Blog - Page 18 of 27

How To Have A Family Meeting: What Works For Us

by Teach Mama March 20, 2015

written by Teach Mama

Oh, friends.

How things change as our kids get older, right?

After years of doing what we can to give our kids choices, listening to them, doing all we can but ultimately having the final say–our kids have expressed to us that they want more of a voice in our family.

I get it.

So we’ve been having Family Meetings.

We have only recently begun to have regular Family Meetings, and though they are not perfect, I do think they help.’

We’re still learning. Aren’t we all?

Here’s the skinny. . .

How to Have a Family Meeting–What Works for Us:

It’s been simple.

I created a pretty basic Family Meeting Sheet.

And any time anyone wants to call a Family Meeting, he or she may do so.

The first time we held one, I clipped the Family Meeting sheet onto a clip board, and I set it on the table.

And as the kids came and went through the day, they filled it out.

By the time the meeting rolled around, everyone was ready–and curious.

how to have a family meeting: what works for us

We said,

Okay, guys. So you’ve asked for more say in our family, so here we are. We’re here to work out the kinks and hopefully make things move more smoothly around here.

There are a few ground rules:

Everyone listens.

Everyone speaks.

Everyone acts respectfully, no matter what.

In Lord of the Flies style, anyone who spoke held an object–I think ours was a stuffed Mario or Yoshi. That way, there was no interrupting and only listening.

And really? From that point on, we talked through the agenda–what my husband and I planned and what the kids added–and we worked out the kinks.

family meeting notice blank | teachmama.com

Here’s a BLANK Family Meeting sheet if you’d like to download it as a pdf and use it as your own: family meeting notice blank | teachmama.com

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

family meeting notice 2

family meeting notice OURS | teachmama.com

Here’s our Family Meeting sheet if you’d like to download it as a pdf and use it as your own: family meeting notice OURS | teachmama.com

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

how to have a family meeting teachmama.com

What does your family do? Do you hold regular Family Meetings? I’d love to hear it!

What has worked? What hasn’t?

March 20, 2015 0 comments

How To Play Bunco With FAMILIES

by Teach Mama February 28, 2015

written by Teach Mama

On an off for years now, we’ve played Bunco with our family.

At family gatherings, after the little ones had gone to bed, the adults rocked out a little Bunco fun.

Complete with crazy prizes a la our fun Bingo bonanza, the adults laughed and rolled dice and played Bunco late into the night.

Now that Maddy, Owen, and Cora are older, though, we’ve introduced them to the fun of Bunco.

Bunco is a simple dice-rolling game that leaves little to skill and all to chance. It’s fun–and easy enough for families with mixed-age kids to play. There’s counting and adding and a whole lot of mathy-math in the mix.

Any sneaky learning is a win in our book.

Here’s the skinny. . .

How to Play Bunco With FAMILIES:

To play Bunco, you need a few simple things. Nothing will break the bank, and the biggest thing you need is a good number of people–twelve players will make it really fun. So grab another family or two, and you’re probably good.

To play Bunco, you need:

dice (you’ll need about twelve dice total)
a bell
score sheets
table
pens or pencils
sometimes groups make players wear crazy hats or fun necklaces or hold silly stuffed things when they get a bunco

how to play bunco teachmama.com

Grab our score sheets and table cards here, and make sure that you print enough!

You’ll need the Family Score Cards which are printed two per sheet.

how to play family bunco | teachmama.com

You can download the Family Bunco Score Sheets here:

And you’ll need Table Cards.

You may only need three or four tables, and our printables have you covered through six tables.

how to play family bunco | teachmama.com

You can download the Table Cards here:

how to play bunco with FAMILIES | teachmama.com

Remember:

The best way to teach kids to play Bunco is by showing them–it gets too confusing when you try to go through the rules.

So take a minute and show them a sample table, how each person rolls and adds and scores, and then you’ll be good to go!

To play Bunco:

12 players break into 3 tables of 4 players each.
Tables are numbered; table 1 is the ‘head table’; table 2 is middle; table 3 is last.
Players sit across from their ‘temporary team’ member at each table.
One player at head table rings bell to signal start of game.
Players at each table take turns rolling 3 dice, trying to roll the same number as the round (ex: roll 1’s during the 1st round = points earned; 2’s during 2nd round, etc.).
Players keep rolling until they score no points, after which time they hand the dice to the next player. A table scorekeeper tallies points for both teams.
When the head table earns 21 points, the bell is rung, and the round is over.
Points are added. Each table will have a winning team and a losing team. Players write their score on their personal score sheet and indicate win (W) or loss (L).
Players either stay or move tables depending on whether they won or lost the round. Instructions are on the table cards. ‘Temporary team’ members MUST switch after each game.

BUNCO = 3 of the same number rolled matches round number (ex: three 2’s during 2nd round = BUNCO! → BUNCO = 21 points

Baby Bunco = 3 of same number rolled does not match round number (ex: three 2’s during the 4th round) = Baby Bunco → Baby Bunco = 5 points

You can download our Bunco Rules Sheet here:

how to play bunco | teachmama.com

You can download the Bunco Rules Sheet here:

how to play bunco with FAMILIES | teachmama.com

Remember, that the fun part about Bunco is the prizing!

Everyone pays $5 to play! And then, after all of the games are played, count the pot. Sometimes when we play with families, we only throw in $1 or $2 per person. Kids don’t care–the more singles they win, the better!

50% of total pot goes to the player with the most buncos

30% of total pot goes to the player with the high score

20% of total pot goes to the player with the most wins

$5 goes to the player with the lowest score

$5 goes to the player with the most losses

Make this as simple as possible! It doesn’t have to be perfect–just divide the money, give to the winners, and the kids will be happy!

how to play bunco with FAMILIES | teachmama.com

But you cannot forget about the Bunco snacks!

Check out how we do snacks for our games:

The great thing about Bunco is that it’s crazy easy and that you need very little brain power to make it work.

It’s just enough counting and chance to make it fun for players of all ages. And the simple adding of numbers makes it a cool way of sneaking a little math into the mix.

Some helpful hints for playing with families:

Make sure there’s an adult at each table to help move the game along;
Have an adult keep score at each table;
Make rolling a Bunco super fun–whomever rolls one must wear a silly hat or necklace or hold a funny toy;
Everyone cheers for the winners as they move tables;
Go easy on snacks–maybe keep something healthy at the tables and keep the sweets in the kitchen!
Have fun!

And if you’re looking for a fun Girls’ Night Out, here’s everything you need:

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.

February 28, 2015 3 comments

cooking

Best Bunco Game Night Snack Ideas

by Teach Mama February 27, 2015

written by Teach Mama

I lied when I said that the best thing about Bunco was that it was an easy game to play while catching up with friends.

Really.

I lied.

It’s not 100% true.

The best thing about Bunco is the snacks.

There. I said it.

Bunco snacks are awesome.

But if Bunco isn’t your game and something else is–Scrabble? Phase 10? Pokeno? Yahtzee?–whatever it is, snacks are a fun part of game night.

And though I am kidding, I’m also kind of not kidding. We all need good snacks to round out a fun night with friends.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Best Bunco Game Night Snack Ideas:

The big thing about game night snacks is that the options are endless.

best bunco game night snack ideas | teachmama.com

We like to go for a few prepared appetizers brought by 3-4 people:

hummus and pita
veggies and dip
cheese board: mix of hard and soft cheeses, some apple and pear slices, and some fruit jams
a warm dip and chips, like a crab artichoke dip, buffalo chicken dip, a reuben dip, or pizza dip.
hand-held mini tacos, taquitos, or dumplings
cookies, brownie bites
fruit pizza or tarts

best bunco game night snack ideas | teachmama.com

And each Bunco table usually two bowls of snacks–something sweet and something salty:

pretzels
chocolate covered pretzels
M & Ms
licorice bits
candy hearts
nuts
chocolate covered nuts
Bugles
trail mix

best bunco game night snack ideas | teachmama.com

Bunco drinks should be varied:

wine
beer
soda: diet and regular
iced tea
water
coffee, hot tea
fun mixed drink that’s quick and easy to make

Remember to find everything you need to know for a rockstar Bunco Girls’ Night Out here:

February 27, 2015 0 comments

spelling

Trace, Copy, Recall – Learn Those Spelling Words!

by Teach Mama February 21, 2015

written by Teach Mama

originally published November 8, 2010

Maddy has been so proud of her spelling and word-learning progress over the last few weeks (and so are we!). She really is borderline excited when I print out a new list of Spelling Word Cards for each list, which makes this teacher-mama want to do a jig of joy.

Maybe it’s that we’ve upped the ‘fun factor‘ of word learning, or maybe she’s riding the high of her success; either way, I’m loving it because her spelling work is something that we’ve begun to look forward to each week.

We’ve been starting each new spelling list with the same activity–Trace, Copy, Recall–except that instead of tracing, she’s been writing the word twice. Because until tonight, I didn’t think to make a handy-dandy little sheet so that she could trace the words. Maddy was simply copying once from the word card, copying then from the word she wrote, and then covering both and writing the word from memory. Poor, poor Maddy.

It only took a minute for me to whip up a little Trace, Copy, Recall sheet so that she actually could trace the word the first time, and I’m so excited because I’ll just modify the template each week for my happy little speller. Woo-hoo!

Trace, Copy, Recall: As only one of the many fun ways to learn spelling words, I really think it’s worthwhile to begin with this activity because it prepares learners in a graduated way to begin committing the words to memory.

When kiddos trace the letters of the word, they’re getting their fingers ready to write the letters. When they copy the word, they’re composing the letters for a second time and working their brains to remember the letter order. That final recall of letters forces students to think about the letter sounds as they fit together to form the word.

Maddy’s trying to recall the spelling of one of her ‘short o’ words.

I encourage Maddy to say the letters out loud, and although she sometimes loses steam by the end of the list, if she says the letters at least one time for each word, I’m happy. When kiddos say the letters as they write them, it’s one more way to ensure that the letters, sounds, and patterns make their way into the learners’ brains–the combination of the physical writing and the vocalizing helps.

