1-2-3 Come Make A Halloween Ghost Craft With Me

  “Spooky Spirals” is a quick, easy & super-fun little craft that’s perfect for Halloween week or Halloween party day.

This (print & go) craft can be done as is, for the fun of just making a Halloween decoration, while practicing scissor skills. 

Cutting definitely helps strengthen finger muscles & staying on a line increases dexterity. 

So you can easily diversify your lesson, there are a variety of patterns to choose from.

The patterns to the right are the easiest to cut out. This pattern  comes with & without a face, as well as a smaller, "just the right size" pattern for younger kiddos. 

The patterns to the left are a bit more challenging because they have arms with hands, which is no problem for older students. 

Pick the pattern that best suits your needs, or for a nice variety, give students a choice.

It's hard enough learning how to hold a scissors & cut when you are a leftie, without being given a right-handed spiral pattern to frustrate you further! With that in mind, I designed patterns specifically for the left-handed kiddos in your class.

Variety is indeed "the spice of life"...

You can add additional variety to your display, by running off the pattern to the right, which comes in a small, medium & large size. 

Using different lengths of yarn to suspend the ghosts will enhance your display as well. 

Note in the photo, that I have not only punched the hole at the top of the ghost's head, but in the left & right "hands" as well, which will cause the ghosts to hang differently as well.

If you aren't allowed to simply do a craft, I've made it easy for you to turn this into a writing extension, by having students write on the spiral before they cut it out.

Students can jot down one thing that frightens them, or something they think is spooky, or whatever else you deem appropriate.

Besides writing on the spiral, I've also included several options of cool paper to jot down final drafts on.

There's a ghostly haunted house pattern, which also has a  writing page to glue to the back.

A separate spiral is cut out & attached to the bottom.

Another worksheet features a cute ghost topping the page, with the word "Spooky" running down the side. 

These patterns come in black & white for students, as well as full color, so that teachers can quickly & easily make examples to share.

As an additional time saver, I've included my completed samples.

Besides the “spooky spiral” craftivity, the packet also includes:

* A poster, to introduce this term & the activity; and…

* Since completed projects look awesome suspended from the ceiling, I’ve also included 2 additional posters to enhance your display.

I've put this at a 1st-4th grade level, but I have done the easier spiral pattern with my young fives & kindergartners, and have friends who have done this activity with their 5th graders as well. 

Again, the variety of options make it easy to up or down scale the activities to suit your grade level. 

Today's featured FREEBIE is another fun activity for October.

These Pumpkin Alphabet cards are great for a center activity; or print, laminate & trim several sets to use for partner games.

Click on the LINK for a nice list of all the ways you can use the cards.

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

It's super chilly out today, but the sun is shining & the lovely colored leaves are valiently clinging to their branches despite a nippy wind.  Perfect day for making some more fall activities.

                                   CLICKABLE LINKS for more fall fun:

Click here to see more Halloween activities.

Come join the fun on Facebook for my exclusive FREEBIES & Monthly Giveaways.

Check out my educational Pinterest boards.

Don’t forget that all of my new products are 40% off for 48 hours.

Click this LINK to follow my shop & you'll be notified of these huge savings.

"A mask tells us more than a face." -Oscar Wilde

1 2 3 Come Do Some Sequencing Activities With Me

Do you read “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat!”  by Lucille Colandro? 

It's a favorite October story of my Young Fives, and perfect of practicing the "sequencing & retelling a story" standards. 

With that in mind, I designed these quick, easy & super-fun (Print & Go) activties, that I think your students will really enjoy transitioning to, after you read the story. 

Since the old lady yells "Trick or Treat!" at the end of the story, any of these activities, particularly the "tongue" craft, would be great for a little something different, for Halloween week or Halloween party day too.

The packet includes:

1. A whole group sequencing & retelling craftivity: “Bat Got Your Tongue?” 

For extra durability, print on card stock, then laminate & trim.  This is a picture of the old lady before I attached her tongue.

I purposely used ordinal numbers for the tongue, so that you can practice another standard. 

Pass out the mini cards (of what the old lady swallowed) to your students. 

As you come to that item in the story, the child holding that card attaches it to the old lady's tongue. You can use a magnet, Velcro or glue dot to attach the pictures. 

