valentine activities

1-2-3 Come Do A Valentine Storytelling Craft With Me

story there was an old lady who swallowed a rose activitiesDo you read "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Rose" by Lucille Colandro?

My students absolutely love this collection of stories, and they are perfect for practicing the “sequencing and retelling a story” standards.

video little old lady who swallowed a roseIf you don't have the book, and would like to familiarize yourself with the story, click this LINK to find it on YouTube.

With that in mind, I designed these quick, easy & fun storytelling "Slider" and "Wheel" craftivities that will help your students retell the story in the proper order.

Either craft is simple enough as a great addition to your Valentine’s Day party too.

There was an old lady who swallowed a rose activities, valentine party ideas,  valentine stories, sequencing & retelling a story activitiesFirst up, the "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rose" storytelling SLIDER:

There are 4 “cover” options available:

  • There was an old lady who swallowed a rose activities, valentine party ideas,  valentine stories, sequencing & retelling a story activities2, little old lady "head options,
  • a full-body granny, plus
  • There was an old lady who swallowed a rose activities, valentine party ideas,  valentine stories, sequencing & retelling a story activitiesa rose. 

Pick your favorite or give children a choice.

All of them are easy-peasy to cut, as they are in a box shape; however, you can also choose to cut around the little old lady’s head.

There was an old lady who swallowed a rose activities, valentine party ideas,  valentine stories, sequencing & retelling a story activitiesI took pictures of both samples so that you can decide which you like best. 

There are also 2 size options available.

There was an old lady who swallowed a rose activities, valentine party ideas,  valentine stories, sequencing & retelling a story activitiesBoth heads are bigger, with a larger "slider strip", while the rose & granny's body are smaller (on a half page). They have a smaller "slider strip" as well. 

You decide which best suits your students' abilities.

Children color, cut & glue their slider strips together, then insert it into the “slits” of their cover.

As they pull on the end of the “slider” the various pictures go through the “window”, so that children can take turns retelling the story to a partner.

I introduce the lesson by reading the story, then share my sample with the children.

We retell the tale together, using the picture prompts on the slider.

My students now know what’s expected of them, and are very excited to transition to making a “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rose” slider of their own.

As always, both color, as well as black & white patterns are included.

There was an old lady who swallowed a rose activities, valentine party ideas,  valentine stories, sequencing & retelling a story activitiesFor a quick, easy & interesting way to assess comprehension, there's a “Let’s sequence the story” worksheet, where students color and trim the picture tiles then glue them in the correct order on their worksheet.

Use the teacher’s colorful copy as a whole group sequencing activity,  by passing the cards out to your students. 

When you get to that part in the story, the child with the matching card, comes up & places it on the ordinal number mat. (Use magnet or Velcro dots to adhere the cards).

After the story, I pass the cards out to different children for a final review.

Remember to grab that teachable moment to practice ordinal numbers as well.

BThere was an old lady who swallowed a rose activities, valentine party ideas,  valentine stories, sequencing & retelling a story activitiesoth the Slider & Wheel packets include a “Here’s What Happened…” writing prompt worksheet, as another way to check comprehension, plus practice sequential writing.

Use the colorful template to do this as a whole group activity with younger kiddos, discussing beginning, middle & end.

there was an old lady who swallowed a rose wheel craft, There was an old lady who swallowed a rose activities, valentine party ideas,  valentine stories, sequencing & retelling a story activitiesFinally, the storytelling wheels are also a super-fun way for your students to practice the sequencing & retelling standards.

There are 3 wheel “cover” options to choose from.

there was an old lady who swallowed a rose wheel craft, There was an old lady who swallowed a rose activities, valentine party ideas,  valentine stories, sequencing & retelling a story activitiesChoose your favorite, or give students a choice.

When everyone is done, practice telling “There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Rose” using the manipulative.

Simply turn the wheel & call on a child to explain what’s happening in that graphic.

there was an old lady who swallowed a rose wheel craft, There was an old lady who swallowed a rose activities, valentine party ideas,  valentine stories, sequencing & retelling a story activitiesAfterwards, have students pick a partner and take turns retelling the story to each other.

Sometimes we do this with our older, reading buddies.

