Tag Archives: featured

Bits and Bobs for Thanksgiving

ThanksgivingAlthough we are based in the UK, we know we have many American visitors, so we’ve created a few resources for Thanksgiving.   These include:

  • Thanksgiving Notes – Little notes to print and/or write on, saying what you give thanks for.

All out printables are created with kids in mind, and we hope they add a little extra magic to your Thanksgiving celebrations!  Our favourite printables for this event are below:

Our Favourites:

 

It’s always great to involve children in the spirit of Thanksgiving.  You could encourage them to write about what they’re grateful for using our themed writing paper, or maybe just express their creativity with a little coloring.  As well as keeping them entertained, these activities give them the chance to slow down and reflect on the importance of gratitude, which as we all know these days, is so good for their mental health too.

 

Don’t forget that any printable resources you use for your Thanksgiving can  offer a way to preserve these memories for years to come.  Once you’ve used them as a family you can put them carefully away as treasured mementos that can be revisited each holiday season.

However you choose to celebrate, our printables are here to help make your Thanksgiving joyful and memorable.  We hope you have a wonderful day!

 

 

 

 

Letters to Santa and Christmas Lists

Can you feel the Christmas magic yet?  No doubt the kids can and are getting ready to write that all-important letter to Santa and Christmas list!  With this in mind, we thought we’d put together a quick post to highlight all our free letter to Santa and Christmas list templates.  So, if your child is writing his or her Christmas correspondence to that magical man at the North pole this week, perhaps these will come in handy:

 

Need a Reply?

If your child has written a letter and/or Christmas list, or drawn a picture for Santa, you may be looking for a reply.  Obviously, we have to keep it general, but we’ve created the following resources to help you out:

And don’t forget we create a range of longer free letters from Santa too!

Need a Reminder?

A note from Santa asking your child to write his or her Christmas List
Please write Your Christmas List!

If the Christmas clock is ticking and your little one is dragging his or her heels about getting that Christmas List written, this little reminder from Father Christmas may just do the trick. Good luck and have a very merry Christmas – ho, ho, ho! x

Santa Claus or Father Christmas?

Many of our letters to Santa Claus are also available as letters to Father Christmas. This is because we know that people in different families and places call him by different names. In the UK, we find the preference is for “Father Christmas”, in the USA it’s “Santa”.

We’re sorry that we haven’t managed to provide two versions of absolutely every resource – we’ve had a lot to do and have been short on time. However, if there is an alternative version of any of our letters, you’ll be able to see a note and a link underneath it.

You might also like our elf printables!

Five Free Early Christmas Printables

You may think it’s a way off but before you know it, it’ll be that time a year again!

Magical Christmas clockSure, it’s an inner groan from those of us who dread the Christmas shopping but on the children front, it’s hard not to smile when you think of the upcoming magic. We’ve been doing this long enough to know that right this minute there are children out there wondering if they’ve been good enough (and if not trying to do better rather hurriedly!) for a certain someone to bring presents this year.

It’s a great time, therefore, to encourage your little ones to use their imaginations… Far up in the North Pole the Christmas clock is ticking; the elves have started to wrap up their presents, the reindeer have begun getting into shape for the long journey on Christmas Eve, and the Nice List is sparkling into life. Will your little one’s name magically appear on it?

With this in mind and for all those who just can’t wait, here are our five favourite free early Christmas printables. In our house, we use them to build excitement early on, so that by the time Christmas rolls around, our children can almost hear the sleigh bells. We hope you and yours enjoy them too.

1 Nice List Certificate

You're on the Nice List
You’re on the Nice List

If your child has been good, it’s never too early to let them know they’re on the nice list! As well as being a printable image you can write on, this one also comes as an editable PDF, which means you can just hit the appropriate button (underneath the main image) and type straight onto the certificate.

Not quite what you’re looking for? Check out the rest of our Christmas certificates here.

2 A letter from Santa to Read Before Christmas

Picture of a free printable letter from Santa, complete withh wiggly writing and illustrations of reindeerOur before Christmas letters have long been popular with anyone who wants to find out what magical things have been going on at the North Pole. A Kitchen Full of Reindeer is one of our favourites and it’s completely free from this site. (Check our Terms of Use.) It’s a magical, funny letter, telling the story of how all the reindeer have ended up causing havoc in Santa’s kitchen.

Oh – and if you’re folding/rolling up your letter and want the back to look pretty, you can always print one of our Christmassy letter-back designs on the other side.

We hope you enjoy our letters, but please remember they are only for personal use – it’s not legal to sell then or use them for any other commercial purposes. Their copyright remains with the author.

3 Santa’s Magic Mirror Note

Letter from Santa “Santa's Magic Mirror Writing”
Santa Letter: Santa’s Magic Mirror Writing

This is a great note for anyone who wants to let their children know that a couple of Santa’s elves are popping by (in secret of course) to see if they’re being good. Use it as early as you like to encourage good behaviour and for extra effect, print and fold a little envelope from Santa to put it in.

