1-2-3 Come Do Some "Souper" Fun Craftivities With Me

This "craftivity" packet is very versatile. I have templates that you can use at the end of the school year, where students write about the"souper" summer they are looking forward to, or the "souper" year they had; or they can make one for your next year's kiddos explaining why they are going to have a "souper" year in __________ grade.

Simply run off which ever pattern you need.  Students color the template and then trace it on a sheet of construction paper.

I used red to blend in with the soup can, but you could offer a variety of colors. 

This will become the "inside" section of the can where they'll complete the writing prompt and then "hinge" it at the top with a small piece of tape or a staple, in such a way that it flips up to reveal what they wrote.

If you've incorporated the popular "Bucket Fillers" program in your classroom, the "souper" compliment flip up or windsock, fits in nicely, and goes a long way in building a child's self-esteem.  For this prompt, I prefer the windsock as it's a nice way to review the 3D cylinder shape as well as ABAB patterning. 

Here's How To Make One:

I didn’t have a big sheet of red construction paper, so I had to tape two smaller ones together.  The “compliment strips” are the width of a ruler and the length of the paper.  I chose two colors for more pop, as well as a way to review a color pattern.

Students each get a stack of 10 strips (5 of each color).  Have them glue the strips to the bottom of their large sheet of paper that has their soup can glued to the front.  I left 1/2 an inch of space in between the strips.

Put students in groups of 9.  Review what an adjective is and then brainstorm nice things (compliments) that they could write about each other.
Children write something about themselves on one of the strips, and then pass their paper to the next person. 

Passing continues within the group ’til everyone has written something on each person’s windsock. The teacher visits each group and writes something for each child on the 10th strip.

Students gently curve their flat “souper can” into a cylinder shape and staple the ends together.  Punch a hole on either side, attach a 12 inch piece of yarn and dangle from the ceiling. 

Having students make a windsock for your next year's kiddos would also make a wonderful back-to-school welcome display.  After the first day, take them down and pass them out to your new students.  They read and share with the class.  Hopefully these will help ease first day jitters and get your students excited about the year ahead.

Finally, to help celebrate special holidays, there are patterns for a "souper" mom or dad, as well as one they can make for Grandparent's Day, plus a blank one to fill in with whatever.  

Keep in mind, that any of the 2D writing prompt options, can easily be turned into the 3D cylinder shaped windsock craft,by simply having them write on the strips of paper.

Click on the link to view/download the "Souper" Writing Prompt Craftivity Packet. 

Thanks for visiting today.  Even though it's Sunday, and typically my day of rest after church, I have some very tempting "souper" craftivities in the works...

Does anyone else out there get excited about making things and designing lessons for their classroom? After all, it is actually our home-away-from-home.  

"Good manners: The noise you don't make when you're eating soup." -Bennett Cerf

1-2-3 Come Make A Writing Prompt Craft With Me

Summer is an especially wonderful time to ride a bike, so I thought I'd make a "craftivity" using a bicycle.  If you're a frequent visitor, you know that I enjoy designing things involving a "play on words". 

As I putzed with a writing prompt I thought substituting the word "wheel" for real would be fun.  Thus "I had a 'wheel' great summer!" was born. 

There are two templates to choose from.  One is for back to school, the other for the end of the year. Use as an interesting icebreaker for the first week of school, where students write about the places they went and the things they did over vacation. 

This is a fun way to find out about your new students, as they complete the prompt inside the spokes of the wheel. 

For added pizzazz, and to learn a bit more about your kiddos, have students write using their two favorite color markers.

Simply run the bike off on a variety of colors of construction paper. 

Students trim and glue to the wheels. (I ran off on white card stock.)  If you want them to spin, poke a hole in the center and attach with a brass brad. 

For that finishing touch, have students attach a school photo.  Children read one or two items from each wheel, as they share it with their classmates. 

You can do these in class; as an activity for open house; or send home on the first day of school for children to complete with their family.

