If your kids are off to camp this summer, or if you enjoy camping as a family, pack a printout of this month's campfire coloring page to keep little hands busy. Children's book author and illustrator, Melanie Hope Greenberg, created this coloring page as part of our summer coloring page collection. As with all the...
Campfire Coloring Page (And a Surprise Conversation)
Old School Fun: Make a Thaumatrope
Have you ever made a thaumatrope? A thaumatrope is an old-fashioned, optical toy that teaches kids about "persistence of vision". Sounds fancy, right? It's really just about visual perception and creating the illusion of motion because the eye can retain an image for roughly 1/20 of a second after the object is gone. Thaumatropes are easy to...
Family Games that Improve Executive Functioning
Good news for fans of family game night! Playing games are a fabulous and fun way for kids to improve their executive function skills. Executive function is the way the brain helps us to manage, strategize and pursue goals, through control of our emotions and behavior. Kids with good executive function skills have an easier...
Game of the Month: Zeus on the Loose
On a whim this winter, while the kids were stuck inside claiming boredom of the highest degree, I purchased Zeus on the Loose card game. It turned out to be an enormous hit and I love the way it helps my 6 year old practice his math skills. Of course, I had to make it a...
Library Coloring Page with Bonus Summer Reading Log
Celebrate libraries and reading with this darling library coloring page from children's book author and illustrator, Melanie Hope Greenberg. The sweet illustration features a librarian (or perhaps a parent?) helping a child reach for a book while another child relaxes on the floor with a book. As a bonus, you will also get the companion...
All You Need for a DIY Summer Science Camp
Last summer the boys and I created our own DIY summer science camp. It was very casual and so simple, and the boys always asked, "What are we going to try this week?" Every week, we did a new science experiment and shared them in collaboration with Megan at Coffee Cups and Crayons. For your...
Why You Should Read Aloud to Older Kids
[Do you read aloud to your older kids? Our family read aloud time includes my 10 year old and I hope he continues to listen to my melodious voice (ha ha) well into his teens. Amy of Sunlit Pages is here to chat about the importance of continuing to read aloud to your kids even after...
Game of the Month: Sleeping Queens
Have you ever heard of Sleeping Queens? Every year we get a new game during the holidays and this card game was a HUGE hit. It's appealing to kids of all ages and is a perfect choice for our game of the month series. (Note: this post contains affiliate links that earn from qualifying purchases.) We...
DIY Temporary Tattoos Designed by Kids!
Is it bragging to say I am in love with this recent project? Don't you think these kid-designed DIY temporary tattoos would make a unique homemade Mother's Day gift? They are fairly easy to make (as if I would do something complicated!) and kids can make them for mom, dad or the grandparents, or maybe even sport...
Butterfly Fairy Coloring Page (plus activity)
Kids will love transforming this butterfly fairy coloring page into a pretend play theater activity! The illustration by children's book author, Melanie Hope Greenberg, features a sweet fairy playing a lily as if it were a trumpet. She is surrounded by peacocks, sparkles and a host of butterflies. Of course you can print out this...
Math Art Awesomeness: Make a Transforming Ninja Star
We are in love with these origami transforming paper stars. This gem of a project combines math, art and paper engineering. I'll be totally honest, it's not the easiest project for very little ones, but if your child can fold a paper airplane (which is the perfect STEM play date, by the way!) then he or she...
Game of the Month: Menu Mash-Up
I have been remiss in getting up a new post for our game of the month series but I'm finally getting my act together to share a new game we've been playing: Menu Mash-Up. Chronicle Books sent us the game, Menu Mash-Up: The Food Game With All the Ingredients for Fun last December and it...
Family Literacy: How to Memorize Poetry with Kids
[Note from Erica: Last year I intentionally started including poetry in our daily diet of literature. I can't stress enough how much it has enriched our daily life. I am so delighted that Amy of Sunlit Pages is back this month to share her experience memorizing poetry with her kids. Next month is National Poetry Month, the...
