Winter Olympics FREEBIE!

To celebrate the Winter Olympics, I have made a fun little Memory Game just for you. On each card is an adorable Winter Olympics related picture. Print off and then write with a sharpie the skill you are working on. For my boys at home (age 4 & 5) I use upper an lowercase letters, simple math problem with the answer on the matching card, etc. Then for older kids you can use harder math problems or any skill you are learning that has an answer or match.

To download this quick memory game click here for Dropbox.

 

Once again, this adorable clipart was purchased from Educasong.

Don't forget to follow me on Pinterest. (There is a link on the right). I have a whole board dedicated to Olympic activities.  OR see my other Olympic post by clicking here.

2014 Winter Olympics - Sochi

I bought the most adorable Winter Olympics clipart the other day from Educasong so I have been busy making some fun things. See, isn't that just adorable!!

I've never been hugely interested in the Olympics. I watch the opening ceremony and a few of the events when I stumbled on them. To be honest, I had to do LOTS of research about Sochi and the Olympics to create these items. This took WAY more time than I had planned. :)

Here is what I created. I first created a "My Winter Olympics Book". The first few pages give information about the first Olympics, a map of Sochi & Russia, city facts, the sporting events, the medals, etc. Then there are other pages that you can include in the book to keep everything Olympic together, or you can use them separately as worksheets, activities, etc. There is a ABC order cut and glue page, a parts of speech cut and glue page, a venn diagram, research pages to learn about your favorite 3 sports, a medal count chart for your favorite countries, create your own medal, and I even threw in a memory game for fun. There are 25 printable pages for you.

To find "My 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics Book" click here.

The other item I made is a math center based on 3rd grade Common Core and TEKS. It covers a large variety of skills: place value, rounding, word problems, multiplication, addition, subtraction, reasonableness, time, etc.  This one also took me awhile. First, I hate writing word problems. But to make this even better I spent tons of time online reading Olympic webpages. Once I found any type of information based on numbers, my brain began spinning and I turned it into a math problem. So each math problem is based on real Olympic facts. This way the students will be learning about the Olympics along with practicing their math skills. There are 16 cards/word problems, a directions page, recording sheet, and answer key.

To find my "Winter Olympics Math Center" click here.

Last, but not least, since I have had such a huge amount of traffic for these Winter Olympic Centers, I made 4 Language Arts Centers.  

To purchase my LA centers click here.

 
Included are:
1. "Gold Medal Synonyms"- 12 sets of synonym cards cards to help improve vocabulary. Comes with student direction page, 24 cards, recording sheet for accountability, and answer key.

2. "Olympic Analogies" - 12 analogy cards and 12 matching gold medal answer cards to those cards. Comes with 24 cards, student directions page, recording sheet for accountability, and answer key. * Also an extra analogy worksheet/homework page and answer key with an Olympic theme.

3. "Olympic Main Idea and Details" - 6 different paragraphs that all contain Olympic information and facts. Students choose an Olympic paragraph and complete a Main Idea and Detail graphic Organizer. Comes with 6 paragraphs, student directions page, and graphic organizer.

4. "Winter Olympic Facts and Opinions' - 20 different fact and opinion cards that include information about the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Students sort the cards then complete the recording sheet. Comes with 20 cards, student directions page, recording sheet for accountability, and answer key.

THEN I had so many hits on these Winter Olympic items I cranked out a few more after everyone went to bed at night.
I made a PowerPoint, because every teacher loves a good PowerPoint to get the facts across, plus it is a great introduction.

Here it is for you. Click here. It is 25 fact filled pages.

The last thing I made was a similar Winter Olympics Book, but this one is geared for the PreSchool- Kindergarten age. It is 29 pages with a few little facts for them, coloring pages, making a gold medal activity, and a few other cute things for the younger ones.

Click here for the Pre-School & Kindergarten Book.

 

Here is a picture of my son doing one of of the activities in this little PreK book.

Creating his own Olympic medal.

*** Don't forget to go over to my Pinterest page to see my collection of Olympic Crafts and Ideas I have put together.

Christmas Craft - Countdown Calendar Decoration

I thought I would post this craft I did a few years ago to count down the days until Christmas.

Materials:
painting canvas
Modge Podge
christmas scrapbook paper
tin cans
stamps
ribbon
scissors
velcro
glue & hot glue gun
decoration pieces

Basically, I cut and glued the layers of paper to the board then modge podged over it. I decorated the small tins (from the wedding section at your hobby/craft store) on the side and the clear lid so they can't see in.
Then I stuck Velcro to the squares and cans. I added a few embellishments (plastic snowflakes and presents- which are the tiny ornaments - I just cut off the strings). The each day they can open a tin with a little treat. I normally use a piece of candy, stickers, or a little note of something special.

