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Free printable patriotic American crafts for US holiday history lesson plans

Several US national holidays center on patriotic events in American history--Memorial Day, Flag Day, 4th of July, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Election Day, Constitution Day and Presidents Day. So here are free printable patriotic crafts and red white and blue crafts and art projects. These free printable activities might easily be used as lesson plans for school or homeschool to teach American history, government, civics, social studies, geography, current events, US history and other similar classes.

All Crafts has a blowout of red white and blue crafts projects to use for major US national holidays. Use these free printable patriotic crafts for US national holidays like Memorial Day and 4th of July but also for lesson plans on Presidents Day, Constitution Day or even Election Day.

Pecuniarities has a cute free printable toy soldiers crafts, perfect for Presidents Day and military holidays and US national holidays. Print toy soldiers, cut them out, wrap around toilet paper tubes and glue. Free Kids Crafts offers free printable patriotic crafts, games, activities, puzzles, paper dolls and paper airplanes. Use these for American history or Presidents Day activities!

The Toymaker has free printable patriotic crafts, red white and blue crafts and American history art projects. Making Friends always has lots of great crafts, including free printable patriotic crafts and RWB activities. You'll like the games,puzzles and mazes for US national holidays too.

Teacher Vision has a bunch of educational free printable patriotic crafts. DL-TK has a loads of free printable red white and blue crafts and art projects and patriotic crafts for American history and US national holidays. Activity Village has free printable red white and blue crafts and art projects for all US national holidays. Here's the Presidents Day page but check the side menu and home page for season by season holiday activities.

Free Printable Leaf Identification, Tree Identification Charts

A popular autumn lesson plan is to assign students to make a leaf identification booklet. Here are free printable tree identification charts and leaf patterns and fall craft stencils. Parents, homeschoolers and teachers, make flashcards with these tree and leaf patterns. Use in hands-on Montessori style games for nature science study. Make tree and leaf books. Assign students to collect leaves, press them or make leaf rubbings. Students should label leaves and trees using identification diagrams.

About Forestry has free printable leaf patterns for tree and leaf identification from common trees around the country. The site also has textbook-quality, beautifully detailed free printable leaf coloring pages taken from naturalist Charles Sprague Sargent's leaf plate illustrations. Each page features a different leaf with its corresponding tree, berry, nut and foliage. These printable illustrations include cut-away drawings and other helpful identification data, plus the Latin classification for genus and species of the tree. The website gives the leaf and tree names in their American variation. Use these printables for taxonomy lessons on KPCOFGS (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family Genus and Species) as developed by zoologist Carolus Linnaeus.

Arbor Day offers several printable nature science resources and online tree and leaf identification activities. Here's a link for About Forestry's leaf and tree identification homepage. From here, follow the links for different information about conifers, deciduous trees, hardwoods, and other assorted trees from different biomes and habitats. Don't miss these free printable forest map activities showing location and region of different types of trees. Scroll down to find the region and tree type you are looking for. Here's a free printable tree and leaf matching game. Print as coloring pages of leaves. Here are websites with free printable fall leaf patterns for autumn crafts. Here are free printable leaf stencils for decorations and children's activities.

Free Printable Hidden Pictures Puzzles from Highlights Magazine

Jan. 29 is National Puzzles Day and some of the most enjoyable puzzle games are hidden pictures, like those in Highlights magazine. Remember Highlights magazine with those awesome hidden pictures puzzles? Hidden object picture puzzles have an image with little pictures hidden inside. Here are free printable hidden object picture puzzles from Highlights magazine and other websites. Highlights magazine hidden pictures puzzles are similar to Scholastic I Spy books.

Highlights magazine has about one hundred free printable hidden pictures puzzles from past issues of Highlights magazines. There are all sorts of main images from which to choose. Print in black and white. After children find all the hidden pictures in the puzzles, they can color the picture. All Kids Network has more free printable hidden picture puzzles and Highlights magazine coloring pages.

About Puzzles offers links to an assortment of free printable hidden object picture puzzles, similar to I Spy games. Here are free printable I Spy puzzle games There are connect the dots, mazes, find the difference and hidden pictures. Print a I Spy games and Hidden object picture puzzles booklet for home, classroom, homeschool, rainy day fun, day care and summer enrichment activities. Hidden Pictures build children's visual acuity and help them learn to focus and pay attention. But be careful; I Spy games and hidden pictures games puzzles can become habit forming. You may find your child hiding in his fort totally engrossed in solving hidden object puzzles.

