Target Tuesday

Looking for cute activities with hardly any teacher prep?

 

Here you go!  Everything you need is at Bulleye's Playground!

 

You'll want to pick up several of these plastic storage containers for this project.  They're available in a variety of colors and, of course, priced at only $1. I didn't really need these for storage purposes so I started thinking how I could use them in the classroom.

 

 

 

 

For a quick counting activity, you simply write numerals on small post it notes and place them in each section of the container.

 

 

 

 

Have your students use the Target erasers to count out how many.

 

I lucked up and found these adorable cat and dog erasers that I'm sure my kids will ❤ to use as math counters!

 

 

 

 

For a little alphabet fun, let's use these colorful magnetic letters!

 





 

 

All you have to do to prepare this activity is put the letters you're focusing on in the storage container. How's that for no teacher prep!

 

 

Your students will do the rest as they work on making a match with the lowercase letters!

 

 

How will you use your Target treasures?

Valentine Math Centers

Super excited it's Valentine's week so I'm sharing a few Valentine Math Centers with sweet Tara at her  Monday Made It !  Be sure to check out what everyone's been making!

 

 

In addition to our regular math centers...Unifix cubes, dice, linking chains, magnet numbers, ten frames, and more...I provided my class with several fun and easy to make Valentine centers!

 

My Young 5's are learning to read number words so I created a simple Valentine game to give  them more practice.  I took a stack of cheap, white paper dessert plates and wrote the number words on them...tossed some Dollar Store heart shaped erasers into a holiday bowl...and let the reading and matching begin!  So easy!

 

 

 

Here's another activity you can make in just a few minutes!  It's  easy peasy!  I bought a package of decorative Valentine plates and labeled half with the number words and the other half with the numeral.  Students make a set by stacking the matching plates together.  I wrote on the back of each plate to make it self checking, too!

 

 

 

These little sweethearts are practicing their number words while counting Valentine cats!  I found a bag of pink kitty erasers during Halloween at the Target Dollar Spot and forgot to use them saved them for my Valentine centers!  For the numeral cards, I made a basic table and inserted cat clip-art along with the number words.  I printed a copy on pink paper and another on yellow paper giving me two centers!  When students finish one color they "get" to do the other one, too!  

 

 

Print, laminate, ready to go!  Does it get any easier than that?  We're working on missing numbers and what comes next so these  Heart Write-and-Wipe Cards are perfect practice! 

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Quick, easy, fun Valentine Math Centers! 



 

Monday Made It - Tigers, Zebras, Foxes - Oh My!

I missed last week's Monday Made It  since my family was enjoying one last HURRAH of summer!  We had a wonderful week along the South Carolina coast at my in-laws beach house...delightful sunshine, yummy local shrimp, and plenty of competitive card games since we don't have cable TV!  I actually packed a big stack of laminating and got it all cut one night. 

 

Now I'm super excited to join 4th Grade Frolics today and share what I made when we got back!

 

Before our trip, I stopped in Walmart for a few last minute beach items and, of course, I took a stroll around the school supply aisles.  I was disappointed they didn't have those whimsical file folders & seasonal borders like last year.  Do you remember all that cuteness for the unbelievably low prices?  They had packs of generic teacher die-cuts marked $2.97.  Not much of a deal in my opinion....BUT....hanging alongside the basic ones I spotted these novelty goodies...

 

Check out the price!!!

 

I knew immediately what I'd make!

 

 

Using clear Avery address labels, I typed upper & lower case letters and made a matching game!  The clear labels worked perfectly on the bold tiger print die-cuts.  To keep the ink from smearing on these slick labels, I've learned to change the settings from "plain paper" to "premium ink jet paper". Works like a charm! 

Next, I took the zebra printed die-cuts and made a fun counting game!  Students will use my Wild Animal math manipulatives (from Lakeshore) and count the number on their zebra card. 

 

 

My last project was with the foxes....destined to be a huge hit in the classroom!  I typed up our sight word list so the kids can read what the fox says when they select a card!  What a fun game to play and practice those sight words!

 

So for less than $5 I now have three new NOVELTY center activities for this school year! 





Vegas - That's a Wrap

I'm the first to admit it's CRAZY it took me THREE blog posts to tell ya'll about Vegas & I Teach K!

Once again, I'm joining A Burst of First to tell you what happened in Vegas.

I'm excited to share what Kim Jordano from  Kinder by Kim's  "Bookmaking" Make & Take workshop was all about!  I'm normally not one to go to M&T sessions.  Not sure why.  I guess I prefer to get as many ideas as possible during a workshop instead of just sitting and doing a M&T.  Boy, am I glad I went to this M&T class! 

 

 

There were TONS of extension ideas how to use the books we made.  Kim provided a bag full of patterns, papers, and all the materials while she gave us the best, step by step directions.  Here are a few really bad cell phone photos from her slide presentation...

 

a "clothespin" booklet...





a "When I grow up" Booklet...

 "Eating Through the Alphabet" book and "Kindergarten Poetry Journal"

Doesn't that  ribbon just add the cutest finishing touch?

 

Collection of "Self Portraits" with simple but colorful paper plate photo frame...

 

 

We made several others including my favorite...the "Popcorn Book"!

 

Kim has graciously shared her patterns & directions for this workshop.  Click here to find out all about it!

 

I must tell you a bit of what I learned in Amanda Bistline's "1,2,3 Come Count With Me!" workshop.  I was absolutely in AWE of Amanda in this session!  She shared activity after activity of ways we can keep our students engaged with hands-on learning!  Honestly, I think you could teach all your math standards using this approach and never pull out a worksheet!  I loved it! There is an excellent post by Amanda about this session on her blog.  Take a look here and you'll see more!

 

Using a dice & Unifix cubes for building a staircase as you count...

 

 

 Quick & easy center of dot stickers & plates plus a counting manipulative of your choice!

Use a Sharpie to write numbers on slices made of pool noodles & use them for ordering

 

 

Inexpensive star stickers are good when learning to add or subtract...

Number Munchers...

Dollar Store cookie sheets simply made into Ten Frames...

 

 

So my week was INCREDIBLE! 

 

I enjoyed every minute of the workshops and shopping for teacher goodies was a treat, too.  I toured around Vegas with my hubby, dined at celebrity chef restaurants,  met Penn & Teller, and even saw the Grand Canyon for the first time!

I was also lucky enough to make a new friend from The Apple Tree Room at the big Blogger Party! 

 

Funny how you can teach different ages and live in very different parts of the country, but you immediately hit it off because you're both teachers!

I hope you've liked reading about my experiences at I Teach K.  I've loved sharing it with you!