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NELSON Disney Learning

Summertime Doesn’t Mean Kids Have To Stop Learning

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We all know that summer is a time for having fun with friends, summer camp and ignoring bed times, but that doesn’t mean that we must completely abandon the lessons our kids have been learning throughout the school year. We still encourage the kids to do some reading every day, usually before bed, but we recently discovered a new learning tool that has the kids asking to do homework. No, I’m serious!

A new collaboration between NELSON and Disney Learning has the kids excited to be working on reading, writing and math so far this summer. When our 7-year-old daughter saw Disney’s Moana on the cover of her new NELSON workbook, she dove in before even asking what it was. Frankly, I’m not even sure she knows she’s learning while working in it because all she does is talk about how much fun it is.

For our son, being 9 years old, I thought it would be a bit of a tougher sell but as soon as his sister bragged that she had already finished 10 pages, he sat right down and got to work until he passed her mark. Oh, the joys of having 2 kids to push each other! The NELSON workbooks are great because we could get specific books for the grades that each child was going into next year and they aren’t too complicated, which gives the kids confidence going into a new grade.

NELSON Disney Learning Math Cards

The workbooks are great but the kids really enjoyed the Math Activity Cards that came with the set. Math is just one of those things that needs to be constantly worked on in order to feel confident in your abilities and the cards are what sets the NELSON learning set apart from the others we’ve tried. I also love that the kids use a dry erase marker on the cards so we can erase the answers and come back to them later.

It’s important to us that the kids keep their minds sharp in between all the summer fun so that when they get back to school the transition isn’t overwhelming. The fact that they are laughing and having a great time with each other while they work on the NELSON learning set makes mom and dad happy campers!

For more information about the NELSON and Disney Learning collaboration sets you can visit nelson.com/disneylearning and if you use code Read10 you can score yourself a discount on your order! You can also follow the hashtag #NELSONLoveOfLearning on both the NELSON Facebook and Twitter pages.

Disclosure: I was compensated for my participation in this program but the kids really did love doing homework in the summer, which truly blew my mind.

Plate Clock

Learn to Tell Time with a Plate Clock

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Want a fun way to teach your child to tell time? Making a plate clock is a great way for him to learn how to tell time in a way he’ll actually find exciting. He’ll love having an excuse to push veggies around his plate without getting in trouble for it. It may be a simple art project, but in no time, your child will be able to tell time, an important building block for other math skills.

What You Need:

White plate
Porcelain paint markers
Strips of vegetables
Oven

What You Do:

1. Ask your child to choose what colors he wants to use for the numbers.
2. Write number 1 on the plate in the 1 o’clock spot, then have your child tell you which number comes next as you write them clockwise on the plate with porcelain paint markers.
3. Place the plate in an oven and let the ink bake on. Follow the instructions on the package of markers to determine how long to leave the plate in and at what temperature. Make sure little fingers aren’t near the stove!
4. Once the plate is done baking, have your child set a trivet on the counter while you remove the plate using pot holders.
5. When the plate cools off, hand your child two vegetable strips, such as green beans or pepper strips. One should be slightly longer than the other to represent the minute and hour hands.
6. Now the fun begins! Ask him to show you different times on the clock plate using the vegetable strips. For example, if you ask him to show you 3 o’clock, the long pepper slice should be pointed at the 12 while the short green bean should be pointed at the 3.
7. Every time he eats a meal on the plate, periodically ask your child during the meal to show you the time using the vegetable strips. He’ll love playing with his food!

Plate Clock

The best thing about the plate clock is that it creates a learning opportunity at any meal. Use french toast sticks or sausage links at breakfast, sweet potato fries at lunch, and vegetable strips at dinner. Your child will be so busy playing with his food he won’t even realize how much he’s learning in the process!

*This is a guest post from Education.com*

Let’s Talk About Testicles For A Minute, Shall We?

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Team Single Jingles Cancer Awareness

I know, it’s not a very comfortable topic, right? Unfortunately, the fact is that Testicular Cancer is the #1 cancer in young men ages 15 to 35?, so it’s a conversation that we all need to have with our children and amongst ourselves.

I’m proud to participating in the Team Single Jingles “Man UP Monday” project for a number of reasons. One of my friends was diagnosed, treated and cured of testicular cancer, while fresh out of high school. I also think it’s important for men to speak up, to let others know that it’s okay to do the same. Finally, I am father to a son of my own, who needs to know that Testicular Cancer is highly survivable if detected early and that the two of us should be doing a monthly self-exam.

I have never been one to shy away from visiting my doctor and I have vowed to talk to my son about taking care of himself, especially when it comes to the awkward topic of a testicular exam. I am now challenging you to take the same vow. That one, potentially uncomfortable conversation could be enough to save your child’s life and it’s absolutely one worth having.

For more information, please stop by the Testicular Cancer Foundation website
and Request a FREE shower card with self-exam instructions – it just might save a young man in your life! I’ll leave you with a great video, put together by the incredible Jim Higley, along with some of the other Single Jingles Parenting Crew.