5 free activities to break the screen addiction

So I probably won't get any argument if I say we're all pretty screen addicted. Adults bemoan kids always on their phones or playing video games but where did kids learn it from?  Distracted parenting, and by this I mean being always connected online (shopping, social media, texting, scrolling)  makes for some pretty disconnected parents and children. Here are 5 free activities to bust the screen addiction and reconnect families. 

Fully engage. Wherever you go, you see people attached to their phone, even when they are supposed to be relaxing. You wonder how they could possibly be enjoying themselves. And social media is overflowing with photos of people supposedly doing things together. Are they more concerned with doing things as a family or being seen to do things as a family? I don't know about you but I can't multitask. When I'm with kids, it takes all my attention and then some. Social media doesn't need your undivided attention, your kids do. Next you go someplace with the kids be more concerned about enjoying the time rather than posting about it instead of the other way around. 

Chat with children. I don't mean some artificially contrived cyber chat. I mean just talk with them and more importantly listen. Ask and answer questions. Discuss everything. I had a fabulous conversation with my second oldest grandson Moses who lives in Louisiana about everything from snakes to suitcases. He was amazed that we talked for almost an hour and a half. I said I could visit with him forever. I don't know how much he realizes how I treasure this time. And you should too. Your kids will not always have or make as much time for you. Celebrate it.

Explore. Wherever you go, observe and discuss what you see with your children. Instead of plunking some phone game in front of them when you go grocery shopping, take the opportunity to chat with them. Wonderful memories made. 

Make memories. Speaking of which, it seems to be that parents are more concerned about telling others what they are doing rather than just doing it. Again, be so busy enjoying family time that you are too busy to update everyone on social media about it. Instead of the other way around. 

Be in nature. Whether it's a park, the beach, a hiking trail, or just down the street, teach kids to observe and talk about what they see in nature. When I take my grandkids for a walk, I narrate what we are seeing. As they get older and more verbal, they start narrating, and questioning, and wondering. As Mister Rogers sang, 

"Did you know that it's all right to wonder? Did you know when you wonder you're learning? Did you know when you marvel you're learning? About all kinds of marvelous, Marvelously wonderful things?" 

Read together. There are just no words to describe the magical worlds you create and inhabit when you read to children. 

Recycle bin Easter egg crafts to teach early math--with free printables

With Earth Day (now actually Earth Month) around the corner, I'm sharing lesson plans to make crafts from your recycle bin. Today we're making recycle bin Easter egg crafts to teach early math activities of sorting and matching, plus fine motor skills. These Easter egg crafts were inspired by my toddler grandchildren, Juno, Ezra and Emmett. 

As a homeschool mom, I was always looking for toddler high chair activities to keep the youngest busy learning while I did lesson plans with the older kids. Use these Easter egg crafts in math learning centers, as high chair activities or at a toddler picnic table for older more mobile preschoolers. I used one of the small Little Tikes picnic tables with our youngest. I rotated different preschool crafts and hands-on activities for her to work on. You could use the sand and water table also. 

For toddler Easter egg crafts (ages 1-2)  you're only going to need two things, which can be found in your recycle bin: plastic refillable Easter eggs and empty egg cartons. Assemble eggs for 1-year-old children and let them practice sorting into egg cartons. As they get older, children can begin assembling Easter eggs. Then at age 2-ish, they can match egg halves by color or pattern (we have some really cool ones shaped like sports balls, fish and ice cream!) These are great for developing fine motor skills. And saving Easter eggs from year to year is environmentally friendly so prefect for Earth Month. 

Also at age two, or whenever they no longer put things in their mouths, they can begin filling Easter eggs with tiny objects or shapes. Children might cut shapes from recycled cardboard or paper, to practice scissors skills. They might also use shape punches. Extend this into a fun preschool snack craft by giving them little snacks to hide in eggs (fish crackers, letter pretzels, etc.)

