Snowman Poem Quick Craft: Creative Winter Fun for Kids That Combines Art and Literacy

Winter is an ideal time to SNOW-off your students’ creativity with a fun and frosty activity! The Snowman Poem Quick Craft is the perfect way to combine art and literacy in a single, easy-to-prep project. Watch your children transform into winter wordsmiths as they design cheerful snowmen and write their own acrostic poems using the letters S-N-O-W.

This activity is packed with opportunities for learning and fun. From brainstorming wintry words to coloring happy snowman details, children will create something truly unique while building their literacy skills. Let’s dive into the snowdrift of ideas to make this craft an unforgettable classroom (or at-home!) experience.

Color or Paint the Snowman

• Children start by coloring or painting their snowman. Encourage them to use light blue for a snowy edge effect and bright, happy colors for details like the hat, cheeks, flower, and bird.

Write Acrostic Poetry

• Next, they’ll write a word or phrase for each letter in the word "SNOW."
• Example:

Soft snowflakes fall,
Noses rosy in the cold,
Open fields of white,
Winter wonderland!

Display or Share

Whether you create a classroom bulletin board, a class book, or take the activity home, these snowmen will surely bring a flurry of creativity to everyone’s day!

Before Starting: Set the Scene!

To help students dive into this activity:

• Read a Snowman Storybook: Books like Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner are great for inspiration.
• Brainstorm Snow Words: Discuss snow and create a list of words associated with it (e.g., frosty, chilly, flakes, sledding).
• Alphabetize and Highlight: Organize snow-related words and identify words starting with "snow."
• Play Word Games: Try memory games, opposites, or creating sentences using snow words.

Introduce Acrostic Poems: 

• Read examples together and collaboratively write a few.

Quick Teach: Here's a suggested lesson sequence if you need an idea to start planning

1. Storytime: Read a book about snowmen to spark interest.
2. Discussion: Talk about snow—what it looks like, feels like, and activities you can do in it.
3. Brainstorm Words: Write a shared list of snow words.
4. Practice Acrostics: Collaboratively create a few acrostic poems as a group.
5. Craft Time: Color or paint the snowman.
6. Independent Writing: Students write their own acrostic poem using the letters S-N-O-W.
7. Display and Celebrate: Share their creations in a bulletin board display or class book.

Fun Bulletin Board Headings

If you're creating a fun classroom display, here are some headings you could use:

• S is for Snowman!
• A Flurry of Creativity!
• Let It SNOW... Poetry!
• Our Snowman Wordplay!
• Winter Words on Display!
• Acrostic Snowman Magic!
• Snowmen Speak!

Join the Premium Coloring Club!

This Snowman Poem Quick Craft is just one of the many creative and educational resources available in our Premium Coloring Club. For only $9.95 a month, you’ll unlock exclusive coloring pages, activities, and craft ideas to inspire young learners.

👉 Join the Premium Coloring Club now! and give your children the gift of fun, creativity, and learning this winter season.

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Teaching Math Fluency with the Spotty Dog Play Cards 🐾

Paws up for some playful math fun! 🐾 Spotty Dog Play Cards are here to fetch your students’ attention and help them master combinations to 5. With just a few mats, some counters, and a playful attitude, you can create a quick warm-up game that builds fluency and confidence in no time. Ready to let your math pups wag their tails with excitement? Let’s dive in!

How to Play: Spotty Dog Combinations to 5

Setup:

• Give each student a Spotty Dog play mat (or project it for whole-class engagement).
• Ensure students have five counters, fingertip markers, or clothespins to cover the spots.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

• Start by counting the five spots on the mat together. Practice counting forwards, backwards, and placing a marker for each number. This reinforces 1:1 correspondence.
• Call out a number (e.g., “2”). Students cover two spots and say how many are left uncovered.
• Confirm together: “2 and 3 make 5!”
• Repeat with different numbers in a quick, fast-paced rhythm to encourage visual memory and recall.

Extension Ideas

• Take it further with these enrichment activities:
• Extend to 10: Use two Spotty Dog mats for combinations to 10.
• Repeated Addition Practice: Place two counters on each spot for early multiplication awareness (e.g., 3 spots = 2+2+2).
• Visual Fluency Challenge: Play without counters or markers, using only the spots as a visual guide.
• Creative Recording: Students can draw their own “spotty dogs” to represent combinations they discover.
• Craft Connection: Make learning extra fun with this free circle and square dog craft for your class!

