FREE Online Summer Camps (K-12)

It's summer again and the kids (and their teachers! Woot!) are home! This means loads of opportunities for more family-fun time and memory-making moments. Annnnd more chances for whining, fighting, cleaning up messes, getting burnt out... well, you get the picture.

So here's our summer challenge this year: use a few tricks and tips to create a fun, enjoyable summer for both our kids AND for us. Let's go!

Challenge #3: Register your kids for FREE online summer camps.

VarsityTutor.com is providing free summer camps for kids in grades K-12 this year and they look awesome! My oldest two have already done a few of their free classes and LOVED them, so we're really looking forward to their week-long summer camps.

Most are done in an interactive webinar style: the kids can see and hear the teacher and communicate by typing questions and comments in a text box. (If you are looking for an online camp that looks more like a traditional Zoom call with smaller class sizes, check out Outschool.com. It's not free, but the classes are reasonably priced and look really interesting). 

Some of the camp themes on Varsity Tutors:

• cooking  healthy snacks
• coding games
• creating a Lego movie
• arts & crafts
• dinosaurs
• fairy tales
• creating Minecraft storyboards
• foreign languages
• theater
• creative writing
• book clubs
• building structures

... and sooo many more.

Tip #1: Check the site each day as they add new classes to their list constantly. 

Tip #2: You can easily un-enroll by clicking one button (and no credit card info is ever required, so no worries of getting charged for anything)... this makes it it a very flexible program if your plans change last minute.

Tip #3: You can have multiple kids participate in the same class from the same computer- just sign up one child. The ages are also 'suggested ages' and VT has stated that if a child is interested in a topic, they can join a class even if it's out of their age-range (which is AWESOME for our gifted or special needs students who like to work up or down a level). 

Want to continue to create a fun and stress-free summer? Check out all the Summer Challenge posts here.

{Distance Learning} End-of-Year Celebrations

It's here... or almost here... or almost-almost here (depending on which state you live in). SUMMER VACATION!

With Covid-19 on the loose, this summer is sure to look a little different than past summers, but that's no reason to stop celebrating the end of another school year and the start of some well-earned weeks off.

I've put together a few fun end-of-year ideas that are also social-distancing approved.

1. Do a Zoom End-of-Year Party

• Do a class award presentation (email the rewards right after the call so they can print out their own). Find fun and silly class awards like these free ones:

Printable Awards:

Digital Awards: 

• Play a game with the whole class. An easy one is a scavenger hunt. Just name a common item (ie- stuffed animal) and say GO! The first kid to come back with the item gets a point. Another great game to play if you have a small class is Drawful2 on Jackbox.tv. 

2. Have students create a sweet memento of their year.

This sheet is specifically designed for this Covid-19 distance learning time. It gives students a chance to document their favorite parts of the school year and to brainstorm fun things they want to do with their family this summer.

3. {For your own kiddos} Bust OUT of the house for summer.

Usually we bust INTO the house to celebrate coming home from school on the last day of school. This year, we thought it might be more appropriate to bust OUT of the house. We just taped party streamers and a WELCOME TO SUMMER construction paper sign over the door.

3. Send a postcard to each student. 

Kids LOOOOVE getting their own mail (as evidenced by my almost-8 year old daughter who has stalked the mailman every day this week leading up to her birthday)

Use this free (and SUPER CUTE) distance-learning postcards:

....And if you are looking for a fun way to keep kids writing this summer while creating a time capsule of their thoughts during this unique time, check out this:

Halloween Classroom Party Ideas

While I absolutely adored lesson planning and grading spelling tests each week (can you hear the sarcasm?), one of my favorite things about being a teacher was planning the parties and other fun moments that happened throughout the year. 

Right around now, the stress that always came with the beginning of the year was (almost) starting to fade and I felt like I had time to start focusing on those fun 'extras'... like our Halloween party!

Since I don't have a class full of kids to plan a party for right now, I thought I'd plan a little virtual party here and hopefully give you all some ideas to help make your class party fun and stress-free. 

(After all, if I'm being completely honest here, that's what this blog is really all about: my getting to live my teacher-dreams vicariously through all of you while I am a stay-at-home mom.) ;) 

So.... are you ready to Par-TAY?! Here's some ideas I thought would be super fun to include in your classroom festivities this year:

Decorations:

I loved this idea for your classroom door. The red one looks super simple: streamers, floor tape (or painter's tape), and plastic plates... couldn't be easier or cuter! {Just one more reason for me to lurve floor tape.} If you wanted a different color, you could use banner paper or wrapping paper to cover the door first.

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This candy corn banner looks easy (and cheap) to make too. You could even make this a fun little classroom craft the week before Halloween. 

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Games:

Who doesn't like a freebie? Here's a fun one: Halloween Charades! Take it one step further and bring in a box of dress up clothes and props for kids to use as they are acting out the different pictures.

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What? Ya want another fun freebie. Ohhh-kaaaay. ;)
This Halloween BINGO card would be good for any grade since it uses pictures instead of words. You could even use candy corn for the BINGO pieces (but be prepared to replace the ones that go 'missing' in little mouths!)

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Here's a way to incorporate some math into your Pumpkin Fun. You could also practice graphing by having the kids create a chart of the number of times they rolled each number. Click here to print your own copy.

