1-2-3 Come Do Some Super-Fun End-of-the-Year Stuff With Me

My students LOVE Laura Numeroff’s books: “If You Take A Mouse To School” and “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie.”  With those stories in mind, I designed the “Nice Mice Advice” packet.

It will help you check off some “To Do” activities for next year, with the help of this year’s kiddos!

The packet is loaded with fun end-of the-year activities that will keep your students happily engaged, while helping you make some special things for the fall.

There are 4 class-made “Advice” booklets for you to choose from.  
Pick one and have your students write advice to the in-coming children.  Collect & collate.  

 This year’s kiddos can share their page when you read the book aloud, then tuck it away to share with your new class in the fall. 

My personal favorite is the circle-shaped Cookie Book. 

It's a perfect go-along with the "If You Give A Mouse a Cookie" story, and includes advice from the teacher, principal and each student.  For that finishing touch, add a school photo.  I've included a sample page to help explain things to your kiddos.

If you'd like each of your students to make a mini-advice booklet for your new students, then you'll like the small, advice- flip booklet, with 2 different cover options in black & white, plus color, with 4 inside writing-promt pages. 

The other two class book options feature the creative clip art of Scrappin Doodles and D. J. Inkers. 

As you can see there are plenty of options.  You can choose, or show the samples and have your students vote on which one they'd like to do. 

Since a lot of advice has to do with following the rules, this is an interesting and fun way to present them.

Check another thing off your list.  I've included a set of 25 "Advice Rules!" pocket chart cards that you can use as well, plus a blank set for you to program with whatever.

 I've also included an advice definition poster incase your students are not familiar with this word, along with a sweet "If you give a kid some advice, they should take it." poster to start things off.

Do you give your students a little treat on the first day?  Cross that off your list too because I’ve included several “treats” they can make as well. 

There is an assortment of bookmarks and a lollipop-nosed mouse: (“A sweet treat for someone they’d like to meet.”)
The bookmarks come in black and white, as well as full color.

There are several for this year's kiddos, as well as one for them to color and give to the in-coming cuties, along with a sweet "peek over" mouse bookmark that you can make and use as a pointer when you read Numeroff's stories.

The mouse, writing-prompt craftivity makes an adorable back-to-school bulletin board. so check that off your list as well. 

Simply run off the super-simple mouse pattern on a variety of colors of construction paper.

Students trim, fold the "head" section over and write some "nice mice advice" under the "flap". For that finishing touch, add some ears, wiggle eyes, a pom pom nose, and a yarn "tail".

The packet also includes:

• A “Hip Hip Hooray! We’ll follow the good advice each day” poster contract. Students feel important signing their name, which makes them more accountable too.
• A “Tips and Tidbits” poster.  Review what students have learned and jot down the highlights.
• 2 “If you take a mouse to school he’ll want to give you some advice!” posters. And . . .
  
• A mouse, reading pointer bookmark craft.

Finally, there's a "welcome card" that everyone signs. What fun ways to help your in-coming students feel special and chase away those first day jitters.

This 58-page packet is on sale in my TpT store for just $3.95.  Click on the link to pop on over to my shop.  I still can't believe that I have a little store.  Hopefully I'll make enough to help pay for all of the clip art and fonts that I buy!  That would definitely make my husband happy. 

And now for the FREEBIES  from this packet.  I've included the "Mice Advice" writing prompt mouse craft, several bookmarks, and a poster. Click on the link to grab them.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. It's going to be in the 80's this afternoon, so it's time to take my grandbabies swimming. 

Wishing you a delightful day filled with everything you enjoy the most. 

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

1-2-3 Come Stuff a Backpack With Me

Things really seem to fly after Memorial Day, as teachers everywhere are counting down the days to summer.  However, some of us have those dreaded snow days to make up, and our districts don’t get out ’til the middle of June!

With that in mind, I designed the following backpack-themed activities to pack in some pre-summer fun.

The packet is very versatile, as it can be used in a variety of ways for the beginning or end of the year, with activities geared towards the very young, as well as older elementary students too.

It’s loaded with plenty of options to choose from: writing prompts that act like a memory book; writing prompts that offer advice for next year’s students, or writing-prompt "clues" that are played as a game.  Completed projects make sweet bulletin boards or hallway decorations too.  

The Backpack Packet Includes:

An “Our Year Was Packed With Learning & Stuffed With Fun!” class-made book.  This writing prompt comes in a full-page size, as well as two-on-a-page, with full-color cover pages for both. 

It's a fun writing prompt for the end of the year.  Collate and keep to share with your new students in the fall.  I've included a completed sample.

The supply-filled backpack option says: ”There’s a whole lot of learning & fun packed into _________________.” 

Children fill in their grade level and color the picture. The front flap flips up or over, to reveal the writing prompt. This younger-elementary choice, can be used like a memory book, where children write about their favorite activities, or they could also make this for your new students as well.

Another backpack writing prompt option is the "School was cool, this I know.  I’m all packed up and ready to go.  Summer’s here.  Hi ho!  Hi ho!”  

It's a good choice for older students.  There are 4 flaps to flip and write under, with a summer option, and a memory-book option: ”School is cool and packed with fun! Here’s a peek of what I’ve done” plus a next year student option.  I've also included a blank flap template to fill in with whatever.  

My personal favorite is the super-cute ”Kindergarten was packed with learning and stuffed with fun” writing prompt “craftivity”.  It includes 7, front-panel options for kindergarten through 3rd grade, with a blank one to fill in with a different grade, plus one for summer. 

Students add a cap, accordion-folded “legs” and shoes (there are 3-styles to choose from), so that this looks like the back of a child carrying a backpack. The flap flips up to reveal their writing prompt. 

I designed this thinking of how adorable my young fives looked on their first day of school.  They had brand new backpacks that were so large they made them look like little turtles.  One nudge and I'm sure they'd tip over.  This memory always made me smile. 

”Backpack. Pack on your back.  Help us guess what’s in your sack.” is a backpack guessing game that includes this chant on a poster, with another backpack "craftivity" option. 

Students draw a picture under the bottom flap and write 3 clues under the top one, describing their hidden picture.  They read one clue at a time, pausing for students to guess what they have in their sack for summer or for school.

Finally, there's a mini flip booklet ”There’s a lot of fun and learning packed into __________(grade).”  Students write what they learned, enjoyed and a few of their favorite things on 6-page options.  I've included covers in color, plus black & white. 

These make a quick, easy & fun memory book, or have students contribute a page to make a class book to share with your new class in the fall.

As always, I've also included directions, tips, tricks, photographs and completed samples for each project.

This "Mini Memories" part of the packet is my featured FREEBIE for you!  Click on the link to grab it. 

If you'd like to see the entire Backpack Packet, click on the link to pop on over to my TpT store.  This 48-page unit is on sale for just $3.95.  I hope you enjoy it!

That’s it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. Michigan has finally greened up and exploded with flowers. LOVE springtime when it eventually shows up!  

Time to go outside and put the finishing touches on my flower garden. 

Wishing you a wonderful end-of-the-year.  I hope its packed with fun and stuffed with lots of special memories.

"You can't learn from your mistakes, if you keep denying them." -Unknown

7 pages.

This is a super-simple, end-of-the-year writing prompt that makes a quick and easy memory book, or class book you can share with your next year's kiddos.