1-2-3 Come Do Some Shape Actiities With Me

“Shapin’ Up With Turkeys” provides a quick, easy and super-fun “print & go” craftivity, that will help review 2D shapes in some interesting & engaging ways.

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

The packet includes patterns for the above shapes, so that children can make a “Perky Turkey Pal” of their own.

There are a variety of turkeys to choose from; for example, the “keepsake” turkey’s head is traced from your students’ shoe, which makes a nice keepsake. 

"This turkey's head was made by tracing my shoe! My way to say Happy Thanksgiving to you." 

I wrote the poem to be placed on the turkey's tummy. I discovered, that unless a child told their parents that the head was their shoe print, many of them didn't realize this!

There are also 10 other head patterns to pick from. Choose your favorites, or give children a choice.

Shape templates come in a large, full-page size, as well as a smaller, two-on-a-page pattern, allowing you to make just a “shapely head”, or a “full body” turkey. 

I recommend making just the head with little ones, as it's the easiest craftivity.

Keep things extra simple by adding just a beak and wattle. However, I've also included two, one-piece feather patterns, which can be glued to the back of the head or body. 

Feathers add an opportunity for students to color, while practicing making a pattern: AB-AB, ABC-ABC etc.

Large wiggle eyes add extra pizzazz, but I've also included several pages of other eye patters, including eyeballs where the pupils match the shape of the turkeys head/body.

Check out the photographs to help you decide what’s most appropriate for your students

To add even more variety to your turkeys, there are also 3 wing patterns.

Create different looking turkeys by placing the wings rightside up or upside down. To make the wings "moveable", instead of gluing them down, attach with brass brads. 

Hat, shoe, leg & feather patterns also add variety.  Pick your favorite pieces, or give students a choice.

Accordion-folding the leg strips, is a fun way for students to strengthen their finger muscles, while adding to the cuteness factor of their turkey.

If your kiddos are like mine, they will enjoy the “boing-boing” effect.

Besides making a turkey with one of the more traditional heads, students can also match their turkey's head to its body shape. 

To help practice the “positional words” portion of the 2D shape standard, I’ve also included a “Corn Cob” whole group, assessment game.

Use the shape posters and pocket chart cards to introduce your lesson.

I’ve also included a “Shapely Turkeys” bookmark for your students.

Completed projects make an adorable display.

Dangle them from the ceiling as a border in your hallway.

I’ve included several posters to add extra pizzazz.

To add to the fun, encourage children to name their turkey, then fill out a "turkey tag", which can be glued to the middle of their turkey's tummy, or displayed next to their turkey on your display.

Older students can write down the attributes of the shape that they chose.

Today's featured FREEBIE is also about turkeys. 

"It's Turkey Time!" is a set of turkey-themed pocket chart cards, that will help your students practice analog and digital time to the hour and half hour. 

I've also included a whole group assessment worksheet, plus a black and white "turkey time" pattern, so that your students can make a telling time booklet as well.

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

I have to put my "Nana" hat on, as my daughter's dropping off my granddaughter for a few hours.  She's one of 10; so we are truly blessed.

Wishing you a love-filled and carefree afternoon.

Turkey Talk: "Hey turkey, what are you thankful for?" "Well, this month, I'm especially thankful for Vegans!"

I-2-3-Come Make A Thankful Turkey Craft With Me

All I ever have to do to get my kiddos highly motivated and excited to write, is put a little bit of craftiness into the project.

With that in mind, I designed this "Thankful Turkey Wheel”, which does the trick in getting them happily engaged, and right down to business.

As a pre-writing activity, students make a list of 4-6 things that they are thankful for.

When they are content with their final draft, they choose one of 3 turkey-topped worksheets to write their list on.  So that you can quickly and easily make a sample to share,

I've included options in color as well as black and white. 

Once students have finished their final list, they assemble their wheel and illustrate those “things” on it.

