1-2-3 Come Make A "Feelings Wheel" With Me

How are you feeling? 

Easy enough question for most people, but preschool & kindergarten kiddos might not have a good grasp of understanding and identifying how they, or others feel.

I truly believe that it’s very important to know how your students are feeling, particularly at the beginning of the year; and especially during these trying times.

We have no idea what sort of baggage these little ones are carrying to school each day. 

If they are given an opportunity to express their feelings, I think you will not only build a more caring and compassionate classroom, but help your students get into a more positive attitude conducive to learning.

With that in mind, I designed this quick and easy (print & go) “Wheeling & Dealing With Feelings” packet, which will help you do just that in a super-fun way.

The Packet Includes:

•   *  An "Everyone Everywhere Has Feelings" poster.
  After I ask, "Does anyone know what feelings are?" and we discuss the definition,  giving a variety of examples, I use this poster to introduce my lesson.
  
• It never ceases to amaze me that my young fives are surprised that adults, especially teachers, have the same feelings that they do!
  

  *  There are also 3 bear-themed feelings POSTERS to help introduce the "Feelings Wheel" craft.  Later, you can hang these up on the wall.

• *  The packet also includes a craft; a“How I Feel WHEEL” with a variety of options.
  

The BEAR pattern is my personal favorite, and the easiest one to implement, as you simply run off a class set. 

Regular copy paper works just fine, but if you're going to use them all year, you may want to print on card stock, so they are sturdier. 

The black & white bear patterns come with & without facial features. Children color, then cut on the dashed lines, snipping out the "mouth" section, so that it reveals the various "feelings". 

To make things a bit more personal, I've also included 8 BOY patterns, as well as 9 girl options.

As you can see, there is a nice variety of ethnicities represented; however, this is not really evident to youngsters, as they are just as apt to pick a pattern based on how much they like a hairdo, than anything to do with their own hair style. 

The bottom wheel has 4 pattern options:

1. Mouths that are labeled with the feeling, 2. just the mouths, 3. just the feeling labels, so that children can draw their own mouths & 4. a blank 5-piece pie circle, so that students can draw & label whatever feeliings you want them to.

Even though little ones cannot read, I recommend that you use the labeled wheel.

Because you are using it everyday, soon your kiddos will be able to “read” those “feeling words” because they are seeing them all the time.

The pictures also aid in memorization.

Feelings on the wheel: happy, sad, mad, silly & scared.

Although there are many different types of feelings, to keep things simple, I’ve limited “feeling” choices to just these 5, which children readily understand & can identify with.

I think if you give younger kiddos too many options, they feel overwhelmed and find it difficult to make a choice.

As part of your introduction, show them your sample wheel & explain each feeling.

Afterwards, make a face. Ask students to guess what emotion they think you are feeling.

Later, call out each feeling and have students show with their facial expression and “body language” how they think that feeling “looks”.

  *  I've also included a "Trace or Write" then Color, poster-worksheet, which will help students become familiar with these "feeling words".

  *   The daily graphing extension/worksheet serves multiple purposes. 

I think it’s important to track how children are feeling, so I designed this simple worksheet that children simply mark an X on each day for how they "mostly" feel. 

You can also have students draw a line through the boxes, so they can mark an X at the beginning of the day, then again at the end of the day. 

It’s certainly OK and normal to have a “terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day”, like Alexander; but if a child is continuously sad or scared, a red flag is being flown.

By filling out this simple, weekly worksheet and sending it home in our "take home" folders, which we call "Snail Mail" (Click the LINK to check them out) parents can get some insight into how their child is feeling “most of the time”, and can then talk about the reasons why. 

*  Finally, there is a "Share Bear" partner activity. “Let’s share because we care.”

Feelings expressed in this activity: happy, sad, mad, silly, scared, tired & grumpy.

I added two additional feelings for this "talk about it" time: (tired & grumpy), as children easily identify with these feelings too.

My students soon discover that if they are tired, they will often feel sad or grumpy too, which makes for a great discussion.

My kiddos absolutely LOVE this activity, and I think it's time well-spent as it's so important for children to express their feelings.
They might not want to tell the entire class how they are feeling, but I find that they are pretty excited to share their emotions with another person.

