Next time you are picking out an audiobook for a long car ride, or for quiet time entertainment at home, try a nonfiction audiobook! Kids love facts and a skilled writer knows how to turn informational text into a suspenseful tale that captive readers. We've choses a variety of topics for this list of nonfiction...
Nonfiction Audiobooks for Kids and Families
Mythical Creatures Coloring Pages
Do your kids love unicorns, dragons and mermaids? Spark their imagination in magical mythical creatures with these whimsical coloring pages featuring the characters of their dreams! All of our coloring pages are hand-drawn by children's book author and illustrator, Melanie Hope Greenberg. You can learn more about her books, and her school and library visits...
Vase of Flowers Coloring Page
As everyone knows, April showers bring a vase of flowers! That's why, this month we are featuring this delightful vase of flowers coloring page. Designed by children's book illustrator and author, Melanie Hope Greenberg, the illustration on this coloring page was originally created as a "Get Well" greeting card and features a large vase of...
Laundromat Coloring Pages
Next time your kids groan about helping out with the laundry, you can 1) remind them that April 15 is National Laundry Day, which means folding and putting away clothes is a requirement; and 2) tell them you have an awesome book to read aloud that makes laundry look fun! Not only that, we have...
Flower Power Bookmarks Coloring Page
Spring into reading with these flower power bookmarks! This printable coloring page features three bookmarks for springtime reading and is the perfect addition to our growing collection of spring coloring pages, all hand-drawn by children's book author and illustrator, Melanie Hope Greenberg! Print out this flower-full spring bookmark coloring page as an activity for your...
Dreamy Pegasus Coloring Page
Is there anyone who doesn't dream of riding through the clouds on the back of a winged pegasus? Well, you may not be able to do so in reality, but this pegasus coloring page will allow you to keep your heads in the clouds for just a little bit longer. This dreamy pegasus coloring page...
Creative Sibling Activities to Stop the Squabbling
Parenting one child is no walk in the park, parenting two gets a bit trickier, parenting more than two.... Well I don't have any first-hand experience with that, but from this email I got, I can only imagine: I get frustrated because they all want my attention in different ways at once! I have 4 kids,...
Winter Coloring Pages for Snowy Afternoons
Winter is a time for spending cozy afternoons indoors while the snow falls and the lake freezes over. While your kids are waiting for the latest blizzard to pass so they get out to make a snowman or strap on their ice skates, print out these winter themed coloring pages and get out a box...
Family Read Aloud Challenge
Do you want spend more quality time with your kids but don't want to organize events and activities? The answer is between the pages of a book. Set a goal to read aloud with your kids every day. For those of you who enjoy structured guidance when it comes to setting goals and following through,...
Children Around the World Coloring Page
Celebrate the joy of community with this hand drawn coloring page featuring children holding hands in circle around the world. Children's book author and illustrator creates all our coloring pages by hand–never using digital or AI graphics–which is why her illustrations have so much personality and flair! This latest coloring page, with its celebratory stars...
Winter Chapter Books: Read Alouds to Keep You Warm and Toasty
These winter chapter books make perfect family read alouds for cold weather days. Families with children of all ages will love this list of books that evoke snowy, frosty landscapes. So after you come inside from a fun day of sledding and skating, make some hot cocoa, snuggle up with the kids, and enjoy some...
Festive Word-A-Day Advent Calendar
This word-a-day advent calendar is a great DIY alternative (or addition!) to more traditional advent calendars and includes several activity options. Use our free printable to fashion your own word-a-day advent calendar featuring festive vocabulary in brain boosting activities, adaptable to a wide variety of ages so it's fun for the whole family. Word-A-Day Advent...
How to Read to Differently Aged Children for Great Family Read Aloud Time!
Is family read aloud time frustrating because your kids aren't close in age? Maybe one child wants a board book and the other one wants a chapter book? What if I said you CAN read aloud to differently aged children at the same time AND keep the kids happy (while staying sane yourself). It can...
