Today's park is Animal Kingdom. Obviously there's a lot of educational aspects related to animals here.
Kids Discovery Club
Get a free "passport", complete activities, and get it stamped along the way.
Animal encounters throughout the day.
Be sure to ask the keepers lots of questions.
Kilimanjaro Safari
Learn about African animals. Pick an animal to research before or after your trip. Locate Africa on a map. Mount Kilimanjaro is the largest mountain in Africa--what country is it found in? What is the Serengeti? What are poachers?
Rafiki's Planet Watch
Conservation and environmental issues. Behind the scenes look at how the animals are cared for. May be able to see a veterinarian doing work. Make a list of ways you can help save the planet. Make your backyard into a wildlife habitat (look for ideas along the path).
Dinoland
Pretend to be a paleontologist or archaeologist (learn what these people do if you don't already know). Have a fossil dig in your sandbox at home before or after your visit. Learn about dinosaurs. Put together a dinosaur model. Study the different prehistoric periods that dinosaurs lived during. What are cycads (find a collection of them along the Cretaceous Trail)? On the Dinosaur ride there are 19 dinosaurs--can you count them all? Compare the heights and lengths of various types of dinosaurs.
Flights of Wonder show
Learn about birds.
Maharajah Jungle Trek
What is a Maharajah? Learn about Asian cultures. Look at the architecture and artifacts that you see. Pick up a bird identification sheet before entering the aviary; see how many of the birds you can find.
Pangani Forest Exploration Trail
Learn about gorillas. How does the size of your hand compare to that of a gorilla's? What is a silver back? Is there one in this troop? Learn about the Baobab tree. The one in the nearby African village is 40 feet tall. How many yards and inches is that? How tall can Baobabs be? Learn about African culture. Learn a few words in Swahili. Check out the clipboards with animal facts and field notes along the trail. Observe one of the animals for a few minutes and take your own field notes.
Expedition Everest
Learn about the legend of the Yeti. What other legends do you know? How tall are the Himalayas? Locate on a map.
Tree of Life
Count how many animals you can find carved in it (there are over 300 altogether).
Ideas for Animal Kingdom as a whole:
Learn where each animal lives, what they eat, its' predators, if they are endangered, etc. Read the signs at the exhibits to find out more. See if you can learn any fun facts about the animals (i.e. Emperor scorpions glow under UV light, siamangs are the loudest land mammal).
Learn what the following words mean and find examples of each as you tour the park--camouflage, herbivore, carnivore, reptile, mammal, bird, fish, amphibian.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Friday, September 27, 2013
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Here's the 2nd installment of my educational guide to Disney.
If you have a movie maker wanna be in the family this is the park for you. We, however, are not so this section will be short.
Tower of Terror
The tower is 199 feet because at 200 feet, the law states that a building must have a red light on top to warn airplanes and that would spoil the theme of the ride. Figure out how many yards and inches the tower is. Study gravity or computers (the computer randomly chooses a drop sequence). What's the gravitational force on different planets?
Rock 'N Roller Coaster
Utilizes a catapult launch. Make your own catapult. Study force, inversions, speed, or other related science topics. What is the speed of sound?
Walt Disney: One Man's Dream
History of Walt Disney himself and that time period.
Backlot Tour
How movies are made. Study earthquakes.
Streets of America
Learn about the optical illusion called forced perspective (objects appear larger/smaller or closer/farther than they actually are). Cinderella's Castle is another example of forced perspective.
Muppets 3D
Learn how 3D works. When were 3D movies invented and what was the first one? What are the 7 colors of the rainbow?
Toy Story Midway Mania
Same math concepts as Buzz's ride in the Magic Kingdom.
The Great Movie Ride
Study the different genres of movies (watch a few of each before your trip or when you get home and compare/contrast).