Students can also use stickers, pictures cut out from magazines, digital clip art, or perhaps real photographs. For example if they are thankful for their family they could glue down a family photograph.

There are 3 wheels to choose from:
A simpler 3-piece wheel for younger children who’d skip the writing portion, as well as a 4 and 6-sectioned wheel for older students.

You can keep things simple with just the head and body of the turkey, or you can add some 3D pop by adding a wattle, beak and wings.

For more writing practice, have students label their pictures.

Completed wheels and prompts make a sweet bulletin board.

I’ve included a “Let our lives be full of Thanks and Giving” poster for the center of your display.

Be sure and make your own, to help explain what you want your students to do, as well as share with them, what you’re thankful for.

Pressed for time? For your convenience, I've included my completed, full-color samples of both the wheel and writing prompt. 

Little ones can simply make a list using a few words. 

Encourage older students to include some descriptive words and a bit more than one or two-word answers. 

You can also do this as a whole group activity with preschoolers, asking what they're thankful for, then listing their answers on the colorful worksheet making a class composite of gratefulness.

Today's featured FREEBIE also has a Thanksgiving theme.

If you're students are as bananas over Pete the Cat as mine are, then I think they'll enjoy this "Color Me" dice game puzzle.

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

Mother Henderson's cupboard is bare, so time for some marathon grocery shopping.  Wishing you a peaceful and productive day.

"Forget the mistakes. Remember the lesson." - Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Pete The Cat Thanksgiving Activities With Me  

Are your students a bit bananas over Pete the Cat?  Mine are; so I was excited to find the book "Pete the Cat and The First Thanksgiving", which allowed me to carry my students' "fur frenzy"- enthusiasm into November.

Because this story is a “lift the flap” book, I thought it would be fun to make a “Flip the Flap Thankful Craft” for an interesting transition activity after reading the tale.

On the last few pages, Pete’s family goes around their Thanksgiving table and tells what they are thankful for.

His mom is thankful for family, his brother Bob is thankful for his skateboard, and Pete is thankful for the Pilgrims. The author then asks the reader what they are thankful for.

The craft features these characters as well. When you lift the flap you see a picture of what they said they were thankful for.

The last flap has a variety of options:
* There’s a blank section so that students can draw a self portrait, or for a sweet keepsake, children glue their school photograph on. (See sample pictures in the PREVIEW.)

* I’ve also included 4 boy graphics, as well as 4 girl clips for students to choose from.

Children pick an option then color, cut and glue their “thankful for” answers under the flaps; completing the project by writing what they are thankful for and then illustrating it.

During Pete’s “The First Thanksgiving” play, children learn a variety of fun facts; so I’ve included a “color me” writing prompt worksheet, where they can list some of these.

There’s also a fill-in-the-blank worksheet, where students complete the 3 sentences with what that character was thankful for, as well as an “I’m thankful for . . .” writing prompt page, where students can write a lot more, then color the picture.

Finally, I’ve included 2, “Roll and Color” game sheets. One is for numbers 1-6 for younger kiddos, the other for numbers 1-12, where students roll 2 dice, then add them together to get numbers 7-12. 

This activity is no longer available in my TpT shop, so if you'd like a copy, please e-mail me for details. (Simply click the blue LINK.

Today's FREEBIE is a Thanksgiving-themed Pete the Cat number puzzle, which comes in black and white so students can make their own, as well as one in color to use as an independent math center.  The FREEBIE is one of the four 6-piece puzzles included in my big packet.

Students can simply color, cut and put their puzzle together, or they can pick a partner and take turns rolling a dice.

Whatever number they roll, they place that numbered piece on the matching numbered square on their puzzle grid. The first one to complete their puzzle is the winner. 

Besides the black and white patterns for your students, I’ve also included colorful templates that you can use for an independent math center.

