Books and Giggles
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: 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…
A solar eclipse is one of those rare events you want to make sure your kids remember. Read one of these solar eclipse books for kids to enhance their experience. UPDATE February 2024: We’re getting another total eclipse in the U.S. this spring, and so I’m updating this post with a couple of brand new…
I’m excited to share our favorite educational summer activities for kids ages 2-8. I hope they’ll soon be your favorites too! Learning outside can be so engaging for kids. There’s plenty of space for playful and creative activities, and you don’t have to worry about making a mess. Plus, you get to be outdoors in lovely hot weather!…
This chalk art solar eclipse craft for kids is fun and easy! Get ready for the April 8, 2024 total eclipse across North America. 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…
Sometimes science picture books are the perfect tool for sparking kids’ interest. I spent a lot of time researching a list that loosely matches early elementary curriculum standards. The list leans toward new books as much as I could, but also includes classics. There are still some holes, but I think you’re bound to find something you love. We…
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…
We recently took the kids to a bird rookery in High Island, Texas. I know it’s a departure from my usual posts, but it was too amazing to keep to myself! Birding With Kids – Part One My kids’ excited voices broke through the chorus of nesting birds and frogs. I imagined dirty looks…
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…
This winter themed snowflake craft is also a fun science activity. Plus, it’s an opportunity to work on fine motor skills. Preschoolers will enjoy seeing the colors melt together, and older kids will appreciate learning about symmetry as well. Yes, we made these snowflakes using just crayon shavings and waxed paper. Older children love learning to cut snowflakes. If…
Kids who loves mazes can work through a stack of them pretty quickly. One solution is to give them harder ones. Another fun activity for big kids is drawing their own mazes. I caught my son making his own maze out of a coloring sheet, and had an “aha!” moment. As a child, I loved…
My son has wanted to make a solar oven ever since he saw one on a Curious George episode a few years ago. This year, as we started planning our summer, the kids and I brainstormed a list of what we wanted to do. High on my son’s list: make a…