outdoor learning Archives - Page 2 of 8

creative ways to keep kids busy on sidelines

05 | 15 | 2014

Many families spend a good chunk of time bussing kids around town, from dance class to music, from soccer to t-ball.

And though it’s awesome that our kids are busy, burning steam, and having fun with their friends, all these activities often mean that siblings are in tow, trying to stay out of trouble on the sidelines.

If their little buddies are there, that’s one thing. But if they are stuck for an hour or more just hanging around, with no park or playmates, it’s tough.

Many of us know that sideline entertaining isn’t always the easiest thing, especially for busy and tired parents.

Sure, we can all hand our kids a cell phone, iPad, or tablet to keep our kids busy, but what to do if you want to keep kids busy but unplugged during their siblings’ activities?

What if we want our kids to (gasp!) be unplugged while their siblings are having their activity? I have some ideas. Tried, tested, and true.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Creative Ways to Keep Kids Busy on the Sidelines:

When you’re heading out to practice or a game or the dance studio and you know you will have kids in tow, grab a bag and throw in a few essentials.

You always should have a blanket, a bag of snacks, and some paper and a few pencils or crayons. Always. With only paper and a pencil, you can play:

Tic-tac-toe: Mix it up by using letters, numbers, or simple pictures as your markers. So fun. And so old school but so great for early writing and thinking skills!

Guess the picture: One person draws a picture and the other person guesses what it is. Challenge yourselves by setting a timer or allowing only a handful of steps in drawing the picture.

Silent conversations: Super-simple conversations composed on paper, with no talking permitted. This game is great for quiet hallways during music lessons.

Family name letter connect: Learn family members’ names and find connections between sounds and letters.

Strike it out: Fun math game that builds skills and requires no set-up or space. Critical thinking along with computation skills are practiced and kids have no idea!

Keep score: Teach your kiddos how to use tally marks by keeping track of each team’s score. Or keep track of the number of blue cars to red cars in the parking lot or the number of moms to dads on the sidelines.

Or grab these few items to make your sideline entertainment even more fun:

Melissa and Doug Make-a-Face Crazy Characters Stickers Pad: My kids love that they can make all sorts of faces with this set–and whether kids are 3 or 13, they’ll have fun with this for sure.

Melissa and Doug Fairies Reusable Sticker Pad: The fairy set or Melissa and Doug Vehicles Reusable Sticker Pad or any of the reusable sets are seriously awesome. Kids make scenes and stay busy. For a long time.

Melissa and Doug Sticker Collection – Fashion: The amount of hours Maddy and Cora have spent with this set is unbelievable. They’ve made fast friends on the soccer sidelines with these sets; a few sticker sets, a big picnic blanket, and a bunch of kids make an hour long practice zip by.

Puffy sticker sets: All of these are awesome–there’s the Puffy Sticker Play Set: Mermaid, Puffy Sticker Play Set: Chipmunk House, Puffy Stickers Play Set: Pirate,
Puffy Stickers Play Set: Dress-Up and more. Reusable. And tiny sets that open up in a little foldable book. Love these.

On the Go Fun Sets: There are a ton of these sets, and they’re mostly geared toward kids ages 3-8. We love the
Sea Life Colorblast Book – ON the GO Travel Activity, Water WOW! Alphabet – ON the GO Travel Activity, Color-N-Carry: Adventure – ON the GO Travel Activity, and more.

Pinball Arcade – ON the GO Travel Activity: My kids love this. Yes, it’s a little loud with the bouncing ball and the snaps of the pinball handles, but with a background that can change and the math fun that can happen if you challenge your kids to keep score, Pinball Arcade is a winner.

The possibilities for sideline fun is endless, and really–unplugging isn’t as difficult as you may think!

What are your favorite ways to entertain your little loves while big sisters or brothers are at practice? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!

fyi: This post was written as part of the Melissa & Doug Blog Ambassador program. All opinions are my own, influenced only by my experience as an educator and parent and longtime toy lover. Huge and happy thanks to Melissa & Doug for their willingness to work with bloggers in this way and for always creating awesome, meaningful products.

Affiliate links are used in this post.

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3 ways to kick-start your family’s health

03 | 07 | 2014

I am blogging on behalf of Walmart.com, but the views expressed here are solely mine, not Walmart’s. Shop online and save money to live better at Walmart.com

Spring is around the corner, so it’s an ideal time to kick-start your family’s health.

And, after the brutal winter we’ve had, I know we’re all ready for it. We’re ready for a change.

We’re ready for sun. We’re ready for grass. We’re ready to see leaves on the trees.

We’re ready to start eating healthier and to start feeling better about ourselves again.

So as we close out the last few weeks of wintertime, we must start thinking about how we can prepare our family for a spring and summer filled with fitness and well-being.

I’ve got three ways to kick-start your family’s health.

