End of School QR Code Activity

Why does May always get me thinking about the end of school? I only have 13 days of school left!! Not that I am counting or anything. 

Did you do our fun End of School QR Code Activity with your kids on the last day of school last year? 
If not, you need to do it this year!

I think this has to be my personal favorite post.

When you pick up your child on the last day of school, give him/her your smart phone and some QR codes to scan. Each QR code contains a challenge. When the QR code reader scans the QR code it takes you to a URL with a last day of school challenge. I created ten different challenges in all, but you can give your child the QR codes for just 3 or 5 or 7 or whatever. Choose as many or as few of the challenges as you desire. Here are a few examples of the challenges:

**Note that some of the challenges need to be done while you are still at school or on the way home so be sure and give your child the QR codes as soon as he or she gets in the car. (Or if you won't be picking up your child on his/her last day, just choose challenges that can be done at home.)

All the challenges are listed below. Choose the ones that fit your child.

1. Run through the sprinklers at home.
2. Yell "I am Free!" out the car window on the way home from school.
3. Shake hands with the principal and thank him/her for another great year.
4. Ask your teacher, "Can I please come back to school every day in the summer?"
5. Jump on your school papers while you laugh a crazy laugh.
6. Draw your summer plans on the sidewalk with chalk.
7. Make some homemade lemonade.
8. Cut off some old jeans to make shorts.
9. Break a pencil over your knee with a karate yell.
10. Do some somersaults or cartwheels across your yard.


After your child has completed the chosen challenges, there are five more QR codes that list the possible rewards. You can choose which reward your child can receive. Below are a few sample rewards:

All the rewards are listed below.
1. Go get ice cream.
2. Go to the pool.
3. Make Cookies with Mom.
4. Play catch with Dad.
5. Stay up past your bedtime.

The great thing abut using the QR codes and a free QR code scanner on an smart phone or tablet is that they are in black and white and you don't need to use any colored ink to print them out. (*I use the app Qrafter Pro but there are lots of great QR code readers out there.)  Print out all 15 QR codes here then choose which ones you want your child to do.

If you don't have a smart phone or tablet, I have included access to all the challenge and reward pictures without QR codes here.

I hope you enjoy celebrating in a fun and unique way on your child's last day of school!

Letter of the Week {Zz}

This is our final post in our letter of the week series. You can find our posts for the other letters of the alphabet here.  Remember that you do not need to do everything. Just pick and choose one or two activities to introduce the Letter Z to your child.


Books for the Letter Z

Snack Ideas

Little Debbie Zebra Cakes

Zoo Mix

Or for a healthier option- Zucchini Muffins

I love this idea from the Munchie Mom to make a little zoo on your child's plate with pretzels and animal crackers. The Zoo letters are cut out of bread using alphabet letter cookie cutters. 

Crafts

 Zebra Craft- Cut out the White Letter and then let the kiddos glue on the black stripes. 

Here is a great idea from the Measured Mom for making a Zero Picture. Just use a milk jug lid or other round object for a creating a picture of zeroes. 

Making the Letter Z with pipe cleaners. 

Activities

The Measured Mom has created a super fun Zoo sensory play bin using popsicle sticks fences, beans and rice and plastic animals. Kids can use the large bin for building their own zoo and designing different habitats for each animal.

I love this idea from Strong Start Preschool. Using the book Good Night, Gorilla create some matching cages from shoe boxes to hold small stuffed animals or plastic animal figurines. Then kids can match the color of the key with the color of the cage to free the animals. I love this funny story about a gorilla who sneaks the keys from the zoo keeper and releases all the animals who follow him home at the end of the day and pile into his bedroom to spend the night! Find all the details here.

I love this idea from Pinterest for the Zig Zag Race Track. Line up some match box cars and have the kids race down the zig zag track drawn on butcher paper to the finish. This is great for fine motor skills and is super fun in the process.

Games and Songs
Check out these fun ideas from How to Run a Home Day Care.

I love this Zoom song. You could even make some toilet paper roll rockets to go with the song as you do the actions.

Here are some cute ones from No Time for Flash Cards

I also love the Z adaption for the Hokey Pokey! I love when you can get littles ones to move as they learn. Find the instructions for the song at the link above for How to Run a Home Daycare. I love that the kids hop on all the corners of the Z as they sing the song.

