Today I am prepping all
activities for January 7th, our first day back to
school. Yesterday I introduced my New Years
mini unit on this blog. "P. Bear's New Year's Party", by Paul
Owen Lewis, covers the concepts of hourly time and numbers 1 to 12.
The unit begins by reading the book to the
children. To make this more interactive, I created
number cards with pictures of each guest animal. Twelve cards have
number words, another twelve display dots. I distribute the
cards evenly before I read the book. As I read about the animal
guests, the children put the corresponding cards into the top hat.
I made the top hat out
of two old Folgers cans of different sizes. I
used a small can and a large can. We buy small cans of decaf
and giant cans of regular coffee. Hubby only likes the strong stuff,
but I like decaf on a cold night. I save all the
empty canisters and use them for crafts and dry bulk
storage. I also save egg cartons for math, but that is a different story.
The next thing I tackled was assembling the time games. To
assemble the games, I used page
protectors to make a folder. I taped one protector to another.
This assembly allows me to fold the games and store in a large document envelope.
Game 1 requires place markers. I clipped colored paper clips to the side
of the game board. These will be the game markers.
There are three spinners to add for two games. I have several novelty spinners
already. I did not want to use my large spinners, so I
made spinners with a paper brad and paper clips.
How to make a spinner
- Pierce the center of the circle with a thumb tack.
- Place a small paper brad about half way through the paper.
- Tape the prongs of the brad to the back of the paper.
- Slip a small paper clip over the top of the brad.
Make certain the paper
brad protrudes
above the paper. Tape the end of the brad
down on the reverse side of the paper.
The brad creates a post for the paper clip to turn around.
If you need a longer spinner, then join 2 paper clips
together. Place a water bottle cap over the brad before putting the game away. The cap
protects the brad, so it doesn't get bent in storage.
Finally, I cut out the story sequencing puzzle pieces. The
puzzle board has clocks showing the time and an outline of the puzzle
piece. The puzzle pieces have animal pictures. The
child reads the clock and finds the visitor that arrived at that time.
You can download the free number cards from
here.
The mini unit is on my TpT store. Download the preview to receive a free
Polar Bear in Top Hat and Bow Tie craft.
The children are asking to do this activity.
Their enthusiasm reassures me that the first day on the new
year will be fun. This project takes
some preparation, but adds novelty to
returning to school after the holidays.. It is hard to get little ones
excited after the holiday festivities are over. I think this will do
the trick for us. Finally, I can take
a needed break.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Years.
Mrs. D
