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Ice Cream Sounds! Short and Long Vowel Sound Sorting Activity

May 18, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Is there anyone alive who doesn’t scream for ice cream?

I’m sure there must be, but I have yet to meet a person who doesn’t.

My kids (like most kids) are fanatics for ice cream. One loves chocolate, one loves strawberry, one loves cake batter, and one loves cookies & cream (like yours truly).

With warmer weather on the way, I thought ice cream would be a fun theme for an early phonics resource: this short and long vowel sound sorting activity!

Fun Ice Cream Vowel Sound Sorting Activity

This is such a fun way to help students practice recognizing short and long vowel sounds as they learn to read.

And it’s available as a printable activity for literacy centers and a digital resource, so you can use in small groups or for distance learning!

Keep reading to find out how to get your copy. For more early phonics practice, don’t miss our printable Rhyming Word Puzzles too!

This digital and print ice cream vowel sounds sorting activity is a wonderful lesson for early readers! Use it online or as a hands-on activity at centers!

Ice Cream Sounds! Digital & Print Vowel Sound Sorting Activity

To use the printable version of this vowel sound sorting activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

This product includes:

Color ice cream cones for each short and long vowel sound
30 color ice cream scoops featuring CVC and CVCE words
A complete line art version
And a set of instructions!

To use this activity, print out the cones and scoops and cut them apart.

Before letting students practice, review the symbols for short and long vowel sounds – the breve for short vowels and the macron for long vowels.

Long and Short Vowel Sound Sorting Activity

Then let students practice reading each word aloud and listening for the vowel sound.

Ice Cream Themed Vowel Sound Activity for Kids

Now it’s time to start sorting sounds!

Each vowel sound has three matching word “scoops”, so students can end up with 10 triple scoop cones by the time they’re done.

Make it reusable by laminating the pages and attaching hook and loop sticky dots to the cones and scoops.

Ice Cream Short and Long Vowel Sound Matching Activity

Save ink by printing the line art version!

You can let students color the cones and scoops or print the resource on AstroBright paper (my personal fav).

Digital Ice Cream Vowel Sound Sorting Activity for Early Readers

Prefer to use digital resources for distance learning?

This vowel sounds lesson is available as a Google Slides resource!

Students can drag and drop the correct CVC/CVCE word onto the matching cone with the correct vowel sound.

Perfect for digital phonics practice!

Scroll down to get the digital or print version of this Ice Cream Vowel Sounds Lesson!

Check out these other learning resources for early grades!

Grab this printable Aquarium Arithmetic math practice activity and get a digital version to use online too! Great for helping students practice adding and subtracting in or at home!

These popsicle themed addition to make 12 puzzles are a fun way to practice addition facts at math centers! Perfect for early elementary math practice!

Help early readers learn to rhyme with these fun rhyming word puzzles!

To get your copy of our printable Ice Cream Vowel Sounds Matching Lesson, click the image or the link below to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

>>> Ice Cream Sounds! Vowel Sound Sorting Activity <<<

Or get the digital version by clicking the image or the link below!

Ice Cream Vowel Sound Sorting Activity Digital Product

>>> Digital Ice Cream Vowel Sorting Lesson <<<

Want both? Score the print and digital versions as a bundle!

Just click the image or link below to pick up both versions of this resource!

>>> Digital + Print Ice Cream Sounds Bundle <<<

3D Paper Dolphin Craft for Kids

May 14, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Atlanta is home to the Georgia Aquarium – one of the largest indoor aquariums in the world.

We’ve gotten to take our children there a few times and they were always thrilled to see such incredible marine animals up close.

One of the attractions there is a live dolphin show, which we got to attend. And that was when I learned that dolphins are incredible creatures.

They can be trained to do amazing stunts, they communicate with one another, and they are extremely intelligent.

Plus, they’re beautiful to look at.

I thought a dolphin-themed art activity would be a nice summer project for the kids, so here’s a 3D paper dolphin craft you can make with little ones!

