Here's a hilarious alternative to those sugary conversation hearts...and a way to keep building first grade literacy skills while you're at it!

This string a necklace arts activity teaches first grade readers to look for a story's beginning, middle, and end.

Here's an activity to help your first grader read and write, while staying in touch with a faraway friend or relative. Here's how:

Practice reading and writing by helping your first grader create a family recipe book!

Who are the people young readers meet in their books? This reading activity will help your first grader build important comprehension skills.

Try this simple activity to stimulate some very complex thinking with your first grader to develop those all-important reading and comprehension skills.

Invite your first grader to create this "layers of love" keepsake for that special someone! It holds a sweet, personal message for the recipient.

A new twist on the game of charades will inspire your first grader to look at her favorite books in a whole new light.

In this activity, your first grader will practice calendar skills, observe the weather and learns to read calendar words. Here's how to get started:

Take a beach ball, a marker, and a first grader. What do you get? An outdoor activity that works on reading comprehension, in the midst of a game of catch!

Teach your kindergartener or first grader about the art of correspondence by guiding them to create their own postcards out of favorite family photographs.

Guide your first grader through a map drawing project inspired by her favorite fairy tale. Its masked as a fun art activity, but it also packs learning punch!

Paying attention to headers and subheaders is a great way to orient your child to the text they're tackling. Here's how:

Give your child a chance to review his knowledge of safety and show off his writing skills at the same time by writing a safety manual to share at home.

Salute your "#1 Dad" with this creative pop-up card!

Make a Santa-shaped "wish card" holder for your child...and sneak in some solid practice in reading and writing, too!

Help your child make an imaginative scene come to life by making a diorama. Your child will be practicing three dimensional thinking and language arts skills.

Here's an wholesome arts and crafts activity for your kid: create awesome handmade apple note cards with just some paint and blank paper!

Send your child on a table of contents treasure hunt to help build basic research skills! Navigating a book is a skill that is sure to come in handy later on.

Help your child to create a familiar favorite from a book or series he adores out of papier-mache. Exercise your child's imagination and language arts skills.

This goofy scramble book activity will bring laughs...but also some good, solid comprehension skills too!

Looking for a unique arts and crafts activity that gives some writing practice? Help your child make her own back-to-school business cards!

Sure, you can go out and buy a box of Valentine cards--but for a special message try this simple craft activity to make someone's day.

Here's an authentic writing task that is perfect for Earth Day, or any day! In this activity, your child's pen becomes an instrument of planetary importance.

Make these simple homemade New Year's gifts with your child this holiday season to give to friends and family, each with a special message inside.

This Father's Day, give dad something he'll really appreciate: a book about him, written by his favorite author...his son or daughter!

Make a wanted poster of a villain from a favorite book or fairy tale in this fun reading comprehension activity!

This bookmark is a helpful tool to use during and after reading to remind your child of "good reader" strategies that she can use on her own.

Build your child's social studies skills by making a map together.

Help your child gain reading comprehension skills, as well as listening and memory skills with this fun activity that uses his favorite book!