Happy Children Coloring Page
Fans of hand-drawn coloring pages will love the latest addition to our extensive collection of adorable coloring sheets designed by children's book author and illustrator, Melanie Hope Greenberg. A group of happy children of all ages dance and play amongst a field of flowers, holding bouquets of wildflowers. If you look closely, you will even...
Book Sets for Tweens (Great for Gifts)
A good book series is just the thing to keep kids reading, and a box set is the perfect gift to open them up to a new world full of imagination, interesting characters and intriguing plot twists. When you're searching for a gift for your tween, pick up the titles on this list of book...
Surprisingly Useful Stocking Stuffers for Teens
Sometimes it's challenging to find good stocking stuffers for teens that they will actually use and enjoy. I'm lucky that my kids Christmas stockings are small so I don't have to come up with gobs of ideas in order to fill them. I usually chose 1-3 small items like the ones on this list, a...
Unique Gift Ideas for Teens Ages 13-17 (2025)
Teens are notoriously choosy when it comes to gifts. Sure, cold hard cash is always a solid choice, and tech equipment will often get you smiles, but what about when you want some gift ideas for teens that are a little bit more interesting than the same old go-tos? We've located some of the best...
Wonderful Native American and Indigenous Picture Books for Children
Enjoy this list of Native American picture books for children depicting a variety of Indigenous cultures in the present-day. This book list spotlights picture books by Native American and First Nation creators. You can use the titles on this list during Native American History Month, but I encourage you to read these books all year...
New Christmas Picture Books (Updated 2025)
Wondering what the best new Christmas books are this year? It can be overwhelming, trying to keep up, which is why I've done the sorting for you! This list will help you with your quest for magical new Christmas books to read to your children as they cozy up with hot cocoa and visions of...
Picture Books for Older Children
Picture books are not just for little kids! Picture books have complex vocabulary, diverse narratives, and thought-provoking themes–qualities we want in any book we read aloud to children–especially older children ages 8 and up! Teachers have long known of the benefits of picture books for teaching upper elementary and middle schoolers, and parents will enjoy...
Thanksgiving Chapter Books (ages 6-9)
These Thanksgiving chapter books are perfect for newly independent readers, ages 6-9, who are starting out with chapter books. They also make great read aloud choices as alternative entertainment to football on the big day! Gobble! Gobble! Thanksgiving-themed Chapter Books for Kids Zack and the Turkey Attack! by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Find it: Amazon |...
Family Gratitude Activities Kids and Parents will Love
Gratitude activities like journaling, sharing kind thoughts and even just saying, "thank you" teaches respect and kindness as well as boosting happiness. Practicing gratitude together as a family will strengthen familial bonds as well as reinforce the pleasure of developing a positive mindset towards others. Family gratitude activities don't have to be complicated! While a...
Diverse Picture Books that Teach Gratitude
These children's books share stories about how being grateful is more than just saying, "thank you." They are tales of discovering what it means to be thankful, to think of others, to recognize abundance in all its forms, and how sharing with others contributes to feelings of happiness. Gather Grateful by Megan Litwin, illustrated by...
Anti-Bias Middle Grade Books for Ages 9 and Up
Books have a unique ability to show us the lives of others and open our eyes to experiences very different than our own. However, if the images and narratives in children's books portray only the dominate culture, they can serve to sideline diverse voices. Be sure to offer your children books that speak about the...
Picture Books to Teach Kids about Responsible Citizenship
What does it mean to be a good, responsible citizen? What is citizenship? Is it the ability to vote? Does it mean having the right documents? Is being a citizen about being part of a community? These picture books about citizenship will help you and your children discuss these questions. Because answering the question "what...
Motion Science Projects Active Kids Love
When you have curious and active kids and want a screen-free activity that will capture their attention, try a motion science project! Many kids learn better while they are moving and they will love these science projects which examine force and motion which are perfectly suited for kids who can't sit still. They don't require...
