If you've been searching for an adjective chart, an adjective craft, or honestly just something easy that your kiddos will actually love during winter centers... this cosy little hot cocoa activity is about to warm your teacher heart. (Free printable inside the post - it unlocks after sign-up!)
I made this easy adjective craft because I needed something visual, hands-on, and fun - and apparently kids will do anything when marshmallows are involved (paper or real, doesn't matter).
And the best part? You can grab this entire adjective printable FREE inside this post. Just unlock it using the little resource locker and it's yours.
How to Teach Adjectives (Without Losing Anyone in the Back Row)
Okay, so adjectives can get a little dry if we just toss out definitions and hope for the best. But when we give kids something visual and sensory - boom. They suddenly get it.
I usually teach adjectives in three simple steps:
1. Start with describing words
I tell kids, "Adjectives are words that describe a person, place, or thing."
Nothing wild. Nothing complicated.
We look at an adjective chart or adjective anchor chart together and find describing words like:
tiny
round
creamy
colorful
shy
grumpy
yummy
(I mean... tell me "yummy" isn't the cutest adjective on a marshmallow.)
If you’re diving into adjectives this week, your kids might also enjoy reviewing verbs alongside this craft. I often pair this activity with an Irregular Verbs 3 Forms chart because once students understand describing words, they’re more confident comparing how verbs change across tenses.
And for your ESL learners, having an esl list of irregular verbs on hand helps them notice unusual verb changes early on. When they build a sentence with both adjectives and irregular verbs, everything clicks a whole lot faster.
2. Sort the adjectives
Before we even touch the craft, students sort different types of adjectives so they understand each category:
- shape adjectives (round, wide, curvy)
- color adjectives (pale, rosy, golden)
- feeling adjectives (brave, shy, grumpy)
- taste adjectives (yummy, buttery, sweet, tangy)
Sorting is quick, low-prep, and perfect for warm-ups or ESL.
3. Use adjectives in writing
Once they've played with the describing words, I have them use their favorite marshmallows in a sentence.
Something like:
"The round, golden, yummy marshmallow melted in the cocoa."
Boom. Instant win.
And if your class loves hands-on language crafts, this cosy cocoa cup fits perfectly next to the adorable Contractions Craft. They both reinforce tricky grammar concepts by turning them into something visual and interactive instead of another worksheet.
How to Create This Easy Adjective Craft
Now for the cute part - the actual adjective craft.
This craft comes with:
✔ a big blue hot cocoa mug
✔ 24 marshmallow adjectives
✔ 4 adjective categories
✔ blank marshmallows so kids can add their own describing words
Here's how to put it together:
1. Print the marshmallow adjective chart
Once you unlock the freebie, you'll see all the adjectives on a single adjective chart printable.
Kids can cut out the marshmallows they want to use. (Great fine motor practice, too!)
I also like reviewing pronouns during the same week as adjectives, since kids constantly mix them up in writing. The Personal Pronoun Worksheets make it super easy to model how describing words and pronouns work together in sentences.
2. Pick the adjectives
Students choose adjectives that describe:
- shape
- color
- feelings
- taste
This helps them see the difference between each type of describing word.
3. Glue the marshmallows onto the cocoa mug
This is where the magic happens.
Kids arrange their paper marshmallows inside the mug to create their own describing words chart, but in the cutest, wintry way possible.
Some glue them neatly.
Some make it look like a marshmallow explosion.
Both are acceptable. 😂
If you want another cut-and-paste activity that matches the style of this craft, the winter-friendly irregular verbs craft gives students the same type of interactive sorting experience but focuses on verb tense patterns instead.
4. Optional writing extension
After creating the craft, you can add:
- a sentence strip
- a quick writing prompt
- a winter describing page
- a "My favorite marshmallow adjectives" mini chart
This turns your craft into a full winter writing activity or ELA center.
Sometimes students need a vocabulary boost before they can confidently use adjectives in their writing, so I keep a list of regular verbs pdf nearby for writing centers and quick warm-ups. It pairs surprisingly well with adjective lessons because stronger verbs make descriptions more meaningful.
Why This Craft Works So Well
Because adjectives are abstract... and cocoa is not.
Kids instantly understand the idea when they can see adjectives as objects they "add" to something.
It also works as a:
✔ parts of speech craft
✔ ESL adjectives lesson
✔ grammar center activity
✔ winter bulletin board
✔ describing words warm-up
✔ interactive adjective chart for early learners
Plus, it's winter-themed and ridiculously easy to prep.
One printout. One mug. A few marshmallows. Done.
Grab the Free Adjective Craft Printable
If you're ready to download this easy adjective craft and the full adjective chart, it's waiting for you behind the sign-up locker below.
Pop your email in, unlock it, and the printable will land in your inbox.
Your kiddos are going to love building their cocoa cups - and honestly, so will you.
Want me to write a Pinterest description or add internal links to your other grammar crafts? Just tell me!
Sign up below to grab your printable set!
Crafts are such a fun way to work on grammar, it gets quite repetitive to to worksheets and these serve as a great visual in the classroom!