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30 Kid Friendly Muffin Recipes for Cold Mornings

December 3, 2019 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Is there anything better on a cold morning than a hot cup of a coffee and a warm muffin?

Don’t think so.

I wasn’t much of a muffin eater as a kid, but once I learned how to make them as an adult, they quickly became a breakfast go-to.

My kids are nuts about muffins for breakfast too. With winter quickly approaching, I thought it would be handy to round up 30 kid friendly muffin recipes that would be perfect for cold mornings!

Some of these can even be made ahead and frozen! Just take out a bag of freezer muffins the night before so they can thaw and be ready for the next morning.

Take a look at the full list below. Be sure to let me know which ones your kids love the most!

Want to bake up more deliciousness this winter? Don’t miss our list of 25 delicious cookie bar recipes to bake at home!

30 Kid Friendly Muffin Recipes for Cold Mornings

1. Vanilla Iced Banana Bread Muffins – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Hash Brown Egg Muffin Cups – School Time Snippets

3. Double Chocolate Muffins – Spaceships and Laserbeams

4. Buttermilk Rhubarb Crumble Muffins – Happy Hooligans

5. Loaded Omelet Muffins – Kids Activities Blog

6. Pancake Muffins – Parenting Chaos

7. Lemon Blueberry Muffins – Frugal Family

8. Maple Sugar Bacon Muffins – Confessions of an Overworked Mom

9. Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins – Temecula Blogs

10. Easy Smores Muffins – A Turtle’s Life for Me

11. Mini Banana Muffins – On My Kids Plate

12. Banana Split Sprinkle Muffins – Sweet Recipeas

13. Cinnamon Iced Pumpkin Crumb Muffins – Celebrating Sweets

14. Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins – The Kitchen Is My Playground

15. Easy Berry Muffins – My Bored Toddler

16. Banana Oatmeal Muffins – Pichea Place

17. Healthy Pumpkin Muffins – Nate and Rachael

18. Orange Strawberry Muffins – Recipes From a Pantry

19. Funfetti French Toast Muffins – Sheri Silver

20. Cinnamon Roll Muffins – A Magical Mess

21. Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins – Mom Vs. The Boys

22. Apple Pie Muffins – Bunny’s Warm Oven

23. Lemon Pound Cake Muffins – Simply Stacie

24. Monkey Bread Muffins – Spaceships and Laserbeams

25. Chocolaty Chip Muffins – The Monday Box

26. Cheery Clementine Muffins – On My Kids Plate

27. Double Chocolate Banana Muffins – Peas and Crayons

28. Bakery Style Oreo Muffins – Amy Treasure

29. Nutella Muffins – Taming Twins

30. Easy Banana Bread Muffins – A Turtle’s Life for Me

Did you love these kid friendly muffin recipes? Try some of these other tried and tested kid friendly foods below!

Be sure to follow my Breakfast Ideas for the Family board on Pinterest too!

Candy Bag Skip Counting Activity for Kids

December 2, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

I don’t think there’s a thing young children like more than candy.

Okay, maybe ice cream. But it’s got to be a close competition.

If you ever want to make math more fun, just start by switching the word problem phrase “Susie has three apples” to “Susie has three pieces of candy” and watch the kids’ faces.

They’re infinitely more interested in the outcome.

So I thought that candy would be a fun theme to use for a simple skip counting center and that’s how this Candy Bag Count! Skip Counting Activity was born!

This is a perfect second grade math center, because it’s standards-aligned to help students practice skip counting by fives, tens, and hundreds.

Plus, it’s just plain fun!

Read on to get your copy. And for more counting practice, don’t miss our Apple Tree Ten Frame Counting Mats!

Candy Bag Skip Counting Activity for Kids

To use this hands on skip counting activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

This is a one-time prep activity, so you can set it up and then let students get started!

This product includes:

Two color count by 5 candy bags
Two color count by 10 candy bags
Two color count by 100 candy bags
Two pages of color skip counting candy pieces
A line art version
And a set of instructions!

Students can choose any number to start and then proceed to choose the correct candy pieces to count by five, ten, or one hundred from there.

There are also blank candy pieces. Use these with dry erase markers or dry erase crayons to challenge students to come up with their own counting sequence!

Need to save on ink? Use this skip counting activity with Astrobright paper (my personal favorite).

