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Showing posts from January, 2024

Best Live Animal Cams for Homeschoolers

  Watching live animal cams can be a great way to observe and learn about animals you wouldn't usually have the chance to see up-close. In this post I share about some of my family's favorite live animal cams on YouTube. Bald Eagle Cams Bald eagle cams are really cool! It is so fun to watch the process of laying and incubating eggs, and then the raising of the eaglets after they hatch. We have several pairs that we watch regularly during breeding season. - The Big Bear Bald Eagles Live Nest Cam The Big Bear Bald Eagle Cam is positioned on the nest of Jackie and Shadow, a breeding pair of wild bald eagles in Big Bear, California. This pair typically lays eggs in January, so the best months to watch this particular cam is January through June. - The Southwest Florida Eagle Cam In this region eggs are typically layed in November or December, so the best months to watch this cam are November through April. - The NEFL Eagle Cam This cam is positioned on the nest of a wild pair of ba

The Importance of Play

Play isn't just for fun. It's a necessity. Play is  how kids develop fine and gross motor skills, build core strength, learn to make friends, gain independence, develop problem solving skills, develop object manipulation skills, and so much more. And these types of skills provide an important foundation for later academic and non-academic learning. Movement Activates Neural Pathways Giving kids ample time to play makes academic learning easier. Movement activates neural pathways and primes the brain for learning. Active play provides the perfect environment for developing brains to thrive. Kids instinctively seek out the kinds of activities that their bodies and brains need to develop properly. As parents and educators we need to stop trying to train this instinct out of them. When your kids are fidgeting too much during a lesson or seem to have lost interest, take a break. Go outside and play, do a few jumping jacks, go for a walk, do something that incorporates movement. This