Right in my own backyard

Jules here-

Spring has sprung in New Hampshire-- beautiful flowers, tweeting birds, playing outside from dawn until dusk... and hatching mosquitoes.... ugh.  The beauty of New Hampshire often gets a bit tainted by itchy bites and tedious black-flies.  Though the spring hatch makes me want to go all DEET on my backyard, I do find the ensuing frog-mating quite hilarious.  For some reason, our backyard and small marsh area in the forest is home to several species of frogs.  When you walk through the neighborhood our house is the only one that sounds like a South American rainforest.  It gets so noisy during mating season I have to shut the sliding door in the back so I can hear my television at night.... Now this video is mostly pitch black, but sit back, enjoy, and if anyone can identify the monkey-sounding frog around 40 seconds in, let me know:

**Side note-- videos often don't play in mobile version but they do work in regular.

Besides frogs, our backyard has been home to many an animal in New Hampshire which leads to pretty cool homeschooling nature studies too.  We have seen porcupines, hawks, chipmunks, racoons, deer, moose, and even the dreaded fisher cat (Never heard of one? They are creepy, weasel-like creatures that can eat house-cats). We especially see the wild turkey:

Wild turkeys at the mail box

Usually they are in flocks of 10-15 birds and they wander in and out of neighbors' yards. My children love following the turkeys around and seeing where they end up!

My favorite thing we see (and HEAR!) in our backyard are the barred owls. Usually, we have a very hard time spotting them with their amazing camouflage:

Can you spot the owl in our tree?

But one day, as I exited my car, I heard a very loud noise behind me... I turned around to see a giant barred owl sitting on our swing set. I also heard the answering mates/enemies of this owl surrounding me. I carried one of my kids in the house quickly, and then we videotaped it:

 

My favorite part is when John gets attacked by a yellow jacket while filming...

Now I live in the southern part of New Hampshire, but my parents reside way up north in the White Mountains which means they have even more amazing animal adventures, including this moose that we witnessed last summer:

I hope you have enjoyed this episode of Nature: New Hampshire.  Let's hope I don't have a bear encounter soon to post-- I've been quite lucky!  If you don't live abutting a preserve like we do, add a bird feeder so you can have nature come to you. We have a window bird feeder that has helped my children to identify over 10 species of local song birds. (Note: in New Hampshire bird feeders must be removed in the spring as to not attract the just-awoke-from-hibernating-and-very-hungry bears).

Easy Rule #4923- It's spring! Stop and enjoy the awakening nature in your own backyard! Or just go to a zoo....

Spelling Bee and Other Trials

Ems here:

Such a busy couple weeks! Firstly, Theo (age 10) was able to compete in the Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday, although he was technically the alternate--shout out to John Paul, the local winner (unable to compete because the Scripps bee requires participants to be in the 5th grade)!  We had a couple months to prepare for the Bee utilizing a list of words provided....14 pages of insanely challenging words from various countries.

It's so funny "studying" with a lazy smart kid. Basically we did 15 minutes of word study a day and then he would casually exit the room while I was distracted by, you know, a baby or a 2 year old or a phone call. Or I would remind him to look over the words only to find him 4 minutes later reading a book with the list strewn over the back of the couch.  However, with a few days to go till the Bee, he suddenly got a case of the What the Bleep Am I Doing internal freak-out: headaches, insomnia, random bouts of late-night word list review. It would have been hilarious if I weren't so concerned.

As my youngest sister, Bets, pointed out wisely, "It's all part of growing up." She's right. I remember being a ball of stress before (and during) piano recitals; I remember being on stage during the mandatory school plays and wanting to crawl into a hole; I remember trying out for All State Choir realizing MUCH too late that my voice was only so-so compared to the other talent out there.  I know that these experiences shape us, mold us, change us and ultimately help make us the people we are today. It doesn't make it any easier watching a child go through it.

Bri and I gave him daily pep talks of the variety:

"It will be fine! You've studied, you're smart, just do your best!"
"Well, if you were this worried, you should have been studying more all along!"
"Just relax and you will do alright."
"Try not to be the first one out, mmm'kay?"

When the big day came, we piled into the van and headed downstate 20 miles. The adventure was magnified by the fact that we decided to keep driving post-Bee and visit Bri's parents who live 4 hours from our house, in the same direction.  As such, our morning was full of laundry and packing and last minute word studying.