My students absolutely love the puzzle games, so if you're looking for a "sanity saver" before the holiday break, these provide a quick, easy, and educationally fun activity, which can be used as a sweet Thanksgiving card for parents too.

To extend the activity, have students glue their pieces to the puzzle grid as they play the game, then when done, write about the things that they are thankful for, or a note to parents of why they are thankful for them on the back of their completed puzzle.

Well that's it for today. My feet have hit the floor running, as 2 of my grandchildren are coming over for the day. 

Wishing you a day filled with giggles galore and lots of snuggly hugs.

"Even when my grandchildren are not in my arms, on my lap, or in my home,they are in my heart and there they will stay forever." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Thanksgiving Craftivities With Me

Thanksgiving break is almost here!  Woo hoo.  I always like to toss in a little bit of craftiness for that energy-filled (them, not me) Wednesday before vacation.

Here's a quick, easy and fun little My Thanksgiving Dinner Writing Prompt Craftivity,  with a variety of options to fit different age groups.

After reading several stories about the first Thanksgiving, have a discussion with your students about the kinds of meals that they enjoy for their Thanksgiving dinner.

How are they similar? How are they different? Do most of them have a traditional or non traditional Thanksgiving?

If they don't celebrate Thanksgiving, does their family have another special dinner at some point in the year?

Students then transition to the writing craftivity. They trace and write the words, add end punctuation and color the pictures; then trim the pages into a circle, collate and staple them to a paper plate.

For that extra pizzazz, I like using small, decorative fall plates from The Dollar Store, which also sells the real looking, plastic silverware for that special 3D effect.

Because they are silver in color, everyone thinks they look truly amazing, and always comment about our cool looking bulletin board display.

I've also included a blank page template for older students to write about their Thanksgiving meal.

Younger children can also exchange the pages that don't apply to them, substituting a few pages of their own.

There's also a generic "My Favorite Dinner" cover, so students who don't celebrate Thanksgiving, can still participate, creating their own pages of a dinner that's a favorite of their family.

For more writing practice and word work, I've included a set of trace & write word cards.

Children can trim, alphabetize and staple together to make an Itty Bitty booklet.

Finally, there are some larger writing prompt pages for older elementary, should you wish to skip the paper plate crafivity portion.  

Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to take a look: Thanksgiving Dinner: A Writing Prompt Craftivity.

The featured FREEBIE for today is a Native American headband craft that practices 2D shapes. 

Another little something fun for your feast, or to make during the last week of school.

Well that's it for today. My "to do" list for Thanksgiving is rather long, so best get at it.  Wishing you a fun-filled day.

"There is only one difference between a long life and a good dinner: that, in the dinner, the sweets come last." -Robert Louis Stevenson

1-2-3 Come Do Some Cornucopia Craftiivities With Me

Just a few more days 'til Thanksgiving.  Woo hoo!  As you're anxiously counting down the days 'til  break, you might want to toss in a little craftiness for those last few days.

With all the testing, report cards and parent-teacher conferences that have taken place, I think everyone needs a bit of a brain break.

Here are some quick, easy and fun cornucopia-themed craftivities that take just a short amount of time, yet pack a big “Wow!” factor when completed.

The packet includes:

* Background information about cornucopias.
* A variety of crafts suitable for various levels of ability.
* Writing prompts
* Worksheets
* Center activities
* Shape activities
* Word find
* Dice game
* Puzzles that reinforce numbers 1-10, counting backwards from 10-1, plus skip counting by 2s and 10s, in both color as well as black & white.  

Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to have a look see: Cornucopia-themed craftivities.

Since the Dolch fairy tale that I posted yesterday was so popular, I decided to feature another Dolch word FREEBIE today.

When you're deciding what Dolch words your students will work on, you may want to take into consideration their frequency of use. 

I've included 2 Dolch word lists in this packet. One lists the order of frequency for each separate Dolch word list (pre primer-3rd grade). 

