Training Treasures

Our New Nature Study Group

2017-06-06T11:36:00.000-07:00

Before I became an unschooler, I often wondered about some of my unschooling friends. The children played in the mud. They played in the creek. They played on the trampoline. They played with us in the middle of the week . . . I didn't get it. Didn't they have books to study and worksheets to fill out? Didn't they ever learn?

But now that I understand more about what unschooling is, I get it. You learn through playing, and learning happens throughout the day, at any given moment. Children immerse themselves in the world and learning happens naturally. There's no need to force it or push a schedule. Learning, as it often happens for us, happens at 9 or 10pm, as we're winding down our day by looking up things we learned in our current read-a-loud, like when we learned about Pompeii or the Great Chicago Fire. Or when we looked up an antique auction because Paddington Bear had gone to one and we just had to see it in action. Or when . . .

You get the picture.

For us, we go out and explore. Play. Read. Hike. Study our surroundings. We form questions about what we see or hear. Then we take those questions and research them on the computer. We've answered a lot of questions recently, and none of them were through a textbook.

Hallelujah!

After resigning my nannying job in March, things got a little lonely around here. It was just me and my boys. I loved it so much, but often times I craved a couple of more kids for us to play with. My boys eventually formed a few relationships with some preschoolers a couple houses away. The problem is, they go to school, and aren't available to play until they get home.

I love being with my boys and bonding with them. But I get lonely too. I love interacting with other moms.

Back to my unschooling friends who never stopped playing to learn a thing. Those friends created a nature study group in my area a few years ago. Problem was I wasn't an unschooler at the time, and never joined. And they meet at the exact same time every week, a time that I'm unavailable to meet.

Now that I'm an unschooler, I loved the idea of having a nature study group. A nature study group that immerses themselves in nature together, sharing knowledge about the things we find.

I joined a few Facebook homeschooling groups in my area. I then asked if anyone was interested in a nature group. So many people responded! I created a group and set up an event, hoping and praying that this idea wasn't crazy.

It wasn't.

Over 60 members are in the nature study group, and we had one successful event, though only a few of those 60 came. And that's okay! It was great!

My baby just wanted to sit and enjoy the sand. He was not happy we kept moving!

Frog eggs

Beaver's live here, and we can see a beaver den on the right. However, we haven't spotted any of the large rodents, but the boys sure were looking!

A beautiful blue heron flew onto to pond!

This guy was crossing the street. The kids scared the pee outta him :D

The boys (because there were no girls on our hike today!) all gathered around the "hugging" turtles. :D

This week, I took a risk. I created a nature study group with local strangers. And a few of us banded together today. And it felt great.

Spreading My Wings

2017-06-03T04:51:00.002-07:00

I haven't blogged in a year. And so much has changed this year, but mostly since March. You see, I have entirely transformed my homeschool.

Several weeks ago my husband and I went on a cruise. And with every vacation, I re-evaluate my homeschool approach. I read. And read. And read some more. I discovered unschooling, and what it meant to so many people. And then, I really dove into the topic.

My oldest son can't focus for more than a few minutes at a time. More specifically, he can't focus on worksheets for more than a few minutes at a time. Some homeschool days were pure torture because he couldn't get his work done.

But after researching unschooling, it dawned on me that Joshua wasn't a problem child. He just wasn't interested in worksheets because they bored him.

Bored!

He was bored!?

There was no medical diagnosis for him- although I'm positive the ADHD label would be slapped on him so fast. He just needed a different approach to school.

Unschooling sounded like a dream, staying outside and learning, studying our interests. No pressure to succeed at a standard curriculum because my sons and I decide what we want to learn.

And just like that, I came home from vacation and shredded his remaining language, phonics, and penmanship worksheets. I kept his math and spelling. When your son can read the Bible, an 8th grade level Book, he does not need phonics instructions! When he knows how to write in cursive, he doesn't need copy work that doesn't mean a wit to him. When he could care less about copying random sentences just to learn that each sentence must start with a capital letter and end with a period, he doesn't need language worksheets. He also doesn't need someone to tell him what stories to write. How uninspiring!

We kept math and finished out our curriculum. We began doing our own writing assignments. Learning suddenly become so much more fun.

I am not a radical unschooler. Not yet anyway. But I'm still learning.

A few weeks after the cruise my husband remodeled our kitchen COMPLETELY. He sent me and the kids to the Shenandoah Valley for a week.

It. Was. Life. Changing.

Our school year's curriculum was complete, so I was free to start seeing how unschooling really worked for us. Every morning we lounged around until the sun came out and the pool opened 😄. We swam, came home and got in the jacuzzi. Then, we'd eat, play some more, and nap. And then we'd play some more, and bathe again. It was a glorious week.

We ventured to the "playground" on that first Saturday. But do you know what we found???

A creek. A CREEK!! Who wants to play on the playground when you can splash in a waterfall??? It was 90 degrees, and we were in Heaven.

Through the course of the week the kids climbed trees, threw rocks in the water, made friends, and found tadpoles. We also learned about the water cycle because the creek had dried up, trapping a fishy downstream away from his mate. Joshua worked alongside the kindest man I'd ever met, working to get that waterfall flowing again to rescue that fish. There was just so so much learning going on. I won't write out a list of everything because I fear people do that out of guilt, as if they have to prove to people their children are smart even though they're unschooled. We have nothing to prove to anybody. But I have never looked at nature this way, at PLAY this way. Playing is learning. And when I backed up and let the children roam free through the woods and creek and playground, they learned far more than I ever could have taught them, far more than I even know. You see, children are just as smart- or smarter- than adults. We might have wisdom, but they are incredibly intelligent beings that deserve our trust.

