14 pages.

Practice telling digital and analog time to the hour and half hour by making a clockapillar.

1-2-3 Come Add Some "Egg-citement" To Teaching Time With Me

Are you working on telling time with your kiddos?   What’s the Eggs-act Time? packet, is filled with fun analog and digital time activities with a spring-theme. It's and "oldie but goodie" that's been around for a while, but is still a popular download.

Your students will enjoy making their own egg clock. Simply run off the pattern on a variety of colors of construction paper.

Teachers can easily whole- group assess, by asking students to show them an “egg-sact” time.  Children adjust the paperclip hands on their clock and hold it up.  Teachers can see at a glance who is having difficulty.

I’ve also included an egg spinning game as well.  Children play in groups of 2-4 and take turns spinning.

Whatever number they land on, they trace and then write that time to the hour.  The student who fills up their time card first is the winner.

There are also digital and analog traceable time cards so you can make Memory Match games, as well as Itty Bitty booklets, or play the game “I Have Who Has?”  Cards are for time to the hour, half hour, as well as quarter hour times too. 

For example, the child with the analog 2:00 O’clock card, asks for the digital 2:00 time card.  Students can also sequence these cards.

Play “Speed-Flash” where the teacher flashes a time card and students show that time on their egg clock.  The child who shows the correct time the quickest, by holding up their clock, earns a sticker for the back of their egg.

Match Three is yet another game with 3 matching time cards to the hour: an analog clock, a large digital time and a time that is written out.   Students can play a Memory Match game with these by finding all 3 matches, or play a card game with another partner that works like Go Fish.

This game is called, Do You Have The Time?  Deal out 5 cards and put the rest face down.  Students match their groups of 3 with the cards they have.  When it is their turn they may take a card from the pile or ask their partner “Do you have 2:00 0’clock? “

If their partner has any time card that is 2 O’clock they give it to them etc.  Play continues ‘til all of the cards are matched or when the timer rings.

The student with the most matches is the winner.  When you are done with the various activities, you can reward your students with a certificate of praise bookmark, which is also included in the packet.

Click on the link to view/download Eggs-actly What Time Is It? packet.  If you'd like to see all of my time-themed FREEBIES, click on the link to pop on over to that section of TeachWithMe.  I also have an entire Pinterest board devoted to free telling time activities, crafts, and ideas.

Thanks for visiting.  I just glanced at the clock on my computer; (So glad that that's there, as I totally lose track of how my morning is flying by!) and it's time to do some major work cleaning up my garden. 

Winter has certainly wrecked havoc out back, and I'm anxious to take advantage of a 50 degree day, where it's finally warm enough to work!  Wishing you a prosperous day. 

"A garden requires patient labor and attention.  Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions.  They thrive because someone expended effort on them." -Liberty Hyde Bailey

1-2-3 Come Do Some Green Eggs and Ham Activities With Me

I think one of the reasons that Seuss is so popular with children, is that he captures the reader's attention with outlandish characters, tongue-twisting alliteration, and nonsense words that complete the sing-song rhyme, a poetic beat that has become synonomous with Seuss. 

Ironically, as a child I didn't really care that much for him.  Possibly, because teachers across the world were not as enamored with this author, as they are now.  Back then, it was all about Dick and Jane and "See Spot run."

It wasn't 'til I started teaching that I too hopped on board the Seuss bandwagon.  You might go as far as to say I became quite "obseussed" wth Seuss and all things silly.

My "obseussion" is reflected in the over 50 Seuss-themed FREEBIES that are available on TeachWithMe, especially for Seuss's iconic Cat in the Hat. 

No matter what grade I taught, the cat was always the chosen favorite on our "Who's Your Favorite Seuss Character?" graph.  I thought this was perhaps, because we had done a lot of Cat in the Hat-themed activities. 

With that in mind, I wanted to expand my students' horizons, and read a different Seuss book each day, followed up by some interesting and fun activities that they could transition to. 

Green Eggs and Ham quickly became "the" favorite, 'til of course I introduced them to the Lorax... Today's blog article features some of my most popular Green Eggs and Ham downloads.

