Thank you for your order of "My Favorite September Ideas." Hopefully these will also become some of your favorites. Please let me know if you have any questions.
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Q Tip Apple Art
This is a project that I do each fall with our apple unit. This sample was mounted on black construction paper, but you can choose any other color. The directions for the project are given on the black line master for tracing the apple on white construction or drawing paper.
Apple Stamping
Another project that I have done with the students is apple stamping. I use small apples and have had better luck when I cut the apples the day before. For some reason they make better stamps when they have had time overnight to dry a bit. Cut apples in half lengthwise. It's fun to see if you can keep the stem on and use it in the stamp, too. I use red, yellow and green tempera paint and the students choose which colors they would like to use for their apple stamp. I put the paint in separate paper or aluminum plates. You can also paint the apples before stamping. I liked using both of the apple projects for our September bulletin board---colorful!
Treasure Boxes
Each year I have the children make a Treasure box. This box is used to store all of the little books that we make throughout the school year. I like to encourage the children to continue to read these books over and over for practice at home. Many of the children and parents have reported to me that they loved having a box to put all of their "treasures" in for many years after Kindergarten!
You can choose to have each child bring their own box with a lid. Or, you can purchase the boxes. You might want the parents to contribute to the cost of the boxes, or use school funds if they are available for this kind of project. I have purchased the boxes at Staples, and I have also purchased them on line. I recently checked the price for these boxes at Office Depot, and they were $15 for 10 boxes. However, I was told that these boxes at that price are only available in the store--not on line. The size that I have used is approximately 10"H x 12"W x 15"D. I have also found more boxes on line. Check this site for prices on file boxes: http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-6521/Storage-File-Boxes/15-x-12-x-10-Economy-Storage-File-Box-with-Lid?model=S-6521
Click
below for the sample letter explaining the treasure box project
for the parents. Please make any changes that you need to make for your
letter. This letter is handed out at our Back-to-School night.
I found it easier for the parents to take the boxes home at that time.
Some of my children attended day care after my class, and things were always
getting lost between day care and home.
Click below for the sample letter of the second letter that is sent home after the treasure boxes have been completed. Make any changes to the sample that you need to make.
After the treasure boxes are decorated, the students bring their box to school to share. The poem can be copied on regular copy paper or cardstock. I put the label with the child's name on the inside cover of the treasure box sometime during the day with glue.
I have each child share their Treasure Box sometime during that day and then present him/her with their Key to Reading. I collect keys throughout the year and put key on my wish list that is given to the parents. I often find old keys at garage sales, too. Another source of old keys is a key shop. They are happy to get rid of them! Those are really fun. I print the key tags on cardstock paper, laminate them and use a hole punch to attach the ring. The key rings can be purchased from Walmart in the craft dept. Click on the tag for the pattern to print.
Patriot's Day
September 11 is Patriot's Day! I stamp each child's handprint using red and white paint for the fingers. Blue paint is used for the palm of the hand. The silver glitter was used for the "stars." Each child's picture was taken with the American flag and his/her hand on the heart.
I printed the poem on white paper and used decorative scissors to cut around the outside edge. The poems were mounted on red or blue construction paper.
by Caroline Sherwin Bailey
There was once upon a time a
little boy who was tired of all his toys and tired of all his play.
"What shall I do?" he asked his mother. And his mother, who always
knew beautiful things for little boys to do, said: "You shall go on
a journey and find a little red house with no doors and no windows
and a star inside."
This really made the little boy wonder. Usually his mother had good
ideas, but he thought that this one was very strange. "Which way
shall I go?" he asked his mother. "I don't know where to find a
little red house with no doors and no windows."
"Go down the lane past the farmer's house and over the hill," said
his mother, "and then hurry back as soon as you can and tell me all
about your journey."
So the little boy put on his cap and his jacket and started out. He
had not gone very far down the lane when he came to a merry little
girl dancing along in the sunshine. Her cheeks were like pink
blossom petals and she was singing like a robin.
"Do you know where I shall find a little red house with no doors and
no windows and a star inside?" asked the little boy.
The little girl laughed. "Ask my father, the farmer," she said.
"Perhaps he knows."
So the little boy went on until he came to the great brown barn
where the farmer kept barrels of fat potatoes and baskets of yellow
squashes and golden pumpkins. The farmer himself stood in the
doorway looking out over the green pastures and yellow grain fields.
"Do you know where I shall find a little red house with no doors and
no windows and a star inside?" asked the little boy of the farmer.
The farmer laughed too. "I've lived a great many years and I never
saw one," he chuckled, "but ask Granny who lives at the foot of the
hill...She knows how to make molasses, taffy and popcorn balls...and
red mittens! Perhaps she can direct you."
So the little boy went on farther still, until he came to the Granny
sitting in her pretty garden of herbs and marigolds. She was as
wrinkled as a walnut and as smiling as the sunshine. Please dear
Granny, said the little boy, "Where shall I find a little red house
with no doors and no windows and a star inside?"
The granny was knitting a red mitten and when she heard the little
boy's question, she laughed so cheerily that the wool ball rolled
out of her lap and down to the little pebbly path.
