1-2-3 Come Make Some Banners With Me

More and more schools are telling teachers that they only want them to put up student-made bulletin boards that showcase their work, so I thought I’d take it a step farther and have student-made banners too.

I LOVE how festive a classroom and hallway look, when they are decorated to the nines with children’s “mess-terpieces.” As I’ve shared before, I have spent a small fortune on decorations for all of the seasons, months, and themes that I taught, so I like to design lots of FREEBIES so that you don’t have to.

A “Welcome” banner suspended from the ceiling in your room or hallway, is a wonderful way to greet children on their first day of school.

I thought it would be fun for them to help create that banner by coloring it.  A "full shot" of the banner, isn't that good, so I decided to just show the 1st pennant and the first letter in welcome, so you can still get an idea of  how they look.  The 1st and last pennants also come in black and white if you want your students to color them as well.

The first few days are often very hectic with all sorts of rules and regulations to go through, along with a lot of forms to fill out for each student. It’s nice to have an independent quiet activity little ones can do, so you are freed up to get some of that one-on-one stuff done.

Even if you have already started school, your students will enjoy having a part in decorating their classroom, making it look comfy with their special creations.

I have designed a color as well as a black and white version, of the cute “saying” pennant that starts your banner. (There are 3 "saying" options for the cow.) Because I’m all about things looking symmetrical, I suggest putting a duplicate at the end of the banner as well.

Run off and pass out the pennant pieces to your students. They color and cut them out. When everyone is done, gather on the carpet circle and put your banner together, spelling out the word “Welcome.” To add a bit more pizzazz you could tie ribbon bows inbetween each triangle.

So that you have enough pieces for each child, and your banner looks great from both sides, put the other set back-to-back. This will give you 16 total pennants.

If you have more than 16 students in your class (At this point with budget cuts I think we can only dream of small class sizes.) make another banner for a total of 32 pieces.

This can be hung as one long streamer down the hall above your door, or as 2 separate banners across your classroom ceiling. If you don’t have that many students in your class, allow early finishers to color the extra pennant pieces. You could also do one.

I tried to think of the more popular themes so that the Welcome Banners would match your room. Click on the link for the OWL welcome banner, the COW welcome banner, the APPLE welcome banner.

The WESTERN welcome banner & the PIRATE welcome banner, both feature a different pennant for each letter.

I've included a pennant for preschool, kindergarten and 1st grade.  I thought they were a bit too cutesy for older grades, but if you don't, and want one for 2nd or 3rd grade, drop me an e-mail and I'll make you one.diane@teachwithme.com

I've seen a lot of frog themed activities, especially about "leaping into a new grade, so I also made a  FROG banner.

Superheroes continue to be very popular so here's a SUPER HERO banner  as well. To view/download them, click on their links.

Why not  change your banner every now and then, as you switch themes.   If you’d like me to whip together another themed-banner, simply shoot me an e-mail and I’ll see what I can do.

Thanks for visiting today.  If you’d like to see all of the wonderful educational FREEBIES that I PIN, simply click on the “Follow me” heart on the right of the blog.

“Our success multiplies each time we lead someone else to success.” –Susan Collins

1-2-3 Come Stack Apples With Me!

I like to combine a variety of skills and standards into one lesson, that way I'm covering quite a bit in a short amount of time.  The "Apples Up on Top" Name Activity involves math, reading, science and writing, plus completed projects make an adorable back-to-school bulletin board!

For example, if you run off the apple printable on yellow, red and green construction paper, students can learn the science fact, that apples can be 3 different colors. You can also teach students an ABCABC pattern. I've included a graphing extension to cover that concept as well.

Click on the link to view/download the Apples Up On Top Name Activity.

To further reinforce lessons, whenever I read a story, some sort of activity followed. Dr. Seuss' (Theo. LeSieg's) book, Apples Up On Top is a wonderful first week of school book, as we are in full swing studying apples. After reading the story, ask your students who the main animal characters are.  Run off the template that is appropriate for you, and have students choose one to color.

Print off the apples of your choice (plain red, numbered red, plain black & white, numbered black & white) for your students to (color), copy and glue "up on top" of their animal.  When everyone is done, count to 10 forwards as well as backwards. There's also a graphing extension to see how many students chose a specific animal.

