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A Better Way to Homeschool

What if we focus on character

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You are here: Home / Archives for Bekki

Bekki

What You Really Need to Homeschool

Homeschool Supplies at Your Fingertips

When we had our first son, we had all the gadgets.

Bassinet, stroller, carrier, car seat, bouncy seat, playpen, baby gate, huge diaper bag, and a baby monitor for our 425 square foot apartment.

By the time we had our fifth son, we had narrowed down what we really needed: a crib, a car seat, a diaper in my purse, and a fun toy for him to play with (my car keys).

Homeschooling is like that.

…

Read More »

Filed Under: blog, Homeschool Hacks, sticky Tagged With: gift guide, homeschool room, homeschool supplies, popular, printables

7 Easy Thanksgiving Desserts that Kids Will be Proud to Make

Inside: Thanksgiving Desserts for kids and made by kids.
 
The first time my oldest son tried to cook he was about three.
He had decided that “I will make eggs”.
 
Thank goodness the only damage was done to the eggs. I believe a dozen fresh eggs met their end that day.
 

Kids love to help in the kitchen.

 
 

All five of our sons can cook to some degree or another. We even have their favorite “fails”.

…

Read More »

Filed Under: blog, popular, sticky Tagged With: Thanksgiving activities for kids, Thanksgiving crafts, thanksgiving kid friendly desserts

Make Toys from Sticks, Stones, and Natural Materials

Just because you’re stuck at home due to injury, illness, or global pandemic, doesn’t mean you can’t create a magical playtime for you and your kids.

While we all live in different climates and have different types of raw materials near our back doors, we can use what we find to make some fun natural toys.

  • Browse for a few ideas.
  • Go outside and gather your materials with your kids
  • Let them lead

I bet you’ll make something cool, but I’m also guessing you’re gonna make something else: MEMORIES!

toys from nature
Learn more from The Best Ideas for Kids
toys from nature
Nature Sun Catchers! Learn more from Hands on As We Grow
toys from nature
Learn more from Adventure in a box
toys from nature
Make a fairy Garden! Learn more from Family Handy Man
toys from nature
Make a tie tac toe board! Learn more from Chicken Scratch NY
toys from nature
Paint Name, or word, rocks! Learn more from Mama Papa Bubba
toys from nature
Make story stones! Learn more from Happy Hooligans

Related: Turn classic puppet show stories into story stones

toys from nature
Sea Glass Chime! Learn more from All Snug as a Bug
toys from nature
Nature Sensory Bottles! Learn More from Rhythms of Play

Make a SIMPLE draw string bag with your kids to store these NATURAL WONDERS!


Learning at Home: Everything you need in one place

Don’t stress about Screen Time

Filed Under: 3rd-5th grade, 6th-8th grade, blog, k-2nd, sticky, Teach at home Goodies

How to Homeschool: Quick Start Videos to Rescue


“Help! We just decided to homeschool our kids and I’m freaking out!”

I’ve received various translations of the same message from so many family members, neighbors, friends, and readers that I’m, putting all the answers on one page. –>THIS ONE.


Homeschooling is like eating and elephant, you’ll have to do it one bite at a time.

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

Filed Under: blog, k-2nd, K-8th Grade, sticky Tagged With: how to homeschool

100 Easy Earth Activities to Delight and Inspire your Kids

Inside: 100 Earth Crafts and Activities for Kids

As I emptied the hot clothes from the dryer, socks, jeans, t-shorts, sea shells, rocks, and sand fell into the basket.

A cup of sand.

I sighed.

Someone lost their earthen treasures; AGAIN.

earth crafts and activities

You don’t need to tell your kids; they just KNOW.

  • Mud makes perfect Pies.
  • Sand can be molded into amazing castles.
  • Worms will continue to bury themselves in the soil.
  • Trees beg to be climbed.
  • Rocks and shells need to be collected.
  • Earth is filled with treasure.

Your kids don’t need to be told that earth is a great place to live, explore and conquer. They were born ready to go forth and enjoy and collect all sorts of treasures.

It’s the big people on this planet that need to be reminded. You. Me. Them.

Earth Day was established to help moms like me not implode when the clean laundry turns into a sand box.

As I folded the clothes, I collected all the treasures into a pile.

I saw an oyster shell, a smooth flat rock, a bumpy black rock, and one of those boring “looks like every other rock on the planet” rocks.

But that wasn’t all I saw.

“Hey, buddy,” I called. “Come get your laundry, please.”

He came flying around the corner holding a Lego.

“Those are mine!” he declared.

“Not so fast, buster. You’re gonna have to prove they are yours,” I winked.

Eyes twinkling, he grabbed the flat gray stone… 

 

100+ Ways to Celebrate Earth with Our Kids

preschool earth

Embrace it mom. Your kids LOVE the dirt, rocks, sand, shells, grass, and sky.

Get creative, head outside, incorporate green, blue, scissors, glue, and mud and you’ll have your child’s full attention a sneak in some learning without them knowing!

Let’s begin with BOOKS!

