1-2-3 Come Do Some Pussy Willow Activities With Me

"Fun With Pussy Willows" is another "From my Heart to your Hands" FREEBIE.

Spring is such a fun time to be outside, breathing in the beauty of nature, as things start to bud, bloom and grow.

Pussy willows are one of the first signs of spring here in Michigan, so I like to gather a bunch and bring them into the classroom for my kiddos to touch.

They exclaim at the softness of the little puffs, and can certainly understand how these lovely branches got their name.

With that in mind, I designed this "Fun With Pussy Willows" packet. I hope you enjoy the activities, as much as I did creating them.

The packet includes:

• 2 real photographs of pussy willows, in case they don’t grow near you. Use them to introduce your lesson, then later as part of your bulletin board display. 
  

     . 2, intersting legends about how the pussy willow got its name. You can read these as part of your introduction as well.

     . A pussy willow craft.  

Students can draw a few “twig” branches on their paper and create their own pussy willow pattern, or for younger kiddos, who need a bit of guidance, you can run off my pattern on construction paper.

A bright blue or gray blue color looks like a spring sky, but to add variety to your display, you could give children a color choice.

So the "branches" of the pussy willow stand out, have children trace a thick, brown line over them using a brown crayon.

There are two options for making a pussy willow picture, and both look stunning.

One is made by pulling a pinch of cotton from a cotton ball, then balling it up a bit, and gluing it to the oval sections on the branches. 

For less mess, I squirted a dollop of Elmers glue on a paper plate.

Children then dip their Q-tip into the glue and put a dab on the oval sections of their paper, then press the cotton in place.   Older students can simply use the glue bottle. 

I filled in the entire paper using just half of a cotton ball.  As you can see by the photographs, the wonderful 3D results are quite realistic.

The other option is to have children make a "keepsake" picture, by dipping their pointer finger into a dollop of white, acrylic paint, then pressing their "print" onto the oval sections.

For this picture, I added a 3D effect by gluing a real twig to the center branch of my pussy willows.

While the paint is still wet, sprinkling on a bit of opalescent glitter really adds a lovely finishing touch to the picture. 

I've included a little poem, inside of a heart, which children can cut & glue to the bottom left corner of their picture:

This pussy willow's special, as you can plainly see.  I made it with my fingerprints, with lots of TLC.  It's bringing springtime wishes, with love to you from me.

The packet also includes...

    . Letters that spell “Pussy Willows” to use as a caption for your spring bulletin board or hallway display.

I made the letters using background paper featuring various pussy willow branches.

       . Since April is Poetry Month, I thought it fitting to include a pussy willow poem, which you can use as the center of your display. 

I love the stanza "...and I'll rub spring across your cheek."  which provides th perfect opportunity to teach about metaphor.

Students can also try their hand at writing poetry,  by coloring, and filling in the acrostic poem worksheet.

An acrostic is a poem where the first letter of each line is used to describe that word.

Acrostics provide wonderful practice for descriptive writing and learning about adjectives & synonyms, as well as being a nice vocabulary builder.

Students can use just one word as I did (especially because the S & L letters are used twice), or they can use several words or even a partial sentence or phrase.

The letter I proved a bit challenging, so you might tell students that they can use the I as a pronoun, as in "I like pussy willows." However, the word Interesting also works.

Here’s an example of another acrostic for the word spring, where I used phrases rather than single words.
Splashing in puddles
Plants are blooming
Rainbows in a sunny sky
I see buds sprouting
Nests are being built
Gray clouds threaten rain.

No matter what grade I taught, all of my students really enjoyed writing acrostic poems. 

       .There are also 3 additional worksheets, which include a Venn diagram comparing pussy willows to kittens.

Any of these worksheets, as well as the acrostic poems, can be added to your bulletin board display, and look really nice hung with the pussy willow craft, topped off with the "Pussy Willows" lettering.

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

I'm wishing you a fun-filled spring, touched by many soft & tender moments.

For more springtime activities click this LINK.

"Spring is a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be."

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

Years ago I drew my first "shapely" animals; and since the penguins were so popular, I continued to design different animals for the various seasons.

Today I'm featuring my newest creation, "Shape Up!" with  "Lions & Lambs" packet, along with 3 other popular springtime "shapely critters": chicks,  bunnies & frogs.

