Homeschooling My Kinetic Kids

My daughter (age 9/10) has a group of girlfriends her own age.  The moms decided that the girls should have a book club this summer, to encourage them to read good literature.  They'll be getting together once a month to discuss the book and do some fun activities related to themes in the book.  Here's the plan for this year.  The Plan for Summer 2021 May- The Strawberry Girl June- Charlotte's Web July- All of a Kind Family August- TBA As we dive into each classic novel, I'll be posting articles with ideas for ways to engage your kids more on the subjects in the books.  Since I've already done a few blog posts, I've linked them below for you.  I'll add the new posts as well throughout the summer. Of course, you don't need to do a formal book club to get lots of value out of these classic book activities.  Each of them would also make great whole-family read aloud stories and a basis for a unit study in your homeschool.  Let me know in the comments...

I am so excited about next year's U.S. geography curriculum with Notgrass History, called "Our 50 States."  I just pre-ordered it for next year, and I can't wait to get it into our hands!  We were able to do some geography with the US history study ( Our Star Spangled Story ), but it will be great to slow down and study landforms, state flags, and do some map work.  Look for printables and idea posts in the near future. We chose Notgrass History because they are a reputable Christian curriculum company for social studies.  They not only have US history and geography, but also civics, world history/geography, and economics covering all 12 grades.  I love that their "textbooks" are actually narrative stories (what Charlotte Mason called "living") and include primary texts, songs, poems, hands-on projects, and Bible verses.  There are novels and biographies to go along with each curriculum set, allowing you to combine social studies and li...

I realized recently that I have done a lot of printables using wood disks.  Particularly, the  1 inch ones , which seem to be the right size to add some fine motor skill building to our homeschool.  They're also just super adorable when paired with fun themes.  Since I had the posts scattered all over my blog, I decided to organize them all together here.  You can click on any of the pictures to go to the post and grab the free printable. My favorite method of preparing these 1 inch wood disks is to cover the front side in packing tape and glue the backside to the circles.  I used to use modge podge, but it doesn't work as well with water-based inks and tend to get sticky if they're exposed to moisture.  An even more water resistant way to do the disks would be to laminate the printable and hot glue them onto the wood.  I also love that the disks are small enough to fit in an Altoid tin, which makes them great for roadschooling (traveling...

Spring and Summer are a great time to study plants and grow a garden.  Whether you're studying plant life cycles, wanting to do a garden theme in your classroom, or learn more about plants, you'll find information here.  Click on the square pictures to go to the posts. An InLinkz Link-up Kid-Sized Picnic Table and Umbrella Veggie Sort Game   <>   Kid Planting Table Farmer's Market Color Sort Toy Plant Life Cycle Figurines   <>   Butterfly Garden Fairy Garden Planter and Accessories Pizza Herb Garden   <>   Garden Tools Dinosaur Garden   <>   Root Viewer Grower Pretend Garden Toy   <>   Gathering a Garden Game Pin It!

National Pizza Day is February 9th, but you don't have to wait a whole year to celebrate the delicious, hot mess that is pizza!  Whether your focus is pretend play, fractions, fun ways to practice spelling, or whatever, you'll find some great ideas here for all kids.  Click on the square pictures below and the colored text to access more content. An InLinkz Link-up World Pizza book   <>  Pizza Counting book Let's Make Pizza Cookbook Melissa and Doug Wood Pizza Set Duplo Pizza Stand   <>  Pizza Fractions Melissa and Doug Pizza Seasoning Set Barbie Pizza Set   <>  Pizza Party game Lego Minifigure Pizza Man

Pumpkins are a classic fruit for autumn.  We carve them into jack-o-lanterns for one holiday and cook them down into pumpkin pie for another.  This menu page contains all the pumpkin blog posts for toddler through elementary kids.  From pumpkin spice to science, you'll find it all here! An InLinkz Link-up I also highly recommend this Montessori-inspired Thanksgiving  printables bundle from Every Star is Different.  The packet covers Native American history, explorers, and thanksgiving traditions, and contains over 300 pages of printables for preschoolers and elementary kids.  The pictures are respectful, realistic, and historically accurate.  The bundle is great for homeschoolers since you only need to purchase one set for the whole family!  Click on the picture or the colored text to learn more. You can also purchase individual packets: - Native American History - Explorers and Colonists - Thanksgiving Trad...

Between cold and flu season and the holidays, there aren't many school days in the winter.  Or, if you're like me and you live in the Great White North, then there are way too many school days in the winter.  From the science of snow to Christmas cookies, this is the place to find all your wintery fun ideas. An InLinkz Link-up

Spiders are creepy and crawling, but their also fascinating.  Kids love to learn more about them, which will be easy to do with these free printables and ideas.  I'm adding more content frequently, so be sure to check back for more! An InLinkz Link-up I also highly recommend this Montessori-inspired Arthropod printables bundle from Every Star is Different.  The packet covers spiders, scorpions, insects, crustaceans, and myriapods, and contains over 400 pages of printables for preschoolers and elementary kids.  The bundle is great for homeschoolers since you only need to purchase one set for the whole family!  Click on the picture or the colored text to learn more. *Homeschooling My Kinetic Kids is an affiliate of Every Star is Different and will receive a small commission for every purchase made through this link.*

Summertime is not traditionally a season of learning, but there are still many subjects to be explored during the hot months.  Whether you're turning a trip to the zoo into a field trip or wanting to have fun with watermelon, this is where you want to be!  Settle in with a cold glass of lemonade and dream about long, lazy days of fun.  Click on the pictures to see additional categories. An InLinkz Link-up

An InLinkz Link-up Children's Encyclopedia of American History The 50 States book   ♦  British Army Native American History for Kids Revolutionary War Soldiers Toob White House 3D Puzzle   ♦  U.S. Map Puzzle Ticket to Ride game   ♦  President Flash Cards Native American Lands Map Puzzle Laura Ingall's Wilder Doll U.S. Symbols toob   ♦  Play Gun As I think will become my habit during this year of US history, I'd also like to add some adult books to the list.  These are all non-fiction, with a focus on general history. Lies My Teacher Told Me The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement The People's History of the United States City of Dreams: 400 Years of Immigration in NYC The Problem of Slavery in Christian America

Seasonal ideas for the autumn and fall months, from pumpkins to spiders, and more.  I have a bit of Anne of Green Gables in me- I love   Click on the individual pictures to access more categories and lots more content!  Be sure to pin this page for later! An InLinkz Link-up I also highly recommend this Montessori-inspired Thanksgiving  printables bundle from Every Star is Different.  The packet covers Native American history, explorers, and thanksgiving traditions, and contains over 300 pages of printables for preschoolers and elementary kids.  The pictures are respectful, realistic, and historically accurate.  The bundle is great for homeschoolers since you only need to purchase one set for the whole family!  Click on the picture or the colored text to learn more. You can also purchase individual packets: - Native American History - Explorers and Colonists - Thanksgiving Traditions *Homeschooling M...

An InLinkz Link-up The Secret Life of Squirrels book Just Because Your Mine book The Squirrels Busy Year book Squirrels Go Nuts Game The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrels Game Grey Squirrel Stuffed Animal Red Squirrel Stuffed Animal Grey Squirrel Figurine Acorns Loose Parts Squirrel Popper Acorn Threading Toy 3D Wood Puzzle Chipmunk Toy >

An InLinkz Link-up