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Holidays

Holiday Kindness Bingo

November 16, 2021

The holiday season is upon us, and it’s truly my favorite time of year. The precious time spent with family and friends, the heightened level of cheer and goodwill, the Hallmark movies, the FOOD…..Yes, it’s clearly a season I love.

However, in the midst of the parties, holiday activities, and the presents, I’ve noticed a tendency for kids to start to think more about what their getting rather than what they can give. Whether it’s the onslaught on Christmas ads, the stores filled to the brim with goodies, or even well-meaning family members asking all about “the perfect gift,” kids (and adults too) can begin to get “wrapped up in themselves” (pardon the pun), rather than looking for ways to be a gift to others.

One thing that I’ve found to help this predicament is intentionally practicing acts of kindness toward others during this season. To make it even more fun, we’ve turned it into a game. For the past several years, my family has played this Christmas Kindness Bingo Game, and it has been such a joy to watch!

Help your kids learn that it is truly more blessed to give than to receive with this Holiday Kindness BINGO game. With 25 different kindness challenges, it's the perfect way to encourage children to look for ways to demonstrate kindness toward others during this holiday season. Getting to play BINGO at the same time makes it all the more fun! With a classroom AND a home version, use it to best suit your needs.
#kindnessbingo #chiristmaskindness #holidaykindness #teachingkindness #25daysofkindness #actsofkindness

The premise is simple. Each day, draw a bingo card and complete that act of kindness. As you progress through the holiday season, not only does the board get filled, but we’re all reminded of the truth that is really is more blessed to give than to receive.

There are a few different ways you can play, depending on the ages of your kids (and how many you have). No matter how you play, I’m sure you’ll find it to be a great addition to your holiday season. The download includes instructions for three different at home versions.

Looking for ways to help your kids think of others during this holiday season? The Christmas Kindness Bingo is the perfect solution! With 25 different challenges and a variety of ways to play, it's a fun and easy way to encourage acts of kindness during this holiday season! #christmaskindness #kindnessbingo #25daysofkindness

This year I decided to make a classroom edition as well, so we can spread some holiday cheer and kindness around our school community as well.

While there are a few “at home” tasks that students will complete after the school day, the majority of the kindness challenges are things that can easily be integrated into your day. It’s always a delight to see the students step up to the challenge, and even better to hear the feedback from the staff.

Looking for ways to help your students think of others during this holiday season? This Holiday Kindness Bingo game is the perfect solution! With 25 different challenges that are perfect for a classroom, it's a fun and easy way to encourage acts of kindness during this holiday season! #classroombingo #holidaykindness #kindnessbingo #25daysofkindness

We’ve already gotten started in my classroom this year, and I can’t wait to see how it impacts the students, our school community, and beyond!

I don’t know about you, but stickers seem to make everything more fun for my kids (both my own and my students). So, I print the small BINGO drawing cards on these full sticker labels (affiliate link), and once they’ve completed the activity, they get to put the sticker on the board. Instant engagement!!

Is this something you’d like to try? Whether you want to use this as an activity with your family or want to bring it into your classroom, click below to grab this Holiday Kindness BINGO for FREE!!

GRAB YOUR HOME AND FAMILY EDITION HERE

GRAB YOUR CLASSROOM EDITION HERE

100th Day of School Freebies

January 23, 2021

It is hard to believe, but we have almost made it to the 100th day of school. And if there’s any year to celebrate making it to the 100th day, it is certainly this year! The 2020-2021 school year has brought more than it’s fair share of challenges, so making it to the 100th day marker is definitely something to celebrate.

Today I’m sharing two easy to use freebies that are absolutely perfect for the 100th day. First, get your kids up and moving with this 100th day of school fitness challenge. It’s easy enough for preschool or kindergarten students, and yet can be used throughout the grade levels to get some movement going. I know with the lack of sports and/or recess at schools due to the pandemic, it’s important to include activities that remind kids to get active!

Celebrate the 100th day of school with these FREE printables! Get your students moving with this 100th Day Fitness Challenge. Then, have fun with this 100th Day of School Color by Sun Freebie! These fun and easy to use activities are perfect for PreK, kindergarten, first grade, or second grade. #100thdayofschool #100thdayfreebies

Once the kids have gotten their blood pumping, use this fun color by sum worksheet to give students practice with their addition facts.