The printable can also be used as a dice game for older students. They choose a partner and take turns rolling first one die, for numbers 1-6, and then add a second die, enabling them to roll numbers 7-10, when they add the 2 together. 

I've included numbered strips for this game.  The numbered strips are also good for preschoolers who are not able to sequence yet.  This is great 1-to-1 correspondence for them. 

Click on the link to view/download the Apples Up On Top With Animals Activity.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  If you'd like to see all of the other awesome educational FREEBIES that I PIN, click on the "Follow Me!" heart to the right to check out my boards.

"You give but little when you give of your possessions.  It is when you give of yourself that you truly give." -Kahlil Gibran

1-2-3 Come Make A Back To School Icebreaker With Me

"It's 'owl' About Me" is an easy and fun activity that help your new students learn about each other.  Completed projects also make a cute bulletin board.  If your boards are already filled, use these as a boarder on a hallway wall for an eye-catching display.

I LOVE owls, and by the looks of items available in stores, and PINS on Pinterest, I guess I'm certainly not alone.  The word "owl" can be used for a variety of word plays, such as this  "Owl" (all) about me activity.

Run off the template on white construction paper.  Have students answer the numbered questions, by putting their short answers in the matching numbered areas of the books. The questions appear on the template.

Students color and cut out their owl, and share it with their classmates.  Collect them and scatter across a bulletin board. I've included a large owl, with the questions inside, for you to use as the center of your board.

I like to use bright-colored material, burlap, or pin-dot wrapping paper as alternatives to plain b. board paper. 

To add more pizzazz to your students' work, give them wiggle eyes and a photo to glue to their creation.  Click on the link to view/download the It's Owl About Me Icebreaker.

Thanks for visiting today.  As always feel free to PIN anything you think others may find helpful. My "Pin it" button is at the top.  If you'd like to see all of the other wonderful educational things that I PIN, simply click on the "Follow me" heart to the right.

"When a person points a finger at someone else. they should remember that 3 are pointing back at them." -Louis Nizer

1-2-3 Come Make A 1st Day Of School Treat With Me

I know some of you have already started back to school (The Charter across the street from me went back the 5th!!!) but here in Michigan and Wisconsin our public school kiddo's (gratefully!) don't start til the Tuesday after Labor Day!  Wa Hoo for that decision. 

So my brain is still "full-speed-ahead" designing some quick, easy and inexpensive treats for the 1st day of school.  My Y5's LOVED glow bracelets.  I gave them one during our Camp Read-Away activities, when they read in the dark with flashlights, while sitting comfy in tents.  If their tent was quiet, they received a "glowing report" and bracelet. (Click on the link to read all about it.)

I've seen all sorts of wonderful "bright" ideas on Pinterest (My current drug of choice...who needs caffeine when you have Pinterest!) So I thought I'd throw in a few of my own, to add to the collection.  The best place to go for glow bracelets is The Dollar Tree.  They sell 15 in a pack, so for 2 bucks you're good to go, unless of course you have more than 30 punkins in your class, in which case, stop off and buy yourself a sympathy card from me, or better yet a bottle of wine!

Click on the link to view/download "Come Glow and Grow With Us!"  freebie.

I have a Bright Ideas Behavior Modification packet using light bulbs.

I designed that because I wanted my students to have brilliant ideas, shine, as well as have all those light bulbs turning on, when they finally grasped a concept.  I thought I'd continue that theme and made a BTS bulletin board, with a matching bookmark. Click on the "Wishing a bright student a glowing year" packet to view/download it.

Finally, to "Wel-gum" my Y5's to school, I gave all my kiddo's a piece of bubble gum after we went over our rules.  "We CHEWS to follow the rules and regs of our room." They could chomp and chew 'til the flavor was gone, while they finished up work, and then I passed a brown bag around to deposit the gum, lest we lose it later.

When I went to check out gum at the grocery store, I came upon Extra. Of course that got my wheels turning to wish students an "Extra special school year."  You don't need to give them an entire pack, just tape on a stick of gum. Click on the link for the "Wel-gum packet."  Click on this link for the Extra gum tag freebie.

If you've missed the latest back to school goodies and want to see more, click on the link and pop on over to that section and scroll away.  I'm wishing all of my visitors the best year yet.

