family fun Archives - teach mama

how to play James Bond: fun card game for familes, by cora mascott

08 | 10 | 2016

This summer has been all about card games over here.

We’ve been doing a lot of card game playing, and I remember doing the same when I was young. We’d go on card game binges almost–playing the same card game for days on end.

It’s part of being a kid, I think.

So I’m thrilled to have Cora over here again, guest posting for me and sharing one of our favorite card games of the summer: James Bond.

One of the kids’ babysitters taught them how to play James Bond last summer, but this summer, the kids taught my husband and me to play, and we’ve taught friends and cousins and aunts and grandparents.

It’s a great card game for families.

Here’s the skinny. . .

How to Play James Bond — Fun Card Game for Families, by Cora Mascott:

Object:

The object of this game is to be the first person to get four of one card in all of their piles of four.

How to play:

Shuffle the cards.
Deal 48 of the cards in piles of four evenly among all the players.
The last four cards go face up in the middle of where you are playing.
On the count of three say, “Go!” And all the players pick up one of their piles of four.
The object of the game is to be the first person to get four of the same number cards in all of their piles of four.
If there is one ace in the middle and you have three aces in your pile, you can discard the card that is not an ace and pick up the ace in the middle. Then you put the pile of four off to the side and try to get other piles of four!

Hints:

Don’t forget that you can only pick up one pile at a time. You cannot be looking at two piles at the same time!
Maybe you have a 7 in one pile and another 7 in a different pile. You can discard the 7 from the first pile and pick up another card from the middle. Then in the second pile you can discard and pick up the 7 that you just discarded from the first pile. Then it is easier for you to get a pile of four matching numbers!

Cora even created a video to help you better understand how to play, since this game is a little confusing at first.

Check it out:

Check out more awesome, fun activities for families on our YouTube channel.

Do you have any feedback? Any questions? Ideas? Have you tried this game? Let us know!

We’d love to hear what you think!

Huge and happy thanks to new teachmama.com contributor and overall totally awesome kid, Cora Mascott, for this thoughtful show list.

Cora is 9-years old and spends her time tumbling, cheering, swimming, and diving. Cora is an avid writer who will plans to one day teach Kindergarten and spend summers writing books and working in a candy shop.

Check out Cora’s other posts:

And check out more posts about games you can play with your family:

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pokemonGO: what it is and what parents need to know

07 | 26 | 2016

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 crazy Pokemon stage a few summers ago, trying to learn to distinguish Charizard from Charmeleon and Pidgey from Pidgeotto so that I could try to understand what he was talking about–all the livelong day.

Maddy, Cora, my husband and I tried to play Pokemon, flipping cards and talking about evolutions and attacks and CP and EX (probably wrong letters–I can’t even remember). It was rough. I remember saying to Owen: Listen. I have tried. I cannot play Pokemon. I do not understand it, I totally and completely don’t get it. Please–I’ll play anything else with you. Anything but Pokemon.

So believe me, this past winter, when Owen told me that he wanted to sell his Pokemon cards in order to buy a new game for the Xbox, I had photos and a listing online before he even finished his sentence. Crazy, I know. But the cards sold in no time flat for above his asking price.

What is it about Pokemon that kids love?

I’ll never know.

But what I do know is that PokemonGO is all the craze this summer, and it’s hit our house hard.

Of course, when I contracted my Owen to sit down and answer a few questions about this game, he was totally up for it. So here you are, my friends: the answer to the million dollar question of the summer: What IS PokemonGo and what do parents need to know?

Here’s the skinny. . .

PokemonGO — What It Is and What Parents Need to Know:

Like I said, Owen helped me out with this post.

We have a family PokemonGO account, so we play on my phone as a family. That way, it’s more closely monitored, and no one is running off on his or her own.

I drafted a few questions to guide Owen’s post. The questions are in bold.

What IS PokemonGO?

Pokemon go is an app that kids, teens, and adults are playing. It is based on pokemon.

Why do kids love it?

Kids love it because it is a game where you can choose your own path and which pokemon to catch or run from.

What’s all the hype about this game? How is it different from all other games?

It is a real-world game. It asks if the app can allow your camera to see pokemon.

What are kids saying about the game?

It is really fun finding pokemon. Once you get one, you get EXP, which levels you up. That means you move up a level.

Why are adults–and teens–playing this game?

It is an interactive and solo game for everyone.

What are some words associated with the game and what do they mean? What are some common words or terms that you’d hear when people talk about the game?

Pokeball- a ball to catch pokemon.
Pokemon- an animal, plant, or thing that you use to fight with.
CP- Combat power – how strong a pokemon is.
Pokestop a place in reality that gives you items.
Gym- a place pokemon battle.(when 2 pokemon fight to take control of the gym.)
Teams- Yellow(team Instinct), Red(team Valor), and blue(team Mystic)

How do you get on a team?

By catching pokemon, you get EXP that levels you up. Once you’re on level 5, you can join a team.

There’s a warning that comes up when this game loads. What is the warning, and why is it important?

Remember to be aware at all times. Stay aware of your surroundings. It is important because people are getting injured because they don’t look up from the screen and bump into things.

Is this a safe game for kids? Why or why not?

Yes, but some people are not looking up from their phone and walking into streets, etc. and getting injured.

Take a look at this quick video from the PokemonGo site:

Still confused?

Here are a few more things parents need to know before allowing kids to run free with this app:

It’s addicting. Really. You kind of always want to know what wild Pokemon are around you wherever you go.
It eats a boatload of data. Really, keep an eye on it, and talk to your kids about it. If they are on the app for an extended amount of time, they may blow a whole month’s worth of data in a few hours.
Adults and teens are playing it. Be aware that when players get to common areas, or Gyms, there are players of all ages. And any time kids are really into something, you’ve just got to be careful that crazy, sick people don’t try to take advantage of them.
It’s a battery drainer. Because the GPS is continually running with this game, it will literally zap your battery. Make sure your kids know that if they are out playing this game, that they must bring a portable charger so that they are reachable.
There are in-app purchase options. If you’re not careful, your kids can really rack up the account. So make expectations crystal clear.

Check out the PokemonGO site.

Read the Common Sense Media PokemonGO review.

Tell me–what are your experiences with this game? Are your kids into it?

