family time Archives

use family photos to develop oral language skills: reading tip 12 #raiseareader

04 | 25 | 2016

Friends, one of the tips that Allie McDonald and I share when speaking or presenting that usually yields the most nods of approval is what I’m sharing here, via video, with you today.

It may seem super-simple to you, but this tip is M-O-N-E-Y.

It really is.

Totally worth your time for so many reasons.

So go ahead. Skim the post quickly, click ‘play’ on the video below, and you’ll be in the ‘know’ too.

And the cool thing is that the only thing you’ll need is the one object you most likely never leave home without!

Check it out:

Like this video? Check out the whole #RaiseAReader playlist and definitely subscribe to our channel!

What do you think? Is it something you can see yourself doing with your kids this week? Do tell!

Want a few more early literacy-focused activities? Check out:

backyard alphabet hunt
homemade alphabet book
leafy letter learning
ABC hunt
on the road ABC hunt
lowercase ABC hunt
build your own bingo: uppercase and lowercase match
ABC cards and clothespin match
alphabet letter splash
alphabingo (play with lowercase letters)
alphabet letter lids
leafy outdoor alphabet hunt
build your own board game
clothespin letter match
10 fun ways to learn the alphabet

What burning questions do you have about reading or literacy? I’d love to hear them so that I can (hopefully!) address the topic during one of the videos.

Just leave it below, and I’ll do what I can to cover it. Looking forward to this!

Follow along wherever works best for you, my friends, with the hashtag #RaiseAReader —

follow daily on YouTube;
follow daily on Snapchat;
follow daily on Facebook;
follow daily on Twitter;
follow daily on Instagram.

Cheers, and happy reading during this incredibly exciting journey!

stress-free dinner prep and planning: the happy family solution — Gatheredtable

01 | 23 | 2016

When I was asked to check out Gatheredtable and then share it with my readers (if I liked it!), I was hesitant.

It sounded too good to be true.

Stress-free dinner prep?
Meal planning that won’t make me lose my mind?
Food that will keep everyone happy?
New recipes catered to our family’s needs and preferences?
Time-saving so that I can spend what few minutes I have cooking and not recipe searching or shopping?
Homemade foods that will keep everyone healthy and strong?
Money-saving on top of it all?

I honestly needed to see it, to try it–to live it–in order to believe it.

But you guys.

It’s crazy how awesome Gatheredtable is, and I cannot wait to tell you about it.

It’s stress-free dinner prep. It’s stress-free planning. It’s the perfect combination for a happy family. Really.

I feel like I’ve waited my whole life for Gatheredtable. It combines the best of all of my favorite food-related sites in one, simple and logical platform.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Stress-Free Dinner Prep and Planning — The Happy Family Solution — Gatheredtable:

Essentially, Gatheredtable helps families get into the routine of home cooking.

It is a busy-family’s answer to finding time to prepare–and eat–home-cooked meals together.

Here’s how it works:

Sign up for a free account at Gatheredtable.com;
Update your profile and choose your menu preferences and cooking days;
Check out the recipe suggestions Gatheredtable sends you and add your own;
Populate your shopping list and head to the store OR have the groceries delivered to you via Peapod;
Cook, eat, and enjoy time together as a family!

Watch a super-quick video of Gatheredtable:

Cool, right? Almost seems too good to be true? That’s what I thought.

Gatheredtable is stress-free dinner prep that really is easy to use.

Intrigued? I was, too.

Check out a little bit more about Gatheredtable:

Confession: We have a tendency to get into the taco rut. We also get into the slow cooker chicken rut. And the spaghetti rut.

Often, I’m running into the grocery store in between drop-off and pick-up, and I have no recipes with me–all I know is that we need food.

So I grab what I always grab–or I grab what’s on sale–and I zip onto the next thing.

We have only been using Gatheredtable now for the last three weeks, but we’ve tried several new recipes that our family has loved.

The recipes we chose were quick, easy, and absolutely delicious.

The Hungarian Beef Stew was so amazing that by the time I got home to have some, it was nearly gone!

Thursdays are our super busy days; we’re running non-stop after school until later than I’d care to admit. It’s just the way things worked out this winter, and thankfully it’s only one really crazy day.

Usually, though, it’s a grab and go kinda night. We usually do something quick, and it’s usually (cough) frozen or (double cough–) fast foodish. Gross, I know.

This week, thanks to Gatheredtable, I threw something new and interesting into the crockpot around noon, and it was ready–and devoured–for family members as they were home to eat.

