Teach Colors with These Easy Reusable DIY Color Changing Bottles
Check out this fun and easy way to teach colors over and over again in your homeschool preschool!
Teach Colors with These Easy Reusable DIY Color Changing Bottles Read Post »
Check out this fun and easy way to teach colors over and over again in your homeschool preschool!
Teach Colors with These Easy Reusable DIY Color Changing Bottles Read Post »
Thinking about doing preschool at home? The most common advice you’re likely to receive is to let them play. But is play enough? Yes…and no
Preschool at Home: Is Learning Through Play Really Enough? Read Post »
Turn a day at the amusement park into a homeschooling adventure! These 10 ideas for homeschooling at the amusement park make learning fun and easy!
10 Ideas for Homeschooling at the Amusement Park Read Post »
STEM activities are a great way to add fun to your homeschool learning. Here are some easy ways to incorporate it in your lessons!
STEM Activities That Make Learning Fun Read Post »
You can use starting a podcast with your homeschooling student to teach media literacy. Learn the basics and the benefits of starting.
Media Literacy: The How-Tos and Benefits of Starting a Podcast with Your Child Read Post »
December is one of my favorite times of year to change things up and have fun veering off our normal homeschool path. That’s why we include Christmas activities in our homeschool plans whenever possible. This holiday season we’ve stayed busy with mixed media Christmas art and Christmas Around the World. Now that those projects are winding down, we can add some other things to our December homeschool mix.
10 Christmas Activities for Homeschooling Read Post »
Strength-based homeschooling is about giving our children the tools to succeed and the confidence to approach life’s obstacles with their best.
Strength-Based Homeschooling: How to Homeschool Strong Read Post »
Homeschooling gifted and twice-exceptional (gifted with special needs) learners is a wonderful way to allow your child to soar, but it is not all sunshine and roses, as some people believe. Being prepared for what you may encounter is the best way to begin homeschooling your gifted child.
What Homeschooling Gifted Kids Entails Read Post »
When the days start to get longer and brighter, it’s a natural inclination to want to embrace the springtime warmth and begin anew. Spring homeschool activities are just what you need!
5 Spring Homeschool Activities Read Post »
The fears lurk on both sides of the public school vs homeschool debate. Resources to help you instill unique family values in your homeschool.
9 Ways To Make Homeschooling More Fun Than Public School Read Post »
The Young Scientist series by Heron Books offers easy-to-use science unit studies that homeschool kids can use independently.
Science Unit Studies by Heron Books | iHN Featured Favorite Read Post »
What we all so often miss, is that when children are deeply immersed in nature play and nature study, they are experiencing science.
Why Nature Is the Best Science Teacher in the Early Grades Read Post »
Great educational ideas for camping shared by a homeschool family who loves to camp. Ideas for daytime and nighttime fun are included.
Educational Ideas for Family Camping Read Post »
We need to provide opportunities for our high school students to explore science in hands-on ways. This can be done through making models, utilizing manipulatives, and hands-on experimentation. Read this post for examples of ways to incorporate hands-on learning for high school science.
Hands-on Learning for High School Science Read Post »
Homeschooling is a grand adventure and homeschooling boys can be especially fun or frustrating – depending on your perspective. As a homeschooling mother it’s vitally important to remember that boys are different as we learn how to work with the way they are wired! Thankfully, homeschooling allows us the flexibility to embrace this. So here are 4 things to keep in mind as you embark on this adventure.
Homeschooling Boys? Four Things You Need to Know Read Post »
Having raised four special needs kids myself, I have had to factor in sensory issues, regulation and transition issues, meltdowns, and more. I found that nature offers tremendous opportunities for satisfying all the various physical, cognitive, and social/emotional needs of special needs children and indeed, all children.
5 Reasons Nature Must Be a Part of Special Needs Homeschooling Read Post »
Are you possibly stifling your child’s math education by clinging to the use of textbooks only? Break out of your math rut and breathe life into math lessons with these non-textbook ways to teach it.
