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Who Wants to Download a Free & Easy Donut Graph?

Judy — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 19:59:25 +0000

I feel like I got stuck inside of a donut box! A while ago, I went down a bunny trail littered with carrots. More recently, I found myself immersed in jelly beans. Sometimes I start with a single idea to create a themed activity. Then, my mind keeps expanding with more and more ideas… Have you ever been caught in a similar whirlwind?

About a month ago something on the internet about National Doughnut Day caught my eye. Wouldn’t it be fun to put together donut-themed activity boxes for the grandchildren? Hmmm… I should also bake some doughnuts because my husband’s birthday is on the same day this year. One thing led to another and then another…

Several years ago I wrote this blog post, 5 Tempting Ways to Celebrate National Doughnut Day, which includes a link for a free data collection and graphing activity using the letters in the word doughnut. This activity is ideal for first, second, and third graders. Since I only have one grandchild old enough for that activity, I just had to create a different one!

Here’s a free, easy to prepare donut graphing activity to help you celebrate National Doughnut Day, which falls on the first Friday in June. It’s a perfect way to focus on sorting, counting, graphing, and data interpretation with preschoolers, kindergarteners, first graders, and beginning second graders.

Choices to Make

Start by making a few simple choices.

Select color or black/ white.
Choose a ready to use set with a predetermined number of donuts to graph or create your own unique sets.
Decide whether to glue the donut pictures on your graph or color the bar graph to match.

Get Your Donut Graphs Prepared

Really, this donut activity is easy to prepare!

Print one copy of the graph and a set of donuts for each participant.
Use paper to print the sets of donuts if you are gluing them on the graph.
If you are coloring the bar graph to match, consider printing the donuts on card stock for easier handling by younger children.
Print copies of the graph questions for more advanced or older children.
Consider cutting the sets of donuts for young children. If you do, put each set in a baggie.
Provide scissors, glue, and crayons.

Get Busy

Hand out the prepared materials. Have your students follow these steps.

Cut your set of donuts (or empty your baggie).
Sort your donuts by kind.
Count how many donuts are in each group.
Glue the donuts in the matching bars on your graph or
Color the same number in the matching bar.
Use your graph to answer the questions.

If you decide to create your own unique sets of donuts for the graph, you can either prepare them in advance or let your students create them. The graph questions are specific to the ready-made set of donuts. You can use them as a guide for asking oral questions with younger children.

Click on the highlighted words to download your free copy of the Delicious Donuts Graph.

Looking For More Donut Ideas and Resources…

I just added this resource, Donuts Galore Math Activities, to my TpT store. The activities are deliciously perfect for small instructional groups or as independent math centers in preschool and kindergarten. The focus is on numeral formation, numeral recognition 0-10, cardinality, counting (to 10, 20, 30, or 40), comparing quantities, and determining one less and one more than a given quantity or number. You’ll find a range of skills and a variety of activities to help you provide individualized instruction.

So what did I include in those donut fun boxes? Of course, I put in my free resources, Delicious Donuts Graph and It’s in the Bag Data Collection and Graphing, along with some of the activities from my Donuts Galore product. Then, I added a Donut Man craft, some donut erasers (aka counters), and a donut-themed book. I also included a donut pan along with several healthier baked donut recipes.

I had planned to bake my husband these Banana Chocolate Chip Baked Doughnuts (key ingredient) or Whole Grain Strawberry Donuts (Eat Good 4 Life) for his birthday breakfast. But, alas, the baking element in my oven literally burned up earlier this week! We just might have to visit the donut truck that parks in our community on Fridays.

What’s your favorite way to celebrate National Doughnut Day?

Photo in title image by Iryna Melnyk Photography.

The post Who Wants to Download a Free & Easy Donut Graph? appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

A Sweet Sorting Activity You Will Love

Judy — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 18:52:30 +0000

Do you find yourself leapfrogging from one holiday to the next through the school year? Are you searching for an easy to prepare hands-on Valentine’s Day sorting activity to engage your preschoolers or kindergarteners?

Be My Valentine Collect & Sort, a free partner activity, may be exactly what you’re looking for!

Do you need:

a busy bag to keep your toddler… well, busy for a few minutes?
a party activity that appeals to a group of preschoolers?
an inviting February math station for your kindergarteners?

The endearing animal illustrations (Purple Caterpillar) in this sorting activity will captivate your youngest learners while they strengthen their fine motor skills and match/ identify colors. Older learners have the opportunity to count, write numerals, represent quantities with ten frames and tally marks, graph, and compare quantities.

Have a kid who likes to spin? Another one who likes to roll? This sorting activity has it covered, with both spinner and cube options.