The Magic of Animation
Budding artists can try their hand at free character art lessons. Learn what an animator does. Draw your own cartoon when you get home. There are other interactive opportunities here as well
For those interested in performing or acting there are many shows with audience participation and there is the American Idol Experience for singers.
There are many more rides and attractions that will teach you everything you ever wanted to know about film making.
Animal Kingdom will probably be next and I'll save Epcot for last as that will be the longest. I also hopefully plan to do Sea World and Legoland.
If you have a movie maker wanna be in the family this is the park for you. We, however, are not so this section will be short.
Tower of Terror
The tower is 199 feet because at 200 feet, the law states that a building must have a red light on top to warn airplanes and that would spoil the theme of the ride. Figure out how many yards and inches the tower is. Study gravity or computers (the computer randomly chooses a drop sequence). What's the gravitational force on different planets?
Rock 'N Roller Coaster
Utilizes a catapult launch. Make your own catapult. Study force, inversions, speed, or other related science topics. What is the speed of sound?
Walt Disney: One Man's Dream
History of Walt Disney himself and that time period.
Backlot Tour
How movies are made. Study earthquakes.
Streets of America
Learn about the optical illusion called forced perspective (objects appear larger/smaller or closer/farther than they actually are). Cinderella's Castle is another example of forced perspective.
Muppets 3D
Learn how 3D works. When were 3D movies invented and what was the first one? What are the 7 colors of the rainbow?
Toy Story Midway Mania
Same math concepts as Buzz's ride in the Magic Kingdom.
The Great Movie Ride
Study the different genres of movies (watch a few of each before your trip or when you get home and compare/contrast).
The Magic of Animation
Budding artists can try their hand at free character art lessons. Learn what an animator does. Draw your own cartoon when you get home. There are other interactive opportunities here as well
For those interested in performing or acting there are many shows with audience participation and there is the American Idol Experience for singers.
There are many more rides and attractions that will teach you everything you ever wanted to know about film making.
Animal Kingdom will probably be next and I'll save Epcot for last as that will be the longest. I also hopefully plan to do Sea World and Legoland.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Magic Kingdom
So I haven't posted in a while (big surprise there) but with our Disney trip only 27(!!) days away I thought I would start sharing the activities/lesson plans/unit studies/whatever you want to call them that I have come up with to make this both a fun and educational trip. My daughters are only 5 and 2 so I won't be using all these ideas but I thought they might be useful to others. I plan to use some before our trip, others during, and some after to reinforce what we did and saw. That's one of the great things about homeschooling--anything can be an educational experience!
Today I am going to start with the Magic Kingdom. I will be back periodically with the other Disney World parks as well as Sea World and Legoland. The month of October will be spent preparing the girls (and the hubby and me) for our trip. I plan to concentrate on exploring a different park with them each week. I can't possibly cover all the rides and attractions at each park but I will do my best to cover the most popular. I will also do a post on resources (books, websites) that I found helpful while planning our trip and coming up with ideas for educational activities.
To help prepare my girls for our trip and for all the characters that they might see, we have been having weekly Disney movie nights. Usually I'm not a big fan of characters/princesses in books and movies but I don't want them to be scared when they see all of the costumed characters, most of whom they have never heard of until I showed them the appropriate movie. So the past couple of months we have seen (rented from the library) all the princess movies as well as all the movies based on rides/attractions in Disney World. This way they will recognize the characters and understand the themes/story lines they will encounter.
Partial list of movies:
Tangled (my 5 year old's current favorite)
Sleeping Beauty
Cinderella
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Little Mermaid
Aladdin
Peter Pan
Bug's Life
Toy Story
Alice in Wonderland
Mary Poppins (UK at Epcot)
Mulan (China at Epcot)
Dumbo
and probably some more that I'm forgetting
I also plan to have Emma, with my help of course, keep a journal of our vacation. What we did each day, her favorite ride, what the weather was like, what she would like to learn more about when we get home, any special memories she wants to remember, etc. We'll see how well that goes, as writing is not her favorite thing to do at all.
