1-2-3 Come Make An Apple Craftivity With Me

Apples is one of my favorite fall themes. 

For those of you who are familiar with my work, you know I love dabbling with a "play on words" to add a smile and interest to activities.

 

"'A-peel-ing' Apples" is that kind of craftivity, as the "peel" is a spiral, which provides excellent fine motor practice, and looks amazing dangling from the ceiling!

It's a quick, easy & super-fun apple craft that covers a variety of standards.

 

This is also an interesting way for your students to learn more about their classmates, as there never seems to be enough time for all of the fun "getting to know you" activities for back-to-school.

 

I like to do at least one "learning about each other" activity each month, to help continue to build community & the cameraderie which comes from that.

 

An added bonus is that completed projects make an outstanding display, as the apples swirl & twirl from the ceiling.

 

You’re sure to get a ton of compliments as this apple craft has the “Wow!” factor.

I’ve included a variety of posters to not only enhance your display, but to help introduce the lesson, and teach older kiddos a bit about nouns & adjectives, as this lesson is easily diversified for a variety of grade levels, from kindergartners on up.

 

Spirals: My kiddos are absolutely fascinated watching me demonstrate how to “follow the line, staying on the road” as I cut my spiral and the “peel” begins to dangle down.

Cutting out a spiral is a great way to strengthen those finger muscles, and evaluate your students “listening & following directions” skill too. 

 

TIP: Cutting is so much easier, if you demonstrate what you want your kiddos to do.

I tell my students to "Stay on the road and cut on the dark line."

 

I also have a room helper cut around the spiral, instead of leaving it in a square (see photo).

 

It is less confusing for little ones to know where to start, if they are just cutting on one line.

 

I've also made a pattern for your left-handed kiddos as well.

Grab that teachable SCIENCE moment, to reinforce the “parts of an apple” with the various pieces used to assemble the finished project.

 

Creating apples in red, yellow & green also practices the fact that an apple’s skin comes in more than one color too.

 

There are a variety of options for you to choose from to make differentiating easy-peasy.

There are 4 different apple writing prompt options. 

 

There are also 2 “apple toppers” pictured on the right.

Younger kiddos can simply jot down one thing they find “a-peeling” while older students can create a list to practice that writing standard.

Preschool kiddos can dictate their answers to a room helper, or you can make this a homework assignment, where parents can assist their child. 

I use the definition poster to teach what the word “appealing” means, then explain the play-on-words of an apple peel, showing them that the spiral represents the peeling of the apple.

We brainstorm a bit about all sorts of things we find appealing. Children think about one thing they find appealing then write it on the blank circle and illustrate it.  

This is a super-fun project to do with older reading buddies; my kinders work with a 5th grader who can help them with spelling. 

I've provided 4 styles of paper patterns for students to write on and then glue under their apple or topper. The paper patterns are long and narrow; perfect for making a list.

Students can simply make up their own list, or you can read the "Tell me Ten" response worksheet.

For example, one of the questions is  "What color do you find appealing?"

 

Students take far less time with a structured format such as this, and you can include the question worksheet as part of your display.

You can use my sample questions, or create your own.

 

When displaying student work, the apple-topped lists can be hung back-to-back, then suspended from the ceiling.

A "whole apple" list, can also be hung singly, or back-to-back.

If you're going to do this, have one student glue their "peel" to the top  or side of their apple, while the other child glues theirs to the bottom of their paper.

 

Extend the lesson and have children draw a picture to illustrate their answers, by using the blank, white "center", which they can glue to the back of their apple.

 

The yellow apple sample pictured on the right, uses a template that has students complete the sentence with an animal, color & activity they find appealing.

 

The red apple pictured on the left, reinforces nouns, and has students complete the sentence with a person, place and thing that they find appealing.

 

Remind kiddos to add end punctuation when completing the sentences. (Woo hoo another standard practiced!)

 

If you're doing this with older students, they can write their own, complete sentences. 

 

Patterns come in black & white, as well as full color, so that teachers can quickly and easily make an example to share.

 

Be sure and make a personal one, so that students can learn more about their teacher too.

 

To save time, I’ve also included my completed patterns.

 

Today's featured FREEBIE also has an apple theme.

It's an "Aa is for apple" alphabet wheel. 

It's the first in a series of 26, ABC letter wheels.  I hope you enjoy it.

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

The sun has finally ventured out after an all-day deluge of rain, so it's time to take my poodle pup Chloe, for a walk!

Wishing you a fun-filled week.

 "Anyone can count the seeds in an apple; only God can count the apples in one seed." -Robert H. Schuller

1-2-3 Come Make Some Number Puzzles With Me

Learning to count can be tedious and a bit overwhelming for little ones.  If that isn't a big enough job, learning to count backwards, as well as skip count are also standards.

