10 of the BEST Homeschool Subscription Boxes for your Kids Inside: Top picks for homeschool subscription boxes by moms like you. These subscriptions will spice up your homeschool Travel to the future with me, and let’s give each other a virtual high five today. Ready? HIGH FIVE There are two boxes and an envelope on the kitchen table for your child. YOU are so excited, you can’t contain yourself. Visit Ivy Kids Kits here You close your eyes and think to yourself: “Don’t say they’re for school!”“Don’t say they’re educational!”“Don’t say they’ll be fun learning lessons!” You are squirming with excitement, because you know your child is holding the future in their hands and waiting with anticipation for the go ahead to peek inside. They hold up one of the boxes. “This one?” YOU: Not, yet. They try to hide disappointment, and hold the the other box. “This one?” What’s inside?!?!? YOU: Maybe you should open the envelope first.((Insert wink.)) They tear open the paper and read, “You are about to get a glimpse of the future. Something that will some to you every month for the rest of next year!!!” At this point, tell them to pause while you get another cup of tea or coffee and ask them to guess what’s inside. YOU: What do you think it could be? ((Insert virtual high-five here)) They are so excited, they can barely contain themselves. What is in the boxes? 💛 Excitement💛 Curiosity💛 Fine motor Development💛 FUN How is this possible? Something for everyone Related: Learning by Surprise Enhances Memory I polled hundreds of homeschool moms and compiled their favorites list of kits into a list for you. My own 15-year old gets the Kiwi Co Tinker Crate each month. When it arrives, he places it on the ottoman and waits for the end of the day. That evening, he opens the box with great fanfare, making sure his DAD sees and is equally impressed. Then he gets building. Careful reading of instructions Fine motor development Engineering and design Problem solving and math skills Those are the words we HIDE AWAY from his ears and replace them with WOW! FUN! Let me see. MAGIC. You have time to make this happen. Most kits take a few weeks to get to you and there is one for almost every kind of child and passion. Just be stealthy and I promise… …I won’t spoil the surprise. Food for thought: These make GREAT gifts for people in nursing homes too!! Quick Links to the top Homeschool Subscription Boxes Green Kid Crafts KiwiCo Mel Science Bitsbox Ivy Kids Young Woodworkers Let’s Make Art Rock By Rock Raddish Letter from Afar Highlights Little Passports Think Outside Craftsman Crate Sensory Therapy Play Box BarkBox DIY Preschool Earth Box Plan DIY ABCs of God Plan Free Science for three months from Mel Science? Here’s how you register! When you really want to know what’s best you ask the experts, right?Kids LOVE getting stuff in the mail! Surprise them with a special gift – A subscription box just for THEM! Perfect for birthdays, holidays and more! But, if you’re like me you’re wondering which are the BEST Subscription Boxes for kids. So I asked all the moms On our Facebook page: I’m looking for subscription box and membership ideas for homeschoolers. Most subscription boxes are chosen to meet a specific need, want, or interest. Throw in the fact that you don’t need to look for duct tape, buttons, or instructions for how to whip together something cool and BOOM. Your kids will think you’re the coolest mom on the planet. Not sure which boxes will best fit your family? That’s exactly why I asked a few dozen of my homeschooling friends. Check out all the AMAZING subscription boxes other Homeschool Moms love. …Read More »
I Just had a Homeschool Heart Attack Inside- You’ll find a craft that is out of this world. {pun intended} Usually, I see it coming. But this year it snuck up on me. I was minding my own business, sipping a cup of coffee, and scrolling through Facebook when I saw it. 13 Days until Thanksgiving. I almost snorted coffee through my nose. … Read More »
Chores Made Simple Free Chore Printable 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… Download Your Free Printable Download the checklist. You’ll get the printable, plus join 9,000+ homeschool moms who receive my weekly parenting tips and ideas! Print. Any paper will do the trick, but card stock would be ideal. Place it on your refrigerator as a helpful reminder.