Why It Works:

This warm-up is fast-paced, engaging, and builds visual memory, helping students transition from concrete tools to abstract fluency. It’s also a great segue into instructional mini-lessons for math.

Spotty Dog Play Cards: A Math Kit Essential

This game is just one of the many ways you can use the Spotty Dog cards. Whether you’re exploring numbers to 5 or extending learning with combinations to 10, these cards are an invaluable tool. Find them in the Math Kit bundle or purchase them separately here.

Quick Play – Spotty Dog Fluency Game🐾 

• Set Up: Each student gets a Spotty Dog play mat and five counters (or uses their fingertips).
• Start Counting: Together, count the five spots on the mat.
• Call a Number: Teacher calls a number (e.g., “2”), and students cover that many spots.
• Say What’s Left: Students say how many spots remain uncovered (e.g., “3”).
• Confirm Together: Teacher says, “2 and 3 make 5!”
• Repeat Quickly: Keep it fast-paced for visual memory practice.

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Quick Morning Writing Ideas for Kindergarten: Fun and Flexible Routines

Starting the day with a fun, engaging writing routine sets the tone for a productive and joyful morning in Kindergarten. Incorporating quick writing activities into your morning attendance or circle time provides an excellent opportunity to build language skills, confidence, and creativity—all while preparing students for their formal writing program.

Here are a few quick ideas to make morning writing a seamless and meaningful part of your routine:

1. Share and Write Together

• Begin with a verbal sharing session. 
• During morning circle or attendance, ask students to share something about their day, weekend, or a class topic. 
• This can be:
• A highlight from the previous day
• Something they’re excited about for today
• A response to a seasonal or thematic prompt

💡 Teacher Tip: Guide the conversation by leading with your own example. For instance, “Yesterday I went to the park. Did anyone else go outside after school?”

2. Model Writing with Student Input

Transition into collaborative writing on chart paper, a whiteboard, or a projected display. 

• Write one or two simple sentences inspired by the discussion, and involve students by asking:
• How do we start our sentence? (e.g., capital letter)
• What sounds do you hear in this word?
• What punctuation should we use?
• Add handwriting patterns, letter movements, or even a quick illustration alongside the text. 
• Talk through your thought process to model spelling, sentence structure, and creativity.

💡 Teacher Tip: Use this time to target specific skills, like reviewing a tricky spelling pattern or practicing punctuation marks.

3. Student Practice

Once the collaborative writing is complete, give students two options:

• Copy the group sentence at their desks as handwriting practice.
• Create their own sentence inspired by the discussion, using the group writing as a model.

💡 Teacher Tip: Provide sentence starters like those in the Morning Writing Prompts Pack to support students who need more guidance.

4. Keep It Flexible

Morning writing doesn’t need to follow a rigid script. Adjust the activity to address skills or concepts you’ve noticed students need extra practice with, such as:

• A tricky letter formation
• A spelling pattern
• Expanding sentences with adjectives or conjunctions

The key is to keep it light, engaging, and focused on building confidence and foundational skills.

Make It Seamless with Morning Writing Prompts

For teachers looking for structure and variety, my Morning Writing Prompts for Kindergarten pack includes 40 ready-to-print pages that support your writing routine. Each page offers a sentence starter, handwriting practice, and space for a drawing, helping you save time while meeting students’ needs.

📘 Check out the pack here: Morning Writing Prompts for Kindergarten.

Consistency Counts

By making morning writing a part of your daily routine, you’re giving students a predictable, meaningful way to engage with writing. It’s a chance to share their voices, build critical skills, and start the day on a positive, creative note.

What’s your favorite way to include writing in your morning routine? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!

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Handwriting, morning routine, Morning Writing

Whimsical Turkey Drawing for Thanksgiving Fun: Free Printable Frames & Easy Steps

With Thanksgiving around the corner, what better way to celebrate than by drawing an adorable, whimsical turkey? This cute art project is perfect for kids and adults alike—whether you’re decorating for the holidays, adding a fun element to a classroom lesson, or just looking for a relaxing creative break.

Start with Simple Steps

Our Turkey Drawing Steps are as easy as pie (pumpkin, of course 🍂). These printable steps are available exclusively in the Pond Coloring Club. You can draw directly on the provided page or get extra creative by using one of my free printable frames.

