Easter Activities and Resources

Just like Christmas, we try to incorporate Easter into our homeschool learning.  Some of our favorite activities for Easter are...

An Easter Tree
Every year, since the children were young, we have done an Easter Tree.  When we first started the tradition, we selected forty events in Jesus' earthly ministry from birth to ascension.  Each day, we read about an event and hung an accompanying ornament on our Easter Tree.  For the past three years, we have opted to read one entire Gospel in the days leading up to Easter.  This year, we are reading from Luke.  We read a chapter a day, and hang an ornament on a tree in the dining room.

Resurrection Eggs
Another tradition the whole family enjoys is our dozen Resurrection Eggs.  This year, the basket full of eggs are in the kitchen.  The children periodically hide and find these eggs throughout the house.  Each time, they open them, reveal a symbol or item which helps tell the story of Easter.  Having left these eggs out on the dry sink, they have become a tool for witnessing.  As children visit and play with the eggs, we are able to tell parts of the Easter story to them.

Easter Egg Decorating

Although a slightly messy project, dying eggs in this style has become an art form of sorts for our children.  Borrowing an idea from Martha Stewart, we use vinyl tape to cover parts of the egg.  The parts covered with tape will not dye.  We dip the egg in the lightest dye {usually yellow}.  Then allow the egg to dry.  By taping off more sections, these newly taped areas will remain yellow.  We then dip the egg in the next dye color {usually orange or green}.  We continue drying, taping, and dipping until the darkest color {usually purple}.  The overall effect is colorful and fun.  One year, I used this method in a co-op art class to demonstrate Pysanka.  In true Pysanka style, the artist would use melted wax instead of tape, but it helped to explain the method.

Easter Books
We keep a spring decorated basket full of Easter books in our living room.  Inside the basket are board books, picture books, and chapter books.  Our favorites include...
Board Books
I  Believe in Jesus, by John MacArthur
My Easter Basket: And the True Story of Easter, by Mary Manz Simon
Picture Books
Jesus Loves You, by Diane Stortz
I Believe in Jesus: Leading Your Child to Christ, by John MacArthur
He is Risen, adapted by Tess Fries
Jesus Lives! The Easter Story, retold by Laura Derico
Easter ABC's, by Isabel Anders
Easter Is...For Me! by Christine Tangvald
Jesus Is...For Me! by Christine Tangvald
The Parable of the Lily, by Liz Curtis Higgs
Chapter Book
Journey to the Cross, by Helen Haidle



Linked to Look What We Did!  Visit the new site and share ideas all month long.

Beginning Again After a Holiday Break

Eight o'clock rang on the chimes, but I was still finishing up the day. To describe the day as hectic would have been an understatement. However, the day was not without some positive aspects. We did finish a day of school. It was sporadic and patched together, but a day of learning took place and progress was made. There was very few complaints, and even some laughter.

It was our first day back to our school routine after a ten day holiday break, and I declared this would not happen again. 

How do you begin again? After taking some much needed time off for travel, family visits, holiday celebrations, rest, and relaxation, just how do you get back into the homeschool routine you had already established before your break?

To read the rest of this article, visit Growing Your Homeschool.

Top Ten Thinking Toys and Games

Tis the season of toys and games...or so the advertisers might have us believe.  Thinking about all the toys and games available is overwhelming.  There are so many fun looking options for boys and girls.  However, I do believe it could be argued that some toys are more beneficial in regards to creativity, thinking skills, and educational value, and thus could be added as extra learning activities to a child's day.  So while my top ten listing is not exhaustive nor is it necessarily tiered toward what is the best, it does offer a sampling of ten of our favorite toys that help build creativity and thinking skills in our home all year long.

In no particular order....

memory games - various editions, but one of our favorites is based on a 'school' subject is Art Memo

tangrams and pentominoes- shapes and spacial discrimination typically falls under math
   we have Super Mind, Pentominoes Pattern Cards, and tangrams

Sequence games - we like the States and Capitals version for an additional geography activity

Guess Who? - combining vocabulary, descriptions, and critical thinking this game is fun for all ages

Professor Noggins Trivia Card Games - many subjects to choose, we have the National Parks version

Square Up - patterns, colors, and sequential moves probably qualifies this game as a math activity

puzzles - can be used to enhance any topical study or general subject
    we have USA puzzle (geography), coral reef puzzle with numerous varieties of fish (science)

Brain Quest - many topics and grade levels to choose from, ours is the Presidents edition

Scrabble, Scrabble Slam, Scrabble Junior - word building, vocabulary...definitely a language arts extra

Lincoln Logs, Knex, and Legos - used for all subjects
   our children build anything and everything they have they have studied - recently our oldest son
          built a DNA chain with his Knex set

 

Honorable Mentions....
Quoridor, Rumis, and Blokus - fabulous for developing thinking skills while playing a game

* Links provided to be helpful, not affiliations...just sharing information.

