A must-read review of 10 favorite grief counseling resources for children. Perfect for any counselor working with children who have experienced grief or lo
Blank books provide a great way to encourage kids to write. Here are 3 easy ways to assemble blank books for your writing center, literacy center, and beyond.
Lap books are very popular among homeschoolers. We've really enjoyed BookShark's American History lap books. Find out what sets them apart from others.
We love connecting projects to books, and we're always inspired by the amazing group of bloggers who participate in the Virtual Book Club for Kids (you can also check the club out on Facebook) as the group comes up with some great extension activities each month. This month's author was Leo Lionni. We chose to read and do a project using a book we've really been enjoying lately, A Color of His Own. This is the sweet tale of a little chameleon who is looking for one color to stay all the time, but keeps running into that challenge that chameleons change color. In the end, he winds up finding a friend to always be with so they can at least always be the same color together. I've used this book in the past as a primary teacher. It's a great way to talk about friendship and also about what makes us each unique. My boys have been loving the simple tale and the colorful illustrations this spring. For our activity extension we decided to use cray-pas and watercolors. I love how colorful this art technique can be. I sketched several chameleon outlines onto white drawing paper using permanent marker. (I'm including a printable copy here in case you just want to print one out, or use the printable to trace onto thicker paper.) Afterwards the boys and I each colored in a chameleon using the cray-pas. Big Brother and I thought about ways to create different patterns. Little Brother focused on just coloring his in, using mostly one color. After we were done coloring, we watercolored on top of the cray-pas. The watercolor doesn't stick to the cray-pas, and fills all the white spaces around it. We all had different strategies for painting. When they were done I cut the three chameleons out and we hung them in our play room. I love how they are a set but each one unique. That's part of what can also make this project a great classroom activity, especially for the start of a school year. Or turn it into a fun family project, with each family member creating a chameleon to represent themselves. What Leo Lionni books does your family enjoy? Have you read this one yet? This post may also have been shared at some of these terrific link parties.
Make your own book for kids with this free printable template!
Each school year, I like to create a name book for my preschool students to use. I put them together with all kinds of materials but to simplify things for my readers, I created this little name book template. Getting Started I create a book for
Our children have always love the drawing and writing journals that we pick up every year. The only thing that’s hard is having them inside
Learn about about 24 greek god and goddesses in this fun, Greek Mythology for Kids printable pdf book filled with Greek myths.
Children of narcissists are born into a gaslit reality where they must learn to adjust to an ever-changin rule book written by psychological predator.
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So, I've been busy getting my beginning of the year science units together. I start the year off in science the same way I start everything else off--by teaching routines and expectations! We start science on the very first day of school! Day 1: What is Science? I ask the kids what they think "science" is and I record their answers on a chart paper. Be prepared for some pretty funny answers! Then I read What is Science by Rebecca Kai Dotlich. I love this book--it is colorful and fun and really gets kids thinking about science and the world in general! Then, with their minds buzzing with possiblities, we add more ideas to our list. Then I introduce our science notebooks. I tell the kids that these are very special notebooks that will help us ask questions about science; make predictions; record observations and data about investigations; and explain their thinking about what they have learned. I hand out the Science Notebook Expectations and we go over them one by one. Then I show the kids how to glue the expectations in their notebooks--focusing on how to turn one page at a time and how to use glue appropriately...
The panemic in italy is all over the news. Help kids learn more about this amazing country with this FREE Italy for Kids Printable Book.
Teaching our little learners about fall is such a fun unit to get to explore this time of year! They'll love learning about the fall harvest, weather, leaves, and so much more! There are so many fun ways to go through this unit and watch them learn. It's even more fun as you read through
My favorite part of doing preschool with my little ones is our daily Bible time together. It is so sweet to watch them learn about some amazing Bible stories and famous people in the Bible.
Our guest today is a 30 Days or Less alumna and the author of a charming children's book. As you can imagine, writing a book for children is no easy feat, especially for a first timer. Carrie agreed to tell us about the process that took her from a simple idea she had while working
Here are some examples of body percussion and why it's important to teach this skill, along with 7 simple activity ideas.
If there is one thing I have learned from working with preschoolers and now, homeschooling my own preschooler, it is that they love, more than anything else,
I love these name letters for bulletin board toppers and more! This includes the Flap Book printable also. This set of letters that spell JOSHUA is a super condensed overview of his life. They can be used as a bulletin board heading, or by themselves. These letters are perfect when you have a couple extra minutes when you are studying Joshua and can spend some time for review. The download includes the color and black & white version. Click here to download the Spell-It-Out Letters for Joshua. For the students, you can print this Joshua Flap book. The students can write each Joshua fact under the flap. These are great for Joshua discussions and for review. The download includes the color and black and white to print. Click here to print the Joshua Flap Book. Click here to see more for Joshua. Click here to see more.
Kindergarten is a most delightful ages for read alouds–kids are full of wonder and silliness, and the selection of excellent picture books is enormous. Here are 50 of the best books for kindergarten.
Let the wild rumpus begin!
