1 2 3 Come Do Some More "Oh, the Places You'll Go..." Suess Activities With Me!

Last week I posted a super-fun “Oh the Places I'll Go”  flip-the-flap, writing prompt HAT craftivity. 

While I was working on that packet, I also designed a craft featuring "little readers" as well as graphics depicting older students; however the packet was fast approaching 100 pages, so I decided to divide the crafts into 3 separate packets, which would then have less pages and a much lower price point.

This way, teachers could choose which writing prompt best suits their students and grade level.

Featured below, are the other two "Oh the Places" packets, which are not only perfect for March is Reading Month, Read Across America, or a Celebration of Seuss Week. but certainly appropriate at the end of the year, when students are "going places" by advancing into a new grade or graduating!

As with the HAT craft, these too, combine reading and writing with a bit of geography.

Children think of a place they’d like to travel to. Money is no object, so the world is literally at their feet.

Older students can do a bit of research, to find out about a fascinating place they’d like to travel to. (Thus the geography connection, as well as great research & technology practice!)

In the "Little Readers" packet there are 4, black & white graphic options of children reading a book. They come with and without faces.

The Students choose one, which becomes the “base”. They color, then cut it out. The hat "booklet" is glued to the top of the graphic of the child's head. 

So that teachers can quickly and easily make an example to share, I've also included full-color patterns.

The cover of the hat, comes with & without the question words: Who? What? Why? When? Where & How?

This flips up to reveal 3-pages of answers.

For one of my samples I used the same color scheme as the "Oh, the Places You'll Go" story.

To add a bit more interest, I also used those same colored markers to write in my answers.

I’ve also included a blank page template, so that students can consolidate their answers to one page, or write longer answers if they want. 

For this sample I used red to color in alternating stripes, for a more traditional looking Seuss hat. 

This is a great teachable moment to practice an ABAB color pattern as well.

Using white as my second color choice and not having to fill in those stripes also saved time.

The craftivity provides an interesting way to practice & reinforce the “5 Ws + 1 H” question words in a fun way.

I find this particularly helpful with my Y5s as they enjoy sharing, so when I ask if anyone has any questions they'll often say things like, "I want to make one" or "I have a hat like that" instead of asking a question. 

In all three packets I’ve included a poster with the questions, which you can use to introduce your lesson.

Afterwards, hang it up, so that older students can refer to it, or you could also read each question, then allow time for students to write down their answers.

As always, patterns come in both black & white for students, as well as color, so that teachers can quickly & easily make an example to share

You can leave the “child reading craftivity” as is, or have students glue it to the pattern featuring a stack of 2 suitcases. 

If you think this is too much coloring for your kiddos, simply snip off the bottom suitcase to give to another child.

A luggage tag for a student’s name, adds some 3D pizzazz. 

Completed projects make a terrific bulletin board or hallway display.

I’ve included a variety of posters in both packets, to enhance the display of your students' work. 

The quote posters are in plural form, as if your students are saying these popular phrases from the story. 

There are also letters for the caption: “Oh, the Places We’ll Go!” to add extra pizzazz, which are also included in all 3 packets.

Add a splash more geography and use the "globe" letters for the upper and lowercase O. 

I also had a lot of fun designing my first "background papers", which I've included in both packets as well. I hope you find them useful.

The other "Oh, the Places I'll Go" packet, featuring graphics of older students, is similar to the "Little Readers" one; however, there are two writing prompt craftivities in this packet.

One is a file folder suitcase.

Students color and trim the suitcase, then glue it to the front of a file folder, which flips down to reveal their completed 3-page writing prompt.

The writing provides an interesting way to practice & reinforce the “5 Ws + 1 H”, which are also in the Hat and Little Readers packets: Where would you like to go? When would you like to go? Who do you want to go with? Why do you want to go? What do you want to see? and "How do you want to get there?

The 2nd choice is a “Travel Trunk.” This booklet has 6 pages to it, where students answer the same questions listed above.

I’ve also included a blank page template, so that students can consolidate their answers to one page, or write longer answers if they want.

The trunk booklet can be left as is, or topped with a "student reading” graphic. There are 4 options children can choose from.

Students color and trim, then glue to the top of their trunk booklet.

Another option, is to glue their trunk booklet to the base of a stack of suitcases. 

This option can be left "as is" or can also be topped with one of the 4 ”students reading a book” graphics for a taller completed project.

You decide which version is appropriate for your students, or you could add extra variety to your display by giving students a choice. 

There are two featured FREEBIES today.

Since spring brings a buzzing of bees, I thought you'd like to have a "Parts of a Honey Bee" anchor chart poster. 

