Springing Into Learning Blog Hop!

 I'm hooking up with Elementary Antics for this fabulous blog hop.  Grab some great ideas and goodies along the way!

The official start date to spring, March 20th is almost here! The weather is much warmer and the threat of snow is behind us (I hope!)  Don’t forget to ‘spring ahead’ and turn your clocks ahead this weekend!  

Below are some great ideas, a freebie, and a fabulous free virtual field trip!

Since Dr. Seuss’s Birthday was this month, I thought I’d share another activity we did.  If you didn’t get a chance to grab my Thing1 & Thing 2 activity, feel free to grab it as well.

This craftivity goes with Oh! The Places You’ll Go, which is one of my favorite books from Dr. Seuss.  

You can get this craftivity  here ! 

Your feedback is always appreciated!

I love this book because it takes on a deeper meaning no matter how old you are.  It also  looks great on a bulletin board!

After reading the book, the kids wrote about the people they would want to meet (or would have wanted to meet), places they would want to go, accomplishments they hope to achieve, and what they want to be when they grew up. They also had to justify their choices.

I was impressed with their choices of people that they’d want to meet as it ranged from Malala Yousafzai to Justin Bieber. The places they wanted to visit ranged from Italy to see their family to Disney World.  It was an eye opening activity. 

We decided to decorate the balloons with strips of tissue paper and the kids glued it down with a mixture of glue and water.  When it dried, they cut it out.  I also copied the balloon on card stock which made it more durable.  We stapled their book to a piece of brown construction paper for the basket and attached it with pipe cleaners and tape. 

Feel free to have the kids decorate their own balloons with crayons/markers or if you have another idea for decorating it, I’d love to hear it.

Here’s one way we did it but there is a NO prep version as well for those of you who prefer 'less mess' =)

Another way you can do it is use paint for the balloons and back them on construction paper and add a few clouds.

Here’s are the finished projects!

No Prep Version               Tissue paper        

                                       Paint

Next, if you're a Dr. Suess fan, you'll want to grab this free activity packet from Energy Star- it would be a great packet for Earth Day. It's aimed for k-2. You can sign up for your free workbooks here!

Mine just arrived- so excited!

With spring around the corner, my Word Families create a word center would make a great spring center - just print and go! 

This activity is differentiated for the different levels of learners for many possible word choices.  
You can grab it on sale here or enter to win one for FREE!  

Enter to win one FREE!

CONGRATS TO MARY L. for winning!

My last spring idea is this virtual field trip to an egg farm.  It's great when you can't get to a real farm and it''s live on March 14th.  The kids enjoy it and your class is able to submit questions ahead of time.  
It's free, but you do need to register. You can register at the link above!

An InLinkz Link-up

Dr. Seuss's Birthday! Thing 1 and Thing 2 Activities

Are you ever too old to enjoy a good book from Dr. Seuss?  No matter what your age is, you can always take away something from one of his books.  A favorite of mine is Oh, the Places You’ll Go!  We made these adorable books and hot air balloons to create goals for ourselves. It's perfect for all ages. You can grab it here and do it with your class! I've added a variety of pattered balloons for those who prefer no paint or glue.

 We used strips of tissue paper with a glue/water mix, but you can paint them or just use markers to color them in.

If you know me, I'm obsessed with creating fun/creative writing paper. This design comes from  my March Writing paper collection but you can download it for FREE here. 

Below is the writing paper and a simple project for the book, The Cat in the Hat.  Enjoy!  Our final projects are posted below.  We added Thing 1 or 2 (although they look exactly the same!) to the top of the paper.  You can get the tracers and everything you need from the download above. 

 I made the hair tracer on a manila folder for durability.

Our second graders made these...

and we helped our kindergarten buddies make these:

Here's a simple craft. First, cut out a small red rectangle. Have students trim the sides off the top two corners to create a shoulder effect. Cut a small square of blue tissue paper and make small cuts at the top and glue it on.  Make a circle tracer and add the words. Draw a face/add googly eyes and you're done!

Finish your day off with a fun treat!

Enjoy! 

 If you have these colors in your class and are looking for a decor pack to compliment it, check out 

Whimsical Decor HUGE EDITABLE Bundle, or feel free to check out the different individual packs 

or view them all here.

Grab your free READ banner too! CLICK HERE!

Editable labels:

Shape Posters:

Back to School Sale

   More LOVE for Back to School Sale 

Could it be true... another sale? It is! Use promo code More15 to save up to 28% 

CHECK OUT BELOW AND THERE ARE LOTS OF FREEBIES TO GRAB AS WELL!

Come and visit Josie’s Place

I love to create organizational items to help you in your classroom. If you see something in my store and would like for me to create it in your color scheme, just let me know.

Enjoy back to school with these free signs for your first day back! Grab them here for grades K-6!

Start the year off right with organizing your classroom with a variety of labels.  Use them to organize your books, bins, centers and so much more.  Here are just some of my editable labels!!  There is the regular, mega pack, and ultimate edition with more than 20 styles and 120 labels in all!

Labels not your thing? Grab these editable signs here. These are great for posting standards. 

Organize all your math manipulatives with this great set that includes picture clues for younger students and words for older students. Grab it here!

Decorate your room with your choice of editable class décor packs to fit your style –  chalkboard decor, chevron, polka dots, and more!

This 200 page Seuss style decor bundle was just added and it’s EDITABLE as well! Check  it out here and pick up your FREE READ banner too!

CLICK HERE TO SEE SOME MORE!

In the beginning of the year, I love to create a memory book that starts in September and lasts through June.  When complete, children can go back and look at their work.  They will  see improvements in their handwriting, drawings, and more as the year progressed.  It also serves as a reminder as to what activities they enjoyed  each month.   Bind/staple it into a memory book that will be something that parents and children will cherish forever.  Great for all levels as there is paper with additional lines for older students.

I also have a thing about writing paper.  I love to have students publish their work on fancy paper- students seem to work extra hard making their best work shine!

There is paper for all grades and even for the writing program, Handwriting Without Tears.  Find the one that's right for you and grab some FREE writing paper at my store by clicking here!

If you're planning ahead and love to get a bargain, these are great for K-1:

Label It! has been a favorite and best seller in my store since the beginning.  Students label themed pictures throughout the year and can feel successful because the can complete it independently.  It is a fun way to practice such an important skill. 

Check it out and download the FREEBIE in the preview.  If you love Label It! you can also check out Label It! Second Edition as well.

 Get to know your kids with this All About Me Book.  It’s also great to put on your student’s desk. for Meet the Teacher Night. Grab it here.

For October, check out Octoberfest for Kids - over 80 pages of themed activities and 4 emergent readers.

Check it out here. Grab a free color by number too!

For December, you'll love Polar Express - it's one of my all time favorites.  You can use these themed activities throughout the whole month and plan a Polar Express Day with ease!

Check it out here. Grab a free elf and gingerbread man color by number too!

I hope you have a great start to school - thanks for checking out my blog and store. 

As a thank you, please grab this free Welcome Banner for your class here.

Below is a mini version to show you what it looks like. t's easily put together and looks great with a ribbon!