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Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases. My participation in this program comes at no added cost to you, and helps support my small business. You can learn more here. I'm a huge fan of simple yet flexible crafts and activities for young children! Cotton balls, glue, and paper are three things that I find endless use for in my home, especially in combination with one another. This cotton ball craft is super easy to modify and use for a variety of ages. Here are some ways to do the activity in your home! Cotton Ball Sheep Crafts for Kids of All AgesWhere to StartYou'll want to either trace a sheep shape, or download one of my templates (they are free and available for immediate download... no strings attached!). You can use these as coloring pages as well as for the cotton ball sheep crafts described below.
Other materials you'll need:
For ToddlersToddlers are just developing fine motor abilities, and this activity is a great way to help build them! Allow your child to paint glue onto the stencil, pick up cotton balls and place them within the lines of the sheep. For PreschoolersHave your child color the sheep's face, then use glue to apply the cotton balls. Once done, help you child cut out the sheep. For Elementary Age KidsStart by decorating the sheep's face; color, paint, or use another medium to give it some color. Then, laminate the entire paper. Once the paper has set, heat up a hot glue gun. If your child is super cautious, you may choose to have them help with the glue, but you will probably want to be the one using the glue to help avoid burns. Apply small dots of glue onto the sheep's body, then add cotton balls (they can be pulled a bit to make a more woolen texture, or applied as is). Have your child cut out the sheep once dry/cool. Using the hot glue again, apply two popsicle sticks in a cross shape to the back of the sheep. Then, glue two more popsicle sticks together, one on top of the other. Apply those to the bottom back of the sheep, sticking out towards the bottom. Now you have a sheep puppet or planter decoration! Want to dress up the sheep more? You can use food coloring or water colors to dye to cotton balls for a rainbow sheep, apply glitter using regular craft clue, add googley eyes, and more! Your imagination is the only limit! Expand on the Activity Even More!Want to build on this craft with other educational activities? Here are a few ideas! Sheep Themed Kids BooksFarm Songs and ActivitiesOld McDonald (Had a Farm): Perfect for toddlers, Old McDonald is a great way to work on animal sounds and vocabulary! We love pairing it with farm puppets or my child's farm yard play set!   Take a trip to the local community farm/farm museum: In our area, we have tons of community farms and farm museums, and growing up, we had plenty near us as well. A quick Google search can help you identify the resources available near you. If you are in the Metro New York area, here are a few options you'll love: And in the Boston Metro area, be sure to check out Drumlin Farm! Educational Spring PrintablesUse this activity along with these great printables to create a spring thematic unit!!
More Spring Crafts & ActivitiesCheck out these other great crafts, which pair perfectly with the cotton ball sheep craft, books, and printables for a spring thematic unit! Be sure to save this on Pinterest for easy access to these great ideas later!
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How exciting is it that spring is here? With Easter around the corner, I've been working hard on some great Easter content, including this adorable Easter themed iSpy activity. And they are all free, but only to members of my Mindfully Scientific Caregivers group on Facebook. Not in my group? Be sure to sign up here. I'll be adding more group exclusives as time goes on. Connect with other caregivers, plus find great tips and tricks for raising kids from a place of evidence, mindfulness, and love. The group is 100% FREE, and comes with the added benefit of being run by a seasoned educator and cognitive scientist specializing in education.
I also have three great Easter printables available for immediate download, no strings attached! These include a cute coloring page, and two themed biggest to smallest activities. Also be sure to check out my other great Easter and spring content!
Free Easter iSpy Printable
This activity is super simple, and can easily be used on your favorite device for an eco friendly solution. Just have your child count the number of each item in the array. I've provided an answer sheet to help you with scoring. You can also print and either laminate, or add to your child's seasonal busy book. This printable fits with however they play!
Easter Printable Crafts
Also up on the group is an Easter Basket printable activity, bunny ears printable activity, hanging easter eggs printable, and a crossword puzzle.
Also be sure to check out the spring numbers/color awareness binder book pages on the group!
Binder books are easy to put together. Simply print 2 copies of all pages, other than the cover. Insert the cover in the front of a binder, and one copy of each page into plastic page protectors. Laminate the second copy, and use velcro on both the plastic page protectors and the backs of the laminated pictures. Cut out each of the laminated pictures, and apply to page protectors. Insert into the binder, and you are all done! You can find an example of a fall themed binder book and detailed instructions here.
Easter Printables for Immediate Download
These great printables are available for immediate download! For the small to big activities, I recommend cutting and laminating the cards. This will allow your child to play over and over! You can also laminate the coloring page and use dry erase markers, which is an eco friendly solution enabling your child to color again and again!
Don't forget to share this with other parents with kids who would love these activities!!!
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases. My participation in this program comes at no added cost to you, and helps support this blog. You can learn more about my participation in this program here.
For our homeschooling letter W theme, I picked the seasonally appropriate word 'witch'. And what better book to celebrate Halloween and discuss the concept of witches than 'Room on the Broom'. This adorable picture book discusses the themes of kindness and friendship, as a witch is helped by a series of new pals, who she (in return) allows to join her and her cat on their adventures. But that is just the start of how these new friends help one another on a particularly stormy autumn evening! I'll not give spoiler, but I will provide you access to some of the awesome activities I developed (or in some cases, collected) just for this book!
