In 2018 Crayola had a campaign to "Thank a Teacher" where they had a contest for a $10,000 classroom makeover. There was a special line of boxes that came out with this contest. Later that year Crayola also came out with these two boxes a special 8 count box celebrating teachers and a 64 count THANK YOU TEACHERS box! There was also a special huge 8 count box that Crayola included these crayon boxes in when they distributed them to teachers in the local Pennsylvania area. I do not have a picture of that.
Read More »
Easy Cricut Stain Glass Art Project
I am so excited to share with you today a lower elementary or preschool family fun art project made with the Cricut. I call it the stain glass circle. There are so many stain glass activities going on right now, chalk, window art (I will be demonstrating that soon). I thought I would try my hand at stain glass cricut art. My kids loved this when I was making it and could not wait to try it. I have included links to all the files to use in design space.
This post contains affiliate links.
1. The first step is to select some paper.
- white cardstock
- 4 different colored cardstock. I chose to go with the primary colors and gree.
2. The second step is to make the stain glass cutouts. Here is the file. Cut this file with 3 of the different colored cardstock sheets.
3. The cutouts can be removed two ways, with this Cricut tool flat, or bending the board and gently separating the cardstock from the board. This helps prevent the paper from bending.
6. The sixth step is to make the objects to put on top. Here are the objects I used, a cat, cupcake, butterfly and flower.
7. The seventh step is to remove the objects from the board.
8. The final step is to play with all the creations. The stain glass cutouts can be glued down or put in place and then put away for play next time. Enjoy!
Thanks so much for 100 Directions, Mad in Crafts, 33 Minute Crafts and The Country Chic Cottage for putting this together!
All About Spelling Review
I was first introduced to the All About Spelling Program in the lovely month of February when I watched a home school video by Tic Tac Toy Family for fun. Let me stress that, I had no intention of homeschooling I was watching it for fun. My son had been struggling on his spelling tests so I vaguely thought about trying out the program. Very vaguely, not enough to pick it up or anything or even go to the website. Maybe I would find it in the summer. How different life was then in February. Sure it was cold and there was lots of snow on the ground, but I could come an go as I pleased. Enter the month of March 2020...things got really crazy really quickly. We had just finished competing in our Odyssey of the mind competition and coming in first place for our division and were talking about heading to the State Finals in April. In little over a weeks time I went from planning a trip to the State Finals to becoming a home school mom. Guess how much warning I had? Oh maybe a few hours.
This blog post contains affiliate links.
That Monday morning I woke up completely overwhelmed. What was I going to do? How was I going to teach my children? My daughter had an iPad with access to some school apps so we did that the first day. And then I scoured the internet clicking on over 100 tabs trying to find something that would help us...Anything. I texted all my home school friends and asked what they did. I found that flicker of a memory in the back of my head about the spelling program I had contemplated in February. What was the name of it? I went back to Tic Tac Toy Family and found it aha...ALL ABOUT SPELLING. I looked at the website and decided now was the time to help my son with his spelling. I emailed the company and asked it I could get Level 1 of the program in exchange for an honest review. And let me give you a little spoiler alert...I am so glad I did! Read on to see how this program has become an indispensable part of our now home school day.
The Level 1 materials include a teachers manual and a student packet. The packet includes key cards, word cards, phonogram cards, sound cards, Level 1 progress chart, phonograms tracking chart, and bee stickers to track progress. The kit comes with a Basic Spelling Interactive Kit; letter tiles, magnets, phonogram sounds app, and divider cards. The Deluxe Spelling kit includes everything in the basic kit and then a spelling review box and a spelling tote bag. We use the bag and the box everyday. I would definitely recommend getting the deluxe kit.
I have two kids in home school right now. Their ages are 9 (3rd grade) and 7 (1st grade). My son in first grade was the one struggling with spelling. I knew my daughter could use some help in the area too. She has a photographic memory which serves her well for spelling tests, but I did notice she was not 100% with her spelling when she was trying to write on her own. I tested my daughter and she did not know everything in the placement test so I decided to start her on Level 1 also. I hoped she would not be too bored.
