Favorite End of the Year Activities: Weekend Warriors Link Up

We all want our kiddos to leave us on the last day with the feeling that this was the BEST. YEAR. EVER. Special activities during the end of the year countdown will make the school year one the class will always remember!

 The Weekend Warriors are here this month with a linky party to share some really neat end of the year activities. I can't wait to visit all of the blogs to get some new ideas to round up for my own list of fun things to do!

I'm here to tell you about my favorite EOY craft, a few fun indoor and outdoor activities and some easy to throw together, last-minute things I like to do with my class! 

Since we have not started our end of the year celebration yet, I will be flashing back a little (or maybe a lot).

These activities have always been a HUGE hit!

Let's start with my all-time favorite end of the year project. This one is from a giant leap backward in time!
This is what we made one year when I taught first grade:

 It's a class keepsake pillowcase!

 Every child brought in a brand new pillowcase. I created the class photo, poem and student names template and printed them on iron-on transfer sheets. Parent helpers did the ironing.

 Each student added their fabric paint thumbprint.

 The poem says:

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I count these thumbprints instead of sheep. 

And always remember the friends I made,

In Mrs. Moriconi's first grade.

I loved this class so much! :)
 The firsties on my pillow are college kids now. 
Wow! Stop that clock!

Now for some activities...

Here in Michigan, we make outdoor plans but always have an inside plan B in case we get rained out.

I'll start with some OUTDOOR FUN!

A favorite on a hot sunny day is a water balloon toss. 

 I am SO bad at tying balloons so we call on parents to come in to fill them. We pile the balloons up outside in big party tubs.

 Partners start close together and with each toss take a step backward until SPLAT! Afterward, we fill the tubs with water and let the kiddos go crazy with those big dollar store water squirter tubes. The teachers run for cover!

Some years, we schedule the ice cream truck to stop at the playground during our second grade picnic. 
 Kona Ice is usually a favorite around here.

 

Speaking of picnics, this year it will be a hot dog cookout!
 On the menu will be chips, watermelon, beans, brownies for dessert and lemonade. YUMMY!
We are going to have a lemonade tasting day and use this cute packet by my friend Aimee at Primarily Speaking.

I am so excited to try out these fun learning activities with my class!

 We do try to keep the last days mostly academic!

INSIDE, we always have a movie day. While the students are enjoying the show, the teachers get things like printing report cards done!
 It's a lifesaver! 

The children go to a classroom of their choice. We open four theaters, each showing a different full-length feature. 
We made tickets for the kids so we can still keep a normal class size during this time. 
Everyone enjoys some popcorn, Sprite and a large movie sized candy pack.

On the second to last day, we clean everything including the desks!  

To make our shaving cream fun more academic, I call out spelling words, math problems or a category of things for the students to write or doodle. 

Shaving cream must be a directed activity or we end up with more of a mess than when we started!

After the desks are cleaned, they get stacked and pushed to the outer walls.

 This is the perfect set up for LAST DAY fun!

One of the many things we do is to make a giant circle and play a round of hot potato and pass the beach towel! 

 When the music stops, the person with the towel is out. 
They step to the outside of the circle and watch the rest of the game!
 No one even minds being out! 

Then, we have a hula hoop contest!

Before we say goodbye with HUGS or HIGH FIVES, we take a trip down memory lane with a slide show of photos from the year. 
Then, we Go Noodle to HAPPY while dismissals are called so the teacher doesn't cry!! 
I do anyway. Every year.

This year we have added some new festivities because... believe it or not... it is MAP testing week. So, we are keeping the activities shorter, and easy to plan and manage.
I am calling it our end of the year extravaganza!

On Monday, the students are invited to bring in their electronic devices from home. On that day, some siblings are coming to spend the day in our room. They earned a reward ticket to do so! 

 On Tuesday, we will sign beach balls and then play with them outside. If the yearbooks are here, we will sign them on this day too.

Wednesday is bubble day. I picked up some one dollar bubble wands from Walmart. We are also letting the students CHEW GUM IN CLASS!!! They are getting Blow Pops!

Thursday is a campout read-in. The students spread out blankets and read by flashlight. 

The others I told you about but switcharoo day is when the students rotate through all 4 of the second grade rooms and we each do a different activity like a game, craft or experiment. They love having a chance to see another room and mingle with other friends. We number the students 1-4 and assign a number to each room.

