If your child is feeling a little anxious about going back to school after a carefree summer one strategy you can implement is giving them a few school coloring pages. Coloring pages can reduce anxiety, and improve mindfulness in the moment for children, as well as providing a much-needed break. And perhaps a few school-themed…
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If You Like This Classic Children’s Book You’ll Love This Diverse Book
Sadly, there is not a huge treasure trove of classic children’s books with diverse characters. But fortunately, with the We Need Diverse Books movement, the number of quality chapter books featuring diverse protagonists from all walks of life is increasing. While there is still much progress to be made, it is becoming easier to find…
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Sphero Edu: Creative STEAM Technology for Kids
I have a confession. Since my sons have such strict screen time limits (for my own sanity and theirs) I sometimes worry that they are missing out on educational opportunities that would help them learn real life skills like coding necessary for computer science. Sometimes it is a hard line to navigate but the key…
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African Folktales for Kids: 20 Stunning Picture Books
This list of folktales from African kicks off my series of book lists featuring folktales from around the world. Needless to say, Africa is a diverse continent, with no single culture and so just like Appalachian tales do not reflect stories from the Wild West, neither do Liberian folk stories reflect Egyptian culture. Nevertheless, I’m grouping…
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Joyous Children Celebration Coloring Page
It’s summer! Time to celebrate with a joyous coloring page from children’s book author and illustrator, Melanie Hope Greenberg. This free, printable coloring page feature children enjoying summer (or any time of year that suits you, really). It would be great to have a bunch of these on hand for a birthday party or a…
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5 Ways to Help Your Child Read More
“How can I get my kids to read more?” This is one of the most common questions I get asked by other moms. We all know the benefits of reading, and parents want the best for their children. Every child is different, and it’s to be expected that some kids enjoy reading more than others….
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30 First Chapter Books for Kids: Series About Boys
First chapter books, or what I also like to call, “early chapter books” are books for kids ages 6-10. This is a tricky age to target because it is also the age when kids are first learning to read. So one 6 year old may be ready for chapter books, but his classmate may not…
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Mermaid Coloring Page
What says summer more than the beach and the ocean? Mermaids? Well that’s how we do it in Brooklyn! This mermaid coloring page from Melanie Hope Greenberg celebrates the Coney Island Mermaid Parade which kicks off the summer every year in Brooklyn, NY. Look closely at the mermaid’s tail and you will see images of…
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23 Picture Books to Inspire Artistic Creativity
Some kids are naturally drawn (pun!) to art. Other kids are not. I have two of the latter type. But I do not despair! With the advent of my “my kid hates art” series, a list of picture books to inspire artistic creativity seemed like the perfect accompaniment to my mission to get my son…
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Build Vocabulary with a Summer Word Jar (Plus Tips and Ideas)
Do you remember those vocab tests you took in middle and high school? The ones where you memorized tons of words and regurgitated them in multiple choice format? Did you actually learn vocabulary that way? Yeah, me neither. And why do you not remember any of those random vocab words? Because vocabulary is meaningless if…
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