Spring is in the air and today I’m sharing with you my favorite books to read in springtime! I have 20 different books with a lot of variety so keep reading for The Best Spring Read-Alouds!

Spring is a such a fun time for picture books. There are so many great themes from insects, birds, eggs, new beginnings, and flowers. There are so many fun activities that can be done alongside all of the books below. I’ll add in some of them below too!

THIS ACTIVITY WORKS WELL WITH

this article (and most) on primary playground, does contain affiliate links that we do earn a commission off of.  clicking these links does not cost you any extra but helps our website to keep great articles and freebies like this coming your way.

The Best Spring Read-Alouds

Hurray For Spring

The story follows a young boy as he sings in the rain, observes animals and insects, plants a garden, and plays with his friends outdoors. Though the text is short, it poetically captures the essence of spring. The pictures are bright and fun.

We Are Growing!

This book shows blades of grass, characters, of all shapes and sizes, growing. They grow all in their own unique way, and speed!  Lessons behind the story is really of great growth; acceptance of each other as one is and everyone is special in their way. 

Ribbit!

This is a wonderful book about friendship.  It teaches kids that friends can look different than you and that is ok. The story is constructed very simply and it is easy for kids to follow. The illustrations are engaging and funny and they are opportunities to make lots of voices due to the ongoing conversation in the book. 

The Very Lazy Ladybug

 The bright large pictures depict the journey of the lazy ladybug trying to find a good place to sleep. Children love identifying animals, acting the story and the very fun ending.  This is a great book for action movement as well. The children get to make the motions of all the animals, jumping like a kangaroo, swinging like a monkey, etc. It also teaches great action words like bounded, padded, swam, swung, ambled, plodded, and walked.

If you are doing a unit on ladybugs, I have a whole post of some of the fun activities we like to do. You can check it out here.

The Odd Egg

This book is so creative and suspensive with the illustrations. Duck doesn’t have an egg like the other birds. She finds an egg that looks very different. Duck looks after the egg, even after all the other bird’s eggs hatch. Finally duck’s egg hatches and gives everyone a surprise. Dont forget the “quack” at the back of the book when you flip the book over! It’s open to interpretation and REALLY gets the kids talking about what it means to them! 

Plant he Tiny Seed

Great introductory read to plant life cycle. Each page has something to do like tap the seeds or clap for rain to make the book interactive.

Our How To Grow a Plant sequencing activities pack would make a great companion to go along with this book! You can grab it here.

Don’t Touch That Flower!

This is a sequel to The Leaf Thief. These books are so much fun and teach great lessons too about patience and curiosity and of course about the natural world. It’s an adorable book with an engaging story and illustrations. 

The Very Impatient Caterpillar

This book tells a story about a caterpillar that is going through the butterfly cycle. Super silly and fun! You’ll get lots of laughs with this one!

If you’re teaching out butterflies this spring, here are some of our favorite butterfly activities!

Can I Tell You A Secret?

While this story teaches a valuable lesson about the importance of sharing your fears with friends and family, it does so in a way that includes a big dose of humor, making it not seem like a lesson at all. Kids think it’s pretty funny that a frog is afraid of water, and they can all identify with his concerns over telling his parents.

Too Many Carrots

This is such a cute story. The illustrations are fantastic , and it has a great message about sharing with friends.

The Very Busy Spider

Early one morning a little spider spins her web on a fence post. One by one, the animals of the nearby farm try to distract her, yet the busy little spider keeps diligently at her work. When she is done, she is able to show everyone that not only is her creation quite beautiful, it is also quite useful!

I have a fun literacy snack and FREE printable to go along with this book that you can find here.

The Perfect Nest

This book has a cute storyline, when read aloud, it affords the opportunity to use different voices and accents, and it holds a child’s attention. The chicken (Spanish), duck (French) and goose (Southern US)) all have catch phrases that allow for funny voices during a read aloud. 

Good Morning Grizzle Grump!

The illustrations are superb with plenty for the eyes to consume including finding the little fuzzy moss guy in every scene along with perfectly crafted expressions and adventurous terrains. The writing is funny, engaging, touching on all the senses.The kids love making Grizzle Grump voices and faces to go along with the moments in the book. The illustration style really fits the tone and adds to the humor.

I have a fun literacy snack and printable to go along with the book for FREE that you can find here.

Duck! Rabbit!

This book is so simple, but so good. A great jumping off point to teach about persuasive writing, opinion writing and multiple meanings. The kids absolutely love this book!

Kite Day

On a windy spring day, Bear sniffs the air.  Could it be. . . Kite day? Bear and his friend Mole build a kite of their own. But when the storm gets too strong, the kite snaps and lands in a tree. Not all is lost though, as the kite is stuck in the tree it protects a nest full of birds from the rain. This is a fun book for spring and to go with your weather unit. Making kites with your class is always a favorite to go with the book too!

I have a fun literacy snack and FREE printable to go along with the book that you can grab here.

In the Small, Small Pond

A child explores the wonders and lives of small animals and insects living around a freshwater pond. It also shares some lesser-known pond creatures (muskrat, heron, etc.) There are a ton of great extension projects to go along with this book, make a small pond bulletin board, turn it into a sensory bin, so many fun options!

When Spring Comes

The book teaches about spring in a simple and engaging way.  The wording is short and simple. The pictures are colorful and interesting without being overly busy which makes it easy to use them as discussion pieces while learning about spring time.

I have a fun literacy snack and FREE printable to go along with the book that you can find here.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Classic that everyone knows, but is a fantastic read for spring. Follow the caterpillar as he transforms into a beautiful butterfly!

I have a fun FREE printable hat for you students to make to go along with this book that you can get here.

Spring Is Here!

Mole discovers it is spring and rushes to wake his hibernating friend, bear. But bear won’t get up. So mole rushes around to milk the cow, churn the butter, etc. and shows up next to Bear’s bed with a plate of pancakes for his friend. Bear wakes up when he smells the pancakes, but Mole falls fast asleep from the exhaustion of waking his friend. It’s hilarious! There’s lots of sound words in this book which makes for a fun second read with the kids helping!

The Grouchy Ladybug

This is a great book that you are able to discuss how the grouchy ladybug made the children feel and help them understand their feelings towards others. The book can help tap into emotional social skills in younger children.

I have a fun literacy snack idea and FREE printable to go along with this book as well that you can find here.

Do you have any other favorite read-aloud that you love for spring? Share with us in the comments below!

See you next time!

Jenette

The post The Best Spring Read-Alouds appeared first on Primary Playground.

These Free Rainbow Alphabet Letter Cards are a great, hands-on way to practice the letters of the alphabet, beginning sounds,  work on fine motor skills and so much more! Rainbows always make me happy and are great to use all year long, or during your weather unit, St. Patrick’s Day, or spring in general.

Hands-on alphabet games are so beneficial for little learners. The cards are great for the students to be able to manipulate and hold in their hands. The small size allows the student to move while learning. The alphabet letter cards are engaging with their bright colors and cute rainbow which makes it even more fun for your little learners!

These letter cards can be used in so many ways. Keep reading and I’ll share 10 fun activities in which you can use the alphabet letter cards. You can download the letter cards at the end of the post by clicking the large green box that says, Click Here To Download.

this article (and most) on primary playground, does contain affiliate links that we do earn a commission off of.  clicking these links does not cost you any extra but helps our website to keep great articles and freebies like this coming your way.

10 Fun Letter Alphabet Activities

• Play, “Say It, Make It! ” Have your student choose a letter card. Have them say the letter name and then they can make the letter out of Cheerios, mini erasers, whatever you’d like to use.
• The student chooses a letter card and they can practice making the letter using play dough.

• Print out a second set of the letter cards and play memory. Have the student say the letter name or even the sound that it makes if they’re ready for that when they have made a match.
• Have your students put the letter cards in alphabetical order or work in pairs together to arrange them in alphabetical order.

• Turn the letter cards into a scavenger hunt or write the room activity. Have the students walk around the room and find each one of the letters, practicing writing each one down on a piece of paper each time they find one.
• Give the student a container of magnet, foam, or mini eraser letters. Have them choose a letter card and find the matching magnet or eraser. Say the letter after they’ve matched each one.

