Have you seen the brick books that people are creating and using to decorate their gardens? Recently, I decided to take some old bricks that were out in the barn and try to create a new garden piece of decor celebrating one of my favorite hobbies - reading! The beauty of this craft is that
Basswood is my favorite wood to cut with my Cricut Maker. In this post, I share all my favorite tips and tricks so you can avoid some of the mistakes I've
I’ve had this giant gap of space above my wall of classroom cabinets the last two years. I’m decorating it, one little piece at a time. This week, I decided to create a giant copy of my…
Stellaluna book activities that are available in a printable and digital format. Students respond to literature and develop reading comprehension skills.
An elementary art teacher blog with art projects and lessons, DIY projects and outfit photos as well as clothing I have made myself.
We love book themed crafts and activities so I am so thrilled about today’s post because it is filled with the cutest ideas including Chicka...
Balloons Over Broadway is one of our favorite books about the Thanksgiving season. Use it to set the stage for your own student-led parade!
Growth Mindset: The Power of Yet Recently my 1st grade classroom has morphed into a K/1 combination classroom and then resulted in HUGE gaps (academically, socially, & emotionally) between my s…
Good Mornings with Eric Carle and Gymboree, reading books, wearing cozy pajamas, and working on FREE Eric Carle printable activities & coloring pages!
The book "The Magical Yet" is a favorite read-aloud to help students take action. Find activities and a free guide as you read this favorite book.
Make storytime even more fun with these easy book crafts you can do with your kids that pair perfectly with their favorite book.
These 15 picture book activities go great with your preschooler's favorite stories. Great hands-on activities that help to further explore the books!
With warmer temperatures, kids are bound to spend more and more time outdoors. Many kids dream of going camping. Whether your camping trip is in the great outdoors, in a backyard tent, or an indoor fort, there are bound to be memories made. Not only do I have a fun camping craft to share, but I also have some great camping books for kids that you can pair with it!
We are always inspired to do fun crafts and learning activities whenever we read some of our favorite children’s books! Here is a list of activities we’ve come up with inspired by popular children’s books (alphabetized by title). (Book titles are affiliate links.) Be sure to follow our Children’s Book Activities Pinterest board! …
Oh, the first day of school! It's such a fun, but chaotic day. Most of my first days are a little bit of a blur. This is why I have to write very detailed lesson plans or I'll forget everything from that day. I always try to have the same activities for that first day
A collection of my favorite 25 free and easy granny square patterns that are perfect for beginners to learn how to crochet.
Last summer I added Mo Willems' The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! to my classroom library. Of course, this addition was a no-brainer. Willems' books are always super popular, especially Pigeon books. Just as predicted, my students loved this book. It is the perfect length for the beginning of the year, when attention spans are extra short and students need a little break from all the procedural training they are receiving. Since I knew this book would be a hit, I decided to make it the centerpiece of back to school. I created some basic "Pigeon themed" math and literacy activities, as well as a simple craft. I used these activities intermittently during the first week and was able to glean some great info about my new students' basic math and literacy skills, as well as their fine motor skills and listening skills. One of the Pigeon themed activities was a number/number word/counting mini book. Students traced and wrote the numbers 1-10, as well as the number words 1-10. Then students illustrated a picture to go with each number. We broke this activity up over a couple of days. Students took part in a listening activity. Students had to complete a picture according to a series of questions/statements that I read aloud. (If you've every made a glyph with your students, this activity feels really similar.) Students also put together their first puzzler for the year. This puzzler focused on number representations. Students cut and glued the puzzler pieces to tell what number is represented in the box. By the end, students have a completed picture that they can color. I use various puzzlers throughout the year. This the Pigeon puzzler is a great introduction to how to complete a puzzler. Students loved making their simple, one-page craft Pigeons. All that was required was the Pigeon pattern (I used white card stock), scissors, and glue. The class Pigeons made a really quick and cute back to school bulletin board. In addition to these activities, students worked on counting/cardinality, geometry, place value, number bonds, handwriting, the alphabet, rhyming words, sight words, and more. The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! is a perfect springboard for a variety of skills. For a math freebie (from the printables featured above), click on the picture below. This freebie provides practice with ten frames, counting, and number identification. If you have not added, The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! to your classroom library, I highly recommend it. There are so many directions you can go with this book. More importantly, your students will love it and be totally engaged. What a great way to start the year, by reading a book that students truly enjoy. :) For more details about the all of the Pigeon inspired activities I used with my students, be sure to click on the picture below. Of course (like most), I'm not certain what this year's back to school days will look like. Whatever the setup, I know I'll be using The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! to help me kick off the year. Thanks for stopping by. School Is a Happy Place is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associated Program, an affiliate program that allows this site to earn advertising fees. Please know that all of the recommendations on this site are authentic and come from personal experience.
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.
Fabulously Free School Fonts
There's nothing quite as amazing as cooking with kids. Frustrating, yes. But amazing, too. I've always (mostly) enjoyed showing my kids how to cook decent food and take ownership of their own nutrition. But that's not always easy when they're first learning to read recipes. Especially for young kids still learning to read. Long recipes
I’m bringing back the Ghibli fanart! I’ve been wanting to make something Howl’s Moving Castle themed for a while, and I finally decided to take action after reading the original book and rewatching…
Learn all about the sublimation designs that you can print at home and where to find them. I have 5 website resources for you!
I was probably 15 years old the first time this long little paper showed up. I’m sure it was a Monday night, and I’m pretty sure I brought my 15-year-old attitude to the family room. …
These FREE Printables and Unit Studies for Eric Carle's Books will help you expand on what your kids are learning through these beloved books.
I’m back with another list of 25 more of my favorite art books! Be forewarned, this is a long post. I have given you extra details about the books and some ideas to spark your lesson planning. It is no secret that I love children’s books. Previously, I wrote a list of 25 amazing art books which I like to use in my art classroom. This has been one of my most viewed posts. Since then, I have discovered some … Read more... →
Do you guys remember when I posted all the pictures of the quiet book I made ? It was a really long time ago, but it remains one of my mo...
I first used this craft as part of an “All About Me” themed session where we also made a fingerpainted house and created some fantastic self portraits on the painting table! It's really simple idea and craft but very often the most simple ideas are the best! It was such a popular craft for younger children that it’s one I’ve taken out and about again and again. Kids love to make their whole family so it’s worth printing out quite a few extra templates – and it’s a craft that can be used as a great learning tool for colours, families and body parts as well as exploring different textures. Older kids can also use it as a scissor practice exercise! This is what you’ll need Stiff a4 card Glue Pens or crayons A box of different materials – fabric, card, papers,wool, tissue…….. Firstly, print out the A4 template below onto card – like I say it’s a good idea to print out a few! You should hopefully be able to copy and paste this template and then resize it if needed - if not then you can download templates elsewhere or just draw your own person! Let your child get creative with the template, materials and glue – dress it, colour it in, add hair (or not!). You can either leave the person as he/she is on the card – or try cutting it out to make a cardboard doll!
Let's travel to France in this France homeschool unit! It's packed full of France crafts, activities, Van Gogh paintings, books and more!
These FREE Printables and Unit Studies for Eric Carle's Books will help you expand on what your kids are learning through these beloved books.
Keep your students' imaginations flowing with these six fun and unique alphabet fine motor skills activities. These activities, from q-tip painting to making collages, are great for letter recognition, beginning sounds, and pre-writing skills! Perfect for preschool and kindergarten!
Looking for a fun way to decorate for the holidays as a reader? My book tree with my custom book ornaments is so special to me!
Create simple no-sew fabric book covers, turning the ugliest of books into the perfect decorative accessories.
