Homeschool Curriculum Archives

15 Fun Weather STEM Activities for Kids

February 11, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

STEM activities for kids are super popular these days.

And with good reason! If you can incorporate several subjects into a hands-on activity, it’s always a hit with students.

With spring rapidly approaching, it’s a great time to learn about weather with kids. And these fun weather STEM activities make this topic easy and fun!

These simple STEM experiments are perfect for small groups, weather units, science centers, after school, homeschooling, and more!

If you’re feeling intimidated by teaching STEM, using a familiar science concept like weather is a great way to get started.

Personally, once I started using STEM projects with students, I found that it wasn’t nearly as overwhelming as I thought it would be.

And, with a fun concept like weather, it’s easy to get kids excited about these hands-on science projects!

Read on to see the full list of fun weather activities for kids. And for more ways to work with STEM, don’t miss our list of easy STEM activities for early grades!

15 Fun Weather STEM Activities for Kids

1. Coffee Can Condensation – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Hands-On Weather Graphing Activity – Rainy Day Mum

3. International Weather Tracking Activity – Mama Smiles

4. Wind Science Experiment – Teach Me Mommy

5. Build a Wind Turbine – Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

6. DIY Lightning Experiment – Learn Play Imagine

7. Rain Cloud Weather Experiment – Little Bins for Little Hands

8. Make a Tornado In a Bottle – Gift of Curiosity

9. Snowstorm In a Jar Experiment – B-Inspired Mama

10. DIY Pudding Cup Anemometer – Parenting Chaos

11. Make a DIY Thermometer – Lemon Lime Adventures

12. DIY Hurricane Experiment – Inspiration Laboratories

13. Shadow Towers STEM Challenge – No Time for Flashcards

14. Kite Flying Wind Activity – KC Edventures

15. Solar Heat STEM Activity – STEAM Powered Family

Did you enjoy these Weather STEM activities for kids? Take a look at these other science learning ideas!

Follow my It’s Science! Pinterest board for more ways to make learning science fun!

Free Mother Goose Rhyme Copywork Worksheets

February 10, 2020 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Remember going to nursery school? (That’s preschool for those of you born after 1990.)

You basically spent the day playing, singing songs, eating snacks, and listening to stories. It was the highlight of my four-year-old existence.

My nursery school was named “Shady Oaks”, which still makes me think of sitting under a giant oak tree and reading a storybook.

At nursery school, I heard Mother Goose rhymes almost everyday. And I still love them.

They’re wonderful resources for helping preschoolers learn to memorize basic poetry, get introduced to rhyming, and more.

My four-year-old uses Starfall all the time. And guess what they do to cover poetry? They use Mother Goose rhymes too! Some things never go out-of-date.

Since Mother Goose rhymes are so short, they’re also good copywork practice for young children who are learning to form letters.

And that’s why I put together this simple Mother Goose Rhyme Copywork pack, which is absolutely free!

Read on to get a copy for yourself!

And be sure to check out my list of 100 memorable picture books for preschoolers if you’re looking for some wonderful stories to share with your four-year-old.

Free Mother Goose Rhyme Copywork Worksheets

To use these Mother Goose rhyme copywork worksheets, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For more, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Pencils
Laminator (optional)
Dry erase markers (optional)

This product includes the lyrics to three classic Mother Goose rhymes:

Hey, Diddle, Diddle
Hickory Dickory Dock
and Humpty Dumpty

Each page has illustrations that go along with the stories, so they’re good storytelling exercises, especially for pre-readers.

After reading each set of lyrics, see if your child can retell the story to you using the pictures as prompts.

The pack includes one page featuring traceable lyrics to each story and one page of blank lines so that kids can rewrite the lyrics on their own.

There are six trace and write pages in all.

These would be fantastic for literacy centers!

Simply laminate the pages and use them with dry erase markers for small groups!

Scroll down to get your free Mother Goose Rhyme Copywork worksheets!

Stop by to check out these other ELA ideas for kids!

And follow my Learning for Little Ones Pinterest board for more early education ideas!

To get your copy of our Free Mother Goose Rhyme Copywork, click the image or the link below to download it free from my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

>>>Mother Goose Copywork – Teachers Pay Teachers <<<

This post is part of the Mother Goose Unit Study roundup! Stop over to read more Mother Goose learning ideas from my fellow bloggers!

Little Boy Blue: Free Printables & Activities by Faith and Good Works

Mother Goose Word Search by Schooling a Monkey

Mother Goose Anthologies for Children by The Jenny Evolution

Shape Sort! Shape Sorting Activity Mats for Kids

February 6, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Shapes are all around us. We often learn about them as individual items, but we really see them everywhere we go!

When my kids were small, they loved spotting shapes as we went about the day.

They found shapes on streetlights, traffic signs, buildings, and especially their favorite foods.

To help early learners recognize shapes all around them, I’m sharing these fun shape sorting activity mats for preschoolers!

These are so cute for morning tubs and early math centers! Kids will love challenging themselves to find all the shape objects.

