This year for Mother’s Day, make your mom a unique handmade card! Listed below are unique and fun cards that will brighten your mom’s day!

Finger Paint Flower Card

This card is a fun and easy spring-themed card!
For this card, you will need:

• Finger paint
• Pencil
• Colored construction paper
• Scissors
• Tape
• 9 x 12″ white paper

Directions:

1. Trace a large flower (rose, tulip, etc.) on the colored construction paper.
2. Cut it out of the construction paper.
3. Tape the flower to the center of the white paper.
4. Using the finger paint, make colored polka-dots all over the white page!
5. Carefully remove the taped flower to reveal a white flower shape in the middle of your colored page.
6. Write a note or sign your name in the white flower part.

Mom’s Wish Express – Accordion-Fold Card

This fun train card uses accordion folding to create a Wish Train for Mother’s Day! Children will write what they wish for their mom this Mother’s Day in the provided writing forms and use patterns from the reproducible to create the Wish Train! This simple and fun card comes from Art for All Seasons, an Evan-Moor activity book for year-round art projects.

Download this free accordion-fold card template here.

Butterfly Pop-up Card

This activity guides children through making a beautiful butterfly pop-up card! These types of cards are easy to make, with just a few necessary materials, but produce colorful and fun cards! The activity also provides a reproducible butterfly page for the inside of the card. This activity also comes from Art for All Seasons, for grades 1–4.

Download this free butterfly pop-up card template here.

Mother’s Day Poems for Handmade Cards

Looking for inspiration to write a poem for your Mother’s Day card? Listed below are some free downloads of activities that will help your child write his or her very own personalized poem.

1. 1. Description Poem: This activity will help your child write a five-stanza poem describing his or her mom! This lesson comes from Evan-Moor’s Poetry Patterns and Themes activity book (grades 3–6).
       
   2. Rhyming Couplets: Write rhyming couplets about your mom or what she likes with this activity’s help! This activity is from Writing Poetry with Children (grades 1–6).
       
   3. Acrostic Poems: This activity demonstrates how to write an acrostic poem, where you make a poem by using the letters M-O-T-H-E-R. This lesson comes from Evan-Moor’s Writing Poetry with Children (grades 1–6).

Use these activities and your own creativity to make unique homemade Mother’s Day cards. Mom will love getting a personalized and handmade gift from her favorite people in the world!

For more great activity ideas and educational lessons, subscribe to our free e-newsletter here. 

For more Mother’s Day activities and ideas check out Mother’s Day Free Activities for Kids

Christine Wooler has experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and summer camp counselor. She is currently studying English Literature and journalism in college. She enjoys exploring educational topics that help students have fun while learning.

Who doesn’t love a good scavenger hunt? The heat of the moment, racing another team to the finish line and the excitement that comes with solving word puzzles. Create the ultimate pirate-themed scavenger hunt for kids with this list!

Keep the kids outdoors with these backyard scavenger hunt items:

• Flower
• Leaf
• Rocks
• Stick
• See or hear a bird
• Something crunchy
• See a spider web
• Acorn
• See a Mailbox
• Your favorite outdoor item
• Blades of grass

Scavenger Hunt Clues:
Scavenger clues can be hidden around your yard with each clue leading to the next or they can be handed out as each clue is answered.

Arr! My name is Captain Barnes, and I am a pirate ship captain! I need your help finding some treasure in your very own backyard! Will you help me? Great! You’ll even get to keep some of the treasure!

