Art Name Tags Spray paint the paper side of a CD/DVD. Once dry, hang the CD on a string. Add some beads. Write the children's name on their creation. An Apple For The Teacher Materials: red & green tempera paint, Manila paper (8 1/2 x 11), paintbrushes, small, flat container, newspaper Directions: Spread newspaper over the work area. Paint palm with red paint. Press palm with red paint. Pour a small amount of green paint into a flat container. Dip pad of thumb in green paint and press above the apple print to make a leaf and stem. Painted Ring Binder You will need: An old or inexpensive ring binder , Acrylic paint , Ball point pen , Acrylic varnish Directions: Draw your design on the binder with the ball point pen (don't worry about mistakes as they will be painted over). Paint the folder with acrylic paints. A few coats will be needed to get a good finish. When it is dry add a coat of varnish for protection. Locker Magnets Make our locker magnets and you'll have the best dressed locker in the school! You Need: Foam Magnet Shapes or Magnetic Foam Sheets and Scissors, Gemstones, Gem Glue, Permanent Black Marker Instructions: If making your own shapes, cut them out of foam magnet sheets. Outline the shapes and add details with a permanent marker. Glue on gems, pressing them firmly in place. Stick magnets inside your locker so it looks really cool. School Bus Materials: large sheet of butcher paper or gold school paper on a roll black and yellow-gold poster paints, plastic wrap, small individual picture of each child Directions: Sketch a large school bus on paper and cut out. Cut out as many windows as you have pictures. Make a 2 story bus if you have a lot of children. If using butcher paper, paint the bus yellow-gold. Paint in the bus driver too. (If you're a teacher put your picture there.) Add school name or family name on side of bus in black paint. Let dry. Turn bus over and tape plastic wrap over each window. Tape each child's picture in a window, face down. Turn over and display. Eraser Heads Materials: Pencil, Pencil Top Eraser, 5mm Wiggle Eyes, Tacky Glue, Beads, Glitter, Sequins etc. Directions: Glue on two wiggle eyes. Add a bead for a nose or choose glitter, sequins or any small items to decorate front, sides and back. Leave top free of decoration so you can still use the eraser. Back to School People Materials: Large poster board. Description: We always have our Open House before school starts to give children a chance to meet their teachers and explore their classroom. On that night, I also give each child a large poster board cut-out of a person with instructions for them (and family) to decorate it to look like the child. They bring it back on the first day of school and I hang them all along one wall with their names underneath. They stay there all year and get sent home on graduation day. Name Tag for Desk or Table Materials: Polaroid film (one per child), white paper, crayons or markers, contact paper, glue or tape. Description: I let the kids color and decorate their picture. Put the child's name at the top in big letters. Take a picture of each child (waving, thumbs up or just acting goofy). Glue or tape the child's picture underneath their name. Apply to a clean dry surface and cover with clear contact paper. They will say. "Hey, that's me" and smile! Games The Name Game Besides helping the children learn the routines and their way around the school,I make sure they learn each other's name. I play a game with a ball and when the ball is rolled to you, you say your name,something your like, your favorite color, etc. After the class gets comfortable with that, you say somebody's name and roll them the ball. This is a very simple activity but it works and helps the children to get to know each other and start talking to each other. We always make our first class book the first few days. Each child draws a self-portrait and the page says, "This is me. My name is __________." Guess Who Students will write descriptions of themselves, without naming names, and then fold their pieces of paper and submit them. Descriptions will be read aloud as your class tries to guess the mystery character. Language Back to School By Kimberly M. Hutmacher Puzzles, blocks, and loads of toys, Circle time for the girls and boys. Crayons, scissors, and new books, Cubbyholes, cots, and new coat hooks. Paper, pencils, paints, and glue, It's back to school for all of you! 'Twas the night before kindergarten and as they prepared, kids were excited and a little bit scared. They tossed and they turned about in their beds, while visions of school supplies danced in their heads. Erasers and crayons and pencils galore were stuffed in their backpacks and set by the door. Outfits were hung in closets with care, knowing that kindergarten soon would be there. In the morning it came - school starts today! Would the teacher be nice? Would they still get to play? Faces were washed, and teeth were brushed white; Kids posed for pictures with eyes sparkling bright. Parents packed snacks and kids hopped in cars As if they were boarding a spaceship to Mars. Some kids brought blankets or their favorite stuffed bear; in hopes they could nap like they did in day care. Their parents exclaimed: "You're big kids WOW! Let us hold your bears and blankies for now." The parents were worried their children would cry if they left them at school with just a good-bye. So they told their darlings, "If you want, we can stay and make sure that everything will be A-okay" The teacher then greeted each one with a smile, and invited the students to stay for a while. The room was all filled with toys, books, and maps, but where were the beds for midmorning naps? They colored and painted and played Simon Says, then tumbled and skipped and stood on their heads. They sang silly songs from beginning to end. Within just a minute, each kid had a friend. The children were happy. They loved Miss Sunrise It was she who was in for a giant surprise. When what to her wondering eyes should appear but sad moms and dads who were holding back tears! Their noses: so sniffly! Their eyes: red and wet! This was the saddest good-bye Miss Sunrise had seen yet! She gathered the grown-ups on the magical rug, then sent them away after one final hug. The children all waved from the door of the school. "Don't cry, Mom and Dad; kindergarten is cool!" Our Loving Circle of Friends We've joined together as classmates as the new year begins. . . A year full of learning while we become friends. We'll share and be kind as we work and play. And our friendship will grow with each passing day. My name is ________, It's special to me. It's exactly who I want to be! I go to school And what do I see? I see my friends And they see me. The leaves are falling One by one. Summer's over School's begun. New room, New pens, New books, New friends, New packs, New year, New class, Let's cheer! First Day See me skip. See me run. I'm going to school like everyone. See me jump See me grin When the bell rings, I walk in. See me jump See me play I'm in First Grade! Hip hip hooray! School Days Wake up! Get dressed. Catch the bus. School has started For all of us! School School bells are ringing, loud and clear; Vacation’s over School is here! Dear Parent Thank you for entrusting your child to me. I promise to do my best every day to be your child's companion in learning. After you have wiped your tears, make yourself a nice warm cup of tea. Put your feet up and relax. Then hold the cotton ball in your hand. The softness will help you to recall the gentle spirit of your child. I will work alongside you this year to help your child grow. Music Tidy Up Song Sung to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" Pick up, pick up, pick up toys, Every little girl and boy. Look around and you will see, All the things that shouldn't be. Pick up, pick up, pick up toys, Every little girl and boy. Recipes School Bus Cakes You will need: One Twinkie snack cake per child, yellow frosting, 1 bag Gummy Lifesaver candies. Description: Cut out a small rectangle from one end of the Twinkies to make it look like the hood and windshield and so it is shaped like a bus. Spread yellow frosting on the Twinkies and add Gummy Lifesavers for the wheels. Now it looks like a bus! Serve with milk and fresh fruit. |
| All the DAZE Productions Endless ideas for "all the daze" you spend with children. |
| Back to School DAZE |
| c. Marcia Arpin www.alltheDAZE.com established July, 1, 2002 |
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| Summer "Falls" into Autumn |
| "Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne |