We caught a movie (Pete’s Dragon!) at the Thanksgiving Megaplex so we decided to stop at the American Fork DI on our way home. There’s another DI in Provo and I am so excited for the Springville DI to open soon!

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If your kids aren’t back in school yet chances are they will be soon. As parents we often times plan ahead to purchase everything for a new school year but then scramble last minute because we forgot something. It’s human nature to forget things but the worst thing to forget would be an awesome new Minecraft shirt or new pair of jeans to get a new school year started. So if you are doing some last-minute Back to School shopping then I suggest you head to The Children’s Place!

The Children’s Place is a retailer that has great clothes at a great price. They almost always have a sale going on that you can stack with coupons and even earn rewards that you can use on future purchases. One of the biggest reasons I shop there is because of the savings. Let’s face it, kids grow fast and they are pretty rough on their clothes so spending a fortune on them is not on my agenda!

I love the outlets in Park City, but when I can’t make it up there you’ll find me online! I always shop through cash-back sites like Ebates,  Shop at Home, and Swagbucks to get the most bang for my buck. These two sites usually tell me the best coupon codes available PLUS give me from 2-8 percent back. Nothing beats back to school clothes delivered right to your door and an automatic rebate check!

When you head shopping at The Children’s Place make sure you sign-up for their free My Place Rewards program. It’s a rewards card that allows you to earn points on your purchases. Those points then turn into coupons that will help you save (and pay) on a future purchase. It’s basically free money just for shopping for your children’s clothes. Plus if you prefer to shop online, you will be happy to know that August is Free Shipping Month! No minimum purchase amount required!

You know what would make your child’s school year even better? A FREE Shopping Spree! The Children’s Place is giving away a $75 Gift Card to one lucky winner to use to shop in one of their stores! All you have to do is enter using the rafflecopter widget below. Giveaway ends 8/28/15. Good Luck Everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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New pencils, crayons, paper products, tissues – I love Back to School shopping! But if I have all three of my cuties with me – it’s got to be fast. I am so lucky that a new Wal-mart was built right after we moved to Spanish Fork – it’s the easiest for picking up everything I need for back to school. Plus I am a big fan of the Wal-mart Savings Catcher app and price matching policy. It saves us lots of money!

Here’s a few tips that help me keep my sanity during Back to School shopping.

1. Stock Up! Sale prices for back to school items are the best this time of year. Everything from crayons to Kleenex at Wal-mart are on sale. I have a shelf in my kitchen with all the gluesticks and art supplies.

2. Prep for Parties! Last year I was a room mom and I wish that I would have bought more supplies for school parties at the beginning of the year. Inevitably, something comes up and parents forget to send in supplies. With class parties come class messes so be sure to pick up Viva paper towels at Wal-mart!

One of my favorite supplies for parties – Scott Extra Soft at Wal-mart! Toilet paper is seriously a life-saver for games. We’ve done toilet paper bowling and my personal favorite – Minute to Win it Wrapping. For Halloween, the kids can wrap each other up like mummies. For Christmas – make it a Christmas tree with ornaments! For Valentines – wrap them up and tape on hearts.

3. Be Ready for Sick Days. School is back in session and that means germs are, too! I hate starting cold season without my favorite soft tissues so I stock up on Kleenex at Wal-mart.  Grab some Bear Creek Soup packets (just add water) and saltines and you are set for flu season.

4. Price Match. Be sure you have the Wal-mart Savings Catcher App and price match at Wal-mart. It’s nice knowing that you are getting the best deals!

5. Buy Double for Home. Make sure you are stocked up for home and for school! This year I am organizing my supplies in a rolling cart with individual containers so that my kids can easily access what they need and don’t have to go looking for it. All the extras will go up in the kitchen cupboard.

6. Give back. We are serious Box Tops for Education collectors at our house. We even recruit grandparents and aunts/uncles to clip them for us. The best thing abut buying in bulk at Wal-mart is the high-value Box Tops.

Hope these tips help your school year start more smoothly! Check out more tips from Wal-mart and moms like you here.  Be sure to share your own tips as well!

How do you shop Back to School like a boss?

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School starts oh so soon! It’s time for back to school shopping. I am excited to share with you a few of my favorite places to shop as well as a fantastic giveaway for Gymboree!

1. ONLINE. Stores like Gymboree are having fantastic back to school sales. I always shop through cash-back sites like Ebates or Shop at Home to get the most bang for my buck. Those two sites usually tell me the best coupon codes available. Nothing beats back to school clothes delivered right to your door!

