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4 Easy Ways to Encourage Free Reading with Active Kids

July 9, 2018 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

We all know that reading is (probably) the most important skill a child should learn. Without reading, you can’t really do, well, anything.

But we don’t just want our kids to read because they have to. We want them to read because they want to. And that means making free reading an important part of every day.

The issue, though, is that kids who are on the active side might not be that interested in reading, especially for pleasure. And that’s why I’m sharing four easy ways to encourage free reading with active kids!

Try these simple tips to get your active learners reading! They’ve genuinely worked for our active kids, even our children who have ADHD!

Need more great kid lit suggestions? Check out our list of 100 memorable picture books for preschoolers too!

Disclosure: I am a BookShark brand ambassador and am receiving free curriculum as part of my role.

4 Ways to Encourage Free Reading for Active Kids

Images c/o: get4net & FarmVeldman / depositphotos

1. Make reading time extra special.

If your active kids are resistant to reading on their own, turn reading time into an extra special occasion. Get out sleeping bags, build an indoor fort (using a table and a bedsheet), and let the kids read by flashlight while they’re “camping out”.

Or make reading into a high tea occasion. Have the kids dress up in their fanciest clothes, make tea and scones, and let them take turns reading a few lines in their most elegant speaking voices.

The key is to turn reading into entertainment, instead of just sitting down and looking at words. After a couple of occasions, they’ll want to know what happens next in one of the stories and ask to read more before your next special reading time.

2. Start a family reading challenge.

Get the whole family involved in reading by creating a short family reading challenge. Draw a bar graph on a piece of posterboard and hang it in the family room. Tell the kids that once the family finishes reading a certain number of books that month you’ll throw an ice cream party.

Be sure to fill the graph up as each book is completed. Before you know it, the kids will be begging to go to the library to get books of their own.

3. Choose stories with lots of pictures.

A book with lots of text can be intimidating to anyone, even grown-ups. So active kids who have little interest in reading need plenty of visual input to keep their interest. Picture books are a great way to get kids interested in stories and how they develop.

Once your active children are interested in following stories in general, they’ll be more open to chapter books and larger works. You might even try an illustrated version of a complex book, such as a graphic novel adaptation of a classic, and then let them read the original work to compare the two.

4. Use a book-based homeschool curriculum.

A simple way to encourage free reading with active kids is to use a homeschool curriculum that is centered on books. We’re using BookShark with our youngest child this year and the entire program is based around classic children’s books.

Our first book for our history lesson this year is Charlotte’s Web, which my first-grader is thoroughly enjoying. She never wants to stop reading when we reach the end of our assigned portion for the day. That’s always a good sign. 🙂

We’re also reading The Usborne Book of Peoples of the World, as well as Mother Goose Rhymes and Favorite Poems of Childhood. And that’s just for history!

How do you encourage free reading with your active kids? Have you been able to turn your wiggly little ones into readers? Share your tips!

See more resources for reading with homeschoolers below!

Follow my Reading for Kids Pinterest board for even more literacy tips and resources!

20 Easy and Fun Shark Crafts for Kids

July 5, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Kids are just totally fascinated with sharks. (I can’t lie. Many of us adults are too.)

They’re incredible sea creatures and they’re near the top of the food chain, so they’re basically the bosses of the ocean. Unless an orca whale comes along, that is.

Every year, Shark Week is a big event for lots of kids and that’s why I wanted to share some fun and easy shark crafts for kids that will be a great way to spend the week learning about all things shark!

Take a look at the 20 different shark activities for kids listed below to find some science fun to share this summer!

And for more about sharks, don’t miss our cool shark food chain file folder game for kids to play!