Room on the Broom Velcro Activity
As you read the book, you can use this velcro activity to help children track what is happening in the story. Have your child pick out the appropriate pieces, removing them or adding them to the velcro board. The activity is a great, hands on, visual aid for comprehension.
You can find this activity in my free subscriber's resource library.
Room on the Broom Videos
My little one has been enjoying watching this cute Room on the Broom cartoon on YouTube. It pairs imagery with the classic book text, read out loud.
A second fun version reads the book outloud as a song, with video graphics!
Witch Themed Coloring Pages; Letter W Coloring Page
I'm making a few of these pages available for immediate download. The rest are available in my subscriber's only resource library.
For immediate download:
And for those who have subscribed to the library, check out the newest addition to coloring pages! The letter W page is already uploaded there.
Witch Matching Velcro Activity
Another subscriber's resource library exclusive, I added this activity to my busy book for independent play and learning. Simple laminate two copies, cut out the shapes from one copy, and add velcro to make your own. You can also have your child color the pages prior to laminating (for extra fun).
Witch's Hat Craft
What you'll need:
This activity is super simple! Just cut out a witch's had shape (use the stencil below)- use one plate/piece of paper for the triangle shape, and one to make a flattened oval. Glue them into the shape of a hat, and then decorate!
If you want to make a band, simple place the hat on your child's forehead, use the paper or twine and measure the circumference, and then tie or glue to the hat! Make sure to leave room for your child to pull the hat on and off, though.
Magical Mud Sensory Play
Making magical mud is easy. It is just ooblek! If you've not made it before, the recipe is easy, and uses ingredients you probably already have in house:
That's it! You'll need a 2:1 ratio, so 1 cup of cornstarch for 1/2 cup of water (or whatever sized batch you'd like)
Want to make it extra 'muddy'? Just add food dye; you'll want to add all the colors to make a nice, gunky, brown color. Then, let your kids play! If you'd like, you can let them cover animals in the ooblek, too (just like the animals cover themselves in mud in the book). The great thing about ooblek is it really does seem magical. Defying the boundary between solids and liquids, this amazing activity is bound to get your kids thinking. 
This ooblek was dyed pink, not mud brown. But it was no less fun!
Witch's Brew Sensory Play
This one isn't my activity, but head over to Tot School Resources for their Spooky Witch's Brew Science Experiment. It is a perfect complement to my Room on the Broom activities!
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Pumpkins might be one of my favorite parts of fall. So I've had a lot of fun designing pumpkin activities for my little one!
Since I've been doing an alphabet themed month this September, I fit the pumpkin activities shared here in with the letters C (counting), F (fall), J (jack o lantern), P (pumpkin), O (orange), S (shapes) and T (teal.... we are a food allergy family, after all!). 10 Little Pumpkins
Counting/One to One Correspondence Activity
For our 10 Little Pumpkins activity we read 10 Little Pumpkins, and each time a new pumpkin was discussed in the story, added a pumpkin to our velcro board. At the end, when the "10 little pumpkins [roll] out of sight" we removed them all. You can find the printable for the velcro activity in the Resource Library, and the book (plus supplies to make the velcro activity) using the links below.
Older children can also use the velcro activity for counting; just ask them to place a specific number of pumpkins on the velcro board. Jack O Lantern Faces
Shape Activity and Craft
What you need:
Before doing this activity, we watched a great musical video from Sesame Street about all the shapes you can use to make a jack o lantern face. You can find that here.
Start the craft by painting the paper plate orange. Once dry, your child can glue shapes of their choice onto their 'pumpkin'. To make this a shape recognition activity, you can do the following:
Letter P for Pumpkin
Letter Recognition Activity and Coloring Pages
You can find these activities in the Resource Library! To create the velcro activities seen above, be sure to check out the supplies recommended for the 10 Little Pumpkins activity above.
Teal Pumpkin Paper Plate Project
Craft
What you need:
Cut out a stem from one paper plate. Paint brown. Paint the remaining two plates teal. Allow all pieces to dry. Then staple or glue two paper plates together, and then add the stem to the top.
Add a Teal Pumpkin Project message if desired (you can even have your children write why the Teal Pumpkin Project matters to them and glue it to the center). Baking Pumpkin Muffins
What toddler doesn't love helping with baking! To celebrate the first day of fall, we baked pumpkin muffins using one of my favorite recipes (you can find that here). Baking helps children develop motor skills (pouring, mixing), teach about measuring and following directions, and helps teach cause and effect.
We also used it as a sensory activity by taste testing some of the ingredients (specifically the pumpkin puree, a tiny bit of sugar, and the orange juice, since my child doesn't drink juice yet). Pumpkin Activities We Have Planned For Later This Fall:
Pumpkin season has just barely begun! We have tons more pumpkin activities planned for this fall. Here are a few:
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And be sure to check out other great activities here!
What you will need:
Instructions:
Pour water into ice cube trays. Add food dye of your choice and mix. Freeze until solid. Remove the colors you want from the trays, place on paper or other painting surface, and let the fun begin!
Looking to make the activity educational, too?