When she’s finished with the word, she checks her work with the word on the card. Then she reads the word aloud and moves on.

It’s short, it’s worthwhile, and it seems to help build a slight foundation for the rest of the week’s Spelling Word Fun if we start with this. So we’ll keep it up, I suppose. . .

In case you’re interested, here’s what we’ve been using to help support Maddy’s spelling word work:

Word Cards:

trace, copy, recall--learn those spelling words!

BLANK CARDS (write your own words in) | spelling list-blank sheet

Trace, Copy, Recall Sheets:

BLANK Trace, Copy, Recall sheet | spelling list-trace copy recall blank

Fun Ways to Learn Spelling Words:

the original fun with spelling teachmama post
Fun Ways to Learn Spelling Words handy-dandy sheet: fun ways of learning spelling words
Fun Ways to Learn Spelling Words handy-dandy cards to put in a box (so you can choose an activity each work session): fun spelling games — cards to cut

So, should every student in every be coming home with spelling words every single week? What’s the deal?

All recent reading research points to the fact that the ole days of random spelling word lists should be long over and that the approach to spelling instruction should be more word learning than simply spelling memorization. The word-learning approach is “teacher-directed yet student-centered” and when integrated into a comprehensive literacy program, this kind of instruction can most fully “help support young children’s literacy development”. It should be systematic, organized, and individualized.

Essentially, Word Study instruction should be:

based on individual student’s multiple, varied assessments;
used with homogeneous, small-group instruction;
given special class time each day;
teaching word knowledge (about words), not just the words themselves;
clearly demonstrated and used in reading and writing instruction;
incorporated in strategy instruction (how to read, write, and use the word);
used with the Word Wall;
involving time for ‘Word Work’ and play with the words;
integrated into authentic reading and writing experiences.

What does this mean for you? It means that if your child is not coming home with a spelling list each week but she is following some sort of Word Study program in school, one that contains all–or most, or even some, of the above elements–then maybe there’s no reason for a spelling list after all.

If your child is coming home with a spelling list each week, and the words aren’t grouped according to similar patterns or sounds, and the words seem totally random or disconnected, then maybe you want to talk to the teacher about the Word Study program they’re using. Ask why they’re using it and how it supports the balanced literacy program.

For more, please see Williams, Phillips-Birdsong, Hufnangle, Hungler, Lundstrom’s article, “Word Study Instruction in the K-2 Classroom” (The Reading Teacher, April 2009). The information and quotes in this post are taken from this article. It amazed me how much reading research the authors integrated into this article, and I found it extremely informative.

February 21, 2015 16 comments

family life parenting

Finding Time For What You Love: The Fringe Hours

by Teach Mama February 19, 2015

written by Teach Mama

It’s funny how things work out sometimes.

When I first started this blog seven years ago, I was creating, photographing, writing, and coding in the ‘fringe hours’ of my days.

All day long I was grateful to be with Maddy, Owen, and Cora, hanging out, playing, learning, and doing our thing, but when naptime came, I blogged.

When the kids went to bed, I blogged.

When I had a spare moment to myself, I blogged.

I was proud of the resource I was creating (I still am!), I was in love with the friends I was making (totally still am!), and I was in awe of the community I was building (you better believe I still am!).

But as my babies went off to school and my blog became my full-time job, things started to shift.

It was a natural shift, but a shift nonetheless.

Thank goodness for my dear friend Jessica Turner and a book she just published: The Fringe Hours– Making Time for You.

I love it, and I know you will, too.

I love it because it has helped me to rediscover–to reclaim–my fringe hours and to give myself a little more care.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Finding Time for What You Love–‘The Fringe Hours’:

The shift for me happened when writing and blogging stopped being a hobby and started being work.

Once I had to sit down and write, to meet deadlines, to organize finances, and to plan activities, I felt less ‘free’ blogging and instead felt more tied down, cranky, and frustrated.

‘Life isn’t perfect. It’s busy and messy. But living with intention and commitment to our well-being is a necessity.’ – @jessicanturner in The Fringe Hours Finding my fringe hour to take in this AMAZING book at the gym this morning. I have been looking forward to this ME time, and I totally need it. Friends. What are YOU doing for YOU today? #livefocused #FringeHours #love #healthy #happy

A photo posted by amy mascott (@teachmama1) on Jan 17, 2015 at 6:34am PST

I was always busy! Always.

Still, my fringe hours were spent blogging, but like anyone whose hobbies are put on the backburner for work, I felt. . . blue.

I needed to find time to do the things I loved: running, cooking, yoga, reading.

Over time, I have figured out a bit of a solution, but I always need reminders. I always need new ideas and new solutions to the age old problem: making time for me.

Why you need The Fringe Hours

I have waited for this book to be released ever since I learned that Jessica was writing it.

Having known Jessica for years, I always wanted to learn her ‘secret’ for being able to do it all. She works full-time. She has three kids (one is a newborn!). She runs a rockstar blog. She scrapbooks. She reads. She hangs out with her friends.

How did she do it all?

I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You.

And? This book has not let me down.

Divided into four parts– Explore, Discover, Maximize, & Live Well–each section is filled with actual tangible ideas for living a fuller life and making more time for me. But it’s not about reaching toward a goal of living a self-serving life; rather, the idea is that by making time for ME, I am able to be a better wife, mother, sister, and friend.

It’s true.

It’s a liberating and exciting book that, with each turn of the page, hit me with bits of information that I really needed to hear. I realized that I am a tried and true ‘wasteful multi-tasker’, often engaging in two tasks at once that both require mental energy. For real. It’s not good, friends.

As soon as I read it, I realized that though I thought I was helping myself by fitting more into my day, I was actually creating more stress to an already packed and sometimes stressful life.

Now?

I’m all about being fully present.

I’m more inclined now to make time for what is important for me because doing so leads to ‘greater joy and peace’.

I have learned to be more efficient with my time.

I have learned to let go of a lot and to shift my perspective.

I have printed out The Fringe Hours Manifesto and have it taped to my bathroom mirror–it’s that full of truth for me.

This whole book is aligned with what we’re doing in our #livefocused in 2015 push, and I’m thrilled.

I’m thrilled because no matter how you look at it or why you begin, shouldn’t it be our goal to live each day more deliberately, with more focus and intention?

This book is a quick and easy read, and I’m sure that by the time you finish, you’ll find at least a dozen small ways that you can purposefully incorporate a little more ‘me time’ into your day.

And the great thing, my friends, is that you will do so without an ounce of guilt, thanks to Jessica.

Check out the book.

Check out some of the cool products that DaySpring is selling which in combination with The Fringe Hours, make a really beautiful and thoughtful gift for a friend, a sister, a mother–anyone.

I particularly love the The Fringe Hours Postcards and The Fringe Hours Notebooks. Both are super sweet.

Many thanks, Jessica, for your hard work on this project, and thank you, friends, for making some time for YOU this year!

February 19, 2015 1 comment

cooking

How To Do A Family Fondue Night: Special Occasion Dinner

by Teach Mama February 11, 2015

written by Teach Mama

Our family has longtime been a fan of the fondue night.

It’s a tradition for us to make this dinner on New Year’s Day and Valentine’s Day, and often the kids will choose to have fondue for their birthday dinner as well.

Fondue is a lot of fun, but I must be clear: it’s not just a dinner–it’s an event.

It takes time to shop for fondue, prep fondue, and slowly enjoy fondue. And one huge plus is that although it sounds fancy, it’s really pretty simple.

We often rock it out with a 3-course dinner: cheese fondue, broth fondue, and chocolate fondue.

Yum, yum, and yum.

Here’s the skinny. . .

How to Do a Family Fondue Night–Special Occasion Dinner:

First things first.

You need a fondue set to make this happen.

And you could go super simple and electric where the heating element is plugged in:

(Below is the Cuisinart Electric Fondue Maker.)

Or you could go super simple and stay traditional, where the heating source is a fire gel or something similar:

(Like the ExcelSteel Fondue Set below.)

family fondue night teachmama.com traditional pot

And depending on the size of your family, you may want to get two sets so that you all can cook simultaneously.

Because think about it: two fondue forks each, times a family of five, equals ten fondue forks. All in one pot. That’s a lot of forks.

family fondue night teachmama.com many pots

Pictured above:

Anything you choose, you want to make sure that you have a decent fondue pot and fondue forks. I got lucky one year and found a pot at our local thrift shop, so it’s worth checking out.

Once you have the proper equipment, then you can decide on the menu.

One thing I love about fondue is that everyone can help with just about every step in some way, shape or form.

Get the kids involved!

Have them get involved in making fondue:

help you plan the menu;
help create the shopping list;
set the table;

how to do a family fondue night: teachmama.com

design table cards;
break the bread (can be hand torn if kids are too small to cut);
cut the vegetables, fruit, or bread;
decide on a fun sparkly drink (we like Shirley Temples in fancy glasses for the kids!);
organize the forks (everyone must be assigned a color!); or
design the layout of dipping sauces.

The possibilities are endless.

Then start cooking!

We usually go with a 3-course fondue event: cheese, broth, and chocolate.

There are a million ways to make fondue, but we’ve created super-super simple recipes with mild flavors that really suit our children’s increasingly adventurous palates.

The cool thing about fondue is that you can really kick up the flavors in simple ways.

Want a little more edgy cheese fondue? Choose sharper cheeses, add some cooking wine or hot sauce.

Want your meets to have more of a kick? Consider dipping the cooked pieces in fun and crazy sauces. Our standbys are barbecue, teriyaki, steak, and cocktail sauce.

