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

Each month I like to have a little review of all of the 2D shapes, so this information stays stuck in my students’ heads.

With that in mind, I designed the "Shape Up!" turkey-themed packet, with a variety of games and activities that provide a fun way to review these shapes: circle, oval, triangle, square, rectangle, hexagon, pentagon, octagon, rhombus, trapezoid, heart & star.

There is an assortment of (12-on-a page) cards which can be used for “Memory Match” and “I Have; Who Has?” games.

I’ve included a 3-page “tip list” of ideas and other games you can use the cards for, such as: “Flip It”, “What’s Missing?” “Speed” & “Kaboom!”

Games can be played independently or as a whole group, then put in your math center.

There are also 2 sets of black & white game cards, so that students can make a game of their own to take home for further reinforcement.

Game sheets like “I Spy a Shape” are a super-fun way to whole group assess. The same worksheet can be used 5 times!

There are puzzles, dice & spinner games, as well as 2 graphing activities.

An emergent reader booklet, packed with Dolch words, practices a variety of standards.

The booklet can remain a whole page, or students can cut in half on the dashed line, creating a "just the right size" smaller booklet for little hands. 

There are cover options for both. Students read the sentence, underline the capital letter and add end punctuation.  

You can do this as a whole group activity, with "monkey see-monkey do" directions.

Children also trace the shape word then write it, then trace the shape and draw it.  Afterwards students cut and glue the appropriate shape to the empty box, then color the "shapely turkey" at the top of the page. 

This is a fun activity for the week of Thanksgiving, where you can do one or two pages each day; or send home over the holiday, as an interesting homework assignment.

This packet pairs perfectly with last week's “Shapely Turkeys” craft. Click the LINK to take a look.

Today's featured FREEBIE is "Oh Feathers!" a turkey-themed spinner game, which is also a fun way to practice 2D shapes.    

Thank you for stopping by. 

A dusting of snow has put me in the Christmas mood, so time for a little early shopping. 

Wishing you a peaceful day filled with wonder.

 "When snow falls, nature listens." - Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Chick and Bunny Craftivities With Me

I love springtime. There's something magical and invigorating about it; and there are so many themes you can incorporate into your lessons.

The chick and bunny seem to be popular symbols, so with that in mind I used them to design some quick, easy and super-fun craftivities, which practice a variety of standards. 

I'll be featuring 4 of my favorites, along with today's FREEBIE.  First up is a chick-themed -ick word family packet.    

The packet includes:

* An -ick chick word slider craftivity, featuring 20 words, with 2 size options.

* An -ick family poster with 22 words, plus  10 “flip the flap” -ick word booklets, as well as an “ABC Me” worksheet.  I've also included ...

* A cover to make an -ick word family dictionary, along with an Itty Bitty -ick word family booklet, plus a "Fill in the blanks” missing -ick word, sentence worksheet along with ...

* A set of -ick word family picture cards, with matching -ick word cards, so you can play “Memory Match” and “I Have; Who Has?” games, individually, with a partner or as a whole group activity.

* To mix math with literacy, there's an “Isn’t it slick that I can skip count with my chick?” slider craft, with 2 size options.
These number sliders skip count by 2s, 3s, 5s, or 10s. 

You can also practice the -op word family with my bunny packet.

The format is similar. The -op word family poster has an alphabetical list of 49 words, with some new words even to me, llke kop and trop, so I've also included a cover to make an —op word family dictionary.

I chose 18, or those -op words and made "just the right size", mini-cards.  Students can put them in alphabetical order, as an independent center, or partner up to see who can do it the fastest.  

Another idea, is to have children choose 2-3 cards and use the words in a sentence. 

The bunny and chick were also perfect to design some more "shapely critter crafts" which all started years ago with the penguin packet.

It's a wonderful, hands-on way to review 2D and 3D shapes.

Make a large set to use as flashcards, for whole-group games, and anchor charts, then have children pick their favorite and create their own.

Completed projects make an adorable bulletin board. 

I've included several posters for the center of your display. 

The packets include an emergent reader, games, worksheets, and a "certificate of praise" bookmark.  

For the emergent reader, students read, trace and write the shape word, fill in the shapes to look like chicks/bunnies; trace the shape and then draw that shape.

They also underline the capital letter and add end punctuation. 

Both animals are super-cute, but my personal favorite is the bunny.