Three ways that have worked for our family after the long and lazy days of winter, after we’ve eaten one too many cookies, and after one too many hot chocolates.

Here’s the skinny. . .

3 Ways to Kick-Start Your Family’s Health: Three simple ways, because, as busy parents, that’s about all we can handle.

1. Find outdoor activities you can do as a family. Being outside is key because in the springtime, the weather is nice and people want to be outdoors.

And, if you’re outdoors together, you’re more likely to help each other get moving.

What activities should you do as a family?

If you want to meet people in your area, join a family recreational kickball or softball league.

If your family loves exploring, grab a compass or a personal GPS and try geocaching.

If you are a competitive family, you could train for a local 5K. Many neighborhoods offer ‘couch to 5K’ training programs, and spring is a great time to try it!

If you are a rockin’ and rollin’ family, try rollerskating or roller blading!

If it all seems too much for you, then challenge each other by seeing who can log the most steps in one day. Chart your progress on a poster in a common area of your home, and track steps with one of those cool Fitbits for each family member!

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2. Eat healthy and cook as a family. If one person’s eating healthy, the whole family can eat healthy. With food, it’s so much easier to do as a group, and you can start by swapping junk food and sweets for healthier fruits and veggies.

How do you get started, making sure that all family members are on board?

Take turns cooking each night. Assign ‘Dinner Duos’ or ‘Chef Partners’ and have each team plan two meals a week.

Visit local Farmers’ Markets or join a CSA.

Peruse the Produce Sections of grocery stores as a family for items that look good, smell good, and taste fresh!

Eat seasonally. Choose fruits and vegetables that are in season, and explore recipes that celebrate those items.

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3. Wear weather-appropriate clothes and shoes that fit comfortably. Since spring weather fluctuates so greatly, it’s important to have clothes that work with weather conditions that come in like a lion and go out like a lamb.

How can you make sure your family is outfitted with clothes that allow them to get movin’ and groovin’ indoors or out?

Start fresh. Go through drawers, removing clothes that no longer fit and making room for new items.

Have a clothing swap! Reach out to friends and family with the sizes of your kids’ clothes that no longer fit, and submit a gentle request for items and sizes that your family needs.

Dress in layers. Layers are key for springtime; wearing a t-shirt under a sweatshirt and cute, fun raincoat allows you to remove layers as the weather warms and still stay comfortable.

Get fitted. Make sure everyone is wearing the correct size sneaker from the start. Having shoes and socks that fit are necessary for starting an exercise regime off on the right foot!

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What are some ways your family moves back into a healthier lifestyle after a long winter? I’d love to hear them!

fyi: I am blogging on behalf of Walmart.com, but the views expressed here are solely mine, not Walmart’s. Affiliate links are used in this post.

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invitation to play with acorns: outdoor fun for little ones

10 | 25 | 2013

The following guest post is written by the amazing Angela Thayer of Teaching Mama (not to be confused with this here ole teach mama blog, of course!). Angela is a twenty-something, Iowa lovin’ wife and mom to boys–a former teacher and now stay at home with her 2 year old and 3 year old. Check her out!

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I am so excited to share this activity with y’all! Fall is my favorite season, so naturally I love creating crafts and activities for my little ones during this time of the year. Something we frequently do is an Invitation to Play.

I simply set up materials for them to play with and don’t give them any specific directions. I let them play, explore, be imaginative, and watch their creativity blossom. It is a gift to sit back, and watch them learn.

Invitation to Play with Acorns:

For this activity, we gathered a bunch of acorns on a walk and then I set up a table with a bowl of acorns, water cups, leaves, toy hammers, and various containers to play with.

My youngest, 26 months, wanted to discover what was inside of an acorn.

He tried with a hammer, but had better luck with using his fingers to peel back the shell.

My oldest, almost 4, decided to make and acorn pie.

He poured them in a big bowl with water and leaves and stirred.

Then he poured them into a pie dish, and they added water and more leaves to the top.

While my oldest was putting the finishing touches on his pie, my youngest enjoyed scooping acorns out of water and putting them in an ice cube tray. I love that he is working on fine motor skills.

The boys played with this activity for at least an hour.

Here is the final product!

This is a simple activity that is free and easy to do, but sparks so much imagination, curiosity, and creativity. That’s what I love about it!

I love this quote from Kay Redfield Jamison: Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.

I believe play is vital to a child’s education. Play is as important to their physical and mental health as getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising.

This is why I share this activity with you today: to emphasize that simply letting kids play is so important. If you are looking for hands-on learning and play activities, please check out my ebook.

Angela is married to the love of her life and is a mom to two little boys. She is a former teacher and a stay-at-home-mom. Angela is passionate about home education and loves bringing learning to life through engaging, hands-on activities. She blogs about toddler and preschool activities at Teaching Mama.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, Angela, for sharing!

