St. Patrick’s Day Themed Learning

While there are other St. Patrick’s Day themed learning resources farther down this list, below you will find some fun printable packs to get you started!

• FREE ST. PATRICK’S DAY ABC CLOVER PACK (instant download)
• FREE St. Patrick’s Day Preschool and Kindergarten Packet
• FREE St. Patrick’s Themed Spelling Activity
• FREE St. Patrick’s Day Dot Marker printable set
• Free St. Patrick’s Breastplate Copywork

Educational Deals & Freebies Round-Up

Here are some of the best educational deals and freebies available right now from Katie who writes at Cincinnati Cents:

Crayola 64-Count Crayons for $2.89: Amazon has their Crayola 64-Count Crayons on sale for $2.89. This set features 64 brilliant colors in a flip-top box, and it includes a built-in sharpener and tiered sleeves for easy access, providing kids with hours of coloring fun.

LEGO Friends Heartlake Juice Bar Set for $23.25: Purchase the LEGO Friends Heartlake Juice Bar Set for just $23.25. This set includes an Andrea and Naya mini doll figures; a juice bar with glass windows, a counter with blenders, a juice squeezer, sink, and cash register; and an inside and outside seating area with chairs, a table, and accessories.

Play-Doh Fun Factory for $7.52: Amazon has their Play-Doh Fun Factory on sale for $7.52. This set featuring 2 shape-making strips with 10 different patterns, 2 cans of modeling compound, an extruder with 3 half molds, and a trimmer knife.

Free Mini Classes from Craftsy: Craftsy is featuring over 40 different free mini classes. There’s quite a variety of different topics available including Tips for Creative Sewing, Bag-Making Basics: Reversible Tote and Zipper Pouch, Basic Fondant Techniques, Professional Family Portraits, Creative Ways with Whole Grains, Amazing Crochet Textures, and many more. You can find all thefree mini classes Craftsy has to offer here.

Rory’s Story Cubes for $7.73: Amazon currently has their Rory’s Story Cubes (Voyages Edition) on sale for $7.73. The Rory’s Story Cubes is a pocket-sized game that is ideal for promoting creativity, imagination, and story-telling abilities.

Darice 120-Piece Art Set for $10.29: Purchase the Darice 120-Piece Art Set for just $10.29. This portable art studio includes 24 markers, 24 crayons, 24 color pencils, 24 oil pastels, 12 watercolor cakes, 2 clips, 1 white watercolor tube and 1 of each: palette, paintbrush, drawing pencil, sharpener, eraser, ruler, sponge and scissors.

Anne of Green Gables 12-Book eBook Collection for $0.99: Amazon has their Anne of Green Gables 12-Book eBook Collection on sale for $0.99. For less than a dollar, you’ll receive Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne’s House of Dreams, Rainbow Valley, and Rilla of Ingleside. Plus, you’ll receive several bonus books and poems in this collection as well.

Free Kindle eBooks for Kids: There are several free Kindle eBooks for kidsavailable to download including 20 Fun Experiments You Can Do at Home, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Dandy the Dinosaur, 25 Extinct Animals, Lonnie the Lion, Monkey See Monkey Do, The Ugly Duckling, The Great Noob Takeover: A Minecraft Novel, Tea with the Queen, and Derek the Dragon and the Missing Socks.

ALEX Ready, Set, Write Book for $9.39: Amazon has their ALEX Toys Ready, Set, Write Book on sale for $9.39. This book features 38 wipe-clean pages, enabling your child to practice their letters and numbers again and again. This set is perfect for in the car and on the go, and it includes a wipe-away marker as well.

Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack Set for $4.79: Purchase the Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack Set for just $4.79. This classic toy features bright colors, shiny reflections, and swirling beads to help stimulate visual development. This set also encourages the development of gross motor skills as well as differentiating between colors and sizes.

Fisher-Price First Sorting Blocks Set for $6.99: Amazon has their Fisher-Price First Sorting Blocks Set on sale for $6.99. This set features a shape-sorting lid and 10 colorful blocks in 5 different shapes to help build early identification skills. Plus, everything stores neatly in the carry-along bucket.

Free Pizza Making Class: Craftsy is offering a FREE Pizza Making Class with baking guru Peter Reinhart. With this class, you’ll make pizza sauces, explore cheese options, and learn how to bake five types of dough all from your home’s conventional oven. You’ll even get a bonus lesson on gluten-free pizza recipes. Plus, you can find more free classes from Craftsy here.

