Reading Archives

25 Kids’ Books about Camping

August 19, 2016 by Selena Robinson 5 Comments

Are you planning a camping trip this year? Get your kids excited for the trip with these fun kids books about camping!

Honestly, I’ve never been camping. My parents weren’t really outdoor-sy and, frankly, the thought of sleeping outdoors doesn’t thrill me either.

But my kids have said that they want to try it, so the hubs and I agreed to rent a cabin in the woods as a first step in that direction. Our trip is next week, so these books are right on time!

One of the things I’m looking forward to the most is just spending some quiet time with the family without outside distractions.

No hectic schedules, no other commitments, no working – just chill family time. If you’re a camping expert, please share your tried-and-true tips for making it an awesome outing!

And if you’re looking for more beautiful kids’ books for your family, don’t miss this list of beach books kids will love!

25 Kids’ Books about Camping

This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.1. Maisy Goes Camping: A Maisy First Experience Book

2. The Kids’ Outdoor Adventure Book: 448 Great Things to Do in Nature Before You Grow Up

3. Flat Stanley Goes Camping

4. S is for S’mores: A Camping Alphabet

5. Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters

6. Curious George Goes Camping

7. Camping Catastrophe! (Ready, Freddy #14)

8. Camp Daze Mad Libs

9.Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems

10. Camping Fun Sticker Activity Book

11. When We Go Camping

12. Peppa Pig and the Camping Trip

13. The Berenstain Bears Blaze a Trail

14. Claire’s Cursed Camping Trip

15. Humphrey’s Creepy-Crawly Camping Adventure

16. The Kids’ Campfire Book: Official Book of Campfire Fun

17. Camp Out!: The Ultimate Kids’ Guide

18. Fred and Ted Go Camping

19. Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping

20. A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee

21. Llama Llama Loves Camping

22. Good Night, Campsite

23. A Campfire Tail

24. Froggy Goes to Camp

25. 1, 2, 3 – Make a S’more With Me

Don’t miss these other book lists for kids!

This post is part of the Camping Kids Unit Study roundup! Click over to read more camping themed posts!

Camping Writing Worksheets – My Joy-Filled Life
Camping Hacks for Kids – FrogMom
Homemade Firestarters – Schooling a Monkey

Books about Dolphins for Kids

July 28, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

We’ve been learning about dolphins lately and I wanted to add a few more great books about dolphins for the kids to enjoy.

So – here are several books about dolphins for kids that are filled with fascinating facts, beautiful pictures, and learning ideas to help your children get to know these marine mammals!

If you want to try more ocean-themed learning resources for your kids, check out our list of 25 beach crafts and our roundup of summer books for kids!

Books about Dolphins for Kids

This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.
1. Dolphins – Step Into Reading!

2. How to Speak Dolphin in Three Easy Lessons

3. Everything Dolphin: What Kids Really Want to Know about Dolphins

4. In My Ocean

5. Amazing Dolphins (I Can Read Level 2)

6. Dolphins: Amazing Pictures & Fun Facts on Animals in Nature

7. Hope for Winter: The True Story of a Remarkable Dolphin Friendship

8. How to Speak Dolphin

9. Dolphin Baby!

10. Dolphins at Daybreak (Magic Tree House #9)

11. Winter’s Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again

12. National Geographic Kids: Everything Dolphins

13. I Can Read: Dolphin

14. National Geographic Readers: Dive, Dolphin!

15. Smithsonian: Dolphins

16. Sharks and Dolphins: A Compare and Contrast Book

17. DK Readers Level 1: Diving Dolphin

18. Do Dolphins Really Smile? (Penguin Young Readers, Level 3)

19. Amazing Animals: Dolphins

20. Wild Sea Creatures: Sharks, Whales, and Dolphins! (Wild Kratts)

Learn even more about dolphins with our Dolphins Unit Study!

Don’t miss these other kids’ book lists!

And be sure to follow our Reading for Kids board on Pinterest for more great book lists!

Picture Books about Hawaii

July 18, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

My three-year-old has really gotten into reading lately. Which is a wonderful thing!

She loves looking at pictures and tracing her fingers under the words. Of course, she’s making up her own story or reciting some from memory, but that’s okay. She’s pre-reading and I’m thrilled!

We’ve been studying about the beach a lot lately, so I thought we’d take a look at a gorgeous book we received from my brother: Pulelehua and Mamaki. Since the story takes place on Hawai’i, I thought I’d round up some other beautiful picture books about Hawaii that are fun for kids to explore!

Picture Books about Hawaii

Pulelehua and Mamaki is the story of a Mamaki tree that serves as the home to a Kamehameha butterfly named Pulelehua. A butterfly mother laid her egg on one of the tree’s leaves and that caterpillar grew up to become Pulelehua.