This is such a cool art project, because it stands up on its own. So kids can keep it after they’re done.

(Between you and me, our refrigerator door simply cannot hold any more works of art.)

Get the full dolphin craft instructions below!

And, for another ocean art project, try our Coffee Filter Jellyfish Craft!

Make this fun and easy 3D paper dolphin craft for a fun art project to share with kids! Great for a summer art activity!

What Supplies Do You Need to Make a 3D Paper Dolphin Craft?

What I like the most about this dolphin craft is that you don’t need anything fancy to make it.

You probably already have the supplies from working on other crafts. No last-minute shopping trip needed!

To make this 3D paper dolphin craft, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Start by downloading the Paper Dolphin Craft template. You’ll need this to print the shapes for making the dolphin.

After you’ve downloaded the printable, print it out on white paper. Then use scissors to cut out each piece.

How to Make a 3D Paper Dolphin Craft

Now it’s time to get crafting!

Use a pencil or a pen to trace each of the template shapes onto colored paper.

In this project, we used aqua for the body and inner fin, white for the belly, and green for the outer fin.

But you and the kids can use any color you like.

After you’ve traced each shape, cut it out.

If you’re using white for the belly, you can just keep the template shape you’ve cut instead of tracing it again.

Start by gluing the belly onto the bottom curve of the dolphin’s “body”.

Stack the inner fin piece on top of the outer fin piece and glue it in the center of the dolphin’s side – on top of the belly.

Glue the dolphin’s “eye” onto the head.

Add a shy smile with the ink pen, if you like.

Now it’s time to make the “ocean”.

Trace the ocean template shape onto blue paper and trace a couple of the “waves” onto light blue paper. Cut them all out.

Fold the blue ocean paper in half horizontally. Then glue the waves onto the bottom edge of the “ocean”.

Almost done!

Glue the dolphin onto the folded center line of the “ocean”. Make sure that the folded line squares with the dolphin’s middle.

The top of the dolphin should appear above the folded line.

Fold the ocean in half again to make a triangular stand and you’re done!

See how the dolphin stands up?

Let the kids make an entire pod of different-colored dolphins!

Don’t miss these other easy crafts for kids to make!

Make this easy toilet paper roll lion craft with the kids for a fun art activity!

This simple coffee filter jellyfish craft is a perfect easy summer craft for kids! Make a few with your little ones this summer!

Popsicle Plus! 1-12 Addition Puzzles for Kids

May 12, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Nothing says “summer” quite like a popsicle.

When I was young, there was a general store about 10 miles away from our house that sold Dreamcicles – a combination of orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream.

Every time the weather started to warm, I’d get excited, because it was almost Dreamcicle-time.

My kids love popsicles too, so why not add them into a math lesson?

Which is where these popsicle 1-12 addition puzzles come in!

With these printable math puzzles, early elementary students can practice adding numbers to make one all the way up to twelve!

Read on to see how to get your set of these printable arithmetic puzzles.

And, be sure to check out our Ladybug Number Word Counting Puzzles for more ways to teach math fluency!

Popsicle Plus! 1-12 Addition Puzzles for Kids

To use these printable popsicle addition puzzles, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper
Scissors
Laminator (optional)
Astrobright paper (optional)

This set of popsicle addition matching activities includes 24 individual puzzles: 12 color and 12 line art.

Popsicle Themed Addition Puzzles for Kids

Each puzzle has four pieces: three addition problems and one matching sum – the top “scoop” on the popsicle.

Popsicle Addition Matching Activity for Kids

Simply cut apart each puzzle and let students practice matching up the correct problems and sums.

This would make a fantastic activity for early math centers.

Laminate each puzzle before cutting it apart and you can reuse it as many times as you like.

This addition activity also helps students learn different ways to add to make each sum.

For example, you can add 3+3 to make six. But you can also add 5+1 and 2+4 to make the same number.

Printable Addition Puzzles for Early Elementary

If you need to save ink, use the line art version instead.

