Get motivated with these 8 powerful habits that have improved my life and learn how you can develop positive habits to change your life.
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These dog friendly fun things to do are the best activities and ideas for your dog bucket list. Days out with him will make you both happy!
Fun Things To Send in The Mail that do not require special packaging. Just add stamps and mail for a unique inviation or birthday present.
One part summer, two parts alcohol, ALL parts delicious, my Giggle Juice recipe is the happy-making beverage of choice for this year's hot nights!
This post may contain affiliate links at no extra cost to you. Please see our disclaimer for more information. In this post, learn how to be happy by yourself and some fun things to do alone this summer. In the...Read More
Explore Your Crochet's free patterns blog and discover inspiring ideas to ignite your creativity. Read our post, 'Happy Bears Free Crochet Pattern'.
I was recently working on a couple of classy logos, focusing on a timeless style and a simple, clean look. Naturally, I explored legible san...
Hello friends :) Happy New Year, lol! I can't believe that I haven't blogged in 6 months. Life has been busy I guess, right?! I recently had a lot of fun in the studio making little paper houses. I posted several photos on my Facebook page. The response has been great and I've had several requests for a tutorial, so I wanted to share that with you all. Here it is... Step 1: I took some mop up paper I had saved. It was basically a piece of paper I had taped down to my work space to protect it from paint, sprays, etc. Step 2: I cut out some basic house shapes, no measuring! Just wing it, more fun indeed. Step 3: I cut some windows and doors out of a contrasting color. This helps them to sort of pop forward from the house itself and adds some interest. Glue these down with a glue stick. Step 4: I used a water soluble journaling pen (Pilot G-2 07) to outline the house, roof, windows and door. Step 5: I took a water brush and brushed lightly over the lines I drew. This gave a darker definition and helps pop those doors and windows!! :) Step 6: I added doodles, dots and little design elements to unify colors and shapes. I also added some words and hearts. Don't forget to draw a door knob! Below are some pics of various houses I have made. Hope this has helped fuel your creative juices. Have fun making these, but be warned they are very addictive! :)
Celebrate the upcoming solar eclipse with Galaxy Slime! Glitter glue combined with star sequins make this fun galaxy slime.
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These cheap and unique hobbies are not part of working hours. They exist to let your mind go; it is no longer about being productive, just about feeling good.
Don't let the rainy days get you down! Enjoy the weather with these awesome rainy day date ideas! Best Things To Do On A Rainy Day For Adults & Couples.
Here are 50 fun penpal ideas and things that you put in your letter. Get inspired with this ultimate list of cheap and flat gifts for your penpal and enjoy mailing even more! Nothing can beat the f…
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This cute mini elephant by Supergurumi is easy and quick to crochet and is perfect as a little cuddle buddy, gift or key chain. #amigurumi #crochet
Mr. Men is a series that contains 48 children's books created by the author, Roger Hargreaves that started in 1971. Out of all of them only two were not published in English. This unique book series includes characters with names lijke Mr. Tickle...
Teach your family about dishonesty in a way that will STICK with them for a long time! Get all the lesson info about the effect of lies on the blog today.
This is an amazing art and math lesson that I got from a teacher at a conference who did teach a district over from me, but is now getting her PhD. She always had amazing stuff to present at conference. (You're amazing, Mary Franco!) Anyway, this lesson involves Paul Klee and multiplication. I made a little three page Smart Notebook lesson about Klee's work "Once Emerged From the Gray of Night" (where I used to show a poster of it) and have the students talk about what's more important--the words of the poem or the colors and composition? Then we talk about putting two things (like writing and art, or math and art together). It's SUCH an amazing lesson, here's a sneak peek: So, students get a little background knowledge of Klee, then we talk about tessellations and multiplication (and practice on the Smart Board). Then, students get a page of one-inch graph paper and write out a one digit by one digit multiplication problem with a two digit answer. I tell them to choose one that's hard for them to remember, or their favorite one. They then repeat that problem seven times, dropping down and over one square for 4 times, then down and back a square for three times, making them into interlocking tessellation shapes: After they've drawn it all out in pencil and I've checked it, they choose ONE color of fine-tip marker to trace it with, then use colored pencil or watercolor pencil to color. The coloring is a bit of a challenge for them, because they need to forget that they're numbers and only look at the space. They then color it in patterns/designs to make it visually interesting and play with people's minds ('math? I dont' see any math!') It's an awesome lesson that really challenges their thinking. This one really shows the patterns and designs. Oh, it's also important that their numbers COMPLETELY fill the one inch box of the graph paper. I always try to do this lesson at a time of the year when classroom teachers are complaining about students not remembering their math facts. I usually do it with fifth grade, but I did it with sixth one year at the teachers' request.
