Keva Planks ~ 10 Tips for Beginners

This post is taken from the archives of All Things Bright and Beautiful.  I am always looking for new and creative manipulatives to add to our classroom, ones that are sturdy, a good investment and can be used by kids of all ages.  Keva planks rank #1 in our home, so I thought that I would share them with you!

Over the past few months, I've been receiving e-mail's from individuals requesting lessons and tips on how to help kids of varying ages get started building with their Keva Planks.  While I am not an expert on Keva Planks, by any means, our family has been enjoying them for several years now, and so I am happy to share what I know through my experiences of using them to teach in our homeschool classroom as well as of watching the boys apply simple building techniques and principles to create what I consider to be creative masterpieces! (See how we got started here.)

(Special note to parents:  Keva Planks are an ACTIVE and SOCIAL adventure.  Active as in the person building is engaged in his/her project and is the sole creator of his/her work.  This is completely opposite of passive toys, video games or television programs which require little or no effort, concentration or creativity from the participant.  And, they are social in nature.  Building and creating with others, is not only fun but it teaches team work, cooperation, encouragement, healthy interaction and opportunities for parents to engage in the children's learning, creativity and success. So roll up your sleeves and build with your kiddos!)

TOP 10 TIPS FOR BEGINNER BUILDERS:

1.  If you don't know where to begin, use the guide that came with your planks.  Start with constructing simple structures, such as towers and move into roof lines and spirals (the guide book will show you how).  Even the littlest architects can create with them! Getting the basics mastered truly gives the children confidence to try more difficult structures.

(Henry stacking the planks on edge to create a simple tower.)

2.  If your children are resistant or hesitant at first because the planks don't link, blink or light up, just keep encouraging them!  A little bit of guidance (you sitting on the floor with them, playing their favorite music and engaging in conversation) is typically just the little "push" that they need to get started.

3.  If you are working with a large group of kids in a classroom or perhaps even in a homeschool setting, you might save yourself some time with lesson planning by purchasing the Educator's Guide on the Keva Planks website.  You can also print out free easy lessons plans there such as this park or lemonade stand:

4.  I know this sounds basic, but don't build on the carpet or uneven surfaces! You really do need a smooth even surface to maximize building potential. And, be sure to store your planks in a proper box or bag.  Don't leave them on a damp concrete floor or anywhere that they might be exposed to moisture, because they do warp.

5.  Incorporate the planks into daily lessons.  For example, if you have little ones at home, you can use them for counting, adding and subtracting and even measuring.  Does your child have a stack of favorite stories? Encourage them to build one or more places, settings or objects in the story. For example, in Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown, you could build the barn, or stand the planks on end and make rows of corn. The same lesson can be applied to older kids.  My boys love the Redwall Series by Brian Jacques and have built Redwall Abbey several times.

6.  Don't limit your students/children to creating buildings.  Encourage them to build trees, fences, bushes, autos, furniture.  Anything is possible, and you'll be amazed at the wonderfully unique and thoughtful designs they engineer!

7.  Integrate them with other toys.  For instance, you might create a race track or maze for vehicles to run through.  My boys love to build forts and place their army men or Play Mobile figures on and around them.

(George creating a Keva forest for his Play Mobile battle scene.)

8.  If your older kids think they are "too big" for Keva Planks, just go to You Tube and you'll find a number of videos from high school and college competitions that are spectacular!  You can view an example of one here.

9.  Offer to make a photo album of your child(s') creations. They love to see photos of their hard work and creativity.

10.  Encourage your school age kids to build a structure that represents a book they are reading or a favorite subject they are studying in school.  For instance if they are studying Greek and Roman history, they might build the Colosseum or the Parthenon.  There is a great demonstration of a Civil War Encampment (From You Tube) that is particularly interesting for boys. Ask your child to share a little presentation with the family, and celebrate their accomplishment with a special treat.

BONUS TIP: If your kids are enjoying their planks, but always seem to "run out" then consider buying another set, writing it into your classroom budget, or asking grandparents or other family members to give them as gifts in lieu of other toys or video games.  We have roughly 1000 planks, between four active builders in our home, and they are used almost every day.  A very sound, no need for batteries, updates or anything plugged-in investment!