Grab your favorite blanket and a few picture filled books and head outside. Let the world slow it’s spin long enough for your heart beat to slow down and for your kids to kick off their shoes and enjoy a few books with you by their side.

  1. The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth: Understanding Our World and Its Ecosystems: focuses on the complex way that God created our vast and scientifically operating universe, including the biodiversity of life on our planet and the intricacies of a vast solar system.
  2. The Ultimate Book of Planet Earth: Learn all about our planet’s geology, geography, atmosphere, weather, and more!

  3. Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth. Scenes that inspire cosmic awe.

  4. What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet: Recycling for children.

  5. When God Made the World: Rhythmic, whimsical journey through creation–for little readers who love science and wonder.

preschool earth

The laundry drama continued…

Holding the flat stone with his right hand and moving his hand in a stone skipping motion, he gleamed. “I thought I could beat Sam in our rock skipping contest with this beauty.”

His shoulders sagged just a little.

“But I wasn’t throwing great, so I saved it for round two!”

I smiled.

“And this one?” I held up the bumpy rock.

“That is proof I beat Sam in a race!”

I may have rolled my eyes. Not sure how a random rock proves a victory, but the look on his face made me stifle my laugh.

“What about this boring rock?” I smirked.

He simultaneously hugged me as grabbed the rock. “I just like it.”

And he ran off…

Let’s swirl some Shaving Creme Crafts into the day!

Again, the great outdoors is calling you to take these ideas outside. Thank her!

preschool earth crafts

 

Preschool Earth Art6. Shaving Cream Earth Painting. “We love a good paper plate craft but for Earth Day we’re taking it to the next level with this shaving cream painting craft!” by the Simple Parent.

 

7. Shaving Creme Earth CAKE made with food coloring and marbles! Fun brought to you by Crafty Morning.

If you have kids who can’t resist tasting… use whipping creme instead!

 

Earth Day Activities

Let’s Dig into MORE Cute, Easy, and FUN Earth Day Crafts for Kids!

 

8. This coffee filter planet Earth craft from Angela with About a Mom is great for Earth Day or a planets unit study. 

 

9. DIY Newspaper Pots! Give your new seedlings a great start with these biodegradable starter pots!

Preschool Earth Art10. Balloon Art! Grab some paint, balloons, paper plates, and paper and head outside with your kids to enjoy this simple but colorful EARTH PAINTING craft by I Heart Arts n Crafts!

 

 

11. Craft and exploration Crates to unlock your child’s creativity and problem solving skills! Using these skills, who knows what they will do to help our planet!


 

12. Fingerprint FUN!: Explore FUN ways to create with fingerprints! Each day’s activity emphasize how your child is uniquely and wonderfully made! “There is only one you, just like there is only one EARTH.”


13. EARTH Day Tic Tac Toe Game to explore our little planet in the Milky Way. FREE

Earth Day Printable Activities  inside the mini Printable Bundle

14. I Love Earth Wristbands: Color, cut and wear yours!

15. Earth Day Memory Game Printable

16. I LOVE Earth board game printable

preschool earth crafts

17. Sort the Recyclables

18. TEN things I can’t recycle

19. Label that recyclable Activity

20. Renewable Energy Mini-booklet

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.”
― John Muir

If the weather is too harsh for you to take your kids outside to explore, rest, and play pop some popcorn and enjoy some AMAZING documentaries, shows,  and movies about our planet.

preschool earth crafts

21. High Sierra – A Journey on the John Muir Trail

22. One Year on Earth – Seen From 1 Million Miles

23. What is Biodiversity?

24. How to Save Our Planet

25. How We Can Keep Plastics Out of Our Ocean | National Geographic

26. NASA | Show Me the Water

27. The March of the Penguins

28. ((Insert your favorite movie about the Earth, Water, Oceans, Plants, or Animals here))

preschool earth crafts

29. Earth Day Scavenger Hunt as you walk through the neighborhood, park, or trail with your kids.

30. Doodle and Draw together as you talk, share, and learn about the earth. No prior drawing skills required! Let me teach you and your kids to draw in short 2-minute bursts at a time!

 

31. Fingerprint Earth Day Craft for Preschoolers by Crafts on Sea! Simply doodle a quick earth and your kids will do the rest!

 

Songs that are interactive and include movement work best for aiding recall. So if you have a concept that your class needs to memorize, then turning the key facts into lyrics and actions may be the most effective way of making the lesson stick. –The Inspired Classroom

32. Get your kids singing in short EASY bursts!

Children’s Songs and Action Rhymes by Holiday Zone

preschool earth crafts

33. E-A-R-T-H
(to the tune of “B-I-N-G-O”)

34. Happy Earth Day
(to the tune of “Happy Birthday”)

35. I Live Here on Planet Earth
(ESL/EFL Action Rhyme)

36. The Earth Is Ours
(to the tune of “This Old Man”)

37. The Earth is a Ball
(Action Rhyme)

38. Three Big Words
(to the tune of “Three Blind Mice”)

39. We Live Here on Planet Earth
(to the tune of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”)

40. We’ve Got the Future in Our Hands
(to the tune of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”)

41. Learn Environmental Song Earth, Earth, Earth using ASL by We Play Along

Simple Earth Day FUN with Seeds

Why try to explain miracles to kids, when you can just let them grow a garden? – Robert Brault

 

42. Wildflower Seed Bombs for Kids with dirt

43. DIY Seed Bombs for Kids with clay

44. Basic Seed Bomb Recipe : A great place to start

 

45. Seed Sorting: Give your child an assortment of seeds and beans. Have them sort the different kinds of seeds into an ice tray or an egg carton.

