Wonder Days

Epiphany celebrates the Twelfth Night after Christmas. Epiphany, or Three Kings' Day, on January 6, celebrates the visit of the Magi or Wisemen. Here are free printable Epiphany games and crafts to celebrate Three Kings Day. Epiphany is the gift-giving holiday in many countries. Many cultures and traditions have parties to celebrate the coming of the Wisemen to visit and honor baby Jesus. Print and enjoy these holiday crafts for Epiphany.
Nickjr.com (click here) has a complete free printable Dora the Explorer Three Kings Day party planner. There is a free printable king's crown craft, Epiphany lights crafts, party invitations and goody bag printables. There are free printable recipes and games to complete your Dora the Explorer Three Kings Day party.
Family Fun (click here) has a free printable cut and paste 3D angel tree topper for children to assemble. The angel is not precisely an Epiphany element, but as part of the nativity and Christmas story, it's appropriate. This four page craft print in color, but set your printer color properties to 'print in grayscale' if you want to make a coloring activity.
Family Fun (click here) has a complete free printable Christmas train to cut and paste. Again, not specifically a Three Kings Day activity, the three wisemen are patron saints of travel and children will love making this charming holiday train. For even more fun, print the Family Fun (click here) vintage holiday village. Three little cut and paste holiday houses make a great table decoration.
First-school.ws has a complete collection of free printable Christmas, Epiphany, Three Kings Daycoloring pages featuring nativity characters, wisemen, camels, donkeys and gifts for baby Jesus. There are writing activities and crafts to print as well.
ABCteach.com (click here) has a free printable Three Kings Day rebus picture story for children to read and color.It tells the story of the Epiphany and visit of the Magi. The rebus prints in color, but set your printer properties to 'print in grayscale' to make the rebus story a coloring page activity. This activity makes an excellent lesson plan activity for Sunday School, Christian and Catholic schools, religious education and homeschooling.
teacherhelp.org (click here) has a free printable banner for your Three Kings Day decorations. The banner is written in Spanish 'El Dia de los Reyes'.
Thecoloringspot.com (click here) has eight free printable Christmas coloring pages, including three for Epiphany: two of the wisemen and one star coloring pages.
Coloring-Page.com (click here) has an free printable coloring page featuring gothic images of the three wisemen. There is also a free printable star coloring page (click here)

Most students will return to school shortly, whether they are home-schooled or if they attend a traditional school. Epiphany, the holiday celebrated in the Roman Catholic church and the eastern orthodox churches on January 6 is right around the corner. Why not combine celebrate this lovely holiday feast day with a party?
Round out the winter vacation and holiday break and make the return to studies a positive time by celebrating Epiphany.
Epiphany marks the visit of the wisemen to the stable in Bethlehem. Many people mistakenly assume that the wisemen arrived at the manger scene with the shepherds, angels and holy family. The wisemen or Magi did not arrive until some time later. We celebrate it as January 6 or Twelfth Night. Here is a celebration for your family, friends, church group or students to help understand and honor this holy day.
Use a nativity scene or 'creche' or 'preseppio' to tell the story. St Francis of Assisi, in the mid 13th century began using this object lesson in his homilies to spread the good news. In our home, we do not place the kings in our manger scene until Epiphany. The figures 'travel' around the room until Twelfth Night. This provided hours and fun and imagination for our children when they were younger, visualizing the woes, dangers and adventures the Magi may have encountered. One year, we wrote a play and created a living nativity scene. We used Luke's gospel, but we added some details from other reading we'd done and our own thoughts about the event.
Read aloud each evening from Henry Vandyke's The Fourth Wiseman. Use this link to print it off or read it online. You might also wish to rent and view the movie version of the story. This story describes the story of Arteban, the wiseman who was not able to complete his journey to the Christ Child, but who lived the message of the gospel just the same.
The opening chapters of Ben Hur by General Lew Wallace gives a good impression of the lives and the meeting of the Magi. This link will take you to an online reader of the text which you can save or print free.
Print off some games and activities from my article on Free Epiphany Printables. Make a nativity set by dressing paper towel and toilet paper tubes in fabric scraps.
Since Epiphany also commemorates the baptism of Jesus, light your children's' baptismal candles. If they did not receive one, you can light any candle and pray a special blessing for them.
Make a Twelfth Night cake. traditionally these were often a fruit cake, and contained a hidden treasure such as a coin or bean. The person finding the treasure was the king for the day. You can make any type of cake you like. Place a small prize in the cake before you bake it . You can also place several little prizes in the cake. For safety sake, I would use a little candy such as a mint or a small candy cane. You can decorate the cake with little prizes or presents also.
Make crowns from recycled boxes. Cut it to fit and paint the crown with metallic paint or cover with aluminum foil. Glue on faux gems or stickers, fur trim, etc.
Lastly, and this is an ancient tradition, ask the three kings to watch over your home. Write the their initials over the door that you enter and exit the house. Caspar (or Gaspar) C (G) - Balthazar (B) - Melchior - (M). We have done this for several years now.
Remember 'Wise men still follow Him.'