• Working in small groups or as a class, set out the letters on the floor and choose a student and have them hop to that letter.
• When your student know all of the letters, have them choose a letter card and say the beginning sound it makes. To take it a step further have them also say a word that starts with that letter.

• Grab a set of stamps. Have your student choose a letter card and have them stamp that matching letter on a sheet of paper.
• Add the letter cards to a sensory bin. Students can pick a letter card out of the sensory bin and then trace that letter with a straw in a salt tray or have them write it on a piece of paper.

Click the green box below to download the rainbow alphabet letter cards for FREE!

I hope you enjoy all these alphabet activities using the free rainbow alphabet letter cards! Let us know in the comments below if you have any other fun ways that you like to use them in the classroom!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jenette

The post Free Rainbow Alphabet Letter Cards appeared first on Primary Playground.

Spring is such a great time to study butterflies. There are so many great activities to go along with a butterfly unit. You know how much I love my read-aloud so today, I’m sharing with you The Best Butterfly Read-Alouds.

Butterflies are such a fun topic to learn about and explore. There are so many fun activities that can be done alongside all of the books below.

THIS ACTIVITY WORKS WELL WITH

this article (and most) on primary playground, does contain affiliate links that we do earn a commission off of.  clicking these links does not cost you any extra but helps our website to keep great articles and freebies like this coming your way.

The Best Butterfly Read-Alouds

The Amazing Life Cycle of Butterflies by Kay Barnham 

This is a fantastic book that takes the students along on the journey of the butterflies life cycle. The book shares many butterfly facts for little learners and has great illustrations.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

This classic is always a favorite. It follows the caterpillar from eating through a bunch of foods to him turning into a beautiful butterfly.

We have a bunch of great activities to go along with this book too. From a printable caterpillar hat, to a fun snack idea to make and a free printable to go along with the book that you can find here.

Gotta Go! Gotta Go! by Sam Swope

This book is about a caterpillar that all she knows is that she needs to go to Mexico! It follows her on her journey to Mexico to eventually become a beautiful Monarch butterfly.

Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin

This counting book shows ten little caterpillars doing different things on their way to becoming a butterfly.

These Caterpillar Counting Mats would be a great companion to this book. You can check them out here.

A Butterfly Is Patient by Dianna Aston

The illustrations in this book are gorgeous. Some of the words are written in cursive and others are in print. Each page has a subject such as ” butterflies are creative” and then includes 2-4 fact sentences.

From Caterpillar to Butterfly by Deborah Heilingman

This is a great book about a caterpillar that comes to a classroom. The students get to learn all about metamorphosis and watch the caterpillar change into a butterfly in their classroom.

Our butterfly life cycle hats would be a fun addition to this book along with many other. You can check it out here.

Señorita Mariposa by Ben Gundersheimer 

 This is a wonderful story about the amazing journey that monarch butterflies make from Canada to Mexico. It has vibrant colors and beautiful illustrations and a rhyming flow of both English and Spanish.

Butterflies Are Pretty….. Gross by Rosemary Mosco

This book is FABULOUS, filled with real-life facts about butterflies in a hilarious, gross-out, pun-filled story accompanied by beautifully illustrated pages. 

Pipsie Nature Detective – The Disappearing Caterpillar by Rick DeDonato

This is a fun detective book. It is educational in a fun, engaging way. It teaches children that nature science is interesting, gathering facts to come to conclusions is exciting, and learning new things is rewarding. It encourages intelligence, tenacity, and the importance of friendship and teamwork.

This is one of the books we use as part of our butterfly book study. Filled with butterfly activities and centers. You can learn more about that here.

Butterfly Yoga by Jodi Norton

This is a great book to use as a brain break during your butterfly unit. It takes students through a series of yoga poses corresponding to the life cycle of a butterfly.

The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach

The kids love this noisy, desperately impatient caterpillar and his over-excited voice, not knowing they were also really learning about the life cycle of butterflies.  This is a favorite for sure.

The Little Butterfly That Could by Ross Burach

The Little Butterfly That Could is a great companion to The Very Impatient Caterpillar. Just as funny as the first and the kids are sure to love it.

Goodnight, Butterfly by Ross Burach

There is a third book coming out this summer too! Make sure to pre-order this one.

A Butterfly’s Life by Ellen Lawrence

This is a great book that follows a boy on his journey to learn about monarch butterflies. This book is filled with great real photos of the life cycle.

This book would be a great addition to our Butterfly Activities which is filled with math, science, and literacy activities. You can check it out here.

Butterfly Park by Elly MacKay

In this book, a girl moves to a new town. She finds a place called butterfly park, but there are no butterflies. She’s determined to lure butterflies in and the girl inspires her whole town to help.

These catching butterflies counting mats would be a fun addition to this book too. You can grab the counting mats here.

Moth and Butterfly, Ta Da! by Dev Petty

This is a great book about a moth and a butterfly that introduces metamorphosis. It also celebrates the differences between moths and butterflies and shows how the best friendships adapt to even really big changes.

Save The Butterflies by Bethany Stahl

We love the book, Save The Bees and this one too doesn’t disappoint!  This is a story of Holly, a butterfly, Cho, and her dad, who work together to discover how people can help plant a butterfly garden as well as raise and release butterflies!

Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly by Alan Madison

This is another one of my butterfly favorites. Poor Velma—people can barely remember her name. But all that changes on a class trip to the magnificent Butterfly Conservatory—a place neither of her sisters has ever been. When a monarch roosts on Velma’s finger and won’t budge for days . . . well, no one will forget Velma ever again.

I have a fun literacy snack idea and a free printable to go along with this book too that you can find here.

Glasswings: A Butterfly’s Story by Elisa Kleven

This is a beautiful story that shares acts about glasswing butterflies and pollination.

Butterflies Belong Here by Deborah Hopkinson

This book is about the real change children can make in conservation and advocacy—in this case, focusing on beautiful monarch butterflies

Ten For Me by Barbara Mariconda

This is a great book to use to incorporate math into your butterfly unit. The book is a fun read-aloud where two friends take off on a butterfly hunt, only to find themselves tangled in a mathematics net! Rose, and her friend Ed race to see who can catch the most butterflies on this addition adventure. How many in all? Let s add them again! shout the butterfly hunters. Who will win? Ten for Me makes math fun, easy, and entertaining while adding a touch of the natural world into cross-curricular education.

I have a fun math creativity to go along with this book that you can grab for FREE here.

Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert  

This is a quick read-aloud but has beautiful, colorful pictures. In the end, there are several pictures of different types of butterflies along with a diagram of the parts of a butterfly. They are a nice reference when teaching these things during your butterfly unit.

This butterfly craft with writing prompts is perfect to go along with any of these wonderful books that I’ve shared. You can grab the craft here.

And the last book I’m going to share with you today is not necessarily a “butterfly book” but it is about an entomologist. This book would be a great addition to any insect study you were doing. The book does touch on moths and butterflies though.

Buzzing with Questions: The Inquisitive Mind of Charles Henry Turner by Janice N. Harrington 

Charles Henry Turner never stopped wondering and asking questions. This is a wonderful book about him always continuing to ask more questions which eventually lead him to being a biologist.

And if you’re looking for even more ideas for your butterfly unit, I share some more great ideas in this blog post here, Teaching About Butterflies In The Classroom.

Do you have any other favorite butterfly read alouds that you would add to our list?

See you next time!

jenette

The post The Best Butterfly Read-Alouds appeared first on Primary Playground.

Do you need some easy gift ideas for Principal Appreciation Day or Principal Appreciation Week? Today I’m sharing some easy and inexpensive gift ideas to celebrate them!

Principal Appreciation Day Class Book Gift

Why not make a class book for the principal? It includes several options. They can write about why they think they’re a great principal, what they think they should do today on their special day, or what we love most about them. Stack all of the pages together and bind them and you have a fantastic gift to give the principal. (PS it comes in both female and male options!) You can find the template for this book here.

Nacho Average Principal

Or let them know that they are Nacho Average Principal! Put together a small basket or bag of goodies as I did here and add in a FREE printable gift tag for you to print and use. You can find that here.