The last item to be placed on your whiteboard or flannel board is the "Trick or Treat!" speech bubble, which will go above the little old lady. 

Afterwards point to each item and have children retell the story.  They will be excited to transition to making a little old lady of their own.

2. Students have a smaller, black & white old lady craft, where students color & cut the items that the old lady swallows.

Children sequence, then glue the “picture tiles” to her tongue in chronological order.

So that you can easily diversify your lessons to suit the various abilities & skill levels of your students, I've included a variety of options. 

For example, after they have added some color, little ones can simply glue the entire picture strip on the tongue, without cutting and gluing the graphics individually. 

There's also a "mixed up" strip for older students to color, cut, sort & sequence, then glue on.  To expedite this, the "boxes" on the tongue, are the same size as their matching picture.

As always, all patterns come in full-color so that teachers can quickly & easily make examples to share, as well as black & white for students to color.

3. Since completed projects make a terrific bulletin board or hallway display, (Be sure and curl the end of the tongue for some extra 3D pop), I've included a “Having Fun With the Little Old Lady” poster for some extra pizzazz.

The packet also includes These "Print & Go" activities:

4. A “Checking for Comprehension” worksheet, where students fill in the blanks using words from a word bank.

5. An “Ask Me a Question” worksheet.

6. A “Let’s Sequence The Little Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat” worksheet.

7. A “Here’s What Happened” writing extension.

All of the worksheets can be done as a whole group activity, used in a small reading group, or done individually.

So that you can easily diversify your lessons, I’ve included a variety of options for the worksheets as well.

8. I’ve also included colorful answer keys.

9. For added value, there’s a BONUS activity: “Show Me A Pattern” game/center, which uses the picture tiles. 

Since the old lady is yelling "Trick or Treat!" at the end of the story, I thought it would be appropriate for the Featured FREEBIE to be a "color me" safety rules for trick or treating. 

At the end of the day (perhaps Halloween party day?) have students quietly color their worksheet, then send home for parents.

Besides the "color me" page, I've also included one in full-color that you can read with your students, then post on a wall if you want.

I know that much of this is common sense, but "...better safe than sorry" and "forewarned is prepared."

Well that's it for today.  I hope you found something here you can use.

Click here to see more Halloween activities.

Come join the fun on Facebook for my exclusive FREEBIES & Monthly Giveaways.

Check out my educational Pinterest boards.

Don’t forget that all of my new products are 40% off for 48 hours.

Click this LINK to follow my shop & you'll be notified of these huge savings.

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Make A Haunted House Craftivity With Me

Flick off the lights to set the mood, then all you have to do is quietly & slowly say the words, “Haunted House” , and you will have everyone's attention.

No matter what grade I taught, I loved going for that “Gotcha!” moment, to get people excited about writing.

I truly believe that students will be enthusiastic about “getting down to the business of writing”, if you simply give them something interesting and fun to write about.

It’s that simple. Find their “hot button”.  If your students are like mine, then a haunted house, is that catalyst in motivating them to WANT to write. Woo Hoo!

With that in mind, I set to work to design two crafty packets involving a haunted house.

First up, 6 writing prompt craftivities for the “Haunted House” packet.

They are all different enough, so that you can easily do several; one in class, one as a fun homework assignment, one for extra credit, a sub tub, or for early finishers etc.

You could also give students a choice.

You may be surprised that they want to do them all.

One of my personal favorites is "Haunted Houses ARE..." and "Haunted Houses HAVE". 

Student can choose which they want to write about, or you can make this a two-part assignment.

Kiddos can write the ARE portion on one day, and finish up the HAVE prompt the next day. 

You could also do one in class, and do the other as homework.

Completed projects turn out "terror-rific"!

This project can be displayed flat on a bulletin board, or suspended back-to-back from the ceiling.

I've included several posters to enhance your display.

I think it's very important to not overwhelm beginning writers.

For example, asking students to write a "spooky story" can be a bit daunting for even a seasoned writer.

To experience this, put yourself in the assignment. Would you want to write an entire story, or would you be more excited to develop a list of things that a haunted house has? 

Because it's a smaller chunk of writing, and children can draw from experience, they know the "answers" and feel empowered; so they can get right down to writing; and often very excited to do so! 

