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Fun Christmas Composing Teen Numbers Game for Kindergarten

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Give your students lots of opportunities to explore place value concepts like composing and decomposing numbers 11-19 in kindergarten.

Yes - I LOVE this Composing and Decomposing Numbers 11 to 19 Christmas Game

When you give them hands-on practice over and over they form solid foundations about numbers that lead to incredible results.

It truly is amazing what they can do in kindergarten and how they can work through big numbers like up to 99 even!

Here is one of my favorite games to play starting at the end of Thanksgiving or fall break and all through the month of December.

It's called Hurry Up Santa and it's a composing/decomposing game that builds numbers up to 20 using groups of tens and ones. It's fun and easy to use!

Note: This normally is introduced in the teacher zone in small groups so I could help work through misconceptions. Eventually, it was released into the practice zone where students play it by themselves. It would also make a great game to play with a parent volunteer.

What I love about this game

This printable game is an instant download - so there's no waiting! You print the pieces, laminate and cut. Then you're set to go!

Let me show you what is included and my favorite parts in this printable Christmas game for kindergarten.

Composing Tens and Ones Christmas Race Game Printable - Gameboard

The Tens and Ones Christmas Race Game has a 2-page printable game board.

This is one of my favorite features - it gives lots of chances to practice as kinders move along the snowy Santa boot prints and has a "candy land" feeling with themed spots along the way.

Composing and Decomposing Numbers 11 to 19 Christmas Game - perfect game for kindergarten

There are playing cards that tell students to "make" numbers like 6, 11 and 19. There are 3 sets of these playing cards - that way you can differentiate EASILY!

Fun cards that make it feel more like a race are included and if drawn, send a kinder back one or two spaces.

Composing and Decomposing Numbers 11 to 19 Christmas Game

Just building numbers with ten frames can get a little repetitive.

Students learn to start counting at ten and then add additional (or count out additional) ones. It reinforces the strategy that starting with 10 and then counting (11, 12, 13...) is a more efficient way to work and partly why composing with tens and ones is helpful!

Why not use a ten frame looking (just like we did for the monster keepers when introducing the ten frame) set of cookies on a cookie sheet as your group of tens.

Composing and Decomposing Numbers 11 to 19 Christmas Game - cute

The characters are easy to create!

Simply cut them out and tape them onto the front of a linking cube.

The paper tabs wrap around the base and are taped to hold the character in place and will be sturdy enough to last for more than a year.

How to store this game

One of my favorite things included is a label to make everything easy to store!

Composing Tens and Ones Christmas Race Game Printable - Easily organized

I totally love storing games when not in use in large bags like in my math cupboards or guided reading filing cabinet.

This game, it's pieces and visual directions all fit nicely in a gallon ziploc bag.

Those visual directions help kinders remember how to play!

Where to get it

Kindergarten Place Value Christmas Composing Numbers

Purchase Tens and Ones Christmas Race Game

This game is available as an instant download in my shop.

You can grab it now, have it prepped and it's one less thing to think about when the holidays ramp up.

You'll feel great knowing you have a solid, standards-based activity ready to go.

If you like it - keep the fun going in January with my Frosted Frozen version for winter!

And get this small group card game that works on a similar skill for free too.

More Christmas Ideas

Free Christmas Composing Teen Numbers Game for Kindergarten

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Fill your lesson plans in December with fun, standards-based learning opportunities.

Here is a free download to practice composing teen numbers (11-19) using groups of tens and ones.

It's my hope that you can integrate this free printable Christmas I Have, Who Has card game into your small group teaching in December.

Teaching students to compose and decompose larger numbers has an awesome impact on their math abilities - it truly is amazing!

Just like my fun Christmas race game where students build numbers 11-19 using groups of tens and ones, this game uses a ten-frame cookie sheet and single cookies to illustrate tens and ones in a new way. 

The standard this activity practices:

Compose and decompose numbers from 11 to 19 into ten ones and some further ones, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record each composition or decomposition by a drawing or equation (such as 18 = 10 + 8); understand that these numbers are composed of ten ones and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine ones.

That makes it perfect to play in a small group and ideal for a teacher zone warm-up or wrap-up activity.

How to play

Want to know how to play?

  1. Deal out all of the cards.
  2. The first player picks a card (if they have multiple) and reads it aloud.
  3. The kinder who has the matching answer card reads their card aloud.
  4. Play continues until all cards have been used or read aloud.
Christmas Teen Numbers I Have Who Has Card Game {Free Printable}

This composing teen numbers card game focuses on numbers 11-19 since this helps lay a foundation for understanding composing and decomposing - but you'll find that I've added the numbers 9, 10 and 20 to better fit a larger number of players.

What's included

There are 24 cards included in the printable and an instructions page explaining how to play.

Christmas Teen Numbers I Have Who Has Card Game for Kindergarten

There are 2 different game sets - each with 12 cards.

Free Christmas Teen Numbers I Have Who Has Card Game {Printable}

The first set has red cards.

Students describe the number using words like "who has one group of ten and x ones?" and the student who has the matching numeral on their card goes next.

Christmas Teen Numbers I Have Who Has Card Game {Printable} - free game with 2 versions

The second set has green cards and they have the opposite.

The first student asks, "Who has #?" and the student with the matching card describes the number using the tens and ones statement.

If your small group needs additional support, you can have each student make the number with manipulatives before the matching card is named or you can make it as a group and use the model to help students identify the number on their card.

Get the download

Here is the free download so you can play this game in your classroom too.

Download Christmas composing numbers game

[terms of use] [downloading help]

Let's wrap it up

Remember to teach why the teen numbers look the way they do in order to give them an additional strategy and be successful at composing and decomposing numbers.

If you want more composing and decomposing materials for Christmas, you may also love this board game version that is perfect for math centers.

Such a perfect Composing and Decomposing Numbers 11 to 19 Christmas Game

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

More Christmas

Teen Numbers I Have Who Has Card Game Free Download

Christmas Sight Word Battleship for Kindergarten

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Let's get into the Christmas spirit with a free printable sight word battleship game for kindergarten. This Christmas sight word battleship game is easy to use with beginning readers.

It's time to keep the focus on learning but sprinkling in the Christmas fun!

Christmas Sight Word Battleship Game for Kindergarten

If you know me, I like to work smart. That means we incorporate what we learn about into the normal routine. It maximizes time and the fun level.

For instance,

Maximize what you're doing but bring in the Christmas themed fun.

This free Christmas sight word game for kindergarten will help you accomplish that.

It works great for literacy centers, guided reading group warm up activities or that odd chunk of time you have before your class is scheduled to go to the library...

Christmas Sight Word Battleship for Kindergarten - free printable

Here's how you can make it and teach your class to play.

How to make it

This sight word battleship game is editable. That means you get to put in the sight words you want to use for your class.

There are spaces for up to 30 sight words.

If your kinders are anything like mine were - many were close to knowing their core 24 sight words (plus some color words) by December. So to have 30 to choose from is plenty.

Ultimately, you can create different playing boards for different levels of students - if you want. I've made 4 different playing boards. There is a Santa, Mrs. Claus, an elf and a Christmas tree.

For students with fewer sight words in their reading repertoire, simply repeat words they are familiar with a few times in the game squares.

Prepare the game

  1. To prep this game, you will need to download this copy and open it in either Microsoft PowerPoint or upload it to Google Slides. You agree to these terms of use by doing so. [downloading help]
  2. Click in each text box and type in the sight word you want.
  3. Print 2 of each game board for a pair of students to use.
  4. Plan what type of game pieces you'll use. I recommend 4 per student.

Now, here's where you can get creative or use what you have.

Pick your festive game pieces

This partner game is called "Present Drop" and the idea is that Santa's sleigh has dropped presents and you (as Santa's helpers) have to help the presents get returned to the sleigh.

To go along with that theme, I decided to check out what the Dollar Tree had in store this Christmas that could make for fun game pieces.

The aim is to find small manipulatives that fit inside the squares but don't cover the sight words.

Christmas Sight Word Battleship for Kindergarten - use themed erasers for playing pieces

I saw cute erasers that would work. This pack would work for 3 students to each get 4 pieces.

You could use jingle bells. These are wonderfully small and this would be enough for 12 students to each get 4 playing pieces.

Christmas Sight Word Battleship for Kindergarten - use jingle bells for playing pieces

Or Christmas colored pom poms would work well too. This would be enough for a class of 20 students.

Christmas Sight Word Battleship for Kindergarten - use puffballs for playing pieces

I tried these star-shaped Christmas ornaments and they were fun but probably just a tad bit too big.

Christmas Sight Word Battleship for Kindergarten - use stars

Ultimately you can just use what you have in your classroom.

Cotton balls? They become snowballs.

Red and green counters or linking cubes? You've got presents for this present drop game.

I chose to use linking cubes since I had them on hand and liked them best!

Christmas Sight Word Battleship for Kindergarten - make linking cubes into pretend presents

And I even added a piece of tape on top of a cube to draw on a bow to make it look more like a present just for fun.

That's super easy to do. And in my book, easy is key.

How to play sight word battleship

Since in this "Present Drop" sight word battleship game the idea is to help return the dropped presents to Santa's sleigh - your students will be racing against each other to pick up their partner's dropped presents by reading sight words and guessing the location of the presents without seeing their partner's game board.

Here's how to play this game:

  • Students sit back to back with their own game board in front of them.
  • Students place 4 pieces on their own game board. They are "dropped" off of Santa's sleigh. Oh no!
  • They keep their boards hidden/secret from each other. They only know the sight word spots where their own presents have been dropped.
  • Students take turns calling out a sight word from the game board to each other, hoping to call out the spot of a misplaced present.
  • If a student reads a sight word spot that is occupied by a dropped present, the partner hands over the present to the reader. If a student reads a sight word of an unoccupied word spot, then the partner simply announces, "Miss!"
  • The goal for students is to get all 4 (or how many ever "presents" you decide) partner playing pieces first. Essentially, picking up all the presents before the other player.

It may benefit you to use 2 different color playing pieces. So, if one student has red presents (or linking cubes) the other partner has green. This way it's easy for them to track visually while playing and clean up is simplified.

Let's wrap it up

I hope you and your kindergarten brood absolutely love this Christmas sight word battleship game and get a chance to play it a few times.

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

You'll want this free sight word activity too that kinders LOVE - so be sure to snag this free Christmas Pokey Pinning Activity for Sight Words.

Free Christmas Pokey Pinning Activity with Kindergarten Sight Words

Need something for math? Check out this free Christmas Teen Numbers I Have Who Has Card Game for a fun group game.

More Christmas in Kindergarten

16 Quick Phonics Videos for Kindergarten

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Keep your phonics time fresh by building in a phonics video every now and then.

Here are 16 phonics videos that are designed for kindergarten-aged students who are learning their letter sounds, learning to read and working on building letter-sound fluency.

Most of these videos cover the entire alphabet in one 2-3 minute video but I'm also throwing in a couple of extras - like two playlists that have a video for each letter of the alphabet... just in case you need it.

Thanks to all of the great teachers on our facebook page who jumped in to share their favorites. You helped build this awesome list!

Phonics Videos - Alphabet Letter Sounds

Sesame Street: Usher's ABC Song - (2 mins) This one was totally new to me as I researched the suggestions from other teachers. While it's not widely used in the classroom, I think a lot of kinders would enjoy this version at the beginning of the school year.

Phonercise - Exercise Your Body and Brain - (3 mins) Dr. Jean is a staple in many classrooms and here is a version that you can easily edit to work with your own alphabet chart.

Fill in the word blanks with the icon your classroom uses from your own alphabet chart and build in some exercise to your phonics lesson.

ABC Rockstar - (2.5 mins) This is a simple version that quickly goes through all of the letter sounds of the alphabet for kindergarten using lowercase letters as the featured models.

While I don't love "x-ray" for letter x - it has one of the best pronunciation of all letter sounds I've heard recorded.

Create your own movements to go along.

Kinderphonics Video - (2 mins) This simple video goes through each letter of the Leapfrog Letter Factory video (affiliate - which I highly recommend) using the associated movements.

Act Out The Alphabet | Phonics Song | Jack Hartmann - (5 mins). Get your students up and moving with this "acting out the alphabet" video. It definitely will work more towards the beginning of the school year to help alleviate the wiggles.

Letter Sounds | Alphabet Song | Jack Hartmann - (3.5 mins) Here is another version of the alphabet reinforced with letter sounds, though this one is less movement oriented than the acting out the alphabet version above.

What Do The Letters Say? (What Does The Fox Say? Parody) - (3.5 mins) Create your own movements, hand signals or motions to build off of the highly popular song, "What Does the Fox Say?"

ABC Sound Clues with Who Let the Letters Out by Dr. Jean - (2 mins) Kathleen T. says on facebook, "The kids LOVE IT & you can use it with whatever letter/pictures cards you are using in the classroom. (Zoo phonics, Open Court, etc.) We have hand motions that accompaniment each letter card, so the kids stand up & do the motion for each letter card while the "leader" points to each letter card."

Phonics Song - Preschool Prep Company - (2 mins) This one is unique and I'm really liking it. Ces C. recommended this one on facebook. I do love that it includes every sound for each letter (like c says both /s/ and /k/).

Animal Alphabet Song (3 mins) - Pam E. from facebook recommended checking out an animal alphabet song. I liked this one best since it shows animals forming the letter shapes.

Teach Me How to Read: Rap Song - (2 mins) This one will have your entire class singing along and the best part is after 1 min, it goes into blending letters into CVC words. Such a good way to hit multiple skills in a short amount of time.

ABC RAP Video - (5 mins) This video is a little slow to start so it'd be good to play as students are coming in and heading to the carpet. It does have good repetition and choices for each letter sound... except for x-ray on the letter x. The alphabet is gone through twice.

Individual Letters of the Alphabet Phonics Videos Playlists

ABC Songs: by StoryBots - (1.5 mins each) This playlist hits each letter of the alphabet.

While each video is not designed to be easy to repeat (or sing along with) they are great to build vocabulary and for higher readers to remain engaged.

We're talking going beyond C /c/ /c/ cat, here people. These were recommended by Erin L. on facebook - thanks!

Letter Song Videos by Have Fun Teaching - (2-4 mins each) Playlist of phonics videos with main focus on look and sound of letter.

