Bilingual Thanksgiving Printables

Are you looking for some no-prep, print-and-go activities to keep your kids busy while you cook/clean/decorate/entertain guests/whatever this Thanksgiving? Check out my downloadable files!

Bilingual Thanksgiving PreK Activity Pack

Teach important concepts for preschool and kindergarten with this 15-page, Thanksgiving-themed activity pack!

Thanksgiving Acrostic Poem Activity

Learn about acrostic poems with these Thanksgiving-themed acrostic poem writing pages! Includes directions and examples in both English and Spanish, as well as 5 different acrostic pages with prompts of varying length and difficulty. There's also a blank page to allow children to use their own focus word.

A Bilingual Thanksgiving Storybook

Boost your child's vocabulary and reading skills with this Thanksgiving storybook. This story lists things for which children often give thanks on this holiday, so the student will enjoy coloring while learning the words for "friends/amigos," "family/familia," "grandma/abuelita," and more. Just choose the book that best suits your needs...

NOTE! This file contains THREE books:

• a bilingual book (English & Spanish)

• an English only (for ELL)

• a Spanish only (for Spanish learners)

Bilingual Thanksgiving Book of Words

Boost your child's reading and writing skills with this minibook of Thanksgiving words. The pages show items typically associated with Thanksgiving, so the student will enjoy coloring while learning the words for "corn/maíz," "turkey/pavo," "harvest/cosecha" and more.

Free Download: Thanksgiving Family Recipe Cards

Does your family have special dishes (aside from the traditional turkey and stuffing, I mean) that you make to celebrate Thanksgiving? Do you incorporate your family's heritage and culture in those dishes? For example, do you add a special twist such as jalapeños or chipotle to your sweet potatoes? Those are precious traditions that are unique to your family.

Photo by Jeanine Thurston

Over the years, I've posted about super delicious dishes that my Latina friends prepare at Thanksgiving as a way to honor their heritage. Here are some of them:

• Camotes al chipotle
• Pumpkin Spice Flan
• Pumpkin Empanadas (shown above!)
• Butternut Squash Tamales
• Roast Turkey with Port Wine Guava Glaze

Don't they all sound wonderful? The camotes al chipotle is my favorite and I try to make it a few times during the fall.

But you can see a complete list of the recipes here.

While you are planning your menu for Thanksgiving, why not take the opportunity to turn this time into a teachable moment and spend some quality time with your kids? I've created these free Thanksgiving recipe cards (available in English and Spanish) so your child can write down your family's favorite recipes for the holiday. It would make a wonderful family heirloom or even a lovely gift to share with family.

Thank you for being a part of the MommyMaestra family. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Click here to download

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Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Education Website

Do you have a young conservationist in your home? Or a bird lover? Or are you trying to incorporate more lessons in your classroom that talk about nature, conservation, and citizen science projects?

Then Cornell Lab of Ornithology's education website needs to be on your go-to list.

It is one of the best avian education sites for students. I've been using their citizen science projects for years with my kids. And I recently started following their Facebook page.  

Sot let me tell you about the resources they offer.

Bird Academy

Bird Academy is the section of their site that offers online, interactive learning courses, videos, and games. Registration is free, but not all the courses are. 

ONLINE COURSES:

I haven't actually used this section, so all of this information is based on what I read on the website. But it looks like there's a nice selection of online courses, including:

• eBird Essentials (FREE)
• Understanding Bird Behavior
• Feeder Birds: Identification and Behavior (of the birds that come to your backyard bird feeder)
• How to Identify Bird Songs
• Nature Journaling and Field Sketching
• and more...

You can complete these courses at your own pace. I think that most of them come with recorded lectures and learning games. 

VIDEOS:

These are awesome! This section has 175 videos about birds that are found around the world. It's easy to filter them by one or more of the 12 topics listed in the sidebar. These topics include migration, anatomy, habitat, behavior, etc. They are fascinating looks into the lives of birds with experts who explain behavior, 

Here are two examples:

LEARNING GAMES:

I love these so much! I'm not sure that I would call all of them games, though. Some are just really interactive powerpoints and videos. Most are geared for kids 13 and older, but there are some for younger children. They teach kids about bird anatomy, songs, behavior, and more. My favorite is All About Feathers and the section on Meet a Feather Scientist. FASCINATING!!