Compute & Find: A Secret Code Activity for Kids
Want to get your kids to practice math, handwriting, sounding out words, sleuthing and have fun all at the same time? This secret code activity is for you! I set up our secret code activity around superheroes, but you can certainly switch things up to suit your child's interest. Or, better yet, you can simply introduce the...
Superhero Science Activities: Test Your Powers!
My boys love superheroes and I love doing science experiments with the kids so superhero science activities are a match made in heaven. For previous activity time, I've harnessed the boys' (especially my youngest son, who is obsessed with superheroes) interest to lure them into creative comic art projects, or a superhero coding and handwriting activity and...
Super Duper Simple Circuit Science Project
This simple circuit science project is perfect for kindergarteners and first graders, but my 10 year old enjoyed it, too. It is so easy, but still produced a little spark of "wow". (Like that pun I got in there? "spark".. electric circuit project... ???...sigh) Experimenting with simple science projects at home is a good way to...
Advanced Concept Math Picture Books
If your kids are finding that learning advanced math concepts is too frustrating, turn to math picture books to make things fun! Stories that illustrate difficult concepts like infinity, algebra or fractals can help turn things around for students struggling with math. If nothing else, these advanced concept math picture books will give them a...
Spring Flowers Coloring Page and Rhyming Activity
Like all our spring coloring pages, this spring flowers coloring page and rhyming activity by children's book author and illustrator, Melanie Hope Greenberg will have your kids dreaming of gardens and bunnies and most of all, getting outside to enjoy the flowers! Download and print --> (By clicking the following link, you agree to our terms...
Inertia Zoom Ball: Super Fun S.T.E.A.M. Project!
Have you ever heard of an inertia zoom ball? Yeah, me neither! When researching the theme "react" for this week's S.T.E.A.M. based project (did you see our diy indoor boomerangs last week?) we decided to make one! It looked exactly like something my boys would enjoy doing. Plus, let's face it, anything with the words "zoom" and "ball"...
The Dos and Don'ts of Story Time (Tips from a Volunteer)
Taking kids to story time can be a lovely respite from the daily grind of being a parent. It's an effective way to help your child love books, reading, increase their literacy and to see the library as an amazing resource. But if you've been following this blog for any length of time (Hurray! You are...
How to Make a Paper Indoor Boomerang - STEAM Project for Kids!
Making and designing a paper boomerang was the perfect accompaniment to my kids' recent obsession with making paper airplanes. (Did you see their awesome landing strips?) It was a nice way to spend a cold winter's afternoon when we were stuck indoors. The kids got a little science tinkering time in, and testing out the...
Why You Should Ban Dinner Conversation (And What To Do Instead)
Does the title of this post seem a bit dramatic? I know what you are thinking. "Why would she ban dinner conversation? Actually, I want to encourage family dinner conversation! I want family bonding! I want to know what my kids do at school, help them get in touch with their feelings and all that jazz." Look,...
Darling Valentine Cards Coloring Page
Today's addition to our coloring page series is one you will want to bookmark. This Valentine cards coloring page from children's book illustrator, Melanie Hope Greenberg, eliminates the need for store bought cards. (Hooray!) Plus, your child can decide either to color the cards himself or hand them out as is for the recipient to...
Paper Airplane Landing Strips
I have been pleasantly surprised at how much fun my boys have been having making up paper airplane games lately. I love these kind of old school, quick indoor activities that kids of all ages (even those who need a little help with the folding) can enjoy. In fact, making and flying paper airplanes has been...
A "Tip Jar" to Help Siblings Get Along
You may remember from my family kindness tokens or our family kindness resolutions that I am hard at work to help my kids to get along and practice kindness towards each other. Parenting is hard and many days it is an uphill battle, but then I experience a magic moment like the morning when, instead of shouting at his brother for taking...
10 Board Books that Teach Early Math Concepts
Reading books to babies and toddlers don't just support literacy, they set the stage for learning math concepts. Books for this age focus on simple math concepts like counting and patterns. They include bold illustrations that encourage lap sitters to find and recognize shapes and relative sizes. Counting Books for Babies and Toddlers Demonstrating that...
