How to make the best After School Program for your students.
Friday, August 28, 2015
Wonderapolis - Daily Wonders - Free Website
Wonderopolis is a free website with a different wonder everyday. They have a topic and information related to the topic. These would be great quick little lessons while kids are eating snack or before a transition time.
Friday, August 14, 2015
Learn languages FREE with Duolingo
You could make a progress chart, and even offer prizes for students when they reach certain goals. It could even be used as a year long theme! Oh the ideas......
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
What to do with all those - Craft Sticks. STICK BOMBS!
What a fun looking activity! The first time could be a learning day, and the second time could be a competition. A fantastic time filler, plus the kids practice teamwork, problem solving, work through frustration (I'm sure it won't work for every group the first time out.), motor skills, and follow through. Gotta love the type of activity that kids want to do over and over and it actually costs nothing, as the sticks are still usable for another project later.
Pin Ithttp://www.pbs.org/parents/adventures-in-learning/2014/08/stick-bombs-an-adventure-in-engineering/
Monday, December 29, 2014
Big Sale at The Mailbox Books $1-$5
Mailbox is having a big sale on some of their books. These can be very helpful in planning activities or giving extra work at hoomework time. The books are organized by grade but many of the activities can be scaled up or down as needed. $1 is a bargain even if there are only a few activities you can make use of.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Scientific Fun - Taking Things Apart!
One of the things my brother loved to do, as a child, was to take things apart to see how they worked and then to try to put them back together. Although he usually took apart things that he wasn't supposed to be using as play things, like the VCR or Hair Dryer. As an adult he loved to work on cars, mostly by taking things apart and then putting them back together with some parts left over! Oops!
My point is that he was very inquisitive, as many children are, and was always looking at things and wondering how they worked. He eventually turned that into a career in Research and Development.
Remembering a time when he took apart my clock radio gave me the inspiration to bring in a few old appliances and some tools for the kids to tinker with. We had a group discussion about the tools, I demonstrated their use, and we talked about tool safety. I then set out some appliances, with their cords cut off, for my little friends to take apart and tinker with. Several kids lost interest in it almost immediately, but those mechanically minded kids had those appliance apart in no time, examining each item, setting out their pieces on a tray, and even trying to put things back together again. Of course, I admonished them not to use tools or try this on anything at home without Mom or Dad's permission.
One boy was so interested he begged me to bring in something with a cord so that he could see if he could take it apart and make it work again. I explained to him, and the others, that I cut off the cords because putting something back together incorrectly could be quite dangerous and might cause a fire. That led us into some intricate discussion about electricity and how that worked and they came up with some amazing questions that we had to go to the computer lab and research to find the answers.
If you decide to do this....
I found this great blog post about taking apart a stuffed animal to see how it's put together. This would work great if your kids are younger and couldn't work a screwdriver or pliers. Click on the photo to go to TinkLab and check it out!
TinkerLab is a great site with lots of activity ideas. Bookmark it or sign up for their newsletter to get lots of ideas!
My point is that he was very inquisitive, as many children are, and was always looking at things and wondering how they worked. He eventually turned that into a career in Research and Development.
Remembering a time when he took apart my clock radio gave me the inspiration to bring in a few old appliances and some tools for the kids to tinker with. We had a group discussion about the tools, I demonstrated their use, and we talked about tool safety. I then set out some appliances, with their cords cut off, for my little friends to take apart and tinker with. Several kids lost interest in it almost immediately, but those mechanically minded kids had those appliance apart in no time, examining each item, setting out their pieces on a tray, and even trying to put things back together again. Of course, I admonished them not to use tools or try this on anything at home without Mom or Dad's permission.
One boy was so interested he begged me to bring in something with a cord so that he could see if he could take it apart and make it work again. I explained to him, and the others, that I cut off the cords because putting something back together incorrectly could be quite dangerous and might cause a fire. That led us into some intricate discussion about electricity and how that worked and they came up with some amazing questions that we had to go to the computer lab and research to find the answers.
If you decide to do this....
- Bring in only basic appliances with no batteries fuses inside.
- Remove cords so that they can't get plugged in and start a fire or electrocute.
- Teach tool safety.
- Closely monitor the activity.
- Encourage girls to try it out as they may feel like it's a "Boy Thing".
I found this great blog post about taking apart a stuffed animal to see how it's put together. This would work great if your kids are younger and couldn't work a screwdriver or pliers. Click on the photo to go to TinkLab and check it out!
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Encourage Creativity - Teach Skills & Techniques
We are always looking for ways to encourage creativity in kids. A kid with creativity can solve problems, make informed decisions and think in new an different ways!
One of the ways I encourage creativity in kids is to teach them new skills and techniques in art. Most of the greats went to art school studied the previous masters and spent years honing their craft. But we often just give kids the supplies and expect them to be creative with them. What often happens is that they don't get any better at it and that is frustrating, of course. If we spend some time teaching techniques and skills they will get better and will be able to get closer to making the art they actually want to make.
It's okay if you don't feel like an artist. Look up videos on You Tube and learn yourself and then teach. Or show the kids the videos. I don't just mean showing How To Draw videos. Those can be fun, but usually only show a single drawing. Unless you find videos that mix the learning of different techniques in with the drawing. That would be great!
Some skills kids can have fun learning.
One of the ways I encourage creativity in kids is to teach them new skills and techniques in art. Most of the greats went to art school studied the previous masters and spent years honing their craft. But we often just give kids the supplies and expect them to be creative with them. What often happens is that they don't get any better at it and that is frustrating, of course. If we spend some time teaching techniques and skills they will get better and will be able to get closer to making the art they actually want to make.
It's okay if you don't feel like an artist. Look up videos on You Tube and learn yourself and then teach. Or show the kids the videos. I don't just mean showing How To Draw videos. Those can be fun, but usually only show a single drawing. Unless you find videos that mix the learning of different techniques in with the drawing. That would be great!
Some skills kids can have fun learning.
- Color Mixing
-
Sketchbook: mix 100 colors. I like this 'challenge' so many kids mix the colours all into one lifeless muddy grey.
- Sketching before you paint.
-
How To Draw. "How to Draw" is a collection of tutorials that will teach you everything from perspective basics to shading chrome. Never picked up a pencil before? Fear not! From simple line drawings to modern art and easy animations, we've got you covered. All projects come from Instructables.com and contain pictures for each step so you can start your masterpiece today!
- Water Color techniques.
- http://www.pinterest.com/pin/119134352616180281/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=BhN6PmA3rjM
- Where to place shading and shadow.
- Using slightly darker or lighter paint to show shading and shadow.
- Paper Sculpture
-
Paper sculpture techniques
There are so many more, but these should get you started! Have fun and get those kids creating!!!
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