Games for older kids

Obviously, you want games to fit the ages of your class.

Here's a fun calculator game that will challenge those smart alec older kids!
You'll need a calculator.
The trick is, when the calculator is turned upside down, the numbers look like letters.

So on a normal calculator, the digit 0 becomes O, 1 becomes I, 2 becomes Z, 3 becomes E, 4 becomes h, 5 becomes S, 6 becomes g, 7 becomes L, 8 becomes B, and 9 becomes G.
Of course, turning the calculator upside down also reverses the digits, so 1234 would be hEZI, not IZEh. With a little effort, one can easily find numbers that correspond to words.
We spelled out my daughter's name Elise easily. Kids love to figure out their own!

For example, do you want your calculator to be more friendly?
Try this calculation :
enter 6.2
multiply this by itself
add 0.23
divide by 50
turn the calculator upside down, and you have a friendly greeting!

Or what about a nice breakfast? Try this :
multiply 17 by 2
multiply by 1000
divide by 6
throw away the part to the right of the decimal
subtract 3

These are more advanced, for more advanced calculators.
Now some questions for animal lovers :
Does the ( 19 + 19 - 1 ) x 19 + 2 x 3 x 5 have (47 x 47 + 10 x 10 ) x 5 x 5 - 3 x 3 or (47 x 10 + 47 x 10 + 47 x 10 + 47 x 10 - 1) x 3 ?
or lay 7 x (800 + 9)?

What about the 2 x 13 x 13 ? Or the 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 101 - 3000?
The (50 x 50 x 3 + 1) x 6 - (50 x 50 x 4)? (Of course, the plural of (50 x 50 x 3 + 1) x 6 - (50 x 50 x 4) is (8 - 1) x 8 x ( 8 x ( 8 x (8 + 1 + 1) - 1 ) - 1 ), isn't it.)

Let the kids experiment with their calculators, to come up with a formula for the words they're looking for, it will keep them occupied for long periods of time!

Graduation and End of School Year Treat Ideas

Cap off the school year with these cute cookies. I actually did make these cookies with my kids' help. They are so cute and easy! Your child can help you put these together.

Chocolate Mortarboard Cookies

Put a miniature peanut butter cup, upside down (narrower end up), on your work surface. Then with a drop of frosting or peanut butter, stick on a small rectangle shaped chocolate-covered cookie/graham cracker (right side up) on top of the peanut butter cup.
For a tassel, you can either use frosting in school colors to draw it on or use a tightly rolled up small square of fruit roll-up. Cut fringe on one end and attach the top end to the center of the graham cracker with more frosting or peanut butter. I personally think it's easier to use the frosting to draw on the tassel. Or leave it off altogether. People get the idea that they are mortarboards.

You can also try this idea for a cute treat, that looks like a diploma!

Mix up 8 oz, of softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup of seedless fruit jam. Lightly spread the cream cheese and jam mixture on a flour tortilla or Lavash bread, then roll up each sandwich diploma style and tie on a ribbon made of cut up Fruit Roll-ups. Adjust to fit your chosen size. Mixture makes 4 to 6 sandwiches. Easy and yummy!

"You're a Star" Watermelon Pops

Cut slices of seedless watermelon about an inch thick, then use a cookie cutter to cut star shapes. Insert a Popsicle stick into each star, then put the pops on a baking sheet covered in foil or in a tupperware container. Cover the star pops with another sheet of foil and freeze for 1 hour or until firm. You can also do this with cookies, by putting them on a stick before they bake.

MUD CUP TREATS In clear plastic tumbler-type cups, layer crushed Oreos first on the bottom, then chocolate pudding, more crushed Oreos, gummy worms, spiders, bugs, candy rocks, and a flower stuck in the middle so that it looks like a flower planted in dirt.

Other ideas include any kind of finger foods, some better for outside parties:

Smoothies
The "ever-popular" cupcakes, decorated in countless ways to fit your theme!
Cut up veggies and fruit
Deviled eggs
Fruit kabobs
Cheese and meat kabobs
Meatballs
Chicken Nuggets
Chicken Wings
Pigs in a Blanket
Pretzels dipped in chocolate and decorated
Banana Pops
Homemade or ready-made ice cream sandwiches

Book Trade Idea!!

Another newer popular party activity is a quick and Crazy Book Trade. Several weeks before one of your class parties or even as a fun side activity, the room parent should send home a note asking each child to bring in a new or gently used book wrapped (make sure to provide a few extras in case anyone forgets).
At the trade, the kids sit in a circle while the room parent reads a story, holding on to their wrapped books. Whenever you say the word "the" during the story, the kids get to pass their book to the right; whenever you say the word "a," they pass the books to the left. The kids will have a hilarious time! Then they get to keep the book they're holding at the end of the story!