Homeschool Curriculum Archives

Free Printable Flashcards: Snowflake Counting Flashcards

December 21, 2017 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Have you been missing our free printable flashcards? They’re back! Today, I’m sharing a new set of counting flashcards with a fun snowflake theme!

I really love the sight of falling snowflakes. Probably because we hardly ever see them down here in Georgia. The few times we’ve had snow, we’ve all gathered around to watch the flakes float gently in front of the window. It’s amazing.

For preschoolers, learning to count is a huge skill to master, especially by the time they enter kindergarten. These snowflake counting flashcards can help! Read on to see how to get yours free!

If you like these, don’t miss our free snowflake math factor printables or our All About Snowflakes Printable Unit Study!

Free Snowflake Counting Flashcards

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

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Scissors
Laminator (to make it easier to reuse the cards later)

These counting flashcards feature cards for the numbers 1-10 showing both numerals and pictures.

There is one set of cards with the number and the matching amount of snowflakes and then another set of cards with just the snowflakes.

They’re super easy to use for teaching numbers and reviewing counting concepts later on.

Be sure to let the kids practice counting each snowflake so they can learn to identify the quantities on their own!

Scroll down to grab your set of our snowflake counting flashcards – free!

Don’t miss these other winter learning ideas!

To get your free snowflake counting flashcards, sign up for our newsletter! You’ll get these printable flashcards, plus lots of other freebies – just for subscribing!

And see more ideas for learning about winter on my Winter Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

Teach Kids to Bake with a Cooking Lapbook

December 19, 2017 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

I have to admit: I’ve been super lax about getting my kids into the kitchen. Tigger knows how to prepare breakfast and lunch for us all, but the boys….not so much.

Since our kids have ADHD, it’s hard to help them exercise caution and take their time, which are two of the MOST important skills you need to learn if you’re going to cook.

So I was glad to get a chance to review this adorable Cooking Lapbook from Knowledge Box Central! With it, our boys got a lesson in kitchen safety and a chance to make their very first dessert!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this resource in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

Learning to Bake with a Cooking Lapbook

First of all, we needed to assemble the lapbook, which did take some time.

Here’s the list of supplies you’ll need: (Affiliate links provided here for convenience. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Colored file folders
Hot glue gun with glue sticks (for gluing the folders together)
Colored paper
Stapler with staples
Metal brad fasteners
Tacky glue (for gluing the minibooks into the folders)

But look how pretty it is!

Here’s the inside of the first folder.

Then the second…

and the third.

We decided to begin at the beginning with the activity “What is the first thing you should do BEFORE cooking?” Anyone have an idea what it is?

*hums Jeopardy thinking music*

It’s “Wash Your Hands”! The lesson plan included in the Cooking Lapbook described how children should be washing their hands before they cook. So we all got up, used warm water, lathered for 20 seconds, and rinsed well. 😉

See the lapbook in action on the next page!

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Easy DIY Flubber for Kids

December 18, 2017 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

My kids, like most children, love to play with playdough. So we’ve done a LOT of playdough activities for kids over the years. But for a new sensory experience, we decided to make something different: DIY flubber!

And it turned out really, really well. In fact, it worked out so perfectly that I…uh…played with it too. I regret nothing. 🙂

Read on to see how we made flubber using just a few household ingredients! And if you like this simple activity, check out our list of super easy preschool crafts you can make in just 10 minutes!

Easy DIY Flubber for Kids!

We decided to try out a very popular recipe for making flubber. If you’re not familiar with flubber, it also goes by the names “slime” and “gak”. It’s pretty much a stiff kind of “Magic Muck“, which we made a while back. But it’s very solid, so it’s easy to clean up after. Win!

The project was originally shared from Live Craft Eat and it turned out to be a great recipe for DIY flubber! It took about five minutes.

You’ll just need a few ingredients: (Affiliate links provided for convenience. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

The kids were fascinated at the various textures of the flubber. It felt slippery initially, but then it turned rubbery the more we used it.

We could even make handprints with it!

We also found that when we stretched the flubber out and then let it sit on the table for a while, it returned to a single flat puddle on its own.

It even breaks cleanly when you pull it, but it slowly returns to a flat blob in time.

But if you pick it up, it will run through your fingers! Super, super cool.

If you prefer to make DIY flubber without Borax, I found this great Borax-free flubber recipe from Little Bins for Little Hands. Works just as well! 😉

Have you tried learning how to make DIY flubber? Did the recipe work out? Let us know your experiences in the comments!

Try these other great crafts for kids!

And see even more sensory ideas on my Sensory Play Pinterest board!

You can get even more craft and sensory ideas for kids when you sign up for our email newsletter! Just use the widget below to sign up!

Cozy Bedtime Books for Toddlers

December 14, 2017 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

We have a very active little one in our family. She’s running around learning everything she possibly can. But, because she’s so excited about what’s she learning to do, getting her to settle down for bed has become a bit of problem. Every time I walk her into her room at night, she says “I want to get up in the morning, Mama.” Every. Single. Time. 🙂

So I thought I’d look for some bedtime books that would help her settle down and get ready for sleep. Today, I’m sharing a roundup of adorable bedtime books for toddlers!

If you and your little one enjoy these stories, be sure to check out my list of the absolute best picture books for three-year-olds!

Bedtime Books for Toddlers

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1. The Going-to-Bed Book by Sandra Boynton

2. The Goodnight Train by June Sobel

3. Kiss Good Night by Amy Hest

4. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

5. Time for Bed by Mem Fox

6. A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na

7. Clifford’s Bedtime by Norman Bridewell

8. Bedtime in the Meadow by Stephanie Shaw

9. If Animals Kissed Good Night by Ann Whitford Paul

10. Snuggle Up, Sleepy Ones by Claire Freedman

See even more cozy bedtime stories for toddlers on the next page!

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Free Printable Flashcards: English and Spanish Season Flashcards

December 12, 2017 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

We’re smack dab in the middle of winter and, to be honest, I really miss spring (seasonal allergies and all). So I thought it was a great time to introduce our kids to the Spanish words for the seasons. It’s as close to spring as I’m going to get for the next two months…lol.

