Mother's Day Purse Poems

I so wish I was one of those organized people who post their fabulous ideas days (even weeks) before special occasions ... but alas, I'm not.  I'm lucky I even squeezed in a Mother's Day activity this week.  So, I'm offering  you the next best thing.  This is what my class did for Mother's Day ... and if you like it, you can pin it for next year (I guess that's the best I can do).

We've been studying and writing poetry lately, so I wanted the kids to write a poem for Mother's Day.  And, I wanted to present it in a special way ... so we made Mother's Day Purse Poems.  

We used 12 x 12 scrapbook paper cut in half for this activity (I included the link for the pad of paper I used at the bottom of the page).  Fold the bottom part of the paper up, so that it is about 2 inches from the top of the paper.  Fold the top of the paper over to fold a flap.  Then the students cut the paper into a trapezoid shape.  I told them they could round off the edges of the flap if they wanted.  They cut a thin strip to use as the purse strap, and taped it to the inside of the paper.  We used a velcro dot to hold the flap down to the paper (purse).

For the poem we used one of the simple "I Am" templates found on the internet.  We just changed the "I" to "She".  Because some of my students don't have a mom in their lives, they could write about a grandma, aunt, or any mother figure they have in their lives.  Students wrote the poem on the inside of the purse, so that when the flap is opened, their "present" is revealed.  Cute, easy, and quick ... just what I needed on a Friday afternoon!

I also wanted to express just how jealous I am reading about all of you who are just about finished the school year.  I'm not going to tell you I still have 7 weeks (35 days) left ... wait, I guess I just did ... ;)  I guess I was living vicariously through all of you, and wanted to feel like the end of the year was just a bit closer, so I made up a fun little reflection activity for the end of the year.  End of the Year Cootie Catchers would make a great activity for pairs or small groups to get them thinking about all the wonderful things they accomplished and took part in through the year.  You could also turn one of the prompts into a reflection writing activity - a perfect end of the year activity for the students' portfolios.  Click HERE or on the picture to take a peek at my newest set of cootie catchers.

As always, I'd like to offer you a little treat.  Be one of the first THREE to leave me a comment with your email, and I'll send you a free copy of the cootie catchers.  Enjoy ... and HAPPY SATURDAY!!!