What do we do on Monday when our weeks become overly busy or we face unexpected difficulties?
Some weeks, everything flows smoothly. Other weeks, things are more challenging.
Life doesn’t always go smoothly. This, in itself, is a good homeschool lesson. Having the ability to cope, to be flexible, to change directions, to adjust, to laugh at life’s lemons and to smile at simple joys – these are skills that make life and homeschool easier.
Yet, we still have to Do Something on Monday when facing a busy week. What do we do when we haven’t had time to think of activities or lesson plans?
What Do I Do Monday? is a book by John Holt, who has provided momentous ideas on education and learning. Mr. Holt was a homeschool pioneer, whose thoughts, beliefs, and writings on homeschooling and unschooling were ahead of his times.
Prior to writing numerous books on how children learn (and how they fail), John was a school teacher. But as a teacher, his focus was primarily on observing learning processes in children, rather than forcing a curriculum on them. As a result, his views often conflicted with those of school administrators.
So John turned his attention to helping parents and teachers. He shared first-hand experiences, insight, and details on children actively engaged in learning. He spent years with students and with families, closely observing how children learned best, then documenting and sharing his findings.
Some of John’s books include How Children Fail, How Children Learn, the previously mentioned What Do I Do Monday?, Freedom and Beyond, and others. His books can be found in libraries or online, and are especially inspirational to homeschooling and unschooling families.
Here are some learning ideas and quotes, courtesy of John Holt:
* “I believe that we learn best when we, not others, are deciding what we are going to try to learn, and when, and how, and for what reasons or purposes.” – John Holt
* Ask your children: “What would YOU like to do Monday?” If they can’t think of anything, try a 10-minute brainstorming session on what could be interesting, new, different, fun, etc. Then allow them to decide what they'd like to learn, and when and how, and give them the freedom to pursue those ideas this week.
* Make lists of favorite things during the day, the weeks, and in the months to come. Keep a running list in a notebook or journal. Encourage everyone in the family to keep his or her own list. Then review your lists for learning ideas each week.
* Examples: Here are some examples of "favorite things" from John Holt.
1. Places you like. These can be big places, or they can be little places, and you can like them for different reasons. Put them on your list, as many as you can think of, then learn more about those places.
2. People you’d like to know. Jot down the names of people who interest you, then learn more about them. They can be people from the past, people in the news today, people in your community, or even ancestors in your family.
3. Books you’d like to read. One favorite book can lead to another. Keep a list of books you’d like to read online or check out from the library. Write down favorite authors, too, and read other books they’ve written.
4. Paintings, sculptures, or other artwork. Keep a running list of art projects or techniques you want to try. Learn about different art movements or styles, such as Cubism, Pointillism, Futurism, Pop Art, etc., and try your hand at them.
5. Things you like to do. These can be trivial (simple) or not so trivial (more complex). Ideas could include cutting-and-pasting paper shapes, making castles from boxes, building structures with construction kits, writing skits or plays to perform, learning to play an instrument, making doll clothes, building a bookshelf, creating a computer program, etc.
In just these 5 ideas listed above, there could be weeks of learning ideas, hands-on activities, and new knowledge and skills gained through them.
Tip: An “Idea Jar” is an alternative, or a complement, to list-making. Have kids jot ideas on paper, then cut them apart, fold them up, and drop them into the Idea Jar. Each Monday, have them draw a few ideas from the jar, and there’s your learning ideas for the week!
Continue adding to the jar or to your lists as often as possible. Then you'll always have learning ideas at your fingertips each Monday!
Happy homeschooling!
Monday, October 9, 2023
Monday, September 25, 2023
5 Secrets for a Fun, Educational Homeschool Week
Here's 5 Secrets a Homeschool Family shared with us:
5 Subjects – 5 Days. Or one subject per day.
This homeschool family shared "5 Secrets" about their interesting homeschool schedule. A typical homeschool day for them revolves around one subject per day (or five subjects per week).
And best of all, their schedule is flexible, depending on how they’re feeling each week.
Here’s an example from one of their recent weeks:
1. Monday - Language Arts / Literature: Selecting favorite books to read and using them to recognize nouns, verbs, and all parts of speech. Then creating and writing sentences, paragraphs, and their own stories, while focusing on using descriptive parts of speech, new vocabulary words, and proper spelling.
2. Tuesday – Science / Experiments: Using the Scientific Method to test ideas or hypotheses when contemplating a variety of experiments. The experiments they choose can last the entire day, from morning till night, and Mom said Science Day is their favorite day of the week. The kids eagerly record their ideas, experiments, predictions, test methods, and results in their Science Journals at the end of Science Day, too.
3. Wednesday – Social Studies / History: Currently they’re reading the “Who Was?” series of historical biographies, which include over 200 books, such as Who Was Ferdinand Magellan?, Who Was Sacagawea?, Who Was Albert Einstein?, Who Was Amelia Earhart?, Thomas Edison, Ben Franklin, Mark Twain, Martin Luther King, Maria Tallchief, John Kennedy, Louis Armstrong, The Beatles, etc. The kids are enjoying the format, and the topics cross over into Literature, Science, the Arts, as well as providing social issues to discuss and their impact on today’s culture.
4. Thursday – Math / Technology: Since Math Day lasts all day, they sometimes start with reviewing math facts, such as using Multiplication and Division Flash Cards and timing the kids on how quickly they can get the answers. Then they move on to Math Games, such as Swat, Splat, or Math Bingo. They might also use manipulatives or toys such as Math Fidget Toys, Tubo toy, or Montessori-type math items to practice Math skills. Soon they’re creating with Marble Run sets, Mazes, Lego blocks, Construction sets, Bridge-Building kits, etc. These use mathematical planning, reasoning skills, logic, creative thinking, and critical thinking skills. At some point during the day, they’ll do some math worksheets, which usually focus on solving word problems.
5. Friday – Cultural Arts / Music: This is another favorite day for the kids, according to Mom. The kids get to choose the types of art, craft, and music activities they want to do on Fridays. Mom also said she found it interesting that if the kids read a historical biography such as Who Were the Beatles?, they were interested in playing Beatles music that week. Or if they read Who Was Pablo Picasso?, the kids were engrossed in creating their own versions of Picasso art.
Although each of the days above has a designated subject, this family finds that topics and subject areas often overlap.
So even if Monday is Literature Day, they could find themselves thinking about Math if they’re reading The Phantom Tollbooth, or Science and Time Travel if reading A Wrinkle in Time.
Or if Wednesday is History Day, they could be covering Geography or Science or Math or Art or Music, depending on the type of Historical Biographies they’re reading.
Also, there’s flexibility in this family’s schedule. If they don’t “feel like” Social Studies on Wednesday or Math on Thursday, they’ll switch things up.
Or if Mom realizes the kids are getting overwhelmed by too much Math one day, they’ll switch to doing something else, even if it’s unrelated to Math.
Maybe they’ll take a field trip to a local museum or library, or go on a picnic and a nature hike, or bake or cook favorite recipes, or bring out tubs of craft items and create something off the top of their heads. They often find that Math works its way into whatever they’re doing, anyway.
Overall, they’ve found this homeschool schedule fun, interesting, educational, flexible, and a great way to provide a well-rounded pool of knowledge and learning activities. It’s something your family might enjoy experimenting with, too.
Click any of the Labels below for more ideas for all subjects areas.
Happy homeschooling!
5 Subjects – 5 Days. Or one subject per day.
This homeschool family shared "5 Secrets" about their interesting homeschool schedule. A typical homeschool day for them revolves around one subject per day (or five subjects per week).
And best of all, their schedule is flexible, depending on how they’re feeling each week.
Here’s an example from one of their recent weeks:
1. Monday - Language Arts / Literature: Selecting favorite books to read and using them to recognize nouns, verbs, and all parts of speech. Then creating and writing sentences, paragraphs, and their own stories, while focusing on using descriptive parts of speech, new vocabulary words, and proper spelling.