Once we got our materials in the mail we punched out all our cards, made copies of the chart because I was teaching two students, installed the phonograms app, set up our box and I read over the introduction. The next day we started and it has gone really well. I teach the lessons to both kids individually because they are at different levels with their spelling and reading. My daughter is 2 lessons away from being done with level 1 and my son is halfway through the program.
The All About Spelling program uses a multisensory approach to teaching spelling.
- Visual-spelling concepts are taught visually, spelling words are written down, and students look at flashcards
- Auditory-students review flashcards orally, they segment words, and say sounds as they write them down
- Kinesthetic-students write down words, phrases and sentences and build new words with tiles
We start the lesson by my child setting up the letter tiles in alphabetical order. Then we start the lesson. The lessons are set up to review old concepts with flashcards, and sometimes the letter tiles. Then we learn new concepts. If I see my child has mastered that concept we can move on quicker, if I see them struggling we take more time. Our whiteboard is a little small, but it works great for now. We do not want to chance going out the store to get a new one.
One of the great things about this program is I can go as slow or as fast as my kids need. We spent the most time on the first lesson, going over all the phonogram sounds. I could tell my son was getting bored so we moved on a little early, he mostly struggled with the vowels. But because this program reviews all the concepts each time in the form of flashcards he has now mastered all those phonogram sounds. There are twenty four lessons in the first level. My daughter has been moving through them about 1 a day, sometimes we take two days if she she needs. My son was doing two or three days for a lesson at first, but wanting to catch up with his sister most days he insists on doing a whole lesson a day now. That is why this program is so great. The kids can lead their learning and learn at their own pace.
The key to the whole program and the lessons is the word FLEXIBLE. The lessons are not set up in a have to do this mode. They are set up for accommodating to each child. They offer advice if the child is struggling with a certain concept or if they are grasping it fairly quickly. For example there is a list of words to practice after a concept is taught. In the explanation they say if the child has grasped this concept, have them spell a few and then move on, if they have not grasped it, have them use the tiles, segment the words and then spell the word. For now I am having my kids spell all these words. If I see them struggling then I will pull down the tiles.
I have made one change to the lessons. In the lessons it says to grab a piece of paper and have them spell them on the paper. I am having them use a dry erase marker and write it on the board instead. We switched to this a couple weeks ago. It has helped tremendously. Now they are not searching for a new paper and pencil every time we do spelling. And if they need to change a letter they can do so easily with a swipe of a finger. My son likes it too because the tiles are already on the magnetic board and he can look at the letters as he is writing the words.
All About Spelling: What Did We Think?What did we think? I was worried that it would be boring for my daughter, but it has been the opposite. Yesterday she told me she is learning new things every day. She may have learned them in school, but with the difference with All About Spelling program the concepts are repeated until they are mastered. In a classroom setting 20ish kids are taught the same concept. It is not always practical to review the concepts with each child each day and make sure they remember the previous concept.
My son has really excelled with this program too. It has even helped him with reading. I was worried that he would not get the segmenting concept, in the lessons they teach kids how to segment words into phonogram sounds. He struggled with it and we spent a few days on the concept. Finally it clicked one day and he even uses the concept when sounding out words to read. My kids love making the vowel phonograms sounds. When we had spring break a couple weeks ago they kept saying the phonogram sounds for i and y over and over again.
The only thing I would recommend which we have not done yet is get the app that goes with the program. My kids do not always like to set out the tiles. The app presets the tiles and organizes them according to the lesson the child is on.
I would definitely recommend the All about Spelling program for parents who want to help their kids with spelling. It is good for kids across the spectrum, from kids that are doing well and kids that are struggling with spelling. The program teaches basic concepts and reviews the concepts until they are mastered. I would do the placement test with the child before purchasing a level. If the child does not know everything in the test definitely start on Level 1. If the child is proficient in spelling they will probably go through the first level quickly, but they will learn LOTS according to my daughter. And have a good foundation for the coming levels. We can not wait to do more and my daughter is so excited to start Level 2 soon!
Click here to get All About Spelling!
10 STEM Activities For Kids
In continuing with the home school theme I have collected 10 STEM activities to do with the kiddos. Some of these are so fun they can even be done after all this is over, which I hope is sooner than later. Check them out and let me know your favorite in the comments.