20 Easy and Fun Shark Crafts for Kids

1. This Juice Box Shark Craft from Natural Beach Living is perfect for a shark-themed afternoon.

2. Here is a fun Shark Sensory Bottle from Sarah Halstead.

3. Have some Shark Science Fun with this buoyancy activity from Little Bins for Little Hands.

4. These fun DIY Shark Cups from Mom Endeavors are perfect for an afternoon snack attack.

5. Here is a really cool DIY Shark Slime from A Night Owl Blog.

6. This Toilet Paper Shark Craft from Glue Sticks & Gum Drops is a quick and easy idea.

7. Your kids will love playing with these DIY Felt Shark Finger Puppets from Repeat Crafter Me.

8. These Shark Fin Bookmarks from Simplistically Living are perfect for Summer reading!

9. This Shark Fin Soap is a fun kid-friendly DIY from Totally The Bomb.

10. Your shark tooth lovers will love this Paper Plate Shark Jaw Craft from Dollar Store Crafts.

11. This Pool Noodle Shark Craft from JDaniel4’s Mom will look awesome floating in your pool!

12. These DIY Shark Suckers from Natural Beach Living will make a fun addition to your sharky fun.

13. Get learning with this S is for Shark Craft from Artsy Craftsy Mom.

14. Next, whip up these fun Shark Masks from B-Inspired Mama.

15. Here’s an inexpensive Newspaper Shark Craft from I Heart Crafty Things.

16. You’ll have lots of fun with this Paper Plate Shark Puppet Craft from Kids Craft Room.

17. This Shark Cootie Catcher Craft from Easy Peasy and Fun comes with a free template to make your own origami!

18. These DIY Shark Mittens from A Night Owl Blog are so cute & creative.

19. Make a cool DIY LEGO Shark with the instructions from Frugal Fun 4 Boys!

20. Finally, your little ones will enjoy making and eating this Shark Sushi from Momma Lew.

Check out these other fun learning activities for summer!

See more fun summer educational ideas on my Summer Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

Printable Sea Monster Notebooking Pages

July 2, 2018 by Selena Robinson 11 Comments

We love learning about marine animals with our kids. Whenever we’ve researched animals that live under the sea, the kids are amazed at how large some of these creatures can get. And they can get really big.

To help our kids learn more about giant animals that live in the sea, we put together these free sea monster notebooking pages!

It’s a notebooking pack all about giant sea monsters such as giant squids, lion’s mane jellyfish, and blue whales. We’ll be using it in a few weeks when we take the kids to a nearby aquarium, but we thought we’d share it with you now so you can use it with your family whenever you see fit.

Read on to claim your Free Sea Monster Notebooking Pages! These would be wonderful for an ocean unit or an upcoming field trip or however you want to use them.

Want to add even more ocean and beach learning resources to your lessons? Check out our printable All About Beaches unit study for elementary students!

Free Sea Monster Notebooking Pages

To use these free sea monster notebooking pages, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are provided here. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

The notebooking pages include pages for 9 giant sea animals, including:

Blue Whale
Lion’s Mane Jellyfish
Portuguese Man-of-War
Whale Shark
Giant Spider Crab
Giant Squid
Giant Clam
and the Great White Shark!

On each page, a different giant sea animal is pictured and there are basic facts for kids to research, such as the average size and weight of the species, the ocean depth at which the animal is usually found, and the kind of food the animal eats.

The pack concludes with a Who Am I? exercise that allows kids to match up facts with the correct animal. Most of the information you’ll need for the answers can be found on National Geographic, one of our favorite websites.

And the links you’ll need are included in the set!

Scroll down to get your copy of our free Sea Monster Notebooking Pages!

Children’s Books about Sea Monsters:

These kids’ books about sea monsters include information about modern and prehistoric ocean giants!

Don’t miss these other fun learning ideas!

And see more printable resources for homeschooling on my Homeschool Printables Pinterest board!

To download the Free Sea Monster Notebooking Pages, sign up for our email newsletter! You’ll receive access to these printables, plus lots more, in our exclusive Subscriber Library!

21 Easy Nature Crafts for Kids

June 28, 2018 by Selena Robinson 4 Comments

With the weather warming up, it’s the perfect time of year to head outside with the kids!

Now that we’re sharing more simple crafts with our little ones, we’ve found that natural materials make the perfect art medium.

There are so many ways to use nature to create art.

After all, nature is already a kind of art in itself.

If you’d like to try some natural arts and crafts with your kids over the summer, take a look at these 21 nature crafts for kids!

There are so many cute ideas here for taking flowers, pinecones, rocks, and more and repurposing them for adorable craft projects and games.

These are perfect for lazy summer afternoons or early fall evening play!

Thinking of getting outside for a hike? Try these tips for exploring a nature trail with kids!

21 Easy Nature Crafts for Kids

1. Leaf Painting – Look! We’re Learning!

2. How to Make a DIY Pool Noodle Hobby Horse – Molly Moo Crafts

3. Ladybugs Vs. Tadpoles Outdoor Tic Tac Toe Game – Atta Girl Says

4. Painted Rock Art – Typically Simple

5. Rock Garden Caterpillar – Nellie Bellie

6. Nature Craft: Making a Journey Stick – Growing Family

7. Outdoor Spray Painting – The Country Chic Cottage

8. Birdseed Ornaments – One Little Project At A Time

9. Kids Craft: Ice Chalk – We Know Stuff

10. Bug Village – Crafts by Amanda

11. Nature Paintbrushes – Messy Little Monster

12. Nature Craft: Making Leaf Prints – Growing Family

13. Pet Rock Necklace – Crafts by Amanda

14. DIY Bird Feeder Craft – Mommy’s Bundle

15. Happy Camper Garden Planter – ABCs and Garden Peas

16. Toddler Outdoor Canvas Painting Project – Arts and Crackers

17. Butterfly Handprint Garden Pot – Happily Ever Mom

18. Easy Paper May Basket – ABCs and Garden Peas

19. Soda Bottle Fairy Garden House – My Pinterventures

20. Pinecone Owls – Crafts by Amanda

21. Flower Suncatcher – Messy Little Monster

Want to try more nature crafts and activities? Don’t miss these posts!

