st. patrick’s day BRAIN TEASER scavenger hunt Even though our lives have changed quite a bit since I started this blog seven years ago, one thing has remained the same: we love to rock it out …Read morest. patrick’s day BRAIN TEASER scavenger hunt
5 reasons to see ‘Gifted’ the movie and discussion guide for families #GiftedMovie Last month, Cora and I were flown out to Los Angeles for a press junket for Gifted, the new movie starring Chris Evans (, Mckenna Grace, Octavia …Read more5 reasons to see ‘Gifted’ the movie and discussion guide for families #GiftedMovie
pokemonGO: what it is and what parents need to know Oh, friends. Those of you who know me know that Pokemon is one of my least favorite things in the whole, wide world. I struggled through Owen’s …Read morepokemonGO: what it is and what parents need to know
think aloud while reading — here’s how! reading tip 9 #raiseareader Thinking aloud sounds a little crazy, doesn’t it? Like the only people who would even think about thinking aloud might be a little …Read morethink aloud while reading — here’s how! reading tip 9 #raiseareader
talking about severus snape with kids: in memory of alan rickman This morning, my sister told me about the passing of Alan Rickman, the man who played (among many other roles) Severus Snape in the Harry Potter …Read moretalking about severus snape with kids: in memory of alan rickman
school supply shopping: our NEW way to teach kids to be smart consumers Every year, we try to somehow involve our kids in back-to-school shopping. When Maddy, Owen, and Cora were emerging readers, I created …Read moreschool supply shopping: our NEW way to teach kids to be smart consumers
birdwatching math puzzles: super challenging and tricky This summer as we usually do, I’m trying each week to include some new and exciting math fun. In the form of puzzles or chocolate challenges or …Read morebirdwatching math puzzles: super challenging and tricky
camp google: ocean, space, music and nature weeks Friends. I have been working with National Geographic Kids for some time now, as one of their ‘Insiders’ and honestly the coolest thing …Read morecamp google: ocean, space, music and nature weeks
fun summertime learning for kids: tabletop surprises Week two of tabletop surprises is in the books, and it was a blast! Because my crew was busy fighting off some pretty awful summertime colds, we did a …Read morefun summertime learning for kids: tabletop surprises
matchstick math: patterns, puzzles and critical thinking The matchstick math activity we did last week for tabletop surprises was a real hit. I had an inkling that the activity would be a …Read morematchstick math: patterns, puzzles and critical thinking
coral reefs of Palau: The Nature Conservancy free virtual field trip and learning resources Right about now a lot of us are thinking about sun, sand, and surf. I know I am. School’s almost out, and over here, we’re …Read morecoral reefs of Palau: The Nature Conservancy free virtual field trip and learning resources
The Nature Conservancy virtual field trip and learning resources: Wild Biomes– From America’s Rainforest to America’s Desert Any time that parents and teachers can bring learning to life–really make it hands on and real–I think they should …Read moreThe Nature Conservancy virtual field trip and learning resources: Wild Biomes– From America’s Rainforest to America’s Desert
Future City: middle school competition inspires future engineers For the past two years, we’ve been invited to attend the Future City Competition here in DC. Last year, only Maddy and I …Read moreFuture City: middle school competition inspires future engineers
belgian mussels with kids: a cultural adventure at home & trip of a lifetime We are so lucky now that our kids can literally have the world at their fingertips. With technology today and well-designed …Read morebelgian mussels with kids: a cultural adventure at home & trip of a lifetime
new years eve guess the word game Much like our Christmas Guess the Word Game, the New Year’s Eve Guess the Word Game totally rocks. Okay. There you have it. Plain and …Read morenew years eve guess the word game
quandary: video game for improving decision-making skills I’m always on the hunt for worthwhile ways to sneak in some fun and learning into my kids’ days. And though I’m super …Read morequandary: video game for improving decision-making skills
understanding italics in fiction: text features and meaning I’ve always tried to make a big deal about certain text features when we see them in fiction that we’re …Read moreunderstanding italics in fiction: text features and meaning
brain teasers for kids We’re longtime fans of brain teasers for kids over here, in any form, at any time. We dig brain teasers at lunchtime, brain teasers in the …Read morebrain teasers for kids
dream car of the day: cool look at the car of the future This post is brought to you by Toyota. It’s no secret that most kids are highly influenced by their peers. Too often, parents forget …Read moredream car of the day: cool look at the car of the future
let kids learn on their own time: tabletop surprises We just finished week number six of our ten week tabletop surprises — a simple but clever way we encourage our kids to learn on their own …Read morelet kids learn on their own time: tabletop surprises