Fall Learning Activities:
Learn about the Reason for Seasons, Why Leaves Change Colors, and try the experiments on Leaf Colors and more, at these links. Then print some Fall Printables (below) to document your fall activities, too.
Remember to Subscribe (at right) to receive weekly lessons and activities!
1. The Reason for Seasons
2. Changes in Leaf Color
3. Leaf Color Experiment
4. Fall Activities
5. Fall Science Experiments
6. More Fall Science Activities
Fall Printables:
Document Fall Learning by printing some of these activity pages and worksheets.
1. Fall & Autumn Worksheets
2. Fall Crafts and Printouts
3. Printable Pages & Coloring Activities
4. Fall & Autumn Worksheets
5. More Fall Worksheets
Subscribe (at right) to receive weekly lessons and activities via email!
Happy homeschooling!
Thursday, September 22, 2022
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
50+ Learning Activities for This Last Week of Summer
Summer is coming to a close. Autumn officially begins on September 22 this year. That means we have about 7 days of summer left, and we should all enjoy it to the fullest. Get outside, soak up the last of the Summer Sun, and savor it. Make this last week of summer fun, special, memorable, and educational!
Take the “Classroom” outside! As soon as the morning chores are done, head outside. Pack sack lunches, lunch boxes, a thermos, bottles of water, and snacks. Bring along backpacks, phones, cameras, binoculars, step counters or fitness trackers, books, field guides, notebooks, paper, pencils, pens.
Use your backyard, local parks, nature trails, or any green space for your “classroom” this week. Free your mind from daily worries and embrace the present moments spent outside with your children. Be open to whatever crosses your path as you observe and absorb your surroundings together. Try to visit different areas each day.
Flexibility is key this week – yet learning will occur! If your children are following a specific homeschool program and need to stay on-track, take the lessons with you. Allow them to complete lessons outside. Then engage with nature and let children spread their wings and explore.
As they explore the outdoors, what do they see? What can they do in this space? How do they feel here? What more would they like to do or see? Where else would they like to go? Encourage them to write or sketch these observations and feelings – Language Arts has now begun!
7 Days of Learning, 50 Activities
For 7 days of learning and 50+ activities, try these activities outdoors. You can do one activity per day, or all the activities each day, or variations of the activities every day, all year, rain or shine! And learning will naturally occur, each and every day.
1. Language Arts:
• Go on “Story Walks” along nature trails, in local parks, or in library gardens.
• Create your own “Story Walk” in your backyard or neighborhood green space.
• Read favorite books while swinging or relaxing in the branches of a tree.
• Sketch the scenes and vistas surrounding you, then describe why they're special to you.
• Read signs and plaques describing local areas of interest.
• Discuss things you had never noticed or experienced, and why they’re interesting.
• Write stories or essays about the places you visit and the things you see this week.
2. Social Studies:
• Create a map of your community parks, neighborhood green spaces, nature trails.
• Each day, draw the route you take, using different colors to indicate different days and areas visited.
• Describe landmarks encountered, such as gates or sign posts, trailheads or information displays, boulders or stone formations, waterfalls or creeks, bridges or boardwalks, monuments or memorials, etc.
• Learn the difference between “natural landmarks” and “cultural landmarks.”
• Research these landmark terms: geological landmarks, biological landmarks, architecture landmarks, archaeological landmarks, and see how they differ.
• Discuss how your local landmarks relate to the history of your town or community.
• Photograph, draw, or sketch these landmarks, and write about their history and importance to your area.
3. Science:
• Use field guides and binoculars to identify plants; wildflowers; trees; birds; insects; animals; urban wildlife; rivers, streams, or pond life; ocean, beach, or shoreline life, etc.
• Learn which birds, butterflies, or wildflowers are most common in your backyard or local parks.
• Plant flowers that attract birds, hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees to your own backyard.
• Build bird feeders, birdhouses, butterfly houses, bat houses, or natural habitats that will draw beneficial animals to your location.
• Plan dozens of outdoor activities by using books such as Outdoor Science Experiments; Backyard Science and Discovery; Nature Smarts; Outdoor Science Projects; and Exploring Nature.
• Observe the sky and clouds overhead. What type of cloud formations do you see? What type of weather might they bring? How has the location of the sun changed since you left your house this morning? Draw or describe these in your Science Journal.
• Write about your favorite places in your Science Journal or notebook, describing why those areas felt special to you, and add photos or drawings of them, too.
4. Math:
• Consult step counters, pedometers, or fitness trackers to tally up total steps and distance of nature walks each day.
• Determine the time spent on each walk, and if using a fitness tracker, determine the number of calories burned per time and distance.
• For comparisons, run around a track or trail, and compare that to walking the same track or trail, in terms of steps, time, distance, and calories burned.
• Create a chart in your Math Journal or notebook, illustrating the daily steps, distance, time, and calories burned.
• Using the map from Social Studies, calculate the distance or miles between your house and the park, nature trail, creek, local store, downtown square, etc.
• Using the construction ideas from Science, calculate the size, dimensions, openings, slats, etc. for birdhouses, feeders, bat houses, and other outdoor science projects.
• Formulate and draw blueprints or plans for constructing these projects, based upon your calculations, then take photos of the completed projects.
5. Life Skills:
• Use decision-making skills on where to walk or explore the outdoors each day, deciding what items to take along, what the weather will be like, and what to wear each day.
• Use critical-thinking skills on how to reach the places you want to go, the best routes to take, the most-interesting paths or trails to follow, the many things you can learn.
• Observe and note everything around you – the good and the not-so-good – and discuss why it's important to observe your surroundings.
• Obey safety rules and “rules of the road” – watching traffic, even on nature trails, exercising caution at crosswalks, and paying attention to traffic signals.