60 Awesome Summer Outdoor Play Ideas for Kids

June 25, 2018 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Summer. It’s the most wonderful time of the year for playing outside.

We live in the South and it. gets. hot. But that’s never stopped our kids from wanting to be outside playing every game imaginable.

After a while, though, the same old games just don’t do it for them anymore.

And that’s why I wanted to find some awesome fun in the sun ideas for outdoor play in summer.

60 Fun Outdoor Summer Play Ideas for Kids

Below, you’ll find 60, count’em, SIXTY different summer outdoor play ideas for kids.

And they are awesome!

They can make their own bubble wands, create slime that fizzes, build mud kitchens, and much more!

You can get also get a printable preschool summer activity calendar free! Read on to see how to score this for this summer.

And if you need more ways to make summer fun, check out our list of 40 simple summer crafts kids can make!

This list of 60 outdoor summer play ideas is perfect for keeping kids happy all summer long!

60 Awesome Outdoor Play Ideas for Summer

Several of these summer play ideas for kids also feature learning concepts, such as STEM engineering, art, math, sensory play, and more.

So you can play while giving kids a little more learning. Trust me, they’ll never know.

If you try some of these with your kids, I’d love to hear which ones they loved the most!

1. DIY Fizzy Slime – Look! We’re Learning!

2. How to Make a Kite – Red Ted Art

3. Driveway Shape Maze – Creative Family Fun

4. Backyard Olympics – Kid World Citizen

5. DIY Rockets for Kids – Frogmom

6. Wet Chalk Color Mixing – School Time Snippets

7. Catapult Splat Painting – There’s Just One Mommy

8. Squirt Gun Painting – Fireflies and Mudpies

9. DIY Mud Kitchen – Megan Zeni

10. Sidewalk Paint Rockets – Gluesticks

11. Recycled Chalk Paint – Rhythms of Play

12. Splash the Alphabet – Days with Grey

13. Ocean Sensory Bin – Frogs and Fairies

14. DIY Obstacle Course for Kids – Buggy and Buddy

15. Outdoor Rainbow Weaving – Where Imagination Grows

16. Summer Paint Sensory Play – Mama Smiles

17. How to Make DIY Bubble Wands and Homemade Bubbles – Natural Beach Living

18. Rainbow Windsock Craft – Kids Craft Room

19. Pool Noodle Boat Racing Game – See Vanessa Craft

20. Bouncy Ball Process Art Painting – School Time Snippets

21. Colorful Moon Sand – Look! We’re Learning!

22. Cardboard Arc de Triomphe Craft – Non-Toy Gifts

23. $1 Soda Bottle Sprinkler – Gluesticks

24. Plant a Pollinator Garden – Outdoor Families Online

25. Watermelon Fizzy Science Activity and Sensory Play – Natural Beach Living

26. Look Inside a Volcano Project – 123 Homeschool 4 Me

27. Amazing Hand Bubbles – The Craft Train

28. Playground Scavenger Hunt – KC Edventures

29. Water Balloon Bash – Fireflies and Mudpies

30. Water Table Play – Creating Creatives

31. Garden Xylophone – The Moments at Home

32. Alphabet Ice Boats – School Time Snippets

33. Sidewalk Puffy Paint – Fun Learning for Kids

34. Clay Sculptures – Red Ted Art

35. Mud Pie Nature Art – Rhythms of Play

36. Silly Races – Creative Family Fun

37. Salt Art Project – Buggy and Buddy

38. Sea Animals Party Game – There’s Just One Mommy

39. How to Make Chalk – 123 Homeschool 4 Me

40. Frog Habitat Garden – The Craft Train

41. Sidewalk Chalk Math Game – Look! We’re Learning!

42. Ice Excavating – Gluesticks

43. DIY Craft Stick Peg Doll Boat for Kids – Rhythms of Play

44. Dinosaur Dig Excavation Activity – Fun Learning for Kids

45. Backyard Treasure Hunt – Kid World Citizen

46. Build a Dinosaur Garden – Megan Zeni

47. Beach Detective Game – Kids Craft Room

48. Outdoor Scavenger Hunt – Buggy and Buddy

49. Pop Rock Science Experiment – 123 Homeschool 4 Me

50. Pond Sensory Bin – In Our Pond

51. Cardboard Car Wash – Non-Toy Gifts

52. Fish Ice Play Activity – Messy Little Monster

53. DIY Outdoor Chalkboard – Rhythms of Play

54. Build a Stick Maze – Mother Natured

55. GIANT Bubble Solution – 123 Homeschool 4 Me

56. Color-Changing Sidewalk Chalk – Frogs and Fairies

57. Outdoor Creative Art Station – Where Imagination Grows

58. Photo Scavenger Hunt – KC Edventures

59. Pine Cone Trail Outdoor Activity – Preschool Toolkits

