Brighten Your Classroom with Christmas Window Art Projects: Creative Tips & Festive Fun!

The holiday season is a magical time to bring creativity and joy into the classroom and home, and our new Christmas Window Art Projects are the perfect way to do it! This fun and versatile resource lets your children create stunning stained glass-style artwork that transforms your leanring space into a festive wonderland. With 20 unique designs, including traditional Christmas themes and Summer Christmas options, this resource is perfect for adding a personal and creative touch to your holiday activities.

Tips for Completing the Projects

Choose Your Medium:

• Oil Pastels: For rich, bold colors that blend beautifully.
• Crayons: A great option for younger students, offering ease of use and vibrant results.
• Markers or Colored Pencils: Perfect for detailed work and crisp, bright colors.

Create the Stained Glass Effect:

• After coloring, place the artwork face down on scrap paper or a towel.
• Gently dab a cloth lightly soaked with cooking oil on the back of the design.
• Watch as the colors become translucent, letting light shine through like real stained glass!

Encourage Creativity:

• Let students mix colors within sections to create unique and eye-catching designs.
• Explore themes like “Warm Christmas” (reds, golds, greens) or “Cool Christmas” (blues, silvers, whites) to help students experiment with color palettes.

Creative Display Ideas

Window Gallery:

• Hang completed designs on classroom windows to let natural light illuminate the stained glass effect.
• Use double-sided tape or clear plastic sleeves for easy application and removal.

Panelled Bulletin Board:

• Arrange multiple designs on black cardstock to create a “stained glass window” look.
• Add a festive border of holly leaves or stars to frame the display.

Holiday Card Panels:

• Shrink the designs to card-size paper and encourage students to create holiday cards for friends, family, or community members.

Fun Facts About Christmas Colors

• Why Red and Green? Red symbolizes the blood of Christ, while green represents eternal life through evergreens often associated with the season.
• Gold and Silver: Gold reflects the star of Bethlehem, and silver signifies purity and peace, adding a touch of elegance to Christmas decorations.
• Global Christmas Colors: In Australia, Christmas colors often include bright blues and greens, reflecting the summer season. Nordic countries favor whites and silvers, inspired by snow-covered landscapes and the serene beauty of winter.

Learning Opportunities

• Christmas Around the World: Use the Summer Christmas and alternative designs to discuss how Christmas is celebrated in Australia and other countries. Explore how different cultures incorporate unique colors and symbols into their holiday traditions.
• STEAM Integration: Combine art and science by exploring light and color blending. Use a flashlight to illuminate the stained glass designs and discuss transparency and color effects.

These Christmas Window Art Projects offer a magical way to combine creativity, fine motor skill development, and holiday cheer in one engaging activity. Whether displayed on windows, transformed into bulletin board panels, or crafted into holiday cards, these projects will brighten your classroom and bring joy to students.

Get your students excited about art and the holidays by trying this resource today. We’d love to see how your displays turn out! Share pictures of your classroom creations on social media and tag us to spread the festive cheer.

Ready to get started? Grab your copy from our TPT store!

Let’s make this holiday season bright and creative!

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Festive Classroom Fun: Shape Crafts and Holiday Activities for Kids

Holiday Joy in the Classroom: Simple, Engaging Crafts for Christmas Fun!

The holiday season is a magical time in the classroom, filled with excitement, creativity, and opportunities to integrate festive fun into learning! Whether you're looking for activities to keep students engaged during December or add a touch of Christmas joy to your lessons, these crafts will bring holiday cheer while fostering important skills in math, art, and fine motor development.

Santa Shape Craft: The Star of the Season

Our Santa Shape Craft is the perfect combination of holiday fun and hands-on learning. Students use basic 2D shapes like circles, triangles, and rectangles to build their own jolly Santa while practicing geometric skills and fine motor coordination. It's easy to prep, simple to differentiate, and looks amazing as a classroom display!

What Teachers Are Saying:

• “These 2D shape crafts were awesome! We just finished up a unit about 2D shapes, and my students loved creating these holiday-themed crafts!”
• “This resource perfectly aligns with Christmas and the shapes we are learning!”
• “Such a time saver! Work smarter, not harder!”
• I really enjoyed this purchase. Your product is useful for what I need. I can use it whole group or small group. Students enjoyed the activity.”

Why Teachers Love It:

• Combines math and creativity: Students manipulate and layer shapes to create Santa while practicing 2D shape recognition.
• Offers differentiation options: From tracing pages for younger learners to fully independent crafting for advanced students, there’s something for everyone.
• Makes festive classroom displays: These Santas add instant holiday cheer to your bulletin boards or walls.
• Encourages fine motor skills: Cutting, pasting, and assembling the pieces help students develop essential skills while having fun.

Check out the Santa Shape Craft here!