There is also a gift card holder in that same FREE file that says, Taco ‘Bout An Awesome Principal! Print it out and attach a gift card onto the paper to a local Mexican food restaurant and you’re good to go! You can see an example of that card in this blog post.

We also have another class book that you can make which is very similar to the one above but goes along with the Nacho Average Principal theme. You can find that class book here.

Do you have any other things that you have done for your principal? Share with us below in the comments!

See you next time!

Jenette

The post Principal Appreciation Day Ideas appeared first on Primary Playground.

Every year, Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd. Books are such a fantastic way to teach and introduce little learners to new subjects. I’m sharing with you today, The Best Earth Day Read-Alouds.

Earth Day is such an important topic to learn about. There are so many fun activities that can be done alongside all of the books below. I’ve divided them up by books about the earth, recycling, trees, water, gardening – composting and beess.

THIS ACTIVITY WORKS WELL WITH

This article (and most) on primary playground, does contain affiliate links that we do earn a commission off of.  clicking these links does not cost you any extra but helps our website to keep great articles and freebies like this coming your way.

The Earth and Earth Day

Earth Day Every Day by Lisa Bullard

On Earth Day, we find ways to help the Earth. Trina plants trees with her class. She forms an Earth Day club with her friends. What can you do to make every day Earth Day? Do your part to be a planet protector!

Earth Day–Hooray!  by Stuart J. Murphy

Earth Day is on the way, and Ryan, Luke, and Carly have a plan. If they manage to collect and recycle 5,000 aluminum cans, they can make enough money to buy some beautiful flowers for nearby Gilroy Park. CAN they do it? Counting the cans gives Ryan, Luke, and Carly—along with readers—a lesson in place value. And facts about recycling throughout the story will help readers understand how important it is to take care of the earth.

Earth Day Birthday! by Maureen Wright

In this fun read-aloud, it’s April 22, and Lion and his friends want to plant trees, recycle bottles, and have fun on Earth Day. But not Monkey. He wants to celebrate his birthday. Can he convince the other animals that it really is his birthday?  Students with birthday’s on holidays will especially relate to Monkey in this story.

My Friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan 

This is a beautiful book that has many die-cut pages that help celebrates everything Earth does for us, all the while reminding us to be a good friend in return.

Trash and Recycling

Why Should I Recycle? by Jen Green

What if everybody threw away old bottles and newspapers, littering the world with glass and plastic and tin cans that should be recycled and made into new products? Mr. Jones is a teacher who sets a good example for kids by separating his trash for recycling. When he takes them on a class trip to a recycling plant they learn the value of recycling.

Recycling Is Fun by Charles Ghigna

Children learn that sorting recycling and giving new life to old things is not only good for the environment.  It is a whole lot of fun, too!

What Does It Mean to Be Green? by Rana DiOrio

In this book, a young boy and girl discover amazing facts (like how our food travels an average of 1,500 miles to be on our plate!) and explore all the different ways they―and we―can help protect the Earth’s most precious resources to save the planet and live “green” lifestyles.

One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey by Henry Cole

This is a wordless book. I always love these books because you can fill in the narrative. This is not an “Earth Day” book perse but is a great read to understand the concept of reusing.

From a tall tree growing in the forest–to the checkout counter at the grocery store–one little bag finds its way into the hands of a young boy. And so begins an incredible journey of one little bag that is used and reused and reused again.

What A Waste by Jess French

This book is not so much a read-aloud but I didn’t want to leave it out because it’s a great book. It is a lively kid’s educational book with fabulous illustrations and fun facts about the world broken into easy-to-digest bite-sized bits. Each page can be looked at in short bursts or longer reads for more detail when talking about specific topics.

Here’s a free Earth Day Word Search for your students to do to review a lot of the vocabulary they have learned throughout these books.

Trees

Curious George Plants a Tree by H. A. Rey

When George finds out that the science museum is planning a “Green Day” dedicated to recycling and planting trees, he is curious and wants to help out! But then George begins to recycle things around town that aren’t quite ready for the recycling bin, and he gets into a jam. Thankfully, George isn’t the only one who wants to help—the whole community can’t wait to lend a hand! 

Trees Make Perfect Pets by Paul Czajak

Abigail is determined to get the perfect pet.

So she chooses Fido. He keeps her cool from the sun, stays where she tells him, and even gives her air to breathe. That’s because Fido is a tree!

But not everyone thinks having a tree as a pet is a good idea, though, especially when Fido starts to grow. Will Abigail be able to keep her perfect pet?

Zonia’s Rain Forest  by Juana Martinez-Neal 

Zonia’s home is the Amazon rain forest, where it is always green and full of life. Every morning, the rain forest calls to Zonia, and every morning, she answers. She visits the sloth family, greets the giant anteater, and runs with the speedy jaguar. But one morning, the rain forest calls to her in a troubled voice. How will Zonia answer? How will we all answer?

The Magic and Mystery Of Trees by Jen Green

This book is not so much a read-aloud but I didn’t want to leave it out. In this book, kids will discover how trees communicate and warn each other of predators, how they nurture their networks, record the past, and anticipate the future to ensure their survival. There’s so much more to trees than meets the eye. 

There are some particularly good pages near the end of the book that would be great to share in regards to Earth Day. From the trees and the plant, the water cycle, trees that are at risk, and helping trees.

Water

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom

This book is inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption.

Rocket Says Clean Up! by Nathan Bryon

Rocket is off to the islands to visit her grandparents. Her family loves nothing better than to beach comb and surf together…but the beach is clogged with trash! When she finds a turtle tangled in a net, Rocket decides that something must be done! Like a mini Greta Thunberg, our young activist’s enthusiasm brings everyone together…to clean up the beach and prevent plastics from spoiling nature. 

The Mess That We Made by Michelle Lord

The Mess That We Made explores the environmental impact of trash and plastic on the ocean and marine life, and it inspires kids to do their part to combat pollution. The first half of the book portrays the growing magnitude of the issue, and the second half rallies children and adults to make the necessary changes to save our oceans. 

Gardening – Composting – Bees

Anywhere Garden by Phyllis Root 

You might think a farm means fields, tractors, and a barnyard full of animals. But you can plant a farm anywhere you like! A box or a bucket, a boot or a pan — almost anything can be turned into a home for green, growing things. Windows, balconies, and front steps all make wonderful spots to start. 

Compost Stew By Mary McKenna Siddals

This book is a fun A to Z recipe of all kinds of different items that can be put into a compost pile.

If Bees Disappeared by Lily Williams 

What would happen if bees disappeared? Though bees are small, their importance is BIG. Today there are over 250,000 species of bees but all of them are in danger. Because of disease, pesticide exposure, lack of foraging habitats, and poor nutrition, entire honey bee hives are dying. This book explains how they are being harmed and ways that we can help.

Give Bees A Chance by Bethany Barton 

Give Bees a Chance is for anyone who doesn’t quite appreciate how extra special and important bees are to the world, and even to humankind! Besides making yummy honey, they help plants grow fruits and vegetables. And most bees wouldn’t hurt a fly (unless it was in self-defense!). 

If you’re looking for a fun way to review Earth Day vocabulary after reading a bunch of these books, we have our Earth Day bingo. You can check it out here.

I hope your students enjoy some of The Best Earth Day Read-Alouds. Do you have any other’s that you would add to our list?

See you next time!

Jenette

The post The Best Earth Day Read-Alouds appeared first on Primary Playground.

this article (and most) on primary playground, does contain affiliate links that we do earn a commission off of.  clicking these links does not cost you any extra but helps our website to keep great articles and freebies like this coming your way.

This week’s literacy snack bee read-aloud is a great one for spring to go with your spring-insect unit or can be used at the beginning of the school as a read-aloud about the importance of sharing. We are reading, The Very Greedy Bee by Steve Smallman.

In the book, the bee is very greedy and will not share his nectar with anyone! He finds the juiciest flowers, ends up eating too much, and gets stuck. He makes some friends that help him on his journey back home, and In the end, he shares all of his best honey with his new friends.

This is a great story that gives the opportunity to describe the character throughout the text. It helps the kids learn that they shouldn’t be greedy, to share and that sometimes you may need to ask for help from others.