For the second FREEBIE, click on the link for some bee-themed math games.

Well that's it for today, thanks for stopping by. 

Woo hoo! The sun is shining and temps are in the 50s.

Even though spring has sprung, it still remains rather chilly here in Michigan. Wishing you a warm and wonderful day.

"Reading is dreaming with open eyes!" -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do A Seuss Craft With Me

It's "March is Reading Month" and Seuss is on the loose!

"You may have heard of Thing 1 and Thng 2.  They are a bit silly and a pretty bright blue.

I wonder though, if you've heard of Thing Three.  I doubt that you have because that would be me!"

And so begins the introductory poem that I wrote for a super-fun, Seuss inspired, writing prompt craft that I feel confident your students will really enjoy!

An added bonus is that completed Thing 3 projects make an amazing bulletin board.
I’ve included 2 posters for the center of your display.

This is easy-easy “print & go” prep for you, with a lot of bang for your time.

The packet is very versatile so that you can easily diversify your lessons.

Pre K kiddos can make their “Thing 3” and leave it at that, or dictate their answer to one of the writing prompts.  

Students can color my Thing 3 pattern, or use the blank-face pattern and draw their own. 

I made matching turquoise hair for my example, but for more variety, give children a choice of rainbow bright or neon colors, which make for an especially vibrant display.

You don’t have to, but to make it even more of a keepsake, have students trace one of their hands on a folded sheet of complimentary-colored construction paper, then cut once to make two hands.

Glue them to the sides of the back of Thing 3’s “belly” circle. Bend them a bit forward for some 3D pop.

For beginning or advanced writers, there are 11 writing prompt pages.
Pick your favorite or give children a choice. 

Another option is to make a “Things Journal”, doing all of the writing prompts.

Students can create their booklet on one day, then each day afterwards, complete a writing prompt page. 

Time constraint? Making & assembling the booklet can be done as a homework assignment, then returned to complete the writing in class.

Finished booklets make a nice keepsake and your “Writing Block” is taken care of for several weeks! Woo hoo.

I’ve found that when students get to share things about themselves, they are excited to get right down to the business of writing.

These interesting prompts not only do that, but they are also thought provoking.
I’ve actually had students who have no clue what they’d like to be, or places they’d like to go. They simply have never really thought about it.
When I tell them “The sky’s the limit” imaginations take flight.

How much you want students to write is up to you; share one “thing” or as many as three per prompt, leaving enough room on the bottom to illustrate one of their thoughts.

I chose 3 examples to go along with the "Thing 3" theme.
Be prepared for some enthusiastic writers to ask if they can list even more “things”!

As a fun way to get to know their classmates better, have a time of sharing when everyone has completed that prompt for the day.

Another booklet option reviews the 5 senses.
You can do this “instead of” the writing prompt pages or in "addition to"; creating a journal that will now last 3 weeks!

Using your five senses to describe things you like seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching, makes for some wonderful descriptive writing too. Remind students to use plenty of adjectives.

As with some of the writing prompts, I’ve included my completed "5 senses" example pages, so that you can quickly & easily make a sample to share.

The student pages include a graphic for each of the 5 senses that they color.  Have them illustrate one of their thoughts on the bottom as well.

Today's featured FREEBIE also has a Seuss theme.  I designed this word work packet to go along with his book Green Eggs and Ham.

Did you know that Dr. Seuss wrote Green Eggs and Ham on a bet that he couldn’t write a book with fifty or fewer distinct words? 

After doing some checking, I discovered that the bet was made in 1960 with Bennett Cerf, the co-founder of Random House, and was for $50.  Ironically, even though Seuss wrote Green Eggs and Ham using EXACTLY 50 words, it's been reported that Cerf never paid up.

Green Eggs and Ham ranks in the top 3 best-selling Seuss books, so it's definitely worth reading.  I painstakingly found all 50 words in my copy, then alphabetized them in a handy list, as well as on an anchor chart poster. All but 8 of these words, appear on the Dolch word lists (6 of the 8 are nouns; the other six nouns in the story ARE on the Dolch noun word list!)  

Use the 50 word cards to play a variety of games like "Speed", Memory Match and "I Have; Who Has?". Students could also pick a partner, and play "Speed" against them, to see who can arrange their set of cards in alphabetical order first. The packet also includes a 2-page tip list of ideas, like Kaboom!

For writing practice, print, laminate and trim the cards.  Toss them into a Seuss hat and have students choose 2-3 and incorporate those words in sentences.  Remind them to use proper spacing, capitalization and end punctuation. 

So that children can practice long and short vowels, I've included two green eggs vowel sorting mats.