And now on to the Magic Kingdom...
Hall of Presidents
This one is pretty obvious. Discuss the presidents before or after your trip, learn a fun fact about each one, etc. Make history come alive! You can find directions on Pinterest to make Lincoln's hat or Washington's wig. While at Disney you can even buy a copy of the Declaration of Independence or other famous document to study about when you get back home. Who delivered the Gettysburg Address? What is the significance of the number above the door when you enter the Hall of Presidents?
Answer--the year the constitution was ratified (1787).
Since the Hall of Presidents is located in Liberty Square, you can also learn about Paul Revere (what was his message to warn how the British were coming), the 13 original colonies, etc.
Haunted Mansion
See if you can count all 999 ghosts as you ride. The interactive queue has a murder mystery you can try to solve. I'll report back on this once we've done it. Write or tell your own ghost story.
Swiss Family Treehouse
If your kids are old enough, read the book before your trip. Compare it to the treehouse while you walk through it. Would you like to live in a treehouse? Why or why not? What's the name of the Robinsons' ship? Study trees. ID some trees in your neighborhood. Compare bark, leaves, flowers, etc. of different trees.
Tom Sawyer Island
Read the book before you go. Talk about the author and the time period. Write or narrate a story based on your own life. Build a raft from sticks.
Liberty Square Riverboat
Take a ride on this authentic steamboat. Read about steamboats before or after your trip. Locate the Mississippi river on a map.
Carousel of Progress
Talk about inventions and innovations, how technology has changed. What would you invent? How has technology helped us? Has it hurt us in any way? Pick a time period from the ride to do a unit study on. This might also be a good time to learn about Walt Disney himself.
Any of the rides in Frontierland
Learn about the Wild West and pioneers. Who were famous people then? Horses, the Pony Express, mines, or the Gold Rush may be good related topics to explore. Make a model of a covered wagon (look on pinterest for ideas).
Walt Disney World Railroad
Research when railroads first started, how they were powered, how they made life easier, etc.. Build a model train.
Pirates of the Caribbean
Locate the Caribbean on a map or globe. What are pirates? Who were some famous pirates? Learn the parts of a ship (crow's nest, mast, starboard, etc.). Dress up like a pirate. Dig for buried treasure (fake gold coins) in a sand box. You could practice reading a map by drawing a treasure map and having your child follow it to find the treasure.
Jungle Cruise
Locate the Nile and Amazon rivers on a map. What continents are they on? What animals live near each river? Why are rivers so important? What is the longest river in the world?
Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Learn about the Middle East. Watch the movie, Aladdin. If magic carpets were real where would you fly to and why? If genie's were real what 3 wishes would you ask for? Have kids write, draw, or narrate the answers to these discussion questions or come up with your own. Learn about camels. What are one hump and two hump camels called? Why do camels spit? What do they store in their humps?
Cinderella's Castle
Watch the movie. Read Cinderella books from other countries. How are they the same and different? Look up famous real castles. Find where they are on a map. Who lived in them? Write, draw, or narrate your own fairy tale.
Mickey's Philharmagic
Listen to, read about, or go to a real philharmonic orchestra. If you have access to one, play an instrument that's found in an orchestra.
it's a small world
Learn a few words in a different language (hello, goodbye, please, and thank you are good ones). Study the clothing of other countries. Find the countries on a map or globe. What 6 continents and 5 languages are represented on the ride?
Peter Pan's Flight
This ride is unfortunately scheduled to be closed when we're there. But here are some possible ideas anyway. Pirates (if you didn't already do that for Pirates of the Caribbean), crocodiles, London (famous landmarks like Big Ben), volcanoes. Read the book Peter Pan.
Space Mountain
Do a unit study on space--planets, galaxies, asteroids, meteors, space stations, etc.