The other list, categorizes all of the words, from all of the lists, by order of frequency.   I hope you find it useful.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  I have a busy day ahead, as the entire house had the carpets cleaned yesterday and things are in a stacked-up disaster everywhere. 

Right timing because we're having 20 for Thanksgiving, poor timing because now I have more to do.  I'm sure most everyone can relate.  Wishing you a productive day, filled with lots of energy.

"The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving." ~H.U. Westermayer

1-2-3 Come Do Some Thanksgiving Math Activities With Me

Strut your math skills with this cute turkey craftivity.

You can review all sorts of standards while playing this game, which is easy to differentiate for a variety of ages and learning levels.

Use the 10-sectioned pie pattern, to simply make a 10-piece puzzle, for younger students to practice counting and sequencing numbers 1-10. You can also review colors with them as well.

Older students can practice numbers and their number words.

It only took 15 minutes to make a class set. Store them separately in Ziploc Snack Baggies.

Reinforce life skills, by playing with the puzzles as a partner game.

You can use dice and practice addition, or use the spinner (3 are included) to play that way.

If your kiddos are also studying fractions, they can play Memory Match or "I Have; Who Has?" games, with the turkey's pumpkin pie fraction cards.

I've made a larger set to use as flashcards, as well as included a set of black and white pocket chart cards. 

These can also be used as a worksheet for your kiddos to trace, write,trim & collate into an Itty Bitty fraction booklet. 

Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to have a look: Easy As Pie, Turkey Number Game With Some Fraction Fun

The featured FREEBIE today is a short story "Who Will Be King".  It's special in that it includes ALL 220 Dolch sight words!

I've highlighted words in various colors, so that you know which lists they come from. Hope you find it helpful. 

Well that's it for today.  The carpet cleaners will be here this morning, so my office will be off limits to creative messes. 

Time to think up something else to fill up my day with.  Ummm, shopping before the crazy crush begins sounds good . . . Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

"Shopping at any level is a bit of therapy for my medulla oblongata." - Theophilus London

1-2-3 Come Do Some Thanksgiving Writing Prompts With Me

The activities in the "Thanksful Packet", are a creative alternative to the ever popular “Thankful For…” writing prompt.

The THANKFUL word, is a quick, easy & fun little craftivity your students can do in 5-10 minutes.

Children fill in the letters with things that they are thankful for. Drawings, stickers, or even a little photograph adds pizzazz.

I used all caps so that students had more room. Take a teachable moment to discuss why they think that most signage that they read is a “rule breaker” and uses all capital letters.

The packet also includes a class-made booklet, which includes several page options and covers.

It’s formatted on a full-page for a large booklet, as well as 2-on-a-page templates to conserve paper.

The booklet is a wonderful way to build students’ self-confidence, and is especially appropriate if your class participates in the “Bucket Filling” program, as children choose a partner then write why they are thankful for them.

Encourage older students to use at least 3 adjectives to describe their classmate, as well as 2-3 verbs of what they do that you are thankful for.  

Add school pictures for that finishing touch.

After they share their page, collect, collate and add a cover.
Remember to set your booklets out for parent-teacher conferences. 

As always, I've included my completed samples, so that you can quickly and easily make an example to share with your kiddos, to help explain what you want them to do.

There's also a sweet little note from your teacher: I'm thankful you're in our class, that you can tuck in students' desks, folders, or backpacks.

Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to take a look at the: Thankful Packet.

While you're there, I'd so appreciate it if you'd follow me.  I know it's a bit silly, but I really get excited about this growing number. 

I only need two more followers to hit the 800 milestone.  When I do, I'll be sharing a special FREEBIE in celebration. 

By following, you'll know when I post FREEBIES or throw a sale.  Thanks in advance for you consideration.

The featured FREEBIE for today is Patrick, the paper chain scarecrow.  Use him as a creative and fun way to practice, counting and patterning via the links.

