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Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

December 2, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Reach into your craft supplies and let’s make a paper plate car craft with the kids. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool for more ideas.

We can turn it into a whole lesson on C is for Cars or cars in general to make it a memorable mini-unit for preschoolers.

Kick off your lesson by creating an adorable paper plate car.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

Preschoolers can paint or color their plates, add wheels from construction paper, glue on windows, and personalize their vehicle with their favorite colors.

This simple craft strengthens fine motor skills and allows kids to use creativity while reinforcing the letter C visually and verbally.

When preschoolers learn through motion, hands-on play, and imagination, the alphabet suddenly becomes exciting and memorable.

 C is for Car is a perfect early-learning theme because kids already love vroom-vroom pretend play, and this lets them literally “drive” the lesson.

BOOKS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION FOR KIDS

Transportation Themed Books & Resources for Kids

Add some of these fun books about transportation from the earliest times to modern.

Cars, Trains, Ships, and Planes: A Visual Encyclopedia of Every Vehicle

Explore the incredible world of automobiles, aviation and more, from mini motors to modern warships, helicopters to high-speed trains, with this engaging encyclopedia for children aged 9-12 perfect for young transport enthusiasts.

Counting Collection: Counting Cars

Young vehicle fans can use the sturdy picture tabs to turn to their favorite page for counting car fun, time and time again in Roger Priddy's Counting Cars.There are race cars, motorbikes, family cars, and all kinds of vehicles to discover racing across the pages of this awesome counting book!Organized into seven themed collections, the pages are packed with vehicles to look for, find, and count, along with lots of fun things to spot.The Counting Collection board book series offers a fun way to help young minds develop their math and visual skills with colorful images packed on every page for children to look for, count, and identify.

Mr Littles Noisy Car (Lift-The-Flap)

Before he can drive his car Mr Little has to find out why it is hissing and growling and squeaking. Help him discover what is wrong by lifting the flaps and finding the surprises hiding inside.

Peaceable Kingdom Giant Floor Puzzles with Uniquely Fun Shaped Pieces for Kids Ages 3+ Gifts for Boys and Girls - Racecar

Peaceable Kingdom Giant Floor Puzzles with Uniquely Fun Shaped Pieces

I also have many other ways that you can use Hot Wheels cars.

From creating playful learning centers throughout your homeschool day, making art with the wheels to using cars as a unit of measure to introduce a new math concept.

7 LEARNING ABOUT CARS PRESCHOOL ACTIVITIES

1. HOT WHEELS ALPHABET ROADS

Great for developing letter recognition and reinforcing sounds.

Make a large road on the floor using painter’s tape or poster board.

Write letters along the roads and have your child:

  • Drive a car to the letter C each time you ask for it.
  • Match cars with letter cards scattered along the roadway
Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

2. CAR SIZE COMPARISON

Compare big, medium, small. This is early math vocabulary, sequencing, observation.

Line up several cars and compare their sizes.

Ask:

  • Which is the biggest?
  • Which is the smallest?
  • Can you put them in order?

3. MEASURING WITH CARS

Introduce non-standard measurement, counting, estimation, cause and effect, simple physics, problem-solving.

Pick an object-a book, a shoe, a toy- and measure how many Hot Wheels cars long it is. Kids can line up the cars bumper-to-bumper to measure.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

4. HOT WHEELS RAMP SCIENCE

Use cardboard or a baking sheet to make a ramp.

Let kids test:

  • Which car goes fastest?
  • Which car goes farthest?
  • What happens if we make the ramp taller?
  • What if we use carpet vs. tile?

5. CAR WASH SENSORY BIN

This is fun for sensory play, fine motor, and practical life skills.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

Use a bin with warm, soapy water, sponges, and brushes.

Let kids wash their cars and then dry them.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

6. CAR TRACKS ART

And a fun car tracks art encourages creativity, cause and effect, pattern making.

Dip the wheels of Hot Wheels cars in washable paint and drive them across paper.

Kids can make straight lines, zigzags, swirls, or rainbow roads.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

7. NUMBER PARKING GAME

Try this number parking game to practice number recognition, counting, and following directions.

Label parking spots 1–10.

Ask your child to park a car on the number you call out. Or roll a die and park a car on the matching number.

MORE CAR CRAFTS AND RESOURCES

Here are some more fabulous car-themed activities and resources your child will love.

  • This C is for Car: Letter of the Week Snack for Preschoolers is the cutest thing!
  • Upcycle and create this Craft and Play: Toilet Paper Roll Car Craft.
  • Another fun car themed idea is to learn How to Build a Toilet Paper Roll Balloon Car.
  • Make a Car Themed Sensory Bin for Toddlers and Preschoolers to introduce stop and go, the parts of a road or car and more.
  • Watch Cars and Trucks Learning Video with your little one to help them learn more about cars and other types of vehicles.
Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

Finally, look at how to make this paper plate car craft.

