It’s easy to forget how far we’ve come. Sometimes it feels like we’ll never reach our goals. We see the accomplishments of others and wonder what’s taking us so long. We see how much road is ahead of us, but seldom take the time to look back and see where our road trip began…how far… Continue reading This is Your Sign to Time Travel through Middle Grade Books
Tag: Team Building activities
Introducing: Story Sparks…with a Tiny Spark, Soft Return
Hello friends! ✨ It’s been a little while. Sometimes, we need to step back to breathe… to dream… to wonder. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. I’ve spent the past few months quietly refilling my creative well—taking walks, reading magical stories, and scribbling what ifs in the margins of notebooks. I’ve also been cheering on writer friends, celebrating… Continue reading Introducing: Story Sparks…with a Tiny Spark, Soft Return
New Team Building Activity: HUMAN BULLDOZER!
Hey there! With September here and the new school year fully underway, I thought it would be a great time to begin launching new team-building activities. First up: the Human Bulldozer! I love this one because it's high energy and gets kids brainstorming & working together towards a common goal. Perfect for sports teams, Odyssey… Continue reading New Team Building Activity: HUMAN BULLDOZER!
The Story Effect at the Olympics
There’s nothing like cheering for a team. Just ask any global citizen who loves watching the Olympic Games! The worldwide event brings out the ultimate fan in all of us. Whether we’re watching an obscure sport or a marquis event, we hold our breath through every race, dive, jump, twist, and flip. We gasp at… Continue reading The Story Effect at the Olympics
More Spontaneous Verbal Team Tasks
As promised, today I uploaded a new downloadable document filled with fun and engaging Verbal Team Tasks. They’re a good mix, I think. Some require more creativity than others, but each of them will get your team’s collective brain cells swirling. So, whether you’re using them to prepare for the Spontaneous portion of next Spring’s… Continue reading More Spontaneous Verbal Team Tasks
Spontaneous Hands-on Practice Problems
Are you a visual learner? Or do you learn best by listening? Neither? Well, maybe you fall into the reading/ writing camp. Or maybe you're a kinesthetic learner. Kinesthetic learners learn best by doing. They respond well to information or solve problems best when given a tactile experience—anything they can play with and touch. Have… Continue reading Spontaneous Hands-on Practice Problems
Spontaneous Verbal Practice Problems
This week I added a new tab to the site: Spontaneous Tasks. It’s full of spontaneous practice problems, used by Odyssey of the Mind coaches to get their teams ready for competition. I’ll be adding more soon, but the ones highlighted so far are some of my favorites. But what if you’re not an OotM… Continue reading Spontaneous Verbal Practice Problems
Sparks of Change
Swirling thoughts. Sparks of Inspiration. Change is good. I’m so glad you’re here because I have fun news! August is a big month for this website and I want to tell you all about it. In a few weeks, Swirl and Spark will be celebrating its 10th Anniversary. Ten! How is it possible that I… Continue reading Sparks of Change