Play-Based Learning Activities: Ideas for Parents

Play-based learning activities you can do at home: crafts, printables and picture books to share with your child. I am a parent, I have illustrated children's books for 28 years and I build learning apps for children, so everything here is something I would try at my own table. It is all free to read, and most of it you can start this afternoon.

llustrated yellow Labrador in a guide dog harness walking beside an adult on a sunny park path while a child watches from a distance

How Are Service Dogs Trained? A Guide for Kids and Families

How are service dogs trained? In four stages: a volunteer puppy raiser's home, months of professional training, a team class with their person, then years of work. Each organization sets its own timings, so I name who says what.
Illustrated scruffy dog on a window seat beside a stack of picture books, Christmas books about dogs

Christmas Books About Dogs: 9 Picture Books on Adoption, Rescue and Finding a Home

Nine picture books about dogs, Christmas, adoption and rescue, each with its age band. Two join Christmas and adoption. Studies of gifted pets do not show they are given up more often, but the AKC and many shelters still advise against a surprise.
Illustrated beagle asleep beside a snowy window with a wrapped gift, a red leash and a bowl, gifts for dog lovers at Christmas

Gifts for Dog Lovers: Christmas Ideas for Kids and Families

If your child has asked how are service dogs trained, you are in good company. Children notice a dog in a harness on the bus or in a store, and the questions come fast: where did the dog learn that, how long did it take, and can I say hello? I read the training pages of the main organizations so you can answer from sources. This guide follows four stages, names the organization beside every number, and ends with the one rule kids need most.
A plush rabbit and a small toy robot on a snowy windowsill beside a lit Christmas tree, a calm scene for AI toys

AI Toys: What Parents Should Know

Advocacy groups advise against AI toys for young children, and independent tests found problems in some. Data retention differs by company, and an AI Santa may be pre-recorded or live. Read the policy, check the controls, and be in the room.
A young turtle and a small round robot sharing a picture book in a rainy library nook, books about AI for kids

Books About AI for Kids: 46 Checked, 6 Picture Books Passed

I checked 46 children's books against five questions: a story first, A.I. central to the plot, accurate, and in print. Six passed, from a robot that learns art to A.I. Santa. Each entry says what it teaches, how strong the evidence is and who it suits.

Dot-to-Dot Printable Activity Pages for Kids

Dot-to-dot printable activity pages build number sequencing, fine motor control, and pencil grip, not just picture-tracing. This guide breaks down what to use by age, from 1-10 for preschoolers to 150+ for grades 3-5, plus how to judge difficulty and why printable pages still beat screens for this skill.
Finished salt dough ornaments with children's names painted on them, hanging on a Christmas tree

How to Make Salt Dough Ornaments Kids Will Keep

Salt dough ornaments fail for one reason: heat above the boiling point of water turns the moisture inside to steam and puffs the piece. Bake at 100C / 200F for two to three hours at 5 mm, flip once, then leave them out overnight.

Our picture books

Cover of the picture book A.I. Santa
Ages 6 to 9

A.I. Santa

A Santa app that can't say no, and a conversation that explains A.I. to children. Written by Elizabeth Tsongidou, illustrated by Aris.

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 Cover of the picture book Santa's Furry Helper
Ages 5 to 8

Santa's Furry Helper

Motley, a shy dog, helps Santa find lost dogs a home on Christmas Eve. Written by Gloria Profusek, illustrated by Aris.

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Meet the authors

Teachers and storytellers who write to make children curious, kind and thoughtful.

Author of A.I. Santa

Elizabeth Tsongidou

A teacher and children's author from Greece. Her story, her books and a free activity pack.

Meet Elizabeth
Author of Santa's Furry Helper

Gloria Profusek

She writes children's books inspired by her guide dog, Motley. Her books, her story and a free activity pack.

Meet Gloria

All ReadnLearn authors

Learning apps for children

Kids learning apps by ReadnLearn

Phonics, spelling, puzzles and word games for ages 2 to 8, built on synthetic phonics and designed for children who learn differently. The ReadnLearn apps have been downloaded over a million times.

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Why we make these

Aris and his son Marios
The mission

Learning tools for children who learn differently

My son Marios has autism and speech delay. What I make for this site helps fund free educational tools for neurodivergent children.

Read about the mission

Questions parents ask

Are the printable packs free?

Yes. All three packs are free. You enter your email address on the pack page and the download is sent to you.

What ages are these activities for?

Most of them suit children from preschool to about age 9. Each article and each pack says which ages it fits, and the dot to dot pages are sorted from easy to harder.

Can I print the pages more than once?

Yes. The packs are made to be printed again and again, so you can keep a copy and print a fresh page whenever you need one.

Who writes these ideas for parents?

I do. I am Aris, a parent and a children's book illustrator for 28 years. Where an article relies on outside sources, it names them.

Where should I start?

Pick one free pack and one article that fits this week. If you want the bigger picture first, start with the parent's guide to activity books for kids.