Pumpkin Math Fun!

It's pumpkin time!

There are so many fun and educational activities to do with a pumpkin theme!  Have you started to 'dig in' yet?!

My kinders will be 'carving into' our pumpkin unit in the next few weeks, but I wanted to share a fun pumpkin themed math pack I am putting on sale this week for Markdown Monday!

I used it last year and have some pictures to share of the fun we had!

Last year we were just beginning our numbers/counting unit so I wanted a simple math center for my kinders to practice counting/identifying numbers.  I made these pumpkin mats that had the numbers 0-5 and a set with 5-10 so that they could practice making 'towers'

I had brought in some Legos my sons had at home for my kinders to use, and I also put out connecting cubes for them to use.  I had printed the mats front/back- it helped conserve my cardstock/laminate supply!  After they built it on one side they could flip and try the other side. 

The following week I put it out again, but this time with a set of dice.  They would roll the dice and then build a tower with that many blocks and cover the pumpkin with that number.  I did have to put a small sticker on the '6' and replace it with '0' for the 0-5 mat.  They would roll/build until all the pumpkins were covered!

Our PTA sponsors a pumpkin trip each year and in addition to each child receiving a pumpkin, the class gets one too!  We cut it up and find the 'parts' as well as collect the seeds.  We count them, use them for math, use some for our labeling project and then I take home the rest to roast so they can taste them!  

For the activity below we used real seeds, but I included paper seeds in the pack for classes that don't have seeds to use and/or for classes where someone might be allergic to seeds/pumpkin (there is a kindergartener this year with a pumpkin/squash allergy in our building).

There are large pumpkins to use for this or you can re-use the pumpkin mats from the towers!

Last year we started interactive notebooks so this was an entry in our 'math' section.

If you don't have an interactive notebook you can simply have students glue the tab to a blank piece of paper!

If you are doing interactive notebooks in your classroom, I have more pumpkin interactive notebook fun in this pack:

I wanted to assess how well my students understood counting and writing numbers, so I had them complete this printable.  I then used it to see who needed more work with counting, writing numbers, etc.

A few of my first grade colleagues saw the pumpkin fun in action and mentioned how they were reviewing addition/subtraction, so I added some number sentence cards to the pack!  It is great review for firsties and a fun challenge for some kinders that are ready!

They also used the pumpkin number cards and seeds to focus on one number at a time and show all the different ways the number can be composed! 

After my class had so much fun with this pack, I put it all together and included a photo instruction page to make it easier to follow: 

I chose to print/use all the pieces in color, but I know some teachers are limited in how much color printing they can do, so I also included the b&w version for the mats, number cards and seeds!

This pumpkin numbers pack is normally $4, but will be 50% off all week as part of Kelly & Kim's Kindergarten Kreations Monday Markdown Linky!

Click this image to find more deal for the week:

I hope you have a delicious week of fun and learning!

Until next post,

Fire Safety Fun!

October 5-11th is 'Fire Safety Week' for 2014 so we spent the last week learning all about fire safety!  My kinders will be all set with 'background knowledge' for our fire safety assembly presented by the local fire department next week!

We read a few stories this week including:

Flashing Fire Engines

Stop, Drop & Roll

A Visit to the Fire Station

Firefighters

and my Scholastic order with Gingerbread Loose at the Fire Station just came on Friday, so we'll be reading that next week!

I themed a lot of my reading, writing, math and centers around a 'fire safety' theme for the week!

In Readers Workshop we are working on reading left to right and with 1:1 correspondence.  We are also practicing finding and reading our sight words in text!

So I made a fire safety reader!

They practiced showing me how to point to the words as they read (using their fancy and fun reading finger) and how to read from left to right:

 Another way I had them practice identifying and reading sight words was with this fun Eno Board activity!  I simply inserted some graphics and text boxes into a Power Point slide and projected the slide on my Eno board.  I printed a 'squirting hose' pointer.  I would call out a word and students would find the word, 'squirt it' (aka slide the pointer under the word) and then 'put the fire out' by pulling the word off the flame!  They LOVE doing this and are always in AWE!

If you want to try it with your kids, you can download my file by clicking here!

One of my favorite fire safety projects is making a shape fire engine!

I have the pieces pre cut and bagged and the students just have to match it to build.  I give them a form to glue it down- I have tried it with a blank piece of paper but it caused a bit of frustration for some!

I have them draw in a hose/water.  I used to give them a piece of ribbon/string, but have opted for this easier, less stress method the past few years!

As a class we use interactive writing to label the parts of a fire engine.  I made a large scale version of their shape truck so that when it comes time for them to label their trucks it looks similar.

The next day we re-read the parts of the truck and I cut apart the labels they would be using and taped them near our interactive writing labels.  This year I had more than ever that came up to 'check' their label against the large one before gluing!

They worked together to help each other figure out the labels too!

It was the 'hot spot' of our room!

When they were all done, their trucks mimicked the large class engine!

They did a fabulous job and it makes a fabulous bulletin board display!

In Writers Workshop we are working on using one student's 'story' as the way to model how to write a story and then going off to write our own.

We had read 'A Visit to The Fire Station' this week and talked about things you see at a fire station.  So, during writing, I had our star author tell a story about what she sees at a fire station.

We use interactive writing to write the story, but each student is working with his/her clipboard to practice and write the group story.

This idea was our of a professional development workshop we had.

The students 'practice' in the '1' area (letters, sight words, etc) and write the story in the '2' area.  I model for them on my board: 

Where you see it written multiple times/circled that is because I had them practice writing it more than once and then circle the one they did the best.  While they are working, the author is working with me to write his/her story.  As the story is being written, the others are doing the same in their '2' section.  When the story is complete, they illustrate it.