Huge and happy thanks to new teachmama.com contributor and overall totally awesome kid, Owen Mascott, for this thoughtful and creative booklist.

Owen is almost 11 years old, heading fifth grade, and his favorite sport is soccer. In the future, he plans to be a professional soccer player and dreams of one day receiving in invitation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

If you want or need a start, here:

This post is part of our Digital Kids series:

make this summer rock: Smart Summer Challenge 2016!

05 | 23 | 2016

I can’t believe it! I really and truly cannot believe it!

We made it through another school year, my friends.

We. Did. It.

Woooo-hooooooo!

Next up? Summer.

I’m over the moon thrilled and elated that summer is right around the corner!

This year, I’ve got something so cool planned. So totally awesome and fabulous, I can’t stand it.

I’ve just finished up–after months of drafts!–the plans for our Smart Summer Challenge 2016. And it’s going to rock.

Totally, 110%, completely going to rock.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Smart Summer Challenge 2016 — an invitation to learn, play, create, and invent — on their own time:

For the last seven years, I’ve hosted some sort of summertime learning challenge over at teachmama.com, and this year will be no different. My focus is always the same: to make learning a natural part of my kids’ every day–something that the kids actually want to do.

I don’t create full-day summertime mom-camps, so I want to let you know that off the bat. I know there are plenty of places you can get that kind of thing and some really great people who do that. Honestly, I love my kids and love the summer, but I don’t want to spend all day engrossed in activities with my kids.

It’s not great for my sanity, and it’s not great for my kids, either. They need free time. They need time with their buddies. They need time away from mom, who’s always up in their grill about making their beds and putting their dishes in the dishwasher.

And? I have to work. So there’s that.

The Smart Summer Challenge is simple. It’s about giving kids something fun and exciting to do each day. On their own time.

The Smart Summer Challenge is just that: a challenge.

I challenge you to put something fun out on the table for your children to do every, single day.

And here’s what’s awesome: I’ll give you all the blueprints for the entire summer.

Everything you need for each day of the week, Monday through Friday, for 14 weeks.

That’s a loooong time.

Each Wednesday, challenge members will receive detailed resource pages packed with the supplies you’ll need, the printables, and each and every daily activity for your child for the next week.

Here’s the deal:

Each week of the Smart Summer Challenge, you’ll receive:

a detailed description of each day’s activity;
a list of the supplies you’ll need for the week;
the printables and graphics you’ll need;
photos (for most!) to help you better understand;
links to any relevant sites, videos, or slideshows;
a printable for the table for each day so your child knows what to do!

For less than $2 a week, you’ll have an activity to keep your kids busy for 14 weeks. All summer long.

It will be the best summer ever. Do you know why? Because it’s going to be a Smart Summer.

This system of putting an activity out on the table each day works for us because I have three different kids–12, 10, and 9 years old–each with their own personality and plans.

So each one grabs an activity when it works for them–maybe before swim team? maybe after? maybe early in the afternoon? maybe right before bed.

I want this summer to be fun for them. And I want them to have some say in what we do each day.

And though they had their own ideas about what they wanted their summer to look like (see below!), I added, adapted, and think they’ll be pretty happy with what we have planned.

Despite what it may look like, The Smart Summer Challenge allows for so much flexibility in our schedules. They’re short activities that can be done independently (for the most part), so if something fun comes up in our schedule, we drop and go.

That simple.

How to I get the kids to actually sit down and do the activities?

A few ways:

1. Signing a Smart Summer Challenge Family Agreement helps. Really!

2. Use the Weekly Smart Summer Tickets! Kids set goals, keep track of what they’ve done, and you sign off. When they complete what they set out to do, they get a small reward. (If you want to use them–if not, no biggie!)

3. The activities are fun and the kids want to do them;

4. At any given time, on any given day, I have been known to toss a few gems into the gem jars of people who have been spotted doing the activity. Not every day, but some days.

5. Maybe an extra screen time card if they really rock out an activity?

6. I’ll join them. Really. These activities are so fun. I want to do them all.

Kids–I truly believe–like to hang out with their parents. Especially if their parents are kinda cool or funny or at least act like they’re cool or funny. I like to hang out with my kids, so when they sit, if I can, I’ll join them.

What are the ideas and what makes them so fun?

The activities are hands-on. They’re cool. They’re creative and crafty. They’re unusual. They’re familiar. They’re old and they’re new. They’re digital and battery-free. They’re indoors and outdoors.

It’s a mix, and that keeps them going. I provide you with a 14-week calendar. You do with it what you want.

Use all 14 weeks. Or use 12. Or use 10. Use what works for you.

A few things you need to know about the Smart Summer Challenge:

1.The 14-week calendar is free! Everyone gets the calendar. You choose which one will work best for you: 4-7 years or 8-14 years.

2. The challenge is less than $2 / week! If you want to officially join the challenge and grab the Smart Summer Challenge Resource Guide head on over to the teachmama shop.

It’s a steal, really. $24.50 to join one challenge (either 4-7 years or 8-14 years) or $44.50 to join two challenges (maybe you need both because your kids fall into both age ranges).

Each week, you’ll receive the Smart Summer Challenge resource pages packed with the links you’ll need, the printables, and each and every daily activity for your child for the next week.

You’ll receive:

a detailed description of each day’s activity;
a list of the supplies you’ll need for the week;
the printables and graphics you’ll need;
photos (for most!) to help you better understand;
links to any relevant sites, videos, or slideshows;
a printable for the table for each day so your child knows what to do!

3. Give your kids the skinny on the Smart Summer Challenge. Tell them: This summer is totally going to rock. We’re doing a Smart Summer Challenge with tons of kids around the world. That means, each day, you’ll have a fun activity waiting right here on the table for you. All summer long. Not even kidding. You’re that lucky.

4. Start learning, playing, creating, inventing, and thinking alongside your kiddos!

5. And? Share! Share your #SmartSummerChallenge via instagram or twitter to really be a part of the challenge. We will have a few goodies along the way for families who jump in on the fun. So start sharing and start learning.

6. Now. Go ahead and create the summer of your dreams. Well. . .

Wait. What’s holding you back?

My kids. They’re totally not game for anything anymore now that they’re tweens and teens.

Um. I understand. I get it. My kids have days when they just want to hole up and ignore me. And that’s fine. But there are many days when they want fun things to do.

