Tag Archive | The Simple Homeschool

4th of July Resources

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

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This entry was posted on 17/07/2013, in Uncategorized. 3 Comments

Reindeer for the Win

December 11-12

So the snow is still here, and the sunshine, and a laundry list of things to  get done… including multiple trips to the post office, library and stores… I look forward to not only finishing my Christmas shopping but my immigration collecting. Don’t get me started on the post and crossing customs… grrr…

NOW they want to live outside in the snow!

Though Emanuel and Trinity opted for educational games on the laptop I love PBSkids.com

Anyway… Reindeer… well a start on them! We had a great freebie from The Simple Homeschool. Ken read the kids portions of the booklet that came with and then they worked in pairs on some of the worksheets.

Working with Daddy

I got together everything we needed to make a candy cane reindeer like I did in grade school. We didn’t have the traditional colours of pom poms but I love the end result. In the meantime Trinity and Emanuel were more than willing to make a few more candy canes and help put all of them on the tree… with Echo assisting of course.

Proud decorators

Miss Echo assisting

Trinity and Emanuel worked on their colouring of reindeer… Education.com and Activity Village (both on right) have some great printables with our theme in mind.

Coloured by numbers!

Activity Village had a favourite Christmas themed video on their site for the 11th of December… who doesn’t love Christmas penguins???

Our book for the day? A boardbook from previous Christmases… A Very Shiny Christmas

Sparkly!!

The 12th is an interesting date… 12/12/12… we didn’t really do anything special for the day but it is interesting to note. Though a friend on Facebook had a good point in while this is the only time this date will exist in our lifetimes that ALL dates are the only dates in our lifetime… I slept well past noon as this cold and sore throat finally caught me up… BUT Ken had the kids busy finishing their foam creations. Houses and ornaments and all…

 

Then the boys were back out in the sun and snow working on their Igloo… it is becoming quite the structure. Which means it was time to reinforce a very important rule – we do NOT go into the igloo ALONE, you HAVE TO be in pairs at least! They are very industrious about it!

A full out snow building now!

Trinity and Emanuel made MORE beaded candy canes… which of course had to go onto the tree.

So pretty

Our candy cane reindeer were finally ready for they debut as well. I bet MOST of us have done this as children as well!! 

Candy Cane Reindeer creation

My family

The detail on the one I made. Those are mint chocolate candy canes!

With my voice rather non existent Ken did the book for the day – A rather humourous one called It’s Christmas, David! Hopefully the next day I can do the two books we got advanced copies of and get those reviews up for our seasonal books!

Story time with Daddy

It’s Christmas, David!

We have gotten some really lovely picture Christmas cards… all from family (after all we consider the Novak family family too). I love getting cards, and I want to say a big THANK YOU! I am not sure that we will be able to send one in return this year to everyone… but next year I will have my list and you will be on it!!!

We had a slightly more complicated set of Christmas themed instructions to work on from Art for Kids as well – reindeer! I am rather impressed by Gavin’s rendition, inspired by the instructions and one of our Christmas books we had lying around.

A full out picture

 With the pipe cleaners already out Gavin and I worked together to make a wreath with a pretty bow. 

Very festive

With worksheets to be completed and Christmas to get ready for our house is a busy and increasingly festive one. This will be the kids’ first Christmas Day with Nana and Baba and our first here in Minnesota since we were first together! It is all so very special! I warn you all though – the post Christmas entries are going to be PICTURE HEAVY!!!!

Busy babies

This entry was posted on 19/12/2012, in Uncategorized. 1 Comment