Brain Hat

OK, found this because one of my Most Helpful TOS mates and Team Members, Debbie posted this on our TOS Crew forum...you can download and do this fun activity too at Ellen McHenry's Basement Workshop site (I will post the Viking game soon).

All I did was copy off the hat pattern onto card stock, add some scissors and tape, and coloring pencils to his box; and whallah, this is the end result. NOW I did get the biggest chuckle, because she stated that hat is a one-size fits all. WELL apparently she hasn't met my big headed children! LOL!! I mean, my kids noodles are huge (and I should know-I delivered those bowling balls) and I must say-it does not fit all. We were laughing so hard we about burst. But the activity was fun, and it will provide a great visual for the areas of the brain study. We actually did this for a part of the Nutrition 101: Choose Life! eBook we're reviewing.
Sissy chose to forgo the photo shoot tho-hmm, wonder why?

He looks like some cartoon character-some alien hybrid! ROTFL here!


Thought you'd appreciate a chuckle today and a link to another great site!

Workbox card ideas

For my teen-I found these two pics in catties and cut cut and glued em to an index card-then I laminated it, so I can reuse it all the time. Right now-I am not using the BFB program because we were quite fortunate to receive the All American History II from Bright Ideas Press, to review-so that is what we'll be using as our backbone in history for her this year. I haven't made a card like that for it, because it comes with tear out pages for the student (which go into her folder workbox) and then the for the text reading-I am using one of the Post It notes that are laminated (found on yahoo group). I am still in the process of making more-amazing how these "to do" lists keep growing!

This is the Holding Station set-up. You can download it here: Holding Station File, or you can find them in the file section of the Yahoo group (Workboxes Group, I think). The Lego looking dude card goes in the workbox. The student then knows they have to go to the Station to pick up their stuff. It is kinda like going to the post office to collect a package. There are 6 cards/station number cards in the set. I am using 2 12x12 clear paper holders I found at the local JoAnns store (scrappin isle). And the smaller box right now. I am going to get a larger box (for number 3)-but alas, just haven't gotten around to it yet.

The super-sized games can fit into the 12x12 holders, along with a lot of those big things that just cannot fit in the regular-sized boxes. I also created cards with pictures of the actual games we own. I simply found the pics on line, and made them into a card. One can also just use a pic they take of the games as well. I then added a dot of velcro under it (after laminating) so I can stick a timer card on it too. Then the student knows they are to play that game-so they simply go collect it (from wherever you store them) and comes back to play. I put a timer in the box too-it is too easy to get carried away in the game and lose track of time. I like to save games for closer to the end of the assigned boxes-it proves to be a great motivator!

Hope these ideas help you out!

Well, I have not made anything of late-that is rather shocking!

I am trying to figure out what I want to make out of some things I found at the dollar store, but haven't had any bright ideas as of yet-kinda know what area (art) but not exactly what I want to do...so, I feel downright anti-crafty! I am almost ashamed!

Well, we did start our first week of school last week, so that took precedence. I also started the workbox system for my teenager...so, figured I would list a few of the non-schoolie things I tossed in there...



this is fun...I have her do an outfit or 2 per session-she then glues it together (and when I have the little velcro dots) we then put it in her file folder with her designs-kinda like a designer has.


US President flash cards I found at Target for a buck. (I have only the ones she is currently covering in her All American History lessons in there right now) with a timer card for about 10-15 min.


Quarter Mile Math card to do some fun math practice with a timer card


A card to play a game (shows the actual game pic on it-so she knew which one I meant-as I only made non-worded cards for the boy last spring, so hey, didn't stress her out cuz she didn't have to read the name-lol) with her little brother

Mozart CD to listen to for about 15 minutes (I have a couple different CDs that will show up here and there)

US Puzzle to do (hey, bit below her skill level, but she needed a refresher of where all those states are, and it was a "fun" activity-I will add more again-except it'll be the hundreds of pieces one)


Mystery Marker and Book from Cracker Barrel

What is coming up for the week ahead-

felt squares with sewing needle, thread and pattern to make a character she created (looks like a candy corn with a face) and some beans for fillings

cooking activities: I will type up a card with what I want her to make with the supply list and recipe.



US states flashcards

Educaching activity (this is something I am reviewing)



I am constantly on the lookout for fun stuff to mix in with her reg. work. I am going to dig out some stuff that have been buried in boxes and see what I can come up with. She actually enjoyed the mini-fun things

and oh, lest I forget the biggest show stopper-I have a few snackies that I bought for both of em...so when brother has a snack in his boxes-she will too!

