Playdough To Plato

Fun learning activities for kids! Literacy, math, science and more.

Summer Goals Writing Activity

by Filed Under: First Grade Writing, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Summer 1 Comment

Activity for ages 5 to 8. Looking for a fun way to encourage your students to STICK to learning this summer?! With this fun and easy activity, students brainstorm personal goals to help them to stay engaged and maintain their growth. Scroll down to grab your freebie and then hop over check out 15 more […]

Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
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Beach Writing Prompt

by Filed Under: First Grade Writing, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Summer, Write Stories 1 Comment

Activity for ages 5 to 6. Longing for a sunny day at the beach? I bet your students are too! Add some summer fun to your writing stations with this fun beach writing prompt. It’s perfect for kindergarten and first-grade kids. With helpful vocabulary cards to help brainstorm ideas PLUS writing templates that make it […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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Writing Center Starter Kit

by Filed Under: First Grade Writing, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Writing Conventions Leave a Comment

Activity for ages 5 to 7. If you’re looking for writing center supplies for kindergarten or first grade, this set is for you! The writing center starter kit includes everything you need to set up a station as a separate space in your classroom or to make go-to writing folders each student can keep in […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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Easter Egg Writing Craftivity

by Filed Under: First Grade Writing, Free Printables, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Second Grade Writing, Write Stories Leave a Comment

Activity for ages 5 to 8. Help your students work on their descriptive writing and have a little fun with Easter eggs! I love having an Easter egg hunt in my classroom and this is the perfect writing craftivity to go along with it. Grab the freebie below and then hop over to snag our […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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Kindness Writing Craftivity

by Filed Under: First Grade Writing, Free Printables, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Write a Variety of Stories Leave a Comment

Activity for ages 5 to 8. Whether you’re looking for a writing craftivity for Valentine’s Day or you need a project for Random Acts of Kindness Week, you’re in the right spot. These kindness crafts will look great on your bulletin board and will fill your classroom with thoughtful reminders about the importance of being […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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Snowman Writing Craftivity

by Filed Under: First Grade Writing, Free Printables, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Winter 3 Comments

Activity for ages 5 to 8. Get students excited about writing with this festive winter craftivity! Children will love dreaming up ideas about how to bring a snowman to school and you’ll love that it’s so quick to prep. The snowman writing craftivity makes a fabulous winter hallway display. Getting Ready Prep for this craftivity […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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16 Thanksgiving Centers

by Filed Under: Fall, Kindergarten Holidays, Kindergarten Math, Kindergarten Reading, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Preschool Holidays, Preschool Math, Preschool Reading, Shop 2 Comments

Activity for ages 3 to 6. Gobble, gobble! Get into the Thanksgiving spirit with a math and literacy pack that’s perfect for preschool and kindergarten. The 16 motivating math and literacy activities include ABC games, counting activities, sight word games, little reader books, graphing sheets, rhyming clip cards and more. Grab your set in our shop or on Teachers Pay […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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Beach Bucket Writing

by Filed Under: First Grade Writing, Free Printables, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Write a Variety of Stories 2 Comments

Activity for ages 5 to 7. Whether you’re planning a trip to the beach or you’re just dreaming about warm summer weather, this motivating writing project is a must-try activity for kindergarten or first grade. Grab your copy below and then hop over to snag our free writing rubric pages too. I have some first graders who […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
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Summer Journal

by Filed Under: Free Printables, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Write Stories, Writing Conventions 4 Comments

Activity for ages 5 to 8. Looking for a simple way to keep kids writing this summer?! Whether you’re a parent hoping to battle summer slide or you’re a teacher who wants to keep kids learning over the break, our free summer journals are the perfect solution. My students write in their “Morning Journal” right […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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How to Create a Leprechaun Trap Writing Activity

by Filed Under: First Grade Writing, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog 1 Comment

Activity for ages 5 to 8. Designing and creating leprechaun traps is one of my favorite activities for March! Kids can come up with amazing ideas if you simply give them an opportunity to be creative and BUILD! I prefer to view it as a project based learning (PBL) opportunity by having families send in […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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Martin Luther King Jr. Banners

by Filed Under: First Grade Writing, Free Printables, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog 7 Comments

Activity for ages 5 to 8. Teaching my first graders about the impact Martin Luther King Jr. had is super important to me as a teacher.  We read books about his life, talk about why he is an inspiration, and watch his “I have a Dream” speech, but I also wanted a fun writing activity that […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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Make Your Own I Spy Book

by Filed Under: First Grade Writing, Free Printables, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Second Grade Writing, Write a Variety of Stories 8 Comments

Activity for ages 5 to 8. I have some first grade students who LOVE to write and others who are a little more reluctant.  But this Make Your Own I Spy Book put such a fun spin on writing that all of my students couldn’t wait to start working on it! This post contains Amazon affiliate links. […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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How to Eat an Oreo Writing Activity

by Filed Under: First Grade Writing, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Write a Variety of Stories, Writing Conventions 2 Comments

