Education

WWII simulation encourages teamwork and leadership

Anyone on the Gethsemane Lutheran School campus last Thursday might have been curious to see kids in blue or red t-shirts and helmets running...

LEGO® exhibit coming to Heard Museum

LEGO® bricks made their way from buckets to big screens this year as the building blocks created in Denmark in 1932 continue their influence on...

Giant illustrated books beat e-books

The British publisher Dorling Kindersley (DK) recently sent a couple hefty 20-by-12-inch books to the office for our review. The illustrations and images are...

“I can do it!” Lessons in setting goals

We’ve all heard well-intentioned parents and teachers heap praise on children in an effort to boost self-esteem. We may have even done it ourselves!...

Making a STEAM machine

The STEAM Club (Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics) at Arizona School for the Arts (ASA) meets every Wednesday in chemistry teacher Faith Hester’s room....

Old plastic becomes artwork

Phoenix artist Shari Keith says she can’t start with a blank canvas. “I need things in front of me” for inspiration, she says. The...

Teachers use drama to promote literacy

Sally Gonzales-Hughes is one of several teachers at a UMOM New Day Centers homeless shelter for families in Phoenix. Her classroom bustles with activity and evidence...

Science and engineering fair draws young scientists

Twelve hundred science projects created by Arizona students in grades 5-12 were dropped off at the Phoenix Convention Center yesterday for the 2014 Arizona...

ESA can pay for private school tuition

Last January, I wrote an article titled "Education, schools and money" about the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) that provide state financial assistance to pay...

Childsplay wows the cafeteria crowd

A white van pulled up along a side entrance to the cafeteria at Copperwood Elementary School in Glendale earlier this month. A trio of...

New, better (?) SAT coming in 2016

Get ready for the new SAT. The College Board, the organization that produces and administers millions of SAT tests every year, will have a...

App defines special education terms

From ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) to zonular fibers*, the SpEd Terms app provides definitions for more than 700 special education terms and acronyms. Steve Isham,...

Students use STEM to grow hydroponic lettuce

The acronym STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) gets used a lot in education. I visit schools to see STEM activities and sometimes they are...

Valley students blend music with math

I entered the music classroom at Westar Elementary School in Goodyear last week to find two walls lined with keyboards, a giant white board...

Clay boats + pennies = future engineers?

As part of the Arizona SciTech Festival, 20 Intel engineers visited Granada East School in Phoenix last week. Groups of students in teacher Joseph Lucas’...

Learning through play

Fred Rogers of “Mr. Rogers” fame once said, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for...

PARTY ARTICLES

Money Lessons from Birthday Parties

Teaching Kids the Value of Gifts & Gratitude Between the cake, balloons, and wrapping paper tornado, birthday parties are often all about fun, but they also provide the perfect opportunity to teach kids early lessons...

Time to Paw-ty

Celebrating your favorite furry friend Call me crazy, but when my husband and I adopted our first dog together, we threw her a birthday party complete with cake, streamers, guests, appetizers, games, and more. Was...

Unique Ways to Host a Joint Birthday Party

My brother and I have birthdays that are just one day apart—his on March 3rd, mine on March 4th, and our oldest brother just a few weeks later on March 21st. Fast forward 31 years...

Out-of-the-box Birthday Party Ideas in Phoenix & Tucson

Wanting to do something a little extra special for your child’s next birthday party? Maybe it’s a milestone birthday—like turning double digits or entering the teen years. Or perhaps your child has requested to...

Birthday Traditions & Clever Theme Ideas

Childhood birthdays are unlike any others. I have fond memories of waking up on my birthday morning anticipating all the fun that was in store. With three kids who had birthdays all in the same...

Out-of-the Box Birthday Party Ideas

Wanting to do something a little extra special for your child’s next birthday party? Maybe it’s a milestone birthday—like turning double digits or entering the teen years. Or perhaps your child has requested to...

Party Etiquette

Whether you’re hosting a party or attending one, you may be wondering—do people really RSVP anymore? What about goodie bags, are those still a thing? Do I need to stay with my child at...

How to Throw a Birthday Party that Won’t Break the Bank

I remember the days when birthday parties consisted of colorful balloons, streamers, a simple cake, and the classics like musical chairs and tag with a few friends. Times have changed and suddenly it feels necessary...

How to do a drive-by birthday party

As we get deeper into quarantine, people have gotten creative with birthday celebrations. One result: the drive-by birthday party.

Home pool party? Hire a lifeguard!

Drowning happens silently and quickly. That’s why children are at risk even when — and sometimes especially when — adults are nearby. Even a "designated pool watcher" can avert his or her eyes for a...

Hiking birthday party

For a child who loves adventure and outdoors, turn a hike into a birthday party.
Tour de Liam, Biking birthday party theme, bike race, outdoor activites, arizona parties

Bike race birthday party

When there are lots of neighborhood friends who love to ride their bikes together, host a birthday party that feels like an official bike race.

Island birthday party

Pool parties are popular in Arizona. Make a stylish upgrade at your next birthday party by incorporating décor and details that will transport guests from the desert to a tropical island paradise.

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