Substitute Teaching 1st Grade Religion Class This Week

This week the class is learning about St. Patrick, Holy week and Easter. Here are some fun things that I made the class this week!

I made these little St. Patrick's day cookies for the class out of Milanos!

I used Mint Milano's. 

Using some white chocolate tinted green dip the top third of the cookie into the green chocolate. I use gel food coloring - it gives a deeper color.

Dip the bottom half of the cookie into some melted white chocolate. Put the rest of the melted chcolate into a zipper top bag and snip off a very small corner and use it to make the white cross on the green hat and add a small drop to adhere mini chocolate chips for the eyes and nose.  Let the cookies completely dry before stacking them.

I also thought it might be fun to add coconut to the white beard. Sadly I was out of coconut.

I made these little Easter treats for the kids to take home. The bracelet is from Hobby Lobby.

I simply added the bracelet and a little Rice Crispy treat into a little bag and tied them with a ribbon.

The kids loved the little take home treat. We did lots of crafts, coloring, reading and activities! I come home so tired! First graders have a lot of energy.

I started preparing for the class - with a bag of Andes Candy, bag of shamrock pipe cleaner pins, tuperware with St. Patrick cookies, coloring sheets, cups for milk and Irish napkins. I set everything up on the dining room table (we usually eat in the kitchen). #prepared

Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie

This is a really easy pie and both Todd and Christian loved it! I could not partake because I gave up sweets for Lent.

Ingredients:

Chocolate graham cracker crust (store bought or homemade)

Mint and chip ice cream (softened)

Cool Whip (softened)

Andes candy

Mint Oreos

Hot fudge sauce

Directions:

Fill the chocolate crust with the softened ice cream - smooth the top.

Next smooth the Cool Whip over the ice cream and decorate with broken Oero's and Andes candy.

Put the pie in the freezer for at least three hours. Set the pie out for a few minutes before cutting the slices.

I found the Mint Oreo's at my local grocery store.

Before serving heat up some hot fuge sauce and drizzle over each slice of pie. Happy Pi day!

Stations of the Cross - My Third Set

This year during  Lent - I have made 3 different sets of the Stations of the Cross. All of them have different pictures. This set is on cork and other two sets were made with mosaic stones and badge pins.

I had a big bag of these round corks in my craft cabinet. I don't even remember buying them. I wonder what I was going to make with them?

But I wanted to make an extra set of the Stations of the Cross and thought they would be the perfect size for some Stations of the Cross pictures that I had. 

So I found some number stickers at Hobby Lobby.

And I  labeled the back of each round cork with the numbers 1 - 15.

Because I am planning on using these in a classroom scenario - I decied to Modge Podge the numbers.

I let the Modge Podge dry and went to fold some laundry.

Then I Modge Podged the correct picture onto the correct number. I let them dry on a paper plate.

Once the pictures the front were dry - I hot glued some pearl ribbon around the edges. The third set is complete.

 I hope some of these posts inspire you to make your own sets! 

Preparing to Substitute Teach 3rd Grade Religion

I painted the kids a St. Patrick peg doll. I started painting these on Saturday and finished them this morning.

I am not an artist but I try my best!

I wrapped some Hershey bars in shamrock scrapbokk paper and I always add a sticker with what we have learned in class for the kids to take home.

I found these gold labels in my craft cabinet.

Also I tell the kids they only get the Hershey bar to take home if they pay attention and it works every time! 

I also printed out some pictures of St. Patrick for the kids to color, and everyone gets a shamrock pipecleaner pin. The kids are also going to confession during class time. The Gospel reading that we will focus on is John 8:1-11. 

I also have some gold and white striped napkins, shamrock cookies, and cups for milk. The shamrock pipecleaner pins are in the ziplock bag in the top right corner. #prepared.

Shamrock Pins

I am making these Shamrock pins because I am substitute teaching 3rd grade Religion class this week.  These Shamrock Pins can be used to teach the Holy Trinity or just for fun to give out on St. Patrick's Day.

Supply List:

green pipe cleaners

green pony beads

scissors

glue gun and glue sticks

small bar pin

Directions:

Put the pony bead in the middle of the pipe cleaner.

Thread the right side of the pipe cleaner back through the pony bead.

Tread the left side of the pipe cleaner through the pony bead.

Thread the long end back through the pony bead to make the third loop.

Cut the stem so that the shamrock is in proportion.

Once all the shamrocks have been made heat up the glue gun.

Glue the bar pin to the back of the Shamrock Pin.

These shamrocks can be made really small to glue on a barrette or headband. They can also be glued onto a long skewer and added to a bouquet. 

The Trinity

Just like the leaves on each shamrock I see there are three parts of the Holy Trinity. First is God the Father, then Jesus his only Son and the Holy Spirit together as one.

I Made a Secnd Set of Stations of the Cross

This set was made using a plastic pin.

I bought the pins at Hobby Lobby. They were the perfect size for my 2-inch round punch. So I punched out 15 turquoise  circles.

I printed out some Stations of the Cross pictures from the internet and taped them to the turquoise circles.

I started popping the circles into the plastic pin.

On the back of each picture I used a number sticker. 

To finish off the project I hot glued some thin leather studded ribbon around the pin.

Putting the Stations of the Cross in order.

I have an idea to make one more set of the Stations of the Cross - then I am going to write simple descriptions for 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders and a more detailed description for 4th and 5th graders. 

I have really enjoyed making these! And plan on using them every year during Lent.

Tennis Party Favors

I filled some little plastic containers with green and yellow m&m' With a plastic tennis ball hot glued onto the lid.

The tennis balls were actually cupcake picks.

I simply cut off the long pick.

I filled the little containers with yellow, green and white m&m's.

Last week I didn't make party favors for after the match - but this week I was feeling crafty.

Handmade Stattions of the Cross

I substitute taught 3rd grade religion class this week. We were take the children into the church to do the Stations of the Cross and teach a little about the Stations of the Cross. I made these little Stations of the Cross to show the children. I have been wanting to make my own Stations of the Cross forever.

These were incredibly simple to make with just a few supplies from the craft store.

Supplies:

Glass mosaic in a round or oval shape

Pictures downloaded from the internet

Pencil

Scissors

Modge Podge

Paint brush

Number stickers

Pearl ribbon 

Glue gun and glue sticks

Directions:

Download some pictures from the internet in the approximate size of your mosaic stone.

I bought these mosaic stones at Michael's. 

These pictures were the perfect size. I used a stone and traced it around each picture with a pencil. Carefully cut out each picture.

Apply a light coat of Modge Podge to the flat side of tile. 

Then lightly press the picture onto the tile. Let dry and apply another thin coat of Modge Podge. Let dry and apply a third thin coat.

Place the correct number sticker on the back of each tile. Apply a light coat of Modge Podge over the number sticker. Let dry and apply another coat over the number.

I bought the pearl ribbon at Hobby Lobby and they have all different colors of pearl ribbon. Heat up the glue gun and apply a thin bead around the mosaic and adhere the pearl ribbon.

Let the pearl ribbon dry. And your Stations of the Cross are ready to use.

I am so inspired! I am thinking of making another set using different photos.