The Green Eggs and Ham packet is a whopping 65-pages long, and covers all sorts of reading, writing and math Common Core State Standards. The packet includes green eggs and ham-themed alphabet cards, as well as number cards from 0 to 120. 

My personal favorite part of the packet, is the 3D writing prompt craftivity pictured.  Completed projects make an interesting bulletin board for March is Reading Month.  Students write whether they like green eggs and ham or not; the half paper plate features 2 things that they like to eat, as well as a combo they think is disgusting.

By folding up the edge of the plate, and inserting it through a slit in a sheet of brightly colored construction paper, it looks like a ledge.  The traced hand of the child, is holding up the plate, just like the illustration in Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham book.  

The packet also includes a "Would You Eat Green Eggs?" graph.  Each year I find that I'm in the minority, as most of my Y5s are quite adventurous and would eat Sam's green eggs. 

My students also enjoy picking a partner and filling in a Venn diagram, comparing the book Green Eggs and Ham, with the Cat in the Hat story.  There hasn't been a run-away winner here.

Since the other grammar card downloads have been so popular, I included 12 green eggs and ham-themed pocket chart cards in the packet as well.  

Using a dry erase marker, students correct the sentences by adding capital letters and end punctuation. 

Click on the link to view/download the Green Eggs and Ham Activities Packet.

Toss in some math standards, by playing the It's Time For Green Eggs and Ham spinner game.  Students can choose to play with clocks to the hour, or time to the half hour.   Whatever time they spin, they color in the green eggs under that clock.

Review colors and color words in a fun way, with the Green Eggs and Ham Color packet. Children spin the colored egg spinner.  Whatever color they land on, they color the matching color word egg that color.  There's also a recording sheet with no words, so  young children can easily play the game too.

I've also included colored eggs with matching, traceable-color word cards. 

These are great for more games or to make an Itty Bitty booklet.  Click on the link to view/download the Green Eggs and Ham Color Packet.

Another egg activity that I think your students will enjoy is an egg color matching game.

Students can match either the colored egg yolk to the color word, in a face up fashion, or flip the cards over and match a colored egg with a word color egg, for a Memory Match game.

If you have plastic eggs, have students twist them apart and match the colors and color words that way. 

Students can also play "I Have; Who Has?"  i.e. "I have the color word egg yellow.  Who has the yellow egg?"  Click on the link to view/download the Egg Colors Packet. 

I wanted to make another activity to help students learn and practice contractions. A cracked egg shape was the perfect vehicle to show the contraction on the top, and the words that make it up, on the bottom.

Run the template off on a variety of shades of green to use with Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham, or use pastel colors for springtime. Keep the laminated eggs in a basket. 

There's also a blank set of eggs to program with upper and lowercase letters, word wall words, spelling words, equations or whatever.  Click on the link to view/download the Egg Contraction Packet.

Finally, since continued reinforcement of standards is important, I like to review shapes throughout the year.  Where Have My Green Eggs Gone?  Is an emergent reader about a shape mystery.

Students read the sentences, circle the capital letters and add end punctuation. 

They also trace the shape word, write it, trace and draw the shape and then color the shaped egg yolk green.

This booklet reviews the circle, oval, triangle, rectangle, square, hexagon, pentagon and octagon shapes. Click on the link to view/download the Green Eggs Shape Booklet.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for visiting.  My tummy's reminding me that it's time to get some breakfast.  "I'm Diane I am, and I won't be eating green eggs and ham."  Wishing you a delightful day.

"If things start happening, don't worry, don't stew, just go right along and you'll start happening too." -Dr. Seuss

 1-2-3 Come Do Some Telling Time Activities With Me

Since March is national reading month, and Dr. Seuss's Cat in the Hat is a symbol for Read Across America, I like to do all sorts of Seuss-themed activities in all my subjects, not just reading.  With that in mind, I designed some telling time activities using Seuss's iconic Cat in the Hat's hat. 

Practicing analog & digital time to the hour and half hour with these Seuss-themed  games, make learning these concepts less tedious and more fun.

