Glue And Little Ones

If you have ever tried to do crafts with little ones you know things can get messy before you have time to realize what is happening.

Over the years I have accumulated little tricks that make crafting easier. Here is one tip for you to use when using glue.

I did this all the time when I was teaching preschool. And I still use this trick every time we break out the glue.



 Save the lids to margarine, sour cream and other containers.

Turn the lid upside down and squeeze the glue onto the lid.

This way you don't use more than you really need.


Let the kids "paint" the glue onto the project with q-tips.

When you are finished with the project, let the glue dry on the lid then peel off the dried glue and throw it away. Saving the lid for next time. You will find that the q-tips come unraveled during use, just replace it as needed. Toss all of them when you are done.

This saves you a huge mess of glue when you are finished, especially if your little ones do not realize just how strong they are. Believe me, you do not want to clean up that mess.





I originally wrote this post in 2008. Sadly no one was reading my blog back then so, this wonderfully awesome tip (if I do say so myself) was just floating out there lonely and needing some love. I decided to participate in the #goinggreen link up with The Mommy Mess and recycle one of my best missed posts.

31 Days Homeschool Folder Games

Folder games are a staple in our homeschool. Folder games are a great way to help reinforce the skills your are teaching. I love folder games so much that I have actually blogged about them here, here and even again here. As the kids get older, finding folder games that keep them engaged has been more challenging. Now, I find us playing our own version of Jeopardy using the material we are learning as a way of reinforcing skills. 

Little G still loves it when I pull out new folder games for her to play so I am always on the look out for new games I can make for her school time. We even play them when it isn't school time, they are great for passing the time when you need a quiet activity.

Here is what you need to do make your own folder games.

First gather your materials.

• File Folders - Using fun colored or patterned ones makes the games more appealing but plan manila folders work great too.
• Printer - The downfall is the ink usage. I actually change the settings so it uses the least amount of ink while still printing out decent pages.
• Paper (not just basic white) - I like to glue my game pieces to construction or scrapbook paper for sturdiness.
• Scissors - I usually cut out my games while watching TV.
• Glue Sticks - Glue sticks work really well for folder games.
• Colors/Markers - If you print the games in black and white you will want to add color to make them pop. I've also add stickers to games in the past to help decorate them.
• Clear Contact Paper - This is what I use to laminate them. If you have a laminator you can use that. Covering the folder game helps keep the game last longer.
• Plastic Baggies - I use snack-size baggies to keep the pieces in when they are not being used.

Next find the game you want to make and print out all the components.

Then start cutting. This is probably the most tedious part of making folder games. I often make them while watching a movie.

Assemble your game according to the instructions that come with the game. I glue the playing pieces onto another piece of paper and then cut them out. It helps keep them sturdy and keeps them from being see through. Decorate the game it as you like.

Apply the clear contact paper to the game board and to the pieces. I like to apply the contact paper one side at a time so that the fold is not covered, it makes it easier to close the folder. After applying the contact paper to the pieces, I cut around the outside leaving a small edge to keep the front and back parts together.

Then your game is finished and ready to be enjoyed.

Below is a list of the sites that offer free folder games. I love sites like these and am so thankful for those willing to share their hard work with others.

Preschool Printables - She has several free matching games for preschoolers. She also sells CD-Roms of even more games.

ABC Teach - This site has some free games for preschool and up. There are also more games available for members of the site.

File Folder Fun - This site has such a great selection of folder games. Search by age or subject.

Christian Preschool Printables - This site is also a treasure trove of folder games. These games are all Bible themed.

Bible Story Printables - This is another treasure trove of folder games that are Bible themed.

Mr Printables - There are a few really cute games on this site to print out.

File Folder Farm - This site has some absolutely adorable folder games.

These are just some of the free resources available. There are also tons of purchasable folder games out there and even books you can by with games already in them. If you want something new and fun to help reinforce skills without using worksheets, I highly recommended folder games.

I'm participating in 31 Days along with over 1,000 other bloggers hosted by the Nesting Place.
What happens when life gets in the way of blogging?
Posts that were supposed to go up in October being posted in November.