With this in mind, I designed number "strip" puzzles.  I call them that because I cut the puzzles into strips.

Number puzzles provide a quick, easy and fun way to help students practice counting & sequencing numbers from 1-10, and counting backwards from 10 to 1, as well as skip counting by 2s & 10s, plus my Y5s absolutely LOVE them.  

I usually make the puzzles on a full sheet of paper.  Some are vertical, while other designs are horizontal. I decided to make an apple and pumpkin "shape" strip puzzle for those units.

Simply run the templates off on red and orange paper.
Choose the number puzzle that best fits your needs, or give students a choice.

For a cool mosaic effect, children trim and glue to another sheet of paper after they have traced the numbers. 

I chose black to make the puzzle pop. Remind students to leave a small gap in-between each puzzle strip. To make it more of a keepsake, have students make a green hand print leaf.

Completed projects make an interesting fall bulletin board.
Laminate an extra set of all 8 puzzles, to use for an independent math center or for "early finishers". 

Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to have a look: Apple & Pumpkin Number Puzzles.

The featured FREEBIE today is a Halloween crayon resist watercolor activity.  There are 5 patterns to choose from, with directions how to set things up. 

Children pick a picture and color it.  Remind them to press hard, and really fill it in. Afterwards, they paint over the entire picture with watercolors.  The waxy build up creates an awesome effect. 

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for popping in.  I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and creatively crazy at the moment, as October is filled with so many super-fun themes: fire safety, spiders, bats, scarecrows and Halloween. 

I have a zillion ideas buzzing in my head, and as many projects started or in the rough draft stage.  Hmmmm ... What shall I work on today?  Wishing you a happy and productive day doing things that you truly enjoy.  

"In crafting there are no mistakes, just unique creations." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do A Super-Fun Writing Prompt With Me

There's never enough time to get in all of the wonderful "Getting to know you" activities we do for back to school, so I do at least one each month.

My kiddos LOVE sharing about themselves, so they really enjoy this type of writing. Plus, it's fun to continue to learn more about our classmates.

With this in mind, I designed "Me!" A Fall-Themed Writing Prompt packet. 

All you have to do to get excited about this "craftivity", is make a sample of your own, to see how much fun this is!

An added bonus is that completed projects make an easy bulletin board you can keep up for months! Woo hoo. Caption: "Fall Into Writing!"

Plus, this activity is so versatile, it can be done by PK kiddos with one-word answers, all the way up through 5th grade!

Have older students write 3-4 things in each section.
You can also encourage the use of adjectives too.

There are 7, autumn-shapes to choose from: an apple, 2 pumpkins, 3 leaves and an acorn.

Because they are all fall pictures, you can give students a choice for an eclectic bulletin board display.

Just pumpkins in a patch, leaves and acorns blowing in the wind, or apples on a tree or in a big basket look terrific too.

If you choose the pumpkin pattern without a leaf, have children trace their hand on green construction paper, trim and add to the top for a "keepsake" leaf.

I've also included blank templates, so you can dream up your own writing prompts.

Do in class, or send home as a homework assignment that your kiddos will really want to do!

For that finishing touch, add a school photo. I also have my students choose 2 or 3 colors, so we can practice an AB-AB or ABC-ABC pattern, which really makes their completed writing prompt stand out.

Click on the link to pop on over to my TpT shop to have a look see at this 20-pager: "Me!" Fall Writing Promt Craftivity packet.

While there, I'd so appreciate it if you'd follow me.  That way you'll know when I post FREEBIES, Diane's Dollar Deals, new stuff or have a sale. 

I know it sounds silly, but I really get excited seeing that  number grow.  I'm anxious to reach 700 followers.  Whenever I achieve a milestone, I create a special freebie that will hopefully knock-your-socks off!

Speaking of FREEBIES, today's featured free item is a 15-page leaf-themed math worksheet packet.  Reinforce numbers, sequencing, skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s & 10s. Plus, there are "What's Missing?" worksheets, and some for counting to 120.  Click on the link to grab a copy. 

Well that's it for today.  It's a chilly morning, but no frost on the pumpkins yet (PTL).

I am so not ready for winter-weather during fall.  Wishing you a warm and snuggly kind of day.

"How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of life and color are their last days." -John Burroughs

1-2-3 Do An Awesome Autumn Activity With Me!

Because my Y5's needed to strengthen their finger muscles, I tried to think of interesting and fun ways to help them do that.  Peeling and sharpening crayons, and then pinching clumps of shavings and sprinkling them on the print of a tree, provided excellent practice; the completed projects looked truly outstanding!