They want an excuse to play with their old faves, to get their hands dirty, to explore and have fun.

And our daily Smart Summer Challenges let them do just that.

Me. I’m busy. I don’t have time for this.

Yes. You. Do. I’ve got every single thing you need right here. Fourteen weeks. Links to resources and everything. Just print out a few things, gather supplies the night before and set it out on your table or a small shelf or somewhere so it’s all there when the kids wake up. They’ll do it when they’re able.

In fact, I’ve so got this covered, that if you officially join the challenge, for less than $2 a week, you’ll have access to every single thing you need for the entire fourteen weeks. Every link. Every printable. Bam.

Okay, well. . . I may just be convinced.

Awesome. We’ll see you there!

Head over to the teach mama shop and join in on a challenge now!

Click below:

please note: Some suggested activities may involve a book, product, or supply that you need to purchase in advance. All supply lists will be sent the Wednesday in advance, and most products will be linked to in Amazon. It is suggested that if you don’t already have an Amazon Prime membership, you grab one now!

fyi: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Forever and always I recommend only products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” For more information, please see teachmama media, llc. disclosure policy.

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backyard painting–with nature

05 | 20 | 2016

Originally published June 16, 2011, I stumbled upon this post today, and it was a good reminder to slow down. No matter your child’s age.

We have been taking a lot of walks lately, just slow walks where we’re looking closely at what’s around us because I feel like we’ve been moving too quickly in the rush of the last weeks of school.

And just like last year, when everyone started to get antsy and bickery and up and down and not too sure of what’s going on because the school schedule’s ending and our summer one’s beginning, it’s been a little bumpy.

To say the least.

We’ve been looking at trees, at leaves, and at everything green around us, trying to breathe a bit. So it was about time we brought in a little paint and paper into the mix.

So to pass time on a cool and sunny June afternoon and to celebrate the green around us, we did a little backyard painting–with nature as our brushes, stamps, and inspiration.

Backyard Painting–With Nature: Maddy came home with HUGE pieces of paper that she ‘saved’ from the recycle bin (oh, boy I hope so. . . ), so she declared that she needed to do something with them.

On a recent walk, Maddy found the most enormous leaf evvvvver!

I said, Hey–I have an idea! Who’s up for a challenge today? Who thinks they can paint without a paintbrush? Let’s walk around our yard and collect everything we can–leaves, sticks, flowers, grass–and use them as our paintbrushes. We’ve been talking about our trees and leaves lately-let’s see what we can do.

Maddy immediately said, I don’t think I’m up for that today, Mom. I really just want to use a brush. I told her that was totally fine but by that time, Owen and Cora had zipped into the yard to find things to paint with.

We left Maddy painting with her brush, and in the end, Owen and Cora had a basket full of leaves, flowers–both alive and dead, dried grass, clovers, sticks, and pieces of bush.

Maddy had visions of trees on her mind, so she got busy with them while Owen, Cora, and I challenged ourselves to use ‘natural’ paintbrushes. It wasn’t as easy as we thought!

Maddy was busy with her pictures of nature. . .

. . . while Cora and Owen used nature to make their masterpieces.

For quite some time, we dipped flowers and leaves into paint to make patterns on our papers, but soon Owen said he was getting too messy. So he decided to create stamps of his leaves.

He painted on the leaf and then pulled it up to see the print that remained. He tried it with large leaves, small leaves, basil, and rosemary.

We painted and printed for awhile, then packed up and headed to the pool for dive practice.

It was a sweet, breezy, almost-summer afternoon.

Owen tries to make prints with tasty rosemary and basil.

Want a few more fun backyard learning ideas?

Check out:

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minute to win it games for kids and family

12 | 28 | 2015

We’re always looking for cool activities to do with our children and our friends, and we’ve seriously found our fave.

Minute To Win It Games are a super-fun thing to do with kids and family.

You can totally adjust these games for whatever age group you have or however many players you have. You can adjust them for how competitive you want to be or how team–or individual–focused you want to be.

And honestly, if you search for Minute to Win It Games, you’ll find about fifty thousand.

We’ve researched, analyzed, and experimented with these games, and out of them all, here are our faves, complete with a few notes to ensure success.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Minute to Win It Games for Kids and Family:

Supplies needed to play the 12 games we played —

Many of the links are affiliate links, meaning if you purchase the item, teachmama.com gets a teeny, tiny percentage of the sale which helps us keep this website and all of its resources free for everyone.

Kix cereal (or another round cereal)
Chopsticks (3 pair)
Pipe cleaners/ chenille craft sticks
Fruit Loop cereal (or another loop cereal)
Pennies (about 300)
Small marshmallows (or jellybeans or chocolate chips)
Small Dixie cups
Plastic straws (about a dozen)
Red solo cups (about 100)
Blue solo cups (10)
Wooden skewers
Large nuts (hardware—about 15-20)
Ping pong balls (about 40)
3 square tissue boxes or sandwich bag boxes, empty with long ribbon (about 36″) around it
Nila wafer cookie
Plastic spoons (10)
Plastic bowls (6)
Marbles (30)
Double-sided tape
Poster board (for keeping score)
funny prizes for winners – maybe plastic crown or tiara?

Prepare for the games

Before you begin, gather all of your supplies and write the Minute to Win It Games you are playing on a poster board. See sample below:

Choose teams

We wrote down each player’s name on a small piece of paper, and before each game, we picked partners for that game. That way, teams were mixed up a bit and teams weren’t stuck. It made it much more fun.

Because we started with ten people and planned to pick partners for each game, we decided to score our games as follows:

winners: each got 5 points
2nd place: 4 points
3rd place: 3 points
4th place: 2 points
5th place: 1 point

It worked out well. We also didn’t get through all twelve games in one night. We moved slowly though each with our main focus: fun.

We cheered, hooted, and hollered.

We took a break for halftime and the kids played for a bit and the parents re-grouped. It takes a lot out of you, setting each game up, playing, and keeping the atmosphere light.

1. Kix Chopstick Race

Players work individually to move as many Kix cereal pieces from a central bowl into their own plastic cups, using only a pair of chopsticks.

Easy? Think again!

2. Cookie Face

Players have a cookie on their foreheads and have one minute to move that cookie from their forehead and into their mouth.

The winner is the player who moves the most cookies from forehead to mouth in one minute’s time!

