Summer Sanity Savers

I’M BORED! The words that every parent dreads to hear. So, let’s change it up by letting GoNoodle save your sanity this summer. When you hear your child say, “I’m bored!” answer with these 5 questions from Kara B., GoNoodling teacher and mom from Cary, NC! 

Have you…

B – Brainercized with Mr. Catman?

O – Online or off, checked out Camp GoNoodle activities for movement, creativity, and exploration? (Camp starts June 29!)

R – Regrouped, refocused, and relaxed with Maximo?

E – Exercised for at least 20 minutes with Mega Mixes or Fresh Start Fitness’s Total Motion?

D – Dance partied with Zumba Kids, The KIDZ BOP Kids, or Koo Koo Kanga Roo?

DIY Dinosaur Fossils

4K+

We also made some ice fossils. The kids thought this was BEYOND fun! I got the idea from HERE.

We had everything on hand, so it was a free and very fun project.

SUPPLIES:

– toy dinosaurs

– tupperware

– water

– food coloring (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill your tupperware with water half way and add your dinosaurs. Mine floated, but don’t worry about that just yet.

2. Add food coloring.

3. Freeze in the freezer.

4. Take out your tupperware once it is completely froze. I did mine over night.

5. Now add more water to the top so dinosaurs are completely covered.

6. Take out your ice block. I ran my tupperware under hot water for a few seconds to help loosen it up.

7. This is the fun part… crack your ice open. We did this by dropping it on the cement. It was super fun!! LOL!

8. We broke away the rest with a small hammer. We got the rest of the ice off by putting it under hot water.

The kids thought this was the coolest activity because they felt like they were really “digging” out the dinosaurs and un-freezing them. I felt a little Encino Man-ish myself, if I’m going to be honest, but it was FUN!!

by Lil' Luna

Summer Reading Program!

http://www.barefootbooks.com

101 fun things to do this summer!