Later, when Pulelehua lays an egg, she chooses the same Mamaki tree to watch over her baby. And when her egg hatches, grows into a caterpillar, and transforms into a full-grown Kamehameha butterfly, Mamaki the tree promises to watch over it too.

It’s a truly lovely story filled with native Hawaiian terms and absolutely beautiful illustrations.

As part of the Read Around the World Summer Series, I’m sharing my book summary below!

Be sure to check out the wonderful multicultural kids’ books that have been reviewed this summer!

While I’m sharing my appreciation for Pulelehua and Mamaki, I thought I’d mention a few other picture books about Hawaii that are gorgeous for children to read!

Want to spend more time learning about the beach with kids? Try these learning ideas!

Get more ideas for making reading fun with my Reading for Kids board on Pinterest!

Ice Cream Recipes for Kids

July 1, 2016 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

One of the things on my never-ending Mom bucket list is to make homemade ice cream with my kids. In fact, now that I think about it – I don’t think I’ve EVER had homemade ice cream before. Yikes. That must be rectified ASAP. 🙂

So, I looked around for some fun cookbooks that feature ice cream recipes for kids. I’ve listed several below that I’m definitely going to try!

In this post, I’m joining up with several other bloggers to share resources for a free ice cream unit study. Be sure to check out all of the links to build a fun ice cream unit for your kids this summer!

Ice Cream Recipes for Kids

Don’t miss these other fun ice cream activities for kids!

Plus, get more ideas for summer on my Summer Activities for Kids board on Pinterest!

This post is part of the free Ice Cream Unit Study hop! Get more ideas for learning about ice cream from these great bloggers!

Kids in the Kitchen: Mini Ice Cream Cakes from Crafty Mama in ME

Ice Cream Recipes for Kids from Look! We’re Learning!

Ice Cream Books for Kids from The Jenny Evolution

Ice Cream Color Match from Schooling A Monkey

Ice Cream Trails Around The World from FrogMom

Ice Cream Word Families from Homeschool Preschool

Ice Cream Art from CraftCreateCalm

Books about Turtles for Kids

June 28, 2016 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

A couple of weeks ago, we shared a Turtles Unit Study. So I thought I’d keep the fun going with a list of fun books about turtles for kids that you and your little ones will love reading together!

Naturally, any booklist about turtles has to include little Franklin. 🙂 But there are also a few contemporary classics and some non-fiction selections in the list too! If I missed any of your favorites, let me know in the comments!

Books about Turtles for Kids

Learn more about turtles for kids with our Turtles Unit Study!

Plus, get our Tiny Turtles Prewriting Pack – free!

Want more books for children? Follow my Reading for Kids board on Pinterest!

25 of The Best Beach Books for Kids

June 10, 2016 by Selena Robinson 5 Comments

Summer’s here and we’re getting into a “beachy” frame of mind around here.

I’m from Florida and I absolutely adore the beach, so for this book roundup, I decided to feature the best beach books for kids!

There are 25 books about the beach for toddlers, preschoolers, and early elementary-aged kids to look at, read, and enjoy.

What I love about these books is that they focus on the beach itself, not just stories that take place there.

So, if you’re doing a beach unit soon, these are excellent reading choices!

Read on to see the full list. And, keep reading to pick up a fun beach themed counting resource too!

If these are a hit, check out some other summer reads, including some cool ice cream books for kids!

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

25 of the Best Beach Books for Kids

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

Whether you live near the shore or not, the beach is a wonderful theme for early learners.

There are so many animals that live near the beach to learn about.

Plus, we get to find out about incredible scientific principles such as buoyancy, erosion, and evaporation.

There are also plenty of beach crafts for kids and beach-y treats to make. Take a look at some of our favorite beach crafts for some inspiration!

25 of The Best Beach Books for Kids

Share some of these lovely and fun beach books for kids during read aloud time this summer!

