Why Boredom is Good for Kids
It turns out a little boredom is a good thing. Unfortunately, experts say today’s overscheduled kids may be missing out on it, even during the summer, a time intended to be a break from the pressures...
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Back to School: Cool Homework Stations and Homeschool Rooms
Whether your kids need a space for a few hours of homework, or you’re a homeschooling or online school family and require multiple study stations for a full day of learning, these colorful spaces and...
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Back to School: Scheduling Tools to Keep Parents Sane
The summer is coming to an end and it’s time to start gearing up for back to school. That means stocking up on school supplies, organizing your student’s study space, and planning for the busier pace...
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Back to School: iPhone and Android Apps to Keep Students Organized
While notebooks and pencils will always have their place on the school supplies list, when it comes to staying organized, today’s students have more high-tech options than the old student planner. From...
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Back to School: Easy Lunches for Learning Days
While it’s not the most important meal of the day (that honor goes to breakfast) lunch is still an important part of any student’s day. Eating lunch “re-energizes your body and can raise blood sugar...
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Back to School: Must-Have Apps for Busy Parents
These must-have apps for parents can help manage every part of your busy life this back to school season and beyond. From money to grocery shopping, to keeping track of your kids and their schedules,...
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Back to School: Apps for Homeschool Students
We recently shared our top 10 apps for homeschooling parents, but that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about homeschooled students. These 15 apps are some of the top-rated for learning at home, whether...
View Article3 Reasons to Consider Online Preschool
Numerous studies have shown that preschool provides life-long benefits for children, both academically, and in other areas of life. In fact, whether children are adequately prepared to enter...
View ArticleBack to School: Getting Enough Sleep
After a summer of relaxed bedtimes, late nights, and lazy mornings it can be difficult for kids—and parents—to get back to business on the first day of school. Making a simple plan to ensure kids get...
View ArticleHow to Convince Your Parents to Homeschool
Students come to online school for a multitude of reasons, and often after trying several different types of schooling. Academic needs, personal reasons, career aspirations, health, and family needs...
View ArticleLabor Day: Why We Celebrate
The first Monday in September, or Labor Day, is a day set aside in honor of “the social and economic achievements of American workers.” For many of us, Labor Day will simply mean time off from work or...
View ArticleCooking with Kids: 8 Valuable Skills Built in the Kitchen
By making meal prep a learning opportunity, kids can learn so much—from multiplication, to chemistry, to reading—all while building life skills and spending quality time together as a family. While...
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Do Kids Need Wearable Technology?
From the recently announced Apple Watch, to the popular Fitbit activity tracker, ‘wearables’ seems to be the next big thing in technology. If wearable tech makes you think of the Casio calculator watch...
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Google and Apple Offer Two New Ways to Take Virtual Field Trips
We’ve written before about some of the options online for taking kids on memorable, educational virtual field trips. With two exciting new options from two of the most innovative companies around, it’s...
View ArticleOnline Learning: A Bullying Refuge
Nearly one in four kids will be bullied at some point in their adolescence, and approximately 160,000 will skip school each day to avoid being bullied. Many students and parents, in search of a safer...
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What is the Future of Education?
What will the future of education look like? A recent infographic from Lenovo offers a glimpse at some of the exciting possibilities. While some predictions—such as online education and tablet...
View ArticleDigital Citizenship Week: Resources for Parents and Teachers
It’s Digital Citizenship Week (October 19-25), a time dedicated to engaging and educating students, teachers, and parents on the importance of being smart and responsible users of digital tools. This...
View ArticleHow is the Role of the Teacher Changing?
In today’s digital world, learning has become more mobile, individualized and student-centered. And now learning also happens in a virtual environment. So how do these new developments affect the role...
View ArticleShould Kids See ‘Interstellar’?
Christopher Nolan’s latest film, Interstellar, features stunning visuals and a story that’s both original and reminiscent of classic space epics, particularly 2001: A Space Odyssey. Movie Details:...
View ArticleIs All Multitasking Bad?
Multitasking. Most of us do it at least some of the time, whether that means browsing the Internet while watching TV, texting while waiting in line at the store, switching between multiple browser...
View ArticlePinterest Contest: Pin to Win a $500 Visa Gift Card
Update: This contest has ended and the winner has been contacted. Thank you to all who entered! This holiday season, we’re featuring articles with resources and ideas for creating a meaningful and...
View Article10 Great Holiday Movies for Kids
Holiday traditions are unique to every family. Some families read classic holiday books or poems like “The Night Before Christmas,” every year. Others embrace newer traditions like The Elf on the Shelf...
View Article11 Favorite Holiday Books for Kids
Books are amazing. A good book can ignite a child’s imagination, open the door to a rich world of fantasy and discovery, and turn a child into a lifelong reader. A book can be incredibly meaningful,...
View Article6 Places to Find Free Audio Books for Kids
In the last few years, audio books have exploded in popularity amongst adult readers. They’re especially popular with people who have little time to sit down and read, allowing busy book lovers to...
View Article11 Fun Winter Break Activities
The holiday season is in full swing, and with it, comes winter vacation, a welcome break in the school year for students and parents. While a few weeks off from the day-to-day schoolwork is important...
View ArticleNew Minecraft Game Will Add Story to the Sandbox
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Minecraft here at Learning Liftoff. We love the game for the creativity kids exercise when they play, and for the many ways that teachers and parents can use the...