Your child will need a mirror to read this top-secret message – but that’s all part of the magic.

4 November Niceness Certificate

Certificate of November Niceness
November Niceness

Another certificate from Santa – but this time one’s just for November.

5 Elf Notification: You Made It to The Nice List

This cute note is a great reward for a child who has been good all year. It’s such a great feeling to know the elves have noticed!

Looking for more letters from the elves?  Try this page of our site.

Along with the rest of the resources on this page, we really hope this note helps you create a little extra magic for your loved ones this Christmas. x

Make a Miniature Tooth Fairy Letter

Miniature Tooth Fairy and matching envelope for a child's 1st ToothThere are many beautiful Tooth Fairy letters out there in the cloud and some of the loveliest ones are very small.  Fairy-sized in fact.  However, it can be rather fiddly to find a tiny pen (and perhaps your strongest reading glasses!) to write one yourself, so we thought we’d post a couple that are ready-written and free to print out.  All you’ll need to make yours is a pair of scissors a dab of glue for the tiny envelope flaps.

Photograph of a miniature Tooth Fairy letter being held in someone's hand.
Miniature Tooth Fairy Letter

So far, we’ve got two letters for a general tooth pick-up and one for a first tooth.  Each comes with a matching envelope for a girl or a boy – whichever you want.  (They’re all below.)  If you’d rather print a normal-sized letter instead, you can still find a range of them on our Tooth Fairy notes page.  We’ll be tracking how busy this page is and if it proves popular, we’ll make more miniature letters in the not-to-distant future.

Choose Your Printable Miniature Letter Below:

Just click on the picture of the Tooth Fairy letter you want and you’ll be taken to a PDF file to print and/or download.  It’s all free but if you like these and want to support us, come back and see us soon, join our mailing list, or let a friend know.  Happy crafting!

If your children speak French, you might also like these tiny letters:

 

Top Tip:

Fairy dust or ultra fine glitter, good for crafting, being blown out of a woman's hands.If you’re a bit of a fairy crafting fiend, dipping your tiny Tooth Fairy letter in ultra fine glitter before you put it in the envelope will make it sparkle beautifully when your child takes it out.  The glitter won’t stick unless it’s the very fine kind though, like the glitter you see people using for nail art.  The best place to find some is probably ebay.  Also, beware, it can get everywhere and if you spill it on the carpet you’ll spot the occasional sparkle for months, in spite of your best efforts to vacuum it away.  We recommend using it on a tray.

A miniature Tooth Fairy letter with a matching envelope for a little girl.
Miniature Tooth Fairy Letter for a Young Lady

Larger Notes

Don’t forget we also have a range of bigger notes, not to mention  Tooth Fairy certificates you can print out – for those who find it a bit easier to use something human rather than fairy-sized!

Two Treasure Hunts – Pirates and Mermaids

Pirate and Mermaid Treasure Hunt Clues
Pirate and Mermaid Treasure Hunt Clues

This week we’ve put together two sets of rhyming clues for treasure hunts.  One is a pirate theme, the other is for mermaids.  They make a great activity for birthday parties or any other family gathering where there are children to entertain.

What You Need:

A printer, obviously, and a pair of scissors.  You’ll also have to think of a prize (or “treasure”) you can put at the end of the hunt, with the very last clue.  For the pirate treasure hunt, you’ll need an egg to place one of the clues next to, as you’ll see when you read the rhymes.

If you need more help: Scroll down, there are suggestions for hiding each clue lower down. 

Just print the clues, cut them out and hide around the house accordingly.   (There are PDF buttons underneath each set of clues to make printing extra-easy.)

Pirate Treasure Hunt Clues:
Printable Pirate Treasure Hunt
Printable Pirate Treasure Hunt
GET CLUES AS PDF
Mermaid Treasure Hunt Clues:
Mermaid Treasure Hunt
Mermaid Treasure Hunt
GET CLUES AS PDF

 

Further Help: 

When planning your treasure hunt, here are some questions to ask yourself and extra ideas for each clue below.

Whole House or Certain Rooms?

If you’re planning this scavenger hunt for a children’s party, you might want to make it clear which rooms they should look in and which are off-limits – just in case you don’t want a million little hands rifling through every cupboard in the house!

Competition or Team Work Game? 

You might also want to decide whether your treasure hunt is a competition or not.  Does the first person to get to the end get the prize?  Or is it about team work?  If it’s the former, make it clear that clues must be left where you found them, so that the next player can find them too.  If it’s the latter, make sure there’s some “treasure” for everyone at the end.

Tips and Suggestions for Each Verse of Pirate Clues:

Yo ho, me lovelies!
Here be a clue:
To find the surprise
Ye must seek out a shoe!

Just pop the clue into any shoe that the children are likely to find.  If you want to make it easier, you could point them to the right room.

Keep on, me hearties!
A pirate’s got grit,
Ye’ll find the next clue
Where ye like to sit.

Place the clue under/on/under the cushion of a chair.  It could be a dining chair, armchair, rocking chair and so on. 

