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45 Easy STEM Activities for Kids

April 2, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) activities are a staple in our homeschool lessons. It allows my kids to have fun and learn at the same time. One minute they might be mixing potions for a science project and the next working on a math activity.

But, of course, STEM learning isn’t just for homeschoolers. And that’s why I’ve rounded up 45 awesome and easy STEM activities that work great for classroom activities or after-school activities if you don’t homeschool.

Take a look at the list below to find some cool hands-on learning activities for teaching STEM subjects! And, for more science fun, check out our list of 40 spring science ideas for kids!

45 Easy STEM Activities for Kids

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

1. Floating Egg Experiment – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Expanding and Bouncing Egg Experiment – Blue Bear Wood

3. Simple Skittles Science Experiment – East Coast Mommy

4. Bottle Rockets – STEAM Powered Family

5. Nature Engineering Challenge – Share It Science

6. Build a Catapult – Science Sparks

7. Newspaper Trees – The Wise Owl Factory

8. Fidget Spinner Inertia Experiment – From Engineer to SAHM

9. 3D Phases of the Moon Activity – KC Edventures

10. Felt Circle Fractions – In Our Pond

11. DIY Inventor’s Box – Little Worlds Big Adventures

12. DIY Lego Launcher – Thriving STEM

13. Pipe and Water Play – Moms and Crafters

14. DIY Anemometer – Capri + 3

15. Compare Biodegradable and Non-Biodegradable Materials – Mother Natured

16. Wheels On the Bus Motion Experiment – J Daniel 4’s Mom

17. Shark Coding Game – Life with Moore Babies

18. Build a Straw Hexbug Maze – Buggy and Buddy

19. Straw and Circle Glider – Red Ted Art

20. Weather Vs. Erosion Experiment – The Natural Homeschool

21. Building Block STEM Challenge Cards – Life Over C’s

22. Foaming Dragon Science Experiment – The Joys of Boys

23. STEM Paper Columns – Creekside Learning

Visit the next page for more easy STEM activities kids can do!

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Colorful Cars Pattern Clip Cards

March 29, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Working with basic patterns is an important math concept for early learners. So why not make it fun?

Little ones always love to use their hands whenever they can. Which is why I wanted to make a set of colorful cars pattern clip cards!

Fun Colorful Cars Math Pattern Clip Cards

These little printables are perfect for small hands to work with when learning basic AABB and ABAB patterns.

Plus, they’re just fun to look at!

Using Math Pattern Clip Cards with Dry Erase Markers

Read on to see how to get a copy of these pattern clip cards for your young learners!

And, if you want more great resources for early childhood, take a look at our transportation crafts, including our Toilet Roll Racecar Craft and our Paper School Bus Craft!

Colorful Cars Math Pattern Clip Cards

To use these cars pattern clip cards, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are listed below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Using Math Pattern Clip Cards with Clothespins

This product includes 12 color car-themed pattern clip cards.

Each card displays a math pattern (AAAA / ABAB / AABB) in the form of colorful little autos.

The student’s job is to figure out which color car comes next in the pattern.

A blackline version is included of each page.

And there’s a full answer key!

How to Use the Colorful Cars Pattern Clip Cards

To use these math pattern clip cards for kindergartners, print the pages and cut them out.

You might want to laminate them for durability.

Easy Math Pattern Building Activity for Kids

Use the teaching script to introduce the concept of patterns to your students.

Then use the guide to explain how the patterns are represented on each card by the different car colors.

Simple Car Patterning Activity for Early Learners

Once your learners are familiar with the concept, let them get to work using clothespins to mark the car that comes next in each pattern.

The enclosed answer key makes a great addition to math centers!

Simply print the answer cards and place them on a ring. Students can practice matching their clip card choices to the correct cars.

Have students who like a challenge? Let them create their own color AABB and ABAB patterns with the blackline cards!

They can decide which colors to use and then create a clip card of their own for their classmates to solve!

Don’t have clothespins? This also works with dry erase markers!

Just laminate the cards and let your learners circle the correct car to complete each pattern. Wipe clean and start over as often as you like!

Scroll down to get your set of our Colorful Cars Pattern Clip Cards!

Don’t miss these other early learning activities!

Make this simple toilet paper roll racecar craft with little ones for a quick transportation craft!

