Crafts Archives

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Moose Craft

May 4, 2017 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Have you ever gotten to see a moose up close? Down here in the South, we don’t have them. It’s just too hot. (Shucks, it’s too hot for me sometimes, so I don’t blame them.)

But they are lovely, regal animals, especially when they’re adults and they have a full set of antlers. Although the small ones with the fuzzy antlers are cute too. 🙂

Since we’ve been busy making coffee filter crafts for kids over the past couple of months, I thought a coffee filter moose craft would be a neat addition! Read on to see how we made this sweet sleepy moose!

If you love making this project, be sure to try some of our other coffee filter crafts! Plant a few coffee filter flowers, bounce a coffee filter basketball, or adopt a pet coffee filter cat!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Moose Craft

You’ll need the following supplies: (Affiliate links are provided here for convenience. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Start by flattening out the coffee filter with your hands. Sometimes it’s good to rest a book on it overnight to get it to lie a little flatter.

Color the entire filter brown with a brown crayon. Then glue it to a piece of construction paper. Try to place the filter in the center but toward the bottom. You need to leave room for the antlers on either side.

Use a black colored pencil to draw two closed eyes toward the top of the filter.

Now add a moose’s snout.

And a teeny smiling mouth. I know I’m happy when I take a nap!

On either side of the moose’s head, freehand draw a few antlers. If the kids are adding the antlers themselves, you can let them draw big letter “Y” shapes or use a fork to add antlers with brown paint.

Color in the antlers and you’re done!

Have a good nap, moosie!

Try some of these other easy crafts while you’re at it!

Plus, get more craft ideas on my Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Beach Ball Craft

April 27, 2017 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

Summer is right around the corner! When I was younger, summer was easily my favorite season of the year. I grew up about 30 miles from the beach, so hitting the shore was my favorite pastime.

Now we live further inland. About five hours further inland. So my trips to the beach are few and far between. But that doesn’t stop me from trying to have some summer fun with the kids!

I’ve even been known to make moon sand on our driveway. Hey, at least it’s sand, right?

One of the ways we’re welcoming summer this year is by making another one of our coffee filter crafts for kids. This time, it’s a beach ball coffee filter craft!

Remember those multi-colored beach balls you’d see all over the shore as a kid? Here’s a way to make one of your own with the kids, even when the weather won’t cooperate with a trip to the beach.

If you enjoy this craft, be sure to try our coffee filter sun craft as well!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Beach Ball Craft

For this coffee filter beach ball craft, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are provided for convenience. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Start by using a black crayon to trace a circle around the center of the coffee filter. Then draw a horizontal line on either side of the circle.

Draw two diagonal lines inside each “half” of the filter. You should end up with six (roughly) equal-sized sections.

Then color every other section with a primary color. I went with green, blue, and red, leaving the other sections white. Glue the filter onto a piece of construction paper.

Now all you have left to do is color the center circle yellow…

and trace over all of your section lines again with a black crayon. Done! Looks like it needs a little air, though. 🙂

Check out some of our other easy peasy coffee filter crafts for kids to make!

And see more easy activities on my Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board!

This post is part of the Summer Unit Study roundup! Click on over to read even more summer learning ideas from my fellow bloggers!

Children’s Board Books about Summer from The Jenny Evolution

Summer Field Trip Guide from Bambini Travel

Summer Apps for Younger Kids from The Moments at Home

25 Summer Learning Activities from My Joy-Filled Life

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Umbrella Craft

April 21, 2017 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

We’ve had some pretty rainy days around here lately. I mean, they say that “April showers bring May flowers”, but we’ve been having some rainstorms that are a few degrees beyond “showers”. With all the rain we’re getting, we should see more flowers than ever before this May!

Since the weather’s been so windy and rainy lately, I thought it would be cool to make another one of our coffee filter crafts for kids: a fun coffee filter umbrella craft!

This is a simple craft that only takes a few minutes and a handful of supplies. Plus, it’s easy to do with several kids at once!

If you love making this craft, check out some of our other easy art activities, including a coffee filter basketball craft and a coffee filter sun craft. Or if you want to get a jump on your May flowers, make our coffee filter flowers!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Umbrella Craft

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

Start by cutting the coffee filter in half. You’ll only need one half for the craft.

Color the filter half. I wanted to use a bright color to contrast with our dreary day background, so I went with yellow. But you can use any color you want.

Use a glue stick to glue the filter onto the construction paper at an angle.

Use a red crayon to draw an umbrella handle. We just made a letter “J” shape.

Draw some raindrops in the corner falling onto the umbrella.

If you want, you can add some rainclouds at the top too.

Ta-da! So easy and simple for little hands to make!

Want to try a fun twist on a basic coffee filter umbrella craft? Make one that’s been blown inside out!

To do this, color the coffee filter half yellow as above, but glue the filter onto the construction paper with the curved side down.

For ours, we cut a chenille pipe cleaner in half and curled one end into a “J” shape to form the umbrella handle. I used red, but (again) use any color you want.

After you draw the raindrops, add some storm clouds to show how hard it’s “raining” in your picture.

And you’re done! Until a little hand decides to add a few more details. 🙂

Did you get a chance to make this easy coffee filter umbrella craft? I’d love to know how your kids liked it!

Try these other simple kids’ crafts!

See more easy crafts for children to make on my Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Cat Craft

April 14, 2017 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

When I was about 20, I found a stray tabby kitten outside my job. She was so tiny and she just kept mewling and mewling. Of course, I caved and took her home.

That was years ago (I’m not going to say how many!), but I still remember her grey striped coat and her giant eyes. She was adorable.

So, for our newest coffee filter crafts for kids idea, I thought I’d make a coffee filter cat craft that looked like her. This is really simple and cute for kids! And, while I made mine grey, you can make it in any color you like!

This fun craft isn’t the only one you can make with a simple coffee filter! Try our easy Coffee Filter Bouncing Basketball Craft or our Coffee Filter Sun Craft for more crafting fun!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Cat Craft

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

Star by coloring the coffee filter grey. I used a crayon, because I didn’t want the color to be so heavy that the details wouldn’t show. Then glue the filter onto the center of a piece of construction paper.

Basically, all that’s left to do is build the cat’s face. Start with a pair of ears above the filter and then add some eyes with a black colored pencil. Be sure to make the eyes rather large so that the face fills the filter.

Use a red colored pencil to draw a nose. (An upside-down triangle works fine.) Then use the black colored pencil to draw a mouth. Add a red tongue if you like.

You know how cats have those little freckles that their whiskers grow out of? Add a few of those, with some whiskers. Again, I just used the black colored pencil for this.

Then a few stripes at four diagonal corners! And those little fat roll lines they have under their chins. 🙂

We’re pretty much done!

Okay, let’s add some long eyelashes. Then, we’ll be done.

Check out these other simple coffee filter crafts for kids to make at home!

See more easy craft projects on my Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Earth Craft

April 6, 2017 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

I have to admit: I am NOT the craftiest person on the planet. I like to knit, sew, and write, but it’s hard for me to come up with crafts to make with my kids. The biggest issue is that I hate making a mess. So if the project involves glitter, lots of glue, or tiny pieces of paper, I’m probably going to run screaming in the other direction.

That’s not to say I won’t ever make those kinds of projects with the kids, but it’s a struggle. Have you ever tried to get glitter glue off of a four-year-old’s face? It’s not fun.