Math: How to Teach it Without a Textbook Read Post »
We’ve all seen it – the glazed over look of children who have checked out, completely disengaged. And then we have seen those moments when our children come alive, voraciously learning. Here are some simple things we can do to maximize homeschool learning.
Five Simple Ways to Maximize Homeschool Learning Read Post »
These seven practical, easy-to-implement tips are what I’ve found worked best to maximize a preschool class for a homeschool group. You’ll learn about transitions, schedules, safety, and themes.
7 Easy Tips for Teaching Preschool for Your Homeschool Group Read Post »
The word engineer is derived from the Latin words ingeniare (“to contrive, devise”) and ingenium (“cleverness”). Today, engineering is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. In anticipation of Engineers Week next month, I’m delighted to share with you 25 activities and resources to help you teach engineering concepts to teens.
25 Activities & Resources for Teens Interested in Engineering Careers Read Post »
Starting your kid too early with formal education can actually cause a lot of frustration, burnout, and overwhelm for you as both teacher and parent. Learn if your preschooler is ready or not by tuning in to their cues.
5 Huge Signs Your Kid Is Not Ready for Preschool Read Post »
As homeschoolers, we have the opportunity to make our learning memorable, both in what our kids are studying and how we choose to have them review. Here are 5 unique ways review what they’ve learned.
5 Unique Ways to Review What You’ve Learned Through Homeschooling Read Post »
Unit studies are a great approach to take when homeschooling gets hard. Here’s some simple ways to set up a unit study and have some fun in your omeschool.
Unit Studies for When Homeschooling Gets Hard Read Post »
A multiplication unit study can be fun and help kids learn those multiplication math facts faster. This recourse list will get your started.
Hands-On Multiplication Unit Study Read Post »
Love to homeschool yet hate teaching science? Check out the best tips for teaching science for homeschool parents who hate science.
Homeschool Science Help for Parents Who Hate Science Read Post »
Unfortunately, there aren’t many STEM activities that are appropriate for the entire family – or are there? Is it really possible to enjoy one STEM activity for every age level?
One STEM Activity for Every Age Level? It’s Easier Than it Sounds! Read Post »
Adding hands-on activities to your homeschool day has never been easier. Follow this simple homeschool hack to incorporate hands-on learning.
Add Hands-On Activities to Your Homeschool Day with This Simple Hack Read Post »
Get ideas for hands-on summer learning activities that will keep your kids busy and learning during your summer homeschool break.
8 Hands-On Summer Learning Activities that Will Keep Your Kids Busy Read Post »
All of the teaching methods that worked so well for me, were exactly the opposite of what my children needed. They needed hands-on activities!
Top 10 Resources To Encourage Hands-On Learning Read Post »
Geography is a subject often neglected, which is a shame because it’s so easy to incorporate with other subjects, such as history, art, and language arts. Plus, geography is just fun to study on its own. Don’t believe me? Just check out these cool hands-on geography ideas for all ages!
10 Cool Hands-on Geography Ideas for All Ages Read Post »
So you want to expand your homeschool science curriculum? Here’s how to teach physics in elementary grades to cultivate a love for learning!
How to Teach Physics in the Elementary Years Read Post »
Download an absolutely free lap book and unit study guide about the ecosystem of the desert. Perfect for elementary through middle school ages, this unit study merges science and geography for a cross-disciplinary project that ends with a hands-on product to be proud of.
Springtime in the Desert: Free Printable Unit Study and Lapbook Read Post »
This art project was a great fit for our homeschool group. Here are the simple steps you can follow to create an Illuminated Manuscript with your crew!
Create Your Own Illuminated Manuscript! Read Post »
Break free from the graded workbooks! Bring delight to your homeschool with a textbook-free history curriculum a wide age range can enjoy.
Customize Your Own Textbook-free History Curriculum for a Wide Age Range Read Post »
Knowing that the Charlotte Mason, Montessori, & Waldorf methods all honor the individual child, I wanted to compare these 3 hands-on homeschooling methods.