46. Seed Germinating! Growing seeds in a jar. By How We Learn.

47. Seeds in a Bag: Science Experiment for Kids

48. Preschool: Earth Day resource by Mrs Plemons Kindergarten has everything you need for a week packed full of Earth Day themed learning and fun.

49. My Earth Day Workbook: 30 Colorful pages of earth day fun!

Food is a POWERFUL teaching tool!

preschool earth

 

50. Dirt Cups Recipe by Jessica with Mothering with Creativity

 

51. Make a SANDWICH Tree!

Gina is a magician with simple foods that bring earth to our kids’ mouths!

 

52. Ladybugs and ants! You’re not gonna believe how fast the kids eat their veggies!

 

More Earth Day Activities, Crafts, and ideas

53. Plant a tree!

54. Build a Birdhouse

55. Build a Bug Hotel: If you are an organic gardener like me, then you will want to be sure that there is a place in your garden for beneficial insects to lodge for the winter. 

56. Build a terrarium: 12 Tips to help you make it AMAZING

Related: Want activities to make use of all those rocks and sticks your kids bring home for a nature collection? Look no farther, we’ve got a bunch!

57. Start a compost bin: Here are 35 Cheap and Easy Ideas!

58. Go on a treasure collection walk! Fill a brown paper bag with leaves, feathers, rocks, sticks, and wonders.

59. Create a nature collage with your treasures.

60. Leaf Rubbing

61. Make Fairy/Butterfly Wings with Contact paper

62. Press flowers: These are gorgeous!

63. Make Paper Mache Light-Up Globes

“Paper Mache is so easy and really cheap.  Which makes it a prefect medium for crafting in large groups.  We love creating simple Earth Day Crafts, and quickly feel in love with these simple paper mache globes that glow.”

-Housing a Forest

 
64. Make a Paper Mache Globe: The project involves making your own paper mache paste, coating newspaper strips with the paste, and molding them around a balloon to create the globe.
 

65. Yarn Earth for Kids: All you need is some yarn, glue, scissors, wax paper and the instructions from Made with Happy.

66. Paper Plate Earth Day Craft with Yarn

More Preschool Goodies

Preschool earth67. Grow your own terrarium Kit
Explore the wonder of nature and science with the Grow ‘N Glow Terrarium Kit! This indoor activity for kids allows you to craft, plant, water and grow your own mini ecosystem. Just add water for a unique science experience!

 

68. Grow your own terrarium Kit

preschool earth

69. Grow your own Butterfly Garden

70. Release your own Butterflies into the wild

71. Printable Bugs: All About Bees

72. Printable Bugs: Units Study of Ants

73. Learn all about ANTS! ((Take this up a notch by starting  your own Ant Farm

74. Visit a virtual Bug Museum with classrooms around the world!

75. Visit your nearest Nursery

76. Visit your nearest Zoo! Yes, virtual zoos are fun too!

77. Visit the nearest children’s park and play

78. Make a sun catcher

79. Experiment with rainbows

80. Have a good old fashion Wheelbarrow Race to enjoy fun outside!

Related: Nasa has some really amazing images to dazzle their imagination.

81. Set up recycling stations at home

82. Play hopscotch with leave and sticks and stones as markers

83. Create an outdoor Tic Tac Toe game with paint and rocks!

84. Make a Fairy Garden! Here are 23 to inspire you!

85. Make a Fun, Colorful Miniature Garden with DIY Pond!

There really are countless ways to help our kids fall in love with our planet.

86. Talk about ways to save water

Go on a quest with NASA

87. Enjoy Earth NOW!

88. Learn about Drinking water as an astronaut.

89. Earth Day Coloring Pages

90. Going Deeper into Earth Science for older Kids MEGA BUNDLE

91. Print your own Earth Day Stickers!

92. Renewable Energy Foldable is inside the Geology and Renewable Energy BUNDLE

93. 112 Pages of fun, easy to use activities to learn about Geology and Renewable Energy

94. Make paper bead jewelry out of recycled magazines

95. Explore Waterfalls!

96. Learn all about SNOW!

preschool earth

97. Create your own life cycle of a SUNFLOWER paper craft booklet

98. Enjoy STUNNING photographs of mushrooms taken by a 14-year old who discovered these amazing life forms while studying fungi.

99. Learn about something wonderful in nature. Like Creepy, crawling SPIDERS!

100. Enjoy this classic Reading Rainbow Short: How Trash Is Recycled with LeVar Burton

101. Looking for MORE than a 100 ways to fall in love with our planet with your kids? Here is another jumbo list of 100 Ideas to Celebrate Earth Day for you to choose your level of greatness!