Looking for more activities for ringing in Halloween (and sneaking in a little learning) with your littles?

Stop by and follow these great educational Pinterest boards:

Halloween | Angela @ Teaching Mama

Fall Crafts and Activities | Angela @ Teaching Mama

Preschool Play and Learning | Angela @ Teaching Mama

halloween | teachmama

fall | teachmama

Or check out any of teachmama’s Halloween posts!

fyi: affiliate links are used in this post

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why i heart my neighborhood toy store (and you should too!) sponsored

10 | 16 | 2013

I am a longtime fan of the neighborhood toy store.

In fact, I can honestly say that I honest-to-goodness totally heart my neighborhood toy store. And I think you should too.

Why I Totally Heart My Neighborhood Toy Store (& You Should Too!):

Not only do neighborhood toy stores boost local economy and develop and enrich communities, these independent retailers keep town centers hoppin’ and keep families smilin’ due to the diverse–often unique–product selection and top-notch customer service.

My own local toy store, Olney Toys, is seated right next to a coffee shop and drug store and was a regular stop on the kids’ and my weekly errands, especially when they were younger. With a train set and dollhouse out for kids to oogle over and try, there was always a new toy to check out or a pal to chat with.

When I saw the owners of our toy store at Toy Fair this year, I nearly had a heart attack, jumping up and down, dancing, hooting, and hollering. They are great people, and they hugged me like I needed them to, hung out with me for a while, and then went on their merry way.

I like them. I would love, love, love to own my own toy store, so I do really want them to do well. It’s all awesome.

We totally and completely heart ThinkFun’s Zingo Sight Words. . .

Best Toys For Kids List, 2013: I also want my great readers to be on top of the latest when it comes to best toy recommendations for their kids and loved ones.

Did you know that there’s a non-profit organization called ASTRA (The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association) that provides leadership and resources to grow the specialty toy industry? I didn’t, either, up until a few years ago when I started attending Toy Fair.

. . . which is a smart game for early readers that made ASTRA’s 2013 list!

Each year, ASTRA gathers 650 experts and asks them to create a list of the Best Toys for Kids that year.

They vote on:

a toy’s ability to promote open-ended or creative play;

a toy’s innovative design features;

a toy’s exceptional safety standards.

The 21 winning toys are on a list for kids of all ages, and it’s essentially designed to help toy shopping easier for parents and guardians. I love it.

Check out the ASTRA Best Toys for Kids 2013 list and start doing your holiday shopping (at your neighborhood toy store, of course!).

Another of our fave toys from the list this year: ThinkFun’s Laser Maze

The ‘I Heart My Neighborhood Toy Store’ Sweepstakes: Yay. As if you really even need another reason to support your local toy store, right?

The good folks at ASTRA are celebrating the fun of shopping for toys at your local toy store with an ‘I Heart My Neighborhood Toy Store’ Sweepstakes.

Through November 8, 2013, log in and win some seriously huge prizes. A family vacation. Crazy toy prizes from fab brands that we all love. Big prizes and lots of ’em. All well over $200 each. Check it out.

Go enter for your chance to win and please let me know if you do!

Do you frequent your local toy store? Do you love yours like I love mine?

fyi: This is a sponsored post, written as part of the ASTRA Blog Ambassador program. As always, my opinions and ideas reflect my experience as a parent, teacher, and lover of all things done in the name of learning and fun!

5 reasons families need backyard chickens (no, this is not a joke)

09 | 23 | 2013

We love chickens.

We really do.

We love backyard chickens.

As in, we love them thanks to two hens who came to us from Rent a Coop here in the DC Metro area and stayed with us for four weeks.

Kiki and Jennifer.

Though they were admittedly not the first chickens we ever knew (my close friends and family are nodding–or shaking their heads– remembering fondly the days of Peepers and Pappy), but they were the first plump, sweet, free-range feathered girls we ever really loved.

And now that they’re gone? We miss them. We talk about them often, and we laugh about the good times we had with them. The kids do Kiki and Jennifer impressions.

Brady still mopes around our yard, wondering where his feathered sisters have gone.

Have you thought about giving backyard chickens a try? Sure you have. And now’s your chance. Our friends from Rent a Coop are offering one teachmama.com reader the chance to have backyard chickens for four weeks, just like we did.

Or if the backyard chicken experience isn’t for you, then they’ll let you in on their chick hatching program which we’re trying for ourselves this winter. Wetotallycannotwait.

And we can hardly wait. Have I said that? We can’t.

Here’s the skinny. . .

5 Reasons Families Should Have Backyard Chickens (& How YOUR Family Can Do It): Backyard chickens may seem crazy, silly, ridiculous to you, but I’m totally convinced that they are an awesome addition to any family.

Clarification: many families.