While thrifting, I not only look for vintage fabrics and notions but I also make a little stop by the kids book section as well. I have a thing for prints- both on paper and on fabric- and if it's vintage, it's gotta be mine! I've collected quite a few books now and decided it was time to actually make something out of them instead of letting them collect dust on the shelf. After all, they're filled with beautiful, bright illustrations just begging to be seen and admired! So of course, I hit up Pinterest, then Etsy, then Google and Bing just in case I missed any neat ideas and now I've got a little roundup of awesome and unique ideas to upcycle those gorgeous vintage books! You're so very welcome! Enjoy these ideas and one day soon, I'll be featuring something I've made from my own books as well. 1. Check out these chic decoupaged blocks from Mondocherry. 2. Gorgeous paper cabins from Hutch Studio. 3. Paper lantern from Zipper8Lighting on Etsy. 4. Decoupaged letters from Kelle Hampton. 5. Lovely little charms from Primitive and Proper. 6. Embroidery hoop art from Marigold Road. 7. Upcycled notebooks from My Hand Bound Books. 8. Decoupaged jars for gift-giving from The Red Thread. 9. Soap wrapped in vintage kid's book pages from OwlNaturals on Etsy. 10. A collection of H-themed vintage pages from Mondocherry. 11. Pinwheels as party favors/decor from Better Homes & Gardens. 12. Beautiful photo backdrop from Peekaboo Photography. 13. DIY Art Case- isn't this neat??? It even comes with a tutorial from Cosmo Cricket. 14. Adorable vintage book bunting from It's Taylor Made. 15. Decoupaged kids table from Knot Too Shabby Furnishings. 16. Cute DIYcoasters from Needle Book. 17. Storybook lined envelopes from LittlePinkEnvelopes on Etsy. 18. Decoupaged lampshade from Fabulously Flawed Home. 19. DIY envelopes- no known link for this one but it looks easy to do and would be so fun to receive these in the mail, don't ya think? 20. Vintage garlands from PaperPolaroid on Etsy. 21. A vintage book turned into a scrapbook- very neat! From Ordinary Normal. 22. Bright and cheerful storybook collages at Find Make Do. 23. The link to these is no longer available but the idea is from Apples Modern Art on Etsy. 24. I absolutely adore this decoupaged dresser but cannot find the source for it anywhere! But isn't it great eye candy??? 25. Decoupaged picture frame from Primitive and Proper. All these beautiful projects make me want to start tearing up my vintage books right now! I think quite a few of these, if not all, would make fantastic gifts at Christmas time and I'm planning to give about 60% handmade gifts this year instead of buying so I should probably get started soon, huh? I hope you enjoyed this roundup of unique upcycle ideas for vintage children's books! If you have an idea that isn't featured here, let me know about it!
Teaching theme in fourth grade is not easy, but it is very rewarding to see the students' little light bulbs come on! In my experience, students need many
First week of school activities for kindergarten & 1st grade students including First Day Jitters, school bus safety, & friendship activities.
52 Scriptures Every Kid Should Know! Get the free printable Bible memory verses, coloring sheets, and progress reward chart from I Can Learn the Bible.
Kids will love learning about the USA for Kids with these free printable United States of America for Kids Books to color, read, and learn!
OCEAN WAVE ART LESSON can be used for grade K-8. Large or small painting surface, acrylic or tempera paints. Perfect for in class or studio art lesson.
These 15 picture book activities go great with your preschooler's favorite stories. Great hands-on activities that help to further explore the books!
This post was originally posted back in 2015 on my blog and has been a popular post since that time. I worked for a decade as a family counselor and elementary school counselor before staying
February is a great time to teach Bible lessons on love. Well, anytime of year is a perfect time to teach your little ones about love and the importance of showing love towards others. But we tend to focus most of our bible lessons on love during the month of February to keep our thematic
I love using picture books as inspiration for children’s art projects. Over the past 13 years I have curated a a massive list of project ideas and lesson plans. Here is my growing list of picture books and coordinating art projects for kids: A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni Abe Lincoln’s Dream by Lane Smith
Kids will have fun learning about other countries, famous landmarks, and geography with this France for Kids FREE Printable Mini Book.
Here is a silly drawing games that is a lot of fun for kids to play. In this drawing game, you use dice to decide what parts of the drawing you will draw. We have included a face drawing game and a landscape drawing game. This is a lot of fun and it helps children who might not be able to draw freely and creatively...this will help them draw more freely and creatively. This will also increase silliness.
It's another week of teaching bible class to these precious three year olds! They sure loved this lesson of Samuel and the fun activities that went with it. ARRIVAL Just like every week, the first 10-15 minutes of class the children come in and play with toys that are laid out on the table. It is
By Hervè Tullet This is an art activity book for kids that love to move! It's designed to spark children's imaginations, ignite creativity and create playful, expressive art experiences your kids will love. Splotches and splashes? No problem! Spilled paint? Fine! Hervè Tullet will show you how to turn every eventuality
Do your kids LOVE to color? Here is a great way to combine coloring with learning with this FREE Countries of the World Printable Book!
You're going to love our list of missionary books my kids can't put down! It's perfect for all ages and will GROW your faith! Check out our list of missionary books for kids
God's 10 DONOTs is a fun but in-depth resource to teach our kids about God's Commandments. Who doesn't love donuts? God's 10 DONOTs should be enjoyed for life, for they are life changing and life saving when we put God's commandments in our hearts and obey them. Our obedience to God's commandments b...
Read back-to-school "The Kissing Hand" book then try these activities or crafts perfect for the first day with preschool & kindergarten!
Are you searching for engaging and educational resources to teach your students about geography and spatial awareness? Look no further! Our Me On the Map worksheets provide an excellent way to introduce young learners to the concept of their place in the world. These worksheets focus on the entity and subject of personal geography, allowing students to explore and understand their position in relation to their home, neighborhood, city, and country. With clear instructions and thought-provoking activities, our Me On the Map worksheets are perfect for teachers and parents who want to help children gain a deeper understanding of their surroundings.
So much Twitter love from my post about my walls this year. Y’all know how to make a girl feel good! I don’t have my lesson plans ready, and am not entirely sure what I’m doing on…
Making books with kids is a wonderful way to develop a love for books and reading. We have some wonderful ideas to inspire you.