If you’re homeschooling or using this for a one-time lesson, you can skip the sticky dots and laminator. Just let students cut and paste the correct numbers in the right candy bag!

Scroll down to get your copy of this Candy Bag Skip Counting Activity!

Check out these other hands-on counting practice lessons!

And for more fun ways to teach math, follow my Math Mania Pinterest board!

To get your copy of this Candy Bag Count! Skip Counting Activity, click the image or the link below to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

>>> Candy Bag Skip Counting Activity <<<

20 Fun Clothespin Puppets for Kids to Make

November 21, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Have you ever put on a puppet show with the kids?

We’ve done it a few times and they always had a blast with their puppet characters.

We’d usually have rehearsed lines in advance, but someone always wanted to improvise and take the story in a different direction.

Which is part of the fun!

When we’ve made puppets, we usually make them out of paper bags. But there are so many ways to make puppets at home, including these super cute clothespin puppets for kids!

There are so many different characters you can make out of clothespins, including animals, snowmen, and more. These would make wonderful prompts for creative writing and story retelling!

Read on to get some clothespin crafts inspiration! And for more fun with puppets, check out our Farm Paper Bag Puppets for kids to make too!

20 Fun Clothespin Puppets for Kids to Make

1. Cat Clothespin Puppet – Easy Peasy and Fun

2. Squirrel Clothespin Puppets – As the Bunny Hops

3. Giraffe Clothespin Puppet – Delia Creates

4. Dragon Clothespin Puppet – Adventure in a Box

5. Unicorn Clothespin Doll – Kids Craft Room

6. Shark Clothespin Puppets – Easy Peasy and Fun

7. Clothespin Dinosaurs – Crafts by Amanda

8. Llama Clothespin Puppets – Inspiration Made Simple

9. Clothespin Wrap Dolls – This Heart of Mine

10. Clothespin Mermaid Doll – Benzie Design

Check out more clothespin puppets and dolls kids can make below!

11. DIY Flower Fairy Clothespin Dolls – Crafts Unleashed

12. Super Hero Clothespin Dolls – All Free Kids Crafts

13. Chinese Dragon Clothespin Puppets – Easy Peasy and Fun

14. Unicorn Clothespin Puppets – Moms and Crafters

15. Pelican Clothespin Puppet – As the Bunny Hops

16. Clothespin Fish – Crafts by Amanda

17. Snowman Puppets – Moms and Crafters

18. Clothespin Monster Puppets – Our Whimsical Days

19. Clothespin Girls – Ginger Cake

20. Alligator Clothespin Puppet – Kids Activities Blog

Did you like these clothespin puppets for kids? Try some of these other easy crafts the kids can make!

Follow my Simple Crafts for Kids board on Pinterest for more easy kids’ crafts!

8 Must-Try Winter Homeschool Ideas

November 19, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

I hate winter. Hate it.

I’m from Florida and, whenever the temperature dips below about 60, I’m done for the year.

But when you’re homeschooling, you can’t just opt out of teaching during the cold. I know. I’ve tried it.

So that’s why I wanted to find some ways to make winter homeschooling fun!

These winter homeschool ideas are a great way to get the season off to a great start with your family! These are simple enough to do in one day.

Plus, they’re actually educational.

Read on to see these tips for homeschooling during winter! And if you use a few, I’d love to know which ones were your favorites.

For more ways to teach about winter, don’t miss our All About Snowflakes printable unit or our list of must-read winter books for kids!

8 Must-Try Winter Homeschool Ideas

Images c/o: stockunlimited and Lorraine Cormier from Pixabay

1. Teach about winter weather. Take time to learn about the different types of snow and ice weather, as well as why temperatures turn colder during winter. Here’s a great explanation of why we have seasons, including winter.

2. Teach about emergency preparedness. You don’t have to be a prepper to prepare for winter. In fact, most of us already do it without realizing it. Teach a homeschool lesson on how to make sure your home is ready for colder weather and why it’s important.

3. Learn how and why snow melts. Snow is magic! It’s a cold solid that turns into water! This is the perfect way to teach about solids and liquids! You could even have them bring snow indoors to the sink and watch what happens when it melts.

Our Superhero States of Matter science lesson offers a way to teach this concept, even if you don’t have snow outside!

