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Summer Color by Shape Activity for Kids

June 9, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

I used to spend hours working on color by number pictures when I was young.

I even remember a watercolor paint by number book that I ruined by using too much water on one of the pages.

So I know that kids love coloring coded pictures. And that’s why I thought it would be fun to share this summer-themed color by shape activity for early learners!

This is a perfect summer art activity for little ones who are just learning their basic 2D shapes!

Read on to see how to get your copy.

And, for more fun with coloring, don’t miss our Space Color by Sight Word Activity!

Use this Summer Color by Shape activity to help early learners practice recognizing shapes with a fun art twist!

Summer Fun Color by Shape Activity for Kids

To use this printable summer color by shape activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Summer Color by Shape Art Activity for Kids

This product includes four different summer-themed color by shape pictures.

Each picture uses a different set of shapes and a different color scheme. So kids won’t be able to guess what each image is in advance.

If you need a visual guide, especially for younger learners, this product also includes a full answer key with all four pictures colored in and completed.

Printable Summer Color by Shape Activity

Little ones can color shapes they recognize on their own according to the code. Or they can look at the completed pages and work using them as a guide.

These are a wonderful way to get a little geometry practice while having a little summer fun too!

Scroll down to get your copy of this Summer Color by Shape Activity!

Think your students will like this coloring activity? Take a look at some of these other summer learning activities for kids!

These printable summer reading challenge bookmarks are a fun way to keep kids reading during summer!

These popsicle themed addition to make 12 puzzles are a fun way to practice addition facts at math centers! Perfect for early elementary math practice!

Printable Summer Color by Shape Art Activity for Kids

To get your copy of this Summer Fun! Color by Shape Art Activity, check it out below!

40 Simple Summer Crafts for Kids

June 8, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

One of the things I love best about summer is that it’s such a relaxed time.

While we still continue schooling, we do so without making lesson plans or trying to meet objectives.

Unfortunately, that also leaves a lot of free time for the kids.

And it only takes a couple of days into June before they’re shouting “Mom, I’m bored!”

That makes summer a great time of year to do some crafting. And these simple summer crafts for kids are perfect!

Each of these crafts requires six or fewer supplies, so they’re awesome for quick art activities, afternoon family fun, or easy projects for the…ahem….not so crafty among us. (Myself included.)

Take a look to find some easy summer crafts you’ll love to share with the kids!

And, for more summer fun, don’t miss our list of 50 summer books to share during read-aloud time!

40 Simple Summer Crafts for Kids:

1. Toilet Roll Butterfly Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Seaside Shell Windchime – Red Ted Art

3. Easy Pebble Art – Blue Bear Wood

4. Pool Noodle Shark – J Daniel 4’s Mom

5. DIY Bubble Snake Blower – Messy Little Monster

6. Paper Roll Flowers – The Best Ideas for Kids

7. Glowing Campfire Craft – Buggy and Buddy

8. Painted Seashell Craft – Moms and Crafters

9. Coffee Filter Crab Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

10. Tin Can Lanterns – Rainy Day Mum

11. Threaded Watermelon Craft – Homebound But Hopeful

12. Flower Petal Suncatcher – Messy Little Monster

13. Salt Dough Shell Pendants – Red Ted Art

14. Starfish and Sand Paper Plate Craft – J Daniel 4’s Mom

15. Egg Carton Bee – Buggy and Buddy

16. Decorated Sunglasses – Moms and Crafters

17. Coffee Filter Jellyfish Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

18. Grass Seed Art – Blue Bear Wood

19. DIY Friendship Bracelets – Red Ted Art

20. Painted Watermelon Craft – Homeschool Preschool

See more simple summer crafts for kids on page 2!

Pages: 1 2

Ice Cream Colors! Ice Cream Coloring Pages

June 4, 2020 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Nothing says “summer is here” quite like an ice cream cone.

Personally, I can eat ice cream all year long, but it’s especially great during warm weather.