To learn how to say the seasons of the year in Spanish, we put together a set of free printable flashcards: English and Spanish season flashcards! These are perfect for learning how to talk about seasons of the year in English and Spanish, so they’re good for early learners, ESL learners, kids who are learning Spanish, and more!

Read on to see how to get your copy – Free! If you love these, don’t miss our A to Z Español Spanish Alphabet Super Pack!

Free English and Spanish Season Flashcards

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

These flashcards include all four seasons of the year in both English and Spanish. And a pronunciation guide is included!

That means you can use them to teach the seasons to your preschooler, to play a matching game with your toddler, or to teach Spanish season words to learners of any age!

One set features English season words, another set features Spanish season words, and a third set features the pictures only for reviewing and quizzes.

Scroll down to get your free English and Spanish season flashcards!

If you’re interested in learning even more Spanish vocabulary, don’t miss these printables!

And get more ideas for learning a foreign language with the kids on my Foreign Language for Homeschoolers Pinterest board!

To get your set of English and Spanish season flashcards, sign up for our email newsletter! You’ll get these flashcards, plus lots of other exclusive learning printables in our special subscribers library!

All About Snowflakes Unit Study for Kids

December 7, 2017 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Winter is coming! And what better way to get excited for snowy weather than by learning about it with your students!

Since we don’t get a lot of snow down here in the South, we’re always fascinated by snowflakes.

The few times we see them are basically national events, at least in our family.

So I thought we’d learn a bit more about how snowflakes form, what makes them special, and toss in some other school subjects while we were at it.

All About Snowflakes Early Elementary Unit

All About Snowflakes is a printable early snowflakes unit study featuring math, language, writing, and science activities for students in grades K-2!

All About Snowflakes Printable Unit for Early Elementary

Read on to see how to get your copy!

And, if you enjoy this unit, be sure to check out our list of 50 free winter printables for kids!

This printable early elementary snowflake unit is perfect for teaching students about snow during the winter!

Printable All About Snowflakes Unit Study

To use this All About Snowflakes unit, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Learning about Snowflakes with Early Elementary Students

This unit study is a fun, hands-on way to add math, ELA, and science into a winter unit you can do with almost no prep at all!

Snowflake Symmetry Lesson for Early Elementary

This resource includes a two-page lesson on how snowflakes form, along with a symmetry practice activity.

Snowman Themed ELA Comprehension Activity

Snowy-themed ELA and writing practice is also inside.

Snowflake Themed Addition Practice for Kids

There’s also a snowflake-themed addition practice activity.

As well as art activities for early ages!

Using Snow Themed ELA Activities with Early Elementary Students

Answer keys are also included for each activity.

How to Use the All About Snowflakes Unit Study with Students

A good way to use this early elementary snow unit is to review the lessons together as a group.

Printable Snowflake Themed Early Elementary Unit

Then you can decide which of the activities you’d like students to complete in class.

Learning How Snowflakes Form in Early Grades

The activities are well suited to in-class work. But they can also be used as take-home assignments, particularly if you’re running short on time.

Printable Winter Symmetry Activity for Early Grades

The snowflake math addends activity can be adapted for use at math centers.

With a little prep, you can include the answer key squares on a ring for self-checking!

Using Snowflake Math Addition Practice with Kids

And the Roll A Snowman art game is a fun activity for small groups!

Get a look at this resource in action below!

Scroll down to get your copy of our All About Snowflakes Unit Study!

Books about Snowflakes:

Add to your winter unit with these children’s books about snowflakes!

Don’t miss these other winter learning ideas!

These hot cocoa 1-10 counting cards are perfect for winter counting practice with early learners!

Get into the spirit of the winter season with this list of 15 adorable snowman books for kids!

These winter literacy mats are perfect for building literacy and fine motor skills during winter!

Early Elementary Snowflake Thematic Unit

To get your copy of All About Snowflakes!, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or check it out below!

Winter Wonderland! Alphabet and Number Winter Literacy Mats

December 4, 2017 by Selena Robinson 5 Comments

There’s just something about playing with playdough that captures kids’ attention.

I loved playdough as a child. Every child I knew loved playdough.

So, naturally when I was creating these alphabet and number winter literacy mats, my first thought was to use them with playdough.

Preschool playdough mats can be used to build fine motor skills, to make shapes, and to learn to form letters and numbers.

But there are other ways to use these literacy mats with young learners too!

Keep reading to find out how to get your set of these winter playdough mats.

And, for more winter fun in early grades, take a look at our list of adorable snowman books for kids to read!

Alphabet and Number Winter Literacy Mats for Kids

To use these winter literacy mats, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are listed below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper or cardstock
Laminator (optional)
Playdough (optional)
Mini erasers (optional)
Dry erase markers (optional)

Mini Erasers for Letter Practice on Winter Literacy Mats

This set of winter literacy printables includes 26 letter mats – from A to Z!

Each mat shows both the uppercase and lowercase version of each letter.

And the letters are large enough for students to trace with pens, markers, highlighters, crayons – even their fingers!

How to Use Winter Playdough Mats to Build Literacy

There are also number mats featuring numerals from 0 to 10.

All of the mats have a fun wintery background theme!

How to Use Winter Literacy Mats with Early Learners

There are several ways to use this resource to help early learners build literacy skills!

Using Winter Playdough Mats with Early Learners

Kids can roll playdough into “ropes” and then connect them to form the uppercase and lowercase letters.

Working with Winter Literacy Mats in Kindergarten

If you decide to laminate the mats, hand out dry erase markers for students to trace the letters!

Forming Letters with Mini Erasers at Centers

You can also place the mats at literacy or math centers (for the number mats).

Hand out mini erasers, pom-poms, or math counters for students to trace the letters and numbers.

Or print the mats half-sized!

They’ll be a perfect size for adding to morning tubs or busy bags.

Get a closer look at this resource in the video below!

Scroll down to get your copy of our winter literacy mats!

For more winter learning fun, don’t miss these other ideas!

Use these winter sight word learning cards to help early readers build reading fluency!

Learn to recognize uppercase and lowercase letters in two languages with this fun snowflake English and Spanish letter matching activity!

To get your set of our Winter Wonderland! Alphabet and Number Literacy Mats, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or check them out below!