2. OUTLETS.  I make a visit to the Park City Tanger Outlets at least twice a year. My shopping secret – I buy the next size or two up for my kids when I find a good deal. I go with my mom and sisters and we make a weekend of it. Shopping is more fun in a group and more eyes see more deals!

3. ONLINE DEAL SITES.  Zulily is one my absolute favorite deal sites. They post all my favorites from Jelly the Pug to Disney at marked down prices. I’m watching Zulily daily for Christmas present ideas along with back to school clothes shopping!

4. CONSIGNMENT/YARD SALE/FACEBOOK SALES.  I prefer buying new and usually do with killer clearance and markdown sales. However, I’ve had lots of luck with facebook yard sale sites as well. Check and see if your town has one. Last week I got two bags full of name-brand clothing in good condition for my kindergartner – all for free! I’ve also been selling all of my daughter’s too-small clothes on there as well. My daughter’s Gymboree clothes hold up really well and always resell for a great price. Definitely helps to build up some cash for this year’s clothes!

Hope those tips help you get the most bang for your buck this year during back to school shopping! I’ve teamed up with my blogging pals to give one luck winner a $75 shopping spree to Gymboree. I adore the matching outfits at Gymboree as well as the high-quality materials.

Check out some more reasons why I love Gymboree and enter the giveaway below:

Gymboree has been dressing children since 1986. The brand’s fashionable clothing and accessories are created to celebrate kids being kids in unique head-to-toe looks. Available in sizes newborn to 10 years, Gymboree clothing is designed with colorful, high-quality fabrics and detailed touches throughout.

Whether your child has already started school or is starting in a few weeks, Gymboree is the place to shop. Currently they are offering an extra 30% off markdowns which means you can save even more on your back to school shopping! Plus new arrivals are 20% off!

Now want to know the really awesome part about Gymboree? Well, when you refer a friend, they will give you $20 to spend at Gymboree! That is like a totally free outfit for sharing with your friends how awesome Gymboree is! Check out all the details here.

So what are you waiting for? Head into your local Gymboree store and get shopping (and saving).

Giveaway Time!

Gymboree wants to help make back to school shopping a little easier on your wallet. So they are giving away a $75 Gymboree Gift Card to 1 lucky winner! All you have to do is enter using the giveaway widget below! Giveaway ends 8/17! Good Luck Everyone!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: This blog is not responsible for prize fulfillment. This giveaway is sponsored by Gymboree. This post contains affiliate links. 

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This post is sponsored by Intermountain LiVe Well. All opinions are my own. 

My Lily loves to pack and take her own lunch to school. Plus I have two preschoolers at home so healthy and fun lunches are a pretty big deal around here. Last week I had the chance to sit down with dietician Mindy Probst from Intermountain Healthcare and brainstorm healthy school lunch ideas as well as ways to help make sure our children are eating them AND enjoying them. As part of the event we tested out Rubbermaid’s popular Lunchbloxes and built our own healthy lunches.

Let me tell you, since I have been home – that Lunchblox is a hit! My husband and all three of my children want to use it for their lunches! They love the Bento style and that it has a cooling component that will keep their food safe and fresh during the day. Intermountain LiVe Well is giving away 8 of these parent and kid-approved Lunchbloxes on  their facebook page this month. I’ll be talking about that more later, but first let’s check out some fun lunch ideas!

The first step to fun and healthy school lunches is all about the planning! I know my daughter will be much more likely to eat her lunch if she has had a hand in planning it and making it. We made these simple ham and cream cheese roll-ups this week and they were a hit! Lily could easily make them herself and I knew that she would devour them. Hooray for knowing she is getting some protein in at school!

 Intermountain LiVe Well has put together some great printables to help you and your child plan out their lunches. Sometimes it helps them to see that they need a fruit, a vegetable, a protein, etc. It also helps if your little planner to see what is on the menu that week! (Am I the only with a child who likes to know EXACTLY what is going on each week?!?) You can download these printables here. 

Another huge aspect of making sure that your child is eating and enjoying lunches is to make it fun! These Princess Sandwiches and Fruit Cars always disappear in a hurry when we have little friends over. You can find the princess cutter on Amazon.com and they are perfect for cookies, too!