There are 3 pattern options for the rabbit: A whimsical looking one, a "fluffy" faced one, as well as blank templates so children can draw their own.  

I've also included a paw pattern to make the shapes look even more like a bunny.

I think part of the bunny's charm, is that I also added a set of butterflies and ladybugs, which feature the various shapes. 

For a bit of 3D pizzazz, students choose one and glue the bug to the top of one of the bunny's ears. 

To get the 3D "pop" bend the ladybug's antennae forward. 

For the butterfly, give children 2 different colors.

They trim and fold one of the butterfly's wings, then glue just the thorax to the top of the other butterfly. Easy-peasy and looks fabulous! 

Besides the standard 2D shapes, due to many requests, I've also included the trapezoid and rhombus "pattern block" shapes, along with the hexagon, pentagon and octagon. 

Since many teachers are also teaching 3D shapes, there's also patterns for the cone, cube, cylinder and sphere.

Click on the links for the "Slick Chick Spring Shape Up" packet, and the "Hop To It" Bunny Shape packet.

Finally, while diddling around with pattern blocks, I discovered that you can use other pieces, to make a hexagon. 

Since this is a really new shape for my Y5s, it tends to be a "toughie" for them to remember. 

I think part of the difficulty, is because there are not many "real life" examples for them to see.  With that in mind, I designed the "Don't be vexed by the "hex", hexagon challenge.

I putzed 'til I created a dozen arrangements, and have included a full-color, as well as a black & white template (filled in with lines, plus blank) for them to place pattern pieces on.

Later, after they've created some patterns, turn it into a "Speed" game; set a timer and see who can make the most hexagons before it rings. 

Today's FREEBIE also has a bunny theme, which practices skip counting.

Your students will enjoy hopping to the next number, as they skip count with the bunny, by 2's, 3's, 5's, and 10's.  I've also included "What's Missing?" worksheets for each skip counted set.  These are great for "early finishers" or homework to send over spring break.  

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for visiting.  Time to switch gears and put my nana hat on, as I'm taking care of my grandchildren today. 

Kaiden (3) and Kaitlyn (1) put the grand in grandma. 

Wishing you a love-filled day filled with lots of hugs and giggles.

"I love music of all kinds, but there's no greater music than the sound of my children and grandchildren laughing." -Sylvia Earle

1-2-3 Come Do Some Shapely Activities With Me

Since the Silly Shaped Penguins, as well as the Shapely Owls have been such popular downloads, I decided to design a spring "craftivity" too.  When I took a look at all of the spring baby animals, the cute little chick clicked for me! 

Like the Penguin and Owl Shape packets, I designed all sorts of shape-themed activities around these cuties. 

I hope you enjoy using them, as much as I had fun making them.

I've included patterns for the standard 2D shapes, as well as the pattern block trapezoid and rhombus shapes, plus the 3D cone, cube and cylinder shapes. 

For more pizzazz, tape a real feather to the top of the chick's head and accordion fold the legs.  Adding wiggle eyes also adds more pop. 

You could also make the wings moveable by punching a hole and attaching them with brass brads. Click on the link to view/download the Shapely Slick Chick Packet.

The packet includes a set of black & white shapely slick chick cards, as well as a full-color set.

I've also made 2 sets of shape-word cards.

These are perfect for Memory Match or "I Have; Who Has?" games. 

Run off the black and white templates and have students make an Itty Bitty Slick Chick Shape booklet.

There's also an easy reader booklet, which covers lots of standards. 

Students read the sentence, underline the capital letters and add end punctuation.

They trace and write the shape words, add features on the first shape to make it look like a chick; trace the second shape and then draw the shape. 

On the last page they tell which shapely slick chick they liked the best. 

I've included a graph, so you can record the results.  Standards are also covered with worksheets for spatial directions, attributes, and matching the word to the shape. 

Finally, to build self-esteem, I designed a sweet certificate of praise.  Click on the link to view/download the Shapely Slick Chick packet.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away. 

"The first day of spring is one thing, the first spring day is quite another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month." -Henry Van Dyke

4pages.

The hexagon is often a "toughie" shape for students to learn.  A fun way to give them more practice with hexagons, is with pattern blocks.  Have them count them, stack them, pattern with them etc.  As they are playing with the pattern blocks, challenge them to use the variousl pieces to see how many ways they can make the hexagon shape. 

1-2-3 Come Snip Some Snowflakes With Me!