Themed Christmas Trees

Last week, during our visit to New Hampshire, we drove down to Massachusetts for the Festival of Trees.  My husband's cousin had entered a decorated tree in the festival of over 100 trees.  There were trees decorated by individuals, groups, companies, and children.  Each one was creative. 

In addition to their beauty, I was inspired by some to possibly include themed tree decorating into our homeschooling.  Perhaps you might be inspired as well. 

A half dozen ideas to possibly consider...

Literary Themes
Some of the trees were decorated with elements from one particular story like Make Way for Ducklings and The Giving Tree.  Is there a book you are currently reading aloud that would work well?  Or maybe, a family favorite?  Use all the elements of the book, like characters, setting, and plot to develop different ornaments for a literary themed tree.

History or Geography Themes
Are you studying a particular time period, event, or person in history?  Or perhaps, your geography studies are concentrating on a specific country or region?  A world wide theme would generate a great deal of decorating ideas.  At the festival, we saw a tree for Ireland and one decorated with a medieval castle theme.

a London theme

Science Themes
Using a Goldberg machine to light their tree, one entry captivated my mechanically oriented son's attention.  Another tree used chemistry as an inspiration.  Ornaments representing the four seasons covered a third science themed tree.  Additionally, nature studies (individual animals, plants, or habitats) would easily provide ideas for decorations.

Artist, Musician, or Author Themes
Are you studying a particular author, musician, or artist this year?  Perhaps a tree reflecting their life, works, and time in history would add to your studies.  We saw an upside-down tree decorated for Dr. Seuss.  It was definitely an original entry. 

Christmas songs theme

Sports or Game Themes
Is your child learning about or playing a sport this year?  It might work well for a themed tree.  Or how about a tree decorated with parts of a family favorite game like Monopoly?  We saw a few football trees and a tree decorated for Twister at the festival.

General Learning Themes
Can't decide on one particular theme?  What about an all encompassing what we are learning this year themed tree?  One entry did this very theme.  What a great way to summarize the learning the children have done thus far!

Christmas Past - Historical Read Alouds

There is a plethora of Christmas books at our local library. So many that we could probably read them all year long. However, we generally try to wait until after Thanksgiving. Some of our favorite library finds this year follow.

Historical Selections:

Silent Night: The Song and Its Story, written by Margaret Hodges, shares the story behind the well know Christmas song "Silent Night."  Beginning with its origin in a small Austrian village and following the song's world wide impact through the years, this picture book is interesting for grown ups and children alike.


When Washington Crossed the Delaware, written by Lynne Cheney, tells of the cold winter of 1776 and the Christmas crossing of American troops led by George Washington.  After a spring trip to Valley Forge, the children had a keen interest in this book.  In fact, this year, the children and their cousins will be performing an original play called "A Valley Forge Christmas" at our family's annual Christmas gathering .

Franklin and Winston: A Christmas that Changed the World, written by Douglas Wood, was a fascinating read for me and the children.  Telling of the Christmas time visit between Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Wood intermixes light hearted moments and serious somber realities of World War II.

O Christmas Tree: Its History and Holiday Traditions, written by Jacqueline Farmer, traces the history of using evergreens in Christmas decorations from Ancient Egypt's usage of palm branches through Middle Age European pine tree decorations to present day American Christmas tree farmers.  The book is filled with tidbits of information, such as the first time electric lights were added to the White House Christmas tree and Massachusetts' almost two hundred year ban on Christmas.


Linked to Read-Aloud Thursday at Hope Is the Word

Homemade Presents of Christmas Past

Last year, the children created multi-colored tree shaped crayons.  We simply followed instructions I found on line to melt and reshape broken crayons.  We used an old silicon tree mold we had on hand.  It was no longer good for candy, but was perfect for a crayon mold.  Making crayons was a fantastic "success guaranteed" project.  All the trees turned out well, and were a delight to give as presents.

The children also enjoyed creating yummy chocolate gifts.  They coated square pretzels with white and dark chocolate to make these delicious chocolate covered pretzels.  A bit more complex was the peppermint bark we made.  Using a snowflake shaped silicon mold, we layered white chocolate with crushed candy canes and dark chocolate.

Linked to Kids Get Crafty at Red Ted Art

Teaching Christmas Carols

The month of December is filled with special music and programs especially for Christmas.  This year, our daughters will sing in a Christmas choir concert.  In years past, we've watched live nativities, plays, and ballets and participated in a few.  Not only are there these extra programs outside of the house, but we have special music in our home.  During the month of December, we listen to Christmas carols and music almost exclusively.

Our favorite resource for teaching our children about Christmas carols is Christmas Carols for a Kid's Heart, by Bobbie Wolgemuth and Joni Eareckson Tada. Combining historical information, lyrics, Bible verses, prayers, and personal testimonies, the authors present each of the twelve carols with enthusiasm and interest. An accompanying CD is included which helps those less musically talented (me!).

Top Ten Christmas Movies in Our House

Movies about Christmas abound in the stores and on tv.  Over the years, we have watched and accumulated quite a few.