Read on to see how to get your set! And, for more fun with shapes, don’t miss our Apple Seek and Find Shapes Worksheets!

Shape Sort! Shape Sorting Activity Mats

To use these printable shape sorting activity mats, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

This product includes mats and shape cards for:

Circle
Square
Triangle
and Oval

Each shape mat has six spaces to place the six objects that have the specified shape.

The cards are also color coded, so it’s easy – even for little ones – to match them up.

If a student is unsure which shape goes where, ask them to lay the shape card directly on the shape shown on the mat.

Then they can trace around the shape with their finger to see which shape it resembles the most.

This can be used as a one-time cut and paste activity for students, but it really works wonderfully as a reusable lesson.

Just laminate the mats and cards and then add hook and loop sticky dots for a quick go-to whenever you want to reinforce shape recognition.

These are also fantastic for busy bags!

Scroll down to get your Printable Shape Sorting Activity Mats!

Take a look at these other early learning activities for students!

And don’t miss more ways to teach for early ages on my Learning for Little Ones Pinterest board!

To get your copy of these Shape Sort! Shape Sorting Activity Mats, click the image or the link below to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

>>> Shape Sorting Activity Mats – Teachers Pay Teachers <<<

Los Colores! Printable Spanish Color Words Book

February 4, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Are you teaching Spanish to early learners?

There are so many fun ways to reinforce basic Spanish vocabulary practice with young students. You can play memory games, listen to Spanish vocabulary songs, or you can use printable activities.

If you’re looking for a simple printable for Spanish color words vocabulary, look no further!

This little printable Spanish tracing color words book is an easy and fun way to practice vocabulary and handwriting at once!

This would make a fantastic literacy center activity for ESL students too!

Read on to see how to get your copy. And, for more fun learning Spanish words for colors, don’t miss our Spanish Color by Word Lesson!

Los Colores! Spanish Color Words Book for Kids

To use this printable Spanish color words book for kids, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper
Scissors
Pencils
Laminator (optional)
Dry erase markers (optional)

This product includes printable tracing pages for nine different colors in Spanish.

A title page for the book is also included.

To assemble the book, simply cut apart each of the pages. Stack them together, add staples along the side, and you’re done!

If you’re working with small groups, you can rotate this lesson so that you don’t have to assemble so many books at one time.

Or if you want to reuse the activity, turn it into a literacy center lesson!

Laminate the pages, place them on a ring, and let students practice tracing and writing the color words with dry erase markers.

Scroll down to get your Tracing Spanish Color Words Book!

Stop by to check out these other ways to teach Spanish in the classroom!

And see more ways to learn foreign languages on my Foreign Languages for Kids Pinterest board!

To get your copy of Los Colores! Tracing Spanish Color Words Book for Kids, click the image or the link below to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

>>> Tracing Spanish Color Words Book – Teachers Pay Teachers <<<

Share A Donut! Making Equal Shares Activity for Early Grades

February 3, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

When I was in school…ahem…several years ago…we learned about equal parts when we got to fractions.

There wasn’t an introductory lesson about it in early grades.

So I think it’s good that students get to learn about making equal shares in first and second grade – before they get to the concept of fractions. It makes the concept much clearer later on.

I wanted to make a hands on math activity that would help first and second graders to learn this geometry concept – this Share A Donut! Making Equal Shares Activity!

I feel pretty confident that I’m not the only donut lover on Earth, so I thought this would be a fun math center activity for early grades!

Read on to see how to get your copy. And, for more fun with donuts, take a look at our Donut Colors! Sentence Writing Activity!

Share A Donut! Making Equal Shares Activity

To use this making equal shares activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

This product includes:

Two pages of unlabeled color donut pieces
Two pages of labeled color donut pieces
Eight line art fill in the blank donut cards
A full answer key
And a set of instructions!

You can use this as a one-time cut and paste lesson.

Just print the pages, let students cut out the parts, and then glue them into the donut cards to fill in the donut with the correct number of equal shares.

Be sure to have students label the number of shares and use the unlabeled donut pieces to name each part as a fraction (if you like).

You can also make this into a reusable math center!

Laminate the pages and cut out the donut shares. Then add hook and loop sticky dots to the back of the donut parts and the donut cards.

Students can use them over and over again!

Scroll down to get this Donut Making Equal Shares Activity!

Don’t miss these other hands-on math ideas for early grades!

$Pick up these pumpkin pie fraction clip cards to help students practice fraction skills during fall! So fun for fall morning tubs and math centers!$

And see more ways to teach math on my Math Mania! Pinterest board!

To get your copy of this Share A Donut! Making Equal Shares Activity, click the image or the link below to grab it from my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

>>> Share A Donut! Making Equal Shares Math Center – Teachers Pay Teachers <<<

Robot Number Tracing Worksheets for Kids

January 28, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Math centers are my new obsession. They’re so awesome.

