I realize that parents and teachers alike are afraid of the dreadful summer slide and yet at the same time we want our kids to learn through play and discovery. Here are some resources that I have created to solve this dilemma. They are academic, yet fun and many can be completed while on the beach or while hanging out at the pool or actually anywhere, anytime. So, here you go...ENJOY and have a great summer! Don't forget the sunscreen!!!





⛅ Here is where you can find them ALL!  Summer Fun

Just a few ideas that you may want to check out...just in case you have a rainy summer day!

Although school is still in session in many Northeastern States and it is hard to think about a rainy day in summer...(say what??? It's rainy Oh no..we can't go to the pool, the beach is out and everyone will be at the museums...I need some activities that we can do at home!!!) there will definitely be a day when in rains, I mean pours, I mean thunderstorm and hail...Summer Storms...Ya gotta love them or hate them. If this weather approaches, you DO need something for the kiddos to do while you are stuck inside the house. Well...Sunshine and Lollipops is here to save the DAY...that means that ideas are on the WAY!

So...before I give you my BIG FUN Sea Creature IDEA, I am going to list some easy fun ideas that can be done on a rainy day or any day! These are tried and true ideas that I have used with my own kiddos in years past! I do think they are a bit better than being tethered to an electronic device all day!!!

1. My kids and I loved making popsicles out of various juices...actually sometimes we used various sodas or pops, but in today's world that is a no...no...so here is a pin I found that gives you many ideas to chose from...Oh BTW if you have small paper cups and popsicle sticks from the craft store on hand,you will not have to use or use fancy molds and the kids can partially freeze and layer the pops.
2.  Now this one is daring, but I did it with my younger kiddos, but you do need to be present and watching...well...I guess you need to present and watching for most of these ideas!! I used to have the kids get into their bathing suits and play in the bathtub with water toys.  They LOVED it and it was almost as good as being in a pool...perhaps not quite as fun, but none the less a fun time in a pinch!!!
Of course I would be right there watching and splashing with them!!!

3. Finger painting with food or make your own editable pretty good tasting finger paint...
                          Finger Paint to Eat??
I have also "painted" with pudding, peanut butter, raspberries, blackberries and yogurt...Oh and if you want to add a little learning...give the kiddos sight words to write or sentences!!

4.  Fruit and Veggie Prints:  Cut some old fruit in half and dip it in paint. Then stamp it onto white paper, tee shirts, white napkins or pillowcases for some fun creating!! Apples, pears, oranges, peppers, celery,lemons, limes, orange sections,carrots and potatoes work great!!  I am sure you can think of a few more!! i would suggest putting a fork through the top as a handle for stamping.  There are so many examples on Pinterest that I decided to give you a link to all of them...WOW! 

5.  I have a zillion ideas, but this post would be way to long.  So...Now..it is time for the Sea Creature Idea...actually Jellyfish fun idea!!!
First: You will need plain white paper plates cut in half with 4 holes punched across the bottom. I used pipe cleaners and had the kiddos connect them to the paper plate by threading and twisting the pipe cleaners. You will also need an assortment of beads, macaroni/pasta, cut up straws and anything that you can find that has a whole through...buttons might work as well.  We also used google eyes, but beads or buttons work too!  To add a sensory piece for Kinders I used the large fuzzy pipe cleaners, which you will see as the kids are working.
Then they decorated the front of the paper plate (names on the back) and began to thread the beads and pasta onto each pipe cleaner. Everyone was able to do this...some with a tiny bit of help!


BTW...you could have heard a pin drop during this activity...if you try this at home it MAY be a little different! Ha ha!
Next we added eyes!!
This is what we had...some VERY Cute Stingy Swirly Moveable Fun Jellyfish!!
Add a little phrase, some cute fish with names and it becomes...
A BULLETIN BOARD!!!  or for home add another pipe cleaner and it can...
Hang from a light or the ceiling and decorated your child's Room or playroom!!

I hope you have many sunny days this summer, but if you need a filler...Why not try one of these fun ideas??? Don't forget to comment with some of your favorite ideas!

