Books and Giggles
spring kids activities & crafts
Inside: These rain and rainbow-themed spring letter sounds clip cards help children practice matching letters of the alphabet with their initial sounds. Today I’m sharing a simple alphabet clip card activity with you. You can use these as part of a weather unit, or after teaching your kids about “April showers”. Or, you can just…
These cute bunny crafts are for children of all ages, from toddler to preschool and kindergarten, through elementary. They use a variety of materials, so you can select a rabbit made of everything from paper plates to popsicle sticks. Hippity hop! Spring is around the corner, and with it come bunnies, farm animals, and flowers…
This cute paper plate bunny craft is fun for little hands to make – and helps them practice their fine motor skills too. Time to get ready for the Easter bunny! Spring is still weeks away as I write this, but I’m dreaming of flowers, pastels, and of course bunnies. I wanted to create a…
Inside: this preschool rain craft sneaks in some fine motor work and hand strengthening with a hole punch, plus it looks super cute when you add photos of your kids holding an umbrella. If you’re looking for a fun spring craft that has an element of process art, or just a rainy day craft, look…
Inside: These Earth Day books for kids include picture books, nonfiction, and even board books. You’ll find meaningful choices for teaching and celebrating with children ages 3-12. April 22nd is coming up soon, and it’s time to think about what you’ll do for Earth Day! Whether you’re planning a special “green” activity or an upcycled…
Preschoolers can practice their scissors skills with this fun cotton ball sheep craft. They can even help the sheep “grow” new wool so that they can shear it again! If you’re teaching a farm unit, reading farm books, or setting up a farm animals theme in your classroom, you’re surely want to include sheep. This…
I know I just posted a caterpillar craft last week, but this adorable idea for a caterpillar suncatcher craft hit me yesterday, and I just had to share it here! Like our button caterpillar craft, this one is based on Eric Carle’s book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. It’s a suncatcher made with a plastic strawberry…
Inside: This monarch caterpillar craft is fun and easy for preschool and up. A spring thunderstorm knocked out our power this morning, and suddenly it looked like we were done with distance learning for the day. It was a great excuse to get crafting. There are lots of great caterpillar crafts out there, but we…
Inside: Free printable letter recognition worksheets to go with two different picture books about ducks: Make Way for Ducklings and 10 Little Rubber Ducks (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…
Inside: This Easter preschool activity includes a free printable that gives children a chance to practice letter recognition My whole classroom was quiet recently while my little preschool Sunday school class painted with watercolors. Each child created and investigated the colors with the utmost concentration at his or her own level of development. I had…
Inside: Free alphabet worksheets for preschoolers (and early kindergartners) that use stamp markers. This mini set has a spring theme for engaging letter recognition practice. (Disclosure: The links in this post may contain affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link.) You know this:…
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…
This Easter egg alphabet activity is a fun story extension for a cute book. You can set it up as an invitation to play or as a more directed activity. 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…
Spring is finally here in full force, and I’ve been thinking about Earth Day activities for kids. These kid-created, storybook-inspired wildflower field guides were a lot of fun for all 3 of my elementary aged children. (Disclosure: Books and Giggles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed…
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…
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…
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…
This spring flower craft is excellent fine motor work for preschoolers. The materials are simple and cheap, and it’s perfect for a rainy spring day. You can also use it as a book extension craft, or even a mother’s day card. I set out the materials for this simple flower craft, and my girls were curious….
Here’s a way to celebrate spring with a butterfly craft for preschoolers. It uses a simple technique that kids love – painting on coffee filters with watercolors! I’ll share a few tricks for setting this craft up and making it extra fun. If you’re a teacher, you’ll like that this butterfly craft uses inexpensive materials…
Here’s a fun, Easter time activity for learning letters, sight words, spelling words, or math facts. It’s perfect for kids who crave movement. Pretty much all you need are plastic Easter eggs and the free printable in this post. You can have multiple kids play it together, even if they’re working on learning completely different things. If you’re a…
Whether you’re thinking of spring gardening, healthy food, or the Easter Bunny, carrots are a fun craft theme for kids. Plus, working with small stamps is good fine motor skill practice for preschoolers. You can easily cut up a small red potato in the shape of a carrot. Use the rounded edge of the potato…
Here’s an easy and inexpensive Easter wreath for you. Won’t it look adorable a bedroom door, or in a daycare or classroom? I made this one very quickly, and so can you. Your kids may like to watch it come together, and they can help with some parts of it. Plus, you can buy almost…