Practice cutting on the lines with these fun racecar themed scissor skills practice worksheets!

Get some early math practice with little ones and make this simple shape train craft!

To get your copy of Colorful Cars! Cars Pattern Clip Cards, check them out below!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Ladybug Craft

March 27, 2018 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Even though I’m not the biggest fan of bugs, I adore little ladybugs. They’re so dainty and delicate that I almost don’t even consider them bugs. They’re more like debutantes that just happen to have wings and more than two legs.

Since we’ve been busy making coffee filter crafts for kids over the past few weeks (and because I’m still no closer to using up my 350 coffee filters), I thought we’d make a fun and simple coffee filter ladybug craft! This is a fabulous crafting project for young kids or big groups of children, especially if you need something that doesn’t require a lot of supplies.

This would be a fun addition to a bug unit or a spring unit study. And if you want more fun bug learning ideas, check out this list of kids’ activities about insects! And be sure to try our Ladybug Fraction activity while you’re at it!

Coffee Filter Craft for Kids: Coffee Filter Ladybug Craft

To make this coffee filter ladybug craft, you’ll need the following craft supplies: (Affiliate links are provided here for your convenience. For more, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Before you get started, remember to flatten out the coffee filter. A simple way to do it is to lay it on a table and rest a book on top for an hour or so.

Draw a small semi-circle at the edge of one side of the filter. Then use a black crayon to draw a line down the center of the rest of the coffee filter.

Color both halves of the filter red.

Now color the semi-circle black. Use a glue stick to glue the coffee filter onto a piece of construction paper.

Cut four rough circles out of a piece of black construction paper.

Use the glue stick to glue two black circles on either side of the ladybug.

Add six legs to your ladybug and a few blades of grass and you’re done!

This was such a simple craft that you can easily make it with the kids in a few minutes. Perfect for reinforcing scissor skills, coloring, and pasting!

Be sure to check out more easy crafting ideas for the kids!

Get more fun (and easy) craft ideas on my Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board!

And score lots of exclusive printables for early learners when you subscribe to our email newsletter!

Printable Spanish Flashcards: Spanish Weather Flashcards

March 22, 2018 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

Learning about how to talk about the weather is a great way to build a foreign language vocabulary.

Just think about it: How many times a week do you mention the weather in English? A lot, right?

I think I must tell my kids “It’s windy!” a dozen times a day. Especially when I need them to remember their hats.

So for our newest set of printable Spanish flashcards, we’re sharing a Spanish Weather Flashcards pack!

These cards are great for learning how to use common Spanish weather expressions! Read on to get yours!

Printable Spanish Weather Flashcards for Kids

Ready to try more Spanish vocabulary practice for kids?

Be sure to check out our Spanish Clothing Flashcards and our Spanish Parts of the Body flashcards while you’re here!

Learn how to talk about weather in Spanish with these printable Spanish weather flashcards!

Printable Spanish Flashcards: Spanish Weather Flashcards

To use these Spanish weather flashcards, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Scissors
Laminator (good for reusing the cards)

In this flashcard pack, you’ll find Spanish expressions for the following phrases:

It’s sunny
It’s cloudy
It’s hot
It’s cold
It’s windy
It’s snowing
It’s raining
It’s hailing

In addition, the pack contains a set of flashcards featuring the English expressions and a set with just the pictures for easy quizzing!

You’ll also find a Spanish pronunciation guide to help you learn how to say each phrase correctly.

That way, you won’t have to guess at how to say each phrase.

Scroll down to grab your Printable Spanish Weather Flashcards!

Don’t miss some of our other Spanish learning resources!

Learn how to use common weather expressions in Spanish with these Spanish weather flashcards!

To get your copy of our Printable Spanish Flashcards: Spanish Weather Flashcards, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or check them out below!

30 Adorable Spring Animal Crafts and Activities

March 20, 2018 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

Can’t get enough spring craft ideas? Me neither! We’re finally getting longer periods of sunlight, the last of our cold weather snaps have (thankfully!) left, and it’s time to officially welcome spring!

We see so many different kinds of animals in our area and springtime is a great time to try some adorable spring animal crafts and activities with the kids! There are 30 below for you and the kids to choose from for some simple spring crafting fun!

If you try any of these, let me know which ones you and your kids loved. And, for more spring learning, check out this list of 50 spring books for kids to enjoy!

