Quick and Budget-Friendly Gift Ideas for Your Students

With the holiday season around the corner, finding thoughtful yet budget-friendly gifts for your students can sometimes be a challenge. Fear not, fellow teachers! In this blog post, we're exploring two fantastic ideas that not only make for quick and inexpensive student gifts but also add an extra element of fun to your classroom – extra credit and slime! Let's dive into these creative options that will surely bring smiles to your students' faces without breaking the bank.

1. Extra Credit Extravaganza: Looking for a gift that benefits both you and your students? Extra credit is the way to go! Consider offering a small amount of extra credit for completing a specific task or excelling in a classroom activity. This not only motivates students to engage more actively but also serves as a tangible reward for their efforts. The best part? It's a gift that keeps on giving, as it contributes to their academic progress.

2. Slime-tastic Surprise: If you're in the mood for something a bit more hands-on and entertaining, why not gift your students with slime? Slime has taken the world by storm, and creating it can be a memorable and engaging experience. You can organize a fun, slime-making activity in the classroom or make it yourself, providing a unique and budget-friendly gift. Customize the slime colors to match the season or holiday for an extra festive touch!

Transforming Math Centers into Festive Fun

'Tis the season for magic, joy, and all things festive! And as teachers, we've got the perfect chance to bring that holiday sparkle into our classrooms and make learning a real hoot for our students. One way to do this is by tossing in some holiday-themed game boards right into our regular math centers. Trust me, it's like turning boring tasks into awesome challenges!

Here's the best part – once your students grasp the rules for either of the activities mentioned below, you can easily switch out the game boards to match any season or holiday.

Game Boards: Here's a fun and easy idea: pair up task cards focusing on the skills you want your students to practice with a festive holiday game board! It's a cool way to review important concepts while adding a touch of holiday cheer to your lessons. By combining any set of task cards with a Christmas-themed game board, you'll create a lively and enjoyable learning experience that'll have your students excited to participate!

Math Ladders: Want to sprinkle some Christmas magic into your classroom? Here's another super easy way – try using Math Ladders! Just pick a Math Ladder skill you want to work on, and grab a free game board with a festive holiday vibe. It's like choosing your favorite toppings for a pizza – simple and fun! With this approach, you not only bring holiday cheer into your lessons but also make learning math a joyous adventure for your students. Just pick a skill, download the holiday-themed game board, and let the festivities begin!

Festive Fraction Fun

Greetings, fellow educators and enthusiasts! Today, we delve into a free classroom activity where artistic expression meets mathematical concepts. Each year, my 4th grade class embarks on a unique math adventure, turning a plain Christmas tree into a colorful tapestry of fractions.

Crafting with Fingers: The initial step involves the exciting process of finger-painting 24 ornaments onto the Christmas tree. Students love this part! (Just give into the messy finger. If you put them all at one table by the sink, you'll survive.) Little do they know, the real mathematical exploration was just beginning.

Fraction Analysis: Once the ornaments are dry, the focus shifts to the world of fractions. Students will count ornaments of different colors, reaching the total of 24. The challenge is then to determine the fraction represented by each color. Each present below the tree should have the fraction of ornaments that are that color.

Equivalent Fractions Exploration: With basic fractions established, students now take a deeper dive into equivalent fractions. On each present, 3 equivalent fractions should be generated.

Equation Creation: The culminating activity involved the creation of equations demonstrating how they decomposed the whole tree. I like to use Crayola's Construction Paper Crayons to write the fractions so the colors really pop!

Finally, hang the masterpieces in the hall. Your principal will love the amount of math on them and the kids (and adults!) will love the festive feel they bring to your classroom.

Grab the instructions here:

Multiplication & Division Fact Fluency

So many people think that just because you know your multiplication facts that means you automatically know your division facts. Well, I assume you know your ABCs...how fast you can say them backwards? It's okay....I'll wait....

Not as fast as forwards, right? You can't say them as fast because you haven't practiced. Division is the same way. Students must practice their division facts in order to become truly fluent.

Knowing that, I created multiplication & division drills so students can working on becoming fluent in both. I also created different levels so that students first work to master 20 problems in one minute, then 25 problems, and finally 30 problems.

Go ahead & bookmark them. They're completely free.