8 FREE Bingo Boards, plus lots of new Youtube videos!

Hi, Friends!

It has been a long time since I've blogged!  But after experiencing a bit of mom burn out (you too, huh?), I remembered that I need time for ME.  And for me, that's creating!  Sometimes I sew.  Sometimes I cook.  Sometimes I write music or books.  But lately, I've been creating free printables for YOU.  

I can't just sit around and make myself happy.  I'm not happy unless I'm serving others in some way shape or form!  And friends, that means I'm here to serve YOU.  

Lots of things are happening behind the scenes of Training Treasures.  My baby and middle boy are both getting ready to have birthdays!  Colin will be 4 in November.  Oliver will be 1 in December.  (Insert tears here!).  That means my middle boy will be in K5 next year, albeit homeschooled.  And my baby will be walking around the New Year!  It is so fun being a mom!

As for me, I'm as busy as can be serving as the music director of my church.  I am in charge of a LOT, and although the first part of the year had me in tears over this huge responsibility (on top of mothering three small boys), I've adjusted just fine.  I've even been taking piano courses and teaching the piano.  One of my students is a very special 6-yr old boy dear to my heart . . . 

I have recently begun videoing more of our homeschool day.  I have really enjoyed keeping a "homeschool diary", if you will, about our life.  Please follow me on my YouTube Chanel!  I want everyone to get to know me and my boys and be encouraged in your journey!  We are NOT experts, but just fun loving people who want to connect with the world.  I recently made a video on How I Taught my 3-yr olds to Read.  Just like any mom, I recorded the video in secret as I hid from my children . . .  Haha!  Two were sleeping, and one was very curious about what I was saying behind my closed bedroom door.  :)  I am very flawed and down to earth.  Hopefully these videos will make you feel a bit more human!  You might enjoy the part in my video where I couldn't even remember the address to my blog . . . :)

I've also just posted our first video of our week in review.  Follow me and my boys in our wonderful (and oh so messy) homeschool journey!  In this video I show clips of highlights from our week including our trip to the pumpkin patch, pureeing 20 bags (40 cups) of pumpkin, and a reward trip to the park (which includes my son chasing the ducks!)  I try to keep things interesting, light, funny, and inspiring.  Watch us in action here!

Also, I will be recording videos of our monthly large library hauls.  My older boys are ages 3 and 6, so if you have young readers, follow us as we share our favorite books that we are using in our homeschool!  There is one awesome picture book I feature in this video that you don't want to miss.  Make sure you comment below or on my Youtube channel and let me know which picks are also your favorites!  We cover about 80 books in this video.  

As my husband suggested, I am going to slip a link in my blog posts where anyone can donate money for the work of this blog.  I would rather offer free printables that people WILL use rather than offer things for sale that just sit there and help absolutely no one.  And I'd love to keep my website ad free.  I hate ads!  If you have been blessed in any way shape or form by the services I've offered on this blog, you may want to send a monetary gift my way.  If so, that would be most appreciated!  I love what I do and am looking forward to helping others educate their little ones.

My Pay Pal Account

Today, I am offering a special game for you to play with your emergent reader.  It is called Color Bingo.  There is an easy version (made specifically with three-yr olds in mind), and a more difficult version.  My three-yr old loves to fill up his entire game board.  We skip all the Bingo rules and just play until every space is covered!  The more advanced version includes 11 colors, and several of them are repeated multiple times.  For both games, I used pretty graphics I found on TpT, but tried to keep everything simple yet pleasing to the eye.  I wanted my son to be able to focus on the colors and not be distracted by the objects.  

Here's what I LOVE about Color Bingo:

1) Easy to play.  Draw a card.  Have your child read the color word (or read it to them and have them repeat after you).  Then, place a gem or rock on the picture that is the same color they drew.  Once they fill a row (diagonally, veritcally, or horizontally), they call out Bingo!  Reward winners with a treat if you wish!

2) You're drilling your child via flashcards and they don't even know it!

3) Low cost!  Simply print the Bingo pages on cardstock.  You can even print double sided to save on paper cost!  Slip into a page protector.  I didn't even laminate the Bingo cards themselves.  I figure if they get ruined, it's easy and cheap enough to print another copy.  Print three copies of the advanced Bingo word cards, and one of the sets of cards for the easy version.

