Posts

Portable Busy Boxes!

Image
Good Morning Everyone! I am very excited to tell you about and offer you a fun new activity. I call them "Busy Boxes", This is a great idea for when you want to give your children something quiet to do while your in public places such as "The Bank" or "Doctors Office" or even on and "airplane". Although I have to admit while the activity was and is my creation. I have to credit my cousin Kim .D for the inspiration to offer them to you as a Product! Thanks Kim! she asked me if it was something I was selling as part of an event, to which I responded "No its just something im doing as a favor for a charity giveaway". However as the days passed this question she asked me REALLY bothered me! I couldn't figure out WHY( if I created this) am I not putting it out there for people?! SOOOO.......  Now I Am!   I am going to include a link to my pin on Pinterest and give you a way to contact me if you are interested in purchasing them. http...

Cooking, Math and Science

Cooking   Math and Science   Advice One Critical Thinking and Cause/Effect   (Math and Science Skills) Cooking is a wonderful activity that creates fun interactive learning experiences with your children and students. What children don’t realize as they are cooking, is that they are also learning. They are using Math Skills (measuring) Science Skills (mixing wet and dry ingredients) They are even using their motor skills (Mixing, Rolling and even sometimes cutting with cutters). One of the things I love to use with children is Play dough. Not only can the children engage in the “Making” process, they also get to enjoy the finished product over and over again. I like to make a very easy Cinnamon Applesauce Play dough.   Mix Equal Parts Applesauce, Cinnamon, and add flour little by little to help the thickening process.               Advice Tw...

Scrap Art..... Fun For All Ages!

Image
Welcome Back!  I have something for you that I think your really going to enjoy! I know I am very excited to use it in class with my friends!  I call it "Scrap Art". As you see it IS exactly what it sounds like! What I love about this is that the possibilities are ENDLESS. you can create anything with it that your mind can think up. The best thing is, it can be stretched or simplified for ANY age! you can make larger more abstract objects with older children using smaller objects. for younger children (as we did above) you can provide pre cut "Parts" to the art and allow then to decorate with the provided art supplies. I love to use confetti, Tissue Paper, Dry Pasta, Straws. I could go on and on! In this version, we allowed the older children to create whatever they wanted. We provided them with contact paper, Wiggle Eyes and Recycled Art Work. Then the children cut them into whatever shapes they wanted. This is a fantastic art activity that works on all s...

Now The Creative Campus and our "Learning With Our Hands Class" Comes To You! (Restrictions Apply)

Image
     "Learning With Our Hands Class"            Hello! I am the creator of The Creative Campus , and I just wanted to write to you and let you know what I have been working on.  I started my own business working with Stay At Home Moms and Nannies. Things have been changing rapidly here at The Creative Campus And I am so excited about our progress I wanted to write you and tell you all about it right away! I have expanded my company YET AGAIN! The inspiration came out of the clear blue sky and I ran with it! I have decided that what I enjoy most about what I do, is getting to know you as Moms and Nannies along with your children and creating new learning experiences that help you grow. Because of this, I was inspired to get into coaching. You can now work with me one on one. I work with you to define your child’s current skills and learning needs. Using a Current Skills survey and I will now work with you on a monthly ba...

Mix and Match Math

Image
Happy Spring Everyone!  I hope you are learning lots of fun things and enjoying the wonderful sunshine!  I wanted to share something with you that my friends enjoy and yours will too. I call it "Mix and Match Math". I  take things like popsicles and their sticks (paper versions only) and I put Shapes, Numbers and or Letters on both the sticks and the popsicle its self. then I separate them and mix them all up. I invite my friends to re connect the matches. this can be done with may different items that have two pieces. I also do a version of this with carrots. you could even do this ice cream cones and scoops that match. The fun with this activity is endless depending on your goals. you could even do this will pictures. Cutting them into sections and instructing the children to re connect the edges (which I suggest you cut in designs). I hope you have a lot of fun with this, its one of the favorites in my class. Don't forget....  if you like this and want more ...

Independant Learning Environments

Image
Independence in the classroom, I believe that all children learn using different methods and because of this we as parents and educators need to offer different experiences that encourage our children and students to learn about the same subject or topic different ways. I believe that doing so  promotes problem solving skills.   Asking questions about the activities that a child has chosen to engage with encourages children to solve problems independently . Allowing a child to be independent and to figure things out for themselves along side an adult that is observing creates confidence in a child's ability to learn. Confidence pushes them to try new things and to keep trying and learning even when they don't succeed at the first attempt . I also believe that the activities that are provided in a child's learning environment should be  based  on child's skills and needs. this way you are encouraging curiosity, along side ed...

Creative Teaching Methods

Topic: Art and Creative Teaching Methods   Advice One ( Using art to teach skills )   I believe that there is a place in the Early Child world for both Process and Product art I believe that when children are able to express themselves and use different skills they learn better I use art to teach everything from Letters, Numbers, Colors, shapes even science. A great example of this, is “Splat Painting”. This is a fun activity that allows the children to use their Small Motor skills while creating fun art. You can combing process and product using this method OR you can simply let the children enjoy the Process simply provide the children with a piece of paper and make piles of paint. Cover with wax paper (I even put the paint in between two pieces of Contact Paper) and let the children Pound or roll on top of the paint. Smearing and mixing till they are happy. —   Creating products i...