What do we, as homeschooling parents, want this holiday season so that we can stay fresh, sane, and grateful? I've put together a list that I hope will inspire you and make you smile too. Continue reading »
Holidays
Christmas Around the World for Kids
The celebration of Christmas offers a world of fun activities and lesson opportunities for homeschoolers. From recipes and crafts to discussing the historical and cultural background of Christmas traditions, opportunities for learning are endless. Continue reading »
7 Holiday Activities for Kids for Frugal Family Fun
We’ve put together a handy list of ways to keep the family entertained that are budget-friendly, easy to pull together, and fun for all ages! Continue reading »
8 Reasons I am Grateful to Be Homeschooling
There are thousands of reasons to be grateful for homeschooling. I was so inspired when I polled my Instagram community and they shared all the reasons they love and appreciate the ability to homeschool. These are my top 8. What are yours? Continue reading »
5 Simple Steps to Get Back to Your Homeschooling Routine
Even if you are the kind of person who plans out the entire year, life still happens and vacation-mode-mama (or dad) brain can derail your best efforts. How do we set ourselves up for a smooth transition back into our homeschool rhythm and routine after a holiday or vacation break? Check out these 5 simple steps to get back into your homeschooling routine without losing your mind, losing your cool, or losing all your chocolate stash at once. Continue reading »
100+ Educational Gifts for Kids (Updated for 2021)
Gift-giving doesn’t have to be stressful! With our list of over 100 educational gift ideas for kids, you can cross off your gift list with educational gifts that are fun and promote learning and creativity. It might seem challenging to find fun and educational gifts that are not all technology-related. Now, I don’t have anything against technology, we use it every single day in our lives and homeschool. That said, I do try to find items and gifts that get them moving, creating or building and exploring. Continue reading »
How Embracing My Strengths Has Made for a Better Homeschool FLOW
Do you ever get hit in the face with your own weaknesses as a homeschool mom? Here’s my truth: I'm not a huge fan of holidays. If I'm being honest, I'm not great at creating mind-blowing celebrations, whether it be for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, Pi Day or Halloween. So, when I woke up last Valentine's Day morning, I thought: Uh-oh. It's Valentine's day. And I've got nothing. Continue reading »
Make the Most of Holiday Homeschooling with Tweens and Teens (with Activity Ideas)
Does the holiday season bring a sense of excitement? Or does it make your head spin with all the amazing possibilities for homeschooling piled on top of all the holiday festivities, food, and fun? The holidays can be a double-edge sword for homeschoolers. We have the freedom to schedule our days how we please or not please. We can sip hot cocoa and read, decorate the house, and take time for special family celebrations. Continue reading »
Thanksgiving Family Traditions
Turkey and stuffing might be the staples of Thanksgiving, but for many families the holiday means much more. Homeschoolers often seek to go beyond simply a festive meal to create a culture within the home that encapsulates a sense of belonging, security, and love. One important way families do this is through creating Thanksgiving traditions. Continue reading »
Fun Thanksgiving Unit Studies for November
Well, it's already into the first week of November, and I'm realizing that I am supposed to be doing something Thanksgiving-y with my kids. I mean, I even write for TheHomeSchoolMom on creative ways to celebrate the holiday with the family, fun Thanksgiving activities, and ways to express gratitude. You'd kind of think that I would have this whole Thanksgiving-focus-during-the-month-of-November thing down. But, here I am, already into November, and realizing I'm not prepared. Have no fear, Thanksgiving homeschooling procrastinators, all is not lost. Continue reading »
December Writing Prompt Calendar
The December writing prompt calendar is full of winter and holiday-themed writing prompts. Each month we are offering writing prompts (you will be able to find them all on the main Homeschool Writing Prompts page), and you can access our December-themed prompts below. Continue reading »
November Writing Prompt Calendar
This month's calendar is full of autumn- and Thanksgiving-themed writing prompts, including menu planning for Thanksgiving dinner and leftovers. Each month we are offering writing prompts (you will be able to find them all on the main Homeschool Writing Prompts page), and you can access our November-themed starters here. Continue reading »
The Keeper of the Squid
I have kept a secret from my husband. We have moved an average of every two years since we began homeschooling, and some homeschool materials have gotten, uh, misplaced from move to move. Including the squid. Which I had never told him about. Continue reading »
Holiday Crafts with Kids
Holidays offer such a wonderful opportunity for crafting and creating. Thoughtfully handmade decorations and gifts always seem to have a willing recipient or admirer, and there is something special about creating something that will be seen and enjoyed by others. Whether you are someone for whom crafting comes naturally or someone who wants to find a way to make more creative opportunities for your children, there are many ways to weave crafts and activities into the holiday season. Continue reading »
A Seed of Love: A Valentine from Oak Meadow
An atmosphere in which real learning can occur exists where the children are nurtured and supported to explore their own personal interests, as well as the world around them. Sharing love is like sharing a treasure. Whether it be through expressing warm thoughts towards one another, opening up and sharing feelings with each other, or just spending some pleasant moments together, it is the essence of the learning process. Continue reading »
Home(schooling) for the Holidays: 9 Reasons to Worry Less about Schoolwork
Thanksgiving is almost here in the U.S., which means homeschooling may take on a different look in the coming weeks. I've seen a lot of newer homeschooling parents panic as it becomes clear that forward progress through a math workbook comes to a crawl or the curriculum guide gets misplaced under the clutter -- for days. Then, uh, maybe for weeks. Here are my 9 reasons why homeschoolers should worry less about schoolwork during the holidays and embrace the season. Continue reading »
An Answer For Our Constant Christmas Quandary
We have always struggled, like many homeschoolers, with the gift-giving part of Christmas. My husband comes from a huge gift-giving family. I come from a family in which money was always tight and gifts tended to be few but meaningful. We both have a faith that leads us to condemn unmitigated materialism, convicts us about our prosperity amongst a world of poverty, and challenges us to find a balance between the joy of giving and the selfishness of indulging. Continue reading »
Keeping It New in the New Year
The reality is that when you homeschool, it can easily seem like an endless treadmill. Often there aren’t the same demarcations in the school year that public school students experience, as many homeschoolers follow non-traditional schedules and do academics year-round. Moving from one "grade" to another becomes an issue of "in which subject?" and summer "break" can simply be a matter of shifting academics from traditional book work to more experiential learning. Homeschooling, like parenting, never ends while the kids are still at home. Continue reading »
The New Year's Interview
If there's one thing the new year does for me, it's remind me of how quickly time is passing.
You remember, when you were younger, how a year was an absolutely interminable amount of time? And then you grow up, and then you have kids. And then somewhere around the time your youngest gets to be the mostly-self-sufficient-age (5 or 6 ish), when you wake up from baby and toddler fog, you start wondering, "Where did the time go?" "How did my children get to be so old?" You find yourself saying things like, "How is it already the new year?" and "I feel like we just finished the summer. How is it time for snow again?" Continue reading »
Homeschooling the Son of God
Sometimes by the time Christmas approaches, I feel like I've squeezed out every possible ounce of meaning from the season.
We've done plenty of family traditions, like putting up the tree and making Christmas cookies. We've listened to Christmas carols and reveled in the peace of Silent Night and the reverence of O Holy Night. We've served together to raise money for the impoverished of the world. We've talked about the importance of giving, and gone out to purchase gifts for family members. We've lit our Advent candles each Sunday of Advent, put up our Jesse tree ornaments, and done a unit study on God's plan for Christmas from the beginning of time.
We're homeschoolers after all, ya know. And doing kind of comes with the territory. Continue reading »