Epson All-In-One Inket Printer for $59.99 Shipped: Whether printing a basic paper or worksheet or putting together a full-color project, this printer has you covered! Amazon has their Epson Expression Wireless Color All-In-One Inkjet Printer on sale for $59.99. This printer easily prints from tablets and smart phones, features a space-saving design, and has a 2.5″ LDC and touch panel. Plus, this item includes free shipping as well.

Katie is a wife and homeschooling mother of four who writes at Cincinnati Cents about saving money and having fun as a family without breaking the bank. She enjoys sharing new recipes, ideas for frugal family fun, and tips for spending less at the grocery store.

Educational Deals & Freebies Round-Up

Here are some of the best educational deals and freebies available right now from Katie who writes at Cincinnati Cents:

LEGO Chima Ice Bear Tribe Pack for $7.32: Amazon has their LEGO Chima Ice Bear Tribe Pack on sale for $7.32. This set features an Ice Bear Tribe banner, Ice Hurler disc shooter, and 2 walls with translucent blue ice elements as well as three bear warriors and their weapons. There are several other LEGO Chima Sets on sale as well including LEGO Chima Crocodile Tribe Pack for $7.32, LEGO Chima Saber-Tooth Tiger Tribe Pack for $7.32, LEGO Chima Lion Tribe Pack for $7.32, LEGO Chima Flinx’s Ultimate Phoenix Toy for $14.66, and LEGO Chima Tormak’s Shadow Blazer for $22.11.

LeapFrog Learning Friends Adventure Bus for $7.39: Amazon has theirLeapFrog Learning Friends Adventure Bus on sale for $7.39. This interactive toy features 3 Learning Friends figures as well as 3 play-along adventures, and it fosters fine motor skills, vocabulary, and imaginative play.

Free Hands-On Craft Guides: Craftsy currently has 7 free eGuides available for download. These eGuides are free guides that you can download to your computer in PDF format or view in a web browser. In addition to all the useful information these guides contain about a variety of hobbies, many of these include a class discount offer within the eGuide as well. The following topics are currently available – photography, icing basics, doughnut recipes, paper craft projects, drawing the human face, guide to watercolor, container gardening, and woodturning basics.

$15 Off $30 Purchase of Personalized Calendars & Books: Shutterfly is featuring $15 off your purchase of $30 or more when you enter the promotional code FIFTEEEN at checkout. This is an ideal way to create a classroom calendar that features important dates, upcoming field trips, and project due dates. As an alternative, you could also create a customized book that teaches a variety of topics (ABCs, numbers, parts of speech) by using pictures of family members, friends, and familiar places/objects. This type of book makes the learning process both fun as well as familiar for your child.

Dollhouse Bring Along Backpack for $16.19: Amazon has their Dollhouse Bring Along Backpack on sale for $16.19. This backpack unzips to reveal a 2-story dollhouse with a slide that leads to a swimming pool. This backpack playset also includes a 4-inch doll for hours of imaginative play – even on the go!

Free Online Photography Class: Craftsy is offering a free online photography class. This class will teach essential skills for successful photo sessions with people of all ages. The sessions will help you improve your setting, create ideal lighting both indoors and out, and find the key to engaging your subject. You can find more free classes from Craftsy here.

6-Pack Removable Dry Erase Sheets for $7.99: Purchase a 6-Pack of Removable Dry Erase Sheets for just $7.99. These sheets instantly turn any wall into a convenient writing surface, and are ideal for offices, classrooms, or around the house. Each sheet measures 9″x12″, and the set includes a black dry erase marker as well. Shipping is a flat rate of $2.99.

LEGO Friends Sunshine Harvest Set for $15.99: Amazon has their LEGO Friends Sunshine Harvest Set on sale for $15.99. This set features a trailer, a fruit stand with cash register, fruit, cake, a tree with apples, a garden patch with vegetables, and a cute dog house.

Free Weird & Wonderful Animals Worksheets: Education.com has a free set of Weird & Wonderful Animals Worksheets available for download. There are 5 different worksheets in this set, covering a wide variety of unusual animals.

