Naturally Educational » 5-6 (Kindergarten)
Blackberry Jammin’
Have you been enjoying the summer? I cannot believe it is almost fall! We were able to join the tot cooking classes at Garden of Eve this summer and made blackberry jam. I love the whole fields-to-table experience as it gives the kids an idea of where we get our food. It is also a wonderful insight into the how people lived in a time before supermarkets–or refrigeration. The kids were able to: 1. Pick the blackberries. The kids … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), All Ages, Ecology, Featured, Home Arts, Summer, Taste
Cloudy Days
Today was a great mix of weather. Some rain, thunder and lightening, as well as periods of sunshine. We used the wonderful array of clouds in the sky to do a fun lesson on the types of clouds. (excuse the power lines in the pic) Materials: blue construction paper cotton glue Procedure: 1. First I sat down at the computer with the kids to show my kids a very short video on how clouds are formed. We liked this one as … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Art, Featured, Literacy, Science, Subject Matter
Shark Week Kids Craft: Duct Tape Paper Cup Shark
We’re kicking off shark week around here with a fun shark craft for kids. Sharks are the largest fish and are at the top of the oceanic food chain. These prehistoric predators have fascinated and frightened humans throughout the centuries. Sharks are largely misunderstood and misrepresented in the media. Only four species of shark regularly attack humans. Compared with other animal attacks or water-related accidents, shark attacks are a very small risk. We put together a paper … Read entire article »
Filed under: 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), Ecology, Featured, Science
Grow A Seed
My kids and I love looking through and doing my old lessons which I had used when I taught. Here is one of my favorite lessons, both in school and out. I actually had more fun with it at home since there were no time constraints. The purpose of this lesson is to demonstrate the stages of plants life cycle and to explain where our food comes from. (when I taught I did this along with … Read entire article »
Filed under: 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Ecology, Fall, Featured, Home Arts, Science, Subject Matter
To the Victor Goes the Olive Wreath
One of the joys of having children is that I get to learn along with them! I had always thought that Olympic champions received laurel wreaths. Not so! The victors of the Apollo’s Pan-Hellenic Pythian Games at Delphi received the laurel but Olympians earned olive wreaths for their efforts. This makes sense given the importance of the olive to the Ancient Greeks. The olive tree was a gift from Athena to her city of Athens. Olive … Read entire article »
Filed under: 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), Featured, History and Culture
Olympic Torch Craft for the Openning Ceremony
We’re in full Olympics-mode here. My kids first learned about the Olympics through D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths and were thrilled to find out that there is a modern Olympic Games! Plus there will be mommy crafts! AND they get to stay up and watch part of the opening ceremonies! We made a torch craft to get ready. My son actually got to carry the torch at his Gymnastics Expo, which was just about the cutest … 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), Featured, History and Culture
Pizza Math Part 1: Fractions for Kids
We are making mini pizzas (pizzetas) and dividing them up into fractions. First, we practiced with paper plates! To sweeten the mathematics lesson about fractions, we included M&Ms…a rare treat for the kids. My son (almost 4) participated a little but this is more an activities for kindergarten or early elementary. Materials: 3 Paper Plates 3 color markers or crayons 1 black marker or pen straight edge scissors sticky notes or index cards or paper 24 small treats (goldfish crackers, candies, etc.), all … Read entire article »
Filed under: 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Featured, Home Arts, Mathematics, Taste
Pasta Pasta- homemade pasta making
I absolutely love when I find the opportunity to turn a chore or fun activity into a science lesson. I was making some homemade pasta at a cooking class when I the light bulb in my head went off. This is the perfect lesson for the kids! We had a cooking class, math lesson and science lesson rolled into one. My two older children ages 3 and 6 eagerly went to work on this cooking … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), Featured, Home Arts, Mathematics, Science, Taste, Touch
Glue Batik Father’s Day Banner Craft
We’ve been eager to try out this kid-friendly glue batik craft technique that I saw a few years ago at That Artist Woman. Essentially, you create a glue-resist on fabric with the blue glue gel (we used Elmer’s) and then paint over with acrylic paints or fabric paint. We decided to make Father’s Day garden banners to celebrate Daddy and Papa. Materials: fabric (we used canvas bags from Michael’s but almost any white fabric would work) glue gel (we … Read entire article »
Filed under: 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), Art, Featured, Home Arts
How to Grow Grass Caterpillars
We actually made our grass caterpillars in April as part of our Earth Day explorations but our “quick grow” grass seed was not quite quick enough. Our little caterpillars did eventually become big fuzzy grass caterpillars, however, and I wanted to share them with you. Our live caterpillars from Insect Lore just arrived and we are excited to see their metamorphosis into butterflies! In the meantime, we enjoy caring for these grass caterpillars. Materials: nylon stockings/knee socks (the … 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), 9-11 (Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), Ecology, Featured
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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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