One of my family's favorite ways to incorporate more writing into our homeschool days is with notebooking (aka journaling). My kids enjoy it because they get to choose what topics they write about and they can add sketches and graphics. I like it because it's simple, requires very little planning, and it encourages my kids to write without any fuss from me. How Notebooking Works Notebooking is essentially just journaling. A notebook serves as a place to record observations, opinions, short stories, sketches, diagrams, and interesting facts. My kids each have several notebooks, each one for a different subject or topic. In our nature journals we record sketches and descriptions of interesting plants and animals we come across on our outdoor adventures. We have reading notebooks where we record notes and sketches about books we're reading. My oldest daughter loves art, so she has an artist notebook where she records notes about famous artists and different art styles. She a...

  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, ...

This post contains everything you need to put together a weather science unit for your kids or students! I've divided weather science up into 5 subtopics: the water cycle, clouds, precipitation, extreme weather, and weather tracking/predicting. Under each subtopic you will find activity ideas, book recommendations, video links, kid friendly websites to check out, and printable resources.  The Water Cycle The water on Earth moves through a constant cycle called the hydrologic cycle (aka the water cycle).  Water in Earth's oceans, lakes, and other bodies of water is warmed by the sun, vaporizing some of the water molecules. The water vapor rises and as it reaches cooler air in our atmosphere, it cools and condenses into clouds. When the clouds become saturated with water droplets, the droplets begin to fall as precipitation (rain, snow, hail). The water makes its way back into bodies of water and the cycle begins again. Water Cycle Activity You can simulate the water cycle in a ...

Making recycled paper is a great way to use up all your paper scraps from previous craft activities, and if you add seeds, it makes a wonderful gift to give friends! We made the ones in the photos below as Valentine's Day gifts for the kids in our forest school co-op this year. It was a really fun project that all 3 of my kids enjoyed working on, and they turned out gorgeous! Keep reading for step by step instructions. For this activity you need: -Construction paper and tissue paper scraps -Flower seeds -Cookie cutters or candy molds -A large bowl -A couple towels -Parchment paper -Flower petals (optional) Grab your old construction paper and tissue paper scraps and tear them up into tiny pieces into a bowl. Add a small amount of warm water and work it into the paper shreds with your fingers, making a pulp. If you have a blender or food processor you can put your pulp through it to shred it even finer. This makes the paper pulp easier to work, but you can skip this step if you don...

  Springtime offers so many amazing learning opportunities to explore with our children. In this post I share some of my favorite spring nature study activities and resources. Spring Nature Study Activities Hunt For Signs of Spring Take a walk around your neighborhood or in a nearby park and look for signs of spring. If your kids like to draw or take photos, bring pencils and sketchbooks or a camera. Go on a Wildflower Scavenger Hunt Research about the different types of wildflowers in your area, then hunt your neighborhood or a park to see how many different species you can find! Dissect a Flower Pick a flower from your yard and encourage your child to gently take it apart and explore its different parts.  Learn About Plant Anatomy Learn about the different parts of a plant. Here are some good resources to check out: - Homeschool Pop- Plant Parts and Functions - SciShow Kids- Look Inside a Flower - Ducksters- Biology for Kids- Plants Go on a Mini Beast Hunt Hunt for...

Learn about plant anatomy, what plants need to grow, garden insects, the difference between fruits and vegetables, symmetry, how to calculate area and perimeter, and more with this 28-page printable garden study pack. This pack includes plant anatomy posters, science worksheets, creative writing prompts, math activities, garden planning sheets, journaling sheets, a garden measurement chart, a crossword puzzle, and more! Grab it here:   Learning in the Garden Printable Unit Study Pack Follow me on Teachers Pay Teachers Facebook Instagram Pinterest

I am often asked for preschool and kindergarten curriculum recommendations by well-meaning parents. My answer is always the same: none. Preschoolers and kindergarteners don't need formal sit-down work. There is no long-term advantage. What they do need is need time to play, and explore, and to be creative. I understand why many parents jump the gun on formal learning. They just want to give their kids the best start in life, but earlier isn't always better. Pushing academic skills before a child is developmentally ready causes frustration and resentment, often leading children to hate learning.  The early school years are best spent focused on play and outdoor exploration. Play provides the perfect environment for developing important pre-reading and pre-writing skills. These skills include things like core body strength, hand and finger strength, visual perception, object manipulation, and gross and fine motor skills. And these skills provide an important foundation on which t...