I'm ashamed it has taken me 7 years to learn this.

But learned it, I have. And when you learn something, you act upon it. And so here I am, totally in awe of my child. I have found I'm totally smitten with this independent, creative, sweet, intelligent child. I will not force him to sit at the table for hours every day to do worksheets. He doesn't have a disease or a problem because he can't or won't focus on that activity. That lifestyle is not for him, for us. We crave freedom. And we will get an education based on that freedom.

Here are some shots of the children roaming free and learning through play.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Looking forward to sharing our unschooling journey with you.

8 FREE Bingo Boards, plus lots of new Youtube videos!

2016-10-25T14:52:00.002-07:00

Hi, Friends!

It has been a long time since I've blogged! But after experiencing a bit of mom burn out (you too, huh?), I remembered that I need time for ME. And for me, that's creating! Sometimes I sew. Sometimes I cook. Sometimes I write music or books. But lately, I've been creating free printables for YOU.

I can't just sit around and make myself happy. I'm not happy unless I'm serving others in some way shape or form! And friends, that means I'm here to serve YOU.

Lots of things are happening behind the scenes of Training Treasures. My baby and middle boy are both getting ready to have birthdays! Colin will be 4 in November. Oliver will be 1 in December. (Insert tears here!). That means my middle boy will be in K5 next year, albeit homeschooled. And my baby will be walking around the New Year! It is so fun being a mom!

As for me, I'm as busy as can be serving as the music director of my church. I am in charge of a LOT, and although the first part of the year had me in tears over this huge responsibility (on top of mothering three small boys), I've adjusted just fine. I've even been taking piano courses and teaching the piano. One of my students is a very special 6-yr old boy dear to my heart . . .

I have recently begun videoing more of our homeschool day. I have really enjoyed keeping a "homeschool diary", if you will, about our life. Please follow me on my YouTube Chanel! I want everyone to get to know me and my boys and be encouraged in your journey! We are NOT experts, but just fun loving people who want to connect with the world. I recently made a video on How I Taught my 3-yr olds to Read. Just like any mom, I recorded the video in secret as I hid from my children . . . Haha! Two were sleeping, and one was very curious about what I was saying behind my closed bedroom door. :) I am very flawed and down to earth. Hopefully these videos will make you feel a bit more human! You might enjoy the part in my video where I couldn't even remember the address to my blog . . . :)

I've also just posted our first video of our week in review. Follow me and my boys in our wonderful (and oh so messy) homeschool journey! In this video I show clips of highlights from our week including our trip to the pumpkin patch, pureeing 20 bags (40 cups) of pumpkin, and a reward trip to the park (which includes my son chasing the ducks!) I try to keep things interesting, light, funny, and inspiring. Watch us in action here!

Also, I will be recording videos of our monthly large library hauls. My older boys are ages 3 and 6, so if you have young readers, follow us as we share our favorite books that we are using in our homeschool! There is one awesome picture book I feature in this video that you don't want to miss. Make sure you comment below or on my Youtube channel and let me know which picks are also your favorites! We cover about 80 books in this video.

As my husband suggested, I am going to slip a link in my blog posts where anyone can donate money for the work of this blog. I would rather offer free printables that people WILL use rather than offer things for sale that just sit there and help absolutely no one. And I'd love to keep my website ad free. I hate ads! If you have been blessed in any way shape or form by the services I've offered on this blog, you may want to send a monetary gift my way. If so, that would be most appreciated! I love what I do and am looking forward to helping others educate their little ones.

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Today, I am offering a special game for you to play with your emergent reader. It is called Color Bingo. There is an easy version (made specifically with three-yr olds in mind), and a more difficult version. My three-yr old loves to fill up his entire game board. We skip all the Bingo rules and just play until every space is covered! The more advanced version includes 11 colors, and several of them are repeated multiple times. For both games, I used pretty graphics I found on TpT, but tried to keep everything simple yet pleasing to the eye. I wanted my son to be able to focus on the colors and not be distracted by the objects.

Here's what I LOVE about Color Bingo:

1) Easy to play. Draw a card. Have your child read the color word (or read it to them and have them repeat after you). Then, place a gem or rock on the picture that is the same color they drew. Once they fill a row (diagonally, veritcally, or horizontally), they call out Bingo! Reward winners with a treat if you wish!

2) You're drilling your child via flashcards and they don't even know it!

3) Low cost! Simply print the Bingo pages on cardstock. You can even print double sided to save on paper cost! Slip into a page protector. I didn't even laminate the Bingo cards themselves. I figure if they get ruined, it's easy and cheap enough to print another copy. Print three copies of the advanced Bingo word cards, and one of the sets of cards for the easy version.

4) Can be used to teach color recognition. If your child can't read yet, or if you have children of multiple ages, this freebie can teach colors and color words. Simply call out the color word to your child, and have them find the correct color on their Bingo board.

5) It really works! My three-yr old is picking up on those color words! It won't be too long before he's mastered these words.

Visit my TpT store and download the beginner version here, and/or the advanced version here.

I'll be back with more freebies soon! I have some more reading games up my sleeve!

