Sunshine and Lollipops

We all know that it can be difficult to keep kids working through the summer. On one hand, we want our children to have fun and enjoy the summer and on the other hand, we don't want everything they have learned to simply rent space in their brains soon to take a hike once the school year is over...we want those skills and strategies to make a permanent home in their brains and stay as long as they can!

We also know how we wish our students would work during the summer to keep all the skills and strategies that they have learned all year long sharp without gaps and ready to go when school begins the next school year. You always have some students who never stop working over the summer and others who never work at all over the summer. There are so many ways to keep the kiddos that leave your classroom ready to "jump" back into learning come fall and bridge the gap between summer and fall.

Here are a few tried and true ideas to share with parents and colleagues: Fun and Easy Ideas for Keeping Skills Sharp During the Summer Months:

1. Have each student make a "Summer Journal" to jot down daily activities that they did over the summer. This is a great way to keep students writing over the summer and they can add pictures and captions somewhat like a scrapbook filled with summer memories. This can be a great way for children to document memories. How much fun will they have looking back on this as a young adult? These journals can be brought from home and decorated, run off on paper or even purchased at a dollar store. Here is one I made especially for this purpose. It is a print, assemble and go product and can be found on my shop Sunshine and Lollipops Oh and did I tell you that it is only $1.50?

2. Use a blank calendar and brainstorm ideas with your class that they can do over the summer to keep skills sharp. Ideas such as counting how many shoes your mom has in the closet to how many steps it is around the neighborhood to measuring the perimeter or area of a room in their house. Your students can then jot these ideas down on different dates on their calendar and complete them through the summer.

3. You can copy ideas from the class and type them into a calendar frame for each student to take home through the summer to work with when they are faced with a rainy summer day at the shore or traveling to a vacation destination...remember if a car travels 60 miles per hour and it takes 2 1/2 hours to get to Orlando, how many miles have we traveled? Oh how many of you remember those questions?? Oh, before I forget, if you teach first grade...I have one already made up for all you my "fun"tastic first grade BFF's...Oops! I am just Assuming that I AM your BEST FRIEND right about now...Am I right? I did all the work for YOU!!! Yep here it is Summer Calendar for First Grade and it is editable so you can add your own ideas that fir your class or child.

4. Make up a packet of review math skills that were taught throughout the school year for children to bring home over the summer. Sorry guys...don't have this one pre-made...but I bet someone else does...get over to that TpT search engine and start typing!!!

5. Summer educational field trips are another easy way to keep kids thinking over the summer. Depending where you live, scope out some ideas, jot these ideas in a newsletter and send it home with children. Around where I live, we have a zoo, arboretums, the Crayola Crayon Factory, Please Touch Museum, lots of history and much more! I KNOW parents will love to have the ideas right at their fingertips!!!

6. Make up a Summer Reading List of Books that are geared toward your student's grade level and interests and send it home with students. You might want to include some generic frames or book craft ideas for students to use to respond to their reading.

7. Many times while students are sitting on the beach, they can, at times become...you know that infamous word that begins with a B and we dislike it when a child says it, but in today's world, I hear it ALL the time...even from my 4 year old granddaughter...how can you possibly be B-O-R-E-D at 4...so actually they might have this B-word happen on the beach. Check this out...yep pages to work on while your sitting at the beach or pool. Are you lovin' it? Now, I know I will definitely be your BBF "Bestie Blogger Friend"when you see this...

8. Here are some fun ideas to add a little math and ELA fun to your summer. You are sitting at the pool or beach or driving in the car and...OH NO the B-word again...so what do you do? Jot these down and you will be covered.

How many steps do you think it will take you to get to the snack bar?

Estimate and check...where you right? How many more or less steps did it take you? See how many steps it takes your friend, sister anyone sitting near you.

In the car...do you remember the alphabet game?

Give each child a piece of paper and you if you are so inclined to play and see how many items you can find that begin with each letter of the alphabet or look for signs and just jot down words you see that begin with each letter of the alphabet. You can do this for shapes (3-D shapes as well)...remember finding license plates from various states...list those as well and see who can find the most...then put them in alphabetical order!