The packet includes:

Two "It's Time For Seuss" dice games.  (One to the hour, the other to the half hour.) There's a large worksheet as well as a smaller one, with two-on-a-page for quick printing.

I've also designed a time to the half hour anchor chart, reminding students to also move the hour hand. 

You may find that some children will draw the hour hand on a clock that shows 12:30 directly on the 12, which is incorrect. Use the poster to explain things, then hang it up as a reminder.

There's also a time to the hour Cat's Hat clothespin clip game.  Pinching a clothespin is a fun fine motor skill, which will strengthen children's finger muscles.

I thought it would be cute to make the tip of my clothespins look like mini Cat in the Hat hats.  Simply trim and stick on a white Avery address label, then add stripes with a red marker. 

Toss the cards and a few clothespins into a Seuss hat or other container.  To make this independent center game self-checking, simply put a dot on the back of each card.  When a child clips a clothespin to the correct digital time, they can flip the card over to see if their clothespin is covering the dot.

I've also included a "sequencing the time" card game.  Print up two sets on two different colors of construction paper. There are 6 clock cards on a page (2 pages total) for easy printing.

Students choose a partner, and play "Speed" to see who will be the first to sequence all of their cards. You could also use them to play Memory Match and "I Have; Who Has?" games.

Besides games, there are two "Trace the digital time, and draw the hands on the analog clock" Itty Bitty booklets as well. (One for time to the hour, the other time to the half hour.)

All 12 time cards are on one page, including a cover for their booklet.  These booklets could also be used as a fun way to assess your students too.

The packet has a set of Seuss-themed pocket chart digital and analog time cards, for time to the hour & half hour.

Use them as a pocket chart review, mini anchor charts, flashcards or puzzles.  Make extra sets for games.

You can give the two certificates of praise in the packet, to the winners of the games, or to everyone who now understands time to the hour or half hour. 

Finally, there's an analog and digital time assessment worksheet, which can be used individually or as a whole group. 

Click on the link for the "It's Time For Seuss!" Telling Time Games & Activities packet.  

If you're looking for more activities to help your kiddos learn about time, click on the link to pop over to that section of my site.  There are over 40 Telling Time FREEBIES there.  I also have an entire Telling Time Pin board, with more ideas, and free activities. 

Thanks for visiting today.  It's 27 degrees this morning, so I'm not sure if that qualifies as March's weather coming in like a lion or a lamb.  Regardless, I'm certainly glad it's March, which brings us one step closer to springtime! 

I'm off to do a zillion and one errands, not the least of which is to mail our taxes at the post office.  So happy that's done!  Wishing you a sunshiny day.

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.  It's not!"  -Dr. Seuss  from The Lorax

 1-2-3 Come Do Some Seuss Hat Activities With Me

Dr. Seuss's iconic hat that he created for his Cat in the Hat character, is the perfect vehicle to make some quick, easy and fun activities that help practice a variety of standards.  Today's blog features some popular Seuss-hat downloads, as well as "Rhyme Time", which I just finished creating today!

Teachers assign a word, or give students a choice.  Children write the word on the brim of their Seuss hat and then think of as many words as they can that rhyme. They jot them down on a sheet of scratch paper, then write the rhyming words in aphabetical order on their hat. 

As is often the case with Seuss, have students dream up one nonsense word, which they define on the back of their bookmark.  Completed projects make a sweet Read Across America bulletin board. Caption: "Hats Off to Wonderful Word Work!" or "Rhyme Time With the Cat in the Hat."

I do this Cat Hat Place Value Mat  activity, as a whole group. Students take turns calling out 3-digit numbers.  Using a dry erase marker, children write that number on the hat brim and then put the correct number of tiles in the appropriate columns. 

This is a quick, easy and fun way to practice, as well as whole group assess place value.  

Another way to practice place value is with this Cat in the Hat place value game.

The 3 red rings show the 1s, 10s, and 100s columns.  Children "spin" them to make whatever 3-digit number is called out. 

