Monday, January 26, 2015

Do You Want to Build a Snowman? Winter Activities for Kids

We spotted this adorable Disney Frozen movie inspired snowman in our local library!

How cute is he?!

You may also enjoy this list of 10 snowman-themed activities for your classroom:

1. Snowman Math Challenge:

Have students draw a snowman and use it to practice addition and subtraction. Each section of the snowman represents a number, and students need to solve math problems to fill in the values.

2. Snowman Sight Word Search:

Write sight words on cut-out snowflakes and hide them around the classroom or outdoors. Students search for the snowflakes and create sentences using the words they find.

3. Snowman Science Experiment:

Explore the concept of melting by bringing in snow or ice cubes. Students can predict and observe how long it takes for a small snowman to melt, recording their observations in a mini science journal.

4. Snowman Creative Writing:

Ask students to imagine they are a snowman that has come to life. Have them write a short creative story or a letter from the perspective of the snowman, describing their adventures and experiences.

5. Snowman Art and Measurement:

Students can create their own unique snowmen using various art supplies. Incorporate measurement by having them measure the height and width of different parts of their snowman using non-standard units like paperclips or cubes.

6. Snowman Reading Comprehension:

Select a winter-themed book or short story related to snowmen. After reading, have students discuss the main characters, plot, and their favorite parts of the story.

7. Snowman Geography:

Integrate geography by exploring different types of snow and the regions where they occur. Discuss the characteristics of wet snow versus dry snow and its impact on building snowmen.

8. Snowman Puzzles:

Create simple crossword puzzles or word searches with snowman-related terms. Students can work individually or in pairs to solve the puzzles, reinforcing vocabulary and spelling.

9. Snowman Social Studies:

Explore winter traditions and celebrations around the world. Discuss how different cultures embrace and celebrate winter and the significance of snowmen in various traditions.

10. Snowman Coding Challenge:

Introduce basic coding concepts through a snowman coding activity. Create a grid on the floor or use a large paper, and have students use arrows or symbols to guide a "snowman" through a path, teaching them the basics of coding logic.

You may also like these free printable, no prep activities from our TPT store:

Free Winter Writing Paper

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Free Winter Sports Writing Paper

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Free Winter Poetry Writing

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free printable winter writing prompts story starters

Free Winter Writing Prompts

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Free Winter Math Task Cards

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$free winter math games and activities order of operations$

Free Winter Math Order of Operations Task Cards
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free how to use task cards in your classroom

Free Top 20 Uses for Task Cards in Your Classroom

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You may also like these resources from our Amazon Associate store:

Eureka Peanuts Happiness Is a Snowflake Classroom Bulletin Board Decorations

Eureka Peanuts Happiness is a Snowflake Bulletin Board Set

Winter Classroom Decorations

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indoor snowballs for classroom winter recess

Indoor Snowballs for Winter Recess In the Classroom Games

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insta snow for your classroom winter experiments

Be Amazing Insta-Snow Jar, Makes 2 Gallons

Perfect for Winter Classroom Experiments

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Set of 12 Snowman Christmas Ornament Foam Craft Kit

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Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner

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Shelly Anton is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. ** This means there are Amazon affiliate links in these blog posts. This does not mean you pay a dime more when you purchase a product through the link. It just means I am trying to save you valuable teacher time by making it easier for you to find great resources for your students, and I earn a few cents for my research and time. Thank you for all you do for kids!

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Black History Month Activities for Kids

Black History Month, also known as African-American History Month in America, is an annual observance in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom for remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. It is celebrated annually in the United States and Canada in February and the United Kingdom in October.

Note: This blog post contains resources from our
TpT store and our Amazon Associate store.

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Click the picture below to watch the video:

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Here is a commemorative video via Nickelodeon and the "Because of Them, We Can" initiative for Black History Month. It honors Maya Angelou.