While I was at it, I thought this idea could also be used at the end of the year, where students wrote about their favorite things, activities, subjects, etc. 

There are six wheels they can choose from, including a blank one to fill in whatever prompt you want. 

Completed projects make a sweet bulletin board. 

Click on the link to view/download the bicycle writing prompt craftivity. 

Thanks for visiting.  Feel free to PIN away. 

Do you have a back-to-school activity you could share with us?  I'd love to hear from you: diane@teachwithme.com  or leave a comment below.

8 pages

Use this cute bicycle template for a sweet end of the year writing prompt, where students choose two wheels and write about their favorite things that year inside the spokes. You can also use it as an icebreaker at the beginning of the year, as an interesting way to get to know your new students. 

1-2-3 Come Make A Butterfly Keepsake Frame With Me

As I stated yesterday, despite the fact that summer has yet to be officially launched, I am enjoying designing back-to-school stuff.  As long as I was putzing, I thought why not blog about these new items.  I figure even if some sane teachers are truly on vacation, they can catch up later and scroll to their heart's content, hopefully getting some new ideas that will get them excited to go back.

My grandsons' last day of school isn't 'til this Friday the 20th, so if you too, are still in school because of those dreaded snow day make ups, perhaps you can even use this activity now.

As a good educator, one should not have the proverbial "teacher's pet" but realistically, every year there are always a few adorable students who become favorites.  Even though you treat all of your kiddos equally, those children leave heartprints that become fond memories forever. 

Sweet little Jenna is one of mine.  Thoughts of her, as I type, make me smile.  She was so quiet and shy, and bravely tried to fight those first-day of school tears.  I confided to her mom that she came to me a tiny caterpillar, and by the end of Y5's she had blossomed into a lovely butterfly.  Her mother agreed that Jenna had truly come out of her "crysalis" shell and wasn't afraid to fly!

She was my inspiration for this keepsake frame.  I hope you enjoy making them with your students and that they tug on a few heartstrings as mommies tuck them away.  

The reason this is a back-to-school item, even tho' you'll be doing it at the end of the year, is because you need to make copies of your students' first day of school photographs.  

It's something that most early elementary teachers do, especially if they make an end of the year memory book.  Simply make double prints to save for later, and do a photo shoot of some sort for a last week of school picture as well. 

When I designed my sample, I didn't have any photographs to put in it, so I surfed the web and found "Ho ho" on Crystal's  Little Bit Funky site.  She was kind enough to give me permission to use her son's pictures in my butterfly frame.  Click on the link to check out her helpful blog. 

To make a butterfly frame, run off my templates on a variety of colors of construction paper.  There are two on a page for easy printing.  Trim and fold them in half.  Students cut out the X-d sections and then glue their pictures behind the wings.  Mount on a complementary color of construction paper.  

If you think that this type of cutting is too difficult for your kiddos, have a room helper cut the butterfly frames ahead of time.  Even young children should be OK to cut the leaf, caterpillar and flower out.  They glue these to their frame.  Students or a teacher can print the "First day of ________ ... last day!" portion on the wing sections.  

For that finishing touch, I added a paper punch butterfly.  To make it 3D, I used two butterflies, gluing the thorax of the top one to the thorax of the bottom one, and then bent the wings up, so that the butterfly looks like it's flying. 

Click on the link to view/download the Keepsake Butterfly Frame.  Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  That's how I found adorable little Ho Ho!  Until next time, rest, relax, repeat!

"It's never too late to be what you might have been." -

7 pages.

I'm putting this in my back-to-school section as well as something to make in May or June, so that you can remember to make a copy of your first day photographs, in order to have them to make this sweet keepsake craftivity at the end of the year.  If you look closely you'll see the butterfly that "frames" the "then and now" photos. 

 1-2-3 Come Do Some "Souper" Craftivities With Me

This "craftivity" packet is very versatile. I have templates that you can use at the end of the school year, where students write about the"souper" summer they are looking forward to, or the "souper" year they had; or they can make one for your next year's kiddos explaining why they are going to have a "souper" year in __________ grade.