Fun Counting Activities that Feel Like Play
Teaching toddlers and preschoolers how to count helps them understand numbers, patterns and sequencing, setting them up for future math success. Modeling how to count is easy, and finding fun ways to incorporate hands-on counting activities into the day helps busy parents support their child's learning without turning on a screen or printing out a...
Dot-to-Dot Activities
When kids spend time in front of screens they aren't developing their small motor muscles. Creative dot-to-dot activities are a fun way to engage your kids in an activity that helps them build the fine motor skills necessary for everyday tasks and handwriting success. These unique dot-to-dot activity ideas can be designed and modified for...
Classic Books for Tweens, ages 8-12
If your tweens resist reading classic books because they perceive them as boring introduce them to one of these wonderful books! These classics include something for everyone. There are mysteries, humor, science fiction and coming of age stories, even folktales! Even if your tween doesn't want to pick up a classic book on their own,...
Books for Fans of The Vanderbeekers
When Karina Yan Glaser's The Vanderbeekers on 141st Street was first published it was an instant hit. The heartwarming series about a large New York City family feels like the classic books you grew up with, but with a contemporary sensibility. When you've finished reading The Vanderbeekers, whether as a read aloud or independently, you...
12 Low-Prep Halloween Games
These Halloween games for kids are easy to set up and don't require fancy preparations or specialized materials, so they are perfect for parents who want to focus on helping kids have a great time instead of making fancy decorations. The games are well suited for parties or informal get-togethers with friends during the Halloween...
Simple Target Score Dice Game
This simple dice game is a mix of luck and strategic decision making. All kids need is one die and they will be ready to spend an afternoon playing and testing out different variations! Dice games like this one, in which the objective is to reach a target score, are great to keep on the...
Middle Grade Books That Foster Empathy
Reading helps use learn about the lives of others, gives us the opportunity to gain perspective and teaches us to think about how people different from ourselves experience the world. We have to understand others in order to cultivate empathy and compassion. I created this list of middle grade books (ages 8-13) with that in...
22 Fun & Unique Advent Calendars for Kids
The countdown to Christmas is a special time for kids and families. Incorporating a unique advent calendar for kids into your Christmas routine–with a little surprise for each day of December–makes the holiday season even more enjoyable. (Note: this post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through affiliate links may earn commission. Bookshop also supports independent...
(Almost) Effortless Preschool Literacy Activities
When you want to lay a solid foundation for future readers there's no better activity than reading aloud. However, don't pass up the opportunity to include these fun and very easy literacy activities in your child's day. It's amazing how many activities you can do with your child with almost no preparation! You can skip...
(Almost) Effortless Preschool Math Activities
How many times have you set up an activity to do with your kids only to find out that the activity took less time than the actual preparation? It's frustrating, I know! You want to do fun stuff at home that can also serve as a foundation for future learning so you'll be relieved to...
Lunch Box Word Puzzle Notes (Printable)
Putting a note in your child's lunch box is a sweet way to remind them you are thinking of them. Our lunch box word puzzle notes will also make them think, and maybe even giggle! These "wuzzle" lunch box notes are a unique way of making lunch time special. "Wuzzles" are a type of word...
Hands-On Number Matching Game
Kids learn best with hands-on activities like this number matching game that you can easily put together with objects you already have. Learning to match numbers and quantities is an important early math skill and this hands-on game is perfect for preschoolers and kindergarteners (ages 4-6). My four-year-old sees his big third grade brother doing...
Cozy Fall Audiobooks for Kids and Families
When fall is in the air, autumnal scents tickle your nose, cool breezes glide over your skin, and juicy apples tempt your taste buds. Let these fall audiobooks give you and your kids something cozy to listen to on the drive to school, the pumpkin patch, or an afternoon at the corn maze. Notes Finding...
Play With the Arts Coloring Page
This month's coloring page by children's book author and illustrator, Melanie Hope Greenberg celebrates the arts! The coloring page features a bevy of children engaged in artistic pursuits. There's a child putting on a puppet show, a painter, a clay artist, a magician, and more–all playing around the words, "PLAY WITH THE ARTS." Melanie's original...