4) Can be used to teach color recognition.  If your child can't read yet, or if you have children of multiple ages, this freebie can teach colors and color words.  Simply call out the color word to your child, and have them find the correct color on their Bingo board. 

5) It really works!  My three-yr old is picking up on those color words!  It won't be too long before he's mastered these words.

Visit my TpT store and download the beginner version here, and/or the advanced version here.  

I'll be back with more freebies soon!  I have some more reading games up my sleeve!

Be sure to subscribe by email and have you liked my page on Facebook?

Free Subtraction Mats and Cards!

If your kids were like mine they loved the addition mats and cards.  Although I made multiplication mats and cards, my little guys aren't able to multiply just yet (but I made the games and filed them away for future use).  And now, just like I promised, I have made subtraction mats and cards too- but with different themes to keep things interesting! The subtraction facts covered are:

• subtracting one and two (mat 1)  
• subtracting three and four (mat 2)  
• subtracting from the numbers ten and nine (mat 3)
• subtracting from eleven and twelve (mat 4)  
• subtracting from thirteen and fourteen (mat 5)
• subtracting from fifteen and sixteen (mat 6)

Whether your child is in kindergarten, first, or second grade; there is something here for them.  Download the subtraction mats here for free.

The mats consist of one large grid, with each mat having a different theme.  The themes are spring time, barbecue/picnic, camping, flowers, kids, and beach.   Inside each square is a cute clipart with an answer to a subtraction problem (the difference).  On the page following each mat is another large grid with one image to match the theme and a subtraction problem.

Just print (I did mine double sided) on cardstock and slip into a page protector.  Then, print (not double sided!), laminate, and cut out the subtraction problems.  Your student or child will then match the subtraction problems to the differences.  Enjoy!

I'd love to keep my website ad free.  I hate ads!  If you have been blessed in any way shape or form by the services I've offered on this blog, you may want to send a monetary gift my way.  If so, that would be most appreciated!  I love what I do and am looking forward to helping others educate their little ones.

My Pay Pal Account

On a personal note, I am quite serious when I say that I live very, very close to D.C.- which means I am expected to get over 2 feet of snow this weekend.  In all of my 30 years, I have never heard a forecast like this for my state!  On Wednesday, a dusting crippled the highways, leaving people stuck in traffic for several hours.  No, I'm not kidding.  I don't drive in the snow.  End of statement.  

The Kindles are charged so the kids aren't burning down the house while I'm out shoveling the snow. Daddy will be sleeping at work, as he does snow removal.  I'm very nervous about this blizzard.  I'd rather not lose power, and I don't know how shoveling is going to go, since I am now just 6 weeks out from my c-section. My neighbors ALWAYS shovel for EVERYONE they can, including me.  But, since they are calling for 2 feet of snow, I think everyone is going to be struggling just to get their own driveways and sidewalks done. My husband told me to leave the snow for him, but I'm a hard worker.  I want to please my husband and serve him as best as I can! He has chronic back pain, plus a huge property to shovel during the blizzard.  I will do everything I can to hold down the fort while he's gone.  Luckily there is a neighbor down the street who has a snow blower and makes his rounds through the neighborhood. The path he takes does half of my sidewalks.  And guess what?  I have a new single neighbor next door.  I think I'll be chatting with him for the first time this weekend.  ;)  I have lots of desserts to bake for anyone who helps!  Wish me luck!  And if you're near this blizzard, enjoy the family time!  I'm looking forward to building some snowmen with my boys!

Be sure to subscribe by email and have you liked my page on Facebook?

Money Skip Counting Puzzles

I am really excited about this activity because it is something I haven't seen before and have wanted my son to do.  My 5-yr old loves money.  He is excited about anything and everything involving money- books, games, candy, worksheets, etc.  These puzzles teach several concepts- skip counting, recognizing and counting coins; and develops fine motor, cutting, and gluing skills.  What I also like about this activity is that children can see how many coins of each make a dollar in comparison to one another.  Simply print the puzzles and give to your child.  They color the coins, cut along the dotted lines, and glue onto construction paper.  Download these free puzzles here in my Teacher's Pay Teacher's Store.  Enjoy!  

