Fun Classroom Party Game: Plastic Candy Ball

Shauna at Seminary At 6 AM shared a fun game that would be perfect for any class party or end-of-year celebration. 

She took one small peice of candy and wrapped it in plastic wrap. After adding a few more sheets of plastic wrap to the ball, she put another piece of candy on it. She repeated this until she had more than 70 small candies wrapped up into one huge ball.

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Then came the fun part!

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The students sat in a circle and took turns taking off sheets of plastic wrap as fast as they could. The person right after them rolled the dice until they got a double, which meant that the ball was passed to them. If they unwrapped a piece of candy, they got to keep it!

A few tips: They used heavy duty plastic wrap {like this kind} since the regular Saran Wrap is too thin. Also, if you have younger kids, you could skip the dice rolling part and just have each kid take off one sheet of plastic before passing it to the next person.

Visit Shauna's site to see detailed instructions and more pictures.

What are some fun games you've used for classroom parties?

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This is just one idea that was pinned to the BEST Teaching Tips & Tools board on my Pinterest page. This is a awesome board full of TONS of creative ideas pinned by other teachers. Check it out:

Wanna join the board?

Do you sell your own teacher-created products? Have a teaching blog? Just love sharing interesting teaching pins with other teachers? Then this board is for you! It's easy- just follow these simple directions.

5 End Of Year Student Gift Ideas

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The end of the year is right around the corner (or, at least, right around the corner that right after that corner...or something like that!). Here are 5 creative ideas for end-of-the-year student gifts:

1. BEACH BALL SIGNATURES

I love this idea- in part for it's frugality (hey- gotta make those teacher salaries stretch, right?!), but mostly for how it is so personalized! This teacher gave an inflatable beach ball to each of her students. They took time on the last day of school to sign each other's beach balls with sharpies (here's some great metallic ones that would be fun to use!) 

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Here are some free Have a Ball tags you can use, courtesy of A Sunny Day In First Grade (Thanks!)

2. PERSONALIZED WORD ART

The Polka-Dotted Teacher (aka- Jessica) made a thoughtful-- and budget-conscious-- gift to give her students at the end of the year using Wordle and black frames:

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Read more about this idea here.

3. DVD OF PICTURES

The lovely owner of the blog Tenth Avenue South shared this fun idea: Simply burn all the pictures you've taken throughout the year onto a recordable DVD, pop it in a case and give to each student. Take it one step further and set it to music using imovie (mac) or Movie Maker (PC). 

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Oooh! I just got a picture in my head of a fun last-day-of-school viewing party where you can pop popcorn and watch all the fun moments you and your kids experienced this year. Love!

Here's the poem on the front in case you can't see it well on your screen: 

I'm glad I was our teacher,

I've come to love you so.

I can't believe the end is here,

I'm sad to see you go.

Remember all the fun we had

In all the things we did,

But most of all remember--

You're a very special kid.

4. PLAY DOUGH MAKING KIT

This simple summer-days kit includes flour, salt, and a Kool-Aid packet. Just combine them all with water and a bit of oil and wala! Instant play dough!

Read more here to find out how Rochelle made these cute packs.

Your student's parents will be sure to thank you for this sometime around July when they are trying to find something fun to do to keep their kiddos from catching a case of the dreaded Whine-itis ;)

5. BUBBLES (OR BUBBLE GUM!)

What a simple idea {but cute} idea.... and I love that it comes with a positive message too! Just attach this cute tag to a bottle of bubbles (or a bag of bubble gum for those of you teaching older kids). This would also make a fun gift to give right before you have a bubble blowing contest on the last day of school!

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*Sigh* Reading all of these cute ideas is making me get the itch to get back in the classroom...but then my almost-2-year-old gives me 'big squeezes' and I'm content to be where I am again. So I will just have to live vicariously through all of you and your classrooms. Have fun planning all of your end of the year festivities!!

Do you have a fun idea for end-of-year student gifts?

RAK: Make Quiet Signs for Testing Days

During my first few years of teaching, I read a book by Ron Clark called The Essential 55. Besides being an extremely entertaining story, Ron talks about 55 'life rules' that he imparted to his students each year. 

The one rule that really stood out to me was Rule 11: "Surprise others by performing random acts of kindness. Go out of your way to do something surprisingly kind and generous for someone at least once a month. " My students and I decided that we would brainstorm and do a RAK (Random Act of Kindness) each month at our school and it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable parts of our year. While not technically *random,* these act were a great way to teach my students the value of being kind to others.