In many nations, especially southern and eastern Europe and South America Christian religions celebrate January 6, or Epiphany as the main gift-giving holiday. In the Catholic faith, Epiphany, or the Feast of the Three Kings, is a feast day of the Church. It is not a holy day of obligation, but it an important feast in the Octave of Christmas or Christmastide. It is the celebration of the visit of the Magi to the Christ child in Bethlehem.
If you celebrate this day or would like to begin observing it, here are some websites to explore with free printables to get you started on your journey. This sites include lesson plans, crafts, activities, games and puzzles.

ABC teach is a huge teachers' clearinghouse of resources for public, private, parochial and home-schools, as well as Sunday school, catechism and religious education. Look for the Epiphany printables under 'Seasonal holidays' and Christmas. There are coloring pages, picture reading or Rebus stories, math, fill-in-the -blank, connect the dots, literature units, nativity scene crafts, ornaments, photo frames, and a whole lot more. There must be at over 100 links to pdfs that you may save or print.
Fun Social Studies at Learning Haven offers activities based around the religious observances of countries and religions around the world. This site provides safe, well-researched material for children to use for studies. It is the most complete site I have found for children, parents and teachers on the religious observances of all religions. The material is well-written, user-friendly for children of all ages but does not patronize or talk down to anyone.
First School has a large assortment of free printable lessons and activity plus links to other resources in literature, crafts, songs, information, recipes. This site follows the holidays in an interactive calendar format.
Catholic Mom offers a nice array of activities based upon the Liturgical year of the church, with the daily readings, feast observances, intentions, saints feast days and links to keep the family focused on the church year. Because this is a Catholic website, there are many activities to involve children of all ages in the daily devotion experience. you'll find activities geared to all ages and pages based on the Missal. This would be a great link for any home-school-er, teacher or religious education instructor to access daily.
These links should provide you with enough information, ideas, craft projects and lessons to provide students or children with a nice celebration of Epiphany. Epiphany, in a secular way provides a nice ending to the Christmas holiday. Celebrating Epiphany is a good way to ease back into the school year also.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a United States holiday celebrated on the third Monday in January every year. On this day, we observe the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. It is a day to honor Dr. King and the profound work that he accomplished during the civil rights movement. Below are lesson plan ideas and activities to help teach children of all ages about Martin Luther King, Jr.
Activities for Young Children Ages 5 & Up
The following crafts are a fun way for kids to learn about the diversity within people. Children can make finger puppets and pins representing girls and boys of different races.
Martin Luther King Day Rainbow Pin
Freedom Friends Puppets
Timeline of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Life
This is an easy way to teach younger children about the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. The colorful and interactive timeline will surely keep their attention and expand their awareness of Dr. King.
Activity for Children Ages 9 & Up
I Have A Dream Fill-in-the-Blanks
On August 28,1963, Dr. King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and delivered an astonishing speech, I Have a Dream. This is a fill-in-the-blanks activity that allows children to fill in 28 missing words from Dr. King's speech. There is also a link to the actual speech to check your answers.
Family Education
This is a remarkable website for children to learn about Martin Luther King, Jr. There is an activity for grades K - 6 regarding heroes. The website provides a handful of quizzes about Dr. King for kids and parents to take. There is a great list of 5 activities to do on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, tips for young activists, talking about racism and kids making good (a history of heroism).
Apples 4 the Teacher
This website has over a dozen printables, worksheets, and coloring pages for parents and teachers to print for their children and students. There are alphabetical worksheets, word jumbles, word searches. The answer sheets to the worksheets are available to print as well.
20 Lessons Plans About Martin Luther King Jr.
You will find lesson plans for kids in grades K - 12. Some of the lesson plans have the kids creating maps that show important places in Dr. King's life, making a creative timeline, learning about the civil rights struggle, and much more.
Reading List for Children, Parents, and Teachers
A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. by by David A. Adler: King's life illustrated for kids
My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up With the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Christine King Farris: King's sister offers her perspective on what influenced him
Dear Dr. King: Letters from Today's Children to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. edited by Jan Colbert and Ann McMillan Harms: A look a race relations in America today through the eyes of children

 

Bubble baths are quite simply one of life’s divine luxuries. Nothing quite beats a soak in the bath tub, whether you are 9 months or 99 years old- it appeals to us all. Our family have created homemade bubble bath soaps for some time, and although we mostly use showers, every now and then a good soak is all you want-  Bathing baby? There is nothing better than to make up your own homemade bubble bath, no nasties and completely natural-what can be better than that?

