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Research shows that when we focus on things we're grateful for, we literally rewire our brains to focus on the positive. This gratitude tree activity helps kids experience the joy of gratitude by creating trees with messages of thanks.

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What are you grateful for? Keep the positive vibes flowing with a gratitude tree!

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Think, design and do with this great challenge!

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Do you know about the Spaghetti Tower Marshmallow Challenge? Set up a Spaghetti Marshmallow Challenge with young children to explore the design process: thinking, doing, prototyping, and iteration: a great STEAM challenge.

If you have any marshmallows left over from the Microwave Marshmallow Experiment, this is the project for you!

This is one of those legendary team-building challenges that I've been hearing about for ages and have never tried.
It encourages the design mindset and supports basic engineering principles.
The basic idea is that a team is given a handful of supplies to work with - spaghetti, tape, and string - and given 18 minutes to build the tallest possible tower that can SUPPORT a marshmallow.

And the point of it? The team will practice the design process that includes thinking, doing, prototyping, and iteration. This last point, iteration, may be the most important. Watch the video at the end of this post for more on that.

Oh, and what group historically performs the BEST in the marshmallow challenge? The answer to that question is also in the video, and you will LOVE it.

If you enjoy this project, you'll also like this STEAM Design Challenge to suport a mandarin with sticks and clay.

Marshmallow Challenge Supplies

Each team gets the same set of supplies...

20 sticks of dry spaghetti

one yard of string

one yard of tape

one marshmallow

Instructions
Challenge: To build the tallest tower possible in 18 minutes that will support the marshmallow.

1. Set up the supplies for each team

2. Explain the challenge: Build the tallest tower possible that will support a marshmallow, in 18 minutes.

3. Set a timer for 18 minutes

4. Go!

Marshmallow Challenge with Young Children

Here's how our marshmallow challenge looked:

My two daughters, ages 4 and 6, and I set our timer for 18 minutes, and started to build. It was exciting, frustrating (spaghetti is nimble and brittle!), and fun. My little one lost interest quickly, but my older daughter stuck with it, pushing me with her novel ideas and keeping me going, right up until the timer ran out.

We talked about how triangles build strong structures, so we started there. Our original idea was to build two structures - one that could support the other, to make our tower twice as tall.

As we got towards the end of our time, the bottom towner couldn't support the weight of the second tower, so we chose just one of the towers to use as a support for the marshmallow. In the end, we measured our marshmallow's height and it clocked in at 10.5 inches. Not earth-shattering, but at least we had a supporting structure!

Marshmallow Challenge

I love my daughter's idea to suspend the marshmallow from a string!

What we learned?

Triangles are good shapes for these structures

We probably should have built the second tower directly on the first one, rather than wait to add it at the end

We worked well together

Prototyping and iteration are important to the process

This challenge could lose a 4-year old's attention 😉

More on the Marshmallow Tower Challenge

You'll want to watch this video of Tom Wujec's TED talk on the Marshmallow Challenge.

What's next?

I would love to try this out with our Girl Scout troop or with my older daughter's friends. After watching Wujec's video (above), I'm eager to see this in action with a group of young children.

More Projects like this one
DIY Paper Tube Marble Run Fort Building Kit DIY Water Wall, it's like a marble run, but with water! Build an easy light table
Got Pasta? Here are more projects for kids that use pasta.
Make Gumdrop Sculptures

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Spaghetti Tower Marshmallow Challenge - TinkerLab

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Set up a Spaghetti Marshmallow Challenge with young children to explore the design process: thinking, doing, prototyping, and iteration. A STEAM challenge.

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Sort at least 10 items in your house by color or shape

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Read a fiction story with a

grown up. Tell them the

characters, setting, and

problem and solution.  Use the recording sheet as you go! Fill up five stories and celebrate!

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Be a great friend by making
a card for a friend you haven't seen since we left school.
Include reasons why they
are a great friend.  Use this Friendly Letter post to get started.