If you're looking for some more easy money activities, we also loved making these money (coin) books.  I also am looking forward to playing this money concentration game, but just haven't gotten around to it- you know, what with having a new baby and all :)  If you're studying coins, these are some great free activities to incorporate into your school day.  They won't even feel like they're doing school.

I'd love to keep my website ad free.  I hate ads!  If you have been blessed in any way shape or form by the services I've offered on this blog, you may want to send a monetary gift my way.  If so, that would be most appreciated!  I love what I do and am looking forward to helping others educate their little ones.

My Pay Pal Account

On a totally different note, I want to wish you all a very happy 2016!  Have you made any changes in your homeschooling?  How about in your parenting?  I certainly have.  I read a study that said most children will watch an entire year of television by the time they are 7!  Wow!  That blew me away!  Don't get me wrong- I enjoy getting a break during the day.  Mickey Mouse is a great babysitter when Mommy needs some downtime.  And I absolutely love Jack Hanna's Wild Countdown, and How It's Made.  There are many educational shows on television.  But, are we losing our children because of electronics?  I've always been very conservative about limiting television to a few hours a day (nap time).  But, after reading that study, I have decided that's too much too.  When I was a kid we didn't have electronics, minus cable TV.  I absolutely loved reading, and I want my son to love reading too.  Now, instead of allowing him to watch TV during nap, it is quiet time.  He can read quietly to himself or to me.  My 5-yr old is reading for an hour or more straight every day now- for pure enjoyment!  I even checked out a book for myself, so that he can see me reading an actual book- not something on my telephone.  Never mind that this busy Mama only read one page of it!  What does he read?  Why, Superhero books of course!  And he also loves science, so he has been reading some science books too!

What changes have you made at home?  

Be sure to Subscribe by email!  And, have you liked my page on Facebook?

Winter Scene Craft/Cutting Practice

Happy New Year!  I rang in the New Year as every mom should- giving Motrin to one of my older children after nursing my newborn :)  And if that wasn't special enough, my newborn baby and I took a special trip to the ER at 4am. Gotta love RSV . . . not!  

We have had a house full of sick children.  One virus has cleared the air, but RSV can last for over a month.  I think we are through the thick of it though.  Although I am planning on easing (ever-so-gently) back into homeschool Monday, I'm not sure if we will be well enough to do so.  But no worries! That is the luxury of homeschool- I am my own boss!

Daddy returned to work yesterday, after pampering me for 3 wonderful weeks.  That meant that this mama had to have a few activities up her sleeve, especially because Old Man Winter is finally rearing its ugly head- and I hate the cold. Just like my Thanksgiving cutting practice activity, I created a winter one.  The page full of clipart is enough to split between two activities or two children.  Just print, children cut along the dotted lines, and glue onto the background scene.  I really like these activities!  No prep, creative, and strengthens all those skills little ones need- fine motor, cutting, gluing, etc. You can download your free copy here in my TpT store. Enjoy! I'd like to make some more, so leave some feedback with scenes you'd like to see!

If you have been blessed in any way shape or form by the services I've offered on this blog, you may want to send a monetary gift my way.  If so, that would be most appreciated!  I love what I do and am looking forward to helping others educate their little ones.

My Pay Pal Account

Be sure toSubscribe by email!  And have you liked my page on Facebook?

FREE Themed Addition Mats!

You are going to LOVE these addition mats!  My son has already learned his ones tables and is working on mastering those twos.  I also babysit a second grader who needs lots and lots of practice with addition.  These are a perfect way to help them learn!

Each page includes one large grid.  Really, it is two grids overlapping.  On the left are one set of tables, and on the right are a different set.  I went in order, meaning the 1's and 2's are on the same mat, 3's and 4's on another, 5's and 6's, and so on through 10.  Each mat (page) has a different theme.  The themes are Christmas/winter, beach, space, ocean animals, and superheros!  

Inside each square is a cute clipart with a sum.  On the page following each mat is another large grid with one image to match the theme and an addition problem.

There are MANY ways to use these.  First, if your child is just beginning to learn their addition facts, I recommend leaving the large grid in tact.  Just print (I did mine double sided) on cardstock and slip into a page protector.  Then, print (not double sided!), laminate, and cut out the addition problems.  Your student or child will then match the addition problems to the sums.

Once your child is a little more advanced, you can cut the mats down the middle- with one table on the left, and one on the right.  This way you can mix and match what facts they are reviewing.  This won't be too much of a challenge though, as the clipart gives away which mat it should go to. 

