New Directed Drawing: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

Looking for a fun and easy If You Give a Mouse a Cookie activity for your primary students? This directed drawing lesson is the perfect companion to the popular read-aloud! It helps kids build listening, sequencing, and fine motor skills all while having fun.

I just added this mouse-themed directed drawing to my TPT store, and it’s now included in my Growing Bundle of Directed Drawings for K–2. If you already own the bundle, it’s ready for you to download!

Why I Keep the Same Bulletin Board Up Every Year (And I’m So Glad I Do)

Confession: I used to stress about bulletin boards. I'd spend way too much time trying to make the layout work, only to realize the board was in a weird, hard-to-reach spot where nothing ever looked quite right. I’d try to divide it. Make it “seasonal.” Rotate displays. It never really worked.

Then I stopped.

A few years ago, I created a board with one simple, powerful message: "The Power of Yet." Bright colors. Big, bold letters. It looked great, and more importantly, it meant something.

At the start of the year, I use it to teach a lesson about growth mindset and the “magical yet.” You can’t read… yet. You don't know how to use a number line… yet. We talk about how our brains grow, and the board becomes a visual reminder of that all year long. I use this book before introducing the board:

And here’s the best part: I leave it up all year. I even leave it up over the summer. (I didn't ask...just did it!)

No more climbing on chairs to staple borders. No more second-guessing a theme. No more back-to-school panic about decorations.

It’s become one of the best classroom decisions I’ve made. Time-saving? Yes. Meaningful? Absolutely. And honestly, the message never gets old.

So if you’ve been thinking about simplifying your bulletin boards, this is your sign. Pick a message that matters—and let it shine all year long.

New Directed Drawing (NO, David!) and Growing Bundle

I’m so excited to share my second Directed Drawing Bundle. This is a GROWING BUNDLE and it’s a good one! If you’ve been wanting to bring a little art-meets-literacy magic into your classroom, this is a good time to grab this!

At the moment, this bundle includes two Directed Drawings: No, David! and Piggie and Elephant.

The bundle is just $6 as of now before I add the next Directed Drawing later on this week.  That means you get the remaining 3 that will be uploaded within the next few weeks FREE. How cool is that? 

What are the next books to be added?  Drumroll, please!

1. The Recess Queen

2. Mother Bruce

3. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

These easy, book-themed directed drawings are perfect for:
✅ Morning work
✅ Literacy centers
✅ Art integration
✅ Sub plans
✅ Fun Fridays
✅ Early finishers
✅ Read-aloud extensions
✅ Bulletin boards
✅ Fine motor practice
✅ Indoor recess
✅ End-of-day wind down

Each one is easy to follow, super classroom-friendly, and helps students build fine motor skills, creativity, and confidence. 🖍️

Take a peek at my Complete Directed Drawing Bundle #1

Which one is your favorite? I admit to having a soft spot for David!

Happy drawing!

My Favorite Low-Prep Literacy Hack (Especially for Sub Plans!)

Ever feel like your read-aloud just needs something after it’s over?

You know the moment: your class loved the story, everyone’s engaged, and then… crickets. Do we write? Do we draw? Do we move on?

Enter one of my favorite grab-and-go solutions:

Book It: Retell It, Write It, Make It!

These printable mini-packets are the perfect follow-up to your favorite picture books—especially the ones featured on Storyline Online (Yes, the free site where celebrities read books aloud 🙌).

They’re a total lifesaver when:

• You need something quick but meaningful

• You're prepping for a sub

• You want students to practice literacy skills without extra planning

💡 What’s Inside Each Packet?

Each Book It! packet includes:
📚 A Retell-It page (oral and written)

 

✏️ A Write-It prompt (A story-connected writing activity

🔤 A Make-a-Word phonics page – built around a key word or theme from the book

They’re print-and-go and student-friendly for Grades 1-3!

📚 Which Books Are Included?

So far, the Storyline Online Growing Bundle includes 16 titles:

• Henry Holton Takes the Ice
• The Empty Pot
• Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch
• Zombies Don’t Eat Veggies!
• When a Dragon Moves In
• Trombone Shorty
• Strega Nona
• A Bad Case of Stripes
• Maddie’s Fridge
• I’m Not Scared, You’re Scared!
• Enemy Pie
• Chester’s Way
• Jabari Jumps
• Arnie the Doughnut
• Stellaluna
• The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen

New packets are being added every week!

Try One for Free!

Want to see what they’re like?
Grab the free Book It for The Sandwich Swap
It’s perfect for character-building and discussion, too.

💰 Snag the Growing Bundle Now!