ADHD Handwriting Help for Kids

November 30, 2017 by Selena Robinson 10 Comments

Do your kids with ADHD struggle with penmanship? You’re not alone. Many, many kids need ADHD handwriting help from an early age. And, once again, it all goes back to the unique struggles of the ADHD brain.

Executive function is what helps us organize our thoughts and carry them out. Because that is sporadic in kids with ADHD, they may have trouble understanding the process of handwriting, including how to hold the pencil, how to form the letters, and how to copy what they see in a book or on a chalkboard.

Tigger has struggled with her handwriting for the past couple of years. On occasion, it would look perfect – identical to the models in her handwriting book. At other times, though, it was barely legible. For the longest time, I did not understand why handwriting seemed to be so difficult for her until I started reading about all the ways ADHD affects children.

Now that I have a better understanding of how ADHD works, I’ve adjusted my teaching style to offer her more help with handwriting. Here are a few tips I’ve been using.

How to Offer ADHD Handwriting Help for Kids

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1. Adjust your expectations.

We’ve mentioned this a few times in the past, but when it comes to developing handwriting skills, we have to adjust our expectations of our kids. They may not develop the fine motor skills to write well at the same time or age as their peers, which means their handwriting skills may develop slowly.

If that’s the case, having them write pages and pages of copywork is not going to help them develop these skills any faster. It will, however, make them hate handwriting.

Let your kids write to the best of their ability and then have them do a small amount of daily copywork. After a few weeks, you’ll see their handwriting improve. It may not look like the D’Nealian model, but it will improve…in time.

2. Don’t rush to teach cursive.

There’s a minor debate going on in public school right now about the value of teaching cursive writing in the modern age. Personally, I love cursive and I teach it to my kids. But, I don’t insist that they use it at a certain age.

Cursive is generally harder to master than print handwriting. So if your child with ADHD is already struggling with handwriting, don’t insist that he master cursive simply because he is at the grade level when cursive is taught in school.

We introduced cursive to Tigger in third grade, but I noticed that her print was getting sloppier by the day. So, I stopped teaching cursive and we went back to print. Now she’s learning cursive again, but without letting her print penmanship slide.

3. Let kids use alternate methods for composition.

Some kids who dislike handwriting or have sloppy handwriting are actually excellent storytellers. Don’t insist on them writing their work by hand. Let them use other methods to compose their stories, papers, and responses. Try teaching them to type. In fact, learning to type can actually build fine motor skills that will improve handwriting in the long run.

You might even want to let your kids dictate their stories or draw pictures to express their thoughts. Let them know that there are several ways to tell a story. That way, the frustration of trying to master penmanship won’t poison their love for writing.

Do your kids with ADHD struggle with handwriting? How do you help them develop good penmanship? Let us know in the comments!

This post is part of the 31 Days of ADHD Homeschooling series! See plenty of ways to make homeschooling kids with ADHD easier!

Get even more tips and suggestions for parenting kids with ADHD by following my ADHD Tips board on Pinterest!

You can get plenty of tips for homeschooling and parenting kids with ADHD when you sign up for our email newsletter!

Don’t miss these other great posts!

Children’s Books about Composers

November 28, 2017 by Selena Robinson 16 Comments

We’re getting into our study of classical music in our homeschool lessons, so we’re sharing children’s books about composers! These are perfect for circle time stories or unit study resources, especially if you want your kids to learn more about the music and the lives of these musicians.

While there are classical composers in this list, there are also kids’ books about modern composers, including the great Duke Ellington! If you enjoy these stories, be sure to check out the Duke Ellington unit in our ebook “We Got Jazz”!

Children’s Books about Composers

This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.
One of the most interesting things about many classical composers is that they often began their musical careers while they were still children. Mozart began composing at the age of five. Five! That’s some serious inspiration for kids who are interested in music. 🙂

Some of the activity books include coloring books and unit studies about composers. In fact, Stories of the Great Composers is one of the resources we’re using in our homeschool curriculum this year!

Picture Books about Composers

The Extraordinary Music of Mr. Ives: The True Story of a Famous American Composer – Joanne Stanbridge

George Frederic Handel – Mildred Clary

Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue – Anna Harwell Celenza

Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince And His Orchestra – Andrea Davis Pinkney

Secret Lives of Great Composers: What Your Teachers Never Told You about the World’s Musical Masters – Elizabeth Lunday

Sebastian: A Book About Bach – Jeanette Winter

The Other Mozart: The Life of the Famous Chevalier de Saint-George – Hugh Brewster

Becoming Bach – Tom Leonard

The Story of the Orchestra: Listen While You Learn About the Instruments, Music, and the Composers Who Wrote the Music! – Robert Levine

Why Beethoven Threw the Stew (And Lots More Stories About the Lives of Great Composers) – Steven Isserlis

Nonfiction and Activity Books about Composers

Stories of the Great Composers – June Montgomery & Maurice Hinson

Getting to Know the World’s Great Composers: Ludwig Von Beethoven – Mike Venezia

Great Composers Coloring Book – John Green & Paul Negri

Who Was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? – Yona Zeldis McDonough & Carrie Robbins

Duke Ellington: His Life in Jazz – Stephanie Stein Crease

World of Composers: Verdi – Greta Cencetti

Peter Tchaikovsky: Getting to Know the World’s Great Composers – Mike Venezia

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons – Anna Harwell Celenza

18th Century Superstar: Mozart (Time for Kids Nonfiction Series) – Georgia Beth

Johannes Brahms: Getting to Know the World’s Great Composers – Mike Venezia

Do you have any favorite resources for introducing classical composers to kids? Do you have any suggestions for great children’s books about composers? Let us know in the comments!

If you enjoy these stories, check out our other ideas for teaching music and art to homeschoolers!

And don’t miss your chance to learn more about introducing kids to jazz with our We Got Jazz unit study ebook! It’s packed with over 120 pages of music history and activities about jazz greats such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and more!

For more tips to make your kids into readers, check out my Reading for Kids board on Pinterest!

Want to get more ideas for making homeschooling fun? Sign up for our email newsletter to get plenty of homeschool tips and resources in your inbox!

