1-2-3 Come Play A Pumpkin Dice Game With Me

Since my Apple Puzzle Games have been so popular, I decided to create a pumpkin-themed one too. 

The pumpkin puzzles are a quick, easy and super-fun activity that you can play as an independent center, or as a whole group where children play individually or with a partner.

The games  will reinforce numbers 1-6 for PK kiddos, while older students can use the 1-12 number puzzle to practice addition.

There are several ways to play.

To reinforce the fact that pumpkins are not only orange but can be red, yellow, green whitish tan & even blue, I have my students color with those six crayons.

So that each students’ work is different, children decide which numbers are what colors.

Because of the variety, completed projects make a sweet bulletin board.

I've included photographs of real colorful pumpkins, along with a poster to scatter among your students' work.

I've also included larger, full-page pumpkins so you can create independent Center Games as well.

Simply print, laminate & trim. I keep each puzzle in a ZipLock Baggie.

For this center, students roll the dice and place the matching numbered piece on the pumpkin base.

There are a set of 3 puzzles for numbers 1-6, and another three with pieces 1-12. 

I made multi-colored puzzles (see photo), but you can make yours all one color or whatever...

Challenge older students to put the puzzles together without the help of a base.

If they become stumped, they can refer to the "pumpkin challenge" chart for assistance.

Another Idea:

The packet also has a “header” card if you’d like to make these as an inexpensive gift for a fall or Halloween treat bag.

The headers come in color as well as black & white.

It’s a super-simple, party day activity that children can do independently, which allows you to be freed up. Woo hoo for an easy-peasy "sanity saver"!

Students are happily engaged putting their own personal puzzle together.

When they’re done, they pick a friend to play the dice game with; using the base that they built their puzzle on, which they’ll now color for the “Roll & Color” dice game.

You can have these pre-cut by a parent helper, or to make the activity last longer, have children cut out their own pieces, getting in some scissor practice which will help strengthen finger muscles.

There’s also a 4-on-a-page blank pumpkin puzzle so that you can program however you want.

Today's featured FREEBIE is a selection of fall-themed worksheets that help students practice graphing, at the same time reviewing 2D shapes.

I've included black & white patterns for children, as well as colorful answer keys.

My students really love graphing, so I hope yours will too.

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

It's going to be another hot one today in the 90s (!) unheard of for Michigan at the end of September, but it beats snow.

Time to go water my wilting flowers. Wishing you a fun-filled day.

"By learning you will teach; by teaching you will learn." -Latin Proverb

1-2-3 Come Do Some Number Recognition Activities With Me

Because my Young Fives absolutely love making and collecting “Itty Bitty” booklets, I designed a set for each individual number 0-10.

I call them Itty Bitty booklets because there are 4-pages on a one-page pattern, making this little book “just the right size” for small hands and pint-size attention spans.

The booklets are a real time saver for me, as once students have completed one, there’s no need to repeat directions. Children feel empowered and can get right down to business.

Cutting on the dashed lines helps strengthen finger muscles and dexterity, while collating their booklet practices sequencing and counting.

You can start with zero, or save that booklet as a little something to do on a “Zero the Hero” Day, as you count up to 100.

I’ve designed the pages in such a way, that you pick the pattern pages most appropriate for your students and “design your own” Itty Bitty booklets, this also makes it easy to diversify your lessons.

You can keep things very simple and make just the 3-page booklet with a cover, (first worksheet) or add as many of the other 9 page options you’d like.

The booklets are great for morning math, an independent math center, or homework, and work well for a math journal, interactive notebook or portfolio.

I've included a pocket as well as labels if your students have a math journal.  During "Back To School" sales when supply stores are offering 15 cent notebooks as loss leaders,  I stock up so my kiddos have a notebook for a variety of things.

Easy-peasy for me, fun for them, and everything's organized in one place. Notebooks are an excellent way to show progress at conferences and at the end of the year students have a nice keepsake. 

Students color and tape the "pocket" to the inside of their math journal, then tuck their Itty Bitty booklets inside.  You can also opt to put them in a small, manila envelope. 

I've also used smaller envelopes that I buy at The Dollar Store. Students glue one to a section of their notebooks that feature work on that specific number, then tuck that Itty Bitty booklet at the bottom.

There’s enough variety so that you can also make extra booklets. For example, there are 2 “color me” pages which feature all of the numbers.  One is a selection of cute "number people", the other depicts children holding a number.

Pick one for your initial Itty Bitty booklet, then make an extra “color me” booklet with the other pattern pages. Instead of featuring just one number, this Itty Bitty booklet would showcase all of them.

Since the pages are small, coloring is simplified and not overwhelming. My students often ask if they can do more than one page at a time.

Another idea for an extra booklet, is to make an “Amazing Numbers Maze Craze” booklet, featuring all of the number mazes. As with the color booklet, I’ve included a cover for this extra option. 

The mazes would also make a fun math center.  Laminate a set and have students complete the mazes with a dry erase marker.

These extra options are wonderful tucked in your sub tub, something for struggling students or early finishers.

