Skills

This is a sponsored post for Crayola as part of the Mom It Forward influencer network. As always, opinions remain 100% my own. Learning activities for 2 year olds can be tough. They want to do what the older kids are doing, but are easily frustrated when their development skills…

My dear friend Beth, at Days with Grey, sent me complimentary sets of her Kindergarten Readiness Activities on Cards for Preschoolers, Breakfast Invitation Activity Cards and Preschool Alphabet Activity Cards to facilitate this post. Learn more about these activity card sets, and how to get your own below. As always,…

I received complimentary product from Goliath Games to facilitate some games recommended in this post. As always, opinions remain 100% my own. One of the best ways to help kids learn through play is by playing games together as a family. And while younger kids may not be ready to…

As a mom to three kids spanning toddler to kindergartener, it can be a struggle to find a single activity that engages them all. But this simple holiday play dough set up created the perfect set of St. Patrick’s Day preschool activities to engage my toddler, preschooler and kindergartener all…

One of my most popular kids learning activity series is Art History for Preschoolers. Kids love exploring grown-up topics, like Art, and the works of the masters, are incredible creative inspiration for them. One of my personal favorite artists is Claude Monet. If you loved my Monet Inspired Water Lillies…

I received complimentary product to facilitate this post from Horizons Group USA. As always, opinions remain 100% my own. Conversation hearts are as synonymous with Valentine’s Day as cupid. You can grab a giant bag anywhere for almost nothing – and you absolutely should because they are an awesome way…

I received complimentary product from The Innovation Press to facilitate this post. All opinions and ideas remain 100% my own. Want to make learning punctuation for kids fun? Read on for a great book and activity to do just that… At my oldest daughter’s parent-teacher conference this year, I had…

A few year’s ago, I made these winter sensory bags – Jumbled Snowman – to keep the kids occupied and give their little fingers a challenge. They loved them so much, they ask for a new version ALL the time. This month, for Halloween sensory play, I’ve created a Jumbled…

Channel your child’s enthusiasm for the night sky with these 30+ learning through play, constellation activities for kids. “Mommy, look – I see stars!” There’s something truly magical to kids about the night sky. Maybe it’s because they aren’t often out after dark. Or maybe it’s because the night sky…

Expand your study of Art History for Preschoolers with more hands-on exploration featuring 15 Matisse art projects for kids. When we first started our exploration of Art History Kids, we began with Matisse. His use of vibrant colors and large geometric shapes – whether in his early years painting or…

This is a sponsored post by Learning Resources. Be sure to see the complete post, including all hidden veggies popsicle recipes on the Learning Resources blog. Nothing makes for a better end to a hot summer day than an ice cold frozen treat. How would you love to also sneak…

Welcome to STEAM for Kids Week! For my regular readers, this week I am the host for the 12-week Summer Camp at Home series, hosted by Wunder Mom. For those joining from the Summer Camp series, welcome to the Playground Parkbench. This week I am sharing kids learning activities you…

Do you have a project you did as a child that really stayed with you? For me, this is it… one summer, I went to a summer art program my mom was teaching and we made Japanese Fish Art, or gyotaku. It was the summer after second grade, I was…

The summer is the season for all things patriotic.. and there’s nothing more patriotic than the American flag! This week we celebrate Flag Day, established as an official holiday by President Harry Truman in 1949. What better way to celebrate than to share fun facts about the American flag for…

We all have one. Famous artists, children’s authors, preschoolers and parents – everyone has a favorite color. What does your favorite color say about you? Why do you love your favorite color? Use your child’s favorite color as the basis for science, art, early literacy and more with this awesome…

My girls are OBSESSED with accessories. We cannot make it out of the house without bracelets, necklaces, headbands, you name it. So when I saw these adorable button bracelets from Meaningful Mama, I knew they would love them. When I discovered a box of assorted buttons in varied shapes and…

One skill preschoolers are expected to master before entering kindergarten is shape recognition. My 3 year old is a much more active learner than her older sister, so I often have to get a little creative with more active, hands-on play activities to hold her attention. This simple activity, re-purposing an…

I received complimentary product from The Innovation Press to facilitate this post. As always, opinions remain 100% my own. My little kindergarten scientist discovered a kindred spirit in Zoey, the main character in the latest series from The Innovation Press, Zoey and Sassafras.  Seizing on her enthusiasm and to encourage her…

“Never discuss religion, politics or money in polite company.” Maybe that makes for polite etiquette, but not talking about money with your kids is doing them a HUGE disservice. If they can count, than it’s time to start teaching money, its value and how to be financially savvy for life. Here are…