1. St. Patrick's Day Spring Rainbow DIY

Full of rainbow-bright fun, this easy DIY cloud rainbow makes a colorful addition to any St. Patrick’s Day bulletin board, brightens spring displays, and is a cute take-home for students. Use this activity to spark discussions about clouds and rainbows, signs of spring, what's hidden at the end of rainbows, St. Patrick’s Day traditions, and more.

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9 Festive Winter Holiday Display & Décor Ideas

1. Jumbo Holiday Bows DIY

Make your holidays jolly with these jumbo DIY paper bow ideas. Eye-catching bows are simple to make in a snap! Add panache to any present, dress up doorways and displays, bring attention to donation boxes and giveaways, and enhance seasonal decorations.

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2. Gift of Learning Holiday Display DIY

Learning is a gift! Celebrate it with this holiday display that’s perfect for decorating elementary classrooms, libraries, and community centers. Simply switch up the colors to match any holiday or decorating theme. It’s a great complement to your curriculum and will keep everyone excited to learn!

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3. Holiday Wreaths DIY

Greet guests with classic holiday decorations! Homemade paper wreaths are a great way to spruce up your space for the holidays and all winter long. This DIY wreath is easy to make totally unique to reflect each crafter’s personality and style.

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4. Happy Hanukkah Menorah DIY

Celebrate the festival of lights! Create this DIY paper menorah wall display for a perfect, eye-catching way to bring excitement to your Hanukkah celebrations. Customize the display size easily to fit your classroom, religious school, or home.

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5. Hanukkah Garland DIY

This stunning garland string is a great way to incorporate symbols of Judaism into your DIY Hanukkah décor and crafts. Enjoy family time this winter creating Hanukkah crafts with all ages. We’ve featured the Star of David and the dreidel, but this simple idea easily translates to any symbols you choose.

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6. O' Trimmer Tree DIY

There are lots of reasons for the season, and this paper tree will make your space feel festive and bright! This sparkling paper pine tree is one of our favorite winter decorations to celebrate Christmas and the holidays. You can DIY it to almost any size to fit your classroom, home, or office. Make your own giving tree, gift exchange display, or use it to feature vocabulary words, employee names, and more!

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7. Tabletop Holiday Trees DIY

Everyone loves wintery decorations and these handmade trees are the perfect finishing touch! Have fun making DIY tabletop decorations to give any space homemade ho-ho-ho-liday style. This paper craft is exciting for all ages to make many different and creative combinations for decorating homes, offices, and classrooms.

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8. United in Friendship Bulletin Board DIY

Celebrate Kwanzaa and create a lovely display of friendship with this bulletin board decorating idea. This idea combines basic display essentials into a wonderful, united display about Kwanzaa. Rich and festive colors make this a favorite for celebrating cultural heritage.

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9. Woven Kwanzaa Mkeka Mat DIY

This fun, hands-on paper placemat crafting activity is a great way for kids and adults to celebrate Kwanzaa together. Weaving mats out of paper is a mess-free craft that results in a decoration that looks put-together and interesting. Create mats to use while learning about and observing Kwanzaa. 

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1. Gone Fish'n Card Game

Back in 30, we’ve GONE FISH’n! Flip cards to find fish and reel in a win! Go for what’s biting, explore the island for hidden treasure or challenge fellow anglers to fish-offs. Will you discover something trophy-worthy or get tangled in the weeds? This compact screen-free learning game is great for bringing FUN. on the go. It’s perfect for time with family and friends at home or the cabin and birthday parties, camps, and gatherings. 

2. Lava Lizards Three Corner Card Game

Lava Lizards Three Corner Card Game is a blast for all ages! Five games in one for tons of FUN!: Build a lava dome, find pairs, and link cards with lizard precision. Triangle cards match lava colors, lizard colors, and lizard shapes for endless rounds of fun.

Build observation skills with this screen-free learning game by finding matches by color and shape. Make decisions based on probability to avoid Hot Lava Cards. Practice counting by tallying up matches. The five different challenges encourage listening and following directions. Reinforce social skills, practice taking turns, increase social awareness, and learn to be a good sport ... all through play!

3. On Track Three Corner Card Game

ALL ABOARD – It's a railroad race! Use strategy and planning to stay on track. Make connections to build a railroad from the engine to the terminal to WIN! Each player builds across a geographic region of plains, deserts, coastlines, and mountains.

Developed with insight from railroad experts, On Track commemorates historic terminals, engines, and geographic regions they crossed. Well-known locomotives Big Boy, Challenger, Daylight, Royal Hudson, and the terminals they served are recreated in colorful detail. Engineering and math challenges have players thinking twice to stay on track and correctly connect single and double tracks to win.

4. Gnomes vs Trolls

Flip a card to find your fate: a gnome, treasure, or a troll! Nine thieving trolls surprise unsuspecting gnomes, take their treasure, and end their gathering games. It's up to players to surround their treasure cards with gnomes to protect them. Everyone competes against the trolls and each other in this card game for all ages. Word-free cards keep play simple for young children and nonreaders.

This screen-free learning family card game encourages imaginative thinking and storytelling, and kids will build upon their counting skills and introduce strategic thinking. This on-the-go tabletop screen-free game is perfect for day trips, sleepovers, aftercare, and grandparents’ house.   

5. Pizza Time Card Game

If you crave competition and your favorite food group is pizza, you’ll love Pizza Time Card Game! Collect slices to match the menu and make the most pies to win. Cook up a plan to finish your pizzas faster than other players for rounds of excitement until the very last slice. Bring a pizza party anywhere with this screen-free card game that delivers family fun for many ages, skills, and abilities.

Build skills with Pizza Time. Boost strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, practice following directions and build an understanding of probability and chance. Count, add, and introduce fractions too. 

6. Gemz! Three Corner Card Game

Get ready for gem-collecting, bling-building fun! This award-winning screen-free game is full of action as you draw, swap, and switch out cards to watch your gem take shape. Uncover all of one color to build a jewel of gemz. Watch out for action cards that speed up or slow down progress. Will you win or lose with your next move? Be first to gather six Gemz Cards of the same color to win!

There is educational value built right in! Practice color sorting and matching for ages four and up, and learn about probability and chance, problem-solving, and planning.

7. enCOWnter Three Corner Card Game 

Unique, family-friended three-sided game cards fit together to fill light beams full of unsuspecting earthly things. Avoid Martian Mayhem and carefully choose which cards to keep and which to send into orbit. There are plenty of hilarious, unsuspecting earthly things and alien absurdities to excite all ages.

enCOWnter builds skills related to categorization, sorting, and memory, plus encourages strategic thinking, making decisions, and understanding probability and chance. Play this screen-free game during travel, in waiting rooms, at sleepovers, at grandparents' houses and at camps.

8. Jungle Pals Card Game

Jungle Pals Card Game is wildly FUN! The double-sided card deck features two screen-free games for twice the challenges. Play with jumbo animal faces on one side and pick up the pace with triple faces.

Kids and adults go wild for Monkey in the Middle – it’s a luck-of-the-draw race! You’ll need to find a monkey card and surround it with three of any one animal pal before anyone else. It’ll take lots of luck and a little speed to guess which swaps to make and what discards to take. Choose wisely … if you monkey around too long, you might miss your chance!

9. Counterpillar™ Card Game

Count ’em up in this screen-free game that adds to FUN! Total up number challenges faster than other players to worm your way to a win! Play five different games for lots of excitement at parties, fill afterschool time, distance learning breaks, and bring FUN! to daycare, classrooms, car rides, math centers … anywhere! Counterpillar™ Card Game helps kids improve their decision-making skills and allows them to practice counting and number recognition, addition, and the order of numbers.

10. sqWATCH Out! Three Corner Card Game

The snap of a twig? A howl in the distance? sqWATCH OUT! Bigfoot has left his footprint on the world but has yet to be captured...it's up to you to trek deep into the woods searching for proof. Will you take risks or play it safe to out-hike your opponents with this screen-free card game? 

Test your memory and appetite for a mystery with this award-winning card game about Bigfoot and BIG FUN! for the whole family! The secret of Bigfoot needs mental math to be solved! Quickly compare number values and add cards to see how far you can trek.

11. Rhyming Fun-to-Know® Puzzles

It’s a match! Build early language and recognition skills with screen-free learning game puzzles teaching rhyming words. Preschool and kindergarten-aged children love to connect the two-sided pieces and show what they know! Rhyming Fun-to-Know® Puzzles are incredible for kids building vocabulary skills and learning rhyming word pairs through pictures and words.

12. ZOOM!™

Turbocharge skills with a game that thrills! Score major points with kids and boost math practice with ZOOM!™ card game. Kids ages 9 and up love this game for its thrilling action and surprising twists, parents and teachers love the mega math learning opportunities, and everyone loves racing to the finish!

Speed to success with this math marathon game for 1 to 4 players. Surprise cards send scores forward, backward, or back to zero, bringing excitement to every turn. Test probability and take chances as you multiply points – the first to 500 wins!

Hope for ZOOM!™ cards and watch out for the BOOM! – its fantastic practice for math and probability and chance too. The game can change at any time making it any player’s win whether they’re 9, 19, or 99! It’s great fun at home or school, and is a perfect take-along for travel or to keep kids busy and entertained in waiting rooms and restaurants.

13. Colors & Shapes Match Me® Games

This screen-free learning game builds early math and language skills with game-like practice and play. Colors & Shapes Match Me® game for kids is a great way to learn new concepts and encourage repeat practice. Boost shape and color recognition and promote vocabulary practice for six colors and eight shapes. The game boards are double-sided, so you can quickly flip them to increase the challenge level. On the backs, learners match drawings of real-life items to each shape. 

Match shapes and colors in various ways to keep kids interested and engaged in learning new concepts. Match and master colors and shapes through a variety of exciting game ideas. Kids build a valuable understanding of colors and shapes every round!

14. BINGO!

Get the whole family excited to learn with educational Bingo games that feel like pure entertainment! Reinforce kids’ current curriculum, refresh skills before returning to school, and introduce new subjects with playful learning FUN! Bingo is worthwhile for partner play, game nights and birthday parties, and with 36 unique cards, a large group can all play simultaneously. 

There are many themes and topics to choose from, like Sight Words, Colors & Shapes, Multiplication, and more! Bingo gives lots of opportunities for kids to answer questions and read words and numbers without it feeling like a test. 

Large, sturdy puzzle pieces are perfect for little hands, and the interesting photos keep kids engaged and excited to discover each match. Self-checking features give every learner the confidence to practice independently and build skills at their own pace.

We’re big fans of games that give kids valuable practice while making great memories, spending time together, and having fun! Shop your favorite learning games today. Find something you like? Leave a review to let others know what games and tools help keep learning FUN! in your classroom and home.

1. Early FUNdamental Skills Learning Set

• Eight educational posters reinforce a child’s understanding of the alphabet, numbers, shapes, colors, opposites, five senses, weather, and seasons.
• Bright colors and photos are welcome decorations for kids' bedrooms or playrooms.

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2. Counting & Numbers Learning Fun Pack

• Each fun pack is full of screen-free activities to build math, counting, and number skills for preschoolers.

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3. The 4 Seasons Learning Set 

• This screen-free activity teaches kids about the seasons, weather, and more! It is engaging, educational, and inspires kids to share their favorite seasonal activities.

4. Rhyming Fun-to-Know® Puzzles

• Build early language and recognition skills with this screen-free two-piece learning activity.
• Piecing together puzzles builds hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills and introduces shape recognition too.

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5. Animals Count 0-31 Learning Set

• The vibrant colors and animal photos keep kids interested in numbers and counting with cards featuring numerals, number words, and counting dots.

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6. ABC Photo Fun Learning Set

• Large photos and vibrant colors make this screen-free activity perfect for decorating home spaces like playrooms, reading corners, and kids’ bedrooms.
• This set is excellent for teaching uppercase and lowercase letters and introducing letter pairs, letter sounds, and vocabulary words, which also spark an early interest in reading.

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7. Colors All Around Us Learning Set 

• Help kids learn to recognize 12 colors through creative displays, photos of familiar objects, and screen-free matching activities. Pictures of everyday things help kids recognize each color in the real world using real-life objects.

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8 . Shapes All Around Us Learning Set

• Guide children in discovering shapes while bringing learning opportunities home. This learning set easily creates displays and inspires preschoolers to learn nine different shapes.

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9. Community Helpers Fun-to-Know® Puzzles

• This screen-free activity builds early language and vocabulary skills, and introduces social studies with two-piece learning puzzles featuring 20 different community helpers. Preschool and kindergarten-aged children love to connect the pieces and show what they know!

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10. Up We Grow Growth Chart Learning Set

• Unique cut-outs on rockets and UFOs fit photos for extra fun tracking and measuring heights.
• Decorative pieces like planets, comets, and rockets help build kids' interest in measurement, the solar system, and self-discovery.

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11. COUNTERpillar Card Game 

• Learn valuable math skills for odd/even, number order, addition, skip-counting, and more.
• This screen-free activity for kids is perfect for afterschool time. Simple rules give kids the confidence to play with or without adults and as independent practice.

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12. I Can Read Puzzles Challenge Cards®

• This screen-free activity combines the excitement of a card game with solving puzzles to give young learners lots of fun practice building words, rhyming sentences, and spelling and reading skills.

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13. Shapes Fun-to-Know® Puzzles

• Build beginner math skills and boost vocabulary with two-piece learning puzzles about shapes.
• Self-checking features give every learner the confidence to practice independently and build skills at their own pace.

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14. Dinosaur Mighty Match Challenge Cards®

• This card deck features dinosaur facts such as size comparison pictures, the dinosaur’s name, pronunciation key, and a map showing where they lived.

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15. Early Learning Adventures Wipe-Off® Book

• Early Learning Adventures Wipe-Off® Book inspires lots of language and early math practice.
• This screen-free activity focuses on ABC order and letter formation, numbers and counting, colors and shapes, position and directional vocabulary words, and sequencing and patterning.

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These screen-free alternatives to technology allow kids to be kids while they learn new skills! Keep your PreK child busy and grow their independence with activities that supplement their classroom education. View more TREND products for kids of all ages and learning abilities.

What Are the Qualities of a Creative Classroom?

How Do You Create a Creative Classroom?

Reflect what students are learning

Visualize goals

Enabling your students to visualize their goals through decorations is an exciting and creative way to set up a classroom. Incentive charts give students a way to track their own progress and be proud to see what they’ve accomplished. Motivational posters and banners encourage students to keep going, while also reminding them that learning is FUN!

Keep it colorful

Encourage an enthusiasm for education with color! When thinking of creative ways to set up your classroom, remember the role color can play. Not only do students find a colorful classroom more exciting than empty beige walls, color coordinating your environment can be a quick-fix for organization and classroom management. Combine FUN colors with student work using borders and trimmers, punch-out letters, learning sets, bulletin board sets, charts, posters, and more.

Customization is key

There are creative ways to set up a classroom that are unique to each individual student and environment. Customize name tags for daily helpers and desk plates for each child’s space; this creates a sense of ownership and responsibility for each kid in an exciting way. You can also make FUN labels for learning supplies and storage areas so students feel at ease when looking for supplies, returning resources, or turning in assignments.

