Mrs. Cobb's Kinder Sprouts: July 2012

Monday Made It #3

Labels: back to school, literacy centers, math, ways to get your hands dirty - Monday, July 30, 2012

Hi everybody! I am so excited by the growth of how many followers I have this month. Ya'll are keeping me motivated to keep making stuff this summer, since my Monday Made It posts have been so popular. This week, I have a freebie included! First, I need to send a BIG thank you over to Stacey at http://rayofkindergartensunshine.blogspot.com , who nominated me for another "One Lovely Blog". She is a new blogger, go check her blog out!

Now for all my projects of the past week. I'll go from the quickest to the hardest, how's that? Make your own Monday Made It post and go link up! If you like my ideas and free file today, leave me some comment love and feedback please!

4th Grade Frolics!

1. Blackboard Configuration File:

This holds standards, essential questions/ HOTS, and vocabulary! Right at your fingertips! The bin came from Target and is tough melamine - hopefully it will hold up for years to come! I have the dividers and all the contents laminated and for the standards and eq's will have velcor on the back to attach them to color coded by content area ribbons - you'll see what I mean when I do my big classroom reveal really soon! School starts in two weeks! If you are looking for these to print, Deanna Jump has the standards and questions made beautifully- so worth the low cost she is charging. I got the divider labels off her blog, too. http://mrsjumpsclass.blogspot.com/2012/07/common-core-standards-organization.html Greg from Kindergarten Smorgasboard has cute vocabulary. I haven't printed those yet, I am hoping a lot of my already printed out vocabulary cards will still match Common Core standards! I have bought them just in case I need them, though! http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/ELA-Common-Core-Vocabulary-Cards http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Math-Vocabulary-Cards

2. Poster to store library cards in

Pretty basic, but isn't it pretty?

3. First Week Name Tags

These clip on their shirts, and each one looks totally different. Got the file from Kindergarten Crayons. Love it! The ID holders came from Walmart, total cost was about $8. I am having my husband heat seal them closed for me, then writing their names with a sharpie on the outside. It's a good, solid plastic and I should be able to clean them off later, right?

4. Goo to write on!

This is simply dollar store hair gel and food coloring in a ziploc bag, heat sealed shut, then packing taped shut too! Like my happy face?

5. Transportation Home Banner --- and Freebie!

This is not quite done, I need to laminate it and attach to a ribbon. I will have the student's names on clothespins and attach those the the right circle. Transportation changes made easy! I had a good time cutting the flowers and circles with my beloved cricut. Get the file with the text and images HERE

While I was in my craft room making this stuff, I thought I'd show you the hot mess of a room that it is! It is the bonus room over my garage. When we bought our house two years ago, I claimed it as my crafting zone and LOVE having so much room to sprawl my projects out! Maybe one day I can actually make it look good with consistent shelving, cute bins, good lighting...a girl can dream, right?

I have a poster giveaway you should enter! Not too many entries yet, you have a good chance of winning:

My First Freebie Friday! Numeral Writing, ABC's of Kindergarten

Labels: back to school, math - Friday, July 27, 2012

I am linking up with Freebie Friday to share a file that I use that is great for interactive boards and teaching numeral handwriting! I am sharing it as a pdf, which should be convertible to either ActivBoards or SMARTboards. I am also sharing Draft 1 of my "ABC's of Kindergarten!"
But first...

Don't forget to enter my poster giveaway and drop an idea for the calendar dilemma to later be eligible to win a $10 TPT card. Those are both freebies, right? :)

How do you write numerals?I use this as soon as we being numbers 0-10. It teaches the kids a simple tune to use for handwriting strokes for the numerals, and there is room on each page to write the numeral as the tune is sung. The pages are not really cutesy, i just wanted them to focus on the words for the tune and space to write, write, write! I first used this last year and the kids loved it! It is super simple but effective for getting your kids to write numerals you can read. I think I learned the tunes at an Exemplars training, maybe? Can't really remember...
You can get it here: Numeral Writing

Here is an example page: 2 is my favorite one!