Whether you're teaching 2D shapes for the first time, or simply looking for a review, these cuties will add some zing to your spring, lion & lamb-themed lessons.

There are 3 crafty options.

Younger students can simply color the lion & lamb-faced worksheet of their choice with no cutting, or draw in their own head on the blank shape, while older kiddos can cut and glue a lion or lamb head to their favorite shape.

There’s a simple “straight-edge” shape pattern for little ones that’s easy to cut, along with a more challenging shape pattern where students cut the lion’s mane and the sheep’s body out for a more realistic look.

Children can glue the lion head to the “shapely” mane, or the lamb head to the “shapely” body of the sheep.

For more pizzazz & to add some 3D pop, students can accordion fold a strip of paper, glue it to the back of the head, so that it ”wiggles”.

The packet also includes posters & games with colorful cards to use as a center activity.

There are black & white patterns so students can make up their own games as well.

There’s also a selection of worksheets, which practice shape words, & attributes, plus a certificate of praise bookmark.

Make a set of your own to use as flashcards, anchor charts, or a “4 Corners” game, (Directions included).

Completed projects make an adorable spring bulletin board or hallway wall display.
I’ve included 2 posters to help enhance your display.

2D shapes included: circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, pentagon, octagon, rhombus, trapezoid, heart & star. 

Another springtime animal in this collection is an adorable baby chick.

The "Slick Chick" packet follows a similar format, but also includes 3D shapes, and an emergent reader booket.

Students read, trace and write the shape word, fill in the shapes to look like chicks; trace the shape and then draw that shape.

They also underline the capital letter and add end punctuation. 

The bunny rabbit is certainly a symbol of spring as well.  I had a lot of fun designing a cute little face for this "shapely" animal friend.

The 2D shapes are easily recognizable, as they are simply topped off with a pair of bunny ears.

To make them especially cute, I've included a pattern for a ladybug & 3D butterfly to add some extra pizzazz. 

The spots on their wings match the bunny's various shapes too.

Finally, many of my teacher friends have a springtime, frog theme going on, as they study life cycles; so perhaps the "Funny Frogs" shape packet works for you. 

The format is also similar, but also includes a short “giggle” tale about Ferdinand the frog and Princess Penelope, who was turned into a fly!

Read it as an interesting way to introduce the shape craft, then have older students "flip up the mouth" and write their own "fractured fairy tale" on the frog's "tongue".

There’s a set of discussion questions for the story, as well as a comprehension worksheet.

Today's featured FREEBIE is a whopping 41-page, whimsical"Shapely Mouths" packet, which will help you review, as well as assess 2D shapes and shape words.  I hope you find it useful.  

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

It's a dreary day here in Michigan; rainy, cold & windy.  Perfect for snuggling in and reading a good book, or putzing wth my "too long" To Do List.

Wishing you a cozy & cuddly kind of day, filled with all the things you enjoy the most.

"A rainy day is a special gift to readers." -Amy Miles

1-2-3 Come Do A Fun Spring Writing Activity Via a Venn Diagram With Me!

Since Bunny Buddies were so popular, as promised, here’s another Venn Friend, with more on the way for the other months.  Here in Grand Rapids, Michigan, we are close to the city of Holland, and like the country, they are all about tulips and even have some awesome windmills too. 

If you ever get a chance to visit, it's worth the trip!  Literally 1,000's of tulips are everywhere, in every color imaginable and all sorts of varieties.  Click on the link to take a look at some fabulous photographs. 

The hot pink and purple ones are a particular favorite of mine.  Since a tulip is a simple pattern,  I thought I'd design a tulip Venn Friend.

Venn Friend Diagrams are a great way to introduce or review the compare and contrast concept and a terrific way for students to get to know more about their classmates.

The finished product provides an adorable spring bulletin board and working with a partner enhances all sorts of life skills.

Simply run of my masters on a variety of construction paper that is conducive to tulip colors.

Write half of your students’ names on scraps of paper, toss them in a basket and have the other ½ select a Venn friend from this basket or bag.

To make these more of a keepsake, take a photo of each of your students, or use their school picture and have them glue it to their side of the tulip.

