Free FIAR stuff for kids by mail

We were invited to a shearing party at the end of the month (I love having friends who can host something as random as a shearing party!) and I decided to pull out some old materials that my kids used when we studied wool a few years ago.  Out came bottles of lanolin, raw wool etc., etc…….

The giant heap that landed on my living room floor reminded me of all the great resources we have received by mail over the years.

The internet is great for free ideas and printables, but sometimes, the joy of getting “real” stuff by mail is the best.  Here is a list of our favorites freebies organized by the Five In A Row book that we used them with. (Okay, I couldn’t help myself – a few of the best printable resources snuck in there too)

Owl Moon –

Free owl pellets for dissection are often available from local audubon societies and educational centers.  We have worked several times with Dan Guthrie, who is super helpful and very quick in replying to requests.  Just send him your name, address, and how many students you will be working with.  You can reach him at dguthrie @ jsd.claremont.edu  (remove the spaces – I didn’t want to accidentally spam him) Just a quick note of caution – these are not treated pellets, so you will need to make sure to use gloves while working with them.

Carrot Seed / Miss. Rumphius –

WinterSown offers free seeds for starting your own garden.

Update – NewResource !: Live Monarch will send you free milkweed seeds to attract butterflies to your garden.

Make Way for Ducklings / The Story About Ping –

Cornel Lab of Ornithology often offers great resources for kids.  Right now they have a fun NestWatch pocket guide that they are giving away.  This will also register you for their free e-newsletter, which I can honestly tell you is  amazing.  It has great information and will keep you in the loop for the beginning of the annual Great Backyard Bird Count.

Night of the Moonjellies –

Oakhurst sends out free stickers and spiral straws to kids in the New England area.  Just sign up for their club.  Make the day even more special, and bring your straw along on a trip to a restaurant on their free day.  Enter your zip code on KidsMealDeals to find one near you.

Amber on the Mountain –

Free books by mail from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.  I haven’t been able to use this resource because it isn’t available in my area, but I have heard that it is fabulous.

Madeline –

Receive a free birthday greeting via e-mail from Madeline.  The fan club sends out notices of events and products that we found to be fun and helpful too.

We also liked the free You Can be a Nurse coloring book available from Johnson and Johnson.

Mr. Gumpy’s Motor Carr / Climbing Kansas Mountains.

Printable 3-d toys including a fun car and farm animals.  We love, love, LOVE printable toys.

The Rag Coat / Warm as Wool–

The federal reserve used to send out great free comic books about money, saving, and commerce.  These are so great that they are worth posting, even if you need to print your own now.  Check them out.

UPDATE  – Free Coal Kit by mail.  This one is awesome.  Check it out!

A New Coat for Anna –

Update: Those free fiber samples in various stages of production that I mentioned  are temporarily unavailable.  Sorry!  When I contacted Pendleton they replied, “Our management team is still evaluating this program, and we will certainly let them know that there is ongoing demand for materials.” so go ahead and drop them a message.  It sounds as if they need to hear that that their product is valuable!  (as a bit of a consolation, they have some great wool printables)

Arabella / Yellow Ball

Write to an author.   Wendy Orr, author of Arabella and Molly Bang, author/illustrator of The Yellow Ball have been more than gracious in their contact with us.

I’m always adding to this list as I find more great freebies.  Any suggestions?  Feel free to e-mail me or leave a link in the comments.