10 Skittles Math Activities For Young Learners


Kinders LOVE using candy for math activities in the classroom! Their little eyes just light up when they see you pull out a bag of candy. They just know that they will be rewarded with a sweet treat after they finish the assigned task.  I love to keep students happy, so I created this set of Skittles math activities! They are perfect for learning centers, RTI, or whole group activities. Your students will be engaged while learning the skills they need to be successful. 



Skittles Shapes-Students practice counting vertices (corners) of shapes by placing skittles on each vertice and then adding them up. 


Skittles Patterns-Students create patterns with skittles. They then color in the boxes to match.


Skittles Number ID-Students practice number ID by covering up the number called by the teacher. Simple and effective!



Skittles Addition-Students use skittles to add and complete number sentences.


Skittles Sorting and Graphing-Your students sort their pile of skittles by color. They then create a bar or picture graph. You choose!


Skittle Ten Frame Counting-The kiddos practice creating sets of skittles on ten frames. This activity is provided in both single and teen numbers.


Skittles Survey-Your kiddos ask their friends what their favorite color of skittle is. They record the answers and total.


Skittle Roll and Count-Students roll two dice, add the dots, write the number, and count that many skittles. This is perfect for practicing addition, number writing, and counting.

Skittles Comparing-Students compare the number of skittles in each color and determine which color is greater.


Skittles Tallying-Students organize, count, tally, and total their skittles.

If you want to use these activities in your classroom, you can grab them in my TPT store. 


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Crystal McGinnis
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Printable Valentines! Cactus, Llamas, Unicorns, Mints, Cuties, and More!




My friend Mallory is super crafty. She created these adorable printable Valentines for classroom teachers or parents of school aged children who are preparing for Valentine's Day. Along with being very easy to print and prepare, they are an inexpensive way to spread the Valentine's love. Add candy if you choose, and you are ready to go!


This cactus themed valentine is perfect! Add a little cactus (if you choose), and they are ready to give! These are great for kiddos, co-workers, teachers, parents, or whoever you would like to give a gift to.




"We are Mint to Be!" What a cute little valentine. Simply add some mints.


If you want to give healthy valentines, how about these "Cutie" valentines? Simply add a Cutie orange to the valentine!



Llamas are adorable, and the kids love animal themed valentines. 



What little girl or boy doesn't love a unicorn? These unicorn valentines go great with some candy hearts!



If you are a teacher and want to create personalized valentines for your students, these are pefect. Simply type your name using the editable powerpoint, print, and you are done!

I can't wait to see what she creates next!





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Crystal McGinnis
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Word Family and Vowel Team Crafts



Do you use anchor charts in your classroom? The kids love anchor charts, and they are a great way to practice reading skills! I created these simple anchor chart crafts to help kinders practice their word families and vowel teams. After creating these word family crafts, we will create a display using them. The kids can use the display as a tool for their writing. Eventually, these will be sent home. We will keep one of each displayed permanently. I have three options for each craft. A colored construction paper option, a white paper option, and an option that lets the kiddos write their own word family words. I have included a link to each one if you would like to use them in your classroom.














































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Crystal McGinnis
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Alphabet and Sight Word Simple Sentences



Finding reading materials that are simple enough for kindergarten can be a CHALLENGE. They have the foundational skills of pre-readers, but they aren't quite independent. I created this set of Alphabet and Sight Word Simple Sentences to use as an additional reading resource for kindergarten. The kinders practice some of the most basic reading skills including alphabet/beginning sound recognition, tracking print, predictable text, using picture clues, and sight words. They also have the chance to write a sentence of their own which allows them to work on sentence structure. We all know what a challenge writing in kindergarten can be, so the more practice the better!





The kinders begin by reading each set of simple sentences. They use the picture clue at the end to help them determine the missing alphabet word. I will have the students highlight the alphabet letter that we are studying.






After reading, and re-reading the simple sentences, the kiddos will write a sentence of their own to match the sight word sentences. Their sentence will also have a word that begins with the letter of the alphabet we are focusing on. I will let them copy one of the sentences above if they can't come up with their own word. They draw a picture to match their alphabet word.

I will keep all of the sets of simple sentences in a reading folder to use as an independent read later. They will fit perfectly in our book boxes!




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Crystal McGinnis
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Read and Stack Mats! (CVC Words, Alphabet, Blends & Digraphs)




I am always looking for new, hands-on ways to teach my kids reading skills. Little learners are much more engaged if we find a way to reach them through activities that use their hands along with their little minds. I created this set of Read and Stack Mats that use building cubes to practice the alphabet, cvc words, and blends & digraphs. The concept is pretty easy, and the prep is even easier. No cutting....just print and use.



CVC Read and Stack Mats- The students read cvc words, find the matching word family/rhyming word, and then stack the correct number of blocks. Example-If the cvc word rhymes with cat, they stack 2 blocks on each word. If the cvc word rhymes with dog, they stack 3 blocks on each word. 


BLENDS AND DIGRAPHS Read and Stack Mats-The students look at each picture, determine the beginning blend, and then stack the correct number of blocks according to the key. Example-If the picture begins with SN, the students stack 5 blocks on the picture. If the picture begins with ST, 6 blocks are stacked on the picture.


DIGRAPHS Read and Stack Mats-The students look at each picture, determine the beginning digraph, and then stack the correct number of blocks according to the key. Example-If the picture begins with SH, the students stack 7 blocks on the picture. If the picture begins with CH, 5 blocks are stacked on the picture. Simple as that!


ALPHABET Read and Stack Mats- The students look at each picture, determine the beginning sounds, and then stack the correct number of blocks according to the key. Example-If the picture begins with the letter Aa, students stack 2 blocks. If the picture begins with letter Bb, the students stack 5 blocks on the picture. 

If you would like one of my read and stack mats. Click the link to see it in my TPT store.











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Crystal McGinnis
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CVC Word Rings





 Do you use word rings in your classroom? I created these cvc word rings to use as a tool during guided reading, but they can be used in so many other ways throughout the day!


First, I printed the words on different colors of tagboard. I wanted each word family to have a different color, so when I created the word ring, the word families could easily be distinguished from each other.


Next, I placed all of the 150 words in piles according to word family. I then added each pile to the word ring so that the word families stayed together. You could also place each word family on its own individual ring, or mix all of the words together for more of a challenge.


Here are some ideas on how you can use the CVC word rings in the classroom!

 * Use the word rings during your guided reading lessons as a warm-up. Students can read the words, write the words, or draw pictures to match the words.

* Use the rings as an assessment tool. Students read the words to you to show their mastery of cvc words.
*  Let a tutor or helper use the word rings to work with individual students who need help reading cvc words.
*  Use the word rings during your morning meeting as a warm-up. You can take a certain word family off of the word ring and place the words in a pocket chart. Let your students read the word family words to you.

* Let your kids create individual word rings throughout the year by adding a new word family each week. Place the word rings in their reading basket. 

* Place the word rings in a learning center. Let the students create the words using play-doh. Have the students draw a picture to match the cvc word they created with play-doh.


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Crystal McGinnis
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