Making paper snowflakes is fun at any age — from elementary school to adult. Read “Snowflake in My Pocket” by Rachel Bright and make paper snowflakes with the children in your care. I found plenty of free templates to print and use at madeinapinch.com, superstarworksheets.com, and thebestideasforkids.com. “Snowflake in My Pocket” by Rachel Bright is […]
“Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille” by Jen Bryant
Since January 4th is World Braille Day it’s the perfect time to read, “Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille” by Jen Bryant to the children in your care. “Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille,” is the story of the inventor of the touch alphabet. Louis Braille was just five years old […]
Easy Homemade Dreidel
Children of any faith love playing the traditional game played during Hanukkah called dreidel. You don’t have to buy a dreidel to play the game. See how I made these simple dreidels with cardboard and pencils that my Nanny Family already had in their home. Be sure to read these children’s books about dreidels before […]
Watercolor Tape Resist Spider Webs
Making watercolor spider webs after reading children’s books about spiders and spider webs is a fun, non-scary project to do with children as Halloween approaches. Try reading, “Mrs. Spider’s Beautiful Web” by Beverly Randell and “Spiders” by Gail Gibbons to help the child learn about how amazing spiders can be, how beautiful webs are, and […]
“Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn” by Kenard Pak
Weekly Trip to the Library I absolutely love the changing seasons from summer into fall. “Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn” by Kenard Pak captures all the delights of the changing seasons perfectly. In “Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn” we join a young girl on her walk from her house, through the woods and country, and into her […]
Origami Butterflies
A girl I babysit on the weekends loved making these origami butterflies I found for free on the itsalwaysautumn web site. I simply printed the two templates and allowed her to color them in with her favorite markers. The instructions on how to fold the butterflies is available on the itsalwaysautumn web site. You Will […]
Chalk and Pastel Fourth of July Fireworks
I had planned to just use red, white, and blue sidewalk chalk to have the kids make Fourth of July fireworks on black paper while reading, “The Night Before the Fourth of July” by Amy Wummer, “Fireworks and Freedom” by Educational Parade, and “Fireworks” by Lori Haskins Houran. But I allowed them to let their […]
Patriotic Paper Plate Purses
After reading “The Fourth of July Story” by Alice Dalgliesh, “Fireworks, Picnics, and Flags: The Story of the Fourth of July Symbols” by James Cross Giblin, and “Apple Pie Fourth of July” by Janet S. Wong I helped my Nanny Kids make these patriotic paper plate purses to prepare for the Fourth of July. You […]
Children’s Books About Solar Eclipses

I love using children’s books to prepare kids for new experiences. On April 8, 2024, millions of Americans will experience an awe-inspiring phenomenon: a total eclipse of the sun. Here are some great books on the topic I found at the local library and bought on Amazon to help the kids prepare for the unforgettable […]
