Play dough is a great tool for developing kids' fine motor skills as well as for engaging in sensory-rich play. Kids can use play dough in a creative and open-ended way and not even realize the benefits they are getting. With this in mind, I have created a set of St. Patrick's Day Play Dough Mats that I hope your children will ... Continue Reading
Fun with color mixing
Over time, I've done a few color mixing activities to help my children learn about the primary colors and how they combine to form secondary colors. We previously did a simple color theory activity using liquid watercolors as well as a slightly more advanced color mixing activity using liquid watercolors. We also did a fun color mixing activity ... Continue Reading
Learning about states of matter with sorting cards
Today I'm sharing a free printable resource to help children learn about states of matter. My States of Matter Sorting Cards will be a helpful addition to your lessons about states of matter. Note: For more activities about matter, please see my states of matter unit study page. After having done several activities to ... Continue Reading
Aluminum foil paintings
I think all kids should have the opportunity to engage in the arts. My favorite kind of art to share with my kids is process-oriented art that explores different artistic techniques and materials. Recently we tried our hand at aluminum foil painting. This was a brand new "canvas" for us, as we had never tried painting on foil. And we paired ... Continue Reading
Advanced patterns practice with 6 printable worksheets
Pattern recognition requires the ability to see order in chaos. Patterns can be found in words, numbers, symbols, schedules, behaviors, and more. The ability to recognize, identify, and create patterns is a key skill in children's mathematical development. However, pattern recognition is important for reasons that go well ... Continue Reading
Heart dot paintings using paper resist technique
I always enjoy trying out new art techniques with my kids. One technique I love is the resist technique. We've tried it before using tape resist and watercolor paints. And we've done crayon resist activities to learn letters. But the project I share below was the first time we tried a paper resist technique. These heart dot ... Continue Reading
Valentine Roll & Cover Math Games {free printable}
Today I've put together a brand new printable just in time for Valentine's Day. My Valentine Roll and Cover Math Games printable includes three levels that support number recognition, basic addition, and basic subtraction skills. It is the perfect Valentine learning tool for your preschooler, kindergartener, or 1st grader who is ... Continue Reading
Grow a candy heart {Valentine STEAM activity for kids}
Growing a candy heart is a great way to use up any extra bags of M&Ms you may have lying around. And trust me when I say that this Valentine STEAM activity was completely mesmerizing for our entire family. (STEAM, for the uninitiated, is the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. This activity falls under the ... Continue Reading
Winter Gross Motor Movement Game {free printable}
Winter has hit us hard this year, with lots of cold, rainy days that keep the kids and I mostly indoors. Being indoors so much is hard though, as the kids start to go stir crazy when they don’t get enough physical play. To help out, I created this free printable Winter Gross Motor Movement Game you can use to get kids moving ... Continue Reading
20+ books about snow for kids
We live in a low-lying valley area where it never snows. (Well, I'm told it snowed here on the valley floor back in the mid-70s, but that was so long ago I don't think it counts.) The result of living where we do is that my kids have very little experience with snow. Just before Christmas, my husband and I took our kids to a farm with a snow ... Continue Reading
