Sweet Start to the School Year: Gumball Machine Craft, Writing, and Free Math Posters!

Back to School Fun with a Gumball Twist: Craft, Writing & Free Math Posters!

Looking for a fun, flexible way to kick off the school year with color, creativity, and connection? My Gumball Machine Craft & Writing Pack is the perfect mix of hands-on art, meaningful literacy, and classroom community building—all in one sweet, low-prep activity.

Whether you’re setting up a cheerful bulletin board or building classroom routines around kindness and goal-setting, this resource gives you everything you need to start strong—and with a pop of fun!

What Makes This Gumball Craft So Special?

This isn’t just a cute paper craft (although it’s definitely adorable!). It’s also a thoughtful learning tool that integrates beautifully with your back-to-school program:

• Supports fine motor skills through coloring, cutting, and assembling
• Explores colors and shapes with a familiar, kid-friendly theme
• Builds classroom community with writing prompts like “Sweet Friends Stick Together”
• Strengthens early writing skills with clean, structured pages and optional sentence starters
• Encourages student voice through goal-setting and personal expression
• The gumball globe even comes with or without a face, so your students can add their own personality if they choose!

Three Easy-to-Use Writing Activities Included:

• “Sweet Friends Stick Together” – Promote kindness and teamwork from Day 1
• “My Goal Gumball” – A simple, positive goal-setting task perfect for the start of the year
• “Gumball Fun” (CVC Literacy Page) – A short, decodable story with CVC word practice and sentence completion

These writing pages are optional, but they pair beautifully with the craft and can be used in your literacy centers or as part of a classroom display.

Craft Prep Made Easy:

I know your time is limited, so the craft comes in three different formats to suit every schedule:

• Quick Craft: One big shape to color and cut—no gluing!
• 2-Page Craft: All pieces on just two sheets for fast prep and student independence
• Traditional Template: Individual parts to print on colored paper and assemble creatively

Bonus: Free Gumball-Themed Math Posters!

To keep the gumball fun going, don’t miss my FREE Gumball Machine Doubles Posters — a bright and engaging way to support number sense and math fluency in the early years.

These visual aids and activity mats are perfect for your math wall, small group instruction, or centers.

👉 Grab the free gumball doubles posters here

Crafts don’t need to be just fluff—when they’re well-designed, they can become powerful tools for learning, expression, and building a classroom culture where every student feels seen and valued. This gumball machine project does just that.

Ready to make your classroom a little brighter (and a lot sweeter)?

• Check out the full Gumball Craft & Writing Pack here!
• Wishing you a colorful and connected start to your school year!

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Back to School, Craftivity, Doubles

Place Value Game with Cloud Number Cards for Kindergarten & First Grade

☁️ Math in the Clouds! ☁️

A Dreamy Place Value Game for Your Next Math Lesson

Looking for a fun, hands-on way to teach tens and ones? Try this dreamy cloud-themed math game that’s perfect for small group lessons, centers, or even a cozy rainy-day activity! 🌧️✨

This activity brings together imagination and foundational math skills using cloud number cards and a place value mat – both part of my Math Kit, and now available in my TPT store!

How to Play:

"Math in the Clouds" – A Tens & Ones Game

What you'll need:

• Cloud Number Cards (0–20)
• Place Value Mat
• Dry erase markers (optional)

Steps:

• Choose a cloud card and place the number on your mat.
• "Uh oh! A cloud floats away…" (Remove one card)
• Draw a new cloud card and add it to the mat.
• Count your total — tens first, then ones.
• Write the two-digit number in the box.

This activity:

• Supports place value understanding in a visual, tactile way
• Encourages mental math and number decomposition
• Is perfect for Kindergarten and First Grade learners
• Is great for small group practice, math centers, or even early finishers

Teacher Tip:

Slide the place value mat into a sheet protector to make it dry-erase friendly — reuse it all year long!

This dreamy math game turns number practice into an imaginative adventure. Whether you're learning on a cloudy day or just adding some whimsy to your lesson plans, your students will love working with numbers in the clouds! ☁️🔢

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Place Value Adventures with Owl: A Tens and Ones Game for Little Learners

Place Value Adventure: Owl’s Busy Night Game

If you’ve already got the Math Kit Bundle 2, then you know how versatile the Owl’s Busy Night Play Mats are for hands-on number fun. Today, I'm sharing one creative way to use the owl cards from your kit to help students practice identifying tens and ones in two-digit numbers.