Parabolic Curve Math Art Project
We adore math art projects. I've been eyeing the idea of using parabolic curves in a creative endeavor with my math-loving kid for a while. I was experimenting in my own art journal with the groovy way you can fool the eye into thinking a group of straight lines is actually a curve when my 10-year-old leaned...
Emotions Coloring Pages - Help Kids With Feelings
Use these emotions coloring pages as a tool to help kids think and talk about their feelings. This printable includes two pages, each featuring nine faces. One coloring page has blank faces so kids can draw in the expressions. The other features nine different emotional expressions aimed at helping kids open up about their feelings....
Dots and Boxes Game: An Indoor Game You Can Play Instantly
Dots and boxes is a great pen and paper game that kids can play instantly with just a pen and paper. My older son (age 10) loves to play it. Dots and boxes appeals to his highly developed sense of spacial awareness and interest in logic games. His 6 year old brother still needs guidance. He...
How to Find Time to Read (Without Neglecting Your Children)
I'm quite delighted to introduce Amy as a contributing author to this blog! Amy previously gave stellar advice on how to help children love chapter books and she blogs at Sunlit Pages. I've long admired Amy's intelligent posts about the books she reads with her kids and on her own and I know you will learn tons and...
Fibonacci Art Project
Around here we like projects that combine math and art. Math art projects have been a key way for me to get my art-resistant kids to get creative. Following up on our super popular Pi art skyline project, I knew I wanted to do some kind of Fibonacci art project. Learning about Fibonacci and applying his...
Make Your Own (Giant) Comic Strip
For kids who love comic books and superheroes, but aren't naturally inclined to drawing projects, a giant comic strip art project will encourage them to flex those dormant artistic skills. When a child decides they "hate art" there are a number of things you can try, So far, we've made tape art and handprint art,...
Learn to Read with Jokes: Laughter and Literacy Go Together
I wrote earlier about how I stopped forcing my son learn to read. For the last few weeks he has been making steady reading progress on his own. Because the boys have been particularly interested in telling jokes lately I went to the library to find a few joke books. I picked up an easy reader...
Ornament Coloring Page
My son loved this brand new ornament coloring page from Melanie Hope Greenberg. I left it on the table for him to find after school and he sat right down to do it! Print it out along with our interfaith ornament and Christmas tree coloring page and craft and your kids will keep busy with the...
Snowflake "Stained Glass" Window Project
I am enamored with our new snowflake "stained glass" window! My kids and I love creating window art to improve our less than stellar view and one of our favorites is a faux stained glass art project that uses cellophane. Since we've done a fall themed stained glass window craft it was time we did a window project for...
Game of the Month: Gobblet!
Gobblet! is today's Game of the Month recommendation. I bought this for the boys last year, and although we played it a lot in the beginning, it sat in the game closet for a few months until a few weeks ago. I'm not sure why we forgot about it, but it's always a nice surprise to...
14 Fun Indoor Family Games (No Board Necessary)
Family time often means game time, but not everyone likes board games. These fun indoor family games are good alternatives when everyone is stuck inside. All of these ideas are super simple, so family members of all ages can learn quickly, and much less rowdy than our indoor ball games! Because these games don't require special supplies,...
Game of the Month: Ticket To Ride
My son received the Ticket to Ride board game last year as a gift, and it quickly became a favorite family game and perfect for my game of the month series. We've played it again and again and you don't even need to have a train obsessed child to enjoy it. (This post contains affiliate links that...
One Simple Tip To Stop Yelling
Shhhh. I have a little secret (two, actually). Well, it's not much of a secret to my upstairs and downstairs neighbors. Fortunately, they are also parents of small children, and quite understanding. It is kind of an embarrassing secret since I am such a big proponent of positive parenting. You've figured out by now that...
Thankful Tradition: Gratitude Wall
It is a tradition in our home every November to discuss the things in our lives for which we are thankful. It all started one year with our Thankful Tree, in which my then 3-year-old and I hung paper leaves on branches. One year we crafted painted thankful leaves out of recycled newspaper and scattered...