The Growing Bundle currently includes 16 packets (a $32 value)
But right now it’s only $12 — just 75¢ each!
And every new addition is included automatically. 🎉

➡️ Storyline Online Book It Growing Bundle

Whether you’re lesson planning at midnight (we’ve all been there) or prepping an emergency sub tub, Book It! packets have your back. Easy, engaging, and done for you. ✅

Let me know if you try one—I love hearing which books your kids connect with most!

✏️ Teacher tip:

Make a few copies, pop them into a plastic sleeve, and store them with a QR code to the read-aloud video. Instant sub plan or early finisher bin!

Piggie & Elephant to the Rescue! Directed Drawings

If your students are anything like mine, they’re obsessed with Mo Willems. And if you’re anything like me, you’re always on the lookout for activities that check all these boxes:

✅ Engaging
✅ Low prep
✅ Tied to literacy
✅ Actually FUN

Well, friend, consider it done! Let me introduce you to my Piggie & Elephant Directed Drawing Printables — aka: the magical combination of writing, reading, drawing, and "LOOK WHAT I MADE!" moments that will make you feel like a superhero (without the cape or paperwork).

What’s the Deal?
Your students get to follow simple, step-by-step directions to draw Piggie, Elephant, the Big Guy (hi, whale 🐳), Love Birds, a car, and a ship. That’s SIX different drawing options—differentiated FOUR ways—because you teach real humans, not identical robots.

Some pages are no-writing-required (perfect for kinders or “I lost my pencil” days), and some have sentence-writing options with different line types depending on your students' abilities or handwriting stage. There's even extra paper for your little novelists. I see you, future Mo Willemses.

Why Teachers Love This:

• It’s a sneaky way to reinforce comprehension. (“Let’s draw Gerald! But wait… what’s he feeling in the book again?”)

• It builds fine motor skills without a single clothespin or play dough in sight.

• Students become very proud of their creations. Like, “Please display this until I graduate” proud.

• It’s fun for centers, sub days, Fun Fridays, or “we finished math early and I am NOT starting a new lesson at 2:17 PM.”

Bonus Teacher Tips:

• Do all six drawings over a week while reading the books aloud = INSTANT cross-curricular magic.

• End the week by having students combine characters into one scene = hilarious and bulletin board-worthy.

• Let them record themselves reading their sentences on Seesaw. 

• Keep a binder of reusable directed drawings in sleeves = easy access, forever engagement, zero excuses.

Whether you’re team Piggie, team Elephant, or team “please let the pigeon drive the bus already,” this resource is a go-to gem you’ll use year after year.

Check out the other Directed Drawings I have in action and a full preview of how I format the packet...I think you'll recognize some cool characters your kids will love!

This is Bundle 1: Save $5 which saves you 33%  Piggie and Elephant will be available in Bundle 2 when it's ready...by the end of July.  Happy 4th!

Knuffle Bunny Directed Drawing Activities

A few weeks ago, I introduced my Directed Drawing Series. Read about all the benefits of Directed Drawings and check out some of the results.

Here are a few Pigeon/Bus ones my students did as their first attempt.  (I should have grabbed more pics!)

I love the pink Pigeon!  Adorable! 

I thought this might be hard but he nailed it!  Impressed!

Love all of them. This is one of the activities the kids have an option of doing while I'm meeting with reading groups.  I have 3 GR Groups each day.  Each students gets TWO read to self on their own sessions (Stamina and RAZ Kids) and then they are either reading with me or doing a reading response activity.

I had options for the kids that you can see in this post but all students picked the ones that have a sentence on the bottom.  I was thrilled!  

In addition to Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Creepy Pair of Underwear Directed Drawings available in my store, I've uploaded Knuffle Bunny which is a favorite of mine!  It's a Mentor Text for our Small Moments Writing Unit so we will use the Directed Drawing for the book next week.  Can't wait!

I'm going to start another Directed Drawing packet this week.  My husband said I should do Dragons Love Tacos but I'm not sure.  Maybe a Halloween Book?  A Kevin Henkes book?  Possibilities are endless!

Why Goodnight School Is the Perfect Back-to-School Read

Goodnight School, written by Catherine Bailey and illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld, is a new 2024 picture book that is perfect for Back-to-School season. ⁣

Goodnight School is a cute, "quieter" rhyming picture book that turns the end of the school day- for the school-into a whimsical adventure. As the school winds down it's day, the Night Guard does her rounds to make sure everything is okay. But of course, she hears noises, see crumbs, and a recently used computer. Who could it be?

From the moment you open the cover, the end papers (I love me some great end pages!) show a class pet Turtle escaping its home. Doerfeld's illustrations are brimming with cozy, inviting details that make every page a visual treat and turn this book into a must-purchase for me. What do you notice in each picture?

