Naturally Educational » Visual-Spacial
Just Make Art: Oil Pastel Resist
Despite how it might appear from my blog, most of our time at home is spent playing. And most of our art-making is very open-ended. I might put out certain materials, demonstrate a technique, but from there it is all up to the kids and their own inspiration and creativity. One of my kids favorite things to do is to paint with watercolors. And they love making crayon resists. When the nice people at CraftProjectIdeas.com sent … Read entire article »
Filed under: All Ages, Art, Featured, Science, Visual-Spacial
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. Next, I write out a two-digit addition problem that will require regrouping (the … Read entire article »
Filed under: 6-8 (Early Elementary), Featured, Logical-Mathematical, Mathematics, Visual-Spacial
5 Picture Books About Rainbows
Who doesn’t love a rainbow? They are colorful, magical, and full of hope! Rainbows are a bridge into other times and cultures, science, color theory, and so much more! Here are a few children’s picture books about rainbows to get you started on your journey! What Makes A Rainbow?, by Betty Ann Schwartz; illustrated by Dona Turner (ages 0-3): In this cute tale, a young bunny asks his colorful friends what makes a rainbow. With each turn … Read entire article »
Filed under: 0-3 (Babies and Toddlers), 1-2 (Toddlers), 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergartners), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Featured, Logical-Mathematical, Science, Sight, Spring, Visual-Spacial, Weather
Candy Heart Bar Graph
Still have candy left over after dissolving it in hot or cold water? If you have M&Ms, Skittles, or Conversation Hearts, here is another way to use them up and learn. Directions: 1. Create a grid with columns for the numbers and each color of the candy and 11 rows. Write the numbers 1-10 in the first column (skipping the first row) and then write the colors in the bottom row for each column. My daughter was … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), Featured, Logical-Mathematical, Mathematics, Visual-Spacial
The Sun, Earth, and Moon
I do a brief demonstration with my kids of how the earth rotates on its axis to create night and day, how the Earth orbits the sun over the course of the year, and how the moon orbits the Earth, creating the phases of the moon. My youngest son got to be the Sun, since babies are at the center of attention and he did not need to move for this role. Sometimes, I use a flashlight … Read entire article »
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), Bodily-kinesthetic, Featured, Science, Smart Summer Challenge, Visual-Spacial
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 Red Fire Thorn Berries Orange Mushrooms Orange Lilies Yellow Black-Eyed Susans (plus Violet Cone Flowers) All the greenery that … Read entire article »
Filed under: All Ages, Ecology, Featured, Sight, Smart Summer Challenge, Visual-Spacial
#SmartSummer Week 2 Government Linky
Show us how you’re having a Smart Summer! 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 I’ve been sharing my family’s Smart Summer activities this week for our Government theme: exercising our democratic right to vote for our favorite ice cream flavor, skip counting coins, We’re also planning on making statue of liberty headbands, finding out … Read entire article »
Filed under: All Ages, Featured, Geography, History and Culture, Smart Summer Challenge, Visual-Spacial
Me on the Map #SmartSummer
Although we finished up the Me on the Map theme last week, we had one more activity we wanted to do. This is a nice transition into our theme for this week: government. The concept behind this activity is to show the child expanding zones. We begin with the child and the family and then move to the community, the world, and beyond, giving the child a sense of her role in society and her place … Read entire article »
Filed under: 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), Featured, Geography, History and Culture, Smart Summer Challenge, Visual-Spacial
Mapping a Nature Hike #SmartSummer
Knowledge is supposed to enrich our lives, not just reside in dusty books (or hypnotic bits and bytes). So, we took our map skills on the road and used them to explore a “new to us” nature trail. Check out this map! Ain’t she a beaut? Most of the trail maps we encounter are faded, sad affairs. Not this one. This one has a lovely compass rose for finding directions, words for … Read entire article »
Filed under: All Ages, Bodily-kinesthetic, Ecology, Featured, Geography, Interpersonal, Logical-Mathematical, Mathematics, Smart Summer Challenge, Visual-Spacial
Mapping Your Neighborhood for #SmartSummer
Now that we’ve learned a little bit about maps, we are using maps to find our favorite places in our neighborhood. In advance, I printed out maps of our immediate area on Google Maps. Today, I asked both of my children what their favorite place in the neighborhood is. My son (who will be three at the end of August) responded with the name of the local homemade ice cream store. Then, he started scribbling … Read entire article »
Filed under: 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), 9-11 (Elementary), Featured, Geography, Logical-Mathematical, Smart Summer Challenge, Visual-Spacial
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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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