Summer Vacation Link Up!

What fun things have you done so far (or are you planning to do) this summer vacation? I just got back from a 2 week mission trip to NW Africa! You can read about it here on my family blog! I'd love to read about what you all are up to! Link up with a blog post about what you have done, or are planning to do!

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Wednesday Freebie #5

Hi Everyone!!

I'm back from my 2 week trip to Northwest Africa, and I was greeted with the scorching heat of Texas....yowza!! We had a great time, but I'm glad to be home and have my family under one roof again! (We took our 5 year old son with us, but left our 2 younger girls with grandparents.)

I'm still getting back in the swing of things, but I wanted to share this cute freebie from Green Grubs Garden Club by Mrs Hug-a-Bug. It's a nature grab box template for kids to cut out, assemble, and go on a nature scavenger hunt! Perfect for getting out in the fresh summer air! Click here for the free download!

 

I hope you all are having a great summer!!

 

Love, Lauren

Summer Writing Ideas for Kids & Wednesday Freebie #4

 

I found this article that has some great ideas for keeping kids engaged and having fun writing throughout the summer! Writing was always the thing I liked least about school, so I think finding ways to incorporate fun into it outside of the classroom can help kids learn to love it!

http://suite101.com/article/summer-writing-ideas-for-kids--books-journals-and-games-a218728

Click here to get a freebie from Dancing Crayon Designs that includes some great handwriting lines of different sizes that you can use!

By: Dancing Crayon Designs

 

Happy writing!!
-Lauren

Wednesday Freebie #3

Hey All!

It's time for another freebie! This week's freebie is by Cherry Workshop, it's a set of cute summery frames like this one! Click here for the free download!

 

 

You can also check out their website here!

 

 

 

Have fun!!

-Lauren

Summer School Inspiration

Looking for some good ideas for teaching summer school or helping kids stay engaged through the summer? Check out my friend's Summer School Inspiration Link-up!! Or if you have a great idea to share, please link up yourself!! Happy Summer!!

 

-Lauren

Wednesday Freebie #2

Since last week's freebie was for upper elementary, this week I'm sharing something for the younger kiddos. It's a simple emergent reader coloring book about ocean animals! The text follows the familiar pattern from Bill Martin Jr.'s Brown Bear, Brown Bear. My son, 5, loves these books that he can color, cut, put in order, and staple together. And he loves being able to read a whole book by himself!

 

 

Click here for the PDF download!

Be sure to become a follower so you can get the freebies each week this summer! Each one will only be available for a short time!! Leave me a comment too, I'd love to follow you back!

 

Thanks!! -Lauren

Show Off Your Blog!

With the school year coming to a close, many of us are going to be able to devote more time to keeping up with blogging, both our own and following others! So if you have a teaching blog you'd like to share with us, please link up! And check out some of the other blogs as well. You can never have too many blogging buddies :-)

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Summer Crafts

I don't know about you, but for me having young kids at home, I can't just turn off the teacher in me all summer long. Of course we do alot of fun and relaxing things, but I still love a little structured time during the day! Here are some fun summer crafts that I hope to try with the kids this summer!



Popcorn Seahorse

  

Palm Tree Sand Craft

  

Crab Handprint

 

Sun Cupcakes

  

Edible Sand

 

Dyed Rice Art

 

What about you? Any fun summer crafts/activities you like to do or hope to do??

 

-Lauren



Wednesday Freebie

Throughout the summer I am going to try to post a new freebie every week! Some weeks I'll post great freebies from other people, but this week I've got one of my own. I make alot of things for my 5 year old at home, but I also have some stuff for older kids too. The most popular items that I've had on TpT have been the Mystery Picture Graphs which are best for grades 2-5. So the freebie for this week is a brand new mystery picture! This would go great with a lesson on Memorial Day, the 4th of July, or any other patriotic theme!

Click here for the PDF download!

Be sure to become a follower so you can get the new freebies each week! Leave me a comment, I'd love to follow you back! Thanks!!

Memorial Day Donations - Link Up

 

 

Just one of the reasons I love TpT - it's such a great community of people who are always willing to help each other out! So many people are jumping in to help in whatever ways they can with the relief efforts in Oklahoma. I heard that some people are donating their profits from Memorial Day (Monday, May 27) to help. What a great idea! I personally will be donating 100% of whatever I make tomorrow to Acts of Mercy International.

 

"Acts of Mercy is a first-response disaster relief & development organization that is an extension of Antioch Ministries International. They have responded to disasters in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Pakistan, Japan, and Haiti, as well as to hurricanes Katrina & Rita and the fertilizer explosion in West, TX."

 

 

Check out these wonderful teachers also donating profits to help the relief efforts in Oklahoma!! (You don't have to be donating only from Memorial Day to join - if you are donating in any way please feel free to link up too!)

 

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