After School Linky Party (11-30)

Welcome to the party!

I trust that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Let the rest of the holiday preparations commence.

There were loads of inspired ideas shared here last week. Here are just a few of my favorites.

 Christmas Tree Free Printables for Kids to Color, Dot, Paint, and Learn at A Little Pinch of Perfect

 Simple Problem of the Day Christmas Countdown at Math Geek Mama

 Christmas Lacing Cards at Living Life and Learning

 Pom Pom Christmas Tree Advent Calendar from Schooling a Monkey

 Creative Writing Prompt: My Pet Reindeer at The Multitaskin Mom

 DIY Light-up Christmas Cards at Mama Smiles

 Printable Family Activities Advent Calendar at Creative Family Fun

Blast-Off Number Line Math Practice at School Time Snippets

The After School Linky is cohosted by

Creative Family Fun

Planet Smarty Pants

Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational

The Educators' Spin on It

This Reading Mama

We would love to have you link up your School-Age Post (Ages 5 and up) about your learning week after school including Crafts, Activities, Playtime and Adventures that you are doing to enrich your children's lives after their day at school, home school, or on the weekend!

When linking up, please take a moment to comment on at least one post linked up before yours and grab our after school button to include a link on your post or site! By linking up, you're giving permission for us to share on our After School Pinterest Board and feature an image on our After School Party in the upcoming weeks.

Sight Word 5-in-a-Row {free printable}

Sight word BINGO. Hm. You're probably thinking haven't she already shared this activity? 

Well, yes, I have. (See here.)

But since (I'd like to think) my design skills have improved and boy No. 2 has different sight words to practice, I've recreated new cards.

Download five playing cards and the call cards free from Google Drive here. There's also a blank card for you to add your own sight or vocabulary words!

This was a much easier way than flash cards to get our 6-year-old to practice his sight words. 

After School Linky (11-23)

Welcome to the party!

As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, I'm reminded of life's many blessings - not the least of which is you, the faithful followers and fellow bloggers who share your creativity and ideas with us each week.

THANK YOU!!!

Here are just a few great ideas shared at last week's party.

Paper Fliers at The Science Kiddo

 Christmas Charades at Moms & Munchkins

 12 Fun Games with Flash Cards at PK1HomeschoolFUN

 Math Game- Candy Cane Tally Marks at JDaniel4's Mom

 Talking Turkey Phonics Fun at Mrs. Jones' Creation Station

27 Free Thanksgiving Games & Activities at KC Edventures

The After School Linky is cohosted by

Creative Family Fun

Mama Smiles

Planet Smarty Pants

Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational

The Educators' Spin on It

This Reading Mama

We would love to have you link up your School-Age Post (Ages 5 and up) about your learning week after school including Crafts, Activities, Playtime and Adventures that you are doing to enrich your children's lives after their day at school, home school, or on the weekend!

When linking up, please take a moment to comment on at least one post linked up before yours and grab our after school button to include a link on your post or site! By linking up, you're giving permission for us to share on our After School Pinterest Board and feature an image on our After School Party in the upcoming weeks.

Diving & Rising Raisins (science experiment)

Simple science is the best. It's cheap and easy, with just a few supplies, and is wildly impressive. These swimming raisins are the perfect example.

What You Need
Clear soda (we used Sprite)
Tall, clear glass
Raisins

What To Do
Fill the glass 2/3rds full with the soda.

Drop several raisins into the glass.

Watch bubbles form on the raisins at the bottom of the glass. As this happens:
1. the raisins will rise to the top of the glass
2.. the bubbles on the raisins will pop when they break the surface
3. the raisins will sink back to the bottom

This will happen again and again and again - until there's no more carbon dioxide gas (aka "fizz") in the soda.

What's Happening
The raisins drop to the bottom of the glass because they are denser than the soda. However, when carbon dioxide bubbles form on the surface of the raisins, the bubbles (which are less dense than the soda) cause the raisins to float to the surface. When they break the surface, the bubbles pop, and the raisins descend again.

Fall Leaves Matching/Memory {free printable}

We had some fierce winds lately, followed by two days of rain, and I've been looking out the windows rather bleakly at our now-naked trees. 

To keep the spirit of fall alive a wee bit longer, I made a great game to play with the boys: Fall Leaves Memory!

Make your own game!

Download my 1-page PDF of several leaf types for free from Google Drive here.

Print on heavyweight cardstock (so they're not see-through). Laminate for added durability (optional).

Cut out and get ready to play; mix the cards up and place them face down on the table in rows.

Play

Players will take turns turning over two cards at a time to try and find a matching pair. When you make a match, go again. If you don't make a match, its the next players turn.

The player with the most matches when all the cards have been removed from the playing area is declared the winner!

Variation

For younger children, have them work on looking through the cards to find two matches for each type of leaf.

NOTE: There are 9 unique leaf types so if you play memory, remove one set for an even number of cards.

After School Linky (11-16)

Welcome to the party!

Great ideas galore! Did you stop by last week? If you didn't, here's a flashback

at some of the good ideas and great inspiration that was shared.

