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Celebrate winter holidays, or a unit about the gingerbread man, while reinforcing shape identification and counting! This low-prep math craftivity uses art supplies found in most classrooms: construction paper, crayons or markers, scissors, and glue sticks. Simply print out the shape page, and you're good to go! I've included a page with images to assist students who may not have background knowledge about gingerbread houses. I ask students to brainstorm shapes they see in the images, then elic

These open-ended STEM projects address science standards for Engineering Design. They can easily be completed at home with craft supplies and recyclables from around the house. They are great extensions to any of the Gingerbread Man (Boy, Girl, Baby) stories, and can also stand alone. I love connecting literature to STEM! I have included links to alternative gingerbread stories that do not involve our hero getting eaten by a fox. Feel free to use the classic gingerbread story if you desire. You

Save time and money with this sight word bundle! Add an element of fun to learning sight words with rainbow, ice cream, citrus fruit, and gemstone colors! Here are #1-500 of Fry's sight words, in lists of 25. Includes color and black-and-white versions of all lists. Each list also has a grid for cutting and sorting, and there's a worksheet for sorting the sight words by number of letters. A larger-font list allows students to make flashcards, and there are pages to practice tracing each sight wo

These open-ended projects address science standards K-2-ETS1-1 and K-2-ETS1-2, Engineering Design. They are great ways to extend children's Hanukkah books, and can also stand alone. I love connecting literature to STEM! The Night Before Hanukkah, by Natasha Wing, connects to the first project. Students will use various craft and classroom materials as they follow the steps of the project to design a substitute candle for the menorah. The next project relates to The Runaway Latkes by Leslie Kimm

These open-ended STEM projects address science standards K-2-ETS1-1 and K-2-ETS1-2, Engineering Design. They are great extensions to children's Thanksgiving books, and can also stand alone. I love connecting literature to STEM! You can use little turkey erasers to test out students' creations. How to Catch a Turkey, by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton, provides the backdrop for the first project. Students will use various craft and classroom materials as they follow the steps of the project to des

This bundle includes ALL of my open-ended STEM Challenges based on children's literature for the following holidays/themes: New Year's DaySnowmanValentine's DaySt. Patrick's DayHalloweenThanksgivingGingerbread ManHanukkah

These open-ended STEM projects address science standards K-2-ETS1-1 and K-2-ETS1-2, Engineering Design. They are great extensions to children's Halloween books, and can also stand alone. I love connecting literature to STEM! For the first project, you will read the book Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson. Challenge students to design a broom that protects the witch from the wind. Students will use various craft and classroom materials as they follow the steps of the project. This can also be

Add an element of fun to learning sight words with the colors of the rainbow! Here are the first 150 of Fry's sight words in lists of 25. Includes color and black-and-white versions of all lists. Each list also has a grid for cutting and sorting, and there's a worksheet for sorting the sight words by number of letters. A larger-font list allows students to make flashcards and practice tracing each sight word. Print out the blank certificates of completion for each list to add your students' name

These fun, open-ended STEM projects address Next Generation Science Standards in Engineering Design, as well as Common Core standards in reading and writing. They are great extensions to children's books, and can also stand alone. I love connecting literature to STEM! You can use little snowman erasers, or have students make cottonball snowmen, to test out their STEM projects. Please note that students are NOT all creating the same exact thing. The focus is on problem-solving, creativity, and im

Save 33% with this time-saving bundle! My students love trying to make the silliest sentences, and I love that they are practicing nouns, verbs and sentence structure. Use these fun, multi-seasonal materials as a whole group game, small group instruction, partner activity or independent task. To assemble, cut apart the noun and verb cards into individual squares, but cut the gameboard into three strips or leave it as one page (depending on your students' skill levels). Students can self-check by

These fun and funny gingerbread materials can extend any gingerbread story, and also stand alone. My students love making silly sentences, and I love that they're learning/practicing conventions of print, nouns and verbs, complete sentences, and sight words. Students match the color on the card to the color on the gameboard. Use as a center, independent activity, small group instruction, early finishers or morning work. Optional recording sheets provide several levels of differentiation. These m

For this print-and-play activity, you'll need two dice per student (or group of students), plus crayons, markers, or colored pencils. Each student will roll two dice, count the dots (or subitize), find the number on their paper, and color in that part of the picture. Play continues until all numbers have been rolled and colored in. If students roll a number they have already rolled, you can have them color in one of the Christmas Tree ornaments.

These Valentine's STEM projects are great extensions to children's books, and can also stand alone. I love connecting literature to STEM! The first project can use  The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond. In this story, Cornelia Augusta catches paper hearts that rain from the sky. Challenge students to design something that will help Cornelia catch more hearts. They will use various craft and classroom materials as they follow the steps of the project. This can also be presented as an invitat

These open-ended STEM projects motivate children with a literature-based challenge. Each student's project will be a unique product of their own problem-solving strategies, just like real engineers! No cookie-cutter results here! Plan for several days (or longer) to allow kids the time to establish, design and implement their ideas. The projects are great extensions to children's books about St. Patrick's Day, and also stand alone. I love connecting literature to STEM! Project #1's read-aloud is

Teach or reinforce the "sh" sound with this fun phonics sorting game. Game boards included in both color and black and white. Before you start, choose which version you'll play. Laminate (or put in page protectors) one shark/trash game board for each student. 2 versions sh and not sh (beginning sound)beginning sh and ending shVarious ways to play Playdough Smash (whole group or small group): Give each student a game board and a can or handful of playdough. Before the game starts, have them make

This pack contains 12 fall-themed gameboards for BUMP, a game my students love to play! You will need dot dice, blank dice, and connecting cubes in addition to these gameboards. I buy blank foam dice at Dollar Tree. Alternatively, you can use a cube-shaped block or box. Letter BumpEncourage identification of letter names and beginning sounds with this entertaining game! You supply a blank die labeled with the letters on the gameboard, and 6 connecting cubes per player (each player is a different

Celebrate Hanukkah while reinforcing shape identification and counting! This low-prep math craftivity uses art supplies found in most classrooms: construction paper, crayons or markers, scissors, and glue sticks. Simply print out the shape page and you're good to go! Students first color all of the shapes and cut them out. Then they cut along the dotted lines to separate the words. Next, students glue the trapezoid at the bottom of their page as the menorah. The rectangles are glued perpendicu

Home learning science experiments! Parents can do simple science experiments at home with their child. Here are 5 easy experiments for Pre-Kindergarten through 2nd grade, using household ingredients. Done one per day, children have time to discuss results and the theme lasts a week. Children work alone or with a partner to ensure that each child gets hands-on experience. You will need to copy one student booklet per child to record the results of the experiments. Fold each page in half verticall

"Magic" potions that fizz, bubble, change color, and dissolve are the perfect instruments to get kids interested in science! Here are 5 simple science experiments you can do at school or home using household ingredients. Done one per day, children have time to discuss results and the theme lasts a week. Children work alone or with a partner to ensure that each child gets hands-on experience. Copy one student booklet per child to record the results of the experiments, or use the information on yo

This is a quick and easy activity to reinforce making connections to a text after reading Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto. Also makes a great tie-in to a unit on traditions and culture, or holidays around the world.