You can make this part of your morning routine, which will give you 5-10 minutes to take attendance, fill out a lunch count, check notes from home etc.

You can also walk around and listen to what children are saying. Sadly, I've heard my students say things like, "My grampa died.", "My parents got in a fight." "My cat ran away."   If not for this activity I'd have no clue.

Knowing how your students feel can truly help you understand their behavior, and perhaps why they are listless or "acting out". 

How it works:  When children come in, they pick a partner & grab a laminated "feelings" card. Sitting “criss-cross applesauce” they point to a bear that expresses how they feel, and explain why.

Often children are a combination of feelings, so explain that they can pick more than one feeling, or simply the one that they "mostly" feel like.

I truly believe talking this out helps children “unload”. Confiding, if you will, quite possibly can help a child feel better, as well as help create a caring classroom community. I find that children are generally very empathetic.

This is also a great way to end the day too. Children pick that same partner & share how they feel.  Have things improved? Did something happen to make the change in feelings, etc.

There are two Featured FREEBIES today. The first one is the "Everyone Everywhere Has Feelings" poster, which is part of the packet. Click on the LINK to grab a copy.

The second one will be a fun way to review feelings in October. 

It's called the Jack-O-Lantern's Smile. This is a simple "slider" craft, where children pull on the paper strip (slider) to change the mouth on the pumpkin to show how he's feeling.

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.

May your "bad hair days" be minimal, while your "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" days be in abundance.

For more Back To School activities, click on the link.

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"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." -Ellen Parr

2 pages.

"What's Your Superhero Name?"  Is a quick, easy & fun activity.

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

Since superheroes are super popular with my students, I decided to design this fun-filled packet entitled: “Superheroes Wear Masks & So Do We!”

Why wear a mask? Because we are germ fighters! We mask up, social distance & wash our hands.

Hopefully, being a germ-fighting superhero will lesson the anxiety of this crazy time in history.

I've included a pair of superhero posters you can use to introduce your lesson, then later include on your bulletin board.

There are all sorts of “What is your ____ name?” activities on the Internet, such as “What Is Your Pirate Name?”; so I thought it would be fun to create my own Superhero one.

Since my kiddos are working on identifying letters, plus recognizing & writing their names, this is especially worthwhile, and a lot of fun for them.

Unlike the ones on the web, I have more than one option for each letter.

I tried to be alliterative as well, so with just a few exceptions, I've used words that begin with those letters as well.

The “What’s Your Superhero Name?” activity has black & white name cards for students to color, then write their name on. I've also included a pair in color, so that teachers can quickly & easily make an example to share.

These name cards come lined & unlined with 3 boy & 3 girl superhero options for children to choose from.

Completed projects look cute on a door. Use the "What's Your Superhero Name?" poster for the center of your display. 

How does it work?

Using poster #1, students find their initial for their first name, then pick one of the adjectives that they like. 

Using poster #2 they find their last name initial, and choose one of the nouns.

For example, Bella Freeland chose Blazing Falcon, and Isaac Taylor chose Invisible Tornado for their superhero names.

As you can see in the photograph, I've included a variety of onomatopoetic "call outs", which I sprinkled around my posters. This became part of my wall display.

Other things included in the packet:

*** 4 girl & 4 boy “Superheroes wear masks and so do I” (trace & color) worksheets,

*** A girl & boy “I’m a germ fighter” worksheet, which comes in a 2-on-a-page size.

For added pizzazz, take a photo of each student, cut them into circles, and have them glue them to the circle on their pattern.  On my masked-samples, I list the germ fighting rules.

As you can see by my other samples, you can also use these for students to write their superhero names on.

There's also a full-page option, with & without lines, plus a traceable option too.

*** The photographs also show the “starburst” name tags, which come in large & small sizes, as well as black & white, plus colorful options.

All of the activites are easy-peasy "print & go", and suitable for distance learning. 

I recently updated all of my packets, so now all of my products have that clickable option!

These activities also make a cute bulletin board, door or hallway display.

Be sure and use the 9, easy-cut, onomatopoeia “call out” bubbles, such as Crash, Boom, Bam to add some extra pop & pizzazz to your display.

There's also a "call out" worksheet students can trace & color, along with a matching poster.

So you can better get a feel for the "What's Your Superhero Name?" activity, today's featured FREEBIE is the set of posters, which help children create their name. 