LEGO Duplo Town Rally Car Set for $10.32: Amazon has their LEGO Duplo Town Rally Car Set on sale for $10.32. This set features a buildable rally car, trophy podium, an engine, adjustable wrench, trophy, traffic cones, a decorated checkered flag, and story starters.

Learning Resources Geometric Solids Set for $13.89: Purchase theLearning Resources View-Through Geometric Solids Set for just $13.89. The set includes a variety of solids – large triangular pyramid, square pyramid, hemisphere, sphere, cone, pentagonal prism, small and large cube, rectangular prism, triangular prism and cylinder. The solids have removable bases, allowing for exploration of 2-D shapes as well as 3-D solids. These solids are easy to fill with with liquid or dry-fill and are easy to clean, making them ideal for hands-on learning.

Free Presidents Day Writing Prompts: Educents has a free set of Presidents Day Writing Prompts available for download. There are three different pages available to help kids think about Presidents Day and consider what it might be like to be president.

B1G1 50% Off Hasbro Games: Amazon is featuring a B1G1 50% Off Sale on select Hasbro Games. There are a wide variety of games included in this sale from classics like Sorry! and Yahtzee to more contemporary favorites like Frozen Edition Monopoly and Guesstures. With this sale, you’ll be able to pick up games for as low as $4.07 each! You can find the complete listing of games included in this sale here.

Toy & Game Printable Coupons: There are several new toy and game coupons available to print. These coupons are valid on favorites such as Candy Land, Fisher-Price Interactive Tea Set, Play-Doh, and more. You can find all of these coupons here.

Free Kindle eBooks for Kids: There are several free Kindle eBooks for Kidsavailable for download including Tongue Twisters for Kids, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Quest: The Untold Story of Steve, Johnny B. Fast Super Spy, Diary of a Horse Girl, Goodnight Jungle, Life with Lily, Minecraft Stories: The Rescue Mission, The Making of a Young Entrepreneur, and many more. You can find the complete listing of free eBooks here.

Liberty’s Kids Complete DVD Series for $5: Amazon has their Liberty’s Kids Complete DVD Series on sale for $5. This set received a 5-star rating from over 500 reviews and has over 800 minutes of run time.

Melissa & Doug Construction Paper for $1.99: Amazon has their Melissa & Doug Construction Paper (50 ct.) on sale for $1.99. This pack includes 50 sheets of paper in 10 different vibrant colors that are ideal for pencils, markers, paints, crayons, and chalk.

Free Alaskan Travel Guide: Request a free Alaska State Guide Vacation Planner. In addition to planning for a vacation, this guide would make a nice supplement for teaching U.S. geography.

Magnetic Wooden Letters Set for $3.88 Shipped: Amazon has theirColorful Magnetic Wooden Letter Set on sale for $3.88. This set of letters includes free shipping as well.

Zoobooks Magazine for $10: Groupon is featuring one-year subscription to Zoobooks, Zoobies, or Zootles Magazine for just $10. You can also pick up a two-year subscription to any of these magazines for $19 as well. Plus, with each subscription, you’ll receive several bonus gifts – wildlife stickers, an animal poster, and access to digital editions.

Katie is a wife and homeschooling mother of four who writes at Cincinnati Cents about saving money and having fun as a family without breaking the bank. She enjoys sharing new recipes, ideas for frugal family fun, and tips for spending less at the grocery store.

Valentine’s Day Freebies

Valentine’s Day Freebies

Whatever you are looking for, this FREE List of Valentines Day Resources, Printables, and Activities is packed full of links to fun and educational Valentine’s Day fun!

Math can be fun with this FREE Valentine’s Day Math Worksheets Pack (14 Pages) or these Free Valentine Graphing Printables (26 Pages!)

Practice spelling Valentines themed words with a fun FREE Valentine’s Day Spelling Words (20 Page Pack!).

I love that these FREE Valentines Scripture Card Printables include God’s Word in them.

Dot-a-dots are so much fun! Here are FREE Valentines Hearts Preschool Dot-a-dots.

Have some Valentines fun with these:

• FREE Valentine’s Day Fun Pack
• Free Valentine’s Day Activity Worksheets
• FREE Valentine Printable Pack

Educational Deals & Freebies Round-up

Here are some of the best educational deals and freebies available right now from Katie who writes at Cincinnati Cents:

Little Golden Books for $2.09: Amazon has their Little Golden Books on sale for as low as $2.09 each. The following titles are all priced at less than $3 each – Frozen, The Monster at the End of the Book, Sofia the First, Tangled, Peter Pan, Cinderella, and Richard Scarry’s ABC Book.

