Derby Day Classroom Fiesta Time!

Greetings from Kentucky! The Land of the great "Kentucky Derby"!  Derby Day is a really big deal here, and if all of the national morning shows and celebrity gossip clips are to be believed...it's big EVERYWHERE!

I was looking around for some free printables that pertained to "Derby" for my sister's site freeprintablefun.org and found squat!  So, being from a Kentucky AND having school aged nieces, and a cheap copy of Paint Shop...I can't let this happen!  ((Mommy-Mode-Serious-Face On))

So, I have decided to make and offer up my own (not really great, but A for effort-style) Derby crafts.  It started out small and then became a challenge...(I am easily distracted by fluttering lint balls and shiny things floating by at the same time), it is sometimes hard for me to keep on task.

In the end, this went from being a Derby Party for my  family to being a whole "Derby Day-For-Grades- K-5" project!  (Younger children will need much assistance!)


Okay Teachers, (or parent(s) who got the job of finding the games for parties...)  here are a few things that I hope that you can incorporate into your festivities:

(7 Different Designs)Jockey Helmets 
Note: cut 1/2-1 inch strips of blank paper(long ways),  glue a strip to each side (on the back) of the cut-out "helmet", wrap around childs/adults (who's looking?!?) head, tape to fit.  Wa-Laa!

teeheehee...my husband modeled this one for us when my toddler refused...please do not tell him I posted this!!! -------> (finished results)

  

(I think that it would have looked better had it been adjusted to fit his head and/or he was happy about wearing it. Te Amo Amor!)

:)

Next up is a two parter. First part is a horse(or it's head), and a place for the riders name and a place for the horses name. Let me explain...this works out great on paper! Okay, there is a "fishbowl" style game where students draw one slip of paper from each of the two bowls/hats/bags, for this game simply print this Race Horse Name Match-Up  sheet, cut out the "names" (ones from the left column in one container, ones from the right in a different one), the name from left-side-list goes first, right-side-list is the last part.  Example: If I pulled out "Lawrance of" and the "Candyland" my horses name would be "Lawrance of Candyland".  Now the horses name as well as the name of the rider or "jockey" get placed in their respective spaces on the horsey face page(from above.)  The "horses" then get pinned or taped to the child's shirt, and then they are both horse and rider. :)

If you would like to have a race that would be fun or maybe a "Simon Says" type of "race" where everyone gets a turn and you could use Derby facts, horse facts, or just use the materials that you are teaching in class that week...a fun pop quiz! :)  And maybe you might even come up with some sort of reward for the one who reaches the end of the "race" first...up to you and optional...just throwing it out there! :)

If you would like to have a garland of roses to maybe put a snapshot of all of you little winners in the opening, like the horses get put around their necks at Derby in the winner's circle then here is an 8 color and cut rosettes per page printable. Just have you students color one or two or seven (however many you need each kido to do to make a horseshoe shaped wreath, I would think 30 at the least) of the rosettes that you have probably pre-cut (into square sections, they can cut out the rest or leave them square, your call.) Then just tack/tape them up on a blank wall or bulletin board.

I hope that this may help some teacher/parent (etc.) plan a fun-filled "Derby Day Party"! I am sending copies of these things in to my niece's teachers for sure! (I hope it's not to cheezy!)