Homeschooling-ideas Blog

The Periodic Table for Kids

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 15:13:12 GMT

A Periodic Table Box is a great way of exploring the periodic table for kids. Collect element examples and add them to your box.

Home School Schedule

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 17:08:51 GMT

Writing your home school schedule can be daunting, but you can create a schedule that works for you and inspires your family.

Autonomous Learning

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:16:20 GMT

An example of autonomous learning in action. Louisa shares a typical day of an unschooler.

Thanksgiving for Kids

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:16:53 GMT

A wonderful way to demonstrate the meaning of thanksgiving for kids - make a family Thanksgiving Tree.

Homeschooled Kids Carnival

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:31:38 GMT

The Second Homeschooled Kids Carnival is up - and there have been some wonderful entries this month. The children have produced some really interesting posts - from computer games to puppies, book reviews to pictures. They have all obviously worked really hard. Do encourage your children to take a look at some of these fantastic blogs - I am hoping they will want to submit their own entry next time! Go to this page for details. Thank you to all the children who submitted this month. Your blogs are great and it was wonderful to host them here.

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Effects of Computer Games

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 15:33:40 GMT

Wondering about the effects of computer games on your child's Homeschool Learning? Read about my experiences.

Halloween Activities and Resources

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:21:16 GMT

Halloween slime, and apple head witches - some great halloween activities and resources to help you Homeschool

Homeschool Video

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:33:49 GMT

This 'I Will Survive' homeschool video is probably all over the blogosphere by now, but as some of my friends don't read any other blogs except mine (thank you loyal friends!!), this is for you!
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Rainforest Lesson Book Review

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:34:36 GMT

Book Review: This fabulous book by Anne Morddel will bring to life your rainforest lesson or unit study. A wonderful resource.

Creative Writing Activities for Kids

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:36:13 GMT

Creative Writing Activities for Kids - Get you child writing and thinking with these creative ideas.

Homeschool Anatomy Resources

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:27:21 GMT

Are you studying anatomy at the moment? I have found a great site with free online games on muscles and bones! Anatomy Arcade has games and puzzles including Whack-a-Bone and Brain Jigsaw. It seems aimed at teenagers, but I played with my 10yo with no problems. The games are well designed and you do have to learn the bone or muscle structure to succeed. This would also go well with the Online Human Anatomy program I mention on my free homeschooling resources page.
If you enjoyed this game, then I have more Free Online Educational Games outlined on my site. Perfect for a rainy afternoon! Comments

Homeschooling Ideas for Fall

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:53:45 GMT

It seems that Fall is upon us!! Well - here in the UK it is begining to get cold. I thought it was time to update our tree project. I thought about using halloween as a theme for the tree this year, but in the end decided I really wanted to try making tie-dyed leaves. We really enjoyed making these. The leaves were easy to make and gave great results. I guess the halloween theme can wait until next fall! I would love to see your trees. Let me know what Fall theme you choose.
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Homeschooled Kids Carnival #1

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:11:45 GMT

Welcome to the first edition of the Homeschooled Kids Carnival. Thank you to everyone who submitted an entry to get the ball going.

Homeschool Blogs by Kids

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:06:28 GMT

Are your homeschooled kids looking for a way to promote their blogs? Try this carnival for homeschool blogs by kids.

Homeschool History Resources

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:34:36 GMT

Get inspired! There are so many ways of bringing Homeschool History to life, and I have some fantastic resources to share with you.

Homeschool Success!

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 08:04:11 GMT

Making our THINK bracelets recently got me thinking about goal setting again. In the New Year we had created a family Vision Board so I went back to check what we had achieved. Amazingly, quite a few of the items on the board had appeared in our lives. The most noticeable was that my daughter had used a lot of pictures of puppies in her side of board! Now, at the time there was NO WAY we were going down that road! But stuff happens! And here is a picture of my daughter with her puppy! I smile when I see her playing with, or training the dog. She has learnt the power of dreaming impossible dreams and seeing them come true! Not straight away maybe - but eventually. I think this is a wonderful life lesson and one I hope she carries with her as she grows up. The vision board is something we will certainly use again. It is a great way of clarifying what we REALLY want from life. And a great way to introduce goal setting for kids, and ensuring homeschool success!
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Homeschool Ideas

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:25:11 GMT

More great homeschool ideas - make a THINK or WISH bracelet to help achieve harmony in your homeschooling.

Another Cool Carnival

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 08:00:14 GMT

The 8th Carnival of Cool Homeschoolers is up. I really enjoyed this one. It has some very interesting posts. You may want to watch 5 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Kids Do video below before visiting Silvia's post on Slingshots!. And check out Shell's great idea. Comments

Can children teach themselves?

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 06:36:06 GMT

Sugata Mitra's "Hole in the Wall" experiments have shown that, in the absence of supervision or formal teaching, children can teach themselves and each other, if they're motivated by curiosity and peer interest. A video of a talk by Sugata has recently been posted on TED - it makes interesting viewing. And proves that children CAN teach themselves.