 

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Is science more your thing? Amaze your kids by making this ghost come alive... and slip a little scientific process practice in.

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Treats:

You can't have a Halloween party without those ever-present piles of candy... but we can always try to slip in a few slightly healthier options. And as these next few pictures show, all you have to do to up the fun factor is add a silly face :) 

For a snack that's super quick to put together, check out this string cheese ghost:

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Aren't these little green grape monsters just the best?! They remind me of the Veggie Tales movies that I loved watching when I was in middle and high school really young. ;)

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Not necessarily the healthiest option, but you KNOW I had to include some cutie-patootie owl treats. I seem to be lovin' the owls lately :) 

{If you're feeling the owl love too, check out these ideas for an owl classroom theme.}

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Fun Classroom Moments:

Another Freebie Alert! These joke cards were designed to go in your child's lunch box... but how fun would they be to use throughout the day with your class? You could create a joke jar and place the card in it. Randomly pull out a card and tell the joke as a reward for your class exhibiting good behavior.

Or maybe give each student a card as they walk into the cafeteria to spark some fun Halloween-inspired conversations over lunch.

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You can never go wrong with glow sticks- kids go crazy for them! These glow stick bracelets would make the perfect take-home treat. I buy glow sticks in bulk every year on Amazon for the family shows we do at church- they are pretty cheap and will last from year to year if you have leftovers. 

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I've created a preschool pack that celebrates this holiday in a just-really-cute-and-not-at-all-spooky kinda way! Check it out:

Here's a few more Halloween-themed freebies you may like.

What are some of your favorite Halloween party ideas?

Free Halloween Resources

Yay! It's Friday and I've got another fun freebie for you! (Don't you just adore free stuff?)

Teachers, brace yourselves! It's coming. You're just a few short days away from the sugar-induced, costume-clad craziness that is ...Halloween! Our friends over at Teachers Pay Teachers are getting the party started early with these cute spooky-inspired freebies:

Halloween Math Board Games:

Science Dry Ice Secrets:

Halloween Pattern Practice:

Costume Character Traits:

Halloween Noun Sort:

Check out these fun fall-themed freebies for more great resources at a super-great price!

Do you have any Fall freebies to share with us? Leave a description of your freebie in the comments along with a link.

Happy Independence Day!

HAPPY 4th of JULY! 

(source)

To celebrate, I rounded up a few freebies for you (I know! It's not even Friday! What luck!!)

25 FREE Independence Day Worksheets

Enchanted Learning July 4th Crafts and Activities

Apples 4 Teachers July 4th Freebies

Free Earth Day Pack

Happy Earth Day!

Here's a fun, GREEN freebie for you from Royal Baloo:

Free and Easy Rewards for Students

Coming up with positive ways of motivating our students is half the battle of creating a classroom discipline strategy. Here is a list of rewards that are both easy and free (or super-duper cheap!):

• Get to choose if we have lights on or off for the afternoon.
• Bring a non-water drink to class (or allow a water bottle at their desk if drinks are usually prohibited).
• Sit wherever you want during read aloud time. This could be in the teacher's chair, on the floor, under their desk, etc.
• Get a free star on their job chart or some other chart where they are trying to earn points / stickers.
• No Homework Day or a "Homework Pass"
• Lunch in the classroom (watch a movie during lunch or listen to a book on tape)
• Lunch outside on the sidewalk, grass, or playground. 
• Teacher brings in baked goodies (brownies, cookies, etc)
• Popcorn party
• Walk to the front door a few minutes early so that they can be the first to get on the bus (in other words, the first to pick their seat out on the bus!)
• "Early Bus Loaders Pass" for the next field trip. This allows them to get on the bus first and choose their seats and seat mate before the rest of the class.
• "Lunch Line Pass." One person a day may turn this into you to be allowed to 'budge' in the lunch  or water fountain line. 
• 1 Minute Simon Says: If they work quietly as a class for _____ minutes, they can earn a one minute speed round of Simon Says. To make this fun, you have to talk as quickly as you can during the game. P.S.- I was always amazed at how effective this was for even the 5th graders! When I needed to get their attention right away, I would start a speed round of Simon Says. Within 2 seconds, the entire class would have stopped what they were doing and be totally focused on what I was saying.
• Bubbles Day: allow students to take bubbles out to recess with them.
• 5 minutes of extra recess

So what works for you? What rewards do you offer your students?

Free St. Patrick's Day Resources

Top 'o the morning to ya! It's Friday and I've got another fun freebie for you! (Don't you just adore free stuff?)

This one is in honor of St. Patrick's Day and includes a sufficient amount of green things. 

(Was it just me, or did anyone else stress out about wearing green on Saint Patty's day when they were younger...you know, to avoid the pinching and all? ......Just me? M'kay. Moving right along.) 

Chad and Marybeth from Nothing But Country have a great little treat bag topper that you could use for student gifts. They used Rolos ('pot of gold') and Skittles ('end of the rainbow'):

Jill from Blessed Beyond a Doubt created some cute writing prompts:

Along the same lines, Nora over at Kindergarten Superkids made these writing prompt cards:

Crayola has a silly activity that would be sure to make your kiddos giggle (or at least, THIS big kiddo did!):

Looking for a St. Patty's packet for your preschool or Kindergarten class? Check out this one.