Dozens of Free, Fun Learning Activities

"Thirty days hath September" begins the rhyme to help us remember the number of days in each month.

This month of September has 30 Days of Learning Activities. And, yet, much, much more!

Here are Dozens of Free, Fun Learning Activities for each day of the month!


1. New STEM activities can easily be found online or in books such as 100,000 Whys for Kids, STEM Explorers, Vela's STEM Adventures, STEM Activities. Select 30 STEM activities for each day of the month.
2. Try 30 new, hands-on Science experiments this month. Record your hypothesis, the actual experiment, and your final findings. Learn and follow the step-by-step process of the Scientific Method with experiments.
3. Read new September-themed books and base this month's learning units on them. Books could be: September 11, 2001; When the Sky Fell; September S'Mores; September Is My Month; Fall, A Seasons Story; Fern and the First Day of Fall; Fall Weather; Why Leaves Change Color; etc.
4. Kids: Create your own illustrations for the September-themed books you read this month. The more you draw, the more your brain can observe and absorb!
5. Math can be an amazing form of art! View and create new geometric shapes, spheres, cones, pyramids, patterns, angles upon angles, and simple or intricate spirals, tangrams, tesselations, mandalas, Fibonacci images, abstract artwork, and more.
6. Create a timeline of the Lewis and Clark Trail, the Oregon Trail, and Route 66. Describe the importance of each.
7. Labor Day! Learn why Labor Day was established and research a brief history of it, going back to the 1880s.
8. A week of new learning experiences has now passed. Kids: What did you enjoy the most? What would you like to learn about? What interests you the most? Have your parents help you learn more about what you love!
9. Plan a September project! The weather is great for building something fun outdoors (treehouse, clubhouse, climbing wall, zip lines). Build bird feeders and squirrel feeders to help your friends through the coming months of fall and winter. Build a bookcase or display shelf or bulletin board for your room.
10. Mythology challenge! You see this topic featured a lot on Jeopardy! Check out books such as Mythology for Kids; First Books of Myths; and Myths, Legends, and Heroes. Create legends about a family member or someone you know, and share it with others.
11. Patriot Day! Remember the significance of September 11 and the purpose of Patriot Day. Speaking of Patriots, what is Patriotism? Look it up, then think of ways you could be patriotic.
12. Animals and insects know when summer is winding down and cooler weather is on the way. Observe their behaviors: birds and geese flying south, chipmunks burrowing into their earth-homes, spiders weaving webs, mice moving closer to homes, praying mantises and stink bugs and ladybugs showing up. Learn more about each of them and write it in your Nature Journal.
13. Grandparents' Day! Plan special activities to do with grandparents, such as nature walks, picnics, visits to zoos or museums, watching videos of grandparents as children, recording their memories of historic events or of their lives when they were younger.
14. Mushroom mania! September sees loads of mushrooms and toadstools popping up everywhere. Devise an entire learning unit around these interesting and often beautiful fungi.
15. Invent something new, using household items, craft items, or junk pieces. Read Invented by Mistake, Mistakes That Worked, Amazing Inventions, Engineering for Kids, Incredible Inventions and Discoveries. Record video or take photos of your inventions.
16. How are things made or how do they work? Read books such as How Everyday Things Are Made, How Things Work, Stuff That Stuff Is Made Of, and Gear Island: Cogs Make a Choice. View videos of how things work or are made. Think of things you'd like to make and try making them.
17. Constitution Day! Memorize the beginning of the U.S. Constitution: "We the people of the United States...". What is the Constitution and why is it important?
18. STEM fun! Assemble all your favorite STEM toys, such as Magna Tiles, Marble Runs, Gravity Maze, Solar Kits, Construction Kits, Motor Gadgets, Snap Circuits, Mechanical Gears, Gear Bots, Robots, and spend all day constructing.
19. STEAM crafts! Add Art to STEM and create your own works of art. Have fun with Pixel Art, Fiber Optic Kits, Illuminated Drawing Boards, Spirographs, Music Box Kits, Brainometry Structures, Intricate Mazes, Origami Puzzles, 3D Puzzles, and spend all day creating.
20. Cook and Bake day! Encourage kids to be as hands-on as possible in the kitchen. Spend the day preparing favorite meals, freezing meals for the week ahead, and baking treats for special snacks to look forward to.
21. Finances are fun! What is better than watching your savings grow? Not much! Play Piggy Bank Games, such as Money Math: Piggy Bank, Piggy Banking, Break the Bank, Piggy Bank Money Clicker, Bills Must Be Paid, Money Bingo, Stock Market Game, and similar games for important financial literacy.
22. First day of Autumn! Draw, paint, or craft autumn-inspired artwork and decorate your room and home with it. Write a description of the Autumnal Equinox and describe what happens during the Equinox. Look up the sunrise and sunset for your hometown today.
23. Math fun! Play math games together, such as Number Hunter, Math on Pepperoni, Prime Climb, Qwixx Dice Game, Fractions Wild, Adsumudi, Target, Monopoly, along with some online math games.
24. Vocabulary fun! Make your own vocabulary or word games, or choose some like Sight Word Stomp, Word A Round, Vocabulicious, Tapple, Shenanigrams, Scattergories, Boggle, Bananagrams, Scrabble, Madlibs.
25. History and Geography fun! Learn the history and geography of the world or your country. Use online maps to pinpoint different regions or nearby landmarks. Time travel by making timelines and traveling back in time! Play Where Did I Learn That?, Trekking the World, Eye Found It, Placing the Past, Oregon Trail, Stamp It World Tour, Guess the Country, Race Across the USA.
26. Language Arts fun! Learn parts of speech with Nouns, Verbs, and More; Spying Parts of Speech; Context Clues; Story Cubes; Story Cues and Prompts; Story Creator; Storybook Art Kits; plus more Madlibs fun!
27. Current events! Visit NewsForKids.net and see current happenings in the World, U.S., Science, Environment, Technology, Sports, Arts, and more!
28. Zoo and Museum Cams! Watch and learn about animals daily via live cams, such as the Smithsonian's National Zoo or state and city zoos. Check out museum webcams, too, such as the Dino Cam in South Dakota or Dracula's Castle Cam, found at WebCamTaxi.com.
29. Field trips! Take online field trips at Virtual Field Trips at DiscoveryEducation.com. Also take field trips around your neighborhood and state. Create a Field Trip Journal and record all your trips and what you learned.
30. Discussion Day! Which activities were the most fun this month? What new things were learned? Discuss them, write them down, and try similar activities for next month, and the one after that, all year long!

