Moms Inspire Learning

Literacy Lava 7 is Hot Off the Press!

 
If you've never heard of Literacy Lava online digital magazine, you're in for a treat! It's a free resource for parents, grandparents, teachers, librarians, caregivers, and pretty much anyone who works with children. I did not make a contribution to this issue, but The Book Chook has once again pulled together some extraordinary bloggers/writers to give you some great advice and tools to inspire a love of learning in children. You can find your copy of Literacy Lava 7 (and the previous 6 issues) here. Enjoy!

Fun Games for Families with Tweens and Teens

Now that my children are older, it's not as easy to find family activities everyone will enjoy. So, I thought I'd share a couple of games my 12 and 15 year old really love.

Connecting the Dots of Home and School with Games

No matter how you slice it, there's always going to be a certain amount of memorization when it comes to the school curriculum. Whether your child attends public school, or is homeschooled, you can't really get around it.

While I certainly don't believe that parents should drill their children and put pressure on them, which can be a real turnoff, anything they can do to tie in to the curriculum in a fun way would be a wonderful thing. It could be that perfectly timed museum trip, or a real life math question, or....a board game.

Playing Games with Problem Solving

Are we there yet?

What can I eat?

There's nothing to do...

What parent hasn't ever heard these words? Before you even heard them, you probably had twenty things on your to do list, right?

Looking back at my last post, it appears that I added more to your to do list, rather than less. The way I see it, though, is that a little time invested up front will pay off big time later on.

A Trip to Philadelphia, Part 3

It was Ben Franklin who said:

"A penny saved is a penny earned."

His resting place is right next to The US Mint, and people leave pennies on it. Did you know, though, that Benjamin Franklin did not live to see an actual U.S. penny? He died in 1790, which was 2 years before The Mint in Philadelphia was built. According to The US Mint timeline, it was the first Federal building erected under the Constitution, and the very first US penny was not ready for circulation until 1793.

Sports Guys for Creative Play

When young children engage in creative play with figures, such as the ones made by Playmobil, they're learning so much about themselves and others in the process. GreenGuy used to love these during the preschool years, but when he got into the primary grades, he loved building Legos and playing with the figures that came with them.

Children of all ages can benefit from this type of imaginative play, especially if they enjoy playing sports. It's a great way for them to interact with family members, and to learn about sportsmanship, teamwork, and the rules of the game.

Games and Activities for Any Day of the Week!

© iStockphoto/Bonnie Jacobs (bonniej)

How is your summer going? Are your children keeping busy?

With younger and younger children turning to texting, social media, and video games to fill up their free time, it seems that there is not a lot of meaningful social interaction going on these days. Even when children are not using technology, they're often participating in a multitude of organized activities.

I don't know about you, but I think there's a lot to be said for a good old game of cards, checkers, or tag to fill up our children's time. Not only are such games fun, but all ages of people can play them together. Playing games is a great way for families, friends, and generations of people to interact in meaningful ways. So, have everyone put away those cell phones, blackberries, iPods, televisions, and computers and get ready for some old-fashioned fun!

Father's Day Read Alouds: More Baseball Fun and Games

I have to admit that I wasn't much of a sports fan before GreenGuy (my son) took an interest in football and baseball, but some of my favorite movies revolve around sports. One of my favorite movies is Remember the Titans, starring the one and only Denzel Washington. I could watch this movie over and over again for so many reasons. It really is a must-see movie, and one that is appropriate for children who are at least 8 or 9 years old (use your discretion).

There are so many benefits to playing, coaching, or even just watching, team sports. They really teach you a lot about real life, no matter how old you are. Even if you don't like to play, though, it is also fun to read about sports and watch others playing them. And just think about how much can be learned by collecting and analyzing sports cards!

I realize that I've already recommended many great baseball books (see links at the end of this post), but I have two more, as well as some great games and toys to really bring them to life. Fathers can connect with their children on so many levels with sports.

Top 5 Rainy Day Activities

©iStockphoto.com/SteveCole www.stevecole.com

Oh, the joy of children singing in the rain....

It's raining here again today. I like these kinds of days once in a while, because it gives me a chance to do some really fun indoor activities with my family. Even though it's obvious that my favorite family activity is reading together, there are so many other fun and subtly educational activities that families can do together.