Fall STEM Activities for Kids

Get kids ready for autumn with these 30+ Fall STEM activities for kids!Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the food, the colors, the weather, the cozy clothes, and the back to school excitement. Since my daughter is really excited about STEM, I decided to combine our joys and find some of the best Fall STEM activities from some of my favorite bloggers.

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Exploring the USA with Children’s Books

Introduce kids to different cities with these children’s books about the USA! The United States is full of incredible sights and landmarks. During this time of the pandemic, we are unable to travel the country and see all of these amazing things, so instead we are celebrating them through stories. Today I’m sharing a list of new children’s books about the US to help you explore with your kids too!

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Back to School Books & Tools

Get kids excited for school with these back to school books and new school supplies from Crayola! Back to school time looks a bit different this year. No matter what your school year looks like, get kids excited about learning with these fun back to school books for kids, and some great new school supplies from Crayola!

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The Most Important Tip to Change Your Reading

Learn the most important tip for reading aloud to kids, and make your family reading time more enjoyable! #familyreading #readaloud #readaloudtipsImagine sitting down every day as a family to enjoy some quality family reading time together. Everyone rushes to snuggle up together and waits excitedly to start the story. Is this what happens in your home? Some days it may be. Other days it may be a bigger struggle. It definitely is in our house some days. If you long for the days of peaceful time reading to kids, but struggle to make it happen, then I am here to help. Today I’m sharing the most important tip for reading to kids.

Children’s Books about Families

Celebrate different families with this list of children's books on families! Every family is different. And there are lots of great children’s books about diverse families that represent the many ways you can create a family. Today I wanted to share some of the newest kid’s books about families that we are enjoying.

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Bluey Toys for your Bluey Fan!

Check out these new Bluey toys for the Bluey fan in you life!Do your kids love Bluey? My daughter found it earlier this year and it has become one of our family’s favorite shows. It is not only hilarious and quotable, but it portrays a realistic family (even though they are dogs) and encourages dramatic play and imagination. We were so excited when we found out that Bluey toys were finally coming to the US. These are some of the ones that we are most looking forward to.

Book Themed Candles for the Bookworm in Your Life

These book themed candles make the perfect gift for bookworms! Picture your favorite reading spot. What makes it special? What helps you settle in for an afternoon of relaxing and reading? Today I am thrilled to share a list of amazing book themed candles that will transport you to your favorite reading nook, or even to your favorite literary places. These make great gifts for bookworms too!

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Reading Sins and How to Rectify Them

What reading sins are stopping your kids from reading? Find out how to solve these common mistakes while reading to kids! #readingwithkids #readingtokids #readaloud #reading #raisingreadersDo you struggle to get your kids excited about reading? There are a few reading “sins” that may affect a child’s love of reading. Find out how to fix these common mistakes while reading to kids.

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common mistakes while reading to kidsFighting back when kids want to reread the same story

Rereading the same book night after night can be exhausting for parents. You get tired of the same story and the same rhymes. You can repeat them without looking at the pages. While this may be annoying to you, hearing the same story over and over is actually really beneficial to kids.

Each time they hear the story, they pick up on more of the plot, the tone, the character development, the rhyme patterns, etc. They are able to start filling in some of the words on their own, especially if the text has a good rhyme. They will also be able to retell the story in their own way, which is an important skill to develop. Plus, the comfort of hearing a favorite story over and over again adds an emotional level to your reading time, which helps them tie reading to positive feelings.

So instead of forcing a new book on them every night, give in to the repeated stories. (Although I have been known to send certain books on vacation after a while, to be found again sometime later on).

reading sinsNot letting kids read graphic novels

There are a lot of people who believe that graphic novels aren’t “real books”. This is also common when discussing comic books. However, I completely disagree with this argument. Are they reading? Are they putting the screens away and reading stories on the page? Then don’t stress!

There are so many milestones and guidelines for kids and reading, that we often worry about what they “should” be reading. But as adults, we don’t exactly read what we “should” be reading all the time either! Sure we could only read the classics, or brilliant texts on philosophy or ethics, but sometimes we want to escape with a romance novel or a thriller too. Reading should be enjoyable. If we force kids to read what they “should” be reading and discount what they want to read, then they will grow to dislike reading as a whole.

Related Post: Let Kids Read What They Want

reading sinsTelling kids that memorizing a story isn’t reading

TV Shows Based on Our Favorite Kid’s Books

If you are looking for educational screentime for kids, check out these TV shows based on children's books! When it comes to TV time for my daughter, I have always been selective about what I let her watch. I was a Disney kid (still am!), and she is too now. We have branched out beyond Disney as she has grown up, but we still watch a lot of it. Lots of the shows she watches are based on some of our favorite characters from kids books. I am thrilled that there are so many TV shows based on children’s books that teach the same lessons I want her to learn, through the characters we have grown to love.

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Fancy Nancy

Airs on Disney Channel

Fans of Nancy Clancy will love seeing the vivacious character brought to life on screen, along with her loving family and her fun group of friends. Just like in the Fancy Nancy Books by Jane O’Connor, Nancy wants everything in her life to be fancy, and she does everything she can to make her life, and the life of those around her, magnificent. Both the show and the books introduce kids to lots of larger vocabulary words, and even some French words. My daughter uses lots of Nancy’s vocabulary in her everyday life now. I also appreciate how Nancy’s tries her best to make life “magnifique” for all those around her, and tries to see the best in every situation with the help of her family and friends.

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Related Post: Fancy Gifts for Fancy Nancy Fans

Magic School Bus Rides Again

Streams on Netflix

This series is a sequel to the original Magic School Bus TV show which was based on the classic series of Magic School Bus books by Joanna Cole. In the original series (which many parents may remember), Ms. Frizzle’s class goes on incredible field trips on the Magic School Bus and learns all about the world. In The Magic School Bus Rides Again, Ms. Frizzle hands the reins over to her sister Fiona Frizzle. Fiona has the same passion for learning and fantastical field trips as her sister. So she also takes the class on wild rides in the famed bus. My daughter loves the crazy trips that the class goes on. I love all of the topics they cover and the throwbacks to the show I loved as a kid (including a remake of the theme song by Lin Manuel Miranda).

Why Teens Should Watch Hamilton

Find out why teens should watch Hamilton and the things they can learn!Hamilton is coming to Disney+ and I don’t know about you, but I am excited! Whether you are a Broadway fan or not, chances are you know about the show and may even know some of the songs. And now we all have a chance to see the original cast perform it together. I will definitely be watching it, and I think there are lots of reasons why teens should watch Hamilton too!

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