Some kids were lucky to have a Highlights magazine subscription, but others could only do the puzzles at the doctor's office where inevitably some other kid had already circled all the hidden pictures. Print these hidden puzzle pictures and show your children some great puzzle fun. Hidden pictures games make learning fun and interactive. Hidden object picture puzzles make great lesson plan activities for special needs students who often struggle with visual and perceptual skills. For more free printable hidden object picture puzzles and other games visit my blog Free Safe Kids Games.

Free Printable Hidden Picture Puzzles from Highlights Magazine

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Free Printable Flags of the World Coloring Pages

United Nations Day is October 24. There is no more enduring symbol of a nation that the national flag. It’s a thumbnail, an icon for a country. The flag symbolizes pride and rallies people. The flag is flown or lowered to reflect national joy or sorrow. Here are free printable world flags from around the globe. Use these free printable flag coloring pages in geography lessons and social studies cultures units. One note: Students should not be allowed to "free color" the world flags. They should be taught to color flags correctly according to country.

Coloring Castle has free printable flag coloring pages. There are black and white flags to color and colored flag templates that shows students how to properly color the flag. Countries represented include: Australia, Canada, China, Cuba, Czeck Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands (Holland), Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States.

Activity Village includes free printable world flags from the six of the seven continents: Asia, Africa, North and South America, Australia and Europe. The site has many free printable flag coloring pages from Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Croatia, Cyprus, England, Ghana, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Malaysia, Malta, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Korea, Paraguay, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Wales. Print geography lessons and social studies printables, coloring pages of famous buildings, landmarks and children in traditional native costume. Free printable geography lessons and social studies activities include maps and charts, too.

World Flags Coloring Pages has free printable world flag coloring pages for just about any nation or country in the world. This site includes free printable United States flags from each state and provincial flags from countries around the world. Be sure to view the original to color properly.

Enchanted Learning has many free printable world flags, national flag lesson plans and flag coloring pages. To print activities with no banner, users are asked to pay a $20 annual site fee. Check out these sites for free printable social studies lesson plans and geography lessons.

Free Printable Dr. Seuss Lorax Lesson Plans for Science, Earth Day

March 2 marks the birthday of American icon Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Suess Geisel. Dr. Seuss wrote pearls of wisdom in silly verse. He illustrated them in candy flavors and neon colors. The Lorax, Horton, the Grinch, The Cat in the Hat are among the world's most beloved children's books. He also wrote educational preschool stories under the scrambled pseudonym Theo LeSieg. March is also National Reading Month, kicked off with Read Across America. Use these activities to celebrate with children in classrooms or homeschool.

Start your activities quest at About.com Here are free printable Dr. Seuss activities. Outer-Limit.net has free printable Grinch coloring pages from Dr. Seuss's holiday classic "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." The Grinch and the Whos of Whoville are some of Dr. Seuss's best-known and most beloved characters. Homeschool Share has many free printable Dr. Seuss worksheets, coloring pages and activities. Lucy Learns has Cat in the Hat coloring pages. There are also printables of The Sneetches, The Lorax, Sam-I-Am and Green Eggs and Ham.

PBS Kids offers free printable Dr. Seuss character coloring pages and activities. The homepage,The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That has a plethora of Seuss-themed lesson plans, games, crafts and puzzles. Lessons cover math, reading, writing and science. Gerald McBoing-Boing, red and blue fishes, Horton Hears a Who and other Seuss characters help kids learn.

Seussville is the homepage for all things Dr. Seuss. This link takes you to the games and activities page, with lots of free printable Seuss goodies. There are printable Earth Day games based on the Lorax, Cat in the Hat counting games, preschool worksheets, coloring pages and gobs more. But don't stop there. Check the Parents and Educators tabs for other educational Seuss activities.

Free Printable Earth Science, Geology, Rocks and Minerals Lesson Plans

Here are free printable geology lesson plans and earth science worksheets. Look for charts, graphs, maps, activities and printables to explore geology, rocks and minerals and earth science.

Geology has free printable geology lesson plans and earth science worksheets. You can print charts, geographical maps, geologic maps, periods of the earth, rocks and minerals, earth structure and diagrams that demonstrate plate tectonics. Look for earth cut-away models, soil layers, volcanoes, ring of fire, the relationship between volcanoes and earthquakes, carbon dating, how fossils and fossil fuels develop, rocks and minerals and more.