Some of the bloggers I attended the event with have been sharing their fun lunch ideas as well. How darling are these Halloween Mini Pizzas from Just Between Friends?

I also love this healthier version of a Lunchable Bento Style by Mountain Mom and Tots. She will be listing more lunch ideas this week as well! Be sure to check them out!

I hope some of these ideas have inspired you to get creative and healthy with your back to school lunches! Now you just need the perfect container! Intermountain LiVe Well is giving away 8 Rubbermaid Lunchblox containers this month on their facebook page. . Head on over to win! They also have oodles of healthy lunch ideas on their Pinterest board!

You can also check out more healthy lunch ideas on Intermountain LiVeWell’s Pinterest Board

Do your children pack a lunch from home?

What lunches are favorites at your house?

What is one lunch food your family could not live without?

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Confession: I’ve been collecting children’s books since I was in high school. As a child I loved reading – scratch that – I was obsessed with reading. I carried a book everywhere I went. Now that I have children of my own, I want to pass that same passion for reading on to them so I am always on the lookout for new books for our children’s library.

When I was introduced to the interactive children’s book – Pictivities by Meg and Corbin Frost – I knew it would be a hit with my little ones. This board book is the first to completely capture all three children’s  (ages 7,5, and 2) attention simultaneously. Those of you with young children know how difficult that can be!

The Pictivity books are designed to generate interaction between reader and child by linking pictures to words and actions. On each page there is a picture button that shows an object, animal, or person. Each image is also linked to an action. You prompt your child to touch the button and then you both say and do the action together. My children absolutely loved this and were immediately engaged.

The book was pure delight for the whole family. The simplicity of the interactive pages created a fun, family-centered reading time that we all enjoyed. One thing that I have noticed since my oldest began reading is that how much she enjoys a book directly affects how much she reads. This is the perfect book for creating that base memory of reading equaling fun. My children loved the book so much they begged my husband to read it again.

Pictivities is currently one of the top five most popular children’s books on KickStarter. Meg and Corbin are raising funds to produce the first run of books before Christmas. This would be the perfect gift under your little reader’s Christmas tree! By pledging $10, you can get this adorable book by Christmas. Pledge more and they have other delightful prizes in store!

Pictivities is currently halfway to its fundraising goal with only 16 days left! Do yourself a favor and support this great move forward in children’s literature while getting a little Christmas shopping done as well! 

I received a copy of this book to review. 

What is your favorite children’s book?

What do your children ask you to read again and again?

Have you funded a project on Kickstarter before?

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Where did the summer go? This month we are wrapping up our summer adventures with one last trip to Bear Lake (pictured above!) and getting Lily ready to start second grade at her new charter school. With so many exciting things going on, I need fast, healthy, and easy snacks to keep me and the kiddos going! Apples and grapes are always a hit at our house so my littles couldn’t wait to dive into this yummy package from Chiquita Snacking.

As a busy mom, I love that Chiquita Bites are:

• Washed and ready to eat
• 30–80 calories
• A half-cup of fruit or vegetables per serving
• A great source of nutrition

They come in  single-serve bags, multipacks, and family packs – whatever size suits your family best! They are perfect for grabbing from the fridge when you are on your way to a dance lesson or – better yet – when it is your time to bring team treats for sports!

My family enjoyed eating them as is, but it was fun searching the Chiquita site for yummy and creative recipes! My little ones love it when their snacks are fun! We made these simple fruit cars for a birthday get together with cousins. They were a hit!

Apple Cars – healthy, easy and fun snacks!

We served the apple cars along with princess wands made from the grapes! Pair that with crown-shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and you have happy kiddos!

To go along with the apple cars, I made our favorite fruit dip! Every time I serve it to company, I always get asked multiple times for the recipe. People are shocked when I tell them it is only two easy ingredients – honey greek yogurt and peanut butter! You can substitute any nut butter as well as different flavors of greek yogurt to change the taste. It is a protein-packed snack dip that I can feel good about my kids indulging in. Perfect to serve with the apple and grapes!

I am excited to try a few more of the recipes from the Chiquita web-site for our after school snacks! Don’t these look delicious?

Love that back to school snacks just got a little easier and healthier at our house! The Chiquita Snacking company loves making life easier for moms! T

What is a favorite after school snack at your house?

How do you get ready to go back to school?

I received this product for free from the manufacturer. I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the manufacturer of the product.

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I became a journalist because of my high school choir teacher.

Seriously.

