Ice & Water Activities for Hot Summer Days

We know it's coming -- the heat of summer is creeping in and soon we will all be seeking out the comforts of shade and air-conditioning.  For the kids, they would much rather run under a sprinkler or enjoy some 'cool' water play! ...

Playgrounds - Invitations to Play for PARENTS

Attention Parents:  What do you do when you see something like this?   Do you send your kids over to play and explore?  Or do you pick up a mallet and make some music?...

For the Love of Non-fiction: Using Kids Books to Enhance Real Life Experiences

Welcome to the June Virtual Book Club for Kids!  Each month, we choose a different author and highlight their books along with some fun activities. And I'm so excited for this month's author because she is one of my favorite for kids ...

30 Life Skills Your Kids Can Master this Summer

Inspire your kids to get really, really good at something with this list of life skills kids can master!Summer’s here! Those run-barefoot-read-in-the-hammock-eat-popsicles-outside kind of days that kids just love.  But that does...

7 Creative Ways to Share Art with Kids

There were some brilliant & creative ideas that were shared at our Discover & Explore Art and Museum Fun this past week.  One of the things I learned as I read the great posts was that there are many creative ways to introduce...

16 Zoo Animal Books for Children

Enjoy these wonderful picture & chapter books about zoo animals before your next visit!One of the most popular activities that I've seen on many summer bucket lists (including ours!) is a visit to the zoo! We can't wait to head out...

Creating Your Own Dinosaur Dig & Learning about Paleontology

  Today we’re featuring our book/activity idea for the Poppins Book Nook, a monthly book club that introduces new books and hands-on fun for your kids.  This month’s theme is Dinosaurs and we’ll be connecting with a number...

5 Fun Things for Kids to do on a Museum Visit

Enjoy these fun things to do on a museum visit as you introduce your kids to famous artists and artwork! I'm a huge fan of taking kids to visit art museums.  Yes!  They will have a good time -- and NO! They will not ruin the artwo...

Connecting Kids Books with Real Life for Children's Book Week {+ giveaway too!}

  This week is Children's Book Week and we're celebrating with a giveaway to kick off the week!  Hosted by Mother Daughter Book Reviews and Youth Literature Reviews, we are linked with more than 90 other amazing book blogs who w...

Kids Garden Activities that 'Dig into Reading'

With the National Summer Library Book theme being 'Dig into Reading', I wanted to feature some of the great posts linked up to our Discover & Explore 'Gardening with Kids '. There are so many garden activities that will pair nicely wi...

Make Your Own Constellations & More Night Activities

There's something magical about being able to stay up late at night when you're a kid.  Being outside on a warm summer evening is one of those things that 'makes memories'! And of course, the kids will notice the stars.  Stargazin...

7 Fun Nature Walks for Kids

Getting the kids more time outside is always a goal these days. Especially on school days when they're stuck in a building for 8 hours :( with the exception of a 25 minute recess (if you're in elementary school) which I think is waaayyy to...

Wizard Fun: Make your own Alchemy Lab

Welcome to the Poppins Book Nook - a monthly online book club for kids from preschool to high school! The theme for this month's Poppins Book Club is wizards! Whether it's Merlin, Dumbledore or Morgan LeFay, there are some much loved wiza...

Gardening Books & Activites for Kids

This week, our Discover & Explore feature is Gardening with Kids.  We can't wait to see all of your fun ideas & projects as we enter gardening season! Not only is gardening a fun family activity, it’s also a wonderful way t...

The Life Cycle of a Butterfly: Kids Nature Activities

Explore the life cycle of a butterfly with these hands-on nature activities that can be done at home or in a classroom!We had some wonderful crafts & activities shared on our Discover & Explore: Butterflies linky! For our butte...