These easy to use activities are designed to make the hundredth day of school fun for your students with little prep for you. Simply print and you’re ready to go! They are perfect for PreK – 2nd grade students. Grab your freebies at the bottom of this post!

If you’re looking for more activities for the month of January (which is always when our hundredth day of school falls), be sure to check out my January activity pack for kindergarten. There’s a ton of ready to go printables just for you!

Simply enter your information below to grab your freebies!

Thanksgiving Freebies

November 8, 2019

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I couldn’t be more excited!

I simply love this season! Spending time with family, reflecting on all that we have to be grateful for, and eating some incredible food – how could you not love it!?!?

So, of course, I love to bring this holiday into the classroom. And today I’ve got some Thanksgiving freebies to help you do just that!

Looking for some fun and festive Thanksgiving printables that will keep your students learning during the holiday season? This set of Thanksgiving freebies is just for you! It includes the following three activities: How to Cook a Turkey Sequencing, Thanksgiving Dinner Addition (up to 5), Thanksgiving Color by Sum. They're perfect for kindergarten or first grade. Use them as centers, independent work, or early finisher activities! And best of all, they're FREE! #thanksgivingfreebies #thanksgiving #thanksgvingprintables

First of all, what’s Thanksgiving without an amazing meal?

So, the first freebie I have for you is this fun How to Cook a Turkey Sequencing activity. Students will color the different pictures, then cut and glue them in the correct order.

I’ve included some text clues too, just in case.

It’s a fun and festive way to work on sequencing with your kindergarten or first grade students.

FREE How to Cook a Turkey Sequencing.
Looking for some fun and festive Thanksgiving printables that will keep your students learning during the holiday season? This set of Thanksgiving freebies is just for you! It includes the following three activities: How to Cook a Turkey Sequencing, Thanksgiving Dinner Addition (up to 5), Thanksgiving Color by Sum. They're perfect for kindergarten or first grade. Use them as centers, independent work, or early finisher activities! And best of all, they're FREE! #thanksgivingfreebies #thanksgiving #thanksgvingprintables

Something else I love about this time of year is all of the beautiful colors of the season.

To incorporate those gorgeous colors into an activity, I have this Color by Sum printable. Don’t the colors just scream fall?

FREE Thanksgiving Color by Sum
Looking for some fun and festive Thanksgiving printables that will keep your students learning during the holiday season? This set of Thanksgiving freebies is just for you! It includes the following three activities: How to Cook a Turkey Sequencing, Thanksgiving Dinner Addition (up to 5), Thanksgiving Color by Sum. They're perfect for kindergarten or first grade. Use them as centers, independent work, or early finisher activities! And best of all, they're FREE! #thanksgivingfreebies #thanksgiving #thanksgvingprintables

It works perfect for a Thanksgiving math center or an early finisher activity.

And since we’re working on addition, I’ve also included this Thanksgiving Dinner addition printable.

FREE Thanksgiving Dinner Addition.
Looking for some fun and festive Thanksgiving printables that will keep your students learning during the holiday season? This set of Thanksgiving freebies is just for you! It includes the following three activities: How to Cook a Turkey Sequencing, Thanksgiving Dinner Addition (up to 5), Thanksgiving Color by Sum. They're perfect for kindergarten or first grade. Use them as centers, independent work, or early finisher activities! And best of all, they're FREE! #thanksgivingfreebies #thanksgiving #thanksgvingprintables

It’s a great way for student to practice counting as well as addition sums to 5.

If you’re looking for other Thanksgiving activities that require little to no prep and are perfect for kindergarten or first grade, you might want to check out my Thanksgiving Print and Go Activity Set!

Looking to keep your students engaged in learning activities as Thanksgiving approaches? These easy to use, print and go worksheets will give your kindergarten and 1st grade students plenty of learning opportunities while tying into all things Thanksgiving. These printables are perfect for November math and literacy centers, small group work, independent practice, and morning work.

To grab your Thanksgiving Freebies, just hop on over to my Teachers Pay Teachers store and download them today!

