1-2-3 Come Do Some End Of The Year Activities With Me

As you're winding down the school year, and looking forward to a well-deserved summer vacation, are you still in need of a few things to plug into the last days of school? 

Because of the crazy winter, and the necessity for quite a few make up snow days, the home stretch may be a bit longer for some, so I've been busy designing lots of interesting end of the year activities.  

Today it's all about hippos.  I love drawing them.  Since being done with another school year is certainly something to cheer about, I thought the play on words "Hip Hippo Ray!"  would be appropriate.

I used it for a 100 Day packet and I'm revisiting that theme with "Hip Hippo Ray I'm On My Way!"  where students complete the writing prompts about the next grade that they'll be in. 

Here's How To Make One: Run off the hippo's head on a variety of colors of construction paper, along with the matching mouth section. 

Students choose a color and then add some finishing touches with crayons.  Wiggle eyes also look cute. Give students a color choice for the bows as well. Girls can put their bow on top of the hippo's head, boys can use it as a bowtie. 

There are 3 pages to choose from for the writing prompts.  Personally I would do all of them, as they are pretty simple. 

This would be a nice Daily 5 activity. There's also a blank page to use for autographs.

Staple the pages together at the nostrils and then glue just that portion to the hippo's head, so that their "booklet" flips up. 

After students have shared their work with the class, hang them in a row along a hallway wall.  Your caption could be: "Hip Hippo Ray!  We're Looking Forward To 2nd grade in a big way." 

A fun way to have your students share their hippos, would be to ask a teacher in the next grade if you could visit their class for 10-15 minutes and listen while your students shared their feelings about being in that grade. 

The older kiddos could then talk about what they enjoyed about being in that grade and dispel any worries or anxieties your students may have had.  It also gives them a chance to meet another teacher and see the room they might be in next year.  

I've also included a "Hip Hippo Ray it's the last day alphabet hunt. Students "spy" something that begins with the various letters of the alphabet, and color that letter when they find it.  On the back of their paper they write the numbers 1-26 in a list, so that when they find a letter, they can write down the word associated with it. 

After students have completed their activities, you can give them a bookmark.  I've made them in color as well as black and white.  They write their name on the top.

If you teach preschool or kindergarten, and have a graduation, I've included patterns to make a "Hip Hippo Ray!  It's graducation day hippo. 

Their writing prompt is why they are proud of themselves.  Include a graduation photo for that finishing touch.  

As with the above packet, I made matching bookmarks.  Click on the link to view/download the Hip Hippo Ray packet. 

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  If you'd like to see more end-of-the-year FREEBIES.  Click on the link to zip on over to that section of teachwithme.

“What a teacher writes on the blackboard of life can never be erased.”

1-2-3 Come Read An End Of The Year Poem With Me

While doing research for the memory books I created this past week, I came across a farewell poem.  I found it on numerous sites and pin boards using various stationery, but all had an unknown author. 

I thought it was cute, but didn't quite fit what I had in mind, so I revamped it a bit, and completely changed letters H through Z.  I call it ABCDEF Good-bye. 

Since quite a few of my visitors teach kindergarten, I designed it with them in mind, and used the adorable clip art from dj inker's Kidoodlez Early Years CD.

Once I had it done though, I thought with a little tweaking, I could make a poem for preschool as well as one for 1st graders, and included color as well as black and white options. 

You can simply read the poem on the last day of school, tuck it in a summer packet that you're making to send home, or fill up a little extra time and have students color the black and white copy.  This would also make a nice page in a memory book that you may be making.

Click on the link to view/download the end of the year Good-bye Poem.  Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  

"To learn and never be filled, is wisdom; to teach and never be weary, is love.” -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Make Something For The Teacher With Me

I know that Teacher Appreciation Day/Week  is over.  I personally think Hallmark, or whomever thought of this wonderful concept, needs to rethink the time frame.  

Let's face it, today's families are operating at the speed of light, with so many activities and things to do, that they can't even write them all in a square on the calendar.  Consequently, Teacher Appreciation Day,  often slips by without people even being aware of it.

However, parents' minds often turn to thinking of something kind to do for their child's teacher the last week or day of school. 

With that in mind, I designed several keepsake gifts that are very heartfelt.  If you happen to volunteer in the classroom, you could spearhead making a surprise memory book for the teacher.  Since it involves writing, it's certainly educational.

I've included a note home to parents to help expedite things.  "Paper love" is something that I always appreciated and have cherished over the years.  Click on the link to view/download the Teacher Memory book. 

For my sample, I glued the pages in a notebook, but you could mount them on construction paper, laminate, trim and collate into a sweet booklet.

Another option, is a keepsake card.  Print the poster and mount it on a large sheet of construction paper. 

Send the note home (I've included one for this packet too.) Include a piece of construction paper, so that parents can trace and cut out their child's hand print and help them write a note on it.  

They send it back in the envelope provided and you arrange them around the card.  Click on the link to view/download the Teacher Appreciation Card. 

If you're a teacher reading this, and would enjoy a Memory Book from your kiddos, share the idea with a fellow teacher. 

If they like it too, you could swap classes for 15-20 minutes.  You make a memory book for them, with her/his students and (s)he makes one for you with your children. 

The 1st three pages are in color, as well as black and white. Have students each choose a different color marker to write their name on the "This book was created by" paper, which acts like an autograph page too.

So there's plenty of variety, I've also included 15 different clip art options, for students to choose from to complete their writing prompt page. 

There are some for boys and some for girls.  All are in black and white so that they can color them. 

For that finishing touch, have them glue their school photo and sign their name at the bottom. 

The book ends with a special thank you, surrounded by appropriate quotes. 

Click on the link to view/download the Teacher Memory Book. 

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  My "Pin it" button is at the top of the page on the menu bar.

"A teacher is a compass that activates the magnets of curiosity, knowledge, and wisdom in the pupils." -Ever Garrison