Growing Senses & Imagination with Books About Nature and the Seasons

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

This week I spent three days in the woods in Vermont with some of my students. Every year our school goes on a field trip to an outdoor center in Vermont. The high school students can choose to go for two nights and the middle school and 5th and 6th grade are required to go for four nights. The time there is tech free for the kids. The goals are team building, bonding with one another and getting them out of their comfort zones. For many it is the first time they are away from their parents for this length of time. As much as I hate being away from home, it is a great experience, and I always enjoy it a bit more than I think I will. It is important for everyone to get into nature and enjoy it. Today I am going to share two new picture books about nature and uses your senses and imagination. The first is Tree Spirits Around the World words and photographs by Louise Wannier and illustrated by April Tatiana Jackson. It is recommended for ages four to nine but could work with any age.

While We Wait

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

How often do you have to wait? How often a day? How often do your kids have to wait? Waiting can be hard for kids, but there are different activities they can do. In a society that seems to think the solution is handing them a screen, we have a new book (released today) that shares many fun ways to wait! The book is While We Wait by Bee Johnson. It is recommended for ages four to eight.

Summer Theme: Colors with Book Review & Resource Roundup

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

We are sharing our final summer theme for this year!! And it is one of my favorites. I remember doing this theme when Hazel was much younger and the truth is we often explore this theme in different ways at different ages. We will be reviewing a book for ages 9 and up but there are so many resources in our roundup for younger children as well as teenagers! It is such a versatile theme. The theme is exploring color!! To begin this theme, we are going to share Fun with Colors! Easy Painting Activities for Kids by Azabu Atelier. Again it is recommended for ages 9 and up.

Summer Themes: Bird Watching -- Turn This Book into a Bird Feeder -- Book Review with Craft Roundup

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

When Hazel was younger, I loved coming up with different themes to focus some of our books and activities. As she got older, it became themes for the summer. Now she is in high school and I'm lucky to watch television with her. As I was finding products to review, I realized many would lend to fun themes to focus your kids this summer. They range from educational, nature, crafts and more. Today's theme is bird watching! To introduce this theme I am sharing a wonderful book with you. It is Turn This Book into a Bird Feeder by Lynn Brunelle and illustrated by Anna-Maria Jung. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12 but could be for younger kids with adult help! After my review there will be a roundup of DIY bird feeders, bird crafts and other bird books to learn about them.

Word Fun Riddles & Crisscross Puzzles -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and aka Associates to bring you this post.

Do you want to keep your kids learning this summer? Or maybe you need something for them to do for a car or plane ride? Or maybe it is just a rainy day, and you are sick of hearing, "I'm bored." Today we are sharing the perfect activity book for your kids. It is Word Fun Riddles & Crisscross Puzzles by Helene Hovanec. There is a giveaway at the end of this post!

Perfect Square Days -- Calendar Math with Free Printable Activity

 

On Tuesday I was scrolling through Instagram and came across this post from Rise Over Run. I was so excited!! I quickly changed the date on my white board to be 2²/1²/5² like her Instagram post. Some of the kids needed help understanding it. One of my middle school Algebra 1 kids thought it was great! He is one who often claims not to get the work and is always losing his homework or not completing it due to his executive functioning skills, but he quickly understood it.

My First Town: A Building Block Book -- Activity & Play Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I have a confession to make. I still play with dollhouses. Well, I build them and love decorating them. I recently got into book nooks thanks to a friend. We actually ran a mini course for our students in February where the kids (and we) created our own book nooks. We had a kit for the box of the book nook but then we mostly made everything that went into it. We did take the kids to Michael's for supplies so some bought furniture or decor. However, many made them completely out of things like clay, cardboard, popsicle sticks, and fabric. Some of them were amazing!! I actually made two. I did a backyard one with bird feeders and a tea shop one. They were so fun! In fact, I think I like creating my own things better than the kit ones. Today I get to share an activity book for kids who love to create and build. Instead of a dollhouse they get to build an entire town with this book! It is My First Town: A Building Block Book created by Merrill Rainey. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

I Worked Hard on That! -- Book Review with Spider Web Craft Round-Up

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Have you ever worked hard on something and then had it destroyed by someone else? Perhaps you have watched a young child build a tower and then have another child knock it down. The frustration and anger the child feels. Today we are sharing a new picture book about a spider who works hard on creating beautiful webs only to feel that frustration when it is destroyed. The book is I Worked Hard on That! by Robyn Wall and illustrated by A.N. Kang. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. I am also including a spider web craft and activity round-up to go with the book.

Even Better Than Sprinkles: A Story About Best Friends

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

What is better than sprinkles and unicorns? A good friend of course!! Today I get to share a new picture book (released today) about best friends. It takes us through the good times and a bad time in a friendship. The book is Even Better Than Sprinkles: A Story About Best Friends by Linda Skeers and illustrated by Heather Fox. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Poppy's Family Patterns

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I get to share another new picture book (released this week). It is a multicultural book and is near and dear to my heart for the memories it invokes. The book is Poppy's Family Patterns by Lauren Semmer. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. At the end of the post there will be free printable activities to go with the book!

