Free printable Christmas paper toys, holiday activities, paper crafts for kids | Examiner.com

Are you channeling your inner Scrooge this holiday season? Got a bad case of the Grinchies? Did your Christmas spirit fly the coop? Sounds like someone needs a holiday cheer fix and for that you need to visit The Toymaker. Get ready for free Christmas printables like you've never seen before. Because The Toymaker has a sleighful of free printable Christmas paper toys, holiday activities and 3D paper crafts to make. The pictures look child-like but don't be fooled. As we've recently seen, adult coloring books are good therapy for adults and so are cut and paste paper crafts.   Free printable Christmas paper toys, holiday activities, paper crafts for kids | Examiner.com

Advent Christmas countdown activities: 30-day holiday calendar for kids

 Advent is the four-week preparatory season leading up to Christmas, celebrated by Orthodox and Catholic Christians and some protestants. Using an Advent calendar and Advent wreath, families mark the days till the Feast of Christmas, followed by the Octave of Christmas and Epiphany (Twelfth Night, Three Kings Day). Here are Christmas countdown activities for children, with an Advent flavor. Make one of these homemade Advent calendars. There's one Advent calendar with pockets and another lift-the-flap Advent calendar. Use this 30-day holiday calendar to plan your Christmas and keep children productively occupied till Santa arrives! This list includes feast days and holy days from the Catholic liturgical calendar. Fill in activities around those days. Advent Christmas countdown activities: 30-day holiday calendar for kids | Examiner.com

Homeschool Montessori learning centers: Preschool dress-up, dramatic play areas

Preschool classrooms function best when organized into Montessori style learning centers. Learning centers are rotational play areas where children perform tasks related to specific content areas: math, reading, science, art, practical life, dramatic play or preschool dress-up areas. Homeschool parents, why not create learning centers in your child's play room? Here's how to organize Montessori preschool dramatic play, or preschool dress-up learning areas. mom designed an at-home dramatic play area.  Homeschool Montessori learning centers: Preschool dress-up, dramatic play areas | Examiner.com

Free printable turkey crafts, patterns, stencils of Thanksgiving turkeys

As the leaves turn and fall, holiday planning turns to Thanksgiving. What would the Thanksgiving holiday be without turkey crafts? Here are free printable paper turkeys, turkey crafts and Thanksgiving craft projects your children will gobble up! Use these free printable turkey crafts and Thanksgiving craft patterns at home, in school, in day care, homeschooling, at senior centers, churches, 4H groups or scout troops.Free printable turkey crafts, patterns, stencils of Thanksgiving turkeys | Examiner.com

 

Free printable Halloween masks for kids to color and make | Examiner.com

Trick-or-treat is all about dressing up in Halloween costumes, right? So how about free printable Halloween masks for kids to color, cut and paste? Perfect for preschool, special education and school Halloween parties. For families who don't do Halloween, I included links for generic masks so kids can still enjoy craft fun. Masks are grouped by theme.Free printable Halloween masks for kids to color and make | Examiner.com

 

Free printable Catholic saints coloring pages for All Saints' Day | Examiner.com

Most people know that October 31 is Halloween, or All Hallows Eve. Fewer know that there's only a Halloween because of the days that follow. November 1 marks the Catholic holy day of obligation, All Saints' Day and November 2 is All Souls' Day (celebrated as Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead in Mexico). Halloween was a pagan blowout that anticipated the solemnity of the proceeding holy day. Use these free printable Catholic saints coloring pages, crafts and lesson plans to learn more about All Saint's Day and Halloween.Free printable Catholic saints coloring pages for All Saints' Day | Examiner.com

 

Russian 5-year-old boys tunnel out of school playground sandbox on Jaguar quest - Grand Rapids News | Examiner.com

Austin Powers has Mini Me and 007 has Baby Bonds, it seems. Two would-be secret agent Russian 5-year-old boys tunneled out of their school playground sandbox, reported the Tampa Bay Times on September 9. The point of the intrepid kiddies' mission? They were on a Jaguar quest. If you thought it would be dangerous for two kindergartners to hunt wild cats, you would be right. But the lads' target was not jags as in ferocious felines, but rather, the luxury car kind! But these were "good guy" escapees: they were not planning to steal the vehicle. They intended on buying the sports car. The precocious pair of gearheads traveled over a mile to visit a showroom which was selling Jaguars.  Russian 5-year-old boys tunnel out of school playground sandbox on Jaguar quest - Grand Rapids News | Examiner.com

Back to school sales: Shop for Halloween, Christmas gifts, stocking stuffers - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

 Hate back to school shopping? Then make it multitask, shopping for holidays, too. Shop back to school sales for Halloween, Christmas gifts, stocking stuffers, birthday presents and other holiday gift-giving. Save gobs of money and time. Get cool candy alternative Halloween treats at back to school sales. Stock up on stocking stuffers for Christmas. Who says you have to give candy at Halloween? Buy cheap pencils, stickers, crayons, glue sticks, pencil sharpeners and give them! Or give healthier back-to-school snacks: fruit snacks, granola bars, crackers and popcorn. School supplies make awesome, inexpensive stocking stuffers. Fill kids' stockings with markers, scissors, calculator and other useful stuff.

