Melissa Tandem's Profile

Oh my gosh, I LOVE this! I am going to use them in my classroom to organize materials.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving me this idea. Containers are more expensive than most people think, and have a tendency to get messed up when they're being used frequently by 8-year-olds. You have just saved me a lot of money, Janie. Thanks a million!

Also, there's some great ideas about how you can use recycled materials for crafts that will keep your kid engaged for hours if you follow the link below.

http://tandemteaching.com/guaranteed-boredom-buster-build-an-exploratorium/

These are all essential items. I'm so glad you made such a clear and concise list.

I remember going to overnight camps that usually lasted a week at a time. It doesn't seem like that long as an adult, but as a kid it felt SO long. It was fun, and I loved it, but one of my warmest memories were receiving letters every day from my friend's grandma the first time I ever went away for a week. It made me feel like someone was missing me, and people hadn't forgotten about me.

When I told my ma when I got back home, she was sure to send letters whenever I went to camp in the future. I still treasure some of them today.

Sending letters provides the perfect balance for a kid- encouraging them to be independent and safe at the same time.

Oh, and here's a tip: Send your first one before they leave so it's waiting for them when they get there. It's a time when they'll probably be feeling particularly vulnerable because they haven't had much time to bond with other campers.

My sister and I had a bed shaped like an L, where one pushed partly in under the other one. I wish I could describe it better. We set it up in the corner of our bedroom, and it had drawers under the top bed.

We spent so many hours pulling the lower bed out and then making and playing in a fort we'd made.

One of the reasons I'm still so close to my sister today is because of all of the nights we talked after lights out. Sometimes the best heart-to-hearts happen in the dark!

Your girls are going to love this, regardless of how you set it up. Good luck!

This is so cool! I can see how it would be a big hit with the neighborhood kids.

When I read it, a few of my former students sprang to mind who would LOVE to make something like this.

You print out the instructions from Instructables, and be close by to offer help if they need it, and you'll be helping your kiddo with following written directions, which is a really difficult thing for kids to tackle that they are required to learn from 2nd to 5th grade.

What I love about this project is that it has real-life applications, AND kids would be extremely motivated to flex that brain muscle.

Love, love, love it!

What a great project! It's also so affordable, which I love. There's some great pictures and crafts for kids to do in the article When a Cup is Not a Cup. http://tiny.cc/roil3 I'm amazed at the creations our imaginative kiddos come up with!

These are so cute! I can see how they could keep any kid engaged for hours. Here's another article with great ways to keep kids busy indoors. http://tandemteaching.com/guaranteed-boredom-buster-build-an-exploratorium/

It's sounds like you and your kiddo worked on this together every step of the way. What a special memory to create!

Jackie I wish I would've read these tips before I went to my family reunion a couple of weeks ago! My cousin's babies had such a hard time sleeping because they're not used to traveling, and I think these tips would've really helped her.

It's only recently that I realized just how important sleep is when I was reading Nurture Shock. Here's a link to an article that sums it up.

http://tiny.cc/s0su2

I agree. Every teacher I've worked with from New Zealand has a deeper knowledge of child development than many seasoned teachers. And the some of the best educational research that's out there today is coming from this country.

These toys are beautiful, and sustainable, and what I love the most about them is that they encourage the child to use their imagination when interacting with them, which will help their brain development and intellectual growth.

It reminded me of this article that talked about toys that encourage imagination. http://tiny.cc/9ytrz

Your tips are great. My Auntie Mary taught me that making sure all of the trash is taken out is a definite essential. Bathroom, office, kitchen, you name it!

I appreciate how you're recommending to make re-entry into regular life as easy as possible by planning ahead. This post has some tips you might like to learn how to make re-entry into the school year as easy as possible by planning ahead.

http://tandemteaching.com/the-secret-to-homework-success-without-stress/

Hope it's helpful!