4. Get creative and build a snow castle or artistic snowman. Need a winter art lesson? Get outside! Not only will your kids get off the couch for a while, but by making a snow castle or artistic snowman, they’ll be learning art!

Don’t have snow in your area? Make our pinecone snowman craft instead!

5. Make winter themed slime. Make a winter themed slime that includes fake snowflakes and teach your kids about the chemical reaction that makes the slime feel slimy.

To make wintery slime, change up our DIY Flubber recipe by skipping the food coloring and adding silver glitter!

6. Have a winter themed scavenger hunt. Bundle the kids up and send them outside with a list of things to find for a winter scavenger hunt. Be sure to include things such as pine cones, a tree branch without leaves, and other things that are common in winter.

Once they have found them all, have a discussion about how each item is different in winter and summer and what causes those changes.

7. Have a science lesson on how cold affects the human body. Most kids know they have to bundle up to go outside, but do they know why? Having a winter homeschool lesson about what cold weather can do to the body is the perfect way to teach them!

Here’s a great informative resource on the topic.

8. Make paper snowflakes. Snowflakes are amazing little things and your kids will love learning about them!

For an easy homeschool activity, pick up our Snowflake Math Factor craft and let kids cut out and decorate each snowflake before solving the math factor problems on each one. Be sure to hang them on the windows afterward!

Did you love these winter homeschool ideas? Try these other winter learning activities!

See more ways to teach about winter on my Winter Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

Polar Animal Pattern Activity for First Grade

November 18, 2019 by Selena Robinson 5 Comments

We’ve been having an unseasonably warm winter down South this year. But that changed drastically this week.

Last week, we had highs in the 70s. This week, we woke up to 25 degrees in the morning. That’s nothing to Northerners and Midwesterners, but us Southerners panicked.

I think it’s safe to say that winter has finally arrived.

And that means it’s a great time to talk about polar animals! So I’m sharing a fun Arctic Animal Pattern Activity for first grade!

These are so fun to use at math centers, especially in the winter!

If you like this activity, don’t miss this fun snowflake math factors craft for kids and our printable Polar Animal notebooking pages!

Simple Polar Animal Pattern Activity for First Grade

Recognizing and creating math patterns are a key concept in both kindergarten and first grade. Kids are often taught to recognize patterns according to frequency.

So you might have a ABABABAB pattern (one image, then another, then the first again, then the second) or you might have a AABBAABB pattern (the first image twice, the second image twice, and so on).

Which is where this printable pattern activity comes in handy!

To use this pattern activity for first grade, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper (I used Astrobright paper)
Child-safe scissors
Glue stick
Laminator (optional)
Hook and loop sticky dots

Help students read each pattern by saying the name of each picture aloud.

For example, a pattern row might read “Fox, Igloo, Fox, Igloo, Fox, Igloo, Fox, Igloo…”. Then ask “What picture comes next?”

When students answer “Fox!”, let them cut out the fox picture and paste it on the correct row to complete the pattern!

Do the same with the other patterns.

Since some of the patterns follow an ABAB structure and others follow an ABB or an ABC pattern, it’s good to practice the same pattern structure again and again to attain fluency before trying a different one.

You can use these as a one-time cut and paste activity or laminate them and use them with hook and loop sticky dots at math centers!

Scroll down to get your Arctic Animals Basic Pattern Building Activity!

Take a look at these other math activities for early learners!

And find more ways to make math fun on my Math Mania! Pinterest board!

To get your copy of our Arctic Patterns! Polar Animal Pattern Activity for First Grade, click the link or the text below to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

>>> Arctic Patterns! Pattern Activity for First Grade <<<

Peppermint Hot Cocoa Sequencing Mats for Kids

November 14, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

When I was little, I was a total hot cocoa addict.

My parents drank coffee every morning. But I was in love with hot chocolate.

I had a little microwavable mug and, once I learned to make cocoa on my own (usually with Nesquik), I was off to the races.

As the weather gets colder, I still remember my hot chocolate memories. And that’s why I wanted to share these adorable peppermint hot cocoa sequencing mats for kids!

These would make a perfect winter early learning activity for preschoolers and kindergartners who are working on retelling steps in order.

Read on to see how to get your set – free! And, for more fun with winter learning, don’t miss our winter alphabet and number playdough mats!

