Pete the Cat is the go-to book for many kindergarten and elementary classrooms. Here are free Pete the Cat activities, videos and books listed all in one place so you won’t have to go digging to look for them.
Be sure to click on the name of each Pete the Cat freebie to see where it came from and to download it.
Pete the Cat Freebies
These resources were all free at the time that I found them. There are printables for back to school, reading, math and so much more.
First Day Certificate, School Tour, Coloring Page – This school tour was featured in my First Day of School Setup Snapshots and many asked where it came from. I like taking my class on a tour to help keep wiggles under control and practice hallway procedures on the first day of school.
Subtraction Story Illustration – Have your students create a subtraction story with Pete’s buttons popping off. These will turn out so cute with your students’ illustrations. It’s a great way to get them to use pictures, words and numbers to show their work.
Matching Buttons – Counting 1:1 Mats – (affiliate) Give students the chance to practice their one-to-one counting skills using these counting cards. Pete has lots of colorful jackets to make each one different. Your students could also use playdough to make the correct number of buttons!
Pete the Cat Activity Packet – Students can write about their favorite part of the story, do a word search (first/second grade), and practice using adjectives.
Pete the Cat Classroom Rules – Ahhh, how saying “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit” has become a regular part of my teaching day. {wink}
I Love My Shoes Book – Designed for first graders, students can get sentence writing practice in. Let them create a patterned book or create their own text for more advanced writers and color the shoes to match their sentences.
Class Book – Oh, how I love making books with my entire class – especially at the beginning of the school year! This clever and cute class book will have your whole class involved writing and reading it over and over. Wouldn’t it be so cute to record your class singing this and put it into your listening center? Complete with a front cover ready to print.
Pete the Cat Counting by Fives – A simple worksheet that can be turned into “dots” of fun if you using bingo daubers to have students practice counting by fives. Great for first grade or later on in kindergarten (or with more advanced students). Another option is to make blue thumbprints to make it fast!
Pin the Shoe – Need a quick activity or something fun to round out the day? Turn this simple “pin the shoe on Peter” activity into a sight word game. Write 6 sight words on the shoe templates and print off enough copies for each child in your class to get one shoe. “Teams” are formed by students with the same sight word and they can cheer each other on – first team to get their sight word in the right place wins.
Predictable Cut and Paste – Get a little practice or send this home as homework. Student cut and paste the predictable text, use a color word cue and illustrate. This would be perfect to introduce after teaching the guided drawing how to! Another idea is to use this for remediation of students in late fall who need 1:1 practice and reading left to right (or practice having words the right way up).
Nonsense and Real Word Sort – Get your young readers to bring back Pete into the classroom once they are working on their beginning reader skills. Students can color the real words one color and the nonsense words another… making Pete’s buttons very colorful.
Teen Number Fluency Roll and Read – Get your kinders identifying their teen numbers as a warm up in your guided math groups. These roll and read printables help make building fluency a little more fun!
Pete the Cat Color By Pages – These pages would make a great addition to your sub folder because they’d be ready in a pinch! Your students can color by number word and practice writing color words.
Class Tour – Get your students practicing their hallway procedures while learning the layout of their new school building with this class tour. Mrs. Lirette will have your class tracking down Pete and following clues to visit the library, office, lunch room, music, art and gym.
Color Word Letter Tiles – Use these color word cards in a variety of ways. Students can place letter tiles on top to build or copy the color words. You could also laminate a flap over top to make it a “checking” card, or have students cover the letter tiles with scrabble tiles instead!
Calendar Cards – Want to change up your calendar one month to add a little Pete flavor? These are ABC patterned cards made just for your preschool or kindergarten calendar.
Pete’s Shoes: Easy Reader Freebie – Kindergarten or first grade students will feel empowered reading this patterned book using the phrase, “Oh no! I see {color}! I like my {color} shoes.” Have students highlight the sight word “see” to help them improve their tracking skills.
Doubles Addition Bump Game – What a fun way to practice what 2+2 or 3+3 makes with this bump game. Same rules apply to all bump games – your students will love it!
Pete the Cat Full Day Sub Plans – What a life saver! Print and stash this away for the day when you can.not see straight to write lesson plans or make it to your classroom to prep ahead of time. With a little of math, reading, writing and science – your day is covered.
Letter, Word, Sentence Sort – Give students the chance to show that they understand the difference between a letter, word and sentence with this sort.
Chester Raccoon and Pete Compare Ten Frames – Have your kindergartners bring together two beginning of the school year characters to compare numbers using numerals and ten frames.