This turned out really cute and the boys love it, but I had problems with the Velcro sticking to the board and the backs of the tins when you pull it off each day. I ended up super gluing the velcro to the back of the tins and then having to sew the Velcro to the board (this was hard).

Another FREEBIE!! Picture Sudokus

I taught my kindergartener how to do a basic Sudoku puzzle while we were iced in. He LOVED it. So the teacher-mommy in me wanted to continue that love of learning and critical thinking skills. I created 4 different Sudoku puzzles which I am sharing with you my blog reader for FREE. (I do have these for sale at my stores).

To download these 4 different leveled picture Sudokus for free click HERE for Dropbox. These are cut and paste puzzles.

To see my other FREE items, make sure you click on the "freebies" label on the right of this blog. Or you can check out my stores. I have over 120 items and run sales often.

Teachers Pay Teachers 

Teachers Notebook

Tools for School

Christmas Star Craft

December has been a busy month so far!! With a late Thanksgiving this year, being iced in with no power for 4 days and then a sick little boy...phew!! This is how Texas does winter...ICE. I'd take snow any day!

Look at my poor bent little trees, these bounced back, but we lost some major limbs of our big trees that hadn't lost their leaves yet. :(

Here are a few of the things we have been working on in the mean time.

 

This ornament was an idea from my Nativity Thematic Unit. (Fun foam, pipe cleaner, raffia, and a glue gun).

Wooden Nativity Scene from Hobby Lobby

J is for Jesus Candy Cane craft.

Power Points

Don't forget to check out all my power points I have made. Many follow the 3rd grade SS TEKS. Be sure to click on the tab at the top. I just complete a 4th grade SS TEKS power point (20abc). That one took forever to make. Tons of information to research and of course making it appealing for 4th graders to actually look at. :) The picture below just shows a few of them. They run about $3.00 each, but I'm told they are well worth it since they save so much time.

December Holidays Power Point

Here is a powerpoint I made while teaching. I had students that celebrated all different holidays in December. So to acknowledge each one, I made a short,11 slide, powerpoint that explains each one. Included are:
Christmas (both secular and religious), Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, & Ramadan.

 

If you are interested and to help save time and money, you can find it at Teachers Pay Teachers by clicking here. Or at Teachers Notebook by clicking here. Merry Christmas!

* Make sure to click on the tab on the home page above to see all my PowerPoints.*

Nativity Thematic Unit

I know I keep jumping back and forth between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I wanted to get this on the blog so you can have it ready.
I have my Nativity Thematic Unit ready. *Don't forget to click on the "Thematic Unit" tab at the top of the blog to see my whole list of thematic units.*

Here it is!

40 pages of printables, activities and teaching ideas for Preschoolers and Early Kindergarteners. I make these for my own children, so they change based on their needs and levels. To purchase it at Teachers Pay Teachers click here. To find it at Teachers Notebook click here.

Below are also a few pictures of what you will see inside the unit.

I've included measuring activities and an early story comprehension page for my youngest. I also have a page of my favorite websites and blogs to use along with this unit.

 

Comprehension page

Merry Christmas and God Bless!

Thanksgiving Activities

My older son has the whole week off for Thanksgiving. So in preparation of my two boys being with each other all day, inside every day this week I began coming up with things to keep them busy.

1. Playing outside in the Texas ice. Then inside for a very long and fun bath to warm up. The bathroom floor may have gotten flooded, but I cleaned my oven while they had fun. :)
2. Preschool and Kindergarten lessons. I taught my kindergartener about using a ruler and also fractions.
3. Indian reviewing shapes Craft from 2 Teaching Mommies. Thanksgiving packet

4. Pretend Thanksgiving dinner craft

 

5. Thankful Pumpkin Pie. Each year we write what we are thankful for on a hand turkey. This year I found this on Pinterest and I am going to use this pie instead of the turkey.

 

6. Coloring and painting turkey sheets from online.

#1-6 was all on done on Monday. Not to mention we cuddled and watched Polar Express. :)

Elf on the Shelf Calendar

Below is my December Calendar for my Elf on the Shelf ideas. To get yours click here to download it at "dropbox".
The previous years I left the word "elf" on a post it note by my bed so I wouldn't forget to move it each night. Now that I have one that can read that, I had to get wiser. I created a day by day calendar so I wouldn't forget and be stuck racking my brain each night. Or begging my husband for help. (But he does have some good ones).