Are your kiddos learning to identify coins?  Then I think they'll enjoy this "Cent-sational" Seuss hat craftivity, which reviews the penny, nickel, dime, quarter and half dollar coins.    

For more math fun with the cat's hat, I designed a How many ways can you show a number, Popsicle stick game, which includes a variety of ways to play. 

Students choose a  "How many ways can I show the number ______." hat brim strip, and then place all of the Popsicle stick equations that make that number on their Seuss-hat mat.  (Reinforce addition OR subtraction, or combine both).

This is an easy and fun way to practice and whole group assess a variety of concepts, including fact families. I've included number tiles from 0-120 with a blank sheet for you to program with even higher numbers. 

Time to the hour was another math standard that we practiced via Seuss's hat.  Students add digital time stripes to their hat by rolling dice.

They trace the stripe, place it on their hat and then manipulate the paperclip hands to show the analog time.

Besides using the hat for math, I made a few hat activities for language arts.  The Cat Hat AT slider, was my 1st hat "craftivity", which was made years ago before I had all of the graphic programs I now use, but it's still a popular download. The packet includes a variety of worksheets too.

I will read... is a hat bookmark that can be used as a writing prompt.  Share my example with your students and challenge them to write verses of their own. 

I've alluded to a variety of Seuss books in my poem. "I will read with Mr. Brown; I will read upside down.  I will read with duck feet; I will read because it's neat."

Challenge your students to figure out which books I've used.  

After reading The Cat in the Hat, review story elements with this Cat in the Hat language arts packet.

The packet includes pocket chart cards, a beginning-middle-end graphic organzizer, plus sentence strips to sequence the Cat in the Hat story.  This can be done independently, or as a whole group activity. 

Finally, because the punctuation pocket chart cards have been so popular, I decided to tweak this idea, and make the "cards" into stripes for the cat's hat. Cat's Hat Grammar "craftivity" packet.

Students underline the letters that need to be capitalized and add punctuation. 

They cut their stripes and glue them to their hat in an ABAB pattern, leaving a space, so that the hat will look like it has alternating red and white stripes. 

If you want, have students re-write the corrected sentences on the red stripes. I made up 108 sentence choices, from a variety of Dr. Seuss stories, so  each students' hat will be different.  Completed projects make a nice bulletin board. 

Thanks for visiting today.  If you're looking for more Dr. Seuss FREEBIES click on the link to pop on over to that section of TeachWithMe.  I also have an entire board of Seuss-themed activities on Pinterest, with lots more ideas and freebies.   

"From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere!" -Dr. Seuss

1-2-3 Come Do Some More Dental Hygiene Activities With Me

Yesterday I posted a few of my most popular dental hygiene-themed activities, which focussed on a variety of standards.  (Scroll down if you missed it.) Today, I've got a few more on the craftier side.

 I like to cover a variety of standards in all of my subject areas whenever I do a unit, and Dental hygiene is no exception.  We had scissor practice daily, as my Y5's really needed to work on their cutting skills, and it was also a way for them to strengthen their finger muscles, so writing became easier for them.

With that in mind, I designed the "secret triangle"  where children get in that cutting practice, while reviewing shapes, and learning some basic facts about dental hygiene. 

Introducing it as a "secret message" writing prompt, got their attention, and kept interest high.  They really enjoyed this activity, and were excited to take it home to share. 

Print off the circle template on white paper.  Students trim, fold the "flaps" on the dashed lines, and then write at least 3 things they do to help take care of their teeth. 

I've included a triangle, with a rhyming poem, that they can cut and then glue to the back.  I found it in a dozen places Online and no one seems to know who wrote it.  

"Got my toothpaste, got my brush.  I won't hurry; I won't rush.  Making sure my teeth are clean, front and back and in between.  When I brush for quite a while, I will have a happy smile!"

Hold the folds shut with a sticker.  Click on the link to view/download the Dental Hygiene Secret Triangle Writing Prompt.

Because I always had "early finishers" I liked to have some independent centers that my Y5s could transition to, when they completed their work.  Because of the dental hygiene theme we were doing, I designed this interesting toothbrush center game, which reinforces color words. 

