Review: The Science Spell Book

We have a new favorite science experiment book in our homeschool! I was lucky to preview an advanced copy of The Science Spell Book: 30 Enchanting Experiments for Kids earlier this year and immediately fell in love with it. It’s is one of my favorite children’s science books that I’ve read, and I’ve read a […]

Free 700-page middle school chemistry course available online

Free 700-page middle school chemistry course available online

Looking for a comprehensive chemistry course for the middle school level? The American Chemical Society provides their entire 691-page curriculum for free as a PDF download or online resource. Middle School Chemistry: Big Ideas About the Very Small is designed to be an 8-10 week course, with each lesson requiring about 45 minutes to one […]

March Nature Studies

March Nature Studies: 10 Wonderful Ways to Learn with Nature in March

Looking for some fun ways to work nature studies into your homeschooling this month?  Here are all kinds of wonderful ways to use nature to work science, math, writing, art and more into your learning. Whether you live out in the country or are stuck inside an apartment this month, there are still ideas to […]

Don't toss those turkey bones! Easy Thanksgiving science

Don’t toss those turkey bones! Easy Thanksgiving science

  If you’re going to be having turkey this Thanksgiving, here’s a great way to make use of those bones afterwards. Make bendable bones! This simple science experiment teaches kids the importance of calcium — and is also just really cool. Here’s what you need: A jar large enough to hold a chicken or turkey […]

Sing physics and chemistry carols with the kids! (Updated with more songs)

Sing physics and chemistry carols with the kids! (Updated with more songs)

Here’s a great way to combine some seasonal fun with science. Learn some physics and chemistry carols! From “The 12 Days of Newton” to “O Come All Ye Gases” to “I’m Dreaming of a White Precipitate,” there’s all sorts of science fun at these sites. I first shared these in 2011 and one of the […]

ACS offers free high school energy curriculum

ACS offers free high school energy curriculum

Here’s another helpful science resource that’s free online. The American Chemical Society offers a free high school level curriculum on energy that contains lesson plans, handouts, experiments, video links and more. The curriculum can be viewed online or downloaded as a 152 page PDF file. ACS says: Energy Foundations for High School Chemistry is a […]

Thanksgiving Science! Ten ways to play with science this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Science! Ten ways to play with science this Thanksgiving

Ever wonder what makes a turkey timer pop up? What’s the difference between a yam and a sweet potato? How can you make bones rubbery? I’ve rounded up ten fun ways to incorporate science in your turkey day. Learn with turkey timers! Here’s a simple explanation of the science behind turkey timers. (Extension: take apart […]

Oodles of amazing educational uses for plastic eggs

Oodles of amazing educational uses for plastic eggs

After Easter, it’s the perfect time to pick up extra plastic eggs on clearance to use them for all sorts of homeschooling fun — and not just for the preschool set. Most of us have seen the Pinterest pins of Easter eggs being used to learn sight words or letters, but you can use them […]

Oodles of fun (free) ways to learn about atoms!

Oodles of fun (free) ways to learn about atoms!

Looking for some fun ways to bring your studies about atoms to life? Luckily, the internet is full of wonderful, hands-on ways for kids to learn about atoms. Here are all sorts of fantastic, hands-on ways to teach kids about atoms. ~ Sing “The Atoms Family” (Click here to see one family singing it together […]

Summer science fun

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 online learning games for every subject

Here are some great ways for the kids to play (and learn) in every subject from right at home today.  These online games are all free and require no special downloads or installations other than basics like Java or Adobe Flash Player in some instances. Math: Zeus’ Petals teaches kids multiplication skills.  The game says:  […]

Learn and craft about fireflies!

Learn and craft about fireflies!

Fireflies offer the perfect blend of science, nature, fun and magic. This is the perfect time of year to study them, too, and do some firefly crafts with the kids. Here are all sorts of ways to study these fascinating little insects and have some fun. Firefly.org is the perfect spot to start your firefly […]

Peony Science! http://magicalchildhood.com/homeschool/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/magicalhomeschoolCollage.jpg 07JUL Peony science! Delay blooms, make color-changing jelly and more Share on Facebook Share Share on Pinterest Pin it Share on TwitterTweet Send To Devices Send When the peonies bloom in early summer, it’s a great opportunity to do some summer science with the kids. Here are some fantastic ways ...

