Veterans Day FREEBIE

Hey there, it's Danielle from Krazee4Kindergarten. Enjoy this Veterans Day FREEBIE. It includes a headband and thank you cards. To download click here.

If you are looking for more Veterans Day activities click here:

DIY Relaxation Station & Freebies

Hey guys! It's Julie from Big Ideas For Little Hands! The beginning of the school year is always crazy and hectic but I wouldn't trade it for the world! We have been very busy reviewing, practicing, and modeling those rules and procedures every day in our classroom. You can never practice them enough in Kindergarten. Even after you model and review those rules to death, you still sometimes have those one or two little sweeties that need just a little more than the others. Sometimes those behavior charts, clip charts, or any other system that you have in place is just not enough.

I wanted to tell you about a little area in my room that I started this year, the Relaxation Station! I have a few little sweeties this year that just need some alone time to regroup and calm down before they are able to work again. Come on, who doesn't need a few minute break occasionally. I know that I do!

I set up this small little area in the corner of my room out of the way of the chaos to allow students to go and sit and calm down and regroup before beginning their work again. This allows the students time to relax and think about their choices before going back and working with the other students. 

I start with these Calm Down Cards. I wear a set on my lanyard and my para does also for those moments when we are not in the classroom and a kiddo needs a little reminder. These have become my new best friend this year! My principal even wears a set :) I also hang up a visual poster in the room so the kiddos can use the cards independently.

First, the student will stop whatever they are doing. They will then smell the flower (take a deep breath in) and blow out the candle (blow the breath out). Next, they will slowly count to 10. If they are ready to rejoin the class at this point then they may go right ahead. If not, they have the choice of taking a break in the relaxation station, reading a book, or hugging a stuffed animal. Let me tell you guys, these cards are a miracle! They have stopped many many tantrums in my room this year. Click below to download a set of these cards.

While they are in the relaxation station, there is a variety of options they can do to help calm down. One option is a calm down bottle. They will shake the bottle and watch the glitter swirl around and settle to the bottom. When the glitter has settled, they rejoin the class. These are so simple to make! All you need is a water bottle and glitter glue.

First make sure the water bottle is about 3/4 filled with water. 

Then add about 2/3 of the bottle of glitter glue. You may also add beads or other small objects to the bottle if you wish. 

I figured out that it went much faster if you took the top off when putting the glitter glue into the bottle.

Hot glue the top on and then go to town shaking and mixing everything together.

The kids love these!

Another option is for the students to draw how they feel. I have a chart hanging that show students different emotions. The students can pick with emotion best fits them and they may draw them with that emotion. You can click below to download a copy of the emotion chart and the face for the students to draw.

Graphics from Educlips & Font from Hello Literacy

The last few options is the students may pick a book from the box to read or pick a stuffed animal to hold and cuddle with while they calm down.

Hopefully these few tips will help you throughout your school year! Have a great week and hope you are enjoying this beautiful fall weather!

~*~Julie~*~

Create Lifelong Puzzlers!

My name is Christine Maxwell and my blog is Hand to Heart.

Crossword puzzles are said to be the most popular and widespread word game in the world for children and adults. You can instill the love of using words, along with the educational benefits and maybe create a lifelong puzzler with this beginner free puzzle.

 This is a great activity to teach the concept of crossword puzzles and review color words. It can be done one-on-one and in large or small groups.

The smaller the group being introduced, the easier to teach and observe while doing the activity. When working with a large class, depending on the age, it may be necessary to do it together step by step. You may need to do a copy of the activity along with them for all to see.

The first letter of each box is printed the color of the correct word, so the child knows where to start spelling the word. The student might notice that black and brown start in the same square, but the box is brown.

The color words are on the paper to help spell the words correctly. The numbered box is beside the word to help them locate the same square on the grid and the direction to write the word.

 

Find this FREE activity here: Free! My First Crossword Puzzle, a key is included. Enjoy!

Roll and Cover Math Games

Hi there! It's Alex from The Kindergarten Connection with a fun Sunday Surprise!

I love it when my students get excited about math and enjoy it - I think all teachers can agree that it is important to try to make learning as fun as possible! 

Last year, my students had a very strong interest in dice games - they loved them! They especially loved roll and cover games. 