For more reinforcement, as well as another way to assess comprehension, I’ve also included 2, “color, cut & glue” puzzle worksheets.

there was an old lady who swallowed a rose wheel craft, There was an old lady who swallowed a rose activities, valentine party ideas,  valentine stories, sequencing & retelling a story activitiesUse the two, full-color versions for an independent puzzle center, where children arrange the pieces on a 5-piece pie grid.

There is puzzle for the first half of the story, plus another puzzle for the second half of the tale. To make this center self-correcting, number the pieces on the back using two different colors, which will make sorting easy-peasy.

there was an old lady who swallowed a rose wheel craft, There was an old lady who swallowed a rose activities, valentine party ideas,  valentine stories, sequencing & retelling a story activitiesAnother super-fun thing for students to do is to play “Speed”.  Children pick a partner & race eachother to see who will be the first to complete their puzzle. 

Add to the fun by using a dice for the first puzzle. 

Whatever number a child rolls is the number that they put on their puzzle.

If they roll a 6 they lose their turn. 

When doing the second puzzle, children play with two dice, which will help practice simple addition.

rip tear valentine, valentines day party ideas, valentine cards to make, valentine craftsToday's featured FREEBIE also has to do with Valentine's Day.

It's a simple, (rip & tear) "I love you to pieces" valentine card, that's lots of fun for your kiddos, while being a great way to help strengthen their finger muscles.

It's perfect for your valentine party day, and is generic enough so you can use it for Mother's Day, Father's Day or Grandparents Day as well.

Me 3 2 2Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.

We just had 5 inches of snow dumped on us, so it's time to do a bit of shoveling.

Wishing you a toasty & warm week. 

Click this LINK, and come join the fun on Face Book for my exclusive FREEBIES & Monthly GIVEAWAYS.

Check out my educational Pinterest boards by clicking HERE.

 "The Giving of love, is an education in itself." -Eleanor Roosevelt

1-2-3 Come Do Some Valentine Party Day Activities With Me

Do your kiddos rip into their valentines and are done with that activity in about 5 minutes, when you were hoping to stretch that out a bit for more sanity-time on party day?

valentine activities, valentine worksheets, activities for valentine party day, fun activities to do with the valentines. With that in mind, I designed some "Print & Go" easy-peasy valentine worksheets, that students complete using their valentine cards.

There are 4 worksheets to choose from (plus one also has a boy & girl option).

Pick what fits your needs, or do all 4 and simply print back-to-back for a 2-pager.

Your students will enjoy pouring over their valentine cards to complete the quick, easy & fun worksheets, which practice a variety of math & literacy skills, and you'll have some time to yourself to relax a bit before the next activity. 

valentine activities, valentine worksheets, activities for valentine party day, fun activities to do with the valentines. I've included colors, 2D shapes, counting, sorting, sight words, tally marks, greater & less than, graphing, plus a Venn diagram for comparison-contrast writing, and a place to glue their favorite valentine, then tell who it's from & explain why it's their favorite. 

Today's FREEBIE is a paper chain craft. It's super simple to make the links look like hearts, and the perfect, "little something different" for pary day.

lYounger kiddos can count links and show an AB-AB or ABC-ABC pattern, while older students can write spelling or sight words on the strips, or math equations from the board, then solve the equations on their links.  

You can also use the hearts for other things, such as a bouquet for mom. 

valentine activities, valentine worksheets, activities for valentine party day, fun activities to do with the valentines. I've included an owl pencil topper in the packet as well.  Just a little something you can whip together and leave on top of your kiddos' desk as an inexpensive party-day surprise.  You can get a pack of 20, valentine pencils at The Dollar Store.

valentine activities, valentine worksheets, activities for valentine party day, fun activities to do with the valentines. Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. Today was short & sweet as I just got out of the hospital. 

Sigh... some of my friends are zipping off to Florida or taking a cruise; me, I land in the hospital for a 2-day "staycation" because of breathing problems.

Feeling tons better and raring to design some more stuff! 

Nothing like a little set-back to really make you appreciate life. Wishing you a healthy, rest of winter and beyond.

"They invented hugs to let people know you love them without saying anything." -Bill Keane

1-2-3 Come Do Some More Valentine Activities With Me

I love Valentine's Day; it's one of my favorite parties at school too, so I'm constantly dreaming up new ideas to make the day special, while still learning standards.     Today I'm featuring 3 of my newest creations. 

valentine crafts, valentine activities, february bulletin boards, 10 frame activities, alphabet wheels, alphabet activities, valenteens, teen number activities, hidden pictures, 100 chart activities“Valenteens” are goofy little heart people that feature a ten-frame
I designed the craftivity to showcase teen numbers, which can be toughies for kiddos. However, because of the blank templates provided, you have the option to simply make a silly valentine, or one with numbers 1-12, for younger students.

