Originally published December 7, 2011, but republishing because it rocks. I'm always on the hunt for ways to make math more fun over here, especially since math is not my forte. So when Maddy came home with 'play game with someone' as her assignment one day a few weeks ago, I was all for it. Mommy! I get to play a game for homework tonight! Let's start it right away!! Music. To. My. Ears. And the more we played, the more I loved it. And the more we played, the more Owen wanted … [Read more...]
alphabet egg hunt: uppercase and lowercase letter match
Originally published on April 2, 2013, but republished today because it totally rocks. Kids need to learn the letters of the alphabet. And even if we play with the letters for ten minutes a day, it adds up--and before we know it, our kids will be ready for success in reading and in school. It's a perfect time of the year to throw in some sneaky before-nap or after naptime learning for our little ones, and though I know finding time can often be difficult, here's an easy one for you: … [Read more...]
st. patrick’s day BRAIN TEASER scavenger hunt
Even though our lives have changed quite a bit since I started this blog seven years ago, one thing has remained the same: we love to rock it out for holidays. Even big kids like to rock it out for the holidays. So this year, I decided to kick up our traditional St. Patty's Day Scavenger Hunt just a wee bit. My kids are quick, and they're smart. So our Scavenger Hunt needs to be tricky and engaging to keep them interested--or at least to stretch our hunt a bit … [Read more...]
last minute Valentine ideas for busy families
We're in the home stretch for Valentine's Day, so I wanted to hit you with a few ideas that you could use today or tomorrow to make this day of loooove memorable for your loved ones. Right now, these posts are all a buzz over on the blog: Minute to Win It Games for Kids & Family How to Throw A Rock-Star Valentine's Day Class Party Musical Hearts: Reading, Moving, and Crazy-Fun Kid Game Valentine's Day Class Party Ideas, 2.0 And in the last few days, thousands and … [Read more...]
room parent 101: 3 tricks to make the year rock (and free tools to stay organized!)
So, you're a room parent this year, huh? Whether you've been roped into it or whether you chose to take on this important role on your own free will, there are some things you must know: You will have a lot of fun. Really, you will. The kids are so cool. They are. And the parents appreciate you! You will be organized. From right now until the end of the year, friend, you must stay organized. You will need a team. So starting now, you may be the room parent, but you will have a … [Read more...]
how to play James Bond: fun card game for familes, by cora mascott
This summer has been all about card games over here. We've been doing a lot of card game playing, and I remember doing the same when I was young. We'd go on card game binges almost--playing the same card game for days on end. It's part of being a kid, I think. So I'm thrilled to have Cora over here again, guest posting for me and sharing one of our favorite card games of the summer: James Bond. One of the kids' babysitters taught them how to play James Bond last summer, but this … [Read more...]
go on an ABC hunt | reading tip 11 #raiseareader
As parents, we teach out kids so many foundational skills. We teach them to sleep, to walk, to eat, and to talk. We teach them how to dress, to tie shoes, to maintain healthy habits, and to stay organized. However, sometimes parents feel like teaching the 'school' things--like letters and numbers--is not their job. But it is, friends. It really is. And the more parents who jump on board with teaching the basics like the letters of the alphabet and numbers, the … [Read more...]
play with syllables so kids hear sounds in words | reading tip 10 #raiseareader
One of my earliest memories of feeling confused in school was the day my teacher tried to teach us about syllables. She had us put our hands on our chin and then feel our chin move up and down as we opened our mouths, vocalizing each syllable of a word. Yep. Except that because we were so young--and so many of us were confused--our chins were all moving at different times. There was no synchronous counting of syllables. Just a whole bunch of confused Kindergartners or first … [Read more...]
alphabet hunt: on the road abc fun
This is one of my first ever posts, and it's one that I have shared hundreds of times. It was originally published on January 17, 2009, but I'm re-sharing it today with a few more photos and better links to the download. Enjoy! Have you heard about our simple but seriously fun Alphabet Hunt? Our fun way of searching for the uppercase or lowercase letters of the alphabet? Here it is: Today was a hectic travel day for us, but I was determined to use our travel window more wisely than I … [Read more...]
(more!) word puzzle lunchbox notes
You guys. My kids love these new! word puzzle lunchbox notes. And my kids' friends love these. And my friends' kids love these. It all makes me so happy because the more we're talking about words and thinking about how it all comes together, the better. It's awesome. So as soon as I realized that our Word Puzzle Lunchbox Notes were a hit, I was on the hunt for more wordy-word puzzles. And I found them. Deep in the catacombs of my old teaching resources, in the boxes … [Read more...]
minute to win it class party: organized, planned, and super-fun
A Minute to Win It class party? You bet. We have been all about Minute to Win it this year after we rocked out a Minute to Win It Family Game Night a few months ago, so when I asked Owen what he wanted to do for his Valentine's Day class party, without hesitation, he said, Minute to Win It!! So I started thinking about how we could make this work for a classroom filled with 24 fourth graders. It definitely would be vastly different from our little, at-home 10-person family … [Read more...]
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