2. Tuesday – Science / Experiments: Using the Scientific Method to test ideas or hypotheses when contemplating a variety of experiments. The experiments they choose can last the entire day, from morning till night, and Mom said Science Day is their favorite day of the week. The kids eagerly record their ideas, experiments, predictions, test methods, and results in their Science Journals at the end of Science Day, too.
3. Wednesday – Social Studies / History: Currently they’re reading the “Who Was?” series of historical biographies, which include over 200 books, such as Who Was Ferdinand Magellan?, Who Was Sacagawea?, Who Was Albert Einstein?, Who Was Amelia Earhart?, Thomas Edison, Ben Franklin, Mark Twain, Martin Luther King, Maria Tallchief, John Kennedy, Louis Armstrong, The Beatles, etc. The kids are enjoying the format, and the topics cross over into Literature, Science, the Arts, as well as providing social issues to discuss and their impact on today’s culture.
4. Thursday – Math / Technology: Since Math Day lasts all day, they sometimes start with reviewing math facts, such as using Multiplication and Division Flash Cards and timing the kids on how quickly they can get the answers. Then they move on to Math Games, such as Swat, Splat, or Math Bingo. They might also use manipulatives or toys such as Math Fidget Toys, Tubo toy, or Montessori-type math items to practice Math skills. Soon they’re creating with Marble Run sets, Mazes, Lego blocks, Construction sets, Bridge-Building kits, etc. These use mathematical planning, reasoning skills, logic, creative thinking, and critical thinking skills. At some point during the day, they’ll do some math worksheets, which usually focus on solving word problems.
5. Friday – Cultural Arts / Music: This is another favorite day for the kids, according to Mom. The kids get to choose the types of art, craft, and music activities they want to do on Fridays. Mom also said she found it interesting that if the kids read a historical biography such as Who Were the Beatles?, they were interested in playing Beatles music that week. Or if they read Who Was Pablo Picasso?, the kids were engrossed in creating their own versions of Picasso art.
Although each of the days above has a designated subject, this family finds that topics and subject areas often overlap.
So even if Monday is Literature Day, they could find themselves thinking about Math if they’re reading The Phantom Tollbooth, or Science and Time Travel if reading A Wrinkle in Time.
Or if Wednesday is History Day, they could be covering Geography or Science or Math or Art or Music, depending on the type of Historical Biographies they’re reading.
Also, there’s flexibility in this family’s schedule. If they don’t “feel like” Social Studies on Wednesday or Math on Thursday, they’ll switch things up.
Or if Mom realizes the kids are getting overwhelmed by too much Math one day, they’ll switch to doing something else, even if it’s unrelated to Math.
Maybe they’ll take a field trip to a local museum or library, or go on a picnic and a nature hike, or bake or cook favorite recipes, or bring out tubs of craft items and create something off the top of their heads. They often find that Math works its way into whatever they’re doing, anyway.
Overall, they’ve found this homeschool schedule fun, interesting, educational, flexible, and a great way to provide a well-rounded pool of knowledge and learning activities. It’s something your family might enjoy experimenting with, too.
Click any of the Labels below for more ideas for all subjects areas.
Happy homeschooling!
Sunday, September 10, 2023
September Learning Ideas
September has 30 days, and that’s 30 new things to learn about this month.
Here’s some tips and ideas to get you started:
* Fall begins this month – find out when and why.
* Track the time of sunrises and sunsets this September. Compare the differences between the times in early September and the times in late September. How does this affect your daily activities?
* Record the high and low temperatures in early September and in late September. How much do they vary? Why might it be cooler in late September, compared to early September?
* Start creating fall crafts on the 1st day of September and continue each day of the month. By the end of the month, you’ll have armloads of decorations to make your room and your home “fall festive” and “fall welcoming.”
* National Hummingbird Day occurs in September. Provide extra nectar for them, or make sugar-water. That will give them energy for their flight south in a few weeks. Where do they go each fall? Research this and create a report on hummingbirds, complete with maps and illustrations.
* National Wildlife Day is September 4. Read books on wildlife, such as Rewilding: Bringing Wildlife Back Where It Belongs; Wildlife Ranger Action Guide; Animal Habitats; Homes in the Wild; and similar books to enjoy and discuss.
* Cheese Pizza Day is September 5. Make your own cheese pizza – and add any toppings you like!
* Read-a-Book Day is September 6. Start a reading log and try to read a book a day. At the end of this year, add up the total number of books you’ve read!
* Share Your Care Day is September 9. Do you remember Care Bears, or do you still have one? You don’t need one, though, to show you care about someone. Think of all the ways you can show others you care about them.
* National Grandparents Day is September 10. This is an excellent day to show your grandparents how much you care about them, too!
* Ants on a Log Day is September 12. Have you ever made Ants on a Log? If not, this is the day to do it! See how creative you can be, making delicious treats like this. Or create new treats and give them a new name.
* Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day is September 13. See recipes for kids at this link (https://cookingwithkids.org/recipes/) or check out some library books on kid cooks, such as Kids Can Cook Anything; The Big, Fun Kids Cookbook; The Recipe-a-Day Kids Cookbook; and others.
* National Parents Day Off is September 14. When kids take over the kitchen on the 13th, have them prepare a meal for the 14th, when parents “have the day off.” Since this day is also National Live Creative Day, have kids plan creative learning activities for today, the 14th, while parents take the day off!
* As Fall approaches, paint or sketch the trees and scenery outside your window. Then, in a few weeks, paint or sketch the same scene again. Have the leaves begun to change colors? Why is this? Paint the scene again in October or December. How is it different, and why?
* Take a September Field Trip to your local library and see the books they’ve displayed there this month. Try books, such as Heroes: September 11, 2001; Goodbye, Summer, Hello, Autumn; Apple Pies and Hayrides; Why Do Leaves Change Colors; and more.
See the September calendar here for more ideas this month:
https://nationaldaycalendar.com/september/
For more September activities, see these:
https://www.whereimaginationgrows.com/kids-activities-for-september/
You’ll see ideas for working parents, families, stepfamilies, pets, dogs, autumn equinox, fall crafts, gymnastics, outdoor activities, pirates, hobbits, creating diaries, creating comic books, magic, apples, orchards, apple math, apple drop, fall foliage, fall tree art, fall wreaths, and more!
Turn the ideas into fun learning adventures!
Happy homeschooling!
Here’s some tips and ideas to get you started:
* Fall begins this month – find out when and why.
* Track the time of sunrises and sunsets this September. Compare the differences between the times in early September and the times in late September. How does this affect your daily activities?
* Record the high and low temperatures in early September and in late September. How much do they vary? Why might it be cooler in late September, compared to early September?
* Start creating fall crafts on the 1st day of September and continue each day of the month. By the end of the month, you’ll have armloads of decorations to make your room and your home “fall festive” and “fall welcoming.”
* National Hummingbird Day occurs in September. Provide extra nectar for them, or make sugar-water. That will give them energy for their flight south in a few weeks. Where do they go each fall? Research this and create a report on hummingbirds, complete with maps and illustrations.
* National Wildlife Day is September 4. Read books on wildlife, such as Rewilding: Bringing Wildlife Back Where It Belongs; Wildlife Ranger Action Guide; Animal Habitats; Homes in the Wild; and similar books to enjoy and discuss.
* Cheese Pizza Day is September 5. Make your own cheese pizza – and add any toppings you like!
* Read-a-Book Day is September 6. Start a reading log and try to read a book a day. At the end of this year, add up the total number of books you’ve read!
* Share Your Care Day is September 9. Do you remember Care Bears, or do you still have one? You don’t need one, though, to show you care about someone. Think of all the ways you can show others you care about them.
* National Grandparents Day is September 10. This is an excellent day to show your grandparents how much you care about them, too!