More Festive Classroom Activities

Looking for even more ways to bring holiday joy into your classroom? Here are a few of my favorite Christmas-themed crafts and projects to complement the Santa Shape Craft:

1. Scribble Evergreen Tree

Bring a pop of color to your classroom with the Scribble Evergreen Tree Project! Students use scribbling techniques to create unique trees and develop fine motor skills. This easy-to-prep art lesson is perfect for a quick craft session or a creative brain break.

Learn more about the Scribble Evergreen Tree Project.

2. Window Art: Free Candle Craft

Add warmth to your classroom windows with the Candle Art Project! This free resource allows students to create beautiful holiday candles to brighten up any space.
Get the free Candle Art Project here.

3. Fold a Paper Santa

Folding paper isn’t just fun—it’s great for developing fine motor skills and precision! With our Fold a Paper Santa Project, students create adorable folded Santas to add to their holiday displays.
Try the Fold a Paper Santa Project.

4. More Shape Crafts

Shape crafts aren’t just for Christmas! Explore our full collection for even more creative ways to combine math and art throughout the year.
Browse More Shape Crafts.

Bonus Tips for Festive Classroom Fun

Here are some extra ideas to make the most of your holiday crafts:

• Shape Scavenger Hunt - After creating the Santa Shape Craft, have students hunt for 2D shapes around the classroom. Who can find a triangle like Santa’s hat first?
• Bulletin Board Display Idea - Turn your Santa Shape Crafts into a “Shape Santa Parade” display! Add festive borders and encourage students to write a sentence about their Santa using holiday-themed prompts.
• Integrate Storytime - Pair your craft with a Christmas storybook, like The Polar Express or How the Grinch Stole Christmas, to set the holiday mood and encourage cross-curricular learning.

Celebrate & Share!

The holiday season is a special time to connect with your students and celebrate their creativity. Try these activities in your classroom, and let us know how they go! Share your festive crafts with us on Instagram or Facebook—I’d love to see your Santa Shape Crafts on display!

Find more holiday resources here.

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Delicious Drawing Fun: How a Plum Pudding Can Build Fine Motor Skills

It’s the most delicious time of the year! 🎄 Whether you're a teacher looking for an engaging classroom activity or a parent searching for festive fun at home, this plum pudding drawing activity is the perfect mix of creativity and learning. Plus, it doubles as fine motor practice to help little learners get ready for writing.

Ready to get started? Grab some crayons, markers, or pencils and follow the steps in my Instagram Reel to draw your very own plum pudding masterpiece!

Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing a Plum Pudding

The steps are simple enough for even the youngest artists:

1. Arc over like a rainbow for the pudding top.
2. Sideways capital 'C' for the dish.
3. Wavy line to create the custard topping.
4. Line under to complete the dish.
5. Add 3 circle berries.
6. Draw 2 straight lines for the stems.
7. Finish with zigzag holly leaves to make it festive!

Tip: Add extra details like faces, fruit, or patterns in the background to personalize your pudding!

See It in Action

Check out the completed projects and additional ideas in the photos below. Let your students or kids experiment with decorations—think colorful sprinkles, unique holly leaves, or even a pudding party scene!

For more step-by-step guidance, watch the Instagram Reel here.

It’s More Than Just a Drawing

This activity isn’t just about creating something cute—it’s packed with educational benefits:

• Fine Motor Practice: Drawing arcs, zigzags, and lines strengthens the muscles needed for handwriting.
• Pre-Writing Skills: Shapes like rainbows and zigzags build foundational movements for letters.
• Creative Expression: Kids can experiment with their own unique pudding designs, encouraging confidence and imagination.

Share the Joy

I’d love to see how your students or kids’ puddings turn out! Share your creations on social media and tag me to spread some festive cheer.

For even more festive activities, join my newsletter and get free resources like a coloring page to pair with this activity.

Looking for even more ways to enjoy this festive theme? Here are some ideas from my TpT store to keep the holiday creativity going:

2D Shape Pudding Math Craft

Combine art and math with this hands-on scissor skills activity! Students arrange simple shapes to create their own pudding masterpiece while practicing counting and shape recognition. Perfect for classroom stations or at-home crafting.
👉 Explore it here.

Tracing and Coloring Pages

For little ones who love to color, these tracing and coloring activities are a great way to practice fine motor skills. Choose from simple or detailed puddings to suit all skill levels.
👉 Find them here.

Editable Festive Door Display

Make your classroom extra welcoming this holiday season with a cute Christmas pudding-themed bulletin board or door display. Add students' names to little puddings for a personal touch!
👉 Check it out here.

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Christmas, Kinder Art

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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Snowman, Winter, Writing

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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Math Kit, numbers to five

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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Directed Drawing, Turkeys

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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Kinder Art

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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100 Chart, skip counting

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 routine, Writing

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