THERE SOULD BE NO “B……“ WORD THIS SUMMER!!!

Ideas for Summertime Activities

One of the most frustrating (and yes, annoying) phrases a parent can hear over the summer from their child(ren) is “I’m bored!” Some of you may have already decided to join the Discovery Zone Summer Camp that will  take polace in school from June 11 to June 29. The camp provides a safe and fun enviroment for children from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.

Inevitavably, your there will be days that your child will have nothing to do. Want some activities for your kids to do at home? Here are 200+ activities that your child can choose from. Why not print the list out, post it in his/her bedroom, and have them go to it before they come to you? I bet it will save you (and them) a little unnecessary grief!

In no particular order, here's our current (but continually growing!) list of activities: 

1. ride bikes
2. roller blade
3. basketball
4. play board games
5. make a tent out of blankets
6. squirt with hoses
7. run through the sprinkler
8. jump rope
9. read books
10. blow bubbles
11. make homemade play dough
12. play with play dough
13. press flowers
14. do crafts with pressed flowers
15. write a letter to a relative, friend or pen pal
16. clean bedroom
17. vacuum living room
18. clean bathroom
19. make a craft
20. draw
21. color
22. paint
23. pull weeds
24. watch a movie
25. write stories
26. use binoculars
27. use magnifying glass
28. use microscope
29. bird watching
30. write a play
31. act out a play
32. invent circus acts
33. perform a circus
34. play card games
35. make art on the front walkway with sidewalk chalk
36. play catch
37. play baseball
38. collect rocks
39. collect leaves
40. collect feathers
41. play Frisbee
42. make Frisbee's out of old plastic lids, decorate with markers
43. dust the house
44. brush the pet
45. write letters
46. read a magazine
47. play dress-up
48. play Cowboys
49. pick vegetables
50. play outside with the pet
51. build a fort in your rooms
52. build a fort in the backyard
53. do a jigsaw puzzle
54. play on the Geosafari
55. play on the computer
56. listen to a story or book on tape
57. do extra schoolwork to get ahead
58. do brain teasers (crosswords, word searches, hidden pictures, mazes, etc.)
59. cook
60. prepare lunch
61. surprise a neighbor with a good deed
62. play store
63. prepare a "restaurant" lunch with menus
64. hold a tea party
65. have a Teddy bear picnic
66. play with toy cars
67. play dolls
68. play house
69. chase butterflies
70. collect caterpillars and bugs
71. plant a garden or a pot
72. collect seeds
73. hunt for four-leaf clovers
74. learn magic tricks
75. put on a magic show
76. plant a container garden
77. sprout seeds or beans
78. make sock puppets
79. put on a puppet show
80. make Christmas presents
81. make homemade wrapping paper
82. make homemade gift cards
83. make picture frames from twigs glued onto sturdy cardboard
84. crochet or knit
85. make doll clothes
86. sew buttons in designs on old shirts
87. run relay races
88. make bookmarks
89. take a quiet rest time
90. take a shower or bath
91. bathe a pet
92. feed the birds or squirrels
93. watch the clouds
94. organize a dresser drawer
95. clean under the bed
96. empty dishwasher
97. vacuum under the couch cushions and keep any change found
98. write these ideas on pieces of paper and pick out one or two to do
99. whittle
100. whittle bars of soap
101. practice musical instruments
102. perform a family concert
103. teach yourself to play musical instrument (recorder, harmonica, guitar)
104. fold laundry
105. sweep kitchen or bathroom floors
106. sweep front walkway
107. sweep or spray back patio
108. sweep or spray driveway
109. wash car
110. vacuum car
111. vacuum or dust window blinds
112. clean bathroom mirrors
113. clean sliding glass doors
114. clean inside of car windows
115. wash bicycles
116. clean garage
117. play in the sandbox
118. build a sandcastle
119. work with clay
120. copy your favorite book illustration
121. design your own game
122. build with blocks or Legos
123. create a design box (copper wire, string, odds-and-ends of things destined for the garbage, pom-poms, thread, yarn, etc.)
124. plan a neighborhood or family Olympics
125. have a marble tournament
126. paint a picture with lemon juice on white paper and hang it in a sunny window and see what happens in a few days
127. finger paint with pudding
128. make dessert
129. make dinner
130. give your pet a party
131. paint the sidewalk with water
132. start a journal of summer fun
133. start a nature diary
134. have a read-a-thon with a friend or sibling
135. have a neighborhood bike wash
136. play flashlight tag
137. play Kick the Can
138. check out a science book and try some experiments
139. make up a story
140. arrange photo albums
141. find bugs and start a collection
142. do some stargazing
143. decorate bikes or wagons and have a neighborhood parade
144. catch butterflies and then let them go
145. play hide-and-seek
146. create a symphony with bottles and pans and rubber bands
147. listen to the birds sing
148. try to imitate birdcalls
149. read a story to a younger child
150. find shapes in the clouds
151. string dry noodles or O-shaped cereals into a necklace
152. glue noodles into a design on paper
153. play hopscotch
154. play jacks
155. make up a song
156. make a teepee out of blankets
157. write in your journal
158. find an ant colony and spill some food and watch what happens
159. play charades
160. make up a story by drawing pictures
161. draw a cartoon strip
162. make a map of your bedroom, house or neighborhood
163. call a friend
164. cut pictures from old magazines and write a story
165. make a collage using pictures cut from old magazines
166. do a secret service for a neighbor
167. plan a treasure hunt
168. make a treasure map
169. make up a "Bored List" of things to do
170. plan a special activity for your family
171. search your house for items made in other countries and then learn about those countries from the encyclopedia or online
172. plan an imaginary trip to the moon
173. plan an imaginary trip around the world, where would you want to go
174. write a science-fiction story
175. find a new pen pal
176. make up a play using old clothes as costumes
177. make up a game for practicing math facts
178. have a Spelling Bee
179. make up a game for practicing spelling
180. surprise an elderly neighbor or relative by weeding his/her garden
181. finger paint with shaving cream
182. collect sticks and mud and build a bird's nest
183. write newspaper articles for a pretend newspaper
184. put together a family newsletter
185. write reviews of movies or plays or TV shows or concerts you see during the summer
186. bake a cake
187. bake a batch of cookies
188. decorate a shoe box to hold your summer treasures
189. make a hideout or clubhouse
190. make paper airplanes
191. have paper airplane races
192. learn origami
193. make an obstacle course in your backyard
194. make friendship bracelets for your friends
195. make a wind chime out of things headed for the garbage
196. paint your face
197. braid hair
198. play tag
199. make a sundial
200. make food sculptures (from pretzels, gumdrops, string licorice, raisins, cream cheese, peanuts, peanut butter, etc.) and then eat it
201. make a terrarium
202. start a club
203. take a nap outside on your lawn
204. produce a talent show
205. memorize a poem
206. recite a memorized poem for your family