National Geographic Kids is a superb resource for worksheets and lesson plans on earth science, rocks and minerals and geology. Scroll around to find specific earth science activities you need. Teachers and homeschool parents don't miss the huge assortment of geology and earth science printables awaiting you!

Next, spelunk (that's explore in geo-speak) your way over to the Geological Society of America for dozens of free printable geology lesson plans. Who better than the GSA to teach kids about earth science, geology, rocks and minerals, ages of the earth models and other earth-friendly topics? Visit Discovery Education for free printable earth science lesson plans. Click the age/grade you need and then click "science" to find free printable geology worksheets, activities and printables.

Mining USA has some useful educational free printable resources geared specifically to coal mining. National Geographic is the best, hands-down, all around site for earth science lesson plans, geology worksheets and rocks and minerals information.

Here are free printable lesson plans on cave, fossils, bats, archaeology, paleontology, habitats, geology, spelunking and earth science. The National Parks Service has free printable lessons on the U.S. national park at Carlsbad Cavernsin New Mexico. There's curriculum for elementary school in the free printable booklet About Bats, Caves and Deserts. For middle school students, the NPS Carlsbad Caverns website features free printable archaeology lessons on Caves, Canyons, Cactus and Critters. High school students explore geology, spelunking, Global Positioning Systems and orienteering in the Chihuahuan Desert Lab school. Materials are designed to be used with interpretive visits but some may be used as stand-alone lessons in class. Check out the cool activities on fossils, bats, paleontology and other cave phenomena.

Also from the NPS, are free printable materials on Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. There are free coloring pages, word games, puzzles and lesson plans in the Junior Ranger section. Kids will love the printable Trog Tour booklet (trog is short for super cool fossils called troglodytes) The Making Connections series from Mammoth Cave National Park features books for grades K-3, 4-5 and 6-8. There are 83 pages of free printable paleontology lesson plans for teachers and homeschool parents. And be sure not to let young archaeology students miss the free printable Fossil Identification Guide with coloring pages of fossils to label.

Lascaux Culture has interactive lesson plans on Lascaux cave drawings. Explore paleontology and archaeology with the prehistoric paintings, There are cave maps, images, videos and timelines. Easy Fun School has free cave diorama lesson plan. The diorama is easy to make and uses cheap, household materials.has free printable animal habitat coloring pages. Students can research which animals live or hibernate in caves. This site has other free printable habitats dioramas. Crayola offers a free craft template to show interior cave rock formations.Here are free printable geology lesson plans on archaeology, paleontology, bats, and fossils.

Free Printable File Folder Games

March is National Reading Month and just in time, here's a great lesson plan to teach reading with file folder games. Students can learn just about any subject using file folder games to reinforce content and practice skills. Here are free printable file folders games online. Besides reading, teach math, reading, spelling, grammar, phonics, science, social studies and more. Print games for all ages and ability levels: preschool, kindergarten, elementary, special needs, middle school. Use for homeschool, too.

File Folder Fun has over 100 free printable file folder games in content areas across the curriculum. Search by age, grade level, theme and subject. File folder themes include animals, foods, flowers, weather, ocean life, circus. Themes teach math, reading, science, social studies, phonics, spelling, math, ELA (English Language Arts) history, music and other preschool and elementary school subjects. Click the games you want. The click "download." And voila, a screen appears with game background, pieces, cards, all materials you need, free.

File Folder Farm has gobs of free printable file folder games for math, English, reading, writing, spelling, science, social studies and more. Games can be used with varied ages. Click the game you want. The print, cut out and and assemble. Or better still, print in black and white. Have students color, cut and paste and assemble. You get two activities--craft, lesson plan and game--all in one!

Cindy's Autistic Support has free printable math file folder games. Use to teach counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division file folder games. You can make individual games for each math fact (times table) family.

To make file folder games: Print game board and glue to inside of file folder. Write instructions on outside. Laminate or cover with contact paper. Make a spinner by drawing a circle. Divide like a pie. Label segments with game advancement options. Place paperclip on paper fastener (brad). Poke fastener through center of circle. Spin paper clip. Store game cards or pieces in zippered plastic bag or envelope stapled to folder. File folder games store upright in filing cabinet or drawer. Get extra craft mileage from free printable file folder games by assigning students make them.

