St. Nicholas Day printables, Santa Claus crafts, games, recipes and activities - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Dec, 6 marks the Catholic feast day of St. Nicholas, said the Manila Bulletin Dec. 5. He was a fourth century bishop and patron saint of Orthodox Christians, Russia, Holland and children around the world. Dec. 6 is Saint Nicholas Day in many countries. He is the Christmas gift-giving figure and basis for the Santa Claus legend, St.Nick's acts of charity weren't myth, however. If you want to celebrate a more Christ-centered Advent and Christmas, here are free printable St. Nicholas activities.  Saint Nicholas Day printables, crafts, games, recipes and activities

Thanksgiving countdown calendar craft with free printable holiday stencils

It's hard for kids to await a holiday. Got little ones anticipating Thanksgiving? Why not make a countdown calendar? What's that? It's an activity calendar kids use to track the days till something special. Making calendars does quadruple duty--it's a craft, child-minder, teaches cutting skills and calendar math lesson in one! Here's a countdown to Thanksgiving calendar craft.  Thanksgiving countdown calendar craft with free printable holiday stencils

Free Printable Human Body Coloring Pages for Science Lessons

Coloring and labeling diagrams are great activities to help children learn how things work. Teaching anatomy and science, I had students color and labeled diagrams and of body parts. Here are free printable human body coloring and label diagrams. Preschoolers could just color and then point to body parts and say the name. Explore body parts and how they work together as body systems. Here are printable coloring pages of the respiratory system, circulatory system, digestive system, skeletal system, muscular system, nervous system, endocrine system and reproductive system. These are the eight major systems of the body. Free Printable Human Body Coloring Pages Anatomy Color and Label Diagrams for Science Lesson Plans 

Free Printable Stone Soup Lesson Plans, Games, Crafts, Worksheets for Preschoolers

The legend of "Stone Soup" is timeless. It's been retold many times, notably by Marcia Brown, Ann McGovern and Jon J. Muth. Stone Soup is sacred text in preschool and elementary classrooms. If you are teaching Stone Soup, here are free printable activities. As an educator and homeschooler, I've used "Stone Soup" over the years. The book is commonly read, and Stone soup made, at Thanksgiving. It lends itself to fall harvest science lessons and those about sharing. Here are Free Printable Stone Soup Lesson Plans, Games, Crafts, Worksheets . There are stone soup recipes, too.

Free Printable Community Helpers Jobs and Professions Coloring Pages for Labor Day

Labor Day isn't just about picnics and that last holiday before school starts. Celebrated the first Monday in September, it remembers social and economic contributions of organized labor, unions and workers. May 1 is World Labor Day--this is the U.S. holiday. Sadly, increasingly more mommies and daddies have to have to work on Labor Day. So it's no wonder the true meaning is lost on children.



But we can still teach them. Here are free printable coloring pages of workers in different occupations, jobs, careers. Help kids identify various community helpers in their world.

Free Printable Labor Day Coloring Pages, Trades and Jobs Lesson Plans

Free Printable Preschool Crafts Activities Lesson Plans

When I write on free printable activities, crafts, cut and paste and coloring pages, I demand a lot from websites: ease of navigation and searchability, working links, safety, nothing to download (besides pdf tool, like Adobe), user ID and password optional and used only for email updates, and quality free printables. Here are websites that meet my stringent requirements. Bookmark and sign up for email updates or visit daily for new activities and crafts.

www.first-school.ws Printable lesson plans, crafts, activities, puzzles, games, worksheets. All curriculum from math, reading, holidays, history, religion, social studies, science.

http://www.leehansen.com/printables/index.htm#.U8wg0_ldVqU Great variety. Easy to use.

www.partysupplieshut.com caters to all different religious holiday supplies. Diversity of free printable activities. Party games, decorations, greeting cards, invitations, puzzles, crafts.

http://www.freekidscrafts.com/printables-t68.html I like this site for several reasons. Easy to use. New craft featured daily. Huge variety of free printable paper crafts.