I'd introduce autumn with a variety of books.  After reading a few, we'd have a discussion about the various colors that leaves turn, and why they do so, (chlorophyll was a brand new vocabulary word for all of them). 

They'd transition to some table top activities, and while they were busy, I called students up individually to make their creation with me or a room helper.  Students could also be peeling their old crayons at this time as well. 

I've included  7 different trees with bare branches for you to choose from, or run off a selection on white construction paper and give children a choice. 

Children can add more pizzazz to their picture by coloring their tree with a brown crayon.  This should be done AFTER you have "melted" the leaves on, or the trunk will also melt.

Set this activity up as a center, and call children to the table to shave the red, orange, yellow, brown and green (peeled) crayons with a crayon sharpener.

They made their piles on 5 small paper plates and then pinched a few shavings from each color-pile and sprinkled them onto their tree branches. 

Gently brush any stray crayon shavings onto the tree if they happen to fall elsewhere. As my students "sprinkled" I'd ask them why the leaves turned color?  I was looking for "Because the green leaves lose their chlorophyll."

The teacher or helper gently puts a sheet of wax paper over their tree and presses a warm iron onto the paper.  

If you slowly press the iron in an arched motion, the colors will run together to create more shades and you'll have a thicker looking tree.  If you just press and then lift, the colors won't run as much and this creates a different affect.   When you are satisfied with the way the "melting"  looks, carefully peel the wax paper off.  

My kiddo’s always oohed and ahhed over their beautiful autumn tree.   For extra pop, mount the fall trees on black construction paper.  They make a lovely bulletin board or hallway display.  You can also punch a hole in the top, add a yarn loop and hang back-to-back from the ceiling.  Click on the link to view/download the Autumn Tree Crayon Melts.

Thanks for visiting today.  I design daily and try to blog about it, so I hope you can stop by tomorrow to see the latest FREEBIES hot off the press.  Feel free to PIN away.  If you'd like to take a peek at all of the other educational FREEBIES that I post, click on the big heart to the right of the blog.

"A lot of very successful people are risk-takers.  Unless you're willing to do that--to have a go--fail miserably, and have another go--success won't happen." -Phillip Adams

1-2-3 Come Do Some Apple and Pumpkin Activities With Me!

One of the much-needed skills for little ones, is the ability to cut.  Just learning how to hold a scissors is quite an accomplishment for some.  To help my Y5's strengthen their hand muscles and increase dexterity, I incorporated cutting practice in some form or another every day.  To make this less tedious and frustrating, many of the activities revolved around creating a craft that included other skills as well.

Keeping this in mind, I designed "A-peel-ing Apples" so children could practice cutting in a circle.  This is a wonderful opportunity to add the term spiral to students' vocabulary as well.  Giving a red, yellow or lime green color choice for the apple, also reinforces that science fact. 

To add a bit more pizzazz, older students can glue two different colors together.  The thicker paper lessens the drop of the spiral, and the double-sided colors add interest to the dangler.  Students glue a stem and leaf to the top.  Punch a hole; add a yarn loop and suspend from the ceiling, or as a border against a hallway wall.  Click on the link to view/download the A-peel-ing Apples activity.

Cutting on a straight line is also not that easy for some little ones. These apple and pumpkin "strip" puzzles, will not only give your students practice with that skill, but review and reinforce sequencing numbers from 1-10, skip counting by 10's, or counting backwards from 10-1. I've used a dashed-line font, for the numbers on the apples and pumpkins, so that students can get some writing practice in.  Encourage children to count quietly as they trace the numbers.

Simply choose a number concept you want to work on and run off the puzzles on construction paper.  Children choose a puzzle; trace the numbers; cut the strips, lay them in the proper sequence on a sheet of black construction paper, and then glue them down. 

Remind students to keep a small space between the strips.  Students add a stem and leaf to the top.  You can make the pumpkin more of a keepsake, by having children, or a room helper, trace their hand, with their fingers spread, onto green construction paper.  They trim and glue next to their stem.  Completed projects make a sweet harvest bulletin board.

You may want to laminate one of each kind, to keep in your math center.  Each puzzle has its own Baggie.  Children can work indepently, or pick a partner to play "Speed" against.  The first one who completes their puzzle, is the winner.  Click on the link to view/download the Apple and Pumpkin Number Puzzles.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  To ensure that "pinners" return to THIS blog article, click on the green title at the top; it will turn black, now click on the "Pin it" button located on my menu bar.  If you'd like to take a look at all of the wonderfully creative stuff I PIN for school, click on the heart to the right of the blog.

"Imagination is the highest kite one can fly." -Lauren Bacall