Children can create a boy or girl "valenteen", by where they glue the bow.
The bows come blank, as well as printed with a teen equation.

There is a blank full-size heart pattern, so that children can draw their own silly face, as well as 10 hearts with a variety of faces for them to choose from.

I’ve also included a 1/2 heart pattern. Print and fold on the dashed line. Keeping the paper folded, students cut on the black line and then unfold their paper to reveal a large heart.   My students are always amazed at this, adding to the fun of our lesson.

valentine crafts, valentine activities, february bulletin boards, 10 frame activities, alphabet wheels, alphabet activities, valenteens, teen number activities, hidden pictures, 100 chart activitiesThere are 4 options for the 10 frames: a blank set, a set with numbers, a set with hearts, and a set with numbers & hearts.

If you choose the blank set, children can make X’s & 0’s (hugs & kisses), use stickers, bingo daubers, or draw and color shapes to fill in the boxes.  For that finishing touch, I’ve also included gloved hands and shoe templates.  

You don’t have to have legs, but I think they add to the silliness of the “valenteens”, plus accordion-folding paper is a fun fine motor skill, that helps strengthen finger muscles.

I included links for the "My Funny Little Valentine" song, so you can play it while your kiddos work on their creations. 
There’s also a poster of the refrain, as well as an “Our Funny Little Valenteens”  poster to use in the center of your bulletin board display. 

valentine crafts, valentine activities, february bulletin boards, 10 frame activities, alphabet wheels, alphabet activities, valenteens, teen number activities, hidden pictures, 100 chart activitiesNext up is the "Hh is for Hearts" alphabet wheel. I'm currently in the process of making one for each letter, and introduce them when the theme is appropriate.    

Dollar Deal Alphabet Wheels, are a quick, easy & fun way to practice letters, and build the vocabulary needed to give an example of a word, with that beginning sound.

They feature 6 nouns that begin with that letter, and come in black & white, as well as full-color, so that you can use a colorful one for an independent center and use the black & white pattern for a whole-group or individual word work activity, where kiddos make their own.

valentine crafts, valentine activities, february bulletin boards, 10 frame activities, alphabet wheels, alphabet activities, valenteens, teen number activities, hidden pictures, 100 chart activitiesFinally, The “100 Chart, Heart Art” is a very versatile activity, as I’ve differentiated the directions for PK to 2nd grade

“Mystery Math”  hidden pictures, are a quick, easy & fun way to practice recognizing some of those big numbers that kiddos often trip over, when learning how to write and count numbers.

Using a 100s chart so students are seeing numbers in proper sequence, helps them wrap their head around a variety of math patterns, and is especially helpful to visual learners.

I’ve included a 100s chart worksheet without directions, so you can do this as a whole-group, “Listening & following directions” activity.  For younger kiddos, simply call out the numbers they need to color. 

valentine crafts, valentine activities, february bulletin boards, 10 frame activities, alphabet wheels, alphabet activities, valenteens, teen number activities, hidden pictures, 100 chart activitiesI feel even young children can gain number sense by doing this as a “monkey see-monkey do” activity.

I’ve also included a set of spatial directions for you to read to older students: “Find the number 66. Color that box and the box that is UNDER it.”

There’s also a worksheet that includes the numbers to color, if you want to use this as a homework assignment, table-top activity, independent center, or something for early finishers.

valentine crafts, valentine activities, february bulletin boards, 10 frame activities, alphabet wheels, alphabet activities, valenteens, teen number activities, hidden pictures, 100 chart activitiesTo practice double digit addition and subtraction, there's a worksheet where students have to solve problems to find out what numbers they are supposed to color.

Completed projects make a cute February bulletin board.   Use the “We LOVE Mystery Math!” poster in the middle of your display.  

valentine crafts, valentine activities, february bulletin boards, 10 frame activities, alphabet wheels, alphabet activities, valenteens, teen number activities, hidden pictures, 100 chart activitiesThe featured FREEBIE today is a set of valentine 10-frames.  A nice "go along" to the Valenteen 10-frame craftivity mentioned above. 