Older students can write why they are thankful on eack link, the scarecrow being a nice alternative to a turkey.  Completed projects look cute dangling from the ceiling or as a border up against a hallway wall.

Well that's it for now. Thanks for stopping by.  It's rainy, cold and dreary out. 

The perfect kind of day to start creating some Christmas craftivities.  Wishing you a warm-fuzzy, snuggly kind of day.

"Every day may not be good, but there is good in every day." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Thanksgiving Writing Prompts Craftivities With Me

It never failed, that no matter what grade I taught (PK, K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, and even a college lit class), if I introduced a writing assignment that had a little bit of craftiness to eat, my students couldn't wait to get down to the business of writing.

An added bonus, was that completed projects made an awesome bulletin board that they were proud of.

The two writing prompt craftivities that I'm featuring today, are very simple, and can be done in a really short amount of time.

The first one is "Loopy". He's a creative alternative to the ever-popular "I'm Thankful For..." writing prompt.

Students write something that they are thankful for on strips of colored paper, then bend them into a loop and glue their writing prompt "feathers" to the top of their turkey.

I made my sample out of rainbow colors, but you'll have a wonderful variety if you let your students come up with their own designs. 

You can also reinforce AB-AB or ABC-ABC color patterns as well.

I've included 6 different options for a center circle; from as simple as "Happy Thanksgiving!" to several quotes, as well as a poem.

Include a blank, brown loop behind the head of the turkeys, so you can suspend them back-to back from the ceiling.   Click on the link for this "funtastic" Dollar Deal: Loopy the Thankful Turkey Writing Prompt Craftivity.

Next up is the Thankful Tree.  Like Loopy, it's a nice alternative to the "I'm Thankful For"  writing prompt. 

I designed this craftivity, so that I could reinforce the 4 seasons, which we were learning about. It's also a great opportunity to practice the use of adjectives, to make writing more descriptive.

Here, children complete the prompt: "I'm thankful for (winter, spring, summer, fall) because..." 

There's a cover page, 4 seasonal tree top writing prompts: (I'm thankful for winter, spring summer, fall because...) plus an ending prompt that says: "Most of all I'm thankful for . . ."

Students work on one tree top "page" each day. When everyone is done, have students share one of their favorite pages.

I've included a blank tree top pattern for older students. 
For more pizzazz, students can add small seasonal stickers or drawings to the tree tops. i.e. snowflakes for winter, blossoms for summer etc.

Adding a school photo to the "hollow" of the tree adds that finishing touch. 

Since scarecrows continue to be one of my top November downloads, the featured FREEBIE today is Pete the Peeking Scarecrow craftivity. 

Well that's it for today. Time to straighten up my organized chaos, and replace it with some "crafty clutter". 

I'm watching my grandchildren today; Kaiden's 3 and Kaitlyn's 1. We're going to make shoe print turkeys today.  Wishing you a day filled with special memory-making moments.  

 "Grandchildren fill a place in your heart you didn't even know was empty." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Make Some Thanksgiving-Themed Emergent Readers With Me

I've been super-busy tweaking and revamping some oldies, at the same time designing quite a few new Thanksgiving items as well. 

Today I'm featuring 3 of "Diane's Dollar Deals" that are quick, easy and fun emergent readers.

They are great for Daily 5, or your reading-writing centers.

First up is the "Thanksgiving Emergent Reader Strip Booklet".  I call these “strip booklets”, because I can fit five pages or "strips" on a one-page template, for easy printing.

Trimming the pages provides nice fine motor practice strengthening those finger muscles, as children make a “just the right size” Itty Bitty booklet.

Students read the simple sentences packed with 27 Dolch sight words, trace the words, add end punctuation, then rewrite the sentences, remembering proper capitalization, spacing and end punctuation.

Afterwards, children color, cut and collate the pages.

Next is a "Snip and Flip" Emergent Reader Counting Booklet, that reinforces numbers and number words.