Activity for ages 5 to 7. Writing with transitional words including “first”, “next” and “then” is an important skill for young writers. This “How to Eat an Oreo” activity makes writing practice fun AND delicious – my favorite combination! Getting Started To prep this activity, I printed off a writing page for each of my first grade […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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CVC Sound Boxes

by Filed Under: Isolate Sounds, Kindergarten Reading, Kindergarten Writing, Word Family Activities 5 Comments

Activity for ages 5 to 6. CVC sound boxes are an awesome way to help kids learn how to sound out and spell simple three letter words such as cat, log and dog. These print and play sound box mats are a ready to go literacy center or word work station. Since kids can practice spelling […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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Roll a Silly Spooky Story

by Filed Under: Fall, First Grade Writing, Free Printables, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Write a Variety of Stories, Write Stories 2 Comments

Activity for ages 5 to 8. Do your kids say that they can’t think of anything to write about during Writer’s Workshop? Problem solved. Whether you are a teacher looking for a creative writing assignment or a homeschooling parent incorporating literacy, this fun fall themed activity is sure to cure any kiddos’ writers’ block! Getting […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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Creative Writing Prompts

by Filed Under: First Grade Writing, Free Printables, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Write a Variety of Stories, Write Stories, Writing Conventions 8 Comments

Activity for ages 5 to 7. These creative writing prompts will help your child develop writing fluency by reducing the stress some kids feel towards spelling, and by reducing the time some take just deciding what to write about! The creative writing prompts help children develop self-confidence which is so important for developing a love for […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
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All About Me Free Printable

by Filed Under: First Grade Holidays, First Grade Writing, Free Printables, Kindergarten Holidays, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Summer Leave a Comment

Activity for ages 5 to 8. Looking for a no prep all about me activity to start the new school year? You’ve come to the right spot. Just print this free all about me newspaper and help students learn more about their new classmates. We all know the beginning of the school year is hectic in […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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Motivating Girls’ Writing Pack

by Filed Under: First Grade Writing, Kindergarten Writing, Letter Sounds, Plato's Blog, Shop, Vocabulary, Write a Variety of Stories, Write Stories, Writing Conventions Leave a Comment

Activity for ages 3 to 8. If you’re looking for a motivating way to get girls writing, you’ve come to the right spot. This writing set is packed with eye catching covers, engaging story prompts and awesome extras all about things girls love most. The instant download’s an easy way to help girls love writing. Check out […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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Awesome Boys’ Writing Pack

by Filed Under: First Grade Writing, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Shop, Sound Out Words, Write a Variety of Stories, Write Stories, Writing Conventions 4 Comments

Activity for ages 3 to 8. As a former kindergarten teacher and mom to two preschool boys, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to make writing fun for boys. That’s why I set out on a mission to create a motivating writing journal that every boy on the planet would love. This awesome writing […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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Pumpkin Spice Salt Tray

by Filed Under: Fall, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog 2 Comments

 Activity for ages 3 to 6. Salt tray writing is a super simple, multi-sensory way to encourage prewriting skills or practice forming letters and words.  The addition of a little orange food color and a dash of pumpkin pie spice had my 2.5 and 4.5 year old clambering to get their hands on our pumpkin […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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How to Get a Letter From Santa in the Mail

by Filed Under: First Grade Writing, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Winter, Write a Variety of Stories, Write Stories Leave a Comment

Activity for ages 3 to 8. It’s pretty common for kids to mail a letter to Santa but there are not many children who actually receive a letter back, right?! Well, that’s about to change. Just follow these easy steps and your kids can get a letter from Santa in the mail too. Getting Ready Before my […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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St. Patrick’s Day Writing Activity Pack

by Filed Under: First Grade Holidays, First Grade Writing, Kindergarten Holidays, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Spring, Write a Variety of Stories, Write Stories 5 Comments

Activity for 4 to 8 year olds. With just a few days left before St. Patrick’s Day, it’s the perfect time to add some leprechaun-inspired words and story prompts to your writing center. That’s why I pulled together this free printable St. Patrick’s Day writing pack. Kids will love the silly story starters and helpful […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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Free Printable Santa Stationery

by Filed Under: First Grade Holidays, First Grade Writing, Free Printables, Kindergarten Holidays, Kindergarten Writing, Plato's Blog, Preschool Holidays, Winter, Write a Variety of Stories, Write Stories 8 Comments

Activity for ages 3 to 8. This free printable Santa stationery is an easy way to make kids’ wish lists more  of a keepsake and the North Pole letterhead is an official way to post Santa’s reply letter. It’s the perfect compliment to our popular Christmas Activity Pack!  I included three different versions of stationery to ensure […]

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Ha

Ha

Ha is an elementary school teacher at a STEM campus, mom of two, and founder of Happy Days in First Grade Teaching Resources.She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and more than a decade of teaching experience in the primary grades. She loves hands-on activities, creating a positive environment for her students, integrating technology into her lessons, and STEM!You can find more fun teaching ideas and interactive digital activities for the primary classroom on her blog, Happy Days in First Grade.
Ha

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