And this week, we’ve had more snow than I can even remember. Thankfully, our power stayed on through the 36-hour blizzard and through 30+ inches of snow. And thankfully, my Gatheredtable recipe list reminded me earlier in the week to pick up all the ingredients I needed for a few other recipes as well.

The Slow Cooker Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna was so good–and so packed with spinach–that each of my kids reached for seconds and thirds last night. Really and truly, I believe it was because the dish was delicious and not that they were starving from playing in the snow for five hours.

Gatheredtable makes planning meals so easy.

You’re not stuck with recipes that you won’t like. You can pull recipes from just about anywhere you want–other sites, your favorite chefs, or you can input your own.

The Recipe Clipper bookmark makes saving your recipes from around the web incredibly easy.

Your monthly planner is super-easy to edit and customize. . .

. . . whether you are on your desktop or your mobile device.

meal planning is easy gatheredtable teachmama.com

And recipes are easy to find and actually make.

The Featured Collections break down recipes into manageable categories.

The Gatheredtable Community breaks down recipes into users’ own recipes.

I found it really cool to do a little searching to see which cooks had recipes that interested me or that looked tasty.

And you can add recipes manually, by cutting/ pasting, or by using the bookmark I mentioned above.

The benefit of adding your own favorite recipes is that then, when you put them on your planner, the ingredients will automatically be added to that week’s shopping list.

How cool is that??

Your grocery list is created and updates on both the desktop site and mobile site any time you make changes.

You can print the list, update your pantry or replenishables, or print or email the list.

And if you live in a participating area, Peapod can even deliver your groceries.

Dream. Come. True.

Friends, just so you know– there is a downside.

And here it is: Gatheredtable is not free.

But in this case, your money is well worth what you will receive in time saved, in money saved, and in time spent with your family–enjoying healthy, home-cooked meals together.

And we have a super deal for teachmama.com readers.

The good folks from Gatheredtable are offering a 40% discount on annual subscriptions to all customers who sign up via this post–that’s $72/year. The promo code to receive this discount will be automatically attached to users’ account when the click on any of the links in this post.

So? What are you waiting for? Visit Gatheredtable and sign up now. Give it a go!

I was given a 30 day free trial for the purposes of writing this post, but I will definitely pay for the year after that. I think it’s worth it.

A few Gatheredtable fun facts:

The Gatheredtable platform is so easy to use that your kids would probably love to be involved! Teach them how to use it, and then you can plan meals together. You may be surprised at how much your kids love making meals with you.
1% of Gatheredtable profits go to The Edible Schoolyard Project, a national non-profit organization founded by Alice Waters in Berkeley, CA. The mission of the ESYP is to develop and share edible education curricula with schools across the country
The Gatheredtable #homemade14 challenge asks people to share a picture of their homemade meal every day on social media. Customers who successfully complete the challenge (and post about it every day) will be entered to win their choice of a Gatheredtable Starter or Pro kit of kitchen tools. (In order to be entered to win, readers must use #homemade14 and #gatheredtable in at least one meal-related post/photo each day for 14 days starting anytime between January 4th and February 1. Posts must be on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.)

Follow Gatheredtable on social with the hashtag #mynewdinnerroutine, and you’ll get a sense of the fab recipes and community: Follow on Facebook | Follow on Twitter | Follow on Instagram

What do you think, friends? Think it’s something worth checking out? What questions do you have? I’d love to help!

fyi: This post was written as part of a partnership with Gatheredtable. All opinions are my own, influenced only by my experience as a parent and educator and by my three little up-and-coming chefs.

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family volunteering on martin luther king, jr day

01 | 17 | 2016

Last year was the very first year we volunteered as a family to honor Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.

But it will not be the last.

Already, we’re looking for other ways we can give back to our community this year to celebrate the life of this great man.

Family volunteering on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is easy, thanks to a handful of really awesome organizations designed to make finding volunteer opportunities the easy part.

Not even kidding.

It takes five minutes to find a great option for your family and then register right there and then. And registering means only that you’re letting someone know you’ll be there.

No fees involved.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Family Volunteering on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day:

Friends. You will be so happy to see these resources and how organized and awesome they are.

Is one better than the next? You decide.

They’re all actually like brother and sister and cousins, so find what works for you!

Here are several starting points for family volunteering:

Points of Light | The world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service – mobilizes millions of people to take action and change the world.

Points of Light is like the starting point. The Big Daddy. The homebase. The command center.