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CVC Tic-Tac-Toe Bundle

2016-04-30T18:29:00.001-07:00

It has been a long time since I've blogged. Not because I don't want to. I honestly just don't have the energy or the time these days, what with my nannying job, homeschooling 2, plus my four-month-old baby. Oh, and can't forget the hours of piano playing I do. Yes, hours. Every. Single. Day. Usually about two, but four if I'm buried beneath sheet music, and having a blast all the while! I've also started teaching my five-year old how to play, and that has been fun! My three boys will learn how to play. They don't have a choice in the matter! :)

Anyway, I got off work a little early on Friday and was surprisingly caught up on my piano playing. That meant I had time to print some new homeschooling resources, and make a few new Tic-Tac-Toe board games. Let me tell you, I haven't had time to touch my computer, let alone make homeschooling resources for MONTHS. I've been simply using resources from Teachers Pay Teachers. Thanks to anyone who has ever given away free resources!!!

If you are teaching a child or multiple children how to read, these Tic-Tac-Toe games are a life saver! Your little one will be learning how to read in no time! My son is three and we spend an hour every day playing reading games or taking turns reading books.

Even though I didn't teach my oldest with reading games, he still loves to read. Today we went to the library and I went down each shelf, realizing that he has read EVERYTHING. No kidding. He has read all of the books that are on his level and lower, and that he would be interested in. I had to go home and research on the library's website, finding books that he can read but aren't on the shelves. That was an unexpected but GLORIOUS problem!

I bundled 16 different Tic-Tac-Toe games in BW and Color, and they are for sale in my TpT store here for only $3.

This week, my three and I will be playing lots of fun FREE games I got from TpT. They are:

Rainbow Ride CVC Game
Roll and Read CVC
CVC Short A Bingo
I Have, Who Has, Color Words
And my FAVORITE: Pirates! This one is very versatile. I will be using this one download to play War, Go Fish, Memory, AND the game included.

Thank you! May God bless you in your dedication to raising the next generation!

6 Free Short A Tic Tac Toe Games- Color and BW

2016-02-20T03:49:00.000-08:00

Where oh where have I gone? That is the question!

My little babe is now 11 weeks old and sleeping through the night! Woo hoo! He is so cuddly, content, and smiley- just as much as my other two were! Although, he is much more cuddly I think!

It has been a busy month for us. I have healed almost 100% from my c-section and have been doing my normal intense but short workouts (kettlebells, sprinting). Although I can fit back into most of my pre-pregnancy clothes, I still have the mommy belly and about 15 extra pounds. The pounds can stay or not, but the belly has to go! That, however, will take a long time to condition. And that's okay. :)

We are a couple weeks out from a trip to Disney World. I. Can. Not. WAIT. I need a vacation.

And I'll tell you why.

I learned to play the piano about 10 years ago (I think?). I've been playing for church for about 8 years. And now I've been bumped to lead pianist at our church. Although I absolutely love to serve in the piano ministry, it is a huge responsibility. To whom much is given, much is required- and I feel the weight of this ministry more than you can imagine. I just had a new baby. I am homeschooling 2 little ones. I babysit in the evenings and on non-school days. I attend church on Wednesday evenings (choir practice, that I'm now playing for) and on Thursdays evenings for visitation. That means I don't even go home after work on those days, plus on other days when we have special meetings (next Friday!). I have to get food on the go for the kids and I (McDonalds), and then come home to put the three littles in bed. It is a bit stressful for me, all this running around. But then, juggling practicing the piano? That's a tough one. I might love to play, but I'm no composer. I have to work at it. And practice. And practice. And practice. I practice at 6am, 10am, and 12pm every day. I have called on many people to pray for me. I need that prayer. And it has truly helped me come leaps and bounds in my playing.

Sadly, blogging has taken the back burner for now. I really felt like God wanted me to blog. I know people need help educating their littles, and that is my gift. The piano playing is something I do, but it is not what I'm best at. But it is my biggest ministry, aside from raising my three boys to love the Lord.

I'm not disappearing completely. I just need a bit of time to get a handle on all of this new responsibility.

I'll leave you with a fun freebie for teaching short a words- 6 colored and black and white tic tac toe board games! My 3-yr-old loves to read the whole board (cheat) and place all of his game pieces everywhere, not leaving me a turn! Fine by me! He's reading! Download it from my TpT store here.

A Homeschool Confession and 2 New YouTube Videos

2016-01-26T04:09:00.001-08:00

If you didn't know, I don't get paid one cent for this blog. I have 0 ads (I hate them), and I don't do affiliate links or posts (I hate those too). That's not to say I won't ever go that route, but for now, I don't do this for the money. I blog because I have a burden, a passion for home education. Homeschooling is not easy, and I think there are many parents who want to homeschool but don't have the resources, or the confidence. Homeschooling is not for everyone, but I think that more people could do it if they had a little guidance and help.

Last spring I was in tears, begging God to help me homeschool. I was teaching my son, but it was a nightmare. God kept telling me to homeschool, but I was failing at it. I was ruining my child's spirit while educating him. And yet, I was determined to keep going, and to make it work. Nothing was going to make me back down.

We took a break from homeschool over the summer. I purchased curriculum. I was pregnant. I prayed and prayed. I followed dozens of homeschool blogs. All of those factors totally revamped our homeschool, and it became a joy last fall. It wasn't, and isn't, perfect. But it is enjoyable.

I know I'm not the only one with this kind of a story. I know I'm not the only one who struggled with homeschool. I know that there are women who did exactly what I almost did- gave up- because that was honestly the best thing for their child. Kids love school when they are little. It is fun! So why not send them if they're miserable at home?

I'm sad that I created some horrible homeschool memories with my son. I don't know that I'll ever forgive myself! But I do know that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). I know that despite my mistakes, I can use them for God's glory, and help others in their homeschool journey.

