Puffy Paint Snowmen (with freebie!)

Puffy Paint Snowmen!

Today I’m going to share with you a fun winter craft.  These puffy paint snowmen are fun to make and come out looking so cute when they are finished.

The first step is to either draw a snowman on a sheet of paper.  Cardstock or construction paper works best because they are thick and the puffy paint is wet until it dries.  You can download a template for free by clicking HERE.

Here’s the puffy paint.  You make it by combining equal parts of white school glue and shaving cream and mixing it up well.  You can see which kinds I used in the picture, but brands don’t matter.  I’ve used all different brands for this activity.

This is what it will look like when it is mixed.  I added in glitter to make it extra sparkly.  
Then you are ready to have your students (or your own children) paint the puffy paint onto the snowman template.  
    
This is what it looks like when it is painted.  I sprinkle more glitter on when it is still wet.  It will take at least 24 hours to fully dry.  

For the nose, I used the foam sheets to cut out a carrot shaped nose. I used sequins for the buttons.  For the eyes, I used google eyes and for the mouth, I used black paint. 
Here’s what the snowman looks like when it is finished!  I glued it on blue construction paper.  The “falling snowflakes” are fingerprints that each student made.  Then we used a circle sponge and white paint to put the snow at the base of the snowman.
I hope you enjoy making this craft!

Dramatic Play

Dramatic Play is one of my favorite centers.  If helps children develop a variety of different skills, including important social skills, while having fun!  Here are the dramatic play packs that I have available in my store.

   

        
      
      
      
      
       
        

      

End of the Year Handprints

I love making handprint crafts with my students.  Here are a few ways I’ve made handprint crafts for the end of the year for each of my students to keep.  
We made handprint t-shirts.  I had students put their handprints all around and my assistant and I put ours on too!  When the paint dried, we wrote each student’s name on top of their handprint.  I used fabric paint for the handprints, fabric markers for the names, and puffy paint for the year.

We made the tote bags the same way.  I ordered a variety of different colors of the tote bags on Amazon and let students pick the color they wanted for their tote bags.  They also were able to choose the color puffy paint and handprint paint they used.

I hope you enjoy these ideas and are able to use them with your students.  🙂

Social Stories


Social Stories are a great way of helping children work through a variety social and behavioral difficulties.  Below are the ones that I have created so far.  If you would like to have a social story written that you do not see here, please email me at theteachingzoo@gmail.com.

Going to School            Asking for Help             Being Safe       
  Changes in the Schedule            Feeling Frustrated            Going Home        
Going to Inclusion              Going to Specials            Minding My Own Business      
              Playing Games             Playing with my Friends

Putting Things in my Mouth            Quiet Voice             My Job at School          
Riding the Bus                Substitute              Walking in a Line
Making a Friend              Whining                
        

Sugar Baby Scrub {with Free Printable}

Sugar Baby Scrub
This is a simple DIY recipe that your students can make for Mothers Day…it’s so good that you’ll want to make some for yourself too!!  
Here’s what you’ll need:
-Sugar
-Baby Oil
-Baby Lotion or Baby Wash
-Jar
-Ribbon
Directions:
-Mix 2 1/2 cups of sugar (granulated, any brand), 1/4 cup baby oil, and 1/4 cup baby lotion (or baby wash) together in a bowl.  I prefer baby lotion because of the added moisture/softness that it gives to your skin.  When you’re done mixing, scoop it into a jar, tie a ribbon around and add your tag…voila!  
I love that it’s so simple and provides your students with the opportunity to measure and mix…you can also let them touch it, which provides a bonus sensory opportunity!



Mother's Day Card & Craft

Mother’s Day


Mother’s Day is right around the corner.  Today I want to share a Mother’s Day card and craft idea that I had my students make for their mothers.

To make the card, I painted my student’s hand in their choice of colors.  When that dried, I painted one finger red to make the cherry.  Then, I cut a piece of a cupcake wrapper and let them glue it on so that their handprint would look like a cupcake.  Students who could write independently wrote the words and others traced my writing.  Inside, they signed their name.
Here’s a picture of the inside.  I also attached their finished necklace craft to the inside of the card.  Here’s the steps to create the necklace:
Step 1: Using nail polish, have students paint the metal jewelry piece.  You can find it on Amazon by clicking here.  You can find the necklace here.
Step 2:  After the nail polish dries, have students apply small dots of another color (or more than one color)  Do NOT let the nail polish dry this time.  Instead, apply jewelry glue over top.  You can get it here.  Then lay the glass jewel on top.  These steps combined create a unique design for each necklace.  You can get the jewels here.  Let them dry for 1-2 days.
Once they are dry, you are ready for your students to give them to their moms.  
Happy Mother’s Day!

Autism Awareness Bulletin Board

April is Autism Awareness Month
Spread Awareness!
I created this bulletin board to spread awareness of Autism and I’m sharing it with everyone in hopes of helping more people become aware and spread awareness.  You can download your FREE Autism Awareness Bulletin Board Kit in my TpT Store by clicking here.
What are you doing for Autism Awareness Month at your school?  Please share your ideas below.

Sight Word Freebies


I want to give a BIG Thank You to my followers on my blog and on TpT!  I’ve reached over 1500 followers in my Teachers Pay Teachers store!  WOW!  I’ve created these two sight word flashcard packs just to say THANK YOU!  I hope you find them useful!  Click the pics to download your copy.

Check out my store for some more great sight word activities, such as:

Valentine's Day Craft

 
If you’re looking for a fun Valentine’s Day craft to make with your students, here’s a fun Valentine Card Holder.  It’s easy to make and adorable!  Here’s what you’ll need:
 
– 2 thin (cheap) paper plates
– yarn
– paint
– stickers
 
Directions:
 
1.  Lay 2 plates together as they come.  Cut the top off in the shape the top of a heart. 
2.  Have students paint them in the color of their choice.  
3.  When it’s dry, flip one plate the other direction and staple them together around the edges (except the top)
4.  Punch one hole in each side and attach the yarn.  
5.  Have students decorate with stickers.  I only had them put a sticker with their initial, but you could have them spell out their name or write it in glitter glue!
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