Course 1: cheese fondue

Ingredients

2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese

2 cups shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese

½ cup beer (really–the alcohol will cook off!) or white cooking wine

salt & pepper to taste

For dipping: French bread, apple slices, pre-cooked carrots or broccoli

Directions

1. Start pot on stovetop. Mix ingredients over med-low heat until melted. Move to fondue stand.

2. Dip the chosen dippers into the melted cheese.

3. Enjoy!

Course 2: broth fondue

Ingredients

4-8 cups of chicken broth (usually buy two 32oz packages)

1 T Tastefully Simple Spinach and Herb Mix or other seasoned mix

salt and pepper to taste

For dipping: raw shrimp (peeled, de-veined), chicken, beef, salmon, potatoes, veggies cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces

Sauces for dipping: barbecue, teriyaki, steak, cocktail sauce, Ranch, etc.

Directions

1. Start pot on stovetop. Mix broth and seasoning over medium heat until 375 degrees (just below boiling). Move to fondue stand.

2. Put meat or veggie on skewer and dip into broth. Meat and veggies will cook in this broth, so it’s imperative that you pay attention to cooking times.

Some helpful fondue-making hints:

Keep all raw foods on the same plate;
Color coordinate fondue forks so that no one gets mixed up;
Move cooked food directly to your own plate, take it off of the fondue fork, and eat with your own regular fork;
If you have super-hungry kids, make a quick side dish for them to munch on while foods cook;
Be over cautious–over-cook vs under cook foods;
Pre-cook veggies to speed up cooking time.

family fondue night | teachmama.com cooking times

Want to check out the coolest fondue cooking timer ever? This is a riot: The Melting Pot Fondue Timer.

We’ll totally pull it out on our iPad next time we’re making fondue!

Course 3: chocolate fondue

Ingredients

1 bag semi-sweet milk chocolate chips

1 bag milk chocolate chips

½ cup warm heavy cream

½ cup peanut butter

For dipping: strawberries, banana, marshmallows, pound cake, cheesecake cut into bite-sized pieces

Directions

1. Start pot on stovetop. Mix ingredients over medium heat until melted. Move to fondue stand.

2. Dip strawberries, banana, marshmallows, pound cake, cheesecake, cookies cut into bite-sized pieces into chocolate and enjoy!

Fondue is a super-fun, memory building event for families.

It’s one of our family traditions. It’s special.

There’s no reason to be fearful of fondue because you can really take it as small–or as large–as you’d like. If you don’t want to go nuts with three courses, cleaning up and washing the pots in between, then just do the cheese fondue as a side for a regular dinner.

Or do the broth fondue as your main course and rice or noodles as a side.

The chocolate fondue is always a super idea for a special dessert, for any occasion.

And if the adults in the family are up for something special to drink, then I highly recommend something special like these easy holiday mules, festive apple cider mimosas, or a copycat Carnival Miami Vice cocktail! YUM!

Do you want our recipes?

Know that they are not perfect, but they work for us. Season and adjust to your liking.

family fondue night | teachmama.com recipes

You can download our Family Fondue Night Recipes here as a pdf: fondue dinner recipe _ teachmama.com

(If you choose to share this post–and we hope you do!– please link to this post and not the attachment page! Thank you!)

If you are up for learning more about cooking as a family, then consider taking a cooking technique Masterclass by Chef Thomas Keller. Or, consider these:

Alice Walters’ Masterclass on Home Cooking
Wolfgang Puck’s Masterclass on Cooking
Gordon Ramsay’s Masterclass on Cooking

It’s better than candy in our family!

And that’s it–a family favorite, for sure!

Minute to Win It Games for Kids and Families

February 11, 2015 10 comments

holidays valentine's day

Melted Bead Suncatchers: Celebrating ‘The Artful Year’

by Teach Mama February 9, 2015

written by Teach Mama

One of my dear friends has just published her second book–it’s a book that is so filled with crafty awesome, it’s a must-have for all families.

My pal Jean is the author of The Artful Parent blog, and I’ve known her for years, often linking to her here on teachmama.com and always looking to her for cool ideas to use with Maddy, Owen, and Cora.

I’m thrilled to have been asked to be a part of her blog tour for this new book, called The Artful Year, and I’m totally psyched to have a copy to give away to one lucky teachmama reader.

Though we bookmarked a dozen different ideas to try and share with you, we settled on Melted Bead Suncatchers–and we turned ours into a Melted Bead Suncatcher Mobile, just like they do in the book.

It turned out so beautiful and festive for Valentine’s Day, that I wish we would have done it years ago.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Melted Bead Suncatcher:

We wanted to make something for the upcoming Valentine holiday, but the cool thing with this craft is that you could adapt it for any time of the year.

melted bead suncatcher the artful year teachmama.com

In order to create the Melted Bead Suncatcher, you need:

translucent plastic pony beads
old metal baking dishes, old metal cookie cutters
grill or toaster oven
power drill or metal grommets
string

melted bead suncatcher the artful year teachmama.com

The details for how to make these are outlined clearly in The Artful Year but essentially, you follow these basic instructions:

1. Choose the cookie cutter shapes that you want to use. We chose four heart shapes for Valentine’s Day.

melted bead suncatcher the artful year teachmama.com

2. Place the cookie cutters on the metal baking pan. We used an old 8′ x 8″ metal baking pan and lined it with aluminum foil.

3. Arrange the beads in a single layer in the old metal baking dishes.

melted bead suncatcher the artful year teachmama.com

4. Place the pan on the grill and close the grill cover. Check on the beads, but keep an eye on them. Ours took about 5-8 minutes to melt.

5. Remove the pan from the grill and let cool completely.

melted bead suncatcher the artful year teachmama.com

6. Pop the melted shape out of the cookie cutter and drill a small hole at the top, where you want the string to hang.

We connected ours, and it turned out super cute.

melted bead suncatcher the artful year teachmama.com

We love, love, love how these turned out.

And as an educator, I love how parents can really sneak in some learning opportunities here.

Let your child sort the colors into the cookie cutter shapes. Color sorting is a great skill!
Using a small pair or tweezers or prongs to pinch the beads is great fine motor work for little hands!
Let your child work through the best way to string together multiple suncatcher shapes so that it hangs properly.

So many possibilities.

melted bead suncatcher the artful year teachmama.com

The Artful Year is filled with dozens of seasonal and holiday crafts and recipes.

This Melted Bead Suncatcher Mobile is just one of many, and we cannot wait to get our craft on for the rest of this year.

One of the cool things about this book is that it’s not only crafts–it’s also filled with tons of seasonal recipes, too, which is one of our favorite ways of spending time together as a family–crafting, eating, and cooking!

Jean does an incredible job of dividing activities into categories:

activities for all seasons;
activities for spring;
activities for summer;
activities for autumn;
activities for winter.

And each section is filled with beautiful images of Jean and her girls, the crafts, and recipes. And each and every entry is concise, manageable to create, and engaging. I can hear Jean’s sweet and patient voice behind each word. I love it.

Tons of my talented bloggy friends are supporting Jean through her book launch, doing book giveaways and celebrating this work of art.

Check them out:
The-Artful-Year-Blog-Tour-

I’m proud to be a part of this mix and do hope you grab a copy of this book, friends.

*************************************

GIVEAWAY: Your very own copy of The Artful Year, by Jean Van’t Hul.

Do you want to win your own copy of The Artful Year??! Yes, yes you do.

Two chances to win, friends:

1. Leave a comment here, letting us know why YOU need a copy of this book!

2. Subscribe to teachmama.com via email or newsletter. We’ll be giving away a second copy of this book to email subscribers only! So get your name in the mix now!

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

This giveaway ends Saturday, February 28, 2015 at midnight ET and is open to residents of US, UK, Australia, and Canada. Winner will be chosen by ‘random.org’ and will be notified on or around 02/28/15. 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.

February 9, 2015 20 comments

valentine's day class party ideas teachmama.com

holidays valentine's day

valentine’s day class party ideas: cool activities to get kids moving and creating

by Teach Mama February 5, 2015

written by Teach Mama

Let’s face it: classroom parties are difficult to throw.

Scratch that. Class parties easy to throw but difficult to throw well.

And what I’ve found over time–and by being a classroom parent for five years–is that certain things work and certain things don’t.

Having three kids in elementary school has helped me tremendously to be a better planner, organizer, and facilitator of THE class party.

So this Valentine’s Day, I’m mixing things up a bit.

We’ve got some really cool activities to get kids moving and creating, and I’m confident it will be awesome.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Valentine’s Day Class Party Ideas–Cool Activities to Get Kids Moving and Creating:

Definitely check out Valentine’s Day Class Parties, 2.0 so you can grab a copy of the parent letter. You need that because you need help and support of other parents if you want to make this party rock!

After connecting with the classroom teacher about times, activities, and details, I came up with the following plan for this year’s party:

Class Party Plan: Every party needs a plan.

valentine's day class party ideas: cool activities to get kids moving and creating

You want the parents to know what’s going on, and you want the teacher to know what’s going on.

And it’s never perfect; sometimes you’re ahead and sometimes you’re behind, but you need a guide. You need a game plan.

This year’s Class Party Plan is below to download if you’d like to use it: valentine party plan 2015 – download instructions below!

3 15-minute stations:

You always need a quick and easy way to divide the class into smaller groups. I like using heart foamies or stickers that the kids put right on their shirts or hands. Use any of the stickers mentioned here–the
Melissa and Doug Sweets & Treats Stickers Pad have so many you can try. Maybe have a cherry group, a candy group, and a gum ball group. Or a flower candy, kiss candy, and gumdrop candy group.

Just remember to cut out the stickers before the party, put them in a hat or small bag and have the students pick one at the beginning of the party. Voila! Your groups are created!

1. Decorate Valentine Mail Bags:

This is the first time that we’ve ever added this into the party mix, so it was really fun for me to hunt down something that would work for our class.

The key here is to be quick, but fun and engaging.

I love what we came up with, and you can find all of the details here: Valentine Mail Bags.

2. Art Station:

I wanted activities that would be cool for the kids but that they could take home, stress free immediately after the party. So that eliminates any gluey projects.

Thankfully, my friends at Melissa & Doug have a few fabulous options for us.

Sand Art

valentine's day class party ideas: sand art | teachmama.com

Really. Sand Art at a class party is doable. It’s quick. It’s way cool. And you can make it relatively mess-free.

