Books and Giggles
Seasonal and holiday ideas for kids
Spring comes early in Texas. Last week, I decided to take advantage of the perfect weather and take the kids on a nature hike with me. The twins are 7 now, and Liam is 10. They definitely have their own ideas about how to spend their time. But I had a great plan! When…
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…
If you have kids who’ve been swept up in the water bottle flipping craze, this is the Valentine card for them! My tween has been known to try his hand at bottle flipping, and so we made up these crazy straw kids Valentine cards for him to give to his classmates. Kids Valentine Cards I’ve been thinking…
These Earth Day literacy activities integrate important science and citizenship lessons with letter learning, sight word practice, writing letters, and word work such as ABC order. My kids have always been naturally interested in Earth Day. The idea behind it is easy for them to relate to and understand. We spend a lot of time teaching…
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 gingerbread name activity uses our homemade gingerbread scented play dough. You’re going to love it! (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 joining in with the…
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…
My three kids argue with each other about as much as most siblings do. Which is to say, a lot. So when we all pile in the car for a long drive to visit family, I need a plan. Keeping sibling peace in the car is critical for my sanity! We’re a road-tripping family. We…
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…
These monster learning activities will get kids’ attention. From shape and color activities for toddlers and preschoolers, to an Monster ABC order activity for elementary kiddos, there’s something for everyone. Whether it’s Halloween or not, a monster theme is lots of fun. Monster Learning Activities This first group is bright and colorful. Don’t you love googly eyes?! Monster…
This apple theme sight word game was fun to make, and my girls were excited to play with it. I’m can’t wait to share it with you! I’ve been trying to get into an autumn frame of mind here. I keep imagining chilly mornings, hints of fall foliage, and apple picking. Instead, here in Texas, we have warm, humid…
When my oldest started school, the thing he was most excited about wasn’t actually school. It was riding the school bus. My girls, on the other hand, were a little nervous about it. Even though they’d waited at the bus stop with me every day for Liam, the big bus intimidated them. We had to…
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…
When I think about the Olympics, one of the things I think about (besides the latest news headlines) is all the flags from countries around the world. I think about the beautiful athletes marching in with their national flags. I imagine the flags on the scoreboards and at the medal ceremonies. The Olympics seems like the…
This process art Father’s Day Card from a toddler is fun for kids and a sweet gift for a sentimental dad. To get the layers of colors without everything mixing, we made this in stages. My 6-year-old twins were the guinea pigs for this project. They had fun pretending to be toddlers. UPDATE: They would…
If you have high-energy kids like I do, they’ll love this collection of summertime jumping games. You may remember some of these from your own childhood. They’re all serious outdoor fun, and they’ll all wear out your little jumping beans. When you’re done, you can try one of these ball games for kids too! Jumping Games… Ready, Set,…
I wanted to make a fun kids craft for the patriotic holidays coming up here in the U.S. These shiny painted stars fit the bill for Memorial Day, Flag Day, and Fourth of July. The method we used here is similar to the one we used to make our shiny rocket craft. We glue together…
Kids love watching caterpillars transform into butterflies – it’s a fun and educational activity — even more so when they keep a butterfly journal. Since I’m not much of a gardener, butterflies for kids in this house means a special cage bought just for observing butterflies up close. (Disclosure: Books and Giggles is a participant…
Inside: An Earth Day craft for kids that uses plastic from your recycling bin! Earth Day is around the corner. I’m joining with a group of talented bloggers to share upcycling activities for kids. This week’s theme is Plastic. Earth Day Craft for Kids We’ve been crazy for strawberries and blueberries here lately. I put blueberries…