On the beach, find some seashells and categorize them according to color, shape, texture etc.

Oh and did I mention recording how many times you can jump, hop, blink your eyes, do jumping jacks, jump rope in a minute...they can guess or estimate and see if they are right...I think you get the idea...put those little brains in action and tire them out!! What am I kidding...you will never tire a child. They have more energy than you and I put together! Maybe jot down these ideas in an End of School Year Summer Fun Idea Newsletter...who knows I might just create it as a freebie before the school year ends... and HERE IT IS: it includes a few of the ideas listed above compiled into a Summer Vacation Companion! Free Summer Vacation Companion Activities and Worksheets Not Grade Specific

9. How about putting on a play or Readers' Theater for your family or neighbors.

I remember doing this many years ago when I was 6 or 7 years old. We made flyers announcing the play, tickets, refreshments and made the scenery for the play. This is a sure way to get the technology away and have some fun like the "old days." You can even video tape it and share it on the internet!!! Here is a fun differentiated version of The Tortoise and the Hare

I know what you are thinking: " Okay, this all sounds great on paper, but where is the accountability and are the students really going to do this over the summer?"

Here is what I did with my first and second graders: I created a packet for my students to use so they could keep their skills sharp and move right on into second or third grade without missing a beat. Then I would have the children visit me in the fall during the first couple weeks of school and show me the work they completed. I then gave them a Summer Award and a special “second grade” or "third grade" school supply. I usually got a pencil that said,” Second Graders are Great”, "Third grade is Terrific" or something like that!! My school also gave summer assignments, but I still sent ideas, packets or Summer Calendars home because it was a super way to support our summer program and gave more specific ideas of activities to complete. I would staple a Summer Calendar into one packet and then a journal with response pages into another packet and send this home for summer work in a Beach pail. It worked with about 90-95% of the students I taught.

PS- It might be fun to keep a Summer Journal or scrapbook to share with your incoming students next year! I hope this brings a little sunshine your way! Have fun you deserve it! Soak up a little sun for me while you are at it!!

Oh...and here is another fun summer idea...so...I guess I really have a bit more than 9 ideas...Oh Well...Summer Charades Game

This is fun for everyone...children and adults!!!

Mother's Day is Sunday, May 14th...a time to set the day aside to remember all that our Moms have done for us whether they are still with us on this Earth or watching over us from above. Although I do believe that everyday should be Mother's Day...I mean, think about it, where would you be without your Mom? She was your first teacher. She taught you how to talk, walk and eat. She fed you and took care of you as much as her life would allow. Yes, she was your first educator and she did not, in most cases, have a degree in education, yet she taught you everything she knew... the best she knew how! So, on this day that we set aside to honor our Mothers. I would like to take a few minutes and share with you what I have learned from my Mom. The pages of my memories and lessons go on and on and it is hard to put a lifetime of lessons in one post...so I will give you the abridged Reader's Digest version! BUT...before I do...remember that you have had an impact on someone's life even if you are not a mom...we probably do not even know how our kindness has touched someone: a stranger passing by, a student we have taught, a child, or a someone special in our life...you never really know who you may have touched in some way or form! Remember that!

Let me ponder a bit and chat a bit with my Mom who now looks down on me with loving eyes...did I mention that I never heard you raise your voice? Hmmmm...did I have a chance to thank you for everything you have taught me? I'm really not sure, but I am hoping that I did.
I remember sitting in that hospital room thinking about all that you have taught me and wondering if I had thanked you for all you have taught me, but at that point you were not really aware that I was even there sitting at he bottom of your bed...except one time as I decided to refreshen my make-up( something you always told me to do...you said it was important for my husband to see me looking my best...where did those days go?...any way you looked up and said, "You're putting your make-up on."

Every so often I discover a note from me to you that you tucked away in a small corner of a box or folded neatly in an envelope all torn and brown around the edges...and I can tell through these clippings and saved treasures that you were a gatherer of memories... you saved everything and I mean e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g from cards I wrote to you in elementary school to newspaper articles that had a slight mention of my name, report cards...some of which I would rather forget, awards and even a thank you note I wrote to you and dad for my wedding not to mention all the clippings, photos, drawings and treasures from your grandkids. OOPS! There was also the recording of dad singing to you when he was in the service that he sent you in 1940's...see...Mom, these discoveries show me that you loved your family and family was important to you. This was the number one lesson you taught me. I didn't need to find these momentos or trinkets to recognize and feel your love for family...