Click on the link to view/download the Toothbrush Color Word Center Activity packet.

Run off the master toothbrush on white construction paper; laminate and trim. 

Using dry erase markers, students trace and write the color words in matching colors and then place the appropriate colored handle over the top. 

While I was diddling around making the toothbrush templates, I thought they would also work for a cute writing prompt craftivity, which would again give them some more cutting practice, as well as a review of how students can take care of their teeth.

So I designed the "Snip and Flip" Toothbrush writing prompt" Click on the link to view/download it.  

For this activity, run off the handles on popular colors of construction paper and give students a choice.  (I have a handle for boys (his) and one for girls (hers) so you can have a teachable pronoun moment too.)

Run the "bristle boxes" off on white paper.  Students cut on the lines to make "bristle tabs" that they can flip over to reveal the other bristle box, where they've written how they take care of their teeth. 

I also included a traceable bristle box for PK children (pictured). Click on the link to view/download the Snip and Flip Toothbrush Writing Prompt Craftivity.

Finally, these tooth-themed alphabet cards are great for all sorts of activities: sequencing, sorting, patterning, and playing games like Memory Match and I Have; Who Has?  As with all of the alphabet card packets, they include an upper and lowercase set for more options.

There are several pages of tips and ideas for what else to use them for too.  Click on the link to view/download the Dental Hygiene Alphabet Cards.

That's it for today.  Thanks for visiting.  If you'd like to see all of my dental hygiene FREEBIES, click on the link to zip on over to that section of TeachWithMe. 

Winter weather continues to rear it's frigid face here in Michigan, so it's time to throw another log on the fire and snuggle in.  Wishing you a warm and cozy day.

"Use your smile to change the world; but don't let the world change your smile." -Unknown

 1-2-3 Come Play Some Educational 100 Day Games With Me

If you're like me, then you enjoy using games to reinforce and practice a variety of standards.  The "Dots 'n Boxes" game is perfect for 100 Day, as it's simple, quick and fun for your students, and when completed, will reveal 100 boxes! 

Children choose a partner and take turns connecting two dots with a line.  The object of the game is to complete a box by drawing the last line, which will enclose the box. 

Students then put their initial inside. Once all 100 boxes are made, the child with the most boxes is the winner.  Click on the link for the Dots 'n Boxes 100 Day game.

Another 100 Day game reinforces digital and analog.  Students take turns rolling one dice to get numbers 1-6 for those times, and then roll 2 dice, adding them together, to get numbers 7-12.  

Whatever number they roll they trace that digital time, and write in that number in the appropriate section of their analog clock.  The first one to complete their "It's Time To Celebrate" paper, is the winner.  A certificate of praise is also included.

Puzzle Games:  Help students learn to count backwards from 10 to 0,  forwards from 1-10, or skip count by 10s to 100 with these 9 sweet 100 Day number puzzles.

You can laminate and use them as an independent 100-Day center, or run off copies for each child to take one home for more practice. 

The packet includes 3 picture-less templates to help younger children put the pieces in the correct order. 

The 100s chart also offers a variety of game options.  Children can find the mystery picture hidden in the 100s chart by coloring in the appropriate numbers to reveal the number 100. 

There's also a mystery picture, which reveals a heart.

You can find this 100s chart in my Celebrating 100 Days With an Ant Theme packet.  (Particularly perfect, if you read 100 Hungry Ants on your 100th Day of school, or your 100th day falls close to Valentine's Day. ) 

For more 100 chart fun, there are seven 100 charts in my 100 chart packet, which includes a blank 100 chart for students to fill in, a 100 chart, where the "skip count by 5s numbers" are in red, a 100 chart, where the "skip count by 10s numbers" are in blue, a traceable 100 chart for little ones, a "What's Missing?" fill-in-the-even numbers 100 chart, as well as a "What's Missing?" fill-in-the-odd-numbers 100 chart.  For more fill-in-the-blank 100 chart templates, click on the link for my monthly packet.