Well done, me pirates!
You’re moving ahead
A secret is written
Where ye go to bed.

This one’s easy – just hide the clue in a bed.  If it’s a party and you don’t want children in every room, make it clear which bedrooms are off-limits. 

Now listen up closely
Me beauties, me gems,
There’s a landlubber watching
The next clue’s on them!

You or another adult should hide the next clue about your (or their) person.  Perhaps in a pocket or, if you’re joining in the festivities, under the pirate hat you’ve got on!

Not far to the treasure,
Me brave sailing folk!
The next one’s beside
A thing with a yolk.

You’ll need to place the next clue near an egg.  Perhaps in the fridge or egg basket?  If you don’t have a real egg in the house, you could always draw one, cut it out, pin it to a wall and put the clue beside it.

Fine work buccaneers!
Now hark to me fable:
There once was a clue
Who hid by a table.

Any table will do here – if you’re feeling crafty, tape the clue underneath it rather than leaving it on top. 

Well done me shipmates!
You’re right on the brink…
The last clue is hiding
Not far from a sink.

Could be the bathroom or the kitchen – just hide the clue in or near a sink.

Aha so ye found it!
I’m piraty-proud,
A toast to yer cunning
And courage out loud!

The “treasure” should be left with this clue.  It can be anything – chocolate, sweets, a toy.  Might be a nice touch to make it a piraty gift, arrr!  If this treasure hunt wasn’t a competition, make sure there are enough goodies for everyone.  You could always include one of our pirate certificates at the end for whoever got there first.  This one, for an Honorary Pirate one would be a good fit:

Printable Pirate Certificate: Honorary Pirate
Honorary Pirate Certificate
(No name needed)

 

Tips and Suggestions for Each Verse of Mermaid Clues:

Follow the clues
For treasures galore!
Swim that way dear mermaids,
The first’s on a door.

Pick any door in your house and stick/pin the next clue to it.  If you want to make it harder, you could choose a less obvious door, such as the door to a wardrobe… or even a cat door! 

Hark to me, merfolk,
Crustaceans and fish!
The next clue is hiding
Inside a dish.  

Pop the next clue inside a dish, any dish you know the children will find.  Might be best not to choose a valuable one though, in case it gets broken. 

Well done, now another….
If you’re in a rush
I’ll tell you a secret:
It’s near a hairbrush.

Hide the clue near a hairbrush.  If the children don’t know where to look, you could always point them towards the correct room. 

The next place is strange
It’s a manmade machine
And the clue is not far
From its sparkly bright screen.  

This “manmade machine” with a “sparkly bright screen” could be a TV, a laptop, a desktop, or even a tablet.  (In theory, it could even be a phone but that might be hard for them to guess.)  Hide the next clue near whichever device you have in your house – we always use the TV.  

Nice work, lovely creatures,
But now understand:
A grown-up is hiding
A clue in their hand!!!  

This could be you or one of the other grown-up friends/parents.  Give them the clue before the game starts and tell them fold it up small and hide it in a fist.  Pick someone who doesn’t mind having their hand prised open by small fingers!

Now you must swim
To and fro, here and there,
To find a clue waiting
Under a chair.

Any chair in the house will do for the next clue.  You could hide it under the chair’s cushion, under the chair itself, or tape it to the back of the chair. 

The hunt’s nearly over,
You’ve swum many knots,
Now look in a room
Full of saucepans and pots!  

Clearly, the next clue needs to be hidden in the kitchen.  You can make finding it as easy or as difficult as you like. 

Hooray little merfolk,
Here is your prize.
You are not only pretty
But clever and wise!

This is the last clue so some kind of mermaid treasure should be left here.  Sweets/candy is probably the most obvious prize – you could also add one of our free mermaid certificates.  The one below would be an easy choice because it doesn’t require you to add a child’s name.  (Obviously, if it’s a competition you couldn’t add a name in advance because you wouldn’t know which child was going to get to the end first!):

Mermaid Certificate: Mermaid Friend (No name needed)
Mermaid Friend (No name needed)

 

Attribution: All pirate and mermaid rhymes in the clues above were written by Leone Annabella Betts and have been reproduced on this site with her blessing.

Looking for More Pirate Party Ideas?

From around the internet, we like these: 

Make a Pirate’s Treasure Map – This is a great idea for a pirate’s party activity.  Just watch the BBC (CBeebies) video then get the children at your party making maps of their own.

Make a Pirate Treasure Chest – If you’ve got a bit of preparation time, this print and craft treasure chest from Tim’s Printables might prove useful.  You make one for each guest, pop a couple of sweets inside and put it on the party table.

Buccaneer Eye Patches – Authentic looking eye patches to print out from Real Classroom Ideas.

Please note that we’re not responsible for the content on these pages or the upkeep of their websites. 

On our site, you might like these:

Printable Pirate Certificates – All sorts of certificates for young pirates.  You can watch a video about making one here.

Pirate Cupcake Wrappers – Do pirates eat cupcakes?  Who knows?  But if they do, they’d be decorated with their own piraty wrappers.