Gift Ideas for Book Lovers that Aren't Books

Got bookworms? Try giving these gift ideas that aren't books!We have a LOT of books in our house as you might suspect from our numerous kids' book lists!One of the things I did well as a parent was to raise readers -- I always found a way t...

8 Apple Activities for Kids

Favorite apple activities for kids: apple picking, cider mills and fun STEM ideas! Fall is apple season!  Trees are blooming with ripe apples, ready for the picking. There are a number of fun apple activities & outings that your ki...

24 Great Back-to-School Books for Preschool thru Middle School

Great back to school books for kids in preschool, elementary or middle school! I know many kids have mixed feelings about starting a new school year and some are a little anxious about heading back to school and moving up a grade. As a par...

Teaching Kids about Water Conservation & the Water Cycle

Activiites & books about that teach our children about water conservation and the water cycle! March 22nd is World Water Day. It's a day for all of us to remember that water is an important resource in our life and clean water is a limi...

12 Inspiring Outdoor Activities: The Lorax & Ecology for Kids

Use The Lorax and these fun outdoor activities to teach ecology and inspire your kids to change the world! Today we're combining a few of our favorite things -- books & nature -- to kick off some early Spring exploring.   In honor ...

10 Math Books & Tools: Learning Measurement

Explore measurement with these fun math books & tools for kids! One of the most popular book requests I receive comes in the form of "Do you know of any good books that can help my child enjoy math?" This request is not at all foreign t...

Tree Activities for Kids: Animal Habitats, Tree Types & Nature Facts

I know that Fall inspires some popular tree activities for kids -- creating leaf rubbings, watching the leaves change color and heading out on a leaf hunt.But if we look a little deeper, we'll also find that trees play a crucial role to man...

Kids Books about Voting, Elections & Washington DC

This week's book list is a collection of great reads for kids about voting, service to our country and our capital city, Washington DC.Every four years, we have the opportunity to introduce our kids to how the political system works in our ...

Kids Books about Life in the Forest

Gorgeous children's books about the forest and woodland animals! Fall is the perfect time to read these books about life in the forest & get out to explore!  You don't need a large area at all -- even a small wooded area will do --...

Books that Inspire Kids to Learn

Many thanks to Hallmark for sponsoring this post and helping to create communities where all children have the chance to grow up as healthy, productive & caring persons.  All book choices and thoughts are mine alone. Today's b...

The Best Books to Read with a Magnifying Glass

Sometimes sitting down with "just a book" can be a little overwhelming for kids.  All those words and pages -- especially if they're just starting to read or not overly crazy about reading. And then there's the whole sitting part of re...

Geography for Kids: 8 Awesome Atlases

It's so important for kids to understand (and appreciate!) geography these days!  The world has become a much smaller place now that social media has taken a front seat in our lives.  It seems to be a daily discussion at our hous...

Reading Tips & the Best Books for Kids

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 ...

18 Paper Airplanes, Plane Crafts & Books about Flying

Planes have been a long-standing thing at our house -- paper airplanes, plane games & flying with kids. My son was BIG into paper airplanes as a kid and both of our kids became proficient travelers by the time they were five. But I th...

DIY Christmas Stocking Ornament Craft for Kids

It's always fun to pull out some simple craft activities & family ideas during the holidays!Nothing complicated -- just something the kids enjoy creating and that usually involves something sparkly :)And kids adore making ornaments to h...