SHARE THE KEVA LOVE:  Begin a Keva club in your school or homeschool league.  We took on this venture a few years ago and had a blast! A Keva Club experience will surly be a positive and rewarding enrichment to any child's education! (You might even have fun yourself!)

"I have no special talents,

I am only passionately curious."

~ Albert Einstein

Wordless Wednesday From Grand Lake, CO

It's the end of summer  ~ we've "hit the wall."  Tired, unmotivated, worn out, irrational, emotional, can't complete a sentence without a curse word, can't finish the day without a special beverage.....signs you need a vacation.  Sunday night it was time to admit it.  Monday morning we were on our way to Grand Lake, Colorado!   SIGH....

 

Fun Fuel Recipe

We are getting ready to head to Colorado for a little family vacation, and since it will definitely be a vacation filled with hiking, fishing, swimming and other activities, I thought I would make up some healthy snacks to take along with us to keep everyone going.

One of our family favorites is what we like to call "Fun Fuel."  I received the core of this recipe from a good friend back in college, and have tweaked it a little here and there to come up with this final product.  Please don't slap my hand for calling them healthy - yes, they have sugar and fat in them, but far less than regular cookie recipes.  And, once you see the nutritious ingredients on the list, you'll know that they go way beyond the average cookie!

I haven't tried to make them with a gluten-free flour combination, so if any of my readers out there give it a whirl and find success, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!! I'll do a gluten-free post and feature you as my guest!!

FUN FUEL: Our Version of a Healthy Cookie...

1 stick butter (or you may use 3/4 c. canola oil)

1/2 c. agave nectar (you may use honey, but the flavor is stronger)

1/2 c. packed brown sugar (white works too)

3/4 c. natural peanut butter, creamy or crunchy

Cream these ingredients together until they are well combined.  Then add:

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla (less if you prefer a milder flavor)

Mix well, then add:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon (more or less if you like)

1/2 tsp. nutmeg (more or less if you like)

1 c. wheat germ

1/2 c. ground flax seed

After these ingredients are well blended, you can add the following and mix by hand:

1/2 to 1 cup finely grated unsweetened coconut

3/4 c. mini chocolate chips or white chocolate chips

1/2 c. raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (or pecans)

2 c. rolled oats

The dough will be very thick.  Drop by the tablespoon onto a cookie sheet.  I like to use a melon ball scoop to make the cookies uniform.  They will not spread out when baked, so I pat the cookies down on top before baking.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Makes 60-70 cookies. Enjoy!

Begin Again

Out of the archives from our "beginner blog," All Things Bright and Beautiful.....

To begin is for everyone,

    to persevere is for saints....

~St. Josemaria Escriva

It's been a while since I've written about anything related to the spiritual life.  But, the theme of perseverance has been drifting in and out of my attention lately. Perseverance in work, in prayer, in goals and resolutions.  (I've just opted for beer and basketball instead of writing.)

Today, I was cleaning up my picture files and I came across this shot of my son, Andrew, from last football season.  His perseverance in tackling the ball carrier was amazing - none of us on the sideline could believe it as we watched him leap into the air and pull his opponent to the turf.  Our perseverance in the spiritual life is similar, every day as we offer our very best efforts, grace carries us, and amazing things happen.  Amazing like heaven.

Yesterday I announced to our son, George, "George, we fell off the wagon today with our gluten-free goals, so tomorrow we have to get back on."  To which he replied, "Mom, I didn't know we were on a wagon.  When did we get on a wagon?" To which Henry chimed in, "I don't like gluten-three. It's yuck." 

I don't like gluten-three either. 

Slipping off of the gluten-free wagon wasn't my only short coming yesterday.  There was morning prayer - I overslept. Bills to be paid - failed to read the sticky note reminder.  Oh, and the calm, kind tone of voice - I'm still trying to find it.

Some days the one thing that doesn't work out or get accomplished turns into two and three and four, and pretty soon all of the dominoes have fallen and the recollection of the day is not one of peaceful order but of ruin. Utter ruin.

A couple of years ago, as we sat on the front steps of our church, my spiritual director shared with me two simple words, words that have resonated with me each and every day since then:

BEGIN AGAIN.  

My skull is oh-so-very thick. I should be a stunt woman in my free time.  Really.  My mind travels down one road, the one paved with good intentions, but my will, my actions sometimes shift into reverse, pulling me in the opposite direction. The inner conflict often leaves me parked in the state of self-pity (inner whining), which is actually fueled by pride.  Pride = thick skulled.

