Our Sweets Have Been Snatched!

You wouldn't believe it!?!?

 We had this big beautiful bucket full of sweethearts snatched from our classroom!

Who would do such a thing?

My students were sure it was either our wonderful custodian Ms. B or one of the lunch ladies {as they put it.}

However, the snatcher was a kind and benevolent soul. He or she left some clues for us to get our sweets back.  

And after using some good 'ol brain power and leg work, we found our delectable treats and brought them back to their rightful home!

THIS is not my idea. It all came from the fabulous Babbling Abby's The Sweetheart Snatcher Unit available on TPT. I didn't get to do the Candy Corn Bandit last fall, so I was super excited for this one!

All week I had been losing pens or moving the kids' belongings around the room. Also, I'd take a few boxes from my sweetheart tub and throw them on the floor. When we would come into the room from lunch or specials, I'd make a big deal about whoever it was touching our things. It was a good production on my part. 

I wanted to make it so on the day of the snatching, one of my kids would notice the tub was missing and not me. Sure enough, on the big day, we come into the classroom from specials and I begin to read from my chapter book {without noticing the tub is missing.} My frequently mobile student blurts out, "Ms. Monroe, the CANDY is GONE!"

I start to blame it on one of the kids and they firmly deny it. They inferred that it must have been the custodian, Ms. B, because she had been in the room last to put up new lightbulbs.

In the tub's place, I had put the first clue and the students' Snatcher Predicting Books. We  read the clue, hastily made our predictions in our books, and the kids literally ran out of the classroom to find clue #2!

I had to reel them back into a line. Geez, that was very difficult!

We managed to find all of the clues without hurting each other or any innocent bystanders. Phew!

Abby has it designed that the final clue is in the gym. Well, I'm in Florida, and my kids have NO IDEA what a gym is. So, I changed that part from the gym to our P.E. coach's office. When the kids discovered the tub in her office, they ran outside to yell at her.

There was no point at stopping them. They were bound and determined to tell her they had foiled her plan. Luckily, she is a GREAT sport and played it up big time. She even snatched just one box from the tub and started running down the track. The kids ran after her and caught her {almost taking her down!}

When we returned to the classroom, the kids pleaded to do the sweetheart activities I had originally planned before someone else takes them again! Hahahahaha!

I caved, what else could I do?

They even wanted to give Coach a box of sweethearts since she wanted them so badly. Cute!

It was so much fun! I HIGHLY recommend it. :)

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Also, I want to send out a huge THANK YOU to everyone who gave me tips about the SMARTboard. I am very new to using it and I really appreciated all of the help I received. Who knew a tennis ball would work so well?

That green pen facing the opposite direction of his brothers is driving me bonkers as I type this!

I went out and picked up a few things to help with my SMARTboard challenged kiddos.

I like using the gloves the best. Also, please note that tennis ball is not a true-sized tennis ball. I had bought a set of tiny squeaky balls for my cats as a Christmas gift and stole one of them. I don't think they'll mind. It is a good size for my little hands {and the kid's little hands.}

This one more/one less, ten more/ ten less part of our math unit is killing me!
They either have it or are NEVER going to get it!!

Little Bit is using a glove and flying through this number sequence. 

Without the glove, it took f-o-r-e-v-e-r! 

Again...

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!