Besides the 10-frame cards, the packet also includes heart-themed, counting tiles, plus math symbols and number cards, so that you can make equations and play a variety of games. 

valentine crafts, valentine activities, february bulletin boards, 10 frame activities, alphabet wheels, alphabet activities, valenteens, teen number activities, hidden pictures, 100 chart activitiesWell that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  Wishing you a blessed day filled with lots of "warm fuzzy" moments.

"Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move.  Doubt truth to be a liar, But never doubt I love." -William Shakespeare

1-2-3 Come Do Some Valentine-Themed Activities With Me

Oh my!  Can February get any more jam packed?  There's so many special activities going on this month.  It seems like we just finished our Groundhog Day activities (which were postponed because of a well-deserved snow day) and now Valentine's Day, 100 Day, and President's Day are all piling up. Anyone else going a bit crazy pulling it all together? 

This article will feature some quick, easy and fun Valentine activities that have been popular downloads and favorites of my kiddos.  I hope you find something you can use to make your life easier and a bit less stressful.

valentine activities, valentines, valentine crafts, valentine cards, valentine games, My simple heart paper chain, has been pinned almost 3,000 times!  (Click on the link to check out my valentine board on Pinterest.) To make these especially cool links, just cut strips of pink, white and red construction paper (1 inch wide).  I used 3 colors so we could practice an ABC-ABC color pattern. 

Students fold each strip in half, then bring the ends around to make a heart-shaped link. I used a stapler, but kiddos can glue the ends.

To turn this into a writing prompt, have students write something that they love on each strip. They could also write spelling or word wall words, or February vocabulary words on the links. 

Teachers can make one for the classroom and suspend it from the ceiling, as a great way to countdown to your valentine party day, or do 28 links and countdown the days in February. 

There are several more heart craftivities in this packet, as well as an owl valentine, which holds a pencil that you can give to your students.

Since my "Venn Friends" craftivities have been so popular, I decided to make one for February, featuring a heart-shaped Venn diagram.  Children choose a partner and then make a Valentine Venn Friend with them. 

valentine activities, valentines, end punctuation activities, venn diagrams templates, venn diagrams for valentines day, venn friends, valentine venn friends, beginning capitalization activities, February bulletin board ideas, valentine crafts, valentine bookmarks, valentine number puzzles, keepsake valentines, hand print valentines, valentine books, venn friend valentines, valentine writing prompts,valentine cards, valentine games, Venn diagrams are a great way to practice the comparison-contrast form of writing.  Making a Venn Friend is also a wonderful way for students to learn more about their classmates. 

Add a school photo for that finishing touch.  Completed projects make a sweet February bulletin board too. 

3D heart writing prompt dangler craft, valentine activities, valentines, February bulletin board ideas, valentine crafts, valentine bookmarks, valentine number puzzles, keepsake valentines, hand print valentines, valentine books, venn friend valentines, valentine writing prompts,valentine cards, valentine games, Another writing prompt "craftivity" is this 3D valentine card, which features 3 different writing prompts. 

The packet includes a pattern, plus 15 writing prompts to choose from. 

Dangle from the ceiling, or have students make this 3D heart for a valentine card

Speaking of special valentine cards, valentine activities, valentines, February bulletin board ideas, valentine crafts, valentine bookmarks, valentine number puzzles, keepsake valentines, hand print valentines, valentine cards, valentine games, "I wouldn't miss, the chance to blow you a kiss!" is a sweet hand print valentine that's sure to become a keepsake. 

Older students can complete a writing prompt on the back, of why they love and appreciate their family.

valentine activities, valentines, February bulletin board ideas, valentine crafts, valentine bookmarks, valentine number puzzles, keepsake valentines, hand print valentines, valentine cards, valentine games, If you'd like to give a little something to your students, these 10 valentine bookmarks are a sweet surprise tucked in a desk, valentine card or backpack.  You can also use them as prizes for party day. 

valentine activities, valentines, February bulletin board ideas, valentine crafts, valentine bookmarks, valentine number puzzles, keepsake valentines, hand print valentines, valentine cards, valentine games, These 20 valentine-themed number puzzles are a fun independent center or whole-group activity, which helps students practice sequencing numbers 1-10, counting backwards from 10 to 1, or skip counting by 10s to 100.  