It may get a little repetitious {which can be a good thing}, but if you add a dance movement for each time you say the letter sound it will be much more engaging!

Short examples of letter sounds used in words can be found in the middle of the video to help break up the repetition.

More Learning to Read Videos

And while these aren't strictly letter-sound videos I did want to be sure to include them since they make a:

  • great addition to your calendar time
  • fun transition coming back in from recess
  • great learning time filler for the random 3 minutes you don't want them sitting idly by

Phonics (Rhyming Words) - (2.5 mins) Covers rhyming and word families. While it may not exactly be for the first half of the school year, you'll totally have kinders picking up on this skill and using rhyming words (reading word chunks) as a skill later in the school year when they are reading past levels 5 and 6 (or level D/E).

Sight Word Song Music Videos - (2-3 mins.) Not my absolute favorite but this style of video capitalizes on repetition like the letter song videos by Have Fun Teaching.

There are 15 kindergarten sight words (a, and, for, go, I, is, in, it, look, said, the, to, up, you, away) included in this video playlist.

Tip! Show a video to your class without any hesitation with viewpure.com. It removes adds, comments and videos that pop up as suggestions afterwards.

There you have it!

A collection of 16 videos that have been kindergarten teacher approved and are perfect for building into your phonics time.

I hope you found it helpful to have them all in one place to add to your favorites list on YouTube.

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

16 Phonics Videos for Kindergarten

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12 Quick Thanksgiving Videos for Kindergarten

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Bring Thanksgiving to life with kindergarten Thanksgiving videos. Here is a collection of favorite Thanksgiving videos for kindergarten.

Whatever you need – here are Thanksgiving-themed books read aloud, brain break videos, and some learning videos that can help you teach.

Thanksgiving-themed stories

These stories are good read-alouds for Thanksgiving. They are fun and keep the holiday age-appropriate.

I’ll be sharing affiliate links and more information about each book (in case you want to read a hard copy) so you can check things out for yourself.

'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving

If you have a favorite read-aloud - search for it on Youtube! It's a fun and different way to present the book to your kinders. I like 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving in video format actually better than I like reading it aloud myself. 

Get the book >>

Turkey Trouble

My all time favorite Thanksgiving-themed book is Turkey Trouble. In fact, I would totally show this video at some point during a transition and still read it aloud during the week of Thanksgiving.

Get the book >>

Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving

Gotta love Pete the Cat! If you need another way to reinforce the history behind the story of Thanksgiving, then this video of Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving being read aloud  is a good option.

Get the book >>

A Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving

Oh, so classic! A Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving... okay so this one may or may not fly with your kindergarten class but my nostalgic self makes me want to give it a try. {{sigh}} Guess I'm just a child of the 80's! Start this one at roughly a minute in.

The Berenstain Bears - Count Their Blessings

Another classic story. I like that Berenstain Bears Thanksgiving story talks about the real blessings in life. It's not always easy to teach how yes, we can be thankful for toys... but also what are the more important things in life to be thankful for.

Teaching about pilgrims

If you're looking for some teaching videos to help you explain a bit more about pilgrims, then here are two videos that are concise and teach in a kinder-friendly way.

They Were the Pilgrims

A video list for kindergarten is almost incomplete without a Harry Kindergarten video {am I right?!?}. This 'They Were the Pilgrims' video will reinforce what you've taught about the challenges the pilgrims faced.

The Story of Thanksgiving

Get the overview story of Thanksgiving in 3 minutes told by Plymouth Rock. Ha! This cartoon version will remind you of a 'Frosty the Snowman' animation style. It focuses on the Thanksgiving dinner as opposed to an in-depth version of the back story of Pilgrims coming to America.

Thanksgiving songs

Songs give students the opportunity to learn concepts put to music in order to access a different part of the brain and learn more quickly.

Thanksgiving Feast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvMKKlvZPWA

What are the things we eat at Thanksgiving? This repetitive little song is to the tune of "Brother John." Your kids will be singing along to this kindergarten Thanksgiving video.

Ten Little Turkeys

Identify the rhyming words in this 10 Little Turkeys fingerplay song. Have your kinders clap, stomp or flap their turkey feathers when they hear rhyming word pairs like "away/stay" or "pen/hen."

Little Pilgrim

Here is a song to sing at a Thanksgiving celebration. Do you need a cute song to perform for parents at a Thanksgiving celebration?

This little pilgrim song is ideal! Students can sing to the tune of Baa Baa Black Sheep - just add some simple hand motions and you're set to go!

Brain breaks - Get up & dance

Brain breaks give students the opportunity to break from focusing by moving to music in order to recharge.

Turkey Hokey Pokey

Get your kinders up and moving with a fun Thanksgiving version of the hokey pokey. Put your wings and stuffing in and out {wink} This is a great transition video or end of the day option to get a little silly.

A Turkey Dance

This fun to-the-beat brain break for Thanksgiving is a cute repetitive video. Your kinders will have the moves down by the end and saying, "Gobble Gobble Gobble" as they go about their day.

Let's wrap it up

There you have it - my list of Thanksgiving videos for kindergarten.

I hope this kindergarten Thanksgiving videos list of brain breaks, fingerplays, read-alouds, and stories can come in handy since it has been teacher-pre-screened for you!

Tip! Show a video to your class without any hesitation with viewpure.com. It removes ads, comments and videos that pop up as suggestions afterward.

Want lesson plans that are free? I've got you covered! Check out these 9 Easy and Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Kindergarten.

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

More Videos for Kindergarten

9 Easy and Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Kindergarten

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Conferences, Halloween and then we run straight into Thanksgiving. Before we know it Christmas will be here!

Make going from holiday to Holiday easier with these fun Thanksgiving activities for kindergarten. You'll love that they are easy to pull together.

These are all free kindergarten Thanksgiving activities, printables, worksheets or online read-alouds I have found - so I hope they can be helpful as you make your November lesson plans.

Thanksgiving activities

9 Easy and Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Kindergarten - cute craftivity to go along with The Thanksgiving Surprise
source: wildaboutfirsties.blogspot.com

Get your kinders thinking outside the dinner box with this cute Thanksgiving craftivity to go along with (affiliate) The Thanksgiving Surprise read aloud.

9 Easy and Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Kindergarten - Thanksgiving Turkey Headbands
source: kidney-garden.blogspot.com

Use simple shapes to create Thanksgiving Turkey Headbands. Working on patterns? Make color patterns with squares of construction paper in tribal (fall colors) to make them fit right in with November festivities.

9 Easy and Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Kindergarten - tell the history of Thanksgiving with a simple Thanksgiving bracelet
source: drjean.org

Be sure your kinders can tell the history of Thanksgiving with a simple Thanksgiving bracelet.

9 Easy and Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Kindergarten - retell bracelet companion story

And this free Thanksgiving story for kids is perfect to send home with their bracelets... just in case they might not remember all of the facts {wink}

9 Easy and Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Kindergarten - pattern block building game
source: mrsriccaskindergarten.blogspot.com

Get using those 2D shapes! Students build a turkey with 2D shapes. This pattern block building game is perfect and easy to set up. (This free game is in the preview - no purchase needed)

Free printables

Read to find out what fall things the turkey likes to eat in this free pattern Turkey Likes to Eat emergent reader book.

9 Easy and Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Kindergarten - sight word emergent reader

Take a fall leaf walk around your school yard. Collect some leaves and write about your observations as scientists! Finish off with this free printable fall leaf color book.

Students write in the sight word "I" and then color the leaves to match the text. They could also glue in fall leaves they collected to match.

9 Easy and Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Kindergarten - Five Little Turkeys

Bank on the familiar tune to Five Little Pumpkins and teach this cute Five Little Turkeys emergent reader book. It is an easy way to work on counting 1:1 if that's where you're at... or hit subtraction.

Read What Do We See in the Fall with this simple yet perfectly themed emergent reader book for kindergarten.

Thanksgiving worksheets

9 Easy and Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Kindergarten - sequence and write

It's a puzzle... it's a cut n' paste... no - it's a sentence! Take this multi step writing worksheet and get them putting the pieces together.

9 Easy and Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Kindergarten - free pumpkin playdough number mats
source: thekindergartenconnection.com

Just because October is over doesn't mean we have to put the pumpkins away! If your kinders still need number practice along with fine motor work these free pumpkin playdough number mats might just be perfect to print and laminate.

Pete the Cat Thanksgiving activities

9 Easy and Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Kindergarten - How to Make a Pete the Cat the First Thanksgiving Activity - easy craft for kids

Create a craft of pilgrim Pete the Cat for Thanksgiving. Color the face a royal blue - or cover it with tissue paper/construction paper. Add the features and you're good to go!

Recommended read-alouds

These are affiliate links to books that make great Thanksgiving read-alouds.

I hope these Thanksgiving activities for kindergarten set you up for easier lesson planning if you want to throw a few themed items into your November school days.

Need more? You might like these 12 Quick Thanksgiving Videos for Kindergarten.

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

More Themed Activities for Kindergarten

9 Easy and Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Kindergarten - these are perfect

Simple Handprint Pumpkin Life Cycle Mini-Book

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Make an emergent reader using handprints and fingerprints to recreate the life cycle of a pumpkin. Here is a free mini-book to print and use in kindergarten.

There is so much to cover when fall hits in the classroom. It's a perfect time to cover favorite science topics like apples and pumpkins because, for many of us, it's easy to bring this science topic right into the classroom or to take a field trip.

I created a mini-book that is simple to complete in the classroom so you can connect art and science when you cover how pumpkins grow. The art focus is on using prints.

Use this life cycle book after you have introduced the life cycle of a pumpkin, but before Halloween. The last page will be the hook that has them all excited to complete it. {wink}

Okay, now a small disclaimer: This may not be the perfect example of a "cycle" since we don't actually go back to the seed at the end of the book. But it's got all of the major steps a pumpkin goes through in its life so I figure it's pretty darn close.

Students will use different portions of their non-dominant hand to recreate the life cycle steps of a pumpkin.

How to make it

First, download and print these free life cycle mini-book pages. You agree to these terms of use by doing so. [downloading help]

Grab a paintbrush, these colors of paint (use any kind of washable tempera paint or homemade flour fingerpaint as we did) and you're set to go:

  • brown (or gray or light yellow)
  • yellow
  • green
  • orange

They paint their thumb for the seed.

And you can color or fingerpaint the background to look like dirt if you want.

They paint their pinkie finger and thumbs for the pumpkin sprout with its first two leaves called the seed leaves.

Then comes the pumpkin flower. For this step, kinders will paint and press the bottom of their fist five times in a circle.

Students then use their fist again to create a small pumpkin and then a second, larger pumpkin.

Then you finish it all off with cut-out pieces (or you could draw them on with black markers once dry) to make a jack o' lantern.

we used flour paint which created a rough texture

When you staple all of the pages together, it creates a handmade emergent reader using "my" as the primary sight word. Super cute!

Each student can make a unique face for their jack o' lantern since there are three shape options included for the eyes and nose and two different style mouths. But, if they want to get creative they can use additional pieces too (like turn triangle eyes into vampire-style teeth or a hair bow) to add more detail.

A few notes...

Painting alternatives

You could totally just use crayons, paper scraps (cut into simple shapes) or stamp pads for this activity too - but I wanted to explore using different parts of their hand to make prints and paint works so much better for that.

Planning for this activity

To plan for this activity, consider whether you'll want to complete it all at once or perhaps do one page a day.

If you want to complete it all at once, have students to either put their name or initials on each page before they begin and don't staple the pages together until they are dry. You'll need a lot of counter space for the pages to dry.

How to maximize the activity

Don't just send this book home once it's dry. Make the most out of this activity by having them read it multiple times.

Have students read their completed books to one another or to read them with you during guided reading groups.

Encourage students to make their own pumpkin life cycle books during writer's workshop. Let them add a sentence for each page of this book or create their own. There's no reason they can't use this project as inspiration - or cut out their illustrations to add to their own book with their own words and an illustrated background.

Let's wrap it up

I hope this activity is a fun and simple one for you to use in your classroom. It's a great way to connect some art (not a craft) with what we learn about pumpkins in kindergarten... and throw in a little reading practice too.

You may also like these ideas if you're gearing up for Halloween this fall:

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

More Kindergarten Activities

5 Easy Halloween Activities for Kindergarten

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Let's find fun ideas from kindergarten teachers to use in the kindergarten classroom for Halloween. Here are some awesome Halloween activities, ideas and read-aloud books for kindergarten.

7+ Easy Halloween Activities for Kindergarten

Whether you're planning a Halloween classroom party or just want to know what other teachers do to celebrate Halloween in kindergarten, then this list can help.

Let's start with easy Halloween activities. Easy is my style, especially when it comes to planning minor holidays in the classroom.

Make funny pumpkins

One of my all-time favorite projects I've seen floating around the internet is this funny pumpkins project.

I love how it turns out and that every single pumpkin is unique. In fact, I share it with my readers every year because I love it so much.

source: literacyandlaughter.blogspot.com

To make it with your class you essentially paint paper, let it dry, let students cut and embellish with their own black and white cutouts. Don't use templates or patterns - they turn out so much cuter this way!

You may need to start painting in the morning - or start this project the day before if you want to complete this project for a classroom Halloween party.

Use a themed emergent reader

Here is a last-minute, easy to pull together emergent reader for Halloween. It's a make & read activity - they'll love the interactive component of reading it.

It features position words: above, below, inside, outside, between, on and in.

7+ Easy Halloween Activities for Kindergarten - Pumpkin Position Word Emergent Reader for Halloween and Fall

Students move a pumpkin (make their own or color the one provided) to match the text. Attach the pumpkin to the book with a string so it can easily be used and won't get lost.

Have them color the book to finish it off.

Here are two more emergent readers that are perfect for October:

Create an easy bat silhouette

I fell in love with this easy Halloween bat art project.

7+ Easy Halloween Activities for Kindergarten - Easy Art Project for Kindergarten Halloween Party
source: creativetots.com

Simply spray watered down acrylic paint onto black construction paper - you could do orange, purple or white paint and use any number of Halloween inspired shapes.

Or you could use paint to make this handprint pumpkin life cycle mini-book instead.

Make Halloween masks

Or if you're in need of a craft then check out these Halloween masks to print and color - talk about easy peasy!

