I found them on Pinterest and the pin led me to FAB DIY:
They really were easy! We filled them with grass and of course...Peeps!
Then I had tons of fun making these!!
From my house to yours...Happy Easter!
Monday, March 30, 2015
A little bit of Easter fun!
Easter is coming, but before we left on spring break, we made these fun baskets.
They were super easy to make and every time those cotton balls and googly eyes went on they took on a personality all their own.
They really were easy! We filled them with grass and of course...Peeps!
True confessions....I did not make these in my Kinder classroom, I did not make these in my Second Grade classroom, I made these with my grandchildren ages 3, 7, and 8. Plus one for the baby. My good friend makes these in 4th grade and asked that I NOT make them with my students, but she gave me her recipe and let me borrow her molds if I promised to let them stay as a 4th grade project. They were super easy....much easier than I expected. They can be messy if you are trying them with a classroom of younger students. Be prepared for sugar spills.
I thought I would need more water or glue or spray in the molds, or something more than 2 cups of sugar and 2 teaspoons of water. But no....it all worked perfectly. Add the water and the food coloring (go darker, because the color will fade as it dries), mix together with the tips of your fingers (not your whole hand like my one grandson). Press into the mold, coming to the top and leaving a large dent in the center. Let dry 24 hours, wiggle free.
Carve a hole in the end or the side (I did this over the sink for easy clean-up). Add creatures and grass (green coconut might be better, but we didn't have any). "Glue" together with frosting. Use decorating tips for fancy frosting designs and other small add-ons for decorations. Ta-Da!!
They really were easy! We filled them with grass and of course...Peeps!
Friday, March 13, 2015
Book Study:Worksheets Don't Grow Dendrites....Chapter 3 Field Trips!!
I have been so excited to get my copy of this book in the mail!
When it came I sat down and started looking through it right away. When I got to chapter three I just got so excited. I kept saying, Yup, that's me! and Ohhh, I need to remember that. Lots of yellow highlighting and notes in the margins so I would remember.
Then Science Fair came,
and this is the first chance I've had to sit down and put my thoughts on paper. I want to tell you about Science Fair, but that will have to wait for another day (that is however, a short little field trip for the kids to go see all the projects)
My first thought as I read this chapter was how lucky we are to have an outdoor education area at our school. The quote from the book that says that just a change of scenery can do a world of good for activating the brain and engaging the child in learning, really struck home for me. We have this wonderful area that doesn't get used enough. I love going out there from time to time, but I could use it so much more.
Let me tell you a story about what happened today. We have been participating in The Groundhog Project, where we were trying to decide if the groundhog was a good weather forecaster. We have been keeping track of our data and posting it online with schools from across United States and Canada. Today was the last day and we were supposed to vote if our Groundhog was correct. Our groundhog was, we had an early spring. So I asked my students how they knew and suggested we go out back to check if we could see signs of spring. We talked about what we might look for, and then got ready to go. One student suggested we take whiteboards and paper to take notes (we often use our whiteboards as "desks" when we are sitting on the floor). Brilliant!! Of course, what a great idea! Everybody wanted a whiteboard and some paper, so out we went. We looked around, observed closely, took notes, shared our findings with our partners, I showed some things I observed (differences in leaf buds), and we gathered on our platform, where we have these table/benches, to share altogether. Even as we walked back to the classroom we were finding more signs.
When we got back to the classroom, someone asked what are we going to do with our notes. Well of course, we need to do something....
I suggested we write an essay, a paragraph telling about what we saw. A few quick reviews about starting with your topic and a good introductory sentence, then following with your details and my students were off to write. Amazingly not five minutes and they were done....35 minutes and I had to make them stop to go to lunch. I did have to keep reminding them that we were inside and writing, because they did want to continue their discussions. I have some wonderful pieces of writing from them! Authentic writing that they were excited about.
I have used that outdoor education area before. I can't take my students to a butterfly house at a zoo, so we build one out back, with a pop-up screen porch.
