Posted by Cindy on March 18, 2013
Oh, my goodness! You will SO want to take part in this! As part of iHomeschool Network, I’ve joined a SUPER-FUN online giveaway. Twenty-five bloggers are each hosting a contest to win a themed basket of goodies. Twenty-five!
Charles Ludwig Missionary Stories
What do I have to giveaway? FOUR Charles Ludwig Missionary books! Each book includes two very adventurous stories of Missionary Green and his experiences in tribal Africa. In the books, you’ll walk right alongside the missionary and his native Christian friends as they overcome many challenges such as witch doctors, wild animals, cannibals and persecution. Of course, evil is overcome with good as they spread the gospel of Jesus everywhere they go.
$36.00 value.
Why Missionary Books?
Our family loves reading good missionary stories for SO many reasons:
- We find wonderful examples of real-life people who turned everything in their lives over to the Lord.
- We see God’s miraculous hand at work in every single story – stories of protection, provision, amazing feats and more.
- We learn about other cultures and/or time periods.
- Biographies tend to be boring reading, but the books we’ve loved are typically so full of adventure that you rarely realize you’re reading a biography.
- The books draw our hearts toward supporting current missions and/or missionaries.
Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter to win my bundle of Charles Ludwig missionary books.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Enter The Other Contests!
Visit each blog, decide which items float your boat and enter those particular contests. Easy as pie!
(1) Mad Scientist Basket from Milk and Cookies
(2) ”See the Light” Easter Art Basket from Classic Housewife
(3) Tea Time Basket from See Jamie Blog
(4) Butterfly Basket from Spell Outloud
(5) Family Movie Night Basket from Jennifer A. Janes
(6) Pamper the Homeschool Mom Basket from Granola Mom 4 God
(7) Freezer Cooking Basket from Motherhood on a Dime
(8) Hodgepodge Basket from Hodgepodge
(9) Healthy Living and Fitness Basket from Forever, For Always, No Matter What
(10) Making Writing Fun Basket from This Reading Mama
(11) Coffee: Fuel for Homeschooling Moms Basket from Homeschoolin’ Mama
(12) Mom’s Quiet Time Basket from Upside Down Homeschooling
(13) Missionary Basket from Our Journey Westward
(14) Happy Mom Basket from Habits for a Happy Home
(15) Crafty Goodness Basket from Mamas Learning Corner
(16) Rejuvenate the Mom Basket from Spoonful of Imagination
(17) Beginner’s Math Manipulatives Basket from Meet Penny
(18) Welcome Spring: Gardening Basket from Abundant Life
(19) Healthy Living Basket from The Encouraging Home
(20) Mom’s Pampering Basket from Teaching Mama
(21) Kid’s Gardening Basket from Momma Hopper
(22) The Gift of Parenting Basket from Teachers of Good Things
(23) Preschool Crafts Basket from It’s Gravy, Baby!
(24) All the Extras – Electives and Enrichment Basket from Curriculum Choice
(25) Homeschool Mom Basket Case Basket from Classic Housewife
Posted by Cindy on February 20, 2013
Teaching with Candy Hearts
Early Elementary Lessons
With a pile of hearts, Eli had to figure out how many each of us would get if he divided the group into fair shares. He had to decide what to do with the leftovers, too.
We practiced the ABC’s by finding each letter printed somewhere on the hearts.
We love making concrete graphs! Eli has practiced many times with bar graphs, so this time I made sure to introduce making a circle graph.
To begin transferring concrete bar graphs to written graphs, I asked Eli to make a bar graph with his candy hearts. Then, I asked him to draw his own graph on a chalkboard. Why a chalkboard? Both because we had colored chalk to match the colors of the candy and because chalk encourages a more tactile experience than pencil and paper.
Middle and High School Lessons
This was a fun twist on measuring area. Instead of placing candy on a prepared heart to determine the area, I gave my children a small pile of candy and said, “Take a look at the pile and cut out a heart that you estimate has the correct area.” We did this a few times with different sized piles of candy to improve estimation skills.
The next several pictures show a variety of graphing and probability activities. Bar graphs, stem and plot graphs, histograms and more were created.
We also had fun placing several different numbers of each color in a bag to predict and test the probability of drawing each color.