7+ Easy Halloween Activities for Kindergarten - Printable Halloween Mask kids easy cheap class party activity
source: itsalwaysautumn.com

No worries if kids come to school without a costume {unless costumes aren't allowed in your school}.

Make a Halloween snack

Create an easy snack for your Halloween party - an easy snack mix that can pretty much include whatever works for you and your classroom (considering allergies).

Think of a basic snack mix or trail mix recipe and add in a Halloween flavor like candy corns! It comes editable recipe cards or toppers for Ziploc bags to make these ready to go.

Read the best Halloween books

Reading books aloud is something we do every day in kindergarten. Here are the top Halloween book recommendations for kindergarten.

Remember - if you have a favorite read-aloud - search for it on YouTube. It’s a fun and different way to present the book to your kinders, or a good way to preview the book for yourself. Affiliate links are included for these books.

My personal favorite Halloween read-aloud is Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman.

This book is fantastic and if you can play the audio version for your party while you hold up the book (or have a parent volunteer do it) - even better!

Get the book >>

The most classic Halloween read-aloud is probably The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything.

It's a great pattern-based story that will have kids chiming in. Plus it's easy to add motions for the repetitive parts to help keep the wiggles under control during a sugar-filled-kind-of-day.

Get the book >>

We're all fans of Pete the Cat in kindergarten. So, why not Pete the Cat: Trick or Pete?

Get the book >>

Spookley the Square Pumpkin could also be considered a pretty classic story to read to your class. The lesson about learning to not judge is a sweet one and be great to tie into the funny pumpkins project.

Get the book >>

If you want to read something that feels Halloween-related but refreshingly isn't - go for Crankenstein.

Because... we all feel a little cranky sometimes and you can call in what they learned in this book on the day they come back after Halloween {wink}

Get the book >>

Go full-on Halloween with Ten Timid Ghosts. It's quick, cute and full of classic, Halloween-y things without being scary.

Get the book >>

These books are also pretty good read-aloud books kindergarten teachers read to their classes:

Halloween-alternative

Would you rather do a themed day that isn't strictly Halloween? I've got your back.

Here is an entire day's worth of monster-themed lesson plans (complete with alternative options) for free.

They were designed to be emergency sub plans, but there's no reason you can't just use them yourself and let me have done the leg work of planning an ENTIRE DAY for you {wink}

What other teachers do

Teachers were asked, "What plans do you have for Halloween in your kindergarten classroom?" Here's what they had to say:

"We make toilet paper pumpkins, sort & graph Bag of Bones Cheetos, color sort skittles with Go Away Big Green Monster, create pumpkins and end the day with a costume parade around our school block, I love it!!"   - Jill

"We'll all be dressed up as our favorite book characters & have a parade. Our entire K Team is doing Laura Numeroff book characters & I chose the mouse from If You Give A Mouse A Cookie. We will be reading The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything & making a scarecrow craft afterward. All of our Guided Reading & Math Centers are Halloween-themed. We'll write about facts we learned about bats from last week to be hung with our bat craft hallway display. Also planning to make "Franken-Pudding" with the kiddos for a Halloween treat."   - Tammy

"Breakfast, parade at the nursing home, Halloween poems with sign language."   - Jenn

"Plans? I've given up planning for Halloween! School costume parade which makes planning impossible. But it will be a fun day. Halloween centers. Monster Munch snack. Stories and Songs. Home early to greet the ghouls and goblins."   - Kathy

Let's wrap it up

No matter what craziness you've got going on this year - I hope you have a Happy Halloween {and that somebody shares their chocolate with you}. Hopefully, these easy Halloween activities and ideas will come in handy.

Share what you do with us too in the comments below and I'll add new ideas to this post.

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

More for Kindergarten

11 Fun and Simple Hallway Transitions for Kindergarten

· 13 Comments

Fun and simple ideas for classroom management are often found from the best resource available to teachers: other teachers!

I've asked my Facebook readers to share their hallway transitions to help make your classroom management even easier.

Here are their top hallway transition procedures and classroom management ideas.

Hallway Transitions for Kindergarten

You're gonna love these ideas. I'm sure these have been passed on from teacher-to-teacher and from friend-to-friend, but you might find something new to try!

Hallway transitions

Each one comes with a free printable so you can post them by your classroom door. Grab the hallway transition printable posters at the end of this post.

Eyes, feet, hands

6 Fun and Simple Hallway Transitions - KindergartenWorks

This first one was shared by Joanne. It says, "Eyes on the door, feet on the floor, hands behind my back and say no more." It's a quick way to remind students of their hallway procedures.

Magic finger

6 Fun and Simple Hallway Transitions - KindergartenWorks

This cute saying works when you like to have students place their finger over their lips when walking in the hallway. It was shared by Lia and it says, " Magic finger in the air magic finger everywhere magic finger on your hips magic finger on your lips."

What a cute way of making hallway procedures have a little magic in store, and it helps since they are babies! have you wonder at what age do boys start talking ? read our post relating language skills.

Sneaky ninja feet

6 Fun and Simple Hallway Transitions - KindergartenWorks

Now this one is already a favorite of mine, thanks to Staci! She shared how she says, "We put on our sneaky ninja feet."

Since I wanted to make it ready to share with you in the form of a free printable, I added a few words to turn it into a rhyming chant.

Can't you see boys {in addition to girls of course} just thinking this one is the best?

Spanish - Eyes to the front

6 Fun and Simple Hallway Transitions - KindergartenWorks

I personally didn't need to use Spanish in the classroom, but this one may come in handy for many of you.

It says, "Eyes to the front, hands behind [your back], one follows the other, and no more talking!" This was shared by Michelle and she says it rhymes in Spanish, and comes with hand motions.

I'm standing tall

6 Fun and Simple Hallway Transitions - KindergartenWorks

This cute poem was handed to Manda from fellow teachers. It says, "My hands are by my side. I'm standing straight and tall. My eyes are looking towards the front. I'm ready for the hall. Shh!"

She says that after the "Shh!" that students keep their candlesticks (fingers) up and are ready for the hallway.

Swallow your bubble

6 Fun and Simple Hallway Transitions - KindergartenWorks

This short and sweet reminder came from Catrina. It says, "Cross your arms and swallow your bubble! That's how we stay out of trouble!" Reminding students to think of swallowing a bubble reminds them of appropriate hallways voice levels. {Love it}

Bubbles and butterflies

5 Quick Hallway Transitions {Printable} - KindergartenWorks: Bubbles and Butterflies

This first one was shared by Christina. It says, “Bubbles and Butterflies!" She explains that bubbles are pretend bubbles in their mouths to help keep them quiet and butterflies are their hands on their hips.

It is handy to teach students where to put their hands when first learning hallways expectations so that they are less likely to touch each other.

Marshmallow mouths and toes

5 Quick Hallway Transitions {Printable} - KindergartenWorks: Marshmallow Mouths and Toes

This cute saying is adapted from Kindergarten Smiles by Christer. "Marshmallow mouths and toes. Marshmallow mouths and toes. Quietly in the hallway everyone goes, with marshmallow mouths and marshmallow toes."

It's a soft and friendly reminder of your hallway expectations.

Peace ✌️ and quiet

5 Quick Hallway Transitions {Printable} - KindergartenWorks: Peace and Quiet

Sarah's tip is to have a place for both hands with "peace and quiet." She says that students hold a peace sign in the air with one hand and then finger over their lips with the other.

Great big hug

5 Quick Hallway Transitions {Printable} - KindergartenWorks: I Give Myself a Hug

Here's one that the teacher says and the students repeat after, that Chelsie shared with us. "I give myself a great big hug standing straight and tall my eyes are right in front of me. I'm ready for the hall with a bubble in my mouth."

This chant is a non-rhyming variation of the "standing tall" hallway poem above.

One, two - Listen and do

5 Quick Hallway Transitions {Printable} - KindergartenWorks: 1,2,3,4

This counting chant is from Rachel, "1, 2 listen and do; 3, 4 face the door; 5, 6 fingers on lips; 7, 8 line up straight; 9, 10 let the quiet walking begin." I love that it can easily be used as a call and response attention-getter too.

Free printable transition posters

Grab your 11 free printable hallways transition posters here:

Download hallway transition posters

You agree to these terms of use by downloading. [downloading help]

Print just your favorites and clip them together.

Then when you're ready to head out the door you (or the line leader) can flip through and pick one to prepare everyone for the hallway.

Tip: You can also change the print settings to print multiple ones per page. Print them to be half a page and they'll still look great but not be too bulky.

Hallway classroom management tips

Here are some golden tips on how to up your classroom management game in regards to hallway behavior.

Have some basic rules

Your hallway procedure rules should line up with your classroom rules. In our classroom, we: follow directions the first time; stay in our spot; keep our hands, feet and objects to yourself; be an active listener. These covered us in the hallway too.

That way you're only teaching one set of rules that apply everywhere.

"Our general hallway rule is: if it doesn't have your name on in, you CANNOT touch it! This goes for walls, doors, posts, fire extinguishers, and other students' work. I try to walk by OUR work often so they can touch their own."

- Michelle

Here is a 2-minute video that is teacher-approved for teaching walking in the hallway procedures:

Be creative, not stuck

Sometimes you're just in the hallway for much longer than you really want to be. In those moments you need to use your time creatively so you're not just stuck and hoping that they can wait.

Do sign language sight words

Teach the alphabet in sign language. Do this daily with your alphabet chart. Then when you're in the hallway:

  1. Stand across the hallway so your class line can see you
  2. Fingerspell a sight word and students raise their hand and you pick one to tell you the word
  3. Swap spots with the person who got it right and they fingerspell to the rest of the waiting line.
  4. Repeat until your line can move again.

Spell student names too! These count as sight words in our classroom. When you fingerspell, no sounds are needed to communicate.

Perfect for the hallway.

Play Simon Says or a guessing game

If we are stuck in the hallway we play silent Simon says (they mirror my actions) or a content area related "I'm thinking of..." Guessing game in whisper voices (one person gives clues, we raise hands to guess). For example, I'm thinking of an ocean animal, etc.

- Fun in Prek-1 & Kinder

Do silent singing

After your class knows a few songs or brain breaks, do them in the hallway. But of course, without music or words.

There may be some soft giggles after you speed up a round of "head, shoulders, knees and toes" but they can definitely do that and simply mouth the words while doing the actions.

More great songs (and fingerplays) to sing softly or mouth and do silently:

  • 5 Little Ducks
  • Itsy Bitsy Spider
  • Hokey Pokey
  • Baby Shark Doo Doo Doo Doo

Let's wrap it up

There you have 11 fun and simple hallway transitions shared by KindergartenWorks readers.

With the free printables and bonus tips to keep you from feeling stuck while waiting - I hope you're feeling set for managing kindergarten behavior in the hallways.

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

More classroom management and procedures

4 Free Teacher Lesson Planning Binder Covers

· 23 Comments

A teacher planning binder is the ultimate way to customize lesson planning to your needs and keep everything at your fingertips.

Every teacher planning binder deserves a cute cover.

Here are four, free printable binder covers. You'll simply need to print your favorite and slip the cover into your lesson planning binder.

While what I mainly do here on KindergartenWorks is just for kindergarten - since it's my wheelhouse - there's something to be said for good teacher organization systems that can span the grade levels.

In fact, my teacher planning binder setup has been used by teachers in all primary grade levels!

That's why I made these cover designs available for preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade and fifth grade.

Here are the current binder covers available to download.

Minimalist

This beautifully simple and understated lesson plan binder cover is a favorite of mine.

It shines with gray and modern rainbow colors. It's just a pop of color for a minimal style!

Download this binder cover >>

Chalkboard (add your name)

This chalkboard style set is unique in this list because it is editable. That means you can type in your name before you print.

Download this binder cover >>

You may want to download and install these matching fonts to use on your cover: Markus the Cow, KG Eyes Wide Open [how to install a font]

Teacher superpower

I love this "I Teach. What's Your Superpower?" binder cover. It's a simple but punchy lesson planning binder cover.

Download this binder cover >>

If you like it, you may just love the I Teach What's Your Superpower t-shirt I've designed to match for your grade level

Neon stripes

This neon fresh set is a throwback to the colors of the 80's. It's fun and not-exactly-subdued lesson planning binder cover.

Download this binder cover >>

If you like one of these binder covers, download it today. Covers may be updated or retired as new ones are created.

There you have it: four, free printable binder covers. Print your favorite to refresh your binder instantly.

If you're looking to up your organization game, check out this free to-do list for teachers.

Free weekly To Do List Template for Teachers - Binder Printable - KindergartenWorks

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

More Teacher Organization

Free Roll-A-2D-Shape Activity for Kindergarten

· 1 Comment

Learn to identify 2D shapes in kindergarten with this free roll-a-shape activity.

Kindergarten students need to get familiar with basic 2D shapes like the rectangle, square, triangle, hexagon, circle and triangle right away.

Here is a free beginning-of-the-year activity kinders can use to practice recognizing shapes.

Let's go over what teaching 2D shapes looks like at the beginning of kindergarten, how to use this activity and how to make it.

Teaching shapes in kindergarten

It's my personal opinion that teaching about shapes should not be one of the "big" standards we cover in kindergarten.

I think in general, shapes is a minor topic, especially when compared to composing and decomposing numbers and learning to add and subtract within 5 and 10.

Yet - we still need to cover it - teach it well and give students ample practice to master naming and describing 2D shapes.

But, I find this particular skill doesn't deserve my small group main lesson teacher time, nor does it deserve to get too much whole group instruction time.

I say all of that to say that it is the perfect skill to plant in other areas of your classroom systems you are setting up at the beginning of the year to teach your students how to be successful.

Here's what I mean:

Students need to learn the names, see the shapes and we can start talking about the vocabulary belonging to each 2D shape.

But - we don't have to give full-blown lessons on the topic. Here are my alternative ways to hit the standard sufficiently:

  • Go for mini-lessons.
  • Create one new shape anchor chart each day.
  • Pick smart, quick videos to teach alongside of you.
  • Reinforce with small doses of repetition.
  • Insert an activity (two or three) into your classroom systems.

That's why I created this activity.

Use activities to give students practice

I knew I wanted my students to learn how to do math zone activities independently (because I'd soon be busy pulling small groups during math time).

But, I needed to plan smart activities they could do independently and yet still work on our standards.

