Year of the Monkey Crafts: Printable Monkey King Puppets

2016 is the Year of the Monkey.Check this link for these cool shadow puppets of the Monkey King.  Kid Crafts for Year of the Monkey There are all kinds of quick, easy craft ideas that are printable. Just print out an easy monkey lantern or coloring sheet, and go.

Printable Pattern for Year of the Monkey shape greeting card

Get the pattern and instructions for this adorable Year of the Monkey greeting card that your kids can make. You can also print out the card fully assembled if you're running short on time. Click the link Kid Crafts for Year of the Monkey

Monkey Bookmark for Year of the Monkey--Chinese New Year

You can make this monkey bookmark with the sahpe monkey I posted a couple of days ago. See the directions and lots more printables at http://tinyurl.com/year-of-the-monkey-printables

Make a monkey face out of shapes for the Year of the Monkey--Chinese New Year

A few circles, an oval, and a heart--that's all in takes to make a monkey face. You can put it on cards or on a bookmark. Click the link for a pattern and instructions Kids Crafts Year of the Monkey

Printable pattern for monkey papercut Year of the Monkey -- Chinese New Year

Year of the Monkey Crafts

This little guy is super easy to cut out for a decoration for Year of the Monkey, Click the link for lots of printables.

If You Want to Make Some Easy Lanterns for Year of the Monkey

http://hubpages.com/holidays/Kid-Crafts-for-Year-of-the-Monkey-Chinese-New-Year-Art-Projects-and-Free-PrintablesKid Crafts for Year of the Monkey -- Printables
These lanterns are super easy and fast. Just print out the template, let the kids color it, and show them how to accordion-fold the paper so that they look like the pleats in a paper lantern. Lots of fun!

Crafts for Chinese New Year: Year of the Monkey

This year, 2016, is the Year of the Monkey in the Chinese Zodiac. Click on the link to find all kinds of crafts, including a coloring page of the image you see above. Kids Crafts for Year of the Monkey

Chinese New Year Books for Kids

Chinese New Year is coming up. If you need some books to read--especially for school classes and the like, take a look at this list.Chinese New Year Books for Kids  It has books for all ages--from toddler level on up to 5th & 6th graders. My favorites are Goldyluck -- a takeoff on the three bears story, and Demi's book of Chinese animal fables

Walking in Daniel's Shoes: 15 Years Since Columbine

On the 15th anniversary of the Columbine Massacre, I'd like to recommend Tom Mauser's book, "Walking in Daniel's Shoes." After his son, Daniel, was killed, Mauser discovered that Daniel's shoes fit him perfectly. He literally walks in Daniel's shoes when he is advocating for the things he believes Daniel would have wanted--including safer gun laws.

Here's an excerpt form my Amazon review:

When you see things like Columbine on the news, you wonder how parents could cope with something like that. How do they keep their families and themselves together? What would they want to say the parents of their child's killers? How do they deal with unceasing media attention?

Mauser provides a direct and honest account of how he found his way through it all. It's sad and heart-breaking, but it's also a book that describes healing, family bonds and--yes--it includes a bit of humor.

The subtitle outlines the topics of the book: "a father's journey through grief, controversy, activism, and healing."

15th Anniversary of Columbine Massacre

Today is a little different for me. 15 years ago, two students shot their way through Columbine High School., just 4 miles from my house. Since then, it seems there have been too many shootings to keep up with. Now that I have a teenage daughter, everything seems to have new resonance. Here's a link to the article I wrote about my thoughts.