Halloween Addition and Subtraction Game Freebies

If you are like me, you love the Halloween season! Even though Halloween isn't a major holiday in Australia, it is getting more popular and it's just so much FUN! 

Here are some math rotations I've used with my class that have a Halloween theme. I use T.I.M.E. for my rotations - Teacher's Choice (usually this is working with the teacher, unless I have individual assessments to do), Independent Work, Math Facts and Easy Revision. You can read a blog post about T.I.M.E. Math here. 

For our T (Teacher's Choice) Tub, we are working on solving and representing addition and subtraction number stories. I am using my Fall Word Problems with my lower group. We are drawing a picture, using unfix cubes in a 10-Frame, number path and number sentences to represent each problem. 

You can pick up my pack of 80 Fall themed addition and subtraction problems for K-1st Grade in my TpT store. 

For our Math Facts rotation, I made some 'broomsticks' (addition and subtraction facts written on craft sticks) and wrote the totals 7-12 on Halloween themed tubs or 'cauldrons'. Students pull a 'broomstick', solve, and sort the sticks into the 'cauldrons'. 

Here's a recording sheet I made to go along with it if you want to make this activity for yourself. I added some Hundred Charts to work out the answers as differentiation for those who needed it and some flash cards for fast finishers - they love testing and timing each other!

Another game we've been playing to master addition math facts the last two weeks is Witchy Brew. You can download it here in google drive. 

Do you love Halloween as much as me?!

Christmas Fry's Sight Words games

I've finished uploading the second and third game in my Christmas themed Fry's sight word phrases board games! They use Fry's sight word phrases Level 1, 2 and 3 (the first 300).

Each game has 4 sets of cards, with 25 cards in each set (100 cards, using 100 sight word phrases). You only need one set per game, so just swap over the cards and you have a new game or print out a game board and a different set of cards for different groups of kids! You can use the cards in their sets or mix and match according to the needs of your students. Easy to differentiate! I like keeping the same board, and just change the cards, so that it looks like everyone is playing the same game, even if they are at a different level. 

The first game, Pack the Sleigh, I've already written about here. In this game, students are trying to be the first player to get from Santa's Workshop to the Sleigh - the first to get there (pack the sleigh) wins! This game uses Fry's 1s 100 sight word phrases.

For the second game, Here Comes Santa, Santa is trying to find his way to the home, filling stockings along the way! This game uses the 2nd 100 phrases.

The third game, Night Before Christmas, has Santa making his way from the chimney to the Christmas tree. It uses the 3rd 100 sight word phrases.

With the 3 games, there are 12 sets of 25 sight word phrases for your kiddos to practise!

BONUS: Each game also comes with cards to use for BANG! type games.

I'm having a 20% off sale running for a couple of days so there's no better time to pick up these games. Don't forget you can also save an extra 10% using code CMS28 on Cyber Monday! If you're like me, you'll be stacking up your shopping cart so it's ready to be put through on Monday!

The games use the awesome graphics from Scrappin Doodles. 

Sight Word Phrases - Christmas Theme

I've just uploaded a new item to TpT and Teachers Notebook. It's called Pack the Sleigh. It is a game for students to practice and consolidate sight words using Fry's sight word phrases level 1, groups 1-4. 

There are 4 sets of cards, with 25 cards in each set. You only need one set per game, so just swap over the cards and you have a new game or print out a game board and a different set of cards for different groups of kids! You can use the cards in their sets or mix and match according to the needs of your students. Easy to differentiate! I like keeping the same board, and just change the cards, so that it looks like everyone is playing the same game, even if they are at a different level.

This game is played the same way as my Crow Crisis game for r-controlled vowels and my FREE Planet Hop board game for the oi/oy sound. I like using the same format so I'm not wasting time teaching my kiddos how to play new games all the time. I can also use the same board, and just swap the cards out, to play games for other concepts in math, for example.

In this game, students are trying to be the first player to get from Santa's Workshop to the Sleigh - the first to get there (pack the sleigh) wins! But don't stop to pat the reindeer, or you'll have to go back! Land on the 'Carried extra gifts' space and you get to move ahead!

I've also included 'Lost a gift! Return your cards to the pile' cards so you can play BANG! with the phrase cards!

Later this week, I'll also have games for Level 2 and Level 3 sight word phrases. If your interested, you can grab it from TpT or Teachers Notebook.

