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Holidays

Simple Mother’s Day Craft

I love doing DIY presents for different holidays with my students. Parents always cherish something that is made by their child and they always turn out so cute! This Mother’s Day craft is super simple and won’t take much time out of your class day, plus it’s pretty cheap!

Mother’s Day Craft

My favorite Mother’s Day craft that my students made for their moms is a fingerprint heart on a canvas, complete with fingerprint poem.

What You Need

Mini Canvases

I found these mini canvases at the dollar store (not sure if they have them this year but see below for similar canvases).

Paint

Contact Paper

How to Prep the Mother’s Day Craft

To prep, cut contact paper to fit on your canvases. These need to be a little smaller than the canvas to get that border around the heart. I left about an inch around the outside.
Then, cut hearts out of the middle.
Pull off the contact paper backing and stick the heart frame in the middle of the canvas.
Optional step: Stack canvases and put something heavy on top to get the contact paper really stuck.

Students Create the Mother’s Day Craft

I gave my students a choice of 3 different paint colors. (Obviously you can decide how many your students will use.) Students then take their finger print and put dots all over the canvas. Once it dries COMPLETELY (very important) remove the contact paper.

Your students will have a wonderful gift for their moms for Mother’s Day!

Mother’s Day Craft Poem

I also attached this poem about fingerprints as an added sentimental touch!

If you have your students make these for their moms share it on Instagram and tag me @one_kreative_kindergarten or comment below!

Outdoor Activities to Celebrate Earth Day

Who’s ready to celebrate the Earth? Earth Day is such a great day to get your students outside and thinking about ways to care for the Earth. Whenever I can get my class outside, it’s a huge win! Students are more engaged when they’re in a different environment, so take the opportunity and bring your students outside for Earth Day. These are some outdoor activities to celebrate Earth Day with your students!

5 Outdoor Activities to Celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day is a day that should be spent outside! Here are some FREE outdoor activities to celebrate Earth Day with your students.

Take a Nature Walk

Line your students up in a long line and walk around the school yard. Ask students to remember what they notice. They can describe what they see, hear, smell etc. Make things interesting by giving students a chance to be the leader and lead the line around the school!

After the nature walk:
– Students draw or write what they saw
– Create a whole class anchor chart of what they noticed
– Discuss how you can take care of the nature around the school
– Students draw or write their favorite part about the nature around the school

Create Pictures with Nature

Give students a few minutes to collect things they find on the ground around the school yard. (No picking leaves off trees!) Once they’ve collected some materials, have them work in pairs or individually to create a picture with what they found. When everyone is done creating their nature picture, have a picture walk and visit everyone else’s pictures!

Use Your Senses

Bring students outside and have them take a seat and quietly use their different senses for a certain amount of time. Then, have students draw or write what they saw, heard, felt, and smelled during that time.

Pick Up Trash

I don’t know what it is about picking up trash but my students LOVE when they have the chance to get outside and clean up the yard. Make it a friendly competition and see who can pick up the most trash!

Plant Something or Water Something Already Planted

Depending on your school and situation you may be able to plant something in the yard together as a class. If you can, first discuss why you would want to plant something in the yard and why it’s important to the Earth. If you can’t plant something, see if you can walk around and water things that are already planted!

Want some other activities to celebrate Earth Day? Check out this blog post. Freebies included!

10 Earth Day Activities You Need to Use With Your Students

How do you celebrate Earth day? Will you be using these outdoor activities to celebrate Earth Day?

Hands On Activities for St. Patrick’s Day

I don’t know about you but St. Patrick’s Day is one of my absolute favorite holidays! Mostly because it’s a low-key holiday for the classroom. One, you can incorporate some St. Patrick’s Day fun without overloading. And two, you don’t need to have a party for it, students don’t get hyped up on sugar, and your whole day isn’t wasted by chaos. These hands on St. Patrick’s day activities will get you and your kiddos excited for the holiday with just the perfect amount of celebration!

Hands On St. Patrick’s Day Activities for Your Classroom

Planting Shamrocks

I’ve planted shamrocks in my class for the last few years and it is such a simple but fun St. Patrick’s Day activity. I buy small plastic cauldrons for students to plant their seeds in. During the activity, I pull students in small groups to plant them. Then, I put them in our window to get light. I pull an equity stick each day for a student to water all of them with a spray bottle. This is a very non-stressful way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

Worth More Than Gold Craftivity

This art project is a perfect bulletin board for St. Patrick’s Day. Students pick something that is worth more to them than gold and write why. Then they color the cauldron full of gold. When you staple the top page to the bottom page, it doubles as a writing and art project! Plus it’s very low prep. Who else loves a holiday craftivity? Find it here!