• Be respectful of other walkers, hikers, bicyclists, horse trail riders, and others who are outside to enjoy a day in nature.
• Be careful and aware of the inhabitants of nature, from insects and snakes, to bears and wolves, to alligators and sharks – it’s their home, too, so maintain safe distances.
• Clean up after picnics and science projects, and leave no trace behind – in other words: “Take only memories, leave only footprints.”
6. Art:
• Draw detailed maps of trails or places visited each day.
• Paint or draw colorful sketches of butterflies on flowers, birds in trees, fish in ponds, waves along the shoreline.
• Try urban sketches of landscapers working in the park, tables and umbrellas in an outdoor café, shopkeepers opening their doors, delivery trucks outside a storefront.
• Sketch a strolling musician, a plein air art event in the park, artwork in an art gallery, iron or concrete sculptures in the park.
• Learn about famous and not-so-famous artists, painters, sculptors in your town and the artwork they created.
• Try copying one of the artist’s artwork or creations, then try it again, in your own style.
• Take photos of all the artistic views you see on your walks, or outdoors in your own backyard, then sketch, paint, or create them from your photos.
7. Music:
• Listen – intently – to Nature’s Music: the birds singing to each other, the wind in the trees, crickets chirping in tall grasses, dry leaves rustling along the sidewalk, gravel crunching beneath your feet, the creek gurgling over rocks, waves crashing against the shoreline.
• Replicate these sounds of Nature’s Music the best you can, singing like the birds, whooshing like the wind, chirping like the crickets, gurgling like the creek.
• Create your own songs about nature, composing the lyrics and melody to express your feelings about being outside.
• Dance to the music from a concert in the park.
• Learn about the local musicians in your area and try to see their performances.
• Visit music stores and look at new music or instruments you’d like to learn to play.
• Perform a musical or create a play based upon your experiences in nature this week.
Remember to explore nature often, and enjoy the great outdoors, rain or shine, summer or winter, spring or fall – and enjoy it all!
Happy homeschooling!
Thursday, September 8, 2022
Free Books to Read + Benefits of Reading
Here are 7 important benefits of reading, followed by 12 websites that provide free books for your children to read online.
1. Reading a book or story for 20 to 30 minutes per day is considered “brain food” for your children!
2. Reading stimulates and exercises various areas of the brain, and it enhances language skills and vocabulary skills every day.
3. Reading makes connections in the brain, building upon current knowledge and leading to additional knowledge and comprehension each time a new book is read.
4. Reading fires up the imagination and creativity, opening your child’s mind to greater possibilities, ideas, and inspiration.
5. Reading increases attention spans and concentration, helping children to focus better, stay in the moment, and stay on-task.
6. Reading improves test scores and skills in all subjects areas, including math, science, technology, social studies, art, music, as well as reading, writing, and language arts.
7. Reading is pure joy, taking us anywhere we want to go! Read together as a family, and encourage children to read on their own, to help establish a wonderful reading habit that will provide entertainment and education for a lifetime.
Free Books to Read!
Here’s a variety of Children’s Books for free. Read, discuss, dramatize, draw, explore, experiment - you’ll be learning every day! And you can start right now!
1. Storyline Online: Stories Read to Children
2. Free Children’s Stories: Free Children’s Stories
3. Magic Keys Books: Magic Keys Books
4. Story Jumper: Story Jumper
5. Story Berries: Story Berries
6. Free Kid’s Books: Free Kid’s Books
7. Shakespeare's Plays: Shakespeare Plays
8. Project Gutenberg Children’s Books: Project Gutenberg Books
9. Open Library: Open Library
10. Funbrain Reading: Funbrain Books
11. Epic Books: Epic Books
12. Reading Resources: Reading Resources
Local Libraries: Of course, your local library is one of the greatest free resources for reading! Besides stories and reading for pleasure, here's a few ideas for books on specific topics:
Book Suggestions on Specific Topics:
1. Spectacular Stories for Curious Kids (history)
2. World's Wildest Places and the People Protecting Them (social studies)
3. Super Cool Science Experiments for Kids (science)
4. Math Riddles for Smart Kids (math)
5. Ultimate Book of the Future (technology)
6. Organic Artist for Kids (art and nature)
7. Make Music: Creating, Playing, Composing (music)
Note: Keep a Reading Log, tracking the books and stories children have read. Include the title of the book, the author, and the date read. Have children describe why they liked the story, and have them sketch the cover or illustrations from the book. Tally up the number of books read daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. You'll be amazed at the results!
Happy homeschooling!
1. Reading a book or story for 20 to 30 minutes per day is considered “brain food” for your children!
2. Reading stimulates and exercises various areas of the brain, and it enhances language skills and vocabulary skills every day.
3. Reading makes connections in the brain, building upon current knowledge and leading to additional knowledge and comprehension each time a new book is read.
4. Reading fires up the imagination and creativity, opening your child’s mind to greater possibilities, ideas, and inspiration.
5. Reading increases attention spans and concentration, helping children to focus better, stay in the moment, and stay on-task.
6. Reading improves test scores and skills in all subjects areas, including math, science, technology, social studies, art, music, as well as reading, writing, and language arts.
7. Reading is pure joy, taking us anywhere we want to go! Read together as a family, and encourage children to read on their own, to help establish a wonderful reading habit that will provide entertainment and education for a lifetime.
Free Books to Read!
Here’s a variety of Children’s Books for free. Read, discuss, dramatize, draw, explore, experiment - you’ll be learning every day! And you can start right now!