At the Beach by Anne Rockwell

Beach by Elisha Cooper

Hello Ocean by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Beach Day by Karen Roosa

Curious George Goes to the Beach by Margret & H.A. Rey

Hide and Seek Harry at the Beach by Kenny Harrison

Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach by James Dean

If You Ever Want to Bring a Piano to the Beach, Don't! by Elise Parsley

Llama Llama Sand and Sun by Anna Dewdley

A Day at the Seashore by Kathryn Jackson

Fancy Nancy: Sand Castles and Sand Palaces by Jane O'Connor

How Will We Get to the Beach? by Brigitte Luciani

Duck & Goose Go to the Beach by Tad Hills

Beach Baby by Laurie Elmquist

On My Beach by Sara Gillingham

Beach Bugs: A Sunny Pop-up Book by David A. Carter

Ladybug Girl at the Beach by David Soman

Daniel's Day at the Beach (Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood) by Becky Friedman

Biscuit's First Beach Day by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Clam-I-Am!: All About the Beach by Tish Rabe

Daisy Dawson at the Beach by Steve Voake

Beach House by Deana Caswell

A Beach Tail by Karen Lynn Williams

Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach by Melanie Watt

Hum and Swish by Matt Myers

Printable Beach Ball Counting Cards

Add even more beach learning fun to your beach theme with these printable beach ball counting to ten cards!

Printable Beach Ball Counting Flashcards

These feature beach balls in groups of one to ten with number words underneath.

There are also a set of cards with blank spaces for attaching number word labels.

Perfect for early math centers!

To get your set of these beach ball counting cards free, just click the image or the link below to have them sent directly to your inbox!

You’ll also get our newsletter this Sunday!

>>> Beach Ball Counting Cards <<<

Did you enjoy these beach books for kids? Don’t miss these other beach ideas to share!

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

Make this simple DIY play beach sand recipe to share a summer sensory activity with the kids!

Share a fun and easy summer craft with the kids when you make this easy coffee filter crab craft! Perfect for summer afternoon crafting!

This post is part of the Beach Unit Study blog hop! Check out more awesome beach posts below!

Beach Letter Find Printables from 3 Boys and a Dog

Ocean Books for Kids from The Jenny Evolution

Songs About The Beach from Tales of Education at Home

5 Ways to Learn at the Beach from The Usual Mayhem

Beach Scavenger Hunt Printable from CraftCreateCalm

“At the Beach” Emergent Reader from The Letters of Literacy

Sand Pail and Shovel Alphabet Match from The Kindergarten Connection

Beach Letter Dot Printables from Living Life and Learning.com

Colorful Sand Paintings from Schooling a Monkey

Sand Science Experiment from iGameMom

15 Things to Do at the Beach with Kids from FrogMom

Easy Egg Carton Sea Creatures from Homeschool Preschool

Beach Mystery Bag from Bambini Travel

Printable Beach Bingo Cards from Year Round Homeschooling

Beach Pail 1-20 Number Recognition from Something 2 Offer

Fun Frog Books for Preschool

May 13, 2016 by Selena Robinson 13 Comments

Are you planning a frog homeschool unit study for your kids soon? Be sure to add in reading! And this roundup of fun frog books for preschool is awesome for helping little learners practice reading skills, learn about frogs, and have fun at the same time!

I’m also sharing lots of frog unit study resources from my fellow bloggers that are perfect for rounding out a frog unit! Read on to grab them!

Fun Frog Books for Preschool

Want more froggy fun? Check out the other frog-themed unit study resources from my fellow bloggers!

Find the Letter F is for Frogs from 3 Boys and a Dog

Frog Life Cycle Free Printables from Natural Beach Living

Frog Books for Preschool from Look! We’re Learning!

Frog Anatomy Worksheets from Living Life and Learning

Frog Hop Activity from CraftCreateCalm

Make a Fun Handprint and Footprint Tissue Paper Frog from Crafty Mama in ME

Free Resources for Frog Life Cycle from Something 2 Offer

5 Easy Frog Exercise Moves for Kids from FrogMom

Children’s Books Featuring Frogs from The Jenny Evolution

Frogs of the Rainforest from Tales of Education at Home

Frog Theme Color Words Book {free printable} from Books and Giggles

Recycled K Cup Frog Craft and Skip Counting Activity from Artsy Momma

Frog Life Cycle for Kids {Printable Set} from The Natural Homeschool

Lots of Learning and Fun with Frogs Sensory Bin from Living Montessori Now

Frog Race Graphing Game from Simple Fun for Kids

Poison Frog activity from Schooling a Monkey

Non-fiction Frog Emergent Readers from Royal Baloo

Interactive Frog Life Cycle App for Kids from iGameMom

Frog Writing Prompts from The Usual Mayhem

Get more unit study study ideas from my Unit Studies board on Pinterest!

10 Books about Monster Trucks

May 3, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Do you have a child who LOVES big trucks? My boys are huge fans of monster trucks right now, which is why I decided to use big trucks to teach them about measuring last week.

But if you want to encourage them to read, why not check out some fun and educational kids’ books about monster trucks? There are plenty available, but these are super for finding out how trucks work and getting your little ones excited about reading! Trust me. We have a few of these in our home library. 🙂

10 Books about Monster Trucks

For more monster truck learning fun, check out our free Monster Truck Measurement math pack for kids!

