“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 […]

“The Day it Rained Hearts” and Raining Hearts Craft

After reading “The Day it Rained Hearts” by Felicia Bond to children make a craft with raining hearts. In “The Day it Rained Hearts” by Felicia Bond it rains hearts, and the main character, Cornelia Augusta, catches them. Cornelia decided the hearts would be perfect to make Valentines for her friends. She began looking at […]

“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 […]

“Elmer the Elephant” by David McKee and Craft

Children love the Elmer the patchwork elephant book series by David McKee. I love the Mini Mad Things blog. After reading “Elmer’s Colors,” “Elmer and Butterfly,” “Elmer and the Rainbow,” and “Elmer’s Special Day,” by David McKee I let the child in my care use paint and pastels to decorate a cardboard Elmer. It might […]

“A Fish Out of Water” and Craft

In “A Fish Out of Water” by Helen Palmer a young boy hilariously learns the consequences of not following instructions when he feeds too much to his goldfish. Overfeeding the goldfish causes it to grow as big as a whale. With delightfully retro illustrations by P.D. Eastman this book shows that getting a pet is […]

“A Pet for Pete” by James Dean and Paper Plate Craft

Pete the Cat can’t wait to get a new pet! He gets a goldfish he names Goldie. Pete paints a cool painting of Goldie and now everyone wants a piece of it! But Pete doesn’t have enough time to make one for everyone. Will Pete find a way to have fun painting Goldie and have […]

Changing Color Chameleon

Chameleons are amazing reptiles that possess a wide variety of interesting features including their ability to change color due to their emotions and as camouflage. Children will love making and playing with this simple craft to make their chameleons change color with paper plates. Be sure to read these children books about chameleons while making […]

Teaching Phonics to Children

By ChildrenLearningReading.com Phonics is a necessary part of any good method of teaching children to read. Teaching children phonics and helping them develop phonemic awareness is the key to mastering words, which is the first key step toward successful reading. Children need to develop a knowledge of the letters, the sounds represented by the letters, […]

David Dolphin Worksheets for Preschool

Parents want their nannies to encourage learning with their children. Nannies should encourage leaning in everyday activities. But worksheets do play an important part of preparing children for school as well. David Dolphin Worksheets for Pre-School are created by a pre-school teacher and are great for parents and nannies to help ensure school readiness. School-aged […]

“Put Me in the Zoo” and Spot Craft

I remember loving the book, “Put Me in the Zoo” by Robert Lopshire and “I Want to Be Somebody New!” as a child so of course I love reading these books with the children In my care. A preschooler and first grader I babysit for enjoyed making their own Spot because “Put Me in the […]