Telling the time and Easter activities

Hi all,
I just wanted to share a few pics of the happenings in my classroom in the last week or so.  I have had so much going on I feel like I am just catching my breath........in time to start planning for next term, oh they joy!

Well we have been looking at time as mentioned in my last How Pinteresting post, you can read about it here.

So we made these fabulous flip clocks that allow the students to have the 5 minute mark under the numbers. First we wrote the clock numbers on a small paper plate, this was the first challenge for some of them.

                                        Here you can see one of my kiddos writing the          10 min mark under the number 2

Then we made our minute and hour hand and labelled these, we also divided the clock into quarters and labelled o'clock, quarter past, half past and quarter to.

(Can you tell how well trained my kiddos are already not to look at the camera!!)

When we put our clocks together we were then able to use them to....

make our daily shedule that matched analogue time with digital time.  Match digital and analogue times and count the minutes in 5 minute intervals, and.......

pass the time with our friends!   Yes it was Crazy hair day on that day.

My kiddos loved this activity and I can really see the benefits from them making the flap clocks.  I randomly ask them through the day now what the time is and you can see them counting around in 5's and making sure they are checking where the hour hand is.

Before I go I wanted to let you know about the Easter activities I have in my TpT store, I have been so focussed on school that I forgot to tell you all about them.

Here is my Coin Toss Bunny Hop game.

Students toss a coin to either move to a higher or lower number and try to be the first to get to the other side,  because it uses chance the game is different each time they play it.  I have also included 3 different levels to cater for individual needs.

Click on the pic to get your copy!

Next up is my Easter Bunny Craftivity pack

There are 6 different writing templates to choose from, both fiction and non fiction to go with the bunny template, that you can paint, draw, collage whatever you can think.  Just click on the pic to get a copy.

Hope your week is going well, I will be back with some pics of our Monet inspired Waterlilies collages.

Build a Butterfly and pretty gingham

I wanted to share my latest product with you.....I just loooovvvee it!  It is a Build a butterfly to 10 and 20 game.  This has to be on of my most favourite of all the resources I have made.  Kiddos get to practice the part/part/whole concept while playing a game.  When they find the 2 numbers that make 10 or 20 they get to build a butterfly and record their numbers, as they move around the game board they have more opportunity to make more butterflies to 10 or 20.  It has 2 game boards included, 1 with numbers to add to 10 and 1 with the numbers to add to 20.  I have also included the option of printing 2 halves of the board to make one larger board. You can get your copy buy clicking on the pic below.  As usual it is 20% off for the first week

I have also been playing around with some digital papers or backgrounds as you can see in my preview background above.  

You can get a copy of this green gingham background for free here and if you like what you see why not check out the other colours and patterns here.  These are 12x12 and 300 dpi papers available in large and small check but if there are some other colours you would like just let me know.

Making these gingham papers has reminded me of school uniforms, for Aussies most of us head back to the classrooms next week after the Australia Day weekend and I'm sure those teachers are all busy, busy, busy getting classrooms, resources and planning ready.  Don't forget to take a little time for yourself in these next few hectic days.

How Pinteresting!

(Thanks to Mel @ From the Pond for the fuzzy bumps border in my badge.)

Hi friends!  I have to admit that I have been a bit blah with my blog of late, could be something to do with not going back to the classroom full time.  I am actually finding it hard to deal with when you have worked full time in the classroom for nearly 15 years it is actually really hard to not to be getting ready for the new school year.  I am sitting here thinking "What on earth and I going to post on my blog without a classroom?"  I certainly do not want my blog to become an advertisement for my TpT and TM store (although I have been busy with that of late).

So here I am thinking, thinking, thinking (can you see the pain on my face?  hehe) and this is what I came up with, I am going to share 5 of the most Pinteresting ideas for the classroom that I find during the week.  I don't want to be random with it so it will have a theme each week, this post will go out every Friday (could be Thursday for those north of the equator) so you have time on the weekend to get things ready if you see something you like.

So for my first "How Pinteresting!" post I am going to share the 5 most pinteresting pins on early number work.  If you click on the pic it will take you to the pin that I found.