This post is part of The Massive Guide to Homeschool Reading Lists by iHomeschool Network! Click over to read tons of awesome booklists shared by my fellow homeschooling bloggers!

Winter Sight Words Flashcards

November 27, 2017 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Winter is quickly approaching and it’s a great time to introduce a set of handy Winter Sight Words Flashcards!

Learning sight words is a big part of early literacy education. After all, phonics are great, but the typical phonetic rules don’t always apply!

Some words are simpler to learn through memorization and repetition drills.

And that’s where these winter sight words learning cards can be a huge help.

Read on to get your set!

And be sure to grab our printable snowflake counting cards for some wintery math practice!

Printable Winter Sight Words Flashcards for Kids

To use these sight words flashcards, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are listed below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Fun Winter Sight Word Flashcards for Kids

In this printable pack, you’ll find picture flashcards for the following winter-themed sight words:

Coat
Cake
Fire
House
Hill
Wind
Snow
And Shoe

There is a set of cards with images and words. A second set of cards features just the images.

A third literacy card set shows only the printed words.

There’s also a set of blank word labels for writing the words on the labeling cards!

How to Use the Winter Sight Words Flashcards with Students

There are several ways to use these learning cards with early readers.

Using Word Labels with Winter Sight Word Flashcards

Review the picture cards, especially if you’re working with pre-readers or ELL students.

When students are ready, have them practice matching the pictures they’ve learned to the picture matching cards.

This is a nice way to introduce them to the written sight words.

Printable Winter Sight Word Cards for Early Readers

As your early readers become more comfortable, let them begin practicing labeling the picture cards with the written sight word labels.

Printable Winter Sight Word Learning Cards for Kids

They can even use the blank word labels to write the sight words themselves!

If you laminate the cards, students can label the pictures using dry erase markers.

Winter Sight Word Picture Labeling Cards

You may even want to turn the matching exercises into reusable activities with hook and loop adhesive coins.

Scroll down to get your copy of our printable Winter Sight Word Flashcards!

Don’t miss these other literacy learning ideas!

Learn the Spanish ABCs with this fun Spanish alphabet literacy center for early learners!

These fun dinosaur word matching puzzles are so fun for early literacy practice!

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

To get your copy of our Winter Sight Words Cards, pick up our Seasonal Sight Words Learning Cards!

You’ll find the winter-themed sight word activities, plus practice for spring, summer, and fall nouns too!

Get a look at this resource in the video!

To get your copy of our Seasonal Sight Words Learning Cards, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or check them out below!

50 Fun and Easy Winter Crafts for Kids

November 16, 2017 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Cold winter days are just made for crafting, aren’t they? Well, they’re made for sipping hot chocolate, curling up with a good book, and crafting.

Like a lot of you, I don’t have a natural “crafty” gene and I don’t have a lot of time to gather supplies and create intricate projects, no matter how much I’d like to. So when I start looking for crafts for kids, I tend to stick with those that are easy and use regular household items.

So I had a blast finding this list of 50 fun and easy winter crafts for kids! These art projects are simple enough for kids of all ages but beautiful enough to hang on the wall afterward!

If you want to share some cozy winter stories, don’t miss our list of must-read winter books for kids too!

50 Fun and Easy Winter Crafts for Kids

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

2. Snow Globe Photo Keepsake – Teach Me Mommy

3. Egg Carton Snowman – From ABCs to ACTs

4. Yarn-Wrapped Winter Tree Craft – Buggy and Buddy

5. Melting Snowman Blow Painting – Kids Craft Room

6. Heart Penguin Preschool Craft – Natural Beach Living

7. Easy Paper Snowman Art – Fireflies and Mudpies

8. Scissor Skills Snowman Craft – School Time Snippets

9. Sparkly Winter Paintings – Stay at Home Educator

10. Marble-Painted Snowflake Craft – Fantastic Fun and Learning

11. Paper Roll Penguins – Clare’s Little Tots

12. Clay Snowflake Mobile – NurtureStore

13. Snowflake Math Factors Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

14. Easy Origami Penguin Cards – Red Ted Art

15. Snow Globe Paper Craft – Busy Kids Happy Mom

16. Pine Cone Snow Friends Craft – Non Toy Gifts

17. Bottle Cap Snowman – Simple Fun for Kids

18. Winter Solstice Ice Lamp – The Gingerbread House

19. Marshmallow Snowman Craft – One Creative Mommy

20. Paper Roll Snowflake Bracelets – Happily Ever Mom

21. DIY Snowflake Window Clings – School Time Snippets

22. DIY Ice Cave Craft – Blue Bear Wood

23. Puffy Paint Melted Snowman Craft – Messy Little Monster

24. Frosted Winter Luminaries – Blue Bear Wood

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Free Printable Flashcards: Arctic Animal Flash Cards

November 14, 2017 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Winter is rapidly approaching and it seems like lots of parents and educators are getting ready for the cold season.

So, we thought we’d share a new set of free printable flashcards today – Arctic Animal flash cards!

I love learning about the Arctic with the kids. The animals that live there are so varied (and adorable).

Printable Arctic Animals Flashcards for Kids

Plus, there are all kinds of fascinating behaviors to study: from penguins that huddle together to keep warm to Arctic hares that lighten in color as they age for an amazing camouflage.

Read on to get your copy of these Arctic Animal learning cards – free!

If your students enjoy using these, be sure to check out our Spanish Arctic Animals Learning Card set for even more vocabulary practice!

Teach early learners about animals that live in the Arctic regions with these Arctic Animals flashcards!

Printable Arctic Animal Flashcards for Kids

To use these Arctic Animal flashcards, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are used below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Scissors
Laminator (Helps cards stay sturdy longer)
Hook and loop adhesive coins (optional)

This flash card set includes eight different Arctic animals:

Walrus
Sea Lion
Arctic Hare
Arctic Fox
Arctic Wolf
Orca Whale
Polar Bear
and Beluga Whale!

Simple Arctic Animals Flashcards for Kids

The first set of cards are flashcards to introduce students to each animal.

Be sure to read the name of each animal aloud and have students repeat it as they look at each picture.

The second set of cards are picture matching cards with the name only.

