I don't know about your kids, but mine tend to get plenty of sugar during the holidays without me filling their stockings with candy. Below are some of my favorite non-candy stocking stuffer ideas. -Geodes or other cool rocks -Pocket microscope -Nail polish -Christmas ornaments -Card games -Craft supplies -Pocket knife -Stickers -Matchbox cars -Magnetic dolls -Hair accessories -Rubix Cube -Tiny puzzles -Movies -Small notebooks -Small stuffed animals -Jewelry making supplies -Gloves or mittens -Fuzzy socks -Beanie hat -Small snow globes -Night light -Fidget spinner -Polly Pockets -Small Lego kits -Key chains -Bubbles -Playdough -Kinetic sand -Slime -Paintable figurines -Bath toys -Gift cards -Small sized books -A prism -A dream catcher -Colorable magnets -Glow sticks -Jewelry -Pair of binoculars -Pocket field guides -Hand warmers -Tooth brush -Watercolor paints -Coins -Sidewalk chalk -Jump rope -Stick on tattoos -Yo-yo -Barbie doll -Fishing supplies Check out these blog posts for mo...

I love a good scavenger hunt! They're a great way to encourage your kids to be active, get outside, and to immerse themselves in nature. They also make great group activities for co-ops and meet-ups with friends! This printable pack includes 22 nature-based scavenger hunts: -Fall Scavenger Hunt -Spring Scavenger Hunt -Summer Scavenger Hunt -Winter Scavenger Hunt -Colors in Nature Scavenger Hunt -Shapes Scavenger Hunt -Alphabet Scavenger Hunt -Mini Beast Scavenger Hunt -Zoo Scavenger Hunt -Bird Scavenger Hunt -Pond Scavenger Hunt -Park Scavenger Hunt -Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt -Backyard Scavenger Hunt -Beach Scavenger Hunt -Geology Scavenger Hunt -Senses Scavenger Hunt -Opposites Scavenger Hunt -Night Scavenger Hunt -Outdoor Photography Scavenger Hunt -Earth Day Scavenger Hunt -Halloween Scavenger Hunt Grab it here:   https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Printable-Scavenger-Hunt-Pack-10364261 Follow me on Teachers Pay Teachers Facebook Instagram Pinterest

  I often get asked how I manage to get my young children to sit still for family read alouds, and the answer is that I don't. Young children are wiggly and fidgety by nature, so I don't expect stillness out of them. Instead, I offer them quiet activities that allow them to move and keep their hands busy while I read. The key is to pick activities that are fairly quiet and that are simple enough that your kids can still follow the read aloud, but engaging enough to keep them from getting off task. Below, I share some of my favorite activities for keeping little hands busy during read alouds. Simple Art Activities Simple art activities like sketching and coloring are usually my go-to activity during read alouds. They're simple and my kids are all pretty artsy, so it's usually an easy activity to sell them on. Sketching-  Encourage your kids to draw a scene or a character from your read aloud, or just allow them to free sketch. Coloring sheets-  If the book we're read...

Below are links to all the free printable resources currently available in my TPT store. Go check them out! Free Science and Nature Study Resources Nutrient Cycle Pack Learn all about decomposers and the nutrient cycle with this free 5-page printable pack! Nutrient Cycle Pack 4 Seasons Tree Choose a tree in your yard or near your home to observe during the year. Record your observations as the seasons change on this printable 4 Seasons Tree! 4 Seasons Tree Weather Tracking Sheet Track temperature, rainfall, clouds type, and wind direction with this printable weather tracker. This resource makes a great addition to any weather unit. Grab one  here . Garden/Plant Journaling Sheet Use this journaling sheet to take notes about plants in your garden or plants you come across on your outdoor adventures. Grab one  here . Fall Scavenger Hunt Get outside and enjoy the beautiful fall weather with this fall themed scavenger hunt! Grab one  here . Pumpkin Plant Anatomy Diagram and Wo...

  Interest-led learning, sometimes called child-led learning, is just what it sounds like, allowing your child's interests to direct their learning. Allowing children to dive into their individual interests is a good way to raise life-long learners who are self-driven and passionate. Below are some ways that you as a parent can support interest-led learning in your homeschool. Talk to Your Kids Involve your kids in your homeschool planning. Each summer I sit down with my kids, and we talk about what topics they are interested in learning about during the following school year, then I search for resources to fit those topics. One of the topics my kids asked to learn about this year is mushrooms, so I ordered a couple of mushroom ID books, found a printable mushroom unit study on TPT, and I'm working on a list of documentaries and YouTube videos to work through. Strewing Strewing means leaving educational resources, learning invitations, and interesting items around yo...

If you're newer to the homeschool world, you might be wondering about the different homeschool methods you may have heard of, such as unschooling, Charlotte Mason, and classical education. I personally don't love the idea of labeling homeschools because every family and every child is unique, so their educational experiences should be as well. I don't want families to feel boxed in by trying to follow a particular method. With that said though, it can be helpful to know what homeschool methods/styles best represent your homeschool when making curriculum and co-op choices. In this post I will share a brief overview of some of the most common homeschool methods. Traditional Traditional homeschooling is similar to what you would find in a public-school classroom, just at home. Traditional schooling involves lots of textbooks and worksheets, highly structured lesson plans, quizzes and tests, and learning divided into traditional subjects. Classical The classical method can trac...

  Between being involved in a forest school group, an outdoor based homeschool co-op, and our love for hiking and all things nature related, our family tends to spend a lot of time on the trails and exploring in the woods or by the river. I used to try to carry everything in my backpack, but with 3 kids and myself to pack for, it got to be too much for me to carry on my own. Last year I bought each of my girls their own backpack, and it's been a game changer! My youngest is only 4 so her backpack is small, but even she can carry a few small things for our day. Below I share the things that we most often carry in our adventuring packs. Canteens-  Each of us has a stainless steel canteen (I carry my 4-year-old's in my pack since it's a bit heavy for her still). Mine is a  Kleen Kanteen  and the kids have Your Zone canteens we bought at Walmart. I like stainless steel because it's non-toxic and easy to clean. First Aid Kit-  Each of my kids has a mini first aid kit...

STEM activities and challenges are a great way to keep your kids busy, learning, and having fun this summer. Below I share a few of my favorite summer themed STEM activities to try with your family. Make a Sundial Before the invention of clocks, people used the sun to tell time. You can make your own simple backyard sundial with a stick, a piece of chalk, and some rocks.  Find a sunny space in your yard, preferably some place that gets consistent sun throughout a large portion of the day. Stick a stick into the ground so that it stands upright. Your stick should be about a foot to a foot and a half tall. At the next new hour place a rock where the shadow of the stick ends. Mark the hour on the rock with the chalk. Set a timer for the next hour and repeat the process for as many hours as the sun allows. Leave your sundial in place and use it the next day to tell time! *This is just a simple version of a sundial so it will only be accurate for a short time. As the seasons change and ...