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With school, home, and activities in between, life can sometimes feel chaotic to kids. Help your child learn how to stop and relax with handmade peace rocks. This activity encourages them to tap into their artistic side while learning strategies to find peace every day.

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Share Your Story Books Kindness Rock Painting Supplies Shop Blog As Seen In Free Downloads Frequently Asked Questions Ask Megan to Speak Online 6 week Coaching program Workshop Facilitator Course Find A Facilitator SEL School Package

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Classic Marble Run fun with easy-to-find materials around the home!

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How to Make a Marble Run with Kids - TinkerLab

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With simple, household supplies like paper rolls and tape, I’ll show you how to make a marble run with kids as we think like engineers.

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Count groups of items in

your house (ex.: toy cars,

cheerios, Legos). Record

what you count on the

Counting Worksheet

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Go around your house or your yard and find items that begin with each letter of the alphabet. Use the Treasure Hunt Recording Sheet to write down your findings!

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In early elementary grades, you can expect your child to tackle sentences, and books, that are steadily more complex. An advantage of this bookmark, aside from the fun of putting it together, is that it's always right where it should be—inside your child's book!

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Easy Emoji Corner Bookmarks | School Projects | DIY Bookmarks Ideas

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Roller coaster challenge! Click here to get started!

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Best STEM Challenge Ideas That Make Learning Fun - Teach Outside the Box

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The Best STEM Challenge EVER awaits! Engage students with the exciting Roller Coaster STEM Challenge focused on engineering.

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Let’s get moving. Try
jumping jacks, reaching up
high and touching your toes,
bouncing a ball, or
jumping on one foot.
Count as you go.

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Have some summer-time fun meeting these reading challenges! Can you fill the whole board by the end of the summer?? You can do it! Click the link to see or print your very own Summer Reading Bingo board!

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Young readers have a hard time understanding fact (nonfiction) versus fiction. Help your child learn the difference with this writing activity. As you read a tall tale, point out exaggerations. Then your reader will choose a fact about themselves to exaggerate wildly.

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With permission from an
adult, log in to
www.gonoodle.com and
choose two of your favorite
movement activities.

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Do you have a story that you worked on throughout the school year? Do you have a story that you are proud of and would like to make it into a book?  Here is your chance! With just a few materials that you can find around the house, you can watch this video and publish your own book. It takes a little effort, but a book is forever!

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Connie from SmockityFrocks.com shows how even a child can make a simple book in no time at all with basic supplies of paper, scissors and glue.

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In the new Mathematics Curriculum Frameworks, adopted by Massachusetts in March 2011, every grade level has specific math fluencies that students need to develop.

The following are the fluencies that students must master by grade.

Grade

Required Fluency

K

Add/subtract within 5

1

Add/subtract within 10

2

Add/subtract within 20

Add/subtract within 100 (paper and pencil)

3

Multiple/divide within 100

Add/subtract within 1000

4

Add/subtract within 1,000,000

5

Multi-digit multiplication

In order for a student to become automatic with math facts, they need lots of practice both at home and school.
NECESSARY STEPS TO BUILD MATH FLUENCY: 1) First, get the fact into memory, so that it can be recalled. 3) Third, practice recalling the fact frequently enough to maintain automatic recall. SOME IDEAS FOR HOME:
2) Second, develop fluency, or automaticity, so that it can be recalled without thinking.
Tricks can work pretty well, especially for hard to remember facts. For example, multiplying a number times 2 is the same as the double of the number in addition, 7 x 2 = 7 + 7; or remembering the product of 7 x 8 by counting 5,6,7,8 (5,6, = 7, x 8); or when solving for x11 facts, double the digit being multiplied by 11(up to 9 x 11,) etc.

Mnemonic Devices (or stories) have proven to be the best for students with learning disabilities, but they work for everyone. For example, "You have to be 16 to drive a 4 x 4." or "Picture a football coach feeding his 7 linemen 7 cans of beans each, so they can beat the '49ers."