FREEBIE Rounding Poster

When I teach rounding to my class, I show them how we can round numbers to the 10 the number has or the next 10. I use a 0-99 board to show how it works. It makes sense to my class because we generally use a 0-99 chart and not 1-100 charts when we work on counting and place value. 

As you can see from looking at the two boards, it is easier to see that we round numbers with a 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 to the 10 the number has, and 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 to the next 10.

Rounding on a 1-100 board. The 0 and the rest of the numbers that round 'down' are separated. If you split each 1-10 row in half (half to round down, half to round up - see my very straight red line!), than 5 will round down. This has confused my kids in the past.

I find rounding on a 0-99 board to be easier. The board is split in half vertically. 0-4 you round to the 10 the number has, 5-9 you round to the next 10. For example, 66 can be rounded to the ten the number has (60) or the next 10 (70). I ask my kids which one is closer and they can visually see that it is closer to the next 10 or 70. This way of talking reinforces places value too.

 

The same thinking can be applied to rounding to the nearest 100. This is part of the rounding board for my Monster Rounding game. It shows how you can round to the 10s (vertical line) and 100s (horizontal line). For example, if I had to round 782 to the nearest 10 or 100, I can look at this and it shows me.

Ok, so here's the freebie. I've done up a poster that shows how to round for 10s and 100s. 

 Click on the link or either pic to download. 

I also have my Monster Rounding board game for sale on TpT if you are interested.

Hopefully you can use the freebie.

Literacy Activites, Games and Freebies

If you have been reading my posts for a little while now, you'll know that I've been having heaps of trouble uploading new things to TpT and Teachers Notebook. I'm glad to say that half of that problem has now gone! I can upload to TpT with no problems from my school laptop! I WAS able to upload to Teachers Notebook earlier today, but now it isn't - something about undefined error/syntax error - using the same files that loaded successfully to TpT! 

So here are some things I made about a month ago, but couldn't upload. The first three people to comment will get one each! These are all Autumn/Fall themed.

The first two people to comment with their email address will get the first three products for free! Everyone can have the last two - just click on the picture to download them for free from TpT!

Crow Crisis

Studets make their way through the pumpkin patch to scare away the crows. Good news - they are also practising reading (Level 1 and 2 cards) and spelling (Level 3) words with or, ore, oar, air, are and ar spellings/sounds. Easy differentiation!

Parts of Speech Leaf Sort

Students sort nouns, verbs and adjectives onto the correct mat and record on the recording sheet. 

 

 Spin a Suffix - er, est, ly, less

Students choose a card and read it. They then spin the spinner below and add the suffix onto the end of the word. If it makes a real word, they record it on the recording sheet. The first to fill their sheet (4 for each suffix) first wins. An answer card for each suffix (included) can be cut and lamiated and put together with a metal ring for students to check their answers. 

 Freebies available at TpT (I've only bought a TpT licence for freebies by Scrappin Doodles so far). Are we still allowed to post a link to TpT here? If we're not, can you please let me know so I can take this down! Click the picture to grab them!

I had this Making Words activity posted earlier but have just put it up again now that I've bought a Scrappin Doodles licence for TpT.

 Original artwork from Scrappin' Doodles.

Freebie - Planet Hop oi oy words

I hope you have picked up my latest freebie which was posted as part of First Grade Fanatics 14 Days of Summer Giveaway. 

The goal of the game is for students to read oi/oy words and 'planet hop' back to Earth. It has three levels of play and you could even just substitute with your own cards (spelling or math) and you've got another game. Such a versatile board! To grab it, just click on the board. I sometimes put out this game for students to play during Word Work (as part of Daily 5) with cards that focus on the spelling pattern we are learning. It's always a hit and so easy to differentiate.

Freebie - Eggs-Act Sums

Here is a quick freebie called Eggs-Act Sums.

This is a favourite in my class - I think it's the novelty of using egg cartons! It's very easy to play and takes hardly any time to set-up. 

Basically students roll two dice, find the total and add one of their counters to the space with that number. It's impossible to roll a 1 with two dice, so the first space has a star. This is a free space, so the second time a student rolls a number they can add a counter to this space since the other one will already have their counter in it. The first player to have 1 counter in every space wins. 

Click on the picture to download the instructions for the game:

Here is a quick one I did up in about 1 min using an egg carton I had a home.