If appropriate, take that teachable moment to teach/review adjectives & nouns. Click the LINK to grab a copy.

Well that's it for today.

Whether you are homeschooling, teaching in person or virtually, I truly am wishing everyone a safe, healthy & happy school year.

For more Back To School activities, click on the link.

Come join the fun on Facebook for my exclusive FREEBIES & Monthly Giveaways.

Check out my educational Pinterest boards.

Don’t forget that all of my new products are 40% off for 48 hours.

Click this LINK to follow my shop & you'll be notified of these huge savings.

"Don't be discouraged; everyone who got where he is, started wher he was." -Unknown

1 2 3 Come Do A "Getting to Know You" Craft With Me

I truly believe that when classmates get to know each other camaraderie and a classroom commUNITY is established, which helps squelch discipline problems.

My favorite classes in school even up through college, were those that we had a real community going.

These were usually conducted by my favorite teachers, who felt that a classroom was sort of like a family.

They made time to make us all feel welcome, safe, and important. I truly felt cared about.

One of the ways they promoted these feelings was that they spent some time getting to know us.

With that in mind, I do a variety of BTS “Getting to Know You” activities for an entire month, as well as several throughout the year.

Students seem to love sharing things about themselves, so they really enjoy these activities.

My newest creation, "Getting to the Point," is a pencil writing prompt craftivity. It's quick, easy & fun, with simple “print & go” prep.

There are 6 pages to choose from, plus a blank page for more writing or something else you dream up.

This variety allows you to differentiate your lessons within your class, and still have everyone working on the same activity.

The activity also suits different grade levels too.

Younger students can simply do one page, while older children will enjoy making a complete, 6-page booklet.

After choosing the pages you want, students simply fill in the information, trim their "pencil page" then staple them to the top of the inside of their cover. 

I purposely did not number the pages, not only so that you can pick which ones you want, but also so that you can choose the order you want them in.

For example, for one of my samples, I glued the "selfie page" to the inside of the cover. 

Speaking of the cover, it's a double-patterned pencil, which students trim AROUND then fold over, creating the booklet. 

For extra pizzazz & to make this a bit of a keepsake, have students glue their school photo to the eraser. If you do this, then have kiddos DRAW a selfie of themselves, or omit that page.

"Get to the Point" is great for your writing block or fun as a homework assignment too.

Completed projects make a sweet bulletin board.

I’ve included 4 pencil-themed posters to enhance your display.

I've also added a Bonus. Which is a writing prompt poster: “Life without _____________ is pointless.”  The other posters can also be used to kick start journal writing.

Today's FREEBIE is another super-fun BTS icebreaker. This one uses M & Ms or Skittles candy.

Icebreakers are a perfect way to help build that cameraderie & team spirit of working together. 

They are especially important during the 1st month of school when students are a bit nervous and looking at a very diverse bunch of strangers, listening to rules-rules & more rules.

One of the icebreakers my kiddos really enjoy is the M & M or Skittle Game, which has been around awhile, going by as many names as there are colors, and can be played in a variety of ways as well.

These are my versions. I hope you find them useful.

Thanks for stopping by. I hoping you and your students really enjoy “Getting to the Point”  and popping a sweet treat as they build team spirit.

Wishing you a wonderful school year.

For more Back To School activities, click on the link.

Come join the fun on Facebook for my exclusive FREEBIES & Monthly Giveaways.

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 "Don't be afraid of pressure.  Remember that pressure is what turns a lump of coal into a diamond." - Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do A Back To School Rainbow Craftivity With Me

Back to school can be a bit scary for students. "I don't know anyone!" is a common cry for many.

With that in mind, I like to build a classroom community, where my students feel safe and have an opportunity to get to know each other.

I truly believe you have less discipline problems, if children have made friends and feel cared about.

Thus, I do a "getting to know you activity" each day for the first week of school, and continue with at least one additional activity each week for the rest of the month. This is truly time well spent!

When students feel part of a team, they are happier and achieve more. There's also accountability, which goes hand-in-hand with behaving.

I'm a firm believer of the quote: "There's no "I" in TEAM!" So let's build that commUNITY! Your students will love you for it, and have a ton of fun getting to know eachother.