Forget Math Flashcards! This is the Best Way to Learn Math Facts Almost pulled out my hair today. My 11-year-old Stephen, woke up more bouncy than usual. That’s saying something. (I’m guessing Winnie the Pooh’s buddy, Tigger, was inspired by an 11-year-old ADHD boy. Just sayin’.) While I am not a big labeler, if this son of mine were in a “traditional classroom”, I’m confident he would have been stamped as dyslexic, ADHD, and an overall handful. He is, it’s true. But that’s why God gave him to my husband and me. (Big toothy grin) Most days, his bounciness is controlled by sitting on one of those exercise balls at the table, or knitting when we read aloud. But some days, like today, there is no way possible to get him to unbounce. You see, tomorrow we venture 8 hours to visit our beloved In-N-Out Burger joint. The fact that there isn’t an In-N-Out in Washington state was almost a deal breaker when we relocated here. Anyhoo, Stephen is so excited. He barely sleeps. He has been counting down the days, hours, and now minutes to our departure. Every few minutes, he lets us know that the reason he swinging from the ceiling is that he is excited. Now, Try to teach Tigger a traditional math lesson. Yea, I spit out my coffee too. It ain’t gonna happen…. Read More »
Tips for Driving Safely in the Snow They laughed at my husband. “You’re gonna get stuck,” they teased as they all stood around watching him put autosocks on his car. Autosocks. Yes, they’re real Visiting from California, those native Iowans thought he’d lost his mind. How could he possibly drive in the ice and snow with socks? “You need chains!” My husband is what we affectionately call a research-a-holic. He doesn’t just read about something; he dives deep. Multiple articlescase studiesspecification sheets You Tube videosReviews. If he says something is the best, I’ve learned to simply smile and say, “ok!” Autosocks were one of those discoveries I wanted to debate, but I kept quiet for the sake of peace in the home. Really. I forced myself to keep quiet and it was a good thing I did. Once again, my husband proved he’s brilliant. We moved into the mountains after spending most of our marriage in San Diego and he wanted us to be prepared for snow. So he dug in. Being from Chicago, the man had nightmares about chains. If you love in snowy areas, you are well acquainted with the drama. So he searched alternatives. I still remember him staring at his computer and turning his head sideways, like a puppy trying to understand your last sentence. “Hmmm” A few days, and many hours of research later, autosocks arrived at our home via AmazonPrime. He couldn’t wait for it to snow so he could give them a spin. His First Chance Came when He traveled to Iowa for Grandma’s Memorial Service. Eight inches of snow fell during the memorial and he pulled out his new socks. Folks gathered ’round to see what the “crazy Californian” was doing to his car. Everyone lined the streets to mock him. Family. Enough said. He quickly slipped them over the tops of the tires, then drove forward and snapped them into place. All the bystanders gave the “yea, right head nod” as he drove away. Mouths dropped open. That day, many of his family members got stuck in the snow. But not my brilliant man. I had my own opportunity to try the socks recently. I kept sliding down the last hill to civilization. I needed to get to the grocery store, but the hill was a sheet of ice. I smiled at the son sitting next to me. “You get to learn how to use the autosocks today!” My neighbor hung out the second story window and told me I was crazy. “You need chains to get up that hill!” I smiled and told her about the socks. She replied, “I’m just gonna hang out the window and watch you slide.” Really, she’s wonderful. She’s kind, friendly, and helpful. She just couldn’t believe those things were going to work. Her mouth dropped open as I drove right up the hill. Tips for driving safely in the Snow According to AAA, these tips will help keep you safer on the road: Stay home. Only go out if necessary. Even if you can drive well in bad weather, it’s better to avoid taking unnecessary risks by venturing out.Drive slowly. Always adjust your speed down to account for lower traction when driving on snow or ice.Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Apply the gas slowly to regain traction and avoid skids. Don’t try to get moving in a hurry and take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.Increase your following distance to five to six seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.Know your brakes. Whether you have antilock brakes or not, keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.Don’t stop if you can avoid it. There’s a big difference in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.Don’t power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads will just make your wheels spin. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill slowly.Don’t stop going up a hill. There’s nothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill. Tips for Teaching Teens to Drive in the Snow by The Brad Connection Make sure you have the right equipment in the car (shovel, snow brush, ice scraper, etc)Turn on your lights so others can see youDrive slower and leave three times the room needed to stopBrake gently so you don’t skidNever use cruise controlBe careful of ice on bridges and overpasses. “Black Ice” is transparent and may look like a wet spot but can put you in a spin.Four wheel drive doesn’t mean you can drive on ice or in snow at the regular speed.Don’t pass snow plows. Staying behind them can make a clear road for you to drive on.Brake gently and if your brakes lock up, ease off the brake I know it’s tempting to go for a drive when it’s snowy and icy. It is truly beautiful. I’d recommend waiting for the roads to clear, but if you find yourself in need of being on the road, grab your socks!