A page of separate animal pictures is included.

How to Use the Arctic Animals Learning Cards with Students

If you choose, you can put the flashcards on a ring for use at centers. Let students practice reading each animal name aloud as they come to each picture.

Once students have mastered identifying each animal, let them practice their recognition by finding the right picture for each animal name!

If you want to make this a reusable activity, add hook and loop adhesive coins to the back of the pictures.

Students can practice matching them up again and again!

Pretty soon they’ll be naming all the Arctic animals on their own!

Scroll down to get your free Arctic Animal Flash Cards!

Books about Arctic Animals for Kids:

For even more arctic animal fun, try these great kids’ books about arctic animals!

1. Polar Animals – Scholastic

2. Amazing Arctic Animals – Penguin

3. Over in the Arctic: Where the Cold Winds Blow – Marianne Berkes

4. Arctic A to Z – Wayne Lynch

Be sure to check out these other winter activities!

This fun hibernation sorting activity is a great way to teach students about animals that hibernate!

This easy polar bear paper bag puppet is a fun winter craft to make with kids!

This hands-on penguin life cycle sequencing activity is a simple way to learn about animal science during winter!

To get your copy of these Arctic Animals flashcards, click the image or the link below to have it sent directly to your inbox!

You’ll also get our weekly newsletter this Sunday!

IMPORTANT: If you have a pop-up blocker installed in your web browser, you will need to disable it in order to fill out the email request form.

>>> Arctic Animals Learning Cards <<<

More Polar Animal Ideas from the Early Elementary Team:

Penguin Addition to 100 with Hundreds Chart from Life Over C’s

Polar Animals Facts Game from In the Playroom

How Do Penguins Stay Dry? from Raising Little Superheroes

Polar Bear Food Chains from Rainy Day Mum

Polar Bear Place Value Math Games from Sugar Aunts

Polar Bear Footprint Multiplication from Still Playing School

Arctic Animals Sight Words Game from 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Polar Animals True or False? from Sallie Borrink – Living and Learning Outside the Box

Penguin Art Project from Preschool Powol Packets

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Snowman Craft

November 13, 2017 by Selena Robinson 14 Comments

We live in the Deep South. Which means that winter is kind of a one-week deal.

We do get cold weather and the occasional snow flurry, but for the most part, actual snow and ice winter only occurs every once in a while.

The few times we’ve had snow have been newsworthy affairs. The kids will just sit in front of the window and watch in amazement as it falls.

So they’ve never had the chance to make a real snowman in the yard.

But we still wanted to get into the wintery spirit, so we’re sharing a new one of our coffee filter crafts for kids – a coffee filter snowman craft!

Easy Coffee Filter Snowman Craft Project

This is such a fun and quick winter craft for the kids to do this year!

Read on to see how to make it at home!

Take the snowman theme further with our list of 15 fun snowman books for kids to read!

Make this cute coffee filter snowman craft with the kids on a winter afternoon!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Snowman Craft

To make this coffee filter snowman craft, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are listed below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

We went with blue construction paper for the background.

The black and orange pieces of construction paper are for making the snowman’s face.

Start by gluing the coffee filter onto the center of the construction paper. We put ours toward the bottom of the center.

Then use a black crayon or a black marker to draw two eyes in the upper center of the filter.

Cut out a carrot-shaped piece of orange construction paper. Glue it in the center of the filter to make the snowman’s “nose”.

Cut out four or five rough circles of black construction paper to form pieces of “coal”.

Arrange them in a semi-circle and then glue them down to make the snowman’s “mouth”.

Making a Simple Coffee Filter Snowman Craft

Time to add the top hat!

Cut out a rectangular piece of black construction paper and glue it directly on the top of the coffee filter.

Easy Coffee Filter Snowman Craft for Kids

Then add a narrow rectangle of black construction paper to the bottom of the hat to form the brim.

Finally, use a white crayon to add a few “snowflakes” falling in the background and you’re done!

Kids might want to add their own twists to this craft by decorating the snowman’s hat, drawing a winter scene in the background, or giving him different colored eyes.

You could even add long eyelashes and long hair to make a “snowwoman”!

Watch me make this craft in the video below!

Winter Themed Preschool Activity Calendar

Did you enjoy this coffee filter snowman craft? Add even more snowman-themed fun to your early lessons with this printable preschool winter activity calendar!

Preschool Winter Activity Calendar for Kids

Use the web-linked versions to get instructions for each of the themed activities.

Perfect for planning winter lessons for early learners!

To get your copy of these Arctic Animals flashcards, click the image or the link below to have it sent directly to your inbox!

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>>> Preschool Winter Activity Calendar <<<

Don’t miss these other fun winter craft ideas for kids!

Make this fun and easy toilet paper roll snowman craft with little ones!

This easy penguin family paper plate craft is such a cute winter craft to make with kids!

DIY Pop Up Thank You Cards

November 7, 2017 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Last weekend, some good friends invited our family over for dinner. We had a wonderful time with them, so we decided to have the kids make some thank you cards.

But any old thank you card just won’t do, so DIY pop up thank you cards it is!

These were such a fun project so share with the kids! And it only took a few minutes for all of us to create together! Read on to see how to make these with your family!

These are wonderful for helping kids learn to show appreciation for acts of kindness or gifts they receive from friends and family. Plus, they can decorate them in their own special way!

And for other simple kids’ crafts, try my list of super easy preschool crafts you can make in 10 minutes!

DIY Pop Up Thank You Cards

To make these DIY pop up thank you cards, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links provided here for convenience. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Scrapbook paper (One for each card)
Printer Paper (One piece makes two cards)
Glue stick
Child-safe scissors
Washable Markers
Stickers

Start by cutting a piece of printer paper in half. Then fold each half into halves to make two separate cards.

We ended up making three, so we used a piece and a half of printer paper.

Use the scissors to cut narrow slits into the fold of the printer paper.

You’ll need to make two cuts for each pop-up frame you want. We wanted to make three pop-up frames, so we made six slits.

Push the slits back through the paper and crease them to make stand-up frames. These will be the base of your pop-up pictures.

Now cut out a piece of scrapbook paper to fit the size of your printer paper card.