So whenever I do a craft with the kids, I prefer to make one that doesn’t take a lot of time, doesn’t need a lot of supplies, and doesn’t make a big mess. And that’s why I love coffee filter crafts for kids! There are plenty that we can make in no time flat.

This coffee filter earth craft is no exception! It’s an easy craft that only needs a few supplies and makes almost no mess at all. I promise. 🙂 Plus, it’s a great activity for kids who are learning about conservation, the universe, or geography!

If you like this craft, don’t miss our easy bouncing basketball coffee filter craft or our simple coffee filter sun craft!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Earth Craft

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

Start off by coloring the coffee filter blue. You can use either crayons or colored pencils for this. I went with a blue color that looks aqua – just to give the appearance of water.

After you color the filter, glue it onto a piece of construction paper.

Use a green colored pencil to do a rough outline of the continents. I didn’t really try to draw the actual coastlines, because I…ahem…am not the best artist on the planet either. But I did enough to resemble the continents.

See? You can kind of see Florida hanging down in the top left. Kind of.

Afterward, just color in the “continents” with the green pencil. I colored these shapes in pretty heavily to make sure they showed up over the blue color.

Really, you could stop here and be finished with the coffee filter earth craft.

Or you can stretch out a cotton ball or two and glue the pieces in random spots to make “clouds”. Either way, you’re basically done. Wasn’t that easy?

Try these other fun crafts for kids!

And see more easy craft ideas on my Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Sun Craft

March 30, 2017 by Selena Robinson 12 Comments

We’re feeling sunny with the latest one of our coffee filter crafts for kids! This time, we made a coffee filter sun craft and – like all the others – it’s super easy!

Now when I say that this craft is super easy, I mean it is literally SUPER EASY. This whole thing took about five minutes, so it’s a perfect activity for young kids when you’re studying spring, summer, the sun, the solar system, day and night, and plenty of other topics!

Since this project is so easy, your little ones might be looking for more! Be sure to try our coffee filter basketball craft, our coffee filter flowers, and our coffee filter ladybug craft for kids to make!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Sun Craft

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

Start by simply coloring the coffee filter bright yellow. The actual color we used is called “Dandelion” and it was a nice bright color that seemed better than ordinary yellow.

Use your glue stick to glue the filter down onto the center of a piece of construction paper. Light blue works well because it resembles the sky.

Now, just use a yellow colored pencil to draw “rays” around the sun’s edge. Simple triangles work just fine. We decided to use an orange colored pencil to add a little more color to our sun and rays. To do so, we just sketched a few lines over the whole filter lightly.

And we’re done! Just easy peasy from start to finish!

If you’re working with a group of kids such as at a daycare, an afterschool program, or a group party, this coffee filter sun craft is a perfect activity since you don’t need a lot of supplies, you don’t need a lot of time, and the kids don’t need a lot of help!

Try some other easy crafts below!

See more crafting fun on my Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Easy Coffee Filter Turtle Craft

March 16, 2017 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

We’re still using our coffee filters to make coffee filter crafts for kids!

This week, we’re making a really easy (and cute) coffee filter turtle craft!

This easy craft is part of a science and ELA lesson we’ve been working on about animal collective nouns.

In our lesson, we’ve been learning about groups of turtles. It turns out that a group of turtles has some pretty nifty names.

Read on to see how we learned about turtles and made this fun turtle craft. Plus, grab a free collective animal nouns matching activity for use with your students.

Learn even more about turtles with our list of fun turtle books for kids to read!

This simple coffee filter turtle craft is a fun spring or summer craft for kids to make!

What Do You Call a Group of Turtles?

We’ve been learning about animal collective nouns for the past few weeks. Many animals have their own unique collective nouns for groups, so we might refer to a “pride” of lions or a “murder” of crows.

Did you know that a group of turtles can actually be referred to four different ways?

While a “bale” of turtles is the most commonly used term, a group of turtles can also be called a “nest” of turtles, a “dole” of turtles, or (my personal favorite) a “turn” of turtles.

Try saying a “turn of turtles” three times fast.

So – we decided to make our own turn of turtles using coffee filters!

How to Make a Coffee Filter Turtle Craft

To make this easy coffee filter turtle craft, you’ll need a few items. (This post contains affiliate links. For more, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Two white basket coffee filters (One for each turtle)
Washable markers
Crayons
Construction paper
Glue stick
Scissors

Easy Coffee Filter Turtle Craft Supplies

If you’re only making one turtle, you’ll only need one coffee filter. To make a family, grab a few more.

Making a Simple Coffee Filter Turtle Craft

Start by coloring the filter light green. I used green apple here.

Then use a glue stick to glue the green coffee filter onto the center of a piece of green construction paper.

Use a brown marker to outline several turtle shell spots.

Coffee Filter Turtle Craft to Make with Kids

Then go back and fill in the outlines to make your shell markings solid.

Use a pencil to outline the head and four feet.

To keep the turtle body even, I drew the feet at opposite ends of the shell.

Cut the turtle out around the shell. Be careful not to cut the feet or head off!

Because I used green construction paper, I didn’t have to color the head or feet in.

Making a Turtle Craft with Coffee Filters

Add a happy face with a black marker and you’re done!

Working with very young children? Try this even easier version that doesn’t require scissors!

With this one, color in the turtle “shell” as before. But use a green marker to color in the feet and head directly onto the construction paper.

Add a few polka dots or swirls to complete the picture.

Making an Easy Coffee Filter Turtle Craft with Kids

Aw….they love each other!

And that’s it! Our “turn” of coffee filter turtles is complete!

Get the printable instructions below!

Easy Coffee Filter Turtle Craft for Kids

This simple coffee filter turtle craft is a perfect simple animal craft to make with kids!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Active Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Materials

White basket style coffee filter
Construction paper
Markers
Crayons
Glue stick
Scissors

Instructions

Color the entire coffee filter light green.
Glue the filter onto the center of a piece of green construction paper.
Use a brown marker to outline the turtle shell markings. Then color them in.
Lightly sketch the turtle's head and feet using a pencil.
Use scissors to carefully cut the turtle shell out, making sure not to cut off the head and feet.
Draw a face on the turtle's head with a black marker.

Animal Collective Nouns Sorting Activity

Want to learn more about how animal groups are named?

Pick up this printable collective animal nouns matching activity by clicking the image or link below!

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

>>> Animal Collective Noun Matching Activity <<<

Don’t miss these other simple crafts for kids!

This simple paper bee craft is a fun way to make an easy spring or summer craft with kids!

Share an easy summer craft with the kids and make this easy paper ladybug craft! So fun for little hands!

Make this easy toilet paper roll lion craft with the kids for a fun art activity!

Check out more fun creative collective animal noun ideas below!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Basketball Craft

March 1, 2017 by Selena Robinson 4 Comments

Last summer, we went out of town and stayed at a cottage for a weekend. It was amazing.

(If you’re wondering what on earth this has to do with coffee filter crafts, stay with me. It’s related.)

The cottage was filled with all kinds of comforts and appliances, just like you’d have at home. At home, though, we use a French press for our coffee, so I haven’t used a drip coffeemaker in years. Naturally, I assumed I’d need to bring coffee filters.

I got to the cottage and they already had coffee filters there. Awesome! But then I had 150 coffee filters and no drip coffeemaker at home to use them.

Fast forward to this past winter. We went to spend the weekend at a different cottage, which also had a coffeemaker. Naturally, I assumed that there would be coffee filters provided….there were not.

