One of my favorite Christmas traditions is one that intentionally re-focuses us.  My kids call it the Christmas Kindness Game.  It is so simple, yet it has changed the focus of our holiday immensely.  At some point during advent each child is given $10.  They are then turned loose to bless someone, anyone, on their own.

The rules of the game are simple:

1. You can’t buy a gift for your own family or friends, but you may serve them.
2. You may bless as many or as few people as you choose.
3. If at all possible, the gift must be anonymous.
4. You may enlist co-conspiritors to help with the blessing, but they are sworn to secrecy.
5. Any change left-over from a primary project may not be kept.  The entire $10 must be spent before December 25th.

Seeing who the kids choose to bless, and how they use their own personal gifts, time, and talents to stretch that $10 to reach the most people is both heartwarming and humbling.  They have spent days, maybe even weeks, planning and plotting the perfect blessing.

I adore these little people!  They force me to recognize the needs around me, and hold me accountable to live out my faith.

Colossians 3:12
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;

Baking favorite recipes and singing carols isn’t really the meaning of the season, is it?  It isn’t even about gathering together with family.  The real purpose of Christmas is to celebrate the amazing gift of Christ birth.

John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

The Christmas Kindness Game can seem intimidating when you start – but I promise, that $10 is more than enough to help your community.  Need ideas on how to begin?  Print out these location specific RAK idea lists (leftovers from P’s Random Acts of Kindness 40th Birthday Party) and enlist your family for some Christmas Kindness Game fun!

Merry Christmas!

Sheryl

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The post Mexico 2016 appeared first on Liberty Hill House.

These documents have been my planning lifeline for many years.  I faithfully pulled them out every year and scanned down the many columns to pick out books that could correlate my youngest’s work with the subjects her big siblings were studying or an outing we had planned.  It was tedious and time consuming, but worthwhile.

By working with the Scribd website, our charts now have features that the previous documents did not, making them infinitely more user friendly.  You can simply type your search term into the top “search document” bar and the software will automatically tell you how many references to that topic there are in the chart, highlight the search term in the text, and scroll you directly to the first reference.  It is wonderful!

The process is easy.  See that magnifying glass in the left corner?  Just type your search term in there and hit enter.  Nothing more.

Take some time and browse around.  If you are like me you will discover a few new ideas to include in your studies.

• Classification Chart #1 – focused on season and geography
• Classification Chart #2 – extensive version arranged by academic subject
• Classification Chart #3 – volume 4 specific

Oh, and the FIAR classification charts are still free to download, so if you are firmly in the highlighter and pencil category, you won’t need to worry.  We’ve got that covered for you.

Enjoy!

Sheryl

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The best part about FIAR is that you don’t need to plan.  You can just grab your manual and the picture book of the week and go.

But (you knew that was coming, right?)

I’m a type-A person.  I can’t help but add to it.  I love planning all sorts of fun Pinterest-y crafts and season-specific outings to go along with my kids lessons.  Thankfully, there are others who are just as organized, and just as passionate about this curriculum.  The hard work of the members of the Five in a Row forum has resulted in hundreds of pages of cross references.  Lists of books by country?  We have that.  Five in a Row math resources?  Yup, someone’s done that too.  (By the way if you are planning to use this material and aren’t yet a member of the FIAR forum, I highly encourage you to at least visit.  It is free, and the support and resources available there are fantastic.)  These “official” planning resources were formerly hosted by Forum member Kendra over at the Aussie Pumpkin Patch (another great resource) but a change in focus at her site left the classification charts homeless.  Thankfully she contacted me and I’m thrilled to give them a new home.

So, ready to plan?  There are 3 separate FREE documents, each with their own advantages.    The newest feature added to all of them is that the FIAR charts are now SEARCHABLE – no more manually scanning for the details you want.

Have fun planning!

FIAR Classification Chart #1

The easiest document to use – arranged by season and country

FIAR by Seasons, Geography, Themes by Liberty on Scribd

Not sure how to download?  Here are complete instructions – Scribd is a safe source, so don’t hesitate to click the download (arrow) button.

FIAR Classification Chart #2

The most complete reference document – arranged by academic subject (art, Language Arts, Math etc.)

Extensive FIAR Classification Chart by Liberty on Scribd

FIAR Classification Chart #3

The best resource for Volume 4 – arranged by academic subject

Volume 4 Master Index by Liberty on Scribd

Let me know if you have any information to add, or questions about the existing documents.  I’m always happy to help.

