Five for Friday...spring has sprung and a freebie.

Spring has Sprung, the grass has riz, I wonder where the flowers is?

The Vernal equinox came this week, and we went looking for signs of spring. So here is a little wrap up (on Saturday), and link up with Doodle Bug Teaching, plus a freebie.

We have a wonderful natural area behind our school.  We saw buds on the apple and pear trees.  We checked out the ones my kiddos thought were bugs, and found they were just a different kind of bud.  I love to check them weekly now and see how things have changed.  Next week we will take magnifying glasses out with us, and journals to draw what we see.

The week started with leprechauns messing up our classroom and sending us on a scavenger hunt/quest to see if we can catch him and claim our prize.

Each stop on the quest had us completing a task.  The favorite was reading these gold nuggets that were scattered about the library.  Each nugget had a cvc word painted on with a black paint pen (I couldn't get my sharpie to write dark enough).  We collected them and then put them in the leprechaun's pot.  They couldn't keep their hands out of the pot and they read those words the rest of the day.  My kinders will find them again in a reading center this week. 

Other tasks including counting to 100 for the office staff and planting a seed on the trip to our greenhouse.  When we returned to our room there was the leprechaun's pot....but sadly no leprechaun.  He left us magic powder (which turned into green pudding) and bubbles.  Both were a huge hit.

The afternoon found us making these rainbow chains with a pot of gold.  Each color of the rainbow was for one of our stops along the way.  My goal was to help each student retell the story of their quest.

What did I do for my own family?  I did not make them dress like a leprechaun. 

 

 

I did ask a friend to come play bagpipe music (he came to school too!  Thanks Ron Dickenson!!)

I did make them this cake.

Now for the freebie.  If you have lasted this long, you deserve a reward.  I want you to know that we will be having more rainbow fun next week.  Here is a puzzle that will be in my math centers.  Enjoy the wonderful colors of the graphics of my blogging bestie, the talented Nikki at Melonheadz Illustrating, (and there is also some  DJ Inkers mixed in).  I do have it for sale in my shop with more counting options and in black and white.

Just click on the picture to grab your copy.  Please remember to leave me some lovin' (it makes my heart happy)