Happy homeschooling!

Reading Is Brain Food!

Here are 7 important benefits of reading, followed by 12 websites that provide free books for your children to read online.

1. Reading a book or story for 20 to 30 minutes per day is considered “brain food” for your children!

2. Reading stimulates and exercises various areas of the brain, and it enhances language skills and vocabulary skills every day.

3. Reading makes connections in the brain, building upon current knowledge and leading to additional knowledge and comprehension each time a new book is read.

4. Reading fires up the imagination and creativity, opening your child’s mind to greater possibilities, ideas, and inspiration.

5. Reading increases attention spans and concentration, helping children to focus better, stay in the moment, and stay on-task.

6. Reading improves test scores and skills in all subjects areas, including math, science, technology, social studies, art, music, as well as reading, writing, and language arts.

7. Reading is pure joy, taking us anywhere we want to go! Read together as a family, and encourage children to read on their own, to help establish a wonderful reading habit that will provide entertainment and education for a lifetime.

Free Books to Read!

Here’s a variety of Children’s Books for free. Read, discuss, dramatize, draw, explore, experiment - you’ll be learning every day! And you can start right now!

1. Storyline Online: Stories Read to Children

2. Free Children’s Stories: Free Children’s Stories

3. Magic Keys Books: Magic Keys Books

4. Story Jumper: Story Jumper

5. Story Berries: Story Berries

6. Free Kid’s Books: Free Kid’s Books

7. Shakespeare's Plays: Shakespeare Plays

8. Project Gutenberg Children’s Books: Project Gutenberg Books

9. Open Library: Open Library

10. Funbrain Reading: Funbrain Books

11. Epic Books: Epic Books

12. Reading Resources: Reading Resources

Local Libraries: Of course, your local library is one of the greatest free resources for reading! Besides stories and reading for pleasure, here's a few ideas for books on specific topics:

Book Suggestions on Specific Topics:

1. Spectacular Stories for Curious Kids (history)

2. World's Wildest Places and the People Protecting Them (social studies)

3. Super Cool Science Experiments for Kids (science)

4. Math Riddles for Smart Kids (math)

5. Ultimate Book of the Future (technology)

6. Organic Artist for Kids (art and nature)

7. Make Music: Creating, Playing, Composing (music)

Note: Keep a Reading Log, tracking the books and stories children have read. Include the title of the book, the author, and the date read. Have children describe why they liked the story, and have them sketch the cover or illustrations from the book. Tally up the number of books read daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. You'll be amazed at the results!

Happy homeschooling!

Curriculum Guidelines + Weekly Learning Ideas

If you’re not quite ready for the new homeschool year or you’re needing some guidance, this “Free Curriculum Guideline” by Worldbook can provide ideas for the coming weeks and months.