I had to run down to the local Dollar General and buy yet ANOTHER 150 pack of coffee filters. Which means that when I got home, I had nearly 300 coffee filters and no coffeemaker to use them with.

So a new crafting project series was born: Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids! Since it’s March and college basketball is a huge deal in our family, I thought we’d kick off the series with this simple coffee filter basketball craft. It even “bounces”!

Read on to see how to make this easy craft with your kids!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Basketball Craft

To make this easy coffee filter basketball craft, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

To start, simply flatten out the coffee filter with your hands.

Then use an orange crayon to color the entire filter.

Next, use a black crayon to draw the basketball lines on the filter.

I kept it simple with just four lines: two intersecting mid-section lines and half-curves at the top and bottom. (If you need to see a picture of a basketball to get an idea, pick up our free basketball skip counting flashcards for inspiration.)

Add one center black line running horizontally across the lines you just made. Now, glue the “basketball” onto a piece of colored construction paper. Place it on the right to have bouncing in from the left or on the left to have it bouncing it from the right.

A word of caution here: Do NOT use liquid glue. It will bleed through the coffee filter and discolor it. In fact, in the picture above, I’ve actually placed a second coffee filter “basketball” over the first after finding this out for myself. Always, always, always use a glue stick with coffee filter crafts. Lesson learned.

Finally, add your bouncing “lines” with a black crayon and you’re done!

This is a perfect craft for preschoolers, because it only needs a few supplies, it’s simple, and it’s done in just a few minutes!

By the way, if you’re having a party to watch the NCAA Tournament this year, this is a fantastic way for kids to get involved!

Did you enjoy this easy coffee filter basketball craft? Check out these ideas while you’re here!

And grab some easy craft ideas for children on my Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board!

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25 Gorgeously Colorful Rainbow Crafts for Kids

February 7, 2017 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

When I think of spring, I think of blooming flowers, baby animals, rain showers, and rainbows.

And there’s no better way to welcome spring than to make some lovely spring crafts with kids.

These gorgeously colorful rainbow crafts for kids are a wonderful way to add art and sensory play into a spring unit study.

Or, if you’re a parent, you can just spend a lazy weekend afternoon making the whole house colorful with these beautiful crafts.

25 Gorgeous Rainbow Crafts for Kids to Make

Either way, kids will love making them and learning how different shades combine to form the gorgeous rainbow colors we know so well.

Take a look at the full list below.

While you’re here, grab our printable Over the Rainbow Playdough Mats for some sensory preschool fun this spring!

Add some color to your early learning units with this list of gorgeous rainbow crafts for kids to make!

25 Gorgeously Colorful Rainbow Crafts for Kids

This list of rainbow-themed crafts features fine motor skill practice, color recognition, and even some simple science experiments.

Some of the ideas here are even no-mess, which means that they’d be perfect for large groups or very young children.

Or teachers who don’t have time to clean up afterward. (Like yours truly.)

How to Use Rainbow Crafts with Early Learners

When you’re ready to try some of these craft ideas, you might want to start by asking the class:

What is a rainbow?
What colors are in the rainbow? (If they don’t know, the acronym ROYGBIV is perfect for helping them remember the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.)
What kind of weather do we see before a rainbow appears?
When is the last time you saw a rainbow?

Beautiful and Easy Rainbow Crafts for Kids - Look! We're Learning!

As you talk about rainbows, listen for some ideas your students may have that are incorrect or some answers they may be unsure about.

Take a look at the basic facts about rainbows in this simple rainbow unit to help fill in the gaps for them!

When you’re ready to try a craft or two, let your students know it’s time to make an art project together. Then get out the crafting supplies and get crafting!

Need more rainbow-themed learning ideas? Try some of these too!

100th Day of School Rainbow Mickey Upcycle from Crafty Mama in ME
Rainbow Science from Schooling a Monkey
Rainbow Picture Books for Kids from The Jenny Evolution
Plant a Rainbow! from The Usual Mayhem

Get the list of 25 gorgeous rainbow crafts for kids below.

25 Gorgeously Colorful Rainbow Crafts for Kids

Add some color to your early learning units with this list of gorgeous rainbow crafts for kids to make!

Easy Coffee Filter Rainbow Craft - Look! We're Learning!

Rainbow Paper Science Experiment - Science Kiddo

Photo Credit: www.sciencekiddo.com

Rainbow Heart Suncatchers - Fireflies and Mudpies

Photo Credit: www.firefliesandmudpies.com

Paper Plate Rainbow Craft - Housing a Forest

Photo Credit: www.housingaforest.com

Rainbow Discovery Bottle - Preschool Inspirations

Photo Credit: preschoolinspirations.com

Fizzing Rainbow Science Experiment - Fun-A-Day

Photo Credit: fun-a-day.com

Streamer Rainbow Craft - Happiness is Homemade

Photo Credit: www.happinessishomemade.net

Rainbow Eruptions - Learn Play Imagine

Photo Credit: www.learnplayimagine.com

Rainbow in a Bag - Powerful Mothering

Photo Credit: www.powerfulmothering.com

Rainbow Colored Rice Activity Bin - Happy Hooligans

Photo Credit: happyhooligans.ca

Weaving Rainbow Fish Craft - Crafty Morning

Photo Credit: www.craftymorning.com

Rainbow Jar Experiment - Playdough to Plato

Photo Credit: www.playdoughtoplato.com

Stained Glass Rainbow Craft - From ABCs to ACTs

Photo Credit: fromabcstoacts.com

How to Make Rainbow Crayons - Pre-K Pages

Photo Credit: www.pre-kpages.com

Rainbow Slime - Mom Dot

Photo Credit: www.momdot.com

Rainbow Mobile Craft for Kids - B-Inspired Mama

Photo Credit: b-inspiredmama.com

Fruit Loops Rainbow Craft - Hands On As We Grow

Photo Credit: handsonaswegrow.com

Rainbow Soap Foam Bubbles - Fun At Home with Kids

Photo Credit: www.funathomewithkids.com

Celery Stamping Rainbow Fish Craft - Crafty Morning

Photo Credit: www.craftymorning.com

Grow Your Own Rainbow Crystals - Little Bins for Little Hands

Photo Credit: littlebinsforlittlehands.com

Paper Plate Sun and Rainbow Craft - Easy Peasy and Fun

Photo Credit: www.easypeasyandfun.com

Pipe Cleaner Rainbow Craft - Preschool Inspirations

Photo Credit: preschoolinspirations.com

Pom Pom Rainbow Craft - Artsy Craftsy Mom

Photo Credit: artsycraftsymom.com

Rainbow Threading Cereal Craft - Messy Little Monster

Photo Credit: www.messylittlemonster.com

Pom Pom Painted Rainbow Craft for Kids - Fantastic Fun & Learning

Photo Credit: www.fantasticfunandlearning.com

Don’t miss these other ideas for learning about rainbows and springtime!

This printable rainbow tally marks lesson for early learners is a great way to teach students how to count with tally marks!

Pick up these printable rainbow playdough mats for some colorful fine motor fun with early learners!

Share this list of 50 spring books for kids with early readers!

50 Spring Crafts for Kids

January 20, 2017 by Selena Robinson 4 Comments

Nothing makes me happier than hearing the first chirp of birds in early spring. Down here in the South, the weather tends to warm rather early, so we don’t have a super long winter. (It’s still too long for me, though.)