Peppermint Hot Cocoa Sequencing Mats for Kids

To use these sequencing mats for kids, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

This product includes:

One color sequencing mat
Two sets of color three-step hot cocoa sequencing cards
One line art sequencing mat
And two sets of line art three-step hot cocoa sequencing cards

Once you prep this activity, you’re all set!

Place the cards in random order and let students practice telling how to make cocoa using the cards in the correct sequence.

You’ll definitely want to laminate these for durability. It makes them hold up better for little hands!

You can also use them with sticky hook and loop dots to add them to a busy bag.

Scroll down to get your set of these Peppermint Hot Cocoa Sequencing Cards!

Stop by and check out these other winter early learning activities!

And for more winter teaching ideas, follow my Winter Activities for Kids board on Pinterest!

To get your copy of these Peppermint Hot Cocoa Sequencing Mats, click the image or the link below to grab it for free from my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

>>> Peppermint Hot Cocoa Sequencing Activity <<<

20 Community Helpers Books for Kids to Read

November 12, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Community helpers are such an important theme in early childhood education.

After all, it’s important for children to learn how their local community works and who provides the services we all rely on each day.

So when you’re ready to teach a community helper theme in class, make sure to use some of these community helpers books for kids as part of your read aloud time!

These community helpers picture books are excellent sections!

They’re all beautifully illustrated and they feature simple explanations of each helper’s role in town.

Read on to check out the selections below! And, for more ways to study community helpers, check our our Spanish community helpers printable lesson!

20 Community Helpers Books for Kids to Read

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

If you decide to read any of these with your students, I’d love to hear which ones were your favorite!

1. Helpers in My Community by Bobbie Kalman

2. Whose Hands Are These? by Miranda Paul

3. Whose Hat Is This? by Sharon Katz Cooper

4. Look for the Helpers (adapted) by Alexandra Cassel

5. Career Day by Anne Rockwell

6. Jobs Around Town by Stan and Jan Berenstain

7. Let’s Meet a Police Officer by Gina Bellisario

8. Let’s Meet a Doctor by Bridget Heos

9. Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook

10. When I Grow Up by Al Yankovic

11. Whose Tools Are These? by Sharon Katz Cooper

12. Delivering Your Mail by Ann Owen

13. Night Night, Sleepytown by Amy Parker

14. Miss Bindergarten Takes a Field Trip with Kindergarten by Joseph Slate

15. Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry

16. Busy People: Construction Worker by Lucy M. George

17. My Visit to the Dentist by David Lee

18. Teachers in My Community by Bridget Heos

19. Let’s Meet a Firefighter by Gina Bellisario

20. When I Grow Up by Mercer Mayer

Did you love these community helpers books for kids? Take a look at these other booklists for young readers!

See more great books for children on my Must Read Books for Kids Pinterest board!

Multicolor Mail! Preschool Color Sorting Game

November 11, 2019 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Preschoolers love to pretend to deliver mail.

When we took our little ones to a pretend neighborhood, they all wanted to dress up as mail delivery workers and put envelopes in the tiny mailbox. It was adorable.

Since learning to recognize colors and color words is an important skill for toddlers and preschoolers to master, I thought it would be fun to combine colors and mail delivery into a simple preschool color sorting game!

With this simple color recognition activity, kids can pretend to “stamp mail” and work on learning their colors. And, after the initial setup, you can reuse it over and over again.

It’s perfect for preschool busy bags, centers, or morning tubs!

Read on to see how to get your set!

And for more color sorting fun, check out our Colorful Cubes Color and Number Sorting Worksheets!

Multicolor Mail! Preschool Color Sorting Game

To play this preschool color sorting game, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

This game includes “envelopes” that feature the color words for:

Red
Yellow
Blue
Black
White
Orange
Yellow
and Purple

Simply cut the envelopes out, fold them in half, and laminate them.

Add a loop sticky dot to the square in the upper right corner of each envelope.

The color stamps are all printed on one page. Laminate the page, then cut out each stamp.

Add a hook sticky dot on the back of each stamp.

Then you’re ready to play! Show the kids how to attach the correct color stamp on each envelope.

Since the color words appear in the color they identify, this is a simple color recognition game for little ones.

You can work on primary colors first, then add secondary colors and neutrals, if you like.

Divide up the colors and see who can match their stack up first!

This would be a wonderful busy bag activity. You can just store the stamps and the envelopes in a resealable bag and let the kids practice anytime!