This game is perfect after you've introduced the idea of place value, and you're looking for an engaging activity to help reinforce the concept that digits in the tens position represent something different than those in the ones.

With a little storytelling and some number fun, your students will be flying right along with Owl in no time!

Learning Goal:

Students will practice identifying the tens and ones digits in two-digit numbers by matching digits from flipped number tiles to numbers on the log.

You’ll Need:

• Owl’s Busy Night Play Mats (Owl, Tree Hollow, Log – Clock is optional)
• Number Tiles from Math Kit Bundle 1 (0–100)
• Log number cards (choose 5 two-digit numbers like 6, 83, 45, 16, 17)
• Counters or tokens to mark each of Owl’s flights (optional: use on the clock mat)

Set-Up:

• Shuffle the number tiles and place five two-digit numbers face-up along the log mat (one in each square).
• Place a selection of other number tiles (face down) in the tree hollow.
• Set out the owl play mat, and optionally, the clock mat with 12 counters for tracking Owl’s night flights.

How to Play: Owl’s Busy Night – Place Value Game

• Owl gets 12 night flights to collect all 5 bugs (number cards) from the log. (Each flight = 1 tile flipped from the tree hollow. Optional: place a counter on the clock after each flight.) 
• On each flight, a student (or small group) flips one number tile from the tree hollow.
• Check for a match!
• If the tens OR ones digit of the flipped tile matches any tens or ones digit of the numbers on the log, it's a match.
• For example: A 23 is flipped, and there's an 83 on the log → the 3 in the ones place is a match. A 46 is flipped, and there's a 16 on the log → the 6 in the ones place is a match. A 42 is flipped, and there's a 45 on the log → the 4 in the tens place is a match.
• Matched number tiles go on the Owl’s mat — he’s caught a bug!
• If no match, the flipped tile is discarded, but the flight still counts — don’t forget to add a counter to the clock!
• Goal: Collect all 5 log numbers (bugs) in 12 or fewer flights.
• Celebrate a successful night of bug hunting with Owl!

Teaching Tips: 

• Encourage students to say the tens and ones out loud: “23 – that’s 2 tens and 3 ones!”
• Play in pairs or small groups to encourage math talk.
• After the game, do a quick reflection: “Which numbers matched? Which digits helped you the most?”

This is just one creative way to use your Owl’s Busy Night cards from Math Kit Bundle 2. With a little imagination, math becomes a storytelling adventure — and your students are sure to enjoy helping Owl on his bug-collecting mission while practicing essential math skills.

Let me know how it goes in your classroom, and stay tuned for more ideas!

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From My Desk: Sweet Bakes, Math Play & Creative Moments You May Have Missed

Hi friends,

I’m writing this from my desk with a warm cup of something cozy nearby, and I thought it was the perfect time to catch you up on a few things you may have missed — a little round-up of the colorful, creative, and joy-filled projects I’ve been working on and sharing across all the places!

1. New in Math Kit Bundle 2: Crayon 6 Frames

I’ve just added some playful new resources to the Math Kit Bundle 2 — including these adorable crayon 6 frames! Once your learners are feeling confident working within 5, it’s a gentle next step to extend them just a bit: encourage their mental math skills by nudging them toward combinations that make 6. It keeps the structure familiar, but stretches their thinking as you journey toward 10. And a bonus? A 6 frame pairs beautifully with dice — let the games begin!
Find it here: Crayon 6 Frames Dice-Based Math Games

2. Crayon & Elephant Tracing Fun in the Pond Coloring Club

If your children are enjoying crayons and getting creative with color, head over to the Pond Coloring Club — I’ve added a sweet crayon tracing page and a brand-new elephant tracing sheet, specially designed for early tracers with just a few simple lines.
Explore and download at: Pond Coloring Club

3. Quick Tip for Write-n-Wipe Magic

Over on Instagram Reels, I shared a simple tip to make your write-n-wipe activities super fast and flexible. Whether you're using the Math Kit cards or other visual supports, this trick will help you get more out of your materials in less time.
Watch it here: Instagram Reel Tip