This water balloon activity from The Scrap Shoppe Blog is genus! It is light up bracelets inside of balloons filled with water. How cool is that?
This painting the Earth and Moon from The Scrap Shoppe Blog looks like a big hit. My kids are currently obsessed with anything that has to do with space.Not only can they paint the world with this activity, they can learn about different phases of the moon and sun, rotation of the Earth around the sun and along it rotating around its axis.
This scavenger hunt activity from The Scrap Shoppe Blog has my daughters name written all over it. She took us on a scavenger hunt to Easter and was beaming the whole time. She would get a kick out of this one and what a great way to encourage outdoor time.
I hope these activities are useful and you can do a few with your kiddos. We need all the help we can get right now. Let me know which one is your favorite below.
10 Tips for Surviving Homeschool with School Closures
Like many of you my kids school is closed now. Our school was closed for five weeks due to the coronavirus. The first day was crazy as I tried to make sense of the new situation. I quickly learned what worked and what did not. Join me as I share with you the great resources and lessons I learned in my first week of homeschooling because of COVID-19. Here are my tips from our "homeschool". I do not know how long it will last, but being able to provide my kids some sense of normalcy has been great!
This post contains affiliate links.
My kids are 1st and 3rd grade. These tips can be adapted to any age. If you have questions let me know below. Before I list the tips I have found in my first week I want to address all the many many free resources out there. I am sooooo grateful for all the companies that have opened their apps and curriculum. It has been a tremendous blessing.
1. Pick a routine and make sure to include recess.
I have since learned that elementary kids do not need 7 hours of homeschool. My kids were gone for 7 hours a day, that does not mean I need to do 7 hours of homeschool. Home schooling parents recommend 1-3 hours for elementary. I wonder if they mean instruction.
Here's our schedule (for now):
-Wake up and eat
-Morning meeting
-Lesson from an elective
-Math time/ST Math App-I switch off with the kids. One does the app by themselves and I do instruction for math
-Recess/Break/Snack
-Lesson from an elective
-Spelling/Reading Comprehension/Phonics-Comprehension for the older and phonics for the younger. Spelling for both. I switch off with the kids.
-Chore time-I set a timer for 15-30 minutes
-Lunch time-an hour
2. Be flexible
I have a feeling this will change from day to day. Your kids may sleep in or be extra anxious. Go with their lead.
3. See what resources the school has to offer.
My school has a portal we can log into. I was surprised to find their math books. We have lessons from their math books and I can print off math worksheets. This saves me tons of time because I do not have to find where they are at and set up a curriculum for them. The school also has access to a lot of educational electives.
4. Pick some fun electives.
We picked some fun electives to learn about as a family. We all do this and then can do an art project or science project based on what we are learning. My kids choose Renaissance Art, Africa, Astronomy and Music.
5. Take days off.
Read More »
This post contains affiliate links.
1. Pick a routine and make sure to include recess.
I have since learned that elementary kids do not need 7 hours of homeschool. My kids were gone for 7 hours a day, that does not mean I need to do 7 hours of homeschool. Home schooling parents recommend 1-3 hours for elementary. I wonder if they mean instruction.
Here's our schedule (for now):
-Wake up and eat
-Morning meeting
-Lesson from an elective
-Math time/ST Math App-I switch off with the kids. One does the app by themselves and I do instruction for math
-Recess/Break/Snack
-Lesson from an elective
-Spelling/Reading Comprehension/Phonics-Comprehension for the older and phonics for the younger. Spelling for both. I switch off with the kids.
-Chore time-I set a timer for 15-30 minutes
-Lunch time-an hour
-Done for the day!
2. Be flexible
I have a feeling this will change from day to day. Your kids may sleep in or be extra anxious. Go with their lead.
3. See what resources the school has to offer.
My school has a portal we can log into. I was surprised to find their math books. We have lessons from their math books and I can print off math worksheets. This saves me tons of time because I do not have to find where they are at and set up a curriculum for them. The school also has access to a lot of educational electives.
