March 26, 2013

Color Teachers Happy with These End of the Year Gifts – 3 Crayon Gift Crafts

used crayon crafts

Do you have a box filled used or broken crayons? I know that even with our Crayon maker, which makes old crayons new again it still seems like there are so many more of them around.

Crayons just seem to multiply around my house like rabbits. If you too have boxes and boxes of unused crayons or can’t resist the dollar bin deals, there are some really cute and easy crafts that make colorful gifts for kids or teachers. From practical to fanciful, crayons can create art without ever crossing a piece of paper. With some basic craft supplies and a box of crayons, you make these projects in minutes.

The rainbow desk caddy is really a pot of gold.
The crayon wreath is really a circle of teacher love.
Say, “you’re special” with a crayon initial gift.

Continue reading 3 Cute Crayon Crafts for instructions and supplies . . .

 

Melissa & Doug-Leading Designer of Education Toys
 

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February 13, 2013

5 Winners in this Kivelli Bracelet Giveaway (ends Feb. 26)

kivellie baby bracelet

Every little girl deserves to feel like a little princess so AtoZLearning Tree brings to you, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Kivelli Baby and in sponsorship with Money Saving Parent, a Kivelli Baby Bracelet Giveaway valued at approximately $40.00 for one lucky winner as well as four winners will receive a $15.00 gift certificate to use on Kivelli.com to place their own order!  We get FIVE WINNERS!

Do you have a special event like a baby dedication, baptism or even a first Communion coming up this spring? Then I have the perfect gift for a special little girl in your life. I was recently introduced to Kivelli “Baby” Bracelets. They fit up to ages (approximately) 12 with extended chains and are absolutely lovely. The ooohsss and ahhhs and “Mommy can I wear it right now” began the moment I opened the box. Of course they were not supposed to get them until Valentine’s Day, but what good is having beautiful, memorable jewelry if you can’t wear it? Apparently this is a lesson my little ones have already learned.

Pictured above is the beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy bracelet from the Vintage Collection. The beads are excellent quality and beautiful, as well as nicely rounded so as not to be uncomfortable to wear. In the Sugar Plum Fairy there are whites, pinks, purples and my daughter not only loved the bracelet but the name too- after she fell in love with the Nutcracker this holiday season and made us watch it not one but FIVE times! It also just perfectly fits her personality, vibrant and elegant with a dash of fun.

kivellie baby bracelet

Here sister received the Spring Bling Bracelet also from the Vintage Collection. It’s more undestanded, but just as elegant and beautiful. Don’t you just look at the pinks and greens and think of spring flowers? Continue reading to find out how you can be one of FIVE winners from Kivelli! Continue Reading …

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February 12, 2013

Picture Frames: Picture perfect Valentine’s Day gift craft

valentines day picture frames craft

This weekend we headed over to Michael’s for their free weekend craft event. We were definitely excited about picking up some new craft supplies as well as making what we hoped would turn into several Valentine’s Day gifts.  It wasn’t what I expected- it was actually a whole lot better!  This weekend we created picture perfect gifts for the grandparents for Valentine’s Day.

Supplies needed for Picture Perfect Valentine’s Gifts  

Wooden picture frames (these have hangers on the back as well as table stands).

Glue

Paper plates

Sponge brushes

Tissue paper

Embellishments (we hit up the $1.00 aisle and picked up some beautiful owls, birds and hearts)

To make your picture frame gifts Continue Reading …

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February 7, 2013

Over 50 Fabulous Valentine’s Day gift ideas, recipes, crafts and DIY greeting cards for kids

valentines4It is going to be a busy couple of weeks in our house. Valentine’s Day is one of our favorite holidays and the girls just LOVE (no pun intended) to make something for everyone they know. That’s why we need so many ideas to choose from!

Some portions of this list have been previously published on my Examiner.com Family column. . .

DIY Greeting Cards

These DIY Valentine’s Day Greeting Cards and Instructions are easy enough even the children can do them. Make greeting cards for grandma, grandpa, aunts, uncles and cousins, not to mention classmates and teachers.

Kids can practice their handwriting skills with these greeting cards that feature glittery red heart stickers.

These easy to do it yourself Valentine’s Day Cards feature pastel colored hearts that kids will love creating. Share a secret messagewith these Valentine’s Day cards easily with paper and paints. Who will you surprise?

Crafts and Decor

Go green with these cute Valentine’s Day Hearts and Paper Bowls and these fun and easy Valentine’s Day crafts for kids using recyclable materials.

Cuddle up with your preschooler for some story time every night with these best Valentine’s Day Books.

Find out how to make your own Valentine’s Day Wreath, Friendship Necklaces, and turn your tissue paper pink.

Moms Madhouse offers up 42 Valentine’s Day crafts, cards, and gift ideas to choose from. Which one will you do?

Decorate your mantle with these beautiful Valentine’s Day decorations that the whole family can help create.