60. DIY Water Wall – There’s Just One Mommy

Printable Summer Activity Calendar for Preschoolers

This list of summer outdoor play ideas is awesome for filling up summer with kids of all ages.

But if you’re trying to keep preschoolers happy, you’re working with a unique crowd.

I’ve been there.

Which is where this printable preschool summer activity calendar can be a life saver!

This printable calendar features 12 early themes with a different activity to try each day. Planning done!

To get this printable preschool summer activity calendar, click the image or the link below to have it sent directly to your inbox!

You’ll also get our weekly newsletter – coming up this Sunday!

>>> Preschool Summer Activity Calendar <<<

Check out these other summer ideas!

Make this summer one to remember with these easy ways to have a fun summer with kids!

This fun confetti ocean slime recipe is perfect for summer sensory play!

Make this easy sea animal suncatcher craft for a simple summer art project this year!

40 Fun At Home Learning Activities for Summer

June 21, 2018 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

I just love summer. In my opinion, it’s the time of year that basically makes life worth living.

The sun is out, you can walk around in flip-flops all day, no one cares if you eat ice cream for breakfast…it’s a good season.

The kids and I tend to take a more relaxed approach to learning over the summer, but I still like to keep them learning as much as possible.

So we found a bunch of at home learning activities for summer that are super fun and great for helping them explore science, math, STEM, literacy, and more!

40 Summer Learning Activities You Can Do at Home

There are 40 different summer learning ideas below, so you can try as many as you like during summer break.

If you decide to do some of these, be sure to come back and tell us how you liked them!

Want to spend summer boosting your children’s literacy skills? Take a look at this list of 50 summer books you can share with them!

Keep learning all summer with this list of 40 at home summer learning activities for kids!

40 At-Home Learning Activities for Summer

What I love about summer break is that you can keep learning with kids, but on your own terms.

No getting up to start school at a set time. No required amount of subjects or hours to cover.

Just time for fun learning with little ones.

40 Fun Summer Learning Activities for Kids

And these at home summer learning activities feature plenty of hands-on, low prep, and interactive ideas to keep preschoolers and elementary kids happy.

Take a look at the list below to get inspired for summer break at home!

40 Fun At Home Learning Activities for Summer

Use this list of 40 fun at home summer learning activities to keep your elementary kids excited to learn!

Pineapple Multiplication by Four Roll and Cover Game

This fun multiplication game is excellent for early elementary students! All you need is dice, a printer, and math counters!

Playground Science for Kids: Exploring Ramps and Friction on a Slide

Photo Credit: buggyandbuddy.com

Head to the playground to try this simple idea. See how simple machines affect friction with early learners!

Exploring Solar Heat – STEM Education

Photo Credit: www.steampoweredfamily.com

Go outside and use solar energy for this one. Show kids how the sun produces heat energy!

Human Sundial Shadow Science Experiments

Photo Credit: rhythmsofplay.com

Let kids act as their own scientific instruments! Use this activity to help them tell time with their own shadows.

Rescue the Shark Printable Battleship Game

Practice graphing and strategy with a fun summertime game. Plus, this makes a fun indoor activity for hot days!

Watermelon Seed Matching Game

Photo Credit: themamaworkshop.com

This is such a cute activity for early learners. And you can even bring it with you and use it as a busy bag!

Tide Pool Science Experiment for Kids

Photo Credit: buggyandbuddy.com

Show the kids how tide pools are formed with this simple experiment! And you only need a few supplies to do it.

Easy Ice Pop Math Patterns Activity for Kids

This ice pop themed activity is a fun math lesson for kids. Use it to help early learners practice building math patterns!