One of my favorite ways to welcome spring is to make fun spring crafts with my children! We love learning about spring animals, especially those that are waking up from hibernation or those that are having teeny little babies in the early part of the year.

Welcome the warmer weather with your children using these fun and easy spring crafts for kids! There are craft ideas here featuring all kinds of spring animals, weather, and plants! To round out your spring unit, don’t miss this list of 50 spring books for kids to read!

50 Spring Crafts for Kids:

1. Ladybug Fractions Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

2. 3D Doily Flowers – Crafty Morning

3. Kite Hoop Art – A Cultivated Nest

4. Easy Lollipop Flowers

5. Tissue Paper Spring Blossoms – 3 Dinosaurs

6. Hand Traced Flower Craft – Fun Handprint Art Blog

7. Paper Straw Flower Craft – Raising Little Superheroes

8. Spring Butterfly Tree – Enchanted Homeschooling Mom

9. Symmetrical Painted Butterflies – The Mommy Mess

10. Spring Lacing – Living Life and Learning

11. Homemade Wind Vane – Teach Beside Me

12. Spring Tree – Susan Evans

13. DIY Bird Feeders – The Homeschool Scientist

14. Braided Flower Bracelets – Living Life and Learning

15. Spring Flowers Fine Motor Craft – Pre-K Pages

16. DIY Pinwheels – Look! We’re Learning!

17. Tissue Paper Blue Birds in a Nest – Crafty Morning

18. Cupcake Liner Butterfly Craft – Raising Little Superheroes

19. Colorful Handprint Butterfly – Fun Handprint Art

20. Baby Birds in a Nest Craft – Buggy and Buddy

21. DIY Forsythia Craft – Playground Parkbench

22. Cork Stamped Button Flowers – Happy Hooligans

23. Yarn-Wrapped Butterflies – School Time Snippets

24. Spring Flower Collage – My Bored Toddler

25. Yarn-Wrapped Spring Tree Craft – I Heart Crafty Things

26. Spring Flower Vegetable Prints – Artsy Craftsy Mom

27. Colorful Spring Branch Craft – Inner Child Fun

28. Doily Spring Flower Craft – Cutting Tiny Bites

29. Spring Tissue Paper Stained Glass – Fun-A-Day

30. Spring Tulips Salt Art – Crafty Morning

31. Toilet Roll Butterflies – Look! We’re Learning!

32. Mix & Match Painted Rock Faces – Teach Beside Me

33. Fingerprint Counting Art – Fun Handprint Art Blog

34. Faux Tie-Dye Spring Flowers – Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

35. Stamped Sheep Craft – Buggy and Buddy

36. Lion and Lamb Craft – Coffee Cups and Crayons

37. Bottle Cap Flowers – My Mundane and Miraculous Life

38. Acorn Flower Craft – Crafty Morning

39. Watercolor Butterfly – Raising Little Superheroes

40. Colorful Watercolor Flowers – Buggy and Buddy

41. Spring Butterfly Wreath – Frugal Fun 4 Boys and Girls

42. DIY Nature Suncatchers – Where Imagination Grows

43. Spring Tree Flower Bud Craft – A Little Pinch of Perfect

44. DIY Terra Cotta Pots – Mama Smiles

45. Colorful Rain Sticks – Happy Hooligans

46. Fingerprint Spring Cherry Blossom Tree – Fun Handprint Art

47. Girl in Rain Boots Spring Craft – Crafty Morning

48. Tissue Paper Rainbow

49. Spring Egg Carton Flower Bouquet – Teach Beside Me

50. Popsicle Stick Flower – Raising Little Superheroes

Check out these other spring learning ideas for kids!

Plus, see more ways to make spring into a fun learning experience on my Spring Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

This post is part of the Spring Unit Study roundup! Stop over and visit my fellow bloggers for more spring learning tips!

8 Spring Kids Crafts You’ll Want To Do Today! from Playdough & Popsicles

Get Outside with a Spring Scavenger Hunt {Free Printable} from Crafty Mama in ME

Nature Walks in the Spring – Books, Printables, & Activities from Faith and Good Works

Planting with Preschoolers from Bambini Travel

Children’s Books About Spring from The Jenny Evolution

Spring Writing Prompts from Schooling a Monkey.com

The Four Seasons by Vivaldi from Tales of Education at Home

Hanami: Celebrating Spring under Cherry Blossoms in Japan from FrogMom

Spring Color by letter/ sight word worksheets from Mrs. Karle’s Sight and Sound Reading

25 Fun Penguin Crafts and Activities for Kids

November 18, 2016 by Selena Robinson 5 Comments

It’s mid-November down here in the Southern U.S. and we’ve (finally) started to get some cold weather. So there’s no doubt that winter’s around the corner.

I have to be honest: Winter is probably my least favorite season. Me and cold weather just do not get along. (I’m from Florida. What can I say?)

But I do love making winter-themed crafts with the family, so I thought I’d find some super cute penguin crafts for kids to share today! And I’m not just saying that. These are really, really adorable.

These penguin crafts for kids would be a great way to add art to a winter or Arctic unit!

If your kids like these, don’t forget to check out some snowman crafts for kids you can make too!

25 Fun Penguin Crafts and Activities for Kids

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

2. Tacky the Penguin Craft – I Heart Crafty Things

3. Penguin Sensory Bottle – Teaching Mama

4. Penguin Feathers Science Experiment – Raising Little Superheroes

5. Sledding Penguins Frozen Banana Snack – Reading Confetti

6. Easy Penguin Bookmark Corner – Red Ted Art

7. Paper Heart Penguin Craft – Crafty Morning

8. Penguin Coloring Page Craft – Kids Activities Blog

9. Round Penguin Craft – Easy Peasy and Fun

10. Girl Penguin Craft for Kids – Housing a Forest

11. Penguin Footprint Art – Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

12. Paper Cup Penguin Craft – The Imagination Tree

13. Easy Origami Penguin Cards – Red Ted Art

14. Penguin Ice Cube Counting Game – Preschool Powol Packets

15. Skating Penguin Small World – Adventures of Adam

16. Macaroni Penguin – Parenting Chaos

17. Penguin Snowball I Spy Game – Simple Fun for Kids

18. Penguin Lacing Cards – Living Life and Learning

19. Penguin Water Bead Sensory Bin – 3 Dinosaurs

20. Circle Penguin Craft – Reading Confetti

21. Clay Penguin Photo Holder – Artsy Craftsy Mom

22. Penguin Puppets – I Can Teach My Child

23. Royal Penguin Kids’ Craft – I Heart Crafty Things

24. DIY Penguin Math Counters – The Educators’ Spin On It

25. Popsicle Stick Bow Tie Penguin Craft – Crafty Morning

If you loved these penguin crafts for kids, check out more of our winter learning ideas!

And you can get more fun winter teaching tips on my Winter Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

This post is part of the Penguin free unit study roundup! Stop by to read more penguin learning ideas from my fellow bloggers!

Toilet Paper Roll Penguin – Playdough and Popsicles

Children’s Books about Penguins – The Jenny Evolution

Fun Penguin Life Cycle App – iGameMom

Penguin Sight Words – Adventures of Adam

Do You Want to Dress a Penguin? – Sight Sound and Reading

Penguin Dress Up Activity – Schooling a Monkey

Penguin Videos for Kids – Tales of Education at Home

Slippery Ice Science Experiment – Craft Create Calm

Penguin Notebooking Pages – The Natural Homeschool

Homeschool Unit Studies: Bears Unit Study for Kids

November 1, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

The days are getting shorter and shorter, which means that many of our forest friends are starting to gather food for winter. And that got me to thinking about bears, one of my favorite animals.

