Holiday Gift Project for Your Students (Freebie)

I really enjoy having the students make gifts to take home for the holidays.  Here's the issue though - the gifts need to fit ALL of my basic criteria:

• They need to be easy for little hands to make.
• They need to be inexpensive (the children I work with do not come from homes that can afford to contribute money for project supplies).  I know I will be purchasing all the supplies myself.  
• They need to be winter themed, not Christmas.  (So many of the little ones I work with will not be showered with Christmas or Chanukah gifts).
• They need to be a "quick" assembly.  The class I am working with has 30 busy little bodies. Projects can not take too long to assemble. 
• And of course - they need to be cute! 

I originally saw this last year on 1st Grade Hip Hip Hooray and fell in love with it.  I altered it slightly and created an illustrated step-by-step guide (see below). 

Here you go.  Cute, inexpensive, easy to assemble, winter-themed gifts for your little learners to make.  Here's my version:

It's very quick and easy to go from 8-foot lengths of 1x3 pine boards (less than $2.00 an 8-foot piece) to this little cutie.  

I thank the Dollar Tree for sets of kids socks that are easily turned into winter snow hats.  The socks came 4 to a  $1.00 pack making each hat only 25 cents.  The googly eyes also came from the Dollar Tree, the pack was huge!  

For complete illustrated directions (freebie) , just click here!


Also don't forget to head over to TpT on 12/2 and 12/3.  It's their big Cyber Monday sale.  I'm offering 20% discount and they are adding an additional 8%.  That's right... a full 28% off all my products!

Click here to head over to my big sale!

Granny (Cindy)

Check Out This Deal!

I do not usually devote a post to something as commercial as a purchase BUT... I've wanted a laminator forever! I just didn't think I should spend the cash.

I saw this deal today on Facebook and jumped right on it. If you have been waiting to purchase a laminator, wait no longer.  Amazon is offering this one at almost 75% off!  It's now only $21.99 and the reviews are great.

I'm delighted that someone alerted me to this great deal and I thought I should pass on the favor.  I ordered mine today :)

Thanks!
Granny (Cindy)

Snowman Guided Art on Canvas

It was rainy here yesterday and I had winter on the brain. I put together this snowman guided art activity (on canvas).

I understand that most of us don't have a budget that allows for art on canvas, but I still couldn't resist. Here is the end product on canvas. It would be just as cute using paper and tempera paints.

Acrylic on Canvas

This project will take 2-3 sessions if you use canvas and acrylics.  If you use paper and tempera paints, it will take two sessions, at the most! 

The file below has complete guided art instructions.  This would be a wonderful gift for parents.

Click here to download the file.

 
Oh, and I also had time to create a few black and white printable frames.  Here they are:

There are 6 "Doodle" frames, all png/black and white files.  Each frame comes with both a transparent center and a white fill center.  I just put them in my TpT store but, if you are a follower and you think you can use them in creating student activities, just leave me a comment and your email address and I'll be happy to send you the file. 

Happy Thanksgiving,
Granny (Cindy)

P.S. If you didn't get last year's free Thanksgiving Roll and Cover games, click here.  They are perfect for this week's activities.

Holiday Spin and Stamp: A, B, C Version and High-Frequency Word Version and a Freebie

My daughter asked me if I could create a Holiday/Alphabet Spin and Stamp set for use in the classroom. Of course, I was thrilled to do so. Once it was finished, I decided that I needed a copy using the first 25 high-frequency words for my tutoring group. 

I'm done and I've already headed over to the Dollar Tree to pick up those Bingo markers that the kids love to use. I'm set for Monday's tutoring session. 

I've posted both packets on TpT. 

Spin and Stamp A, B, C's

This 28 page packet contains:

• Both upper and lower case spinners
• Mixed upper and lower letter pages
• Only upper case letter pages 
• Only lower case letter pages
• "I can..." statements printed on each page

Click here to see the packet in my TpT store.

Spin and Stamp: First 25 High-Frequency Words

This 12 page packet contains:

• 7 Spinners
• Snowman page (words: the, of, and , a) 
• Moose page (words: in, to, you, is)
• Gingerbread Man page  (words: that, it, he ,was) 
• Stockings page  (words: for, on, as are)
• Tree page (words: they, with, his, I) 
• Candy Cane page (words: from, they, was, that) 
• Snowman full body page (words: at, be, this, have)
• "I can" statements printed on each page. 

Click here to see the packet in my TpT store.

Of course I'd love to give away 2 copies of each version.  Just leave a comment with your email address and tell me which version you would like to win.  I will select the 4 winners in random drawing on Sunday evening.

Winners were:  Lindsay D and Kinderkids: A, B, C version and Katie N. and Teaching with Sight: High-Frequency Word version.  Thanks everyone for your comments!

Just in case you are in school for a few days next week, I've created two quick Thanksgiving-themed language arts activities.  They both involve some drawing, so I know the kids will love them!

 

Click here to download the two pages. 

