9 Owl Back to School Decorations Thematic Unit

Back to School Owl Theme Lesson and Decor 

Whether you homeschool, teach in a brick and mortar school, or operate an after school or day care program, you should decorate the environment to make it inviting and soothing for your students. Back to school decorations are abundant. What fall classroom theme you choose likely depends on the age of your students. We've found nine fun owl ideas and themes to decorate your classroom like a pro. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links.

A popular fall theme for school is always the wise old owl. If you are planning an owl themed classroom to welcome the kids back to school, here are some great options to decorate your learning spaces and then start learning with owl curriculum.

Owl Classroom Decorations and Themes

• Owl Theme Classroom Decor from Oriental Trading. This "Owl About Me" poster makes a nice icebreaker for those early getting to know you days at the beginning of the school year. At 20" x 17," it is poster size and is great for back to school night display for parents or a fun writing lesson for homeschoolers.

• Another way to decorate with an owl theme, is to create your own owl classroom banner. Have each child make a cute paper owl in several color combinations and then string them up on the walls! Get details here: How to Make Owl Garland Banner.

Paper Owl Banner Craft  for Classroom.

• Birthdays at school can be fun, be sure to let everyone know who's birthday is coming up next with this owl theme birthday bulletin board set from Amazon.

• Pair it with these 6" X 7.88" Owl cut outs buddies from Target.

• While you're at it, you can open with owl them curriculum. Below, we found owl coloring pages, owl unit studies, and more from TeacherSherpa. Check it out!

Owl Coloring Page from Raising Our Kids found at TeacherSherpa.

• This unit about Owls tells about the two owl families and various species of owls. Learn about common features, where they live, and their habitats. Mentioned owls are; elf, great gray, screech, great horned, burrowing, and snowy. Activity worksheets include; word find, word unscramble, criss-cross, spelling. Ideal for second through fifth grade science.

Owl Thematic Unit from SchoolExpress found on TeacherSherpa.

• We have a homeschool Ornithology lesson that teaches all about birds and works for older elementary and middle school students alike. If you are close to Indianapolis, take a field trip to Eagle Creek Park and visit the Earth Discovery Center and Ornithology Center.

• If you run an after school program or daycare or just want to do something extra fun with the class, try some edible art with an owl theme. This edible owl craft is easy to make and the biscuits are cute and yummy too!

• One of our all time most popular posts is this torn paper owl craft for preschoolers and early elementary. Do it with older school age kids as an owl art mosaic lesson. Older kids will enjoy this cupcake liner owl craft.

Watch the paper owl art video.

How's that for an owl classroom thematic unit? You're all set for a  back to school theme and lesson on owls. Hope you have a great year!

Recommended:

Decorate Door with Adorable Owl Wreath Craft

Books about Owls

More Owl Craft Projects for Kids

Owl Decorative Halloween Stickers

Have you seen the owl cough medicine for kids?

Pin it!

Halloween Ideas: Diy Decorations

DIY Halloween Decoration Ideas

Halloween is so much fun! The holiday seasons begins with hayrides, bonfires, and pumpkin patches. To get you into the holiday spirit, we're sharing some Halloween decor ideas that you can make at home or purchase online at Oriental Trading and display around your party area. Make homemade Halloween lights to show off your festive Halloween decor. Enjoy!

Oriental Trading supplied these items in exchange for a post. 
This posts contains affiliate links for your convenience*

10 Fall Play Date Ideas

Keep Busy with Fun, Fall Play Date Ideas

It is fall, y'all. Fall is our favorite season of the year. No matter the season, we make time to get outside and play every day. Are you stuck inside? Bored? Get out and try some of these Fall Play Date Ideas. Enjoy!

Fall play date ideas don't have to be fancy... Just play!

The Voice of Play is an education and advocacy initiative of the non-profit membership association, IPEMA, formed to educate and promote the benefits of children’s free outdoor play and playgrounds. They encourage the scientifically proven physical, social, emotional, and cognitive benefits of play.

Outdoor play is free! Once a week, we visit a different local park and have unstructured play dates with a local homeschool group.