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These videos should spark some Black History Month activity ideas for your classroom:

Acting out Rosa Parks:

Black History Month Live Wax Museum:

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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

FREE Martin Luther King, Jr. Video and Discussion Questions

Here is a short three minute video to help elementary students learn an overview of Martin Luther King's life. Scroll down past the questions to click on the actual video.

Note: This blog post contains resources from our
TpT store and our Amazon Associate store.

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Read or write the following discussion questions on the board prior to watching the video.

Discussion Questions

1. What was Martin Luther King's given birth name?

2. Where did he grow up?

3. What was the major cause of many injustices in his life?

4. What did Martin Luther King's father do for a job?

5. When did he change his name?

6. Where did he go to college?

7. Who did he marry?

8. What were the two main topics of Dr. King's preachings?

9. What was the main reason for the bus boycott?

10. What woman was also involved in the Supreme Court decision that bus segregation was unconstitutional?

11. Who named him "Man of the Year?"

12. When and what was his most famous speech?

13. What did he mean by, "Let freedom ring"?

14. How did he die in 1968?

Answer Key

1. Michael King, Jr.

2. Atlanta, Georgia

3. The color of his skin was the cause.

4. He was a pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church.

5. He changed his name after visiting Germany.

6. He went to Boston University.

7. He married Coretta and had four children.

8. He preached for peace and civil rights.

9. It promoted the desegregation on buses. The white people sat up front and had priority seating.

10. Rosa Parks

11. Time Magazine

12. Over 250,000 people attended the Washington Monument to hear his "I Have a Dream" speech.

13. He wanted all individuals to be equal with equal rights together.

14. He was assassinated.

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Listen to the I Have a Dream speech by Martin Luther King, Jr.

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You may also like these blog posts for more ideas:

Martin Lurther King Jr Teachers Pay Teachers Promoting-Success

black history month teaching ideas facts for kids

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Please go HERE for a free printable version of these facts

from our Teachers Pay Teachers Promoting-Success store.

free printable Martin Luther King Jr facts for kids

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Free Martin Luther King, Jr. Facts Task Cards

Literacy Center Scavenger Hunt Game

martin luther king jr day games literacy centers activities

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You may also like these printable Black History Month and Martin Luther King Day activities from our TeachersPayTeachers store:

Martin Luther King, Jr. Crossword Puzzle

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Martin Luther King Day Worksheets

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Black History Month Crossword Puzzle

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Civil Rights Timeline Activity

civil rights timeline activities for kids

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You may also like these resources from our Amazon Associate store:

Martin Luther King, Jr. "Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness" Poster

Martin Luther King Jr Quote poster classroom decor

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Studio B Martin Luther King, Jr. Character Quote Poster

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Martin's Big Words: The Life Of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Picture Book Biography

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Biography book facts for kids

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Scholastic Very First Biographies, PreK-K

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Click HERE to view our Teachers Pay Teachers Promoting Success store.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Winter Indoor Recess Game Ideas

Indoor Recess Game Ideas for Your Elementary Classroom - Play Again and Again!

Note: This blog post contains resources from our

TpT store and our Amazon Associate store.

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Winter 2015: Baby It's Cold Outside! Here in the state of Iowa, we are having a hard time reaching 0 degrees Fahrenheit! All the schools were closed yesterday due to -40 below wind chills. They had a late start today since we may reach 1 degree! Here is a photo of sun dogs taken from our backyard.

Winter Activities Teachers Pay Teachers Promoting-Success

The cold weather brings on indoor recess. This can create some long days for teachers! I came up with an indoor recess game that will create structured movement...movement with a purpose, not just running around the room! LOL If you are lucky enough to live in a place where indoor recess isn't a thing, you may still play this game as a brain break allowing for movement in the classroom. Brain research shows us the movement helps fire neurons that increase student achievement. Plus, it is fun!

