Easy Survival Tips for Living with a 12-Year Old Boy Inside: The secret to surviving life with your hormonal 12-year old boy and 3 must reads if you’re raising boys. {PLUS Free Raising Sons Cheatsheet} My 12-year old boy almost died today. That’s right, I almost killed him. … Read More »
Easy Kitchen Chemistry Experiments Science in the kitchen is a sure fire combination to draw your kids right into the depths of science. It’s kind of like cheating! Fizzics Brings so many fun Chemistry Experiments right into your kitchen Create a growing carbon sugar snake with simple ingredients. A science activity for the adults to try that demonstrates combustion & chemistry for kids. Create fireworks in a glass! This colorful science activity is highly popular with kids and can be used look at buoyancy, density and surface tension. A simple color change in the kitchen! Simply grab a lemon and a mug of tea to explore kitchen chemistry that you can drink afterwards 🙂 The gummy bear osmosis experiment is perfect for variable testing! Learn how to design a simple kitchen chemistry activity that explores how water moves. The Chemistry of Pizza, by my son This was such a great project! Not only did he learn about all the chemical reactions taking place while making pizza, he taught me how to make my famous pizza dough even better! Get Creative in the Kitchen! Buy now America’s Test Kitchen Kids brings delicious science to your kitchen! Over 75 kid-tested, kid-approved recipes and experiments teach young chefs about the fun and fascinating science of food. This is the fourth book in the New York Times bestselling cookbook series for Young Chefs. So many amazing picks!!
Preschool At Home MAGIC My oldest son turned 28 yesterday. Sigh. Do your kids still leave their actual handprints on your walls, clothing, and windows? …Read More »
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. Yes!! 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 »
The Carl Angel 5 Pencil Sharpener- My Top Pick Worth every single dollar. Bonus points if you can name the movie he’s quoting! … Read More »
Homeschooling Olympians This is our passion project, our life mission… to help homeschool parents raise kids who still love the LORD and are excellent communications in both written and oral forms. We can also chat about this on the phone… Have questions about homeschooling but not ready to commit to any mentorship programs?Overwhelmed with where to begin?Stuck in a particular stage of your teaching your kids but not sure how to move on?Would you like to seek advice from an experienced homeschool mom who has survived 25+ years homeschooling FIVE sons and still has a smile on her face? Or simply have her as a sounding board for your many ideas? Book your FREE 15 minute call with Bekki! It’s EASY to schedule!
Math Number of the Day Printables For PreK- Kindergarden Complete Number Sense Set (Numbers 0-10) K-4th Number of the Day Worksheets 5th grade and Up
Fun Earth Day Activities for Preschoolers Subscribe to our channel Fun Earth Day Activities for Preschoolers!! …Read More »
Gingerbread Man Printable Unit Fun filled Centers and Worksheets for your Preschool Gingerbread Man Printables. Kids will love these hands-on learning games and activities that work on counting, number formation and order, letter recognition, patterns and more. 84 Pages of Fun Printables in this Set!! Get Your copy today This Gingerbread Man Printables set also includes 15 no-prep worksheets that reinforce scissor practice, tracing, letters, numbers, patterns and more. These are print and go printables that are great for last minute sub plans or extra practice. This unit includes: 16 Hands-on, Interactive Math and Literacy Centers15 No-Prep Extra Practice Worksheets Make lessons more memorable by adding Taste and Smell and all the senses! Here are some DELICIOUS ways to spice up learning. Prepare your printable goodies for your preschoolers! 2. Whip up a batch of gingerbread cookies together. The Pioneer Woman to the rescue! 3. Learn the history of gingerbread. Answer the question, “What’s a fairing?” 4. Peek at the LARGEST gingerbread house. 5. Ooh and Ahhh over the delicious creations of the National Gingerbread Competition! 6. Make a gingerbread paper village! Your older kids will LOVE this craft. Download your fun craft 7. Grab a few cookies and enjoy a traditional story together! Watch this Read Aloud Here
Christmas Activities: Build Your Own Christmas Tree Game Christmas is that wonderful time of year that delights our souls, causes us to wonder and distracts the daylights out of our kids. The best way to grab their attention during Christmas and the whole advent season is to improvise. This Christmas Activity is guaranteed to make them smile!! Buy Now Easy to Play …Read More »
Dad’s Role in Homeschooling: The Powerful Man Behind the Scenes Inside: Six homeschool lessons to glean from your kid’s dad. Even if he never picks up a red pen to help you grade a math test. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. But when the going gets tough in homeschool, moms across the globe search for answers. We corner teachers to glean classroom management skills. We laugh and cry with our girlfriends about our kids as we sip too much coffee. We pick the brains of other homeschoolers we happen to bump into at the grocery store. We Google in desperation. “Which curriculum is best for a dyslexic science-minded girl who refuses to wear matching socks on Tuesdays?” But ask the man in our lives his opinion about how to teach his children or how to manage our lives, No way Jose…. Read More »
Math with a Deck of Cards Quick round up of all the math games I can find that you can play with a deck of cards. Total of 10 Lay out 20 cards on the table (leave out face cards or change them to equal 0, while aces equal 1). Kids remove sets of cards that add up to 10, ultimately trying to remove all the cards from the table. It’s harder than you think! Learn more at First Grade Round up Nifty 50 This game is great to develop logical thinking and problem solving, review two digit addition and subtraction regrouping, and is fun! The object is to come up with a math equation that has a sum or difference closest to the number 50. First player to five points is the winner! Learn more at Scholastic Great collection from Math Geek Mama! 21 This game is a simplified version played in casinos, with no gambling involved. Object: be the closest to 21 without going over! Learn more at Scholastic Place Value War Turn over 1, 2 or 3 cards. Place them in any position to make the highest number possible. The higher number wins all of the cards for that