We have bears here in Georgia, but (fortunately) I have never seen one near my house. So I put together another one of our homeschool unit studies: a simple bears unit study for kids who want to learn more about these amazing mammals! There are videos, printables, and crafts below that you and your kids can use to study our furry friends!

If you like these, be sure to check out our list of bear books for kids to go along with this unit!

Homeschool Unit Studies: Bears Unit Study for Kids

Start your unit by learning about some of the most common bears around: The brown bear, the grizzly bear, and the black bear.

Brown Bear Facts for Kids:

Watch the following video and then ask your child to answer a few questions about brown bears.

Name three ecosystems in which brown bears live. (Answer: Rivers, meadows, and forests)
What else do brown bears use their sense of smell for besides sensing danger? (Answer: Communicating with other bears)
List three of the things brown bears eat. (Answer: Sedge grass, flies, salmon)
What skills do brown bear parents teach cubs? (Answer: Survival, hunting, and how to find shelter)
What animals often live in the same ecosystems with brown bears? (Answers include: Squirrels, wolves, deer, fish, bald eagles)

Grizzly Bear Facts for Kids:

To learn about the grizzly bear, watch this video and try to answer the questions that follow.

How did the grizzly bear gets its name? (Answer: Because the silver tips on its fur give it a “grizzled” appearance.)
What features set a grizzly bear apart from a black bear? (Answer: Grizzly bears have a large hump on their shoulders right behind their heads. Grizzly bears have claws that are twice as large as the black bear’s. Grizzly bears have curved profiles, while black bears have straighter profiles.)
What does a grizzly bear use its muscular shoulder hump for? (Answer: For help in digging up their food.)
How fast can a grizzly bear run? (Answer: Between 35 and 40 miles an hour.)
How much can a grizzly bear weigh? (Answer: Up to 700 pounds.)
Does a grizzly bear eat a lot of meat? (Answer: No, 85% of its diet consists of vegetables.)
How much distance does a grizzly bear travel in a day? (Answer: Up to 20 or 30 miles.)

Black Bear Facts for Kids

Now it’s time to learn a bit about black bears! Watch this video and then discuss the following questions. Just to be technical: This video refers to pandas as bears, which they are not. Other than that, it’s okay. 🙂

Where do black bears live? (Answer: In the forests of North America, Mexico, and Canada)
How do black bears keep themselves fed during hibernation? (Answer: They live off the energy from stored body fat.)
Is a black bear an omnivore, herbivore, or carnivore? (Answer: Omnivores, because they eat almost anything, including berries, fruit, and other animals.)
Do black bears live alone or in groups? (Answer: Black bears are solitary animals, typically living alone.)

Bear Printables for Kids

These bear printables for kids include activities for each elementary grade level!

Grade Tot/PK: Printable Bear Snores On Pack – 3 Dinosaurs
Grade PK: Printable Bear Math Patterns – Fun-A-Day
Grade PK: Brown Bear, Brown Bear Printable Activity – Growing Book by Book
Grade 1: Black Bear Reading Comprehension Worksheet – Comprehension Worksheets
Grades 1-2: Bear Essentials Lesson Plan – National Park Service
Grade 2: Grizzly Bear Printable – Enchanted Learning
Grade 3: Black Bear Worksheet – Education.com
Grade 3: Grizzly Bears Facts Worksheet – Education.com
Grade 4: Bear Essentials Lesson Plan – National Park Service
Grades 4-6:Grizzly Bears and Wolves Curriculum – U.S. Forest Service

Bear Activities and Crafts for Kids

Add some hands-on fun with these adorable bear activities and crafts!

Books about Bears:

Read about these lovable mammals with these fun bear books for kids!

Children’s Books about Bears – Look! We’re Learning!

And don’t miss these other fun posts!

See more science learning ideas on my It’s Science Pinterest board!

Fun Snowman Crafts for Kids

October 21, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

I have to be honest. Winter is not my favorite season. There’s just something about cold weather that makes me want to curl up in bed and never get up. What I’m saying is that I’m basically a bear. 🙂

But I do love sharing winter crafts with my kids! Since we live in the South, we almost never see actual snow during winter, so we have to make our own. And these fun snowman crafts for kids are a simple way to do it! Check out these easy crafts you can share with your children this winter!

If you love these, don’t miss our All About Snowflakes Unit – a learning pack for kids in grades K-3! And if you have younger children, our Winter Sight Word Flashcards are an easy way to reinforce reading skills!

Fun Snowman Crafts for Kids

1. Borax Crystal Snowman – Science Kiddo

2. Cupcake Liner Snowman – I Heart Crafty Things

3. Snowman Factory – Buggy and Buddy

4. Melting Snowman Baking Soda Science Activity – Little Bins for Little Hands

5. Magic Foaming Snowman – Fun at Home with Kids

6. Build a Snowman Activity Tray – Happy Hooligans

7. Shredded Paper Snowman – Housing a Forest

8. Snowman Suncatcher – Craftulate

9. Squishy Snowman Sensory Bag – Mama Papa Bubba

10. Easy Snowman Footprint Craft – Teach Mama

11. Paper Snowman Craft – Easy Peasy and Fun

12. Tin Can Snowman – Hands On as We Grow

13. Snowman Stick Puppets – I Heart Crafty Things

14. LEGO Snowman – Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

15. Name Snowmen – Fun-A-Day

16. Build a Snowman Bottle – Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

17. Melting Snowman Slime – Little Bins for Little Hands

18. Egg Carton Snowman – Sugar Aunts

19. Paper Plate Snowman – I Heart Crafty Things

20. Cotton Ball Snowman – Easy Peasy and Fun

Make winter even more fun for your kids with these activities!

Plus, get more winter activity ideas on my Winter Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

Stop by and get more winter craft and activity inspiration from these posts!

Snowflake Printable Math Activity from Playdough and Popsicles

Exciting Children’s Reading List about Snow from Crafty Mama in ME

Board Books Celebrating Winter from The Jenny Evolution

Snow Science from iGameMom

Snowman Ornament from CraftCreateCalm

Melting Ice Science Experiment from Tales of Education at Home

Want to Build a Snowman? from Mrs. Karle’s Sight and Sound Reading

Literacy Games for Kids: Outdoor Ice Scrabble from Schooling a Monkey

Snow Games for Kids Outside from FrogMom

25 Airplane Crafts for Kids

October 7, 2016 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

My three-year-old is constantly on the lookout for airplanes in the sky. If one of the other kids spots one, she has a fit until we show her where to look. Sometimes she doesn’t see it in time and then, well, let’s say she doesn’t handle that well. 🙂

Children of all ages love airplanes. There’s just something about the idea of flying through the sky that sends their imaginations soaring! So I rounded up 25 airplane crafts for kids that are fun, easy to make, and let kids “fly” just as high as they want!

If you love these, don’t miss our list of 25 leaf crafts or our list of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory crafts for kids!

