Welcome to Danielle's Place where you will find thousands of free crafts for kids designed to make learning fun.
Many of the crafts and activities are Bible-based and are great for use in Sunday school, preschool, home school, and on special occasions.
Back-to-School
Crafts And Activities for Kids
Teddy Bear Gets Ready for School
Help your child prepare for school with pretend play. As you prepare these crafts and activities talk to your child about going to school. Kindergarten children probably already know a lot about school from television, but it is a good idea to find out what your child is expecting and if he or she has any fears relating to going to school. Your child may feel better about school by play-acting the first day of school with their stuffed animals.
Teddy Bear Backpack Craft - Follow the directions below but use this smaller pattern and a smaller gift bag (8 1/2" x 4 3/4" - found at party stores and craft stores). Cut the top off the bag to make it 6" high. Cut 1" strips of paper for the straps - (Pattern). Need help printing?
(I remember my child's first dazzzzy of school. She didn't seem to be worried much at all, but at the end of the first day she gave me a big hug and said with relief, "I didn't even get sent to the principal's office.)
Learning to Read and Write Through Play
Your child may also enjoy printing his or her ABCs in the "I Can Write My ABCs" Itty Bitty book for Teddy. (Pattern 1, Pattern 2, and Pattern 3) For printing assembly directions go to the Book Printing Page.
A fun way for your child to learn is by pretending to be a teacher and teaching his or her stuffed animals or dolls to read.
(When Danielle was learning to read, she would pretend to be a teacher. If she got stuck on a word, she would whisper to me and ask what the word was. I would then whisper the word to her, and she would continue reading to her bear like she knew the word. She thought she was teaching her bear to read, but she was really the one learning to read.)
What you will need: Bright colors of card stock
(heavy paper), brown paper lunch bags, glue, computer printer paper,
crayons or colored pencils, and scissors.
What to do: 1. Print out the backpack patterns at 125% onto card stock and
cut them out. (Front
pattern and Back
pattern).
2. Print out the school supplies pattern at 125% on to printer
paper. (Pattern 1 and Pattern 2)
3. Cut your lunch bag so it is 7 12" high. Glue the back pattern to the back of the lunch bag and fold over the flap. Glue the rest of the patterns to the bag as shown in the picture. Glue only the sides and bottom of the front pocket to the bag so that pencil and other things can be placed in the pocket.
You can use these little backpacks and supplies
for many things.
1. As a welcome back container. Write "Welcome Back on the
outside of the backpack". Have the children place letters to
their parents, information about their new class, etc. in their backpacks
to take home with them.
2. Have your children write their new vocabulary words on the front
or back of each of the school supply pictures and take
them home in their mini backpacks.
3. Any review materials can be carried in the backpack. For example,
addition and subtraction review cards, spelling word lists, etc.
4. The school supply pictures can be cut apart and glued onto the
back of pieces of construction paper. Make two copies of each item
for each child so they can play a concentration game with them.
This craft also goes along with a Bible lesson, "Back to School with a Leap". The lesson is presented using a popular children's book "Froggy Goes to School". In the story Froggy has a dream that he forgot to get dressed for school and went to school in his underwear. Most children can identify with Froggy's uneasiness about starting school; and this book will help them deal with their fears with a little humor. The Bible lesson points out that Froggy forgot to do something else very important; he forgot to pray. Through this lesson your children will learn that we need to be prepared for school so that we will be successful; not only do we need the right clothes and supplies, but we need to prepare our hearts and minds.
This activity goes with
the book "Froggy Goes to School" by Jonathan London. Children color the frog and then pick the clothes outline that best
matches what they are wearing on their first day of school, color
the patterns, cut them out, and then
glue them onto the frog picture. The pattern for this activity is available to members only on the Educational Reading
Crafts and Activities Page.
Encourage your children to read more books about Froggy by Jonathan London and have them use this frog bookmark to keep track of how many books they have read. Have them color a frog each time they read a book about frogs. You can give them a frog prize when they have colored in all three frogs.
To view pictures of the books Jonathan London has written go to his website. You will also find a printable connect-the-dots work sheet, a hidden picture activity sheet, and which-picture-is-different activity sheet.
Children practice using just a little bit of glue and learn that a dot can hold a lot. Click on the link to print out the pattern and directions for this activity. This activity sheet is available to members only. Your children will enjoy sing this song as they work on their dots:
Snails leave sticky, slimy trails everywhere they go. Your children can practice their gluing skills with this fun activity sheet. Click on the link to print out the pattern and directions for this activity. This activity sheet is available to members only. For more snail crafts and activity go to the Snail Craft Page. Your children will enjoy singing this song as they work on their snail trails.
Shim, Shim, Shimmy
Written by Nancy Foss
Sing to the tune of "London Bridges".
Make a snail trail
Follow me
Follow me
Follow me
Make a snail trail
Follow me
Shim, Shim, Shimmy
Get your children ready for school with these fun memory games.
"What's Missing?" Game - In this fun game children work on their memory and concentration skills by trying to remember which school supply is missing. Click on the link to print out the pattern and directions for this game. This craft is available to members only.
- Here's another fun card game that will help your child develop memory and concentration skills. Click on the link to print out the pattern and directions for this game. This craft is available to members only.
School Supply Puzzle - Children practice distinguishing differences among similar objects or forms by assembling this puzzle. Click on the link to print out the pattern and directions for this puzzle. This puzzle is available to members only.
Ready-for-School Faith Rocks - This is a great craft for children who have a hard time leaving their parents on the first day of school. A week before school starts find some small, smooth, river rocks. Have your child pick one that is small enough to fit in his pocket and that he particularly likes. You can buy a small bag of these rocks at craft stores or in the craft section of Wal-Mart. Write "Phil. 4:13" on the rock and have your child memorize the verse: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Phil. 4:13, KJV. Tell him to keep the rock in his pocket, and whenever he is feeling scared or upset, he should put his hand in his pocket and feel the rock and try to say the Bible verse. Idea sent in by Nancy Foss
Help your child prepare for school with pretend play. As you prepare these crafts and activities talk to your child about going to school. Kindergarten children probably already know a lot about school from television, but it is a good idea to find out what your child is expecting and if he or she has any fears relating to going to school. Your child may feel better about school by play-acting the first day of school with their stuffed animals.
Learning to Read and Write Through Play
(When Danielle was learning to read, she would pretend to be a teacher. If she got stuck on a word, she would whisper to me and ask what the word was. I would then whisper the word to her, and she would continue reading to her bear like she knew the word. She thought she was teaching her bear to read, but she was really the one learning to read.) 
What you will need: Bright colors of card stock
(heavy paper), brown paper lunch bags, glue, computer printer paper,
crayons or colored pencils, and scissors.
Encourage your children to read more books about Froggy by Jonathan London and have them use this frog bookmark to keep track of how many books they have read. Have them color a frog each time they read a book about frogs. You can give them a frog prize when they have colored in all three frogs. 
Snails leave sticky, slimy trails everywhere they go. Your children can practice their gluing skills with this fun activity sheet. Click on the link to print out the pattern and directions for this activity. This activity sheet is available to members only. For more snail crafts and activity go to the 
Ready-for-School Memory and Concentration Games
More School Crafts, Activities, and Helps
