books about kindness — must-have’s for older and younger readers How can you start to spread a little kindness now? At your home? With your kids? In your community? I’ve got a few great books about kindness …Read morebooks about kindness — must-have’s for older and younger readers
family volunteering on martin luther king, jr day Four years ago was the very first year we volunteered as a family to honor Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. But it will not be the …Read morefamily volunteering on martin luther king, jr day
the must-send email to teachers before holiday break (or after!) Friends. I know for a while, we’ve all been thinking about gifts and gatherings and getting our families ready for the holidays, and now …Read morethe must-send email to teachers before holiday break (or after!)
our visit to nintendo us headquarters: 5 cool surprises #nintendoamerica We visited Nintendo US Headquarters in Seattle, Washington last week. Nintendo. Headquarters. Nintendo HQ. You guys, it was …Read moreour visit to nintendo us headquarters: 5 cool surprises #nintendoamerica
our favorite thanksgiving printables for BIG kids! This week is the big week for us–lots of travel, lots of family, lots of friends, and lots of food! Officially, the fun winter holiday season …Read moreour favorite thanksgiving printables for BIG kids!
Wonder the movie discussion guide for families #wonderthemovie We had the amazing opportunity to catch a screening of Wonder the movie last week, and it totally lived up to all of our expectations. Maddy, Owen, …Read moreWonder the movie discussion guide for families #wonderthemovie
strategies for handling sad, tragic news–as a family Originally published on Dec 15, 2012 in response to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School but republished today because it’s a message …Read morestrategies for handling sad, tragic news–as a family
how to get kids to talk about school: what every parent must know School’s in full swing here, and if your house is anything like mine, getting kids to talk about their day is sometimes difficult. I want to …Read morehow to get kids to talk about school: what every parent must know
25 days of kindness, 25 ways to be kind to others With school back in session, emotions are high over here. While many students are super excited to meet the new teacher, to see old classmates, and …Read more25 days of kindness, 25 ways to be kind to others
make fluffy slime (and get your kids reading these FREE printable slime recipes!) Oh, friends. If I had a dime for every time my kids talked about slime, I’d be a rich woman. Fluffy slime. Floam slime. Glitter slime. …Read moremake fluffy slime (and get your kids reading these FREE printable slime recipes!)
say NO to teen smoking: Right Decisions, Right Now When I was asked by the good people at Right Decisions, Right Now and We Are Teachers to share information about teens and smoking with my readers, I …Read moresay NO to teen smoking: Right Decisions, Right Now
bring STEM to life with Dash and Dot robots When I was first asked by my friends at WeAreTeachers and Wonder Workshop to look at Dash and Dot, I never imagined that we would fall quite so hard …Read morebring STEM to life with Dash and Dot robots
make summer learning ROCK with free bookmarks and Summer Brain Quest Oh, friends. You know that I am obsessed with continuing the learning for my kids over the summer, right? Every, single spring I do a little …Read moremake summer learning ROCK with free bookmarks and Summer Brain Quest
5 reasons to see ‘Gifted’ the movie and discussion guide for families #GiftedMovie Last month, Cora and I were flown out to Los Angeles for a press junket for Gifted, the new movie starring Chris Evans (, Mckenna Grace, Octavia …Read more5 reasons to see ‘Gifted’ the movie and discussion guide for families #GiftedMovie
must-have books for easter baskets Easter means egg hunts, candy, and plastic grass in bright baskets, right? Well what if you want to use this holiday as a time to sneak in a little …Read moremust-have books for easter baskets
join the #readchallenge and celebrate reading all month long March is the time to really celebrate reading, my friends! Especially this year, now that I’m back in the classroom, I have been eating, …Read morejoin the #readchallenge and celebrate reading all month long
talking to tweens about drugs: it’s time to start now Sometimes when I actually stop to think about the fact that we have a 12, 11, and 9 year old in the house, I cannot even believe it. I absolutely …Read moretalking to tweens about drugs: it’s time to start now
pat on the back notes for kids who are trying their best Let’s face it, friends. Life for kids can be pretty tough. It’s hard to be a kid these days–harder than it was for …Read morepat on the back notes for kids who are trying their best
say something week: prevent violence or suicide in YOUR child’s school Did you know? When it comes to violence, suicide and threats, most are known by at least one other individual before the incident takes place. …Read moresay something week: prevent violence or suicide in YOUR child’s school
national fire prevention week: sparky’s firehouse game for kids No matter the age of your children, my friends, we’ve got to talk to them about tough topics. Age-appropriate, of course, but you get what I …Read morenational fire prevention week: sparky’s firehouse game for kids