Scroll down to get your copy of this Preschool Color Sorting Game!

Don’t miss these other preschool learning activities!

To get your copy of this Multicolor Mail! Preschool Color Sorting Game, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or check it out below!

Printable Spanish I Have Who Has Game for Kids

November 7, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Early foreign language learning tends to focus on numbers, letters, and basic sentences. Which is great!

But it’s also cool when you add in a little fun as you go, right?

We’ve already shared printables to help kids learn to count in Spanish, but that’s not quite the same as learning to interact with others in the language.

Which is why this super simple printable Spanish I Have Who Has game is so great for early learners!

With this simple Spanish vocabulary game, kids can have fun, practice counting, and work on their Spanish vocabulary – all at the same time!

Read on to see how to get your copy for free!

And, for more help with teaching Spanish to children, take a look at A to Z Español – our Spanish Alphabet Learning Kit!

Printable Spanish I Have Who Has Game for Kids

To use this printable Spanish I Have Who Has Game, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

The rules of the game are simple.

There are 20 cards in all. Divide them up evenly among players (no more than four).

Each player reads what is on their card, which includes naming the number on their card and asking who has another number.

Except in Spanish.

The player with the most matches at the end wins!

If you need help to teach kids how to read the numbers in Spanish as well, pick up our Spanish number 1-20 flashcards too!

Scroll down to get your copy of our Spanish I Have Who Has Game!

Take a look at these other Spanish language activities for kids!

See more ways to teach Spanish on my Foreign Language for Kids Pinterest board!

To get your copy of this Spanish I Have Who Has Game, just sign up for our email newsletter!

You’ll get access to this printable, and lots more, in our exclusive Subscriber Library!

You can sign up using the widget below. Watch for the welcome email with instructions on how to access the library.

DIY Origami Fox Bookmark Craft for Kids

November 5, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

When I was little, one of my very favorite movies was Disney’s Robin Hood. You know, the one with the foxes.

Actually, I think fox Robin Hood might have been one of my very first crushes. (Please tell me I’m not alone in this.)

Ever since then, I’ve had a soft spot for foxes.

So I thought this adorable DIY origami fox bookmark craft would be a fun paper craft to share with you and your kids!

Just in case you also have a soft spot for foxes, especially British ones.

These would be adorable DIY gifts for kids who are book lovers! Just make up a few and hand them out with a copy of their favorite book.

You could even write a little note on the back!

These easy origami corner bookmarks would also make great reading rewards for students!

Read on to get the full project instructions. And, if you want to make more fox crafts, don’t miss our Simple Paper Bag Fox Craft!

DIY Origami Fox Bookmark Craft

Personally, I’ve been known to use just about anything as a bookmark: a popsicle stick, a paper clip, a piece of yarn. My current one is a used school field trip badge folded in half.

In fact, the library checkout receipt is my usual go-to.

But it is nice to use an actual bookmark, instead of just something you can find lying around. Especially if you’re giving a gift to a friend.

To make this DIY origami fox bookmark craft, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Lay the origami paper flat diagonally.

Fold the paper in half, bringing the top corner to the bottom corner.

Fold the top triangle up to meet the center fold line. Leave the bottom layer in tact.

Fold the left and right sides of the paper down to make a diamond. This time, you’ll fold both the top and bottom layers.

Fold the bottom triangle inward to tuck it inside the “pocket”. Do the same with the top triangle.

You’ll have a folded triangular pocket shape when you’re finished.

Use scissors to trim the top of the bookmark pocket into a rounded shape.

Use a pencil to trace the fox head template pieces from the printable fox bookmark template onto colored paper.

Cut out ear (inner and outer colors) and fox head pieces.

Glue the beige paper pieces to the fox head and ear pieces.

Glue the fox ears to the left and right sides of the top of the bookmark.

Use a black marker to add the eyes and nose and you’re done!

We used orange origami paper for our fox origami corner bookmark, but you can use any color you like!

Gather up several colors and see how many you can make with the kids in half an hour!

Then have fun sharing them with friends or as random acts of kindness in your neighborhood!

And, of course, don’t forget to use yours as an actual bookmark. No more library checkout receipts needed!

Take a look at these other fun crafts for kids to make!

Get more ideas for fun things to make with little ones on my Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board!