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Children’s Books about Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 16, 2016 by Mama Carmody Leave a Comment

Children’s Books about Martin Luther King, Jr.

Below are some books to help your child learn about Martin Luther King, Jr.. I love using books when teaching children. Children can learn so much while simply enjoying a story. There are varying reading levels for these books starting at age 4 and going up. They are listed alphabetically. There are some affiliate links below but all the reviews are my own. I either all ready have the books or I got them from the library and read them so I could review them for you.

Share these books about Martin Luther King, Jr. with your children.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Holiday House Reader) by David A. Adler
Reading Level: Ages 6 and up
Learn about Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dreams. His dreams that all people would be treated the same. Find out how he tried to change laws with peaceful actions. One of my favorite quotes from the books is, “He taught his followers to fight hate with love.” We would all be better off if we could remember that.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (On My Own Holidays) by Linda Lowery
Reading Level: Ages 7 and up
This is a very interesting and informative book about the struggles that Martin Luther King, Jr. faced during his lifetime. You will read about his hurt and disappointment when he is no longer allowed to play with his best friend; a little white boy. You will read how much Martin Luther King, Jr. loved to learn and was an excellent student. But most importantly, you will get to find out how much he wanted peace and for people to be treated equally, no matter the color of their skin.

Martin Luther King, JR. Day (Holidays, Festivals, & Celebrations) by Trudi Strain Trueit
Reading Level: Ages 5 and up
I love this book. There is a lot of historical information for a picture book. It is well written and not overwhelming. The book is broken down into eight chapters. Six of the chapters cover the story of Martin Luther King, Jr.. The chapters are very short and great for a young listener or reader. The longest chapter is two pages long and consists of nine sentences. The book explains what it was like for Martin Luther King, Jr. when he was a young boy growing up in the south. You will read about the way his family influenced his life. They encouraged him to be proud but peaceful. I plan on using this book as the basis for a lesson for pre-kindergarten and older. I highly recommend it.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Ready-to-Read. Level 1) by Margaret McNamara
Reading Level: Ages 4 and up
I enjoyed this book. It is a fun read but it doesn’t really talk a lot about the great things that Martin Luther King, Jr. accomplished. It mostly talks about him having a dream. It does say that he dreamed the world would be a better place but that is about all the information you get. I have seen a cute activity where kids write down their dreams, for the world, on little clouds. I would use this book to set up that activity but if I was really wanting my children to learn something about Martin Luther King, Jr., I would choose a different book.

Martin Luther King, Jr. and the March on Washington (Penguin Young Readers, L3) by Frances E. Ruffin
Reading Level: Ages 5 and up
This book is specifically about the march on Washington, D.C.. It tells about the events that led up to this peaceful protest. Pick up this book and find out what kind of changes were made in our country because of the march on Washington and why these changes were needed.

Pumpkins are Orange; and Other Learning Concepts

October 26, 2011 by Mama Carmody 22 Comments

Pumpkins are Orange; and Other Learning Concepts

I thought I would take another object of the season and give you different learning activities that you can do while you are enjoying this time of year. Yes, some of the ideas are very basic and may seem obvious but sometimes when we are busy with house cleaning, cooking, baths, homework and may even work outside the home, a little extra help coming up with fun educational activities can be quite useful.
Learning Concepts: colors, senses, math concepts: size comparison, measurements, fine motor skills, biblical, reading

Colors

A lot of learning comes from simply talking with your child and challenging them to take a look at their surroundings. When you go to pick out your pumpkins this year discuss with your child the colors they see. The obvious color they will mention, when looking at a pumpkin, is that it’s orange but there are probably other colors on it too. Some of them have green spots or possibly dirt stuck on it. What color is the stem? Is it brown or is it still green? If you are in a pumpkin patch, the vines may still be laying around. Are they still green or have they turned brown? Possibly some of the leaves on the vines have turned yellow. Just keep talking and encouraging your child to take in the sights that surround them.

Pumpkins are Orange: Learning activities that include pumpkins.

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Arts/Crafts

Click here and you can get a template of a pumpkin to print out and have your child color or paint it. After your child has applied the color, cut out some eyes, noses and mouths. Let your child decide what kind of facial features they want to put on their pumpkin. If you have children that cover a wide age span, let the older ones cut out the facial features for the little ones.

