April 25, 2013

Free Download: Spring Time Activity Book from Melissa and Doug

Download the Melissa and Doug Springtime Fun Mini Mag!

Melissa and Doug Mini Mag

(Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links however, the opinions expressed are 100% my own)

Are you excited that spring has finally arrived? We are! So we are thrilled that Melissa and Doug gathered some great springtime fun activities with their friends from Highlights to help us  enjoy this “sometimes-rainy, sometimes-sunny” season!

By downloading the Mini Mag, you’ll get:

  1. Six original puzzles, crafts, and activities to celebrate spring.
  2. Innovative ways to explore the great outdoors – while teaching some sensory lessons along the way!
  3. Quick and easy crafts you can make with materials you likely already have around the house!
  4. An activity sheet you can print and bring along with you while on-the-go!
 Download your Springtime Fun Mini Mag today!
The link takes you to a form.  Fill out the form and your free e-book will be sent to your email address.

Get even more fun and savings when you Join The Melissa & Doug Email List and GET 10% Off Your Order At MelissaAndDoug.com! Click Here!


Save On Melissa & Doug

 

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March 1, 2013

Limited time! Dr. Seuss – 5 Books For $5.95 + Free Backpack & Audio Book


Dr. Seuss’s Birthday is March 2nd. No American writer has had as great an impact on children’s literature as Dr. Seuss. His imaginative characters, vivid illustrations, and catchy rhymes are instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up reading his stories. Create a personal library of children’s books by joining Dr. Seuss & His Friends book club.

Check out this Great Deal for only $5.95! It includes:

- The Cat in the Hat, Mr. Brown Can Moo, Ten Apples On Top, Go Dog Go! & The Tooth Book

- Free colorful Cat in the Hat Backpack to carry all your books in.

- Free shipping.

- Free Dr. Seuss & His Friends Audiobook read by Jason Alexander, David Hyde Pierce or Kelsey Grammer.

*Note that this is only available Continue Reading …

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February 15, 2013

Wreck It Ralph Books for .99 and free Wreck It Ralph printables

wreck it ralph free printables

Disney Wreck It Ralph Book - 4 Books, $0.99 Each

Get started with 4 Disney books for just $.99 each, plus a free Disney activity book
• Build a library of Disney classics & Pixar hits
• High-quality, hard cover editions
• Receive 3 new books each month
• Convenience of home delivery for less than $5 per book
• Control your membership online
- Adjust your shipping interval
- View account history
- Preview upcoming packages
• No purchase commitment
• Risk free – Cancel anytime
• 100% satisfaction guarantee
• A+ BBB Rating

Note: This offer is a monthly book club. Customers will automatically be charged and sent additional books each month. To manage your account, call 1-800-353-3140 or login to your account online: https://www.earlymoments.com/Login/

We have several Wreck It Ralph free printables available including: Continue Reading …

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April 27, 2012

Children’s Books for Mother’s Day

We love you Mom!  Here are seven favorite children’s books to read to young children about moms and Mother’s Day. Reading several books about Mother’s Day will give kids some ideas about special things they can do and say to express how much they love their mom.

Great Books for Mother’s Day for Young Children: 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 5, 2011

Best Christmas Books: Top 5 picks of children’s books about Christmas

As soon as the Thanksgiving leftovers are all gone, it’s time to start reading Christmas books at our house. Here are a few of our favorites that also make joyous Christmas gifts too.

1. The First Christmas by Sophie Piper tells the Bible story of the first Christmas. I love the colorful, yet simple pictures. It’s a very kid-attractive book and of course of beautiful story- the most important children’s book we read during the Advent season as we prepare for the birth of Jesus.

2. We love the Berenstein bear family and the Berestein Bears’ Christmas Tree is a lot of Christmas fun. Papa Bear takes the kids on an adventure to find the perfect tree. The perfect trees were already home to some other forest animals. The Berenstein Bears come home with a Christmas tree reminiscent of Charlie Brown but also with a special message about what is really important at Christmas.

3. The Polar Express may now be a movie but it’s still such a worthy book. Do you believe? Will you hear the Christmas bell?

4. Jan Brett is one of our favorite authors and Who’s that Knocking on Christmas Eve is a very clever tale and of course beautifully illustrated. Every year the trolls eat up Kyri’s feast but a traveler and his ice bear save the Christmas.

5. Twas the Night Before Christmas is a must have for Christmas Eve. This is a classic that needs to be in every family’s library. It’s one of my favorite gifts for a Baby’s First Christmas. Kids love the rhythm and rhyme of this Christmas story.

