Welcome to our March Online Book Club for Kids!

This month, we explore the wonderfully imaginative books of Julia Donaldson. 

Each month, our group of 40+ book-loving bloggers chooses an author and highlights some fun projects, crafts and activities that match up with their books.  The book club is a great way to find fun extension activities that will get the kids more excited about reading and books!

Do you know today is?

March 14th...

3/14...

3.14

Ring a bell at all?

One of my favorite things about reading to my kids is sharing books that I loved as a child. 

I especially enjoy reminiscing with holiday books - they always bring back fun memories of the dressing up in our Easter finest, large family get-togethers and egg hunts around the house.

I so hope Spring is coming soon!  We are really in the mood for more outdoor time without all the snow boots and heavy coats. 

To celebrate Spring, we're participating in a Spring Bloghop!  You can visit more than 40 blogs each with a wonderful spring activity!

In hopes of warmer temperatures, we've put together an early spring scavenger hunt list for kids to encourage them to get out and discover what nature looks like as spring approaches. 

We are HUGE fans of LeapFrog items in our home. 

My kids have used them for years - and for very good reasons. 

First, they are high quality, well-made toys.  They last a long time and can really take the wear-and-tear that kids dish out. 

Second (and I'll admit, more important to me than the kids) they encourage learning and enhance skill-building for kids.

March is reading month and in honor of the Share a Story - Shape a Future, I wanted to share our story of how our kids learned to read.

In our home, helping the kids learn to read was what we called 'a full contact sport'. 

Constant movement.

Non-stop questions.

Continuous encouragement (and honestly, even some arguing).

It was not an easy task. 

Both of our kids have always loved books but let me tell you, learning to read can be challenging for kids!

In our house, the Easter Bunny is a really cool Dude!  He doesn't just bring jelly beans and chocolate bunnies but also some great fun & educational items that the kids just LOVE! 

Really - they spend more time with these items than they do asking me if they can eat just one more jelly bean.

Did you know that March is National Reading Month? 

It's a great time to think about what it takes to raise a child who reads and loves books.

Kids love to hear stories - ask any child and I'll bet they tell you that one of their favorite parts of their day is read-aloud and storytime! 

Listening to a book helps kids to develop better concentration and listening skills, engages their imagination, increases their vocabulary and enhances their desire to be a reader as they grow.

Today we are one of 50+ blogs hosting a fantastic 'Booking Across the USA' blog project! 

Together, we will each feature a kids' book and activity for all of the 50 States -- you can travel across the country right from your own couch :-)  This amazing idea was the creation of Growing Book by Book, a wonderful blog with great ideas for sharing books with kids. 

Read and learn along with us as we criss-cross the country!

Have you ever had a kid who asked "Can I help?" when you were preparing a meal?  There's all kinds of ways that kids can get involved in the kitchen!

Cooking is a great life skill and everyone should know some of the basics behind preparing a well-balanced meal. 

Young children can learn how to choose nutritious foods, prepare snacks, and mix & measure ingredients.  Older kids will enjoy mastering the skills of whisking, creating fun desserts and learning to crack an egg (warning: buy more than you think you'll need).

Welcome to our February Online Book Club for Kids where we're enjoying the wonderful stories of Dr. Seuss! 

If this if the first time you're joing us, welcome!  You can learn more about the Online Book Club and join us on our facebook page to keep up with all the books & activities this year.

If you have a child (or remember being a child) than you are very familiar with Dr. Seuss -- one of the most well-known and loved children's authors and illustrators!

This month, we'll be highlighting the works for Dr. Seuss and celebrating reading in a few fun ways.

Welcome back to our monthly Virtual Book Club for Kids! 

This month we're exploring the books of David McPhail, who is both an author and illustrator.

Have you ever done something brilliant (I mean absolutely amazing!) but you just didn't realize it until years later?

I recently had one of those moments last month but it didn't start as happy as it ended.

Winter is here for at least a few more weeks, so why not make the best of it! 

Show the kids how much fun it can be whether you're stuck inside or exploring someplace new together.

Now that we're in the throws of winter (and most of the holiday gifts have been played with over the past few weeks), it's time to introduce some new ideas to beat the winter doldrums.

Join us as we explore some wonderful winter fun!

Every day for the coming month, a new blog will share a fun winter activity, craft or recipe for families (see the list at the bottom of this post).

Today we're covering more tips & tricks for planning enjoyable Family Outings on our 5-part series:

The ABC's of Family Field Trips

Here's a summary of the first 3 days:

{Part 1} Getting Ready, Exploring & Fun Field Trips

{Part 2} Having Fun, Inspiration & Hands-on Ideas

{Part 3} Learning, New Places & Outdoor Fun

Today's focus will be on Pretend Play, Reading, Science & Tours.

Welcome to Part 3 of our Family Field Trip series!

So far, we've shared a number of ideas & tips along with more than 35 fun places to visit for a family outing!

Here are the first two posts in the series:

{Part 1} Getting Ready, Exploring & Fun Field Trips

{Part 2} Having Fun, Inspiration & Hands-on Ideas

And we've still got lots more to cover!  This post will highlight the letters K - 0 as we discuss learning, new places & outdoor fun.

Most people think of flowers and candy on Valentine's Day - but what your kids would really love is spending some time with you! 

Here are a few suggestions for spending a few minutes together during this holiday.