Heating Up Summer Creativity by Constructing a Solar Oven

Photo Credit: mosswoodconnections.com

Show kids how to harness the power of the sun to make an oven. It really works too!

How to Make Ice Cream in a Bag with Recording Sheet

Photo Credit: buggyandbuddy.com

We all scream for ice cream! Teach kids how to make ice cream in a bag and record their scientific findings.

Cosmic Colors! Solar System Coloring Pages

Teach the names of the planets in the solar system. And give kids a fun art activity too!

STEM Sunscreen Experiment – Spray vs. Lotion

Photo Credit: jdaniel4smom.com

Which lasts longer - spray sunscreen or sunscreen lotion? Find out in this summer science experiment!

Ice Cream Sounds! Short and Long Vowel Sound Sorting Activity

Have kids who are working on short and long vowel sounds? Let them use the digital or print version of this activity to practice sorting them!

Sink or Float Experiment: Physics for Kids

Photo Credit: www.kcedventures.com

Summer time equals time for water play. This fun water science experiment is perfect for little scientists!

Easy Sun Prints STEM Activity

Photo Credit: creativefamilyfun.net

Did you know you can use the sun to make color prints? Show kids how to use household objects and solar energy to make art!

Shadow Sidewalk Chalk Art

Photo Credit: rhythmsofplay.com

Add a fun art twist to measuring shadows! This is a simple STEM activity that's perfect for long summer days.

Simple Science Experiments: Simple Light Refraction Experiment

Did you know you can actually watch light bend? This simple light refraction experiment is so fun for kids to try!

Parts of a Dandelion Nature Exploration

Photo Credit: creativefamilyfun.net

Dandelions are all over the place during summer. Examine them with this nature exploration activity.

Travel Tales! Vacation Creative Writing Activity for Kids

Heading on a summer vacation? Let kids practice writing about where they went with this simple printable.

DIY Butterfly Number Stones

Photo Credit: www.craftsonsea.co.uk

These lovely butterfly number stones include math and art in one. And kids can do the painting themselves!

Bottle Rockets

Photo Credit: www.steampoweredfamily.com

Try an exciting science activity this summer with these bottle rockets. Perfect for outdoor play!

Amazing Coloring Flower Science Experiment

Photo Credit: www.kindergartenworksheetsandgames.com

See how plants receive nutrients with this simple experiment. And make some cool colored flowers at the same time!

All About the Solar System Printable Unit

Ready to explore space? This printable elementary science unit is a great introduction to the members of our solar system!

FREE Paint Gun Parts of Speech Game

Photo Credit: www.123homeschool4me.com

Get the kids outside for some messy play with this ELA activity. They won't even notice they're learning!

Build Vocabulary with a Summer Word Jar (Plus Tips and Ideas)

Photo Credit: www.whatdowedoallday.com

Encourage kids to keep reading and learning new words this summer with this idea! And it's so easy to set up!

Ocean Science for Kids - Easy Ocean Life Experiment Kids Love

Photo Credit: www.naturalbeachliving.com

Explore the zones of the ocean, even if you're landlocked, with this activity. Kids will love looking at it day to day.

Roll and Add Seashell Counting Math Game – Free Printable

Photo Credit: www.theartkitblog.com

Add a beachy theme to counting practice with this game. Such a great idea for preschoolers!

Ice Cream Printable Summer Reading Log

Keep kids reading over the summer with this printable kit! It comes with a reading log, coloring bookmarks, and more.

Make a Balloon Powered Sponge Boat

Photo Credit: www.thecrafttrain.com

This is a fantastic (and easy) STEM activity for summer. Kids can design and build a boat that actually travels!

How to Make a Solar Still

Photo Credit: theresjustonemommy.com

Did you know you can make drinking water from the sun's energy? See how in this cool science experiment.

Math in Nature Scavenger Hunt for Kids

Photo Credit: www.adventure-in-a-box.com

This printable scavenger hunt is excellent for outdoor exploring. Let kids look for math shapes in nature and record what they find.

Animal Houses: Engineering Game for Kids

Photo Credit: www.adventure-in-a-box.com

These printable cards challenge kids to build animal houses of their own. Use household supplies or materials they find outside.

DIY Geometry Dice - A Fun Math Practice Tool for Kids!

Play this indoor math game to review angles and lines with elementary kids. Only needs a couple of household items!

Color Changing Slime Recipe That’s Sun Activated (Summer Science)!

Photo Credit: littlebinsforlittlehands.com

Have you been making slime with kids? Be sure to try this recipe for solar power-activated color changing slime!

Word Building Activity Travel Kit

Photo Credit: iheartcraftythings.com

Put this simple word building kit together for early literacy practice. Great for rides in the car!

