Love to Laugh and Learn

Fun and interesting learning activities to do with the children in your life

Christmas Angels to Laugh and Learn With

by 28 Comments

Christmas Angels to Laugh and Learn With




Christmas Angels – Appeared to shepherds to announce the birth of Christ

Luke 2: 8-10 “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’”

The Christmas Angels appeared in the sky, over the fields near Bethlehem. They announced the birth of Christ. You will usually find either an angel or a star on the top of a Christmas tree because of the importance of their appearances in the sky.

Following are some activities to do in relation to the angels. I hope you and the children in your life enjoy them.

Coloring Pages

If your child likes to color, here are a couple of free coloring pages from about.com
Angel coloring page
Cheerful Angel

Crafts:

Paper Plate Angels
I just had to share these adorable little angels I found online. They are made from paper plates. Click on Paper Plate Angels to go to the link. The one thing that I didn’t see mentioned, in the instructions, was the size of the paper plate. I used a small 6-inch sized plate. It made an adorable little angel. I was very happy with the size. If you want to put it on top of a large Christmas tree, I would use a bigger paper plate.

Christmas Angels from a paper plate.

Hand Print Angel
I have used this craft in my preschool classrooms. The parents always adore them. I love hand print crafts because they become a piece of family history. Be sure to always date the back of any special craft your child does and put their name on it. It will make a great conversation piece as you decorate for Christmas, in later years.

1) Trace the child’s hand three times. Have them keep their fingers together. Don’t spread them out like a fan.
2) Cut out the hand prints.
3) Use one hand print as the body of the angel and the other two as the wings. The wings will look the best if you be sure to place the hand prints so that the thumbs are facing down. (Refer to picture)

Christmas Angels made from hand prints

4) You can either cut out a circle to use for the head or you can use a picture of your child’s head. They both make nice looking angels.
5) As a final touch, (which I forgot to add to one of my samples) you can make a halo out of a silver or gold pipe cleaner or make one out of a piece of aluminum foil. To make the halo out of aluminum foil, cut off an 8 inch by 1 inch piece of aluminum foil. Gently squish and twist it. Then form it into a circle and tape it to the back of the angel’s head.

Christmas Angels from Handprint

Story Time

  “The Christmas Angel” by Hans Wilhelm
Reading Level: Ages 3 – 8
Your child will fall in love with this adorable little angel. All he wants to do is to travel from heaven down to earth; so he can sing his special song to the Son of God. But his wings are too small and he is not allowed to make the trip. Find out what happens to the scared little angel after his accidental fall off of a cloud.

“An Angel Came to Nazareth” by Anthony Knott
Reading Level: Ages 5 and up
This is a very interesting poem of an angel who came to a stable in Nazareth. The angel asks a camel, a donkey, a horse and an ox to pick which one of the four travelers they would carry. One of them would end up carrying “the greatest of them all.” Can you guess, before ever reading the poem, which animal carried “the greatest of them all”?

Please take the time to stop by my Facebook page, Love to Laugh and Learn, and tell me about any of the crafts or books that you shared with your children. I would love to see pictures too.

Related Posts:

The Santa Claus Debate
The True Meaning of Christmas
The Christmas Star
Love to Learn the Meaning of Candy Canes for Christmas
Review – Christmas on Monument Circle, Indianapolis

Save

Love to Learn the Meaning of Candy Canes for Christmas

by 5 Comments

Love to Learn the Meaning of Candy Canes for Christmas




Candy Canes: Although there may not have been any spiritual meaning to the candy cane when it was first introduced, Christians can find many symbols pointing us to Jesus from this simple Christmas treat. Some things to observe (taken, in part, from The History of the Candy Cane):

  1. Shaped like a Shepherd’s staff, which attended Jesus’ birth and Jesus is referred to as the Great Shepherd
  2. Turned upside-down it looks like the letter J for Jesus
  3. The candy is hard like the Solid Rock (Jesus) who is the foundation of the church
  4. The white of the candy represents the purity of Jesus
  5. The red represents His blood that was shed (for more on the candy cane be sure to go to The History of the Candy Cane)

“Teach the children that the cane represents The Shepherd’s staff. The crook on the staff helps bring back sheep that have strayed away from the fold. The candy cane represents the sweetness of giving not only at Christmas time, but also throughout the entire year. The spiral design is a symbol that we are, our brother’s keepers.” (A quote from the story, “Teach the Children the True Meaning of Christmas”)


Crafts
Poem
Snacks
Story Time
Related Posts

Crafts

Candy Canes with Beads and Pipe Cleaners

There are actually a couple of easy crafts to do with pipe cleaners. Have fun making them and decorating your Christmas tree or hanging them around the house. They also make great presents for kids to create and give to grandparents, aunts, uncles or other family and friends.

