Welcome to the first and maybe only National Sharpen Your Pencil Day!   I, and a few other crafty women, have been preparing for your arrival. 

National Sharpen Your Pencil Day has become more than just an indulgence in my children’s silliness  creativity.

I’m excited.  No — giddy.  I can’t wait for them to see the activities that await them at the breakfast table, thanks to Spell Out Loud and Two Teaching Mommies.

I have been engaging.  I mean . . . like talking with my children.  Giggling with them.  Making up stories.  Creating games.    Removing my eyes and fingers from this here computer . . . and creating a day that demonstrates mommy’s love written all over their hearts . . . and God displaying their names on His hand.

Asher and Ezra are quite certain that the whole world is participating tomorrow.

They have been acting like it is Christmas Eve . . . wondering how all of your children are even sleeping – knowing that National Sharpen Your Pencil Day is approaching . . . literally here as I type this. 

Pictures will be arriving from you . . . like Christmas cards or Valentines.   Perhaps they will accompany our breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  {hint hint}

I really don’t want to let them down.  Won’t you join us?  After all, we are giving away a pencil sharpener!

How many pencils will be represented today?

Have you gathered your pencils?  (My mom has, in some very unusual places I might add!))

Get those pencils ready to finish the Spring semester.   End the frustrating moments throughout your week, sharpen those pencils!!!

I don’t know which I love more, Leigh’s pencils or the fabric under her pencils!

To add to your children’s fun . . . some dear IRL bloggy friends of mine have graciously helped me out. 

You see . . . I am illiterate when it comes to making a “printable.”  To m
y knowledge, I don’t have the software.  Even if I did, I would have no idea how to create something cute. 

Thankfully my friends do. 

Maureen, from Spell Out Loud, has designed these nifty Robot Pencil Toppers . . . so easy.  Print on cardstock and allow your child to color one or all.  If possible, give those sticky fingers some scissors to chop cut their topper.   If you are like me, try and find the tape dispenser before you start . . . (if the tape isn’t all used up), and tape your robot to the top of the sharpened pencils.  Have a puppet show while you are at it. 

And some precious gals, that were discovered at the Allume (Relevant) Conference last year, have whipped up this fantastic Pencil Pack . . . for  you!!!!  (They even wrote a little ditty!)  Thanks Madonna and Amber (BTW you are on my reading list too!)

Since we love Granola Mom 4 God, we’ve decided to help her and her readers celebrate “National Sharpen Your Pencil Day” by putting together this little unit! So, check out our BRAND NEW PENCIL MINI UNIT!

All our printables are in one easy download. Just click the image above to download a single zip file of all the printables. (Can’t unzip it. Try Hamster Free Zip Archiver approved by Amber’s husband. Remember to download carefully.)

You will need to be able to view pop-ups to download the unit, as it will appear in a pop up window from this site!

Have fun sharpening the mind!

If you want to continue your Pencil Day activities, here are some suggestions:

• roll a pencil in play dough (aka play dough stamping)
• have your child drop a pencil through a funnel or paper towel holder into a milk jug (it will make a delightful and smashing noise!)   How many pencils can fit into the jug?
• consider working on correct pencil grip and allow  your little’s to watch this video from Handwriting Without Tears . . .

• sort the pencils according to size, color, even sharpness
• bundle them in groups 2, 5 or 10 to practice skip counting
• use a pencil to trace another pencil
• make a chart/graph . . . perhaps your data could include how long it takes to sharpen each pencil
• hide pencils all over the house and play “find the pencil”
• check out these simple pencil and paper games – no other supplies needed
• and of course . . . count your pencils!
• Please browse my family friendly Pinterest Pencil Page and the fabulous Etsy Pencil Treasury my sister created.
• Memorize this poem from  Kalli Dakos,

Warning All Pencils in School
It’s not fair,
It’s not fair,
ALL PENCILS
BEWARE!
Pencil sharpeners
Are in there,

Biting teeth
Beyond compare,
Teachers sticking
Us in hair,
Erasers hiding
Everywhere,
Kids who do not
Really care,
Lots of work
And tests to bear!
It’s not fair,
It’s not fair,
ALL PENCILS
BEWARE!

If you are joining us for National Pencil Day and you have a blog, please link up with us, which counts as an entry into the giveaway below. 

If you have a photo to share, but not a blog, place your photo in our Flickr group. (You guessed it – another entry . . . leave a separate comment).

If you counted your pencils . . . please leave a comment telling us how many are in your house.  I’m shooting for 100,000 pencils to be represented.

Enter the giveaway for a new pencil sharpener.  Which one  would you like?  Tell me!

• a manual pencil sharpener . . . one that ALWAYS gets the job done . . .

• or an electric pencil sharpener . . . which is what is in our school room.

And be kind!  Share about this giveaway on Facebook and Twitter! (These count as entries in the giveaway.)

The celebration will continue until next Thursday, March 8, 2012.  Open only to US residents . . . since this is coming out of my pocketbook.

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