Kids get to gather around the center in small groups and work with math activities that are actually fun. It’s great for taking math off the page.

The key to a simple math center, though, is finding a simple interactive resource you can use again and again.

Which is where these simple robot number tracing worksheets come in handy!

These are good for a one-time practice lesson, but with just a few minutes of prep, you can easily make them reusable.

Perfect for math centers!

Read on to see how to get your set! And, for more fun with math centers, don’t miss my English and Spanish Cupcake Number Word Activity!

Robot Numbers! Number Tracing Worksheets for Kids

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

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper (I used Astrobright paper)
Laminator (optional)
Dry erase crayons or Dry erase markers (optional)

This product includes ten robot-themed number tracing printables.

Each has the selected number shown on the robot with nine tracing numerals for students to the right.

I like to use colorful Astrobright paper and then laminate these.

Then, you can simply let kids use dry erase crayons or dry erase markers to practice tracing each numeral.

When they’re done, just wipe them off and they’re ready to go for the next group!

These are also fantastic for morning tubs.

Just print them, place them on a ring and include dry erase crayons in the tub.

Scroll down to get your copy of these Robot Number Tracing Worksheets!

Stop by to see these other hands-on math activities for early grade students!

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

To get your copy of these Robot Numbers! Number Tracing Worksheets, click the image or the link below to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

>>> Robot Number Tracing Worksheets – Teachers Pay Teachers <<<

Snowball Smiles! Emotions Board Game for Kids

January 27, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Learning to talk about feelings is a critical vocabulary skill for early grade learners.

Actually, it’s a critical vocabulary skill for children of all ages.

It can be difficult for students to express exactly what they feel without fear of being criticized, particularly in groups.

And that’s why this Snowball Smiles! emotions board game is such a great social skills tool!

Instead of putting students on the spot, you can use this resource to help them find words for their feelings and learn how to use them in a fun and comfortable environment.

Plus, it’s just a fun game to play!

Read on to see how to get your copy of this feelings game.

And, for more practicing using emotional vocabulary with kids, pick up a set of our Spanish Feelings Flashcards too!

Snowball Emotions Board Game for Kids

To use this snowball emotions board game, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper
Laminator (optional)
Scissors
Math counters or Mini erasers” to use as game pieces

This emoji board game is a simple one to play.

The resource includes:

One game board
Six emotions cards for up to three players (but you can always print more copies if you like)
And a set of instructions

As students move around the game board, they’ll land on different feelings that match the ones on their cards.

This is a great time to reinforce ELA skills by using adjectives in sentences.

For example, if a student lands on “disgusted”, ask him or her: Have you ever felt disgusted by something? What was it?

And then really listen to each response.

It won’t take long before each player is sharing a feeling of their own!

If you laminate the cards and the game board, this can be a reusable resource for early finishers as well.

Scroll down to get your copy of this Snowball Smiles! Emotions Board Game!

Take a look at these other early learning games for kids!

And be sure to follow my Indoor Play board on Pinterest for more ways to bring play inside!

To get your copy of this Snowball Smiles! Feelings Board Game, click the image or the link below to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

>>> Snowball Smiles! Emotions Board Game – Teachers Pay Teachers <<<

Living Color History! Black History Figure Coloring Pages

January 23, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Black history is one of the reasons I taught my children at home for the early grades.

Black History Month is wonderful, but I wanted my children to learn about the accomplishments of African-Americans all year round.

When we homeschooled, we learned about so many fascinating people right from the start.

Since I’m passionate about the topic, I still like to share black history resources for educators who observe Black History Month. And that’s why these black history figure coloring pages are so helpful for early grade education!

Printable Black History Coloring Pages for Kids

These are a fun and simple way to introduce students to 36 African-Americans they may not have learned about.

They’re simple enough for early learners, but they also include facts about each person for older students.

And they’re a great springboard for further research!

Read on to see how to get your set.

If you’re looking for more ways to introduce these notable Black Americans to students, take a look at our printable and digital Black History matching puzzles too!

These black history coloring pages are a fun way to introduce students to notable Black Americans in history!

Living Color History! Black History Figure Coloring Pages

These are wonderful for art extension if you’ve been learning about any of these figures with your class.

And, if you’d like to broaden your black history knowledge, these figures are a great place to start!

To use this set of black history figure coloring pages, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

These coloring sheets feature realistic depictions of 36 different notable African-Americans!

How to Use Black History Coloring Pages with Kids

Plus, a blurb about what they accomplished in their careers and in history.

Learning about Black History with Coloring Pages

This resource includes coloring pages for:

Arthur Ashe
Barack Obama
Condoleezza Rice
Jackie Robinson
Mae Jemison
Oprah Winfrey
Ruby Bridges
W.E.B. DuBois
and many more!

How to Use Black History Coloring Pages with Students

There are several ways to use this resource with your students.

Naturally, they’re a great fit for use during Black History Month.

Printable Black History Coloring Book for Kids

But, if you’re planning a year-long unit, there are 36 individuals featured. So you can bind the entire resource and focus on one individual per week.