Limit the facts to be learned at once. Sort a stack of flashcards into piles; those that are known automatically and those that are not. Practice one or two unknown facts at a time along with known facts until they become automatic.

Use timers. Each night, give 1, 2 or 3 minutes to answer as many math facts as possible given a sheet of problems or a stack of flashcards. Chart the number right and celebrate/reward increasing automaticity.

Use music. There are a lot of CD's and some DVD's that do this. One that comes to mind is Schoolhouse Rock.

Read children's literature about learning mathematics, such as Each Orange has 8 Slices: A Counting Book, by Paul Giganti Jr. or Centipede's 100 Shoes, by Tony Ross. Check out Melrose Public Library for more ideas.

Download Math Apps to your phone or Ipad for practice anywhere such as Math Evolve by Interaction Education and Zephyr Games.

Play oral math games in the car with your child such as Triangle Math Facts. Give three numbers from a combination and the child names the associated facts. For example, Adult says, "Three, nine, six." Child answers, " 3+6=9, 6+3=9, 9-6=3 or 9-3=6.

The Melrose Public Schools has subscriptions for Study Island (Grades 3-5) and Symphony Math (Grades 1-5) support the learning process and builds off of your child's enthusiasm for technology with engaging, interactive lessons and activities. Students can work through the web-based program at their own pace at home or in school. Check with your child's teacher if you need login information.

Beat the Calculator is a game where a pair of players competes to see who can answer first. One player attempts to answer the fact on his/her own before the other finds it on the calculator.

Use the senses in combination to fire neurons and imprint memory. (S ay and write, listen and repeat, look and say, trace and say, trace and write, sky write and say, choral recitation, move and say, clap it out, etc.)

With multiplication and division, practice facts together that are related. For instance 4 x 8 = 32 so 8 x 8 = 64 because the first factor is doubled, the quotient is also doubled. (4's and 8's; 2's and 4's; 3's and 6's; 6's and 12's; 4's and 8's; 3's and 9's, etc.)
Some websites to help support development of fluency and more ideas:
For multiplication, initially using numbered charts, shade in multiples by skip counting followed up by practice chanting only the multiples. For example: 8, 16, 24, 32, etc. Progress to calling out a product (36) and asking child what multiple group(s) the number belongs (2, 18, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12.)

Written by Grace Basile, Principal of the Roosevelt School

Follow Melrose Curriculum on Twitter @MelroseCurricul

The purpose of the Melrose Public Schools Parent Connection is to help provide parents information on the school programs related to the curriculum and instruction. We also hope to share ideas and strategies for parents to use at home to strengthen home and school connections.

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Activities At Home for Increasing Math Fluency

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In the new Mathematics Curriculum Frameworks, adopted by Massachusetts in March 2011, every grade level has specific math fluencies that students need to develop. The following are the fluencies that students must master by grade.

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In the early elementary grades, young readers are ready to begin using books as sources of information. In school, your child will learn about those special pages in a book that help them find what they are looking for. The Table of Contents page, the Index, and the Glossary are the three most important examples that they'll learn about.

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Kids in early elementary grades have had lots of experience in classifying objects, and even words, by their colors, shapes, sizes, spellings, and other properties. They may even know a bit about how to classify living things into groups: plants and animals; insects and spiders; reptiles, mammals, birds, fish, etc. They are also blossoming in their writing skills, learning how to write both fictional and informational texts.

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This is a mindfulness calm down jar. The glitter represents your thoughts and emotions. As the glitter settles and you sit still, notice your breath and your thoughts settling down, too.

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Sensory glitter bottle that can help kids or even adults to feel calm just by looking at it. It also acts as a timer to cool down. Links on Calm Down Timer Videos using the glitter bottles below: 1min - https://youtu.be/eQHoLxlM6dM 3mins - https://youtu.be/W9SbNRcDvEk 5mins - https://youtu.be/W9SbNRcDvEk 10mins - https://youtu.be/A-VfTtkEKgc

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Think like an Engineer! First - you'll want to collect some paper towel or toilet paper tubes. Then, read over this slideshow with an adult and start using your imagination! What can you make with some towel tubes? The possibilities are endless!