Make It a Masterpiece

Here’s where the fun begins! 🖍️🎨

• Crayons for bold outlines and vibrant color.
• Watercolors for soft, dreamy feathers.
• Patterns or Lines in the background for a whimsical scene—think swirling autumn winds or fields of golden hay!

More Than Just Art

Why stop at drawing? Use your turkey art as inspiration for a story or poem. Pair it with a Thanksgiving-themed book like A Plump and Perky Turkey or Run, Turkey, Run! to extend the fun into literacy activities.

Free Frames for Creative Fun

Want to elevate your drawing? Use one of my Free Corner Frames from my TPT store! These frames fill the page beautifully, giving your turkey masterpiece a polished touch. Simply download a frame image, print, and get started.

Join the Fun!

Ready to gobble up even more creative projects? Join the Pond Coloring Club for access to exclusive printable pages like this one, along with a year of imaginative fun. Check it out at pondcoloringclub.com.

Let your creativity soar (or wobble) with this whimsical turkey project. I’d love to see your creations—tag me on social media or share your ideas in the comments!

Happy drawing and happy gobbling! 🦃

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Free Harp Seal Directed Drawing Pack: Simple Shapes, Big Creativity!

Let’s dive into an arctic adventure! Whether you’re teaching a winter-themed unit, exploring arctic animals, or simply want to encourage creativity in your classroom, the Harp Seal Directed Drawing Pack is the perfect resource to engage young learners. Best of all, it’s FREE in my TPT store right now!

This pack is designed for pre-k and kindergarten students, using simple shapes like ovals, curves, and lines. These accessible drawing steps help even the youngest artists build confidence while developing fine motor and pre-writing skills. Plus, it integrates literacy seamlessly with opportunities for letter practice, sentence writing, and storytelling.

What’s Inside the Harp Seal Drawing Pack?

This resource includes:

• Big, clear steps to guide students as they draw their own harp seal.
• Worksheets with framed drawing spaces, sentence starters, and word banks to spark creativity and support writing.
• Pages for tracing shapes and pictures to help develop fine motor skills.
• A fun page with simple harp seal facts, perfect for display or as a starting point for writing.
• Lowercase letter practice for h, s, and a, essential for building handwriting foundations.

Whether your students use crayons, colored pencils, or pastels, they’ll enjoy creating their own harp seal masterpieces while strengthening key skills.

Why Start with Simple Shapes?

Starting with basic shapes like ovals and curves offers children a sense of success and accomplishment. These manageable steps break down the process of drawing into achievable pieces, encouraging confidence in young artists. Simple shapes also align with foundational pre-writing strokes, building the skills children need to form letters and numbers.

Fun Facts About Harp Seals

Did you know?

• Harp seals are born with fluffy white fur that helps them blend into the snowy Arctic.
• They glide through icy waters with their curved, torpedo-shaped bodies, making them excellent swimmers.
• Harp seals can hold their breath for up to 15 minutes underwater!

Sharing these facts with your students adds a fun, educational layer to their drawing experience and ignites curiosity about the world around them.

Tips for Sparking Creativity

Once your students have drawn their harp seals, why not encourage them to personalize their creations? Here are a few ideas:

• Add details or backgrounds: Students can draw an icy landscape, an ocean wave, or even a family of seals!
• Provide a drawing book: Encourage children to explore their imaginations by keeping a personal sketchbook for creative projects.
• Use daily prompts: Offer simple prompts like “What’s your harp seal’s favorite snack?” to spark ideas.
• Showcase their work: Display student drawings in a classroom art gallery! This not only boosts confidence but also celebrates their unique creativity.

Get Inspired with More Resources

This drawing pack is part of my Kinder Drawing Bundle 4, a collection of engaging projects that support early literacy and creativity across the curriculum. Follow my TPT store to stay updated on new resources, including more FREE files like this one!

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Pumpkin Grid Game: Hands-On Fun with Numbers, Counting, and Sorting!

A Fun, Hands-On Math Game to Explore Numbers and Sorting! 🎃

Looking for an engaging way to deepen number sense and explore sorting skills with your students? Try the Pumpkin Grid Game, perfect for fall math centers or small group instruction! This game encourages numeral identification, counting, and positional awareness while introducing sorting and categorizing concepts.

How to Play:

Set Up

• Each student gets a plain pumpkin chart (no numbers).
• Place the numbered pumpkin chart in the middle of the play area.
• Provide a container of buttons or other small counters—use interesting and colorful buttons for extra fun!