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November 23, 2011

How to throw an Elmo birthday

Young kids get “tickled” over an Elmo or Sesame Street birthday party and decorating for the party is as easy as A,B, C and 1, 2, 3.

1. Go through your child’s plush animals and books and pull out everything Sesame Street. Tuck Sesame Street characters around the room and stand books up as fun and easy decorations for the food table.

2. The Sesame Street website has a wonderful collection of free printables that you can use to decorate for your Elmo party including letter printables that can be used to make a birthday banner with your birthday boy’s or girl’s name.

3. Since Sesame Street is all about bold primary colors you can do a fun and simple science experiment with your child and create a pretty party centerpiece at the same time. Purchase a bouquet of white carnations. Separate into four different cups of water. Add drops of red, blue and yellow food coloring into three of the cups and add blue and yellow into the fourth cup to make green. Over night your child can watch the white carnations turn into a rainbow of colors. Arrange the flowers together for a centerpiece for the party.

4. Since letter blocks are part of the logo for Sesame Street, it’s fun to create your child’s name from letter blocks to decorate a table or even the cake for an Elmo party.

5. The Sesame Street website also has free printables featuring numbers one through twenty. Print out your child’s age and make a welcome sign for your party guests.

 

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November 19, 2011

How to throw a Winnie the Pooh birthday party

I just love Winnie the Pooh, that silly old bear, and his friends Eeyore, Tigger, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Rabbit and of course Christopher Robin. Winnie the Pooh is a favorite nursery theme and it is wonderful young birthday party theme. Here are some tips for inviting your friends and family over the 100-Acre Woods to celebrate a special birthday.

Dress for success Winnie the Pooh style.

The birthday boy or girl can be dressed for a day in the 100 Acre Woods Pooh style with a red t-shirt. Mom, Dad and the siblings can done red t-shirts for the special day too and take a honey of family photo at the birthday party.

You’ve just got to have a honey pot.

Whether you fill it with flowers or serve popcorn in it, every Winnie the Pooh party has to have a honey pot. Start with a pottery crock and either paint on the letters if you want a permanent keepsake or use removable letter stickers if you just want a honey pot for the day. Don’t forget, Winnie the Pooh’s pot is a “hunny” pot.


Have your Winnie the Pooh cake and eat it too.

You can find 45 Winnie the Pooh birthday cake ideas at CoolestBirthdayCakes.com
from simple and sweet to the fanciest honey pot of Winnie the Pooh cakes.

You’re invited… to print free Winnie the Pooh invitations.

If you want save money and make your own Winnie the Pooh party invitations you can find several cute ones at the unofficial Pooh Printables Page. There’s also some cute Pooh themed lined paper there that’s perfect for thank you notes.

Decorating the 100 Acre Woods.

You can find fun printables for decorating for your Winnie the Pooh birthday party at Disney Junior website. If you have preschool age guests, these printables also make fun party favors.

Raid that plush animal collections and pull out all of the Winnie the Pooh and friends characters. Plop them along your party tables up against flower arrangements or potted plants. Arrangements of leaves are perfect for a rustic 100 Acre Woods.

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September 14, 2011

Hispanic Heritage Month books, printables & fun facts

When is Hispanic Heritage Month? Hispanic Heritage month is observed from September 15 to October 15 each year. During this month American celebrate the culture, history and contributions from Americans with ancestors from Spain, Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Fun facts:
Hispanic Heritage Week began in 1968 and was expanded to 30 days in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan.

September 15th is the independence anniversary Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Mexico celebrates their independence day September 16 and Chile celebrates their independence on September 18.

Quality children’s books are a wonderful way to introduce the celebration of any culture. Here are some of my favorite books for Hispanic Heritage Month.

For 9 & younger:

Get Ready for Gabi: A Crazy, Mixed Up Spanglish Day

Gabi is a third grader who speaks English at school and Spanish at home.  This whole series is adorable fun and very kid-attractive.

For 9 & older:

The Day it Snowed Tortillas is by award winning author and storyteller Joe Hayes.  Kids love this fun Hispanic Heritage story.

For all ages and my absolute favorite:

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale offers a funny family story with an amazing moral about character. 

Parents, you’ll love the advice for choosing a marriage partner in this Cuban folktale.  We checked it out from the library so much that we had to buy this one.

Kids love trading cards and these free printable Hispanic Heritage Month trading cards from Nick Jr. feature 12 Hispanic Heroes in education, science, politics, sports and more.

Continue the learning and fun with free printable flags for Hispanic Heritage Month.

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