Taken form http://www.stretcher.com/stories/03/03jul21h.cfm

THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR IS NEAR

As the end of the school year approaches, children and teachers are “on the countdown" to the last day of school. By June, many students are looking forward to summer and two months free of lessons and tests. And yet this may be a bittersweet time for children who will miss teachers and friends. For most kids, the end of the school year means saying lots of good-byes. Some of these are temporary, some more long-lasting. Endings are harder for some children than others.

While children may happily anticipate the summer--and feel relief knowing that the things they didn't like about the year are over--there's still an underlying awareness that life will never be quite the same again. For children who are changing schools, or saying good-bye to friends who are moving, the good-byes may be particularly meaningful.

The many celebrations that mark the end of the school year keep everyone busy with plays, graduations, and stepping-up ceremonies. Families are often preoccupied with end-of-year projects and plans for the summer. The hubbub surrounding the end of a school year can sometimes ease the transition but may also distract kids from how it feels to say good-bye. It's important for parents to find ways to acknowledge, and even honor, the year-long bonds that their children formed during the many months of school.

A parent can help with end-of-year good-byes by encouraging kids to talk about their feelings--about what they'll remember and miss. Help your child write down some of the events that marked the year. What your child remembers most vividly may not be the big play or a major field trip, but a funny comment made by a classmate or the time the hamster escaped from his cage. Encourage your child to get addresses of classmates to be able to stay in touch. If possible, take some photos of classmates and teachers--and of the classroom--before displays are dismantled.

Not all kids experience the end of the school year in the same way. Some are totally focused on what's next; they're glad to move on. However, most children need some understanding that in moving on there may be a sense of loss for what was ... and that's okay. Communicate with your child! Acknowledge his or her feelings. Saying good bye is a hard lesson to learn, but you may be there to help your child learn it effectively.

 HELPING YOUR CHILD SAY GOODBYE

It is, unfortunately, that time of the year! The end of the school year can bring big changes for children and families, and some of those changes involve loss. Friends might be moving away or changing schools. For some children, having a close school buddy assigned to a different classroom can be upsetting.

All of us will lose people we love at some point in our lives, through death or other less dramatic separations. Helping children successfully manage the separations that inevitably occur at the end of a school year is a good way to help them develop lifelong strategies for coping with loss.

The Words You'll Need: You're really going to miss “Alison”, aren't you?

