Mark Your Calendars-----Friday Jan. 21st 1:00....Grand Rapids Middle School
Looking for something to do with your kids on early out day? Come experience the Excitement of Science!! Explore hand's on demonstrations by area scientists, Lego Robotics teams, area naturalists and much more. The Science Museum of Minnesota will also be putting on a program for all ages....This is a FREE Children First Event. Hope to see you there!!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Creating a School Presence | Parenting.org
Have you ever considered volunteering in your child's classroom?
You can choose to make a monthly, weekly or one-time commitment. Volunteering in your child's classroom is a positive way to spend more time with your son or daughter, and it lets the teacher know that you're interested in what's going on inside the classroom.
The following volunteer opportunities are suggestions from Dr. Kenneth Shore and the parenthoodweb.com web site:
*Serve as a room parent
*Tutor students in the classroom
*Read stories to the students
*Assist at a class party
*Speak to your child's class or school on a topic of student interest
*Start an after-school computer club
*Supervise children in an after-school recreation program
*Prepare school bulletin boards
*Serve as an aide on a school bus
*Photograph students at school activities
*Work as a clerical aide (grade papers, for example)
*Work as an aide in the library, main office, cafeteria or playground
*Develop or work at a homework hotline
*Organize teacher appreciation activities
*Prepare food for an ethnic festival
*Help write a school newsletter
*Help run the book or science fair
*Arrange assembly programs
*Develop and help run a 'guardian angel' program where parents are called if their child has not shown up for school, and they have not notified the school of their absence
*Develop a list of community resources for parents and children
*Recruit other parents as school volunteers
*Help construct a playground
*Donate plants, books, carpeting or other necessities
*Help plant trees"
You can choose to make a monthly, weekly or one-time commitment. Volunteering in your child's classroom is a positive way to spend more time with your son or daughter, and it lets the teacher know that you're interested in what's going on inside the classroom.
The following volunteer opportunities are suggestions from Dr. Kenneth Shore and the parenthoodweb.com web site:
*Serve as a room parent
*Tutor students in the classroom
*Read stories to the students
*Assist at a class party
*Speak to your child's class or school on a topic of student interest
*Start an after-school computer club
*Supervise children in an after-school recreation program
*Prepare school bulletin boards
*Serve as an aide on a school bus
*Photograph students at school activities
*Work as a clerical aide (grade papers, for example)
*Work as an aide in the library, main office, cafeteria or playground
*Develop or work at a homework hotline
*Organize teacher appreciation activities
*Prepare food for an ethnic festival
*Help write a school newsletter
*Help run the book or science fair
*Arrange assembly programs
*Develop and help run a 'guardian angel' program where parents are called if their child has not shown up for school, and they have not notified the school of their absence
*Develop a list of community resources for parents and children
*Recruit other parents as school volunteers
*Help construct a playground
*Donate plants, books, carpeting or other necessities
*Help plant trees"
Friday, January 14, 2011
Coin Critters | FamilyFun
Coin Critters by Nicole Blasenak Shapiro
Here's some instant fun for just about any time or place. All it requires is a pencil and a little spare change.
The skills it builds: coin values, addition, and subtraction
What You Need
Coins
Paper
Marker or crayons
Instructions
Take some coins from your pocket or purse, lay them out on a piece of paper, and have your child draw arms, legs, and other body parts to create a creature.
Then help her total up the value of the coins and write it beside the creature. Add or take away coins to form new shapes, and figure out the new sums."
Here's some instant fun for just about any time or place. All it requires is a pencil and a little spare change.
The skills it builds: coin values, addition, and subtraction
What You Need
Coins
Paper
Marker or crayons
Instructions
Take some coins from your pocket or purse, lay them out on a piece of paper, and have your child draw arms, legs, and other body parts to create a creature.
Then help her total up the value of the coins and write it beside the creature. Add or take away coins to form new shapes, and figure out the new sums."
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Squish Bag
This sensory-awareness activity provides hours of fun with no mess!
* Make colored gelatin according to directions and let set
* Place one resealable plastic bag inside another
*Fill the inside bag partway with gelatin, press out the remaining air, and seal the bag.
* Press out the air in the outer plastic bag and seal it also.
* Give the bag to your child to hold and "Squish", encouraging him or her to tell you how the bag feels to the touch
* Store the Squish Bag in the refrigerator when not in use
Other ideas (Make several bags, each one containing a different material, such as flour, salt, uncooked rice, or dried beans. Ask your child to compare the various textures)
* Make colored gelatin according to directions and let set
* Place one resealable plastic bag inside another
*Fill the inside bag partway with gelatin, press out the remaining air, and seal the bag.
* Press out the air in the outer plastic bag and seal it also.