1. Bake cookies for ice cream sandwiches.
2. Volunteer at a nature center.
3. Make a photo journal.
4. Have a luau in the backyard.
5. Visit the beach and collect shells.
6. Make a fort out of cardboard boxes.
7. Visit a farmer's market.
8. Stage an A to Z scavenger hunt, where you have to find something that starts with every letter. H
9. Pick berries.
10. Have a picnic at a state park.
11. Make ice cream. Tipograph loves using YayLab's ice cream ball, which you fill with ice cream base and kick around until frozen.
12. Go canoeing at a local lake.
13. Build a sandcastle.
14. Write and illustrate your own book and have it published into an actual hardcover book using IlluStory.
15. Forget cooking -- set up an ice cream sundae buffet for dinner.
16. Clean up trash at a local park.
17. Have a backyard campfire...or just use the grill! Roast hot dogs on sticks, pop popcorn and finish off with s'mores.
18. Make homemade pizza.
19. Go for a walk and then make a collage from nature objects you find along the way.
20. Head to a creek and look at the ducks.
21. Set up a lemonade stand..
22. Have a water balloon fight.
23. Practice your origami skills and make objects to hang from the ceiling.
24. Go biking on a trail
25. Interview an older relative about what life was like when they were young.
26. Plan a picnic at a local park -- or in your backyard.
27. Print out a list of children's books that have won Caldecott Medallions. Visit the local library throughout the summer and try to read as many as you can.
28. Create salad spinner art: Place circles of paper inside a cheap salad spinner, dab tempera paints on top, cover and spin away.
29. Practice making interesting shadow puppets and then put on a show with your characters.
30. Plant a garden of herbs and veggies.
31. Make a sidewalk chalk mural.
32. Go ice blocking (sledding) in the grass with a towel-covered block of ice.
33. Have an outdoor painting party using huge canvases or cardboard.
34. Visit a fish hatchery.
35. Plant a butterfly garden with flowers.
36. Pretend to be pirates for a day -- dress up in costumes, plan a treasure hunt and talk like a pirate.
37. Make an indoor sandbox using colored rice: mix 4 cups of rice with 3 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol and a few drops of food coloring and let dry overnight.
38. Turn the backyard into a carnival -- set up a face painting area and games like ring toss.
39. Make totem poles out of paper towel rolls and decorate them.
40. Visit a museum you've never been to.
41. Make a giant hopscotch or Twister game on the lawn (with spray paint) or driveway (with chalk).
42. String beads into jewelry.
43. Make a bird house out of Popsicle sticks.
44. Learn about stargazing and identify as many constellations as possible -- see if there are any local astronomy groups for kids.
45. Create leis with wildflowers.
46. Go fossil hunting near a lake.
47. Break out your baseball gloves and start a game, sandlot style.
48. Make paper boats and race them in a kiddie pool using straws to propel them.
49. Play mini-golf -- or set up a course in your driveway by laying different size containers on their sides.
50. Make your own colored sand and create sand art.
51. Get a map of the United States and mark off all the exciting places you want to visit -- create the ultimate road trip.
52. Set up a net and play badminton and volleyball.
53. Visit an amusement park or water park.
54. Wade through a stream and search for minnows or tadpoles.
55. Go zip-lining.
56. Have a tricycle race at the park.
57. Investigate an ethnic grocery store and make lunch using interesting spices and kid-friendly international recipes.
58. Visit a fire station.
59. Collect rocks and paint them to use as paperweights or pet rocks.
60. Go roller skating.
61. Visit a zoo or aquarium to learn about animals.
62. Run through the sprinklers.
63. Blend your own smoothie.
64. Set up a bike wash and raise money for a local charity.
65. Batter up at a batting cage.
66. Let kids paint the sidewalk or patio with plain old water and sponge brushes. When their creation dries, they can begin again.
67. Bake cupcakes in ice cream cones and then decorate them.
68. Assemble a family cookbook with all your favorite recipes.
69. Go horseback riding.
70. Make popsicles in Dixie cups using fruit juices.
71. Catch fireflies in a jar (and let them go at the end of the night).
72. Stage your own Summer Olympics with races, hurdles and relays.
73. Create a backyard circus -- kids can pretend to be animals and dress up as clowns.
74. Decorate bikes and have a neighborhood Fourth of July parade.
75. Take a sewing/crochet/knitting class.
76. Make Mexican paper flowers using different colored tissue paper.
77. Go to a flea market.
78. Volunteer at an animal adoption organization.
79. Visit a retirement home and read stories to residents.
80. Attend an outdoor festival or concert.
81. Pick a nearby town to visit for the day.
82. Visit a cave.
83. Get a map of your area, mark off all the local parks -- then visit them, take pictures and vote for your favorite.
84. Take in a fireworks exhibit.
85. Make crafts with recyclable items like stickers using old photos, magazines and repositionable glue.
86. Make your own hard-to-pop bubbles with 1 cup of distilled water, 2 tablespoons of Dawn dish soap and 1 tablespoon of glycerin.
87. Paint canvas sneakers with fabric paint pens or acrylic paint.
88. Create three dimensional buildings using toothpicks and mini marshmallows.
89. Make bird feeders by covering pine cones with peanut butter and rolling in birdseed.
90. Paint with ice by freezing ice cube trays with washable tempera paint.
91. Create unusual s'mores by experimenting with ingredients like cookies, bananas, flavored marshmallows and white chocolate.
92. Have a fancy tea party.
93. Make a giant slip-n-slide with a painter's tarp and shaving cream.
94. Go camping in the backyard or at a campsite.
95. Let kids paint each other with washable tempera paint, then wash it off in the sprinklers.
96. Visit a national park and help the kids earn a junior ranger badge.
97. Go to a ballgame and teach your kids (and yourself!) how to keep a scorecard.
98. Set up a tent in the backyard to use as a summer playhouse.
99. Take a free kid's workshop at stores like Lowe's, Home Depot or Pottery Barn.
100. Have a game night with charades, Pictionary and bingo.
101. Take a boring brown paper bag and have kids brainstorm creative things to do with it -- you'll be surprised at how many things you can come up with.
      

Ilene Jacobs is a freelance writier living in Dallas, Texas.