Our day wasn’t all math related. We had fun with some science experiments, too. In the first two pictures, we experimented with the rate candy hearts dissolve in various acid and base mixtures.
The final picture shows the results of an erosion experiment (disclosure: link to my book.) We placed one heart in water and let it stand still. The second heart was placed in the same amount of water, but we shook the container for three minutes. In the end, we talked about how this models why jagged rocks eventually become small, smooth pebbles.
We literally could have gone on for a week learning with candy hearts. Look at the list of ideas we came up with at co-op!
Whether you use candy hearts or another variety of colored candy, make it a fun day once in a while!
Posted by Cindy on December 4, 2012
The holly bears a berry as red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to do poor sinners good.
The holly bears a prickle as sharp as any thorn,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ on Christmas Day in the morn.
~The Holly and the Ivy | Harrison S. Morris
I bet you thought I covered everything related to nature study a few months ago in my
Ultimate Guide to Nature Study post, didn’t you? No way! In this post, I’ve pulled together everything related to
CHRISTMAS nature study for you. Christmas nature study?? Yep. Who is Christmas about? Who made creation? Well then, studying nature at Christmastime is a perfect way to talk more about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Nature Study Through the Holidays: Advent
I’ve taken some time to pull together all you need for an Advent-themed Bible and science study in Nature Study Through the Holidays: Advent. Advent is a weekly focus on various parts of the Christmas story during the month leading up to Christmas. For each of these weeks, I have provided you with Scripture references, nature study activities and full-color notebooking pages. My hope is that your family will grow closer to the Lord and His perfect gift of Jesus this Christmas season.
If you use Advent candles as part of your Christmas celebration, you might be interested in Theresa’s Advent wreath made from natural materials.
Christmas Tree Study
If you’d rather focus on Christmas trees as nature study, NaturExplorer’s Constant Conifers offers many ideas!
Homeschool Share has a free study using the book Chita’s Christmas Tree, too.
Other Fun Christmas Nature Study Ideas
There are many, many nature topics you might focus on during the month of December. I’ve listed just handful of fun ideas below.
- December (or anytime during winter) is a wonderful time for a study of Snow and Ice.
- You might enjoy a study of spices as you prepare all those yummy Christmas cookies.
- If you have the opportunity, take a unique nature “walk” – go ice skating!
Christmas & Nature Literature
There are books galore that tie together nature and Christmas. Really good books, too. Enjoy one or two of these a week to spark nature walks.
Christmas Gifts & Crafting from Nature
Decorate your house with natural elements found on nature walks – everything from door and table decor to Christmas tree ornaments. Many nature projects turn out so beautifully they make perfect gifts, too! Below, I’ve linked you to some of my favorite Christmas nature crafting ideas. I’ve also been busy pinning fun ideas on my Christmas Nature Study Pinterest Board.
- Milestone Academy encourages her children to make herb gardens as gifts by rooting supermarket herbs in small glass jars.
Christmas Gift Ideas to Promote Nature Study
Just in case you’re still shopping, there are tons of fun ideas for gifts that go along with nature study. I’ve compiled a huge list of some goodies here.
And, don’t forget things like zoo memberships, science museum tickets, or even a subscription to
Nature’s Friend magazine!
________________________________
Have fun this Christmas season. Make memories in learning that will last a lifetime!
Need more Christmas ideas? My post is just one of 25 in a daily blog hop sponsored by iHomeschool Network. Be sure to check out all the great ideas!
I’m also linking this up to the holiday edition of the Charlotte Mason Carnival!
Posted by Cindy on November 19, 2012
Christmas is the season when we celebrate the greatest gift ever given - JESUS. We tend to give in so many extra ways during December – gifts, hospitality, notes of love, time to the needy, and much more. It’s a beautiful season of sharing that warms my heart every year!
Several bloggers and I have teamed up for a little extra giving this year through the Christmas Stocking Stuffer, hosted by iHomeschool Network. Two people will win $250 and many more will win other fantastic prizes – just in time for Christmas!
Indulge me for just a minute…
An extra $250 at Christmas! What would I buy? It would probably go toward some technology for our homeschool.
Fuhu’s NABI 2 – A 7-Inch Tablet for Kids
OR
A Kindle Fire HD 7″ – 32 GB
What would you do with an extra $250?
