Kindergarten Memory Books: The Time Is NOW!

Do you all create a kindergarten memory book?  Leave your tips and ideas in the comment section.
Here are some of mine:

I bind my memory books before the year begins.
I use black for the cover page and I include one page for each month of the year, Aug. - June.

Each month, I glue some special projects on that month's page (front & back) and I include a photo of the child each month.

Here are some monthly ideas:
(Many of the images are linked to our TPT page where you can download the templates.)

Cover:  Die cut school bus with photo of child on the bus.

August:  1st day photo, Chicka-chicka-boom-boom tree with child's name in fun foam letters, and "My favorite sandwich" writing.

Back of August page:

 

September page:

September fall leaf poem & photo.

Back of Sept. page had the Halloween photo.  Usually there is a Halloween craft here and the bear skin with Native American symbols is on the Nov. page.

October page:  They "bought" the decorations for their cats with 20 cents.  Our receipts for 

"The Meow Mall" and other classroom stores are available on TPT.

                          November page:

Back of Oct. page faces Nov. page

Classic handprint turkey.
We use lace doilies for the pilgrim girl collars.

Back of Nov. page faces Dec. page.

 December page:  Laced stocking with wish list of images clipped from advertisements.
This photo has each child dressed up as their favorite holiday icon:  reindeer, snowman, gingerbread man, or elf.  This goes with our class graph.  The reindeer wins every year because he can fly.  :)

 (Monthly writing is available on TPT.)

Back of Dec. page faces Jan. page.

January page:  Snowman Shop.  Students buy the pieces to decorate their snowman:  

You can find our store receipts on TPT. 

Oh, my!  He lost an eye!  

Back of Jan. page:  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

February page:  Includes photo of their Valentine costume.  The little numbered hearts create a clock.

 This National Symbol Writing template is also on TPT.

Back of Feb. page:  National Symbol writing.
Click the image to grab this writing template.

March page:  Photo dressed like a leprechaun & their self portrait doll We used it for a writing prompt.  

Back of March page had their kite writing.  They are still up in our classroom.

April page:  Career writing.  They dressed up looking like what they want to be when they grow up.  This template is on TPT.  We also have lots of career puppets on TPT too.  Click each career to see each puppet:
Fire Fighter,     Police Officer,     Chef or baker,     Ballerina,    Construction Worker,    Baseball Player.

Click the image to grab the template.

 Back of April page has our Earth Day world with helping hands.  

May page:   Life Cycle of a butterfly in pasta:  Eggs = pastina,  Caterpillar = spiral pasta,  Chrysalis = small shell pasta,  Butterfly = bow tie pasta.  Paint with tempra or acrylic paints.  

Our organic, edible raised bed garden.

I also use this model of the butterfly lifecycle so it is more of a circle.

 And this goes on the June page.  It's their VIP report.  Their graduation photo also goes here.

Back of June page.

This poem goes on the back cover:

What are your great tips for memory books?

I Told You I Can Teach ANYTHING With Pasta! And A Give-Away.

Already Bought My Pasta:

Here is a cool project I do every year.  This year, I bought colored pasta so I only have to paint the butterflies:

This is a page from our kindergarten memory book.

This year, I got smart & bought colored pasta:

One sale for $1.00 each, used a $1 off of 3 coupon = 67 cents per box!

I use pastina (you can find it at an Italian deli) for the butterfly eggs.  

I use the curly pasta for the caterpillar.  I usually paint it green, but this year I'm using the spinach pasta that comes in the box with 3 different types of pasta.

There is enough of each type of pasta in the bag for a class of 32.

I use the small shell pasta for the chrysalis.  I usually paint it brown, but this year I'm using the whole wheat pasta.

And I use the bow tie pasta for the butterfly.  I'll paint them orange and use White Out for the dots.

And there you have it:  The Lifecycle of the butterfly!

Don't they look cute on the bulletin board?

These are the pasta colors I have left.  

Do YOU have any ideas for me about how to use them?  Maybe for my plant or animal unit???  

The Give-Away:

Leave your ideas in the comments and I'll pick a winner by Saturday who will win my FIVE LITTLE FROGS subtraction book pack.  CLICK HERE to see it!

Click the image to see the subtraction book.

See you all tomorrow!

Palma :)