What Supplies Make Back-to-School EASY for You? {Staples Gift Card Giveaway}

Staples.com provided product for review as well as the gift card for this giveaway. The thoughts and opinions expressed in the post that follow are my own. Learn more about Staples entire line of cameras and accessories by checking out their store online.

While our family is more than happy to enjoy the sights and sounds of summer, back to school shopping time will be here before we know it!  Even in July the teachers in the crowd are brainstorming new ways to manage their classroom, determining which objectives should be taught with what activities, and watching the ads to determine which week is best for buying the supplies on their back to school list for the lowest prices. All in the interest of starting the year off with a BANG!

When asked to consider my favorite classroom organization tool a few items popped into my head.  None of them are crucial for instruction, but this short list of back to school supplies sure make me happy as I get my space set up for a new year:

Sharpie Markers

Rainbow of Dry Erase Markers

Mini Post It Notes

However, my #1 back to school must have is a great digital camera!  As I prep for a new school year I use my digital camera to take pictures of ideas I want to try in my classroom, to create locker tags, to compile images to use on desk placards, to label and organize materials, to decorate bulletin boards, to get to know my students, and to share a bit about myself with my class.  

This summer I am getting to know my new Nikon CoolPix and I love it!  It is a great size to pack and carry.  The CoolPix is easy to use and takes nice pictures.  The camera offers quick effects for pictures we have already taken that make them ready for instant sharing.  I'm looking forward to taking first day of school pictures with this plum beauty, but for now I am more than happy to be taking first day of tubing, camping, playing in the sun pictures!

It was a pleasant surprise to find several different Nikon digital cameras available on the Staples online site, in addition to all the other classroom supplies on my list.  Ordering was easy and shipping was speedy.  I also found the prices to be very competitive with online sales and bundles.

So, what is on your back to school shopping list?  

GIVEAWAY

Staples would like to help you get a head start on your shopping.  They are offering one of the readers of ABC & 123: A Learning Cooperative a $150 gift card!  to spend on learning materials or back to school supplies. Please note, this giveaway is available to US residents only.  Enter to win using the Rafflecopter below.

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Imagine Childhood - Explore the World through Nature, Imagination, and Play with Sarah Olmsted

Growing up there was always a distinct moment when I knew autumn had arrived.  I'm not sure if it was the light, the temperature or the sight of that first golden tinged leaf on a tree, but as soon as I noticed it everything changed.  Summer always had a sort of length to it, not just in the hours of the day, but in the slower speed of the activities and in the way my mind would wander, moving at the pace of the shadows cast by the drifting sun.  But from the moment fall hit, the energy was instantaneously different.  The cooler air stirred faster movement from place to place and the hours spent indoors at school heightened the intensity of the time spent outside.  Suddenly each moment in the sun was a cherished one, as it stayed around just a bit less each day. Places I'd taken for granted during the preceding months were now special destinations.  The space in autumn is closer somehow than the other seasons, especially as the leaves begin to fall.   Walking in the park, I'd take unnecessary detours just so that I could wander through the patches of trees, so I could enter those golden caves.  I'd shuffle my feet along the ground to hear that familiar crunch and crackle and everything else in the world would disappear... like the only thing that existed in the entire universe was that small bubble of golden trees and their shooting stars shaped like leaves. Growing up, autumn transformed my everyday world into the space of dreams.  The season was magic.  

~ Excerpt from IMAGINE CHILDHOOD: Exploring the World through Nature, Imagination, and Play.



If you couldn't already tell by the passage above, autumn is my favorite time of year.  From the colors, to the smells, to the feel of a crisp breeze on my face in the morning. . . I love it all.  But this year, for the first time in my life, I'm spending the season much farther south.  Where I am, the average temperature lately has been 85 not 55.  There is no drama or fanfare by way of changing trees, there's no smell of damp leaves.   And so, without the usual telltale signs, I find myself having to pay even closer attention to the subtle shifts and changes.  I find myself searching for fall like a detective following clues. 