PAPER PLATE CAR CRAFT

This cute C is for Car craft, is easy for little hands, and uses supplies you probably already have. Kids will love decorating their personalized car and “driving” it during circle time or while practicing the letter C.

You will need:

  • Paper plate
  • Paint, markers, or crayons
  • Construction paper (black, white, and any color you like)
  • Glue stick or liquid glue
  • Scissors
Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

Optional: stickers, bottle caps, pom poms, aluminum foil, and googly eyes

Cut a paper plate in half; you can save half for a future craft or make two cars.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

Let your child decorate the plate half by painting it a solid color, let it dry.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

Cut two circles from black construction paper for the wheels.

Cut out simple window shapes from white or light-blue construction paper.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

Glue the wheels onto the bottom curved edge of the paper plate.

Glue down one large, rounded rectangle for the main window.

Or two square windows for a boxier look.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

Paint on additional colors and patterns if desired.

Easy and Fun Paper Plate Car Craft With Your Kids

Let kids personalize their car with fun touches to let their personality shine…

  • Decorate with stars or racing stripes.
  • Draw a door handle
  • Add headlights using yellow paper circles
  • Glue on a license plate
  • Add racing numbers or stickers

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: alphabet, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, homeschool preschool, letter sounds, phonics, preschool, preschool skills

How To Craft A Winter Scene: Forest Playdough Ideas

December 1, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Crafting a winter scene forest playdough activity is simple and the perfect activity to brighten chilly days. Also, grab more ideas and a free lapbook for winter fun on my page Winter Season Unit Study.

And if you’re looking for cozy, screen-free activities that spark creativity and calm you won’t need too many supplies to keep your little ones entertained and play learn.

For example, kids press the white playdough onto the surface to form snowbanks, icy patches, or forest clearings.

How To Craft A Winter Scene: Forest Playdough Ideas

Besides, winter is full of textures and sensations, crunchy snow, pine needles, smooth stones, and sparkling ice. All of this makes for a winter sensory experience full of hours of fun and learning.

Kids can sprinkle glitter to mimic frost, press evergreen sprigs into white playdough snow and create animal tracks with toy figurines.

A winter forest playdough setup has no rules. Kids can make snowy hills, frozen ponds, wandering foxes, or mystical woodland creatures.

BOOKS ABOUT WINTER FOR LITTLE ONES

Next, make it a full day of learning about the cold and snow through these books I’ve rounded up.

I prefer living books and have added them to the list.

10 Winter Books For Preschool

Here is the precious list of winter books that will have your child investigating, using their imagination, laughing,creating, and making winter memories with you.

The Mitten

Set in a snowy forest, the fun begins when, one by one, animals crawl into Nicki’s lost white mitten to get warm until the bear sneezes, sending the animals flying up and out of the mitten. On each turn of the page, Jan hints at what animal is coming next in her signature borders, inspired by Ukrainian folk art.

Over and Under the Snow

Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow lies a secret world of squirrels and snow hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals making their winter home under the snow. This beloved nonfiction picture book reveals the tunnels and caves formed beneath the snow but over the ground, where many kinds of animals live through the winter, safe and warm, awake and busy, but hidden beneath
the snow. 

Bear Snores On

One by one, a whole host of different animals and birds find their way out of the cold and into Bear's cave to warm up. But even after the tea has been brewed and the corn has been popped, Bear just snores on!
See what happens when he finally wakes up and finds his cave full of uninvited guests -- all of them having a party without him!

There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow!

There was a cold lady who swallowed some snow.

I don't know why she swallowed some snow.

Perhaps you know.

The old lady is swallowing everything from snow to a pipe, some coal, a hat, and more! With rollicking, rhyming text and funny illustrations, this lively version will appeal to young readers with every turn of the page. And this time, there's a surprise at the end no reader will be ble to guess!

The Snowy Day

In 1962, a little boy named Peter put on his snowsuit and stepped out of his house and into the hearts of millions of readers. Universal in its appeal, this story beautifully depicts a child's wonder at a new world, and the hope of capturing and keeping that wonder forever. The quiet fun and sweetness of Peter’s small adventures in the deep, deep snow is perfect for reading together on a cozy winter day.