turn. Learn more at Newark Schools Once through the deck Shuffle the deck and place it face down on the table in front of you. Flip the cards face up, one at a time. For each card, say out loud the sum (or product) of that number plus (or times) the number you want to practice. Don’t say the whole equation, just the answer. Go through the deck as fast as you can. Learn more at Denise Gaskins Related: Games with a deck of card FREE printable by SAU 39 Closest To Starting with two digit numbers, deal out two cards per player. Each player takes the cards in their hand and rearranges the digits to create a number that is closest to 50. The players show each other their hands and the player who is closest to 50 wins the set of all of the players’ cards. Learn more at Math engaged Math Memory Lay all of the cards down on the table face-down in a grid. Players take turns flipping over three cards and seeing if they can make an equation with the face-up cards. Younger players can try using addition and subtraction, and older players can also try using multiplication and division. Players are challenged to remember what cards every player has flipped to help them create equations on their own turn. The player with the most amount of cards at the end of the game wins. Learn more at Math engaged Here’s a game similar to the one described above, but this version allows students to compare fractions instead. You will need two pencils, one for each player, to serve as the fraction line. Learn more at Super Teacher Worksheets Guess My Number Place a student at the front of the room and give him or her two playing cards. The cards can be ordered any way the student wants. Be sure the cards cannot be seen by the class! Take turns around the room guessing what the number is. The types of questions asked have to use math vocabulary, such as, “Is it even?” “Is it odd?” “Is it greater than 10?” “Is it a factor of 20?” and so on. The student can only answer with a “Yes” or “No”, until the actual number is guessed at. Learn more at K5Chalkbox More math with a deck of cards! More math goodies Math Picture Books Breath Life into Arithmetic! 97+ Ideas for Making Math FUN Homeschool Math: Grab your Roadmap to Success
Rubik’s Cube (TM) Top Secret Mission A reader asked if I could create her son an activity to add to the Rubik’s Cube she bought him. Nothing excites kids like the words “Top Secret”. These activities make the perfect pair with a Rubik’s Cube(TM) and make excellent math centers, bell work, party activities or just plain fun.Included: Top Secret instructions18 Mission CardsMission foldable foldersLaughs and curiosity *Rubik’s Cube sold separately Get yours in my TpT Store For Student: Prepare Top Secret Envelope and Mission Instruction cards.For longest life, copy onto cardstock paper and laminate. Student comes to “Mission Commander” for 1-3 Missions to complete at a time. They must show the completed tasks to mission command before getting their next set of orders. For Mission Command(YOU): Prepare Top Secret Envelope and Mission Instruction cards. For longest life, copy onto cardstock paper and laminate. When Student comes to receive their secret mission give them 1-3 mission/tasks to complete. When they return with a successful mission they can receive a new set of “orders”. These missions do not need to be completed in any particular order, but may be carefully selected by mission command to ensure success!
Make every day a Read Aloud Day I’m here to remind us both of something very important. There’s something more beneficial for our kids’ education than that curriculum we’re beginning to understand. …Read More »
Homeschool: When Life Doesn’t Cooperate Inside: 5 Steps to Overcoming the Overwhelm! Plus a cute free printable! My youngest sons will battle over anything. Even freshly picked blackberries. Sitting on the porch quietly enjoying the sun and savoring the warmth and fleeting moments of summer vacation. That’s how this day began. So peaceful. So wonderful. Blessed. And then I heard them. … Read More »
We Deprive Our Sons On Purpose Yes, We deprive Our Sons on Purpose: That’s right. We deprive them. The Result of Deprivation? Boredom. Do not be afraid of a bored child. And DO Not rescue them. On the other side of boredom lives creativity, design, and ingenuity… A Bit of chaos. But out of this chaos, they create kingdoms! … Read More »
Simple Advent Activities that Add Holiday Spirit to Teaching Inside: Christmas and Winter Wrapped into Learning Activities Snow begs to be played in, candy canes plead to be enjoyed, and kids refuse to focus… Crazy Snowman Photo by Matteo Paganelli Sounds like the holidays to me. If you thought is was hard to get your kid’s attention during Thanksgiving, wait until you try during Christmas! I always switch to holiday themed activities during the holidays. Beginning today, let’s snuggle with our kids and slow down. In the flurry of decorations, shopping, and potential holiday madness we need to take the time to share “what really matters” with our kids. … Read More »
What does a Penny have to do with Homeschool Survival? Have you ever tried to put a penny on train tracks? We used to joke about living in a town quoted by Bugs Bunny. Apparently, this little town was where “Goldilocks was serving time for breaking and entering”. Ah, Tehachapi, Ca. A friend made up this little giggler to help his kids say the name of our little town: Q-“Why did the chicken sit on a pea pod?” A-“To Hatch a Pea!” … Read More »
How to Homeschool Your child Without Losing Your Way Every January, I do a crazy purge of homeschooling. When we come back to our studies after Christmas it never fails. Suddenly, I can see how off-track I’ve allowed the kids to get. Even though I have great intentions, I always seem to put too much emphasis on ‘this curriculum and that lesson’ and with our time seeking the Lord together, praying, and serving each other gets pushed more and more off to the side. When I stop and focus on my kids’ hearts, attitudes, and character I realize I need to make some changes.… Read More »
Daily Advent Readings: Where Do You Begin? Inside: What Bible Verses should you read with your kids during Advent? Here are Daily Bible Readings for every day during Advent. It’s as simple as: Download, Print, and Begin. Download your FREE “Advent Reading Freebie HERE” {Printable} Starting Late? No Worries. Jump in at any time! Related: When the Holidays Mess with your Homeschooling Mojo Looking for More Advent Goodies? Advent Calendar Ornaments 17 of the Best Advent for Kids Activities for your Family 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.