4. Banana Cocoa Cupcakes – A Sweet Weekend Bake

This past weekend, I did a little baking (you may have seen it in my stories!) and made the most delightful Banana Cocoa Cupcakes. They’re soft, lightly sweet, and perfect with basic pantry staples. Here's the recipe I put together with a little help from my digital kitchen buddy, ChatGPT:

Banana Cocoa Cupcakes

(Makes 10–12)

Ingredients:

• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened or melted
• 1/2 cup (100g) sugar (white or brown)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• 1/2 cup (45g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Optional: 1–2 tbsp milk, if batter is thick

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin.
2. Mix mashed bananas, butter, and sugar.
3. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir to combine.
4. Sift in cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix gently.
5. Add milk if needed. Divide into liners (about 3/4 full).
6. Bake 16–20 min, until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
7. Cool and enjoy!

5. Creative Planner Doodle Challenge

I’ve been playing outside my usual style a little with a fun doodle challenge in my Creative Planner — a space where I explore, reflect, and dream big (with a pen in hand). Want to know more? Sign up for my free newsletter and take a peek inside here:
Creative Planner & Free Newsletter

I have a few more lovely surprises coming your way this week — stay connected over on Instagram, Facebook, or right here on the blog.

Wishing you a soft, creative start to your week

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Doodles

Counting the Days: A Bright & Visual Start to Your School Day

Hello teacher friends!

I’m so excited to share a brand new resource with you—one that brings structure, joy, and meaningful math learning to your classroom routine from day one. It's called Ten Frame Days in School, and it's the perfect way to build a warm, math-infused start to each day that your students will look forward to.

This gentle but vibrant display is designed to help young learners track how many days they’ve been at school using a visual ten-frame format. Each day, students color or cover a new dot—one simple step that supports number sense, counting, and place value, all while building classroom community.

Whether you're counting to the 100th day or tracking the entire year, this resource grows with your learners, one dot at a time.

A Few Tips for Using It:

• Display at student eye level so they can actively engage with it.
• Make marking the new day a classroom job—students love the responsibility!
• Use it to highlight tens and ones as the days build—hello, place value!
• Pair with calendar time or circle time to create a calm, consistent morning rhythm.
• Keep it flexible—only show the current ten-frame if you're short on space or want to reduce visual clutter.

Even though this version is part of my Bright & Happy series, it still has a gentle feel that works beautifully with nearly any classroom color palette. And if you're into neutrals or pastels, stay tuned—a soft pastel version is coming very soon!

You can check out the Bright Ten Frame Days in School display right here in my TPT store. I hope it brings calm, clarity, and joyful counting into your day!

Thanks for being here, and thank you for the beautiful work you do in your classroom each day.

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Sweet Little Sunshine Bird – A Silvereye-Inspired Drawing for Winter Creativity

A Little Bird Told Me... There’s Something New in the Keep It Cute Pack!

This week’s doodle prompt was Sun Patch — and even though it’s winter here in Australia, I spotted some sweet little silvereye birds enjoying a real splash of sunshine! I shared a quick crayon sketch over on Instagram inspired by their bright, happy energy.

What an adorable subject for drawing with children too. 

Their sweet little shape and circular eye (like a sun!) are perfect for scribbly crayon lines, and they’re just the right mix of realistic and whimsical for curious little artists.

And the best part? I've added this cute bird drawing as one of three new inclusions in my Keep It Cute Directed Drawing pack on TPT — now with a total of 52 projects! That’s 13 charming drawings, each with 4 imaginative ways to explore the design. 💫🖍️

🛒 Grab the updated pack here: Keep It Cute Directed Drawing – TpT

🐦 A Few Fun Silvereye Facts for Little Learners:

• Silvereyes are tiny birds with a bright ring around their eyes — it looks like they’re wearing sunshine!
• They love winter fruits and berries, and you might spot them flitting through the trees in little groups.
• Even though they’re small, Silvereyes are big travellers — flying across long distances each year!

🎨 Drawing Tips for Classrooms:

• Encourage children to start with the eye — a big sunny circle can set the tone for a joyful little bird.
• Use crayon to draw, then watercolor over the top to let the wax resist shine through.
• Invite children to imagine their own “tiny bird” in a sunny patch — they might add flowers, trees, or even give their bird a crown!
• The drawing in the pack is a general, cute little bird — so it’s the perfect starting point for creative twists! Kids can color it to look like a Silvereye, a robin, or a bird from their own imagination. 🐤✨

🖌️ Still Time to Join the Doodle Challenge!

