1-2-3 Make A Gift Baggie With Me

If you're still in school and want to make a sweet treat for your kiddo's to give their dad's for Father's Day, you may want to try this puzzle activity.

I designed two different puzzle headers: I love you to pieces as well as, we love you to pieces.

You can use the "I" header for a beginning of the year treat bag for your students, or a gift for Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Use the "We" header for a gift for Secretary's Day.

You can buy bulk Reeses Pieces at Sam's Club. Have children put a few scoopfuls in a Snack Baggie.

If you're only making a few gifts for volunteers or secretaries, you can buy Reeses in a snack package or mini box, and attach your puzzle pieces to the top and bottom.

Run the headers off on white construction paper and have children color them lightly with crayons in an assortment of colors.

Add a bit more pizzazz by having students glue their school photo to a puzzle piece and then sign their name on yet another one.

Click on the link to view/download Love You To Pieces Gift Baggies.

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"A college degree and a teaching certificate define a person as a teacher, but it takes hard work and dedication to be one." -Paul McClure

1-2-3 Come Make A Father's Day Booklet With Me

As I've stated in a previous article, daddies sometime get jipped out of a homemade gift or card for Father's Day, that their little one made in school, because many children are alreay on vacation, before that special day rolls around.

If you still have a few days or weeks left, you may want a sweet summer writing prompt for your kiddo's to work on.

This booklet makes a wonderful card for Father's Day and a nice independent activity for your Daily 5 or writing/reading center.

It's a nice review of a variety of Common Core State Standards, that students need to incorporate, as they work on their booklet. 

Students use adjectives and verbs to describe their dad and then draw a picture of him.

Children can also cut out the happy Father's Day heart or the square and glue it to their paper for a bit more pizzazz. 

Make this even more of a keepsake by adding a school picture.

Click on the link to view/download the My Dad, Father's Day activity.

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"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used to create them" -Albert Einstein

1-2-3 Come Make A Father’s Day Card With Me!

Since Father’s Day is in June, daddies often get jipped out of a homemade card that their child made in school, so I always made time to do this as a center during the last week of school.

I set up a table with all of the “ingredients” and while I was working on assessments or all of those other end-of-the-year jobs teachers need to get done, my little ones enjoyed making something special for their papa.

Now a days you need to be sensitive to children who don’t have a dad. 

Even though their father might not live with them, they still might have contact, so you don’t want to leave them out. 

Children who didn’t, I asked if they wanted to make a card for their grandfather or someone else special in their life.

I’ve included 2 different blank puzzle piece templates for this purpose. 

You can write in the word, or the person’s name for them, so they can glue their torn paper pieces on top of the letters.

You could also use the blank template for Mother’s Day, Secretary’s Day, or to thank a special volunteer  as well.

To make the cards, run off the puzzle piece template on a variety of colored construction paper.
Students choose one and cut it out.

To make this more of a keepsake, print your class composite and cut students’ pictures into ovals, so they can glue them somewhere on their card.

Cut 1/8th inch wide strips of a variety of colors of construction paper.

Students choose a color, and rip and tear their strips into a pile.

I chose rip and tear, not only because the mosaic effect looks cool, but because it is an outstanding fine motor activity for strengthening finger muscles.

Have children "trace" one letter at a time, with a glue stick, and then place the torn pieces of paper on it, one piece at a time.

Children sign “I love you” along with their name.  

I told my students to save the card for Father’s Day, but I doubt they did.  Little ones are always so excited to share whatever they’ve made as soon as they get home.

Click on the link to view/download the "I Love My Dad To Pieces" Father's Day Card.

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"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." -William Butler Yeats

1-2-3 Come Make A Puppy Pal With Me

This puppy "craftivity" is really versatile. 

You can use the slider template and review upper or lowercase letters, 2D flat shapes, counting to 30, or skip counting by 2's, 3's 5's, or 10's, by cutting slits and inserting the appropriate strip of paper (slider).

These make a nice end-of-the-year activity, to send home with students as a fun way to review and practice over the summer, so they don't forget what they've learned.

Likewise, they are a terrific way to introduce your new students to these concepts at the beginning of the year as well.

Sliders are an easy way to whole-group assess and a fun way to review standards via playing "I spy" games.

Children can also make a keepsake card for Father's Day or Mother's Day, or to give to anyone else, by simply writing the recipient's name on the bone.

What makes this puppy extra special, is that you trace a student's foot with their shoe on, to make the puppy's ears.

Add a school photo for even more pizzazz.

I made the card on the right for my daughter, from baby Kaiden.

Finally, you can also use the Puppy Pal as a topper for a variety of writing prompts.

I've made writing prompt "bones" for the beginning of the year as well as the end. i.e. "I'll have a dog-gone great school year because ..." or I had a dog-gone good school year because..."

Click on the link to view/download the Puppy Pal Writing Prompt Card

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"The best teachers teach from the heart, not the book." -Unknown