Then students were sent off to write their story about what they see at a fire station.

So here is a student's clipboard and independent story.

I am so proud...this was only our 3rd attempt at doing this!

Here were some of the other independent stories I got showing all the different levels they are working at:

In math centers, I taught the kids how to play 'Roll, Say, Keep!'

I LOVE this game and as they learn it and practice, it becomes an independent center!

 I had them working with 2D & 3D shapes...the 'fire safety' portion came in with the themed mat!

If you have never played it, take a look at one of my kinders learning and practicing how to play:

I know it's hard to hear her the whole time, but there were 18 other kinders working independently in math stations!
As you can see I put dice in little plastic containers...it helps prevent them from flying off the table and kinders crawling on the floor in a quest to find them!

Here are a few more pics of them playing:

In listening center my kids listened to Fire Truck by Ivan Utz!

It is a catchy and fun story and if you don't have it, you can play it on your smartboard for your kids because it is on youtube:

But beware...it STICKS IN YOUR HEAD!!!

We are lucky that our school district plays for a Scholastic Lets Find Out subscription as part of our Science/SS curriculum.  This month's pack of magazines and online resources had a Fire Safety set!

So we watched the video and played the online interactive sort for items that are safe/not safe to touch!

We read the magazine and they all had a copy to take home and read with their families over the weekend to review what we had learned.

Phew...it was a 'red hot' week of fire safety learning and fun!

You can find the reader, craft and roll, say, keep in these packs available in my TPT Store:

I am linking up with Kelly & Kim's Kindergarten Kreations for:

 and have decided to put the Fire Safety Roll, Say, Keep on sale for $2!

I also just uploaded my Fall version

and have put that one on sale for $2 as well!

Find more fun deals and steals for the week on the linky!

Hope you have a 'smokin' fun' week!

Until next post,

Introducing...The Primary Pack!

I am so excited to have the opportunity to work behind the scenes with the fabulous bloggers of The Primary Pack!  We are collaborating to bring you a 'rainbow of ideas!'  Make sure you follow along to grab a bunch of 'colorful freebies,' as well as enter our giveaway with $300 worth of prizes!

Hi! I'm Jennifer blogging from Crayons & Cuties In Kindergarten! I am a Long Island (NY) kindergarten teacher who loves kids, giggles, family and fun!

It's really hard for me to pick a favorite color- I truly believe they all work together to make our world the wonderful and colorful place that it is!

 I originally went to school to be an Art Therapist!  I really wanted to be an Art Teacher but was told I would never find a job because they are so limited.  I  found a college that let me do a major in Art Therapy and a minor in Special Ed.  The Art Therapy became too clinical for my liking, so I decided to pursue the Special Education side.  I was awarded a Graduate Assistantship and completed my Masters in Education in a year!  Upon graduating I took a position as a teaching assistant to get my 'foot in the door!'  The following year I was hired as a K-1 Self-Contained Special Education teacher!  I taught in that class for 3 years and then asked for a transfer to regular education.

14 years later and I am still in the kindergarten classroom I got transferred to!
Come on in and take a look at my 'home away from home':

This was before my room was graced with 20 wonderful 4 & 5 year olds!

And my favorite part of the room...many years in the making...the 'book nook':

This 'storage bench' is actual 2 vertical bookshelves that I laid on their sides!  It frames my book nook, holds my manipulative bins and serves as a bench for reading!

This summer I made storage benches for my guided reading table.  I use them to store my centers and sensory tub contents- it also makes my room looks so cute and inviting! 

Now a bit more about me...

I have been married to my fabulous hubby for almost 6 years (our anniversary is on 10/11!). We met on a beach- on a day neither of us were 'looking for love' more than 12 years ago...and now live with our 2 sons in our 'beach park house' that is just a 7 min walk from a beach that has a playground on it!  It is the perfect place to raise our boys- we are on a cul-de-sac so the boys can ride bikes, write with chalk and play ball right in the front yard!

We spend our summers walking to the beach in the morning and end many a night running in the sand before bed!

This summer we surprised them with a trip to Disney World!  We woke them and told them they were going on a plane to see Mickey!  There are no words to describe seeing the 'Disney Magic' through a child's eyes...I will cherish those memories forever!

Those that really know me know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE to bake & decorate my boys fun and festive birthday cakes!  I am in the process of getting a very special doggie cake all set for my little one's 4th birthday party on Sunday!  Here are a few of my creations:

I have always created for my classroom but did not know about Teachers Pay Teachers, or the 'teaching blogging world,' until I was in a frantic search to find information about Readers Workshop back in August 2012.  My district was adopting it, but we were given little to no information.  Through Google and Pinterest searches I discovered TpT!  A few weeks later I started uploading my own creations!  Last November I finally joined the blogging world thanks to A LOT of help from Kourtney Payton of Mrs. Payton's Precious Kindergarteners!  Although we have never met in person we would chat via Facebook and she stayed up with me for HOURS last November to get me up and running!

My favorite thing to make are fun and engaging centers!  I want my kids to feel like they are playing, having fun and enjoying their time in my classroom- yet I know they are learning more and more with each passing day!
I can't wait to share all that I do, learn and explore with my kinders with your via The Primary Pack!

To celebrate our new collaborative adventure, The Primary Pack is hosting a giveaway with tons of fabulous prizes!

Enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AND here's my "colorful" freebie!  Just click on this image:

It will open up as a free download from my TPT store!

Feedback would be greatly appreciated!

It is only free for a limited time to celebrate the launch of The Primary Pack, so be sure to head there now!

Now don't forget to hop along to meet the other bright bloggers and to grab a 'rainbow of freebies!'

An InLinkz Link-up

Until next post,