25 Airplane Crafts for Kids:

1. How to Make a Paper Airplane – Tinkerlab

2. Paper Airplane Launcher – Frugal Fun 4 Boys

3. STEM Paper Airplane Challenge – Kids Activities Blog

4. Airplane Clothespin Kids’ Craft – DIY Inspired

5. Airplane Play Dough – My Nearest and Dearest

6. Airplane Coloring Pages – Itsy Bitsy Fun

7. Airplane Sensory Bin – My Mundane and Miraculous Life

8. Footprint Airplane Canvas – Glued to My Crafts

9. DIY Airplane Crayons – Nothing If Not Intentional

10. Star Wars Paper Airplane Comparison – Royal Baloo

11. Craft Stick Airplane – Pleasantest Thing

12. Make an Airplane Runway for Kids – Dirt and Boogers

13. Paper Airplane Races – Creative Family Fun

14. A is for Airplane Craft – Kidz Activities

15. Giant Paper Airplanes – Fireflies and Mud Pies

16. Wooden Toy Airplane Craft – Moms and Crafters

17. Stunt Paper Airplane – Craftulate

18. Design a Propeller Plane – Planet Smarty

19. Paper Airplane Hangers

20. Egg Crate Airplane – Schooling a Monkey

21. Easy Toilet Paper Airplane – Spaceships and Laser Beams

22. Make a Straw and Paper Airplane – Tinkerlab

23. Paper Airplane Canvas Art – Mom Endeavors

24. Toilet Roll Airplane – Your Modern Family

25. LEGO Paper Airplane Launcher – Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

Don’t miss these other crafts for children!

See more fun crafts for kids to make on my Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board!

This post is part of the Free Unit Studies blog hop! Stop by to read more fun airplane posts from these bloggers!

Styrofoam Cup Airplane Craft from Playdough and Popsicles

Exciting Reading List of Airplane Children’s Books from Crafty Mama in ME

Airplane Crafts for Kids from Look! We’re Learning!

Airplane Board Books for Toddlers from The Jenny Evolution

Airplane Travel from iGameMom

Learning Numbers with Airplanes from My Storytime Corner

Airplane Preschool Printables from Living Life and Learning

Airplane Color by letter Sight Words from Mrs. Karle’s Sight and Sound Reading

Airplane High Frequency Words from Adventures of Adam

Clothespin Airplane Engineering Challenge from Schooling a Monkey

25 Leaf Activities for Kids

September 2, 2016 by Selena Robinson 7 Comments

Did I mention I love fall? I think that I say that every time I write about a fall activity.

But it’s true! Fall is my favoritest time of the year. Well, second favoritest after summer. (Also – is favoritest a word? It should be.)

We’ve made lots of leaf-themed activities before, including leaf flashcards, leaf garlands, and leaf snow globes.

But you can never have too many leaf ideas! These leaf activities for kids are a beautiful way to start discovering the season with the family!

25 Leaf Activities for Kids

1. Have some art fun with this Leaf Painting for Kids activity!

2. Learn about the special features that make leaves turn colors with this Leaf Chromatography experiment!

3. Try this How Do Leaves Breathe Experiment to find out how leaves get carbon dioxide!

4. These lovely Negative Leaf Impressions are a simple way to add art into your fall unit!

5. Gather the prettiest leaves in the neighborhood and make this Preserved Leaf Mobile!

6. Hand your smallest one some of these Fall Leaf Stickers and let them decorate a gift box!

7. Download this All About Leaves Printable Pack to talk about science and language arts with leaves!

8. This Autumn Leaf Threading activity is perfect for preschoolers!

9. There aren’t a lot of nature crafts that take my breath away, but this Stick and Leaf Butterfly Craft is downright gorgeous!

10. Let the kids set up an Autumn Leaf Investigation Table to encourage open-ended exploration!

11. Use those old toilet rolls to make this beautiful Toilet Paper Roll Leaf Stamping Tree!

12. Help tots learn their colors with this Fall Leaf Color Matching Activity!

13. Get a Maple Leaf Paper Punch and let the kids cut out leaf shapes!

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Easy Nature Art: Leaf Painting for Kids

August 8, 2016 by Selena Robinson 8 Comments

I’m so excited to be participating in this year’s Paint-A-Thon sharing fun painting ideas for kids! In our family, we absolutely adore fall, so I thought “Why not paint with tree leaves?” And that’s what we did!

Unfortunately, it’s late summer in Georgia, which means we’re not going to have autumn-colored leaves for some time. 🙂 But we got out some paint, including fall-themed colors, and started up anyway!

Take a look at our easy nature art project: leaf painting for kids!

Want some more fall activities for kids? Try our fall snow globe craft or use our leaf identification flashcards to go on a leaf hunt! And don’t miss our All About Leaves printable pack for more leaf learning!

Easy Nature Art: Leaf Painting for Kids

To do this activity, you will need the following: (Affiliate links provided here for convenience. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

drawing paper
acrylic paint
an assortment of leaves (try to get ones that are large enough for your kids’ hands)

Just a quick note: This was the kids’ first time working with acrylic paint, so they were kind of surprised by how it moves on the paper. If your kids like tons of paint, definitely try tempera paint instead.

I asked everyone what colors they wanted to work with and we got started!

We put down two pieces of drawing paper – one as the “canvas” and another as the splat mat, plus paint palette. I just squeezed a bit of each color on the side.

This whole activity took maybe 15 minutes, but it was such a neat way to try art while using nature!

After we painted for a while, we started experimenting with printing.

And that was even easier, since all you have to do is spread enough paint on the bottom of your leaves and then press them down.

Lift them up slowly and you get a lovely leaf print!

Have even more leaf fun this fall with these posts!

Follow my Fall Activities for Kids board on Pinterest for even more fall ideas!

And get more fun learning ideas and crafts for kids when you sign up for our email newsletter! Subscribe using the widget below.

This post is part of Paint-A-Thon 2016 – a collection of more than 200 painting ideas for kids! Stop by to get tons of art inspiration for your kids!

25 Beach Crafts for Kids

July 10, 2016 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Have you made it to the beach yet this year? We’re planning a quick trip to a local one in August, so I thought I’d look for some fun and adorable beach crafts for kids that we can make together before we leave!

What I love about studying the beach with kids is that the topic is so broad! You can learn about the sun, the ocean, ocean animals, beach sand, animals that live on the beach, seashells, ice cream, and so much more! So there are crafts for all these things below!

Read on to find some fun beach crafts you can try too!

25 Beach Crafts for Kids

1. Beach Diorama for Kids from Look! We’re Learning!

2. Puffy Paint Ocean Collage from ArtsyMomma

3. Seashell Keepsake Craft from Moms and Crafters

4. Beach-Themed Sand and Shell Art from Happiness is Homemade

5. Sand Footprint Craft from Paging Fun Mums

6. Newspaper Shark Craft from I Heart Crafty Things

7. Paper Plate Sun Craft from Buggy and Buddy

8. Starfish Ocean Button Craft from A Little Pinch of Perfect

9. Shell Sunflower Craft from Rhythms of Play

10. Sand Handprint Keepsakes from The Imagination Tree

11. DIY Beach Sand from Look! We’re Learning!

12. Cupcake Liner Sun Craft from I Heart Crafty Things

13. 3-Ingredient Ocean in a Bottle from Happy Hooligans

14. Paper Plate Seashell Craft from Artsy Crafty Mom

15. Sand in a Bottle Craft from Gift of Curiosity

16. Coffee Filter Beach Ball Craft from Look! We’re Learning!

17. Popsicle Stick Mosaic Sun Craft from Kids Activities Blog

18. Cupcake Liner Lighthouse Craft from Sugar Aunts

19. DIY Seashell Mobile from Nurture Store

20. Egg Carton Ocean Craft from The Imagination Tree

21. Bubbling Shell Painting from Mess for Less

22. DIY Moon Sand from Look! We’re Learning!

23. Paper Plate Beach Ball Craft from Glued to My Crafts

24. Sun Craft Scissor Skills Activity from A Little Pinch of Perfect

25. Beach Keepsake Craft from Fireflies and Mudpies

Need more summer learning ideas? Try these with your kids!