If you didn't know, I have a YouTube channel. It isn't much just yet, but I hope it will be in time. I have a few videos with teaching phonics. I uploaded two videos last week. One is a very-pregnant me playing a game I learned during the library's story time called Hickity Pickity. You can play this game ANYWHERE and with anything- letters, numbers, blends, words. The kids love it! Watch it here. The second video can be found here, and it demonstrates how we sing the blend ladders. The kids LOVE this! You use the same tune to sing all of the blends.

Teaching a child how to read can be intimidating. My oldest son was ready to read when he was 2, yet I waited a whole year before tackling the task. I didn't know where to start! I'm currently writing a post about how I taught my children to read, and the goal is to create a video as well. Stay tuned for those!

And for those of you wondering, we got almost 3 feet of snow- over 29 inches! Yes, I shoveled all through the blizzard (I was the only one on my street doing that). I had to shovel in between caring for the kids, but I did it! I managed to shovel my husband's side of the driveway. It only took 3 days to do it, and my neighbor helped me at the end. But my husband bought me flowers to thank me :) I finally saw him after 3 days! :D

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Free Subtraction Mats and Cards!

2016-01-22T03:16:00.001-08:00

If your kids were like mine they loved the addition mats and cards. Although I made multiplication mats and cards, my little guys aren't able to multiply just yet (but I made the games and filed them away for future use). And now, just like I promised, I have made subtraction mats and cards too- but with different themes to keep things interesting! The subtraction facts covered are:

subtracting one and two (mat 1)
subtracting three and four (mat 2)
subtracting from the numbers ten and nine (mat 3)
subtracting from eleven and twelve (mat 4)
subtracting from thirteen and fourteen (mat 5)
subtracting from fifteen and sixteen (mat 6)

Whether your child is in kindergarten, first, or second grade; there is something here for them. Download the subtraction mats here for free.

The mats consist of one large grid, with each mat having a different theme. The themes are spring time, barbecue/picnic, camping, flowers, kids, and beach. Inside each square is a cute clipart with an answer to a subtraction problem (the difference). On the page following each mat is another large grid with one image to match the theme and a subtraction problem.

Just print (I did mine double sided) on cardstock and slip into a page protector. Then, print (not double sided!), laminate, and cut out the subtraction problems. Your student or child will then match the subtraction problems to the differences. Enjoy!

I'd love to keep my website ad free. I hate ads! If you have been blessed in any way shape or form by the services I've offered on this blog, you may want to send a monetary gift my way. If so, that would be most appreciated! I love what I do and am looking forward to helping others educate their little ones.

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On a personal note, I am quite serious when I say that I live very, very close to D.C.- which means I am expected to get over 2 feet of snow this weekend. In all of my 30 years, I have never heard a forecast like this for my state! On Wednesday, a dusting crippled the highways, leaving people stuck in traffic for several hours. No, I'm not kidding. I don't drive in the snow. End of statement.

The Kindles are charged so the kids aren't burning down the house while I'm out shoveling the snow. Daddy will be sleeping at work, as he does snow removal. I'm very nervous about this blizzard. I'd rather not lose power, and I don't know how shoveling is going to go, since I am now just 6 weeks out from my c-section. My neighbors ALWAYS shovel for EVERYONE they can, including me. But, since they are calling for 2 feet of snow, I think everyone is going to be struggling just to get their own driveways and sidewalks done. My husband told me to leave the snow for him, but I'm a hard worker. I want to please my husband and serve him as best as I can! He has chronic back pain, plus a huge property to shovel during the blizzard. I will do everything I can to hold down the fort while he's gone. Luckily there is a neighbor down the street who has a snow blower and makes his rounds through the neighborhood. The path he takes does half of my sidewalks. And guess what? I have a new single neighbor next door. I think I'll be chatting with him for the first time this weekend. ;) I have lots of desserts to bake for anyone who helps! Wish me luck! And if you're near this blizzard, enjoy the family time! I'm looking forward to building some snowmen with my boys!

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10 Tips for Homeschooling with a Newborn

2016-01-21T10:32:00.002-08:00

Homeschooling with a baby is not for the faint of heart. I have homeschooled with a baby before, twice actually. Once when my middle child was a baby, and when I babysat a baby. I have to say, homeschooling with a newborn baby is much easier than homeschooling an older baby (who is awake more, very active, mobile, and vocal). I am no expert at homeschooling with or without babies, but I do have a few years under my belt. Here is what I've gleaned:

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. I know you've heard that saying before, and it is as true today as it was in years past. I go to bed when the kids go to bed- as early as 8, but as late as 9:30. I need my rest, especially with a baby waking up to nurse, pass gas, and fill his diaper every few hours. Other things that wake me are my own bladder or thirst, my husband's work phone (he's on call every few weeks), and early gym alarms. Before the baby arrived, I was up and at 'em by 5am. After baby, I let him wake me up, which today was at 4:45. Why do I get up so early? Because I have to wake up before my two older children. If they wake up first, my attitude is shot. I lose my patience too often, which leads to yelling and saying things I shouldn't.
Start your day with Bible, prayer, and coffee. In fact, I'll add a shower in there too. Yes, shower, Bible, prayer, and coffee. If I miss any of those, my day is a stinky mess. When a mommy's hormones are wack-o (or a woman's in general), she needs help getting in the right frame of mind. God's Word changes hearts and minds (as does a good shower, and a nice cup of coffee!) My prayer for this school year has been for God to give me compassion for these little ones, to be sweet, and gentle. I am not any of those things. But with God's grace, I can be! I have seen that prayer work wonders in my life, but only when I make time to talk to Him.
Keep it all in perspective. Homeschool is not about having the best education (although it can be!). The baby will grow up in the blink of an eye. Relax. If you don't cover math class today, so what? You'll have tomorrow, or the summer to memorize those addition facts with fun games.
Breathe. When the baby gets to screaming, and the toddler's diaper leaked all over the sheets twice in one day (true story), just breathe. The laundry can wait. So can the dishes. But your children won't. After you breathe, attack the most important thing first. Then work your way down the list. And make sure you put your own needs above the chores. I have a dishwasher to unload and dishes in the sink. But here I am blogging . . . for me, because my needs matter too.
Don't expect too much from yourself. We like to compare ourselves with others. Don't. You do what you can do, and that is all you can do. There is a lot I personally don't do in my homeschool. For instance, I do not do science experiments very often. I see other moms blogging about amazing science experiments their preschoolers are doing. That's not me. And that's okay.
Exercise. I don't nap during the day. I don't need to nap. Why? Because during nap time I am breaking a sweat! Exercise is so good for the mind, body, and soul. Stressed about school? Sweat it out. Tired? Sweat it out. You'll feel better, and when Mommy feels good, everyone feels good!
Take a break. When my preschooler and my newborn nap, guess what? I'm taking a break. For me, I usually exercise and do a hobby of some sort. The housework will never stop. Your house is a home, not a museum. And, a spotless home is not necessarily a happy home. I like my home neat enough to eat off the floor, but messy enough to show that I've put time into my children. So instead of cleaning during your break (unless that's your hobby), relax! You deserve it!
Wear your baby. I love my Moby Wrap. When I need cuddle time during school, I slip baby inside and he snoozes peacefully. I can do chores with him in there too, although at a snail's pace. :)
Work around baby's schedule. If you know baby wants a snack at 10am, that's a perfect time to have your child do some table work (worksheets, flashcards). If you know Junior struggles with their writing and needs your undivided attention, plan for them to write during baby's nap.
Eat healthy. When Mommy takes care of her body, her mind and body work more efficiently. Eat fruit and vegetables with every meal and for snacks. Your body needs vitamins (fuel), not junk. I like to eat tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos with my eggs (breakfast, lunch, or dinner). I steam enough vegetables to fill half of a plate for lunch (brussel sprouts and carrots are my favorite right now!) I eat hummus with raw veggies (carrots, celery, or bell peppers are usually in my fridge). I top bananas with all natural chocolate peanut butter. And for dinner, Daddy is the chef, and he knows I get mad if he skimps on the broccoli (half a plate, please). We don't eat Doritos, Cheetos, Lays, etc. because we don't buy them. If you don't buy the junk, you won't eat the junk. And the junk will have you running on E long before bedtime. How can you homeschool when you're exhausted? I know I can't! Not only will you have long-lasting energy when you eat healthy, but your immune system will be in top shape. Colds, anyone? I read an article that says adults contract 4 colds a year, and children contract 8. I had one over the summer (while pregnant), and a few sneezes throughout the year (and for the past several years) otherwise. I have no doubt the exercise and good diet kicked those viruses to the curb. My son and husband both had the flu 3 years ago. Me and the baby remained 100% healthy, without the help of Bleach or Lysol. Staying healthy is so important for homeschooling. And, if you eat healthy, your waist line will thank you! You'll have that hour-glass figure you've always wanted- although that doesn't have much to do with homeschooling, just an added bonus :) Unless, of course, you homeschool better when you feel gorgeous! I know I do!

Did you notice most of my advice revolves around caring for YOU? If you take care of your mind, body, and spirit, homeschooling with a newborn will fall into place!

What about you? Do you have any tips for homeschooling with a newborn?

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Money Skip Counting Puzzles

2016-01-13T11:05:00.001-08:00

I am really excited about this activity because it is something I haven't seen before and have wanted my son to do. My 5-yr old loves money. He is excited about anything and everything involving money- books, games, candy, worksheets, etc. These puzzles teach several concepts- skip counting, recognizing and counting coins; and develops fine motor, cutting, and gluing skills. What I also like about this activity is that children can see how many coins of each make a dollar in comparison to one another. Simply print the puzzles and give to your child. They color the coins, cut along the dotted lines, and glue onto construction paper. Download these free puzzles here in my Teacher's Pay Teacher's Store. Enjoy!

If you're looking for some more easy money activities, we also loved making these money (coin) books. I also am looking forward to playing this money concentration game, but just haven't gotten around to it- you know, what with having a new baby and all :) If you're studying coins, these are some great free activities to incorporate into your school day. They won't even feel like they're doing school.

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On a totally different note, I want to wish you all a very happy 2016! Have you made any changes in your homeschooling? How about in your parenting? I certainly have. I read a study that said most children will watch an entire year of television by the time they are 7! Wow! That blew me away! Don't get me wrong- I enjoy getting a break during the day. Mickey Mouse is a great babysitter when Mommy needs some downtime. And I absolutely love Jack Hanna's Wild Countdown, and How It's Made. There are many educational shows on television. But, are we losing our children because of electronics? I've always been very conservative about limiting television to a few hours a day (nap time). But, after reading that study, I have decided that's too much too. When I was a kid we didn't have electronics, minus cable TV. I absolutely loved reading, and I want my son to love reading too. Now, instead of allowing him to watch TV during nap, it is quiet time. He can read quietly to himself or to me. My 5-yr old is reading for an hour or more straight every day now- for pure enjoyment! I even checked out a book for myself, so that he can see me reading an actual book- not something on my telephone. Never mind that this busy Mama only read one page of it! What does he read? Why, Superhero books of course! And he also loves science, so he has been reading some science books too!

What changes have you made at home?