Here are free printable Earth Day activities and here's my page of free printable Earth Day lesson plans, crafts and activities. Lastly, here's my collection of lesson plans for Earth Day trash crafts Stay tuned for more Earth Month activities! 

Recycle bin crafts: sensory "touch and feel" animal habitat books for hands-on animal lesson plans

Want to make animal lesson plans more hands-on and interactive? Here are lesson plans to make sensory or "touch and feel" animal board books to provide tactile stimulation. Use these for preschool and special education for students with autism and special sensory needs. 

Start with my blog posts on free printable animal habitat lesson plans. You'll find loads of animal coloring pages, cut and paste habitat dioramas and zoology printables. After coloring and assembling, attach animal habitat pieces to recycled cardboard from recycle bin. I suggest cereal and food packaging weight cardboard for ease of use with scissors. Value added: these recycle bin crafts and science activities are perfect for Earth Day to practice ecology and environmental awareness. 

Next, hit up that recycle bin and fabric scrap basket for various textured materials to simulate animal habitat structures, nests and body coverings. Depending on age, have students cut or cut for them, pieces to attach to habitats and animals. What you're going for are the multisensory "touch and feel" animal board books such as babies like. 

Here are some suggested multisensory materials to use for different animal body coverings and habitat structures:
 

fake fur or carpet pieces for furry mammals (cats, tigers, rabbits, squirrels)

polar fleece for lambs, sheep and goats

felt for animals with hide, hair or short fur (primates, monkeys, dogs, horses and giraffes)

feathers for birds

straw or twigs for nests

rough sandpaper for habitats pebbly surfaces 

soft sandpaper for beach habitats

wood chips or bark for woodland and tree animal habitats

foil for snakes or fish with skin

sequined fabric for fish with scales

satin ribbon or soft plastic pieces (such as from milk jugs or dairy containers) for frogs, dinosaurs, amphibians and mammal fish (dolphins, whales, seals). Look for appropriate colors. 

straw for nests

cotton balls or stuffing for snowy arctic regions and polar habitats

corrugated cardboard for trees

burlap for toads, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, turtles, pigs and animals with rougher skin

construction paper, canvas or bumpy fabric for dens and caves (also sandpaper would work)

yarn, string, brush bristles (any kind) for lion, goats, giraffe, zebra, mule, donkey or horse mane or tail

You don't need to cover the entire surface, just a bit as multisensory "touch and feel" books do. Try include as many sensory elements in the animal "touch and feel" books for optimum VAKT lesson plans. Assemble pages in book format by punching three holes along the edge and tying together with shoelace, for added tactile stimulation. Use these for preschool, students with autism and special sensory and tactile needs. 

Cage-free Zoo Animal habitat lesson plans with free printable animal activities

I've been a teacher for 40 years and today I was going to share preschool lesson plans to make a zoo animal circus train from my early days. And I realized that lesson plans that feature animals behind bars are not really ethically, environmentally or animal friendly. Piggyback on this, a discussion with my oldest homeschooling daughter (second gen homeschool <3) how she was rethinking what she was teaching, taking kids to on zoo field trips, with animals locked in tiny, non-habitat appropriate cages. This includes aquariums and marine zoos, especially. If we learned anything from the film "Blackfish" about Tilikum the "killer" orca whale, it was the damaging effects cages have on animals. So here are cage-free zoo animal habitat and animal classification lesson plans with free printable activities. 

Visit animal friendly zoos. Happily, many zoos are redoing structures to move away from tiny cages to wide, open more habitat appropriate spaces. The Detroit Zoo and Toronto Zoo are examples. John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, Mich., still has cages but new structures are more open. And even if you don't want to visit the zoo, check their website for free printable animal lesson plans. JBZ and the Detroit Zoo and probably all zoos have lesson plans and printables on animal classification, animal body coverings, adaptation, habitats and more. 

Research petting zoos. Maybe they've improved over the years, but we've had some unpleasant experiences at petting zoos. Tired, uncomfortable and even neglected animals forced to interact with mobs of people who aren't always respectful of the animals is a recipe for disaster. Pun intended, "vet" petting zoos before visiting. This includes any zoo day camps or zoo school experiences. 