Switch it up

Even the most creative ways to set up a classroom can start out fun and fade if they’re left unchanged for too long. Decorate your classroom to reinforce topics you’re learning. For example, if you’re studying math, a FUN way to enhance the curriculum is with posters about the topic. Seeing these daily makes the concepts more memorable.

When the unit is complete, change your decor for the next segment to keep things fresh. Switch decorations up for topics like holidays, seasons, learning objectives, characters, and more. There’s no hard-and-fast rule on how often to change classroom decorations, so let student interaction and attentiveness guide you, too.

Encourage accomplishments

Students, especially younger ones, love being rewarded for their learning accomplishments. A creative way to do so is to keep your classroom stocked with stickers and certificates. Giving out these creative tokens of achievement encourages your students to continue to be learning rock stars. Make a decorative display to feature a certificate personalized for a single student’s accomplishment, or congratulate the whole class on a job well done with a group award.

Enlist decorating help

An extra-creative way to set up a classroom is enlisting the help of your students. Highlight their artwork and achievements on the wall, while incorporating other classroom decorations. This encourages students to feel accomplished and proud of their work and helps everyone feel connected and invested in their classroom community.

You can also boost learning enthusiasm by asking for volunteers to help set up some classroom decorations to support a learning theme or topic! Encourage students to brainstorm different ways to best show the topic for their peers and to get creative with their decorating for a truly unique and creative way to set up a classroom.

Explore Our Classroom Decor for More Creative Ways to Set Up a Classroom!

Classroom decorations from TREND enterprises, Inc. encourage creativity, enthusiasm, and learning FUN for many different ages. Discover all of our unique offerings from posters to bulletin board sets to hands-on learning games, and more. Count on TREND for content-rich, colorful, and versatile products and ideas for creative ways to set up your classroom.

Backed by learning and packed with FUN, our newest family-friendly card games are giving a brainy boost to game nights, screen breaks, and after-school time. Need quick entertainment that you can feel good about? We have you covered with an awesome selection of new card games for your family.

Fun is the first ingredient in all of our card games, making them favorites for kids. Playing them doesn’t feel like homework, but they’re still an awesome source of brain gains (so they are favorites for parents, too). Read on to learn features of each new game and get ready to shop FUN for everyone! 

1. Gemz!

It’s hard not to gather around a game of Gemz! Be the first player to build a solid-colored jewel to win this new card game for families.

Why we love it: Classic game play is easy to get started playing…and hard to stop! It seems simple at first, but strategy builds with each round, making everyone in the family ready for a rematch.

Who should play it: Gemz rules adapt to a variety of ages and abilities so adults and kids as young as 4 can all play together and it still feels competitive!

What’s unique: Play is confined to six fit-together cards for each player. Everyone has to make lots of choices about what cards to keep and which to switch… Game-changing SWAP! cards make it so no one coasts to an easy win.

Buy Gemz! Three Corner™ Card Game here

2. Lava Lizards

One box, five games, tons of FUN ! This family-friendly card game includes lots of challenges like building a volcano dome, collecting pairs, or linking the longest line of cards that make this a real winner.

Why we love it: Endless play options! Three ways to match keeps play fresh and interesting every session. Five games are included in one compact box so it’s easy to bring FUN along for family time, travel, camps, and more.

Who should play it: Modify the game play to fit players’ skills – great for ages 4 and up. Enjoy game ideas for every mood or group: Play solo, cooperatively, or compete against friends. Different games call for different matches which makes it a challenge for all ages to not miss a match!

What’s unique: You can’t get too comfy playing this game! The ticking Hot Lava Timer brings lots of uneasy anticipation and surprise. Match fast!

Buy Lava Lizards Three Corner™ Card Game here

3. GNOMES vs TROLLS

This new family card game is sneaky FUN! Be the player with the most treasure after the “troll timer” goes off to win!

Why we love it: Suspense builds with each card drawn: Will it be a Gnome, Treasure, or a TROLL? The “troll timer” creates urgency and makes every round play differently!

Who should play it: Endearing storybook artwork and clever game play are popular with everyone. GNOMES vs TROLLS is great for kids as young as 4 to begin learning strategy, yet it is still eventful for older siblings and parents to play along too.

What’s unique: All players find themselves anticipating every card drawn … The time you get to play is based on how quickly the tricky trolls are discovered in the deck. You’ll root for other players, root against the trolls, and feel competitive at the same time.

Buy GNOMES vs TROLLS Three Corner™ Card Game here

4. enCOWnter

Resistance is futile … enCOWnter is a new card game sure to become a family favorite! Find earthly things and fill your UFO light beam first to win.

Why we love it: It’s every alien for themselves! Choose to stick to your mission or take over someone else’s to pull off a surprising win. Unexpected Martian Mayhem changes the game when you least expect it, giving everyone the same chances at winning.

Who should play it: Earthly things with hilarious expressions are favorites of kids and adults. This family-friendly card game will easily entertain groups of kids, adults, or a mix of ages together.

What’s unique: The secret sabotage of taking over another player’s mission adds a new layer to every player’s strategy. Is someone’s progress on a UFO a deceptive decoy or a way to win?

Buy enCOWnter Three Corner™ Card Game here

5. ON TRACK

Tip your hat to history and ride the rails to victory! Race to be first to build a railway path with an engine, terminal, and 8 colorful tracks.

Why we love it: Fit-together cards build a different landscape every game so it never plays the exact same way twice! Delightful details on the cards and featured, historic trains give opportunities for discussion and enhance the unique game play.

Who should play it: From grade-schoolers to grandparents, this new family card game will make everyone want to join this railway race! Kids ages 8 and up will love the detailed cards inspired by historic trains and terminals, and so will adults!

What’s unique: Three-sided cards connect just right! It’s super satisfying to watch railroads come together. The Supply Yard drawing deck keeps everyone guessing where to search for their finishing cards and the Conductor Card makes sure no one has the game in hand.

Buy ON TRACK Three Corner™ Card Game here

6. sqWATCH OUT!

This game full of Bigfoot and BIG fun will test your memory and your appetite for mystery! Out-hike opponents to find the best proof of Bigfoot to win.

Why we love it: Big risks? Big rewards? This game tests the best to keep high-scoring cards a BIG secret while pressing their luck for a better score.  With six rounds of play, it’s always anyone’s game.

Who should play it: Bigfoot is BIG fun for all players ages 8 to adult! Luck and misfortune bring a lively amount of action for everyone. It’s a challenge for adventure-lovers and play-it-safers to push far enough to catch a peek and earn proof!

What’s unique: The mystery continues: You have to wait until Bigfoot completely disappears and the very last card is flipped to find out who leads and who loses!

Buy sqWATCH OUT! Three Corner™ Card Game here

7. Jungle Pals

This is two games in one for tons of FUN! Both Animal Match and Monkey in the Middle games test and strengthen matching skills for the whole family.

Why we love it: Two-sided cards make this game twice as nice! Both sides are designed for totally different play, making it easy to bring double the fun in one compact, travel-ready package. 

Who should play it: This is a family-friendly matching card game. Word-free cards are ideal for nonreaders and kids as young as 4, yet the competition and matching challenges keep all ages (including adults) entertained.

What’s unique: The action is in the matching! This game skips the traditional action cards (like lose a turn or reverse) so there are lots of opportunities for open-ended play and putting your own spin on it.

Buy Jungle Pals Three Corner™ Card Game here

8. COUNTERpillar

Play a game or practice math? Why not both?! Arrange cards in a caterpillar shape in front of you. Compare your cards to the challenge. First one to finish wins!

Why we love it: Cuuuute caterpillars are so fun to build! Arranging colorful cards to meet each challenge is the perfect blend of an interactive game and math practice. There are five different games to choose from, plus the word-free cards are great for creative play.

Who should play it: Young and old can play this family-friendly card game together! Counting dots and show-your-hand play style are great for young kids, but all ages will be tested to get the right card combinations. It’s great for someone new to numbers or a math whiz.

What’s unique: Count on this card deck for math help that doesn’t feel like homework. This numbers card game also includes equation cards for basic arithmetic and math manipulative practice. It’s an excellent choice for keeping learners at home or school interested. Confidence builds with every caterpillar!

Buy COUNTERpillar Card Game here

9. Pizza Time

Build a pie to order before other players to win! Draw and swap cards each turn to build a pizza that matches the menu. Watch out for cards with totally gross toppings!

Why we love it: More pizza, please! The challenge of creating a perfect pie while avoiding totally gross toppings is a slice of fun for everyone. The action cards are real game-changers and give all ages a chance to win.

Who should play it: Everyone loves pizza! This game is intriguing enough to coax the most independent player into family fun. Minimal reading and visual instructions mean kids can play solo. Count on action cards to ramp up the competition and keep everyone in the game.

What’s unique: The “show your hand” game style adds to the strategy and brings a layer to the competition. It’s also an awesome way for adults or older players to help the youngest of the bunch follow along without altering game play.

Buy Pizza Time Three Corner™ Card Game here

10. GONE FISH’n

Fish the lake to find the catch of a lifetime – Big Eddie! Play this new card game with the whole family, and learn a fun twist on the classic!

Why we love it: Every turn is a new chance and every game plays totally differently. Finding the legend, Big Eddie, doesn’t mean the game is over – the competition is just beginning! Start-to-finish suspense and strategy make this a keeper.

Who should play it: Kids as young as 6 to tweens, teens, and adults love the mystery of every turn, and the action cards keep landslide winning at bay. Everyone can choose their strategy to play their way.

What’s unique: Hexagon-shaped cards fit together differently each game, giving Big Eddie new places to hide every time. The setup fits many spaces and tabletops and the game plays differently every round.

Buy Gone Fish’n Card Game here

1. Father’s Day Candy Card

This Father’s Day, give Dad a break! Kids make this sweet Father’s Day candy card to show they care. This DIY is a fun project for individuals or groups of kids in summer camps and daycare centers. Get creative with personalized candy-related messages to match Dad’s favorite candy or snack. What a treat!

TREND products used:

• Color Harmony™ Triangles Terrific Labels™ 
• Color Harmony™ Stripes Bolder Borders®
• Other Terrific Labels™ designs (optional)

Other supplies:

• Candy (your choice)
• String, colorful construction paper, a marker, a hole punch, and scissors

Click for instructions

2. Dad Rocks Father’s Day Craft

This is a rock-solid present for Father’s Day. Kids of all ages will enjoy making dad a decorative garden rock using their favorite fun stickers! Use it to spruce up a flower bed or bring it inside for an awesome paperweight. It’s a mess-free and FUN way to remind Dad that he rocks. Create extra for an uncle, grandpa, or someone else special.

TREND products used:

• STICK-EZE® Stick-On Letters 
• Alphabet superShapes Stickers
• I ♥ Metal™ Motivating Messages superShapes Stickers – Large
• Emoji Stars Caramel Corn Scratch 'n Sniff Stinky Stickers®
• Emoji Stars superShapes Stickers
• Colorful Sparkle Stars superShapes Stickers
• Red Hearts superShapes Stickers
• Cool Words superSpots® Stickers
• Emoji Talk superShapes Stickers - Large

Other supplies:

• Rocks

Click for instructions

3. Father’s Day Desk DooDADs

Decorate Dad’s desk with homemade doodad signs made with love! Kids have fun making personal, custom paper plaques for Father’s Day to let Dad or someone else special know he's the best!

TREND products used:

• Color Harmony™ Circles Classic Accents® Variety Pack
• Fun Frames Classic Accents® Variety Pack
• Llama Llove Sparkle Stickers® Large 
• Bots & Bolts Sparkle Stickers® Large

Other supplies:

• Mini clothespins
• Markers

Click for instructions

4. My Hero Candy Craft

Make Father’s Day a SUPER celebration with this superhero card for Dad! This craft project for elementary students makes a perfect gift to let father figures of every kind know how unstoppable they are! Kids will love putting their own unique spin on their DIY hero candy cards.

TREND products used:

• I ♥ Metal™ Copper Squares Bolder Borders®
• I ♥ Metal™ Dots Bolder Borders®
• I ♥ Metal™ Dot Circles Mini Accents Variety Pack
• I ♥ Metal™ Stars Mini Accents Variety Pack
• I ♥ Metal™ Embossed Signs Classic Accents® Variety Pack

Other supplies:

• Construction paper and yarn (for face & hair)
• Tape, glue, a black marker, and scissors

Click for instructions

5. Helping Hands Chore Coupons

Raise your hand if you like one-of-a-kind gifts! This handy present is a creative way for kids to select tasks and encourage helpful attitudes. When children give Dad and Grandpa DIY chore coupons they’ll happily get busy helping out on Father’s Day and beyond.

TREND products used:

• Handprints Classic Accents® Variety Pack
• I ♥ Metal™ Dot Circles Mini Accents Variety Pack
• I ♥ Metal™ Stars superShapes Stickers – Large
• Emoji Stars superShapes Stickers

Other supplies:

• Binder ring, marker, and a hole punch

Click for instructions

6. Father’s Day Poem Plaque

It’s your day, D-A-D! Describe Dad with fun, descriptive words and cute stickers. Create this DIY Father’s Day poem plaque with kids to make it perfectly personal.

TREND products used:

• STICK-EZE® Stick-on Letters
• Emoji Stars Scratch 'n Sniff Stinky Stickers® Large Round
• Colorful Sparkle Stars superShapes Stickers
• Alphabet superShapes Stickers
• Emoji Talk superShapes Stickers - Large

Other supplies:

• String
• Colorful construction paper
• Markers
• Scissors and a hole punch

Click for instructions

7. Big Celebration Banner

Decorate for Dad! Celebrate Father’s Day with a handmade banner decoration. Hang in household windows, on walls, or as a fun surprise across garage doors. Going on a picnic? Decorate your picnic area with a bright and colorful banner. Punch-out letters make it easy to customize your message for lots of events too!

TREND products used:

• Paint Strokes 4-Inch Playful Combo Pack Ready Letters®
• Color Harmony™ Pennants Classic Accents® Variety Pack
• Color Harmony™ Circles Mini Accents Variety Pack

Other supplies:

• Rope, ribbon, or string
• Tape or glue and a scissors

Click for instructions

8. Shirt & Tie Father’s Day Card

Kid-created shirt & tie cards are dressed to impress! Simple supplies make it easy to create your own 3-D greeting cards for Father’s Day. It’s the perfect way to let someone special know he’s a pro!

TREND products used:

• Color Harmony™ Swirl Dots Terrific Trimmers®
• Color Harmony™ Peapod Terrific Trimmers®
• Color Harmony™ Ocean Terrific Trimmers®
• Color Harmony™ Stripes Terrific Labels™ Variety Pack

Other supplies:

• Colorful construction paper
• Plastic button
• Double-sided tape or glue, scissors, and a marker

Click for instructions

9. Top-notch Parent Awards

...and the award goes to YOU! Kids will love making these crafty awards and presenting them to Dad on Father’s Day. Sincere messages and fancy ribbon awards make these a top-notch gift for letting someone special know they are #1!