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Continue your space study. Add in some math. Add up your points as you go along. Who had the highest score? If you ride twice, figure out your average or the difference between your two scores. Look for the higher numbers to score more points. Count by 10's to reach your score. Place values.
For many of the rides in the Magic Kingdom (and other Disney parks) you could study gravity, centrifugal force, animatronics, and a host of other science related topics.
Today I am going to start with the Magic Kingdom. I will be back periodically with the other Disney World parks as well as Sea World and Legoland. The month of October will be spent preparing the girls (and the hubby and me) for our trip. I plan to concentrate on exploring a different park with them each week. I can't possibly cover all the rides and attractions at each park but I will do my best to cover the most popular. I will also do a post on resources (books, websites) that I found helpful while planning our trip and coming up with ideas for educational activities.
To help prepare my girls for our trip and for all the characters that they might see, we have been having weekly Disney movie nights. Usually I'm not a big fan of characters/princesses in books and movies but I don't want them to be scared when they see all of the costumed characters, most of whom they have never heard of until I showed them the appropriate movie. So the past couple of months we have seen (rented from the library) all the princess movies as well as all the movies based on rides/attractions in Disney World. This way they will recognize the characters and understand the themes/story lines they will encounter.
Partial list of movies:
Tangled (my 5 year old's current favorite)
Sleeping Beauty
Cinderella
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Little Mermaid
Aladdin
Peter Pan
Bug's Life
Toy Story
Alice in Wonderland
Mary Poppins (UK at Epcot)
Mulan (China at Epcot)
Dumbo
and probably some more that I'm forgetting
I also plan to have Emma, with my help of course, keep a journal of our vacation. What we did each day, her favorite ride, what the weather was like, what she would like to learn more about when we get home, any special memories she wants to remember, etc. We'll see how well that goes, as writing is not her favorite thing to do at all.
And now on to the Magic Kingdom...
Hall of Presidents
This one is pretty obvious. Discuss the presidents before or after your trip, learn a fun fact about each one, etc. Make history come alive! You can find directions on Pinterest to make Lincoln's hat or Washington's wig. While at Disney you can even buy a copy of the Declaration of Independence or other famous document to study about when you get back home. Who delivered the Gettysburg Address? What is the significance of the number above the door when you enter the Hall of Presidents?
Answer--the year the constitution was ratified (1787).
Since the Hall of Presidents is located in Liberty Square, you can also learn about Paul Revere (what was his message to warn how the British were coming), the 13 original colonies, etc.
Haunted Mansion
See if you can count all 999 ghosts as you ride. The interactive queue has a murder mystery you can try to solve. I'll report back on this once we've done it. Write or tell your own ghost story.
Swiss Family Treehouse
If your kids are old enough, read the book before your trip. Compare it to the treehouse while you walk through it. Would you like to live in a treehouse? Why or why not? What's the name of the Robinsons' ship? Study trees. ID some trees in your neighborhood. Compare bark, leaves, flowers, etc. of different trees.
Tom Sawyer Island
Read the book before you go. Talk about the author and the time period. Write or narrate a story based on your own life. Build a raft from sticks.
Liberty Square Riverboat
Take a ride on this authentic steamboat. Read about steamboats before or after your trip. Locate the Mississippi river on a map.
Carousel of Progress
Talk about inventions and innovations, how technology has changed. What would you invent? How has technology helped us? Has it hurt us in any way? Pick a time period from the ride to do a unit study on. This might also be a good time to learn about Walt Disney himself.
Any of the rides in Frontierland
Learn about the Wild West and pioneers. Who were famous people then? Horses, the Pony Express, mines, or the Gold Rush may be good related topics to explore. Make a model of a covered wagon (look on pinterest for ideas).
Walt Disney World Railroad
Research when railroads first started, how they were powered, how they made life easier, etc.. Build a model train.