Making Summer Fun and Educational

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these products in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

We are in final exam week at our school. The stress levels are high everywhere. But it also means that school is almost done, and summer is almost here. Summer can be so much fun, but it can also be a time for kids to lose some of their learning. Today I am sharing some products to give you and your kids some fun activities as well as learning in fun ways! We will begin with some creative activity books. Today (May 30th) is National Creativity Day and these books are perfect to get your kids and you creating and having fun! The first  are two books by Alberto Lot. There is Crayon Racing which I reviewed a couple of years ago and Crayon Adventures. They are recommended for ages 4 to 8 or as the publisher states 4 to 104. I know my high school students have been having lots of fun with them!

Pi Day Activities for Different Ages

 

On March 14, mathematicians and much of the world celebrate Pi Day. Since the approximation of the number pi is 3.14, March 14th was picked for the day. It was first celebrated in 1988 in San Francisco. As a math teacher I get excited for Pi Day, however our school is always on spring break on March 14th so I don't get to celebrate it with my students. This year I thought I would do a round-up of Pi Day activities and try to share ones for different age groups since much of what I see are for younger kids and I teach high school. Be sure to start your celebration with some pi jokes and riddles like these. Some of the Best Things in Life Are Mistakes shares a round-up of free Pi Day decorations! By the way Pi Day is also Albert Einstein's birthday. You can also have a birthday celebration for Albert!

Guess How Marion Feels -- Book Review & Giveaway with Emotion Activity Round-Up

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Maya Nurtures to bring you this post and giveaway.

Today I get to share with you a picture book that explores feelings. It is perfect for the younger child. At the end of the post is a giveaway and there is also a round-up of emotion activities to go with the book. The book is Guess How Marion Feels by Miss Kaye and illustrated by Miss Waitthk. 

Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess Activity Book -- a Multicultural Children's Book Day Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I am sharing with you a fun growth mindset activity book. The book is part of the Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess series. It is Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess Activity Book by Deedee Cummings and illustrated by Charlene Mosley. The series is recommended for ages 4 to 8. 

Origami Animals and Origami Paper Review and How I Use It in My Classroom

 

Disclosure: I was sent these products in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am heading back to school for teacher training and the pre-school year prep. One of the things I always have in my room is origami paper and books. I use them with my geometry classes and pull them out during breaks and students come in to get some when they need a break or something to do with their hands. Today I am going to share with you an origami kit and three packs of origami paper which I will be adding to my classroom collection! We will start with the kit which is Fun with Origami Animals by Sam Ita. It is recommended for ages 6 to 10. I would say it is perfect for beginners no matter the age.

Famous Seaweed Soup -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I will receive a small stipend for participating in The Children's Book Review & Purple Butterfly Press's Virtual Book Tour with this post. All opinions are my own.

Spring is popping up all around me and that means summer is around the corner. Today I get to share with you a fun book that is perfect for those summer beach trips and more! It is Famous Seaweed Soup by Antoinette Truglio Martin and illustrated by Penny Weber. And there is a giveaway including the grand prize of an entire classroom set of this fun book!!

Alycat and the Sleepover Saturday -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Alysson Foti Bourque for this blog tour and will receive a small stipend for the post.

Today I get to share with you the newest Alycat book. Last year I got to share with you a different book from this series. The Alycat series is a fun series of picture books that are set in a cat world without people or dogs. They are full of lessons. Today's book is Alycat and the Sleepover Saturday by Alysson Foti Bourque and illustrated by Chiara Civati. 

365 Days of Play -- Review of a Book Full of Screen Free Activities for 6-12 Year-Olds

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It has been a long couple of weeks. Our school stops regular classes for two weeks starting with Presidents Day and the high school holds mini courses. Some of my colleagues and I are teaching a science of cooking and baking class. I have to say as fun as it is, it is tiring to teach cooking to fourteen high school students. I have come home most nights and falling asleep between 8:30 and 9:00. It has been crazy and I'm preparing for this coming week. Before I get to sleep early tonight, I want to share a fun new book with you that is perfect for every family of 6 to 12-year-olds. It is 365 Days of Play by Megan Hewes Butler and illustrated by Emily Balsley. 

Christmas Fractal Lesson

 

Over the years I have shared my love for fractals with you. I began with my introduction to frozen fractals after Elsa sings about them in "Let It Go" in Disney's Frozen. A fractal is an object that has self-similarity, or each part looks like the whole. It introduces new ideas of symmetry, dimensionality, and more. Fractal geometry often explains some of the irregularities of our world. It can be a very complex topic to understand, but it is an important one. Fractals are making advances in our medical world, entertainment (movies, computer games and more) as well as science. There are some topics that kids even young kids can understand. Since they were introduced in Frozen, many kids have now heard of them. I feel it is important to teach kids about them and give them a true idea of what they are. 

Dinosaur Atlas -- Review and Craft & Activity Round-Up

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This past week National Geographic Kids released a new all-encompassing book about dinosaurs. It is the final book in our Back to School with National Geographic Kids series. I am guessing that for the final week of September schools across America have opened now. The book is National Geographic Kids Dinosaur Atlas. It is recommended for kids ages 7 to 10.