Visit animal sanctuaries, nature centers, wildlife preserves and animal hospitals. Blandford Nature Center in Grand Rapids, Mich., is a good example. Yes, animals are in cages, but that is for their protection. All have been injured, maimed or in some way damaged by interaction with humans. Our youngest daughter was sensitized, then incensed seeing a bobcat that had been taken captive for a wildlife circus and declawed. He is literally helpless. It's a sad but relevant object lesson on why animals should be protected, not endangered. Blandford has a beautiful wildlife preserve, nature center and animal hospital that rehabs injured animals for reintegration to the wild.  Visit any nature center or wildlife preserve near you. Most all will have free printable animal lesson plans and activities to further study. 

Make animal habitat dioramas. Use my lesson plans to make animal habitat dioramas and here are free printable animal habitat diorama cut and paste coloring pages. Teach biodiversity, animal classification, body coverings, animal tracking and more! Make animal activities VAKT and special education friendly, by adding "touch and feel" elements to habitats. Use straw, fabric, fake fur, bumpy and textured surfaces to simulate animal body coverings and nest or dwelling materials. More on that later! 

Valentine Heart Party with science and health lesson plans, activities and printables

 

Are you looking for some fresh Valentine's Day party activities, beyond the usual valentine exchange, candy blast and heart crafts? How about swinging your holiday party health themed with these fun, active, not-boring heart health lesson plans and activities?

Parts of the body lesson plans: see my earlier blog post for tons of free printable health lesson plans including human body coloring pages circulatory system printables. Use these to create a parts of the body paper bag vest or T-shirt. Younger students color cut and paste parts of the body and assemble them on a paper bag vest. Older students draw, color and label body parts on a long-sleeved T-shirt. 

Heart healthy snacks: Instead of the standard Valentine's Day fare of candy, cookies and cupcakes, why not make heart smart goodies in class? Make a shared fruit and veggie rainbow. Set up stations for students to prep food and design in a big beautiful rainbow! The rainbow diet is one of the heart healthiest there is.  Mix and match with any of these rainbow fruits and vegetables. Extend health lesson plans to include physics science activities on light, spectrum and rainbow.

RED:  strawberries, raspberries, pomegranate, dragonfruit, red leaf or romaine lettuce, watermelon, radishes, grapes, pepper, tomatoes

ORANGE: peppers, carrots, oranges, mango, peaches, nectarines, cantaloupe, squash, sweet potato, pumpkin

YELLOW: peppers, lemon, pineapple, summer squash, wax beans

GREEN: grapes, kiwi, broccoli, beans, spinach, lettuce, spring mix, kale, peas, honeydew melon, avocado, cucumber, scallions, peppers, endive

BLUE: blueberries, blue grapes, potatoes (look in tri-color blend), peppers

INDIGO: prune plums, prunes, figs, eggplant, blackberries, currants

PURPLE: cabbage, broccoli, grapes, purple carrots, purple asparagus

Heart healthy games: Engage kids in relay races, aerobics, jump rope, jumping jacks, yoga, obstacle courses, fitness stations, trampoline, stretching, windmills, "bicycles" throwing and catching and climbing. Try to avoid competition and encourage personal achievement. You can do a range of movement activities that require no equipment.

Dance party: what better way to round our your Valentine's Day heart party than with dancing? Play fun, upbeat music and let kids work off desk-time pent up energy! Songs kids love include "Hamster Dance" "Baby Shark" "Gummy Bears" "Hand Jive" and "I can make your hands clap." 

Happy heart day! 

Free Printable Heart lesson plans for Valentine's Day

Hello fellow educators, with Valentine's Day right around the corner, you're probably up to your elbows in holiday crafts. But how about some non-traditional Valentine's Day activities? Here are free printable heart (as in the organ) lesson plans. Use these for science, anatomy and health lesson plans for fun holiday connections with an educational twist. 