Homemade Bubble Bath (Base) Recipe

(Makes a family size bottle)
What you need

• 750ml/3 cups of liquid Castille soap
• 15g/2 tbsp fine sugar ( confectioners or caster)
• 20g/ 4 tbsp glycerin (vegetable)
• optional: 1 level tsp of beet powder to make it pink, turmeric to make it yellow, or woad to make it purple
• essential oils from our selection below- or make up your own!
• glass, ceramic or metal mixing bowl
• large bottle
• a funnel

What to do 
Stir together all the ingredients above (except the essential oils) and add the optional colouring if you wish. Once the sugar has completely dissolved,  place the bowl in a cool, dry place for approximately 24 to 30 hours. Once the mixture has been allowed to cure, add the essential oil fragrance combo of your choice. You may either add them now, or you can add the essential oils separately to each bath- it’s up to you. Everyone in our family has a preference for a different fragrance combo so we tend to do the latter. The combinations below are our own, but feel free to experiment with one or more of the scents below, or even make up your very own signature scent! Then, using a funnel carefully decant the mixture into your large bottle et voila, your bath awaits!

Citrus Zing

• 2 drops Rose Geranium
• 8 drops Orange
• 2 drops Bergamot
• 3 drops Neroli
• 8 drops Lemon

Romantic Rose

• 6 drops Rose Absolute
• 2 drops Rose Geranium
• 3 drops Neroli

Lovely Lavender

•  10 drops Lavender
•  2 drops Roman Camomile
•  2 drops Bergamot

What better way to unwind than with a hot, soapy bubble bath? Bubble Bath Day encourages you to relax – light the candles, play some soothing music and lose yourself in a favorite book for an hour or so.
Bubble Bath Day 2014 as always is  on January 8th, 2014

Bubble baths are so much fun. We wish everyday could be Bubble Bath Day. Bubble Bath Day is a fun day to relax an enjoy the warm and soothing pleasures of a bubble bath.  Best of all, it can be enjoyed by kids and adults.
For kids, it's playtime. For adults, it's soothing pleasure, and perhaps ....playtime.

On Bubble Bath Day, there are a couple of ways to enjoy your bubble bath. It depends upon how old you are.
For kids, it's simple.... Just fill the tub with bubbles and toys. Then hop in and play!
For the ladies, its time to relax! Fill the tub with bubbly water. Hop in and just enjoy the soothing water and bubbles. Before hoping in, set the mood with candles placed (safely) around the bathroom and tub. Add a music, playing softly on the sink counter.
For the guys: Don't feel left out! With permission, you can hop in, too! Get in touch with your feminine side, and make sure the candles are lit. You can relax and/or play. The proper sequence is relax, play, relax. We highly recommend both!
Here are tips to help you avoid the problems associated with bubble baths and to reap the benefits.
The Benefits
Hot water increases blood circulation to the skin and increases the flow of oxygen, which is great when you have sore muscles and stiff joints.
Hot water opens up the pores and helps release toxins from the body.
Along with candles, the right scent, and soothing music, the warm water is simply heavenly, especially at end of the day.
Precautions
Avoid frequent hot baths. When the water is too hot the heat breaks down the skin barrier and makes it more prone to irritation and dryness, according to dermatologist Dr. Jean Ho.
According to the Mayo Clinic, taking frequent hot baths can also lead to vaginitis, an inflammation of the vaginal area. A common form is a yeast infection. Hot baths don’t actually cause yeast infections but can cause you to become susceptible to them.
Also avoid very hot baths if you have circulation problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and are pregnant. If you can’t climb into the top comfortably, (and you tend to feel itchiness afterwards) it’s probably too hot. The water should be close to body temperature. When in doubt, consult your doctor about whether hot baths are safe for you.

Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday is a day of honor and commemorative events at a variety of sites in Washington, DC. Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday is January 15th and is celebrated each year on the third Monday in January. In 1994, to further commemorate a man who lived his life in service to others, Congress transformed the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday into a national day of community service. Here is a schedule of special events to honor this civil rights leader and to give local residents the opportunity to reach out to help those in need.
Martin Luther King Memorial
This weekend is a great time to visit the Memorial. National Park Service Rangers discuss King's role in the Civil Rights movement daily. The National Park Service will host a wreathlaying service in observance of the birthday-anniversary for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
2014 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
January 20, 2014. Major service events will take place across the country. Join a community service organization or create your own event to serve the DC community and make a difference.
Martin Luther King Jr. Parade
January 20, 2014, 11 a.m. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE and Milwaukee Place SE, Washington DC. The Anacostia parade/peacewalk includes the Ballou Marching Band and representatives from the area's Asian, Bolivian, Jamaican and African American communities.
"Let Freedom Ring"
January 20, 2014, 6 p.m. John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The Kennedy Center and Georgetown University host a musical celebration featuring the Let Freedom Ring Choir and other special guests honoring Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy in a free Millennium Stage concert. Tickets are required and will be distributed the day of the event in front of the Concert Hall beginning at 5 p.m.
Lincoln Memorial
2014 Date to Be Announced, 1:00 p.m. 23rd and Independence Ave., NW, Washington, DC. The National Park Service will place a wreath at the Lincoln Memorial, on the steps where Dr. King gave his 1963 speech. The recitation of the “I Have a Dream” speech will be presented by students of Washington, DC’s Watkins Elementary School.
Source  About.com