Gratitude Activities for Kids

Teach kids about gratitude with this children’s book about being thankful, and activities to pair with it! The holiday season is upon us! We love to take a few moments every day during this time of year to give thanks for all that we have. So we were thrilled to check out this adorable new children’s book about gratitude that shares all kinds of suggestions of things that we can be thankful for. It also inspired us to start a new family gratitude tradition!

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The Best Board Books for Kids

Teach kids to love reading with the best board books for kids! Reading to kids from the beginning is one of the best ways to raise kids who love reading. Board books are a great resource for little ones because they can stand up to babies and toddlers who don’t understand how to be gentle yet. We have covered a lot of board books on the blog, so I decided to round them up and share our list of the best board books for kids!

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Why Grandparents Should Read to Their Grandchildren

Wondering why grandparents should read to their grandkids? Learn why reading to grandkids is beneficial, and some fun ways to do it!If you are a regular reader on this site, then you know how often I talk about the importance of reading aloud to kids. The science backs up the claims that reading to a child every day has an incredible amount of benefits. It also sets kids up for success in many ways. But this doesn’t have to be just parents. Today I wanted to share why grandparents should read to their grandchildren too, and some fun ways to go about it – even if you have to be far apart.

Best Cookbooks for Kids

Teach kids in the kitchen with some of the best cookbooks for kids!Do your kids love to cook and bake with you? Little Bookworm has been interested in baking and cooking since she was old enough to stand on her own. So we have assembled quite a collection of fun cookbooks for kids. She loves flipping through these and selecting the recipes to make – especially when they feature bright colors and fun characters. These are some of our favorite cookbooks for kids – perfect for the little chef or baker in your family!

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Barbie Bakes*

From Mattel

This Barbie themed cookbook includes 50+ recipes for delicious baked treats. The book starts with a letter from Barbie, as well as Barbie’s tips for baking, and tips and ingredients that little bakers need to get started. The recipes are broken up into themed sections such as Cookies, Brownies & Bars, Pies & Tarts, Cakes & Cupcakes, and Morning Treats. Each recipe features a clear list of ingredients and numbered steps. Several of the recipes include full page color illustrations, or Healthy Tips from Barbie.

My Very First Cookbook*

Recipes by Danielle Kartes

This adorable first cookbook for kids includes recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks, sides, and desserts. The cartoon illustrations throughout the book feature pairs of adults and kids cooking together, inspiring readers to share the love of cooking in their own family as well. Each recipe features lists of necessary equipment and ingredients, as well as clear, numbered instructions. There are also lots of tips and tricks included for each recipe, encouraging kids to make the recipe their own. The back of the book includes jokes for kids, conversation starters for families, ideas for celebrations, and empty pages for writing your own recipes.

American Girl Summer Treats*

From Weldon Owen

This summery cookbook for kids features seasonal treats that they can easily make at  home. The book starts with tips and tools for little bakers, and a table of contents showing all of the recipes, broken down by category. The pages are full of summer themed cakes, cupcakes and cookies using summer fruits or decorated in summery ways. There are also summer fruit pies, tarts, and crumbles, and cold treats like sundaes, popsicles, and other icy treats. Each recipe has easy to read instructions, and several feature full page color photographs of the delicious treats.

Related Post: Making Summer Treats with an American Girl Cookbook

Holiday Books for Kids

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx on behalf of Candlewick Press

#ad These holiday books from @CandlewickPress are sure to become new holiday favorites for all families! #HolidayBooks4Kids #KidsBooks Reading holiday stories together is one of my favorite traditions of the holiday season. So I am always on the lookout for new children’s holiday books. This year, there are so many amazing options to add to your family’s collection. Today I wanted to share 3 highlighted children’s holiday books from Candlewick Press to bring some holiday spirit to your home!

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Our holiday reading collection takes up a large part of our library. I love introducing Little Bookworm to the symbols and traditions of holidays through beautiful children’s books. As she grows, her tastes and level of understanding grows as well, so I frequently add to our collection to suit her interests. If you are looking to add some new titles to your family’s collection, then I highly recommend these three books!

Dasher

Written by Matt Tavares

This beautifully illustrated Christmas storybook introduce kids to the famous reindeer who pull Santa’s sleigh through a sweet origin story. When the story begins, adventurous, young Dasher and her reindeer family are living together as part of a traveling circus. The little reindeer dreams of roaming under the starry skies, and when the opportunity presents itself, she escapes from their pen. While traveling, she comes across Santa Claus and his sleigh, led by a horse named Sleighbell. The sleigh has become too heavy for Sleighbell to pull alone, so Dasher offers to help. What follows is a sweet story of kindness, family, and Christmas magic which explains how the famous reindeer got their jobs.

The story is accompanied by gorgeous illustrations of the sweet little reindeer and the wintry landscapes that she travels through. As the little deer finds peace under the starry skies, the illustrations highlight the tranquility of the moon lit, snow covered landscape. And the magic of Christmas shines brightly in the images of Santa and his magical sleigh, making this a perfect Christmas Eve read aloud. Kids and adults alike will enjoy this magical story, and the mystery behind Santa’s beloved helpers.