We walked into the large elementary school building and after signing in, Theo was immediately whisked away to join the other participants..no time for last minute advice or hugs--tear :(

After a long and very tedious hour of waiting, Theo and the other 48 children made their way across the stage. He looked so little! But I was so proud that when it was his turn to answer the first practice round question and give his name, grade, and (virtual) school, he did so very calmly and collectedly. No fainting or crying or whispering. I felt like he had already won some small battle.

Theo is the little one behind the microphone. In the front row, of course. I was PRAYING he wouldn't do something embarrassing. The worst was a case of excessive lounging due to obvious boredom. Homeschool kids aren't used to sitting still that long....I clearly need to lecture more.

Finally, the real Bee began:

Quesadilla! Contiguous! Transect! Sayonara! Infinitesimal! Lieutenant! Pennant! Mascot! Verboten! Maraca! Paddock! Incorruptible! Discipline!

The kids were dropping like flies. Theo made it till Round 3, put out by the word "Kabuki." Oh well. That's the luck of the draw in a spelling bee. The girl after him got "toucan" much to Theo's jealous dismay.

All in all, Theo placed 12th and received a $25 Visa gift card, as did all the participants.  Top 10 got trophies, and the winner is headed to the Big Bee in D.C.

When I asked him afterwards if he would shoot for the Regional Bee again, knowing all that was involved--the studying, the stress, etc.--he looked at me like I had two heads, "Of COURSE I will try to get here again! You get $25 bucks just for showing up!!"

So, all my fears allayed for the bargain price of $25 bucks. I will remember this.

Well, off to deal with the latest round of diarrhea and vomiting due to the LLSFERBM virus (Longest Lasting Stomach Flu Ever Recorded By Man).

Sayonara! Go eat a quesadilla and discipline your kids! And having an infinitesimal amount of sugar is surely not verboten, even during Lent. Perhaps you can catch some Kabuki theater on NetFlix.


Easy Rule #3867: The kids are alright. Breathe. Experience. And then protect them more till next time.

When the Time is Right

Jules here-
 
When Grace wasn't ready for preschool, I secretly vowed to never have my other kiddos go through that trauma either. The curriculum at preschool seems quite basic to me: learning letters, numbers, shapes, and social interactions.  Developing your own preschool at home is quite simple with the Internet and most resources you probably have at home.

Getting your child to sit and listen-- is another story.  Felicity has a much more--let's call it "stubborn"-- personality than Grace.  Since the beginning of our preschool year, she has not been into learning. I have come up with dozens of creative, fantastic, and enjoyable learning activities that she attempts for 5 minutes and says, "I'm done school now."

During Grace's history lessons, she usually sits and listens; she always enjoys stories and the fantastic youtube.com video lessons I find, but she did nothing related to preschool. 

So around the holidays, I kind of gave up...  I just let her play during school time and threw my "curriculum" out the window....

Suddenly, in the past 4 weeks, she has started requesting worksheets like Grace has.  Luckily I am a homeschool-hoarder and I have an insane amount of materials.  Her fine motor skills have finally improved enough to do the worksheets: tracings, connecting lines, and circling things.  She is so proud of her "math" pages that we have dozens hanging on our wall right now! (Of course, the "recycle-fairy" will come and purge some of them during nap time...)  She somehow can easily recognize all her letters and letter sounds, numbers to 20, most shapes, and all the planets.

I am not a hippie-homeschooler when it comes to "let your children learn at his/her own time" but before the age of four-- I am definitely more flexible. As an occupational therapist, I am all about encouraging fine motor development; however, one must wait until the child can physically handle the tasks.  It baffles me when I see mothers forcing their 2-year-olds into a tripod grasp and trace letters!  Lissie did not have the ability to do many of the handwriting tasks required for preschool worksheets, and she preferred playing Leapfrog games and simpler tasks.  Personality-wise, she also hated being unable to complete a task, and she usually gave up in frustration.

As children reach kindergarten-age, I believe most are able to handle some "pushing" with regards to school-related activities.  Next year, I plan on starting Lissie in Kindergarten, and she will not have the choice to suddenly give-up on tasks.  She will have to learn to persevere through challenges and to take quick breaks to regroup and try again.  For now, I'm letting her learn at her own pace--and she's finally catching up with writing, math, and early-phonics.

I have friends who have 3-year-olds that have unbelievable writing skills and even early-reading tendencies-- Lissie's not there yet, but I am not comparing! Every child does learn at different developmental rates, and sometimes patience pays off.

