What She's Wearing: Valentine's Craft for Kids_Make a Doll Purse by Upcycling Gift Bags

How to make a purse from a gift bag for dolls or girls it makes a cute classroom valentine tote too.

She's wearing red for Valentine's Day, and so is her Teddy Bear with its upcycled gift bag purse craft. Ready to recycle? Grab a gift bag, (we like the shiny ones) and make a clutch hand bag for your favorite Valentine. It's easy and it doubles for a classroom valentine goody bag. Enjoy!

This purse or gift envelope was cut from the bottom of a large, gift bag.

Five Fab Classroom Valentine Crafts

Cut the bottom of a large bag to recycle the existing lines as a pattern or use an easy cheat and make your own pattern with a gift card envelope, separate it where it's been glued, lay it out flat, and trace it onto your gift bag. PDF pattern here tomorrow.  Fold the paper on the lines where the envelope had been glued folding a 1" section at the bottom of the envelope to serve as a base for your doll's clutch bag and also on each side.

Poke holes in the sides and insert ribbon for the purse strap. Tie a knot inside the purse at each hole. Get crafty and add a sticky gem or gems from the dollar store. Any American Girl Doll would kill for this purse, now if we could just find her some ruby slippers to match. Yep, I'm a matchy poo-poo.

Mayhem prefers high-top sneakers to ruby red slippers 
and teddy bears to "girly" dolls.

Recommended Reading:


Happy Valentine's Day, Mouse! (If You Give...)*


Valentine Recipe for Kids










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! :)

Free Martin Luther King Day stage play for kids "Dreamkeepers" 15 minute Classroom Skit

Free script for Martin Luther King Day: a great elementary class room stage play

Do you need a quick skit for your elementary class to learn about Martin Luther King Jr.? This MLK play, Dreamkeepers, is approximately 15 minutes and teaches about the famous speech "I Have a Dream".  Follow the links for the printable MLK script for kids. Enjoy!

Martin 'Luther King Play Skit Script for Kids for MLK Day.

Scroll down for Free Play Script Printable for Kids. We also have a Martin Luther King Day Activity for Kids.

MLK Clipart

15 Minute Classroom Plays

Seasonal Celebrations

 Volume 1

All skits are based on a monthly theme with lessons in language, social studies, art and science sprinkled throughout the pages. It's 'Edutainment'. Make a paper handrpint dreamcatcher craft to go along with your lesson.


Enjoy a free copy of the first script in the series: 


In Google Drive: Martin Luther King stage play skit for Kids. 


Volume One:  
"Dreamkeepers" (MLK Day Play for Children)
"Hide and Seek Hearts" (Valentine's Day Play for Kids)
"Rainbow Stew" (St. Patrick's Day Skit for Elementary).


Recommended Reading:

Free Martin Luther King Printable Posters

I Have a Dream (Book and CD)

Barack Obama Activity for Preschool

US Presidents Lesson

Abraham Lincoln and George Washington Compare and Contrast: President's Day Skit and Lesson

George Washington and Abraham Lincoln Stage Play for President's Day

Abraham Lincoln and George Washington were two of America's most beloved presidents. In this compare and contrast lesson for homeschoolers or school enrichment, we answer a popular question, were Washington and Lincoln friends? Find out by performing our stage play for classroom use. The free printable skit imagines what it would be like if they were beamed to a 21st century classroom. Scroll Down for our Presidents Day Classroom Skit. Enjoy!

We've included some companion printables for a Presidents Day lesson on George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Right click and print Abraham Lincoln's Beard.

George Washington display printable from Mailbox Magazine.

We found this cute George Washington printable project display holder at Squish Preschool Ideas. I think all the details are at Scholastics.com: Abraham Lincoln Printable.

Though, it was designed to highlight a paper, I think it would make a good president paper bag puppet.


Teachers/Parents:

Download this printable Venn Diagram, and have the students fill it out prior to reading the stage play. As they read the play aloud, let them add details to their Venn Diagram. We've also linked to a fun printable that compares and contrasts facts about Washington and Lincoln.

Free Printables:

Abraham Lincoln and George Washington Venn Diagram Printable

Abraham Lincoln and George Washington Facts

PRESIDENT'S DAY SKIT

Free Printable President's Day Skit: Were George Washington and Abe Lincoln Friends?


