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When I was an adult before I had kids, I always bought my mom a card. It was nice, but now that I’m a mom, I know how much a handmade card from my kids means rather than a store-bought one.

All the moms in your life will smile when they see the little prints in this handmade card. It is inspired by an awesome book in our Usborne Store called Fingerprint Activities.

There are so many inspiring pictures to make with your fingerprints, and this book makes it easy to duplicate and experiment with a built-in stamp pad.

Fingerprint Mother’s Day Card

First, I made this printable with 2 different Mother’s Day cards. One says, “I made a flower with my finger and thumb. So you will have these memories for years to come.  I love you.” This could be for any Mother in your life.

The other says, “If I had a Flower for each time I thought of my Mother, I could walk in my Garden Forever…” Just click on the image below to download.

We made prints with the tips of our fingers for the flowers and then added details with a black pen. The butterfly is made by printing the whole finger for the front wings and the tips of the fingers for the back wings.

We tried a bird and a bee and some flowers of our own. It was a lot of fun, and now we have special cards for our Mothers!

If you’re looking for more Mother’s Day Card ideas, you might also like this hand and foot print Mother’s Day card!

More Book Activity Ideas!

Rebecca at Line Upon Line Learning

Lauren at Mama’s Learning Corner

The post Fingerprint Mother’s Day Card Kids Can Make first appeared on True Aim.

I know what it’s like to be stuck indoors all day. It’s not raining right now but we did get about 8 inches of snow! To spice up our day and pass the time, we tried this super easy Treasure Bag Craft from an amazing new craft book we got to review from Dover Publishing!

Make in a Day Crafts for Kids

This new book from Dover Publications is perfect for the craft lover in all of us. Even if you dislike crafts, the quality of these projects are going to please you! The results will give you handmade items that can double as gifts, party favors or turn into your favorite accessory!

These crafts are perfect for kids ages 6+. Some are easier and others require more skill, but most can be adapted so the whole family or class can enjoy! The step by step directions make it a perfect crafting book for older children to do on their own. The 15 different projects, from decorative to practical, will become your favorites after getting this book!

Save 25% with code WHCZ on Make in a Day Crafts for Kids! Make sure you check out the author, Cintia Gonzalez-Pell’s amazing blog for more inspiration!

Easy Treasure Bag Craft for Kids

We choose to try the treasure bag craft because it looked like something I would actually use! There are so many things you could do with these bags; party favors, jewelry keeper, makeup bag.

Check out the LIVE video to see how we made ours or grab the book for 25% off with code WHCZ by 4/30/18 or while supplies last!

How easy is that?! After the video, my kids couldn’t stop making treasure bag after treasure bag. If you know me and have a birthday coming up, you’ll probably be getting one as a gift. lol.

Crafts for Kids Giveaway

Stop by our Facebook page to Enter to Win a free copy! Make sure you comment on the post with the video above and tag a friend or share the video! Can’t wait to send 2 lucky winners a copy so they can start making their own amazing crafts!

The post Easy Treasure Bag Craft for Kids – Giveaway! first appeared on True Aim.

Hand prints are so telling.  It reminds us how quickly time goes by and how precious these moments we have really are.

I’m excited to see my little ones grow, but at the same, I want them to stay little forever.  I like to make some sort of hand and foot print card with their picture every year so I can remember their cuteness.

Mother’s Day Hand and Foot Print Card

First, print off this free Mother’s Day poem printable on card stock.  That way, if you use school glue it doesn’t get all wrinkly like regular printer paper.

Have the children trace their hands and a foot on construction paper or help them do it.  For the foot use green and for the hands a different color.  Cut the prints out as well as another long green strip of construction paper for the stem of the flower.  Next, place the stem on the card and arrange the hands into a flower shape with the palms overlapping on top of the stem.  Use the foot print as a leaf at the bottom of the stem.  Print off a picture of the children and place it in the middle of the flower hands.

One year, I didn’t have as many children in my preschool class so we used paint to make our hand and foot prints.

I really like paint, but the construction paper method is nice because older children can do it all by themselves.

I will definitely be doing the construction paper flower card again for my new preschool class at church.

Do you have any Mother’s Day gift ideas that you like to make with kids?

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Mother’s Day Giveaway!

Instant Pots are all the rage these days.  They seem to be on the top of most mom’s wish lists.  They are quick, convenient, and help to make delicious meals; why wouldn’t every mom or homemaker want (or need) one?  Well, if you still haven’t jumped on the Instant Pot bandwagon and bought yourself one, you have the chance to win one right here!  I’m partnering with 24 of my blogging friends to give away FOUR Instant Pots!  Yup, FOUR!!  Just in time for Mother’s Day.  What an amazing gift that would be, right?!