3. One-Handed Bracelets

One minute to thread as many fruit loops onto a pipe cleaner as possible.

And then–here’s the clincher–the player has to make that pipe cleaner into a bracelet. Using one hand. So funny!

4. Penny Towers

Players have one minute to stack as pennies with one hand as they can. It’s harder than you may think!

The winner is the person who has the highest stack after one minute.

5. Marshmallow Toss

Students partner up and stand across from each other, about 2-4 feet apart.

One person has a handful of marshmallows and the other has a small paper cup. Students have one minute to toss as many marshmallows into the cup as possible.

After one minute, the throwers catch and the catchers throw.

The winning team is the one with the most marshmallows in the cup!

6. Marshmallow Race

Simple. You can play this several ways:

Break the group in half and draw a line in the middle of the table. Each side uses inexpensive plastic straws to try to blow the marshmallows to the other side of the line. The team with the most after one minute wins.
Each person plays individually and has one minute to blow a single marshmallow from one side of the table to the other. The person with the most at the end wins.

Straws and marshmallows, and a clean table–that’s all you need.

7. Stack Attack

Players have 1 minute to completely stack and unstack 36 cups into a pyramid. So fun!

8. Movin’ Blue

Players have 1 minute to move through an entire line of 25 cups moving the blue cup from the top to bottom.

We didn’t do this one–only because we had different brands of blue and red cups–so they didn’t stack properly.

But it seems really fun!

9. Nut Stacker

Thread 5 nuts onto a wooden skewer. With one hand, stack all the nuts on top of each other.

We didn’t have time for this one, either. But could be done with chopsticks, depending on the size of the nuts.

This may be safer if you have little guys playing.

10. Junk in the Trunk

Players have an empty sandwich bag box (or tissue box) tied to their waist with 6 ping pong balls inside. Players move shake and shimmy to get all balls out of the box in under one minute.

This. Is. Hilarious.

11. Balance the Balls

Players move ping pong balls from one shared bowl to another bowl on the opposite side of the room.

The catch: players can only move balls using a spoon that they’re holding in their mouth.

OR, play with just about anything you have on hand!

12. Sticky Balls

Players roll marbles from one side of the table to the other, trying to get as many as possible to stick on double sided tape.

Really, it was so much fun.

Here’s how we did prizes: everyone got one!

Just like we do for our New Year’s Bingo Bonanza, we wrap whatever we have around the house–so some are fun prizes and some are pure funny prizes.

And any complainers lose their prize. It’s all about the fun, right?

Want to print out our Minute To Win It Games and score sheet?

Here you go: teachmama.com _ minute to win it games

teachmama.com _ minute to win it games

Please, if you choose to share this–and we hope you do!–link to this post instead of the attachment page. Thank you!

Want a few more fun ideas to use with your kids and family?

Check these out:

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cool and creative family gifts

12 | 17 | 2015

Sometimes it’s super difficult to find the right gift for your nephew, niece, or brother-in-law, so why not switch things up a bit?

After the donating and giving to others and focusing on the real meaning of the season, why not try something different?

Instead of going for singular, one-gift-per-person-kinda gifts, go for family gifts.

Like gifts where there’s a little something for everyone. Everyone shares. Everyone’s happy.

Here are just a few cool and creative family gift ideas that we’re keeping our eyes on for next year or what we may gently recommend for others.

Cool and Creative Family Gifts (and it’s not too late!):

These are just ideas–just starters–and where you take them depends on what you need, how big of a budget you have, and the family who will be receiving the gift, of course.

Get them out to hang with some animals.

Create a animal-happy bundle.

Invest in a zoo or aquarium membership. We’re huge fans of the Smithsonian National Zoo and have been FONZ (Friends of the National Zoo) for years. The cool thing about our zoo here in DC is that it’s free (yay!). But parking is $20 a pop. Might not seem high, but it adds up. A zoo membership is great for us, but really any membership would rock–so if there’s a nearby aquarium, farm, petting zoo, or animal center, pick up a family membership!
Animal Encyclopedia, by National Geographic: Grab a few animal books to include with the gift!
Find some relevant stuffed animals: Go with a monkey, a sloth, or a giraffe. A shark, an otter, or a fish.

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Get them reading.

Help them build a little at-home book nook.

Small bookshelf: You only need a low one with a few shelves and room for some baskets!
Bean bag chair: Definitely get one that will fit one or two readers who want to cozy up.
Rug: Just big enough to cover the small area of the book nook, friends. We’re not redecorating an entire room!
Reading lamp: We want our kids to be able to see the letters and words on the page, so make sure there’s a lamp in the book nook.
Raising a Rock-Star Reader: You knew I’d include this, didn’t you? I’ve shared and shared my excitement for the release of my book, and I think it’s the perfect addition to any family’s Reading Nook holiday gift.
Books for every family member: If you’re not sure what books interest each member of the family, go for a gift card! You can’t go wrong by letting them choose their own books on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Magazine subscription: Magazine reading counts as reading. So head over to Discount Mags and pick one for each person in the family. (If you head over now, you can score 40% off sitewide with code: SITEWIDE40).

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Get them connected.

Make it a techy bundle–

Acer Chromebook: Less than $200 and it can really take a beating, my kids use theirs every, single day.
HP Envy 5540 Wireless Printer: Less than $80. Super quality printing meets all your family’s needs, and it’s wireless. We have this and I love it so much, I’d marry it if I could. And? . . .
HP Instant Ink: Instant Ink means you’ll never run out of ink. Period. It’s super-affordable (not even kidding!), and when your super-smart printer tells the ink people that you need more ink, it’ll show up at your door. BONUS: Now through December 31st, when you enroll your printer in HP Instant Ink, you will receive six free months of ink! To decide which plan is right for you and to enroll, visit the Instant Ink site stat.
HP Social Media Snapshot Sticky Paper: Print any photo you want straight from your mobile device onto this sweet paper that has a sticky back. Perfect for crafts, throwing into an album, adding to a notebook–you name it.
Blisstime DIY Google Cardboard Virtual Reality 3D Glasses: These are so cool, it’s nuts. You assemble these 3D glasses and then put your phone–your 3-5″ screen phone– and use the Google Cardboard app and seriously GO PLACES. (But not really–it just feels like you are.)