Have your child use the color mixing log and/or guide (see resource library) to predict what colors mixing will result in, add up how many drops of each color it takes to make a new color (and how many drops each cube has total), and ask them to label (and, if capable, write) the color words they are discussing. You can also have your child describe (verbally or in writing) the sensory experience of painting with the ice cubes.
Want access to the color mixing guide and log? Be sure to subscribe to my free resource library to get this, and many other great printables for you and your children.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases. My participation in this program comes at no added cost to you, and helps support this blog. If you want to learn more about my participation in this program, click here.
As I noted inmy post about our first week homeschooling, sometimes everything doesn't get done when we want, or how we want. And that is perfectly okay! But because I didn't want us to fall behind with what letters I was planning to review each week, I made the choice cover a few letters at a time throughout the rest of September, and into October. Since I know I'll be covering the alphabet repeatedly, this felt like a good modification to make sure I could get through content I wanted to review while also being able to do other activities in October
Here is a breakdown of each of the activities we did for the remainder of the alphabet!
You can find our letter A and B activities here.
Calendar and Story Time - Daily (Mostly!)
Our calendar and story time routine doesn't vary much! Therefore, it has looked pretty much like what we did the week before. Be sure to check that out here. You'll also find a link to our daily circle time book, Shadow Boxes. We read the page related to the letter(s) of the day!
Why does the header say "mostly", by the way? Because we didn't do the calendar daily. Between early intervention therapies, doctors appointments, general life, and refusing to enforce calendar time rigidly (my kid is a toddler, remember?), it didn't happen every day. And that is okay! While I always try to do fun homeschool activities with my child daily, I never want to give the impression that I have it all together, and things run seamlessly. That isn't fair to you, the reader. That isn't real life. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise! Letter C
Book: 10 Little Pumpkins
Activities: 10 little pumpkins velcro activity, Fall Numbers Binder Book Activity (from the subscriber's library) You can learn more about the 10 little pumpkins activity here. 
Letters D, E, and F
Books:
Dinosaur Activities:
Nat Geo Dinosaurs 101 Video
Many kids love dinosaurs, but given they are something no human being has or can experience in person, they are also a highly conceptual topic to cover. As such, I wanted to find ways to make the content more accessible to my toddler. The video I'm sharing with you is geared towards slightly older children and contains larger vocabulary, but my toddler loved it! It is never too early to start exposing your child to more advanced academic content, so long as it is in a developmentally appropriate way. In this case, the video was just over 3 minutes (so, short), contained exciting imagery, and was presented in a way that made my child more interested (I played the video on my phone after reading a book about dinosaurs, and he normally doesn't have access to my content via my phone). From the time I was a small child, I loved National Geographic and PBS documentaries. I hope to instill the same sense of academic curiosity in my child! While I try not to use screen time as a way to teach, in this case, it made a lot of sense to provide video content. 
Dinosaur coloring pages:
These coloring pages can be found on the Subscribers' Library!
Dinosaur Spikes and Spots Shape Activity
We added spikes and spots to the dinosaur template from my subscriber's library (or any dinosaur coloring page). While doing so, we discussed shape and color.
This activity is easy. All you need is a dinosaur shape, a glue stick, some colored construction paper, and scissors. Cut out circles and triangles for your child using different colored paper. Then, let them have fun decorating their dinosaur however they want! 
Elephant Activities:
Fish Activities:
Letter Activities
Letters D, E, and F letter tracing/coloring pages
Letters G and H - Ghosts and Halloween
Craft and Sensory Activity: Tissue Paper Ghosts
Making tissue paper ghosts is easy! Just grab some white tissue paper, crumple, and glue to a piece of black construction paper (though you really could use whatever color you want)! Then add eyes with black paint or marker. If your child is a bit older, they can paint a Halloween scene on the paper first (like I did on mine).
Literacy/Letter Activities: Reading Halloween books, as well as about the letters G and H in our Shadow Boxes book. We then colored the letters G and H, and did ghost and halloween coloring pages from the resource library.
One of our favorite Halloween books is "When the Goblins Came Knocking". It is a great social emotional story for young kids who may find costumed trick or treaters scary of overwhelming. The protagonist tells of last Halloween, when he was scared and hid, but also, of how this Halloween he is able to wear a scary costume. The last page shows the child with his scary dinosaur hood off, letting little readers know that behind those costumes are other kids. It is a sweet story that you'll love sharing with your child.
I believe the book is out of print, but there are tons of used copies available for less than a new hardcover copy!
Letter I - Ice
For the letter I we painted with ice cubes and colored the letter I (see coloring pages in the resource library). We also discussed the concepts of cold, and melting (while my little one likely didn't take in everything I told him, it is a great idea to share ideas with your toddler. They are sponges, and as long as you aren't giving lengthy explanations of high level concepts, the only thing it can do is get their little minds working!)
J - Jack O Lantern
For Jack O Lantern we made pumpkin faces out of paper plates and black construction paper shapes (you can find that activity here), and watched Sesame Street's Making Pumpkin Faces Video. Just like all Sesame Street content, this cute music video is educational, talking about shapes and family.