In this activity the students had to create a picture with pop sticks using the number they were given, then draw the picture they had made.  Love it!

This is great for at home or pre-kinder kiddos.  Who doesn't love playing in the mud!!!!  This can be adapted to the kinder room by using sand or rice.

This pin links to a blog post  that has some great ideas (pinterest inspired) for other number activities.

What a great kinaesthetic activity for those kiddos who need help with counting in 5's

I would be remiss if I did not share this pin from one of my boggy friends Melinda at Top Notch Teaching.  Keep an eye out for more fantastic videos sharing great ideas.

Well I hope that you have got some pinteresting ideas about teaching early number and I look forward to sharing some more fantastic ideas from pinterest next week.

Just before I go...does anyone else laugh everytime you get that squiggly red line under the word blog and blogger when you are writing your blog posts...heehee.  For me EVERYTIME!

I'm melting, I'm melting.......

Well those of you who are Down Under know that over the last week we have had some very, very hot weather.  Where I live has been no exception, today and yesterday were the first days that we had under 42 degrees C (that's 109F for you northern folk).  We have been lucky in that we have not been affected by the fires but we live in a rural area and many of the outlying properties and farms have had pasture destroyed and livestock lost.  

All this hot weather has kept me inside in the air conditioning and after I cleaned out my study, cleaned the rest of the house, made a huge amount of salads, hounded the children to clean their rooms including their closets and under their bed (I'm sure they forget we were kids once and know all their tricks) there was not much else to do except........get working on some resources, so for your viewing pleasure ladies and gents I give you.....

Snowball Fight!  A Place Value Bingo game

and Length Measurement Task cards for inches, feet and yards

Just click on either pic to go to my TpT store.  Both of these resources are 20% for one week but the first person to leave a comment will get to choose one to have for their very own for FREE!

Gearing up for Back to School

Well friends I have returned from our beach holiday at the Sunshine Coast and I had a fantastic time catching up with my family and friends, I hope you all had a wonderful relaxing break as well.

Now usually it is this time of year that I start thinking of what I need to get done for back to School, however as some of you may know I do not have a contract to start the year with.  So instead I will be concentrating on helping some of you get ready instead! With that in mind I have tizzied up a booklet I would usually use if I had Kindergarten or Prep, it gives students the opportunity to show the skills they already have and allows the teacher a quick assessment of where each student is starting from.  The other great thing I love about using this booklet is being able to send home an identical one at the end of the year for parents to see how much progress students make in Kinder.
Just click on the pic below to go to my TpT store, I will be offering this at 20% off for the first week.

For those friends of mine that are over the pond in the U.S and various other places I will be posting some other items that will be relevant to you as well.

By the way I came back just in time to enter a giveaway from one of my favourite blogger friends Alison!  She is celebrating her 30th birthday (happy birthday) by giving away 3 $10 TpT vouchers.....coool!  Head on over to enter.  She is also having a Sale that ends on the 6th, she has awesome products so head over to bag a bargain!

For now I am catching up on blogs, newsletters, organising my store and job searching! I have to say I have missed blogging and creating and now that I have a bit of time on my hands and a heatwave coming through (43 C today, tomorrow and then 41 C that's 109 F) well what better to do than sit in the air con and get working!
Watch this space.

Santa's Little Helper Blog Hop!

It's a blog hop!!  Yessiree you are in the right place at the right time.  On your next stop of Santa's Little Helper Blog Hop journey you have the chance to pick up a Winter/Christmas themed 10 More or 10 Less Maths Game.

     

This is a great game for helping students to understand counting over the decades.  Kiddos also get practise at counting forward and backward by 10's, place value and number patterns.  I have included a Winter theme and a Christmas theme, both with a black and white copy and recording sheets.
To get your FREE copy click on the pic below!

So your next stop on your blog hop journey is to Yara at Sea of Knowledge, just click on the sign to go in the right direction!

If you have jumped in to the blog hop here then boogie on back to the beginning to to make sure you don't miss out on some fabulous freebies from some fabulous bloggers!

