Animal poems are a great way to introduce children to the wonderful world of poetry. Every kid has a favorite animal, right? Spark their interest in different forms of poetry with everything from haikus about cats to couplets about frogs to sonnets about cows. We are sharing some wonderful classic animal poems by famous poets...
Marvelous Animal Poems for Kids and Families
Marvelous Concrete Poems
If you think poetry is boring, you have yet to encounter concrete poetry. No, concrete poems are not crafted from cement. Whereas traditional poetry is usually at its most enjoyable when spoken, concrete poems, also known as shape poems or pattern poems combine visual art with writing! Read on to learn what concrete poetry is,...
10 Forgotten Children's Books You'll Want to Remember
We are all familiar with powerhouse children's books like Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are, but there are many other classic picture books which all too frequently get left off "top ten" lists. However, you will not want to miss these forgotten children's books! I wanted to choose books that you may not...
Strong Female Protagonists in Historical Fiction (Ages 8-14)
Historical fiction transports kids to another time and place, allowing them distance from events but giving them opportunities to connect the past with the present. These historical fiction books with strong female protagonists will appeal to all kids, not just girls! The stories range from medieval China to the 1980s. (Anyone else weirded out by...
Cutest Submarine Coloring Page
This month's coloring page is for kids who love transportation, the sea, mice, scuba diving and have big imagination. That pretty much covers all kids, yes? Our lovely coloring page artist, Melanie Hope Greenberg, created this submarine coloring page featuring a scuba diving mice in an underwater landscape with fish and kelp, and is the...
Children's Books about War
No one wants to talk to their children about war. Yet, it must be done. Especially if we are to have any hope of working towards a peaceful world. Such dreams may seem like pie in the sky, but these children's books about war will help you start conversations about a hard topic. This isn't...
Books about Refugees for Ages 8-13
Kids receive messages about refugees from a wide range of sources. News reports may highlight the tragedies that cause citizens to flee. Other stories may emphasize the tireless help of humanitarian aid workers. People on the social media may spout xenophobic attitudes. These middle grade books about refugees tell the stories of the refugees themselves,...
Children's Picture Books about Refugees
When the news is flooded with stories about refugees and war, and you need help talking to your kids about the crisis, turn to a book. Think of these children's books about refugees as tools to teach children compassion, as well as answer questions like "What is a refugee?" "Why must they leave their homes?,"...
Jewish Picture Books (that are not about the Holocaust)
When parents and teachers reach for children's books with Jewish characters or themes, they often come up against the problem of finding Jewish picture books that aren't about the Holocaust. And while those stories are important (in fact we have a list of children's books about the Holocaust here), it is a disservice to children...
Easy Pasta Craft for Kids with a Math Twist
I love finding creative ways to introduce math concepts to preschoolers. This easy pasta craft activity with a mathematical twist was a big hit! You can even think of it as math art with ziti! The lesson behind this math activity is to learn that shape does not determine quantity. While creating shapes with pasta...
Best Animal-Themed Early Chapter Books for Kids
For kids ages 6-9 who love furry friends and favorite pets, the right animal chapter book can get them hooked on reading. These books have large text and are loaded with illustrations, making them accessible to young readers, but challenging enough to help kids develop their reading skills. So get ready for some fun stories...
Easy DIY Catapult and Target Game for Kids
We have come up with the easiest diy catapult ever! It has no complicated levers or pulleys, no rubber bands that might accidentally snap into your nose and no plastic spoons to break in half. The instructions are so simple that kids can make the catapult all by themselves and you don't need any special...
Nature Journaling with Kids
Keeping a nature journal is a great way for kids to record their interactions with the outdoors. Writing down observations of the natural world helps children develop ways of thinking about nature, and what it means to them. Let's face it, with technology constantly luring kids indoors, nature journaling is a great way to get...
16 Excellent Chapter Books for 2nd Graders
Second graders are starting to gain reading fluency and confidence. It can feel exciting to a young reader to pick up a chapter book just like the big kids! Since a second grade classroom full of 7- and 8-year-olds includes students of a wide range of reading levels, it's important to have a selection of...