For a pop of color, print the line art version on AstroBright paper (my personal favorite!).

Printable Popsicle Addition Puzzles for Kids

Scroll down to get your set of these popsicle themed addition matching puzzles!

Try some of these other hands-on math learning activities!

Pick up the digital and print versions of these ladybug number word puzzles to help early learners practice number recognition at math centers or at home!

Pick up this bee themed counting one more and one less math center to help early learners practice counting on during spring!

These printable money games for kids are perfect for quick math lessons! Let students play them for a hands-on money activity!

To get your copy of Popsicle Plus! Printable Addition Puzzles, click the image or the link below to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

> Popsicle Themed Addition Matching Puzzles <

A Frog’s Life! Frog Life Cycle Sequencing Activity

May 11, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Growing up out in the country, I didn’t see many frogs. We saw a lot of toads.

Which, to me, are some of the cutest animals ever.

Once I moved to the suburbs, though, frogs were a much more common sight.

They’re usually sticking to the door of our back patio. In fact, when we walk up to the door, we can almost see through their bellies and make out their internal organs.

It’s pretty cool.

Frogs go through an incredible life cycle, transforming from water animals to land animals in the process.

Which makes this hands-on frog life cycle sequencing activity a fantastic science lesson for kids!

Fun Frog Life Cycle Sequencing Activity for Kids

This is a simple way to teach students about how animals develop and how frogs, in particular, transform from living in one environment to another.

It’s also a good activity for teaching early learners how to remember sequence of events.

Keep reading to find out how to get your copy of this lesson as a print activity or a digital activity for distance learning.

And, for more life cycle lessons, don’t miss our Butterfly Life Cycle Sequencing Activity!

Teach students how frogs develop and grow with this printable frog life cycle sequencing activity! Perfect for hands on science lessons!

A Frog’s Life! Frog Life Cycle Sequencing Activity

To use this frog life cycle sequencing activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Frog Life Cycle Sequencing Activity for Kids

This product includes:

Two frog life cycle mats (one color and one line art)
Two pages of frog life cycle circles (one color and one line art)
And two completed life cycle mats (one color and one line art)

Let students cut out the life cycle sequence circles and then use the completed mat to learn the correct order.

Then they can glue the steps in the right sequence to show how frogs grow over time!

Printable Frog Life Cycle Sequencing Activity for Kids

If you use the line art version, kids can color the steps as they go along.

Printable Frog Life Cycle Sequencing Activity

Or turn this into a reusable activity for science centers!

Just laminate the pages and then add hook and loop sticky dots so that students can move the steps around as needed.

Scroll down to get your copy of this Frog Life Cycle activity!

Try these other science learning ideas for early elementary students!

This easy floating egg science experiment is so fun for kids who are learning about salinity! Great for science at home too!

These fun weather STEM activities for kids are excellent for simple spring science experiments! Simple enough for home or the classroom!

To get your copy of A Frog’s Life! Frog Life Cycle Sequencing Activity, click the image or the link below to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

> A Frog’s Life! Frog Life Cycle Science Activity <

Prefer to use this science lesson as a digital activity? Get the digital version below!

Frog Life Cycle Sequencing Activity Digital Product

>> Digital Frog Life Cycle Sequencing Lesson <<

Helping Hands! Community Helpers Writing Activity

May 7, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Community helpers are always a popular theme in early education. They have been for years.

I remember learning about mail workers, firefighters, and police officers when I was in nursery school myself.

These neighborhood workers are essential to our daily lives, so it’s only right that we teach kids about them as early as possible.

And, with this community helpers writing activity, you can add in a little ELA too!

Simple Community Helpers Writing Activity for Kids

This community helpers sentence writing activity is a fun way to use early writing and sentencing building skills to teach students about our local helpers!

You could use this as a one-time writing activity or place it at centers for repeated practice so that kids can work on them over and over.

Read on to see how to get your copy.

And, for more ways to learn about neighborhood workers, take a look our list of 20 community helpers books for kids!

