tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27950971761466781342018-05-19T02:43:30.907-05:00Educating and entertaining kids through arts, crafts, science experiments, and other hands-on learning activities.Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comBlogger645125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-26379394424115541382018-02-13T20:55:00.000-06:002018-02-13T20:55:13.610-06:00

Who loves super fun and informative books? Maybe the better question is who doesn't! How to Survive as a Shark is one of those awesome books. The informational story is accompanied by great little tidbits that are stuffed with even more great shark trivia. I did receive a free copy in exchange for a review, but we loved it so much we made a whole game out of it! The book alone has so

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-50025716287185873672018-01-24T05:00:00.000-06:002018-01-24T07:14:23.333-06:00

If you are a pony crazed 3 year old, with pony loving siblings, and a lifelong pony fan for a mother (no shame here), what theme do you choose for your birthday party?  Yep, PONIES! And the release of My Little Pony the Movie, got her even more hyped up for it! Now, she isn't the first of my children to have a My Little Pony birthday party. My eldest had the same theme for her

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-30733026083664023462018-01-14T17:00:00.000-06:002018-01-14T17:08:51.868-06:00

Temple Grandin, her example is amazing. But aside from being inspiring for anyone who has ever seemed to march to the beat of a different drummer, she also shows how people who aren't considered "normal" can still do great things. It's something all kids need to see. Something they should all know. You don't have to look like, act like, or think like others to do something meaningful. And

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-23884461061297221342017-12-08T07:50:00.000-06:002017-12-08T09:09:01.241-06:00

I know a lot of people prefer to put their kids to bed at the normal time on New Year's Eve; I'm sure it does make them easier to get along with the next day. But I love having them up. It is quite amusing to watch them ring in the New Year. The problem is, they can get crabby waiting for midnight. I mean, I even get crabby waiting for midnight! Countdowns to the rescue! We started doing an

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-1381435486295058932017-11-27T10:26:00.000-06:002018-03-26T10:52:16.929-05:00

Do you know why pine cones open? Did you know you can close them again? And then open them and close them and open them...... Ok, you may not actually want to do it that many times, but your kids may want to when they learn they can! Why Do Pine Cones Open I have to be honest here, before my kids started learning botany, I had never really thought about pine cones opening. Of course, I

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-75151909486514993432017-11-10T07:27:00.001-06:002017-11-10T07:27:33.393-06:00

When I think of fun school subjects, I come up with science, art, music, but grammar? Nope. While I may be a stickler for grammar, I can say that it is definitely NOT a subject I enjoyed learning about. Not only can it be dull, it can be difficult to make hands on. Without a more active approach it is hard for my kids to really learn it.  That was before we were introduced to the

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-81227220920216349202017-10-04T11:23:00.001-05:002017-10-04T11:23:25.828-05:00

Sometimes the things my kids are interested in amazes me. I mean I was obsessed with dinosaurs and horses as a child, but penguins and owls? Well, my son is. And he has been for years! A couple years ago he even had a Penguin Themed Birthday Party. This year, he happened upon the book series, Guardians of Ga'hoole. An entire series about owls! We listened to them all on audiobook since he

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-60279691576308886202017-09-27T09:45:00.000-05:002017-09-27T09:45:09.289-05:00

So many baby things, so little time. It is hard to resist all the adorable things they make for the littlest people, and who can honestly, who past the baby stage can look around and not be jealous of the innovative products they didn't have when their kids were babies?  Well, we have a collection of some of these amazing products to share with one lucky mama!  Check out the fabulous products

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-59210109431329453922017-09-22T09:01:00.000-05:002017-09-27T08:52:44.205-05:00

Zoologist....the end of our alphabet of community helpers. Probably an obvious choice for the letter Z, a letter that doesn't start a lot of words. Of course, Zookeeper may have been more obvious, but since I procrastinated a bit and my kids got older, I figured we could easily introduce the term Zoologist. A Zoologist is someone who studies animals while a Zookeeper is one who cares for

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-18234662858216033852017-08-14T05:00:00.000-05:002017-08-14T05:00:03.263-05:00

Having a new baby this year? Know someone who is? Baby gear is overwhelming! Endless options for carriers, diapers, diaper bags, bath products, and clothes! Seriously, the clothes! Let us make it easier with Mommy Scene's Baby Shower Essentials & top picks for feeding, clothing, diapering, and setting up baby's nursery! Don't miss entering this fabulous Baby Shower Essentials Giveaway for the

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-4683622891569410442017-07-07T15:56:00.002-05:002017-07-07T15:56:56.583-05:00

MOLD.....I think for most of us, mold is something we would rather avoid. Who among us hasn't thrown you a storage container from the back of the fridge filled with what used to be leftovers all because of mold? I know I can't be the only one! So why in the world would I want to grow mold? Well, that scientist in me can't just read about mold and not craft an experiment about it, so after we

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-69465938850587056552017-06-23T08:22:00.000-05:002017-06-23T08:22:31.022-05:00

There was a theme to our homeschool this year. No, I'm not an overachiever who designed an entire year's worth of curriculum to fit in a theme; nothing like that at all.  In fact, I didn't realize it until near the end of the year, but our theme was, "I already know this." So maybe not a real theme, and certainly not for every subject, but both my older girls really showed the areas they

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-90428852349111373812017-06-07T07:13:00.000-05:002017-06-07T07:13:53.938-05:00