When my kids are laying around on a warm afternoon, I like to share simple activities to keep them engaged, instead of just sitting in front of a screen.

Which is why I’m sharing these free ice cream coloring pages today – in case any of you are dealing with the same summer break situation.

Keep reading to get your set – free!

If your little one enjoys these ice cream themed printables, be sure to check out our fun print or digital ice cream preschool shape sorting activity too!

Ice Cream Colors! Printable Ice Cream Coloring Pages

To use these ice cream coloring pages, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

This product includes eight different ice cream coloring sheets, including cones, popsicles, and push pops.

There’s no right or wrong way to color each picture, so you can just hand out crayons or colored pencils and let the kids go wild.

Of course, it’s possible that you’ll end up with green ice cream, but hey. That’s art for you.

Our youngest one wanted to use a ton of colors for her push pop.

And, of course, she couldn’t pass up a chance to add a few “sprinkles” to her ice cream cone!

These coloring sheets would be a fantastic art activity to use with our ice cream unit. It’s got plenty of fun ice cream themed activities for early learners.

Scroll down to get these ice cream coloring printables!

Check out some of these other fun early learning resources!

To get our free Ice Cream Colors! Coloring Pages, click the image or the link below to download them to your computer!

>>>>> Ice Cream Coloring Pages <<<<<

DIY Colored Moon Sand Recipe

June 2, 2020 by Selena Robinson 5 Comments

Almost all kids love to play with playdough, so we’ve used preschool playdough mats a lot with our kids.

And that started us thinking about how to include more sensory play on a regular basis.

Basically, moon sand is crumbly sand that’s moldable. I’d seen it for sale in stores, but I’d never thought about making it myself.

Turns out it’s pretty easy! We decided to include a fun twist by adding some color with this DIY Colored Moon Sand Recipe!

Read on to see the full moon sand recipe. And, if you’d like more ways to play with moon sand, read our roundup of ten different moon sand recipes to try!

Plus, don’t miss our fun sidewalk chalk math game for more outdoor play!

DIY Colored Moon Sand Recipe

To make colored moon sand, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

FYI, play sand comes in a super heavy bag. If you buy a bag at a store, be sure to grab one of those rolling handcarts to transport it to the register.

Otherwise, you’ll end up with super sore arms the next day….like me.

Just mix the play sand, cornstarch, and water together with about a 4 to 2 to 1 ratio.

Then add any choice of food coloring. You’re done!

Scroll down for the printable recipe!

Here’s another FYI: Do not make this on your dining room table, unless you really want a scratched table.

(We found this out the hard way.)

This is definitely an outdoor activity. We finally wised up when it was time for the kids to sink their little hands into it.

The littles liked the fact that the moon sand could change shape.

It could be broken into chunks like bricks.

Or it could be ground into sand – just like beach sand.

By the time we got them into the house, their hands were covered with color dust, but they had a blast with our DIY moon sand recipe!

Be sure to have the shower running when you bring the kids into the house. They’ll need some hot water and soap STAT.

For just 10 minutes of prep, this was an outdoor sensory activity that lasted all afternoon! Perfect for unstructured creative play.

Don’t miss these other fun activities!

>>> Grab the printable DIY Colored Moon Sand Recipe below! <<<

5 from 1 vote

DIY Colored Moon Sand Recipe

Adapted from Wikihow

Ingredients

2 cups cornstarch
1 cup water
4 cups play sand
5-8 drops food coloring (optional)

Instructions

Pour water into large container. A sturdy outdoor box is best.
Add the corn starch and stir well to break up clumps.
Add desired food coloring and mix well.
Slowly add in play sand, stirring to combine.

Printable LEGO STEM Challenge Building Cards

June 1, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Anyone else have kids who get a new toy and then are bored with it ten minutes later?

I think this is pretty common, but I didn’t expect it to happen when we got our kids a set of LEGO blocks.