The filled-in 100 chart is perfect for making puzzles, or designing your own "mystery" pictures.  To easily make 100 chart puzzles, simply print off the 100 chart on a variety of colors of construction paper; laminate and then trim each color into a different puzzle. I keep each one in a Zip Lock Baggie.

To help younger students, who are just learning to count to 100, print off a class set of the 100 chart on white card stock and laminate, so that students can tehn place their puzzle pieces on the grid. 

Another 100 Day game that you can play with the filled-in 100 chart, is "Race to 100".  Students pick a partner and take turns rolling the dice.  They add the numbers together, then color in that many boxes on their worksheet.  The first one to fill in the entire chart, is the winner. If you're pressed for time, have students use only one, 100 chart-worksheet. Each child uses their own color crayon to fill in their boxes. When the grid is complete, each child counts their boxes; the student with the most, is the winner.

Finally, besides all of those math activities, add some 100 Day Word fun to your celebration.  Using the letters in the words one hundred, challenge your students to list as many words as they can think of, before 100 seconds is up and the timer rings.  Who thought of the most words?  Who had the longest word? 

I've included my list of 105 words that I thought of.   After students share their lists, share yours and have students look up any words that they don't know. 

I also did a bit of research about the longest recorded words, and included my discoveries.  I even found a word with 100 letters in it! Why not give students some computer time to see what they come up with, or assign this as a homework assignment to be shared on your 100th Day of school.

Thanks for visiting. I hope you found some useful 100 Day ideas that will help get your kiddos excited about this special day of learning.  To see the other blog articles I posted this week with more 100 Day activities, simply scroll down.

I'm watching my grandchildren today, so I've hit the floor running. There's nothing quite like reliving your childhood by playing games, reading stories, and making crafty memories with your children's children.   Wishing you a magical, love-filled day.

"Every morning you have two choices: continue to sleep with your dreams, or wake up and chase after them!"    

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

Since the Winter Olympics in Sochi, continue through Sunday, February 23rd, I decided to design a few more simple and quick  Olympic activities you can easily fit into your busy day. 

I thought a list of where all of the Olympics have been held (for summer and winter) might be useful, especially if you think of daily trivia questions for your students. 

Click on the link to view/download the Present and Past Locations of the Summer and Winter Olympics.

If you're looking for some educational sites with Olympic "stuff" click on the link to zip on over to Mrs. Jackson's Class blog spot.  She's made a list of over 50 Educational Olympic links.

Ever wonder who designed the official Olympic flag or the meaning behind the 5 interlocking rings?  I did, so I spent some time doing research, so you don't have to. 

A few hours later, I came up with a 2-page list of interesting facts, and included them in the Olympic Flag Information and Craftivities packet.

There's a large black and white picture of the rings for your students to color, or strenghten their finger muscles and give them some fine motor practice, by having them rip & tear 1/2 inch strips of construction paper, and then glue individual pieces to the appropriate rings. 

Whenever my students did our monthly rip and tear activity, I told them to rip piles of colors first, then rub glue over a particular section, and then press the scrap piece down.  This goes so much faster, and is a lot less sticky, than if a child rips one piece at a time and tries to put glue on that little torn piece.

So that students can see what colors to use, I've included a mini poster for you to hang. There's also mini Olympic flags that your kiddos can color and then mount to a Popsicle stick.  Click on the link to view/download the Olympic Flag Information and Craftivities packet.

When I'm designing one idea, a zillion others are also popping into my head.  I have to jot them down or they will be lost.  Such was the case with the game "Rolling For The Gold."

While drawing the black and white rings, I thought it would be fun for students to use them for a coloring game.  Children pick a partner and take turns rolling the dice. 

If they roll a one they color the first ring blue, a roll of a two allows them to color the second ring yellow, and so on. However, if they roll the dreaded six, they lose their turn. 

This is a quick and easy way to review ordinal numbers, as well as a host of other life skills children learn while playing games.

I've included an Olympic rings ordinal numbers anchor chart, an ordinal numbers trace and write worksheet + 2 mini certificates of praise.  Click on the link to view/download the Rolling For the Gold Olympic Dice Game.

