Winter Ideas and Activities!

I'm getting the jump on winter with some activities to share!

 

Mr. Snowman For Winter

Children love this activity and like to do it over and over again!

 

The Mr. Snowman story is read or sung to the tune of "Happy Birthday". This fun, educational activity is good practice using color and position words. Parts of the body and clothing items are also reviewed.

Once created by you, this 15-page book contains a different verse on each page. Additionally, it includes all the pieces for a 2-foot snowman, plus a worksheet for a child's drawing activity.

The snowman can be used as is, on a flat horizontal surface. It can also be used upright with tape, Velcro, or magnets on the back of each piece, depending on the surface you wish to attach it.

It can be used with the whole class, small group, or in a center.

I also used the snowman pieces as patterns to trace on flannel to create a flannel board Mr. Snowman.

It is especially fun for children that do not get any snow during the winter!

 

 More Snowman Activities:
Snowman ABC Letter and Sound Match
Winter Geometric Snowman Face
10 Little Snowmen Song and Number/Number Word Flashcards
Snowman's Face Words Cut and Paste
Mr. Snowman
Winter Geometric Snowman
Snowman Do Together Parent/Child Homework Activity
10 Little Snowmen Class Book and Student Book for Winter
Snowman's Face Words Cut and Paste
Snowman Color Word Puzzles
Winter Snowman Song And Posters S-N-O-W-Y Was His Name-O
Free! Snowman Bookmarks "Reading is SNOW much fun!"
Winter Build A Name or Word Snowman
Winter Geometric Snowman Face

Geometric Snowflake for Winter 2D Shapes

A different twist on snowflakes and 2D shapes together. Discuss the design of snowflakes and the 6 points.

Introduce or review the five shapes, circle, square, triangle, rectangle, hexagon. Excellent practice for fine motor skills, cutting, and gluing.

There are 3 complete activities; 1 in blue shades, 1 in gray shades, and the last is black and white. Possible Sample Keys are included and are in blue shades.

 

I have many other geometric activities and money saving bundles in my store under the category Geometric Fun.
Geometric Fun Activities

Also See:
Christmas Products
Winter Products
Other Puzzles and Games
Shapes
Colors

Free! Snowman Bookmarks "Reading is SNOW much fun!"

 Free! Here are two pages of bookmarks for winter. One page is in color and the other is black and white.

They can be used to motivate reading with the words "Reading is SNOW much fun!" The clip art is appropriate for a wide range of groups.

 

Get a jump on winter!

 



Share In The New Year!

To celebrate the New Year, I have this fun thought provoking creative writing assignment! It is designed to stimulate positive thoughts and actions for the coming year.

Free! Happy New Year Resolutions

The littlest learners can have the questions read to them and someone write down their answers. They truly have some interesting suggestions!

 

If you are looking for another activity in the new year, I also have

New Year Skip Counting Cut And Glue

Here is an example of the activity!

Winter Scarf Projects

This is a favorite keepsake project for big and little people! 

It makes a great Christmas present and while Christmas is passed, now is the time to find the material on sale for next year!  

I traced my father's hands for a soft warm scarf that feels like a big hug. I truly wish I had done one with my mother's hands before she passed away....

It only requires paper and pencil for tracing hands, pins for holding the pattern in place on the material, sharp scissors and fabric.

I like to work with fleece fabric. It comes in so many wonderful colors and patterns. There is no sewing involved, just cut and use.

Another version of this scarf is the hands traced with the thumbs making a heart in the middle!

Then pin the pattern to the fabric and cut on the lines. The fingers act as fringe.

Then do the same on the other side.

This project would also be great for students to give to their parents. Depending on the age of the children, the pattern may need to be cut by an adult. 

 

This is when I like to ask high school students to be involved in the classroom after their school day is done for tracing hands and cutting them out. Grandmas like to come in to be classroom helpers. Mothers and fathers like to be involved too, but if the gift was for them, it won't be a secret.

 

It makes a one of a kind loving gift for someone special!!

 

 

 

 

 

Santa Express Geometric Christmas Train

There are so many great stories about trains for children! A very special story for the holiday season is the classic "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg's. This fun product incorporates 5 geometric shapes into the building of a train engine,
plus a creative literacy activity.

 

 Santa Express Geometric Christmas Train

 

 There are 3 complete train engine choices; 1 has red and green colors, 1 is grayscale colored, and the last is black and white. The train can be made as a stand-alone, but that is better printed on heavy paper. It can also be made by gluing the pieces down on another piece of paper.