With that in mind, all of the activities in both packets are "bite size". 

Because it's simple yet thought provoking, I think your students will also enjoy "If a haunted house could talk, what might it say?"

This is a super-fun way to have students really use their imaginations & "think outside the box". Becoming a haunted house, is an interesting way to practice point of view too. 

There are 5 diffferent "speech bubbles" to add variety to your display, as well as several posters you can use to introduce the lesson, then sprinkle on your bulletin board.

"If I bought a haunted house..." as well as "If I lived in a haunted house..." are also thought provoking.

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

Besides the different posters to help you introduce the lesson, as well as several more to enhance your various displays, I've also included spiderwebbed letters that spell LOOK!

If you're a fan of The Dollar Store, you'll be happy to know that they now carry huge wiggle eyes!

They are 4 1/2 inches & come in 3 styles. (Oh the possibilities...)

I substituted them for the O letters in LOOK.

To expand the lesson, and practice yet another standard, I’ve also included a whole-group graphing extension in both packets.

Next up is the "Trick or Treating at a Haunted House" packet.

To get more bang for my “time” buck, I like to cover a variety of standards with one activity.

“Trick or Treating at a Haunted House”is not only a super-fun writing prompt craftivity, but it also reinforces the 5 senses, and the importance of using them to enhance writing.

The scenario:

Students are trick or treating and they visit a haunted house.

What do they see, hear, feel, taste & smell?

After writing their rough draft, then editing, they fill out a rubric checklist, then write their final draft on the writing prompt worksheet. (I've included RUBRICS in both packets.)

There are 4 different haunted houses for students to choose from, with a TOP & BOTTOM pattern for each. as the 5 senses writing prompt is glued to the center.

These too, make an awesome bulletin board, so I've also included posters in this packet as well.

There's also a “5 Senses” poster, plus one that defines “Adjectives”.

Use them to introduce your lesson, then add them to your display.

Toss some “cobwebs” in each corner, and you have a “WOW!” bulletin board, sure to get lots of compliments.

I’ve included pictures of my completed
samples, as well as BW copies of the text, so that you can quickly make examples to share with your students.

Examples not only help easily explain what you want them to do, but are a catalyst to creating excitement, so students will be eager to make a haunted house of their own. 

As you can see by my samples, "answers" can be a simple sentence for younger students, as well as a more in-depth use of descriptive word choice for older students.

I've also included a "side-by-side" photo of a sample that's very simple, then another that was worked on.

Use this as a whole group discussion of how to "expand" your description and details to make your writing "come alive" for the reader.

I always try to make time for students to share their work with their classmates, so we popcorn around the room and everyone shares one of their "5 senses sentences" before displaying them in the hallway. 

Since October is Fire Safety Month, and a lot of people burn leaves & have bonfires in the fall, today's featured FREEBIE is a "Hands Off!" fire safety craft, which is also a fun writing prompt. 

A child's handprints become the "fire" at the top.

I've included a "We promise" pledge poster for children to sign, which helps make students accountable for not playing with fire.

Well that's it for today. Thanks for dropping in. 

Autumn is in it's full splendor here in Michigan, so even though it's rather chilly today, I want to grab some fresh air.

Wishing you a fun-filled day.

“I don't know that there are real ghosts and goblins, but there are always more trick-or-treaters than neighborhood kids!" -Robert Brault

1-2-3 Come Do Some Spine Tingling Writing With Me!

I love playing around with words, particularly if it will get my students excited, or help teach a concept.

“Shudders Behind the Shutters!” does both.

Anytime I toss a bit of craftiness into a writing prompt, my students are all over it, and can’t wait to begin.

Thus, I designed this writing prompt craftivity with a window.

There are two writing prompt “window” options.

Students can make a list of 13 things that make them shudder OR

they can write a brief, spine tingling excerpt.

I've discovered that narrowing down what students have to write about, rather than saying, "write a spooky story", is a lot less overwhelming for them. 

This bite-size piece, is not only less daunting, but will have your students actually become excited about creating their list or a brief excerpt!

I’ve included samples of both, so that teachers can quickly & easily make an example to share.

Making an example, not only helps you explain what you want your students to do, it acts as a catalyst for getting them enthusiastic about getting down to the business of writing.