You will need:

Cardstock or paper for printing selected pages, Be My Valentine Collect & Sort
Laminator, optional
25 one-half to five-eighths inch counters (pompoms, buttons, or M & M’s) in red, white, and pink for each pair of players, with a more or less even color distribution

To prepare:

Choose to print Be My Valentine Collect & Sort in color or black/ white.
Choose to use a spinner or a cube. Print and cut. Color the black and white, if using. The spinner can be made with purchased hands; a paper clip and pencil; or a brad and paper clip. Score, fold and glue the cube.
Print one valentine game mat for each pair of players.
Print one sorting mat for each player (optional, 2 per page). Color code the black and white.
Choose and print one or both optional recording sheets.

To play Be My Valentine Collect & Sort:

Place 25 red, white, and pink counters in the spaces on the valentine mat.
Take turns with a partner.
Spin or roll.
Collect one counter that matches your color. Place the counter on your sorting mat, if using. If all the counters that match your color have been collected, you lose your turn.
Play until all the counters have been collected.

Count to find out how many of each color you collected. Which color did you collect the most of and the fewest of? Count to find out how many counters you collected in all. Who collected the most or the fewest?

Recording Sheets:

Follow-up with one or both of the recording sheets. The circles can be colored to match the color words.

Count how many of each color you collected. Write the number. Color spaces on the ten frame to match each quantity. Draw tally marks to match each quantity.
Count how many of each color you collected. Color the bars on the graph to match each quantity. Use the data on the graph to complete the statements.

Read my blog posts about this same collect and sort activity with a candy corn, American flag or turkey theme.

Additional Valentine’s Day Resources:

Check out my new Valentine’s Day resources!

Click on a link below to find even more Valentine’s Day-themed math resources, suitable for kindergarten, first, second, or third grade, in my TpT store!

We Love Elephants Number Sense 10-19; Kindergarten
Valentine Monkeys, Teen or -Ty Numbers; Kindergarten & 1st Grade
Flip and Compare With Love Bugs; Kindergarten & 1st Grade
Valentine’s Day Treasure Reports, Counting and Grouping by Fives or Tens; Kindergarten & 1st Grade Freebie
Valentine’s Mail Match, Numbers 11-120; 1st & 2nd Grades
Valentines in My Mailbox, A Base Ten Partner Activity; 1st and 2nd Grades
Valentine’s Day Treasure Reports, Counting and Grouping by Tens and Ones; 1st and 2nd Grade Freebie
We Love Our Pets, Hundreds, Tens, and Ones; 2nd & 3rd Grades

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The post A Sweet Sorting Activity You Will Love appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

How to Have a Little Turkey Fun

Judy — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 15:24:52 +0000

If store shelves are a holiday harbinger, Thanksgiving has become the forgotten one! By early October, Christmas merchandise starts sneaking onto the shelves and completely takes over immediately after Halloween. You’re lucky to find a few Thanksgiving or harvest items languishing in a corner or on a hidden shelf.

Even with all the Christmas hype, there’s still time and opportunity for Thanksgiving in the classroom… learning about the history of the first Thanksgiving, contrasting the differences between long ago and today, and focusing on gratitude.

Turkey Graphic by Sarah Pecorino Illustration

Oh, and don’t forget to have a little turkey fun! I was surprised to discover that Turkey Lover’s Day is the third Sunday in June with June designated as Turkey Lovers Month.

I adore this Turkey Collect & Sort activity for several reasons.

The same activity can be used to focus on different skills with different kids.
It is relatively easy to prepare.
This is a hands-on learning activity designed to engage.
This activity can be repeated across the seasons with different themes.

Turkey Collect & Sort, a free download, is a partner activity crafted to engage preschoolers, kindergarteners, and beginning first graders on several levels. Your youngest learners can enhance their fine motor skills and match/ identify colors. Older learners can count, write numbers, represent quantities with ten frames and tally marks, graph, and compare quantities.

You will need:

Cardstock or paper for printing selected pages, Turkey Collect & Sort
Laminator, optional
25 one-half to seven-eighths inch counters (pompoms, buttons, or M & M’s) in red, brown, and yellow for each pair of players, with a more or less even color distribution

To prepare:

Choose to print in color or black/ white.
Decide on a spinner or a cube. Print and cut. Color the black and white, if using. The spinner can be made with purchased hands; a paper clip and pencil; or a brad and paperclip. Score, fold and glue the cube.
Print one turkey game mat for each pair of players.
Print one sorting mat for each player (optional, 2 per page). Color code the black and white.
Pick and print one or both optional recording sheets.