Sweet, Silly & Stubborn: Our Felicity

 From potty-training to writing, try not to put your own expectations above what your child can developmentally perform.  If your child is not physically ready for a challenge, it can result in nightmarish power struggles between parent and child.  I gave up on potty-training Lissie at 2 1/2 because I was so tired of cleaning up messes... and the very next day-- she never went in her pull-up again.  Grace said at the time, "You know Mom, I think Lissie is doing better since we stopped potty-training her."

For now, I am just happy I have a little girl who can finally write her name. Even though her S's look suspiciously like 5's....

Easy Rule #9871- Relaxing your standards can make for a happier learning environment at home! Play is learning--so make it fun!

Easy Rule #98023-  Sometimes it takes giving up on something for it to finally click. 

Homeschooling-Jules Version

Jules here-

After reading Em's post on homeschooling, I reflected on my own decision to home-school my children. When Grace was a mere toddler, I had already considered homeschooling (well before the preschool incident) partly because I had an incredible sis who had much experience in the home education world.  I also had different reasons to embrace this educational choice:

Egyptian Unit

• Making learning fun. Though both my parents are teachers, I despised school as a child.  I loved reading for fun, but any recommended or required book tortured me.  Sitting still, listening, and studying were not skills that I possessed naturally.  I remember going to Epcot in Disney World and thinking, "They are trying to trick me into learning."  I do not want my children to have such animosity towards learning, and I think that homeschooling might be the solution.  I am doing "unit studies" this year and each unit incorporates food, crafts, videos, and field trips based on these concepts.
  

• Adaptive Lessons. Ems alluded to the flexibility of homeschooling, and I embrace that concept of learning and development.  When children are toddlers, everyone says, "They all learn to walk and talk at different rates!" but as soon as they reach elementary age children are streamlined to learn at exactly the same time.  Grace was an early reader so I am able to teach to her level of phonics, but keep her age-appropriate for math. 
  
• Socialization on my terms. The first question people always ask about homeschooling is always socialization. Personally, being surrounded by 20 other children the same age for 12 years does not seem like the "real-world" to me.  My kids have their siblings on a daily basis, play dates, a formalized play group, and everyday socializing (i.e. library, church, errands, etc.). PLUS, I bring my kids to a nursing home every month to learn to socialize with the elderly and disabled.  Learning to interact with a variety of ages (from baby to senior citizen) seems more well-rounded to me!
  
  
• Freedom!  I hate crowds, especially when shopping, going to museums, or playgrounds.  I can homeschool anytime, anywhere.  We have the freedom to go on vacation during "school times" (we get a great discount too!), and I love going to museums on school-days.  We get one-on-one attention from museum workers who are more than happy to educate us-for free!   I did our science lesson in the car the other day while driving; I play Renaissance music during lunch, and I even work on math while grocery shopping.
  

  

  Lissie at SEE Science Center, NH

  
  
• I love hanging out with my kids.  It's as simple as that. I love them and I want to spend my time with them (well, most days...).  If my kids really challenged me all of the time--I probably wouldn't enjoy homeschooling.  I love watching them "get something" during school, and being the one who knows when they are struggling with a tough concept. My children expect me to teach them things wherever and whenever, and they view me as an informational resource. They come to me with their questions first!

Easy Rule #4560-  Besides creating a safe haven for your children, homeschooling can offer a creative, loving, learning environment for your whole family!

Home-school Why

Ems here-

I know that Jules had decided to home-school Grace even before the dreaded preschool experiment for a whole host of reasons that she will compile later. Her post reminded me, however, of why I decided to home-school and brought back a flood of reminiscences -- especially in light of my oldest two children's birthdays coming up over the next couple weeks: Nate will be 11 and Theo will be 10. I've schooled them at home since Kindergarten, and now they are both in 5th grade! Amazing. Amazing that we've all survived it!

Because Nate and Theo are only 11 months apart (I can tell that story at a later time), I've pretty much treated them like twins. I sent them to preschool at this darling Catholic school called All Saints. It was a small, homelike environment and the 4 and 3 year-olds were grouped, which was perfect since both my little sweeties could be together. Unlike gentle cousin Grace, my monsters loved preschool. Well, they loved snack time and recess (chasing girls, to be precise). Circle time was another story. And don't get them started on singing.

Anyway, I was all set to have them continue at All Saints for Kindergarten, when we got the news that the school was closing down. The Catholic schools in town were consolidating into one larger school. Right away, I knew that would be a problem for me.

Here's what I was thinking:

1.  I liked the close-knit family that was All Saints, and I didn't want my kids to get lost in the shuffle at a large school.

