Summer Learning Fun
Math Fun
Starting out
Nature Studies
Homeschooling Through the Seasons
No matter what type of homeschooler you are, it can be really helpful to adapt your homeschooling to the seasons. Every season has strengths, weaknesses and unique opportunities that you can take advantage of with a little bit of flexibility. This will also keep things fresh for you and the kids! How do you adapt […]
Review: Wild Life tells of being homeschooled in the African wilderness and dealing with mean girls in American schools
The newly released Wild Life: Dispatches from a Childhood of Baboons and Button-Downs tells the fascinating story of Keena Roberts’ life growing up partly in her parents’ research station in the middle of an African reserve and then part time in an affluent American suburb. The publisher, Grand Central Publishing, describes the memoir: Keena Roberts […]
FREE Stargazing Diary!
Here’s a fabulous astronomy freebie! Lie Back Look Up has created a wonderful 6-page stargazing diary for families to print out for free. It includes pages for kids to draw the constellations they see, draw the moon, track its phases and more. Find the stargazing diary here. Be sure to look around the rest of […]
What’s That Feather? Great Tools and Books to ID Unknown Feathers
We checked out a fabulous book from the library yesterday and it got our youngest daughter, Fiona, excited about finding and identifying feathers. Plume, written and illustrated by Isabelle Simler, was New York Times selection for Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2017 and you’ll be able to see why. I just find it enchanting and simple, […]
Fall Nature Studies: Nature Math!
Fall is right around the corner and there are so many wonderful ways to learn with this season. Here’s one fun way to do math with fall nature items, from my book, A Magical Homeschool: Nature Studies (52 Wonderful Ways to Use Nature Studies in Every Season to Teach Science, Math, Art and More). Nature […]
Free bird sighting log sheets!
Here’s a sweet freebie to help with your child’s nature studies. Hobby Farms offers these printable bird sighting sheets to print out. They say: Use this bird-sighting chart to document what birds are nesting around your home and when you see them. When your chart is full of feathered creatures, print yourself another page! The […]
Ant Science! STEM Activities Using Ants for Educational Summer Fun
The ants are out for the summer and making pests of themselves around some homes. Why not take advantage of their presence to do some fun educational projects outside? From ant mazes to taste tests (for the ants, not the kids!), there are all kinds of fun STEM projects you can design to use some […]
Summer science fun
Summer is in full swing and it’s the perfect time to start up a little outdoor summer science. Don’t worry, this kind of science fun doesn’t require much on your part at all! Here’s all you need to get your kiddos experimenting, making concoctions and learning along the way. Test hypotheses. You hear all sorts […]
Free 290-page bird book offered online
Here’s a wonderful public domain book to add to your homeschool. Bird neighbors: An introductory acquaintance with one hundred and fifty birds commonly found in the gardens, meadows, and woods about our homes is an in-depth book offered through the Internet Archive. It is free, and offered in multiple formats. Bird Neighbors was first published […]
Free app helps learn about and ID fossils
Researchers have designed a mobile app to help fossil hunters identify their finds, and it’s available for free on iTunes. The app was funded by the National Science Foundation and currently features digitized details on around 800 ancient species. Researchers say they will continue to add 15 to 20 new species to the database each […]
Five lessons to take from Charlotte Mason for your homeschool
Many homeschoolers around the world follow Charlotte Mason methods, and it’s easy to understand why. This British educator approached education through nature and great works, creating an environment that appeals to many parents. Here are five Charlotte Mason philosophies that can enrich any homeschool. Let children learn through “living books.” Mason advocated teaching with books […]
Take part in citizen science projects monitoring butterflies this summer
Two wonderful citizen science projects are being offered this summer through SciStarter and they’re a great way to help butterflies while also doing science. These projects are free to take part in and can be done in your own park, town or back yard. The Monarch Larva Monitoring Project was developed by researchers at the […]
Campfire science!
It’s summer time and the perfect season for camping. Why not add to the fun by doing a little chemistry with campfire coloring and experiments? We tried a little campfire chemistry while camping with homeschool friends a few years ago. It was such fun that afterwards we looked up other ingredients to add to really […]