It wasn’t until the other day that I realized how much my son’s interests had changed from the beginning of the year. In these past twelve months, he’s grown from a 4 year old preschooler to a 5 year old little boy. The past year went by like a blur, making me realize that I […]
Sight Word Ornaments
December 19, 2013 by
Last week, Colin received his first school report card. He is doing very well and I am so proud of him! In the narrative section of the report card, his teacher encouraged us to continue practicing sight words at home. I have been using the classic method of folding in, but he has become incredibly bored […]
Thankful Turkeys
November 22, 2013 by
Thankful Turkeys are a classic Thanksgiving craft for children I never grow tired of. This year, I’m especially fond of our turkeys because for the very first time, Colin wrote every single word independently using phonics, visual clues, and his sight words. To make Thankful Turkeys, you will need: colored card-stock scissors glue, tape, […]
Rainy Day Fun in NYC
October 28, 2013 by
Last week I went on a fun field trip adventure to NYC, and the forecast called for rain. A quick search of rainy day fun in NYC brought up the idea to visit the American Museum of Natural History along Central Park West — an exciting and educational place indeed!! Here are some of the […]
Tips for Raising Empathetic Children
October 9, 2013 by
It’s a rainy Friday evening. My youngest and I are snuggled in a red fleece blanket enjoying A Ball for Daisy, a picture book by Chris Raschka. “She is happy!” Owen tells me, pointing to a picture of Daisy carrying her ball to the park. “How do you know she feels happy?” I ask him. “She is […]
Exploring Nature with a Camera
September 30, 2013 by
The natural world is something that interests our entire family, so this year we are devoting more time to nature study. At first, nature study can seem a bit overwhelming. As adults, we feel the need to know everything as we set out. We often worry about being able to answer all of the many […]
The Elements of a Perfect Book Nook
September 29, 2013 by
One of the best ways I encourage reading at my house is to make a cozy place where my kids can curl up with no screen in sight. A kid sized spot, where books are always handy and the lighting is always good. Book nooks are easy to create with things you have on hand. […]
Helping Kids Choose Just Right Books
September 2, 2013 by
This week we’ll be sharing posts to help with the transition of getting back to more formal learning. First up is a great video from Amy at TeachMama.com on the importance of helping kids choose the books that are just right for them. Choosing the right book can make all the difference and this video […]
Kid Illustrated Summer Memory Books
August 30, 2013 by
The end of the summer is bittersweet; it’s sad to say goodbye to the warm weather and time with the kids, but the new school year and upcoming seasons are wonderful things to look forward to. We celebrated summer’s end by creating Summer Memory Books, illustrated and put together by the boys! This post contains affiliate […]
What About Socialization?
August 25, 2013 by
Are you hesitant to homeschool because you’re worried about socialization? More often than not, when I tell someone that my family homeschools their first question is, “What about socialization?”It’s a common misconception that homeschoolers are unsocialized and the socialization question is frequently asked. I decided to ask a few fellow homeschooling moms what they thought […]
Water Fun with a Marble Run
August 14, 2013 by
Using water as a learning tool in the summertime serves a dual purpose; kids learn and stay cool! Below is a list of three things that kids can learn about water through water fun with a marble run. 1. Water drips in drops. Due to surface tension, when water is slowly dripping off the marble […]
Ocean Themed Fun
July 26, 2013 by
Interested in teaching your children more about the ocean? Make a day out of it! Here are some ideas for planning a day filled with lots of ocean themed fun. Eat ocean themed food Make an octopus’s garden snack with a bell pepper as the body and 8 legs wallowing in the dip of your […]
Beach Keepsake Craft
July 24, 2013 by
One of our favorite places to go for vacation is the beach. It’s so relaxing and enjoyable, yet at the same time, the kids love to explore, build, and discover on the shoreline. This summer, I decided to use this opportunity to create a beach keepsake using their discoveries. The supplies you need are quite […]
Developing Storytelling Skills with a Mini Sandbox
July 19, 2013 by
Here’s a quick and easy way to work on developing storytelling skills with your preschooler using the sandbox, or in this case, a mini-sandbox! Clara was very lucky to have received this mini sandbox kit from a friend for her birthday, and she has spent many hours happily playing with this!! You could easily make […]
How to Make Colored Shadows
July 10, 2013 by
Sometimes summer plans don’t go as we wanted them to, especially if we end up with rainy days! Last week, we ended up being stuck in the house when we really wanted to be enjoying the sunshine. We pulled out a few lamps and created our own shadows. To our surprise, shadows don’t always have […]
Around the Web: Exploring Nature with Kids
July 7, 2013 by
This week we’ve shared a fun fossil finding activity at a creek and five tips for exploring nature with kids, but we don’t want the sharing to end there! We’ve gathered 10 inspiring posts from around the web that are sure to get your kids playing and learning outside. 1. Make a nature study kit […]
5 Tips for Exploring Nature with Kids
July 6, 2013 by
It’s important for children to be encouraged to connect with nature, but what if you are a little timid when it comes to exploring the outdoors? Whether you identify yourself as an “indoors” person or you just don’t know where to start, here are a few things you can do to make the transition a […]
Fossil Hunting at the Creek
July 5, 2013 by
Summer is hot and the water in the creek is cold! We had fun cooling our toes while hunting for fossils! The rocks in the creek we visited were predominantly shale and limestone. Mixed into the bunch were some incredible fossils! I explained to the boys that fossils were impressions of the remains of creatures […]
