How to Make Jello Outside in the Snow

Children in elementary school start learning about the states of matter, the properties of matter, and how matter changes when heat is added or removed from it. Making this tasty jello snack with your students is a fun way to integrate simple cooking skills into your science and STEM lessons about matter. Keep reading to find out how!

Do Squirrels Eat Pumpkins?

Have you ever looked out of your window to watch the squirrels gather food for the winter? Have you ever wondered what they like to eat? Squirrels aren't picky and will eat almost anything. We know they like to eat acorns, pecans, berries, apples, vegetables from the garden, and seeds just to name a few. Sometimes squirrels will eat food meant for other animals such as birdseed, cat food, and even dog food. But... do squirrels like to eat pumpkins? Check out this science and STEM experiment we conducted to try and answer this question.

How to Make an Apple Mummy (Part Two)

Several months ago, I wrote a blog post about a STEM activity that uses apples to make mummies. It was a popular post with more than 5,000 views and 700+ shares. Since then, I received numerous requests for part two of the experiment... the part in which we take the apple mummies out of the salt mixture and complete the hydration process in an oven. Keep reading to find out how it's done!

What is Saint Nicholas Day?

December is here and children all over the world are getting excited about their favorite holidays!  Christmas will take place on the 25th... Boxing Day will take place on the 26th... Kwanzaa will begin on the 26th and will last until January 1st... and... Hanukkah often falls during this month. But... there is another holiday in December that takes place on the 6th... Saint Nicholas Day!  Have you ever heard of Saint Nicholas Day?  Who is Saint Nicholas?  What did Saint Nicholas do to deserve his own special day?  What are some of the traditions associated with Saint Nicholas Day? Keep reading to learn more!

Native American - Indigenous Fingerweaving

Every culture around the world has its own special form of weaving. For example, Scotland is known for its tartans. China is known for its silks. And, Guatemala is known for its huipils. Each of these is unique and beautiful in its own way. In today's post, I'm going to introduce you to a type of fingerweaving by Haudenosaunee artist and weaver Marilyn Isaacs. Keep reading to learn about Marilyn Isaacs and her beautiful creations! 

How to Make Homemade Scratch Art

When I was a child, I participated in lots of arts-n-crafts activities at summer camp. (It was one of my favorite parts of going to camp!) While I was there, I learned how to do scratch art and how to make colorful drawings with it. I drew pictures of people, flowers, animals, and places I wanted to see. What is scratch art? How do you do scratch art? How can you use it in the classroom? Keep reading to learn the answers to these questions!

Fun Facts About Axolotls

In the game Minecraft, there are cute little axolotls that children love to collect. They come in a variety of colors... gold, brown, pink (leucistic), cyan, and blue... and can be found swimming in the clay pools found in lush caves. Many children are surprised when they find out that axolotls are animals that exist in real life and not just in the Minecraft realm. What are axolotls like in real life? Keep reading to find out!

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

In 2015, I participated in a Read Around the World Summer blog series and put together this collection of videos about A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. A Long Walk to Water is a historical fiction children's novel based on real people and actual events. It follows the lives of two people (Salva and Nya) during different periods of time. Salva Dut’s story takes place in the mid-1980s during the Second Sudanese Civil War. Nya’s story takes place in the 2000s, shortly before South Sudan gained its independence. Keep reading to learn about the history and events behind the story!

The Big Marshmallow Tower STEM Challenge

A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to go into a local private school and work with some pretty amazing kids. I spent most of the afternoon with a class of fourth and fifth-grade girls and a class of eighth-grade boys. Both classes had fun putting their geometry and engineering skills to the test. Their mission-- to build structurally sound towers out of nothing but marshmallows and spaghetti noodles!