The Melissa and Doug Sand Art Bottles Craft Kit come three to a pack, but they’re affordable. It makes so much more sense to use your class donations for something like this rather than those teeny, junky prizes kids will throw away when they get home.

So to do the Sand Art, you’ll definitely need to save your take-out containers–the lids will work perfectly as little bases for the plastic containers.

Bring a roll of duct tape and make a big tape roll so that the container stays still on the plastic lid. That way, when kids are pouring sand in, they won’t wiggle and wobble.

——————————————

Scratch Art

We’ve used Scratch Art before for both our Valentine parties and Valentine cards. Kids really like them.

We will use Scratch Art Stickers, Scratch Art Keychains, and Scratch Art Fashion this year. I think kids will dig the choices.

valentine's day class party ideas scratch art teachmama.com

Scratch Art Stickers come two sheets per pack, so I plan to tear them in half and then in half again for four sheets per pack. We used
Melissa and Doug Scratch Art® Animal Friends Stickers.

Scratch Art Keychains come six per party pack, and I had several packs left over from a birthday party a while back, so I thought I’d add them to the Scratch Art table. Love these: Melissa and Doug Scratch Art® Party Pack – Key Chains.

Scratch Art Fashion (Melissa and Doug Scratch Art® Party Pack – Fashion) come twelve per pack, and we used these way back when Maddy turned 9 (her Golden Birthday!), so I added a few packs of these to the mix.

I am not forcing all kids to do all art here; rather, I figured that since the projects are super quick, that they could do two in the 15 minute rotation. Or if they finish quickly and want to do three, that’s fine, too. Or if they’re meticulous and only finish Sand Art, great. That’s their take-away.

——————————————

3. Action Games:

Kids need to move. Big time. Great parties have a mix of movement and craft, so here’s our ‘get up and move’ portion. I think since we have 15 minutes for this, we’ll walk through each activity together, one by one.

Best bet for these? Go out in the hallway so you have the most room.

Frisbee Race

valentine's day class party ideas frisbee teachmama.com

Be the team to have the most hearts on the Flying Disk by the end of the game! The little Melissa and Doug Tootle Turtle Flying Disk and the Lady Bug Flying Disk are adorable and perfect for this game, and all you need are a bunch of small tissue paper and construction paper hearts on top.

valentines day class party 2015 | teachmama.com

1. Divide the small group in half. Put students in two lines at one end of the hallway.

2. Tape two hearts on the floor at the opposite end of the hall, one for each team.

3. Give the first person one flying disc with about 20 hearts on top of it.

4. That person moves as quickly to the end of the hallway, touches the heart on the floor, and walks back to his or her team. Depending on the age of the kids, make this one-handed or two-handed.

5. As carefully as possible, the student hands the disc to the next person, and the next person does the same thing.

6. The winning team has the most hearts at the end of the race!

——————————————-

Love Bugs Cleanup

valentine's day class party ideas: love bugs | teachmama.com

Be the team to move the most love bugs from the big pile to the small container! All you need are shovels (I like the
Melissa and Doug Clicker Crab Shovel), small plastic container (we used takeout containers) and a bunch of plastic bugs. We used
Melissa and Doug Bag of Bugs.

1. Students are divided into two teams, just like before.

2. Dump all of the love bugs in a pile at the other end of the hallway.

3. The first person in each line takes the plastic shovel, runs to the love bug pile, and tries to scoop up as many love bugs as possible.

4. He or she then transfers those bugs to the small plastic container at the opposite end of the hallway.

5. The team that transfers the most love bugs at the end wins!

———————————————–

Heart Target

This is super-simple and the only thing that makes it Valentines-y is the fact that there are hearts around the cute little target. Whatever. It’s hand-eye coordination. It’s numbers. It’s sneaky math, friends! It’s a win.

For this game, you need a target. We used the Melissa and Doug Tootle Turtle Target Game.

1. Two teams stand about 5 feet away from the target.

2. At the same time (we need to up the fun factor here, folks), players toss a beanbag at the target. They get two beanbags to throw.

3. The parent facilitator writes down the score on the score sheet: heart target score sheet

4. The team with the highest score at the end wins!

valentines class party ideas | teachmamacom

heart target score sheet –– download instructions below!

Make it fun by having the score posted on the wall and encourage the kids to keep score as you go.

Please note: Class parties should be fun, easy, and low-stress for all kids. If you have sensitive kids in the class or think that keeping score may be stressful, don’t do it! Maybe instead give one point for every beanbag that hits the target.

Keep it light!

——————————————

Valentine Delivery:

Everyone’s favorite part of the party, right? Move kids back to their seats.

Snack and Valentine Delivery will happen simultaneously, because the kids can’t possibly all deliver their Valentines and the same exact moment.

So have kids sit down, and have parents pass out the plates of food.

Then call each group up at a time to get their Valentines and deliver them to their classmates. While one group is delivering, two groups are eating.

Try to keep it level.

Snack

Our school only allows store-bought treats at this point because they’re trying to keep all allergies under control. I get it. It makes it so much easier and so much safer for those families for whom allergies are an every day fear.

For Valentine’s Day class parties, I’ll have:

small water bottles
Valentine cupcakes from the store
Individually wrapped goldfish snacks or pretzel snacks
individually wrapped fruit–apples or small fruit cups

That’s it. Call me crazy, but I don’t think kids need a mad sugar overload here. A little sweet treat and a little healthy treat, and we’re done. Bam.

valentine's day class party ideas teachmama.com bags

Extra time?

It’s doubtful that if you follow this schedule you’ll have extra time, but if you do, an oldie but goodie: Freeze Dance! Turn on the music, and let kids jam it out while it plays.

When the music stops, everybody freezes.

Easy and fun.

Plus, the kids love to show off their moves.

And if kids don’t want to play, no biggie! Let them open up their Valentines!

———————————————-

Want the Party Plan and Heart Target Score sheet?

You got it!

———————————————-

valentine's day class party ideas, 2.0 | teachmama.com

halloween games 10 minutes teachmama.com

I love sharing what we do at our class parties so that it’s easier for other parents to throw their own class parties.

This shouldn’t be difficult. It’s been done for years and years now, so there are a boatload of ideas out there.
What are your favorite Valentine ideas for kids? I’d love to hear ’em!

Here are a few of ours:

I wrote this post as part of the Melissa & Doug Blog Ambassador program. I’ve worked with Melissa & Doug for years and years now, and am always raving about their products for fun and learning. Read theMelissa & Doug blog to get the skinny!

February 5, 2015 5 comments

new years guess the word game teachmama.com

holidays new year's

new years eve guess the word game

by Teach Mama December 29, 2014

written by Teach Mama

Much like our Christmas Guess the Word Game, the New Year’s Eve Guess the Word Game totally rocks.

Okay.

There you have it.

Plain and simple.

Rocks.

The kids loved playing our holiday version on the way to see their Pennsylvania family this week, so I made another version.

Actually, I made both versions on the same day.

And actually, the kids helped brainstorm words for both.

So fun.

Here’s the skinny. . .

New Year’s Eve Guess the Word Game:

The premise is the same for both games, and it’s super-simple.

One person holds up a card with a word on it and tries to guess what it is.

Easy.

Remember, though, that the card holder does not look at the word.

And everyone else gives one-word clues to help the person guess it.

We often play in a few variations:

the fewer words it takes to guess, the better;

the person who can guess the most words in row wins;

for a challenge: all of the clues must begin with the same letter; or

all of the clues must rhyme with the word on the card;

add a timer.

new years party word guess game

Want to download the cards?

The New Year’s Eve Guess the Word Game is here to download as a pdf if you’d like: new years party word guess game

The last page is blank so you can add your own!

(If you choose to share this post, super! Please just link to this post instead of the attachment page, though! Thank you!)

Keep it simple.

And have fun with it.

And if you change things up a bit, let me know!

Want a few more cool New Year’s Eve activities?

December 29, 2014 0 comments

26 fun family traditions to start this year teachmama.com

Best Of Teach Mama holidays new year's

26 Cool, New family Traditions To Start In The New Year

by Teach Mama December 26, 2014

written by Teach Mama

I’m all about family traditions.

Not only does it make your life as a parent easier, but having traditions gives your kids something to hold on to.

Traditions give kids the feeling of security.

Traditions give kids the feeling of safety and comfort.

Traditions give kids the feeling of strength of family.

And yes, often there are years that traditions also teach kids about flexibility.

Especially when for whatever reason you can’t make the Flag Cake or you can’t organize a St. Patty’s Day Scavenger Hunt.

I’ve gathered 26 cool, fun, new family traditions to start in the new year.

Here’s the skinny. . .

26 Cool, New Family Traditions to Start in the New Year:

Here they are.

1. Complete the New Year’s Interview. One of our all-time faves.

2. Volunteer on MLK, Jr. Day. Spend the day doing something that counts.

3. Make Surprise Notes for your neighbors. It doesn’t matter when; it doesn’t matter which ones. Just do it.

4. Host a January Favorite Junk Food Party. Everyone brings one thing: his or her favorite snacky junk food.

5. Make crafts for Meals on Wheels. Simple crafts, pretty notes just to brighten someone’s day.

6. Participate in a fundraising walk. For whatever cause speaks to your heart. We’ve got some starting points on our blog 4 cause post.

7. Make Valentines for classmates and friends. We think that homemade is best. They don’t have to be fancy.

8. Do an Earth Day park clean-up. It can be as simple or as involved as you like, with one person or ten.

9. Use the Special Plate to celebrated good days. The Special Plate makes every one of us smile. It’s a good day when you get to use the Special Plate.

10. Have ice-cream for dinner on the last day of school. Because why not? It’s SUMMER!

11. Allow everyone to choose his or her birthday dinner. If the birthday boy (or girl) has a party, it’s a dinner in, and Mom and Dad cook a meal of choice. If there’s no party, it’s a dinner out.

