100+ super cheap stocking stuffers, Christmas gifts

Looking for super cheap stocking stuffers? I'm not talking about what stores consider "budget" Christmas gifts priced at $5-$15. That's not bargain that's over-priced, especially for stocking filler gifts. By inexpensive, I mean like 10 cents to a buck. Well here are over 100 cheap but nice Christmas presents for stockings that kids will love! Halloween alternatives: 100+ non-food, non-candy Trick-or-Treat prizes, giveways

Free Thanksgiving holiday crafts, games, greeting cards, coloring pages, printables

Hey homeschool parents, are you also penny pinchers who love to save money and get free stuff? Well, here's your dream come true and just in time for the holidays--free printable Thanksgiving lesson plabns and goodies. Print free seasonal decorations, crafts, coloring pages and party games. Kids will love making greeting cards from holiday printables. Get Halloween and Christmas printables too. Pumpkin carving patterns, snowflake templates, gingerbread house templates, Advent calendars and more.    Free Thanksgiving holiday crafts, games, greeting cards, coloring pages, printables

Writing prompts, reading activities with flair: Personalized books, name stories

 Teaching children, or even adults how to read works best with interactive reading activities. Here are no-fail hands-on reading activities and writing prompts, guaranteed to help anyone of any age improve reading skills. Teach reading activities by having students write personalized books of name stories using their own names. What is the first word most people learn to read and write? Their own name and who doesn't love to see his own name in print? And what interests a child more than stories about themselves?  Writing prompts, reading activities with flair: Personalized books, name stories | Examiner.com

Math facts homework practice kit, homemade Montessori math learning center

Montessori and Math Their Way teach math in hands-on learning center tasks, as opposed to paper-and-pencil lessons. Here's a homemade mini math learning center. Use this shoebox math facts practice kit for independent, on-the-go learning. Retention of math facts and operations is vital for higher math. Use this math homework practice kit to reinforce addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts. Children should practice 5-10 minutes 4-5 times a week.  Math facts homework practice kit, homemade Montessori math learning center | Examiner.com

Montessori preschool learning centers: Homeschool wood working, woodshop ideas

 May is Homeschool Awareness Month. Have you ever tried or considered trying homeschool with your children? Here are some activities for implementing homeschool lesson plans. A popular homeschool method is with learning centers and one of the most popular preschool learning centers is woodshop. In the old days, kids made wood working projects with scrap wood, hammer and nails. Modern preschool learning centers can't use real tools for wood working activities for safety reasons. But some programs such as High/Scope and Montessori preschool teach children adult tasks using child-sized versions of grownup tools. Here are safe, child-sized wood working and woodshop activities for Montessori preschool learning centers Montessori preschool learning centers: Homeschool wood working, woodshop ideas | Examiner.com

Repurpose and reuse recycled trash in learning activities, school supplies

Earth Day focuses attention on reduce, reuse, recycle. But environmentalism should be the focus year round. Recycling is a key component of school curricula. Here are ways to repurpose and reuse recycled trash as school supplies and learning activities. Using recycled trash for school supplies will save money and teach the message to live green. Here is a complete guide on what to save, how to store and how to repurpose and reuse recycled trash in classrooms and homeschool teaching materials. This plan includes cross-curricular lesson plans in math, science, social studies, English/ Language Arts (ELA), art, music or physical education   Repurpose and reuse recycled trash in learning activities, school supplies | Examiner.com

Montessori learning centers: Mastery learning in exploratory science tubs

Montessori type learning centers focus on hands-on child-led mastery learning, individual work stations and play as work activities. Activities in learning centers aim for mastery learning through exploration and task completion. Montessori science learning centers are also called sensory or sensorial learning areas. Here's a system for portable exploratory science tubs with task-oriented science experiments and activities for mastery learning.   Montessori learning centers: Mastery learning in exploratory science tubs | Examiner.com

Free printable St. Patrick's Day activities: Saint Patrick lessons, crafts

Erin Go Braugh! Luck 'o the Irish! Always after me Lucky Charms! Sure an' the St. Paddy's Day holiday--March 17--has taken on a pot 'o blarney! That rascally leprechaun has done his bit to turn attention from the real story of Saint Patrick! Green beer, "Kiss me, I'm Irish"even corned beef and boxties have nothing to do with the man behind St. Patricks Day. St. Patrick's Day celebrates the life of the Catholic saint Patrick (Patricus) a wealthy young Roman living in Briton, who was kidnapped by pagan Irish slavers. In Ireland, Patrick suffered much but escaped and became a bishop. Saint Patrick asked the Pope to return to Ireland to bring the gospel. Patrick's mission brought peace and safety to beleaguered Irish and Ireland became the center of learning and culture in the Dark Ages. Ireland instituted the exemplary Brehon court system, a model for legal justice. Here are free printable Saint Patrick lessons to teach the real meaning. Granted some activities do hit the silly aspects of St. Patrick's Day, but they are at least educational.   Free printable St. Patrick's Day activities: Saint Patrick lessons, crafts | Examiner.com