The free June Doodle Challenge is still open — no pressure, just joy. You can doodle in one square a day or see where your pencil takes you. 🌈

Join in here: fromthepond.com/doodle-month

Whether you're warming up little hands on a frosty morning or dreaming of sunshine and songbirds, I hope these ideas bring a smile to your classroom.

Stay warm, stay creative, and keep it cute! 💛

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Directed Drawing, Doodles

Memory + Math: A Fun Visual Warm-Up Using Twenty Dot Play Mats

Quick Math Warm-Up with the Twenty Dot Play Mats

If you’ve downloaded Math Kit Bundle 2, you already have access to one of our most versatile new resources—Twenty Dot Play Mats! 

These mats were designed to support number fluency and counting to 20—but their potential goes far beyond basic number work. Today, we’re sharing a simple warm-up activity that’s more about visual recall, attention, and memory-building than counting—and it's a perfect way to get the most from these mats.

Whether you're working on math skills, brain warm-ups, or group games, this activity adds value and flexibility to your math block.

Focus + Memory Mat Game

What You’ll Need:

• One plain Twenty Dot Play Mat per student
• A set of colored counters that match the dot mat colors
• Your colored Twenty Dot Mats for display

How to Play:

• Show students one of the colored dot mats for a few seconds.
• Ask them to spot where a specific color (e.g. orange) appears in each row.
• Hide the mat.
• Students use colored counters to recreate the orange positions on their plain mat.
• Flash a new card and repeat!

Game Variations:

• Time it: Only allow 3–5 seconds to look before hiding the mat.
• Double color: Ask students to place two colors instead of one.
• Sequence strategy: Give each dot a number (left to right: 1–4), and ask students to remember the “code” (e.g. orange is at 3-1-2-4-1).
• Line by line: Only recreate one or two rows at a time for focus and scaffolding.

🧩 Tips for Using the Dot Mats:

• Laminate for durability and dry-erase marker fun!
• Use with math counters, linking cubes, teddies, or any manipulatives.
• Mix plain and colored versions to adapt to different goals.
• Keep a stack ready for centers, transitions, or brain breaks.
• Think beyond numbers: these mats are great for patterns, memory, logic, and matching.

🧠 TL;DR — 7 Quick Points:

• If you own Math Kit Bundle 2, you already have this!
• Students use plain mats + counters to match colors from a flashed card.
• Students look, remember, and recreate colored dot positions.
• Practice visual recall, not just counting.
• Use any manipulative: counters, cubes, bears, markers.
• Vary it: memory time, colors, rows, strategies.
• Laminate and reuse forever.

Follow along with our Math Kit blog series here:
👉 https://frompond.blogspot.com/search/label/Math%20Kit

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Math Kit

Turtle Grid Math Game: A Hands-On Way to Build Number Sense with Foam Dice and Fun!

Turtle Grid Math Game: A Simple, Engaging Way to Build Number Sense

Looking for a low-prep, high-impact math activity that builds number sense, number combinations, and pattern recognition—all while being super fun? The Turtle Grid Math Game is a go-to option using just a few tools from the Math Kit for Kindergarten and 1st Grade.

This game is perfect for centers, small group instruction, early finishers, or even at home. Kids get to roll, strategize, and move some sea foam!

What You Need

• 2 Turtle Grid Cards (from the 9-Grid Activity Cards for Math Games and Warm-Ups)
• 2 Foam Dice (or regular dice)
• 9 small counters (buttons, gems, coins, etc.)

That’s it! All included in the Math Kit for Kindergarten and 1st Grade

How to Play

• Set Up: Place 9 counters on one of the turtle grid cards. The other turtle card starts empty.
• Roll the Dice: Roll both foam dice. Pick one of the numbers to use.
• Move Counters: Move that number of counters from one turtle to the other. You must use one number in full—no splitting!

If neither number can be used (e.g. no turtle has enough to move), choose the smaller one if possible—even if it means moving counters back.

Keep Rolling: 

• Continue rolling and moving counters back and forth. The goal is to end with all 9 counters on the opposite turtle card from where you started.

Watch the Patterns: 

• The grid format helps children see number groupings, combinations, and changes in quantity with each move.

