Minions!

Maybe I should've posted this one first tonight... keep scrolling down for the recent updates on actual classroom related goodies! I just can't get enough laughs out of the Minion meme!

I think I'm more like the last one a little more often than the other 2 but I have my good professional meeting days and my crazy "purple" days too! :D gotta love the minions!

Oh! And the OLYMPICS!!

We also spent 2 days this week on the Winter Olympics... we talk a little able it every morning during our Calendar math, but we also made some cute skiers and Olympic rings art projects! I forgot to take pictures of the skiers but here's a run down of what we did!
1. Cover the table in blue butcher paper
2. Cover a styrofoam ball in white paint and prepare for a mess!
3. Roll the ball gently to your friend across the table
4. Repeat until the blue paper looks like it's covered in snowy hills!
5. Move the paper to another table to dry while everyone colors and cuts out coloring page skiers...
6. Glue the skiers to the painted sheets of paper and write the student's name with "Going for the Gold!"

They turned out so cute and the kids LOVED the chance to "paint" with something different than the same old brushes!

I did remember to photograph a couple of the other crafty project... We used an empty paper towel roll and different colors of paint on a paper plate to "stamp" rings! I didn't worry so much about color and placement, but we did talk about how the rings represent all of the country's competing and that they are connected with 3 on top and 2 on the bottom! I personally love the "not-so-perfect" art projects we get when the kids just want to be creative!

While posting this, I've been checking up on the stats and results of more 2014 Winter Olympics events! I am enjoying this year's excitement, but I gotta say I really look forward to the summer games more, only 2 more years! haha!

On an unrelated note... I just saw on facebook there are less than 30 days until SPRING! Hallelujah! Bring on the sunshine!!

Presidents' Day!!

I found some great books at the library about presidents and everyone - adults included! - loved the presidential fun trivia! We only spent 2 days on presidents' day activities, so here's a look at our anchor chart with describing words and activities! I had a bunch cut out and gave them out one at a time to the kiddos - if it was a word/phrase that did not describe the president, they got to crumble it up and throw it in the trash!

 

Next, we made these crafty George Washingtons - Coffee filter neckpieces and cotton ball wigs!

The last fun Presidents' Day activity: Our faces on Mount Rushmore! Here's our speech therapist, Ms. Dexter rocking George's space - the kids were cracking up and I got some great pics to share with their parents... still need to print them out though! It's been a busy week!

Presidents' Day was fun - hard to believe how much stuff we've squeezed into February and there's still a week to go! I had to create a separate school board on Pinterest for all of the Winter Olympics, Valentines, 100th day, winter ending, dental health, Groundhog Day and Presidents; Day stuff! Next week, we're focusing on money and getting ready for March... I need some new fun bulletin board ideas! Pinterest, here I come again!

Don't Blink... 100th day of school!

Finally! With all the snow this year, I thought we'd get to the 100th day in April! Haha! But, our daily count in our morning routine finally promised just 2 more days... just 1 more day... the 100th day is here! Our monkey friend, Zero the Hero brought 100 paper bananas to our sticker board! We also made posters with 100 stickers, 100 pom-poms, and 100 puzzle pieces! We built stacks and invented games using 100 styrofoam cups - definitely my favorite part ;)  and we even created art pieces using 100 post-it notes (time 5 different colors I think... I'm not sure, I know there were a lot and the white board looked awesome!) Here's a quick pic of all our activities!

On to Valentine's Day and Presidents' Day and SPRING!!!! :)

Groundhog Day

Super cute Groundhog Day crafts!
Peek-A-Boo Punxatawny Phil!

We also painted paper plates and made groundhogs holding signs that showed a sorting page (winter/spring) and the kids circled "Winter" since Phil saw his shadow this year...man, I'm so ready for Spring!!!

Letter M is for Mouse!

It's been a while since I posted about our letter of the week activities. This week's mice were just too cute not to share! I saw something similar on Pinterest of course, but I love the way my kiddos adapt the examples I give them and make them their own!