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Students will love practicing their math skills with this fun math hack! Work on simple equations including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division with this DIY math manipulative from the dollar store.

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Teach Simple Equations Using Pool Noodles

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Your students will love practicing their math skills with this fun math hack! Teach simple equations including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division with this DIY math manipulative from the dollar store. Get more fun lesson plan ideas at www.weareteachers.com.

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Make words with alphabet paper cups and blend to read! Such an engaging phonics activity to help young children learn to read! If the video says unavailable, click the refresh button.

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Phonics Cups Word Building Game - YouTube

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Personal freedom is one topic children love to discuss with their parents. Even at a young age, some kids feel they have limited rights and very few choices. This 4th of July, end the battle for independence in your house, and show your child just how much freedom she can enjoy. Here's a creative, reflective activity that your child can display as a visual reminder of what it really means to be free.

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Go on a walk and find something red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet as a quick way to practice mindfulness. Take a picture of each item or list the items on the attached sheet.

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Use found objects around the house or objects in nature to create the coolest word art! Watch the video and then try it yourself! Use this link, not the picture.

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If playback doesn’t begin shortly, try restarting your device.

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This is a really fun way to practice math and exercise at the same time!

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Discover Summer STEM at Home: Beach Ball Math - YouTube

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This video show you how to create a fun and active multisensory reading activity that involves tossing a beach ball back and forth while practicing reading at the same time. Click the picture to get to the video.

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Keep a record of your favorite things about summer. This activity will remind you of your summertime fun and provide some writing practice for the summer.

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Have a freeze dance party as a fun way to engage and learn about mindfulness.

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Want more pe games?! https://pewithmrg.com/pe-games-home/ Follow me on twitter: https://twitter.com/PEbyMrG My goal for this channel is to provide new games and ideas for elementary pe. PE With Mr G focuses on providing fun pe games and physed game ideas such as warm ups, instant activities, throwing games, rolling games, kicking games, basketball, hockey, baseball, tag, soccer, jump roping, big team games, classroom management, pe at home, and cooperation and teamwork games/ideas.

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Make your own instruments and put together your own summertime band. Click on the link to find out how to make different instruments.

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This outdoor game is great to get students up and moving and having fun while reviewing their addition skills. All you need to play is some outdoor space, some chalk, and bean bags!

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This outdoor game, Bean Bag Addition, is the first in my summer series! This outdoor game is great to get students up and moving and having fun while reviewing their addition skills. All you need to play is some outdoor space, some chalk, and bean bags!

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This a really fun alphabet activity to help your child learn their beginning consonants and practice writing their letters. It is a great multisensory activity that can be used over and over again.

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Practice Alphabet Letters with this Fun Activity

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What are all of the things that you want to do this summer? Fill out a summer bucket list and see how many things you can get done.

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You will need to have a parent to help read the directions for this mission. Poor Fred the gummy worm is stuck at sea without his life preserver. Your job is to save him. You might want to work with a partner for this one. (parent, sibling, or friend) Lots of thinking involved!

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Using your science investigative skills and teamwork, see if you can save Fred the Worm from drowning! But there's a catch, so be ready to put those brains together to figure out how to get Fred to safety!-- Created using Powtoon -- Free sign up at http://www.powtoon.com/youtube/ -- Create animated videos and animated presentations for free.

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The Commissioner's Summer Math Challenge for 2026 has not been updated yet, but the 2025 challenge stresses the importance of maintaining math skills during the summer.

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CT.gov - Connecticut's Official State Website

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Overview

The 2023 Commissioner's Summer Math Challenge stresses the importance of maintaining math skills during the summer. Schools compete based on student population and grade level. The program identifies the schools with the highest percentage of participating enrollment and the highest number of badges earned by participating students. Registration instructions, district reporting forms and all other materials are available online.