For our snack this week, we’ll be making a bee!

THIS ACTIVITY WORKS WELL WITH

snack idea

supplies needed per student

1 Keebler Fudge Stripes Cookie

1 pretzel stick broke in half

2 pretzel twists

2 candy eyeballs

to assemble

To make the bee snack, have your students start with the cookie. Next, take the 2 pretzel twists and place them under the cookie a little bit to look like the wings. Take the 2 pretzel stick halves and add them to the top of the bee as the antennae. Last, add the eyes and he’s done! Isn’t he cute!

Another option instead of making the bee snack is to have your kids taste test, honey. Grab a box of Ritz Crackers and a bottle of honey from the store and give each student 2 crackers with some honey on each as a snack.

This would make a great opportunity to graph with your class the number of people who like honey and the number of people that do not. We have a fun page in our Bee Activities Pack that goes perfectly with this too!

free printable

I made a free printable for your students to work on while they are enjoying their bee snack. They will get to draw and write about how the bee acted at the beginning of the story and then how the bee acted at the end of the story.

You can download the free printable from my TeachersPayTeachers store by clicking the green box below.

Another fun activity to go along with the book is our bee craft! They look adorable hanging on the bulletin board or in the hallway! Click here to check it out now.

To also go along with the bee theme, we have this fun free Honey Bee Sight Word Game that you can grab to help your students practice their sight words. You can hop over and grab that for free here.

I hope your students enjoy this Literacy Snack Bee Read-Aloud!

Do you have any favorite books you like to read about the bees or sharing? Share with us below!

See you next time!

Jenette

The post Literacy Snack Bee Read-Aloud appeared first on Primary Playground.

this article (and most) on primary playground, does contain affiliate links that we do earn a commission off of.  clicking these links does not cost you any extra but helps our website to keep great articles and freebies like this coming your way.

Learning about the weather is always fun! There are so many fun activities, hands-on activities, and experiments that can be done! Today, we have a Literacy Snack Weather Read-Aloud. We are reading, Miss Mingo Weathers The Storm by Jamie Harper.

In our read-aloud today, Miss Mingo takes her class on a field trip to the weather station. The class experiences all kinds of weather and crazy atmospheric changes throughout their trip!

This book is sprinkled with great weather and animal habitat facts too!

For our snack this week, we’ll be making rain clouds!

THIS ACTIVITY WORKS WELL WITH

snack idea

supplies needed per student

• Approx 6 blueberries
• Approx 25 mini marshmallows (or about a handful)

to assemble

To make the rain cloud, have the students use their mini marshmallows to create a cloud. After they have made their cloud, they can use their blueberries as raindrops falling from the cloud.

free printable

I made a free printable for your students to work on while they are enjoying their rain cloud snack. They will get to draw and write about their favorite type of weather.

You can download the free printable from my TeachersPayTeachers store by clicking the green box below.

Another fun activity to go along with the book is our Umbrella Craft With Writing Prompts. They look great hanging on the bulletin board or in the hallways all spring long! Click here to check it out now.

And we also have our Weather Bingo. It’s a great way to review weather vocabulary while having some fun! Click here to grab it now.

I hope your students enjoy this Literacy Snack Weather Read-Aloud!

Do you have any favorite books you like to read about the weather? Share with us below!

See you next time!

Jenette

The post Literacy Snack Weather Read-Aloud appeared first on Primary Playground.

this article (and most) on primary playground, does contain affiliate links that we do earn a commission off of.  clicking these links does not cost you any extra but helps our website to keep great articles and freebies like this coming your way.

Spring is officially here, so for this week we’re focusing on birds and we are reading Nesting by Henry Cole for our Literacy Snack Robin’s Nest Read-Aloud.

In this black-and-white picture book highlighted with robin’s egg blue, the students will follow two robins as they build a nest with twigs and grass. The mother robin lays four beautiful blue eggs and keeps the eggs warm in the nest until they hatch into four baby robins.

The father robin protects the babies until they can fly on their own. The perils the babies encounter are many, including snakes and storms. The nest is always their safe place.

This book provides a great introduction to animal science concepts for young children.

For our snack this week, we’ll be making our own robin’s nest.

THIS ACTIVITY WORKS WELL WITH

snack idea

supplies needed per student

• One rice crispy treat. You can make them yourself to bring in for the class if you are allowed, or you can purchase individually wrapped rice crispy treats. They also make full pre-packaged rice crispy sheets now that would work great for this too.
• 3 Mini Robin Egg candies

to assemble

To make the robin’s nest, have the students take their rice crispy treat and form it into a bowl or nest shape. Add the 3 robin’s eggs in the nest and you’re done! This snack is super easy peasy!

free printable

I made a free printable for your students to work on while they are enjoying their robin’s nest snack. They will get to draw and write about one thing that they learned about robins from the book.

You can download the free printable from my TeachersPayTeachers store by clicking the green box below.

Another fun activity to go along with the book is our bird nest counting mats. Buy an extra bag of Robin Egg candies to use as the counters. (They’re my favorite Easter candy!)

If you are looking for some more great spring literacy snack read-alouds here are some of the ones we’ve shared.

When Spring Comes

The Tiny Seed

Kite Day

Worm Weather

Do you have any favorite books you like to read in spring? Share with us below!

See you next time!

Jenette

The post Literacy Snack Robin’s Nest Read-Aloud appeared first on Primary Playground.

Learning about plants and flowers is a favorite of mine for springtime. I’m a huge sucker for handprint crafts too! So today, I’m sharing with your a fun Parts Of A Plant Handprint Craft to go along with your plant unit. I also have a free printable part of a flower printable for you too!

I love using crafts to help kids learn. Hands-on activities help them retain what they are learning better and they are getting in some great fine motor skills work with tracing their hands and cutting everything out.

THIS ACTIVITY WORKS WELL WITH

Here’s one of our favorite songs/videos from Harry Kindergarten that helps teach kids about the parts of a flower.

this article (and most) on primary playground, does contain affiliate links that we do earn a commission off of.  clicking these links does not cost you any extra but helps our website to keep great articles and freebies like this coming your way.

Supplies to make the Parts Of A Flower Handprint Craft

• 4 pieces of construction paper in total – brown, green, yellow and the color you’d like to use for the flower, I chose pink for mine.
• scissors
• pencil
• glue stick
• can of food or something similar in size to trace a circle for the middle of the flower

To Make the Craft

To make the parts of a flower handprint craft, you’ll want to start by having the students trace their hands 4 different times on the color paper that they chose for their flower.

Next, they will trace their hands 2 times on both the green and the brown paper. Also using the green paper, they will need to cut a strip approx an inch thick, which doesn’t have to be perfect, the length of the piece of construction paper to use as the stem. You’ll then have them trace around the can of food on the yellow paper to make a circle. Now, have them cut out their 8 handprints and the circle.

To make the flower, have them layout the 4 same-colored handprints in a circle so they are all touching just a bit. (Tip-have them place the side they traced-outlined on face down so you don’t see the pencil marks.) Next, have them use their glue stick on the circle and place it in the middle of the 4 hands.

For the next part, they will need the stem and the 2 green handprints, and 2 brown handprints. They will use the glue stick to attach the 2 green handprints to the stem as leaves and then the 2 brown handprints to the bottom of the stem as the roots. Last, have them put some glue on the top of the stem and attach the flower.

After the flower is all put together, we also then labeled the parts of the flower using a marker. These are so fun hanging up in the classroom for spring!

I also made a free parts of a flower printable to go along with the craft too. I made 2 options for it as well. The first option, the kids cut and glue the parts of a flower in the correct spot and let them color it. I also made a version that the kids can write in the answers, or you can even use it for a little quiz or review after going over them together as a group.

Click the green box below to download the free printable.

If you’re looking for even more fun hands-on flower activities, we have our How Does A Plant Grow Sequencing Activities. This is a fun way to incorporate many different learning standards. In this pack, the students are learning writing, sequencing, retelling, life skills, and much more. It’s a great hands-on activity to get the students excited to learn.

And if you’re looking for a great read-aloud to go with teaching about the parts of a flower, The Tiny Seed is our top pick. We share a snack idea and a free printable to go along with the book that you can find here.