We are fortunate in that we have been able to live our dream life on a beautifully wooded, five-acre property. Everyday, we go for a walk, visit the fish and ducks on our pond, take a paddle boat ride, check out the creatures of the creek, and just play in the yard.

The best part about fall, of course, is the changing leaves. What fun to scoop some up and let them flow through the air! Rake up a pile and jump. It is simple. It is sensory. And, it couldn't be more fun if it cost money.

We wanted to share some pictures of how we play at home. For more fall play date ideas, keep scrolling down.

Little ones enjoy the sensory aspect of leaves. They crunch, they crumble, and crack.

She made the leaves disappear!

What happens when you put a leaf on a slide? Play = Preschool Science.

Go on a hike to collect leaves for a science project.

Hide and seek is always a hit.

Climbing trees is cool too.

Monkey see. Monkey do.

I dub the Sir Fall.

Raking leaves is good exercise.

Leaves = Happy Kid.

We need to build a tree house.

• Play Disc Golf with your Trees
• Play Date Ideas for Preschoolers
• Ideas for Nature Based Circle Time
• Pirate Pretend Play
• Outdoor Play Date Ideas
• Visit an Apple Orchard with Friends
• Cold Weather Play Date Ideas for Toddlers
• Play with Shaving Cream Outdoors
• Outdoor Play Ideas
• Go for a Hike and Pretend you are Secret Investigators

*This post is sponsored by the Voice of Play. All words and opinions are my own.  #YearRoundPlay 

Recommended:

Outdoor Geometric Dome Climber*

The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons*

ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products. *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Chitika, Google Adsense, Sverve, Izea, and Social Spark ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Pork Tenderloin Recipes Slow Cooker

Crock Pot Cranberry Pork Tenderloin Recipe 

Are you looking for an easy pork tenderloin recipe for the slow cooker crock pot? Taking advantage of the crock pot gives you more time to prep side dishes or catch up on chores. We've come up with a tasty, fall slow cooker pork recipe that can serve as a substitute Thanksgiving entree. It will make you think differently about pork. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

Pork Tenderloin Recipes Slow Cooker .

The folks at Smithfield® Marinated Pork invited us to share a recipe with their delicious Pork Tenderloin. So, we headed to our local Kroger to gather up all of the supplies needed for a simple, down home, fall pork tenderloin dinner. 

Your family will think you are awesome when you serve this up with a side of sweet potato tater tots and a green bean casserole. It is perfect any night, because it cooks in minutes and disappears in seconds. 

Smithfield® Marinated Pork Recipes for Slow Cooker Crock Pot.

You can have Thanksgiving dinner every night! For a limited time, (availability may vary) get a discount coupon for Smithfield® Marinated Pork at Kroger. 

Substitute pork for your Thanksgiving Dinner.

My family's favorite leftovers are Thanksgiving Turkey turned into a cranberry sandwich with mayo, salt, and pepper. They prefer that to the fancy Thanksgiving feast. So, of course, we decided to make a twist and switch out the turkey for pork. With Smithfield® Marinated Pork, the good news is we don't have to wait for leftovers!

Open Faced Cranberry Pork Sandwiches.

Easy Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Ingredients:

• Smithfield® Marinated Pork, Garlic
• 2 Boxes Corn Muffin Mix
• 2 Eggs (We use Duck Eggs)
• Milk or Almond Milk
• Green Beans
• Sweet Potato Tater Tots (found at Kroger)
• Canned Cranberry Sauce
• Almonds or Walnuts

Open Faced Cranberry Pork Sandwiches

• Spray your slow cooker with Canola Oil, add 1/2 C. water, a pinch of ground cloves, and a pinch of nutmeg. If you want, you can also add a dash of cinnamon. Place the pork in the slow cooker on high heat, turning occassionally. Cook until browned and 150 degrees in the center. Time varies with each slow cooker's settings. 

• While the pork tenderloin is cooking, prep corn muffin mix, and bake according to package instructions. We added 1/4 C. ground flax to our batter and then placed it in a loaf pan. You'll need 2 boxes to fill the loaf pan.

• The Sweet Potato Tater Tots only take about 20 minutes to cook, and cook nicely in a toaster oven.

• While everything is cooking, you'e got some time for yourself. Ha! You can do the dishes and sweep the kitchen floor. When everything is done cooking you can sit down and enjoy the meal with your family.

