Christmas-Themed Seesaw Math Activities

Some schools are F2F, some are virtual, and some are hybrid. Things are changing day by day. I don't know whether to make copies, break out the glitter, or get a ring light for Zoom teaching. 🤦🏼‍♀️ I truly don't know how to prepare. 

Something that actually occupies my mind and hands is creating Seesaw activities. It's quite time consuming because you have to insert each picture one at a time and I often have to remove backgrounds. I do really enjoy it though. 

Rather than reinvent the wheel I took one of my old products and decided to 2020 it! No, that doesn't mean ruin it, lol. I make it a digital Seesaw activity. I'm letting you know the printable was much easier but it's a good thing my tech skills have also improved over the years. So here it is--Christmas-Themed Seesaw Math Activities!

Click Here

 

Video Previews of 2 of the Activities: 

Addition/Subtraction December Freebie

Hey everyone!! I feel like I've been MIA for a while. December is a crazy month and like so many of you I've been super busy. Most of my blogging buddies have carved out time for blogging and creating and sharing and for that I'm envious.

Here's a quick freebie for you:

click here to get your freebie

I had a snow day on Friday so I didn't get a chance to bring my reading book home and work on my next weekly packet for Journeys. I did make one for Seasons that I finally posted.

click here

Included in this packet:

spelling practice pages (including challenge words)
identifying spelling words
3-contraction sorting pages
spelling practice test template
spelling pretest template
practice spelling test template
spelling test template
2 vocabulary test templates
spelling word stamping
spelling word graphing
vocabulary word graphing
use a spelling word in a sentence
illustrate the four seasons work page

the template is included in my Seasons packet

Almost Tis the Season

So before I share my informational life changing teacher post (okay....exaggerating a smidgen) I'd like to take a moment to scream at AT&T customer service and online chat. AHHHHHH!!!! I just had some questions but no luck getting a real live person to talk to me.

And deep breath in.....and deep breath out.....ah

This week is all about the turkey, the Pilgrims, the Native Americans, and Thanksgiving. For me it's a 3-day week where we're thrown out of our normal routine involving our reading series and I get to dive into a holiday in a 3-Day jammed packed way.

Well, yes I'll focus on November but I'm also going to start teaching my Letter Writing Mini-Unit so we can get our letters written, edited, and ready for the big guy.

Here's what I came up with last year

I have them remember the five parts by incorporating touch. 
Heading--Point to our our head
Greeting--Point to our mouth
Body--Point to our bellies
Closing--Snap our legs together like a soldier
Signature--Stick a foot out like you're pointing with your toe

After a few repetitions they start to pick it up.

You'll see in my Santa template page that it's not all about "I want". I encourage them to tell Santa about themselves, whether they've been naughty or nice, and to ask questions. Then, after that they can ask for three (or so) things that they'd like to have.

During morning meeting (calendar time) we add a question to Santa to our chart paper so they get an idea of what to write in their letter. (And it sneaks in teaching/reviewing asking sentences!)

The neatest thing is that once all the letters are 'mailed' I really bring them to the fifth grade teachers. The fifth grade teachers hype up the fifth graders and the fifth graders pretend to be elves and they write my kiddos back. So, about a week passes and I get a beautifully ornate envelope back from...SANTA!! The principal brings it in my classroom like it's urgent business. I read every letter to the firsties. (The fifth graders explain that Santa was busy so an elf wrote them back. They think of the cutest elf names)

Click here to get your freebie

I also updated some parts to my Christmas themed Math Centers

If you've already purchased just re-download.
You'll get:

Tens frame counting. All the numbers are 11-20. The kids will need to count on from 10 and match it with the correct digits.
Naughty and Nice True or False number sentences (w/ recording sheet)
Don't Get then Coal! Addition/Subtraction group game
Gingerbread Fact Families (with recording sheet)
Candy Number bonds (find the missing addend, subtrahend)
Santa and Mrs. Claus Time to the hour
Sum Milk & Cookies Matching addition and subtraction problems to answers


Laminator frenzy will be happening!

I also announced the winners to my 500 Follower Giveaway. I contacted them. If you have not received your prize or a follow-up email please contact me.

And to all a goodnight....

Just a little catch up.