Everything you need is there, and the organizations below (many of them) can be found there.

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All for Good | All for Good is a hub for volunteerism and community service on the Internet, and a service of Points of Light.

We found our volunteer activity here last year, and we’ll use it again this year.

It’s super simple to use, and you can search by area of interest (think: adult education, animals, culture, environment, schools, sports & rec, technology, seniors, etc.).

You can search by National Service Events, and you can search by dates. Most importantly, you can search

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HandsOn Network | They inspire, equip and mobilize people to take action that changes the world.

HandsOn Network puts people at the center of change and connects them to their power to make a difference by adhering to these values:

People drive change
Passion overcomes obstacles
Service bridges and bonds
Innovation drives results
Servant leadership transforms

The cool thing about this platform is that you can really share your awesome with others, too. You can share your skills in different ways, at any time of the year.

You can join an HandsOn Action Center and help where it is most needed.

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Host a Sunday Supper | America’s Sunday Supper is a key program of Points of Light.

Inspired by Dr. King’s vision of people of diverse backgrounds interacting on personal levels, America’s Sunday Supper encourages people to share a meal and discuss issues that affect their communities, to increase racial and cultural understanding and to promote unity.

I love it.

Will we do it? I’m not sure we’ll do it this year, but I want to.

Points of Light provides resources like talking points–conversation starters–and tons of recipes.

The goal? Inspire each of your guests to host their own Sunday Supper. I mean, what better way to have these important conversations?

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GenerationOn | Their mission is to inspire, equip, and mobilize youth to take action that changes the world and themselves through service.

I am so excited to share about this site. So excited I found it!

Really, allowing your kids to check out the GenerationOn site may be a super way to get them inspired for volunteering.

They’ve got videos of teens and tweens and elementary schoolers talking about why they volunteer.

They’ve got a site that is uber user-friendly.

They’ve got tons of important causes clearly outlined.

They’ve got tons of project ideas.

They’ve got a boatload of really worthwhile resources.

And I’m betting that for many kids, this will be all they need to really get psyched to make a difference–make their mark–on the world.

—————————————————–

And that’s it for this year! Hopefully this will get you excited about volunteering for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day–or any day of the year.

What do you to celebrate this day? I’d love to know!

Have you used these platforms before? What was your experience?

Want a little more for MLK, Jr, Day? Check out:

fyi: affiliate links are used below:

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.

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. Yay!

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.

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. This small percentage of money helps offset the costs of hosting this blog, which helps me keep this content free for you. 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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the must-send email to teachers before holiday break

12 | 15 | 2015

Friends.

I know we’re all thinking about gifts and gatherings and getting our families ready, but there’s something everyone should do before holiday break.

You need to touch base with your children’s teachers.

Because there’s no better time than now to really know how your child is doing, what your child is doing, and how you–as a parent–can best support him or her.

Not sure what to do? What to say? Well read on for everything you need.

Here’s the skinny. . .

The Must-Send Email to Teachers Before Holiday Break:

I try to touch base with Maddy, Owen, and Cora’s teachers at least three or four times a year–at the beginning of the school year, before winter break, in March, and again in June.

As a former teacher myself, knowing that a student’s parent is ready and eager to take an active role in his or her child’s education is not even a little bit of a pain. It’s helpful. Encouraging. And awesome.

Believe me, my emails to these busy teachers are not long. They’re quick and to the point.

Here are some samples:

Use these sample letters as you see fit. Adjust them any way you need, but err on the side of brevity. Keep things short, sweet, and to the point for your busy teachers. We send these via email because it seems to be easiest.

If something goes well, tell him or her! And as an added bonus, cc the principal or supervisor—everyone appreciates a pat on the back now and again!

Do remember, though, always to address the teacher as “Mr. [last name]” or “Ms. [last name]”.

You are not the teacher’s friend, and even if you are, in the school building you should refer to him or her more formally than you would otherwise.

Beginning of the year:

Hi, [teacher name]–

I just wanted to take a minute to say ‘hello’ and to let you know that if ever you have a question, concern, or idea about how we can best support our daughter/son [name]’s learning, that you can reach either my spouse or me via email (both emails are above) or phone [insert number] my cell/ home. Really, we can be available at any time to meet or chat with you.

[Child name] is our first child at [school name], and we all are super excited for this chapter! OR:

[Child name] spent a lot of time [insert activity] this summer, so he/she is particularly excited to start reading/ learning new math skills/ trying new things. OR:

We do want you to know that [child name] tends to work best when he/she has models, sits in the front of the class/ knows the schedule/ etc.

