Homeschooling-ideas.com Newsletter - Fuel the Fire Issue #94 - August 2017
Homeschooling-Ideas Newsletter - August Edition

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Hi!

Welcome to the ninty-fourth issue of Fuel the Fire.

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Thanks for joining me today, and enjoy this issue!



In this Issue

August News
The Three R's - Resources, Read-Alouds and Recommendations.
Fuel the Fire Ideas.


August News!

Welcome to the 94th edition of Fuel the Fire. It is great to be back. I hope you are having a wonderful summer!

Sorry I am a little late this month. I had a fabulous website-vacation and took a little to motivate myself to get back to work :) 

I have got some great ideas for you in this month's newsletter. Enjoy, and I will see you again next month.


Please note that some of the links in this newsletter are affiliate links, which means if you buy I get a (very) small percentage of the sale. If you would prefer not to support this site in that way, just go to Amazon and search for the book yourself.


The Three Rs!

Resources, Read-Alouds, and Recommendations

In this section of my newsletter, I want to bring you great recommendations that I think you will enjoy in your homeschooling.


For your Bookshelf

When I first started this site, I mostly wanted to share some of the wonderful books I had found during homeschooling.

I remember spending hours and hours looking for that 'perfect book find' to spark some great homeschooling projects.

These are some of my favorite books - For your bookshelf.


Fuel the Fire in August

3 Creative History Ideas

I actually wrote a new blog post! I know, shocking :)

3 creative ways to teach history (or rather, include it in your homeschooling in a fun, low-key way!).

You can check it out here.


Nature Tables

Now is a good time to be adding to your nature table. Especially if you are planning trips to the beach or the park!

I know nature tables can take up quite a bit of space, so here are my favorite storage solutions :)

And I have a lot of other fun ideas about nature tables here


Time Out Schedule

If you are planning your new homeschool year, don't forget I have lots of creative schedule ideas on my site.

The Time Out schedule is one where you get unplugged for several hours a day - and do projects together.

It is a good way to carve out the time you need to actually do some of the things you thought you would be doing when you first started homeschooling :)

By the way, if you are struggling to stick to your homeschool schedule then do check out my ebook, Stick-ability!


Tape Art

I love to find unusual art projects to share with you and this is quite a neat idea. Using sticky tape to make art.

I first came across it at the site of Chris Hosmer who says he first saw it being used by car designers!

Typeplay - homeschooling ideas from Homeschooling-Ideas.com
All you need is some colored tape and a board to work with. The beauty of this idea is that the tape should be removable (check this out on a small area first!) - so you can rework your designs. Try working on a canvas, a whiteboard, a wall or even the sidewalk.

This art is very simple and graphic, so start by looking through simple coloring books for design ideas.

Need more inspiration? Try this video:
Warning: One of the songs on this video contains cussing. Please turn your speakers off!



I am thinking even younger children would love to try this. How about letting them loose with Christmas washi tape and some blank greetings cards - they would make fantastic Christmas cards to send to your family and friends.


Free Printables

I always loved to have a stack of printables on hand. They are perfect for rainy days - or to take on journeys.

I have a page where I collect my favorites :) Lots of free homeschool printable ideas here for you.


Nature Doll

I have instructions for a nature doll on my site that we often sit and make just for fun. 

They are fairly easy to make (good for dexterity!). And you can incorporate lots of found items from your nature walk.

If you want to feel like a super-Mom take some yarn out with you when you are out in the forest. It makes a great activity to entertain the children when you stop for some lunch (or a rest!).


RPG Game Coding

I know that writing a computer game will be on the list of lots of teenagers. But learning to code doesn't always give the results they are looking for!

RPG Maker is a much more satisfying experience!

It lets you create Role Playing Games that look a lot like something your teen would want to play. Out of all the coding environments, this is the one my son keeps coming back to - I think because it makes it easy for him to create a game that looks like a modern game.

Their software is not all free but almost all the versions have a 30 day trial available - so you have a month to have a play with it. There is also a totally free version called VX Ace Lite.

My son prefers the XP Version and if you think you may buy, this is the cheapest one.


There are lots of tutorials for the software on the site - and even more in Youtube.

If you have a PC game loving child, I think they will love this!

Science Chatterbox

Remember those paper fortune tellers/cootie catchers you used to play with when you were a kid?

Well here is an interesting educational take on the theme! These free science printables let the children make question and answer versions on different science themes.

Science chatterbox - homeschooling ideas from Homeschooling-Ideas.com


I took a look around and also found these versions:
  • Math Chatterboxes.
  • Learning to Read idea.


  • Or why not get the children to design their own around their studies? You could use them to review math facts, history facts, for journal writing prompts, or state abbreviations.

    Freebie Fortnight

    I have been thinking that we should have another big 'freebie fest'. Where I share with you lots and lots and lots of links to downloadable freebies! Doesn't that sound good?

    So I thought we could have a Freebie Fortnight starting Monday 4th September for 14 days. 

    Every day I will post freebies - a huge number of links to downloads that I think you will enjoy. To keep it easy for myself I am going to stick to Pinterest and Facebook - both to the homeschooling-ideas page and the group. If you would like to join in just make sure you have followed the board, liked the page, or joined the group. You can find them here:


    Games to Play

  • Kids Sudoku. Good Sudoku game for younger kids - colors or numbers..
  • Cargo Bridge. Physics type game where you must design a bridge that supports the weight of your cargo.


  • Reasons to Homeschool


    Thanks so much for joining me for this issue of "Fuel the Fire".

    Be sure to look out for the next issue on 6th September 2017. If you can't wait, then you can find a more regular injection of ideas on:

  • My blog
  • Homeschooling-ideas Store
  • My Latest Pages RSS
  • Facebook
  • Homeschooling Ideas on Pinterest


  • If you have any comments or suggestions to help me improve this newsletter, I would love to hear from you!

    best wishes, Julie
    Go to Homeschooling-Ideas Home Page

    Free Homeschooling Ideas Newsletter - August edition.
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