12. Celebrate Golden Birthdays, when your age matches the date. Maddy and Owen both celebrated their Golden Birthday on their 9th year; Cora will celebrate hers when she’s 23, but we’ll most likely celebrate a Half-Golden Birthday when she’s 11 1/2 years old.

13. Eat fondue on New Year’s Day. Do it up. Cheese, bouillon, and chocolate with fancy glasses and sparkling cider.

14. Make a July 4th Flag Cake. Strawberries, blueberries, whipped icing, and yum.

15. Have a St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt. Quick and easy, around the house. At the end? A little pot o’ gold, of course. Or at least a fun little goodie bag.

16. Make an Easter Bunny Cake. Round cakes, licorice, and jelly beans make this a special Easter treat.

17. Organize a neighborhood Egg Hunt. The eggs don’t have to be filled with jewels–kids love to find anything in their eggs–wrapped candy, pennies, you name it!

18. Have a 1st Day of Summer Cook-Out. Back yard, with hotdogs, chips, and watermelon. Neighbors and friends. Make it a potluck so it’s easy on you.

19. Make Mom breakfast in bed for Mother’s Day. Awwwwhhh, one of my favorite things ever is when the kids make me breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day. Who cares if the coffee’s cold and toast is burnt? Not I!

20. Go on a family hike for Father’s Day. Let Dad pick the hike, or kids can surprise him. Pack a lunch, drinks, and a blanket. Enjoy!

21. Make Candy Wreaths for your schools. Because who doesn’t love candy? And really, every single school staff member will love you for it.

22. Open new pajamas on Christmas Eve. One gift before the big day, and it’s always pj’s. Fresh, cozy, new jammies for the big night. And everyone will have matching pjs on for Christmas morning photos.

23. Have the kids make dinner for parents on their anniversary. We haven’t done this yet, but man. I really want to.

24. Schedule a surprise no-school, Cookie-Baking Day in December. Hands down, it’s our absolute favorite day of the holiday season. Well, almost.

25. Boo! your friends in October. Even more fun if you gather a group of pals to do the ‘boo-ing’ with!

26. Make shoebox gifts for the needy at holiday time. We do this every year, and every year it gets more fun for the kids and more meaningful. Our church is a drop-off point, but many local newspapers also advertise places that they take these important boxes.

And that’s it!

I’d love to hear what traditions you celebrate and honor each year–there’s always room for more!

Want to download the fancy-schmancy 26 cool, new family traditions poster?

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

December 26, 2014 1 comment

holiday guess the word game teachmama.com

christmas holidays

Christmas Guess The Word Game

by Teach Mama December 23, 2014

written by Teach Mama

My kids are basically a captive audience at breakfast, and they have been for a long, long time.

Whether they’re staring at the cereal boxes, reading the newspaper, chatting grammar, or doing brain teasers, it always seems like they are waiting for some sort of activity while they throw back their Cheerios or waffles.

Because they love the Guess the Word Game that we play at their Halloween class parties, we made a holiday version.

I like the simplicity of this activity, it’s mobility, and the many different ways you can adjust the rules.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Christmas Guess the Word Game:

The premise of this game is super-simple: one person holds up a card with a word on it and tries to guess what it is.

But here’s the thing: the card holder does not look at the word.

And everyone else gives one-word clues to help the person guess it.

We play in a few variations:

the fewer words it takes to guess, the better;

the person who can guess the most words in row wins;

for a challenge: all of the clues must begin with the same letter; or

all of the clues must rhyme with the word on the card;

add a timer.

Fun, simple.

And when the kids help me generate a list, sure, they know what’s coming, but it’s still fun.

They feel more a part of the game when they are the co-creators.

Want to download the cards?

The Christmas Guess the Word Game is here to download as a pdf if you’d like: christmas party word guess game

The last page is blank so you can add your own!

(If you choose to share this post, super! Please just link to this post instead of the attachment page, though! Thank you!)

christmas party word guess game

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

Follow along on pinterest:

Follow Teach Mama’s board christmas ideas for kids and family on Pinterest.

December 23, 2014 0 comments

reading

what to do when your kid just doesn’t ‘get it’

by Teach Mama November 12, 2014

written by Teach Mama

I admit that I am the absolute worst with emails. The worst. when your kid just doesn't get it | teachmama.com

But I’m trying to be better.

I’ve got thousands of emails just sitting there in my inbox, and I rarely respond because I’m always busy.

And I’m so far behind that I don’t even want to go there because there’s no end in sight.

But lately I have been tackling a handful of emails each week. And it makes me feel so much better to be able to connect in this way to the readers who have become my good friends over time.

Today, one email stuck out.

And I spent a good bit of time answering, and then I felt like I had answered it before, so I looked back and not one, not two, but three other people have written to me in the past few weeks about their kids struggling with reading for unknown reasons.

So I thought I’d share my response. (And the gal who emailed said it was totally cool to do so.)

Here’s the skinny. . .

What to Do When Your Kid Just Doesn’t Get It:

note from reader

Subject : Struggling readers

Message : So…..what do you do when your kid just doesn’t get it? My [son] is in 3rd grade and he’s super depressed because he’s in the lowest reading group (haven’t confirmed that with the teacher, but kids know, don’t they? And given who else he says is in his group, I know, too.) and he doesn’t get to do the pull-out GT activities that his friends do.

His reading is okay, but when it comes to spelling, it’s terrible–large letters, sloppy, no punctuation or capitalization, many misspelled words, can’t get the letters on the page.

We’ve had him tested and the doc says it’s phonological processing. He doesn’t qualify for an IEP or 504 and the teachers last year dismissed the doc’s findings all together. He’s been doing a reading tutoring program for the past year. But feeling really frustrated with the school and teachers. Any advice?

**************

my response

Oh, [friend]. I’m sorry he’s struggling. It’s so hard–for you and for him. Believe me, I get it. Thank you for reaching out.

My advice is this:
1. meet with the teacher. talk to him/her about your concerns, and ask what you can do at home. Maybe she’ll give you some insight into strategies that have worked for other students or hand you some resources that could be helpful.

2. read with him every night. Seriously. You read out loud to him. No pressure for him to read to you. Just get him back into being excited about reading, even if that means you have to pry open your tired eyes at 8pm to read to him with energy and excitement (said from the mom who FELL ASLEEP last night while Cora was reading her book out loud to me before bed and still feels guilty about it today). Try Harry Potter. IT ROCKS. OR try silly Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Or try Magic Treehouse to start with. . . Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is SO GOOD and great for read alouds.

3. play on his interests. He likes (gag!) Pokemon? Find Pokemon books and READ them! He loves Minecraft? There are great Minecraft books on the market now (finally!), and there are books on everything from Skylanders to Star Wars to LEGOS to chess. Do some research. Surround him w/ reading material about stuff he totally digs. Magazines totally count. Get him a subscription to a magazine for the holidays–get everyone a subscription to their favorite magazine. Be excited when it comes in the mail even if you have to fake it. Dance up to the door w/ it and then make it a treat to read it. He’ll catch on. I promise.

4. talk about reading. Not directly, in a super boring way, but do it casually. Talk about the books you’re reading for pleasure (start doing it if you’re not already!); talk about what you read in the newspaper; talk about books he’s reading in Guided Reading and what the media teacher read to him on media day. Just a simple, ‘Hey listen to this!’ . . . or ‘Can you believe that. .. . ‘ is great. The Washington Post Kids Post is super for finding daily bits of fun stuff for kids to read. Or find the National Geographic Kids app– strange and amazing facts? something like that–my kids LOVE it.

5. make reading a family affair. Instead of plopping on a movie on Sunday afternoon or instead of letting the kids zone out in front of electronics, have a family reading date. Pop popcorn, make hot chocolate, and make a fire. Everyone grabs a book and reads in the living room–even if it’s only an hour. Then kind of talk about what you were reading. Or if that’s too hard, you and your partner (or your mom/ dad if they’re close) or sister or friend take turns reading children’s books to the kids. Each kid picks two, and you read them aloud like a silly little old-school read aloud during preschool circle time. Do it. They’ll love it.

Hope this helps. I would love to hear how it goes, and just know this: you are not alone. I should probably even just post this whole answer as a blog post, because I’m asked it more often than you know. . . Hmmmm. Maybe?

Oh, and don’t forget this: hang in there and KEEP UP THE ROUTINE. I’m not yelling at you, I’m just keeping it all caps because it’s that important. It won’t make a bleep of a difference if you do this for one week or one day. Set small goals: reading aloud at night for two weeks. Then four weeks. It will make a difference–but the secret is in the consistency.

You got this. And so does he.

*hugs!* and thank you for reading.

**************

What do you think? How would you have answered her question?

Do let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!

Do you have a question that’s literacy related? I’m happy to give it a stab if you want to hit me with an email: [email protected]

If I can’t answer it, I’ll find someone who can!

fyi: affiliate links used in this post

November 12, 2014 5 comments

Best Of Teach Mama halloween holidays

Halloween Party Ideas For Kids And Classrooms

by Teach Mama October 17, 2014

written by Teach Mama

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: we shouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to Halloween class parties.

Haven’t these been held for years and years and years?

Right.

So why are we all searching around and surfing the internet and looking high and low for ideas?

Here’s everything you need for a rockstar Halloween class party.

All wrapped up in a pretty little package. Just click the links, add them to your cart, and it will all end up on your doorstep.

Print out the games, put on your witch hat (Come on. You better have a witch hat if you’re planning a Halloween class party for your kid!), and make your copies.

This party. Will. Rock.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Halloween Party Ideas for Kids and Classrooms:

You cannot do this on your own. You need help.

Unless, of course, you are lucky enough to have a huge budget and tons of volunteers at your fingertips, you’ll need to solicit funds and help and then get this party moving on party day.

Plus, it’s tons more fun when you have other great parents helping.

Grab THE ULTIMATE HALLOWEEN CLASS PARTY HERE!