This project is excellent practice for the fine motor skills of cutting and gluing. It is a good idea to give each child a baggie to hold their cut pieces until they have glued them all.

Introduce or review the five shapes; circle, square, triangle, rectangle, and hexagon. Decide if posting the picture of the finished Key that is included, so the children may use it for reference. When doing the black and white or grayscale engines, the children can color or decorate them when finished.

This activity can also be used in a center, but it is better if the pieces are laminated first. Some of the pieces are small so a baggie helps to keep any from getting lost.

 

The literacy activity has a black and white train paper with lines for writing and reading their creative stories. There is a cover sheet to make these stories into a class share book the students can read and reread again and again.

 

 The Geometric Train can be used for other stories about trains.

Some examples are:
1. Smokey by Bill Peet
2. Crack in the Track (Thomas the Tank Engine Story)
3. Little Train by Lois Lenski
4. The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper
5. Steam, Smoke, and Steel: Back in Time with Trains by Patrick O’Brien
6. Big Book of Trains by DK Publishing
7. The Goodnight Train by June Sobel
8. The Potty Train by David Hochman
9. Dinosaur Train by John Steven Gurney
10. Freight Train by Donald Crews

 

I have another train product that can also be a Christmas train activity,

but can be used at other times of the year too.
Christmas Train Do Together Parent/Child Homework Activity

 

There are many other geometric activities and money saving geometric bundles in my store.
Geometric Activities
Also See:
Christmas Activities
Puzzles & Games
Colors & Shapes
Free Activities

Enjoy this holiday season!

b and d Reversals Posters Visual Cues

Sometimes lowercase b and d can be confusing for children and some adults, knowing the direction of each letter, especially when doing reading and writing activities! I have created an activity to help give a memory trigger for the letters.

 

This cute new product is a set of visual cue posters to help with letters

b and d Reversals Posters Visual Cues.

Visual cues can be helpful with remembering the correct ways the letters are formed.

Lowercase b has a baby patting his belly. This is to help remind students that lowercase b has a belly. The circle for the letter is on the right side of the stick and belly starts with the letter b. 

Lowercase d has a baby with a diaper. This is to help remind students that lowercase d has a diaper. The circle for the letter is on the left side of the stick and diaper starts with the letter d.

 

Enjoy these two freebie posters in color or black and white!

 

To find other parts of this product or to purchase the smaller student sizes for individual reference, click on the link above!

 Click on the Preview to see the complete activity!

Trains for Christmas!

Planning for Christmas activities already?

There are so many great stories about trains for children!

 

A very special story for the holiday season is the classic

"The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg's.

 

Some other examples are:
1. Smokey by Bill Peet
2. Crack in the Track (Thomas the Tank Engine Story)
3. Little Train by Lois Lenski
4. The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper
5. Steam, Smoke, and Steel: Back in Time with Trains by Patrick O’Brien
6. Big Book of Trains by DK Publishing
7. The Goodnight Train by June Sobel
8. The Potty Train by David Hochman
9. Dinosaur Train by John Steven Gurney
10. Freight Train by Donald Crews

 

I have two special train activities that can be used for Christmas!

The first one is a creative arts and writing activity.

Santa Express Christmas Train Do Together Parent/Child Homework Activity

This activity includes the cover sheet, 2 train engine templates and parent letter.

One train template is a simple black and white version. For older children there is a more detailed gray version. Print the train template you decide to use, on heavy paper and send it home with the parent explanation letter.

 

Parent and child will decorate it together. The train can be covered with whatever, but it must stay attached when hung up. Plus, it shouldn’t be so heavy that it won’t stay taped to a wall.

Suggestions for decorations: glitter, pompoms, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, felt, foam, lace, paper clips, sprinkles, colored rice, pictures, beads, sequins, shells, feathers, flowers, cotton, fake jewels, nature materials, sand, popsicle sticks, toothpicks, fabric, papers, foil, string, recycling materials, whatever you have around the house.

 

They need to put a picture of their child in the engine cab, so it looks like he/she is the engineer. When finished the student will bring back to school a Christmas Train to share with the class. It then becomes a prompt for story writing and telling.

It is always fun to see the different ways to decorate the train! They make a wonderful seasonal wall or bulletin board display! It can also be done in class instead of sending it home or send it home with older students that do not need parent help.

 

I have many different products similar to this to do during the year! Parents love doing these with their children!

