Hanukkah Word Work Center

Hanukkah begins next week and I like to expose my children to all of the different holidays celebrated during December.

Our word work center will be a 'spin' on the dreidel game!

This is SUPER easy to make and you can have it fit any words, letter, spelling patterns, etc that your students are working on!

I am using it for sight word practice (reading/writing/using in a sentence).

First purchase dreidels.  I got a package of 4 from the dollar store.  I also found this bigger plastic dreidel that you can open and fill:

but they only had one (so I will use that one to hold these little guys for now and to teach them how to spin!)

I printed the words I wanted them to practice using 20pt font size (I used a basic block font) and then cut them and taped one word to each side of the dreidel:

I made a recording sheet by inserting a table, but you can download it for FREE and edit it as you need here:

(When it opens in Dropbox, click to download.  Once it downloads it will open in PowerPoint and click 'enable editing'.  Then click in each text box (it is set to Century Gothic font, but you can change it to whatever font you want) and then change the word to what you need!

To play, students spin the dreidel:

read the word it landed on (the word facing up)

and then find it on the recording sheet and write it in the next open space

To keep the dreidels from 'flying' off the table and all over the floor, I will be having my students spin the dreidels in these dollar store baskets!

Here are a few great read alouds I found to do next week:

I had a few of these that I got from Scholastic, borrowed some from my library and all of them are available on Amazon.

The bottom right two are great for talking about families that celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas!

If you are looking for some Hanukkah resources to use in your classroom, these can be found in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store:

or click here to find all of my Hanukkah resources:

If you are planning on playing the traditional dreidel game, you can find the 'how to' here:

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season!

Until next post,

Christmas Tree Stained Glass Craft

It's time for our next stained glass craft...

Christmas Tree!

This one is pretty easy to make and you can even have the kids add embellishments (sequins, buttons, etc.) to the tree to 'jazz' it up a bit!

The tree is made using a folded piece of 8.5x11 inch construction paper.  

The star is from a folded piece of yellow 'scrap' paper.  You don't have the do the star as 'stained glass' and can just add a 'regular' star to the top!

Find the templates here:

Fold the paper in half and trace the template onto the paper:

(you can even put your paper through a copier so that you don't have to trace each one- just be sure to take into account for the 'fold' when tracing the template onto paper for copying)

You can have students cut the tree and/or pre-cut the trees for them: 

Give each child a piece of wax paper that is large enough to fill the space and edges of the tree.

Have them swirl glue all over the wax paper:

I pre-cut green tissue paper in two different shades.

You can use just one shade and/or have them cut their own tissue paper!

Have students place pieces onto the glue to cover the paper: 

Have students put glue onto the back of the tree cut-out: 

and press it onto the tissue paper collage: 

Do the same for the yellow star if you are choosing to go with a stained glass star: 

Trim the edges of the wax paper by using the tree as a 'guide' and glue the star to the top.

Add a brown paper rectangle as the trunk: 

Hang up on your classroom windows and/or door for a festive display all season long!

Looking for more Christmas crafts?

Check out this pack I have in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store:

Here are just a few of the crafts included in the pack:

You can also find this one:

and this one for FREE:

You can find all of my Christmas resources (including freebies) by clicking this link:

Wishing you the wonder of the season!

Until next post,

12 Days Of Christmas Giveaway!

Happy December!

If you don't already know...

The Annual TPT Cyber Monday (and Tuesday) Sale is underway!

Save 28% when you use the code 'SMILE' at checkout!

And if you miss the sale today, I am keeping my store on sale for 20% off EVERYTHING for a BONUS Day...12/2!

Now would be a great time to stock up on some BUNDLES that will make things easier for the holiday season and/or the rest of the year!

(Did you see all the fun throwback 'smile' photos going around?  If not, be sure to checkout #tptcybersmile on Instagram!)

Speaking of fun....

To get in the holiday spirit, I have teamed up with Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs (and a bunch of other sellers) to bring you...

It begins on 12/1 and runs for 12 days!

Head to Zippy's Facebook Page for the details on how to enter for each day!

Each day she will bring you a chance to win something from her store, as well as the stores of 3 other TPT Sellers!  There is also a 'joint gift' to enter to win...a $30 gift card to places such as Target, Amazon, Starbucks and more!

But you are going to have to be fast...each day's rafflecopter only runs for 24 hours!

You will have to enter each day!

I am honored to be with this group of sellers:

Our day is Wednesday December 2nd!

You have the chance to win:

$5 item of your choice from my TpT Store

$5 item of your choice from Teaching With Grace

$5 item of your choice from Kindergarten Smorgasboard

$5 item of your choice from Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs

PLUS the grand prize:

$30 Starbucks Gift Card

Entry is open to anyone- gift cards will be emailed.

To enter head over to Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs facebook page and click the 'giveaway' tab

OR you can enter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

remember you can only enter for these prizes on 12/2...each day brings new prizes you can enter to win!

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season!

Until next post.

Thanksgiving Fine Motor and Math Fun!

My students LOVE play dough!

I love giving them the chance to work on some fine motor skills, so next Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, we are going to review identifying, counting and ordering numbers 0-5 using play dough!

Are you ready to make a play dough turkey?

It's super easy!

First either purchase or make brown play dough.

If you are choosing to make it, it adds another element to fine motor work!

Mix equal parts red and brown play dough by kneading them together until they are fully mixed:

The amount of red you use will alter your shade of brown.  The one on the left had more red than green.  The one on the right had more green!

Now it's time to build a turkey!

I had some beads around my classroom, but you can use scraps of paper too!

Roll 2 balls of play dough and stack them:

Then add eyes, a beak, waddle and feet! 

Cut pipe cleaners in half (thirds would work too!) and stick them into the bottom ball of the turkey: 

Here is the turkey ready for some math fun:

Decide on what you'd like your students to practice!

Maybe ordering numbers from 0-5:

Maybe roll a number, ID the number, count that many beads and show it on a 'feather':

Maybe you are working on addition!

I have these neat dice within a dice (from Lakeshore) but you could use 2 dice. 

They add the two numbers and show the sum on a feather:

(They can even use 2 different color beads to show what parts were added and/or use a dry erase board to record the number sentences!)

Or maybe you just want them to practice some fine motor work!  Have students flip a sand timer (I found mine at Dollar Tree 'teacher section') and put beads on the pipe cleaner until the time runs out:

No matter what skill you choose to practice, your students are sure to LOVE it!

They will even forget they are 'learning!'

Be sure to check out my post that has this FREE Thanksgiving retelling bracelet/story:

as well as my Thanksgiving resources (both paid and free):

Wishing you, your students and family a very happy Thanksgiving!

Until next post,