2. To make matters worse, Kindergarten was an all-day affair! Gone was the half-day option of the past.  I wasn't ready to be apart from my son for a full day, every day. Too long.

3. Theo would only be 4, too young to officially begin Kindergarten with Nate.  He would be without his "twin" every day for HOURS!

4. Theo could read at 3 1/2 years old. He would be bored to tears with another year of preschool.

5. I had a toddler and a baby at home--the idea of driving to and from school both for half-day preschool and then again for Kindergarten pickup seemed like a horrible, nap-interrupting nightmare.

So here it was. I had to figure out another way to make us all happy. I knew about home-schooling but was very intimidated at the idea of educating my child from the ground up without a system. Luckily for me, Ohio is extremely favorable to e-schools, and after research we decided to go with the Ohio Virtual Academy that uses the K12 curriculum. Haven't looked back since.

Is it easy? No way. My house can't get really clean because there are always kids around. Sometimes I have to be Mean Mom + Mean Teacher Lady. BUT:

1. My kids are best friends. The older children get to really know their little siblings!

2. They can learn at their own speeds, up or down as needed.

3. We don't have to leave the house by a certain time. Or get dressed.

4. We don't do homework. Or projects using poster board.

5. We don't have to participate in bake sales or sell anything door to door.

6. The kids look forward to afternoon activities (sports, clubs, etc.) without being too tired.

7. We can go to appointments or shopping or family trips regardless of school schedule.

Basically, homeschooling has simplified my life in many ways. Do I struggle with being calm and patient? Heck yeah! But I could just as easily lose it over homework or paperwork or projects or getting everyone out the door on time in the morning if we did "normal" school...

I get to spend lots of time with my children; time that is going by so quickly and that I know I will be grateful for when they leave the nest.

And those are my deep thoughts for the day. 

Now, here's a picture of Gabe biting into a beef bouillon cube thinking it's candy!

Easy Rule #1007: Don't be afraid to search for solutions for your family that are outside the box. You may be surprised by what works!

The Joy of Confidence

Jules Here-

When Grace was three, we attempted preschool for her. I was pregnant with my third and toting around a toddler, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.  So many friends used the dreaded "socialization" word, and I felt pressure to have Grace learn how to sit and listen to another adult.  So we signed her up...

The first day of preschool--she did great. No tears at drop off, she was thrilled to see us, and she liked some of the activities.  The next day, she asked, "Wait, I have to go back?" She was more hesitant the second day and the teacher mentioned she only sat on the bench during the playground time and said, "The other kids are running around too much for me."  The night before her third day of preschool, she came out of her room at 10 PM sobbing about how she did not want to go back to school, and I had to rock this little anxious child back to sleep.  Thinking that she would have a more difficult time, I had my husband stay in the car with Lissie, while I walked her to her classroom.

Upon arrival, Grace lost it.  Now, Grace NEVER threw tantrums, made a scene, or disobeyed us.  The teacher kept reassuring me that this was "natural" and I should just go.  Being 9 months pregnant, watching my baby crumble with terror-- I broke down crying too.  I could NOT do it.  I gathered her up, and we sniffled to the car.  When I arrived my husband simply said, "Well, if preschool is going to make all my girls cry, we are not doing this again." (Lissie was sobbing in the car too....)

Hours later that day she said, "Some day I'll be six, right?" I nodded and she added, "I'll be ready for school then."  How can you argue that?

Many people denounced our decision to pull her, "You didn't give her enough time" or "You should have just let her cry it out" even "She obviously needs to be away from you."  But, I knew I was correct. She was not emotionally ready to be apart from me yet.  It took quite awhile for her to go to the independent (no mommies allowed) story time, but by the time she was almost four, she did it.  She's shy, listens well, and rarely gets in trouble at home (and never out).  She already knew the preschool curriculum before we started it, and she is in first grade this year, so academics were not a problem.

Today, we went to a science museum for our homeschool.  Several other children scattered about the museum until a presentation on "walking on the moon" started.  The employee started asking questions about gravity and space, and my shy little Grace was the only child to know the answers and respond! She was nervous to be the center of attention and she beamed when he complimented her. 

Easy Rule #92010 Trust your own parenting instincts- children blossom at different times.

Easy Rule #53999 Watching a 3 year old go "anti gravity" with chubby cheeks: priceless:

Cheap Outings with Kids

Emily already posted on feeding kids for cheap--- but entertaining children with limited funds is my expertise.  I have always looked at my job as a homemaker to include finding cheap or free activities in our area.  I am blessed to live in New England with access to Boston, and other relatively affluent areas around me.  In New Hampshire, every weekend is chock-full of fairs, festivals, and family-friendly events.  Here are some tips for finding stuff to do to get those kiddos out of the house!

