5 Fun Firework Activities for Any Time of the Year

  I know most people associate firecrackers with the 4th of July but kids love to see fireworks no matter the time of year!  We had some really fun ideas for easy crafts and activities shared on our Discover & Explore Patrio...

Science at the Beach & More Kids Activities

Explore a little science at the beach with these fun activities! A day at the beach is what summer dreams are made of when you're a kid -- sandcastles, seashells and splashing in the waves.  But there's also quite a bit of learning tha...

Build It: Engineering Books & Resoures for Kids

If you have blocks, legos or anything that stacks in the house, I'm sure your child has tried to build something.  Playing around with engineering ideas and principles helps kids to better understand the world around them and how thing...

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...

Nature Art & Sensory Play

I love to mix in natural items when we create art projects! For example, this fun art activity of painting the four seasons of a tree using sticks -- it inspires kids to really think outside the box.  There's something about the cont...

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...

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...

Flying a Kite: Hands-on Science & Books for Kids

We headed out this weekend for a few hours to fly a kite - a spur of the moment idea to enjoy some outdoor time on a windy day. Have you ever gone kite flying with the kids? It's such a great family activity for those windy, Spring aftern...

Whoo's Up for Owl Fun!

  Welcome to our Fall learning series where you'll find kids books, activities and fun ways to learn all focused on Autumn topics. Our theme for this week is Owls!  Owls are amazing creatures and kids will enjoy learning about ...

Fun Ways to Teach Kids About Science

Kids seem to always be asking questions -- How many stars are in the sky?  Why is the weather so hot?  How do animals know what to do when it gets cold outside?    Believe it or not, even young children are able to ...

Kiwi Crate: Kid's Science & Crafts Projects

  My daughter was so excited when we got our first 'little green box' in the mail!  I told her that we were going to do some science today (which she loves) but when she saw that our day would also include painting, crafts and ti...

Great Books & Activities for a Night Under the Stars

Do your kids love space?  Are they asking questions about the moon, stars and other celestial wonders?  In celebration of some cool astronomy events this year, we put together a list of books and activities for an educational and ...