 

As I called my son back, “Hey you forgot something!”

He grabbed the pile of folded laundry.

“Not that, silly” I pointed.

“You forgot the sand.”

preschool earth


 

Download Your Free cheat sheet of the Earth Crafts and Activities for kids!

Use this cheat sheet of to help you whip up creative and inspiring activities and memories – even when life is busy.

  1. Download the free cheat sheet. Join my weekly-ish newsletter and as a bonus, you’ll get the printable! Just click here to download and subscribe.
  2. Print. Any paper will do the trick, but card stock would be ideal.
  3. ENJOY making memories: even if they involve getting sand in the dryer!

Here’s a SNEAK PEEK at your printable Cheatsheet

Your Turn

What are your favorite EARTH activities and Crafts? Share in a comment below!

Filed Under: blog, Preschool Homeschool, Ready to go Resources, sticky

97+ Amazing Ways to Make Math Fun for All

Inside: A master list of simple, inexpensive, and fun ways to teach all the basic math principles your kids need to thrive. PLUS- Free Math Roadmap

Most homeschoolers overcomplicate math with fancy curriculum, worksheets, quizzes, stop-watches and tests. We choose to be different!

fun math

Stripping math back to its basic foundational core, we can set our kids up for success in life by giving them a solid foundation with allows them to add, subtract, multiply, divide, count, measure, weigh, and estimate.

Pickin’ Cute!!!

Most kids are not mathematicians hiding inside little bodies. They are dancers, chefs, architects, designers, farmers, mechanics, bankers, writers or yet-to-be-decideds.

…

Read More »

Filed Under: blog, Homeschool Hacks, Ready to go Resources, sticky Tagged With: Fine Motor Skills, math, Math art, Math facts, Patterning and sorting, teach addition and subtraction

Pincer Grasp Activities for Fine Motor Development

Your son is using all of his fingers to rake small items into his palm rather than pinching them together with his thumb and index finger.

Your daughter is choking her crayons rather than carefully holding them between her fingers.

Maybe your kids need some help strengthening their pincher grasp

The development of this fined tuned grasp is influenced by a child’s growing interest in objects and desire to hold them.  Kind of curiosity’s way of helping our kids.

We all need great pincher grasps to:

  • zip zippers
  • button buttons
  • tie shoes
  • thread needles
  • write beautifully
  • hold pencils without cramping
  • beating someone at tidily-winks
  • putting on make-up
  • painting nails
  • and so much more!

8 Hands-on Toys to Help Kids Develop Pincher Muscles

Sewing Buttons!!

pincher grasp activities
Buy on TpT

Related: Fine Motor Activity from Hands On As We Grow

pincher grasp activities
Super easy!!

More Pincher Grasp Activities!

pincher grasp activities

Simple Activities to Improve Pincher Grasp and Help Your child Hold a Pencil

  • Peel Duct Tape: Place strips of duct tape onto surfaces like the sidewalk, garage walls, or the floor. Your child simply peels the tape!
  • Squishy Sponge: Give your child a sponge and bucket of water. Have them water plants by squeezing the water out from the sponge!
  • Tongs and tweezers: Give your child a pair of tongs, and egg carton, and a bin of small things (pom poms, beads, pasta, etc). Have them fish out objects with tweezers and sort them into the egg carton.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RZNG5PW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=abett06-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07RZNG5PW&linkId=c20a374356badff2b7b81f0fe672daf8

Classic Games are the perfect way to sneak in Pincher Grasp Development

Don’t Spill the Beans

Ants in the Pants

Kerplunk

Jenga

Hi-Ho Cherrio

Perfection

Medical schools are noticing a decline in students’ dexterity, possibly from spending time swiping screens rather than developing fine motor skills through woodworking and sewing.

The New York Times

The great news is Pincher Grasp Development is easy to weave into your child’s day. A Little less swiping of screens and a little more of old fashion fun and these intricate hand muscles can get a good work out!

For Older Kids

Crocheting and knitting

Embroidery

Tin Foil Art

Using a sock to improve pencil grip (Brilliant)


Print this free homeschool mom reminder.

This post comes with a free printable reminder list to help keep your heart focused on the heart of homeschooling. I always have the hardest staying focused. This printable simplifies it!

Here is a sneak preview…

the homeschool mom

Download Your Free Printable

  1. Download the checklist. You’ll get the printable, plus join 9,000+ homeschool moms who receive my weekly parenting tips and ideas!
  2. Print. Any paper will do the trick, but card stock would be ideal.
  3. Place it on your refrigerator as a helpful reminder.
the homeschool mom

Filed Under: blog, Life Skills and Chores, Mom Solutions, popular, sticky Tagged With: pencil grip, pinch grasp

Yes, Your Child’s Mind is POWERFUL and Creative !

Do you try to make handwriting sound a whole lot more fun than we both know it is to your kids? Yeah, my kids saw through that plan too.