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Size Comparison

Do you have more than one child in your house? Did you purchase more than one pumpkin for your front porch? Take the time to talk about the different sizes you have. Have your child point out the biggest one and the smallest one. Is there a middle size one? Even some of the fast food restaurants don’t realize that you can’t have a middle size if there isn’t a large and a small one.

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Biblical

There are many interesting ways to incorporate biblical lessons in the fun activities you are doing. Here is a fun one that you can do while carving your pumpkins this Halloween.

Materials

Large pumpkin and a carving knife.

Object Lesson on Prayer

{cut off top of pumpkin}
Lord, open my mind so I can learn new things about You.
{remove innards}
Remove the things in my life that don’t please You.
Forgive the wrong things I do and help me to forgive others.
{cut open eyes}
Open my eyes to see the beauty You’ve made in the world around me.
{cut out nose}
I’m sorry for the times I’ve turned my nose at the good food You provide.
{cut out mouth}
Let everything I say please You.
{light the candle}
Lord, help me show Your light to others through the things I do. Amen
Inspired by the children’s book, “The Pumpkin Patch Parable”, by Liz Curtis Higgs

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Sensory Play/Fine Motor Skills

While you are busy carving that pumpkin, let you child have some fun with sensory play. Believe it or not squishing the slimy inside of a pumpkin and picking out the slick seeds are great for their senses and fine motor skills. Why is sensory play so important to children? As Amanda Morgan explains on her blog, NotJustCute, children are wired to use their senses from the day they are born. Amanda says, “The senses are their most familiar, most basic way to explore, process, and come to understand new information.”

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Measurements

Is there any better way to learn about measurements than by cooking with your family? And just think, when you are done with this math lesson, you get to eat the results!

There are many types of math skills involved in cooking. If your children are younger, just having them count is good for them. If you need 2 cups of flour, have the child count along. If your child is older, then cooking is a good way to introduce and strengthen their skills with fractions. If you need one cup of sugar, ask your child how many half cups would equal one cup.

The following recipe is one that my niece brought home from school when she was in the second grade. It became a family standard and we call it Stephanie’s Sweet Pumpkin Bread.

Stephanie’s Sweet Pumpkin Bread

4 eggs
½ cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup cooked pumpkin
2 tsp. nutmeg
1 ¾ cups molasses
½ tsp. ground cloves
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. baking soda

Instructions:
1. Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Beat well.
2. Add the water, oil, pumpkin, molasses and brown sugar. Beat well.
3. Sift in the flour, salt, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
4. Stir all the ingredients well.
5. Grease two loaf pans. Pour the batter into the pans. Be careful not to fill them more than 2/3’s full
6. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350°.
7. Let the bread cool in the pans for at least 15 minutes before removing.

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Great pumpkin books:

Speaking of great pumpkin books, how about the book about the Great Pumpkin:
“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” by Charles M. Schulz
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
This is a wonderful book that should be shared from generation to generation.

Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Rebecca Estelle hates pumpkins because she had to eat tons of pumpkins when she was young. She doesn’t even want to look at a pumpkin. So how does she end up with a yard full of pumpkins and what does she do with them? Read this fun little book and find out.

Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
This is a light-hearted look at the life cycle of a pumpkin named Jack. The plant’s cycle throughout the seasons is told in a simple, easy to understand, way.

Dr. Pompo’s Nose by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
This is one of my favorite pumpkin books. I read this to my preschool classes every year and they loved it. It is written in rhyme, which I love. The way Freymann and Elffers carve facial features into the pumpkins, to give them personality, is absolutely adorable. Your child will enjoy helping Dr. Pompo figure out what the lost stem might actually be.

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How to Eat a Pumpkin : A Lesson From a 3 Year Old

How to Eat a Pumpkin, Part 2

Pumpkins are Orange; and Other Learning Concepts
Thanksgiving Learning Activities
Thanksgiving Fun with Turkeys

Zombie Zapper Brain Boost Smoothie

Thanksgiving Fun with Turkeys

November 23, 2013 by Mama Carmody 7 Comments

Thanksgiving Fun with Turkeys

Let’s have some fun with turkeys. Why is it that the turkey has become a symbol of Thanksgiving? The turkey probably was part of the first Thanksgiving meal along with deer, several types of seafood and many fruits and vegetables. Wild turkeys are found in 49 of the 50 United States. Alaska is the only state where they are not found. The fact that they are so wide spread across our nation is probably why they are a common symbol to our Thanksgiving.