K-12 Education

This section is the jackpot for educators! And for those of you wondering, yes, they have an area just for Spanish-speakers.

It's also divided up into different areas:

LESSONS & ACTIVITIES

Here is where you'll find everything from free curricula to all-inclusive kits for K - 12 students. They've made it easier for you to find what you need by dividing the grades up into the following:

• K - 2
• 3 - 5
• 6 - 8
• 9 - 12

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This part of the site is just for teachers. Here's where you'll find free webinars, online courses, educator retreats, credit options and where you can find trainers in your area.

My son a few years ago participating in Project FeederWatch, a citizen science project.

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

This area is full of stories about citizen science, habitat improvements, bird investigations, and more. You'll discover what incredible educators like you are doing around the world. You can even share your own story.

BirdSleuth Investigator

The latest issue of the student magazine, BirdSleuth Investigator, is available as a free download! I just downloaded it myself and it is such a great resource for kids. Written and illustrated by kids around the country, this magazine shares their research projects that are the result of their burning curiosity. You can also find out how your students can get their work published in next year's issue.

The digital version is free, although you can purchase a hard copy in the store.

SHOP

Of course, sometimes as educators, we need materials that we can hold in our hands to reference or use to teach. You can find supplemental materials like these in their online shop.

Free Download: Thanksgiving Fun Spanish Freebie

Thanksgiving might just be my favorite holiday! Do you love it, too? If so, this month's free download is for you! MommyMaestra sponsor Spanish for You! has created a special Spanish Thanksgiving fun freebie to develop those vocabulary words associated with the holiday.

Celebrate el día de acción de gracias with this five-page download that includes an instruction sheet, three sheets of picture cards for playing the game "matamoscas" (don't know this game? Don't worry! There's a link to directions on how to play!), and a vocabulary worksheet.

Click here to download this file

And if you are looking for Thanksgiving-themed children's books in Spanish to practice reading and using your new vocabulary, check these titles out on Amazon:

Remember! Spanish for You!'s program is geared for middle schoolers and is the perfect choice for homeschoolers and afterschoolers alike because their concepts are carefully divided up into manageable bundles that are available for immediate download from their website.

If this is your first time here, you can find other free samples from Spanish for You! here. There are some fantastic downloads of games and activities for you and your family to enjoy. If you enjoy this activity, be sure to visit the Spanish for You! website where you'll find tons of additional resources for you to help your young Spanish learner!

Learning Toys for Toddlers and Preschoolers

I have been on the hunt for some serious learning toys for my two-year-old. I don't want to buy him mindless toys that just blink and make noise and, in the end, really have no redeeming value. You know what I mean?

So I've been searching for toys that teach important concepts that he'll love and play with for more than 20 seconds.

I've found some great ones and have listed them here in a growing list of fabulous toys for kids 2 - 4 years old. Just click on the tab that says Learning Toys for Toddlers & Preschoolers.

I want to know, what are YOUR favorite finds for this age group? I want to know! If it is something you love, tell me why so that I can consider getting it for my kid and to share with other MommyMaestras!

Here are some of my top choices from the list...

Mini Motor Math Activity Set 

Includes Counting, Pattern, Addition and Subtraction Activities

Ages 3+

For a long time, I've had my eye on something similar but it used owls. Then I read the reviews and realized the set doesn't come with enough owls! So then I discovered this set and I think it solves the issue. It's great for counting, color recognition, and pattern recognition, to name a few. 

Plus, my boy will love it.

Alphabet Acorns Activity Set

78 Pieces, Visual & Tactile Learning Toy

Ages 3+

I just bought this set for my little guy. Each acorn has a surprise hidden inside that begins with the letter on the acorn. What a great way to help teach the alphabet!

Veggie Farm Sorting Set

Pretend Play Food, 46 Pieces

Ages 3+

This is another awesome activity for busy little fingers. Kids can learn colors, numbers, and foods with this little set. I love that it utilizes the entire box, including the lid!

