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What a fun way to use movies for educational purposes in your homeschool!

by Cindy Leave a Comment

This Is a Great Way to Use Movies in Your Homeschool!

Using movies in your homeschool might seem like a cop out, but it's not at all when you use them for some fun learning. Project-based learning is the best. My kids have not only been more excited and engaged during a project vs. plain old textbook learning, they have absorbed SO much more information. Their interest is fed each day as we add a new element, a new perspective, or a new layer to ... Read More

Last Updated: January 25, 2021 Filed Under: Creative Homeschooling, Elementary, History & Geography, Middle School, Unit Studies Tagged With: homeschool co-op, homeschool group, movie party, project-based learning

These character building picture books can be so helpful in your home!

by Cindy Leave a Comment

70 of the Best Character Building Picture Books For Kids

Any time is a good time to read a fantastic picture book, but when that book serves double duty as an educational tool it's truly a "keeper". The character building picture books listed below are definitely keepers. We know that good character is best taught through example, right? The saying goes that way more is caught than taught when it comes to building virtues in our children. In other ... Read More

Last Updated: January 18, 2021 Filed Under: Bible & Character, Charlotte Mason, Christian Homeschooling, Creative Homeschooling, Elementary Tagged With: book lists, character building, living books, living literature

These tips will give unorganized homeschool moms hope!

by Cindy 2 Comments

Organizing Tips for the Unorganized Homeschool Mom

You know that homeschool one mom - the one who is always calm, whose kids are always clean and polite? The mom who somehow manages to arrive everywhere early, impeccably dressed, with makeup, hair, and snacks? There seems to be one in every co-op. A mom who makes it all look effortless and easy. Her home always seems to be ready for company, her lesson plans always look pristine, and there are ... Read More

Last Updated: January 11, 2021 Filed Under: Creative Homeschooling Tagged With: homeschool help, homeschool mom, Organization

Get cozy with the perfect winter living books this season!

by Cindy 4 Comments

20 Must Read Winter Books for Kids

Winter is the perfect time for snuggling up with books - and lots of them! Over the years, we've gone back to certain books time after time during the winter season. I thought I'd share our winter book list with you and give you an idea of some of the book extension activities we've done to turn the books into great lessons. We don't always do extension lessons when reading, but the long days of ... Read More

Last Updated: January 6, 2021 Filed Under: Elementary, Language Arts, Unit Studies Tagged With: literature activities, living literature, Reading, seasonal learning, winter

Learn science through nature study, create notebooking pages, and have FUN in No Sweat Nature Study LIVE classes. This nature study booklist goes along with the lessons!

by Cindy Leave a Comment

2021 Nature Study Book List to Supplement No Sweat Nature Study LIVE Lessons

We are having so much fun learning science in the No Sweat Nature Study LIVE membership! If you haven't joined us there yet, it's never too late. Live classes take place twice a month and previously recorded lessons are waiting for you right now! What is No Sweat Nature Study LIVE? Twice a month, 1st-8th graders can take part in fun, interactive, LIVE science lessons with a nature ... Read More

Last Updated: January 1, 2021 Filed Under: Charlotte Mason, Creative Homeschooling, Elementary, Nature Study, Science & Nature Tagged With: live classes, living books, living literature, membership, online class, online course

These critical thinking games will help your children develop deep thinking skills almost effortlessly.

by Cindy Leave a Comment

The Best Critical Thinking Games for Your Homeschool

Critical thinking games are the perfect way to teach and practice important thinking and decision making skills in your home. I've been using games as part of my plan of attack for years and it's been such a fun and challenging way to strengthen my children's ability to think and reason. Critical thinking is extremely important for everyone because it's the process by which we analyze and ... Read More

Last Updated: December 9, 2020 Filed Under: Brain Training, Creative Homeschooling, Elementary, Gifted & Struggling Learners, Middle School Tagged With: critical thinking, games, gameschooling, logic

Nature study can be a great fit for gifted kids for lots of reasons!

by Jenn Vail 1 Comment

Nature Study is a Good Fit for Gifted Kids

There are definitely stereotypes when it comes to gifted kids. For instance, people might might picture an awkward boy or girl with glasses who plays chess and cello and snorts when he or she laughs. Parts of that may be true for some gifted kids, but they're often not at all like people expect them to be. Some have glasses, some play instruments, some are more interested in video games than ... Read More

Last Updated: November 29, 2020 Filed Under: Charlotte Mason, Creative Homeschooling, Elementary, Gifted & Struggling Learners, High School, Middle School, Nature Study, Science & Nature Tagged With: gifted kids, nature walks

Group games make a party more fun! This family-friendly list is full of tried and true options.

