Reading is perhaps one of the most important skills for a child to learn. During the school year, teachers guide and encourage their students to read, and they open them up to the magical worlds that only reading can lead to. So it's important to continue to flex those skills, and keep kids open to those worlds over the summer too. There are countless traditional ways to promote literacy, from reading groups and worksheets, to e-books and other electronic activities but the summer provides an … [Read more...]
13 Kitchen Science Projects to Blow Your Kids’ Minds
With the record-breaking rainfall on the west coast and the severe winter storms on the east coast, I think it is fair to say we could all use a few good indoor activities to keep the kids engaged about now. I usually turn to arts and crafts, but lately I have been trying to introduce a little more science to my little ones. Since I don't want to leave the house when the weather is so terrible, I definitely don't want to be running all over town looking for specific materials for … [Read more...]
Quiet Time Activities Perfect for Getting Kids to Calm Down for Bed
Image Credit: © Suzette Pauwels (text added) | 01.09.11 | CC by 2.0 Today I have something uber useful for you guys - a bedtime post from Jillian of A Mom with a Lesson Plan (a great site you really should check out if you're not already familiar). I've posted Jillian's game-changing, quiet-time-before-bedtime idea on MPMK's facebook wall a few times and have always gotten a huge response. Today she's here to expand on the idea and share her favorite pre-bedtime quiet activities broken … [Read more...]
4 Simple Summer Routines for Beating the Summer Slide
Next week is the last week of school for us and I know summer vacation has already started for many of you! To help you prepare for a wonderful summer filled with lots of relaxing, playing, connecting, and - yes - even learning, I've asked my good friend Mariah of Playful Learning to stop by and share her tips. To say Mariah is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to education, is an understatement. She has 20 years of experience working in the field of education and a Master of Science … [Read more...]
25 Simple Play Ideas for Fall
I've written a lot about the importance of family traditions, big and small. But one thing I sometimes forget is how many mini traditions we've built around the changing of each season. It's often not until the leaves start turning colors and there's a chill in the air that I remember how much the kids love it when I have a hot pot of apple cider simmering on the stove, or reading In November together under a big soft blanket. Today our contributor Alli is here sharing some of her favorite … [Read more...]
STEM: 20 Kitchen Science Experiments Your Kids Will Love
I don't mean to scare you or anything but, it's May folks. Summer vacation will be here before you know it - do you have a plan? Mine is to set up some sort of loose schedule. Nothing too confining but a flexible outline of how any days spent at home are going to go. I'll have more details later this month, but for now, suffice to say, I'm gathering resources. And this list is one of them. Summer is the perfect time to try a science experiment or two from the comfort of your own … [Read more...]
Kitchen Science: Easter Candy Experiments
Every year I get a little blindsided by Easter. Halloween I totally equate with lots of candy and general sugar overload, for sure. But when it comes to Easter, I think of dying boiled eggs and a big fancy brunch. What I always fail to remember, until it's upon me, are the mass amounts of chocolate my littles collect over the holiday, mainly at the neighborhood Easter egg hunt. Fortunately, my 6 and 4 year olds are slightly obsessed with experiments of all varieties right now and, it turns … [Read more...]
Earth Day Activity: Recycled Planters
Up-cycled or recycled planters are the perfect Earth Day activity for kids, which is coming up April 22nd (only 2 days after Easter so don't blink and miss it). It incorporates two earth-friendly activities - up-cycling AND planting - plus this particular version involves goggley eyes and what kid doesn't love those? Check out my full tutorial over on eHow's Mom Channel. For More Earth-Friendly Kid Activities, Check Out: How to Make an Up-cycled Inventors Box DIY Plantable Paper … [Read more...]
DIY Terrariums: Kids’ Teacher Appreciation Project
This is easily one of my favorite projects for teaching kids about planting. C and I originally made these cheerful succulent gardens for his preschool teacher on Teacher Appreciation Day but you could easily adapt the project for a variety of occasions. Use the chalkboard labels to write a special message for Mom on Mother's Day or simply to record the name of the plants you select. Go here to get the full tutorial and make sure you don't forget the colorful dinosaurs! Here are a few … [Read more...]