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Winter Scene Craft/Cutting Practice

2016-01-03T07:49:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I rang in the New Year as every mom should- giving Motrin to one of my older children after nursing my newborn :) And if that wasn't special enough, my newborn baby and I took a special trip to the ER at 4am. Gotta love RSV . . . not!

We have had a house full of sick children. One virus has cleared the air, but RSV can last for over a month. I think we are through the thick of it though. Although I am planning on easing (ever-so-gently) back into homeschool Monday, I'm not sure if we will be well enough to do so. But no worries! That is the luxury of homeschool- I am my own boss!

Daddy returned to work yesterday, after pampering me for 3 wonderful weeks. That meant that this mama had to have a few activities up her sleeve, especially because Old Man Winter is finally rearing its ugly head- and I hate the cold. Just like my Thanksgiving cutting practice activity, I created a winter one. The page full of clipart is enough to split between two activities or two children. Just print, children cut along the dotted lines, and glue onto the background scene. I really like these activities! No prep, creative, and strengthens all those skills little ones need- fine motor, cutting, gluing, etc. You can download your free copy here in my TpT store. Enjoy! I'd like to make some more, so leave some feedback with scenes you'd like to see!

If you have been blessed in any way shape or form by the services I've offered on this blog, you may want to send a monetary gift my way. If so, that would be most appreciated! I love what I do and am looking forward to helping others educate their little ones.

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Merry Christmas!

2015-12-24T10:41:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas! While I thought about sending out some freebies this week, I remembered no one is doing school right now! Hopefully everyone (besides my misbehaving 5-yr old) is taking time to enjoy a little down time. But I wanted to wish you a quick Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Here are Oliver's hospital photos, plus a few I took around the tree at home.

I love photography! Here are 2 quick Christmas (or anytime) photography tips:

A bad picture is better than no picture. Keep that in mind when you get discouraged about low lighting, uncooperative kids, etc.
Don't miss Christmas because you're too busy with the camera. Take what you can and put the camera down. Or, if you're like us, videotape the kids opening their presents. I can't tell you how much these videos mean to me! They are hilarious to look back on!

That's it :) I will be back with more freebies and posts after the new year!

Candy Canes, Christmas Fun, 2 Free Emergent Readers, AND a SURPRISE!

2015-12-17T07:43:00.004-08:00

After having false labor all of Tuesday and Wednesday last week (26 hours of contractions, folks!), my husband and I went on a date! We don't date often, maybe twice a year, so this was extra special to me! Afterwards we took these maternity pictures in front of the tree. Feeling as big as a house, I let him play photographer for the night. I just didn't have it in me!

But Friday morning we took these:

Oliver Logan Scott. 6lbs, 11oz, and 19.69". He looks just like my 3-yr old!

It is our third boy! He was delivered via planned repeat c-section. Things were supposed to go smoothly, but alas, childbirth is never smooth. We had a very scary first 5 hours after birth that included blood in my urine, a panicking/angry nurse, a CT scan, and a threat that I was headed back into the OR for reconstructive surgery on my bladder. Things got a little better after the doctor came to see me (he was delivering other babies while we waited) and swore up and down he and the operating doctor didn't touch my bladder. Although I felt more confident in my surgeons, what in the world happened to me, and why was I bleeding so much?

Just as both surgeons had stated, the baby's head had broken a few blood vessels as they pushed him out. It took a lot to flush me out, more than the few bags I was given. Since I wasn't allowed to drink (remember, I was supposed to go back in the OR), I couldn't exactly help flush the blood out. But that night I was told that I needed to drink before they drew my blood again, as my veins weren't very good. I drank 3 pitchers of water, not liking the idea of having difficulty giving blood! The nurses came to do my blood and I told them I had drank a lot. When I asked them how my urine looked, they about died laughing! It was probably close to exploding! And there wasn't one drop of blood in that bag!

Oliver ended up being jaundiced, so we had to stay an extra day. That was no fun, missing all the cuddle time. I was so glad when he was able to come off the lights. And I was even happier when we were discharged!

Now, on to the post!

I started to send this before I had false labor for over a day, but I couldn't finish it. In the days before Oliver was born, my goal was to keep homeschool short and sweet. I wanted to take extra time to teach on the birth of Christ and the meaning behind the candy cane, as I might not be able to do much teaching until after Christmas (long after). The Legend of the Candy Cane is so sweet to me! I didn't know that the candy cane represented Jesus until I became an adult. I want my children to remember that Jesus is why we have Christmas. Here are some fun activities and printables we are using in our homeschool.

Candy Cane Poem Printable- I love that this printable features a picture of Baby Jesus in the manger at the bottom of the page, and that there is room to tape a candy cane to the right. I also love that there are 2 copies of the poem on one page, as I have 2 little boys :)

This Candy Cane Poem Printable- features 4 poems to one page, if you need several.

Fingerprint Candy Cane

Book Marks

Connect the Dots

Candy Cane Coloring Page:
1
2

Patterning

Here are some other fun Christmas activities we did!

Dot Marker Mystery Pictures

Mystery Picture (Rudolph) Hundreds Chart

Reindeer Paper Bag Puppet

Christmas Wheel Printable

Gingerbread Templates- I used these kid silhouettes as gingerbread men. I printed them out and let my kids color them and decorate with googly eyes, glitter glue, markers, etc. This was fun and quick!

Also, my 3-yr old learned all of his blend ladders well enough to move on to learning word families! Hip hip hooray!!! What an exciting time for us! I wanted to be sure we started his adventure in reading before the baby came. That way he at least had some things to practice during my postpartum time.

