SMMART Reading: Cards for Soldiers

This Veteran's Day take a moment to serve those who sacrifice so much to serve each of our families.  Encourage your little ones to share their artistic talent and writing skills by making a card or two for the service members of the United States.

You know how a child's artwork and handwriting can bring a smile to your face.

"Holiday Mail for Heros" is a program run through the Red Cross.  "The cards and personal messages, sent by tens of thousands of Americans, provide a welcome “touch of home” for our troops during the holiday season.

Each year we collect cards between October and early December and then distribute them at military installations, veterans hospitals, and in other locations.

There are several ways to be part of the Holiday Mail for Heroes program. In addition to sending cards on your own, you may want to start making plans to host card signing parties or card making parties. Here are a few guidelines to help you on your way:

Card Guidelines:      

Every card received will be screened for hazardous materials and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working around the country.

Please observe the following guidelines to ensure a quick reviewing process:

• Ensure that all cards are signed.
• Use generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member.” Cards addressed to specific individuals can not be delivered through this program.
• Only cards are being accepted. Do not send or include letters.
• Do not include email or home addresses on the cards: the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.
• Do not include inserts of any kind, including photos: these items will be removed during the reviewing process.
• Please refrain from choosing cards with glitter or using loose glitter as it can aggravate health issues of ill and injured warriors.
• If you are mailing a large quantity of cards, please bundle them and place them in large mailing envelopes or flat rate postal shipping boxes. Each card does not need its own envelope, as envelopes will be removed from all cards before distribution.

All holiday greetings should be addressed and sent to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

The deadline for having cards to the P.O. Box is December 6th.
Holiday cards received after this date cannot be guaranteed delivery.

SMMART Reading: Bed Book Basket

OH MY GOODNESS!  I LOVE THIS!  I was moving stuffed animals off and onto the bed for the umpteenth time while changing sheets on my girls' beds.  So many stuffed, furry friends...so cute and cuddly...and so in my way!  "I need more storage room for these things", my brain screamed! 

And then...like a gift...came the idea of a bed basket!  I looked online...I looked at big box stores... and I found these at Home Depot by the hanging flower-coconut lined baskets.  I needed 36" to span the width of the girls' bunks (twin size).  These are a simple vertical metal design, but they were the cheapest I could find at $24 each.  I liked some of the more intricate rod iron designs I saw online, but the price was much higher. 

 

And the beauty of this "charming Hampton Bay 8 in. x 36 in. Metal English Flat-Wire Horse Trough" is that they are light weight, but sturdy and there are two vertical holes on the back side where I could hang this bed book basket with a ribbon!  So, no drilling or dinging up the girls' bed with hardware.  The girls have bunk beds that have slats for their footboard, so this way of hanging them will not work for every footboard, but the trough does come with hardware that has L-shaped "hooks" where you can hang the hooks over the footboard. (like this). 

 



 

Trying to make the bed book baskets a little more special, I used 2 cans of lavender Rustoleum spray paint to finish off both troughs.  Remember...several light coats so the paint doesn't drip.  The color works great in their room.  (See the two vertical holes where I thread through the ribbon?)

 



 

I wanted to protect the paint finish on the girls' beds, so I wrapped ribbon around the metal part that would touch the girls' beds.

 





And...

 

 

Hooray!

 

 

(Before the spray paint, trying to figure out how I would hang it and if it would work)

 

My oldest daughter likes to tuck her latest book in with her animals, so she can grab it to read and relax up in her bed.  Both girls love arranging their little furry friends in their baskets.

 

 

SMMART Reading: Spelling Noodles

Ahhh, the never ending Spelling Word Lists that come each week.  I actually am really enjoying the time we spend with spelling words lately.  It's a time to be with my daughter for a little bit and connect over homework...quite happily lately! 

Here is another little fun way to do the words.  If the noodle letters are not already separated (by mom) ahead of time, it gets to be a little tedious to find the words AND spell them.  The steam seems to run out a little more quickly, so I would suggest separating the letters you know that she'll use ahead of time into little piles.  This takes a little more time, so if you just want to dump out some noodle letters onto a plate for your child to sort, I might just ask her to build 5 to 10 words this way in between the words she practices with a pencil and paper.  Mix it up.

And after... Alphabet Soup!

SMMART Reading: Reading Nook

I've been trying to figure out how to make this little corner of my daughters' room a cozy reading spot.  This is what I've come up with for now...

 

Multiple bean bags lend itself to sisters spending time together (that's the hope).

