ABC Caps

A B C 

               We decided to work on another service project for our little friends in the kindergarten class.  My students enjoy seeing the kindergarteners when we go down to Music class. Once a month my students sit with the kindergarten children while at weekly mass. 
         
              The Green Team at St. Michael Catholic School is very hard working. Recycled bottle caps have been collected and were just waiting for a fun and  useful up-cycle project.

         First, my students needed to look through the bottle cap collection.  Groups of three of the same color cap were collected. These colorful gallon milk jug caps were the perfect size.  We needed 26 groups of three caps. Our school Administrative Assistant kindly offered to print out labels with capital and lower case letters of the alphabet for our project.    

        Next, the labels needed to be cut an glued onto the caps. You can see, my 5th graders did the cutting of the letters. That is why they aren't perfect. The next step was to find an appropriate sticker picture for each letter.  This proved to be quite a project. But I think my students did a very good job. The Modpodge was applied over the letters. Three or four layers of Modpodge was added to make sure the stickers adhered to the caps.  Little fingers won't be able to pick the letters off of the caps.

        I teach in a Catholic school, so Jesus in the manger, for the letter "J", was no problem for our students.

              A variety of colors were used so that color matching of 5 year olds would be used in addition to matching the letters and the pictures.  

             Finding the appropriate pictures was a challenge for my fifth graders.  They had a large variety of stickers to choose from.  Sometimes a picture would be chosen but had to be discarded because the younger children might not be able to identify and match it to the letters.   That is why I cut a circle of yellow paper to match with Y and y,  the word "BOXING" to match with X and x, and "VOTED" as a match for V and v.  

            This was a group project in which so many of my students had a hand i the works.   Great Team Work 5th grade!

            I hope this post will inspire you and your class to reach out and help to younger children in your school.

      Please go to Forever in 5th Grade for the Show and Tell Linky to see all the great ideas.
foreverinfifthgrade.blogspot.com 

           Please leave a short comment if you have a spare minute. I'd love to hear from you.


  Beti

Felt Matching Game

 Felt Matching Game

           I love to make toys for my grandchildren from felt and flannel material.  I found this piece at JoAnns and thought it would make a cute matching game.  The bold colors and cute, simple  illustrations would work nicely.

         The first step was to cut the squares apart and have 2 of each design. Next, I cut squares of felt the same size.  The sewing was simple, just zig zag around each square. Easy Peasy!

          This little game can be used as a simple match game or as a memory game for a older child.  Color recognition, learning letters, opposites, and beginning reading are all possible using these squares.  Where is the dog? Can you give the dog a kiss? What does the dog say?  Can you find the green tree? Where is the wind mill?  Blow the wind mill like this. These are many of the possible ways to use this simple toy.  It is nice and quiet because it is made if of very soft material.

       

        These can be easily popped into a tote bag for quite play while on an airplane going on vacation or at a restaurant.  

 Enjoy your day with your family and friends!
  Beti

Puppies Quiet Book

Puppies!

  Puppies!

Puppies!

 

               On one of my excursions,   I was wandering around JoAnn Fabrics and saw a darling piece of flannel fabric with these cute little dogs.  They were so colorful with friendly facial expressions.  I could not resist buying a yard.  I knew it would be perfect for my next quiet book.  By purchasing fabric with cute graphics, I can spend less time constructing my quiet books. 

          Five little dogs of different colors would be great for color recognition and matching. 

         I cut around the dogs and zig zagged the matching colors back to back.  I was lucky enough that the dogs were facing in opposite directions so they could become two sided dogs.

          Each puppy needed a bed of the same color to sleep in.  Little pockets felt were sewn on for the dog beds.

       I added a light purple dog dish with water and food just in case the puppies get hungry!  As you can see the little yellow pup is having a snack from their dog food dish.  Yum!

      On the back cover a red dog house was added.  All the dogs can fit into the dog house.

       There is a snap at the top of the dog house so all the pups can fit in.

         
       A handle made from ribbon was added along the binding so the book can be easily carried by small hands.

     
           Today I have linked up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for the Five for Friday weekly Linky Party.  I enjoy reading Kacey's blog. She has so many great ideas for the classroom. Check it out!

www.doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com

    
  Please leave a comment if you have an extra minute. I'd love to hear from you. Enjoy your day!

Beti

Think Spring

        

Think Spring!

      Look for the purple striped bunny on the desk.  Isn't this bunny shape so basic but yet so cute?  I found these paint chips  in the paint section of our local hardware store. Wouldn't they make an adorable matching game for our younger children?   They would also make a great art project.  

     Just imagine many colorful bunnies sitting in blades of green grass or resting in a large Easter basket surrounded by lots of colored  eggs?  Your kinders or firsties would love creating a picture similar to that.

        If you are working with young children who are learning their colors, you could say,  " Please find the pink bunny or yellow bunny."  Numbers or rhyming words could be written on each colored section. There are so many possibilities.

      This young man is working on cutting out a cute yellow striped bunny. So many children need practice cutting. These would be very colorful for young preschool or elementary age students.

We were in the process of making Easter baskets to donate to a local food pantry.  This will make a cute tag for each basket.

 I linked this page to Teaching Blog Addict
 http://www.teachingblogaddict.com/2015/02/the-last-freebie-friday-of-february.html

For  a Freebie Friday  

Please visit this blog for lots of great teaching ideas.

Leave a comment if you have the time. I love to hear from you.
Beti