Ages 4 to 8

Pick a Pine Tree

Written by Patricia Toht and illustrated by Jarvis

Educational Gift Guide 2020

Check out the best educational gifts for kids this year!Are you looking for new educational gifts for kids on your shopping list? I am pleased to share our Educational Toys Gift Guide for 2020! This list is full of our favorite educational toys, games, and books this year. From STEAM toys to creative art kits, there is something for everyone on this list. I hope it helps you to get some of your holiday shopping done!

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STEAM

STEM kit for kids

DIY Rainbow Catcher

This STEM kit for kids comes from Klutz Maker Lab. The kit includes all of the pieces necessary to build a triple crystal, motorized rainbow catcher that will cast beautiful rainbows on your walls. The included instruction booklet not only includes easy to follow instructions, but also tons of educational information on rainbows and how they appear to us. There are also instructions for creating your own rainbow science experiments, using things you have around your home. Recommended age: 8+
STEM activity for kids

LEGO Gear Bots Kit

This LEGO kit from Klutz Maker Lab includes a brightly colored instruction book and all the pieces you need to create 8 fun machines. The models you build with this kit can actually move, not only teaching kids about cranks, axles, and other engineering concepts, but also bringing lots of giggles. The instructions for each bot are broken down into easy to understand steps, with colored illustrations showing exactly how to put the pieces together. The scientific concepts behind each bot’s movements are also explained in colored sidebars. This is a great gift for little engineers who enjoy building! Recommended age: 8+

science lab for kids

Outdoor Science Lab

This science kit for kids comes from Quarto Smart Lab. This science lab includes 21 hands on nature activities, encouraging kids to get outside and explore the plants and bugs around them. The brightly colored tools in the kit include a bug catcher with a UV night scope, a macro lens to attach to your phone, plus storage compartments, a beaker, pH test strips, and more. This is a great starter kit for little scientists, and it encourages them to start exploring the world around them. Recommended age: 8+

Related Post: The Best STEM Books & Activities for Kids

weather lab for kidsWeather Lab

This weather lab science kit from Quarto Smart Lab includes instructions and supplies for 18 science experiments about weather. With the 32 page science activity book, kids can create their own clouds, test for acid rain, measure wind speed, and perform more Earth Science experiments. With the easy to assemble weather station base, kids can predict the next storm using real weather instruments. This lab is compact enough that it won’t take up a ton of space. So you can easily leave it up and check the weather stats every day. This kit is perfect for kids who are interested in weather patterns, and want to learn more about them. Recommended ages: 7+

Kaleidoscope Kit

This DIY kit from Smartivity encourages kids to create their own kaleidoscope, while learning about mirrors, reflection and color theory. The kit is made of high quality engineered wood, and it does not require any glue or tools to put it together. All of the pieces included are child safe, and the instruction booklet lays out the steps in easy to follow text. This is a great project for little ones who enjoy building and working with loose parts. Recommended ages: 6+

Pinxies

These adorable STEM kits encourage kids to combine building and storytelling. The brightly colored pieces are easy to fit together, and feature cute characters and decorated buildings. The

Unicorn Barn

Reading Through the Holidays

Reading Through the Holidays

Looking for new Christmas traditions for family holiday reading?

Picture this:

It’s the holiday season, and you wake up in the morning with a long to do list to tackle. 

You want to wring every moment of holiday joy out of each day, but you feel like you can never reach the end of the list. 

You decide to sneak a little holiday joy into your bedtime reading, but your kids choose the exact same holiday story you read last night. 

You’re frustrated and looking for some inspiration, but you’re tired and don’t know where to look. 

That’s where this book comes in!

After reading this book, you and your kids will now look forward to opening a new holiday book every day! You will have ideas for new family traditions, creative ideas for gifting books, and tons of new book suggestions for you to share!

 

This Book Includes:

  • Tips for making time in your busy holiday schedule
  • How to use books to countdown to the holidays
  • Creative ways to read through your whole holiday library instead of rereading the same story for a month
  • Over 100 suggestions of books for the holidays broken down into themes
  • Art Themed Easter Baskets for Kids

    Encourage kids to be creative with this art supply Easter basket for kids! #artsupplies #artbooksforkids #easterbasketfillersTime seems to be dragging to a stop lately with all of the quarantines and closures. But Easter is right around the corner, and we are still looking forward to it! Since school is closed and we are doing our learning at home, I was inspired to create some fun art themed Easter baskets for kids, with our favorite Crayola products, and art themed children’s books! Check out the different variations below for inspiration!

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    I love a good theme, and Easter baskets offer a great opportunity to gather themed items for kids. So I was inspired to create some themed Easter baskets around our favorite stories. Some of our favorite stories around art supplies include:

    Snap! by Hazel Hutchins and Dusan Petricic inspires kids to think outside the box and create with what they have.

    When the Pencil Met the Eraser by Karen Kilpatrick, Luis O. Ramos, Jr. and German Blanco shows how pencils and erasers can work together to create art.

    The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers features letters from each crayon in the box as they share their greivances with their owner.