You can laminate and use them each year, or use as prizes for your valentine games. 

For a special valentine, put one in a Ziplock Baggie for each of your students to put together then take home.  

I've also included 3 black and white puzzles that your students can color, cut, mix up and then put together. 

If they glue their completed puzzle on a sheet of construction paper, leaving a small gap in-between the pieces, they create an interesting mosaic picture that makes a nice February bulletin board.

valentine activities, valentines, valentine books for kids, end punctuation activities, beginning capitalization activities, February bulletin board ideas, valentine crafts, valentine bookmarks, valentine number puzzles, keepsake valentines, hand print valentines, valentine books, venn friend valentines, valentine writing prompts,valentine cards, valentine games, For a valentine activity that practices a variety of standards, use my valentine-themed grammar cards packet, which includes 30 pocket chart cards. 

Print; laminate and trim, then use them in your pocket chart as a whole group activity.  Read the sentence together, then choose a student, who uses a dry erase marker to fix a card.  They circle the letters that should be capitalized and add end punctuation.

I've included quite a few contractions so you can have even more teachable moments. For more practice, have students correctly rewrite 5 of the sentences on a sheet of paper.  I've included a sheet of 60 mini grammar cards that you can pass out to children for this activity.

valentine activities, valentines, end punctuation activities, venn diagrams templates, venn diagrams for valentines day, venn friends, valentine venn friends, beginning capitalization activities, February bulletin board ideas, valentine crafts, valentine bookmarks, valentine number puzzles, keepsake valentines, hand print valentines, valentine books, venn friend valentines, valentine writing prompts,valentine cards, valentine games, No Valentine's Day would be complete without reading several special valentine-themed stories. Click on the link for a list of 100 of my all-time favorites. 

valentine activities, valentines, end punctuation activities, beginning capitalization activities, February bulletin board ideas, valentine crafts, valentine bookmarks, valentine number puzzles, keepsake valentines, hand print valentines, valentine books, venn friend valentines, valentine writing prompts,valentine cards, valentine games, Well that's it for today.  Sorry this got a bit long, but I had so much to share, and time's running out to get everything organized. 

Valentine's Day was my favorite school celebration.  I hope you found a few things here, to make yours extra special.  Wishing you a memorable and love-filled day. 

 "Roses are red; violets are blue. My life is blessed because of you."

1-2-3 Come Make Some Valentines With Me

Since Valentine's Day is Friday, this will be my last blog post with heart-themed "stuff" 'til next year.  It's time to move on to President's Day

homemade valentines, mustache valentines, valentines day class list, valentines day thank you note, valentines day invitation, thumbprint valentines, keepsake valentines, Christian valentines, valentines day activities, valentines day crafts, valentines for kids, vintage valentines, valentine crafts, valentine writing promtps, writing prompts for February, Before I do though, I wanted to whip together a few special valentine things for you. 

I always sent a Valentine's Day Party information note home, as well as a list of their child's classmates, followed up by a thank you note to anyone who helped with the party, or donated something. 

I thought perhapes you could use a time-saving template for those things.  Simply print and then fill in your own info.  Click on the link to view/download the Valentine Note Packet.

homemade valentines, mustache valentines, valentines day class list, valentines day thank you note, valentines day invitation, thumbprint valentines, keepsake valentines, Christian valentines, valentines day activities, valentines day crafts, valentines for kids, vintage valentines, valentine crafts, valentine writing promtps, writing prompts for February, Since the mustache craze continues, and so many teachers have that as a theme in their classrooms,  I thought I'd make a mustache valentine. 

Before I design anything new, I surf the net to see if anyone has done what I'm thinking about; no sense reinventing the wheel. 

Erin had done just that, as I found a simply adorable mustache valentine FREEBIE over at:  I Love Naptime! 

Aren't they cute?  I love how she inserted the sucker so that it looks like a nose.  Your kiddos can trim off the writing and wear their mustache while they slurp away, which makes for a sweet photo op.  Click on the link above to grab her FREEBIE. 

homemade valentines, mustache valentines, Christian valentines, valentines day activities, valentines day crafts, valentines for kids, vintage valentines, valentine crafts, valentine writing promtps, writing prompts for February, The Internet provided all sorts of examples of old-fashoned, vintage, and handmade valentines.  A few hours quickly slipped away, as I flitted from one site to the next.