To play Turkey Collect & Sort:

Place 25 red, brown, and yellow counters in the spaces on the turkey mat.
Take turns with a partner.
Spin or roll.
Collect one counter that matches your color. Place the counter on your sorting mat, if using. If all the counters that match your color have been collected, you lose your turn.
Play until all the counters have been collected.

Recording Sheets:

Follow-up with one or both of the recording sheets. If desired, color the circles to match the color words.

Count how many of each color you collected. Write the number. Color spaces on the ten frame to match each quantity. Draw tally marks to match each quantity.
Count how many of each color you collected. Color the bars on the graph to match each quantity. Use the data on the graph to complete the statements.

Read my blog posts about this same activity with a candy corn or American flag theme.

Additional Turkey Resources:

Click on a link below to find more turkey-themed and Thanksgiving resources, suitable for kindergarten, first, second, or third grade, in my TpT store! I recently gave the turkey comparison, emergent reader, and sentence construction resources a cosmetic makeover.

Number Sense Activity Turkey Fun 1-10, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten
Number Sense Activity Turkey Trottin’ Teens 10-19, Kindergarten and First Grade
Place Value Activity Tens and Ones Turkeys in the Kitchen, First and Second Grade
Place Value Activity Base Ten Turkeys Hundreds, Tens, and Ones, Second and Third Grade
Turkey Comparisons Two-Digit Numbers, First and Second Grade
Turkey Comparisons Three-Digit Numbers, Second and Third Grade
Ordering Numbers 0-120 Turkey Feathers, Kindergarten, First and Second Grade
Even and Odd Number Turkey Feathers, First and Second Grade
Thanksgiving Dinner Emergent Reader Plus More, Kindergarten
Thanksgiving Dinner Questions & Answers Sentence Construction Activity, Kindergarten and First Grade

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The post How to Have a Little Turkey Fun appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

How to Add a Sparkle to Summertime Learning

laine — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 15:32:00 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I’m always surprised when I think about the activities I engaged in as a child and (gasp…) survived unscathed!

The Fourth of July arrived with family cookouts, backyard games, homemade ice cream, military bands, parades, fireworks, and yes… plenty of sparklers for kids of all ages.

Sparkler Clip Art by SillyODesign

I’ve crafted a free math activity, American Flag Collect and Sort, to share with you and rounded up a variety of activities with patriotic sparkle to help your little ones safely celebrate the Fourth of July (and other patriotic holidays).

This American flag-themed activity engages preschoolers, kindergarteners, and beginning first graders on several levels. Your youngest learners can enhance their fine motor skills and match/ identify colors. Older learners can count, write numbers, represent quantities with ten frames and tally marks, graph, and compare quantities.

You will need:

Card stock or paper for printing selected pages, American Flag Collect & Sort
Laminator, optional
25 one-half inch counters (pompoms, buttons, or M & M’s) in red, white, and blue for each pair of players, with a more or less even color distribution

To prepare:

Choose to print in color or black/ white.
Choose to use a spinner or a cube. Print and cut. Color the black and white, if using. The spinner can be made with purchased hands, a paper clip and pencil, or a brad and paperclip. Score, fold and glue the cube.
Print one American flag game mat for each pair of players.
Print one sorting mat for each player (optional, 2 per page). Color code the black and white.
Choose and print one or both optional recording sheets.

To play American Flag Collect & Sort:

Place 25 red, white, and blue counters in the spaces on the American flag mat.
Take turns with a partner.
Spin or roll.
Collect one counter that matches your color. Place the counter on your sorting mat, if using. If all the counters that match your color have been collected, you lose your turn.
Play until all the counters have been collected.

Follow-up with one or both of the recording sheets. The circles can be colored to match the color words.

Read my blog post about this same activity with a candy corn theme.

Check out these links for more patriotic math, books, crafts, and snacks!

Fourth of July Counting Game by Playdough to Plato
Fourth of July Addition Activity by the STEM laboratory
Star Spangled Math Activities by A Little Pinch of Perfect
Patriotic Bump! Number Recognition Game by Pocketful of Centers
Patriotic Hunt by Classroom Down the Hall
18 Patriotic Picture Books by No Time For Flashcards
Fourth of July Books for K Through 2nd by Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
American Flag Collaboration Poster by Art With Jenny K
Popsicle Stick Flags by ginger snap crafts
Patriotic Parade Streamers by alpha mom
Edible Flag by The Educators’ Spin On It
Red, White, and Blue Fun Fruit Cones by My Kids Lick The Bowl
Patriotic Chocolate Covered Strawberries by Princess Pinky Girl

Visit my Pinterest board for even more ideas!

The post How to Add a Sparkle to Summertime Learning appeared first on Just Ask Judy.