I don’t think there's another cutting activity more fun than snipping a snowflake.  Even young children enjoy this great fine motor practice.  There’s something magical about unfolding a cut-up triangle to reveal a lacy snowflake! 

The photo shows my Y5's creations (along with 3 of my own more intricate ones, that I used as samples.) I displayed them on our cafeteria door, which was located across from our room.  Everyone enjoyed them, and commented that they couldn't believe my little ones had made such awesome lacy snowflakes. 

I was extremely proud of their results and how far they had come with their scissor skills!  They absolutely LOVED snipping snowflakes.

For PK kiddo’s, fold coffee filters, so they are less thick and so much easier to cut.  You can also expedite things by having your snowflakes pre-folded, or use this opportunity to whole-group assess listening and following directions, as well as ordinal numbers.  i.e. First fold your paper like this.  Second fold this point over to this point etc.

Be sure to make quite a few extras for students who fall in love with creating them, or those little ones who get carried away snipping and make a snowflake that falls apart, because they didn’t keep spaces in between their cuts.

For extra pizzazz, spritz their creations with silver glitter spray.   (Make sure you’re in a well-ventilated area.  Even though it’s cold, I spritzed artwork outside.)  Completed projects look great sprinkled on a blue-foil bulletin board, used as a border, arranged in a huge wreath on the wall, or taped to a classroom window.

Before we made our snowflakes, I read Snip Snip Snow by Nancy Poydar.   It’s one of my favorite snowflake books and my Y5’s really enjoyed it.  They always asked if they could make a snowflake too, which provided the perfect segue to our paper cutting activities.    For almost all of them, this was a first-time experience, so they were extremely excited!

This easy snowflake pattern can be found over at Sociological Images in an article about Snowflake Bently.

To cut some really intricate snowflakes, which you can use as incentives, check out the tutorial at DIY Cozy Home. 

I'd cut 3 really awesome looking snowflakes and tell my students that they would be given to 3 "quiet as snowflake" students who completed their work. 

When I saw a child on task, I'd put their name stick in the cup that I would be drawing 3 students' Popsicle sticks from.  This was a very effective motivational tool.

There are quite a few more lovely lacy examples over at Designs That Inspire.

For more snowflake cutting practice, I think your students will enjoy making Snippy, the Snowflake Snowman.  He’s a terrific way to review 2D shapes. 

You may want to whole-group assess 2D shapes by using the snowman "posters" from My Shapely Snowmen. Make a set and use as giant flashcards. 

Have students count any vertices and review vocabulary like angles, corners, symmetry etc.  After your little review, have students transition to making Snippy.

Here’s how: 

• Run off the snowflake shapes on regular white paper.
• Review 2D shapes.  

Show my sample photographs, or make samples of your own.  Students choose a shape that they want for their snowman’s belly.

• Give students a few moments to trim their shape, counting vertices as they go.
  
• Demonstrate how to fold the shapes. 

I’ve labeled the shapes with numbers in each corner, to make this easier, however, there are a variety of ways you can fold your paper, as you strive for a folded shape that looks like a cone. 

There's a photo of each folded-paper shape, next to the cut-out snowflake shape, to assist you.

Older students can read the directions at the bottom of their paper.  For younger students, I suggest a “monkey see-monkey do”  whole-group direction activity.  i.e. Gather all of the students together who chose the circle shape. 

Fold once, and have children do what you do, then continue with the step-by-step folding directions ‘til they have the desired cone.

Also demonstrate how to snip a snowflake.  While you are cutting, explain symmetry to older students and remind them to snip the same “chunk”  on both sides.  This sort of cutting is difficult enough for little ones, so I simply let my Y5‘s snip away, with whatever shape they could manage.  

They were not able to make a heart shape, so if they wanted one, I snipped that for them, when they were done cutting.  

While you are demonstrating, remind students to keep their snowflake folded and to have a space in between each cut or they will have a snowflake with big holes that will likely fall apart.  I always had a few kiddo's who got caught up in snipping and failed to follow directions.  For this reason, it’s a good idea to run off a few extra shapes. 

If you want to be able to have more cuts show through, for a lacier snowflake, fold the paper one last time.  This will make the paper pretty thick, so students should be older, with more cutting experience.  