1. Storyline Online: Stories Read to Children
2. Free Children’s Stories: Free Children’s Stories
3. Magic Keys Books: Magic Keys Books
4. Story Jumper: Story Jumper
5. Story Berries: Story Berries
6. Free Kid’s Books: Free Kid’s Books
7. Shakespeare's Plays: Shakespeare Plays
8. Project Gutenberg Children’s Books: Project Gutenberg Books
9. Open Library: Open Library
10. Funbrain Reading: Funbrain Books
11. Epic Books: Epic Books
12. Reading Resources: Reading Resources
Local Libraries: Of course, your local library is one of the greatest free resources for reading! Besides stories and reading for pleasure, here's a few ideas for books on specific topics:
Book Suggestions on Specific Topics:
1. Spectacular Stories for Curious Kids (history)
2. World's Wildest Places and the People Protecting Them (social studies)
3. Super Cool Science Experiments for Kids (science)
4. Math Riddles for Smart Kids (math)
5. Ultimate Book of the Future (technology)
6. Organic Artist for Kids (art and nature)
7. Make Music: Creating, Playing, Composing (music)
Note: Keep a Reading Log, tracking the books and stories children have read. Include the title of the book, the author, and the date read. Have children describe why they liked the story, and have them sketch the cover or illustrations from the book. Tally up the number of books read daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. You'll be amazed at the results!
Happy homeschooling!
Thursday, September 1, 2022
Unschooling Activities, Curiosity, and Learning!
Children are born with natural curiosity. When their curiosity is suppressed, their learning is diminished. When their curiosity is encouraged with nurturing guidance, their learning accelerates. Unschooling focuses on interest-driven activities sparked by curiosity. Your guidance can help enhance your child’s curiosity, creativeness, and education.
Here are some unschooling activities that have been suggested by our readers. These are just a few of the many possibilities. Each can radiate out into further learning and even more activities. Below this list is additional information on why and how unschooling works so well.
Remember: Playing is learning! These activities and ideas can evolve into a world of learning!
Unschooling Activities Suggested by Readers:
• Daily explorations and play
• Hands-on activities
• Science experiments
• Invention projects
• Construction projects
• Composing or playing music
• Arts and crafts
• Drawing and painting
• Sculpting, clay, and pottery
• Puzzles and sorting games
• Pretend play
• Forts and teepees
• Scrapbooking
• Journaling
• Creative writing
• Writing books and stories
• Reading and researching
• Library trips
• New books or authors to read
• Drama, acting, and performing
• Dancing and singing
• Making videos and animations
• Board games
• Outdoor or backyard games
• Family games
• Nature walks
• Relay races
• Scavenger hunts
• Math manipulatives
• Cooking and baking
• Gardening
• Decorating
• Home projects
• Sports activities
• Recreational activities
• Family activities
• Camping and hiking
• Weekend trips or getaways
• Swimming and skating
• Surfing and skiing
• Gymnastics or wall-climbing
• Picnics and socials
• Field trips
• Museum and zoo visits
• Local tours
• Community courses
• Family discussions
• Family newsletters
• Family businesses
• Apprenticeships
• Internships
• Volunteering
• Life skills
• Interest-driven learning pursuits
• Independent learning activities
• Natural living and learning every day
Curiosity increases activity in specific areas of the brain, helping people to absorb and retain information longer. When you are interested and curious about a topic, your brain becomes more inclined to learn about it. Children who are allowed to ask questions, and to remain curious about the world around them, remain eager to learn.
Children are naturally curious about everything, and because curiosity helps them to learn, it’s a trait that should never be discouraged. Asking “Why?” is an innate part of the way children learn. They should always be encouraged to ask why, and to be encouraged to find answers to “Why?”
Unschooling is one of the most natural ways for children to seek the answers to their “Why” questions, and one of the most natural ways for children to acquire knowledge. You’ll want to keep their curiosity alive and encourage them to follow their interests as they learn about the world around them.
Children gain a huge amount of knowledge and skills between birth and age five, without formal schooling. They learn by experimenting, doing, trying and failing, then trying again. Rarely are they deterred, and rarely do they give up. Young children love to experiment. They enjoy trying things their own way, and if it doesn’t work, they’ll try another way. Just as curiosity is an in-born trait in children, so is the desire to learn new things.
Trying the Unschooling Method
If you’re not sure about the unschooling method, try unschooling during weekends, vacations, summertime, or any time! Watch them play, and you’ll see them learn. Encourage their curiosity, and guide them in finding answers and resources. Follow their interests, and you’ll learn right alongside them. You’ll certainly be amazed at how adept they are at learning through the myriad topics that interest them.
More Unschooling Activities
Children are eager to play, and, consequently, learn. Sometimes, though, they might feel that they’ve forgotten how to play, or can’t think of anything to do. Spend time brainstorming ideas together. Ask your children what they’d like to do if they had all the time in the world to do whatever they liked. Then explore those ideas together.
Revisit fun activities from the past, which they might’ve forgotten about, but which could interest them in new or different ways now.
Activities could include:
• Building simple models or 3D structures
• Performing plays based on books or movies
• Creating new types of board games to play
• Designing video games for handheld devices
• Learning to play new instruments and composing music
• Writing and creating comic books or cartoon strips
• Performing and making videos of scientific experiments
• Using LEGO sets or electronic kits to create new gadgets
• Cooking or baking new concoctions for the family
Every day provides multiple ideas for playing, unschooling, and learning. There’s no limit to what your children can do and achieve!
Happy homeschooling!
Here are some unschooling activities that have been suggested by our readers. These are just a few of the many possibilities. Each can radiate out into further learning and even more activities. Below this list is additional information on why and how unschooling works so well.
Remember: Playing is learning! These activities and ideas can evolve into a world of learning!