So, this activity was designed to insert into my classroom system - guided math time - for the beginning of kindergarten.

It is something that they can handle (it has simple directions), takes extremely little prep work and hits these standards:

  • K.G.A.2 - Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientation or overall size.
  • K.G.5.a - Draw shapes to represent objects in the world.

They can do this 2D roll-a-shape page independently after you model it and they can be successful.

Just right for teaching shapes at the beginning of kindergarten.

It's a small dose of working on shapes without needing to be an entire lesson in itself.

It gets inserted into our guided math time - a classroom system - and it's actually helping me teach my kinders what to do when they come to the practice zone.

How to use this activity

Students will play this independently. They take a paper, a die and writing utensils.

  1. They roll the die with shapes on it and name the shape they rolled out loud.
  2. Then they find one of the matching shapes in the picture and either color or trace it.

And that's it.

The roll, say, find and trace or color. Repeat.

Simple.

The dice makes it feel like a game. It works with beginning kinders.

In our classroom, if they didn't finish (which they never did in one setting) they could return it to the activity drawer in the practice zone with their name on it to finish the next time they rotated here.

If they did finish (rolled every shape and completed the picture) then they took it home.

If you're ready to use this in your classroom - I've got your back.

How to make this activity

Here's how to make this 2D Shapes roll-a-shape activity:

  1. Download these free roll-a-shape pages. You agree to these terms of use by doing so. [downloading help]
  2. Print the pages.
  3. Make dice. [explained below]

I wanted my students to use crayons for this activity, so I ran copies of the roll-a-shape pages onto the backside of scrap paper from our workroom.

Alternatively, you could laminate for use with vis-a-vis markers or slip them into page protectors to use with dry-erase markers too.

How to make shape dice

This tip is a favorite of mine - because these dice are quiet!

Cant see the video? Turn off your ad blocker

To make your own dice:

  1. Grab some foam cubes from the dollar tree and a permanent marker.
  2. Draw one these shapes on each side of the die: circle, rectangle, hexagon, triangle, square.
  3. Put one shape on there a second time to fill up all six sides.

Boom.

Instant dice. Quiet dice.

I didn't actually do this when I originally made this activity since these foam cubes didn't exist. I covered up the sides of a regular die with white labels cut down to size and drew on the shapes.

That works too.

Let's wrap it up

With your freebie pages and shape dice - you're set to go! I hope this roll-a-shape activity helps your students practice this skill in small doses so you can teach smart.

You may also love these 8 Activities and Videos to Teach 2D Shapes to help teach 2D shapes in small, yet effective doses.

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

More Beginning Math in Kindergarten

Free Describing 2D Shapes Mini-Booklet for Kindergarten

· 6 Comments

Introduce how to describe 2D shapes by simply using dots and lines. Here is a free printable booklet to describe the attributes of 2D shapes for kindergarten.

Let me share why it works, how I used it and how to make it for your classroom.

Why it works

This little mini-book could be called a "trace and complete" booklet.

It was designed to follow a pattern and support early readers/non-readers.

The pattern

It has a basic format:

  • The first page asks a question based on a shape's attributes
  • The second page answers it

This pattern helps young students see that all shapes can be described using words like "corners" or "sides." But it also helps them see that all shapes differ in the numbers of each attribute.

I'm not trying to be over-simplistic.

I'm trying to lay a solid foundation that will eventually carry them into 3D shapes.

The visual support - dots and lines

This little booklet was created to give students a way to "show" their math thinking when they aren't at the point of writing words yet.

It has traceable parts because students are still learning how to write their numbers in the early fall when I'm covering this concept.

A "clues" page

It has dots for students to color and traceable lines. This helps them identify the attributes we're teaching - the corners/vertices and types of sides.

Students trace the numbers, sides (represented by lines) and the corners (represented by dots).

There is a longer-term goal behind teaching this --

When you teach students to use dots to represent corners and lines to represent sides, you are giving students who can't write words a way to show their thinking in their math journals (or wherever) when they are "describing" 2D shapes on paper.

Teaching to use dots and lines give students who can't write words a way to show their thinking in their math journals when they are "describing" 2D shapes.
Students use dots in a math journal entry to sort shapes by number of corners.

How I used it

This describing shapes mini-book was created to help us meet Common Core Standards:

  • K.G.4.a - Describe two-dimensional shapes to identify their various attributes, including vertices, sides, corners, and length of sides.
  • K.G.5.a - Draw shapes to represent objects in the world.

It can be done whole group. It can be done in small groups.

That's up to you.

An introductory page

I made this little booklet to use with my guided math groups. These are my small groups of students I meet with during math time.

Since I used it in small groups - here's what I did:

Each student had their book out in front of them and we focused on one shape each day.

We'd talk about and do the two pages for that shape in this mini-booklet.

Do the clues page

Students point to the words with me (kinda like in a reading group) and then we trace the numbers (saying our number formation poems) and tracing the dots and lines.

I usually had them use one color crayon for corners and one for sides.

Then we talk about what shape it could be and I pull out my shape manipulatives (circle, square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon) if needed so we count guess, count and talk about it before we turn the page.

Then we turn the page to see if we were correct.

Do the solution page

Then we have to be "detectives" to see if we can indeed find all of the corners and sides from the clues page.

Students use a new color crayon to color in each corner or to trace each line. That way they are recognizing these as separate things.

The "solution" page

Picking up and putting down the crayon each time they trace/color one piece helps them make the connection to the number of attributes, which otherwise can seem kinda intangible.

That means a triangle would have 3 different colored corners and 3 different colored sides - the square would have 4.

They also trace the numbers at the bottom of the page and read those "clues."

Then they can take turns "reading" their new pages of their book to a partner or to me. I'd collect books for the next time we met as a group.

The next we met, we'd re-read the completed pages to help warm-up for the next shape! Books were sent home when completed.

Want to use this in your classroom too? I've got your back!

How to make the mini-booklet

Here's how to make this mini book to describe shapes:

  1. Download this free describing 2D shapes booklet. You agree to these terms of use by doing so. [downloading help]
  2. Print the book double-sided and staple sets together.
  3. Cut books apart.
The ending page

These were designed to be printed in black and white so students can color and trace. The front cover can be colored too along with the introductory and ending page.

And you're ready to use.

Let's wrap it up

I hope this mini-booklet helps you introduce to describing 2D shapes in a smart way - by using dots and lines to give them the support they need.

You may also love this free Describing 2D Shapes Partner Game you can make for your kindergarten class.

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

More 2D Shapes in Kindergarten

Free Describing Hidden 2D Shapes Game for Kindergarten

· 6 Comments

In kindergarten, students are expected to describe shapes like a circle, square, hexagon and triangle with the number of sides and vertices.

What's a fun, smart way to get them practicing this skill? A game.

Here is a free 2D shapes game where students feel and describe shapes with a partner.

Let me share how I used this "What's Hiding Under the Rug?" game, how to play it and how you can make it for your classroom.

First off...

Since the standard K.G.4.a says that my kinders should "Describe two-dimensional shapes to identify their various attributes, including vertices, sides, corners, and length of sides" then this is what we will practice.

But, we will do so in an age-appropriate and fun way.

Remember - making learning the fun and the cool thing to do - is what we do here.

Don't shy away from vocabulary

Okay, I have a confession.

I will no longer teach using only the word "corners" when I'm teaching students how to describe shapes.

The moment I used the word vertices (whether I'm completely correct or not in my terminology), I had their attention like no other since they had never heard that word before...

Corners? They tuned out and I worked twice as hard to teach the same concept.

So use corners, vertices, edges and sides. Use the words they need to be successful at this skill.

describing 2D shapes (K.G.4) - KindergartenWorks

I introduced that vocabulary in the third week of school when we created shape anchor charts together and sorted shapes by the number of vertices.

Transition to describing independently

They've heard the vocabulary, they've practiced counting sides and vertices, sorting shapes and they've even created a mini-booklet with me to write about each shape's attributes.

This week, while in small groups for math time, we played "What's Hiding Under the Rug?"

It's time to step it up.

Now -- they need to practice verbally describing shapes on their own.

This game ended up being a great informal assessment of where they are at in their describing abilities.

It also pointed something out to me that I've seen every year: how to describe a square differently from a rectangle can be tricky.

How to play

This game is super simple and needs only a few materials you probably have on hand.

Students will take turns finding a hidden shape based on the descriptions of their partner.

So you'll need:

  • Something to hide the shapes under (bandana, 11x17 paper, manilla folder, etc.)
  • Foam* circle, square, rectangle, hexagon and triangle shapes

*I highly recommend using foam shapes or manipulative ones versus paper shapes so that kinders can "feel" the sides and vertices since it has a little depth.

One player describes a shape from the pile of shape cards by telling the number of sides and vertices, without naming it.

For example, "Find the shape that has 1 curved side and 0 vertices."

describing 2D shapes (K.G.4) - KindergartenWorks

The other player reaches under and feels for the correct shape based on that description.

If they pull out the right shape and name it, they get to keep the card and shape as their point.

If they don't produce the correct shape, then the shape goes back under and the card goes back in the deck for another turn.

The partners take turns and the count their points at the end.

That's it!

Super simple, but it gets them talking and describing shapes.

I personally liked to do this in a small group setting so I could listen to their descriptions and offer support where needed.

Are you ready to make it for your class? I've got your back.

How to make this game

Here's how to make this hidden shapes game called "What's Hiding Under the Rug?" to describe 2D shapes:

  1. Download this free describing 2D shapes game. You agree to these terms of use by doing so. [downloading help]
  2. Print the shape cards, laminate them and cut them apart.
  3. Print the hiding mat on 2 pages, and trim one side so that the picture will line up. Laminate pages together and crease down the middle so it will fold for easy storage.
  4. Print the organization label and stick it on the front of a Ziploc bag with clear packing tape.
  5. Grab your shape manipulatives and place into the Ziploc bag with everything else you printed.

And you're ready to use.

I hope these tips will help your kinders better describe their 2D shapes in a fun way and be on their way to having this skill mastered.

You may also love this free describing 2D shapes bingo game you can make for your kindergarten class.

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

More 2D Shapes in Kindergarten

Free Describing 2D Shapes Bingo Game for Kindergarten

· 2 Comments

While I think using a classic game like bingo isn't always the most effective way to teach a classroom skill - I do think you can give it a twist and make it worthy of small group time.

Here is a free describing 2D shapes bingo game I created that is worthy of such instructional time in kindergarten.

The twist is that the caller is the one who is really being stretched to work on this skill. But the other players still get a good describing 2D shapes workout too.

The game should move fast enough (with the small playing board) that multiple kinders can get a turn to be the caller.

Let me explain how to play it and which common core standard this helps your kinders master.

How to play 2D shape bingo

The basic rules of bingo: listen to what the caller announces and cover up any space that matches on your board. Call out "bingo" when you have covered up every space in an entire row, column or diagonal. The first one to get a bingo wins.

This game pretty much follows those rules. Students will cover the shape that matches the description called out by the reader.

Use any manipulatives as chips to cover bingo boards.

But - that's the main twist and why this game works! The caller calls out a description, not the name of a shape.

Normally, I am the "caller" the first time we play. I pick a shape calling card, describe it's features and they cover the shape I described.

Then we take it to another level.

The goal of the standard isn't for them to hear the description and be able to identify the matching shape - it's for them to describe the shapes, right?

This game was designed to help meet Common Core Standard:

  • K.G.4.a - Describe two-dimensional shapes to identify their various attributes, including vertices, sides, corners, and length of sides.

So - my kinders take turns being the "caller" and they describe the shape to the other players.

Students will use the calling cards to look at the shapes and come up with accurate words to describe each shape.

They will use phrases like, "Has 3 sides," "Has 4 vertices (corners)," "Has 1 curved side," or "Has 2 short and 2 long sides."

If they don't provide enough information on a shape for the players to accurately match (ie. only stated 4 vertices... but that could be a square or a rectangle) then it's a great teachable moment to ask for more.

It's great for small groups because you can more effectively target what concepts of a shape may be challenging to each student and provide support where needed.

How to make the game

Here's how to make this game to describe shapes.

  1. Download this free describing 2D shapes game. You agree to these terms of use by doing so. [downloading help]
  2. Print the playing cards pages and calling cards.
  3. Print the optional organizational label. Cut and stick onto a gallon Ziploc bag with clear packing tape.
  4. Cut the playing cards sheets in half and cut the calling cards out.
  5. Grab some chips or manipulatives that students can use to cover up spaces on their playing boards. Add those to your Ziploc bag if you wish.

You can print in either color or black and white. They also look great printed on colored paper.

And you're ready to play. I hope this game helps your kinders get enough practice to master this skill.

You may also love this free Describing 2D Shapes Mini-Book you can make with your kindergarten class.

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

More 2D Shapes in Kindergarten

Classroom Procedures Book for the Bathroom

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Classroom procedures play a huge role in a kindergarten teacher's day. Wouldn't you agree?

Here is one of my top tips on how to teach kindergarten classroom procedures for using the bathroom in our classroom.

My solution to teach how to properly use the restroom in our classroom on the first day of school (and throughout the first week) is to create and use a social-story style procedures book!

Why it works

The reason for using a social-story style of book to teach this classroom procedure is that it works!

Students see me, their new teacher, living out the procedures... but they can insert themselves into the story... making it successful.

Last year was the first year I used the book and I had students using the bathroom signs, washing hands and knocking ALL on day one -

{say what?} 

- so I'm giving credit to this simple little book!

An additional benefit is that it also was very successful for my students on the Autism spectrum.

See the book

If you love this idea and just want to steal my copy to use in your classroom - you've got it!

Click to see full book

But the cool thing is, you can make one too. I'll share how I made it.

How I made it

I had another teacher take pictures of me showing the routines and procedures we use. I tried to be a little over the top to add humor to help break the ice the first day of school.

Then I created easy, expectations-based text to match our procedures.

My inspiration to create the text came from (affiliate book) No David!.

It includes:

  • knocking on the door
  • being polite
  • being tidy
  • washing

I wanted my new students to feel like they could begin chiming in to say, "NO!" as they see me throwing waded up paper towels on the floor.

But, really, any simple text will make this work. But keep it simple - there's a lot they are taking in these first days of kindergarten.