Do Together Activities

 

The next activity is a fun product and has been very popular, so I am sharing it again!

Santa Express Geometric Christmas Train 2D Shapes 

This fun product incorporates 5 geometric 2D shapes into the building of a train engine, plus a creative literacy activity.

There are 3 complete train engine choices; 1 has red and green colors, 1 is grayscale colored, and the last is black and white. The train can be made as a stand-alone, but that is better printed on heavy paper. It can also be made by gluing the pieces down on another piece of paper. This project is excellent practice for the fine motor skills of cutting and gluing. It is a good idea to give each child a baggie to hold their cut pieces until they have glued them all.

Introduce or review the five shapes; circle, square, triangle, rectangle, and hexagon. Decide if posting the picture of the finished Key that is included, so the children may use it for reference. When doing the black and white or grayscale engines, the children can color or decorate them when finished.
 

It can also be used in a center, but it is better if the pieces are laminated first. Again some of the pieces are small so a baggie helps to keep any from getting lost.

  The literacy activity has a black and white train paper with lines for writing and reading their creative stories. There is a cover sheet to make these stories into a class share book the students can read and reread again and again.

 

I also have many other products for 

Geometric Fun

that can be used during the year.

 

Wishing you a fun filled holiday season!

Environmental Print Connects Beginning Readers With Letters, Sounds and Words!

The words we see in our environment each day are called Environmental Print. It is the print on logos, labels, wrappers, signs, etc. There are many children that learn the letters of the alphabet and some learn how to read, just from exposure to this everyday language. 

 

 One of the first words is STOP.

We can use these to encourage the learning of letters, sounds, and words. Talk about the letter names, what sounds they make, how is the word spelled and what does it spell.

 

 Little learners like to read and reread the pages.

A fun activity is to create an Environmental Print ABC Book collecting words from foods, jars, drinks, snacks, boxes, signs, etc.

I have a priced activity in my store called Environmental Print ABC Booklet that will let you download an A thru Z booklet. Simply put the pages in order and staple on the left side. Then you and your child can fill it with images you find each day. 

Enjoy!

A Cute Winter Activity!

Free Winter Bookmarks for your readers or print some for yourself!

Snowman Bookmarks "Reading is SNOW much fun!"

 

 One of my favorite activities for winter now in my store is called

Mr. Snowman!

 

The Mr. Snowman story is read or sung to the tune of "Happy Birthday". This fun, educational activity is good practice using color and position words. Parts of the body and clothing items are also reviewed.  

 

Once created by you, this 15-page book contains a different verse on each page. Additionally, it includes all the pieces for a 2-foot snowman, plus a worksheet for a child's drawing activity.

 

  I also used the snowman pieces as patterns to trace on flannel to create a flannel board Mr. Snowman.

Children so enjoy the singing and reading of this story, plus creating Mr. Snowman with all his pieces and parts. The littlest learners love to have the story read or sung to them while they make Mr. Snowman!

 

So even if you have snow or don't have snow, now your children can make a man with a very big heart!  

 

Puzzles, Puzzles and More Puzzles

Puzzles are such a fun way to introduce, practice and evaluate learning skills! I have many available for different learning concepts, but the most popular one is

Antonym Puzzle Match-30 Opposite Matches.

 

 They can easily be adapted for a variety of ages. Start the littlest learner by only using concepts introduced and starting with very simple examples!

The instruction page has several games to play using these pieces. For example, give each child a puzzle piece, making sure that another child has the matching piece. The students then scramble to find their match.

 

Print, laminate, cut apart, and use year after year!

Don’t have time to cut puzzles? You may have a valuable, untapped resource, in your student’s parents! Many parents work and are unable to help with activities or projects in the classroom. This is their time to shine! Simply send home the puzzles after laminating, with directions about how you want them to be cut. The puzzles come back with both the student and parents proud to be involved in helping the teacher!

 

Most of my puzzle activities have curved corners to keep children from being poked. I know it takes longer to cut them out this way, so if you are in a hurry simply cut them straight across for square edges!

I have a free product that give you a chance to use some of the different puzzle activities I have available.

 

FREE! Puzzle Match Sample Pack

This free product has 42 puzzles that include the concepts of solid shapes (cone, cube, sphere, and cylinder), hour time (12:00-5:00), antonyms or opposites, rhyming, homonyms/homophones, time sequence, size sequence, and things that go together. 

Enjoy!

I have many other types of activities like this, just look under
Puzzles and Games.