Information on the 2023 Summer Math Challenge

Connecticut Summer Math Passport Tasks

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The 2023 Commissioner's Summer Math Challenge stresses the importance of maintaining math skills during the summer. Schools compete based on student population and grade level. The program identifies the schools with the highest percentage of participating enrollment and the highest number of badges earned by participating students.

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It’s time for students to participate in CONNECTICUT READS, the 2026 Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge!

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CT.gov - Connecticut's Official State Website

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Overview

It's that time of year again to encourage students to participate in CONNECTICUT READS, the 2022 Governor's Summer Reading Challenge! To support summer reading, the Connecticut State Library's statewide eGo eBook platform is now available through many local public libraries, and provides access to digital resources for all ages. For a list of local public libraries currently offering eGo, visit https://egoct.org/.

Information on the 2022 Summer Reading Challenge Suggested Summer Reading

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It's that time of year again to encourage students to participate in CONNECTICUT READS, the 2022 Governor's Summer Reading Challenge! To support summer reading, the Connecticut State Library's statewide eGo eBook platform is now available through many local public libraries, and provides access to digital resources for all ages.

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This is a choice board of summer writing activities. Pick one idea today and a different one next week. This board will keep you writing through the whole summer.

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The Charter Oak Children's Book Award has 4 fiction and 4 nonfiction book choices. Check out the website for past nominees and winners and find them at your local library or independent bookstore!

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Department of Education Summer Learning Hub

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Department of Education Summer Learning Hub

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Choose your own summer learning challenge courtesy of the Connecticut State Department of Education.  Choose from activities such as Tech Ed  Bingo Challenge, Social Studies Ambassador,  Story of Me Learning challenge and more!  Links to the Governor's Reading Challenge and the Commissioner's Math Challenge also located on this page.

Please click HERE to be taken to the Department of Education Summer Learning Hub page. It has not been updated yet for 2026, but you can try the 2025 items. Enjoy your learning!

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CT.gov - Connecticut's Official State Website

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Summer Learning Hub

Welcome to the Summer Learning Hub! A place to choose your own Summer Challenge.

WHY: The summer learning challenges offer K-12 students engaging options and opportunities to assist in sharpening essential college, career, and civic knowledge while better poising them for academic success in the fall.

WHO: The summer learning challenges offer K-12 students engaging options and opportunities to assist in sharpening essential college, career, and civic knowledge while better poising them for academic success in the fall.

WHEN: The Challenges begin June 12, 2020, with Reading and Mathematics. Over the next month, additional challenges will be released pertaining to a variety of topics.

HOW: The challenges will be introduced by a memo to superintendents and kept on the website for stakeholder access. Challenges include a mix of plugged and unplugged activities that students complete to assist in answering an array of essential questions including: What career am I most interested in pursuing? What role do I play in my community?

OUTCOME: Students will be engaged in high-quality, standards-aligned activities to assist in sharpening essential college, career, and civic knowledge while better poising them for academic success in the fall.

Learn more with a PD Playlist:
Career and Technical Education Bingo Challenge - New! Social Studies Ambassador Learning Challenge - New! Story of Me Learning Challenge - New!

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Welcome to the Summer Learning Hub! A place to choose your own Summer Challenge. WHY: The summer learning challenges offer K-12 students engaging options and opportunities to assist in sharpening essential college, career, and civic knowledge while better poising them for academic success in the fall.

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The Nutmeg book award is for students in grades 2 and above. Click here to access the book lists.

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Levi Coe Library’s Youth Summer Reading event page! We have many awesome types of activities this summer. Visit their Facebook or Instagram page or check out our page for more information.

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Durham Public Library’s Youth Summer Reading page! We have many awesome types of activities this summer. Check out our page for more information. Even includes a bingo board for adults so the whole family can participate!

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PebbleGo, PebbleGo Next and a variety of Capstone Interactive books are available June 1-August 31 as part of the CT Governor's Summer Reading! Link - then click on the large blue-ish/purpleish PebbleGo graphic on the left.

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CT State Library - Division of Library Development - Pebble Go