St. Patrick’s Day Write the Room

If you’ve read any other holiday posts, you know I love celebrating with a write the room activity. My students love to get their bodies moving and read and write new vocabulary.

Build Leprechaun Traps

A very common St. Patrick’s Day activity is building leprechaun traps. I start this lesson off with a poem from Lucky the Leprechaun. (You can find this for free in my TeachersPayTeachers store here!)

Once we’ve read the poem, we brainstorm our traps. We draw a blueprint, write out what materials we’ll need and then finally how we’re going to catch the leprechaun. Once we’ve thought our traps through (and I teach kinder so these are always very creative and imaginative) we get to work. I spread this activity out over a few days and ask for each student to bring in some sort of box before we get started on the trap creations. I always love seeing how they’ll lure in the leprechaun and how he’ll get trapped once inside! You can find all of these activities in my St. Patrick’s Day Week Long Lesson Plans.

I love celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in my classroom. These hands on activities for St. Patrick’s Day make the day fun and engaging while still keeping the chaos at a minimum. Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in your classroom? Share how below!

Christmas Book Companions

The holiday season is seriously one of my favorite times a year for both personal and classroom reasons. It’s a magical time where lights are shining, people are a little happier and students can’t wait for Santa to arrive. Now, I’m not going to lie, the month of December is pretty crazy with extra activities and (let’s say) highly energetic students. It can be hard to keep up with academics when you’re having holiday parties, making gingerbread houses or singing Christmas carols like we do in my class. This is why I’ve created Christmas book companions for three Christmas stories. These resources help me celebrate the holidays while continuing our regular language arts curriculum.

Christmas Book Companions

A book companion is a language arts resource that goes along with a specific book. Each resource includes various language arts comprehension concepts that teachers can use to teach the skill or as a review. Also included in each companion is a craftivity. These are probably my favorite part of the product because they always make a good bulletin board (which you may know is my guilty pleasure!)

The Polar Express

This book companion includes:

Sequencing the story
Problem and solution
My Favorite Part Writing
Additional Writing Prompt
Describing the Boy Graphic Organizer
Describing the Polar Express Graphic Organizer
Polar Express Verbs
Craftivity

Each language arts skill comes with both a drawing page (for kindergarteners) and a writing page (for older grades).

Bear Stays Up for Christmas

This book companion includes:

Sequencing the story
Problem and solution
My Favorite Part Writing
Additional Writing Prompt
Describing Bear Graphic Organizer
Bear’s Verbs
Craftivity

Each language arts skill comes with both a drawing page (for kindergarteners) and a writing page (for older grades).

Mooseltoe

This book companion includes:

Sequencing the story
Problem and solution
My Favorite Part Writing
Additional Writing Prompt
Describing the Boy Graphic Organizer
Describing the Polar Express Graphic Organizer
Polar Express Verbs
Craftivity

Each language arts skill comes with both a drawing page (for kindergarteners) and a writing page (for older grades).

Other Holiday Book Companions

I love incorporating these holiday book companions in my classroom leading up to a holiday. They help me feel like I am balancing between celebrating the holiday while still focusing on important language arts curriculum.

If you’re like me and love the holidays, check out my other holiday book companions

How do you celebrate holidays in your classroom? Do you stick with academics and your regular schedule or do you incorporate special activities?

The Holiday Kindness Character – An Inclusive Holiday Activity

The winter holidays can be a very hectic time. A time filled with much excitement for the upcoming celebrations. Many schools and classrooms are incorporating holiday activities in their schedules during this season.

Since I teach at a Catholic school, I’m allowed to openly celebrate Christmas, however, I know that’s not the case for most schools. I know teachers who don’t celebrate the holidays or celebrate each holiday so all students feel included.

While reflecting on both school activities and what society sees in the stores, I’ve noticed that much of the holiday resources available are all geared toward Christmas, which not everyone celebrates. I even have my own Christmas resources in my TpT store that I know not everyone can use. This is how the Holiday Kindness Character was born. The Holiday Kindness Character is an inclusive holiday activity you can use in your classroom during the holiday season.