Like these ideas? Check out my list! It has lots of other great choices.

Smokey Bear LIVE: An Interactive Webcast

The fires in California have been in the news a lot these days and weigh heavily on my mind. There's also a good learning opportunity here for kids, so I wanted to make sure you know about a FREE, live, interactive webcast about Smokey Bear that is happening TODAY, Thursday.

It will be a live, interactive, question and answer program with fire prevention experts from Lincoln National Forest near Capitan, New Mexico.

The program will be webcast from the Lincoln National Forest near Capitan, New Mexico where Smokey Bear was found and became the living symbol of the advertising campaign to prevent wildfires. This is the 75th birthday of Smokey’s wildfire prevention campaign.

WATCHING AND PARTICIPATING IS EASY!

Multiple viewing options are available and participating is easy.
Chose the best way to watch and participate:

• On the Smokey Bear LIVE web site at https://SmokeyBearLIVE.org
• On Facebook at https://www.Facebook.com/FSNatureLIVE
• On YouTube at https://www.YouTube.com/FSNatureLIVE

TIME:
9 - 9:50 a.m. Alaska Time
10 - 10:50 a.m. Pacific Time
11 - 11:50 a.m. Mountain Time
12 - 12:50 p.m. Central Time
1 - 1:50 p.m. Eastern Time

TEST STREAM:
Will begin 10 minutes before the program.

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS:

• On a form on the website https://SmokeyBearLIVE.org
• To fieldtrips@pwnet.org
• Or post them on Facebook https://www.Facebook.com/FSNatureLIVE

You can also meet experts from the USDA Forest Service who will be answering your questions: http://smokeybearlive.org/webcast/experts

Printable Fall Bucket List

Fall is officially here. For some of you, it's been here for a while already. Don't forget about this printable Fall Bucket List that I created many years ago. It's still one of my faves for celebrating autumn.

Click here to download your copy

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Happy Halloween from MommyMaestra.

Wishing you all a super-safe Halloween!

I've been missing this week because...Life! But I didn't want to miss the holiday on here.

Remember to check your kids' candy before they eat it. Here are some good tips from the Channel Islands police on how to check your child's candy.

And here's a little treat from me to all of you!

Click here to download a coloring page

Enjoy!

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For more fun freebies like this one, sign up for my monthly newsletter!

PBS Celebrates Día de los Muertos

One of the things I love best about PBS is how hard it works to be inclusive and to reflect the experiences of their viewers. From Sesame Street to Molly of Denali, I feel like the shows on PBS KIDS introduce children to a diverse world and also help empower children from a variety of backgrounds. And the same is true for their programming for adults.

Did you know that PBS has quite a few resources for Día de los Muertos? Sometimes it's hard to get things exactly right, but most of the time, the introduction (to children) is pretty accurate. I've chosen my favorite episode, craft, and lessons that introduce Day of the Dead to families.

First, for the children...

PBS KIDS

One of my son's favorite new PBS KIDS shows, Let's Go Luna!, has an episode dedicated to the Day of the Dead! Click here to watch it online - just skip to the second half of the show (12:00) to watch it.

PBS Parents

PBS's website for parents also has this super fun tutorial to help you Make Your Own Catrina Doll. They are just the cutest and pretty easy for children to make on their own!

PBS Learning Media

There are a few different lessons on here, but these two are my favorites. The first is a comprehensive unit with multiple videos. The second is a nice introduction to the holiday from a personal point of view.

• Día de los Muertos: Tradition and Translation | Craft in America

• Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos | Everyday Learning

PBS

And finally, for teens and adults, there is a wonderful documentary available for streaming on PBS.org. Artbound has this Día de los Muertos episode that features an "altarista" from L.A., and also talks about the history of Day of the Dead in this country.

Other Posts About Day of the Dead:

• Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead Lesson Plans and Activities
  
  
• Last-Minute Print-and-Go Day of the Dead Activities
  
  
• Monarch Butterflies & Day of the Dead
  
  
• Dia de los Muertos Nichos

New Movie: Día de Muertos

Stop the press! Did you know that Mexico is coming out with a new animated video called Día de Muertos?!? (And if you did, why didn't you tell me?!)

