Free Printable Berenstain Bears Coloring Pages and Activities

Children's literature celebrates an important birthday soon--Theodore Geisel or Dr Seuss--on March 2. This auspicious event kicks of National Reading Month in March and Read Across America, the first week of March. To celebrate Dr Seuss, why not explore his books and those he collaborated on. Stan and Jan Berenstain, creators of the Berenstain Bears, worked with Dr Seuss on the Beginner Books reading series in the 1960s and 1970s. The books featured the Berenstain Bears Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Small Bear. Small Bear became Brother Bear with the birth of Sister Bear and later the baby, Honey Bear.

The Berenstain Bears have been loved by children and adults for over five decades! The first book, "The Big Honey Hunt," was published in 1962 after which the Berenstain Bears had many adventures including those with Dr Seuss. If you love the Berenstain Bears books and PBS TV series, you should check out Berenstain Bears Live! in a fun new stage production called Family Matters: The Musical. Menawhile, you should definitely check out these free printable Berenstain Bears coloring pages,worksheets, book activities, games and crafts.

The Berenstain Bears are all about learning, both in childhood and adulthood. Children learn virtues and core democratic values, through the adventures and misadventures of the family. All childhood dilemmas and foibles--and some adult ones--are explored in the books, typically with one topic per book. The Berenstain Bears became a TV cartoon series on PBS in 1985. The free printableBerenstain Bears book activities are very educational, in keeping with the show's learning theme. Print Berenstain Bears coloring pages, book activities and paper dolls coloring pages. Each character comes with eight different outfits.

Random House has free printable Berenstain Bears worksheets, coloring pages and Dr Seuss book activities, games and crafts from Berenstain Bears creators. There are math worksheets, pictures frames, word search, word games, reading worksheets, spelling worksheets and more. Get a free printable Berenstain Bears Honey Hunt board game. Everything you need to print and play the game can be downloaded to your computer and printed on your printer: dice, game pieces, game board and cards. There are free printable Berenstain Bears puzzles, word search, crossword and mazes. PBS Kids has free printable Berenstain Bears cartoon and book activities, crafts, cards and coloring pages. Here's a cute free printable Teddy bear board game just for fun!

Free Printable Lent Lesson Plans, Lenten Calendars

The Catholic church enters the Lenten season of preparation before Easter. For Catholic and Orthodox Christians, Easter is about more than just bunnies and candy. Easter celebrates the Passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. During Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, Christians ready themselves for Jesus's coming with prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The date of Ash Wednesday changes each year as Easter is a "movable feast." In 2015, Ash Wednesday is Feb. 18.Here are free printable stations of the cross, rosary, saints and Easter bible story coloring pages.

Lenten season runs for 46 days up to Easter. Lent "follows" Jesus's during forty days of fasting in the desert when He was tempted by Satan. in preparation for His sacrifice on the cross. During Lent, we try to imitate Jesus. We follow the "Way of the Cross" or Stations of the Cross and pray the rosary.

St. John the Baptist Religious Education has nearly 100 free printable Catholic Lenten coloring pages. Categories include:

20 free printable rosary coloring pages

--Joyful Mysteries from the Bible story of Jesus's life: the annunciation, the Visitation, the Birth of Jesus, the Presentation and Finding the Child Jesus in the Temple

--Sorrowful Mysteries from the Bible story of Jesus's life: the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging, the Crowning with Thorns, Carrying the Cross and the Crucifixion

--Glorious Mysteries (heavenly events) in Jesus's life include the Resurrection, the Ascension, the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Assumption and the Crowning of Mary Queen of Heaven.

--Luminous Mysteries: the Baptism of Jesus, the Wedding at Cana (Jesus's first public miracle), the Proclamation of the Kingdom and the Institution of the Holy Eucharist. These are Bible events from the life of Jesus.

There are free printable Stations of the Cross coloring pages, one for each of the 15 stations. SJB has nearly 20 free printable Apostles Creed coloring pages. You can print free saints coloring pages of St. Patrick, Mary Mother of God, St. Joan of Arc, St. Philomena, St. Tarcisius, St. Clare, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Joseph, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Valentine and other saints. There are several of Pope Francis.

Use these free printable Catholic Easter coloring pages for Ash Wednesday, Lent devotions, Holy Week, Palm Sunday and the Easter Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and finally Easter Sunday. Make a Stations of the Cross coloring book for mass and to keep little ones quiet during devotions and to reflect during your stations prayers. The images are beautifully drawn. Many were created from stained glass windows in various churches. These coloring pages make great lent devotional activities to prepare children for Easter. For more free printable Catholic Christian printables, please visit my blogs Catholic Activities and Lent Activities.

Free Printable Preschool Valentines Day Lesson Plans

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, Pinterest, email, and blogs overflow with valentine crafts. Alas, many are also costly. So, don't pay. Here are free printable preschool valentine worksheets, games, crafts, learning activities and lesson plans. Fru-gals and fru-guys, use these for Valentine's Day fun.

Over the Big Moon is a mom-blog with 31 pages of free printable preschool Valentine's Day worksheets. They've added an extension pack with even more free printable preschool Valentine lesson plans for children. These kits are perfect for little ones ages 30 months to six. The activities are mostly for pre-readers and emergent readers. All the activities have a valentine theme.

To practice literacy and writing skills, there are letter tracing sheets focusing on the letter "V", vocabulary cards, phonics activities, word and sound matching and shadow letter tracing activities.

For early math skills reinforcement, there are valentine-themed counting worksheets, sorting activities, pattern extensions and sequencing games. There are several activities to develop visual acuity and eye hand coordination, including spot-the-difference games, coloring pages and four-piece puzzles. There are also several pages of cutting lines in different patterns to help children practice scissor skills.

The packets are free to print from the Over the Big Moon website. Or here's an alternate website with the same valentine printables. Directions are available. Valentine graphics could be reused as DIY valentines. Have children cut out pictures and glue on construction paper hearts.

For preschool classroom use, print activities in the craft center. Or put printed activities in a folder. Use as homework or vacation activities. Give as Valentine's Day gifts. Roll in recycled paper towel tube. Add a cute valentine pencil, a few crayons, scissors and glue stick. Wrap in recycled paper that children have decorated and tie the ends. Use for Valentine party favors. Senior citizens may enjoy these activities too,