Free Helping Your Child Brochure Series

""The Helping Your Child brochure series aims to provide parents with the tools and information necessary to help their children succeed in school and life.

These brochures feature practical lessons and activities to help their school aged and preschool children master reading, math and science; understand the value of homework; and, develop the skills and values necessary to achieve and grow."

Here are the titles available:

Helping Your Child Through Early Adolescence
Helping Your Child Learn Mathematics
Helping Your Child Become A Reader
Helping Your Child Learn Science
Helping Your Child With Homework
Helping Your Preschool Child
Helping Your Child Become a Responsible Citizen
Helping Your Child Succeed in School

The ED Pubs website provides these brochures at no cost to the general public by the U.S. Department of Education.

I would like to thank my s-i-l, Fay and Colleen for letting me know about these free brochures. A little off the "fun" topic but I will post information I believe will be a benefit for our parents from time to time.

To request your free brochure series visit: Helping Your Child Brochure Series (click the underlined "Helping Your Child brochure series" link.

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Halloween Coloring Pages - Skeletons

October is just around the corner, and with it comes the fun and spooky Halloween! Time to choose your customs, organize your parties, and make your decorations. It's also time to start creating your 2008 Halloween coloring book.

We have other Halloween coloring images listed on Fun 4 The Children (search for them under coloring pages category and/or search box). We will also list new Halloween coloring pages for 2008.

Listed are a bunch of skinny bone coloring pages to get you going.

Skeleton #1

Skeleton Board

Skeleton - trees, owl and full moon.

Skeleton - with vampire skeleton. Picture is also a puzzle. Very Cool!

Skeleton - with owl

Skeleton - with spider and cat

Make sure you visit all of our other fun Halloween pages!

If any of the above links are not working or are expired, please do us a favor and let us know by clicking: Contact US. We may also be able to help you get some of the free coloring books, pages and E-books that may have expired.

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2008 Christmas Dog Coloring Contest

Recently, I received a wonderful e-mail from Jennie of Patriot Lab Rescue, who wanted to know if she could use one of my Christmas dog coloring pages for their 2008 Christmas Dog Coloring Contest.

The Patriot Lab & All Breed Rescue, is a 501c3 all volunteer non-profit foster home based rescue that is setting up this contest as a Christmas fundraiser.

The 2008 Christmas Dog Coloring Contest is geared toward children, with them coloring in our Christmas dog coloring page and then sending it in to be voted on by the public. The dog coloring page can be downloaded from the Patriot Lab & All Breed Rescue website.

Winners will receive a prize (to be named) and be featured on their website during the holidays.

To help the Patriot Lab & All Breed Rescue, there is a $1 donation fee per coloring page, and a $1 donation fee for the public to vote on the pages that are enter.

It's only $1 dollar to enter the contest and then $1 more if you want to vote on the coloring pages, with the money going to help out with the wonderful job the Patriot Lab & All Breed Rescue does.

To enter and learn more about this contest, please visit the Patriot Lab & All Breed Rescue website or the Graceful Dogs blog.

I'd like to thank Jennie and all the volunteers at the Patriot Lab & All Breed Rescue for asking to use one of my coloring pages for their Christmas fundraiser and for all the love and unselfish hard work they put in at the rescue.

Make sure you visit all of our other Christmas and Hanukkah Pages!

Technorati Tags: Fun 4 The Children 2008 Christmas Dog Coloring Contest Patriot Lab Rescue coloring contest dog coloring page coloring fundraiser children kids

Precious Girls Club

I recently received an e-mail from MomSelect, with an opportunity to review the Precious Girls Club and a new book called "A Little Bit of Faith" by Cindy Kenney. I also have the opportunity to offer four readers of Fun 4 The Children a chance to receive a copy of "A Little Bit of Faith" and a scratch-off card for a FREE premium "Rainbow Membership" trial on PreciousGirlsClub.com.

The Precious Girls Club is based on an all-new book series for girls that revolves around the life of Katie Bennett and a diverse group of her friends. Their world is brought to life through books, and through a virtual world where young girls can learn and play in a safe, wholesome environment based on the values embraced by Precious Moments®.

