One of the main goals I set early on in our homeschool was to give my children a love of learning. Creative homeschooling is the mode I’ve used to successfully do that. Don’t think that you can never put your child in front of a textbook or computer screen to homeschool creatively! Instead, think of it as offering your children curriculum and styles to meet their needs. Sometimes that will be a textbook or computer class. Other times, it may be a unit study, living literature, field trips, games, project-based learning, co-op classes, or interest-based studies. These articles show you how. Be inspired!
I hated geography as a child. It was tedious and repetitive, and it involved lots of looking up things like the population of a given country that I have never cared to look up since. It wasn’t until I learned to teach geography with living books and learned right alongside my children that I realized…
This No Sweat Nature Study Podcast episode explores a fascinating question: “Why do kangaroos hop instead of walk?” Kangaroos are incredible creatures, and their unique mode of movement is not just fun to watch but also an efficient way for them to get around the vast Australian landscape. Join Mrs. Cindy as she dives into the science…
Graphing comes to life with this fun paper airplane math activity! Create, fly, collect data, and use technology for serious learning that will motivate your elementary and middle school children to love learning. This post contains affiliate links. Paper Airplane Graphs Grab some colorful paper and let your children have fun designing paper airplanes to…
Field trip notebooks are a fantastic way to sneak in some writing practice while creating a memorable keepsake for your kids. Here’s how you can turn your family trips into learning experiences that your children will cherish for years. Field Trip Memories (And Learning, Too!) After a family trip to Michigan, we came home with…
Can you imagine using pumpkins to teach math, science, geography, history, AND language arts? You can do just that while enjoying a super-fun day of pumpkin school! Skip the textbooks for a few days and enjoy fall-themed fun with your elementary and middle school students. They will love the playful activities, and you’ll be thankful…
Living literature isn’t just for reading but also for teaching writing styles! Serious writing lessons don’t start in our homeschool until middle and high school, but believe it or not, I often use picture books to help me teach. Since picture books can be read in one sitting, they are perfect examples of good writing from…
Have you ever spotted a striking orange and black butterfly fluttering through your garden? That was likely a monarch butterfly! Monarchs aren’t just beautiful to look at—they’re also part of one of nature’s most fascinating insect-plant relationships. Milkweed, the monarch butterfly’s favorite plant, is vital to their life cycle. But why do monarch butterflies love…
Does your family have a favorite children’s book author? If you find yourself reading book after book from the same author, it’s pretty safe to say that your family may have a favorite! Why don’t you consider a favorite author study to celebrate that author (or illustrator) and learn a lot about the fundamentals of…
Is your family in the car more often than you care to admit? Would you like ideas to creatively homeschool in the car to redeem some time spent riding to co-op, ballet, music lessons, ball practice, chess club, or doctor’s appointments? If so, you’ll love this blog post! Hours spent in the car can make…
I love living math—so much that I even wrote a book about it: Loving Living Math. It’s special for many reasons, but I’ll focus on one today. Living math offers opportunities for real-life, meaningful, hands-on learning. One of my favorite methods is using math manipulatives to help children understand concepts and think mathematically. In this post,…
In this episode of the No Sweat Nature Study Podcast, Mrs. Cindy takes kids on a journey inside the human body to explore the fascinating role of cells. Children will be amazed to learn that their bodies contain more cells than people on Earth! With engaging explanations, Mrs. Cindy introduces the basics of how cells…
Art and living math make a fantastic duo. Anytime you combine the creativity of art with the logical side of nature, you’ve got a powerful activity connecting both sides of the brain for meaningful learning. This particular lesson combines art and math through a fun project inspired by the famous abstract artist Wassily Kandinsky. This…