• Find your local paper (free ones are best)  Whether I have lived in NH, PA or Delaware, there has always been a weekly, free newspaper available in the lobby of local businesses.  I always pick this up and scour the listings of events. Usually they list the cost, timing, and details of the events.  Once a season my newspaper highlights really fun events, and I usually write them in my calendar to remind myself (i.e. Milford Pumpkin festival). 
  
  
• Skip any event with an admission cost  Some fairs up here cost $8-10 a person to attend. Really? How can I afford the $6 fried dough? (side note: I'm from Delaware which means I refer to this delicacy as Funnel Cakes, but in New England they speak a different language and it's called Fried Dough. And it's not as good).  Just choose the state fairs, etc. that are free to get in. If the admission is less than $5 a person and kids are free--- maybe I'd go. But I doubt it. Also, check for parking availability. Is it free admission and $10 to park? Don't get suckered.
  
  
• Check for coupons If you want to go to amusement parks, business expos, and museums, check out newspapers, local fast food restaurants, websites and even your bank (Bank of America offers its members free admissions once a month to dozens of museums). Check your husband's (or your) works for discounts at area events (human resources often gets lots of coupons and passes).  I also sign up for local Groupon (or Living Social or something....) so if any kid-friendly items that come up I buy them. I have gotten passes to bounce houses, butterfly places, and more!
  
  
  
• Library Museum Passes  Most libraries have fantastic discounts and passes to area museums. I have never paid for the aquarium, science museum, or children's museum in my area as I ALWAYS reserve the library pass.  Now, you have to reserve it in advance, and pick it up before you go-- so logistically it can be challenging, but free is worth the effort and planning.  

• Remember the age of your children.  Is it worth it to drive to the ocean beach 1+ hour from my house, pay for parking, and haul all of the beach stuff 1/2 mile from the costly parking only to stay for 2 hours as my kids still need naps? Or should I go to the local lake beach (and if I get there before 10 AM, it's free....) and pack a picnic lunch?  Some events are NOT WORTH IT!!! It's too much hassle to pack my little ones up and go somewhere in which they all can't enjoy it.
  
  
• Check stores and factories.  If you have an AC Moore's, Michael's Craft, Lowes, Barnes & Noble's, or Ace Hardware, they all have free classes for kids and grown ups.  Some have a small fee for supplies, but holiday activities are usually free! Each name is linked to the calendars or store locators on their website.  Sometimes I sign up for the email list for reminders of events.  In my town, we are blessed to live near two fantastic factories that lead tours and have free samples! We often go to the factories, and the Stonyfield factory even hosts weekly story times! I've lived near Hershey Park, the Crayola Factory and the Herr Factory-- and all offered tours and fun.
  
  
  
• Kids don't need a lot to have fun. This one time when my eldest was not quite 2 years old, we promised her a fair with animals to pet. We arrived at the fair and realized we had to pay $10 in parking (see why I mentioned this in the 2nd bullet-point?).  We hardly had any cash so we left the fair and drove straight to a pet store. My 2 year old was THRILLED to pet a bunny, and the teenager who was working there let us hold kittens, puppies, even a bird.  So think about the fun of bookstores, Wal-mart, Ikea (Free kids meals Tuesdays!), Cabella's, Bass Pro Shops,etc.  Stores really can be adventures to little ones, and mom can do a little *light* shopping then too!

**If you do go somewhere for the day--don't forget to pack lunches/coolers! In museums (especially big city museums) the prices in the cafeteria are ridiculous.  Most will allow you to bring in a cooler (I usually keep a lunch bag in my stroller for our outings), and sometimes I'll buy a cookie or two to split amongst the children as a treat. 

Hope this list helps you think outside the "children-cost-to-much" bubble and use some of the free stuff available to you in the area!!

Easy Rules for the day:
#872- Learn your town, state, and region to find ALL the best deals and events for kids!
#822- It's o.k. to stay home too. All of this talk of packing up kids makes me want to take a nap :)

Solar System Unit Song

I finished up a Solar System Unit Study for my first grader, and she was struggling with the concept of the difference between rotation and orbit.  I came up with this song to help her understand and coupled it with a fun, hands-on activity.

I cut out a paper sun and held it above my head as we sang the first verse, and she had to spin around saying "night" when she had her back to me and "day" when she could see me.

