We use very little premade curriculum in our homeschool. I tend to build my own curriculum using library books, printables I find online, documentaries, workbooks, YouTube videos, and as many hands on activities as I can come up with (Pinterest is full of awesome ideas). In this post I share how my family is studying U.S. geography without a curriculum or text book. This method would also work great for world geography and geography of other regions. Once we're done with all 50 states, we plan on moving onto the countries of the world. How We Got Started: My plan was to spend a week or two studying each state, one at a time. In that week or two we would learn about the geography of the state, interesting state history, interesting facts, etc... I started by showing my daughter a  U.S. map and had her pick a state to start with. She choose Hawaii. We hung a U.S map up on a bulletin board in our learning space where we can see it everyday.  As we "visit" each sta...

We really try to avoid toxins in our household, including unnecessary medications. Instead we use herbal medicine and other natural remedies as much as possible. This isn't to say that mainstream medicine doesn't have it's place though. For serious medical issues, please consult with your doctor. But with cold and flu season quickly approaching, I thought I would share several of my favorite fever reducing remedies. Something to keep in mind: Fevers are generally not bad thing. A fever is part of the way your body fights off viruses and bacteria that make you sick. Reducing fevers interferes with your body's natural immune response and can actually prolong illness. Fevers typically don't need to be reduced unless they get really high or the child is really uncomfortable and needs relief. Otherwise, just ride a fever out and let it do it's job. On the occasion relief is needed here are my go to fever reducing remedies and methods: Tepid Bath A l...

I decided to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone aloud this year. My kids are already huge Harry Potter fans just from the movies, I thought it was time to introduce the books. My 3rd grader is loving pointing out all the differences between the book and the movie. In this post I share several activities you can do with your kids as you read the book. Hogwarts Acceptance Letter Before you begin reading, send your kids a Hogwarts acceptance letter. You can find a printable one here:  Hogwarts Acceptance Letter   Make A Wand We did this activity after reading the Diagon Alley chapter when Harry buys his wand. For this activity you will need: -A wooden rod the size of a wand -Hot glue and hot glue gun -Black or brown acrylic paint -Metalic or glittery paint pens Using your hot glue gun make a handle and whatever design or texture you want on your wooden rod. You can build up several layers of glue to make a thick handle. This part may need to be done by a...

A guest post from Amber of One Hundred and One Pursuits: One place you are guaranteed to find my boys barefoot is at the beach. Since we live by the coast in Egypt, you'll find us down by sea at least a few times a week. This means that we spend many of our Homeschool hours here. Taking our Homeschool to the beach presents us with tons of learning opportunities and I am going to share a few of them with you today! The Sensory Adventure Who needs a sensory bin when your child has an entire stretch of sand under foot, the warm sun on their skin, counteracted by the coolness of the water as they wade in for a swim. There is the salty smell of the water and perhaps not so pleasant the smell of fish that unfortunately found itself washed up on the shore. The sight of birds, boats, the sea, the sky, buckets and spades; all an array of colours bringing the senses to life. Sometimes I challenge the boys to close their eyes and just listen! What can they hear? The sound of...

Legos are a favorite learning tool in our homeschool. They can be used for so many different types of activities. In this post I share six fun STEAM activities using Legos! What is a STEAM activity: STEAM stands for: science, technology, engineering, art, and math. A STEAM activity is a hands on learning activity involving any combination of the above subjects and often includes some sort of problem solving or creative aspect.  We love STEAM education in our homeschool. The 5 subjects STEAM education focuses on are subjects with growing job markets. They're also just a really fun hands on way to learn that encourages creative thinking and helps develop problem solving skills. Lego Bridges Lego bridges are a fun activity that combines engineering and math. Start by researching and looking at pictures of different types of bridges. Then challenge your children to build their own bridge out of Legos that will hold as much weight as possible. It's a good idea t...