For some rhyming practice, run off the two "trace, write and alphabetize" worksheets, which use words that rhyme with Sam and green.  All of these activities are perfect for your Daily 5 word work block. 

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

March has roared in like a lion here in Michigan, so it's time for a cup of hot chamomile tea and a little reading by the fire. 

Wishing you a carefree, lamb kind of day.

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather, mixed with a positive attitude." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Horton The Elephant Activities With Me

The first week of March we do a lot of Cat in the Hat activities to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday. For the rest of March is Reading Month, I sprinkle in activities for some of his other popular stories, like Horton Hears A Who.  This blog article features 4 of my new packets. 

First up is "Hangin' Out With Horton".  Since so many teachers have the 5 senses as one of their science standards, I decided to make this sweet flip booklet featuring Horton because he HEARS a Who.

The pages of the booklet act like a "stem" for the clover that Horton is holding. Each page features one of the senses.
Students complete the simple writing prompts by filling in what Horton sees, hears, tastes, smells, and feels.

This can relate to the story, or be whatever they imaginations dream up. 

The last page is also up to them, as they finish the sentence: "Horton...

For that finishing touch, have them glue their school picture to the clover. They are now an official member of "Whoville". 

Next up is Horton Hears, which also reviews the 5 senses and matches the above packet.  

The packet includes . . .
* An alliterative and "tongue twisting" writing prompt craftivity
* Alliteration and tongue twister definition posters
* A class mini book: “Horton Hears A Who. How About You?”

* “We spy an elephant’s eye and these Ee words:” posters, with matching worksheet
* Horton’s senses whole group activity, with matching individual worksheet

* Label the elephant poster, with matching worksheets
* 5 photo-posters of elephants, featuring one of the 5 senses

* “My favorite sense” writing prompt with a “What’s Your Favorite Sense?” graphing extension
* “If I had to give up one of my senses it would be . . .” writing prompt with graphing extension plus a ...

* “Where might an elephant walk?” photo-poster, with matching writing prompt. 

An elephant is my favorite animal, so I'm also big on the Elmer stories by David McKee. 

I thought it would be fun to design a packet with both pachyderms , and just finished up-dating Horton & Elmer Fun.  This 102-page jumbo packet includes:

* 4 “Craftivities”
* Games
* Pocket chart cards

* Worksheets
* Posters
* Writing prompts

* Graphing activities
* Venn diagrams
* Itty Bitty color booklet

* Rhyming activity
* Lollipop certificate of praise plus
* Bookmarks.   

Finally, I just finished the "I Saw An Elephant" packet today. 

I designed these color activities specifically to go with Horton, but I kept this packet generic, so that it would work anytime of the year, and fits in nicely with a zoo or animal theme as well.     

It's differentiated for PK-1st grade, plus I've also included the UK "colours" and "grey" spelling options.

The packet includes a variety of posters, games, writing prompts, pocket chart cards for 12 colors, with a matching bookmark.
My students keep theirs in their writing journals.

There's also an emergent reader, “Elephant Colors” booklet, filled with lots of Dolch sight words, plus  a "favorite color elephant" graphing extension, with matching “color me” worksheet.

Besides the Memory Match games, there's also 2 options for a “Roll and Color” dice game, with numbers 1-6 for PK children, plus a game sheet for numbers 1-12 with addition practice and two dice, for older kiddos.

To mix math with literacy, there are full color, plus black and white number puzzles (sequencing numbers from 1-10 for PK kiddos, plus skip counting by 10s to 100 for older students.

There's also a set of Color mixing (primary to secondary colors) pocket chart cards, with a matching black & white template for students to color, which I staple together as a flip booklet.

The “mixing colors” elephant craftivity will be a big hit. My students absolutely LOVED mixing colors with finger paints.

They got so excited when a new color appeared as if by “magic”. The results are awesome and make an interesting bulletin board. A caption could be: “Mixing It Up In (Kindergarten)”. 

Today's FREEBIE also features Horton. It's a sweet writing prompt craftivity, that includes the puppet craft, plus 22 writing-prompts!

Well that's it for today.  I hope you still have some time left in your busy March schedule to fit in some fun with Horton. 

The weather's hit 60 today, so the dreary snow is finally melting like crazy!  Woo Hoo; I can smell spring in the air.  Wishing you a wonderful day. 

"Life stands before me like an eternal spring with new and brilliant clothes." - Carl Friedrich Gauss

1-2-3 Come Do Some Seuss Hat Craftivities With Me

Since Seuss's hat is so iconic, with the stripes making it an easy vehicle to cover an assortment of standards, I decided to design a few more activities featuring the cat's hat to celebrate Seuss.