Mommy Lesson 6 - Be Flexible

Flexibility is a major key to sanity. It seems I am continually learning how to be more flexible. I am a mom with a plan. I plan our day, our week, our school, our meals, our chores, and our fun. I love having a schedule and everything falling in place like a puzzle coming together. However I have landed on my face many times as my carefully coordinate schedule gets pulled out from under me.
The other day the kids’ behavior was responding to the weather change. They were all on edge and really not being themselves. It was so evident to me that if I attempted to do any structured school work, I would just have to reteach the material the next day. They were in no mental capacity to sit still and absorb new information or complete their school assignments. How did I know this? From past experience. I cannot tell you how many times I had them sit down to “do school” on days like that only to have them not remember any what they learned the very next day. And the tears and stress and arguments that ensue on those days is really not pleasant or worth it. So… I realized I needed to change the course of the day right then. (Hey, maybe I’m actually learning this lesson.) I told them that as long as they could get along nicely then they could just play and hang out instead of do school work. They were more than happy to oblige to that request and really tried hard to get along for the rest of the day. Had I forced them to sit and do school, we would have had much conflict and no real learning. Instead I was able to focus my attention on reminding them how to treat each other. (Seriously they really were just irritable.) This is also a very important lesson they need to be reminded of. Other days, I redirect our day in the opposite way in which we were going.

For the longest time, I would fight to keep to my plan every day no matter what the circumstance. Now I am much more able to remember the bigger picture and that in order to stay sane, I need to not stress when the day does not go according to plan.

Proverbs 16:2-4 (HCSB) All a man's ways seem right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the motives. Commit your activities to the LORD and your plans will be achieved. The LORD has prepared everything for His purpose—even the wicked for the day of disaster.

Proverbs 16:9 (HCSB) A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps.

Proverbs 19:21 (HCSB) Many plans are in a man's heart, but the LORD's decree will prevail.

Rainy Day Fun

Heart of the Matter Online does a weekly Friday meme that I used to participate in but haven’t for a while. This week I thought it would be fun to take part in it. Here is this week’s topic:

April Showers: Rainy Day Ideas

I don’t know about you, but around here it’s been nothing but sunshine lately and we are enjoying it! The forecast is calling for rain in the near future and the kiddos will once again be climbing the walls until the sun shines again. What do you do when you’re stuck indoors all day? Share your great rainy day ideas!

What do we do on a rainy day?
At our house, the adventure doesn’t change much between the rainy and sunny days. For five years, we lived in an area where just sending the kids out to play was not really the safest thing to do. I learned a long time ago how to keep the kids occupied and happy indoors because there were many days when I could not stay outside to watch them and going to the park was not going to happen. These activities are also great for windy days and super high pollen days, which also force us to stay inside.

Hide and Seek – My kids love playing hide and seek in the house. There are many hiding places if you just use your imagination. They can play for about an hour before getting bored and even the littlest one can get involved.

How about under the bathroom sink?

Or maybe the top of the wardrobe?

Maybe under the kitchen table would be better.

Under the desk with Mommy at the computer is perfect!

On second thought I think I prefer under the laundry basket.

Stone Tag – My kids play a game sort of like Freeze Tag only it is Narnian style. We have this cloth rose that the kids use as a wand. If you are touched you are turned into stone; until someone comes and touches you to be "unstoned". This game can become so hilarious to watch. Little G loves to be the one with the rose and the kids love trying to escape her. Much laughter fills the house during this game.

Princess K had the rose at this moment and poor Little Man, that is not an easy position to be when you're turned into stone.

Puzzles - We have a special cover for the top of our table so we will put a puzzle on the actual table and just cover it with the topper when we need the table for something, like eating. There is often an unfinished puzzle just waiting for someone to work on hiding away under the topper.

Working away on the puzzle.

Now the puzzle is put away for the day.

Our house is always filled with activity everyday. From baking and cooking to puzzles and games, there is always an activity to be done. Almost always, our coffee table is covered in some coloring, cutting or origami type project. Or our kitchen table is covered with mini books that are being done for a lapbook. The fun here never ends, well... at least until bedtime. :)

Need more ideas, visit other moms for more ideas by visiting Heart of the Matter Online. What are some fun things you do on days when you are forced to stay indoors?