I call them this because students snip the top number pages to reveal the group/set of Thanksgiving-themed items underneath.  

Students trace and write the numbers and number words; they read the simple sentences and add end punctuation, then color the pictures in the group/set.

Review adding plus one more to complete the next grouping, as students count from 1 to 10.

For more reinforcement, and to practice another standard, have students count backwards from 10 to 0 by reading their booklet in reverse.

Finally, the last Thanksgiving-themed Dollar Deal  is "Shapely Buckles" a Pilgrim Hat craftivity, where the buckle is actually a little shape booklet.

Choose which shapes are appropriate for your kiddos and have them color, cut and collate into a mini buckle booklet.

When everyone is done, use it as a creative way to whole-group assess.

Call out a shape. Students flip through the pages, find the correct one and hold their hat up.

You can see at a glance who is having difficulty. Jot yourself a note and work with these kiddos later.

I’ve also included a set of 2D pocket chart cards to use as a review.

There’s also a matching cover, so that your students can make an itty bitty booklet, as unlike the buckle activity above, these pages also include the shape word, which they trace and write.

Finally, there’s a set of picture cards, as well as word cards, so that students can play a Memory Match and/or an “I Have; Who Has?” game. 

Today's FREEBIE. "A Feast of Fictional Fun" is an oldie but goodie, designed years ago before I had all of the clip art, fonts, and design programs that I use today. 

However, I think your kiddos will enjoy the creative writing prompts.  I've also included a class book, travel journal and diary pages.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  I hope your kiddos enjoy practicing a variety of standards with the Pilgrims. 

I got up early to get this posted, but now it's time to get ready for church. I'm thankful for the Pilgrims who paved the way for our religious freedoms.  Wishing you a peaceful day. 

"It's not enough to attend church and pray every Sunday; you have to act." -Abbe Pierre

1-2-3 Come Learn About Pilgrim Children With Me

If you want your students to get excited and interested in learning about Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, do it from a child’s perspective... today’s kiddos studying about children in the 17th century.

Believe me, you’ll certainly grab their attention. Shocker; no electricity and lots of work to do!

Thirty-one children actually sailed on the Mayflower, with two born along the way!

I spent a great deal of time researching children during this time period, to create this packet, which can be simplified for PK kiddos, and ramped up for older elementary students, who will really enjoy the writing prompts.

The packet includes:

* A dozen Venn diagrams, which are an excellent way to present a great deal of interesting background information, while children practice comparing and contrasting.

* Several graphic organizers, KWLs, graphing extensions and worksheets.

* A variety of writing prompts, including an assortment of letter writing craftivities.

* A dozen games that were played during that time period, so it can be supposed that Pilgrim children might also have played them. Surprisingly, a few your students may still play today!

* 2 super-fun measurement activities that will make sailing on the Mayflower and living in a tiny Pilgrim house more real to your students.

* A Pilgrim TP tube craftivity.

Older students can staple it to the side of one of the writing prompts, to add a bit of 3D pizzazz to your bulletin board display. 

and as always . .

* Photographs & completed samples so that you can quickly & easily make examples to share.

Click on the link to zip on over to have a look see at this 86-page packet chock full of interesting activities: Pilgrim Children.

Here's hoping that your students enjoy learning about Pilgrim children, as they practice a variety of standards.

Today's featured FREEBIE goes right along with this Thanksgiving packet.

Click on the various links for my photographs of the Mayflower II, Plimoth Plantation, Wampanoag Village, and Plymouth Rock that I took, on a recent vacation in Massachusetts.

Sharing these with your kiddos also brings the 17th century to life, helping make things more real, the activities more meaningful and the writing prompts more vivid and authentic.

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.  Time to get ready to go celebrate our oldest son's birthday. 

Where have 35 years flown off to?  One seems to go from potty training to driver's training in a heartbeat, then the rest even faster.  Wishing you a love-filled day.

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate." - Oprah Winfrey