ABC's of Kindergarten

This file can be adapted to meet your needs, and covers all sorts of info parents need right away! I send it home the first day of school. If you see any typos, let me know! I couldn't get all the dates in yet. :/

Download it here: ABC's of Kindergarten

If you downloaded these freebies, leave me some comment love please! I love hearing from ya'll!

Thanks for visiting my blog!
-Mrs. Cobb

OMG Gears Gears Gears!

- Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Ya'll!!!!
Gears, Gears, Gears!!!!
I have been craving some gears toys for my classroom, and Groupon just MADE MY DAY which was already a pretty AWESOME day. Everything has just flowed ideally today, and I get home from hanging out with some lovely buddies and...
OMG
Image_learning-resources-gear-sets_grid_6

Image_learning-resources-gear-sets_grid_6

This is for sale on groupon!
If you are not a groupon member, may I cordially invite you? Click here and I'll get credit for inviting you and your gears loving self: REFERRAL LINK
Go buy it now. I hope this link works: GEARS GEARS GEARS It is a good deal in Atlanta, but I think even if you are not in Atlanta you could switch your city for a minute and nab this hot deal.
'Cause really, you want some GEARS! Lol!
They are a product from Learning Resources and just look like a ton of fun! Kindergarten Engineering!
And FYI, this is pure Carol ecstasy, Groupon isn't even being cool and giving me free Gears! I wish!
Thanks for visiting my blog!
-Mrs. Cobb

Poster Printing Giveaway: ShortRunPosters.com

Remember my swap project to make these RAINBOW sorting mats?

To make them, I needed to print them big enough to sort onto- 8.5 x 11 was just not going to be big enough! Not even legal size! I wanted BIG - poster size! Have you ever had that urge before? So, I made the file (available here: Carol's Rainbow Sorting Mat)
Then, I started looking for where to print, and figured the local Office Max would be it! However, the price there is $30! Yikes! This was for a swap, too, which meant I would need to print 10 of these. $300. INSANE.
Google is my friend though. So, I typed in "cheap poster printing"...and quickly discovered a marvelous, marvelous business:

Their prices were phenomenal in comparison to Office Max: poster options

It gets better! They are trying to expand their business and get the word out that they are not insane with prices like your local office supply store copy and print. They agreed to let me try out the quality of their printing and service, and in exchange I am reporting to the world here what I think of their product. So, in my order went. Along the way, they were super easy to get in touch with and very friendly.
Soon, it arrived:

There are my posters, just my .pdf shared above printed on 18 x 24 inch glossy paper. Pretty!They were delivered in a very sturdy cardboard tube, which will be quite fine as a chute when my kids build roller coasters during our force and motion science unit!
The printing was crisp and just as vivid as the colors were when I selected them in making the sorting mat. The paper is a good weight for a poster, and with the good packaging not the least bit wrinkled or creased.The next time I need something printed BIG, I know where my business will go. I hope you'll keep them in mind, too.
You can go check them out yourself by clicking their logo:

What would you print poster size for your classroom? Leave a comment and share your ideas! I will be picking 2 winners to receive a free 18x24 poster printing from shortrunposters.com.Enter this rafflecopter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: Although they did my order free in exchange for me doing a review here, this is my true and honest opinion of shortrunposters.com. I am really thankful for the posters they sent me, so the posters I am offering here are on me, not them. :)
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On a side note, I just received the "One Lovely Blog" award. Since I just got the Versatile Blogger award, I am not going to do a whole post devoted to this one, but please check out the Versatile Blogger award link and all the great blogs I linked to there.But first, go visit the lovely blogger who gave me this award:Karmen's Kinders of Room 103

Thanks for visiting my blog!
-Mrs. Cobb

Giveaways Happening Now: July 23- 29th, Anniversary!

