If you’ve got kids climbing the walls this week because it’s just too hot, this one’s for you and for my friends down under, where it’s a wee bit cold, join the fun starting with Day 2 I’m dropping a brand new 5-day activity series called Heatwave Hideout one indoor play idea per day, no screens, no oven, no backyard required. I’ll return to build lab next week. Each activity uses stuff you already have at home (cardboard, ice cubes, paper, tape that’s basically it), and every single one comes with variations so it works whether you’ve got a 4-year-old, a 10-year-old, a teenager, or all three at the same time. Here’s what’s coming: 🧊 Day 1: The Melting Mission — Science-y, hands-on, and surprisingly competitive 📦 Day 2: The Box City Build — One box. Infinite worlds. 🗺️ Day 3: The Indoor Treasure Map — No words allowed 🎭 Day 4: The Freeze Frame Story — Slow motion improv for the whole family 🏆 Day 5: The Heatwave Hideout Challenge — The kids run this one I’ll post one each day. Save this post so you can find them easily, or follow along in the Random Ideas classroom. Drop a 🌡️ in the comments if you’re in and let me know how old your kids are so I can cheer you on with the right variations!

Our European friends just experienced a massive heat wave and it looks like the US is next. Would you prefer stay cool activities or the build lab I was planning. For our friends down under, these can be adapted for cold, too. Attached our weather forecast in Fahrenheit. Including the “feels like” temperature. Pick your preference:

Hello, most of you don't know me as I'm not on here all that often, mostly because I'm either running a math learning center or building various things to help overwhelmed parents. I've done a wide variety of things throughout my life, but always tend to come back to teaching (2 legs, 4 legs, it doesn't matter, LOL). I've noticed people (kids included) tend to always have a good reason for their behavior. They might not always understand the reason, but it's there. Recently, I started a blog (PlayEdVenture.com) and well, one thing led to another (involving a child who was hard to reach at the math center, a couple of conversations with her father and a late night talk with ChatGPT) and I figured out I can finally create the tool I've been wanting to create for years. I'd already shared the 'lite' version here (my GPT) but I'm also working on a more robust free-standing tool - the Resistance Reset Coach™ App. No need for an account with any AI tool needed and while the premise is the same as the GPT, it also allows parents to do things like save conversations, print them off and, probably most importantly, continue the conversation.... how did the advice work? Based on that feedback, the tool refines suggestions. At this time, anything saved, is saved only to your device so no one else has access to it but you can go back to it later and sometimes, if relevant, saved conversations might be referenced by the tool. Books are great, courses are great, but time is often at a premium and the reason I have developed this tool is to give parents a way to get advice in the moment. I've done quite a bit of testing on my own, but my son is nearly 30 and what I need is some real life testing... real parents (or grandparents) with real kids. Do the suggestions work? Do they make sense? If you try out the tool, it is yours to keep using (if you like it) as my way of thanking you for helping me move this project forward. :) Thanks for considering!