Jelly Bean Math

Math is delicious, and this Jelly Bean Math Activity proves it! This fun-filled activity can be used for Home School, In-person school, or even on Family Game Night! Difficulty can be adjusted for different ages.

"Let's Plan a Mother's Day Skit!"

Do you work with kids at church, school, or other places? If so, you probably do programs from time to time. This easy-to-perform skit, complete with songs, poems, and a cheer, was done for our annual Ladies Tea on Mother's Day at our church, but the skit can be easily adapted to other holidays and events. The great thing is, nothing needs to be memorized! (Don't) break a leg!!!

Take a Survey!

Need a fun, high-interest, Math/Science Project? Try this Math/Science Survey! This project involves student interaction, predicting, analyzing and recording, graphing, as well as mean, median, mode, and range. Writing skills are also utilized. My class loved this activity!

"EGGcellent" Activities

It's Springtime, and Easter is just around the corner! It's a great time for these high-interest, hands-on "EGGcellent" Science and Math Activities. These fun learning activities can easily be done at home, also, with materials you probably have on hand. Worksheets are included for teacher use.

Cereal Box House Learning Center

A Cereal Box House??? It can be done using these easy-to-follow directions, photos, and diagrams!!  This Cereal Box House recycling project was constructed in my first grade classroom, and it definitely created a lot of excitement and interest in the whole school! It can be used as a learning center in Reading and other subjects and will last for years. This house was even used in a play! It can fold for storage, making it very portable. Since this project requires about 100 cereal boxes, it is a great 100^th Day of School Activity!

Jello and Popsicles - Math Is Delicious!!

Math is delicious! When kids can "cook" and eat while doing Math, they really have fun while learning! These activities involve measurement, division, multiplication, addition, problem solving, and prediction/estimation along with some science skills. Both activities can  be done at home or at school by following these easy directions and photos. Enjoy!

Let's Build a Geometric Snowman!

Let's build a snowman! Teachers and parents, get the kids excited about geometry and boost creativity by having them build a "Geometric Snowman"! Bonus - this snowman will not melt!

Substitute Teaching - Early Experiences

A former teacher once told me about early teaching experiences when she road a horse to school, and I remember thinking how "Little House In the Prairie" that sounded. Here's my memories of my first substitute teaching experience...

Teacher Tips - Restroom Time Activities

The dreaded “Restroom Time” – how do teachers get through it every day and maintain their sanity?? They don't teach you that in college! Try my "teacher tested" tips for incorporating "Real-life Math" learning activities into Restroom Time while decreasing inappropriate behavior!

Teacher Tips - Early Finishers

Imagine this teacher nightmare:

The school day was off to an okay start, and students are at the end of a lesson. Suddenly, you hear a knock at the door. While you talk with the visitors at the door (the school superintendent and principal), the students start talking and yelling, some are throwing paper wads, and 4 students get out of their seats unnecessarily. Of course, you feel embarrassed and humiliated as you try to regain control of your class, and the principal and superintendent do not look pleased. Afterward, when you talk to the class and ask why they had behaved this way, their answer is:

Crayon Etching

Welcome to Ms. Nancy's Art Class!

Crayon Etching is an easy and fun art project for kids of all ages and requires few materials: only crayons, paper, and something to "etch" the design! It's almost "magical" when the design appears! This is a great "Rainy Day" activity!

First Day of School - My Lesson Plans

Even for an experienced teacher, the beginning of the school year is hectic! I have found it is best to "over plan" the day as you get acquainted and establish routines. Have pencils, Black Sharpie Markers, black pens, and highlighters available! (Times are approximate and may vary depending on your school schedule.)   

My Super Hero, "Justice League", Classroom

"What can my classroom theme be next year?"  

I always liked to pick a theme early so I could work on getting posters made and items collected over the summer.  One spring, I was thinking about how kids always seem to like Super Heroes, and I decided that "Super Heroes" would be a great theme for my fourth grade classroom. Next was a major brain storm - since my last name is "Justice", the class would be the "Justice League"!!  Decision made! 

Art Fun with Paint and Found Objects!

Welcome to Ms. Nancy's Art Class!

Today's class is a little messy, and that adds to the overall enjoyment! Kids get to experiment with mixing different colors of paint to make new colors, and they also paint with objects from around the house! Grab some old "big" shirts to protect their clothing, cover the working surface, and have lots of fun!

"Exploding Shape" Mosaic Art

Welcome to Ms. Nancy's Art Class!  

Today's project can be easy and challenging as it requires creative thinking and visualization!  Individual results will vary depending on the age of the child.

Watercolor-Crayon Resist - Kids' Art

Welcome to Ms. Nancy's Art Class!

Today's easy project requires very little materials, and set-up is a "snap"! Watercolor-Crayon Resist is enjoyable for all ages.

Indoor Tree House

"A Tree House??  Out of that piece of junk??  You've got to be kidding!!"

I will be the first to admit - I sometimes have wild ideas, but I really thought this one would work.  Each week as I taught my Sunday School class, I looked at the old "catch-all" wooden desk that had been in the classroom longer than I had been there. This ancient desk was really showing its age: the wood was somewhat splintered around the edges, and the top was water-spotted and damaged by crayons, markers, and glue, etc.  

Tissue Paper Collage

Welcome to Ms. Nancy's Art Class!  Tissue paper collage is an easy kid's project that can be done with materials you have around the house. The glue dries shiny, giving the tissue paper the look of stained glass! 

"Blast Off"! Rocket Learning Center

Kids love to "explore" outer space!  The “Blast Off” Learning Center originally started as a recycling project in my first grade classroom, and the kids loved this giant 8' rocket! Always willing to help, the cooks at our school saved 120 gallon-size cans, smoothly removed the tops of the cans, and washed and dried them thoroughly. It also greatly helped to have handy parent volunteers to assemble this project! This rocket is easily disassembled for portability. Special thanks to all!! 

Read All About It!! (School Newspaper)

My 6th Grade Class raised their own spending money for a class trip to an amusement park and fund a class project. How did they do it? Read All About It!