One of my first newspaper assignments was a column for the opinion page on the controversial editing of the movie Titanic. I buried myself in research about whether it was legal for people to buy edited copies of the movie. I filled my opinion piece with supportive facts and unknowingly took a very unpopular stance amongst high school students.

At the next staff meeting, letter to the editor after letter to the editor was read about how I was not only wrong, but also naive, stupid, and a myriad of other immature high school descriptions. I was crushed and wondering what I was even doing in a newspaper class.

My next class was choir and I was a little surprised when my teacher pulled me aside. He spent the next five minutes praising my journalistic writing and my bravery for taking an unpopular viewpoint. That was a turning point for me. Because Dr. Lee cared to take the time to bolster my fragile journalist ego, I decided to give newspaper writing another try.

I continued writing for the high school newspaper and received a full-tuition scholarship to write for the university newspaper the next year. I thrived under incredible teachers who believed in me and transformed from a shy freshman to editor in chief to the first student newspaper adviser. Journalism became my passion thanks to a choir teacher who encouraged me to stick with it.

Now that I have children of my own, I understand even more the importance of teachers who are passionate about their jobs. I adore my daughter’s first grade teacher and the efforts she goes to to make learning fun and exciting for the children. I was thrilled to learn of Office Depot and Adopt-A-Classroom’s Teachers Change Lives program. The two organizations have partnered to raise awareness about teachers, and all they do in the lives of their students. Adopt-A-Classroom is a nonprofit organization that helps connect donors with teachers to enhance the learning environment for students

I have many friends who are teachers and know that they spend money every year out of their own pocket. Like my friends, there are teachers across the country doing innovation things in the classroom to help our children. Office Depot is highlighting several of these teachers stories. I selected two of my favorites to share with you.

Estella Pyfrom uses her Brillant Bus to give students access to technology. She used her life savings to build this bus to help bridge the digital divide. She has recently been featured as one of CNN’s heroes.

Cassie Cox is a teacher at an alternative high school in Utah. This is the last stop for students before dropping out. Cassie is a former drop out who went on to earn her Masters Degree, and wants the same for her students. She gives them a second chance, and a new way to look at learning.

You can donate to the teacher highlighted in the video, or a teacher in your local community. Just follow these easy steps:

How to Donate to a Teacher
Go to Teachers Change Lives website
Click on the teal “Donate to a Teacher” box on the Teachers Change Lives website, which will take you to the Adopt-A-Classroom website
Follow the corresponding steps from there

How to Register Your Classroom as a Teacher
Go to Teachers Change Lives website (http://clvr.li/1emq4KF)
Click on the red box that says “Register Your Classroom,” which will take you to the Adopt-A-Classroom website
Follow the corresponding steps from there

Do you have a teacher who inspired you in school?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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It’s Christmas break, but learning hasn’t stopped at the Parker House! While my children were playing with their toys from last night’s Christmas party, I casually slipped Lily’s Hot Bots math set onto the table. Within five minutes, all three children were taking turns with the interactive pen and math problems (some with more success than others!)

The Hot Dots Let’s Master set from Educational Insights has been a hit at our house since we received it just after Thanksgiving. Lily’s math book set is full of important skills she needs to master for second grade next year. The interactive pen was simple to use and Lily figured it out easily on her own.

The math questions are multiple choice and she clicks on her answer with the interactive pen. If she is correct, it lights up in green and congratulates her. If it is the wrong answer, it flashes red and encourages her to try again. Since she is at a first grade level, I stay nearby to help with any questions she has, but I am sure she would breeze through the first grade set easily on her own.

The Hot Dot Let’s master sets are for grade levels Pre-K to Grade 3 – perfect for my preschooler and first grader. There are reading sets and math sets. We will be continuing to use the math set set over the summer to help prep Lily for second grade math. The books contain 100 lessons with plenty of variety to keep your child interested. The colorful illustrations add an element of fun, especially for my little artist.

Each set is $24.99 and is currently available exclusively at Educational Insights. If you are a mom who is set up keeping learning fun – you are going to love their web-site like a kid in a candy store. It is full of award-winning toys that will engage AND entertain your child. Genius! We loved reviewing the Hot Dots math set. It makes a great addition to our educational library. The math homework Lily  brings home is typically a work sheet so it is nice to spice up her math learning with a fun tech toy.

Be sure to connect with Educational Insights on Facebook. You can also sign up for their newsletter here.

