learning

A Fun Way to Encourage Handwriting Practice

by Mariel September 22, 2011

One of the many subjects my kids do for homeschool is Handwriting, a class that my husband clearly slept through in his elementary years. I have to tease him about it all the time. But, then when we’re put in situations where we’re signing documents/checks/whatever, and it takes him 1 second to scribble his “name” [...]

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Five Senses Poetry for Kids

by Amy September 19, 2011

I’m thrilled to have Amy of Let’s Explore here as one of Make and Takes newest regular contributors. Amy will be here once a month sharing fabulous ideas for kids. Take it away, Amy… Since my girls were preschoolers, we have been writing poems together. I love seeing little snippets of their imaginations and thoughts [...]

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Summer Camp for Kids: Squiggle Drawings

by Marie August 8, 2011

Summer Camp guest post by Amy of Let’s Explore On a recent afternoon where there was more squabbling than playing, I knew we needed a quick and simple boredom buster. I grabbed a stack of large index cards and a black Sharpie, and drew a quick squiggle on each one. I invited my girls to [...]

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How Are You Keeping to a Schedule During the Summer?

by Marie June 30, 2011

We tend to get off our regular routine once the summer starts. Our mornings are slower and our nights are longer. But it’s still important for kids to keep some sort of structure each day. We’re still brushing our teeth, trying to get dressed before noon (me included), and I like to have my kids [...]

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Make Spelling Fun with a Snow Mitten Letter Scramble Game

by Marie December 16, 2010

Need a way to make spelling fun? Play this game of Snow Mitten Letter Scramble I’m sharing over at PBS Parents. This is a fun and engaging way to help your kids get excited about letters, sounds, and spelling. It’s the perfect activity for almost any age. My 5 year old is finding small words [...]

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15 Minute Distraction Technique!

by Heather October 11, 2009

Need a way to distract your child for 15 minutes? Let them color on your table with marker! Yes, you heard me right! If you have a glass or tile-topped table, that is! And if the markers are dry erase. I gave my three year-old a couple of dry erase markers and an eraser (naturally! [...]

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