To make up for it, I'm throwing a belated blog birthday party and you are invited! What's a party without favors, right? So I have some fun freebies to share with you. I have been eyeing up those Pixie Stick birthday balloons floating around Pinterest, but something inside of me is saying, "You're going to give your students a ginormous straw filled with sugar...are you INSANE!?!". Until I resolve that disagreement with myself, I'm going in another direction. Although I've been known to change my mind so who knows what I'll actually do next August when I'm setting up the room again.
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| Click the pic to grab your copies! |
The second one is a pencil flag. Kids love a new pencil, so you can quickly and easily dress one up for your birthday kid! Just cut the flags apart, pinch it in half horizontally and punch a hole to slide a new pencil through. Fun & super
So, we have a celebration, we have gifts, now we need guests! I'm throwing a little linky party so that you can all share your classroom birthday ideas! I'd love to see how you celebrate birthdays in your room. Feel free to share anything birthday related - birthday bulletin board ideas, parties, freebies (just not a paid product please). You can link up a new post or even a "vintage" post, but either way, please grab the image below and link back here to this page so that everyone knows how to get to the par-tay!
Posts
Thank you so much for this! :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Blog Birthday!
ReplyDeleteJennifer
First Grade Blue SKies
Your blog brings joy and happiness to all of us !! I am inspired by your generosity and creativity, thanks !!! (and Happy Birthday :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! Thanks for the linky party!
ReplyDelete✿Fun 2B in First✿
Happy Bloggy Birthday!! :)
ReplyDelete❤Teri
A Cupcake for the Teacher
Happy birthday to the best Sunny blog in Second Grade :)
ReplyDelete~Stephanie
Teaching in Room 6
Happy Bloggy Birthday - always enjoy reading your blog.
ReplyDeleteI love how the candy bar doubles as a homework pass! I am doing the Pixie Sticks this year, but the kids don't choose theirs until the end of the day (i.e. all that sugar goes home for them to enjoy!).
ReplyDeleteI couldn't get the link to work....maybe just me. I have done the pixie sticks and they choose at the end of the day as well and eat them at home....with the parents. Haha.
ReplyDeleteHi Emelie!
DeleteThanks so much for telling me. I think it's fixed now.
Try it again :)
Denise
The polka dots are really fun! Great colors.
ReplyDeleteSheila
Sprinkle Teaching Magic
CONGRATS on the one year birthday!
ReplyDeleteKathy
First Grade a la Carte
Congrats! And thanks a bunch! :)
ReplyDeleteTeachPrayLove
I am in LOVE with your candy bar label!! What a cute idea and cute poem. My students will love these! Thank you for sharing for free. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! Your candy bar homework pass may just be my birthday treat for next year. I, too, loved the pixie stick ballloons. I went a no sugar route this year by attaching them to crazy straws. They were a hit with the kids and at 6 for a dollar at the Dollar Tree they are super cheap.
ReplyDeleteErica
Glad your blog provided a positive outlet for you...and that you didn't let Debbie Downer and her friends get the best of you. Stay focused on the positive! Thanks for the freebies and the links!
ReplyDeleteOMGoodness Denise! Your blog has inspired me ever since I found the world of blogging over the Christmas Holidays. (Who KNEW such a world existed??...not me!!!) I just read your blog on teaching blog addict and you spoke directly to my heart. It could have been me talking about how down I have gotten in the past couple of years. After 23 years of teaching, the joy was being quicly drained out of me!!! I have started a little blog and still seem to struggle with what to blog about and what to do. From the amount of followers you have, and all of your FABULOUS posts, I would never have dreamed you've only been at it for a year! Once again, thanks for lifting me up. (If you read my post for today on my blog, you will see this was one of those joy-draining weeks for me.):
ReplyDeleteLove your ideas...Thanks for being so positive and helping to lift me back up!!
Cynthia
2nd Grade Pad
posts like this make me want to start blogging again, just so I can be cool and link up to your blog! Sooo... What have done for the past few years for birthdays is throw a big "un-birthday party" for my whole class in the spring... the kids have a BLAST, and most of the feedback from parents has been very positive as well. (And since it's been going for a few years now, most parents know about it since I have taught other children of theirs... now that I'm at a brand new school, I have to build up the hype a little this year)... so basically at the beginning of the year I send home a note with my syllabus that explains the party, and the parents have to sign the note saying that they agree NOT to send treats on their child's birthday (this was an issue the first year)... now the parents know that if they send treats, I put them in the faculty room for the teachers to enjoy :) haha... so around May (like, in a few weeks... yikes, gotta get busy planning)... I send home a note asking for volunteers to help, and asking for the cake and ice cream donations... this way the families that have the money to pay for treats can help, and those who are really unable to provide things like this for their kids don't have to feel left out... each child can bring their favorite ice cream topping to share (which creates the biggest ice cream sundae bar EVER!) and they can send a non-food item as well to put in the goodie bags. (I also buy books throughout the year with my bonus points so that each child gets a book!)... again, this is all optional based on if they can donate (we are in a poor area)... but all kids get the SAME goodies and everyone gets to come to the party and have fun. We do a whole day of birthday stuff... birthday reading, birthday grammar, birthday math (human graph, birthday glyphs, etc)... then at the end of the day we go into the gym to have the party... complete with pin the hat on the birthday boy/girl, cake walk, birthday bingo, and cake and ice cream (and presents, of course!!) We watch the unbirthday song from Alice in Wonderland then sing happy un-birthday to all of us... then the kids go home, high on sugar, with a smile on their face! It's the best thing ever! (AND, I don't have to eat cupcakes 30 times during the year! lol!!)
ReplyDeleteHappy Blog Birthday!
ReplyDeleteI have followed your blog from almost the beginning. I loved those early posts because they are reflective of the thoughts and feelings many teachers have during their course in this profession. I am so glad blogging has brought you many rewards. I know it has changed my teaching and learning. :)
Love your blog! I found this post through Pinterest and am SO glad I did! I love this alternative to the pixie sticks! Thank you for sharing! And happy belated Blog Birthday!!
ReplyDeleteApple Blossoms