Language Arts Component:

Another popular question... Who would win in a fight between George Washington and Abe Lincoln?

Easy. As a past military hero and soldier, George is the clear choice. Honest Abe wouldn't fight unless it was a battle of wits and then he has our vote, but both men were very intelligent in their own right. 

Grab a journal and write about who you think would win and list reasons why.



Recommended Reading:

Presidents Day Lesson

Jimmy Carter Facts

President Benjamin Harrison Activities

When is President's Day? Barack Obama Pattern

If I Were President

Presidents' Day (Rookie Read-About Holidays)

Bald Eagle Paper Bag Puppet Pattern

















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! :)

Black History Art Projects for Children: Expressionist

For Black History Month, Introduce Children to Amazing African American Artists with Expressionist Art Projects and Activities

Did you know there are some very well-known works of art crafted by little known Black Artists? Isn't it time to change that? These Black History Art Projects introduce students to less known famous black Americans. For Black History Month, or an anytime lesson in Black History or African American Art, we scoured the web for some beautiful art projects that children can easily reproduce on their own. This posts focuses on Alma Thomas, an American Expressionist Painter. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*

Looking for a Homeschool or Classroom Curriculum on the Expressionist movement? We've created a series of printable rtf free lesson plans and worksheets that include video links, online educational games, reference material, and components for science, math, and language arts. Enjoy! Expressionist Movement Free Printable Assignment suitable for grades 3-6.

Mayhem's interpretation of Alma Thomas' Expressionist Artist Painting.

Black History art projects for children:
Expressionism based on the work of Alma Thomas.

Tips: Laminate or frame these images to create gift quality modern wall art.

Famous Black Artist: Alma Thomas, Expressionist Painter

We recreated the works of Alma Thomas with torn paper. This project works well with children of all ages. With each grade level raise the level of difficulty. Preschoolers to Highschoolers will enjoy, tearing the paper and choosing which colors to include in their array.

Dream Keepers Martin Luther King Skit for Classroom

This as a fun black history project for preschoolers. You can also use tempera paints and a thick brush or cut up sponge squares to dab on the paint. Have them use their thumbs to make the marks on the paper, or pre-tear construction paper into squares to save time. Let them paste the colors onto their paper as they choose. Please don't correct their work! It is amazing to see what each child sees. Let them wow you with their creativity.

We searched and found these fun, easy, and unique Black History Art Projects for Children:

African Trade Beads from Crayola.com

Black History Art Project for Children: Construction Paper Freedom Quilt
from North Clarion Elementary.

Black History Project from Art for Kids by Elan Ferguson.

Jake's interpretation of the painting below. He doesn't like to fill the entire page. 

Alma Thomas, Expressionist Painting for Black History Art Project. 

This image may be subject to copyright issues. It appears here for educational purposes only and is linked to the source, WikiArt Visual Art Encyclopedia.

Black History Arts and Crafts

Black History Art Projects

art activities

art lessons

art lesson plans

activities for preschoolers

Black History Month Script for Classroom Play: 

(Brown vs. Board of Education)

Black History Facts for (today, by month) June, etc.

Free Black History Activity Packs for preschoolers

Free Printable Black History Facts for elementary students

Recommended Reading:

Alma W. Thomas: A Retrospective of the Paintings 

from the Ft. Wayne Museum of Art* 

Express Yourself!: Activities and Adventures in Expressionism (Art Explorers)*

Things to do in Indiana: 

Visit the Fort Wayne Museum of Art

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! :)

Fun Carrot recipes for Kids: Ever wonder what you can do with carrots? Cute, Edible Carrot Crafts for Preschool Kids

Make carrot cars and cute, edible carrot healthy snack crafts for kids.

Yum! Eating them is always good, but playing with carrots first is fun for preschool kids. So, have fun with these edible art carrot crafts and fun recipes. Enjoy!

Peanut butter and carrot snacks.

I searched the web for carrot snacks and crafts for Easter. Not much out there, go figure. The big carrot pictured is made from an icing baggie. 

To make it: Fill with carrots and tie with a green pipe-cleaner. It makes a great favor for a classroom party. The original one was filled with Cheese Puffs. Fun, orange, good but not so healthy.

Edible Art with Carrots.