4. Pick some fun electives.
We picked some fun electives to learn about as a family. We all do this and then can do an art project or science project based on what we are learning. My kids choose Renaissance Art, Africa, Astronomy and Music.
5. Take days off.
My sons birthday was this week. The school would have had Friday off. We took his birthday off instead. He got to play all day and not worry about school. We made a cake together and he got play with his presents all day.
6. Send notes and pictures to teachers.
6. Send notes and pictures to teachers.
My school has an app to connect with the teachers. My kids have sent them notes and pictures. Our teachers are still working and will send work home shortly to work on at home.
7. Use Apps Wisely
Not all apps are created equal. I like to look at it like on a spectrum. The super serious ones to the super fun ones. The kids do not always like the dry apps or resources, but the super fun ones are not always super educational. I like the ones that tend to the serious side, but are still fun for the kiddos. ST Math, Coding and ReadingIQ are some of my favorite apps for kiddos and here is why.
ST Math-ST Math is a visual program "that leverages the brain's innate spatial-temporal reasoning ability to solve mathematical problems." It uses visual puzzles to teach mathematical concepts. It is usually only available for schools, but it was made available during this school closure.
Tynker Coding-I am super excited for my kids to start this app. They are offering some premium coding courses during the school closures. This app offers all levels and there is no way to differentiate for now. If the kids are small make sure they are not watching python videos...my son was...I could tell he had no idea. We switched to the Hot Wheels course and he did much better!
Tynker Coding-I am super excited for my kids to start this app. They are offering some premium coding courses during the school closures. This app offers all levels and there is no way to differentiate for now. If the kids are small make sure they are not watching python videos...my son was...I could tell he had no idea. We switched to the Hot Wheels course and he did much better!
Readingiq-Reading IQ is pretty simple. It accesses the readers level and from there it provides books in that level for the kids to read. I like that I can change the level too. My son was assessed at a higher level, but I was able to make his guided reading level a little lower. When he is good with that level I will move him up. My kids like there is a weekly leaderboard where they can see where they are at compared to others. I have not decided if I like that feature yet.
8. Take Advantage of all the Web Resources
Here are some of the best web resources I found to help with our time away from school.
Cincinnati Zoo facebook zoo chats.
Save with Stories Jennifer Garner and Amy Adams started this account and invite celebrities to read books to children.
9. Divide and Conquer
It can be hard to teach multiple kids at different levels . A few weeks ago I watched a video from Tic Tac Toy Family about homeschooling. Little did I know I would be using those concepts really quickly. One of my favorite tactics she uses was working with one kid and having the other kid do independent activities. For example I work with one kid on math and then the other kid is doing an educational app or reading a book. Then I switch. This concept has been amazing! It has helped me work with both of them and get the attention they need.
10. Pick some grade level programs and workbooks for the kiddos.
Lucy from Tic Tac Toy Family also uses All About Spelling (affiliate link). I was considering this for my son because he is having a hard time with spelling tests at school. I contacted them and they sent us the first level to try. I am so excited! We are going to do this during the summer months for review too, because my kids need some help with spelling.
This is the Deluxe Spelling Interactive Kit. It comes with letter tiles, magnets, phonogram sounds app, divider cards, spelling review box, and a spelling tote bag. I will do a complete in depth post review once we have used it for a little while.
Also pick some workbooks from Amazon or other stores or websites. These can be used after the quarantine is over too for enrichment at home.
I hope the schools did not stay closed for a super long time, but if they do we will stick to homeschooling. My kids and I enjoy the routine for now with all this chaos. I hope these resources help. Let me know what you are doing for school in the comments or if you have specific questions about your kiddos.
It can be hard to teach multiple kids at different levels . A few weeks ago I watched a video from Tic Tac Toy Family about homeschooling. Little did I know I would be using those concepts really quickly. One of my favorite tactics she uses was working with one kid and having the other kid do independent activities. For example I work with one kid on math and then the other kid is doing an educational app or reading a book. Then I switch. This concept has been amazing! It has helped me work with both of them and get the attention they need.