No, I didn't paint the egg carton! It's a free range pack that supports a breast cancer foundation. It does look prettier than the grey ones though!  Also, in the pic I used 10-sided dice because that's all I could find. Since the highest number you can roll with two 1-6 sided dice is 12, you'll just need the standard dice. 

I hope you can use it! Also my freebie will soon be available on First Grade Fanatics as part of their 14 Days of Summer giveaway. Here's a sneak peek: 

The cards it comes with focuses on the 'oi' and 'oy' sounds, but swap the cards for any of your own (math or language) and you can use it for anything!

If you're not following them already, get to it so you don't miss out on the next week of freebies being listed by a range of bloggers!

5x Language Arts Dominoes

I've just uploaded a new Language Arts Dominoes pack to TpT and Teachers Notebook. This pack includes 5 sets of dominoes for language arts - perfect for centers, work stations or rotations. I have used them for Expanding Vocabulary games for the Daily 5 which I sometimes use as part of Word Work for my higher students and during Writing Workshop and for grammar activities.

The dominoes sets you get are:
1. Antonyms
2. Synonyms
3. Homophones
4. Contractions
5. Compound words

I've also included a label to add to a zip-lock bag to store the contractions in or add to the top of a pile and secure with a rubber band.

My class absolutely love dominoes - we have a number of sets for English and Math. What I love about them is that once they know how to play, I only need a minimal introduction for each new set! Saves heaps of time explaining new activities and games!

Here's a screenshop of 2 pages for homophones and contractions: 

Students play just like they do normal dominoes - they match one side of a domino with the matching side of another. 

For a limited time only I've got this pack on sale! Check it out at TpT and Teachers Notebook!

Short and Long Vowel Frog/Circus Dominoes

I have a couple of students who are are needing practise with short/long vowels and blends and digraphs so I've made up these dominoes games. 

You play these games like dominoes - you match one side of the card to the opposite side of another card. For these games, students match words that have the same phonogram/word family - so they are rhyming words. 

First up short vowel CVC  and VCC words (circus theme): 

 

Froggy short vowels with blends and digraphs: 

 

Finally, Beach Froggy long vowel dominoes: 

These games are great because students practise a whole heap of word families as well as review blends, digraphs, short and long vowels! My kiddos love dominoes games so I am always making more! Once they know how to play I can introduce new sets of cards with minimal explanation so I'm not wasting time explaining activities! 

I will also use these cards for spelling practice - students can play the game with a partner and then take turns to read each other a card while the other records the word on mini-whiteboards. A great word work activity for the Daily 5!

You can grab them at my TpT store or Teachers Notebook shop in the one pack.

Arrgh Pirate Ordinal Number Bingo

I don't know what has gotten into me lately, but I'm sooo into pirates! I don't have a pirate theme in my class (in fact, I don't have a theme) but I'm starting to make lots of pirate themed games. 

Here is one I just finished for students to consoldiate understandings of ordinal numbers to tenth. 

 Arrgh Bingo

  

This game comes with 6 board games (for up to 6 players) so is perfect for math stations, centers or rotations while you meet with other groups.

How to Play: Students take turns turning over a card. Students read the instructions (e.g. Find the fourth letter in 'anchor' or Find the 10th letter in 'Shiver me timbers'). If the letter is on their gameboard, they cover it with a counter/unifix cube. Either first to spell a word on their board or first to cover the board (depends on how long you have) wins.

There are two types of calling cards - Set 1 with word ordinals (e.g. fourth) 

and number ordinals (e.g. 4th) to differentiate. 

The same instructions are on each set of cards - just the ordinal (word or number) is different.

You can grab it from TpT and Teachers Notebook. Remember, TpT is having a Back to School promo with 10% off everything starting August 1st. I'm joining in the fun and also offering 20% of my entire store for 4 days only starting 1st August. You need the special TpT code B1T1S to receive the 10% discount - added to my 20% sale you'll get 30% off! You could get this baby for just over $1! Check out my store here.  I'm also having a 20% sale over at Teachers Notebook over the same days. 

It's Getting Dicey Linky Party - Dice and Counters

I use dice and counters everyday for games and activities so I've had to come up with some guidelines for their use. 