Using Black History Coloring Pages at Centers

You can print the resource at half size and place the pages on a ring for review.

Or, print the pages on colorful paper at 25%. Students can cut the pages apart and make a Black history booklet!

You can even challenge students to find out an interesting fact or two about the person on their sheet. Let them share what they learned the next day in class!

Get a look at all of the Black Americans featured in these black history coloring sheets below!

Scroll down to get your copy of these black history coloring pages!

Take a look at these other black history learning activities!

Digital and Print Ruby Bridges History Lesson

These Black history matching puzzles are a fun way to teach elementary students about notable Black Americans!

20 Fascinating Books about Black Inventors and Scientists for Kids to Read - Perfect for Black History Month!

Living Color History Black History Coloring Book

To get your copy of Living Color History! Black History Figure Coloring Pages, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or check it out below!

Polar Animals I Spy Activity for Kids

January 21, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Last week, I took the kids to the library and I checked out a Where’s Waldo? Find the Differences book.

After about 10 minutes of staring at one picture, my head started to hurt.

I found Waldo pretty quickly, but finding all the differences in each of the pictures almost killed me. The kids thought it was funny.

Look and find activities are really popular with kids (and adults like me), so I thought this fun Polar Animals I Spy Activity would be a cool winter project for early learners!

This winter I Spy activity is a simple, no prep learning game for little ones!

Read on to see how to get yours – free! And, for more early learning ideas for winter, don’t miss our Roll A Snowman Art Activity!

Polar Animals I Spy Activity

To use this Polar Animals I Spy Activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper
Laminator (optional)
Dry erase markers (optional)

This product includes two separate Polar Animal I Spy pages:

A simple I Spy activity for preschoolers
A more challenging I Spy activity for older children

These would be fantastic for morning tubs or math centers!

Simply laminate each activity page and let students use dry erase markers to count each polar animal they find.

The answers are included in the product too. 🙂

Scroll down to get your Polar Animals I Spy Activity!

Take a look at these other winter learning activities for early ages!

Follow my Winter Activities for Kids board on Pinterest for more ideas!

To get your copy of this Polar Animals I Spy Activity, sign up for our email newsletter! You’ll get this printable, plus lots more, in our exclusive Subscriber Library!

Get started by using the widget below.

NOTE: If you don’t receive the welcome email with the library access instructions, check your spam folder or send me an email at selena@lookwerelearning.com.

Yeti Math! Math Practice for Early Grades

January 16, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Learning how to count by twos, threes, and fives is such a critical skill for early learners.

But it doesn’t end there!

Counting leads to recognizing inequalities – which numbers are greater or less – and recognizing the difference between even and odd numbers as well.

Since teaching during winter can be a bit of a drag (at least it can for me), I thought this fun Yeti math practice for early grades lesson would be a fun way to perk up these basic math skills!

These fun snowman-themed practice drills feature skip counting, odd and even, inequalities, and more – all at a level that is perfect for early elementary grades!

Read on to see how to get your set – free! And, for more winter learning fun, don’t miss my Snow Globe Grammar Parts of Speech Sorting Activity!

Yeti Math! Math Practice for Early Grades

To use this math practice for early grades lesson, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper (I used Astrobright paper)
Pencils

This product includes:

Seven skip counting practice sheets
Two inequality practice sheets
Two odd and even number practice sheets
And four addition and subtraction practice sheets

If you want to use these for a math review, hand out each sheet and let students practice on their own.

You could also use them as a math center activity for several lessons!

Just laminate each page and let students practice completing them with dry erase markers.

Then they can try all over again the next day!

Scroll down to get your copy of Yeti Math! Math Practice for Early Grades!

Take a look at these other early math resources!

And see more ways to teach math on my Math Mania Pinterest board!

To get your copy of Yeti Math! Math Practice for Early Grades free, sign up for our email newsletter! You’ll receive access to this resource, plus loads more, in our exclusive Subscriber Library!

Lady Day Learning! Billie Holiday History Lesson for Kids

January 13, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

We’ve always been passionate about Black history in our family. In fact, most of American music history includes accomplishments by amazing black musicians and artists.

Which is why we try to teach our kids about Black jazz musicians from an early age.

And there’s no way to talk about early American jazz without discussing Billie Holiday. She was a true pioneer of songwriting, performing, and vocal styling.

So I thought this mini Billie Holiday history lesson would be a great resource to share for your Black history lessons too!

Elementary Billie Holiday History Lesson

This is an excellent resource for Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Jazz History Month, and more!

Plus, it’s a short lesson with simple activities, so you can use it without needing time to prep it in advance.

Teaching Elementary Students about Billie Holiday

Need a digital copy for distance learning? There’s one of those too!

Read on to get yours.

And, for more about the work of Black musicians, don’t miss our We Got Jazz! Black History Thematic Unit!

Learn about the life and legacy of one of the first ladies of jazz with this Billie Holiday elementary history lesson!

