kids books Archives

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!

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!

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!

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 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!

Amazing Hurricane Books for Kids

August 18, 2015 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

It’s hurricane season! And we’ve been talking about hurricanes, tropical storms, and tropical depressions with the kids lately. We even got to review a Hurricane Lapbook a few weeks back.

As part of our hurricane studies, I put together a list of kids’ books about hurricanes that are awesome for introducing this topic to children and explaining it in an interesting way.

Check out our picks below! And if you want even more ways to learn about hurricanes, don’t miss our hurricane unit study!

Amazing Kids’ Books about Hurricanes

1. Eye of the Storm: A Book about Hurricanes by Rick Thomas

2. Hurricane by David Wiesner

3. Hurricanes by Seymour Simon

4. Hooper Finds a Family: A Hurricane Katrina Dog’s Survival Tale by Jane Paley

5. Tornadoes and Hurricanes! by Cy Armour

6. Hurricane! by Celia Godkin

7. Where Albatross Soar: A Beachside Story of Waves and Storms by Bryan Knowles

8. Read about Hurricanes by Sally Morgan

9. Hurricanes! (First Graphics Wild Earth) by Marcie Aboff

10. The Superstorm: Hurricane Sandy by Josh Gregory

11. Hurricanes: Earth’s Mightiest Storms by Patricia Lauber

12. Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina by Rodman Philbrick

13. Hurricanes by Gail Gibbons

14. Hurricanes Vs. Tornadoes Vs. Typhoons: Wind Systems of the World by Baby Professor

15. Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans by Don Brown

16. Hurricanes! (Hello Reader) by Lorraine J. Hopping

17. Hurricane Watch! (Let’s Read and Find Out Science 2) by Melissa Stewart

18. Storms by Seymour Simon

19. I Wonder Why Hurricanes Have Eyes (and other questions about natural disasters)

20. Hurricanes (Wild Weather) by Jim Mezzanotte

Do you have any go-to books about hurricanes that you’ve read with your kids? Share your picks in the comments!

For more hurricane learning ideas, you might also like:

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!

Exploring Mexico for Kids with Pack-n-Go Girls Books

June 23, 2015 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Hi everyone! This week our Laugh and Learn linky is going global! We’re sharing a review of one of the entries in the Pack-n-Go Girls Books: “Mystery of the Disappearing Dolphin.” We decided to use the book as a springboard to exploring Mexico for kids!

As you might know, Tina and her family live in Mexico, so be sure to head over to her blog Los Gringos Logos (listed below) if you want to learn even more about the country. 😉

In addition, we’ve all chosen our favorite posts from last week’s linky. Read the features and then check out the newest parenting and homeschooling posts below!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Exploring Mexico for Kids

When I read the description of the Pack-n-Go Girls book series, I knew it would be a great fit for Tigger. She loves to read, she loves learning about world cultures, and she really loves books with female characters. Win-win-win! 🙂

Naturally, we started our lesson by reading the book.

I have to say: It’s a very well written book. Izzy, the lead character, is traveling on a sailboat with her mom and dad. They’re docked in Barra de Navidad, Mexico, where she’s made friends with Patti, a Mexican girl who lives nearby.

After Izzy’s uncle, who is uncomfortable with other cultures, comes to visit, the trip takes a turn for the worse, especially when Izzy is accused of stealing a handmade glass dolphin from the local market. We talked about the value and beauty of handmade items with the kids. Coincidentally, a dear friend of ours just returned from Mexico last week and brought our kids some handmade toys.

Aren’t they gorgeous? I’m seriously considering placing them on the mantle and never letting them play with them all. 🙂

After reading the book, we gathered around the computer to learn even more about Mexico and dolphins.

We took a virtual tour of La Merced, the famous outdoor market in Mexico City, so the kids could get a look at the huge variety of things that are available for sale.

Then we watched this video showing pictures of Barra de Navidad. Unlike Izzy’s uncle, I don’t think I’d ever complain if I had the chance to visit. It looks absolutely beautiful.

Finally, we watched a very interesting video from National Geographic Live about the way dolphins communicate with one another. Scientists are discovering that they have very advanced methods for cooperating and feeding. It’s a little advanced for younger kids, but you can definitely watch pieces and look at the pictures. (That’s pretty much what we did…lol.)