Free Printable Science Lesson Plans, Games, Activities, Graphs, Charts, Worksheets

Teachers and homeschool parents, here are free printable science worksheets, charts and diagrams of life cycles. Use these for biology, anatomy and earth science. The California Forest Foundation has produced a free printable science charts and diagrams booklet. All you have to do is register for the site (it's free) to get free printable science worksheets and lesson plans. Here's a packet of free printable environmental and earth science lesson plans including science charts and diagrams the carbon cycle, water cycle and more. Use these materials to teach students about critical environmental science issues of forest growth, deforestation, wildfire, ecology, biomes, habitats, ozone, atmosphere and more.

Here's a free printable Guide to California Wildlife that takes biology, environmental and earth science students into the biomes and habitats of the creatures in a large forest. This guide explores the symbiotic relationship among forest flora and fauna. Explore biodiversity, ecology, deforestation, natural geological influences, artificial interference and the wonder of nature. The California Forest Foundation provides more free printable biology lessons, crafts, coloring pages, activity sheets, games, simulations, charts, graphs and more. Educators will appreciate the wealth of resources available.Free shipping of these materials is only available for residents in California, but free printable downloads are available to everyone.

TSLBooks has close to 100 free printable science charts and diagrams, science worksheets and activities. Get free printable fill-in-the-blank charts, games, puzzles and lesson plans. Free Science Worksheets covers many different ages, grade levels and science content areas. You can find free printable science worksheets for earth science, nature study, geology, astronomy, geography, health, anatomy, biology, environmental science, botany, zoology, physics, engineering, physical science, ecology, chemistry and general science worksheets. What subjects will you find science lessons on? Here is just a small sample of the subjects: bicycles, butterflies, cells, insects, animal body coverings, animal classification food groups, food chain, energy, magnets, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, planets, solar system, astronomy, colors of the rainbow, weather,

What kinds of free printable science activities can you find? Matching games, memory games, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, graphic organizers, charts, diagrams, posters to label, domino games, sorting games, classification activities, response activities, card games, board games, fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice and again, much more. Enchanted Learning has literally tons of free printable science worksheets and biology charts and diagrams, graphic organizers, earth science content webs and more. Scroll down this page of fill-in-the-blank charts for science charts and diagrams on all content areas.

Remember, printing responsibly is good green living also. Use the back side of discarded paper and recycle bin fodder for printing. Set your printer preferences to 'fast, economical' to save 50%-90% on ink cartridges

DIY Preschool Sand and Water Table Activities

The sand table, also called the water table or sand and water table, is a staple in preschool learning centers, early childhood special education and kindergarten classrooms. The sand table is a hollowed out table that can be filled with sand and/ or water for interactive play. Here are diy water table ideas for preschool, day care, homeschool, Montessori, kindergarten and any exploratory classroom environment. The water table is an important part learning centers based classrooms. The sand table provides tactile stimulation, interactive hands-on exploration and play therapy for special education and early childhood development. It fosters perceptual and cognitive development in special education students. It helps with special education occupational therapy.

You can purchase a sand table or make homemade one using one of these alternatives: dish pan, recycled plastic laundry soap bucket, shallow plastic covered storage bin, inflatable child's swimming pool, small hard plastic swimming pool or covered Little Tikes Turtle sandbox. I have used all of these as a DIY water table in my teaching career. The nice thing about using a smaller water table is that it's portable. If you choose a covered container for a sand table you can store in when not in use. The Little Tikes Turtle sandbox makes a particularly nice sand table as you can use it indoors and outdoors, as a pool or sandbox.

In the summer weather, take the Turtle sandbox outside for outdoor learning centers. In the cold, wet winter months, bring the sandbox inside and set up in your special education and preschool classroom learning centers. Cover the floor with an old recycled plastic shower curtain or tablecloth for easy clean up. Set a little broom and dust pan nearby so that children can sweep up sand and replace in sand table. This is good housekeeping practice for the house or practical life learning centers. For more special education lesson plans visit these blogs The Special Needs Child andPreschool Child Activities and Free Lesson Plans 4u and DIY Homeschool

Cheap Homemade Reading Games--Scrabble, Boggle Letter Dice for Word Games

DIY Scrabble Letter Dice Word Games for Reading Games and Spelling
Summer means freedom and fun for kids, but summer can also take its toll on retention of material learned over the school year. Here's a fun, easy DIY game to make and play with children and tweens to keep reading, writing and spelling skills fresh. Read More

Free Printable Animal classification worksheets, zoology Lesson Plans

Earth Month in April is a great time to explore zoos in your area. Most all zoos offer free printable zoo activities and zoology lesson plans and activities for teachers and parents. Print these zoo activities for your classroom or homeschool. Whether you visit John Ball Zoo or not, you can still enjoy these free printable zoo activities and zoology worksheets. Local teachers use these zoology printables for self-guided tours and follow-up classroom activities. Anyone can print these activity guides and use them.