Learning Journey Match It! Spelling Set for $7.79: Purchase theLearning Journey Match It! Spelling Set for just $7.79. This set features 20 self-correcting puzzles that teach spelling, develop problem-solving skills, and expand vocabulary.

Magnetic Wooden Letters Set for $3.88 Shipped: Amazon has theirColorful Magnetic Wooden Letter Set on sale for $3.88. This set of letters includes free shipping as well.

Free 4-Week Trial of Reading Eggs: Sign up for a free 4-week trial of Reading Eggs. This is an online program that fosters a child’s love of reading through games and activities. Each lesson builds upon the previous lessons and focuses on five key areas – phonemic awareness and phonics, sight words, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.

Orbo Jr. 4GB Android Kid’s Edition Tablet for $59.95 Shipped:Amazon has their Orbo Jr. 4GB Android Kid’s Edition Tablet on sale for $59.95. This tablet typically retails for $199.99 (a savings of 70%), and it features a lightweight, compact design for little hands, a silicone gel case to protect against drops and spills, 4GB of memory with room for expansion, and an interface that’s fun and easy to use. Plus, this item includes free shipping as well.

Personalized Calendars & Books for 40% Off: Shutterfly is featuring 40% off your entire order when you enter the promotional code LUV40 at checkout. This is an ideal way to create a classroom calendar that features important dates, upcoming field trips, and project due dates. As an alternative, you could also create a customized book that teaches a variety of topics (ABCs, numbers, parts of speech) by using pictures of family members, friends, and familiar places and/or objects. This type of book makes the learning process fun and familiar for your child.

Crayola Colored Pencils (24 ct.) for $3.02: Amazon has their Crayola Colored Pencils (24 ct.) on sale for $3.02. These pre-sharpened pencils are ideal for any art or craft project.

Free Bird Printable Pack: Download a free Bird Printable Pack from Homeschool Creations. This pack includes such skills as rhyming, adding, counting syllables, puzzles, and more.

Up to 50% Off Wonderworld Wooden Toys: Amazon is featuring up to50% off their Wonderworld Wooden Toys. There are dozens of items on sale, and you can find the entire listing here.

70% Off Wall Calendars & Planners: Are you trying to find a way to keep track of your child’s school work, field trips, and extra-curricular activities? If so, DaySpring has you covered! DaySpring is featuring 70% off their wall calendars, appointment planners, and 28-month planners. No coupon code is required for this promotion, and prices start at just $1.50. This sale is valid through January 31st.

Liberty’s Kids Complete DVD Series for $5: Amazon has their Liberty’s Kids Complete DVD Series on sale for $5. This set received a 5-star rating from over 500 reviews and has over 800 minutes of run time.

Free Bear Snores On Pack: 3 Dinosaurs has a free Bear Snores On Packavailable for download. This pack includes beginning sounds, matching, patterns, puzzles, and more.

LEGO Friends Sunshine Harvest Set for $15.99: Amazon has their LEGO Friends Sunshine Harvest Set on sale for $15.99. This set features a trailer, a fruit stand with cash register, fruit, cake, a tree with apples, a garden patch with vegetables, and a cute dog house.

Clue Board Game for $5.48: Amazon has their Clue Board Game on sale for $5.48. There are several other games on sale as well including Twister Skip-It Game for $9.71, Doc McStuffins All Better Game for $8.82, Jake & the Neverland Pirates Adventure Board Game for $6.99, and Jake & the Neverland Pirates Treasure Hunt Game for $12.98.

Katie is a wife and homeschooling mother of four who writes at Cincinnati Cents about saving money and having fun as a family without breaking the bank. She enjoys sharing new recipes,ideas for frugal family fun, and tips for spending less at the grocery store.

Rekenrek?? So what the heck is a rekenrek?

Today, I spent part of my Martin Luther King Jr. Day making rekenreks.

