indoor learning

I lied when I said that the best thing about Bunco was that it was an easy game to play while catching up with friends. Really. I lied. It’s not 100% true. The best thing about Bunco is the snacks. …

Our family has longtime been a fan of the fondue night. It’s a tradition for us to make this dinner on New Year’s Day and Valentine’s Day, and often the kids will choose to have fondue for their birthday dinner …

      This game was surprisingly more difficult than I expected it would be for my 10, 9, and 7 year olds. I don’t know if they were just not in the pumpkin-matching mindset or if they need more matching …

    I’m always on the hunt for fun ways to keep my kids engaged and interested and thinking creatively. And when I find something that works, and it’s unplugged, creative fun, it’s a serious win. Today after school, while …

The following Rockstar Sunday guest post is written by Kate of An Everyday Story. Kate is a former teacher who now homeschools her two littles using the Reggio Emilia Approach. I love her blog, and you will too. Check it …

I just shared a cool series over at the Scholastic Parents Raise a Reader blog, and I think it will be of interest to many parents. It’s all about first steps to writing and what parents can do to help …

The following rockstar guest post is written by Barb of  A Life in Balance. Barb has a ton of awesome ideas, and you should totally check out her blog.  Gallon bag activities. Plastic bag activities. Ziploc or Ziplock or Glad or store …

The following sweet, springtime guest post is written by the incredibly creative mom and teacher, Kristina Buskirk, of Toddler Approved.  Toddler Approved is a must-read. Even though my babies are well beyond toddlerhood, I still read Kristina’s blog because it’s top …

It’s been snowing a whole lot over here for the last few weeks, and in fact, this week, about 15 inches of the white stuff were dumped on us. So this mama has had to pull out the stops when …

The following guest post is written by Natalie, of Afterschool for Smarty Pants.   Natalie shares ways she enriches her daughter’s learning at home, after school.  Check it out. —————————— As you can guess from my blog title, Smarty is a …

The following guest post is written by the amazing Devany LeDrew. Devany is a former Kindergarten who now shares adventures with her children–most often playing, learning, and remembering–on her blog Still Playing School. Check it out. ——————————— Our 10 month …

Halloween is traditionally a time for sweets, sweets, and more sweets, but who says kids must eat candy from dawn till dusk just because that’s how it’s always been done? This year, though my kids will certainly have their fair …

    What happens when you put a bar of Ivory soap in the microwave? Really. Ivory soap. Plain ole sweet-smelling, plain-jane white bar o’ Ivory soap? In the microwave. Try it. Your kids will think you’re a rockstar, and …

    Summer is kicking us hard over here. Actually, swim and dive are kicking us hard over here, like always.  And at five weeks in, between meets, practices, relays, pep rallies, and team events, our family has run a …

That’s right. A stage. So your kids can totally rock it out during your spring break Staycation.  Or so your house becomes THE house for playdates.  Or so you and your husband can John and Olivia to some Summer Lovin’.  …

We are big into managing our kids’ screen time over here, and that’s no secret. Though we truly value all they can learn with the help of technology, and we also know that they need a whole lot of time …

Totally new-for-us this last month was something that I wish we would have done sooner, but I think our kids are finally at just-the-right age. Just like the ole days (at least for me!) we spent a recent, wintery Friday …

We are always looking for reasons to play with our food over here, so when we put away the last of the holiday decorations, instead of tossing our candy canes, we held onto those puppies. Today, in between a lot …