Below are some fun activities to do with turkeys during this Thanksgiving holiday.

Fun Time
Fun with Food
Craft
Story Time
Related Posts

Fun Time

Since it’s almost Thanksgiving, I thought it would be fun to have a turkey themed day with my 2 year old great-nephew. We started out with a movie. The movie was Free Birds. It’s a story of turkeys that travel back in time, to the first Thanksgiving, to try to get turkeys off the menu. Although it is currently in movie theaters (November 2013), it might be on DVD by the time you are reading this. I would recommend watching it. It was a fun addition to our turkey themed day.

Right before naptime we read Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano. I love including books in our fun time. This turkey was also trying to find ways to not be included in the Thanksgiving festivities. I loved some of his disguises. I have more suggestions of fun turkey books below in my Story Time section.

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Fun with Food

You can find all kinds of fun turkey themed bento meals on Pinterest. If you aren’t familiar with Bento meals, they are artistically crafted foods that are popular in Japan. If you are on Pinterest, you can find several fun ideas by clicking here. I was especially inspired by the one I found on Creative Food. I adapted their idea to get this:

Fun with Turkeys: Bento style Turkey Sandwich with colored pepper tail and ranch dip

1. For the body, I made a turkey sandwich and cut it out with a circle cookie cutter.

2. I had purchased a package of 2 oz. portion cups (like the ones you might get butter or single servings of dressing in with your take-out food) at Costco. I used one of those for the head. I put some ranch dip in it.

3. We then cut eyes from a piece of American cheese with a straw. I used edible food markers to make the pupils in the eyes.

4. I cut the beak and feet out of carrot pieces.

5. I used a small piece of red pepper for the snood. (The snood is the fleshy piece that grows from a turkey’s forehead and hangs over it’s beak)

6. For the turkey’s tail feathers I cut thin slices of red, orange and yellow peppers.

The meal was a hit! Everyone gobbled it down (pun intended).

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Craft

When I taught preschool, I would do this craft with my classes. I originally found it on Enchanted Learning. You use the child’s hands and feet to make the turkey. The original instructions say to use colored construction paper for the parts but my daughter inspired me to do something different. Read the instructions below to find out how to make this special Thanksgiving turkey and a fun memory of little hands and feet.

Hands & Feet Turkey

Materials Needed:

Markers, crayons or paint
White cardstock
Brown construction paper
Wiggly eyes
Pencil
Glue
Scissors

Instructions:

1. Trace the child’s feet on the brown construction paper. Yes, both feet.

2. Cut out the feet. (I got my great-nephew started on the next part before I cut out the feet so he had something to do.)

3. Trace the child’s hands on the white cardstock. You will need 3 sets of hands (Since my great-nephew’s hands are small I was able to get a set of hands on a half piece of paper.)

4. I chose fall colors for the feathers (the fingers become the feathers). We used orange, red and brown. At first I gave Jeremiah the half sheet of paper, without cutting out his hands, for him to color. Since he is only 2 yrs old, I figured he would scribble more than actually color.

Fun with Turkeys: Hands and Feet Turkey Craft

Then he started coloring real intently on one corner.

I decided to cut the hands out so he didn’t waste time working so hard on a piece that would get cut off and thrown away. Here he is working on one of the fingers.

Fun with Turkeys: Hands and Feet Turkeys

I would give him one color for each set of hands.

5. Jeremiah helped me glue the feet together to make the body and then we arranged the hands to make the tail feathers.

6. Finally, we glued on the eyes.

7. I would recommend putting the child’s name and date on the back of the turkey. We took ours and had it laminated. I had to take the eyes off so we could laminate it but then we glued them right back on.

Here is Jeremiah and his prize turkey. I would recommend doing this activity every Thanksgiving, while they are little, just to see how much they grow from year to year.