Game Instructions

• Call out a number, e.g., "27," without identifying its position on the chart.
• Students locate the number on the central numbered chart if needed, then place a button ('seed') in the corresponding position on their plain chart.

Learning Focus

• Encourage students to become familiar with number positions on the grid.
• Use opportunities to discuss rows, columns, and numbers in relation to familiar benchmarks like 1, 10, and 100.
• Integrate counting strategies:10 more, 10 less 1 more, 1 less, Counting by 10s or 1s

Bonus Activity: Sorting and Categorizing

At the end of the game, students can sort their buttons by categories they choose, such as color, shape, or material.

• Have them organize the buttons into rows to reflect their sorting choices—this adds a playful exploration of patterns and classification!

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The Power of Daily Writing in Kindergarten: Boost Confidence, Phonics, and Creativity

The Power of Daily Writing for Early Learners

For young learners, writing is more than just putting pencil to paper—it’s a gateway to developing language, fine motor skills, and confidence in self-expression. A daily writing routine, even a short one, can work wonders in the Kindergarten classroom. Let’s explore why consistent, simple writing exercises are so powerful for early learners.

1. Builds Confidence in Language Use

Daily writing helps young students feel successful in using language. When you provide predictable sentence starters, like “Today is…” or “Yesterday…,” you set them up for success. They learn to see themselves as writers, capable of sharing their ideas in a structured way.

• Tip: Model writing first! Show your students how to sound out words, use punctuation, and illustrate their sentences.

2. Strengthens Fine Motor Skills

Writing every day gives students consistent practice with pencil grip, letter formation, and control. Adding handwriting fluency patterns to your writing routine—like tracing loops, lines, or shapes—further strengthens their motor skills.

• Tip: Pair writing with drawing! Encourage students to illustrate their sentences to keep their hands engaged and their creativity flowing.

3. Promotes Phonics and Reading Development

Daily writing reinforces letter-sound connections, sight words, and punctuation. As students write, they are naturally practicing phonics, which also supports their reading fluency.

 Tip: Highlight key sound-letter combinations in your modeled writing. For example, underline the “th” in “Thursday” as you write the day’s sentence.

Start Your Routine with Ease

If you’re looking for a simple way to implement a daily writing routine, check out my recent newsletter freebie! It’s perfect for Monday mornings, with sentence starters like:

Today is...
Yesterday...

Model a sentence about your Sunday, project it for shared reading, and then let students write about their weekend. This structured approach builds fluency and makes Mondays feel calm and productive.

👉 If you missed it, simply sign up to the newsletter, hit reply to your welcome email and let me know and I'll forward you the writing email!  

Expand Your Writing Routine

Want to take your writing sessions further? My full Morning Writing Prompts for Kindergarten pack includes 40 pages of ready-to-print sentence starters, room for handwriting fluency patterns, and space to draw. It’s designed to keep writing quick, consistent, and effective for early learners.

Learn more here: Morning Writing Prompts for Kindergarten.

Consistency is Key

By building a daily writing habit, you’re giving your students the tools to express themselves, develop essential skills, and grow their confidence. Even five minutes a day can make a lasting impact.

What’s your favorite way to include writing in your daily routine? I’d love to hear your thoughts - come say hello on Instagram or via the newsletter and let's chat!

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Morning Writing in Kindergarten with Simple Sentence Starters!

Boost Morning Writing with Simple Sentence Starters for Kindergarten!

If you’re looking to make morning writing easier and more engaging for your kindergarten students, I’m excited to share my new Morning Writing Prompts with Sentence Starters! These worksheets are designed to get young writers warmed up with simple, reflective prompts, helping them start the day with focus, creativity, and fun.

In our morning circle, you can start the day by modeling a sentence or two on chart paper, sometimes collaboratively brainstorming ideas with the class. This gives everyone a chance to practice new sentence structures and think about the topic before heading back to their own desks to try their hand at it. Students can then use these sentence starters to build their own ideas or draw from the words and sentences you created together.

Ways to Use Writing Worksheets

Here are some ways you might use the Morning Writing Prompts to support writing in your classroom:

Collaborative Chart Paper Writing: 

• Start with a sentence on chart paper in the morning circle, brainstorming ideas with the class and completing the sentence starter together. This creates a model for students to use when they return to their desks.

Interactive Whiteboard Practice: 

• Try using the pen tool on your electronic whiteboard so students can see and interact with the prompts. This digital option makes writing practice accessible for everyone, especially when space is limited.

