We all want to know the secret to helping our children realize their dreams. One of the ways we can help our kids is to read them inspiring stories! These wonderful picture books will encourage children to pursue their dreams and persevere, even through adversity. Use these children's books and picture book biographies to start...
Best Books to Inspire Kids to Follow Their Dreams
Symmetry Art Project for Kids (Math Art)
Exploring symmetry is a fun way to see math and art working together. My son is very mathematically inclined and whenever I can show him how patterns and systems can also be artistic (such as in our tessellations activity), he is becomes much more interested in art projects. Symmetry Art Project Tutorial This symmetry art project...
Amate Art Project for Kids: Traditional Latin American Painting Style
Amate painting, a traditional Latin American painting technique made on tree bark paper, is a great project to do with kids for Hispanic Heritage Month (September 13-October 15). The traditional tree bark paper has been made in the region of present day México since pre-colonial days. Our kid-friendly adaptation of Amate painting uses brown paper...
Melted Crayon Art Project for Kids (Even for those who "Hate Art")
When I was a kid, my mom used to pull out the electric hotplate, turn it on and give my brother and me paper and crayons. We placed the paper on the hotplate and drew with crayons. I loved the way it felt to draw with the smoosh-y, smooth, melting crayons. It was one of...
The Hidden Benefits of Go Fish!
We love family game time and one of my son's current favorite card games is Go Fish! It's a classic game beloved by many a 5-year-old and we play it a lot. Although parents may not want to play Go Fish on repeat the way kids do, it's a good idea to indulge their request...
Craft Stick Play Ideas for Kid-Led Indoor Fun
Somehow I thought it was reasonable to obtain a box of 1000 wooden craft sticks. I was sure they would come in handy for some cool kids activity or craft. Well they did. Let me tell you how it came about. I left a box of 1000 craft sticks on the table. The end. Well,...
The Colorful Cabbage Juice Science Experiment
As you know, we love at home science experiments. When you're up for a great science experiment with a big wow factor, this acid-base science experiment using a cabbage juice indicator is fun, colorful and seems quite magical. It's the perfect opportunity for older kids who to learn about the scientific method and it's great...
Blowing up a Balloon with Yeast or Baking Soda and Vinegar
Sure, you could huff and puff to inflate a balloon but did you know you can blow up a balloon with chemistry? Not only is it possible, but you blow up a ballon with common household ingredients like yeast, baking soda and vinegar. You just need to be able to produce the necessary carbon dioxide....
Make a Toy Tunnel for Cars from a Cardboard Box
As parents we know that sometimes the best play activities are unplanned. Kids have a tendency to turn even the most mundane objects into an exciting play time adventure. Today was one of those days when imagination ruled. The humble cardboard box became a diy tunnel for toy cars, trucks and trains. The cardboard box...
Read Alike Book Lists for Kids
One of the best ways to help kids find their next book to read is to ask them what their favorite book is. Then you use a read alike book list, like the ones you see here to choose a good match. Most read alike book lists are filled with popular, tried and true titles,...
Salt and Watercolor Art Prints (Kids Activity)
With several full bottles of liquid watercolors calling to us from the art supply cabinet, we knew that exploring salt and watercolor art was next on our list of art projects to complete. (This post contains affiliate links that earn commission from qualifying purchases.) Making Salt and Watercolor Prints Without any clear plans on how...
Photography Color Scavenger Hunt Activity for Mindfulness
Do your kids clamber for your phone or camera whenever you pull it out to take photos? Kids love to take photos but if you are tired of flipping through blurry photos of the sidewalk, this color scavenger hunt is a great idea. Learning how to take photos learning how to take photos intentionally also...
Magical Books Like The Chronicles of Narnia
If your kids have read and enjoyed C.S. Lewis's classic series, The Chronicle of Narnia, they will enjoy the titles on this list of books featuring magical and fantastical tales. Lewis's series begins with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in which readers are introduced to Pevensie siblings and their adventures with talking beasts,...