The writing prompt “window” becomes the base, for this 3-part craftivity.

Students illustrate their writing by drawing, then coloring something in the 4-paned window pattern. I drew a ghost in mine.

Shutters flip open to reveal this picture window, which then opens to reveal my list of 13 things that make me shudder.  You can use any number, but I chose superstitious 13. 

Did you know that the “fear of the number 13” is called triskaidekaphobia! (triss-kye-dek-uh-FOH-bee-uh).
You may want to share this bit of interesting trivia with your students.

I've also included another sample with a "shuddering excerpt". 

For some extra 3D pizzazz, I added some wiggle eyes, attaching them with glue dots. 

Assembling the 3-parts of the craft, is done with a glue stick.

I’ve also included a “shudder-shutter” definition poster, as well as one that explains homophones.

You can use these to introduce the lesson.

Encourage students to use their senses, as well as plenty of description, to evoke a shudder or two.

Students can use the (2-on-a-page) writing RUBRIC as a checklist.

I’ve included “definition-example” posters, to easily explain adjectives, simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia and alliteration, which will definitely enhance their writing.

These are not difficult concepts to understand.

Actually, I’ve found that even younger students grasp them quite well, and are excited to share examples they’ve come across.

Completed projects make an amazing bulletin board or hallway display; you are sure to get a lot of compliments!

I’ve included several posters, as well as some rather spooky-looking letters, which spell "SHUDDERS [behind the] SHUTTERS" to add some extra pizzazz to your display.

Today's featured FREEBIE is an apple-pumpkin Venn diagram.

To help reinforce the information my students have learned about apples and pumpkins, I have them do a Venn diagram.

Venn diagrams are a quick, easy and fun way to introduce comparison & contrast writing to your students.

Instead of using the usual circles, I drew an apple for one half, while the other side is a pumpkin. An oval "slice" down the center, provides a place for "similarities".

You can do this as an individual worksheet or whole-group activity, that provides an excellent review and culminating activity for your apple-pumpkin studies.

Completed worksheets make an excellent bulletin board or hallway display.

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

It's nothing spooky over here that has me shuddering, just a bone-chilling wind that's rattling my window panes.

It's a small price to pay though, for the absolutely gorgeous fall colors that come with cooler weather. 

Wishing you a simply splendid day!

"Life is a succession of lessons, which must be lived to be understoond." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

1-2-3 Come Do Another "Room On The Broom" Activity With Me

Do you read “Room on the Broom” by Julia Donaldson?

It’s one of my students’ favorite Halloween stories.

With that in mind, I thought I’d design an activity to go along with this cute tale.

“There’s Room On My Broom” is a quick, easy & super-fun booklet craftivity.

As always, there are black & white patterns for students, as well as colorful templates so that teachers can quickly and easily make a sample to share.

There are 2 pattern options for the second page of the “booklet”.

Students can simply color the broom, or teachers can opt to make this a bit of a keepsake.

If you have some classroom help, then painting a child’s hand brown, and pressing it on the broom handle, turns out adorable. As a mom I love these types of craftivities that my children brought home. 

Another option is to have students pick a partner, then take turns tracing each others hand, on a piece of tan construction paper. Cut it out then glue it on the end of the broom handle.

You decide what’s best for your students & the time you have available, then run off a class-set of the patterns. Easy "Print & Go!"

There are 20 animals for children to choose from.

To save paper & printing time, I designed the top of the worksheet as the “booklet” portion of the pattern, while the bottom part - - with animal choices, is easily snipped off.

Children color, cut & glue, whatever animals they want to ride on their broom.

Whenever I’m doing an activity, I always try to think of what else I might be able to include in the lesson, that will easily practice additional standards.

I thought other teachers would like that too, so besides the broom booklet, I’ve also included three graphing extensions. 

With a show of hands, teachers write the names on the graph of which animal from the story "Room on the Broom" they'd also like to have ride their broom. 

There's also a graph with 5 animals (lion, gorilla, unicorn, skunk & elephant), which asks "Which animal would you definitely NOT want on your broom?" Have a fun discussion of why not. 

Math skills, as well as group cooperation are practiced with a “Greater Than/ Less Than” worksheet, where students compare there “loaded brooms” with 4 other classmates' brooms.