View ArticleOvercoming Obstacles: Hard Work and Persistence Paid Off For Walt Disney
This is one in a series of profiles on famous people who overcame incredible obstacles, failed many times or defied grim odds in order to succeed. There are few who have had as enormous an impact on...
View Article12 Educational Music Games and Apps for Kids
Study after study shows that playing music is extraordinarily beneficial to children. In one recent report, researchers found that playing music had significant behavioral effects, from improved...
View ArticleNational School Choice Week 2015: Tips for Choosing a New School
This week is National School Choice Week, an annual event aimed at raising awareness and empowering parents to choose the learning environment that works for their child, whether that is a traditional...
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Best Children’s Books: 2015 Newbery and Caldecott Winners
This year’s Caldecott, Newbery, and other prestigious awards for the best children’s and young adult literature highlight the growing diversity in children’s literature. The awards, announced...
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Best Young Adult Books: 2015 Printz, Morris, and Alex Awards
From the greatest runner in Nairobi, to the first person to walk on Mars, and a powerful memoir from the son of a terrorist, the books selected for the 2015 YALSA awards tell a variety of stories and...
View ArticleTED Ed: What’s Going On Inside the Teenage Brain?
Moody, impulsive, and not so great at decision-making. Every parent of a teenager probably sees these typical adolescent traits at least some of the time. But why are teenagers prone to these kinds of...
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10 Engineering Games and Apps for Kids
According to a recent report, seven of the top 25 jobs in America in 2015 are engineering positions, while several more are tech-related. And according to Bureau of Labor statistics, millions more STEM...
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10 Best Apps for Teens
Today we’re excited to debut a new monthly feature on Learning Liftoff highlighting the most educational and useful apps for families. This month’s collection of apps coincides with our theme for the...
View ArticleHow Sleep Deprivation Is Putting Your Teen at Risk
Is your teenager getting enough sleep? According to the National Sleep Foundation, teens need about eight to ten hours of sleep each night, but most aren’t getting nearly enough. In fact, in one study,...
View ArticleWhat Parents Should Know About Messaging Apps: WhatsApp, Kik, and Yik Yak
WhatsApp, Kik, Yik Yak, Viber, Snapchat, Omegle, Oovoo, Whisper. If these names aren’t familiar to you, ask your teenager. Though they’re not as popular with older users, many of these apps are rapidly...
View ArticleBest American Landmarks to Visit with Kids: Independence Hall and Philadelphia
America’s historic landmarks may not be as ancient as those found in other parts of the world, but their more recent origins add a tangible quality that may inspire a child’s learning. Whether seeing...
View ArticleLabor Day: Why We Celebrate
The first Monday in September, or Labor Day, is a day set aside in honor of “the social and economic achievements of American workers.” For many, Labor Day will simply mean time off from work or school...
View Article10 Free Apps to Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
For many people, it’s time to reflect on the past year and set goals for the coming one. In fact, about 45 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions every year, but only about 8 percent manage...
View Article10 Best Apps for Homeschooling Parents
There are thousands of educational apps available for students, but what about apps for homeschooling moms and dads? Homeschooling parents have a lot to keep track of and the right app can make the...
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The 15 Best Dr. Seuss Quotes and the Life Lessons We Learned from Them
Dr. Seuss once said that he never began writing a story with a moral in mind. “Kids can see a moral coming a mile off,” he is quoted as saying. But, he admitted, there’s an inherent moral in any story....
View Article6 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day with Your Kids
Every year on April 22, more than one billion people in 192 countries celebrate Earth Day and focus on saving the planet. Not sure how to celebrate? Check out these fun Earth Day activities for ways to...
View ArticleTips for Homeschooling Multiple Ages
For parents with multiple children in different grades, all learning at home, the school day can seem overwhelming at times. One minute you’re practicing the alphabet with a preschooler, the next,...
View ArticleThe Benefits of Kids’ DIY Projects and How to Find Them
Kids are more tech-savvy today than ever before, but all that screen time (an average of five to seven hours a day) may mean less time spent interacting with physical objects, creating, designing, and...
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Essential Online Resources to Aid Students in College Planning
Summer, when school is out and schedules are more relaxed, is a great time for students to start thinking about college. While it’s tempting to spend the summer at the pool or playing video games,...
View Article5 Fun Ways to Prevent Summer Learning Loss
The summer slide, summer brain drain, summer slump—it’s known by many names, but whatever you call it, summer learning loss is a problem. Studies show that when given the same test at the beginning of...
View Article20 of the Best Homeschooling Websites and Learning Resources
Are you preparing to go back to school at home? Be sure to bookmark these 20 homeschooling websites. Many of these sites offer not only homeschool resources but plenty of learning help for all kids....
View Article10 Tips for Keeping Kids Safe Online
There is no denying that the internet provides wonderful learning opportunities, for adults and kids alike. It has revolutionized how we learn, how we connect with one another, and even provides...
View ArticleFun Educational Holiday Activities for Kids
The holiday season is here! And it’s a time full of meaning and magic for kids and grown ups alike. Along with all the traditional holiday fun, there are also lots of great educational opportunities....
View ArticleDispelling the Top 5 Myths about Online Education
Myth: Kids just stare at a computer screen all day. Fact: In the K-8 program, only about 30% of lessons are online. Traditional materials are used the remainder of the time; things like textbooks and...
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