30 Adorable Spring Animal Crafts and Activities

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

2. Fuzzy Pom-Pom Chick Craft – There’s Just One Mommy

3. Pom-Pom Sheep Craft – A Crafty Arab

4. Hatching Chicks Craft – Buggy and Buddy

5. Butterfly Nature Craft – Mother Natured

6. Pom-Pom Frog Life Cycle Craft – Adventure In A Box

7. Shear the Sheep Cutting Craft – School Time Snippets

8. Handprint Sheep Craft – There’s Just One Mommy

9. Rocking Paper Plate Sheep – Red Ted Art

10. Birds In A Nest Craft – Crystal and Co.

11. Clothespin Butterfly Magnet Craft – The Inspiration Edit

12. Coffee Filter Butterfly Craft – Messy Little Monster

13. Doily Rabbit Craft – Crafts On Sea

14. Paper Plate Spring Chick Craft – School Time Snippets

15. Stamped Paper Sheep Craft – Buggy and Buddy

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Preschool Playdough Mats: Ladybug Playdough Mats

March 19, 2018 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Preschoolers (and adults, for that matter) love playing with playdough! And, by the way, when you need something to occupy your kids quietly, playdough is a wonderful resource. It’s quiet, it’s easy to clean up, and it’s affordable.

On a personal note – I just want to know: Are my kids the only ones who mix up ALL the playdough colors? I really struggled to find some dough that looked decent for this post and it was tough! Out of the 20 cans of playdough in our house, I found one that was actually the color on the lid. One. Someone please tell me this is normal.

Even though kids like to use playdough to make all kinds of wacky colors, playdough can be much more than a time-filler for kids. It can be used to reinforce fine motor skill development, to encourage literacy, and to provide some much-needed sensory input.

So, I wanted to add a few more preschool playdough mats with a fun spring theme: ladybug playdough mats! These are awesome for toddlers and preschoolers who are learning about spring and how to recognize circles!

Read on to get yours free! And check out our Over the Rainbow Playdough Mats for more spring sensory fun!

Preschool Playdough Mats: Ladybug Playdough Mats

To use these playdough mats, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are provided here for convenience. For more, see our Disclosure Policy.)

There are three mats in this pack: One with a red and white ladybug, one with a ladybug crawling up a colorful flower, and a third with a black and red ladybug.

The graphics on these mats were done by the lovely Red Pepper and they’re so cute! Plus, they all feature circles. So if you’re doing shape of the week or a shape unit, this is a fab circle recognition activity.

We formed rough circles out of dough and our preschooler squashed them with her hands to fit the circles on the mats.

We also made balls and filled in the mat with those as well. This made a super easy and quick sensory and shape activity for spring!

Scroll down to get your free Ladybug Playdough Mats!

Be sure to check out these other playdough mats!

And for more early learning fun, follow my Learning for Little Ones board on Pinterest!

To get your copy of our Ladybug Playdough Mats free, sign up for our email newsletter! You’ll get these playdough mats, plus lots of other exclusive freebies, in our Subscriber Library!

Free Printable Flashcards: Sign Language Alphabet Flashcards

March 15, 2018 by Selena Robinson 17 Comments

It’s time for another set of free printable flashcards! I hope you all are enjoying these, because I love sharing them with you!

This week, we’re offering a set of free flashcards for learning the American Sign Language alphabet!

Even if you don’t know anyone who’s deaf or hard or hearing, you can still use sign language with your kids, particularly babies and toddlers.

We love American Sign Language in our family, so we’ve been teaching it to the kids from a young age.

Around here, Piglet is showing an interest in signing now. She tries to sign prayers and songs along with us.

When she does something to one of her siblings, she generally apologizes by signing “Sorry”. It’s too cute!

Keep reading to see how to get your set. And, see how to grab a deluxe sign language alphabet printable learning cards set from my store too!

By the way, if you love these, stop by and check out our Sign Language Number 1-10 cards as well!

Learn how to spell in American Sign Language with these printable sign language alphabet flashcards!

What’s In the Free Printable Flashcards: Sign Language Alphabet Pack?

To use these sign language alphabet flashcards, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are provided in this post. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Scissors
Laminator (if you want to reuse these)

Sign Language Alphabet Flashcards for Learning the ASL Alphabet

The set includes a full set of ASL alphabet flashcards, with one card for each letter from A to Z.