Finally, we headed to the table to draw pictures of dolphins based on the pictures we saw. It was a great lesson, an adorable book, and a wonderful way to begin exploring Mexico for kids!

To learn even more about Pack-n-Go Girls and support the Kickstarter campaign (Open through June 25), click the image below! 🙂

Now for the linky!

Welcome to our 38th week of Laugh and Learn – Homeschool and Parenting Linkup!
Laugh and Learn – Homeschool and Parenting Linkup will be open by 6 am every Tuesday morning. We will pick our five favorite posts and feature them on the following weeks linkup. Be sure to link your best content and maybe we will pick you! When you link your post with us it will be featured on five blogs.

We pin our favorites to a special Pinterest board for #laughlearnlinkup – homeschool and parenting posts. Check the board out here: #LaughLearnLinkup {Featured Favorites}. It’s added exposure for your awesome content!

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
Pinterest
Google +
Linkedin
Tsu

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
Google +
Instagram

Sarah

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

Haley

Haley hopes to encourage stay at home moms. She wants to help moms 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 funny things that happen. Visit Haley at Haley’s Vintage Finds & Deals.
Find Haley at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Pinterest
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter

Lindsey

Lindsey is a joyful mother, happy homeschooler, scatterbrained housewife, and passionate blogger. She writes about the joys and challenges of home educating, conscientious parenting, and “loving the simple life”. Get inspired with Lindsey at Simply LindseyLoo.

Find Lindsey at her blog link above, and on the following social media networks:
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
Instagram
Pinterest

Our Favorite Posts for the Week of June 22th:

Hands-on Homeschooling: Outdoor Language Arts Games

Reduce Screen Time With These 3 Easy Steps

10 Tips on How to Paint to Music

PRE-HOMESCHOOL YEAR PLANNING CHECKLIST – 7 STEP HOMESCHOOL PLANNER

PATIENCE, CONFIDENCE, KNOWING ALL THE ANSWERS – NOT REQUIRED TO HOMESCHOOL

Thanks to everyone who submitted a post. Please check out the posts above by clicking on the image.
[bctt tweet=”Come join the #laughlearnlinkup and share your favorite #parenting or #homeschooling post!”]

Now, let’s see your best posts for this week, so we can share them as next week’s favorites!

An InLinkz Link-up

Lovely Children’s Books about Butterflies

June 2, 2015 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Butterflies are one of my very favorite animals. They are beautiful to look at, fun to chase, and they go through one of the most amazing transformations ever observed by scientists. In the space of a few days, caterpillars turn into butterflies – completely different animals with elegant wings. It still amazes me.

The past few weeks we’ve been exploring butterflies with the kids, as you might have noticed from our Butterfly Identification Cards and our free Butterfly Unit Study, so I wanted to share some lovely children’s books about butterflies! Check these out to add to your booklist!

If you love these selections, check out this list of fun insect activities for kids you can try!

Lovely Children’s Books about Butterflies

1. The Butterfly Tree by Victor Biton

2. The Life Cycles of Butterflies by Judy Burris

3. National Geographic Readers: Great Migrations Butterflies by Laura Marsh

4. Caterpillars, Bugs, and Butterflies: Take-Along Guides by Mel Boring

5. My, Oh My, A Butterfly! (Cat In the Hat’s Learning Library) by Tish Rabe

6. Are You a Butterfly? by Judy Allen

7. A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston

8. Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly by Alan Madison

9. The Illustrated World Encyclopedia of Butterflies and Moths by Sally Morgan

10. Butterfly Colors and Counting by Jerry Pallotta

Here are ten more butterfly books for kids to try!

1. National Geographic: From Caterpillar to Butterfly by Laura Marsh

2. Pinkalicious and the Little Butterfly by Victoria Kann

3. Butterflies by Seymour Simon

4. DK Readers: Born to Be a Butterfly by Karen Wallace

5. Fancy Nancy: Bonjour, Butterfly by Jane O’Connor

6. Flutterby, Butterfly: A Slide-and-Seek Book by Emma Parrish

7. Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow by Joyce Sidman

8. A Butterfly’s Life (Time for Kids) by Dona Herweck Rice

9. Explore My World: Butterflies by Marfe Ferguson Delano

10. From Caterpillar to Butterfly (Let’s Read and Find Out Science) by Deborah Heiligman

Try these other spring learning ideas!

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!