To enter for your chance to win, simply use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.  Now I know that is quite a few entries for you, but each of these bloggers generously chipped in their own money to bring you this giveaway, so I hope you will take the time to do all of the entries.  And hey, the more entries you do, the better your odds are at winning!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends May 10th at 11:59pm EDT.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond to email to claim prize.  Please be sure to read the Terms & Conditions upon entering the giveaway.

The post Mother’s Day Craft: Flower Hand and Foot Print Card first appeared on True Aim.

History Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten

Exploring Art History with Preschoolers – Playground Parkbench

Explore art history, from Modernism in the late 19th century to Pop Art, popular in the 1960s.

Montessori Inspired European Unit Study – The Pinay Homeschooler

Study European history with flags, animals, and landmarks – great for all elementary school students.

The Legend of Horatius at the Bridge – Layers of Learning

Learn about the legend of Horatius with this stanza, coloring sheet, and free printable Roman helmets.

Picture Books for Black History Month – No Twiddle Twaddle

Study black history through literature! Here are 10 great picture books for bringing black history alive.

Ancient Rome Food and Feast – Highhill Homeschool

Fill your tummy with a feast, fit for Ancient Rome. There’s nothing too extravagant about the meal, but elementary kiddos will love this!

Famous Artist Crafts for Kids  – The Crafty Classroom

Recreate the works of famous artists with these tutorials! Learn about them in the process, from Monet to Pollock.

Popsicle Stick Teepees – Glued to My Crafts

Study Native American history by creating these teepees. They’re pretty simple to make, with popsicle sticks being the base.

President’s Day Freebie – Mrs. Ricca’s Kindergarten

Study George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in this freebie for President’s Day.

Roman Numeral Lessons – The Natural Homeschool

Roman numerals are still used today! Introduce your kiddos to Roman numerals with this free printable.

Jackie Robinson Craft – Cutting Tiny Bites

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson made history for breaking racial barriers and becoming the first African American to become a Major League Baseball player.

George Washington Lapbook – Lapbook Lessons

Use this lapbook to learn about our first president, George Washington!

Learn about Martin Luther King Jr – Teach Preschool

Martin Luther King Jr. made great advances for the Civil Rights movements. Learn about his amazing life!

Stonehenge Lesson for Preschool – Adventures in Mommydom

Get hands-on while learning about Stonehenge! It can be adapted for elementary and middle school, and is great for combining history and STEM.

Rosie the Riveter Coloring Page – Education.com

Rosie the Riveter was a classic icon during WWII, inspiring woman to help the war effort by taking up jobs.

Liberty Bell Craft – Mrs. Black’s Bees

Recreate the Liberty Bell while learning about early American history!

Pom-Pom American Flag Painting – Crafty Morning

Celebrate the 4th of July and Independence Day with this American flag painting! It’s simple and costs next to nothing.

Free Ancient Egypt Preschool Worksheets – 123 Homeschool for Me

Learn about ancient Egypt with this math and literacy pack. There are 17 printables, with history activities that can be adjusted for toddlers to 2nd grade.

Fun with Coloring Mixing: A Martin Luther King Jr. Day Craft – MPM Ideas

Learn about diversity and segregation with this bright coloring craft. It works best for large groups, but can be adjusted for smaller groups.

Ancient History: Roman Road – Preschool Powol Pockets

Learn about ancient history with this hands-on craft! Recreate a textured Roman road.

The post History Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten first appeared on True Aim.

We’ve been focusing on giving this Christmas and that is why the Big Book of Character was a perfect story to read before we got started on our simple neighbor gifts. There are so many great stories in this book including; Chipmunk’s Charity, Courage Isn’t Crazy, Humble Before A Tumble, Bad Company, and Kindness Moves the Bear. Each story features character building reflection questions and Bible verses at the end.

Can you guess which one we read? We also made an acorn ornament that went along with it and attached those to our snack bags.

Simple Gifts for Neighbors

One of the most important aspects of this activity was where the gifts came from. First, the ornaments were handmade and the kids spent an hour or so making them. Second, the snacks were purchased with money they had earned for working around the house. That made these gifts very meaningful for the kids. To them, it was quite the investment.

They really had a lot of fun stamping their bags and talking about what they were going to put on them and why. This gave the gifts a personal touch and I’m sure the neighbors will notice because they aren’t exactly picture perfect.

I helped hole punch the bags and tie the ribbon on them with their handmade acorn ornaments.

Maybe the neighbors will think they are as cute as I do! However, the ornaments represent the kids sharing what they have with others.

I explained to the kids before we went out that although our neighbors may not be in need, everyone can use a little charity to help brighten up their day. Also, by putting Jesus loves you on the snack bags, we were sharing God’s word. Most people could use more of that in their lives so the kids were even more excited to hand them out!

Do you give gifts to your neighbors for Christmas?