Do you have any other fun hands-on activities that you like to do when teaching about flowers and plants?

Jenette

The post Parts Of A Flower Handprint Craft appeared first on Primary Playground.

this article (and most) on primary playground, does contain affiliate links that we do earn a commission off of.  clicking these links does not cost you any extra but helps our website to keep great articles and freebies like this coming your way.

Spring officially starts this weekend, so for this week, we are reading When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes for our Literacy Snack Spring Read-Aloud.

“Before spring comes, the trees are dark sticks, the grass is brown, and the ground is covered in snow. But if you wait, leaves unfurl and flowers blossom, the grass turns green, and the mounds of snow shrink and shrink. Spring brings baby birds, sprouting seeds, rain and mud, and puddles. You can feel it and smell it and hear it. “

This book takes you along on the beautiful transformation that happens between winter and spring. And for our snack idea this week, we are making my favorite part of spring, a flower!

THIS ACTIVITY WORKS WELL WITH

Snack Idea

Supplies Needed Per Student

-1 to 2 strawberries thinly sliced (depending on the size of the berries)

-approx 8 blueberries

-a thin slice of green apple

-2 spring lettuce leaves or spinach leaves

To Assemble

To make the flower, start by laying out the strawberries in a circle like the petals. Add the blueberries in the middle. Next, add the green apple slice as the stem. Last, add the lettuce as the leaves.

You could use many different types of different fruits for this activity if you want to change it up. For example, use orange slices as the flower petals and sliced grapes in the middle. Tons of possibilities!

Free Printable

I made a free printable for your students to work on while they are enjoying their flower snack. They will get to draw and write about their favorite thing to do in spring. Also about how they feel, what they smell, and what they see in the spring.

You can download the free printable from my TeachersPayTeachers store by clicking the green box below.

We have another fun flower snack idea to go along with the book, The Tiny Seed. Click here to check that one out and grab the free printable to go along with the book.

And to help us welcome spring, we have our Spring Bingo which is perfect to play all season long. Click here to grab it now.

What are some of your other favorite books or ways to welcome spring?

See you next time!

Jenette

The post Literacy Snack Spring Read-Aloud appeared first on Primary Playground.

this article (and most) on primary playground, does contain affiliate links that we do earn a commission off of.  clicking these links does not cost you any extra but helps our website to keep great articles and freebies like this coming your way.

Need a fun spring math-based craft for your bulletin board? We’ve got you covered with this Butterfly Spring Math Craftivity to go along with the book Ten For Me.

This is a great way to tie math into your butterfly unit, finishing up your addition unit on the different ways to make ten, or just as a fun spring math project.

Ten For Me is a fun read-aloud where two friends take off on a butterfly hunt, only to find themselves tangled in a mathematics net! Rose, and her friend Ed race to see who can catch the most butterflies on this addition adventure. How many in all? Let s add them again! shout the butterfly hunters. Who will win? Ten for Me makes math fun, easy, and entertaining while adding a touch of the natural world into cross-curricular education.

Several pages throughout the book have fantastic butterfly facts that you can share with your students too.

THIS ACTIVITY WORKS WELL WITH

Getting Started

Supplies needed

-A large piece of construction paper per student. We used blue to look like the sky but you could use whatever you have.

-Scissors

-Glue Stick

-Crayons

-Download and print the free printable, available at the bottom of the post

Butterfly Spring Math Craftivity

Using it as an addition activity

This works as a great hands-on math activity for the kiddos. You can use it as a center, or you could use it as a visual while reading the book aloud to the class or group.

You’ll simply print out the 2 pages that you can download at the bottom of this post for each student. Have them color the pictures and cut them out. They can use the butterflies to make ten different ways like in the book. Or you could create addition problems on index cards and have them complete them using the butterflies as counters to help.

Using them as a whole group, just print out and color one copy. You could even laminate it so it can be used over and over again. As you read the story, when each day’s butterfly totals are read, have a student create that addition problem. Have the class complete the new way to make ten each time.

Using it as a craft

My favorite is to use it as a math craft project to display in the classroom. Follow the same as above, print, color, and cut out the 2 pages. To make it into a craft, each student will need a large piece of construction paper. 

Before gluing everything down on the paper, have them start with the en butterflies. They can choose how many butterflies each Ed and Rose caught so that the number equals ten. Have them fill in the numbers on the rectangle word problem paper. They can then glue the butterflies on the sheet that matches their answer.

They look adorable all hanging up in the classroom! 

You can download the free printable Butterfly Spring Math Craftivity by clicking the green box below.

Do you have any other fun books you like to use when teaching addition? 

THIS ACTIVITY WORKS WELL WITH

See you next time!

Jenette

The post Butterfly Spring Math Craftivity appeared first on Primary Playground.

this article (and most) on primary playground, does contain affiliate links that we do earn a commission off of.  clicking these links does not cost you any extra but helps our website to keep great articles and freebies like this coming your way.

Spring is in the air and the days are beautiful outside! This week, we have a Literacy Snack Kite Read-Aloud that takes us outdoors. We are reading Kite Day by Will Hillenbrand.

On a windy spring day, Bear sniffs the air.  Could it be. . . Kite day? Bear and his friend Mole build a kite of their own. But when the storm gets too strong, the kite snaps and lands in a tree. Not all is lost though, as the kite is stuck in the tree it protects a nest full of birds from the rain.

This is a fun read-aloud for spring or is a great addition to your weather unit. For our snack this week, we’ll be making our very own kites!

THIS ACTIVITY WORKS WELL WITH

Snack Idea

Supplies Needed Per Student

-Half of a graham cracker (so one square)

-Approx 12 M&M’s or Skittles

-1/2 of 1 piece of pull-n-peel licorice

-3 mini marshmallows (for this snack, I left the bag open overnight to let the marshmallows dry out a bit. It makes it easier for the kids to form them into the bows.)

To Assemble

To make the kite, start with laying out the square graham cracker and turning it so it looks like a diamond. Place the M&M’s or Skittles along the outer edges of the inside of the graham cracker. Next, add the licorice piece as the kite tail. Last, take the 3 mini marshmallows and pinch them in the middles to create the bows. Place them on top of the licorice tail as the bows. Cute as can be for their very own kite!

Free Printable

I made a free printable for your students to work on while they are enjoying their kite snack. They will get to draw and write about a time that they got to fly a kite. Or if they haven’t flown a kite before, they can draw and write about a kite they’d like to fly.

You can download the free printable from my TeachersPayTeachers store by clicking the green box below.

We have a fun kite math activity that would go along with this book perfectly too! The kites look adorable hanging up around the classroom for spring. You can get all of the details and download the kite template for free here.

Do you have any other fun kite activities to go along with the book? Share with us below!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jenette

The post Literacy Snack Kite Read-Aloud appeared first on Primary Playground.

Raise your hand if you’re looking forward to spring break?! I know I am! I made a Free Printable Spring Break Bingo for you to send home with your kiddos.

No, this isn’t homework but sometimes you can or their parents can use some fun ideas to keep the kids busy while they are at home for the week.

THIS ACTIVITY WORKS WELL WITH

When I made the bingo card, I tried to include only free/low-cost activities that can all be done at home. (Well besides going to visit the park which isn’t at “home”.)

Some of the fun activities that are on the card are: make a smoothie, have a picnic lunch, do a scavenger hunt and fly a kite.

If your students choose to play along, have them bring the card back to you for a small prize! It’s fun to get to see what they did over spring break.

We do also have several other fun bingo activity cards to keep the kids busy. We have a free math bingo here. A free screen-free bingo here. And a free reading bingo here.

Click the green box below to download the Free Printable Spring Break Bingo.

Do you have any other fun ideas to do over spring break? Let us know below!

See you next time!

Jenette

The post Free Printable Spring Break Bingo appeared first on Primary Playground.

this article (and most) on primary playground, does contain affiliate links that we do earn a commission off of.  clicking these links does not cost you any extra but helps our website to keep great articles and freebies like this coming your way.

There’s just something magical about rainbows! And March is always a fun time to learn about them! For today’s Literacy Snack Rainbow Read-Aloud, we are reading, A Rainbow Of My Own by Don Freeman.