Kind of like the time I tried to hide carrots into a cake, but neglected to make the bits small enough to get by my little veggie detector.

I know, you worry that your child’s only prospect for future employment is in the medical field. Surely, you are staring at at a doctor’s handwriting page. Right?

…

Read More »

Filed Under: blog, k-2nd, K-8th Grade, sticky

A Family Fish Unit

INSTANT Activity day! Theme: FISH

teaching kids at home


Materials needed:

  • Fishing pole
  • weight/clay
  • Paint
  • Paint brush
  • Small snack like golf fish crackers

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

  • Tie a weight to the line.
  • Set up targets in the yard
  • Have kids try to land the weight in the target.
teaching kids at home

FOOD:

  • Got goldfish crackers?
  • They can win a few for each great cast.

SCIENCE: Grab a free fish life cycle activity

MOVIE: Finding Nemo Yes! Pop some popcorn!

ART: Paint a fish! https://youtu.be/XgoXqxXlf5E

teaching kids at home

MATH: Group goldfish, or legos, into groups of 2, 3, 5, 6, or any number. Practice skip counting

Story: Listen to RAINBOW Fish! https://www.storylineonline.net/books/the-rainbow-fish/

Put on a Puppet show!

  • Make talking fish: https://youtu.be/LCsMvSEoadI
  • Make colorful fish on sticks https://youtu.be/aTcWPtoXcac
  • Make fish Sock Puppet

Filed Under: blog, Ready to go Resources, sticky

Bundle of Homeschool GOODNESS

Days     Hours     Minutes     Seconds    

Thanks for Grabbing … one of our resources!

I’m so excited you are here!!

First, you will receive an email with the exact resource you requested to improve your homeschool.
It will come from Bekki | A Better Way to Homeschool  from this email address: abetterwaytohomeschool@gmail.com

Next, I have a Special Offer … just for you. . .

Bundle of Homeschool GOODNESS (retail $60)
You pay ONLY $7 

... for the next 30 minutes

Why should you consider our Bundle of Homeschool Goodness?

In a nutshell, I want to bless you. And this collection of goodies will do just that!

if you want your kids to love learning, it is a collection of resources that will set you up for SUCCESS!

This specific collection of resources is ready to help you set a solid foundation in your homeschool journey plus add some FUN and hands on learning activities into your journey.

Check out the Bundle of Homeschool GOODNESS

This BUNDLE has everything you need to get started. What will you discover in this tool kit?

  • Your Math Roadmap to Success ($9 value)
  • Teaching with Littles without Losing Your Sanity ($5.50 value)
  • Getting to Know Your Curriculum Guide ($5.50 Value)

Plus, some SUPER FUN Activities and Mini Lessons!

  • All About My Body for Preschoolers ($5.00 value)
  • All About Me: Fingerprint FUN ($5.00)
  • Time Capsule Writing ($5.00 value)
  • Cooking Projects for Kids ($13.00 Value)
  • Fruit of the Spirit Bible Study for Kids ($4.00 value)
  • Verb Activities for Kids: Verb Pockets ($5.00 Value)
  • Good Manners for Kids ($5.00 Value)

Bonus: Space Doodles for Kids!

I’m doing something ridiculous for the next 30 minutes and slashing the price to only $7, saving over 85%.

Seriously, I’m taking on all the risk!

Try this today. I can’t wait to hear about how much you and your kids LOVE these. Remember you only have 30 minutes to get the

Bundle of Homeschool GOODNESS for over 85% discount.

That's the ENTIRE Bundle of Homeschool GOODNESS valued at $60

You pay ONLY $7 

... for the next 30 minutes Minutes

 

“I’ll Buy It Back”Guarantee. If for any reason you are not satisfied with the Bundle of Homeschool Goodness, I will buy it back from you.

~ 100% RISK FREE ~

Here’s my 100% Better-Than-Risk-Free-Take-it-To-The-Bank Guarantee:

30 Day Money Back Guarantee
If you aren’t 100% satisfied – I don’t expect…or want…to keep your money. Simply send off a quick email to me and I’ll happily refund your money in full. That means you can’t lose no matter what!

 

 

Filed Under: blog

Simple Doodle Art for Beginners


Inside: A Free Doodle Lesson for you and Your Kids

As parents, we have big dreams for our kids.

We want them to laugh and love, and learn and grow. We want them to embrace life by the horns and fall in love with learning.

We want them to have grit and tenacity and an almost unquenchable confidence. But the real issue is how to we squeeze those skills into our kids’ day without them noticing.

Come on. Your kids can smell a life lesson and confidence boosting activity as fast as mine. They don’t like to be told they are learning. That’s boring.

They want to inquire, explore, and discover!

We need to become experts at setting our kids up to succeed at something that they are convinced is too hard. It’s a ninja parenting skill.

Want to borrow my latest Ninja Trick? Teaching kids to draw.

The Power of Doodling

According to Harvard. Doodling isn’t just what 3-year olds do on the paper placemats at the restaurant. Yes! Doodling!