Lady Day Learning! Mini Billie Holiday History Lesson for Kids

To use the printable Billie Holiday resource, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

This Black history resource includes a two-page biography about the life and legacy of Billie Holiday.

How to Teach Elementary Students about Billie Holiday

Three comprehension activities are also included – a fill-in-the-blank exercise, a word unscramble, and a timeline sequencing activity.

Answer keys are included for each review activity.

And there’s a blackline version of the biography too!

How to Teach Elementary Students about Billie Holiday

To begin this lesson, start by reading the biography through with your class.

Elementary Billie Holiday Lesson for Kids

If you use the blackline version, kids can color in the pictures as you read.

Then begin the review activities.

Depending on the age of your students, you may wish to complete the fill-in-the-blank exercise as a group.

Then you can send the word unscramble and sequencing activities along as homework.

Printable Billie Holiday History Lesson for Kids

Use the answer keys to make grading a snap!

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

Digital Billie Holiday History Lesson for Elementary

Are you using digital resources with your students this year? This product is also available in a digital version!

Digital History Lesson about Billie Holiday

In this digital Billie Holiday history activity, which is compatible with Google Slides, students can read the biography of her life and career.

Billie Holiday Digital History Lesson for Elementary

Then answer the review questions by typing directly on the slides!

Digital versions of the word unscramble and timeline sequencing activities are included too.

And there’s a separate answer key for you to use when grading.

Scroll down to get this elementary Billie Holiday history lesson for your students!

Check out these other Black history learning ideas!

We Got Jazz Elementary Digital and Print Unit for Kids

Learn about the life and legacy of Ruby Bridges with this elementary Ruby Bridges history lesson!

Grab the digital version of this Billie Holiday activity in my Teachers Pay Teachers store! You can also get the print and digital versions as a bundle!

>> Digital Billie Holiday History Lesson <<

To get your copy of Lady Day Learning!, a Billie Holiday elementary lesson, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or check it out below!

Arctic Animals Handwriting Practice Sheets for Kids

January 9, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Who all remembers having the D’Nealian handwriting border around the top of the classroom wall?

I spent many afternoons tracing those letters in the air while I was bored in second grade.

We always learned D’Nealian penmanship because it made for an easier transition into cursive writing in later grades.

These days, though, students generally learn to print straight letters, because cursive isn’t used as much any more.

Instead of a regular old handwriting practice sheet, though, I thought it would be fun to share a set of wintry-themed Arctic Animals handwriting practice printables!

These would be a fun addition to a winter thematic unit, especially if you’re learning about the Arctic!

Read on to see how to get your set! And, for more fun with Arctic Animals, don’t miss our Polar Animals Pattern Activity!

Arctic Animals Handwriting Practice for Kids

To use these Arctic Animals handwriting practice printables, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper (I used Astrobright paper)
Pencils
Laminator (optional)

This product includes 26 letter handwriting practice sheets – one for each letter of the alphabet featuring both uppercase and lowercase letters.

There are also five Arctic animal name handwriting practice sheets included.

Print these and hand them out for daily penmanship practice.

Or you could laminate them and use them with dry erase markers in morning tubs or at centers!

Scroll down to get your set of Arctic Animal handwriting practice sheets!

Check out these other winter-themed learning ideas!

Follow my Winter Activities for Kids board on Pinterest for more inspiration!

To get your copy of our Arctic Animals Handwriting Practice printables, pick up the set from my Teachers Pay Teachers store! Click the link or the image below to get them.

>>> Arctic Alphabet Handwriting Practice Sheets – Teachers Pay Teachers <<<

Build A Snowman Winter Art Activity for Kids

January 6, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

We live in the Deep South. In fact, I’ve always lived down here.

So I’ve built a snowman in real life…a total of one time. Even then, we ended up using a broken clothes hanger for the mouth, because we didn’t have coal.

But I still try to get in on the winter snowman fun with students.

And this fun Roll A Snowman winter art activity is great for indoor wintry-themed game play!

It’s a quick activity to set up and you can let students play it at centers or small groups!

Read on to see how to get your copy free! And, for more fun with snowmen, don’t miss our easy Coffee Filter Snowman Craft for kids!

Build A Snowman Winter Art Activity for Kids

To use this build a snowman roll and color winter art activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

To get started, simply print the snowman coloring sheet and the six-sided paper die.

The die is color-coded, so students can see which colors to use on each part of the snowman.

Tip: I like to use cardstock for this activity, because the die holds up better for rolling when it’s printed on heavier paper.

Cut out the six-sided die, being sure to leave the foldable flaps in place. You’ll need to fold them in as you put the die together.

Use double-sided tape or a glue stick to assemble the die and then you’re good to go!

As students take turns rolling the die, they can color the section of the snowman as shown on the cube.

The last one to finish the snowman wins!

You can also use it as an individual activity and let early finishers work on this in between subjects.

Scroll down to get your copy of this Roll A Snowman Winter Art Activity – free!