Glue the back of the scrapbook paper to the outside of the printer paper. That way, the scrapbook paper patter will appear on the outside and the pop-up frame will appear on the inside.

(Note: It works best to fold the scrapbook paper in half first. That helps it fit to the printer paper better when you glue them together.)

Since our scrapbook paper was patterned with lovely butterflies, we decided to cut out some of the small butterfly pictures and use them for our card.

Before gluing them down, we cut the pictures out and placed them on the card to make sure they’d fit.

Then we just glued the pictures to the frames and added a handwritten thank you message.

All folded up. Look how pretty it is!

Our younger kids wanted to make some cards too. They used stickers to decorate their pop-up frames so that they would “stand up” when opened.

All we have left to do is hand them out to brighten someone’s day!

These would be a wonderful way for children to show gratitude to family members, friends, teachers, neighbors, and more at any time of year!

Have you tried making these DIY pop up thank you cards with your family? Let me know how you liked this project in the comments!

For more simple crafts, try these ideas!

Plus, follow my Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board for more ideas!

ADHD Sleep Tips for Kids That Actually Work!

November 2, 2017 by Selena Robinson 32 Comments

Getting enough sleep is a major problem for kids and adults with ADHD. I’ve been a light sleeper for years, but I had no idea it was related to ADHD until I started researching symptoms.

Personally, I CANNOT go to sleep without reading first. If I try to just lie down, my mind will race with a thousand “I need to” and “I really should” thoughts, and eventually I’ll jump up and start doing stuff. Not good if I expect to be a relatively happy mom the next day.

Our kids tend to be light sleepers too. Tigger and Roo take a very long time to fall asleep, and poor Pooh has struggled with night terrors ever since he was an infant. The irony is: The less sleep kids with ADHD get, the worse their symptoms are. So we’ve had quite a few rough homeschooling days due to lack of sleep.

I’ve been reading lots of information about establishing good sleep habits, and today I’m sharing three ADHD sleep tips for kids (and adults)!

If this post is helpful, be sure to read my list of the best ADHD homeschooling tips around!

Image: Deyan Georgiev / Dollar Photo Club

ADHD Sleep Tips for Kids

1. Provide plenty of physical activity during the day.

For years, my husband has done manual work. On days that he works, he rests well at night because he’s so exhausted from the day. On weekends, though, he tends to stay up late into the night.

Turns out that’s related to ADHD! When kids and adults with ADHD exert themselves during the day, they sleep more soundly at night. Make time for your kids to get up and move vigorously during the school day and they should rest better.

2. End screen time a few hours before bed.

It’s no secret that kids tend to get excited after watching television, but that is true to an even greater degree in kids with ADHD. And it’s not just TV. Any kind of screen time, including computers, tablets, and smartphones, can be overstimulating and make it harder for kids to go to sleep at night. Of course, as I write this, it is 11:38 p.m., so this is a “Do as I say, not as I do” moment. 😉

We’ll be talking more about screen time limits later in the series, but it is critical that we minimize (and even eliminate) screen time when possible to avoid sleep problems and loss of focus. That’s where adding in physical fitness can help, because it gives kids an outlet for their energy instead of adding more stimuli.

3. Establish a bedtime routine and stick to it.

We’ve used a set bedtime in our family for years. But that’s not all that’s involved in establishing a bedtime routine. You know how doctors encourage you to create a routine of bathing, reading, and singing to help babies learn to sleep at night? We should keep that going with our kids long after babyhood.

We covered the importance of routines for ADHD yesterday, and those same points apply to the bedtime routine. That means that consistency is critical. Once you establish your bedtime routine, stick with it every night. Over time, your kids’ bodies will learn that nighttime is for winding down and resting.

Note: I’ve been hearing good things about melatonin. My daughter’s pediatrician actually recommended it to us during her last visit. But I’ve been hesitant to try it, because I’ve heard that it gives some kids nightmares. So if any of you have any thoughts or experiences with melatonin, please tell me about them! (Disclosure: I am not a medical professional. Please consult a doctor before deciding how to treat ADHD in your family.)

Have you struggled with helping your kids with ADHD go to sleep? Do you have any ADHD sleep tips for kids that work in your family? Tell us about them in the comments!

Need more help parenting and teaching kids with ADHD? Read these posts for ideas!

For more help parenting kids with ADHD, follow my ADHD Tips board on Pinterest!

Don’t miss these other great posts!

Fall Sight Words Flashcards

October 26, 2017 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Are you in the fall mood yet?

We had our first actual cool weather day here yesterday and it was wonderful.

I put on my favorite sweater, walked out the door, and enjoyed a hot coffee. Of course, we’ll have highs in the 80s again later this week, but for those few minutes, it really felt like fall had arrived.

Printable Fall Sight Word Literacy Cards

Fall is a great time to focus on building sight word skills with students.

If you’re working on sight words this year, these fall sight words flashcards are a fun way to strengthen reading skills and get into the fall spirit!

Practicing Fall Noun Sight Word Skills with Kids

Keep reading to see how to get your copy.

By the way, be sure to take a look at our Fall Alphabet and Number Playdough Mats too!

These fall sight word learning cards are perfect for building literacy skills during autumn!

Printable Fall Sight Words Flashcards

To use these fall sight words flashcards, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are listed below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Scissors
Laminator (if you want to reuse them later)
Hook and loop adhesive coins (optional)
Dry erase markers (optional)

These flashcards are perfect for kids who are working on sight word skills, whether they’re toddlers or even first graders!

In this early literacy resource, you’ll find flashcards for the following fall-themed sight words:

Apple
Bear
Cat
Cow
Farm
School
Night
And School!

Practicing Fall Sight Words at Literacy Centers

There’s also a blank set of cards without the words so that kids can practice identifying each picture.

A set of cards with just the words is also included to help students learn to recognize the words alone.

There’s also a set of cards with the words only to practice recognizing the words on their own.

How to Use the Fall Sight Words Flashcards with Students

There are several ways to use these fall noun sight words learning cards in the classroom.

Fall Themed Sight Words Learning Cards for Kids

Cut apart the picture cards and let students practice identifying each item before introducing the written words.

