Awesome Academy: Class in Session!

 

Welcome to the very first class of Awesome Academy! Today, we’ll be focusing on math and English exercises with fun twists that help us learn. We also have examples to help us get started with worksheets that you can try on your own for more practice, and you can easily print them out for FREE by clicking on the links below.

It’s time to choose which of your favorite dolls will participate with us today, then take a comfortable seat because class is about to begin!

 

 

 

 

Let’s Skip Count!

For this math exercise, we’re going to learn how to recognize patterns by skip counting.

Skip counting is a quick way to count forward or backward by counting in 2s, 3s, or even 12s!

Let’s practice some examples together:

If we’re counting to 10, one way we can count is by 1s:

0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

But another way is to skip count by 2s:

2, 4, 6, 8, 10.

This lets us get to 10 quicker because we are skipping a number in between. And by adding two to every number, we can see that there is a pattern when we count.

0+2 = 2, 2+2 = 4, 4+2 = 6, 6+2 = 8, and 8+2 = 10 (every number is going up by 2 instead of 1)

We can see another pattern if we decide to skip count by 3s:

0+3 = 3, 3+3 = 6, 6+3 = 9, 9+3 = 12 (now, every number is going up by 3 instead of 2)

Now it’s your turn! Practice skip counting by printing out our free worksheet!

 

Helpful Math Tip:

Our friend Hally loves math, and she’s not shy about letting everyone know it. She taught us a cool trick that she learned when multiplying numbers by 9.

To multiply a number by 9, first multiply it by 10 and then subtract the original number from the answer.

Let’s practice one together:

To find 5 x 9

Multiply: 5 x 10 = 50 (when multiplying any number by 10, just add a 0 at the end, always!)

Then, subtract: 50 – 5 (original number) = 45

And your answer is: 5 x 9 = 45

Let’s do one more!

27 x 9

27 x 10 = 270 (remember to add a 0 at the end)

270 – 27 = 243

27 x 9 = 243

Voila!

 

Ring Ring, It’s Time for Our English Class!

In this lesson, we’re going to focus on reading, writing, and comprehending (new word alert: comprehending means to understand something)!

Each of us will choose our favorite book from the OG Bookshelf and write a mini book report. Visit our bookshelf and read for free, then print out our free book report worksheet!

 

Helpful Reading Tip:

When you’re reading, try to think about all the characters. Which ones are your favorite, why are they special to you, and how do they fit in the story.

Also, think about what you liked about the story and which parts you would change. These questions can help when trying to comprehend what is happening in a book.

Do you remember what comprehending means?

 

There goes the bell again. We hope you enjoyed today’s lessons, and we’ll be back for more fun learning at Awesome Academy very soon! Don’t forget to share your work by tagging us @ogdolls!

A New Day to Grow

Nahla hasn’t been able to visit the rooftop garden at school with her friends to tend to her flowers and vegetables, but it looks like she’s been planting a little positivity to help make her time at home easier.

 

Hi Nahla! It’s such a pleasure that we have this chance to talk today.

Hi! I’m very excited, there’s lots of things I’d like to share.

 

How are you handling being home from school and away from your garden?

Well, it’s been tough not seeing my friends and working on my garden, but being home has given me the chance to spend time with my family and focus on things that help me grow!

 

 

Have you thought of any interesting activities to do during the day?

The first thing I thought of was how I could bring my daily activities from school to my house. And of course, I started with my garden!

I planted some tomatoes, cucumbers, and pretty flowers in small pots and placed them on top of my windowsill with some supplies that I had left over from my science project. It’s called a container garden because you can use lots of things like cans, jars, plastic cups, and milk cartons.

 

Wow! How does a container garden work?

Well first, you always need to wash your hands before and after you start any type of garden, then I get my supplies ready and I start: I fill up 3/4 of the cup with soil, put in a few seeds, add another scoop of soil on top, and add fresh water.

Then I took my creativity to the next level by drawing pictures of a sun and a bright blue sky to put on the windows so when it begins to sprout, it knows it’s in a happy environment!

 

That sounds like a fun idea. You’ve added a little twist to gardening at home!

I also drew pictures of a happy cloud with raindrops and a colorful rainbow because flowers need both the sunshine and rain to grow. Plus, I’m a bit of a pluviophile. I love the sound of raindrops when they touch the window!

 

Does that mean our friendly neighbors can see your drawings on the window?

Of course! It might inspire them to plant their own garden, draw pretty pictures too, or bring a smile to their day. That’s the best thing about creativity, it always leads to more wonderful ideas!

 

Oh, before I forget, did you get a chance to participate in the Egg Hunt?

I did! Some of my friends and I were talking about all the eggs we were able to find in the pictures.

I found two eggs near the Easter basket and the one next to Maeva in the school bag. Lexie told us there was one beside the steps and one in the girl’s pocket – she’s the best at finding hidden treasure!

There were also three eggs hiding in the Saddle Up Stables horse barn. One was near the silver trough, another was high up on the shelf, and the last one was in the corner under the saddle!

 

Thank you so much for talking to us today, Nahla. You’ve certainly given us some valuable lessons.

Thank you! Remember, happiness can always be found in every day if you’re looking in the right places.

See you next time!

 

Taking the time to learn new words can help us understand stories much better, and they can be used to tell our own stories in clear and exciting ways. Here are some words that Nahla used to tell her story:

 

Tend to – to care for or look after someone/something

 

Sprout – a plant that is starting to grow

 

Environment – the place/surroundings in which a person, animal, or plant lives

 

Pluviophile – a person who loves rain

DIY Flower Crowns for Kids

 

 

 

Ready to earn your crown? This easy homemade craft lets little ones design their own flowery fashion accessory just in time for spring! And since this activity encourages creative freedom, kids can fill up their crowns with any type of flower, colors, pretty patterns, or anything their imagination can dream up.

Psst! Parents can also join in the fun by creating a matching crown for themselves! Let’s get started:

 

 

 

 

Supplies

  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Scotch tape
  • Glue stick
  • Scissors
  • Construction paper in your favorite colors

 

*Safety first! This colorful craft requires scissors. Please get help from an adult to make sure you complete this craft safely.

 

 

Steps

  1. To make the headband of the crown, cut two long strips of construction paper and tape the ends together as shown (with adult supervision).
  2. Next, use your ruler to measure a 4″ x 4″ square and fold it in half two times. 
  3. Draw your flower petal on the square with the folded edges pointing down (as shown in the image) and cut out your petal (with adult supervision). 
  4. When you unfold the paper, you’ll have a flower with four petals all attached (wow!). You can create different-sized flower petals by measuring larger or smaller squares from Step 2.
  5. Cut out mini circles to use as the flower centers – you can even add leaves for extra creativity!
  6. Mix and match the colors and flower sizes and glue them together with the mini circles in the middle.
  7. Fill up the headband with your flowery creations, tape the other ends together, and enjoy your crown!

 

Show us your colorful flower crowns on Instagram (@ogdolls) and TikTok (@officialogdolls)!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We found inspiration for this craft here. Thank you Paper and Glue!