Naturally Educational » Archive for July 2011
Water Fun #SmartSummer Week 5 Linky & Forest-Friendly (Week 4) Round-Up
Show us how you’re having a Smart Summer! Pin It The prize this week (Water Fun Week) is from a company that is a staple in classrooms across the country and has really reached out to education bloggers to share their learning toys: Guidecraft. Before we get to the prize and the linky for Water Fun Week, let’s see what our community of learners has been doing for Forest-Friendly Week! Last week’s Forest-Friendly Linky really made me want to … Read entire article »
Filed under: Ecology, Smart Summer Challenge
Mathematics Beach Party!
Beaches, water tables, sprinklers, the sink, the bath–if it involves water and getting soaking wet, it is sure to be a hit with young children…especially during the hottest days of summer! We were off to the beach yesterday and while the kids built sandcastles, waded in the water, and floated in an inflatable raft our friends brought along, I threw in a little math and science. Which molds better? Wet sand or dry sand? Pin It Interesting! The water … Read entire article »
Filed under: All Ages, Bodily-kinesthetic, Featured, Logical-Mathematical, Mathematics, Science, Summer, Touch
A House for Hermit Crab Craft
Pin It When I was a child, I got to take home the class hermit crab over a long vacation. There is something incredibly fascinating about a creature that needs to borrow shell to protect itself and to exchange that shell for a new one as it grows. Check out this video on YouTube of a Hermit Crab changing its shell. My children are also intrigued by hermit crabs. There are quite a few at the shore … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergartners), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Ecology, Featured, Science, Smart Summer Challenge
How Are You Making the Most of Your Summer? #readandplay
I cannot believe that July is almost over!I love the slower pace of summer and the opportunity to find lots of fun learning opportunities for my family. Pin It With the heat wave, we’ve gotten creative trying to beat the heat. We have to watch our budget, though, so frugal entertainment is always a big plus! How are you enjoying your summer so far? Have you been checking items off your bucket list or wondering where all the … Read entire article »
The Whale Watch that Wasn’t
My husband, who grew up here on Long Island, enjoying voyages on the small wooden boat his grandfather built, turned to me two weeks ago and said, “I want us to get out on the water more often this summer”. A few minutes and some clicks later on his computer, he declared, “I’m booking us on a whale watch trip for July 24.” Perfect, I thought, visions filling my head of educational sidenotes about cetaceans (whales … Read entire article »
Filed under: Ecology, Featured, Science, Smart Summer Challenge
Water Fun Week 5 of #SmartSummer
Kismet. Sometimes it seems like things are just meant to happen. My husband booked us a whale watching trip for the Sunday before the Water Fun week of the Smart Summer Challenge begins! I can’t wait to share what we learned with you. We have a membership at the aquarium and it is a great way to beat the summer heat AND the summer slide at the same time. And since we live on an island, … Read entire article »
Filed under: All Ages, Ecology, Science, Smart Summer Challenge
Forest-Friendly Week 4 Linky
Show us how you’re having a Smart Summer! Pin It The prize this week (Forest-Friendly Week) is from a great company in the education space, for which I’ve had the privilege of blogging for the last two years: LeapFrog. I had highlighted posts from the previous week’s linky to but for clarity’s sake, I’ve moved the round-ups to their own posts: Me on the Map Round-Up Government, Patriotism, and Currency Round-Up Backyard Science Round-Up We’d love for you to share your … Read entire article »
Filed under: Ecology, Science, Smart Summer Challenge
Rainbow Scavenger Hunt Hike in the Woods
Can you find all the colors of the rainbow in the woods? We go on hikes and nature walks almost every weekend and love to find ways to keep things fresh for the kids. A themed scavenger hunt can turn your walk in the forest into a learning adventure. With younger kids, you can begin by looking for a rainbow. Red Trail Marker Pin It Red Fire Thorn Berries Pin It Orange Mushrooms Pin It Orange Lilies Pin It Yellow Black-Eyed Susans (plus Violet Cone … Read entire article »
Filed under: All Ages, Ecology, Featured, Sight, Smart Summer Challenge, Visual-Spacial
Do We Have the Will? At #GiveEducation with P&G and John Legend
Education is our future and we are standing at the crossroads. Too many of our children, mostly our poor and our children of color, are falling through the cracks of a system that was not designed to reward the creativity and independent thinking necessary for success in the 21st century. Although we are in the middle of our Smart Summer Challenge, I passed the learning adventure guide hat to my husband. I took the day to learn … Read entire article »
Filed under: Academic Achievement, Drop-Out, Social Justice
Woodland Animal Masks
Masks are fun way for children to explore and move and act in different ways. For our Forest-Friendly Week of the Smart Summer Challenge, we made Woodland Animal Masks. Pin It Some of the things I like about this craft is that it gives them control over the process, encourages them to be observant, and also serves as a fun prop to continue the activity. I’m chatting more about crafts over at the Random House Kids: … Read entire article »
Filed under: 0-3 (Babies and Toddlers), 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergartners), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Bodily-kinesthetic, Ecology, Featured, Performing Arts and Theater, Smart Summer Challenge
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About the Author
Candace Lindemann is a published children’s writer and educational consultant. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Working with school districts around the country and some of the most well-known companies in the education industry, Candace creates custom strategies, textbooks, and lesson plans. Her articles have appeared in print and online.
While Candace’s degrees prepared her for a career in education, she’s found that the best preparation for parenting is on the job training.
Contact Candace via e-mail, read her full biography, or connect with her using the social media icons below or on Google.
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