Last fall I had the opportunity to check out the Toy Insider’s Holiday of Play toy show. While there, I had a chance to check out the Toniebox, an incredible new screen free toy for kids. This storytelling toy started in Germany and is quickly growing here in the United States. We were able to try out one of these awesome toys, and wanted to share our favorite things about it with everyone. As Little Bookworm says “Everyone should have one of these!”
Category Archives: Family Fun
Why Grandparents Should Read to Their Grandchildren
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 St. Patrick’s Day Books & Activities for Kids
Are you ready for all things leprechaun, rainbows, and pots of gold? It will be St. Patrick’s Day soon, so we wanted to gather all the best children’s books, printable resources and kids activities for St. Patrick’s Day!
St. Patrick’s Day Activities with Pete the Cat
Join the popular cat as he tries to open a leprechaun catching business to help his friends. We paired the funny and sweet story with some of our favorite kids activities for St. Patrick’s Day, including a beaded rainbow and a leprechaun trap obstacle course.
Printable St. Patrick’s Day Activities
This pack of printable St. Patrick’s Day puzzles and activities includes lots of fun learning practice for kids.
St. Patrick’s Day Books to Share
These St. Patrick’s Day kid’s books are perfect for introducing little ones to the holiday and the traditions surrounding it.
Printable St. Patrick’s Day Coloring Pages
These St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages feature familiar holiday icons, adorable characters and fun phrases for kids to color.
Printable St. Patrick’s Day Lunchbox Jokes
Add a smile to your child’s day with these funny St. Patrick’s Day jokes, perfect for adding to lunchboxes!
Learning about Rainbows with ROY G BIV the Leprechaun
Explore rainbows and shamrocks with this adorable children’s book about a leprechaun, and lots of fun St. Patrick’s Day activities and crafts for kids.
St. Patrick’s Day Sudoku Puzzle
Give kids a brain teaser with this holiday twist on a Sudoku puzzle using St. Patrick’s Day images instead of numbers.
Printable Leprechaun Notes
Add a touch of magic to the holiday with these blank notes you can leave from a visiting leprechaun!
What are your favorite kids activities for St. Patrick’s Day? Share in the comments below!
How to Support Your Child’s Dreams
This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com and contains information on the New York’s 529 College Savings Program Direct Plan. The content and opinions expressed in this post are my own.
My daughter recently finished Pre-K. I was disappointed that she didn’t have an opportunity to have a graduation ceremony, but I decided to ask her the same question that they asked me when I graduated from Pre-K: what do you want to be when you grow up? I am not going to lie, I told them I wanted to be a mom. (Check that one off the goals list!). My daughter’s answers were a lot more detailed than mine, which lead me to think about how to support a child’s dreams and future.
How to Set Up a Calm Down Corner for Kids
Big emotions can be a lot to handle. It is our job to help kids learn how to recognize these emotions as well as develop coping strategies to deal with them. One of the strategies that has worked best for Little Bookworm has been creating a Calm Down Corner. So we wanted to share how to set up a calm down corner in your own home.
Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post.
Find a Space
First, you need to carve out a space in your home to become your Calm Down Corner. You want to choose a space that is quiet and secluded, where kids can “hide away” when they need alone time. My daughter’s first quiet space was behind a chair in our living room. Recently, we created an area in her closet with a pillow bed, fairy lights, and some of her favorite stuffed animals. Wherever you decide to put your Calm Down Corner, you want to make sure it is a space that your kids can make their own.
Related Post: Yoga and Mindfulness Resources for Kids
Items to Add
Once you decide on a comfortable space, you want to fill it with items that will help kids calm themselves down from big emotions. Some of the items that Little Bookworm has found to be most helpful are activities that force her to focus. I placed a basket in her Calm Down Corner and filled it with calming items and games. She has a calming sensory bottle that she can shake and focus on as the glitter settles back down to the bottom. She also has a magnetic pen game where she has to sort the little colored balls into the right groups. I added a balance game from the Target Dollar Spot as well.
Calm Down Kit
To remind her how to calm her big emotions, I created this printable Calm Down Kit. The items in the kit are either in her basket or covering the walls of her Calm Down corner. These are visual reminders for how she can regulate her breathing, make a plan for her next steps, or feel more powerful. She especially likes using the printed pages with the handprints on them, to ground her, focus her breathing and think about her emotions.
