Today, Louis found the first insect of the summer. I’m not sure what it is, but it doesn’t really matter. What matters is his interest. He carried it carefully on a stick all the way back to the classroom from the park. We put it in a plastic container with some holes punched in the […]
First Insect — First Day of Summer Camp Read More »
We do lots of bubbling during warm weather. Here are some tips for hours of happy, bubbling fun with lots of kids. These guidelines use the Big Bubble Wands and recipe available on this blog. 1) Make Bubble Juice: Make at least 2 gallons of bubble juice. It’s cheap and you don’t want to run
Bubble Party: Tips for Bubbling with a lot of Kids Read More »
Lippy kids bug me. When a kid is defiant, my face tenses up. My voice tightens. My whole body stiffens. I want to push back. That’s exactly what the kid wants. That’s exactly what doesn’t work to alter the situation. Truth is, some kids are sassy. It’s my job to respond in a calm manner
Lippy Kids: How to react in a positive way Read More »
School’s almost out for summer. That means Summer Camp is just around the corner. At Goodman Community Center, we offer a 10 week program of summer fun. Biking, field trips, insect adventures, arts and crafts, swimming, fishing and hiking are just a few of the activities available to kids. The best part of summer is
Gearing up for Summer Fun! Read More »
Q: How do you teach kids the art of listening? A: One minute at a time. While hiking today at the Arboretum with 10 kids, I tried something new. I held up my watch and said, “For one minute, let’s see how many birds we can hear.” It wasn’t perfect silence, but that’s okay. The
One minute of silence: Listening to the birds at the Arboretum Read More »
Bud Jordahl died May 11, 2010. He was my teacher in grad school. He’s one of those teachers that you remember for a lifetime. He was kind, patient and giving. You knew he cared. He inspired me to make a difference, which is what great teachers do. My graduate research focused on the Lower Wisconsin
Conservation Giant: Bud Jordahl dies at 83 Read More »
Today feels like summer. The sun shines warm. The wind blows hot. And the sky is deep blue. So, it makes sense to do summer things with the kids like sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and reading. Yes, reading. The first Tuesday of the month, we have a read aloud with Tracy Moore, the children’s services librarian
Reading, Bubbles & Sidewalk Chalk Read More »
It’s spring and it’s time to get kids outside to enjoy the nice weather. There are countless ways to do this, but where to start? If you are new to taking kids outside, here are a few tips: Give your Activity a Purpose. Pick up trash, have a scavenger or insect hunt, look for different
Tips for Simple Outdoor Fun Read More »
Kids are loud. I don’t always want to hush them up, especially when outside. On the other had, if they miss the sounds of the outdoors altogether then I don’t think I’m doing my job as a teacher. Yes, kids are loud, but teaching kids the value of being quiet is a gift. On Saturday,
Zero Voice: Making it quiet on the trail Read More »
I have never seen such enthusiasm for picking of trash. Armed with bags and gloves, I watched 13 Kindergarten and first grade kids pick up the trash around our center with a zeal I could never duplicate. They were unafraid of picking up trash and sought it out. “I found some,” Sue yelled. “Me too,”
Crazy Hair and Trash pickup on Earth Day 2010 Read More »
