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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!