Sure, with any pet, you’ve got to make sure it’s the right time and that you have the time, effort, and energy to care for them. But these girls? So easy.

1. Your family will learn so, so, so much. We all learned so much about chickens, and we’re still learning. Our friends learned a ton about chickens.

No one in our world really knows about chickens, which is why having them in our backyard was so much fun.

We learned that chickens love treats.

We learned that our chickens wanted to be close to us and would never wander far.

We learned that chickens like to be held, ride on tire swings, and spend time on tricycles.

We learned that chickens like to drink water from dog bowls.

And we learned a whole lot more.

2. Gathering eggs? So fun. It’s like Christmas morning every time you run out to the coop. It was the perk of whomever’s day it was to be the one to pick up the eggs. So fun.

It took Kiki and Jennifer a few days to get into a schedule of laying eggs, but soon they’d each lay one egg sometime late morning.

And what we learned about eggs is that no–even if we didn’t eat the eggs and prayed hard enough they still wouldn’t hatch into chicks.

You need a rooster for that. You’re nodding your head, right? Now you get it. Everyone who came to see the chickens wondered the same thing–what makes the eggs hatch? It’s the rooster, yo. Learned that for myself from the BackYard Chickens FAQs.

Also what’s cool about the eggs is that there you go–you have breakfast right there in your own backyard. Owen learned to make his very first scrambled eggs–all by himself this summer. And he got the eggs from Kiki and Jennifer. We’re like basically self-sufficient over here.

Sometimes Maddy just likes wearing Harry Potter robe around the yard. Jennifer liked it.

3. Chickens are so easy. Seriously. We put their organic feed in the feed bowl and only had to refill it every few days. We did the same thing with their water. Every week-ish we cleaned out the coop and put in new wood shavings. Voila. Done.

They do not bite, and their pecks are so gentle.

They’ll eat anything almost, and they love treats. (Check out the Chicken Eats & Treats sheet we had hanging in the kitchen for the last four weeks!)

Kiki and Jennifer let Maddy, Owen, and Cora hold them, carry them, love them, hold them, and carry them more.

They actually got along with Brady. And by ‘got along’ I mean, Brady chased them and they let him.

4. Chickens are hilarious.

They look really funny when they run. And they’ll run for just about any treat.

Want a few more funny chicken videos? head to my Instagram accountThey are just plain hysterical to see in a suburban backyard, in the same way that it’s funny for kids to see their teachers outside of the school building. It’s just not–the norm.

So when you are eating breakfast and your pet chicken hops up on your porch and struts by your sliding glass door, the kids will go nuts crazy laughing.

When you’re doing dishes and see your kids holding a chicken on their hips, walking around your back yard or swinging with a chicken on their laps, you’ll laugh.

When you hear your kids tell other people about your chickens? When you all watch a chicken shove its face into a watermelon, peck a tomato, or steal grapes from your hand? All funny.

5. Your kids will be so proud. They will love becoming experts on chickens.

They will be beaming as they demonstrate to their friends and neighbors how to properly hold a chicken.

They will love to be able to show family members how awesome their chickens are.

They will love to have people come by to visit and meet your chickens.

What you need to think about if you’re considering chickens:

chicken poop: Though it’s supposedly great for your grass, it is there as it is with any pet.

chickens peck and scratch: If your yard is 100% awesome and perfect, mulch spread out of flower beds may bug you. Our yard? We hardly noticed.

HOA rules: Your housing development or neighborhood or county may have rules about keeping backyard chickens.

Check out all of our backyard chicken photos:

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Huge thanks to Tyler from Rent a Coop for making our backyard chicken experience so easy. He rolled on up with our coop and the two sweetest hens around, bringing everything we needed for the whole four weeks. I had not a clue that we’d love Kiki and Jennifer as much as we did. The experience was so much fun for us all, and we really hope to do it again this spring.

Tyler quickly and patiently answered my wide range of insane texts: They’re not laying eggs! What’s wrong? (It’s okay–it takes them a day or two to get comfortable–), and he worked around our schedule for drop-off and pick-up.

He didn’t flinch when he came to pick them up and there were 50 kids and adults in the house and yard or when Cora followed him to his van, peeking through the coop window yelling, Bye, Kiki and Jennifer!!! We love you and we will miss yooooooou!!

Cool fact: Tyler makes the coops–as in constructs them himself with recycled materials, and it’s easy to move (you’ll move it around your yard every few days), and it’s predator proof.

Check them out on their Rent a Coop site. Follow them on their facebook page. Follow them on twitter and instagram–and bug them like I do to share more photos of their hens.

Let’s just pretend Owen’s wearing matching shoes. . .

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GIVEAWAY: One 4-week backyard chicken/ coop rental from Rent a Coop OR participation in the chick hatching program for your home or school.