* Ants on a Log Day is September 12. Have you ever made Ants on a Log? If not, this is the day to do it! See how creative you can be, making delicious treats like this. Or create new treats and give them a new name.
* Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day is September 13. See recipes for kids at this link (https://cookingwithkids.org/recipes/) or check out some library books on kid cooks, such as Kids Can Cook Anything; The Big, Fun Kids Cookbook; The Recipe-a-Day Kids Cookbook; and others.
* National Parents Day Off is September 14. When kids take over the kitchen on the 13th, have them prepare a meal for the 14th, when parents “have the day off.” Since this day is also National Live Creative Day, have kids plan creative learning activities for today, the 14th, while parents take the day off!
* As Fall approaches, paint or sketch the trees and scenery outside your window. Then, in a few weeks, paint or sketch the same scene again. Have the leaves begun to change colors? Why is this? Paint the scene again in October or December. How is it different, and why?
* Take a September Field Trip to your local library and see the books they’ve displayed there this month. Try books, such as Heroes: September 11, 2001; Goodbye, Summer, Hello, Autumn; Apple Pies and Hayrides; Why Do Leaves Change Colors; and more.
See the September calendar here for more ideas this month:
https://nationaldaycalendar.com/september/
For more September activities, see these:
https://www.whereimaginationgrows.com/kids-activities-for-september/
You’ll see ideas for working parents, families, stepfamilies, pets, dogs, autumn equinox, fall crafts, gymnastics, outdoor activities, pirates, hobbits, creating diaries, creating comic books, magic, apples, orchards, apple math, apple drop, fall foliage, fall tree art, fall wreaths, and more!
Turn the ideas into fun learning adventures!
Happy homeschooling!
Saturday, August 26, 2023
Free Worksheets for Math, Science, Language Arts, Social Studies
If your kids enjoy worksheets, here are Hundreds of Free, Printable Worksheets for Math, Science, Language Arts, Social Studies.
But if your kids do NOT enjoy worksheets, these links provide a multitude of topics to explore and learn more about throughout the year.
These sites are especially easy to browse and easy to download or print worksheets.
MATH:
* Math Worksheets Grades 1 – 6:
Here’s free, printable Math Worksheets for each week of the year, on Numbers, Patterns, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Measurement, Money, Mental Math, and more for Grades 1 – 6:
https://www.mathworksheets.com
* More Math Worksheets Grades K – 7:
Here’s more free, printable Math Worksheets, focusing on Math Skills, Math Puzzles, Money, Measurement, Roman Numerals, Fractions, Decimals, Venn Diagrams, Bar Graphs, and more for Grades for K – 7:
https://www.futuristicmath.com/worksheets.html
* Even More Math Worksheets Grades K – 8:
Here’s even more free, printable Math Worksheets, focusing on Math, Geometry, Algebra, Equations, Percentages, Measurement, Statistics, Logistics, Trigonometry, Calculus, and more for Grades K – 8:
https://www.mathworksheets4kids.com/math.php
SCIENCE:
* Science Worksheets Grades K – 6:
Here’s free, printable Science Worksheets, focusing on Insects, Plants, Animals, Life Cycles, Classification, Human Body, Matter, Mixtures, Force, Motion, Heat, Chemical Changes, Earth, Solar System, and more for Grades K – 6:
https://www.ecosystemforkids.com/worksheets.html
* More Science Worksheets Grades 1 – 7:
Here’s more free, printable Science Worksheets, focusing on Plants, Insects, Animals, Dinosaurs, Herbivores, Food Chain, Human Body, Five Senses, Weather, Electricity, Machines, Magnetism, Periodic Table, and more for Grades 1 – 7:
https://www.mathworksheets4kids.com/science.php
LANGUAGE ARTS:
* Language Arts Worksheets Grades K – 12:
Here’s free, printable Language Arts Worksheets, focusing on Reading (Story Elements, Comprehension, Literature); Spelling (Word Lists by Grade); Vocabulary (Dictionary Skills, Word Roots, Prefix, Suffix); Grammar (Parts of Speech, Sentence Structure); Composition (Writing, Editing); and more for Grades K – 12:
https://www.k12reader.com/reading-worksheets-by-main-subject/
* More Language Arts Worksheets Grades 1 – 8:
Here’s more free, printable Language Arts Worksheets, focusing on Phonics, Alphabet, Vocabulary, Sentence Structure, Writing Prompts, Grammar, Comprehension, Cause and Effect, Metaphors, Similes, Idioms, Alliteration, and more for Grades 1 – 8:
https://www.mathworksheets4kids.com/language-arts.php
SOCIAL STUDIES:
* Social Studies Worksheets Grades 1 – 6:
Here’s free, printable Social Studies Worksheets, focusing on Colonial America, Fifty States, Map Skills, Continents, Oceans, Landforms, Explorers, Presidents, Famous Men, Famous Women, and more for Grades 1 – 6:
https://www.mathworksheets4kids.com/social-studies.php
* More Social Studies Worksheets Grades 1 – 8:
Here’s more free, printable Social Studies Worksheets, focusing on Explorers, Map Skills, Landforms, Notable People, Native Americans, Early America, American Revolution, Branches of Government, the Wars, States and Capitals, and more for Grades 1 – 8:
https://www.superteacherworksheets.com/full-social-studies.html
FUN LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
Hands-On Activities, Unschooling Ideas, Science Experiments, STEM Projects, and hundreds of FUN learning activities are available here on our site. Just click the labels below. And remember to Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter in the column at right.
Happy Homeschooling!
But if your kids do NOT enjoy worksheets, these links provide a multitude of topics to explore and learn more about throughout the year.
These sites are especially easy to browse and easy to download or print worksheets.
MATH:
* Math Worksheets Grades 1 – 6:
Here’s free, printable Math Worksheets for each week of the year, on Numbers, Patterns, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Measurement, Money, Mental Math, and more for Grades 1 – 6:
https://www.mathworksheets.com
* More Math Worksheets Grades K – 7:
Here’s more free, printable Math Worksheets, focusing on Math Skills, Math Puzzles, Money, Measurement, Roman Numerals, Fractions, Decimals, Venn Diagrams, Bar Graphs, and more for Grades for K – 7:
https://www.futuristicmath.com/worksheets.html
* Even More Math Worksheets Grades K – 8:
Here’s even more free, printable Math Worksheets, focusing on Math, Geometry, Algebra, Equations, Percentages, Measurement, Statistics, Logistics, Trigonometry, Calculus, and more for Grades K – 8:
https://www.mathworksheets4kids.com/math.php
SCIENCE:
* Science Worksheets Grades K – 6:
Here’s free, printable Science Worksheets, focusing on Insects, Plants, Animals, Life Cycles, Classification, Human Body, Matter, Mixtures, Force, Motion, Heat, Chemical Changes, Earth, Solar System, and more for Grades K – 6:
https://www.ecosystemforkids.com/worksheets.html
* More Science Worksheets Grades 1 – 7:
Here’s more free, printable Science Worksheets, focusing on Plants, Insects, Animals, Dinosaurs, Herbivores, Food Chain, Human Body, Five Senses, Weather, Electricity, Machines, Magnetism, Periodic Table, and more for Grades 1 – 7:
https://www.mathworksheets4kids.com/science.php
LANGUAGE ARTS:
* Language Arts Worksheets Grades K – 12:
Here’s free, printable Language Arts Worksheets, focusing on Reading (Story Elements, Comprehension, Literature); Spelling (Word Lists by Grade); Vocabulary (Dictionary Skills, Word Roots, Prefix, Suffix); Grammar (Parts of Speech, Sentence Structure); Composition (Writing, Editing); and more for Grades K – 12:
https://www.k12reader.com/reading-worksheets-by-main-subject/
* More Language Arts Worksheets Grades 1 – 8:
Here’s more free, printable Language Arts Worksheets, focusing on Phonics, Alphabet, Vocabulary, Sentence Structure, Writing Prompts, Grammar, Comprehension, Cause and Effect, Metaphors, Similes, Idioms, Alliteration, and more for Grades 1 – 8:
https://www.mathworksheets4kids.com/language-arts.php
SOCIAL STUDIES:
* Social Studies Worksheets Grades 1 – 6:
Here’s free, printable Social Studies Worksheets, focusing on Colonial America, Fifty States, Map Skills, Continents, Oceans, Landforms, Explorers, Presidents, Famous Men, Famous Women, and more for Grades 1 – 6:
https://www.mathworksheets4kids.com/social-studies.php
* More Social Studies Worksheets Grades 1 – 8:
Here’s more free, printable Social Studies Worksheets, focusing on Explorers, Map Skills, Landforms, Notable People, Native Americans, Early America, American Revolution, Branches of Government, the Wars, States and Capitals, and more for Grades 1 – 8:
https://www.superteacherworksheets.com/full-social-studies.html
FUN LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
Hands-On Activities, Unschooling Ideas, Science Experiments, STEM Projects, and hundreds of FUN learning activities are available here on our site. Just click the labels below. And remember to Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter in the column at right.