I just finished  a quick, easy & super-fun “getting to know you” (print & go) craft for this very purpose. I call it "Color Me Happy!"

The craftivity has a variety of options, so you can easily diversify the activity for different abilities & grade levels.

There are two rainbow options, the one "spilling from a cloud" can be cut out or snipped into a rectangle, for easy cutting.

The 2nd one is a rainbow arc pattern. It comes in both a full-page size, as well as a smaller, two-on-a-page pattern.

There are also add-on patterns for clouds & a heart.

You can offer your students a choice, or simply pick which one you think is most appropriate for your students.

After coloring their rainbow, children think of something that they really like, that matches that colorful stripe on their rainbow, then they write that word down.

For example, a favorite red thing of mine is strawberries.

Older students can attach the larger rainbow to the top of a writing prompt worksheet, where they can write more than one example.

If your kiddos are like mine, they absolutely LOVE sharing things about themselves & will find it difficult to limit their "favorites" to just 3 per color.

I’ve also included a “directions poster” for this option.  If you do this, be sure & include the poster on your bulletin board.

Completed projects make a wonderful BTS bulletin board or hallway display, and also look terrific suspended back-to-back, swirling & twirling from the ceiling.

As a fun way to get to know each other, before hanging, have everyone share one or two of their favorite colorful things.

I’ve included 6 posters to enhance your display & add extra pizzazz.

These can also be used for conversation starters, an interesting discussion or additional writing prompts.

For added fun while students are working, play “These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things” from the Sound of Music, followed up by (Judy Garland) "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" or... (IZ) “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”.

Today's FREEBIE is also a really fun back to school activity. You can actually use it throughout the year too.  I call it "Chalk Talk".

The packet includes:

* A “Chalk” behavior modification, positive reinforcement activity, that will help promote working as a team to achieve a desired goal, building self-esteem at the same time.

* Black & White “color me” headers, for a sidewalk chalk treat Baggie, as well as patterns in full color for preschool, kindergarten, & first grade, with a blank template for you to fill in with any other grade.

* I’ve also included a generic one to give at anytime of the year.

* A “Chalk Talk” bear poster you can write a daily message on.

* A “Chalk Talk” kitten poster wishing children a “purrr-fect” day.

* 2 “Chalk Talk” (I had a nice time at school today. These are a few of the things that I did:) writing prompt worksheets.

Well that's it for today. 

Blessings to you & yours for a stress-free & joy-filled time, as you get ready for back to school. May it be the best year yet!

For more Back To School activities, click on the link.

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"Count your rainbows, not your thunderstorms!" -Allyssa Knight

1-2-3 Come Do Some Pussy Willow Activities With Me

"Fun With Pussy Willows" is another "From my Heart to your Hands" FREEBIE.

Spring is such a fun time to be outside, breathing in the beauty of nature, as things start to bud, bloom and grow.

Pussy willows are one of the first signs of spring here in Michigan, so I like to gather a bunch and bring them into the classroom for my kiddos to touch.

They exclaim at the softness of the little puffs, and can certainly understand how these lovely branches got their name.

With that in mind, I designed this "Fun With Pussy Willows" packet. I hope you enjoy the activities, as much as I did creating them.

The packet includes:

• 2 real photographs of pussy willows, in case they don’t grow near you. Use them to introduce your lesson, then later as part of your bulletin board display. 
  

     . 2, intersting legends about how the pussy willow got its name. You can read these as part of your introduction as well.

     . A pussy willow craft.  

Students can draw a few “twig” branches on their paper and create their own pussy willow pattern, or for younger kiddos, who need a bit of guidance, you can run off my pattern on construction paper.

A bright blue or gray blue color looks like a spring sky, but to add variety to your display, you could give children a color choice.

So the "branches" of the pussy willow stand out, have children trace a thick, brown line over them using a brown crayon.

There are two options for making a pussy willow picture, and both look stunning.

One is made by pulling a pinch of cotton from a cotton ball, then balling it up a bit, and gluing it to the oval sections on the branches. 

For less mess, I squirted a dollop of Elmers glue on a paper plate.

Children then dip their Q-tip into the glue and put a dab on the oval sections of their paper, then press the cotton in place.   Older students can simply use the glue bottle. 

I filled in the entire paper using just half of a cotton ball.  As you can see by the photographs, the wonderful 3D results are quite realistic.

