Books and Giggles
Kids crafts
This beautiful Earth craft is a lot of fun to make! Use it for Earth Day, or change the paint colors to create a solar system craft. I love the swirly colors and magical process of making this paper plate earth craft. I love the smell of tempera paint too – which is a good…
Today I’m sharing a quick, no-prep butterfly activity for preschoolers. Just grab your dot markers and go! The azaleas are showing their colors here, and the spring sunshine is calling us outside. We’ve been seeing lots of butterflies around. Every year we do a few butterfly activities in the spring. A few years back, we…
Here’s a Harriet Tubman craft inspired by a new biography for lower elementary aged kids. It’s just right for Black History Month / African American History Month, and all year long as well. (Disclosure: Books and Giggles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a…
This DIY trivet hot plate is a practical yet sentimental gift for kids to make. And, of course, it’s inspired by a book! (Disclosure: Books and Giggles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising…
This kids’ table turkey craft is fun for all ages and can liven up a Thanksgiving feast. The weather here has just turned crisp and cool again, and we’re thinking about Thanksgiving. This year we’re departing from tradition and heading down to the beach for the day. We’ll feast on restaurant seafood and then, if the weather is mild,…
These “Peace on Earth” ornaments are fun and educational to make at Christmas or really any time of year. They can go along with a new book that I think you’ll love. (Disclosure: Books and Giggles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means…
These cinnamon Christmas ornaments are easy enough for toddlers, but still fun for older kids. Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments First, Another Hurricane Story Our Christmas tree sat incongruously in the muddy garage, next to a soggy box and bits of wet drywall. I probably walked past it twenty times before I made myself look. I hoped…
This solar eclipse craft for kids is fun and easy! Books and Giggles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We’re tuned in to all things Space here in Houston. My…
This open-ended children’s wildflower craft celebrates springtime and a famous first lady. We spotted wildflowers blooming along the road last weekend. Thanks to a mild winter, the annual chorus of colors has started a month early. Wildflowers are serious business here in Texas. Highway medians are roped off to protect delicate flowers from mowers. A spring…
This crafty fine motor activity for the book If You Give a Mouse A Cookie will be just right for you if your kids love stories, pretend play, and crafts. Join along with us! (Books and Giggles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites…
Inside: This months of the year activity includes a free printable, plus additional resources to help you teach your kids the individual months as well as the concept of 12 months in a year. I have the months of the year stuck in my head. You know that song that kids sing in preschool and kindergarten? That…
This free printable Christmas ornament craft is quick and inexpensive – just right for classroom holiday parties, at scout meetings, or at home when time is short. We were late putting up our Christmas tree this year. I always aim to do it the weekend after Thanksgiving, but life sometimes gets in the way. This…
This fun-to-make dog wreath goes along with Enzo and the Christmas Tree Hunt by Garth Stein. You can also make a smaller version to use as an ornament. (Disclosure: Books and Giggles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn…
Inside: These construction theme letter crafts have a fun, interactive element. You” find a craft for the letters b, c, d, and e (there are two letter b crafts). (Disclosure: Books and Giggles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to…
One of our most popular fall posts is the Thanksgiving placemat craft we created to go with the book Bear Says Thanks. If you want a quicker version on the same concept, these free printable Thanksgiving placemats are for you. My girls love Love LOVE to color. Any time I make or print out something…
This simple bear craft — well, really a bear paw print craft — goes with a Thanksgiving story, but you could adapt it to use any time of year. (Disclosure: Books and Giggles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites…
This Christmas tree craft goes with the new picture book Maple & Willow’s Christmas Tree, by Lori Nichols. It can be set up as either a craft or an invitation to play. (Disclosure: Books and Giggles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for…
It’s never too early to plan a kids’ Christmas craft idea or two – so that you have them ready to go when life gets busy. This upcycled photo frame ornament is made with a jar lid! I’ve never actually had a white Christmas. I experienced snow on Thanksgiving one year, visiting family up north. I don’t…
I’m in love with this pilgrim turkey craft! If you have toddlers or preschoolers, this would be fun to do after reading about the first Thanksgiving. I wanted to make another Thanksgiving craft this year, but was stuck for ideas. I asked my local friend Megan for help, and she definitely delivered. She was inspired…
I’ve been wishing for fall here. Our trees are still green. The weather’s still hot and muggy. But it’s nearly October, and time to think autumn! Here’s a fun twist on a classic leaf-rubbing craft… (Books and Giggles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a…
This simple hungry caterpillar craft was inspired by one of everyone’s favorite children’s books – The Very Hungry Caterpillar. We love Eric Carle’s bright collage illustrations, the simple compelling text, and the fun holes punched in the pages of our board book. The book is more than just fun, though. It helps children understand the life cycle of…
When you have one child who likes reading aloud, and another who likes reading in complete silence, you need a solution. In this post I’m sharing a picture book and a tool that can help – a paper towel roll turned silent reading tube that amplifies little reader’s whispers as they read to themselves. (Books and…
School starts again here in less than a month. This little school bus craft is a fun way to get started thinking about going back to school. My girls love that the result is a toy rather than just something to hang on the wall. We made several versions of this, but ended up realizing that…
We’ve been meaning to do a borax crystal project for a while now. I bought the borax, and it’s been staring at me from the pantry shelf ever since. Finally, we needed a fun rainy day activity, and decided to go for it! Borax Crystal Letters I was thinking we’d make geodes like I’d seen several…