FREE Learning Activities Archives - Rolling Prairie Readers

5 Winter Learning Activities for Kids {FREE Printable}

By Melissa Droegemueller | December 27, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

Hooray, it’s winter!

I know it’s not common, but I LOVE winter. (I actually really love celebrating all the seasons, after living in Texas most of my life.) Winter is such a fun time to observe nature with our kids: watching squirrels and bunnies frolic in the snow, tracking footprints, and watching the days get shorter and then longer again. Whether you are doing preschool at home or just looking for awesome ideas to beat boredom with your toddlers, you’ll love these winter learning activities!

Scroll down for our freebie!

In case you missed the introduction to our invitation to play series (click here), here’s how we structure these fun, simple activities at our house.

It’s the middle of the afternoon. Mom is trying to help the older child finish up her school work/homework before making dinner. Younger child is spinning around nearby or doing something quietly destructive in the next room. Mom pulls out an invitation to play to keep everyone calm and connected.

An invitation to play is an easy, open-ended activity. It uses just a few materials found around the house, like measuring cups, straws, old magazines, etc. Keeping these activities set aside for special times keeps them interesting and intentionally engaging for when you need 10-15 minutes to get something else done! Best of all, these simple materials can be mixed and matched for countless other activities throughout the year.

This week, I have a freebie for you: a printable with FIVE winter-themed invitations to play!

You also get:

a materials list
winter book recommendations for snowy days
and a coupon code for our winter Family Activity Guides, full of hands-on learning fun for kids ages 2-6!

Click here for your Winter Learning Activities download.

Access this and all our other freebies immediately!

How do YOU feel about winter? Leave a comment below and let me know!

Red and green straw pieces with shoelace

How to Make an Awesome Christmas Busy Box for Kids!

By Melissa Droegemueller | November 8, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

Winter is coming, and you’re looking for simple play ideas to keep your toddlers and preschoolers learning at home. Between cold weather, rainy days, and lots of holidays preparations that keep parents busy, having a few educational activities set aside for your little ones is a smart idea! Read on to learn how to make a Christmas busy box for your kids.

Note: This busy box can be repurposed for a variety of seasons and holidays. The only thing “Christmasy” about it are the colors I chose — but you could easily make a similar quiet time activities using other colors and symbols!

In case you haven’t heard about busy bags or boxes before, they are simple learning activities that are typically self-contained and set aside for travel, waiting rooms, or quiet time. This Christmas busy box is similar, pulling together a group of open-ended materials that can be used in a variety ways. Toddlers and preschoolers can mix and match their toys for hours of creative play!

Best of all, these materials all fit in one small box, so they can easily travel to a relative’s house or holiday party all season long.

(Reminder: Rolling Prairie Readers uses affiliate links at no additional cost to you. You can see our full disclosure policy here.)

How to Make a Christmas Busy Box:

Making a busy bag or box doesn’t have to be complicated! Think of learning skills you want to target with your toddler or preschooler and gather related toys. This Christmas busy box that I put together focuses on fine motor and counting skills. Put all your materials in a small shoe box!

Click here to see a short video explaining how to use these materials in a variety of fun activities!

Recommended Materials for Your Christmas Busy Box:

You can use ANY learning toys you have around your house–these are just a few recommendations that are both quiet and easily transportable.

UNO cards (specifically the red and green number cards 0-9)
ice cube tray
red, green, and white pom poms
tweezers
red and green foam blocks (1 inch cubes)
“velcro sticks” (red and green craft sticks with velco dots on the ends)
red and green pegs
tree cookie cutter
green LEGOs
empty (clean) Parmesan cheese container
red and green straw pieces
shoelace

Have our Christmas busy box tutorial video emailed to you instantly! Fill out this form:

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5 FREE Pumpkin-Themed Invitations to Play

By Melissa Droegemueller | October 3, 2017 | Comments 0 Comment

October has arrived, and so have the pumpkins. On Saturday, we took our girls to go apple-picking, and the farm was full of families heading to the pumpkin patch. Grocery stores and home improvement warehouses are setting up their displays, leaves are raining down from the trees, and little ones are counting down to Halloween. Today, I am excited to share five FUN, free, EASY pumpkin-themed kids activities for your family.

Scroll down for our freebie!

And if you are a homeschooling/tot-schooling family, be sure to click here for our list of FREE (and almost free) pumpkin activities for the month of October.

In case you missed the introduction to our invitation to play series (click here), let me give you a brief introduction to how we structure these fun, simple activities at our house.

Maybe you are looking for some play-based learning ideas for your toddler or preschooler.
Or you are trying to help an older child with homework or get dinner on the table.
It could be you are a WAHM searching for a quick activity that will engage your little one while you send an e-mail or film a FB live video.

An invitation to play is an easy, open-ended activity that uses just a few materials found around the house. Keeping these learning activities set aside for special times keeps them interesting and intentionally engaging for when you need 10-15 minutes to get something else done! Best of all, these simple materials can be mixed and matched for countless other activities throughout the year.

This week, I have a freebie for you: a download with FIVE simple pumpkin-themed invitations to play, including a materials list!

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the skills found in our pumpkin-themed kids activities:

Fine-motor and hand-strengthening
Object transferring
Object stringing
LOTS and LOTS of learning through open-ended play

See one of the activities here:

If you want even more, be sure to join our Facebook group for 10 days of pumpkin-themed kids activities!

Just fill out this quick form to let me know you want the freebie!

Melissa @ Rolling Prairie Readers

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5 pumpkin activities | FREE download