Coloring Home has a large assortment of free printable heart coloring pages featuring diagrams to color and label, plus anatomy coloring pages to show how the heart works within other parts of the body. The health lesson plans help students explore the heart and the larger circulatory system and why it is such a vital organ (the word vital comes from Latin, "vita" or "life.") 

The American Heart Association has loads of free printable heart health lesson plans. There are other resources on heart health and healthy habits. Here a free printables on the circulatory system and heart themed activities to help students keep heart fit. I particularly like the free downloads with printables on 25 ways to keep moving, at home and at school. 

Kids Health has free printable fitness and health lesson plans to help students understand the importance of nutrition, exercise, fitness and healthy choices (not smoking or vaping). Click around to find fitness trackers, heart rate monitors and other tools for wellness. 

Along with the frilly Valentine's Day crafts and valentine exchanges, my students studied the parts of the body in science lesson plans around this holiday. Preschool students made vests cut from grocery bags with organs of the human body drawn on. Older kids made human body T-shirts with body organs drawn on in permanent marker. There are several coloring pages from the Coloring Home link that could be used as parts of the body templates. Older students might stencil on the T-shirt, label and color the human body model. 

Younger students can get scissors skills practice, using the body parts coloring pages as color, cut and paste activities. Here are more free printable human body coloring pages for such cut and paste activities, from Exploring Nature. 

Include lots of active learning in your heart lesson plans and heart healthy snacks! Stay tuned for heart party activities for Valentine's Day! 

The Very Best Educational App in the World

If the Covid 19 pandemic taught us anything it's how valuable a tool digital resources are. However, computers, internet, cellphones, are far too overused and abused. It was honestly sad for me as a long-term educator to see how parents, having to keep kids home, were so quick to run to computers, apps and internet to educate their kids, when there are so many easy, free, hands-on teaching tools to use. I'm not talking about middle or high school students who arguably need computers to do their schoolwork. Arguably. Even, or maybe especially they, need fewer interactive games and more active learning.  I'm speaking of preschool and early elementary age kids. Most all children could do with less or no screen time and more hands-on activities. And Covid 19 was a perfect time to do that. 

I'm not faulting you parents who bought online curriculum or used computer resources. The task of homeschooling often seems daunting. But the good news is that most all of you are homeschooling every day, independent of computers or phones, without even realizing it. You teach your children valuable life skills every time you plan and prep a meal or snack together, read together, visit the doctor or library, go to the grocery store or just take a walk. Kids learn fine and gross motor skills building blocks and practical life skills playing house and communication playing dress up. 

In this blog, I've shared ways to turn your home into a tech-free school, with just simple household items and basic toys. You don't need a big house or fancy materials. You don't even need a designated room or space. I created learning centers in our homeschool when we lived in a small single wide mobile home. We didn't use TV except to play a movie once a week and the "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" ritual. 

The secret is to make every experience a learning opportunity. Not an artificial or contrived "lesson plan." You just incorporate little nugget lessons into everything you do, naturally, organically. Teachable moments are right there for the enjoying. You don't ever need a screen. 

Is it okay to use TV or computers? Of course! Do kids need to be computer savvy? Ye..es, but no fear there. They get all the screen experience they need without having to add more. I think they're hardwired to it now. Or it's something in the water source. What they need are engaged parents, monitored computer time, and online safety courses. And most of all, tons of outdoor time, free play, open-ended experiences, experiments, exploration, books, tree-climbing, sand castles, dancing, polliwogs, messes, beaches, forts in the woods and fresh air! 

And the good news? Those are all free! They don't require an app download or phone memory. They don't drain battery life! If you or your kids are screen addicted (don't be embarrassed to say, we've all been there), shut it down. Go out the door into the best app ever, called the big wide world! I guarantee you'll all feel better, breathe better, think better and have the times of your lives!  (Picture above is "school" from the inside out!)

 reservations.