I searched the internet for the author of this poem.  I found the poem a MILLON times, but alas, no author.  If anyone knows the original source, please let me know so I can give due credit. 

Have a super weekend and wonderful Thanksgiving.
Granny (Cindy)

Winter Clip Art Bundle and a Freebie

It's official... we are in the thick of the holidays! In honor of the winter holidays I put put together this 56 image clip art bundle. All images are 300dpi, png images.  They consist of both black line and color clip art.

Click here to head over to my TpT store

Just right click on this image (it's a freebie) to save to your clip art collection.

Have a great week.
Granny (Cindy)

Turkey Guided Art and Writing Prompt Freebie

I really enjoy "guided art" activities in the classroom.  They are perfect "Fun Friday" activities, and even better springboards for creative writing.

This turkey guided art activity is quite easy and the writing prompt is a hoot! Feel free to enjoy this freebie with your students.  The writing prompt comes in both primary and secondary paper.  Just click below to download the file.

Click here to down load the file. 

Last week my granddaughter's teacher ask if I could "come up" with some turkey-themed math activities.  I had a blast putting together turkey activities for the pre-k and kindergarten student.  

Talkin' Turkey contains 7 autumn/Thanksgiving math centers to help reinforce basic number skills.

The packet contains:
*Clip and Count (pg 3-5).  Numbers 1-10.
*Roll and Trace (pg 6).  Numbers 1-6. 
*Roll and Color (pg 7).  Numbers 2-12.  
*Taking Turkeys Home (pg 8-17).  Numbers 1-10. 
*Turkey Roll and Color (pg 18)  Numbers 1-6. 
*Patterns (pg 19-21)
*Spin and Cover (pg 22-23).  Numbers 1-6. 

Click here to go Talkin' Turkey at my TpT store.

I'd love to give away 2 copies of this math packet.  If you'd like to be included in a randrom drawing, please leave a comment along with your email address.

Granny (Cindy)

It's My Birthday and a Freebie.

It's my birthday today and I want to share a "party favor" with all my followers.

Here's a Veterans Day Math Center file.  Your students can fill in the blanks by counting by 1's (1-10); by 1's (1-20); skip counting by 2's; skip counting by 5's and skip counting by 10's. 

Just click here to download the file. 

Have a great day... I'm off to celebrate.

Granny (Cindy)

Turkey Fun, an Emergent Reader, and a Freebie

First off, I have to tell you about my "fisties" Halloween afternoon. I was so excited when the teacher who I work with (tutoring her struggling readers) asked me to help out with the Halloween party. I was thrilled. I prepared my treat bags, selected the stories I would read, and counted the days until I could enjoy a 1st grade Halloween party again.

I had all 31 children for the first half hour. We played the "Little Frankie" High-Frequency Word Game and they loved it when the Little Frankie cards came up and they could stomp about.

Then it was time for me to read aloud with them. I chose There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat.   Here's the picture on the front cover.

Just as I began reading one of the "little darlings" noted that I looked just like the lady in the picture!  SERIOUSLY !  I guess I better start thinking about coloring my hair and getting rid of the glasses.  But honestly, I wasn't wearing an apron or black shoes.

On to Thanksgiving.  I have replicated the Halloween A, B, C and High-Frequency Words Games and now have three new Thanksgiving skill-building games:

• Flap, Flap, Gobble, Gobble A, B, C Game 
• Flap, Flap, Gobble, Gobble 1st 50 High-Frequency Words Game
• Flap, Flap, Gobble, Gobble 2nd 50 High Frequency Words Game 

I have also finished my 2nd emergent reader packet.  The packet focuses on the "at" family. 

Click here to head over to my TpT store

This packet contains an emergent reader, "Who Will Wear a Hat?" and 6 follow-up literacy center activities.  The activities include:

*Word Family ("at") Slider and Recording Sheet (Read It, Write It, Stamp It)

*Read the Room Cards (2 sets: Real "at" words and Nonsense "at" words)

*Spin and Cover "at" Game

*Happy Birthday: "at" Board Game

*A B C Order Work (at words)

*Scrambled Sentences and Recording Sheet

The packet also contains a chart listing all the high-frequency words, "at" words, and focus words used in the emergent reader.

Here's a November FREEBIE for you:  "Farmer Turkey" Number Sequencing.  Sequence by 1's, skip count by 2's, 5's and 10's.  Just copy, cut along the lines, and laminate each picture strip.  The children will sequence the numbers to discover the picture.  I also like having them write a story about the picture once they have successfully sequenced the numbers. 

Graphics by: Just So Scrappy Too and Scrappin Doodles

Click here to download the puzzle files.



Now, before you leave, please don't forget to head over to Bright Concepts 4 Teachers: www.brightconcepts4teachers.com and Primarily Speaking: www.primarily-speaking.blogspot.com.
They are hosting a Fall Favorites give-away that will go live on November 2 and will end on November 9.  Hop over to enter for a chance to win one of two great prize packages. 


Have a great start to your November,
Granny (Cindy)