I imagined my children making endless creations and showing them off to all of their friends. Also, I was kind of hoping at least one of them would take to engineering.

What actually happened was that we bought the blocks and they just sat in the closet for months on end.

Turns out my kids needed a little inspiration jump start.

So I’m glad to share these printable LEGO STEM Challenge Building Cards with all of you – in case yours need a little boost too.

There are enough LEGO building ideas here for four weeks of open-ended STEM play!

Which can be a real lifesaver on long afternoons, believe me.

Keep reading to see how to get your set – free!

Ready for more fun with LEGO blocks? Take a look at our list of 20 LEGO STEAM Activities for kids to try!

These printable LEGO STEM Building Challenge Cards are a fun way to get kids into STEM building over the summer!

Printable LEGO STEM Challenge Building Cards

To use these printable LEGO STEM Challenge Cards, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

This printable LEGO building challenge features 28 different LEGO build ideas for kids.

Each idea features a specific component, but also leaves much to each child’s imagination.

Printable Lego STEM Challenge Building Cards

Several of the LEGO build ideas also include other concepts, such as science, math, and engineering.

So these are awesome for a quick STEM activity with students of just about any age!

LEGO STEM Challenge Building Cards for Kids

Do you have specific LEGO ideas you’d like your kids to try? Do they have specific challenge ideas of their own?

This set also includes six blank LEGO challenge cards, so you can let the kids challenge one another (or you) to make a creation as well.

If you’d like, you can laminate the blank cards and then let the kids write challenges with dry erase markers. That way, you can wipe them clean and let them come up with more ideas later!

Scroll down to get your set of these printable LEGO Building Challenge Cards!

Looking for more fun ways to learn with STEM? Try these activities!

This list of 20 STEM activities for distance learning are fun and easy to help students practice STEM concepts at home!This list of 20 STEM activities for distance learning are fun and easy to help students practice STEM concepts at home!

These fun weather STEM activities for kids are excellent for simple spring science experiments! Simple enough for home or the classroom!

Make learning math, science, and technology fun with this list of Lego STEAM activities for kids! These easy Lego STEM activities are great for building a love of learning!

LEGO STEM Printable Building Challenge Cards for Kids

To get your copy of these printable STEM LEGO Challenge Cards, click the image or the link below to have them sent to your inbox – free!

You’ll also get our weekly newsletter this Sunday night!

>>> LEGO STEM Challenge Building Cards <<<

25 Super Easy Preschool Crafts You Can Make in 10 Minutes

May 28, 2020 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

I love to make crafts with my kids, especially when they’re very young.

What I don’t like is having to buy a whole lot of supplies (and expensive ones, at that!) for a project that I’ll only do once.

So, when I make a craft with my preschooler, I always prefer to do one that I can get done in 10 minutes or less.

After all, Pre-K kids have pretty short attention spans.

If you’re looking for some simple crafting fun for young kids, try this list of super easy preschool crafts you can make in just 10 minutes!

This list is full of easy PreK crafts for each season.

Some work well for spring, others for summer or fall, some are perfect for winter – and some are great any time of the year!

Read on the see the full list. And for more simple preschool ideas, check out my list of 10 preschool learning activities you can do in 10 minutes!

25 Super Easy Preschool Crafts

1. Toilet Roll Butterfly Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Torn Paper Fall Tree Craft – Hands On As We Grow