Books to Add
We have gathered a collection of books about emotions over the years, and I rotate these into her Calm Down Corner. Rereading them on her own (or looking at the pictures before she could read) also help her to tackle her big emotions. These are some of our favorite books about emotions:
Overall, creating a Calm Down Corner has been a huge help for Little Bookworm, and for me. She now feels comfortable heading to the corner when she feels a tantrum coming on, or if she feels overwhelmed. It has definitely cut down on meltdowns and arguments, and it has helped her to regulate the big emotions. (I’m actually a little jealous and would love to have my own!). I highly recommend setting up your own Calm Down for kids in your home, as well as creating strategies for your kids to utilize in the difficult moments. I hope our ideas are helpful to your family!
Have you set up a Calm Down Corner for your kids? What do you have in yours?
Printable Valentine Bookmarks for Kids
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! To help kids spread the love this Valentine’s Day, I decided to create some fun printable Valentine bookmarks for kids to share with their friends. From dinosaurs and monsters to bears and woodland animals, there is something for everyone!
Printable Dinosaur Valentine Bookmarks
These dinosaur themed bookmarks are perfect Valentines for the Dino lovers in your child’s class.
Printable Monster Valentine Bookmarks
Scare up some laughs with the colorful monsters on these printable Valentine bookmarks.
Printable Shark Valentine Bookmarks
The sharks and shark puns on these printable Valentine bookmarks are sure to bring laughs.
Printable Honey Bear Valentine Bookmarks
These adorable honey bears are sure to put a smile on the face of your loved ones this Valentine’s Day.
Printable Panda Bear Valentine Bookmarks
These sweet panda bear themed Valentines feature adorable panda bears and funny bear sayings.
Printable Woodland Animal Valentine Bookmarks
These woodland animal themed Valentines are perfect for the animal loving kids in your life.
Printable School Valentine Bookmarks
These school supply themed Valentines are perfect for sharing with teachers and students.
Printable Baseball Valentine Bookmarks
Do you have baseball fans who you want to show love to this Valentine’s Day? These sweet baseball themed bookmarks are easy to print and share.
Printable Construction Valentine Bookmarks
For the construction loving kids in your life, these truck Valentines are a great way to share your love!
Which of these printable Valentine bookmarks for kids do you think your kids would enjoy?
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Unique Stocking Stuffers for Kids
Are you always looking for unique stocking stuffers for your kids? It can be hard to come up with fun new surprises that fit into those stockings. Check out this list of unique stocking stuffers to inspire your holiday shopping!
Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post. I received some of these products in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Moon Spinner
This brainteaser toy from ThinkFun is a brightly colored puzzle that encourages kids to shift the colorful moving pieces to get them back in rainbow order. The plastic spinning circles are easy to move, making this a great brain teaser for kids. This fidget toy would be a great boredom buster for the car, or for a mindfulness corner in a home or classroom. Focusing on the spinning dials can help kids to settle their minds and focus. Recommended age: 8+
Ravel Tales
This fun ball of yarn is stuffed full of surprises. As kids slowly unravel the yarn, they find lots of tiny treats tucked inside, until they reach the stuffed animal in the middle. Unlike other surprise gifts, each of the pieces included in this kit can be used to create items for the little stuffed pet – including the yarn itself. Once the yarn is unraveled, kids can use the sewing needle and fabric pieces to create a bed for their pet, and more crafty items. Little DIYers will love crafting items for their little snuggle pets! Recommended age: 5+
tonies
These little hand painted magnetic figurines contain pre-recorded stories and songs for playing on the toniebox audio device. This screen free toy is a brightly colored fabric covered box that contains a speaker, and two little ears for volume control. Kids can control the box on their own, tapping the sides to move between tracks, and exchanging the tonie on top to change the story or song. These tonies would fit perfectly in a stocking, and they feature popular characters from movies and children’s books including Frozen, Cars, The Little Mermaid, and The Gruffalo. Once the content is uploaded to the toniebox, kids can easily play the content by placing the tonie on the top.
World’s Smallest Toys
These tiny replicas of your favorite classic toys are not only adorable, but they also work! Introduce kids to your favorite games from childhood like Kerplunk, the Slinky Dog, or the Barbie Dream House. These would be great for playing on the go, or to keep little hands busy during car rides. Adults can use them as small fidget toys on their desks as well! From Super Impulse. Recommended ages: 6+
BOB books
These small booklets feature short, easy to read stories for kids just beginning to read. The stories are simple and sometimes funny, encouraging beginning readers to read them on their own. The accompanying black and white illustrations have bits of color, and help the reader to understand the story with context clues. There are several themed boxes available such as animal stories. Little Bookworm has devoured these, and they have really increased her confidence in reading stories on her own.
