Author: TCR Staff

Classroom Activities, Holidays, Teacher Resources

Craft Stick Reindeer

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Craft Stick Reindeer

It’s that time of year again! Christmas is almost here and we’ve been creating fun holiday crafts for the classroom. The Craft Stick Reindeer is a popular holiday craft that requires very little prep work and uses materials that you may already have in the classroom.

Craft Stick Reindeer Steps

Materials

  • 2 ½ Craft Sticks
  • Brown Paint
  • Paintbrush
  • Small Red Pompon
  • Plastic Wiggly Eyes
  • Glue
  • Brown Pipe Cleaners (optional)

Instructions

  1. Paint the craft sticks brown.
  2. Once the paint is dry, glue the two long sticks together to make a V.
  3. Glue on the half stick to make an upside down A.
  4. Glue on the two wiggly eyes and the pompon for the nose.
  5. Attach a pipe cleaner on both ends of the upside down A.

More Ideas

  • Instead of using craft sticks, you could make the reindeer out of small twigs.
  • Turn your craft stick reindeer into a Christmas ornament by tying brown yarn where the sticks meet and tie a bow at the top.
  • If you would like your craft stick reindeer to have a body, cut an oval and two short legs (one in front, and one in back) from a brown paper bag or brown construction paper.
Classroom Activities, Holidays, Teacher Resources

Thanksgiving Photo Booth Props for the Classroom & Free Template

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Thanksgiving Photo Booth Props Free Template TCR

What better way to celebrate and capture what Thanksgiving is all about than with a fun classroom photo session. Create playful Thanksgiving photo booth props using borders, accents, and decorative items that you may already have in the classroom. You can use the free pilgrim hat and feather headband template here to trace and cut. A great lesson idea would be to discuss the history of Thanksgiving, engage students in conversation about what they are most thankful for, and then end it with a fun photo booth and photo props session.

For each prop you will also need scissors, glue, and a wooden dowel rod or any long stick. You can easily find them at any craft store.

Thanksgiving Photo Booth Props TCR Blog

Pilgrim Hat

Pilgrim Hat Photo Booth PropMaterials:
Black Construction paper
Zebra Chevron Dot Ribbon Runner
Orange Sassy Solids Double-Sided Border

Instructions:
1) Use the free pilgrim hat template to trace and cut a hat out of black construction paper
2) Cut Zebra Chevron Dot Ribbon Runner into a 5” strip and glue to hat
3) For the buckle, cut Orange Sassy Solids Double-Sided Border into a 2” square and cut a smaller square within it and glue to ribbon runner
4) Glue pilgrim hat to wooden dowel rod

Feather HeadbandFeather Headband Photo Booth Prop

Materials:
Black & White Chevrons Double-Sided Border
Purple Sassy Solids Double-Sided Border
Orange Sassy Solids Double-Sided Border
Yellow Mini Polka Dots Scalloped Border Trim
Lime Colorful Circle Scalloped Border Trim

Instructions:
1) Cut the Black & White Chevrons Double-Sided Border so that it is about 8” long
2) Use the free feather template to trace and cut four feathers out of border trim
3) Glue all four feathers to the Black & White Chevrons Double-Sided Border
4) Glue feather headband to wooden dowel rod

Pumpkin Pie Photo Booth PropPumpkin Pie

Materials:
Orange & Teal Wild Moroccan Pennants
Chocolate Polka Dots Scalloped Border Trim
Chevron Frames Mini Accents

Instructions:
1) To make the crust, cut Chocolate Polka Dots Scalloped Border Trim into a 6” strip and glue to the edge of the Orange Wild Moroccan Pennant
2) Turn the Chevron Frame Mini Accent over and glue to the middle of the pennant
3) Glue pumpkin pie to wooden dowel rod

Gobble GlassesTurkey Glasses Photo Booth Prop

Materials:
Turkey Accents

Instructions:
1) Cut a 1” hole into the middle of two turkey accents and glue edges together
2) Glue Turkey accents to wooden dowel rod

Note: You could also use Turkey Mini Accents for mini gobble glasses

For the Bow props, we used these Bow Accents.

For the Gobble Gobble Word Sign, we used Speech Thought Bubble Accents.

For the I’m Thankful for sign, we used Green Sassy Solids Name Plates.

Have your class take photos behind a white wall or decorate the wall with pennants and border trim to create a photo booth area. Use the props to take solo Thanksgiving photos as a gift to parents. Don’t forget to take a silly class photo all together! Check out our Holiday & Seasonal Projects Pinterest Board for more Thanksgiving classroom activities.

Classroom Activities, Holidays, Teacher Resources

Border Trim Pumpkin Lantern Tutorial

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Border Trim Pumpkin Lanterns - Teacher Created Resources

Have you started thinking about Halloween decorations for the classroom yet? If you have leftover border trim around, this easy hanging pumpkin lantern is a great way to transition your classroom into October.

Materials:
(3) 36” Orange Border Trim
(1) Green Border Trim
Ribbon
Scissors
Stapler
Glue

Pumpkin Lantern Tutorial - Teacher Created Resources

Instructions:
1) Cut your orange border trim into the following strips:
-13 inches (x2)
-11 inches (x2)
-9 inches (x2)
-8 inches (x1)

2) Stack the border strips altogether. The 8” strip should be in the center and then sandwich them from shortest strip to longest strip. Push the stack of strips down to make the pumpkin shape and staple. Push the bottom strip up and staple.

3) Draw or trace two leaves using green border trim and secure to the top of the pumpkin with glue.

4) Attach a piece of ribbon (brown burlap ribbon looks great) and hang a bunch of pumpkin lanterns from the ceiling.

These border trim pumpkin lanterns are also a great craft for students. Each student can make their own pumpkin lantern so you can hang them above their desks, or students can take them home to their parents. For more Halloween classroom crafts, see our Halloween Classroom Ideas Board on Pinterest.

Behavior Management, Classroom Management, Teacher Resources, Teaching Tips

Good Behavior Rewards Cards

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Good Behavior Rewards Cards
Need a way to reward good behavior in the classroom? Use a rectangular accent piece or thick card stock to make a rewards card for each student. Write each student’s name in the middle of the rewards card and use a hole puncher to give hole punches to students when they are demonstrating good behavior. Keep the rewards card in a visible place on the student’s desk. This way, you can check to make sure that you are not missing a student or unfairly giving one student too many punches on his or her card. Randomly reward good behaviors such as the following:

-Completing work assignments
-Following instructions well
-Studying with another student
-Attention to task
-Helping another student
-Showing kindness to fellow students

Set a time limit on the card’s use, such as a new good behavior reward card every two weeks or so. You will find that students will count the number of holes they have earned. This makes the card a constant reinforcer of good behavior. If you are a preschool on kindergarten teacher, have students thread a string around all the holes when their rewards card is full. Threading is a great way to strengthen fine motor skills.

Have a special reward or treat when each student has earned a set number of hole punches. Students must know they are working to attain a goal.