These two little book cases are actually bathroom décor linen towers that we found discounted years ago.  They have floated around our home searching for their niche.  They are specifically for chapter books.

We had these paper lanterns from OrientalTrading.com.  They offer a nice pop of color.  I tied fishing line around the catch on the lantern and tied a small loop on the other end of the line to hang from the ceiling.  I just pushed a pushpin into the ceiling and bent it so the head end of the pin would catch the loop.

Maybe a nice overstuffed chair instead of the beanbags would be more inviting.  Always tweaking.  Here are some other photos of reading nooks that make me want to pick up a book:


http://sunshineontheinside.blogspot.com.au/- click here for a tutorial
(Considering putting up Rain Gutter Shelving alongside the bunkbed walls in my girls' room)


http://imgfave.com/view/1787273
(Might just have to look into a hanging chair instead of the beanbags...because I know my girls would want to sit in that...and maybe grab a book while they're at it.)

http://beetling.com/productgallery.php?id=7

(This 3D wall art is pricey...but pretty amazing!  They have dinosaurs, dragons, butterflies...)





http://www.tidbitdujour.com/interior-design/interior-inspiration-reading-nooks.html
(How about a Teepee or a Tent?  Maybe instead of the beanbags...or shove the beanbags inside a tent?  That would be FUN!)

SMMART Reading: Gel Pens

First week of school ushered in the beginning of homework whining... oh what fun!  So, I jumped on Amazon and I ordered a box of Fiskars Gel Pens...They arrived today...OH WHAT FUN!!!

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My girls JUMPED at the chance to write their spelling words and math in the array of colors, swirls and sparkles before them!

The gel pens are reserved for homework only so they look forward to using them.  I think when the gel pen newness loses it's luster I'll bring out the colored paper.

No whining today...well, not as much:)  Do you have any simple tricks to make homework a little easier to accomplish?  I'd love to hear them!

 

Even brought about an unexpected and much appreciated love note!

SMMART READING: Popcorn letters

We were eating popcorn...again!...a favorite snack around here.   Some of the popcorn spilled onto the table.  Before I knew it, my little daughter exclaimed, "Look, 'O'!"  She had fashioned the spill into a letter.

Good reminder to make letters and practice letter sounds with whatever snack we are eating!

SMMART Reading:

Journaling Summer Adventures

Last summer I asked my friends to help me brainstorm to find a few fun places we wanted to visit over the summer.  I put together a list of 13 fabulous fieldtrips for each Wednesday of summer vacation.  I e-mailed the list out to everyone in our neighborhood and invited all to attend. 

The summer fieldtrips were great fun and it was wonderful to have something planned in advance to look forward to.

This summer we have a new group of fabulous adventures planned for each week.  Start planning now to get the days that you want and so everyone can plan their summer.

I found this great illustration/handwriting paper online.  I thought I'd print off a page for each week and make a little Summer Adventure Journal to take these along in the car.  Have your child decorate the front cover!  On the way home, the kiddos can record their adventures and practice their spelling and penmanship!

Check out the template (she has various sizes of lines):

http://donnayoung.org/penmanship/blank-top-paper.htm

So, I was asked to share some of the fieldtrips to give you some ideas.  Keep in mind there is power in numbers, so you can often get a great deal if you book fieldtrips at certain places.  We had a fieldtrip each Wednesday.  It's fun to go as a group!  Here you go:

Utah Museum of Fine Arts (Free day), then trip to close by playground and bakery

Wild West Jordan Playground and popsicles

Ophir Historic mining town with old homes and town buildings you can tour

Benson Grist Mill Historic Mill and buildings (Childrens' Day)

Tooele Railroad Museum tour and mini-train rides on certain days

This is the Place Historic Park Fun kids crafts, trains, street performances

State Capitol Building Tour

Humanitarian Center/LDS Welfare Square tour.  Bring items to donate to charitable services or the DI

Cold Stone Creamery tour

Childrens' Museum Discovery Gateway

Miller Motor Sportspark tour

Stansbury Fire Station Talk with the firefighters, tour the facility and truck, safety games

LDS Church History Museum Children's Art Exhibit play area

Soelberg's Grocery Store tour

Tooele Transcript Bulletin (Local Newspaper) tour

Mountain West Medical Center Special guests share how to a cast is made, X-rays and teddy bear clinic

Go see baby animals on a farm

Tooele Jail

Tooele Water Treatment Facility

Hale Center Theatre

SMMART Reading: 

Valentine Scratch-offs

My neighbor friend across the street showed me a fun idea for a valentine... a scratch-and-reveal valentine.  She was making several for her son's class.  She had a picture of Gavin inside a heart.  Then she covered the picture with the scratch-off paint so the students could have fun discovering what was hidden inside the heart.