Materials Needed:  

Materials for Pipe Cleaner Candy Cane Craft


White pipe cleaners
Red pipe cleaners
Red pony beads
White pony beads

Instructions:

1) Choose a pipe cleaner. It doesn’t matter if its red or white.
2) Pick a red bead and put it on the pipe cleaner. Loop the end of the pipe cleaner around this first bead to secure it so it won’t fall off.
3) Now take a white bead and slide it down on top of the red bead. Keep changing colors; next a red then a white, continuing the pattern.

Candy Cane Craft

4) Once you have the pipe cleaner filled, be sure sure to wrap the end of the pipe cleaner around the last bead so it doesn’t fall off.
5) Then bend the top of the pipe cleaner over to make the hook part of the candy cane.
There you go…a beautiful candy cane to decorate with or give as a present.

Finished Candy Cane Craft
Finished Candy Cane Craft

Another simple candy cane craft:

1) Take one white and one red pipe cleaner.

Candy Cane Craft with Pipe Cleaners
Candy Cane Craft with Pipe Cleaners

2) Simply twist them together.

3) Then bend the top of the pipe cleaners over to make the hook part of the candy cane.

Candy Cane Craft with Pipe Cleaners
Candy Cane Pipe Cleaner Craft

(top)

Poem

I suggest giving each child a candy cane or use the pipe cleaner/bead candy cane as you recite the poem below.

Christmas Candy Cane Poem about Jesus

Look at the Candy Cane
What do you see?
Stripes that are red
Like the blood shed for me
White is for my Savior
Who’s sinless and pure!
“J” is for Jesus My Lord, that’s for sure!
Turn it around
And a staff you will see
Jesus my shepherd
Was born for Me!

(Poem found on ministry-to-children.com)

(top)

Foods for snack or meal time

I usually have a list of foods that would be great for snacks or meals but this topic makes for a rather limited variety of foods BUT I did find a great post, by Barbara Shelby. She has several ideas of things you can do with candy canes other than just eat them. For example, use them as stir sticks or smash them into pieces and use them in your favorite recipes. She even suggests crushing them into a fine powder and using them as a flavored sugar. For more detailed ideas go to her post, “Candy Canes and Peppermint Candy Ideas”.

Another fun way to incorporate candy canes into your meal time would be to make your child a Bento lunch. Bento meals are something new to me (thanks Pinterest). They are common in Japanese cuisine. One style of Bento meal is decorated to look like people, animals, buildings and monuments, or items like plants (or candy canes). Here are a few links to blogs that have candy cane bento meals. Maybe they will inspire you:

Candy Cane Bento by Glory’s Mischief
Candy Cane by Bento-logy
Bento Lunch: Candy Cane Cheese by Bento School Lunches

(top)

Story Time

  The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg
Reading Level: 6 and up
This is a sweet story about a stranger that comes to a small town to open a store. The mayor hoped it was a doctor. The ladies hoped it was a tailor that would make beautiful dresses. The farmers hoped the man was a trader that would exchange their grain for goods. Can you guess what the children were hoping the store was? Yes, they were wishing for a candy store and their wish came true. The man had a strange candy that they hadn’t seen before. It had red and white stripes and it hooked on the end. Do you know what kind of candy it was? Read the story to find out more about this wonderful candy and its special meaning for Christmas.
**I put the reading level at 6 years old and above because one of the things the story talks about is Jesus dying on the cross and the red blood that He shed. I believe it is appropriate but I wanted to make sure you were aware of this part of the story. I read the story to my 4 and 5 year old preschool class but I was teaching at a Christian preschool.