How many times do you hear, "She won't share," "He hit me," or the dreaded, "I'm bored," in the summer? Or even in a day? My response is generally, "Go play outside!" But it can be even better than that. It can be nature appreciation and true learning. And even better, it can lead to a healthier brain and better attention span! Studies have shown that taking part in nature-based activities

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-15161837603958434922017-05-26T15:17:00.000-05:002017-05-26T15:17:17.680-05:00

Inside: Wonderful homeschool curriculum choices for the first grade or exceptional kindergarten student. Look at the word. Eli, look at the word. You can't read the word if you don't look at the letters in it. Yes, my hesitation last year to call my 5-year-old son a kindergartner proved true. Despite being "kindergarten age" he was not ready to sit and pay attention when we started trying to

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-38251369466288501272017-05-11T19:36:00.000-05:002017-05-21T20:51:47.308-05:00

Have you ever noticed how some plants seem to bend as they grow. I know anytime we start tomatoes inside they always end up bending toward the window instead of growing straight up. Turns out they are growing towards the light. I think we all know this, but proving it required a bit of work and a science experiment. What You Need to Prove Plants Grow Towards the Light 3 Foam Cups with

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-25219325812341917572017-04-07T08:11:00.000-05:002017-05-21T20:53:09.013-05:00

My baby recently turned two! I can't say I was especially excited about it, she is growing too fast, and knowing she is my last makes every one of her firsts a last for me. This was true about her birthday too. I know by three she will definitely have an opinion on what kind of party she wants, so this was it, the last birthday theme I would get to choose. And what a hard choice it was. So many

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-79776292337852211432017-04-05T07:42:00.000-05:002018-01-18T08:34:59.987-06:00

This basic math activity encourages your child to create her own math problems. All you need are index cards to make simple math flash cards and Conversation Hearts to use as markers. Soon your budding mathematician will be adding, and nibbling, to his heart's content. What You Need: Index cards Marker Bowl of Conversation Hearts   What You Do: Use the index cards to make a set

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-62523000657447304582017-03-28T17:00:00.000-05:002017-05-21T20:55:26.823-05:00

Multiplication, times tables, learning multiples....whatever you call it, there aren't many kids out there who enjoy it. I know those math lovers are out there, I am married to one, but I also know my kids are not incredibly enthused by the thought of memorizing math facts. Luckily, they don't completely hate math! They have a good understanding of how to multiply, but when it comes to

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-44784347078344735482017-03-23T16:17:00.000-05:002017-04-18T10:33:34.911-05:00

Sunny Spring Days make us long for everything to be fresh and new. And the prizes in the Sunny Spring Day Giveaway could certainly inspire some fresh changes in life with our little ones! This giveaway is coordinated by Mommy Scene and sponsored by the participating brands. One lucky winner will receive all of these awesome prizes when the giveaway ends 4/14/17. Charlie Banana Diapers

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-20351106824477211252017-03-16T10:13:00.000-05:002017-05-21T20:56:33.840-05:00

Do your kids love books? Or science? Or magic? If one or all of the above are true they will love the new Zoey and Sassafras book series! (We were provided with a copy free of charge in exchange for our honest opinion.) The series is about an adorable little girl who uses scientific thinking to help magical animals. I love how empathetic and kind-hearted Zoey is as well as how

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-58650171088593710492017-02-28T09:27:00.001-06:002017-05-21T20:57:26.693-05:00

For science this year, my kids chose to study botany. They sure thought they knew a lot about plants before we started this seed experiment. After all, we had grown grass seed and seen that plants grow best with dirt, but I think they neglected to notice that the seeds with just water grew nearly as fast. So, this experiment was to demonstrate not what plants need to grow, but only

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-32917353265336227702017-02-09T14:19:00.000-06:002017-02-09T14:22:35.538-06:00

I am excited to bring you a lovely giveaway from Mommy Scene filled with wonderful prizes for the little loves in your life! Prize Collection Re-Play Valentine's Day Tableware Set Yummi Pouch Brights Reusable Food Pouches Pacific Baby 3-in-1 Insulated Baby Bottle (7 oz Cherries) + 1 piece Yellow and Green Straw Top Taster pack of Amara Baby Food and reusable grocery bag Four PaigeLauren 

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-55818514178141300972017-02-03T14:39:00.000-06:002017-05-21T20:59:44.935-05:00

"Look! That cloud looks like a unicorn; I wish I could ride it!" Yes, my middle daughter has a crazy imagination and slightly unrealistic expectations, but really who hasn't wanted to touch a cloud? My kids may see shapes of all sorts in the clouds, and of course, they like to imagine they are bouncing on fluffy white clouds. I used to as well, when I was their age, not recently (at least not

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-91440519343736283302017-01-26T05:00:00.000-06:002017-05-21T21:00:48.974-05:00

ABCmouse.com many of you have probably heard of them, but do you know what they are really about? That was us. I had seen the commercials; we even have a couple of their apps, but I had no idea what their full site was like. Well, we tried them out! Read on to learn our thoughts. I received a subscription to ABCmouse.com in exchange for an honest review.  If somehow you haven't heard of

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795097176146678134.post-58954198484154237632016-12-04T20:00:00.000-06:002017-05-21T21:30:59.361-05:00

A few years back we came up with the best way to count down to New Year's with little kids (if you want them staying up that late in the first place)! The next year, we used our balloon countdown to learn a bit about geography! Then the next year, we had a baby. Yep, I left the hospital New Year's Eve day and did not have the energy to put together a countdown for my kids. So, last year, I made

Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01920452728583695700noreply@blogger.com