And be sure to follow my Reading for Kids board on Pinterest to find more awesome children’s book roundups!

10 Kids’ Picture Books about Bugs

April 19, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Bugs are super popular with kids, especially during the warm months when we start to see more ants, bees, and other creepy critters around more often. Personally, I’m not a fan. But my boys (in particular) think they’re super cool!

So, I’ve worked up the nerve to start putting together a bug unit study. And part of that unit is reading some great picture books about bugs!

Here are ten kids’ books about bugs that are awesome for showing kids different kinds of insects and helping them learn about how they live and co-exist along with us.

10 Kids’ Picture Books about Bugs

If you try one of these, let me know which one is your favorite! And if I missed a great bug book, tell me your pick in the comments!

For more buggy fun, check out these posts!

And get more ideas for science learning from my It’s Science board on Pinterest!

Simple Harry the Dirty Dog Activity for Tots

April 12, 2016 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Piglet and I read the classic children’s story Harry the Dirty Dog together and she absolutely loved it.

So, we decided to share a simple art activity together that would help her connect with the events in the story.

And that’s how this super easy Harry the Dirty Dog activity came about.

This prewriting activity is simple enough to try with toddlers, tots, and preschoolers and you can prep it in just a few minutes.

Read on to get your copy of this fun toddler prewriting activity free!

And, for more fun with early education, don’t miss our list of 20 fun printable resources for preschool!

Harry the Dirty Dog Activity for Toddlers

This activity is extremely easy. Honestly. Plus, it’s guaranteed to get your little ones into the story!

What You’ll Need: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

The book Harry the Dirty Dog
Crayola Dry Erase Crayons
A copy of our Clean the Dirty Dog Printable
A laminator

Once you print the Clean the Dirty Dog printable, run it through the laminator.

Then get out your dry erase crayons.

You’ll only need the black one.

I like the Crayola Dry Erase crayons, because they come with the cleaning mitt, which you’ll also need.

In the story, Harry hates taking baths, so he hides his scrubbing brush and runs away from home.

While he’s away, he gets super dirty – running through a construction site, sliding down a coal chute, and so on.

So our first step was to get our white dog dirtied up!

I just turned Piglet loose with the crayon.

Boy, he really got dirty, didn’t he?

Making our white dog dirty was probably Piglet’s favorite part of the entire activity.

When Harry returns home, he’s so dirty that his family doesn’t recognize him.

Frightened, he digs up the scrubbing brush, runs into the house, and jumps into the bathtub.

Once he’s all clean and scrubbed, the kids know that the black dog with white spots is actually Harry, their white dog with black spots.

Naturally, we had to clean Harry up too! And that’s where the dry erase mitt came in handy.

Aw…look how clean he is!

To do this art activity with your littles, get a copy of our free Clean the Dirty Dog printable below!

>>> Clean the Dirty Dog Printable Activity <<<

Want more book-related learning fun? Check out these posts!

This post is part of the Read It, Make It Book + Craft Week linkup from Emma Owl! Get 50 ideas for arts and crafts based on children’s books!

50 Beautiful Spring Books for Kids to Read

April 7, 2016 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

I absolutely adore spring…mostly because I detest winter. (Cold weather turns me into an actual bum.)

But once the days start to get longer and the weather starts to get warmer, I come alive! And it’s a wonderful time to explore changing seasons with our students.

This year, I want to put a greater focus on spring reading, so I put together a list of 50 spring books for kids!

These spring books for kids are great for talking about the change of seasons. They’re also a nice introduction to weather, spring animals, and plants!

Want to share more spring learning with your students? Don’t miss our All About Flowers printable unit study!

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

50 Engaging Spring Books for Kids

This list of books about spring includes both board books and picture books. So there are appropriate selections for preschoolers and early elementary students.

Some of the non-fiction books may even be good for upper elementary students, depending on their reading level.

How to Use Books about Spring with Early Learners

When you’re ready to share one of these spring books for kids with your students, try opening by asking the class what they already know about the topic.

For example, if you’re reading the book “How Do We Know It’s Spring”, start by asking questions like:

How can you tell springtime is here?
What does the weather look like?
What do the trees look like?
Are there any animals you see around us?

50 Engaging Spring Books for Kids to Read

As your students answer, help them remember what’s been said and then compare what they already know with what they learn from the book later.

If you are working on a spring-themed unit, share a book together and then complete a craft. Here are a few spring crafts that may work well with these:

50 Beautiful Spring Books for Kids to Read

This list of beautiful spring books for kids features picture books young readers will love! Both fiction and non-fiction selections are included.