My blogs at freeprintablelessonplans.blogspot.com and freecoloringpages4u.blogspot.com

Free Printable 4th of July Cut and Paste Paper Crafts and Activities

 Looking for activities to keep little ones busy during 4th of July festivities? How about free printable Fourth of July crafts for kids? You can print party games, word puzzles, cut and paste patriotic crafts, flag coloring pages, holiday greeting cards for kids to make for senior relatives and friends and a lollapalooza of other arts and crafts. Free Printable 4th of July Cut and Paste Paper Crafts and Activities

Free Printable Disney Princess Crafts, Greeting Cards, Party Decorations

Disney's princesses have been children's favorites for decades. Ariel the Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Tiana, Mulan, Pocahontas, Belle (Beauty and the Beast)--every child has a favorite. Here are free printable Disney princess craft activities, greeting cards and party supplies.  Free Printable Disney Princess Crafts Activities, Greeting Cards and Party Supplies

Play Free at Webkinz Pets Online, No Code or Toy Purchase Required

Remember the Webkinz craze a few years back? Webkinz are stuffed animals, similar to Ty Beanie Babies, with secret code tags that let kids

play online at the Webkinz website. The child played with an animated version of her pet. The Webkinz fad is mostly over. But that means good news for fans. Now children can play online at Webkinz free--no need to buy a toy or have a code. Here's how Play Free at Webkinz Pets Online, No Code or Toy Purchase Required

Free Printable Father's Day Cards to Color

Preschool children love to make crafts for people. Why not have kiddos color free printable Father's Day cards as homemade gifts and for dad, grandpas, stepdads, uncles, teacher. Save yourself big money printing cards. Print in black and white to save ink and make coloring pages. Children will love the cute cartoon images and they'll like personalizing their cards for daddy. Plus it keeps them productively occupied--which gives to you quiet time to get work done. Score you!  Free Printable Father's Day Cards to Color

A to Z Healthy Car Snacks for Traveling With Children

You've a mile into your 600 mile drive and it begins. Whining, crying and fighting in the back seat. What do you do? Feed those rabble rousers! Whether day-tripping or driving cross-country, traveling with kids can be hard. Pack a cooler of healthy snacks to keep them happy. Here's an A-Z car snacks menu that's low sugar so kids don't get wild, low salt so they don't too get thirsty, high protein to fill them up and high fiber so they don't get travel constipation (that's a thing. I used to get it at summer camp).  Healthy Car Snacks for Traveling With Kids, From A-Z 

Free Printable Amazing Spider-Man Coloring Pages, Cards, Invitations, Crafts, Games

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 movie swooped into theaters May 2, 2014. Marvel's long-awaited superhero sequel is thrilling young and old alike. I'm a loyal #TeamDC Comics girl myself but I am so partial to the mutant man with spider reflexes and graceful arachnid moves. What's not to love about a guy who needs no fancy gadgets and shoots webs from his hands? If you love Spiderman, how about free printable activities featuring your hero? Spidey senses tingling? Read on for links to Spider-Man coloring pages, clipart, games, puzzles, crafts and lesson plans.  Free Printable Amazing Spider-Man 2 Coloring Pages, Crafts, Games

Free Printable Mother's Day Cards, Crafts, Gifts

Mother's Day, second Sunday of May (May 11, 2014) is a great holiday for kid-made crafts. Here's a whole list of free printable crafts, greeting cards, decorations, activities, games and presents for children to make for moms for Mother's Day. Don't forget grandmothers, aunts, Godmothers, teachers, day care providers, all the special ladies in kids' lives. Any woman will love the homemade, kid-created gifts of love.  Free Printable Mother's Day Craft Activities

Free Printable Catholic Saints Coloring Pages, Paper Dolls

After Lent and Easter, in the Catholic church, comes the season of Eastertide. This lasts till Ascension Thursday. I thought you might like some free printable saints coloring pages to enjoy during the Easter season. There are printable paper dolls of saints, too. Click here to find them. Free Printable Catholic Saints and All Saint's Day Coloring Pages

Free Printable Easter Bunny Crafts for Preschool Kids

I'd say Easter is the most quintessentially preschool holiday. Hiding baskets or candy, egg decorating, bunnies, baby animals, spring--All things very young children love. Here are free printable Easter bunny crafts. I've included printable activities based on my two favorite bunnies, Peter Rabbit and the Velveteen Rabbit, too. Parents and teachers, you'll want these for preschool classroom fun. Everything is more fun when you're in costume. So let's start by making a printable Easter bunny mask. Read on for links. Free Printable Easter Bunny Crafts for Preschool

