Summer...summer...summer!

Shadows fascinate me still. They can be so much fun to play around with... whether on a sunny day, or by a late night campfire. My kids loved to play with flashlights, making crazy silhouettes, and puppet shows. The stage, of course, was the ceiling when they couldn't sleep on hot summer nights. 

Here's a favorite book for preschoolers (an ageless classic) on shadows-

https://www.amazon.com/Moonbears-Shadow-Frank-Asch/dp/0689835191

Think Spring!

Think Spring!
Here's my favorite freebie--a surprise flower!  It's easy to make with the patterns I have created. It's also fun to add a little surprise to it. To find out more, go to my store and you can download it for free!

Click below:

Flower Craft and Writing

This work is copyrighted by Growing Smart Readers.

Now that the turkey left-overs are gone....

Let the merry-making begin!

Fall Mobiles: Easy No-Fail Fall Craft

Need an easy no-fail fall craft? 

Your kids will have fun making this simple nature mobile. I was awestruck by the simplicity and beauty of what I thought were going to be VERY tacky art pieces!  We did not have real fall leaves that had changed color at the time we made these. 

With some regular hangers, we used bark, twigs, and pine cones, tied on by yarn. We had some interesting pieces...and they had a blast making them. 

From kindergartners to fourth graders...EVERYONE felt successful...and festive with Nature's works. This is a wire hanger, but Walmart had bundles of colored ones for less than $2!  Check out my free Fall Nature Trail Book below, too!

FREE! 

Fall Nature Trail Book and Scavenger Hunt List

Bat Photo Frames and Fun Clip Art

Show off your cuties in little bat bodies! For your bat study, for Halloween, for any time! Your back to school bulletin board would look "batastic" with all of your little bats swooping across it! Stretch 'em, resize 'em, add bows, borders, and stars...fun borders are included.

Studying bats? 

Writing a report or a narrative? 

This set is a great resource for creating fun writing papers.

Note: Clip art and bat frames can be used for personal or commercial clip art. No credit needed, but please read the friendly terms of use in the file.

BAT FRAMES --EDITABLE PHOTO FRAMES AND CLIP ART


Here's something else you might like: 
FREE BAT WORD SEARCH AND WRITING PAPER!

Ocean Animals Language Arts Packet

Dear Parents and Teachers,
          If you haven't already tried "I Have..Who Has" games with your kids, you are missing out on some learning fun!

Kids LOVE this "I have..who has" game! This one is on OCEAN ANIMALS, and it comes in two skill levels. The first level is with text and picture cues.  The second (harder) level is with text only. Check this fun little learning packet and try it out this summer. If not this summer, over the school year is just as fun...especially when everyone's wishing for winter to end! 

It's games like this that levels out the "playing field" in a classroom. Regardless of a child's reading level, or fluency level, this gives everyone a chance to read and play along---and have FUN!

By the way, since I can't just create one activity in a product, you will find a wordsearch for each level (with answer keys). Great for first and second graders, but I guarantee that third graders will have fun with this, too!

Best wishes for a Happy Summer!

Karen

Growing Smart Readers

OCEAN ANIMALS GAME AND WRITING FUN

Here's preview of a few pages.

To find this fun learning resource, please here:

OCEAN ANIMALS GAME AND WRITING FUN

Lovin' Little Free Libraries

I just discovered this on the Long Trail today! This is such a great idea! What hiker wouldn't want to relax with the company of a book? I plan to add some books to it. Thought I'd share for those of you who are true bibliophiles, and especially for those of you who are hiking bibliophiles!

Karen :)