Let's turn the Spinning Craze into a learning experience with these 10 easy ways to use spinners as a teaching tool. I am sure you will LOVE #7!

Are you as tired, but as intrigued as I am with all the different types of spinners there are everywhere you go and the fact that they get hundreds upon hundreds of new shipments practically everyday? I have seen sports themed spinners, USA spinners, Light Up spinners, black, tie-dyed and rainbow spinners to name a few! I have to admit...they are mesmerizing!

Mention the s-word and right before your eyes someone says, "Oh, I have one right here!" They do have a purpose, but they are also the 2017 craze like Pokemon cards, Cabbage Patch Dolls and all the other toys you HAD TO HAVE when you were younger.  They have been banned from schools and I am sure many teachers are a bit crazed, for lack of a better word,  at how many of their students own a spinner. They can be purchased everywhere: AMAZON, 5 Below, Learning Express, Hallmark, Wawa, 7-Eleven and I might just set up a stand in my front yard!


Today my grandson was off from school and we went to Learning Express to spend a gift card he received for his birthday and what did he pick out?  You guessed it a Tri-Spinner and a Bi-Spinner with cases to hold the various spinners one has...now mind you as of today, May 5, 2017...he has about 5 different spinners and has even made a few with coins and bearings, but this is what he wanted and it was HIS money!!!

Interestingly enough while we were in the shop, they allowed him to come behind the counter because a shipment of brand new spinners had just arrived. So...Brady went behind the counter and took a few hours to pick out the precise one he wanted...that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea.  I can now tell you where every toy, book, game and trinket is located in the store because I walked around so many times waiting.  A few parents walked in looking for...YES...spinners and Brady began to share his knowledge as when they were first created and where(A bit of history) to which one was better and which one should be selected...the phones rang and the sales lady declared that Brady could answer the phones and give the info needed because 90% of the calls were about...YES...spinners! He was offered a job after school as we left, but he really is too young to work.

So as all he-- breaks lose in schools and the craze that is supposed to calm the soul has been deemed as a distraction to many, there is a solution to the craziness especially at the end of the year...USE IT AS A TEACHING TOOL...yes you read that correctly and here are 10 ways you can do this with your kiddos...I guess what I am saying is to have a Fidget Spinning Day.



1. Have a contest using a timer to see whose spinner can spin the longest.  Start out with pairs and then the winners will proceed to the next round. Keep it going until there is one winner.

2.  Graph the results of the time it took for the spinners to spin and stop and then find the mean, mode median and range of the times.

3.  Make predictions based on what they know about spinners and see who can come closest to the amount of time the spinner will spin.  So the students, predict, then write the actual time and last, find the difference.

4.  Calculate which surfaces( floor, blacktop, wood, desk, metal surface etc.) support faster or slower spins. Which surface made the spinner spin faster, explain your thinking? Does the spinner spin longer on a surface or in your hand? Explain your thinking.  On one finger or between your fingers? Explain your thinking.  Which kinds of spinners spin the fastest, slowest and graph and compare the results.

5.  How many spinners can you spin on top of each other? Graph the results.

6. Have your students spin their spinners and see who can focus using their spinners while reading to self, listening to a read aloud or doing math( try your best not to get distracted by their spinners spinning). Evaluate the experiment by having them answer questions about the lesson taught.   Then have them write an opinion piece on spinners about help or hinder students' concentrate.

7. Write to persuade by having students write you a letter convincing you or the principal that students should or should not be allowed to bring spinners to school.

8.  Write a piece on how to spin a spinner correctly.

9. Write an opinion piece on which spinner is better or is the Bi-spinner or Tri-Spinner  better and why they feel that way.

10.  Create a game that can use spinners in some way.  Have each team or partnership write about his/her idea, make it and present it to the class and play it!


I hope you find these ideas helpful...you know the old saying: "When in Rome do as the Romans" and "If you can't beat them, join them." Well...my new saying is: "When the spinner spins, spin along with it!

And I have  freebie for you that you can print and use and GUESS WHAT? It contains some of the ideas above...what more could you ask for!!  


Happy Teacher Appreciation Day and have a little fun with spinners the last few weeks of school!  Keep spinning and smiling!