The Write Stuff Blog

Valentine's Day Party Ideas!

2012-02-01T11:02:28Z

A few simple, but fun games and crafts to use at your classroom party, February birthday, or for teachers to use on a rainy/snowy inside recess!

Games:

Valentine's Day Bingo Make cute cards and use candy hearts as Bingo chips

Musical Chairs Play "love" songs as the children circle

Who's My Valentine? A cute quiz of questions for kids on Valentines Day

Blinded by Love Simple game of blindfold drawing of hearts

Crafts:

Be Mine Band Aids A great pass time for teachers, or party organizers

Sweet Text Message An adorable craft for those text savvy kids!

Candy Rings Easy craft to take wear home!

Bottle Cap Locket The girls will love this one!

Ground Hog's Day is next week!

2012-01-26T01:01:55Z

Each year Ground Hog's Day comes around quite quickly after the holidays at my house. My second child shares his bithday with "Punxsutawney Phil" and so we seem to always pay attention to whether or not he sees his shadow. Not knowing much about this day prior to his birth... I came to learn a few facts I thought I would share. To clarify:

If he sees his shadow, he gets "scared" and returns to his den for six more weeks of winter.

If the day is cloudy and he does not see his shadow, he thinks it is spring.

The history of it goes back centuries, but some of the past fifty years facts may put a smile on your face today.

Over the course of Phil's appearances, Phil has had numerous noteworthy highlights:

During Prohibition Phil threatened to impose 60 weeks of winter on the community if he wasn't allowed a drink.

In 1958 Phil announced that it was a "United States Chucknik," rather than a Soviet Sputnik or Muttnik that became the first man-made satellite to orbit Earth.

In 1981 Phil wore a yellow ribbon in honor of the American hostages in Iran.

Phil traveled to Washington DC in 1986 to meet with President Reagan. He was joined by Groundhog Club President Jim Means, Al Anthony and Bill Null.

Phil met Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburg in 1987.

In 1993, Columbia Pictures released the movie Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray.

Phil appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show in 1995.

In the years following the release of the movie, record crowds numbering as high as 30,000 have visited Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney!

In 2001, Phil's prediction was shown live on the JumboTron at Times Square in New York City.

For more information,activities, and to see Phil yourself, check out

www.groundhog.org.

In my family, we are split between wanting more weeks of winter or looking for an early spring. Either way, we enjoy the anticipation of wondering what Phil will see or not see next week!

New Year's Resolutions.... I prefer New Year's Revisions

2012-01-09T10:01:27Z

Each year we all start off with great intentions for "change" in our lives, whether personal or professional, and write up some lofty New Year's resolutions. Resolution, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is 'an act of answering or solving." As much as we are all looking for life's answers, I think of life as more of a journey and not a problem to solve. So with that, I have decided to make a New Year's Revision to my current life, and see how that works!

Some of the following ideas are for children.... they can apply to home or school. Take a few minutes around the dinner table (or kitchen counter!) to make some changes at your house! See if you can "lead " them into creating the ones you think will help at your home best. That way, it was their idea and they may be more invested in sticking to them. Post them on the refrigerator, back door, or somewhere you can review easily!

Enjoy the conversations!

Preschool:

I will help pick up my toys

I will try new foods my parents share with me

I will brush my teeth twice each day

Grade School:

I will drink milk or water instead of fruit juices or colas

I will share _______ with friends and family

I will try my best in school, starting with ____________

Tweens and Teens:

I will drink milk or water instead of fruit juices or colas

I will increase my exercising by _____________________

I would like to improve on this in school ___________________

Have any other new ideas? Post them here and share!

Congratulations Deasy School for winning The Win Your School's Supplies Contest!

2011-06-17T11:06:29Z

Congratulations to Deasy School PTA in Glen Cove, NY for winning $1000 worth of school supplies in our Win Your School's Supplies Contest 2011!

Mommy Blogger Interview

2011-05-23T03:05:16Z

Check out this link to see owner Jennifer Thompson interviewed by Robin McCoy!

http://ctmomreviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/spotlight-on-mommy-jennifer-thompson-of.html

Win Your School' Supplies Contest from The Write Stuff

2011-05-09T04:05:25Z

We are giving away $1,000 worth of school supplies to the school with the most Facebook wall posts by May 15th! Tell your friends!

THIS IS OUR LAST QUESTION OF THE WEEK!

The Question of the Week For May 9th is:

Does your school hold any special event to send the kids off for the summer?

Post your answer on our Facebook wall for a chance to win your school's supplies!

www.facebook.com/writestuffschoolkits

How to build a School Supply Cake!!