Note: This list includes affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert

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Flip, Flap, Fly!: A Book for Babies Everywhere

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A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman

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Cherry Blossoms Say Spring (National Geographic Kids)

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Storm Is Coming! by Heather Tekavec

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The Very Busy Spider (Step into Reading)

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Curious George Plants a Seed (CGTV Reader)

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Kitten's Spring (Kitten: Seasons)

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Scholastic Reader Level 3: Poppleton in Spring

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Spring Is Here, Corduroy!

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It's Spring by Linda Glaser

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Kite Day: A Bear and Mole Story

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And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano

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In Like a Lion Out Like a Lamb by Marion Dane Bauer

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Everything Spring (Picture the Seasons)

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Spring Stinks: A Little Bruce Book (Mother Bruce Series)

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Plants in Spring (All about Spring)

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National Geographic Readers: Seed to Plant

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The Tiny Seed/Ready-to-Read Level 2 (The World of Eric Carle)

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Mouse's First Spring (Classic Board Books)

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Let It Rain by Maryann Cocca-Leffler

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It's Spring! by Samantha Berger

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Weather in Spring (All about Spring)

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When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes

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Little Blue Truck's Springtime by Alice Schertle

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Spring: A Pop-up Book (Seasons Pop-up)

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How Do You Know It's Spring? (Rookie Read-About Science: Seasons)

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Bear Wants More (The Bear Books) by Karma Wilson

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Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring by Kenard Oak

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Worm Weather (Penguin Core Concepts) by Jean Taft

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Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms by Julia Rawlinson

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Lola Plants a Garden (Lola Reads) by Anna McQuinn

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Spencer Knows Spring: A Charming Children's Book about Spring by Tiffany Obeng

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A Little Book About Spring (Leo Lionni's Friends)

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Spring in the Forest (Lift-a-flap Surprise)

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Pete the Cat and the Cool Caterpillar (I Can Read Level 1)

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What Can You See in Spring? (Seasons) by Sian Smith

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Spring According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

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Happy Springtime! by Kate McMullan

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Llama Llama Very Busy Springtime by Anna Dewdney

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Spring is Here! by Heidi Pross Gray

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All About Weather: A First Weather Book for Kids

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A Windy Day in Spring (Springtime Weather Wonders)

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Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons

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The Thing About Spring by Daniel Kirk

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Spring Walk (Seasonal Walks) by Virginia Snow

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Finding Spring by Carin Berger

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Curious George: The Perfect Carrot (CGTV Reader)

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Spring is Here: A Bear and Mole Story by Will Hillenbrand

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Did you love this list of spring books for kids?

If you’re looking for more ways to talk about the season with your students, check out some of these spring learning ideas!

Get ready to welcome warmer weather with these fun spring crafts for kids to make!

These spring science ideas are wonderful for teaching science to the kids this year!

10 Amazing Geography Books for Home School

April 5, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Geography was NOT one of my favorite subjects in school. It was boring and dry and I just wanted to run out of class and never return.

So I’m determined to make it one of the best subjects in our homeschool. And that means choosing great geography books for my kids to explore.

Check out some of these amazing geography books for home school! I love these books and we use several of them regularly with our children!

10 Amazing Geography Books for Home School

Of this list, my personal favorite is Hungry Planet. It is a truly eye-opening look at the way world regions, economy, and culture play a role in the food we eat. Plus, it’s an introduction to human geography, not just points on a map. Physical geography is important, but it’s how it affects us as humans that really impacts our society.

Do you have a favorite book for teaching geography in your home school? Share your picks in the comments!

Get even more ideas to make geography fun for kids!

For more geography fun, stop by and follow my Geography for Homeschoolers board on Pinterest!

This post is part of The Massive Homeschool Geography Guide from iHomeschool Network! Click over to read more geography posts from my fellow bloggers!

The Best Picture Books for Three Year Olds

February 1, 2016 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

Piglet turned three last winter. And, while she’s always been part of our family storytime, she’s really started to take an interest in storybooks lately. She constantly asks “Can you read this to me?” It melts my heart every time.

Naturally, she loves picture books. So I started looking for the best picture books for three year olds that I could share with her. So far, these are her absolute favorites! And, since many of these were classics when I was a kid, they were my favorites back in the day too.

By the way, these are all books that I’ve actually read. Trust me, they’re pretty great.

Image c/o: vadimphoto1@gmail.com via depositphotos

The Best Picture Books for Three-Year-Olds:

Did I miss any of your favorite picture books for three-year-olds? Share your family’s favorites in the comments!

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

And catch some of our other book lists for kids below!

10 Kids’ Books about Monster Trucks

10 Children’s Books about Butterflies

10 Awesome Picture Books about Bugs

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!

