Naturally Educational » Archive for April 2012
Mother’s Day Pressed Flower Frame
Last year the kids made photo frames with pressed flowers for the grandmothers for Mother’s Day. I wait a year to share our projects because my mother reads this site! Pin It Materials: wood frames (We found these very inexpensively at Michaels. If you just can’t find any, you could cut a frame from stiff cardboard.) paint pressed flowers Mod Podge optional: letter stickers (We used gold glitter letters.) cute pictures of children Directions: 1. Pick and press flowers. If you are last minute, I … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, History and Culture, Spring
How Are You Connected?
“Bees,” my three year old likes to call out, “make honey for me!” Global warming, diminishing species diversity, and acid rain are “capital P” Problems that seem very far away to a young child. A glob of honey, on the other hand, is immediate and sweet. We have to take care of the bees because they pollinate the beautiful flowers and make us tasty honey. Raising children who feel connected, in ways both big and small, is … Read entire article »
Forsythia Tissue Paper and Twig Craft
Budding branches are among the most beautiful and clear signs that spring has arrived. While we do not have the opportunity to see many cherry blossoms around here, we do see plenty of forsythia heralding the coming spring. We made twigs bud with tissue paper blossoms. Pin It Materials: twigs yellow tissue paper glue white paper Directions: 1. First, go outside to collect your twigs. My kids love picking up sticks and this step lasted the better part of a morning! 2. Glue down your … Read entire article »
Join me for a LIVE chat with John Stephens, author of The Emerald Atlas! (1 PM EST April 24)
Pin It John Stephens, author of The Emerald Atlas, is joining the Random House Read & Play Community for a LIVE CHAT at 1pm EST on Tuesday, April 24. Are you a fan who cannot make the chat? Just leave a question below and we’ll do our best to ask it during the conversation! All responses will be archived. To join in, either use a BlogFrog account or you can login with Facebook! You can chat in the … Read entire article »
Filed under: 9-12 (Middle Grades), Featured
Cherry Blossom Stamps
Pin It We’re celebrating spring with lots of floral crafts! Here’s a cherry blossom stamp art project. Bonus: you reuse/recycle a soda or water bottle for your stamp. Materials: brown paint pink paint white paper paint brush soda or water bottle Directions: 1. Dilute the brown paint a little with a drop of water and paint the branches and twigs. I showed my kids how you can get thicker strokes by pressing down with the brush. We also examined branches to see how smaller … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Art, Ecology, Featured, History and Culture, Spring, Weather
6 Ways Kids Can Help Animals
The Lorax speaks for the trees and also the Brown Barbaloots, Swomee Swans, and Humming Fish. Children are drawn to animals, both wild and domesticated. Providing guardianship for the animals who cannot speak for themselves is a natural way that children can live like the Lorax. Little people learn that they can make a big difference. Pin It 1. Make a Bird Feeder Our backyard songbirds are in trouble. Vanishing habitats and food sources, toxic insecticides, and predators … Read entire article »
Teaching Two-Digit Addition with Regrouping
My daughter just moved on to two digit addition with regrouping (that’s “carrying” for us old folks). Since a dime conveniently equals 10 pennies, I thought we could use coins to make the concept more concrete. We start with the basic concept that each penny is one cent and that each dime is ten cents so one dime is equivalent to ten pennies. Pin It Next, I write out a two-digit addition problem that will require regrouping … Read entire article »
Filed under: 6-8 (Early Elementary), Featured, Logical-Mathematical, Mathematics, Visual-Spacial
Random House Read & Play Community Launch Party!
Random House wants to build a community of readers and you are invited! The Launch Party Live Chat is April 11 at 9:00 PM EST and I hope you will join me and the other community leaders, moms, educators, and Random House representatives, to discuss year long and life long learning! If you have questions, tips, or concerns, about literacy, summer reading lists, book recommendations, special events and holidays, or more, here’s your opportunity to connect with … Read entire article »
Filed under: Literacy
Favorite Easter Crafts for Kids
Here are some of our favorite Easter children’s crafts we have done this year and in the past: Pin It Plastic Easter Egg Chick, Bunny, and other Spring Animals Pin It DIY Paper Plate and Bowl Easter Bonnet Pin It Easter Bunny Ears Pin It Yarn Easter Egg Ornament Pin It Coffee Filter Easter Eggs … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, History and Culture
Coffee Filter Easter Eggs
We made these coffee filter Easter eggs last year and will probably make some more this year. I love the tie-dye effect! Pin It Materials: coffee filter scissors markers (you can use dried-out markers) water-spray bottles Directions: 1. Trim a coffee filter so that it is egg-shaped. 2. Color with markers. Pin It 3. Spray with water. If you have dried-out markers, now is the time to break them out! Draw with the dried-out markers on the wet surface. Pin It Educational Connections: History/Culture: Why is the egg a … Read entire article »
Filed under: 1-2 (Toddler), 1-2 (Toddlers), 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), Featured, History and Culture
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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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