A few days ago, I wrote about the Children’s book, Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister. Click here for the original post. I found a few more fun activities that can help you continue your focus on social skills and high morals.
Retell the story and act it out using decorated clothespins as scales (source).
Glue pieces of tissue paper and googly eyes onto paper plates (source unknown).
Decorate old CD’s with sequins and glitter (source unknown).
The Children’s book, Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister, has always had a special spot in my heart. From the time it was published in 1992, I have loved the illustrations, and especially the morals (sharing and humility brings happiness). The author has since published many more books that teach about character and social skills (click here for more information). I think these books are perfect for classrooms, especially since schools are being given more and more responsibility for teaching children basic character and social skills. So here are a few activities to do after reading the book. Use each activity as an opportunity to discuss these character traits and social skills with your class.
Trace hands and make fancy fish (source).
Create a class wall piece showing the qualities of a friend (source).
Paint bubble wrap and then press it onto paper like it’s a stamp (source).
This is a craft that I did in first or second grade for President’s Day. It’s pretty easy and it turns out really adorable! A few simple cuts and you’ve got a silhouette of President Abraham Lincoln! I’ve put together a printable tutorial page (with words and pictures) to help you out. I’m so grateful for America’s Founding Fathers who stood for righteous principles and laid a foundation for our great country! Enjoy!
Click here for the free printable tutorial page: Lincoln Silhouette Directions
Looking for some fun Valentine crafts to do with your class? Check out these ideas:
Click here to see an awesome collection of Valentine animal crafts!
Give kids a bunch of pre-cut hearts and let them make something creative. (source)
Make a 3D heart wreath using strips of construction paper and ribbon (source).
These animal crafts were too adorable not to share. They would be way fun to make after studying animal environments, using them as a basis to teach adjectives or characteristics, etc.
Lion made with a paper plate and noodles! (source)
Chick and bunny printables. Great for spring and Easter! The website’s in Bulgarian, but if you click on the image, it takes you to the printable. Hooray for Google Translate! (source)
Cardboard tube octopus. Love it! (source)
I love these paper lanterns. When we lived in China, there were lots of lanterns all over the place during Chinese New Year. They’re a great craft to make with kids. Here’s my tutorial on how to make them out of construction paper. Click on each image to enlarge the image.
Winter provides an opportunity to see the world in a completely different way than the rest of the year. Help children capture the wonder of winter with winter-themed art projects! Here are some of my favorites:
Snowflake Art Trading Cards: Uses watercolor and salt (source).
Owls in the Night: Uses tempera paint and cardboard (source).
Winter Tree Silhouette: Uses masking tape and watercolor paint (source).
This idea was submitted by a second grade teacher (Thank you!). She’s been making them with her class for years, and says it’s one of her favorite holiday crafts for kids. You’ll need:
The paper plate is the base for the craft. Cut out the center of the plate (have students write their name on the back of the paper plate at this point). Then have students trace their hands on green paper and cut the hand prints out. Glue these on the paper plate, curling the fingers in a bit by rolling them. After you’ve layered the green hands to your preference, use the red construction paper to make berries and a bow (click here for the bows & berries template). There you have it!
This craft can be fun at family parties and other gatherings where you have guests of varying ages. Having different sized-hands on the wreath adds some variety. This can also be a fun craft for grandparents to do with their grandkids, etc. Merry Christmas!
Squarehead Teachers 