Sheryl

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The interesting thing I realized, is that that I really only ask variations of 6 questions.  Without a lot of filtering or organization, here are those 6 favorite questions to ask when talking about art with kids, along with the extensions of those questions that I use to keep the kids engaged when looking at artwork.

When was this created?

• What else was happening in the world then?
• Does knowing about the history of this time period change your understanding of this piece?
• What style is this image (landscape, portrait, mobile, etc.) and was that common at this time?
• Do you know what art movement this fits into?
• Where is it now and how did it get there?
• What does this piece teach us about the past/future?

What is the artist depicting?

• What did the artist title the piece?
• Do you like the title?
• Does this image make sense to you?
• If you could name it yourself, what would you pick?
• What does this image represent to you?
• Is there movement in this piece?
• Is this an image of something real, imaginary, or something else?
• Where in the piece is your eye first drawn?
• Can you describe the use of space (balance) in this piece?
• What was happening before/after this image took place?
• Can you find any symbols or secret clues in this image?

Who created this piece?

• What else did he/she create?
• Where were they living at this time?  Do you think that impacted their work?
• Was this created as a commission (was the subject dictated to the artist)?
• What was this artist best known for?
• If you could ask this artist a question, what would it be?
• How do you think the artist was feeling when they made this image?
• Would you enjoy seeing more images by this artist?
• If you could hear this piece, would the artist be yelling or whispering?

How was this image made?

• Without researching it, can you determine what medium (graphite, oil paint, watercolors, etc.) was used?
• Can you guess all of the supplies used to create this piece?
• Have you worked with this medium before?
• How long do you think it took the artist to create this piece?
• Can you think of any other artists who used this medium?
• What size is the artwork? Why is that important?
• Can you describe the colors and textures that this medium allows?
• If you could work with this medium, what type of image would you want to create?

What is your reaction to this work?

• What is your first thought?
• Does it put you into a specific mood? Why?
• What does this image remind you of?
• What colors speak to you most in this image?
• Describe the composition (line, texture, focal point, etc.) and describe why it is/isn’t pleasing.
• How has the artist used light in their work?
• Are some images clearer/blurrier than others?
• Does your opinion of this piece change after looking at it for a while?
• Can you close your eyes and describe this piece?  Were your words positive or negative?
• What is the most boring part of this image?  Surprising? Exciting?
• If you could make one change to this piece, what would it be?

What is the purpose of this piece?

• What did the artist have to say about this piece?
• Was this piece created to be art, or for some other purpose?
• Where is it now?
• Is there a connection between the materials/methods used and the subject matter?
• Who might be a buyer for artwork like this?
• What are other people saying about this piece.
• What can we learn by looking at this piece?
• What did the artist choose not to include in this image?
• What makes this piece valuable?

Talking About Art

It doesn’t need to be structured or even well thought out.  We all learned the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How rule of questions in elementary school.  When in doubt, just work your way through those questions, and don’t worry too much about getting to deep truths or “right” answers.  The goal is to look intently, and enjoy the process.  Correct answers aren’t necessary.

Don’t have a museum trip planned soon?  Pick up a coffee table book such as Louvre: All the Paintings (affiliate link) to look through together, or check out my favorite online resources for teaching art  and enjoy famous images from the comfort of your own home.

The post Talking About Art – 6 questions to ask kids appeared first on Liberty Hill House.

To complete this project each child will need:

• glue stick or White glue with a couple cotton swabs
• Scissors
• Black drawing marker – a Sharpie is fine
• everyday pencil of any quality
• printouts of several Norman Rockwell post covers in black & white
• printout of Saturday Evening Post header – printed horizontally to fill the page
• construction paper, white 12×18″ (it is important that this paper be larger than the size of your printout)
• Oil Pastels, 12 piece set, we recommend Pentel *can be shared
• several old magazines to cut up

Consider printing your finished artwork on a card, and writing your own magazine articles to go inside.  What do you think was happening in the world at this time?

The post Norman Rockwell Multimedia Project appeared first on Liberty Hill House.

Can you raise your eyebrows?  How high?  This measurement is important if you are going to study Norman Rockwell, so go ahead and try it in front of the mirror.  If you can get them to go 1/2 way up your forehead, then your expressive face just might qualify you as one of Rockwell’s models.

Happiness, sadness, surprise, all of these universal emotions are conveyed with the eyebrows, and Rockwell loved to exagerate these expressions.  Norman Rockwell worked to make hope visible, but he didn’t have a very hopeful start.  As a child Norman was a terrible student.  Luckily his teachers were very understanding and allowed him to cover blackboards with murals rather than expelling him.  At age 15 Norman entered art school, and quickly proved his worth.