Homeschool and Clutter

Happy Friday! Heart of the Matter hosts a meme every Friday for homeschool moms and this week, the topic of choice is:

Best Tips For Conquering Clutter
One of the biggest struggles for homeschooling parents is managing the household while teaching the kids. What are some ways that you stay on top of the daily chores? Do you have organizational tips to share?

This makes me laugh because I try so hard to conquer clutter in my house and there are many days I find it to be a loosing battle. It seems to me that for a homeschooler, clutter is required. Or, is it just that as a mom who is spreading out her time amongst the munchkins who are home all day long is left with little time to keep up with the everyday house mess that seems inevitable. There are a few things I do - that I know work for me - to keep clutter from over taking the house. So, I will share with you what works for me.

Less is more - I try not to buy too many things. Before I buy anything that is not an immediate need, I ask myself if I have a place for it to call home. I ask myself if it is something I will use more than once. If it is décor item, I ask myself if it really works in my house and if I will still like it in a few months. I often leave items I like at the store and will go back to buy that item only if a week or two later I still want them. That tells me that it is not an impulse buy. I really do not have a lot of décor in my house. I do not like to buy items that are not useful.

Contain Everything - I am still working on this area. I just bought some Rubbermaid “Take Alongs” to contain our manipulatives. I had been using plastic baggies and putting all of those in a large container but that was hard for the kids to keep put away for some reason. I put all the manipulatives in their own container and that seemed to do the trick. Now, each container will go on a shelf so they are more easily obtained and put away. The take along containers I bought at Wal Mart this week for so little money. (1 pkg. of 5 for $2.50) I have a hard time spending a lot of money on storage items so I rarely buy them and when I do, it is only, that which is cheep. You will not find cute storage baskets at all here. I can never bring myself to buy them no matter how much I like them.

Put it Away - When it comes to the kids’ toys, I am struggling. We only buy that which we know they will play with for a long time and that can be passed on to the next child. We do not get them toys throughout the year either. We only buy the kids toys for birthdays, Christmas, and then not very many. However, it seems that toys multiply spontaneously. Have you ever picked up a toy and wonder where in the world it came from? I really have a hard time with getting them to put away toys consistently when they are done. Nevertheless, I try. Baby G is 21 months old and long ago, we started teaching her to “Put away.” Whenever she is done with something, we tell her to put away and she has learned to do just that. I am hoping that she will continue, as she gets older.

I fail miserably with controlling paper clutter. So, I have no advice with that.

Clutter can be so powerful in the home and I am in a constant battle with it so that I can keep it at bay. Clutter can cause dissension in the home. Clutter does not bring peace and relaxation. It can't, clutter is chaos and undermines the very core of a home. I am sure of this as I have seen in my own family that when the clutter is under control, peace and rest can be felt. Clutter is a distraction saying, "Look at me you have to put me away still." It can cause a mom to have a sense of urgency in her that she does not need. Then the kids pick up on it and the day spirals down hill from there. Please know that I am far from getting it under control and look for new, easy, inexpensive ways to control the clutter all the time.

A Peaceful Morning

You know how some of the simplest ideas are the best ideas? Okay most of the simplest ideas are the best. Anyway, one of the many wonderful workshops Daddy Reg and I went to at the homeschool conference this weekend was with Kendra Fletcher of Preschoolers and Peace. Her workshop was called Preschoolers, Preparation, and Peace. Both of us were so encouraged when we left. I was reminded of some things that I had done in the past that I should try again. I also learned new things that I can do to make life more peaceful.

When we started homeschooling Little Man was 4, Princess K was 3, and Miss H was 14 months old. I had learned through trial and error how to school with little ones underfoot but that was before Baby G (She has made me rethink everything I thought I knew about training little ones.). By the end of this year, I felt defeated. I was sure we did not progress as much as we should have through the year and I was wiped out. I know now what I am going to do differently.