The Holiday Kindness Character

Similar to “Elf on the Shelf”, the Kindness Character watches you during the holiday season. It is a stuffed animal or doll of your choosing who joins your classroom during the month of December. This character brings letters each day that promote kindness during the holiday season. Each letter has specific ideas of what students even as young as Pre-K and Kindergarten can do to spread some joy.

The Kindness Character does not discuss any specific holidays but the holiday season in general. This makes this activity a much more inclusive holiday activity than the popular Elf on the Shelf. (Now, I’m not going to lie, I use the Elf in my classroom and we do celebrate Christmas because of my school’s circumstances, however, I want each classroom to be able to spread joy and love through the season, even if they don’t celebrate Christmas.)

The Resource

This resource includes 20 letters from your Kindness Character. These letters include ways to promote and spread kindness throughout the holiday season. It is editable so you can write your character’s name. It also includes an editable template so you can write your own letter.

Celebrate the Season of Advent in Kindergarten

For those of you who don’t know, I teach at a private, Catholic school in the Bay Area in California. Since I teach at a Catholic school, we are required to teach religion as a core, everyday subject. We also teach the Church seasons, one being the season of Advent. Advent is a time when we prepare for the birth of Jesus, on Christmas Day.

It can be hard to get students (especially the littlest ones in kindergarten) to get their attention off Santa Claus and presents and on to Jesus and his birth during this season. Here are some ways I promote and celebrate the season of Advent in kindergarten.

Celebrate the Season of Advent in Kindergarten

Advent Wreath

During the season of Advent, I set an Advent wreath out on our prayer table. This wreath has 4 candles around the outside, three purple and one pink. These candles represent the 4 weeks leading up to Jesus’ birth. They also have different meanings.

The first candle represents hope
The second candle represents faith
The third (pink) candle represents joy
The fourth candle represents peace

The Advent wreath is a great visual for students that this season is a time to connect with and prepare for the birth of Jesus. Often when we say our special prayers, I assign students to move our wreath from the prayer table, onto the middle of the carpet so we can see it as we gather around for prayer.

Special Prayers

My school gives out a packet of special prayers that every class reads during their religion time. This is a special way that connects individual classes together as one entire school. These prayers are very extensive and hard to comprehend for the littlest students in the school, that’s why, my principal provided the K-2 teachers with a book that is a bit easier for our kiddos to understand. This book is called Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families. Get your own copy through my affiliate link below.

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We use this book along with our Advent journals to reflect on ourselves and ways we can prepare for the coming of Jesus.

Advent Journals

Our Advent journals are a way we take what we’ve heard in our special prayer during religion, and reflect on ways we can better ourselves and others and prepare for the coming of Jesus. I created this resource as a way to focus students on this important season in the Church year. The journal comes with 25 prompts that go along with the prayers in the book above, but don’t have to be used together if you don’t have the book.

The way I use these journals is after our special prayer for the day, using the Welcome Baby Jesus book, we have a quiet reflection time where students can draw or write, responding to the prompt of the day. Of course we never finish these journals because I’ve included all 25 days leading up to Jesus’ birth, however, I send them home and give students the option to continue to respond while they are on break before Christmas Day.

I love the way these Advent journals focus my kindergarten students and help them realize how special this season of Advent is.

How do you celebrate the season of advent with your students? Let me know below!

Celebrate Thanksgiving With a Thanksgiving Book Companion

The holidays officially begin once Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is upon us! Many of us are working toward the middle part of our school year at this point. Students are in a routine and have learned many things so far!

If you don’t know already, I absolutely LOVE celebrating holidays in my classroom. There’s something magical about this holiday season and getting to share it with your students.

When the excitement is high and teaching feels more like herding sheep, it can be a little hard to get students to focus on your regular academic schedule. This is why I love using book companions in my classroom! Book companions make it easy to incorporate the holiday into the classroom while still focusing on academic essentials.

Take a peek at what’s inside my Thanksgiving Book Companions!

