Homeschooling My Kinetic Kids

It's the beginning on the new year, which means Safari Ltd has released their newest toob of animals.  The toob of the year is full of South American animals!   I'm very excited about it, because I think Safari needs to put out a toob for every continent and region.  These toobs are great for putting in your Montessori-inspired continent boxes . Continent boxes are a Montessori-inspired idea, which are so helpful for homeschooling!  They are simply an organized way to store your study materials for each continent (and sometimes the oceans).  You can fill the boxes with printables, souvenirs, flags, games, objects, pictures, currency, maps, or anything else you have available.  It's ok if you don't fill all the boxes in one day- it's supposed to be a lifelong project. As I mentioned, the Safari Ltd toobs of animals and objects are great for putting in your continent boxes.  I'm currently working on redoing many of my printable matching cards for the Sa...

In today's screen-driven age, many kids don't get enough time working on their fine motor skills.  The result is weak fingers and hands and poor handwriting.  More time strengthening their hands is a necessary part of your school day, but it doesn't have to just include play dough kneading.  Here are ways that you can improve your child's handwriting, while encouraging them to learn geography.   Set up these fine motor activities in some trays or bins, so one child can work on them, while you're working with another child.   Landform Trays with Play Dough // Pinay Homeschooler Squishing play dough is a great way to strengthen fingers and work on fine motor skills.  This activity uses colored dough to create landforms in an engaging and interesting way.  Place a few tins of play dough in a quiet bin with some printable cards, so kids can build whichever landform they want during their free time. Tracing Roads on Maps // Housing a...

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...

My kids are studying U.S. History this year, which I'm very excited about.  All week, I've been posting printables and ideas for making history a bit more exciting for the early elementary age grouping.  Today, I have a playable dominoes set that is designed to help kids be able to identify the 13 original colonies. Orginally, I wanted to do all 50 states, and I still might eventually, but I thought 13 was probably a good place to start.  As I said, this is a real set of dominoes, designed in the traditional way, not a simple matching game.  There are 91 pieces, which is plenty for a 6, 7, and 8 year old to learn at first.  As you can see, the very smallest players can just match colors and shapes, while the older kids can be asked to name the state before they lay down their play piece.  The printable also includes a cheat sheet with all the names of the states next to their shape. > > > Download Dominoes Game < < < This...

Summertime seems like the perfect time to study US Geography.  Whether you're Partying Through the USA on an epic road trip or staying at home trying to master states and capitols, I've collected a pile of resources for you.  From flashcards to notebooking pages to map and apps, it's all here! What's the wildest law from your state?  In Idaho, citizens are forbidden from sending a box of chocolate weighing more than 50 pounds!  Comment at the end of the post and tell me something weird about your state. US States and Capitols Matching Game // 1 2 3 Homeschool 4 Me US Geography Worksheets // The Quiet Grove USA Coloring Book // The Natural Homeschooler A Book for Every State // Homeschooling My Kinetic Kids Play Dough Map // Mama Smiles Notebooking Across the Country // Ben and Me Stack the States App // Amazon US State Trading Cards // Royal Baloo There are so many great games, books, and toys to help kids learn their US ge...