Unschooling Activities Suggested by Readers:
• Daily explorations and play
• Hands-on activities
• Science experiments
• Invention projects
• Construction projects
• Composing or playing music
• Arts and crafts
• Drawing and painting
• Sculpting, clay, and pottery
• Puzzles and sorting games
• Pretend play
• Forts and teepees
• Scrapbooking
• Journaling
• Creative writing
• Writing books and stories
• Reading and researching
• Library trips
• New books or authors to read
• Drama, acting, and performing
• Dancing and singing
• Making videos and animations
• Board games
• Outdoor or backyard games
• Family games
• Nature walks
• Relay races
• Scavenger hunts
• Math manipulatives
• Cooking and baking
• Gardening
• Decorating
• Home projects
• Sports activities
• Recreational activities
• Family activities
• Camping and hiking
• Weekend trips or getaways
• Swimming and skating
• Surfing and skiing
• Gymnastics or wall-climbing
• Picnics and socials
• Field trips
• Museum and zoo visits
• Local tours
• Community courses
• Family discussions
• Family newsletters
• Family businesses
• Apprenticeships
• Internships
• Volunteering
• Life skills
• Interest-driven learning pursuits
• Independent learning activities
• Natural living and learning every day
Curiosity increases activity in specific areas of the brain, helping people to absorb and retain information longer. When you are interested and curious about a topic, your brain becomes more inclined to learn about it. Children who are allowed to ask questions, and to remain curious about the world around them, remain eager to learn.
Children are naturally curious about everything, and because curiosity helps them to learn, it’s a trait that should never be discouraged. Asking “Why?” is an innate part of the way children learn. They should always be encouraged to ask why, and to be encouraged to find answers to “Why?”
Unschooling is one of the most natural ways for children to seek the answers to their “Why” questions, and one of the most natural ways for children to acquire knowledge. You’ll want to keep their curiosity alive and encourage them to follow their interests as they learn about the world around them.
Children gain a huge amount of knowledge and skills between birth and age five, without formal schooling. They learn by experimenting, doing, trying and failing, then trying again. Rarely are they deterred, and rarely do they give up. Young children love to experiment. They enjoy trying things their own way, and if it doesn’t work, they’ll try another way. Just as curiosity is an in-born trait in children, so is the desire to learn new things.
Trying the Unschooling Method
If you’re not sure about the unschooling method, try unschooling during weekends, vacations, summertime, or any time! Watch them play, and you’ll see them learn. Encourage their curiosity, and guide them in finding answers and resources. Follow their interests, and you’ll learn right alongside them. You’ll certainly be amazed at how adept they are at learning through the myriad topics that interest them.
More Unschooling Activities
Children are eager to play, and, consequently, learn. Sometimes, though, they might feel that they’ve forgotten how to play, or can’t think of anything to do. Spend time brainstorming ideas together. Ask your children what they’d like to do if they had all the time in the world to do whatever they liked. Then explore those ideas together.
Revisit fun activities from the past, which they might’ve forgotten about, but which could interest them in new or different ways now.
Activities could include:
• Building simple models or 3D structures
• Performing plays based on books or movies
• Creating new types of board games to play
• Designing video games for handheld devices
• Learning to play new instruments and composing music
• Writing and creating comic books or cartoon strips
• Performing and making videos of scientific experiments
• Using LEGO sets or electronic kits to create new gadgets
• Cooking or baking new concoctions for the family
Every day provides multiple ideas for playing, unschooling, and learning. There’s no limit to what your children can do and achieve!
Happy homeschooling!
Tuesday, August 23, 2022
Hands-On Math Activities for Everyday Learning
Math opportunities surround your child every day. From
telling time to food preparations, measurements, temperature variations,
counting, adding, money matters, time requirements, sports scores, game
strategies, construction toys, craft creations, algebra and building projects,
distances and speeds, fractions and percents, fascinating Fibonacci numbers—
your child can practice math in real life every day!
When children are engaged in real-life activities, they learn quicker and retain what they learned longer.
As Maria Montessori said, “What the hand does, the mind remembers.” This is especially true for comprehending math concepts.
Daily Math Fun and Learning
From shape-sorting games to determining the perimeter and area of each of the shapes, you can apply that exercise to nearly any object. Take that idea further by determining the perimeter and area of the room you’re in, as well as each room in your home. Go outside and determine the overall perimeter of your entire house or complex, then calculate total square footage. Which room is the largest in your home? Which room is the smallest? Why are the rooms and homes designed in the size and shape that they are?
In this way, a simple shape-sorting game has grown into real-life learning, making connections between basic shapes, living spaces, and home design. This is an important lesson: Take fun, simple games or daily lessons and make connections to the things that are real in life, the things that are a part of everyday life. This is when education and knowledge clicks, and learning makes sense and solidifies in a child’s mind.
With math opportunities all around us, it’s easy to practice mathematical skills each day. Simply discuss math concepts as you play together, do household chores together, cook and bake together. When you run errands or take daily walks together, determine distances traveled, the speed you’re traveling, and the time it takes to travel those distances. The more your children practice real-life math exercises, the better they’ll become.
Math Games
Board games and card games are great ways to develop and sharpen math skills, as well as reasoning and strategy skills. Bring out the board games each evening, on weekends, or anytime during the homeschool day! Play old favorites, such as Risk, Monopoly or Monopoly Junior, PayDay, or Chess. Try games such as Math Bingo, Math Lotto, Sum Swamp, Cloud Hoppers, Mountain Raiders, 24 Math Game, Pizza Fraction Fun, Adsumudi, Smath, Equate Math, and similar math games.
Play “store” and see what it’s like to open and run your own shop. Use play money or real money, “sell” retail items or consignment items, and keep a running inventory in your pretend store. Record expenses and sales in homemade ledger books, and determine the daily and weekly income—or income potential—of your shop.
Another fun business is the online game of Lemonade Stand. Kids will gain experience in nearly every aspect of a business: pricing, sales, inventory control, and handling the ups and downs of the economy over a period of several days. Make a pitcher of lemonade and head over to the computer and open your lemonade stand!