    Ish by Peter H. Reynolds teaches kids that their artwork doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.

    The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds inspires kids to never give up when it comes to their artwork, and to inspire others as well.

    Check out some of our favorite art supply books here!

    Coloring Basket

    We love coloring in our house. So of course we are always excited for new art supplies! This fun Easter basket is full of quality

    Crayola art supplies

    Potty Training Books for Kids

    Make potty training easier with these children's books about potty training! #pottytraining #pottytrainingbooks #booksforkidsPotty training can be an overwhelming and intense experience for both the kids and the parents. There are lots of great children’s books about potty training that can help to ease the difficult transition and introduce the topic to kids in a fun and entertaining way. This list of books includes some of my daughter’s favorites, and we hope that they will help your family too!

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    Potty All-Star*

    Written by Ross Burauch

    This adorable board book uses the game of basketball to make potty training more fun! In the story, the young kid is ready to get off the bench and out of diapers. The story follows him as he starts attempting to use the bathroom, with the support of his coaches (parents). The illustrations are brightly colored and full of fun basketball imagery. The story reminds the reader of all the steps involved in the bathroom process, and ties it into to training for the game – even comparing new underpants to a new uniform.

    Super Pooper and Whizz Kid: Potty Power!*

    Written by Eunice Moyle and illustrated by Sabrina Moyle

    This board book from the authors of Kindness Rules and Christmas is Awesome, follows a cat and dog character who deem themselves potty superheroes. The story tells the reader all about going to the bathroom and it includes lots of funny plays on words and tips to become potty superheroes too. The illustrations will have kids laughing along, and are full of fun details and jokes. My daughter thinks this one is hilarious, so it’s a great one for lightening the mood when kids get frustrated by the process.

    Related Post: Why I Test My Toddler: Using Developmental Checklists To My Advantage

    Dog Books and Activities for Kids

    These sweet dog books for kids are perfect for the dog lovers in your family! #dogbooks #booksforkids #dogcraftforkidsWe are a family of dog lovers. We had dogs in my house growing up, and the dogs in our family are some of my daughter’s best friends. So we recognize the power of friendship between dogs and their owners. Dogs can provide comfort and love at the times that we need it most, and we can do the same for them. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to check out these sweet dog books for kids, and pair them with activities that celebrate the kindness of dogs, and the kindness we can show to them.

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    Grammy’s Superhero Series: Adventures of a Seeing Eye Dog

    Written by Wendy Kerr Sherid and illustrated by Janet M. Jones


    Feather’s Playground Adventure
    This book introduces the reader to Grammy, her seeing eye dog Feather, and her grandson Callen. On a trip to the playground, Callen meets some new friends and tells them about his Grammy’s dog and her superpowers. When Callen falls and gets hurt, Feather helps Grammy get to him quickly. Callen’s new friends are impressed by Feather’s skills, so Grammy and Callen share all the ways that Feather helps out. This is a great introduction to the ways that Seeing Eye Dogs help the visually impaired.


    Feather’s Santa Train Surprise

    Feather is back in this adorable Christmas adventure. Grammy, Callen, Feather, and their friends are heading on a train ride with a bunch of Seeing Eye puppies in training. The story is full of examples of how Seeing Eye Dogs help their owners, and gives readers a glimpse into how puppies are trained to become Seeing Eye Dogs.


    Nap Time with Feather

    Grammy and Callen are out running errands, and Feather is busy protecting Grammy and helping her to get around. She stops Grammy from walking in front of a car, helps her find the door handle, and helps her to cross the street safely. When they get home, Callen and Feather drift off to sleep and dream of being superheroes that save the day together. The story and some of the illustrations in this book are inspired by her grandson Callen, and introduce readers to the ways that Seeing Eye Dogs help their owners.

    We’ll Get Through This Together!

    Written by Ulrike Szalay and illustrated by Roberta Marovelli

    This sweet book was written to support the Canines-N-Kids Foundation, whose goal is to end cancer for both kids and canines. The story is told from the perspective of a Labrador as he stays by the side of a sick child and comforts him as he deals with his experiences at the hospital. The text explores the feelings that children may have while entering the hospital and undergoing treatments. It also shows how a dog companion can help those children to feel strong and comforted. The illustrations show the strong connection between patient and canine pal, and reminds the reader that they are not alone. The back of the book also includes information about the foundation and the incredible work that they are doing.

    Get kids excited about reading with these printable dog bookmarks that they can color! #coloringbookmarks #printablebookmarks #dogbookmarks

    Mr. Scruff

    Written and illustrated by Simon James

    This adorable book explores the idea that there is a perfect pet out there for everyone, even if it isn’t what you expect. The rhyming text shows all kinds of pet and owner pairings that seem to make perfect sense. Even their names rhyme! But poor Mr. Scruff doesn’t have the perfect owner. Until a young boy named Jim comes along. Jim and Mr. Scruff aren’t alike at all, but Jim knows that they are perfect for one another. The story has an interesting twist, and the illustrations are adorable, featuring sweet dogs and their loving relationships with their owners.

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