I am so thankful for you, and I hope these Thanksgiving freebies are helpful in bringing this wonderful holiday into your classroom.

Turkey Math Freebies

November 1, 2019

It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is right around the corner! I always love bringing different holiday themes into our learning activities, and these turkey math freebies do just that!

Get your kids working with numbers - and having some Thanksgiving themed fun - with this FREE set of Turkey Math printables! Practice counting numbers 1-10 as students count the number of feathers on these adorable turkeys. Then, use the turkey counters to practice addition facts up to five. These activities are perfect for preschool or kindergarten classrooms, and they make a perfect math center for November! #thanksgivingfreebies #turkeyfreebies #thanksgivingprintables

Students will love practicing their counting skills with this festive Feather Counting activity.

They’ll start off with some great fine motor practice as they cut out the numbers 1-10.

Then, they’ll count the number of feathers on the turkey and glue the correct number. It’s a perfect math center for preschool or kindergarten!

And since these turkeys are just too adorable to only do one activity, I also have a simple Turkey Addition page as well!

Simply cut out the five turkeys at the bottom of the page, then students use them to practice addition sums to 5.

Both activities come in color as well as black and white versions, so you can choose the one that works best for you!

Grab your freebies by clicking on the pink “Download Here” button at the bottom of this post.

If you’re looking for other activities for November, you might want to check out my set of November activities designed just preschool and kindergarten students!

This activity packet provides fun and engaging math and literacy activities for your preschool, prek, or T-K students. These worksheets also work great as review or independent centers for kindergarten. These printables are November themed, so several Thanksgiving pages are included. These activities are perfect for centers, morning work, small group, review, or even homework. #novembercenters #novemberactivities #fallcenters #kindergartencenters

Hope you enjoy these freebies and have a very blessed Thanksgiving!

October Centers

October 5, 2018

It’s October, and that means it’s time for all things Pumpkin!

While I absolutely love summer, by the time October hits, I’m ready for some cooler weather and the beautiful colors of this season. It’s also when I finally get to break out my October Math and Literacy Centers. My kindergarten students just love these activities, and because of that I’m super excited to offer you these Pumpkin Rhyming Cards for FREE. You can grab them at the bottom of this post!

Have fun practicing rhyming skills with these FREE pumpkin rhyming cards. Use them to play a matching game, in a sensory bin, as a fun way to find partners, and more! It's a perfect October literacy center activity for preschool or kindergarten. #pumpkinfreebie #rhymingcards #pumpkinactivities

There are so many fun ways to use these cards. In fact, the FREE download includes a list of fun ideas.

If you’re looking for other fun pumpkin activities, be sure to check out my October Pumpkin Centers.

Here’s a glimpse of the few of the activities you’ll find inside.

Once we’re in October, we’ve spent a good amount of time working with letters and their sounds. While some students have mastered them, others are still working on it, and reviewing capital and lowercase letters is beneficial for all of them! These candy corn letter mats help students match the capital and lowercase letters, as well as pictures that begin with the letter sound. We’ve used it working with just a few letters at a time, as well as working with the whole alphabet. To give you fair warning, if you’re doing the entire alphabet, be sure to give your students plenty of space!

During the past few weeks, we’ve also been working on blending those letter sounds to build CVC words. And my students just love this Pumpkin Vine Word Family Center. The students match the picture on the pumpkin with the vine that has that word family label. While my students love that this is so interactive, I love that I can differentiate it easily. For some students I’ll say the name of the picture, and then they place it (and we only use 2 vines). Other students place all of the pumpkins on the different vines independently, and still others, place them on the vines and record the words on the recording sheet on their own! The students love it, and their learning so much!

We’ve also got some fun math activities.

My students love using these pumpkin counting cards. They count the number of seeds in the pumpkin, then count (and draw) on to reach the total. When you laminate these cards, kids can use them over and over!

And of course, we’ve got to have some puzzles. These pumpkin number puzzles help students match different representations of numbers. And….there’s so many ways to differentiate this activity! For students who are just beginning to recognize numbers, you could just give them 2-piece puzzles. For example, the pumpkin seed ten frames and the number. Other students may be ready for the three-part puzzle pictured below, which also includes base ten blocks. And, if you’ve got students who are really ready for a challenge, there’s also a blank puzzle piece where they can draw their own representation of that number!