For language arts, there’s also an ABC order worksheet.

The second part of our 2D shapes standard, involves  “spatial directions”; so I designed a "Where's Your Animal?" activity. 

Before students glue down their animals, they choose one.  Slowly read each direction from the worksheet. 

Students then place their animal above, below, beside, on etc. You can quickly & easily see who's having difficulty as you whole group assess this standard.

I've also included a witch manipulative you can use to give a quick spatial direction review, before you begin the assessment. If your students are like mine, they will really enjoy this extension.

Another thing children can do before they glue their animals to their broom, is to sort & sequence them according to size (smallest to largest or the reverse), which allows you to practice this standard as well.

Students could also use ordinal numbers to label their animal riders, and as you can see by my sample, I also practice patterning by having my students choose 2 crayon/marker colors to write their name with, and then fill in the letters of the title, showing an AB-AB color pattern.  

Completed projects make a cute bulletin board, so I’ve also included 2 posters to add some extra pizzazz to your display.

To see my other "Room on the Broom" resources, click the LINK.

Today's featured FREEBIE is an apple-themed "Telling Time to the Hour & Half Hour"packet.

It's an easy-peasy "print & go" activity that you can use for a variety of center activities. 

I’ve included a tip list of ideas including the “Kaboom” game.

Digital, as well as analog time to the hour and half hour are practiced.

I've also included two assessment templates, plus a blank set to program with other times, as well as a black & white set of cards, plus a cover, so that your kiddos can make an “Itty Bitty” Telling Time booklet.

Thanks for stopping by.

It's in the high 40s today, with a wicked wind; giving us a taste of winter that will be here all too soon.

Despite the chill, I will be going on my morning walk with my faithful pup Chloe.

There's a sprinkling of vibrant, fall colors splashed here and there, making a brisk nature hike especially interesting. 

Wishing you a fun-filled fall.  Hope you enjoy "making room" on your classroom brooms.

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.” - Dr. Seuss

1-2-3 Come Do Some 2D Halloween Shape Activities With Me!

Halloween 2D Shape Games, is perfect for your October math centers, table top, early finishers, or a sub tub.

This is a terrific companion to my matching “Spooky Shapes in a Haunted House” booklet, as children practice the same 2D shapes: circle, oval, triangle, square, rectangle & hexagon.

There are over 20, easy-peasy games & activities!

Do them as a whole group, with partners or as an independent center.

If your students are like mine, they will absolutely LOVE games like “Flip It!”, “Clip It” and “Slap It!”, which makes them perfect for your Halloween party day too.

My young fives actually beg to play “Flip It!” so I tweak it a bit to use a version of this game each month.

Likewise, "Slap it!" is another whole realm of fun, where children use a flyswatter. Again, because they love the game so much, besides the shape cards, I also use letters, numbers, & word cards throughout the year.

Besides practicing 2D shapes, I’ve included activities that help reinforce graphing, making tally marks, patterning, ABC order, as well as “listening & following directions”.

Attributes of the shapes are practiced in “Dump It”, “What Shape is Hiding?”, “Let’s Sort!” and more.

“Where’s the Shape?” Witch Hat game, is a super-fun way to practice & whole group assess the “spatial directions” standard.

Use the “Shape Up!” extension activity, to assess how well your students listen & follow directions, as they create & color their own witch hat, which they later use to play the game.

Another favorite is "Shoe-bie Doobie": “What shape is in the shoe? Please take a peek and give a clue.”

It’s a whole group-circle game, which reviews a variety of standards.

The witch’s shoe is an easy-peasy craftivity, teachers can whip together in just a few minutes.

“Grinning Pumpkins” is another quick, easy & fun whole-group activity, which is a simple way to assess students ability to not only “shape up!” and identify the shapes, but reinforce their listening skills in an interesting way.

Completed projects make a cute bulletin board display, so I’ve included several posters to add some extra pizzazz.

My students also enjoy playing a file folder, cauldron game "Pick it and Put it in the Pot" in our math center. 

I know your students will have a great time with these activities, as they are "kid-tested".

Teachers will enjoy the low prep, selection, diversification & the fact that you can use them each year in a variety of ways. 

