Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Notes of Encouragement for End of Grade Testing

Notes of Encouragement for EOG Testing
As the end of the school year approaches, many children prepare for end of grade testing. The EOGs, as many call them, may elicit fear of failure for many kids. Can they bubble what they have learned on an answer sheet?

Giving a child encouraging words can be a great gift. Taking the time to write a personal note can mean so much to a child. Approaching an evaluation with a positive attitude can go a long way toward helping a child to feel more relaxed.

These free printable notes of encouragement are specifically related to EOG testing. They are small, colorful, and can easily be tucked into a backpack, lunch box, or desk as a surprise to let a little one know that you are thinking of him or her on End of Grade testing days.

Directions:
  1. Click on the image below to enlarge.
  2. Choose file - print.
Printable Notes of Encouragement for EOG

Find more free printables, scavenger hunts, and articles at Katrena's Wildflower Bouquet site map.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Quick & Easy Fun Flaming Tongues of Fire Pentecost Craft


Fun and Inexpensive Tongues of Fire Craft © Katrena
Pentecost brings with it images of tongues of fire. A fun way to bring that image to life is to make tongues of fire that can dance, swirl, and float!

This craft project is very inexpensive – the supplies I bought at a Dollar Tree could make 12 for $5.00. These "tongues" are versatile and might also be used with a dance ministry or drama, and they are easily customized for children of different sizes and abilities. The kids can develop teamwork skills as they make the craft. With very few supplies, there is little clean up time and almost no mess.



Supplies for Tongues of Fire Craft
  • Streamers (I bought 2-packs of red, orange, yellow)
  • Bracelets (I bought 6-packs in the party favor section)
  • Stapler with staples
  • Scissors (optional – we simply tore ours to the desired length)
Interactive Ways to Encourage Children in Church © Katrena
Directions for Making Tongues of Fire Craft
  1. Roll out red streamer and cut or tear to the desired length (32-inches worked well for my kids – you might want to go a little shorter for preschoolers)
  2. Repeat two more times (total of 3 separate red strips)
  3. Roll out orange streamer on top of the red strips and cut or tear the same length
  4. Roll out yellow streamer on top of the red/orange strips and cut or tear the same length
  5. Stack the three layers together (total of 9 strips together)
  6. Fold the edge of the 9 strips together over the edge of the bracelet and staple 2-3 times

That's it. Encourage the children to use their imagination as they move their tongues of fire and their bodies. Add some Pentecost music and you'll quickly have flaming tongues that the kids can enjoy as they learn about the Bible in a fresh and new way!

Find more inexpensive crafts, printables, scavenger hunts, and more at Katrena's Wildflower Bouquets site map.