Happy Homeschooling!
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
40+ STEM and STEAM Activities
Create your own STEM Academy! We hear a lot about STEM School or STEM Academy or STEAM Projects.
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Math.
STEAM includes Art, so it's Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math.
Here are 40+ STEM and STEAM Activities to start your own STEM Academy!
Note: If you keep Lesson Logs, these activities fall under Science, Math, Technology, Language Arts, Reading, Writing, Social Studies, History, Arts, Research Skills, and Life Skills. Take the ideas and run with them!
40+ STEAM and STEM Activities with links to projects:
* Bubble Flute (Click here)
* Rainbow Colors Experiment (Click here)
* Musical Glass Xylophone (Click here)
* Kite Creation (Click here)
* Bridge Building (Click here)
* Skyscraper Construction (Click here)
* Dome Building Project (Click here)
* Miniature Furniture Creations (Click here)
* Sailboat Creations (Click here)
* Snack Pulley Project (Click here)
* Solar Race Cars (Click here)
* Solar Leaf + Art Projects (Click here)
* Battery Potato Clock (Click here)
* Radio from Bottle (Click here)
* Motor Construction (Click here)
* Tiny Dancers Creation (Click here)
* Magic Wand Creation (Click here)
* Spectroscope Construction (Click here)
* Coding Card Game (Click here)
* Coding with Hotwheels (Click here)
* Coding Unplugged Activities (Click here)
* Flappy Bird Coding Game (Click here)
* Food Color Fireworks (Click here)
* Color Separation Experiment (Click here)
* Slippery Slime Creations (Click here)
* Glow-in-the-Dark Slime (Click here)
* Glitter Slime (Click here)
* Modeling Clay (Click here)
* Glue from Milk (Click here)
* Colorful Candy Crystals (Click here)
* Ice Cream in a Bag (Click here)
* Soda Bottle Explosion (Click here)
* Volcano Variations (Click here)
* String Art Creations (Click here)
* Math Art Projects (Click here)
* Math LEGO Tessellations (Click here)
* 3D Art Tessellations (Click here)
* Marble Course Creations (Click here)
* LEGO Maze (Click here)
* Colorful Cardboard Maze (Click here)
* Math Infinity Fun (Click here)
* Magic Squares Math Practice (Click here)
Remember to discuss and review the projects together. Take photos and record the experiments and activities. Have kids write descriptions of their experiments and their thoughts on them.
Brainstorm ways to build upon the activities or create variations of them. Then plan future projects for more STEM and STEAM fun and learning!
Happy homeschooling!
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Math.
STEAM includes Art, so it's Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math.
Here are 40+ STEM and STEAM Activities to start your own STEM Academy!
Note: If you keep Lesson Logs, these activities fall under Science, Math, Technology, Language Arts, Reading, Writing, Social Studies, History, Arts, Research Skills, and Life Skills. Take the ideas and run with them!
40+ STEAM and STEM Activities with links to projects:
* Bubble Flute (Click here)
* Rainbow Colors Experiment (Click here)
* Musical Glass Xylophone (Click here)
* Kite Creation (Click here)
* Bridge Building (Click here)
* Skyscraper Construction (Click here)
* Dome Building Project (Click here)
* Miniature Furniture Creations (Click here)
* Sailboat Creations (Click here)
* Snack Pulley Project (Click here)
* Solar Race Cars (Click here)
* Solar Leaf + Art Projects (Click here)
* Battery Potato Clock (Click here)
* Radio from Bottle (Click here)
* Motor Construction (Click here)
* Tiny Dancers Creation (Click here)
* Magic Wand Creation (Click here)
* Spectroscope Construction (Click here)
* Coding Card Game (Click here)
* Coding with Hotwheels (Click here)
* Coding Unplugged Activities (Click here)
* Flappy Bird Coding Game (Click here)
* Food Color Fireworks (Click here)
* Color Separation Experiment (Click here)
* Slippery Slime Creations (Click here)
* Glow-in-the-Dark Slime (Click here)
* Glitter Slime (Click here)
* Modeling Clay (Click here)
* Glue from Milk (Click here)
* Colorful Candy Crystals (Click here)
* Ice Cream in a Bag (Click here)
* Soda Bottle Explosion (Click here)
* Volcano Variations (Click here)
* String Art Creations (Click here)
* Math Art Projects (Click here)
* Math LEGO Tessellations (Click here)
* 3D Art Tessellations (Click here)
* Marble Course Creations (Click here)
* LEGO Maze (Click here)
* Colorful Cardboard Maze (Click here)
* Math Infinity Fun (Click here)
* Magic Squares Math Practice (Click here)
Remember to discuss and review the projects together. Take photos and record the experiments and activities. Have kids write descriptions of their experiments and their thoughts on them.
Brainstorm ways to build upon the activities or create variations of them. Then plan future projects for more STEM and STEAM fun and learning!
Happy homeschooling!
Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Love of Learning + Months (Years) of Activities!
What’s more important than education and learning? The LOVE of learning!
How do children develop a love of learning?
By immersing themselves in things they enjoy, things that interest them, and things they wonder about.
Below, we’ll include many “love of learning” ideas for your children to do, to experiment with, to research, to learn more about. These will cover Science, Math, Technology, Life Skills, Social Studies, Reading, Writing, Literature, Art, Music, and more.
Any topics that interest your children, or that they wonder about, will be learned and retained more thoroughly when topics or ideas captivate and fascinate them.
The brain has a huge capacity for constantly learning, for continuously absorbing new information, and for storing and recalling this knowledge. This occurs more rapidly when thoughts and ideas are truly interesting to your children.
Provide the freedom and flexibility for your children to wonder, ponder, peruse, and use the vast amount of knowledge and wisdom that’s literally at their fingertips.
Allow children time to experiment, create, try new things, and simply play throughout their day.
How do children “learn how to learn”?
Simple, really: “Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” – O. Fred Donaldson, Author and Play Specialist
Ask your children what they want to learn more about today. Then do that again tomorrow and each day that follows.
Here are some activities and ideas to help them start thinking about and developing a “love of learning”.
When doing the activities ask them:
1. Which is their favorite?
2. Why is it their favorite?
3. What more would they like to do or learn about?
4. How could they expand upon the experiments or activities?
Here are Activity Ideas for a Month of Learning or YEARS of Learning!