There are two featured FREEBIES today, as they both have to do with shapes. The first is a collection of 2D shape posters; the second is a set of 3D shape posters.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Hooray it's a sunny day, so time for a much-needed break to go on a nature walk.

The leaves have just started to change color too, one of the many reasons that autumn is my favorite season. 

"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen ad thining what nobody has thought." -Albert von Szent-Gyorgrji

1-2-3 Come Do Some Halloween Shape Activities With Me.

October is filled with all sorts of fun shapes, so with that in mind, I designed this cute, haunted house, 2D-shape review.

I don't know about your students, but my kiddos get super-excited over doing any sort of activity that I can tie in with Halloween. 

So when I ask, "Does anyone want to make a haunted house shape booklet?" they are all over it.

“Open the door if you dare” and you will find 6 pages of “spooky-shaped” (real life) things to greet you.

The basic 2D shapes covered are: circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle & hexagon.

I find that while most of my students can identify these shapes, many of them have a bit of difficulty identifying them, when looking at "real" items.

This booklet helps reinforce that in a super-fun way.

There are 5, different page set-ups, for you to choose from, so that you can easily diversify to fit the various skill levels of your students, while still having everyone work on the same thing.

OPTION #1: Students simply color the shapes on each page.

OPTION #2: Students write down the name of the shapes on that page & color them.

OPTION #3: Students get an additional strip of paper with one extra shape on it.

They color the single object on their page, as well as all of the objects on this strip.
Afterwards, they cut the objects out & glue them to the matching shape page.

OPTION #4: Students color all of the objects on their extra worksheet. (This is a half sheet.)
They cut each of the 6 sections out (following the dashed lines), then glue them to the matching labeled page.

OPTION #5: These pages are all blank.
Students write the name of the shape on the bottom line, then draw one “spooky shape”.

As always, I’ve included black & white patterns for your students, as well as full-color templates, so that teachers can quickly and easily make a sample to share.

After students color their haunted house, & the pages you have chosen for them, they trim and collate their booklet.

You decide if you want students to glue the "door" pages together, or simply staple them.

If you're looking for something educational and that “something different” for your Halloween party day, this works well.

I’ve also included several other related activities, so that you can extend the lesson and cover more standards. (Woo Hoo!)

There’s a quick, easy & super-fun “Spooky Shapes on a Roll” dice game, which practices life skills, as well as subitizing.

This is an easy-peasy and fun activity for your Halloween party day too.

The "Tell me an answer" question page is a simple, whole-group assessment, you can use after students complete their haunted house. 

To extend the lesson, and practice graphing, I've also included several additional worksheets.

Completed projects make an adorable Halloween bulletin board as well.

I’ve included several posters to add some extra pizzazz to your display.

Today's featured FREEBIE is a set of fall graphing worksheets. 

They are great for early finishers, a fun homework assignment, or something for your sub tub.

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

We're having our third day of rain, and while that certainly fits the mood for designing Halloween activities, a little ray of sunshine would certainly boost my energy level. 

Wishing you a wonderful week.

1-2-3 Come Do Some Activities For The "Room on the Broom" Story   

Do you read the story ”Room on the Broom” by Julia Donaldson?

Click on the book cover or this LINK to zip on over to YouTube to see a really cute animated version. (10-minutes).

The TV film was nominated for the Best Animated Short Film at the 2014 Academy Awards!

It’s one of my students’ all-time favorite Halloween stories and perfect for practicing the “sequencing and retelling a story” standards.

With that in mind, I designed this quick, easy and fun ”Room on the Broom”  slider craftivity, which will help your students retell the story in the proper order.

There are 2 outside slider options to choose from. One is a square for easy-peasy straight cutting, which is perfect for little ones. 

While the other choice is a "cut me out" larger witch, for more advanced cutters.

I made some "broomstick"  ends for the "slider strip" for the larger witch, as well as included a "broom straw" pattern to glue on, which results in the slider looking like a broom that the witch is riding on. 

Run these patterns off on brown construction paper, then add some shading details with a marker.

For extra pizzazz you can tie on a jute bow.

I make the big one for myself, and run the square craftivity off for my little learners.

Students color the story elements on the “slider strip” then cut and glue it together.

As they pull on the end of the “slider-strip” the various pictures go through the “window” on the witch’s cape, so that children can take turns retelling the story to a partner or reading buddy, then take their craftivity home to share with their family, once again practicing these standards.

