Planning class parties can be a real struggle, especially when you're rolling solo as the Room Parent. But for years now, I've made it my goal to share as much as was humanly possible so that no one's stuck trying to figure out what to do with 30 kids eager for a good Halloween par-tay. If you need a full-fledged Halloween class party, you can check out: Halloween class party ideas MORE Halloween class party ideas for the whole deal. But if you just need a quickie 10-minute activity … [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 past the … [Read more...]
valentine’s day class party ideas, 2.0
For many years now I've been roped into being Room Parent for my kids' classes, and though I do love the opportunity to meet other families from the school and to get to know the kids in the class, it's a lot of work. More than once I've wished that there was a secret site that gave me all of the Valentine's Day class party ideas I needed--the letters to send, the snacks to serve, crafts to make and the games to play. But knowing that such a thing doesn't exist and that each class party is … [Read more...]
valentine’s day water bottle labels: get kids reading jokes!
I love any reason to get kids reading--that's no secret. And I love a good joke. That's really no secret, either. So I made these Valentine's Day joke notes to put on plain-Jane water bottles, over the label. I love them. Valentine's Day water bottle labels will not only give your kids--or students--something refreshing to drink, but it'll give them something to laugh about as well. Here's the skinny. . . Valentine's Day Water Bottle Labels -- Get Your Kids Reading … [Read more...]
thank you delivery people: free printable for families
This time of the year is insane. We're moving so quickly, our to-do lists are nuts, and often we're totally forgetting to breathe. At least I am. So when I saw my sweet and smart friend Danielle Smith, of Pretty Extraordinary, take a minute to say "thank you" to the delivery people, I stopped and smiled. This is so simple. But it can really make someone's day. Here's the skinny. . . Thank You Delivery People -- Free Printable for Families It's a simple "thank you" that you can … [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...]
secret message valentines: homemade, candy-free, totally cool
Longtime fans of the ole homemade Valentine, I've had to get a little more clever and crafty as the kids get older. But I still want them writing, reading, and thinking (come on. . . at least a little!) while they're making them. So when I did some Valentine searching this year, I found a ton of cool ideas. A ton of cool ideas. There are about a million, trillion awesome homemade Valentines out there. But the Secret Message Valentines caught my eye. I knew Maddy, Owen, and Cora would … [Read more...]
black history month: resources for kids and families
We often talk about race in our home, but lately my kids have become more and more curious about the struggles that many so many groups have faced--African-Americans in particular--throughout our history. Yes, we have great books here, rich with information and ideas and stories, but I wanted a little more. We need a little more. So rather than fumble through their questions about race, history, and segregation, I wanted to give Maddy, Owen, and Cora some clarity--as much of the … [Read more...]
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 last. Already, we're looking for other ways we can give back to our community this year to celebrate the life of this great man. Family volunteering on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is easy, thanks to a handful of really awesome organizations designed to make finding volunteer opportunities the easy part. Not even kidding. It takes five … [Read more...]
new year’s interview: fun family tradition
It's New Year's Interview time! (I can hardly believe it!) This year, we made some minor adjustments to our traditional New Year's Family Interview because as the kids get older, I'm more interested in their thoughts and reflections than on their favorite color or best friend. So after our late-afternoon fondue dinner, we busted out with the biggie ice-cream sundae fixings. We made monster sundaes, got all crazy on sugar, and then got to work on our interviews--a fun and easy family … [Read more...]
gifts that give back: ideas for kids and family #givingtuesday
Did you know that today is Giving Tuesday? It's a really simple concept: give. Any way you are able, to anyone. Give. The concept of giving is especially important at this time of the year, and lucky for us, many organizations have made it super easy--and so meaningful!--to give at holiday time. Looking at my kids' bedrooms and our playroom, I see we need very little. So I'm encouraging all of our family members to do something this year that packs a bit more of a punch: buying … [Read more...]
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