Comparing Homeschooling Methods: Charlotte Mason, Montessori, and Waldorf Read Post »
Cooking with kids is one of our favorite hands-on ways of learning with our children. Did you know that getting in the kitchen can offer more than just recipes and dirty dishes? My kids have learned math, science, geography, and even history!
Hands-On Education: Cooking with Kids Read Post »
Whether your children love or hate math, it’s a necessary subject. Many children don’t understand its necessity, though, and continually ask the question, “When will I ever use this in real life?” We can help our children understand the answer to that question when we make math meaningful by connecting it to real life.
How to Make Math Meaningful in Your Homeschool Read Post »
Deschooling is often described as the time your child needs to recuperate once you remove them from institutional education. What if your homeschooled children haven’t spent even one day in school, but YOU’VE spent roughly ten full calendar years in school? Who needs to deschool in this situation?
5 Quick Tips for Homeschool Parents Who Need to Deschool Read Post »
When we encourage our children to write, we not only help our kids practice an important skill, we offer them opportunities to connect with themselves and the people they love. Let February’s themes of love and friendship inspire young writers.
Homeschool Writing Prompts for February- Ideas to Inspire Young Writers Read Post »
Teaching middle school history should move your child to begin thinking on a higher level. But, you should also awaken the love of history. It’s not easy to find the balance between the two concepts. Here are four out-of-the-box ways to teach middle school history.
4 Out of the Box Ways to Homeschool Middle School History Read Post »
If there’s one time of year I enjoy above all others, it’s Christmas time. There’s just something about the sights, the sounds, and the smells that make me warm all over. Growing up, one of my favorite things to do each season was to move the little mouse to a new day in our Christmas Countdown Calendar. Nowadays as a mom, I want my kids to have nostalgic Christmas memories just like I do. That’s why I came up with our Ultimate Homeschooler’s Christmas Countdown. It’s an inexpensive, original, and educational way for our family to prepare ourselves for the holidays, and it’s something that even my teenagers look forward to every December. Today I’m going to share with you how to get started with this delightful Christmas tradition. Trust me, it’s a keeper! 5 Steps to the Ultimate Homeschooler’s Christmas Countdown 1. Find yourself a miniature Christmas tree. Whether you decide to use a store-bought Charlie Brown tree or have your children make one out of paper makes no difference. Just find one you love, and put it smack in the middle of your homeschool space. Put some lights on it if you’d like, but don’t add the ornaments just yet! 2. Make a stockpile of 25 simple ornaments. There are so many ways you can do this. We usually use a template to cut book-shaped ornaments out of foam. You could also use plain glass Christmas balls (if you’re that brave!), construction paper or cardstock, or any other design you can come up with that will leave ample room for your kids to write on them later. Keep them in a basket or other decorative container somewhere near the tree, but don’t hang them up! That comes later. 3. Head to the library and borrow 25 Christmas books. It’s times like this that I really appreciate the fact that we live near a rather large library. There are so many books to choose from! After you bring the books home, have your kids help you wrap them up in Christmas paper. Then, place them under the tree. 4. Starting on December 1st, read one book from under the tree each day. This is when the countdown begins. On December 1st, have one of your kids choose a book from under the tree and let them unwrap it. (If you have more than one child, this is a great way for them to learn to wait their turn!) Choose an ideal time to read it together. Some families may opt to do it first thing in the morning, while others may save it for bedtime. Still others may choose to include it in their homeschool routine. Do what works for you! No matter when you do it, your kids will become more and more excited each day as they see that book pile dwindling. 5. Each day, write the name of the book you read on an ornament. Did you think I forgot about the ornaments? Nope. This is where they come in. Each day after you finish reading your Christmas book together, have one of your children neatly write the name of the book on one of the ornaments they made and then hang it on the tree. As with watching the book pile get smaller, your kids will love to see the ornaments move from the basket to the tree each day. While the tree may look sparse with one ornament on December 1st, that makes seeing it in its glory with 25 ornaments on the 25th all the better! Homeschooling allows families so much time to make beautiful Christmas memories together- memories that are sure to make their way into your children’s traditions when they have kids of their own. Now it’s your turn. Do you have a unique way of counting down the holidays?