Here's an idea: Sneak Carrots in Sloppy Joe Recipe

Vroom! We always encourage playing with your food. Carrot cars are glued together with peanut butter. It is surprisingly good and your kids will love it. Add cracker shapes and Cheez Whiz, or Peanut butter is a great source of protein.

Healthy afterschool snack for preschool

In honor of the month of May in Indy, we made making car crafts at 'The Play Connection' Zoom, zoom! 

Recommended Reading:

If I Built a Car Book for children*

Free Printable Car coloring sheet







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! :)

Activities for Martin Luther King Day

MLK Activities to Celebrate Martin Luther King Day

When is Martin Luther King Day? It is celebrated on the third Monday of January. In the United States, many schools and businesses have the day off to celebrate. What do you do to remember MLK? We have many Martin Luther King Day Activities on the blog. In this post, we're sharing free printable signs for a Martin Luther King rally or impromptu parade and a book review for "I am Martin Luther King".  Enjoy!

Martin Luther King Accomplishments

Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Print these signs and then glue a large craft stick between two printed rally signs so that you can flip it over for a different message. Reduce the size of the image to 5 x 7, and it becomes a sign for classroom desks. Just use a popsicle stick, make a clay base, and display on your desks! Keep scrolling for book review and chance to win.

I have a dream free printable sign.

Download I Have a Dream Free Printable

Peace sign free printable.

Print Image for Peace Sign Poster

"I am a man" rally image photograph.

I am a man downloadble sign.

Printable for I am a Man Poster

I am a woman printable sign for MLK Day.

Free Printable for I am a Woman Sign

"We shall overcome" photograph for MLK Day Rally.

We shall overcome free printable sign.

Free We shall Overcome Poster

"Equal opportunity and human dignity" rally photograph.

Equal opportunity and human dignity printable sign activity.

Free Printable Equal Opportunity for Human Dignity

"I am Martin Luther King" by Brad Meltzer.

It might seem strange to imagine Martin Luther King, Jr. as a child, but just like you, he was once a kid too. Even then, he knew things weren't right. He dreamed of change. Learn how he made a difference with his rallys and marches when you read the latest book from the "I am" series. "I am Martin Luther King", by Brad Meltzer, tells the story of this great historical figure. It is told from the point of view of a child.

We love the "I am" books and use them in our history lessons for homeschoolers. You might like this lesson on Ameila Earhart.

Recommended:

I am Martin Luther King Biography Book for Kids

Free Martin Luther King Classroom Skit

Handprint Dream Catcher Craft

Community Service Ideas

Pin~it Online Scavenger Hunt July 21, 2012

Pinterest Preschool Scavenger Hunt

Get the kids involved, Pin posts from your blog or classroom on Pinterest and have a blast hunting for Curriculum related themes on the web. 

This week's keyword search topics are: 

Bulletin Board Ideas

Classroom Posters/Sayings

Join the fun on Pinterest.

New Topics every Monday. Weekly winner is chosen by you.

The pin with the most re-pins is showcased here each week and the ORIGINAL pinner wins a small prize packe from vendor donations to the blog or my collection of goodies :-)

Winning pin (7/16) pinned by  Jennifer O.  from the blog, Chocolate Covered Katie

Copycat Recipe, Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs

Fav pin (7/16)  pinned by Artsy Craftsy Mom  from Education.com 

Wanna join? Leave a comment on Pinterest to be added to the board as a collaborative pinner (under the purple tack).  Any comment on any post will do, just let us know you'd like to join the hunt :-)

Sign up for email alerts on the right side bar, pretty please :-) Thanks for playing!

Saint Patrick's Day Play for Elementary Students

Saint Patrick's Day Skit for Kids

We offer FREE seasonal and holiday plays, scripts, and skits for kids from preschool to high school. Enjoy this Saint Patrick's Day PLAY SKIT for Elementary Students: Rainbow Stew. It's a fun classroom skit for the kids. Enjoy!

All of our plays and skits include a crafty element. Let the kids get in on the act by helping make the sets and props too.

Rainbow Stew is written for 8 lead characters with a role for "everyone else." This Saint Patrick's Day classroom skit for elementary and homeschool is easy to adapt for more children, just give each additional student a line from one of the main characters.

