Spring Learning Activities and Fun!

Spring brings so many learning opportunities, along with fun activities of all types. One of the best ways to learn is to simply ask your children questions. Below, we provide questions for learning, spring outdoor activities, and great spring books to read!


Here are 15 questions to pique curiosity and learning. These questions can spark so much learning!

1. How many signs of spring can you find?
2. Why is it so windy in the spring?
3. Why do we have more storms in the spring?
4. What insects are you seeing on the ground and in the air?
5. What animals are more active in the spring?
6. Where have those animals been all winter?
7. How did the animals and insects survive during the winter?
8. How many bird nests or squirrel nests can you find?
9. What are the temperatures in your area in early spring?
10. Why are the temperatures warmer in later spring?
11. What times are the sunrises and sunsets in early spring and in late spring?
12. Why do the days stay light longer in late spring?
13. When did spring begin and when does it end?
14. What holidays occur during spring?
15. What activities can you do outside during spring that you can’t do in winter?

Here are dozens of outdoor activities to enjoy. Learning opportunities and enjoyment from these can last a lifetime!

* Take a journal or sketchbook and smartphone on nature walks and record the signs and sounds of spring.
* Sketch or paint what you see: daffodils, trees, clouds, fields – and sketch again in a few days or weeks and notice how they change.
* Take a picnic and blanket for sitting on the ground, feeling the new grass, the warm soil, and observing ants or small bugs nearby.
* Lie on your side and roll down a hill, enjoying the sensation of soft, warm grass and watching the world turn over and over.
* Play games of tag, red light green light, hide-and-seek, red rover, hopscotch, jump rope, kick the can, hula hoops, relay races.
* Take indoor board games, marble games, construction sets, and toys outside for playtime.
* Have story hour outdoors or safely climb a tree to sit and read, and watch the world from a different viewpoint.
* Take lessons and science experiments outdoors, and see how different it feels to spend the day learning in nature.
* Create your own stories about spring, create a springtime diary, or create a daily nature journal.
* Construct your own games, such as ring toss, bean bag toss, balloon toss, horseshoes, disc golf, lawn bowling.
* Take field trips to parks, zoos, farms, nature preserves, walking trails, plant and flower nurseries, planetariums.
* Visit outdoor spring festivals, farmers markets, art shows, garden shows, car shows.
* Try horseback riding, bicycling, roller skating, skateboarding, kayaking, canoeing.
* Try a new outdoor hobby, such as plein air painting, creating chalk art, sun art, sun catchers, photography, bird watching, birdhouse building, geocaching, gardening.
* Explore shorelines, beaches, the water’s edge, and take photos of all you see.
* Go camping – in the backyard or at a state park – and hone outdoor survival skills.

Here are great springtime books to read. Some are fiction, some fact-filled, and all are fun, interesting, and educational!

* Field Guide to Spring: Play and Learn in Nature
* Nature Anatomy Activities for Kids: Fun, Hands-On Learning
* Spectacular Spring: All Kinds of Spring Facts and Fun
* Spring Treasury of Recipes, Crafts, and Wisdom (Little Homesteader)
* Weather Experiments Book for Kids: More Than 25 Hands-On Activities
* Spring Things: How to Draw Easter Eggs, Bunnies, Flowers, and More
* Wilder Child
* Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring
* I Am Spring
* Spring Is…
* Hello Spring!
* Zap! Clap! Boom! The Story of a Thunderstorm
* All About Animals in Spring
* Birds Make Nests
* Bees, Bugs, and Butterflies
* Backyard Bug Safari
* Just a Worm
* The Little Seed
* My First Garden
* What’s Inside a Flower?
* Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms
* Pig and Goose and the First Day of Spring

Have an awesome, wonder-filled Spring!

Happy Homeschooling!

Winter Science Experiments + Groundhog Crafts

Winter and snow have made their presence felt throughout much of the country this year.

For FREE and fun educational experiments on snow, ice, and winter, check out the links below:

Groundhog crafts and activities - also FREE - are listed below the snow and winter activities.


SNOW and WINTER ACTIVITIES:

* Science Fun - Snow Experiments:

https://www.sciencefun.org/?s=snow

* Project Learning Tree - Winter-Themed Experiments:

https://www.plt.org/educator-tips/winter-experiments-activities

* Child's Life - Winter Science Experiments:

https://childslife.ca/cool-winter-science-experiments-for-kids/

* Indy's Child - Snow Day Activities:

https://indyschild.com/things-to-do-snow-day/


GROUNDHOG DAY ACTIVITIES:

* Groundhog Day Crafts:

https://nationaltoday.com/blog/groundhog-day-crafts/

* Groundhog Maze and Shadow Printable PDF:

https://superstarworksheets.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GroundHogMaze1.pdf

* Groundhog Coloring Printable Pages:

https://www.supercoloring.com/search/coloring/groundhogs


SNOW and ART VIDEO: My snow and art video on regrouping in January is on my YouTube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlcNTz_tTAA


Happy homeschooling!

