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FREE 100th Day of School Activities

January 12, 2020 teachersbrain Teacher's Pay Teachers

The 100th Day of School is one of my favorite days of the year to celebrate! Students make necklaces with 100 Fruit Loops, play math games that equal 100, stack 100 cups to make a pyramid, make trail mix using 100 pieces of food and do 100 jumping jacks! I would request parents to send in free items for that week, if needed. My new favorite thing is the 100th Day Escape Room! There is a primary escape room and an upper elementary escape room. Students watch a quick video hook that has a mystery to solve involving saving a crime fighting pup! Students solve mysteries to escape open a box of surprises and escape their classroom to recess or the library! Sometimes, I couldn’t afford to purchase fun activities so I would search all of TpT’s FREEBIES.

If you are like me, you are always looking for some resources to add to fun celebrations that are easy on the wallet or FREE. This is why I teamed up with other TpT authors to give you FREE TEACHING 100th Day Resources at your fingertips! Click the photo of what you would like to download from TpT. Don’t forget to let the authors know how much you appreciate their hard work in your feedback on the product in their store so they are encouraged to keep producing freebies for you. Have fun!

FREE 100th Day of School Printables

100th Day of School Activity MOBILE FREEBIE

100th Day of School Activities Color by Number & Writing Pages FREEBIE

100th Day of School Writing Prompt (Before I'm 100 Years Old, I Want To...)

FREE 120th Day of School | Read and Color to Follow Directions and Math

FREE 100th Day Mini Activity Page Series Pack {Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs}

Click here for MORE 100th Day of School Ideas!

100th Day of School Ideas

January 27, 2018 teachersbrain Teacher's Pay Teachers

Here are some of my favorite ideas for the 100th Day of School that I use with K-1 students. Let me know what fun activities you do for this day too!

1.Have student’s send in 100 items from home in zip lock bags to hang in your classroom.

2.Send a parent letter home encouraging students to wear t-shirts with 100 items glued, painted or pinned on the shirt.

3. Wear a t-shirt. Have students put 100 band aids on it, and have it say, “I survived 100th Day, and so did Mrs. ________.

4.Have students dress like they are 100 Years Old.

5. Use an app or web site to make the students look old. Then let them do a self portrait from the app on drawing paper.

6. Use doughnut shaped cereal to make edible necklaces with yarn. Have students group them by to using the included work mat.

7.Use Bulletin Board paper to have students design a 100th Day banner or mural to hang in the classroom.

8.Put 100 plastic cups out and let students build a building.

9.Put 100 Legos out and let students build a structure. Then have them write about what they build.

10.Put out 5 different snacks (pretzels, cereal, mini chocolate chips, marshmallows, M&Ms) Have students count out 20 and make a trail mix using the included work mat and a zip lock to take home.

11.Using the printable, have student write 100 words in groups of 10.

12.Students can write about what they would do with 100 dollars.

13.Use the 100 chart to have students count out 100 sweet treats.

14.Use paint daubers to color 10 groups of gumballs using the printable.

15.Make 100th Day Glasses using the printable.

16.Have student count out 100 drops of water, make predictions and complete the printable.

17.Have students use the printable to make tally marks of 100 licks of a Tootsie Pop. They can predict if they will get to the tootsie or not.

18.Incorporate fitness by having students do 100 exercises.

Valentine’s Day FREE Teacher RESOURCES

February 11, 2020 teachersbrain Teacher's Pay Teachers

Elementary Teacher Valentine's Day FREE Lessons

Feel the Love

What better way to show teachers some LOVE this valentine’s day than to give you some FREE teacher resources to use with your students! Holidays are the best time to use themed resources to get students motivated to learn in class.

If you are a elementary school teacher or a homeschool mom, we have some amazing printables for you that are FREE! I teamed up with a few other teacher-authors to bring you my favorites! You may even find a fun Mardi Gras resources. Just Click the images of the resources you want below and DOWNLOAD.

FREEBIES

Valentine's Day Activities No Prep Fun and Writing Pages FREEBIE

Place Value Color by Code Mardi Gras Picture Activity FREEBIE

Valentine's Day Math Worksheets: FREEBIE

FREE Patterns | Repeating and Growing Pattern Center | Hearts

CvC Word Work Worksheet Free Sample Heart Theme

Valentine's Day Sound Boxes (Elkonin Boxes)

Valentine's Day 2 Digit Subtraction with and without Regrouping Free

Valentine's Day Printables FREE Teaching RESOURCES Valentine Ideas to Keep your Students Busy and Engaged!

Veterans Day Ideas for Classrooms

November 7, 2019 teachersbrain Teacher's Pay Teachers

We all want students to do some meaningful activities to learn about veterans. You can still have fun and create engaging activities to get your students to see how important veterans are to our country.