Do you want to win your own 4-week backyard chicken/ coop rental from Rent a Coop OR participation in the chick hatching program for your home or school??! Yes, yes you do.

Please use the Rafflecopter widget below to throw your name in the hat:

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

This giveaway ends Friday, October 11, 2013 at midnight ET and is open to folks here in the DC Metro only; our friends from Rent a Coop can only send their chickens so far, you know. Winner will be chosen by ‘Rafflecopter’ and will be notified on or around 10/13/13. Winner must respond within three (3) days of notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected. All Official Sweepstakes Rules apply.

fyi: This is an unsponsored post, but our family was given the opportunity to try our hand at raising backyard chickens for four weeks in exchange for sharing a bit about Rent a Coop. As always, my opinions are all my own, influenced only by my personal experience as a parent and educator–and, of course, my three little chicken-loving littles.

Affiliate links are used in this post.

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the national book festival: what it is and why you should go

09 | 17 | 2013

The National Book Festival is this weekend, September 21-23, 2013.

Go.

It’s awesome.

And it’s free.

It’s on the National Mall here in DC, but if you can’t make it, don’t fret. There are tons of online resources available–so it’s kind of like you’re there even if you’re far from our Nation’s Capital.

Honestly, it’s one of my most favorite weekends of the year, and that’s not an exaggeration.

This year? On Saturday, I’m thrilled about trying to catch a glimpse of KEVIN HENKES (of Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, Owen, A Good Day, many others…), Fred Bowen (from our fave Washington Post section, the Kids Post), Veronica Roth (no joke! she wrote Divergent and Insurgent), the Poetry Out Loud winners, & more.

And Sunday? GIADA!!! Did you read about her new books for kids? Yes. She combines cooking and adventure and kids. We read all about it in the Kids Post this very day. They’re called the Recipe for Adventure series, and the first takes place in Naples and the second in Paris.

Also? Mark Teague (LaRue books, Pigsty, and more), Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner & A Thousand Splendid Suns) & more.

Here’s the skinny. . .

The National Book Festival–What it is and Why You Should Go:

Follow @LibraryCongress on twitter because the Library of Congress hosts the event along with honorary chairs, President and Mrs. Obama. If you go, use #NatBookFest to add your tweets to the mix!

What it is: The festival is essentially a celebration of books and reading. It features 100+ authors, poets and illustrators in several pavilions where you can actually meet and hear firsthand a ton of different poets and authors, get books signed, have photos taken with storybook characters and participate in a variety of activities.

So check out the schedule. Figure out what two or three authors you and your kids want to see. Then search your house for your favorite books by that author, shove the books, some sunscreen, some waters, and some snacks in your backpack, and get your tail on down first thing in the morning.

In the past, they’ve had reusable bags and posters available for visitors, and you just wander around, smiling and happy and in disbelief that you’re in the presence of seriously awesome literary rockstars.

Where it is: Between 9th and 14th Streets on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Sunday, Sept. 22 from noon to 5:30 p.m. Rain or shine.

Why you should go: I wrote about the awesome of the National Book Festival last year, but it is worth repeating.

Check it out:

This year:

Scholastic will be there again, sharing how a number of authors and illustrators have shown what Read Every Day means to them. Check out information on Scholastic’s eBook platform, Storia, and Build A Book yourself!

PBS Kids will be there again, sharing news on the new series, Peg + Cat, and tons of favorite PBS Kids characters will be there for pictures, like Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street, Arthur, The Cat in the Hat, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Curious George, Daniel Tiger from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Martha from Martha Speaks, the cast of SUPER WHY!, WordGirl and Peg and Cat from the new PBS series. Educator resources will also be shared. Love it!

The Digital Bookmobile will also be there again, along with a number of other cool tents, sponsors, and resources and activities for kids and families.

Will we see you there?

If so, and you have a Girl Scout in your family, she can earn a National Book Festival badge just by going!

Need more information?

National Book Festival: Why families need to go

What I learned from the National Book Fesitival and Gala

National Book Festival Gala

National Book Festival site, 2013

author list

schedule

Have you been there before? What suggestions, advice, or experiences do you have to share?

Talk about some serious learning in the every day when and if you can make it down!

fyi: This is an unsponsored post, written only to share news of an awesome event I’d love to see more families in the DC metro area take advantage of.

Affiliate links are used in this post; when you click on a link, we get a teeny, tiny little percentage of the sale. Thank you!

try someting new: fishing with kids

08 | 01 | 2013

Maybe every other family in the world has tried fishing, but ours has not.

That is, until this week.

Now? We’re like total fishermen. Fishers of men.

Fisherwomen. Fisherkids. Give us a rod, a worm, and we’re in it. Big time.

This week, the kids and I tried something totally new-for-us, completely exciting, and really . . . simple.

We fished.

I went fishing with kids. Fifteen kids to be exact. And a bunch of moms.

