DIY Farm Themed Crayons Made With Old Crayons and Silicone Molds

When life gives you old and broken crayons....create something new! I love crayons and I have to admit I even have my very first box of crayons. So over the years of raising kids, old or broken crayons went into a shoe box.........just waiting for a time like this!

I needed a farm themed gift for a sweet little one who loves his farm animals! So I thought I would try melting crayons into farm shapes. I dug out my box of old crayons! I did read that the name brand crayons work best for melting, so I stuck to using those for this project.

I took a trip to the local Hobby Lobby and found this silicone mold on sale for 50% off. When looking for molds, the thicker ones are the best. 

The hardest part of this project was peeling the paper off the crayons. Some of these crayons were over 35 years old. I have heard that soaking them in water helps, but I just kept peeling. 

I broke the crayons up and filled the molds, overfilling a little in those that needed to spread. I mixed the colors in some. The chunky crayons like the barn are best for littlest hands. Be aware that small details might break off of some molded crayons.

Putting the mold on a cookie sheet really helps  keep the melted crayon from spilling.  Melt at 300 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes. Some colors take longer to melt than others. After it is melted, you can take a toothpick to both swirl and mix if you like and fill in areas that seem thinner.......like the legs on farm animals.

Let cool for about an hour before pushing out of the molds. This was very satisfying! I found a very cute box and some filler at the dollar store to complete this gift. 

I loved creating these and was thrilled with how they turned out. They were a perfect gift but would also be good for a farm theme in the classroom or at a party. Think party favors!

If you are doing a farm theme in your classroom here are a few resources that I created just for that. Here you will find math worksheets, emergent readers, cut & paste, pocket chart cards and writing activities.

Farm Themed Math & Literacy

These resources can be purchased separately or save money with a bundle. 

Farm Themed Math Worksheets

Farm Themed Rhyme and Read Emergent Reader

Grab a freebie here that includes a page from farm themed math worksheets! 

Sample Math Worksheets

I hope you enjoyed this farm themed post and learned something new!

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All Things Pumpkin - 9 Ideas for Pumpkins in the Classroom

Nothing reminds us of fall like the touch, feel, smell and sight of pumpkins! Pumpkins are a great medium to use for teaching in the fall. Here you will find 9 crafts, videos, resources, and activities to get you started on your pumpkin adventures this fall!  

1. This video is about the life cycle of a pumpkin. It really gets the students thinking about the different stages a pumpkin goes through before it is harvested. 

2. Wow, games using a pumpkin that practice sight words, spelling words, and math problems! They really give the students a chance to touch and feel the pumpkin as they roll it back and forth.

3.  Try this recipe for Pumpkin Pie play dough! Your students will love the Pumpkin smell!

4. A Pumpkin Hand print craft is a perfect way to save some fall memories. 

5. For science and sensory try out this pumpkin slime! Your students will love getting their hands oozing with a real pumpkin.

6. Grow a pumpkin in a pumpkin! What a great way to watch the sprouts grow!

7. Making an anchor chart like this one will help your students as they investigate and describe a pumpkin. For example, they can list how many seeds, how many lines, what's the inside of the pumpkin is like, and what the outside is like. So many questions and things to talk about. 

8. Create some sparkle with this pasta wheel pumpkin craft.

Positional Words Cut and Paste Emergent Reader

9. For more pumpkin themed fun, this cut and paste emergent reader works on positional words. Students love creating their own books as they cut and paste the pictures of a pumpkin!

I hope you learned some new ideas to utilize pumpkins in the classroom this fall. While putting this post together I learned some new tricks with blogging that I hope will help me create a more useful page. Keep on learning!
Let's Learn S'more!

Get to Know the Alphabet - 9 Fun Ways to Teach Letters

Here you will find some new or maybe old ideas for introducing your students to the letters of the alphabet. Use these for letter of the day or week or incorporate them into your theme studies! 

1. Students enjoy letter of the day crafts, they are perfect for letting them visualize what the letter looks like and to start thinking about what words start with that letter.  



2. These simple A to Z Animal Hats are a perfect addition to your letter learning. Just cut them out and add the band. On the black and white ones students can color the animal, trace the letter on the front and the side band, and then trace the name of the animal. You can use these when you are working a certain letter or incorporate them into a animal unit! Just imagine the parade you could have! 



3. Having visuals around the room is important to help students to see the letters and seeing words that start with that letter is a plus. You can get so many different Alphabet posters to go with your class theme or change them up throughout the year. 

These  flip charts are perfect for hands on learning and are a great way for students to see the letter as they practice the alphabet!


4. Touching and feeling is such an important part of learning! Tape the bag shut and then tape it to the table and it will help to keep this activity from getting messy. 



5. Sorting letters is a hands on way for students to  recognize letters as they group them together.

6. Letter spotting in big books with transparent counters is a wonderful activity that students really enjoy!



7. What Starts With A-Z?  These emergent readers practice several skills. Students love the fact that they are creating their very own book and the repetition of the text allows them to soon read on their own. 

Check out What Starts With  A? 

8. Letter matching is a favorite activity and so easy to put together. 

9. I love this snack idea. Just give students a hand full of cereal and let them decorate their snack with the alphabet!
 

I hope you learned some new ideas about teaching the alphabet for the classroom or at home. This week I learned some tips on taking pictures for blogs and social media. Keep on learning! 

Let's Learn S'more!