Monday, November 14, 2016

Thanksgiving Unit Study and Fall Unit Study

Our Thanksgiving Unit Study provides a multitude of fun crafts, along with history lessons on the first Thanksgiving. Follow the Pilgrims' journeys, learn about Native American lifestyles and the challenges for the Pilgrims, tour the Mayflower and see the passenger list, and much more at EverythingHomeschooling.com!

Our Fall Unit Study also includes fun Fall crafts! Plus, you can learn the science of frost formation, the changing colors of leaves, how to separate colors in a leaf, an Autumn plant project, and more!

Watch for our Christmas and Winter Unit Study coming soon to EverythingHomeschooling.com, too!

Happy homeschooling!


Thursday, August 25, 2016

National Parks Art + Learning

National Park Art! Visit a nearby National Park this month to celebrate 100 years of National Park Service.

Sketch, paint, or photograph the views that inspire you the most. At the same time, learn the history of the National Park Service, the establishment of Parks across the country, and the geography of their locations.

Create a collage of your National Park sketches, drawings, paintings, or photos. Then display your collage in a special area of your home for all to see!

For More Homeschool Activities, visit us often at EverythingHomeschooling.com.

Happy homeschooling from Everything Homeschooling!

Monday, August 15, 2016

Art Helps Children Learn

ART HELPS CHILDREN LEARN. And Art helps us see -- and feel -- in profound ways. From critical spatial-temporal concepts to improved motor skills and cognitive functions, art enhances our lives exponentially.

ART for ALL! Although our Weekly Lessons at EverythingHomeschooling.com have always provided a well-rounded education in all subjects, each year we focus on a special topic. This year, it's Art -- so important in so many ways for children and adults! Regardless of how well we think we may -- or may not -- draw, paint, mold, create. We can do it! And kids love it and learn from it! Today, put together a sketchbook, or gather paper and pencils in a folder, and we'll get started drawing, learning, and having fun!

SKETCH A VIEW from your window today. Don't worry about perfect lines, accuracy, or precision. Sketch your view, take a picture of it, and email it to us. We'll showcase some of the photos on our site. Remember to keep your drawing in your sketchbook or art folder, too.

SEE US at EverythingHomeschooling.com and Enjoy Learning Through Art this year!

Happy homeschooling!



Thursday, April 7, 2016

Library Week Ideas for Creating, Making, Building, Inventing

For National Library Week, April 10 to 16 (or any week!), print this list and take to your local library.

Use these book ideas for building, creating, making, and inventing. Try some of these and have a blast!

1. Make rockets! Check out Make Rockets: Down-to-Earth Rocket Science by Mike Westerfield.

2. Make toys! Check out Make Fun: Create Your Own Toys, Games, and Amusements by Bob Knetzger.

3. Make robots! Check out Making Simple Robots: Exploring Cutting-Edge Robotics with Everyday Stuff by Kathy Ceceri.

4. Make machinery! Check out Make Paper Inventions: Machines that Move, Drawings that Light Up, and Wearables and Structures You Can Cut, Fold, and Roll by Kathy Ceceri.

5. Make inventions! Check out Making Makers: Kids, Tools, and the Future of Innovation by AnnMarie Thomas.

6. Make fun projects! Check out The Invent to Learn Guide to Fun by Josh Barker.

7. Make awesome projects! Check out Sylvia’s Super-Awesome Project Book by Sylvia Todd.

8. Make books! Check out Making Books That Fly, Fold, Wrap, Hide, Pop Up, Twist & Turn by Gwen Diehn.

9. Make animated cartoons! Check out Cartoon Animation by Preston Blair.

10. Make movies! Check out How to Make a Movie in 10 Easy Lessons by Robert Blofield.

11. Make video games! Check out Video Game Programming for Kids by Jonathan S. Harbour.

12. Make manga characters! Check out Mastering Manga by Mark Crilley.

13. Make nature scrapbooks! Check out The Nature Explorer’s Scrapbook by Caz Buckingham and Andrea Pinnington.

14. Make crocheted items! Check out Learn to Crochet by Alison McNikol.

15. Make watercolor paintings! Check out Watercolour for the Absolute Beginner by Matthew Palmer.

16. Make LEGO architecture! Check out The LEGO Architect by Tom Alphin.

17. Make a new room! Check out DIY Bedroom Decor: 50 Awesome Ideas for Your Room by Tana Smith.

18. Make science experiments! Check out Dad’s Book of Awesome Science Experiments by Mike Adamick.

19. Make meals! Check out Kid Chef: The Foodie Kids Cookbook by Melina Hammer.

20. Make money! Check out How to Turn $100 into $1,000,000 by James McKenna.

Note: When looking for these books at your library, be sure to peruse other nearby books, too. You never know what wonderful gems you’ll discover in your library during National Library Week or any week of the year!