Another way your child can play is as a memory or matching game.  Print (not double sided), laminate, and cut out each square individually.  Lay face down, making sure the corresponding sums and addition problems are on the table. See if they can find the matches.  You could also lay only the sums down, and have them draw the addition problems from a pile or vice versa.  Use your imagination, as there are many ways to use these!

You can find these FREE addition mats here.  Also, these were designed to be printed in landscape, not portrait, so don't forget to check your settings!

I have made similar mats for subtraction and multiplication too (different themes!), so be sure to Subscribe by email to receive updates!

If you have been blessed in any way shape or form by the services I've offered on this blog, you may want to send a monetary gift my way.  If so, that would be most appreciated!  I love what I do and am looking forward to helping others educate their little ones.

My Pay Pal Account

7 FREE B&W Winter Skip Counting Puzzles

I hope that you had a fantastic Thanksgiving!  This was one of my favorite years yet.  We usually stay home, as my husband is a fantastic cook, and I don't want to go anywhere else for a fine meal!  We always put up the Christmas tree on Thanksgiving, especially this year since the baby is due soon.  I had plans to take photos of the boys in their new Santa jammies. But after setting up the tree, we found that one of the string of lights doesn't work!  We were debating on spending $100 on a new tree (not ideal with lots of baby purchases and hospital bills coming up), or trying to find replacement bulbs and fixing the string of lights (too tedious for me!!).   Either way, we weren't about to run out to the store at 5pm on Thanksgiving.  

Our new tradition is to record us decorating the tree as a family.  The camera caught our disappointment, but it also caught a lot of laughter!  My husband is a clown!  We have a small white Christmas tree and he told the kids to decorate that one instead.  It was HILARIOUS watching them wrap the HUGE garland around, and around, around the tiny tree!  So even though this pregnant mama's plans were ruined, we had a blast making the best of it.  We then watched Ernest Saves Christmas and died laughing!  I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard!  I haven't been laughing a lot lately, not with pregnancy exhaustion and fog crowding my brain.  

But earlier in the day I did manage to take some maternity pictures, which is quite a feat when you are the photographer and the model.  Nothing like taking a bunch of pictures that look good on a tiny screen, only to find out later that they were underexposed!  :(  But thankfully, my computer is only one room away from the baby's room!  

Nothing fancy or overly creative, but treasures for me all the same.  It's almost over!  I have loved being pregnant the most this time around, although all 3 pregnancies were a pleasure.  

Now, on to today's freebie:

What a fun way to celebrate the Christmas/winter season! Download these free puzzles in my TpT store. Then, print! Have your children color the pictures, cut along the dotted lines, and glue their puzzles in the correct order onto a piece of construction paper.  These puzzles teach skip counting by 2's and 5's.  Kiddos are sure to love this activity!  Don't forget to comment below and as always, Subscribe by email so you're the first to get these and more!  

If you have been blessed in any way shape or form by the services I've offered on this blog, you may want to send a monetary gift my way.  If so, that would be most appreciated!  I love what I do and am looking forward to helping others educate their little ones.

My Pay Pal Account

18 Race Car Counting and Skip Counting Puzzles!

If you liked my counting by 5's race car puzzles, you'll be glad to know that I made more . . . a total of 18 number puzzles! This time number puzzles counting by 1's, 2's, 5's, and 10's (to 100) are included in this download.  Some of the puzzle images do repeat, but your children will love putting these together!  I know my boys sure did, and it was so much more fun than drilling . . . and drilling . . . and quizzing.  Yes, those stressful boring drills were exactly how I taught my oldest son to skip count last year.  Sadly, he had forgotten quite a bit over the summer. 

Yet when I simply laid these puzzles out for him to complete, he miraculously remembered how to skip count!  There was no stress about that!  I just sat back and watched!

And my youngest (soon to be middle child) who turned THREE today, is mastering counting through the difficult teen family.  And he is getting it . . . effortlessly!  Now that's what I call a success!

These puzzles are only free on my blog, so be sure to grab them here.  Please let me know how your kiddos did with these! 

Remember to Subscribe by email to be the first to grab my freebies!