Thanks for stopping by.  As always, feel free to PIN anything you think others might find helpful.  My "Pin it" button is at the top.  If you'd like to see all the awesome educational ideas I PIN away my day doing, (so you don't have to) simply click on the "Follow me" heart to the right.

"The next best thing to knowing something, is knowing where to find it." -Samuel Johnson  (Hopefully you did, at TeachWithMe!!!!)

3 pages.

Quick, easy and inexpensive treat for your kiddo's on their 1st day of school.  Matching back to school bulletin board template too. To add pizzazz to the board, surround it with flashing twinkle lights or rope lighting.

2 pages.

Come grow AND "glow" with us.  A quick, easy & inexpensive little surprise for your kiddo's on the 1st day of school. You can buy Glow Bracelets (15 in a tube) at The Dollar store.

2 pages.

"Chews" to have the best year yet, and launch it with this quick and easy treat.

1-2-3 Come Make A Back To School Bulletin Board With Me!

I like using cute little fish to make a Welcome To Our School bulletin board, as the word "school" has that double meaning.  I designed a back to school fish packet incorporating interesting "fish talk" that I think you'll enjoy, starting with this bulletin board idea:

Here's what to do: Run off the fish printable on a variety of colors of construction paper. You can pre-cut these and write your students’ names on them and have your b. board all done, so children can look for their name, as part of a classroom treasure hunt; or you can allow students to pick their fish, trim it and write their name on it.  It would probably be fun for them to also choose a spot to place it on the bulletin board.

Use blue paper for the background.  If you want to add a bit of dimension, lay blue plastic wrap over the top.  You can buy a pack of small seashells at The Dollar store or Hobby Lobby.  Hot glue a few, so they look scattered, on strips of sandpaper, then staple the “sand” to the bottom of your board.

Twist green crepe paper into “seaweed” and staple to the bottom. Sprinkle on the fish, add some aluminum foil- bubbles and you’re set.  To make the board even more personal, take a group photo on the first day of school, print and cut faces into ovals and glue on top of their fish fin.

I can't take credit for the adorable play-on-words for "o-fish-ally" as I latched on to that, after viewing quite a few ideas on Pinterest. There's everything  from o-fish-ally on summer vacation, o-fish-ally survived 1st, o-fish-ally in school, to an 0-fish-al graduate.  I did come up with "fin-tastic" though, and decided to incorporate these sweet sayings with treat ideas, in a back to school fish packet.

So...if you want to carry the bulletin board theme a bit farther, with a little "welcome" surprise, print off the "Wishing you a cool school year" template on a variety of colors of construction paper.  Using an Exacto knife, cut slits on the lines and insert a liquid Popsicle.   I've also made a matching bookmark, as I tend to be a little "over the top" when it comes to the first day.

If you'd rather not mess with Popsicles, you can use the bookmark as a header for a Snack Baggie filled with Fishy Crackers.  I've also made a fish template as well, that you can run off on construction paper.

Click on the link to view/download the Welcome to our School fish packet.

Thanks for visiting.  As always, feel free to PIN anything you think others might enjoy.  My "Pin it" button is at the top. If you'd like to checkout all the cute educational stuff, that I spend way too much time pinning, simply click my "Follow me" heart to the right.

"Some students drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle." -E.C. McKenzie

1-2-3 Come Play Some Interesting and Fun Math Games With Me!

Are you looking for some quick and easy ideas to do for the 1st day of school? Then I think you'll enjoy these simple bubble activities.

Start things off, by leaving the "I'm bubbling with excitement that you are in my class." bookmarks, as a cute surprise left on your students' desks.  I found this sweet saying on Pinterest as valentine cards with heart bubbles. Click on the link to check out this creative teacher's original post. 

Adding a small bottle of bubbles is an inexpensive way to help make children feel especially welcome.  (The Dollar Store sells 3 to 6 in a pack.  You can also buy a box of 20 mini wedding bubbles at most craft stores.)

Let students know that they will be allowed to blow bubbles at recess or at the end of the day.  Have them count how many bubbles they blew in 1 breath and then graph the results. (Template included.) What a simple icebreaker sure to get your kiddos excited about being in school.

To incorporate more math, print off the bubble picture cards, laminate and trim. 

I've included cards from 1 to 20.