Need more help getting your kids focused on the true meaning of Christmas?

We have all sorts of fun activities, recipes and family fun that are inspired by a Children’s Christmas book that share the real meaning of Christmas! Make sure to follow along, you can take a look at the schedule over at Inspired by Familia blog.

Here are our fabulous bloggers and their books:
Inspired by Family – the Christmas Cookie
Meaningful Mama – The Crippled Lamb,
Teaching Mama – The Legend of the Candy Cane
Beautiful Messy Motherhood – A Carol for Christmas,
Happy Home Fairy – M is for Manger
Simple home Blessings – Who is Coming to Our House?
The Chaos and the Clutter – I Spy Christmas
Creative Family Fun – The Birds of Bethlehem
Sunshine Whispers!

The post Simple Gifts for Neighbors to Help Kids Learn About Charity first appeared on True Aim.

Chipmunk Charity

This ornament was inspired by a story from the Big Book of Character. Here is a little summary and why these acorn ornaments are so special!

There once was a busy Squirrel who was hard at work collecting acorns for the winter. As he was searching he bumped into something. At first he thought it was just a rock, but then he heard the sobs of a chipmunk. All of chipmunks food she had stored was stolen by a racoon and she didn’t know what to do. Squirrel was too worried about himself to help, but he assured her someone would probably help her and scurried off to hide his bounty. As he stuffed acorns into a hole in a tree stump, he worried that the chipmunk might have followed him and spied his secret hiding place. He thought he should secure it with a large rock, but as he was moving it another animal was watching.

Racoon offered his assistance to Squirrel and proceeded to lift up the rock and eat all of the acorns! Poor squirrel watched in dismay and gave up all hope of surviving winter after that. He laid down and closed his eyes as the first snow started to fall. There was a light blanket covering him as who would happen to bump into him, but Chipmunk!

Will she leave him to fend for himself like he did to her? I think you can guess, but if you want to read the whole story, you can download it for just 1 dollar or buy the whole collection of 5 different stories in paperback. Each story features reflection questions and a Bible verse or two that goes with the story. Like Hebrews 13:16 for Chipmunk Charity, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

Kid Made Acorn Ornament

Before I came up with this one, I had the kids try to make an ornament with yarn, glue and balloons. Let’s just say, it didn’t go so well. So, I came up with this one on a whim. Pipe cleaners and wooden beads were the only things left in my craft drawer that went together and I love how the acorn ornaments turned out!

They are so easy and just gorgeous. Definitely a memorable ornament for your Christmas tree.

To prepare for the craft, you’ll need to cut the pipe cleaners. You’ll need one full length pipe cleaner for the acorn cap and one cut about 3/4ths length. The 3/4ths length pipe cleaner will be the one that the kids put beads on. You can also cut some short pieces to decorate the acorn cap if you’d like, but you don’t have to.

You may want to try and make a model ornament first so your children can see an example. Have your kids string the beads onto the 3/4ths length pipe cleaner, leaving room on both ends to attach to the cap.

Form the cap of the acorn ornament by putting both ends together and twisting about 2 inches down for the stem. Then put your thumb and pointer finger in between the folded part of the pipe cleaner and extend your fingers to make an elongated oval shape.

Attach the shorter, beaded pipe cleaner to the acorn cap by twisting the end onto the bottom. You can then add shorter pieces of pipe cleaners to decorate the acorn cap.

Hang the kid made acorn ornament on your tree and remind your children that no matter how little we have, we can always share it.

What to see more kid-made ornaments inspired by books?

Check these out:

Teach Beside Me – Christmas Music Tree

The Life of Jennifer Dawn – Patchwork Ornament

Kitchen Floor Crafts – Polar Bear Ornament

Arty Crafty Kids – Twig Christmas Tree

10 Days of a Kid-Made Christmas Series!

The post Teach About Charity with Kid Made Acorn Ornament first appeared on True Aim.

I cannot believe it is almost Christmas! It seems that we were just celebrating the new year a few months ago. Christmas can be a time to slow down our busy schedules and prioritize what is most important in our life.

Make the countdown to Christmas more purposeful this year with these 24 free printable cards. There are three pages of eight cards. Print the cards and cut them out. Stick these cards in a jar and pull one out every day during December, until Christmas time!

Christmas Countdown Activities

1. Build something
2. Play a game
3. Tell a story
4. Read a book
5. Try a new recipe
6. Do a project
7. Sing Christmas carols
8. Have a movie night
9. Do something nice
10. Make sugar cookies (Pinterest has great inspiration for unique twists on regular sugar cookies)
11. Decorate a wreath
12. Attend a Christmas bazaar or craft show
13. Make homemade Christmas cards
14. Make snowmen
15. Have an indoor camping trip
16. See Christmas lights
17. Have a fancy dinner
18. Watch Christmas movies
19. Go sledding (or skiing!)
20. Make a warm drink
21. Play charades
22. Have a gift swap
23. Bake cookies for firefighters
24. Make puppy chow

Download your Free Christmas Cards Here!