Peony science! Delay blooms, make color-changing jelly and more

When the peonies bloom in early summer, it’s a great opportunity to do some summer science with the kids. Here are some fantastic ways to do nature studies and learn all sorts of science concepts with these beautiful flowers. Keep them from blooming in the refrigerator for over a month! There are lots of sites […]

LEGO homeschool! Oodles of lesson plans and more for every grade and subject

LEGO homeschool! Oodles of lesson plans and more for every grade and subject

Do you have a Lego lover in your house? Legos are great for learning when they’re used as building tools, but there are also all sorts of great lesson plans on the web to use them in even more educational ways. From chemistry models to creative writing prompts to symmetry challenges, there are fabulous lesson […]

The science of frozen bubbles and how to make them in cold climates or warm

The science of frozen bubbles and how to make them in cold climates or warm

It gets bitterly cold here in Minnesota and in much of the United States in the winter, making it an ideal time to do winter science experiments like freezing bubbles outside. This is a fun and easy project that can teach kids a lot of science concepts. Kids in warm climates can try it, too […]

Free curricula in every subject for your 3rd grader

KIDS DISCOVER offers fabulous free resources

If you haven’t been to the KIDS DISCOVER site for free educational materials, you’re missing out on some wonderful resources. The magazine publisher offers full-color downloads, posters, activity packs and printables on a variety of subjects, absolutely free. Some of the topics covered include: Metamorphosis Ancient Empires Rock Cycle Louisiana Purchase Simple Machines Bill of […]

Complete high school forensics course offered free online

Here’s a fantastic resource for high school students who are interested in criminology and forensic sciences. Forensics Illustrated is an eleven-unit forensics course for high school students that is offered in its entirely online, free. The author explains: Forensics Illustrated is comprehensive collection of all the resources collected, manufactured, and utilized by Brennon Sapp during […]

The internet is filled with fabulous educational videos, but finding them can be tricky. Enter WatchKnowLearn, which gathers these videos from the internet and puts them in one organized, searchable place. The site currently offers about 50,000 videos on everything from osmosis to table manners to sign language to the philosophy of numbers. The website, which was launched by Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sangler, is designed to offer free access to thousands of education-related videos for students ages 3-18. Sanger describes it as "YouTube meets Wikipedia." What can you find on WatchKnowLearn? Nearly anything! For instance, some of the videos currently available include: A short video about Minnesota from the History Channel Singing the alphabet with Elmo and India Aria A short geography video how Pangea split and the plates moved to form the world we now know. An animation of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" A half hour video teaching about the history and culture of the religious Shaker movement. A vast assortment of math songs Schoolhouse Rock's "How a bill becomes a law" Doing a unit on clouds? A search produces hits in categories like meteorology, earth sciences and clouds, with options such as: Weather & Meteorology : How Do Clouds Form? Cool Clouds Mykie's Lesson Plan 3: Clouds Different Types of Clouds (Time-Lapsed Photography) Cloud Rap New Cloud Type Name Proposed-Asperatus How To Classify Clouds Wow! Amazing Images of Storm Clouds Lesson for Painting Clouds "Going Outside"- Learn Weather and Outside Sign Language Words These are just a few of the results just on page one of the results for clouds -- and there are 116 pages of results! Click here to visit the website and see all of the videos available. You can also set up your own classroom on the site to organize the videos you'd like to use in your homeschool. The search tool allows you to filter by age, and you can browse through subjects and many, many sub-categories to find great content. The site was launched in October of 2009. The contributions have come from National Geographic, NASA, you-tube, eHow, private users and Google Videos, among many other sources. This is a wonderful resource for putting together unit studies, accompanying curricula or just answering questions as they come up.

WatchKnowLearn offers thousands of free educational videos for kids

The internet is filled with fabulous educational videos, but finding them can be tricky. Enter WatchKnowLearn, which gathers these videos from the internet and puts them in one organized, searchable place. The site currently offers about 50,000 videos on everything from osmosis to table manners to sign language to the philosophy of numbers. The website, […]

10 Reasons nature study should be a priority in your homeschool

10 Reasons nature study should be a priority in your homeschool

Nature study can be an invaluable part of a child’s homeschooling. Most parents know that kids enjoy nature study, but many don’t realize the many ways it’s vital for the best possible education. Here are ten reasons that nature study should be a major component of every homeschool. It’s an easy way to teach science. […]

25 Modern Science, Math and Technology leaders who were homeschooled

It goes without saying that many of our world’s most famous scientists and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) pioneers were home educated back when homeschooling was more common. These include great scientists such as Alexander Graham Bell, Ernst Mach, Pierre Curie, Mary Blackwell, Clara Barton, Joseph Priestley and Thomas Edison (who only lasted three […]

Tell the temperature with crickets!

Summer science: Tell the temperature with crickets!

Here’s a great way to combine nature studies, science and math in a really fun way — use crickets to tell the temperature! My husband has been teaching our kids to tell the temperature by counting cricket chirps for years. It sounds like a bit of blarney, but it actually works and scientists have been […]

Great science stations for young kids

Science stations are wonderful for young kids.  They introduce toddlers and preschoolers to the love of science and are also great for keeping them busy while homeschooling older kids.  They’re fun, educational and easy to set up! What is a science station?  It’s a space you stock with fun materials for a child to experiment […]