Because he learned his blend ladders, reading word families is a breeze. He doesn't have to sound out each individual letter. All he has to do is recognize the beginning blends and add on the final consonant sound. Easy peasy! But of course he memorizes each word with just a bit of practice.

Since I have been down this road before, I merely pulled out the "flashcards" I had made for my 5-yr old 2 and a half years ago (I know, I can't believe he has been reading for that long!) The flashcards are die cuts from the Dollar Tree- mostly frogs, but also leaves and fish. I wrote a word on each frog and taught them one at a time. If a child has a good foundation, they will learn those word families in no time. My youngest reader learned 2 word families in just a couple of days! I also taught a few sight words at the same time, that way I can get him reading books- which is where the emergent readers come into play.

Since my son is only 3, I need very basic emergent readers. And because I teach phonics, I do not want a bunch of sight words in his emergent readers. The emergent readers I found online A) had mostly sight words. B) highlighted the END of the word- the word family. This can teach eye regression. When a word is typed like this: cat- the eye is FIRST drawn to the END of the word. That is not how I want my son to learn to read. I'm not saying those emergent readers are wrong or bad. What I am saying is that they don't work for my teaching methods.

But these do! Simply print in color or black and white, cut along the dotted lines, and staple along the edges. These took a long time to make, so I hope someone out there can benefit from these little books! I do plan on making more as my son learns!

-Ad family book

-At family book

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FREE Multiplication Mats

2015-12-05T12:07:00.001-08:00

If you saw my post with 7 free BW skip counting puzzles, then you'd know my Thanksgiving had a little bump in the road regarding our Christmas tree. But I have good news! My husband resurrected it from the dead- at least for the time being :) It still needs to be replaced, as one of the wires is broken. The middle half of our tree doesn't light, but with all of the decorations you can't even tell. Funny thing is he said it was like that last year, but I don't remember that! We are hoping to find a good deal on a tree after Christmas.

So Saturday morning, before the clouds rolled in and totally killed my opportunity, I dressed up my boys and snapped some of their Christmas pictures! It truly was a Christmas miracle. I had little hope that my children would cooperate without Daddy home, but they did!

Mickey was his brother's idea

Duck lips, anyone?

Dressy pictures of the boys- check! Then it was time for their pics in their Santa jammies! I wasn't originally planning on getting Santa hats for the boys, but the idea came to me at the last minute. Dad picked them up at the Dollar Tree! Score!

They look so much alike!

Boy, am I glad those are done! With their baby brother or sister to arrive any day now, I had to get those done asap!

Now on to your freebie!

Today's freebie is similar to my addition mats. Each mat includes one large grid. Really, it is two grids overlapping. On the left are one set of tables, and on the right are a different set. I went in order starting with the 2's tables through 9's. Meaning the 2's and 3's are on the same mat, 4's and 5's on another, 6's and 7's, 8's and 9's, and then the 10's and 11's. But after I did all of those I forgot all about the 12's tables! So, even though I didn't originally want to make a mat for the 1's tables since they are so easy, I had to have another table conjoined to the 12. Therefore, the last page consists of the 1's and 12's tables together. Forgive my disorganization there, but I don't think anyone will mind too much! Each mat (page) has a different theme. The themes are birthday, ice cream, pre-historic, monsters, breakfast, and gardening!

Inside each square is a cute clipart with a product. On the page following each mat is another large grid with one image to match the theme and a multiplication problem.

There are MANY ways to use these, and I gave a few suggestions when I posted the addition mats.

You can find these FREE multiplication mats here. Also, these were designed to be printed in landscape, not portrait, so don't forget to check your settings!

I have made similar mats for subtraction too (different themes!), so be sure to Subscribe by email to receive updates!

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FREE Themed Addition Mats!

2015-11-29T06:17:00.002-08:00

You are going to LOVE these addition mats! My son has already learned his ones tables and is working on mastering those twos. I also babysit a second grader who needs lots and lots of practice with addition. These are a perfect way to help them learn!

Each page includes one large grid. Really, it is two grids overlapping. On the left are one set of tables, and on the right are a different set. I went in order, meaning the 1's and 2's are on the same mat, 3's and 4's on another, 5's and 6's, and so on through 10. Each mat (page) has a different theme. The themes are Christmas/winter, beach, space, ocean animals, and superheros!

Inside each square is a cute clipart with a sum. On the page following each mat is another large grid with one image to match the theme and an addition problem.

There are MANY ways to use these. First, if your child is just beginning to learn their addition facts, I recommend leaving the large grid in tact. Just print (I did mine double sided) on cardstock and slip into a page protector. Then, print (not double sided!), laminate, and cut out the addition problems. Your student or child will then match the addition problems to the sums.

Once your child is a little more advanced, you can cut the mats down the middle- with one table on the left, and one on the right. This way you can mix and match what facts they are reviewing. This won't be too much of a challenge though, as the clipart gives away which mat it should go to.

Another way your child can play is as a memory or matching game. Print (not double sided), laminate, and cut out each square individually. Lay face down, making sure the corresponding sums and addition problems are on the table. See if they can find the matches. You could also lay only the sums down, and have them draw the addition problems from a pile or vice versa. Use your imagination, as there are many ways to use these!

You can find these FREE addition mats here. Also, these were designed to be printed in landscape, not portrait, so don't forget to check your settings!

I have made similar mats for subtraction and multiplication too (different themes!), so be sure to Subscribe by email to receive updates!

