FREE Stained Glass Mitten Template

Since the frigid winter cold doesn't appear to be going anywhere, I decided to bring some winter warmth into my kindergarten classroom with these adorable "stained glass" mitten window decorations. 

These brightly colored mittens are the perfect FAST craft to complete at school. 

They're quick, easy, and no glue is required! 

The complete collection looks stunning in my classroom windows. 

Want to know more about how to make these cute stained glass mittens? Stop by the Kinder-Craze blog for step-by-step directions and a FREE Mitten Template!

Stay warm out there!

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Make Your Own Interactive Number Line

What is it about those numbers in the teens and twenties that makes them so hard for kindergarteners to recognize? Many students can master the numbers beyond 30 without issue, but put a flash card of "12" in front of a few of them and those same children are instantly confused. 

I created a fun interactive number line for numbers 1 thru 30 to help struggling students manipulate and discover those tricky numbers for themselves. Creating the number line was easy: I simply printed, laminated, and cut apart the pieces. Then I attached a magnet to the back of each piece and displayed them on my classroom whiteboard for students to mix up and put back in order. My students love visiting the number line and they learn so much about numbers while they interact. 

You can download an Interactive Number Line for your own classroom. Stop by the Kinder-Craze blog to grab your freebie and see a few more of my tricks for helping students master those very tricky numbers up to 30. 

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FREE Religious Emergent Reader about the 5 Senses

I have a fun freebie to share with my friends in Catholic and Christian schools. I just concluded a study in my classroom about our 5 senses and how we use those senses to discover God's world. I always try to integrate Religion topics across the curriculum and I have a great resource to share with you today. "God Gives Us Five Senses" is my newest Interactive Sight Word Reader. It provides students with an opportunity to read, learn to spell number word "five" and remember that everything we have is a gift from God.

Of course, the book also features images from fellow freebielicious author Nikki from Melonheadz Illustrating! My kindergarten students love the little people she portrays. 

Ready for your freebie? Just hop over to the Kinder-Craze blog to read a little more about why Interactive Sight Word Reader are so popular and grab this cute emergent reader for FREE!

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"Please Knock!" Sign for Christmas Projects

Are you working on last-minute gifts for parents in your classroom this week? Me too! Inform parents and visitors that Christmas secrets are happening behind closed doors in your classroom with this cute "please knock" sign. I hang it on my classroom door each time my students work on our parent gifts.

My students get love our little classroom secrets. Here you can see them working diligently on drawing lessons for a holiday painting that we will be giving as a gift.

Stop by the Kinder-Craze blog to grab your free sign. While you're there, find directions for making this adorable holiday painting with your class. 

Happy Holidays!

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FREE Countdown to Christmas Sign

Are you counting down the days 'til Christmas? I am! And so are every single one of our students. Get in on the fun and work on backward counting with this Countdown to Christmas sign. It prints on 2 pages that mount perfectly on a 12x18" sheet of construction paper. Simply print, trim, and glue the pages onto a large sheet of construction paper, then laminate. I have found that dry erase markers respond better to overhead transparencies so I use clear tape to attach a small sheet of overhead transparency (or report cover) onto the writing area. Students can write and wipe their countdown on the classroom sign every day with a  dry erase marker.

Stop by the Kinder-Craze blog to grab this great freebie (and find a sleigh-ful of fresh Christmas ideas. 

Only 17 days 'til Christmas!

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Classroom Elf Special Delivery from Santa Printables

Do you have a classroom elf? My elf arrives tomorrow for the first time ever and I am SO excited! My students watched An Elf's Story and wrote letters to Santa requesting a classroom elf.

Tomorrow is the big day when our elf arrives from the North Pole! The package even says "Special Delivery from Santa" so my students will know that it is the real deal.

As an added surprise, the elf will not be inside of the box when we open it. Instead, my kindergarten students will discover a letter from Santa explaining that the elf is already on duty somewhere in the classroom. Imagine my students' surprise when they make that discovery! 

I am SO excited for my Special Delivery from Santa tomorrow. You can read all about my preparations for the big event on the Kinder-Craze blog. While you're there, download your own Classroom Elf Special Delivery from Santa Printable set. It includes a template for student letters to Santa, Special Delivery labels, and a note from Santa to place inside of the elf box. 

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Meet Maria {Kinder-Craze}

Are you there, Freebielicious? It's me, Maria!

You probably know me better by my blog... Kinder-Craze. 

I often hop onto Freebielicoius to share free resources from my classroom, but the whirlwind to share fresh ideas leaves little time for sharing anything personal. I thought it was time to help you know the woman behind Kinder-Craze. 

 I have a few obsessions:

With school supplies.

And concerts. Especially, Lenka and Ingrid Michaelson concerts. 

And finding unique ways to decorate my kindergarten classroom.

I have SO many blessings in my life it is impossible to count them all. I teach in a wonderful Catholic school with a sweet little class of kindergarten students. I get to see both of my parents at work every day too. Now I just need to figure out a way for brother, Mark, to work there too. I also have a great boyfriend. He doesn't get much press, but he is often around. Here you can see a photo of his hand while we shared some apple cider this fall. 

And he doesn't mind when I sneak a quick (or slow) peek at my phone while try to juggle blogging, TpT, and Instagram. 

Here I am caught in the act!

With so much to be thankful for, I am always happy to give a little something back and and share freebies with all of you. In honor of Thanksgiving, I have a great Interactive Sight Word Reader to share with you called "Thank You God."

Stop by the Kinder-Craze blog to get your freebie. While you're there, be sure to leave a comment and introduce yourself so I can learn a little about you too! 

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Color By Number Turkey Freebie

Turkey day will be here soon! What better way to put your student's excitement to good use than with a
Color by Number Turkey? For an added twist, give each student a dice so they can roll and cover each part of the turkey.

This Color by Number Turkey is yours to download by FREE when you stop by the Kinder-Craze blog. 

Have a great night everyone!

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A Fun Resource for Learning Color Words

I am gearing up to start a two-week color word study in my kindergarten classroom. Each day of the study is dedicated to a specific color. Tomorrow is black day. The entire class is invited to wear something black to school and we will do extensive word work (in an interactive way of course) to help  my students learn to spell "black" quickly and easily.

Kindergarteners always love to know WHEN a special day or activity is coming up, so I created a set of reminder cards for my classroom calendar. These cards clearly display when each featured color day is scheduled for the next two weeks.

Stop by the Kinder-Craze blog to grab this great freebie and take a peek into some of the fun activities we will be doing in class during our color word study! 

Want to know more about the printables you see in my classroom calendar? 

You can find them in my TpT store. 

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Firefighter Color by Number

October is Fire Prevention month. If you need a quick activity to enhance your fire safety unit, this Color by Number Firefighter might be just what you're looking for!

Cut this single page printout in half to create two half-page coloring pages. My students love coloring the small pages and I love that they are engaged in learning their color words.

Stop by the Kinder-Craze blog to grab your freebie. While you're there, be sure to check out a few additional resources and activities for teaching fire safety in your classroom. 

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