Ants and Homeschool Nothing makes my skin crawl faster than crawling ants. Kaiser rolls are tasty. Imagine a hot ham and cheese sandwich on a kaiser roll. I even like those little black poppy seeds as long as they do not get trapped between my teeth. Yum. When I was in high school, I worked at a wonderful shop. It was like working with family. Only this family never got under your skin. Until they asked me to do the unthinkable. Photo by Skitter We had a five-gallon bucket of poppy seeds. That’s a lot in case you are wondering. … Read More »
How to Put $1200 of Homeschooling Supplies on Your Shelf for Free Pinch Me Now!! Food, Boys, and a Homeschool Treasure Grocery shopping is one of my least favorite things to do, but cramming four sons in a Prius and grocery shopping qualifies me as crazy! Nothing makes my boys play the “stop touching me” game fast than putting them in that car. After barely making it home with all my hair, we put the groceries together and I sent them to their own corners of the universe. Sometimes, mama just needs a break. I had a few minutes to kill before making dinner, so I quickly peeked at my email. I had to look a couple of times before I saw it. NO WAY! “Guess who” got chosen to have her book be a part of the $1200 GRAND Prize in this years Back to School Giveaway? That’s right! Yes, I’m standing in my kitchen grinning and doing my happy dance. But, a $1200 Giveaway? … Read More »
Healthy Marriage While Homeschooling: It Can Be Done! Inside: How to avoid damaging your marriage while parenting. Four habits you can begin today to put your marriage first plus “Ways to Say Yes” {printable} “Not now,” I told my husband for the fifth time today. That’s right. Five times I pushed him off, shoved him aside, ignored his advances. Five times. You love them so much that you miss it when they wedge themselves between you and your husband. Why Did I Ignore My Man? … Read More »
Media Kit Guest Posts, Product Links, and Social Media Share Requests? We do offer opportunities for guest posts, product linking, product reviews, and targeted social media and email marketing. Please download our Media Kit below for current pricing. Freebies {no cost to you if accepted} Do you have a great freebie that you’d like to share with homeschooling families? Are you a blogger, author, speaker, or company who would like to bless homeschool families while getting your product and brand before thousands of individuals? You can submit your freebie to A Better Way to Homeschool/ PLEASE NOTE that ABW receives dozens of submissions each month. Submission does not guarantee publication. ABW reserves the right to not publish submissions for whatever reason. All chosen submissions will receive a link on this site in our Freebie Round-up, and social media promotion. FREEBIE Submission Guidelines: You may submit any homeschooling or family friendly freebie. No affiliate links, please. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE SUBMITTING. Thank you for your interest in submitting a homeschool or family freebie to A Better Way to Homeschool! We accept quality freebies covering the following topics: homeschooling, DIY, and crafts. Please remember to include an image and direct url within your freebie descriptions. Please DO NOT submit round-ups if they do not include an original free printable within the post. Thank you! Submit your freebie at abetterwaytohomeschool@gmail.com Subject line: Freebie submission
13 Last Minute Educational Gifts Your Kids will Actually Love Inside: Ammunition to help you win the Holiday Gift Giving Battle with Kids. Keep your camera ready.Unfortunately for her, the ugliest facial expression my mother ever used was captured on film. Oh, I wish I could find a copy of the picture. Just the thought of it makes me snort. This is not the “Red Shirt Face”. Photo by Veronika Balasyuk … Read More »