Veterans Day Activities

I remember teaching first grade and just showing a movie about veterans around Veteran’s Day, but then I created an escape room for primary classrooms. The students were 100% engaged! They were learning and didn’t even know it! Students worked as a team to solve clues about veterans, opened a box and escaped the classroom to recess. They went home and talked about it to their parents.

During the rest of the week, I had students make pennants to display in the classroom. A veteran was invited to come speak to the classroom. She took questions from the students. During centers, students created a Veterans Day layered book and wrote about why veterans are so important to our country. We discussed how we should treat veterans.

Students can make a KWL chart at the beginning of the week to show what they know and what they have learned at the end of the unit. Venn Diagrams make a great way to help students identify the difference of Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day. These two days are confused easily. Memorial Day honors the military personnel who died while serving. Veteran’s Day honors the persons who have served.

Escape Room

Johnny Appleseed Day Activities

September 26, 2019 teachersbrain Teacher's Pay Teachers

Lesson Plans and Apple Activities

Johnny Appleseed is famous for planting apple seeds across land while exploring and having an adventurous life. For older students, it is fascinating to have them research his life and find out WHY he really planted the seeds. They can discover that the apples were used to make HARD CIDER because they were too small and bitter.

Younger students learn about his love of animals, his real name (John Chapman) funny personality and kindness. For twenty years, I have taught primary students about Johnny Appleseed. At the end of each school year I would survey my class and most classes remember the week we learned about apples!

Apple Lessons

Introduce Johnny Appleseed by reading a book about his life. Discuss the facts from the book. Share a video about his life because most students are visual learners, including a short video is a great way to hook your students into wanting to learn more. Then, have a different activity about apples during the week that will help them not only learn about Johnny Appleseed but the science of apples. Incorporate all subjects into your lessons. Here are some activities that are easy to plan, but hits standards:

Sort apples by color or a large graphing chart.
Make home-made applesauce. (My favorite easy recipe will be at the bottom of this post.)
Dissect an apple so students can see the seeds.
Make apple crafts!
Label the parts of the apple. (skin, flesh, seeds, stem, core)
Write a letter to Johnny Appleseed.
Count the apple seeds during math.
Incorporate the 5 senses by letting students smell and taste different types of apples.
Invite parents to send in apples. (I use these all week for the activities above.)
Have students think about their favorite color or flavor or apple. They can make a graph to see what kind was the class’ most popular.
Make apple glasses for students to use while reading about apples facts or apple books.
Have an APPLE PARTY! Invite parents to send in apples snacks to share with the class so students can see how many different ways apples are used for ingredients.

Here is my favorite EASY applesauce recipe!

First, peel the apples. Next, remove the cores out of all your apples, (you need about 1 apple per kid in your class) cube the apples and place them in a crock pot on high. Do this as a whole group activity in the morning. The room will smell SO GOOD!

I like to have parent volunteers cut up the apples in front of the students or just send them in already cut up in bags. Then, cut one apple to show them the inside and let the students pour the rest of the cubes into the crock pot. Finally, add about 1/2 a cup of Cinnamon Red Hots Candies into the pot. The red hots add some sugar and cinnamon flavoring. The red color makes the applesauce different and fun for the students. Even students who said they hated apples, eat it and LOVE IT. I leave it on high, mash it up with a potato masher later. About 30 minutes before you want to serve it (at the end of the day, so it had about 3 or 4 hours of cooking) let it cool off before giving it to the kids. It’s warm, but not hot. SO YUMMY!

Labor Day Teacher Giveaway

September 1, 2019 teachersbrain Labor Day Sale, Teacher's Pay Teachers

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Refer your teacher friends to increase your chances to win! Raffle Ends at 12:00 AM EST Thursday (9/05/19) The lucky winner will be announced by 9/07/19.#LaborofLOVE

👉You must be an educator to win and provide proof by providing your school name and grade level within 48 hours after contacted or a new random winner will be selected.This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, or Teachers Pay Teachers. You understand that you are providing your information to the owner of this page and not to Facebook , Instagram, or Teachers Pay Teachers. No Purchase Required.

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Christmas Themed Days in the Classroom with The Polar Express

December 1, 2018 teachersbrain Classroom Decor, Teaching Tips

I don’t know if you like or LOVE themed days in your classroom, but I LIVED for them! Themes get kids excited, which can be exhausting, BUT they get them engaged. Don’t get upset when your kids are loud and jumping with excitement. When they are excited to learn, especially when they are having so much fun they don’t even know your academic objectives, is when you can pat yourself on the back knowing you are Teacher OF THE YEAR! My favorite theme that I used most of my career was The Polar Express. The story is perfect for squashing any “non-Santa believers” verbal language with other students who want the magic still. I’ve also used a Winter Frozen theme and a Movie Theater themed day.