Sneezy the Snowman

B-R-R-R-R! AH-CHOO! Sneezy the Snowman is cold, cold, cold. To warm up, he drinks cocoa, sits in a hot tub, stands near a warm fire–and melts! But the children know just what to do to build him up again–and
make him feel “just right”. Hilarity chills the air with playful mixed-media illustrations by Stephen Gilpin as Sneezy attempts to warm himself with some silly results.

Owl Moon

"As expansive as the broad sweep of the great owl's wings and as close and comforting as a small hand held on a wintry night . . . The visual images have a sense of depth and seem to invite readers into this special nighttime world."-

Ten on the Sled

A favorite childrens song ("Ten on the Bed") gets a delightfully slippery, slide-y twist! In the land of the midnight sun, all the animals are having fun speeding down the hill on Caribous sled. But as they go faster and faster, Seal, Hare, Walrus, and the others all fall off . . . until just the caribous left, only and lonely. Now, a reindeer
likes flying-but never alone, so . . . all the animals leap onto the sled again! This beloved story is new in board and abridged for a preschool audience, and its ideal for reading, counting, and singing along with, over and over.

Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter

As leaves fall from their trees, animals huddle against the cold, and frost creeps across windows, everyone knows--winter is on its way!Join a brother and sister as they explore nature and take a stroll through their twinkling town, greeting all the signs of the coming season. In a series of conversations with everything from the setting sun to curious deer, they say goodbye to autumn and welcome the glorious first snow of winter.

Animals in Winter

This is a clear and appealing book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. Introduce kids to basic science ideas as part of discussions about the seasons and animals.

Have you ever seen a butterfly in the snow? Probably not. Butterflies can't survive cold weather, so when winter comes, many butterflies fly to warmer places. They migrate. Woodchucks don't like cold weather either,
but they don't migrate; they hibernate. Woodchucks sleep in their dens all winter long. How do these and other animals handle the cold and snow of winter?

Then, look at more winter activities.

MORE WINTER ACTIVITIES

  • Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study
  • Nature Craft: How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders
  • Winter Craft Ideas How to Make Fun Pinecone Flowers
  • Fun Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Kids Activity for Long Winter Nights
  • How to Make an Adorable Toilet Roll Snowman for Winter Crafts
  • Easy DIY Fun Salt Winter Watercolor Art Project for Kids
  • Simple and Easy Instant Ice Kids Activity Homeschool Science Experiments
  • Winter Craft Ideas for Kids Animals in Winter Fun Snow Slime
  • Easy Hands on Snowflake Winter Craft for Kids Who Don’t Have Snow
  • Two Fun Candy Cane Hands-on Science Winter Experiments
  • 3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities
  • Over And Under The Snow Activities For a Free Literature Unit Study
  • DIY Adorable Salt Dough Gingerbread House To Make With Kids
  • 10 Toilet Paper Roll Winter Crafts | Make An Adorable Toilet Roll Winter Village
  • How To Create Toilet Paper Roll Penguins For A Bowling Game
  • Free Roll-A-Gingerbread House Game For Kids Who Love Games
How To Craft A Winter Scene: Forest Playdough Ideas

Finally, look at how to make a winter forest playdough tray.

WINTER FOREST PLAYDOUGH TRAY

Supply List

  • Wood slices
  • White playdough
  • Light blue playdough
  • Small woodland animal toys
  • Pine needles
  • Pinecones
  • Small sticks and twigs
  • Smooth rocks and pebbles
How To Craft A Winter Scene: Forest Playdough Ideas

Prep the Tray: Fill each section of a divided tray with a different nature element like pine needles, pinecones, sticks, rocks, and wood slices.

How To Craft A Winter Scene: Forest Playdough Ideas

Add Playdough: Roll balls of white and light blue playdough and place them in the center or in their own small section. These colors help create a snowy, wintery scene.

Include Woodland Animals: Arrange small woodland animal figurines in one of the tray sections so kids can easily grab them for storytelling and scene building.

How To Craft A Winter Scene: Forest Playdough Ideas

Invite Kids to Play: Set the tray out so children can build their winter forest world.

PLAY IDEAS FOR THE WINTER SCENE TRAY

Kids can stand twigs upright in the playdough to make trees, use pine needles like brush or fallen winter grass, and combine rocks and pinecones to build tiny dens.

One favorite part of this activity is pressing the woodland animals into the dough to create footprints. Kids can explore how different animals leave different tracks.

How To Craft A Winter Scene: Forest Playdough Ideas

As they play, they design scenes, move animals between habitats, and build their own winter stories again and again.

BENEFITS

Fine Motor Skills: Rolling dough, pressing sticks, and arranging small objects strengthen hand muscles.

Sensory Exploration: Kids feel different textures like smooth stones, prickly pine needles, bumpy pinecones, and squishy dough, which helps build sensory awareness.

