Here’s an easy “craft” you can score at Hobby Lobby for under $10!

Easy pumpkin activity! my kids played with it for the entirety of the time it took me to cook dinner. It’s great for sharing, taking turns, hand-eye coordination, and essential skills learning.

You’re going to like this one, because it is EA-SY!

I also like it because it is easy and short, and I don’t actually love making tutorials. Good thing I started this blog.

A fun matching game your children can make on their own featuring Fall Leaves and Pumpkins!

When I decided/the school decided for us to homeschool this year I knew I needed some sort of reward system. My daughter is very much MY DAUGHTER and she loves a good incentive program. I came up the idea of a sticker chart but since I secretly throw away the million-microscopic-pieces plastic toys she was winning at school, I needed a better reward and thus…FUN FRIDAYS were born.

If you’re doing a moon or moon phase unit study it’s nice to have a materials you don’t have to prep. I also love it when my 6YO asks to play with her “school toys.” It makes me super happy. Here are five things we bought to go along with our moon unit study that I loved and would totally buy again…

Super excited to share this unit with you guys. We had lots of fun painting the moon and putting together some fun projects was a bonus. The included activities are enough for a week long focus on The Moon and Phases. The activities are designed to reinforce skills and enrich a space or moon focused study.

Moon Phases can be tough to visualize in the context of the orbits that cause them. Using a visual aide will ensure your child understand the spatial relationships of both the Earth and the Moon as they relate to the Sun.

I love finding new ways to use the materials in my units. Especially, crafty ways.

For this craft we used the Moon Phase Cut-Out Coins to make a sweet mini garland to hang across my daughter’s bulletin board. She loved it and is already working on another one!

If you’re looking for a FREE and fun Solar System activity for classroom or home, I’ve got a treat for you!

This printable .pdf download features each of the planets of our Solar System including the dwarf planet Pluto. I’ve got a nostalgic affection for Pluto so we’re keeping him.

They are multi-use because you’re busy and printer ink is expensive. I recommend printing to card stock if you will be using these multiple times or if your paint of choice is watercolor.

Montessori style 3 Part Cards consist of cards separated into 3 parts. The first card contains both a picture and label. The second card has only a picture and the third card is just the label.

This activity builds vocabulary, but also acts as a tactile learning activity. By manipulating and arranging the information as the child see fit, information is retained and internalized. The presence of the “key” card allows for children to complete self-checks and reinforces independent learning.

You can find these Moon Phase Cut-Out Coins in my mini unit called The Moon and its Phases. For use with the unit you don’t have to affix them to wooden coins, but in doing so you can create something your child will use again and again.

We use our Moon Phases Wooden Coins to count, to stack, to order, and along with our Moon Phases Montessori 3 Part Cards.

These are the items we use several times each week, if not daily. We are not a strictly Montessori family, but we are Montessori-style. So don’t freak out if some of things items are completely traditional materials. My husband’s job has us move fairly frequently, so schools, and learning styles, and standards tend to change. What I like about Montessori-style learning is that is goes with us.

There are lots of galaxy dough or space dough recipes floating around Pinterest. I hate the texture of most commercial play dough and have a hard time with how piece-y it can get as it dries. This DIY tutorial utilizes Crayola Model Magic modeling material. You can absolutely use your own homemade dough recipes or Play-Doh brand dough. Personally, I find the modeling material to be less messy and we have a no slime rule in our house (I know! I’m so mean!).