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Get them cooking!

Have them become the Next Food Network Star family. Or something like that.

Cooking or Baking Class from Craftsy: We love these classes–and so will most families. Very comprehensive, easy to follow, and to the point. And with each class, a family’s learning a new skill!
Baking pans: Everyone needs new supplies if they’re going to be baking!
Oven mitts: Go for the extra long ones, friends.
Mixer: Get a big one. It’s an investment and awesome addition to any household. Pick a fun color.
Cookbooks: How about Baking With Kids: Make Breads, Muffins, Cookies, Pies, Pizza Dough and More, by Leah Brooks or The Star Wars Cookbook II, by Frankie Frankeny

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Get them playing games!

Go for a really cool family fun pack of games that will make Family Game Night totally rock.

Bingo: We’ve shared our Bingo love many times. Great for learning numbers and at least a handful of letters!
Math Dice: For a bit of an older crowd, but a great mathy game. For littles, go with Math Dice, Jr.
Apples to Apples: So. Fun. Really a great game for a crowd.
Monopoly Empire: Our hands-down favorite addition to the Monopoly family.
Cranium: A game that touches on our logical, artistic, dramatic, and thoughtful sides. \
Popcorn Popper and popcorn bowls: Who says popcorn is just for the movies? We like popcorn any time–but especially on Family Game Night!

I am so very, very, very excited about these items, and I think you will be, too.

Need a few more great ideas?

Here are our 2015 gift guides:

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Want a few more holiday-inspired gift ideas or activities?

Click on the images below:

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Follow amy mascott @teachmama’s board christmas ideas for kids and family on Pinterest.

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the only black friday deals you need for kids and family

11 | 26 | 2015

Friends.

I’m not sure if you’re a wild and crazy Black Friday shopper or not, but in case you are, happy holidays!

Here are a few biggie sales that I’m taking advantage of and that you could, too, so that you are less stressed, closer to being finished with your gift-buying, and securing some pretty decent deals this holiday.

Just a few.

A few deals that will help you and will help me.

Bam.

Here’s the skinny. . .

The ONLY Black Friday Deals You Need for Kids and Families:

These are the only deals you really need to grab.

So grab them, and then eat all the turkey leftovers your little heart desires.

For kids:

Kiwi Crate, Kiwi Crate Black Friday Offer

LOOK at the deals I just scored:

Little Passports, Little Passports USA Edition: 1 year at $10.95/month

Little Passports, Little Passports World Edition: 1 year at $10.95/month

ISeeMe.com, Buy 3 Save $15 and get FREE SHIPPING! Use Code BUY3

ISeeMe.com, Black Friday Offers – Buy 2 Save $10. Use code BUY2

ISeeMe.com, Black Friday Offers – Buy 1 Save $5. Use code BUY1

The Land of Nod, Nod Chair: Originally $129 Now Only $99

The Land of Nod, Save $56 on The Land of Nod’s High Kids Adjustable Activity Table with Bins and Paper Roller!

The Land of Nod, design for kids and people that used to be kids

For tweens:

Zazzle, Up to 60% off on Zazzle.com – Use Code: ZWEEKOFDEALS

Customize iPhone cases, puzzles, bags, totes, waterbottles, and more.

For you (or me):

Craftsy, Pre-Black Friday Sale: Enjoy Big Savings on Yarn, Fabric & Kits

thread art online quilting class at craftsy.com

Love With Food, Black Friday Sale

‘

Mod Cloth, NEW arrivals at 50% off!

For fun:

Fanatics, Happy Fans-Giving Sale – 25% off plus free shipping on orders over $50

Huge Black Friday Savings at Fanatics.com

Cents of Style, Colored Tights $7.98 – 2 Pack Tights $5.58 & FREE SHIPPING

Do you subscribe to teachmama.com via email or newsletter?

You should! Often we do have fun perks for our subscribers like free printables and goodies.

This month? We’re trying something different: an only-for-teachmama.com-readers curated page full of super-special holiday deals page.

NO joke. Subscribe. Because I love ya. Subscribe to teachmama.com now

Want a few more holiday-inspired gift ideas or activities? Check out:

outdoor adventures for the whole family: Shenandoah Valley

07 | 06 | 2015

My crew is always up for a little adventure, especially when it’s outdoors.

So when Trekaroo invited us to visit and explore the Shenandoah Valley this spring, you better believe I was ready to pack my bags.

But I will be totally honest when I say that my family’s initial reaction was not the same as mine. When I told my husband and kids that we were going to the Shenandoah Valley for a quick weekend trip, they were a bit skeptical:

I mean, how fun can it really be?

We’re not all that into camping, Mom. I don’t wanna camp out there with all those bugs and animals.

How much adventure could there really be in Virginia?

I don’t even know how to say where we’re going, and no one I now has ever gone there. Great.

I am not up for a long drive. We’ve been too busy, and the last thing I want to do is sit in a car for a million hours.

Right.

However, once we got there and saw how beautiful this area was and experienced first-hand the excitement of running through a five acre playground, the exhilaration of zip-lining across a forest, and joy of braving the rapids of the Shenandoah River, they were totally changed.

And I’ve heard them talk about it with their friends more times than I can count.

We’re ready for a return trip, and I’m hoping that our sharing this trip will encourage more of our friends to take time off to explore the Shenandoah Valley and plan something awesome thanks to Trekaroo and the Go Blue Ridge site, the Kids Trail in particular.

The Kids Trail isn’t actually a trail, so keep your hiking boots on, my friends. The Kids Trail is simply one part of the Go Blue Ridge Travel site that’s filled to the brim with cool activity ideas for kids.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Outdoor Adventures for the Whole Family–Shenandoah Valley:

We loved our weekend away for many reasons, but I’ll share with you our top 7 reasons to go.

1. It brings you back to the good, old-fashioned family time.

Sure, we spend a lot of time with our kids. We are together as a family a lot.

But our weekend in the Shenandoah Valley gave us a chance to spend time together in ways that reminded me of the yesteryears.

We picked fruit. At MacIntosh Fruit Farm, the girls and I picked cherries, strawberries, and asparagus. (Well, okay. We found one asparagus stalk and we picked it. Does that count?)

We stuffed our faces with strawberry shortcake and cherry muffins and cherry cheesecake at the Farm, and we loved every second of it.