By age 22 Rockwell had sold 3 covers to the Saturday Evening Post.  This was a big break.  Illustrators at that time were celebrities, and being featured on a cover was a high honor.   As he sold more and more covers to the Post, which was delivered to millions of people 52 times per year, Rockwell quickly became one of the most beloved artist in the world.

He was extremely patriotic, and joined the navy during WWI, but was discharged for “ineptitude.”  Despite this failure, he did succeed in creating many portraits of his supervisors, and his return to the Post was welcomed.

Rockwell didn’t exclusively work for the Post.  He painted for Popular Science, The Country Gentleman, and many others.  His covers for the Boy Scout magazine, Boys Life, were particularly beloved, and he was generous enough to ask for little compensation for these. Each publisher each placed constraints on his work due to their printing requirements.  His artwork had to be vertical, seasonal, acceptable to a large audience, and utilize only the colors in which the presses were working at that time.

During the great Depression Rockwell’s work continued to grow in popularity due to its focus on hopeful topics.  It was hung on the walls of many homes in place of art.

WWII again brought out Rockwell’s patriotism.  He volunteered to help with war posters but turned down.  The government said they were only using “real” artist, which must have been quite an insult to this hardworking painter.  Instead of becoming bitter, he told about the war for the covers of the Post through the eyes of those who remained home and innocent new recruits.

Despite his reputation for focusing exclusively on the “bright side” Rockwell intentionally tackled challenging topics such as refugees and the fight for civil rights.  His Thanksgiving images were always particularly touching.  I’ve always been challenged by this one the most.  Take a look at her shoes.

Ready to expand on what you have learned?

• Print the wordsearch and test your knowledge of Norman Rockwell
• Rockwell’s fans loved to point out when he made mistakes in his magazine covers.  He enjoyed these interactions and for several years created April Fools Day covers filled with mistakes for them to discover.  How many errors can you find?

Consider

The Gossips Norman Rockwell 1948

• Norman Rockwell thought about and sketched his work “The Gossips” for 20 years before coming up with his final design which included himself and his wife at the end.  Why do you think he felt so strongly about this particular topic?
• Try gathering your family and playing a game of telephone.  What lessons can you learn about gossip?
• Discuss Proverbs 21:23 “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue, keeps himself out of trouble.” ESV  Do you think this is good advice?

The post Norman Rockwell Biography and Activities for Kids appeared first on Liberty Hill House.

There’s nothing that makes the holiday season more magical than a drive through town searching for the perfect christmas lights. Then again, there’s nothing worse than finding out about a great display, or learning that a site you visited had the display synchronized to music … after the season is over.  Hopefully, this map will help us all to see the best of the best.  Enjoy!

Lake Avenue Derry

15 Pasture Dr. Goffstown

8 Stephen Dr. Bedford

30 Stephen Dr. Bedford

3 Naticook Ave. Litchfield

Rosewell Road Bedford

22 Brick Mill Rd. Bedford

22 Cherry Ln. Bedford

Wentworth Drive Bedford

Bean Road Merrimack

64 Mallard Point Rd. Merrimack

22 Sandstone Dr. Bedford

Turkey Hill Rd & Joppa Rd. Merrimack

Mountain Road Concord

Monroe Street Concord

Borough Road Concord

Pleasant Street Concord

Grove Street Concord

Plum Street Concord

575 Candia Rd Manchester

Janet Court Manchester

Ashley Drive Manchester

153 Riverbank Rd Manchester

Pond Drive Manchester

Belgrade Street Manchester

Klara Drive Merrimack

Wyoming Avenue Manchester

Wilmot Street Manchester

Depot Road Manchester

Riverbank Road Manchester

14 Farley St. Milford

47 Wallingford Rd. Milford

32 Wellesley Dr. Milford

3 Falconer Ave. Milford

148 Savage Rd. Milford

435 Savage Rd. Milford

326 Nashua St. MIlford

14 Park St. MIlford

360 Osgood Rd. Milford

157 Westchester Dr. MIlford

99 Union St. Milford

176 Main St. Harrisville

75 Pelham Rd Hudson

NH Speedway 1122 NH-106, Loudon, NH 03307

Edwards Street Laconia

Old N Main Street Laconia

Pine Ridge Drive Candia

Old Batchelder Road Raymond

7 Mammoth Rd. Windham

Nestlenook 66 Dinsmore Rd, Jackson

Strawbery Banke 14 Hancock St, Portsmouth

Ice Castle 64 Railroad St Lincoln

(If you have any additions, corrections, or details you’d like me to add to the list, feel free to pop me a message.)

