Lola the Elf on the Shelf

So my child is almost 21 and I never had the pleasure of having an Elf.  I have had some fun in the past with my nieces Elf and my best friends elf when I have been home at Christmas time.  Now for these 5-7 times I had a blast and was sad that my son didn't have that experience.

Well after 3-4 years of having a library Elf I GET it!!!!  I totally get why parents are all grumpy and nuts messing with this elf.  In the library it sure is fun to see 400+ kids search for her everyday but it is also hard to keep finding places high enough where she can't be touched.  My 2nd year with her she got touched a bunch and spent 10 days, yes I said 10 days in the Elf hospital.  I sure hope I taught those little "touchers" a lesson.  I want to leave and go home at 3:30 like everybody else, but NOOOOO I have to wait and make sure there are no teachers kids or after school club kids or tutoring kids around because sure enough I move him and bam there is a kid.  Ugh.  So she has been in some pretty lame places I must admit.  My favorite place to put her what I call the "Miley Cyrus" She is coming in on a wrecking ball.

Now don't get too excited I haven't done much of anything thrilling with her.  Here are just a few others.

Kindergarten was watching a Puppet show this week so Lola was watching them

Again Lola watching the Puppet Show

Lola peeking out from the Magic Tree House.  You can see Annie in there too.

I guess she didn't think we had enough decorations so she added some garland.

Playing Jenga with The Three Little Pigs, Gerald and Piggie, and Junie B.

Riding the horse from There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly

Trying to catch the Fairy coming out of the Fairy Door.  I wonder if Fairies and Elves know each other?

Lola in a snow globe, she also happens to be holding a clue to a breakout that a 2nd grade class was doing.

Hanging out with the breakout boxes.  Looks like she Broke Out!!!

Now what else will Lola get into?  Let's see I have 6 more days to have her ready.  Oh and did I mention I got up and got to school early this morning because I forgot to move her last night even when I was here late and NO children were here!!!

BreakoutEDU

If you don't know what BreakoutEDU is then you and your kids are missing out.  I encourage you to go to their website and check them out.  It is based on the concept of an Escape room where you solve clues to escape.  Breakout is a box with a series of locks and to find the  answers they must solve puzzles that have been created to align with their curriculum.  You might be asking, "What is the benefit of doing this?"  See the graphic below from the BreakoutEDU website.

 It is so much fun but really makes the kids think.

I did my first BreakoutEDU last year with 1st and 2nd grade and they did a great job and figured out the clues.  Inside the box you can leave a treat or a prize or some kind.  I have been putting in a coupon for free Cozy Corner time in the library and teachers have offered homework passes and class rewards.

On their website you register to learn more and they will send you a password that will get you into all of their games.  The games are written by teachers and are all done in Google Drive you so you can save them easily.  They cost $0.00, and we thank them for that.  If you buy the kit from them you will get it a few weeks or you can buy locks yourself and try to find a box.  I did buy myself at first but then I wrote and was awarded a grant by my education foundation and was able to purchase 15 kits from BreakoutEDU.

I started looking at lessons on the site and I joined the online community on Facebook.  There are so many lessons and helpful people out there and it is catching on like crazy.

I have written a few of my own too.  I wrote one for my staff to do for inservice and it was a 100% failure.  It was so hard and what I thought was easy to follow wasn't.  As my friend said, "Yeah it was easy if we were in your head!"  I guess they weren't in my head.

I did a breakout with 5th grade this week and the one clue that hung all the kids up was a word that rhymed with chill.  The answer was drill but to my horror they didn't get it.  I don't know if it is a word they don't use or if they were just tired.  Like any good teacher I think if 85% missed it then I need to re-teach rhyming words.  Or maybe they don't do woodwork with their daddy like I did:-)

5th Grade almost ran out of time

5th Grade - they did it

Plenty of time to spare

2nd Grade - they worked hard 

2nd grade - they did it and still had 5 minutes

I also have to say that James and Patti at BreakoutEDU were a pleasure to work with and so nice. They watch the Facebook page and answer any questions you may have.

I hope everybody checks this out.

Kathy