Fall Themed Sight Words Practice for Kids

Add in the written noun sight word flashcards and practice identifying each picture by reading the words.

Students who are ready to practice writing can use the blank word labels to write the sight word for each card.

You may wish to laminate the cards and hand out dry erase markers for the labeling activity.

Keep the flashcards nearby for students to check their work at centers or in morning tubs.

You can even add hook and loop adhesive coins to turn the matching activities into reusable practice at centers.

Scroll down to get your fall sight words flashcards!

For even more fall fun, check out the following kids’ books about fall as well as some fun fall crafts and activities for children!

Kids’ Books about Fall

1. Hooray for Fall! by Kazuo Iwamuara

2. Fall (The Seasons) by Nuria Roca

3. Mouse’s First Fall by Lauren Thompson

4. I See Fall by Charles Ghigna

Kids’ Fall Crafts and Activities

1. Fall Playdough Recipe – Learn Play Imagine

2. 50 Free Fall Printables – Look! We’re Learning!

3. Fall Button Tree Quiet Bin – Hands On As We Grow

4. Leaf Stamping Fall Tree Craft – Crafty Morning

5. Fall Snow Globe Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

Get even more ideas for learning about fall below!

Use these realistic leaf identification activity cards to help students recognize common tree species!

Use this printable preschool fall activity calendar to plan an entire season of ideas for early learners!

This hands-on oak tree life cycle sequencing activity makes learning about fall plant science fun for early grades!

To get your copy of our Fall Sight Words Flashcards, pick up our Seasons of Sight Seasonal Sight Word Learning Cards set!

The fall sight words learning cards are inside, plus noun sight word practice for spring, summer, and winter too!

Watch the video to get a look at this resource in full!

To get your copy of our Seasonal Sight Word Learning Cards, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or check them out below!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Dog Craft

October 24, 2017 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Growing up, we had a little toy poodle named Misty. She was grey all over and my mother, who was a dog groomer, always cut her hair so that she’d have a little puff at the top of her head. She usually wore a blue collar.

Our kids have only asked for a pet a few times so far (thankfully), and I’ve managed to divert them each time. I am so not ready to have a pet and four children right now.

But when we got ready to make a new one of our coffee filter crafts for kids, I was totally open to making a coffee filter dog craft. See how we did it below!

If your kids enjoy this project, try some of our other animal coffee filter crafts, including our coffee filter owl, coffee filter cat, and coffee filter moose!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Dog Craft

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

I went with a blue construction paper background because it makes it easier for the colors to stand out. But you can use any color you like.

Start by using a black crayon to draw two eyes in the top center of the coffee filter.

Add a light brown circle over one eye (to make a spot) and then color the rest of the coffee filter dark brown.

Color both areas in completely.

Now add an upside down triangle for the nose.

Draw a mouth by making two curved lines that come down from the nose in either direction.

Now it’s time to add some ears! We drew two floppy ears in brown crayon and then colored them in with a brown marker.

Then we decided to add a few whisker freckles on each cheek.

And a few bones for the background and we’re done!

This was a fun and simple craft that only took a few minutes. Plus, it’d be a great fit for a unit about dogs, pets, or even family (if you have a pet).

Try some of these other easy crafts for kids!

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

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Homeschool Tools That Are Worth the Investment

October 23, 2017 by Selena Robinson 10 Comments

Over the years, I’ve been rather cheap about homeschooling equipment. I’ll go crazy buying books, pens, and curriculum, but I was really hesitant to buy bulkier items for some reason. Probably because we have a small house and I didn’t want to overwhelm it with large items I wouldn’t use very often.

But, even though it’s wise to stay on a homeschooling budget, especially if you have several children (like we do), there are some homeschool tools that are worth the investment. During the years we’ve been homeschooling, I’ve found that three items in particular make this list.

Homeschool Tools That Are Worth the Investment

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

When you go into a teacher’s lounge or the school copy room at a public school, you’ll see – among other things – an industrial-sized laminator. Public educators laminate nearly everything, which makes sense because they often have to reuse charts, placemats, and all kinds of other materials over the years.

I’d been hearing about the virtues of laminators for homeschoolers for some time, but I didn’t think I needed one. I was wrong.

Amazon frequently offers laminators on sale, especially during back to school time, so when the price of the Scotch laminator dropped to $20, I picked one up.

I couldn’t have made a better investment for our homeschool. I laminate so many things! Curriculum covers, playdough mats, printable flashcards, and more! And, since we use so many different digital curriculum products, I need to print and laminate fairly often.

Another item that I was told would come in handy was a coil-binding machine. That one, honestly, seemed like an extravagance and I was a little intimidated by it. It just looked so complicated. Would I really use it?

Yes. Yes, I would.

I have the Fellowes Star Coil Binding Machine, which is super simple to operate and one of my favorite purchases ever. I can turn almost anything into a book now! Lesson planners, teachers’ guides, printed curriculum – the possibilities are endless.

And, while I thought this machine would be enormous and in the way, it actually folds up and fits on the floor of our hallway closet with no trouble at all. I stressed over that for absolutely nothing.

My other homeschool investment has been our classroom chalkboard.

A whiteboard would work just as well, by the way. But chalk is cheaper to buy, so I went with that for our homeschool needs. The size I purchased is 23 x 35, which is large enough to be seen but not so large that takes up most of our wall.

Also – There’s just something about seeing me work out a math problem on the board that makes the light go off over my kids’ heads.

So, those are my top three homeschool tools that are worth the investment:

I also have two other items that deserve an honorable mention:

My electric pencil sharpener (You would not believe how many times I hear the phrase “Can I sharpen my pencil, Mom?” during the day.)
My external hard drive (I use this to store all of my digital homeschool curriculum.)

Do you have any homeschool tools that are truly proven their worth over the years? Share your tips in the comments!

Don’t miss these other homeschooling posts!

And see more ways to create your own homeschool on my Homeschool Planning Pinterest board!

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How to Afford Homeschooling eBook Download

Montessori Homeschool Kindergarten with ShillerMath

October 19, 2017 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Our preschooler is raring to go for kindergarten this year, so when I was considering what we’d use as our primary curriculum, I looked around and tried a few things. We love using apps to reinforce what she’s learning, but I also wanted her to have some hands-on kinesthetic activities to help her really “see” the concepts.