To help strengthen upper body muscles, students lie on they tummies and sequence the cards in the proper order.  Using opalescent flat-backed glass "marbles" as manipulatives, (they look like "real" bubbles) they make a group/set above the number card to show "how many".  

So things don't get cluttered, use the larger glass "bubbles" for numbers less than 10 and the smaller ones for numbers 11-20. The "marbles" provide hands-on fun, and make counting more interesting. They are an inexpensive manipulative. 

Where did I get this idea? While in Hobby Lobby, I overheard a little girl ask her mom if she could buy a bag of them. 

When her mom asked her why she wanted them, "Kara" replied: "Because they are flat bubbles that won't pop!" I thought, "Wow! What can I make with 'flat bubbles'?" and the rest is history...

I've also included a set of number-word bubbles.  Run the templates off on blue construction paper, laminate & trim. Older students can match the number word bubble, to the picture cards.

For more fun, run off the "bubble wand" on a variety of colors of construction paper, cut out the centers and laminate so they can double as a "magnifying glass" for students to "spy" and cover numbers or whatever.  

For a "get the wiggles" out game, have students use their paper bubble wands, to find hidden bubbles around the room, or use them as an assessment tool for a whole group identification activity.  i.e. you display a bubble card and students raise their wand if they know the answer, providing a quick way to whole group assess comprehension.  Play "Swish."  After the number is correctly identified, have students swish their wand that many times. (Swish left-right-left for a number 3 bubble card.)

Click on the link to view/download the Back To School Bubble Math Activity Packet.

Thanks for visiting.  As always, feel free to PIN away.  If you'd like to see all of he excellent educational things I spend too much time Pinning, simply click on the "Follow Me" heart to the right of the blog.

"Imagination is more important than knowledge.  Knowledge is limited.  Imagination encircles the world." -Einstein

1-2-3 Come Celebrate Birthdays With Me

Since I just turned the big 60, I experienced first hand, how even the smallest acts of kindness, can make one feel special, and are wonderfully appreciated.

Birthdays truly are a "big deal" to a child. I enjoyed thinking up new ways to help make my Y5's feel extra special. One of their favorites, was simply getting to sit in the birthday chair (old piano stool that I decorated), while everyone sang to them.  When we got to the part: "Are ya 1 are ya 2 etc." I'd spin them around once, when we stopped at their new age.  They absolutely LOVED this and it didn't cost a dime.

I like designing student-made bulletin boards, and thought it would be fun to make one centered around birthdays.  It's a wonderful way to get to know your new students and review or introduce the months of the year.

Having a little "craftivity" the 1st day of school is nice, because a teacher has so much mandatory office trivia to get accomplished for each child.  If they can independently work on something, you have a few moments of sanity to figure out who's getting what for lunch, and how everyone is getting home etc.

Getting to color and decorate a paper cupcake is perfect for little ones.  Older students can complete their cupcake via glyph questions.  I LOVE glyphs.  They are terrific for assessing listening and following directions, and completed glyphs make adorable bulletin boards.  In this case, your birthday one. To make the cupcakes even cuter, take a group shot of your students and cut their faces into a circle that they can glue to the middle of their cherry.

Print off the Birthday Graph Glyph header, laminate and put it at the top of your board.  Choose whatever monthly cards are appropriate for your classroom (There are 27 to choose from.) and then hang them up, starting with the beginning of your school year (August or September).

Children complete their cupcake, and wait their turn for their month to be called.  Students show and share their creation, or if you did the glyph, the teacher asks: "What's Kelli's favorite color?"  "Does she have a brother?"  etc. This works as a nice icebreaker and fun way to get to know your students.

The completed bulletin board will be a graph, and provides a perfect teachable moment to explain or review what graphing is all about.

Click on the link to view/download the Birthday Graph Glyph packet. 

If you're looking for more birthday ideas, click on the link to zip on over to that section of my site.  I have quite a few more birthday ideas coming up, so be sure and check back.  I also try to blog daily, writing about my newest FREEBIES.  Be sure and stop by tomorrow for some more back to school ideas.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others may find worthwhile. My "Pin it" button is at the top.  If you'd like to see the awesome educational things I spend way too much time pinning, click on the "Follow me" heart on the right.

"Sometimes you never know the value of a moment, until it becomes a memory." -Dr. Seuss