(top)

Related Posts

The Santa Claus Debate
The True Meaning of Christmas
The Christmas Star
Christmas Angels to Laugh and Learn With
Love to Learn About the Nativity
Review – Christmas on Monument Circle, Indianapolis

(top)

 

Save

Save

Save

Hands-On Learning for Families: Celebrating 14 Years

by Leave a Comment

A colorful celebration graphic with brushstroke textures and the title “Love to Laugh and Learn Turns 14 Years Old.” Below are three real-life photos labeled Cooking, Music, and Literature. The first shows a child learning about pumpkins in the kitchen. The second is a collage of a family dancing at an outdoor concert where the blog author's husband was performing. The third shows children enjoying Dr. Seuss Day with themed food. At the bottom is the message: “Helping Families Enjoy Learning Together Through Hands-On Fun.”

My, how time flies! I can’t believe my little blog is turning 14 on October 7th, 2025. When I started Love to Laugh and Learn, my heart was set on one thing: hands-on learning for families. Over the years, life has brought big changes and unexpected challenges—but this blog has remained a joyful constant, and I’m so thankful to still be here creating with you.

A Personal Journey

Mama Carmody is Relocating: Texas Bound

In 2015—my blog’s 4th year—my husband and I moved from Indiana to Texas. Just a year later, in 2016, he passed away after a battle with cancer. His loss turned my world upside down. For a long time, I struggled with grief, finding my footing, and simply learning how to live on my own again.

While I haven’t always been able to post consistently, my passion for fun, meaningful learning has never left. This blog has been a source of healing, purpose, and connection—and I’m honored that some of you have been with me from the beginning.

What You’ll Find Here

I’ve created dozens of activities and free printables to support hands-on learning for families. Whether it’s exploring colors and shapes, gardening with kids, or diving into music and literature, my goal is to make learning a joyful experience.

  • Colors and shapes
  • Holiday and patriotic activities
  • Gardening with kids
  • Fun with music
  • Cooking and food-themed learning
  • Community helpers and themed learning units

Whether you’re a teacher, homeschooler, or just a curious parent or grandparent, you’ll find fun ideas here that sneak in learning while making lasting memories.

A Sweet Book from My Heart

After my husband passed away, I wrote a children’s book to help my grandchildren understand what had happened to their Papa. That book became Someone I Love Has Gone to Heaven: A Sweet Object Lesson – a spiritual, gentle explanation of death for young children, using a “sweet” object lesson to illustrate the difference between the body and the spirit.

What started as a healing tool for my own family is now available to help others too. You can find the book online at Amazon, Walmart, and Barnes & Noble.

Teachers Pay Teachers (and You!)

I also create educational resources and printables that I sell on Teachers Pay Teachers—but don’t let the name fool you! It’s not just for teachers.

My store includes:

  • Affordable, ready-to-use learning materials
  • Several free items (yes, really free!)
  • Family-friendly printables for holidays and everyday learning

Even if you never spend a penny, I invite you to grab the free downloads and explore what’s there.

Fun, Wholesome Products for the Whole Family

In addition to printables and blog activities, I’ve also started creating fun, wholesome products for families—including T-shirts, home decor, and more that reflect the same heart and message behind Love to Laugh and Learn. They’re available on platforms like Redbubble, TeePublic, and TeeSpring. Each store has different types of items and different sales, so take a look at all of them.

Whether you’re looking for a cute holiday shirt, a homeschool design, or a meaningful reminder of something you’ve read on the blog, I hope you find something that brings a smile.

More Places to Laugh and Learn

In addition to the blog, you can now find me on:

Each platform has a little something different, but they all carry the same heart: making learning fun for families.

What’s Next?

In recent months, I’ve been posting more regularly – and let me tell you, the ideas are flowing! I’ve got so many things I want to share with you. It takes time to pull it all together, but I’m working on it, one joyful piece at a time.

I’d also love to hear from you! If there’s a topic you’d like me to cover—or a learning idea you’re searching for—please let me know in the comments. My specialty is still early childhood, but now that my grandchildren are 9½ and 12, the blog is growing right along with them!

A Final Word of Thanks

Early in my blogging journey, I learned something valuable from Bob Lotich (Christian Personal Finance) and Jonathan Milligan (Blogging Your Passion):

“Choose a blog topic you’re passionate about—something you’d love even if you never made a penny.”

That’s exactly what Love to Laugh and Learn has been for me. A labor of love. A creative outlet. A way to honor the childlike joy in all of us.