10 Picture Books about Firefighters

January 18, 2016 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

My boys are seriously into firefighters right now. When they see a fire truck go by on the street, you’d think that the sky had started raining cotton candy. Even Piglet jumps up and down shouting “FIRE TRUCK, MAMA!”

We got to learn about firefighters with a firefighter unit study a couple of months back, but I wanted to read a few more kids’ books about them. Pooh is reading chapter books now, so we’ve started Flat Stanley and the Firehouse.

But Roo is still in the early reader stage, so I started searching for picture books about firefighters that he’d love. Here are 10 of them that are full of pictures and firefighting fun!

10 Picture Books about Firefighters

If you want to use these books as the basis for a unit, check out our Firefighter Unit Study!

And for more great children’s books, follow my Reading for Kids board on Pinterest!

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!

10 Kids’ Books about Penguins

December 15, 2015 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

One of our upcoming unit studies is going to be about penguins, so I thought we’d get started now by finding some children’s books about these super cute creatures. Today I’m sharing 10 kids’ books about penguins that would be perfect for a winter or polar unit!

Today is also another edition of the Laugh and Learn linky, so all of the ladies have shared their favorite picks from last week below. Be sure to check out our picks and read the newest posts shared!

Note: The Laugh and Learn linky will be going on vacation until the first of the year, so look for the next edition on January 5th!

10 Kids’ Books about Penguins

1. National Geographic Readers: Penguins by Anne Schreiber

2. Penguins! by Gail Gibbons

3. Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester

4. How Do Penguins Play? by Diane Muldrow

5. If You Were a Penguin by Florence and Wendell Minor

6. Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

7. Penguins by Seymour Simon

8. Scholastic Discover More: Penguins by Penelope Arlon

9. Penguin Says “Please” by Michael Dahl

10. Penguin Chick by Betty Tatham

For more winter animal fun, check out some of our other posts!

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

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!

Linky time!

We are very EXCITED to bring you some new changes to this weeks Laugh and Learn Linkup! We hope you like them, and will continue to support us.

Welcome to our 63rd week of Laugh and Learn – Home & Family Linkup!
Laugh and Learn Linkup will be open by 6 am every Tuesday morning.
New: We have decided to expand our linkup to home and family categories! You are still welcome to share homeschooling or parenting posts with us. That will always be part of the #LaughLearnLinkup!

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

We are also sharing the top four posts on Pinterest: #LaughLearnLinkup {Featured Favorites}. It’s added exposure for your awesome content!
Reminder: Please share this linkup! You can help us build a great family, home, parenting, and homeschool group.

Your Fabulous Hosts 😉

Tina

Tina lives abroad in Latin America with her husband and four children. Currently in Mexico, Tina is active in homeschool, travel, and her Bible ministry. She blogs about all of their adventures, and more at Los Gringos Locos.
Find Tina at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Twitter
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Linkedin
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Selena

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

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

Haley hopes to encourage stay at home moms. She wants to help them learn how to make an extra income, to stretch a budget, to make crafts, and other useful information. Haley always has updates on the kids, and their funny antics. Visit Haley at Haley’s Vintage Finds & Deals.
Find Haley at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
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Laugh and Learn Linkup: Join us every Tuesday to share your favorite home or family posts!

Tina’s pick for this week…

Note from Tina:
This soup sounds amazing.

Selena’s pick for this week…

Note from Selena:
We’re entering the time of year when homeschool mom need a little encouragement. I can definitely use these tips!

Sarah’s pick for this week…

Note from Sarah:
Never having enough help to keep the house neat and clean is one of my pet peeves. I love this easy to manage “zones” idea.

Haley’s pick for this week…

Note from Haley:
I love the tips here. My oldest is constantly complaining about how he thinks it’s not fair. I can’t wait to apply some of these.

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10 Fun Children’s Cookbooks

November 2, 2015 by Selena Robinson 8 Comments

Now that the weather is turning colder, I’ve started baking more often. And my three oldest are definitely ready to help out more in the kitchen. So I thought I’d look for some fun cookbooks for kids that would encourage them to want to learn how to cook.

Today I’m sharing 10 children’s cookbooks that are easy to use, full of pictures, and feature yummy recipes! After all, if the recipes aren’t good, the kids aren’t going to want to make them, are they?

If you and the kids enjoy these books, don’t miss our ideas for using a lapbook to teach kids to bake!