Pirates of the Caribbean
Locate the Caribbean on a map or globe. What are pirates? Who were some famous pirates? Learn the parts of a ship (crow's nest, mast, starboard, etc.). Dress up like a pirate. Dig for buried treasure (fake gold coins) in a sand box. You could practice reading a map by drawing a treasure map and having your child follow it to find the treasure.
Jungle Cruise
Locate the Nile and Amazon rivers on a map. What continents are they on? What animals live near each river? Why are rivers so important? What is the longest river in the world?
Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Learn about the Middle East. Watch the movie, Aladdin. If magic carpets were real where would you fly to and why? If genie's were real what 3 wishes would you ask for? Have kids write, draw, or narrate the answers to these discussion questions or come up with your own. Learn about camels. What are one hump and two hump camels called? Why do camels spit? What do they store in their humps?
Cinderella's Castle
Watch the movie. Read Cinderella books from other countries. How are they the same and different? Look up famous real castles. Find where they are on a map. Who lived in them? Write, draw, or narrate your own fairy tale.
Mickey's Philharmagic
Listen to, read about, or go to a real philharmonic orchestra. If you have access to one, play an instrument that's found in an orchestra.
it's a small world
Learn a few words in a different language (hello, goodbye, please, and thank you are good ones). Study the clothing of other countries. Find the countries on a map or globe. What 6 continents and 5 languages are represented on the ride?
Peter Pan's Flight
This ride is unfortunately scheduled to be closed when we're there. But here are some possible ideas anyway. Pirates (if you didn't already do that for Pirates of the Caribbean), crocodiles, London (famous landmarks like Big Ben), volcanoes. Read the book Peter Pan.
Space Mountain
Do a unit study on space--planets, galaxies, asteroids, meteors, space stations, etc.
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Continue your space study. Add in some math. Add up your points as you go along. Who had the highest score? If you ride twice, figure out your average or the difference between your two scores. Look for the higher numbers to score more points. Count by 10's to reach your score. Place values.
For many of the rides in the Magic Kingdom (and other Disney parks) you could study gravity, centrifugal force, animatronics, and a host of other science related topics.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Monday. The end of a busy weekend and the start of a busy week.
This weekend my dad and his girlfriend/fiance came to visit. Saturday Emma had a horseback riding lesson. Then we all went to Milburn Orchards. The girls had fun playing, feeding the goats (there was an adorable baby goat I wanted to take home!), the corn maze, and going on a hayride, among many other farm activities.
Sunday mornng was the start of the next session of swim classes for both girls. Then we went to Newark Community Day, a fun event in the center of town, with demostrations, craft vendors, freebies, etc. The highlight, at least, for Emma was making a scarecrow (my allergies didn't like it quite as much).
This weekend my dad and his girlfriend/fiance came to visit. Saturday Emma had a horseback riding lesson. Then we all went to Milburn Orchards. The girls had fun playing, feeding the goats (there was an adorable baby goat I wanted to take home!), the corn maze, and going on a hayride, among many other farm activities.
Sunday mornng was the start of the next session of swim classes for both girls. Then we went to Newark Community Day, a fun event in the center of town, with demostrations, craft vendors, freebies, etc. The highlight, at least, for Emma was making a scarecrow (my allergies didn't like it quite as much).
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Fall Bucket List
For the past year I've been making a bucket list of fun (and often times educational) activities we can do as a family each season. So with fall right around the corner I have been working on my fall bucket list. Most of my ideas come from Pinterest (yes I'm addicted and you will see a lot of links to things on Pinterest on my blog).
This Fall my bucket list is going to be on the short side as we will be going to Disneyworld (!) October 21-30 (be prepared--I will be posting a lot of Disney related tips and educational ideas both before and after our trip).
Fall 2013 Bucket List
1. I would love to make something like this and then in each pocket could be ideas from the rest of my bucket list
http://www.katescreativespace.com/2012/10/01/the-apple-game-making-the-most-of-autumn/ DONE!