Plus, get even more ideas on my Summer Activities for Kids Pinterest Board!

And don’t miss my All About Beaches Printable Pack – perfect for keeping kids learning over the summer!

This post is part of the Summer Activities for Kids Blog Hop! Check out more summer fun for kids below!

Flower Suncatcher Nature Craft – Messy Little Monster

Make a Bee Bath – Kitchen Counter Chronicles

Water Play Car Wash – Play and Learn Everyday

Tic Tac Toe Races – Royal Baloo

Finding Dory Wind Sock Craft – The Gingerbread House

Farm Shoebox Diorama Craft

March 17, 2016 by Selena Robinson 7 Comments

A while back, we made a Beach Shoebox Diorama and the kids had so much with it that I thought we should make another one. So for this linkup with the Early Elementary Blogging Team, we decided to make a simple and fun Farm Shoebox Diorama Craft!

If you’re looking for a low-prep, easy craft that will keep your kids entertained, this is it! Roo, my most active child by a mile, actually sat in one spot and played quietly with the diorama after we finished. Talk about miracles!

Read on to see how to make this craft with your kids!

If you love this activity, don’t miss our other farm learning ideas, including our list of Kids’ Books about Farms and our printable Farm Animal Flashcards!

Farm Shoebox Diorama Craft

To make this craft, you’ll need the following:

An empty shoebox (a child’s size shoebox is perfect)
A copy of our free Farm Shoebox Diorama Printable Pack
Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Play sand
Scissors
Glue
Markers

Our Farm Shoebox Diorama Printable Pack has a background and farm props such as a barn, a tractor, and some farm animals. But you can also have your child draw his or her own farm pictures if you want to add a bit more art to the project.

After we cut out all of the pictures, Roo got to work on the background. We just used a blue marker for the sky, then he glued the farm scenery onto the bottom of the shoebox.

Then it was time to add the props! You simply fold each prop on the dashed line, then unfold it slightly to make them stand up!

Roo placed everything where he thought it should go.

Then we poured in about a cup of play sand. (Note: Resting the shoebox in the lid is a HUGE help when it comes to clean up.)

And we’re done!

If you look at Roo’s face, it’s basically saying “Hurry up and take the picture so I can play with it, Mom!” 🙂 And that’s what he did. He sat there for over an hour playing with his farm set.

And it only took 10 minutes to make!

Round out your farm theme with these other farm resources!

Get even more craft ideas from my Simple Crafts for Kids board on Pinterest!

Check out the other fun farm-themed posts by the Early Elementary Blogging Team!

Farm Odd Numbers Skip Counting Puzzles at Life Over C’s

Montessori Farm Activities (Free Printables) at Natural Beach Living

Are You My Mother? 13 Baby Farm Animal Puzzles at 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Make a Farm Diorama (Printable Sets Included) at The Natural Homeschool

Farm Animals Worksheets for Kids at Mrs. Karle’s Sight and Sound Reading

Fun {FREE} Farm Writing Prompts! at Preschool Powol Packets

Animal Nutrition: Why Cows Eat Grass and We Can’t at Schooling a Monkey

Farm Books for Kids (Farm Study Unit) at The Jenny Evolution

Beginning Sounds on the Farm at Parenting Chaos

Farm Skip Counting Math Worksheets at Living Life and Learning

Kindergarten Math with Farm Fingerprint Art at Sugar Aunts

Hands-On Learning about Taste Buds

February 11, 2016 by Selena Robinson 9 Comments

Studying the human body is always a fun unit with kids. And one of the basic concepts is the five senses, right? But it turns out that every time I cover this unit, I learn something new. This time it was about how our taste buds work.

Now I’m probably exposing myself as an ignoramus, but I really never thought much about taste buds. Not what they did, not what specific tastes they detect, and certainly not where they were located. But I know a lot more about them now and so do my kids!

Check out our hands-on learning about taste buds, including a fun paper craft that you can recreate with your little ones!

Learning about Taste Buds

What really got me started on this activity was reading the Sesame Street book My First Book About the Five Senses with the kids.

This is going to be really pathetic, but I didn’t know that there are different taste buds on different parts of our tongues!

See? The taste buds at the back of the tongue are for bitter tastes, while sour and salty taste buds are located on the left and right sides. The tip of the tongue is where the sweet taste buds are located. Neat!

So I created a similar “tongue” on pink construction paper with taste bud “zones”.

Pretty close, right?

After we read the book, I handed Roo the paper tongue and some torn pages from a magazine so he could find pictures of food and glue them in the correct taste bud “zones”.

Any time there’s a chance to use scissors, he’s raring to go.

See that image of coffee on the table? Roo didn’t know where to put that picture on the paper tongue. After all, he’d never tasted coffee.

Time to do a taste test and find out!

He was super excited to taste a grown-up drink. But afterward, he came to the instant conclusion that…

Black coffee definitely belongs in the “bitter” zone.

So, he finished finding pictures and gluing them in the right places.

And while he worked, I read about taste buds with Piglet. As you can see, she had a pretty good time.

And Roo is all done! Coffee and onion are in the “bitter” section, pickles and grapefruit are in the “sour” section, salted nuts and chips are in the “salty” section, and a brownie and a clementine make up the “sweet” zone.

A tad bigger than the tongues in our mouths, but you get the idea.

We really enjoyed this project and Roo was so proud of his work that he ran out into the living room to show the rest of the family.

For more hands-on science fun, follow my It’s Science board on Pinterest!

And don’t miss the other fun human body learning activities this week from the Early Elementary Blogging Team!

STEM Respiratory System Investigation Asthma versus Healthy from Life Over C’s

What’s Inside Your Blood – An Edible Model from Preschool Powol Packets

Human Body Printables for Kids from Living Life and Learning

Telling the Time – Body Clock from Rainy Day Mum

Human Body Games for Kidsfrom The Natural Homeschool

5 Senses Unit from 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Bones from Sugar Aunts

Human Body Math from Planet Smarty Pants

Parts of the Eye Painting from Still Playing School

5 Fun Winter Crafts for Kids

January 26, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Is anyone else kind of “over” winter? It seemed like the weather was never going to get cold and then BOOM! we all got hit with a massive winter storm and I was like “Okay, that’s enough cold for now.”

To get back to enjoying the fun of winter, I put together a quick roundup of fun winter crafts for kids that you can do in just a few minutes!

Today is also another Laugh and Learn linky party! Check out our favorite posts from last week and read more great posts from awesome bloggers below!

5 Fun Winter Crafts for Kids

Honestly, crafting is not one of my natural gifts. I’m the type of person that needs step-by-step directions to do most tasks. But these crafts are so easy even a non-crafty person (like myself) can do them in no time!

To get the scoop on how to make these crafts with your kids, stop over at Thinking Outside the Sandbox to get the details!