Friday (12/21) was supposed to be our last day of school before break. Well, Thursday there was all this hub-bub about snow and low temps. Now, I love me a snow day and I get giddy with a 2hr delay. I figured that the talk was all hype and that since I knew about it nothing would happen.

I was wrong. I got a call just before 6am telling my that my district was closed.

I'll be truthful...I was actually a little sad.

No staff breakfast and gift exchange. :(

Here is my gift for my coworker for our school Secret Santa

No book exchange with the kiddos. (we each brought in a book and were going to exchange them)

My classroom tree. It was full of books on Thursday!

No pajama day--Polar Express Day---cococa (I bought new jammies!)

No pizza party at lunch (we'd won a fundraiser award and I was saving the party for Friday)

No Christmas party with the great room parents of my room that had been planning games for weeks.

We didn't get to take home our gingerbread houses or the salt dough ornaments we had made

But what it did mean was a morning of safety for myself, coworkers, and hundreds of children. It was quite cold and there are several roads that are definitely not main roads that were probably quite dangerous. I also saw on fb that some of my parents got to spend more time with their kiddos before Christmas, which is great. So, while I was a gloomy Gus for a while the good things outweighed what we missed. Who knows...maybe I'll just plan an awesome Friday for the week when we come back.

I did get to go to an ugly sweater party with some friends!

This picture is actually from last year (shh, don't tell I was too cheap to buy 'new ugly clothes'.) I'm pretty sure this is what I would have looked like if I would have taught in the early 90s.

Despite his sourpuss he's a happy dog!

I got these lovely slippers at a gift exchange!

My friend Tammy and I saw these cute frames at a friend's house. We're not sure what she planned on doing with them but we thought they were the perfect photo op. When I took the pic she teased about it appearing on my blog...so here it is Tammy. :)

In my behavior management packet I talk about a Personal Best (PB) board. I bring it out the week before a break or when the kiddos seem to have forgotten all of our hard work at the beginning of the year. They sign their classroom number and at the end of the week if it's full I do a drawing. (This idea was taught to me by my Mentor Teacher during student teaching, I give all credit to her!)

And since I added a picture of one pup I couldn't leave the other out.

Okay, this post was photo-heavy. I like seeing your photos so hopefully you enjoyed some of mine. Please enjoy your winter breaks and holiday time with your families. I'm going over to my parents' house in a few hours and then making delicious Christmas cookies this evening.

Salt Dough Snowmen

This is such a weird week. Our schedule is all out of whack. I need routine just as much as the kids...but on the other hand I like making stuff just as much as the kids!

I saw salt dough ornaments on Pinterest a while back and thought it was a neat idea. Since Michael's didn't have the supplies to make what I had planned I thought this would be a great opportunity to try something new.

I found the recipe on All Recipes . I read the comments and only put them in for 40 minutes. Mine varied in thickness but they're about 3"-4" tall. I made 18 of them.




Sorry no pictures of the dough...my hands were kinda doughy or covered in flour the whole time.



I added 2 coats of this for the shine.

Just a reminder....

My giveaway is coming to an end. Thanks to all the bloggers that are helping out and to all those that entered, blogged, and tweeted about my giveaway.

One more week until break. A lot of different things going on. In light of everything going on I'm going to spend less time counting down the time until break and more time appreciating my kiddos.

This week we made these Grinch craftivites I found from Deanna Jump last year.

Some more holiday stuff

I'm not sure when you guys get out for winter break but I still have two weeks. We normally start a little earlier and come back right after New Year's but with the way the calendar worked out this year it's different. I kinda like it. I like not rushing back at the beginning of January.

Anywho. With two weeks to go I have some things I'd still like to do with the kiddos.

 

click to enlarge and then right-click to save

Unfortunately when I went to get more of the clear ornaments Michael's this weekend they were out. :( I have a plan B in my head and I'll let you know how that works out)

Oh, and have I mentioned I'm 1 follower away from 200!?!

Letter Writing Freebie

Each December I teach the kiddos how to write a friendly letter. I really make it a big deal because we are going to send these to someone special. SANTA. I swear saying that word to first graders is like yelling "Look, Justin Beiber!" in a crowded mall, lol.

