1-2-3 Come Review The 5 Senses With Me.      

This “play-on-words” ( "My _______ is Sense-sational" ) writing prompt craftivity is a nice review of the 5 senses and definitely has the “Awwwww” factor, as children use their 5 senses to describe their mom, dad, or other special person.

It’s very versatile & something that’s quick, easy & fun for Mother’s Day, or use the blank “fill in” templates for Father’s Day.

These “fill-in-the blank" pattern pages are also perfect if you happen to have a child without a mom, or perhaps a student would like their paper to say “Mum”, “Mommy” or “Ma Ma”.

I made my samples using real answers from children. I hope they bring a smile to your face. 

A particular favorite of mine is the answer to the question: "What does your mom smell like?" to which Kaiden replied, "Water cuz she smells good after a shower."

I’m sure the ideas your own students will come up with, will be as sweetly hilarious as well.

Since classrooms today are filled with a lot of diversity, I designed 12 girl & 12 boy head patterns, which offer a nice selection for your students to choose from. There's also a blank template if a child wants to draw their own head.

Instead of drawing a portrait of themselves, another option is for children to draw a picture of their mom or dad. 

Students pick one, then add facial features, color it, and finally label their five senses.

Have students pick a partner, and take turns drawing one hand on a folded sheet of construction paper. This way they only have to cut once to get two hands, which they glue to the cover of their card.

For the writing prompt portion of the card, there are 4 girl & 4 boy options, plus a generic bear pattern to choose from.

Students complete the sentences, color & sign their card, stapling the cover to the top.

Younger kiddos can simply dictate their answers to the teacher, a room helper, or their older reading buddy. 

Today's featured FREEBIE: "Orange You Glad?" is an end-of-the year treat you can make to give your students on the last day of school. 

If you've got that covered, I've also included a pattern for the beginning of the school year as well.   I hope you find them useful. 

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

Time to begin my "too long" To Do list... No matter how many things I check off, I seem to always replace them with a dozen more!  Wishing you a delightful day.  

Definition of a Mother: "A person who does the work of 20 people for free."

1-2-3 Come Make A Mother's Day Card With Me

One of my favorite gifts is flowers and I absolutely love to garden.  Most of what I plant is some sort of perennial flower; it's easy for me to spend lots of happy hours digging in the dirt. 

 I have fond memories of sunflowers, so I thought I'd design a few Mother's Day "craftivities" featuring these beauties.  For some awesome photographs of sunflowers, click on the link.

The first "writing-prompt card"  features one large sunflower blossom. Students color, trim and then glue their sunflower to a sheet of construction paper. I like a dark blue background the best.

Run off the circle pattern on brown construction paper and rough cut.  Students trim and then "hinge" to the center of the flower with a tiny piece of tape. 

This will cover the greeting: "You are my sunshine.  Happy Mother's Day!" that is underneath.  Add a school photo to this "flip over flap" for that finishing touch. 

Older students can complete the writing prompt:  My mom brings sunshine to my life..." and glue it to the back of their picture.  I've provided a template for that.   Click on the link to view/download the You Are My Sunshine card.  

If you have the time, this is a sweet song to teach your kiddos.  Encourage them to sing the chorus to their mom after they present her with the card. 

To see the words, and hear the lyrics to You Are My Sunshine click on the link, for an age-appropriate YouTube video.

Another Mother's Day sunflower card, is a bit more complicated as it involves some folding and more cutting.  

I recommend it for 1st grade and up, but with a little help, I think a 5-year-old could also do a nice job.

I call this card "My love for you grows" as students accordion fold the middle section and glue it to the bottom of the flowers and then connect it to the top of the flower pot. 

As mom  opens and unfolds the card, it  "grows and grows and grows."  Older students can write on the back why their love for their mother continues to grow. 

Have students write Mom (or anyone that they are fond of) in one of the centers, and glue their photo in another.

Click on the link to view/download the My love grows Mother's Day activity.

Finally, students can also choose to make an entire bouquet for their mom. 

Children pick a partner and take turns tracing each other's hand, with a little wrist showing, and then cut it out.  Have a room helper do this for preschool kids. 

Run off the flower pattern on white construction paper. 

Students trace the stems with a green marker or crayon and then glue their handprint so that it looks like they are holding the flowers. 

Using different colored stamp pads, have students make fingerprint "petals" around the circles to create "flowers."  Have them do the same thing to make some "leaves" on the stems.  A thumbprint makes a nice big floral center. 

The template includes my little poem: "These flowers are my fingerprints that I know is true.  It's a Mother's Day bouquet especially for you."

Older students can complete the writing prompt:  If I could have any mom I'd still pick you because... or I made this special bouquet for you because... on the back of their picture.   Click on the link to view/download the Fingerprint Bouquet Mother's Day Craftivity.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  Sharing makes our lives a bit easier, and we are all better for it. 

"What is a mom but the sunshine of our days and the north star of our nights." -Robert Brault