First, Next, Then Sequencing – If you like to do a sequencing activity and want a follow up sheet, or a sheet that students can use to follow along then this first, next, last worksheet may just be the ticket!
Pete the Cat Craft – With some simple shapes and some tennis shoes, your students can create their own blue cat. The template for cutting and pasting is included in this freebie.
More Freebies for Pete the Cat
Emergent Reader – Your young readers will exude confidence with their own Pete book. Simply fold to make this one page booklet a hit with your class.
Groovy Ten Frame Mat – Get groovy with Pete as you are working with numbers. This ten frame can be used for a variety of things. I love using ten frames during our calendar time, in math zones and making my own!
Pete the Cat Pattern – If your class is into Pete’s buttons, then this pattern may be a good fit for your students. It would look great accompanying a hallway display of writing.
Decomposing the Number 4 – Students can use buttons to practice making 4 in different ways. A little cutting and gluing can go a long way at the beginning of the school year in kindergarten.
Pete’s Color Word Games – Working on color words? Students move along the game board reading the color word cards until they get to the end. Simple and fun for young readers.
The New Guy Beginning, Middle, End – Do you love the New Guy book? This beginning, middle and ending printable/foldable may be a great way to tie in story events for your class.
Subtraction Workmat – Students can practice their subtraction sentences alongside using a workmat of Pete. Grab a handful of buttons to make this manipulative and easily differentiated.
Venn Diagram – Students can compare and contrast using the words “same” and “different” in this simple venn diagram. They could draw or use words to compare themselves with Pete the Cat.
Groovy Button Subtraction – You’ll love having these worksheets at the ready to practice subtraction or just use the stories whole group to practice problem solving. Pete makes everything more palatable. {wink}
Counting by 2’s, 5’s, 10’s Game – Students move around the game board by choosing cards. They will count from a given number by 2’s, 5’s or 10’s – way a fun way to get oral counting practice.
Pete Loves Shoes Emergent Reader – This became one of my class’ first favorite emergent reader books. They loved the opportunity to try out their coloring skills since we don’t really do too much coloring in kindergarten {yeah, I know *gasp*} and were excited to have their own Pete book to take home.
Pete Saves Christmas Worksheets – If your class likes to read the Christmas version, then these worksheets may be right up their alley. These are later first grade or second grade material – perhaps a great item to leave for a substitute teacher.
Packed Out Pack – I called this the packed out pack, because it is. There are over 70 pages of printables for early learning skills. Most items will lend themselves to a preschool classroom, but kindergarten might just love the write the room pages.
Pete Saves Christmas Craftivity – Don’t you just love the whiskers on these Christmas cats? What a great way to keep learning through December… bring back in a little Pete to save the day.
“It’s All Good” Posters and Playdough Sight Words – There are two freebie Pete the Cat printables in this post. Students can make sight words using playdough (remember I’m a huge fan of playdough) or be reminded that life isn’t perfect with these “It’s All Good” posters.
Greater Than Less Than Math Center – Students can compare numbers 1-100 with these cards and equality signs with a little Pete flavoring. Could be a partner activity, a parent-helper activity or even a quick math center.
Counting and Matching Sets – Students can match object sets, numerals or number words with these button cards. Could be a partner activity, a parent-helper activity or even a quick math center.
Roll and Cover – This simple roll and color sheet was an absolute favorite of my students in the practice math zone. We ended up putting one into a slip sheet and made it into a bump game with linking cubes. So versatile, simple and lovable!
Letter or Sound Fluency Game – Your students will take turns “racing” to the top by naming letters or producing letter sounds when they draw a card. They can move up the ladder each time they are correct. Help Pete get his button!
“Official” Shoe Tying Club – Want to encourage your students to be independent show tiers? Create an official shoe-tying club with Pete as the mascot cheering them on and leaving an official certificate when they reach their goal. This can also become your go-to reference of pointing those who need help or practice in the right direction so you can keep on teaching instead of spending your day tying.
Personal Confession: I never *just* tie a shoe. I take the time to teach/practice while I’m doing it or refer them to a friend to get it “done” if I lack the time to practice in the moment.
1-20 Clothespin Clip Cards – Clip the correct answer (the numeral) to match the set of objects. Pete’s buttons come to the counting rescue.
Sentence Editing Chart – Encourage good sentence writing and checking their work with this partially visual editing sentences chart. Pete’s got writing under control… now let’s make writing groovy for your class.
Month Labels, Folder Labels – This is loaded with 3 free printables that bring Pete into the classroom all year long. Get months of the year for your calendar, daily folder labels (you know I like being organized), and color words too.