Fun Children’s Cookbooks

1. The Disney Princess Cookbook by Disney Book Group

2. Baking Kids Love by Sur La Table

3. My First Baking Book by Susan Akass

4. Cooking Class: 57 Recipes Kids Will Love to Make (And Eat!) by Deanna F. Cook

5. ChopChop: The Kids’ Guide to Cooking Real Food with Your Family by Sally Sampson

6. Better Homes and Gardens New Junior Cookbook by Better Homes and Gardens

7. Kids’ Fun and Healthy Cookbook by Nicola Graimes

8. Sesame Street: C is For Cooking by Susan McQuillan

9. The Williams Sonoma Cookbook for Kids by Lisa Atwood

10. Pillsbury: Kids Can Cook! by Pillsbury Editors

For even more ideas on cooking with kids, check out how we used a cooking lapbook from Knowledge Box Central to get our children started in the kitchen!

Plus, find some sweet desserts to bake together in this list of cookie bar recipes!

Follow my Sweet Treats for Kids board on Pinterest for more sweet desserts to prepare with the family!

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!

10 Children’s Books about Construction

October 29, 2015 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Roo is a HUGE fan of construction, and I mean, HUGE. You know how kids change what they want to be when they grow up almost every other day? Well, Roo has said that he wants to be a builder for the last two years. He is unwavering on that point.

Whenever we go to the library, he asks to find books about building. So I thought I’d round up 10 children’s books about construction we’ve found – just in case you’re also living with an aspiring builder in your family. 😉

We’ll also be sharing a construction unit study later this year, so be sure to stay tuned for that!

10 Children’s Books about Construction

1. A Day with the Animal Builders by Sharon Rentta

2. Construction by Sally Sutton

3. Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night? by Brianna Caplan Sayres

4. Pete the Cat: Construction Destruction by James Dean

5. Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker

6. How a House Is Built by Gail Gibbons

7. B Is for Bulldozer: A Construction ABC by June Sobel

8. Building a House by Byron Barton

9. Amelia Bedelia Under Construction by Herman Parish

10. Dig, Dogs, Dig: A Construction Tail by James Horvath

For more construction-themed fun for kids, try our Construction Contractions Language Arts Pack!

Construction Contractions Language Arts Pack – Look! We’re Learning! Store

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

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!

Fun Kids’ Books about Farms

September 28, 2015 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Spring and fall are perfect times to talk about farms with kids! In the spring, new baby farm animals are born and in the fall, farmers get out in the fields to harvest their crops. So farms are pretty busy all year round!

As one of our homeschool unit studies, we’ve done a farm unit study before. During the unit, we read plenty of farm books for kids. After all, what better way to introduce farms to kids than by reading about them?

Today I’m sharing some fun kids’ books about farms that we’ve found! I hope you find some great ones to read with your family as well!

If you love these books, don’t miss our free Farm Do-A-Dot Shape Mats! They’re awesome for introducing toddlers and preschoolers to shapes!

Fun Kids’ Books about Farms

1. On the Farm by David Elliott

2. Pete the Cat: Old McDonald Had a Farm by James Dean

3. Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s Farm by Joy Cowley

4. Around the Farm: Play A Sound by The World of Eric Carle

5. Before We Eat: From Farm to Table by Pat Brisson

6. World of Farming: Jobs on a Farm by Nancy Dickmann

7. Farming by Gail Gibbons

8. Down On the Farm by Merrily Kutner

9. Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown

10. Farm Vehicles: My First Sound Book by Annette Rusling

And here are 10 more to choose from!

1. Thump, Quack, Moo!: A Whacky Adventure by Doreen Cronin

2. Down by the Barn by Will Hillenbrand

3. The Farm Book (A Golden Super Shape Book) by Jan Pfloog

4. Farmyard Beat by Lindsey Craig

5. A Year at a Farm (Time Goes By) by Nicholas Harris

6. Lullaby Farm by Stephanie Shaw

7. Biscuit’s Day at the Farm by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

8. National Geographic Readers: Farm Animals (Level 1) by Joanne Mattern

9. Tractor Mac Arrives at the Farm by Billy Steers

10. The Berenstain Bears Down on the Farm by Jan and Stan Berenstain

For more farm-themed fun, check out some of our farm learning ideas!

And find more tips to make your kids into readers on my Reading for Kids board on Pinterest!

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!

10 Spanish Books for Kids

September 2, 2015 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Will you and your kids be learning Spanish this school year? We’ve been studying español for a while and we’ve found that printable Spanish flashcards are a TON of help, especially for memorizing vocabulary.

But there are also some great kids’ books for learning Spanish that can make learning another language even easier! Check out our roundup for 10 Spanish books for kids!

