Free Printable Christmas Holiday Decorations

Finding yourself cash-strapped this holiday season? No extra $ for decorations and too busy to decorate? If you've got kids and a computer printer, you're all set. Put those energetic, holiday-anticipating youngsters to work making free printable crafts. Fill your home with Christmas cheer, keep kids productively busy and save yourself time and money.  Print from your computer for cheap holiday decor. Want to get double the fun from these crafts? Print in black and white and have kids color them. Aren't I just Santa's little elf and mommy's little helper? Believe me, I've been there, done that with kids. Trying to juggle work plus kids home on vacation--aiiyy! Or if you homeschool, like we did, keeping kids on task during advent gets challenging. That's why free printable crafts are a win-win-win deal! For links, Read more

Free Printable Christmas Party Games, Holiday Activities

 Picture this: Christmas presents all opened, Christmas dinner nicely settling and just when adults are relaxing,  kids want to play. Now is time to weave a little holiday magic with free printable Christmas puzzles and word games! Before Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or any other holiday gather an assortment of little books, toys, prizes etc. Put them in a Santa Surprise bag. When kids get restless, haul out crayons, markers pencils and a supply of free printable Christmas puzzles. For each puzzle or coloring page successfully completed the child gets to choose one prize from Santa's Surprise bag! read more

Free Printable Diwali Activities, Rangoli Crafts

Diwali is a five-day festival celebrated by Sikhs, Hindus and Jains. Diwali 2012, or Deepavali, is celebrated from November 13-17 in the western calendar. Here are free printable Diwali crafts and activities. Diwali means 'row' or 'garland of lights' in Sanskrit and is referred to as the 'festival of lights'. In the Indian calendar, Diwali is celebrated in late Ashwin (September-October) and ends in early Kartika (October-November). read more

Free Printable Halloween Paper Toys, Masks, Party Decorations, Craft Activities

It's nearly that time of year again--time for all things scary, spooky, creepy and kooky! This Halloween, I've got even more free printable craft fun than ever before. I found a new website with literally hundreds of links for free printable paper crafts, toys, masks, costumes and Halloween fun. Never again need kids be bored with all these fun free printables! Have printer, will create!Keep mischievious tots happily employed making crafts for Halloween (while you work!) read more

Free Printable Party Invitations and All Occasion Greeting Cards for Kids

Making and sending greeting cards has been a time-honored tradition in my classroom and homeschool. We made Get Well Soon, birthday, holiday cards. We made our own invitations, too. Here are free printable all occasion greeting cards for kids to print and make. Whatever the occasion, a greeting card brings a smile. Holidays, birthdays, new baby, wedding, anniversary, sympathy, illness, congratulations, whatever the event, out came the construction paper, scissors and markers. We always shunned the pricey impersonal party invitations and made our own. read more

Free Printable Jigsaw Puzzles and Puzzle Generator

Do you love puzzles like I do? I've been working jigsaw puzzles since I was very young. I love crossword puzzles, Sudoku, word searches, cryptograms, mazes and all sorts of word games. Back in the olden days, aka when I was a kid, you had to ask mom or dad to buy you a book of puzzles or a new jigsaw puzzle. Or you redid your old puzzles, over and over again. But that was a long time ago.

In this digital generation we're lucky to have right at our finger tips, a great source for free puzzles. You guessed it; the Internet. You can indulge your inner puzzle lover with all the free online puzzles you want to play. And for those who like to do them by hand, you can print hundreds of free puzzles, right from your home printer. read more

Free Printable Disney DIY Greeting Cards and Invitations

Got kids that love Disney characters? Who doesn't love Disney? What's your favorite character? It's a toss-up, but my favorite movie has been "Sleeping Beauty" since about 1970. And now with all the Disney-themed merchandise, kids can literally live it 24-7. Disney themed parties are pretty pricey at major party outlets like Great Party. Several years ago, I priced out a High School Musical Party for eight children. The total bill would have come to a staggering $150, just for decorations, invitations and a few prizes. Would you like to design a complete free printable Disney themed right from your computer? This guide will walk you through a complete Disney themed DIY party! Many activities are also coloring pages--kids can help color their own party decorations and cards. For free Disney greeting cards click here

Best Printable Calendar, Personal Planner, Organizer Apps on the Internet

Okay, I admit it--I am an organizer-ophile. I find it therapeutic to wander the planner aisle in Barnes & Noble. When I get a new cellphone, the first thing I play with is the calendar function. But I am also a tightwad--I will not pay for organizers apps or software. And I don't have to, nor do you, when there are so free utilities available online. Here are the best organizer apps on the net. Print these free calendars to help kids get organized.  read more

Free Printable Disney 'Brave' Coloring, Crafts Games, Activies

Looking for a new Disney princess that's not quite as sugar-coated as the standard fare? Why not check out Merida from Disney's newest Pixar release "Brave?" Merida is definitely no Cinderella. She's more akin to Lady Macbeth (minus that nasty business of murder) than Sleeping Beauty. The story has a Shakespearean feel. If you liked the movie "Brave," which premiered on June 10, 2012, you'll want these free printable coloring pages and activities from the film. read more

Free Printable Mother's Day Craft Activities

 Mother's Day, celebrated the second Sunday of May, is a perfect holiday for children to enjoy making crafts, cards and presents for mom. Here's a whole list of free printable crafts, greeting cards, decorations, activities, games and presents for Mother's Day. Make cute crafts for moms, grandmothers, aunts, God-mothers, teachers, day care providers, any woman that you want to remember this Mother's Day. Moms will love the homemade, kid-created gifts of love. read more

Free Printable Stone Soup Games, Activities and Lesson Plans

"Stone Soup" is an old legend that's been retold many times. Kids' authors Marcia Brown, Ann McGovern and Jon J. Muth have written popular versions. Stone Soup is commonly used in preschool and elementary classrooms, particularly around Thanksgiving. If you are teaching Stone Soup, here are free printable activities.

As an educator and homeschooler, I've used "Stone Soup" in many lessons over the years. My favorite retelling is by Marcia Brown (1945), who also wrote such childrens literature classics as "Shadow" and Once a Mouse. I have great respect for Ann McGovern, too. I think of Ms. McGovern as the 'If you lived...' book lady because she wrote books about what it would be like to live in different cultures or at other times in history. Ann McGovern helped fuel my passion for history, culture and anthropology. For free printables, click here read more

Free Printable Eric Carle Activities from The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Eric Carle one of the world's most beloved children's illustrators. He's the  author of dozens of books about insects and animals. Here are free printable cut and paste crafts, games, activities, lessons, puzzles and coloring pages from Eric Carle's best known book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. In the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a little caterpillar eats his way through different foods each day of the week. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is used in preschool and kindergarten classrooms teach and explore caterpillars and butterflies, sequencing and days of the week.  read more for Eric Carle Very Hungry Caterpillar printables

Free Printable Calendars and Planners for Children

Free Printable Calendars and Planners for Children Speaking from several decades of teaching, I believe that calendar skills are one of the most challenging concepts for students. Calendar skills are vital skills for personal organization and time management. Here are free printable calendars for children. Personal calendars provide visual aids to teach these concepts. Children can use them to track and measure time. Calendars make excellent tools to practice other math skills: counting, counting backwards, skip counting (by 2, 5 or 10), learning base ten concepts and place value, adding and subtracting. Use for homeschool or classroom lessons, with special needs and general education. Middle school and high school students can use these to organize their homework and extra-curricular activities. Calendars help kids learn to make and keep schedules and to prioritize. Read more