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After making the Toilet Paper Roll Books last week, I started thinking about ways that I could reuse my paper towel rolls too. After pondering for a while, I finally came up with a fun word family interactive activity using paint stirrer sticks as well!
The game is played by letting the child pull out the inside and create words by using a different beginning sound (onset) with a similar ending sound (rime). Words that have the same ending sound (rime) rhyme! :)
And in case you have no clue what “word families” are…check out this post on how word families help children learn to read. This word family dice game is a great resource as well.
Here’s what you’ll need: paper towel rolls (flattened), paint stirrer sticks (they give them out for free at home improvement stores…but to be courteous, ask first), scrapbook paper, yarn, white cardstock, a gluestick, and a marker. Optional: laminator
and hot glue gun.
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| 1. Cut the scrapbook paper to size and cover the flattened paper towel rolls using a glue stick. |
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| 2. Drill a hole through the end of each paint stirrer stick…be careful not to splinter the super-soft wood. I just used a screw driver because I couldn’t find our drill. Even if I would have found it, I don’t know how to use it. That’s what Prince Charming is for. :) |
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| Paper towel rolls covered and holes in the paint sticks…check, check! |
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| 3. Add the “rimes” (ending of the word…that part that rhymes) of your choice of word families. I used mailing labels that I had lying around. Here are the word families I chose “ack”, “an”, “op”, “at”. |
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| 4. Cut a piece of cardstock to fit inside the paper towel roll. Add the onsets (beginning of the word), with a large space between each onset. You could just skip this step and write the letters directly onto the paint stirrer stick too. |
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| Optional: If you’re having an out-of-the ordinary annil day like I was, laminate them. |
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| 5. Hole punch each one to fit on top of the paint stirrer stick. |
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| 6. Double hole-punch the top only of each paper towel roll. |
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| 7. Attach the onset to the paint stirrer stick using hot glue. Or you could have just written them directly onto the paint stick. |
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| 8. Run a piece of yarn through the double-hole punch on the paper towel roll and then on the paint stick. Tie. This will keep your children from losing the inside piece. |
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| Get ready to rhyme for a real good time! |
Enjoy!
What a great idea! Love it!
Colleen Patton
Mrs. Patton's Patch
Love your idea!!!
Thanks for sharing!
Mireya
[email protected]
You are craftastic!! Thanks for the idea.
First Grade Factory
great idea…I am going to start saving my stuff NOW
Cool!
I can't wait to put this idea to use! This would be a great activity for our Kdg. teachers to do a make & take activity with parents. Thanks for sharing!
http://lilcountrykindergarten.blogspot.com
Great project!
I don't use paper towels (so don't collect the empty rolls)…but I love this idea, and will be thinking of another way I can do this project with my preschoolers!
http://heartandhaven.com/
I LOVE it. I have seen other word family games like yours using paint swatches but I hate having a bunch of pieces to loose, yours there is nothing to loose.
I love this! I just don't use that many paper towels anymore…
I made the dice game you mentioned. We now have dice everywhere.
This activity is fantastic. I know my older son would have lots of fun with it and my younger son would learn how to use it sooner as a result.
I love this! What a GREAT idea! I enjoy reading each of your posts daily, via email. You always have the most creative learning activities.
You can checkout, http://rattlesandredheads.blogspot.com
Have a great weekend!
Candice
This is great! I would love to feature this on my blog. Of course giving you all of the credit.
Faith
Home Ec @ Home
homeecathome.com
I love the idea, thank you very much for sharing this, I know my daughter will benefit from it, and is fun at the same time :) thanks a million
This is such a great idea. I have to start saving our cardboard rolls. Recycling was picked up today :-(. My girls will love trying this.
I have created word wheels using two paper plates attached by a brass fastener, but what I like about this version is that it can be laminated and is much more attractive!
How simple! I seriously go through nearly a roll of paper towels a day. (Sad, but totally true.) And my hubby would probably live at Home Depot if I let him… I’ll have this project done in a few days!! SO simple, yet that’s what our early readers need!
so creative! Our first grade group is planning on getting together over the summer and work on things we have found on Pintrest. Need I say that yours will be on the list. Great idea! Thanks so much for sharing and posting the how-to.
I made this today usung the smaller version with tp rolls and it worked just great. Thanks for the great ideas.
I though it was chopsticks when I first looked at the picture. :)
I thought…not though
Fantastic ideas – I teach English as a Foreign language, and just love you page. Thank you for sharing.
I love finding creative learning ideas like this. Love it!
Thanks Tiffany! :)