Creativity & Imagination: Open-ended materials encourage storytelling and world-building as kids design their own winter forest.

How To Craft A Winter Scene: Forest Playdough Ideas

STEM Concepts: Kids explore balance (standing sticks upright), cause and effect (pressing objects into dough), and spatial awareness.

Nature Connection: Natural elements spark curiosity about real winter forests, animal habitats, and seasonal changes.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, homeschoolinginwinter, playdough, sensory, sensory bin, winter crafts, winter season

Learning About The Solar System Free Cosmic Wonders Guide

November 30, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some learning about the solar system activities and a free Cosmic Wonders Fun Guide to the Universe’s Coolest Events. Look at my other page Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for more ideas and topics for hands-on learning.

Learning about the cool events in the night sky printable has family activities and learning prompts.

And there are many hands-on ideas to keep your kids learning. For example, your child can build a comet model and keep a sky journal.

Learning About The Solar System Free Cosmic Wonders Guide

However, you want to explain what are cosmic events. Your child may know some of them.

For instance, they are supernovas which is a star that when it dies it explodes. Too, some supernovas can be seen from Earth without a telescope.

And a shooting star which your child may be familiar with is a tiny piece of space rock burning up in Earth’s atmosphere.

BOOKS ABOUT THE WONDERS OF THE SKY FOR KIDS

Next, look at a few of these books about the universe.

5 Books About Awesome Things in the Skies

Whether it’s the Northern Lights or shooting stars these books bring the wonder of the skies to life!

Arctic Lights, Arctic Nights

Imagine a land where the sun rises at 1:58 a.m. in the summer and shines for less than four hours on a winter's day. The animals in the wilderness near Fairbanks, Alaska, witness some of the world's greatest temperature extremes and light variations ever year. At an average low of -16 degrees Fahrenheit, the winters may be unpleasantly frigid, but the light shows are always glorious!

The Lights That Dance in the Night

The northern lights bring wonder and joy to all the creatures who bask under their mysterious glow in this gorgeous picture book from the creator of the holiday hit The Tree That's Meant to Be.From tiny specks of dust to gleaming rays in the dark, the northern lights travel across the Arctic, uniting every creature in a celebration over land and sea.In this wonderfully wintery picture book, Yuval Zommer imagines the northern lights' fleeting journey from space to Earth and how they weave a special magic for the animals and people living in the frozen lands below.

Shooting Stars

Explains what shooting stars are, what they are made of, and what happens to them when they land on Earth.

The Mysteries of the Universe: Discover the best-kept secrets of space

Space is so much bigger than young minds can fathom and there is always more to learn. The Mysteries of the Universe is a stunning space encyclopedia for young readers to explore, with reference pages packed with fascinating information, little learners will be captivated as they journey through the vastness of the Universe. From planets and asteroids to black holes and galaxies, every page of this enthralling space book reveals the secrets behind more than 100 celestial objects, and will inspire  youngsters as they journey through the vastness of the Universe. Each celestial body is shown both photographically and illustrated, and children will love poring over the detailed close-up images.Get ready to explore fun facts and exciting new scientific discoveries as this best-selling picture book will illuminate imaginations and spark curious minds to explore the vastness of space. The engaging storybook-style descriptions and simple text shed a light on facts, myths, and key discoveries about the universe, perfect for children aged 6-8 to explore the wonders of our solar system and beyond.

Northern Lights:the award-winning, internationally bestselling, now full-colour illustrated edition

A stunning full-colour illustrated gift hardback to celebrate the 25th anniversary of NORTHERN LIGHTS, with breathtaking art throughout by Chris Wormell.

First published in 1995, and acclaimed as a modern masterpiece, this first book in the series won the UK's top awards for children's literature.

“Without this child, we shall all die.”

Lyra Belacqua and her animal daemon live half-wild and carefree among scholars of Jordan College, Oxford.

The destiny that awaits her will take her to the frozen lands of the Arctic

Next, look at these solar system activities to add to your learning day.

SOLAR SYSTEM ACTIVITIES

  • How To Make A Cool Paint Pour Aurora Borealis Craft
  • How to Create A Stunning Night Sky Paper Roll Display
  • About Astronomy and Space Science Fun Quick Unit Study
  • Dynamic Astronomy Lapbook for Multiple Ages
  • Oreo Phases Of The Moon Kids Science They’ll Love
  • Solar System Unit Study and Hands-on Planets Activity
  • Meteors, Meteorites, Comets and Meteoroids Today And Make a Fun Windsock
Learning About The Solar System Free Cosmic Wonders Guide

Also, look at what is included in this free printable.