1. The first thing I need you to get is one of my favorite things. They can be all different colors, they smell nice, and I gather a lot of them for decoration whenever I’m ashore. I haven’t seen many recently, as you can’t find them in the ocean, so I need you to pick one. Do you know what it is?
2. Great work, crew hand! Onto the next item, then! This next item is usually attached to trees, but during certain times of the year they fall to the ground. They can be green, brown, red, and orange, depending on the season. We don’t have these at sea either. When they fall to the ground they make a crunching sound when you step on them.
3. Good work again! Maybe you’ll be promoted from crew hand to sailor! The next item comes in all different shapes and sizes. It can be found on the ground, at the beach, in shallow water, and in the mountains. It can be rough, smooth, grey, brown, or other colors. This is a mighty tricky one, crew hand? What do you think?
4. Great! Congratulations, you’ve been promoted to sailor! Back to work, Sailor, next I need something that can be used to start a fire, as a toy sword, or a walking stick. It’s made of wood, sometimes it falls off of trees. It’s like a small branch.
5. Arrrr, alright. This next item is different. I don’t need you to collect it, just see or hear it. This is an animal, who lives in trees usually and builds a home out of twigs and feathers and things. They lay their eggs in the home and fly high above us. When we are close to land, we see these animals in the sky and know there’s land nearby.
6. Keep up this good work and you’ll be well on your way to First Mate! I only need a few more items from you. You have a choice here, because sometimes this item can be hard to find. I’m looking for something else that comes from trees. The first one I’m thinking of has a nice scent and is cone-shaped. The second is a snack for squirrels.
7. Great work! Only a couple more things. This next item is often used in large sports fields or golf courses, so I’m told by my First Mate. It’s green. It starts with a g…
8. Last item! This one is perhaps my favorite. This item is your choice! Find something outside that you like; it could be a flower, a rock, a sound… If you can’t collect it, describe it to me in words.

It is my honor to promote you to First Mate! As a sea captain, I don’t get to see the objects you’ve collected very often, so I wanted to make a collection of all my favorite outdoor things. I’ll pick them up from you next time I’m in town. Thanks for the hard work! Who knows, maybe by the next time I see you, you’ll be a Captain of your own!

Answer Key
1) Flower
2) Leaf
3) Rock
4) Stick
5) Bird
6) Pinecone or acorn
7) Grass
8) Anything!

For more fun Kids Activities, check out:

The Never Bored activity books for ages 4-10

Summer Boredom Busters and Learning Activities for Home

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Christine Wooler has experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and summer camp counselor. She is currently studying English Literature and journalism in college. She enjoys exploring educational topics that help students have fun while learning.

Looking for activities to keep your children busy at home? Discover new activities and projects that will keep your child occupied and engaged without feeling like extra work for you or them! Check out educational activity ideas like counting money and reading activities, outdoor activities like scavenger hunts, and indoor crafts and projects that keep your child thinking and having fun! Look out for the free activity downloads!

Reading

Utilize local libraries and do book swaps with friends to build an assortment of books to read. Have your child read aloud for 20 minutes (grades K-2) or read quietly for 30 minutes (grades 3-8). Check for understanding by asking your children questions about what they reading?

A few questions could be:

• What was the author’s purpose?
• Why did they write this?
• What is the main idea?

Who, What, Why, Where, How are all good questions to start with.

If you have a reluctant reader at home, try using an incentive such as 20 minutes of reading for 20 minutes of tech time or screen time.

Counting Money and Telling Time Grades K-2

For younger children, this is an essential skill that is easy to practice! Round up your change around the house and some paper and pencils for these easy activities.

• Teach your child to identify and name common coins and bills
• Starting with coins, have then count and add the amounts of specific coins in their head for mental math. Start with small coin amounts and progress in difficult.
• Create word problems and have your child use scratch paper to write the answer. (It is always a good idea to incorporate writing and check for understanding by having them write a sentence or two on how they solved the problem.)
  
  • Ex. Ava has $10 to spend at the store. She picked up milk for $5.78, eggs for 3.25 and a back of chips for $1. 69. How much money will she need? Does she have enough?
• Ask your child what time it is throughout the day, making sure you have a classic clock around.
• Have your child draw a clock and draw hands for what time it is, or give them a clock drawing and ask them what time the clock says.

Outdoor Activities and Games

 For when your children need to burn some energy, get some fresh air, and take a break from educational activities, check out some of these fun ideas!

• Obstacle Courses: using objects from around the house (hula hoops, pool noodles, jump ropes, boxes, etc…) create an obstacle course for your kids! They’ll love running through it, and give them a chance to design and test their own obstacle courses.
• Balloon Volleyball: divide your yard into two with a rope or jump rope (or use a net if you have one) and play volleyball with a balloon! Don’t let it touch the ground!
• Scavenger Hunts: set up a scavenger hunt in your house/yard. Your kids will love hunting down objects or following clues. For extra fun, have them draw a treasure map to find “buried” treasure.
• Tag Games: Classic tag, freeze tag, etc. are great games that will leave your kids tired! Try making up your own version of tag!