For math and reasoning games, visit the website FunBrain.com. There's Math Baseball, Cake Monster, MathCar Racing, Math Soccer, Measure It, Shape Surveyor, Guess the Number, Fresh Baked Fractions, and many more. Most of the games are available in Easy, Medium, Hard, and Super Hard levels for all age groups and skill levels.
Mastering Math Skills
Basic math, or arithmetic, includes counting, adding, subtracting, estimating, measuring, and calculating. As your children progress through the elementary years, additional mathematical skills will be introduced. When your child has grasped the basics, you’ll be able to help him build upon a solid mathematical foundation.
Math skills introduced in traditional schools move along so quickly, though, that if a child doesn’t catch them the first time around, they’ve often lost that window of opportunity. In your homeschool, however, if you see that your child is still struggling with basic subtraction, for instance, you won’t want to move ahead to more complex problems until he has mastered the basics. Fortunately, you have plenty of time for practicing basic concepts in your home. There’s no specific timeframe your child must stay within.
When your child has achieved true comprehension of subtraction, along with the ability to perform the calculations flawlessly, then he can move on to the next lessons. You will know without a doubt that he has truly mastered the skills he needs before moving ahead. With this solid foundation, he is ready for multiplication and division, fractions and decimals, estimation and measurement, problem solving, and more challenging mathematical equations.
Math Manipulatives
Using hands-on examples of math problems will help children better understand the abstract concepts that are introduced. You can use any objects for counting, adding, and subtracting, from buttons to beans to plastic animal counters. You can also use an abacus or counting frame with plastic beads.
Math manipulatives are available online or at retail or educational supply stores. However, you can often make your own. From poster board or construction paper, you can create coin-sized counters, pattern blocks, fraction circles, fraction slices, fraction bars, cardboard clocks, and mathematical charts. You can also make rulers, number lines, geometric boards, play money, and flashcards. And your children will enjoy the cutting and creative activities, too.
Everyday Math
Daily situations present excellent ways to put math skills to regular, logical use. In a normal day, your family can practice telling time as the minutes and hours go by. You and your children can estimate, then measure ingredients when cooking on a daily basis.
Practice money skills by regularly setting up "stores" in your home. Have children put prices on items gathered from the pantry or on toys or books gathered from their room. Make purchases, have children add up the total costs, pay with play or real money, and have children count out your correct change.
When grocery shopping, children can keep running tabs of the items you’re purchasing and see how close they come to the actual total. At the gasoline station, they can calculate the cost of your tank of gas. Then, based upon how many gallons of gasoline are in the tank and how many miles your car gets to a gallon, they can determine how far this tank of gas will go.
Every day offers mathematical problems that can be fun to solve, clearly showing children the importance of learning and applying math skills in real life.
Books and Activity Books such as Real World Math, Math Connections, Math Art, Math Wise, Real-Life Math Problem Solving, Real-World Math for Hands-On Fun, Hands-On Math Projects with Real-Life Applications provide interesting activities that help your child understand and relate key math skills to everyday life.
Remember to jot down activities and lessons in your lesson logbook or on our log sheets (available here: Weekly Planner Log link.)
Note: Some material published here include excerpts from my book, The Everything Guide to Homeschooling, by Sherri Linsenbach, available online or in libraries and bookstores.
Happy Homeschooling!
When children are engaged in real-life activities, they learn quicker and retain what they learned longer.
As Maria Montessori said, “What the hand does, the mind remembers.” This is especially true for comprehending math concepts.
Daily Math Fun and Learning
From shape-sorting games to determining the perimeter and area of each of the shapes, you can apply that exercise to nearly any object. Take that idea further by determining the perimeter and area of the room you’re in, as well as each room in your home. Go outside and determine the overall perimeter of your entire house or complex, then calculate total square footage. Which room is the largest in your home? Which room is the smallest? Why are the rooms and homes designed in the size and shape that they are?
In this way, a simple shape-sorting game has grown into real-life learning, making connections between basic shapes, living spaces, and home design. This is an important lesson: Take fun, simple games or daily lessons and make connections to the things that are real in life, the things that are a part of everyday life. This is when education and knowledge clicks, and learning makes sense and solidifies in a child’s mind.
With math opportunities all around us, it’s easy to practice mathematical skills each day. Simply discuss math concepts as you play together, do household chores together, cook and bake together. When you run errands or take daily walks together, determine distances traveled, the speed you’re traveling, and the time it takes to travel those distances. The more your children practice real-life math exercises, the better they’ll become.
Math Games
Board games and card games are great ways to develop and sharpen math skills, as well as reasoning and strategy skills. Bring out the board games each evening, on weekends, or anytime during the homeschool day! Play old favorites, such as Risk, Monopoly or Monopoly Junior, PayDay, or Chess. Try games such as Math Bingo, Math Lotto, Sum Swamp, Cloud Hoppers, Mountain Raiders, 24 Math Game, Pizza Fraction Fun, Adsumudi, Smath, Equate Math, and similar math games.
Play “store” and see what it’s like to open and run your own shop. Use play money or real money, “sell” retail items or consignment items, and keep a running inventory in your pretend store. Record expenses and sales in homemade ledger books, and determine the daily and weekly income—or income potential—of your shop.
Another fun business is the online game of Lemonade Stand. Kids will gain experience in nearly every aspect of a business: pricing, sales, inventory control, and handling the ups and downs of the economy over a period of several days. Make a pitcher of lemonade and head over to the computer and open your lemonade stand!
For math and reasoning games, visit the website FunBrain.com. There's Math Baseball, Cake Monster, MathCar Racing, Math Soccer, Measure It, Shape Surveyor, Guess the Number, Fresh Baked Fractions, and many more. Most of the games are available in Easy, Medium, Hard, and Super Hard levels for all age groups and skill levels.