So what the heck is a rekenrek? A rekenrek is a calculating frame.  It is a tool that helps kids to generate a variety of addition and subtraction strategies, including doubles, doubles plus 1, making tens, and compensation.  I have used it for one-to-one correspondence, counting on and number of the day.  At the beginning of kindergarten when students are just beginning to subitize 5 and 10, I  would probably only concentrate on one string of ten beads on the rekenrek with five of the beads being yellow and the other five black.  I would gradually transition to the two strings of ten beads for addition and subtraction.  This is an amazing tool for metacognition and number talks and kids love them.  This pdf by Barbara Blanke explains more in detail how and why to use them. 

I just made these by taking an 8 x 11.5 card-stock cut in half. Punched 4 holes, 20 beads of 2 colors, chenille sticks (pipe cleaners), Popsicle sticks and hot glue (Be careful!!). Laminated and put together as in picture. 

Enjoy :-)
Emily

Educational Deals & Freebies Round-up

Here are some of the best educational deals and freebies available right now from Katie who writes at Cincinnati Cents:

Time to Learn ABC Carpet for $29.04: Amazon has their Time to Learn ABC Carpet on sale for $29.04. This carpet typically retails for $49.99, and it features the alphabet along with illustrations of popular items. Since the carpet is soil and stain resistant as well as washable, it’s ideal for any learning space.

Typing Instructor for Kids Software for $6.99: Purchase the Typing Instructor for Kids Platinum 5 Software for just $6.99. This software features step-by-step lessons, challenges, tests, and games to motivate kids to keep typing. The program is available in both English and Spanish.

Beados Starter Pack for $9.01: Amazon has their Beados Starter Pack on sale for $9.01. This set come with everything you need to get started – an easy-to-use Pod Pen to swap Beados colors, over 500 Beados, water bottle, design templates, and special accessories.

Free Kindle eBooks for Kids: There are several free Kindle eBooks for kidsavailable to download including How To Draw Cool Stuff, A Christmas Carol, Life with Lily, Amazing Pandas, Human Body: An Inside Look at Body Organs, The Toddler’s Busy Book for Beginners, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, The Quest: The Untold Story of Steve, The Ugly Duckling, and Lily Lemon Blossom: Welcome to Lily’s Room.

Disney Frozen Stickers (450 ct.) for $14.99 Shipped: Tanga is featuring their Disney Frozen Ultimate Sticker Pack for $14.99. This set includes 450 stickers with all of the Frozen characters such as Elsa, Anna, and Olaf. Little ones will also find snowflakes and other cold weather images, all of which are packaged in a Frozen gift box. Plus, this set includes free shipping as well.

Fisher-Price Soothe & Glow Seahorse for $9.86: Amazon has theirFisher-Price Ocean Wonders Soothe & Glow Seahorse on sale for $9.86. This toy features oceans sounds and music, including 8 gentle lullabies, classical selections, and the soothing sounds of the ocean.

K’NEX Robo Strike Building Set for $7.59: Purchase the K’NEX Robo Strike Building Set for just $7.59. This set features 163 classic parts including rods and connectors, and it has motorized features as well

Free Easing Back Into School Printables: The Home Educating Family Association is featuring a free set of Easing Back Into School printables. This pack includes science projects, natures studies, book suggestions, and craft ideas.

My First Thomas the Train Bath Set for $6.14: Amazon has their My First Thomas the Train Bath Set on sale for $6.14. This set includes Thomas the Train, Harold, and two Troublesome Trucks.

LEGO Ninjago Arena Storage Case for $10.49: Purchase the LEGO Ninjago Arena Storage Case for just $10.49. This item is a toy and storage solution all in one, and is able to store Ninjago figures, spinners, cards, and more. Plus, it features a wipe-clean surface and sturdy, durable zippers.

Rock ‘N Learn Math & Science 10-DVD Collection for $39.99 Shipped: Groupon has their Rock ‘N Learn Math & Science 10-DVD Collection on sale for $39.99. This set typically retails for $129.95, and it features topics such as telling time, money, fractions, earth science, and the human body for kids. As an alternative, you can also pick up the Rock ‘N Learn 10-DVD Preschool Set for $39.99 as well. This set features colors, shapes, numbers, sight words, phonics for beginners, and more. Plus, both of these sets include free shipping as well.

Katie is a wife and homeschooling mother of four who writes at Cincinnati Cents about saving money and having fun as a family without breaking the bank. She enjoys sharing new recipes, ideas for frugal family fun, and tips for spending less at the grocery store.