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We've had several snow days lately and this was the perfect quick and easy little trick to entertain the kids.  You more than likely have everything you need on hand and the kids can do it multiple times and still be thrilled by  it.de63def56e13867f940ba574b16babf2765d48ee5daa5820fa Check it out...   All you need is a ziploc bag, water, and some sharpened pencils (or wooden skewers, etc) Once your bag is filled with water, simply push the sharpened end of the pencil straight through.  If you do it fairly smoothly, the bag will seal itself around the pencil and no water will leak out.  (However, I do recommend doing it over the sink or have a towel handy just in case.)  We found that if you change direction midway through or start poking through the back and then hesitate, you might spring a leak.  Most of the time, though, the pencil goes in one side and out the other without even a drip of water!! It's lots of fun and we had a good time seeing just ho...

A few weeks ago, my sister told me she saw a cute idea to use a straw dispenser to hold sharpened pencils.  I thought it was such a cute and clever way to always have sharpened pencils on hand and ready for use, but I was bummed that I'm no longer a full-time teacher with a classroom of my own.  Then I realized we still go through a ton of pencils here during homework time and I'm always scrambling to find sharpened pencils when the kids have to restock their pencil cases before they go off to school in the mornings.  I decided I was going to go ahead and get our own pencil dispenser for our house. Check it out... It's funny how exciting it can be to get a new electric pencil sharpener and a cool dispenser.  No matter what time of year it is or how old you are, fresh school supplies can give you a fresh outlook! There was really nothing to this "project".  I simply ordered an acrylic straw dispenser from Amazon , (Amazon affiliate link)   the kids sharpened...

Since today is "Read Across America Day", my son and I thought we'd share a few of his favorite books and series.  He just turned 9, is in 3rd grade, and he's a pretty strong reader. Before this past year, my son was primarily interested in non-fiction books.  He'd read every night, just like his sisters, but his tastes leaned heavily towards books like The Guinness Book of World Records and Top Ten Lists of Everything Football .    While I loved that he was reading (and learning lots of interesting facts), I was eager for him to expand into some fictional books as well.  When he finally found a series he liked, he was hooked and has been enthusiastically reading a great mix of fiction and nonfiction ever since.  (NOTE:  While the books on this list are ones that have appealed to my son, my 10-year old daughter has read and enjoyed many of them as well)   Here are the books we recommend ... (Amazon links are included with each photo and tit...

Here is another one of those "No way.  I had no clue you could do that" ideas!  A couple months ago one of my readers (Hi, Bonnie!) sent me an email telling me that she makes her own little chalkboards for her preschoolers using just construction paper and glue.  Now Bonnie said she has been a classroom teacher for over 30 years, so I was sure she wasn't making this up, but I didn't have a chance to actually test it out until recently.  Well, it totally works and it's such an inexpensive, easy and awesome idea.   Check it out... I know a lot of schools use dry erase boards, but I think these could be even better for several reasons.  First, they're way cheaper.  Second, you don't have worry about dry erase markers which are pricey and dry out quickly.  Third, you can even make your own little reusable worksheets with this method! Here's how to do it (it's super easy!) 1.  Get a sheet of dark construction paper, a foam paintbrush and some...

Another trip we took over Spring Break was to the Herr's potato chip factory in Nottingham, Pennsylvania.  It's a real, working factory making all sorts of chips and snacks and the tours are FREE!  It's about an hour north of Baltimore and an hour south of Philadelphia, so it would be a fun side trip if you're near either of those cities. Nope, my son didn't suddenly turn into a girl.   We had a friend with us and my son wasn't feeling photogenic at picture taking time. The tours are free (woo hoo!) but they recommend calling ahead or registering online since they can only accommodate a certain number of people at a time.   Our tour started with a short movie about the history of the company and then we had a tour guide lead our group of about 25 people through the factory. Cameras aren't allowed inside the factory itself (you can see a few pictures here ) but on the day we went we were able to see them making pretzels, corn chips, popcorn and potato chip...

To celebrate Read Across America day tomorrow, I thought I'd share 50 of our favorite picture books by several beloved children's authors and illustrators.  There are so many wonderful books for children that this list in no way encompasses all of our favorites or all of the great books out there.  However, so many of these books are those we come back to time after time and the authors and illustrators hold a special place in the hearts of both me and my kids!   Many of the books are older (some published 10, 20 or more years ago) so you may see some favorites from your own childhoods or perhaps find some "new to you" titles that you can enjoy with your kids.  (NOTE: The books are grouped by author, but aren't in any other particular order ~ we've liked them all!   I've given written a sentence or two about each book, but all the pictures and titles are links to Amazon where you can get age recommendations and more detailed summaries or reviews) ~ Sa...