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Story Time

10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston
Reading Level: 3 to 5 yrs old
This book doesn’t have anything to do with Thanksgiving but since turkeys are closely associated with Thanksgiving I thought this would be a fun book to include. The story starts out with 10 fat turkeys “fooling” on a fence. There are lots of funny words such as, “Gobble, Gobble, Wibble, Wobble” and lot of silly antics out of the turkeys. This will be smiles and giggles to your little one..and a few from you too.

Gus, the Pilgrim Turkey by Teresa Bateman
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
Gus loved being a turkey and loved living on the farm until one day his friends told him some sad news. Gus was looking forward to playing in the snow and celebrating the New Year until his friends told him that turkeys usually don’t make it to the New Year. When his friends shared with him that turkey is one of the main items to eat for Thanksgiving he decided it was time to leave the farm. He travels far and wide to find a safe place to live. As he finds a new safe place to live he comes to the realization that he is now a Pilgrim. Pick up this fun little book for a light spirited look at Thanksgiving and the deeper definition of a pilgrim.

A Plump And Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
The people of Squawk Valley really wanted turkey for their Thanksgiving dinner but they couldn’t find one anywhere. The turkeys around Squawk Valley had become quite smart and learned to hide when Thanksgiving was near. The townspeople decided to trick the turkeys by having a special art event that featured turkeys. They posted signs all over the forest saying they were looking for a plump and perky turkey to be their model for the different art projects. Pete the turkey saw the poster and believed he could help out so he went to model for the special event. So Pete posed while the townsfolk created their turkey art. Everyone was excited because now they were going to be able to catch Pete and have him for their Thanksgiving dinner. Pick up this fun little book to see if the townspeople get to eat turkey for dinner or if Pete gets away.

Run, Turkey, Run! by Diane Mayr
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 7 yrs old
If you aren’t ready for your child to understand that the turkey we eat at Thanksgiving is a live animal, before we get it, then avoid this story. It is not a morbid, overly detailed, story but the fact that the other farm animals keep telling the turkey to run and the farmer is chasing him through the whole story means you will probably have to have the discussion. It’s actually a cute little story. The turkey tries to roll in the mud with the pigs and swim in the lake with the ducks in order to hide from the farmer. In the end, the farmer and his family eat grilled cheese sandwiches with peas and mashed potatoes. Have fun with the story of the turkey who got away.

Too Many Turkeys by Linda White
Reading Level: Ages 5 yrs old and up
This is not a Thanksgiving story but it is a cute turkey story. Fred and Belle have a tiny farm that they take very good care of. One day a baby turkey, which is called a poult, wanders onto their farm. Belle is not very excited about the idea but Fred says he will take care of the little turkey. The turkey ends up being a great benefit to the little farm until too many of his friends show up. Pick up this book and find out how having a turkey on the farm was helpful although a little stressful at times.

A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 8 yrs old
Mr. & Mrs. Moose are getting the table set for Thanksgiving. They are very excited to have all of their friends over but there is one thing that is making Mrs. Moose sad; there is no turkey for Thanksgiving. Mr. Moose wants to do what he can to make this a special Thanksgiving so he heads out to find a turkey. Pick this book up to find out what happens when Mr. Moose finally finds a turkey, it might surprise you.

Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 7 yrs old
If you aren’t ready for your child to learn that the meat on the table comes from live animals, it would probably be best to skip this book. Other than possibly needing to have that conversation, this book is adorable. Turkey is in trouble because Thanksgiving is almost here and he is the main course. He tries several disguises to hide from the farmer. In the end, he comes up with a fantastic substitution for turkey. Pick up this book and share it with your child to find out what the farmer’s family has to eat this Thanksgiving.

Turkeys on the Family Farm (Animals on the Family Farm) by Chana Stiefel
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 8 yrs old
This is a wonderfully informative book about turkeys. Your child will get to see actual pictures of turkeys. They will learn how turkeys are raised and cared for, on an organic farm. They will learn the different terms used when referring to turkeys such as tom, hen, jake or poult. This is a great book to get some basic information about turkeys.