10 Spanish Books for Kids

1. The Complete Book of Starter Spanish: PK-1

2. Easy Spanish Step-by-Step

3. The Everything Kids Learning Spanish Book: Exercises and Puzzles to Help You Learn español

4. My First English-Spanish Picture Dictionary

5. The Complete Book of Spanish: Grades 1-3

6. My First Bilingual Little Readers

7. Spanish: Grades 6-12 Middle/High School

8. 52 Weeks of Family Spanish by Eileen McAree

9. My Big Book of Spanish Words

10. See It and Say It in Spanish

Do you have any favorite Spanish books for kids to recommend? Share your suggestions in the comments!

For even more Spanish learning fun, check out some of our printable Spanish resources!

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

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!

Our First Grade Reading List Homeschool Picks

August 28, 2015 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Well, we’re down to our final reading list for the new school year and it’s time to show off our books for first grade! Roo is reading much more fluently than he was last year, but he’s still not really a leisure reader. He’ll read when I tell him to, but he’d rather play than anything else. Of course, he is six. 🙂

But I really want to encourage him to develop the habit of reading for fun, so I’ve selected stories he can read on his own and stories we’ll read together. Here are our first grade reading list homeschool picks for this year!

Our First Grade Reading List Homeschool Picks

Roo, like many young boys, loves construction, so I included a book with that theme. I also included a couple of books that are funny, since those hold his attention the best.

Several of the books below will be part of unit studies we’ll be completing as a family, so they’ll fit in nicely with some of our themes.

1. Pete the Cat: Construction Destruction

2. Ocean Babies

3. Harry the Dirty Dog

4. Ramona the Brave

5. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

6. The Pigeon Wants a Puppy

7. The Complete Tales of Peter Rabbit

8. Aesop’s Fables for Children

9. The House at Pooh Corner

10. The Story of Ruby Bridges

11. Where the Wild Things Are

12. Curious George: Snowy Day

And those are our first grade reading list homeschool picks! Do you have any “must-read” books for first grade? Share your suggestions in the comments!

To see our other book suggestions for this year, check out our Fifth Grade Reading List and our Second Grade Reading List!

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

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!

Our Second Grade Reading List Homeschool Picks

August 19, 2015 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Last week we shared our choices for Tigger’s fifth grade homeschool reading list. Today, I’m sharing our second reading list homeschool picks for Pooh!

Pooh is at a point in his reading journey when he’s definitely ready to take on some chapter books on his own. However, I still prefer to read most of our books together, so that he will slow down and really absorb the story. Sometimes he tends to rush through a book and only pick out the parts that are instantly amusing to him.

So we’ll be covering these books in-depth this year. Take a look at our choices for second grade below!

Choosing a Reading List for Second Grade

First grade was really a stepping stone that helped Pooh become a more fluent reader. And because we took a short break to try public school, he got a chance to read for his class pretty often. I really think that’s helped him step outside the box and take on more challenging books.

So I wanted him to read some books with me this year and some on his own as well. He likes mysteries and funny stories and this list features plenty of both!

Our Second Grade Reading List Homeschool Picks

1. Ramona and Her Mother

2. Oliver Twist

3. Tales of a Fourth-Grade Nothing (Yes, I realize the title character is in fourth grade. But I think Pooh will relate very well to Fudge…lol.)

4. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Soccer Scheme

5. The Mouse and the Motorcycle

6. The Boxcar Children

7. What’s Cooking, Jenny Archer?

8. The Wind in the Willows

9. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

10. Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventures: The Intrepid Canadian Expedition

11. Freckle Juice

12. Geronimo Stilton: The Race Across America

And those are our second grade reading list homeschool selections! Unit studies for these books will be coming soon!

Catch our other reading list selections for this school year below!

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

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!

Do you have any books you think second-graders should read? Share them in the comments!

25 Kids’ Books about Camping

Books about Dolphins for Kids

Picture Books about Hawaii

Ice Cream Recipes for Kids

Books about Turtles for Kids

25 of the Best Beach Books for Kids

Printable Beach Ball Counting Cards

Fun Frog Books for Preschool

10 Books about Monster Trucks

10 Kids’ Picture Books about Bugs

Harry the Dirty Dog Activity for Toddlers

>>> Clean the Dirty Dog Printable Activity <<<

50 Engaging Spring Books for Kids

How to Use Books about Spring with Early Learners

10 Amazing Geography Books for Home School

The Best Picture Books for Three-Year-Olds:

10 Picture Books about Firefighters

10 Kids’ Books about Penguins

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Now give us your best posts!

Fun Children’s Cookbooks

10 Children’s Books about Construction

Fun Kids’ Books about Farms

10 Spanish Books for Kids

Our First Grade Reading List Homeschool Picks

Choosing a Reading List for Second Grade

Our Second Grade Reading List Homeschool Picks