Grinch Day 2018

Grinch Day is a fun day we have on the last day before winter break. We do a Grinch theme all week and then have our festivities on the last day of the week. We decorate the halls the night before. Kindergarten does a Polar Express Day so that is why the floor has train tracks. 

 

Our counselor used the overhead projector to trace the buildings and then the kids colored them in. 

The kids made the decorations for the trees.  

We rotate the classes around to each 1st Grade classroom. Each teacher does a different Grinch activity. In this class, they make Grinch Bags. 

Here they are making big Grinches.

In this class, they played Pin the Heart on the Grinch.

I played Holiday Bingo in my room. We cut and glued the bingo pieces on first and then played. You can purchase it in my store here:

Holiday Bingo

We always have a snack room when we do special days. This teacher helped students make Christmas trees with ice cream cones, green icing, M&Ms, and sprinkles.

See it on Pinterest here: Christmas Tree Treats

Another teacher made Grinch Dust. The idea is that you sprinkle it on the lawn to keep the Grinch away on Christmas Eve. 

Click here to see it on Pinterest: Grinch Dust.

The last room made a Grinch Card.

Click here to see it on Pinterest: Grinch Card.

We even had the Grinch come for a visit! 

This is me and the Grinch!

Finally, we watch the movie in our high school auditorium and have a Grinch snack.

Here is my 1st Grade Team. I am the first on the left. It is always a fun day! 

This is a fun Grinch Center that we did during the week. Click here to see it in my store! 

Dr. Seuss Week - Read Across America Day

Who doesn't love Dr. Seuss? Actually as a child, I didn't. They were not my favorite books, many without a storyline. However, as a teacher, I have discovered a love for them and have a week-long Dr. Seuss extravaganza in my classroom that culminates in Read Across America Day.

At the beginning of the week, I send home this note attached to a paper sack. The kids enjoy getting up in front of the class to have their peers guess what is in their bag.

Here's an easy craft we make to decorate our room-The Cat in the Hat. There are many hats you can download online. Then we use a paper plate and tear black construction paper to make his fur. I hand them from the clothespins on fishing line that I have hanging from the ceiling.  

Of course the most important part of Dr. Seuss week is the BOOKS! I have a bit of a book addiction. I've never counted how many I have but I know it is in the 1000s. 

My Dr. Seuss collection is no exception. I have multiples of some of the books so that I can use them in small groups and so that I can loan them to my team. Every year I try to add a couple to my collection!

Wacky Wednesday is always fun! One thing I do is put my message upside down! 

My 1st Grade team does a rotation during the Friday of that week as a culmination of our Dr. Seuss activities. Each classroom takes a different book and reads it and has an activity to go along with the book. My book is Green Eggs and Ham. I can read it really fast so that makes it fun for the kids. 

After I read it, we make a book page for a class book. I bind the pages and give it to the classroom teacher for their library. Here is the activity. I don't know where I got it and it doesn't give credit to anyone.

Here is a picture of my first grade team. I'm the 3rd from the left.

What do you do for Dr. Seuss' Read Across America Day?

Hundreds Chart to 120 Mystery Pictures 1st Grade Math Centers and a FREEBIE!

Do you need an easy and engaging math center for your first graders? I've got one for you. These interactive hundreds chart to 120 Mystery Pictures are a great way for students to practice number recognition and counting to 120 as well as how a 100s Chart works-the cornerstone of our base 10 math system! Each one contains a blank hundreds chart printable and number cards. 

My first grade students never get tired of coloring, and this makes it meaningful and fun! They love discovering what the picture makes. They will even do the same one over again the next time they visit the math center! Just print, laminate, and hole-punch the cards. For differentiation, you can put them in order to make it easier or mix them up to make it more challenging. Students find the number on the blank hundreds chart and color it the color of the border on the card. Here are my Hundreds Chart Mystery Pictures: 

This is a fun hundreds chart activity for a December math center. We do a Grinch Day so this is a great way to lead into that the week prior. 

We also do a Dr. Seuss Day and a whole week of activities before it. Perfect for a March math center. 

This tree hundreds chart is nice for April. I use it for an Earth Day math center but it can be used anytime! 

Whether Easter is in March or April, kids love this Easter Bunny math center. To differentiate for less-capable students, you can leave out the brown cards to make a white bunny. For higher learners, put the brown cards in. Either way it is adorable! 

I love making math centers engaging for my first grade students. Click to see them in my store:

100s Chart Mystery Picture Math Centers.

Get your FREEBIE by clicking here: 

Headfirst 120 Chart. 

100th Day Idea & Activity for 1st & 2nd graders and Kindergarten - 100th Day of School Book

How does your school celebrate the 100th Day of School? At my school, the first-grade classes rotate to each classroom and each teacher does a 100th Day activity in her room. This is my activity! 

Students gather on my carpet and we have a discussion about how much 100 is. We read some books from old classes to get ideas and we also brainstorm our own ideas for each page of the 100th Day Book. Here is what each page of the book looks like. 

Cover:

1st Page:

2nd & 3rd Pages:

4th Page: 

Here they are with their $100! Is it real Mrs. Bates?

This is my all-time favorite response! 

Watch the Video Preview! 

If you like this 100th Day Activity, you can purchase it on my TpT store by clicking here: 100th Day Book.