I loved that they were having fun and learning at the same time!

This year we are going to have tons of roll and cover games to play - and today I am sharing a few of them for FREE with you! 

First is the basic roll and color. This is excellent for students who are learning number recognition. 

You can choose to use traditional dotted dice and have your students count the dots, or you can use numbered dice and have them match numbers. I used the jumbo dice from Target and The Dollar Store because those are always a hit! 

Students roll the dice and color the number that matches. 

You could also provide cubes or manipulatives for students to cover the numbers if you want to reuse the pages. I often do this and put the pages in sheet protectors for extended use.

Next is the addition version of roll and color. You can use two dotted dice and have students count the totals, or use numbered dice and have them add using the number line for help if needed (sums to 12). They find the sum and color the total (or cover if you are choosing that option).

Last is the subtraction version of roll and color. Students roll two dice, subtract the smaller number from the larger, and color the answer. There is a number line included for help. I chose to use numbered dice (each numbered 1-6) for this version, but dotted would work as well. 

Do your kids love roll and color games too? You can grab all 3 of these games for FREE!

Click HERE to download your freebies! 

Want more roll and cover? You may want to check out Roll and Cover Math Games for the Year. That's right - the YEAR!! With 22 different designs and 3 levels of play for each - you have 66 roll and cover games for seasons and holidays throughout the school year!

You can view the complete set HERE.

Don't forget your freebies!! If you haven't already, download them HERE. 

I hope your students enjoy playing these games as much as mine do!

Kindergarten Morning Work Sampler

Hello there!  This is Katie from Resources by Mrs. Roltgen.  If you're on summer break right now, I know you're probably clinging to these last few weeks of vacation.  It's hard not to think about school though, and today, I'm going to share something with you that is designed to make your life a little easier this coming school year!

Thinking about my own classroom when I taught kindergarten, one of my main priorities was to have routine and predictability - at least, as much as any kindergarten classroom allows for!  I always felt like much of the tone for our day was set in the first few minutes when the students walked in the door.  I could always tell if they were generally happy, tired, or still hyped up on sugar (hello, day after Halloween!).

A great way to help students settle into the day's routine and get their brains into "school-mode" is by having work already at their desks when they walk in.  It's a simple way, low-prep way to start your day, and it gives students something to do from the minute they get there.   For the first few weeks, your students might need some guidance to complete their morning work.  However, once they become more independent with their morning work, you might even find a decrease in interruptions during those sometimes-hectic few minutes after students arrive.  Here's a summary of just a few of the benefits of morning work:

I have Kindergarten Morning Work packs available for months September through May.  Each pack includes 25 ready-to-print pages that review relevant kindergarten skills.  The first couple months' packs are more simple, and they progressively become more difficult.  The entire bundle includes 225 pages. That way, if you would like to start using the pages a little earlier than September, you should be able to begin using the September pack a little early and still have enough pages for your entire school year.

If you're interested in checking out my morning work packs, I have a one-week morning work sampler available in my store for free!  Click here or on the picture to download it in my store.

If you're interested in checking out the entire year bundle or getting links to the individual packs, click here.

Enjoy!

Dismissal Tags

Happy Thursday! Sam here, from Mrs. Kelly's Klass.  Whether you are a brand new teacher or a seasoned veteran, as we inch closer to back to school, we all have those dreaded beginning of the year nightmares.  Maybe in your worst nightmares, you show up to school with absolutely nothing planned.  Maybe your principal comes in to do a formal observation on day 1.  Maybe you have a class full of rabid wolves.  My back to school nightmare consists of losing all my kids at dismissal. 

The bell rings, and *Poof!* they're gone and I'm left fielding calls from terrified parents wondering where their kids are and how I could possibly lose one in the utter chaos  super smooth process of dismissal on week 1. If you share those fears, I'm hoping this little tool can ease your mind just a little. 

Picture it now: the dismissal bell rings.  You have 6 kids head off for the car rider line.  Fingers crossed they make it to the right place and the appropriate person comes to pick them up at an appropriate time.  2 kids go off to the walker area.  1 kiddo stays after for YMCA and you're left with 20 some kids to head off to the gobzillion of buses lined up outside the school. 