After receiving the book, I sat down and spent a couple of hours reading it with my daughter Samantha. She especially liked the way the main character, Katie Bennett, moves to a new school, facing the task of making new friends and how she goes about it. After finishing the book, which she loved, she couldn't wait to tell her friends about it.



Here's how author Cindy Kenney describes "A Little Bit of Faith" on her website: "The first book in a new series for girls 6 to 11 that celebrates the special gifts that make each girl precious in God's sight. Girls will have an opportunity to learn ways that God made them special and how they can use their special abilities to make a positive difference in the world!"

Over at the Precious Girls Club website, girls can interact with the book series. You can create your own characters, explore, socialize, play games, create your own Precious Girls Club and so much more. Very cute and fun for both moms and their daughters.

As I stated earlier in this post, I have the opportunity to give away four copies of the the book, "A Little Bit of Faith" and a scratch-off card for a FREE premium "Rainbow Membership" trial at the Precious Girls Club. The first four people to e-mail me stating they would like to receive the book and scratch off card will win. Make sure you leave your name and address.

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Dusty The Asthma Goldfish and His Asthma Triggers Funbook

The EPA has a free download for an asthma funbook. The Dusty The Asthma Goldfish and His Asthma Triggers Funbook is an educational tool to help us parents and children learn more about asthma triggers.

The Dusty The Asthma Goldfish and His Asthma Triggers Funbook contains eight pages that you can download (PDF fornat) and print out on your computer printer. Pages include: coloring, word search, maze, connect the dots and search.

For parents: I also going to include the link to the asthma page of the EPA website, as they have many other free publications and resources you can download or send for the hard copy to help children with asthma.

EPA asthma publications and resources

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How to Create a Children’s Sticker Storybook

I stumbled across a fun, creative idea, not to mention a big help to stickers being placed where they shouldn't be.

The Grandparent Blog, which is published by Grandpa Shayne Packer (along with Grandma Tanda), posted an adorable idea of making children's storybooks with stickers. They provide a wonderful step-by-step video tutorial, along with a sample project on on creating handmade sticker story books for you kids and grandkids.

I love the idea of creating the stories and then having the children interact by placing the stickers. As I sit here typing and looking at a bunch of stickers that my little man has stuck up and down his leg, the story lines are flowing (maybe that's why it's taking me over an hour so far to finish this post).

Leaving extra pages in the book is also a great idea to let your kids expand the story with their own words and ideas.

I want thank Shayne and Tanda Packer for the wonderful idea. To read the full post on the children's sticker storybook visit "How to write a children’s storybook with stickers".

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Marine Alphabet Coloring Book

We found this one today while printing alphabet coloring sheets. From the Fish and Wildlife Institute comes a free download for a Marine Alphabet coloring book.

The coloring book features thirty four pages, with each page featuring a different letter of the alphabet. Your kids can have fun coloring in the pictures as they learn about the marine environment.

The Marine Alphabet coloring book is downloaded in PDF format and you can print out individual pages or the whole book.

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Free Book - Samantha and Her Silly-icious Sandwiches by Tina Powell

Boar's Head is offering a free copy of the book, "Samantha's Silly-icious Sandwiches" by Tina Powell, when you build a Silly-icious Sandwich.

It's very easy, as all you have to do is drop the sandwich ingredients in between the bread and select "Build Sandwich" (all done on their website). You will then have the opportunity to order a free copy of Samantha and Her Silly-icious Sandwiches.



To get your free book, click http://www.brown-bagging.com and then click on the "Build a Silly-icious Sandwich and receive a free book from Boar's Head (located in the right hand side of their website). On the following page (again on the right hand side of their website) you will see "Click here to build a Silly-icious Sandwich and receive a free book from Boar's Head".

Wait for the page to load and click "Play". Make your sandwich, click build sandwich and you will be taken to the form to request your free copy(s) of Samantha and Her Silly-icious Sandwiches.