COSMIC WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSITY

  • meteor showers
  • auroras
  • solar & lunar eclipses
  • comets
  • planetary alignments
  • supermoons
  • blood moons
  • zodiacal light
  • earthshine
  • sun halos

HOW TO GET THE FREE COSMIC WONDERS GUIDE

Now, how to grab the freebie.  It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE.

2) Grab the freebie instantly.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: astronomy, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, science, space

Easy Lewis And Clark Map Activity For Young History Buffs (Free Maps)

November 29, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have an easy Lewis and Clark map activity for your budding history buffs. Also, look at my page Lewis and Clark Fun Homeschool Unit Study and Lapbook for more ideas.

Additionally, I have a free map that can be used as an outline to teach younger children, and I share ways you can expand it for older learners. You can download the map at the bottom.

Lewis and Clark along with their team are the ultimate explorers in U.S. history. However, introducing the feat they accomplished on their journey to the Pacific is not easy to present to younger children.

Easy Lewis And Clark Map Activity For Young History Buffs

Even older learners may not have an idea of their trek. This easy hands-on assignment using push pins and a map gives them a chance to touch history and makes their story have meaning.

And by tracing and learning about the expedition, learners understand that history happened in real places.

Too, if you happen to live in an area that Lewis and Clark traveled in or visited an area they trekked, history takes on personal meaning.

LEWIS AND CLARK BOOKS FOR KIDS

Next, I’ve rounded up some living books and other resources for multiple ages.

Add one or two to your home library.

14 Lewis and Clark | Sacagawea Exploration Unit Study Resources

Lewis and Clark is one of the most significant periods in American history and you can spend weeks exploring the lands and people west of the Mississippi with these fun books and resources.

How We Crossed The West: The Adventures Of Lewis And Clark

Appealing art and descriptive text bring Lewis and Clark alive for young adventurers. Carefully chosen text from Lewis and Clark's actual journals opens a fascinating window into this country's exciting history.

National Geographic Readers: Sacagawea

Explore one of the most recognized figures in American history with this biography of Sacagawea. Kids will learn about her crucial role in the Lewis and Clark expedition and her influential legacy.  The level 3 text provides accessible, yet wide-ranging, information for independent readers.

Of Courage Undaunted: Across the Continent with Lewis & Clark

Commissioned in 1803 by President Thomas Jefferson to explore and open up this vast territory, Lewis and Clark felt it was the realization of a lifelong dream. Against the hardships of the wilderness, possible attack by hostile Indians, sudden blizzards and terrifying natural obstacles, these two men led the Corps of Discovery ably and nobly to complete their mission. Their Corps included American Indians from the Sioux, Mandan, Shoshone, Clatsop and Chopunnish tribes. Sacajawea, the only woman on the trip, was a Shoshone woman who contributed invaluable service as interpreter and guide. Daugherty's evocative sepia and black ink illustrations depict individuals of humor, vitality, passion, and strength.

Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West

From the New York Times bestselling author the definitive book on Lewis and Clark’s exploration of the Louisiana Purchase, the most momentous expedition in American history and one of the great adventure stories of all time.

The Truth About Sacajawea (Lewis & Clark Expedition)

The only book ever written that tells the eyewitness truth about this famous teenage Indian mother who was indispensable to the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

The Journals of Lewis and Clark: 1805: Volume II

On May 14, 1804, the Corps of Discovery set out from Camp Dubois, Illinois, heading westward under the command of Captain Meriwether Lewis and his Second Lieutenant, William Clark. While Lewis led the group in terms of rank, the two men became de facto equals, giving their names jointly to a journey that would shape the future of the fledgling United States — the Lewis and Clark Expedition. This book presents journal entries taken directly from the expedition.

Sacagawea: American Pathfinder

Describes how Sacagawea found adventure guiding Lewis and Clark to the Oregon coast.

Along the Trail with Lewis and Clark (Third Edition): A Guide to the Trail Today

Take Your Own Journey through History on the Lewis & Clark Trail! Follow the journey of the Corps of Discovery from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello through the Midwest and the Rockies, to the Pacific Ocean and back with this detailed chronicle of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. This third edition of the classic guidebook features accessible text that combines the historical sites and color maps that merge the past and present in a user-friendly and entertaining way.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition (Graphic History)

In this epic graphic novel, follow the dramatic story of  the Lewis and Clark expedition. In 1804, these two explorers, along with their "Corps of Discovery," traversed the unmapped American West, leading to scientific discoveries, interactions with Native nations, and route to the Pacific Ocean. Dramatic illustrations and fast-paced text provide a "you-are-there" experience. With extensive back matter, including a bibliography, extended reading list, glossary, and further Internet sources, young readers will gobble up this action-packed comic book about one of history's most compelling moments.