Whether you live in a place with four distinct seasons, or in a location where things stay relatively the same from day to day, week to week, and month to month, there are always slight changes happening right in front of you. There is magic hiding both in the drama and subtlety of nature.  Take a moment and see what you can find today.

Suggestions for exploring fall:

• Build Leaf Boats
• Play with Shadows
• Go on a Micro Hike
• Play with Pumpkins
• Make Sweet Ginger Leaves

GIVEAWAY!:
If you'd like to explore the pages of IMAGINE CHILDHOOD further, today is your lucky day!  Roost is giving away THREE copies right here!




Thank you so much Katie for hosting me on your lovely blog!
~ Sarah Olmsted

It is our pleasure to have Sarah here on ABC & 123 today.  Her book IMAGINE CHILDHOOD: Exploring the World through Nature, Imagination, and Play is a beautiful and inspiring piece for every classroom resource collection and parent's tool kit.  We are thankful for the generous offer of sharing 3 copies with our readers.  Please submit your entry for this giveaway x3 in the Rafflecopter below.
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National Train Day: Coming May 12, 2012 {Giveaway}

With three young boys in our house we are all...

...Dinosaur Train

...Thomas the Train

..."When can we ride on the train???"

all the time!

For those of you who also understand this type of train enthusiasm, and even those who are not necessarily in that stage yet (or anymore), I wanted to tell you about a fantastic, family-friendly, event. 

Next Saturday, May 12th from 11AM-4PM, train stations across the United States are joining together to participate in Amtrak’s (5th Annual) National Train Day.

National Train Day marks the 143rd anniversary of the creation of the nation's first transcontinental railroad. On May 10, 1869, in Promontory Summit, Utah, the “golden spike” was driven into the final tie that joined 1,776 miles of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railways, forever transforming the face and character of America.

The National Train Day festivities will feature live entertainment, interactive exhibits, kids' activities,  model train, and much more.  Families will also be invited to tour Amtrak trains, freight trains, commuter trains, and private railroad cars.  Each of the key participating locations (New York, Philadelphia, LosAngeles, and Chicago) will host popular performing guests.  Animated characters such as Dora the Explorer will be greeting children and posing for pictures. Children will also enjoy Radio Disney, Wii Games, and craft activities. To tempt your taste buds while you tour the trains, Amtrak is bringing nationally-acclaimed chefs in to the event locations to give samples of their signature recipes.

In addition to the four main event sites, communities all over the US are encouraged to get involved by developing and hosting their own celebration! Share your love for train travel with others in your own town.

National Train Day events offer something special for people of all ages and interests.  What a fantastic opportunity for a free, family-friendly plan to learn experience! To learn more about National Train Day check them out on Facebook and Twitter.

From now until next Saturday, get your kids geared up for some National Train Day learning with these thematic ideas:

Visit the National Train Day website to enjoy photos, videos, and stories submitted by train passengers.  Your family could also share your own train travel experience for a change to win a prize.

1+1+1=1 offers a free download of a Thomas the Train Tot Book.

Homeschool Creations has a Transportation Preschool Packet that will peak the interest of train enthusiasts.

Crafts~n~Things used the concept of Train Cars to practice counting.

Finally, don't miss this.

One of our favorite companies, B.Toys, is working with Amtrak to spread the news about this great play to learn experience.  In fact, they would like to offer one reader of ABC & 123 a gift for spreading the excitement about the event. 

Enter to win Elemenosqueeze, a set of soft A-Z blocks featuring a unique animal for each letter.  These architectural blocks would be fun to line up train style while practicing the alphabet. One winner will be chosen on the 12th in conjunction with the National Train Day activities!

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Disclosure: B.Toys contacted us regarding National Train Day and asked that we share the information about the event with our readers.  We were excited to do so with the opportunity to offer you a giveaway within the post. The giveaway is provided by B.Toys and will be sent directly to the winner from the sponsoring company. 

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