Best Learning for the Coming Year

Someone once said, “I learn best when I teach myself.”

This week, ask your kids what they’d most like to learn about, then pursue those ideas throughout the week.

An easy and enjoyable way to do this is to ask your children what books might interest them the most this week.

We can all learn so much from simply reading a book -- new ideas, new places, new people, or even new ways of thinking.

You and your children can take a “field trip” to your Public Library or browse books online through Libby or other book sites. Then see what captures their interest the most.

Here are a few ideas you can check out today, covering various learning areas. Read them together and see how much can be learned in a fun and interesting way!

Picture Books:

* Roxaboxen (creative thinking)
* Between Two Windows (creative thinking/art)
* Giraffe Math (math)
* Amazing Visual Math (math)
* Counting on Nature: How Animals Use Numbers to Survive (math)
* Sea Turtle Life Cycle Story (science)
* What Are Stars Made Of? (science)
* Can You Hear the Plants Speak? (science)
* The Soup That Healed the Forest (science)
* 13 Colonies: One Nation: Story of America (history)
* Little House Picture Book Treasury (history)
* Story of Biographies (literature/all subjects)

Older Readers:

* Imagination Station (creative thinking)
* Imagination Chronicles: Art Explorers (creative thinking/art)
* Math Curse (math)
* Grapes of Math (math)
* Math-terpieces: The Art of Problem-Solving (math)
* Science Comics (science topics)
* Crazy Science Facts For Teens (science facts)
* Mission Earth Eco Adventures (hands-on science)
* Secret Museum of Impossible Inventions (STEM)
* Innocent Rebel: Young American Adventures (history)
* Robot Island (literature)
* Great Minds for Curious Kids (literature/all subjects)

Remember to jot down the books in your Reading Log, and discuss new thoughts and ideas that came from the books, too.

Happy homeschooling!

Fun Art Project + Holiday Keepsake

The holiday season can be a busy time! But it's actually a perfect time to paint or sketch your memories or special activities!

Documenting special events in a sketchbook will create a keepsake that you can look back upon throughout the years to come.

This easy watercolor sketch shown above could evoke memories of a walk through the woods, looking for a Christmas tree. Or a trip to your local Christmas tree lot.

To see how this painting was done, see the quick 5-minute video on my YouTube channel, Misty Glow Studio, here: Easy Festive Trees.

Take a few minutes to do quick sketches or paintings of the simple joys of the season, as you go through the month of December. They will bring more brightness and meaning to each day!

Have a beautiful holiday this year!

Happy homeschooling!

Weekly Learning Ideas That Kids Love

What Do I Do Monday? is one of my favorite books by John Holt. I’ve mentioned him often, because his ideas on children learning are so perceptive and insightful.

As John said: “I believe that we learn best when WE – not others – are deciding what we are going to try to learn....”

This time of year – when holidays and festivities abound – it can be challenging to stay focused on homeschool lessons and a specific curriculum.

Simplify your homeschool by asking your children: What would YOU like to do on Monday? And on Tuesday? And Wednesday? And each day of the week!

Their ideas could include:

* Make 3-D Art, Architecture, or Animation
* Create Wire Sculptures or Clay Sculptures
* Build a Hologram Projector or Screen
* Design a Game Similar to Roblox or Minecraft
* Learn Different Coding Languages
* Learn Foreign Languages
* Create Robots or Robotic Devices
* Build a Pinball Game, Marble Run, or Maze Game
* Learn Embroidery, Crocheting, Weaving, Quilting
* Design and Sew Totes, Bags, Purses, Wallets
* Sew a Family of Stuffed Critters or Dolls
* Make a Self-Contained Ecosystem or Biosphere
* Build a Solar Whirlygig or Wind Spinner
* Make a Sundial and Track the Sun Each Day
* Devise an Ice-Free Birdbath (non-electric) for Winter
* Build a Feeding Station for Squirrels
* Make an Anemometer and Rain Gauge
* Create New Outdoor Relay Games or Unique Races
* Take Nature Walks and Start a New Collection
* Build and Launch Bottle Rockets or Helicopters
* Create New Story-Writing Software
* Write a New Poem or Haiku Each Day
* Create Music or Songs for YouTube Videos
* Learn to Play an Instrument or Learn How to Dance
* Create Math Tricks or Math Stumper Games
* Design and Build Mini Dollhouse, Barn, or Manger
* Construct Bookshelves and Shadow Boxes
* Redesign a Playroom, Reading Nook, or Bedroom
* Bake New Desserts or Make Special Meals
* Build a Transistor Radio or Ham Radio
* Design a New Board Game or Card Game
* Put Together Model Cars, Planes, Human Bodies
* Create Own Crosswords and Word Searches
* Explore New or Different Science Experiments
* Take Field Trips to Places Never Visited Before
* Re-Enact Historic Events, Plays, or Stories
* Play “What If” or “Would You Rather” Games
* Strive for a Goal of Reading 50+ Books per Year
* Strive for a Goal of Creating 50+ Craft Items per Year
* Strive for a Goal of Creating 50+ Drawings or Art per Year
* Strive for a Goal of Creating 50+ New Learning Ideas per Year