I was thinking this would be a motivating valentine for beginning readers.  Little love notes written inside a heart and covered with the scratch off paint.  I'll set them out in the morning beside their little Valentine's Day breakfasts.

First, write a little love note on cardstock.  Then, cover the cardstock with a piece of clear contact paper and cut out the hearts.

Mix together 1 part dish soap to 2 parts metallic craft paint.  Just squirt a little bit of dish soap and then two equal squirts of paint into a small cup. 

Paint the mixture over the contact paper-covered hearts you cut out.  I had a metallic silver paint that was painting on quite see-through, so I ended up adding a squirt of white craft paint and it helped with coverage.  You will want to let the first coat dry and may need one to two more coats to fully hide the writing.

Give your child a coin to rub off the scratch-coat and watch your eager little readers share the hidden message of love.

SMMART READING:

Door Codes

My preschool daughter came home with a piece of paper to hang up on our door at her eyelevel.  On the paper were written four sight words for her to practice each time she wanted to open the door.  This door code is perfect for a refrigerator door or for the outside door, where she has to read the words before she can head outside in the morning. 

You could create a door code of letter sounds to practice, math facts to know, monetary coin pictures to practice or a poem or scripture verse you are memorizing together.

We made  a triple door code- one section for each of my girls.

Love this idea...wanted to share!

SMMART READING:

Name Practice

Look at these cute little turkeys we did for Thanksgiving...but you can use any holiday icon you can think of... Christmas would work great with stars or candy cane shapes.
First have your child draw iconic shapes for the season. Then your child will cut out the pictures. Before you begin the game, practice with your child how to write her name in her best handwriting.

 Now for the fun part!  Have your child hide her eyes in one room of the house while you hide the pictures throughout several rooms (remember how many you hid in each room so you can be sure that your child finds all of the pictures). 

Give your child a pencil and ask her to find all 3 of the pictures hiding in the bathroom.  When she finds each picture, she will write her name on it and then put it back.  When she's done finding all of the pictures in that room she will report back to you.  This gives your child a chance to practice her name on her own, with a little solo time to herself so she feels like a big kid on a mission.

Now ask your child to find the 4 pictures that are hiding in her bedroom.  When she finds them, again, she will write her name on the picture and put it back where she found it.  On and on until every picture is found in each room.

Now when she reports back from the final room, you take her hand and go to each room, where she will show you where she found the pictures and collect them all.  Your child will love to run around with you and show you where she found all of the pictures!
This game is great fun and can be adapted for letter writing practice or spelling word practice.  Your child can write a specific letter that needs special handwriting attention, or you can hide 26 pictures so she can write a letter of the alphabet on each picture. 

Older kids can hunt for pictures to write their spelling words on.  When they show you where they found all the pictures and collect the words, you can correct any spelling errors together.  If there is a word or two that need more practice, then focus the whole game on those two words.

SMMART READING:

 Thank you letters

This tradition that seems entirely appropriate around the Thanksgiving holiday...

Around this time of year, I reflect on those pivotal people in my life who made a difference to me.  I choose a few of them each year and pen a letter of gratitude to them.

This year I will be including in my list of appreciated, the fabulous Mrs. Keefe, my 7th grade science teacher who made science tangible and an exciting world of wonder.  Thank you, Mrs. Keefe!

Ask your child to think of someone who they admire or who is important in their life.  Help her craft a brief message in her own handwriting.  If your child is too young to write, then have her draw a picture to the special person.

Gratitude is a great gift to share with those who have influenced your child's life.

SMMART READING:

Cranberry Letters

No way, you say? ...Cranberries can be THAT FUN!  Oh yes!

Cranberry Letter Snakes:
Set out a bowl of fresh cranberries and a pile of toothpicks on the counter.  Have your child tell you how many letters are in a word that you'd like to practice. 
H-O-P-E has 4 letters, so your child will place 4 cranberries in front of her.  Then, let your child write a letter on each cranberry to spell out the word HOPE.  This is a favorite treat to be able to use the forbidden "permanent markers"!

Now, have your child attach the cranberries together with toothpicks to create their word. 

