outdoor learning

5 easy ways to raise earth-friendly kids

April 20, 2012

Really, nothing about raising kids is easy. I so know this to be true.   I think I’m pretty honest about my own on-the-job struggles, and most people I talk to are pretty open about how difficult a gig this parenting thing is. But I think that raising three earth-friendly kids has been relatively easy. [...]

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new for us friday: NEW at camden yards (& giveaway!)

April 6, 2012

This New For Us Friday I did something that really made my husband jealous. I got a behind-the-scenes look at the new and exciting things going on at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles, before anyone else.  All in the name of a huuuuge summer o’ celebration of 20 years at Camden Yards.  Woot! [...]

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quick trick: fun sticks– 150 things for kids to do

March 23, 2012

I’ve been in dire need of a little Quick Trick to hand Owen when he says, I’m bored. What can I do? My usual responses: Oh, I’m so happy you’re bored.  Many children in the world never have the pleasure of being bored because they’re working in the fields or going to work for their [...]

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quick trick: play. outdoors. (no matter the weather!)

March 14, 2012

Who knows what happened to winter this year? I am convinced that we had absolutely no snow this year because this was the first time I ever–ever!–bought snow boots for Maddy and Owen (because lucky Cora has Maddy’s hand-me-downs) before the season started instead of scrambling like a maniac at first word of a snowstorm.  [...]

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learning to spell contractions: sneaky games and play

February 22, 2012

We were so thankful for the gorgeous three-day weekend to slowly get us back on track and to allow us to (kind of) regain control over the mess that had become of our home.  After being away last week, the game nights, our movie night, book-reading, errands–even cleaning and organizing with the kids–was really a [...]

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learning in the every day: classic, creative play (and melissa & doug giveaway!)

January 10, 2012

As much as I am an advocate of parents being teachers for their children and helping their kiddos to build a solid foundation for learning waaaay before those children walk through the shining school doors, I am also a strong proponent of play. Free play, pretend play, independent play, group play, inside play, outside play, [...]

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best of teach mama countdown: #6 — learning with recyclables

January 7, 2012

One of these days I’m going to share where and how we store the recyclables that we manage to save from the big blue bin over here. But until then, I’ll share the #6 most popular teach mama post of all-time: how to use recyclables with kids–get fun, crafty, creative. I think people have responded [...]

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leafy, outdoor alphabet letter hunt

October 19, 2011

It’s very leafy over here. With tons of huge trees dropping leaves at about a million per minute, our yard and house is covered. But before I pulled out the ole rake, I of course had to capitalize on the potential for a leaf-party and challenge Maddy, Owen, and Cora to a backyard leafy alphabet [...]

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outdoor play: good for everyone’s mind, body, and soul

October 10, 2011

Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://moms.dailybuzz.com/channel/style.   Finally, after enough rain to make us want to trade in the mini-van for an ark, fall as we know it and love it has arrived. Lots of [...]

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learning about the moon: phases, facts, flipbook, cookies

August 3, 2011

We celebrated the moon today, in little ways that kept Maddy, Owen, and Cora interested after lunch and before the rest of our day. Thanks to some really incredible websites, this Reading Specialist-mama learned about the moon right alongside of her kiddos. We demonstrated the phases by using cookies, we watched some really awesome moon-happy [...]

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busch gardens with kids and yankee candle candle-making

August 2, 2011

Day two of our Williamsburg, Virgina whirlwind took us to Busch Gardens–a gorgeous, world-themed amusement park with perfect spots for families with young children.  My husband was waiting anxiously for this particular event in our weekend, while I could take it or leave it–which makes me the totally boring one, I know.  Seriously, though, I [...]

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