TREND products used:

• I ♥ Metal™ Embossed Signs Classic Accents® Variety Pack
• I ♥ Metal™ Dot Circles Mini Accents Variety Pack
• I ♥ Metal™ Stars Classic Accents® Variety Pack
• I ♥ Metal™ Motivating Messages superShapes Stickers – Large

Other supplies:

• Ribbons, tape or glue, scissors, and markers
• Self-adhesive magnet (optional)

Click for instructions

Express kids’ artsy sides with pictures printed by the sun, spend time together learning about the star-filled sky, spruce up your daily routine with weather tracking, plus learn more about all of the plants in full bloom with a life cycle experiment. Follow along below for directions on four fun ideas for science activities for kids this summer.

1. Sunshine-Printed Pictures

Enjoy this interactive art and science project that makes sun-sational pictures designed by kids … and printed by the sun! This is also a great way to show how important protective shade, sunblock, and clothing can be in summer months. With this activity, the brighter the sunshine, the better your results, so get ready for fun in the sun!

TREND products used:

Choose your favorite shapes! We created many different pictures using:

• I ♥ Metal™ Hearts Mini Accents Variety Pack  
• I ♥ Metal™ Dot Circles Mini Accents Variety Pack
• Sea Buddies® Mini Accents Variety Pack
• Handprints Mini Accents Variety Pack
• Maple Leaves Mini Accents Variety Pack
• Gumdrop Stars Mini Accents Variety Pack
• Dino-Mite Pals® Mini Accents Variety Pack
• Terrific Trimmers®
• STICK-EZE® Stick-On Letters

Other supplies:

• Dark-colored construction paper
• Plastic wrap and a cookie sheet
• Markers, crayons, and any other art supplies

Click for instructions

2. Amazing Stargazing!

Get the whole family together for some amazing stargazing! Learn all about constellations and then make really cool night sky pictures using shiny star stickers to feature each formation. Can you locate them all in the sky? Take your pictures outside and give it a try. Stellar work!

TREND products used:

• Colorful Foil Stars superShapes Stickers

Other supplies:

• Black construction paper
• Light-colored crayons and glitter glue 

Click for instructions

3. Weather Watchers

What’s the weather? Let kids tell you! Weather watching is a great opportunity to reinforce many skills in science and math. Daily weather tracking builds kids’ observation, vocabulary, and memory skills, plus it’s FUN!

Choose your favorite themed calendar Bulletin Board Set with a weather wheel and weather graph. You may want to laminate the graph for maximum reusability. Display the calendar pieces, especially the weather graph and wheel low enough so kids can safely reach.

Get in the habit of watching the weather on the news or checking it in the newspaper or another source each morning. Kids move the weather wheel to reflect the day’s forecast.

Remind them to consult the weather wheel before heading out for the day! How should they dress? What accessories might they need?

Kids color in the graphing grid to mark the day’s weather using Wipe-Off® Markers or Crayons. For extra FUN, place a Weather superShapes Sticker on the graphing square! It’s neat to see how readily kids start noticing and discussing weather on their own. 

Read your weather graph together to interpret different patterns to make conclusions. Has the weather lately been mostly cloudy? How many sunny days have you had? Is the weather forecast often different from the weather that happens? Why is that? Can kids predict next week’s weather?

TREND products to use:

• Calendar Bulletin Board Sets
• Weather Factors Learning Chart
• Weather superShapes Stickers
• Weather Learning Chart
• Wipe-Off® Crayons & Markers

4. Grow Seeds Grow!

Get little gardeners excited to learn about the plant life cycle and watch plants grow with this activity! You can sprout seeds year-round, but it is fun (and good reinforcement) to do it in the summer when everything is in bloom. First, learn about the life cycle of a plant using the Learning FUN Activity as a guide. Practice putting the stages in order and describe what happens in each step.

TREND products used:

• Life Cycle of a Plant Learning Chart
• Let’s Learn Life Cycles Learning FUN Activity

Other supplies:

• Scissors
• Repurposed glass jar
• Paper towels
• Water
• Dried beans
• A planter and soil (optional)

Choose your seed! We recommend dried pinto beans or sunflower seeds which will sprout fast to help keep kids’ interest.

Follow these directions (also on the back of the Plant Life Cycle chart) to grow a bean seed into a plant:

• Fold a paper towel in half and roll it so it fits inside a glass jar (push it against the glass so it is filling the outer edge).
• Fill the jar with water and wedge a bean between the paper towel and the glass.
• Here we GROW! The bean should sprout quickly so be sure to check it daily! The roots will grow down and the stem will grow up.
• Compare the events of your bean sprout to your life cycle puzzle.

Add pieces to your plant life cycle puzzle as each stage happens. Once you have grown roots and a stem, fill a flower pot with soil and plant your bean. Water it and see if you can get the whole plant to grow.

For added FUN: Experiment with different growing conditions. Place the one kind of seed in a variety of jars: try one in a windowsill, in partial shade, outside, and so on. Estimate how and where it will grow the best. Great growing!

Check out our games, flash cards, and early-learning two-piece puzzles to take fun on all of your summer adventures and stay fresh for fall. Need a brain break? Try a summer-themed word find free printable!

Make sure reading continues well into the summer months with these 5 ideas to make reading FUN!

1. Create a Reading Challenge

Start a reading challenge to motivate kids to read in the summer months. Competition can bring out the best in kids – especially when competing against themselves. There are an infinite number of challenge ideas; find one to fit the age and ability of your youngster, and start reading!

Challenge ideas include:

• Read from A to Z: Choose authors’ names or book titles that start with each letter of the alphabet.
• Timed Reading Challenges: Read a number of books or minutes each day/week/month.
• Scavenger Hunt: Challenge kids to read books that contain things like horses, a male main character, outer space themes, a question mark in its title, and so on. They check each item they “find” off the list!

A visible tracking sheet or display reminds kids of their goals and monitors progress. Depending on your space, there are lots of ways to track reading goals:

• Incentive Charts and stickers track group progress or a range of goals.
• Check off your scavenger hunt goals on a checklist.
• For timed reading goals, an Incentive Pad is a simple way to check off each day. 
• Changing challenges by the week or month? Announce and track it on a calendar!
• Track a group’s reading goals at home, school, or in a care center with a Playtime Pals™ Goal-Setting Adventures Bulletin Board Set (it’s reusable for many challenges and goals!).

Remember to reward your readers' success:

• Stickers are always an awesome prize! Large sizes, characters, and sparkly smiles will motivate kids to keep turning pages!
• Bookmarks are handy prizes for kids and the blank backs are great for writing special messages or reading lists.

2. Join Reading Clubs & Communities

Make reading social! Though it’s often an independent activity, reading clubs and communities give it a social aspect that can be helpful when encouraging kids to read.

Join an online literature community, like Biblionasium, to connect your child with fellow enthusiasts (with parents’ permission and oversight, of course!). Check if your school has an account or create a new one for your child.

Create a book sharing group with your child’s classmates, friends, or family. Make a check-in/out process using Terrific Pockets™ and Index Cards. This is a handy reminder of who the book belongs to and also gives you (teachers and parents) a convenient list of who has read the book.

Seeing other kids embrace this pastime, hearing what books others are enjoying, and giving their own advice and opinions is sure to motivate occasional and avid readers alike.

3. Read a Variety of Texts

Introduce kids to a variety of genres and text types. This is especially helpful for kids who seem uninterested in reading – perhaps their lack of enthusiasm is related to what they are (or aren’t!) reading.

One joy of summer reading is that there’s flexibility for FUN. Explore genres (fiction, nonfiction, poetry) and text types (chapter books, graphic novels, magazines…). Reading widely helps kids develop their vocabulary and comprehension, and also helps them discover what they like to read and can inspire a lifelong love for reading.

Not sure where to start? Check with a school or local librarian or bookstore for a list of recommendations. They should be able to point you to a variety of texts in up-and-coming and classic choices.

4. Make Reading Time Special

Read together as a family! Set aside time and treat reading as an event in your home (it’s a great replacement for TV time). Choose a story that’s suitable for a range of ages for your family storytime. Take turns reading out loud and have fun talking about what will happen next.

Create a reading spot that is just right for independent reading. Include comfortable seating, a blanket, and other cozy items, and choose a location that is relatively quiet. Kids will love cuddling up in their special place and sinking into a good book.

Taking a book outside for reading time is a fun way to reinforce reading as a choice rather than a chore. Visit a quiet park or favorite spot in your yard and bring a book and a blanket. Spread out in the sunshine, relax, and enjoy some dedicated outdoor reading time.

5. Celebrate the Stories

The star of any good book is the story. Get kids interested in storytelling and appreciating (and seeking out) the twists and turns of a good tale.

If you have an interesting family story that’s been passed through the generations…tell it! Perhaps it is about your family’s origins or how your parents or grandparents met.  This is an easy way to spark kids’ interest in the stories of people (biographies, memoirs, autobiographies, historical fiction, and so on). Discover books about the heritage and history of famous leaders and figures of interest to your kids. They’ll love to tell you the story of someone they admire!

Audiobooks are a fun way to incorporate storytelling in place of reading. Try listening to a story on your next road trip or when sitting around a campfire. Listening to stories builds pronunciation and reading comprehension skills, plus it’s a fun way to get kids interested in reading. Listen to the first book in a series, then encourage kids to continue reading the series on their own.

Celebrate the stories behind blockbusters! Research to find a book that inspired a movie. When the whole family has read the book, host a movie night (complete with themed snacks, of course!), and watch the movie version. Compare the stories. Which version did everyone like best? Why? Invite kids to find the next book-turned-movie, and keep reading and watching all summer long!

Looking for tools to jump-start a beginning reader? We're here to help! Shop Sight Words, Skillbooks, and reusable activity books to introduce kids to the alphabet and prepare for reading success. 

1. Paper Flower Picture

This simple card craft is great for young children and makes a frame-worthy flower to celebrate Mom. Encourage creativity and practice cutting skills with this fun, flowery scene and Mother’s Day message.

You’ll need:

• Orange Terrific Trimmers®
• Blue Sparkle Terrific Trimmers®
• Green Terrific Trimmers®
• Kelly Green Terrific Trimmers®
• Lime Terrific Trimmers®
• Construction paper, pom-poms, and crayons
• Scissors and tape or glue

Click for instructions

2. Mother’s Day Sweet Signs

Let Mom know how loved she is with cute, kid-made DIY desk plaques. Share sweet sentiments and create bright and colorful decorations for desks and workspaces. Seeing these sweet signs will brighten Mom’s day!

You’ll need:

• Color Harmony™ Circles Classic Accents® Variety Pack
• Fun Frames Classic Accents® Variety Pack
• Sparkly Unicorns Sparkle Stickers® Large
• Cupcake Cuties Sparkle Stickers® Large
• Mini Clothespins
• Markers

Click for instructions

3. Royal Treatment Tickets

This DIY craft is just the ticket for making Mom feel like royalty this Mother’s Day. Treat her to a variety of presents kids can make or provide, like a musical performance, breakfast in bed, a family walk, and more. Time spent together makes priceless gifts!

You’ll need:

• Winning Tickets Mini Accents Variety Pack
• Emoji Talk superShapes Stickers – Large
• Crowning Moments Sparkle Stickers® Large 
• Mini clothespins
• Paper, markers, and scissors

Click for instructions

4. My Hero Candy Crafts

Need gifts for Mother’s Day? Superhero DIY cards to the rescue! Kids will love making these candy cards to let moms know how SUPER they are and thank them for all they do.

You’ll need:

• I ♥ Metal™ Copper Squares Bolder Borders®
• I ♥ Metal™ Dots Bolder Borders®
• I ♥ Metal™ Dot Circles Mini Accents Variety Pack
• I ♥ Metal™ Stars Mini Accents Variety Pack
• I ♥ Metal™ Embossed Signs Classic Accents® Variety Pack 
• Construction paper and yarn (for face & hair)
• Tape, glue, a black marker, and scissors

Click for instructions

5. Color Harmony™ Fun Frames

Surprise Mom with a photo in a homemade frame for Mother’s Day. Give her a picture you’ve taken on a special day or take a silly snapshot just for this gift. Mix, match, and layer trimmers to make a unique present just for her. She’ll love to decorate her office or a special shelf with your smiling face!

You’ll need:

• Color Harmony™ Swirl Dots on Black Terrific Trimmers®
• Color Harmony™ Swirl Dots Terrific Trimmers®
• Color Harmony™ Dot-to-Dot Terrific Trimmers®
• Color Harmony™ Berry 'n Stripes Terrific Trimmers®
• Double-stick tape, glue, and scissors
• Picture frame, craft frame, or cardboard (your choice)

Click for instructions 

6. Flower Power Chore Coupons

How can you help? Let Mom take her pick! Kids will love creating this colorful chore coupon flower bouquet in schools or care centers, or with siblings to surprise Mom or Grandma. The extra-creative and colorful garden of good deeds is sure to make everyone smile!

You’ll need:

• Color Harmony™ Circles Classic Accents® Variety Pack
• Color Harmony™ Circles Mini Accents Variety Pack
• Color Harmony™ Peapod Terrific Trimmers®
• I ♥ Metal™ Buckets Classic Accents® Variety Pack
• Color Harmony™ Stripes Terrific Labels™ Variety Pack
• Chenille stems
• Tape or glue, markers, and a scissors

Click for instructions

7. Happy Hands Folding Card

Fold FUN into your Mother’s Day with this heartfelt DIY card. When children make this colorful and cute “hands-on” craft, it makes Mom’s day! Mail a folding card to "wave" hello to grandmothers and aunts too!

You’ll need:

• Handprints Classic Accents® Variety Pack
• Color Harmony™ Painted Labels superShapes Stickers – Large
• Color Harmony™ Swirl Dots Terrific Trimmers®
• Alphabet superShapes Stickers
• Yarn, markers, and glue or tape

Click for instructions

8. Mother’s Day Poem and Planter

Get to the heart of Mother’s Day with a gift that’s as pretty as poetry. Kids decorate these bright, spring-filled planters and write poems for Mom, Grandma, or someone special! This DIY decorative planter brings cheer to windowsills and tables.

You’ll need:

• Color Harmony™ Triangles Terrific Labels™
• Color Harmony™ Stripes Terrific Labels™ Variety Pack
• Color Harmony™ Stripes Bolder Borders®
• Color Harmony™ Triangles Bolder Borders® 
• Friendly Flowers Scratch 'n Sniff Stinky Stickers®
• Small flower pot and annual flower
• Craft stick or wooden dowel

Click for instructions

9. Petal Praise Mother’s Day Craft

Let creativity and compliments bloom with this DIY craft. Surprise mothers and grandmothers with a handmade paper plant full of praise. This gift will forever bloom with kids’ love for you!

You’ll need:

• Color Harmony™ Peapod Terrific Trimmers®
• Color Harmony™ Circles Mini Accents Variety Pack
• I ♥ Metal™ Buckets Classic Accents® Variety Pack
• Alphabet superShapes Stickers
• superSpots® and superShapes Stickers (your choice)
• Markers, stapler, scissors, and tape or glue

Click for instructions 

Many parents and teachers are finding themselves asking, “What now?” While we can’t answer that question directly, we can offer ideas to help make the most of your time and your child’s at-home learning.  

Not only do engaging games, puzzles, crafts, and activities bring comfort – and joy – during difficult times like these, they are also great for reinforcing distance learning and homeschool lessons in FUN ways. Follow along for 5 ideas for how to make learning at home easier, from playing games to setting goals, to help make learning at home a success.