"I should like to find that little house myself," she chuckled. It
would be warm when the frosty night comes and the starlight would be
much prettier than a candle. But ask the wind who blows about so
much and listens at all the chimneys. Perhaps the wind can direct
you."
So the little boy took off his cap politely to the Granny and went
on up the hill rather sorrowfully. He wondered if his mother, who
usually knew almost everything, had perhaps made a mistake.
The wind was coming down the hill as the little boy climbed up. As
they met, the wind turned about and went along, singing beside the
little boy. It whistled in his ear, and pushed him and dropped a
pretty leaf into his hands.
"I wonder," thought the little boy, after they had gone along
together for awhile, "if the wind could help me find a little red
house with no doors, and no windows and a star inside."
The wind cannot speak in our words, but it went singing ahead of the
little boy until it came to an orchard. There it climbed up in the
apple tree and shook the branches. When the little boy caught up,
there, at this feet, lay a great rosy apple.
The little boy picked up the apple. It was as much as his two hands
could hold. It was as red as the sun had been able to paint it, and
the thick brown stem stood up as straight as a chimney, and it had
no doors and no windows. Was there a star inside?
The little boy called to the wind, "Thank you," and the wind
whistled back, "You're welcome."
Then the little boy gave the apple to his mother. His mother took a
knife and cut the apple through the center. Oh, how wonderful! There
inside the apple, lay a star holding brown seeds.
"It is too wonderful to eat without looking at the star, isn't it?"
the little boy said to his mother.
"Yes, indeed," answered his mother.
After we
read the story, I ask the children if we should cut the apple to see
if there is a star inside. They are always so surprised to see
the star! They often go home and look for an apple to show
their parents! Also, they want me read it again and again!
I also have a flannel board set to go along with this story. Please check here for this story and many others!
Another fun idea for teaching graphing is to count the seeds in each child's apple. This is done in a small group. Or, it might be easier for each child to cut their apple with a parent and save the seeds in a baggie. We also make a large graph to show how many seeds were in each student's apple. Then we count all the seeds to see how many seeds were in all of the apples! FUN!
Ten Apples Up On Top
This is a fun story to read for an apple unit. Each child makes a face on a small paper plate and attaches apples on top. You can use dye cut apples or ones the kids cut out. If you use small dye cuts, they can spell their names. Another idea is to roll a die to see how many apples they attach to the top of their head.
I use the above coloring paper as a back-up on the first day of school. This can be done while the children are finding their places, I need to talk to parents, etc.
Seasons of the Year Art
One of the lessons that we work on during the fall each year is learning the four seasons of the year. Children sometimes have a difficult time learning the difference between the months of the year and the seasons. This project helps them understand the differences that they can expect in trees for the different seasons. This was printed on legal size paper-- 8 1/2"x 11".
This project can be used in many different ways.
1. I have had the children use their fingerprints to put different colors of watercolor on the four tree. The winter tree is left without any color --bare branches. Green paint is used for the fingerprints on the spring tree. Orange, yellow and red paint is used for the fall tree. We used green paint for the leaves on the summer tree and added fruit on the summer tree. The end of an eraser on a pencil can be used to stamp the fruit on the tree.
2. Another idea that we have used is to dye dried, mashed potato flakes (boxed instant mashed potatoes) in the colors: green, red, yellow, and orange. We some of them white to look like snow on the winter tree. The kids loved these! The flakes were dyed using food coloring or liquid watercolor. The watercolor was much easier to use for dye.
3. Tissue paper cut into 1/2 inch squares can also be used for the color to show the different seasons of the year.
September Self-Portrait
This is is a great record of the students for their portfolio on how they are able to draw a self-portrait. I keep this for their portfolio and include it in their Memory Book at the end of the school year. It is a great evaluation tool and can show developmental progress in Kindergarten.
This
is another great way to keep a record of how each child is able to
write their name at the beginning of the year. This can also
be used in the portfolio and/or a memory book.
The Kissing Hand Book Cover
Each year we read "The Kissing Hand" and do several projects to go along with the story. I used this book cover to make our own stories about Saying Goodbye. I have provided two different covers. You can copy and paste this book cover and add your own title. The second cover has a place to add your name and/or the date. I like to bind the stories that we write and save them in our class library for the children to read throughout the year. I have provided a story starter page if you choose to write about the first day of school and saying goodbye.
Kissing Hand Writing Paper PDF file
Kissing Hand Book Cover PDF file
Handwriting Worksheet
This is a worksheet that I copy and use for children to learn to write their name in the fall. I make a master copy that I write each child's name on the top line with a Sharpie pen. Then I make several copies of this page for each child to practice the first few weeks of school. The children use the next tree lines to practice correctly writing their name.
Johnny Appleseed
Johnny Appleseed was born September 26, 1774. I have lots of books on his life and his contribution to America. We celebrate one day near the end of the month with everyone wearing a pot on their head. This letter explains the activity to the parents.
Thanks again for your order of the September Ideas package. Please let me know if you have any questions.