Besides the booklets, I’ve also included a “Snap To It!” Snap or Unifix Cube math center activity, where children use one of the 2-on-a-page worksheets as a reference, while putting cubes together to make that number. 

I have my kiddos count how many cubes they used.

A mini matching page is an option for their Itty Bitty booklets and has children working on patterning.

There's also a set of jigsaw number puzzles. Run the pattern off on 4 colors, laminate and trim.

Sort the puzzles so that each puzzle includes all four colors, then keep each one in a ZipLoc Baggie in your math center. 

There's also a mini page option for students' Itty Bitty booklets.

Today's featured FREEBIE is another way that my students enjoy practicing numbers and counting.  

These bubble dot numbers can be used for individual worksheets (there are  2-on-a-page for quick printing) or add the cover and make into a number booklet.

Students use a bingo dauber to dot the bubbles counting as they go. They can also choose two crayon or marker colors and fill in the dots showing an ABAB pattern.

Make an extra set to use in a math center where students can place objects on the dots counting as they fill up the pattern.

Students can also sequence the cards.  Make an extra set and cut them in half or quarters and use as puzzles.

Another idea is to color your own set with school or classroom colors then laminate and use as anchor charts or flashcards. 

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

I've finally survived a terrible cold, so need to tackle a long (oh my gosh am I behind) to do list.  Wishing you a productive and stress-free day. 

"The future of the world is in my classroom today!" -Ivan Walton Fitzwater

1-2-3 Come Do A Few More Apple Activities With Me...

I know that I said I was done designing apples for awhile, but I found a few more notes while cleaning off my desk, and one thing led to another, 'til 4 mini apple packets were knocked off.  I hope you enjoy them.  The desk is cleared and just waiting to be filled with all sorts of other fall fun . . . where to begin?

I always get a few requests for some worksheets that connect-the-dots for a variety of things.  Raesha, from Arizona, wondered if I had any connect the dots with skip counted numbers. 

She's reviewing skip counting by 5's and 10's with her firsties and thought these would be fun. 

I chose an apple theme for my template and included numbers from 0-10, as well as numbers from 0-30, plus apples for skip counting by 5's and then 10's. 

Since I had the template designed, I also made a connect the dots for uppercase letters and another for the lowercase letters.  Click on the link to view/download the Apple Connect The Dots packet.

Another request came from Rachel, over in Wisconsin.  She wanted a quick and easy way to whole-group assess a variety of standards, to see where her kinders are at. 

My favorite way to whole-group assess is with an "I Spy!" game.  I designed these with an apple theme.  Students spy uppercase letters, lowercase letters, shapes, and numbers. 

They trace the letter/shape/number called, and then raise their hand.  You can see at a glance who is having difficulty. 

Students enjoy this form of assessment, and you know where the majority of your students are, without a whole lot of time invested testing. 

Another plus for these worksheet-games, is that students can take them home and use them several more times, as they play with their parents, continuing to reinforce standards in a fun way.  

Click on the link to view/download the Apple-Themed "I Spy" packet.

I continued to reinforce name recognition with my Y5's through October, and tried to think of a variety of ways for them to practice finding and writing their names.  With a big apple unit in September, it seemed only fitting to do something with apples.

Print a copy of the apple name game template and then write your students' names on the inside. 

I also include my own name, so that I had a sample to share and show, as I explained what I wanted my kiddos to do. 

Every year some of my little ones were amazed that I had a first name (Diane). They simply thought of me as their teacher Mrs. Henderson. 

I guess it was sort of like asking the question: "What's your mom's name?"  To which most of them would reply: "Mommy." :-)

Students find and circle their name, write it on the bottom and then, because I was teaching them that apples came in three colors, I'd have them trace their apples with those 3 color markers or crayons.  Completed projects make a cute bulletin board. ("The Apples Of Mrs. Henderson's Eyes!" )

I've also included an apple card template for you to use as name tags and/or games. Print a few copies of the apple card master; write your students's names on one set and then run off on yellow construction paper. 

Print another set on white card stock and trim.  Each child colors their own apple and then glues their photo in the middle.  Collect, laminate and trim.  Use the photo apple cards with the name apple cards, to play Memory Match or "I Have; Who Has?" games. 

You could also put both sets of apple cards on a split ring and use them as flashcards, to help your students learn the names of their classmates, as well as how to read their names.   Click on the link to view/download the Apple Name Game packet.

Finally, I made some apple puzzles, that make an easy and inexpensive little gift for the 1st week of school, or whenever. 

I've included 3 different header cards for your treat Baggies, as well as a black and white template, so that your students can color their own puzzle. 

When they are done, have them cut out their puzzle, mix up the pieces and challenge them to be the first one to complete their apple puzzle. 

I've also included a blank template to help young students easily put their puzzle together.  Click on the link to view/download the apple puzzle packet.

Thanks for visiting today.  The sunshine is calling and I'm happily answering.  See you later apple-gator.

"We can teach from experience, but we cannot teach experience."  -Sasha Azevedo