5 Fun Winter Crafts for Kids – Thinking Outside the Sandbox

Resources to Make Winter Crafts for Kids:

To make winter crafting even easier, try these great resources!

For more winter fun, follow my Winter Activities for Kids board on Pinterest!

Onward to the linky!

This week we have some great links to share with you. We are very excited to bring you another great opportunity to linkup with us!

Welcome to our 67th week of Laugh and Learn – Home & Family Linkup! Laugh and Learn Linkup will be open by 6 am every Tuesday morning.
New: We have decided to expand our linkup to home and family categories! You are still welcome to share homeschooling or parenting posts with us. That will always be part of the #LaughLearnLinkup!

Each and every week, all of the hosts will pick one favorite post to be featured on the next week’s linkup. All of your links will be shared on three blogs.

We are also sharing the top four posts on Pinterest: #LaughLearnLinkup {Featured Favorites}. It’s added exposure for your awesome content!
Reminder: Please share this linkup! You can help us build a great family, home, parenting, and homeschool group.
Laugh and Learn Linkup was created by Tina from Los Gringos Locos. We want to thank her for this opportunity and send her big hug on her new adventure.

Your Fabulous Hosts 😉

Selena

Selena is a writer and a homeschooling mom to four kids, including three with ADHD/SPD. Selena and her husband, Jay, are committed to teaching their children at home and loving every minute of it! You can read about the family’s homeschooling experiences at Look! We’re Learning, written by Selena!
Find Selena at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Pinterest
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Sarah

Sarah lives in Kentucky, USA, where she and her husband homeschool three children. Sarah writes for and about, families with special needs. She hopes to provide support and encouragement to all special needs parents in the homeschool community. Visit Sarah at Dedicated Homeschooler.
Find Sarah at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter

Haley

Haley hopes to encourage stay at home moms. She wants to help them learn how to make an extra income, to stretch a budget, to make crafts, and other useful information. Haley always has updates on the kids, and their funny antics. Visit Haley at Haley’s Vintage Finds & Deals.
Find Haley at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
Twitter
Google+
YouTube
Stumble Upon

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If you were featured this week, we would love for you to use this badge below. We really appreciate all your hard work, and sharing with us each and every week!

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Most Clicked on Link

Selena’s pick for this week…

Note from Selena:
I love these ideas for making geography fun and hands-on in your homeschool!

Sarah’s pick for this week…

Note from Sarah:
We’ve actual conducted an experiment this year. With bipolar, ADHD, aspergers, and anxiety all in the mix, January is our most difficult month. So this year we just took it off. It’s been nice not feeling guilty about being to tired to get school done. I love Lindsey’s ideas for easing back into the routine.

Haley’s pick for this week…

Note from Haley:
These look amazing and I may even be able to get my kids to eat them!

Thanks to everyone who submitted a post. Please check out the post above by clicking on the image. If you enjoyed these picks as much as we did, please share them also!

Have you joined our Pinterest Board yet?

Follow Tina Ernspiker’s board #LaughLearnLinkup {Featured Favorites} on Pinterest.

Now give us your best posts!

An InLinkz Link-up

Color Crafts for Preschoolers with Family Fun Friday!

April 30, 2015 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

This week’s Family Fun Friday is all about colors! Last week, bloggers shared some great posts with us and I wanted to feature some of the posts that highlighted color crafts for preschoolers.

Piglet will be beginning her preschool (lite) work this fall and we’ve already started introducing her to colors. With these fun color activities, she’ll learn them in no time! 🙂


Monica created Family Fun Friday and blogs at HappyandBlessedHome.com where she shares free preschool tools and printables, encouraging words for moms, and ideas for having fun together as a family. Follow: Blog / Facebook / Pinterest / Twitter /Google + / Bloglovin’/ Instagram. Monica will feature Family Fun Posts.

Selena is a homeschooling graduate and a veteran homeschooling mom to four super special kids. She blogs at Look! We’re Learning! about unit studies, foreign language, and homeschooling with ADHD. Follow: Blog / Facebook / Pinterest / Instagram / Twitter. Selena will be featuring homeschooling and kids’ crafts.


Herchel enjoys blogging about parenting, organizing, crafting, and having good old-fashioned kid fun her blog Scrggbug Corner. Follow: Blog / Facebook / Pinterest / Twitter /Google +. Herchel will feature organizing and family fun.

Britta was a military kid and is a military wife, now living in the high desert of Arizona and far, far from her New Orleans family. She happily homeschools and writes about the intersection of God’s Word and her world at Britta Lafont ~ Everyday Holiness. This year Britta wants to find that sweet spot between getting more done and enjoying the process. Britta will feature Delicious Recipes. Follow: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram.

Christin blogs at illuminate. As wife to her high school sweetheart and mother to three premature children, she’s learned that God is the Perfect Party Planner and sometimes the unexpected is the greatest gift of all. Follow: Blog / Facebook / Pinterest / Instagram / Twitter. Christen will feature Inspirational Posts.

Here are my favorite posts for this week!

1. This Colored Water Transfer activity from Hands On As We Grow is perfect for outdoor fun!

2. Ten Kids and a Dog explains how to use simple Baking Soda Art to keep kids entertained on rainy days!

3. Cassie at 3 Dinosaurs shares a beautiful way to make Watercolor Butterfly Flower Paintings!

4. Learn how to help kids make Spring Flower Crafts with Pipe Cleaners at Mini Monets and Mommies!

5. The Jersey Momma demonstrates how to make Colorful DIY Squishy Play Dough!

6. Amber at From ABCs to ACTs features a free Spring Flower Color Matching printable!

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Bloggers are invited to share their best family-friendly and mom-inspiring posts in the link-up below.

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Family Fun Friday is a growing link-up with over 200 bloggers sharing their posts each week. Each host shares her favorites from the week before, increasing your chances of being featured. Co-hosts will also be pinning their favorites to a community Family Fun Pinterest Board. This link party opens up at around 4 pm EST on Thursdays.

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Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Moose Craft

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Beach Ball Craft

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Umbrella Craft

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Cat Craft

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Earth Craft

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Sun Craft

What Do You Call a Group of Turtles?

How to Make a Coffee Filter Turtle Craft

Materials

Instructions

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Basketball Craft

25 Gorgeously Colorful Rainbow Crafts for Kids

How to Use Rainbow Crafts with Early Learners

50 Spring Crafts for Kids:

25 Fun Penguin Crafts and Activities for Kids

Homeschool Unit Studies: Bears Unit Study for Kids

Brown Bear Facts for Kids:

Grizzly Bear Facts for Kids:

Black Bear Facts for Kids

Bear Printables for Kids

Bear Activities and Crafts for Kids

Books about Bears:

Fun Snowman Crafts for Kids

25 Airplane Crafts for Kids:

25 Leaf Activities for Kids

Easy Nature Art: Leaf Painting for Kids

25 Beach Crafts for Kids

Farm Shoebox Diorama Craft

Learning about Taste Buds

5 Fun Winter Crafts for Kids

Resources to Make Winter Crafts for Kids:

Each and every week, all of the hosts will pick one favorite post to be featured on the next week’s linkup. All of your links will be shared on three blogs.

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Selena’s pick for this week…

Sarah’s pick for this week…

Thanks to everyone who submitted a post. Please check out the post above by clicking on the image. If you enjoyed these picks as much as we did, please share them also!

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