First up is a Seuss-hat, “flip the flap” ABC booklet. My kiddos absolutely LOVE making these emergent readers. I enjoy the versatility.


The packet contains a booklet for each letter of the alphabet. 

You can make these as a whole group activity, as an independent center, for a bulletin board, for a class-made book (each student contributes a letter) or have each child do all of the letter booklets as a “letter a week” activity, and keep them in their ”portfolio" file folder.

Students trace and write the upper and lowercase letters, as well as the words that begin with that letter.  They read the sentence and add end punctuation.

I have used almost all of the words from the Pre-Primer, Kindergarten and 1st Grade Dolch word lists, plus many of the Dolch nouns!

There are covers for the class book, as well as the file folder, and I’ve also included a mini, set of letter cards that you can toss into a Seuss hat.

Children choose one, and that’s the letter they will contribute to the class book.

The packet also includes upper & lowercase letter assessments, plus "trace and write" upper and lowercase letter worksheets, plus a "Hats Off To Wonderful Work!" poster.  

From letters let's go to numbers with “I’ve Got Your Number!” Seuss hat booklet.

This is super-fun for your kiddos and easy-peasy for you to "print & go". 

The booklet helps review quite a few math standards as you flip from left to right, and then again, with another section, of "flip the flap" pages, from right to left, to show a group/set of apples.

I chose apples as the object because of Seuss’s story: 10 Apples Up On Top

You don’t have to add that extra flap to make it simpler for PK kiddos, but it’s really not hard at all, and provides great fine motor cutting practice.

I've also included a pattern without clocks for them, as well as completed teacher samples in full color, to expedite making a sample to share.  

For more math practice, I designed a simple "print & go", "Show Me The Number!" worksheet that covers a variety of math standards.

Teachers can choose a number, give children a choice or have them roll dice to figure out what number they will use to fill out their worksheet.

Interest remains high, even though you can use the worksheet for an entire week or even all of March, because the number changes daily.

Students look forward to working on their Cat Hat Math Mat, because they know what to do, which empowers them.

They can get right down to business, without waiting for directions., which is a real time saver.

Use the large template to explain and demonstrate what you want your kiddos to do.  To conserve paper, I created a 2-on-a-page worksheet for students.

I’ve also included a completed sample. Laminate & hang up as an anchor chart poster, which will help remind children of the directions.

The beauty of this worksheet, is that you can use it for any number. Younger students can work on numbers less than 10, kinders can work on those toughie teens, while older kiddos tackle bigger numbers.

The worksheet is also an easy way to whole-group assess, is great for early finishers, homework or a sub folder too.

Laminate several large worksheets and keep in your math center. Children fill them out with a dry erase marker.

The packet also includes a helpful cat’s hat bookmark with math symbols, which my kiddos keep in their math journals.  

Finally, "You Can Count On Seuss" can be a worksheet or a workbook.   I absolutely LOVE making “print & go” workbooks for my kiddos.

I become queen of the copy room for a bit, which is well worth the effort because after I’ve got them done, I’m free and have reduced my stress level a ton!

My students enjoy working on a page a day, and I have a little lesson for 10 days! Woo hoo. 
There are full-page, large templates to make a worksheet, poster, bigger booklet, and teacher’s edition.

I’ve also made 2-on-a-page worksheets to conserve paper, plus a cover if you’d like to make a workbook like I do.

When my students complete their booklet, they earn a “Hats off to you!” bookmark. These come 5 on-a-page, as well as 12-on-a-page.

I also laminate a set of the large patterns and put them in my math center.  Children use a dry erase marker to do X number of pages.

I complete a set using Seussical colored markers, mount them on turquoise and red construction paper, laminate, and hang them up as posters.

1-2-3 Come Do Some Dr. Seuss Lorax Activities With Me   

Ever since the movie came out, my students absolutely love the Lorax. He's such a cute little fluff ball, and the inspiration behind my "Shapin' Up With The Lorax" packet.   

This craftivity is quick, easy & super-fun and includes a variety of game options.

There's also an emergent reader, which practices capitalization and end punctuation as it reviews shapes.

I’ve provided 2D shapes (circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, pentagon, octagon, trapezoid, rhombus, heart, star & crescent), as well as the four, 3D ones: cone, cube, cylinder andsphere. 

Make a set to use for a bulletin board display.

Make an extra set; cut them in half, and use as puzzles for an independent math center and an interesting way to review symmetry.

Play 4-Corner FREEZE; a game that practices a variety of life skills, like listening and following directions, as well as the 2D/3D shape vocabulary, plus recognition, and counting backwards from 10 to 0.

My kiddos absolutely LOVE this game. Easy-peasy for me, and only takes a few minutes, so it’s perfect for the end of the day. I’ve included directions in the packet.