Water Balloon Letter Smash: Summer Literacy Activity

Photo Credit: www.schooltimesnippets.com

Make learning the alphabet into a summer play activity with this idea. Plus, you could tweak it to use with numbers, shapes, and more!

Printable Summer Reading Challenge Bookmarks for Kids

Pick up this printable bookmarks for summer reading with the kids. It's a simple way to help them try new kinds of books too!

Sharks! - A Shark Food Chain Game

Get to know how sharks eat and grow with this file folder game. Perfect for shark fans!

Printable Beach Unit Study: All About Beaches

Live far from a beach? You can still learn about them with this printable unit for early elementary kids!

Printable LEGO STEM Challenge Building Cards

Use these LEGO STEM challenge cards for simple STEM fun. Let kids choose a card or two and see what they can make!

Pineapple Printable Multiplication Game

One of my favorite at home learning activities is a simple no-prep printable game.

And this printable pineapple multiplication by four game is as no-prep as it gets!

Just print it out, add a six or ten-sided die, and use counters or buttons to get kids playing.

Best of all – it’s free!

To get your copy of this printable pineapple multiplication by four game, click the image or the link below to have it sent directly to your inbox!

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

>>> Pineapple Multiplication by Four Game <<<

Did you love these learning activities for summer? Don’t miss these other fun summer projects!

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

These simple summer crafts for kids are such a great way to spend time together!

35 Easy PreK Beach Crafts for Kids

June 18, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

I love preschool crafts. There’s just something about getting tiny hands involved in making art that is too adorable for words.

Plus, PreK crafts give preschoolers a chance to work on fine motor skills, color recognition, shapes, themes, and more!

And that’s why I thought it would be cool to find some easy PreK beach crafts for kids that would be perfect for summer art fun.

After all, you only get a couple of summers to enjoy with your preschoolers before they become…gasp…kindergartners.

35 Fun PreK Beach Crafts for Preschoolers

There are 35 different preschool beach crafts below, so you’ll have to plenty to choose from this summer.

If you make a few, let me know which ones your kids loved the most!

Read on to see the full list and to score a printable preschool summer activity calendar featuring beach activities to try!

If you’d like to share even more preschool fun at the shore with the kids, be sure to check out our Beach Number Playdough Mats!

Try some of these easy and fun prek beach crafts with early learners this summer!

35 Easy PreK Beach Crafts for Kids

1. Beach Shoebox Diorama – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Shell Critters Art Projects for Kids – Mosswood Connections

3. 3-D Sandcastle Craft for Kids – Buggy and Buddy

4. Beach Drift Wood and Broken Shell Rattles – Red Ted Art

5. Sea Animal Suncatcher Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

6. DIY Sea Shells Sensory Bottle Calm Down Jar – Rhythms of Play

7. Easy Sea Shell Crafts – Teach Me Mommy

8. Clay Boat and Underwater Craft – Messy Little Monster

9. Beach-In-A-Jar Keepsake – Moms and Crafters

10. Shell Sunflower Craft – Rhythms of Play

11. Beach Holiday Keepsake – Teach Me Mommy

12. Seashell Memory Game for Kids – Growing Up Gabel

13. Summer Beach Themed Sand and Shell Art – Happiness is Homemade

14. Sea Glass Sun Catcher Jar – The Gingerbread House

15. Easy Salt Dough Keepsakes – Red Ted Art

16. Shell Daisy Nature Craft – Rhythms of Play

17. How to Make Adorable Jellyfish Crafts Preschool Activity – Natural Beach Living

18. Shell Frames With Handprint Keepsake Gift – Rhythms of Play

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

20. A Mermaid City in the Sand – The Craft Train

21. How to Dye Seashells – Rainy Day Mum

22. Seashell and Beach Glass Nature Collage – Adventure In a Box

23. Stone Fish Craft – Messy Little Monster

24. Sea Glass Ornaments – Red Ted Art

25. Framed Sand Handprint Craft – Fun Handprint Art

26. Seaside Shell Windchime Craft – Red Ted Art

27. Paper Sandcastle Craft – I Heart Crafty Things

28. Shark Craft – Natural Beach Living

29. Make Sand Dough Sculptures and Ornaments – Pink Stripey Socks

30. Jiggly Slime Jellyfish – Natural Beach Living

31. Snail Shell Craft – Easy Peasy and Fun

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

33. Rocky Shore Small World with Ocean Playdough – Buggy and Buddy

34. Paper Plate Seashell Craft – Artsy Craftsy Mom

35. Crab Fridge Magnets – Red Ted Art

Summer Preschool Theme Activity Calendar

Wondering what else you can do with preschoolers this summer?