Then rise the confessions of St. Paul to my conscious, his words spinning around in my spirit, over and over again: "I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do." (Romans 7:15)

Personal disappointment, in myself, feels overwhelmingly lonely. I've let my children down, my husband, my friends. I've let you down, too, Lord.  Pride can be so gripping, tempting me toward hopelessness and self-pity, to look down, rather than up. But, Christ didn't suffer on the cross so that I can pout and whine and berate myself.

BEGIN AGAIN. 

Humility, the antidote for my TSP (thick-skulled pride), isn't always the glamorous road, but it's certainly the higher one.  Humility recognizes that all of my efforts, determination and desire for the good in life only have merit when they are acting in cooperation with grace.  My will wants a rah-rah squad to cheer me on to heaven - affirmation, accolades, approval, admiration - those things that make us feel our faith, feel good about who we are, feel successful.  But, my intellect knows that it's who I am in the presence of ONE that matters most.  He's not keeping track of my accomplishments nor my shortcomings.  He desires for me to depend on Him rather than myself, to keep going, to not give up, to begin again. And, again. And, again.

At night, after baths and teeth brushing, family prayer and story time, it's time to tuck the boys in.  This is my opportunity to go to each one of them and tell them of all the good that I saw in them that day, and the encourage them in their weaknesses and failures.  But, it's also time for me to offer my own apologies for a poor temper, lack of cheerfulness, or inattentiveness to their needs.  Their response is always the same, always perfect: "It's okay, mom, I forgive you. Tomorrow we begin again."   

Tears roll down my flushed cheeks and I exhale, resting in the embrace of their consolations.

Choosing our Lord over and over again, each and every day, in the littlest things is not so easy. Talking to God instead of talking on the phone, embracing the stillness and quiet moments of the day instead of drowning out the demands with i-tunes.  Reading scripture instead of Facebook. Finishing the undone tasks around the home in loving service to my family instead of watching movies and eating my preferred buffet of snacks.

It's like rocket science for me, sometimes, to wrap my mind around the truth that the simplest little offerings, like getting up early to pray, arriving at my appointments on time, controlling my tongue, forgiving and letting go of grudges, doing without so that someone else my have, these acts, when lived freely with love, have more merit than any worldly accomplishment I could ever achieve. And, yet, choosing them, acting upon them each and every day, is often more difficult than the tallest goals I have ordered for my life.

BEGIN AGAIN.

Yesterday, and it's ruins, are behind me...

But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 

Today, because of You, and for the love of You, I will begin again.

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12–14

My First Guest Writer & Incentive Punch Cards

Just before we moved from Kansas City to the farm, I had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful fellow homeschool mom, Katy.  She is the mother of eight beautifiul children, and her husband Roy is currently serving our country overseas. (God bless our military!)  She is truly an amazing woman!  

A couple of weeks ago, she posted an idea on Facebook for creating punch cards with incentives for each child with ways to implement them in the home during the school year. I loved Katy's idea, and asked her if she would share it with you. She graciously agreed!  I am thankful to have her here as my first guest writer on the homeschool page.  I hope you enjoy her creativity as much as I do! Here's Katy!...

As a homeschool Mom, I have to hold myself accountable for my kids upbringing. Normally, I can sit down with a couple or all of the kids and talk about the difference between right and wrong and what they need to learn and practice out in the real world. As much as this is necessary, it can get monotonous. I need (we all need) some creative and fun ways to bring in the home to help guide our kids in the direction we are working on.  Sometimes, my expectations can get too high. I know, you can’t relate.  I am always looking for solutions to make life a little more fun in the area’s that my kids struggle. Quite frankly, I am looking for ways to make my parenting a bit easier! Another homeschooling Mom gave me the idea to use punch cards as an incentive to make these “weak” area’s easier, and more fun, to overcome.  The concept is quite simple. 

Step 1:

You pick a few….F-E-W (not 300)….area’s that you would like to work on to improve the upbringing of your kids such as chores, homework, manners, etc. 

Step 2:

Come up with inexpensive and do-able rewards for each one.