You showed us, through your example and our life's experiences that family was and should be a number one priority! You were selfless through all those years and always, always put your family FIRST!!

There are so many values you taught me from your example. You showed me the importance of being kind and loving, to help others...I can't even list all the people you helped in so many ways from relatives, friends, employees to strangers..... but you also remembered to take time for yourself to recharge your batteries...not the car batteries, but your mind and body.

"One day, as I recall, you told me,"Kathy, it does not mean your a bad mom if you leave the kids with a babysitter and take some time for yourself. Get a good book and go have lunch by yourself. It will recharge your batteries!" GREAT ADVICE!

You LOVED to dance and you always danced like no one was watching and everyone knows how much I love to dance. That showed me that it is also important to have FUN ! You were classy, funny, sophisticated, a creative thinker and loved to dress up! You were a trend setter...I have fond memories of riding in our 1959 powder blue caddie with the top down, you with your new hair color (blonde) and a french twist that was the newest trend back then. I thought I was riding with Barbie!

You demonstrated the importance of commitment, understanding, empathy, perseverance, working hard to reach your goals. to never give up, do your best, replace curse words with phrases like "hells bells and Christmas trees (lol)" and the list goes on and on and on.

"You were ahead of your time, extremely independent and an entrepreneur with the restaurant business..."

You were the backbone of "Marras" taking care of E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G...if someone did not come in, you became, a waitress or a hostess or a cook...oh and did I mention what a creative and fabulous cook you were? You always wanted to write a cookbook, but that was something that never quite happened....I did find all the recipes that you saved in the cigar boxes...yep that's where you always put your treasures... in the flip-top cigar boxes from the days you sold cigars in the restaurant!

It has been over 20 years since you left us but I feel your presence everyday sometimes, I go to the phone and think about calling you...wouldn't that be awesome if we had a direct line to call our loved ones up in heaven?

So on this Mother's Day if I could chat with you for just a minute, I would say...thank you for all you taught me and for being YOU! Happy Mother's Day...and as you would say...I love you too much, Kitten!

Hola! Me llamo Señora Simpson.

Cuando enseñé primer grado, me encantó añadir un poco de español a mi reunión de la mañana! Aprendimos palabras de color, contando y frases comunes y a mis estudiantes les encantó!

So....since Spanish is the one of the world's most commonly spoken languages, you might also enjoy adding a bit of Spanish to your day!
As I said above or hope I said above: "When I taught first grade, I enjoyed adding a bit of Spanish to my morning meeting. We would learn color words, counting and common phrases...my students loved it! In fact when some of my former students came back to visit, they always remembered learning Spanish!

Now I am not claiming to know the language perfectly and there may be a few errors above, but I did minor in FLES or Foreign Languages in the Elementary School. At that time (45 years ago) it was simply something I wanted to do and I am glad I did it as it added a bit of fun to my classroom and teaching ideas. We played Simón dice, with easy commands like; Pon tu mano sobre tu cabeza, which was a huge hit.

I also read the Spanish versions of favorite books and the class LOVED listening to familiar books in a different language

So, where am I going with this you ask?

Cinco De Mayo is celebrated on May 5th and I thought why not share a few ideas that are easy and fun...ideas that are right at your finger tips or will be! So let's get started and celebrate

Cinco de Mayo!

But first a little history...

Cinco de Mayo or May 5th is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army's 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). i believe that the Mexican Army was not expected to win, but they did...so....time to celebrate!

🌟 How about dancing to the beat with Maracas?

You can easily make these spoon and egg maracas and perhaps you might want to make it a STEAM activity. Simply give each partner 4 spoons, masking tape and egg and some beads and tell them that they will be creating a musical instrument to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

🌟 Perhaps you want to have a little fun with some STEAM Musical activities:

Plastic spoons
Beads
Yarn or string
Sturdy plastic or China Made paper plates
Plastic eggs
Any other materials that you can think of that when combined might make noise.