Handwriting Practice and Fluency Patterns: 

• Each page has an additional line that can be used for handwriting practice or a fun fluency pattern. Students can trace, draw lines, or even write another word or two to build fine motor skills.

Creative Illustrations: 

• Below the writing section, students have space to draw an illustration to go with their sentence. This allows them to connect words and images, building comprehension and creativity along the way.

Why These Prompts Are Perfect for Kindergarten

With prompts like “I see…,” “I wonder…,” “When it’s sunny, I…,” and “I’m excited about…,” students can express themselves with ease. These scaffolded pages are simple and open-ended, so they’re great for students at various levels of writing ability. Whether your students are just beginning to write or are ready to add more detail, these sentence starters offer a perfect balance of support and flexibility.

Check out the new Morning Writing Prompts on TPT: Morning Writing Prompts for Kindergarten

Let me know how you like to start writing in the morning with your class and if these prompts work well with your morning routines!

Another Option

If you're looking to provide even more open-ended writing practice, I also have a Draw First Lined Papers set, ideal for daily morning writing warm-ups. This version offers space for both drawing and writing but with less structured support, making it perfect for students ready to explore their own ideas more independently. 

You can check it out in my store here: Draw First Lined Papers for Writing and Drawing Practice.

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Handwriting, Sentence Writing

Build Scissor Skills and Spark Curiosity with the Rainbow Leaf Beetle!

Build Scissor Skills with Oval Cutting Practice and Discover the Dazzling Rainbow Leaf Beetle!

If you’re looking for ways to support your young learners with cutting skills, especially as they transition from straight-edge shapes like squares and rectangles to more complex forms, this post is for you! Ovals are a fantastic shape for developing precision and confidence with scissors, and I’ve got a fun, creative way to bring this skill to your classroom.

In my latest Oval Scissor Skills Pack, students will trace, cut, and decorate 12 adorable animal designs. The oval cutting shape offers just the right amount of challenge, helping children practice turning the paper and controlling scissors around a continuous curved line. As a sample from this pack, I sent out a Rainbow Leaf Beetle page to my newsletter friends. In this post, I’ll show you how this vibrant critter can create a beautiful classroom display and spark engaging mini-lessons on colors, light, and insects!

How to Use the Rainbow Leaf Beetle for Scissor Practice

The Rainbow Leaf Beetle page in your free sample encourages students to trace the beetle's lines with crayons, cut out the oval, and paint it with watercolors for a dazzling effect. Arranged together on a bulletin board, these little beetles create an eye-catching display that will have your students talking. Here’s how to make the most of this activity:

Trace with Crayon: 

Start by having students trace the beetle’s outline and features with crayons. This helps with hand-eye coordination and adds a lovely wax-resist effect when painted over with watercolors.

Cut Out the Oval: 

Model for students how to hold the paper and maneuver the scissors along the curved oval outline. This step builds scissor confidence and provides gentle guidance for working on continuous lines.

Paint with Watercolors: 

Encourage students to choose bright colors, capturing the natural iridescence of the real-life Rainbow Leaf Beetle. This step lets students express creativity while observing how colors blend and pop on the paper.

Classroom Display and Mini-Lesson Ideas

• Once finished, these Rainbow Leaf Beetles make a beautiful classroom display! 
• Use this display as a conversation starter or as a foundation for mini-lessons that tie into science and language. 

Here are a few lesson ideas:

• Colors and Light: Discuss why the beetle appears so colorful. Introduce simple concepts about light, reflection, and iridescence.
• Insects: Use the beetle as a starting point to talk about the anatomy of insects, their habitats, and why they’re important for the environment.
• Class Language Activity: Encourage descriptive language! Ask students to describe the beetles using color words and sensory descriptions, such as “shiny,” “bright,” and “rainbow.”

Extend the Lesson with Animal Writing Worksheets

If your students enjoyed learning about the Rainbow Leaf Beetle, you might love my Animal Informational Writing Worksheets Pack! 

This resource provides structured yet flexible support for kindergarten writing, offering sentence starters and a variety of scaffolds to accommodate different skill levels. After a shared fact-finding session or an anchor chart activity about beetles, your students can write a few simple sentences and draw their own beetle illustration.

These worksheets are designed to help young writers learn how to share factual information in a structured way. Students will feel proud to share what they’ve learned about their new animal friend, and you’ll be supporting essential writing skills in the process.

Looking for More Ideas on Informational Writing?

