Gamification has started making itself more known in today’s classrooms, and it has proven to be a fun, engaging way to teach new concepts or review old ones. As I’ve talked about before– any time you can merge learning and fun is a bonus!
These colder winter months are the perfect time to teach your students about cold weather climates and the animals that call these places home. There is so much to learn about these habitats and climates! I’ve created a simple, yet fun Cold Climate Memory game for you to use in your classroom as you teach about colder climates.
Click on the file below to download your copy of this fun, engaging game to use with your students.
** This file is intended for classroom or personal use only. Do not resell, repost, or claim as your own. **
January is one of those months that seems to drag on and on and on. There aren’t any big holidays to look forward to, and the weather is usually cold and dreary. As a teacher, inclement weather typically means indoor recess, and depending on your class, that could mean extra chaos. If you need something to keep your kiddos entertained in such an event, look no further! Attached below are two Winter Find & Count worksheets– one in color, and one in black and white– that you are welcome to print off and use in your classroom. (Parents, also please feel free to use in the event that the dreary January days get a little extra long and you need a quiet minute!)
** This resource is strictly for classroom or personal use. Do not resell it, repost it, or claim as your own. **
Winter Break is fast approaching, and while that means a break for teachers, it also means lots of time at home for the kiddos. If you live in a place that has colder temperatures, Winter Break can be tricky. Cold, wintry weather makes it less likely kids are going to want to go outside and play. Screen time is great for a minute, but too much of that usually means grumpy kids afterward. Indoor activities can be a life saver for times like this, but sometimes coming up with ideas is difficult.
But no need to worry! I’ve got a handful of ideas for you to use that will keep your kids entertained AND keep their minds active.
Snowflake Math
Draw and cut out several small snowflakes (or any other winter shapes you want). Use the cut out shapes as math manipulative by having kids create various math equations and to experiment with addition and subtraction.
Indoor Scavenger Hunt
Using the free file below, print out the Winter shapes and hide them around the house. Give kids a copy of the list of pictures to find. As they find the hidden pictures, they can removed them from the hiding place and check them off their paper. This game can be adapted to your kids’ ages, needs, and abilities.
Use the file below, or draw a blank Christmas tree on a piece of paper. On a separate paper, draw several ornaments. On each ornament, write a word that contains the sound your child is working on in speech. Cut the ornaments out. You can hide them around the house, in a sensory bin, mix them up in a bowl, or just lay them out on the table or floor. As your child finds or chooses each ornament, have them say the word on the ornament before they can place it on the tree.
Don’t want the mess of real gingerbread houses? I don’t blame you there! Rather than graham crackers and frosting, use construction paper shapes and glue to create a gingerbread house. You can put the pieces/shapes into a bag and have kids reach in to pull one out a time and build the house piece by piece.
Another fun option is to “Roll A House”, where you assign a house element to each number on a die, and when that number is rolled, your child can add or draw that element on to their house.
Christmas Puzzles
Using the free file below, print and cut out the Christmas strip puzzles. Mix up the strips and have kids put the pieces in the correct order to make the picture. These are great quiet activities and are a good way to help kids with spatial reasoning.
My kids excitedly reminded me yesterday that we only have TWO weeks until Christmas! How did it sneak up so quickly?! As promised a few posts ago, here is a Christmas Find & Count activity page in black and white. You can find a color one here.
Teachers, print this out for your students if you need a festive but quiet activity as we get closer to Christmas Break. Parents, print this out if you need a festive but quiet activity once the kids are out of school and at home for Christmas Break! These Find & Count pages also make great activities for long car rides, quiet waiting rooms, or for early finishers in class.
Please only use for classroom or personal use. Do not resell, repost, or claim as your own.
The winter holidays are upon us, and we want to make sure everyone has a fun activity to do as they celebrate. For those who celebrate Kwanzaa, I’ve created a fun find and count activity page, both in color and in black and white.
Print it off and share with your students, your family, or your friends. It would also be a great resource to use if you learn about the different winter holidays with your class. Have fun, and happy finding!
*This printable is free to download, but is not to be resold, reposted, or claimed as your own.*
And just like that, we are already to December! The winter holidays are fast approaching— are you ready?!
Last year, I created and shared a Christmas I Spy page for you to download and use in your classroom or home. You can find that here.
I realize that not everyone celebrates Christmas, so I’ve created a Hanukkah Find & Count page for you to use in your classroom or home. If you want to use the Christmas download with your class, and have a few students who celebrate Hanukkah, now they can join in on the fun without feeling out of place. Including everyone is so important!
*Hopefully coming soon: a search and find for Kwanzaa and a black & white Christmas I Spy page!
This printable is free to download, and is only for classroom and personal use. Do not resell it or claim it as your own.
As a student, field trip days were highly anticipated days— a break from the “normal” school routine and schedule, eating lunch somewhere other than the cafeteria, and a chance to ride the bus with your friends! What more could a student ask for?!
For teachers, though, it’s a bit more involved than just hopping on the bus and going somewhere fun. You’ve got to coordinate and pay for the bus. You also have to arrange with the lunchroom staff so they can plan accordingly and have sack lunches made for the students who need them. There’s also a need for chaperones, so you’ve got to plan in advance and get volunteers worked out. It’s definitely more work than staying in the classroom teaching a lesson. Even though field trips are a lot of work for teachers, there are good educational benefits that come from the experiences students have while on them. Field trips give students hands on learning experiences and let them learn in ways that are sometimes hard to do in the classroom.
While unlimited field trips would be an amazing thing for schools, that just isn’t the case— there are budgets that must be adhered to and it just isn’t feasible in so many ways. Today, however, technology has made it possible for teachers to “take” their classes on field trips all over the world, allowing students to experience places they likely wouldn’t have had the chance to otherwise.
Zoos and other wildlife facilities across the planet have set up cameras to livestream various animals for people to watch. Museums around the world have filmed tours of their sites. Historic places have filmed and set up interactive tours to allow students to get an up close look at things of the past. It’s really quite incredible!
When learning about our nation’s symbols, important government buildings, and so on, my son’s kindergarten class took a virtual tour of Washington DC. My son came home so excited to tell us all about the things he had learned and seen on his field trip. As a parent, I was so grateful he had that opportunity, because taking him to actually see those places in person wasn’t an option at the time.
Many of the places that provide virtual field trips also provide lesson plans and activities that teachers can use to teach about the places, people, and things at their location. Not only do students get to experience somewhere new and exciting, but teachers get to enjoy preplanned lessons!
There are so many places that offer these virtual field trips, and a simple Google search will provide you with a list of possibilities to choose from. That being said, below you will find a list of links to various places that offer these virtual experiences for your students. Feel free to explore and share any that you find interesting! Happy field tripping!
Great Lakes Now provides videos, lesson plans, and other educational information about the Great Lakes.
The Nature Conservancy allows students to visit and learn about various aspects of nature all around the world.
Not everyone will have the chance to visit Amsterdam to see the Anne Frank house in person, but you can watch a virtual tour of it here.
If you’ve ever wanted to experience what life in colonial Williamsburg, Virginia was like, you can explore the town here.
The Natural History Museum provides an expansive look at many aspects of the people, places, and animals of past years. If you want an up close look at some of their exhibits, past and present, you can experience that here.
For your students who are interested in the way Amazon fulfills orders, this virtual tour might be an exciting opportunity for them to see how it all works!
Students can learn all about what happens to our garbage and recycling through this virtual tour shared by Republic Services.
