St. Nicholas Day Shoe Freebie

Saint Nicholas Day is coming up on December 6! He always visits my kindergarten classroom the night before his feast day and leaves treats for the students in my class. In the true spirit of St. Nicholas, however, he only leaves his treats in the shoes of children.

Since none of my students keep a pair of shoes at school overnight, I created this little shoe for my students to personalize and decorate. I hang each child's shoe on his or her locker but it could easily be placed on the top of the classroom desks instead.

This Waiting for St. Nicholas shoe coloring page is available for FREE on the Kinder Craze blog. Stop by and grab your freebie!

Happy Saint Nicholas Day!

FREE Religious Emergent Readers for Easter

Hello Freebie friends! Tomorrow is the first day of Holy Week and I created two FREE Interactive Sight Word Readers to help Catholic and Christian students learn to read and spell the word "Jesus" during the most blessed week of the church calendar.

If you're not already familiar with my Interactive Sight Word Readers, let me tell you ALL about these great little book. Each six-page booklet uses repetitive text and sentence structures to help children grow in reading confidence. A featured sight word is missing from all pages in the book. Students cut out and unscramble the letters (included in the packet) and glue them onto each page of the book to complete the sentences. If you're short on time, letter stamps can also be used or children can simply write in the missing letters.

Two Versions for Catholic or Protestant Classrooms

Two separate books with a similar theme and the same clip art have been created to meet the needs of Catholic and Christian classroom teachers. Both versions are available for FREE on the Kinder-Craze blog. Stop by and grab the version that best suits your classroom needs. 

Wishing you a blessed Holy Week and a Happy Easter!

Lenten Good Deeds Coloring Chart

I have a fun freebie to share with my friends that teach in Catholic or Christian schools as well as homeschool parents. Ash Wednesday is on March 5 and my students celebrate the Leseason with Good Deeds. I spend a few days teaching the class about Good Deeds, then send a Good Deeds chart home with each student. Each time a child does kind things for a family member at home, he/she can color one space on the chart. Students will gradually begin to see their charts fill with bright colors as Easter draws near.

You can download a FREE coy of this Lenten Good Deeds chart. Just stop by the Kinder-Craze blog. While you're there, you'll find practical guidelines to help your students understand the difference between a Good Deed and a personal responsibility (such as making his or her own bed). 

Have a blessed day!

FREE Religious Emergent Reader about the 5 Senses

I have a fun freebie to share with my friends in Catholic and Christian schools. I just concluded a study in my classroom about our 5 senses and how we use those senses to discover God's world. I always try to integrate Religion topics across the curriculum and I have a great resource to share with you today. "God Gives Us Five Senses" is my newest Interactive Sight Word Reader. It provides students with an opportunity to read, learn to spell number word "five" and remember that everything we have is a gift from God.

Of course, the book also features images from fellow freebielicious author Nikki from Melonheadz Illustrating! My kindergarten students love the little people she portrays. 

Ready for your freebie? Just hop over to the Kinder-Craze blog to read a little more about why Interactive Sight Word Reader are so popular and grab this cute emergent reader for FREE!

Meet Maria {Kinder-Craze}

Are you there, Freebielicious? It's me, Maria!

You probably know me better by my blog... Kinder-Craze. 

I often hop onto Freebielicoius to share free resources from my classroom, but the whirlwind to share fresh ideas leaves little time for sharing anything personal. I thought it was time to help you know the woman behind Kinder-Craze. 

 I have a few obsessions:

With school supplies.

And concerts. Especially, Lenka and Ingrid Michaelson concerts. 

And finding unique ways to decorate my kindergarten classroom.

I have SO many blessings in my life it is impossible to count them all. I teach in a wonderful Catholic school with a sweet little class of kindergarten students. I get to see both of my parents at work every day too. Now I just need to figure out a way for brother, Mark, to work there too. I also have a great boyfriend. He doesn't get much press, but he is often around. Here you can see a photo of his hand while we shared some apple cider this fall. 

And he doesn't mind when I sneak a quick (or slow) peek at my phone while try to juggle blogging, TpT, and Instagram. 

Here I am caught in the act!

With so much to be thankful for, I am always happy to give a little something back and and share freebies with all of you. In honor of Thanksgiving, I have a great Interactive Sight Word Reader to share with you called "Thank You God."

Stop by the Kinder-Craze blog to get your freebie. While you're there, be sure to leave a comment and introduce yourself so I can learn a little about you too! 

Inspirational Classroom Prints Freebies

School may be back in full swing, but I am still adding little touches to my kindergarten classroom. I have a new obsession with subway art, prints of inspirational quotes, and brightly colored photo frames.

I created these two prints to frame and add a personal touch to my classroom. The first one reminds me that even on the roughest of days, my life is filled to the brim with blessings and I have so much to be thankful for. You can download this "Too Many Blessings to Count!" print for free.

The second print was created for my classroom prayer space. I teach in a Catholic school so prayer is a part of our daily routine. If you teach in a christian school, or just want a copy of this for your home, it is a sweet reminder of God's love for the young students that we teach. This print is also a free download.

Stop by the Kinder-Craze blog to grab these two free printables and see more personal touches in my kindergarten classroom.

I hope you find yourself with too many blessings to count today as well!

Religious Holiday Cards for Classroom Calendars

I have a fun freebie to share with my friends in Catholic, Lutheran, and Christian schools. My newest set of calendar holiday cards is totally free and just for YOU!

This set of cards serves as a helpful reminder of upcoming religious holidays. Each 2.5" card features images to help students recall the significance and symbols of the holiday. Stop by the Kinder-Craze blog to pick up your freebie!

Baptism Response Page

Last week my students learned about the sacrament of Baptism (I teach in a Catholic school). I created this simple Baptism Response Page to integrate Language Arts into my Religion instruction. Students shared the knowledge they gained by listing five people/objects you find at Baptism, drawing a picture of Baptism, and writing missing words to complete the sentence that a priest says as a child is baptized.

Stop by the Kinder-Craze blog for a peek into my Baptism instruction and classroom activities. Grab this fun little freebie while you're there!