The Oregon Trail: The Journey Across the Country From Lewis and Clark to the Transcontinental Railroad With 25 Projects

In The Oregon Trail: The Journey Across the Country from Lewis and Clark to the Transcontinental Railroad, readers ages 9 to 12 can delve into the explorations of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and other explorers. They can learn about the more than half a million people who followed during the nineteenth century. What challenges did these pioneers face on the 2,170-mile journey? How were Native American tribes and nations affected by this mass migration? Primary sources allow readers to feel like a part of the Oregon Trail experience while biographical sidebars will introduce the compelling people who were part of this time in U.S. history. Investigative, hands-on projects and critical thinking activities such as writing a treaty and researching artistic impressions of the Oregon Trail invite readers to further their understanding of life on the trail, early towns and forts, and the Transcontinental Railroad that followed the wagons into new lands and territories that would eventually become states.

Seaman's Journal

A trade paperback edition of the award-winning tale of the journey of Lewis and Clark. When Seaman, a Newfoundland dog, met his new master in August of 1803, he didn't know that he would spend the next three years on an adventure of more than 8,000 miles to the Pacific Ocean and back. Seaman's Journal is based on actual entries in Meriwether Lewis s journal describing Seaman, and it presents an account of the Lewis and Clark expedition as seen from the viewpoint of Lewis s dog. Join Seaman before the trip as preparations take place. Meet the Native American guides and friends they encountered along the way. And read of Seaman s love for Sacajawea, the Shoshone woman whose husband acted as interpreter and guide. Ages 5-8.

The Lewis & Clark Expedition: Join the Corps of Discovery to Explore Uncharted Territory

Describes the expedition led by Lewis and Clark to explore the unknown western regions of America at the beginning of the nineteenth century.

Lewis and Clark for Kids: Their Journey of Discovery with 21 Activities

Following Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s Corps of Discovery as they navigate the muddy Missouri River and begin a great adventure, this activity book is set against the background of the vast North American continent. It takes children from President Jefferson’s vision of an exploratory mission across a continent full of unique plants and animals through their dangerous and challenging journey into the unknown to the expedition’s triumphant return to the frontier town of St. Louis. Twenty-one activities bring to life the Native American tribes they encountered, the plants and animals they discovered, and the camping and navigating techniques they used. A glossary of terms and listings of Lewis and Clark sites, museums, and related websites round out this comprehensive activity book.

It's Her Story Sacajawea A Graphic Novel

Sacajawea was a brilliant, multilingual Shoshone girl who was torn from her home at a young age. In 1804, she set out with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, acting as an interpreter and guide across hundreds of miles of unmapped land to reach the Pacific Ocean. Almost 200 years later, she became the first Indigenous woman to appear on a US coin. This is her story.

Also, look at these other Lewis and Clark activities.

MORE LEWIS AND CLARK ACTIVITIES

  • Spectacular Lewis And Clark Plants Drawings | 7 Quick Botany Art Lessons
  • What Plants And Animals Did Lewis And Clark Discover on their Famous Trek & Bitterroot Craft
  • 7 Fun Sacagawea Facts For Kids | How To Make Lewis & Clark & Sacagawea Peg Dolls
  • Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas | Lewis and Clark Exploration Lapbook
  • Lewis and Clark Expedition Botany 1 and 2 Interactive Minibooks
  • 22 Free Lewis & Clark Activity Posters (You Don’t Want to Miss These)
  • Lewis & Clark – Mighty Mississippi book & Sediment Activity
  • Lewis and Clark:Cooking on the Trail
  • Lewis and Clark Expedition – The Ultimate Guide
  • Lewis and Clark Louisiana Purchase Edible Map
  • Reliving The Past: Lewis And Clark’s Hands-on Experience With Simple Char Cloth
Easy Lewis And Clark Map Activity For Young History Buffs (Free Maps)

Finally, look at how to make this easy map for a visual of the area Lewis and Clark trekked.

LEWIS AND CLARK MAP ACTIVITY USING PUSHPINS

First, look at this easy list of supplies.

  • Large U.S. outline map printed on cardstock (grab this by adding your email at the bottom and you’ll get it instantly)
  • Cork board
  • Push pins
  • String or thin twine
  • Tape (optional, for securing the map to the cork board)
Easy Lewis And Clark Map Activity For Young History Buffs

Prepare the Map: Place the U.S. outline map on top of the cork board. Use tape at the corners if you want it to stay in place while the kids work.

Mark the Starting Point: Find St. Louis, Missouri, on the map.