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Indoor Recess Game - Matching Mittens (or Gloves)

STEP ONE:

This game requires minimal prep work. You may purchase mittens for everyone in your classroom. The dollar store is a great resources. You may purchase enough for one mitten per child or a pair for each child. It is best if you have several different ones. Most families have tons floating around their home, so you could also ask for each family to donate one pair. It doesn't matter if they are worn or have holes. :)

12 Pairs Wholesale Kids Children Knit Magic Solid Plain Gloves

Neon Knit Magic Gloves - 4 pack

STEP TWO:

After you have enough gloves or mittens, hide them around the room. You will need to decide if you want students to find one individual glove or their own pair. If the students are to find only one glove, then they must find the other student with the matching glove.

If you prefer less competitive games, then have the students work as a whole team trying to beat the clock using an online timer or this fun one from my Amazon associate store.

Learning Resources Time Tracker Mini

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Here are some additional game options:

1. Create a graph to chart how long the game takes the students.

2. Allow students to talk and help each other.

3. Do not allow students to talk and help each other.

4. Do not allow students to talk, but allow hand gestures.

5. Have students find as many pairs as they can. The student with the most pairs wins.

6. Designate a special pair of gloves. The student(s) that find the pair win special honors.

7. If you have students who will struggle with this game, allow them to hide the mittens and monitor the timer instead of searching for the mittens.

8. Hide a task card in each mitten. Students must answer the question in their mitten.

Here are some fun task cards you may wish to hide inside the mittens:

Free Telling Time to the Minute Task Cards

$free telling time to the minute practice review$

Free Long o Vowel Teams Task Cards

Free Long o oe oa ow vowel teams speech therapy

Free Skip Counting by 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10 Task Cards

$free skip counting by 2 3 4 5 and 10 1st 2nd grade$

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But wait! Here are lots more ideas on how you may use mittens and gloves in your classroom:

Math Ideas

Sorting and Patterning: Have students sort mittens and gloves by color, size, or style. Create patterns using different pairs.
Graphing: Graph the different colors and styles of mittens and gloves. Discuss the concepts of more, less, and equal.
Measurement: Use mittens to measure objects in the classroom. How many mittens long is the desk?
Addition and Subtraction: Create simple addition and subtraction problems using pairs of mittens as visual aids.

Language Arts Ideas:

Descriptive Writing: Have students describe their mittens using adjectives. What color are they? How do they feel?
Storytelling: Use mittens as story props. Students can create and act out short stories featuring the mittens.
Alphabet Matching: Attach letters to mittens and have students match uppercase and lowercase letters.
Sink or Float Experiment: Fill mittens with different materials and predict if they will sink or float in water.
Texture Exploration: Discuss the different textures of mittens. Are they soft, rough, fuzzy, or smooth?

Science Ideas:

Conductivity: Explore how well mittens insulate by placing ice inside and observing how long it takes to melt.
Static Electricity: Explore how rubbing mittens together can create static electricity.

Social Studies Ideas:

Cultural Exploration: Research and share traditions related to mittens in different cultures around the world.
Map Skills: Use mittens to mark locations on a map. Discuss the importance of maps and directions.

Art Ideas:

Mitten Printing: Dip mittens in paint and create prints on paper or fabric.
Design Your Own Mittens: Allow students to decorate plain mittens with fabric markers or fabric paint.

Physical Education Ideas:

Mitten Relay Race: Have students participate in a relay race while wearing mittens.
Mitten Toss: Practice hand-eye coordination by tossing a small ball into mittens.

Music Ideas:

Mitten Rhythm: Create a rhythm using the sound of clapping mittens together.
Mitten Song: Invent a song about mittens and have students sing and dance along.

Health Idea:

Hygiene Lesson: Discuss the importance of keeping hands clean and demonstrate how to properly wear and remove mittens.

Technology Idea:

Mitten Scavenger Hunt: Use tablets or smartphones for a digital scavenger hunt where students find and photograph different types of mittens in the classroom.

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This winter craftivity would also be a calmer indoor recess activity.