I have them remember the five parts by incorporating touch. 
Heading--Point to our our head
Greeting--Point to our mouth
Body--Point to our bellies
Closing--Snap our legs together like a soldier
Signature--Stick a foot out like you're pointing with your toe

After a few repetitions they start to pick it up.

You'll see in my Santa template page that it's not all about "I want". I encourage them to tell Santa about themselves, whether they've been naughty or nice, and to ask questions. Then, after that they can ask for three (or so) things that they'd like to have.

During morning meeting (calendar time) we add a question to Santa to our chart paper so they get an idea of what to write in their letter. (And it sneaks in teaching/reviewing asking sentences!)

The neatest thing is that once all the letters are 'mailed' I really bring them to the fifth grade teachers. The fifth grade teachers hype up the fifth graders and the fifth graders pretend to be elves and they write my kiddos back. So, about a week passes and I get a beautifully ornate envelope back from...SANTA!! The principal brings it in my classroom like it's urgent business. I read every letter to the firsties. (The fifth graders explain that Santa was busy so an elf wrote them back. They think of the cutest elf names)

Click here to get your freebie

Cyber Monday Teacher Style

TpT is having one of their sales and I'm throwing a sale on top of it! I'll be offering 20% off my whole store and TpT will give you an addition savings with coupon code "cmt12". (click the image below to check out my store)

Graphic provided by the fabulous Ashley Hughes...check out her blog if you haven't already. It's amazing!!

My Wish List is getting pretty full! I can't wait to unburden it on Monday/Tuesday.
Here are some things you may want to add to your wish list, too! (click any of the images to check it out, you'll see the sale prices starting Monday)

Click to check it out

Click to check it out

Click to check it out (this one is constantly getting updated at no additional charge!)

My Number 1 seller!

On another note....

My school does a Secret Santa with staff members and group of my friends does it as well. Last year I decided to organize my friend Secret Santa.. It was a lot of fun but there was no mystery for me :( I like the surprise. This year I found a 99cent app to do it for me. I clicked names from my phone address book (you'll need their email address if that isn't already in their contact info) and then I typed of a message and hit send. It did all the selecting and notifying by email for me. Loved it! I got my email and you can create a wish list to give your shopper ideas or your recipient can fill out one to give you ideas. I was hesitant to spend money on something I could do for free but the 99cents was worth the surprise and organization for me. Oh, and if someone forgets you can just resend it to them. (No, I'm not getting anything to endorse this....wish I were lol...it was just a good app)

Fa la la la la Com-mon Core

Admittedly that may be the worst Christmas carol....ever. lol

I have created 6 December/Christmas math centers aligned with the CCS. I cannot wait to get these into action.

I try to pull from what I'm doing right now in math and what my kiddos need practice with. Hope you enjoy! 

Click here to get this item on TpT

You'll get:

• Tens frame counting. All the numbers are 11-20. The kids will need to count on from 10 and match it with the correct digits.
• True or False number sentences
• Addition/Subtraction group game
• Fact Families
• Number bonds (find the missing addend, subtrahend)
• Time to the hour



Printed and ready to laminate!! (And then send home to my most lovely parent helpers)

Check it out on TpT!

And a freebie because Tis' Almost the Season

It's a Christmas Odd/Even..You'll sort the candies by odd and even numbers.

I was going to include it in the pack above but I wanted to stick with CCS.

Click here for your freebie!

November Writing & December Preview

I'm loving my November centers. The kiddos are liking them, too. Which is always a plus.

Here are two writing samples from my November Writing & Reading packet.

Yes, the secret ingredient is LOVE. lol

With some tweaks (definitely the time and temp) this could be good. Right?

And a preview of some Christmas crafts I've done (and will do again!) Click the picture to make it larger.

Hint...I kinda love gingerbread men....

This was my favorite bulletin board I've ever made!

The kiddos were so creative. I do show them an example and send a note home to talk about the different unique types of materials they can use. When they bring it back on Monday they do a quick show-and-tell and get a candy cane.

These smell cinnamony for years to come. Here is a link of one of the recipes I've used. It's trial and error sometimes. 

The type of paint I use for the ornaments.

Permission to Pin!
I have a few my craftivities from last year that I'll be sharing between now and December. (Teachers have to plan in advance!!)