A maze to solve and colour featuring a chameleon and grasshopper. Linked to activities based on The Mixed-Up Chameleon by Eric Carle.

Celebrate #WorldBeeDay with some bee-themed handwriting patterns and cutting skills! For more minibeast-themed resources including card and board games, mazes, sudoku and book making check out https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/minibeasts-big-bug-bundle-12340248 Teachers Telling Tales also have a free bee-themed maths activity here which can be adapted for different ages and abilities: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/buzz-off-square-numbers-multistep-game-12521661

The classic tale of Sam’s Sandwich is fantastic for engaging students as they eagerly await to discover which creature will be added with each sandwich ingredient. This pack contains resources to accompany the book, including word and picture cards for participation in read-alouds and retellings, a fill the gaps activity focussed on rhyming words (with two levels) and reading comprehension questions. Good for food and minibeasts topics. You may also like the Teachers Telling Tales minibeasts resources: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/minibeasts-big-bug-bundle-12340248 This pack contains two formats, PowerPoint and PDF.

Develop phonics and reading skills with this Bingo game. Featuring 28 ‘ar’ words, there is a clue for each, for example, “The opposite of blunt”. There are 6 colour coded game boards, each with 16 words. Players must try to get 4 in a row. Good for listening skills and consolidating vocabulary with English learners. For more fun with the ‘ar’ sound, check out the board game: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ar-talk-like-a-pirate-phonics-board-game-12403169 Teachers Telling Tales also have Pirate phonics packs with the long ‘o’ sound. Pirate fans, check out the pack with position activities, mazes, anagrams and sudoku.

A great pirates topic activity to keep early finishers busy. Good for problem solving skills. This resource goes well with the Teachers Telling Tales Pirates in Position resources. It can also be purchased as part of a bundle along with other pirate themed puzzles such as sudoku and anagrams.

A pirate themed board game to learn the ‘ar’ sound and have fun talking like a pirate! Good for phonics, vocabulary, pirate topics. Contents: Game board (A4 size will work for 2 players, enlarge for more) 20 Clue cards with short riddles to answer, e.g. “the opposite of near”. Answer sheet Guide with instructions Colour or ink saving versions. As well as phonics this game is good for vocabulary with English learners. Talk like a Pirate ‘ar’ bingo is also available. This board game can be purchased as part of a bundle with ‘Yo ho ho’ pirate resources with a focus on the long ‘o’ sound.

A Bingo game featuring pictures of things with the long ‘o’ sound, for example, rhino, rainbow, soap, window etc. 4 color coded boards each with 16 pictures, students cover the pictures as they are called out and see if they can get 4 in a row. Includes a list of the words, 24 in total, (can be cut into cards/slips of paper). For a fun game featuring words and pictures with this sound check out this board game:https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/yo-ho-ho-talk-like-a-pirate-games-12403172 Other Talk like a Pirate phonics resources feature the ‘ar’ sound. Further pirate themed resources by Teachers Telling Tales include positional language activities, mazes, anagrams and sudoku. Get them all in a value bundle: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/pirates-pack-12183976

Sudoku is a fun way to develop concentration and reasoning skills. The challenge is to enter numbers (or in this case pictures) into grids so none are repeated in each row or column. These games feature pirate themed pictures, students cut and paste to complete the grids. This gives them the option of moving the pictures around before sticking them down. There are 3 by 3 and 4 by 4 grids and three levels of challenge: easy, tricky and deadly. As well as improving thinking skills, the games are good for consolidating pirate topic vocabulary.

A game featuring words with the long ‘o’ sound. Includes ‘o’, ‘oe’, ‘o_e’, ‘ow’, ‘oa’. Can be adapted according to ability, students can say, spell, write or draw the answer. Also useful for vocabulary work with English language learners. Contents: Game board (A4 size will work for 2 players, enlarge for more) Word and picture cards, (24 of each). Yo ho ho cards for reverse, colour or ink saving. Guide with instructions and ideas for further games with the cards in the pack. For further consolidation of this sound, Yo ho ho Bingo is can also be purchased and there are similar ‘Talk like a Pirate’ games featuring the ‘ar’ sound in the Teachers Telling Tales shop. For pirate topics, check out the Teachers telling Tales packs with sudoku, mazes, position and anagrams. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/pirates-pack-12183976

Logic and reasoning skills with a minibeasts theme. Featuring cute cartoon creepy crawlies, these activities are a fun way to develop thinking skills. Students cut and paste pictures to complete the sequences and sudoku squares. Easy, medium and hard versions for different levels of challenge. Ink saving variations included (different puzzles to the colour ones). Perfect for a minibeasts topic, a challenge for early finishers or a discrete lesson in problem solving. For related minibeasts resources, check out the Teachers Telling Tales shop, there are bundle and save options.

An interactive Powerpoint Presentation Can be used on interactive whiteboards, computers or individual devices. Good for ICT skills: using a pen or mouse to click, drag and drop, using arrow keys to move an object. The activity challenges students to make the chameleon disappear by matching it exactly to the background, encouraging accuracy. Observation Skills: looking carefully at detail, pattern, texture and colour. Topics: Colour, Pattern, Camouflage. Can be used as a follow up to reading The Mixed-up Chameleon by Eric Carle and The Content Chameleon resource by Teachers Telling Tales. Contents: Chameleon Camouflage PPT (make sure you keep a master copy in case students save the changes). All background photos are free to use and links are provided in the notes. Free Chameleons PPT with interesting facts, free images with links, YouTube and children’s website links for further exploration.

