National Geographic Kids

We didn't own a National Geographic Kids book until I won a twitter giveaway for a National Geographic Kids Almanac. My daughter carried that almanac around for quite a while and she still likes looking through it.  Now we have a mini National Geographic Kids library and get the magazine too!  We like the beautiful and close-up photographs and the interesting facts about the world around us.

Let your kids get some cool summer knowledge by checking out National Geographic Kids books from your library, following NatGeoKIDS on twitter or spending computer time on the National Geographic Kids website!

*post contains affiliate links

RECIPE: Nut Germ Crunch

This is my kids' favorite after-school snack.

NUT Germ Crunch

• a recipe from me •

Ingredients:

graham crackers

Nutella

whipped creamy peanut butter

toasted wheat germ

Directions:

Spread a layer of nutella on cracker.  Spread a layer of whipped p.b. on cracker.  Sprinkle wheat germ on top.  Nutty, crunchy and so yummy!  Betcha can't eat just one! ☺

I put wheat germ in a spice bottle so it's easier to sprinkle.  I whip the peanut butter in large amounts and store it in a Nutella container.

We also like Nutella/p.b./wheat germ on bananas, apples and popcorn.

Read articles about wheat germ on Livestrong.com including toasted vs. untoasted wheat germ.

Cool Cootie Catchers

 Have your kids ever made a cootie catcher?  

Get them outside today with a fun cootie catcher nature game from 5 Orange Potatoes!

Friday night sleepover?   Print a spooky truth or dare cootie catcher from Family Fun!

End of summer road trip?  Print a cootie catcher with fortunes from MomsMinivan!

Klutz has The Cootie Catcher Book with 25 preprinted punch-out-and-fold catchers!

Mad Libs Travel Folder

This idea to make a Mad Libs Travel Folder for fun stories in the car came about because of a cool gift my daughter received for Christmas--  Cranium Silly Stories.

image of a Cranium Silly Story
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

A Mad Libs Travel Folder is really simple to make!  Buy a cheap/slim 3 ring binder, dry erase markers, sheet protectors, and print out some free mad libs!!  The dry erase markers I bought (under $3 at Walmart) have an eraser top.  I used Scholastic and Garden of Praise to make a parts of speech cheat sheet for the inside front of the folder. For younger school-age kids, like my 7 year old, this is a fun way to sneak in learning this SUMMER while traveling!

**I like the free printable mad libs from Woo Jr. and Teachnology because the spaces for writing in the words are large. Mad Glibs is another free resource and great for older kids.