“Grandma’s Purse” by Vanessa Brantley Newton and Quilted Purse Craft

This is an adorable project to do as a literary connection to the picture book “Grandma’s Purse” by Vanessa Brantley Newton. In the book, when Mimi’s Grandmother comes to visit she always brings warm hugs, sweet treats, and her purse. Mimi never knows what her Grandmother have in there — fancy jewelry, tokens from around […]

Free KidsArtBox Mother’s Day Cards

Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday in America. I found these adorable Mother’s Day Card templates on the KidsArtBox web site for free. Just visit KidsArtBox by clicking here to get your own free templates. You Will Need: KidsArtBox TemplatesCard Stock PaperPrinterMini Cupcake LinersPom PomsTissue Paper SquaresChenille StemsMarkersWhite Glue What to Do: 1. Print […]

“Paper Wishes” by Tara Knudsen and Make Paper Airplanes

“Paper Wishes” by Tara Knudsen is a lovely children’s book about a boy who is missing his grandparents, as they live very far away. He gets the idea to make an origami love heart, and he posts it to them. He wonders where it is on its journey and whether it will go by plane, […]

Baby Safe Earth Day Painting

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22. I love helping the kids prepare for Earth Day by reading children’s books about the Earth, making simple crafts, and baking each year. For this super easy baby safe painting activity, simply print an Earth template and trim it to fit inside a ziplock bag. You can also […]

Great Peacock Children’s Books and Project

Peacocks are large, colorful birds known for their iridescent blue and green feathers and distinctive fan-shaped tail feathers, which they display during courtship rituals. Males are called peacocks, while females are actually called peahens. After reading the great children books we review below let the children make this 3D peacock made out of cardboard. You […]

Sprinkle Birthday Cards

I prefer when children make their own birthday cards for their friends and family rather than buying cards. A six-year-old I care for wanted to try making birthday cards for her friends’ birthdays. So on a rainy day we experimented making a bunch of cards with sprinkles. We learned not to use liquid glue or […]

“The Chinese New Year Dragon Nian” and Make a Fire Breathing Dragon

This is the year of the dragon for Chinese New Year, making it the perfect time to read “The Chinese New Year Dragon Nian” by Virginia Loh-Hagan and make a fire breathing dragon with the kids. “The Chinese New Year Dragon Nian” explains why people light firecrackers, wear red, and give food offerings to celebrate […]

“Winter Trees” by Carole Gerber and Bubble Wrap Painting

Have the kids paint with bubble wrap to make a snow covered tree after reading “Winter Trees” by Carole Gerber. In “Winter Trees” a boy and his dog stroll through the winter forest discovering seven different types of trees. This book is a fun early introduction to tree identification and a great way to encourage […]

“Winter Dance” by Marion Dane Bauer and Coloring Page

“Winter Dance” by Marion Dane Bauer is a fun winter book about a fox trying to figure out what to do when winter comes. Snow is coming, and it’s time to get ready! The squirrel gathers nuts, the geese soar south, and the snowshoe hare puts on its new white coat. But what should the […]

3-D Winter Coloring Pages

I printed out these 3-D winter coloring pages from the krokotak web site and the kids loved decorating them with markers and crayons. The templates show how to make the drawings 3-D by folding the paper and attaching the paper flaps with white glue or a glue stick. You Will Need: Templates from Krokotak Printer […]