And one of our all-time favorite activities this time of year is our candy corn measuring. Students use pieces of candy corn (or the candy corn rulers that are included) to measure different fall pictures. This is definitely a favorite math center activity – especially if I let them eat of couple of pieces of candy corn once they are finished.

There are even more activities included in this October center pack, so be sure to hop over to my Teachers Pay Teachers Store HERE to check it out!

And don’t forget to grab your free Pumpkin Rhyming Cards by clicking on the FREE button below:

A Meaningful Easter Snack

March 23, 2018

My boys absolutely love Easter. And of course, one of the things that they look forward to each year is the infamous Easter Egg Hunt!

In the weeks leading up to Easter, we probably have at least 50 Easter egg hunts in various forms, just because my boys are completely captivated by “the hunt.” They ask Mommy and Daddy to hide eggs whenever they have a chance. They hide eggs for each other. And as the actual holiday approaches, we get to go to a few organized events (either with our co-op, church, or other family members) where the Easter Egg hunt is in full swing!

As much as I love a good Easter egg hunt (my parents have actually held one for the adults the past few years), I never want my boys to miss the true meaning of Easter – the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So, when they were young, I started trying to brainstorm ways we could weave the two activities together. Now, of course, we’ve done the popular Resurrection Eggs – which are absolutely wonderful! However, one element was missing for my boys – FOOD! I mean, with all of that hunting, they definitely needed a snack, right?

So, we created this Resurrection Snack Mix that not only points to the true meaning of Easter but also gives them a little something to eat after using all of that energy to find the eggs!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Clean, plastic Easter eggs
Pretzel sticks
Fish crackers
Chocolate chips
Small marshmallows or Popcorn
Any small red candy (sometimes I’ll save red M&Ms from the Valentine’s assortment or pieces of licorice – see my note below)
Large bowl

Now, you can do this a number of ways. If you want to place the actual snack mix items in the Easter eggs, be sure that you wash them thoroughly before filling them with the food items.

Then, fill the Easter eggs with the various items listed above. Leave at least one empty egg. Then, hide the eggs for your kids to find. Be sure to give them instructions NOT to open any of the eggs yet. Once all of the eggs have been found, come back together. Then, open the eggs and dump the contents into the large bowl. As you open each egg, explain what it represents in the Easter story.

The other option is to fill the eggs with instructions about which items to dump into the mix. For example, 1 scoop of popcorn. 1 scoop of chocolate chips, etc. I tend to prefer this option simply because 1) it takes less time to prep and 2) much fewer snack ingredients end up on the floor. If you do use this option, I recommend a 1/2 cup scoop for the popcorn, 1/3 cup or 1/4 cup for the goldfish crackers, a small handful for the pretzels (just because it’s hard to get pretzel sticks to fit nicely in a cup, a tablespoon for the red candy, and a teaspoon for the chocolate chips. Even if you’re filling the eggs with instructions and not ingredients, be sure to still leave an empty egg! If you choose this option, be sure to grab the FREE download. All you’ll need to do is cut out the paper strips and add them to the eggs.

Again, as you add items to the mix, review what it represents in the Easter story. By the time you’ve finished opening all of the eggs, your kids will have been reminded of these truths several times. Here’s what each ingredient represents:

Pretzel sticks – remind us of the wooden cross, where Jesus died
Fish crackers – remind us that several of Jesus’s disciples were fishermen and he also taught his disciples to be “fishers of men.”
Chocolate chips – remind us of the dark sin that we were covered in
Popcorn – remind us of how the blood of Jesus makes us as white as snow –
Red Candy – reminds us of how Jesus suffered and bled for us
When you get to the empty egg, celebrate that it is empty because the tomb was empty – Jesus is ALIVE!!!

Then, you simply pass out the snack mix for your kiddos to enjoy!

When we did ours this year, I couldn’t decide on small red licorice pieces for the red candy or red M&Ms. I loved that the licorice looked more like “strips,” reminding us of how He bled and died for us, but I also loved how the red in the M&Ms covered the dark chocolate (which we used to represent sin) – so literally, His blood covered the sin. So, we ended up using both!