3. Easy Snowflake Craft – Mama Smiles

4. No-Sew Sock Snowman Craft – Easy Peasy and Fun

5. Easy Wax Boats – Housing a Forest

6. Train Tape Resist Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

7. Easy Craft Stick Snakes – Crafty Morning

8. Coffee Filter Apple Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

9. Easy Shapes Salt Truck Craft – Sugar Aunts

10. Pringles Can Binoculars – Happy Hooligans

11. Farm Paper Bag Puppets – Look! We’re Learning!

12. Easy Paper Plate Watermelon Craft – ABC Creative Learning

13. Simple Fork Print Sunflower Craft – Crafty Morning

14. Simple Farm Craft with Stickers – I Heart Crafty Things

15. Coffee Filter Sun Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

16. Shape School Bus Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

17. Simple Cardboard Tube Construction Set – Inner Child Fun

18. Simple Craft Stick Photo Frame – Living Montessori Now

19. Woven Craft Stick Butterflies – The Craft Train

20. Sea Shell Salt Dough Craft – Teach Mama

21. Farm Shoebox Diorama – Look! We’re Learning!

22. Simple Airplane Craft – Learning 4 Kids

23. Paper Plate Cars – Glued to My Crafts

24. Clothespin Snowman Craft – Easy Peasy and Fun

25. Easy Shape Car Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

Did you like this post? Try these other early learning ideas!

This post is part of the Crafts for Kids Unit Study roundup! Stop by to read other great kids’ crafts posts from my fellow educators!

How to Create a Kids Crafting Kit {Free Printable Shopping List} from Crafty Mama in ME

9 Great Craft Book for Kids from Faith and Good Works

Unicorn Crafts for Kids from Schooling a Monkey

Most Popular Kids Crafts of the Year from The Moments at Home

Letter F Craft: Flamingo Fun! from Mrs. Karle’s Sight and Sound Reading

20 Fun Lighthouse Books for Kids

May 26, 2020 by Selena Robinson 4 Comments

I grew up in Southern Georgia near Savannah, so I’ve been to Tybee Island many times in my life.

The Tybee Island Lighthouse always made me wonder about what it’s like to keep a lighthouse.

As a child, I thought it would be boring and lonely. Now that I’m older, I think I’d love the peace and quiet.

Having kids will do that to you.

But lighthouses are still fascinating structures for children to explore and these lighthouse books for kids are a great way to introduce them to young ones!

These children’s lighthouse books feature non-fiction selections, as well as learning activities and mystery stories that kids will love!

Read below to see the full list. And, for more fun beach reading picks, take a look at our list of beach books for kids too!

These books about lighthouses for kids make wonderful read alouds over the summer. Share some with young readers this year!

20 Fun Books about Lighthouses for Kids

(This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

1. The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge

2. The Lighthouse Family: The Storm

3. The Lighthouse Cat

4. North American Lighthouses Coloring Book

5. The Boxcar Children: The Lighthouse Mystery

6. The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch

7. Lighthouse Seeds

8. Lighthouses for Kids: History, Science, and Lore with 21 Activities

9. Safely to Shore: The Story of America’s Lighthouse

10. Abbie Against the Storm: The True Story of a Young Heroine and a Lighthouse

11. Lighthouse Dog to the Rescue

12. The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter

13. One Lighthouse, One Moon

14. Birdie’s Lighthouse

15. The Lighthouse of Souls

16. Hello Lighthouse

17. Lighthouses of North America

18. The Lost Lighthouse

19. One Lighthouse, One Moon

20. The Lighthouse

Get more ideas to explore beaches with your kids below!

Get more ideas for learning about lighthouses from these educators!

Visiting the Point Arena Lighthouse with Children from Crafty Mama in ME

Lighthouse Printable Number Sequencing Puzzle for Preschool from Schooling a Monkey

Cupcake Liner Lighthouse Craft from Play Dough & Popsicles

Marblehead Lighthouse Marblehead, OH from Something 2 Offer

Lighthouse Word Search from Tales of Education at Home

20 Kid-Friendly Lighthouse Hikes around the World from FrogMom

Printable Summer Reading Challenge Bookmarks for Kids

May 25, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Summer is a wonderful time to read as many books as you can stand.

I know. It’s how I spent pretty much every summer growing up.

We’ve always encouraged our kids to read as much as possible, but they tend to read by themselves in their own rooms.

So – to help them stretch out and read with each other and to try new works, we’re using these printable summer reading challenge bookmarks this year!