by Cindy Leave a Comment

15 of the Best Group Games for Families

These group games for families are perfect for any special gathering! Games have always been the go-to activity when family or friends get together because they are so much fun and keep everyone actively involved in the party. We don't have a giant extended family, but every holiday or birthday celebration will find the 10 of us gathered around the living room for at least a couple of ... Read More

Last Updated: November 19, 2020 Filed Under: Brain Training, Creative Homeschooling, Elementary, Family, High School, Middle School Tagged With: family fun, gameschooling, parties

Writing a homeschool resume can be a great way to see your value and successes as a homeschool teacher.

by Cindy 1 Comment

A Homeschool Resume Can Help You Value Yourself as a Teacher

Please enjoy this guest post from Courtney Day about the encouragement you can find by writing a homeschool resume. It's such a great idea to help you realize your worth and see your successes as a homeschool teacher! “Congratulations,  you’ve got the job! You’re hired!” “Huh? I didn’t... I’m sorry, what job?” I was trying to make sense of the words. He had woken me up to have this ... Read More

Last Updated: November 19, 2020 Filed Under: Christian Homeschooling Tagged With: homeschool encouragement, homeschool mom

Have so much fun and promote creativity with these art and handicraft gifts!

by Cindy 2 Comments

40+ Art and Handicraft Gifts That Kids Will Love

Time and again, research and anecdotal evidence have proven that creativity is as vital a trait as resilience or wit. Often creativity can be considered a skill, but it's such a broad concept that it is difficult to explain just how to practice such a skill. This list of art and handicraft gifts will help! Creativity can be applied to problem solving, writing, play, the creation of something ... Read More

Last Updated: November 18, 2020 Filed Under: Charlotte Mason, Creative Homeschooling, Elementary, Fine Arts, Middle School Tagged With: artist resources, gifts for kids, handicrafting

These nature gifts for kids are a fun way to inspire a love for science!

by Cindy Leave a Comment

24 of the Best Nature Study Gifts for Kids

Nature study has long been a cornerstone of our homeschool. It's an interactive and exciting mainstay that has come to be as much a part of our lives as our learning. We don't just notice nature when it's for science credit, we enjoy and appreciate it in our daily lives! Because nature study is so ingrained in our lifestyle, it's not uncommon for our family to give or receive gifts that relate ... Read More

Last Updated: November 11, 2020 Filed Under: Charlotte Mason, Creative Homeschooling, Elementary, Middle School, Nature Study Tagged With: gift ideas, nature walk

47 gift ideas for your favorite horse lover! Perfect for Christmas, birthdays, or any special occasion.

by Cindy Leave a Comment

Great Gifts for Horse Lovers

Horses are a lifelong love for my daughter. She has always gasped at the sight of horses grazing in a pasture, cleared the local library's shelves of all the horse-related books, and covered her walls with posters of wild stallions and prancing ponies. Gift giving occasions have never been great mysteries for anyone who knows her - anything with a horse, about a horse, or shaped like a horse is ... Read More

Last Updated: November 9, 2020 Filed Under: Creative Homeschooling, Elementary, High School, Middle School, Science & Nature Tagged With: gifts for kids, horses

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NaturExplorers Science Curriculum

NaturExplorers guides are perfect for the 1st-8th grade homeschool, co-op or classroom. This highly adaptable curriculum series uses nature study as the starting point for science lessons that reach into every other subject and meet all learning styles.

