The Write Start

Spelling in the Grass

Apparently the only thing better than playing with alpha rocks on the back deck...

is playing with alpha rocks in the grass.

Enough said. 

Alpha Rocks

We made some alpha rocks at Camp Mom last week, an idea that has been floating around in my head since I saw this post last summer. We prepared by picking up all of the smoothest pebbles we could find, and giving them a quick wash and dry. Instead of stamping letters on the rocks, however, I decided to show the kids how to use rub-on letters to 'up' the fine motor challenge a notch. (I grabbed the letters for 99 cents at Michaels; I see they're also available here.)

I cut out the individual letters. The kids took each letter, placed it on a rock (shiny side up) and rubbed over the letter with a stick until it "magically" transferred on to the stone. There is a momentary wow! factor which is quite reinforcing. Especially since it takes a bit of effort for little hands to stabilize the small rock in one hand while moving the stick with the other. This requires some coordination, but, once mastered, the kids are off and running. And you can feel great knowing that this kind of coordination also prepares them for other fine motor tasks that require one hand to take the lead while the other hand assists, such as stabilizing the paper while writing, cutting paper with scissors, buttoning and zippering, and so on, and so on.

And once you're done with all of that work you have a great set of alpha rocks which doubles as pretty, playful, and practical decor. Ours are planted on the backyard table right now for some naturally-occurring word play. So. Much. Fun. Especially when you find messages like this one...

This rocked my world the other day. Gotta love it!

Herb 102

Remember these herbs?

Well, like all growing things, they required a little support as they developed. So, we continued the old-school theme by staking them with yardsticks. It's been cool because the kids can really measure their growth for real. I hear exclamations like, "Mom! The dill grew two inches overnight!"

What a simple (and delicious) little math lesson.

Greetings from Camp Mom

Dear Parents,

I'm writing to you from CAMP MOM. Wish you were here! The activities are super fun, the drinks are ice cold, and, at the end the day, the kids always wind up covered in mud from head to toe. Lots and lots of mud. But isn't that precisely why garden hoses were invented?

Here's a list of some of the classic summertime activities on our CAMP MOM itinerary:

* backyard camping (with tents)

* picnics (love 'em!)

* lemonade stands

* fishing

* skipping rocks

* little red wagon rides

* sprinklers

* sidewalk chalk

* bubbles

* squirt toys

* kite-flying

* impromptu parades (complete with marching, flag-waving, and musical instruments)

* swinging on the swings

* art al fresco

* sandbox

* spraying our fire/garden hose

* bike riding

* scooter riding

* swimming

* catching (and releasing) fireflies

* outdoor movie nights

* campfires in our fire pit

* sunrise (aka 8 AM) yoga

* practicing cartwheels

* hula-hooping

* jumping rope

* playing leap frog

* playing hopscotch

* playing go-to games (like: red light, green light; what time is it mr. shark?; red rover; mother may i?; freeze tag; hide and seek; steal the bacon; SPUD; ringalario)

* whiffle ball

* badminton

* horseshoes

* obstacle courses

* harvesting our backyard garden

* beach combing

* sandcastles

* hanging wash on our child-sized clothesline

* playing pick-up games of basketball & soccer

* tossing a football

* relay races

* sack races

* three-legged races

* egg-and-spoon races

* drinking "bug juice"

* making s'mores

* eating fresh berries with homemade, hand-shaken whipped cream

* playing tin-can-telephone

* renovating a cardboard box

* building a clubhouse

* building a fort

* playing marbles

* playing jacks

* scavenger hunts

* treasure hunts (bury a treasure. mark it with an X. draw a map. say AARGH.)

* writing postcards

* tucking messages into bottles

* writing in the sand

* "painting" the fence with brushes and buckets of water

* water balloons

* making dandelion wishes

* making daisy chains

* making (more) mudpies

* nature walks

* birdwatching

* cloud-watching

* star-gazing

* sleeping bags

* a good, old-fashioned hootenanny (aka sing-a-long)

* family dance parties

* (surprise) ice cream runs (in pajamas)

* bedtime stories by flashlight

*** sweet dreams of an endless summer ***

I'm sure I forgot something... what's on your summer itinerary?

Keep in touch,

Jen

Herb 101

Here's a little old-school-meets-the-garden kind of idea. We put a light coat of chalkboard paint on terracotta flower pots. Instant plant labels. And an herbalicious lesson too. The best part? I think they look too cool for school.

And, really. Can you ever have enough chalkboard goodness?