The Polar Express

I’ll walk you through my typical Polar Express Day. Parents are asked to send in hot chocolate, marshmallows, and dress the kiddos in their school appropriate PJs. (Make sure you get your principal’s permission first.) In the morning, students arrive to a chalk or taped train track on the floor leading to my classroom door. At the door, they are greeted by a crazy conductor (ME), who wants to collect money or items in exchange for a golden ticket. This is really fun! It is also the time I tell parents to come and take photos. I joke around telling kids to get some money from their parents, and then settle for a shoe or pencil in exchange for a ticket.

Polar Express Ideas

When the students enter the room, they hear train sounds, see the chairs in rows (like a train), smell hot chocolate in the air, and are instructed to stay on in their train seats with their

golden ticket. After they settle, we review rules for the day. I take out a hole punch to ask for each person’s golden ticket. I pretend to punch holes in the ticket by excitedly putting the tickets under my leg, over my head or behind my back making the clicking sound. You can either collect the tickets and reuse them every year, or allow them to take them home for a keepsake.

Make a Text Connection

We read the book first. I tell them that the movie came out after the book. Students are encouraged to find differences when they watch the movie. We talk about characters, settings, problem and solutions. Next we discuss the author’s purpose. During the week they do various writing activities, but the main themed day is about keeping the excitement all day, so focus on the fun. I tell students they are going on the imagination express to take their seats on the train. After beginning the movie, I have a little cart that I keep the hot cocoa on that has wheels. When the part of the movie comes on where the kids get cocoa, I roll out the cart, I DANCE, yes, DANCE around like crazy. Before I got to old, I did cartwheels! This is always the part of the day that the kids go home telling their parents about. I have a hot cocoa maker that I use every year that makes a whole pot of cocoa. I make it really strong and mix it with water so it is not too hot. You can also just buy chocolate milk by the gallon and keep it heated in a crock pot.

After The Movie

After the kids watch the movie, we do a Venn Diagram to compare the book and the movie. I hold a bell up and ring it. I pretend like I can’t hear it, because I must be too old or not a believer. (Sniff Sniff) The rest of the day we make crafts, sing holiday songs, and usually write a letter to Santa. This way I can send the letters home to help the parents out with some gift ideas. If you are looking for a fun themes holiday day, The Polar Express just may be your ticket!

Mr. Coffee Cocomotion Hot Chocolate Maker

Celebrate International Peace Day in the Classroom

September 21, 2018 teachersbrain Teaching Tips

Peace can and SHOULD be celebrated all year! Today is International Peace Day, so I want to help bring an awareness to peace and kindness by telling you some things I do to celebrate peace in the classroom and offer you a teaching resource you can use in your own classroom or school. Hopefully you celebrate peace daily, but maybe you aren’t aware you are even doing it. Here are some simple things you can do for International Peace Day. Use the hashtag #DoitforPEACE and post something you have done that is similar to these examples.

Hugs (Yes, it is an easy one! Go hug someone today!)
Teach peace
March for peace
Buy someone food who is in the car line behind you
Play peaceful music
Meditate
Make a new friend
Share examples of peace with your students or staff members
Write a nice note to someone
Write about peace

So what have you done today? What will you do tomorrow? Small bits of kindness can grow a tree of peace. Start today!

Here is a great lesson you can do in your classroom or even have your whole school participate with these cool painted rocks.

Father’s Day Coupon Book

June 2, 2018 teachersbrain Teacher's Pay Teachers

Looking for something fun to do with your kids for Father’s Day? Try this coupon book that looks like a matchbook. It has ten coupons that the kids fill out saying what the coupon is good for, and a unique matchbook cover. Ideas for coupons are included. Some ideas are coupons for hugs, cleaning their room, breakfast in bed or washing the car. Share any ideas you have for to make Father’s Day special.

St. Patrick’s Day Classroom Ideas for Kids

March 7, 2018 teachersbrain Reading, St. Patrick's Day Ideas, Teacher's Pay Teachers

I was recently asked what I do for St. Patrick’s Day with students. I am a huge fan of engaging students through various holidays! St. Patrick’s Day has always been an exciting day with the students joining me in looking for a little trickster leprechaun on campus!

I made a small pair of pants out of green fabric. I would mess up the room when the kids where at lunch, sprinkle some glitter around the room (even in the toilets), and hang the pants on a cracked open window. The students would look for the trickster everywhere. When they would find the pants, we would laugh about how there was a little leprechaun running around without pants. He would always leave a gold coin on the desk for the students. Now, how does this fun tie into education? First, we would read a book about a tricky leprechaun. I also have a fantastic activity called The Paper Leprechaun where the kids have to make their own paper leprechaun using fine motor skills after listening to a poem, and the pot of gold goes missing. They write out a personality for the paper leprechaun and then write about how to catch one! For a home project, the students would make leprechaun traps working on problem solving skills at home with their parents. These would be shared with the class during the week. I would sometimes display them in the media center. During centers, students made rainbow art. Each student would get to make their own LUCKY Shamrock Hat to wear for the day.

paper leprechaun cover