Books For Kids Who Like Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Jeff Kinney's laugh-out-loud Diary of a Wimpy Kid is an insanely popular book series for readers in 3rd to 7th grade. Kids who enjoy Greg Heffley's antics and musings are looking for more funny books like Diary of Wimpy Kid to make them laugh again. And why not? Who doesn't love a good chuckle? The...
16 Word Games for Kids and Families
Fun word games for kids are a great way to fight boredom while also helping kids improve vocabulary, spelling, and communication skills. Kids will retain more vocabulary, remember grammar rules, and learn spelling tricks if they have fun while learning and these word games are a great place to start. What are the benefits of...
Printable Tiger Mask for Kids
Does your child love to pretend to be a tiger? This whimsical printable tiger mask for kids is the perfect coloring page for them. Print out the mask, color it in let them roar to their heart's content! As with all our coloring pages, this tiger mask template was designed for us by children's book...
Books Like The Bad Guys that Make Kids Laugh!
Kids love Aaron Blabey's The Bad Guys. Once they've devoured the series, they will surely be headed to the library to ask, "What should I read next?" Here's a list of great books like The Bad Guys just for them. These books are giggle-inducing, escapade-filled adventures chock full of illustrations, making them easy-to-read, transitional chapter...
Books about Feelings for Toddlers
If you've ever spent the day with a toddler, you know it is an emotional roller coaster! Toddlers are working hard on understanding their big emotions and changing moods, while parents and other caregivers want to find ways to help children with their social-emotional development. Reading children's books about feelings written just for toddlers is...
Best Sorting Activities for Preschoolers and Toddlers
Sorting activities are one of the best learning activities for preschoolers and toddlers. In fact, if you watch your child closely, you will notice they are naturally drawn to this type of activity. And why wouldn't they be? A child's instinct is to make sense of the world, and identifying objects, drawing comparisons and making...
Luminous Books like The Secret Garden
If you liked The Secret Garden, you are most likely looking for something to read next and you probably don't need me to tell you about classics such as Anne of Green Gables or another of Frances Hodgson Burnett's books, The Little Princess. Here's a list of contemporary books similar to The Secret Garden in...
12 Books Like Holes: Compelling Page-Turners to Read Next!
Have you just finished reading Louis Sachar's classic middle grade novel and need some good books like Holes to read next? You'll find some excellent titles right here. I've worked hard to include books that aren't on every other Holes read-alike list! Holes is a brilliant mix of outdoor adventure, multiple storylines, friendship, and the...
Collage Art for Kids: 14 Ideas for Toddlers to Tweens
Collage art is one of the best beginning art ideas to do with kids because it doesn't rely of the ability to "draw something." Collage art for kids allows little ones to explore texture, color, shape and design; and if you focus on the process of creating collage instead of the product, kids' creative spirits...
12 Practical Life Activities for Preschoolers
When my older son was a preschooler I discovered Montessori, and while I never strictly adhered to their activities and lessons, I loved the idea behind it and tried to incorporate the practical skills into our daily learning. Practical life activities are a wonderful way to purposefully teach preschoolers about "regular life." One of the...
How to Make Salad Spinner Art
If your kids are more active than still, more squirmy than quiet, they will love salad spinner art! This active art project was perfect for my son who prefers his creative projects to include shaking, rolling, squishing and spinning. We'll show you how to make salad spinner art for a great afternoon of creativity with...
Books for Tweens that Encourage a Healthy Body Image
We all know that kids are bombarded with messages about the "ideal" body on a daily basis. The messages come through social media, advertising, and even occasionally from well-meaning adults. It's not easy growing up in such an environment and while parents can help control some of the messaging, girls and boys also need to...
8 Tic-Tac-Toe Variations
Tic-Tac-Toe, or "naughts and crosses," is a classic, go-to game that has been keeping kids, teens and grown-ups entertained since ancient Egypt. So you may be asking, why bother trying to improve on a game with such a stellar track record? Well, these eight tic-tac-toe variations aren't trying supplant the original so much as they...