Thank you for being part of this journey. I can’t wait to see what the next chapter brings. It will definitely include even more hands-on learning for families everywhere.

With Love,
 Mama Carmody


Related Posts

Community Helpers – Overview

by 5 Comments

Illustrated community helpers — a police officer, teacher, and dentist — stand smiling in front of a black-and-white background pattern of tools and objects related to community helpers. A bright yellow box at the top reads: “Community Helpers Overview.” The image is branded with LoveToLaughandLearn.com at the bottom.
Start Here for our Community Helpers Series: A kid-friendly introduction to the people who keep our communities running.

Community Helpers – Overview

Teaching your child about community helpers can help them understand and feel more secure in their ever widening world. Learning about workers in our community can help them realize that they don’t need to be afraid when they hear sirens in the neighborhood or in the car. The sirens are signaling that there are people out there to help take care of them. Police officers are there to help us when there is an accident. Firemen help us if there is a fire. The doctor and dentist help keep us healthy and the school teacher helps us learn new things.

When I taught preschool, we studied community helpers in the three year old classroom. At home, you might want to introduce some of them even earlier; for instance, the doctor. Children have to go to the doctor regularly, from birth, so reading books and talking about the doctor may help put them at ease. Before my children went to their first dental appointment, I read books to them so they would understand what was going to happen.

What You’ll Find in This Series

In the following posts you will find book suggestions and crafts to do with your children to help make learning about their world fun. Enjoy playing pretend with your children as they become the doctor and you are the patient.

If you enjoy the activities, you’ll be glad to know that there are even more community workers your child can learn about. On the blog, I’ve shared ideas and free worksheets for doctors, dentists, police officers, and firefighters. But that’s just the beginning! I’ve created a set of Community Helpers Fun Sheets in my Teachers Pay Teachers store that includes 10 different helpers, all in one convenient set. It’s a great way to explore a wide variety of jobs while keeping everything organized in one place.

Celebrate Labor Day by Honoring Workers in our Community

If you are wondering where a unit about Community Helpers might fit, Labor Day is the perfect time. Labor Day honors the workers who make our daily lives better and safer, and many of those people are the very helpers your child will be learning about—doctors, teachers, firefighters, police officers, and more. Taking a few moments to connect the holiday with the helpers around us can make the meaning of Labor Day more personal and memorable for your family.

Related Posts

Doctors: Love to Learn about Community Helpers
Dentists: Love to Laugh and Learn about Community Helpers
Police Officers: Love to Learn About Community Helpers
Firefighters: Love to Learn About Community Helpers

📌 Find the complete set of Community Helpers Fun Sheets in my TpT store: Love to Laugh and Learn

Police Officers: Love to Learn About Community Helpers

by 5 Comments

Police Officers: Love to Learn About Community Helpers
with free printables




It’s time to have fun learning about police officers. Police officers are there to protect and take care of us. Children need to learn this early because you never know when they might need a police officer’s help.

I like to start learning activities with a book. You can find several books about police officers in the Story Time section, below. Pick a couple out and share them with your child.

Content:

Playtime
Fun Sheet
Craft
Story Time
Related Posts
Acknowledgements

Playtime

There are many wonderful toys out there that can encourage imaginative play, while learning about police officers. Lego and Playmobil both have police themed sets. Your child might have a simple police car that they like to play with. We used to have a community helper doll set that we used in our preschool classes. I plan to get some for my home so my grandson and great-nephew will have them to play with.

I love the use of dress-up clothes. When I was teaching preschool, the boys loved to dress-up as much as the girls did. I pick up inexpensive costumes once Halloween is over. I picked up a play set with handcuffs, a walkie talkie and a toy gun at the Dollar Tree. You can read my post, “Let’s Play with Toy Guns”, to see why I believe that was a good addition to our dress-up bin.

(top)

Fun Sheet

Police Officer Fun Sheet - Help the officer find the equipment she needs to do her job.
Police Officer Fun Sheet – Help the officer find the equipment she needs to do her job.

I have created a fun sheet to do with your child. Have your child color the police officer and then color only the items that the police officer would use. Don’t color the items that the police officer would not use. Click on the picture to get the downloadable fun sheet.

The fun sheet is a great way for your child to develop their fine motor skills, as they color. They will learn to follow directions and will also reinforce what they have learned about police officers.

(top)

Craft

Police Car Craft

Learn About Police Officers using this free printable.