Why Kids Love It (and Teachers Do Too)

• Builds number flexibility and strategic thinking
• Encourages trial and error with no fear of “getting it wrong”
• Strengthens visual pattern recognition
• Quick to set up, endlessly replayable

This game sneaks in loads of learning while keeping it playful. The dice rolls keep kids guessing, and the turtle grid cards make abstract number work tangible and visual.

Get the Tools

• 9-Grid Activity Cards for Math Games and Warm-Ups
• Math Kit for Kindergarten and 1st Grade: Games, Activities and Visuals

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Math Kit

Creative & Calm: Seashell Tracing Pages for Fine Motor Fun and Summer Learning

Seashell Tracing Pages: Simple Fine Motor Fun with a Creative Twist

Looking for a calm, creative activity that builds fine motor skills and lets kids express themselves artistically? My Seashell Tracing Pages have just been updated with 5 brand new designs — giving you even more options to use across a range of ages and abilities.

These pages are perfect for your summer, beach, or ocean-themed learning. Whether you're in the classroom or at home, they offer a low-prep, high-engagement activity that supports both motor skill development and imaginative play.

What's Included?

The updated pack now features a wide variety of seashell outlines:

• Simple designs for early tracers
• Pages with space to draw, add line patterns, or even create faces or characters
• Designs that can stay clean and minimalist or transform into detailed art projects

Ways to Use the Seashell Tracing Pages

Whether you're planning a whole beach-themed unit or just need a calming center activity, there are so many ways to enjoy these pages:

• Trace with pencil, marker, or crayon — great for building pencil control and focus
• Paint with soft watercolors for a dreamy ocean vibe
• Use fine markers or gel pens to add texture, dots, or shell details
• Add sand "dots" using brown or gold markers for a fun tactile twist
• Pair with read-alouds about shells or the beach to spark interest and vocabulary

Perfect for All Ages & Stages

What I love most about these pages is how versatile they are. A younger student will feel a real sense of accomplishment just tracing the lines in one color — and that’s a big win for confidence and control.

Older students can turn the same shell into a complete art piece by tracing, doodling patterns, adding creative elements, and then finishing with color. You might be surprised by how beautifully each student’s personality comes through!

Explore the full pack here:
Seashell Tracing Worksheets for Summer & Ocean Fine Motor Fun

Whether you're filling a quiet corner, prepping for summer learning, or building a beachy bulletin board, these tracing pages bring just the right blend of skill-building and creativity.

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fine motor, ocean, Tracing

Building Flexible Thinkers: A Simple Warm-Up Idea for Differentiating Number Sense in K–2

You know that moment when the classroom is buzzing with number talk and the math thinking feels electric? I shared a warm-up idea on Instagram yesterday — just 2 dice and 3 number cards — and I can already imagine it lighting up your classroom.

So simple. So visual. And best of all — the kids do the thinking.

The idea is to roll 2 dice, draw 3 number cards, and then challenge students to find a number relationship between the three. Think:

• 5, 2, and 7 → “Oh! 5 + 2 = 7.”
• 2, 3, and 6 → “That’s double 3!” or “2 groups of 3 make 6.”

It’s a brilliant way to strengthen number sense, encourage flexible thinking, and spark rich math conversations.

But what about the students who aren’t quite there yet?

Not every learner is ready to recognize number relationships on the fly — and that’s OK. This is where gentle differentiation comes in, without needing a whole new activity.

Try this entry-level warm-up variation:

• Roll 2 dice
• Mark those numbers on a number line
• Talk. Compare. Count. Wonder.

Use counters, number lines, and oral counting strategies. Make the numbers with manipulatives. Ask open-ended questions like:

• “What do you notice about these two numbers?”
• “Which is more? Which is less?”
• “How far apart are they?”
• “Can you count from one to the other?”

The goal? Build confidence and number sense through math talk — not just answers. These conversations help reveal where students are at, and what foundational ideas may need to be revisited in targeted small groups.

 
Keep it playful. Keep it visual. Keep it talk-based.

This approach helps all learners access the math in a way that meets them where they are — and nudges them forward.

Teacher tip: 

This warm-up pairs beautifully with the new FUN dice in Math Kit Bundle 2 — now updated to match the Big Fun Numbers classroom decor! Numerals and dots, 0–10, ready for number play.

Save this idea for your next math warm-up, and don’t forget: when we slow down and listen to student thinking, that’s where the magic really happens. 

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Math Kit, math warm up