I'm all about giving purposeful gifts for Christmas. Not everything has to have a grand purpose, but I don't want to waste my money on frivolous things that will never be touched again either. That's why I spend some time each year coming up with a list of educational Christmas gift ideas. I keep the list handy when buying for my own children, nieces and nephews, Christmas Angel children, and even the $5 gift exchange for the kids at church. Any family members who ask for ideas for my kids get the list, too. Now, don't get me wrong. We don't limit gift giving to only educational items. My children make their own wish lists which definitely include other things. We set a budget each ... Read More
20+ Ideas for Creative Christmas Homeschooling in December
Homeschooling in December can be rough. We all need a bit of a break from the monotony of the regular homeschooling schedule, don't we? Some people choose to take the entire month off to focus on the preparations of Christmas and turning the hearts of their children toward the One that Christmas is all about. I've found several ways over the years to accomplish both homeschooling and Christmas preparations - all turning the hearts of my children toward Christ. Creative Homeschooling in December In this post, I've rounded up all those homeschooling in December ideas from the last several years for you. I hope you find something that will be just perfect for your Christmas ... Read More
You’ll Love These Christmas Nature Study Books
Since the Christmas season can bring along busy days and sometimes cold weather, it can be difficult to incorporate nature study into your homeschooling routine. I've created a list of Christmas nature study books that will help you bring new and inviting ideas to the table without tons of effort. Each book description gives you an idea of how to use these books as living literature resources. Hopefully, they will spark curiosity and a hunger for learning. How could they not! Especially when the first story on the list includes a yummy cookie recipe! This post contains affiliate links. Christmas Nature Study Books Cranberry Christmas This classic story comes with an incredible ... Read More
Your Children Will Love Funschooling with Candy Heart Lessons
What kid wouldn't love a break from the regular schedule of homeschooling to enjoy a funschooling day full of candy heart lessons??? Mom, I promise that your day won't be wasted and you'll be able to check off just about every box in your lesson planner! Teaching with Candy Hearts Grab a big bag of candy hearts from the Valentine aisle at the grocery and you have just about everything you need for a full day of STEM candy heart lessons and more. K-3rd Grade Candy Heart Lessons My little guy was five when we completed these activities, but they are very appropriate for children through 2nd grade. Pictured Above: 1 Given a small a pile of hearts, Eli had to figure out how many ... Read More
Free Nature in Your Notebook Winter Printables
One of the best ways to perk up the school year during the winter is to get outside. Yes, you heard right - get outside! I know it's cold, but I also know what "going stir crazy" feels like and how {even cold weather} nature walks can rejuvenate the spirit. Not to mention, there's a world of nature waiting to be studied during the winter! Nature in Your Notebook To get you started in your nature explorations, I've created THREE fun notebooking pages that will guide you on walks from Valentine's Day through those first sweet signs of spring. To download them, simply click on the graphics. Lovely Winter Walk: Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so how about ... Read More
12 “All Boy” Gifts Your Son Will Love
Do you have a rough and tumble son? Me, too. Two of them, in fact. It's always been hard on this momma to watch them "do what boys do" without cringing. While I certainly would rather keep them perfectly safe, my husband has convinced me that boys really do need to "be boys" so they can grow up to be men. With that in mind, I've watched with an anxious heart on many occasions. Whittling with sharp knives. BB guns aimed at doves. Slingshots aimed at squirrels. Overnight fishing trips. Fort building with real tools. Frog gigging. Deer hunting. Chopping wood. Backpacking trips. Shooting skeet. Riding horses bare back. Climbing trees. Starting fires. While some moms may wonder why these ... Read More
Our Favorite Thanksgiving Living Books
Even holiday reading must pass the living literature test around here! These Thanksgiving living books have been favorites around our house for years. Some help explain the history of our Thanksgiving celebration, while others are just sweet stories with a Thanksgiving theme. We even have a couple of poetry favorites! At your local library, you'll likely find at least a shelf or two full of Thanksgiving themed books. Sadly, many of them aren't worth your time because they're twaddle. What's twaddle? The dictionary defines twaddle as "trivial or foolish speech or writing; nonsense." I like to describe it as fluff that rarely has a full plot, rich language, or vivid ... Read More
Why the Jotham’s Journey Series is NOT to be Missed
What do you get when you mix historical fiction with lots of adventure then add daily devotionals for Advent? The Jotham's Journey series of books! These books are simply NOT to be missed. This post contains affiliate links. Wow. That's the best word I can think of to describe these page-turning, spine-tingling adventure stories meant to be read in December to point the way to the One who was our ultimate Christmas gift! They are our all-time favorite living literature for the Christmas season! There are four books in the Jotham's Journey series which are written as daily read-alouds for Advent (aka: the days leading up to Christmas.) You only read one book per year - meaning the ... Read More
Christmas Glyphs: Fun Graphing for December
A glyph as it relates to math is a pictorial representation of data. That sounds like a pictograph, doesn't it? Rather than put pictures in the form of a graph, though, a glyph actually becomes the picture as it's created based on provided criteria. Ooh. That sounds hard! I promise, glyphs aren't hard at all. In fact, they're easy enough for a kindergartener to complete - yet fun enough for students much older. Following glyph legends, children build step-by-step pictures to represent things about themselves. That's it. Once the glyph is complete, others can use the legend to understand what the glyph says about the creator. I especially love the math/art ... Read More
Sneaky Educational Stocking Stuffers
Christmas stockings are a long held tradition in the West household. Of all the gifts around the Christmas tree, it seems the stockings are the most anticipated - which is why we save them until the very last. I remember feeling the same way as a little girl. There's just something extra special about finding the tiny treasures inside that small space! While we always purchase little things like toothbrushes, floss, mints, chocolate, gloves, pencils and the like to fill our stockings, I don't want them to be all practicality. I also don't want them to be filled with junk that will find a trash can within 5.2 days (or hours...sometimes minutes.) Over the years, I've found some ... Read More