Set up partners.
Tell the class that the challenge will be to create a musical instrument to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
Give each partnership a planning sheet to draw and decide what they might use to create the instrument.
Instruct your class to choose some materials to create their musical instrument to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
As you circulate or observe children experimenting with the materials provided to create their musical instruments, use the following questions to encourage learning:

Why did you choose those materials to create your instrument?
What kind of instrument are you creating?
How did you decide what instrument to make?
Did you choose any additional materials? Why?
Did you put back any materials that you originally selected? Why?
Show me how your instrument works.
What changes did you make when creating your instrument?
How did these changes affect the sound of your instrument?
Did the changes work? Why or why not?
Do you like the sound that your instrument produces? Why or why not?
Was this hard or easy for you? Why?
What have you learned about making a musical instrument?
If you had the opportunity to do this again what would you change and why?

🌟 Why not try a recipe that you can make with your kids at home or in school?

Have you ever tried Walking Tacos? They are easy and fun to make!

🌟 Here are some "Fun"tastic paper tacos to make:

I think your class would love making these tacos with or without reading the book....they look so yummy...almost good enough to eat!

🌟 How about this cute paper bag poncho?

Just imagine all those kiddos walking out the door wearing their decorated sarapes?

🌟 Your class might enjoy making their own piñatas!

Fill them up with sweets and let the party begin!

🌟 All that is left now is to share some great books about this fun holiday:

So there you have it...some fun ideas to get this holiday party started....Pick a book, add a little history, food, music and crafts and you have got yourself a great holiday celebration!

What ideas to you use to celebrate this holiday?

The air is feeling warmer...maybe....and you begin to witness signs of spring. Buds begin to pop their heads from under the soil, trees are beginning to show a tinge of green, the air smells a bit different, but you can't really decide on the fragrance and as a teacher, you want to open up your outdoor classroom and and feel that spring springing all around you and let the outdoor learning begin.

If you want to use those beautiful spring days for learning, here are a few indoor and outdoor ideas to add a little spring to your day!

🌷 Bring your students outside:

Grab those clipboards and take a walk outside to observe signs of spring!

Make sure you grab these sheets so your kiddos can observe spring using their senses. This Free Spring Fun Free Activities can be downloaded here:

Before you go outside have your students brainstorm and predict what they might, see, hear, smell and feel (advising not to touch nature that might not work for touching!)

Then go outside and have them write alone or with a partner their observations through their senses. At some point, stop and have everyone be silent for a minute or two( if that is possible😃) and listen for sounds they hear. It is amazing what can be heard!

Kids love to share what they discovered so, once you come inside, set up sharing partners and small groups. Have them share their ideas from their sensory walk and then call all groups back together and share out what they discovered, check their predictions, have them share out what they liked or didn't like, their feelings about spring and anything else that might come up! Oh and don't forget to save those clipboards for use with later ideas...actually I have one listed below!

🌷 Read outside:

Bring you class outside to read at the end of the day or anytime. Have your students pick books at some point during the day and either read alone or read with a partner.

Find a cozy spot outside your building, provide some beach towels or blankets and read for 15-30 minutes. if you want you can assign a focus for their reading.

Some focus examples might be...today we are focusing on ___________ be prepared to share out after reading time is completed:

Is your book fiction or nonfiction...how do you know?
Is there a problem? If so what was the problem and how was it solved.
Describe how this story made you feel. Why did you feel that way.
Did you like this book? Why or why not? Explain your thinking.
What was something you learned from this book, chapter, story.
As you were reading, did you make a prediction? If so share about the prediction you made. Were you correct with this prediction?
Share about your favorite part of the story. Why was this your favorite part.
Read a few sentences from your story with expression...like you are on TV.
What questions would you like to ask the author?
Name an event or something from the book that surprised you.
Name an event or something from the book that was interesting.
Quickly turn to a partner and state one sentence that happened in the beginning, middle or end. Can you share some thing from each part...BME?
Which character did you like best and why? or Tell us about a fact you learned that you liked.