After I made this schedule, we decided on board game day instead of switcharoo. 
This involves NO planning on our part, so it's perfect!  

 I'm also thinking of making glitter dough with the kids! Call me crazy... but it's a tradition we ran out of time to do this year.

This would be before cleaning time and then the mess would just... disappear! 
The custodians will never know. Ha!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you got a few new ideas here to use or Pin to save! 
Now, head on over to see what the rest of my Warrior friends are sharing on their blogs.

Please link up with us or leave a comment here with your favorite activity too!

:)

An InLinkz Link-up

Open House Ideas for Teachers: Weekend Warriors

Are you getting ready for an end-of-the-year open house? Maybe your school, like mine, welcomes parents with a back to school night in the fall. No matter when your open house is, this linky is for YOU! The Weekend Warriors are joining together this month to bring you all sorts of helpful and creative ideas to make your parent night *SPECTACULAR*! 

 I am here to share lots of ideas that I hope you can use for either a fall OR end of the year parent night. Be sure to PIN these to your Pinterest board and SAVE these ideas for whenever you need them! You can find all of the links to the freebies and projects shown here at the end of the post!

You're having company! Of course, you want your classroom to be as tidy, organized, colorful and cheerful as possible. Create a welcoming environment and a great first impression! It sets the stage for a wonderful evening! Try turning on a few lamps for mood lighting or getting a fragrance plug-in to make your room feel more like a home. 

Before parents enter the classroom, the first thing they may see is a bulletin board in the hallway or outside of your room.
 Here are two cute and very easy to prep ideas! 

Students might write about a few favorite things they learned during the year! 

For a back to school bulletin board, have students write a recipe for a successful year! 

 Once visitors arrive at your classroom, invite them in with a welcome sign! 

On a table near the door, have handouts, sign up sheets and other important things like donation requests :) available. I copy these signs on bright cardstock and display them on an easel stand.

Avoid awkward moments for yourself and parents that arrive early by giving them something to do! Parents can write down their hopes for the year, complete a Thinking Map about their child, or make a happy note or bookmark to give them. 

On your table or at the student desks, you may want to have out some memory booklets from current students or former students. In the past, I have had a few students from the previous year make an extra copy to have out at open house in the fall. Parents will love to see the expectation for work quality by exiting students and it also gives them a peek at the fun times ahead!

Another way to give parents a peek at the year is to have a photo slide show running on the SMART Board as parents enter!

  I set out classroom photo albums of years past too so parents get a sense of my teaching style and the activities I like to plan. I even decorate one of these All About Me Tee posters from Really Good Stuff so they can get to know the teacher better too!

Open house is the time for kiddos to SHINE! Want a creative way to showcase student work at parent night? 

 Have your students make a pizza box portfolio!

 Inside these boxes are all of the special projects and work samples that my students are very proud of! The boxes are a super keepsake that parents just LOVE! 

 If you are one of the lucky teachers (HA!) that gets to give an informational presentation, you might like the help of a PowerPoint to display on your SMART Board. Sometimes the excitement of it all can cause an enormous mental block, so this is a nice way to summarize information in a very professional way. 

With a PowerPoint, it is also easy to print handouts for parents that were unable to attend the session. This file is EDITABLE, so you can type in what you need to include. I already typed in a bunch of ideas in the slides to get you started! 

 Even though you are organized and all set with super ideas, you might still get the open house jitters especially if you have to SPEAK (choke)!!! The SINGLE most important thing to remember during any kind of parent night is to just be wonderful YOU- knowlegeable, enthusiastic, genuine and sincere.

Everyone loves a gift! At the end of your evening, send your visitors home with a small token of your appreciation. You can search my Pinterest board for some cute ideas for things like a bag of Pop Rocks or popcorn to thank them for "popping in". 

 But why not also send something along that will reinforce the learning in your classroom or for use over the summer??? Consider sending practice kits home with parents at open house. You can prep some game boards, flash cards, sight word lists and all sorts of goodies and just bag them up! Throw in a fun Smencil, a cute pencil sharpener, a book, a bookmark, some dice, game markers and you have a SUPER thank you gift!

Teachers Pay Teachers, Teachers Notebook and Educents are great places to find materials for your grade level. Check out places like Geddes or Oriental Trading Company for fun trinkets for your take home bags! I guarantee they will be a big hit!

I like to give my parents a little business card or fridge magnet with my classroom phone number and email so they can easily find my info when they need to contact me. 

