1-2-3 Come Do Some Chick and Bunny Craftivities With Me
I love springtime. There's something magical and invigorating about it; and there are so many themes you can incorporate into your lessons.
The chick and bunny seem to be popular symbols, so with that in mind I used them to design some quick, easy and super-fun craftivities, which practice a variety of standards.
I'll be featuring 4 of my favorites, along with today's FREEBIE. First up is a chick-themed -ick word family packet.
The packet includes:
* An -ick chick word slider craftivity, featuring 20 words, with 2 size options.
* An -ick family poster with 22 words, plus 10 “flip the flap” -ick word booklets, as well as an “ABC Me” worksheet. I've also included ...
* A cover to make an -ick word family dictionary, along with an Itty Bitty -ick word family booklet, plus a "Fill in the blanks” missing -ick word, sentence worksheet along with ...
* A set of -ick word family picture cards, with matching -ick word cards, so you can play “Memory Match” and “I Have; Who Has?” games, individually, with a partner or as a whole group activity.
* To mix math with literacy, there's an “Isn’t it slick that I can skip count with my chick?” slider craft, with 2 size options.
These number sliders skip count by 2s, 3s, 5s, or 10s.
You can also practice the -op word family with my bunny packet.
The format is similar. The -op word family poster has an alphabetical list of 49 words, with some new words even to me, llke kop and trop, so I've also included a cover to make an —op word family dictionary.
I chose 18, or those -op words and made "just the right size", mini-cards. Students can put them in alphabetical order, as an independent center, or partner up to see who can do it the fastest.
Another idea, is to have children choose 2-3 cards and use the words in a sentence.
The bunny and chick were also perfect to design some more "shapely critter crafts" which all started years ago with the penguin packet.
It's a wonderful, hands-on way to review 2D and 3D shapes.
Make a large set to use as flashcards, for whole-group games, and anchor charts, then have children pick their favorite and create their own.
Completed projects make an adorable bulletin board.
I've included several posters for the center of your display.
The packets include an emergent reader, games, worksheets, and a "certificate of praise" bookmark.
For the emergent reader, students read, trace and write the shape word, fill in the shapes to look like chicks/bunnies; trace the shape and then draw that shape.
They also underline the capital letter and add end punctuation.
Both animals are super-cute, but my personal favorite is the bunny.
There are 3 pattern options for the rabbit: A whimsical looking one, a "fluffy" faced one, as well as blank templates so children can draw their own.
I've also included a paw pattern to make the shapes look even more like a bunny.
I think part of the bunny's charm, is that I also added a set of butterflies and ladybugs, which feature the various shapes.
For a bit of 3D pizzazz, students choose one and glue the bug to the top of one of the bunny's ears.
To get the 3D "pop" bend the ladybug's antennae forward.
For the butterfly, give children 2 different colors.
They trim and fold one of the butterfly's wings, then glue just the thorax to the top of the other butterfly. Easy-peasy and looks fabulous!
Besides the standard 2D shapes, due to many requests, I've also included the trapezoid and rhombus "pattern block" shapes, along with the hexagon, pentagon and octagon.
Since many teachers are also teaching 3D shapes, there's also patterns for the cone, cube, cylinder and sphere.
Click on the links for the "Slick Chick Spring Shape Up" packet, and the "Hop To It" Bunny Shape packet.
Finally, while diddling around with pattern blocks, I discovered that you can use other pieces, to make a hexagon.
Since this is a really new shape for my Y5s, it tends to be a "toughie" for them to remember.
I think part of the difficulty, is because there are not many "real life" examples for them to see. With that in mind, I designed the "Don't be vexed by the "hex", hexagon challenge.
I putzed 'til I created a dozen arrangements, and have included a full-color, as well as a black & white template (filled in with lines, plus blank) for them to place pattern pieces on.
Later, after they've created some patterns, turn it into a "Speed" game; set a timer and see who can make the most hexagons before it rings.
Today's FREEBIE also has a bunny theme, which practices skip counting.
Your students will enjoy hopping to the next number, as they skip count with the bunny, by 2's, 3's, 5's, and 10's. I've also included "What's Missing?" worksheets for each skip counted set. These are great for "early finishers" or homework to send over spring break.
Well that's it for today. Thanks for visiting. Time to switch gears and put my nana hat on, as I'm taking care of my grandchildren today.
Kaiden (3) and Kaitlyn (1) put the grand in grandma.
Wishing you a love-filled day filled with lots of hugs and giggles.
"I love music of all kinds, but there's no greater music than the sound of my children and grandchildren laughing." -Sylvia Earle
1-2-3 Come Play Word Games With Me.
You will really like the versatility of this 109 page word packet!