You can also use the Lorax shapes as big flashcards. Hold one up. Children call out what shape it is, along with its attributes, like the number of vertices.

Play “Who’s Missing?” Display a set on the wall. After children leave, take one away. In the morning, children guess which one is missing.

I’ve also included a 2-on-a-one-page template, so children can pick their favorite shape and create their own Lorax.

There are 2 mustache options: “I ‘mustache’ you a question. What shape am I?” is written on one, the other is blank.

For a cute keepsake idea, students can use their hand prints as the mustache, and add accordion-folded legs and arms. (Super fine motor practice!)

Have older students write attributes on the back. 

Next up is a Telling Time With The Lorax Game, which practices analog and digital time to the hour.

There are several ways to use the packet.  Make a large Lorax teacher’s clock to use as a whole-group assessment tool. 

You can also have children make their own, mini (4-on-a-page pattern) Lorax clock, to whole group assess in another way.

Ask children to show you 11:00 or whatever time. Sitting at their desk/table, they manipulate their paperclips to display that time.
You walk around the room making sure children have the correct time.

Another option: Instead of using paperclips, children can use a dry erase marker to draw hands on their clock, to show you the time, then erase it with a tissue.

The “clocks” can also be used as spinners to play the “It’s Truffula Tree Time!” game.

To use for a math center activity, laminate the full-size truffula trees, and medium-size spinners, and attach a large paperclip with a brass brad.

Using a dry erase marker, children play with a partner, spinning the paperclip to see what time they will trace on the truffula tree trunk.

The winner of the game, is the first one to fill in all of the times, or who has the most times traced when the timer rings.

So that children practice numbering a clock, I’ve also included mini-blank clocks without numbers. 

When students spin, they not only trace the time on their truffula tree, they also write that number on their mini clock worksheet.

I’ve included 2-on-a page templates of the game, so that you can play this as a whole group activity too. 

Children can play with a partner or in a group of 3-5.  Each student makes their own truffula tree, has their own blank clock, and shares the spinner. 

Today's FREEBIE also features Seuss's Lorax.  It's a super-cute writing prompt. Making a mustache to launch a writing prompt, is an interesting and "Suessical" way of doing things. I think your students will enjoy it.

For an adorable bulletin board, take everyone's photograph wearing their mustache and put it next to their writing.  Your bulletin board title could be the same question you are asking: "We mustache you, would you save a truffula tree?" 

Flank the board on either side, with 2 colorful truffula trees, made out of strips of neon-colored tissue paper, and rolled up green bulletin board paper for the trunk. Stripe it with brightly colored boarder.

Well that's it for today.  I can't believe spring is just around the corner, as it's bitter cold today and the bleak view out my window is still snow covered! 

Wishing you a wonderful week!

"Life is like a mustache.  It can be wonderful or terrible, but it always tickles!" -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Dr. Seuss Activities With Me 

Seuss's birthday is March 2nd, so I'm featuring 3 of my all-time favorite writing prompt "Seuss-tivities" that have recently been up-dated. 

First up is the perfect "go-along" to Dr. Seuss's book, "Oh The Places You'll Go". This packet features 3, quick, easy and fun writing prompt craftivities.

On the large bucket, students think of 5 places they want to go, then write the place, followed by what they want to see there, or what they want to do while they are there.

There’s also another writing prompt option of “Oh the top 5 things I want to do are…” 
I’ve included a full-page pattern, as well as a smaller, 2-on-a-page template to conserve paper.

The 3rd prompt is a mini-bucket “slider", where students think of all of the things they'd like to do, and jot them down on a strip of paper.

This can be for the month, year, in 5, 10, 20 years, or a list of all they want to do before they die. They include this time commitment on their hat.

Students can color their large bucket to look like an upside down Seuss hat, or color the stripes however they want.

Some of my students used the color scheme featured in the “Oh The Places You’ll Go” story: pink, powder blue, purple, light green, orange and yellow.

Completed projects make sweet bulletin boards for March is Reading Month or a Dr. Seuss celebration. 

Another writing prompt craftivity to also go along with this book, is my hot air balloon, which turns out absolutely "awww-dorable" making a wonderful keepsake.
Completed projects look terrific suspended from the ceiling, swirling and twirling.

I've designed it with 3 different writing prompt balloons, so that it's 3 dimensional; however, you can simply do just one with your PK kiddos, and display them on a cloud-filled bulletin board.

I do this during my "Celebration of Seuss" week, but it's also a super-fun activity for the end of the year when students will be "sailing into the next grade".

