Thanksgiving is a great time to slow down and connect with your children.  We love to spend the month focusing on gratitude with our thankfulness tree and making memories together. My kids love to do crafts especially holiday ones and this corn craft is a simple one I came up with last year to do at the preschool Thanksgiving feast. The beauty of this craft The post Easy Thanksgiving Corn Craft for Preschool Kids appeared first on Coffee Cups and Crayons ..read more

While I’m sure not many kids are thankful for math I do hope they will be loving these Thanksgiving Math Puzzles. Math should be fun and these crossword, well cross-number puzzles are a perfect example of how you can make it fun for the kids. Printable Thanksgiving Math Puzzles These are perfect to put on the table while the kids are waiting for the Thanksgiving The post Thanksgiving Math Puzzles appeared first on Coffee Cups and Crayons ..read more

Teaching kids how to be kind and grateful is so much harder than just telling them to share and be polite. It takes daily effort, but simple acts add up and it’s much easier to fit into your life than you think. In our house we focus on acts of kindness after having had a really profound experience counting down to Christmas with random acts of The post An Easy Way to Teach Kids to be Grateful appeared first on Coffee Cups and Crayons ..read more

Apple picking…caramel candy apples…fresh apple cider…is there anything that gets you more in the mood for fall than all things apples? Ok, maybe a Pumpkin Spice Latte, but that’s only because Starbucks has a better marketing team than apples do!  Capitalize on the excitement of the fall with apple activities for preschoolers that engage the senses and inspire learning.  I bet you’ll be just as excited to set these up as the kids will be to do them. Apple Activities for Preschoolers There are so many ways to use an apple theme to inspire fun and learning. Here are some ..read more

You can never have too many boredom busters, especially when they are full of learning! I set up this simple STEM challenge for my kids as a way to have fun and unwind after school and could not believe how much fun it turned out to be. Get your kids thinking critically and developing STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills with just some simple items from around the house! While designing and testing their own designs kids are working on the STEM concepts of design, shape, and structure in a fun and hands-on way. It’s an open-ended process that allows kids to test differ ..read more

After a couple days of being stuck indoors do your kids start whining that they have nothing to do?   Or does the thought of entertaining everyone on a long stormy day make you want to pull your hair out? I can help! Kids don’t need to stop moving just because the weather is too hot, too rainy or too cold, there are many ways to move and have fun indoors! All of these games need very few materials that you probably already have at home. So keep this list handy for anytime you’re stuck indoors and need some inspiration. Indoor Games That Get Kids Moving Spy Course Weave colored yarn up an ..read more

Summer. School is almost over and the days of fun and relaxation are just around the corner. Ice cream…swimming…and the perfect opportunity to teach kids about money! Stay with me for a second. I know it sounds crazy at first, but really summer is the perfect time for kids to learn about managing finances. The pace of life is slower, you have a chance to spend more quality time together, and many of the discretionary spending decisions are ones that include the kids. Plus, giving kids a voice in the family finances not only teaches them good habits, it also cuts down on complaining. When ..read more

Want to start doing acts of kindness with your kids but feeling overwhelmed? Then start simple! Don’t underestimate the benefit an intentional act of kindness has for both the giver and receiver. No act of kindness is too small to make a difference in someone’s day. The truth is you rarely will know how a random act of kindness will impact someone else. Between our 100 Acts of Kindness and 24 Random Acts of Christmas Kindness initiatives I have been lucky enough to get emails from people all over the world who have been touched by simple acts of kindness. People who have been in the midst of p ..read more

This In Like a Lion and Out Like a Lamb lion and lamb craft for Spring will make kids and adults smile! This time of year, it’s fun to celebrate the lion-like weather that comes before the lamb-ish weather during the month of March.  We made this lion and lamb craft using a unique crafting material: gift bows! In like a Lion an Out Like a Lamb Craft for Spring This Spring craft is perfect for talking about the weather that the month of March brings.  I love to incorporate fine motor skills into kids crafts and the lion and lamb craft for Spring targets a few areas.   Cutting sm ..read more

Marshmallow engineering is a hands-on STEM activity kids adore! Seeing a pile of marshmallows and some fun colored straws is sure to engage even the most reluctant learner–especially if they can sample while they build. What could be more fun? Not only is it fun to build with treats, it’s also an open ended activity that lets kids explore and create. Parents can build on that excitement with this fun and simple STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) project. Creating structures out of marshmallows develops kids’ engineering skills and enhances their critical thinking. While creating ..read more