Use my list of questions, so each pair of students can interview each other appropriately and come up with lots of similarities and differences.  Students then choose from this list, which things they want to include on their Venn diagram.

You may want to brainstorm this part as a whole group, writing things on a white board, so that younger students know how to spell words.  Each student writes their own “different” tulip side, and then shares the writing of the "same" middle section.

You may want students to number things so they are easier to follow.  When they have completed the writing portion, students glue their tulips together and share with the class.

These make a lovely spring bulletin board, or can be suspended back-to-back and hung from the ceiling by punching a hole at both ends and making a yarn loop.  Click on the link to view/download this spring Venn diagram.  April Venn Friends

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.

"In the spring, I have counted 136 kinds of weather inside of 24 hours!" -Mark Twain

                                        1-2-3 Come Hatch Some "Craftivities" With Me                                                                                                                

I Hatched, is an easy spring writing activity that makes an adorable bulletin board or hallway decoration.

Your students will not only have fun with this March/April writing prompt, but will learn more about their classmates and possibly about themselves as well.

Simply run off my chick and egg templates.  Students cut them out and fill in the information.

I’ve included a letter home to parents, as younger children don’t always know any more than the month they were born in, and some don’t even know that.  You could also send this activity home to be completed over spring break, and then share on the day children return.

The “favorite activities” pennant adds more flair and an additional writing extension.  I’ve included 6 graphing extensions to reinforce that math standard and so students can visually “see” their classmates' answers.

Add feathers; wiggle eyes and straws to jazz things up and you hopefully have “eggs-actly” that little something you’ve been looking for to spice up your writing block.

To reinforce verbal acuity skills and learn more about their friends, have students share their creation with the class, after everyone has  “hatched” their egg, then hang them in the hallway for that finishing touch of springtime.

Click on the link to view/download the I Hatched Springtime Writing Activity

Each year our preschool hatches baby chicks in their classroom.  It's a fascinating experience they share with my Y5s. 

I found a short baby chicks hatching video (1:13) on YouTube, if you'd like to share it with your kiddos before or after they do the "I Hatched" craftivity.

Thanks for visiting. Do you have a spring writing prompt or craft that's a favorite?  Would love to hear from you.  diane@teachwithme.com  or feel free to leave a comment below.

"If you want to feel rich, count the things you have that money can't buy." -Unknown

We Are “Some-bunny” Special

I LOVE using Venn diagrams with kids.  They are so easy to make and are the perfect way to introduce the compare and contrast concept.

A Venn diagram is so simple that even my Y5’s easily understood them, plus they really enjoyed making them. 

Even my college students like the concept.  One of their personal favorites: Comparing the classes' two favorite soft drinks. 

As they share which is their favorite, we narrow it down to two and then I bring the drinks in for the next class. Almost every semester Coke and Mountain Dew wins out.

They worked in small groups and made a Venn diagram comparing the soda, sipping as they worked.  Using their laptops they also found out differences via the Internet.  It’s my fun way to introduce them to writing a compare and contrast essay.

For little ones, I introduced the concept of a Venn diagram using 2 Hula-Hoops and index cards.  We brainstormed the differences and similarities of whatever we were working on.

Write these things on the board and give each student an index card to write one of the similarities or differences on.  Using clip art, you can also have two pictures to put inside the appropriate hoops along with header cards: similar and different.

Lay the Hula-Hoops on the floor and intersect them to look like a Venn diagram. Put your picture and header cards in the appropriate sections, and then have students lay their index cards where they belong.

For spring, I wanted to make this into a “craftivity” so I chose bunnies.  Their bellies are the Venn diagram.  I call them Venn Friends because half the students choose a friend’s name out of the Easter basket who they then team up with. 

To make it a special keepsake, include their school photo.  There's a checklist of 40 ideas that students can find out about each other, discuss which are similarities and which are differences and then choose which ones they want to put on their Venn diagram.

These make an adorable spring or April bulletin board.   Later, each student can take their own bunny head home and the teacher can keep the Venn portions as examples.   Click on the link to view/download Bunny Venn Friends

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything on my site.  I'm all about sharing!  If you'd like to see another spring Venn friend, scroll down for a tulip one. 

"Happy Spring!  Happy everything."