Take a look at these other winter-themed learning ideas!

And be sure to follow my Winter Activities for Kids Pinterest board for more tips!

To get your copy of our Roll A Snowman Winter Art Activity, head over to my Teachers Pay Teachers store! It’s a downloadable freebie there.

Click the image or the link below to grab it!

>>> Roll A Snowman Winter Art Activity <<<

Printable Indoor Family Night Scavenger Hunt Cards

December 30, 2019 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

Family night is a wonderful way to spend quality time with the kids, especially after everyone’s had a busy week.

If you’re not careful, though, family night can end up being a movie and a snack….every single time.

How can you keep family time fun, even when the kids are little? An indoor scavenger hunt!

This is a perfect activity for burning off energy, particularly when the weather isn’t awesome.

And that’s why these printable indoor family night scavenger hunt cards are so great!

These scavenger hunt cards make it easy to organize an indoor hunt without too much work.

Plus, they feature adorable little rhymes that the kids can use to find each clue and eventually win the prize!

Read on to see how to get your set free! And for more ways to spend family night, don’t miss this roundup of fun family night ideas to try!

Printable Indoor Family Night Scavenger Hunt Cards

To use these family night scavenger hunt cards, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper
Scissors
Laminator (optional)

This set includes 16 cards in all.

Each card contains a short clue written in rhyme form, so they’ll be easy for the kids to remember as they search.

All you’ll need to do is to read each clue, tape or hide the next clue in location described, and let the kids have at it!

To start the game, just read off the very first card.

From there, the kids can find each clue that follows by reading the directions.

Of course, if your kids are very young, you might want to give them a hand.

If you feel the hunt is a little too long for your little ones, just shorten it by removing some of the cards in the middle and saving them for another day.

Once they find the YAY! card, they’re done! Then they can get a fun prize. Goodie bag prizes are great for this, by the way.

How to Have an Indoor Family Scavenger Hunt

You’ve got the cards all printed, but how do you actually have the scavenger hunt with the kids?

A good time to set it up is at night when the kids are asleep.

If they see you sticking these cards around, they’ll be tempted to get a head start before you’re ready.

Trust me. It’s exactly what my kids did.

You can use masking tape to stick the cards in the right place, if you like. Or you can simply lean them up against a wall or an object in the same area.

If you want the kids to try this on their own, read each clue with them and then see what area of the house they try to search in.

Be sure to keep it accessible for each child’s age.

If your children are small, you might want to avoid areas with sharp objects, like the silverware drawer.

My kids are a bit older, so they’re fine to open the drawer on their own.

If they were younger, though, I think I would take out a wooden or plastic utensil and just place the card near that instead.

How you set this up is really up to you.

As long as you and your kids are able to play the game together and keep it fun and safe, it’s a win!

Scroll down to get your copy of our printable indoor family night scavenger hunt cards!

Don’t miss these other indoor play ideas for kids!

To get your copy of our printable indoor family night scavenger hunt cards, click the image or the link below to download them to your computer!

>> Family Night Indoor Scavenger Hunt Cards <<

Free Printable Flashcards: Long Vowel Flashcards

December 19, 2019 by Selena Robinson 6 Comments

Time for another set of free printable flashcards! Piglet is doing great with recognizing her letters, so it’s time to work on letter sounds.

I’m not a GIANT fan of teaching phonics, but you know what? They work. Especially if kids don’t really “get” sight words.

So, today we’re sharing another set of literacy flashcards: Long Vowel Flashcards!

Read on to get your set – free!

And if you love using these, be sure to grab our printable short vowel flashcards too!

Free Printable Flashcards: Long Vowel Flashcards

To use these long vowel flashcards, 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 (great for keeping the cards sturdy)

This product includes flashcards for all five long vowel sounds: A, E, I, O, and U. In the product, you’ll find:

A set of cards with pictures and long vowel words for each letter
A set of cards with pictures and vowel letters
A set of cards with just the pictures
A set of cards with just the vowels
And a set of cards with just the long vowel words

These are set up to be used as kids learn to memorize the sounds.

So if you’re just starting out, you might use the cards that have the images and words to make sure kids know what each picture shows.

Once they recognize the images, they can move on to isolating the vowel sounds in each word. That’s a great time to focus on the pictures with the letters.

After they get the sounds down, try quizzing them with the word or letter cards!

Scroll down to get your copy of our Printable Long Vowel Flashcards!

More Resources for Learning Long Vowel Sounds:

Don’t miss our other early reading resources!

To get your copy of our free Long Vowel Flashcards, sign up for our email newsletter to have them sent directly to your inbox! Just click the image or the link below to get started.

NOTE: If you have a pop-up blocker installed in your web browser, disable it in order to see the email address box when it appears.

>>> Long Vowel Printable Flashcards <<<

Cupcake English and Spanish Number Word Matching Activity

December 10, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Cupcakes, I think, are the most fun dessert ever invented.

