Hello from My Messy Desk!
Hello friends! I’m popping in today from my beautifully messy desk to share a few creative updates, some new classroom goodies, and a little peek behind the scenes. It’s been one of those weeks filled with lots of small but happy tasks — the kind that make you feel both a little scattered and a lot inspired.Pumpkin Play Mat Math Kit — A Fun Warm-Up Idea!
If you’ve grabbed my Pumpkin Play Mat Math Kit, here’s a fun way to warm up your students’ math brains while practicing number sense and strategic thinking!🎃 Find the Pumpkin Play Mats here.
Try this activity:
- Choose a number card (4–24) and place it on the plain pumpkin.
- Roll dice and add them onto the 4-grid pumpkin until you have four dice that make the number card total.
- The challenge? Deciding which rolls to keep and which to roll again!
- ✨ Exciting variation: You only get five rolls total (roll all the dice at once). Your goal is to score the total exactly by choosing carefully which dice to keep and which to roll again.
- This quick-play version keeps things fun and full of math talk — perfect for small groups or morning tubs!
☕ Quiet Creative Moments
Last night in my creative planner, I wrote down “quiet time” on my brain dump page — and I’m actually following through today!Spring/Autumn break can be such a busy season, and I’ve learned that taking a few moments to pause, color, or sketch makes all the difference.
I’ve been coloring the baby bats from the Pond Coloring Club and sketching a few leaf and pumpkin cuties that I can’t wait to share soon.
🦇 Cute Bat Directed Drawing — New Video!
Over on Instagram, I just shared a drawing video of my Cute Bat Directed Drawing project, which is now part of my Fun Bundle of Directed Drawings — just in time for Halloween!These bright little bats look so cheerful on the classroom wall and also make a wonderful catalyst for writing.
You can find the full resource here:
🦇 Cute Bat Drawing & Writing Halloween Project
If you want to watch the drawing in action, head to my Instagram — I’ve saved it as a reel so you can see the process step-by-step.
🎃 Pumpkin Vine Math Center — Now to 120!
My Pumpkin Vine Math Game has grown — literally! It now goes all the way to 120, and I’ve added a bonus coloring page.You can print the coloring page on the back of the game board for some extra fine motor fun or use it as a calm fast-finisher activity.
👉 Check out the Pumpkin Vine Game here!
I’m already dreaming up a few more pumpkin-themed pages… in fact, my silly pumpkin sketch page is sitting on my desk, waiting to become a coloring page for you soon! Until then, you might enjoy my Silly Pumpkin Craft and Writing Activity — it’s a joyful, creative way to combine art and writing in your classroom.
🍁 Leaf Door Display — With New Name Tags!
While updating my Leaf Door Display set, I couldn’t resist adding four new name tag designs! I was editing the third-grade sign and thought, “Why not make a few extra choices while I’m here?”🍃 See the updated Leaf Door Display set here!
These fall leaves bring such cozy seasonal color to the hallway — it’s one of my favorite ways to make your classroom feel welcoming and festive.
💛 Want to Find Something?
If you’re looking for a particular resource — maybe something you saw on Instagram or in one of my photos — I’d love to help!You can browse my store, or just ask me directly. I’m always happy to point you toward something fun and fitting for your classroom.
Thanks for visiting my messy desk today!
Here’s to cozy creativity, classroom joy, and finding little pockets of peace amid the busy days. 🌿✨