1. Find screen-free fun!

Game Time

Bring laughter and learning to family time with games. Playing games is great for building essential social and emotional skills. While there may be many ways to teach kids to take turns, practice patience, read social cues, and follow rules, playing games makes building all of these skills interactive, intuitive, and FUN!

The exciting themes in our new Card Games keep kids’ attention round after round. The games are simple to learn, yet have enough strategy and challenge to entertain older siblings and adults right along with the youngest of the bunch.

Want to target more specific learning skills for math and language arts? Check out our educational learning games for friendly competition and challenging practice the whole family will enjoy.

Turn playtime into practice time with matching puzzles. Fun-to-Know® Puzzles for young children are one of our favorite screen-free ways to tackle lots of subjects and encourage independent play. The pictures relate to real life and the vocabulary words encourage early reading.

Looking for playful activities for quiet times? Reusable Wipe-Off® Books are perfect for keeping preschoolers and kindergarteners happy and engaged with loveable characters and game-like activities (mazes, matching, dot-to-dot, and more). 

Match Me® Games are matching and memory games for kids that focus on young-learner basics. Plus, they play three ways for lots of worthwhile fun.

You know it by name: BINGO! Our games can be played with just two players, with luck-of-the-draw excitement and unique topics to interest a variety of ages.

Creative Play & Crafts

While some days may call for a little more TV time than others, it’s important to balance screen time, study time, and creative play. Crafts and homemade learning aids give kids valuable, open-ended play options and inspire creativity.

Celebrate seasonal changes and holidays with DIY craft decorations to keep kids busy and foster their creative sides. Decorate flower pots and have fun watching the plants grow. Give the activity a science-spin by starting with a seed and monitoring the life cycle of the plant. Learn the stages, and then label the flower pot during each stage and record its growth.

Create handmade books and encourage kids to write their own. Use our Thankful Things Book as inspiration. It’s uplifting to see all the things kids are thankful for, even with life’s current challenges.

Puppets are always fun! Create your own puppets to role-play scenarios, make your own plays, and reenact events in a book you are reading.

Take Learning Outside

Screens off, brains on! As long as your health and the weather allow for it, take some time each day to get outside to enjoy the fresh air. Use these activity ideas as starters to creating your own outdoor FUN:

• Turn a walk into a scavenger hunt! Use this free printable for ideas or create your own hunt specific to your region and season.
• Craft a nifty pair of magnifying glasses by rolling strips of trimmer, borders, or paper to help with the search!
• Take notes and when you’re back inside, continue your research so you can tell teach your family about your flying friend.
• If the weather allows, find a bench or quiet spot to log some reading time.

2. Make each day count.

Healthy habits and learning progress continue even when schools are closed. Keep up with (and track) important daily activities from reading to hygiene and physical exercise with incentive trackers.

Creating daily goals for kids to work on not only gives them opportunities for success, but also brings added purpose to each day. Hang your tracker/tracking system where kids will see it and can refer to it often.

Choose the tracking type that works best for you!

• Incentive Charts: work well with many goals and students; great for showing everyone their progress and are a handy visual reminder for kids. They will love adding a sticker to check off each accomplishment too.
• Success Charts & Incentive Pads: tracking sheets on handy tear-off pads make it easy to track one or many individual goals each week. 
• Print-at-Home Sheets: use digital papers to create your own tracking worksheets to encourage individuals to set goals and build good habits.

Learning Goals:

• Choose learning-focused goals for kids to work toward. Goals can include practicing skills they were working on in school or learning about new subjects they find interesting, are excited to learn, and will be proud to share.
  • Be sure to name goals that are trackable and realistic.
• Ideas include: tracking reading hours each week, memorizing 15 states, capitals, or countries, learning about the first 10 U.S. presidents, memorizing multiplication facts to 12, recognizing and spelling 25 sight words, and so on.
  • Pocket Flash Cards
  • Skill Drill Flash Cards

Personal Goals:

• Your daily routine has a whole new look – help kids remember and prioritize tasks that used to be “automatic” by setting personal goals.
• Divide and conquer! If you're looking to track chores, household, and self-care for each child, we recommend Success Charts. The categories (Myself, My Room, My Home, and so on) encourage kids and parents to think of a wide range of tasks. Bonus: Stickers included to celebrate success!
  • Practicing self-care is a top priority today. Remember to include hygiene tasks to build healthy habits for kids.

Rewards:

• Make sure positive reinforcement continues while kids are away from school. Kids’ “regular” treat/rewards may not be an option these days, but it’s still exciting for them to choose the Friday night movie, a special dessert after dinner, and so on.
• Design a reward crown out of paper trimmers, letters, and stickers for kids to wear to celebrate a big accomplishment!
• Use small stickers to mark tasks complete as daily rewards on incentives – buy stickers in bulk value packs to track lots of tasks.
• Create a reward system where kids “buy” large reward stickers once they have earned a certain number of small stickers.
• DIY a reward system for kids to collect stickers! Invite them to “buy” large reward stickers once they have earned a certain number of small stickers or make these Collect and Reward Sticker Rings to personalize your tracking system.

3. Schedule your days.

It’s true that kids are resilient, but they are also often dependent on routines. Creating a schedule helps shape at-home days and provides structure, which can be comforting for kids (and a lifesaver for parents). 

Create a Daily Schedule:

Use a large reusable chart to write the day’s schedule on it. Here are some tips for the schedule:

• Give each activity a start and end time. This timeline will keep kids accountable and on task. You can even set an alarm/alert to let them know when time is up.
• Include “assumed” tasks like clean up (after breakfast, playtime, and so on) for different activities. This helps kids remember to finish one item before moving on to the next and will help keep spaces orderly.

Older Kids:

Work together to create the schedule. This is a great way to get them to understand (and agree to!) limits for screen time, important chores, and so on. This also gives kids opportunities to volunteer in helping which makes them feel valued (and helps you out – win-win!).

Younger Kids:

For parents with younger children, it may be helpful for you to make the schedule for the coming day after kids are in bed. This allows plans to remain flexible during uncertain times, without breaking promises for agreed-upon activities.

Include “The Big Picture”:

It’s great to look to the future, even if we aren’t certain what it holds. Parties or events might have been canceled, but the dates of birthdays and holidays can still be recognized on a family calendar.

Wipe-Off® Calendars are handy for creating a visual of the month as a whole to show special events, appointments, and so on. The easily erasable surface makes changing plans simple and easy. Use different colored markers to color-code by event type or person.

4. Create spaces for learning.

Dedicate spaces & organize supplies

If you have several kids/parents at home, dedicate a space for each person to set up where they can stay focused, whether working or schooling. If the areas you’re using are dual-purpose, like the dining room, use supply boxes for easy setup and cleanup each day.

Label a storage bin (this can even be a shoebox!) to organize homeschool supplies. This is where kids can store items (crayons, markers, notepaper, calculator, etc.,) they’ll need for schoolwork that's unique to their tasks. When the day starts, each person takes their supply bin to their dedicated space. When it’s time for everyone to use the space, simply tidy the items in the bin and store it out of the way. Easy!

Get kids excited about their bins by letting them choose items to keep in them. These do not have to be new items – they can add a special pencil they normally keep in their backpack or desk, a book for free reading, and so on. Label the bins for each person and decorate if you like. 

Decorate for learning

If you’re teaching remotely, homeschooling, or are operating a day-care center, you can replicate the learning atmosphere of schools, even if your space is small. Decorating your non-traditional space with learning materials and charts to support lessons can make a BIG difference.

Decorations, like educational posters and charts, set the tone for learning, engage kids, introduce new concepts, and bring learning to life with photos and visuals.

Reinforce topics with Bulletin Board and Learning Sets. The three formats bring many opportunities to teach kids of different ages in spaces of any size. The sturdy paper can be held up in hand without flopping over and can also withstand being pinned up and taken down again and again (making quick changeovers a breeze).

Need a quick manners reminder? Create a "class rules" poster for home! Kids are used to having the rules displayed. Work together to create a custom homeschool rules poster. 

5. Incorporate learning in everyday tasks.

There are lots of learning opportunities in daily activities, it just might take a little practice to recognize them. Let these ideas spark some of your own!

Math Practice At Home:

A simple twist of each task can turn most chores into valuable math practice! Putting away dishes? Count them or categorize them. If you’re baking a lasagna or cake, cut it into 12 pieces and ask kids how many pieces each family member gets. Split or double ingredients in a recipe for fraction practice, stack reusable storage bowls by shape and size, sort laundry by color, and so on.

Reading Practice At Home:

Decide on one (or two) periodical subscriptions to receive as a family. Not only will this give everyone something to anticipate (you can mark it on your calendar!), it’ll also be a source of fresh reading materials. It might be a good idea to choose a newspaper (local or national) as well as a topic-focused magazine.

Daily newspapers provide lots of opportunities for learning. From the article topic to the vocabulary used, there’s likely something for everyone to learn! Reading current events together also gives kids the chance to ask questions about what’s in the news (COVID-19, election debates, recalls, and so on), and it lets parents respond and provide context for events that are confusing or even scary. Consider choosing different newspaper sections to read together so kids get a full picture of current events and also do not become overwhelmed or bored by repeating topics.

Topic-focused magazines are also a fun periodical to receive. If you have a less-than-enthused reader, choose a topic that especially interests him or her. You’ll be amazed to see how excited they get for each new issue! Bookmark articles you’ll read together and ones for them to read on their own and tell you about.

1. Winter Wonderland Pictures

Turn a black piece of construction paper into a wintry landscape full of cheer with this fun art project. We created our winter wonderland using Snow & Ice Terrific Trimmers®, Rainbow Gel and I ♥ Metal™ Stars Stickers, chalk, black construction paper, and tape.

Begin by cutting three strips from a paper trimmer. Ours were 4½, 3½, and 2½ inches each. You can use any length you choose, just increase the length by one inch per layer.

Cut the ends of each trimmer at an angle.

Stack the paper shapes into a layered-looking tree and glue or double-stick tape together.

For extra interest, use thick craft tape or mounting squares to attach the tree to your paper and make it POP out of the night sky.

Time to decorate! Top off your tree with a large star sticker and add colorful small stickers to the branches. For a perfect fit on the tree, we recommend using our superSpots® or superShapes Stickers.

Use chalk to draw landscape elements to fill in your picture. Surround your winter tree with sweeping, swirling snowbanks, a range of mountains in the distance, smoke spiraling from a far-off chimney, sparkling stars, and more!

2. Tabletop Tree Centerpieces

These centerpieces are the perfect craft to make any space ho-ho-ho-liday ready. These tabletop trees bring cheer anywhere you place them (desk decorations, table centerpieces, bookshelves…).

Curl a sheet of paper into a cone shape for your base. Cut paper trimmers or borders into different shapes, we used teardrops, squares, circles, and triangles.

For the trees shown here we used the following TREND products:

• I ♥ Metal™ Copper Scrolls Terrific Trimmers®
• I ♥ Metal™ Copper Squares Bolder Borders®
• I ♥ Metal™ Stars Mini Accents Variety Pack
• Dots 'n Glitz Terrific Trimmers® & Bolder Borders® Variety Pack
• Color Harmony™ Triangles Bolder Borders®
• Snow and Ice Terrific Trimmers®

Glue a corner of each shape to the cone so the fullest part hangs off the tree.

Begin at the bottom and work your way around and then upward, overlapping each layer. Tape three shapes together to cover the top of the tree.

Mix and match border colors to fit any room decorating theme. Match your classroom theme, party décor, school colors, or choose traditional holiday styles!

3. Color Block Sparkle Ornaments

Gather different colors of sparkle borders and trimmers so each layer of the tree is a different color. Cut three strips of each border color, making each one inch shorter than the last. Layer the strips longest to shortest and glue or double-stick tape together. Punch a hole in the top tree layer and loop a short piece of ribbon through. Tie a knot to hold it in place.

Sandwich the tree top and punched hole between I ♥ Metal™ Stars Stickers. Decorate the trees with superSpots® or superShapes stickers. These make great additions to any holiday tree, perfect for hanging on refrigerators and in cubicles too.

4. Holiday Wreaths

Greet your guests with classic holiday decorations: homemade wreaths! Research the tradition of evergreen wreaths and discover the rich history of this holiday symbol, and then make one of your own. Create a basic wreath “base” out of various green borders and trimmers. Have fun making them unique. Give everyone strips of green paper trimmers or borders and watch creativity happen!

Cut and layer circle bases, combine different shades of green, add fun folds or cut into fringe. Next, decorate your wreath to put your own spin on this holiday classic. Some ideas include framing photos, spelling out greetings or your classroom number with STICK-EZE® Stick-On Letters, tying string bows or making bows out of paper borders … so many options!

We added stickers to give our wreaths some extra personality and color too.

5. Shimmering Bookmarks

Cozying up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate is one of our favorite winter activities, that’s why we love DIY bookmarks. They’re handy, look great, plus they make really thoughtful gifts! Create your own Shimmering Bookmarks using Sparkle Plus Bolder Borders®. We love these borders for their SHIMMER effect and the fun patterns match the spirit of the candy-cane season. Oh, and you can cut 12 bookmarks out of one single strip of Sparkle Plus Bolder Borders® which is a major BONUS! The hardest part? Choosing your patterns or colors (there are so many FUN styles!).

Once you’re done with all the hard decisions, it’s time to start! Cut one Sparkle Plus Bolder Borders® into 6 strips and cut each of those in half. Punch a hole in the top, loop a string through and knot to hold. Add a special dangler to the string by placing two stickers back-to-back to sandwich the string. We used I ♥ Metal™ Stars Stickers, but other stickers would look great too (the shapes just have to be the symmetrical).

The bookmark back is a perfect spot for writing reading lists, books to read over winter break, and keeping notes about your current read. If giving as a gift, write a special message on back.

6. Folded Paper Snowman & Tree Ornaments

Everyone loves getting kid-crafted holiday keepsakes! These pleated hanging decorations are always fun for kids and make a wonderful gift idea for parents, grandparents, and friends. Add these ornaments to any eclectic holiday tree or use to bring cheer to work cubicles and desks.

Precut basic shapes for younger kids or provide a tracing line for them to cut out. We created a pine tree and a snowman, but stars and a simple gift shapes are also nice. Once the shape is cut, accordion fold and decorate!

Provide a variety of superShapes and superSpots® Stickers, ribbon, small cutout stars, markers and crayons for kids to make them their own.

Punch a small hole in each “pleat” and string a chenille stem through. Leave enough excess stem on top for hanging.

Parents and grandparents will treasure this keepsake!

7. Holly Jolly Jumbo Paper Ornaments

Decorate with color and showcase your holiday spirit in a BIG way with giant homemade ornaments! With a paper trimmer or border in the middle, staple strips of colorful trimmers at the top and bottom, giving them enough slack to bend outward on the sides.

Layer a variety of colors in solids and sparkles to match your classroom or home theme. Loop and staple a trimmer in a complementary colored border to create a big, beautiful bow.

Add extra strips of trimmer to replicate ribbon strings too. Hook on store-bought ornament hooks or a loop of string to hang.

All aboard! Ride along with us for a behind-the-scenes look at our new award-winning card game On Track™. Much like the building of a railroad, this game was a total team effort, but was such a joy to put together!