I made these cute pencil shaped business cards from clipart by Creative Clips and just typed in my contact info. You can design your own cute cards at Vistaprint. 

  Wrap up the evening and leave your guests with something to think about like a special quote, a touching poem or... a bit of humor! 
 I'm sure you've seen this funny before...

SMILES!
 So when your parent night comes around, KEEP CALM and HAVE FUN! I always have to remind myself that parents don't really care so much about the fluff, or the specifics of the curriculum as much as they want to leave with the feeling that their child will be or has been loved, challenged and excited about school! 

    Thanks a bunch for stopping by for this edition of the Weekend Warriors! I hope that you found some new ideas here to make your open house a *night to remember*! 

Links to Resources

 You can find all of the printables to make a Pizza Box Portfolio {here}.

You can find The Write Stuff pencil craftivity by A Cupcake for the Teacher {here}.
Download Cooking up a Great Year by Miss Kindergarten Love {here}.
The parent wishes signs and slips from Funky First Grade Fun can be found {here}.
Grab my free welcome sign {here}!
  Open House table signs freebies are {here}!
You can download the Back to School Night PowerPoint presentation {here}!
 Free photo DVD covers can be downloaded {here}.
My blank bookmark patterns are {here}.
Pop Rocks treat signs from Cupcake Cutiees Party can be purchased {here}.
All About Me posters are available {here}.

7 Tips for Dealing With Teacher Stress: Weekend Warriors

On a scale of 1-10, how stressed are you at work?

Wish you could STRESS LESS?

Teaching can be SO intense! How well we handle stress can make all the difference in the classroom and in our personal lives. The Weekend Warriors and I are here to share some great ways we have found to deal with all of the teacher STRESS that comes with the job!

 I try really hard to avoid getting stressed out in the first place, but it happens anyway. Here are seven simple things that help to LOWER my stress level during the day, so I can be the best "me" at work and when the day is done. 

1. Talk it out and let it out. Fellow teachers are our ultimate support system. When I have a stressful "situation", the very BEST thing to do is to confide in my teaching buddies. Most times, we end up sharing funny stories and have a good crack-up over it. Laughter is good for the soul!

2. Just breathe. When I was having a stress attack the other day, my teaching partner reminded me about relaxation breathing. It really works!

 Count to 7 while you slowly inhale and then to 7 again as you exhale! Try it now!

3. Keep a special treat handy. I often reach for some secret stash in my desk drawer! It used to be dark chocolate, but my latest fix is Starburst Jelly Beans! I'm not normally the type of person that turns to food when I'm stressed, but a sweet treat is sometimes enough to give me a little lift and distract me from my worries! I'm sure a piece of fruit or some other healthier choice might be a better solution, but for now, I'm all about the candy!

4. Try an herbal tea. Aveda has a very soothing peppermint tea. They call it Comforting tea. One sip and it really does have a relaxing effect. I bought a small coffee pot to keep in my room so I just add some leaves to a coffee filter and brew away! 

5. Give yourself a break. A favorite break spot of mine is the staff restroom. :) That's all I have time for! I donated some nice soaps and lotions for all to share. I use the scented lotions and hand cream instead of the school soap. Doing that one simple thing gives me a NEW ATTITUDE! It's like a mini-spa!

6. Find a little escape and get back in touch with reality! It's so easy to lose sight of ourselves as people when we are so devoted to our role as teacher. On sunny days, during my lunch, I may go sit in my car with the sunroof open and turn on some music. It's nice to get away and have a change of scenery even if it's only for a few minutes. 

7. Exercise during the day if you can. It helps ease tension and stress. It gets the "feel good" chemicals in our bodies going! Our playgrounds have a nice long walking path all around them. While I supervise recess, I take a POWER walk! Sometimes the kiddos walk with me! 

My stress doesn't disappear completely with any of these tricks, but they definitely help! When the bell rings, round two begins. My job as mom, laundry queen, cleaning lady, cook and all of the other hats I wear can be stressful too. How I deal with that will have to be another post! :0 

 After work, I cannot wait to get home and put on my lazy lounge clothes like my new Weekend Warrior sweatshirt! 

AAHHH!

How do you manage your teacher stress?

 Leave us a comment and we can all learn some new tricks!

I can't wait to stop by to see the ideas the other Weekend Warriors are sharing.  

Click on the links below to read more from my sweet, stress-free (ha!) friends!