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When my boys were little, I loved reading these “letters from God” to them as blessings to start the day.
As I was sorting bookshelves earlier this month, I stumbled across this sweet book again. I decided the blessings are still as pertinent today for my bigger boy as they were years ago. So, we’re starting our day yet again with a quick, but powerful “letter from God” before jumping into our daily Bible studies.
Do you do anything special to start your day off on the right foot? I’d love to hear about it!
Click the link in my bio for a link to the book.
#homeschoolblessings #homeschoolfamily #homeschoolmom #homeschool #homeschooling #yourmorningbasket #startthedayoffright #charlottemasonmama #loveyourkids #wildandfreemama #childrensbook #devotionalforkids #homeschool365 #homeschoolmorning #ourjourneywestward #ihsnet
Winter homeschooling can be tough in normal years. Winter homeschooling can be tough in normal years. It’s cold, the days are dark, and everyone’s cooped up together 24/7. That’s a recipe for the winter blahs to march right into your house and wreak havoc on attitudes and motivation.⠀
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This year’s winter is unlike any other and those blahs may have actually settled in long before now. If you or your children are feeling down, anxious, or bored with school, are “at” each other constantly, bouncing off the walls, or tears and fighting are the norm…the blahs are there.⠀
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Let’s get you, your children, and your homeschool back on track. I’ll be teaching a Homeschool Masterclass on Thursday afternoon to help you kick the blahs to the curb. If you can attend live, come! If you can’t attend live, catch the replay!⠀
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We’ll tackle all sorts of problems the blahs bring with them with very practical  ideas that are easy to implement! ⠀
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Click the link in my bio to join me. There is no shame in admitting that the blahs have arrived and you need a little boost from a friend. ❤️ ⠀
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#homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolmom #homeschoolfamily #wildandfreemom #charlottemasonmama #winterhomeschool #homeschoolhelp #homeschoollookslikethis #thisishomeschool #homeschoolmasterclass #homeschool365 #ihsnet #homeschoolmama #helpmehomeschool #winterblahs
Oh, what peace this quote brings to my soul. It’ Oh, what peace this quote brings to my soul. It’s true, you know. I’ve told my children for years that it only takes a nature walk to see God through His handiwork and to know that His promises are true.⠀
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When the world seems to be falling apart around you, the sun never stops shining. The seasons never stop moving. Without a single, solitary effort of human hands, the woodlands still buzz with life.⠀
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A student of nature can see the consistency in cycles and notice the incredible and creative intricacy of even the smallest specimen and be in awe that we truly serve a God who isn’t unaware of even one tiny detail in our world right now. ⠀
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Life kind of seems overwhelming, though, I know. Remember when I said my motto lately has been to just put one foot in front of the other to do the next right thing? Nature walks (even when it’s cold) never fail me as a right thing. ⠀
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Breathe, friend. Take a nature walk today and let God speak to your soul.⠀
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#homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolmom #homeschoolfamily #wildandfreemom #charlottemasonirl #winterhomeschool #homeschoollookslikethis #thisishomeschool #winternaturestudy #nosweatnaturestudy #homeschool365 #ihsnet #naturestudy #naturexplorers #nature #hewins
It might seem trite to post a winter picture book It might seem trite to post a winter picture book list right now, but I’m a big believer in keeping things as normal as possible in my home when things aren’t so normal otherwise.⠀
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It’s the principle of putting one foot in front of the other as you simply do the next right thing. Good books almost always can be a “next right thing” choice.⠀
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Even though I’m not homeschooling younger children anymore, I’ll probably never stop sharing wonderful picture book ideas with you. 🤓 I’ve spent way too many hours reading and collecting to ever stop loving them!⠀
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Eli and I may not be using these books right now, but they are still some of my favorites for winter reading. Whatever may be going on around you, the winter months are always a good time of year to get in lots of extra reading. Snuggling and hot chocolate are optional, but encouraged.⠀
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Click the link in my bio to find a blog post about these books + some of our favorite winter chapter books, too!⠀
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#homeschool #readmorebooks #livingbooks #livingliterature #picturebooks #winterpicturebooks #homeschoolmom #wildandfreefamily #charlottemasonirl #winterhomeschool #homeschoollookslikethis #thisishomeschool #winternaturestudy #nosweatnaturestudy #homeschool365 #ihsnet
We celebrated a 14th birthday over Christmas break We celebrated a 14th birthday over Christmas break! 🎉🎁🎂🏀🥰
I love being auntie to a sweet baby again! 😍 I love being auntie to a sweet baby again! 😍
Merry Christmas from the Wests! 🎄 Merry Christmas from the Wests! 🎄
Christmas picture books are some of my very favori Christmas picture books are some of my very favorite books of all time. I’ve spent years collecting new ones here and there (and will probably continue collecting for years to come because there are at least a few favorites I still don’t own).🤗🤫⠀
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When the kiddos were younger, I would sometimes wrap each of the books and place them in a basket near the Christmas tree. 🎁 Each morning during December, one of my children would choose a book to unwrap and that was the one we would read for the day. Oh, such precious memories!⠀
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This year, even though my youngest is in 8th grade, the books are not hidden away! I’ve found a creative way to read them with Eli. We’re using them as mentor texts for his own stories during language arts. #sneakysmart (He’s writing some pretty great stories, too!)⠀
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to see my entire list of picture book favorites for the Christmas season!🎄If you’d like to know more about using picture books to teach writing to older kids, search “writing with picture books masterclass”on my website.⠀
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#homeschoolbooks #christmasbooks #christmasbooklist #christmaspicturebooks #christmasschool #creativehomeschooling #livingbooks #livingliterature #readmorebooks #Decemberhomeschool #homeschoolfamily #homeschoollookslikethis #homeschoolmiddleschool #ilovebooks #charlottemasonirl #yourmorningbasket #ourjourneywestward #homeschoolrocks

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