As a teacher and parent, I am always, always on the hunt for free, hands-on STEM activities for kids and teens. It's always been my goal to raise confident, curious kids--children who question the world around them and want to learn how and why things work the way they do. So whenever we've had questions about things, we researched the answer together. I was recently introduced to an incredible resource that I'm thrilled to share with parents and educators--it's totally free, it's … [Read more...]
what your kids MUST know about plants (hint: they’re a big deal)
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by BLOOM! to spread the word about its Educational Resource Toolkit. All opinions and stories are my own. Did you know that: half of the top 100 most prescribed medicines come from plants? spinach is being used to replicate human organs? simply looking at flowers and nature can improve your mood? 39% of the annual horticultural job openings are unfilled due to lack of qualified applicants? Guess what, friends? Plants are super important. … [Read more...]
eclipse 2017: free resources for families (even if you’re last minute)
Oh, how I envisioned creating this post three, four, even five weeks ago. But life got in the way. So here it is: eclipse 2017 resources for families--even if you're last-minute, like me. Unless you've been living in a cave, you know that on August 21, we'll experience a total solar eclipse. I am going to hit you quickly with everything we're doing on the big day so that you can do it, too. Grab a friend or two, a few other neighbors or families, or your students if you're back in … [Read more...]
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. Galaxy slime. Butter slime. Iceburg slime. Clear slime. Not. Even. Kidding. You name the slime, my kids have made it. Though we may be in the midst of a slime craze right now, little did my kids realize that we made slime way before it was even cool. That's how much of a trend-setter their mom is. Cooler than cool and they don't even realize … [Read more...]
kid-friendly july 4th treat: flag cake
One of our favorite summertime traditions involves sweets (big surprise). Every year for as long as I can remember, the kids and I have made a July 4th flag cake. It’s simple. It’s sweet. And it’s so pretty, it’s hard to take. It's a 100% kid-friendly July 4th treat: the traditional flag cake. All you need is a boxed cake mix, cool whip, strawberries, and blueberries, and you’re ready to rock and roll. Here’s the skinny. . . Traditional July 4th Flag Cake: Though there’s … [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...]
how to make homemade butter (crazy-cool simple science at home)
I have always been on the hunt for ways to make learning fun and natural for my kids. Ways to make learning happen on the fly and in meaningful ways. We'll research a little about frogs and toads when we find one in our back yard. We'll play around with leftover candy canes at the end of the holiday season. We'll run a red apple taste test to see which type of red apple is our favorite. We'll get dirty in the backyard garden each summer. This week, though, we ran into a situation … [Read more...]
backyard painting–with nature
Originally published June 16, 2011, I stumbled upon this post today, and it was a good reminder to slow down. No matter your child's age. We have been taking a lot of walks lately, just slow walks where we're looking closely at what's around us because I feel like we've been moving too quickly in the rush of the last weeks of school. And just like last year, when everyone started to get antsy and bickery and up and down and not too sure of what's going on because the school schedule's … [Read more...]
renewable energy: powering the planet | FREE virtual field trip and resources
I absolutely am over-the-moon thrilled and dance-around-the-kitchen excited about this virtual field trip. I can hardly stand the wait. Maddy, my sixth grader, has been learning all about renewable energy in science this quarter, so you better believe the minute I heard about this trip, I forwarded the information to her awesome teacher. I mean--how cool is it that in this day and age, students, parents, teachers--anyone!--can be transported across the world on a virtual field trip, … [Read more...]
littleBits: the perfect toy for curious, creative kids
Are your kids into LEGOs? Are they into blocks? Do your kids totally love Minecraft? Do they love building and creating? If so, they're probably a lot like my kids. Sure, Maddy, Owen, and Cora love being outside, hanging with friends, and sitting in front of the ole telly, but the also love using their hands and brains to make things. They're makers, if you will. And if you have makers on your hands, then I'm betting they'll also love … [Read more...]
soap experiments: easy backyard summer fun
Friends--now that swim and dive season is over, we're doing a whole lot more free bird play, lazy mornings, and long afternoons at the pool. It's been great, and I am so thankful. But each and every day we try to do something where there's some sneaky learning involved. Something a little more focused or directed. Something that allows my crew to use their brains and let their imaginations run wild. One day last week, we had the pleasure of having … [Read more...]
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