The Stocking Stuffer runs through this Friday, Nov. 23. All you have to do is comment on at least one person’s blog post to be officially entered. So go ahead an comment on this post and you’re all set! Commenting on more than one participant’s blog post will not earn extra entries. Earn up to 70 more entries during the week by completing the various tasks on the Rafflecopter entry form below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Stocking Stuffer event is brought to you by these lovely ladies!
Posted by Cindy on November 7, 2012
“It’s a greater blessing to give than it is to receive.”
Are you planning for Christmas already? I’m not talking about what gifts your going to buy or what you’ll eat for Christmas dinner. But, are you making plans to prepare the hearts of your children for the Christmas season? I’ve written before about some of the things we’ve done (many of which we continue to do) for the month of December, but this year I have a fun, new resource to share with you.
The Christmas Angel Set is a fun way to bring anticipation and a little mystery to each day of December – all while encouraging your children to shine their lights for Jesus as they participate in various projects of service or giving. The set, housed in a keepsake tin, includes a literature book, a stuffed angel toy and special angel dust (glitter) – all of which play a special part in the fun.
The Book
Beginning with the Christmas story, we meet the angel who brought the message of Jesus to Mary. Later in the book, the same Christmas angel visits your child and leaves special messages written in gold dust. Every message encourages the idea that it’s better to give than receive.
The Stuffed Angel and Gold Dust
Each evening after the kids are in bed, you place the stuffed angel somewhere around your house. Beside the angel, you sprinkle gold dust on a cookie sheet (or the top of the tin that comes with the set) and write a simple message about what type of service project awaits your children. When waking up in the morning, they search the house looking for the angel bearing the exciting message.
Some ideas for serving or giving are suggested in the literature book, but you have full control to plan exactly what works for your family.
- What service projects are available in your area? Can you work at a soup kitchen or make Christmas crafts with the nursing home residents?
- Who needs to feel the love of the Lord this season? Would your lonely neighbor appreciate coming over for soup and cookies? Do cancer patients need friends to play board games?
- What areas of character could your children stand to have stretched? Does a complaining child need to walk the cold streets handing out sack lunches to homeless people? Does a self-centered child need to make and deliver Christmas cookies to the local fire department, then stick around to help them do firehouse chores?
- What memories do you want to make with your children? Do you want them to remember the greatest gift of Jesus by yearly sacrificing money to buy gifts for those who need to know Jesus?
I’ve listed some pretty “big” project ideas because I have older children, but the projects don’t have to be big at all! One day’s project might be as simple as helping you address and stamp Christmas card envelopes. Another day, the angel might ask your children to invite another family over for a Christmas movie and hot chocolate. Projects can even be as simple as, “Help clean the bathroom.” or “Hug everyone in your family today.” The point is to get your children excited about sharing the love of Jesus with others in some big or little way each day of December.
Some of you are saying, “I can’t possibly keep up with this every day of December!” Believe me, I understand! Maybe your angel can surprise your family with an activity once a week instead of every day. The projects shouldn’t stress you out during the very hectic season of Christmas. Instead, they should be fun breaks in your day. Or, better yet, projects that allow your children to serve and give right alongside what you were normally planning to do that particular day!
No matter how many times during the month of December you plan to use the angel, your children will be super-excited to find the angel’s message waiting!
Win a Christmas Angel Set!
Would you like to win your own Christmas Angel set? I have one to giveaway! Please use the form below to enter. The winner, chosen Nov. 13th, has 48 hours to send me shipping details or the prize will be given to another winner. Only US residents and military addresses are eligible to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Want More Opportunities to Win?
Don’t miss the Christmas Angel Facebook Party from 9-10EST on Nov. 13th, hosted by iHomeschool Network. Prizes given away during the party total over $350!!
Ashley and Jenn have written reviews of the Christmas Angel and have giveaways going on right now, too!
Connect with The Christmas Angel
MAKE WONDERFUL MEMORIES AND SHINE YOUR LIGHTS THIS CHRISTMAS!
{I received a Christmas Angel set in exchange for a review and was compensated for my time spent writing the review. As always the opinions are honest and completely my own. I was not required to post a positive review.}