Pick up this printable community helpers sentence writing activity to help early writers learn about forming sentences and helpers in the neighborhood!

Helping Hands! Community Helpers Writing Activity

To use this community helpers writing activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper
Colored pencils
Laminator (optional)
Dry erase crayons or dry erase markers (optional)

Community Helpers Sentence Writing Activity for Kids

This writing activity includes seven community helper sentence practice pages, featuring:

Teacher
Trash collector
EMT
Doctor
Mail carrier
Firefighter
And Police officer

Community Helper Sentence Writing Activity

Each page includes a picture of the community helper, along with an example sentence.

Simple Community Helper Writing Sentences Activity

Students can practice reading the sentence on each page.

Then they can color the sentence, trace the sentence, and write it for themselves on the lines.

This is an excellent activity for teaching sentence formation, because it gives children an example of what a complete sentence should look like.

Point out that each complete sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a period.

Make sure that students include both of these elements when rewriting the sentences.

Simple Community Helpers Sentence Writing Printables

If you prefer, you can turn this lesson into a reusable activity by laminating the pages so they can be wiped clean.

Students can use dry erase markers or dry erase crayons to complete them again and again!

Scroll down to get your Community Helpers Writing Activity!

Learn more about these neighborhood workers with these activities!

Teach children how to identify community workers in both Spanish and English with these Spanish community helper worksheets!

Introduce kids to the helpers in your town with these kids' books about community helpers! Great for read-aloud time with early learners!

Use these printable Spanish community words flashcards to help kids identify places in the neighborhood in Spanish!

To get your copy of this Helping Hands! Community Helpers Writing Activity, click the image or the link below to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

Community Helpers Writing Activity for Kids

>>> Helping Hands! Writing Activity – Teachers Pay Teachers <<<

English and Spanish Hygiene Bingo Game for Kids

May 5, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Teaching young children how to practice basic hygiene is a major life skill.

We all have to learn how to take care of ourselves and others by learning to wash our hands, bathe regularly, and care for our teeth.

Little ones, though, don’t always find these to be “fun” activities. So they might just….not do them.

Which is why this English and Spanish hygiene Bingo game can help!

Fun English and Spanish Hygiene Bingo Game

This is a simple way to help early learners practice hygiene vocabulary words and play a fun game at once!

Read below to find out how the game works and how to get your copy.

And, for more basic Spanish vocabulary with early grades, don’t miss our Spanish Color by Word Activity!

This English and Spanish hygiene bingo game is a fun way to help early learners build hygiene skills!

English & Spanish Hygiene Bingo Game for Kids

To use this English & Spanish hygiene Bingo game, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Cardstock
Laminator (optional)

This product includes:

24 Hygiene Bingo game boards (4 copies of 6 variations)
Hygiene vocabulary calling cards (in both English and Spanish)
And instructions

Easy Hygiene Bingo Game for Kids to Play

Hand out the Bingo game boards to your students.

Each game board depicts nine different hygiene-related activities or items.

Printable English and Spanish Hygiene Bingo Game

Before playing the game, talk about what each item or action is called with your students.

Then it’s time to play!

Use the English or Spanish calling card (or both) to help students recognize hygiene-related vocabulary when they hear it.

The first one to get three in a row calls “Bingo!” and wins!

Printable English and Spanish Hygiene Bingo

If you’re playing this with ESL students, use either language version of the calling cards.

If you’re working with students who are learning Spanish, go over the Spanish vocabulary for each picture beforehand as well.

Scroll down to get your copy of this English & Spanish Hygiene Bingo game!

Take a look at these other Spanish early learning resources!

This fun Spanish color word activity is perfect for helping kids learn how to read and write Spanish color vocabulary words!

Pick up this cupcake English and Spanish number word matching activity to build number recognition with early grades! Perfect for math centers!

These Spanish color playdough mats are a wonderful hands on resource for early learners, Spanish language learners, and ESL students!