I also love putting three kids together to spell the letter Z with their bodies.

Find your Letter Z Printables at the Links Below:

Tracing Pages

Alphabet Flash Cards

Insta-Worms- Instant Science Fun

Today in class we made Insta-Worms. I love this project from Steve Spangler Science. You squeeze the magic worm goo into the worm activator liquid and immediately you have slimy, gooey, oozy worms that are so much fun to touch and to play with.

You can dye them lots of different colors with simple food coloring. You can learn all about the chemistry involved with cross-linking and polymers. But mostly you can have fun! This would make a great start for a science fair project. We had contests to see who could make the longest worm and who could make the fattest worm. We made worm webs and worm eggs. You can dry them out and then rehydrate them. It was a ball.

They would also make a great cub scout activity or project for activity day girls. They would make the perfect addition to a science themed birthday party. They always work out-- no wondering if your science experiment will flop. And they are always a huge hit!

Spring is in the air and worms are out to play.
Order some today.

Insta Worms Kit

Grace and Motherhood

By Deborah Rowley

We hunt for Easter Eggs as a family on Saturday afternoon. Yesterday, everyone gathered at Grandma's house to play with the baby bunnies, eat, and hunt for Easter Eggs in the backyard. Afterwards, the adults were lingering at the table to visit.

My sister asked one of our sister-in-laws if she had always been such a graceful and natural mother. Heather smiled and laughed. "Oh no," she said. "I really struggle as a mother." I have known Heather for twenty years and I think she is an amazing mother. Her three children are delightful. Her oldest son is 18, then she has a son that is 16 and a daughter that is 14. They are polite. They are kind. They are obedient and have such good hearts. They are a joy to be around. I love it when my children can spend time with her children.

Then Heather continued her confession. "I think the reason my children are turning out so well is because of the enabling grace of Jesus Christ. Every day I get on my knees and plead, 'I cannot do this. I can't be the type of mother that they deserve. Please send your grace to make up for my weakness, to compensate for the areas where I continually fall short. Please help me.' My prayers are answered. My children are a miracle to me."

Amen.

Nowhere in my life do I feel the need for the grace of Christ more than as a mother. These children are His and He loves them. He will help us raise them even though we know full well that we could never do it without Him.

Happy Easter.

Happy Easter

Just wanted to share some things I am going to be doing with my kids this weekend to keep the focus on Jesus Christ.

Resurrection Rolls

I have also done these cookies in the past and they have been really fun.
The Empty Story Cookies

Because of Him Video- I cry every time I watch this.

Back From the Dead- Momastery

I love this Easter post from Glennon. And this picture! Priceless.

"DO NOT BE AFRAID when it’s Friday or Saturday. REMEMBER that Sunday always comes.

Easter is always, always on its way.

That’s the Good News. For EVERYBODY."

This is what I want my kids to know this weekend. Happy Easter Everyone! 

2nd Annual Hogwarts Summer Fun Challenge

We are so excited to announce that we are planning another round of our wildly successful Hogwarts Summer Fun Challenge! This absolutely free summer program is just what you need to keep your kids having fun and staying busy all summer long. 

Here are some comments from our last year's participants.

"We have been amazed by the creativity and open-ended fun we found in the Hogwarts Summer School assignments each week. It has been so much fun to participate. I loved being able to adapt the activities for the kid's different ages or interest levels,  loved the sweet and charitable acts of service, and really loved getting our imaginations going. "
Brooke

"I thought the challenges were really fun. I loved making memories with my kids and doing things with them that I wouldn't think of on my own. "
Jessica

"We absolutely loved this!! We would definitely want to participate again."
Jaimie

"We absolutely 100% loved Hogwarts Summer School and are all so sad it's over already. This summer has flown by. You helped make it an amazing summer for the girls."
Cynthia

This year's challenge will include all new activities so even if you participated last summer you can still get involved in the fun. Sign up quickly because we will be limiting participation to just the first 50 to respond. 

When your kids sign up for this FREE 8 week challenge, they will be placed in one of the four houses. Then they will be able to earn points for doing activities for each of their Hogwarts Summer Classes. They will concoct their own ice cream flavor in Potions, learn to find a star constellation in the night sky in Astronomy, and play a fun game with hula hoops in Quidditch.