10 Tasty Children's Books for Taco Tuesday

Taco Tuesdays are a fun and popular tradition for many people in the United States. On Taco Tuesday, people will often make tacos for dinner or go out to eat them at a restaurant. Some school cafeterias even offer tacos as one of their lunch options on Tuesdays. If you are looking for some tasty children's books to read on Taco Tuesday, check out the children's books in this post!

Fun Fact: Did you know that the first Taco Tuesday dates back to 1989 when a restaurant called Taco Joe's offered a special promo for... you guessed it... tacos on Tuesdays?

25 A+ Quotes for Back-to-School

In a few short weeks, teachers will be heading back to school to prepare their classrooms for the upcoming school year. Are you one of them? Listed below are 25 motivational and inspirational quotes that would be terrific for bulletin board displays, murals, banners, etc. There are lots of good quotes in this post, so let's dive right in!

Minecraft Math: Star Ways Day Pixel Art

Star Wars Day is here again and it’s a terrific time to integrate Star Wars activities into your STEM and other technology lessons. Many teachers think of science experiments when it comes to STEM, however, STEM is not just about science. It includes the integration of math and technology as well.

Today's post is about a pixel art STEM activity that integrates students’ love for Minecraft with their love for Star Wars. It can be a challenging activity and can take anywhere from several hours to several days to complete. There is a potential for students to get frustrated with this activity, so I recommend this activity for students in the middle elementary grades and above.

Do You Speak Tree? by Josh Oaktree

In April 2021, Josh Oaktree wrote a graphic novel for children called Do You Speak Tree? Do You Speak Tree? is a wordless children's book with a powerful message to its readers... save our trees! It's about a tree named Oakie who is distraught when he sees his forest being cut down. Oakie seeks out help from his friend Art and together they organize a peaceful protest to halt its destruction. Keep reading to discover what happens next and to learn how you can use Do You Speak Tree? in the classroom.

15+ Easy Spring Crafts for Kids

Hooray! Spring is on its way! This is a terrific time for some bright and cheerful arts and crafts for kids. Spring flowers, types of weather, rainbows, insects, and animals are popular themes during this time of year. The spring crafts featured in this round-up were created by moms and teachers from all over the internet. If you see a craft in this post that you'd like to try, click on its link and head to its original website for material lists, directions, photos, etc. There are lots of spring craft ideas in this post, so let's dive right in!

How to Make an Afikomen Bag for Passover - Pesach

Passover. . . also known as Pesach. . . is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the Hebrews’ escape from Egypt. Passover lasts for seven days. During this time families have a special meal called a seder and read from the Haggadah that tells the story of how Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt and into freedom. A fun Passover tradition for families is to have a scavenger hunt for afikomen. What is afikomen? What is its symbolism? Read on to learn the answers to these questions and how to make a simple afikomen craft.

Meet the Mermaids: Hi, I'm Jenny by Lois Petren

Multicultural Children’s Book Day is an online children’s literacy event that occurs on the last Friday of every January. Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen created Multicultural Children’s Book Day (MCBD) several years ago as a way to celebrate diversity in children’s books while getting diverse books into the hands of young readers, parents, teachers, and librarians. Each year authors and publishers from around the world donate books to MCBD for bloggers to read and review. This year I received the book Meet the Mermaids: Hi, I'm Jenny. Meet the Mermaids: Hi, I'm Jenny... Hi, I'm Jenny for short... by Lois Petren is about a mermaid who wants to teach readers about positivity and self-confidence. Keep reading to learn more about this book!

Marlon Finds a Way by Dan Bailes

Have you ever watched a cat and wondered what is going on in its mind? Children's author Dan Bailes has! Dan Bailes recently released Marlon Finds a Way, a short chapter book about a cat named Marlon who wants to become friends with Silky the bird. Why would a cat want to become friends with a bird? What is Marlon thinking? In today's guest post Dan Bailes introduces us to Marlon, describes his book Marlon Finds a Way, and provides some discussion questions about the book you can use during your language arts lessons. Read on to learn more!