If you have been blessed in any way shape or form by the services I've offered on this blog, you may want to send a monetary gift my way.  If so, that would be most appreciated!  I love what I do and am looking forward to helping others educate their little ones.

My Pay Pal Account

3 FREE Christmas Roll and Cover Games!

If you're like me, you're tired of the same boring math homework that is sent home with kids.  One of the kids I watch after school has a sheet with a list of math activities to choose from.  Problem is, the activities don't change throughout the school year!  And the activities are not even challenging enough for him.  So why not replace one of those activities with something on their level?  Especially when the teacher (or me for that matter) doesn't even know whether or not the kid played the game listed?

Whether practicing math facts for homework, tutoring, or at a math center, here is a fun activity I'm sure you've seen- Roll and Cover games.  I made 3 different games for 3 different skill levels- basic addition, basic subtraction, and subitizing.  If you are teaching children on different skill levels, this is a great activity to pull out.  The younger ones (like my 2-yr old) won't know that older brother is playing a different game than he is, and vice versa.  

Playing is very simple.  For the addition and subtraction games, players simply roll 2 dice.  If they are adding, they add the numbers and cover the correct sum with a game marker (buttons, gems, etc.).  If they are subtracting, they subtract the smaller number from the larger one and cover their answer.  For the basic roll and cover game, child rolls one die and covers what they rolled.  Game is over when the page is filled.  These can be single or multi-player games.

Everything comes easy to this 5-year old, so I love challenging him.  While he knows the 0, 1 and some of the 2 addition tables, that's as far as we've gotten with addition. But who says he can't do this game?  All he has to do is count the dots!  And I have to say that he does need help counting those dots.  He likes to start from 1, but with this game I was able to teach him that you don't start counting with 1 if you already know there are 6 dots on that die!  He was getting the hang of that shortcut by the time we were done!  

He loved this game, and what makes this Mama proud is that hours later he told me when he has a 4 on one die, and 2 on the other, that makes 6!  So with little or no prep, and while having fun, your child can learn their math facts too!

I love adding color graphics to all of my printables, as it really makes learning so much more appealing!  Print in grayscale if you wish, but I think the cost of color ink is well worth it when a child learned something and had a good time doing it!

Find this download for free in my TpT store!

Subscribe by email, and be the first to know of any freebies or updates!

If you have been blessed in any way shape or form by the services I've offered on this blog, you may want to send a monetary gift my way.  If so, that would be most appreciated!  I love what I do and am looking forward to helping others educate their little ones.

My Pay Pal Account

7 FREE Skip Counting Puzzles!

After checking my TpT store, I found my number one download is my Race Car Skip Counting Puzzles. I made them because I had trouble finding fun, eye-catching skip counting materials to help my son. Maybe I wasn't the only one!  Here's another batch of skip counting puzzles, but this time you can have 7 of them- counting by 5's and 2's to 100! You can find them for FREE here! 

Are you liking all of these freebies?  Make sure you Subscribe by email.

If you have been blessed in any way shape or form by the services I've offered on this blog, you may want to send a monetary gift my way.  If so, that would be most appreciated!  I love what I do and am looking forward to helping others educate their little ones.

My Pay Pal Account

10+ FREE Christmas Do-a-Dot Pages!

Are YOU ready for Christmas?  In years past, I have been finished with all of my Christmas shopping by AUGUST.  Last year, we finished on Christmas Day (seeing as how my husband was building my boys a kitchen from scratch).  But the majority of the shopping was done in October!  But this year . . . ?  I am 8 and a half months pregnant, my kids don't need a single thing, and I am preoccupied with other things (like homeschooling two boys and this blog). As sad as it is to say this, I haven't bought a single Christmas present.  In fact, my son turns 3 in 2 weeks, and I bought him 2 things- a pair of shoes and a car.  

I'm seriously behind.

What about you?  Are you an early or late shopper? And what about getting in the Christmas spirit?  Are you already listening to all 8 Christmas songs (haha, just kidding)!

Here is one way to get in the spirit of things! Visit my TpT store, download this file, and print out as many or as few of these Christmas Do-a-Dot pages as you'd like!  I'd love to hear how you use them!  Make sure you comment below!  Are you liking all of these freebies?  Make sure you subscribe by email, otherwise you'll miss out! Subscribers will be offered free printables right to their inbox!  

Subscribe by email