One of my favorite finds was made by Kristen over at Yellow Bliss Road. She overlayed the word love on top of one of my favorite Bible verses.  Click on the link to get this lovely FREEBIE, suitable for framing.

homemade valentines, mustache valentines, Christian valentines, valentines day activities, valentines day crafts, valentines for kids, vintage valentines, valentine crafts, valentine writing promtps, free vintage valentines, free victorian valentines, writing prompts for February, If you're looking for vintage valentines, you definitely need to click on the link that will take you to Lisa Thorarinson's Pinterest board. She has over 600 exquisite examples!  Many are in the public domain.

Another great site that's less overwhelming, has 70 vintage valentine FREEBIES  and can be found at Sweetly Scrapped. 

homemade valentines, mustache valentines, Christian valentines, valentines day activities, valentines day crafts, valentines for kids, vintage valentines, valentine crafts, valentine writing promtps, free vintage valentines, free victorian valentines, writing prompts for February, I really enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane, as my grandmother collected all sorts of valentine postcards from the early 1900's.  I fondly remember paging through her scrapbooks. 

To save you time, I used a  few free clips to make a vintage valentine packet.

I've laid them out so there are minis you can print for all of your kiddos, as well as a larger one with only one valentine on the page, to print and give to that special someone.  Click on the link for my Vintage Valentine packet.

homemade valentines, mustache valentines, Christian valentines, valentines day activities, valentines day crafts, valentines for kids, vintage valentines, valentine crafts, valentine writing promtps, writing prompts for February, I was pleasantly surprised at the popularity of ALL of the writing prompt valentines that I've been posting.   They have been the most downloaded items these past few days. 

TeachWithMe is mainly geared towards early elementary, but most of the writing prompts can be tweaked up, and some, I specifically designed for older students. 

With that in mind, I decided to make a folded heart envelope, which my crafty grandma Lydia, taught me a zillion years ago.  Give older students a writing prompt or have them record whatever they want inside. 

I've also included a few poem ideas they could use as well, or challenge them to write their own poetry. There's a heart pattern that includes one of my favorite "love" quotes, which I used for  "my special saying" that went under my senior yearbook picture. 

Run off the heart pattern on a variety of pastel colored construction paper, or for especially pretty "envelopes" print on patterned scrapbook paper that has a plain flip side. Click on the link to view/download the Folded Heart Envelope Valentine Writing Prompt.

homemade valentines, mustache valentines, thumbprint valentines, keepsake valentines, Christian valentines, valentines day activities, valentines day crafts, valentines for kids, vintage valentines, valentine crafts, valentine writing promtps, writing prompts for February, Finally, since yesterday's keepsake "Blow a Kiss!" craftivity was such a big hit, I wanted to design a few more "keepers."

While surfing the net, I came across the idea of making thumbprints look like hearts; they were posted on a variety of bridal pin boards. I LOVED this idea, so I had my husband press his thumb on a bronze stamp pad and then I pressed mine next to his, so that it looked like a heart. 

I cut out my construction paper heart and glued it to a circle of textured scrapbook paper, which I glued to the back of a paperweight. 

homemade valentines, mustache valentines, thumbprint valentines, keepsake valentines, Christian valentines, valentines day activities, valentines day crafts, valentines for kids, vintage valentines, valentine crafts, valentine writing promtps, writing prompts for February, I thought it turned out really cute.  I got the paperweight from Michael's Craft Store for only a dollar, but you could buy a bag of the clear glass, flat-backed stones to make this an inexpensive project.  Simple hot glue a magnet to the back. 

I also designed a sweet "thumb body" loves you valentine, for your kiddos to do the same thing on.  There's a color as well as a black and white pattern. Click on the link to view/download the Keepsake Thumbprint Valentine.

I hope you found a few things here that you can do personally, or with your students to make your Valentine's Day extra special. 

homemade valentines, mustache valentines, thumbprint valentines, keepsake valentines, Christian valentines, valentines day activities, valentines day crafts, valentines for kids, vintage valentines, valentine crafts, valentine writing promtps, writing prompts for February, Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.

"Love wasn't put in your heart to stay; love's only love when you give it away." -Rogers and Hammerstein

2 pages.

If you celebrate 100 Day in February, you may want to include some conversation candy hearts in your activities.  I have all sorts of candy heart packets and made this one especially for 100 Day. 

