Textbooks definitely have their place, but if we're being honest, they can be a bit boring. Since kids tend to learn best when they're interested and engaged, I try to keep textbook style learning to a minimum and incorporate a lot of hands-on and "outside the box" type learning. In this post I share some of my favorite ways to study history without textbooks or worksheets. Visit Historical Sites Visiting historical sites in your area or while you're on road trips is an excellent way to make history come alive. A quick Google search for "historical sites near me" should give you lots of ideas.  Go Antiquing Visit antique shops, thrift stores, and yard sales. Let your kids choose historical items to purchase and then research about them! Watch Documentaries Historical documentaries are an easy way to sneak in a little extra learning. Check any streaming services you subscribe to for interesting ones to check out! Visit History Museums Most cities have mus...

  April 22nd is Earth Day! Here are some fun ways to celebrate and care for our planet: Pick up trash in your neighborhood Grab some garbage bags and take a walk around your neighborhood or a favorite park to pick up trash. My kids like to make it a competition to see who can collect the most. Plant a tree Take a trip to a local nursery and choose a tree to plant in your yard or to give as a gift. Start a garden Start a small (or big) garden in your yard. Plant veggies that you and your children enjoy or plant flowers for local pollinators. Start a compost bin Composting is a great way to reduce household waste and it's a fun way to introduce your kids to decomposition and the nutrient cycle. For instructions for setting up a simple backyard bin, check out my  Composting with Kids  post. Walk or bike instead of drive Do your close-to-home errands or activities by foot or bicycle. Get outside! Take a nature walk in the park, take a hike, go on a picnic, play in your yard, ...

  The final country we studied this year was Mexico. We had a blast making pinatas and learning about Mexican folk art. We made a delicious Mexican meal and learned about some interesting places like Chichen Itza. Below are links to the resources we used for our Mexico study and instructions for some fun hands on activities. Basic Information Mexico is a country in the southern part of North America. It shares a boarder with the United States (California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas), Beliez, and Guatemala.  The terrain varies from deserts and high plateaus to coastal plains and mountainous regions. The climate varies from hot and dry in the desert regions to tropical in other parts of the country. Capital: Mexico City Population: About 129 million  Size: 761,600 square miles Language: Spanish Currency: Mexican peso National Animal: the golden eagle Flag: Famous Places and Landmarks Chichen Itza-  Chichen Itza is a Mayan city built between 400 and 500 AD. It featu...

Here are links to all my printable products, organized by subject:   Nature Study - 365 Day Weather Tree - 30 Day Weather Tree - 31 Day Weather Tree - Insect Family Tree Sorting Chart - 12 Month Phenology Wheel - Moon Map - Birds of Central and North Texas Checklist - Butterfly Lifecycle Coloring Sheet Science - Zoology Vocabulary Pack - All About Insects Printable Learning Pack - All About Birds Unit Study - Nutrient Cycle Pack - Water Cycle Pack (includes water cycle wheel template and instructions) - Printable Rock and Mineral Journal - Printable Moon Study Pack - Owl Digestion Diagram - How Penguins Stay Warm and Dry Activity - Layers of the Rainforest Cut and Paste Activity - Feather Anatomy Worksheet Math - Emoji Math Puzzles - Emoji Math Puzzles #2 Social Studies - Calendar and Weather Wheel Set - Democratic Republic of the Congo Activity Pack Freebies - Fall Scavenger Hunt - Pumpkin Anatomy Diagram and Worksheet - 12 Month Phenology Wheel - How Penguins Stay Warm and Dry Ac...

  Basic Information Peru is a country in northwestern South America. The Andes Mountains run from north to south seperating Peru in half. The western portion is mainly desert and the eastern portion is heavily forested. Capital- Lima Population- 33 million Size- 496,200 square miles Currency- sol National Animal- the vicuna (a relative of the llama) Flag- Famous Places and Landmarks  Machu Picchu- Machu Picchu is a 15th century Incan site located high in the Andes mountains of modern day Peru. You can learn more about it with these resources: - Machu Picchu  video from FreeSchool - Machu Picchu 101  video from National Geographic The Nazca Geoglyphs-  The Nazca Lines are a series of massive geoglyphs located in the desert of south Peru.  You can learn more about them with these resources : - Ancient Drawings Discovered in Peru   video from National Geographic - Nazca Lines Facts for Kids   from Kiddle The Andes Mountains- The Andes are a moun...

I'm a big Eric Carle fan. There's just something really fun about his artwork, so when my daughter asked me how he made his illustrations I thought it would make an excellent art lesson! Who was Eric Carle? Eric Carle was an American author and illustrator of children's books.  His books include:  The Very Hungry Caterpillar The Very Busy Spider The Grouchy Ladybug The Mixed Up Chameleon The Tiny Seed Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me Eric Carle was born on June 25th 1929 in Syracuse, New York. At age 6, his family moved to Stuttgart, Germany. He attended and graduated from the local art school there. He returned to New York in his twenties and landed a job as a graphic designer with The New York Times. Author Bill Martin Jr. noticed an illustration of Carle's in an advertisement and asked him to collaborate on a children's book. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? written my Bill Martin Jr. and illustrated by Eric Carle was published in 1967. It quickly became ...

  After we wrapped up the African countries we chose to study this year, we moved onto South America and the beautiful country of Brazil! Basic Information Brazil is a country in northeastern South America. It is bordered by Argentina, Bolivia, Columbia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay, Venezuela, and the Atlantic Ocean. The climate is mainly tropical and about 60% of the country is covered in rainforest. Capital- Brasilia Population- 212 million Size- 3.3 million square miles Currency- Brazilian real National Anthem-  Hino Nacinal Brasileiro Flag-  Famous Places and Monuments The Amazon Rainforest- The Amazon Rainforest covers most of the north western portion of Brazil as well as parts of Peru and Columbia. It is the world's largest tropical rainforest and is home to a huge variety of plant and animal life including: jaguars, anacondas, capybara, poison dart frogs, sloths, caiman, river dolphins, toucans, woolly monkeys, and more. The Amazon Rive...