Many thanks for all you do, and we look forward to a successful school year!

[your names]

Mid year:

Hi, [teacher name]

We just wanted to touch base with you to see if you had noticed any cause for concern regarding our son/ daughter, [child name], and his/her progress in your class.

Knowing how important it is for a strong home-school partnership, we wanted to reach out to each one of [child name]’s teachers to make sure he/she is meeting with academic success in your class, is staying organized, and is acting with respect toward you and her classmates.

Thanks for any feedback you may have, and have a super day!

[your names]

Hi, [teacher name]!

We hope you are doing well. As the [winter/spring] break from school approaches, we wanted to reach out about our son/daughter, [name].

Though we know it’s important to have a well-deserved break from the everyday grind of school, we do want to maintain some consistency for [name] and make sure we include some literacy, math, or science activities over break.

Can you please recommend a book that you think our child might enjoy, a new math or reading website, or some other resources we can explore to bring the learning home next week?

Many thanks for all you do!

[your names]

End of the year:

Hi, [teacher name]!

We just wanted to touch base with you as the school year winds down, to see if you had any suggestions or ideas for things we should work on with [child name] over the summer. Anything you think would help him/her academically, socially, emotionally—anything!—to prepare for grade [next year’s grade], we’d love to hear it.

We also want to sincerely THANK YOU for an amazing year. [child name] absolutely adores and respects you, has truly enjoyed class, and has learned so much this year. We are so grateful for all you do for your students and their families.

Many, many thanks for all you do, [teacher name]. Both your dedication to your students and your gift for teaching are truly appreciated!

[your names]

And that’s it. Really.

You may be surprised at how much information you receive. Friends, teacher want to communicate with you!

Do you want these sample letters as a quickie printout? Here you are:teacher letters

Please, if you choose to share this post–and we hope you do!–consider linking to this blog post instead of the free printable. Many thanks!

Let us know what you think–are these the things you’d say to your child’s teachers? I’d love to hear it!

Check out a few other posts that may help you develop strong and healthy habits for your family:

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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advent activity calendar for kids and family: 2015

11 | 29 | 2015

We do this every advent season.

And the kids love it.

I actually contemplated switching things this year–finding another advent activity calendar that would get our family into the holiday spirit, but I decided against it.

Because in this quickly-changing world, sometimes I think it’s nice to keep things consistent.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Advent Activity Calendar for Kids and Family–2015:

I print out a copy of the calendar to keep on hand for myself, and then I cut each of the squares out of the calendar and place them in our felt Christmas tree–something I picked up at the store years ago but something that you can find just about anywhere.

(Check the bottom of the post for some ideas!)

You could make your own or do what several of my friends have done. They’ve cut apart the squares of each calendar day and

put each square in a numbered envelope that their children decorate;
wrapped each in a tiny box that kiddos can unwrap each day;
hidden the square under a place mat at breakfast;
taped the square on the bathroom mirror;
used the chocolate Advent calendar and stuck the squares in each of the windows so kids get chocolate and an activity.

Either way, here’s the calendar to download either as we have it here, or feel free to adjust as you see fit:

Advent Activity Calendar, download as a pdf here: advent activity calendar 2015

Advent Activity Calendar, download as a word doc here: advent activity calendar 2015

Please, if you choose to share, link to this post instead of the calendar attachment! Thank you!

Need a few more great holiday 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.

5 cool handmade gifts that tweens love to make

11 | 12 | 2015

Let’s face it: we’re all busy–even our kids.

As they get older, they’re juggling homework, activities, sports, lessons, chores (ahem. . . ), and friends, so when our kids carve out the time to create a handmade gift, it really means a lot.

Believe it or not, friends, now is an ideal time to start thinking about the holidays. So we’ve got some cool handmade gifts that tweens will love to make. Really.

Huge thanks to my friends at Klutz who just keep designing these cool books that tweens truly adore. Clear directions, illustrations, and examples will make it so easy for kids to learn these crafts.

And that means our kids will keep their hands busy gift-making while they watch Descendants for the millionth time.

We also have a fun way for you to get your hands on some of these books as well, because I don’t just want you to read about them–I want you to have them!

Here’s the skinny. . .

5 Cool Handmade Gifts That Tweens Will Love to Make:

Create Pop Collage Bookmarks!

These little fun and fab bookmarks take no time at all to create, but they take time to dry because of the Pop Collage glaze you put over top.