Want to join the club? Each month, we are going to highlight a different RAK that you can do with your class. You can choose to do this or any RAK of your choosing. Don't forget to come back and share with us how it went! 


This month's RAK:

Make "Please be quiet" signs to hang in the hallway during end-of-year testing days.

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HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR DOING THIS RAK: 

• Use large sheets of poster board or bulletin board paper.

• Have kids work with a partner to make their signs. 

• Before they start, brainstorm a few ideas to help them choose an appropriate saying for their posters (no "Shut up! We're testing in here" posters for us, right?!")

• Check with your principle to find out if there's places they can or cannot be hung. Some states have rules about what can be displayed during testing. 

Click here to find past RAK ideas.

It's your turn now! Go brainstorm a RAK with your class or use the one found here. Then come back and tell us how it went! 

Do you have a good RAK idea? I'd love to hear them! You never know...they might just be featured on YTA in the future :) 

Personalized Student Gifts

The Polka-Dotted Teacher (aka- Jessica) made a thoughtful-- and budget-conscious-- gift to give her students at the end of the year:

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She used the free online program, Wordle, to create a word mosaic for each student. 

Here's the best part.... 

She had each student come up with one, thoughtful word that described each of their classmates and write the words down on a worksheet {you can find that worksheet here}. She then took the words, entered them into Wordle and ended with a present that complimented and encouraged each of her students individually. How sweet!

Want to try this in your class? Follow the instructions here to use Wordle to create your own personalized (and uplifting) artwork!

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This is just one idea that was pinned to the BEST Teaching Tips & Tools board on my Pinterest page. This is a awesome board full of TONS of creative ideas pinned by other teachers. Check it out:

Wanna join the board?

Do you sell your own teacher-created products? Have a teaching blog? Just love sharing interesting teaching pins with other teachers? Then this board is for you! It's easy- just follow these simple directions.

Making Summer Goals

QUICK UPDATE: Before we get to the post, I'd like to ask you to do a quick favor for me. I recently decided to take the plunge and put this blog on Facebook and Twitter...which is completely nerve racking for a social media novice like myself (my Facebook-addicted husband was so proud though, you guys!). If you could take just a moment and like my page or follow my twitter account, I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks!

  

Now back to our regularly scheduled program...

A major perk of being a teacher is the schedule. Getting an extended break in the summer can be a huge bonus for a busy teacher who is also juggling the roles of mom/wife/daughter/sister. It's the perfect opportunity to get caught up or even to get ahead of the game.

Here's how my summer usually played out in my mind:

(June)

Hallelujah! Summer's here!

I'm am going to get so much done this summer. Not like last summer- nope, this year it's on like Donkey Kong!

Yup, I'm going to be the most organized person you've ever met and get soooo much done....um, starting tomorrow. After all, I've earned a little break. I'm going to relax and read just. one. book. Then I will be super-productive ...starting tomorrow.

Wow, that was a great book. And whaddya know? It was the first book in a 8 book series! Great!

Wow, that was a great series. Just the way to end July. 

Wait?! What?! It's JULY? As in practically-time-to-start-stressing-out-about-school-JULY?!

Oh my gosh. I've GOT to get movin' on my to-do list. The kid's clothes need to be sorted, the flower bed needs to be weeded, not to mention that I haven't even THOUGHT about organizing the random pile of crap guest room! 

This is too much to think about! I need to go take a nap. Yup, I'll need a good nap so I'll be refreshed and ready to dig into my list tomorrow. 

Yeah, that's it: I'll think about it tomorrow.

Please tell me I'm not the only one that went through that every. single. summer? No? Oh good!

I don't know about you, but I accomplish more when I see a list of things I need to do. There's something about being able to actually cross something off a list that makes me that much more motivated to get things done. (And yes, I have been known to write something down on a list that I already completed just so I can cross it off. Sad, but true.)

So, for all you fellow procrastinators, it's time to put down the umbrella drink and grab a pen. We're going to get some summer goals on paper once and for all! I can't guarentee they'll get done (hey- that one's in your hands!), but it's a start.

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Here's are some categories you might want to include on your Summer Goal list:

Cleaning: Shudder. Not a huge fan of this one, but it's a necessary evil. Think of a few things that need to be on a yearly or semi-yearly basis. Add those to your list. (Ex: clean behind the stove or refrigerator, change the ac filters, get carpets cleaned, etc.)

Organizing: Now this one is more up my alley. I'm not known for being the cleanest person, but I tend to lean towards having my things organized (our dvds might be covered in dust, but hey- they're alphabetized!) ;) What needs a little extra straightening up in your house? A closet, drawer, or box in the basement? A room? A better system for planning meals or keeping track of your family's activities? Add those!

