Books and Giggles
The challenge with teaching sight words is that children need so much repetition – and that can get boring. So having a big list of fun ways to practice sight words can help you keep your students engaged longer. If you teach kindergarten, then you probably already know that sight words are a big step…
These free printable transportation line tracing worksheets are a simple no-prep fine motor activity for your preschool transportation unit, Use them for practicing prewriting skills and for introducing alphabet letter sounds. Plus, you don’t have to use these just as worksheets. You can cut them into strips to work on one at a time. …and…
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…
This free printable preschool Valentine activity is lots of fun! Your little letter learners can help the bee find hearts, flowers, and honey while practicing uppercase-lowercase matching. It’s an easy, engaging addition your Valentine’s Day literacy activities. Preschool Valentine Activity These adorable Valentine’s Day bees are as sweet as honey! I was excited to use…
Inside: a paper Christmas tree craft inspired by the story North Pole Ninjas. (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 and linking to Amazon.com.) I lay half awake Saturday morning, listening…
Today I’m sharing another fun Christmas tree craft with you. Just like the cupcake liner Christmas tree craft for kids that I shared recently, this craft is simple enough for preschoolers, but older kids can enjoy it too by adding more detailed decorations. Bump Up the Learning You can also make this Christmas tree craft educational:…
Inside: Letter sound clip cards to include in your Thanksgiving centers Gobble gobble! It’s almost turkey time! These adorable turkey clip cards are an engaging letter sound activity for your preschool or kindergarten Thanksgiving centers. Plus, they’re super-easy to prep. You can also use these clip cards in small groups or even as an assessment tool….
Inside: An easy bat craft preschool children can make, plus a book recommendation to go with 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.) I have to admit, I…
Inside: DIY Halloween treat bags the kids will love to help decorate! (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.) How many eyes do monsters have? Let your little…
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…
Inside: a glue dot worksheet to give kids practice controlling their glue bottles. Glue practice is also great for strengthening little hands and improving fine motor skills in general. Here we’re sharing a special, story-inspired glue practice activity. (Books and Giggles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means…
Inside: This Very Hungry Caterpillar activity for preschoolers provides fine motor skill and story retelling practice to go along with Eric Carle’s classic children’s 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 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…
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…
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…
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….
Today I’m sharing a fun and simple set of fine motor skill activities. You can do it with toddlers, preschoolers, or elementary aged kids. All you really need are dried beans from your pantry. Montessori-Inspired Toddler Activity My kids all attended a Montessori preschool. One of the earliest activities they learned there was spooning beans….
Even big kids can enjoy sensory play. Children of all ages love digging their hands into a tray full of beads. They adore the feeling of the beads, and the sounds they make rattling together. They like the imaginative possibilities beads hold. I didn’t always know this. (All the product links in this post are…
I was instantly in love with the adorable animal drawings my twins brought home from their Montessori preschool recently. During free play time at the end of the day, they’d used the standard Montessori material called a metal inset to trace ovals. In Montessori, kids usually have a prescribed way of working with metal insets….
My twins love scissors! They can spend a really long time cutting, taping, and gluing. We started working on scissors skills when they were about two. I wish I’d had this awesome tutorial on how to hold scissors. It would have been so much more fun! Once they learned the proper grip, we had them…