A great keepsake valentine for parents and an easy center for Valentine's Day
valentines, valentine cards, valentine centers, valentine party ideas, valentine activities, valentine ideas, keepsake valentines,

Print off my clip art, run off my template on red construction paper and have students keep their paper folded and cut out a lovely paper heart.

Glue everything together and you have a cool keepsake in a heartbeat!

 I used Martha Stewart's heart punch, but any will do, even stickers will add that bit of pizzazz.

Click on the link to view/download You Mean The World To Me Valentine

I hope you have a love-filled day tomorrow.

I'm Wild About You!

valentine cards, zebra cards, zebra activities, valentine centers, valentine ideas, valentine activities, valentine bulletin boards, valentine bulletin board ideas, valentine treat bagsI love zebra’s; they are fun to draw and easily recognizable by little ones, who seem to quickly associate them with the letter Z

I was in Big Lots the other day and picked up some things for my poodle pup Chloe.

Do you know they have designer doo-doo bags for dogs?

valentine treat bags, valentine treats, valentine party favors, valentines, valentine cards. animal activities, zebra activities, valentine centers, valentine ideas, valentine activities, valentine bulletin boards, valentine bulletin board ideas, february bulletin boards, february bulletin board ideas, valentine songs, Well the nice thing about that, is they are sturdy, come in packs of 60 to 100 for around $3.

This is way less expensive than the designer treat bags for kids, that are smaller, flimsier, and come in packs of 12 – 18, which forces teachers and parents to buy multiple packs.

Now if you can just get past the idea of what their initial purpose is for, you’ll be fine.

Anyway…I bought some with a zebra print, because I wanted to make some “Wild about you” valentines and well…you be the judge, I think they turned out really cute.

It seems that animal prints are quite the rage, as you can buy zebra, leopard and giraffe prints in scrap paper as well as tissue paper. Give students several options for an extra wild February bulletin board, then send the valentines home on party day.

I also made a copy of my doo-doo bag for you to print off, in case you can’t find anything, but I really like the see-through affect that the bag or tissue make.

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Remind students to keep their paper folded and cut on the lines. Tell them that if they listen and follow directions they will come up with a special “February shape”.

Your students can make these as a special valentine for their family and/or you can surprise them with a treat bag and use the “Wild about you.” as a hangtag.

Click on the link to view/download the Wild About You Valentine.

Follow this activity up by singing my Z-E-B-R-A song to the tune of Bingo. Click on the link to view/download my Bingo song cards. 

They are a great way to teach clap patterns, letters, spelling and simple subtraction! I have one for each month which will review every letter of the alphabet except X.  The H-E-A-R-T one is a February favorite.

zebra activities, animal activities, valentine activities, valentine centers, zebra songs, valentine ideas, valentine bulletin boards, valentine bulletin board ideas, valentine cards, valentine treat bags, valentine treats, valentine cards, Students can also color this adorable letter Z or turn it into a pinch and poke or dot-to-dot.

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Whatever you’re planning for Valentine’s Day, I hope you have a wildly wonderful time!

Do you have any ideas you'd like to share with us?  I'd really enjoy hearing from you! diane@teachwithme.com OR... feel free to leave a comment, especially if you use an activity.  Thanks in advance.

Be sure and gallop on over tomorrow for some more fun!

I'm So Glad You Swim In My School!

valentines, valentine bulletin board, valentine bulletin board ideas, valentine centers, small medium and large activities, math centers, fishie cracker activities, Goldfish cracker activities, valentine activities, valentine ideas, february bulletin boards, february bulletin board ideas, fish activities, fish ideas, fish lessons, valentine treats, valentine party favors, valentine snacks, Lovie, the heart fish, is a wonderful way to review the concept of small, medium and large. His goofy lips remind me of those wax ones I loved wearing when I was a kid!

I really enjoy my Y5’s exclamations of surprise, when they listen and follow directions, keeping their papers folded and cut on the lines. 

I don’t tell students that they are going to make a heart, I inform them that they will be making a special “February shape” then let it be a “surprise”.

They are amazed when they open their papers to see a heart, and can’t wait to cut the rest of their fish parts out. This is a great opportunity to review symmetry with your students too.

Show a finished sample to your students so they know how to glue Lovie together.

You can add a wiggle eye and even some glitter for that extra bit of pizzazz.

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Turning the crank is a great fine motor skill for them. 