Family: Now we're getting into the fun stuff! Creating fun families memories should be a priority this summer. Brainstorm a few small (or big) actitivites you want to try to include this summer. Family vacations? Trips to the library? A backyard sprinkler afternoon? Check out some fun, budget friendly ideas from Inner Child Fun.

Marriage/Relationship: Now's the time to focus on that special someone. Think of a few ways you could show him or her that they mean the world to you. The Dating Divas is a favorite site of mine that gives a variety of creative ways to spread the love- check them out!

School: I couldn't very well leave this one out, now could I? Brainstorm a list of things that you could do this summer that will make your school year run a little smoother. It could include things like freezer cooking for easy school-night dinners or planning out the curriculum for the entire year. Need a idea of where to start? Check out our Summer Challenge Series.

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The Next Step

Take your whole list and organize it in order of importance. Put the higher priority ones at the beginning of your list and the lower priority ones towards the end. Aim to get all of them done, but expect to let a few fall through the cracks. After all, it's summer!

I hope you all have an enjoyable- and productive summer!

End-of-Year History Project

Want a fun way to wrap up your Social Studies year? I've created a project that gives your class a creative way to review the entire year's worth of material. I used it in my own room and it was always a hit with both the kids and the parents. Check it out:

Review each of your standards using a fun activity that will creatively engage every student in your class!

This end-of-year activity allows students to work in teams to create a project. The great part about it is that they get to choose their topics and type of project. Research shows that when a student chooses what he/she will study, they are more likely to retain the information and put forth greater effort. 

I have implemented this project for several years and have always been pleasantly surprised at the quality of work my students exhibited, as well as the enthusiasm they had for their projects. (Some memorable projects were a civil war movie that was shot "on location" and a VERY creative scrapbook on the Revolutionary War.) The best part was how interested the other students were in seeing each team's projects. They were reviewing an entire year's worth of social studies without realizing it!

This 3 page packet guides students through choosing a topic that you have covered this year in social studies. It also assists them in choosing a way to present that topic. Some choices given are to create a newspaper, create a scrapbook, create a play, create a book, create a poster, etc. 

Students work at their own pace to complete the project in class. At the end of the given time, they are asked to present the project to the class. Students in the audience will use the project presentation form provided to record facts that they learned during each presentation.  

ANY topic or curriculum can be used with this end-of-year project. 

This packet includes:

- Detailed Teachers Notes to help you implement this activity.

- A student project page to guide student through choosing and creating their project.

- A student project presentation form to record facts from other teams' presentations. 

Some Comments from TeachersPayTeachers Customers:

Strykermom: love the idea on an end of year project to culminate the lesson learned

Courtney Dubord: I can not wait to use this with my kiddos this year!! I know it will make it easier for them to understand the millions of topics we will be covering this year! THANK YOU!

Make History Fun: A great review!

Jennifer Nash: I use it every year!

Other social studies units in my store: 

To see more great classroom resources, you can visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or my Teacher's Notebook store. 

Want to know when I'm running a sale or posting a new product? I'd be super excited if you'd follow my store or subscribe to my feed!

Fun End-of-Year Activity: ABC Days

The end of the year is creeping up on us! I always looked forward to it for a variety of reasons. Besides the obvious (summer.summer.summer.summer.summer), I loved doing an activity called ABC Days with my students. I assigned one letter to the last 26 days of the year and we did one activity per day that started with that letter. For example, B might be Bubble Day and we'd chew gum and blow bubbles during reading time and play with bubbles during recess. 

The only downside to ABC Days was all the organization that had to go into it to create them. 

But it's your lucky day! I've created a resource that makes implementing an ABC Days program into your classroom fun and easy! It has a calendar that you can customize to your schedule, as well as a parent information letter and a bunch of fun ideas for each day's letter!

You can check out my ABC Days here:

Some Comments from TeachersPayTeachers Customers:

stevelyn: I wish I had found this a lot sooner but I am doing this next year. Thanks

msguidry: Simple but fun ideas to keep kids motivated at the end of the year when summer is the only thing on their little minds.

pste7064: I love the different ideas.

To see more great classroom resources, you can visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or my Teacher's Notebook store. 

Here are some other End-of-Year Resources you might be interested in:

Social Studies Project:

Beach Preschool Pack:

Want to know when I'm running a sale or posting a new product? I'd be super excited if you'd follow my store or subscribe to my feed!