Each week they will receive a new list of options for each class. Then at the end of the week, they will report their scores for how many of the activities they completed. Their scores will be added to the rest of the scores in their house and the competition for the house cup will be on! Everyone who completes a certain number of activities will receive a Hogwarts Summer School Completion Certificate and a box of Official Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. In addition, the contestants with the highest points in each house will win a handmade wizard wand. All prizes will be mailed free of charge.

Enrollment is limited so sign up for this fun summer challenge today. The competition will begin on June 9th and will end on August 10th, skipping one week for the 4th of July.

All you need to do to enroll is send an email with the names and ages of each child that would like to enter to:
hogwartssummerfunchallenge@gmail.com

We will respond right away to let you know you have been admitted. Then at the end of May you will receive information about the Sorting Hat Quiz that will place you in the right house and instructions about how to begin. This challenge is going to be so much fun! On the blog we will include posts about activities we do as part of our Hogwarts challenge as well as giving you and your kids encouragement to continue. Please pass on this information to any of your friends and family members who might like to join in the challenge with you. You could take turns hosting a neighborhood day where you complete several of the activities together!

Each week they will receive a new list of options for each class. Then at the end of the week, they will report their scores for how many of the activities they completed. Their scores will be added to the rest of the scores in their house and the competition for the house cup will be on! Everyone who completes a minimum of 80 activities in the eight weeks (10 a week) will receive a Hogwarts Summer School Completion Certificate and a box of Official Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. In addition, the contestants with the highest points in each house will win a handmade wizard wand. All prizes will be mailed free of charge.

Enrollment is limited so sign up for this fun summer challenge today. The competition will begin on June 10th and will end on August 10th, skipping one week for the 4th of July.

All you need to do to enroll is send an email with the names and ages of each child that would like to enter to:
hogwartssummerfunchallenge@gmail.com.

Again, just email us the names and ages of the kids that would like to participate to:
Hogwarts Summer Fun Challenge @ gmail.com (All one word-- lower case, of course)

We will respond right away to let you know you have been admitted. Then at the end of May you will receive information about the Sorting Hat Quiz that will place you in the right house and instructions about how to begin. This challenge is going to be so much fun! On the blog we will include posts about activities we do as part of our Hogwarts challenge as well as giving you and your kids encouragement to continue. Please pass on this information to any of your friends and family members who might like to join in the challenge with you. You could take turns hocomplete several of the activities together!

Letter of the Week {Yy}

We are almost finished with our letter of the week posts. Here are some fun activities for the Letter Y.
Find the rest of our Letter of the Week series here.

Snack Ideas:

I love the idea of focusing the snack on the color Yellow. There are so many delicious foods that kids can try that are Yellow. Bananas, Pineapples, Papaya, even yellow pear tomatoes make a fun snack for preschoolers to try.

Books: 
You will notice several books in this collection about yawning. Preschoolers love to mimic yawns and try to get each other to try to yawn. Read one of these fun yawn stories and then allow extra time for a yawning competition. You will be delighted at the faces the kids will make!

Crafts: 
I love this simple craft from The Measured Mom using the color yellow for this Y collage. Turn the kids lose looking for small yellow items to include.

Here is a fun yarn lacing activity. Find the instructions here. I love the fine motor skill work that lacing requires.

Isn't this handprint yak adorable? I found it on Pinterest but the link didn't lead anywhere. Sorry I can't give proper credit.

Learning Activities: 

Yummy or Yucky?
Here is a fun tasting activity from Some of This and Some of That. Simply provide a variety of foods for your preschooler to try and then put a check mark in one of two columns Yummy or Yucky. Here this cute guy is trying a piece of lemon!

Here are some other yummy and yucky options:

Tootsie rolls, marshmallows, pretzel, peanut butter and cheese crackers, salt and vinegar chips, regular potato chips, popcorn, sugar cubes, lemons, limes, bitter chocolate, goldfish, jelly beans, popcorn, pickles, apples, oranges, almonds, Hershey's bar, red licorice and back licorice. 

Water Balloon Yo-Yo

I have to try this terrific idea from Inner Child Fun. This seems like the perfect activity for a summer day even if you aren't studying the Letter Y. This is definitely on my bucket list for this year. All you need to do is fill a balloon with water and attach a piece of rubber tubing. If the balloon bursts, that just adds to the fun! 

Letter of the Week Printables: 

Find the Letter of the Week Tracing Pages Here

Find your alphabet flash cards here