Letter K - Kitten
We didn't spend a lot of time on letter K, but we did do the letter K coloring page from my library, and spent a lot of time with our own cats. We also did the same animal finding activity with easter eggs (see the Letter E section), but this time searched for different kinds of "kitties" (big cats).
Letter L - Leaves (did along with letters O, R, and Y for orange, red, and yellow)
For the letter L we collected and played with leaves (sensory), watched a Nat Geo video about leaves changing, as well as doing the leaf matching activity in the resource library. We also did the L for Leaf and fall finds velcro activities from the resource library. We also did a number of velcro activities I put together sorting the colors we see in autumn, and discussed letters R, O, and Y for the brilliant colors our leaves turn this time of year. You can find those velcro activities in the Subscribers' Resource Library.
Letters M and N - Moon, Monsters, and Night
Letter Activities: M for Moon Velcro Activity, coloring/tracing pages for letters M and N.
YouTube Video: Moon 101
Craft and Literacy: Making a Monster (from subscriber's library)
This activity is simple! Just print the pages and let your child mix and match bodies, arms, legs, and other add ons for their monster. Want to expand on the activity? Have your child tell or write a story about their monster. What is their name? Where do they live? What do they eat? Do they have a family? A job? A hobby? Are they friendly or scary? Your child decides! There are two worksheet pages (not shown) to get your child started with writing in the printables kit.
Letters O and P - Orange and Pumpkins
I did an entire blog post about the great pumpkin activities we've done. You can find that here.
Letter Q - Quiet
We did letter Q along on the same day as letters O and P. How to help a young toddler learn about the concept of quiet? We practiced! We tip toed around the house, and then practiced being loud by stomping and roaring before going back to trying to be quiet.
Letter R (did along with letter L, plus reviewed O, and skipped ahead to discuss letter Y): Red, Leaves, Orange, and Yellow (Autumn Colors)
See the section for L above for more!
Letter S, skipped ahead to letter X - Spiders, Six
For the letter S we discussed spiders, and the difference between spiders and insects. One great way to tell them apart? Insects have six legs, while spiders have eight!
I'm putting up a separate post about the spider activities we did soon, so keep an eye on the blog! I'll link that here once it is live. 
Letters T and U - Ten, Up, Teal
We came back to 10 little pumpkins for the number ten, danced and practiced being up and down (through dance and song; we sang the Wheels on the Bus and did If You're Happy and You Know It (jump up, put your arms up), and painted Teal Pumpkins for the Teal Pumpkin Project.
You can find the 10 Little Pumpkins Activity and the Teal Pumpkin activity here.
Letter V - Volcanos
We didn't spend much time on letter V, but we did do a bit of learning about volcanos. I look forward to returning to the letter V and doing a volcano unit in a few months, when my child is a little older!
Nat Geo Volcanos 101:
Letter V coloring pages (see resource library)
Letter W - Witch
I did an entire post about our letter W activities. You can find that here.
Letter X - See Letter SLetter Y - See Letter RLetter Z - Zoo
We were initially planning to take our little one to the Bronx Zoo for this unit, but weather and responsibilities got in our way. Instead, we focused on doing a lot of learning about animals that might be in a zoo!
Books:
Sensory Activity:
I added wild animals you might find in a zoo to my child's sensory bin, and he had a blast playing with and labeling the different animals he found. I also gave him some salt dough I'd made, since he seemed to have been craving the smooshy texture. 
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There is nothing quite like crafting for autumn, am I right? For some reason I feel so much more motivated to craft this time of year. I can't be the only one, right?!
This year my first craft of the season were decorated wooden squares.
Much like the craft I shared from last fall, this project is super flexible and can be modified easily to the supplies you have and the season you want to craft for.
What you will need:
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases made through these links. My participation in this program comes at no added cost to you, and helps support this blog. Learn more here.
Basic Supplies:
Other supplies that may be helpful:
Looking for craft supply recommendations? Check out my growing list of favorite and recommended products for crafting here.
How to make these decorative wood canvas crafts:
1. Start with your raw wooden block. Paint or stain desired color.
2. Apply any paper/photographs. For larger pieces, you can apply Mod Podge first. For smaller pieces, you will want to apply first, then add coat of Mod Podge. Check out the exclusive resource library to get some of the graphics and photos I used for this project! For some graphics, this may mean using an X-acto knife or scissors to extract graphics or text.
You may opt to add additional color or sparkle using colored pencils or pens prior to cutting them out.
3. Apply coat of Mod Podge with a paint brush. If you are using glitter, promptly apply once the coat ofMod Podge is on.
4. Heat up hot glue gun. Apply any bulky items (ribbon, fabric, sequins, etc.).
5. [OPTIONAL] Apply additionalMod Podge if desired.
6. If using acrylic paint accents (including acrylic paint pens), add these last.
And you're done!
Love these graphics? They are coming to the resource library in the coming days! You can sign up here.Love this? Be sure to share!
Disclosure: The post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases. My participation in the Amazon Associate program comes at no additional cost to you, and commissions earned help support this blog. You can learn more here.