An added bonus to making this snack mix is that it will last for 3-5 days if you keep it sealed well in an airtight container. And this means you can continue to draw their attention back to the true meaning of Easter.

I hope you enjoy this fun snack mix! And if you’re interested in other Easter activities that focus on the true meaning of Easter, be sure to check out my Christian Easter Activities below.

Also, one of the best ways to reinforce the meaning of the Easter story is through books! So, after you’ve made your snack mix, the kids can enjoy their snack while listening to one (or more) of my favorite Easter books. Check some of these out using my affiliate link below:

If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it goes. Leave me a comment below – I’d love to hear all about it! And don’t forget to grab your free download below!

12 Picture Books That Instill Biblical Truth

November 27, 2017

The Christmas season is upon us! This is truly one of my favorite times of the year, and some of the things that I especially enjoy are all of the wonderful children’s books that we pull out for this special season. Now, we have our fair share of fun, silly, and just generally amusing Christmas stories, but the ones that I adore, are the ones that share about the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ. Whether these books are relating the nativity story or conveying a modern tale of someone sharing the love and story of Jesus, these books are gifts that so beautifully reinforce the truths I am trying to teach my children.

I love these books – and the number of these books grows each year; however, we really only pull these treasures out for the month or so between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the rest of the year they are barely touched. The problem with this is I want to be reading my children literature that supports Biblical truth throughout the year – not only during the Christmas season. So, I’ve compiled a list of 12 of our favorite picture books that instill Biblical values and truth – and can be read all throughout the year.

And if your kiddos are loving the Christmas books, why not gift them with a book that will support you in your teaching of Biblical values all throughout the year?

Below I have listed 12 of our favorites, with a few short notes about each one. The links below are affiliate links, but that is truly for your convenience! We simply love each of these books and I wanted to share them with you!

You Are Special by Max Lucado – This is one of the well-know Wemmicks series books. And if you haven’t heard of them, check them out – seriously, each of is excellent. In this book, we meet the Wemmicks, who become obsessed with stars (good marks) and dots (bad marks). The main character, Punchinello becomes entirely wrapped up in what others think of him, until he has a meeting with his Maker, and is reminded that he is special because he was His. This is a beautiful story with a powerful truth. The book is a little on the longer side for a picture book, but both of my boys have loved these books since they were young!

If Only I Had a Green Nose by Max Lucado – This is another in the Max Lucado Wemmick’s series. I really could list each one, but wanted to add some variety to my list 🙂 In this story we again meet Punchinello, who makes every attempt to fit in, only to find that as soon as he makes a change, the fad that is “in” has changed. He learns about the importance of being content with who he is and how his Maker crafted him, rather than looking for worth in the eyes of others.

Good Good Father by Chris Tomlin – Both of my boys love the song “Good Good Father,” by Chris Tomlin, so when this book came out we had to check it out! In the story we meet Tucker, a little bear who is seeking help from the King. He travels to see him, meeting several animals along the way, who each tell him one great thing about the King. As he gets closer to the castle, he has doubts about whether the King would want to see him. Yet the King appears offering sweet Tucker an abundance of love. This is a precious story about the great love of our God.

God Knows My Name by Debby Anderson – This is a delightful book that even the youngest readers will enjoy. On each page Mrs. Anderson conveys truth about all that God knows – from the number of hairs on your head to the number of stars in the sky. She talks about how God knows just what you’re feeling and how he cares for things in His creation. The pictures are colorful and inviting. It is evident that Mrs. Anderson was a kindergarten and first grade teacher, as young kids are drawn to her text. I also appreciate that she includes several scripture references to go along with her writing.

The Prayer That Makes God Smile by Stormie Omartian – This is a beautiful book that teaches children about prayer. It talks about different times that you can pray, things you can pray for, ways you can thank the Lord in your prayers, and the truth that God hears our prayers. She then talks about the best prayer of all – asking Jesus to come into your heart and be your Savior. Now, I have to warn you – if you’re reading this as a parent to your little one for the first time, be prepared to have tissues ready. I wept the first time I read this to my little guy, and still get teary eyed every time I read it. This book is rather lengthy for a picture book, but the pictures are adorable and the message of the book is powerful!