Just remember... I tried to make mine a little over the top since I wanted to add humor.

No matter how you {and I} think it turned out... it worked!

How to make your own

So, do you want to make your own? I've got your back.

Teachers have requested a copy of this for years to make their own version. Now you can!

  1. Take photos of you doing each set of the routine as you want to teach it AND a couple of photos of you doing the incorrect thing if you want to go for humor, as I did.
  2. Insert your photos into this editable Classroom Bathroom Procedures Book (you'll need Google Slides or PowerPoint to edit it). You agree to these terms of use. [downloading help]
  3. Change the text to match your bathroom and to match your expectations.
  4. Remember: keep the text simple!
  5. Print double-sided.
Right-click on the photo and select "Change Photo" to add yours.

I used these fonts for the editable book in case you want them too:

Cover Title: KB Stick to the Plan | Text: ABC Print | [How to install a font]

Classroom bathroom FAQ

Some of you have had questions about how our bathroom procedures work after reading this book - so let me help you!

How do we make taking turns and keeping privacy work in our classroom?

We just have two paint chips (red/green) that are stuck together with double-sided stick tape. They are hole punched onto a clasp-ring on (affiliate) 3M hooks.

Students flip the cards to signify if a bathroom is available or in use.

What are the "wash your hands" and the "remember to flush" signs pictured in your book?

Oh - those are cute chevron wash and flush reminders I made.

Grab your free wash and flush classroom sign reminders.

I even put one in a photo frame (so it wiped off easily) and put it above our classroom sink.

What else do you do to teach bathroom and restroom procedures?

I'm so glad you asked!

Here are my top 3 tips to teach the classroom bathroom to make it easy on you and your new kinders.

3 Tips to Make the First Week of School Easier (on the kindergarten teacher)

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How To Make An Everything Board

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Here is a project that I saw pinned and brought to life using duct tape.

I call it our "everything board" and it's essentially our check-in and out system.

We use it to take attendance, lunch count and I use it to keep track of students leaving the room.

Here's how to make one and my personal confession about why I made it with duct tape.

{Yes, duct tape}

KindergartenWorks :: brightly colored, fully functional {how to make an everything board}

Materials for An Everything Board

Grab a giant oil pan - as found in the automotive section of a big box store. Mine was under $12.

To separate the spaces visually I wanted to use something that would hold up - so I chose duct tape. Bright duct tape from the Dollar Tree (or maybe Big Lots) - the cheapo kind. It worked great with our classroom color scheme. Go for a neutral if you don't have a color scheme or don't want to change this up in a year or two.

I picked duct tape to bring the colors of my classroom together. It seemed like an easy choice to use it to create sections for this project too - and it worked!

Pick a few 12x12 squares of scrapbook paper if you want to create sections with a color background. I would recommend laminating the papers so that the magnets don't drag and create smudges. Learned that one the hard way. {wink}

Grab some magnets that protrude out, allowing little hands to grab and manipulate easily. I scored mine at the Dollar Tree (6 for $1). The flat face was going to allow me to put their student names on top. They lasted for more than a year.

KindergartenWorks :: brightly colored, fully functional {how to make an everything board}

With materials in hand - it is time to make.

Decide Your Sections

I knew I was going to need a way for students to:

  • check in (essentially take attendance)
  • take lunch count (with a few options: hot, cold, sandwich)
  • sign out briefly if they went to the office, speech or to the nurse's office
  • check out when school was done

So, I needed to plan out sections for each of these to use with their magnets. The largest section needs to be when everyone is not at school - that will hold all of the magnets at the end of every day.

The next largest sections need to be for lunch options since those have to hold a large portion of magnets.

My kinders can only reach the bottom half of the oil pan since I mounted it onto half of my bulletin board, so I decided the top portions would work well as display space.

Create Your Sections

Lay out your scrap paper (to get sections the same size) or scrapbook paper and use magnets to temporarily hold the paper in place to help plan out each section size.

Place real-life objects into each space to be sure that it will hold what you need. Gonna display your lunch menu? Be sure the space is large enough.

I chose to display our lunch menu and our school's PBIS acronym.

You could easily use your spaces on top for posting other things like:

Once I laid out my sections and liked the spacing, it was time to lay down the paper (for the top display-only sections) and lay down the duct tape to both separate the sections and adhere the scrapbook paper backgrounds.

I had to cut the purple scrapbook paper at the top corners to fit the rounded corners of the oil pan. You may have to do the same. Adhere it with rubber cement, double-sided sticky tape or use the edges of the duct tape to hold it in place. I used the duct tape.

KindergartenWorks :: brightly colored, fully functional {how to make an everything board}

Tip! Cut your duct tape in half length-wise to create thinner separations - like you see with my lime green and bright pink duct tape lines.

Add Labels

Once you have your sections finalized it's time to label them so students can use it independently as part of their daily routine.

When my kinders arrive at school, they will move a simple circle magnet with their name on it from the "at home" section to selecting their lunch choice.

KindergartenWorks :: brightly colored, fully functional {how to make an everything board}


In our school, students can also order a sandwich from the cafeteria, so we have that third option. I added a strong clip to hold a bunch of class lists stapled together like a note pad. I also adhered a magnet to a highlighter to go in this space.

They highlight their name on the class list if they choose this lunch option. This list is given to the lunch staff by one of our students performing a classroom job - and it's also a classroom job that someone puts all the magnets back at the end of the day, signing everyone out.

KindergartenWorks :: brightly colored, fully functional {how to make an everything board}


This board also helps me track who is in and out of the room and students can move their magnets to these other options.

Hence why I am now dubbing this my "everything board."

Now I don't have to second guess where so-and-so is when I can't remember that they left the room to go to speech twenty minutes ago. Because we all get busy and forget things like that. Right?!? Maybe it's just me.

Questions About the Everything Board

Have some questions about the board? Let me see if I can help!

Do you have the labels to share?

Do you want to make this too?

Here are my labels in case they are helpful in getting your project going. You agree to these terms of use upon downloading.

How did you make the name magnets?

I measured the magnets that I purchased.

I made round circle shapes in a program like Powerpoint to match the size and added colorful polka dots. (I was kinda going for a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom feel). I chose lots of colored backgrounds so it made it quick for students to identify theirs every day. Then I added my student names once I had my class list. I printed and laminated them and stuck them on with rubber cement. One year I used double-sided sticky tape.

At the end of the year, I pried them off and stuck new names on the following year.

KindergartenWorks :: brightly colored, fully functional {how to make an everything board}

Where did you buy the tape from?

I think it came from Big Lots and Meijer - but be sure to look for cheap duct tape at Walmart and the Dollar Tree too for your colors.

I've never tried making anything so crafty {yes seriously} but I'm loving how it turned out.

The cheapo duct tape really was forgiving as I moved it around and straightened out the lines... who knew?

What kind of oil pan is it?

I honestly can't remember if I bought it at Walmart or Home Depot - but it was that kinda store. I recommend shopping around a little bit to find one that is the size you need and one that has a flat surface.

A reader reminded me to get one without embossed letters is key - and she is right! Get one that has a flat surface to make all of your space useable and easy to mount.

How did you get it to mount to your bulletin board?

I was gifted some crazy strong double-sided sticky tape (in a huge roll like 12" wide) that I covered the entire back with. It was like from a wallpaper store or something.

But it didn't last all year long {sigh}

So, as a quick fix (albeit not pretty for the next few days) I simply used gorilla tape to make sure it didn't fall down again.

My suggestion is to talk to your school (and in my case the janitorial staff) about the best way to get yours up on the wall.

Another teacher recommended using heavy-duty Velcro to attach it to any smooth surface.

Remember to keep kid-friendly heights in mind!

Final Thoughts

Attendance, lunch count, headcount, display space... brightly colored and fully functional. I think that's my style!

So with some colorful duct tape, scrapbook paper and the oil pan we now have a colorful, shiny, mutli-purpose board.

Our "everything" board.

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

More Classroom Functionality

Make Monthly Photos of Your Students - It's Easy With These Overlays

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You can get ultra-cute photos of your students all year long with this super easy tip.

If you love putting together a memory book or want to capture monthly photos for your students, you'll love how easy it is to put these monthly pictures together.

How To Get Cute Photos of Your Students All Year Long

I'll show you a finished sample {along with the super simple tips to getting good photos} and in the product I'll show you how to use PowerPoint or Google Slides to pull the student photos together!

Tips to take super-cute photos

How To Get Cute Student Photos All Year Long

Have your students lean up against the tree, hug the tree, cross their arms as they lean up against the tree, peek out from behind the tree... any cute pose with the child and tree off to one side will do.

Kids are always cute or funny with whatever pose they do making it easy to just point your camera at them. Then simply snap their photo!

  • If you can, go outside and use natural light.
  • Semi-cloudy days work best but being outdoors also makes these pictures even more awesome.
  • You can also use a picture of your student holding a piece of artwork, a writing piece or reading a book.
  • Just be sure to frame them off to the side of the picture before you click the camera button!

Here's the magic

I love photo props as much as the next teacher, but this is like magic. There is no need to print anything ahead of time or put anything into a frame.

You'll do a little work on the computer to finish off these cute keepsakes with an adorable subway art photo overlay. It lays right over the photo you took making it instantly a keeper.

Want to make them? In my School Days Student Photos Overlays instant download - I'll teach you how step-by-step!

The overlay is already done for you.

Simply switch out each student's photos using a quick shortcut I learned and you'll whip these out fast - even for a large class!

How To Get Cute Student Photos All Year Long

There are 2 color options for each month so you have options.

There is a "first day of school" and also a "beginning of the school year" overlay. I made both since sometimes the first day of school gets a little packed and taking pictures can fall by the wayside.

You can get creative each month and have a really cool way to document the entire year together!

What others are saying

These are AWESOME! I already did the kids first day pics (students AND my own!) and it's sooo easy... I plan to do it each month, print on the school colored printers and give the BEST gift ever to my parents this year! - Mrs. Miner's Monkey Business

These are so cool!!! Thanks so much! - Sherry H.

I can't wait to use this! Thank you - Doodle Mom

Go to purchase

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15 Kindergarten Teacher Shirts You Can Fall in Love With

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The world of teaching kindergarten is such a unique place. My favorite principal would say that kindergarten is an island of its own - and I agree.

The stuff we get to teach for the first time, the cats we have to herd at the beginning of each year and the growth we get to see makes it so unique. But, I don't have to lay that all out for you, do I, dear fellow k teacher?

I'll be the first to admit that I love it!

Cutest Kindergarten Teacher T-Shirts

Kindergarten is near and dear to my heart which is why I created kindergarten teacher shirts. These are fun, modern designs just for kindergarten teachers.

Pick the designs you love and get them custom printed on whatever shirt style you like best.

Here are a few of my favorite kindergarten teacher shirt designs to get you started.

[ skip to >> Shop Now ]

Funny Teacher Tshirt Designs

Show your sense of humor by wearing a funny kindergarten teacher shirt. These are my fave teacher tees that’ll make you smile.

kindergarten teacher shirts

Let's start with my newest favorite that touts just how cool kindergarten teachers are.

This kindergarten ninja teacher t-shirt is way popular.

Funny Kindergarten Teacher Shirt - I love this

It's funny.

It's true... and it's metallic silver 🖤

Only a K teacher would understand

Most likely we’re the only ones who’d get this – but it’s so true. We transform an entire class of what feels like herding cats all day (that first tough week of school) to teaching them how to be incredible readers.

Only in kindergarten, people.

That's why I made this I herd cats and teach them to read shirt. It's awesome.

Lol. This funny kindergarten teacher shirt says it all!

There is this "I teach kinders to..." teacher shirt. It is a statement I created and kept on my website for years. It's only fitting to be able to wear it in public {wink}

But a k teacher would also totally get this shirt too: Kindergarten is My Thing.

kindergarten is my thing teacher t-shirts

After all - kindergarten is what we do.

Just for Kindergarten Teachers

It’s easy to pick a favorite teacher shirt with so many options. With one to wear every jeans day, you’re sure to feel and teach your best.

Here are my top picks just for kindergarten teachers.

personalized teacher t-shirts for kindergarten online

We all deserve to feel comfy when we teach. So, this one ranks high on my list because it simply but beautifully states: Kindergarten teacher.

You can customize it to put in your name or delete the name if you just want it to say "kindergarten teacher." You know simple is my style.

I love my kinders teacher t-shirts

This I love my kinders is a best seller and I think is easily could be considered a teacher-wardrobe staple.

You could also go with this more subdued version that looks great on any color fabric.

I teach kindergarten what's your superpower teacher t-shirt incredibles

Or you could show off your superpower - because - let's be real - we are awesome.

And incredible.

{ha - get it?}

kindergarten rocks cute teacher t-shirts

And new on the block this year is a Kindergarten Rocks teacher tee. Just what the k teacher ordered for a comfy jeans day at school - or even on the weekends {wink}

Grade Level Team Teacher T-Shirts

And because we love to show off what we can accomplish as a team - it's fun to do grade level team shirts.

Here are my favorite t-shirts for kindergarten grade level teams.

kindergarten grade level team teacher t-shirts

This rainbow kindergarten team teacher shirt is a new one that I love. The stamp feel, modern rainbow colors and the arrow are simple and almost understated but still make this teacher tee cute and interesting. You can also get it in plain white if you prefer for a darker colored tee.

This kindergarten team is the best selling one I've got for teams. It's colorful like the one above but a bit bolder. It looks great on the black tee.

Special School Days

Our students can have fun dressing up for special school days - so why can't we?

Here are my favorite teacher t-shirts for school days and holidays so that we indeed can be themed-dressed and still be comfy.

welcome to kindergarten funny teacher t-shirt

Whether it's back to school night, parent orientation or just a welcome back to school night - this Welcome to Kindergarten t-shirt is perfect and just the right amount of funny for meeting your new brood of kinders.

Kindergarten teachers always make the nice list funny christmas teacher tshirt

When Christmas rolls around you can be sure that we kindergarten teachers know how to always make the christmas nice list.

Happy Last Day of School Teacher Shirt

And the best day of all to have a teacher t-shirt specific to kindergarten - if you ask me - it's the last day of school.

There's nothing like putting on this happy last day of kindergarten teacher t-shirt knowing that the next day it's officially summer!

happy last day of kindergarten school's out teacher t-shirt

There you have my list of best t-shirts for kindergarten teachers – but of course, there are more to pick from!