There’s also a second set of cards that just features the ASL alphabet signs. You can use these to review the letters.

Sign Language Alphabet Flashcards for Learning ASL

Since the uppercase and lowercase letters are shown, you can also use these flashcards to help little learners identify their letters.

Printable Sign Language Alphabet Flashcards for Kids

Plus, these make a great matching game for young learners who are learning to distinguish between “same” and “different”.

Kids can match up the same English letters or ASL letters and compare them to different letters in the set.

Printable American Sign Language Alphabet Flashcards

Scroll down to get your copy of our Sign Language Alphabet Flashcards!

Sign Language Alphabet Printable Learning Cards

Turn learning the ASL alphabet into a complete literacy lesson with these printable sign language alphabet learning cards!

These printable sign language letter cards feature both brown and beige skin tones, along with uppercase and lowercase letters.

A line art version is also included, if you want to save on ink. Or you can have students color them in.

A set of printable line art ASL alphabet letter cards is also inside, plus a set of uppercase and lowercase letter cards.

Print them on cardstock and let students play a matching game at literacy centers!

See this product in action in the video below!

Scroll down to get these printable ASL alphabet learning cards!

How to Teach Kids to Sign the Alphabet

If you’d like more resources for teaching the letters in ASL to kids, try the books and links below!

Books for Teaching the Sign Language Alphabet:

1. ABC Phonics: Sing, Sign, and Read – Nellie Edge

2. American Sign Language Alphabet – Jackie Jeffrey

3. Learn the American Sign Language Alphabet – Barb Asselin

4. A is for American Sign Language – Tiffany Dovel

Ideas for Teaching the Sign Language Alphabet:

1. Teaching American Sign Language to Kids – Real Life at Home

2. How to Sign the ASL Alphabet – Look! We’re Learning!

3. Weaving Sign Language into Everyday Activities – Playing with Words 365

Get even more ideas for teaching sign language to kids from these posts!

How to Sign the Alphabet in Sign Language - Look! We're Learning!

10 American Sign Language for Homeschoolers Resources

To get your copy of our ASL alphabet flashcards free, click the image or the link below to have them sent to your inbox!

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

>>> Sign Language Alphabet Flashcards <<<

To get our printable Sign Language Alphabet Learning Cards (with color skin tones and matching activity), click the image or the link below to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

>>> Sign Language Alphabet Printable Learning Cards <<<

Don’t miss these other great posts!

Middle School Coding Projects for Beginners

Teach kids to spell in American Sign Language with these printable sign language alphabet flashcards! Great for spelling practice too!

75 Easy Spring Crafts for Kids

March 12, 2018 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

I simply cannot wait for spring. Everything wakes up from the winter sleep: the trees start to bloom, the birds come back from their migration South, and even the bugs start crawling around again.

It’s a wonderful time of year to share some crafting fun and these easy spring crafts for kids are packed with fun projects you can do with your little ones! All of these crafts require six supplies or less, so you’ll have no trouble making them – even if you’re running short on time!

Take a look at this list to find something you and your children can craft together. And, if you want more spring fun, add to your spring learning with this list of 50 spring books to read with kids!

75 Easy Spring Crafts for Kids

1. Coffee Filter Flower Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Spring Flowers Craft – Teach Me Mommy

3. Torn Paper Flowers – 3 Dinosaurs

4. Easy Mosaic Flower Craft – Crafts On Sea

5. DIY Flower Letters – Everyday Savvy

6. Painted Garden Rocks – Little Sprouts Learning

7. Shape Bird Craft – Fantastic Fun and Learning

8. Spring Paper Flowers – Kitchen Counter Chronicles

9. Bottle Top Spring Flowers – Blue Bear Wood

10. Brood of Chicks Feelings Craft – Mosswood Connections

11. Toilet Paper Roll Flowers Craft – The Best Ideas for Kids

12. Clothespin Bee Craft – Non-Toy Gifts

13. Clothespin Butterfly Craft – Crystal and Co.

14. Neon Egg Carton Flowers – Moms and Crafters

15. Rocking Paper Plate Sheep – Red Ted Art

16. Pasta Flowers Craft – Capri + 3

17. Handprint Bunny Craft – Really Are You Serious

18. Hairy Spring Gardening Craft – Mom Vs. The Boys

19. Magazine Butterfly Craft – There’s Just One Mommy

20. Ladybug Teacher Thank You Card – The Soccer Mom Blog

21. Painted Flower Pots – KC Edventures

22. Rainbow Footprint Butterfly Craft – Messy Little Monster

23. Paper Plate Spring Chick – School Time Snippets

24. Watercolor Dragonflies Craft – Nemscok Farms

25. Tissue Paper Flower Bracelet – Buggy and Buddy

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40 Fun Spring Science Ideas for Kids