Thanksgiving Book Companions

Bear Says Thanks

Here’s a list of all that’s included in this book companion resource:

Sequencing the story
Problem and solution
My Favorite Part Writing
Additional Writing Prompt
Describing Bear Graphic Organizer
Bear’s Verbs
Craftivity

The Night Before Thanksgiving

Here’s a list of all that’s included in this book companion resource:

Sequencing the story
How the family prepared for Thanksgiving Graphic Organizer
Problem and solution
My Favorite Part Writing
Additional Writing Prompt
Describing the Family Graphic Organizer
The Night Before Thanksgiving Verbs
Craftivity

Five Flying Turkeys

Here’s a list of all that’s included in this book companion resource:

Sequencing the story
My Favorite Part Writing
Additional Writing Prompt
Describing Turkeys Graphic Organizer
Five Flying Turkey’s Verbs
Craftivity

These book companions can be purchased in a bundle or individually depending on which story you’d like to incorporate or if you’d like to incorporate all! Using a book companion is a great way to sneak in some Thanksgiving fun while still learning or reviewing critical language arts skills.

What are your favorite ways to celebrate Thanksgiving in your classroom?

Celebrate Halloween with a Halloween Book Companion

I love celebrating holidays in my classroom but sometimes it can get to be a little overwhelming with all the excitement and usually many sweet treats. That’s why I like to incorporate Halloween activities that are educational! Whether it be a center or a special project, I just love seeing what students can do when they’re excited about something. For Halloween, I’ll be celebrating with a book companion or a couple of book companions!

What’s a book companion?

Book companions are activities that go along with a particular book! They include multiple language arts activities that students can complete, reviewing a language arts skill or even learning a new skill! Some of the skills included are sequencing, problem and solution, and conventions. I always love to end with a craftivity as well. These make amazing bulletin boards to look at for the entire holiday season! See below for what’s included in my Halloween Book Companions.

Included in the Halloween Book Companions

I’ve created 3 Halloween Book Companions for you to celebrate Halloween in your classroom! In each, students practice a variety of language arts skills. I’ve also included at least one craftivity in each book companion set.

Little Boo – Book Companion

Here’s a list of all that’s included in this book companion resource:

Sequencing the story
Problem and solution
My Favorite Part Writing
Additional Writing Prompt
Describing the Seed Graphic Organizer
Describing the Jack-O-Lantern Graphic Organizer
Little Boo’s Verbs
Craftivity

Skeleton for Dinner – Book Companion

Here’s a list of all that’s included in this book companion resource:

Sequencing the story
Problem and solution
My Favorite Part Writing
Additional Writing Prompt
Describing the Skeleton Graphic Organizer
Describing the Witches Graphic Organizer
Skeleton’s Verbs
Witches Verbs
Two Craftivity Options

Ms. Broomstick’s School for Witches – Book Companion

Here’s a list of all that’s included in this book companion resource:

Sequencing the story
Problem and solution
My Favorite Part Writing
Additional Writing Prompt
Describing the Pandora Graphic Organizer
Describing the Ms. Broomstick Graphic Organizer
School of Witches Verbs
Craftivity

These book companions can be purchased in a bundle or individually depending on which story you’d like to incorporate or if you’d like to incorporate all! Using a book companion is a great way to sneak in some Halloween fun while still learning or reviewing critical language arts skills.

What type of teacher are you? Do you enjoy celebrating the holidays throughout the holiday season or do you stick to celebrating the holiday strictly on the day of the holiday only?

10 Earth Day Activities You Need to Use With Your Students (Freebies Included!)

Earth day is such an important “holiday” to celebrate in your classroom because it’s one that is so educational. Students need to know the impact they make on the earth and how we can all work together to take care of it. Even just ONE simple activity will make a difference. With Earth Day around the corner, I wanted to share a round-up of awesome resources you can find on TpT from some amazing teacher authors.

Earth Day Activities

Click the titles and you’ll be sent to the TpT link!

Earth Day Kinder Classroom Environmental Impact Activity

This activity comes from Erin at Sadler Science. Students discover classroom waste, analyze their impact on the environment and think of ways to reduce waste. It’s also aligned with NGSS!

The World is in My Hands {Earth Day Writing}

I do this activity each year in my classroom and it always turns out so cute! This is an Earth Day writing activity where students can write about the importance of taking care of the earth. (I use this for my April bulletin board and it’s one of my favorite boards!)

We Can Help Our Earth: Editable Earth Day Craftivity

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE craftivities! Included in this Earth Day resource are two writing craftivities and an interactive emergent reader. Both craftivities come with graphic organizers to help your students organize their thoughts. They also come with two prompts or you can make your own! Another great idea for your April bulletin board!