I just saw this official trailer from Videocine. It looks incredible! I can't wait! Do you think they'll release it in the U.S.? I have no idea, but I hope so.

Here's the summary from imdb:

In the Mexican town of Santa Clara, lives Salma, a 16 year-old orphan who never got to meet her biological parents. The only story she's been told her whole life is that they abandoned her. Salma has spent most of her life dedicated to searching out clues for her parents' identity and their whereabouts with little to no luck, until she discovers a special book that is filled with stories of Santa Clara and the history of their people. With this new special book, Salma sets off onto an adventure with her two brave and heart-warming foster brothers, Jorge and Pedro, to find the missing links to her family's heritage in hopes to finally get to meet her long lost parents.

Watch and see if you're as excited as I am about this. Sorry to my non-Spanish readers. It's only available in Spanish as far as I can tell...

(Lots of exclamation points in this post, I know. Sorry about that, but I'm just so psyched about it and can't wait to see it for myself!)

Story Time from Space

I can't think of anything much more exciting for a young child who is crazy about reading, space, and astronauts than to be read to by an astronaut who is in space!

Did you know that's a thing? Because I didn't. So I'm pretty excited about the new website, Story Time from Space, from the Global Space Education Foundation. They send STEM-related children's books (most of them about space) to the International Space Station (ISS), where astronauts film themselves reading the books. Those videos are then edited and uploaded to the Story Time from Space website for everyone to enjoy! So far, I've counted 20 books that have been read aloud and uploaded.


The astronauts on the ISS are also conducting experiments that reflect or reinforce the concepts in these books. You can find some of the ones that they've already completed under the Science Time Videos tab in the menu bar.

The Global Space Education Foundation is also working on curricula and activity guides to complement these books. The first one - Newton's Law of Motion - is available for sale on the website.


They've even posted their first video in Spanish with astonaut Joseph Acaba (the first Puerto Rican astronaut!) reading Max viaja a Marte from the Japanese laboratory in the International Space Station.


Another Hispanic reading in space is Serena Maria Auñón-Chancellor (a Cuban-American astronaut) reading Luciana, Braving the Deep. What I enjoyed most about this particular video was how she paused here and there to give commentary about something in the story and how it relates to the work that the astronauts do on the space station.

If you want to learn more, follow Story Time from Space on Facebook. I just did!

I mean, really, how is this not the most fantastic thing? It's perfect for families, educators, or both (homeschoolers).

Book Review: Paquito y Abuelito

It occurred to me that I have never done an actual review of the book, Paquito y Abuelito. Everyone knows its sister title, Rosita y Conchita, but few actually know what this other story by Eric Gonzalez is about.

So let me tell you why I love this book just as much as their first Day of the Dead story.

Día de los Muertos has arrived, but for Paquito, it's just another day. He prefers to spend his time playing video games and is bored by most everything else. Then his Grandmother, his Abuelita, walks in with a box full of stuff and asks him to set up the altar in honor of his late Abuelito (Grandfather) for that evening's festivities. Paquito is apathetic, but agrees.

He goes back to his video games when all of a sudden Abuelito appears and takes Paquito on a journey that shares his adventurous life with his grandson. And he uses NICHOS to do so.

The book Rosita y Conchita taught us all about the significance of the altar and the ofrendas. Now, Gonzalez introduces readers to another Day of the Dead tradition: nichos.

I love the creativity and humor in this story and I think you will, too. The illustrations are (again) bold and vibrant and full of action. It's impossible for kids to read this book and not get engaged in both the storyline and the visual story. Take a look at some of the inside pages...

I also love that the main characters are male, for those of you whose children may have thought Rosita y Conchita too girly. This book is really the perfect complement to the other and a must-have for any home or school library.

The best thing about these books is how the author has included full text in both English AND Spanish.

And just as they added a section in the back of the first book with a sugar skull recipe and directions on how to draw Rosita, the Muertoons characters are back at the end of this story with directions for making your own nicho (so funny!).



Want to get one for your family or someone you know? You can buy your copy from my online shop. But for guaranteed delivery by Nov 1st, please order by Wednesday, October 23rd.

Enjoy!