2. It gets your family moving.

We got up early and didn’t stop moving until our heads hit the pillow. But we chose such a diverse bunch of activities that we were engaged and energized the whole way. Thanks to the GoBlueRidgeTravel Kids Trail, we were very easily able to find a ton of activities for our active, adventure-seeking family.

Because we knew we wanted some outdoor activities, we simply plugged that option in on the Kids Trail site like this:

And tons of ideas came up! Awesome, right?

Our weekend game plan was this:

Friday:

Grab the kids immediately after school, and hit the road!
Check into the hotel. (We stayed at the amazing George Washington Hotel which was so comfortable and luxurious at the same time!)
Relax, order dinner in from George’s (The ribs? To die for!) and swim in the hotel’s indoor pool. (Complete with a jacuzzi–yay!)

Saturday:

Breakfast at George’s. (We dined in this time, and oh my goodness, the Chesapeake Eggs Benedict was our fave!)
Picked cherries and strawberries at MacIntosh Fruit Farm (Their strawberries and cherries were perfect!) then ate there.
Went on a quick hike at Bear’s Den. (So much history and so much fun!)

Played at Great Country Farm. (My kids are still talking about the huge bouncing pillow!)
Ate dinner in Olde Town Winchester. (Super dining options–something for everyone!).
Watched our first drive-in movie at Family Drive-In Theater. (Family-friendly and just like I remembered the drive-ins of my childhood!)

Sunday:

Slept in a bit after our late night!
Packed up and checked out of the hotel.
Headed straight to Harper’s Ferry Adventure Center where we zip lined and rafted! (My kids are already begging for a return trip!)

We were busy! But it was all fun–and we’d do it again in a heartbeat!

3. It challenges you and takes you to new heights.

We never thought we would be a zip-lining family. Ever.

Our guides, Will and Olivia, were the most supportive and patient teachers ever. They taught us everything we needed to know about staying safe while zip-lining, and they kept the experience light and fun. They were the perfect mix of serious and silly, and we were grateful to have them as part of our day.

Take a quick look at our photos from Harper’s Ferry Adventure Center to see how much fun we had:

And? We never imagined that we would be rafting over level three rapids. Ever.

But we did, and we had an incredible time.

We went out on the river with two other groups, after a short but thorough safety intro and how-to. We spent about two hours on the Shenandoah River. It was honestly one of the most exhilarating and memorable experiences ever.

Our guide was SpaceBob (think: SpongeBob and know that apparently river guides have river names), but he was far from spacey. SpaceBob was a true leader and fearless guide.

He instantly grabbed Maddy when she fell off of the raft (not even kidding!), calmed my nutso worried mama nerves, and taught us a bit about the river and its history through the trip. He was funny and great with our kids.

Even with Maddy falling off of the raft, even with two hours of rowing, and even with having spent the morning zip-lining, we left the river smiling and planning our return trip.

4. It’s a great combination of high-end comfort and real adventure.

One thing we loved about our weekend was that we were able to relax in an affordable–but luxurious–hotel after a long day of excitement and adventure.

Our hotel room was huge–it very comfortably slept all five of us, with a king bed, a sofa bed, and a rollaway bed. We had a sitting room with fireplace, teeny kitchen (microwave and mini fridge), and the most fantastic bathroom ever–the spa shower had a rainfall from the ceiling, side sprays, and a regular shower.

Take a quick look at our tour of our room:

5. It’s got options for everyone.

From restaurants to activities to places to stay, there’s something for everyone in the Shenandoah Valley of the Virginias. Even our outdoor adventure day could be catered a bit differently to each family’s needs while still keeping everyone outside and moving!

If your family totally loves hiking, you could spend the day hiking at Bear’s Den.
If your kids love parks and playgrounds, you could easily spend the day at Great County Farms.
If your kids are into adventure, Harper’s Ferry Adventure Center has it all–spend the day there!

6. It involves tons of sneaky learning.

My kids don’t even realize it, but the weekend was a complete learning experience.

The great gal at MacIntosh Fruit Farm taught us what to look for in the cherries we picked and shared with us a bit about her favorite spots in the area–one of which was Bear’s Den, our very next stop!

We learned about the history of Bear’s Den on the signs at this unique hikers’ center.

Bear’s Den is a historic stone mansion that sits on 66 acres and is 150 yards from the Appalachian Trail. Bear’s Den boasts a beautiful, westward-facing overlook of the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains, and it’s a cool spot for families, hikers, and backpackers because it’s a lodge, hiker hostel, campground, and cottage in the woods.

Many hikers use Bear’s Den as a starting point for a hike going north or south on the Appalachian Trail, as a sunset viewed from the overlook at Bear’s Den is said to be the best in the area!

Though the building itself was closed (or seemed to be) when we were there, we kind poked around a bit, read the signs, and enjoyed a short hike near the building.

Cora, from Great Country Farm, talked us through the butterfly life cycle with the help of one of their signs, and we learned about the strawberry life cycle (who knew?!), cows, honey, and more.

The kids played for a long time at the Great Country Farm gem mining area, and even working their way through the play areas, the rope maze especially, got their brains moving!

At the Family Drive-In Theater, the owner, Jim, took us up to the video room and taught us how the drive-in works! He is so easy to talk to, and his excitement about running the drive-in theater is contagious. It’s been his dream to run a drive-in, and now he’s doing it.

Jim hosts all kinds of cool events at the theater, and he really makes it a welcoming community event. They hosted a free-popcorn day for fathers on Father’s Day, a Yard Crawl (huge yard sale) in August, Labor Day Dusk to Dawn movies (movies all night long!), the annual Halloween Costume Contest and Trunk or Treat event, and more.

Even though my crew dozed off (okay, well I dozed off–) before the end of Tomorrowland, the experience was unforgettable!

7. It’s closer than you think.

The Shenandoah Valley of the Virginias is closer to those of us in the DC Metro Area than you may think.

I once thought that our only day trip options were Annapolis, Baltimore, DC, and Northern Virginia. I had no idea that we could get to this area of the Blue Ridges in under two hours.

When we left Harper’s Ferry on Sunday, it took us less than an hour to get home. What a treat!

Remember, no matter where in the world you are, little hidden gems like the Shenandoah Valley are probably nearby.

