Fall Lapbooks: Pumpkin

So I have found this new obsession love.  I keep seeing all these amazing interactive notebooks.  I wanted to know more about interactive notebooks. That was my first mistake.  That is how I stumbled upon ...

Lapbooks

Lapbooks are these amazing things that fit into a file folder.  They are interactive and custom.  They really work for any age.  The older the kids are the more custom they are.  This is the one I made for 4 year olds.  

Once I figured out what I wanted to included it was pretty easy to put together. 

Creating the flaps was much easier than I was fearing.  You simply fold the edges to the middle creating a new way of opening.  I have found that this is called a 'shutter fold'.  It basically divides the folder into fourths.  

I am already thinking of all sorts of other things that we can do with these. The back of this one I added a pumpkin patch play mat.  A small file folder type game can be on the back and the pieces stored inside.  

That Pp flap there on the bottom is covered in packing tape so that we can use it over and over again. Under the flap is a blank area for all the words she can think of that starts with the p sound.  An area to draw or write.

I love just love it!  

I am already dreaming up ideas for Christmas ones.  

Do you love it?  Do you want one?  It's at my Teachers Pay Teachers Store. 

What's New Wednesday - Relaunch

What's New Wednesday is a place for us educators to link up some new stuff. Did you recently post a product? Have you posted a tour of your classroom in a blog post? Did you post how your first week went? Have you recently updated a product you want to share?  This is the place for you!

My newest product is a bundle. It a product a year in the making. 

Alphabet Lapbooks

I hope to have a full blog post on how to assemble and use these lapbooks here soon. These bad boys work on assembling the letter, tracing and writing the letter, phonics and visual discrimination of the letter. It works on both upper case and lower case letters.

Be sure to try it out by downloading the preview. You will get 3 letters for free!

Now it is your turn. Link up your newest product, update, freebie, or blog post below. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Train Unit Lapbook

While we were packing to get ready to head out of town for two weeks I was thinking.  I am going to need something to keep these two high energy kids busy during Thanksgiving Day.

Of course I could have turned to Pinterest to find a Thanksgiving learning and fun activities.  But today is for my little guy.  He would not be interested in Thanksgiving activities.

So I pulled out what he loves.

I printed off several activities from this unit.

• Pattern Trains
• Number Train
• Rainbow Experss
• Shape Train Cargo Match
• Count and Fill Tank Car
• Tracks Play-Dough Mat
• Number Puzzles

I chose to leave everything black and white.  Little man can color anything if he wants.  Also, I was running out of time.  

I laid everything out on the file folder and started gluing envelopes to store pieces.  Then I assembled the Rainbow Express and stapled it onto the book.  I cut and folded all the pieces and put them in the envelopes.  I covered anything that I wanted to be wipe-away with clear packing tape.  

To keep the middle train in place I added a train gate to keep it in place when not in use.  

The back of the folder I glued an envelope at the bottom to hold the number puzzle pieces.  Then I taped on a sheet protector.  The sheet protectors hold the number puzzle pieces in place as well as has space for wipe away activities.