Subjects Areas, Topics, and Sub-Topics are all outlined in an easy-to-view format for each grade level from Kindergarten through Elementary, Middle School, and High School.

For weekly lessons based on the subjects and topics outlined there, you and your children can select books from your local public library. The more interesting the books are to your children, the better they’ll learn!

We also have hundreds of activities listed here on our blog for weekly learning. Just click the categories shown in "Labels" below our blog posts, such as Free Homeschool Lessons, Hands-on Activities, Learning Activities, Language Arts, Math Activities, Reading, Science Activities, Social Studies, STEM, Unschooling, etc.

We’ll continue to provide learning ideas and educational activities weekly and monthly, throughout the coming year.

Subscribe to our E-letter, in the box on the right, to receive weekly and monthly updates!

Be sure to check back often for new ideas!

Happy Homeschooling!

New Homeschool Year + Free Lessons

When does YOUR new homeschool year begin? Let us know by commenting below or on our Facebook page!

Or has your family already begun homeschooling?

Or do you homeschool all year, taking breaks when it works best for your family?

Does your family follow a "traditional" type of homeschooling?

Or do you prefer the "unschooling" method, or allowing your children's interests to guide learning experiences in your home?

Please feel free to share your comments below or on our Facebook page!

Happy homeschooling!

Creativity and Art Builds Skills

Creativity and Art help kids develop critical divergent thinking skills, along with problem-solving skills. In addition, creativity and art provide outlets for processing ideas, expressing emotions, and simply having fun in a low-stress, peaceful manner.

This painting -- "Raining Rainbows" -- was inspired by watching the rain fall upon a lake near our home. As I applied the paints, the vision took on a life of its own, feeling as if I were watching a rainbow streaming down into the waters of the lake.

Easy enough for kids to try, abstract pieces like these are especially enjoyable and rewarding to render. They help boost creativity and provide a gratifying sense of accomplishment. This, in turn, helps to build self-confidence, new skill sets, and a new, fun hobby, as well!

The short YouTube video of this painting can be viewed here: Quick Abstract Art Try your own version of the painting!

Happy homeschooling!

Summer Reading Fun and Activities

This summer, try a reading challenge or create your own reading program! Your local public library is a great place to start, as many sponsor reading challenges such as this summer's "Unearth a Story." They offer incentives and prizes, plus charts to track your reading journeys.

For information on "Unearth a Story," see CSLP's site at this link: Reading Challenge.

For a Free Book Giveway, see Barnes and Noble's site at this link: Reading Challenge.

For Summer Reading Suggestions, see Amazon's lists at this link: Summer Books for Kids.

For Best Children's Books Suggestions, see Good Read's list at this link: Best Children's Books.

For More Fun, create your own reading challenge for the whole family. Design your own tracking charts, come up with incentives that appeal to you and your children, create a list of books that sounds interesting, visit your library and seek new authors and new topics, and see how much learning occurs as you read your way through the summer!

For Fun Summer Activities, click any of the links below under "Labels" then scroll down the pages for more ideas!

Best wishes for a safe, happy, enjoyable summer!

Learning Fun, Yearly Review, Planning Ahead

For many families, the homeschool year begins winding down in April and May. This can be a perfect time to review the achievements of the past year.

It’s also a good time to revisit the learning goals you had hoped to accomplish this year, but never quite got around to.

That’s okay! They can carry over to the upcoming homeschool year or be part of summer fun activities.

Summer provides ample opportunities to learn, to explore, observe, relax, and recharge.

The most learning occurs when children (or adults) immerse themselves in the things that interest them the most.

Allow plenty of free time for children to stretch their wings, try new hobbies, or pursue a multitude of interests in the weeks to come.

7 Days of Learning, 50 Activities

For 7 days of learning and 50+ activities, try these activities outdoors. You can do one activity per day, or all the activities each day, or variations of the activities every day, all year, rain or shine! And learning will naturally occur, each and every day.

1. Language Arts:
• Go on “Story Walks” along nature trails, in local parks, or in library gardens.
• Create your own “Story Walk” in your backyard or neighborhood green space.
• Read favorite books while swinging or relaxing in the branches of a tree.
• Sketch the scenes and vistas surrounding you, then describe why they're special to you.
• Read signs and plaques describing local areas of interest.
• Discuss things you had never noticed or experienced, and why they’re interesting.
• Write stories or essays about the places you visit and the things you see this week.