The post Best Christmas Lights in NH appeared first on Liberty Hill House.

Born on December 8, 1940, in Washington, D.C, Mary Azarian has illustrated over 50 books in her unique folk style, but rather than jump right in to the story of Mary’s life, I’m going to back up to the beginning of woodcut printmaking to help set the stage for her style of work.

The earliest printing came from Egypt and China where wooden or clay stamps were used to impress images on clay, wax or unbaked bricks.  Block printing, however wasn’t developed until woodcutters in Japan designed images to decorate fabric.  Paper printing came far later and the first woodcuts didn’t make their way to Europe until around 1400.

Discuss this image: How do you think the technique is done?  Does the name woodcut give you any clues?  What makes some parts white and some black?  can you find any gray areas?  To the woodcutter, lines are very important. What kind of lines can you find?

With the invention of the printing press, woodcuts became much more popular, and the style continues to inspire artists today.  Many printmakers use multiple “stamps,” or passes of the printing press, to add color, but Mary Azarian chose watercolors to add color in her unique way.  One of our favorite activities when studying her images is to search for parts of the picture that were added in the coloring stage.  Footprints, shadows, and falling snow are the ones that come to mind first.

Biography:

Mary Azarian grew up outside of Washington DC on her grandfather’s farm.  There she enjoyed the country life with thousands of chickens and geese, farm stand chores, and a pony named Patsy.  She says of this time,

“I began drawing and painting at an early age and fell in love with woodcuts when I did my first relief print in the fourth grade. It was a 3”X4” lino block of an angel with “NOEL” at the bottom. It was a valuable lesson… The finished print read ‘LEON’.”

Despite this love of woodcuts, she didn’t plan to become an artist.  Mary Azarian started school wanting to study medicine but a requirement put her in a printmaking class, and she fell in love with the process again.  Luckily she was able to study printmaking with the one of the great 20th century printmakers, Leonard Baskin.

After graduation Mary Azarian got married and  moved to small farm in northern Vermont where the newly-weds raised animals,  gardened, and sold maple syrup.  While fulfilling, this lifestyle was not lucrative, so to make ends meet she agreed to teach in a one-room school house.  With no training in this area, she focused her efforts on planning to the best of her ability.  She noticed that her new classroom needed new decorations and she wanted these to be educational, so she created a series of alphabet prints illustrating the sound each letter makes.  These were so successful that, years later, the Vermont Council for the Arts extended her a grant to do another series of woodcut alphabet posters which were eventually distributed to every public elementary school in Vermont.

After three years of teaching, Mary Azarian’s second son was born, and it became necessary for her to find a job with more flexibility.   She decided to see if it would be possible to earn a living selling her woodcut prints.

“I began producing prints in black and white, printing each block by hand. Eventually I began adding color by hand-painting each black and white print, a non-traditional approach, to say the least.”

In the 1970s she got involved with illustrating picture books, and eventually produced over 50 different titles.  My personal  favorite, Snowflake Bentley, won the 1999 Caldecott Award for the best illustrated picture book of the year.

Mary Azarian is still at work today, and we look forward to seeing what she produces next.

Learn more:

• Watch a video of Mary Azarian describing her work on Snowflake Bentley & other woodcuts
• Read about Mary Azarian’s print making process
• Visit the artist’s own site to see more of her work
• Learn more about Wilson Bentley, the man behind the story of Snowflake Bentley

Create:

Make your own  snowflake prints in the style of Mary Azarian. These are far easier than the photographs might lend you to believe.  Even the preschoolers in our class were able to make some stunning images.

Consider:

• Some of the first printed materials were indulgences.  Papers sold to absolve owners of sin.  Is a purchase necessary for forgiveness?  Read Ephesians 2
• Who are some of your own favorite artists?  Are any of them illustrators?  Where do you stand on the illustrators as artists debate?  We have crafts, activities and biographies of many other master artists available.  Choose your favorite and learn about the relationship between their art and their finances.

The post Mary Azarian art lesson for kids appeared first on Liberty Hill House.

In case you haven’t yet read the book (one of my all-time favorite biographies, ever), this is the source of inspiration for this craft: Snowflake Bentley (All product links in this post are affiliate links.  Thank you for your support)

Additional biographical information about Mary Azarian, craft inspiration, and online resources will be available soon. Subscribe now so you don’t miss out on the fun!

Email Address

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Okay now for the fun! To complete this project you will need the following supplies:

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