Remember to discuss each activity and ideas inspired by these:
1. Build with Legos, K’Nex, Magnetic Tiles, Marble Runs (math, technology)
2. Create clay figures, animals, jewelry, vases, mugs (science, life skills, art)
3. Draw family members, your backyard, your room (social studies, math, art)
4. Sketch urban areas, architecture, your city’s projects (social studies, math, art)
5. Paint landscapes, mountains, streams, oceans, habitats (science, art)
6. Paste shapes, tissue paper, stickers to create collages of landmarks (geography, social studies, art)
7. Design new games, board games, video games, fun games (technology, science, math)
8. Bake cupcakes, pastries, experiment with new food creations (math, science, life skills)
9. Experiment with creating slime, volcanoes, tornados, kitchen science reactions (science, math)
10. Glue junk items, gears, cogs, nuts, bolts to create sculptures (technology, science, art)
11. Make clocks, thermometers, rain gauges, anemometers (math, science, life skills)
12. Create dioramas of dinosaur eras, animal habitats, cityscapes (social studies, science)
13. Draw famous people, places, animals, insects, events (history, social studies, art)
14. Design maps of towns, cities, neighborhoods, states, regions, world (geography, art)
15. Construct stages for puppet shows, dramas, theater performances (math, science, art)
16. Make musical instruments, play music, perform concerts (music, art)
17. Write/Animate stories, plays, scripts, games, comic books (writing, reading, art)
18. Read stories aloud, using character voices or rewriting endings (reading, literature)
19. Draw favorite scenes from books, video games, or movies (reading, literature, art)
20. Compose music inspired by songs, musicals, video games (music, art)
21. Create scripts inspired by favorite movies, plays, video games (reading, literature)
22. Program code for games, apps, electronics, robotics (technology, science, math)
23. Hike through parks, take nature walks, photograph scenery (science, art)
24. Devise outdoor fun, games, scavenger hunts, forts, play items (science, math)
25. Create new styles of sports, basketball, baseball, football, soccer (research, reading)
26. Build bridges, architecture, sculptures with straws, toothpicks, marshmallows (technology, science)
27. Design solar system models or ecosystems, using new ideas, new materials (science, math, art)
28. Construct models of human body, dinosaurs, dragons, cars, planes, ships (math, science)
29. Build robots, transformers, solar-powered or battery-powered items, electrical circuits, snap circuits (science, math)
30. Design and create journals, sketchbooks, notebooks to record your experiments, activities, and paintings (math, science, life skills, art)
31. Construct and create boxes to display or hold your creations, by deconstructing other boxes and reconstructing new boxes to showcase your projects (math, life skills, science, art)
Encourage your children to take these ideas and run with them! To have fun with them, to be as creative as they want, to put their own unique spin on them. The “love of learning” that will occur can last a lifetime!
Happy homeschooling!
How do children develop a love of learning?
By immersing themselves in things they enjoy, things that interest them, and things they wonder about.
Below, we’ll include many “love of learning” ideas for your children to do, to experiment with, to research, to learn more about. These will cover Science, Math, Technology, Life Skills, Social Studies, Reading, Writing, Literature, Art, Music, and more.
Any topics that interest your children, or that they wonder about, will be learned and retained more thoroughly when topics or ideas captivate and fascinate them.
The brain has a huge capacity for constantly learning, for continuously absorbing new information, and for storing and recalling this knowledge. This occurs more rapidly when thoughts and ideas are truly interesting to your children.
Provide the freedom and flexibility for your children to wonder, ponder, peruse, and use the vast amount of knowledge and wisdom that’s literally at their fingertips.
Allow children time to experiment, create, try new things, and simply play throughout their day.
How do children “learn how to learn”?
Simple, really: “Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” – O. Fred Donaldson, Author and Play Specialist
Ask your children what they want to learn more about today. Then do that again tomorrow and each day that follows.
Here are some activities and ideas to help them start thinking about and developing a “love of learning”.
When doing the activities ask them:
1. Which is their favorite?
2. Why is it their favorite?
3. What more would they like to do or learn about?
4. How could they expand upon the experiments or activities?
Here are Activity Ideas for a Month of Learning or YEARS of Learning!
Remember to discuss each activity and ideas inspired by these:
1. Build with Legos, K’Nex, Magnetic Tiles, Marble Runs (math, technology)
2. Create clay figures, animals, jewelry, vases, mugs (science, life skills, art)
3. Draw family members, your backyard, your room (social studies, math, art)
4. Sketch urban areas, architecture, your city’s projects (social studies, math, art)
5. Paint landscapes, mountains, streams, oceans, habitats (science, art)
6. Paste shapes, tissue paper, stickers to create collages of landmarks (geography, social studies, art)
7. Design new games, board games, video games, fun games (technology, science, math)
8. Bake cupcakes, pastries, experiment with new food creations (math, science, life skills)
9. Experiment with creating slime, volcanoes, tornados, kitchen science reactions (science, math)
10. Glue junk items, gears, cogs, nuts, bolts to create sculptures (technology, science, art)
11. Make clocks, thermometers, rain gauges, anemometers (math, science, life skills)
12. Create dioramas of dinosaur eras, animal habitats, cityscapes (social studies, science)
13. Draw famous people, places, animals, insects, events (history, social studies, art)
14. Design maps of towns, cities, neighborhoods, states, regions, world (geography, art)
15. Construct stages for puppet shows, dramas, theater performances (math, science, art)
16. Make musical instruments, play music, perform concerts (music, art)
17. Write/Animate stories, plays, scripts, games, comic books (writing, reading, art)
18. Read stories aloud, using character voices or rewriting endings (reading, literature)
19. Draw favorite scenes from books, video games, or movies (reading, literature, art)
20. Compose music inspired by songs, musicals, video games (music, art)
21. Create scripts inspired by favorite movies, plays, video games (reading, literature)
22. Program code for games, apps, electronics, robotics (technology, science, math)
23. Hike through parks, take nature walks, photograph scenery (science, art)
24. Devise outdoor fun, games, scavenger hunts, forts, play items (science, math)
25. Create new styles of sports, basketball, baseball, football, soccer (research, reading)
26. Build bridges, architecture, sculptures with straws, toothpicks, marshmallows (technology, science)
27. Design solar system models or ecosystems, using new ideas, new materials (science, math, art)
28. Construct models of human body, dinosaurs, dragons, cars, planes, ships (math, science)
29. Build robots, transformers, solar-powered or battery-powered items, electrical circuits, snap circuits (science, math)
30. Design and create journals, sketchbooks, notebooks to record your experiments, activities, and paintings (math, science, life skills, art)
31. Construct and create boxes to display or hold your creations, by deconstructing other boxes and reconstructing new boxes to showcase your projects (math, life skills, science, art)
Encourage your children to take these ideas and run with them! To have fun with them, to be as creative as they want, to put their own unique spin on them. The “love of learning” that will occur can last a lifetime!
Happy homeschooling!
Sunday, July 30, 2023
Homeschooling When Working Full Time
Many families tell us that they would love to homeschool their children. But they work full-time jobs and assume it’s impossible. Fear not! You can homeschool your children, even when working full time. I’ll explain how.
Homeschooling is easier for remote workers or work-from-home parents. But if you work away from the home, it can seem more challenging. However, “Weekend Homeschool” and/or “Evening Homeschool” is the answer.
Average daily “time requirements” for “teaching” your child range from 1 hour per day (younger children) to 3 or 4 hours per day (older children or teens). Yet, the older your children are, the more capable they are of directing their own learning, with guidance and input from parents. So it’s not necessary to sit with older kids for 3 or 4 solid hours each day – unless you want to, of course.
One of the simplest ways to homeschool, when working full time, is to discuss lessons or activities with your children in the mornings or evenings. Include an easy-to-follow guideline of what your children are to focus on that day. They can refer to the guideline throughout the day.
On weekends, you can become involved in more hands-on learning activities, science experiments, family field trips, and reviewing any lessons that were challenging or needing extra attention. Allow plenty of freedom and flexibility for engaging in the lessons, topics, and activities during the week.
Other options include the possibility of working 1 or 2 days at home and doing more homeschool projects on those days. Or perhaps you can take your child to work with you a couple days a week. Or have your child’s caretaker oversee the homeschool lessons during the week, then make the most of fun learning activities on weekends.