I’m not that crazy.

But when you’re baiting and casting and waiting and reeling, fifteen kids seems more like a hundred. It’s all good. It was a super summertime activity.

Along with a group of fun friends, we took a county class at a local park, and together we learned how to fish.

And the really crazy thing is that I had no idea that this beautiful park and lake even existed (less than ten minutes from my home) or that these cool family-friendly courses even existed or that if you have a small group and want to form your own class, you can simply call and form your own.

baby turtle — came to check out the newbie fisherpeople

I’m betting that it’s the same in most areas, and all it takes is a look at the local recreation department’s website.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Try Something New– Fishing With Kids: Really, I had no idea that our county parks and recreation department even offered courses like this. If I did, I would have started this madness a while ago.

My girlfriend called and arranged this adventure, and it involved paddle boating and a private fishing lesson for fifteen.

Our instructor taught us how to cut the worm for hooks. . .

. . . and then carefully unlatch the hook before casting.

We learned about how to bait the hook, how to cast, and then how to reel our catch in.

But most importantly, we learned that fishing takes a whole lot of patience.

But after a while, we got lucky!

Some of us did, anyway. Maddy, Owen, and Cora came close to grabbing one, but didn’t score a catch.

Our friends did, though, and they told us how pokey the fish scales felt–and how surprised they were that they weren’t smooth and slippery.

It. Was. Awesome.

No, I’m not a fan of the worm part, I’ll be honest. But fishing for the first time with my kids–and their buddies–was a lot of fun.

It reminded me a few things:

that there are so many incredible learning opportunities so close to home;

that it is so important it is to spend time with other moms and kids;

that there are a boatload of hidden treasures right under our noses;

that it’s good to get out of your comfort zone every now and again;

that learning new skills is good for the soul (casting? it was hard for me, I’ll admit. . . );

that engaging in family activities that require patience is muy importante in our immediate gratification lifestyle;

that being outside in a beautiful location makes us all so happy and refreshed.

And really? That’s it.

Super fun new-for-us summertime learning in a totally new-for-us location.

Want a few new activities for your family to try? Check out our New For Us Friday posts and follow our neat-o, fun, new things for us to try board!

And tell me in the comments–have you tried fishing? How’d it go for you?

summer fun cards of 2013

07 | 08 | 2013

Every year for the last few years, we’ve rocked out our Summer Fun Cards in the first few weeks of the summer.

We choose an afternoon, we gather markers and index cards, and we brainstorm and write down everything fun we want to do during the long summer months. It’s all about summer and fun and we throw our ideas onto little index cards.

Summer. Fun. Cards.

Our refreshments of choice usually involve freeze-pops or ice-cream, and our attire is usually swimsuits or tank tops.

We talk about summers past, we talk about what we loved and what we wished; we talk about what we want to do and what we absolutely don’t want to do.

It’s fun.

This year, in order to ensure that we don’t miss a beat, we changed things up just slightly.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Summer Fun Cards, 2013: In years past, we’ve created the cards, punched a hole in the corner, and hung them on our railing right smack dab in the middle of our house. Like this:

Or like this:

This year, we’ve mixed things up a bit thanks to inspiration from my smart friend Heather and her boys. We added something and moved locations.

We added a small box on each card, reserved for a checkmark once the fun event is completed.

Maddy’s thinking Great Wolf Lodge. . .

. . . and Cora’s got Disney World on her mind. Way to dream big, ladies!

visit Dutch Wonderland, eat crabs, eat ice-cream, and pick strawberries

And we moved the cards to our door leading into the garage—a door we open and close any time we leave the house. That way, there’s no missing our cards and no escape from our summertime fun.

This year we also tried to add a box to each card, but some missed the box.

Owen’s pretty straightforward and illustrates sparingly. . .

. . . but he does have high hopes for our birds.

Up on the door they went.

Ready to check off as we go!

What did we add this year?

pick strawberries

pick blueberries

go to Cold Stone

go to Jimmy Cone (we love sweets)

go mini golfing

camp out back

teach the birds to talk

go to Disney World

go to Great Wolf Lodge

go to Dutch Wonderland

go to a baseball game

We also added:

swim in at least two different pools

eat crabs

catch lightening bugs

eat s’mores

go to the pool

go to Nanny & Pap’s

go fishing

Wii party

have a yes day

try kayaking or boating

have a magic show

And that’s it! Just a little variation from Summer Fun Cards 2012, Summer Fun Cards 2011, and Summer Fun Cards 2010.

Summer Fun Cards have become a tradition–a simple one!–that we all really enjoy and appreciate. And it’s never too late! All you need are a few ideas, a few cards, and a few weeks of summer. Let the fun begin!

