Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean that you put math in mothballs. Here are some ideas you might want to use to sneak some math problems in during summer:

Money

Put your kid(s) in-charge of money for an outing. When I was ten-years old, I joined my Mom for a two-week work trip. She put me in charge of some of our spending money. I not only had to keep track of what we had, what we could spend, but I started to understand what “to budget” meant. You can do the same. You can do this when you:

• Go out for dinner
• Shopping at the grocery store or Farmer’s Market
• The movies (what treats can you get after you pay for tickets?)
• The local garden store or nursery
• The corner store for a treat for the family

The list goes on and one. Give it a try.

How Far Have We Gone?

With the advent with so many on-line mapping devices, it is easy to calculate how long a trip will be, in both mileage and time. So, have your kid (who is probably more computer savvy than you) figure out how many miles or long it will take when you are planning to go somewhere. It can be a walk to a friend’s house, a drive to a local museum or a plane flight.

Check these sites to help them map it out:

Google

Map My Ride

Map My Run

A Problem Based Upon The Day

There are very few kids who LIKE to do math word problems, but if you disguise them, they can be seen as fun.

Create a problem that has to do with a real-life challenge, based upon something they want or something you are trying to do. For example, if you’re having a dinner party with ten people, have your child figure out how much food you will need or simply how many chairs. I would do it like this:

“We are having ten people over for dinner tomorrow. I want to cook chicken with asparagus and rice. A two-pound chicken will feed approximately four people. One bunch of asparagus will feed three people. One cup of rice will feed three people. How much do we need to get of each item?”

You can also add in a zinger like, “One of the ten people is a former football player so he will eat as much as two people” or simplify it, by asking, “How many glasses will we need to set the table if we need a wine glass and water glass?”

Go in either direction. It will take you all of two minutes to write it down, but it will take them ten minutes to solve. And most importantly, they will feel that they have had an important role in planning a function and used their brain in a helpful, positive way. It makes them feel more a part of your life.

Try these three tips to keep math a part of your life all year round.

There is nothing better than a kid taking control of their life.  This blog is exactly that.  Written by a child about her experience growing up with Celiac, Gluten Free Rocks discusses the challenges and opportunities of being gluten free, from the kid’s point of view and how it really isn’t that bad.

It’s filled with recipes, tips and stories. And it’s written by a kid!  I love it!

Click here to check it out.

I love the imagery and creative voice that kid’s find through the process of writing a poem.

Although there are many ways to approach the teaching of poetry when writing in classroom I place particular emphasis on helping my students recognize a poetic moment.  I encourage them to trust their inspiration and pick up a pen and begin to write.

I was thinking about those special moments of inspiration this last week when I noticed at the end of the hallway another teacher had taped a paper archway to the window.  It was labeled “Poetry Window”.

At any time her students could look out of this little archway and write a poem about whatever they saw. Since they were peering out onto a New York City street, things were changing every millisecond, but it could have been looking out anywhere at anytime and the viewer would find inspiration.

Try making a “poetry window” at home on the backdoor, out a window in the house or apartment or even the car window and see what they write.  Write poems together, on alternate days or designate poetry times.  Decorate the “poetry window” and move it around the house and create a collection of poems!

The K5 Contributor and chef Carlin Greenstein has some great idea for spring cuisine and what you can make with your kids:

Springtime is a fantastic time to orient your kids with your local farmer’s market.  After a long winter in the Northeast, the arrival of springtime brings more color and vibrance offering a great opportunity to introduce new fruits and vegetables at home.  When you bring your child to the farmers’ market, you not only offer the chance for them to meet and chat with the farmers that actually grow the food but you also teach them how different seasons present new offerings.  In my experience, most city kids think that vegetables grow in the supermarket!

Here is a sneak peak of what to look for in the coming weeks at the market:

-ramps (aka wild leeks)

-asparagus

-parsnips

-kale

-fiddleheads

-radishes

-lettuces

Try these two simple and kid pleasing recipes at home once with your springtime bounty:

Scrambled eggs with ramps and asparagus

Serves 4

All the ingredients in this dish can be found at the farmers market now!  Asparagus is rich in Vitamins A and C and Folate, fiber rich too.

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup thinly sliced trimmed ramp bulbs, stems and green tops (set aside the tops)

6 medium asparagus spears, trimmed, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces

8 large eggs, beaten to blend

sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Melt butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ramp bulbs and stems to skillet; sauté 3 minutes. Add green tops and asparagus; sauté until ramps are soft and asparagus is al dente, about 8 minutes.

Add eggs to skillet and gently stir until eggs are very softly set, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

Divide eggs between 4 plates and serve immediately.

Roasted parsnip puree

Serves 4

Roasting brings out the rich earthiness by caramelizing the natural sugars of the parsnip.  Kids will love the sweet flavor and smooth texture of the puree, it beats the pants off of mashed potatoes!  Parsnips are rich in Vitamin C and Folate.

2 lbs parsnips, peeled, cores removed and chopped

3 Tbsp butter, melted

1 1/2 cup water or chicken broth

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. Peel parsnips, make a cut off the top of the fat end of each parsnip. This will show you extent of the inner core. Often this core is stringy and woody, especially at the larger end of the parsnip. When you are prepping the parsnips, cut around this core.

Place chopped parsnips in a medium sized bowl, add the melted butter and stir to coat. Lay out the parsnips on a roasting pan in a single layer. Roast in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, at 400°F, until lightly golden, turning the parsnips once half-way through the cooking.

Put cooked parsnips into a blender or food processor. Add 1 1/2 cups water or broth, and pulse until puréed to the desired consistency. Add more liquid if necessary. Add nutmeg, sea salt and pepper to taste.