I don't know about you, but I was sick of students rolling their dice across the table or floor and throwing it up a little or even behind them! Arrghh it drove me mad! So, the number 1 rule I have for dice is that the dice must be in your hand OR in the bowl. It's not allowed anywhere else! I've just got home from school and unfortunately don't have any photos but I'll try to remember to take some tomorrow. I just use the black Lean Cuisine (frozen meal) bowls or noodle bowls. Students pick up the dice and roll it into the bowl. Simple and free! You could also simply use paper or plastic bowls.

 

My favourite dice - blank dice that I can write on and make them any dice I need! Today I used blank dice that I had written 'er', 'or', 'ir', 'ur' and 'ar' on for a game involving r-controlled vowels.

Other favourite dice? Place value dice

and 0-9 (10-sided) dice. I looove these dice for mental computation games.

Now, I also use counters... A LOT! Either as pawns to move around a board or for bingo games etc. I've literally got 1000s of them and I try to keep the right amount of counters included with the game so that students do not have to find the counters they need. This is easy with film canisters! I just add the numbers of counters needed for each game and/or each player to the film canister and add to the bag the game is in. I found clear film caniseters at the Science Bob Store.I write on the caniseter how many counters there should be and students are responsible for ensuring the right amount go back in!

What do you do with dice? How do you store your dice? What are your favorite games with dice? What creative ways do you use dice in your classroom? Head on over to Little Miss Kindergarten's It's Getting Dicey linky party to share your ideas

Place Value Dominoes Math Center

One of my favorite ways to teach place value to 1st and 2nd graders is with games! One easy to prep and play game we love in my class is playing Place Value Dominoes! 

I have two sets available with Under the Sea and Pirate themes focusing on the different representations of Tens and Ones and Hundreds, Tens and Ones respectively. Having the two sets (each with four variations) allows me to easily differentiate for the children in my class. 

We play dominoes individually (it's a great fast finisher!) as well as in pairs and small groups of 3 so they are perfect for math centers. 

Both packs cover standard form, word form, place value, expanded form and base-10 block representations and come with optional recording sheets. (Word form with both Aussie and U.S. conventions are included).

Not only are dominoes VERY easy to prep (simply print, laminate and cut out), what I love about them the most is that once you have taught your class how to play once, they will know how to play EVERY TIME without you having to waste precious instructional time going over new instructions every time. 

What is your favorite place value game to play? 

Freebie - Money Board Game

Here is the notes and coin version of my money snakes and ladders game. You can grab it here for free from my TpT store. 

Once again, it uses Australian currency, but if you want to let me know where I can get yours, I can make up a copy for you. 

Remember to join my giveaway!

FREEBIE - Dollars and Cents Board Game

This is a snakes and ladders board game where kiddos collect money as they travel around the board. BEWARE: there are also pickpockets who will steal your hard-earned money or you might be generous and donate to charity! The player with the most money at the end of the game wins. Can be played by 2-4 players and is tabloid/A3 size (alternatively print as 2 letter/A4 sized sheets and stick to a file folder). You'll need play coins to play.

This board uses Australian currency, but if you know where I can get yours, please email me and I can make up a game for you. The coins come out darker and clearer than what can be seen here when printed.

Please consider leaving feedback if you download the game. Any feedback and suggestions are welcome. Grab it for free in my TpT store.

Notes and coins version coming soon.

Monster Rounding board game center or math work station

I've finally added this game to TpT! The reason why it wouldn't load was because the file was over 50MB! I've split the file into 2 - buy the game here and download the rules and monster counters here.

The game focuses on rounding 3-digit numbers to the nearest ten and hundred. It is tabloid/A3 size so I get them printed off at school. Or you can print them to A4/letter size (over 2 pages) and make a file folder game. These are great for centers or math work stations.

It comes with a 2 versions of a 3-digit board for students to check answers if there are disputes. This one shows the 1 hundreds, students just replace the 1 hundred with the hundred they landed on and use it to work out whether they round to the 10 or hundred the number has, or the next one. The other version has a '_' where the 1 hundred is - students just insert with the hundred they landed on.

Like all my board games it comes with rules suitable for students to read and they can be glued on the front of the file folder if you go with that option.

Students have to collect 5 green and 5 yellow counters (or monster cards below) to win the game. They collect 1 yellow counter for rounding to the nearest 10, a  green one for rounding to the nearest hundred.

You can get it at my TpT store.