I am giving away a set to one of my lucky United States readers! Enter in the contest widget below!

What are your favorite education toys for children?

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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This sassy little cutie has been begging to take her own lunch since the start of the school year. At first I thought it had to do with her friend’s cute characterized lunch boxes (which she also begged me to buy). I could see that she was also intrigued by how her car pool friends could bring their leftovers home and have snacks in the car.  She very adamantly told me that the lunch ladies would not let her save her food for later. What is a girl to do?

If you are my six year old – the answer is obvious. If mom won’t pack a lunch, pack your own! When my husband asked Lily to get her homework out one night, a plastic bag with wrappers fell out as well. After my husband inquired what was in the bag, Lily nonchalantly replied, “That’s the wrappers from the lunch I took to school today.”

When this information was relayed to me, I was slightly mortified. What could my daughter have possibly packed on her own and what did the school think I was sending her to school with? Her lunch that day included a GoGoSqueez, a Nature’s Bakery Fig Bar, Stretch Island Fruit Leather, and a granola bar raided from the snack cupboard and packaged up nicely in a Ziploc bag. Glad I had some healthy snacks on hand, but I’m thinking some protein would have been good, too!

Lily and I came to an agreement that she can pack and take her own lunches as long as she shows them to me before she takes them. She hasn’t decided to take her own since then, but I’ve decided I better have good lunch supplies on hand just in case! I love that someone shared this infographic with me just in time for new ideas. The shopping list saves me time and I am already printing off coupons from Coupons.com at least once a week. My next month worth of lunches is going to be pretty easy! These meal ideas will be perfect for my little boys at home as well.

If you like what you see, check out the full post at Coupons.com and download the printer-optimized PDF version.

What are your children’s favorite lunch meals and snacks?

Still need more back to school inspiration? Check out these fun ideas!

Healthy and Easy Back to School Snacks

Healthy School Lunch Ideas

Back to School – Outdoor Reading Games

This post contains affiliate links.

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My little girl is just like her dad – she loves technology. At six-years-old she can whip through apps much faster than I can. As much as she loves art projects, playing outside, and dressing up as a princess, some days she can’t wait to get on the computer and play. As a mom, I want her computer time to be simultaneously fun and educational.

That’s why I was so excited to try out PowerMyLearning. PowerMyLearning is a free, web-based K-12 learning platform. It has taken thousands of free learning activities from across the web and placed them in one easy to navigate site. The site is sub-divided by grade and by major subjects including:

Math
Language Arts
Science
Social Studies
Art & Music
Technology
World Languages
Your Life

I created an account for myself and my daughter – they are linked so I can track what activities she completes. The cool part is that the account can be linked up to her school class as well. I am looking forward to talking to her teacher to see if they use PowerMyLearning.

Lily and I selected first grade activities and she was thrilled to see some of her favorite games pop up like Curious George from PBS Kids and Who am I from Starfall. I love that PowerMyLearning has done the work for me and has put many of our favorite sites in one place. It is uber convenient that my daughter does not have to type in web addresses when she wants to move from sites like PBS Kids to Starfall. One mistyped word and she could end up on a site inappropriate for her or simply be frustrated because she can’t get to where she wants. With PowerMyLearning it was easy to click in and out of games.

The organization of the site is superb. It took me seconds to locate a first grade level geography game to compliment what she learned at school this week. PowerMyLearning has basically just simplified many of the online learning activities we were already participating in. There is enough high quality content that I don’t have to worry about googling sites to meet more of my daughter’s educational needs.

Lily gave the site two thumbs up. She spent a half hour on the site the first day and begged for more. She even told me that a math game was fun – that’s a big win for this mom!

I am excited to use this program on those days that my daughter asks to “play on the computer.” Now she can play away and I can have the peace of mind that she is participating in age-appropriate educational activities!

Do yourself a favor and check out PowerMyLearning for your school-age child. You can also find them on the following social media sites:

Facebook PowerMyLearning

Twitter @PowerMyLearning

Pinterest PowerMyLearning

This is a sponsored post. While I received compensation, all opinions are my own (and Lily’s!) I only write about products that my family personally uses and loves! 

What are your favorite online educational sites? 

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School will be starting soon and I am already missing these summer smiles! My oldest will be in first grade this year- these cute boys and I will definitely miss her. We are in the midst of back to school shopping and prep. From scheduling car pools to attempting to get back into the school routine, there are so many details to check off of the list.

