Family Projects

August/September

*All About Me: Baseball Holder Style!
Each child takes home a baseball card page with clear pockets.
They fill up the pockets with information, pictures, drawings, stickers, etc about themselves and their family. You then compile all the pages in an album. The album is placed in the classroom for all to see and share. Some teachers may want to have it as a sign-out book to go home on a rotation.

* Me Bags:
Each child takes home a plain paper bag (lunch size). They decorate the bag and then place something in the bag that is special. They bring them back to school and takes turns sharing the contents telling why it is special. Of course, allow questions and comments from the audience.

*Patterns in my House:
a-Send home a page that asks the children to search their home for a pattern, record it, and with the help of a family member tell which room and on what it was found. OR...each child finds something that has a pattern to bring to school. They are explained to the class and placed in the "Pattern Museum."

b-An alternative I use each year is to have them create a pattern at home using a variety of small items. Examples include: stickers, toothpicks, beans, buttons, leaves, shells, etc. Each child shares their pattern with the class and we post on a "Patterns By Us" bulletin board.

*Grandparents Project:
Children are instructed to Interview their grandparents. They are also encouraged to bring in a photo and something special the grandparent gave them. (i.e. stuffed animal, toy, book ) If possible a grandparent could visit the classroom for the special presentation day!

*Family Quilt :
Each child will make a quilt using squares of construction paper (or fabric if families are able).
I would suggest sending home 12 8"x8" squares. The quilt only uses 9 squares but some may wish to use more or may need some due to mistakes. On each square, they illustrate something special to tell about/introduce their family. The squares are bound together using yarn or ribbon to form a quilt. The quilts are displayed for "Family Night" or Open House. It is a great way for the children to get to know each other and the things the different families value.

*Who's in The House"
Send home a house booklet. The children illustrate who is in their family and write some information about the family members.

October

* Fire Safety Map:
Children create a map of their house. They tell how to get out in case of a fire. Be able to tell what your address is and who to call to get help.For extra credit show 2 ways to get out.

* Pumpkin Patch
a)Children decorate a poster board cutout of a pumpkin. They can use any materials they can find at home.
b)Decorate a small pumpkin and bring it to school to put on display.

* Disguise a Pumpkin
For this take-home project send a large, orange pumpkin traced onto orange poster board.
The children are to cut it out, and then disguise it by turning it into anything they would like.
Some of their creative ideas:(1) turn it upside down, use the stem as a neck, and make a clown, (2) cover it with white tissue and make a ghost, (3)turn it into Cinderella's carriage with wheels and horses, (4) cover it with black construction paper and add large wings for a bat, (5) turn it into cat with whiskers, eyes, nose, and ears, (6) make a cowboy or cowgirl with facial features, a cowboy hat, and red bandana at the neck.
I'm sure you will be pleased with their creativity!

*Creature of the Night
This is a great follow up for your study of nocturnal animals. Students create a real or make believe creature. They must complete a card to go with their creature that tells its name, foods it eats, where it sleeps, what it likes to do, etc. You can set up a class museum and have other classrooms come in to see the wonderful creations.
BACK

November

*Turkeys in Disguise:
Each child takes home a tag board turkey cutout and decorates it. A letter goes home telling the families that the turkey doesn't want to get eaten for Thanksgiving so they need to help disguise him. What a hoot hoot to see all the different ways they will come back. A writing element can be added by having them tell what the turkey does to keep from being eaten.

*Pilgrims/Native Americans:
Send home a paper doll shape and have the children choose which (pilgrim or Native American) they would like to make.
They cut clothes and glue them on and then write a description of their person to read as part of the sharing.

*We Are Thankful Quilt:
Each child takes home a 9"x9" square of white construction paper. They are instructed to illustrate and tell about something for which their family is thankful.
These are connected as a class quilt to be displayed in the classroom.

*Leaf Families:
Families use leaves to make leaf people that represent the members of their family. The leaf people are glued onto a large piece of construction paper and labeled. Illustrati ons can be added.
BACK

December

*All Wrapped-Up:
Send home a box shaped tag board cutout. They decorate the template anyway they choose. The children also write about what might be in the box. Instead of a template to decorate they can also decorate a real box...shoeboxes work well.

*Holiday Traditions:
Create a booklet about a family traditions. These are simple to make by stapling newsprint together with a construction paper cover. They can be full sheets or half sheet size. They can also be given different questions to answer about their traditions.

*Trim a Tree:
Read one of several Christmas tree bokks such as Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry, then send home a tree shape cut from white tag board. The families decorate with sequins, wrapping paper, rick-rack, glitter, scribbles paints, anything that is festive for the holiday season.

January

*Snow People:
a-After reading Elhert's book Snowball send home white
circles and a 12/18 blue construction paper. Their job is to create a snow person using cutouts and real objects like Elhert did in her book. They may choose to make anything as long as they decorate it in some way (i.e. people, animals, imaginary creatures).
b-Send home 3 white circles (either construction paper or paper plates). They are instructed to construct and decorate their snowman. They then write directions for making a snowman.

February

*Hearts:
Children decorate a bag or shoe box (or other similar sized box) for receiving Valentine's cards from classmates.

*My Love Flower :
The children trace their hands and create a flower that has a picture of the different people in their family. Add a center circle and write how they love their family.

March

*Leprechaun traps:
There are 2 ways to do these. One is a total family project they other involves both home and school.
a-Children collect materials from home. As they come in, take batches out and spray paint everything green. In class, the children construct their leprechaun traps and give directions for using the traps.
b-Children are given directions to create a trap to catch a leprechaun. They construct the trap at home and bring in to share and explain. For this version, they add written directions for how they made their trap and how it should be used.

*High Flying Kites
Children are given tag board kites to decorate at home. They write a story telling how what the kite sees from high in the sky or how it feels to fly in the sky.

*Shamrocks:
Send home a shamrock template for the families to decorate at home.

April

*Egg-ceptional Eggs:
Children take home large ovals and have the kids use their patterning skills to decorate the eggs with any art media they wish.

*Bunches of Bunnies:
Children take home a rabbit cutout to decorate.

*Mother Goose big book:
Each child picks a Mother Goose rhyme. They use a piece of poster board to make a big book with an illustrated cover with title and the poem in their neatest printing inside (with additional decorations inside optional). On the due date, each child gets to read or recite their rhyme to the class and then the books stay out for everyone to read.

May

*May Flowers:
Send home a flower shaped cut out from poster board. The instructions ask the families to decorate the petals, center, leaves, stem to create a new type of lower.

*Habitat Diorama:
The children make a basic diorama made in a shoe box of one of the habitats you study - ocean, forest, desert, polar, etc.
It has to include two examples each of plants and animals.

*Animal Report:
Instructions go home to make a file folder report.

*Bucket Brigade:
Send home a bucket shaped poster board cut out. The children decorate the bucket and tell what they will be doing over the summer break.

Anytime Projects

These are projects that can be used at anytime of the year.

*Comedy Club:
You will need a collection of joke books or access to some from the media center or library. Put the books out in the classroom library for a few weeks. Each child picks a joke to take home and memorize. They return on a specific day to tell the class during Comedy Club Afternoon.

*Career Report:
The children write a report about what they want to be when they grow up and bring in a picture of themselves looking like that person. Or...how about coming to class in costume.