Fine Motor Skills Practice With Acorns
On our way home from school yesterday, we spotted a treasure trove of nature's finest manipulative: acorns. My son gathered a bunch of acorns and insisted we bring them home. Instead of refusing him, I realized acorns would be perfect for fine motor skills activities! Using Acorns for Fine Motor Practice Acorns are small and...
Magic Jumping Coin Science Project
The magic jumping coin trick is a simple at home science experiment that will get your kids to gasp, "How does it do that!?" It's a magic trick that doubles as a science experiment! How to Make a Coin Jump Off a Bottle You can prep the jumping coin science experiment in just a few...
4 Easy DIY Parking Garage Ideas for Toy Cars
When your child loves toy cars and trucks they may wish for one of those fancy, expensive toy parking garages. However, I'm here today to present proof that you don't need to lay out any money for fancy toys! Instead, all you need is one of these four simple DIY toy parking garage ideas. Not...
Coffee Filter Watercolor Art Project (STEAM Education)
If you also bought a pack of "Texas Snowflakes" coffee filters and are wondering what to do with them, I have news for you. I am in the same boat. Luckily for the both of us, this coffee filter watercolor art project is an easy and colorful way to encourage kids to explore the artistic...
Adorable City Coloring Pages for Pretend Playscape
Cities are exciting places! There is so much to see and do. Cities are places to explore, play and dream. When kids color in this pair of city coloring pages they can dream about taking a trip to their favorite city. Then, use our instructions to turn the cityscape into a 3D playscape so kids...
24 Dystopian Books Like The Hunger Games
Young readers might think that no book can follow the enjoyment of reading about Katniss and District 12 in Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games. The heart-pounding plot, memorable characters and themes about government corruption make the dystopian novel a page-turner from the very start. Never fret, there are wonderful dystopian (and non-dystopian) books that kids...
9 Magnet Activities for Kids (Playful Science Ideas)
Magnets are like magic and kids love to (safely) explore the magnetic attraction of objects. With proper adult supervision, these fun magnet activities are an engaging way for kids to learn about the science of magnets. Remember: Magnets are hazardous if swallowed. Do not give magnets to children who still put things in their mouths!...
Kid-Made Plant Markers (Indoor Gardening Activity)
What do you do when you've finished the first step of an indoor planting project like our bean and seed races, but you want to find a way to give kids even more ownership over their work? You find a way to turn making a simple garden marker into a fun crafting activity! Sure you...
Magnet Play Busy Jar for Screen-Free Fun
This magnet busy jar was a really easy activity to put together and provided lots of screen-free entertainment. It's a bit like those I-Spy sensory jars parents make for their kids, and just as easy (if not easier!) to make. My kids love the magic of magnets and with proper supervision, they offer a good...
Easy Autumn Leaf Wreath Craft with Real Leaves
The beautiful colors of autumn leaves provide a wonderful base for so many fall crafts for kids, including this easy, kid-made autumn leaf wreath. Unlike store-bought fall wreathes, this simple craft uses real leaves in all their imperfectly lovely glory. Helping your child make a leaf wreath won't cost you a thing, but will provide...
The Best Halloween Costume is Homemade
You know how it goes. It's two days before Halloween. Your child has changed their mind 16 times about their Halloween costume. You are tired, and busy, and trying not to focus on how much sugar your child will be ingesting in two days' time. (But here are some ways to reduce that Halloween sugar...
Simple Weather Tracking Activity for Kids
Growing up in California, I always knew what the weather was going to be like. It would be exactly the same as yesterday. After moving to the east coast, the weather became a focal point of my life and since most kids have an interest in nature and the weather, we came up with this...
Painting Toy Cars: Easy Toddler Entertainment
A toddler's fascination with toy vehicles can provide endless hours of screen-free entertainment. As parents, we don't need to be precious about our children's toys. Once we let go of the fantasy that toys should stay in pristine condition, our kids will open our eyes with their inventive ways to play, which is how this...
DIY Obstacle Course for Toy Cars
Every parent knows that toy cars, trucks, trains, buses and vehicles of all sorts provide endless hours of entertainment and play for kids. One of my favorite things to do is to surprise my kids with a new way to play with their toy cars, which is how we invented this diy obstacle course for...
