What kid doesn't love parachutes? My boys have gotten so many of those parachuting army men as party favors, I've lost count. And forget trying to untangle the strings. (Ain't nobody got time for that!) The weather may not have been on our side, but with so many rainy days this summer, eventually you just throw caution to the wind and do outdoor activities anyway. And so it was the day we made DIY parachutes. Making these was simple. We had all the supplies we needed around the house. What You Need Disposable plastic (or paper) cup Plastic garbage sack String (we used some tightly twisted yarn) Paper punch Scissors Tape Measure or yardstick How to Make It First we punched holes in the top of the plastic cups, just under the rim. You'll need to punch four holes equal distance apart (approximately). Next we cut one plastic kitchen garbage sack into a 14-inch square. Since we made two parachutes, we measured and cut the bag with it flattened (i.e. two plies) so we had two squares with only a few cuts. Now we cut four 14-inch lengths of string for each parachute. Our oldest son gathered a corner of the plastic square and tied one length of string to it, leaving only a small tail. He repeated this with the other four corners. Then we tied each string to a different hole on the cup. (TIP: Try to keep the tails all the same length so you don't get a lopsided parachute.) Now all that was left to do was to go to a high place and drop those puppies. My sons perched on the landing of our deck and later our yard's play set. They LOVED watching them gracefully float to the ground. My oldest son tucked the parachute in the cup and dropped it to see what would happen. It sank to the ground with lightning speed. That's gravity for ya! How Does a Parachute Work The cup glides slowly down thanks to something known as air resistance (or drag). When air gets under it, the plastic parachute fans out for maximum coverage; this air resistance slows the fall of the object tremendously. This great activity came from Patricia A. Staino's wonderful book Magic Moments: Super Science with Your Kids. Check it out!

Spring Rolls are so pretty and I love all of the fillings that go inside of them before they're wrapped up.

How to find inexpensive souvenirs from your trip to Hawaii. The International Market Place in Waikiki is the place to be.

Remembering stars like Andrew Jack, Mark Blum, Terrence McNally, and more who died during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

Books possess a magical power to me as both an SLP and an avid reader. I've always loved getting lost in the plot and that's something that I want to share with people of all ages. Sorry for the song, but it just makes me think of reading a really good book. You can just go to that place in your mind and it becomes real for that brief moment in time. Today, I want to share a few ways that I use books (namely picture books) in therapy. I find that these methods are always in the back of my mind when I am looking for books to purchase even if they are only .10 cents at a yard sale. 1. Wh- questions--- My kids, if they ever had the chance, would probably tell you that I am always asking questions. We talk about what they think the book is going to be about based on the cover, who the characters are, who they like and don't like (and why), where the characters are, what they are doing, what is the problem, what do the characters do about the problem, why they do that....etc. I may ask questions after a sentence, a paragraph, or a few pages depending on the goals of that group. If I can't ask really good questions that have clear answers within the story that my students can get, then the book is not serving it's purpose in therapy. I focus most of my energy on picture books for that reason as the pictures provide some built in help. (That's not to say that I'm against using paragraphs or chapter books with my older students as long as it is appropriate.) 2. Sequence of events-- Some books are better at this than others (hint...Laura Numeroff). I usually stop every three pages with the younger ones to review what's happening. I may even have them act it out if I have manipulatives on hand. Like this one.... And here's another great example of animated literacy using a plush. I don't have this, but I have used items like this during graduate school with preschoolers. I love the way puppets and stuffed animals can bring stories to life for these students. They can hand you the items/put it in the appropriate place as the book is being read or use it to relive the story for a second time. I have thought about using a bucket/trash can from the Dollar Tree to make an Old Lady like the idea on this blog. 3. Vocabulary-- We talk about what words the kids know and what words are new. Is there anything that can help us figure out what the new word means (ie re-read the sentence and look at the illustrations. Does it have a prefix or a suffix?). We can then draw a picture on a note card to represent what this new word means for our word wall. 4. Predicting- What will happen next? (You may need to help them by asking "What would YOU do next?") 5. Role playing-- I particularly like to do this for stories that have a social skill involved. I've done a Thanksgiving play and several scenes from Super Duper's Social Scenes. (I love this book for older students and hope to get my hands on the rest of the set.) It takes the "What would YOU do?" a huge step forward as well as getting the kids to start using critical thinking skills to put themselves in the character's shoes. 6. Articulation- There are some books that are wonderful for artic therapy, particularly when you are at the carryover level on several sounds. I have used early phonics readers for sentence level and longer picture books for students that are at reading/conversational level. Check out Scholastic, Harper Collins, and even the author's websites for printables that accompany your books. There are tons of great ideas and materials to be found just by searching google (and I do that on a regular basis).

