Chilly Treats Pack Prep and Use

In Texas where I'm from, January is the start of more consistent cold weather. Though our winter is brief, and rarely includes snow, it's nice to imagine cold and fresh snow. Sometimes anyway, most of us native Texans don't do well with the cold in reality, but it's the romance of it perpetuated by songs and poetry on the heels of the Christmas excitement. A bit of fantasy and awe.

It's no wonder that I enjoy creating some wintery themed packs, even though deep snow and icicles are far from extensive in my personal experiences. I also like to incorporate those wintery themes that seem to be intertwined with Christmas but in reality stand on their own in the winter months after all the holly and poinsettias are put away. Even better, I had the joy of encountering the wonderful artwork of Beth from Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs, especially my favorite of her clips - her treats and sweets. There was no way I could not create a pack with it. And, truth be told, I still have plans to create more.

Enter my Chilly Treats Pack, which if you ask me, is underrated. I started with creating a set of memory cards that were similar to another set I had made for a Christmas pack using coordinating artwork. I wanted a memory game my kiddos could play after all of the Christmas hub bub, so this one fit the bill - still seasonal, without the Christmas undertones. For these memory cards, as with most of them, I print them on cardstock and then laminate. Two copies are needed of each of the two pages to create the pairs. More recently, I have started rounding corners on the cards since the laminated edges can be a bit sharp, but it's not absolutely necessary. For extra flair, I like to print them on patterned cardstock, which in the case of these, was a pattern I printed first on one side using digital paper from Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs. Then, using the pattern as the back of the cards, I printed the memory cards. This creates a more finished look and helps to prevent any see-through potential so the kids don't see the image on the other side. The memory cards are their own file and are available as a Facebook freebie offered to my fans and is most often available in January, though other freebies may be available then instead.

With the momentum provided by the memory cards, I had to create a full pack using this beautiful artwork, so I went on the create the mini Chilly Treats Pack. Mini packs are packs that include 20 pages of activities. They are the smallest packs I create outside of the sampler packs that are offered as freebies in my TeachersPayTeachers store. They give a better idea of the variety of activities available than the samplers, and, though small, they include enough for a for a winter themed unit - especially considering that when we pick up with school again after the winter break, we have only a few weeks before the hearts come out for Valentine's.

The Chilly Treats PreK Mini Pack includes the following activities:
- Matching

- Color by Size

- Picture Paths

- Size Sorting

- Letter Matching

- Mazes

- Math

- 3-piece puzzles

Similar to setting up other packs, I will sort though the available activities and find the ones appropriate for my kiddo's current level. Most of the packs include activities of varying levels that will appeal to a number of students that are 3-6. Activities that work best as worksheets are printed on regular paper and arranged in a binder. I can remove pages as needed or the student can work within the binder. So that I know which pack is the current pack we are working with, I will usually print the title page and insert it into the cover sleeve of the binder.

Most of my packs include a variety of activities for letters, numbers, colors, matching, etc. Some incorporate a number of learning disciplines within one activity and this pack is no different. This pack is great for earlier learners just starting out, but does include activities that are a bit more difficult. The matching and picture path activities help students control pencil movements as well as assisting in recognition of same vs. different. These are great starts to pattern recognition and early writing skills. There are 2-3 pages of each of these activities as well as 2 additional mazes for different skill levels. They all can be printed on cardstock and laminated to be used by multiple students when completed with a dry or wet erase marker. 

Since coloring skills are key to learning colors as well as fine motor control for the purpose of writing, I included a coloring sheet as well. This one helps students to recognize the difference in size as well as identify exact colors and the names of those colors. If printed in color, the color names are each typed in their respective color to allow for students that are not familiar with the words to know which colors to use.

The letter activity included in this pack is a letter matching to assist in recognizing capital letters and their lowercase counter parts. This activity is divided into four pages with 6-7 letters for each page. The font used is a simple sans serif font to ensure simplicity and understanding. 

For numbers and math, three pages of addition activities are included. Each page features different addition problems for students. Kiddos count the number of images and write the corresponding number on the line below. Then, after both numbers are written for a single problem, they can either count the total number of images on that line and write their solution or they can simply write the answer if they already know it. These worksheets are great for early math concepts of counting as well as reinforcing fast facts. Students will begin to recognize their basic arithmetic while associating numbers as representative of physical things. Similar to many of the other activities, this page can be printed and laminated and completed with dry or wet erase markers and reused by other students or repeated by the same students if reinforcement is needed. 

Similar to my other packs, this pack also has some hands-on activities. Though the mini packs feature fewer of these activities due to the overall size of the pack. 

The first hands-on activity is a sorting activity. Two pages of images are included. Each image is provided in three sizes: small, medium, and large. These pieces are printed and cut apart. For ease of use, the images are lined out such that they can be cut out in rectangles making them easier to use. A third pages is provided that includes a chart for sorting the images. Students separate the images placing them in the appropriate box according to its size. This activity can be repeated multiple times and can be printed on cardstock and laminated for use year after year. Because this is a flat activity, it can be easily stored when not in use.

The second hands on activity is a set of puzzles. Four puzzles are provided, each divided into three pieces. These puzzles are simple for younger learners. For even younger students, two copies can be printed. One set can be cut out while the other set stays intact. Kiddos can then match the pieces of the separated puzzle to the solid puzzle. As they get better at recognition, they can move on to piecing the images together without the guide of the full page print out. Similar to the other hands-on activity, the puzzle pieces can be laminated for repeated uses. As a printable activity, it also can be stored flat when not in use. As an added benefit, these puzzles can be placed in a zip top bag for storage and used as a busy bag activity to keep little ones occupied doing a quiet time activity.

I hope you have enjoyed the more in-depth look at the Chilly Treats PreK Mini Pack. It's a great pack with a lot to it for young learners. I especially love the wonderful clipart and as mentioned, I'm looking into using it for future packs and activities.

I would love for you to check out my Teachers Pay Teachers store for the Chilly Treats PreK Mini Pack as well as other winter packs I have listed. Leave me a comment letting me know what you think, if you are planning to grab this pack, your thoughts on the activities, feedback if you've used this pack, and any additional ideas or questions you may have.

As a bonus, don't forget to check my Facebook page to see what the current freebie is. With luck, it'll be the matching and memory cards that coordinate with this pack, but if not, it'll be another wonderful freebie for your little ones or your classroom.