You can pretty much Pop Collage anything, but making bookmarks as little gifts is a fun and inexpensive way to make something really useful for a friend or loved one.

My kids have always loved small things, so these Pop Collage Bookmarks bring the fun of Pop Collage to a smaller scale.

And bookmarks encourage more reading, right? It’s a win.

If you want to download the bookmark template, you can do that right here: blank bookmarks teachmama.com

For gift-giving, consider:

name bookmarks for cousins;
photo bookmarks for friends;
bright bookmarks for older friends;
a set of holiday-themed bookmarks;
book-inspired bookmarks along with the book that matches!

Try some Finger Knitting!

Finger Knitting is so fun–and a lot easier than it seems!

Maddy. Loves. Finger. Knitting.

And the things she has created in no time flat are amazing.

The Finger Knitting book comes with enough yarn to create over a dozen projects, but the cool thing is that kids will really take this where they want to go, on their own.

Maddy made an amazing fringe necklace in one afternoon, just by knitting two long pieces, about 18″ each.

She wove them together, and then she added a fun fringe.

She also made a beautiful flower that adds a totally fun flare to just about anything. She can use it as an add-on to her backpack, to brighten up a black carry-on, or as a bracelet or pin.

So fun and so pretty.

But best of all? It’s a one-of-a-kind piece!

For gift-giving, consider finger knitting:

scarves;
boot toppers;
hats;
flower barrettes or pins.

The possibilities are endless!

Make Mini Pom-Pom Pets!

Not even kidding, Mini Pom-Pom Pets are totally addicting to make.

And they’re easy. And these are super for tweens to make for their friends or little cousins. They can create whole Pom-Pom Pet families, put them in a tiny bag, and cousins will love them.

We made tons of these little fuzzy pets this summer during a crafty playdate with friends, and each little animal was cuter than the next.

The girls made mice, ducks, chicks, and a fox.

They made bunnies and kittens.

Frogs and fish, bears and some we weren’t really sure of.

For gift-giving, consider:

a little animal family–cats or dogs are easy!
tiny monsters with googly eyes;
creating pets for dolls;
making a mini-farm or zoo;
making animals to accompany a book!

Make some Personalized Friendship Bracelets!

These Personalized Friendship Bracelets take a little more time to create, but they are beautiful.

And once kids get the hang of it, they’ll be able to pound these out in the span of one afternoon ‘hangout’ (because tweens don’t have playdates anymore–they ‘hangout’).

The Personalized Friendship Bracelet book shows you in clear, simple steps how to add letters, shapes, and a whole lot of awesome into those knotted bracelets we all used to make when we were younger.

I know that we topped out at the simple back-and-forth stripes; this book gives you directions on how to make letters, shapes, emogees, you name it. It’s all about bringing something simple up to a whole new level.

I’m 100% sure that once moms see this book, they’ll want to get in on the fun, too. And before you know it, they’ll be Personalized Friendship Bracelet-Makers, too.

For gift-giving, consider:

name bracelets for cousins;
initials for friends;
hashtag bracelets;
favorite team or school colors!

Coffee Coasters (made with Potholders And Other Loopy Projects book)

Cora had a blast making these–what we called Coffee Coasters–and she’s really just beginning her loopy bonanza.

I remember making potholders when I was young, and these feel the same way I remember them.

But this Klutz book is so packed with cool and creative new ways to use loopy projects, it’s awesome.

For gift-giving, consider:

a set of coasters for grandparents;
school colors for teachers;
sewing coasters together to make hotplates;
tic-tac-toe boards!

Seriously–How cool are these books from Klutz?

Now. . .

You want to know how you can get your hands on some of these awesome sets? Sure you do!

Join us for a twitter event on Tuesday, November 17 from 8:30-9:30 pm ET.

Click on the image above for the details, or click here: bit.ly/KlutzHandmade

We will be giving out big prizes, and all you have to do is join us and rsvp so you’re eligible for prizes.

We’ll cover a ton of fun topics to get you ready for the holiday season.

See you then!

Want to check out a few other crafty crafts from our friends at Klutz?

fyi: I’m so thrilled to be working with Klutz this year. It’s been a blast, and it keeps getting better. This post was written as part of our partnership, and as always, my opinions are all my own, influenced only by my experience as a parent and educator and (gasp!) my own three tweens.

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great wolf lodge: learning and loving family time

10 | 27 | 2015

For years and years and years and years now, my kids have asked to go to Great Wolf Lodge.