For me, it’s not a contest to fill our summer with nonstop activities. Summer Fun Cards help me to move through the days more intentionally–that’s all. And I know that we only have so many summers with our kids under our roofs as kids, that I really want to make the most of it while I can.

Is it easy? No. Do I want to punk out and do nothing some days? Absolutely. And we do. Believe me.

These are just ideas–and it’s fun to dream, right?

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driveway shuffleboard math

07 | 04 | 2013

$driveway shuffleboard math | teachmama.com$

It’s so funny how sometimes, sneaky learning shows up organically–completely unexpectedly–in our day.

Driveway Shuffleboard Math is no exception.

We were out front, enjoying a brief break in the rain, when Owen pulled out a fun bouncy ball. I was trying to sweep the sidewalk and had lazily left our broom resting against the house while I got the mail.

Maddy and Cora were using chalk on the walkway.

Owen brought the broom to the ball and shuffled it down the driveway, trying to aim the ball so that it hit me as I walked up with the mail.

Ten points for me if I get you, Mom!

Here’s the skinny. . .

Driveway Shuffleboard Math: And so it was born from my son trying to hit me with the ball.

Not so much to injure me as much as scoot the ball my way, like a pinball machine. Or shuffleboard.

So we’ve called it Driveway Shuffleboard, and here’s how it goes:

1. Grab a ball, broom, and chalk.

We used our fun Sunny Patch ball from Melissa & Doug which I just love because it’s cute and which the kids love because it reminds them of a cooler version of their P.E. balls at school. No joke they really say that.

We used our hose to keep the ball still until we were ready, but depending on the slope of your driveway, you may not need one.

The great thing about Driveway Shuffleboard is that you can make it work for you.

Don’t have a driveway? Play on the sidewalk.

Don’t have a big broom? Kick or push the ball.

Don’t have a super outdoor ball? Use a ping pong ball.

Easy. Quick. Like learning on the fly should be.

2. Draw your point value at the bottom of driveway.

We used multiples of five so that it was easier for adding scores, but you could use any numbers that work for you.

3. Play!

We really just took turns shuffling the ball down the driveway, trying to reach the higher points on the edges–20!

There’s no wrong way to do it–really, there isn’t.

4. Keep score.

We do this differently every time we play–sometimes in teams, sometimes individually. Some days we add the scores as we go, and other times we add them at the end.

We usually play until we run out of room for the scoreboard. That’s how hardcore we are.

That’s it. Totally low-key. Totally fun.

Try it in other ways, too:

use 100’s and make your scores really, really high (kids LOVE it!)

make one column a *CRAZY* one that requires kids to dance, sing, or cartwheel if they roll onto it

make them ALL crazy ones and don’t keep score

Many ways to play. The important thing? You’re together, the kids are having fun, no one’s arguing, and they’re learning a little along the way.

Happy summertime learning!

fyi: Though I am a Melissa & Doug Blog Ambassador, this is an unsponsored post. I just really dig their stuff. Period.

Affiliate links are included in this post

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how to host a summer reading book swap event

06 | 25 | 2013

Summer is almost in full swing, and for our family, there’s no better way to begin our summer fun than with a Summer Reading Kick-Off Party!

Each year, we invite a few friends over and turn it into an easy Backyard Book Swap.

It’s a great way to ease into summer and to remind kids that they still have to keep their brains moving over the long, hot months.

We always make it super-casual, and we always keep it fun. This year, we kept it even more simple by having Maddy, Owen, and Cora walk home with some swim and dive buddies, books in hand, ready to swap.

The cool thing is that anyone can host a Summer Reading Book Swap. And the par-tay can be done in the backyard, basement, or playroom. It can be in the beginning of the summer, middle, or even the end of summer–morning, afternoon, or evening.

All you need are some eager friends and a few books.

Here’s the skinny. . .

How to Host a Summer Reading Book Swap: In my opinion, for any get-together, you only need a few necessities: food & fun people. That’s it.

But for the Book Swap, you’ll need a few books, of course!

We rarely send out formal invites–more of a quick email or phone call thing for us–but if you’d like, you can use the super-cute Summer Reading Book Swap invites below:

book party invite _ teachmama.com — Summer Reading Book Swap invites

You can make your Book Swap a potluck where everyone brings something to share, or you can do what we did–provide snacks.

Our pals packed the main courses of their lunches (a sandwich or bagel) and we had fruit, veggies, chips, and drinks to share. And of course, we had freeze-pops for dessert!

Decorations? Easy. Big posters.

I’m a huge fan of graffiti walls, so we did what we could. A few posters where kids could write down their favorite books and characters. That’s it!

Kids ate lunch when they first got here, because hungry kids post-swim practice are no fun for Book Swaps! So with full bellies, we were ready to move into the swap.

How do eleven kids actually swap without having the event turn into a big, awful brawl?

They draw straws!