Students can sort words by vowel sounds, word families, nouns, verbs, plurals, school words, calendar words, seasonal words, rhyming words, colors, numbers, shapes, antonyms, synonyms, homonyms etc.
There are 31 sorting baskets to choose from + a blank basket to program with whatever.
Using brown construction paper, simply print off whatever baskets you want to use; laminate them, cut them out and attach a large paper cup to the back using a bit of tape.
Print off the word eggs on a variety of construction paper colors, laminate and cut out.
Students can work in groups or individually, to sort a dozen or so words, dropping them in the cup and then rotating to another basket when they are done.
Children can also alphabetize a group of egg words.
I've included CVC words, sight words, over 40 word families, + all of the Dolch word list words, as well as all of the Dolch nouns; for a total of 1,180 word eggs! Sixteen eggs are on a page for easy printing.
There's also a blank set of eggs that you can program with your spelling words etc.
Click on the link to view/download A Tisket A Tasket Word Cards in a Basket packet.
"A-tisket a-tasket A green and yellow basket. I wrote a letter to my love and on the way I dropped it. I dropped it, I dropped it and on the way I dropped it. A little boy picked it up and put it in his pocket."
1-2-3 Come Make A Pattern With Me!
Run off egg template on white construction paper. Cut a variety of bright and pastel construction paper strips the width of a ruler.
For ease of cutting, on a paper cutter, I make a template and then run off the strips.
I made mine 1 inch wide, but sometimes when you print from a scanned PDF, the template comes out a tad smaller, so make sure that your strips are the same width as your egg template.
Make some samples of a variety of patterns: ABAB, ABCABC AABB ABBA etc.
Review patterning with your students.
Children decide what pattern they are going to make and choose their strips accordingly.
Rub glue on the template and then place a strip down. (I’ve taken a picture of how this looks with an ABC (red-orange-yellow) pattern. I started in the middle so that you could see the egg shape, but students should start at the top.
After they have completed their pattern, have them flip over their egg so that they can trim off the ends. Students write the pattern on the front of their egg.
If you want to dangle them from the ceiling, punch a hole in the top, add a yarn loop and hang them back-to-back so that all sides look nice.
They also make a colorful bulletin board. Your caption can be: Egg-sactly What Patterns Do You See? or “Egg-citing Patterns From Mrs./Mr. ___________ class.”
I’ve also included a rip and tear egg template, so that students can make a rip & tear creation. This is outstanding fine motor exercise. My Y5‘s loved making R&P’s.
Students simply put all of the ends of their paper strips in a pile. Children select whatever colors they want, and rip and tear them into a pile.
They then rub glue all over their egg template and press the pieces on the top. These too can be flipped over and trimmed, so that their shape is more egg like.
You can hang these along with the larger eggs for even more pizzazz.
Click on the link to view/download the egg patterning packet.
Thanks for visitng today. Feel free to PIN anything you think others might find helpful.
"Wisdom is one treasure that no thief can touch." -Japanese Proverb
1-2-3 Do Some Carrot Activities With Me!
Since spring has supposedly sprung, although you wouldn't know it by the cold and snowy weather we're having here in Michigan, I thought I'd whip together a few carrot-themed activities.
My Y5's loved carrots and dip as a snack. I'd often put some sort of "craftivity" involving carrot counting, or graphing as an extension, into our morning lessons, and then finish up with the carrot snack as a reward for a job well done.
This packet includes a carrot fold open card that's nice to give as a spring note to parents, or use it to have students record their writing prompt inside.
Snipping the carrot topper is a wonderful fine motor skill as well. The template is symmetric so you can review that concept too.
The "Spring Spiral" is also a great cutting skill. I've included a left-handed spiral too, so that your "lefties" will have an easier time.
These spiraling carrots look great hanging from the ceiling.
I've included several graphing extensions + upper and lowercase bunny-carrot cards that you can use as a spring border, or to use for Memory Match games or to play "I Have; Who Has?"
Click on the link to view/download the carrot activity packet.
Thanks for visiting today.
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"I bet You know a thing or two. You're super smart; I'm proud of you!" -Dr. Seuss
1-2-3, Come Slide With Me, To Study a Word Family!
My Y5's really enjoyed making "sliders." I named them that, because you slide a strip of paper through slits that then revealed something in the cut out "window."
I made sliders for lots of my report card standards: upper and lowercase letters, numbers, skip counting, counting backwards, shapes, colors, word wall words etc.
A slider was an especially successful way for my students to actually see, how a word family operated.
They liked seeing new words appear, as they slid their letter strip up and down.
To make a slider, simply run off the templates on construction paper. Students cut out and assemble.
Add pizzazz to their chick with wiggle eyes, a 3D beak, a yellow feather atop the head, and by folding the wings forward.