Keep your child busy learning on Thanksgiving morning while you're basting the turkey by giving your child a list of Thanksgiving words to create with the cranberry letters.  Be sure to make enough cranberry letters to build all the words.  The list lets your child check the list to make sure each word is spelled correctly.

Another fun activity with Cranberry Letters:
Use a black permanent marker and write the letters of a few words you'd like to practice on fresh cranberries.

Remember those water noodles from this summer?  Cut off a one to two foot piece and slice it down the middle in half to form a tube.

Now ask your child to spell or sound out a word.  "How do you spell Turkey?"  Your child finds the correct letters on each cranberry and rolls them down the tube into a bowl.  You can help to make sure he is spelling the word correctly.
Now that you have a bowl full of the correct letters, have your child arrange the cranberry letters into the word T-U-R-K-E-Y.  Voila!  Your child has just spelled a word twice and doesn't even know that he was tricked into practicing his spelling words!

You can also float the cranberries that make a word in a bowl of water and let your child scoop out each letter in order with a slotted spoon.  Double fun!

You can practice sight words or sounding out words too.  Give your child a handful of cranberries with the letters that spell out a word you'd like to practice.  Let her roll the letters down the tube and into a bowl or scoop the letters from a bowl of water.  Arrange the letters into the word you are practicing.  Have your child sound out or recognize the cranberry word.  For some reason, your child will actually have fun reading the word is BECAUSE IT'S WRITTEN ON CRANBERRIES!

Now We're Talkin' Turkey!

SMMART READING and MATH:

Turkey Shooters

Gobble, Gobble.  These little Turkey Shooters are fun and easy to make with your kiddos.  Roll up a half-piece of construction paper into a tube.  Make sure the diameter is just large enough to fit a cranberry.  Cut 5 or 6 slits down one end of the tube.  Place a pencil at the tip of one of the "feathers" you just cut and roll the feather over the pencil to curl it.  Curl all of the feathers.  Glue on a pair of googlie eyes and a waddle that you cut from a red piece of construction paper. 

Write a list of festive Thanksgiving words:  Turkey, Pumpkin, Stuffing, Thanks, Pilgrim...  With a permanent marker, write each letter of the words on a separate cranberry.  You don't have to write letters for each word, since some words share letters.  Place the cranberry letters in a bowl.

Have your child hold the beak tip of his Turkey Shooter.  He can put a paperclip on the beak tip to hold it closed if that is easier.  Let your child find the letters of a word on the list from the bowl and place the letters in the correct order into the Turkey Shooter.  When all of the letters are in place, your child can release the beak tip and watch the letters roll out.  If he is skilled enough the letters will stay in order, but many times they roll out quickly and get a little out of order.  Have your child refer to the list to place the cranberry letters in the correct order.  Double spelling practice.

SMMART MATH:  This would be a fun way to practice addition.  3+3=   Place three cranberries into the Turkey Shooter and then three more.  Release the beak tip and then your child can count up the 6 cranberries that roll out.

SMMART READING:

Favorite Halloween Stories

Just a few of our favorites:

 by Alison McGhee

 by Steven Kroll

 by Jerry Smath

Speaking of good stories, my parents recently visited Gardener Village (south of Salt Lake City, UT) and experienced a wonderful "Ride to a Witch".  They were entertained by a few witches brewing stories of their own.   My mother emailed me about their experience.  It sounds like so much fun, I thought I'd share:

"We paid at the booth and were given cockroaches to give to the tractor trailor man for our entrance on the trailor. He drove us to the witches village. 

Witch Prudence met us and took us to her house where they train witches and showed us some of her formulas that had some floating eyeballs that she proceeded to drink.

After showing us around her place and entertaining us with her wit she encouraged us to go see the Disco Diva witch next door. There we danced disco with the disco witch. 

We proceeded on to the Cauldron Cooking Class where the witch had a large cauldron of bats eyes and wings and various other things that we might want to try when we get home. She then took us to the witches market and instructed us what to buy for our stews. 

Then on to the the story telling witch who enjoyed her own stories very much. She would cackel after each story. We also enjoyed them. 

Then on to the witches graveyard for burial of a headless cockroach. Other dearly departed crickets, dead rats and fellow cockroaches rested there.
Prudence, our first hostess, told us that the witch actors there all had to compete for the witchs' positions and that they come from all around to compete. They have to have their witch's name and dress and persona. Prudence was truly a convincing and funny witch. Just ask the little girl that wouldn't come near her!"

Next year we'll definitely be "Riding to a Witch" for a Halloween treat!