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by Jessica Gerald

Whether you homeschool your children, or you just want a fun way to get them to practice their spelling words for the week, here are three games to make with index cards. They work best with intermediate grade students.

Materials You Will Need:

*A pack of index cards in different colors
*Marker or pen that won’t show through on the other side
*A list of at least 20 spelling words
(If your child doesn’t have that many in their weekly list, you might want to add a few, such as days of the week, months, holidays, and so on.)

Note: These games are for 2 to 3 players, although they could be altered for the classroom.

Preparation:

1. Count out 20 index cards of one color, and 20 of a second color.

2. Write each spelling word on a separate card of the first color, making sure that you can’t see the word from the back of the card. Now write the same words on the cards of the second color.

3. For the Spelling bingo game, you also need a list of words for the caller.

4. Shuffle the cards well, and the play can begin!

5. Each player starts every game with one color, so they don’t get mixed up.

Games and Instructions:

1. Spelling Bingo

Each player picks 5 cards at random and turns them face up on the table in front of them. The caller picks a word from the list, pronounces it, and spells it. If the players have that word turned up, they turn the card over. The first player to have all 5 cards turned over calls “bingo” and is the winner. The winner can be the next caller. The cards are shuffled and play starts again. Several rounds should be played so all the words are practiced.

2. Spelling Concentration

Each player has their stack of 20 cards of one color. They should shuffle their stack and place their cards, face down, in 4 rows of 5 cards each.

The first player chooses one of his or her cards and one of the opponent’s cards. If they match, he or she keeps them in a pile on the side. If they do not match, he or she must put them back exactly where they were. If they match, the child plays again, and continues to play until the cards don’t match. If the cards don’t match, the turn goes to the opponent.

When all the cards are used up, the player with the most cards is the winner. They can be easily separated into the two colors and the play can start again, if desired.

3. Alphabetical Order Race

Each player starts with their pile of 20 cards in one color, shuffled, and placed face down in front of them.

When one says “go” they turn the cards over and race to put them in alphabetical order. The first one finished is the winner, if the order is correct. They should check each other’s cards or have an adult check the order.

They are easy to prepare, easy to play, and fun.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jessica_Gerald

by Magriet Du Plessis

Crafts will always be a very important teaching tool for anyone teaching little kids. Kids learn best by “doing.” Homeschoolers and especially Unschoolers can use this balloon craft as part of a biology lesson. This is a wonderful kids’ craft idea, that is fun and easy to do and also a great first lesson about plants. This craft use balloons so watch the little ones, while you are doing this craft, to prevent suffocation!

All you need for this kids’ craft idea is a medium or large sized, clear balloon, a little earth and water, some seeds, a small funnel and a piece of string. Radish seeds work well, but you could use almost any seeds that are easy to grow.

Kid’s Craft Ideas Step by Step – How to make your first balloon garden

1. Don’t blow your balloon up yet! Put the mouth of the balloon over the funnel and hold it firmly in place (this is where an extra pair of adult hands comes in useful!) Tip in around a ½ cup of earth – enough to almost fill the deflated balloon.

2. Now gradually add water, via the funnel again, until the earth is wet through. Don’t put too much water in or it will all just turn to mud and start overflowing!

3. Dry your funnel, then add your final ingredients, the seeds, into the balloon, still holding it firmly in its upside down position.

4. Still holding the balloon upside down, so that you don’t get a mouthful of dirt, carefully blow it up.

5. Tightly make a knot in the top of the balloon, then tie your string around it and use the string to hook the balloon garden up near a window or other well-lit place.

Making balloon gardens is a fun thing to do at birthday parties, and will keep the kids occupied and happy for ages – as long as you don’t mind the mess! On a summer’s day, it’s best done in the backyard.

Balloon gardens also make lovely gifts, the children can make them for an adult friend or relative and the recipient will be delighted – especially when they hang the balloon garden up and it grows green and lush.

Grandmothers and grandfathers especially love this kid’s craft idea – either to do with the kids (especially a granddad who is a gardening enthusiast) or just to receive a balloon garden craft as a gift. They will love that the kids will want to keep coming back to visit them and seeing how their balloon garden is growing.

When the balloon garden slowly dies off, it is a good opportunity to explain to your kids about the cycle of life, and to help them make a new balloon garden! Use this opportunity to teach them a variety of facts about nature, not only the cycle of life. Plants need water, fresh air, good soil etc. to grow. You can also work a lesson about seasons into this craft.

Enjoy your “Balloon Craft.”

Magriet is a work at home “Gran” with websites on family related matters. Visit her insightful site about homeschooling at http://www.homeschooling.topknacks.com

She also have a site on Kids Crafts that is very related to homeschooling at http://www.kidscrafts.topknacks.com

You can also visit her fun website with easy science projects ideal for the homeschooler at http://www.learnerscience.com

Many of the kids crafts can be used for science lessons and many of the easy science fair projects will actually make fun kids crafts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Magriet_Du_Plessis