The other option is to have children make a "keepsake" picture, by dipping their pointer finger into a dollop of white, acrylic paint, then pressing their "print" onto the oval sections.

For this picture, I added a 3D effect by gluing a real twig to the center branch of my pussy willows.

While the paint is still wet, sprinkling on a bit of opalescent glitter really adds a lovely finishing touch to the picture. 

I've included a little poem, inside of a heart, which children can cut & glue to the bottom left corner of their picture:

This pussy willow's special, as you can plainly see.  I made it with my fingerprints, with lots of TLC.  It's bringing springtime wishes, with love to you from me.

The packet also includes...

    . Letters that spell “Pussy Willows” to use as a caption for your spring bulletin board or hallway display.

I made the letters using background paper featuring various pussy willow branches.

       . Since April is Poetry Month, I thought it fitting to include a pussy willow poem, which you can use as the center of your display. 

I love the stanza "...and I'll rub spring across your cheek."  which provides th perfect opportunity to teach about metaphor.

Students can also try their hand at writing poetry,  by coloring, and filling in the acrostic poem worksheet.

An acrostic is a poem where the first letter of each line is used to describe that word.

Acrostics provide wonderful practice for descriptive writing and learning about adjectives & synonyms, as well as being a nice vocabulary builder.

Students can use just one word as I did (especially because the S & L letters are used twice), or they can use several words or even a partial sentence or phrase.

The letter I proved a bit challenging, so you might tell students that they can use the I as a pronoun, as in "I like pussy willows." However, the word Interesting also works.

Here’s an example of another acrostic for the word spring, where I used phrases rather than single words.
Splashing in puddles
Plants are blooming
Rainbows in a sunny sky
I see buds sprouting
Nests are being built
Gray clouds threaten rain.

No matter what grade I taught, all of my students really enjoyed writing acrostic poems. 

       .There are also 3 additional worksheets, which include a Venn diagram comparing pussy willows to kittens.

Any of these worksheets, as well as the acrostic poems, can be added to your bulletin board display, and look really nice hung with the pussy willow craft, topped off with the "Pussy Willows" lettering.

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.

I'm wishing you a fun-filled spring, touched by many soft & tender moments.

For more springtime activities click this LINK.

"Spring is a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be."

1-2-3 Come Zap Some Germs With Me!

From my heart to your hands, here are some FREE, quick & easy “Germ Zapping” activities that I think your kiddos will have a lot of fun with.

Whether you’re a classroom teacher, or a homeschooling mama, I hope you find something useful here. (Sanity saving?)

Great for “Distance Learning” too: Help practice, graphing, counting, sequencing, tally marks & a bit of word work fun.

The packet includes:

* “Germs Beware! A germ-zapping family lives here!” Color me poster for home, as well as a…

“Germs Beware! Germ-zapping students learn here!” poster for your classroom.

*  Four, “Be a germ buster!” color-me necklace patterns.

*  “Color, Count & Zap!” germ graphing worksheets.

* “ Germ Zapper” certificate of praise.

*  Super-fun “Tally Ho I Spy” worksheet. Children spy, then zap (X out the germ-themed items) as they count & make tally marks.

*  Two, word zapping word finds.

*  “Be Alert! Give a Squirt!” number puzzle with 3 options.

There's a simple one, featuring numbers 1-5, as well as one that reinforces counting from 1-10, plus another, that helps practice those "toughie teen" numbers. 

After students color their puzzle, they cut the strips on the dashed line.

Children mix up the pieces then see how fast they can put the puzzle together. 

Afterwards, to add to the fun, students can pick a partner & take turns rolling a dice.

Whatever number they roll, they place that matching numbered puzzle piece on their work space. 

You can play that if they roll a six they lose their turn, or make the six wild. Children can then choose any numbered puzzle piece that they need.

The first to complete their puzzle is the winner.  Simply use more dice & add for the other numbered puzzles.

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.

If you’re asking yourself, “Who ya gonna call?” the answer is “Germ Busters!” cuz...

“We ain’t afraid of no germs!” 

Wishing you health and peace of mind, as you navigate this crazy time.

"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success." -Henry Ford

1-2-3 Come Do A Pepper "Germs" Experiment With Me

Here's a quick, easy & super-fun little experiment you can do with your kiddos.