Making the choice to pull my child from preschool this fall was difficult. I feel fortunate to have the resources to be able to stay home with my little one during this challenging time; I know it isn't an option for many families. I also feel quite lucky to have a background in teaching (including teaching preschool!). For critical social skills we are doing playdates with a small circle of cautious friends, at least until it is no longer a safe option in our area, or until the pandemic passes and we can go back to school. But what about all that time when we aren't occupied by playdates?
That is where my background in teaching has really been an asset! But I know not every parent has a degree in education and formal teaching experience. That is why I've decided to share our homeschooling journey with you!! Here is what we did during our first week learning from home:
Starting the Day: Calendar and Weather, Themed Story (Daily)
Circle time is a vital part of the preschool day. It helps children center and prepare for a day of learning, connect with their classmates and teacher(s), and, of course, learn. Sure, we are learning from home with no siblings, which means there are no other students to connect with. But that is no reason not to start the day by focusing on the learning ahead!
Each morning we start with our calendar; we discuss what month and year it is, count up to the current day, sing our days of the week song (see lyrics below) and review any special events or holidays happening that day. We then sing our weather song (see lyrics below) and then look outside to figure out what the weather is that day. Once we have finished the calendar and weather, we read a story (or stories) related to our theme.
Our theme for the month of September is 'The Alphabet'
Each day we cover a new theme related to a letter of the alphabet. Sometimes we cover the same letter a couple of days in a row, other times we only spend one day on a letter (the only reason for repetition is if I have a lot of content related to one particular theme and can't fit everything into one day). I cover each of this week's themes in detail below.
Week 1 - Themes and Books
Why no curriculum for Thursday and Friday? Part of our homeschool journey is accepting sometimes things come up that make it difficult to follow through. My goal is always to do the best I can, as a parent, and in all my affairs. While older children doing virtual learning may not have the luxury of taking time away from formal learning, preschool is different. We can be more flexible. If there is one parenting lesson I hope to impart on readers it is that parenting requires flexibility and being mindful that sometimes things don't go as planned.... And that is OKAY. I love routine, but trying to rigidly stick with plans stresses me out. After years of running on a hamster wheel with trying to be perfect, I've decided instead to work hard to go with the flow. Thursday I wasn't feeling well and Friday we had a playdate in the morning and got sidetracked in the afternoon. And that is absolutely okay! I originally planned to cover the letter C, but instead moved those activities to the following week.
Looking for a great lesson planning template for little ones? Here is the one that I've been using (please feel free to download it for your own use (conditions apply*!)
MONDAY
Circle Time Book (literacy): The Book of Shadow Boxes
This alphabet book takes the form of a poem, and is quite creative. It moves away from alphabet book stereotypes, and focuses heavily on promotion of phonemic awareness (focusing on the individual sounds each letter makes), as well as some phonics strategies. You can find it here (it is out of print, but you can find used editions), or check out some of our other favorite alphabet books!
Activities: Letter coloring/Tracing (Fine motor, writing), singing the alphabet with a visual aid (see below).
Stay tuned to my subscriber's library for access to these great (and free) printables!
TUESDAY
Circle Time Book (literacy): The Book of Shadow Boxes - Letter A poem only; How Do Apples Grow
Activities: Apple stamp painting (fine motor, sensory, STEM); Letter 'A' & apple matching (literacy).
Stay tuned to my subscriber's library for access to these great (and free) printables!
Apple stamp painting is a great activity for toddlers and preschoolers. I paired it with "How Do Apples Grow", and we used the opportunity to cut open the apple, look at the different parts of the apple as shown in the book's diagram (including the seeds). We then removed the seeds for planting (we placed the seeds in a wet paper towel for safe keeping until they could be safely planted; I was out of potting soil!). By extending the painting activity to include talking about the apple as a plant, we in turn covered apples a science topic as well as art, literacy, and fine motor skills!
Learning about seeds!
Apple stamp painting in action!
Letter activities (printables coming to resource library soon!)
Favorite products for making the most of these printables:
WEDNESDAY
Circle Time Book (literacy): The Book of Shadow Boxes - Letter B poem only; my child's book of choice (we read All Are Welcome repeatedly!).
Activities: Letter 'B' coloring/tracing; Body tracing activity. (click for full description of activity)
We had so much fun with these homeschool activities during our first week of homeschooling preschool. We were also super grateful to be able to build on social skills as well (since social skill development is one of the most critical elements of early education). I can't wait to share our activities from week 2!
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*Access to this template (and all Mindfully Scientific Mama content) is for personal use only. Mindfully Scientific Mama content may not be shared for commercial use, or on another website, without explicit written permission of the content creator.
Over the last few weeks I've been working diligently on tons of new content for you, and in anticipation of the launch, I'm releasing some fun (and educational) printable activities for your toddlers/preschoolers/ kindergarteners. This printables pack includes color, shape, and sight word activities with several levels of difficulty, as well as beach/ocean themed coloring pages.
Perfect for summer (or those who don't want summer fun to ever end!), or a homeschool thematic unit on the beach, seasons, or ocean life.
Plus, the bright and colorful shape activities are great for any time of year.
You can get access to these printables here.
The following is a guide for making the most out of these downloads. And be sure to send me pictures of your little ones enjoying these great activities! I'd love to share them to Instagram and Facebook with links to your social media accounts.