It’s like – if you make cupcakes on the most boring Tuesday, it’s automatically a party.

Cupcakes are also a fun early learning theme for kids. Which is why I thought they’d make for a cute math center activity – this Cupcake English and Spanish number word matching activity!

Fun Cupcake Number Word Matching Activity

This is a perfect hands-on number recognition lesson for early grades.

And, because, it’s in English and Spanish, it’s also good for ESL learners and foreign language classes!

Read on to see how to get your set.

And, for more fun with Spanish numbers, take a look at our printable Spanish I Have, Who Has Game too!

This printable cupcake themed Spanish number word matching activity is a perfect fit for math centers!

Cupcake Count! Number Word Matching Activity

To use this number word matching activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Cupcake Themed Spanish Number Word Matching

This product includes 20 color cupcakes number cards.

40 number word labels featuring number words from one to twenty are also inside: 20 in English and 20 in Spanish.

A blackline version is included too.

Using a Spanish Number Word Matching Activity

Plus, there is a full answer key with the number words and numerals matched in both languages!

How to Use this Cupcake Number Word Matching Activity

There are a few ways you can use this resource with your students.

It works as a one-time cut and paste activity, but if you want to reuse it, laminate it the cards and labels.

That way, kids can attach either the English or Spanish number words to the correct numeral cupcake. You can even add hook and look coin stickers for reuse.

Need to save on ink? You can print the line art version on colorful Astrobright paper.

Or you can print it on white paper and let students color in the cupcake cards.

Coloring a Number Word Matching Activity Set

If you plan to use this activity at centers, print the answer key cards and put them on a ring.

Students can match up the Spanish and English number words and then check their work!

Get a look at this resource in the video below!

Scroll down to get your copy of our Cupcake Count! English and Spanish Number Word Matching Activity!

Don’t miss these other hands-on math learning ideas for kids!

Help students practice skip counting by 5, 100, and 1000 with this hands on candy bag skip counting activity! Laminate these to reuse at second grade math centers!

These hot cocoa sequencing mats are so fun for helping early learners practice telling how to follow directions!

This printable Spanish I Have Who Has Game is great for practicing Spanish vocabulary and counting to 20! Use it with early foreign language learners!

Spanish and English Number Word Matching Activity

To get your copy of this Cupcake Count Number Word Matching Activity, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or check it out below!

Cocoa Count! Hot Cocoa 1-10 Counting Cards for Kids

December 9, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Hot cocoa on a winter morning is just about the best thing ever.

Well, hot cocoa on a winter morning when you don’t have to leave the house for any reason whatsoever is the best thing ever.

But hot cocoa plays a major role in both scenarios!

And what’s hot cocoa without marshmallows? Which is why this set of fun hot cocoa marshmallow 1-10 counting cards makes such a great counting activity for winter!

These are wonderful for winter math centers or morning tubs!

I like to use them with pom-poms, but you can use math counters, playdough, or even counting bears instead.

Making a 1-10 Counting Booklet with Kids

Read on to see how to get your set!

And, for more hands-on fun with counting, don’t miss our Candy Bag Skip Counting Activity!

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

Cocoa Count! Hot Cocoa 1-10 Counting Cards for Kids

To use these hot cocoa 1-10 counting cards, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper
Laminator
Scissors
Playdough, pom-poms, or math counters

Cocoa Themed Counting to Ten Activity Cards for Kids

This set of counting cards includes ten color hot cocoa cards – one for each number from one to ten.

Reusable Math Counting Cards for Centers

Each card includes instructions for how many “marshmallows” to add to the cocoa.

There’s also a small image below showing the correct number of “marshmallows”. That way, students can check their own work.

Hot Cocoa 1-10 Counting Cards for Coloring

And a full blackline version is included!

How to Use the Cocoa 1-10 Counting Cards with Students

There are several ways to adapt this counting resource with students.

Laminate the cards and use them with playdough.

Using Cocoa 1-10 Counting Cards with Students

Print them half-sized for use in morning tubs.

Using 1-10 Counting Cards at Math Centers

Or laminate them to use dry erase markers to draw the “marshmallows” in each cup.

If you want to make this counting activity really fun, let students use the tiny marshmallows that come with hot cocoa mix as counters.

Of course, you’ll have to buy extra to make sure there are actually enough marshmallows to complete the activity.

I mean, what’s a marshmallow or two between friends?

Making a Hot Cocoa Themed Counting Booklet

You can also print the blackline version and let students color the pages. Then they can staple them to create a counting booklet.

Afterwards, they can cut out white circles to add “marshmallows” and glue them in place.

See more about this resource in the video below!

Scroll down to get your Cocoa Count! Hot Cocoa 1-10 Counting Cards!

Try these other hands-on learning ideas with your early grades students!

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

Using Mini 1-10 Counting Cards at Math Centers

To get your copy of these Hot Cocoa Count! Counting to Ten Activity Cards, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or check them out below!

Fluffy Snowman Slime Recipe for Kids

December 5, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Nothing says “winter” like snow.