10. Pick some grade level programs and workbooks for the kiddos.
Lucy from Tic Tac Toy Family also uses All About Spelling (affiliate link). I was considering this for my son because he is having a hard time with spelling tests at school. I contacted them and they sent us the first level to try. I am so excited! We are going to do this during the summer months for review too, because my kids need some help with spelling.
This is the Deluxe Spelling Interactive Kit. It comes with letter tiles, magnets, phonogram sounds app, divider cards, spelling review box, and a spelling tote bag. I will do a complete in depth post review once we have used it for a little while.
I hope the schools did not stay closed for a super long time, but if they do we will stick to homeschooling. My kids and I enjoy the routine for now with all this chaos. I hope these resources help. Let me know what you are doing for school in the comments or if you have specific questions about your kiddos.
How to Code: BOTZEES Review: Interactive STEM Robot
When I saw BOTZEES at Toy Fair New York 2020 I fell in love. I named it as one of my top 2020 toys of the year. BOTZEES is a STEM TOY, a robotic coding kit for kids. It includes 130 blocks for construction and building. It pairs with an app for integrated play. I was super happy to receive one in exchange for an honest review. Read on to see what we thought. I will give a hint, my kids could not put it down.
This post contains affiliate links.
This post contains affiliate links.
How to Make 3D Art: 3Doodler-Start Pen Review
When I was in college 3-D printing was just starting. We had one or two machines for all of the college of engineering to use. It was open to other departments because the machines were so expensive and we did not have many. Now there are 3-D printers available in the aisles of Walmart and Target. It is so amazing how far technology has come. Now there is a company that makes 3D pens. They make them for kids and adults. This is the 3Doodler Start Essentials Pen Set perfect for kids.
We received this pen in exchange for an honest review.
The 3 Doodler Start comes with an instruction guide, 3D pen, a USB cord for charging and 48 plastic strands.
The 3Doodler pen works by first turning the pen on. Then the plastic strand is inserted into the top of the pen. The pens light will go from red to green when the pen is ready to use. After the pen is ready to use the orange button is pushed to let the plastic come out. The plastic comes out of the tip. It is nice because the button only needs to be pushed once, it does not need to be continually pushed. To stop the plastic from coming out the button is pushed again. One of the best parts is the plastic is pliable, fingers can be used to shape the plastic and moved. And it is not too hot to touch, no burns here, like glue guns would do. The plastic takes about 1-2 minutes to dry. After that it is hard and retains it shape.
To get the 3D effect, different parts can be "glued" together, by applying hot plastic at the joints.
We first tried to make the Big Ben clock, but decided to start with an easier task, the glasses. We then made a helicopter. My son likes using lots of different colors if you could not tell. Once we got the hang of it, it was pretty easy to make the examples. We did the outline first and then filled in the shape. The more plastic that was put down the stronger the structure was. The helicopter was definitely stronger than the glasses because we made it second and knew what we were doing.
The 3Doodler is an excellent toy for kids. It is science based and teaches them many thing about working with plastics and 3D printing. Kids learn that plastics are pliable at hot temperatures and harden when cooled. They can learn how to make structures rigid by applying layers. They can learn how to build structures by attaching two 2D structures at a joint.
I am so glad we got this pen to review. I plan on buying more plastic strands so we can make lots of different designs. There are 10 activities included in the activity guide. There is even more online at https://learn.the3doodler.com/resources/. I would definitely recommend this for your kids.
Take Note Permanent Markers, Highlighter Pens, and Dry-Erase Markers
Take Note! is a super exciting line for Crayola. Crayola pioneered the crayon movement as we know it back in the early 1900's. They introduced crayons to the world, when chalk had been the medium of choice for school aged children. They refined crayons as we know it and helped the public learn what they actually were. Over the years they introduced markers, colored pencils and paint to the world. Now all of these are staples in every classroom. In 2018 they decided they wanted to include even more essential school supplies in their line up. They introduced highlighters and gel pens. This year in 2019 Crayola is introducing Dry-Erase Markers, Highlighter Pens, Felt Tip Pens, and Permanent Markers. I was able to see them when I went to Toy Fair in NYC and here is a sample of some of the new products. What makes them special is the colors they provide, the colors are unique to Crayola and super bright. There are larger sets than this and I will show them later to you as I get them.