 Hibernating Bear Paper Plate Craft and Free Template at A Little Pinch of Perfect

 Light Up Thanksgiving Turkey Circuits Craft for Kids at Left Brain Craft Brain

 Freebie Friday: Noggle (numbers Boggle game) at The Jordan Project

 Number Sentence Roll and Write {freebie} at Math Geek Mama

 Rangoli Craft Idea for Kids at The Educators' Spin on It

 Children's STEAM Festival: Exploring Kid's Opportunities in Technology at Share It! Science

Turkey Ring Toss Thanksgiving Activity for Kids at Hands On As We Grow

The After School Linky is cohosted by

Creative Family Fun

Mama Smiles

Planet Smarty Pants

Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational

The Educators' Spin on It

This Reading Mama

We would love to have you link up your School-Age Post (Ages 5 and up) about your learning week after school including Crafts, Activities, Playtime and Adventures that you are doing to enrich your children's lives after their day at school, home school, or on the weekend!

When linking up, please take a moment to comment on at least one post linked up before yours and grab our after school button to include a link on your post or site! By linking up, you're giving permission for us to share on our After School Pinterest Board and feature an image on our After School Party in the upcoming weeks.

Double Digit Dice Roll

Sometimes double digit numbers are tricky for kids - especially the teens. This little game works on the following skills:

• counting 1-6
• place value tens and ones
• double-digit number vocabulary

My six-year-old son had loads of fun with this (and so did his 10-year-old brother). This bingo-like game is all about luck and chance; no strategy required.

What You Need

A PDF of the game cards (available for free download from Google Drive here)

Paper and printer to print the cards

Game pieces (we used those flattened glass marbles)

Two traditional dice (preferably different in appearance)

Prep

Print the cards and cut them apart. 

Each player picks a game card and grabs a small pile of game pieces to set in front of them. The first piece is placed on the FREE space. 

Decide which die is the tens place and which die is the ones place (Our cube tissue box die was the tens because it was bigger and the smaller blue foam die was the ones.)

Play

Each player will take turns rolling the two die. The numbers are the die are not added together, but rather represent a two digit number.

The player must count the dots on the die, decide what the number is (e.g. 3 in tens place, 6 in ones), and say out loud the double digit number (e.g. thirty-six).

Now all players must scour their game card to see if the number is present on their card. If so, it's covered with a game piece.

The first player to get five in a row (vertical, horizontal, or diagonal) wins.

After School Linky (11-9)

Welcome to the party!

My fellow bloggers are already readying themselves and their kids for the upcoming holidays. 

There were MANY Thanksgiving (and even some Christmas) activities shared last week.

Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks.

For now, here are some of my favorite kids' activities from last week's link-up.

20+ Fabulous Fall Gourd Activities for Kids at Living Montessori Now

 An Artist Study for Elementary School from Planet Smarty Pants

Scary, Yet Safe, Fun Games to Play in the Dark at Hands On As We Grow

 How to Make a Rainbow from Science Sparks

Thanksgiving Fall Leaf Wreath Kids' Art Activity at Mini Monets and Mommies

 Number Bond Rainbows from Math Geek Mama

Chewbacca Star Wars Shape Craft from JDaniel4's Mom

The After School Linky is cohosted by

Creative Family Fun

Mama Smiles

Planet Smarty Pants

Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational

The Educators' Spin on It

This Reading Mama

We would love to have you link up your School-Age Post (Ages 5 and up) about your learning week after school including Crafts, Activities, Playtime and Adventures that you are doing to enrich your children's lives after their day at school, home school, or on the weekend!

When linking up, please take a moment to comment on at least one post linked up before yours and grab our after school button to include a link on your post or site! By linking up, you're giving permission for us to share on our After School Pinterest Board and feature an image on our After School Party in the upcoming weeks.

Heat-Activated Mobile

Can heat make something move?

This was the question I asked my son when we started our crafty experiment. He didn't have an answer for me then, but by the time we put our mobile to use, he definitely did!

What You Need

construction paper

scissors

push pin

pencil

ruler (optional)

string (we used embroidery thread)

paper clips

hanger

lamp

an circular object to trace, roughly 4 inches in diameter

How to Make It

Decide how many circular wheels your mobile will have. One works just fine but more is fun too. Layer pieces of construction paper, and trace a circle on the top piece. Cut through all the layers to create your circles.

Fold each in half, then in half again, and in half one more time. Make sure to crease the folds well.

Unfold the circles and mark approximately 1/2-inch from the edge on each fold.

Cut up to each of these marks and fold back the paper on one side of each slit.

Use a push pin to poke a hole in the very center of each circle. Wiggle it to make the hole big enough to fit the string through.

Tie one end of the string to the paperclip. Thread the other end through the hole in the center of the circle, making sure the folded corners face down.

Now tie the top of the string onto your hanger. Complete any other circles and finish your mobile.

What to Do With It

Hold the mobile steady directly over the bulb of a table lamp. Observe what happens to the mobile's circles - they slowly begin to turn!

Note: Some high efficiency light bulbs give off less heat. Edison and incandescent work well. Try different lamps, different distances away from the bulb, etc. Just make sure to warn kids not to touch a light bulb that may have been illuminated for awhile.

How it Works

The lamp doesn't just make light, it makes heat too. As it warms the air above it, that air rises while cooler air becomes heavy and sinks. As the warm air cools, it eventually sinks. The air is constantly moving as it warms and cools. The warm air above the lamp begins to rise and this air movement makes the circles on your mobile spin!

This great idea came from the book Super Science With Your Kids. It has LOADS of great activities and ideas; check it out!