   Back to school sales: Shop for Halloween, Christmas gifts, stocking stuffers - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Free printable military soldiers cutouts, weapons, vehicles coloring pages

 August 14, 2015 represents the 70th anniversary of V-J Day, that ended WWII. Teachers and homeschool parents, educate students on war history using realistic military coloring pages and cutout paper soldiers. Here are free printable military soldiers, weapons, vehicles to color and cut out. Coloring pages are historically accurate, detailed, challenging and educational. Most are labeled with details on war, country of origin and time period the soldier represents.   Free printable military soldiers cutouts, weapons, vehicles coloring pages - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

McDonald's Happy Meal Minions toys say WTF? Parents swear Minions curse at kids

Do McDonald's Happy Meal Minions toys say WTF? That's what some claim. And not only the F-bomb, parents swear Minions curse at kids in other ways, reported MSN July 9. The cute little

vitamin-B shaped Minions are accused of muttering"Well, I'll be d**ned." Listen to the Minions video here at Youtube. What do you hear? Are Stuart and Dave really blurting obscenities at children?  McDonald's Happy Meal Minions toys say WTF? Parents swear Minions curse at kids - Grand Rapids News | Examiner.com

Free printable Fathers Day cards, Father's Day crafts printables for dad

When Father's Day rolls around, it's sometimes hard to know what to get dad. Children may find themselves with little cash to buy something. Here are free printable Father's Day greeting cards and crafts to make at home. Dad will love your creativity and thoughtfulness.Free printable Fathers Day cards: Father's Day crafts and printables for dad - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

 

Free printable Mother's Day greeting cards to color

Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May, on May 10 in 2015. Looking for free printable crafts to make with children for Mother's Day? Here are free printable cards that kids can color themselves and give to mom. Children free proud when they can make things for mom.  Free printable Mother's Day cards, coloring pages, crafts, printables for mom

Free printable play money, consumer math printables, preschool practical life money math activities

 Pi Day, March 14, celebrates math. Money math is a favorite with kids. They love play money. Kids learn math skills pretending grocery store or consumer math. Interacting with play money, children learn to count, add, subtract, multiply, divide and skip count by fives, tens and twenty-five. Making change teaches counting backwards.



Consumer math is great way to demonstrate positive and negative numbers. Positive numbers are money you have. Negative numbers can be thought of as money you owe. Money math teaches fractions, decimals and percent, using credit, interest, fees, sales an discounts as examples.



Here are links to free printable play money. Print play money and use in preschool learning centers: house, store, bank and practical life. Use free printable play money in math, marketing, life skills and economic classes. Using play money helps prepare special needs students for real-life experience and transitions.

Free printable play money, consumer math printables, banking and checking games - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Free printable Very Hungry Caterpillar activities, Eric Carle printables - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

In honor of National Reading Month (March) I'm going to share free activities based on favorite authors and books. Eric Carle is a beloved children's author. Carle has illustrated dozens of books about insects and animals. Here are free printables from the Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle's best-loved kids' book. Mrs. Spatafora's Kindergarten Blog features dozens of printable cut and paste crafts, games, activities, lessons, puzzles and coloring pages on preschool themes.Free printable Very Hungry Caterpillar activities, Eric Carle printables - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

 

Free printable valentines and kids' Valentine's Day crafts

Valentines Day is fast approaching. Children's valentine exchanges are popular school party activities. How about saving money with free printable valentines and Valentine's Day greeting cards?  Free printable valentines, children's Valentine's Day crafts 

Snow day kids crafts, homemade games from recycled stuff, power outage friendly - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

An epic nor'easter winter storm is thrashing the eastern seaboard. This is one angry blizzard, so snowy and blustery they gave it a name: Winter Storm Juno, said the Daily Beast Jan. 26. Winter storms take out electricity, close school, ground travel. Being stuck with snowbound kids in a power outage is no fun. So here are kids' craft projects and games made with recycled stuff--no special tools or supplies, trips to the store nor electricity needed! Keep children productively occupied during this Snowmageddon.  Snow day kids crafts, homemade games from recycled stuff, power outage friendly