March 8, 2018 by Selena Robinson 4 Comments

Springtime is a great time of year to explore science with little ones! The weather is warming, the bugs are coming back above ground, and there are flowers growing everywhere!

If you’re looking for a way to make science fun this spring, these awesome spring science ideas are just what you need! There are so many great activities for exploring plant science, water, animals, and even hands-on experiments you and the kids will love this spring!

By the way, if you’re looking for even more fun spring activities, take a look at our rainbow playdough mats for fine motor practice!

40 Fun Spring Science Ideas for Kids

1. Floating Egg Experiment – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Seed Jar Science Experiment – Little Bins for Little Hands

3. Make a Rainbow – Life with Moore Babies

4. Parts of a Flower Learning Center – The Preschool Toolbox Blog

5. Dyeing Carnations Science Experiment – Kitchen Counter Chronicles

6. Make a Snail Habitat – Preschool Powol Packets

7. Chicken Life Cycle Printables – Natural Beach Living

8. Nature Scavenger Hunt – Crystal & Co.

9. Eggshell Seed Growing Science Experiment – Little Bins for Little Hands

10. Grass Caterpillars – Red Ted Art

11. Insect Investigation – Share It Science

12. DIY Butterfly Garden – Mosswood Connections

13. Egg Drop STEM Project – Buggy and Buddy

14. Kid-Made Nesting Supply Station – Thriving STEM

15. Butterfly Life Cycle Craft – The Preschool Toolbox Blog

16. Dissect a Seed Lab – Preschool Powol Packets

17. Planting Seeds with Kids – Buggy and Buddy

18. Make a Roly-Poly Habitat – Fantastic Fun and Learning

19. Grow a Pizza Garden – Share It Science

20. Simple Bug Hotel – Red Ted Art

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20 Simple Rainy Day Activities for Kids

March 6, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

There’s nothing our kids love more than being able to run around and play outside. My kids just love spending the afternoon out in the yard, exploring nature, playing basketball, or even drawing on the sidewalk. However, there’s always one thing that can ruin a day of outdoor play, and that’s rain. It never fails that with the first raindrop we start hearing the complaints of “I’m bored.”

But, there are plenty of fun and entertaining ways to spend a day indoors for kids, and you can even do these activities with them! Here are 20 fun rainy day activities to do with your kids that are both simple and educational!

Need even more ways to have fun indoors? Check out this list of 50 ways to beat cabin fever with your kids!

20 Simple Rainy Day Activities for Kids

1. Raincloud Adding to Make Ten Activity – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Make a Ball Maze – Frugal Fun 4 Boys and Girls

3. Draw with Your Feet – Art Bar

4. LEGO Sensory Soup – And Next Comes L

5. Coin Sorting Activity – Rhythms of Play

6. Paper Plate Targets – All for the Boys

7. Escape the Volcano Shape Game – Toddler Approved

8. Indoor Scavenger Hunt – The Mother Chic

9. DIY Angry Birds Game – Make Great

10. Indoor Classic Golf – For Your Family

11. Coffee Filter Flower Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

12. Make an Activity Cube – My Mini Adventurer

13. Indoor Hopscotch – Happy Hooligans

14. Sticky Spider Web Game – Hands On as We Grow

15. Puzzle Hunt – No Time for Flashcards

16. Make a Rain Cloud In a Jar – Homeschool Preschool

17. Write Bio Poetry – Proud to be Primary

18. Rainwater Harvesting Experiment – Teach Beside Me

19. Rainbow Rainy Day Art Project – Rhythms of Play

20. Taste-Safe Window Gel Clings – Science Kiddo

Share these other fun learning activities with your little ones!

Get more fun indoor activity ideas on my Indoor Play Pinterest board!

Want to get fun activity ideas in your inbox? Sign up for our email newsletter to get parenting tips and exclusive printables!