John Ball Society Body Coverings Scavenger Hunt is geared for the youngest zoo visitors, this five page free printable zoology activity book is perfect for preschoolers and kindergarten. Use the scavenger hunt science lesson plans at any local zoo. Help children locate and classify different types of zoo animals body coverings: fur, skin, hair, shell, scales, feathers. These pre-reading science lesson plans prepare students for exploration of the groups in the animal kingdom. No zoo nearby? Use your classroom, home book collection, library or even your children's stuffed animal collection.

John Ball Zoo Animals Classification Activities is a free printable zoo animals science lesson plans booklet to help grades one and two begin to use characteristics and labels to classify animals: reptile, amphibian, insect, mammal, bird, fish. Plenty of classification practice, coloring pages and zoo animals science lesson plans for follow-up to zoo activities, field trips, classroom exploration or homeschool activity.

JBZoo Animals Adaptations Activities offers a free printable science lesson plans to help grades 3 and 4 explore how animals adapt to their environment. These activities cover predator-prey relationships, protective covering, camouflage, scent, bodily features and habitat. These activities cover food, shelter and reproduction also.

There are also free printable zoology activities booklets on lions, penguins and chimpanzees. Visit Official USA to find information about your state's zoos. Click the link to your state. Scroll down to "zoos" and then visit local zoo websites to see what great free printable zoo animals activities and self-guided tour activity packages may be available. Use this website to plan any zoo activities also. This is great way to prepare for a field trip or family visit.

Dr. Seuss Lesson Plans for Preschool and Young Elementary Learning Centers

The Cat in the Hat doffs his cap on March 2, to honor the birthday of his creator Dr. Seuss (Ted Geisel). To celebrate Seuss, the NEA (National Education Association) hosts "Read Across America" reported WBAL-TV11 on March 2. March is National Reading Month. Explore Dr. Seuss and reading in preschool learning centers with these activities. Dr. Seuss is right at home in the book or library learning center. Fill your book corner with Seuss books. Emergent readers will love the pictures. Scatter some comfy pillows Seuss character toys. Throw a Seuss story party.

For a Dr. Seuss art center, display Seuss books: The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, Bartholomew and the Oobleck, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Each day of Read Across America week, create Seussinspired artwork. Paint Seuss creatures at easels with brightly colored Seuss paints. Model creatures in modeling clay or playdough. Create sculptures by poking recycled materials in Styrofoam blocks.

To teach Dr. Seuss at the Collage center, make Seuss toys from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Put out oddly shaped cardboard containers, egg cartons, aluminum foil and cans, plastic containers and colored fabric scraps. Students can design their own version of a Whoville Jing Tingler, Flu Flooper, Tar Tinkers, Who Hoover or Who Carnio Flunx
To teach Dr. Seuss in the Music Center, make homemade Seuss musical instruments. Create noisemakers like the Grinch's hated Gar Ginkers Trum Tupers Slu Slumkers Blum Bloopers Who Wompers and Zu Zitter Carzays. Encourage students to give their musical instruments silly Seuss names.

To teach Dr. Seuss in Dramatic Play or Dress Up center, have students make masks of Seuss characters: Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose, Horton the elephant, Yertle the Turtle, Maisie the bird, the Wickersham monkeys, the angaroo and her joey. Have children create their own Seuss creatures. Have a Dr. Seuss parade like the one in his first book "And to Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street." Dress in homemade Seuss costumes, play musical instruments and show off homemade toys.

To teach Dr. Seuss science center, use the Lorax. The Lorax deals with environmentalism. Set up an experiment on decomposition and pollution. Place different pieces of trash in zippered bags with a little water. Monitor them over time to show students how slowly trash decomposes. Students could also tend "trufulla seeds" (use any flower seeds, sunflower, cosmos or daisy). Make Oobleck mixing liquid laundry starch and white school glue.

To teach a Dr. Seuss practical life area, use "The Cat in the Hat", "Green Eggs and Ham" and "Horton Hears a Who." These books deal with caring for others, preparing food and house cleaning. Do a Cat in the Hat tidy up relay race. Cook green eggs and ham. Care for an insect or goldfish. Use these free printable Dr. Seuss activities from my website Free Printable Lesson Plans, in your lesson plans, too.

Pinners, welcome!