Books and Giggles
Inside: This post helps parents and caregivers understand when it’s best to teach sight words. We also review which early literacy skills children should master before jumping into sight words. We spent a lot of time working on sight words when my own children were small. Yes, we played games and made the experience playful….
Inside: This chicken craft for preschool makes fun scissors practice and goes along with the much-loved book Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton. Barnyard Dance! by Sandra Boynton is a charming board book that you won’t mind reading over and over. (And you will read it over and over because toddlers and preschoolers LOVE it!) You…
Inside: A hand-picked list of construction books for preschoolers, including both new and classic titles. The Best Construction Books for Preschoolers This book list has grown and grown because I kept finding more wonderful construction books for preschoolers that I wanted to share with you here. I’ve organized the list into 4 sections. If you…
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: a curated list of fiction weather books for preschool and kindergarten Wind and rain; sun and fog; and snow! We love reading about them all. If you’re looking for picture books to go along with your weather unit, I’ve got you covered here. Or, if you simply want new inspiration for your next library…
Inside: 25 pumpkin crafts for preschoolers, categorized by type of material used. I love that look of utmost concentration preschoolers get when they’re busy crafting. They’re working those fine motor muscles so hard! And as little scientists, they’re fascinated with the results. All they need to get started is a little bit of inspiration, plus…
These cute Halloween puppets are a fun way to support oral language development and story retelling. You can have the children paint the craft stick bases, and then help them add the unique features to each puppet. If you’re looking for Halloween craft ideas that are inexpensive and have some play value, these craft stick…
Inside: A huge, annotated list of children’s books about the sun, including both fiction and nonfiction titles for preschool through elementary. Whether you’re looking for picture books to go with a preschool summer sun theme, folktales to enthrall elementary students studying the Earth and space, or just-right nonfiction books that will hold your children’s interest,…
Inside: This summer name activity blends name recognition practice, fine motor skills, and science into one fun craft perfect for a sunny summer day. I could feel the sun baking my sunscreen-less arms, burning on a farmer’s tan. My mom was visiting from out of town, and we’d driven down to our Texas coast for…
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: Grab these free printable seasons emergent readers, and learn how to personalize them for each student. A couple of weeks ago my little 4-year-old friend would NOT let go of the emergent reader I’d printed out for him. This sweet boy, my friend’s son, is all about dinosaurs, and I’d given him a dinosaur…
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:…
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: 30 holiday books for preschoolers, annotated and sorted into categories for you. Whether you’re looking for a new title to read aloud to your class or to your own children at bedtime, I hope this list will help you find exactly what you’re looking for. Update Fall 2023 – I moved the “new” books…
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: 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: a list of children’s books about colors, complete with descriptions so you can find the perfect story. (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.) Teaching kids…
Inside: A preschool apple activity for practicing alphabet letter matching and lowercase letter tracing. (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.) When I think of fall, I picture…
Inside: Back to school books for teachers to read aloud at the beginning of the school year. My class grew quiet as I read aloud my new favorite book to them on the first day of school. I’d spent hours (yes, hours!) searching for fresh back-to-school books to read. I needed to start off with…
Inside: A birds nest craft preschool book activity for The Best Nest by P.D. Eastman. This craft also can be made independently by older kids. (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…
This interactive paper plate rocket is more than just a craft – kids can count down to blastoff, and then pretend their rocket is soaring into space! When I was a teenager my family took a vacation in Florida a few hours north of Cape Canaveral. NASA had a planned space shuttle launch while we…
This smores sequencing activity is cheap and simple to prepare, and it makes for an engaging pretend play activity. Plus, I’ve made you a free printable crown that’s perfect for preschool or kindergarten camping theme literacy centers. (Disclosure: Books and Giggles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program…
Here’s an engaging Llama Llama activity for you that’s just right for preschoolers and early kindergartners. It goes with a brand-new Llama Llama book inspired by the late Anna Dewdney. I was super excited to be invited to join the blog tour for Llama Llama Loves to Read, and doubly thrilled to get the generously…