Friends, if you and your family are not talking openly and often about internet safety, then you really must start doing so now. What better time to start than on Safer Internet Day, February 5? Safer Internet Day is geared toward making sure all people join together and do what they can to make the internet a safer place for everyone—especially for our younger users. But how do we do this? We barely understand the internet, right? So how are we supposed to help our kids be … [Read more...]
how to make poetry ROCK for kids (start now — it’s national poetry month!)
Did you know that April is National Poetry Month? It is. What does that even mean? It means that this month is all about celebrating poetry! You know what, my friends? Poetry is different today than it once was. No longer are poems relegated to the boring topics of flowers or romance. No way. Now? Poems are about anything and everything. They rhyme or they're free verse. Anything goes. And so to honor National Poetry Month, I thought I'd share a few of our favorite … [Read more...]
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 awesome. Our family was invited by the great people at Nintendo to check out the HQ and to learn about what Nintendo has in store for the upcoming holiday season. Actually, even though I really, truly enjoyed the experience, I think I may have scored some really huge mom-points with Maddy and Owen. And as they move quickly into their teen years, I will … [Read more...]
circle round: new storytelling podcast for kids #circleround
I've been on the hunt for great podcasts for kids for a long time now, and I think I hit the jackpot. Actually, I know I hit the jackpot. And I cannot wait to share. The podcast is called Circle Round, and it rocks. Circle Round is a new storytelling podcast for kids ages 4-10, but I really think kids even a bit older--through middle school--would appreciate these stories. Each episode tells carefully-selected, diverse folktales from around the world which are adapted for … [Read more...]
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 for these two little, blue robots. As tiny and unassuming as Dash and Dot are, I really thought that they'd be no big deal--just another beeping, flashing something that my kids would play with for a few days and then drop like an old Micky D's Happy Meal toy. But no. Dash and Dot robots are seriously awesome. These robots teach kids … [Read more...]
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, sleeping, and breathing reading. And I'm ready to bring you into the mix, too. So buckle up. The more we talk about reading, think about reading, and get excited about reading, the better. Believe me, the more reading we do as parents and educators, the more our kids will want to read. Promise. So this year, I've teamed up with my sweet and … [Read more...]
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 mean. Being prepared for a disaster and knowing what to do in the event of a fire are two of those topics that we need to revisit time and time again. The more we do, the better prepared our children will be. Promise. Each year for the past few years, I have been honored to work with the National Fire Protection Association and Sparky.org to … [Read more...]
how to be a blogstar: start a blog and make it work for YOU
Who doesn’t want to be a blog star? You've heard about blogging and want to get started on the right foot, wasting no time at all. You love blogging, and you want to do it right. You just need a few tricks to get you re-charged and energized and to propel your blog to new heights. Why not be a star? I'm ready to share anything and everything I know to help you succeed with blogging and make your blog the go-to blog for its topic. It's what you need to read whether you're … [Read more...]
pokemonGO: what it is and what parents need to know
Oh, friends. Those of you who know me know that Pokemon is one of my least favorite things in the whole, wide world. I struggled through Owen's crazy Pokemon stage a few summers ago, trying to learn to distinguish Charizard from Charmeleon and Pidgey from Pidgeotto so that I could try to understand what he was talking about--all the livelong day. Maddy, Cora, my husband and I tried to play Pokemon, flipping cards and talking about evolutions and attacks and CP and EX (probably wrong … [Read more...]
support for struggling readers: immersion reading
What should I do--my child hates reading!! Is there a ‘quick fix’ for my son, who struggles with reading? My daughter tells me she can’t read. Now what? I think she can read--I just think she doesn't like to read. How should I react when the summer reading conversation causes stress, anger, or anxiety for my son? What is better for my child--a regular book? an ebook? an audiobook? Is there a tool available to make reading easier for my kids? More enjoyable? Friends, … [Read more...]
creative writing and book creation app for kids
You know I'm always on the hunt for ways to make screen time really count for my kids. I'm constantly trying to sift through all of the junk out there (because, friends, we all know there's a lot of junk out there!) to find apps that are really worth our time and money. It's difficult. Really, it is. But thanks to our friends at Fingerprint, we were introduced to Scribble Press Deluxe, an app you can grab either over at iTunes or Google Play for less than a cup of coffee. This app … [Read more...]
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