Scribble Scrubbies
These little washable animals from Crayola are some of my daughter’s favorite toys. She loves coloring them, washing them, and coloring them all over again. There are tons of little animals available, ranging from dogs and cats, to unicorns and yetis. These little packs come with two pets and a set of markers. These pair well with the larger Scribble Scrubbie sets, or can be used on their own.
Finger Puppet Books
These adorable little board books are great stocking stuffers for babies and toddlers. Their tiny size and durable pages make them perfect for little hands, and the finger puppet head pops through each page, making the story come to life. Little ones will love the sweet illustrations and the soft finger puppet, and older kids will love performing the story for younger ones and introducing them to books!
Related Post: New Interactive Board Books
Small Board Books
Small pocket sized board books are a great stocking stuffer for little ones. There are lots of adorable stories available in board book form and these would fit perfectly into little stockings. Pancakes is a new board book from Lea Redmond and Flora Waycott that would fit perfectly into a stocking. Each page features pancakes with different toppings, encouraging kids to play a guessing game. The illustrations will have you jumping to create your own creative pancakes too!
Card Games
Card games are the perfect size for tucking into stockings. I also love that they are so easy to toss in a bag and take with us to restaurants, parties, or other places that Little Bookworm may need a little entertainment. Chronicle Books offers cute kid-friendly decks of cards including
Old Mummy
Awesome Reading Gifts for Bookworms
I’m sure it is no surprise to anyone who follows this site that I love creative book and reading gifts. I love to give them, and I love to get them. This list is made up of some of my favorite reading gifts for bookworms that I have found recently. No matter their ages, you are sure to find something fun for the bookworms on your shopping list!
For the Littles
Roar-some Reader Bag
For kids who love to read, this cute tote bag will give them a sturdy way to transport their dinosaur sized reading pile from place to place.
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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Pumpkin STEM Activities
1. How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? uses a fun children’s book and pumpkin activities to teach kids about pumpkins, counting, and estimation.
2. Oozing Pumpkins from Team Cartwright uses small pumpkins to explore 3 different kinds of reactions that “ooze”.
3. Painting Pumpkins with Paintballs from From Engineer to Stay at Home Mom is a fun painting experiment with watercolors.
4. Exploding Pumpkins from Hands-On Teaching Ideas is a fun and messy experiment that teaches kids about chemical reactions.
5. Pumpkin Volcanoes from Little Bins for Little Hands is a simple chemistry experiment you can do at home.
6. Stacking Pumpkins from The Educators’ Spin On It is a seasonal engineering challenge for kids.
7. Pumpkin Patch Maze from Preschool Toolkit encourages kids to work on their engineering skills by building a maze.
Related Post: 15 Children’s Books about Pumpkins
Apple STEM Activities
1. Mummification with Apple Mummies
Exploring the USA with Children’s Books
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!
Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post. We received copies of these books in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
All Aboard! Great Lakes
Written by Kevin and Haily Meyers and illustrated by Haily Meyers
This board book takes the reader on a trip around the Great Lakes, exploring some of the interesting places on the shores and in the depths of the lakes. The simple text highlights some of the fun things that families can do to enjoy the Lakes, and the illustrations feature a diverse cast enjoying the many seasons experienced around the Great Lakes. The back of the book also includes a map of the Lakes and the different cities highlighted in the book, as well as a key of images hidden throughout the illustrations in the book.
Related Post: Transportation Books for Little Travelers
Lulu & Rocky in Nashville
Written by Barbara Joosse and illustrated by Renee Graef
This book is the third installment in the Our City Adventures series, which explores the sights in cities around the US. In this book, Lulu and Rocky are two young foxes who travel to Nashville with their penguin friend Pufferson to visit Uncle Sparky and his band. Together, they travel around the city exploring some of the famous sites, tasting some of the local foods, and creating great memories together. This is a great book to inspire kids to want to travel to Nashville and explore some of the sites on their own.
Lulu & Rocky in Indianapolis
Written by Barbara Joosse and illustrated by Renee Graef
Join Lulu and Rocky as they visit Indianapolis and check out all of the sites! Aunt Fancy has Adventure Assignments set up for them, taking them to museums, parks, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. They eat some of the local foods, and start to feel like part of the city. The fun illustrations are full of details, highlighting the sights around the city. The back of the book includes more information on the areas the characters visited, inspiring readers to head there themselves.
Nelly Takes New York: A Little Girl’s Adventures in the Big Apple