With that in mind, I've also included a set of posters for your display.  There's one for preschool-4th grade, with several generic and blank options for anything else.

I've also included blank balloon patterns, so that you can program with a different writing prompt, making it suitable for back-to-school as well.

There's a large, full-page pattern, as well as a smaller, 2-on-a-page template to conserve paper. 

Finally, "If We Ran The Circus" packet, is based on Dr. Seuss's book "If I Ran The Circus".   

After reading Dr. Seuss’s If I Ran The Circus, have students transition to either of these interesting writing prompts.

One is a class book. There are two writing prompt options, plus a blank page for you to program with whatever.

Students complete their page and illustrate it.  Collect and collate the pages and add the cover. There are two options.

Read your class book aloud by having each student share the page that they wrote. I keep our class-made books in a basket in our classroom library.  It’s one of my students’ favorite “go to’s”.

Remember to display your class-made books for conferences too. They are a great resource to show improvement.

The other writing prompt is a circus tent “craftivity” with 3 tent options in black and white.

Students color and cut out their tent and attach their "If I ran the circus..." paper to the edges, bending it so that their tent is now a 3D cylinder. (Don't forget to review that shape.)

For that finishing touch, students glue their photo to the face of either a clown or a ringmaster. Punch holes on either side, add a yarn loop and suspend from the ceiling.

You can also opt to simply have students use the tent as a “header” gluing their writing prompt underneath.  Completed projects make a cute bulletin board.

I’ve included a circus clown poster to use for your display, as well as full-color tents, plus my 2 completed writing prompt samples, so that you can quickly & easily make examples to share. 

The featured FREEBIE today also has a Seuss-theme. 

I bought some darling clip art on etsy an made a set of Dr. Seuss Number Puzzles.  I hope your kiddos enjoy them!  

Well that's it for today.  Time to go throw some salt on my sidewalk, so I don't break my neck taking the dog out. 

Looking at all this snow, one would never guess that it's the tail end of February here in Michigan!

Wishing you a warm and cozy day.

"As he approached his 28th birthday in February 1840, Dickens knew himself to be famous, successful and tired. He needed a rest, and he made up his mind to keep the year free of the pressure of producing monthly installments of yet another long novel." -Claire Tomalin

1-2-3 Come Do Some Money Activities With Me

President George Washington's picture is inside an oval shape on the one dollar bill, but wait; these dollar bills are wacky, as other 2D shapes have snuck in and taken over. They need some "shaping up!"

This emergent reader practices a variety of standards at the same time reviewing the circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle and hexagon shapes, with two size options.

Students trace and write the shape word; trace and draw the shape; circle the capital letters in the sentences; add end punctuation, then cut and glue the shapes to the matching pages of their booklet.

Use the booklet in February with your money and Presidents' Day activities, or in March during Seuss week, as a "Wacky Wednesday" activity.

For writing practice, I've included a Venn diagram comparing Washington's dollar bill with Lincoln's five dollar bill, as well as a "design your own" dollar bill writing prompt craftivity.

Completed projects make an interesting bulletin board.  

Since Dr. Seuss's birthday is coming up, I also designed a "Flipping Over Coins 'Cent-sational' Seuss" hat craftivity.   

Children color and cut on the dotted lines to make a "flap", that when flipped, will reveal the picture of the coins (penny, nickel, dime, quarter and half dollar) that they have colored, trimmed and glued underneath.

The packet includes a large, full-page hat, as well as a smaller, two on a page template.

To show an AB-AB color pattern, I have my students color every other strip the color of their choice. Many chose red because of Seuss's Cat in the Hat story.  

Finally, My Buck Booklet, is a quick, easy and fun way to practice a variety of standards, including coin identification, and how many ways you can make a dollar.

Students trace and write words, then color, cut and glue the matching coin to the appropriate box in their booklet.

I've also included practice for skip counting by 5s & 10s, plus there's an optional last page to mix math & literacy, as I've included 2 fun writing prompts.

This is an interesting activity for table top, homework, or a sub folder, and plugs in nicely for Presidents' Day too. 

Today's featured FREEBIE is a "coin sort" craftivity. It practices the concept of small-medium & large, which will help students with coin identification.  

Completed projects make a nice bulletin board too. 

Well that's it for today. We've got family coming in from Colorado this morning, so I better finish my cleaning!  

Wishing you a wonderful weekend. 

"Wealth is the ability to fully experience life." - Henry David Thoreau

  1-2-3 Come Do Some Super-Fun Cat in the Hat Activities With Me

Since the Grinch Game in yesterday's blog, was such a huge hit, I decided to make one featuring Seuss's Cat in the Hat. "Feeding" cards to the Cat in the Hat, is a quick, easy and fun way to review all sorts of standards.  Simply print, laminate and trim the "food" cards. 