Really.

And for whatever reason, we never made the time.

Not that we’ve been sitting around here, twiddling our thumbs or anything. We’ve got a pretty packed schedule.

But we never set aside the time to find a date that worked, find a package that worked, or find families with whom we could coordinate our travels.

This fall, however, we were invited to visit Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, VA, and though we just snuck away for one night, it was so worth our time.

I am not going to dwell on the past and wish we would have visited before we did; instead, I’m going to be honest when I say that our 11, 10, and 8 year old enjoyed it so very much that we are 100% planning a return trip again soon.

The learning that happens there is rockstar. And the family time is really priceless.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Great Wolf Lodge–Learning and Loving Family Time:

I’ll be honest when I say that our trip to Great Wolf Lodge didn’t exactly come at a great time; Maddy fractured her wrist just days before our trip. (Boo.)

And we’re a water-loving family. The slides, lazy river, wave pool–all of it–were highlights for my kids before we even left.

The great thing is that we made it work.

And there are about 50 million other things to do for kids broken arm or not. Tons of cool ways to sneak in some learning in the name of fun.

Here are just a few:

Great Clock Tower Show: Ours was a Halloween-themed experience, complete with decorations, characters, and more. The cool thing is that any time of the year, there’s a different theme. Super fun!

MagiQuest: This? I wish we would have set aside more time for this, and I secretly wish that we would have invested in a wand for Maddy and Cora. Only Owen bought a wand–with his birthday money–for this adventure. It took us just a tiny bit of time to get the hang of it, but after we did, Owen and Maddy were totally hooked. We did this on our second morning (our last day) while Cora and my husband went back to the water park. There’s a lot of reading, strategizing, and planning with this game, and there are so many ‘quests’ that it honestly could have taken us the whole weekend to complete. The great thing is that next time we return, we’ll bring the wand and pick up where we left off! (There is a cost for this.)

Ten Paw Bowling: The kids loved this–it’s a kid-sized bowling, and it’s really affordable. No bowling shoes. No heavy bowling balls. Just come as you are, and try to learn a little about bowling! (There is a cost for this.)

Hower’s Peak Rope Course: This? Totally awesome. It’s a ropes course unlike anything we had done before. Our guides were great and were so patient with us, making sure that we were all attached properly and knew what to do. Unlike our Harper’s Ferry Adventure Center experience, this one keeps you attached, or tethered?, the entire time. I made the mistake of following Cora straight to the top right off the bat, which I wouldn’t do again. It was way to scary for me–so I followed her, did one challenge, and then went down and off. I am more comfortable with my feed on the ground, I think. Anyway, the kids–and my husband–were pushed, were excited, and were challenged the whole time. They loved this, and I love how they all learned a little bit about themselves along the way.

Clubhouse Crew: Kids make a stuffed friend–one of the Great Wolf Lodge characters–and then they go through an interactive adventure with it! In the store, around the lodge, and all around kids will go, doing their best to solve puzzles and help find a lost friend. (There is a cost for this.)

Activities in the lobby: Stories, songs, and dance parties–almost any time of the day!

Of course, the Water Park!! Really, everything you want to Swim, Splash, and Slide the entire time is right here in the lodge. I am honestly pretty disgusted by water parks, I’ll admit it. I am intolerant of gross on the floor, gross smells, and gross pools. The water park at Great Wolf Lodge was clean. It was safe. It smelled fine. And it was safe. Did I mention ‘safe’? The lifeguards were non-stop moving, watching, and keeping a close eye on the pools and swimmers.

Check out all of our photos from the weekend. It was such an unforgettable time:

Interested in heading over to Great Wolf Lodge for yourself? Like I said, each holiday they run a ton of specials and cool activities, but here’s what’s coming up:

Snowland:

From November 28^th to January 3^rd, Great Wolf hosts its annual Snowland celebration, where they turn each resort into a winter wonderland complete with indoor snow showers, spectacular decorations, visits from Santa Clause, “Polar Wolf” Walks, Santa’s Letter Depot, a Great Clock Tower Howl-iday Show, and more. Family suites that sleep four start at $199 per night and include water park admission.

Snowland Suites:

New in 2015, Great Wolf Lodge is launching Snowland Suites available at all 12 resorts (spanning Grand Mound, Washington, to Pocono Mountains, PA) complete with twinkling garland, a decorated tree, oversized snowflakes and a commemorative Snowland throw blanket that is yours to keep and a complimentary copy of the winter story book, Unique as a Snowflake. To up the holiday ante, Wiley the Wolf will also be hand delivering cookies to each Snowland Suite booked. While supplies last, add $40 to your booking for a Snowland Suite.

