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Visiting our National Parks with Kids
When I was growing up, my parents stopped to read every roadside historical marker and every trailside sign out loud to us. We explored state parks and historic sites all over the Southeast. In my teen years, I did my fair share of eye-rolling as we stopped at yet another sign. And as we became adults, it became a running joke to continue the tradition. Looking back, I can see how my parents were demonstrating a lifelong love of learning as they paused at each and every trail sign or historic site. Now in my own way, I’ve picked up the cause and given it my own flavor with national…
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Road Trip Tips
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Engaging Kids without Screens
Keeping kids busy and off technology has been really difficult in our home with so many of our usual options closed. We can’t hop off to the museums, libraries, and splash pads that we are used to–and it’s been difficult for the entire family. Here are a few ideas and tips to help your family stay entertained and fill those long days! 1. Try “reading baskets.” This works for younger kids, but even my 10 year old enjoys this activity. We have a large stack of wide laundry baskets. The kids get a basket, lay a blanket in it, and squeeze themselves in with a few books. While the activity…
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Field Trips and Free Days!
We are fortunate in Arizona to have many opportunities to visit museums and more for free (or at a deep discount). I’ve noticed that more and more opportunities for free days are popping up everywhere, and when you’re educating at home, these benefits are worth taking a day off to go explore! In Arizona, we have something called First Fridays where a variety of museums and local businesses offer free entry. We love First Fridays, and it’s worth doing some research in your own state to see what discounts are available. Here are some other places in Arizona that offer free days: The Desert Botanical Gardens The Children’s Museum of…
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Best Books Preschool & Kindergarten
Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? Green Eggs & Ham Chicka Chicka Boom Boom The Carrot Seed Runaway Bunny Goodnight Moon Big Red Barn Barn Dance! THe Snowy Day The Big Green Pocketbook The Little Rabbit/Lamb/Kitten/Duck Corduroy & A Pocket for Corduroy We’re Going on A Bear Hunt Play With Me I am an Artist A tree is Nice The Little Engine that Could Choo Choo The Runaway Engine Five Little Ducks Frog Went a Courtin’
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English Tea With Kids
Several years ago, I saw a friend post about how she tried to tea weekly with her three boys, and I thought the idea was a sweet and special way to slow down and spend time with her kids. About five years ago, I started intermittently doing the same thing with my three boys, and we have since added two more girls to our family who both LOVE tea parties. We had the chance to do an English tea (or what we understood to be an English tea) for one of our Cottage School lunches, and the kids thoroughly enjoyed it! Here is what we did: Used a nice tablecloth…
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Gardening With Children
As Mary in “The Secret Garden” knows, there is something to having a “bit of earth” to tend to and see what you can coax to grow. Growing up, one of the lessons I (Amelia) absorbed without even knowing was being taught was the joy that comes from gardening. My memories of visits to my grandparents house are highlighted with the activity of what was going on in the garden. One summer, the lesson was helping my Grandpa pick blackberries and learning first hand about the defense system of thorns with which the blackberry bush is equipped. Another summer was spent learning how to work hard and pick baskets and…
