This is our first year learning about Independence day… so we are going rather topical and trying to see a broad picture and get a handle on a holiday that is 100% new to us! We had 3 different files we used… Currclick has a great speedy lapbook from homeschool bits HERE. It is just 1.00. We also used Gift of Curiosity’s site HERE. The Simple Homeschool also has a file we found a while ago. You can access their site HERE. Lulu Marketplace also has a freebie HERE.

Helpful printables:

• Activity Village has a selection of printables etc on their site HERE.
• Lots of great stuff on Lapbook Lessons HERE.
• Mini book with DLTK HERE.
• I have a collection on Education.com for Independence Day HERE. I will rate all the ones I use before  the end of our unit.
• A free file from 2 Teaching Mommies HERE.
• LapbookLessons is also very helpful HERE.
• Maps on Free US and World Maps.com HERE.
• Cute journalling pages thanks to Education to the Core HERE.

Crafts:

• The Little Sewing Shop has a way to make your own firework like thing HERE.
• We made flag fans by decorating paper and then doing an accordion fold before stapling the base.
• I cannot find the instructions anymore, but we made fireworks on paper using paint, a plastic lid and a hammer… you put globs of paint on the paper (we used poster board), place a plastic lid on top of it and smack it with a hammer… SPLAT firework!
• We made patriotic shakers (well they would have been if the kids had stuck with red white and blue)… two plastic cups, with beads inside, use a coloured masking tape to tape them together and decorate with stickers. Thanks to Lakeshore Learning store for that free craft! (HERE is the store site)

Books:

• Independence Day by Helen Frost HERE
• Independence Day by Marc Tyler Nobleman HERE
• Red, White, and Boom! by Lee Wardlaw HERE
• Celebrate Independence Day by Deborah Heiligman HERE
• Independence Day by Elaine Landau HERE
• Independence Day by Ann Heinrichs HERE
• Calendar Mysteries: July Critters by Ron Roy HERE
• Independence Day Crafts by Mary Berendes and Jean Eick HERE

July 1

Well belated Happy Canada Day. With our original post on the date HERE, it is time to expand on our activities and share some special red and white themed photos with you all!

I lucked out with Karyn’s package getting here in time for Trinity to wear her new Hello Kitty themed gear…

Oh and for ALL of us to take a turn with the themed Canadian sunglasses!

Emanuel

Trinity

Gavin

Zander

Echo

I love the beachblanket I picked up for a steal before we moved south and added to that the flag banner Karyn included.

Our schooling was totally Canadian focused with our lapbook…

And then another fireworks project. This one uses oil, water and food colouring. You can find the step by step instructions HERE thanks to The Little Sewing Shop. We had great results with less colours.

And for lunch, themed desert – strawberry jello with whipped cream topping!

We had a special book thanks to Grandma to read… M is for Maple by Mike Ulmer.

And Canadian pencils!

Then in the evening Anthony actually had a soccer game extremely local to us! So we packed up and enjoyed the sunshine with Darcy and her boys.

For more photos check HERE at our overflow entry!!

A great way to round off our Canada Day!

June 29 (continued)-30

We had Sean at home waiting for us as well as a mostly not built playset to build so we left Gabriella’s party not long after cake. With lots of sun left in the day we had Ken out there hard at work. And of course when Daddy is outside where else would the kids be???

With all this rain in the evening the sidewalk is an always clear slate for creativity.

Now on Sunday I decided to go with crafting, crafting and more crafting… first our paint and paper fireworks. This is one we did years ago… you take paints (liquid), put some drops close together on a piece of paper (poster paper is best) and put a plastic lid on top… now the fun part – take a hammer or mallet and SMACK IT!!! Watch it though, if you hit hard enough there is a little splash! I think we got some rather amazing fireworks out of the project!

Supplies

Then it was time for lunch…

And onto our next craft… paper making! We followed Kiss the Groom’s instructions HERE. We used pink tissue paper for our first batch and wow did it go pink! Then grass on the second. We need to blend the grass solo first. All in all, our first attempts are rather cool. We are going to keep making different kinds, the boys want to make some good enough that they could be put up on Etsy to see if anyone would buy some! I figure why not.

Our pulpy mixture

With homemade frame

Of course the girls had to check out the playset progress.

AND we found a toad in the backyard! Rather cool!

Critters, playsets… crafting! We did good!!!

Look who snuck out after her bath!