Kindergarten Valentine Mailboxes + FUN FREEBIES!

 It's Almost Valentine's Day! (Can't wait to see the FREEBIES? Scroll on down to the bottom!)

Here is a last minute Valentine's Day Mailbox:

If you don't have time to gather enough cereal boxes for your entire class AND wrap them up with red paper, try making these quick valentine mailboxes out of construction paper and yarn:

They hold lots of Valentine's Day cards too!

We started out collecting cereal boxes, but we didn't get enough, so we made some mailboxes out of construction paper and I think these will hold even more Valentine's Day cards than the boxes!

Tan circles for the face and die-cut hands.

A red strip of construction paper for the arms.

And for a Healthier Treat for your Valentine's Day Party:

A HEALTHIER Valentine Treat.

Try serving strawberries cut in half.

They look like red hearts!

And the kids can cut their own with a plastic knife.  

Integrate Math:

Count the halves, how many wholes?

Integrate Science:

Strawberries are the only fruit with their seeds on the outside.

Five Senses:  See the red, smell the scent, taste the fruit, 

feel the texture, hear the sound when you take a bite.

Integrate English Language Arts:

Read the story:  

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear

and discuss the characters, setting, problem, solution, and the descriptive language.  

There is still time for my favorite tip:

Send home a letter on Monday with the names of the kids in your class divided into 3 groups.

Ask students to bring valentine's for: 

only group 1 on Tuesday, Feb. 11

only group 2 on Wednesday, Feb. 12,

only group 3 on Thursday, Feb. 13.  

Now you won't have to deal with hundreds of Valentine's Day cards 

all on one day!

After all, we are not the U.S. Post Office, right?

You Might Like:

Our Valentine Descriptive Book.  It's full of juicy adjectives!  And it's on sale for $2.40


!

Click image for link to this Student Made Take-home Book. 
It's only $2.40!!!

And this one is FREE!!!

Click the image to grab this FREE Subtraction Book!

Here is a sneak peek the pages of this subtraction book.

Just click any of the images to grab the download.  
And check out my Super Sunday Super Bowl Sale for some of my BEST PRODUCTS which are discounted today, Super Bowl Sunday, and tomorrow!

Click the image to visit the SALE!

Enjoy!

Subtraction FUN Found At Home Depot & It's FREE!

Inspiration Found At Home Depot: 

(And grab an additional FREEBIE by scrolling to the bottom!)

My students LOVE these!

Read how you can make these colorful subtraction cards: CLICK HERE

Fold them up to see the equation.

Open them up to reveal the stickers. Students can see what happens when you take some away!

Here is a Subtraction FREEBIE:

This freebie is 11 pages and covers subtraction from 2-10.

Students color the jewels with colored pencils and cross out the ones to subtract.Then, they write the number of jewels not crossed out.

What is your cool idea for teaching subtraction? Leave your ideas in the comments.

Valentine Subtraction

A FUN Way to Teach Subtraction:

This cute book is perfect to teach subtraction.  It demonstrates the concept of "one less" each time one Valentine is removed.  Your TK & K students will love coloring and filling in the blanks on this cute, seasonal book:  

Click the image to grab the download.

Click an image to grab the download.

I Went To Home Depot For 1 Thing And Came Home With...

... Paint Chips!

(You can read about the REAL reason I went to Home Depot at the end of this post.)

You know, those little cards with paint colors on them.  I had see them used for all kinds of word building, but I decided to try making SUBTRACTION CARDS!

They come in so many cool colors too.

Yes, Subtraction Cards: 

I started by folding the cards and adding stickers.  My first set was all about the number 5:

Use these without the numerals and symbols for T.K.

They are perfect for developing fluency when 

adding and subtracting to and from 5.  

Next, I printed up subtraction equations from 5.

You know:  

5 - 0 = 5

5 - 1 = 4

5 - 2 = 3

5 - 3 = 2

5 - 4 = 1

5 - 5 = 0

(I used Comic Sans in a 36.)

I cut them out and glued them to the paint chips under the stickers.

This Is How They Work:

The student looks at the first 2 panels and reads the beginning of the number sentence 5 - 1:  

The last 2 panels are folded under the card.

Then, the student opens up the panels that are folded below and...

...folds them down to cover the 2nd panel:

The 1st panel is still showing.  The "= 4" is on the last panel.

Last, they read the number sentence and see that they have only 4 eggs left.

Continue With The Next Equation:

 It's OK if the 3rd panel is showing
and only the 4th panel is folded
beneath the other panels.

The student reads, "5 minus 2..."

"... equals 3."

Here is 5 minus 3:

The student says, "5 minus 3..."

"... equals 2."

Here is 5 - 4:

"5 minus 4..."

"... equals 1."

Students can also compare the green and yellow cards to see how 5 - 2 = 3 compares to 5 - 3 = 2.

Or they can compare the blue and orange cards to see how 5 - 1 = 4 compares to 5 - 4 = 1.

You can use stickers, draw shapes, or use sticky-back rhinestones.  Wouldn't rhinestones be cute?

Here Is 5 - 5:

"5 minus 5..."

"... equals 0."

And Here Is The Set Of "Subtraction From 5" Cards:

I think they are super colorful and just the right size to fit into my little ones' hands.

And here they are all folded up with just the 1st and last panels showing so you can see the equations:

I'm loving these soooo much.  I'll have to make another trip to Home Depot for some more so I can make the subtraction sets.from 4 to 1.

So, Would You Like To Know Why I Went To Home Depot?

(You are going to like this tip.)

I needed to line my cupboard, but I don't like the way contact paper can tear over time and I don't like those mats that keep glasses from sliding around.  I need the glasses to slide back as I fill the cupboard, sooooooo I use

Peel-and-stick linoleum floor tiles

These are 39 cents each at Home Depot.

Yep, you heard right.  Those peel-and-stick "no wax" linoleum floor tiles can be cut with scissors to fit any drawer or cupboard and they wash up easily.  

I love how my glasses just slide to the back
as I push them back with additional glasses.

Think about how great these would be under your sink or in the pantry where oil can drip down the side of the oil bottle or even worse, ANTS!  You can clean up any mess because the surface is smooth, durable, and always shiny.  

2 shelved done in no time.

You can match the tiles to your cabinets, but these are so high
that no one will see into them.

This cabinet is above a raised dishwasher.
I had to stand on a chair to take this photo.

This tip was given to me about 20 years ago by my sweet Aunt Josephine who I miss every day.  

See you all tomorrow.

Palma 

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 :)