2011-03-18T03:03:08Z

Okay, we took our "cake" on the road and the parents in Ohio loved it! We were asked and begged for it, but alas, we need it for our other road trips to St. Louis (March 22) and Chicago (May 3). So, the next best thing is the directions to make your own!

Here is the link to the downloads section of our web site to get the step by step directions. The best part is, if you send us the photo of your cake, we'll send you a coupon code for a future purchase! Good luck!

http://www.write-stuff.com/downloads.cfm

Supply Cake

2011-02-28T04:02:59Z

Look what our design team member Denise created for our upcoming PTO Trade Shows! See it live in Columbus, OH on March 16, St. Louis, MO on March 22, and in Chicago, IL on May 3. Sorry White Plains, NY and Atlanta, GA.... it would not fly well!!

Holiday break

2010-12-28T04:12:20Z

I love the holidays, I love the time with family, the decorations, the "no schedule"? of school and kids activities.

My four children on the other hand have started the Can I have a friend over? routine. I guess they made it 9 days into the break without asking- I should be happy with that. I'm not opposed to friends over, I just love the all days in our PJ's, watching movies and being together time.

This time will fly by, I know. The break first, and then the time when they are home. My oldest will take driver's education next year. When did that happen? she leaves for college in 3.5 years. A blink if you think back that amount of time.

So, I'm compromising... friends are coming over tomorrow, movies with me tonight!

How come they have to grow up so fast?

Giving is not only for the Holidays

2010-12-15T02:12:26Z

Don't you get a wonderful feeling from helping others during the holiday season? Why not get that feeling all year long? Here are a couple of places that can use your help year around:

** Food Pantry

** Nursing Home

** Animal Shelter

** Local Library, School or Church

Contact one of these locations to see how you can help make a difference in your community!

No Stress Holidays......

2010-12-08T11:12:11Z

December comes around each year with bittersweet thoughts. Snow for outside fun, holidays with family, a low balance in the checking account, and an increase on the bathroom scale! A few tips to make it more enjoyable for everyone!

For children:

Teach the spirit of giving.... You probably already do one or all of the following ideas. Include your children in the act, and teach them a life lesson about helping others. Donate to the food pantry, contribute to a collection kettle outside of a store, or select a name from a giving tree to buy for another child or family.

Teach the love of being together... memories involve time, not money. Take pictures of family gatherings, playing in the snow, or baking cookies. Use these to create personalized gift for others. Pictures can go in frames, ornaments, cards, or make a year long calendar.

For parents:

Shop reasonably.... at this time of year almost every retailer has a coupon that has been mailed to you, or can be downloaded off a web site. Plan ahead before heading out, and you'll save!

What do your children really need? Gift of necessity can be fun too! New clothes for teenagers is always a hit, and younger ones can like them too! Need new sheets for their bed? Buy ones with their favorite character or in a fun pattern.

Have plates of cookies at home and at work that you can't seem to avoid? Hand shovel the driveway instead of using the snow blower and burn up to 200 calories in 1/2 hour! Make a snowman with your kids, walk the dog, or shovel the driveway of a neighbor in need.

Streesed over getting out the Christmas cards..... order Happy New Year ones instead. Takes the pressure off getting them out before the 25th. New Year ones probably receive more attention from your recipients as it arrives about the same time as December's credit card bill, and your card will be welcomed more!

Happy Holidays!

Teaching your children to write THANK YOU notes is easy!

2010-11-10T10:11:26Z

How to write a thank you note... what everyone should know!

Begin with a fresh sheet of note paper or card and a smooth pen. Thank you notes are traditionally written in cursive, and are headed by the date and a salutation: "Dear Aunt Sally," followed by a comma.

Thank the recipient for the gift, favor or entertainment given.

Write about the appropriateness of the gift or favor: "I so loved our trip to the museum. I loved learning about the Native Americans" "The gift you gave me was great! I was so hoping to receive one for my birthday!"

Tie the appropriateness of the gift to the person who gave it to you: "You've always understood my interest in history."

Write about how you plan to use the gift (or substitute this step for step 3): "I have a picture of my parents that will look perfect in your frame." If you received a gift of money, mention how you will spend it.

Add a line to update the giver about your life: "School is going well, and I really like my teacher this year."

Sign your thank you note: "With thanks, John."

For a younger child, it is appropriate for the parent to write the note, and have the child sign it (if able). Even including a picture he/she drew personalizes the whole note.

Putting it in the mailbox with your child gives you an opportunity to teach about the US Postal system, why we need stamps, and how it will reach "Dear Aunt Sally".

