Potato Head Fun

Ok well obviously I'm not the first one to incorporate the oh so popular spud into the classroom, but I just can't turn down a good theme! For me, it all started with the behavior incentive.  I've been using Mr. Potato Head pieces to collect classroom compliments for a few years and a handful of ideas have developed from there. So we'll start with a freebie...I created this printable to frame and sit beside my potato on my desk. My class begins with a blank spud and shoes and as they receive compliments from others in the hallway, library, etc. we add one piece for each compliment.  When he is complete, we have a potato chip party!

Click HERE for your freebie.

Along the way, I've collected several fun pieces to jazz up my Mr. Check out these sparkly options...

My family visits Disneyworld pretty frequently and the Once Upon a Toy store in Downtown Disney has a ginormous selection of potato parts...

Of course I HAD to have the Potato Peeps set from MelonHeadz!

Now on to the work...I wanted to find more ways to incorporate this fun fella into our work (a few years BP...Before Pinterest) and Mrs. Meacham set us right up in Writer's Workshop. She developed a lesson about the parts of your writing journal (we actually use a writing folder) using this hilarious Tedd Arnold read aloud.

After we read the book (and a handful of giggles), I use my giant stuffed Mr. Potato to talk about "parts." We label his parts with post it notes.  He's a permanent fixture in our room and the kiddos just love him.  A teacher was looking to get rid of him a few years ago and I was happy to adopt! My firsties draw and label his parts.

Next, I introduce our writing folders and discuss it's "parts."  I use the statement,  "Mr. Potato Head has parts and our Writer's Workshop folder has parts" multiple times during our discussion.  This year, after reflecting on the lesson, I wished I'd had a recording sheet for the activity.  As an extension, I'd have the students draw and label the parts of their folder.  I decided to go ahead and whip one up to have ready for next year. Here ya go!

Click HERE to download your copy.

This could be used for so many different lessons. Parts of a book, parts of a friendly letter, parts of a number sentence.  Oh the possibilities! I love it!!

And of course there are other fabulous activities in blog world and on Pinterest that use the Mr. as well!! I found activities on sequencing, the five senses, and a s-mashing book display.  

If you have a fun potato packed activity, I'd love to hear from you.  I'll add it to my spud file!