An easy to make and fun to read activity. You will need a ring, any size, hole punch and paper (index cards, sentence strips, or cut card stock.) Write words appropriate for your child’s reading level on each paper, punch a hole in each corner, put onto the ring and you have an instant activity that can even be used in the car!

This ring is for beginning readers and holds the high frequency words. I add one or two each time.

Word ideas for beginning readers: High frequency words (the, is, was etc.), word families (cat, hat, mat, rat), names of friends or family, colors, numbers (one, two), compound words (pancake, sunrise) and any words from a story they may be reading.

Fluent Readers: Vocabulary or spelling words from school, states and capitals, countries, most common misspelled words (believe, definitely, restaurant) and any dates they may need to remember.

The link below will take you to a list of commonly misspelled words.

http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/misspelled.html

These simple napkin rings jazz up any celebration and a perfect craft for the little ones to help out during any holiday, especially Christmas and Thanksgiving.  A great center idea for the classroom, and makes a nice gift for mom and dad.

Cut paper tubes (paper towel rolls or wrapping paper tubes) into desired width. We cut about two inches wide. Then decorate the rings to match the holiday!

• Choose paint colors and sponge paint the rings. Allow the rings to dry and then roll a napkin and insert it through napkin ring.
• Use glitter glue, buttons, confetti or other items to decorate.

If you use paper napkins you can decorate those too.

This easy craft is fun and children love to dip the string in paint!

Dip string into white paint.  Press the string between two sheets of black or a dark color construction paper.  Then, remove the top paper and string.  The design will look like a spider web.  Just in time to decorate for halloween.

A good snack to make for your hungry little ones in the fall!  Children can easily help in every step, except the oven.

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 1/2 cups Bisqick mix

Flour (to cover board)

Milk (to brush over biscuits)

Butter or honey

Combine pumpkin puree and bisquick mix, turn onto floured board.  Knead until dough is stiff.  Roll to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into 1 1/2 inch rounds. Place ungreased pan and brush with milk (my kids like to “paint” the biscuits!)   Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Serve warm with butter or honey.  Makes about two dozen.

This is a fun activity for children learning to alphabetize words. Cut out clothing shapes like socks, pants and shirts or if you want to keep it simple use index cards.  Write words appropriate for your child or just the ABC’s for the young children.

Tie string from one chair to another (or what works in your house or classroom) and have child use clothespins to hang the words in alphabetical order.

Other ways to use the Hanging Out activity:

Number Order: 1,2,3,4…

Skip Counting:5,10,15,20….

Sentence Order: Mix a sentence up and have child hang in correct order.

Place Dates from a Time Line in Order. This could be an informal assessment of history lesson.

A yummy fall snack that the littlest ones can make on their own!  Have an assortment of cereal in large bowls.  For example, Cheerios, Chex and mini-Shredded Wheat.  All of these have the organic equivalent at most grocery stores. Each child gets a baggie or small bowl to create the combination he or she wants.

A mini math lesson can easily be created with the cereal mix.  

Skip counting: Two, three or four of each cereal placed in a group. Practice skip counting touching the piles as you count.

Addition:  Grab any of two kinds of cereal (three for three addends), separate into piles. Count the amount in each pile and write on paper or whiteboard in a number sentence or equation (Example: 6+7=).  Count the total to get the answer.

Subtraction: Count the total amount of cereal and eat three (whatever number you want) then ask how many are left.  Write the equation out or if child is older have them write.

Division and multiplication:  Start with a number of cereal such as 15.  Have the child separate into equal groups, so they could make three groups of five, five groups of three or even one group of 15 or 15 groups of one.   For younger children guide them with the amount of groups.  You could say, “How can you make three even groups with your cereal?”  You can even draw three circles on paper to make it easy for them to divide.   Multiply or skip count once they are separated to show the relationship with multiplication and division.

This simple idea was completely child created while watching the movie Surf’s Up. When I saw my pillows being used as surfboards, we got out the poster board and crayons and designed our own boards. The children had a blast and I was happy to have fluffy pillows on the couch.

This could be much more advanced using patterns and measurement in the design. But sometimes it is nice just to hang loose and have fun!

Ingredients:
·       ¼ c cornstarch
·       ¼ c cold water
·       6-8 drops food coloring

Directions:
1.  Mix cornstarch and cold water together in a small plastic bowl.
2.  Add food coloring & stir.
3.  Repeat with different colors.
4.  Paint (paint can be easily washed away with water)

This fun idea submitted by Teresa!

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp unsweetened powder drink mix
1Tbsp warm water
Several small containers (muffin tin)

Directions:
Mix water & drink mix together in a small bowl.
Repeat several times using different flavors of drink mix.
Paint
Allow finished art to dry overnight before scratching and sniffing.

Ideas:
Create one of a kind greeting card or wrapping paper.

This idea submitted by  Teresa the  Super Mom!