Hi Reader,

This week, let’s celebrate the power of exploring our own country with our students. We spend so much time dreaming of far-off places (which is wonderful!), but there is something truly special about helping kids discover the incredible landscapes, cultures, and stories right here at home. When we teach them about the places in their own country, we help them build curiosity, pride, and a deeper connection to the world around them.

⭐ Spotlight Destination: Bryce Canyon National Park

If you’re looking for a place that captures students’ imaginations instantly, Bryce Canyon is perfect.

Here are some fun kid-friendly facts you can use in your classroom:

• Location: Southern Utah, on the edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau.
• Age: The park itself was established in 1928.
• Hoodoos: Bryce Canyon is home to more hoodoos than anywhere else on Earth. Hoodoos are tall, skinny rock spires shaped by wind, rain, ice, and time. They look like nature’s wildest sculptures!
• Stargazing: Bryce Canyon is one of the best places in the United States to see the night sky because of its dark-sky designation. On a clear night, you can see thousands of stars.

🎨 Easy Classroom Art Project: Draw the Hoodoos

Try this simple art activity to bring Bryce Canyon into your classroom.

1. Show students a few photos of Bryce Canyon’s hoodoos.
2. Give them white paper and have them lightly sketch tall, uneven towers. They can make some skinny, some wide, and all with jagged tops.
3. Use warm colors such as reds, oranges, and yellows with crayons, colored pencils, or chalk pastels to shade the rock layers.
4. Add a bright blue sky for contrast.
5. Optional: Encourage students to include shadows to show the shapes and textures of the hoodoos.

This project is quick, creative, and helps students understand how unique these rock formations are.

✏️ Don’t Forget: Crayola Creativity Week!

Crayola Creativity Week is coming this January and it is completely free.
If you haven’t signed up yet, you can use my link to register your class. Thank you so much to everyone who has already used my link. Your support truly helps me continue creating resources for teachers everywhere.

Visit my Instagram and watch the reel where I share everything you need to know for participating with your students or at home.

💛 A Little Encouragement for Your Week

You are showing kids the world one lesson, one place, and one moment of curiosity at a time. That makes you an extraordinary educator. Wishing you a week filled with creativity, calm moments, and reminders of just how much you matter.

You’ve got this. 🌟

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