6 Rhyming Activities for Reading Readiness
One of the best ways you can help your child with reading readiness is to add rhyming activities to their daily life. Why Rhyme Activities? Rhymes and rhyming games are a great pre-literacy activity because they help kids understand the phonetic parts of words. Think about those early readers in which a "cat sat on...
NIM: A Simple Counting Game to Teach Subtraction Skills
Nim is a traditional, simple, quick, and fun combinatorial game using a stack of counters. Nim looks deceptively easy, but it exercises kids' logic and reasoning skills. Entire articles have been written about the mathematical theories behind Nim strategy, but you need not delve into that when you just want a no-prep and fun distraction....
Picture Book Biographies of Lesser Known Black Heroes
In school, children learn about Black heroes like Fredrick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Jr., Harriet Tubman, but do they know the stories of Carter Woodson, MaVynee Betsch, and Mary Fields? Be sure to incorporate these picture book biographies of lesser known Black heroes into your child's reading curriculum and they will learn about the fascinating...
Zentangle Art for Kids
I finally found an art project that my 5 year old son loves and doesn't want to quit as soon as possible! Zentangle® inspired art! I have such a hard time getting my kids excited about art, this is a joyous post to write! As many of you know, we like to use journals for...
Threes Away! Dice Game
When you need a quick game to pass the time with kids, there's nothing better than an easy game of dice. Threes Away! is a simple dice game that's great for at home, on the go, or in the classroom. And unlike most games, the goal is to get the lowest score! Introduction Threes Away!...
Hands-On Spelling Activity: Sift 'n' Spell
This fun, hands-on spelling activity for kids is a great way to help precocious preschoolers or early elementary students with simple spelling practice. It's a unique way to give kids extra spelling practice without worksheets or rote memorization. My son loves to spell (at Thanksgiving dinner I cracked up when he clarified a misunderstanding, "No...
Rain Painting: Art Project for Kids
Rainy Days are great days for art projects! Have you ever considered harnessing the weather to make a rain painting? That's just what we did one afternoon when my kids and I decided it was time to give new meaning to the word "watercolors." Note: this post contains affiliate links that may earn commission. You...
Adventure Early Chapter Books For Kids
Children who love their reading to be filled with action, danger, and suspense will love these adventure early chapter books. Stories of magical creatures, good vs. evil and secret identities will entice readers ages 6-10 to keep turning page after page, until they finally reach the story's conclusion. These action and adventure beginning chapter books...
Giant Dot-to-Dot: Motor Skills Activity
Kids love dot-to-dots and they will adore this GIANT dot-to-dot! A giant dot-to-dot combines fine motor and gross motor skills in one fun activity. It's a great idea for those days when kids are stuck inside because when kids get their whole body involved in the activity, they focus better and may even stop bouncing...
Valentine Hug: A Family Craft Project
[Amy from Sunlit Pages is back with a wonderful idea for a Valentine hug craft to go along with your holiday reading. I especially love how it reinforces family kindness and working together] I love seasonal and holiday picture books, but I have not had the greatest luck with books for Valentine's Day. Maybe I'm...
Tandem Drawing Activity: A Family Art Idea
Sometimes you get an idea and it turns out to be wonderful. That's what happened with a parent-child art activity I call, "Tandem Drawing." It's perfect for kids who like lots of attention. (In other words: all kids.) It's an idea that fosters family creativity and togetherness, even if your child, like mine, is reluctant...
Easy Abstract Faux Stained Glass Art Project for Kids
This incredibly easy abstract "stained glass" art project is perfect for days when the kids are stuck inside, or for the preschool classroom. Note: this post contains affiliate links that may earn commission. The kids and I love to decorate our windows. Cheerfully decorated windows always brighten up our day. Although we love to paint...
Toddler Dot-to-Dot for Fine Motor Practice
Like many children with older siblings, my toddler loves to do what ever his big brother is doing. So when big brother was working on his beloved EXTREME! Dot-to-Dots workbooks, I put together this numberless toddler dot-to-dot. This post contains affiliate links that may earn commission. Instructions This DIY toddler dot-to-dot requires only 3 supplies:...