I saw another cool Olympic rings idea over at Activity Village.  So that Olympic ring - paper plate painting, is do-able for little ones, here's my extended version for this idea.  So that there's not so much surface to paint, use the small 8-inch plates. 

Have students work in groups of 5.  Demonstrate how to cut a slit and then cut out the center circle inside the plate.   Each student cuts out the center of theirs and then paints it the assigned color. 

You may want to precut the circles for PK kids. (I cut out 2 at a time and it only took me 10 minutes to make 20.)

I like the look of the rings better, if you paint the puffed up back side.   This is also easier for little ones to paint as they don't have to try to fill in the grooves that are on the front.

Set aside to dry.    Have students link their circles according to the appropriate color order. So they don't unlink as you hang them, staple the plates shut after they are linked.   Punch a hole on either end, add a yarn loop, and hang as a high border on your hallway wall.  

The photo is my non-painted sample. Older students can paint both sides and when dry, write vocabulary words that have to do with the Olympics on the back side of their rings.  Suspend these from the ceiling.

A Little Learning For Two has another thing you can do with paper plate rings.  An Olympic ring toss is a quick, easy and fun gross motor activity.   To add some math to the game, give each color a point value. When students are done tossing all 5, they add up their total points.

Students can also make a set of Olympic rings out of pipe cleaners.  Your kiddos can simply make the pipe cleaner links as shown in the photo, or make an Olympic necklace. 

To make "perfect" smaller circles, pre-cut the pipe cleaners so that they are long enough for students to wrap around an empty toilet paper roll to get the circle shape. When they have made all five circles, have them link them up  and then twist the ends to close. 

Tie a piece of yarn at each end so that students can wear their Olympic rings as a necklace.  Adding cut up straws and/or pony beads, is a great fine motor skill and will add to the pizzazz of their necklaces.

Finally, since the Olympics involve lots of timed events, I thought it would be appropriate to make an "It's Time For The Olympics activity packet, to help practice and reinforce analog and digital time to the hour and half hour.   (Common Core State Standard: 1.MD.3)

Run off the Olympic Rings clock template on white construction paper or card stock.  I've included one in color as well as one in black and white.  Print the clock faces and digital time boxes on glossy white photo paper.  Trim and glue to the Olympic rings clock page. 

You now have a dry erase board, as a dry erase marker can be easily rubbed off of the glossy photo paper!  This is a quick, easy and fun way to whole-group assess. 

Call out a time; students draw the hands on their clock and record the digital time in the box; when they are done, they hold up their paper.  You can see at a glance who's correct. 

I've included four worksheets for more practice or assessing, plus a certificate of praise in the form of an Olympic time bookmark.

Beside using the pattern as an assessment tool, you could also punch a hole in the center and add hands if you wanted to have a few clock manipulatives as well.  Click on the link to view/download the Olympic  Telling Time packet.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  I hope you can stop by tomorrow, as I'll be finishing up with Olympic FREEBIES and moving on to FREE President's Day activities.

“The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.” -Unknown

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

Since the lists of my all-time favorite books for various units, have been so popular, I decided to make one for my love-themed selections, which include Valentine's Day books and books about hugs, kisses and love. 

I think it's probably my biggest collection, as Valentine's Day has been my favorite holiday since I was five.   Click on the link to view/dowload the list of My 100 All-Time Favorite Valentine Books.

Books need a bookmark, so I designed ten Valentine bookmarks that you can use as incentives (challenge students to collect all of them as they complete various tasks each day) or give as prizes on your party day. 

Click on the link to view/download the Valentine's Day Bookmark packet.

Like the book lists, the punctuation pocket cards, have also been extremely popular, so I made a set of 30 with a valentine theme.  Print; laminate and trim. 

You can put them in your pocket chart, read as a whole group and then make corrections with a dry erase marker. 

Students circle the letters that should be capitalized, and then add end punctuation. 

I made a lot more cards for this packet, as I thought it might be a fun activity for Valentine's Day. 

Pass one out to each student to make corrections and then share the results with the class. 