Materials Needed

Police Car template
markers, crayons or paints

Instructions

  1. Print the police car template.
  2. Do a Google search for your local police cars. (We have several different styles here in Indianapolis)
  3. Let your child color or paint the police car to match their favorite one. My favorite police cars are the black and white ones.
Police Car Craft – Do a Google search for your local police cars. Then let your child color or paint the police car to match their favorite one. There is a free printable included in this post.

(top)

Story Time

A Day in the Life of a Police Officer (Kids’ Career Library) by Mary Bowman-Kruhm and Claudine G. Wirths

Reading Level: Ages 5 and up
If your child is looking for a little more information about police officers and not just a simple introduction, this would be the book to go to. This book explains the responsibilities of police officers and the equipment they need but with a little more detail than some of the other books. If you have an inquisitive child that loves to sit and listen, I would recommend this book.

A Day with Police Officers by Jan Kottke

Reading Level: Ages 2 – 6 yrs old
This is a great book to introduce your little one to the responsibilities of police officers. It has very simple text but covers the basic information your child will need. The illustrations are actual pictures of police officers on the job.

On another note, I was surprised when I picked up this book at the library. It came in a plastic bag with some paperwork and a DVD. I thought it was a movie of the book but that’s not what it was as all. It was actually a video of someone using American Sign Language to share the book with deaf children. It turns out there is an organization called The Shared Reading Project. The video is to help parents be able to effectively share books with their deaf child so they can become lifelong readers. You can search your library’s website for The Shared Reading Project and you will find several titles to choose from.

I’m Going to Be a Police Officer by Edith Kunhardt

Reading Level: Ages 4 and up
This story is about a little girl and boy whose daddy is a police officer. They get to go to work with him one day and they share all the things that their daddy does on the job. You will see some of the tools he uses and the many different aspects of his job. The illustrations are actual photographs of the police officer at work and with his family. This is a fun way to learn about police officers.

Police Officer (Benchmark Rebus: Jobs in Town) by Dana Meachen Rau

Reading Level: 3 – 6 yrs old
I love the books by Dana Meachen Rau that are put out by Benchmark Rebus. They are so simple and easy to understand. I like the fact that they use pictures instead of words as part of the text. It will make your little one proud that they are helping with the story. In this book we learn about the many things that police officers do and the equipment they use. This is a very cute book to introduce the job of police officers to your child.

Police Officers Help (Our Community Helpers) by Dee Ready

Reading Level: Ages 4 and up
This is a great book to introduce your child to the responsibilities of a police officer. The illustrations are actual pictures of police officers doing their many jobs. The text is simple; just a few clear sentences to each illustration. Once you share this book with your child, they will have a better understanding of what police officers do and the things they need to perform their jobs.

Police Officers, A to Z (Community Helpers (Walker) by Jean Johnson

Reading Level: Ages 5 to 8 yrs old
Every letter of the alphabet represents something a police officer uses or does. There are a lot of wonderful pictures of police officers at work. The illustrations are in black and white but they are still very interesting. There is quite a bit of information about police officers including an extra section in the back called “More About Police Officers”. I would recommend this book whether learning about police officers or just wanting to reinforce alphabet recognition.

We Need Police Officers (Helpers in Our Community) by Lola M. Schaefer

Reading Level: Ages 3 and up
This is a simple little book that makes a great introduction to police officers. There is just one sentence per page. Each page shows a picture and explains something about police officers. You get information about the jobs they do and the things they need to carry out their work.

(top)

Related Posts

Community Helpers – Overview
Doctors: Love to Learn About Community Helpers
Dentists: Love to Learn About Community Helpers
Firefighters: Love to Learn About Community Helpers

(top)

Acknowledgements

Cara's Clips Credit Button
Some of the images for the Fun Sheet were created by Cara’s Clips
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Cara-Taylor-8656

Charlotte's Clips and Kindergarten Kids

Some of the images for the Fun Sheet were created by Charlotte’s Clips
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Charlottes-Clips-4150

Polliwog Place

Images for Doctor’s Bag Craft and part of Fun Sheet created by Polliwog Place
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Polliwog-Place

whimsy-clips-by-laura-strickland-square
Some of the images for the Fun Sheet were created by Whimsy Clips
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Whimsy-Clips
(top)