1-2-3 Come Do Some Spring Things With Me

During spring, it’s a good idea to once again assess things like colors, color words, and shapes. 

With that in mind, I designed the “Bunny Tails & Tales” packet as a super-fun way to practice, assess, or teach.

Add a bit of “crafty” to writing practice, and your students will be excited to show off their writing skills, with the “Bunny Tale” shape booklet.

The cover flips up to reveal their bunny tale. Add a cotton ball for that finishing touch.

I’ve included my silly story about the “Magic Carrot”, so that you can easily make an example to share with your students.

Review thirteen, 2D shapes with the “Shapely Bunny” game.

Students match the appropriate shaped tail to the matching bunny with that shape word.

I used glue dots to add a mini, white pom pom to each piece.
This not only makes manipulating the tails easier, but the pinching aspect, is a great way to strengthen finger muscles.

If you’re making this center for PK, simply trace the tail shape onto the bunny, so they can practice one-to-one correspondence.

The packet includes patterns for these 2D shapes: circle, oval, triangle, rectangle, square, hexagon, octagon, pentagon, rhombus, trapezoid, star, heart and crescent. Choose those appropriate for your group.

Besides writing and shapes, the packet also practices colors and color words.

I’ve included mini word cards for all of the basic colors, which are placed over the matching rectangle on that color bunny. Children then place the matching colored pom pom “tail” underneath.

There are word cards in matching ink colors for little ones, as well as cards with black ink, so you can use this as an assessment tool as well. 

I wanted to see if you could do the games with a 3-year-old, so I tested them out on my grandson Kaiden, and he absolutely loved playing them.

When he got done matching the color words and pom poms he proudly exclaimed, "I did it!" 

He also enjoyed the shape matching game, so you're good to go with a preschool group.

Finally, the packet includes a sweet “just the right size” Itty Bitty Shape booklet.

Children read the shape word, write it on the bunny’s head, then draw that shape for a tail.

There’s a booklet with the standard 2D shapes, as well as optional pages for the rest.

When children have completed their booklet, graph which shaped tail they liked the best. 

Continuing with the bunny theme, I designed a packet called "The Shape Of My Bunny's Nose", which is a center activity, game and Itty Bitty booklet, that reinforces thirteen, 2D shapes.       

The pattern comes in color on a full-page size, as well as a two-on-a-page size to use as a center activity.  I've also included shape word cards, so that older students can practice matching a shape to its shape word.

There's a smaller, 3-on-a-page size to use for games, where children pick a partner and play “Show me the shape.”  I’ve also included black & white patterns, so that children can make their own shape games.

* To play the game as a large group, attach a soft Velcro dot to the nose section of the bunny, as well as the word section, then scratchy Velcro dots to the pieces.
* Pass out the pieces and call for a shape.
* The child holding that shape, comes up and attaches it. Everyone says the shape as the child points to the nose, then repeats it by reading the shape word as they point to it.

There’s also a black and white “My Bunny’s Nose” booklet, with options for additional pages which feature other shapes.

Children read the word and draw that shape on the bunny’s face, then color, trim and collate their shape booklet.

I’ve also included a graphing extension to practice another standard. 

Finally, since April showers bring May flowers, and Mother's Day is just around the corner, I designed this 3D tulip writing prompt craftivity.

PK kiddos can simply make the craft, while older students can choose from 2 writing prompts.  Use the blank pattern to program whatever.

I've also done a "two lips" play-on-words, for a sweet Mother's Day card.

Cutting on a spiral to make the "stem", is wonderful fine motor practice. I've included a pattern for "lefties" as well.

Completed projects look wonderful suspended from the ceiling.  There's a "Spiraling Into Spring" poster for the center of your display. 

The FREEBIE today, also reinforces colors and color words.

Since the "mustache craze" continues, I thought it would be fun to make an "I 'mustache' you about colors" game, with two versions, one for PK kiddos, plus another for older students.  

Well that's it for today.  The snow has finally melted here in Michigan, and although the sun is shining, temperatures are still in the 40s, so I'm looking forward to when spring truly arrives.  

Wishing you a stress-free, happy day.

"In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours." -Mark Twain

1-2-3 Come Practice, Review and Assess With a Bunny and Me

Spring has sprung and it's time to review some of those Common Core Standards you've been teaching all year. 

Sigh.... as we all know, just because our little ones passed an assessment months ago, if we didn't continue to practice it throughout the year, sadly, a few of them did not retain that information.

With that in mind, I designed the very versatile  "I'm All Ears" game packet that will make reviewing a variety of standards quick, easy and fun. 

I don't know about your kiddos, but I've found that if I make a game for anything, I've grabbed my Y5's attention and can easily have them focused for a nice chunk of time.

Use the large and small bunny for a center activity, assessment, or game.  Run off the large and small bunny heads on ivory construction paper; laminate and trim.

Program large and small craft sticks with whatever you'd like to reinforce.  Keep each set in their own Baggie. 

I've included a list of synonyms/antonyms and a list of contractions so you can easily program the bunny ears with words that fit your age group.  

Here are some ideas:

• uppercase-lowercase letters
• number-number word
• number-group/set
• contraction-words that make up the contraction
• synonyms and antonyms
• equation-answer
• color-color word
• shape-shape word
• 2 words-compound word
• singular-plural
• long or short vowel sound to a matching word example

As you can see the possibilities are endless!  I hope this makes those end of the year reviews a bit more fun and less tedious.  Click on the link for the "I'm All Ears" For Common Core Bunny Game Packet

Thanks for visiting.  It's hard to believe that the school year is almost at an end.  Aprill and May months always seemed to simply fly, as there was so much to cram into the limited time I had left. 

My timer's ringing, so I'd better check the "No Peek Chicken".  It's one of my favorite recipes and smells delicious.  Wishing you a carefree day.

"Sweet April showers do spring May flowers!" -Thomas Tusser