So that is all that is newish here-wanted to give ya some ideas for your teens-do not be afraid to put some things that are a bit "below them" because the idea is to give them a few minutes of fun, refreshing activities to revive the brain cells before jumping back into the ole reg. school work.

HTH

Our Family Cinema Presents...

OK, here it is... our cinema package. It is kind of hard to see the details (but if you click the thing, it makes it bigger), but you get the idea. I covered up our last name to protect the innocent (on the movie goodies folder) as well-so that is what that little strip of paper is. Basically, each kid will get a folder containing their ticket, a free coupon, and a work assignment card with the badge (I have yet to put a hole in it and string some yarn thru to make an ID necklace for them), and they will also get a money pouch with fake-O money to purchase additional items from the snack bar. As for the Snicky-Snack Bar menu...I never have all those things available, nor would I want to-so I listed as much as I could think of, and on movie day-the concession stand personnel will mark what the customers can purchase. I will throw in a calculator, note pad to take the orders, and extra $$ to make change. Their job is to set up and clean up the concession stand.

OK, so when I get some extra time, I will get the templates to make it user friendly for HSS, and will let you know when Ami posts it. If you cannot wait, it is easy to create using MS word images and different fonts. Just use the table icon to give you an outline for making them and for easy cutting. HTH.

Hmmm my pictures are MIA, let me get some news ones up for ya soon!

Thought I would show a workbox activity to ya

I found this puppy on the site, for free (of course, you need to print and [recommend] laminate it) under the David's Sheep Number Words file folder. I actually found this thru the main site, File Folder Fun [thanks to my pal at Learning By Living]. There are a lot of really cute file folder games to create there. Since my son is a bit late on the reading skills, I have held off on teaching the spelling of the numbers...so this will work perfectly this summer and fall. I can also make the numbers up to twenty if need be (as it only goes to 15)...

I just laminated them onto 2 pieces of card stock...put dots at the bottom corners so he knows that is to match (now he does know his number order quite well, so this isn't really a problem, but wanted that there for any future users)



and then on the opposite side, there are the remaining numbers.



I also laminated the sheepsies to keep them all nice and pretty. I store it in a ziplock bag. So now I have a fun and teaching math activity for the workboxes. If I wanted to stick with a theme, I could do these, a craft relating to sheep, a story about sheep (I think I have one about Sheep in a Jeep) and maybe a DVD or something about em. I could have easily used this to tie this into the A New Coat for Anna Lapbook (the one I made is on Homeschool Share to download, it can be found under the free lapbooks page)as well. There you have it-a wooly way to learn the spelling of numbers.

A trip to the local Cracker Barrel

Ok, so the Cracker Barrel was just down the street from the hotel, and since I would have to drive about 40 miles to get to one by my home-I insisted we hit their store. Glad I did. Way back when, my hubby bought my daughter the golf tee and triangle game there, and we loved it. Problem is-she cannot recall where it is. So, I had that on the top of my list of "must haves". Found it-altho our earlier version had wood pegs, not plastic like the new ones-hmm...so now I can pop this beauty in there for the boy to do. I also picked up one of those mystery books (yellow pen highlights the answers) for him too. I almost bought one of those faces where you move the metal shavings to create a beard/hair on the face. Almost. So, don't forget that even those familiar places can produce some little treasures for the workboxes.

Ah-a picture is worth a thousand words

Sweet-sweet victory...all the boxes done for the day. Ah....

More ideas

Bible coloring sheet with a Bible story, Odd number work, Nature Study read on Turtles (Figured with all the turtles crossing thru our yard-may be a good idea to do some reading up on em)


Took my hundreds board (you could easily make one via Microsoft Office) and will have him put those lion erasers on the odd numbers (visual work for him-again, he is a visual learner). Those erasers were from a local dollar store-I have to go back and get more too-I use them a lot...for bingo pieces, works like this and such...cheap and cute, not bad!


Movable Alphabet work (Montessori work)-so the boy takes the alphabet and spells the words to match the picture cards. These are the basic ones, since I have not made any harder ones (I have had these for like 10 years). This is a good hands on project, and he is also very much a Kinsetic (needs to touch, use hands) learner, so this will help cement letter placement, and keep him busy for about 15 mins.



You could easily use pictures from MS Office, old workbooks (like I did) or draw em out. These are actually a part of the language works I have (Blue is for certain constanants/vowels used in Montessori). I will try to get those posted some time in May. They are easy to make, great for beginning reading, and serve a lot of different functions...like this.