This post contains affiliate links. Crayola provided these samples to me and I am super grateful :)
Read More »
This post contains affiliate links. Crayola provided these samples to me and I am super grateful :)
Glow In the Dark ABC and Number Practice with Crayola Lightboard
My kids were super excited when crayola sent us the Crayola Ultimate Light board in exchange for an honest review. My kids begged and begged to play with it after we got it. This is the 3rd light board we have from Crayola and one of our favorites, they are all really. They are each every different. We also have the Star Wars light up tracing pad and a dry erase crayon light up board. I have not posted about those yet, but will soon. This board is by far the biggest and seems to have used the best technology from the other boards.
What's In the Box?
There are 6 mini gel fx markers and one light board. The light board takes 3 AA batteries which are not included.
How Does It Work?
The Crayola Ultimate light board has lights on the inside that "light" up and glow especially in the dark. It is specifically designed only to work with gel fx markers. When the markers are first used they go on dark and then lighten up because of the technology in the fx markers. The board can also be sued as a tracing board when the panel on the front is removed. The paper to be traced is put on the back of the board and can be traced when the board is turned on. This board is also nice because it has a kickstand to stand up. I will note that the batteries should be removed before and after use. I have made the mistake of leaving batteries inside a game and they ruined it. The button on the front side can be used for different light effects; standard on, blinking lights about 1 second apart, and gradual lights.
To remove the marker from the board we used a wet washcloth. There was a bit of a streak left. I feel like if I used window cleaner it would have been streak free. The streaks were okay with my kids, they did not complain or even seem to notice.
What Did We Do?
My kids had fun playing with the board for hours. It can be used in daylight and in the dark. My daughter and son loved doodling on the board. I also had my daughter practice her upper/lower case letters, and numbers. She left little messages on the board because she knows I put them on the website now, "get good" and "I hope you practice your ABC's". This board would be great to use in a classroom setting for students to practice their letters and numbers, play games, or a general reward for the day.
The black part of the board can also be removed for tracing or a different effect.
What Did We Think?
My kids loved the board and would not change anything. They have already filled the board up with more doodles. The board is also very reflective from the pictures above. It was tricky to get a shot of the board by itself. It did not effect the use of the board. My kids still loved it.
Read More »
There are 6 mini gel fx markers and one light board. The light board takes 3 AA batteries which are not included.
How Does It Work?
The Crayola Ultimate light board has lights on the inside that "light" up and glow especially in the dark. It is specifically designed only to work with gel fx markers. When the markers are first used they go on dark and then lighten up because of the technology in the fx markers. The board can also be sued as a tracing board when the panel on the front is removed. The paper to be traced is put on the back of the board and can be traced when the board is turned on. This board is also nice because it has a kickstand to stand up. I will note that the batteries should be removed before and after use. I have made the mistake of leaving batteries inside a game and they ruined it. The button on the front side can be used for different light effects; standard on, blinking lights about 1 second apart, and gradual lights.
To remove the marker from the board we used a wet washcloth. There was a bit of a streak left. I feel like if I used window cleaner it would have been streak free. The streaks were okay with my kids, they did not complain or even seem to notice.
What Did We Do?
My kids had fun playing with the board for hours. It can be used in daylight and in the dark. My daughter and son loved doodling on the board. I also had my daughter practice her upper/lower case letters, and numbers. She left little messages on the board because she knows I put them on the website now, "get good" and "I hope you practice your ABC's". This board would be great to use in a classroom setting for students to practice their letters and numbers, play games, or a general reward for the day.
The black part of the board can also be removed for tracing or a different effect.
What Did We Think?
My kids loved the board and would not change anything. They have already filled the board up with more doodles. The board is also very reflective from the pictures above. It was tricky to get a shot of the board by itself. It did not effect the use of the board. My kids still loved it.
Collecting Information
Boxes: Crayola Ultimate Light Boards
Other Boxes: There are many other Light Boards
Other Boxes: There are many other Light Boards
Year: 2018
Style Numbers: 74-7245
Code Numbers: 74-7245-0-200
UPC Numbers: 071662072452