To keep us “on track” we sought the insight of a railroad expert (Hi, Barb!) who works at the Minnesota Transportation Museum in nearby St. Paul, Minnesota. Her passion and enjoyment of railroads truly inspired us to make On Track full of lighthearted fun while respectfully tipping our hats to history.

Why a train game?

Trains are an endearing and everlasting part of history, enjoyed by all ages. When you hear a train’s whistle or see one roaring along the tracks, it’s hard to resist counting the cars and wondering what cargo is aboard. Whether it’s the symbolic striping on a toddler’s overalls, wooden train whistles from a gift shop, playing with toy trains, creating hobby railways, or setting up a train to circle your holiday tree, it’s a safe bet that the nostalgia and wonderment of railroads have found their way into your current life.

On Track was developed to celebrate and commemorate the history of rail transportation and provide a pastime as classic and FUN as the railways it features. The theme of trains is one that bridges many ages and interests, and seemed like a natural topic for a card game that’s family-forward, competitive, and FUN!

Discovering the Details

The cards feature different sights and surprises in each environment, just like seeing out the windows of a speeding train – look closely or you’ll miss something! Each of the four players’ railways are located in a different terrain, mimicking the various landscapes railroads cross: coastlines, plains, deserts, and mountains.

Just like looking at a miniature replica of a train town, there’s a slew of cute and curious details that are super neat to spot. They are different for each of the four railroad colors. In fact, you’ll even find pieces of some of our other award-winning Three Corner™ Card Games hidden on the cards. Look closely and you’ll find echoes of enCOWnter™, sqWATCH OUT™, GNOMES vs TROLLS™, and Lava Lizards™ too.

There’s more to delight in than just the details, of course. Planning your moves and watching your landscape come to life along your tracks becomes more and more strategic as you play. You can win with a variety of landscape shapes and layouts so you essentially build a new scene each time you play!

4 Featured Locomotives

All aboard! Here’s a glimpse at the engines and the terminals that inspired the On Track cards.

1. Big Boy

Twenty-five Big Boy locomotives were built exclusively for Union Pacific Railroad. Big Boy locomotives were among the most powerful ever built, and they weighed a whopping 1.2 million pounds! (Now we know where they got their name!) The Big Boy 1404 was in service until 1961 and traveled more than 1 million miles. Put Big Boy back on the rails by playing with the Purple Line On Track cards.

2. The Challenger

This locomotive “challenged” Big Boy in size and power. During Big Boy’s retirement, Challenger was the most powerful operating steam engine in the world. There were 105 Challenger’s built between 1936 and 1943. They measured about 122 feet long and weighed over 1 million pounds! If you’re up to the “challenge,” play the Blue Line On Track cards.

3. Daylight

Streamlined and sleek, Daylight engines were known for their bright orange and red colors. Their speed (they could exceed 100 mph) and smooth capabilities made them a favorite for hauling passengers. If you think you can go fast enough, take the Orange Line On Track cards for a spin!

4. Royal Hudson

The Canadian Pacific’s Royal Hudson engines were known by the brass crown on the running board skirts. Revered for their successful design, these dependable and smooth operating engines were often used for high-profile passenger service, transcontinental duties, and as freight haulers. If you’re feeling up to a long haul, play the Green Line On Track cards.

4 Featured Terminals

We chose four terminals to pay tribute to in this card game. Each Terminal Card is played last, but is certainly not the least important!

1. Coastal

The blue Terminal Card pays tribute to Grand Central Station in New York, New York. Construction finished in 1913 and took 10 years to build this iconic terminal. The vaulted ceiling reaches 125 feet high and features painted constellations. Its famous clock has always been a focal point too.

2. Mountain

The purple Terminal Card gives a friendly nod to Union Station in Denver, Colorado. When construction finished in 1881, it was the largest structure in the western United States. It even included a 128-foot tower! The “Travel by Train” sign was added to the station later to pay homage to the bygone era of train travel.

3. Midwest

The green Terminal Card was modeled after Chicago's Union Station in Illinois which opened in 1925. The 10-year construction included the station itself, plus the necessary rail yards, bridges, and viaducts to separate rail traffic from city traffic. The “Great Hall” is known for its waiting room that spanned 219-feet in length with a vaulted skylight 115 feet high.

4. Southwest

The orange Terminal Card is reminiscent of the Santa Fe Depot. The station was built in one year, completed in 1915, and was designed to echo California’s Spanish heritage. The well-recognized arches, towers, and beautiful tile work still remain today.

It’s Golden!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! The forming of the first transcontinental railroad in Promontory, Utah in 1869 was echoed by newspapers from the New York Times to the Chicago Tribune, the Omaha Herald, to the Daily Alta California. The feat finally connected the east and west of the United States. People rejoiced, dreaming of the produce and products that would now be available nationwide with the new possibilities of transport.

Create your own transcontinental railroad by playing the Golden Spike team game. Join your railroads at the Golden Spike Card to win!

Extra FUN!

Discover your own facts about the railways that shaped the landscape where you live. Research local roundhouses and museums near you and pay them a visit. The stories and history behind the history of transportation will excite learners of all ages!

Shop On Track Card Game and coordinating railroad stickers for a combination that can't be beat! Stickers are fun to give as prizes for the game winner, party favors, or gift add-ons for kids and adults.

Free Train Printables!

Bigfoot’s strange existence has captured the imaginations of young and old since his first recorded sighting. His unexplained appearances and disappearances, the crater-like footprints he leaves behind, and his fuzzy, hulking features have everyone wanting to catch a glimpse of him in real life. That’s why we knew Bigfoot (aka Sasquatch) was the right mascot for new stickers and family-friendly card game: sqWATCH OUT!™ (aka your new favorite activity).

Whether the pandemic has you nearing Bigfoot’s isolation record, or you’re ready for socializing, or are just happy to hang with your family, we’ve gathered some Bigfoot-themed activity ideas for kids and adults to use to celebrate achievements, birthdays, or just enjoy new ways to spend time together that’s fun for the whole family.

Get whisked into a world of Bigfoot playing our award-winning sqWATCH OUT! Card Game. Read on for more ideas for BIG fun with make-your-own Sasquatch picture scene with stickers, a super Silly Story activity, and have fun with Free Printables during free time. The adventures are sure to leave a big “footprint” in your family’s memories! Ready? Let’s go!

1. Bigfoot and BIG FUN Card Game

Make boredom disappear faster than Bigfoot with this family-friendly game. sqWATCH OUT! Card Game is FUN regardless of who you’re entertaining. Put together the “Bigfoot sighting” cards to stir lots of excitement. Kids and adults can’t wait to solve this mystery. Watch the Trek Cards get darker and darker the deeper you hike. Bigfoot is lurking close…you can almost feel it!

You’ll be tested on six different treks throughout the game. The clever and exciting play challenges everyone to remember their cards and take the right risks to trek ahead of the competition. If you play your cards right, you just might come out with proof of Bigfoot before he disappears for good.

We love that this game unfolds with plenty of time for everyone to come up with their own ideas and strategies for memorizing cards, navigating dreaded action cards, and surprising other players by yelling, “sqWATCH OUT!” with perfect (progress-stopping) timing. Even with a great hike, you could still end up on the wrong side of a hoax. It’s anyone’s game and that’s why every round is just as important and thrilling as the last.

Use sqWATCH OUT to take a big foot forward toward family FUN that everyone will want to get in on! Let the excitement of the game set the scene and spark creativity for all of the activity ideas below.

2. Sasquatch Stories

Surprise kids (and kids at heart) with our new Bigfoot-themed Squatch Watch superShapes Stickers. Stickers always bring lots of fun anywhere you stick them: planner pages, cards and letters, and your favorite folders…BUT one thing these are especially great for are making picture stories.

The accessories stickers (binoculars and video camera), the signs, the footprints, and of course, the giant sticker of Bigfoot himself inspire lots of creativity for kids to make drawings about capturing Bigfoot.

• Give everyone a blank sheet or sheets of paper, crayons or markers, and a sheet of Squatch Watch Stickers.
• Invite kids to draw the background and other details (or a multi-page, illustrated story) about the day they saw SASQUATCH!
• Use stickers for their Bigfoot sighting! The stickers and game play are sure to inspire some really great storylines.
• Want to get really WILD? Go outside and find leaves, a twig, or other “real” outdoor elements to embellish the pictures.
• Watch creativity come alive!

3. Drawing Clues Activity

This playful picture activity is great for a whole family or as a project for kids to do together. Get your paper and art supplies, sqWATCH OUT! Scratch ‘n Sniff Stinky Stickers® and active imaginations ready!

• Before starting, ask kids for a variety of interesting scene ideas (or use your own). Some ideas include the circus, forests, the grocery store, camping, and so on. Write each scene on a small strip of paper and put them into a hat.
• Next name an action like eating, hiding, swimming, and so on. Write those ideas on small strips of paper and put those in a different hat. If you’d like more categories, like objects, animals, food, and so on, repeat for each of those too. It’ll get harder the more you add.
• Randomly hand each player a sheet of drawing paper and a sheet of Bigfoot stickers (or cut apart sheets from a pack and hand everyone a selection of stickers).
• Everyone draws one strip of paper from each hat.
• Gather markers or crayons and any other art supplies you’d like.
• Everyone makes a picture that includes the Bigfoot stickers and every clue from the strips of paper. Bigfoot driving a car in a campground looking for apples? Super silly and super FUN!
• Remember to scratch the stickers before placing them on your drawings to release the pine scent. Welcome to the woods!
• Gamify this activity by setting a timer and watch creativity happen in a hurry! When the time’s up, guess what was written on the strips of paper for each person’s picture.

4. Silly Stories

Ready for a belly laugh as big as Sasquatch? Create your own Bigfoot story using our Free Printable as a super-silly story starter.

• Print the free activity sheet ahead of time or, if you don't want to print, plan to fill it in digitally after you’ve downloaded it.
• One person reads the part of speech written under each blank line.
• Players write a word to fill in each blank on a separate sheet of paper.
• Then, invite each person to fill in the blanks of their story on a printed Silly Story Free Printable or on the computer (or invite an adult to help).
• What kind of silliness is Bigfoot up to? Take turns reading your silly stories out loud.

5. On-Your-Own FUN

Bigfoot is a solitary fellow, so we know that some days call for solo activities. Our free printable activity sheets for kids are a great way to keep little ones active and constructive during down time and for distance learning breaks.

• Bigfoot Coloring Page: Kids will love to make their own version of Bigfoot and tell you a story of how they spotted him. Add stickers to the coloring sheet for extra fun.

• Bigfoot Crossword Puzzle: How much do you know about Bigfoot? Try this Crossword Puzzle Free Printable to show what you know (or learn something new). There’s an answer key included too!

Bigfoot’s HUGE appeal is instant entertainment for kids and adults! Enjoy Bigfoot-themed activities and many rounds of sqWATCH OUT! Card Game for BIG fun your family can count on.

Like these ideas? Each of our family games has free printable coloring sheets and coordinating stickers to fill every day with play!

You came. You bought. You’ve enCOWntered. If you’ve played enCOWnter™, one of our award-winning, new Three Corner™ Card Games, chances are you’re over the moon for it. Kids (and adults) are loving this game full of hilarious earthly things and quick, active play. The action cards bring the suspense and surprise that everyone craves - one card can change the whole game - so all ages have a lot to lose (or win!). Have you tried a secret mission yet? Secret missions bring a whole new level of FUN to the game and give older players and parents added challenge to keep play fresh.

Looking to energize game night for out-of-this-world FUN? Read on for even more cosmically cool ways to play with the enCOWnter card deck. All four alternate game ideas will change game play and keep kids engaged with “extra” terrestrial excitement. Bonus: Activate the Points Blaster option for all of these game ideas using the Free Printable scorecard and play a Martian Marathon.

One of the things we love about enCOWnter is that it can be changed quickly to adapt to different age levels. Before playing, decide if you’ll play with some, none, or all of the Martian Mayhem Cards to fit your desired challenge level. Mix the game play from the instructions with these ideas to create a game to perfectly fit family and friends playing at birthdays, gatherings, holidays, and any event.

Read on for 4 new ways to play enCOWnter card game, print your free scorecard to activate the Points Blaster, and blast off to FUN!

1. Take Me to Your Leader

• First, choose the number of missions (UFO cards) you each must complete to win. We recommend adding 1 or 2 to the number of players as your mission number.
• To start, separate the UFO Cards from the deck. Each player chooses one UFO Card, and sets the extras aside. Shuffle the deck (Martian Mayhem + Earthly Things Cards).
• Do not keep any cards in your hand for this game. Play each card immediately upon drawing it. Discard if it's not a match. Reshuffle the deck if it runs out.
• Complete a UFO card and “take it to your leader” (set it aside). If you’ve activated the Points Blaster, mark your point on your scorecard! Return your earthly things to the discard pile and choose a new UFO card. Play continues to the left.

Complete the correct number of missions to WIN!

2. Cosmically Cooperative Play Option

• Choose a number of UFOs for players to complete, combined. We recommend starting small, like 5 or 6 total. Keep paper and a pencil (or a printable scorecard) handy to write down each completed UFO.
• Remove the One-Time Protection Cards (2) from play and set aside. Begin like Take Me to Your Leader play idea, except do not re-shuffle the discard pile when the deck runs out.
• Your challenge is to complete the chosen number of missions the first time through the deck or risk disappointing the mother ship! Can you outplay the earthly things and capture them before the deck runs out?
• Use lots of teamwork when you draw a Martian Mayhem Card – they just might work to your advantage! Which way can you play to cause the least chaos?

3. Cosmic Dust Doubles

• Do not keep any cards in your hand for this game. Play each card immediately upon drawing it or discard it. Reshuffle the deck if it runs out to make a new draw pile.
• To start, separate the UFO Cards from the deck. Each player chooses two UFO Cards. Set the extras aside. Shuffle the deck (Martian Mayhem + Earthly Things Cards).
• Each turn, a player draws one card at a time and plays it on either UFO Card (if it’s a match). If it’s a Martian Mayhem Card, follow the instructions and discard it. If it is one that you could hold onto in the regular play, you MUST play it now unless it is a One-Time Protection Card. Save those face up on the table in front of you.
• Decide before starting if cards that require players to discard ALL cards and get a new UFO will destroy one or both UFOs.
• When adding earthly things to your UFO, you do not have to complete a full UFO before adding earthly things to the other – play on either card!

The player to successfully fill both UFOs first WINS!

4. Extra Terrestrials

• You’ll keep three cards in your hand for this game. Reshuffle the deck if it runs out.
• Players draw one UFO Card each and lay it face up in front of themselves. Set the others aside.
• Mix all of the cards in the deck (Martian Mayhem Cards + Earthly Things Cards).
• Draw or deal three cards to each player. Redraw or deal a new card if a player gets a Martian Mayhem Card. You’ll start with only earthly things.
• Target one earthly thing on your UFO and try to capture THREE of that kind.
• Each turn begins with drawing a card. Each turn ends with discarding at least one card.
• Players must keep three cards in their hands.
  • If you get a Martian Mayhem Card that has you draw 2 or take a card from another player, you can swap the cards with those in your hand but you’ll need to discard double so you end your turn with only three cards.
  • If a player takes a card from you as a result of Martian Mayhem, draw until you have three cards in your hand to start your next turn.
• Hint: Choose carefully which card you leave on top of the discard pile!
• Discard Martian Mayhem Cards out of play after they are used. (The game will get easier the longer you play). Do not mix them back into the deck if it runs out.
• Continue drawing cards until you have THREE of one kind in your hand.
• On your turn, lay the cards down under your UFO to WIN!

