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What am I going to do with my kids all summer?

Are you thinking what I am thinking- What am I going to do with my kids all summer?

Bring on the summer days and no more school at home!

Whew!! We did it! Did you think it was never going to end? I am so thrilled we finished quarantine school!

While we may not yet be done with quarantine, we at least can create some resemblance of a summer break and plan for fun.

Although this summer will definitely look different than normal, I know that it will be one for the memory books!

2020 Summer Activities at Home List

Summer Printable Packet

I have created a Summer Printable Packet back out to help create a routine, a bucket list, and a schedule for the summer. Definitely wishful thinking, but it one thing that really helped us doing quarantine was having a schedule.

This summer we are adding non-traveling things to our bucket list. Like, Build an epic fort, Take some FUN classes, Maybe have some themed “camp weeks”. Don’t forget about Chores App For kids to Earn Money

We are still using to the  BusyKid App, which allows kids to complete Chores App For kids to Earn Money. BusyKid is the chore app where kids can earn, save, share, spend and invest real allowance. There’s NO SUBSCRIPTION FEE* to use BusyKid but plenty of features to help your kids build a strong financial routine.

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At Home Summer Resources

Outschool.com – Thee mission is to inspire kids to love learning. They provide small group classes that meet over live video chat where learners are connected with teachers and classmates who share their interests. These classes are offered through their marketplace and conducted on our remote learning platform. There are SO MANY other non-academic options on the website. You can click here to create a new account and receive a $20 credit on your first class. AND teachers can earn extra cash by teaching classes online, click here to create a teacher account. Teach online and earn up to $40 USD per hour taught.

That’s why we put together The Stay at Home Survival Bundle – to give you tips, tricks, and strategies to take care of yourself, your family, and your home (and keep your sanity in the process ;)).

Summer Camp At Home

Babysitters, Grandparents, Caretakers… If you are looking for week by week resources here are some wonderful At Home Summer Camp activities. And now the other 8 weeks have been released. You can pick and choose which weeks you purchase {$5.97 each} OR you can purchase the all-access pass which gives you instant access to all 8 weeks for $29.97! For a limited time, get free access to Space Week for FREE!

All 8 weeks include: fun, engaging, and educational videos, crafts, tutorials, hands-on activities, science experiments, themed physical fitness/workouts, dance parties, family movie nights, themed snacks, and so much more! I have also included a supplies list for each week, a printable themed certificate of completion for each week, and blank Summer Camp at Home planning pages!

These weekly camps are entirely self-paced. You can begin and end when you want and you have lifetime access to them!

Summer Camp at Home:Disney Week
Summer Camp at Home:Under the Sea Week
Summer Camp at Home:Dinosaurs Week
Summer Camp at Home:Olympics Week
Summer Camp at Home:Superhero Week
Summer Camp at Home:Pirates Week
Summer Camp at Home:Hawaiian Week
Summer Camp at Home:All-Access Pass to all 8 weeks

Each week day, you’ll journey through a variety of activities in the following categories:

  • Learn & Explore- engaging, educational videos and projects
  • Fun & Creative- a variety of hands-on crafts and activities designed to reinforce what you’re learning each week.
  • Get Moving- physical fitness, exercises, workouts, and dance parties all centered around your theme of the week.
  • Further Exploration: Watch & Listen- numerous suggestions for further exploration of the weekly theme through a family movie night.
  • Snack Time- fun and yummy snacks and recipes based on your weekly theme.

Each week also includes:

  • List of supplies needed to complete crafts and activities for the week.
  • Themed certificate of completion.
  • Blank Summer Camp at Home planning pages to help you organize your week.

Internet Safety Reminders for Summer Break

A few weeks ago, I shared with you some Internet Safety Reminders During School Closures and wanted to remind you of the Bark app.  It’s an absolute must for busy parents who are interested in knowing when and if their children come across something that could possibly cause a problem online. Bark app allows you to monitor over 30 platforsm from text messages to social media channels. When Bark detects an issue, you get an automatic alert via email and even includes expert recommendations to make it easy for parents to talk to kids about digital dangers and other sensitive online issues. It did take me some time to set up for my three children, but it’s already been worth the time. Bark app costs $50-100 annually depending on the level of functionality desired, for younger children it’s a monthly charge of $5 and can go up to $14 depending on your desired tools. You can also check out the special code below for readers to save 20% for annual subscription. Check out one of the alerts that was sent to my email last night due to profanity in a youtube video that my 13 year old was watching. Not only did it give me the alert, but look below for some of the expert advice to how I should talk to Lucas about the profanity.

SPECIAL PRICING – SIGN UP NOW FOR A FREE ONE-WEEK TRIAL OF BARK AND 20% OFF BARK FOR LIFE USING CODE 5X7FJ6N AT CHECKOUT.

Summer Reading

Amazon’s Kids Book Box Subscription – sign up for something fun and engaging to read this summer. Plus, it’s always fun for kids to get a box in the mail with their name on it. Check out the different age and box options here.

Prime Book Box saves you up to 40% off List Price, and provides the best value on hardcover books sold by Amazon.com.Each box contains 2 hardcover books or 4 board books. It’s based on age and reading level. 

Online Summer Resources

There are a ton of Learn at Home Resources that were free or reduced during the last couple months. Here are some other sites that I shared with my class over the last couple weeks.