Our family's top ten Christmas movies are...

Honorable mentions: How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Little Christmas Burro. 
Neither technically made the list because we couldn't figure out which version of the Grinch we liked better, and well, not every one loves the Burro...

10.  Punchinello and the Most Marvelous Gift
        (sweet Punchinello, we just love him!)

9.  White Christmas
        (the children aren't huge fans, but my husband and I are)

8.  Frosty
        (maybe not technically a Christmas movie...but the children sure love watching that
               snowman)

7.  Alabaster's Song
       (makes the list for the girls' enthusiasm for this video, the boys not so much)

6.  The Star of Christmas
       (a Christmas movie with Bob and Larry, fun for the whole family!)

5.  Scrooge
       (Albert Finney musical version - dated quality, but love the music! On a side note, we
            have seen so many versions of Christmas Carol story line I probably could do a top ten
            ranking of the different Christmas Carol versions...maybe next week?  Then again, you
            already know which one will top my list!)

4.  The Legend of the Candy Cane
       (we have the book and the movie, they vary slightly from one another, but the children
           love them both)

3.  The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia)
       (OK, technically NOT a Christmas movie, but there is that one scene about Christmas,
              and there is snow...and well, it originally hit theaters during the Christmas season...)

2.  The Prince of Peace
      (though I don't particularly care for the computer generated, the children love it) 

1.  It's a Wonderful Life
      (my personal favorite, and since I'm writing the post...)


What is your family's favorite Christmas movie?

Last year we saw a live performance of The Miracle of Christmas, complete with animals, at a Sight and Sound Theater.  This year, we aren't able to go, and are instead hoping to watch the movie called The Nativity Story.  Would you recommend this movie or suggest a different one?

Christmas Around the World Resources

Hoping to teach our children about how Christmas is celebrated elsewhere in the world, I searched for resources.  A few of the favorite books we found are...

Christmas Around the World Coloring Book, by Joan O'Brien, is a book full of coloring pages highlighting Christmas celebrations world wide.  It also offers short descriptions of each country's unique traditions on every page.



Christmas Around the World, written by Emily Kelley is a small picture book my oldest son and I found on a recent library trip.  Kelley explores Christmas traditions of eight different countries.  Some of the countries are Mexico, China, and Iran.  The customs highlighted within the book are fascinating to read.  We learned about the traditions of Christians in Iraq and the Festival of Light in Sweden.


Another picture book we found on that same library visit was The Christmas Drum, by Maureen Brett Hooper.  Peter, a young boy living in a small village in Romania, anticipates playing the duba (a drum) for the caroling on Christmas Eve.  Peter's father is working in the city and unable to play with the group.  Peter takes his place.  For the entire evening, Peter plays the drum well, and even sings a carol all by himself.

For a more local selection, we read An Amish Christmas, by Richard Ammon.   The book begins with a group of Amish children preparing and performing a Christmas program at their one room school house on Christmas Eve day.  Christmas day is celebrated with family, food, and fun.  The following day, The Second Day of Christmas is celebrated.

Perhaps, if we have time, we will finally travel to the National Christmas Center for a tour highlighting world wide Christmas traditions of past and present.

Pilgrims, Native Americans, and Thanksgiving Day

Perhaps it was the field trip to Plimoth Plantation or seeing the Mayflower replica.  Maybe it was just the plethora of information to peruse, or the fact that we lived in Massachusetts for a few years.

Regardless of the reason why, we have a fun time studying the Pilgrims, Native Americans, and Thanksgiving during the month of November. 

 

Some years, like this year, we are studying that exact time period in history.  During those years, no special unit is completed.  We simply study through the material during our lessons. 

However, on the years when we are studying other historical time periods, we usually take some time, and work through a unit study on Pilgrims, Native Americans, and Thanksgiving Day. 

Some of our favorite books are:
Thanksgiving: A Harvest Celebration, by Julie Stiegemeyer
The Thanksgiving Story, by Alice Dalgliesh
Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving, by Eric Metaxas
Squanto: Friend of the Pilgrims, by Clyde Robert Bulla
The Pilgrims at Plymouth, by Lucille Recht Penner
On the Mayflower: Voyage of the Ship's Apprentice and a Passenger Girl, by Kate Waters
Sarah Morton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl, by Kate Waters
Samuel Eaton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Boy, by Kate Waters
Tapenum's Day: A Wampanoag Indian Boy in Pilgrim Times, by Kate Waters
The Adventurous Life of Miles Standish, by Cheryl Harness
N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims, text by Robert San Souci

A few new to us books that we found at the library this past visit are:
The Story of Thanksgiving, by Robert Merrill Bartlett
Thanksgiving Is..., by Gail Gibbons
The Pilgrims' Thanksgiving from A to Z, by Laura Crawford
The Wampanoag, by Kevin Cunningham and Peter Benoit
1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving, by Catherine O'Neill Grace and Margaret M. Bruchac