I added that finishing touch to the bunny, with wiggle eyes and a pink pom pom nose. Students can also glue a cotton ball to the back for a fluffy bunny tail.
Sliders are a wonderful way for discovering words that your students are not familiar with.
Add these to the vocabulary-building activities included in the packet like this sweet -ick ending word dictionary.
I often built vocabulary for a variety of themes and word families via a dictionary.
I've included a cover for both the -ick chick word family slider, as well as the bunny -op word family slider.
I hope your students LOVE learning new words as much as I do! One of my favorite things about the internet is the unbelievable amount of information available at the click of some keys.
While I was researching ick and op ending words I learned a few new ones I didn't know: snick, strop and swop!
There's also a worksheet in each slider packet, where students trace and then write the word family words in alphabetical order.
Because I thought it would be slick for students to skip count with their chick, I also included skip counting strips for 2's. 3's, 5's and 10's.
Click on the link to view/download the chick ick word family and skip counting sliders.
Click on the link to view/download the -op word family bunny slider packet.
If you like these spring sliders, you'll probably want to take a look at the sheep slider, featuring -eep Da -eap word family words. Click on the link to view/download it.
Thanks for visiting. The birds are chirping; the sun is shining and it's time for a much needed break to grab some fresh air.
"Do your work with your whole heart and you will succeed; there's so little competition." -Elbert Hubbard
1-2-3 Come Make Some Spring Glyphs With Me!
When I think of spring I think of bunnies, eggs, and butterflies, so I designed some cute glyphs with those things in mind.
My Y5's really enjoyed making glyphs. Completed projects make wonderful bulletin boards, and they are a quick, easy and fun way to whole group assess listening and following directions.
This was a report card standard for my Y5's. So that this is not just my "opinion" that was made through observing their child, a glyph provides nice "paper proof."
If a parent ever questions why you feel their child is not listening and following directions, or asks you for "proof", a file of incorrectly done glyphs is a terrific resource.
After I took down this spring bulletin board, I kept completed glyphs in my assessment folder.
I paperclipped incorrect ones together, and put them on the top.
I also kept an answer key, so that I had a correct comparison for parents to peruse, as they looked at them side-by-side, and I pointed out problems.
After conferences, I'd send those glyphs home and start fresh.
The photographs are of completed glyphs. As I stated above, each Glyph makes a sweet bulletin board on their own, but you could also combine them.
Have students cut out their eggs and then use them as a border, scatter the bunny glyphs on the board, cut out and hang the butterfly glyphs back-to-back, and at different lengths from the ceiling, or "resting" on the wall.
For a more 3D effect, fold the wings up, and just tack down the thorax portion.
Glyphs and graphing are also wonderful ways for your students to collect and analyze data, which will help you review the Common Core State Standard: 1.MD.4
Click on the link to view/download the egg glyph and/or the butterfly glyph and the bunny glyph
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"It's OK to not know, but it's not OK to not try." -Unknown
1-2-3 Come Learn Contractions and Color Words With Me!
I wanted to make another activity to help students learn and practice contractions. Since spring is just around the corner, I thought I'd design contraction eggs. You can use them for Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham lessons or someting related to spring or Easter.
Because they are often seen "cracked" open, the halves aspect of the egg was a perfect vehicle to show the contraction on one half of the egg, and the words that are involved, on the other half.
If you need a transition activity after reading Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham, then run the templates off on various shades of green. You could also revisit this activity for St. Patty's Day too.
If you'd like it to be an activity students can do through out spring, then run off the templates on a variety of bright and pastel colored construction paper. You can keep the laminated eggs in a basket.
I've included a blank set of eggs for you to program with upper and lowercase letters, word wall words, spelling words, equations or whatever else you can think of, to make games for your students.
The "Contraction of the Day" poster egg, is a way you can feature a different half egg each day. Students figure out what contraction or set of words should be on the other half. I've also included over 20 other ideas that you can use these contraction eggs for, in a tips list, which includes games like Kaboom.
Click on the link to view/download the Egg Contraction Packet.
Another egg activity that I think your students will enjoy is an egg color matching game.
Students can match either the colored egg yolk to the color word, in a face up fashion, or flip the cards over and match a colored egg with a color word egg, as a Memory Match game.
If you have plastic eggs, have students twist them apart and match the colors and color words that way. Students can also play "I Have; Who Has?" i.e. "I have the color word egg yellow. Who has the yellow egg?"
Click on the link to view/download the Egg Colors Packet.
If you are looking for more Seuss activities I have over 50 freebies. Simply click on the link to zip over to that section of my site.
Thanks for visiting today. Feel free to PIN anything that you think others will find helpful.
"Why fit in, when you were born to stand out!" -Dr. Seuss