For Weekly Homeschool Lessons and daily learning fun, contact us at EverythingHomeschooling.com.

Happy Homeschooling!


Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Adages and Sayings for Bits of Wisdom

Draw "Story Pictures" and learn about wise sayings and adages, such as "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb" or "Little strokes fell great oaks" or "As you sow, so shall you reap."

We have a list of over 50 adages that help children learn about messages, morals, or ideas conveyed through sayings. These are often heard throughout life or referenced in literature, publications, and media.

Discuss these 50+ adages with your children and see if they have others they'd like to add to the list. Or maybe they'd like to invent their own adages or sayings.

Encourage your children to select their favorite sayings and draw "story pictures" depicting their favorites. Allow them to be as imaginative and creative as they'd like with this activity.

As your children draw, remind them of this saying: "A picture is worth a thousand words!"

Happy homeschooling from EverythingHomeschooling.com.


Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Heart-Health Activities + Valentines

Heart-Health Activities: February is American Heart Month, highlighting the importance of healthy hearts, fun activities, and healthy foods. Use heart-themed activity sheets to help your children learn more about healthy hearts.

1. Print a Heart diagram and/or a “Heart House” diagram to learn more about the workings of the heart.

2. Print a Healthy Heart Coloring Page featuring healthy foods.

3. Print a Heart Healthy Calorie Calculation Math Sheet, helping to solve math problems while counting calories.

4. Print a Move-It Minutes Tracking Chart, to track time spent on active play or daily exercises.

5. Print a Count Your Steps Tracking Chart, to track the number of steps achieved on walks or runs.

6. Have your child draw an illustration of a working heart. Then see how many parts of the heart he or she can label correctly.

7. Encourage children to design and create their own Valentine's Day cards. Then compare their creations to the illustrations of working hearts. In what ways do their creations resemble working hearts? Have fun and be creative!

Keep these activity sheets, illustrations, and creations in your child's portfolio or learning logs.

See EverythingHomeschooling.com for these and hundreds more learning activities.

Weekly lessons are also available for 9 months of learning fun in all subject areas!

Happy homeschooling!



Sunday, January 3, 2016

Mid-Year Homeschool or Second Semester Homeschooling

Second Semester Homeschool or Mid-Year Homeschooling

You can begin homeschooling your children at any time of the year. Many families prefer to make the transition during the semester break.

Here are some helpful ideas to make the transition go smoothly:

• Check state laws by contacting your state's homeschool association or the homeschool division of your state's department of education.

• Allow plenty of time for your children to decompress, to reconnect with the normal rhythms of family life, and to "find themselves" again.

• Don't stress over what "to teach" or be intimidated by Common Core Standards. The Standards only pertain to public schools. Your homeschool need not be governed by Common Core Standards. If you want to follow the Standards for English and Math, you may read them on the CoreStandards.org website. (Note: State standards have been around since the beginning of public schools and continually evolve or are changed.)

• Discuss your children's interests, then take a field trip to your local library. Check out armloads of books, DVDs, and educational games that relate to your child's current interests.

• Observe your child's best learning style, i.e., visual, auditory, tactile, or kinesthetic learning styles. Incorporate specific activities that best support or supplement your child's unique ways of garnering, processing, and absorbing information.

• Start a scrapbook at the beginning of your homeschool and allow children to be as creative with it as they want to be. Encourage them to add to the scrapbook regularly. This will become a type of "portfolio" or "record" of your child's daily or weekly homeschool experiences.

• For daily and weekly homeschooling, see our Home page at EverythingHomeschooling.com.

Happy homeschooling!