Homemade Bubbles

About

Remember how much fun you had with bubbles? Well, your child will love them just as much as you did! From blowing to popping and chasing, bubbles offer a great way to get some physical activity - and bragging rights to whoever blows the biggest one!

How To

What You’ll Need:

• 12 cups water
• 1 cup dish soap
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• Bubble wands, wire coat hangers, paper towel tube, plastic rings

Mix ingredients together in order in a clean pail. Stir occasionally in a gentle pattern so there isn't too much foam. Take away any foam as it forms. Add another cup of water when the pail is half empty.
If you don't have any bubble wands, use a paper towel tube and plastic rings, or bend a coat hanger into a loop. Store extra solution in a tightly sealed container. Solution that has been sitting for a few days makes the biggest bubbles!

Benefits

This Activity Helps Your Child’s Brain Develop:

• Fine Motor Skills
• Gross Motor Skills

Why Early Childhood Matters!

Why Early Childhood Matters to... K-12 SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

Q&A with Dr. Denton Santarelli

The current Arizona Superintendent of the Year, Dr. Denton Santarelli has served the Peoria Unified School District for more than 34 years, beginning as a teacher and serving most currently as superintendent. Well-known for his contributions to school improvement, Dr. Santarelli has been an on going advocate for public education by promoting an environment conducive to the social, emotional, physical and academic growth of all students.

In addition to being named the 2014 Arizona Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), Dr. Santarelli has also been honored with the 2013 Arizona School Administrators’ (ASA) Raymond Sterling Kellis Leadership Award, 2012 Superintendent of the Year for Large Districts in Arizona, and the 2012 AdvancED Superintendent of the Year Award.


Why is school readiness so important to later student success in grades K-12?

We know from research that most brain development takes place from birth to age 5, making early education critically important to set the stage for future success. The social and personal experiences that children receive from early childhood specialists in a preschool program provide a solid foundation for later academic excellence.

Over your years in the education field, do you think K-12 school leaders are more readily recognizing the importance of early childhood?

Absolutely.  Many school leaders see that those students who come into their K-12 system with the foundation from early childhood education are better prepared and need less remediation. Students who have benefited from early education are also on target and outperform their peers who may not have participated in school readiness programs. Peoria Unified’s Community Preschools work to provide best practice strategies and in partnership with our special education department can identify developmental delays early to provide the appropriate interventions.

Do you believe that the early experiences that children have at home are as important as early experiences in traditional educational settings, such as in preschool?

We know that parents are their child’s first teacher, but the experiences that children have at home and the experiences they have in preschool go hand-in-hand. A solid preschool program helps to accentuate what takes place in the home. It is extremely important that all children have access to reading materials at home and a caring parent or adult to help serve as their first teacher. Likewise, it is vital that students are given access to early childhood programs where they learn from a qualified teacher alongside other children.

How can families promote quality interactions that will prepare their children for kindergarten? 

The most important step you can take to set your child up for success is to read to them. Also, do not use slang words, but use real words as you have conversations with them to help their verbal development. Include your child in activities around the house, especially those that have step-by-step instructions, such as cooking or baking. When you ask them a question, have them explain their answer rather than provide you with a one-word response.

As superintendent of one of the largest districts in Arizona, how has your district been able to partner with First Things First?

We have had a long-standing partnership with First Things First and have appreciated their support for our more than 1,000 preschool students. The new Family Resource Center at Sky View Elementary has been a wonderful addition to our district, providing resources to families that need early childhood classes, tools and support. It is our hope that this program will increase awareness in our community of the importance of pre-K learning to the long-term development and success of all students. In addition, our partnership has extended through our Career and Technical Education programs to our Child Oriented Occupational Programs (COOP), where First Things First has been able to provide resources for the student-teachers that participate in the program. 

65+ Awesome Apps for Autism

Tablets, smartphones, and apps are opening up new worlds for people on the autism spectrum. From the boy in New York whose BFF is Siri to the girl in Australia whose mom created an app to help her communicate, people around the world are finding immersion, independence, and a voice through an ever-growing array of apps and devices.
But the immense variety of apps can overwhelm us all. How do you narrow down the number and figure out which ones work best?

Check out these Awsome Apps!