Unless you live in the Deep South.

Then nothing says “winter” like temperatures below 50 degrees.

It almost never gets cold enough for snow down here, but our kids always want it to snow each year. So we’re making it snow inside with this fluffy snowman slime recipe!

This is such a great winter sensory activity, whether you get snow in your area or not.

Plus, it doesn’t make a mess, so if you’re a messy play avoider (like…ahem…myself), this one won’t take you hours to clean up afterward.

Read on to get the full DIY snow slime recipe instructions below!

And, for more fun with sensory activities, take a look at our glittery mermaid slime too!

DIY Fluffy Snowman Slime Recipe for Kids

What I love about slime is that kids get to help make it and then play with it. So it’s really a two-in-one activity.

And if you need some quiet time, they’ll play with slime happily for hours on end. (At least my kids will.) It’s perfect for quiet time.

To make this DIY snowman slime recipe, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

white school glue
lemon, orange, and grapefruit scented oil (optional)
artificial snow
foam shaving cream (avoid the menthol kind if you want the citrus scent to come through)
contact lens solution
baking soda
small foam beads
white glitter

In a large bowl, mix together the white glue, citrus oils, and glitter.

Then add the shaving cream, contact lens solution, and baking soda.

Finally, pour in the foam beads and artificial snow. Use a wooden spoon to mix everything together well.

You might need to add a little more contact lens solution until you get the consistency you want. The snowman slime should pull away from the sides of the bowl as you mix it.

Remove the slime mixture from the bowl and knead it with your hands until smooth.

You’ll know it’s ready when you can mold it into a ball that keeps its shape.

Dump the snowman slime on the table and let kids play with it using winter-themed toys: snowmen, snowflakes, even arctic animals would make a great addition!

If you’re planning on throwing a winter kids’ party, you can make this snow slime into party favors!

Just put some in empty baby food jars, add a colorful ribbon around the center, and you’re done!

Scroll down to get your printable Snowman Slime recipe!

Try out some of these other winter ideas for kids!

Be sure to follow my Winter Activities for Kids Pinterest board too!

Printable Snowman Slime Recipe

This handy printable snowman slime recipe makes it simple to mix up this winter slime at home!

DIY Fluffy Snowman Slime Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup white school glue
10 drops each lemon, orange, and grapefruit scented oil (optional)
1/4 cup artificial snow
3 cups foam shaving cream (avoid the menthol kind if you want the citrus scent to come through)
1-2 tbsp contact lens solution
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup small foam beads
1/4 cup white glitter

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix together the glue and citrus oils (if using).
Add the white glitter and shaving cream.
Add the contact lens solution and baking soda.
Add the foam beads and artificial snow.
Mix together with a wooden spoon until mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Remove the mixture from the bowl and knead with your hands until smooth.

Candy Bag Skip Counting Activity for Kids

December 2, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

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

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

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

They’re infinitely more interested in the outcome.

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

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

Plus, it’s just plain fun!

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

Candy Bag Skip Counting Activity for Kids

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

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

This product includes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Check out these other hands-on counting practice lessons!

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

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

>>> Candy Bag Skip Counting Activity <<<

20 Fun Clothespin Puppets for Kids to Make

November 21, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

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

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

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

Which is part of the fun!

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

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

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

20 Fun Clothespin Puppets for Kids to Make

1. Cat Clothespin Puppet – Easy Peasy and Fun

2. Squirrel Clothespin Puppets – As the Bunny Hops

3. Giraffe Clothespin Puppet – Delia Creates

4. Dragon Clothespin Puppet – Adventure in a Box

5. Unicorn Clothespin Doll – Kids Craft Room

6. Shark Clothespin Puppets – Easy Peasy and Fun

7. Clothespin Dinosaurs – Crafts by Amanda

8. Llama Clothespin Puppets – Inspiration Made Simple

9. Clothespin Wrap Dolls – This Heart of Mine

10. Clothespin Mermaid Doll – Benzie Design

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

11. DIY Flower Fairy Clothespin Dolls – Crafts Unleashed

12. Super Hero Clothespin Dolls – All Free Kids Crafts

13. Chinese Dragon Clothespin Puppets – Easy Peasy and Fun

14. Unicorn Clothespin Puppets – Moms and Crafters

15. Pelican Clothespin Puppet – As the Bunny Hops

16. Clothespin Fish – Crafts by Amanda

17. Snowman Puppets – Moms and Crafters

18. Clothespin Monster Puppets – Our Whimsical Days

19. Clothespin Girls – Ginger Cake

20. Alligator Clothespin Puppet – Kids Activities Blog

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

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

8 Must-Try Winter Homeschool Ideas

November 19, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

I hate winter. Hate it.

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

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

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

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

Plus, they’re actually educational.

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

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

8 Must-Try Winter Homeschool Ideas

Images c/o: stockunlimited and Lorraine Cormier from Pixabay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s a great informative resource on the topic.

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

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

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

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

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