The post 24 Day Christmas Countdown for Families – Free Printable first appeared on True Aim.

Heidi (affiliate link) is a work of fiction written in 1880 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, originally published in two parts as Heidi’s years of learning and travel and Heidi makes use of what she has learned. It is a novel about the events in the life of a young girl in her grandfather’s care, in the Swiss Alps. She is an orphan girl who has simple, but exciting mountain adventures! No wonder my daughter likes it. Heidi is one of the best-selling books ever written and is among the best-known works of Swiss literature.

I decided to look up some of the customs and traditions of the Swiss people. They are known for yodeling, cheese, wrestling, woodcarving and decoupage! I thought we would try our own little Swiss art project and made up a decorative template we could trace and make our own decoupage!

Decoupage for Kids

The picture below is an example of traditional Swiss Decoupage. As you can see, it is very intricate. Popular themes are black and white, cattle driving or Swiss scenery with floral and heart motifs. There is even a Swiss association called Friends of Decoupage!

For our decoupage, I made a simple template with birds and a flower. If you have older children, I have also made some templates with more intricate designs. You could also try making your own. A lot of artists will fold their paper in half and make the design, cut it out and open the fold so they have a mirrored symmetrical design.

The supplies we used in this craft were a cutting board, cardboard, craft paper, template, tape, a knife or push pin, a hole punch and some string.

We put the cardboard on a cutting board just in case we cut through the cardboard. After cutting out the template, we taped it on our craft paper and then started cutting with the knife. You’ll want to supervise your children very carefully so they are not putting their fingers in front of the knife and holding it correctly.

If you are worried, you can give them a push pin and have them poke small holes around the design instead. Then they can leave it the way it is, with just pin pricks in the paper showing the design, or they can cut it away with scissors.

We laminated ours with some clear adhesive paper and then hole punched the top to make a sun catcher.

The post Swiss Inspired Decoupage for Kids first appeared on True Aim.

Learning Activities Perfect for Spring

Fractions will make much more sense using this Fraction Flowers method and maths more fun with these games: Spring Math Game and Number Line Game!

Pretend and count with this Flower Pots Counting Activity.

Work on fine motor skills by making a Fine Motor & Counting Busy Sheet or this sweet Feed the Robin idea.

Learn about the busy bees and enjoy this Pollen Transfer fine motor activity.

Arranging Flowers are fun and educational too!

Print these free printables: Fingerprint Counting and Spring Alphabet Puzzle for a quick, no prep activity.

Practice name recognition and spelling with an easy Tulip Name Puzzle.

Spell some word family words with a Word Family Garden activity or perhaps use these Spring Writing Prompts for your older kids.

Spring Science activities like these Colourful Flowers and Seed Germination are always a hit!

Learn about What plants need with this fun idea and printable.

Get out the house and have fun learning in nature with these Park Activities, perfect for Spring time!

Teach economics and entrepreneurship with this free Entrepreneurship for Kids: Create a Lemonade Stand packet.

Try this Rain Cloud Experiment, and learn about the different types of clouds; what they look like, and what they can predict.

Enjoy Spring and enjoy learning with these fun ideas and activities!

The post Learning Activities Perfect for Spring first appeared on True Aim.

Welcome to Mom’s Library

This post is filled with parenting tips, activities for young children, crafts, devotionals, recipes, and more!

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Click here to see all Mom’s Library Posts

This Week’s Giveaway!

I See Me Personalized Book Giveaway!

Enter to win any single book of your choice from I See Me!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pumpkin Crafts

Find the Letter on the Pumpkin – Hands on As We Grow

For younger kids who are learning their alphabet, try this “find the letter” pumpkin activity.

Pumpkin Patch Preschool Printable – Homeschool Preschool

Homeschool Preschool is known for their adorable free printables. Here is a pumpkin patch inspired printable.

Easy Rice Krispie Pumpkins – Embark on the Journey

If you’ve made Rice Krispie treats before, this should be a breeze!

Pumpkin Science Exploration – Pre-K Pages

Introduce kids to science the fun way – hands-on activities. Get messy with this hands-on pumpkin exploration activity.

Big Pumpkin Storytelling Paper Plate Craft

Inspired by the book Big Pumpkin, create a pumpkin paper plate.

Describe a Pumpkin Using All 5 Senses – Gift of Curiosity

Describe a pumpkin using all five senses – what does it feel like? Look like? Smell like? This can easily be adapted for older children as well, as it requires some interesting thought!

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The post Pumpkin Crafts and Mom’s Library #162 first appeared on True Aim.