I introduce the lesson by reading this rhyming Halloween tale, then share my completed "slider craft” with my students.
So that you can quickly, and easily make an example, full-color patterns are included.

After we read the story, we retell the tale together, using the picture prompts on my slider.
They guess which story element they think comes next, before I pull the picture through the “window”.

My students now know what’s expected of them, and are very excited to transition to making a “Room on the Broom” craftivity of their own.

Storytelling sliders are also an easy & interesting way to assess comprehension.

I’ve included a “Let’s Sequence the Story” activity for this, where students color and trim the picture “windows” then glue them in the correct order on their worksheet. There’s a larger, full-color option so you can do this as a fun whole-group activity with younger students.

There’s also a “Here’s What Happened…” writing prompt worksheet, as another way to check comprehension, plus practice sequential writing, hopefully using a variety of ordinal numbers and other transitions. You can use the colorful template to do this as a whole group activity with younger folks.

Woo hoo! There are two featured FREEBIES today. The first one is a set of Halloween safety tips. 

The tips are loaded with Dolch sight words, providing great reading practice and review.  Read the list together as a whole group, calling on different children to read a tip.  Afterwards, they can color the picture, then take it home to read to their parents. 

The second FREEBIE is a set of "Happy Halloween!" note cards, with 6 on a one-page template. 

They come in color as well as black and white.

Attach one to a treat bag, or tuck in a folder, lunch box or backpack.

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

It's dark, damp, dreary and raining outside, providing the perfect backdrop for creating some more Halloween "stuff". 

Stay tuned for several more activities to go along with the "Room on the Broom" story.  "Witching" you an easy-breezy day filled with lots of memorable moments.

"There is magic in the night when pumpkins glow in moonlight." - Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Halloween Storytelling Crafts With Me  

Do you read ”The Spooky Wheels on the Bus” by J. Elizabeth Mills?
It’s put out by Scholastic and a new favorite of mine.

Perfect for counting, introducing onomatopoeia, and practicing the “sequencing and retelling a story” standards.

Click on the book photo on the left, or this LINK, to see it being read by a librarian on YouTube.

Since my students are familiar with and really enjoy singing “The Wheels on the Bus”, having an alternate version for Halloween fun is particularly enjoyable.

With these things in mind, I designed a quick, easy and fun ”Spooky Wheels on the Bus” “slider” craftivity, which will help your students retell the story in the proper order.

For educational fun on Halloween party day, read the story, sing the song, and make the slider craft.  Woo hoo for easy-peasy!!

Choose the simple square cut pattern for little ones, or the "cut me out" bus template for children with better scissor skills.

Students color the story elements on the “slider strip” then cut and glue it together. There are two options for these as well. 

I use the numbered strip because my Y5s are learning number recognition, plus how to count and sequence. 

You could also use the strip with just the graphics, and have students number their own to get in even more practice.

As children pull on the end of the “slider-strip” the various pictures go through the “window” of their bus, so that children can take turns retelling the story to a partner or reading buddy, then take their craft home to share with their family, once again practicing these standards.

I introduce the lesson by reading the book ”The Spooky Wheels on the Bus”, then share my completed "slider craft” with my students.
So that you can quickly, and easily make an example, I’ve included a full-color slider pattern.

After I read the story, we retell the tale together, using the picture prompts on my slider. I have children guess which story element they think comes next, before I pull the picture through the “window”.

My students now know what’s expected of them, and are very excited to transition to making a “Spooky Bus” storytelling slider of their own.

Storytelling sliders are also an easy & interesting way to assess comprehension.

I’ve included a "Let's sequence the story” activity for this, where students color and trim the picture “windows” then glue them in the correct order on their worksheet.

There's also a colorful, bus answer key poster, which you can use in various ways, including as an independent puzzle center.

A “Here’s What Happened…” writing prompt worksheet, is another way to check comprehension, plus practice sequential writing, hopefully using a variety of ordinal numbers and other transitions. 

Since the story is about the WHEELS on a spooky bus, I also made a story wheel craft as well. 

This option provides another way to sequence and retell "The Spooky Wheels on the Bus" story.

Like the slider craft, I've included a "Here's What Happened" writing prompt. 