Do you find yourself losing that special relational connection with your son? Get that special connection with your son with these great tips!

Holidays and special occasions can be hard when someone is missing. Here are 5 small ways to honor loved ones you've lost at the holidays.

80 Day Obsession Week 3 update.

I've found the best way to do intermittent fasting for me. Here are my five favorite benefits of 18/6 intermittent fasting.

Giving my teenagers a budget is something I should have done long ago. Now, I'm trying to make up lost time and teach them some valuable lessons.

I love teaching letter writing in the classroom. Students love writing friendly letters to each other. I've got 6 ideas for making teaching letter writing easier for you including sample anchor charts, picture book ideas and extension activities.

Camping in a tent doesn't have to mean roughing it if that's not your style. These tent hacks will make your tent super comfy!

This past year has been the most severe learning curve of my life so far, and I've had more than a few. Here are a few of the most significant

I don't know your story, but loss is loss. So whether you've lost a dream, a child, a relationship or whatever, that hurts. Your pain is valid, and mourning is a necessary process to healing. You are allowed to be sad and even angry. But I want you to know that you are not alone in your pain. God is

Dear Husbands, I’ve heard from your wife—she needs your attention. She tells me she’s lonely. She feels isolated and ignored. Her life is wrapped around children, work, and/or household chores. She used to feel in love with life, and in love with you, but now she feels worthless and uninteresting. She feels like she’s forgotten…

Lord Jesus, life in this world hurts. And we know you understand our afflictions, grief, and sorrows more than anyone else (Isaiah 53:4-6). We pour intense love into our pets, and when they are tak…

I love INTERMITTENT FASTING! After trying so many weight loss diets, I've finally found a lifestyle instead of a diet that really works!

Are you planning to get back into drawing after a long break but don't know where to begin? Well, by being here, you have already taken one of the essential steps towards it; you have acknowledged your desire to pursue art and permitted yourself to start finding ways to make it fit into your life ag

In this article you'll find 12 Free Call Me Instantly Spells. They're easy to chant and follow. I've also added a few tips and tricks! Enjoy!

If you're supporting a husband or wife, spouse caregiver loneliness loneliness is a common issue. Thankfully, there are ways to make things better.

I'm going to walk you through exactly what Sewjo is, my own experience with losing mine, the best tips for navigating through that phase, and 6 infallible ways to get your sewjo back. Alright, let's dive!

"I've consistently lost weight month after month still eating all the foods I love."

Beef and Broccoli can be so hit and miss, right? Sometimes it's transcendent, other times it's gloopy and chewy. I've figured out the secrets! If you're a Chinese food lover, make this easy homemade Beef and Broccoli recipe for a healthy dinner that's faster (and cheaper) than takeout! A few Asian pantry staples are all you need to make this stir fry that is seriously SO GOOD. Healthy (check) one-pan meal (check) done in less than an hour (check!) Make it with 20 minute Rice or Cauliflower Rice!

How to find your authentic self when you've lost yourself in people pleasing. Finding your authentic self can be tricky when you've been focusing on others all your life. Here are 5 steps to discover yourself. They worked for me, so I hope they work for you too! :)

When journalist Ellie looks through her newspaper’s archives for a story, she doesn’t think she’ll find anything of interest. Instead she discovers a letter from 1960, written by a man […]