50 things to do together, other than watching movies. A list of things to do for married couples, dating couples, roommates, and friends!
If you’re like most people, you respond with “Good” when someone asks how you’re doing. Spice things up with witty and funny responses.
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40+ high energy toddler activities that are the perfect ways to burn off energy. Great indoor activities for your super active 2-5 year old.
If you are looking for creative learning activities and the best ways to make the most of your magnetic tiles then you have come to the right place.
Being a playful mom means taking the time to be silly with them. I get on their level and have fun. Because before I know it, my kids will be grown.
The one night that is most stressful for me is definitely Meet-the-Teacher Night, but I have learned through the years that it can also be...
Bored at home? There are lots of ways to be Productive and many productive things to do at home. Try this mega list of things to do when you're bored at home.
Hi there, I am thrilled to be joining my #kinderfriends for another great blog hop! We are sharing some of our favorite books for the classroom. The books I'm sharing today are all about bugs. I always end my school year with a big unit on insects and these are some of my must have books on the topic. I also have a great FREEBIE for you, so keep reading to go grab it. Bugs for Lunch is written by Margery Facklam and illustrated by Sylvia Long. I love this book because it introduces the concept of predators who eat insects. It has wonderfully written rhyming text just right for young children. The detailed illustrations are realistic and easy to understand for the little learners who will be looking at each page. It has a section in the back of the book with more information about each of the predators including humans with some of the countries and cultures where people eat bugs. You can go grab this book at Amazon by clicking on the image above. If you purchase this book through my link, I will recieve a tiny commission for sending you there. Thanks! (This is true for any of the links to Amazon on this post or anywhere on my blog.) All the book images on this post should take you to Amazon so you can get the book. The Backyard Books series by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries are MUST HAVES for a unit on insects. I alternate the focus of my unit each year between butterflies, ladybugs, and honeybees. I have one of these books for each of those insects. You can also find these books for ants, dragonflies, snails, and spiders. This book, Are you a Butterfly? takes your class through the journey of a butterfly's life cycle in a fun and conversational way. It is loaded with information including food, molting, growth, and also has a section at the end with more interesting facts. The illustrations are incredible and depict many important concepts you will be teaching your students if you do a unit on insects. You can grab this over at Amazon by clicking on the image above. Beetle Bop is by Caldecott Honor winning author and illustrator, Denise Fleming. This book is so much fun! Her colorful, vibrant illustrations and energetic, rhyming text will keep your little students engaged as you enjoy a variety of examples from the largest group of insects - beetles. My kiddos were interested to learn that ladybugs are part of the beetle family and we discussed that they are actually named ladybird beetles. This book is perfect for pre-k and kindergarten students! There are lots of language lessons you could connect with this book. It also makes a great five minute filler when you just need something quick. Do you know these books written by Dianna Hutts Aston and illustrated by Sylvia Long? I absolutely adore them. I own every single one they have created and my kiddos love them too! A Butterfly Is Patient is a non-fiction introduction into the world of butterflies that covers a variety of interesting concepts. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and they will delight your little entomologist's minds. I consider this book a treasure and I can't recommend it enough. If you teach a unit on insects or butterflies, you need this book in your collection. It touches on life cycle, pollination, protection from predators, food, size (smallest and largest), wing scales, comparison to moths, and migration. You may also want to check out some of the other titles by this dynamic duo. My other favorites include A Seed is Sleepy and An Egg is Quiet. After reading an awesome non-fiction book, I like to record some of the information my students remember or find interesting. This year we used a tree map to do that. We recorded information after reading A Butterfly is Patient and Are You a Butterfly. The check marks on the chart show when a second or third child contributes an idea that has already been recorded. The tree map becomes a handy reference in the classroom during our unit. This chart is blank and laminated so I can use it for any topic we are studying. I use Vis-a-vis wet erase markers to record our ideas. Then when we are done with our topic, I just wipe it down and tuck it away until we need it