To get your copy of this Hygiene Hunt! Hygiene Bingo game, click the image or the link below to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

>> Hygiene Hunt! Bingo Game for Kids <<

Easy Lion Toilet Paper Roll Craft for Kids

May 4, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

When I was a child, I saw a cartoon that was set in the jungle. The animals had an issue and they decided to consult the lion for help.

The lion was seated on a throne and wearing a crown. Which suited him as the “king of the jungle”.

I still think of lions as the overseers of the jungle to this day. But it’s okay to make lions look a little cute too.

And this easy lion toilet paper roll craft is a super cute lion art activity for kids!

Fun and Easy Lion Toilet Paper Roll Craft

This would make a great activity for a jungle unit, especially since it only requires a few ordinary supplies.

It’s also a cool recycled materials craft, because it uses a toilet paper roll. Save a few empty rolls and make an entire lion pride!

Get the full instructions to make this easy lion craft for kids below.

And – be sure to read how to make a paper bag fox craft too!

Easy Lion Toilet Paper Roll Craft for Kids

To make this simple lion toilet paper roll craft, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

If you’re making this with a very young child, you might need to help him or her cut out the pieces of the printable lion craft template.

After you’ve printed the template, cut out the pieces and trace the outlines onto yellow, orange, and beige construction paper.

Cut out each piece of construction paper and you’re ready to get started!

How to Make a Toilet Paper Roll Lion Craft

Glue the “face” onto the center of the “mane”. Then glue each “paw” onto the bottom of each “arm”.

Finally, glue the “tail tuft” onto the end of the “tail”.

Now add eyes, a nose, and a mouth – and freckles, if you’d like.

You can either draw eyes on white paper and cut them out to add to the face. Or just let the child draw the eyes directly on the face.

Simple Toilet Paper Roll Lion Craft for Kids

Time to make the body!

Cut out a piece of yellow construction paper. Use a length that covers the toilet paper roll when wrapped around it.

Glue the construction paper to the toilet paper roll. You might need to secure the edges with tape.

Glue the beige “belly” to the center of the toilet paper roll.

Use glue to attach the lion’s arms to the top left and right corners of the “belly”.

Then glue the lion’s face to the top of the toilet paper roll, centering it over the belly and arms.

Finally, glue the tail to the bottom of the back side of the toilet paper roll.

The end of the tail tuft should be sticking up toward the mane.

All done!

Feel free to have kids draw a jungle backdrop to complete a jungle scene featuring their lion!

If you make this easy lion toilet paper roll craft, I’d love to hear how your kids enjoyed it!

Don’t miss these other fun animal crafts for kids!

These easy and fun paper bag woodland animal crafts kids can make! Choose from a paper bag fox craft, paper bag bear craft, and a paper bag deer craft!

Take a trip to the zoo with this cute coffee filter elephant craft for kids!

Snail Shapes! Shape Tracing Worksheets

April 30, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Do you ever see snails in your neighborhood?

Every now and then, the kids and I spot a few, especially after a heavy rain. Whenever we come across an abandoned shell, it’s always a newsworthy event in our family.

Snails are so fascinating for young children, particularly if they get to watch them as they move soooo slowly.

And that’s why I thought snails would be a fun theme for these shape tracing worksheets!

This early grades geometry activity is an excellent way to learn about a variety of 2D geometric shapes!

Read on to see how to get your copy of these shape tracing printables.

And, for more fun with simple geometry, take a look at our Shape Sorting Activity Mats!

This printable snail themed geometry activity is a fun way to teach early learners a variety of 2D geometric shapes!

Snail Shapes! Shape Tracing Worksheets

To use these shape tracing worksheets, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper
Crayons
Laminator (optional)
Dry erase crayons (optional)
Astrobright paper (optional)

This product includes tracing printables for 11 different 2D geometric shapes.

Simple shapes such as triangles, squares, and rectangles are included.

Printable Snail Themed Tracing Shapes Activity

As well as shapes with more vertices, such as stars, hexagons, and octagons.