For additional tips on teaching informational writing in kindergarten, visit my blog’s Informational Writing section. Here, you’ll find ideas to guide your lessons, build students’ confidence, and keep writing lessons engaging and meaningful.

Thank you for all you do to make learning exciting for your students! If you try out the Rainbow Leaf Beetle activity, I’d love to see it in action. Tag me on social media or share your classroom photos—there’s nothing I enjoy more than seeing how these resources come to life in classrooms around the world!

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scissor skills, Writing Informational Texts

Math Warm-Up Fun: Grow Your Pumpkin Patch with Number Ordering!

Hands-on math play is a game changer in the classroom, particularly for early learners. It not only engages students but also deepens their understanding of key math concepts. When kids use visual supports and manipulatives, like our pumpkin grid play mat, they’re able to “see” numbers and understand their order and position in a tangible, meaningful way. Hands-on learning taps into their natural curiosity and encourages them to make connections—perfect for building a strong number sense foundation.

The Math Kit: A Treasure Trove of Visuals, Games, and Flexible Fun!

Our Math Kit is designed to make math both accessible and exciting for young learners. It’s packed with resources, visuals, and story-based elements that integrate seamlessly with any math program. The pumpkin grid play mat, number tiles, and numeral cards are all part of this flexible toolkit, giving teachers creative ways to bring math to life each day.

Why Start Math Lessons with a Warm-Up?

Spending just a few minutes at the beginning of each math lesson for a warm-up activity is a powerful way to reinforce foundational math concepts like number order and counting. Revisiting these essential skills every day, all year long, helps students review, revise, and consolidate their knowledge. These moments, however brief, offer significant long-term benefits as children develop confidence and fluency with numbers.

How to Play Pumpkin Patch Number Order 🎲🌱

Goal: 

Grow the biggest pumpkin in the patch by filling your 9-grid play mat with numbers in order!

What You’ll Need:

• Pumpkin Grid Play Mat (Get it here)
• Number Tiles (Get them here)
• Numeral Cards (Choose a range that fits your group, like 1-50 or 30-100 - Get them here)

How It Works:

• Set Up: Place a selection of number tiles (face-up) for all players to access. For added challenge, limit the number of tiles to match the players’ grids. For example, with three players, set out only 36 tiles.
• Pick a Pumpkin Patch Number: Select a “pumpkin patch” number, like 63, which stays constant throughout the game.
• Take Turns: Each student flips over a numeral card. If it’s larger than the pumpkin patch number, they can pick a number tile from the scattered selection to add to their grid. If the card number is smaller, they skip a turn.
• Building the Grid: As students collect tiles, they must arrange their numbers on their pumpkin grid in ascending order, from smallest to largest. This means they’re keeping a close eye on both the available numbers and the sequence they’ve started on their grid!
• The Twist! The student who fills the most squares on their grid by the end of the game wins—but only if their numbers are in the correct order.
• End of Play: Once no more numbers fit, players compare their filled grids to see who has the most in-order tiles.

By tracking two sets of numbers, players build a solid foundation in comparing and ordering numbers, all while enjoying the fun of the pumpkin patch!

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Math Kit, math warm up, Ordering Numbers, Pumpkins

Hands-On Math Warm-Ups: 3 Fun Ways to Explore Teen Numbers with Car Play Mats!

3 Engaging Ways to Use Happy Car Play Mats in Small Groups

The Happy Car Play Mats are a fantastic tool for introducing and reinforcing number sense in fun, hands-on ways. Perfect for small group play, these mats help students develop confidence in recognizing, counting, and understanding numbers up to 19, and they are flexible enough to extend learning with higher numbers. Here are three creative warm-up activities that you can use with these play mats as a foundation for math lessons or workshops!

1. Model the Number

Start by using a set of number cards from 1 to 19. Each student takes a turn drawing a card, announcing the number, and then creating it on their car mat. They’ll place a "ten" block on the "ten" side of the mat and add the correct number of single blocks in the "ones" section to represent the total.

• This activity is simple but powerful for reinforcing place value and supporting visual recognition of numbers in the teens. 
• By associating a "ten" block with each number and adding "ones" as needed, students practice decomposing numbers naturally.

2. Find the Difference

For students ready to extend beyond basic modeling, try a comparison game. Select two number cards in any range, for example, 20 to 30. Students choose two numbers, such as 23 and 29, and place them on two plain car mats. They’ll start with 23, counting up to 29 and placing each block on a second car mat to show the difference visually.