How to Make the Most Out of These Activities
Disclosure: This post contains links to Amazon products. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases. My participation in this program comes at not added cost to you, nor are there any strings attached. Learn more here.
Shape Matching
The shape matching activity offers four levels of difficulty. The first level has shape words written in the same color as the shape itself, plus images of the shape in the same color. The next level has shapes and words on the main card, but no in color. The more difficult levels offers the shape words with coloring, which requires color matching with exposure to site words, while the most advance level offers shape words without coloring, requiring sight word recognition.
There are two great ways to use either level of this activity. The first is to cut out each shape card, and the word card (you can cut this out into a single card rather than individual word cards). Then have your child use a glue stick and glue the correct shape next to the correct word.
You can also use a laminator and velcro to create a reusable activity. First laminate the entire page. Then cut out the individual shapes and the big words card. Finally, apply velcro to the backs of the shape cards and next to each word. Your child can then use the same cards over and over, rather than you having to print multiple copies and waste paper.
Product Recommendations from Amazon for This Activity
Fish (Color) Matching
This activity has three different versions; three levels of difficult for one version, two levels of difficulty for a second, and a single level of difficulty for the third.
The first version is similar to the shape matching activity, and can be done the same way (either with glue sticks or a laminator and velcro). Also like the shape matching activity, the fish matching activity asks your child to match colors to the correct color word. The easiest level has the color words written in color with a matching fish. The intermediary level offers site words written in matching colors to the respective fish. The hardest, sight word level simply has the color word written in black ink. A second version of this activity requires no cutting, just drawing lines from the fish to the correct color word.
A third version of this activity is a coloring page, where your child must color each fish with the color word on its body. This requires sight word reading, and is more advanced than the other versions of this activity.
These activities are also great for binder games. Click here to learn more about how to make one!
This printables pack also comes with four coloring pages!
Version 3 - Advanced
My toddler is already loving these activities!
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Planning a first birthday party, a general kids birthday party, or looking for new fun activities? This post has ALL of that, and MORE.
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The Big One
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It wound up being an adorable theme, and we found lots of ready-made décor options on Amazon. Since we’ve been through it all already, I’ve decided to help you cut your stress for planning a similar party, and put together an all in one guide. Everything you need to host an amazing Big One themed birthday, all in one spot. I’ve even developed a free kit containing tons of printable material to get you started!
All the things I wish I had when I was planning, and didn’t. My loss is your gain!
While we celebrated this birthday as "The Big One" (since it was, of course, my child's big first birthday!), you can use many of these ideas for any beach, nautical, or fishing themed party.
Plus, many of the activities below are great for any day fun!
What you will find in this post
- Menu Ideas
- Cake Ideas
- Activity Ideas
- Decorations Ideas
- Thank You/Goodie Bag Ideas
- The First Birthday Outfit
- Taking this Theme Beyond the Party: Other resources and links to fun, educational thematic content
- Information for Accessing Downloadable Kit
Menu Ideas
We did a traditional summer barbecue at both parties, while offering some more theme appropriate fare as well. For instance, we served Goldfish as a snack food.
Check out this sample menu card with other theme related menu items!
Check out this sample menu card with other theme related menu items!
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Above: Image of a menu card with a fishing pole and three bobbers. Menu reads "Goldfish, Swedish fish candy, Pretzel "Fishing" Rod, Lifesaver/Gummy Ring Life Preservers, Sand Cups, Veggie Rods with Dip.
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You can find instructions for how to make sand cups here. While we offered gold fish as a themed snack, I've seen all a number of different creative ideas for fishing theme snacks, including pretzel rods with twine wrapped around the top to look like fishing line, lifesaver candy with twine tied around to look like life preservers, and more.
Above: 'Sand' cup dessert.
Image shows a clear container filled with crushed cookie and cake that has the texture of sand. It is topped with teal blue frosting and red fish candy.
Also be sure to download the printables kit to get your own blank menu card, or get access to the one above!
Cake Ideas
We did both an allergy safe smash cake for our child and purchased a bakery cake for our guests. We asked the bakers to decorate the cake with colored frosting, piping, and sea life; we added bobbers and a center piece to the top to finish the look.
Smash Cake | Photo Credit: Keith Putnam
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Above: Three images show two different cakes from our first birthday party. Two images show a smash cake, which is blue and has wave like texture. It is topped with a single red and white bobber and a sign that has a fish and says "The Big One". A second sheet cake also has a sign with fish that says "The Big One", has a blue top with bobbers, and white sides with fish shapes affixed to it.
Be sure to keep an eye on my blog, too; I’m currently working on a piece with tons of ideas for allergy friendly cake options, and will place a link here when it is completed.
Be sure to check out the following cake topper options on Amazon to recreate the looks above! Just click on the images to navigate to the product pages.
Be sure to check out the following cake topper options on Amazon to recreate the looks above! Just click on the images to navigate to the product pages.
 
Above: Clickable image link for cake topper; It is a brown "The Big One" sign with a green fish clipped to it.
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Above: Clickable image link for a cake topper. It has two sticks (each topped with a bobber) with colorful fish hanging from a line, and a brown sign in the middle that say "The Big One" and has fish and a bobber on it.