Gingerbread House:

Families are also invited to celebrate the magic of the season by dining inside the world’s only life-size, dine-in gingerbread house. Great Wolf Lodge has partnered with Just Born, makers of PEEPS, Mike and Ikes and Hot Tamales, to create each gingerbread house. Featuring more than 5,000 candies, 600 pounds of gingerbread dough and 1,320 pounds of sugar, each house will be baked, iced and candied to perfection, providing the setting for a memorable holiday feast. The appetizing walls of the lodge-baked abode have as much heart as taste as the proceeds for each meal goes to Ronald McDonald House Charities across the country (guests pay a $10 “sitting fee”). Over the past three years, Great Wolf has raised $65K for charity from their Snowland fundraising efforts.

What do you think? Have you been there? What was your experience? Do you have any questions for me? Let me know!

fyi: My family and I were invited to visit Great Wolf Lodge for the Howl-O-Ween is a seasonal celebration and share our experience. We had an absolute blast. As always, my opinions and ideas here are all my own, influenced only by my experience as a parent and educator and my my three little Howl-O-Ween loving kids.

syrian refugees: what families can and should do NOW

09 | 08 | 2015

What is happening in our world right now with Syrian refugees is insanity.

Absolute insanity.

Heartbreaking.

Awful.

Sad and infuriating.

Have you been following it? If you haven’t, you should.

Have you talked to your kids about it? If you haven’t, you should.

Just remember that a lot of the images are really, really disturbing.

Maddy, Owen, Cora, and I were talking about what is going on just recently, and I’ll tell you how we handled it.

It wasn’t easy. It’s a tough topic, and it’s a confusing topic. And honestly, I didn’t quite understand it all myself. But we learned. We watched. We read. We cried.

And we decided we were going to do something.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Syrian Refugees–What FAMILIES Can And Should Do NOW:

First of all, before you do anything with your kids, you need to do your homework.

Learn a little.

Visit MercyCorps for everything you need to know about the crisis.
Visit A Holy Experience for even more information about what’s happening.
Read about the Future of Syria which is full of information from the UN Refugee Society.
Visit this Wall Street Journal article for information about Aylan and his family.

——————————————

Then involve your children.

My kids were speechless and moved to tears when they saw that infamous photo of sweet Aylan, the boy who drowned off the Turkish coast.

If you think your children are at an age where they can handle this heart-wrenching photo, then let them see it.

Tell them that in another part of the world, far from where you live, life is very difficult. Check out this video which gives a bit of background on the situation in Syria and let them watch it with you:

Stop the video every few minutes to pause.

Ask:

What questions do you have?
What are you thinking?
Can I clarify anything?
What did you hear him say?
How are you feeling?
Have you heard this information before?
What does this remind you of?

It’s okay to admit that you, as the parent, do not have all of the answers and that you’re learning as you go. That you do not understand it all, either.

——————————————

Remember that it’s one thing to hear facts and figures and another to hear personal stories.

In fact, one thing I remember learning at the AYA Summit last year was that people are more likely to remember the personal over facts and figures. It’s the personal stories that resonate. What people remember.

Check out these personal stories:

The Washington Post has an incredible close-up of 18 refugees
Six Syrian Refugees: close-up on what has been the hardest part of the journey
Get to know several Syrian children who want to go to school
Zienab’s story
What it’s like to grow up as a refugee
Let them see what the refugees need

It’s hard, right? So hard to see and even imagine as a parent.

——————————————

So here’s what your family can do NOW.

Here’s what we’re doing now.

Though there are a million other things you can do, this is what we’re doing because this is what ‘fits’ for us:

We’re making things. Like lemonade and pompom pets. And we’re sending the proceeds to the Karam Foundation. We will start by raising $175 to send a Syrian child to school through the #Innovate2Educate “Learn Not Earn” program. The “Learn Not Earn” program sponsors a family so that the child can go to school instead of work.

We’re selling things we don’t need. We’re using GivingWorks on eBay. And we’re making Karam Foundation our charity.

We’re collecting things. Like stuffed animals, blankets, toys, shoes, books (Farsi, Arabic, & Greek are requested but we don’t have these), and warm clothing for “childhood bags” and sending them to: Melinda McCostie, The Captain’s Table, Molyvos, 81108, Lesbos, Greece

We’re signing things. Petitions that will put an end to barrel bombs and to resettle refugees in the US.