She’s also very enthusiastic about doing “schoolwork” like her siblings, so I knew she would want a program that would challenge her and be able to grow along with her ability.

So when I got the opportunity to review ShillerMath Kit A and ShillerMath Language Arts Foundations, I was thrilled! This was just the kind of program I was looking for!

If you’re considering a Montessori homeschool kindergarten approach, take a look at how ShillerMath curriculum makes learning math and ELA into an interactive experience for young kids! Plus, see how you can score a discount on a ShillerMath order of your own!

And for books your early reader will love, check out our simple homeschool kindergarten reading list!

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Montessori Homeschool Kindergarten: ShillerMath Language Arts Foundations

When I opened my boxes from ShillerMath, I really didn’t know what to expect, so I was amazed by how complete the curriculum is.

Language Arts Foundations is a relatively new program from ShillerMath, which is designed to introduce ELA to children aged 4 to 5 (think: preschool through kindergarten).

The program includes lesson plan books and manipulatives – so, so many manipulatives. There is no way kids will get bored with this curriculum.

I have been aware of the Montessori method for some time. I haven’t used it with my children, but I have always liked the idea of helping children to take ownership of their education through hands-on learning, which is what Montessori teaches.

But – I’m not a Montessori teacher and I was unsure how to go about using this method with my kids. Which is why ShillerMath is so awesome. You don’t have to know the Montessori method to use it. It’s all outlined for you in the lesson plan!

This is one of the lessons in ShillerMath Language Arts Foundations. As you can see, the entire script is laid out for you. You can truly just open the book and read the instructions. Which is exactly what we did!

For this lesson, we used the movable alphabet, some playdough, and the grain. (All of this is included in the box, by the way.)

Once we identified the letter C, we spent a little time working with the wooden letters on the work mat. We turned them backwards and upside down until we recognized how to place them so that we could read them correctly.

Then it was time to break out the grain. As instructed, I gave my little one a small bowl and let her pour the grain herself. She was so psyched to do that on her own.

Of course, she had to have a little sensory play in the grain before continuing with the lesson.

We traced the letter C in the grain for some fine motor skill practice and a sensory experience.

As you can see, she really loved that part of the lesson.

Then it was time to make some playdough letters! We rolled out some dough and made playdough ropes.

Then we just shaped them into the letter C! We decided to do an uppercase letter C and a lowercase letter C.

That’s an example of the Montessori method in action. Instead of just showing a child the letter, you get to let them explore the letter in as many forms as possible. My kindergartner had a blast with it.

Keep reading to see how ShillerMath approaches Montessori math for early grades!

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20 Beautiful Owl Books for Kids

October 17, 2017 by Selena Robinson 5 Comments

We’ve had fun studying about nocturnal animals and one of those animals is…the owl! There are owls here in Georgia, but we hardly ever see them because they’re up when we’re asleep. 🙂

Since we’ve been talking about animals that are night “owls” (get it?), I rounded up some beautiful owl books for kids that we can share together. If you’re studying owls this fall, check out these storybooks and nonfiction books for some awesome owl facts!

If you love these, don’t miss our list of bear books for kids as well! And for a fun craft project, see how to make a cute coffee filter owl craft with the kids!

Owl Books for Kids:

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

1. Owls by Gail Gibbons

2. Little Owl’s Night by Divya Srinivasan

3. Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

4. National Geographic Readers: Owls by Laura Marsh

5. Little Owl Lost by Chris Haughton

6. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

7. Exploring the World of Owls by Tracy Read

8. The Barn Owls by Tony Johnston

9. Owl at Home (I Can Read Level 2) by Arnold Lobel

10. Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise by Sean Taylor

See the rest of the list on page 2!

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Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Turkey Craft

October 10, 2017 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

I had my very first encounter with a wild turkey not too long ago. I knew that they lived down here in the South, but I had yet to lay eyes on one.

Turns out – they’re huge! In fact, I initially thought that the one I saw was a vulture until we got right up on it. It was not a vulture. It was an enormous turkey and I was terrified. (Okay, I was in my car, but terrified nonetheless.)

So it’s clear that I have a lot more to learn about turkeys. And that’s why I thought the next one of our coffee filter crafts for kids should be a coffee filter turkey craft!

This was such a fun project to make. It’ll be perfect for kids to create this fall! And it’d go well with some of our other farm-themed crafts, including our farm paper bag puppets and our coffee filter pig craft!

If you like this craft, check out our list of farm books to share with the kids too!

Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids: Coffee Filter Turkey Craft

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

To start, flatten out the coffee filter as best you can.

Fold the bottom fourth edge of the filter under to make a sharp crease.

Cut the bottom fold off so that the coffee filter has a flat bottom edge. This will be the turkey’s “feathers”.

Use a brown crayon to color a kind of sunburst design. The goal is to have alternating brown and red feathers. So leave enough space between the brown lines to add red next.

Like so. When you’re finished, you can color in the rest of the bottom with a solid red. You could also use yellow or orange colors if you wanted.

Fold the brown piece of construction paper in half, then fold it in half again to make fourths. Cut out one of the fourths. You’ll cut the turkey “body” from this piece of paper.

Place the colored coffee filter in the center of the large piece of construction paper and glue it down. Cut a rounded cylinder shape (like a silo) out of the small brown piece of construction paper. Glue it on the center of the coffee filter, lining up the flat edges of both the filter and the paper.

Time to give our turkey a face! Cut two small circles out of white paper. Use a black crayon to draw eyes on them. Glue them to the top of the turkey’s “body”.

Cut out a small triangle-shaped piece of paper and color it orange. Glue it onto the turkey’s face to form the beak. Then use a black crayon to add a smile.

Something seemed to be missing, so we added the turkey’s “waddle” by cutting out a teardrop-shaped piece of paper and coloring it red. Then we just glued it next to the beak.

All our turkey needs is some feet and he’s good to go!

And we’re done! He’s definitely a lot nicer than the wild turkey I met that day.

Do you think your kids would like this coffee filter turkey craft? If so, don’t miss these other crafts for fall!

See more easy crafts the kids can make on my Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board!

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