Easy Floral doodles and Drawings at your finger tips

Doodling:

  • Improves memory
  • Relieves stress
  • Improves focus
  • Builds confidence

Don’t those things fit right on your parenting checklist, too?

Let Diane teach your kids to draw!

If they can draw a dot, they can doodle. And if they can doodle, a whole world will open to them just waiting to ignite their imagination.

The Doodle Institute with Diane Bleck.

After completing a few classes with Diane at the Doodle Institute, I became an ambassador. Which basically means I was handed all the MAGICAL tools and skills needed to help your kids fall in love with drawing.

Oh, It’s amazing how happy a cute little flower, a silly alien, colorful rocket ship, or a buzzing bee house will make you and your child!

Inside the Doodle Institute

All you need to get started is something to write with and something to write on. Use the supplies you have add fun things if and when you can.


Pro tips:

  • Watch the Doodle Videos with your kids and doodle together.
  • Practice a little everyday
  • Find opportunities to doodle as you are teaching
  • Practice, practice, practice.
  • Encourage kids to sign their drawings

Drawing with pencil, pen, or brush on paper isn’t just for artists. For anyone who actively exercises the brain, doodling and drawing are ideal for making ideas tangible.

Steven Heller

Join the Doodle Institute TODAY and see what all the fuss and fun is all about.

I bet you and you kids will fall in love with doodling.

Researchers have discovered that doodling can actually inspire creativity, engage students academically, and help hold their attention.

Learning Liftoff 

Doodling

  • Keeps the Brain Active
  • Improves Memory Recall
  • Encourages Creativity
  • Recruits Additional Senses

Tools for Doodling

Paper and pencil, right?

Sure! But if you really want to give your kids a true taste of the magic, you can hand them some inexpensive HIGH quality tools.

Spiral Bound Drawing pads that can also be used with watercolors

Artist Markers. Quality makes a difference!

Doodle Classes!!

Do you doodle?

Don’t let fear, frustration, or doubt creep in. Truly you can draw as well as with practice!

Practice! Even if it’s just for 5 minutes and it doesn’t need to be a perfect final piece. Every single time you’re drawing and sketching, you’re improving not only your lines but also your confidence!

Looking for classes for YOU or your older kids? The Doodle Institute is for you as well. But if you’d prefer a “Visual Facilitator for Adults”, then my teacher Diane with the Doodle Institute is the ticket!

Doodling.

Yes, it will give your children confidence, fine motor control, and increase their ability to retain what they learn. But remember, it’s even better than that. It’s FUN.

And it’s good for the soul…


Filed Under: blog, sticky Tagged With: doodle lessons, doodlw flowers, easy doodle, easy doodle ideas, easy floral doodles, for kids, For mom, homeschool, learn to draw, simple doodle art for beginners

Ready to Use Homeschool Schedules

A bit of bad news.

There is no such thing as a perfect homeschool schedule. I wish I could wave a magic wand and hook you up with a smooth plan guaranteed to work for you.

The great news? you can take the schedules that work for me and other homeschoolers and give them a test spin.

Keep what works, and use the rest for paper airplane flying contests.

Tips

  • Keep your day as simple as possible
  • Explain the schedule to your family before running with it
  • Give a schedule a few days to settle, Some days run smoother than others no matter what you have down on paper
homeschool schedule
Free Editable Homeschool Schedule By A Better Way to Homeschool
homeschool schedule
By Mom Delights
homeschool schedule
by Confessions of a Homeschooler
homeschool schedule
by Erin Hagey
homeschool schedule
by living life and learning
homeschool schedule
by They Call Me Blessed

Filed Under: blog

22 Simple Manners Every Kids Should Know By High School

Before you start looking around, go ahead and grab a copy of my book, Homeschooling from the Inside Out

It’s completely FREE. Just click over and fill in your first name and primary email below and we will send you a digital copy immediately!!

how to homeschool

On his big day, our son sat in a pile of gifts.
He had that, “Oh my goodness look at all the gifts for me” daze.
 
 
 

BAD MOMMY.

I hadn’t learned the lesson of prepping kids ahead of time for situations like this. I hadn’t given him the skills to succeed. He didn’t even know he was set to fail and worse, let down a good friend…

It makes the blood drain from my face as I remember Jay.

…

Read More »

Filed Under: Blog, blog, character training, Ready to go Resources, sticky

Building Trust with Your Child

My youngest son is 14.
If you want to see his gorgeous face, just look up the phrase “ball of energy” in the dictionary. That’s his picture.

This boy spent his life surrounded by his four older brothers, but this year caught him off guard.

All 3 of the other brothers at home leave the house each day to go to school at the local college.

This shocked him like a stun gun the first day as he looked around a the VERY silent house and whispered, “I’m gonna die of boredom this year.”

I saw it clearly too.

” Buddy, we have a very unique gift from the Lord this year. It’s just you and me all day. Yes, academics are important, but we’re going to do school differently this year.

We’re going to enjoy our time together and strengthen our relationship. Especially since you’re 14, and mom is weird.”

I stripped back school to the bear minimum.

