Halloween Bat Crayon

I always like to give my students some sort of small gift on Halloween and this year I am avoiding candy.  They will get enough candy on this holiday and this way I don't have to worry about food allergies!  This year I decided to make each student a small bat crayon.

Here are the steps to make the bat crayons:

Step 1:

Find a silicone baking tray and some old crayons.  I found the bat tray at Michael's.  It is supposed to be used for melting chocolate!  My coworker had some old crayons that she didn't need, so I peeled them and chopped them up into small pieces.

Step 2:

I put the crayons in the bat tray, trying to spread out the different colors so when they melt they will be vivid and visible.

Step 3: 

Heat your oven to 250 degrees and melt the crayons for 10-15 minutes.  The length of time will vary, so keep checking on them.

Step 4: 

Take the tray out and let them cool.  I actually put mine in the freezer so they would cool down faster so I could make the next batch!

I have this free printable for you to use if you want to make the bat crayons, or give your students some sort of bat toy!  Disclaimer: The photos says "We are batty for you, Love Mrs. Schenry," because I am sharing a classroom this year and we call ourselves "Mrs. Schenry"... its our names together! haha!  The free download has different text for you. ;)

Happy Halloween!

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October Flip Books

Flip books are so exciting for some reason.  I am thrilled to share with you a discounted bundle that feature all of my October Flip Books.  Read alouds are my favorite part of teaching primary, and there are some EPIC seasonal books for October.  I bundled these four flip books, but you can also purchase them separately.

Hands down, The Hallo-Wiener is my favorite Halloween book.  It is so clever and the kids always get a kick out of it.  I created a story element flip book so you can review and check for understanding.  The Halloween Dog Flip Book

pairs perfectly with this story.

Sometimes I like to read the book in class, and then show a video on YouTube the following day!  Here is a clip of the book!

Another Halloween classic is Spookley the Square Pumpkin.  This little pumpkin is shaped like a square but he ends up saving the day!  Using this book to review the shapes is a great way to practice math and language arts at once.  The Silly Shape Pumpkins Flip Book  reviews the circle, square, triangle, oval, and rectangle.

There are several great bat books and it's a simple way to use a nonfiction book with your class.  The Halloween Bat Flip Book practices Halloween colors!

Another Kindergarten Halloween favorite is Five Little Pumpkins.  The Five Little Pumpkins Flip Book practices counting and writing numbers 1-5.

Here are a couple videos to show with the story!

All of these books are also grouped as a discounted BUNDLE.

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Earth Brands- Comfortable Teacher Shoes

Let me tell you about my feet drama.  During my pregnancy and after having my son, I noticed a drastic change in my feet.  A lot of people experience their feet swelling (or even growing) during pregnancy, but mine became painful to walk and stand on for long periods of time.  You all know what a big problem this is because teachers stand ALL. DAY.

I can no longer wear simple flats from a "discounted" store.  I need high quality, supportive, and not to mention stylish shoes to wear to work.  It is my mission to find comfortable shoes to teach in that are also fun, youthful, and supportive for my #oldwoman feet.

Ladies, I found them...Earth Brands shoes are THE MOST comfortable shoe that I have tried post postpartum.  Earth Brands sent me three shoes to review, all of these opinions are mine and I am excited to share my thoughts on their shoes!

First up we have the Santana, which is under the Earthies umbrella of Earth Brands shoes.  Now this shoe is a little bit outside of my comfort zone as far as style, but I am SO GLAD I tried it!  I found that these go perfectly with a casual jean and t-shirt look (perfect for Fridays!), as well as wearing them with a skirt.  What's cool about the Santana is it's built for style AND comfort, featuring a unique, molded footbed to provide comfort all day from heel to toe.  I was blown away by how comfortable these shoes are.  I judge shoes by the simple question...Could I wear these all day at Disneyland?...the answer is YES for the bad boys! 

Next up are the Essens.  These are PERFECT for wearing every day to work.  They are flat, they go with dresses, skirts, pants, or jeans.  They are incredibly comfortable and are really easy to stand in all day long.  The heel has several layers of padding, which is exciting because I don't have to take a "shoe break" for the last hour of the day.  (You know that time of day when you walk around barefoot and the students ask you why you aren't wearing any shoes...)

Lastly we have the Sawyer, which is from the Earth Origins line that contains a super thick footbed to add extra comfort.  They are currently sold out online, but I want to announce that this is the first pair of heels that I can wear to work all day long.  I was always jealous of the teacher that could wear heels, but now I can join the fancy crowd!

If you want more information on Earth Brands you can read about their design process here.  For more photos, be sure to check out Earth Brands' Instagram!

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