Comic Book Websites

1. https://www.storyboardthat.com/storyboard-creator (this only allows you to create 2 free), try to draw outyour comic on a paper before going online.
2. https://www.makebeliefscomix.com/
3. For chrome books and tablets -https://toontastic.withgoogle.com/
4. Scholastic has some great resources on comic building -https://www.scholastic.com/parents/school-success/learning-toolkit-blog/creating-comics-online.html
5. Pixton has a free trial https://www.pixton.com/

Internet Safety Websites

Students can visit https://www.netsmartzkids.org/ to watch some videos and play games dealing withInternet Safety.

Lemonade Stand – Financial Literacy

iPad —-> https://www.hoodamath.com/games/lemonadestand.html

Desktop (this is what we use in school —> https://omsi.edu/exhibitions/moneyville/activities.php#getreal

Banzai Program sponsored by Penn East Federal Credit Union

Banzai is free, online financial literacy for students of all ages. It’s interactive and fun. Over 60,000 math, business, family and consumer science, and computer teachers have joined the program nationwide. Banzai focuses on building credit, borrowing, budgeting, spending, setting goals. This is a wonderful program that I have been using for years in my classroom with students in grades 4-6. They start by learning the important terms and with limited choices, but continue through the program to make decisions about saving for future.

Head over to the Banzai website and use code 8DEXBC to join as a student. More ideas to teach kids financial literacy.

 

Stay at Home Survival BundleThe Stay at Home Survival Bundle

DOES YOUR LIFE FEEL CHAOTIC AND OUT OF CONTROL?

2020 has turned into the year no one expected.

And many of us are still struggling to find a routine after our world has been turned upside down.

Whether you find yourself wondering how to entertain your toddler until lunchtime, coming up with creative meals from your pantry, or figuring out how to work from home, you can do this! And we want to help.

Would love to know what you are doing with the kids all summer, feel free to comment below or join the conversation on Facebook.

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Podcast

Urban Kids in Quarantine Interview on Podcast

Have you wondered what’s going through the mind of the 55 million kids that are now being homeschooled? Well, we were too and decided to interview our children about this crazy experience. Lucas is 13, Mollie is 10 and Jaxon is 8. This episode is brought to you by BusyKid, a chore app where kids can earn, save, share, spend and invest real allowance. Visit BusyKid to register for a free account and have your kids start earning money today. Learn more about how your kids can be using this chores app for kids to earn money

 

 

A few days ago or maybe it was weeks ago, honestly they are all pushed together at this point, but I came across this post on facebook that really got me thinking about the importance of having my children journal this experience. I shared some ideas for journaling during quarantine and social distancing in a previous post.  I will admit that I am “THAT MOM” that takes pictures of everything and it didn’t stop during the quarantine. The main reason for my picture taking is to document the time and allow the kids to go back and reflect on the experience and more importantly, write about their feelings. During these uncertain times, recording your feelings and memories during the global pandemic is important, especially for kids!

Guess what, kids love filming themselves, so why not have them create a digital journal or even a traditional journal if that’s more comfortable.

Thanks Mama Cheaps for creating the Today is a New Day Journal

Categories
Podcast

Breaking The Silence about Postpartum Depression

 

Dr. Nicole Kumi is a behavioral health professional, author, and advocate for mental health.  Nicole founded Kumi Training and Development as an opportunity to take her learning and share with other like minded individuals in the behavioral health field.  After a personal experience with Postpartum depression she had decided that women have stayed silent for far too long and deserve the attention and assistance necessary to overcome this illness.  Nicole uses her platform to provide education around PPD, initiate advocacy for women with PPD and has spoken about her journey and where it led her today.  Nicole has extensive history with the juvenile justice and behavioral health systems and is passionate about improving our understanding of the importance of mental health in all facets.

For more information on training by Nicole you can visit Kumi Training and Development .

If you have any questions for Nicole or feel that you may need some guidance on Post Pardom Depression, please reach out to her via email nicbur20@gmail.com. You can purchase Postpartum My Language   on Amazon.

Join Our Community

‘The Hat Club‘, is a group created by Jenna Urban for women who just want to be part of a community that builds each other up and motivates us to fulfill our dreams. We are talking about the coolest group on facebook- for real- we are just a bunch of real women who wear so many different hats throughout the day. This is a trusting place where we can all connect and chat about the craziness of all those hats.

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Podcast

Finding a Side Hustle You Love with Alicia Marshall

Alicia Marshall found her niche in community events through being a Macaroni Kid publisher. Check national Macaroni Kid in your area by emailing jamiec@macaronikid.com or search online https://national.macaronikid.com/locations. Learn more about Macaroni Kid Scranton and sign up for the weekly newsletter https://scranton.macaronikid.com

Follow Macaroni Kid Scranton on Facebook

aliciam@macaronikid.com email

Follow Alicia on Instagram 

Categories
Podcast

Bouncing Back and Beating Addiction

Over the past couple weeks we talked a lot about Self Care and steps you can take to bounce back without beating yourself back down and that’s actually what our guest, Katie Gross, did with her life.

Katie Gross is a mom and wife who has bounced back from addiction and is now living a life of purpose.
She is 61/2 years sober has recently been appointed as Event coordinator for The Recovery Bank in Scranton (recoverybank.org),which is a peer driven recovery support center for persons who have experienced addiction to alcohol or drugs and their loved ones.
email – Katie.Reilly753@gmail.com

 

Listen to more of The Hat Club Podcasts

Join the Community

‘The Hat Club‘, is a group created by Jenna Urban for women who just want to be part of a community that builds each other up and motivates us to fulfill our dreams. We are talking about the coolest group on facebook- for real- we are just a bunch of real women who wear so many different hats throughout the day. This is a trusting place where we can all connect and chat about the craziness of all those hats. (And….of course share tips on cleaning those hats and where to find them at the best deal).

Come join the conversation in The Hat Club