This printable preschool summer theme calendar is here to help!

In this resource, you’ll find twelve different early learning themes to try with preschoolers this summer.

Plus, there are five activity suggestions for each theme: one for each day of the week!

The digital version includes links to how you can try several of the activities yourself.

To get your copy of this printable PreK Themed Calendar for Summer, click the image or the link below to have it sent directly to your inbox!

You’ll also get our weekly newsletter this weekend!

>>> Preschool Summer Themed Calendar <<<

Looking for more fun summer activities? Don’t miss these ideas!

These shark themed counting to ten puzzles are wonderful for use at early math centers!

This printable ice cream lesson plan for preschool is a perfect way to plan an ice cream theme!

How to Use a Homeschool Binder to Organize Your School Year

June 14, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Have you ever seen those homeschool moms who just seem to have it together? I mean, they have their lessons for the year arranged in advance, their kids’ extra-curricular activities are all planned out, and they keep monthly attendance religiously.

Yeah, I’m not one of those moms.

But, after many false starts, I’ve finally started to get the hang of that kind of homeschool organization. The key? Learning how to use a homeschool binder.

A homeschool binder is a wonderful thing, my friends. In it, I can keep all of our family’s lessons, activities, and plans organized in one place.

If you’re ready to take your homeschool organization to the next level (or just start becoming organized), read on to see how to use a homeschool binder to organize your school year!

Need some tips on scaling back your lessons? Don’t miss our tips for simplified lesson planning!

Disclosure: I am a BookShark brand ambassador and am receiving free curriculum as part of my role.

How to Use a Homeschool Binder to Organize Your School Year

Images c/o: broker / depositphotos

Gather your lesson plans.

Here’s where it gets tricky for a lot of us. You have to actually have lesson plans in order to gather them. Personally, this is one of the reasons why I love BookShark. The lesson plans for the entire year are already written out. Talk about a timesaver!

We’re using BookShark for history, science, and language arts. And all of the instructor guides include 36 weeks of lessons for each of those subjects. I just opened them and collated them by week. Done.

If you don’t have lesson plans yet, don’t worry! You can write down your yearly objectives and divide them up into weeks. As you gather resources, you can add to those notes.

Create sections for each part of your school year.

Use tabbed dividers to section up your lesson plans. You can separate them by subject or by a timeframe (weekly, monthly, quarter, etc.) I find it easiest to keep all the lessons for each subject together by week. That way, I can just pull out the week’s lessons and get started.

On the other hand, if you complete monthly evaluations or quarterly progress reports, you might want to section your lessons by the month or the quarter.

BookShark makes it easy for parents to know what to do each week, because the lesson plans instruct you as to which resource to use and when. But you can always adjust each lesson as you see fit.

Add supplemental resources.

As homeschoolers, we tend to use supplemental resources during the year. A LOT of them. We might have book lists, curriculum guides, unit study ideas, and more that we want to keep up with as we go through the year. I like using a huge three-ring binder, so that I can keep all those things together in the back of my homeschool binder.

My BookShark binder is plenty big and comes with a handy carrying bag, so I can plan lessons on the go. Bonus!

You can always move your individual resources to the specific subject section or timeframe section in which they fit best. But I like to keep mine in the back in a reference section. Whatever works, right?

Do you use a homeschool binder to organize your school year? How do you make it work for your family? Share your experiences in the comments!

Check out these other tips for planning your homeschool!

See more ways to organize your homeschool year on my Homeschool Planning Pinterest board!

How to Afford Homeschooling eBook Download

How to Prevent the Summer Slide

June 11, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

When I started to write this post about how to prevent the summer slide, I realized that this may not be an issue that affects homeschoolers as much as public schoolers. If you’ve ever had a child in public school, you might have heard of the “summer slide”. Basically, it’s the brain drain that occurs when kids follow a traditional school year and take summers off from structured learning.

I don’t necessarily follow a traditional school year, because we have school lessons during the summer, but we do take breaks from our homeschool during the year. And, trust me, that’s enough time for my kids to start forgetting things.

If you’re nervous about how to prevent the summer slide, don’t worry! There are plenty of things that your kids can be doing to continue their education while also having fun.

If you take an actual summer break, you don’t want to make these activities too “schooly”. You can keep them fun and engaging, while using them to help kids remember some of their skills. If you homeschool year-round, these are nice, low-pressure ways to keep them learning.

Need more ways to make summer educational? Don’t miss our list of 50 summer books you can share with the kids!