All these ideas were a compilation of web searches and Pinterest. There is a 2nd page attached if you download of some of the ideas in pictures. Happy Elfing!!

Update: Here are a few of the pictures I took of our else this year. I did not follow my calendar completely. (We had a major ice storm and lost power for 4 days. Thankfully, when we left our house to stay with family, I remembered to snag our Elf.)

Toilet paper tube as a swing. This was a hard one to get him to balance.

Turkey Crafts

I wanted to show you a few crafts we have been doing. Between being sick and out of town I never made a turkey unit. So I pulled things from online and Pinterest. Here are 2 of the crafts we did.

A Letter T Turkey

Rectangle and Circle Turkeys

Peppermints and Christmas

I'm running out of time for Thanksgiving things, so I figured I'd just go ahead and get started on Christmas. 

Here is a cute idea I used as a writing project/craft. Students wrote a haiku poem about peppermints or a candy cane. Since now a days we can't really do anything Christmas (even secular) in public schools I've had to turn very basic. Peppermints, gingerbread men, etc. Below is my sample. 

I did have my 4 year old help make the sample. So in the classroom I will add the poem, but I will also use it as a craft at home with just their hand prints and their own coloring/decorations. It took 3 paper plates to make this.

If you want to see more, this writing craft is part of my Christmas/Winter Tic Tac Toe Board. That last week or few days of school before the "winter" break is normally pretty crazy. This board is a fun way to still learn and have fun. Students choose 3 activities to complete. Included in the packet are 9 activities and all the directions on how to use it and organize the set up. Kid lesson include: 3 centers, the above craft, a graphic organizer, and 4 other worksheets are included. You an either use the tic tac toe board, or if not, you have 9 activities for the classroom to use as you please. :)

*****Here is a another FREE sample for you from this Tic Tac Toe Menu. To download the graphic organizer for FREE from dropbox, click here.This is a quick preview of it. ENJOY!

Thanksgiving Classroom Items

I've been busy working on some Thanksgiving packets that can be used for teachers in the classroom. These are focused on 3rd grade.

Included in the Language Arts bundle are 6 different worksheets:

*Compound words - turkey shopping worksheet
*Context Clues worksheet with turkey vocabulary
*Problem Solving & Sequence worksheet –Making Thanksgiving Dinner (with answer key)
*Singular and Plural Nouns worksheet – Thanksgiving themed
*Thanksgiving Sudoku- for fun
*Nonsense Words (context clues) with Thanksgiving theme – to be copied front and back

For this Thanksgiving LA bundle you can find TPT here. Or click here for TN. Remember ALL my Thanksgiving products are on sale at Teachers Notebook from now until Thanksgiving. (TPT won't let me run a sale that long, FYI).

 

 Next up- MATH. Here is my Turkey themed math bundle. This is good for 3rd or 4th graders.

Included in this set are 4 worksheets and 1 math center:

•Greater than and Less than worksheet up to 999,999 (TEKS 3.1b and CCCS 3NBT.2)
•Place Value worksheet up to 999,999 (TEKS 3.1a and CCCS 3NBT.2)
•Fractions Center 1/3 and 1/4 fractions where students order the 6 cards from least to greatest then record their answers on a recording sheet. Direction Page included. (TEKS3.2a-d and CCCS 3.NF.A.1 and 3.NF.A.3a&d)
•2 Fraction Worksheets – fraction addition and patterns with fractions (TEKS3.2a-d and CCCS 3.NF.A.1 and 3.NF.A.3a&d)

For TPT click here or for TN click here. Once again this is definitely on sale at Teachers Notebook now until Thanksgiving.

 

Last activity is for Spelling and Writing.

 What is included:

*Thanksgiving Spelling – Directions Page (only) - Students will use notebook paper or journal.
*Turkey Spelling –Directions page, turkey without feathers page to color and feather patterns for students to write spelling words.
*Turkey Recipe-Directions Page Only - Students will use their own paper or writing journal.
*Leftovers Recipe – Directions Page, checklist, and themed writing page.

Each directions page is done with a frame and clipart which is appealing to the student eye. They can be laminated or put in a sheet protector for that center.

For Teachers Pay Teachers click here, or for Teachers Notebook click here. Once again this is on sale at Teachers Notebook.