To avoid ripping their shape, show how students should SLOWLY and CAREFULLY unfold their paper. So they flatten out, have older students refold their shape, but only in the opposite way they were folded, so the paper can be flattened out and smoothed.  

• Run off the snowman head and hat templates, trim and trace onto an old file folder to make a pattern that you can trace once and then cut 3-6 at a time.  Because your students are already doing a lot of cutting, I’d have the head and hat pre-cut.

• So it's easy for children to have proper placement on their paper, have them glue the black hat to the white circle and then glue the snowman's hatted-head to the top of their paper.  Afterwards, they glue their snowflake so that it becomes Snippy’s body.  
• So they don’t rip their snowflake, have students rub their glue stick over the construction paper area where they will glue the snowflake, and then gently press the snowflake down, carefully smoothing it, so that it sticks to the paper.  

• Run off the shape-word hatbands on a variety of colors.  Students trim, trace and glue to their hat.  Glitter, or snowflakes cut with a paper punch can add a bit more pizzazz.   Punch a hole in the top, tie a yarn loop and hang back-to-back from a hallway ceiling.

I prefer making the snowman with just a snowflake tummy, but if your students would like to add mittens and boots for a more Frosty the Snowman look, I've included a template for both.  Click on the link to view/download Snippy, The Shaped Snowflake Snowman. 

Finally, while researching paper snowflakes, I came across the lovely idea of using a snowflake as a paper tutu for a ballerina, over at Krokotak What little princess wouldn't want to make one of these! 

There's also a connet-the-dots snowflake over at Calvary Kids with numbers to 78.

Thanks for visiting today, feel free to PIN away.  I hope you can stop by tomorrow, as I post more winter FREEBIES.

"Hold fast to dreams.  For when dreams go, life is a barren field frozen with snow." -Langston Hughes

1-2-3 Study Community Helpers and Shapes With Me!

Whenever I'm working on a theme, I try to design things that cover a variety of standards. 

Making a booklet featuring community helpers that would incorporate the 8 2D flat shapes, that students need to recognize, was a lot of fun. 

I could have listed a lot of community helpers who work with a rectangle shape, but thought a teacher using their blackboard, was the most appropriate.

This activity will help with the Common Core State Standard:K.G.1 as well as a variety of reading standards.

Students read the sentences; trace and write the shape word, trace and draw the shape, and then cut & glue the appropriate picture to the box.

The booklet makes a nice Daily 5 activity.

Click on the link to view/download the Community Helpers Take Shape easy reader.

After I completed the 2D shape booklet, I thought it would be fun to design a community helper easy reader featuring 3D shapes.

Click on the link to view/download Community Helpers Shape Up.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find useful.  My "Pin it" button is at the top of the page.

"Be a rainbow in someone elses cloud." -Maya Angelou

1-2-3 Come Make A Puppy Pal With Me

This puppy "craftivity" is really versatile. 

You can use the slider template and review upper or lowercase letters, 2D flat shapes, counting to 30, or skip counting by 2's, 3's 5's, or 10's, by cutting slits and inserting the appropriate strip of paper (slider).

These make a nice end-of-the-year activity, to send home with students as a fun way to review and practice over the summer, so they don't forget what they've learned.

Likewise, they are a terrific way to introduce your new students to these concepts at the beginning of the year as well.

Sliders are an easy way to whole-group assess and a fun way to review standards via playing "I spy" games.

Children can also make a keepsake card for Father's Day or Mother's Day, or to give to anyone else, by simply writing the recipient's name on the bone.

What makes this puppy extra special, is that you trace a student's foot with their shoe on, to make the puppy's ears.

Add a school photo for even more pizzazz.

I made the card on the right for my daughter, from baby Kaiden.

Finally, you can also use the Puppy Pal as a topper for a variety of writing prompts.

I've made writing prompt "bones" for the beginning of the year as well as the end. i.e. "I'll have a dog-gone great school year because ..." or I had a dog-gone good school year because..."

Click on the link to view/download the Puppy Pal Writing Prompt Card

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything that you think others may find helpful.

"The best teachers teach from the heart, not the book." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Make Silly Shaped Owls With Me!

Since the Silly Shaped Penguins were such a huge hit in January, I decided to whip together a packet of 2D shape activities using owls. 

I love owls, and lately, they seem to be all the rage.

You can quickly make these silly shaped owls and increase your students knOWLedge of shapes, shape words, attributes etc.