I purposely included quite a few contractions in the simple sentences to provide yet another teachable moment.  Click on the link to view/download the Valentine Grammar Cards.

While I was making the valentine clock cards yesterday, I was working on several other telling time activities, and finished them today. 

Time For Valentines is a candy heart spinner game.  Children play with a partner or in groups of 3 or 4 taking turns spinning the candy heart clock. 

Whatever number they land on, is the heart that they color on their recording sheet.  Students also write in the digital time, and if you want, have them cover the heart with a candy one. 

The student who completes their clock first is the winner.  The prize can be the candy hearts. Inform students that they may eat one, and then put the rest in the box to take home.  Click on the link to view/download the Candy Heart Clock Game.

Finally, I also finished the Watch Me Tell Time whole-group assessment activity.  Print off the pocket watch page on tan or gold paper, cut off the directions. 

Run off the clocks and digital time rectangles on glossy photo paper. Cut out the clocks and boxes and glue one to each pocket watch paper.  You've now created a dry erase board.

Call out a time. Using a dry erase marker, students draw hands on the clock face and write the digital time in the box.  When they are done, they hold up their pocket watch. 

This is a quick, easy and fun way to whole group assess analog and digital time to the hour or half hour.  (Common Core State Standard:  1.MD.3)  Click on the link to view/download the Watch Me Tell Time assessment packet.

Thanks for visiting today; I hope it's love-filled.   Feel free to PIN away! 

"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." -John Dewey 

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

To help build vocabulary, each month I added themed words to our word wall.  There are a ton of words that are associated with love and  Valentine's Day, so I decided to make an alphabetical list and came up with 240. 

There are 2 covers for a Valentine Dictionary, so that students can think up their own word list, and then look up and record any new words from mine that you want your students to know. 

This makes a wonderful Daily 5 word work activity.  Click on the link to view/download the Valentine Vocabulary packet.

Another interesting way to practice words and letters is with my tri-hearts.   You can use the template in a variety of ways. 

The photo shows: upper and lowercase letters (Put one on each side and then flip open to reveal a picture of a word that starts with those letters.); compound words, contractions, as well as equations.  

I've also included an owl valentine your students can make. Click on the link to view/download the Folded Heart packet.

For more writing practice, have students pick a holiday and compare it with Valentine's Day.  I've designed 12 holiday Venn diagrams for your students to choose from, plus a blank one for them to add something different. 

When they are done with their Venn diagram, have students complete the writing prompt: My favorite holiday is ... because ...  Click on the link to view/download the Valentine Venn Diagram Writing Prompt packet.

Finally, I had a few special requests.  Kara, from Florida, needed some valentine themed puzzles for her young kinders to do on party day.  Laura Strickland's clip art is so adorable, that I designed 20 different puzzles, that will help students count forwards and backwards, as well as skip count by 10's to 100. 

I've included 3 black and white puzzles for your kiddos to color, cut and take home; or they can glue their puzzle pieces to a sheet of construction paper, leaving a small space inbetween each piece.  The results are an interesting mosaic work of art and make a cool bulletin board. 

Besides using the puzzles for a center, have students choose a partner and play "Speed" to see who can complete their puzzle first.  You can also make puzzle flip books.  Choose 3 puzzles, mix them up and then staple the top section to the numbered puzzle grid. 

Students decide which puzzle they want to search for, and flip each strip 'til they find the correct one that will complete their choice. Click on the link to view/download the Twenty Valentine's Day Puzzle packet.

Theresa, from Kansas, requested some heart-themed clock cards. This was also on my "to do" list, so I got busy.  The cards include digital as well as analog times to the hour and half hour.  (Common Core State Standard: 1.MD.3)

Use the cards for whole group assessing, flashcard reviews, or a bulletin board.  Make extra sets; cut them up and use for puzzles and games such as Memory Match and "I Have; Who Has?"  

I've included blank clocks so students can fill them in, as well as a clockless set for you to program with whatever. Click on the link to view/download the Heart-Themed Clock Cards.

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away. 

"Education is the key to unlocking the world; a passport to freedom." -Oprah Winfrey