Dozens of Simple Activities for Kids to Do During the Holidays Inside: 5 Steps to Homeschool through the Holidays plus dozens of learning activities wrapped in turkeys and trees.The day after Halloween is like the trash compactor scene from Star Wars. The Christmas fairies have completed their magical decoration party. Every square inch of retail space is covered with tinsel and eggnog. Commercials promise Christmas joy and the Holiday toy of the year lures your child every time they watch a show. The Holidays beg us to slow down, sip cocoa, and find a new gadget to make gift wrapping less stressful. Photo by Luis Llerna But we are homeschoolers. … Read More »
9 Simple Ways to Immediately Protect Your Kids from the Internet Inside: Protect Your kids from Porn and other Online Dangers. Steps that any parent can take. Huge eyes reveal something is not right. The pale color of his face, the quick breaths. He opens his mouth but cannot seem to find the words to tell you. And then, through sobs, he begins talking so fast you can barely catch what he is saying. And then it hits you like a brick. Your heart sinks into your stomach as you realized what he is saying. “Oh Dear Lord, No!” Nothing melts the heart faster than hearing your 8-year old describe what he stumbled upon on the Internet. His shame, confusion, guilt, and sobs break your heart into a million pieces. … Read More »
Astonishing! What Does a Spoon Have to do with Science? Inside: How simple household items can be the breakthrough you need to teach science. My son was staring at his spoon. It was strange. “Mom, I’ve always wondered why my reflection is upside down in my spoon. What’s even more confusing is that when I turn it around, my reflection is right-side-up.” I laughed aloud. Not at him. … Read More »
3 Proven Ways to Homeschool LAZY Boys without Losing Your Mind Photo by Agnieszka Bladzik Sitting by a warm fire. Drinking coffee. In my jammies. Jealous? Don’t be. I just don’t feel like doing anything today. I have my lazy turned up to high. Since I am not characterized by being lazy, my family is simply pleasantly surprised that I am “chilling”. They are curled up with books or movies in this same room. Heaven. When dinner comes around, I will not win friends and influence people if I say, “I forgot to make dinner” though will I? Not in my house full of men. They want to eat:). Laziness is one of those strange things. It is so appealing on a rainy afternoon, like today as I write this. But laziness to the point that responsibilities are neglected is simply intolerable. photo by Seth Doyle Now three things personify laziness: A male lion lazing in the shade, An overfed house cat, And a 12-year-old boy…. Read More »
Rant of the Day: The Pencil that Broke Mom’s Back! Some discussions with my children make me want to throw a hissy fit. Big ones. I’m not sure why I have such an emotional response to ridiculousness, but I do. My blood pressure rises. I huff. I puff. And I declare with all the patience of a two-year-old, “That is NOT a pencil.” All five of my boys have mastered the skill of destroying a pencil and then declaring it their most prized writing utensils. Why? Why does one have to destroy a perfectly beautiful number 2 pencil? Why does the pencil only become valuable if you can only measure it in millimeters rather than inches? I don’t know. But these questions keep me awake at night. There are kept company by other boy related questions like: Why is farting in a brother’s face the proper response to being wronged? Why do socks need to be worn inside out? How will boys learn to lift the lid if no one will confess that they are the ones who pee all over the seat? When is it ok to pull the wings off of bugs? We work hard training our sons to be kind, considerate, and hard working. We consistently remind them what godliness looks and sounds like. I swear, some days I wonder if it will all work out in the end. Will they grow up to be kind hearted, considerate hard working men? Or will they be pencil destroying, toilet peeing, face farting fools? This is why I need God. Because nothing unravels the peace in my home faster than when I throw a fit. Download your FREE “Raising Men” Cheatsheet {printable} Preview of the Heart of Homeschooling God’s Way Master Class. We need to STOP measuring success by grades, achievements, awards, and worksheets.