10 Ways to Keep Kids Learning During Summer Break

Images c/o: StockUnlimited & konradbak / depositphotos

Garden.

Gardening is a great way to teach your kids responsibility. Not only will they learn about how to grow foods and plants, but you may also get some free fruits, vegetables, and flowers in the process!

Go theatrical.

Have your kids write a short play to put on for the neighborhood. Or, if they are shy, they can just perform it for the family. Tell them to get their friends involved. The other parents will love that you’re providing something fun for their children to take part in.

Birdwatch.

Put a bird feeder, bird bath, and a lot of strings and nest building products in your yard by a window. Hopefully, you will attract some different birds that your kids can study. You may even see the entire process from nesting to baby birds flying for the first time!

Create a summer reading list.

Take your kids to the local library and have them pick a book that interests them. After each book, have them give you a little presentation or just talk to you about the story. You can even let them dress up as one of the characters from the book.

Learn another language.

Summer is a wonderful time to explore a new language! Choose a few simple illustrated books from the local library that are written in Spanish, French, or another language and see how many vocabulary words you and the kids can learn together. Find some videos for learning American Sign Language and try to practice a full signed conversation with our ASL2U curriculum!

Try some educational apps.

Take a virtual spin through an app store and let the kids pick out an educational app they’d like to try. If you limit screen time (like we do), give them a set amount of time to play it each day. Try to choose one that works on a skill your child needs help with, such as reading fluency, multiplication tables, or history facts.

Create musical instruments.

Find items from around the house and see who can make the best musical instrument! Good materials include toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, oatmeal containers, cereal boxes, plastic spoons, and jars filled with water. This is especially fun for little ones!

Write and illustrate a book.

Your kids need an outlet for creativity. Have them work on a story all summer and let them draw all of the pictures. Older kids can try a photo editing program to design cover art on their own!

Start a rock collection.

There’s no better way to learn about Geology than to start a rock collection. Challenge your kids to see who can find the most unusual rock in the neighborhood, then do some research to find out what kind of rock it is and how it is formed.

Study the stars.

If you have a telescope, put it to good use! Learn about a few constellations, such as the Big Dipper or Orion the Hunter, and take the kids outside to see if they can spot them!

Wondering how to prevent the summer slide? There are plenty of things you can do for and with your kids this summer to help them continue learning. Which one of these seems like the most fun and helpful to you? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Need more fun summer ideas? Don’t miss these posts!

And for more summer activities, follow my Summer Activities for Kids board on Pinterest!

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Preschool Playdough Mats: Beach 0-9 Number Playdough Mats

June 7, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Summer break is coming up, and I’m in a “beachy” mood. So I decided to whip up some fun Beach 0-9 Number Playdough Mats!

Piglet is starting Tot school this fall and she can recite the ABCs and count to 10. But she doesn’t recognize the letters and numbers yet, which means it’s time to get to work!

Fun Preschool Beach Number Literacy Mats

I love using playdough to reinforce number recognition, because it’s great for improving fine motor skills, it provides good sensory input, and (most of all) it’s quiet.

She’ll sit there and play quietly with playdough mats for a good 30 minutes. Win!

If you love these, take a look at our Fall Alphabet and Number Literacy Mats too!

These printable beach number literacy mats are perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners!

Beach Number Playdough Mats for Preschool

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

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Laminator
Playdough (or make your own with this edible playdough recipe)

Working with playdough is a great way for kids to build fine motor skills – the same skills they’ll need to write numbers and letters later on.

With these mats, kids can make playdough “snakes” by rolling the dough back and forth between both hands.

They, they can lay the dough out over the shape of each number.

Beach Playdough Mats for Learning Numbers

You’ll want to laminate the mats before you get started or else they’ll only last for one session. Trust me.

Since each mat features only one number, you can use them along with a number of the day lesson.

This allows kids to focus on recognizing one number at a time.

How to Use Literacy Mats with Early Learners

Literacy mats are wonderful for early learners – from toddlers to kindergartners.

You can use them when reviewing letters or numbers. And you can use them when you’re covering a thematic unit (beaches, insects, transportation, etc.)

Beach Number Literacy Mats for Preschool

The key here is to keep the learning open-ended and relaxed.

As long as the students get to work with the playdough and practice forming letters and numbers, they’re doing great.

If they don’t remember each letter or number right away, they will over time.

Get a look at these number literacy mats in action below!

Scroll down to get your copy of our Beach 0-9 Number Playdough Mats!

Stop by to check out these other summer fun ideas for kids!

Share some of these lovely beach books for kids this summer!

Number 0-9 Beach Playdough Mats for Kids

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