Activate Points Blaster

Download your free scorecard to track points through a variety of enCOWnter games.

• Since many of these games are relatively quick to play, it can be extra FUN to play many rounds in one game session.
• Play any version (or versions) of enCOWnter you choose. Print a scorecard to keep track of the number of UFOs each player makes throughout every game.
• Award every player 1 point for each completed UFO and play to a winning number. Cosmic finish!

The winner is…

Need ideas for game prizes or giveaways for game night? Stickers make excellent party favors and prizes and new coordinating alien-themed stickers will have players of all ages vying for the WIN. Extend the theme with free printable activity sheets featuring characters from enCOWnter too!

Halloween crafts are so much FUN! Our sleeves are rolled, our glue gun is on, and we’re ready to create one-of-a-kind crafts. Make Halloween-inspired doorstep décor, centerpieces, candy buckets, Jack-o’-lanterns, banners, and more. Save yourself the stress and mess of carving pumpkins with these ideas that are fun for all ages!

1. Mess-Free Party Pumpkins

Add sparkly, scented, and shaped stickers to pumpkins for fun Halloween décor that’s mess-free and great for kids (and adults!) of many ages. Pick pumpkins from your local patch or give decorative craft pumpkins some much-needed bling. This is fun for a whole classroom activity, Halloween parties, and at-home projects. Display your one-of-a-kind pumpkins on your doorstep or entryway to welcome guests!

TREND products used:

• Sparkle Stickers®
• Scratch 'n Sniff Stinky Stickers®
• superSpots® & superShapes Stickers

2. Luminous Lanterns

Pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns are essential Halloween and fall decorations. Let these fresh new ideas inspire your own creative twist on these “gourdeous” Halloween favorites. Create this Jack-o’-lantern and fill the jar with bookmarks, candy, and other fun prizes for rewards or irresistible desk décor. Multiple lanterns with flameless candles inside are perfect for lighting walkways and doorsteps for trick-or-treaters and guests. Create a variety of lantern sizes and place together at varied heights for a great, glowing pumpkin patch display!

TREND products used:

• Orange Terrific Trimmers®
• Green Terrific Trimmers®
• Yellow Terrific Trimmers® – Sparkle

3. DIY Danglers

These DIY dangling decorations are a fun, hands-on craft for all ages. Simple, swinging ornaments add a spooky surprise to trees, doorways, and more. Mix and match a variety of stickers and trimmers to perfectly complement any party theme, trunk or treat display, and classroom scene. Make minis for festive vase fill or string together for ghoulishly-good garland … the options are endless!

TREND products used:

• Colorful Skulls, Vanilla scent Scratch 'n Sniff Stinky Stickers®
• Black Terrific Trimmers® – Sparkle
• Colorful Stars superShapes Stickers – Sparkle

4. Unbe-leaf-able Projects

You’ll love these unbe-leaf-ably easy, yet stunning project ideas to make ordinary arrangements instantly share-worthy. Glue together photo-real leaf accents as a placemat for centerpieces featuring gourds and pumpkins. Use the leaves as “jumbo confetti” to decorate tables for fall events and gatherings (the cleaning crew will thank you!). Add accents to baskets and vases for a brilliant pop of seasonal colors. Fill the accents with reasons to be thankful and share with family and friends, then add to string-together garland and doorway decorations for a personal touch.

TREND products used:

• Maple Leaves Classic Accents® Variety Pack
• Maple Leaves Mini Accents Variety Pack
• Fall Oak Leaves & Acorns Classic Accents® Variety Pack

5. Giggly Googly Words

Googly eyes give everyone the giggles! If you’re looking for a fun Halloween project that’s just too cute to spook, this is it. Create your own Halloween banners using punch-out Ready Letters® and googly eyes. Think of fun phrases, like BOO!, Spooky, Ooooooh, Beware, and so on. Invite kids to help spell and arrange each word. Glue googly eyes to each letter and watch them come to life! String the letters together or tape to walls for awesome Halloween room décor. This is great for making signs to direct guests and goblins to different activities at community Halloween parties and events too.

TREND products used:

• Black 4-Inch Playful Uppercase/Lowercase Combo Pack Ready Letters®

Say, “hello” to gnomes and trolls and “goodbye” to boring family time with this interactive new card game that’s full of folklore and FUN. The card deck is full of hidden surprises and details to delight all ages. The storybook artwork draws you in and the interesting game dynamics keep everyone eyeing what card comes next. Is it treasure, a gnome … or a TROLL? Arranging the cards and playing against the trolls and other players is such an exciting twist on a regular card game – it truly is a sneaky good time for the whole family.

The lore of gnomes and trolls inspired many of the game play features, like tricky trolls, guarding treasure, and more. Each adorable and mischievous character comes to life as you play, wrapping everyone into the story for many rounds of fun. Read on to discover facts behind the making of Gnomes vs Trolls card game, the folklore that inspired the game play, and explore the card deck with us!

Ten Tremendously Fun Facts

1. The cards were drawn with a storybook feel to reflect the “story” the game tells. It looks like the gnomes and trolls were plucked from the pages of a child’s book to bring you lots of playful excitement and adventures!
   
   
2. There are 32 different gnomes – they are a diverse and unique bunch. When you open the game box, the gnome cards appear in the order they were drawn. The first one waves a happy hello with his sack full of treasure. So cool!
   
   
3. Three of the gnomes were named by the artist: Sneaky, Snoozy, and Ann. The first two are easy to know by name (they’re the Sneaking & Sleeping Gnomes). The last one, Ann, is holding a shovel – see if you can find her.
   
   
4. Hi there, ladybugs. There are eight gnome cards with ladybugs on them. Can you find them all? Ladybugs are the artist’s signature. He loves them almost as much as gnomes love treasure!
   
   
5. You’ll notice all of the gnomes are generally happy…except for the one who seems to have woken up on the wrong side of the forest. Hey, what’s he have to be grumpy about?
   
   
6. The artist’s favorite gnome is the one pushing the wheelbarrow. Perhaps that is why that gnome has SO much treasure… Is he your favorite too? Color him on this free printable.
   
   
7. There are nine different trolls. It takes all nine to complete the troll timer pyramid so every game gives you a chance to meet and greet all of them.
   
   
8. The first troll the artist drew is the first one to appear when you flip through the deck – look for pink overalls!
   
   
9. While a few lucky trolls are holding jewels, many of them have interesting props they’ll use to trick the gnomes. It’s fun to imagine ways they capture gnomes and trick them for treasure. There are two trolls with fish in their pockets. Are they lunch…or bait?
   
   
10. The troll characters in this game started many years ago as warm-up sketches, but they never found a permanent place … until now. Finally, the trolls have found their home!

Folklore & Features of Game Play

The folklore of gnomes and trolls inspired a lot of the game play. We took bits of classic gnome and troll folktales and recreated them on the cards and in game features.

The triangle cards make collecting and protecting the treasure hands-on and exciting. Arranging the cards gets everyone interacting with the game on every turn.

Why Gnomes?

Every story needs a hero, and these happy-spirited, yet determined gnomes are perfect. The story of gnomes comes from European folklore and varies by culture and timing, but there is one common thread: They LOVE treasure and are careful guardians of it.

You’ll see that guarding treasure is a BIG part of the game play. Players are challenged to collect three gnome cards to surround each treasure card to keep it safe from the trolls and other players. We like to see the gnomes working together!

Many of the cards feature mining tools like a pickax and shovel because gnomes are known for mining the earth for their precious, hidden treasures. How many different tools can you find?

As you look through the card deck you’ll quickly see gnome life isn’t all work! There’s lots of cards that feature playful and silly additions, like a well-known red wagon, a treasure-loving toad, and lots of musical scenes. The gnomes in this game bring the curious and happy spirit of gnome life to the surface. Their world is full of harmony and cheer…and lots, and lots of treasure!

Why Trolls?

To create a story, you need conflict – and trolls are perfect characters for bringing lots of conflict. Troll folklore comes from Scandinavian origins, where they are known as giant, monstrous beings. While the trolls in this game aren’t monstrous in a scary way, you’ll know them when you see them by their larger size, bright colors, and unmistakable features.

Trolls’ legend varies, but one fact rarely changes: They are often menacing and tricky. Their trickery plays a big part in the game. Trolls lurk in the card deck and “turn up” to catch players off guard. Players draw cards, hoping for gnomes or treasure…but when troll cards appear instead…uh, oh! It’s exciting for everyone.

Traditionally trolls are believed to live in forests, caves, under bridges, and so on where they capture travelers’ treasures. We’ve given the trolls in this game a “hideout” pyramid to stash away gnomes and their treasures. The hideout also acts as a timer – when the ninth troll lands in the hideout, the time’s up.

Since trolls are also known to mislead travelers, we’ve made misdirection a part of this game too. When troll cards are hidden in the deck, they tend to fool players into thinking they have a lot time to gather treasure. That is, until one-by-one, the trolls are uncovered. Counting the trolls as they pop up and fit into the hideout pyramid is suspenseful, surprising, and satisfying to players of all ages.

Gnomes and trolls are fictional (to some!), but the fun you’ll have playing this card game is definitely real. The unique game play features and interaction, plus the tricky troll timer that builds suspense and surprise with every round makes Gnomes vs Trolls Card Game a family favorite right away.

If you love the interactive and exciting play of this card game, shop all of our family games for reasons to play every day!

If you’re looking for something new, FUN, and exciting to do with your family, you’re in lizard luck! Count on Lava Lizards matching card game to bring lots of FUN to game nights and gatherings to keep everyone staying in, staying connected, and SMILING (that’s a win!).

New to Lava Lizards? Welcome to the island! You’ve heard the “deserted island” question about what you would bring, right? Well, if we were on a deserted island, and could only bring three things, we would choose this game and two other players (seriously)! It’s so versatile that it’s like carrying around an endless number of games in one convenient box. 

You’ll love how simple changes can increase or decrease the challenge levels and modify the games to entertain everyone. Many of the game modes have players outrunning the Hot Lava Timer while also completing matching challenges against (or with) others. Can’t handle the heat? Turn it down quickly with simple modifications to the challenge level or game.

The unique three-sided cards, and the three ways they match, make for loads of play possibilities to suit any player age 4 and up. The card deck is instant entertainment for someone to play solo or for one to four family members or friends to compete together.

Once you’ve mastered the five card games in the instructions, discover these new ideas below. Read on for two quick-switch ideas and three brand-new games. Enjoy endless variety to keep the FUN going in homes, schools, care centers, on deserted islands … wherever you play. Your deal!

Simple Switches for Game Play

From changing the match type to choosing which action cards to use, Lava Lizards card deck easily adapts to different ways to play. Here are a few simple switches to make all five games play differently.

1. Mix the Matches

Change Lava Dome, Lizard Pair Up, and Crazy Corners by choosing a different match type. Each game on the instructions lists a way to play (match lava corners, lizard shapes, and so on). When you’ve decided which game to play, make the switch and choose a different way to match. Keep in mind, the hardest match is by lava corners so if you’re looking for more challenge, you’ve found your “match.”

2. Easy on the Action

Looking for an easier or quicker card game? Remove the action cards and play any of the games. The challenge and fun of finding matches is still there – but you won’t be stalled by Smoke & Ash and other obstacles.

Removing the Hot Lava Timer Cards is an easy way to adjust game play too. While this will likely not make the game faster, it will make the game simpler for kids easing into learning card games and strategy. Removing the timer cards will make sure the game lasts long enough so kids just learning can fully get the hang of it.

Match your mood! When you’re ready for a harder card game challenge – add some or all of the action cards and the Hot Lava Timer Cards back in.

New Card Game Ideas!

Add these new game ideas to the list of FUN you can have with the Lava Lizards card deck. Enjoy!

3. Lizard Wheel Game

Play with one to four players – if playing solo, race the Hot Lava Timer. Can you “wheel” away from the blast?

1. Remove the Volcano Cards for this game.
2. Each player starts with one Lava Lizard Card.
3. Players must draw one card from the draw or discard pile (if it’s a match) per turn.
4. If the card drawn matches the lizard in front of them by color or shape, they lay it in place. Nice!
5. If it does not match, they discard it.
6. Play moves to the left.
7. The first player to create a circle of matching lizards wins!

4. Wild Change-Ups Game

In Wild Change-Ups, the way to match changes fast! Play with two to four players. Be first to get rid of all of the cards in your hand to win. This game will bring extra challenge and strategy.

1. Use only the Lava Lizard cards and the Wild cards for this game. 
2. Decide who goes first or draw lizards to decide. To draw lizards, shuffle four lizards (one of each color). Name a color. The player to draw that lizard color goes first. 
3. Draw one card each until every player has three. Flip one card over in the center of play. Place the deck where all can reach.
4. Draw one card from the deck to begin each turn. You won’t draw from the discard pile for this game.
5. The first player chooses how matching will begin by comparing cards in their hand to the card in the center of the play area. If the card flipped is a gray crescent-shaped lizard, for example, and that player has a matching shape in their hand, they will say, “lizard shape,” and then lay a card that matches the lizard shape next to the card (the same goes for “lizard color” and “lava corners”).
6. The next player, and all others who follow, need to also match by “lizard shape.”
7. Players draw and then lay one matching card per turn on either end of the line of lizards. Play moves to the left after each move. 
8. If you don’t have a match but DO have a Wild, you’re one lucky lizard! Lay the Wild card next in line and then name a match change (to lizard color or lava corners, in this case). Play moves to the left with players needing to match in the new way.
9. If don’t have a matching card to lay (and no Wild cards to help), draw one card from the draw pile and play moves to the left.  
10. If the play has stalled and every player has drawn but no one can lay, the player who started the round calls out a new way to match and lays a card. 
11. First to get rid of all of their cards wins!

5. Volcano Pyramid

Play with one to four players. Stack your Lava Lizard cards to build a volcano pyramid one card at a time. Match by lava corners for this game. The higher you go, the harder it gets. Can you finish your pyramid before the Hot Lava Timer goes off? Good Luck!

Give each player a Volcano Card to begin. The lava corner that touches the top of the card needs to match the volcano color. Each player places this in the middle of Row 1.

1. Choose which action cards you’ll use and shuffle them into the deck. 
2. Everyone starts on Row 1 – it will be five cards when finished.
3. Let’s build! Draw a card from the deck or discard pile to begin every turn. If the card is a match, lay it in the row. If it’s not a match, discard it to end your turn. If the card is an action card, follow the directions on the instruction sheet for that card.
4. Play continues to the left. Players each build three rows, following these matching guidelines:

What’s your favorite way to play? Be ready for game night, gatherings, and supplement distance learning with Lava Lizards Three Corner™ Card Game and other great Family Games full of exciting game play and popular themes for kids and adults.

Treat Everyone!

