Winter, winter, go away. Please come back—never! Okay, that’s mean. I take that back. I do like certain things about winter. I love the comfy clothes. I love hot cocoa and all the other comfort foods of winter. I even like snow, when I’m safe inside and snuggled under a fuzzy blanket. Maybe I like…
“Over the river and through the wood, to Grandfather’s house we go.” Those are the first two lines of the traditional Thanksgiving poem titled “The New-England Boy’s Song About Thanksgiving Day.” That was back in 1844. Over the years the poem was set to music. The title was changed. The destination became Grandmother’s house. Oh,…
October is a great time to let a few monsters into your classroom. I’ve rounded up three of my favorite monster books along with a few of my fave monster activities from themailbox.com. Wishing you a monstrously great time! Diane
Next Wednesday, October 17, 2018, is National Fossil Day. Now I’m talkin’ about the remains or impressions of prehistoric organisms, not cantankerous old fossils. I’m sure today’s youth view me as an old fossil, however, hopefully not a cantankerous one! In celebration of National Fossil Day, I’m hooking you up with some nifty resources. Fortunately,…
It’s Fire Prevention Week (October 7–13, 2018)! This year’s theme is “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.” The National Fire Protection Association reports that at-home fires are resulting in more deaths than in previous decades. Please take time to educate your students about three basic and essential steps (see below) that can…
You have to love a guy who spent much of his lifetime planting apple seeds, who loved animals, and who respected Native Americans. This coming Wednesday, September 26, is that guy’s birthday and his name is John Chapman aka Johnny Appleseed. Set the tone for a special day with the following circle time tune. I’ve…
Today, July 20, is National Moon Day. Just to be perfectly clear, I’m talking about the earth’s natural satellite. One of my kooky colleagues gave me a funny look when I declared it was National Moon Day. I have a sneaky suspicion we had different “moons” in mind! National Moon Day commemorates the day in…
I’m wearing closed-toe shoes today. Yes, it’s 90+ degrees outside, but I’m not taking any chances. You may think I’m overreacting or that I suffer from ophidiophobia, the abnormal fear of snakes. You’re probably right on both accounts. You see today, July 16, is World Snake Day. I suspect that snakes are unaware that they…
The last Saturday in April—that’s tomorrow—is National Sense of Smell Day. This may or may not be a day that interests you, however it piqued my interest for a couple of reasons. First, I wondered what your favorite smells might be, and we’ll get to that in a sec. It also reminded me of a…
April is National Frog Month. I’m not ribbiting you—it’s true! Check out these lesser-known frog facts and then leap into learning with a sampling of free frog-related activities found at themailbox.com. Last, but certainly not least, tell us if you’ll be investigating frogs this April! Five Frog Facts Each frog species has a unique croak….