My kids learn best when they are active. Getting up and moving motivates kids to practice new skills and helps them to better retain the information. Plus, it's also lots of fun! Hands on : as we grow and The Pleasantest Thing and I are teaming up to bring Move and Learn! activities each week as part of a new series. To kick things off we are sharing move and learn activities from all over the web for each age group and I am focusing on active … [Read more...]
25 Glow in the Dark Kids Activities
My kids have been having so much fun this summer with glow in the dark activities! Staying up and playing after dark is always great and adding anything that glows to it doubles the fun. Here are 25 glow in the dark ways to learn, play and create with your kids! Glow in the Dark Learning Activities 1. Glow in the Dark Secret Messages 2. Glow in the Dark Alphabet Eggs 3. Letter Practice: Glow in the Dark Letter Hunt 4. Glow … [Read more...]
First Day of School Books
In our family we kick off the start of a new school year with a new book! For younger kids books about going back to school or what will happen on the first day of school can be both motivating and comforting. Here are 9 first day of school books that my kids have loved and asked to read over and over again. (affiliate links included for your convenience) First Day of School Books I Love School! by Philomen Sturge My kids love this cute … [Read more...]
Science for Kids: Flower Pigment Experiment
Do different color flowers have the same pigments? Not always. We have 3 types of dark pink flowers at our house so we decided to experiment to see if all of them were made of the same pigments. The kids chose petals from the three different types of flowers to test--roses, gerber daisies, and pink flowers from our front shrubs. While they were doing that I set up the rest of the experiment that I found on Scientific American. This science … [Read more...]
Does it Dissolve? Kids Science Experiment
Today's science week theme is liquids and we have a fun water activity for you! We experimented to see which solids would dissolve in water and the kids loved finding out if their predictions were correct. There is something extra fun about any science activity where you get to mix things! I told the kids what we were going to do and they raided the pantry to see what items we should test. They predicted whether or not each solid would … [Read more...]
How to Make a Cloud in a Bottle!
My kids love checking the weather each morning. They memorize the forecast and then quote the percentages of rain to us all day so I knew they would love making a cloud in a bottle!Before we started we talked about how clouds are made of little droplets of water or ice in the air. When warm air rises, like in the wind experiment we did, it expands and cools. As it does it can't hold as much water vapor and some of the droplets condense stick … [Read more...]
Fine Motor Weaving Busy Bag
For this month's Busy Bag of the Month I am sharing a fine motor skills busy bag that I got at my last swap! One of my friends made this weaving busy bag and we have had so much fun with it I asked her if I could share it with everyone. How to Make a Weaving Busy Bag 1. Collect ribbons, pipe cleaners, string, yarn, whatever you have. 2. Tie the end of each one to the end of a dish rack mat. 3. Show your child how to weaving the ribbon in … [Read more...]
10 Ways to Ease Kindergarten Anxiety
Kindergarten can be very different from anything your child has ever experienced before. The thought of the unknown can make kids feel anxious and unsure about starting school. While there will always be some level of nervousness when faced with a change, there are things you can do to ease anxiety and help calm fears about school. 1. Talk to your child. Discuss what fears he or she may have about school. This sounds simple, but can be … [Read more...]