It’s one of my favorite “must have” classroom tools and sells for $18.  Buy it with a half-off coupon for any of the major craft stores.  It's perfect to add that finishing touch to any Ellison die-cut and adds pizzazz to patterning. 

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Because the Rainbow Fish stories are a fun favorite for Y5's, giving students a color choice for their Lovie heart fish, is nice and makes for a more dramatic and colorful bulletin board. 

Even though they are board books, the Rainbow Fish Colors, Counting, and ABC books, are a great review and popular with little ones too.

Captions:

“We LOVE swimming in our school!”

Include a student’s photo on each fish.

You could glue their pix on an aluminum foil heart or sparkly piece of scrapbook paper, in keeping with the Rainbow Fish's “scale” idea.

Only glue the pointy tip to the middle of the fish so that the fin pops out for a 3-D effect.

 OR… another caption could be:

We’re Fishing For Facts! Turn the fact b. board into a writing prompt.

Have the students write 3-5 facts about themselves, a topic you’re studying, or do some math equations.

Use a separate sheet of paper, or write on the backs of the fish and suspend them from fish line in front of the board.

Click on the link to view/download Lovie, the Valentine-Heart Fish

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Younger students roll one dice and cover numbers 1-6, older students write out equations and cover goldfish 2-12.  The child to cover all of their fish first, wins the game.  Combine snack and math for extra timesaving learning fun!

Click on the link to view/download the Fishing For Facts games, which include number and number word flashcards + several skill sheets.

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 Do you have any ideas you’d like to share with us?  I’d enjoy hearing from you! diane@teachwithme.com or feel free to post a comment here.

They are very much appreciated, especially if you use an idea.  Thanks in advance.

Since Valentine's Day is coming up fast,  I wrote another article with a quick and easy valentine.  Scroll down for the "I'm Wild About You!"valentine.


Valentine, You Melt My Heart!

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You can do these black-framed templates each month using a different theme (shamrocks for March) and your students will never tire of them.

They have an outstanding stained-glass look, when hung in the windows or make an eye-catching bulletin board, by sprinkling them kitty whompus on a white or aluminum foil background with a paper lace border. Caption: Valentine, You Melt My Heart!

They are quick and easy, with terrific results; who could ask for more? Plus, peeling crayons and manipulating a sharpener, make for wonderful practice with fine motor skills.

Follow the project up with a mini lesson on secondary colors, as your students watch the crayons melt into each other and the yellow and red shavings blend to make a vibrant orange etc.

Here’s how to make a stained-glass crayon melt valentine heart:

Make heart templates from my master out of old file folders.  Students trace them on a sheet of black construction paper.

Make sure to tell them to keep their paper folded in half.

Children cut on the lines, open their paper and are always amazed to find a heart.

If you have a Duplo, simply run off my master on black construction paper, fold the paper and have students cut on the lines.

As children finish, call them up to the melting table.

Lay a towel on the table and put down a sheet of wax paper.

Students have already selected the color crayons they wanted on their heart from the broken crayon tub and have removed the paper wrappings.

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You may want to have them swirl their pile of shavings with a Q-tip before you melt them.

Lay another sheet of wax paper over the top.

Set the iron on the lowest setting and lay it on top of the wax paper for a second.  Lift and put on another spot.

I have experimented with “ironing” the sheet , rubbing it gently back and forth, instead of just pressing it up and down, but found that the colors run too much and smear into a big mess, sometimes ending up to have a  “brownish” color instead of a nice melted many-color effect.

Practice does make perfect here, so you may want to experiment a bit before you start on your students’ projects.

Children brush Elmer’s glue on their black heart frame with a Q-tip and lay it on top of the wax paper.

Press with palms.

Let dry and then cut off the wax paper edges.

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Simply punch a hole in the top, make a yarn or ribbon loop and hang.

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When dry, brush lightly with Modge Podge and then mount the black heart frame on the top.  They look cute sprinkled lightly with opalescent glitter too!

Do NOT hang in the window, because the sun will fade the tissue paper colors.

Click on the link to view/print the Melted Crayon Valentine Heart directions & pix

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Do you have a valentine idea you could share with us? I'd enjoy hearing from you: diane@teachwithme.com OR...post a comment, especially if you use one of mine! Thanks in advance.

Be sure and stop on in tomorrow for another fun idea.