Do some exploring of your own this summer. Ask around. Find out what areas are close to you that you never thought to explore.

Visit GoBlueRidgeTravel or Trekaroo and type in your zip code. See what’s nearby, and let me know what you find!

We. Had. Such. A. Blast. I’d love for you, too, to have an awesome experience!

Check out our video re-cap:

Or take a look at all of our photos from the weekend:

And now? A chance for you to win your own family getaway!

————————————————————-

GIVEAWAY: Massanutten Getaway: One (1) lucky winner will receive five nights lodging in a two-bedroom condo with four complimentary Indoor/Outdoor WaterPark passes plus a $50 Resort gift card!

Do you want to win a Massanutten Getaway with five nights lodging in a two-bedroom condo with four complimentary Indoor/Outdoor WaterPark passes plus a $50 Resort gift card!??! Yes, yes you do.

——————————-

Please visit this link for more information: Massanutten Getaway Sweepstakes

Restrictions: * The prizes are non-transferable * Reservations are based on availability * No cash value * Prize certificate will expire one year from issuance date

Rules and Guidelines: * No purchase necessary * One raffle winner will be selected * Winner will be selected randomly and your chances of winning are based on the number of entry points you acquired against the total number of entries for this giveaway. * 18 years of age and older * US and Canada residents only, excluding residents of the Provence of Quebec. * Winner will be notified via the email provided and must respond to the notification to confirm their prize within the time specified in the email. (Usually 3 days). * After the winner has been confirmed, the winner will be announced on this blog post.

Prize Value: $1682.00

Entry Period: July 6, 2015 at 12:01 AM PST to July 19, 2015 at 11:59 PM PST.

By entering this giveaway, you are demonstrating your understanding of and compliance with the Official Sweepstakes Rules.

——————————-

fyi: I was invited to take my family to the Shenandoah Valley as part of a Trekaroo campaign with GoBlueRidge. I was compensated for my time, and our experiences were covered by the above partners. As always, my opinions and ideas are all my own, influenced only by my experience as an educator and parent and my three little adventure-seekers.

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summer fun for kids: week 3 #tabletopsurprises

07 | 04 | 2015

We have had one wild week here, friends.

Our Owen headed to his Nanny and Pap’s for baseball camp, and our Maddy and Cora were stuck here with me and were pretty darn sick.

Luckily, our girls are on the mend (finally!), and Owen is back here with us in Maryland, now determined to land himself on a baseball team. (Not sure how that’s going to happen, but you never know. . .)

Needless to say, he had a blast at camp–we knew he would!–and we managed to have some fun here, too, while he was away, though we missed him terribly.

The kids and I just wrapped up week three of tabletop surprises. This week, we made a few changes to our 2015 calendar to accommodate for our sickies and the July 4th holiday.

It’s all good. It really doesn’t matter what you do each day as long as you’re consistently putting some cool things out for the kids. Really.

No one knows whether you’re following our freebie 10-week tabletop surprise calendar but you. So be sure to make this work for your kids!

Here’s the skinny. . .

Summer Fun– Week 3 Tabletop Surprises:

Monday:

Today’s #tabletopsurprises –> fish, beans, and apple challenges. So fun. #summerfun #ontheblog #freeprintables #math #puzzles #games #unplugged

A photo posted by amy mascott (@teachmama1) on Jun 29, 2015 at 6:43am PDT

Tuesday:

Today’s #tabletopsurprises –> fish, beans, and apple challenges. So fun. #summerfun #ontheblog #freeprintables #math #puzzles #games #unplugged

A photo posted by amy mascott (@teachmama1) on Jun 29, 2015 at 6:43am PDT

Wednesday:

Today’s #tabletopsurprises –> fish, beans, and apple challenges. So fun. #summerfun #ontheblog #freeprintables #math #puzzles #games #unplugged

A photo posted by amy mascott (@teachmama1) on Jun 29, 2015 at 6:43am PDT

Thursday:

Today’s #tabletopsurprises –> fish, beans, and apple challenges. So fun. #summerfun #ontheblog #freeprintables #math #puzzles #games #unplugged

A photo posted by amy mascott (@teachmama1) on Jun 29, 2015 at 6:43am PDT

Friday:

Today’s #tabletopsurprises –> fish, beans, and apple challenges. So fun. #summerfun #ontheblog #freeprintables #math #puzzles #games #unplugged

A photo posted by amy mascott (@teachmama1) on Jun 29, 2015 at 6:43am PDT

What did you do that really rocked this week? We’d love to hear it!

______________________

Join us!

Check out our summertime fun posts:

Find something fun to do this summer by following our summertime fun board:

Follow amy mascott @teachmama’s board summer fun & cool for kids on Pinterest.

Share it!

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get kids to play outside: 4 tips for summertime playground fun

06 | 30 | 2015

Sometimes, getting kids to play outside is no easy feat, especially in the summer.

Because here in the DC Metro area, it’s hot.

It’s hot. Hot.

It’s muggy.

It’s oppressive.

When the sun’s beating down, the heat’s suffocating, and the last thing my kids want to do is go and play outside.

But last week, two friends and I got our big kids and little kids outside, playing, and having fun. Old-school style.

Free-bird, playing outdoors in the summertime.

We had some serious playground fun thanks to our friends at Clif Kids, and you can too. Get your kids to play outside, enjoying some summertime playground fun with these four tips.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Get Kids to Play Outside–Summertime Playground Fun:

These days, it can be hard to get kids engaged in screen-free activities where their bodies are moving and where they’re using their imaginations and getting their creative ideas flowing.

However, it doesn’t take much to get kids to play outside. These four things may help:

1. Friends

Invite a few friends to join you! Send an email, a text, or make a quick call. If you have more than one child, reach out to 2-3 friends each.

Just a quickie invite will do:

Hey friend! Our family is planning on packing some drinks and snacks and will be heading to [insert park and location] on [date and time].

We’d love for you to join us for some old-fashioned outdoor fun! If your child needs a ride, I’m happy to pick her up!

Let me know if you think this will work. We’d love to see you!

2. Food

Food always makes an event, right? At least in our family it does.

Park playdate snacks don’t have to be elaborate or fancy. Really.

This is all you need:

a cooler with some ice and some small water bottles;
fresh fruit (oranges cut in quarters or grapes are super easy!);
snack bars like Clif Kid bars or Clif Kid Fruit bars or Clif Kid Fruit & Veggie bars;
baby carrots and dip.