.JPG)
.JPG)
2. Trip to Cherry Crest Adventure Farm (http://www.cherrycrestfarm.com/). We went last year and had a great time. Homeschool week with discounted admission is Sept. 16-20 so we plan to go then. They have a big corn maze, farm animals, a little train ride, things to bounce and climb on, and so much more. DONE!
3. Felt feather headbands (http://www.littlefamilyfun.com/2011/11/indian-feather-head-band.html) to wear when we learn about the Native Americans and Pilgrams. DONE!
4. Give thanks graditude board (http://jellybeanjunkyard.wordpress.com/2010/10/12/tuesday-tutorial-give-thanks-gratitude-board/). COMBINED THIS W/#1 ABOVE!
5. Hmmm....my husband hates carving pumpkins. Maybe he wouldn't mind drilling them instead (http://www.craftbyphoto.com/pumpkin-carving-with-a-drill/). Or this is even easier: http://thinkcrafts.com/blog/2009/10/16/henna-pumpkins/. Since we come home from Disney the day before Halloween, if we even manage to get a pumpkin, we need a quick and easy decorating idea.
6. So cute and easy enough to make ourselves. (http://www.etsy.com/listing/80670049/halloween-ghosts-childs-footprint?ref=sr_gallery_14&ga_search_query=Halloween+Children&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_mh_hub=kids&ga_mh_eid=442912645&ga_mh_section=header&ga_page=13&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade). I'm sure my girls would love an excuse to step in paint. DONE.
7. We always make caramel apples and other fall recipes involving pumpkins or apples. I'll be browsing Pinterest for some new ones. Here's one that looks healthy and yummy (http://www.navywifecook.com/2012/10/halloween-week-candy-corn-fruit-cups.html). Ooh and I love this idea of a candy apple bar (http://dawnypoo.blogspot.com/2011/10/caramel-apple-creations.html#.Ui0PgtbD_IU)
8. Pumpkin investigation (free printable at http://funforfirst.blogspot.com/search/label/pumpkins). As homeschoolers we make everything an educational experience, even pumpkin carving!
9. I saw some blank cardboard tombstones at Joanns that I think would be cool to decorate for Halloween.
10. Night time hayride and roasting marshmallows over a campfire at one of the local state parks (to complete 2 more items on the state parks challenge I posted about earlier). MADE RESERVATION FOR 10/11/13! Got rained out! Waiting to find out when the new date will be :(
11. Witch hat ring toss game (http://sometimescreative.blogspot.com/2011/11/halloween-party.html) DONE! I couldn't find little witch hats so made 1 big one instead.
12. No sew pumpkin (http://www.twoofakindworkingonafullhouse.com/2011/09/fall-decor-craft-ideas.html). This is perfect for me since I can't sew at all and my husband actually does the (limited) sewing in our family! DONE!
Be sure to check out my Halloween and Thanksgiving board (http://pinterest.com/mom2em/halloween-and-thanksgiving-crafts-and-ideas/) for even more ideas. Feel free to share your own ideas too. And if you make any of these things please share pictures!
updated 10/19/13
This Fall my bucket list is going to be on the short side as we will be going to Disneyworld (!) October 21-30 (be prepared--I will be posting a lot of Disney related tips and educational ideas both before and after our trip).
Fall 2013 Bucket List
1. I would love to make something like this and then in each pocket could be ideas from the rest of my bucket list
http://www.katescreativespace.com/2012/10/01/the-apple-game-making-the-most-of-autumn/ DONE!
.JPG)
.JPG)
2. Trip to Cherry Crest Adventure Farm (http://www.cherrycrestfarm.com/). We went last year and had a great time. Homeschool week with discounted admission is Sept. 16-20 so we plan to go then. They have a big corn maze, farm animals, a little train ride, things to bounce and climb on, and so much more. DONE!
3. Felt feather headbands (http://www.littlefamilyfun.com/2011/11/indian-feather-head-band.html) to wear when we learn about the Native Americans and Pilgrams. DONE!
