Making recycled paper is a great way to use up all your paper scraps from previous craft activities, and if you add seeds, it makes a wonderful gift to give friends! We made the ones in the photos below as Valentine's Day gifts for the kids in our forest school co-op this year. It was a really fun project that all 3 of my kids enjoyed working on, and they turned out gorgeous! Keep reading for step by step instructions. For this activity you need: -Construction paper and tissue paper scraps -Flower seeds -Cookie cutters or candy molds -A large bowl -A couple towels -Parchment paper -Flower petals (optional) Grab your old construction paper and tissue paper scraps and tear them up into tiny pieces into a bowl. Add a small amount of warm water and work it into the paper shreds with your fingers, making a pulp. If you have a blender or food processor you can put your pulp through it to shred it even finer. This makes the paper pulp easier to work, but you can skip this step if you don&

  Springtime offers so many amazing learning opportunities to explore with our children. In this post I share some of my favorite spring nature study activities and resources. Spring Nature Study Activities Hunt For Signs of Spring Take a walk around your neighborhood or in a nearby park and look for signs of spring. If your kids like to draw or take photos, bring pencils and sketchbooks or a camera. Take a Wildflower Scavenger Hunt Research about the different types of wildflowers in your area, then hunt your neighborhood or a park to see how many different species you can find! Dissect a Flower Pick a flower from your yard and encourage your child to gently take it apart and explore its different parts.  Learn About Plant Anatomy Learn about the different parts of a plant. Here are some good resources to check out: - Homeschool Pop- Plant Parts and Functions - SciShow Kids- Look Inside a Flower - Ducksters- Biology for Kids- Plants Go on a Mini Beast Hunt Hunt for insects and other c

Learn about plant anatomy, what plants need to grow, garden insects, the difference between fruits and vegetables, symmetry, how to calculate area and perimeter, and more with this 28-page printable garden study pack. This pack includes plant anatomy posters, science worksheets, creative writing prompts, math activities, garden planning sheets, journaling sheets, a garden measurement chart, a crossword puzzle, and more! Grab it here:   Learning in the Garden Printable Unit Study Pack Follow me on Teachers Pay Teachers Facebook Instagram Pinterest

I am often asked for preschool and kindergarten curriculum recommendations by well-meaning parents. My answer is always the same: none. Preschoolers and kindergarteners don't need formal sit-down work. There is no long-term advantage. What they do need is need time to play, and explore, and to be creative. I understand why many parents jump the gun on formal learning. They just want to give their kids the best start in life, but earlier isn't always better. Pushing academic skills before a child is developmentally ready causes frustration and resentment, often leading children to hate learning.  The early school years are best spent focused on play and outdoor exploration. Play provides the perfect environment for developing important pre-reading and pre-writing skills. These skills include things like core body strength, hand and finger strength, visual perception, object manipulation, and gross and fine motor skills. And these skills provide an important foundation on which t

Gardening is such a wonderful learning experience for kids. Not only is gardening an useful lifeskill to share with your children, but it also provides an excellent opportunity to learn about plant science and garden insects, practice math skills, and much more. In this post I share some activity ideas for learning in the garden, plus some links to resources if you want to dive in deeper. If you're looking for a printable garden unit study, I have one available here:  Learning in the Garden Printable Unit Study Pack . Garden Math Garden size calculations -Have your child measure your garden space and calculate the perimeter and area.  -Help your child calculate the amount of garden soil you will need for your garden and how much it will cost. Plant spacing Give your child   ruler or tape measure and have them help measure the right amount of space between seeds or plants as you're planting your garden. Measure and track plant growth -Once your seeds sprout, have your child meas

It doesn't matter if it's cute furry mammals or creepy crawly insects, most kids love learning about animals. In this post I've compiled all of my zoology related blog posts and printable resources, plus links to some of my favorite books, videos, and websites for learning about the animal kingdom. Blog Posts Learning About Birds L inks to loads of activity ideas and resources for teaching your kids about birds Learning About Penguins I nformation, resources, and activity ideas for studying penguins Learning About Hummingbirds I nformation, resources, and activity ideas for studying hummingbirds Learning About Ducks and Other Waterfowl Information, resources, and activity ideas for studying waterfowl Learning About Herons and Egrets Information, resources, and activity ideas for studying herons and egrets Learning About Eagles and Other Raptors Information , resources, and activity ideas for studying raptors Learning About Owls Activities, resources, and information for stu

Nature study often gets looked over in the winter time. It's cold, many animals are tucked away hibernating, and the trees have lost their leaves, but there are still so many amazing things to be learned from the natural world, even this time of year. Below are some of my favorite winter nature study activities and resources: Winter Nature Study Activities Look at snowflakes under a microscope- This activity works best if you chill your microscope and slide for a few minutes before you try to view snowflakes, otherwise your equipment will just melt the flakes. Birdwatching- Bird watching is a fun activity any time of year!  Here are my favorite resources for bird identification: - The Merlin Bird ID app : This app is amazing and allows you to ID birds by physical description, song, or photo. - The Audubon Online Bird Guide - The Golden Field Guide's Birds of North America Learn about animal tracks- Winter snow and mud provides the perfect medium for animal tracks. This online g