The Oak Inside the Acorn by Max Lucado – Yes, this is another Max Lucado book, but not a part of the Wemmicks series. He just has so many excellent children’s books! This book shares the powerful truth that God created each of us with a purpose. And while it may be tempting to look around at what others have or can do, we must cling to the truth that God has a purpose for each of us, as this oak tree learns.

The Blessings Jar by Colleen Coble – This is a great one for little ones – especially as a gift from a grandparent. In this board book, Punky Grace is having a rough day – and a case of the grumpies. Then, her grandmother takes her on an adventure, looking for all of the little things she has to be thankful for. Soon, her blessings jar is filled to the top, and her grumpies have gone away. This is an adorable picture book with a great message about being thankful!

God Loves Me More Than That by Dandi Daley Mackall – This is another great story for little ones, with an important reminder for every reader. The story works in sets of 4 lines, where the first three lines rhyme and the final line in the set reminds us that God’s love is bigger, higher, deeper, etc than anything! With its colorful, child-friendly illustrations, this is a delightful book that teaches about how much God truly loves each one of us!

The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers by Crystal Bowman – This has been a favorite in our house! Over the past few years both of my boys have loved this little devotional, so much so that our copy is literally falling apart. Each day has a child-friendly devotion that centers around a topic preschoolers may face – having a rough day, making new friends, when you’re afraid, etc. The illustrations are simply adorable, and each devotion has a verse and a rhyming prayer to share with your child. This is a great way to start teaching your kids to spend time with the Lord each day.

It Will Be Okay by Lysa TerKeurst – In this story we meet Little Seed and Little Fox, both of whom are dealing with fears. A beautiful friendship is formed, and as changes begin to occur and fears creep in, they continually remind each other that the farmer is good and the farmer is kind. As someone who personally deals with fear and worry, this story was a lovely reminder of the good and kind Father we serve. And just as Little Seed and Little Fox learn to trust in the farmer – and that things will we okay – this story encourages each reader to trust in the Lord, even in new or even scary circumstances.

Jesus Calling Bible Storybook by Sarah Young – Penned by the same author as the Jesus Calling devotional for adults, the Jesus Calling Bible Storybook weaves kid-friendly versions of Bible stories with a Jesus Calling style devotion at the end. The short devotion written by Young is written as though God is speaking to the reader, but can easily be modified if you think it may be confusing to young listeners. The combination of stories, devotions, and colorful illustrations make this a delightful read for kids!

With You All the Way by Max Lucado – Now, this one seems to be a little harder to find, but both of my boys love it so much, I had to include it! It tells the story of three knights (probably why my boys love it) who are all on a quest to win the hand of the King’s daughter. However, they must travel through the forest of the Hope-nots in order to succeed, with only the King’s song to guide them. Which knight is successful – the strongest, the fastest, the smartest? It is the one who chooses the right companion for the journey knows the King’s song well enough to hear it above everything else. This is a wonderful story that illustrates the way the Lord is with us in all things, and it is by learning to listen to his voice that we can have victory. There’s one page that may be a little scary for the youngest readers, but such a gret story with great truth!

**BONUS**
Now, you’ve got the list of 12 awesome books, but there’s one more resource I want to share with you! I’m not an affiliate or anything, but my kiddos have enjoyed this so much, I simply had to share it with you! It’s the Clubhouse Jr. Magazine for Kids. It’s published by Focus on the Family and is such a fabulous resource. It contains stories, activities, coloring pages, snack ideas, and more for your kids! This magazine is created for kids ages 3-7, but there’s also another one for older kids called Clubhouse Magazine. We’ve only gotten the Jr. version but my boys love it! They definitely look forward to receiving it in the mail each month – and it’s a gift they receive all year long! I hope you’ll check it out!

I hope you’ve enjoyed these resources and are encouraged to check some of them out further. I’d also love to hear your thoughts. Comment below with your favorite from the list – or leave a comment and let me know other books that you love that teach Biblical truths – I’d love to check them out!