Mastering Math Skills
Basic math, or arithmetic, includes counting, adding, subtracting, estimating, measuring, and calculating. As your children progress through the elementary years, additional mathematical skills will be introduced. When your child has grasped the basics, you’ll be able to help him build upon a solid mathematical foundation.
Math skills introduced in traditional schools move along so quickly, though, that if a child doesn’t catch them the first time around, they’ve often lost that window of opportunity. In your homeschool, however, if you see that your child is still struggling with basic subtraction, for instance, you won’t want to move ahead to more complex problems until he has mastered the basics. Fortunately, you have plenty of time for practicing basic concepts in your home. There’s no specific timeframe your child must stay within.
When your child has achieved true comprehension of subtraction, along with the ability to perform the calculations flawlessly, then he can move on to the next lessons. You will know without a doubt that he has truly mastered the skills he needs before moving ahead. With this solid foundation, he is ready for multiplication and division, fractions and decimals, estimation and measurement, problem solving, and more challenging mathematical equations.
Math Manipulatives
Using hands-on examples of math problems will help children better understand the abstract concepts that are introduced. You can use any objects for counting, adding, and subtracting, from buttons to beans to plastic animal counters. You can also use an abacus or counting frame with plastic beads.
Math manipulatives are available online or at retail or educational supply stores. However, you can often make your own. From poster board or construction paper, you can create coin-sized counters, pattern blocks, fraction circles, fraction slices, fraction bars, cardboard clocks, and mathematical charts. You can also make rulers, number lines, geometric boards, play money, and flashcards. And your children will enjoy the cutting and creative activities, too.
Everyday Math
Daily situations present excellent ways to put math skills to regular, logical use. In a normal day, your family can practice telling time as the minutes and hours go by. You and your children can estimate, then measure ingredients when cooking on a daily basis.
Practice money skills by regularly setting up "stores" in your home. Have children put prices on items gathered from the pantry or on toys or books gathered from their room. Make purchases, have children add up the total costs, pay with play or real money, and have children count out your correct change.
When grocery shopping, children can keep running tabs of the items you’re purchasing and see how close they come to the actual total. At the gasoline station, they can calculate the cost of your tank of gas. Then, based upon how many gallons of gasoline are in the tank and how many miles your car gets to a gallon, they can determine how far this tank of gas will go.
Every day offers mathematical problems that can be fun to solve, clearly showing children the importance of learning and applying math skills in real life.
Books and Activity Books such as Real World Math, Math Connections, Math Art, Math Wise, Real-Life Math Problem Solving, Real-World Math for Hands-On Fun, Hands-On Math Projects with Real-Life Applications provide interesting activities that help your child understand and relate key math skills to everyday life.
Remember to jot down activities and lessons in your lesson logbook or on our log sheets (available here: Weekly Planner Log link.)
Note: Some material published here include excerpts from my book, The Everything Guide to Homeschooling, by Sherri Linsenbach, available online or in libraries and bookstores.
Happy Homeschooling!
Tuesday, August 16, 2022
500+ Science Experiments and Activities
Hundreds of Science Experiments and Activities will keep learning fun and educational this year!
With 500+ Activities, you’ll never be without a topic to teach over the coming year! And, of course, your children will be sharpening ALL their skills – reading, writing, reasoning, math, technology – while having fun with the experiments!
From Easy to More Challenging, the experiments noted here have clear, easy-to-follow instructions, illustrations, photos, and explanations.
Get Started Now!
400+ Experiments and Activities are illustrated at Scientific American, on topics such as Curling Metals, Airplane Launchers, Marble Roller Coasters, Wind-Powered Cars, Earthquake Structures, Blood Flow Models, Double Helix, Archimedes Screw, Building Bridges, Designing Cell Phone Stands, Art Science, Smartphone Science, Making Batteries, Making Rainbows, Making Robots, Making Rockets, and much more! There’s 20+ pages, each with 20 Science Experiments or Activities, for a total of 400+ Learning Activities! Click here:
Scientific American Experiments
100+ Experiments and Activities from Easy Science Experiments to STEM Activities and Rocket Science are offered at Science Fun. The experiments focus on popular topics often taught in school, such as Color, Light, Sound, Water, Electricity, Magnetism, Force and Motion, Weather and Air, Gravity, Density, Balloon Science, Chemical Reactions, Marine Life, Animals, Human Body, Dinosaurs, Fossils, Rocks, Geology, Crystals, Biology, Botany, Ecology, STEM and Engineering Activities, Rocket Science and Space Experiments. Click here:
Science Fun Experiments
40+ Science Experiments are shown here, with colorful instructions and explanations on the “why” behind the science concepts. See how to Create Clouds, Friction Racers, Anti-Gravity Chambers, Windmill Cams, Rainbow-Colored Xylophones, Popsicle Stick Harmonicas, Geysers, Rockets, and more! Click here:
Home Science Experiments
40+ More Science Experiments focusing on Life Science, Physical Science, and Planetary Science are available at Bill Nye the Science Guy’s site. Experiments include Temperature Time Warp, Bending Light, Marble Madness, Inertia, Barometer in a Bottle, Erosion Explosion, Twistin’ Tornado, and more. Click here:
Bill Nye Experiments
Log the Learning!
Note the Science Experiments, the Subject Areas, and the Concepts Learned through the experiments. Lessons learned and skills sharpened include Life Science, Physical Science, Earth Science, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Math Skills, Calculation Skills, Measurement Skills, Reasoning Skills, Critical Thinking Skills, Spatial Skills, Creative Thinking Skills, Reading, Writing, Journaling, Arts and Crafts, Geology, Geography, Social Science, and more. Jot down the lessons and activities in your lesson logbook or on our log sheets (available here: Weekly Planner Log link.)