Simply run off which ever pattern you need.  Students color the template and then trace it on a sheet of construction paper.

I used red to blend in with the soup can, but you could offer a variety of colors. 

This will become the "inside" section of the can where they'll complete the writing prompt and then "hinge" it at the top with a small piece of tape or a staple, in such a way that it flips up to reveal what they wrote.

If you've incorporated the popular "Bucket Fillers" program in your classroom, the "souper" compliment flip up or windsock, fits in nicely, and goes a long way in building a child's self-esteem.  For this prompt, I prefer the windsock as it's a nice way to review the 3D cylinder shape as well as ABAB patterning. 

Here's How To Make One:

I didn’t have a big sheet of red construction paper, so I had to tape two smaller ones together.  The “compliment strips” are the width of a ruler and the length of the paper.  I chose two colors for more pop, as well as a way to review a color pattern.

Students each get a stack of 10 strips (5 of each color).  Have them glue the strips to the bottom of their large sheet of paper that has their soup can glued to the front.  I left 1/2 an inch of space in between the strips.

Put students in groups of 9.  Review what an adjective is and then brainstorm nice things (compliments) that they could write about each other.
Children write something about themselves on one of the strips, and then pass their paper to the next person. 

Passing continues within the group ’til everyone has written something on each person’s windsock. The teacher visits each group and writes something for each child on the 10th strip.

Students gently curve their flat “souper can” into a cylinder shape and staple the ends together.  Punch a hole on either side, attach a 12 inch piece of yarn and dangle from the ceiling. 

Having students make a windsock for your next year's kiddos would also make a wonderful back-to-school welcome display.  After the first day, take them down and pass them out to your new students.  They read and share with the class.  Hopefully these will help ease first day jitters and get your students excited about the year ahead.

Finally, to help celebrate special holidays, there are patterns for a "souper" mom or dad, as well as one they can make for Grandparent's Day, plus a blank one to fill in with whatever.  

Keep in mind, that any of the 2D writing prompt options, can easily be turned into the 3D cylinder shaped windsock craft too.

Click on the link to view/download the "Souper" Writing Prompt Craftivity Packet.  Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away. 

"My greatest strength is common sense.  I'm really a standard brand like Campbell's tomato soup." -Katherine Hepburn

9 pages.

This "craftivity" packet is very versatile. I have templates that you can use at the end of the school year, where students write about the"souper" summer they are looking forward to, or the "souper" year they had, or they can make one for your next year's kiddos explaining why they are going to have a "souper" year in __________ grade.

1-2-3 Come Make Some Father's Day "Craftivities" With Me

My son-in-law is a huge superhero fan. Seems he's not alone, as Marvel comics is raking in millions of dollars cashing in on the craze.  With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to design some superhero-themed Father's Day activities that I hope your kiddos will enjoy making for their dads.  

The packet includes a Father's Day Batman card, as well as a Superman writing prompt card. 

Students color the covers and then hinge them to the second page.

While doing research about superheroes, I came across a sweet simile poster. The link went no where and there was no author, so I decided to revamp it by adding my own superhero similes and incorporating specific superhero fonts that students could color appropriately.  

I think it turned out pretty cute, providing a fun way to explain the concept of similes to your students. 

My husband didn't quite get "classy as Batman" until I explained to him that Bruce Wayne was a millionaire and supposedly sophisticated.  Even after I Googled characteristics of superheroes, it was still difficult to pinpoint some adjectives.

My daughter thought that Captain America was more protective than The Green Lantern, but I chose that term for him, because in researching each character, it seemed that The Green Lantern went hand-in-hand with the Justice League, Guardians of the Universe, and the Intergalactic Police, all of which I presumed were very protective.  At any rate, I hope your kiddos find it amusing.

