is a gingerbread-themed 10 frames packet. I hope you find it useful.
Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by. TpT's 20% off Cyber Sale continues through midnight tonight. Type in the code SMILE for an extra 10% off.
As for me, I'm dashing through the snow today, to get some more shopping done. Wishing you a delightful day.
"He who doesn't have Christmas in their heart, will never find it under a tree." - Roy L. Smith
1-2-3 Come Do Some Elf Craftivities With Me
The Elf on a Shelf book is so popular, that it’s found it’s way into the classroom, as a super-cute classroom management tool.
Even if your kiddos don’t believe in Santa anymore, it’s still fun to have a mischievous elf “spying” on them.
An elf provides loads of writing prompt ideas. Use him to launch creative writing prompts. "Write a note to the elf today about..." plus the "elf antics" you can do to add a bit of "elf fun" to December are endless.
You can also use him to practice spatial directions ("Where's the elf?" on, in, over, under, beside...)
If you don’t have an elf, you can make this one.
He’s also a wonderful craftivity that your kiddos will enjoy making too.
I purchased some heavy-duty, Christmas-print bags, from Hobby Lobby. The Dollar Store and other craft supply stores like Michaels, also have a nice selection.
Because we recycle paper in our school, I had a supply that children could crunch up to stuff their elf with.
Crunching, snipping, accordion-folding paper, are super-fun fine motor practice for your kiddos, that will help strengthen finger muscles.
If you don’t have access to recycled paper, ask for some newspaper donations from parents.
When the belly is stuffed, fold over the top and staple. The bag sits nicely.
Children will glue their head to the top of the bag and the legs underneath.
You can also staple the body parts, to make sure they stay on.
Run the patterns off on construction paper and rough cut. Children color the face, trim and glue to their bag. I had my children color an ABAB pattern on the arms and legs, but these also look good as solid strips of red and green.
For a splash of pizzazz, I pulled cotton balls, then glued the “fluff” to the hat brim, as well as the cuffs of the mittens and shoes. Pom poms and a bit of glitter, also add those finishing touches.
If you have room for a class set of elves to sit, I’ve included a behavior management “Tally Time” tummy label, students can glue to the belly of their elf.
Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to see. Lunch bag Elf on a Shelf Craft
Be sure and have a look around, especially if you've started a wish list, as TpT is holding their annual Christmas sale.
Most shops are at least 20% off, and if you plug in the sale code: SMILES, you'll save an additional 10%. The sale is going on today, (November 30th 2015 to midnight December 1st).
The featured FREEBIE today is "Tweet Talk". It's a quick, easy & fun way to practice those writing skills, at the same time being aware of what's going on in your students' lives.
Well that's it for now. Thanks for stopping by. I sure could use some "elf help" for all I'd like to get done today!
First up though is to sort through my TpT wish list. I have way too much clip art listed to buy it all. Wishing you a holly jolly day.
"Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping." -Bo Derek
1-2-3 Come Do Some Creative Christmas Writing With Me
No matter what your age, pretending is so much fun, particularly with children. It's easy for them to become princesses and pirates.
With that in mind, I designed 7, creative, Christmas-themed, writing prompts.
They are easy-peasy "print & go" worksheets, that I'm sure your students will enjoy.
The more creative aspect, has students "think outside the box" and really try and become an elf, reindeer, snowman or gingerbread cookie.
What would these "characters" say, or what might they overhear in a conversation that Santa is having?
You can simply give students a choice, and only do one, or add the cute journal cover, and have students write a new one each day.
Another option, is to have students do a non-fiction prompt, using factual information that they've learned about penguins and snowflakes.
What would they say, that would tell us factual information?
When everyone is done, go around the room, and have each student share one thing.
No time to complete them all in class? They make fun "homework" that your students will enjoy doing.
To add a bit of technology to the lesson, give them the sites you want them to visit to get some facts about penguins, reindeer, or snow, that they can then include when writing their sentences.
My full-color, completed samples, will give you an example that you can share with your students, to help explain what you want them to do. They match the black & white templates for students.
Click on the link to pop on over to my TpT shop to have a look at the Now You're Talkin' Christmas Writing Prompts/Journal.
Here's hoping your kiddos enjoy "pretend writing" as much as I did creating the samples.
The featured FREEBIE today, is another form of writing. Using a Venn diagram helps your students learn to compare and contrast in a fun way.
There are 7 Venn diagrams in this packet, all featuring an elf. I've included color as well as black and white templates.
Use the black and white copy for students to write their own, then call them up for a whole-group discussion and add everyone's ideas onto the colored Venn diagram.
Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.
It's a chilly, but sunny morning, and I'm in the mood and energized to start decorating for Christmas! Wishing you a festive day.
"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family, all wrapped up in each other." -Burton Hillis
1-2-3 Come Make a Gingerbag House With Me
Do you do some gingerbread activities during December? Are you contemplating making a gingerbread house?
If so, I think you and your kiddos will really enjoy making a "gingerbag".
It's a non-messy, quick, easy & fun craftivity, as an alternative to the gooey graham cracker creations, that often fall apart.
There are 8 pages of candy, cakes and ice-cream trimmings, chimneys, doors, and windows, that your kiddos can choose to decorate their paper bag gingerbread house with.
Face the bag towards you so that the bottom of the bag is at the top, and looks like a flap. This is the perfect place to glue the “candy roof” and chimney.
Students cut out whatever pieces they want to glue to the front of their house.
They arrange the pieces ‘til they are satisfied with the look, and then glue them down.
Children then color the trimmings with crayons or markers.
White puffy paint, glitter glue, and stickers can all add pizzazz to the houses.
For that finishing touch, glue a child’s photo in one of the windows.
You can also spritz them with a bit of cinnamon fragrance.
For writing practice, I've included 2 worksheets, where students describe their gingerbread house.
Completed gingerbags make a cute bulletin board too.
Caption: “Mr(s.) _____________’s kindergartners are wishing you a sweet and cozy Christmas.” OR…. “From our house to yours, we’re wishing you a yummy New Year.”
Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to take a look: Gingerbag Craftivity.
The featured FREEBIE today, also has a gingerbread theme.
They are a set of gingerbread-themed parts of speech posters. I hope you find them useful.
Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by. I'm thrilled to be having the entire family over for dinner and games today.
That's 21 people! Woo hoo. Gotta' get going on the yummies. Wishing you a love and fun-filled day.
"Good painting is like good cooking; it can be tasted, but not explained." -Maurice de Vlaminck