Always discuss the learning activities or lessons at the end of each day. One of the best times for this is during your evening meal or as you take walks together at the end of the day. Discuss the favorite parts of the day’s activities and what your children learned that day. Ask them what they might have had difficulties with. And ask them what they’d like to learn about tomorrow.
Jot down the activities and lessons in your logbook or on our log sheets (download here: Weekly Planner Log link.)
To start homeschooling this week, take a field trip to your library. Let your children pick out any books that interest them. They’ll be transported to new worlds and learn something new from each book.
Here’s recent books that parents and kids have found interesting and educational:
Younger kids:
1. Backyard Build by Jonathan Litton
2. Book of Questions by Pablo Neruda
3. Copycat by Christy Hale
4. Emile and the Field by Kevin Young
5. Frances in the Country by Liz Garton Scanlon
Older kids:
1. Artificial Intelligence by Dinah Williams
2. Northwind by Gary Paulsen
3. Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga
4. Unstoppable Us by Yuval Noah Harari
5. Wisdom of Trees by Lita Judge
To start homeschooling today, see our previous blog posts, such as:
* Hands-On Math Activities blog post
* 500+ Science Activities post
* Social Studies, History, and Geography
* Weekly Homeschool Activities posts
* Click the Labels, below, or the Labels on previous posts.
Visit us weekly for new learning activities and ideas!
Sign up for our Weekly Newsletter, too! See the Subscribe space at right.
Happy Homeschooling!
Homeschooling is easier for remote workers or work-from-home parents. But if you work away from the home, it can seem more challenging. However, “Weekend Homeschool” and/or “Evening Homeschool” is the answer.
Average daily “time requirements” for “teaching” your child range from 1 hour per day (younger children) to 3 or 4 hours per day (older children or teens). Yet, the older your children are, the more capable they are of directing their own learning, with guidance and input from parents. So it’s not necessary to sit with older kids for 3 or 4 solid hours each day – unless you want to, of course.
One of the simplest ways to homeschool, when working full time, is to discuss lessons or activities with your children in the mornings or evenings. Include an easy-to-follow guideline of what your children are to focus on that day. They can refer to the guideline throughout the day.
On weekends, you can become involved in more hands-on learning activities, science experiments, family field trips, and reviewing any lessons that were challenging or needing extra attention. Allow plenty of freedom and flexibility for engaging in the lessons, topics, and activities during the week.
Other options include the possibility of working 1 or 2 days at home and doing more homeschool projects on those days. Or perhaps you can take your child to work with you a couple days a week. Or have your child’s caretaker oversee the homeschool lessons during the week, then make the most of fun learning activities on weekends.
Always discuss the learning activities or lessons at the end of each day. One of the best times for this is during your evening meal or as you take walks together at the end of the day. Discuss the favorite parts of the day’s activities and what your children learned that day. Ask them what they might have had difficulties with. And ask them what they’d like to learn about tomorrow.
Jot down the activities and lessons in your logbook or on our log sheets (download here: Weekly Planner Log link.)
To start homeschooling this week, take a field trip to your library. Let your children pick out any books that interest them. They’ll be transported to new worlds and learn something new from each book.
Here’s recent books that parents and kids have found interesting and educational:
Younger kids:
1. Backyard Build by Jonathan Litton
2. Book of Questions by Pablo Neruda
3. Copycat by Christy Hale
4. Emile and the Field by Kevin Young
5. Frances in the Country by Liz Garton Scanlon
Older kids:
1. Artificial Intelligence by Dinah Williams
2. Northwind by Gary Paulsen
3. Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga
4. Unstoppable Us by Yuval Noah Harari
5. Wisdom of Trees by Lita Judge
To start homeschooling today, see our previous blog posts, such as:
* Hands-On Math Activities blog post
* 500+ Science Activities post
* Social Studies, History, and Geography
* Weekly Homeschool Activities posts
* Click the Labels, below, or the Labels on previous posts.
Visit us weekly for new learning activities and ideas!
Sign up for our Weekly Newsletter, too! See the Subscribe space at right.
Happy Homeschooling!
Monday, July 24, 2023
School and Summertime Lessons
As stores and the media start promoting “back to school” sales, remember that we’re still only one month into summer! The first day of summer was June 21. The last day of summer is still two months away! Summer doesn’t officially end until September 23. That’s 8 more weeks of lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer!
Yes, many traditional schools begin their school year in the middle of summer, or the last week of July, or the first week or two of August. But that doesn’t mean your family has to follow suit. After all, one of the top reasons families enjoy homeschooling is the freedom and flexibility that goes along with it.
So let your children enjoy these precious summer days a bit longer. Disregard the back-to-school hype. Focus on having fun and making great memories with your family. Allow your children to be carefree and happy as they savor these super summer days.
Each summer that passes means that your children grow closer and closer to adulthood. Then these carefree, childhood days of summer will become a thing of the past.
Help your children appreciate and treasure these days. That’s one of the best lessons you can teach them! Create keepsakes, craft mementos, compile photo memories of this summer, then make a “treasure box” to keep them in.
Every day provides an opportunity for learning, regardless of the season and regardless of the setting. Learning doesn’t require a specific school room, school day, or school year. Learning takes place in the mind – not in a specific building nor a specific timeframe.
We’ll begin providing learning ideas here again soon. And you can begin planning for your learning adventures, too. Sign up for our newsletter to receive learning activities and lesson ideas throughout the coming year. (See the subscribe space in the right-hand column.)
Meanwhile, enjoy the summer!
Happy homeschooling!
Yes, many traditional schools begin their school year in the middle of summer, or the last week of July, or the first week or two of August. But that doesn’t mean your family has to follow suit. After all, one of the top reasons families enjoy homeschooling is the freedom and flexibility that goes along with it.
So let your children enjoy these precious summer days a bit longer. Disregard the back-to-school hype. Focus on having fun and making great memories with your family. Allow your children to be carefree and happy as they savor these super summer days.
Each summer that passes means that your children grow closer and closer to adulthood. Then these carefree, childhood days of summer will become a thing of the past.
Help your children appreciate and treasure these days. That’s one of the best lessons you can teach them! Create keepsakes, craft mementos, compile photo memories of this summer, then make a “treasure box” to keep them in.
Every day provides an opportunity for learning, regardless of the season and regardless of the setting. Learning doesn’t require a specific school room, school day, or school year. Learning takes place in the mind – not in a specific building nor a specific timeframe.
We’ll begin providing learning ideas here again soon. And you can begin planning for your learning adventures, too. Sign up for our newsletter to receive learning activities and lesson ideas throughout the coming year. (See the subscribe space in the right-hand column.)
Meanwhile, enjoy the summer!
Happy homeschooling!
Friday, February 3, 2023
Fun February Learning Ideas
February is short, but mighty! It’s known for Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, Heart Health Awareness, Black History Month, and much more.
Here's dozens of learning ideas, including Science, Math, History, Reading, Creative Writing, Language Arts, Life Skills, Social Skills, Arts and Crafts, Physical Activities, Nutrition, and more!
See the Following Ideas or the February National Day Calendar here: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/february. Then click on any day of the month for fun learning ideas, or browse the following examples.
Some great examples:
February 4 is National Play Outside Day. Play your favorite games together outdoors, or see more great outdoor games here: https://www.parents.com/fun/activities/outdoor/great-outdoor-games. It’s also National Homemade Soup Day, so after a fun day playing outside, make a big pot of homemade soup together!
February 7 is National Periodic Table Day. Research the history of the periodic table and the purpose of the table: https://mocomi.com/periodic-table. Then spend an afternoon doing fun science experiments together.
February 9 is National Pizza Day. Make homemade pizza AND make homemade fractions! Use paper plates, poster board, cardboard, or construction paper to make different types of “pizza” and “toppings.” Then cut the “pizzas” in half, quarters, thirds, sixths, etc., and practice fraction math while enjoying a real, home-cooked pizza.
