Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits

Teaching with Heart and Creativity

Summer Laziness????

Yesterday I had the brilliant idea to take the kids to Six Flags here in San Antonio and have fun at their waterpark.  I envisioned this… all alone floating carelessly down the lazy river…  (totally not me in the picture)

Instead this is a more realistic picture…(ok I do like to exaggerate)

and to top it off, I was not excited to spend 7 hours walking the water park in my untanned body thrown into my black one piece…(again NOT ME-just a photo)

 So I picked up some of these cute little shorts to wear over my suit in order to have fun and not worry about my untanned thighs…

Well little did I know that walking around in hot temperatures with soaking wet shorts causes severe chafing to occur where the ends of the shorts rub on your thighs…

Now two years ago I ran a half marathon.  I actually ran the entire thing.  I chafed a tiny bit on my inner thighs where the running shorts rubbed together, but nothing I even noticed during the race.

After 2 hours of the water park I was “walking” more like teetering on two stiff legs jetting out as far away from each other as they could reach.  I am pretty sure I heard sizzling when I got into the different pools and rivers…

When my kids asked me what was wrong I just said…”Shorts”…”It hurts”…”Burple”.  Burple is the color of chafing.  Bleeding and purple.  So I will NOT be donning my bathing suit or those shorts any time soon…

So today I laid low and worked on a fun project that only caused me happiness and time to heal!

And I finally get to link up with Tara at 4th Grade Frolics because I am being crafty!

My class loves to pull popsicle sticks out of my different stick cups.  Why?  I am not sure!

But to capitalize on their fascination I made 10 literacy centers that revolve around pulling sticks!

First I needed more cute cans for all the fun we will have with sticks so I found a great size that I liked in my pantry and started working!

 Let’s just say that soup in the Summer happened at my house. 

 I just covered them with scrapbook paper.  But in my sight word stick pack I included 6 labels for the cans to really make them pop and show what they are for.  These will go over the black and white scrapbook paper that I put on my cans.  They would also be cute on those dollar buckets at target or any other cute can, cup, or little container.

Click the picture below to check it out on TpT. 

  Each of the games comes with recording sheets for accountability as well as the dolch lists for K-2.  I am excited to have 10 weeks of centers already done and so easy to prep!

Some of these will also be used for our spelling words too once we get to those.  (I even included spelling container labels too)

Hope you are having a chaf- free Summer and working on fun ideas!  I can’t wait to read about them!
Are you being crafty too?  Link up with

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    Comments

    11. I loved your post and especially all of the visuals! I just spent the day at a similar water park here in California, but I ws content to watch the kids and stay dry! My thighs just can't take the abuse!
      I love your sight word stick games and plan on making them soon. Thanks so much!

      Reply

    12. "Burple" is the perfect word to describe the pain that is chafing!

      And, can I just say that you are ultra creative. I look at popsicle sticks and get hungry. You see center games. Genius. I'm impressed by you, lady! You create such great activities!

      Reply

    13. LOL at 4 in the morning here!!!! You are so funny! It's not funny that it happened to you, but as I was reading I was doing the whole visualizing thing and cracking up!!!

      Now, my friend…….why did you not link this to my Monday Made It??? It doesn't have to be linked on Monday….it's open all weeK….why???? :,(

      Happy Burple healing to you:)

      4th Grade Frolics

      Reply

    16. Love the sight word sticks…….my next project after I am done running around looking for candy for the awards !!! found Lafft Taffy last night at the gas station :). Crazy teachers and their crazy projects ! Water park visual started my day with a smile no off to school….7 more days arrgghhhh

      Reply

    17. I have even had chafing on my arms from bathing suits. I think it's reason enough not to wear those things.

      Those centers are super cute!

      Reply

    19. Girl, that's hilarious! We did the Schlitterbahn at New Braunfels a few years back and that's exactly how that lazy river looked!

      I did a workshop called Blogs Are A Teacher's Best Friend yesterday and I showed them yours!!! And told them to bookmark it . . . so inspiring!

      Barbara
      The Corner On Character

      Reply

    21. Once again, you have made something that I LOVE! My kinders play "Bang" with sight word sticks in a can every opportunity they get.I noticed how grubby the sticks were getting after several years of fun, so brought them home to re-do this summer. Thank you, thank you — this is so much better than my plan.
      Your adventures in the swimsuit crack me up! I can sympathize, though — walking around all day in a swimsuit is NOT my idea of fun!

      Reply

    22. You poor thing!
      It doesn't look like anyone was able to float anywhere!
      Sorry about the candy awards- but we' ll find a silver lining….. Even if it is at the bottom of a Blue Iguana "Diet Coke"!
      Love ya!

      Reply

    23. Hey! I have a question about the cans. 🙂 Are the edges sharp? Or do you do anything to them to dull the edges? I teach pre-k and I worry about them cutting themselves. I'm probably being a worry wart….just wanted to know about your soup can experience! Thanks. 🙂

      Reply

    24. Ouch! So sorry to hear about the chafing and crowds! I hope your kids enjoyed themselves (while you were in pain), maybe they will feel sorry for you since you were so sweet and took them to a water park and wait on you today! 🙂 I love your sight word sticks! 🙂
      Cheryl
      Crayons and Curls

      Reply

    25. Youch! What a funny post. I can sympathize, add some beach sand and I have been there too. LOVE your sight word stick set! Putting it on my wishlist.
      Tammy
      primaryparadise.blogspot

      Reply

    26. A friend and I went to a Wine and Canvas (there are drinks and a local artists gives directions to make a painting) and she mixed some weirdo colors and we called it Burple..it was more like burnt purple. Too funny.

      That post made my thighs hurt! I too have been hoarding cans and Crystal Light containers for centers. Super cute!

      Brenda
      You Might Be a First Grader…

      Reply

    27. hahahahaha I TOTALLY get all those tubers! My grandparents live in New Braunfels so we spent many a-summers swimming amongst the crowds! LOL. I love love your sight word sticks! Putting them on my list now!
      Nicole
      Rowdy in Room 300

      Reply

    28. Ah, chafing is the worst pain in the world! I got it badly on my trip to the Dominic Republic over spring break. And I did not take one pair of pants with me or leggings! I was tempted to borrow a {clean} pair of my brothers boxers to wear under my skirts:). Luckily, it was only a few days before we went home! Dang water and heat! Try rubbing deodorant on your inner thighs next time! I don't get it on a normal, non-wet/heat basis, but sometimes I rub the deodorant on before a wedding JUST to make sure some crazy dancing doesn't pain me!

      Reply

    29. I laugh everytime I read your blog. I just have to say that I LOVE all your products. I have bought a lot of your stuff recently (am going to buy the sticks centers) and I habe used it all and loved it. Thanks so much!

      Reply

    31. Love this idea (of the word work activity- not the shorts and chafing)! I've bought your activity at Tpt and will be eating soup this week!

      Reply

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