again. That's a little time saver for charts you know you will use over and over. I also want to share a fun art project you can do with your students to make the butterfly life cycle come to life for them. We made caterpillars using egg cartons cut down to four sections. First my students painted them and then we decorated them another day. The caterpillars were up on our flower garden bulletin board for several days. Then, when our live classroom caterpillars went into chrysalises, each of my little students wrapped their egg carton caterpillar into a butcher paper chrysalis. Then we hung those back on our bulletin board. Meanwhile, I also had my students paint a set of wings that were perfectly sized for the egg cartons. I framed this painting activity as a lesson on symmetry and didn't mention that the wings were for our caterpillars. The kiddos only painted one side of the wings and folded them in half to paint the other side. If you do that with your students, make sure they use LOTS of paint. This is the bulletin board with the chrysalises hanging in the garden: Then... this is the sneaky part... on the Friday afternoon before our open house, I take the caterpillars out of the paper chrysalises and glue the wings onto the caterpillars. I come back in on Sunday, when they are dry, and gently fold the wings around each body as I tuck it back inside the chrysalis and tape it back together. They go back on the bulletin board so that my little learners don't suspect a thing. Each student gets to open up his or her chrysalis during open house and discover that the caterpillar grew wings inside! This project is a bit of a time investment for the teacher, but the payback in joy for children is so worth it. ( It makes parents really happy too.) Here is another one up close: Her rainbow striped wings match her rainbow caterpillar perfectly! I think she knew what the wings were for... I usually put the butterflies back up on the bulletin board for another week before I send them home. Here it is: OK, this is my last book recommendation for you about bugs. I Wish I Were a Butterfly by James Howe and Ed Young is a fictional story about the littlest cricket at Swampswallow Pond. The cricket is desperately unhappy because he has taken a criticism to heart and believes he is ugly. He whines "I wish I were a butterfly" on just about every page of this classic tale. After lots of great advice from other bugs at the pond, it finally takes a long talk with a dear old spider friend to make him realize that being special is about much more than outside beauty. The story ends with a fantastic realization as a butterfly hears the cricket's beautiful music and declares "I wish I were a cricket" leaving young readers to infer how that made the littlest cricket feel and what he might have said next. The almost abstract illustrations by Ed Young are truly extraordinary and create a pond environment from a bug's perspective that will inspire a young child's imagination. I adore this book and read it to my class every year. I would read it even if I didn't do an insect unit. It's a great story with a good message. And finally... here is your freebie! This story map page can be used in many ways. Here you can see we used it as a way to record the setting, characters, and plot from the story above. I have my students do this as a small group activity with an adult to do the labeling and dictation. It is a great way to check comprehension and extend learning about any piece of fiction. Students can also use it as a map for their own story writing. Here is another by one of my little students: And here is what the blank looks like. The section in the upper right hand corner is blank so that you can write in the title and author/illustrator of the book you are using before you make copies. I hope this is helpful to you and your students! You can go grab this in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Just click on the link below the story map to go get it. Story Map FREEBIE by Katie Byrd There are lots more great books and ideas from the #kinderfriends. Keep hopping along and go visit my friend Robin over at Class of Kinders. Just click on the link below her picture. Class of Kinders - Book Bash Blog Hop Thanks for stopping by! Happy teaching!
Discover stunning Grand Teton National Park with this list of hikes and overlooks you can't miss -- written by a former park ranger!
These cardboard box activities and crafts are perfect for all ages! You'll never throw out another cardboard box again!
Looking for fun activities to do with your teenage daughter at home and out and about? Check out these mother-daughter date ideas perfect for those teen years.
I designed the free Warren pattern especially for people who want to make bears for donations. I had a few goals in mind as I worked on his design. . . He had to be easy to make. Easy enough for kids to make. He needed to be a good, huggable size. I wanted him
Create fun and engaging pre-writing activities for preschoolers to help them practice their hand writing skills with these 50 simple to set up ideas!
Do you practice life skills in your SPED classroom? If you don't, you should! Let me show you how to set up life skills centers.