February 11 is National Inventor’s Day. What new things can your kids invent on this day or this month? Read Inventors Who Changed the World, or Accidental Inventions That Changed Our World, or Amazing Inventions That Changed the World, or many other similar books available at your library.
February 14 is Valentine’s Day. Research the history of Valentine’s Day and Saint Valentine. Then have fun seeing who can make the most unusual valentine, the prettiest one, the tiniest one, the most colorful one, the most intricate one! And write poems to go along with the homemade valentines!
February 17 is National Random Acts of Kindness Day. Discuss what this means, then brainstorm ways of performing acts of kindness for each other, for other family members, friends, acquaintances, and people you meet. How can this change the way you feel? And how might this affect people if you performed acts of kindness every day?
February 20 is Presidents Day. How many presidents have we had? Who was the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth presidents? Who is the current president? See if you can memorize them all! Were any of the presidents from your state?
February 21 is Mardi Gras, which is French for Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday. Research the origins of this day and how people choose to celebrate it. Have fun making Mardi Gras crafts! See ideas here: https://funfamilycrafts.com/category/seasonal-holiday/holidays/mardi-gras.
February 26 is Tell a Fairy Tale Day. Read some popular fairy tales here: https://www.storyberries.com/category/fairy-tales/famous-fairy-tales. Then have kids write or tell fairy tales, using their own imagination.
Black History Month Activities. Try these Black History Month crafts https://www.creativechild.com/articles/view/29-days-of-crafts-for-black-history-month, or view many others online. For Black History books, see https://www.weareteachers.com/black-history-books-for-kids.
Love Your Heart. Brisk walking is one of the best activities to keep your heart strong. Count your daily steps to see if you're getting a minimum of 10,000 steps a day. Together, walk around the block, along park trails, jog or dance through your house, and tally up your steps. Make a chart to track who is getting the most steps daily.
These are just a few fun ideas from the month of February. These cover topics such as Science, Math, History, Reading, Creative Writing, Language Arts, Life Skills, Social Skills, Arts and Crafts, Physical Activities, Nutrition, and more! See the National Day Calendar for more ideas this month: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/february!
Happy homeschooling!
Here's dozens of learning ideas, including Science, Math, History, Reading, Creative Writing, Language Arts, Life Skills, Social Skills, Arts and Crafts, Physical Activities, Nutrition, and more!
See the Following Ideas or the February National Day Calendar here: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/february. Then click on any day of the month for fun learning ideas, or browse the following examples.
Some great examples:
February 4 is National Play Outside Day. Play your favorite games together outdoors, or see more great outdoor games here: https://www.parents.com/fun/activities/outdoor/great-outdoor-games. It’s also National Homemade Soup Day, so after a fun day playing outside, make a big pot of homemade soup together!
February 7 is National Periodic Table Day. Research the history of the periodic table and the purpose of the table: https://mocomi.com/periodic-table. Then spend an afternoon doing fun science experiments together.
February 9 is National Pizza Day. Make homemade pizza AND make homemade fractions! Use paper plates, poster board, cardboard, or construction paper to make different types of “pizza” and “toppings.” Then cut the “pizzas” in half, quarters, thirds, sixths, etc., and practice fraction math while enjoying a real, home-cooked pizza.
February 11 is National Inventor’s Day. What new things can your kids invent on this day or this month? Read Inventors Who Changed the World, or Accidental Inventions That Changed Our World, or Amazing Inventions That Changed the World, or many other similar books available at your library.
February 14 is Valentine’s Day. Research the history of Valentine’s Day and Saint Valentine. Then have fun seeing who can make the most unusual valentine, the prettiest one, the tiniest one, the most colorful one, the most intricate one! And write poems to go along with the homemade valentines!
February 17 is National Random Acts of Kindness Day. Discuss what this means, then brainstorm ways of performing acts of kindness for each other, for other family members, friends, acquaintances, and people you meet. How can this change the way you feel? And how might this affect people if you performed acts of kindness every day?
February 20 is Presidents Day. How many presidents have we had? Who was the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth presidents? Who is the current president? See if you can memorize them all! Were any of the presidents from your state?
February 21 is Mardi Gras, which is French for Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday. Research the origins of this day and how people choose to celebrate it. Have fun making Mardi Gras crafts! See ideas here: https://funfamilycrafts.com/category/seasonal-holiday/holidays/mardi-gras.
February 26 is Tell a Fairy Tale Day. Read some popular fairy tales here: https://www.storyberries.com/category/fairy-tales/famous-fairy-tales. Then have kids write or tell fairy tales, using their own imagination.
Black History Month Activities. Try these Black History Month crafts https://www.creativechild.com/articles/view/29-days-of-crafts-for-black-history-month, or view many others online. For Black History books, see https://www.weareteachers.com/black-history-books-for-kids.
Love Your Heart. Brisk walking is one of the best activities to keep your heart strong. Count your daily steps to see if you're getting a minimum of 10,000 steps a day. Together, walk around the block, along park trails, jog or dance through your house, and tally up your steps. Make a chart to track who is getting the most steps daily.
These are just a few fun ideas from the month of February. These cover topics such as Science, Math, History, Reading, Creative Writing, Language Arts, Life Skills, Social Skills, Arts and Crafts, Physical Activities, Nutrition, and more! See the National Day Calendar for more ideas this month: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/february!
Happy homeschooling!
Friday, January 27, 2023
Second Semester Homeschooling, Unschooling, and Learning More!
Unschooling, Worksheets, Unit Studies, Lesson Plans, Hands-On Activities? Continue reading, plus see links below!
In traditional schools, the second semester usually begins in January. That means the kids are now about halfway through the year.
Homeschoolers can follow a traditional school instructional calendar. Or you can follow your own educational plans and schedules. And, of course, you can add other topics, as well, such as Art, Music, Foreign Languages, Life Skills, etc.
The way you homeschool is totally up to you and your family, depending on what works best for your educational goals, your family values, your child’s best learning styles, and most workable homeschool schedule.
Now is a great time to reflect on the first semester of your homeschool, consider what went well, what worked best, and what could perhaps work better for the next few months of homeschooling.
If you’d like to focus on individual Lessons covering Math, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies, we’ll include some links below to help you out.
If, alternatively, you’d like to try theme studies, unit studies, or unschooling activities, we’ll include some links for those.
Remember, also, to revisit our previous posts of Weekly Homeschool Lessons and Learning Activities, posted in August; 500+ Science Experiments and Hands-On Math Activities, also posted in August; Unschooling Activities and Reading Activities, posted in September; Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, and Science Activities, posted in October; Crafting History, posted in November; and Winter Learning Activities, posted in December, along with many other educational ideas over the past months.
*** Here are some Links to Lessons covering Math, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies:
1. Math Solutions, Grades K-8:
https://mathsolutions.com/classroom-lessons
2. Math Goodies, Elementary to Pre-Algebra:
https://www.mathgoodies.com/lessons
3. Math Worksheets:
https://www.math-drills.com
4. Homeschool Math Worksheets:
https://www.homeschoolmath.net/worksheets
5. 80 Science Activities:
https://elementalscience.com/blogs/news/80-free-science-activities
6. Science Worksheets:
https://www.easyteacherworksheets.com/science.html
7. Language Arts Lesson Plans:
https://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/lang.shtml
8. Language Arts Worksheets:
https://www.easyteacherworksheets.com/languagearts.html
9. Social Studies Activities:
https://sharemylesson.com/subject/social-studies
10. Social Studies Worksheets:
https://www.education.com/worksheets/social-studies
*** Here are some Links to Theme Studies, Unit Studies, or Unschooling Activities:
1. BookShark Unit Studies:
https://www.bookshark.com/freebies
2. Discover Unit Studies:
https://discoverunitstudies.com
3. Hess UnAcademy Unit Studies:
https://hessunacademy.com/unit-studies
4. Crafty Classroom Unit Studies:
https://thecraftyclassroom.com/free-unit-studies
5. Unschooling and Hands-On Ideas:
https://www.weedemandreap.com/learn-subjects-unschooling
6. Unschooling Ideas for Older Kids:
https://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/100-hands-on-activities-for-middle-school-and-high-school
7. More Unschooling Ideas:
https://zenhabits.net/unschool
Happy homeschooling!
