The Mermaid and the Grumpy Old Clam by Kirk Kirkpatrick

Kirk Kirkpatrick recently released his first children's book called The Mermaid and the Grumpy Old Clam.  The Mermaid and the Grumpy Old Clam is a sweet story for young readers about a mermaid who goes swimming with her fish friend.  While they are swimming, a grumpy old clam on the ground opens his mouth and snaps it shut on the mermaid's tail.  Oh no... the mermaid is stuck!  How will she get away?  How will her fish friend help her?  Keep reading to learn more about The Mermaid and the Grumpy Clam, how the mermaid gets away from him, and for a simple... yet fun... enrichment activity for your students.

Let's Make a Pizza Busy Bag!

Busy bags have become hugely popular among parents and teachers of young children in recent years. "What are busy bags," you may be wondering? Busy bags are activities that can be slipped into a Ziploc bag and stored in a purse, diaper bag, glove compartment, or math center. They keep children busy while quietly engaging them in learning.

Parents love to give busy bags to their children while they are waiting for their food in a restaurant or sitting in the waiting room at a doctor's office. Teachers use busy bags in math centers to reinforce skills taught in class. In this blog post, you will learn how to make a simple, pizza busy bag out of felt. Enjoy!

(This is an updated version of a blog post I wrote in 2014.)