You get the idea...all types of questions can be integrated and you might even have a little informal assessment going on at the same time and a bit of data collection!

🌷 Write some Spring Poems:

There are a few ways to motivate your students to write some spring poems. First of all you need to know that I LOVE writing and poems are my fave! I am jumping up and down just thinking about sharing my ideas!

Okay...use the sensory walk to motivate your students to think about and describe spring or if you cannot go outside to complete the walk and you still want to write, choose a book about spring to read to your class. If you go with the book idea, have your kids lay down on the rug or sit at their seats with their eyes closed in order to visualize the story...so...make sure you choose a book that describes spring. As they visualize, you can stop reading every so often...I call this "A 3 Minute Pause" so they can share out what they saw or visualized. using the same sheet used for the Sensory Walk, have them fill in some of the sheet and then continue on in this fashion.

Here are some ideas for Books about Spring!

Now that everyone is full of spring excitement, you can begin to collect words or phrases that describe spring (adjectives). One way to do this activity is to simply brainstorm adjectives and write them on your board and keep them up for use during poetry writing.

BUUTTTTT...this is the way I would do it: Divide your class into small groups. Assign a scriber to write down the groups' ideas on large chart paper or poster board. Then, in cooperative groups or partners, if that works better for your students, have them brainstorm their adjectives to describe spring and write them on the board. After a certain time frame, have the groups share out their ideas.

Now everyone is ready to write some poems...I can hear you right now..."just write a poem?"

No...it is not that easy...simply use these resources that were created just for YOU!

You can snatch up this freebie here.

If you are looking for something a little easier, then simply grab these ready to print and use spring poetry frames.

🌷 Snap some Pictures:

I love using photos to encourage kid's writing and I especially enjoy when I take seasonal pictures or snap photos during field trips or our day and give partnerships pictures and sticky notes and ask them to write captions.

It is the best...to see what they write!

So...why not take a walk outside with your kiddos and ask them to help you find some signs of spring so you can snap a few pictures to capture the season.

After you develop the photos or print them out, divide your class into groups or partnerships and give a photo to each group. Don't forget a sticky note so they can write captions!

Take the notes and the photos, type the captions that belong to each photo, compile into a book and voila....you have created an "All about Spring" class book! I bet it will be a hit in your classroom...mine always were!

🌷 Snatch up some Great Spring Themed Ideas:

Of course I am going to start with some of my own resources...because...well...this is...you know...my post! 😁 No worries...I will also show you where to find lots of other spring resources!

So...drumroll please:

You might want to try out these Spring Themed Literacy Stations.

Maybe this will make your classroom acting like spring has sprung! Spring Charades Dollar Deal

What's Included:

♥ Original Reader’s Theater Poem
♥ Original Reading Response Sheets/Frames
♥ Pick a Book from the Book Bouquet frame
♥ Writing Prompts for Beginning Spring Ideas
♥ Opinion Writing Frames for Spring Ideas
♥ Spring Words ABC Order
♥ Word Wall Spring Flower Frame to Write sight Words or Spelling Words
♥ Word Work Spring making Words
♥ Noun, Verb, adjective Sort using Spring Words.
♥ Spring Syllable Sort 1,2,3 and 4 syllable Spring words

This is a great game to play anytime you need a little action to the day.
Ideas for Use:

Morning Meeting Game
Reinforcing Verbs
Brain Breaks
Spring Party Games
Indoor Recess and MORE!

Need to add a little Fluency to your day? These Spring themed Sight Word Fluency Strips using Fry's First 100 Words Including End Marks for Inflection will definitely fit the bill!

Some Ideas for Use:
✿These phrases can be laminated, cut and put on a ring to have partners practice during free time.

✿ Send home for Homework practice or make one for everyone and have a Fluency Free Time where students practice and then pick a few phrases to “perform” for the class like they are on television.
I even made a 12x18 “TV” out of cardboard to hold up in front of their faces as they read. You can also use a puppet theater for the performance.

✿ However you choose to use these phrases, your students fly into fluency and the more they practice, the more fluent they will be!

Looking for some other Spring Ideas? Just click through to my collaborative Pinterest Boards and have a bit of fun checking out all the resources right here!