I would like to say a big thank you to Mel at From the Pond for the fabulous blog hop buttons and to Shanyn from Coffee, Kids and Compulsive Lists for organising the blog hop, you ladies ROCK!

Getting into the Christmas Spirit

Hi All!
This post was supposed to be about my week in review, with pictures included......sadly not to be my friends.  I left my camera at school on Friday and realised it on Friday night when I was about to do a blog post.  As my school is about a 40 minute drive one way....I really didn't think you would mind waiting till Monday evening to see my week in review.  Now you all have something to look forward to!
Instead I have started on my Christmas activities and have uploaded my first Christmas product to my TpT store.  The Christmas Gift  match up-facts to 10 consolidates the part-part-whole concept and as students have to match the correct colour when making the match it is self correcting (love those activities).  I have also included blank gifts sheets so students can record the facts to 10.
I am going to give one lucky follower the chance to get this for free!  Just be the first to leave a comment with your email address and tell me what is your favourite Christmas activity to do in your classroom!

Or click on the link to visit my TpT store to get your copy.

Hope you all have a great week....can't you see those holidays just around the corner *peek*

 

End of Holidays and new products

Well as the holidays draw to a close for all of us Aussie teachers I know we are all looking forward to the downward slide to the end of the year.  Don't you know it, my body clock just started changing and this morning I slept in till 8 am.  I know this may not be a sleep in to some of you but those with children at home I can hear you saying, "Whoa 8 am, that is a huge sleep in!"  I have been waking up between 6 and 7 am every morning of the holidays.
To lift my spirits about going back to school I am having a 20% off Sale at my TpT store starting tomorrow and running through to the 10th of October.

You will find a couple of new products on there that I have created instead of planning for Term 4 (which I am definitely going to start tomorrow!)
First up there is my Fun Flower Facts to 10 activity pack (which I am contributing as a freebie for Brookes Aussie Blogger Link up...stay tuned!)

Next up is my Place Value Snap

Both of these items are already 20% off for the next week so when the sale starts you will get an extra 20% off!  What a Bargain!
Enjoy the last couple of days of your hols Aussie Teachers and here's hoping Term 4 will be fun and productive for both students and teachers!

Don't forget you can now follow me on Facebook, just click on the FB button on the sidebar.

Ladybug, ladybug fly away home.

I have been very inspired by Spring lately and thus my Ladybug Subtraction from 20 packet was created.

 When we go back to school we have only one term left of our school year and I always start to panic that I have not consolidated all the skills my kiddos need.  I have a group of lowies that just don't seem to have got all the basics under their belt this year and they will be moving into Grade 3 next year!  So I created this packet to go into my Maths Tubs (you can read about them here) so that they will have a chance to consolidate the subtraction concept while still being able to move forward with the rest of the class.  Subtraction is going to be a big focus in our classroom when we return to school, as well as division so there will be more coming related to these concepts.
I will have this on sale for 20% off for the first week, hope you enjoy it,  you can check it out here at TpT

 

Multiplication I have, who has

I have put my multiplication I have, who has...? cards on TpT.

This is from the x2 tables

This is for the x3 tables

This is from the x10 tables

It is a zipped file and has all the tables from x2 through to the x12 tables.  I actually call them loop cards but I have noticed that others call them I have, who has. I have used these in my classroom for years for so many topics!  I have phonics, sight words, adjectives, addition, subtraction, division...it really is endless.  I will be looking at updating some of my files now that I am on holidays so keep an eye out as these will be available in the next couple of weeks.  If you would like a set of "I have, who has?" cards visit my store here, or click on one of the above pics.  They are on sale for the next week at 20% off normal price.
I will give a free set to the first person who leaves a comment because I am happy, happy, happy to be on holidays!  Remember to leave your email address.

New Teacher Blog Tuesday

I am very proud to be part of Dana's New Teacher Blog Tuesday.  I think it is a super way to help new bloggers get their profiles out there.  Anyway head over to Dana's blog Fun in 1st Grade to check it out!

I hope you enjoy getting to know me.