Before reading today's blog I wanted to give you a smile. I know that some of you have already had 10+ snow days. Will you even get a summer vacation this year? If you've had enough ice and snow this winter, just insert your state in this song.
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!
There’s more to an envelope than just a place to put a letter! I recently did some of these activities at a workshop. A teacher said, "Please put them on your blog." Here you go!
Puppet
Cut the envelope in half and insert your hand.
*Let children make a puppet of their favorite character and use it to retell the story.
*Let children make puppets of nursery rhyme characters and use them to say rhymes.
*Let children make animals for science themes.
*Make puppets with different facial expressions and use to talk about feelings.
Phonics
Write letters on envelopes. Say a variety of words. Children hold up their letter if the word starts with that sound.
Sing this song to the tune of “Hokey Pokey”:
You put your (letter) in,
You take your (letter out.
You put your letter in
And you shake it all about.
You make the (letter sound) /_/ /_ / /_/
And then you put it down.
Shapes
Have children draw shapes on envelopes and then match them up with shapes in the classroom.
Play “Simon Says” with the shapes.
Simon says put the circle over your head.
Simon says put the square between your knees.
High Five Words
Write high frequency words on the envelopes. Children walk around the room reading words as they give a “high five” to their friends.
Question – Statement
Put a period on one side and a question mark on the other side. Children hold up the period if the teacher makes a statement. The question mark is held up for a question.
Fact – Opinion
Write “fact” on one side and “opinion” on the other side. As the teacher says facts and opinions, the children respond by holding up their envelope.
Pull and Read
Cut the left end off the envelope. Write children’s names on 9 ½” sentence strips. Glue their picture on the right side. Pull out one letter at a time for children to predict whose name it could be.
*Write sight words, vocabulary words, or sentences for children to pull and read.
*Write math equations with the answer at the end.
Word Puzzles
Write words (or children’s names) on the front of an envelope. Write the same word on a sentence strip and cut between the letters to make a puzzle. Place the letters in the envelope for the children to put together.