• When the Pork is done, remove from crock pot and allow to rest on a cutting board for 5-8 minutes before cutting it into 1/2" slices.

• While the pork is cooling, remove the corn muffin "bread" from the pan and slice it into 1/2" slices.

• Open the can of Cranberry Sauce and slice it thinly (up to 1/2").

• Lay the pork slice atop the corn muffin, and place the cranberry slice on top to form an open faced cranberry pork sandwich. Yum!

Click for a Greenbean Casserole Recipe.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Smithfield®. The opinions and text are all mine.

Recommended:

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie*

Mayflower Sandwiches

Pete the Cat the First Thanksgiving*

Turkey Peanut Butter Balls

ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

6 Owl Art Projects for Children

Perfect for Preschoolers 6 Art Projects with Owls

Who couldn't love the adorable face of an owl? Children, especially preschoolers, love owls! These 6 Owl projects are perfect for preschoolers and anyone who loves owl country crafts. Grab your family and get crafting. Enjoy!

September Calendar of Special Days Holidays: Free Printable Calendar

September Calendar of Holidays and Special Days Printable 2018

September is a special month with Special Days caught between summer and fall. The weather is pleasant. The children are back to school. Kitchens are cooking wonderful food from the fall harvest. The smell of autumn is in the air. Find a September Calendar Printable 2018 and a September calendar song, to help preschoolers, kindergartners, and kids of all ages learn about this very special month. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links.

Click the link to get the FREE DOWNLOAD: September Printable Calendar  2018

September Calendar of Special Days Holidays with Calendar Song.

Unique Days and Holidays in September

Labor Day - When is it? It is an American holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It is a celebration of the Labor Movement. Everyone gets a day off of laboring to appreciate laboring! That's work. Whistle while you work.

Sept. 6 - Read a Book Day

Sept. 7 - Grandparent's Day or the first Sunday in September.

Sept. 12 - Chocolate MilkShake Day

We don't have any chocolate milkshake recipes, but here's a yummy yogurt smoothie recipe instead!

Sept. 15 - Make a Hat Day

Sept. 16 - National Play-Doh Day!

Celebrate National Play-Doh Day in the U.S.

Sept. 18 - Rice Krispies Treats Day

Sept. 19 - Talk like a Pirate Day

While you're talking like a pirate why don't you dress like one too! Here's a diy pirate costume for kids.

Sept. 22 - Elephant Appreciation Day

Recommended Reading:

Melissa and Doug Jumbo Coloring Pad - Animals

October Calendar Special Days

How to Babysit a Grandpa

6 Edible Apple Crafts for Kids

Here are 6 fun, easy things to do with apples!

Apples, Apples, Apples! It's September and the best apples are ripening on the trees. Around here, the apples and pears are falling off attracting wasps and bees. I need to collect these gifts from nature and do a creative craft for kids like this first fun apple idea from It's Gravy Baby.

Monster apples and pears from It's Gravy Baby blog.

What could be better than than scent of fresh apple pie?  Why not try to add some sensory play to your play dough? It's Gravy Baby also offers up this apple pie scented play dough. She must have a lot of apples too!

Apple Scented Play dough.... can you smell it?

How about this wormy apple craft from Babble.com?  Worms are squishy, ooey-gooey, fun. This edible apple snack is perfect for Kid's Birthday Party Treat, a Halloween Edible Apple Craft, or an April Fool's day surprise.

Apple Worm Craft for Kids from Babble.com

I'm not really a Star Wars fan, but lots of people think I am. You want to know why? I'm a Sesame Street fan. I LOVE me some Sesame Street. My favorite character is Super Grover. This translates to a special appreciation for Yoda from Star Wars. I even named my favorite pet bunny after him. So, when I saw this green apple craft for kids depicting Yoda I was all, I've got to try that one. Wait, no, I mean, I have to DO that one! Check it our for yourself at Bit Rebels.

Edible Star Wars Craft for kids from Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons.

Why is it watermelons make the cutest crafts for kids or baby shower edible art? I just love these mock watermelon slices made from green apples and jello. Find out how to make them at Chocolate on my Cranium blog.

