Make a Balance Scale to Use Outside

I love this idea for making a balance scale out of things you probably already have around the house. Attach a couple of buckets to a level (get the full DIY at Susy Homeschooler) and you’ll be ready to play and learn at the same time.

This is a modified version of a pan balance, which allows you to compare the weight of two objects or groups of objects.

There are so many ways to play with such a scale: weighing rocks, toys, water, sand or just about anything else you find outside. You can estimate which of two objects is heavier, or how many different smaller objects you would need to balance out a heavier object.

And if you don’t have these materials handy, she bought all the main components at the dollar store, so this can be an inexpensive project, too. What fun.

[Photo: Susy Homeschooler.]If you are looking for fun active games to get the kids moving, I highly recommend this Floor Is Lava Board Game

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Seashell Collage for Kids to Make

I’m in deep denial about the fact that new year is almost upon us again! It’s been the fastest and the longest year at the same time, and I can look back and see some good things as well as some things I wish had gone differently.

Doing a year in review with your kids — whether in the classroom or at home — is a good way to capture some of their memories and the things they really liked about the year gone by.

There are a lot of different printable year in review worksheets you can use if you want to make this super easy. Here are links to a few (often part of larger posts about NYE celebrations with kids that are worth a read, too):

Teach Beside Me has lots of fun printables fro the end of the year, including a year in review that covers favorite memory, funniest memory and the best book they read, among other topics.
NurtureStore‘s version has space for a self-portrait and prompts like favorite toy, best day out this year and future dream job.
Remember favorites, their “best idea” of the year and have room for setting goals for next year with this one from The Keele Deal.
The year in review from Yes We Made This has room for drawing or writing and includes things like something they learned, a memory they made and a place they visited.

Of course you could pretty easily make your own year in review for the whole family to do that asks questions based on what you most want to remember. (Favorite video game? Best friend? Favorite family memory?)

And if after the year in review you’re ready to look ahead a bit, Mrs. Merry has new year’s resolution printables to inspired kids to look ahead and set goals for things they want to try. You can totally fill this one out as a grownup, too.

[Photo: Mrs. Merry]

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