Here is a direct link to the request form if you have any problems with the above link:

Free Book - Samantha and Her Silly-icious Sandwiches by Tina Powell

For Your Information - There is a limit of 2 books per household and it's only for US residents only. I would also advise you to hurry with this one, for I am sure they will go fast!

While your at the brown-bagging.com website, make sure you click on the "Download Activities and Interactive Games" link (you can also find this on the right hand side of their website). You will find 11 fun-filled printable activities with Samantha and her Silly-icious Sandwiches!

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Dr. Mike's Math Games For Kids

I came across another math related website that I believe will be helpful and fun for anyone with children having problems with math.

Dr. Mike's Math Games For Kids is an online collection of free printable math games for kids, that teaches math through play!

You will find many different games, puzzles and worksheets that can help your child learn math. The best part about Dr Mike's website is that it can help your kids learn math, without even realising they are learning.

Find games for your preschoolers, all the way up to the seventh grade. Dr Mike's also has a section for home-schooling and teachers can photocopy the math games to use in their classrooms.

My daughter is enjoying the Dr. Mike's Math Games For Kids printables, they keep her interest, are very easy to use and most importantly helping her to learn math!



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Math Moves U

With school getting ready to begin I came across a website that makes learning math fun. Math Moves U is an innovative program designed to engage middle school students with math at an age when their interest in the subject typically declines.

Math Moves U is geared toward middle school students (6-8 grade crowd and possibly advanced 5th grade) where your child can enter a "virtual world" of math through an interactive interface, engaging in worlds of fashion, sports, music and more, while using math concepts.



Start by choosing a character and customize the character by changing the color of hair, shirt, skin, fur and other accessories. Other options include saving your character to begin or registering, which is not required.

Using your keyboard and mouse enables your child to explore different areas of Math Moves U, where they can work on quizzes, polls, flash cards, math games or featured facts. The facts section has links to help connect to more knowledge for your children.

Enter the Math Moves University section and your child can find plenty of practice worksheets that can be downloaded in PDF format and printed out on your computer printer. You can also find the mathtionary which contains helpful definitions for common math terms.



FYI: I just want to give you a heads up that during play, popups to register may appear but are never required at Math Moves U.

Math Moves U is a fun way to motivate your middle school kids by combining the things they're passionate about outside of school with topics that are being covered in class. Wonderful website gets an A from Fun 4 The Children.

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Free Crayola Dry - Erase Markers from Corporate Express

UPDATE 8/21/08 - This offer has expired.

Over at the Corporate Express website you can make a request for a free Crayola Dry - Erase Markers.

Information from the Corporate Express website: "Crayola Dry-Erase Markers are perfect for students, teachers and the classroom, with all the brilliant color and quality you expect from Crayola.

* Low odor - great for use by a classroom full of students
* Works on all standard whiteboard surfaces
* Erases easily and completely - no staining or ghosting
* Bold color can be seen from a distance in the classroom
* Smooth writing experience - no squeaks!
* Sleek graphite-colored barrel design won’t be mistaken for regular drawing markers
* Red, green, blue and black colors are sold in an assorted 4-pack, and in value-priced dozens."

FYI: "Limit one redemption per customer. Offer only valid with in the Continental United States. Quantities limited. Limited time offer. No rain checks, substitutions or cash redemptions. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for shipping. Orders must be placed before 9/30/08. Offer expires earlier of 9/30/08 or the shipping of all free offers."

Free Crayola Dry - Erase Markers from Corporate Express

Corporate Express offered these last March and I did receive them, so they do come.

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Toy Safety Coloring Book

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (USPSC) has created a toy safety coloring book to inform toddlers and kids about toy safety.

The Think Toy Safety can be downloaded from the CPSC website and printed out on your computer printer. The coloring book contains thirteen pages and is published in English and Spanish on each page.

Toy Safety Coloring Book

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Paint Activity Coloring Book

Paint Activity Coloring Book

Choose an image (bottom box on the left hand side of image) and paint it. You can also add your own items to your picture (second box from bottom on the left hand side of the image).

After you have finished painting your image you can print it out on your computer printer by clicking the printer image. You can also print the image without painting it and use it as a coloring page.

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