• This activity strengthens understanding of "difference" as students count up from a smaller number to a larger one, reinforcing counting skills and visualizing the concept of difference. 
• It’s a great hands-on way to build confidence with early subtraction.

3. Subtract Ten

For this activity, students use number cards from 11 to 39. Each student draws a card, builds the number with place value blocks, and then practices taking away ten. They state what they did (e.g., "I made 28. 28 minus 10 equals 18.") This activity can be extended by having students record their answers in their math journals.

• This exercise reinforces subtraction by ten, helping students understand how place value shifts when ten is removed. 
• It’s a valuable way to build confidence in working with two-digit numbers and sets a foundation for subtraction fluency.

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Math Kit, Place Value

3 Simple Ways to Foster Kindness in Your Classroom This November

November is a wonderful month to focus on building a kind classroom culture. As we approach the season of giving, creating an environment where kindness flourishes can help children feel more connected and considerate toward one another. Here are three easy-to-implement ideas to inspire kindness among your students!

1. Try a Class 'Owl-Ways Choose Kind' Challenge 🦉

Incorporating kindness challenges can be a fun way to encourage positive behaviors. The “Owl-Ways Choose Kind” challenge is a visual and engaging way to track acts of kindness in your classroom. I have a printable coloring page available in the Pond Coloring Club for this activity. 

Here’s how it works:

• Each time a student performs or observes an act of kindness, they color a leaf on their class coloring sheet.
• Set a class goal: Can they reach 100 leaves by the end of November?
• Display the page somewhere visible to keep everyone excited about reaching the goal and to recognize each act of kindness.
• With this ongoing activity, you’ll find students start actively looking for ways to help, share, and be kind to each other.
• Join the Pond Coloring Club for $9.99 a year to access the “Owl-Ways Choose Kind” printable and many other fun resources for your classroom!

2. Focus on Helping as a Kindness Tool 🤲

Helping is one of the simplest ways to show kindness. Together, create a list of helpful actions that students can take to make a positive impact in their classroom and school. Here’s a step-by-step for introducing this concept:

• Start by discussing what it means to be helpful and how helping others can make a difference.
• Brainstorm a list of actions together. These could include helping a friend pick up toys, assisting with clean-up time, sharing supplies, or even offering to help a teacher.
• Keep the list visible and encourage students to check it for inspiration when they’re looking to be helpful.
• Having a tangible list allows students to see that kindness is something they can choose every day and that helping others can be simple and impactful.

3. Read Books About Kindness and Helping 📚

Books are a powerful way to show children the importance of kindness through storytelling. Choose a few children's books that feature kind or helpful characters and encourage your class to discuss the story. Here’s how you can make this activity impactful:

• After reading each story, prompt your students with questions like, “How did this character show kindness?” and “How did the other characters feel?”
• Encourage them to think about similar situations they might face and how they could respond kindly.
• Some great book options include “Have You Filled a Bucket Today?” by Carol McCloud, “Winnie the Pooh Helps the Bees” and “The Kindness Quilt” by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace.

Discussing these stories can help students better understand the feelings associated with kindness and how they might bring similar acts of kindness into their own lives.

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Kindness in the Classroom, owls

Counting with Creepy Crawlers: A Spider-Themed Math Warm-Up

Get your students excited about math and creativity with this fun spider-themed game! This activity is perfect for building subitizing skills, practicing counting, and letting their imaginations run wild with a spooky twist.

All you’ll need are dice, drawing paper, and coloring supplies to get started. This game not only makes math engaging but also gives students a piece of art they’ll be proud to display.

How to Play: Roll and Draw Spider

In this game, students roll a die and build a spider by drawing parts as they go. This encourages students to practice ordering numbers and subitizing dot patterns in a fun, hands-on way.

Step-by-Step Game Instructions:

Roll to Start: 

• Begin by rolling a 1. 
• Students must roll a 1 before they can draw the spider's body!
• Roll for Each Part: After the body is drawn, students roll the die to add more features to their spider in this sequence:
• 2: Draw two eyes.
• 3: Add a mouth and two teeth or fangs.
• 4: Draw four legs on each side (eight legs total).
• 5: Draw some spider silk (5 little waves).
• 6: Add a hexagon-shaped web for an extra challenge!

Add Creative Touches: 

Once they’ve drawn all the parts, encourage students to add details like finishing the web, adding background colors, and even drawing tiny insects or flies.

