Halloween Centers and Activities

I do not have an extended list of ideas yet because I do not typically do holiday centers too much time before the actual Holiday. I am sure I will as I gather more ideas and create more lessons and activities. For now this is my list of activities I do or have done in the past.

Literacy Activities:
Halloween Alphabet Cards - match upper and lower case letters
Halloween Bingo - practicing beginning sounds with Halloween pictures (created by Kaelynn W.)
Costume Sentence - students copy my sentence "I am a ______ for Halloween!" They write it in a little lined pumpkin. The pumpkin gets cut out by a parent volunteer. Pictures are taken of each student in his/her costume. Then I put it all in a book so the kids can enjoy and read all year long!
Halloween Compound Words Game- I found this as a free download on TeachersPayTeachers - used for my higher reading Kindergartners as a fun introduction.
Pumpkin Life Cycle Cards - sequencing practice (found somewhere years ago)
Reading of Halloween Books

Math Activities:
Pumpkin Seed Counting - The student puts his/her right hand in a pumpkin and pulls out seeds. They count the seeds and right the number (with assistance) on the right hand on their paper. Then they repeat with their left hand and record number.
Pumpkin Measuring - I have 5 pumpkins labeled 1-5. The students put the pumpkins in order of the smallest to the fastest around. They then measure around the pumpkins with sewing tape measurers and record on the laminated pages. They put the pumpkins in the correct order if any are wrong. Erase and leave for someone else!

Other Fun Activities/Centers:
Witch Broom Limbo
Pumpkin Bowling (little pumpkin rolled to knock over bowling pins or empty 2 liter bottles)
Pin the Pumpkin Face On the Pumpkin - A large pumpkin with velcro is hung up. Students try to pin the face parts on while being blind folded.

That's the beginning list - to be added to!

Brown Bear, Brown Bear Idea

I start the year by reading the popular "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle. We use the book as a Shared Reading and to practice colors. The first week of school, I take pictures of students and place them in a class book called Kindergartner, Kindergartner, What Do You See? (This idea was shared with me by my mentor and friend Stephanie P.) I read the book to the class with the similiar repetitve phrase. The students get to stand up when their name is read. This helps them learn each other's names! Plus they love seeing their picture! (PS - my students read that book every chance they get!) 

As the students become familiar with the repetitive phrasing, I then give my students their very own book. The book is Kindergartner, Kindergartner, What Do You See? except that the book allows them the chance to trace the color word 3 times, plus color the picture on the page. Then they enjoy reading their books to each other and taking them home to share with parents.

I have made title pages for Pre-schooler, Kindergartners, 1st and 2nd graders. I have posted Kindergartner, Kindergartner, What Do You See? on TeachersPayTeachers available for purchase. Click here to access it. (It is under Like Brown Bear, Brown Bear) I will post the student book template on TeachersPay teachers soon.

Purpose of this blog

I will be creating this blog to preserve my ideas for classroom organization, routines, lessons, and activities. I have taught upper grades and now Kindergarten. I am in my 5th year of teaching. I love to teach and love my students. As I switch from grades, I don't want to forget my ideas I was so proud and happy with in the previous grade, so I decided to blog them to keep them.

This way other teachers may use my ideas and benefit the kids. We teach to help our students become better and to learn. Everything I share and make I hope will be used for the good of the students. I will have pictures with those posts I feel need them. I have and will post free items on my blog and TeachersPayTeachers. Any ideas or lesson plans I feel are my best, I will have available for purchase on TeachersPayTeachers under Jessica Sheffield.

I can't promise how long it'll take to get so many of my ideas up on my blog. I'm a dedicated teacher, a dance teacher in my home, a tutor, and most importantly I am a mother and wife. Please bare with me as I get this blog up and my ideas posted.

I love using others' ideas as well in my classroom. Please share with me your blog. Any idea I use from someone else, I will post to their blog or at least give credit to that person.