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Activity Ideas
One of the best things about the following activities is that they are great not only for parties, but any occasion. Most of these activities continue to be in our rotation of favorite things to do!
FISHING GAME
You can use the materials and instructions in the printables kit for a DIY option, or purchase one of the recommended products below. We purchased a kit and used our kiddie pool, which was amazing because my child’s birthday was held on a hot summer day.
ABOVE: Our fishing set (this was taken well after the party, and we colored the water for extra fun, but when we used the set at the party we had it set up in our wading pool). Image shows a clear rectangular container with green water and 6 colorful fish toys. A single blue fishing rod also sits in the water.
Using the printables kit (this is best for slightly older children, while the kit you can purchase is a bit better for younger kids): Create fishing poles by taking kabob sticks and tying twine to one end. Then attach a paperclip at the end of the twine. Print the fish, laminate, and attach a self adhesive magnet to the back. This game is not only great for parties, but for a DIY home activity on rainy or cold days.
 
The above fishing kit is different from the one we have (that one is no longer offered on Amazon), but this one has thousands of excellent reviews. Click the image or here to view product.
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Sample fish. Printable pack comes with two different sheets of fish to catch.
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We have gotten a lot of use out of our fishing kit (long after the party was over). It is still one of my toddler's favorite backyard water play activities!
DECORATE YOUR OWN FISH CRAFT
You can use the materials and instructions in my printables kit for a DIY option, or purchase one of the recommended products below. For my child’s party, we purchased wooden fish and had the children paint them (some fo the adults joined in, too), but you can use glue, glitter, pom-poms, or any fun and festive craft materials. If you are having an adults-only party (for instance, if you are the first one in your family or friends group to have a child), you can get even more creative with a hot glue gun and smaller materials, too.
This is another activity that is great for any occasion.
Here are some great products to help you with this activity. Or, access the printables kit using the form at the bottom of this article.
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Above: Decorate Your Own Fish template. Image shows an outline of a fish.
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BUBBLES
What toddler doesn’t love bubbles? We purchased an amazing bubble blower from Amazon and still get great use out of it. Or, use a storage bin with warm water and make bubbles using Dawn blue dish soap for an easy and more cost-efficient sensory play option. If you use the Dawn dish soap option, you can also use the bubble sensory bucket as a fishing spot.
 
Above: Whale shaped bubble blower.
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Above: Bubble solution
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Above:Dawn Blue Dish Soap
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PIN THE TAIL ON THE FISH
Just use the materials in the downloadable kit for an easy and fun variation of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, perfectly modified for this adorable first birthday theme. You can access the printables kit using the form at the bottom of this article. Laminating the fish tails is a great way to make them more durable, too!
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Above (Left): Image shows blue fish for "Pin the Tail on the Fish" activity. This printable has been formatted for poster size, so you can print a large version, perfect for the game! Above (Right): Image shows blue tails for pin the tail on the fish.
Memory Keepsake
This activity is best for the adults and older children at the party. Use the memory cards in the printables kit and have guests fill out favorite memories from your child's first year or wishes for their future. Children who don't want to (or can't yet) write can also draw pictures. You can insert these cards into a photo album or a similar storage system to enjoy for years to come. Or, have guests use the bobber tags to write memories and well wishes, and then paste them on the Memories Poster or arrange in a picture frame as a collage.
Above: Memory Cards. These cards have a blue border and a white center with the shape of a wave. The top of the card has a fishing pole with a yellow and red fish, and three bobbers. It also has a section to write the birthday child's name. The bottom of the card has a section for guests to write their names.
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Above: Memory Poster. The poster has a blue border and a white center with the shape of a wave. The top of the card has a fishing pole with a yellow and red fish, and three bobbers. It also says "The Big One" in red and a space to write the birthday child's name.
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MAKE YOUR OWN "SAND CUP" DESSERT
What kid doesn’t love a dirt cup? Simply use yellow/vanilla cake (instead of chocolate), chocolate chip or sugar cookies (instead of Oreos), blue cool whip/frosting/vanilla pudding, Swedish fish, and O shaped gummy candy or life-savers. You can even top them with little cocktail umbrellas! More detailed instructions for this activity can be found here.
Why go to the store when you can shop online? Here are some products perfect for this activity.
Click on images below to view product pages, or click here to view product descriptions and links included in the activity.
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DECORATIONS
You can’t have a decent party without decorations, right? Check out the following photos of my little one’s party, as well as product recommendations to help recreate the look.
CLICK ON THE NAME OF THE DECORATION (IN BLUE) OR THE PRODUCT IMAGE TO ACCESS THE PRODUCT PAGE.
This photo banner received tons of compliments from our guests. It is still available on Amazon, or you can use my printables to create your own photo wall or banner.
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Before my husband confiscated them for his fishing kit (kidding, kidding... I gladly turned them over for a second life serving their designated purpose!) we used these bobbers for cake toppers and decorations on food platters. You can see them in a number of the pictures throughout this post. Or, use my printable bobber tags and toothpicks for a DIY approach (laminating them can make them more durable, too).
 
Above: Clickable image showing red and white bobbers available for purchase from Amazon (accessible text link available in the above section)
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Above: Printable bobber tags.