Free Printable PDF hosted on Media Fire:

 Saint Patrick's Day Skit for Kids

Recommended Reading:

Saint Patrick's Activities

St. Patrick's Day by Gail Gibbons

How To Take Care Of Your Entire Family This Winter

Flu and Cold Season is on the Way

The beginning of the school year, can signal the beginning of colds and flu in your home. When the weather becomes cooler and the days grow shorter, health may become a significant concern. Coughs, colds, and even the flu, as well as more severe diseases, can suddenly become considerably more common. It's essential to understand some of the ways you can help your whole family stay healthy during winter so you can enjoy the time you spend together while everyone is safe and sound. The following tip will help you take care of your family during winter months of cold and flu season.

Tips for staying healthy during cold and flu season

Eat Healthily 

Our bodies are amazing machines that convert what we put into them in the form of food and drink into energy and hormones that do everything for us. We are happier and healthier when we eat the proper meals. A bad diet means our immune systems don't work as well as they should, and sometimes shut down altogether, so eating correctly to get enough vitamins and minerals to keep our bodies strong and ready to fight off the numerous illnesses that attack us, particularly during the winter months, is crucial. Try this recipe for baked salmon.

Adopt Healthy Lifestyle as a Family

Fruits and vegetables are the simplest methods to get these nutrients, so getting your five a day is critical. If it's a challenge to include more fruits and vegetables into your diet, try preparing a nutritious morning smoothie for everyone.  Here's a fun way to get kids to eat potassium rich bananas.

Keep Clean 

The simple act of washing your hands can help to keep everyone in the home healthy, and not just the individual who did the hand-washing. The initial point of contact between you and a virus or illness is usually your hands. Giving a loved one a hug, shaking hands, holding hands, and so on can spread diseases from one person to the next. By ensuring that everyone washes their hands frequently (particularly after using the bathroom, changing a diaper, and wiping your or a child's nose), you can minimize the chance of unpleasant diseases spreading. If washing your hands causes dry skin (as it may during the winter months), then invest in some excellent hand lotion as well to keep the momentum going. 

This "how to wash your hands" interactive printable lesson is great for the classroom or homeschool, it explains the importance of hand washing in detail and makes it fun.

Check The Animals 

If you have pets, you might discover that they are prone to sickness during the winter months as well. They, too, have immune systems, and although they don't function exactly like ours, that doesn't mean they can't become sick. It is important to take your pet to a great vet, such as exceptionalpets.com, if you suspect they are ill. In this way, you can keep your pet healthy, and everyone else in the family since some animal illnesses can spread to humans.  Our pets can even catch Covid19, so if you're sick, watch them for symptoms. Our bird, a Cockatiel, was very sick when we had Covid, luckily he recovered with some TLC.

Exercise

Getting adequate exercise is another brilliant way to strengthen the immune system. This could be as easy as taking your dog for a walk or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Park a bit further away from the supermarket's entrance, so you'll have to walk a little longer. Spend some time cleaning up the leaves in the garden. It doesn't have to be an exercise class or an hour at the gym, and the more people that participate, the better.  We've got some fun PE Activities to get you moving,check them out!

Snowman Activities for Preschoolers

These Snowman Activities will fill your Preschooler with Joy

Snow is beautiful, but some never get it and others get far too much! Whether you have none or tons, stay inside with your preschooler and make your own snowman projects. We've linked several snow ideas and activities from our site as well as a few of our favorites from Pinterest. Enjoy being warm while you build a snowman. Enjoy!

• How to make a snowman from a peanut.

Mini Peanut Snowman from Kids Creative Chaos.

• Make ice cream snowballs and build a yummy, cute snowman.

Edible Snowman from Kids Creative Chaos.

• Make your own Snowman Soup Recipe From 3rd Grade Thoughts.

Snowman Soup Recipe from Third Grade Thoughts.

• Make a snowman in a jar and keep him forever - no melting ;)

Snowman in a jar from Kids Creative Chaos.

• Printable Snowman Activity

Snowman Valentine Activity.

• Easy Snowflake Snowman 

Easy Preschool Snowflake Snowman.

Looking for Snowman Ideas for Winter Activities for the classroom? How about a companion snowman story by Mercer Mayer.



Recommended Reading:

Snowman Classroom Door Decoration

The Snowman Children's Book*

The Biggest Snowman Ever story*









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! :)