Happy Homeschooling!
With 500+ Activities, you’ll never be without a topic to teach over the coming year! And, of course, your children will be sharpening ALL their skills – reading, writing, reasoning, math, technology – while having fun with the experiments!
From Easy to More Challenging, the experiments noted here have clear, easy-to-follow instructions, illustrations, photos, and explanations.
Get Started Now!
400+ Experiments and Activities are illustrated at Scientific American, on topics such as Curling Metals, Airplane Launchers, Marble Roller Coasters, Wind-Powered Cars, Earthquake Structures, Blood Flow Models, Double Helix, Archimedes Screw, Building Bridges, Designing Cell Phone Stands, Art Science, Smartphone Science, Making Batteries, Making Rainbows, Making Robots, Making Rockets, and much more! There’s 20+ pages, each with 20 Science Experiments or Activities, for a total of 400+ Learning Activities! Click here:
Scientific American Experiments
100+ Experiments and Activities from Easy Science Experiments to STEM Activities and Rocket Science are offered at Science Fun. The experiments focus on popular topics often taught in school, such as Color, Light, Sound, Water, Electricity, Magnetism, Force and Motion, Weather and Air, Gravity, Density, Balloon Science, Chemical Reactions, Marine Life, Animals, Human Body, Dinosaurs, Fossils, Rocks, Geology, Crystals, Biology, Botany, Ecology, STEM and Engineering Activities, Rocket Science and Space Experiments. Click here:
Science Fun Experiments
40+ Science Experiments are shown here, with colorful instructions and explanations on the “why” behind the science concepts. See how to Create Clouds, Friction Racers, Anti-Gravity Chambers, Windmill Cams, Rainbow-Colored Xylophones, Popsicle Stick Harmonicas, Geysers, Rockets, and more! Click here:
Home Science Experiments
40+ More Science Experiments focusing on Life Science, Physical Science, and Planetary Science are available at Bill Nye the Science Guy’s site. Experiments include Temperature Time Warp, Bending Light, Marble Madness, Inertia, Barometer in a Bottle, Erosion Explosion, Twistin’ Tornado, and more. Click here:
Bill Nye Experiments
Log the Learning!
Note the Science Experiments, the Subject Areas, and the Concepts Learned through the experiments. Lessons learned and skills sharpened include Life Science, Physical Science, Earth Science, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Math Skills, Calculation Skills, Measurement Skills, Reasoning Skills, Critical Thinking Skills, Spatial Skills, Creative Thinking Skills, Reading, Writing, Journaling, Arts and Crafts, Geology, Geography, Social Science, and more. Jot down the lessons and activities in your lesson logbook or on our log sheets (available here: Weekly Planner Log link.)
Happy Homeschooling!
Monday, August 8, 2022
Weekly Homeschool Activities & Lessons: The World Around Me
Recent learning activities focused on your child asking: “Where in the World Am I?” and “Who in the World Am I?” (See previous posts from August 1 and August 4.)
This week, have your child think about: “The World Around Me.”
Learning opportunities abound when thinking about the many things that are around us: Air, Water, Grass, Trees, Flowers, Plants, Animals, Birds, Insects, Sky, Clouds, Rivers, Oceans, Mountains, People, and much, much more! Just one of these topics could result in learning and lessons for days, weeks, months, or years! And they're interesting to kids of all ages!
The Troposphere -- or world around us -- is the layer of the Atmosphere that includes these many things that surround us. Find our Troposphere in this colorful chart of our Atmosphere: Atmosphere to View. Read more about the Troposphere and other layers of the Atmosphere at that website, too.
Art Project: Draw and color your own chart of the atmosphere, similar to the one you saw above. Or use different colors of construction paper to create the different levels of the atmosphere. Determine where the Earth and the troposphere is. Then cut out and color shapes to indicate the Earth, mountains, trees, sky, sun, clouds, birds, airplanes, meteors, stars, spaceships, etc. Then glue them in their proper layers of the atmosphere. Discuss the ones that you see most often and the ones you see only occasionally. Why is that?
Fun Science Project: Create your own 3-Dimensional World. Use cardboard and boxes, construction paper, tissue paper, etc., to replicate the views you see around you. Glue “grass” onto the cardboard. Create houses, trees, and animals (from boxes and construction paper), flowers and plants (from colorful tissue paper), sidewalks and creek banks (from small rocks and twigs). Use your imagination to create your own 3-dimensional world!
Math Skills: Determine distances and heights: How tall are the trees around you? How tall is your house? How long is your sidewalk and how long is your street? How long is the river that flows through your town? How high are the clouds? How high do the airplanes fly? How far away is the sun and the moon? How far away are the stars? Write these down in a Science Journal. Make a Chart, showing the “shortest/closest” items, all the way up to the “tallest/farthest away” places.
More Math Skills: More on distances and heights: How far does our troposphere extend (about 10 miles)? How far is 10 miles? How far is 1 mile? How far is 5,280 feet (1 mile)? How far is 10 miles (52,800 feet)? How far is 1 foot or 3 feet? How long is the room you are in? How long is your sidewalk or driveway? Measure these with rulers, yardsticks, tape measures. Walk or bike 1 mile with your parents (5,280 feet). Ride 10 miles in a car with your parents (52,800 feet). Think of how all these distances relate in the world around you and above you. Write about these distances in your Science Journal or Make Charts illustrating these distances.
Field Trips and Photographs: Take field trips through your neighborhood, towns, and cities. Take photos of scenes in your world, such as fields, woods, rivers, mountains, parks, birds, squirrels, deer, horses, buildings, barns, bridges, benches, people walking, people biking, kites flying, planes flying, clouds drifting. Take field trips often, and take photos often, too. Put the photos in a scrapbook or journal. Describe this world around you, and how it changes from time to time, or from season to season.