Each shape tracing page includes the name of the shape (with a corresponding shape snail shell) and tracing shapes for students to draw over.

Snail Tracing Shapes Worksheets for Kids

If you want to use these at centers, laminate the pages and hand out dry erase crayons to trace with.

You could also put them on a ring and place them in morning tubs.

A black and white version is included, so you if you need to save ink, you can.

Or add a pop of color by printing them on AstroBright paper!

Scroll down to get your copy of these Snail Shape Tracing Worksheets!

Try these other ideas for teaching kids about shapes!

Make up this quick and easy shape car craft with the kids! Great for math and art in one simple activity!

Pick up the print or digital version of this ice cream shape sorting activity for students to use in or at home!

Teach early learners to recognize shapes all around them with this preschool shape sorting activity! Great for reusing at centers or in morning tubs!

To get your set of these Snail Shapes! Shape Tracing Worksheets, click the image or the link below to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

Printable Snail Themed Shape Tracing Worksheets

>> Snail Shapes! Shape Tracing Worksheets <<

Free Bug Printables Pack for Kids

April 29, 2020 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Happy spring everyone! I love this time of year.

The warmer weather, the longer days, the brighter skies – it’s all great stuff! It’s just the BUGS that bother me.

When I was a child, I was deathly afraid of almost everything that had more than four legs. (Except potato bugs. They’re adorable.)

But I’ve been learning to love bugs along with my kids, who think they’re awesome. So I thought I’d share a free Bug Printables Pack with all of you!

This would make a great science resource to cover before heading out on a nature walk.

You could also pair it with a unit about insects, spring, summer, or ecosystems!

Read on to get your copy! And don’t miss our fun list of kids’ activities about insects!

Free Bug Printables Pack

This free Bug Printables Pack has over 25 pages of insect-themed fun!

To use this set of insect identification printables, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Scissors
Laminator (if you want to reuse the flashcards in the future)

This resource includes:

A set of bug flashcards (labeled and blank)
Bug identification pages with color pictures and traceable names
And insect coloring pages

Students can practice reading the correct names for each insect and then tracing the names themselves.

Use the insect identification flashcards to help kids learn how to quickly spot common insects in the neighborhood.

And don’t forget to use the coloring pages for a quick art activity!

If you want to reuse this activity later, laminate the pages and let students write on them with dry erase markers. Perfect for science centers!

Scroll down to get your free Bug Printables Pack!

Don’t miss these other spring activities for kids!

To get your copy of our free Bug Printables Pack, click the image or the link below to download it!

>>> Free Bug Printables Pack <<<

Fun Math Books for Middle School

April 27, 2020 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

I have a rising sixth grader who HATES math. I mean, she hates it.

If there was a way to study only literature for the remaining seven grades, she’d be in heaven.

But once numbers show up on a paper, her love for reading goes out the window.

I wasn’t encouraged to pursue a mathematics-based career and I’m a literature lover, so I understand her feelings completely.

But I don’t want her to allow a discomfort with mathematics to limit her career choices, so we’ve got to find a way to make math fun!

Thankfully, there are a lot more resources for making math interesting these days than there were when I was a kid and I’ve gathered up a few today!

Check out this list of educational and fun math books for middle school to find some resources your kids might like!

For more fun with math, don’t miss our list of hands-on math activities to try!

Fun Math Books for Middle School

These books are not the only cool math books for tweens around, but they are some of the best. Especially if you have students who love to work with their hands.

If you like any of these, leave a comment and let me know which one!

(This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

1.Math Dictionary for Kids: The Essential Guide to Math Terms, Strategies, and Tables (Grades 4-9)

2.Math Doesn’t Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail

3.100 Math Brainteasers (Grades 7-10)

4.40 Fabulous Math Mysteries Kids Can’t Resist (Grades 4-8)

5.Janice Van Cleave’s Math for Every Kid: Easy Activities That Make Learning Math Fun

6.One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Math