I wrote about it here. My students go outside and into the tent to get up close and personal with the butterflies.
Every community has places unique to that community where students can go and get some authentic learning. In second grade this year we are learning about money. Our principal has connections with a local bank. We are going to tour the bank and learn even more about our money, where it goes and why it is important to be able to count our money so we can save and spend wisely.
No money for buses??....we have walked to our library before, taken a tour, and gotten an application for a library card.
We have a hill close by loaded with fossils. It is a second grade tradition to go with local geologists and hunt for fossils.
We have a NOAA weather station in town, and fourth grade went on a field trip there just last week....we are having them come to us. Bringing experts in is a great way to take a field trip without ever having to leave the building. Our local Fish and Wildlife guys come and do presentations for the classrooms upon request (so does the BLM and Forest Service). Dentists, Police Officers, and Fireman also like coming to school. The Lion's Club recently did a presentation for the second grade about the flag and every student was giving a little flag. That is another benefit to having someone come to you....they often bring giveaways. Kids love free stuff.
My take away from this chapter....if your students' brains are seeming slow and sleepy, wake them up with a little change of scenery!
For more GREAT ideas about field trips and take-aways from this chapter head over to Mrs. Wills' Kindergarten. She is hosting this chapter and this linky. Such awesome ideas!! You won't want to miss them!
When it came I sat down and started looking through it right away. When I got to chapter three I just got so excited. I kept saying, Yup, that's me! and Ohhh, I need to remember that. Lots of yellow highlighting and notes in the margins so I would remember. Then Science Fair came,
My first thought as I read this chapter was how lucky we are to have an outdoor education area at our school. The quote from the book that says that just a change of scenery can do a world of good for activating the brain and engaging the child in learning, really struck home for me. We have this wonderful area that doesn't get used enough. I love going out there from time to time, but I could use it so much more.
 |
| Butterfly Time |
 |
| Looking under rocks. |
Let me tell you a story about what happened today. We have been participating in The Groundhog Project, where we were trying to decide if the groundhog was a good weather forecaster. We have been keeping track of our data and posting it online with schools from across United States and Canada. Today was the last day and we were supposed to vote if our Groundhog was correct. Our groundhog was, we had an early spring. So I asked my students how they knew and suggested we go out back to check if we could see signs of spring. We talked about what we might look for, and then got ready to go. One student suggested we take whiteboards and paper to take notes (we often use our whiteboards as "desks" when we are sitting on the floor). Brilliant!! Of course, what a great idea! Everybody wanted a whiteboard and some paper, so out we went. We looked around, observed closely, took notes, shared our findings with our partners, I showed some things I observed (differences in leaf buds), and we gathered on our platform, where we have these table/benches, to share altogether. Even as we walked back to the classroom we were finding more signs.
I suggested we write an essay, a paragraph telling about what we saw. A few quick reviews about starting with your topic and a good introductory sentence, then following with your details and my students were off to write. Amazingly not five minutes and they were done....35 minutes and I had to make them stop to go to lunch. I did have to keep reminding them that we were inside and writing, because they did want to continue their discussions. I have some wonderful pieces of writing from them! Authentic writing that they were excited about.
I have used that outdoor education area before. I can't take my students to a butterfly house at a zoo, so we build one out back, with a pop-up screen porch.
I wrote about it here. My students go outside and into the tent to get up close and personal with the butterflies.
Every community has places unique to that community where students can go and get some authentic learning. In second grade this year we are learning about money. Our principal has connections with a local bank. We are going to tour the bank and learn even more about our money, where it goes and why it is important to be able to count our money so we can save and spend wisely.
No money for buses??....we have walked to our library before, taken a tour, and gotten an application for a library card.
We have a hill close by loaded with fossils. It is a second grade tradition to go with local geologists and hunt for fossils.
