Happy Star Wars Day!
May the fourth be with you! (May 4th!)
Picture Game Pieces (Katie from Little Falls)
Use pictures of the kids that you have taken and turn them into game pieces. When they play any game they can use their own game piece and they'll actually be moving themselves. *If you have the bases from Candyland or Chutes & Ladders the pictures fit nicely into those.
Make a Circle (Maren Wacholz)
(Tune: "Where Is Thumbkin?")
Make a circle,
make a circle,
1, 2, 3,
1, 2, 3.
All my friends are here.
All my friends are with me.
Singing Directions (Sandra Knap)
Sing directions rather than repeating yourself.
Example: Grab a milk and sit down for a snack.
Grab a milk and sit down for a snack.
Grab a milk and sit down for a snack.
Grab a milk and sit down for a snack.
*Add, "Just like Alisa. Just like Jonathan..."
Password (Megan Engelsgjerd)
Practice sight words or CVC words by placing a sign on your door that says, "What's the password?" Write a new word each day and the students have to whisper it when they enter and leave the classroom.
Word of the Day (Mairin Born)
Put a sight word each week (or day) in a clear nametag pocket. All week the kids must name the word or turn it into a sentence as a "ticket" to talk to the teacher.
Minnesota Spider (Barb Larkin)
(Tune: "Itsy Bitsy Spider)
The Minnesota spider when up the water spout.
Down came the snow and froze the spider out.
Out came the sun, but it didn't do a thing
and the Minnesota spider was frozen until spring!
(Tune: "Itsy Bitsy Spider)
The Minnesota spider when up the water spout.
Down came the snow and froze the spider out.
Out came the sun, but it didn't do a thing
and the Minnesota spider was frozen until spring!
Spiderman (Jessica Schmidt)
That's when the children need to "glue" themselves against the wall.
Friend Book (Barb Larkin)
Make a friend book at the beginning for the year where each child has a page with their favorite book, names of family members, favorite food, color, etc. Towards the end of the year play a guessing game where you give three clues about one of the classmates and the children have to guess who it is.
Mystery Person (Amy Keith)
Parents fill out a sheet of paper with five clues about their child. (Begin with generals and end with specifics.) The teacher puts the clues on sentences strips and covers them up. One clue is revealed each day until they figure out who the mystery person is.
Pretzel Legs (Tracy Hagen)
Children sit down with legs spread out straight. The teacher says 3 "p" words and when she says "pretzel" the kids sit criss cross.
Silence (Karen Reindl)
Tell the kids you're going to play "silence."
"Let's shake it out!"
Stand tall and still and hold up one hand. Slowly put up one finger at a time. However, if they make noise before that stop until they are silent again. When you get to 5 or 10 everyone can clap.
Behavior Management (Denise Clusian)
Place a Chutes and Ladders board on your wall. When the children deserve it they "earn a spin." As they make their way to 100 they may have a slide just like in real life. “Oh, well! We'll have to work a little harder.” When they reach 100 the class votes on what they want for a reward/party.
Rainbow Clap (Kammi O'Hara)
Start on one side of your body and clap in an arch over to the other side.
In Our State/Forest/Garden (Jessica Schmidt)
In our Minnesota forest, ole! (Students repeat.)
We have roots like these.
We have roots like these.
*Add trunks, branches, leaves (high voice), trees...
*In the garden use seeds, roots, stems, leaves, flowers...
Race the Teacher (Harriet Alido)
The teacher does three activities and then shows a letter.
The students have to do the three movements and then say the letter to win.
If they say the letter without the action, the teacher gets a tally mark. If they do everything correctly and say the letter they get a tally mark.
Keep changing actions to keep them engaged.
Self-Regulation (Sarah Mumaw-Flury)
Put your idea in your hand and hold it up.
Whisper your idea or the answer to the question in your hand and then hold it up. Release!
Mystery Bag (Janie Lundstrom)
Hide an object in a myster bag. Students have to ask questions to get clues about what is inside.
*Give clues, such as it starts with (sound).