Cooking Activities and Recipes

Cooking and baking are fun for everyone, and you’re rewarded with a treat at the end! What kids don’t realize is that cooking and baking involve a lot of science and math. Challenge your child with questions about fractions, measurements, and how certain ingredients interact with others! Include your kids in the kitchen while making meals. Here are some fun and easy recipe ideas:

• Three Ingredient Nutella Brownies
• Funfetti Blondies
• Homemade Pizza
• Fish Fingers
• Taquitos and Other Snacks and Meals

Art, Crafts, and Hands-on Projects

Arts and Crafts are fun but sometimes take a lot of materials. Here are some ideas and activities that require things you probably have around the house!

• Paper towel roll marble run: Using leftover toilet paper and paper towel rolls, make a marble run for your kids. Use tape to hold the rolls together, and cut holes in the rolls to create your very own marble run!
• Build a tower out of marshmallows and toothpicks: Remember, for stability, build from a wide base, up. Below is a free download about earthquakes with an experiment using mini marshmallows, toothpicks and gelatin (from Evan-Moor’s Skill Sharpeners: Science activity book, Grade 4.)
  
  Download the free science activity pages here.

• Finger-paint Geraniums: Have fun with this simple and easy floral art project from Evan-Moor’s Art for All Seasons for grades 1-4!
  
  Download the free art activity here.

• Superhero Project: With this superhero unit from Skill Sharpeners: Critical Thinking activity books, kids can imagine what it would be like to be a superhero! There are short writing, reading, and math activities, and at the end children will get a chance to create their own superhero comic! The unit includes templates and cut-out super hero outfits for your child’s comic.
  
  Download the free superhero activity here.

Chore Time and Writing

Introduce simple chores your child can complete at home based on their age and have them write “how to” instructions.

• Kindergarten and first grade should start with a simple sentence such as “I can help with chores (you will need to spell non sight words such as “chores” or have them practice sounding it out. Kindergarten sample chore list:
  
  • Pick up toys
  • Make bed
  • Clear table after meal
  • Help make lunch (simple sandwich)
  • Learn how to fold a shirt
• Grades 2-3
  Write a paragraph (2nd) and multiple paragraphs (3rd) using transition words such as first, next, then, last and write multiple sentences supporting a main idea. For example: How to organize your bedroom toys.
  Chores for this group could include:
  
  • Cleaning a bathroom
  • Organizing a closet
  • Proper way to load a dishwasher
  • How to walk your dog
  • Tips for picking weeds (or gardening)
• Grades 4-6
  Write a multi paragraph essay on what you do well. Children can choose their favorite chore or an activity they are good at to write a detailed description for “how to.” Upper grades can type out their paragraphs in google docs and include fun pictures. This activity could take the place of a weekly writing assignment by having children complete a new step every day. Brainstorming with a graphic organizer is a great way to start to encourage new ideas and organization.
  
  *Have children edit their writing when they are finished. (Up the stakes and offer a small reward for each mistake fixed.) 
  

For more learning at-home ideas check out these additional posts:

Have fun with writing and check out:
Picture Writing Prompts for Sequencing for Grades 2–4

Check out these fun ways to practice math facts at home!
Factor Fun! Math Multiplication Games

Christine Wooler has experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and summer camp counselor. She is currently studying English Literature and journalism in college. She enjoys exploring educational topics that help students have fun while learning.

How do you keep your children engaged during school breaks? With a balance of activity books and hands-on activities, you can keep your kids mentally active and send them back to school ahead of the curve. These educational activity books and outdoor learning activities will provide a healthy learning balance for your children.

Hands-on Activity Ideas

Balance your workbook activities with some outdoor hands-on activities! For a fun science experiment, make a moving glacier and a mini glacier to understand how glaciers move and float in the world.  Click here for your free science activities.  (From the book Skill Sharpeners: Science grade 2)

Making a Moving Glacier

Across the world, glaciers move extremely slowly, and this experiment will help you understand how! You will need:

• Resealable plastic bag
• 3 tablespoons warm water
• 1 tablespoon white glue
• 2 tablespoons borax
• Drop of blue food coloring
• Mixing bowl

Directions:

• Mix the water and glue in the plastic bag.
• Add the borax and close the bag. Knead the mixture until it comes together.
• Open the bag and add a drop of food coloring. Mix until it is blue.
• Set the bowl upside down. This is a mountain. Empty the mixture on the mountaintop, and watch as it creeps downhill, like a glacier would move.