In this book, a small boy uses his imagination to see what it would be like to have a rainbow of his own. In the end, he even gets a rainbow of his very own in his room made by the sun shining through his goldfish bowl.

This is a great book to discuss the students using their imaginations and would also be a great addition to your weather unit. For our snack today, we will be making a rainbow of our own from fruit!

THIS ACTIVITY WORKS WELL WITH

Snack Idea

Supplies Needed

Plastic Punch Cups & Plastic Forks

Red Fruit- We used 2 strawberries per cup. You could also use raspberries or apples.

Orange Fruit- We used 2 canned peaches per cup. You could use orange slices or canned mandarin oranges too.

Yellow Fruit- We used about 1/3 of a banana for each cup. You could also use pineapple.

Green Fruit- We used 4 green grapes cut in half for each cup. You could also use kiwi fruit.

Blue Fruit- We used a small handful of blueberries in each cup.

Purple Fruit- We used about 6 blackberries in our cup. You could also use red/purple grapes.

To Assemble

This snack works best with your help or a volunteer’s help so you can be the one to add the appropriate amount of fruit to the cup. The students can help tell you what color to add next and you can talk about what kinds of fruits they are.

Free Printable

Do you teach your students the colors of the rainbow? One of my most favorite songs to help with this is from an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse every time I see a rainbow I still sing the song! Isn’t it just funny how things stick with you? I found it on YouTube you want to share it with their students.

I made a free printable for your students to work on while they are enjoying their rainbow fruit cup. They will get to draw and write about a time that they saw a rainbow.

You can download the free printable from my TeachersPayTeachers store by clicking the green box below.

We have a fun rainbow science experiment that would go along with this perfectly too! To make this rainbow in a jar, the students are exploring density by layering sugar water to make a rainbow. You can get the details of the experiment here.

We also have this fun Rainbow Tally Mark activity. These rainbow tally marks are a great, hands-on way to practice counting by 5’s, counting on and working on fine motor a bit as well! Rainbows always make me happy and are great to use all year long, or during your weather unit, St. Patrick’s Day, or spring in general. Check out the activity here.

Do you have any other fun rainbow books you like to read or activities to go along with the book? Share with us below!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jenette

The post Literacy Snack Rainbow Read-Aloud appeared first on Primary Playground.

Are your little learners working on learning their sight words? They’ll have a fun time practicing with this Sunshine Sight Word Memory Game!

Sight words are those words that our students will see over and over in print. They are sometimes called high-frequency words, service words, or even snap words. Because you should know them in a snap!

This Sunshine Sight Word Memory Game uses Dolch Pre-primer words.

THIS ACTIVITY WORKS WELL WITH

Getting Ready

To get the game ready to play, you’ll first want to download and print the game. You can download it near the bottom of the post by clicking the large green button. After printing, I glued each page onto a piece of yellow cardstock. The cardstock is optional, but this will help the game be more durable and will last longer. You can also laminate them to help last even longer. Last, cut out each of the sight word cards and you’re ready to play.

To Play

To play the memory game, start by choosing which words you want the students to review. Maybe they’re just starting to learn a few words so you start with 6 words. Place all 6 of those word cards plus their matches face down randomly./mixed up.

Have the student choose a card to turn over, and then read the card. If they can read the sight word, have can choose another card to flip over to see if they have a match. If they don’t read the word correctly, review the word with them and have them turn it back over and it’s the next player’s turn.

If they do get a match, have them set the cards in front of them and they get to go again. Continue this until all of the cards have been turned over and matched. The player with the most matches at the end is the winner.

To store the game away for next time, we use clear photo 4×6 boxes. It keeps everything nice and in one spot ready to just grab and play for next time.

You can download the memory game by clicking the green box below.

Are you looking for another fun way to review sight words with your little learners? We have our color-by-code sight word sets. They’re a favorite for the kids! Check out our ocean-themed set here.

And we have a free one for your students o try out here.

What are some other ways you like to practice sight words with your students?

Thanks for stopping by!

Jenette

The post Sunshine Sight Word Memory Game appeared first on Primary Playground.

I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for more screen-free ideas. I made a whole list of ideas and turned them into a Screen-Free Bingo sheet to make it more fun!

These resources work well with this article.

Bingo cards are my jam and this one is packed full of fun ideas to keep the kids busy and learning. It has everything from working on a puzzle to building a fort. This is perfect to use during distance learning or over summer break.

The kids won’t realize it but these activities work on math and literacy skills, fine and gross motor skills, life skills, using their imagination and so much more.

This would make a great addition to your send home end of the year packets with your kiddos. I’m sure your parents will love having additional screen-free ideas to do with their kids.

You can download the Screen-Free Bingo by clicking the green box below.

Do you have any other fun screen-free ideas? We may even be able to come up with a second version!

If you’re looking for more ways to motivate kids to keep learning, we also have our Summer Reading Bingo here and our Math Bingo here.

See you next time!

Jenette

The post Screen-Free Bingo appeared first on Primary Playground.

With all of the fun we’ve been having with the scavenger hunts, I wanted to make a couple of special Picture Scavenger Hunts to share with our youngest friends so they can still play along.

These resources work well with this article.

I made these with our 2-3 year little learners in mind. There is one to play indoors and one to play outdoors during a walk. They are perfect to do alongside their siblings when they do their scavenger hunts. The pictures will easily let them visually see what they are searching for.

I’ve received a lot of great feedback on these picture scavenger hunts too from teachers and parents. They have been extremely helpful for little learners that cannot read yet, ESL kiddos, and have worked fantastic with autistic children as well! 

You can download the Scavenger Hunts for free by clicking the green box below.

I hope they enjoy the scavenger hunts!

See you next time!

Jenette

The post Picture Scavenger Hunts appeared first on Primary Playground.

I’m always looking for new ways for students to practice their sight words. As you know, games are my thing and are my favorite way of having students practice different things they are learning. My favorite part is that when they play a game, they don’t even realize they are learning and practicing things that they have been taught.

So today, I’m sharing a Honey Bee Sight Word Game to help your students practice their pre-primer sight words.

The Setup

To play the game, all you need to do is download the printable at the bottom of the post. Cut out all of the squares and laminate so you can play the game over and over again. You will also need some kind of container to put the cards in. I used a tin bucket I had on hand, but anything you have will work.

To Play

This game can be played with one student or many. You will put all of the cards into the container and shake them up. Have a student pull out a card, look at it, and read the sight word. If they cannot read the word help tell them what the word is and put the card back into the container. If they got the word correct and if they are playing alone, choose another card and repeat. And if you are playing with other students, move to the next person to take a turn.

There are some cards that have a pot of honey on them. If that card gets pulled, the player gets to take another turn.

There are also some cards that say BZZZ! If a student chooses a BZZZ! card, they say BZZZ! and put all of their sight word cards back in the container and it’s the next players’ turn or they can start over again if playing alone. Keep playing until all of the words have been read.

Click the green box below to download the Honey Bee Sight Word Game.

If you’re looking for more fun ways to practice sight words. you may like our color by sight word packs.

And if you’re looking for more sight words games, we have our FREE pancake stack game. You can check that out here.

Do you have any other fun games you like to play to practice sight words?

Thanks for stopping by!

Jenette

The post Honey Bee Sight Word Game appeared first on Primary Playground.

With everyone staying at home and e-learning happening everywhere, I thought it would be fun to make different scavenger hunts to share with you each day for the kiddos to do.

They are listed in the order that I am posting them on Facebook. So you can choose whichever one you’d like to do.

I’ve gotten sooo many requests to have them be printable as well, so I put them all together in this resource. It currently has over 122 scavenger hunts. As I continue to make more, I will be adding to this as well.

You can grab the printable scavenger hunts directly from Primary Playground here or from my TeachersPayTeachers store here.