* Give the bag to your child to hold and "Squish", encouraging him or her to tell you how the bag feels to the touch
* Store the Squish Bag in the refrigerator when not in use
Other ideas (Make several bags, each one containing a different material, such as flour, salt, uncooked rice, or dried beans. Ask your child to compare the various textures)
Reading Activities for Kids - FamilyEducation.com
"Fifteen-Minute Reading Activities " by the National PTA
Make 15 minutes go a long way. Try these quick reading activities with your younger kids.
1. License to read. On car trips, make it a game to point out and read license plates, billboards, and interesting road signs.
2. Better than TV. Swap evening TV for a good action story or tale of adventure.
3. Look and listen. Too tired to read aloud? Listen to a book on tape and turn the book's pages with your children. You'll still be reading with them!
4. Labels, labels, labels. Label things in your children's room as they learn to name them. Have fun while they learn that written words are connected to everyday things.
5. Pack a snack, pack a book. Going someplace where there might be a long wait? Bring along a snack and a bag of favorite books.
6. Recipe for reading. The next time you cook with your children, read the recipe with them. Step-by-step instructions, ingredients, and measurements are all part of words in print!
7. Shop and read. Notice and read signs and labels in the supermarket. Back home, putting away groceries is another great time for reading labels.
8. Your long-distance lap. Away on a business trip? Take a few books with you, call home, and have your child curl up by the phone for a good night story.
9. A reading pocket. Slip fun things to read into your pocket to bring home: a comic strip from the paper, a greeting card, or even a fortune cookie from lunch. Create a special, shared moment your child can look forward to every day.
10. A little longer? When your child asks to stay up a little longer, say yes and make it a 15-minute family reading opportunity."
Make 15 minutes go a long way. Try these quick reading activities with your younger kids.
1. License to read. On car trips, make it a game to point out and read license plates, billboards, and interesting road signs.
2. Better than TV. Swap evening TV for a good action story or tale of adventure.
3. Look and listen. Too tired to read aloud? Listen to a book on tape and turn the book's pages with your children. You'll still be reading with them!
4. Labels, labels, labels. Label things in your children's room as they learn to name them. Have fun while they learn that written words are connected to everyday things.
5. Pack a snack, pack a book. Going someplace where there might be a long wait? Bring along a snack and a bag of favorite books.
6. Recipe for reading. The next time you cook with your children, read the recipe with them. Step-by-step instructions, ingredients, and measurements are all part of words in print!
7. Shop and read. Notice and read signs and labels in the supermarket. Back home, putting away groceries is another great time for reading labels.
8. Your long-distance lap. Away on a business trip? Take a few books with you, call home, and have your child curl up by the phone for a good night story.
9. A reading pocket. Slip fun things to read into your pocket to bring home: a comic strip from the paper, a greeting card, or even a fortune cookie from lunch. Create a special, shared moment your child can look forward to every day.
10. A little longer? When your child asks to stay up a little longer, say yes and make it a 15-minute family reading opportunity."
Monday, December 27, 2010
Christmas Blessing
''Reflect on your present blessings
of which every man has many,
not on your past misfortunes,
of which all men have some.''
Charles Dickens"
of which every man has many,
not on your past misfortunes,
of which all men have some.''
Charles Dickens"
Friday, December 24, 2010
Banana Crunch Muffins Recipe
"Banana Crunch Muffins"
Looking for a healthy, fun breakfast that your kids can help make?
This recipe has all the bases covered. Filled with sweet banana and topped with crunchy granola, these are hearty breakfast muffins. Add chocolate chips, and you've got a satisfying dessert.
Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat bran
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 medium)
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
1 cup granola
Instructions
Heat the oven to 400° F. Grease the bottoms only of 12 standard muffin cups.
In a large bowl, whisk together both flours and the bran, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, bananas, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until the batter is blended. Use a flexible spatula to fold in the mini chocolate chips (if you're using them).
Divide the batter among the muffin cups and sprinkle the tops with granola. Then bake the muffins for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes before removing them. Makes 1 dozen."
Looking for a healthy, fun breakfast that your kids can help make?
This recipe has all the bases covered. Filled with sweet banana and topped with crunchy granola, these are hearty breakfast muffins. Add chocolate chips, and you've got a satisfying dessert.
Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat bran
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 medium)
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
1 cup granola
Instructions
Heat the oven to 400° F. Grease the bottoms only of 12 standard muffin cups.
In a large bowl, whisk together both flours and the bran, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, bananas, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until the batter is blended. Use a flexible spatula to fold in the mini chocolate chips (if you're using them).
Divide the batter among the muffin cups and sprinkle the tops with granola. Then bake the muffins for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes before removing them. Makes 1 dozen."
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