Rockhounding is a term for the the non professional study and collection of rocks and minerals found in a natural environment. Rock collecting is a fun and simple way to get your kids outside and moving and it's an excellent way to teach them about local geology. It's a hobby my dad shared with my siblings and myself when we were kids and now I love doing it with my own kids. In this post I will share how to put together your own rockhounding kit and some tips for getting started. Putting Together Your Rockhounding Kit: Your rockhounding kit can be pretty simple and doesn't require anything too expensive. You will need: -A box of some type for storing specimens in. An old shoe box or cigar type box will work great.  -A small shovel -A small hammer or rock pick -A spray bottle and a toothbrush for cleaning specimens. -An old colander for sifting through sand and dirt. -A Rock and Mineral Journal (you can grab a printable one  here ) How To Rockhound: O...

In this post I share instructions for a really neat activity my kids and I tried recently, painting with frozen chalk paint! Frozen chalk painting is a fun way to stay cool on a hot afternoon. It can be both a cool sensory play activity for toddlers and a fun art activity for older kids. Making Frozen Chalk Paint: For this activity you will need: Cornstarch  Water Food coloring An ice cube tray Several small bowls for mixing in Mix about 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and about 3 tablespoons of water in each bowl. You want it to be liquid so it can be poured but still sort of thick. Add about 10 drops of food coloring to each bowl (do a different color in each bowl). Then just pour into an ice cube tray and freeze until they are frozen solid. Now your frozen chalk paint is done and ready to use. Find a warm sunny part of the driveway or some warm rocks to paint on. Try drawing with the cubes or just set them down and watch them melt and swirl together. ...

Rainbows are always a fun topic to learn about. It's a great topic for introducing primary and secondary colors to preschool and kindergarten aged students. It can also be a fascinating topic for older students who are ready to study white light and other types of electromagnetic radiation. In this post I will share several rainbow science activities that are fun and educational for any age. How Are Rainbows Formed? Rainbows form when white light from the sun is refracted and dispersed by water droplets in the air. The water droplets slow and bend the light, separating it into it's separate colors. Paint And Label A Rainbow Rainbows have seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Get out some paper and paints and have your child paint a rainbow with the colors in the correct order. When it's dry, use a black marker to label each color.  Primary and Secondary Colors Activity This is a simple but fun hands on way to learn about pri...

Earlier this year we spent some time studying the ancient civilizations of South America and Central America. One of the things we learned about was the domestication of the corn plant and the important role it played in allowing people to settle down. I n this post I share instructions for a fun corn plant watercolor resist craft we did. This craft went great with our ancient civilizations unit but would also be great to do while studying plant science or as a harvest season craft. Corn Plant Watercolor Resist Craft: For this craft you will need: -A piece of white paper -Crayons -Watercolors  -A paint brush -A popcorn kernel  -Glue -A cup of water for painting First have your child draw and color a corn plant, roots and all with crayons.  Or print out a coloring sheet of a corn plant to color with crayons. Here's a free corn plant printable  from getdrawings.com. Next have your child paint over their drawing or coloring sheet with water colors...

A lot of people seem very surprised and even a bit uncomfortable when I tell them that my children do not have a set bedtime, but it works great for us. Believe it or not, my kids are not bouncing off the walls until midnight every night, in fact they usually are in bed asleep before 9pm. In this post I will share a few of the reasons we skip the whole "bedtime fiasco" in our house. Circadian Rhythms Circadian rhythms are the human body's internal clock. It's what controls our sleep/wake cycles and they are heavily influenced by the sun. Our body's naturally get sleepy when the sun goes down and naturally feel energized when the sun comes up.  Forcing children to go to bed before their internal clock says it's time, can throw off their natural circadian rhythms, which can cause sleeplessness at night and tiredness during the daytime. Kids Are Capable Of Knowing When They Are Tired Just like adults, children are capable of knowing when they are...

We all want to feed our families right but clean eating can be confusing and overwhelming sometimes, especially if your newer to the whole healthy eating scene.  In this post I share 7 simple swaps you can make for a cleaner diet.  Pasture Raised Eggs: Healthy eggs come from healthy hens, meaning you want eggs from hens who spent plenty of time outside forging for insects and other food, like chickens are supposed to. Swap out what ever eggs your using for either pasture raised store bought eggs, or fresh farm eggs from a local source you know gives their hens plenty of outdoor time.  Many commercially farmed eggs come from hens who spend their lives crammed in barns with hundreds of other hens.  Some never get to see the light of day. For more information about the different labels on eggs and what they mean, check out my post about  Pasture Raised vs Free Range Eggs Unbleached or Whole Wheat Flour: If your a wheat consuming hou...

Summer is the perfect time of year for some messy play! Most kids are off from school, and if things get too messy, it's warm enough to rinse off with a hose. Here are a few of my family's favorite messy backyard activities. Squirt Gun Painting: For this activity you will need: -Squirt gun -Food coloring -White Paper -Duct Tape Start by adding 10-15 drops of food coloring to a cup and add 1/2 cup of water. Use this colored water to fill your squirt gun. Tape a white piece of paper to a tree or fence with the duct tape. Or try just lying the paper on the ground. Make pretty designs on the paper by squirting the squirt gun at it. Make a new color and add to your art work. Water Balloon Art: For this activity you will need: -Food coloring -Water Balloons -An old white sheet or table cloth you don't mind staining up. Add about 15-20 drops of food coloring to a water balloon, then fill it with water and tie. Make about 20 water balloons like t...

Fishing is one of my family's favorite activities. We go several times a week when the weather is decent. We don't always catch something, but we always have fun. That's one of the best things about fishing, it's not all about catching fish, and it's always an adventure. Quality Time: Fishing is a great activity for the whole family. Both my girls have been fishing since they were toddlers. It's been a really great way for us to spend more time together as a family. Time goes by fast and our kids will only be little once, enjoy it! Teach Them Life Skills: Fishing is a useful skill to have. It's a way to provide food for your family that is totally self sufficient. It can also be a great way to teach your kids to tie some basic knots and how to handle knives safely. Practice Being Patient: Patience is one of those virtues that is tough for a lot of kids. Fishing is a great way to practice being patient. Fishing is a slow activity that do...

Often times so much emphasis is put on academic learning that many important life skills go over looked and untaught. This isn't to say academic learning isn't important, it is, but so are basic life skills. I can't tell you how many adults I know who have absolutely no ability to cook for themselves. While this might not seem like a big deal to some, eating take out is pricey and often doesn't offer many healthy choices. As parents, we really should be making sure our children leave home with the skills necessary to take care of themselves.  In this post I share 30 important life skills parents should pass on to their children before they leave home. 1. How to do laundry 2. How to wash dishes 3. How to properly disinfect household surfaces 4. How to vacuum, sweep, and mop floors 5. How to plunge a toilet - Not glamorous, but an important skill to have. 6. How to sew a button  7. How to sew a hem 8. How to use basic kitchen appliances  9. ...