The Craft Caravan had a cute Super Dad coloring page, which inspired me to create several of my own.  I designed a superhero head that children can draw in details to look like their dad and then complete the writing prompts on the right. 

For another coloring page option, I drew the famous "ripped open shirt" of Superman, only the logo here is "Super Dad."

As with the above portrait, students fill in the facial features of their fathers.  You can staple the simile page to this, or have students write why their dad is super on the back of their picture. 

For a simple writing prompt activity, students choose one of two bookmarks to color and then write why they feel their dad is a superhero. 

There are also two bookmarks that have an acrostic father poem on them; they come in black line, as well as full color. 

Click on the link to view/download the Father's Day Superhero Packet.  

I made my samples with my little grandson.  He's only 19 months old, but was happy to add his scribbles, and I think his papa will appreciate both of our efforts. 

While surfing, I found a wonderful superhero dad poem and decided to include it in Kaiden's paper love cards for his daddy.  If you like it too, click on the link to grab this FREEBIE over at Creat-Craft-Love. 

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  If you're looking for more superhero-themed activities click on the link to take a peek at my superhero board on Pinterest.

If you're looking for more Father's Day ideas, click on the link to zip on over to that section of TeachWithMe where you'll find 18 more FREEBIES.

"Life hits you hard.  But it takes three seconds to decide if you're a superhero or not.  I am." -Hrithik Roshan

1-2-3 Come Make A "Tee-rrific" Father's Day Card With Me

As I stated in yesterday's article, I tried to make time so that my Y5's could create something for their dads for Father's Day.  I know the end of the school year is often hectic, so I wanted to make several quick and easy "craftivities" that you could choose from, that would easily plug into your day. 

A bit of interesting fun, but also educational.  (Heaven forbid that we can't justify every little thing we do!)  I'll be making several other Father's Day cards this week in the hopes that you can give your kiddos more than one option, as not all dads golf etc. 

You could make up 2 to 3 examples and ask them what they want to do, then run off the appropriate number of each "craftivity".    If you're lucky enough to be out of school, you can hopefully file these away for next year. 

As with yesterday's "dynamite dad" card, the "My dad is 'tee-rrific' golf card" is also a writing prompt.  Explain the "tee-rrific" play on words to your students.  Brainstorm why they think their father is a terrific daddy. 

List their ideas on the board as you review spelling.  When students have completed their final draft they write it inside their golf ball card. 

Run off the golf ball and inside circles on white construction paper or card stock.  Run the tees and pennants off on a variety of colors of construction paper.  Students choose, trim and assemble them to make their Father's Day card. 

Younger students can simply do the craft or dictate their thoughts to a room helper, while older students complete the writing prompt. Adding a student's photo makes things extra special.

So that my card flipped open to reveal the writing, I hinged the 2 circles together with a small piece of tape stuck to the left side.

Glue the ball card to the top of your tee.  You don't really need the pennant, but I thought it added extra pizzazz and fit right in with the golf theme.  I glued the flag at a diagonal slant to the back of the ball.

Likewise, you don't need the grass, but I thought the 3D effect gave it that finishing touch.  Simply fold a small piece of green construction paper in half. 

Have students make cuts at the top, being careful not to slice all the way through; crumple the edges and then glue the tip of the tee inside. 

Click on the link to view/download the My Dad Is "Tee-rrific" Father's Day writing prompt card.  Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  My "Pin it" button is at the top. 

If you'd like to follow my PIN boards, click on the "Follow Me" heart to the right.  I have an entire board of Father's Day ideas.  Most of what I pin, are educational FREEBIES.

"I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well." -Alexander the Great

4 pages.

This is a quick and easy card to make for Father's Day.  Younger students can simply make the golf craft, while older students can complete the writing prompt explaining why their dad is "tee-rrific."  This packet has been up=dated and is a special FREEBIE in my TpT shop.  Click on the link to zip on over to grab your FREE copy today. Father's Day Writing Prompt Craftivity.