As you know, I am a big fan of subscription services. Love having boxes of necessities and niceties show up on my door step, especially with busy school season quickly approaching. This month I had the chance to try out a new service by FlossAndBrush.com.

(This is a sponsored post brought to you by FlossAndBrush.com and Mom it Forward. All opinions and cute children are mine).

Did you know that the American Dental Association recommends replacing your toothbrush every three months? FlossAndBrush.com makes it easy to always have new toothbrushes every three months. How? By paying just $1.00 per month, per person in your family,  FlossAndBrush.com will ship a box of fresh, quality toothbrushes and floss to your home – one for each member of your family. I love that the tooth brushes that are age specific, too. Simple, right?

FlossAndBrush.com offers four different packages for adults, youth, and children including one with whitening gel. You can see all the specifics for the packages here. The tooth brushes are made in America and they come in several different designs.

You better believe that I am excited not to have to remember when to replace my kiddos’ tooth brushes for the next year. I have a little surprise for you, too. A lucky fan will get the chance to win this practical luxury as well.

Here’s what the folks at FlossAndBrush.com are allowing me to spoil one of you with :

Prize: The giveaway is valued at $107 and includes the following:

• 1 Free Annual FAB Membership (every three months, a new toothbrush and 3 month supply of floss will arrive at your doorstep)

• 1 Free Annual FAB + White4Life Memberships (this includes not only a toothbrush and floss every three months but each shipment will also include FAB’s professional grade whitening to be used in custom whitening trays)

Requirements:

1. Visit FAB’s Pinterest page and repin an image from any one of the “Smile Boards” that makes you smile. Include a description in your pin that explains why it makes you smile. Include the #FABsmile hashtag in the pin. OR, pin your own image to Pinterest of something that makes you smile. Be sure to include the description along with the #FABsmile hashtag. OR, post a photo to Instagram and describe why that photo makes you #FABsmile. Include the #FABsmile hashtag in your Instagram update. Come back to this post and share the link to the pin/Instagram photo in order to enter for a chance to win.

2. Sign up for FlossAndBrush.com’s mailing list here.

For additional entries you can also check out FlossAndBrush.com’s media pages. Come back and leave a comment for each follow.

•  FAB Facebook 

• FAB Instagram

• FAB Pinterest

• Twitter: @FABdental

Giveaway will end August 24th at midnight

What makes you smile?

The post You Make Me Smile – FlossAndBrush.com Giveaway appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Earlier this week these words came out of my six-year-old’s mouth, “I don’t want to read. Reading is boring.”

Gasp! As a child I carried a book wherever I went and could not get enough of the library.  How could I give birth to a child who doesn’t like to read (or at least tells me so in a frustrated moment. This too shall pass, I know)?

My husband or I read several books a day to our children and we listen to classics like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe while we fall asleep at night. But how to encourage my little socialite to independently read on her own?

Time to make reading fun!

I busted out the sidewalk chalk, leftover pop-it’s from the 4th of July, bikes, and water balloons. Covering the driveway with a mix of site words and easy to read words, I also mixed it up by using different colors and shapes. This way, my four year could participate a little easier as well.

The kiddos were quite excited when they came outside. I could see it in their eyes, “what has crazy mommy been up to now?”

We turned reading practice into 5 easy and fun and outdoor games.

1. Pop its! My children love pop its. I passed out several to my six year old and four year old. As I called out a word/shape/or color, they would find it and toss down a pop it like the word was a bulls eyes. Reading + noise = fun!  (please only use pop-its with adult supervision.)

2. Bikes and wiggle cars. I also had the children drive or ride over words as I called them out. Another fun idea would be to have your child ride over certain words to make a sentence!

3. Modified hop scotch. The kids came up with this idea on their own. They would jump from word to word reading each one. They had fun seeing how many words they could read in a row.

4. Writing practice. My daughter got in on the fun by using the chalk to write her own words. She wrote out words and her little brother wrote out letters.

5. Water balloons. Clean up is easy with water balloons! The chalk will stay on your drive way for awhile, but if you want a quick clean up – bring on the water balloons! Just like the pop its, have your child toss a water balloon at the word. Washes the chalk right, off!

We will definitely be bringing out more chalk, water balloons, and pop its for future spelling practices. The children loved it and mommy liked that they were learning, too.

What is your favorite learning activity to do with your children?

Are your children back in school yet?

How do you prepare for the school year?

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