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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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 14, 2011

Teaching writing with SillyBandz

Thinking about buying SillyBandz as stocking stuffers this year? There not just trendy jewelry if you use these ideas for Using SillyBandz to teach writing.

SillyBandz, those little rubber band like bracelets that hold their shapes after you wear them, may seem really silly but kids are crazy about them. Some schools banned Silly Bandz, arguing that they are a distraction. The biggest thing I don’t like about Silly Bandz is the same thing I dislike about Barney the purple dinosaur; that I didn’t think of it myself.

My kids have fallen into the SillyBandz craze too. I decided if there were going to be hundreds of them in my house and on my children’s wrists, they might as well make themselves useful.

I started thinking about how SillyBandz could be used in an educational way and how I could use my children’s love of SillyBandz to inspire learning. Continue Reading …

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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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December 7, 2011

Unique gifts for kids under $15.00: Kid’s room doorbell

“Please use my pretty doorbell!”

This is really the coolest gift for girls. It’s a doorbell for their bedroom door. On one side there is a flower with a push button attached to a 77 inch wire that runs inside of the bedroom. Inside the girl’s room, there is a beautiful butterfly that lights up and dings! Find it at Amazon.com for $12.95 for Christmas 2011. There’s also a pink princess crown doorbell for under $10.00.

Recommended for girls eight and up that like pink and have everything they need.

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November 10, 2011

Unique gifts for kids for under $10.00: Jumbo pencil side walk chalk

The jumbo chalk pencil and eraser is big fun.

This is new and improved sidewalk chalk fun. It looks like a big fat pencil. This jumbo pencil comes with three colored chalk inserts that can be stored under the detachable eraser. This jumbo chalk pencil is under $10.00 at Amazon.com for Christmas 2011 or from Toys to Grow On for just $7.95.

Recommended for preschoolers or kindergarteners that are learning to write or love to draw.

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September 29, 2011

Gifts for 8 & 9 year olds: award winning Illustory

Illustory is a kit with paper and markers that allows young kids to write a story and illustrate it on special paper. That sounds nice but what’s really cool is that then kids can mail in the pages in a prepaid envelope for their book to be published and returned to them. This gift is perfect for eight year old girls and boys who’d love to see their name in print but aren’t old enough or savvy enough for internet publishing. This unique gift gets 4 and one-half stars from shoppers on Amazon.com. The few who rated it low basically said you can find this service online. I agree but maybe not everybody wants their eight year olds using online services and at just under $20.00 it’s a great gift for creative kids.

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