We’re trying new things. We’re going to learn how to help refugees and people new to the US at our local resettlement office. I’m not sure what it will involve, but our home is big and our hearts are open. We’ll see what they need and see how we can help.

So now what? What is your next move?

It’s overwhelming and disturbing and sad and unbelievable. But now it’s time to do something.

Let me know what you decide. I am no expert, and like I said, I’m learning as I go here. This is just what we found in a sea of ideas and suggestions from others. My mind is open. Let me know what you think.

Share in the comments below. Share this post with your friends.

Friends, it’s time to get moving and teach our children along the way.

Check out a few other posts that may help you develop strong and healthy habits for your family:

Or follow these two cool pinterest boards:

raising girls who rock the world

Follow amy mascott @teachmama’s board raising girls who rock the world on Pinterest.

raising boys who rock the world
Follow amy mascott @teachmama’s board raising boys who rock the world on Pinterest.

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camp google: ocean, space, music and nature weeks

07 | 13 | 2015

Friends.

I have been working with National Geographic Kids for some time now, as one of their ‘Insiders’ and honestly the coolest thing about it is that I get kind of ‘behind-the-scenes’ information that I can share with you.

Honestly.

Fab books, cool programs, you name it.

And this summer, National Geographic has partnered with Khan Academy, National Parks, and NASA to create some really rockstar at-home ‘camps’ for kids.

Really. It’s called ‘Camp Google’, and of course, along with our tabletop surprises, it’s going to make our summer one that my kids will never forget.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Camp Google–Ocean, Space, Music, and Nature Weeks:

Everything you need is right here–

Check out the video that tells you everything you need to know about Camp Google:

Each week will feature resources and activities led by experts. You can do them any time you want.

When kids finish an activity, they earn a badge.

You know how kids love badges.

Week One, Ocean Week:

Spend a few minutes on the National Geographic Ocean Portal, exploring and creating some familiarity with all the wonders of the ocean.
Visit the Ocean Week page
Check out the Ocean Week LIVE experience!

Week Two, Space Week:

Resources will be added!
Visit the Space week page

Week Three, Nature Week:

Resources will be added!
Visit the Nature Week page

Week Four, Music Week:

Resources will be added!
Visit the Music Week page

I’m thrilled to be able to share this information with you as a fun summer resource for you and your kids. Check back every week. Let me know what you think!

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

______________________ Join us! 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!

So happy to be a National Geographic Kids Insider!

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need something fun and unplugged for kids?

07 | 11 | 2015

Friends.

We’re rocking and rolling this summer.

We’re doing just about everything we can to keep ourselves smiling and sane in between 50 thousand swim and dive meets. And though it’s so fun, just about every year we hit a wall come mid July.

Before we know it, though, summer swim and dive will be over, and we’ll (sob!) be getting ready for a new school year.

So like we do every summer, we’re playing with some tabletop surprises so that Maddy, Owen, and Cora can find their own time through the day to explore the fun I’ve got planned.

Tabletop surprises keep the kids active and engaged. And most days, it gives them something unplugged to do in their down time.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Need Something Fun and Unplugged for Kids?

This week we

Monday:

watercolor day! #tabletopsurprises #summerfun #artsycraftsy #paint #painting #watercolors

A photo posted by amy mascott (@teachmama1) on Jul 6, 2015 at 7:15am PDT

Tuesday:

watercolor day! #tabletopsurprises #summerfun #artsycraftsy #paint #painting #watercolors

A photo posted by amy mascott (@teachmama1) on Jul 6, 2015 at 7:15am PDT

Wednesday:

Poem reading and re-writing for #tabletopsurprises today! #summerfun #summer #poetry #youngwriter #reading #literacy #readingrocks

A photo posted by amy mascott (@teachmama1) on Jul 8, 2015 at 5:58am PDT

Thursday:

Poem reading and re-writing for #tabletopsurprises today! #summerfun #summer #poetry #youngwriter #reading #literacy #readingrocks

A photo posted by amy mascott (@teachmama1) on Jul 8, 2015 at 5:58am PDT

Friday:

It’s a good day for getting a little dirty. You never know what you’ll find under a backyard rock. #tabletopsurprises #summerfun #freeplay #coolkids #kbn

A photo posted by amy mascott (@teachmama1) on Jul 10, 2015 at 5:26am PDT