I recently updated my 4th of July Printables Pack, and it is now the biggest printable pack I have created to date! I am looking forward to sharing the activities in this pack with my kids as the holiday draws a bit nearer. In the meantime, I am making it available for my readers who would love to engage their kids in ... Continue Reading
Early STEM/STEAM skills: Building with blocks and tape
This is such a super simple activity that you may not realize at first glance the wonderful STEM skills children can develop from this simple building activity using blocks and tape. (STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and math). Note: You'll find lots of great STEM activities for young learners on my ... Continue Reading
Wall writing {101 Ways to Teach the Alphabet}
Last week I launched a brand new series here at Gift of Curiosity called 101 Ways to Teach the Alphabet. Each week I will be sharing a new idea for helping kids to learn their letters. These are ideas that I have used with my own kids, and now I am passing them on to you. In today's post I'm sharing an activity called Wall ... Continue Reading
The great baking soda and vinegar experiment
In the last few years we've done a number of activities using baking soda and vinegar. When combined, these two ingredients create a chemical reaction that fizzes and bubbles, much to the delight of my children. We've taken advantage of the chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar to do some balloon magic, some exploding colors, some magic ... Continue Reading
Summer Do-a-Dot Printables {free}
Summer is almost here, and I am definitely excited. My kids will be attending a few summer camps this year, which I hope will be both fun for them and a good opportunity for me to get a few things done. We will also be moving into our new house soon, and I look forward to enjoying lazy afternoons in the backyard and dinner on the back deck. If ... Continue Reading
Sun prints: creating art using the power of the sun
Sun prints are one of the easiest art projects you can do with kids. All you need are a few basic materials and a sunny day (preferably with little to no wind). Sun prints are a great project you can use as a stand alone art project or as a science lesson about the power of the sun. Note: For more art activities, see my Arts and Crafts ... Continue Reading
Spaghetti letters {101 Ways to Teach the Alphabet}
As a homeschooling mama, I have been involved in teaching the alphabet to my kids since they were quite young. I realized early on that my daughter would learn best through a variety of modalities targeting multiple senses. So I set about to come up with as many fun, hands-on, and engaging ways to teach to the alphabet as I possibly ... Continue Reading
3 air pressure activities for kids
In this post I'm sharing three simple and fun air pressure activities for kids. If your kids are young, you can simply do the activity and let them marvel at the outcome. If your kids are older, I've included some of the science behind each activity to help them learn more about air pressure. I hope you enjoy! Note: Find more ... Continue Reading
Camping Do-a-Dot Printables {free}
With summer coming up, it's time to get outdoors more. Camping is a wonderful way for kids to explore the great outdoors and connect with nature. The slower pace, disconnecting from electronics, more time outdoors. . . Camping is truly a wonderful way to spend quality time together as a family. Our family recently completed a four week camping ... Continue Reading
My kid recognizes his letters. Now what do we do?
When thinking about teaching my kids to learn how to read, it was clear that letter recognition was going to be one of the first skills they would need to master. QBoy actually learned his letters very easily and naturally, with very little in the way of direct instruction. And once he could recognize all of his letters, I had to consider what was ... Continue Reading
