Back to School Friendship FUN!

Friends~I love Back to School time!  I know it is a bit early but I can't help getting excited about a new bunch of kiddos.  Sharp pencils, crayons, and fresh markers are a few of my favorites!

I love seeing their timid little faces at 8:00 a.m. and by 3:00 p.m. they are out of their shells and have made new friends.  I always tell my parents to be prepared for their 2nd graders to have an uncontrolable urge to come back to room 331!  I KEEP that goal for myself all year.  Making learning fun and exciting!

I am really thrilled that I finished my back to school unit.  It is filled 42 pages of my favorite getting to know you activities. 

It is on SALE starting today 

7/2/2012-7/4/2012!  

Check out a few samples below!

Back to School Friendship Monsters!  One of the first things we do as a class is unpack our book bags.  Our school has the students bring the supplies on the first day so it is always crazy when they come in.  Before hand, I label some bins with the cards above.  I like to use just pictures to make is super easy.  I call out each supply,  the students pull it out, and walk to place it in the bin.  This is the important part!  I have them open any item with packaging and ask them to toss it into a pile up front.

By the end of the unpacking, we have a huge pile of TRASH!

 We then talk about what we should do with all of the trash and some how (With help from ME!) decide to make Friendship Monsters!

I guide them into looking at the trash as body parts that represent Friendship.  Like glue stick legs to show how friends "stick" together.  Click the image above to download a FREE set of directions!

We also decorate our cubbies with self portraits!  Below is the poem that I use to get my students thinking of their unique qualities!

I love their portraits because even when the day is done and I am alone working in the classroom I can still see their smiling faces! Below is one of the heads that they use to make their portraits.  Included in my Back to school Bonanza you will find the above poem a FRIEND acrostic, and 3 different skin tons of the below head:)

We also read How I Spent my Summer Vacation by Mark Teague!  It is a super cute book about exaggerating!  The little boy in the story tells an amazing tale of being kidnapped by cowboys! 

 We always start making class books early because I need at least 24 for our End of the Year book raffle!  Gotta start early!  

My kiddos write about their summer vacation and we add it to the cover to make a much loved book!

We also play Telephone Exaggeration!  You can read the directions below.  Included in my Back to School Bonanza you will find a set of cards to use with the game or just make you own:)

I hope you found a few fun ideas to get your Back to School juices flowing.  I would love it if you would follow my blog while you are here!  I am getting close to 1000 and I would be super excited to make it there this summer!  (Thanks to those of you that already do and leave the sweetest comments:)  

My TPT store always needs followers so I would be honored if you would follow there too!  I just posted a FREE Shadow Detective packet there yesterday!