In traditional schools, the second semester usually begins in January. That means the kids are now about halfway through the year.
Homeschoolers can follow a traditional school instructional calendar. Or you can follow your own educational plans and schedules. And, of course, you can add other topics, as well, such as Art, Music, Foreign Languages, Life Skills, etc.
The way you homeschool is totally up to you and your family, depending on what works best for your educational goals, your family values, your child’s best learning styles, and most workable homeschool schedule.
Now is a great time to reflect on the first semester of your homeschool, consider what went well, what worked best, and what could perhaps work better for the next few months of homeschooling.
If you’d like to focus on individual Lessons covering Math, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies, we’ll include some links below to help you out.
If, alternatively, you’d like to try theme studies, unit studies, or unschooling activities, we’ll include some links for those.
Remember, also, to revisit our previous posts of Weekly Homeschool Lessons and Learning Activities, posted in August; 500+ Science Experiments and Hands-On Math Activities, also posted in August; Unschooling Activities and Reading Activities, posted in September; Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, and Science Activities, posted in October; Crafting History, posted in November; and Winter Learning Activities, posted in December, along with many other educational ideas over the past months.
*** Here are some Links to Lessons covering Math, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies:
1. Math Solutions, Grades K-8:
https://mathsolutions.com/classroom-lessons
2. Math Goodies, Elementary to Pre-Algebra:
https://www.mathgoodies.com/lessons
3. Math Worksheets:
https://www.math-drills.com
4. Homeschool Math Worksheets:
https://www.homeschoolmath.net/worksheets
5. 80 Science Activities:
https://elementalscience.com/blogs/news/80-free-science-activities
6. Science Worksheets:
https://www.easyteacherworksheets.com/science.html
7. Language Arts Lesson Plans:
https://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/lang.shtml
8. Language Arts Worksheets:
https://www.easyteacherworksheets.com/languagearts.html
9. Social Studies Activities:
https://sharemylesson.com/subject/social-studies
10. Social Studies Worksheets:
https://www.education.com/worksheets/social-studies
*** Here are some Links to Theme Studies, Unit Studies, or Unschooling Activities:
1. BookShark Unit Studies:
https://www.bookshark.com/freebies
2. Discover Unit Studies:
https://discoverunitstudies.com
3. Hess UnAcademy Unit Studies:
https://hessunacademy.com/unit-studies
4. Crafty Classroom Unit Studies:
https://thecraftyclassroom.com/free-unit-studies
5. Unschooling and Hands-On Ideas:
https://www.weedemandreap.com/learn-subjects-unschooling
6. Unschooling Ideas for Older Kids:
https://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/100-hands-on-activities-for-middle-school-and-high-school
7. More Unschooling Ideas:
https://zenhabits.net/unschool
Happy homeschooling!
Tuesday, January 3, 2023
New Year, New Ideas, New Interests, New Learning!
It’s a New Year and Time for New Ideas, New Interests, New Learning! You can try to learn something new every day, but if that’s not always feasible, definitely try to learn at least 52 new things this year. That’s 1 new thing you can learn each week of the year.
Here’s a few to get you started:
1. “Imagination is more important than knowledge,” said Albert Einstein. What do you think he meant by this? He felt that imagination opened up an entire world of possibilities. And he felt that imagination was a major factor in scientific research. How do you use your imagination? You can imagine a make-believe world, imagine a new world, imagine a new story, new song, new artwork, new adventures, new ideas. It’s all possible, because you have imagination! Imagine and create new things this week!
2. “Creativity is intelligence having fun,” Albert Einstein said. When you are having fun creating things, you are using your intelligence! Create clay objects, create a wire sculpture, create twirling mobiles, create with construction kits, create a building, create a model, create art, create whatever interests you. And you’ll know you’re using your intelligence, creating, learning, and having fun this week!
3. “The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled,” said Plutarch, a Greek philosopher. By kindling a fire or sparking an idea in your mind, you are filled with excitement, curiosity, new interests, and new learning! When an idea excites or interests you, learning naturally occurs. This is because you are excited about it and want to learn all you can about it. Be excited and curious, and learn more this week!
4. “Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning,” observed writer William Arthur Ward. Imagine this: Without a wick, a candle can’t burn very well. Without curiosity, one can’t learn very well. Find ways to spark your own curiosity this week by asking questions like: “What if? How? Why? Who? When? Where?” Regardless of the subjects you might be studying this week, be curious about them. Ask more questions! Go further! Be curious! Learn more!
5. “Ask questions and you will gain new knowledge,” many have observed. If the tower you built collapsed, ask why and how you can keep it from collapsing the next time. If the clay sculpture you created didn’t turn out as expected, ask how you might improve it next time. If the story you wrote isn’t as exciting as you’d hoped, ask what characters or situations could liven it up. If this week’s history lesson, or math lesson, or science experiment is confusing or dull, ask what activities could make the lessons more exciting, more real, more fun, more clear. When you ask yourself, or others, you will find answers, every day and every week!
Explore! Experiment! Imagine! Create! Read! Write! Play! Build! Ask! Seek! Research! Be Curious! Be Innovative! Be Adventurous!
Resolve to make this new year an exciting one filled with fun, imaginative, creative learning!
Happy homeschooling every week of this new year!
Here’s a few to get you started:
1. “Imagination is more important than knowledge,” said Albert Einstein. What do you think he meant by this? He felt that imagination opened up an entire world of possibilities. And he felt that imagination was a major factor in scientific research. How do you use your imagination? You can imagine a make-believe world, imagine a new world, imagine a new story, new song, new artwork, new adventures, new ideas. It’s all possible, because you have imagination! Imagine and create new things this week!
2. “Creativity is intelligence having fun,” Albert Einstein said. When you are having fun creating things, you are using your intelligence! Create clay objects, create a wire sculpture, create twirling mobiles, create with construction kits, create a building, create a model, create art, create whatever interests you. And you’ll know you’re using your intelligence, creating, learning, and having fun this week!
3. “The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled,” said Plutarch, a Greek philosopher. By kindling a fire or sparking an idea in your mind, you are filled with excitement, curiosity, new interests, and new learning! When an idea excites or interests you, learning naturally occurs. This is because you are excited about it and want to learn all you can about it. Be excited and curious, and learn more this week!
4. “Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning,” observed writer William Arthur Ward. Imagine this: Without a wick, a candle can’t burn very well. Without curiosity, one can’t learn very well. Find ways to spark your own curiosity this week by asking questions like: “What if? How? Why? Who? When? Where?” Regardless of the subjects you might be studying this week, be curious about them. Ask more questions! Go further! Be curious! Learn more!
5. “Ask questions and you will gain new knowledge,” many have observed. If the tower you built collapsed, ask why and how you can keep it from collapsing the next time. If the clay sculpture you created didn’t turn out as expected, ask how you might improve it next time. If the story you wrote isn’t as exciting as you’d hoped, ask what characters or situations could liven it up. If this week’s history lesson, or math lesson, or science experiment is confusing or dull, ask what activities could make the lessons more exciting, more real, more fun, more clear. When you ask yourself, or others, you will find answers, every day and every week!
Explore! Experiment! Imagine! Create! Read! Write! Play! Build! Ask! Seek! Research! Be Curious! Be Innovative! Be Adventurous!
Resolve to make this new year an exciting one filled with fun, imaginative, creative learning!
Happy homeschooling every week of this new year!
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