My kiddos worked together on a super cute & easy- peazy
project last week. Those are the best kind, right? Together they worked on a
classroom quilt.
This was a special project for a couple of reasons. For one
thing, quilts are very special in my family so it was a fun way to share
something about myself with the students. The project also provided lots of
time to chitchat which is important during those first few days. Plus putting
the pieces together helped unify the class as indivuals that are part of
something bigger.
To start the project I read the Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco. Obviously, Patricia Polacco writes great stories but this little one has special place in my heart!
The kids loved seeing the different ways that the quilt was used in the story.
Then I shared my own quilts. It was fun showing off my mommy & grandma’s handy work. Of course the kids had a million questions and wanted to know if I used their quilts as a tablecloth, how old the quilts were, etc. During this time we also talked about family traditions. Several students talked about their own special blanket or quilt.
Next each of the students worked on their own “quilt blocks”
which were really 6X6 inch scrapbook papers. I had saved scraps from my summer classroom
projects so they were able to add ribbon, ric-rac and paper scraps to create a
design on their 6X6 scrapbook paper. They had fun making something out of the
mess of scraps.
When they were done we pasted the “quilt blocks” together to
make a classroom quilt. Then we talked about how we are all creative and
different just like our quilt blocks but we all fit together to make something
beautiful. A little cheesy I know—but the first week of school needs a whole
lotta cheese! :)
What projects do you do to promote a happy & healthy
classroom community??? I am always on the lookout for new ideas!
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