One in 13 kids has at least one food allergy. Make everyone feel included in Halloween festivities this year by providing food-free treat options. We recommend stickers as great non-food Halloween handout alternatives – they’re just as sweet, PLUS kids love them! Handing out stickers is unique, fun, and will absolutely thrill trick-or-treaters (and their parents!).

Our favorite stickers of the moment are our Scratch ‘n Sniff Stinky Stickers® with scents of the season like Licorice, Pumpkin Spice, Apple, Root Beer, and Caramel Corn. Fill your handout bucket with a mix of sticker scents, shapes, sparkles, and spots. Dare kids to choose just one! Feel good knowing you’re treating ALL trick or treaters this Halloween. Cross your fingers and hope for leftovers! Seasonal stickers add the perfect fall feel to planner pages, lists, and homework.

Show Us How You Teal

Teal is the color of food allergy awareness. Be a bright spot along the trick or treat block for anyone with food allergies by providing non-food treats and alerting them with the color teal.

Have fun with it! Paint pumpkins teal, glue trimmer stripes on white “ghostly” pumpkins (so cool!), and of course, if you’re short on time, buy a teal pumpkin from your local craft store and add stickers to make it your own.

If you’re really feeling the teal, join us in our teal takeover! Create a doorstep that’s a share-worthy showstopper with borders, signs, and more. Spread the word and encourage neighbors, coworkers, and family members to get in-the-know about food allergies. Host a teal door décor contest at work (super fun for cubicles too!) or use teal for your Trunk or Treat theme. However you decorate, snap a picture and share it with the hashtag #TRENDteal. We can’t wait to see your great ideas!



Looking for family FUN for (literally) everyone? You’ve found it: Gemz! Three Corner™ Card Game is a hit with kids and adults! It’s full of fun competition and entertainment, and four-year-old kids can easily play alongside older siblings and adults. Win-win!

Besides being all-out FUN to play, Gemz game rules are adaptable so you can play your way. In fact, that’s what makes this game such a GEM! Reduce the challenge level for your youngest child, increase it for older siblings and those who thrive on competition, or see how everyone does on the same playing field. That flexibility perfectly complements screen-free, quality time with family and friends. This family-favorite card game makes the most of stay-at-home time, after-school afternoons, and distance learning breaks too.

If you already own Gemz, then you’ve probably read our suggestions for adjusting game play in the instructions, but we’ve added some new ideas below. If you’re new to Gemz, you’re going to love how easy it is to combine play options to find the perfect fit for everyone in your family. If you haven’t bought Gemz yet, check it out here. Order your own, and then stop back to see some neat play ideas. (Go ahead, we’ll wait right here.)

Follow along for simple adjustments to the game play of Gemz to make each round an exciting experience for players of all ages and abilities.

1. Draw & Discard Pile Change-Ups

Quick changes to how the draw and discard piles work give the game a whole new feel.

Use these two changes together or try them separately:

Draw Pile

Discard Pile

2. Action Card Adjustments

Changing how the action cards work and who they affect makes the game meet players’ comprehension levels and still lets everyone compete together.

Beginner Action

Advanced/Challenging Action

• Build a truly solid-colored jewel: No Wild Cards!
• Draw a SWAP? Pass it to a beginner player for them to use later
• Lose two cards (instead of one) when the lose a card is drawn
• Everyone creates their Gem with two cards in three colors
• Deal one Gemz card with the back facing up. Wait until all other cards match to flip the last card – is it a win or is there more work to do?

3. Color Challenge Change

Half-and-Half

Gimme Three, Please

Keep-Away Colors

4. Fast-Draw Gemz!

1. Remove all of the action cards and set out of play.
2. Position a large Gemz draw pile where everyone can reach.
3. Deal six cards face up to all players. Arrange them in a circle.
4. Count out 1…2…3, and on THREE, all players draw a card, look at it, and quickly decide to keep it or swap it for another card in their circle. All players continue at their own pace, drawing, swapping, and discarding (into the pile) until someone has a solid colored jewel! Woohoo!
5. If you find that you all keep getting the same cards and game play stalls, pause the game and mix the pile really well. Then, 3…2….1…. begin again!

We’re feeling festive this fall! Get kids involved in creating DIY decorations for fall and Halloween with simple craft ideas that are easy for kids to make on their own or to lend adults a helping hand. Enhance already eerie décor with a doorway decoration and watch kids’ creativity soar with paper spiders and crafty crowns. Enjoy these three paper crafts during seasonal parties and celebrations or create them beforehand for decorations during all of your festive fall occasions!

1. Spook-tacular Mummy Door DIY

Make Halloween more exciting with mummy door décor! This simple idea is great for kids to lend a hand and brings the perfect finishing touch to “wrap up” your Halloween decorations. Make your mummy as eerie or kid-friendly as you like with a few easy adjustments. It’s a ghoulishly good greeting at Halloween parties and fall festivities too.

TREND product used:

• White Bolder Borders® 
• Black Bolder Borders® 
• I ♥ Metal™ Dot Circles Classic Accents® Variety Pack 
• Black construction paper or Black 4-Inch Casual Ready Letters® 
• Yellow paper or Yellow Sparkle 4-Inch Casual Ready Letters® 

Other supplies:

• Foam core or cardboard (optional)
• Scissors and tape

Click for instructions

2. Spooky Spiders DIY

Along came a spider…! Create your own paper spiders for a spook-tacular Halloween activity and decoration. This easy and fun craft idea for kids will have creativity creeping in, in no time! Each spider requires minimal supplies making this a great activity for classroom parties, holiday playdates, and homeschool craft time. Display your spooky spiders on bulletin boards, party tables, and to greet trick-or-treaters at home.

TREND product used:

• Black Bolder Borders® 
• Black Terrific Trimmers®
• Purple Terrific Trimmers® 
• I ♥ Metal™ Dots Bolder Borders®

Other supplies:

• Googly eyes (or markers)
• Tape, glue, and scissors

Click for instructions

3. Festive Fall Crowns DIY

Make fall feel festive with this crown craft idea for kids. Celebrate all that’s awesome about autumn by creating fun and fancy crowns using fall colors, leaves, acorns, and more. The simple supply list makes DIY crowns a favorite activity for children’s birthdays, back-to-school parties, and to showcase the new season in style.

TREND product used:

• Orange Terrific Trimmers®
• Yellow Terrific Trimmers® 
• Chocolate Terrific Trimmers®
• Maple Leaves Classic Accents® Variety Pack
• Maple Leaves Mini Accents Variety Pack 
• Fall Oak Leaves & Acorns Classic Accents® Variety Pack
• Emoji Cheer Scratch 'n Sniff Stinky Stickers® 
• Alphabet superShapes Stickers 

Other supplies:

• Glitter paint, markers (optional)
• Glue, tape, or a stapler and scissors

Click for instructions

More Fall Projects!

Now more than ever maintaining clean and orderly spaces in schools is a top priority. Whether or not kids are back in their seats on a full or part-time basis, or if they remain distance learners, developing an organization system that can live up to changes, and provide flexibility and peace of mind, is key for back-to-school times and beyond. 

We’ve brainstormed ideas and handy products to help you create your own systems within your classroom to help it run smoothly. Discover ideas for keeping an organized teacher work area, minimizing student contact, keeping students, families, and visitors informed, and practicing independence and distance.

Ways to Organize Teacher Spaces

Your personal workspace is often the hub of the classroom and where you keep important paperwork, lesson plans, student information, and so on. Keeping this area decluttered can be key to feeling organized and ready for each day, plus cleaned surfaces are always easier to sanitize.

What TREND Products to Shop: 

• Terrific Labels™ 
• Accents 
• File 'n Save System® 

Ways to Use Them: 

• Rank ‘n File:
• Prioritize items you use often and those you use on rare occasions. If you can’t remember the last time your 3-hole punch was used, it’s probably safe to store it elsewhere. Place these “rarely used” items in a tote or box. Attach a Terrific Labels™ to the container and write what’s inside on it. Tuck it away where you’ll find it later.
• Play Favorites:
• Choose a selection of supplies to keep on hand and put the rest away. If you need your supplies out, find a clear organizer with a lid to keep them in so it can easily be wiped down and sanitized while maintaining easy access to all your things.
• Filing Filters:
• Take a look at your current organization and decide what works best for you. It may seem natural to put all charts together, but how would it help you to group by topic, season, or theme instead? Evaluate your filing system and adjust to what will work best this year. Use File 'n Save System® to organize your items in folders. Label each folder and slide into the File 'n Save System® storage box for easy retrieval later.

How to Communicate Information & Expectations

Paper charts are super-versatile tools for communicating custom information. Colorful designs get everyone’s attention right away and there’s plenty of writing space to provide key, need-to-know details and expectations. If the information changes often, use a Wipe-Off® Chart to keep it up to date regularly!

What TREND Products to Shop:

• Class Rules Posters
• Wipe-Off® Charts
• Blank Learning Charts
• Wipe-Off® Markers 

Ways to Use Them: 

• New rules:
• Keep everyone informed on school/classroom policies regarding visitors, masks, and health and safety guidelines by posting the information on a chart inside school common areas, outside classroom and office doors, and in other key areas. 
• Need to send some rule reminders home to parents?
• Use a digital paper pack to easily type and print for each child so kids’ families can display them at home for a quick reminder before heading off to school. 
• Organize arrivals:
• If your school has staged arrival and drop-off times, blank charts may be a handy way to communicate arrival times and locations that can be easily viewed by parents and students. Consider color-coding so kids and parents can quickly and easily recognize their group (“I’m in the blue group!”) and everyone knows where to go. 
• Visitors:
• Post a written notice on a chart outside your classroom or office to greet visitors and notify them of any restrictions or requirements for entering. 
• Reminders:
• Use charts to display quick written reminders for physical distancing, covering coughs and sneezes, and directional or procedural alerts specific to your group of students. Shop a variety of bright colors to get kids’ attention – and don’t forget to save space for special charts and banners with positive phrases and encouragement too!

Use Labels to Easily Organize...Everything!

Labels are a clear and effective way to designate bins, student seats, organize classroom supplies, and more. If you’re working with shifting groups of students, use the bright colors and patterns to reinforce student groups and cohorts. 

What to TREND Products to Shop:

• Terrific Labels™
• Label Stickers
• Name Plates

Ways to Use Them: 

• Clean/Dirty:
• In a classroom where supplies may be shared, it’s important to keep track of what items have been properly cleaned and are ready for use and what items are not. Label bins or shelves to designate the status of items in those locations. Whether you’re using this as a communication tool to other staff, for your own tracking, or to alert students, you’ll be glad to have clearly marked bins or shelves available. 
• Student “Stuff”:
• Create individual bins for students. These can replace common coat rack areas or other tight, “bottleneck” spaces. Place the cubbies at intervals that encourage distancing between kids so they have room to enter/exit and put things away without unnecessary contact.
• Color-Code Cohorts:
• You may find that you have rotating sets or groups of students. Keep everyone organized by using labels with a color or pattern for each group. Easily mark bins for each cohort, label desks or equipment, and so on. Choose a design theme or pattern that is easily recognized and remembered by students. With many options for coordinated essentials, you'll be able to create a cohesive learning environment that's color-coded and organized just right!

How to Set Up Hands-Free Hand Offs

When students need to turn in paperwork, create a space for them to do this that’s organized and clutter-free so they can quickly find their names and drop or pick up item(s) without a lot of hassle and contact. There are lots of ways to accomplish this based on your available space, class size, and so on.

What to TREND Products to Shop: 

• Terrific Labels™ 
  
• Mini Accents Variety Packs
  
• STICK-EZE® Stick-On Letters

Ways to Use Them: 

• Touch-Free Take-Homes:
• If you’ll have take-home items for students and are using a cubby or have labeled (and distanced) areas for their jackets and personal items, use these spaces as a “hand-off” spot so kids can gather their items and what they’ll need to take home at the end of the day easily and safely from one spot. 
• The In Crowd:
• Create one “In” box for everyone to hand in paperwork contact-free. Invite them up one at a time or coordinate throughout the day so that all students aren’t trying to turn in items at the same time. Label your inbox bin or organizer tray clearly with a mini accent so all students know where to put their work when it’s ready.
• You’ve Got Mail:
• Create a mail hub (if you have space) and assign each student their own cubby-style storage area for picking up and returning assignments, permissions slips, and so on. Label each shelf area with stick-on letters or labels, or use stickers to write “In” and “Out” on separate folders for each child so they can pick up what’s new and drop off what’s complete.

Ideas for Independent & Distanced Students

Depending on your school’s procedures for returning to the classroom, it may be likely you will not have typical recess, library, lunch, or restroom break schedules. If this year calls for limited student-numbers during activities, be prepared with systems to support student independence when groups are not an option. 

What TREND Products to Shop:

• Terrific Pockets™ 
  
• Skill Drill Flash Cards
  
• Pocket Flash Cards
  
• Free Printable Worksheets
  
• Terrific Index Cards™ 
  
• Make-Your-Own Flash Cards
  
• Stickers
  

Ways to Use Them: 

• FUN When You’re Done: Have activities at the ready for fast-finishers to move onto independently without disturbing the rest of the class. Pre-filling pockets with activities will create fewer disturbances for the rest of the class and also ensures that only one student will use those items for the day, reducing daily sharing.

1. Choose flash cards or fold a Free Printable word find, maze, or other activity and place it in each pocket.
2. Create a bulletin board and attach pockets, store them in students’ mail cubbies, or tape Terrific Pockets™ to each student’s desk.
3. Refill items that are used each day.

• Hall Passes & Head Counts: Choose Terrific Index Cards™ or blank Flash Cards so there’s enough for each child to have his or her own hall pass. Write the student’s name on the card (include their classroom number and any other information needed for your school's policies). BONUS: Hand out a variety of stickers and invite kids to decorate their hall passes too.

1. Turn your cards into lanyards for kids to wear by punching a hole in the top and adding a fun, colorful string.
2. Kids place the passes in a mail holder or hang on a hook outside their destination.
3. This not only is a quick way to alert teachers and staff to who is where but is a quick check for overcrowded spaces and makes sure the hall passes aren’t worn or carried into restroom areas.

The reviews are in! Our educational card games have always been teachers’ picks for learning + play and now they are quickly becoming family favorites for making at-home learning FUN. If you find yourself having one of those days with math or reading practice, switch up your at-home learning routine with these FUN educational card games and Bingo to help re-engage kids and reignite their interest quickly!

Break from dedicated study time with FUNdamental learning games that stick to the subject, yet feel like play! Follow along below to find your kids’ next favorite way to learn basic math and language arts. These games are great for group work in classrooms, to play with family and friends at home, and they are a way to bring positive reinforcement to end a solid study session or tutor time.

Sound Hounds®

Sound-it-out for so much FUN! Sound Hounds® word building card game has kids putting together word parts to spell words in no time. Give your reluctant reader a break from ordinary practice with a few rounds of Sound Hounds®. These silly hounds will have your child sounding out words with smiles!

The cards have word beginnings on the head side and word endings on the tail side. Kids put together an ending and a beginning and then sound out what the hound is spelling. Did it make a word? Score! If not try again next time.

Introduce initial letter sounds and blends and match them to 31 word endings. With more than 400 possible words to spell, play stays interesting and unique each game. It’s simple and quick to get started so you’ll have plenty of time for multiple rounds to help kids hone their reading and spelling skills.