St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt

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Backyard Scavenger Hunt

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5 Senses Scavenger Hunt

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Spring Scavenger Hunt

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Rainbow Scavenger Hunt

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Book Scavenger Hunt

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Math Scavenger Hunt

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Inventor Scavenger Hunt

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Indoor Scavenger Hunt

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Nature Scavenger Hunt

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Letters Scavenger Hunt

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Black and White Scavenger Hunt

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Shapes Scavenger Hunt

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Rhyming Scavenger Hunt

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Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt

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Numbers Scavenger Hunt

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Easter Scavenger Hunt

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Rainy Day Scavenger Hunt

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Outdoor Scavenger Hunt

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Desert Scavenger Hunt

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Sight Word Scavenger Hunt

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Park Scavenger Hunt

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Earth Day Scavenger Hunt

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Community Scavenger Hunt

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Snow Day Scavenger Hunt

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Living and Non-Living Scavenger Hunt

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Urban Scavenger Hunt

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Gratitude Scavenger Hunt

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Autumn Scavenger Hunt

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Q & U Scavenger Hunt

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Apartment Scavenger Hunt

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Night Time Scavenger Hunt

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2D Shape Scavenger Hunt

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Mother’s Day Scavenger Hunt

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3D Shapes Scavenger Hunt

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Home Scavenger Hunt

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Colors Scavenger Hunt

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Garden Scavenger Hunt

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Sunshine Scavenger Hunt

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Transportation Scavenger Hunt

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Caribbean Scavenger Hunt

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Birthday Scavenger Hunt

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Bigger or Smaller Scavenger Hunt

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Digraphs Scavenger Hunt

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Blends Scavenger Hunt

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Patriotic Scavenger Hunt

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Father’s Day Scavenger Hunt

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Zoo Scavenger Hunt

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Double OO Scavenger Hunt

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Controlled R Scavenger Hunt

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Camping Scavenger Hunt

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Taller or Shorter Scavenger Hunt

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Animal Scavenger Hunt

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Fairy Tale Scavenger Hunt

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Lighter or Heavier Scavenger Hunt

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Beach Day Scavenger Hunt

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Canada Day Scavenger Hunt

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Nursery Rhyme Scavenger Hunt

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Farm Scavenger Hunt

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Insect Scavenger Hunt

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Back To School Scavenger Hunt

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Virtual Back To School Scavenger Hunt

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All About Me Scavenger Hunt

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The Night Before The First Day Of School Scavenger Hunt

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Computer Scavenger Hunt

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iPad Scavenger Hunt

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Chromebook Scavenger Hunt

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Google Classroom Scavenger Hunt

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Apple Orchard Scavenger Hunt

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Pirate Scavenger Hunt

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Fall Scavenger Hunt

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Pumpkin Patch Scavenger Hunt

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School Supply Scavenger Hunt

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Fire Safety Scavenger Hunt

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Halloween Decoration Scavenger Hunt

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Halloween Scavenger Hunt

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Creepy Scavenger Hunt

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Halloween Candy Scavenger Hunt

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Thankful Scavenger Hunt

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Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt

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Thanksgiving Day Parade Scavenger Hunt

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Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt

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Christmas Scavenger Hunt

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Christmas Lights #2 Scavenger Hunt

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Christmas Eve Scavenger Hunt

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Chanukah Scavenger Hunt

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Winter Scavenger Hunt

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CVC Short A Scavenger Hunt

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CVC Short E Scavenger Hunt

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CVC Short I Scavenger Hunt

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CVC Short O Scavenger Hunt

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CVC Short U Scavenger Hunt

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Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt

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Weather Scavenger Hunt

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Opposite Scavenger Hunt

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Grocery Store Scavenger Hunt

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Pet Store Scavenger Hunt

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Mardi Gras Scavenger Hunt

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Purim Scavenger Hunt

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Passover Scavenger Hunt

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Cinco de Mayo Scavenger Hunt

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OI and OY Scavenger Hunt

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Double EE Words Scavenger Hunt

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End Of The School Year Scavenger Hunt

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Long A Scavenger Hunt

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Long E Scavenger Hunt

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Long I Scavenger Hunt

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Do you have any other scavenger hunts that you’d like to see? Let me know and I’ll see about adding it!

Long O Scavenger Hunt

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Long U Scavenger Hunt

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Summer Scavenger Hunt

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Wild West Scavenger Hunt

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Road Trip Scavenger Hunt

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New Year’s Scavenger Hunt

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100th Day Scavenger Hunt

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2’s Day Scavenger Hunt

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Food Pairs Scavenger Hunt

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Lunar New Year Scavenger Hunt

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Around The School Scavenger Hunt

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Kwanzaa Scavenger Hunt

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Thanks for stopping by!

Jenette

The post Scavenger Hunts appeared first on Primary Playground.

Fun Fridays are a great way to end a week as a reward for working hard all week! The kiddos deserve some time to socialize and play so I’m sharing 30 Fun Fridays Ideas.

You may like to stick to doing the same thing each Friday, or maybe like to choose 4 different things for each week of the month. Do what works best for your class and your students.

THIS ACTIVITY WORKS WELL WITH

30 Fun Friday Ideas

1. Break out the board games and let the kids play. So many good things can be learned from playing board games with others. From taking turns to learning how to lose gracefully. My favorite place to find inexpensive games is our local thrift store and garage sales.

2. Create a maker space area for them where they are free to create. MAKERSPACE: a place where we gather tools and materials to create, invent, tinker, design, fabricate, or otherwise enable individuals, a community, or a group to make something. The possibilities are endless for what the kiddos can and will create.

3. Cooking in the classroom. This is a favorite for me!

There are so many skills being taught when learning to cook. It’s a yummy way to practice following directions, sequencing, fine motor skills and so much more. Our cooking class bundle has a bunch of fun foods that you can easily make in the classroom.

4. Watch GoNoodle videos. The kids can’t get enough of them.

5. Do a directed drawing project with your students. You can find many options out there but our favorite is using Art For Kids Hub. We’ve been drawing along with the family for YEARS now!

6. Learn about a different country each week. Try foods, do a craft, learn a game, learn some words. Offer for parents to come in and teach the class about a country whether it’s one they are from or just one they’d like to share about. Use sight-up genius for the parents to sign up so they know what countries have been taken.

7. Choose different science experiments to do as a class. Some of our favorites are making a rainbow in a jar, making slime, and elephant toothpaste.

8. Stem bins or stem activities as a class. Can your students build a bridge for the bears to cross with 10 popsicle sticks and 2 snap blocks?

9. When the weather is nice, have a bubble day. Make your own bubble solution, paint with bubbles, and read bubble books.

10. Extra recess. You can never go wrong with extra recess when the weather is nice out!

11. Teach life skills. Practice shoe typing, teach proper manners at the table, how to set a table, how to wrap a gift. So many great options that some of the kids may not get help at home with.

12. Have a guest or mystery reader come in and read a story to the class.

13. Play bingo! This is seriously a favorite. Whether you want to review something your class has been learning about or just for fin bingo we have you covered with all of our bingo sets.

14. Create stories or puppet shows using puppets or story popsicle stick puppets. Have them put on a show for the class.

15. Make a class book. We have this fun class cookie cookbook to use during the holiday season.

16. Do yoga as a class. Our favorite one to use is Cosmic Yoga. She takes the kids on a whole adventure using yoga.

17. Do an author study. Choose an author, read several books by them, do a craft and make a snack to go along with one of the books you read. Eric Carle is a favorite for us. Here is a snack idea to go along with his books that we’ve shared.

18. Have a flashlight Friday. You can purchase small flashlights at Dollar Tree or Walmart for a dollar to hand out to the kids. Turn the lights off and have them use the flashlights to read. Encourage them to bring blankets and stuffed friendS to read with.

19. Play minute to win it games. These are always so fun to play. Set up 5 different games and have them rotate through them. Here are some of our minute-to-win-it game ideas for fall, winter, spring and a donut theme.

20. Free play-play-based centers. Just let them play. Think blocks, Legos, puzzles, dinosaurs, dollhouse, dramatic play areas, Lincoln Logs.

21. Take a nature walk or a scavenger hunt. Look for different things they’ve been learning about. You could look for different colors, shapes, letters, or numbers.

22. In the warmer months, have a Freeze Pop Friday and bring in special freeze pops for them to enjoy outside.

23. Do a craft to go along with a book that you read that week. Here’s a chameleon craft that we did to go along with The Mixed-Up Chameleon.

24. Ask an older grade, 3-5 to become reading buddies with your class. Have them come and read with your kids and then make a craft or snack together to go along with the book.