Okay now the simple yet absolutely genius idea was this. Have 5 daily tasks that are done every morning. There are tasks we do every morning without order or consistency. There were mornings that the kids would not be dressed until almost lunch. Kendra talked about having 5 things (5 fingers/5 things) to do every morning. It just clicked that we needed to do that. Then hopefully mornings would become a little less crazy and not as drawn out as they have become.

This morning, Daddy Reg sat down with the kids and told them the plan. Then he put the list on paper so we could put them on the wall for a reminder. After we consoled Little Man, who had a melt down, (Change is not something he handles at all.) we put the plan to work. It was amazing to watch Little Man follow through with what we asked. He read the list, did the task, and went back to the list. He did not goof around or get distracted. He just focused on the list. Princess K is very scattered brained and is constantly forgetting what needs to be done. This helped her so much in knowing what needed to be done next. I love this idea and I know that next month, this will be such a habit because we are going to be consistently doing it every day. Thank you so much Kendra for imparting your practical tips to make life run more smoothly and peacefully.

Here is our list.

Daily Five

1. Eat Breakfast/Drink Coffee
2. Tidy Room - (bed, books, cups, clothes)
3. Get dressed for the day
4. Bathroom time - Brush teeth and hair.
5. Pray for the day

Thursday Thirteen - Baking Friendship Bread

It is typically called Amish Friendship bread, though I prefer to call it Friendship Bread. What do you do with it? Well… a friend usually gives you a zip-top baggy with some bread starter in it and a recipe. Where did they get their starter? A friend gave it to them who got it from a friend who got theirs from a friend...
For ten days you squish the baggy to mix it and you add sugar, flour and milk half way through. When all is said and done, your one starter makes several starters. The starter is some combination of yeast, milk, sugar and flour but I do not know the exact amount to start a starter from nothing.
Why am I rambling on about bread starter? Because I was blessed with some and I love the bread it makes. So does my family. If you keep a starter each time you make it, you will be baking every 10 days. We love it so much I actually keep two starters for myself, and cook them both so we can have 4 loaves of very yummy bread. The recipe calls for a box of instant vanilla or chocolate pudding but I say you can do so much more than that with this bread. Even though the vanilla pudding is exceptionally good.

13 Things You Can Do With Friendship Bread Starter

1. Use 1 large box of butterscotch instant pudding instead of vanilla
2. Add 2 large over ripe bananas smashed to smithereens (omit the vanilla pudding or switch it out with banana)
3. Add 1 cup pumpkin purée (omit the pudding all together or they have pumpkin flavored)
4. Add 1 cup of raisins and 1 small diced apple (Maybe use pistachio flavored pudding)
5. Add 1 cup of chocolate chips or any chips and vary the pudding flavor to compliment
6. Add one cup of shredded carrot and maybe some raisins.
7. Add one cup of shredded zucchini (you will need to drain the extra liquid)
8. Use lemon pudding mix and add a couple tablespoons of poppy seeds (I would eliminate the cinnamon and maybe add some lemon zest for extra flavor)
9. Use one box of lemon pudding mix; add 1 cup of dried cranberries and some orange zest. (omit the cinnamon)
10. Add 1 or 2 cups of frozen blueberries.
11. Use one box cheesecake flavored instant pudding and add a cup or so of frozen raspberries. (Omit the cinnamon)
12. Bake it in a bundt pan instead of two loaf pans.
13. Use muffin tins instead of loaf pans.

Glue and Little Ones - A Teacher's Trick

If you have ever tried to do crafts with little ones you know things can get messy before you have time to realize what is happening. Over the years I have accumulated little tricks that make crafting easier. Here is one tip for you to use when using glue. I did this all the time when I was teaching preschool.

Save the lids to margarine, sour cream and other containers. Turn the lid upside down and squeeze the glue onto the lid. This way you don't use more than you really need. Let the kids "paint" the glue onto the project with q-tips. When you are done with the project, let the glue dry on the lid then peel off the dried glue and throw it away. Saving the lid for next time. You will find that the q-tips come unraveled during use, just replace it as needed. Toss all of them when you are done.

This saves you a huge mess of glue when you are finished, especially if your littles ones do not realize just how strong they are. Believe me, you do not want to clean up that mess.