I cut a bunch of straws in varying lengths. Everyone picked one, and I told them to hide it once it was picked. Keep the size a secret.

Then I said, Okay, guys, we have to figure out who has the shortest and who has the longest and everything in between. So take a few minutes, figure out who has what and put yourselves into perfect straw-size order. When you’re finished, tell me by clapping three times together.

They were excited about it and got rolling right away–it’s a fun activity for a big bunch of kids and cool to see who steps up to organize.

It was a lot of fun.

Once the kids put themselves in order from smallest straw to tallest, I gave each child a sticker with a number 1-10.

Then I reminded them about how to choose “just right” books, and we talked about what it means to choose a book that “fits” you.

our ‘best fit’ bookmarks will be great reminders for the kids as they read

Then I called numbers 1, 2, and 3 up to choose their first book.

After the first group, numbers 4, 5, and 6 went up.

Finally, 7, 8, 9, and 10 hit the table to choose books.

We went through the groups a few times so that each child could grab 3-5 books, and if they really wanted another, after everyone went, they could grab another.

It worked out great.

Once everyone was settled with books, we chatted about the Scholastic Summer Challenge. My friends from Scholastic sent along some fun Summer Challenge goodies–books, bookmarks, pins, stickers, and tattoos!–so the kids had seen news of the Challenge and were curious.

Many kiddos had already grabbed a bunch of the Summer Challenge bookmarks and shoved them into each of their ‘new’ books. I showed them that the bookmarks explained a little bit about the Summer Challenge and included a website where participants could actually track their time reading.

I also told them:

The Scholastic Summer Challenge is a fun summer reading initiative that really makes it easy and fun for families to read.

Scholastic is doing what they can to help kids prevent the summer slide–when kids forget what they learn during the school year–and to help kids read at least 11 books this summer–11 is the ‘magic number’ people think kids should read over the summer, but we know it should be more.

If you log your minutes read on the Scholastic Reading Timer, you can help beat Scholastic’s World Record from 2012 of over 95 million minutes read. Some schools are even doing it together and the winning school will get a visit from the author of Captain Underpants!

The Challenge runs from May 6th- September 6th, so there’s still a LOT of time to get involved!

Kids can log their minutes read each day and win prizes!

I showed them the Reading Timer on the iPad, and after our guests left, I registered Maddy, Owen, and Cora for this year’s Challenge. It only takes a few minutes to sign them up, and I know they’ll love logging their minutes. I tied their time to their school–so they’ll also love watching that time change throughout the summer.

Knowing how close we keep our iPads and phones, I know that updating the times will take no time at all. Cool incentive for our tech-savvy kiddos, too, to be able to log on and log time after they read.

And that’s it! Just a fun–hot!–Summer Reading Book Swap made so much more fun with great kids and a fab program.

Our summer plan:

Smart Summer 2013 calendar
Fun ways to keep summer reading rockin’ ALL summer long
talk about BOOKS!
3 for REAL things we’re doing this summer

What do you think? How do you kick off summer reading with your kids? Let me know in the comments!

fyi: Many thanks to Scholastic for sharing some sweet summer reading goodies with us. This is an unsponsored post, written only as an honest parent and educator who is grateful and proud to work with such a great company as a writer for the Scholastic Parents Raise a Reader blog.

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5 ideas for sneaky learning and backyard fun

06 | 21 | 2013

Hip, hip hooray! Summer is here!

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous for us—not too hot and not too cool. It’s the spring we always seem to miss here in the DC suburbs.

I know it’s short-lived, though, so I’ve been using our great weather time to the max. And so should you.

Here are 5 quickie ideas for sneaky learning in your own backyard. Fun ideas for helping kids learn a little while they play.

Nothing too fancy, crazy, or time-consuming. Just a few cool ideas that will get your kids’ brains moving and creativity flowing.

Here’s the skinny. . .

5 Ideas for Sneaky Learning and Backyard Fun:

Water Painting

fine motor practice

talk about tripod grip

talk about letters, numbers, and sounds

use the time to talk about names and how to write names

watch water evaporate in the sunshine

2. Dissecting, Examining, and Learning about Flowers

talk about the parts of a flower

let your kids feel the parts of a flower

really use what is in your yard

3. Backyard Alphabet Hunt

kids are movin’ and groovin’

talk about letters and letter sounds

compare and contrast sounds

kids can see and hear and feel letters and sounds

4. Backyard Fragrance Experiment

use the plants and flowers you have in your back yard

let your kids use all of their senses

sneak in some mathy-language with most, least, same

kids are hands-on learning, experimenting, and trying

5. Backyard Rainbow Hunt

talk about colors

get your kiddos moving

celebrate plants, animals, and all things nature

With just a little bit of planning–or totally on the fly–you can sneak in a little learning in your very own backyard in ten minutes or thirty. Whatever you have will work.