If you said that there is a FACE in each picture, Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner!  They are on every single page!  This playful, CLEVER artwork makes me laugh so can you imagine what my First Graders will do when they notice all the faces? Giggles galore! Being able to spot the turtle on every page just adds an extra layer of engagement and fun to the reading experience.

 My Quick Initial Thoughts On First Read

⁣
📚Reminded me of Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann⁣
⁣
📚While a sweet, rhyming story, the illustrations make this a must-share book. ⁣
⁣
📚 Every student is going to beg to cozy up to the book to get a closer look at all those “faces” during Stamina and free reading times.⁣
⁣
📚 Will be fun to have kids make their own classroom faces to share. ⁣

📚 I want to look up the illustrator and check out more of her books. Are all of her books this witty?

My Final Verdict

I think my kids will like it a lot and it will be reread over and over again. Kids always wonder what happens when they leave and this gives them a glimpse into the mystery. Again, illustrations are PERFECT. I think this will be a must purchase for school libraries and I'd add it to my list but probably wait until it comes out in paperback from Scholastic. I really limit my hardcover purchases these days. Looking forward to sharing with my class next week.  

Draw Your Way to Success: 10 Benefits of Directed Drawings

Hello, fabulous educators! I'm still home on summer break but time is ticking away...hoping you are still soaking in the sun and fun!  I'm using some of my summer to make some activities for my classroom and I'm beyond excited to be adding this new product line to my store: DIRECTED DRAWINGS!

I LOVE Directed Drawings and wanted to pair them up with a book that gets nonstop giggles for my little ones: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems.  

My sister turned me on to Directed Drawings about 20 years ago. She shared a Dr. Seuss one with me that I did with the whole class. The kids would listen carefully to my directions and we'd draw the Cat in the Hat together. This one is from about 10 years ago and is still a staple in my classroom each year.

One of the best things about Directed Drawings is their flexibility. You can tailor them to fit any theme or subject matter. Whether it’s a drawing of a space alien for a science unit or a festive pumpkin for Halloween, you can easily support your curriculum. 

I like sharing a lot of Mo's books in September so I thought I'd focus on the Pigeon for the first one.

I'm keeping this product on sale for just TWO DOLLARS through August! Regular price is just $3. 

I don't view Directed Drawings as just a fun activity. Nope! They offer several benefits making them a valuable activity for all types of learners. Here are some key advantages:

1. Enhances Fine Motor Skills: As children follow step-by-step instructions to create their drawings, they practice and improve their fine motor skills, such as hand-eye coordination and control over pencil movements.

2. Boosts Listening and Following Directions: Directed drawings require children to listen carefully if doing as a whole class and follow sequential steps. This helps them develop their ability to follow verbal instructions and improves their listening skills.

3. Fosters Creativity and Imagination: While directed drawings provide a structured framework, they also allow for personal creativity. Children can add their own touches, colors, and details, which encourages imaginative thinking and self-expression. Can you guess which book will inspire my next Directed Drawing book?  A favorite in my class. If we make Jasper, certainly we can learn to draw him!

4. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
And......drumroll please! (5 days later!)  I just finished it and came back to show it off! I'm keeping it on sale through August. Just $2 for SIX directed drawings!





5. Supports Visual and Spatial Awareness: By drawing and manipulating specific shapes, children improve their understanding of spatial relationships and visual organization.

6. Encourages Patience and Focus: Completing a directed drawing requires attention to detail and patience, helping children practice perseverance and concentration.  This is so hard for some of the kiddos! 

7. Provides a Sense of Accomplishment: Successfully following the steps to create a drawing gives children a tangible sense of achievement and boosts their confidence. And that confidence soars when they remember how to draw a particular picture and add it to their writing workshop illustrations when appropriate.  

8. Strengthens Understanding of Sequential Thinking: Directed drawings help children grasp the concept of sequence and order, which is an important cognitive skill for problem-solving and logical thinking.

9. Promotes Language Development: As children describe their drawings or the steps they took, they practice using descriptive language and expand their vocabulary.

10. Cross-Disciplinary Learning: "Art Smart" approaches often encourage students to make connections between art and other subjects. For example, creating a project related to a historical event or illustrating a story can deepen understanding and retention. By including 6 drawings, my students can retell the story by drawing and then using the pics to prompt/support their retellings.

So, there you have it—Directed Drawings can be your new best friend in the classroom. They’re fun, educational, and a surefire way to bring out the artist in every student. Grab your markers, gather your paper, and get ready to watch your classroom transform into a gallery of giggles.

Happy Drawing!