Chill out this summer by making cool ice lollies! Outlines to print, colour or decorate using collage. Fold in half and paste with a lollipop stick (real or made from the template). Ten designs. Ideas for use: Design your own lolly - choose your shape, colour, pattern, flavour, toppings etc. Great as a stimulus for speaking or writing. Use for role play, (no dripping unless you use a lot of glue!) Use beads, sequins, pom poms etc. for sprinkles. Create a cool character. Add eyes, arms, cool sunglasses etc. Googly eyes and pipe cleaners are great for this! Make a puppet show with your characters. At home: a great craft activity for a party or play date. At school or play scheme: these make a fantastic display. This is a good way to keep children occupied after making real ice lollies and waiting for them to freeze. Check out the other ice lolly and ice cream resources by Teachers Telling Tales. You can also purchase this resources as part of the ‘Ice Ice Bundle’.

Get creative colouring these cool ice lollies. There are 4 character designs and 6 outlines of different shaped lollies to colour. Great for talking about flavours, colours, patterns and preferences. As a challenge, children could think up a name for their ice lolly and maybe even design the packaging too. Print or stick on card for creating textured lollies using collage with sequins, beads etc. Check out the other ice lolly and ice cream resources by Teachers Telling Tales. This resource is included in the ‘Ice Ice Bundle’.

Creating these cute ice lolly characters is a fun activity for learning about symmetry. The challenge is to draw the missing side of the picture so it is the same on both sides. A grid over the image helps with drawing shapes and placing details in the correct place. You could also use a mirror, place it along the middle line to check in the reflection. There are 3 character designs to complete, two ice lolly shapes with no detail and a blank grid for creating your own designs. Colour and ink saving versions included. Children love to create a name for their finished lolly and for an extra challenge can design the wrapper using the blank grid. Check out the ice cream symmetry resources and other ice lolly activities by Teachers Telling Tales for summer topics or parties. This resource can also be purchased as part of the ‘Ice Ice Bundle’.

A cool creative pack of ice cream goodies, ideal for summer topics or parties. Contains 3 activities: Ice cream cone symmetry. complete the pictures so the delicious dessert is the same on both sides (3 designs). ‘I dream of ice cream’ design your perfect ice cream template, single and double cone versions. Ice cream creative colouring sheets (4 designs). Great for talking about colours, flavours, toppings, preferences. There are similar symmetry resources featuring ice lollies in the Teachers Telling Tales shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ice-lolly-symmetry-12355898 You can also purchase this resource with other ice lolly resources as part of the ‘Ice Ice Bundle’.

Turtles in Danger is an active chase and tag game suitable for primary / middle school children. The game teaches children about sea turtle life cycles, natural and human threats, endangered animals and survival strategies. The game can be played outdoors or indoors in a large space, a netball or basketball court is ideal. There are two rounds, one where some children are hatchlings making their way to the sea while avoiding the other children who are threats. For the second round the remaining children are turtles trying to survive in the sea and return to the beach to lay eggs while avoiding threats. The game can be played again removing the human threats to see how this affects the survival rate. This pack contains a guide to the game, a printable instruction sheet with pictures, labels and headbands to identify the children who are threats. There are 14 threats in total and they are colour-coded for dangers on the beach (sand colour) and for in the sea (blue). The labels and headbands have silhouette pictures for quick identification alongside the word and a short explanation of the threat. Through playing the game students gain an understanding of why many reptiles and fish lay so many eggs in order to survive as a species. Through discussion they learn how the impact of extra pressure such as threats from humans can lead to a threat of extinction. Related Resources: An interactive story about turtle life cycles, turtles in Trouble, https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/turtles-in-trouble-an-interactive-story-12240371 A Sea Turtle quiz can be downloaded for free from https://teacherstellingtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sea-Turtle-Quiz.pdf Turtle book recommendations (fiction and non fiction) https://teacherstellingtales.com/turtle-tales-and-truths/

These writing frames are designed to inspire young children to engage in purposeful recording through mark-making or emergent writing during their role play. Topics: Personal Social Health Education, People who help us, Keeping healthy, parts of the body, numbers 1-5. Skills development: speaking and listening, beginning writing. Depending on their developmental stage, children may enjoy mark-making as they see fit, or they may follow the invitation to write names, crosses, ticks and circles. The pictures are designed to prompt discussion and introduce and consolidate vocabulary. The frame introduces the concept of forms and tables and includes numbers 1-5. The writing frames can act as a guide for children role playing a visit to the doctor, prompting questions and responses such as “Where is the problem?” and “Take medicine three times a day.” The first time the frames are introduced, it would be good for an adult to model using them. Context and Linked Resources This resource pack was inspired by A Visit From the Nurse https://teacherstellingtales.com/a-visit-from-the-nurse/ an activity to help students overcome anxiety about visiting the school nurse (or other health care professionals). In that lesson students observe how a nurse cares for us by demonstrating with soft toys in a range of familiar scenarios, e.g. “I bumped my head, I feel sick, I feel itchy”. These are free to download here https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/a-visit-from-the-nurse-12174039. As a follow up, children then explore being a carer through role play. This could be with other children (as a patient or carer) or with toys and dolls. The role play area could be set up as a health centre, hospital, veterinary clinic etc. Includes Greyscale versions, as you may need to print lots if they are popular! These can be made into a notebook (perhaps a prescription pad) or attached to a clipboard. Colour versions could be laminated and used as examples displayed in the role play area, or used by the children with dry wipe pens.