It's Wednesday of Halloween Week...

How's it going?  Be honest.  Are things a little crazy? Ha-Ha

I know this week can be a little tiring and the closer you get to actual Halloween, and maybe a Halloween event at school, the more your littles seem to chat and squirm.  Am I right?  During weeks like this it is so important to keep your kiddos busy, busy and one way to do this is to have early finisher activities ready to go.  So today I'd thought I'd share a quick FREEBIE with you that is Halloween themed and can easily be copied off and set out for those early finishers.

This Halloween crown is a 1 page printable that your kids can color and fill in the beginning sound for the pictures on the back band.
Click the image below to grab it FREE.

Clip art by Krista Wallden of Creative Clips & Fonts by KG Fonts

And if you are still not sure what you will be doing on Friday for Halloween, I have a set of Halloween Stations that just might be perfect for you and your little ones.  Included in this set are 5 stations that you can have your kiddos rotate through for some organized fun!  They are great to use for what might be termed your "class party" to help keep the kids engaged but not have the typical HUGE party mess.  I have included direction sheets for each station which makes it easy for volunteers to run and station signs so students know where to go next.  Check it out.

Halloween Moves Activity

Spookley the Square Pumpkin Craft

Hope you all are surviving the week!  Happy Hump Day!

Pick 3 October!

Happy Fall Ya'll!  It's time to link up with Pawsitively Teaching and Inspired Owl's Corner for PICK 3!

Click for Original Pin

First up this AWESOME idea!  Book Character Pumpkins.  I really think this could be a fun family project for little ones or an individual project for older kids!  I wonder if you could even get pumpkins donated or at a discounted price?!

Click for Original Pin

Now this is a fall favorite!  Marbled fall leaves!  I've always just used a leaf stencil, a box and marbles to get this look but this pin has a fun new way to do it.  These leaves were made using shaving cream and paint!  You can click the photo above to see the original pin and read more about how to make these leaves. 

Click for Original Pin

And since we're talking about leaves why not head outdoors and go on a leaf hunt!  Then use the leaves in a graphing lesson like the one above!  Fall fun at its finest. 

What are your favorite October pins?  Link up below and check out more great ideas below.

An InLinkz Link-up

Back to School To Do List!

I am a total list person.  I have a shopping list, a TPT project list, a blog list, a dinner list etc.  You name it and I probably have a list for it.  I tend to get a little overwhelmed when I feel like I have a lot do do and this can lead me to forget things, so making a list is my way of calming myself.  I LOVE looking at a list, completing a task and then crossing it off!  There is just something about seeing that BIG SCRATCH through a task that makes me smile.  And don't even get me started on how happy it makes me to throw away a completed list!  Uh... insert crazy happy dance here.

With back to school quickly creeping up on us all, I decided that I'd whip up a little set of back to school to do list printables.   The first of which is general list of things I'd have on my to do list.  I like to start big and then create smaller lists as I go.  

 I also made a blank sheet to create additional lists and another version that includes to do, to buy and a notes section.  

Lists really help me feel organized and accomplished so I know these printables would be perfect to keep me on track!  Do you have a back to school list started?  What are some are some other general must do things for back to school that I left off?  

If you like these printables click on the image cover below to grab them for FREE in my store.  They come in color and B&W.  Talk to you soon!

XOXOXO

Book Talk Tuesday.. Thanksgiving is Here!

Hi All!  I hope that your week is off to a fantastic start.  Just a quick post to link up with Mrs. Jump's Class for Book Talk Tuesday.  For some reason I left this Thanksgiving favorite off my previous holiday shares... so here ya go.  

Click HERE to see it on Amazon :)

This story by Diane Goode is all about a family who is gathered for the Thanksgiving holiday at grandma's house.  As relatives arrive everyone pitches in to help with the dinner preparations.  They peel potatoes, move furniture, and set the table.  Finally everyone has arrived and it is time to sit down for their Thanksgiving feast.  Yum!   The detailed pictures are full of surprises and the fun sounds encourage your little ones to join in.  This story perfectly captures a family holiday from beginning to end and is sure to get your kiddos talking about their own family Thanksgiving. 

Be sure to check out other great books by heading over to Mrs. Jump's Class!

Thanksgiving Fun!

Have you checked your blog feed lately?!   If you have I'm sure you have seen post after post about wonderful Thanksgiving Classroom Happenings.  Well, I don't want to disappoint you so I thought I'd share some of my activities, favorite stories, TpT Finds, and other awesome blog posts that you should definitely check out.  