So head on over to teachertshirts.co to find your teacher t-shirts to fall in love with.

Get a Kindergarten Teacher Shirt

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More Kindergarten

15 Cute Kindergarten Teacher T-Shirts

How to Make Personalized Kindergarten Favorites Keepsake Photos

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Make cute end of the year photos for your kindergarten students. Here's how to photograph, make and print personalized photos for each of the kiddos in your class.

How to Make Personalized Kindergarten Favorites Keepsake Photos

It's fun to do a special thing or two to celebrate the end of the school year. I think this "My Kindergarten Favorites" overlay is a fun option to show who they are at this point in their five and six-year-old lives.

What is it?

Don't know what an overlay is? No biggie - think of it like a sticker that goes on top of your photo - only you put it on top of the photo using your computer.

I've made overlays for mother's day, the 100th day of school, overlays for our 'S day' class photo, and ones for each month of the year.

And in this case, this kindergarten favorites overlay ends up being an editable one. And it's free.

Make and Print Personalized Kindergarten Favorites Keepsake Photos

The printed result is super cute. It's kinda like a magazine cover!

The inspiration came from these 'favorites' posters.

Ready? Let's jump in and make these for your class. Here's how to do it.

1. Interview your students

To get started, you'll want to find out your students' favorite things.

So ask them - what's their favorite: color, food, toy, movie, animal, show, activity, and finish off by asking something they picture themselves being someday.

It doesn't have to be the traditional "What do you want to be when you grow up?" But it could be.

Personalized Kindergarten Favorites Keepsake Photos

Do you have a buddy class or a class or older students that could "interview" your students for you? This would be an awesome way to get your answers quickly and all written down for you.

2. Take photos of each student

Grab your phone or your camera and head outside. Or pick a spot near a window indoors.

To get a photo that looks great with this "my kindergarten favorites" list on top means you need to consider these 3 things when snapping away:

  • lots of natural lighting nearby
  • a neutral background
  • the student posed off on the left side of your camera's frame

So, I'd recommend a wooden fence, brick wall or wall with siding as your neutral backgrounds. It will allow the focus to remain on your little cuties.

Students can cross their arms, put one leg up on the wall or put a hand on their hip. A little pose will look great.

Free End of the Year Favorites Overlay for Kindergarten

You want your students to be on the left-hand side of your camera's frame so that there is essentially half of the viewer/screen empty. That's because you want that empty space to be covered by the list of their favorite things and you don't want those covering up your students' faces.

3. Put it together on the computer

Now that you've got your adorable photos of your students - it's time to put them onto your computer and let's get making!

You'll need either Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides to edit the overlay.

► Prepare your files

Have your photos on your computer where you can easily access them.

Download and install the matching fonts (or use your own favorites) Here is the: title & name font and list font you see used in my examples. [How do I install a font?]

Kindergarten Favorites Keepsake Photos Freebie

► Make pages for each student

Download this file and open it in Powerpoint or upload it to Google Slides. You agree to these terms of use by doing so. [downloading help]

These directions are written for Powerpoint, but it's very similar with Slides too.

  1. Change the date at the bottom of slides 1 and 2 (if needed) and/or change any fonts or font colors. See my note below*
  2. Duplicate the girl page [slide 1] for the number of girls you have and duplicate the boy page [slide 2] for the number of boys you have in your class. Right-click on the slide (over in the left-hand list of all the slides) and click 'Duplicate Slide'.
  3. Change the background images:
    1. Right-click on the slide
    2. Select format background
    3. Choose Fill > Picture or texture fill > Insert from: > File...
    4. Select your student photo
  4. Click the next slide (from the left-hand list) and choose your next student photo by clicking the "File" button again. Repeat until all photos are replaced. Choose "Close"
  5. Go back through each slide and type in the favorite things for that student and their age

*Something to consider - if you chose a darker neutral background (like I did in the sample boy photo) then you might want to change the font color from black to white to make your text show up better before you duplicate the pages [step 2]. Replace the sample photo [step 3] with a photo you took to test out which color will stand out the best.

Freebie End of Year Personalized Kindergarten Favorites Keepsake Photos

► Print your pictures

If you want to print full 8.5x10 photos - you can go to File > Print. Just be sure that "Color" is selected and not "Grayscale" to make sure your backgrounds are printed.

If you want to print easily in another size or send these photos to parents digitally - here's how you do it using PowerPoint.

  1. Go to File > Save As
  2. Go to "Save as type:" and choose JPEG as your desired format.
  3. Click Save
  4. Choose "Every Slide" from the options that pop up
  5. A folder has been created with each of your photos in it. Go find that folder and select them all and print or share!

There - you've got what you need to make some stinkin' cute end of the year photos that are personalized for each of your kindergarten students. If you teach pre-k or first grade, you could adapt these by changing the text since these are editable.

So - give it a try - use them tomorrow.

Alternative options

We know all too well that the end of the school year is packed full of things like:

So you could save this cute photograph until the end of the year... or you could take photos for each student during their birthday month and give it as a birthday gift. Just a thought.

But - you could also consider doing these as a memory book alternative - treat it like a yearbook page and let everyone sign the back. Boom.

If doing so much on the computer isn't your style - or if you would rather just snap a photo and print them - then I've got your back. Take a photo with these cute photo prop signs that say, "Future First Grader" and you'll be set to go!

Let's wrap it up

There you have it - how to make cute end of the year photos for your kindergarten students. I hope those directions on how to take photos, make and print your personalized photos were helpful.

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

More End of the Year in Kindergarten

Make Your Own ABC Countdown Calendar (And Ideas for What to Do Each Day)

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Let's countdown to the last day of school! Use this free, editable ABC countdown calendar to plan fun events and inform parents of what you've planned for the last 26 days of the school year.

ABC Countdown Calendar for Kindergarten - Counting down to the end of the year

The amount of craziness and sheer busyness that accompanies that last few weeks of school is comparable to getting ready for back to school.

Comparable, but not equal, if you teach kindergarten.

There is lots to do: final assessments, report cards, Mother's Day as well as normal teaching awesomeness. It can leave us feeling super ready for summer and a little worn out.

This ABC end of year countdown was personally a way for me to inject a little something to look forward to each day.

Mind you, I'm not talking about adding to my plate here in ways that make the end of the year crazier. I'm simply talking about changing up one small thing as a way to keep each day fresh, keep me focused and to inject a small dose of fun.

Editable Alphabet Countdown to the Last Day of School

You can go as big or as low key as you want - it just depends on your creativity with what you come up with for the letter of the alphabet.

If you're ready to jump in, be sure to check out these 14 alphabet countdown calendars for inspiration or use my list below.

To help you keep this easy to pull off, use this editable calendar to plan your 26 things to do and/or inform parents and students. It's free!

Not sure what to do for each day? I'll give you a few ideas for each letter that I've dug up across the teaching world so you can copy and paste them right into your spiffy new calendar.

Editable free ABC Countdown Calendar

First, let me explain how to make a countdown calendar.

How to make an ABC countdown calendar

Here are the steps you'll want to follow to customize and complete your free calendar.

  1. Download this file. You agree to these terms of use by doing so. [downloading help]
  2. Open the file with either Microsoft Powerpoint or upload to Google Slides. Check out the sample on page 4.
  3. Looking at the dates you have left in the school year - count backward 26 days of school. This is your starting date {exciting!}
  4. On page 2 (or 3), type in the starting date in the correct box on your calendar.
  5. Move or copy and paste the correct ABC digital sticker to that starting date box.
  6. If you already know what you want to do for that day, type in the name or write a brief description in the box.
  7. Keep filling in the dates, assigning letters and describing your fun events.
  8. Optional: Use the stars to indicate that students should bring something to participate. You can use the star box key in an empty calendar space to tell parents that's what the star means.
Countdown Calendar for the End of the Year (Freebie)

If you like the fonts I used, download these fonts: Matching Font 1  |  Font 2

Alphabet countdown days ideas

Not sure what to do for x day? What if you are getting a late start - do you have to wait until next year?

Let's look at some ideas that other teachers have shared or done for their abc countdown days. I'll break it down by letters for you.

What to do for A day

  • animals – bring in your favorite stuffed animal
  • art day - make an art project or craft
  • airplane - make and fly paper airplanes

Besty says, "A is for airplane. We take the biggest piece of white paper (maybe 11x17) and they cover both sides with different designs of their choice. Then, we learn to fold an airplane. We take them outside for distance races and turn it into a STEM activity as they adjust with paperclips for weight."

What to do for B day

  • b is for bubbles (soap and/or gum) - gum reserved for a specific time frame of the day
  • bingo - Play bingo (sight word bingo or maybe addition to 5 bingo?)
  • buoyant boat - STEM challenge - create a boat out of foil and see how many teddy bear counters it can hold before sinking
  • backward - wear clothes backward
  • blankets - spend the day doing normal work but on blankets (get out the clipboards!)
  • birthdays - celebrate summer birthdays (students bring in b-day treats)
  • book - bring your favorite book

What to do for C day

  • create colors - mix up paint colors to see what you get
  • crazy hair - everyone wears their hair in a fun, crazy way
  • cookies - taste and graph three kinds of cookies to see which is the class favorite; play "who took the cookie"
  • candyland - get this free reading game to play
  • campout - bring a pillow or a blanket and flashlight to camp out and read
  • costume day - allow students to wear a costume to school
  • clouds - observe clouds, read "It Looked Like Spilt Milk" and do 'spilled milk' white paint symmetry painting
  • crazy socks - wear your craziest socks
  • chalk - write with chalk

What to do for D day

  • donuts - finish the day with a donut
  • dinosaurs - create dino headbands, read dino books and make a dino footprint fossils with salt dough
  • dance party - put on the class list of favorite songs or brain breaks
  • dress up - students wear "fancy" or dress-up clothing (see Q: quite fancy)
  • drawing - have free-drawing time with markers, colored pencils and pens

What to do for E day

  • exercise - plan an extra recess and a few bonus exercise videos from youtube into your day
  • Earth day - create something to celebrate our Earth
  • extra recess - yes, please
  • excellent artist - do art projects

What to do for F day

  • favorite books with friends - read books in a fun way
  • fingerpaint - break out the fingerpaints
  • favorites - each student gets interviewed of their favorite things (awesome to do with an older buddy class)
  • flip flop day - wear flip flops to school
  • flashlight - bring a flashlight for reading with the lights turned off
  • frozen adventure - freeze something teeny in ice cubes and try to break them out, watch frozen, eat freeze pops
  • future first graders - take pics with these cute end of the year photo props

What to do for G day

  • glitter - create an art project using glitter
  • games - allow board and card games for playing during the last ½ hour of the day
  • gum - invite students to bring in gum to chew a ½ hour before lunch or the last ½ hour of the day
  • go day - create a list of fun ways students could move throughout the day (think like animals, exercise movements, etc.) and every time you say "GO!" (to transition) pick an idea from your class list

What to do for H day

  • hats - wear a hat to school
  • handprints - do a handprint end of year art or craft project
  • high fives - try to give out as many high fives in the day, every time you greet, meet or talk to someone
  • Hawaiian - wear a tropical outfit

Betsy offers, "H is Habitat Day. They choose an animal and work together in teams to create a habitat from different materials from our STEM storage that will assure survival."

What to do for I day

  • ice cream - here's how to make ice cream in ziploc baggies for the classroom
  • i am special - great way to get in those end of year self portraits
  • inside out - wear clothes inside out
  • impossible day - superhero capes from cut plastic table cloths - nothing is imposibble for super kinders!
  • ice pops - bring in those frozen flavored ice sticks
  • insect day - read about insects and go on an insect hunt outside; call out "move like a ___" insect for each transition during the day

Betsy shared, "I is Insect Day. We celebrate Eric Carle and create our own insect from different materials."

What to do for J day

  • jump rope - bring in (or borrow) half a dozen jump ropes and do a few activities with them plus some jumping time outside
  • jokes - invite students to tell a joke to the class
  • jigsaw puzzles - students bring in a puzzle to do with a partner or small team
  • jammies - wear jammies to school
  • jam - listend to music while you work

Jennifer shared, "I'm exhausted at the end of the year (aren't we all) and I don't have much parent help, so I keep my ABC countdown very very simple, but it's still fun. My favorite is J is for joke day. Watching kindergartners tell jokes is hilarious."

What to do for K day

  • kings and queens of kindergarten - make crowns or scepters and wands to bring a bit of magic into your day
  • kids rock - paint rocks and hide around outside of school building for others to find and keep
  • kindness - choose to do something kind for another class, find ways to show kindness to others
  • keep it - start to send home student things
  • kick off - kick off your shoes (all day or length of time)

What to do for L day

  • luau - do the limbo, make fringe headband hats and play a literacy beach ball game
  • lollipops - bring in suckers
  • lights off - work with the lights off all afternoon
  • lunch with the teacher
  • lift off - make straw rockets and launch them outside
  • letter - write a letter to friends or the first grade teacher

What to do for M day

  • memories - introduce memory books or create a list of favorite memories on anchor chart paper
  • M&M's - sort, graph and eat M&M's
  • mega math day - fill the entire day with math
  • monster (or supermonsters!) - make a monster-themed day complete with craft, read alouds and math activity
  • movie day - show a movie in class
  • mother's day - make mother's day craft or present
  • music day - students bring in a cd to play during independent work time
  • marshmallows - build 2D shapes with marshmallows and toothpicks or create microwave s'mores
  • mis-match - wear mismatched clothing

Betsy shared, "M could be for Maker-Space and just turn the whole classroom into a creation station with different materials and free-thinking."

What to do for N day

  • neon - wear neon clothing or pass out those glow in the dark bracelets from dollar tree
  • nickname or new name - let students give themselves a new name for the day
  • neighbor day - do something thoughtful  for the neighboring classroom(s)
  • nice notes - leave nice notes for school staff and students throughout the building
  • night clothes - wear pajamas to school

Christie says, "We do New Name Day for N and LOVE it. The kids get to pick any name they want and I write them on small computer labels and they wear them throughout the day. It's such a fun insight into them. I get everything from cartoon characters and singers to sibling or friend names to last year's most hilarious, "chapstick"! I also let them choose a new name for me which is entertaining, to say the least! Mrs. Best Sweet Cupcake was a highlight!"