Mini Sensory Bin Play for Quick, Screen-Free Fun
Sensory bins are an excellent screen-free activity idea! If you search "sensory bins for kids" you will get an enormous variety of ideas: valentine sensory bins, Christmas sensory bins, birthday sensory bins, the list goes on. It's enough to overload your ... um... senses. (Oh, come on! I had to say that!) As creative as...
Folktales from India: Timeless Tales for Kids
When a story survives for centuries, you know it's a good one. That's why a folktale will always be an engaging choice for read aloud time. These folktales from India will transport kids to another time and place, and teach them about Indian folklore. Timeless Indian and Bengali folktales draw from source materials rooted in...
30 Best 2nd Grade Read Aloud Books
Reading aloud to second graders, whether it's in a classroom setting or at home before bedtime is so much fun. It's a great age for listening because 2nd graders have longer attention spans, an increased understanding of rich vocabulary, not to mention how they love to voice their thoughtful insights! This list includes popular 2nd...
Deliriously Easy Mini Pumpkin Prints Art Project
We all love the brisk, cool weather of autumn. The days are filled with golden light and kids destroying your nice and neat pile of freshly raked leaves. You probably think there's no reason to stay indoors doing a pumpkin prints art project with the kids. But sometimes the weather is just a bit too crisp, you...
65 Fun Fall Family Activities (with Check List!)
Crisp autumn days, colorful foliage and ripening pumpkins means it's time for fun fall family activities. Fall means classic activities like hay rides, sipping apple cider, jumping in leaf piles and attending fall festivals, but we've got a huge list of fall activities that are worth putting on your family's bucket list. To help you...
Retro Kids Craft: Shrink Plastic Shell Garland
Do remember Shrinky Dinks? As a kid, I loved making jewelry from Shrinky Dinks so I figured my kids might enjoy making a similar retro-style craft, and we came up with this shell garland made from shrink plastic sheets. Your will enjoy the easy process of making the garland. Your kids will enjoy putting their...
28 Children's Books about Empathy (Picture Books)
The right children's books about empathy can help parents and teachers teach kids how to show kindness, generosity, be sensitive to the needs of others and learn how to "walk in another person's shoes." Understanding the emotions and point of view of others improves a child's ability to function in society, make friends, build meaningful...
10 Ways To Use Pom Poms in Kid Activities
One of my favorite materials for kid activities is a big bag of pom poms! Pom poms are great manipulatives to use for fine motor activities, pre-math activities, art and craft play, pretend play and free play. In addition, if your kids start throwing pom poms arounds (as they inevitably will), you don't have to...
21 First Grade Read Aloud Novels
There's nothing more satisfying that the rapt attention of a first grader listening to a great book! When you want some good first grade read alouds that spark imagination and , head to the library to check out the books on this list! Parents and teachers in search of the perfect book to read aloud...
Sensory Tray Ideas with Toy Cars, Trucks and Trains
When you want an activity that will keep your kids off screen and engaged in imaginative and pretend play look no further than adding their favorite open-ended toy to a tray filled with a sensory material. My child's favorite toys are his toy vehicles of all sorts. Cars, busses, trucks, trains, diggers. If it has...
23 Adventure Picture Books for Kids
A friend of mine mentioned that her child loved adventure stories, and did I have any adventure picture books to recommend? Of course I did! The children's picture books on this list feature many characteristics of a good adventure story. Danger! Surprises! Fantastical creatures! Reversal of fortunes! Plus, some very active imaginations. Read these adventure...
Indoor Balloon Ball Game to Burn Off Energy
When you need a quick boredom buster that also burns off a lot of pent-up kid energy, look no further than this balloon ball game! Kids with cabin fever will love this active indoor activity! Whether you call it balloon tennis or balloon badminton, it's an indoor ball game that is lots of fun and...
Never Forget: Children's Books About 9/11
Read these wonderful picture books, poetry and novels to help children learn about, and remember the events of 9/11. Never Forget. It can be disorienting to think that children who witnessed 9/11 and its immediate aftermath are now adults. The horrific events of the day seem so recent and I imagine we all remember exactly...
