Prokash and Co.

Celebrating everyday magic

EASTER EGG-TIVITIES

Easter is just a few days away and I’m finding myself trying to cram in every possible cute egg activity that ever popped up on my feed! Anyone else with me?!? And while all that cutsie stuff is super fun, I always try to pair it with tangible teaching and learning opportunities. When I was teaching in a classroom I would call that craft-tivities. The pairing of a cute craft and activity to provide a fun hands on learning opportunity for my Littles. Homeschooling is no different. We are always trying to get the most bang for our buck. Sometimes we do a fun project just for a fun projects sake, but even pairing it with a good book or quick lesson makes it so much more worth it!

Right around Easter I love to teach about oviparous animals and it’s so easy to incorporate into our egg-tivities. I bought a cute April Science packet from the amazing Cara Carroll and Abby Mullins and it is packed full of great learning resources that I sprinkle though our learning. The other arts and crafts projects are Pintestest inspirations that I just pair with a little learning. A few of our favorites have been mosaic eggs, egg hunts with sight words, spill and count, finding eggs hidden around the house with candies inside that you get to spill and count (and eat!) exploding eggs with food coloring, baking soda, and vinegar, and of course, dying eggs!

Penelope got a bird house and birdseeds from Mimi and Papa for her birthday and it has been so much fun watching all the birds that come by! That house is always hoppin’! She sits by the window with her bird books and sketches all the birds she sees. It’s been such a fun way to incorporate eggs, nests, and birds into this Spring season. What are some of your favorite egg-tivities this season?! XO

SPRING!

Is there anything more life giving than a sunny Spring day after a long, cold winter?!? Buds blooming everywhere, blue skies, birds chirping, windows open, sipping iced coffee in short sleeves while dreaming of hours in the garden and warmer, longer days. And of course cocktails on the patio if I have anything to say about it. Pure heaven! This time of year always makes me feel like cleaning out all the closets, decluttering all the spaces, and breathing fresh air into our school time. A sense of urgency occurs as we look forward to summer and begin to close out the chapter of the winter season. Isn’t it just the best feeling to “start fresh” ?!?

I thought I’d share a few simple things we do to refresh our home and school environment for Spring. I love finding these tips on other posts so hopefully you do too!

  1. Flowers // blooms seem to be popping up everywhere! There is no better way to start a seeds/flower study than to grab a bouquet and start with a little watercolor time. Around here we have tons of local flower stands and a small fresh vase of flowers just breathes life into any room!
  2. Declutter + donate // we always spend a few days tackling closets, the pantry, kid’s rooms, and playroom that just seem to be bursting with toys and extra things. I love the simplicity of Spring and getting rid of things we no longer need or want is just the best way to clear our space and start fresh.
  3. Spring cleaning // once our space is decluttered, we make sure to spend some time cleaning. Especially areas that have been over looked for a while. Under the bed, drawers, under the sink, closets, everything gets a good scrubbing and wipe down. We use Young Living’s Thieves Cleaner for everything! Throw open those windows and get the music blasting while you clean, it really does make it more fun and get things done so much faster! We love a good playlist to keep us motivated.
  4. Fresh Scents // we also get our diffusers going all throughout the house with fresh, clean, uplifting scents. Citrus and florals being at the top of our list! A blend of Orange, Bergamot, and Lime is our current favorite.
  5. Get outside // whenever we can incorporate our school time outside we do it! A blanket on the patio for a read aloud, a nature walk collecting sticks, bird watching by our window, water coloring while we eat a snack in the yard, simple things but we find it helps to awaken our senses and regain a wonder with the changing of the seasons. Not to mention it helps to break up the day!

I hope you found something useful to refresh and inspire your school time and home a little bit this season! I would love to know the ways you welcome Spring around your house! XO

RAINBOW ACTIVITIES

With Saint Patrick’s Day just out of sight I thought I’d share a few rainbow activities we like to do around here! I usually bust out a few fun activities but it’s also a great time to teach and learn about rainbows. We don’t do too much for actual Saint Patty’s Day but I do let the girls build a leprechaun trap which usually turns into a shitshow of glitter and random junk from around the house (Drew’s favorite). The leprechaun always gets away but leaves a few chocolate gold coins. This year he left a huge unicorn sprinkler from Target that had been on my list of fun summer purchases. That guy is just so smart!

Keep in mind that these are the highlight reels. I do a few of these but by no means am I up late at night crafting away. We throw a few fun activities into the mix and if I can teach a little and get a few sips of hot coffee in with minimal fighting, I call that a win! In early Spring we have lots of rainy days around here so I often add a bunch of indoor options. Even a tray of Legos sorted by color is a fun and easy way to incorporate rainbow discussion and some learning. My point is, it doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Usually the simpler kid directed activities give me the most bang for my buck.

These leprechaun “Wanted” posters were always so fun to do in my classroom. I helped Evie write but her little drawing was so cute! Her leprechaun was last seen “stealing gold from a dragon’s cave.” And these wooden rainbows from Target were perfect! They would also make great Easter basket stuffers!
Homemade play doh with essential oils is always a win and a great way to incorporate measuring
Rainbow Name-bows. I did this every year in my classroom and it’s such a cute way to decorate your school space.

And no holiday or true learning experience is ever complete without a yummy treat. These are just regular cupcakes with buttercream frosting and crushed up Fruity Pebbles. Easy and delicious!

And of course I had to add a few of the girl’s past leprechaun traps. Not exactly the Pinterest STEM version but I love seeing their little personalities and creativity when we just let them go to town on their own. A total disaster meant to attract a leprechaun but so cute. 😉

There you have it! A few of our favorite simple activities that make the season a little extra fun! I’d love to hear your fun rainbow activities too! XO

ON THE GRAM

@tiffanyprokash