In her years as a teacher in Houston, Texas, Joellle Trayers has made valuable contributions to gifted education, most notably in her work with younger scholars (K-1). A few years ago, her blog, Not Just Child’s Play, caught the attention of Ian Byrd and Lisa Van Gemert, authors of The Gifted Guild’s Guide to Depth … Read more
When I shared the CRAZY DAISY word game back in October, many students and teachers wanted more! The same thing has happened with other resources I’ve shared: Gus and Gabby, Triple-A Analogies, and Split-Pairs puzzles. What to do? My response has always been: “Have the kids create their own.” So, now I’m providing a little … Read more
Becky Williams coordinates the GT elementary program at her school in the North East Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas. When I reached out to her, I didn’t know that she works literally down the road in my old school district! Becky shared this in one of our Share-and-Tell conversations in our Facebook group, … Read more
YOU MADE IT! It’s summer break in the U.S., and I know many are dealing with big changes next year. Whatever your circumstance, we know that what you need most right now is REST and RESTORATION. (I wrote about that HERE and reread it myself every May!) When you’re ready to refresh, reboot, and get … Read more
I cannot wait to introduce this to you! If this combo puzzle is new to you, get ready! It is possibly my favorite variation of Sudoku, and I know kids will love it. Don’t let the look fool you. You and your students can totally solve these, and I can’t think of a better time … Read more
My puzzling adventure continues! I’m excited to introduce the Meta-Puzzle Mystery Hunt, a new kind of team challenge inspired by the MIT Mystery Hunt, the largest and most complex puzzle challenge in the world, attracting thousands of puzzle enthusiasts. My goal was to develop a puzzle “experience” for younger puzzlers that would incorporate some of … Read more
Kids love to put on shows, and the best productions allow all students to showcase their unique talents. These production ideas come together quickly! And they’re for any classroom, any time. They can be a fun way to end the year, engaging students while reinforcing creative writing and presentation skills! The special sauce is that … Read more
Recently, as I did some research for this puzzle, I learned a lot about unmanned aerial vehicles, (drones). Right away, I saw the potential for critical and creative thinking. Drones are assisting in all kinds of endeavors, some of which might surprise you, such as monitoring coastlines for sharks and delivering medicines to remote areas. … Read more
On April 8th, the moon will totally eclipse the Sun, and its shadow will sweep across the U.S. Knowing that many of us will want to capitalize on this stellar event (pun intended), I’ve shared some unique and novel activities and resources that can be used as small group or whole-class experiences. AN ENGAGING HOOK … Read more
As we begin the spring semester, many of you are planning with the END in mind– the end being May / June for most of us. Shout out, though, to my international and Australian subscribers who are planning for a brand new year. It may be different for you, but for me, this time of … Read more