So as soon as the weather changes and you can feel that Spring has Sprung, grab those clipboards and scoot outside to enjoy learning! ENJOY! Comments are welcome. please add your ideas in the comments!

If you live in the Northeastern part of the United States, even though we are nearing spring,you will agree that we have had beautiful spring weather one day and a snowy blizzard the next!

This can really confuse nature...some trees never lost all of their leaves and others show buds ready to burst open and announce that spring is here!

So for that reason this post will focus on some snowy resources that you can use any day whether it is frosty or sunny!

So with Punxsutawney Phil predicting 6 more weeks of winter, here are 3 Fun Snowy Resources and Ideas for your Early Learners:

1. Bring the Snowman inside with this fun maze worksheet. For more creative preschool activities, go to Education.com!

At first glance you might think...this is just a simple maze, but do you all the benefits of children completing mazes and the skills involved?

⛄ Tracking:
Following a maze allows emergent readers to practice tracking skills and adds to eye development. I had a few children in my previous classes who had difficulty tracking left to right when reading and a developmental ophthalmologist suggested doing mazes!

⛄ Hand Eye Coordination:
Mazes also provide support of hand and eye coordination which supports the ability to pick up, grasp and manipulate objects. As the hand moves the eyes and brain have to ready to make the turns to coordinate with the eyes. Throwing a ball against a wall and then catching it is another idea to support this skill.

⛄ Brain Development:
Following mazes support developing both sides of the brain. When brain dominance has not been developed and there is a mixed dominance, mazes help the brain to figure out a dominant side or can also develop both sides.

⛄ Fine Motor Skills:
Mazes also develop fine motor skills. When you complete a maze you need to move precisely between the lines of the maze to completion. This pencil/paper skills helps children write more carefully and use movements with the wrist, hands and fingers to coordinate the fine motor movement and support coordination.

Have I convinced you to grab up this maze for your kiddos?

2. Ignite your Kinders or Firsties' Imagination with this fabulous book "Snowmen at Night" by Caralyn Buehner and See Where the Creativity Goes!

⛄ A Wonderful Youtube Video of this Story:

A Youtube Video of Snowmen at Night set to music and the words are sung to an original tune. This is a great way to motivate your students and engage them in the story!

⛄ A Differentiated Snowman at Night Craft and Writing Activity:

If you are looking for a fun, engaging way to encourage your Kinders or Firsties to write creatively, this will definitely fit the bill and can be found right here.

Here is what is included:

⛄3 different sized circles to trace and cut to make a snowman. These can be used as tracers or simply run them off onto card stock, cut and glue.

⛄Various templates for hats, shirts, a tie, and bow

⛄2 easy writing frames.

⛄1 longer writing frame for stronger writers with handwriting lines.

⛄1 longer writing frame for stronger writers with only lines for writing.

⛄1 planning sheet for jotting down ideas.

⛄ 2 Beginning Middle and End frames for easier writing or just simply writing what the snowman may do for a rough draft and then writing a good copy to display.

⛄I then add lots of beads, scraps, tissue, shape stickers, and all kinds of craft media materials to assist creativity.

⛄An idea with an outline of directions for a lesson.

⛄Sample craft.

3. Have some fun with Snow Dough!

⛄ All kids love snow or at least most of them do...

If they have ever played in snow, they will remember the cold crackling feeling of making a snowman, snow angel or snowball.

You can make snow dough with simply 2 ingredients...YES...I did say 2. Baking soda and water. All you need is one cup of Baking soda and 1/4 cup of water and you will bring that cold snow right into your classroom.

Here are a few ideas to use this in your classroom:

⛄Make it and simply let your kiddos play with it...this "snow" feels cold, which makes it even "cooler" to manipulate. This is great for sensory needs and you can talk a little about Science!

⛄Create a snowman. Name the snowman and use a frame from the packet above or you own frame to write a story about your snowman.

⛄Create a snow scene by adding small trucks, people, cars, houses etc.

There you have it...a few FUN WAYS TO BRING THE SNOW INTO YOUR CLASSROOM OR HOME! Don't wait too long...it will be spring before you know it!