That’s more than a month’s worth of ideas! And many could fill an entire year!

Be sure to record each one in your learning logs. Most cover all the basic skills and more!

Continue adding to these ideas by always asking your children what they would like to do or learn more about. You’ll never run out of learning ideas!

Happy homeschooling!

Back-on-Track Homeschooling

Sometimes things happen that get us off-track, or we go through times of discouragement, despair, or even grief.

In my case, it was grief, as we recently suffered the loss of our family pet – our dog, Shannon. It’s been over a month now, and I’m still trying to come to terms with the loss.

But as I was taking a walk this morning, the beautiful fall leaves seemed to pull me out of my sadness. I remembered how our dog loved rolling in a big pile of autumn leaves, and the memory made me smile.

When I’m not working, writing, researching, or learning, I try to unwind by painting with watercolors, oils, or acrylics.

So I collected a few colorful leaves, took them back to my art studio, and commenced painting with watercolors. Soon, I was lost in the joy of painting and in the sweet memories of our dog playing in autumn leaves.

Now I feel like I’m coming through the other side of grief, and I can embrace the light and happiness again.

This might not be the best homeschool lesson, but it’s a lesson we all can learn from and can find useful in life:

Light does, indeed, always follow the dark.
And we can, indeed, find joy again, even in the midst of sadness or discouragement.

So, if you experience doubt, discouragement, or even despair when homeschooling, or during the course of a challenging day, take a break.

Take your children for a walk through nature. Be amazed by its beauty and mystery. Collect leaves, rocks, and most of all – precious memories!

Then take your collections – including those precious memories – back home and paint them, sketch them, craft with them, treasure them.

The beauty of nature, and time spent together, is often all that’s needed to create the best learning environment.

If interested in seeing a short video on overcoming grief through a simple painting like the one above, you can view it on my YouTube channel at MistyGlowStudio.com.

Happy homeschooling!

Learning Styles = Better Learning

Curriculum is defined as:

1. courses offered by an educational institution,
2. a list of all the courses of study offered by a school or college,
3. a program or plan of activities.

Your "homeschool curriculum" probably matches definition #3, above. New homeschoolers often become confused over "which curriculum to use" or "where to buy a curriculum."

But a homeschool curriculum is simply a "plan of activities" that you use in your homeschool. It need not be an expensive curriculum, nor does it need to incorporate textbooks or workbooks.

Your children will learn more readily and more fully when you and they homeschool in a manner that best complements their unique learning styles.

Observe your child's preferred style of learning -- such as hands-on learning through touch (tactile), or through moving and doing (kinesthetic), or seeing/visualizing (visual), or hearing/verbal (auditory), or a combination of these.

For help determining your child's learning style, check out some of these books:

* 8 Great Smarts for Homeschoolers, by Tina Hollenbeck
* Discover Your Child’s Learning Style, by Mariaemma Willis
* How Children Learn, by John Holt
* Learning All the Time, by John Holt
* The Way They Learn, by Cynthia Tobias

Remember: Homeschooling is not a "school at home." Don’t confuse yourself, or your children, thinking that it should be. You’ll only make it harder on yourself.

As John Holt warned: “To parents I say, above all else, don’t let your home become some terrible miniature copy of the school. Live together, as well as you can; enjoy life together, as much as you can. Ask questions to find out something about the world itself, not to find out whether or not someone knows it.”

Remind yourself each day that your duty is to guide your children, not force instruction upon them. Your role is to help them learn how to learn and to encourage them to seek answers to questions, find materials and information that will help them learn, explore the things that interest them, and allow them the freedom to learn in the style that works best for them.

This, then, will become the curriculum -- the "plan of activities" -- that best suits your children and your family!

For more help creating your own homeschool curriculum, using homeschooling or unschooling activities, or hundreds of educational ideas for weekly homeschool lessons, see our Home page at EverythingHomeschooling.com.

For a pastel painting demo, see "Summer Fields" at MistyGlowStudio.com or on my YouTube channel here: Misty Glow Studio.

Happy homeschooling!