Shoe Tying Certificates – Grab your official shoe tying certificates and highlight the students who are expert shoe tiers! Make a few moments in your room go smoother by setting up shoe-tying helpers.
Positional Words Activities, Reader and Worksheet – This is a great landing place if your class is working on positional words (like above, between, below, behind). This teacher has you covered with an achor chart idea in addition to an emergent reader, playmat set and worksheet.
Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes Activities
Listening Center Response Sheet – Your students can respond to the story Rocking in My School Shoes by illustrating the main character and setting. If you can QR codes – your students can listen to it!
Shoes Template – For second graders or those looking to extend My School Shoes, this simple set of tennis shoes works as a good paper topper for a hallway display.
Rockin’ Feet Template – Get students working on drawing a person with all of their parts (no stick people allowed here) to help create a class book that it is truly rockin’. Includes pages for both boys and girls.
Love My School Shoes Class Book – This class book does my heart good. It’s a fantastic book for the beginning of kindergarten since kinders are working on writing their names so much. I can even see using this one to teach kinders how to use the classroom camera – allowing them to take a photo of the next student. It will add meaning to at least one other person’s page in the book – in addition to their own!
Pete the Cat Activities
Rockin’ Buttons Retelling – Each of your students can wear a ribbon with velcro to have their own buttons while retelling the story. They’ll love it!
Pete the Cat Sequencing – Here’s some great ways to work on sequencing Eric Litwin stories {includes printables}
Cut and Paste Pete – This is an ideal preschool cut and paste activity. This cat is a great 3D version which ends up just being ultra cute. Could also be a great placard for a student’s desk on a back to school night.
Adding Musical Elements – Want to add a little music education into the sing-songy nature of Pete books? Read for a couple of ways to bring in rhythm into the story.
Grade Level Team Dress Up – Have a special reading night or school event? Perhaps a Halloween party at school? Your whole grade level (or just you) can dress Pete inspired with the most fantasticly wild shoes… it just completes the look.
Making Mental Images – Here’s a quick lesson you can do before reading any book! Have students create their own mental image of the character and compare it after reading.
Gingerbread Pete Alternate Version – I’m a sucker for different versions of the Gingerbread Man, so this one just made me smile. I can see my kinders getting a kick out of it and wanting to create their own version too.
Pete the Cat Videos
Pete the Cat Books
Not sure if you have all of the books? Here is a list of the current titles available that I think are a good classroom fit. (And just a heads up that these are affiliate links. It’s so kind of you to support a fellow teacher with your clicks) This is also the same order I’d introduce these books to my kinders…
- Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
- Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes
- Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons
- Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving
- Pete the Cat Saves Christmas
- Pete the Cat and the New Guy
- Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses
- Pete the Cat: Too Cool for School (My First I Can Read)
- Pete the Cat: Pete’s Big Lunch (My First I Can Read)
- Pete the Cat: Valentine’s Day Is Cool
- Pete the Cat: A Pet for Pete (My First I Can Read)
- Pete the Cat: Big Easter Adventure
- Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach (My First I Can Read)
- Pete the Cat: Play Ball! (My First I Can Read)
- Pete the Cat: Construction Destruction
- Pete the Cat and the Bad Banana (My First I Can Read)
- Pete the Cat: Rock On, Mom and Dad!
- Pete the Cat: Cavecat Pete
Free Pete the Cat Audio Downloads
- “Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons” Song
- “Rocking in My School Shoes” Song
- “I Love My White Shoes” Song
- “Pete the Cat Saves Christmas” Song
- “Pete the Cat Saves Christmas – with Kids!” Song
What an incredible collection from fantastic teachers across the blog-o-sphere. If you like this collection – pin or share it!
Check out this additional famous blue cat collection with all new resources and freebies!
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Thanks for all these ideas. they make my lessons so much easy!
Thank you for sharing these awesome ideas! I love the huge ten frame! I am super excited to share these my students!
Hi Anne,
Thanks but I din’t have those 🙂
Hi Amanda, sure thing! I’d love to update it.
Leslie
Great! I just realized I commented on the wrong post. Mine is included in the 51 Pete the Cat Lessons and Freebies (Ten Frame Cards). If you click this link, it looks the same as the image you have here. Thanks so much for including the resource here! I’m glad I caught the link change so people can continue to use it. 🙂 http://goo.gl/TzrtM3
Hi Leslie! I am Eric Litwin’s (author of the first four Pete the Cat picture books) assistant, Becky, and we love what you have done here! We have some additional resources and things you could use for your blog. Please contact me. I look forward to hearing from you!
Thank you Becky. I’ve sent an email and look forward to connecting with you.
– Leslie