What do comic books have to do with learning? Spiders and bug spray were meant to be introduced. Don’t you think? Sure, we need spiders. Lots of them in fact. Why? Because spiders eat flies. That’s why! I hate flies almost as much as these 8 legged wonders. OK, I don’t HATE spiders. I think they are pretty amazing. I just do not want to share the same space with them. Is that too much to ask? But what do spiders have to do with anything homeschool related? My boys would roll their eyes at us and scream, “Spiderman!”. While I try to teach them the abilities of arachnids, they would be trying to invent that cool webbing stuff that comes out of Peter Parkers wrists that enables him to swing through New York above rush hour traffic. But now that I have the boys’ attention, I’m going to try to keep it. Why not find some way to science and comics? When I heard there were comic books that could help my children learn science, I was excited. My kids love comic books and the magic of Manga learning tools seem like a perfect fit! What is Manga? It’s a style of Japanese comic books and graphic novels, typically aimed at adults as well as children. Why does it matter? And what does it have to do with learning? I’ve discovered this tremendous resource for teaching kids science and all about the human body. Rather than a dry text and diagram textbook, concepts are covered in a story-based format that’s also visual, so learners of all kinds have more to glom onto, and it’s easier to recall. Sort of like our trusted and true pal Ms. Frizzle of the Magic School Bus, but for a slightly older children depending on the book. Last but certainly not least – it makes learning fun! Imagine if your child requested to re-read a science text book. That’s what these amazing books can inspire. We started on the Survive! Inside the Human Body series, and even I am learning! Topics covered in this book series about the human body: Human Body (anatomy), Digestive System, Circulatory System, Nervous System, Personal Wellness, Effects of Food on the Body, Medicine & technology, and Genetics. But there are also advanced topics in this format like the Universe, Physics, Linear Algebra, and more available from Shockingly Awesome Learning on Educents.com. See inside the books in this cute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmpxhYmBAaM (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]=’EMAIL’;ftypes[0]=’email’;fnames[1]=’FNAME’;ftypes[1]=’text’;}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);
“What I Have Learned Teaching” Guest Author- (Me!) What if our smartest kids are lazy, egotistical, thieving brats? What if they ace the test, but bully the kids next to them? Jessica with “What I Have Learned Teaching” writes, As a teacher, we often focus on what students know, the facts, details, the content. But really, what is our goal? What counts when raising up the next generation? It’s about how our children live and learn. Can we create lifelong learners? Bekki from A Better Way to Home School is here today to help us consider our focus when teaching and homeschooling. Her broader, bigger perspective is refreshing in this world of standards, test scores, and always meeting the next tangible goal. Read how to avoid raising brilliant brats here. Preview of the Heart of Homeschooling God’s Way Master Class. We need to STOP measuring success by grades, achievements, awards, and worksheets.
Our First Day of School was a Disaster From my past… Praying I have a better first day of school this year! What I wanted to share with you was how amazing our first day of school was this year. This was especially true since I was getting ready to teach a class to homeschoolers this week about “homeschooling More than One Student”. I am supposed to know what I am doing… Dream with me… The kids get out of bed bright eyed and bushy tailed. They eat breakfast and do a few chores and meet me at the table at the pre-determined time. We work through all of our lessons and they all stay focused and work diligently… (Can you hear my bubble pop?) Nope. That was not our first day of school. … Read More »
Homeschooling with Babies and Toddlers- It Can Be Done! Let me introduce you to my greatest secret for homeschooling with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers: Scheduled Crib-time, Play-pen time, and room time. Why? Without a safe place to play, and a routine, my boys literally climb the walls… Parenting Vocabulary: Room time: a block of time ranging from 5-60 minutes built into your child’s schedule where they play alone in a safe and secure environment. Alone: child is in a safe, and confined play space just out of sight of parent. Out of sight: baby/child cannot see mom, but mom is fully aware of what child is up to. Parent: the one in control of child’s routine. Child: little person being trained for future success as a functioning adult. Parent guided: parent decides what child will do. Period. Choice: the opportunity to enjoy the activity or go without fun time. Neglect: never a part of healthy child rearing and training. Controversial: Talking about parenting techniques that put the parent in control. … Read More »