Making a Mini Glacier

Do glaciers float on water? Follow the steps to this experiment and find out! You will need:

• Resealable plastic sandwich bag
• Water
• Jar with lid
• Clear bowl

Directions:

• Fill the sandwich bag halfway with water.
• Hold the bag so all the water is in the corner. Seal the bag shut.
• Place the bag inside the jar. Let the end of the bag hang over the top of the jar.
• Screw the lid on the jar, trapping the end of the bag.
• Place the jar in the freezer overnight.
• The next day, remove the mini iceberg from the bag.
• Fill a bowl with water. Place the mini iceberg in the water.
• How much of the iceberg is above water? How much is below?

Homemade Lava Lamps

This project is fun and simple and will wow your kids! Making a homemade lava lamp is perfect for boredom prevention. You will need an empty water bottle (for each lava lamp), vegetable oil, water, food coloring, and Alka Seltzer tablets.

• Fill the water bottle a little more than halfway with vegetable oil.
• Fill the rest with water, leaving space about an inch from the top.
• Add 10 drops of food coloring (color of your choice).
• Break your Alka Seltzer tablet into four pieces.
• Drop them in one at a time, waiting for the first piece to stop bubbling before you drop in the next one (otherwise the mixture will become cloudy).
• Watch the magic happen!

Additional Activity Books for Learning at Home

Looking for a workbook that will last the whole summer? The Top Student activity book (available for grades PreK–6) is a jumbo activity book that spans many core subjects, including SEL (social and emotional learning), handwriting, STEM, and mindful moments. With perforated pages, you can choose from hundreds of activities to take on a day out or bring the whole book with you on a road trip.

Mindful moments activities include an audio component within the workbook. Each mindful moment activity includes a QR code for easy listening. These exercises practice relaxation and reflection activities to support social and emotional learning. 

Social and emotional learning is an important part of children’s development. These activities are meant to help children recognize social cues and practice empathy, allowing them to play and engage in healthy social behaviors with their peers.

This jumbo book puts an emphasis on phonics, grammar, spelling, reading, and writing. Including a daily learning routine every day or every week, students can retain their learning over the summer, as well as learn and discover new topics that interest them.

Top Student activity books also include STEM and computer science units. The computer science lessons teach children about code, algorithms, and patterns so their screen time becomes more mindful and engaging! The STEM units provide lessons on everyday science concepts and hands-on experiments to help children apply their learning in real-life situations.

Pick and choose from this jumbo activity book to make the most of your children’s summer and make the transition back to school in the fall easier.

Daily Summer Activities is another excellent summer resource; with 10 weeks’ worth of short daily lessons and activities, Daily Summer Activities will help prepare your child for his or her upcoming school year without getting in the way of summer fun! The activity books (available for grades PreK–8) help students practice language arts, math, geography, creative writing, and more! The daily activities will help keep your child’s skills sharp without feeling like summer school!

If your child is particularly interested in a certain subject, try Skill Sharpeners activity books, available for Grades PreK–6. This series is available in different areas of study, such as critical thinking, geography, reading, science, spelling, language, and math. These activity books provide concept reading, real-life examples, and activities to reinforce the student’s new knowledge!

This unit from Skill Sharpeners: Geography grade 3 teaches students about physical systems such as super volcanoes! Using Yellowstone National Park as an example, students will learn about super volcanoes and hot springs, practice using new vocabulary, and make their very own erupting volcano!

Skill Sharpeners: Critical Thinking has students read a selection about animals, plants, and places in the world and then connects what they read to what they already know. Guided by the workbook, students will engage in critical thinking activities such as analyzing, application, and evaluation. Each unit also provides a hands-on or art activity to pair with the reading. 

Find your students’ favorite subject in their grade level on the Evan-Moor website:

• Skill Sharpeners: Critical Thinking
• Skill Sharpeners: Geography
• Skill Sharpeners: Reading
• Skill Sharpeners: Science
• Skill Sharpeners: Spell and Write
• Skill Sharpeners: Math
• Skill Sharpeners: Grammar and Punctuation

Combined with the Top Student activity book and these fun outdoor activities and workbooks, your children will never get tired of learning! Keeping your children engaged and learning at home will leave them a step ahead come fall.

Christine Wooler has experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and summer camp counselor. She is currently studying English Literature and journalism in college. She enjoys exploring educational topics that help students have fun while learning.