To get started I'd like to share a few activities I made that I'd definitely be doing with my kiddos this week.  

We'd start off the week with a story about The First Thanksgiving.  Then as follow up we'd make and start to fill out this flip book.  I wouldn't do this all on one day.  The pages of this book would get filled out over the course of the week as we re-read, re-tell, and act out The First Thanksgiving Story. 

We would also spend some time talking about the Mayflower.  Scholastic has a great interactive text that allows for students to "take the journey" on the Mayflower.  Check it out HERE.   We'd discuss what we learned about the Mayflower and then create this craft listing 3 facts we learned.

For fun we'd make this silly turkey hat!  It'd be the perfect follow up to a turkey read aloud or even a turkey poem.

Our centers for the week would all be Thanksgiving Themed.  This is a picture of a Thanksgiving themed Write-The-Room center, the directions for a Thanksgiving measurement center, and a word family cut and paste activity.

We'd also compare and contrast pilgrim children and children today.  I'd do this on a large class diagram and then have students fill in their own recording sheet.  

I love these Native American and Pilgrim Writing Displays.  I'd let students choose which one they wanted to make and then display their "I'm thankful for" writing on them.

Lastly, we'd prepare for our Thanksgiving Day Feast.  One thing we'd do in preparation is make a placemat by weaving construction paper.  I'd laminate and cut out these mats so that they'd be ready for our feast.  

I LOVE teaching about Thanksgiving and really think it should be a FUN learning experience for the kiddos.  If you're still looking for more ideas why not check out the resources below.  Have a great week!

Books

10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston

The Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing

The Story of the Pilgrims by Katharine Ross

The Very First Thanksgiving Day by Rhonda Gowler Greene

Pilgrims of Plymouth by Susan E. Goodman

A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman

TpT Finds

My Thanksgiving Unit

Doodle Bugs Teaching: Native American Directed Drawing (FREE)

Wendy Boyd's: Thanksgiving Costume Patterns & More!

BB Kidz: Thanksgiving Emergent Reader

Krista Wallden's: Gobble Gobble! Clip Art

Fabulous Blog Posts by Fellow Bloggers:

"Together We Are Better" from Kindergarten Crayons

Pilgrim Class Project by Kelley From Teacher Idea Factory

"Thanksgiving Fun in Kindergarten" by Sharing Kindergarten

Fun Thanksgiving Stories & Freebies by Live, Love, Laugh...Everyday in Kindergarten

Pilgrims & Native Americans by Little Miss Glamour Goes to Kindergarten

Book Talk Tuesday: November Favorites

Hey There!  Happy Veterans Day and a big THANK YOU to all those who serve our country!

It's book talk Tuesday and today I thought I'd share some November Favs!  I'm so sorry that I don't have the actual books to show.  When I moved over seas I boxed up my class library and gave the boxes to my mom and sister to use in their classes.  I figured, why let fantastic books sit in storage while I'm away?! With that said, I sometimes find it hard to find the book I'd like to share with you all at the base library.  I go every week to see what I can find, but it's a small library so I can't always find exactly what I want.  I do keep my eyes open for newbies though!

Anyway, here's a blurb about a few of my November favorites Just click the pictures to check them out on Amazon!  Have a great day!

Dav Pilkey has created a super fun read that follows the traditional rhyme and rhythm of Twas the Night before Christmas.  In this story eight students go on a field trip to a local turkey farm where they question why the farmer has an Ax.  When they find out why they are filled with sadness and know they must do something to save the little turkeys.  Your students will enjoy the ending to this Thanksgiving book and are sure to ask you to read it again and again!

If you didn't read this story for Veterans Day this year, be sure to pin it for next!  The Wall, by Eve Bunting, is a moving story about a boy who travels with his father to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in hopes of finding his grandfather's name.  The story is written from a young boys perspective and teaches about the significance of this wall.  Be sure to have your tissues nearby for this one!

This next story is a simple counting book all about the First Thanksgiving.  Laura Krauss Melmed has filled this story with rich language and the pictures to match are just magical!  

If you're looking for a book that helps to teach about The First Thanksgiving this might be the one for you!  Although the pictures are minimal and the text more advanced, the story is broken into sections which help teach students about the history of this holiday.  For kinder I'd read it in small sections, draw a picture chart about the information just read, and recap with our own words.  I like how each section starts with a question. 

Looking for another book with information about Thanksgiving?  Try this alphabet themed read aloud.  The story is presented as a school play and is sure to teach your students some facts about Thanksgiving in an easy to understand way.