These are simple (and fun!) ways to motivate kids to read new books with new people this summer.

And you can get a set free!

Read on to get your copy. And, for more fun with summer reading, check out our Sweet Reads! Ice Cream Literacy Kit!

Printable Summer Reading Challenge Bookmarks

To use this printable summer reading challenge, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printable Summer Reading Challenge Bookmark for Kids

The printable includes one sheet with five identical bookmarks.

We have four children, so I wanted them each to have their own. Plus an extra one for me to join along.

Printable Summer Reading Challenge Bookmarks for Kids

These are really simple to use.

Just print the sheet (as many copies as you need). Then use a paper cutter to divide them into individual bookmarks.

If you like, you might want to laminate the sheet before handing the bookmarks out. They’ll hold up better that way.

Printable Summer Reading Challenge for Kids

As you can see, each bookmark lists 14 different ways to read this summer.

There are new places to read, new types of books to try, and new people to read books to.

Hold your own summer reading program by setting a date for kids to check off all of the items on their bookmarks.

Be sure to hand out a prize or have a simple party to celebrate!

Scroll down to get your free Printable Summer Reading Challenge Bookmarks!

Take a look at these other fun literacy activities!

This hands on short vowel sounds activity is so fun for building early phonics skills! Add it to your literacy centers for engaging phonics practice!

Help early writers practice naming colors and writing complete sentences with this donut colors sentence writing activity! Perfect for literacy centers!

Pick up this printable ice cream reading log for kids to keep little ones reading this summer! This printable reading kits with printable bookplates, a printable summer reading log, and printable coloring bookmarks!

To get your copy of these printable summer reading bookmarks for kids, click the image or the link below to download them to your computer!

Printable Summer Reading Challenge BookmarkPrintable Summer Reading Challenge Bookmark

>>> Printable Summer Reading Bookmarks <<<

20 Distance Learning STEM Activities for Kids

May 21, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Many parents and educators are practicing what’s called “distance learning” these days.

Rather than children going to a physical class and learning directly from their teachers, they might be learning concepts online and conducting science experiments while still at home.

If you’re a teacher or a parent struggling to work with STEM in early grades while learning from home, these distance learning STEM activities for kids can help!

Fun Distance Learning STEM Activities for Kids

These are simple, hands-on learning ideas that incorporate Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math, as well as Art – if you prefer to learn STEAM concepts.

Read on to see the full list below!

And, for more ways to learn STEM in early grades, take a look at our list of easy weather STEM activities for kids!

How to Use STEM Activities With Kids

If you’re feeling intimidated by teaching STEM to early learners, don’t be!

You don’t have to include all five STEAM disciplines in each activity. As long as the lesson or learning activity includes two of these concepts, you’re good.

A simple way to think about STEM is “How can I bring this learning concept off the page to a real-world application?”

So, for example, if you’re learning about a math topic, how can you make it into a hands-on activity that students can work with kinesthetically?

The goal is to take learning from something students just memorize to a concept they truly understand from multiple viewpoints.

20 Fun Distance Learning STEM Activities for Kids

The list of 20 distance learning STEM activities for kids below can help you think of lots of other ways to make teaching STEM fun!

1. Lego Bar Graphing – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Lemon Volcano Science Experiment – STEAM Powered Family