Mock watermelon slices apple craft for kids snack.

And finally, you've probably seen better versions out there in the blogosphere, but this was one of our first craft idea posts for our summer camp. Turkey Edible Apple Crafts for Kids with Dollar Store candy. Since then, I try to make healthy edible art and crafts for kids!

Turkey Edible Apple Snack Treat for Kids.

Recommended Reading:

Apple Kids and Acorn Frolics: Linework Pattern Workbook

Apples by Gail Gibbons


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3 of my Favorite Pinterest Fall Craft Activities

Here are 3 of my all-time fav Pinterest Fall Craft Activities

Sniff sniff. Can you smell it? Fall is almost here! We love a little Fall fun. When I saw these 3 fall activities on Pinterest, I just knew they'd be perfect for preschoolers. So, gather up some supplies and sit down with the littles and make some memories while you craft up your favorite fall preschool activity. Click the links for details on how to make the owl wreath, paperbag scarecrow, and easy Lite Brite pumpkin. Enjoy!

1. Who's There Owl Wreath by Sherri at About Family Craft

Cute Owl Fall Craft Wreath from Sherri Osborn.

2.  Paperbag Scarecrow from Easy Child Crafts

Paperbag Scarecrow Craft from lunch bag.

3. Lite Brite Pumpkin from Giver's Log.

Lite Brite pegs in your pumpkin. Too cute!

Recommended Reading:

Fall Edible Crafts and Fun Games for Kids*

Fall Wreath           

Things to do with Pumpkins         









ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Pumpkin Mania: 12 DIY Things to do with PUMPKINS

12 things you can do with your favorite, fall gourd: the Pumpkin

DIY Pumpkin Carving Crafts.

There are so many things you can do with gourds! I like pumpkins, p-p-p-p pumpkins. I like pumpkins 'cause pumpkins are so fun! Pumpkins aren't just for carving.

1.   Happy Accident Painting with Gourds and pumpkins
2.   Creative Pumpkin Activities from Hands on as we Grow
3.   Pumpkin Eating Dinosaur
4.   Cute Online Pumpkin Carving
5.   The original Pumpkin Chalkboard :-)
6.   Phineas and Ferb Pumpkin Carving Templates
7.   Fall Funtastic: Pumpkin Patches, Haunted Houses, and Fall Fun
8.   Harvest Pumpkin Skillet Recipe
9.   How to make an easy kid size scarecrow
10. Song about Pumpkin Pie, Over the River and Through the Woods.
11. Halloween Turnip? The Legend of the Jack-o-Lantern
12. Snowman Pumpkin Decorating

Recommended Reading:


The Three Friends and the Pumpkins by Tomie dePaola

The Biggest Pumpkin Ever

Activities for Children: How to Make a Straw free Scarecrow with Recycled Items

How to make your own Kid Scarecrow without Straw

When we visit a local farm, there are lots of activities for children including an area set aside to make your own scarecrow. It is very messy and smelly! We all sneeze. Wouldn't it be cool to have a scarecrow without straw?

Activities for Children: Mini Scarecrow for Indoors.

So, a few years ago, I decided to design my own allergy-friendly scarecrow activity for kids. We used paper and recycled bags!

Tired old allergy free scarecrow.

How to Make an Allergy-Free Scarecrow

Old kid's clothes (short sleeves work too).
Paper lunch sacks or plastic pumpkins
Plastic grocery bags
Raffia, yarn, staples, or duct tape to attach the parts.

Grab your kid's old , torn clothes. Stuff the pants with plastic grocery bags. (Tie them in knots or blow them up like balloons for extra padding.) Stuff your shirt.Ties the feet and arms off with string or tape with duct tape. Stuff shirt into waist of pants. Duct tape works best here. Attach it to look like a belt. Cut arms or hands from paper bags as needed. Staple to end of shirt. Make feet too. Stuff a paper lunch sack with plastic bags, tie it off, and attach to the shirt. You can use a plastic pumpkin for the head too- not as easy to attach. Throw on a straw hat or cut out strips of the lunch bag and staple on for hair.

Recommended Reading:

Companion books for this children's activity are:

The Big, Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown

The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown *ad