In November many teachers discuss what it means to give thanks and ask students what they are thankful for.  This story by Margaret Sutherland is perfect for getting the discussion started.  A simple text with a great message.

It's Fall!  This story uses rhyme to teach students all about the fall season.  It includes information on the many changes of fall, including those related to people, plants, and animals.

Woo Hoo!!!! So many wonderful stories to share and read with your students!  This is just a very small sampling of my favorites.  Be sure to link up with Mrs. Jump's Class to find more great reads and of course leave me a comment to tell me about your favorite November read alouds! 

Scarecrows!

It's November!  Can you believe it?!  I hope that you all had a relaxing weekend after a most likely busy, fun-filled Halloween!  So what does this month have in store?  Scarecrows, Veterans Day, Turkeys, and Thanksgiving all come quickly to mind.  Some teachers get off a whole week for Thanksgiving and others just a few days, either way it is sure to be another jam packed month.

The cute fonts above are from: www.kevinandamanda.com
 and the adorable graphics are from: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Fun-Classroom-Creations

I like to start off November by talking more about the season fall and a fun way to do this is to talk about Scarecrows!  These harvest helpers have been around for more than 3,000 years and today we see them all over as fun decorative characters for the season.  I don't know about you but I'd have fun making this a theme for a week!  So here are a few ideas I've created and found to help make planning a scarecrow week a little easier.  

1. Why not start the week off with a class graph:  Do you like Scarecrows?  Hold a discussion all about these cuties and then have students decide if they like them or not.  After creating the class graph have students record their results on a recording page like this:

Click to grab this Freebie :)

Clip Art from Fun-Classroom- Creations

2. We all know that teachers love to make scarecrow crafts with their kiddos, but before doing so I'd complete a scarecrow brace map with my class.  I'd use a brace map like this to help students identify the parts of a scarecrow.  I also created an emergent "My Scarecrow" printable book.  Each page follows the pattern "My scarecrow has _________" and builds the scarecrow from hat to shoes.

3. For science I'd give a lesson on the 4 seasons.  Following this introduction we'd spend the week talking more about fall.  I'd start off by reading the book I made below called What Happens in Fall and we'd also discuss our fall 5 senses.  Students would draw and write about their 5 senses for fall in the little book pictured below.

4. There are many great stories about scarecrows but one of my favorites is The Little Scarecrow Boy.  Below is a picture of story map pieces to accompany this story.  I'd do this whole class style in a pocket chart and then have students fill in their own follow up sheet. 

5. And of course we'd do a scarecrow craft, just look at the cute one I found below under tpt products.  But I wouldn't want to leave out the crow, so this is a torn paper crow I created along with a crow poem.  Isn't he cute?!  We'd for sure be making him!

All of the activities above can be found in my scarecrow unit on TpT.

Now here are a few more ideas to help you plan your perfect scarecrow week!

A great story by Ken Brown all about a chicken who is on a mission to solve a problem.  Your littles will love the beautiful illustrations and the fun repetition.

This is one of my favorites!  Margaret Wise Brown has written this super read aloud about a little scarecrow boy who doesn't give up.  This story is great for story maps, sequencing, and making predictions!

If you're teaching about fall this book by Heidi Press Gray is perfect.  Her water-color illustrations accompany simple text which describe the many happenings of fall.  Ooooo this story could lead to a great art activity!

Check out these fabulous finds!

Check out this product at MY TpT store by clicking on the photo.

Love these adorable scarecrow crafts by Lauryn Kirk Balogh!

Click the picture to check this product out in Lauryn's TpT Store

And this scarecrow glyph by Crayonbox Learning :)

Click the picture to check this product out at Crayonbox Learning's TpT Store

Before making my unit I purchased these cute graphics from Scrappin Doodles.

Click the picture to check this product out in Scrappin Doodles TpT Store

Here are some blog posts I found with great scarecrow/fall ideas!

Scarecrows & Fall by Growing Kinders:

 http://growingkinders.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/scarecrows-and-fallyes-i-am-bit-behind.html

Scarecrows! by Mrs.Lee's Kindergarten: http://mrsleeskinderkids.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/scarecrows_23.html

Scarecrow, Scarecrow by Kinder Korner:

http://www.kinderkorner.com/scarecrow.html

Scarecrow Fun from Mrs. Jumps Class:

http://mrsjumpsclass.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/scarecrow-fun.html

Are you planning a scarecrow theme?  I'd love to see all your fun happenings.  Be sure to comment below and let me know.  Happy Planning!