It's sure to have them saying, "Can we do it again!"

I've compiled this activity in a FREE packet, so that you can easily duplicate and extend the lesson.

As parents and teachers we are constantly reminding children to wash their hands, especially now since the Corona virus crisis.

Children look at their hands and don’t really “see” any germs, so if they can’t see anything on their hands, they naturally conclude that their hands must not really be dirty, so why bother washing.

Explaining to youngsters, that unlike dirt, germs are invisible helps; but when you give kiddos a “visual” of how germs literally flee when they come into contact with soap, you're zeroing in on the importance of hand washing in a dramatic way.

When I was in school, “surface tension” was explained to us with a “pepper experiment”. The result of the demonstration is truly amazing, and provides the perfect illustration for “germs fleeing soap”.

This experiment has the “Wow!” factor, while still being super-simple, plus you have all of the ingredients at home.

You’ll need:

  * ground pepper
  * a bowl or plate
  * a cup of water,
  * a paper plate,
  * a tissue and
  * some dish soap.

You can also use a measuring cup instead of a plastic cup to hold your water. Because a measuring cup has a handle, this could be easier for little ones to hold on to.

I used a 1/2 cup of water to spill onto an 8" paper plate, then when I switched to a glass bowl to see if the container made any difference, (it didn't) I used 1 cup of water to pour into the bowl.

Watch my VIDEO for specifics, then use the FREE packet for your finishing touches.

Video LINK: https://youtu.be/fDWp6z1woBU

I’ve included my "script" plus the poster, so you can use it in your own demonstration. There’s a black & white version for children to color as well.

For younger kiddos, end with the “poster summary” of the importance of washing your hands; leaving it at that.

However, to extend the lesson for older students, have them look up the definition of surface tension, then for writing practice, as well as some data analysis, have students fill in the “Here’s What Happened” worksheet, keeping in mind their findings about surface tension.

The worksheet could also be done as a whole group activity.
I’ve included a surface tension explanation, which you can also share with them.

If your students are like mine, they are extremely interested, and excited about doing hands-on science, so run with it. For added fun, and further exploration you can use the “Does It Make a Difference?” extension activity. 

For example, “Does it make a difference if you use another spice other than pepper; hot or cold water; or a different container?” etc.

I’ve done all these additional “extras” & include my findings, along with photographs in the FREE packet.

Finally, just for fun, there’s also an “I’m a germ-blasting super soaper!” craftivity.

Children color, cut & hang on their doorknob.

There is a set of "doorknobbers" for superhero boys, as well as a set for superhero girls.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.

I sincerely hope you find these activities useful.

Wishing you a safe & healthy week.

"Always remember: You are BRAVER than you believe, STRONGER than you seem, SMARTER than you think, and LOVED more than you know." - A. A. Milne

1-2-3 Come Do Some Hand Washing Activities With Me

Are you looking for something to easily explain hand washing to your students/children?

Then I think you'll find my fun-filled "Hand Washing" packet helpful, and it's FREE!

I've included a poster of the CDC's, 5-step recommendations for correct hand washing, it comes in both color for teachers, as well as black & white for students to color & take home.

There are also two posters which list important times when you should wash your hands.

Before you share the list with your students, see how many they can come up with, during your discussion.

As a fun way to further reinforce the lesson, I've also included a 5-piece puzzle for these hygiene rules.

Teachers can print, laminate & trim the colorful puzzle to use for a center activity.

I've also included a #5 base for the puzzle, which will help preschoolers assemble the pieces..

Keep each of your puzzles in a large ZipLock Baggie.  

As always, there are black & white patterns, so that students can color and cut apart, to create their own puzzle. 

Demonstrate how to cut out the number 5 and then snip each section off.

When everyone has completed their puzzle, reinforce the rules as a whole group. 

Hang the base #5 pattern on your white board.  Stick magnetic dots on the back of your 5 puzzle pieces and hold them in numerical order.

You show the #1 puzzle piece and read it, then stick it to the matching #1 section on the base. 

Children follow your "monkey-see, monkey-do" directions & do the same with their puzzle piece. 

After everyone has placed that piece down, read the rule again, then have children "read" it with you.

For added fun, and more reinforcement, have children pick a partner & take turns rolling a dice. 

