Torn Paper Art Project for St. Patrick's Day

Here is an art project that your kids will have FUN making for St. Patrick's Day, and it's wonderful for strengthening those fine motor skills, too! You can also teach your child the correct order of the colors of the rainbow by using the anagram- ROY G. BIV, which represents Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. This is also the order of the colors on a color wheel.

MATERIALS:

various colors of construction paper, cotton balls, & glue

STEPS:

(1) Give your child a sheet of 8x12 light blue, construction paper for the background.

(2) Give your child strips of construction paper that are the colors of the rainbow. Have your child tear the paper into small circles or squares.

(3) Draw the lines of the rainbow in pencil on the blue construction paper. Have your child trace the top line with glue, and place the red pieces on the glue. Continue this pattern.
(4) Your child can pull apart cotton balls, and glue them at the end of the rainbow for clouds. He can even tear a pot of gold to glue on one end of the rainbow.

The goal is not to use scissors.
Encourage your child to strive for individuality, not perfection.

Enjoy!

 For more St. Patrick's Day activities, click HERE and then SCROLL DOWN to see all the posts.

Yummy Puppy Chow Recipe for Kids

I love recipes that are both kid friendly and delicious! This is an all-time favorite with the kids that really looks like dog food! It is also perfect to make when you are reading books about Clifford.

INGREDIENTS:
12 oz. box Rice Chex cereal
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup peanut butter
12 oz. pkg. semisweet chocolate chips
2-3 cups powdered sugar

PREPARATION:

(1) In medium microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips. Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once during cooking, until mixture is melted and smooth.
(2) Place the cereal in another large bowl, and pour the melted mixture over the cereal. Stir until the cereal is thoroughly coated.
(3) Pour the powdered sugar into a large plastic food bag. Pour the coated cereal into the powdered sugar and shake until it is well covered with the sugar.
(4) Pour the cereal onto wax paper to cool and dry. Store in tightly covered containers at room temperature.

Encourage your child to read the directions independently, follow the steps in order, and measure the ingredients correctly. This is a recipe that your family will certainly enjoy!

Get your child moving to improve learning!

Realize that kids need to move! 

During my first year of teaching elementary school, my colleagues forewarned me that the day after Halloween would be the most active school day for students and the most difficult day to teach. Arriving to work that Nov. 1, I learned that my fellow teachers were absolutely correct. I even wanted to check the class's ant farm to see if there were any escapees!

That day, I realized that I could use this excess energy for learning rather than letting it work against me. I quickly thought of several ways that we could incorporate movement into learning. While other teachers were battling the sugar wars, my students and I were learning and loving it. It turned out to be one of the most effective days of our entire school year.

Thanks to advances in research on how the brain works, we now know that most of the brain is activated during physical activity. From some of this research, I learned that too much sitting is detrimental to learning. Eric Jensen, author of a number of books on brain-based learning, and Rae Pica, author of More Movement, Smarter Kids say it best, "Sitting for more than 10 minutes at a stretch reduces our awareness of physical and emotional sensations and increases fatigue resulting in reduced concentration. Movement, on the other hand, increases blood vessels that allow for the delivery of oxygen, water, and glucose to the brain. This can't help but optimize the brain's performance!"

Whenever your child has "ants in his pants" or just needs a break from sitting when completing schoolwork and homework, try the "Get Moving Approach" and implement one of the following activities:

• Take a break and do jumping jacks, toe touches, or sit-ups.
• Snap and clap letters to spelling words.
• Jump on a mini-trampoline while practicing math facts and spelling words.
• Ride a stationary bike, rock in a rocking chair, or swing in a porch swing while reading aloud.
• Dance, sing, or act out letters for spelling words.
• Roll a ball back and forth to each other or have your child bounce a ball as he spells words or practices math facts.
• Assign a simple task to keep your child focused when you read aloud. Have him raise his hand or touch his nose when he hears a certain word.
• Stand up to complete work. He can even take turns standing on one leg. This is helpful if your child has been sitting for long periods of time, especially after a school day.

Here are a couple of Rae Pica's books if you'd like some additional ideas.

If you are interested in more information on taking "Brain Breaks," watch this Mom Squad segment for more tips.

Enjoy!

Valentine's Writing Activity

Submitted by Christina Cooke

My family has recently purchased a little red mailbox ($1.00 at Target). It sits by our coffee pot in our kitchen to serve as a reminder to leave encouraging notes to each other throughout the day. At the end of the day, we share the notes. This writing activity can be continued throughout the year.

Therefore, encourage one another

and build each other up.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)