Most people consider dandelions weeds, but they are one of my favorite wildflowers. Dandelions are an important early spring food source for pollinators like bees and butterflies. The entire dandelion plant is edible and highly nutritious. They're also a natural anti-inflammatory and can be used medicinally to treat minor inflammation and relieve pain.  One of the coolestt things about dandelion flowers is their lifecycle. Much like a butterfly or a frog, dandelion flowers go through an amazing transformation, changing their beautiful yellow flowers into poofy seed heads. In this post I share a few activities and resources for learning about dandelions and their lifecycle. Keep reading for lots of dandelion themed learning activities. If your interested in a printable dandelion   study, I have one here:   Dandelion Mini Unit Study . Resources For Learning About Dandelions When I was planning our dandelion investigation, I came across several great videos and web...

Let's face it, most of the traditional ways to practice spelling words are boring. No one enjoys copying the same word out over and over. Plus many kids tend to do better with hands on activities that stimulate both sides of the brain. Here are 20 creative ways for kids to practice spelling words: Creative Ways To Practice Spelling Words: Yelling For Spelling - Go outside somewhere your kids can be loud and have them practice spelling their spelling words aloud, as loud as they can.  Glitter Writing- Everything is better with glitter!  Have your kids write their spelling words with school glue and then sprinkle with glitter. Rainbow Writing- Write your child's spelling words with a black ball point pen. Then have your child trace the letters with various colors of marker to create a colorful rainbow effect. Alternative Writing Mediums-  Writing doesn't always have to be done with a pen or pencil on paper. Try using different writing mediums. Have your c...

Baking soda vinegar reactions are always a favorite in our house. My kids never get tired of watching these bubbly acid-base reactions. In this post I share a few fun variations of the basic baking soda vinegar experiment.  The Science Behind Baking Soda Vinegar Experiments: Baking soda and vinegar reactions are classic acid base reactions. Vinegar is acetic acid in water and baking soda is a base known as sodium bicarbonate. Initially the reaction yields carbonic acid, but it is unstable and quickly breaks down into carbon dioxide and water. The carbon dioxide gas bubbles are what what makes the bubbly foam in these reactions. NaHCO3 + CH3COOH = CO2 + H2O + Na + CH3COO- Basic Baking Soda And Vinegar Reaction: You will need: -baking soda -vinegar -a cup or bowl Add a couple tablespoons of baking soda to a cup or bowl. Add a half a cup of vinegar and watch it foam! Now try these fun variations: Sudsy Reaction: For an extra foamy reaction add a small amount of...

Spring is my favorite season. The weather starts getting warm. Everything is in bloom. There's lots of insects and wildlife to observe. It's a beautiful time of year. One of the best things about spring is that my kids can start spending lots of time outdoors again. Outdoors they have space to burn energy and play freely, like kids are meant to do. It also gives them a lot of opportunities to explore and learn about the natural world around them.  This year I decided to put together a bucket list of all the fun outdoor activities I'd like my kids to get an opportunity to do this spring. Spring Bucket List: - Go puddle stomping. What kid doesn't love a good puddle to stomp in? - Search for four leafed clovers. My 8 year old has already found one this spring! - Fly a kite! - Explore a field of wildflowers. You could even turn this into a nature study lesson by trying to identify the different flowers you see. - Catch a tadpole. - Find a caterpillar. ...

We've been studying various ancient civilizations this year. So far we've covered Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome and have plans for China and the Aztecs. We had an especially fun time with Rome so I thought I would share some of the activities we did and resources we used. Activities: Laurel Wreath Crowns The ancient Romans wore crowns made of Laurel leaves as a sign of status. We made our own Laurel wreath crowns out of a paper plate and construction paper.  Fo r this activity you will need: -Construction paper in two different shades of green. If you don't have more than one shade of green, you can use green and yellow like we did. -A paper plate -Scissors -School glue or paste Start by cutting the edge off the plate. Discard the inner part, the edge is the part you will be using. Cut a slit in one side of the paper plate so it will better fit your head. Look at a few pictures of Laurel leaves online (Google Images works well for this). Then...

Spending time in nature has a plethora of proven health benefits. Nature is soothing to the soul. It's also a great way to incorporate more science into your homeschool day. Time spent outdoors, surrounded by nature, encourages children to learn about and care for the natural world, and it's fun too! Here are some simple nature study ideas to try: -Raise caterpillars and observe the process of metamorphosis - Build a compost bin and learn about soil -Go bird watching - Make a Weather Tree - Learn about bird eggs -Collect fall leaves and compare their different shapes, sizes, and colors -Collect some pond water and look at it under a microscope -Dissect an insect -Photograph spider webs -Make nature art -Collect pine cones and compare the different types that you find -Start an ant or earthworm farm - Make a Phenology Wheel -Photograph spring wildflowers -Build a shelter out of natural items that could protect you from the elements - Build ...