Labels: about me, giveaways to share - Monday, July 23, 2012

Here are the current giveaways that have caught my eye: How cute is the Nautical Breeze Lime/ Turquiose Classic Bracelet made by Angela Moore?!? Brought to you by Little Treasures, go enter to win it by clicking on it!

200 Follower giveaway- a ton of great prizes!

Mrs. Barrow is giving away TPT and Teacher's Notebook gift certificates!

Lisa has reached 650 followers and had giftcards up for grabs!

Teaching Heart has a week of giveaways coming up! Do you follow her blog?How about her facebook page? https://www.facebook.com/teachingheart

I have a poster giveaway you should enter! Not too many entries yet, you have a good chance of winning:

And last, My TPT gift card giveaway! Sorry I don't have a cute picture for it, but in a soon to come post I will be sharing my game plan for calendar time this coming up year. I am taking ideas on my Calendar Dilemma post - share a tip and then return and post on the next Calendar post, and you could win a $10 TPT gift certificate! Do it now - CLICK HERE!
In other news, today I am celebrating my 5th wedding anniversary! Waiting on my handsome husband to get home, we are going to drive around town to all our favorite places and relive some wonderful memories! Here are some of my very favorite wedding pictures. If you live in the Atlanta area and ever need amazing photography, check out My Life Photo! She was my high school art teacher, and the art room was where I caught Matt's eye. :)

We got married in the front yard of his Dad's house. Instead of a guestbook, guests hung their comments on that line across the porch.

Then for the reception, we had a pool party!

Thanks for visiting my blog!
-Mrs. Cobb

Crate Seats and other Crafting!

Labels: classroom furniture, random preparations..., ways to get your hands dirty - Sunday, July 22, 2012

The summer classroom crafting continues, albeit with help since I have a useless, bandaged thumb at the moment.*sigh*

I am super excited to almost be at 50 followers! If you stop by, follow me for many classroom posts to come! I LOVE making new things for my classroom and sharing them here.
Again, I am linking up! I'm only one day ahead this time...

4th Grade Frolics!

Crate Seats!

This has been one my to-do list for A YEAR! So glad I got this done. There are tons of people who have posted how to do this, but here goes anyway with my take on making crate seats!1. Buy beautiful fabric and 1/4 inch foam - I went to Joann's with coupons last week and also got 20% off with my teacher ID - sweet!2. Wood- I got a $17 sheet of 1/4 inch plywood. Rosco the pug came along to get it and had a BLAST prancing around the local Lowes. :) Plenty of plywood leftover - what shall I make with it??3. Crates, of course! I wanted teal colored, and Target had cute ones with circles on the sides. Perfecto!4. Call a man with a circular saw! Unless you have 2 useable thumbs, in which case maybe you can use the saw yourself. Dear Dad cut the wood for me, he just measured, cut, tried it out, cut again (little corners had to be swooped off), and ta-da!

5. Cut the foam to fit on top of the wood. 6. Cut fabric about 5 inches bigger per side then the wood and foam.7. Wrap and staple gun it all together!

8. You'll probably want some sort of handle for pulling the seat off to get to the storage - I stapled ribbon all the across the top. Pretty!

Finished Crate Seat!

Repurposing a Box:

I do a color and shape pattern to hang up a number for each day of school. To keep the shapes all ready to go, I had been keeping them in a little box that a mug came in. They fit, it worked, but was a little tacky. I finally took the time to recover the box with scrapbook paper, and labeled one side neatly. Much nicer! I love that mug, too. :)Here is my beloved scrapbook paper pad:

The finished box, and the mug that once lived in it:

I couldn't bring myself to recover the top...

How do you like the shareable links that hover on the pics? Trying it out on this post - keep or toss? Comment and let me know pretty pretty please!

Don't forget my little giveaway! All you have to do is check out my calendar dilemma post and leave a comment, then when I do my follow-up post of what I decide to do about that part of the day, comment again. Easy! I am hoping to do the follow-up, made-up-my-mind-for-now post by next weekend! Don't miss out!
Thanks for visiting my blog!
-Mrs. Cobb