Here’s everything you need to rock this party:

1. Get in touch with the teacher.

Tell him or her that you are the Room Parent and that you’re ready to rock this party. (Just kidding. . . )

But ask the teacher:

the timeframe for the party;
what he/she would like to do and when;
about any food allergies in the classroom;
to tell you anything and everything you need to know in order to plan a great party for the kids.

Then? You’re good to go.

2. Send out a class letter.

Send a note introducing yourself and asking for H-E-L-P.

halloween party ideas for kids letter - 3

I like to have a little part on the paper where parents can cut (or rip) and send back to me telling me how they are able to help.

Feel free to use our letter–just change it for your own dates/ info: halloween party letter BLANK or a word doc: halloween party letter BLANK

Grab THE ULTIMATE HALLOWEEN CLASS PARTY HERE!

3. Send out a second class letter requesting contact information.

Not even kidding.

Some parents might not return the letter because they’re not able to help with the party, and that’s cool. This is new for me this year, but I’m hoping that it makes communication streamlined like never before.

Because teachers in my kids’ school cannot share parent emails, this is what we must do.

Even if parents aren’t into volunteering time, items, or money for the event, I want to keep them in the loop. Right?

Grab THE ULTIMATE HALLOWEEN CLASS PARTY HERE!

4. Make a plan.

A party plan. Because for all of the parent helpers and the classroom teacher, they need to know what’s going on.

halloween party ideas for kids letter -| teachmama.com

Some pointers that make the party move smoothly:

have an easy activity that kids can do at their seats while others are getting into costumes: coloring pages, mazes, word search, or guess the word;
find a fun way of dividing class into smaller groups: have kids pick one of three different foamy stickers, have three different spider rings, etc;
make sure parents put snacks on plates while kids are on parade so that snacks are ready quickly;
give kids snack first because really, that’s all that most of them want;
provide a goodie bag at each game station that kids take from station to station;
have at least one group activity: freeze dance, hot pumpkin, pumpkin match, etc.

Here’s the plan we’re using this year:

Grab THE ULTIMATE HALLOWEEN CLASS PARTY HERE!

5. Get everything you need for the party.

Delegate if you are able because some parents really want a job to do; they like to pick up water bottles, prizes, or cupcakes, so let them!

halloween party ideas for kids and classrooms

Here’s our shopping list with links for you to grab and have delivered to your doorstep:

Halloween paper plates and napkins;
spider rings (use as Game Station dividers);
Halloween gift bags (have one at each station–each child gets one that he/she uses throughout party);
plastic spider bowls for each station to hold prizes;
plastic glow-in-the-dark fingers (use as prize for Game Station);
tiny Halloween notepads (use as prize for Game Station);
Halloween pencils (use as prize for Game Station);

tiny Halloween self-stampers (use as game pieces for Bat Follow-the-Path game and forTic-Tac-Toe game);
copies of Tic-Tac-Toe game (use small stampers as game pieces);
copies of Bat Follow-the-Path game and dice (use small stampers as pawns);
white paper plates, white yarn, white crayons, extra spider rings and watercolors (for spider web craft);
Lego bricks;
copies of Halloween Lego game cards;
pumpkin faces (for pumpkin match);
black letter and number stickers (for pumpkin match);
Wee Sing for Halloween (music to play during party!);
CD player to play music (or wireless speakers if it’s on your phone).

6. Assign one volunteer to each game station:

halloween party ideas for kids and classrooms teachmama.com tick

Guess the Word: Play this while kids are eating. It’s much like the one we did for our Valentine’s Day party last year, but this time it’s with Halloween words!

Grab THE ULTIMATE HALLOWEEN CLASS PARTY HERE!

Game Stations: (quick, 10-minute stations will keep the party movin!)

Stamp Games: Put the kids into pairs and let them play for this game station! Kids will grab a small Halloween stamper and use it as the pawn for the Bat Follow-the-Path game and then use it as a stamp for Tic-Tac-Toe!

Tic-Tac-Toe: Just like the game we all know and love, but this one uses Halloween stamps!

Check out how we use Halloween Tic-Tac-Toe here: Halloween Printable Games

Bat Follow-the-Path Game: Players begin at the upper lefthand block and take turns rolling the dice to see how far they go on each turn. Winner gets bat to his family first!

Check out how we use Bat Foll0w-the-Path here: Halloween Printable Games

halloween lego game: unplugged, creative fun | teachmama.com

Lego Match: Lego bricks and some Halloween inspiration is all you need for this one!

Check out the Halloween Lego Game post for more.

simple spider web craft: perfect for Halloween class party

Spider Web Craft: Paper plates, white yarn, and spiders. And crayon resist Halloween magic happens. No glue makes it super-simple, and if you encourage kids to use a little bit of water and paint on their brushes, the webs will dry fast enough to take home that day.

Check out the Spider Web Craft post for more.

pumpkin match game | teachmama.com | easy halloween class party fun gets kids thinking and moving

Pumpkin Match: Grab some pumpkin cut-outs and some black 2″ letters and numbers.

So fun and this will get kids up and moving!

We cannot wait to get this Halloween party started!!

What’s your go-to Halloween party plan for kids? What works? What do you, the kids, or the teacher love? Let me know!

Need some more ideas? Check out:

Want a few more fun halloween party ideas?

October 17, 2014 3 comments

halloween holidays

Pumpkin Match Game

by Teach Mama October 16, 2014

written by Teach Mama

This game was surprisingly more difficult than I expected it would be for my 10, 9, and 7 year olds.

I don’t know if they were just not in the pumpkin-matching mindset or if they need more matching practice or if the pumpkin faces were just a wee bit too similar–but it took them a while to match the 24 pumpkins.

Hoping that it’s not too tough for a Halloween class party later this month because I think it would be and ideal way to get kids up and moving and thinking and interacting.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Pumpkin Match Game:

Pumpkin Match is super-simple, and it took all of several minutes to create.

I used one pack of pumpkin cut-outs, a pack of letter and number stickers, and that’s it.

Though my initial plan was to create faces on the pumpkins using permanent markers, it didn’t work. The pumpkins were too glossy and the shapes got really grainy.

So instead I grabbed the letter and number stickers and went to work.

I used numbers for eyes and letters for mouths and cut here and there to try to make the silliest faces I possibly could. And they turned out super cute.

Then I cut the pumpkins straight down the middle. And I mixed them all up.

Maddy, Owen, and Cora all had an absolute blast trying to find pairs in this simple Pumpkin Match Game.

I will definitely use this for future Halloween class parties, though I may mix things up a bit.

Depending on class size, I may take the number of students, divide it in half and use that many pumpkins. Then I’ll give each student a pumpkin half and have them find their match.

Whoops! This pumpkin above is not a match!

Or I may:

give each student one piece of a pumpkin and have the other pieces hidden around the classroom to get them up and moving a bit;

use half of the pumpkins for round one and then introduce more pumpkins each round;

give each student two pieces and have them try to find the two people they ‘fit’ with;

take it outside and make it a pumpkin race–after they find their match, they race to put their finished pumpkin on the playground line or in a big circle: the pumpkin ‘patch’;

challenge the students to figure out which numbers and letters are hiding in their pumpkin’s faces;

place half of the pumpkins all around the playground or classroom floor and hand out the other half to the students and have them match up their pieces.

The possibilities are endless! Halloween is so much fun!!

Want a few more fun halloween party ideas?

October 16, 2014 0 comments

halloween holidays

Simple Spider Web Craft: Perfect For Halloween Class Party

by Teach Mama October 15, 2014

written by Teach Mama

I love this simple and sweet spider web craft. Love it.

And I think it’ll be perfect for a Halloween class party or playdate activity.

No matter the children’s age, kids would totally dig it because anything crayon-resistant is super-fun. And way spooky.

Simple. Quick.

No glue. A little spider surprise. Big win.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Simple Spider Web Craft:

I saw this spider web art project first on my pal Zina’s site, Let’s Lasso The Moon. It was a guest post by the crazy creative Jean of The Artful Parent.

But you’ve probably seen it before in other spots, as have I. Jean, however, rocked it in her blog post. So beautiful.

With Halloween class party on the brain, I tried to think of a way to adapt the spooky spider web craft for a class party. Cora’s class party.

So we went with paper plates and plastic spiders.

All you need for this are:

white paper plates

white crayons

watercolors

white yarn

plastic spiders (we used colored spider rings)

And it’s simple.

We talked about what spider webs looked like before we got drawing on the paper plates. We drew a few on paper, making an X with another X through it, and then we connected each of the lines with a curved inside line.

It was a little tough to draw the spider web on a white plate with a white crayon, but you can do it. The practice helps.

Once you draw the web, you grab your watercolors and paint over the web. It magically appears!

I cut a teeny slit at the end of the web and added a small piece of white yarn, about 6 inches. I taped the back so it would stay put.

Then we tied a small spider to the dangling part of the web–and there you have it–a spooky, simple spider web craft!

What I like about this for a class party activity is:

that it will take only about 5-10 minutes to complete from start to finish;

that there’s no glue to dry;

that a light, almost dry coat of water colors will make the web pop and the color will be brighter;

that kids can make their web as elaborate as they’d like;

that they can take the craft with them that very day-just stick it in their folder!

Will it work for you? For your kids? Your class party? Let me know!

FYI: Huge and happy thanks to Zina of Let’s Lasso the Moon and to Jean of The Artful Parent, for sharing their awesome ideas!

Affiliate links are used in this post.

Want a few more fun halloween party ideas?

October 15, 2014 2 comments

family life school

Fall Classroom Decor: Quick And Easy For Teachers And Parents

by Teach Mama October 14, 2014

written by Teach Mama

Fall is here! Already it seems as though the year is moving at light speed.

For many of us, whether we’re classroom teachers or homeschoolers or parent volunteers, now is a great time to put up some rockstar fall classroom décor. And the quicker and easier the décor, the better.

We need quick. We’re all busy. No matter what we’re doing, if we’re working with kids, we’re busy.

And though teachers will absolutely flip for this stuff, so, too, will parents.