ZAP!®

You never know what’s coming next with ZAP!® card game. Suspenseful ZAP! cards make this game an exciting and fun way to practice addition skills with thrills.

On your turn, you may draw as many cards one-by-one as you choose. Work your mental math skills by adding the total as you go or use a pen and pad of paper to write the numbers down to add them up. Each player chooses when to freeze and take the score … or they can keep going and try for more points. Draw a ZAP! or a dreaded double-ZAP! and practice your subtraction skills as you take away points and change your score.

Since you never know when a ZAP! card is coming, it’s a fun game for a variety of ages to play together and everyone has a chance to win. Play it safe or risk it all? It’s your call! This is a play-it-again favorite so get ready for lots of number practice and FUN.

ZOOM!™

ZOOM! card game is a great way to spice up addition and multiplication practice and master mental math. It’s an educational card game that gets everyone involved and practicing without it feeling like homework. Play is entertaining enough for a whole family or students of a variety of ages to play together.

Draw until you get a ZOOM card or a surprising BOOM card. Add the total of your cards, and then multiply by the ZOOM to watch your score take off! Unless you draw a BOOM card, that is!

Work together to add each player’s score on a piece of paper or invite everyone to keep their own scores for extra math practice. This game is great for fine-tuning math, but it also builds social skills and gives the whole family an activity that’s wholesome, screen-free, and FUN.

BINGO!

Get the whole family excited to learn with educational Bingo games that feel like pure entertainment! Reinforce kids’ current curriculum, refresh skills before returning to school, and introduce new subjects with playful learning FUN. Bingo is worthwhile for partner play, game nights, and birthday parties, and with 36 unique cards, a large group can all play at the same time. Bonus: Bingo is a fantastic way for everyone to play together while staying physically distant!

There are many themes and topics to choose from, like Sight Words, Colors & Shapes, Alphabet, Multiplication, Numbers, and more! Find topics to interest and challenge children to keep learning fresh and family time exciting. Bingo gives lots of opportunities for kids to answer questions and read words and numbers without it feeling like a test. It’s a great game for older siblings to play with (and help) younger siblings too!

Read or hold up the calling card and then everyone searches for the match or answer on their Bingo cards. The concept is simple yet entertaining every time! Invite kids to be the leader too. They’ll love to take charge of the game, plus reading or naming all of the calling cards is great extra practice.

What are you waiting for? Make today a BINGO day! Gather as a family, class, or study group and play for small prizes like stickers or let the winner be the next Bingo caller.

What are your favorites for the classroom and home? We’re big fans of games that give kids valuable practice while making great memories, spending time together, and having fun! Shop your favorite learning games today. Find something you like? Leave a review to let others know what games and tools are helpful for keeping learning FUN in your classroom and home.

Hello, fans of FUN!

Can you believe summer is coming to an end? Read on to see what made the list of favorite finds for August below!

Top Product

Our Star Calendar Bulletin Board Set was the star product of August!

Star Calendar Bulletin Board Set

Top Sticker

These colorful monkeys were the number one sticker for the second month in a row!

Color Monkeys superShapes Stickers

Top Game

Puzzles you can "count on" for Learning FUN! The #1 game for August was...

Numbers 1-20 Fun-to-Know® Puzzles

Favorite Freebie

A to Z freebie FUN! This Alphabet printing activity was most downloaded August Free Printable!

BlockStars!® Alphabet Free Printable

Hello, fans of FUN!

Yay! You've picked some great things for the school year ahead and continued your at-home summer learning FUN this July.

What made the list of favorites? Check out the top Learning FUN finds for July below!

Top Product

Name tags top the chart for the most ordered product in July!

Sea Buddies® Terrific Labels™

Top Sticker

Eee-ee! Oo-oo! These colorful monkeys were the number one sticker in July!

Color Monkeys superShapes Stickers

Top Game

Fox and box and cat and hat, this rhyming puzzle is where it's at! The #1 game for July was...

Rhyming Fun-to-Know® Puzzles

Favorite Freebie

On a roll! Number fun with our favorite pals was the most downloaded Free Printable for the fifth month in a row!

Playtime Pals™ Sequencing Activity Free Printable

Hello, fans of FUN!

You wrapped up the 2020 school year and dove into summer with these top-shopped products for June!

What made the list of favorites? Check out the top Learning FUN finds for June below!

Top Product

Vocabulary flash cards made the top of the list for the third month in a row. This flash card set was the overall best-selling product for April, May, and June!

Sight Words Combo Set Pocket Flash Cards

Top Sticker

One hundred tiny owls looking at whooo? You! These wise owls were the number one sticker in June!

Owl-Stars!® superSpots® Stickers

Top Game

Bingo! The #1 game for the second month in a row was...

Sight Words Level 1 Bingo Game

Favorite Freebie

What a sequence! Number fun with our favorite pals was the most downloaded Free Printable for the fourth month in a row!

Playtime Pals™ Sequencing Activity Free Printable

Hello, fans of FUN!

Whether for your distance learning students or your own children learning at home, you shopped some really great products this month.

What made the list of favorites? Check out the top Learning FUN finds for May below!

Top Product

Your sights are set on vocabulary two months in a row! This flash card set was the overall best-selling product for April and May.

Sight Words Combo Set Pocket Flash Cards

Top Sticker

Full of praise and positivity, the top-selling sticker in May was...

Neon Smiles superSpots® Stickers Variety Pack

Top Game

Bingo! The #1 game in May was...

Sight Words Level 1 Bingo Game

Favorite Freebie

Number fun with our favorite pals was the most downloaded Free Printable for the third month in a row!

Playtime Pals™ Sequencing Activity Free Printable

Create your own yard signs, banners, and window displays to inspire others, celebrate graduations, honor birthdays, and more. Custom posters and window displays are an easy and FUN family activity too. Bonus: Order letters, eye-catching accents, and other supplies online to save yourself a trip to the store!

Put your own twist on our ideas below to bring neighbors, friends, customers, and passersby happy messages, inspiration, and joy!

Graduation DIY Yard Sign Ideas

Support graduates with DIY yard signs full of school spirit! Applaud your graduate with a homemade sign and banner created to say, "Hats off" and "Hooray!" Mix in school colors for an extra-FUN celebration of kindergarten, high school, and college graduations.

TREND products used:

• Black Terrific Trimmers®
• Blue Terrific Trimmers®
• Black 4-Inch Casual Ready Letters®
• Gold Metallic 4-Inch Casual Ready Letters®
• Red 4-Inch Casual Ready Letters®

• 22 x 28 posterboard 
• A garden stake or sign post, or mounting tape (if hanging)
• Tape or glue and scissors

TREND products used:

• Red Terrific Trimmers®
• Silver Sparkle 4-Inch Combo Pack Ready Letters®
• White 4-Inch Casual Combo Pack Ready Letters®
• I ♥ Metal™ Stars Mini Accents Variety Pack

 Other supplies:

• Posterboard or cardboard (sized to fit message)
• Paper for background (optional)
• Tape or glue and scissors
• Mounting tape for hanging

Birthday Window Sign Idea

Make birthdays during the pandemic special by hanging festive paper decorations in your windows. Put together a personalized birthday message and add a fun mix of happy smiles, balloons, and stars to delight those in and out of your household. These cheerful birthday decorations also make an easy backdrop for video calls to the celebrant, handy decorations on vehicles for birthday parades, and more.  

TREND products used:

• Party Balloons Mini Accents Variety Pack 
• Smiley Faces Mini Accents Variety Pack 
• Gumdrop Stars Classic Accents® Variety Pack 
• Colorful Patterns 4-Inch Playful Combo Pack Ready Letters®

Other supplies:

• Tape 
• String and scissors (optional)

Inspirational Window Sign Idea 

Create inspiring window signs to share messages of strength and positivity. Create-your-own window messages are especially bright and colorful thanks to precut star and smile paper accents. Give each family member a window to design and a variety of accents and letters, and watch creativity shine! Create many messages and arrangements to give passersby and neighbors reminders of hope and courage. 

TREND products used:

• Party Balloons Mini Accents Variety Pack 
• Smiley Faces Mini Accents Variety Pack 
• Gumdrop Stars Classic Accents® Variety Pack 
• Bubbles 4-Inch Playful Combo Pack Ready Letters®

Other supplies:

• Tape
• String and scissors (optional)

Flash cards are incredible learning tools. The repetition they provide helps students of all ages study and retain information. Flash cards are an especially helpful learning tool for at-home use right now as they support independent and small-group review, and help reinforce key topics from distance learning lessons.

While simple Q&A and rote learning are certainly important, adding creative and fun activities to your at-home flash card practice is also valuable. Memorizing information with FUN activities helps kids feel connected to the material, builds interest in the subject, and makes learning a positive experience.

Read on for our tips on how to transform study sessions into engaging, entertaining practice using these flash card game ideas. Put your own spin on it and see our suggestions for extra FUN too!

1. Musical Chairs

Arrange kitchen or folding chairs in a circle with the backs facing in. Make sure there’s plenty of space for players to walk around. Place flash cards on each chair seat, with the answers facing down. 

Let’s jam! Turn on the music to cue children to walk around the circle. When the music stops, it’s time to face the facts! Each child chooses one flash card from their spot to read and answer. The person or parent playing the music checks each answer.

If the child answered correctly, remove that card from play. If incorrect, return the card to the chair so they can try again next time. Keep playing until all cards have been answered and all are removed from play. Hooray!

Extra FUN: Take learning outside to soak up the sun and math facts at the same time! Revamp your circle so kids walk around a picnic table, blanket, or similarly-sized space, and place the flash cards intermittently around the play area. Use the extra space to dance, hop, or speed walk around the circle!

Top Flash Card Picks for Musical Chairs

Choose flash cards based on your child’s grade level and what they are currently focused on in their distance learning lessons. Some of our favorite fun flash cards for games include:

• Multiplication Pocket Flash Cards: Test your child’s memory of the multiplication times table with this fun, colorful pocket-sized flash card set. The answers are on each card back for self-checking convenience.
• Picture Words /Palabras Pocket Flash Cards: This set showcases colorful pictures of household objects for multilingual learners. Invite kids to name the photograph in English, Spanish, or both!
• Alphabet Pocket Flash Cards: Young learners name the photographed object and say the beginning letter. Build essential pre-reading skills using the photo cues, and move on to mastering early reading skills with the word-only side.

2. “I Spy…” 

Depending on the desired challenge and grade level, along with the flash card topic, there are a couple of different ways to turn flash card practice into an “I spy…” game.

I Spy Facts

Find an open area, like the living room floor or table for this game. Place flash cards in a grid with the answers facing down. Begin each sentence with “I spy with my little eye....” and finish your sentence with the answer on the flash card. Children search the cards for the one that fits the answer.

For example, if your child is learning subtraction, you might say, "I spy with my little eye the number 4.” Children then read each equation to find the one that has an answer of 4. When your child finds the card, he or she flips it over to reveal the answer.

If correct, remove the card from play. If incorrect, replace the card with a different one from the flash card set. Keep playing until all the flash cards in play have been solved and removed. Great job!

I Spy Hide & Seek

When studying colors and shapes, sight words, or non-math learning concepts, an exciting option for play is to place the flash cards throughout the room (where kids can easily reach/see) instead of in a grid.

For Shapes & Colors Pocket Flash Cards, for example, say the “I spy…” sentence and challenge kids to hunt for the flash card (the color red, the word red, or just red, depending on the challenge level). When kids find the card in the play area, they bring it back to you. They’ll love this hide-and-seek version!

Extra FUN: Start with a small selection of cards to keep kids interested and avoid overwhelming them. Add cards each time you play until you can master them all!

Invite kids to take turns at naming the “I spy…” for different rounds, too. They’ll love trying to stump Mom or Dad.

Top Flash Card Picks for "I Spy"

Play with a variety of flash card topics for “I spy…” games. Choose flash cards that best work with the type of I Spy you’ll play.

• Subtraction Pocket Flash Cards: Solve the equations and self-check with this colorful pocket-sized flash card set.
• Shapes & Colors Pocket Flash Cards: Master 10 shapes and 10 colors in different ways. Play hide ‘n seek with photos, vocabulary words, and colored visuals.
• U.S. Presidents Pocket Flash Cards: Help your child recognize each president with these flash card portraits. Can they name a fun fact, too?

3. Trivia Time!

This game makes it easy to cover a variety of subjects at one time. Begin by creating a trivia board on cardboard, on a chalkboard, or a dry erase surface. Write the featured topics across the top of the board, like “Math Equations,” “Spelling,” “Counting,” and so on.

You’ll want a flash card set for each topic of your game. If you don’t have a set to cover a specific topic or subject, that’s ok. You can make your own custom flash cards to fit this game. Kids will be excited to see topics specific to what they are learning and will be even more motivated to show what they know!

Review the flash cards beforehand and choose 5 cards for each topic. Arrange them in order from easiest to hardest (top to bottom) in a column under the matching heading. Number each row for point totals 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, for example. Place an index card, piece of paper, or a Make-Your-Own Flash Card over each question so it is hidden.

Decide if you will play in teams or individually, and if you will play until all questions are answered or to a desired point total. Each turn, the child chooses a flash card to answer.

Read or show them the flash card so they may solve the equation, name the item, or spell the word (depending on the card/topic). When they answer correctly, they earn the points!

Record points on the game board or a piece of paper until all cards are gone or one team has reached the winning point total.

Reward the winner with picking the game night activity, an extra afternoon craft, or choosing what’s for dinner.

Extra FUN: Announce a reward at the beginning of each week to motivate kids to pay extra attention during distance learning sessions so they’re ready for trivia. Everyone will look forward to playing for the reward.

When playing with a variety of ages, make a topic column for each child using flash cards fitting to their age or learning level. In this version, the first child to correctly answer their column of 5 questions wins!

Top Picks for Flash Card Trivia

Depending on your child's grade level, we recommend the following flash card sets:

• Addition Pocket Flash Cards: Math skills add up to fun with this colorful pocket-sized flash card set.
• States and Capitals Pocket Flash Cards: This set is full of fun facts on all of the U.S. states and capitals – it’s a top pick for trivia.
• Opposites Pocket Flash Cards: You name it! Compare objects and learn position words with this photo-real flash card deck.
• Make-Your-Own Flash Cards: Create custom challenge questions with blank flash cards!

Enhance At-Home Learning with More Hands-on FUN

Looking for even more flash card games, puzzles, and activities to enhance at-home learning? Discover all of our family favorites and free resources to make learning at home super successful for everyone!

Hello, fans of FUN!

Whether for your distance learning students or your own children learning at home, you shopped some really great products this month.

What made the list of favorites? Check out the top Learning FUN finds for April below!

Top Product

The overall best-selling product this month was certainly helpful for distance learning happening at home in April!

Sight Words Combo Set Pocket Flash Cards

Top Sticker

Smile! The top-selling sticker in April was... 

Silly Smiles superSpots® Stickers – Sparkle

Top Game

It's a match for at-home learning FUN! The #1 card game in April was...

Shapes & Colors Memory Match Challenge Cards®

Favorite Freebie

Number fun with our favorite pals was the most downloaded Free Printable for the second month in a row:

Playtime Pals™ Sequencing Activity Free Printable