Easy, Edible, Eco-Friendly Easter Bunny-Themed Crafts

Spring is in on the calendar if not exactly in the air yet! Regardless of the weather, it's time for Easter crafts-baskets, candy, baby animals and best of all, bunnies! Looking for cute Easter bunny-themed crafts to make? Here are three easy, ultra-cute projects for ages 2 to 102 (don't forget seniors--they love crafts too).Easy, Edible and Eco-Friendly Easter Bunny-Themed Crafts

Free Printables from The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Eric Carle is one of world's most beloved childrens' illustrators. He's authored dozens of books about insects and animals. The most popular of which remains The Very Hungry Caterpillar. In the story, a caterpillar eats his way through different foods each day of the week. Here are free printable cut and paste lesson plans based on that and other Eric Carle books. You can print preschool activities, games, puzzles and coloring page.  This book is used in preschool and kindergarten classrooms teach and explore caterpillars and butterflies, sequencing and days of the week.  Free Printable Eric Carle Activities from The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Free St Patricks Day Lesson Plan Printables

Top 'o the mornin' and all that Irish blarney to ye! Soon it will be St Paddy's day on March 17. The story of Patrick really has aught to do with green beer and leprechauns. Patricus was a Roman boy taken as a slave to Ireland. He became a bishop and returned to the Emerald Isle as a missionary. Here are lesson plans about St. Patrick's Day. Free St Patricks Day Lesson Plans and Printables

Free Printable Mardi Gras Masks for Fat Tuesday

Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is a Catholic Christian celebration. Around the world, Mardi Gras is also called "carnival," meaning "farewell to the flesh" in French. Mardi Gras is a longer celebration in New Orleans and other world cities. The celebration fills the city with costumes, parades and feasting in preparation for the solemnity and fasting of Ash Wednesday and Lent. Here are printable masks. Read on Free Printable Mardi Gras Masks 

Preschool Alphabet Themed School Snack Menu For Letter G

I'm writing a series of weekly snack menus around the alphabet. I take each letter and list five snacks or meals using foods that begin with that letter. I include recipes plus classroom uses. This is letter G. To find the other letters explore the tags on the article. On this blog, click the link "alphabet foods." Alphabet Themed Healthy School Snack Menu For Letter G

 

Recycled Homemade Bunk Bed Play Fort

I am always impressed by the creativity of others. I love DIY workarounds--things improvised from recycled materials.That prompted me to share a quickie thing I made. I can sew, but use no-sew workarounds if possible. This homemade bed play fort, made in under a minute, costs only a few bucks. You know, like those fabric play forts that come on bunk beds and cost a fortune?  One Minute Recycled Homemade Bunk Bed Play Fort

Free Printable Valentines for Parties

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and kids will be wanting to get their valentine cards, if they haven't already. Gosh it seems like just yesterday mine were young and making valentines (sniff). Want to make some with your children? Here area  Free (Yes Free!) Valentines to Print, Perfect for Snowbound Kids

Printable Winter Crafts for Preschool

Are you about sick of winter? Kids love to play outside, but you don't dare let them for too long when it's super cold. What was fun in November is getting a little old by February. Teacher Mama is here with free printable winter-themed crafts for bored, winter bound kids. First, clear a spot on the table. Or better yet set up a separate craft table. Bust out glue, scissors, markers, glitter, your nifty scrapbook edging scissors, stickers, pom poms, fake gems all your crafty goodies.Next, go to these websites Read on  Printable Winter Crafts and Activities for Kids

Epiphany Party Planner for Children

Going back to school after the holidays can be dreary. And preschoolers will miss older siblings when they're gone. Why not start the new year off with fun? Here's an epiphany party planner. Little ones can make the food and crafts and surprise brothers and sisters. Or use in school. Epiphany Party Planner. Here are printable epiphany crafts, coloring pages and games, too.

Perfect for home-schooled, Christian, Catholic or public school. Epiphany is January 6 and is also called Three Kings or Twelfth Night. Epiphany marks the visit of the wisemen to the stable in Bethlehem. The wisemen (Magi) didn't arrive with the shepherds. They came later and we celebrate that as Epiphany. This holiday is celebrated as the major gift-giving holiday in many countries. Explore epiphany in social studies culture lesson. Party planner includes crafts, treats and games.