These activities make nice Daily 5 Word Work lessons, and will help reinforce Common Core State Standards: K.G.1, K.G.2, K.MD.3, 1.MD.4, 1.G.1

• Owl shape "craftivity".  Using the patterns, make the owls and laminate. 

• Use them as anchor charts, a shape bulletin board, oral assessments, or manipulatives for students to hold up during a shape story.
• Make an extra laminated set and cut them in half for an independent math center. 
• Choose 4 and suspend them from the ceiling in each corner of your classroom, so that you can play "4 Corners".  My kiddos absolutely LOVE this game and it's a quick, easy and super-fun way to reinforce the more difficult shapes.  When they've learned those, I hang up 4 other ones 'til they know them all.
  

• Students could also make one or several at a math center, perhaps choosing their favorite shaped owl(s).

Click on the link to view/download the Silly Shaped Owls packet.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find helpful.

"I shall pass this way but once. Therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again."

1-2-3 Come Lace And Learn With Me!

The more ways you can get students involved in shapes, the better the chance of the recognition-light bulb finally going on.

Lacing is fun for little ones, as well as an awesome fine motor skill.

These "Lace To Learn" shapes are quick and easy to make.

Simply run them off on card stock, laminate, trim and punch holes. 

Students can lace in and out through the holes with a long piece of yarn or ribbon with the tips taped, or a big shoestring is also fun.

Have children say the shape several times as they lace.

I've labeled the shapes with traceable words, so that tracing them with a dry erase marker is also great word reinforcement.

When students have completed their project, ask them to name 1 or 2 attributes that they discovered while they were lacing.

Click on the link to view/download the Learn While You Lace 2D Shape Activity.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find helpful. My pin button is at the top.

"They believed they could, so they did!" -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Shape Up With The Lorax And Me!

Since the Silly Shaped Penguins have been such a huge success, I thought I'd try to make something similar, with a Seuss character.  The Lorax, because he's already an oval, was the perfect fit.

You can make a set and simply use them as shape anchor charts, for a fun review, during Seuss Week or March is Reading Month, or you can have students choose their favorite shape and make their own. 

I've included 2 different mustache patterns for you to choose from.  One says, "I mustache you what shape am I?" and the other one is plain. 

I personally love the play on words and think students will think that is sort of cornball fun too.

If you want to add a bit of keepsake value to their shape, have them pick a partner, so they can trace each other's hand, on a folded-sheet of yellow construction paper. 

Keeping the paper folded, they only have to cut once, making 2 hands that are perfect for a Lorax mustache.

Start off by reading The Lorax and asking students what shape he is. Show them your samples and ask them which they like the best.

You could graph this for an easy math extension.  Simply hang the Lorax shapes on the white board, and write students' names under whatever one they like the best.

Tell the students that the Lorax ate some leaves from the Truffula tree and has Truffulaitis, which made him lose his normal shape. 

They can help him return to the real Lorax, by completing the Lorax Shape Mystery easy reader. 

Show your sample and explain what you want them to do.  i.e. circle the capital letters, add end punctuation, trace and write the shape word, trace and draw the shapes etc.

As children complete their Lorax easy reader, they can make a Lorax shape of their choice.  Run the templates off on orange paper.

Children can add wiggle eyes, and accordion folded, construction paper arms and legs.  Suspend the Lorax shapes back-to-back from the ceiling, or mount them on a pastel blue bulletin board, flanked by truffula trees.

Your caption could be: "Reading Really Gets Us In Shape!"  Click on the link to view/print the Lorax Shape Packet.

Finally, another sweet Lorax "craftivity" is making a mustache/moustache to launch a writing prompt.  It's an interesting and "Suessical" way of doing things that I think your students will enjoy.

For an adorable bulletin board, take everyone's photograph wearing their mustache and put it next to their writing.  Your bulletin board title could be the same question you are asking: "We mustache you, would you save a truffula tree?" 

Flank the board on either side, with 2 colorful truffula trees, made out of strips of neon-colored tissue paper, and rolled up green bulletin board paper for the trunk, that you can stripe with brightly colored boarder.   Click on the link to view/download the Lorax Writing Prompt packet. 

If your class is into the mustache thing, click on the link for more mustache-themed FREEBIES.  To see another fun Lorax activity, scroll down for the next blog article.  

Thank you for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others will find helpful.

"Fill your house with lots of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks." -Dr. Seuss