Step 3:

Custom make these cards on your computer. Or, ask your computer savvy husband to do it. I use Microsoft Publisher/Business Cards.

Step 4:

Buy a hole punch that is not the traditional circle. I’m sure my kids are honest and would never think of cheating BUT, just to wipe that temptation from their little minds, I paid the extra money at Office Max and bought an adorable, overpriced heart shaped punch. Believe it or not, I also carry the sticky circles with me all the time. When a card rips from the key chain, I use the stickers and place it back on. I must 

be prepared all the time. 

Step 5:

This is VERY important!! The number of great “ideas” I have had that have died a slow painful death is more than I can count. If I wanted this to work, I needed to have access to these cards at all times and have a sincere follow-through. I keep ALL of the cards with me in my purse. When anyone deserves “a punch” (yes, this will be an on-going joke all year), I am ready to yank them from my purse at that very moment! 

                                          

When the kids fill up a card, I leave it on their key chain until they get their reward, then I promptly tear it off and place it in a jar so we can keep track with how well they have been doing with this system. If I forget to take the card off and put it away, I will surely have to pay them twice because we will all forget. I always have a stash of extra cards in my purse so I can immediately replace it. 

 Let me share a couple of example’s about how we have used these 

and why they were successful. 

My favorite card is the “Pleasure to Meet You” card. I LOVE this because I have wanted my children to say these simple words to strangers for YEARS. Even though I repeatedly asked each of them to do this, I could hardly get more than a smile and a barely visible nod out of them. Don’t all homeschooled children do this??! Didn’t I read that somewhere? Well, offer to pay the kids and see what happens. Yes, I know. Paying the kids to have manners might not be the ideal way, but desperate times call for desperate measures. 

The first time we went out with this card was to visit my daughter’s old school from 13 years ago. I reminded the kids that they would all have a chance to fill up their cards if they could each meet and say “It’s a pleasure to meet you” to 10 different people. WOW!!! You should have seen the looks on the teacher’s faces as each child said those simple words!!! I know, these teachers had no idea that I was paying the kids to say this BUT, my kids got to experience another person’s reaction when those words slipped passed their lips. My kids received more than just a monetary reward. 

After school was over and the cards were put away, they continued to use those simple little words over and over again with no expectation of money or candy. That’s right! My kids' reward is in the faces and reaction of the people they meet. They just needed a jump start and these punch cards are my “jump start”! Imagine the possibilities! Now, I want to make 300 cards but then the images of my slow death ideas creep through my mind. One step at a time! 

This year, I want to focus on my kids using their vocabulary words in their daily conversations with people. Why am I paying $10 for a vocabulary book and they aren’t even using these words?! Every time the kids use a vocabulary word, not only do I give them a punch (in the card) but I write the word next to the cute heart. I learned the hard way that I could be punching hole after hole for the same word. Yeah, that ended quickly. 

I won’t bore you with my 300 idea’s but here are a few that we have done or will be doing in the near future….

*Self denial. Denying yourself something as a sacrifice or because you know it isn’t good for you.

*Babysitting. I can’t afford the going rate for babysitting so a big chocolate shake after a card is full should do the trick. 

*Math. Math will be the death of some of my kids!! Besides trying a new and more fun Math curriculum this year….Life of Fred…I need to have a serious incentive to get this done In a reasonable amount of time with no tears.

*Church. Behaving….quiet….volunteering, etc. 

*Spelling Words. I have one child who could care less if he missed all of his spelling words. He just needs another reason to get them right. 

*Chores. You have to go beyond the cards to get this to be pleasant, fast and fun (Fly Lady….Mothers Rule of Life) but the cards are an excellent tool. 

*Homework. Just getting it done before midnight would be nice but how about before 5:00? Or even 4:00? 

*Accepting “No” for an answer the first time. 

*Siblings. OK, I might get some ugly looks with this one because who really recommends that you pay your kids to be nice to each other?  BUT, if you have some sibling rivalry going on, the punch cards can be just the jump start they need to really see how kind words and actions can affect someone. We all know what mean words can do but what about KIND words?  Just like the “Pleasure to Meet You” experiences, doing and saying simple kind things to someone you don’t think you like can change not only how you act and speak to them but how you act and speak to the outside world that is FULL of people you won’t like! 

You can keep up with Katy and her family through her blog, Come What May.