On this Tipster Thursday, I want to introduce you to your best friend come 3:00 (or whenever it is that you get to hug and high five those little babies goodbye and sit down for the first time that day!) Dismissal Tags.  What is a dismissal tag?  It's a little color coded peace of mind.  There is a tag for each way a kid gets to their destination - Bus Rider, Car Rider, Walker, or After School (for a YMCA type program).  All you do is print them on different colors of bright card stock, fill them out for each kid, and laminate. Then you can zip tie or safety pin them to your kiddo's backpack for the first week, first two weeks, or even the whole year of Kindergarten! 

Each tag has the kid's name (because a shy Kinder might not answer a random teacher when they ask them what their name is) and their teacher's name.  I put the teacher's name so that they can easily be contacted by any adult in the school regarding dismissal questions.  The bus tag also includes their bus number.  Each kind of transportation is copied on a different color for ease of visibility.  Those who monitor the car rider line can easily spot someone who is out of place and send them on their way to the proper place. It eases my mind knowing that any adult, or even older kid in the school can look at my little's tag and help them get where they need to be, should they become lost, AND they can get a hold of me to ask me questions or let me know what's going on. 

Something else we do for the first week of school is pair each of our Kinders with a 5th or 6th grader.  Their big kid helps them get off the bus and into the classroom in the morning.  Then they come back 5 minutes before dismissal and pair up with their little to help them get on to their bus in the afternoon! 

You can pick up the Dismissal Tags for FREE by clicking the image below! 

For more Beginning of the year activities, printables, and forms to help ease you and your kiddos into a successful year, check out my Beginning of the Year pack by clicking the image below! 

<3 <3 <3 - Sam

Shape Riddles

Hey there!  It's Andrea from I Heart Kindergarten.  I have been on summer break for 2 weeks already and I'm loving it!  It's so nice to relax, spend time with my little girl, and not have to set my alarm clock!

It's Freebie Friday!  For those of you who are still in school, here's a cute little math activity that my kiddos loved.  And, if you're already out for summer, be sure to tuck this one away for next year!

My students had so much fun learning about shapes this year!  I planned a lot of interactive, hands-on activities, and this was one of their favorites!  Shape Riddles Matching Activity!  Click on the picture below to download the activity to use in your classroom.

The prep is simple.  Just copy the riddle cards, shape name labels, and shapes onto cardstock and laminate for durability.  I decided to use several different colors of cardstock to make a few sets.  

I had my students work in pairs on this activity, but you could also put students in small groups or use this as an independent math center activity.   Students worked together to read the riddles and match each one to the correct shape, then label the shapes with the correct name.  

    

Students finished up the activity by working on a follow-up cut-and-paste sheet for extra practice.  This sheet could also be used as homework.

Enjoy!

Andrea

Father's Day Craft Activities

Today is Make-it Monday!  I have two fun Father’s Day craft activities to show you today, plus a Father's Day writing freebie! 

Getting a homemade gift is always fun, and it’s even better when it’s from your child!  Here are two different crafts for Father’s Day that are easy for your students or your own children to make.

The first craft is this simple Father’s Day tie shape book.  After you’ve made enough copies, students simply have to cut out the shape, staple together, and fill in the pages.  It’s always fun to read what your child writes about you!

 The writing prompts are:

1) My dad is really good at ____.

2) My dad likes to eat ____.

3. My dad likes to play ____.

4) My dad and I go to ____.

5) My dad likes to watch ____.

6) I love my dad because ____.

7) Here’s a picture of my dad and me.  (This page has space for the child to draw a picture.)

The second craft is a coupon wallet.  It comes with a wallet template and nine coupons, plus three blank coupons for students to create-their-own coupon. 

 Students can assemble the wallet in these four easy steps:

1. Color the wallet.

2. Cut out the wallet around the outside.

3. Fold the wallet lengthwise and glue or staple just the short edges.

4. Fold the wallet in half on the dashed line to create the wallet.

Add the coupons to the wallet and you're done!

For both crafts, I included versions for “Grandpa” and “Uncle”.

You can view this set of crafts in my store here.  

You can also grab these cute Father’s Day Writing Pages for free in my store by clicking here:

Enjoy!