Marlon Finds a Way by Dan Bailes

Have you ever watched a cat and wondered what is going on in its mind? Children's author Dan Bailes has! Dan Bailes recently released Marlon Finds a Way, a short chapter book about a cat named Marlon who wants to become friends with Silky the bird. Why would a cat want to become friends with a bird? What is Marlon thinking? In today's guest post Dan Bailes introduces us to Marlon, describes his book Marlon Finds a Way, and provides some discussion questions about the book you can use during your language arts lessons. Read on to learn more!

This is a guest post written by author Dan Bailes. To learn more about guest posts, please read the Authors, Publishers, and Sponsors page. Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this post.

The Truck That Wanted to Be a Submarine by C. and S. Dunlop

March 17 of each year is famously known for being St. Patrick’s Day. What very few people know is that it’s also Submarine Day! Yes, there is a quirky holiday dedicated to the love of submarines. I recently discovered a cute, little book would be a fun read aloud for Submarine Day. It’s called The Truck That Wanted to Be a Submarine and is written by C. and S. Dunlop. The Truck That Wanted to Be a Submarine is about... well... a truck that wanted to be a submarine and its friend who helped it change into one. Keep reading to learn more about how you can use this story with your language arts lessons.

This is an updated version of a blog post I wrote in 2016... one of my first blog posts ever. Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this post.

20+ Spring STEM Experiments and Activities

Spring is a terrific time to conduct STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) experiments and activities in your classroom. Plant life cycles, types of weather, and the water cycle are popular STEM themes during this time of year. The STEM experiments and activities featured in this round-up were created by moms and teachers from all over the internet. If you see an activity in this post that you'd like to try, click on its link and head to its original website for material lists, directions, photos, etc. There are lots of spring activities in this post, so let's dive right in!

Chinese Dragons Paper Bag Puppets Craft

Several months ago, I wrote a blog post about the children's book Brandon Goes to Beijing (北京) by Eugenia Chu. Brandon Goes to Beijing (北京) is the second book in a multilingual series written in English, Pinyan, and Chinese.  Since then, Eugenia Chu has released another children's book related to Chinese culture. This book is called Celebrating Chinese New Year and is packed full of crafts, games, recipes, and information about the Chinese New Year. In today's post, I'm sharing some fun photos of the paper bag Chinese dragon puppets we made using the directions from Eugenia Chu's new book. Check them out!

 

Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

Hannah's Two Homes by Melodie Tegay

About a year ago, I wrote a blog post about the children's book Living in Two Homes Is Tough by child author Abby Cadet. Abby's book is based on her personal experiences of having divorced parents and how she felt about splitting her time between her parents' houses. In today's guest post, author Melodie Tegay tells us about her children's book Hannah's Two Homes: Life in a "Blended" Family-- A 5 Year Old's Perspective. Hannah's Two Homes gives us another insight into what it's like for children to have two homes. Keep reading to learn more about Hannah's Two Homes and how Melodie Tegay came up with the idea for her story!

This is a guest post written by Meldoie Tegay. To learn more about guest posts, please read the Authors, Publishers, and Sponsors page. Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous I Have a Dream speech on August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. More than 200,000 people crowded together to him speak. In his speech, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke about his dreams of the future and the need for racial equality.

The children's art projects featured in this round-up were created by moms and teachers from all over the internet. If you see a craft in this post that you'd like to try at home or at school, click on its link and head to its original website for material lists, directions, photos, etc. There are lots of cute activities in this post, so let's dive right in!

This is an updated version of a blog post I wrote in 2015. Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

Fun Facts About the Platypus

The duck-billed platypus is an unusual-looking animal that has captured the interests of people from all over the world. It has feet like an otter, a tail like a beaver, and a bill like a duck. It lays eggs like a bird and can be venomous like a snake! Read on to find out more about these fascinating creatures.

This is an updated version of a blog post I wrote in 2016. Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

We All Live in a Yellow Submarine Kids Craft

In the town where I was born

Lived a man who sailed to sea

And he told us of his life

In the land of submarines

So we sailed on to the sun

'Til we found a sea of green

And we lived beneath the waves

In our yellow submarine

-Yellow Submarine by The Beatles

Under the Sea is a popular thematic unit for young children in elementary school, afterschool programs, summer schools, and even summer camps. As a part of this unit, children learn about aquatic plants and animals, the oceans and seas around the world and the types of transportation people use to travel them. Sometimes they will also read fictional stories about mermaids and pirates. Fun! This craft particular craft would integrate well with any Under the Sea unit and is inspired by The Beatles' song Yellow Submarine. Keep reading to learn more!

Parts of this article were used as a guest post that I wrote for Lil Tigers, a children's crafting blog owned and operated by Susanne Williams. Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

What Happens If You Don't Brush Your Teeth?

Several months ago I wrote a blog post about a children's book called Dragon's Breath by Michael Gordon. In Dragon's Breath, there is a dragon named Joe who refuses to brush his teeth because he thinks dragons aren't supposed to brush them. By the end of the story, Joe finally brushes his teeth... but what would have happened if he didn't? What would have happened to his teeth? This fun science - STEM experiment shows what happens when dragons... and children... choose not to brush them. Keep reading... the results are gross!

Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

Why Do People Celebrate Pesach - Passover?

Passover... also known as Pesach... is a major Jewish holiday that is celebrated on the 15th day of the Hebrew month Nisan. It is celebrated to commemorate and the Exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt. What is an Exodus? How does the food eaten during Passover (Pesach) symbolize its significance to the Jewish people? Keep reading to learn more!

Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.