What to do for O day

  • off with your shoes - take off your shoes for the last hour of the day
  • over the rainbow - rainbow craft, rainbow STEM activity or songs and crafts galore
  • opposites - wear clothing backward
  • outside - spend the day learning outside (grab your clipboards)
  • organization - clean out broken crayons, pencil baskets, sort misplaced things, get a head start on end-of-year clean out
  • oobleck - create slime or goo using your favorite recipe

What to do for P day

  • picnic - eat lunch outside
  • puzzles - students bring in a puzzle to do with a partner or small team
  • popcorn - enjoy popcorn and a movie or video
  • pajama day - wear jammies to school
  • picture day - take end-of-year photos outside
  • pirates - dress up like pirates and read pirate books
  • party - celebrate summer birthdays (students bring in b-day treats)
  • popsicles - bring frozen flavored ice sticks to enjoy outside

What to do for Q day

  • quite fancy - the kids dress up in “formal wear”
  • quiet - do fun, quiet things (sneak like ninjas in the hallway, play soft rainstorm music during writing time, suck on suckers to see who's can last the longest) or bring in a pillow
  • queens and kings of kindergarten - make crowns or scepters and wands to bring a bit of magic into your day

Jeannette says, "My favorite is Q for Quite Fancy. The kids dress up in "formal wear" and we cover the tables with table clothes, fake flowers, and battery-operated candles. It is so fun."

What to do for R day

  • rainbow - wear as many colors as you can, do rainbow craft or rainbow STEM activity, write with colored pencils
  • reading day - bring in a stuffed animal to read to or favorite book or invite in guests to read
  • rockets - make straw rockets and launch them outside
  • run wild - run off energy to a song or two played loudly around the blacktop area

What to do for S day

  • sunglasses - wear shades to school and take a cute class photo
  • silly socks day - wear mis-matched or silly socks
  • summer birthdays - celebrate summer birthdays (students bring in b-day treats)
  • sports day - field day
  • shapes - create 3D shape bubbles with bubbles and pipe cleaners
  • s'more - what do your kinders want s'more of? Re-read favorite class books, re-watch favorite youtube video, let them go to favorite literacy center of choice, etc... finish off with microwave s'more treats
  • stamps and stickers - create stories during writer's workshop using stamps and stickers for illustrations
  • soda - bring in favorite soda to drink

What to do for T day

  • teddy bear - bring in a teddy bear for the day
  • times up! - play a song before the end of each activity to signal when time is up (and students have to be cleaned up before it's over)
  • top hats and tea - dress up like the "olden days" and serve a warmed up decaf tea with honey and milk (sip fancy-like with your pinkies out)
  • team shirt- wear your favorite team's shirt or colors

What to do for U day

  • upside down - tape paper under tables and lay on backs to draw or turn tables upside down for a day and kinders just sit/lay on the floor to work
  • under day - hide 3-4 secret post-it notes under regularly used things throughout the day. When students find a note - do the fun reward/activity listed
  • uniform - wear favorite sports team clothing
  • under the desk - read and do work under the tables or desks
  • United States - wear red, white and blue

What to do for V day

  • video day - kids vote on favorite learning video and watch
  • visit first grade - find out when the first graders will be absent from their classrooms (aka in specials) and take a tour of the classrooms to help ease next year fears
  • visitors - invite people to read favorite stories
  • vroom! day - bring in toy cars, race them, create/explore ramps of differing heights, read car books

What to do for W day

  • water balloons - do a couple of water balloon activities (hot potato with soapy hands, partner toss and repeatedly step further away from each other after each toss)
  • water fun - do fun, outdoor water activities to fit your time and resources
  • watercolor - paint a picture

What to do for X day

  • extra recess for X day - yes, please
  • eXchange autographs - all the kids sign each other’s class photos or memory books autograph pages
  • eXtraordinary student award day - pass out student awards
  • x marks the spot - do a treasure hunt or make treasure maps on large bulletin board brown paper (or brown craft paper from the dollar tree wrapping paper section)
  • Xtra special _____ (graduation, awards, guest readers) - use to fit whatever you have planned
  • eXcellent awards - pass out student awards

What to do for Y day

  • yes, I'm ready for first grade - find out when the first graders will be absent from their classrooms (aka in specials) and take a tour of the classrooms to help ease next year fears
  • yay for ____ (field trips, graduation, awards ceremony, etc.) - use to fit whatever you have planned
  • yuck-out - tidy the classroom, wipe all the shelves and help re-set the button for a new group of kinders. Whatever you need to be done - let them help get it done! Make a visual list ahead of time. Send everything home using this clever trick. (Instead of mucking out a barn, we are yucking out the classroom!)
  • year-end party - use to fit whatever you have planned
  • yummy - bring in treat for a snack

What to do for Z day

  • Zip-a-dee-do-dah - the count down ends/begins
  • zoo day - bring a stuffed animal
  • zooming outta here - use to fit whatever you have planned
  • zip into field day - plan outdoor activities
  • Zoom into 1st grade - use to fit whatever you have planned

Have you already got your teacher shirt for Z day? Here is my current favorite. Hurry - there's still time to order.

More ideas

  • You could also do colors for any matching letter! Students wear the matching color of the day. Like R is Red, G is Green, Y is yellow, etc.
  • Jeanette shares, "We do a Z-A countdown. It all starts with Z. Z is for Zip-a-dee-do-dah the count down begins... Then A is for All Done."

Can I do an alphabet countdown with less than 26 days of school left? What do I do?

And don't worry if you want to pull this off with less than 26 days of school. You can do it!

Simply, chunk together a few letters of the alphabet creatively and you're on your way.

For example,

  • You could make day #1 ABC day. Go out to the playground to do word work (ABC's) with sidewalk chalk. You’ve effectively tripled up the days into one to better fit the number of school days remaining.
  • Combine C and D to make CD day - and you could literally play a song from someone's CD or make it a "cards & dice" day - where you build in card or dice games into your lesson plans.
  • Combine H and I to make HI day - learn to say hello in 7 different languages and practice as you walk in the hallways, at lunch and recess.
  • Combine U and V to make UV day - where you do your outdoor activities (like field day) and get in some rays.
  • Use a letter to countdown even on Memorial day (like T for Terrific - you get to stay home!)

Keep it simple

I love the idea of keeping it simple. It's my style.

Here is what one teacher shares:

"We have been doing an ABC countdown for the past couple years. I am so tired by the end of the year that our countdown is super simple and requires few items/supplies and no parent help. I don’t need one more thing to do lol. But the kids still have fun!" - Jennifer

Whatever you decide for each letter day, I hope this editable ABC Countdown calendar can come in handy.

Now - it's your turn! Do you have ideas for us?

This post is open which means you can add your comment below and get your idea featured in this post too.

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

Free End of Year Certificates for Kindergarten

More End of the Year

Free Editable ABC Countdown Calendar for Kindergarten, First grade and Second Grade

2023-2024 Teacher Planning Calendar Template

·

I'm so pumped to announce that the printable calendar for the 2023-2024 school year is available. This calendar template is my most popular teacher tool - it's the best! And since it's a two-page spread calendar, it's ideal for putting it into your teacher planning binder.

Here is the debut of the new 2023-2024 printable calendar.

This is the 13th yearly edition of the Teacher Planning Calendar.

It contains the same great features you loved last year... like the layout, lively color scheme, and bold fonts.

One thing that was kept top priority - you have lots of room to write.

Having an entire month right in front of you, spread across two pages means you can draw, scribble, add details, and notes, and even still have room to write in standards or field trips.

Go to purchase

This planner has always been my favorite planning tool. I found that being able to plan long-term (over an entire school year) can make all the difference. That way I could have the basics worked out and add to it as needed.

You'll love that this is an 18-month calendar. 

With this format, it doesn't matter how late into the school year you purchase - you're covered and you've still got summer months included!

I like getting this calendar set year after year. It is clean, simple, and colorful. Thank you! - Jenn Woodhams

What's included in this year's calendar?

Let's take a look at what's in store for you in this year's calendar.

Here are the new printable pages that are included in this calendar template.

Teacher 2023-2024 Planning Calendar Printable Calendar

The instant download PDF will welcome you with a fresh new cover sheet!

You can print it back-to-back to make it fit perfectly in your binder (or to bind on its own).

Teacher Printable Calendar 2023-2024 Planning Calendar - Year At a Glance

The 17 months are laid out in two year-at-a-glance pages.

The entire printable calendar is pre-filled with dates from July 2023 - December 2024. I've added in US national holidays so you don't have to remember those. {wink}

Teacher Printable Calendar Planning Calendar with Holidays

Each month comes dated and spread across two colorful, yet clean portrait pages.

Simply fill in the events that are important to you - student birthdays, field trips, testing, and meetings!

Get yours here

I love this product! I purchased it for last school year as well and it became the most used part of my teacher binder. So much so that I purchased this year's back in June so I could use it to layout my long-term planning/pacing for this year. I bring it with me to every staff meeting and it really helps me keep track of everything. I even used it today during our assembly planning meeting! I definitely recommend this for teachers at any grade level. - Hannah

If you love printing in black and white, don't worry - a beautiful grayscale version is included for flawless printing.

Upgrade - get the editable calendar option

If you want to type onto your calendar, then snag the Editable 2023-2024 Teacher Planning Calendar. This is a PowerPoint file that allows you to type on top of the calendar background. You can also use it in Google Slides.

Work smart

You can easily set this up to work for you. No more writing the same things over and over again.

Say you like to plan out your themes and favorite read-alouds for the school year. You can set up one month, then copy and paste everything to the next month and change the content as needed.

Or, if you have last year - simply copy and paste your boxes from last year onto this year! Easy peasy.

Add stickers (included)

But one of my favorite features of this upgraded option is the ability to add digital (or printed) stickers.

The included digital stickers make special dates stand out (student birthdays, meetings, half days, vacation, etc.)

special reminders for teacher planning calendar - digital stickers or print your own

Want to know how that works?

You can cut and paste just the stickers you want/need before you print. That means your special reminders are color-coordinated and there's no limit to how many you can add.

Now... let's say you don't have all of your dates prior to printing your calendar... no problem!

Over 42 digital stickers included with your teacher planning calendar

You can totally print your own special reminders stickers onto (affiliate) address labels - just the stickers you want - so that you can have stickers to add and last you the entire school year.

With the planning pages this is just as good as an Erin Condren planner! - Amanda W.

Add special reminders to your printable teacher planning calendar
Go to purchase Editable Calendar

Pick your calendar

Just like last year, you can snag this teacher planning calendar template as an instant download file! {wahoo} That means no waiting game here, ladies and gents!

  • Buy Now
  • Buy Now

Want to know when next year is available? Click here to get notified.

More teacher organization

Free, Editable Kindergarten Certificates and Graduation Diplomas

· 12 Comments

It's the end of the school year and it's time to celebrate the end of kindergarten.

Here are free kindergarten diplomas and kindergarten completion certificates that you can download instantly and print.

End of Year Certificates for Kindergarten

My kindergarten students never actually had a graduation ceremony (with all of the fanfare you might be planning for your own celebration) - but we did fun end of the year celebration alternatives instead.

For our end of the year fun - we liked to do an end of the year countdown using the letters of the alphabet.

We also took lots of end of the year class photos and hosted a little red carpet event in our classroom.

Free Diploma for Kindergarten Graduation

These end of the year printable certificates would be perfect for either graduation or a low-key end of the year event.

I want to support you as you organize, think and teach smart.

About these free diplomas and certificates

You can download them for free and print them at home or at school.

Each one says, "Congratulations to: (student name) for completing kindergarten"

Congratulations Award for Kindergarten Free

They look terrific printed in color and don't use up too much color ink to do a class set.

But, they also look fantastic printed on bright color paper too. You can write in your student names or do it on the computer before you print!

I've also included one grayscale version that looks great printed on black and white laser printers or school copy machines.

Free Certificate of Completion and Kindergarten Diploma

They're editable - so you can type in your name and school year as well as your students' names. But you'll need either Microsoft Powerpoint or Google Slides to edit them.

What are you waiting for? Let's make these right now. I'll show you how.

How to make kindergarten diploma certificates

To make and print your free kindergarten graduation certificates, here are the steps:

Kindergarten Shoot for The Stars Free End of the Year Certificate
  1. Download these free kindergarten diplomas or these free kindergarten certificates. [terms of use] [downloading help]
  2. Open the editable file in Microsoft Powerpoint or upload it to Google Slides.
  3. Change your fonts, text size and wording for student name, school year and teacher.
  4. Duplicate the completed page to make one for each of your students.
  5. Print.

Note: I recommend matching font Josefin Sans.

You can make a mini-version

You can also print them half-page size to make mini certificates. They are super-cute too.

Full Size and Half Sheet Kindergarten and Pre-K Certificates and Dimplomas for the End of the School Year

Here's how you can do that:

To make a mini-certificate (half-page size)

  • Finish typing in all of your info (complete up to step #5 in the directions above)
  • Then click File > Save as > Save as type: PDF > Save.
  • Open the PDF file you just made and click Print.
  • Change the Page Sizing & Handling setting to Multiple.
  • Change Pages per sheet to 2.
  • Change the Orientation to Landscape.

Bonus pre-k version

But because I know I have a few pre-k teacher peeps who visit here too - I didn't forget about you!

Pre-K Diploma Freebie

Click to download the pre-kinder versions here: pre-k diplomas or these pre-k certificates. [terms of use] [downloading help]

How to make a digital copy

If you need to send a digital copy to your students, here's what you do:

Only keep the page you want to use in the file and delete the rest.

Then make one certificate (save/print as a pdf) to send to your student and repeat for the rest of your class.

Let's wrap it up

There you have it- free kindergarten diploma printables and kindergarten graduation certificates that you can use in a flash.

I hope these come in handy for your kindergarten graduation ceremony or your pre-k graduation.

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

End of the Year Celebration Ideas for Kindergarten and graduation alternatives
More End of the Year

How to Make a Year-Long Playdough Word Work Literacy Center

· 57 Comments

You can create a playdough literacy center that lasts all year long. This is how I set up, organized and maintained a playdough word work center in my kindergarten classroom.