Primarily Speaking	A Sunny Day In First Grade	Creative Lesson Cafe	Crayons and Whimsy
The Tutu Teacher	A Burst of First

InLinkz.com

A Valentine's Day Gift Idea for Your Students

Happy (almost) February to all of you! The Weekend Warriors and I are back this month to tell you what we HEART for February to help you get a head start with your Valentine's Day planning! I am here to share a little something I came up with for a special made with love gift for students! It's something educational and definitely unique!

It's a Valentine bookmark with Scholastic books in a heart!

  :) 

 Why a Scholastic book order form?   

I wanted to decorate my bookmarks in a hearts, books and reading theme to go with the saying! 

 I had lots of fun painting! This was all done using only red and orange watered-down tempera paint. The background ink on the order form came through to reveal other beautiful colors. Once the papers had dried, I created a tracer and cut out some small hearts.

I made sure to trace in areas where a book cover could be seen.

I tried the designs out on various colors of cardstock, but ended up selecting white because the heart really pops! 

 Once laminated, the images get really vivid! 

 I think my kiddos will LOVE comparing their bookmarks with their classmates and looking for books they enjoy inside the hearts.

If you think you might want to try this idea out, all of the patterns, including the bookmarks and tracer heart, can be downloaded {here}. 

In the file, I also included some freebie bookmarks that can be printed on colored cardstock if you are out of time for painting this year. You can always color them if you like too!

I hope you can use them for your class or even use them with your own children to make a special valentine for their classmates! 

 I HEART how adorable the book order bookmarks turned out. 
 It is a one-of-a-kind gift that my students will use and hopefully keep! 

To celebrate Valentine's Day, we have fun-filled learning activities planned for the children too. It's not an official party day in our district so we have to keep it educational until it's time to pass out valentine cards. 

If you are looking for some fun academic activities for the special day, you might like this center for reading or word work! 

Check back soon for more February ideas and projects! In the meantime, you can find lots of ideas on my Valentine's Day Pinterest board.

InLinkz.com

Holiday Recipes for December Deliciousness: Cheesy Potatoes, Pineapple Cheese Spread, Hot Rum Cider and Poinsettia Dirt Cake

Hello my friends and happy holidays to you! I hope you had a WONDERFUL Christmas! The thing I love most about the holidays~ other than being with family and watching the kids open gifts~ is EATING my way all over town from one gathering to the next! Yummy food just happens to be our theme for this edition of the Weekend Warriors! This month, we are bringing you some December Deliciousness! I'm here to share some of my favorite holiday (or any day) recipes that you can PRINT and save in your recipe book! Here you will find an easy peasy side dish, a festive dessert, a tangy appetizer and an adult beverage too!

When someone in my family offers to entertain, everyone helps out and brings a dish. There are certain favorites that make their way to the table every time. My delicious favorite and the easiest ever thing to make is...CHEESY POTATOES! Oh, I could eat those potatoes every day of my life and never be tired of them! Do you love them too?

We ate them twice on Christmas Day! Once for brunch... and again at dinner! If you have never made them before, they are really easy! Just dump in all the ingredients, mix and bake! I usually make a huge tray and double the recipe for a party.  They can be made with all low fat ingredients and that means we can go back for seconds! :) The secret to success for me is using the Ore-Ida brand cubed hash brown potatoes. I have discovered that all hash browns are not created equally!

The kids in our family BEG for dirt cake (Oreo cookies, pudding and cream cheese) for birthdays and the holidays. I purchased a plastic pot and garden trowel that I ONLY use for serving up my dirt cake. This is my Christmas version. A plastic poinsettia stem or two peeking out from the cake adds a nice festive touch for any holiday party.

For the adults, a delicious holiday treat is some hot buttered rum punch! You can brew it in a large percolator or serve it piping hot from a slow cooker. Add a cinnamon stick and you have a wonderful warm, winter cup of goodness. It also makes the whole house smell nice!

My family loves this recipe for an appetizer that was shared by my dear friend and former teaching partner. It's one that was just told to me so I never do any measuring. It's just a mix to taste sort of thing! I serve the pineapple cheese spread with pretzel chips. I use almond slices on top instead of pecans.

source

All this talk about food has made me hungry! How about you?
:)

If you think you might want a copy of my recipes for your cookbook too, you can download a set of 3x5 cards {here}.

 I made a set in both color and black and white.