2. Social Studies:
• Create a map of your community parks, neighborhood green spaces, nature trails.
• Each day, draw the route you take, using different colors to indicate different days and areas visited.
• Describe landmarks encountered, such as gates or sign posts, trailheads or information displays, boulders or stone formations, waterfalls or creeks, bridges or boardwalks, monuments or memorials, etc.
• Learn the difference between “natural landmarks” and “cultural landmarks.”
• Research these landmark terms: geological landmarks, biological landmarks, architecture landmarks, archaeological landmarks, and see how they differ.
• Discuss how your local landmarks relate to the history of your town or community.
• Photograph, draw, or sketch these landmarks, and write about their history and importance to your area.

3. Science:
• Use field guides and binoculars to identify plants; wildflowers; trees; birds; insects; animals; urban wildlife; rivers, streams, or pond life; ocean, beach, or shoreline life, etc.
• Learn which birds, butterflies, or wildflowers are most common in your backyard or local parks.
• Plant flowers that attract birds, hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees to your own backyard.
• Build bird feeders, birdhouses, butterfly houses, bat houses, or natural habitats that will draw beneficial animals to your location.
• Plan dozens of outdoor activities by using books such as Outdoor Science Experiments; Backyard Science and Discovery; Nature Smarts; Outdoor Science Projects; and Exploring Nature.
• Observe the sky and clouds overhead. What type of cloud formations do you see? What type of weather might they bring? How has the location of the sun changed since you left your house this morning? Draw or describe these in your Science Journal.
• Write about your favorite places in your Science Journal or notebook, describing why those areas felt special to you, and add photos or drawings of them, too.

4. Math:
• Consult step counters, pedometers, or fitness trackers to tally up total steps and distance of nature walks each day.
• Determine the time spent on each walk, and if using a fitness tracker, determine the number of calories burned per time and distance.
• For comparisons, run around a track or trail, and compare that to walking the same track or trail, in terms of steps, time, distance, and calories burned.
• Create a chart in your Math Journal or notebook, illustrating the daily steps, distance, time, and calories burned.
• Using the map from Social Studies, calculate the distance or miles between your house and the park, nature trail, creek, local store, downtown square, etc.
• Using the construction ideas from Science, calculate the size, dimensions, openings, slats, etc. for birdhouses, feeders, bat houses, and other outdoor science projects.
• Formulate and draw blueprints or plans for constructing these projects, based upon your calculations, then take photos of the completed projects.

5. Life Skills:
• Use decision-making skills on where to walk or explore the outdoors each day, deciding what items to take along, what the weather will be like, and what to wear each day.
• Use critical-thinking skills on how to reach the places you want to go, the best routes to take, the most-interesting paths or trails to follow, the many things you can learn.
• Observe and note everything around you – the good and the not-so-good – and discuss why it's important to observe your surroundings.
• Obey safety rules and “rules of the road” – watching traffic, even on nature trails, exercising caution at crosswalks, and paying attention to traffic signals.
• Be respectful of other walkers, hikers, bicyclists, horse trail riders, and others who are outside to enjoy a day in nature.
• Be careful and aware of the inhabitants of nature, from insects and snakes, to bears and wolves, to alligators and sharks – it’s their home, too, so maintain safe distances.
• Clean up after picnics and science projects, and leave no trace behind – in other words: “Take only memories, leave only footprints.”

6. Art:
• Draw detailed maps of trails or places visited each day.
• Paint or draw colorful sketches of butterflies on flowers, birds in trees, fish in ponds, waves along the shoreline.
• Try urban sketches of landscapers working in the park, tables and umbrellas in an outdoor café, shopkeepers opening their doors, delivery trucks outside a storefront.
• Sketch a strolling musician, a plein air art event in the park, artwork in an art gallery, iron or concrete sculptures in the park.
• Learn about famous and not-so-famous artists, painters, sculptors in your town and the artwork they created.
• Try copying one of the artist’s artwork or creations, then try it again, in your own style.
• Take photos of all the artistic views you see on your walks, or outdoors in your own backyard, then sketch, paint, or create them from your photos.

7. Music:
• Listen – intently – to Nature’s Music: the birds singing to each other, the wind in the trees, crickets chirping in tall grasses, dry leaves rustling along the sidewalk, gravel crunching beneath your feet, the creek gurgling over rocks, waves crashing against the shoreline.
• Replicate these sounds of Nature’s Music the best you can, singing like the birds, whooshing like the wind, chirping like the crickets, gurgling like the creek.
• Create your own songs about nature, composing the lyrics and melody to express your feelings about being outside.
• Dance to the music from a concert in the park.
• Learn about the local musicians in your area and try to see their performances.
• Visit music stores and look at new music or instruments you’d like to learn to play.
• Perform a musical or create a play based upon your experiences in nature this week.

Remember to explore nature often and enjoy the great outdoors in the weeks to come!

Happy homeschooling!