Fun Homeschooling

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 07:25:22 GMT

I love to have a pile of attractive little blank books around for the children to grab when inspiration strikes. Why not have a fun homeschooling session making your own? Homemade books can be really special - yet simple and cheap to make. Use them for your journaling/drawing sessions, or carry a few with you when you are on the road for instant entertainment. Leave them blank, or stick in puzzles and story prompts for extra inspiration. I have added some making instructions and ideas to the site - I hope your special books inspires some special writing!
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Relaxed Homeschooling

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:32:05 GMT

Relaxed homeschooling is establishing a lifestyle that naturally leads everyone in the family to learning.

Homeschooling Unit Studies

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:12:55 GMT

I have just added a new World War II Unit Study to Homeschooling-ideas.com! We spent ages looking at World War II - and I still have some ideas to add to the page but wanted to get it up and running for you as quickly as possible. You can find it here. As usual I began my unit study with a book - in this case 'When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit' by Judith Kerr. We also read 'Wildflower' by Cynthia Kadohata. I would recommend both, but if you are still looking for ideas, I have listed more World War II fiction books on the home school book list page. I am sure there is loads of stuff you can do with this topic! Do let me know your ideas.
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More Homeschooling Ideas

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:27:26 GMT

We have had a little homeschool history fun this week, making our own survival kits. How is this history? Read about it on my survival kit page. We really had a lot of fun making these, and they have proved useful already! I would love to hear if you try it - or about any other great homeschooling idea you have!
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Home School Science

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:37:04 GMT

I would never have guessed that a power-cut would lead us to another really wonderful learning experience! After we had such a good time in the dark, during a power-cut, I put together a unit study plan to take a look at electricity! We pretended we had no electricity, and that really focused us on how much we rely on it. We really enjoyed our home school science studying, and I hope you find it useful. Comments

Carnival of Cool Homeschoolers

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:56:19 GMT

The 7th Carnival of Cool Homeschoolers is up - and it's another good one. Why not go take a look at Homeschooled Twins. The next carnival is August 25th. If you have a blog, why not submit a post? Comments

Homeschooling Nature

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:52:40 GMT

I have recieved my first submission for the tree project. Many thanks to Heather for these great pictures of her family tree. I think the idea of a 'back to homeschool' tree is inspired! Can't wait to see next seasons. To hear her story, and see more pictures, why not visit Heather's blog.
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Homeschooling Boys

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 09:56:43 GMT

I think in some ways, you need to be more creative in homeschooling boys. Their need to be constantly on the move can be challenging! I have started a page to capture creative homeschooling ideas for boys, and kicked it off with a look at making bows and arrows. We managed quite a bit of history with this one, and it got them very interested in the archery at the Olympics. I would love to hear if you try it - or any other great homeschooling boys ideas you have!
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Homeschool History

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:20:29 GMT

I have been busy going through my homeschool History books for you, and have began putting together some recommendations. So far, I have added a list of World War II fiction books for children. I am putting together a unit study for this, so will let you know when that is available. I have also added a book recommendation for Robert Opie Scrapbooks. We have several of these and love them, but I wonder if they are too British for you!! Let me know what you think. Comments

Homeschooling Science and Nature

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 06:53:59 GMT

We have been working on 'The Tree Project' for a couple of years now. Our tree has become part of our family - and helps us keep in touch with the rhythm of the seasons.
The idea of the project is to decorate a large tree-shaped stick or twig each season. You can keep this simple, or go to town! As the season changes I will remind you it is time to re-decorate your tree, and give you some extra ideas of what to use, via this blog. To read more, and contribute your own ideas and pictures, see the Tree Project page. Comments

Make Your Own Animation

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:32:18 GMT

After much swearing at technology, I have finally managed to get the childrens animated film up on the website! We had great fun making this. It took quite a long time to decide on the theme, and the story seemed to develop as we went! But we did get to screen it at a Homeschooling get-together, which they loved. They have gone on to make quite a few more animations - using clay and lego people. You can view their film on the animations page. I hope it inspires you to try it yourself!

Homeschool Crafts

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:14:07 GMT

I have been really surprised at the great results we have achieved with Needlefelting in our homeschool crafts sessions. I had originally worried when I bought our first kit that the children wouldn't manage it. The picture on the front looked good, but so often these things are too tricky for children. And then there was that REALLY SHARP needle!!! As it happens though the children were really careful (after the first time they pricked their finger!). And the results are surprisingly good. I have tried it with several children now (one was only six!) and it does seem to be something they can manage. If you would like to know more about it, I have put up a page here with instructions - and giving you some ideas on how to use this great craft in your homeschooling.

Homeschool Carnivals

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:09:04 GMT

Two great homeschool carnivals for you this week. The Carnival of Homeschooling has a boy scout theme this week. Lots of interesting posts as usual. The Carnival of Cool Homeschoolers no.6 is being hosted by Homeschooled Twins blog. I hadn't come across this carnival before - but it's a good one, and well worth a read. Make sure you grab a cup of coffee before you head over there!

