The links in this post are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on a link. Every year I say that my STEM Gifts for All Ages gift guide is the biggest one to date and this cone continues the trend. With the huge number of…
teens
2019 Gift Guide: Best Gift for Teens (ages 13+ w giveaway)
The links in this post are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on a link. Mrs. Hannigan may have been surrounded by little girls in Annie, but this year I’m surrounded by teens! I spend part of my day with 13 year olds in my…
4 Lessons I’m Learning from Teaching and Parenting Teens
When my brother and I were in elementary school, one of our favorite games was Life. It simulates one’s adventures through adulthood and even though it has surprising twists and turns as you traverse the board in a miniature car, it never could have prepared me for the many unexpected moments that plagued our family…
How to Teach Coding at Home with Game Changers Kits
This 4-H National Youth Science Day post is sponsored by HughesNet “I don’t understand why we’re not using the computer if this is a computer science class,” one of my 8th grade students groans as he sits down at his computer while I pass out papers. Despite being tech savvy online, the teacher in me…
8 Ways to Help Your New Teen Driver Stay Safe on the Road
Early milestones during our child’s younger such as the first steps and first birthday are just as exciting as those that come during the teen years. Events like high school, a first homecoming or prom, and taking driver’s education as a precursor to getting a driver’s license are exciting for kids when they hit double…
10 Tools That Will Help You Take Charge of Your Digital Life
This post is sponsored by Google Have you ever thought about the role technology plays in your life? Living a digital life is exciting but also complicated. Digital devices make us more productive, help us stay connected, allow us to keep learning, and provide a much-needed break from reality. Our phones are the first things…
How to Teach Your Kids to Unplug in Favor of Digital Wellbeing
This post is sponsored by Google Every family struggles with screen time. You’re not alone in telling your kids to put down their phones, issuing reminders about dwindling minutes when gaming, and feeling frustrated when requests to get off the computer fall on deaf ears. Some of us have tried to limit minutes using devices…
Teach Your Kids to Take Better Pictures with 4-H Digital Photography Curriculum
This post is sponsored by 4-H With improvements in smartphone technology and the cameras inside them, it’s easier than ever for tweens and teens to be photographers. However, a great image is measured by more than how many friends you can cram into the frame of your selfie. Parents with budding photographers can make screen…
Dear Future Coders: 4 Pieces of Advice for Tween & Teen Technologists
Thank you to Capital One for sponsoring this post As a former classroom teacher, I can distinguish between social chatter and productive chatter. Social chatter was typical in my first-grade classroom as kids were transitioning between parts of the day or weren’t engaged in classroom tasks and had the power to create a ripple effect of off-task…
2018 Gift Guide: Best STEM Gifts for Kids of All Ages
Since starting this blog almost 11 years ago, there’s been an influx of STEM focused toys on the market. There’s no shortage of products designed to foster curiosity and get our kids interested in these subjects but the teacher in me can distinguish between items that provide worthwhile STEM learning experiences versus those that masquerade…