This interactive drawing game supports fine motor skills and adds an element of surprise, as students never know what they’ll get to draw next!

Extra Spider Theme Activities for the Week

Make it a week of spider-themed learning with these engaging and educational activities to integrate math, language, and fine motor skills.

Math Activities:

• Counting Sets of 4 or 8: Help students visualize spider legs by counting in groups of 4 or 8. 
• Use counters, unifix cubes, or even small spider toys to make groups, then practice adding groups together.

Making Equal Groups: 

Build arrays of 4 or 8 using blocks or counters. This can help with early multiplication skills and understanding of grouping.

Language and Writing Activities:

• Create a Spider Word Chart: Make a list of spider-related vocabulary, such as "web," "legs," "fangs," "silk," "creepy," and "arachnid." This helps students expand their vocabulary in a fun, thematic way.
• Spider Fact Writing: Ask students to write simple sentences or fun facts about spiders. Consider pairing this with a mini research activity or a short video on spiders to get them engaged!

Fine Motor and Creative Arts Activities:

• Outdoor Spider Web Chalk Art: Head outside for some creative movement and fine motor practice by drawing giant spider webs on the ground with chalk. Students can work together to create large webs, helping them practice coordination while also reinforcing shapes and line work.
• Build a Spider with Pattern Blocks: On the Pond Coloring Club website, there’s a free Hexagon Spider page that lets students use pattern blocks to build a spider and color it on a page. This activity blends math, creativity, and a bit of engineering!

For more spider teaching ideas, be sure to check out my dedicated Spider Teaching Ideas page on From the Pond. You’ll find additional spider-themed activities to make your week even more exciting!

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Kinder Art, math warm up

Subtraction Skills Take Flight: Bat and Leaf Math Game for Kindergarten

Batty for Subtraction: Building Number Sense with Dot Leaf and Bat 10 Cards

Hello teacher friends! 🦇🍂 Get ready to take your subtraction lessons to the next level with this hands-on, brain-boosting activity using the Bat 10 Cards and Dot Leaf Cards from our Math Kit Bundle. This game will encourage students to think about “taking away” in a meaningful way while developing their mental math strategies, all with the fun of counting down from 20 to zero.

In this activity, students won’t just be removing cubes—they’ll be thinking critically about the numbers and the combinations that get them closer to that perfect 10 and ultimately, zero. Let’s dive in!

How to Play: Batty Subtraction with a Twist

Materials Needed:

• Bat 10 Cards (2 per student)
• Dot Leaf Cards (1–6 dots per card)
• 20 cubes or counters (per student)

Game Steps:

Set Up the Bats: 

• Each student receives 2 Bat 10 Cards and 20 cubes. 
• Place 10 cubes on each bat, covering each dot.

Draw a Leaf Card: 

• The Dot Leaf Cards are placed in a face-down pile. 
• Students take turns drawing one card from the pile.

Remove Cubes:

• The number on the drawn leaf card tells them how many cubes to remove from their first bat. For example, if they draw a 3-leaf card, they remove 3 cubes.

Perfect Ten Challenge: 

• Students continue removing cubes based on each card drawn. The twist is that they must clear all 10 cubes from the first bat before moving to the second. 
• The last removal on the first bat must make it exactly 10. If they cannot reach exactly 10, they must put all cubes back on and start again from 20!
• Example: If a student draws cards with 5, 3, and 2, they reach exactly 10 on their first bat and can begin removing cubes from the second bat.

The Goal: 

• The game continues until a student has removed all 20 cubes, reaching zero with a perfect 10 halfway.

Encouraging Mental Math Strategies

This activity isn’t just about subtracting cubes. It’s designed to get students thinking about number combinations and strategies for taking away, rather than mindlessly removing counters. By aiming to clear exactly 10 from the first bat, students are challenged to consider:

• How many more they need to reach 10
• Different combinations that add up to a specific total
• Planning their moves by recognizing which numbers work together to make 10

This type of strategic thinking builds number sense and encourages students to see subtraction as a meaningful process rather than just a series of random removals.

Enjoy exploring subtraction and helping your students build those all-important mental math skills! Games like this add a playful twist to math practice, making learning both engaging and meaningful. Remember, I’m here to support you with ideas for hands-on math play—don’t hesitate to reach out if you need any tips or have questions. Happy teaching, and have fun with those Bat 10 cards! 🦇🍂

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Bats, Math Kit, Subtraction