We do math every day, but not very long.
He is writing a handful of gut wrenching stories/ so I give him time to write most days.
Then he alternates between: history 2 days and science 2 days.

For history, I designed a power point/slide outline with my son to be his year long project. If you’ve seen me share, he’s transformed a black and white list into a beautiful presentation. I think he’s made it from Mesopotamia to Rome.

Science. We were doing health until the day he trusted me with his heart in the rain.

I think it was in January that I really saw myself in the mirror and realize I need to lose about 30 pounds.

My body is beginning to hurt and I know if I don’t get back into shape I will fall apart.

So I declared, “rain or shine, I need to you help me walk every day. Our first goal will be 2 miles a day for a week, then 3, then 4. But I need to get to 5.”

He said, “OK.”

Yes, we’ve been soaked a few times…
I even had to challenge his “man-hood” by requiring an umbrella twice. lol.

Phew! He’s LOVED the time together.

The infamous, “I think I want to be a cardio thoracic surgeon” walk, happened after a few WEEKS of getting closer to the 4 mile mark.

We had spent hours and hours each day, walking, picking up “treasures” on our beach (gemstones, pretty rocks, shells and sand dollars and just chatting about stuff.

I began weaving in some academic discussions while we adventured.
We’d pick a road and talk about academic things for the duration of that path: grammar things, history, health.

And out of that time together… he trusted me with his dream.

We were at least 3 miles into a walk when he said, “Please don’t laugh. I think I really know what I want to be when I grow up…”

💞My heart skipped.
He was trusting me with something.
I could feel it.

This didn’t just happen.


This was the fruit of all that time in the street, in the rain, on our walks chatting that unlocked his heart.

When I show people the level of work he’s put into his DIY heart unit, their mouth drops open.
This is a labor of love project for sure.
It looks like he’s an academic genius, absolutely.

What it really is?

Evidence that he feels loved and “seen”.

It all began because I decided to create a Huckleberry Finn style year of wandering,
I saw I was over weight and we just hung out and talked without distraction.

👩‍🦰Mama, give yourself permission to push traditional academics aside.

Walk beside your kids and sing in the rain, skip stones, catch butterflies, or go fishing at the pond at the far end of your property.

Dedicate a little bit of that time to chat about some “topic for learning” and simply enjoy their company.

Who knows.
Maybe, just maybe… like my son, your kids will trust you with their dream.


Let Stephen Teach your kids to crochet!

Let Stephen Teach your kids to crochet!

Filed Under: blog, Ready to go Resources, sticky

Solution for “My Child Hates School”

In our Facebook group, Our Lives as Homeschool Moms, she hesitantly asked, “How long do you go without a child doing his (homeschool) work before you just enroll him in public school?”

My favorite answers from other homeschool moms:

…

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Filed Under: blog, sticky

Homeschool Super Heroes Week!

It’s BAAACK!!!


It’s finally time to announce our super fun Back to School event.


What if you could sit in the home of an experienced homeschooler, asking
any question you have about homeschooling?

The answer is “OF COURSE”!.
If you have just 1 minute, I’ll show you the next best thing. . .


A private invitation to listen to our this year’s Homeschool Super Heroes for
FREE.

Kerry Beck is bringing back her ever-popular event to help
homeschoolers like you get ready for the best year ever.


And she’s letting me share a private invitation to grab a Free Basic Pass.
Her Basic Pass allows you to watch all 60+ workshops for free, as long as
you watch them within the first 24 hours they are released. If you miss one,
you can always get the All-Access Pass which gives you lifetime access to
all video workshops, handouts, audio interviews and more.


Click here to get all the details and your Basic Pass.

Why is Kerry doing this . . . and why am I involved?


We know what it’s like to be in the trenches as a homeschool mom.
Sometimes you need a little encouragement or a few fun tricks from
experienced homeschoolers. Real homeschool parents who have real
experience balancing school & family with cooking, cleaning &
chauffeuring. Or even working outside the home. Plus, Kerry has a heart of GOLD!


Thank you for bringing together such wonderful speakers! I am a first year homeschool mom and these have been such an inspiration to me. Jennifer


During our Homeschool Super Heroes Week, you’ll get answers to
questions you have on your mind. How to overcome the overwhelm and
homeschool with confidence.

FULL list of Speakers!!


What topics will they cover?


You probably don’t want/need to use all of these. Choose the ones your
audience will identify with.

● How to include the 4 essentials to an awesome school year
● How to use the holy trinity of homeschooling (my workshop!)
● How to motivate your child to greatness
● How to teach specific subjects
● How to homeschool autistic children
● How to simplify your homeschool
● How to coach your child, instead of dictate
● How to include Music in your homeschool
● How to include Life Skills in your homeschool
● Lots and lots and lots of homeschool encouragement

My workshops

August 25 (Day 2): The Holy Trinity of Homeschooling: Heart, Attitude, and Character

August 27 (Day 4): Math- Embrace the Vocabulary and the 3 Know-Knows of Writing

And so much more!