There's also another fun writing option, where students continue the story by thinking of an 11th thing that might be riding the spooky bus. 

They fill in the blank, compleete the sentence with some sort of onomatopoeia then illustrate their worksheet. 

My example has 11 black bats, which go flap, flip, flap all through the town.  Students will enjoy sharing what they've come up with, and completed projects make a cute bulletin board. 

Today's featured FREEBIE is a set of apple-themed time cards for practicing telling time to the hour and half hour. 

There are blackline patterns plus a cover, so that students can make their own "Itty Bitty" Telling Time Flip Booklet, along with two assessments I think you'll find useful.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for dropping in. 

I'm absolutely loving the Indian Summer weather we've been having here in Michigan, so it's time to go rake a few leaves out of my flower beds, before the rain that's brewing changes my plans. 

Wishing you a fun-filled day.

"Autumn, the year's last loveliest smile." -William Cullen Bryant

1-2-3 Come Do Some Quick,Halloween Activities With Me

Halloween happens to be on a Monday this year, so some schools will be celebrating on Friday, others waiting 'til the real day. 

Since our party day is Friday, I still wanted to have some quick, easy and educationally fun Halloween-themed activities for Monday, so I whipped together a pumpkin glyph, writing prompt and class book.  They are featured on the blog, along with today's  FREEBIE.

First up is the pumpkin glyph. No matter what grade I taught, my students absolutely LOVED making glyphs.

They are a quick, easy & interesting way to practice and assess listening and following directions.  This pumpkin glyph will also review some 2D shapes as well.

Since this is one of my report card standards, glyphs also provide a "hard copy" to use as proof that a child does or doesn't listen & follow directions.

Completed projects make an adorable bulletin board, as each one will be different! 

I've included 2 posters for the center of your glyph display.

Glyphs are also an interesting way to get to know your students.  The packet also includes a few posters for explaining things so even PK students can make one.  

The "Positive-Negative Writing Prompt Pumpkin" also makes an awesome bulletin board or hallway wall display.   

The controversy of Halloween, makes a nice comparison-contrast writing activity, where students list the positive aspects of Halloween that they like, as well as the negative ones that they don't care for.

Whenever I include a bit of hands-on craftiness to a lesson, I instantly have my students' attention; and they can't wait to get down to the business of writing.

So as a topper for their completed October writing prompt, children use an art form fittingly called: "positive-negative" and create a Jack-O-Lantern with my easy-peasy pattern.

To add some variety to your display, I've included 5 writing prompt worksheet options with different Halloween-themed graphics and fonts for your students to choose from.

PK teachers can do this as a whole-group discussion activity, where students give their opinion and you jot down their answers on one of the writing prompt worksheets, then each child can make a positive-negative pumpkin, which can be scattered around the prompt.

Finally, if your kiddos are like mine, they are constantly talking about what costume they are going to wear for Halloween.   I take advantage of their excitement and enthusiasm by having them make a costume class book.

They are super-excited to get down to the business of illustrating their own page, which is a great activity for the week of Halloween, or even on party day for something educationally fun to help channel all of that energy.

I’ve included 2, full color cover options to choose from, as well as 3 different page designs. (See PREVIEW).

There’s a black and white pattern for your students, as well as templates in color, so that you can easily make a sample to share to help explain things, then contribute your costume page to the book too.

On party day I snap everyone’s picture, then add their photograph to our book as well.

Class-made books are one of my students’ favorites in our classroom library; they are terrific to share during parent-teacher conferences too.   Besides the book, I’ve also included 2 song posters.

I enjoy making up songs to familiar tunes. One is “Trick or Treat” to the tune of “Are You Sleeping Brother John?” the other is “What Costume Will You Wear” to the tune of “Farmer in the Dell”.  

Today's featured FREEBIE is a collection of tried and true Halloween party games that my students really enjoy.  I call the packet "Ready-Set-Ghost!"

Click on the link or photo to grab your copy and let the spooktacular fun begin!

Well that's it for today... Gotta dash, as there are treat bags yet to make for the neighborhood children.  We don't have that many, so I like to make something extra special. 

Wishing you a very Happy Howling Halloween!

"There is magic in the night when pumpkins glow by moonlight!" -Unknown