4. Give thanks graditude board (http://jellybeanjunkyard.wordpress.com/2010/10/12/tuesday-tutorial-give-thanks-gratitude-board/). COMBINED THIS W/#1 ABOVE!
5. Hmmm....my husband hates carving pumpkins. Maybe he wouldn't mind drilling them instead (http://www.craftbyphoto.com/pumpkin-carving-with-a-drill/). Or this is even easier: http://thinkcrafts.com/blog/2009/10/16/henna-pumpkins/. Since we come home from Disney the day before Halloween, if we even manage to get a pumpkin, we need a quick and easy decorating idea.
6. So cute and easy enough to make ourselves. (http://www.etsy.com/listing/80670049/halloween-ghosts-childs-footprint?ref=sr_gallery_14&ga_search_query=Halloween+Children&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_mh_hub=kids&ga_mh_eid=442912645&ga_mh_section=header&ga_page=13&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade). I'm sure my girls would love an excuse to step in paint. DONE.
7. We always make caramel apples and other fall recipes involving pumpkins or apples. I'll be browsing Pinterest for some new ones. Here's one that looks healthy and yummy (http://www.navywifecook.com/2012/10/halloween-week-candy-corn-fruit-cups.html). Ooh and I love this idea of a candy apple bar (http://dawnypoo.blogspot.com/2011/10/caramel-apple-creations.html#.Ui0PgtbD_IU)
8. Pumpkin investigation (free printable at http://funforfirst.blogspot.com/search/label/pumpkins). As homeschoolers we make everything an educational experience, even pumpkin carving!
9. I saw some blank cardboard tombstones at Joanns that I think would be cool to decorate for Halloween.
10. Night time hayride and roasting marshmallows over a campfire at one of the local state parks (to complete 2 more items on the state parks challenge I posted about earlier). MADE RESERVATION FOR 10/11/13! Got rained out! Waiting to find out when the new date will be :(
11. Witch hat ring toss game (http://sometimescreative.blogspot.com/2011/11/halloween-party.html) DONE! I couldn't find little witch hats so made 1 big one instead.
12. No sew pumpkin (http://www.twoofakindworkingonafullhouse.com/2011/09/fall-decor-craft-ideas.html). This is perfect for me since I can't sew at all and my husband actually does the (limited) sewing in our family! DONE!
Be sure to check out my Halloween and Thanksgiving board (http://pinterest.com/mom2em/halloween-and-thanksgiving-crafts-and-ideas/) for even more ideas. Feel free to share your own ideas too. And if you make any of these things please share pictures!
updated 10/19/13
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Homeschool coop week one
This week our homeschool coop classes started. On Tuesdays my 5 year old will have language arts for 6 weeks, followed by math for 6 weeks. This cycle repeats for the full 36 weeks. There is also Spanish class every week. And a preschool class that my 2 year old will be in. The parents take turns teaching it.
On Wedesday at the coop we play, do art projects (we made family flags this week), and once a month there is yoga and music class. Occasionally there will be a junior gardening club from the local university. There's also a playground there that the kids love.
We are looking forward to a year of fun, learning, and making new friends.
On another homeschool note, I am struggling with teaching Emma to read. She is very intelligent and I know she will catch on quickly if she just tries. We have tried several reading programs in the past year and this year I think I am going to stick with Starfall. It seems to hold her attention the best. I also have some fun (well I hope they are anyway) games and activities planned as well as supplementing with a sight word workbook. This week she is learning the words and, the, see. She can read her name, cat, dog, a, I, no, and mom well. I learned to read at 3 or 4 so I had high hopes for Emma. But I have to let it go. After all, one of the reasons for homeschooling is to go at her own pace and not rush her if she's not ready. Eventually she will learn to read so I need to just relax (easier said then done though) and not push her too much.