Earth Day Book Companion – Why Should I Save the Water?

This book companion resource goes along with the book “Why Should I Save Water?” by Jen Green. Included in this language arts mini-course is 4 different writing prompts, a sequencing worksheet and 2 different craftivities!

Earth Day Reading Passage

This reading passage is a great way to teach your students about Earth Day. The resources in this passage will help your students with their reading comprehension and while writing about a non-fiction text.

Earth Day Superhero FREEBIE!

This creative writing piece will have your students engaged and excited to create their very own superhero. Before they create their superhero, they will need to write a descriptive writing piece about their Earth Day Superhero. Another fabulous craftivity that will look fabulous on your bulletin board!

Earth Day Center: Beginning Sounds in CVC Words

This center is great for practicing CVC words. Students match pieces of the broken Earth to build complete words. This activity is a perfect way to incorporate Earth Day into your literacy centers!

Earth Day Color by Addition and Subtraction with Numbers to 20!

Your students will love these Earth Day Addition and Subtraction Color by Code worksheets because they can practice their addition and subtraction while celebrating the earth! Check out this resource for your Earth Day math.

Earth Day Word Search

Celebrate Mother Earth with this fun word search! Be sure to check out Education.com for more fun learning resources. Click here to download your own copy of this word search!

Earth Day Write the Room

This activity is so engaging because students are physically up and moving while searching for hidden vocabulary words! This would be a great way to introduce Earth Day and talk about the words surrounding the helping the earth.

What are your favorite ways to celebrate Earth Day in your classroom? Comment below!

No Stress Valentine’s Day Lesson Plan Ideas

I have mixed feelings about celebrating Valentine’s day in the classroom (mostly because it’s all chocolate and sugar and we all know what happens when our kids have too much chocolate and sugar) but I do like the concept of friendship and love for one another. Since all holidays in the classroom are filled with a bit of chaos, I’m sending no stress Valentine’s Day lesson plan ideas your way!

No Stress Valentine’s Day Lesson Plan Ideas

Read a Valentine’s Day Story

I’m sure other primary teachers can agree that it’s always nice to find a book where our students can relate to the characters. I love when a character has a problem that my kids might have. Then, I can talk about how the character solved their problem and can refer back to them if I ever find my students in the same problem.

I love the book The Biggest Valentine Ever by Steven Kroll because my students can relate to the characters’ problem. For those who haven’t read, this book is about two students (mice) who want to make a valentine for their teacher (Mrs. Mousely). As they’re making their valentine, the two start fighting because they don’t like the way the other is contributing. So, they go home and try to make their own valentine but find that something is missing because they can’t make part of the valentine like their friend could. The next day, they come back together and decide to try again. They end up making the biggest, most beautiful valentine for their teacher and her and the class love it!

This book is the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s day and refresh your student’s on what it means to be a good friend and working together.

Challenge your students to work together to create one valentine

Pair your students up (or let them choose their own partner if you’re feeling brave) and tell them they must create one valentine together (like Desmond and Clayton from The Biggest Valentine Ever).

Make a valentine out of something other than paper

Have students search the classroom to create a valentine out of something other than paper such as play-doh, legos, on a whiteboard etc. You could even take your class outside and so they can make a valentine out of leaves or sticks!

Decorate a Valentine’s Day bag for all their valentine’s

This is a practical idea if you need somewhere for all the valentines to go. I get plain white bags from Amazon and students get to decorate their valentine “mailbox” however they want. Then when we have our Valentine’s Day party, students deliver their valentines to their classmates bags.

Valentine’s Day Packet

Packets are an easy way to keep students occupied while still reviewing some important skills. I like to look on Teachers Pay Teachers for some themed math or literacy worksheets and I print a few and turn it in to a packet. In my class, students can earn a ticket when they finish the packet.

Valentine’s Day Write the Room

Write the rooms are such a fun way to celebrate a holiday or special theme while getting students up and moving! Students walk around the room and find the write the room cards. When they find the card, they match it to the recording sheet and write the word. This is a great way to expose them to new vocabulary as well!

With such a chaotic day, we all need some no stress Valentine’s Day lesson plan ideas. I hope these ideas make your Valentine’s Day less crazy! What are some of your favorite Valentine’s Day activities?