Getting in the habit of writing a thank you note is a necessary life skill. Employers, family, and friends all will appreciate their thoughtfulness.

Adorable Thanksgiving craft #2

2010-11-03T10:11:41Z

Framed Handprint Turkey

What you'll need:Framed hand print turkey

9" paper plate
Acrylic paint: goldenrod, brown, yellow, orange, green, red, white and black
Black marker
Paintbrush
Felt in fall colors, cut into 1" squares

How to make it:

Place paper plate on work surface upside down and write the child's name and the date. Turn the plate right side up. Paint entire plate with goldenrod color and set aside to dry (see image).
Meanwhile, cut felt into 1" pieces. Use several fall colors, such as red, brown, orange, tan, gold and cream. If you made our Mosaic Family Frame, perhaps you have some pieces left over that you can use!
Have all of your paint colors handy and a separate paintbrush for each color. Paint the child's palm and thumb with a generous amount of brown paint. Working quickly so that the paint doesn't have time to dry, paint each of the child's four fingers with red, green, orange and yellow (see image).
Have child gently place their handprint in the center of the paper plate. Gently press down on the child's hand and each individual finger to ensure a good distribution of paint.
Have child lift hand directly up into the air so as not to smear any of the colors.
Use a paintbrush to add a red gobbler and an orange beak. Let dry (see image).
While the paint is drying you can glue on the pieces for the frame. Pipe glue around the outside edge of the plate and press the felt squares onto the glue, overlapping the outside of the plate. Alternate the colors to create a pattern.
Use black marker to draw legs and feet.
Use the handle end of a small paintbrush to add a dot for the eye, let dry. Once dry, use a toothpick to dot on the black.

Tips:

You can add a magnet to the back of the plate or use tape and a piece of yarn to create a hanger.
Always save scraps of felt and construction paper for projects such as these.
Instead of painting on the eye, you can glue on one wiggle eye.

Adorable Thanksgiving craft #1

2010-11-03T09:11:17Z

Paper Cup Turkeys

What you'll need:

Paper or foam cup (8.5 oz)
Acrylic paint in fall colors (brown, tan, orange, red, green, yellow, etc.)
Large pom-pom for head (brown, yellow, red, orange, etc.)
Small foam heart for gobbler (to contrast with color of head)
Small foam triangle (orange or yellow)
2 small wiggle eyes
3” x 2” piece of orange construction paper
1 sheet of white construction paper
White craft glue
Scissors

How to make it:

1. Place cup upside down on work surface and paint brown (see image).

2. To make the feathers, paint the white construction paper with several fall colors, crisscrossing the colors as you go. Let dry (see image).

3. Cut feathers out in one large piece, should be shaped similar to a hand or crown. Cut the tips of each feather into a point (see image).

4. Apply glue to the bottom portion of the feathers and press onto the bottom of the cup. Hold in place for a minute or so to let the glue grab.

5. Place foam heart upside down so that the bumps are facing downward. Glue the foam triangle, point down, onto the upside down heart--the upper points of the triangle will be hanging over the edge. This is the beak and gobbler (see image).

6. Glue the pom-pom to the top of the paper cup.

7. Glue the wiggle eyes and the beak and gobbler to the head.

8. Cut two feet from the orange construction paper and glue to the bottom of the cup.

Tips:

1. Instead of throwing away the paper that you use to protect your work surface from paint, add more color to it to make the feathers!

2. The feathers can be simplified by using a piece of brown, orange, or red construction paper.

3. Make these even more fancy by using actual feathers and by writing the name of your dinner guests on a piece of paper and gluing to the front of each turkey.

Trick or Treat Safely!

2010-10-27T11:10:39Z

Halloween Safety Tips
Wear comfortable shoes!!
Carry a flashlight or wear reflective tape on your costume.
Wear something with a reflector on it – Help others see you.
Never go into a stranger’s house, even if they ask you to come in while they go and get some candy.
Throw away all homemade or unwrapped treats. Be safe… not sorry!
When walking down the street, have the adult walk closest to the road.
Do not pet strange animals while trick or treating.
Do not eat candy as you go.
Always be nice, even when people do not have any candy to give out.
Do not knock on doors where the lights are off.
Have a plan before you start. If you are walking in an unfamiliar neighborhood, it is easy to get lost.

For older kids who want to go out alone, send them on a predetermined path, send a cell phone if possible, and set a time for them to come home.
When you get home, check all candy before eating any of it.
Have a safe and fun Halloween-and take lots of pictures!