On Wedesday at the coop we play, do art projects (we made family flags this week), and once a month there is yoga and music class. Occasionally there will be a junior gardening club from the local university. There's also a playground there that the kids love.
We are looking forward to a year of fun, learning, and making new friends.
On another homeschool note, I am struggling with teaching Emma to read. She is very intelligent and I know she will catch on quickly if she just tries. We have tried several reading programs in the past year and this year I think I am going to stick with Starfall. It seems to hold her attention the best. I also have some fun (well I hope they are anyway) games and activities planned as well as supplementing with a sight word workbook. This week she is learning the words and, the, see. She can read her name, cat, dog, a, I, no, and mom well. I learned to read at 3 or 4 so I had high hopes for Emma. But I have to let it go. After all, one of the reasons for homeschooling is to go at her own pace and not rush her if she's not ready. Eventually she will learn to read so I need to just relax (easier said then done though) and not push her too much.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Labor Day Weekend
Happy (late) Labor Day.
We had a busy holiday weekend. My mom and her boyfriend came to visit us.
Saturday we went to one of my favorite places, the Pennslyvania Renaissance Faire. The Renaissance period is probably my favorite period in history and I love feeling like I'm transported back in time for a day. Before kids we had season passes to the Faire and went many times each season. Now we only get there once a season. Once the girls are older I plan to incorporate the Renaissance Faire into a big, fun history lesson. I already have so many ideas--dressing up in period clothes, reading Shakespeare, eating authenic food, knights, Queen Elizabeth, etc. Ending with a field trip to the Faire of course.
For more info on the PA Ren Faire check out parenfaire.com.
Queen Elizabeth
Children's Garden
Children's Garden
Several characters interacted with our girls today making the day extra special and memorable for them.
For those who have never been to a Renaissance Faire there are many shows with singing, dancing, juggling, sword swallowing, magic, human chess, jousting, lots of food, period crafts for sale, etc. The PA Ren Faire features Queen Elizabeth, although I've been to others that depicted Henry VIII.
On Sunday we went to the Delaware Children's Museum. Although small, it's a nice museum that my girls love going to.
Lastly, on Monday we went to my current favorite store, 2nd and Charles (2ndandcharles.com/). A large used bookstore where you can trade in books (and DVDs, video games, electronics, etc) for store credit. This weekend I had a coupon for double credit on trade ins. I buy many of the girls reading and homeschool books here and I never have to pay anything as I always have plenty of credit to use from trading in items we no longer need.
We had a busy holiday weekend. My mom and her boyfriend came to visit us.
Saturday we went to one of my favorite places, the Pennslyvania Renaissance Faire. The Renaissance period is probably my favorite period in history and I love feeling like I'm transported back in time for a day. Before kids we had season passes to the Faire and went many times each season. Now we only get there once a season. Once the girls are older I plan to incorporate the Renaissance Faire into a big, fun history lesson. I already have so many ideas--dressing up in period clothes, reading Shakespeare, eating authenic food, knights, Queen Elizabeth, etc. Ending with a field trip to the Faire of course.
For more info on the PA Ren Faire check out parenfaire.com.
Queen Elizabeth
Children's Garden
Children's Garden
Several characters interacted with our girls today making the day extra special and memorable for them.
For those who have never been to a Renaissance Faire there are many shows with singing, dancing, juggling, sword swallowing, magic, human chess, jousting, lots of food, period crafts for sale, etc. The PA Ren Faire features Queen Elizabeth, although I've been to others that depicted Henry VIII.
On Sunday we went to the Delaware Children's Museum. Although small, it's a nice museum that my girls love going to.
Lastly, on Monday we went to my current favorite store, 2nd and Charles (2ndandcharles.com/). A large used bookstore where you can trade in books (and DVDs, video games, electronics, etc) for store credit. This weekend I had a coupon for double credit on trade ins. I buy many of the girls reading and homeschool books here and I never have to pay anything as I always have plenty of credit to use from trading in items we no longer need.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)