Easy Lewis And Clark Map Activity For Young History Buffs

Place the first push pin there to mark the beginning of Lewis and Clark’s journey.

Map the Route: Look at a reference map of Lewis and Clark’s expedition.

Easy Lewis And Clark Map Activity For Young History Buffs

Add push pins along the path they traveled as they made their way northwest across the country.

Connect the Path: Tie a slip knot at the end of string and place around the first pin in St. Louis.

Easy Lewis And Clark Map Activity For Young History Buffs (Free Maps)

Then stretch the string from pin to pin, wrapping it around each push pin as kids trace the route all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

Easy Lewis And Clark Map Activity For Young History Buffs (Free Maps)

Review the Journey: Once the route is complete, have kids point out major stops or areas they recognize, and talk about how long and challenging the journey would have been.

LEWIS & MAP IDEAS FOR OLDER LEARNERS

So the outline of the states is an easy enough activity to introduce young history buffs to because it gives them the shape of the U.S.

Plus you can introduce easy cardinal directions.

However, you can expand this activity and use the maps in several ways.

Use the blank map to have your child label the states and also research some landmarks along the way.

For example, Pompeys’ Pillar and Fort Clatsop. And mark rivers and oceans. It gives your older learner a deeper appreciating of the area they explored when they can see how many states were covered.

BENEFITS OF AN EASY LEWIS AND CLARK MAP

Problem-Solving: Following a historical route encourages kids to compare maps, estimate distances, and make logical decisions about where to place pins.

Hands-On Geography: Kids learn U.S. geography in a tactile way by placing pins and following landmarks across the map.

History Connections: Mapping the route helps kids visualize Lewis and Clark’s expedition and understand how far they traveled.

Spatial Awareness: Kids get practice reading maps, understanding direction, and seeing how different regions connect.

HOW TO GET THE TWO FREE PRINTABLE MAPS

Now, how to grab the freebie.  It’s a subscriber freebie.

Easy Lewis And Clark Map Activity For Young History Buffs (Free Maps)

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE.

2) Grab the freebie instantly.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, homeschool

How To Teach Geography To Preschoolers: Around The World Bin

November 28, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

How to teach geography to preschoolers should be hands-on but it is not about teaching them continent names or capitals. Also, look at my pages How to Homeschool Preschool and Hands-On Simple And Best Homeschool Geography Ideas & Tips.

Preschoolers are naturally curious about the world around them. And teaching geography to preschoolers needs to begin with their immediate world and spark interests in other places.

For example, show your preschooler a picture with the house and your child in the picture. This also teaches spatial awareness.

How To Teach Geography To Preschoolers: Around The World Bin

Next, talk about where is the grocery store, the park or gas station. Places your preschoolers visits regularly helps associate location.

Even creating a me on the map activity give your child a starting point.

In addition, plenty of picture books gives your child an idea of other places.

ANIMAL GEOGRAPHY RESOURCES FOR KIDS

First, look at these fun books for preschoolers.

Use them for read aloud.

7 Animal Geography Resources

We refer to Wildlife Anatomy quite a bit for zoology, it is worth adding to your collection.

Wildlife Anatomy: The Curious Lives & Features of Wild Animals around the World

Bestselling author/illustrator Julia Rothman shares a delightfully illustrated guide to all the beasts of the wild, from lions, tigers, and bears to musk oxen, monkeys, elephants, giraffes, foxes, badgers, bats, crocodiles, owls, flying squirrels and much, much more.

Waypoint Geographic World ScrunchMap - Up-to-Date & Easy

Wall Maps: These world wall maps feature bright colors for easy identification of places of interest. This map of the world can be easily folded or "scrunched" Into the included storage pouch. Lasts longer than paper maps.

The Big Book of Beasts (The Big Book Series)

In The Big Book of Beasts, Yuval Zommer’s wonderful illustrations bring to whimsical life some of the grizzliest, hairiest, bravest, wiliest, and most fearsome beasts in the animal kingdom. Brimming with interesting facts from beast consultant Barbara Taylor, this charming picture book is a beautiful way for parents to introduce young children to the animal world―and for older children to learn by themselves.

Photo Credit: www.bfbooks.com

Around the World with Picture Books Part II (Download) -

Each country visited features a selection of animals indigenous to those regions. These beautiful drawings will familiarize students with some remarkable creatures, their habitat and habits, cultivating respect and wonder for the natural world. Part Two covers Europe and South America. In Europe we cover France, Spain, Italy, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, and Great Britain! In South America we cover Ecuador, Chile, Peru, and Brazil!