Year Long Kindergarten Playdough Literacy Center

It's my belief that students learn faster and are more successful when they can manipulate things. This same belief applies to literacy skills.

When students can manipulate objects (not just handling paper or worksheets) it feels more like play and is more age-appropriate.

It begs the question - how much more manipulative can you get than play dough?

Seriously.

I was determined to create a literacy center that taught students some key things... and not just how to play with playdough (which I knew if not carefully constructed, they would default to).

So - let's get to it. Let's set up, organize and maintain a literacy center that uses playdough as the key component to improving word work skills!

Set up

To make this a smart literacy center - we'll need to set up this center for success. Here's what we need to consider:

  • Students access and use all materials correctly, independently.
  • Students clean up this center without any teacher intervention.
  • Students learn while manipulating playdough using guiding workmats, cards, and playdough tools.

Remember - the reason we create literacy centers is so that students can continue to learn on their own so that it allows you, the teacher, to meet with students in small groups.

So, the set up for this playdough center needs to be simple, age-appropriate and also offer choice.

Playdough Center for Kindergarten with Letter Stamps Holder

If you don't offer students choice - you end up with behavior problems, lack of motivation and students won't differentiate work for themselves.

Directions Poster

Let's start with the directions and offering choice. I put all of the options (though I don't teach every option at once) onto a literacy center poster.

The star at the top of the poster indicates that students have a choice as to which activity they pick when they come to this center.

Each of the activities listed is standards-based. It's included in the Playdough Word Work Pack.

Playdough word work literacy center for kindergarten with common core standards

Eventually - they won't really need this poster - but it's super handy. I use it every day when rolling out centers at the beginning of the year, it's helpful to substitute teachers and administrators during walk-throughs, and it allows me to redirect students simply: "What are you going to work on today?"

This poster and the picture icons help me to teach exactly what to do (and what not to do) at this center so that all students can use the materials correctly and - ta-daaah - independently.

Printed Workmats and Cards

If you give a kid just playdough, they're gonna play. Which is alright during choice time, but not what we're going for during literacy centers.

So, you need to give them guidance without you being there.

How do we do that?

The answer is workmats or work cards.

Using laminated work cards and workmats lets students stamp or put playdough right on top of the guide so they can stay focused.

I created five different activities for students to use while at the playdough word work center. You can have them too!

Playdough Word Work Center in Kindergarten {You can too!} KindergartenWorks

The most simple activity to introduce at the beginning of the year is forming letters. Kinders use the workmats to form the letters using playdough "snakes." Black and gray dots show how many strokes and where to start.

The five activities cover:

  1. letter formation (read here for more about letter formation)
  2. abc order
  3. sight words
  4. cvc word building
  5. rhyming or word families

Having such a broad range of skills that students can work on means that they can use playdough all year long.

Boom.

Smart teacher. Smart kids.

playdough literacy center for kindergarten

Purchase the Playdough Word Work Center

Here's what other teachers are saying about the Playdough Word Work Center printables:

One of the best purchases I've made! Great for practice, very well made and a HUGE bang for your buck! - Stacie M.

Can't wait to use this! I love how it grows with the students! - Kami N.

So fun for my students to use during stations. I use different parts all through the school year. - Laura D.

This is my students favorite center to visit! Just print and laminate! - Deborah W.

Now let's look at other tools help focus this center on learning.

Basic Playdough Tools

Remember to keep the center simple - but offer the correct tools so that students can do this center and learn without you.

Play dough Letter Cards for Kindergarten Literacy Center

Playdough tools:

  • small rolling pins
  • lowercase letter stamps

Students can always flatten playdough with their hands, but using a small rolling pin (affiliate link) can make the work more fun. But skip any playdough shapers, knives or shape cookie cutters for this center. That sends a mixed message on what they can do at this center.

You only need lowercase letter stamps to make this center last! I want my students to focus on lowercase since that's what they'll see most often in print.

Stamping CVC words in playdough for kindergarten literacy center

These Lakeshore letter stampers are great quality. Here is another kind of playdough letter stamp I've found on amazon (affiliate link).

For cleaning up - you might not need much at all. Teach them how to use a ball of playdough to stamp up other small pieces for quick clean up. If it's part of what you teach up front, then they will model that too.

If tables seem gritty afterward, teach students how to use wipes (if your school has them on supply) or a spray bottle with 1-2 drops of dish soap and a paper towel to clean their tabletop workspace. They are totally capable of doing this without teacher help.

Model it, teach it, expect it.

Organization

The key to organizing a playdough literacy center is to make it age-appropriate.

You'll love that it doesn't take much for this center to come together.

Playdough Word Work Center in Kindergarten with Letter Stamps from Lakeshore

Here's what I recommend:

  • basket or bin(s) for rolling pins and workmats/cards
  • tupperware or zip baggies for playdough
  • some type of holder or container for letter stamps

Remember - the goal is the use of tools and clean-up without teacher intervention.

So, whatever you choose, make it simple so that students can do it on their own.

I liked to use a basket for workmats and work cards. I liked to bind cards or mats together to make sets.

I personally liked to use 4 tupperware to hold the playdough in separate tubs for students. Pick ones that are easy-open, easy-shut. But you could easily use zipper-top baggies too.

Kindergarten playdough center to work on reading skills

We had a letter stamp holder from Lakeshore, but those aren't available anymore. I found this replacement playdough letter stamp stand that'd work pretty well.

Tip! If you let students transfer their work onto a clipboard (or dry erase board) it becomes a portable way to share and show off their work to the class during share time.

Maintainance

I'm not one for making new centers all the time. That's why I try to work smart. I want this playdough literacy center to last all year long.

I don't mean completely set it and forget it - but a little maintenance can make the work we do to teach a center go a long way.

Here's how I believe we can keep the center from feeling stale for my kinders, yet, makes it smart work for me.

Playdough Word Work Center in Kindergarten {You can too!} KindergartenWorks
This center is loved by Meredith's Classroom

So, with this particular center, I would introduce forming letters first, followed by ABC order work cards.

But I'd only put out a handful of letters and a small set of ABC order cards to begin.

As time goes on I'd:

  • add more cards or trade them out
  • teach a new activity

Other than adding or replacing cards and keeping a fresh playdough stash - once you've made this center - it's pretty much ready to go.

Open-Ended

I feel like it's worth mentioning how I make this center open-ended.

Someday I'll write a post about how if you have "fast finishers" or kids saying, "I'm done. What do I do next?" then you're doing it wrong... but for now, let me explain how I set up this literacy center (as I do for all of them) to be open-ended.

making sight words with playdough stamps and snakes in kindergarten literacy center

First, students keep working at their literacy center until I signal it's time to clean up. This means they stay and continue working. What do they do until the time is up?

The choose which activity from the directions poster they want to do. If they tire of that one activity, they simply pick another.

Differentiation

Often students will gravitate towards their own comfort level of activity in the playdough center. Students who need to work on letter names and sounds will stick with the letter formation cards and ABC order cards.

Students ready for more will work on more.

But if you have some higher level students - or have students ready for more, then I've got your back. I've created a playdough extension pack that has more sight words, focuses on manipulating letter sounds in short words and letter fluency.

Playdough Word Work Center in Kindergarten {You can too!} KindergartenWorks
Playdough extension pack activities

We usually used the extension pack after Christmas.

Some students may want to stamp out sight word sentences, like, "I like my dog." I always gave that type of extending-their-own-learning my stamp of approval.

With my students reading on a second-grade level, I had them stamp their own individual spelling lists in the dough in place of sight words.

Building Your Classroom Playdough Stash (Recipe)

Homemade playdough was always my go-to way to keep this center stocked. Usually, we had parent volunteers make the playdough for us - which was amazing.

Classroom Playdough Recipe

A fresh, new batch of playdough was always a highlight.

Soft, squishy, fun.

To make it easier on you (and your parent volunteer) here is a quick, free printable you can use to thank your volunteers and give them a recipe that is perfect for the classroom.

Parent Volunteer Letter to Make Classroom Playdough in Kindergarten

This playdough recipe for the classroom will hold up for at least a month of being played with every day.

You can always add a little water to help rehydrate it.

Classroom Playdough Recipe - Free Printable

Download Free Classroom Playdough Recipe

It's a great recipe and just perfect for your word work center.

One batch is enough for 2-4 kinders to share. You can easily store it in Dollar Tree tupperware or opt for zipper-top slide baggies.

Store Classroom Playdough in Zipper Top Bags

I only ever had out one color at a time - just to make it easy - but do whatever works for you.

Are you ready to get playdough into your classroom and take learning to an independent, hands-on level?

Then snag your Playdough Word Work Center Activities Pack today.

What Teachers Are Saying

There is a LOT in this pack. When I first printed it I only laminated the letters so my kids could form them with playdoh snakes. I went through and laminated the rest this summer. These are going to be an amazing center. I also found more sturdy (and cheaper) letter stamps on Amazon. I am excited to use this more thoroughly this year.

- Joyce M.

Great resource. Easy to use. Extremely engaging!

- Joan A.

I can't wait to use these word work activities next year! I know the kids will love them- who doesn't love playdough? I also love giving parents the opportunity to make & send in the playdough.

- Janet B.

Can't wait to use this! I love how it grows with the students!

- Kami N.

My students use this resource over and over again. It is particularly helpful for the goal of manipulating phonemes. The variety of skills addressed makes differentiation a snap. This is appropriate to use the entire year.

- Stacey King Medd

Leslie, I love this purchase! SERIOUSLY! I can see this as a center from day one of kindergarten and with the resources you created, I can use it long into the spring! Excellent quality with clear graphics that will allow my kiddos to be independent. Thank you for a great product!

- Deedee Wills

There you have it - how I set up, organized and maintained a playdough word work center in my kindergarten classroom. You can do it too!

More Literacy Centers

Year Long Playdough Literacy Center for Kindergarten Word Work

Teach How to Write Sight Words Fluently

· 3 Comments

My students need to know sight words. They are a key step in the reading process. They aren't the end-all-be-all, but they do play an important role in learning how to read in kindergarten.

Here is one mini-lesson I do - I call it a warm-up activity - with my guided reading groups.

Let me share where it came from, how to do this activity yourself (with a free download) and how to extend it for kinders who are more advanced.

Teach - How to Write Sight Words Fluently

There are so many things that go into learning how to read: There is phonemic awareness, learning letter sounds, manipulating letter sounds and reading words by sight, for example.

Well, during my guided reading group sessions, I like to focus on all of these skills since they all matter (just not all at the same time)!

One easy way to fit in a skill, like recognizing sight words or writing sight words, is to do a warm-up (or mini-lesson) before we get into the main content of our lesson.

That's where this activity comes into play.

Sight words as a warm-up activity

The focus of this warm-up activity is to assess and encourage my kinders to learn how to write sight words - not just read them.

Some students will naturally be better at this based on their strengths but it is good to practice since we expect them to spell these words correctly in their writing amidst lots of phonetically spelled words at this age.

Handy Guided Reading Mats for Kindergarten Groups - Teach: How to Write Sight Words Fluently

We use a sight word chant as our basis.

What is that?

Well, it is pretty much our key 24 sight words set to the tune of a march.

We use it, practice it and learn it just like we do the alphabet chart every day.

You can get my sight word chart and chant as an instant download and use it tomorrow if you don't already have one in place.

Since my students can practically recite it by heart, just like they can when singing the alphabet - we now focus on building up our writing fluency for these words.

How to do the activity

Since this is a small group activity - it's quick and easy!

I give each student a dry erase mat with pre-made lines (and a plastic page protector cover so they can erase easily).

The dry erase mat features colored lines in six rows.

Each horizontal row has the same number of lines that the chant has words. The lines match the color of the words in our chant too.

Handy Guided Reading Mats for Kindergarten Groups - Spelling Sight Words for Kindergarten 24 Words List - KindergartenWorks

This blank sight word workmat is for them to write the chant in order and see how far they can get in two minutes.

I want them to write the words in order -- so that way they can spend time focusing on how to spell the words -- rather than spend time thinking up words (if we just did a "write the words you know how to spell" kind of deal).

Teach - How to Write Sight Words Fluently - use dry erase surface

We celebrate how many words they each got correct (and how far they got through the chant).

We don't compare their numbers to each other - and I reinforce that they should keep working hard during their reading centers and writer's workshop time on sight words because we'll repeat the activity and they'll want to try and beat their own "score."

Teach - How to Write Sight Words Fluently - my kindergarteners could do this

When we repeat the warm-up we celebrate how many more they get (and they do get more).

Since I jot down what they did last time in my guided reading binder, I can remind them of the last time compared to now.

This type of activity was very motivating to my students who were getting this whole 'reading thing'.

I would normally start this activity with a group when they could read roughly 18+ words or more.

Teach - How to Write Sight Words Fluently - I like this

It was a natural next step - from reading the words to learning to write sight words fluidly or fluently.

Surprisingly, it was very telling to see which of my students were more or less grapheme inclined.

If they seemed to struggle with this activity, I knew there was more I could do to help them focus on the way words look and build up their grapheme skills.

If they blew it out of the water or were higher readers to begin with, we could tweak this same activity with the next set of 24 words so that way everyone was always being challenged.

Handy Guided Reading Mats for Kindergarten Groups - Sight Words for Kindergarten 24 Words List - KindergartenWorks

This warm-up activity was used every couple of weeks, so I stored it in a place with easy access. Our guided reading workmats were the perfect place to stash the colored lines template.

Easy to hand out -- easy to clean up!

I hope that you can use this type of warm-up mini-lesson with your kinders who are learning how to read in kindergarten and working to write sight words.

Ready to work on sight words with your kindergartners?

I've got your back with my Sing to Learn Sight Word Songs - they are easy peasy little songs you already know with lyrics changed to teach your kiddos how to spell and read each word.

You'll get 31 sight word songs, the two sight word charts I mentioned here plus more.

Handy Guided Reading Mats for Kindergarten Groups - Spelling Sight Words for Kindergarten 24 Words List - KindergartenWorks

And you can get the blank colored lines template right here as a freebie so you too can work on developing sight word writing fluency.

Download sight word blanks workmat

Want to know what else to keep nearby for warm-up lessons?

Here is what else you should have near your guided reading table for your growing readers.

Something I wish I would've done earlier in my teaching career... create these Handy Guided Reading Mats for kindergarten groups

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

More Guided Reading