These types of days are my favorite! We had a very fun day tiptoeing back into our school routine. We kept our Daily 5 the same but did some crafts and light work to help the kiddos have fun. They’re so exhausted on the first day back, almost like mini walking zombies around my classroom. This is why I ease them back into school after winter break.
Crafts
We started by using a die-cut of a white snowman, and I let the kids paint. They were amazed. We have only painted once this year, and it was with watercolor, so they were pretty excited about this.
Here is a peek at some of the finished products….
Reading and Comprehension Activities
Then, I let the kids do their reading and ‘writing to respond’ with a partner. I actually saw a vast improvement in the independence working with their partner. Usually, the kiddos wait for me to explain the answer before they seem to understand, so this was fun to watch them figure it out together. We used the story, A Snowman’s Wish out of my Winter Comprehension Pack. They got to pick wherever they wanted in the classroom to read, most of them picked the hard cold floor for some reason.
New Year’s Resolutions
And finally, we did our New Year’s Craftivities, which I think turned out so cute! The students had to create their New Year’s toppers, which were boy or girl heads with a New Year’s hat, and a hand holding a clock that says 12:oo. Then, they were asked to set four goals for the remaining school year. This was a great way for them to set goals and resolutions for themselves in a very focused manner.
The link is below.
Here are Resources for Easing Back Into School After Winter Break.
And since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, check out these February resources for elementary students.