We have a NOAA weather station in town, and fourth grade went on a field trip there just last week....we are having them come to us. Bringing experts in is a great way to take a field trip without ever having to leave the building. Our local Fish and Wildlife guys come and do presentations for the classrooms upon request (so does the BLM and Forest Service). Dentists, Police Officers, and Fireman also like coming to school. The Lion's Club recently did a presentation for the second grade about the flag and every student was giving a little flag. That is another benefit to having someone come to you....they often bring giveaways. Kids love free stuff.
My take away from this chapter....if your students' brains are seeming slow and sleepy, wake them up with a little change of scenery!
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Five for Friday.....Reading Week 2015
What a busy week we had celebrating reading and all things Dr. Suess. I want to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching and Kacey to share some of our fun.
I started the week setting the stage and transforming my room into a Truffula forest, (maybe not a complete forest....but close) and pulling out all my Dr. Seuss books so they are easy to find. My husband never leaves a Dr. Seuss book on a thrift store shelf, so I have quite a collection. Kohls always has those cute stuffed animals and taller books, so I try to get books and animals there too. My kiddos LOVE the animals.
We worked on a book project this week. Each student was to read and respond to five Dr. Seuss books. We have a hat die cut in our workroom and I used that to make the pages. We also practiced rhyming and writing descriptions.
We of course had dress up days.....on hat day, I opted for being Daisy Head Mayzie. Friday (dress as your favorite character) one of my students was Daisy Head Mayzie. Look how cute she is!
Thursday was Read in Your Pajamas Day. I think that is my favorite day.
Everyone sits in the hallway, or in a classroom and reads. They find a stuffed buddy, a friend, a sibling and read....they read or are read to for a whole hour. It is wonderful!
Friday was Green Eggs and Ham. Our local Kiwanis and High School Key Club served up breakfast for us. It is also Dress as Your Favorite Character Day, so I came as the Cat in the Hat and my students were Thing 1 through 23 (actually 17, some were sick and some came in their own costumes)
I started the week setting the stage and transforming my room into a Truffula forest, (maybe not a complete forest....but close) and pulling out all my Dr. Seuss books so they are easy to find. My husband never leaves a Dr. Seuss book on a thrift store shelf, so I have quite a collection. Kohls always has those cute stuffed animals and taller books, so I try to get books and animals there too. My kiddos LOVE the animals.
We worked on a book project this week. Each student was to read and respond to five Dr. Seuss books. We have a hat die cut in our workroom and I used that to make the pages. We also practiced rhyming and writing descriptions.
We of course had dress up days.....on hat day, I opted for being Daisy Head Mayzie. Friday (dress as your favorite character) one of my students was Daisy Head Mayzie. Look how cute she is!
Thursday was Read in Your Pajamas Day. I think that is my favorite day.
Everyone sits in the hallway, or in a classroom and reads. They find a stuffed buddy, a friend, a sibling and read....they read or are read to for a whole hour. It is wonderful!
Friday was Green Eggs and Ham. Our local Kiwanis and High School Key Club served up breakfast for us. It is also Dress as Your Favorite Character Day, so I came as the Cat in the Hat and my students were Thing 1 through 23 (actually 17, some were sick and some came in their own costumes)
Hope you had a GREAT week too!
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Gearing Up for Reading Week....a Bright Idea
First I set the stage by making a truffula tree forest. The supplies are simple and inexpensive: foam insulation tubes (from a home improvement store), yellow duct tape, colored tissue paper (gift wrap section), floral wire or twist ties. Make flowers by accordion folding (like a fan) the tissue paper, tie in the middle and separate layers. I use about six sheets of paper for one flower. I used two flowers for one 3D tree. I did need to put a yard stick in my short free-standing trees to keep them from falling over and I did use the yellow duct tape to tape some to the wall.
On the last day of our Reading Week, we dressed up as our favorite characters. I was The Cat in the Hat and my students were Things 1 through 23. The blue wigs were butcher paper, folded in half, cut from the open end, stopping two and a half inches from the fold, and stapled into a circle. Don't worry about large overlaps, it will make the wig look fuller.