The Ultimate Homeschooler’s Christmas Countdown Read Post »
Homeschooling often provides us with time with our kids that other parents envy. We’ve used that time to visit local parks, serve our church community, and often times, baking together. Besides being fun and yummy, baking with your kids can bring some decidedly positive results. Pausing a difficult lesson for a muffin break. Packing cookies for a picnic. Capitalizing on a rainy afternoon to bake up something warm. You won’t regret a minute of it. Relationship Building Being intentional in spending time with our kids will, I think, mean more to them than just about anything. When we set time aside, put our phone away, and focus just on them– we are showing them their value in a very tangible way. Think of the best memories you have from childhood. For me, many of these were everyday activities spent with people who loved me. Making memories with your kids will strengthen your relationship. Not only in the here and now, but shared memories strengthen the bond you have for years to come. Tip: Keep a real or virtual ‘scrapbook’ of your baking adventures together. Communication Girls and boys tend to have different communication styles. Baking with your kids is an activity that leans into each of their strengths. For boys, the side by side communication of being active doing something while you talk can help them open up. Try bringing up a topic of discussion as you both scoop cookie dough. Ask an interesting question while you frost or decorate. Girls will open up just being one on one with you in the kitchen. Depending on your daughter, you may or may not even need to have some discussion starters on hand. Tip: Here are some ideas to get the communication going. Life Skills There was one summer that we had chocolate chip cookies at least once a week. My eldest son had learned to make them and made it his mission to keep us stocked. Since then, he hasn’t made them much, but he certainly has the skill down pat! Learning to follow a recipe, becoming confident in safely tweaking recipes, and even knowing some recipes by heart are all important life skills. And it’s our job as parents to apprentice our kids in gaining the skills they need. Remember, skills are developed through lots of practice, not by doing them once. Tip: Schedule a once a week baking day with your child. Fractions I know I can’t be the only one who only truly understands fractions because of baking. Listen, I know that baking isn’t a math curriculum, but it is perhaps the best real life application of adding, subtracting, doubling, and halving fractions that I’ve found. So why not be intentional in passing this useful practice onto our kids? How about giving them a simple recipe to make a double (or half) batch of? Maybe add your white sugar on top of the brown and seeing how much the two measures combined equal. Or combine your liquids into one large measuring cup to see what they total. Tip: Here’s a simple cookie recipe that can be easily halved or doubled. And here’s a list of some more fun recipes to try with your kids: Brown Sugar Cookies Chewy Cookie Bars (with 3 variations) Cinnamon Stick Cookies Brownies Gooey Rice Crispy Treats Frosted Shortbread Squares Freezer Friendly Scones Or try something savory with these easy Cheesy Chicken Roll-Ups What are your baking traditions with your kids? Do you have a favorite ‘kid friendly’ recipe?
Benefits of Baking With Your Homeschool Kids Read Post »
Getting your kids outside for backyard nature activities can go a long way towards improving moods, creativity, and can even make them smarter.
Backyard Nature Activities for Homeschoolers That Are Perfect for Summer Read Post »
In our homeschool journey, we have had the opportunity to teach our children through do it yourself projects (#DIYplus5) and home remodels. I can almost guarantee none of our children will build houses for a living when they have graduated yet they will have the “know how.” When we started our first home remodel, we had no idea how our working on a house would morph into some of our greatest assets and building blocks of our children’s education.
Lessons Learned From Remodeling With Kids Read Post »
The thought of gardening with kids can conjure up one of two thoughts; either idyllic sunny scenes of children playing in plentiful vegetable patches; or visions of your child covered head to toe in mud, clutching some kind of creepy-crawly! Of course the reality lies somewhere between the two extremes. Gardening with your children can enrich their education and enhance their learning experience. More and more families are seeing the benefits of incorporating horticulture into the home education of their family.
Why You Should Teach Gardening in Your Homeschool Read Post »