If they roll a 1 they place the matching #1 puzzle piece on the puzzle base, and so on.

If they roll a 6 you can decide if they lose a turn, or if the 6 is wild & they can choose any numbered puzzle piece that they need. The first one to complete their puzzle is the winner.

Because children love to sing, I've also included a song in the packet.

The CDC recommends 20 seconds, as the minimum amount of time for effective hand washing. They say that humming the “Happy Birthday” song twice will do the 20-second job.

However, I wanted children to have a more appropriate song to specifically go along with hand washing.

So I took the tune from the nursery rhyme/song “Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush”, ( public domain) and changed the words to “This is the way we wash our hands”.

When I was a little girl we also sang “This is the way we wash our clothes” to that same tune, as we pretended to scrub away on grama’s old washboard.  

As you sing the song, with my “wash your hands” lyrics, demonstrate lathering the hands with pretend soap, showing how you rub over & under the hands, as well as in-between the fingers, plus scrubbing the nails. Singing, while “washing”, will take the desired 20 seconds.

You can practice with this online timer: LINK

To show you the correct hand washing technique, check out this  video, (46-seconds) then do those movements as you sing the two verses.

I for one, discovered via this video that I was missing the “nails” step. I think that many others will find room for improvement too. Hopefully, the entire world will now do a better job of hand washing.

I’ve made a poster-poem of the “This Is The Way We Wash Our Hands” words, which you can share with your students.

Children may wonder, “What’s the big deal about hand washing?”, so it’s a good idea to introduce your lesson with WHY hand washing is so important.

I like this 3-minute video entitled "Germs, Germs, Germs" because my students also say, “…but my hands don’t look dirty.” 

Finally, I've also included a little certificate of praise your kiddos can color.

There are two, on-a-one-page pattern, for quick printing.

One template features a colorful frame, the other one has a black & white one. 

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.

Stay tuned for more "Germ Fighting" FREEBIES, that you can do with your own children or with your students. 

Wishing you a safe & virus free day.

"Did you sneeze? Did you cough? Be sure and wash those nasty germs off!" -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Sequencing & Retelling a Story Activities With Me

Do you read "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover" by Lucille Colandro?

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

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

This simple craft is a great addition to your St. Patrick’s Day activities too.

There are 5 “cover” options available. Pick your favorite or give children a choice.

All of them are easy-peasy to cut, as they are in a box shape; however, you can also choose to cut around the patterns as well.

Check out the photo to the left to see which style you like best.

I’ve also provided two smaller patterns with a shorter slider for little ones.

You decide what’s best for your students’ abilities. I personally like the cut out covers, which I do for all of my teacher samples.

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

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

Since it only takes me about 8 minutes, to pre-cut the slits for my students, I do this prep with an X-acto knife, which saves me classroom time, by doing this step for my kiddos.

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

I introduce the lesson by reading "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover" , then share my sample with the children.

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

My students now know what’s expected of them, and are very excited to transition to making a “Granny Clover” slider of their own. 

When they complete the craftivity, they pick a partner & take turns retelling the tale.

For an easy & interesting way to assess comprehension, I’ve also included a “Let’s sequence the story” worksheet, where students color and trim the picture tiles then glue them in the correct order on their worksheet.

Use the teacher’s colorful copy as a whole group activity, sequencing the story as you read it, then again as a review afterwards. Grab that teachable moment to practice ordinal numbers as well.

For writing practice, there’s also a “Here’s What Happened…” writing prompt worksheet, as another way to check comprehension, plus practice sequential writing.

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

If you aren't familiar with the book, you can click on the LINK & check out a reading of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover" on YouTube.  It's less than 3 minutes long. 

I like to show a quick video at the end of our day, which reinforces the lesson.

I also encourage my students to share their slider & storytelling skills with their family when they get home.

Since St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner, today's FREEBIE is a shamrock-themed set of 10 frames, which includes some quick, easy & fun math activities.

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by. 

The sun is endeavoring to peek out from behind the clouds, so I think I'll venture out with my pup Chloe, to breathe in some nice fresh air. 

Wishing you a wonderful week, and a happy-go-lucky St. Paddy's Day.

"May the dreams you hold dearest be those which come true, and the kindness you spread, keep returning to you."