"RECYCLED CANDY"

MATERIALS: Holiday candy

OBJECTIVE: Use discounted holiday candy for math activities.

ACTIVITY: We call this "Recycled Candy" because you buy candy after one holiday, at a huge discount, for use later in the year! One example: Buy red and green M&M's after Christmas (sometimes up to 90% off!). Divide the colors and place in plastic baggies. Use the red M&M's for counting activities in February for Valentine's Day and the green M&M's in March for St. Patrick's Day! 

OTHER IDEAS: 
Use Valentine's Day hearts for Mother's Day.

"COME ON IN! (SECRET PASSWORD)"

MATERIALS: None (optional: flash cards)

OBJECTIVE: Students must say the secret password (letter, number, or other information) in order to enter the classroom.

ACTIVITY: In the morning as the students are ready to enter the classroom, have them line up outside of the door. Tell them that they have to tell you the "secret password" in order to be able to come in! Show them a flashcard of letters, words, numbers, etc. If they are correct, they come in and get their things ready. If they miss it, they go back to the end of the line to try again. (Remind them that going to the back of the line is NOT punishment: it is simply waiting for another turn.)

VARIATIONS: There are many daily skills the students can demonstrate to you in order to earn their entrance. Have them:
- spell their name
- show you a given number on their fingers
- tell you what color shirt they have on
- tell you the first letter of their name
- tell you the last letter of their name
- tell you their phone number
- name an insect, a farm animal, a mammal, or whatever you are studying.

DAILY QUESTION

Your students will love this daily activity because it allows each and every one of them the chance to tell you something about themselves, even if it is only a word or two. Each morning ask the students the "Question of the Day" and graph the results on the chalkboard. You can make bar graphs or tally marks of the answers and teach the class how to read the results. For an added math concept, have the students tell you how many more the "winning" answer had than the "second place" answer.

The best part about this activity is that you can squeeze it into your already crowded routine without taking up additional time. Instead of answering "here" when you take the attendance, simply have the students tell you their answer to the daily question when you call their name!

When asking the "Question of the Day" be sure to not ask questions that are too personal ("Do you go to church on Sunday?" "Do you live with both parents?") or questions that might make a student feel uneasy (For example, asking if they have long or short hair just after a boy has his head shaved for lice). Try to keep the questions as generic as possible. For some questions you might want to accept "I don't know" or "I can't remember" as a valid response if you see that a student seems uncomfortable with the question.

Please send us your own questions so that we may add them to the list to the right!

Some sample "Daily Questions" graphs might look like this:

How many letters in your name?

2         3          4            5             6              7                    
Al       Ana       Mike      Sally        Brandy      Alfonso
          Amy      Cody      Frank      Amanda 
          Sam                                 Steven
          

How do you get to school?

                                                 
bus       X X X X X X X              
car        X X X X                        
walk     X X X X X X X X X       
horse    X                                    
bike      X X X                             



What kind of an "A" is in your name?

capital "A"      small "A"       "A" and "a"       none
Amy               Brandy          Ana                 Cody
Alfonso           Sally             Amanda           Mike
Al                  Sam                                    Steven



What is your favorite color?

                                                         O  
                                        O               O  
 O                                     O               O  
 O                            O       O       O      O  
 O        O                  O       O       O      O  
 O        O        O        O       O       O      O  
red   orange  yellow  green  blue  purple  pink 

NAMES
How many letters in your name?
How many letters in your last name?
How many E's do you have in your name?

FAMILY
How many siblings do you have?
Are you the oldest, youngest or in the middle?

COLORS
What color is your shirt?
What color are your socks?
What color are your shoes?
What color are your eyes?
What is your favorite color?
What color is your house?
What color is your car?

ANIMALS
What is your favorite animal?
How many pets do you have?
What is your favorite kind of bird?
What is your favorite kind of mammal?
What is your favorite kind of reptile?
What is your favorite kind of fish?
What is your favorite kind of insect?
Which pet would you like to have?

FOOD
What is your favorite food?
What is your favorite fruit?
What is your favorite vegetable?
Favorite potato: french fries, chips, baked or mashed.
Favorite tomato: raw, juice, sauce or ketchup.
Favorite apple: raw, sauce or juice.
What is your favorite drink?
What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
What did you eat for breakfast?
What do you like on your pizza?
What is your favorite Mexican food?
What is your favorite Chinese food?
What is your favorite Italian food?

MUSIC
Who is your favorite singer/group?
Do you play an instrument?
What would you like to play?

ALL ABOUT YOU
How old are you?
In which month is your birthday?
Do you speak another language?
Do you have long or short hair?
Where were you born?
What is your favorite t.v. show?
Are you right or left-handed?
What is your favorite cartoon?
What is your favorite toy?
What do you do after school?
What were you for Halloween?

SCHOOL
How do you get to school?
What is your favorite subject?
What do you like to do at recess?

"FLUBBER!"

MATERIALS: 3 tsp. powdered borax, 2 cups Elmer's glue, 2 cups water, food coloring, bowl, heat source (stove/microwave).

OBJECTIVE: Fun!

ACTIVITY: Mix the glue and 1 cup of water, and add food coloring, in a big bowl. Dissolve the borax in 1 cup warm/hot water. Stir well. Once dissolved, slowly pour the borax mixture into the glue and water mixture. Mix with your hands! At first it is slimey, but becomes more solid as you knead it. Makes one big "flubber" ball. WARNING: The glue and food coloring may damage clothing, carpet, furniture, etc. "Flubber" will keep for 2-3 weeks in an airtight container.

VARIATIONS: Make different colored "flubber" balls and mix them together!

"BUBBLE PAINTING"

MATERIALS: Dishwashing liquid, tempera paint, containers, straws, paper

OBJECTIVE: Students will create bubble paintings by blowing a paint solution through a straw.

ACTIVITY: For each color paint: pour about 1/4 cup dishwashing liquid into a container. Add paint. Mix. Place one end of the straw into the soapy paint. Place the other end in your mouth and blow. DO NOT SUCK IN! Bubbles should start to form (Like blowing bubbles in a glass of milk). Once the bubbles just about overflow the container, carefully place a paper on top and roll it over the bubbles. Allow the paper to dry.

VARIATIONS: Using the same paper, overlap different colors, to acheive a colorful effect. Use different types of papers, such as white tissue paper.

"STRAW MUSIC!"

MATERIALS: plastic drinking straws, scissors

OBJECTIVE: Make and play a musical instrument.

ACTIVITY: Flatten out the bottom inch of a straw and crease the sides so that it remains flat. Cut the end in the shape of a "V" with the scissors so that the straw ends with a point. Put the other end of the straw in your mouth and blow. You may have to try different techniques to get it to sound just right, playing with the "V" ends of the straw and the placement in your mouth.

VARIATIONS: The shorter you cut the straw, the higher the sound. Experiment with different lengths and sounds.

"KAZOO MUSIC"

MATERIALS: toilet paper cardboard tube, wax paper, rubber band

OBJECTIVE: Make and play a musical instrument.

ACTIVITY: Cut a piece of wax paper and cover one end of the cardboard tube. Wrap a rubber band around that end to keep the wax paper in place. Make sure the wax paper is tight at the end. Poke a hole about an inch from that end, about the size of pencil, on the side of the cardboard tube for air to escape. Hold the open end of the tube to your mouth and hum.

VARIATIONS: Decorate your kazoo with crayons, paint, feathers....  Instead of wax paper you may also use aluminum foil, but it won't be quite as loud.