These are mini cards that include upper and lowercase letters, numbers from 0-120, 11 number word cards, twelve 2D shape cards, twelve 3D shape cards, 35 contraction cards, 20 at family word cards, and 11 color word cards!

I chose bright neon-colors, for that extra touch of Seuss-pizzazz. There's also a set of blank tiles for you to fill in with whatever else you want to review or practice. 

I bought my red bucket from The Dollar Store, printed the cat off on card stock, then taped it to the inside. Easy Peasy. 

I've included 4 little signs that you can use to decorate your container with, or sprinkle on a bulletin board.

Keep each set of "food" cards in Snack Baggies and store them in your container.

To play, simply pass out whatever cards you want to practice with, then call out a word, letter, number etc. 

The child holding that card comes up, reads and shows it, so everyone can repeat what they said. That student then "feeds" the hungry Cat in the Hat.

Besides "feeding" the Cat in the Hat, make extra sets of the cards to play all sorts of games.  I've included tip lists suggesting more activities, plus the "Kaboom!" game.

There's also a set of math symbols as well, so you can use the number cards for other math activities, like making up equations and solving them, plus showing greater & less than. 

Students can also sort the number cards into odd and even piles and sequence them. Play Memory Match or "I Have; Who Has?" games with the number word cards and their matching number cards.

The shape cards, as well as the color cards, work in the same way.  You can also play these games with the letter cards, matching an uppercase letter to a lowercase one.

I've included an at word family worksheet in the packet at well. 

After you're done playing, reward your kiddos with a Seuss bookmark. 

There are 14 different designs in the packet.  Eight of them feature favorite Seuss quotes.

For more Cat in the Hat fun, click on the link for 14 sweet Seuss-themed puzzles. 

They will help your students sequence numbers, count forwards and backwards, plus skip count by 10s to 100. 

I also designed a set of larger Cat in the Hat number cards with numbers 0-120.

Use them for different games, or add them to your "Feed the Cat in the Hat" review game.

There's a bigger set of alphabet cards as well.  There's a separate set for uppercase and lowercase letters, then a set where both the upper & lowercase letter appears on one card, making them "purr-fect" for all sorts of Memory Match or "I Have, Who Has?" games.  

If you'd like to see more Dr. Seuss FREEBIES, click on the link to zip on over to that section of my site.  I also have a Pinterest pin board of more Seuss ideas and free activities. 

Thanks for visiting.   Since winter is bitterly clinging to February,  I wish everyone a safe and snuggly day. 

"Be who you are, and say what you feel, because those who mind, don't matter and those who matter, don't mind." -Dr. Seuss

1-2-3 Come Do S'more Seuss Activities With Me

To help get the wiggles out after story hour, we sang songs.  Singing lightened up the day and taught a variety of skills. 

With that in mind, I thought other teachers might be doing the same thing and looking for something with a Seuss theme, so I used the tune to B-I-N-G-O and substituted the letters with Seuss. 

I've included letter cards, so that you can put them on your flannel or white board and then take one down as you sing each verse. (This is also a teachable moment for subtraction.)

As I was singing, to make sure of the beat, my husband walked in and started singing a goofy little ditty to the tune of Brother John, so of course I had that song stuck in my head and wrote a second Seuss song.   Click on the link to view/download Some Seuss Songs.

I'm working on a list of characters and nonsense words in each book, (a massive under taking, so who knows when I'll finish!) To do so, I'm slowly reading all of the Seuss books that I have in my vast collection (almost 50). 

Since I'm always multi-tasking, I jotted down writing prompts that popped into my head while reading.  Here are a few that I've finished.  These make wonderful class books, and there's more to come, so stay tuned!

First, hot off the press, is a class book entitled: Feature Creatures Plus One Teacher.

This is a different way to have students practice the alphabet, along with their writing skills, and is an interesting transition after you read Dr. Seuss's Alphabet book.  

Make a copy of the letter tiles; toss them into a Seuss hat and have students  pick a letter card and glue it to their page.

Children write their upper and lowercase letter on the blank and then think up a creature that starts with that letter, afterwards drawing a picture underneath.  This should NOT be a real creature like Zz is for Zebra. 

Students need to use their imagination and think up a silly creature just like Dr. Seuss does: "Ff Four fluffy feathers on a fiffer-feffer-feff." Pre-K kids can stop there, but encourage older students to write a few sentences. 

Challenge them to use rhyming words, as well as some tongue-twisting alliteration, to make things more “Seussical."

For example, Zz is for a Zigglewag who likes to play wiggle tag.  He eats zinnias, zingles and zag, all of which make me personally gag.  or Bb is for Boomtoot, who's from Bangladoot and likes to eat fruit, especially bapples, belon and bloot.  

I've included Suess-font letter cards, student and teacher writing pages, plus a sample.  Click on the link to view/download the Feature Creatures Plus One Teacher class book.

Another Alphabet book I think your students will enjoy making is On Before Ant. This is a take off of Dr. Seuss's book On Beyond Zebra, which is about all of the letters that come after  Z. In the beginning of the story, Cornelius is bragging that he knows all of the letters from A to Z. 

He's shocked to find out that there are more!   "Then he almost fell flat on his face on the floor, when I picked up some chalk and drew one letter more. A letter he never had dreamed of before..."  like the letter Snee, which is for "...sneedle, a terrible kind of ferocious mos-keedle.  Whose hum-dinger stinger is as sharp as a needle. "

All of these goofy letters have a name and symbol.   I thought it would be fun to make a class book of all of the pretend letters that might possibly come before the letter A. 

Run off copies of the inside page and have students think up a letter, design it, and then give an example of something that starts with that letter,  finishing up with an illustration. 

After students share their work, collect the pages, collate and make into a class book. Click on the link to view/download the On Before Ant class book. 

Finally, another fun writing prompt has to do with Seuss's book If I Ran The Circus.

The packet includes a class book with two writing prompts to choose from, as well as a 3D cylinder "craftivity."

Students color and cut out their circus tent and then attach their completed writing prompt paper to either side, so that they can bend it into a cylinder shape. 

The photo shows the various views of a completed project.  Punch holes on either side, add a yarn loop and suspend from the ceiling.

For that finishing touch, children add a toothpick flag, and then choose either a clown or a ringmaster to color and glue their photo on top of that face. 

They glue "themselves" to the inside of the tent, so it looks like they are peeking out of the door flap.  Click on the link to view/download the If I Ran The Circus Writing Craftivity packet. 

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  For another cute Seuss writing prompt, scroll down and you'll find a 3D balloon "craftivity" perfect for Seuss's book Oh The Places You'll Go.

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing's going to get better.  It's not!" -Dr. Seuss

1-2-3 Come Seuss With Me!

Anyone else out there "ob-seussed" with the works of Dr. Seuss?  I enjoyed some of his books as a child, but when I really appreciated his prolific writing, was when I became a teacher.  I could see first hand that his goofy pictures, silly words and rhyming technique caused giggles and helped my students learn how to read. 

His birthday is March 2nd. This year he'd be 110 and many will celebrate with a Cat in the Hat Day or by simply reading Seuss books through out the month. 

With over 60 titles to choose from, you could read a different one each day  as you join with others to "Read Across America."

To help you celebrate, I designed a few activities to put in centers or play games with, as a way to review a variety of standards.

The number puzzle strips have been downloaded quite a bit, so I thought it would be fun to make a few with a Seuss theme. 

Thanks to the wonderful graphics by myclipartstore.com they turned out adorable.  The puzzles help your kiddos practice counting to 10, count backwards from 10 to 1, as well as skip count by 10's to 100.  Click on the link to view/download the 14 Dr. Seuss puzzles.

Another cute way to practice skip counting by 10's is to have your students make Thing 1 and Thing 2.  Add 10 turquoise hair strips that they've "curled" on a crayon (5 on each Thing) and then count them by 10's.  

Click on the link to view/download the Count by 10's With Thing 1 and Thing 2 "craftivity".  

Many teachers have told me that they collect my different alphabet cards, so that they can switch things up a bit each month to keep their students' interest. 

In the Dr. Seuss alphabet packet   you'll find Thing 1 and Thing 2  ABC cards that show both upper and lowercase letters on the same card, as well as separate upper and lowercase letter cards, so that you can play all sorts of games like Memory Match or "I Have; Who Has?" 

Use them as flashcards, a border, cut them up into puzzles etc.  I've provided a 3-page tip list of all sorts of things you can do with them, as well as Kaboom cards to make games even more fun.  Click on the link to view/download the Dr. Seuss Alphabet Cards.

Finally, I also made some number cards from 0 to 120.  There are math symbol cards as well, so that students can make and solve equations, plus an odd and even sorting mat and a tip list of ideas.  Click on the link to view/download the Dr. Seuss Number Cards.

That's it for today.  I hope you can stop by again tomorrow for the newest Seuss FREEBIES.  In the meantime, scroll down to see other blog articles and ideas, or click on the link to pop on over to the Dr.Seuss section of TeachWithMe to find even more.

 "Don't cry that it's over; smile because it happened." -Dr. Seuss