Because not only are we talking about awesome decorations to brighten children’s classrooms, but we’re also talking awesome supplies for PTA boards, media centers, homework areas–you name it.

I’m really excited about it, so I’m giving one biggie classroom holiday décor gift set away. It comes with décor for all seasons and then some. Woot.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Fall Classroom Décor–Quick and Easy for Teachers and Parents:

The coolest thing about any kind of classroom decorating is that kids–whether they’re your own children or whether they’re your students–love to help. So my suggestion is to put them to work.

And though there are a million and one ways to decorate a bulletin board, the sets I found are pretty fool-proof. You don’t need a whole lot of ‘extras’ to make the board pop–and that’s a good thing.

Though I am not currently in the classroom, my husband is the principal of a local elementary school, so between our own kids’ school and his, we have dozens of classrooms at our fingertips.

When I first thought about a teacher to whom I could lend my classroom decorating services, I knew exactly who I’d help: a busy mom of three who just got back into the classroom.

She was totally game.

So Maddy, Owen, Cora, and I got to work one day last weekend to ‘spruce up’ her room a bit just in time to celebrate the fall season.

We used a handful of the fall decorations, four pieces of construction paper, a little tissue paper and curling ribbon to make it pop, and that’s it. Voila.

We used:

yellow letter cut-outs

Carson-Dellosa leaves

black letter cut-outs

Carson-Dellosa pumpkins

Carson Dellosa holiday moose (SO cute!)

Scholastic Teachers pumpkin puzzle

Carson Dellosa 3D fall border

green tissue paper

light green construction paper

Because this is a math classroom, I knew I wanted the boards to focus on math. I also knew that because the classroom is for third and forth grader math students, I wanted to make sure we had a welcoming area complete with student names for both grades.

We used some fall leaf cut-outs and pumpkin cut-outs for student names. Quick, easy. Super cute.

Elementary schoolers aren’t always used to ‘traveling’ from classroom to classroom, so it’s a pretty big deal when they do.

Three-dimensional fall borders that seem to come to life with textured pop-outs. So cool.

And this little holiday moose? All you need to do is change its antlers each season, and you have a decoration that kids will love.

This fall pumpkin puzzle bulletin board set can be used in a dozen different ways. Each of the puzzle pieces is sturdy and laminated, so you can write on them with dry-erase markers–and it wipes off easily.

And it comes with ‘We all fit together‘ mini-poster, a second poster, and a handful of smaller pumpkins.

We contemplated writing student names on the pieces, but we settled on writing math problems. That way, while students walk through the hallway to their math classroom, they can get their brains moving and start getting in the math-mindset!

Really, though, you could use the fall pumpkin puzzle for anything: student birthdays, teachers, alphabet letters, you name it.

The classroom. Looks. AWE-some.

And it only took us about an hour or so–from start to finish–to get the job done.

——————————-

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October 14, 2014 31 comments

halloween holidays

Halloween LEGO Game: Unplugged, Creative fun

by Teach Mama October 13, 2014

written by Teach Mama

I’m always on the hunt for fun ways to keep my kids engaged and interested and thinking creatively.

And when I find something that works, and it’s unplugged, creative fun, it’s a serious win.

Today after school, while Cora was working on homework and Maddy and Owen were recharging, I put them to work.

Why not, right? They’re young.

A few days ago, I ran across something on Pinterest that got me thinking. Would it be possible for kids to design and build simple holiday-inspired objects out of Legos? Could I give them just a little guidance and just a little inspiration and have them take it from there?

I was pretty impressed with what they came up with.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Halloween Lego Game–Unplugged, Creative Fun:

First, I grabbed a ton of plain Lego bricks. I wanted just bricks.

No windows, flowers, wheels, or people.

Nothing fancy.

Just good, ole plain-Jane Lego bricks.

And really, this took the most time for me–separating Legos.

But I found some, and then I printed out two ‘inspiration sheets’. I grabbed one from my pal Allie’s site, on a post she wrote called Halloween Lego Challenge. The post is awesome, and I love the whole idea of building something for kids and having them do their best to build the same thing.

It’s a fantastic cognitive and fine-motor skill-builder, especially for little guys.

I also found inspiration from Geek Alerts; their Halloween Lego Set post actually shows the pieces they built from a set you can buy: Halloween Lego Set.

So I printed the sheets out and gave Maddy and Owen the challenge: build some Halloween-inspired things.

We talked about what those things could be–the objects on the sheets that I printed out or other things Halloween, like brooms, bats, hats, ghosts, monsters, ghouls, whatever.

And what they came up with was cute and simple.

I loved that they were using what was on the sheets as inspiration along with what we had to really come up with some cool things: a pumpkin, a ghost, a witch, candy corn, a hat, and a little Frankenstein monster.

Working with Legos in any capacity is a fabulous way for kids to get their brains moving and fine motor muscles working. And whether they’re following instructions step by step or whether they are creating pieces on their own, it’s all good.

It all rocks.

My longer-term idea was to have this Lego challenge be a part of Cora’s class Halloween party–but that’s a whole other story coming a few days down the road.

But much like the inspiration sheets I printed and gave to Maddy and Owen to get them started, I want to do the same for the kids in Cora’s class.

If you want to print out the Halloween Lego Scramble sheets–little pictures of Halloween items that just about any kid can make with just about any regular set of Lego blocks–you can print it out here: halloween lego game _ teachmama.com

Huge and happy thanks for sharing them if you’d like, but please direct folks to this post rather than the attachment page.

My goal is to use it as an inspiration for small groups during the Halloween class party this month.

Some other ideas for making Halloween Lego-building fun:

add a timer and make it a timed copy and build;
share a card and have everyone try to make their own version of the item at the same time;
take turns flipping a card and building the item;
have kids take pictures of their own Halloween items and add them to the cards!

FYI: Affiliate links are used in this post which means that many of the links will take you to amazon, and if you purchase the item, teachmama.com will get a teeny, tiny percentage. It all helps, and we appreciate it!

Huge and happy thanks to Allie of No Time for Flashcards and to the team at Geek Alerts for sharing their Halloween Lego posts.

Want a few more fun halloween party ideas?

October 13, 2014 0 comments

family life school

Raising Strong Students: Study Habits For Smart Kids

by Teach Mama October 7, 2014

written by Teach Mama

Once your kids hit elementary school, things get a little bit crazy.

All of a sudden, your kids actually need to be at school on time.

All of a sudden, you’re buried under a mountain of papers, fliers, and notices.

All of a sudden, your kids have real homework.

All of a sudden, your kids get to buy lunch and play instruments.

All of a sudden, you feel overwhelmed and inundated with kid projects and activities.

In the blink of an eye, your little, innocent preschoolers are replaced by these big kids who have tests and assignments. And it’s nuts.

So what we do now–as parents of elementary schoolers–really, truly makes a big difference in our kids’ long-term success in school.

It’s about setting up habits and routines that matter. If we want to raise strong students, we must start now.

And believe me, I know it’s not always easy. Believe me. We are late nearly every single day, and we live a stone’s throw from the school.

But we’re working on it, and we’re trying.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Raising Strong Students–Study Habits for Smart Kids:

I’ve talked long and hard about how important it is for parents to do what they can to help build a solid foundation for learning for our kids–playing games with ABCs, talking about numbers, teaching the basics–so that they start their formal education on solid ground.

And I still stand by that for sure.

But it’s only half the battle.

The other half of the battle is all about establishing routines. In order to raise strong students, we have to establish study habits for our smart kids. Early.

If you have no study habits to speak of at this point, don’t worry. Do. Not. Worry. Start tomorrow. Or start this Monday.

Here’s what has to happen: Kids do their jobs. Then you do your job. Pause. Then you both do your job again.

Bam. In more detail:

1. Kids do their jobs. It’s their job to put their backpacks, coats, and shoes in the same place every single day.

And they should put their folders or assignment books and lunch boxes in the same place every single day.

2. Parents do their jobs. Your job is to look at their school folders and go through their papers.

Sign or fill out important forms and file everything that your kids do not need in a special folder for each child. Empty the folder every month, keeping things you want to save and recycling everything else.

Pause. Kids relax for 15 or 20 minutes. They have a snack.

They wash hands, put on their play clothes or soccer uniform or dance outfit–whatever they’ll need for an after school activity later.

They chill out while you get your work finished.

3. Jobs again. Kids’ biggie job is homework. Your job–especially when kids are younger–is to make sure it’s completed in a satisfactory manner.

Sometime in the first hour that kids get home–after they’ve had a snack and have chatted with you about their day, played with the dog or did their quick chore–kids must finish homework in a quiet, distraction-free spot in the house. That way, it’s over. They don’t have to worry about it and can instead relax for the rest of the evening.

That’s it. But parents must play an active role in establishing this routine. Really, they must.

Some helpful hints to make it work?

Keep homework in the same place every day. Make it as distraction-free as possible.

Keep necessary supplies close at hand: paper, pencils, stapler, tape, crayons.

Keep kids responsible. Ask them to write down tests on a family calendar and post it so everyone can see. Kids put their work in folders when finished and pack backpacks for the next day.

Keep reminding kids that right now, school is their job and they want to do it well.

Keep reminding kids how much everyone appreciates their teacher’s hard work.

Keep it positive.

Keep it upbeat.

Keep consistent with the routine.

Keep it real. Some days, you need to stray from the routine. But get right back on it asap.

This is not easy, and I’ll be the first to admit that even though we run a pretty tight routine over here, I choose my battles.

My kids’ socks never match. We’re the family running to school as the bell is ringing. I don’t always put sunscreen on their little faces for recess, and I often pack double desserts in their lunches but forget to include a drink.

They do forget library books and homework and sometimes wear flip-flops on days they have P.E.

And some days, even if I see that forgotten homework or book on the table, I physically cannot bring it to school because I have work and meetings and calls myself. So it’s all a learning process. Believe me.

Bottom line is this: what we do now really counts. Because though we think we’re in the big game now, once our kids get to high school and college, then they’re in the big leagues. And if they have long-established study habits–study skills that work for them–then they’re more likely to be successful in the major leagues and later on in life.

