Activities for Parents and Children
As told by Sandy, because Scott isn't a parent :) -- I know how demanding and overwhelming being a parent can be. I also know that despite our best intentions and ideals, we often run out of time, energy, and ideas to create entertaining, educational activities for our children.
To help ease your burden a little, we have provided some suggestions of things to do relating to each of our books. While some of these activities are similar throughout our series, others are specific to a character, trait, and story of an individual book.
Feel free to pick and choose what interests you and your child, as well as what works for your lifestyle. We would love to hear from you if you have any ideas or suggestions that you think might help other parents.
By the book - utilizing dictionaries, encyclopedias, or other texts
- Choose an 'A' word of the day and have everyone practice using it all day long
Around the house - indoor games and activities
- Plan a scavenger hunt finding 'A' items
- Play 'I Spy' using only 'A' items
On the map - becoming familiar with geography, globes, and atlases
- Locate 'A' countries or continents
- Locate 'A' states and memorize the capitals
- Locate 'A' cities in your own state
In the kitchen - preparing snacks and meals
- Plan a meal using 'A' foods - asparagus, applesauce, apple pie, angel food cake, apricots, artichokes, almonds, avocado
- Prepare a simple recipe to help your child learn about measurements and following directions
On the road - traveling tips to pass the time
- When driving, make a game of naming 'A' landmarks, signs, or other items
In the outdoors - things to do in the yard and beyond
- Take a walk and point out the changes of autumn. Collect autumn leaves and identify or make a collage.
- Go to the zoo and try to identify 'A' animals like alligators, aardvarks, armadillos, and anteaters
Resources for Educators
Although neither of us originally studied to become teachers, we've both had the opportunity to serve as educators. Between the two of us, we're fortunate to have spent time working with elementary and middle school students and even teaching at the university level.
We understand the joys that come with the role of helping others grow and learn, but at the same time, we know how much time and effort go into preparing fun, engaging, and educational lessons. We've found that having materials and activities already prepared is a huge timesaver that allows educators to spend less time behind their desks and more time working with the students.
Our resources for educators are intended to help save time by providing lessons and materials that align with common K-4 standards. In case you were wondering, we did have help from current teachers in preparing these items, so you can rest assured they're developed by teachers, for teachers.
Ally Ann's Rhyming - create and state a series of rhyming words
Students will identify the rhyming pairs in the story and list their own word that rhymes with each pair.
3 pages - directions, rhyming word cutout sheet, and student response sheet
Ally Ann's Rhyming - PDF (Right-click and Save As)
Head to Tail with Ally - learning about plot, setting, and other story elements
Students will describe different elements of the story and retell what happens with Ally Ann in the beginning, middle, and end.
3 pages - directions, head and tail cutout sheet, and body cutout sheet
Head to Tail with Ally - PDF (Right-click and Save As)
Acts of Ally - citizenship in the classroom
Students will learn about citizenship and make a page for a classroom book by drawing and writing about how they show characteristics of good citizenship in their own school.
3 pages - directions, student book sheet, and sample book cover
Acts of Ally - PDF (Right-click and Save As)
Ally Ann Word Detective - searching out context clues
Students will identify clues within the text to understand the meaning of an unknown word.
3 pages - directions, student clue sheet 1, and student clue sheet 2
Ally Ann Word Detective - PDF (Right-click and Save As)
A for Ally, B for Basics - getting to know the alphabet and books
Students will learn to identify letters of the alphabet, understand the different pieces of a book, and retell a story. They'll also get to draw and share an activity at which they do not excel, just like Ally.
2 pages - directions and student drawing sheet
A for Ally, B for Basics - PDF (Right-click and Save As)