The Reason: Let your child know that you hear what he/she is saying. Feeling unheard compounds a child's sense of isolation.

The Words: It's really sad that she's leaving.

The Reason: Help children learn the words to identify what they are feeling so that they can develop a vocabulary to talk about their emotions.

The Words: I remember when my friend moved away, I felt mad and sad. Even though it wasn't her fault, and she couldn't help it, I still felt angry.

The Reason: Sometimes it's helpful to share your own experiences coping with a particular problem. Acknowledging your own feelings of anger about a loss is a good way of letting children know that it's okay and even normal for them to have angry feelings about someone moving away.

The Words: You've had a lot of fun with Alison, haven't you? You've known each other since you were babies. No wonder you're upset.

The Reason: It's important to validate how important his/her departing friend is to your child, as well as his/her feelings about the separation.

The Words: Would you like to do something special with Alison before she goes?

The Reason: Planning a good-bye party or event is a good way to help children take active control over some aspect of their impending separation. Your son/daughter can't stop her friend from leaving, but he/she can choose how to spend time with them before she goes.

Find out how she would like to mark her friend's departure. Perhaps she would like to spend a day with just the two of them, or give a party for her.

The Words: I like to email my friends who live far away. We also write real letters and talk on the telephone sometimes. It's not the same as being face to face, but it's a way to stay in touch.

The Reason: Help your son/daughter think of ways that she can stay in touch with her friend even when she's far away. If it's possible to arrange a visit, you can plan that with her, too. Testing skype /face time calls and emails can be a great way to sooth worries about distances.

The Words: No one will ever exactly take Alison's place, but you'll keep on making good friends as you grow up-in fact, it's hard to believe now, but it's likely that you will have other best friends as well.

The Reason: Even as you acknowledge the unique place his/her departing friend holds in your daughter's life, let him/her know that you have faith in her ability to continue to make good friends.

The Words: Any time you want to talk about this, let me know. Talking about it won't keep Alison from leaving, but it might help you feel less lonely.

The Reason: Saying good-bye is a process - your son/daughter might need several conversations over the course of her friend's departure, and after he/she leaves as well. Make sure your child knows that you're available.

Beyond the Rap

·  Encourage your child to make something for her departing friend -- working on a photo album, or a collection of written memories, will help him/her process the loss and is a wonderful good-bye gift.

·  Allow time and space for grieving. It's hard to watch our children be sad. On the other hand, allowing ourselves to feel painful feelings is essential to healing. Remember that healing takes time.

·  When faced with your own losses, remember that you are a model for your children. How you cope with loss will influence how they cope with it.

How to Make a Better Grade on the MAP Test

The Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) tests are used to determine if a student is progressing academically. Subjects tested include mathematics, reading and  language usage. Making a better grade on the test can be accomplished if you prepare throughout the school year, studying a little as students go to ensure they are ready when MAP test time comes around.


As we get ready to begin the third MAP testing session at Discovery School, please take the time to read how you can help your child obtain better scores in these assessments.

Improve study habits. The MAP test helps teachers know if students comprehend the material taught throughout the year. To help improve MAP grade, increase the study time year round. Spend extra time on difficult subjects until they feel comfortable with the information.

Work on writing skills. In addition to normal writing assignments at school, it is agood idea for students to take time to write daily in a journal or work on creative writing projects. Expand their vocabulary by learning new words and helping them incorporate these into the writing. Ask your teacher to help you and critique the work.

Take practice tests. Check with your child’s teacher and for study materials and sample tests available on line. Ask for additional help from your child’s teacher if a student did not score well on your practice tests and continue studying until the grade improves.

Be rested and prepared. It is important for students to go to bed early the night before the MAP tests. Have them eat a healthy breakfast and dress in comfortable clothing. Help them arrive at school in plenty of time before testing begins so they will be relaxed.

Answer all questions. When taking your MAP test, it is important that students understand that hey should NOT leave any spaces blank, even if it means they have to guess the answer. On bubbles, they need to be sure to completely darken the chosen circle. Practice having them read the entire question and all possible answers before making a choice.

Select a link below (math or reading practice) and click on the score ranges your child received on the last MAP assessment.  (Please contact your child’s teacher if you do not know your child's last MAP scores.) This will direct you to leveled activities that are appropriate practice for upcoming MAP assessments.

Math practice leveled by MAP scores http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/Pages/studentlinks/map/

Reading practice leveled by MAP scores
http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/reading.htm

For frequently asked questions about the MAP testing, please click on the following link:
http://www.nwea.org/about-nwea/faq/Measures%20of%20Academic%20Progress%20(MAP)#faq-193