3. A Few Simple Toys

Kids don’t need much, but if you’re having a hard time getting them out the door to play, then maybe some toys will help to kick-start the fun.

Go to the dollar store. Go to the thrift shop. Visit yard sales.

Don’t spend a fortune.

But consider grabbing things like:

bubbles (kids of all ages love bubbles!);
sidewalk chalk;
hula hoops;
kickball or tiny bouncy balls;
tennis balls;
velcro paddle ball set.

Set the toys out and let the kids at ’em!

4. Fun, New Surroundings

You guys, there are so many parks, playgrounds and nature centers around that we don’t even know about. All it takes is a little bit of research, and I’m betting you’ll find a fun, new park to explore.

Send a note to a local moms club, a church, girl scouts or boy scouts, library, or preschool if you aren’t sure about it, and I’m betting they’ll have a list for you.

And if there’s nothing around, even a pal’s backyard can be a fun place to play and explore.

Really. Give it a go!

Check out some cool ideas for getting kids outdoors, thanks to our friends at CLIF Kid!

Many of us have heard of CLIF Bars, but did you know that CLIF makes a line of healthy snacks for kids? I didn’t, either.

But they do. CLIF Kid makes nutritious snacks for kids’ growing bodies with no high fructose corn syrup, synthetic preservatives or artificial flavors. The snacks are really, really good.

And CLIF is all about getting kids outside and playing–moving their bodies, having fun, and exploring.

And to do that, they’ve created some awesome resources for parents:

CLIF Kid Play Hub: a site designed to inspire outdoor experiences that will encourage kids (and parents!) to get outside and be kids;
It’s got a cool Nature Scavenger Hunt printable to download and use as inspiration;
Research and articles about the importance of play;
Recipe ideas and the best snacks to keep your kids energized and healthy.

Our Summertime Spraypark Playdate got us all outdoors and unplugged here in the DC Metro area.

Last week, my pals Jessica McFadden of A Parent in Silver Spring and A Parent in America, Stacey Ferguson of Life is the Party and the Blogalicious Conference, and I gathered a bunch of our friends together for some good, old-fashioned outdoor fun.

We simply sent out an evite to our neighborhood pals, pool pals, school pals, and work pals and invited everyone to join us for an afternoon at the Spraypark in Silver Spring. It was an absolute blast.

It was just a quick get-together where our kids were able to play freely, splash in the water, and enjoy some healthy snacks thanks to our friends at CLIF Kids.

Check out our photos:

Huge thanks to our friends at CLIF Kids for providing the snacks. Not a single thing was left–the kids and parents loved them, and for two straight hours, all our kids did was play.

It was awesome.

How will you get your kids outdoors, moving, and refueling in a healthy way this summer? I’d love to hear it!

Share your ideas below, or continue the conversation with others by following the hashtag: #outtoplay

Check out CLIF Kids on whichever social media platform suits your fancy: facebook | twitter | YouTube | instagram

fyi: This post was written as a partnership between CLIF Kid and One2One Network. As always, my opinions are all my own, influenced only by my experience as a parent and educator and by my three little splash park splashers.

kids make their own commercials: creative, techy fun

06 | 23 | 2015

As part of our tabletop surprises last week, my kids became movie-makers.

Though it really didn’t start out that way at all.

The little tabletop surprise note challenged them to create commercials for a product. That was it.

But what they did with it was a whole other ballgame.

It was a good reminder for me that kids really, truly need free time to explore and play on their own, no matter the platform.

I didn’t step-by-step teach them how to use these movie-making platforms; rather, I gave them the tools and let them figure it out.

Seriously.

And really, the tools they used are pretty intuitive, but still. I was impressed.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Kids Make Their Own Commercials–Creative, Techy Fun:

So the note on the table read:

lights, camera, ACTION!

Make a commercial for any product you want!

Use: iPad (Videolicious or iMovie) or Chromebook (WeVideo)

Showing at 4pm TODAY

I set out a number of products around the table as inspiration: the Wet Brush, TinkerCrates, DoodleCrates, RushHour, AllQueens Chess, SoCozy products, Altoids, you name it.

I just wanted them to have ideas. Starting points.

Then when they were ready, I showed them the tools they could use.

I showed them iMovie, Videolicious, and WeVideo. I knew that Maddy had used WeVideo before at school and liked it, so I figured she’d go that route. She didn’t. She wanted to try iMovie.

Before I knew it, the kids were moving. They were choosing products, working together, disappearing for a few minutes and then reappearing in different costumes and clothes. It was a riot.

And yes, they had questions as they went, but we figured things out together.

I used iMovie to make my videos, but it’s a different animal on the iPad.

So there was a whole lot of on-the-spot learning from my end, too. I didn’t realize how easy it was to create movies on the iPad. It doesn’t really have to be a huge event–I should be able to whip up videos in no time flat, thanks to Apple’s templates and creations. Awesome.

So what began as a challenge to create commercials morphed into movie and video card making.

Owen went right upstairs and got to work on the iPad mini.

Cora grabbed the iPad and went nose to screen.

Maddy was finishing something else and then got stuck with the super-old tablet, got frustrated, and decided to come back to it. I’m not sure why she didn’t use the Chromebook and WeVideo because I know she used it in school. Hmmmmm.

With permission, I’m sharing their finished creations:

Cora’s commercial:

Then, Cora said she wanted to make another movie, so I suggested she make a teachmama.com trailer. She did, and it’s awesome!

I mean. . .I’d subscribe! (wink!)

Owen went for the scary edge.

Be forewarned: if your little ones are looking over your shoulder, watch this one another time. He puts on his scary Halloween costume and gets a little creepy:

Cora went wild. She then made a Father’s Day movie for her dad, and she started on another family movie. She really liked the ease of the iMovie templates, but she said she was ready to make her own movies without templates. We’ll see how they go. I’m thrilled!

Owen was good with his one scary movie.

Maddy started creating a spy movie, complete with costumes, memorized lines, and scenery changes, but she didn’t finish. I’m hoping she does so soon!

Really, the coolest thing about this activity was that the kids learned on their own.

They tried, they re-tried, and they tried some more. It was awesome. And they were really proud of their final products.

And so was I.

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