Then, for the second verse she had to spin AND orbit around me, and say "Year" when she returned to her original spot. We giggled as she crashed around dizzy, but in the end she completely understood the concept of how seasons and time worked!  Hope you enjoy this fun activity too!


Easy Rule #572- Acting out concepts sometimes helps the more hands-on learners!

Five Ways to Grow SMART Kids

Let me start this by saying that I truly think ALL kids are WAY smarter than we parents realize. They don't think learning is boring! When I used to work at a daycare preschool many moons ago, I remember being astonished at how much those 3 year-olds could do. And then, when I had my first babies, being astonished at how much a 1 year old could do! And then a 2 year old! Wow! Kids are amazing!

Sometimes it seems like we, the parents, are slowing them down, simply by not expecting very much from these little people. Here are some tips for getting the most from your kids' potential:

1. Answer Your Kids' Questions with Truth and Detail -  Answer EVERY SINGLE ONE. Don't ignore the questions. Don't give them a babyish answer or a funny one to make other adults snicker. Give them more information than what they asked. Flood them with knowledge. Talk clearly and explain and elaborate. Why are you stopped at the traffic light? (talk all about traffic rules and light colors and the importance of safe driving, etc.). Why can't we buy those cookies? (explain about healthful eating, about shopping on a budget and making good choices). How does the bank give out money? (talk about working and getting paid and keeping money safe and only spending what you have). If they are too little to ask questions, point out and explain things anyway: "See that big tree over there? That's an oak tree! It's changing colors because it is fall. The acorns are dropping down. Let's see what color leaves we can see...etc."  Great things happen when you respect the questions of a child. They CAN handle the truth :)

2. Expect Good Behavior - Let your kids have a "bar" to reach. They may surprise you.  If you expect a tantrum, you will likely get one. Instead, expect them to sit still. Expect them to behave. If they don't, be shocked and punish swiftly (however you and your spouse agree: timeout, no sweets, etc.).  Babying and coddling is NOT the same as loving and cuddling. Raising expectations creates maturity, and mature kids are ready to learn.

3. Feed the Sponge - Start phonics early. Read. Use correct words - don't dumb it down. Read some more. Follow their interests. If your boy loves trucks, teach him "excavator" and "combine harvester"  - no need to call it a "dirt digger upper."

4. Laugh! - Jokes and silliness and good-natured ribbing create wit and zip and energy in children. A good attitude is key to learning, and humor can alleviate the most stressful of situations. Comedians are some of the cleverest people. Read Shel Silverstein together and explain WHY it is funny stuff.  Foster it and see the lights go on!

5. Faith - In this secular world, oftentimes people of faith are looked down upon as being somehow ignorant and naive. On the contrary, teaching children that they are loved and protected by a higher power builds security and comfort and peace. How many times have we heard that public schools need to be safe in order for children to learn? I proffer that the same holds true within the home. A crippling fear of the dark or of death or of robbers will hold back your children from embracing knowledge. Teaching them that their soul will live forever is a beautiful gift.

Bingo for Different Ages

I am homeschooling my 5 year-old in first grade this year (we did Kindergarten last year), my 3 year-old in preschool (about 40 seconds a day), and simply surviving my almost-2 year-old boy.  So, when I come up with an activity that they all enjoy and *GASP* they learn something-- I am thrilled.  For the last couple of years, I have played Sight Word Bingo with Grace, but my other two cannot read yet.  I came up with an adapted version as seen below:

For Grace, I had her new sight words (as well as sight words she often misses), and for Lissie I just wrote capital letters.  And for James, I haphazardly drew a grid and placed stickers of objects I hoped he would know the name of (I keep a huge folder full of random stickers so I have quite the collection). The "Bingo" sheets I got out of a workbook, but I am sure you could find a blank printable or just draw one free hand (or use a ruler if you care about neatness).   I gave each child a pile of buttons (you can use marshmallows for older kids as markers, but I knew James would just eat them) and I would just name something for each to cover up.  (For example, "Grace, 'every', James 'Cover a Monkey with a button,' and 'Lissie, cover the letter "B"')

My kids don't understand the main purpose of bingo, so we just covered the whole board up and yelled bingo when everyone's squares were covered.   They each got a couple of mini marshmallows after they named every square on their board.

Anyway, we played twice (took about 15 minutes total) and they loved it!  You can use this for big kids (bigger words) or even colored stickers for colors, etc.  Lots of fun!

Easy Rule for today:

#780- If you can find a way to sneak learning into a game--do it.