Get those scissors out and some red, white and pink paper for the basis of this holiday mantel decoration.

I love this Clothesline Valentine’s Sign - and I have everything I need except I frame.  Wonder what the dollar store has, of course there is always Hobby Lobby!

Recipes, Snacks and Gifts Continue Reading …

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December 18, 2011

Best games & gifts for 4 & 5 year olds

Four and five year olds are getting ready for or just starting school. It’s a big time in their lives. Developmentally they have a growing vocabulary, increased fine motor skills and a little, or in some cases, a lot more of an attention span than when they were toddlers. Four and five year olds are extremely curious and absorbing new concepts like little sponges. This can make buying gifts for four and five year olds fun but also challenging. Many toys that say for ages three and up already seem too babyish and yet many of the cool toys seem to say that they are for ages six and up. Don’t worry. This list of the best gifts for four and five year olds is teacher recommended and kid approved. Continue Reading …

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December 17, 2011

Hot gifts for tweens: Mosaic Charming Chandelier

This chandelier that girls will make and decorate is right out of a fairy tale but right on target skill wise for eight and nine year old girls. I can attest that even girls up to 12 years old enjoy making and displaying this Charming Chandelier. This is my hands down favorite creative gift for girls for Christmas 2012. This unique gift is going to light up the life of many young girls at only $17.00 at Amazon.com for 1200 plus crafty pieces. Continue Reading …

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December 15, 2011

Top games, books & gifts for tweens

Are you looking for gifts for kids ages eight and up? It’s adios to Diego and Dora. These tweens have new skills, longer attention spans and they are ready for some new games, toys and books to challenge and entertain them and our list is totally “unplugged.”

Qwirkle wins for best family game.

Qwirkle comes with 108 wooden tiles wearing colorful shapes to match up. It’s like cards and dominoes rolled into one and on steroids. It’s a four-time toy award winner and the best selling game of all time for Mindware.

Why I like it:
Ages seven and up can be successful. It’s easy to make some kind of match but with some added strategy players can really challenge themselves and rake up the points.
In our house, parents and kids a like vote for Qwirkle for family game night.

Why kids like it:
It’s super easy to set up and the rules are easy to learn so everyone can start play right away.

Science Kits from Educational Explorer give kids a taste explosion.

These fun science kits from Educational Explorer Continue Reading …

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December 13, 2011

10 Favorite Children’s Books

Reading aloud to my children is one of my favorite things to do and buying them books for Christmas are gifts I can really feel good about.  While there are just hundreds of runners up, here are ten of my favorite books to read to kids.

Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? was the first book I read to each of my children.  This Dr. Seuss book (written as Theodor Geisel) went into the hospital bag.  We wanted to start reading to our children as soon as they were born.  Toddlers really enjoy Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?

Fancy Nancy books are a lot of fun to read and a great way to build vocabulary.  Nancy has a fancy name for everything.  This series by Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser is fun for kids three and up.  There’s always a family friendly message along as lots of “stupendous” vocabulary.

There’s a reason Eloise books by Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight are so popular. Eloise is such a fun character and it is exciting to follow Eloise from Paris to New York City. Kids love her mischief from pouring milk down the hotel mail drop to overflowing the bathtub.  Our favorite Eloise book is Eloise Takes a Bath.  Eloise is six and kids four and up will enjoy her stories.

Are You My Mother? has been a favorite selection of both of my children during the preschool years.  This classic by P.D. Eastman follows a little bird in search of his mother. It’s fun for kids to shake their heads no when the little bird asks everyone from a cow to a kitten “Are you my Mother?”

Continue Reading …

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December 12, 2011

Best Educational Christmas Gifts for Kids

With one week to go before Christmas, the two questions this educator gets asked the most this time of year are what are the best chemistry sets for kids and what are the most educational board games for kids.  We’ve got the answers here in Best Chemistry Sets for Kids and Most Educational Board Games- there are some really cool new educational board games available for Christmas 2010.

As an added bonus, we’re throwing in Best Toys for Your Money.  Hear from parents who share the toys that get played with the most.

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December 11, 2011

Best Gifts for 5 Year Olds

Are you looking for some educational gifts for five years olds? Five is a big, big year for kids. It’s often the year kids start kindergarten and now for the first time, it takes a whole handful of fingers to show just how old they are.

When looking for educational gifts for kids there are two things to keep in mind.

The first is what is this age group attracted to?
The second is what skills and concepts will kids this age be tackling soon?

Now to find the perfect, look for educational gifts that address a combination of the two.

Here’s an example:

Five year olds are often fans of community helpers and their transportation like firemen and firewomen and their fire trucks. Five year olds are also soon learning to write and need to develop spatial relationship (how things fit together) skills. This is why the Melissa & Doug Giant Fire Truck Floor Puzzle will be a hit gift for five year olds. Continue Reading …

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