We got this. But parents, wee have to be in the game–every day.

What works for you? For your kids? For your family? How do you raise strong students with solid study habits?

I’d love to know!

Want a little more info? NEA, National Education Association, has it covered. Visit nea.org/parents for more info on raising strong students.

fyi: This post reflects a collaboration with the National Education Association’s Raise Your Hand for Student Success campaign. All thoughts and opinions are, of course, my own.

October 7, 2014 0 comments

reading

Understanding Italics In Fiction: Text Features And Meaning

by Teach Mama October 2, 2014

written by Teach Mama

I’ve always tried to make a big deal about certain text features when we see them in fiction that we’re reading, especially bold and italics.

I’m cool like that.

There’s something about bold and italics that make me feel like they give us a teeny glimpse into what the author really wants us to understand in the text. Or maybe I just can hear the characters’ voices more clearly when I can see what they would be emphasizing during conversations.

Or maybe I just tend to use them a lot so I’m happy when I see them on someone else’s page.

Whatever it is, Cora and I had an interesting conversation about italics last night before bed, and I thought it was worth sharing.

If we had this chat, certainly other parents are having the italics chat as well.

. . . or maybe we’re just a strange family.

Either way, it’s worth taking a look at if you do any read-alouds with your readers at home.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Understanding Italics in Fiction–Text Features and Meaning:

Cora was reading a book to me when it all started.

It was a book from her Media Center that she picked up yesterday called The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches, by Alice Low, illustrated by Jane Manning. Very cute book geared toward readers in grades 2-4, about a little witch who is afraid of her two older, bossy and nasty sisters until she discovers her own magic one Halloween night.

Like I try to do during read-alouds, I let Cora’s first time reading through the italics and ignoring them go.

She didn’t alter the meaning of the text; she just ignored the text feature. It’s all good.

But when she finished the book and we were talking about it, I said, Man, I liked how fluently you read that story. You really do a good job of paying attention to the punctuation, especially when people are speaking. I showed her a few places where she did this, pointing out specific examples.

One thing I’d love for you to do next time you read it, though, is keep your eyes open for certain text features–like italics. I personally love italics and bold when I see it in books. Do you want to know why?

She nodded.

I like italics and bold because it kind of lets you know what the author wants the reader to emphasize.

Like here: (I flipped back to the beginning of the book.) I read, ‘Her oldest sister, Polly knew everything’. See how ‘knew’ is in italics? The author wants us to say it with more emotion to make a point–that the oldest sister had a brain full of information.

Cora stopped me. She closed the book.

Confidently, she declared: Well I don’t care about italics. The author is not the boss of me.

I honestly felt like I was in a bad sitcom. I have not a clue where she ever heard that phrase, but not much surprises me from my tiniest.

Well that’s fine, I said. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to when it comes to reading. We really just want you to find good books that you enjoy and like reading. But the thing with italics and bold is–that they help ‘complete’ the story. Sure, you can read anything on the page–the words–and look at the illustrations–but if you ask me, text features like italics just take it a step further. They take the reading up a notch. Like beginners may just read the words, but experts may read it all–italics, bold, the whole thing. Because they want to get the whole picture.

I showed her two other places in the text where the author used italics, focusing on the part when little witch Wendy was sad in her bed, hugging her broomstick. She says, ‘At least I have you. . . you give me a little witch power’.

We talked a bit about that statement and how it sounds different when a person reads it without emphasizing ‘you’ and with emphasizing ‘you’.

She wouldn’t budge. I didn’t convince her of the power of italics. . . but at least I got her thinking. I hope.

Is this skill imperative for young readers’ understanding of a text? Must they be able to respond to every text feature they encounter in fiction or non-fiction texts?

Honestly, it’s not the hill I want to die on. (Notice deliberate use of italics, please.)

If kids are decoding the text in a book like this, and if they understand and appreciate the story, it’s all good. However, Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, grade 2 requires that students understand how text features are used in nonfiction (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.5).

And if you jump on over to the fiction side of CCSS, you’ll see that students need to acknowledge different points of view of characters which they can express by reading in a different voice for each character when reading aloud (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.6)–so this is where understanding the text features in order to best understand the characters would come into play. Or when ‘integrating knowledge and ideas’ students have to use information gained from illustrations or words in a text . . . in order to demonstrate understanding of characters, plot, or setting (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.7). So does this count as ‘information gained from words in a text’? Hmmmm.

So there you have it. They’ve got to understand how text features like this are used, but if they choose not to read it that way, it’s their choice. Kids just have to show that they understand what’s going on. And clearly, my kiddo gets that the author isn’t the boss of her.

fyi: affiliate links are used in this post

October 2, 2014 0 comments

family life parenting

Teach Kids Game Playing Etiquette

by Teach Mama August 27, 2014

written by Teach Mama

Originally published 12/7/09 but republished today because, well, it’s worth it–

When I first started teaching, in order to make ends meet, I ran several after-school activity clubs at an elementary school near the high school where I taught.

I headed anything from Craft Club to Calligraphy Club to Board Game Club to Chess, Checkers, and Mancala.

I ended up doing about a million sessions of Chess, Checkers, and Mancala because the same group of kids signed up for every single session for three straight years.

What I learned–among many things–is these little “gamers” were skilled at the games but were not skilled at game playing etiquette.

They knew the rules, but not that they couldn’t be sore losers or no one would want to play with them next time. They could talk a good game but cried when the first guy jumped his king. All I needed was one big, unstoppable, messy, dramatic (and I mean dramatic) tear-fest with a few first, second, and third graders before I knew something needed to change.

Kids playing

So I organized detailed tournaments to guide their games, but I also set up two specific rules that every little player needed to follow. And that’s today’s Quick Trick.

Game Playing Etiquette: Since Owen and Maddy have officially moved into ‘game playing’ mode, they, too, have officially demonstrated some really frustrating sore-loser behavior. And rule stretching. And crying if one person draws a better card. And quitting if the next person completes a longer snake in Hissss, a higher card for WAR, a smarter move in checkers.

So recently, I’ve had to enlist my old ‘Chess, Checkers, and Mancala’ rules on my own little ones, and it takes a lot of practice. It’s a work in progress.

Here’s the skinny in two steps:

1. Before games begin, everyone shakes hands, looks directly into their opponent’s eyes, and says, Good luck.

2. At the end of the game, same thing: players look directly into their opponent’s eyes, and–win or lose–they say, Good game.

For my Chess, Checkers, and Mancala guys, if they forgot a step, the game was declared null and void, and an immediate re-start was in order, no matter how far they were in the game. I had to witness each handshake to make the games official. (Gosh, I was tough.)

With Maddy, Owen, and Cora, I haven’t been that hardcore, but usually someone remembers before we start.

And yes, these messages might seem cold, impersonal, and forced, but my intention was to get the players to look at each other and touch each other so that they remembered they were playing with a peer and not their parent (who might usually let them get away with this kind of behavior).

I also knew that some guys did want to cry at the end if they lost, so ‘good game’ might be the only thing they could manage to say.

It’s certainly not an instant remedy for sore losers or bratty players, but I think–hope–pray?— it may be a step in the right direction. Only time will tell. . . .

Until then, good luck!

Once they know how to play together, they may enjoy playing indoors no matter the weather!

Check out Teach Kids How to Stand Up for Themselves.

fyi: affiliate links are used in this post

August 27, 2014 5 comments

Newer Posts

Older Posts

How to Have a Family Meeting–What Works for Us:

How to Play Bunco With FAMILIES:

To play Bunco, you need:

Grab our score sheets and table cards here, and make sure that you print enough!

And you’ll need Table Cards.

To play Bunco:

You can download our Bunco Rules Sheet here:

Remember, that the fun part about Bunco is the prizing!

But you cannot forget about the Bunco snacks!

The great thing about Bunco is that it’s crazy easy and that you need very little brain power to make it work.

Some helpful hints for playing with families:

Best Bunco Game Night Snack Ideas:

Finding Time for What You Love–‘The Fringe Hours’:

Why you need The Fringe Hours

This whole book is aligned with what we’re doing in our #livefocused in 2015 push, and I’m thrilled.

How to Do a Family Fondue Night–Special Occasion Dinner:

You need a fondue set to make this happen.

One thing I love about fondue is that everyone can help with just about every step in some way, shape or form.

Have them get involved in making fondue:

We usually go with a 3-course fondue event: cheese, broth, and chocolate.

Course 1: cheese fondue

Course 2: broth fondue

Some helpful fondue-making hints:

Course 3: chocolate fondue

Fondue is a super-fun, memory building event for families.

Do you want our recipes?

Melted Bead Suncatcher:

In order to create the Melted Bead Suncatcher, you need:

The details for how to make these are outlined clearly in The Artful Year but essentially, you follow these basic instructions:

We love, love, love how these turned out.

The Artful Year is filled with dozens of seasonal and holiday crafts and recipes.

GIVEAWAY: Your very own copy of The Artful Year, by Jean Van’t Hul.

Valentine’s Day Class Party Ideas–Cool Activities to Get Kids Moving and Creating:

Class Party Plan: Every party needs a plan.

3 15-minute stations:

1. Decorate Valentine Mail Bags:

2. Art Station:

Sand Art

Scratch Art

3. Action Games:

Frisbee Race

Love Bugs Cleanup

Heart Target

Valentine Delivery:

Snack

Extra time?

Want the Party Plan and Heart Target Score sheet?

26 Cool, New Family Traditions to Start in the New Year:

Want to download the fancy-schmancy 26 cool, new family traditions poster?

note from reader

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my response

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Halloween Party Ideas for Kids and Classrooms:

Here’s everything you need to rock this party:

1. Get in touch with the teacher.

2. Send out a class letter.

3. Send out a second class letter requesting contact information.

4. Make a plan.

5. Get everything you need for the party.

6. Assign one volunteer to each game station:

Game Stations: (quick, 10-minute stations will keep the party movin!)