Draw or Paint Pictures inspired by your field trips and photos. Display your artwork or keep your drawings and paintings in an Art box, folder, or portfolio. Draw or paint your world often. Always keep your art projects to look back on.
Read Books on Troposphere and Atmosphere, such as Stickmen's Guide to Earth's Atmosphere in Layers; Our Amazing Sky; Atmosphere: Earth Science; and The Layers of Earth’s Atmosphere. What more did you learn in these books?
Read Books on the World Around Us, such as Explore My World series; Exploring Nature Activity Book; Secret World of Plants; One Million Insects; Fascinating Animal Book; The Skies Above My Eyes; Sky Gazing: Guide to the Moon, Sun, Planet, Stars; and books on Around Town; Country Life; Farm Life; City Life. Discuss how these books relate to your world around you.
Music on Troposphere and Atmosphere: The Atmosphere Song by Math Dad. Have fun with this one!
Lessons learned and skills sharpened: Earth science, Life science, the World, Math Skills, Measurements, Calculating Distances, Social Studies, Communities, Reading, Writing, Journaling, Science Projects, Research Skills, Critical Thinking, Spatial Thinking, Creative Thinking, Arts and Crafts, Music, Field Trips, Photography, Scrapbooking, Painting, Drawing, and more. Jot down these lessons and activities in your lesson logbook or on our log sheets (available here: Weekly Planner Log link.)
Happy Homeschooling!
This week, have your child think about: “The World Around Me.”
Learning opportunities abound when thinking about the many things that are around us: Air, Water, Grass, Trees, Flowers, Plants, Animals, Birds, Insects, Sky, Clouds, Rivers, Oceans, Mountains, People, and much, much more! Just one of these topics could result in learning and lessons for days, weeks, months, or years! And they're interesting to kids of all ages!
The Troposphere -- or world around us -- is the layer of the Atmosphere that includes these many things that surround us. Find our Troposphere in this colorful chart of our Atmosphere: Atmosphere to View. Read more about the Troposphere and other layers of the Atmosphere at that website, too.
Art Project: Draw and color your own chart of the atmosphere, similar to the one you saw above. Or use different colors of construction paper to create the different levels of the atmosphere. Determine where the Earth and the troposphere is. Then cut out and color shapes to indicate the Earth, mountains, trees, sky, sun, clouds, birds, airplanes, meteors, stars, spaceships, etc. Then glue them in their proper layers of the atmosphere. Discuss the ones that you see most often and the ones you see only occasionally. Why is that?
Fun Science Project: Create your own 3-Dimensional World. Use cardboard and boxes, construction paper, tissue paper, etc., to replicate the views you see around you. Glue “grass” onto the cardboard. Create houses, trees, and animals (from boxes and construction paper), flowers and plants (from colorful tissue paper), sidewalks and creek banks (from small rocks and twigs). Use your imagination to create your own 3-dimensional world!
Math Skills: Determine distances and heights: How tall are the trees around you? How tall is your house? How long is your sidewalk and how long is your street? How long is the river that flows through your town? How high are the clouds? How high do the airplanes fly? How far away is the sun and the moon? How far away are the stars? Write these down in a Science Journal. Make a Chart, showing the “shortest/closest” items, all the way up to the “tallest/farthest away” places.
More Math Skills: More on distances and heights: How far does our troposphere extend (about 10 miles)? How far is 10 miles? How far is 1 mile? How far is 5,280 feet (1 mile)? How far is 10 miles (52,800 feet)? How far is 1 foot or 3 feet? How long is the room you are in? How long is your sidewalk or driveway? Measure these with rulers, yardsticks, tape measures. Walk or bike 1 mile with your parents (5,280 feet). Ride 10 miles in a car with your parents (52,800 feet). Think of how all these distances relate in the world around you and above you. Write about these distances in your Science Journal or Make Charts illustrating these distances.
Field Trips and Photographs: Take field trips through your neighborhood, towns, and cities. Take photos of scenes in your world, such as fields, woods, rivers, mountains, parks, birds, squirrels, deer, horses, buildings, barns, bridges, benches, people walking, people biking, kites flying, planes flying, clouds drifting. Take field trips often, and take photos often, too. Put the photos in a scrapbook or journal. Describe this world around you, and how it changes from time to time, or from season to season.
Draw or Paint Pictures inspired by your field trips and photos. Display your artwork or keep your drawings and paintings in an Art box, folder, or portfolio. Draw or paint your world often. Always keep your art projects to look back on.
Read Books on Troposphere and Atmosphere, such as Stickmen's Guide to Earth's Atmosphere in Layers; Our Amazing Sky; Atmosphere: Earth Science; and The Layers of Earth’s Atmosphere. What more did you learn in these books?
Read Books on the World Around Us, such as Explore My World series; Exploring Nature Activity Book; Secret World of Plants; One Million Insects; Fascinating Animal Book; The Skies Above My Eyes; Sky Gazing: Guide to the Moon, Sun, Planet, Stars; and books on Around Town; Country Life; Farm Life; City Life. Discuss how these books relate to your world around you.
Music on Troposphere and Atmosphere: The Atmosphere Song by Math Dad. Have fun with this one!
Lessons learned and skills sharpened: Earth science, Life science, the World, Math Skills, Measurements, Calculating Distances, Social Studies, Communities, Reading, Writing, Journaling, Science Projects, Research Skills, Critical Thinking, Spatial Thinking, Creative Thinking, Arts and Crafts, Music, Field Trips, Photography, Scrapbooking, Painting, Drawing, and more. Jot down these lessons and activities in your lesson logbook or on our log sheets (available here: Weekly Planner Log link.)
Happy Homeschooling!
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