25. Have a dance party! Who doesn’t want to dance on a Friday afternoon?!

26. Paint with watercolors or paint with paints using the easel

27. Set up special centers to go along with the theme that you’ve been teaching that week. Make them different than your regular daily centers. For example, if you have been working on an apple unit, have a craft center, a stem center, have them stack 10 apples up top using play-doh, a science center testing whether apples sink or float, and a snack station where they can make an apple snack. Encourage parents to come in and help with centers for the last hour of the day.

28. Make a snack based on the letter of the week they’ve been learning about. We have a huge list of snack ideas to go along with each letter here.

29. If you have involved parents, have them take turns signing up to come in and real to the class and then do a project or have a snack to go along with the book they read. 30.

30. Break out the shaving cream. This is a huge hit with the kids. Spray some shaving cream onto their tables or desks and have them practice writing letters, numbers, their name, or sight words. It’s great for a little extra fine motor practice while having fun!

Whew! That’s the end of my 30 Fun Friday Ideas. Do you have any other fun things you like to do with your class on Fridays?

See you next time!

Jenette

The post 30 Fun Friday Ideas appeared first on Primary Playground.

this article (and most) on primary playground, does contain affiliate links that we do earn a commission off of.  clicking these links does not cost you any extra but helps our website to keep great articles and freebies like this coming your way.

As I was walking through Dollar Tree the other day, I saw these colorful popsicle sticks and thought they were perfect for a rainbow project! So today I’m sharing Rainbow Tally Marks practice to help build number sense.

These rainbow tally marks are a great, hands-on way to practice counting by 5’s, counting on, and working on fine motor a bit as well! Rainbows always make me happy and are great to use all year long, or during your weather unit, St. Patrick’s Day, or spring in general.

Getting ready

You’ll need colorful popsicle sticks (we found them at Dollar Tree) or you could use regular popsicle sticks too if you can’t find the colorful ones. You’ll also need to download, print and cut out the rainbow number cards that you can find at the bottom of this post.

Counting Tally Marks

To play, have your student choose a rainbow number card. They can then use the colorful popsicle sticks to create that number as tally marks. Once they have created the number correctly, they can choose another number to make.

These work great during small groups so you can be sitting there to help make sure their count is correct but can easily be used as a math center ask well. You could even send them home with the kiddos that need a little extra practice.

We used plastic photo boxes to keep the sticks and rainbow number cards all together so they can easily be stored. The kids can easily grab the boxes during center or small group time and start working.

You can download the rainbow number cards by clicking the green download box below.

I hope your kiddos love making rainbow tally marks! See you next time!

Jenette

The post Rainbow Tally Marks appeared first on Primary Playground.

Kids learning to read is such a HUGE deal! It is just one of my favorite sounds to hear a little kid voice reading, it just makes my heart so happy. At this point in the year, you may have some kiddos really starting to do well reading so I wanted to make something special that you can give to them for being such a beary good reader!

These would be great to give out as a celebration for reaching a certain ready level during a teddy bear reading picnic in the classroom or even at the end of the school year along with a book as an easy end of the year gift.

THIS ACTIVITY WORKS WELL WITH

this article (and most) on primary playground, does contain affiliate links that we do earn a commission off of.  clicking these links does not cost you any extra but helps our website to keep great articles and freebies like this coming your way.

Supplies you’ll need

Download and print the Beary Good Reader Treat Bag Topper at the bottom of this post

scissors

stapler

snack bags

Teddy Grahams individual bags or boxes depending on how many you’ll be making – I was able to make 7 bags from one box of the Teddy Grahams

To Assemble

If you’re using the individual bags of Teddy Grahams, you’ll just print off the toppers, but them out and staple them on.

If you are using boxes of Teddy Grahams, you’ll want to fill the snack bags with the Teddy Grahams. Again, I was able to get 7 bags from each box. Download, print and cut out the bag toppers and simply staple them onto the bags.

Such an easy but meaningful special treat for your beary good readers!

You can download the Beary Good Reader Treat Bag Topper from my TeachersPayTeachers store below.

What are some of your favorite ways to help celebrate your kiddos learning to read?

See you next time!

Jenette

The post Beary Good Reader Treat Bag Topper appeared first on Primary Playground.

Cinco de Mayo is quickly approaching so I thought I’d share a free printable Cinco de Mayo word search with you!

This article (and most) on Primary Playground, does contain affiliate links that we do earn a commission off of.  Clicking these links does not cost you any extra but helps our website to keep great articles and freebies like this coming your way.

About Cinco de Mayo

In case you’re not familiar with Cinco de Mayo, it was originally established to celebrate the victory of the Mexican army over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. As with many holidays, this one has evolved over time and has now become a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage.

Books about Mexican culture

Here are some of our favorite books to help learn about this day.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with the Mexican Hat Dance

It’s a book about students practicing the Mexican dance and trying their best not to step on the hat. The book includes an informative section about Cinco de Mayo.

Cinco De Mouse-O! (Adventures of Mouse)

This book does a great job of incorporating the traditions of Cinco de Mayo into a cute story about a mouse. The students especially love the illustrations in this book.

Cinco de Mayo (Holidays in Rhythm and Rhyme)

Cinco de Mayo, or the Fifth of May, honors an important battle fought by the Mexican army in 1862. On this day, people celebrate with Mexican food, music, and dancing. Sing along as you explore Holidays in Rhythm and Rhyme in this book.

P is for Pinata: A Mexico Alphabet

This is not necessarily a Cinco de Mayo book, but it does have many great Mexican words that are helpful in teaching more about their culture. The artwork is beautiful in this book!

After reading some of these books with the class, you may want to add in this interactive fill in the blank book about Cinco de Mayo. 

Free Printable Cinco de Mayo Word Search

After learning all about Cinco de Mayo and the Mexican culture, your students will love looking for a lot of those same words they just learned about in this Cinco de Mayo word search.

You can download the Free Printable Cinco de Mayo Word Search from my TeachersPayTeachers store below.

Do you have any fun ways to teach your students about Cinco de Mayo?

Thanks for stopping by!

Jenette

The post Free Printable Cinco de Mayo Word Search appeared first on Primary Playground.

Butterflies are one of my favorite spring activities! So for this week’s Literacy Snack Butterfly Read Aloud, I’m sharing one of the books about butterflies that is part of my butterfly book study.  We are reading Velma Gratch & the way cool butterfly, by Alan Madison and Kevin Hawkes.

“It’s hard to be Velma, the littlest Gratch, entering the first grade. That’s because everyone has marvelous memories of her two older sisters, who were practically perfect first graders. Poor Velma—people can barely remember her name. But all that changes on a class trip to the magnificent Butterfly Conservatory—a place neither of her sisters has ever been. When a monarch roosts on Velma’s finger and won’t budge for days . . . well, no one will forget Velma ever again.” -amazon

Not only is this a wonderful book about butterflies, but it also is a great story about how to be different and how to stand out the right way. The illustrations are a lot of fun too!

So for our literacy snack this week, we are of course making butterflies!

THIS ACTIVITY WORKS WELL WITH

Ingredients

Each student will need

1  pretzel stick

2 thin slices of oranges

5 blueberries

Assemble

To make the butterfly, first have the students carefully cut their orange slices in half, using a plastic knife. Or you can skip this step and have all the orange slices up in half already, depending on your class ability. Next, have the students make a vertical line with their blueberries. Carefully place the orange slices next to the blueberries as the butterflies 4 wings. Last, break the pretzel stick in half and add on as the antennae.

Free Printable

While your students are enjoying their butterfly snack, I’m sharing a free printable from my butterfly book study for them to work on. The students will cut and glue the pictures in the correct order of the butterflies’ life cycle, or metamorphosis.

You can download the Literacy Snack Butterfly Read Aloud free printable from my teacherspayteachers store below.

If you enjoyed this activity, make sure to check out my butterfly book study that goes along with 4 butterfly books. It’s loaded with vocabulary, sequencing activities, centers, and games.

I hope your students enjoyed making their butterfly snacks this week!

See you next time!

Jenette

The post Literacy Snack Butterfly Read Aloud appeared first on Primary Playground.