I love the idea of turning simple and seemingly useless objects into fun educational resources or toys. It shows kids the importance of innovating, being creative and valuing what’s around them. Take a look at all of the fantastic activities I have created and found using mainly popsicle sticks! If you’ve got a stash of popsicle sticks lying around or you’re looking for a fun and creative lesson idea, keep reading! 1. A Probability Game This is such a fun probability game, and it’s super easy to create! All you need are popsicle sticks, a paper towel roll, scissors and a marble (or small ball of playdough). See the pictures and captions below for moreContinue reading
Tag: ideas
Summer Research Projects for Kids
Summer vacation will undoubtedly be filled with many fun activities for kids to enjoy. This doesn’t mean we can find small ways of keeping up studious habits, while still enjoying the break. So, I’ve put together a list of summer research project for kids, that will get your kids excited about learning and also implementing their new found knowledge. Here we go: Planet Research Have your kids research various planets, our solar system or the stars. You could take them to a local science center or planetarium. They could also supplement their research online (and which kid doesn’t love a reason to use the internet :)). The best part: on a nice summer night, take theContinue reading
Teaching Kids Kindness
*This post contains affiliate links for convenient viewing* The kids in our care are still developing parts of their character, that will go on to shape how they treat others and how they view themselves. As teachers and parents we have a unique and powerful role to help shape and mold the best parts of our students and kids. One lesson I truly love to teach to my students is kindness. There is no better feeling in the world then knowing that your kindness has left someone else better off, and kids need to experience this amazing feeling. There are lots of opportunities for children to laugh at their peers’ mistakes or call each otherContinue reading
Yasmine’s Belly Button Book Review and Lesson Ideas
Summary Yasmine’s Belly Button is an endearing story is about a young girl named Yasmine, as she gets ready for her first day of school. As she feels butterflies in her stomach about her first day, Yasmine notices her belly button. She begins to wonder why it’s there and embarks on a series of discoveries about the significance of her belly button. Yasmine’s mom tells her all about their connection as mother and daughter, and soon Yasmine realizes that everyone has a belly button in common! Thoughts This book is as much of a tale for mothers as it is for young kids. It will definitely pull on any parent’s heartstrings as it recounts much ofContinue reading
Fall Inspired Science Lessons
Each new season brings about features that are perfect for scientific investigation and inquiry. Fall is no exception. Here are some fall inspired science lessons that will have your students summoning the scientific process like pros! Life Cycles Use pumpkins (or another Fall fruit/plant) as a way to talk about a plant’s life cycle! First, discuss the journey of a seed, germination, sprouting and more! Here are some diagram ideas that students can create: After much discussion, have your students see a plant come to life before their eyes! Open a pumpkin, leave the seeds inside, add soil and water. Have students track the plant’s growth and keep a journal with their observations. Science Investigators PartContinue reading
Ideas for Fall Language Activities
There is so much to be described in the Fall season, which means it naturally lends itself to many language activities. Students can engage in describing, creating, reflecting and reading all about Fall features. Take a look at the following Fall language activities that link back to curriculum. Most of these activities can be tweaked to apply to a variety of grades and difficulty levels. Reading For Meaning Speaking & Writing – Word Choice There are so many special experiences to be had in the Fall season, so it works perfectly to have students practice expanding their word choice and descriptions. Check out the following ideas: Writing – Classifying Ideas Paragraph Writing WhatContinue reading
Book Review: Ish by Peter Reynolds (with Activity Ideas)
*This post contains affiliate links for convenient viewing* If you’re looking for a book to uplift and inspire young students, then Ish by: Peter Reynolds will do just that! Summary: Ish is a story about a boy named Ramon who loves to draw. One day his brother catches a glimpse of one of his sketches and mocks his work. This causes Ramon to feel a sort of dread, which eventually causes him to give up on artistry! But, all of his self-doubt comes to an end when he notices that his little sister has created a gallery of all his crumpled up art papers. He realizes that his work is a unique representation of the world aroundContinue reading
Stylish Classroom Decoration Ideas
Elementary classrooms are known to be decorated with splashes of color, big bold displays, word walls, schedules and more! However, often times teachers may forget to include a little bit of their own style sense in their classroom while catering to the eyes of their little students. But, there’s no reason why we can’t make our classrooms both a stylish and engaging environment. Here are 6 of the most stylish classroom decoration ideas I have come across, that are: affordable, DIY without requiring too much skill, and lastly, a stylish twist to any classroom. Check these ideas out: 1.Remodel An Ikea Trivet Ikea’s trivet is super useful in the classroom because you can apply pushpinsContinue reading
Book Review: Bismillah Soup (with Lesson Ideas!)
I recently had the pleasure of reading “Bismillah Soup” the first of two books to be released by emerging children’s author Asmaa Hussein of Ruqaya’s Bookshelf. Bismillah Soup is a book with many dimensions. It tells the tale of a young Somali boy named Hasan, who lives a humble life in a rural town. His family is struggling to put food on the table, so Hasan dotes an optimistic attitude and takes matters into his own hands! He promises his mom a fantastic dinner. Hasan can’t do it alone though, so he gets some much needed help from his local Imam and community members. Everyone chips in and contributes to what becomes a town feast.Continue reading
Creative Classroom Bulletin Boards You Must Try!
We spend a lot of time making sure our classroom is bursting with color and creativity in order to stimulate our students and make them excited to learn. I personally enjoy coming up with creative ways to design my classroom so that students feel a sense of care, while also learning something from the classroom itself. Therefore, I came up with a list of some of the most creative classroom bulletin boards I’ve seen. You’ve got to try these out! 1. Did you know? There are so many interesting facts and tidbits in this vast world of ours, and often times we don’t get to share these with our students. So naturally, I lovedContinue reading