The Truck That Wanted to Be a Submarine by C. and S. Dunlop

March 17 of each year is famously known for being St. Patrick’s Day. What very few people know is that it’s also Submarine Day! Yes, there is a quirky holiday dedicated to the love of submarines. I recently discovered a cute, little book would be a fun read aloud for Submarine Day. It’s called The Truck That Wanted to Be a Submarine and is written by C. and S. Dunlop. The Truck That Wanted to Be a Submarine is about... well... a truck that wanted to be a submarine and its friend who helped it change into one. Keep reading to learn more about how you can use this story with your language arts lessons.

20+ Spring STEM Experiments and Activities

Spring is a terrific time to conduct STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) experiments and activities in your classroom. Plant life cycles, types of weather, and the water cycle are popular STEM themes during this time of year. The STEM experiments and activities featured in this round-up were created by moms and teachers from all over the internet. If you see an activity in this post that you'd like to try, click on its link and head to its original website for material lists, directions, photos, etc. There are lots of spring activities in this post, so let's dive right in!

Chinese Dragons Paper Bag Puppets Craft

Several months ago, I wrote a blog post about the children's book Brandon Goes to Beijing (北京) by Eugenia Chu. Brandon Goes to Beijing (北京) is the second book in a multilingual series written in English, Pinyan, and Chinese.  Since then, Eugenia Chu has released another children's book related to Chinese culture. This book is called Celebrating Chinese New Year and is packed full of crafts, games, recipes, and information about the Chinese New Year. In today's post, I'm sharing some fun photos of the paper bag Chinese dragon puppets we made using the directions from Eugenia Chu's new book. Check them out!

 

Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

Hannah's Two Homes by Melodie Tegay

About a year ago, I wrote a blog post about the children's book Living in Two Homes Is Tough by child author Abby Cadet. Abby's book is based on her personal experiences of having divorced parents and how she felt about splitting her time between her parents' houses. In today's guest post, author Melodie Tegay tells us about her children's book Hannah's Two Homes: Life in a "Blended" Family-- A 5 Year Old's Perspective. Hannah's Two Homes gives us another insight into what it's like for children to have two homes. Keep reading to learn more about Hannah's Two Homes and how Melodie Tegay came up with the idea for her story!

This is a guest post written by Meldoie Tegay. To learn more about guest posts, please read the Authors, Publishers, and Sponsors page. Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous I Have a Dream speech on August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. More than 200,000 people crowded together to him speak. In his speech, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke about his dreams of the future and the need for racial equality.

The children's art projects featured in this round-up were created by moms and teachers from all over the internet. If you see a craft in this post that you'd like to try at home or at school, click on its link and head to its original website for material lists, directions, photos, etc. There are lots of cute activities in this post, so let's dive right in!

Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

Fun Facts About the Platypus

The duck-billed platypus is an unusual-looking animal that has captured the interests of people from all over the world. It has feet like an otter, a tail like a beaver, and a bill like a duck. It lays eggs like a bird and can be venomous like a snake! Read on to find out more about these fascinating creatures.

Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

We All Live in a Yellow Submarine Kids Craft

In the town where I was born

Lived a man who sailed to sea

And he told us of his life

In the land of submarines

So we sailed on to the sun

'Til we found a sea of green

And we lived beneath the waves

In our yellow submarine

-Yellow Submarine by The Beatles

Under the Sea is a popular thematic unit for young children in elementary school, afterschool programs, summer schools, and even summer camps. As a part of this unit, children learn about aquatic plants and animals, the oceans and seas around the world and the types of transportation people use to travel them. Sometimes they will also read fictional stories about mermaids and pirates. Fun! This craft particular craft would integrate well with any Under the Sea unit and is inspired by The Beatles' song Yellow Submarine. Keep reading to learn more!

Parts of this article were used as a guest post that I wrote for Lil Tigers, a children's crafting blog owned and operated by Susanne Williams. Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.