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The Big One Banner
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Smash Cake Photo | Photo Credit: Keith Putnam
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We used this banner as interior decor, and then for a backdrop for the smash cake photo shoot. You can find the same banner by clicking the image below for the Amazon product page, or check out the Big One poster printable in my download kit!
Above: Clickable image that brings you to the Amazon Product page for a banner that says "The Big One". The banner has four fish (red, yellow, green, and blue) and three bobbers, each with a single word (the, big, and one). Click here to view product page
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Above: Printable poster available in the Big One Printables Kit. Poster says "The Big One" in red in the center of the image. The top right includes a fishing pole and a single bobber. Blue fish are shown in the center. Three bobbers are located in the bottom left corner.
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This party supply kit includes decorations, goodie bags, napkins, plates, cups, and a table cloth, while the dangling decor matches the set perfectly. We ordered two, and supplemented with red, blue, and white paper goods.
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You can also access DIY decorations in my printables kit. See the form at the bottom of the page to sign up.
THANK YOU BAGS AND CARDS
Before your guests leave, make sure to thank them!
We gave out goodie bags (available in the nautical themed first birthday kit here) containing candy, as well as letting our guests bring home their own fish (see below for the product we purchased).
You can also use the bobber tags from the printables kit and/or the printable thank you notes. Either use a hole puncher and ribbon to affix the tags to the bags, or handwrite thank you messages on the notes for your child to mail/give to your guests.
We gave out goodie bags (available in the nautical themed first birthday kit here) containing candy, as well as letting our guests bring home their own fish (see below for the product we purchased).
You can also use the bobber tags from the printables kit and/or the printable thank you notes. Either use a hole puncher and ribbon to affix the tags to the bags, or handwrite thank you messages on the notes for your child to mail/give to your guests.
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Above: Three images showing three different thank you card options.
The top thank you card has a blue border, says thank you in red at the top, has a fishing pole and three bobbers in the top left corner, and has a square in the center that says "Insert Picture Here". The background is white with light blue fish. The bottom left thank you card has a blue border, says thank you in red at the top, has a fishing pole and three bobbers in the top left corner, and has a background that is white with light blue fish. The background is white with light blue fish. The bottom right thank you card has a blue border, says thank you in red in the center, has a fishing pole and three bobbers in the top left corner, and has a background that is white with light blue fish.
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The Outfit
What first birthday would be complete without a great birthday outfit?
We ordered an adorable Big One onesie and a crown from Amazon. And, the choices turned out adorable, if I do say so myself!
We ordered an adorable Big One onesie and a crown from Amazon. And, the choices turned out adorable, if I do say so myself!
Above: Image of a toddler sitting on a blue, yellow, green, and white floor eating a massive piece of cake. Child sits in front of a banner reading "The Big One". Photo Credit: Keith Putnam
Taking this theme beyond the party: Resources and links to fun and educational thematic content
Looking for a great gift for a 'Big One' birthday party? Or ideas for resources to help use some of the printable content for everyday purposes?
Be sure to check out the following content:
Be sure to check out the following content:
I've compiled a list of perfect gifts for the little angler or beach lover in your life. I scoured Amazon for the best rated thematic products, so you don't have to! Some of these products we have in our home, some I've had in the classroom, and others simply got rave reviews. You can check them out here.
These resources are perfect for those looking to utilize the activities above for everyday fun. Learn more about these great printables here.
ABOVE: Light blue background with white accents. 8 images of sample curriculum content, including color, shape, and sight word activities. Center has text stating "Get these pages and more!"
And coming very soon.... Literacy Kits!
I enjoyed putting this post and my summer printables pack together so much that I decided to take it a step further and create thoughtfully designed literacy packs. As we are approach autumn, I will not only be releasing a literacy kit for summer, but adding a fall themed kit to the bundle! See a sneak peek of some of the resources below:
EBooks/Printable Books to read with your little one and help your child build phonological awareness.
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Themed alphabet words
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Based on commonly utilized and research based phonics instruction strategies learned while I was a teacher, these resources will aid in teaching phonological awareness to pre-readers and early readers. A perfect supplement for preschool or PreK families preparing their little one for elementary school (or as an add on for those homeschooling this year thanks to the pandemic). The bundle includes alphabet words, instructions for phonological awareness strategies, a seasonal story, and supplemental activity cards for each season. They pair perfectly with seasonal subscriber printables (new fall content coming to the subscribers' library very soon)!
Stay tuned for an announcement on release (and an Instagram giveaway) soon!
The Big One - Printables Kit
What you get:
This kit comes with the following printable options:
- 4 different bobber tag/photo banner options.
- 1 "The Big One" Poster
- 1 Memory Template Card for Guests to Fill Out
- 1 Memory Poster for Guests to Paste Bobber Tags with Memories On
- 1 Menu Card - Blank
- 1 Menu Card - Filled with Sample Menu
- 3 Thank You Card Options
- 1 Pin the Tail on The Fish Set (1 poster, 2 pages of tails)
- 6 Pages of Photo Booth Props/Decorations
- 1 Page of Multisized Fish Tags
- 1 Decorate Your Own Fish Template
- 2 Pages of Fish for Decorations or Fishing Activity
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