Turkeys That Fly and Turkeys That Don’t (Rookie Read-About Science) by Allan Fowler
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 7 yrs old
Your child will learn a lot of fun facts about turkeys. Even I found it interesting as to why some turkeys fly and some don’t. There are lots of pictures of wild turkeys and domestic turkeys so your child can see the difference. I enjoyed learning about the similarities and differences between wild and domestic birds, I’m sure your child will too.

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Thanksgiving Learning Activities
Pumpkins are Orange; and Other Learning Concepts

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Learning Fun at Disney: Manners

May 23, 2023 by Mama Carmody Leave a Comment

I think learning should be fun. I can’t think of a more delightful place to learn than Disney!

Manners

Today, we are going to tackle manners. Using good manners is such an important attribute. Your child will have many opportunities to use their manners and to see manners exhibited while at Disney.

Please and Thank You

The first, in my book, is the simple, “please” and “thank you”. The cast members work hard and sometimes in less-than-ideal situations. It can be really hot or stormy and the cast members still have to be there to care for you. A simple thank you can add some joy to their day.

There will be many opportunities, during the day, to use your manners. One of my favorite times is mealtime.

“Will you please pass the salt?”

“Thank you for letting me get dessert.”

My family came from the south. We were taught to throw in a “please” or “thank you” when answering a question.

“Would you like tomatoes on your salad?”

“No, thank you.”

“Would you like ice cream for dessert?”

“Yes, please.”

The Napkin

Another manner, that is not so widely practiced, is the placing of your napkin. If it’s a restaurant with cloth napkins, we place them in our laps.

Did you know you can send a secret message to your server by where you place your napkin? (Of course, that is, if your server knows the code.) If you leave the table, but will be returning, place your napkin on your chair.

When you are totally finished with your meal, place your napkin on the table next to your plate. This lets the server know they can start taking away your dirty dishes and bring you the bill.

I hope this post on manners has been fun and has given you some ideas of how to use them. What other manners might you use, while on your trip? Don’t forget to continue using them when you get home.

Learning Fun at Disney: The Importance of Imagination

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Learning Fun at Disney: The Importance of Imagination

September 10, 2020 by Mama Carmody Leave a Comment

Disney, the land (or world) of fun and imagination. It can also be a fun place to learn. Some of these learning ideas can be used in other settings such as home, at the store or at other amusement parks but some learning activities will be especially for Disney.

First, let’s discuss imagination. Some people may not understand how important it is but it is, oh, so important. Sometimes very intelligent people feel that they don’t need to use it. They feel using their imagination is childish.

Let’s look at the definition of imagination. According to Merriam-Webster, it is “the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality”. It is “a creation of the mind,” “fanciful or empty assumption”.

Yes, sometimes imagination can be fanciful, seemingly silly and useless but think of the great things that have been accomplished and the wonderful inventions that have been created all because of someone’s “creation of the mind”.

My grandson and I recently flew on an airplane to Disney World. I am always in awe as the plane gathers speed. Then all of a sudden this big metal contraption lifts up, off the ground and we are flying above the houses and eventually above the clouds. What kind of an imagination must the Wright Brothers have had to believe that they could fly through the air like a bird? They didn’t simply give up and say, “There is no way we can ever do what a bird does.” No, they imagined the possibility of fight and then used their brains to figure out how to make this dream a reality.

This is what inventors do. They use their imagination to dream about some fanciful new gadget or way to travel. Then they use their brains and education to test and experiment with everyday items in new and different ways. The great imaginers of today will be the outstanding inventors of tomorrow.

Disneyland and Disney World are places full of imaginative activities but you can find an extra helping of imagination at Disney World Epcot. There you can enjoy a ride on Journey to Imagination with Figment. Figment is a little purple dinosaur. He is an adorable figment of some Imagineer. He helps you to learn how much fun and how important it is to imagine new and wonderful things.

Being smart and learning as much as you can are wonderful objectives but don’t forget to add in a large dose of imagination. You might come up with the next great invention because you were able to imagine it.

Figment of your imagination. — Use Your Imagination

When Do Children Start Learning

Learning Should Be Fun

Ready to Plan Your DisneyTrip?

We always have great family time and make special memories when we travel to Disney. Click here to purchase tickets and start making your special trip plans.