Hanging Hero

Check out the new product that will soon be available in my TpT store!  The Hanging Hero will be your new best friend!  Straight, even, PERFECT bulletin boards...Hooray!  Here's a picture. 

Field Trip Display

This year our field trip was to The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Ca.  Soooo fun!  Of course, an expository writing about the trip had to follow. 

Leprechaun Traps

In the middle of doing report cards, and getting ready for Open House, we had our annual Leprechaun Trap Day!  Here are a few samples from my class.  They are fabulous!  If you like the idea, visit my TpT store and purchase my "Let's Catch a Leprechaun" packet.

Check out Jasmine!  She is there to keep the Leprechaun company.  Love it! 

Sparkly and adorable!

Climb up the ladder and we gotcha!

Open House Greeter!

Of course I had to have the Cat in the Hat greet everyone as they came in to Open House!  Feel free to copy the poem. 

Here's the poem

Open House Stuff

This wall has the Cat in the Hat directed draw along with a writing about what kids would do if the Cat in the Hat visited their house.  Surprisingly, most of them did not write about the Cat making a mess. 

Did you notice how straight and even everything is hanging?  Soon I will be selling a tool my husband made for quickly and easily hanging bulletin boards straight and even!  You will love it!  It will be available in my TpT store soon! 

In keeping with the Dr. Seuss theme, I had kiddos bring in their favorite hats.  They wrote a description about their hat.  If you are interested in the paragraph frame I used, you can leave me a message.  It was available in my Suessy packet on TpT but I had to pull it from the store. 

Open House is done!  Parents were happy...kids were happy....teacher is happy!  I will post more pictures of my displays later but here is one.  By the way, my theme was Dr. Seuss. 

We did directed draw umbrellas.  Kiddos had to choose complimentary colors from the color wheel.  We used crayon and watercolors.  Below is a brief bit from "The Cat in the Hat" to tie the umbrella project to the rainy day.

Here's a pic of the portfolios I made for student art and writing that I have collected during the year.  I keep it all year and the last week of school parents have a great collection of first grade work all in one place.  The portfolio is made from butcher paper.  They look really colorful on the desks for Open House and parents love seeing their kids progress from September. 

Leprechaun footprints are here!

Dip the butt of your hands in green paint. 

If you alternate your hands, it looks like the leprechaun ran across the surface.  Use your pointer finger to make toes.

The finished look!  I usually put them across the white board, on a few desks, in the hall by the cubbies.  I have learned over the years not to do too many because clean up is NOT fun! 

Have fun! 

Leprechaun Footprints

For those of you that purchased my "Catch a Leprechaun" unit, I will be adding a pic showing how to make leprechaun footprints this week.  Keep checking back!

Draw the Cat in the Hat!!

I love this directed draw project.  I have to thank Shari Hawkins, a former teacher in our district. She is mega- artistic and creative!  These will be hanging up during Open House along with other Seuss inspired art and projects.

Dr. Suess-wear

I have never been able to find a Dr. Seuss shirt that I love...so I made my own this year!  I bought the blank iron ons from Michaels and designed the print on the computer.  Instead of  printing onto paper, you print onto the iron on.  I loved the way they turned out!  Since my daughter and hubby were coming to make green eggs and ham, they got one too!  I would never think to have them show up in regular clothes on Dr. Seuss' birthday!  As you can see, they even had black noses and whiskers!  After we make Cat in the Hat hats, I always use an eyebrow pencil and make black noses and whiskers on my kiddos.  I also tie a red bow around their neck so the Cat in the Hat ensemble is complete.  They are adorable!

Green Eggs and Ham!

I love Dr. Seuss!  Not only are his books awesome, his birthday gives us a reason to make green eggs and ham!  Do you think he had any idea that his books would have such an influence on children and teachers for years and years?  My husband and daughter came to my class to make the green eggs and ham while I helped my little guys make their Cat in the Hat hats. I LOVE that my family gets in the spirit with me!