I really appreciate that each interview includes the question “What would you have done differently?”. I think the recurring theme is “relax”. Last year, just starting out with a 5 year old and a 2 year old, I quickly had to keep school fairly relaxed in order for all of us to stay sane. But sometimes I’ve worried that I’m not doing enough. It’s nice to get the encouragement that it will be O.K. from those who have many years of experience and perspective. Charlene


Our Homeschool Super Heroes have a combined 290+
years of homeschooling experience. Find out who they are AND grab your
pass here.


BONUS!!

Kerry and her daughter, Gentry, will release 1 or 2 Secret Super Hero
Interviews each day. Gentry is a homeschool graduate and now a mom.
She will ask the hard questions, others avoid asking. With the Basic Pass,
you can listen to these short, spontaneous interviews, just like the
workshops.


Click here to get your Basic Pass now.


I have a Special Bonus for everyone who upgrades to the {ADD LINK: All Access Pass with my link!

To get your I CAN Teach My CHILD ($25 Value) completely FREE . . .

  1. {Add Link!}Click here to get your All-Access Pass at the Early Bird Special Price
  2. Email me a screenshot or copy of your receipt with your order number, so I can verify you clicked my link to buy the bag.
  3. We will email the FREEBIE to you. Please allow 24-48 hours to process your request.

What past attendees have said about this amazing week.


My AHA moment was when you talked about teaching the kids to plan out their own week. I’ve been doing almost all the planning for my kids. But I know they need to learn time management for themselves. Plus if they have a hand in it, they will own what they’re doing better. Brilliant – thank you!   Cynthia


It has been great to sit back and relax as I take in so many wonderful tips from homeschoolers who have gained so much over the years. There is always something new to learn.   Kelly


It’s just always fantastic to get some perspective on parenting and homeschooling, and so timely, at the beginning of the year 🙂   Kimberly


This is very encouraging in accomplishing my day to day duties of many roles. Thank you for this!!!!   Michelle S


YES!! There’s an ALL Access Pass!!

Filed Under: blog, sticky Tagged With: how to homeschool

How to Teach at Home

Quick Steps to setting you up for teaching at home.

  • Even if you don’t know where to begin
  • Even if you’re over whelmed at the thought
  • Especially if you want to begin in the EASIEST way possible!
Know your CORE reasons.
Establish your MASTER Goals!
Recognize Homeschool Planning Season
FREE: Notes to help you through Homeschool Planning SeasonDownload

Filed Under: blog Tagged With: how to homeschool

What does my Child Need to Learn?

Surrounded by a mountain of textbooks, teachers manuals, post it notes, worksheets, tests, art kits, glue, scissors, math manipulatives and crayons I panicked.

How am I going to teach my kids all this?

Do they really NEED to do all these lessons? What if I mess up their education and destroy their future if we DON’T do all these lessons.

I’m not the only homeschool mom that panics when she looks at teaching materials, and yet there’s a better way.

If we can step away form the mountain of lessons and find the core list of things our kids should learn, we can then look at that mountain and clearly identify lessons that we can use, lessons we can skip, or even develop our own lessons to teach the same idea/concept.

What we need is a list of what our kids should learn.

A Master goal sheet if you will.

As homeschoolers, we focus on character, attitude, and heart first. Then we layer on the academics.

In the traditional school system, they talk a lot about state standards and common core. Don’t worry. You really can design your own path for your children without them, but I have always used them as a guide.

If you are looking for “what should I teach my children”, these are your GOLDEN resources.

They are a blend of what kids typically learn in a given grade in school and ideas to help you implement those skills/lesson.

Kindergarten

I Can Teach kindergarten math

I can Teach Kindergarten Reading and Writing
I can teach my child
Save when you grab the BUNDLE

K-5 BUNDLE is here!!!


Before you start looking around, go ahead and grab a copy of my book, Homeschooling from the Inside Out

It’s completely FREE. Just click over and fill in your first name and primary email below and we will send you a digital copy immediately!!

how to homeschool

Filed Under: blog, sticky

Perfect Moms Don’t Exist!

Celebrate the journey of being a loving, caring, attentive, less-than-perfect mom!

“I breast fed, made my own baby food, and read aloud to my kids for hours. Before I knew it, they were eating off the car floor and I was like, ‘thanks for cleaning.'”

Get one for you and your bestie!

PRINT THIS FREE HOMESCHOOL MOM REMINDER.

…

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Filed Under: blog, sticky

For the win! Homeschooling from the Inside Out

He came running up to me. “Mom!!!”

The gleam in his eyes elbowed my heart to focus. I had to walk faster than normal to keep up with him as he skipped stairs. He could hardly contain his excitement.

Our talented brickmaster just solved the problem of the century with a handful of Legos.

“How does a 16-year old get a foot pedal for his drum when he doesn’t want to spend his hard earned money?”

Build it with Legos!

Maybe it’s not the problem of the century to your neighbor, but this was a big issue for my son.

…

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Filed Under: blog, Mom Solutions, sticky

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Hi, I'm Bekki,

A professional Nerf Buller Dodging Homeschool Mom of five sons!
My passion is to help homeschooling moms educate their kids from the inside out.
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