Free Online Educational Games

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 06:36:53 GMT

I am always on the lookout for really good free online educational games. This week I found a neat word game called The Word Vine. You have to string together words to form a vine. Very compelling!! Enjoy!!

Added Book About Homeschoolers

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:47:42 GMT

Linda contacted me recently to ask ; About ten years ago I came across a series of books in my local Christian bookstore. Unfortunately, I didn't take note of the author or title of the books. The only thing that I can vaguely remember is that the books are about two homeschooled girls. I think these girls are aged about 8 and 10 years. Anyway, because the father moves around the world (perhaps with his work) the girls go with him and have some adventures. I know that this is a tall ask, but have you heard about the book series that I am trying to describe.

I hadn't heard of the series, but I did manage to track them down. They are a series of books written by Stacy Towle Morgan and Pamela Querin. The book description from Amazon for book one - Adventure in the Carribean - says "Eight-year-old Hope Brown and her little sister, Annie, love to travel, and because of their dad's job, the two home-schooled girls have lots of opportunities. Join the fun as they visit exciting countries and meet inspiring Christians from all over the world. In Adventure in the Caribbean, Hope and Annie take a trip to sunny Antigua in the West Indies. There, the sisters make a new friend a young Antiguan girl named Zoe. When Zoe and the girls discover a hidden map, they set out on an exciting search for treasure. Will they find it before the Browns have to go home?" I have added the books to my Fiction about Homeschooling page. Thanks to Linda for putting me onto it!

Visual Mnemonics

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:52:54 GMT

Visual Mnemonics are a great way for homeschooling kids to learn facts. Visual mnemonics use imagery to stimulate the imagination - and help memory. Here is a great example to share with your children to help them remember the planets in order from the sun. It may seem complicated, but the more imagery you use, the better. A thermometer was placed near the sun. Thermometers are filled with MERCURY and the sun was so hot that the mercury shot out of the top and began to bounce around in small black balls. A lttle girl came along. Her name was VENUS and she began to play with the black balls. She threw one high, high up into the sky, and it landed with a thud - right in the middle of your garden on EARTH. It made a huge crater and you were just peering over to have a look when your neighbour came to see what had caused the noise. He was very cross - and very green!! And you realised he came from MARS. While you were trying to explain to him what had happened, a huge giant came along. His name was JUPITER. You looked up high at him and saw he was wearing a tee-shirt with the SUN written on it. These are the last planets - Saturn, Uranus and Neptune! If you want to find out more about visual mnemonics, then check out my new page Homeschool Learning. And if you think this method may work for you, then check out my visual mnemonic resources.

Homeschool Science

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:41:57 GMT

Homeschool Science can be really fun. This fall activity shows how different chemicals produce different colored flames (and tells you why!).

Homeschooling Podcast

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 10:55:42 GMT

Amanda Goldston has produced another great podcast about homeschooling. An hour long, but a really great listen. You can find details on her blog The Goldston Academy for the Insane!

Periodic Table of Videos

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 10:43:12 GMT

Have just added a great video resource to my Free Educational Videos page. The University of Nottingham have made small videos about each of the chemical elements of the periodic table.

Homeschool Encouragement

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 07:01:46 GMT

I often find homeschool encouragement in articles written by successful people with unconventional backgrounds. Here are some links I have pulled together to inspire you.

Homeschool Writing

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:50:38 GMT

Looking to encourage the children to do some homeschool writing? Here are my homeschool ideas and links to inspire you - and them!!

Computer Homeschool

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:34:23 GMT

Writing a computer game is a great way to develop your child's skills on the computer. Homeschool children are usually computer savvy, but I have some great recommendations to expand those skills.

Benefits of homeschooling

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 08:45:41 GMT

By homeschooling we can reap enormous benefits for all the family. This article explores some benefits of homeschooling that I have experienced.

Homeschool Education

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 06:01:30 GMT

Moving to a homeschool education is a mind expanding experience - Paula Cleary's article wonders if the standard model of learning has a lot more wrong with it than she first thought.

Homeschooling Crafts

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:48:52 GMT

Are you giving your child the freedom to create in your homeschooling crafts? Read about the lessons my daughter has taught me.

Homeschooling Learning Styles

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 06:39:44 GMT

Take your child's learning style into account to improve homeschooling learning.

New comment

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:47:14 GMT

Jenny on June 1st, 2008 about Kids Geography Resources We are just getting involved in 'Flat Travelers'. Based upon the book 'Flat stanley' where a boy is flattened and can send himself anywhere in an envelope, he travels the world.

Geography Activities

Sun, 25 May 2008 07:42:47 GMT

Geography Activities - How to travel the world without leaving home! Here is an idea for Homeschool geography.

Books for Home Schooling

Thu, 22 May 2008 15:48:47 GMT

Books for Home Schooling - what did we think of the Egyptology and Mythology books? Read my review.

Fiction about Homeschooling

Thu, 22 May 2008 13:53:07 GMT

Fed up reading stories about school? Check out my list of childrens fiction about homeschooling and homeschoolers.