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Studio 5 Segment - July 7th 2010 - Mary-Margaret Pingree - Learning Outdoors
1-Go on a Number Hunt
Kids and parents love walks in the summer. Make numbers a fun part of your evening strolls. For small children, simply look for numbers as you go for a walk. House numbers, streets signs and license plates provide fun place to spot numbers. See how many "sevens" you can find or see who can add or multiply the four address numbers on the next house the most quickly. Have them put the house numbers into an equation and then tell everyone the answer. The first person to identify the equation wins.
Tie in:
Multi Colored Dice
12 Sided Dice
2-Keep an Insect Log
Every day or two find an insect and keep it in a jar while you look on the internet for information about it. What does it eat? Where does it live? What does it do to survive? List as much information as you can find. Observe your specimen for a couple of days and then let it go. Create an insect book where you draw your insect and what it eats, or draw what its habitat looks like, or even some of the things it does.
Tie in:
LCI6236 - Happy Giddy Net $6.99
LCI 6233 - Happy Giddy House $9.99
681108 - True to Life Colored pencils $3.99
PAC4790 - Sketch Diary $4.19
MEA54028 - Sketch Book $5.39
Magnifier $1.29
3-Make a Nature Bracelet
Take a piece of duct tape and put it around your child's wrist to make a bracelet - sticky outside. As you walk through your neighborhood, take a hike or amble through a campground, tell your child to pick up the things that he or she finds interesting and attach them to the bracelet. When you get home find out more about what you have collected. What kind of flower is that? Does that twig belong to a bush or a tree? Explore the things that interest you.
4-Find a Local Pond or Lake
Fill a jar with water from the pond and set it in a sunny place. Watch it for a few weeks and see if anything interesting happens.
Tie in:
Magnifier $1.29
5-Summer Poetry Notebook
Have each child pick a specific item in your back yard or neighborhood. Ask them to describe this item in their notebook with as many descriptive words as possible without using the name of the item. For example if they choose a tree trunk, words could include: rough, bumpy, striped, jagged, or slippery. Ask older children to compare the item to something else that is completely unlike it. For example my tree trunk is like an old river, dried up and cracked. Use these descriptive words and comparisons to write a poem. It's easy once you have list of ideas. You'll be amazed at their creativity and fresh way of looking at common things.
Tie in:
681108 - True to Life Colored pencils $3.99
PAC4790 - Sketch Diary $4.19
MEA54028 - Sketch Book $5.39
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Studio 5 Segment - May 28th 2010 - Kiersten Blanchard - Keeping Summer Minds Strong: Workbooks and Games
The beginning of each summer is a chance to set up a summer routine, which can include a little time each day (thirty to sixty minutes) of reinforcing school skills. Make incentive charts for reading books, or doing worksheets. Mix things up to keep them fun. Most of all, find some time in your busy day to do the activities with your kids. You won't regret it!
Utah Idaho Supply/Map World*
Summer Bridge Activities Workbook - $14.95
Most requested by grade school teachers
Clearly states what age group (i.e. "Bridging grades 1 to 2")
Divided into 20 (2-page) lessons
Full-color
Subjects Include:
Reading
Writing
Math
Science
Social Studies
Fitness
Bonus: Flashcards and stickers
Spectrum Workbook - $9.95
Different books for each grade level and subject level
Subjects include:
Reading
Math
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Studio 5 Segment - November 30th 2009 - Mary-Margaret Pingree - Fun and Educational Holiday Gifts
There are so many choices out there that it can be overwhelming. How can you choose a great educational gift for your child? A gift a child can love and learn from? We've listed five tips that will help you select fun AND educational products that both you and your child will love.
1. Look for interactive products.
Playing and learning go hand in hand when you can find a toy or game that kids love to touch, feel and spend time with. For little ones, toys with buttons that make sounds and light up make learning a game. For older kids, building sets and games that get their bodies as well as their minds involved make learning fun and engaging. An interactive product we love is Magformers. It is a set of magnetic building shapes that allows kids to design and build things in three dimensions. Not only do kids get to build and design their own creations, but they begin to understand the properties of magnets and basic physics. What a great way to learn!
2. Consider choosing a gift that can be shared.
Educational toys are more likely to be a favorite if a child can use them with friends. Games, puzzles or puzzle books, and craft books, like origami books, are examples of sharable gifts.
3. Pick a product that capitalizes on an existing interest.
Subscribing to a children's magazine that specializes in an area that interests your child is the perfect way to encourage their enthusiasm. Kids love to get mail and with this gift they look forward to something interesting and exciting every month. There are many magazines that are colorful, exciting and tailored to the interests of kids. For example, if your child loves animals, Ranger Rick and My Big Backyard put out by the National Wildlife Federation are a wonderful gift.
4. Don't dismiss the arts.
Creative gifts are education, too. An easel or drawing instruction book are good choices. Another wonderful idea is a journal. There is no better way to get a child writing than to give them their very own journal. Complete the gift with fun, colorful pens and stickers, and your child won't be able to resist the urge to write. You can help them get started by asking them to write about something funny that happened to them that day, the favorite thing they did at recess or an act of kindness they witnessed. The added benefit--creativity helps kids do better in academic subjects and fosters problem-solving skills.
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