This yummy snack will turn your fingers red, but it is kid friendly and fun to make. All you need are marshmallows, oreo-type cookies, red sugar, and water. Separate the cookie (try to keep all the frosting on the side you will use), eat the half without the frosting. Then dip a marshmallow in water (quickly and just a third) and dip the wet end in the sugar. Turn the marshmallow over and repeat, leaving the middle white. Put the colored marshmallow on the cookie, press to make it stick. Yum!
If you enjoyed this bright idea please consider joining me here at KinderKapers, on Facebook, or my TpT store.
For more Bright Ideas from other bloggers, browse through the link-up below. Choose a topic or grade level that interests you. Thanks for visiting!
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Christmas Craziness
I am TIRED! Can I say that? It has been a crazy week, with crazy fun, and crazy kids, and not enough time to do it all.
I am joining with other bloggers to share some of that fun on this last Friday of the year! ( Did I say tired?? ) Oops!, there is not a linky this week....but here are Five crazy things I have been up to in my classroom. Enjoy and have some Christmas Break fun!
First up is Jingle our Classroom Elf. He made his appearance late in the first week of December and has been having fun in our room ever since.
He brought crayons and snow, he has put up a tree and paper chains, he hung out in the tree house with Jack and Annie, and he was the first thing everyone looked for each morning. Today he was on top of the globe with the list of good boys and girls.
Jingle has kept us busy. We wrote about him each morning, so along with tasks he brought from time to time, he has been a great asset to our journal writing.
Next is a shout out to my WONDERFUL husband....who suffers through itchy wigs to play Santa.
Our music program was this week. Not only did our music teacher do a great job, but a fellow teacher gave up all her preps these last two weeks to play the piano for each class during their music class and got us organized with some backdrop decorations. I work with awesome teachers!
I guess it is not Christmas without parent gifts....this year we made glittery candle holders with old jars, glue, glitter, and battery operated tea lights. They were easy peasy and the glitter didn't scatter too much, but they did take a couple of days to completely dry.
Today was party day. We did a gingerbread house/Santa's workshop party. I had several projects hanging around that we didn't have time to do, plenty of paper, jewels, glue, markers and such, so my students got to choose and create while we helped them assemble their houses. After lunch, when the houses had a chance to set, we added the candy.
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All was finished just in time to head home. Pack up was easy because we had paper bag "suitcases" that we started filling first thing in the morning. As projects were finished into the bag they went. The end of the day went....get your lunchbox and backpack, put on your coat, pick up your bag, hold on to your house and out to the bus you go!
Have a wonderful Holiday Season! I am going to spend time with my crazy crew....
I am joining with other bloggers to share some of that fun on this last Friday of the year! ( Did I say tired?? ) Oops!, there is not a linky this week....but here are Five crazy things I have been up to in my classroom. Enjoy and have some Christmas Break fun!
First up is Jingle our Classroom Elf. He made his appearance late in the first week of December and has been having fun in our room ever since.
He brought crayons and snow, he has put up a tree and paper chains, he hung out in the tree house with Jack and Annie, and he was the first thing everyone looked for each morning. Today he was on top of the globe with the list of good boys and girls.
Next is a shout out to my WONDERFUL husband....who suffers through itchy wigs to play Santa.
Our music program was this week. Not only did our music teacher do a great job, but a fellow teacher gave up all her preps these last two weeks to play the piano for each class during their music class and got us organized with some backdrop decorations. I work with awesome teachers!
We wrapped them up in Rudolf paper bags.
Today was party day. We did a gingerbread house/Santa's workshop party. I had several projects hanging around that we didn't have time to do, plenty of paper, jewels, glue, markers and such, so my students got to choose and create while we helped them assemble their houses. After lunch, when the houses had a chance to set, we added the candy.
.jpg)
All was finished just in time to head home. Pack up was easy because we had paper bag "suitcases" that we started filling first thing in the morning. As projects were finished into the bag they went. The end of the day went....get your lunchbox and backpack, put on your coat, pick up your bag, hold on to your house and out to the bus you go!
Have a wonderful Holiday Season! I am going to spend time with my crazy crew....
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