3. Math Facts Building Cards – Left Brain Craft Brain

4. Build an Umbrella Challenge – Raising Lifelong Learners

5. Wire Wood Building Activity – Fantastic Fun and Learning

6. Glittery Germy Hands Experiment – The Soccer Mom Blog

7. Butterfly Chromatography Experiment – Buggy and Buddy

8. Science in Motion Apple Game – The Educators’ Spin On It

9. Respiratory System Investigation – Life Over Cs

10. Bacteria Science Experiments – Our Journey Westward

20 Fun Distance Learning STEM Activities

11. Astronomy Moon Journal – Buggy and Buddy

12. Build a Mini Greenhouse – Kids Activities Blog

13. STEM Skittles Activity – The Inspiration Edit

14. Hatching Dinosaur Eggs Activity – STEAM Powered Family

15. Grow a Rainbow Experiment – The Best Ideas for Kids

16. Building Block Challenge – Life Over Cs

17. Make a Paperclip Float Experiment – Raising Lifelong Learners

18. Light Up Rocket Bookmark – Left Brain Craft Brain

19. Sandbox Volcano Experiment – Little Bins for Little Hands

20. Apple Build and Count Activity – Fantastic Fun and Learning

Take a look at these other simple ways to teach STEM!

These easy STEM activities for kids are great for building enthusiasm to learn science, technology, engineering, and math!

Deep Blue Sea! Printable Ocean ELA Activities for Kids

May 19, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

The town I grew up in was about half an hour inland from the coast. So the ocean has always had a special place in my heart.

As a kid, I was always excited to go to the beach and play on the sand, wade in the waves, and just generally be happy.

I didn’t know it at the time, but the most fascinating part of the coast is the part I never saw – the animals that live below its surface.

As summer approaches, the ocean is a common learning theme for early elementary students. This Deep Blue Sea! ocean ELA activities set is a fun way to keeps kids engaged over break!

This set of printable activities helps kids practice basic ELA concepts while learning more about the marine animals that call the ocean home.

Read on to see how to get your copy. And, for more fun with ELA activities, don’t miss our Delicious Donuts! ELA Activity Set too!

Use this printable Deep Blue Sea ocean activity pack to keep early elementary students practicing ELA concepts at home or over break!

Deep Blue Sea! Printable Ocean ELA Activities for Kids

To use this set of printable ocean ELA activities, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printable Ocean Themed Activity Set for Early Elementary

This set of ocean-themed activities includes:

Two ocean animal word unscramble worksheets
One coded beach jokes worksheet
One ocean-themed make-a-word activity
One design a marine animal creative writing activity
And one ocean-themed adjectives prompt

Early Elementary Ocean Themed ELA Activity Set

Early elementary students will love completing these activities without worrying about getting the answers “right”.

It’s simply a fun way to stay in practice while using adjectives, word building skills, and creative writing.

Early Elementary Deep Blue Sea Ocean ELA Activity Pack

All of the printable activities are line art only, so you can print them on regular paper and let students color in the pages if you like.

Or you can print them on blue and green AstroBright paper for a nautical vibe!

Scroll down to get your copy of these printable ocean ELA activities!

Take a look at these other fun ways to teach ELA skills!

Have a sweet ELA lesson with this delicious donuts ELA activity set! Several ELA activities with a fun donut theme!

This printable apple tree life cycle is perfect for fall science and ELA practice! Add it to writing centers or science centers!

Help students write about places they have visited or want to visit with this simple vacation creative writing activity!

To get your copy of this Deep Blue Sea! Ocean ELA Activities Set, click the image or the link below to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

Summer Fun Color by Shape Activity for Kids

40 Simple Summer Crafts for Kids:

Ice Cream Colors! Printable Ice Cream Coloring Pages

>>>>> Ice Cream Coloring Pages <<<<<

DIY Colored Moon Sand Recipe

>>> Grab the printable DIY Colored Moon Sand Recipe below! <<<

DIY Colored Moon Sand Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

Printable LEGO STEM Challenge Building Cards

>>> LEGO STEM Challenge Building Cards <<<

25 Super Easy Preschool Crafts

20 Fun Books about Lighthouses for Kids

Printable Summer Reading Challenge Bookmarks

>>> Printable Summer Reading Bookmarks <<<

How to Use STEM Activities With Kids

20 Fun Distance Learning STEM Activities for Kids

Deep Blue Sea! Printable Ocean ELA Activities for Kids

>>> Deep Blue Sea! Ocean ELA Activities Set <<<