Rand McNally Junior Classroom Atlas of the World

Our colorful, engaging atlas is ideal for students in second through fourth grades and was developed from our award-winning Classroom Atlas, just simplified for younger students. Completely redesigned with a new layout,eye-catching pictures, informative graphics, and fully updated map content. Teaches map and globe skills to younger students. Features photos, graphs, interesting facts, and thought-provoking questions that reinforce map concepts.Includes 15 physical, political, and thematic maps.

A Child's Introduction to the World: Geography, Cultures, and People--From the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall of China (A Child's Introduction Series)

Explore all the fascinating things that make Planet Earth such an exciting place to live with this lively introduction to our world, its geography, culture, and people.  Get ready for an incredible journey, one in which you’ll visit far-off places, meet interesting people, and learn all about continents, countries, climates, and more. This book is also full of fun facts about animals, sports, foods, inventions, and holidays from all over the world.

Animal Atlas

Lift the flaps in this quirky 3D atlas as illustrator Ingela P. Arrhenius takes the youngest of readers around the globe, introducing an enchanting selection of animals. Did you know that flamingos hide their heads while they sleep? That a Galápagos tortoise can live for a hundred years? That baboons have pink bottoms? Or that a peacock’s tail is used to impress potential mates? With interactive flaps and a central pop on each colorful spread, this is a stand-up gift for small children who love animals of all stripes.

Then, look at these other preschool activity resources.

MORE PRESCHOOL GEOGRAPHY RESOURCES

  • Learn About Indigenous Animal Geography Fun Activity for Preschool to Elementary
  • 5 Mexico Crafts For Preschoolers And Free Activity Pages
  • Sensory Play Made Easy: Crafting a Community Helpers Sensory Bin
  • How To Teach The 50 States To Preschoolers | 50 States Busy Book
  • K is for Kangaroo| Australia Theme
  • Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play
How To Teach Geography To Preschoolers: Around The World Bin

In addition, look at these ways to teach geography to preschoolers.

5 WAYS TO TEACH GEOGRAPHY TO PRESCHOOLERS

Because kids this age need to move and explore, use their natural love for learning to teach geography through different sense.

1. USE MUSIC AND STORIES TO TEACH CULTURES

First, begin with music. Children love to dance and move to music.

Introduce stories and songs from a country you think would interests your child.

2. SIMPLE GLOBES & MAPS ARE BEST

Also, children can much more than we may think. Let the feel and spin simple globes to understand what is the world.

Besides, flat maps they can see introduces the shapes of continents. This early introduction can ignite a future love of maps.

3. GEOGRAPHY-THEMED SENSORY PLAY

Too, I will be doing a geography themed sensory bin.

Bins can have desert, ocean, or even snow themes to introduce a preschooler to different biomes.

4. CONNECT GEOGRAPHY TO ANIMALS AND NATURE

Additionally, my sensory bin will. be using something all preschoolers like which is animals.

Using nature and animals and where animals live fosters a love of science too.

5. CELEBRATE CULTURAL TRADITIONS

And because kids love to move, use traditions of countries to teach your kids about cultures. They can make crafts to celebrate different traditions.

Even go on a scavenger hunt teaches them directions.

Finally, look at how to make this around the world geography sensory bin.

AROUND THE WORLD GEOGRAPHY SENSORY BIN

Supply List

  • Uncooked rice
  • Blue food coloring
  • Zip-top bag or bowl for dyeing rice
  • Green felt sheets
  • Scissors
  • Toy animals

Dye the Rice: Add uncooked rice to a zip-top bag or bowl. Add a few drops of blue food coloring, seal or stir, and shake/mix until the rice is evenly coated. Spread it out to dry completely.

How To Teach Geography To Preschoolers: Around The World Bin

Prepare the Continents: Cut simple continent shapes out of green felt. Keep them recognizable but child-friendly and easy to handle.

How To Teach Geography To Preschoolers: Around The World Bin

Set Up the Bin: Pour the blue rice into the sensory bin to create the “ocean” base.

How To Teach Geography To Preschoolers: Around The World Bin

Add Continents: Lay the green felt continents on top of the rice to form a basic world map.

How To Teach Geography To Preschoolers: Around The World Bin

Add Animals: Place toy animals nearby or mix a few into the bin.

BENEFITS OF A GEOGRAPHY SENSORY BIN

Provides sensory input that keeps kids calm, engaged, and curious during play.

Encourages geography awareness by helping kids connect animals to different continents.

Builds fine motor skills while placing animals and exploring the rice base.

Strengthens critical thinking as kids match habitats to regions.

Supports language development through conversations about animals, climates, and continents.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: geography, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, homeschool preschool, preschool

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