Social studies unit: Native American Indian crafts, tribal costumes, printables | Examiner.com

Many schools teach Native American history around Thanksgiving, but spring is a popular time for American Indian crafts as so many tribes host pow wows at that time. March is the time for the Navajo Morning Chant ritual, a holy period which marks the transition of seasons. It happens at the end of the thunderstorms but before the spring winds come. Here is a cross-curricular social studies unit with Native American Indian crafts, and homemade tribal costumes from paper bags. These Indian crafts are perfect for tribal costumes for Halloween and homeschool social studies lessons. This articles includes links for free printables of native American patterns to decorate Indian crafts.   Social studies unit: Native American Indian crafts, tribal costumes, printables | Examiner.com

Free printable Alice in Wonderland Through the Looking Glass Disney crafts

In 2010, director Tim Burton created his vision of Disney "Alice in Wonderland" and on Memorial Day, 2016 Tim Burton gives audiences Alice in Wonderland 2 "Through the Looking Glass"--oh frabjuous day! If you can't wait for curiouser and curiouser delights with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Anne Hathoway as the White Queen and Helena Bonham-Carter as the Red Queen, then hold onto your Mad Hatter! Sasha Baron Cohen, Timothy Spall, Rhys Ifans, Andrew Scott (Sherlock) join the Through the Looking Glass cast and Matt Lucas returns as the dynamic duo Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Happily Tim Burton use Alan Rickman (may he rest in peace) as the Blue Caterpillar again in Through the Looking Glass.  Free printable Alice in Wonderland Through the Looking Glass Disney crafts | Examiner.com

Free printable world maps: Outline maps for social studies, geography lessons

Competition for the National Geographic National Geography Bee is heating up! Kids from all over are honing their geography skills to hopefully qualify. Teachers and homeschool parents, here are free printable world maps for social studies lesson plans and geography bee activities. Eduplace has over sixty free printable outline maps for use in social studies class and geography lessons. Have students make free printable world maps for social studies homework and to study for tests.   Free printable world maps: Outline maps for social studies, geography lessons

Shrove Tuesday activities to prepare for Ash Wednesday and Lenten season

Mardi Gras--also called Fat Tuesday, Pancake Day and Shrove Tuesday--anticipates Ash Wednesday and Lent in the Catholic, Orthodox and some protestant Christian churches. These observances count down to holy week and the Easter Triduum. Shrove Tuesday falls at a different day each year with the movable Easter feast. In 2015, it's Tuesday, Feb. 17. Although the term Mardi Gras is used synonymously with the Carnival ("farewell to the flesh") celebration, it's actually one day. Here are activities children can do to learn more about Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Lent.   Shrove Tuesday activities to prepare for Ash Wednesday and Lenten season | Examiner.com

Free printable Blessed Virgin Mary coloring pages for Catholic feast days | Examiner.com

May and October are dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Catholics believe Mary appeared as Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, Our Lady of Lourdes in France, Our Lady of Medjugorie in Bosnia-Herzegovina; Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, Our Lady of Knock in Ireland and Our Lady of Czestochowa in Poland. There are other Marion feast days, too. Here are free printable Virgin Mary coloring pages and printables of Our Lady in her different titles and roles.  Free printable Blessed Virgin Mary coloring pages for Catholic feast days | Examiner.com

Free printable Chinese New Year, Spring Festival, Lantern Festival lesson plans

 China's lunar calendar system is centuries older than the Gregorian calendar. The Chinese New Year begins in on February 8, 2016. The beginning date for Chinese New Year varies from late January to mid February on the western calendar. 2016 celebrates Chinese New Year of the Monkey (or KangXi). Each of the 12 years in the Chinese zodiac is represented by a different animal and the calendar repeats every 12 years. It was Chinese New Year of the Monkey in 2004 and will be again in 2028. CNY kicks off the Spring Festival in China and ends with the Lantern Festival, a quaint, charming holiday. Free printable Chinese New Year, Spring Festival, Lantern Festival lesson plans

Free Catholic Lent printables, Lenten Stations of the Cross coloring pages

The Catholic church enters the Lenten season of preparation before Easter. For Catholic and Orthodox Christians, Easter is about more than just bunnies and candy. Easter celebrates the Passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. During Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, Christians ready themselves for Jesus's coming with prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The date of Ash Wednesday changes each year as Easter is a "movable feast." In 2015, Ash Wednesday is Feb. 18.Here are free printable stations of the cross, rosary, saints and Easter bible story coloring pages.  Free Catholic Lent printables, Lenten Stations of the Cross coloring pages | Examiner.com

Chinese New Year of the Monkey crafts, lesson plans, party activities for kids

Chinese New Year, also called the Spring Festival, begins late January or early February on the western calendar. CNY 2016 starts Feb. 8. It's Year of the Monkey. Here are easy, inexpensive ideas to throw a Chinese New Year festival in a school classroom or at homeschool or with your family. Animal themed activities are included.   Chinese New Year of the Sheep lesson plans, party activities for kids | Examiner.com