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7 FREE B&W Winter Skip Counting Puzzles

2015-11-27T06:39:00.002-08:00

I hope that you had a fantastic Thanksgiving! This was one of my favorite years yet. We usually stay home, as my husband is a fantastic cook, and I don't want to go anywhere else for a fine meal! We always put up the Christmas tree on Thanksgiving, especially this year since the baby is due soon. I had plans to take photos of the boys in their new Santa jammies. But after setting up the tree, we found that one of the string of lights doesn't work! We were debating on spending $100 on a new tree (not ideal with lots of baby purchases and hospital bills coming up), or trying to find replacement bulbs and fixing the string of lights (too tedious for me!!). Either way, we weren't about to run out to the store at 5pm on Thanksgiving.

Our new tradition is to record us decorating the tree as a family. The camera caught our disappointment, but it also caught a lot of laughter! My husband is a clown! We have a small white Christmas tree and he told the kids to decorate that one instead. It was HILARIOUS watching them wrap the HUGE garland around, and around, around the tiny tree! So even though this pregnant mama's plans were ruined, we had a blast making the best of it. We then watched Ernest Saves Christmas and died laughing! I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard! I haven't been laughing a lot lately, not with pregnancy exhaustion and fog crowding my brain.

But earlier in the day I did manage to take some maternity pictures, which is quite a feat when you are the photographer and the model. Nothing like taking a bunch of pictures that look good on a tiny screen, only to find out later that they were underexposed! :( But thankfully, my computer is only one room away from the baby's room!

Nothing fancy or overly creative, but treasures for me all the same. It's almost over! I have loved being pregnant the most this time around, although all 3 pregnancies were a pleasure.

Now, on to today's freebie:

What a fun way to celebrate the Christmas/winter season! Download these free puzzles in my TpT store. Then, print! Have your children color the pictures, cut along the dotted lines, and glue their puzzles in the correct order onto a piece of construction paper. These puzzles teach skip counting by 2's and 5's. Kiddos are sure to love this activity! Don't forget to comment below and as always, Subscribe by email so you're the first to get these and more!

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18 Race Car Counting and Skip Counting Puzzles!

2015-11-23T03:13:00.001-08:00

If you liked my counting by 5's race car puzzles, you'll be glad to know that I made more . . . a total of 18 number puzzles! This time number puzzles counting by 1's, 2's, 5's, and 10's (to 100) are included in this download. Some of the puzzle images do repeat, but your children will love putting these together! I know my boys sure did, and it was so much more fun than drilling . . . and drilling . . . and quizzing. Yes, those stressful boring drills were exactly how I taught my oldest son to skip count last year. Sadly, he had forgotten quite a bit over the summer.

Yet when I simply laid these puzzles out for him to complete, he miraculously remembered how to skip count! There was no stress about that! I just sat back and watched!

And my youngest (soon to be middle child) who turned THREE today, is mastering counting through the difficult teen family. And he is getting it . . . effortlessly! Now that's what I call a success!

These puzzles are only free on my blog, so be sure to grab them here. Please let me know how your kiddos did with these!

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FREE Roll and Add, Subtract, or Multiply to Build a Race Car Scene!

2015-11-19T07:58:00.000-08:00

We absolutely love these kind of activities- especially because they cover several different levels with one easy download. Even if your child can't add, subtract, or multiply yet, you can print all of the different levels and save in your files for when they are ready! And believe me, they'll be ready before you know it, and you'll wonder why you didn't hold onto those recording sheets!

Just print the pages you need, making sure to laminate spinners and race car pieces. Everything else can easily slip into page protectors! This download is FREE but only on the blog! Be sure to Subscribe by email to receive first notice of these fun, educational resources!

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FREE Thanksgiving Craft/Cutting Practice

2015-11-18T19:42:00.001-08:00

I'll admit it. I am a bit of a control freak (which is one of the reasons why I homeschool). I didn't give my precious (ahem, more like impulsive and careless) firstborn scissor privileges until he was a preschooler. I felt pretty guilty when his best friend, a child I babysit, could cut beautifully, while mine didn't even know how to properly hold the scissors!

I've loosened the reins quite a bit since then. We paint, cut, and glue constantly now. When Mama wants some quiet time to play on the computer, I give them a folder full of scraps and let them cut and glue until bedtime. The living room looks like a tornado whipped through it, but I park the trashcan in the middle and they clean up every single solitary piece so I don't even have to vacuum! No television? No bickering? No vacuuming!?!? Yes! Let's do this more often!

I created a fun cutting activity for little (or bigger) ones. It also serves as a craft too, a cute one that you'll want to display or give to Grandma. There are enough images on the sheet I created to make two Thanksgiving scenes.

Either bag up the extras for another day, or split between two kids. I also included a simple Thanksgiving border page. While this can serve as an easy background page for your child to glue the clipart on, it doesn't have to be. I wanted to provide something extra that involves no prep, just in case.

I loved the results of this printable, so much so that you'll be seeing more just like this with different themes (race car, Christmas, winter). You can find this for free in my TpT store!

Speaking of loosening the reins and doing more cutting, gluing, and painting- we made some fun crafts this week as we gear up for Thanksgiving! Are you like me and are tired of seeing 100 turkey crafts and few revolving around the Pilgrims and the Mayflower? My oldest is 5, so this is the first year I've really taught him the first Thanksgiving! I found 2 easy crafts from one really great site.

First up- a paper plate Mayflower!

1) Paint paper plate blue (yes, it sure does look purple, doesn't it??)

2) Cut another paper plate in half and paint brown.

3) Cut another paper plate into fourths- making 2 sails. The other half of the plate is extra or for a second child. Glue a craft stick down the middle of the ocean and into the boat pocket. Glue on sails.

4) Staple brown boat onto the blue ocean plate, but only around the edges so a pocket is formed. This is where you'll put the pilgrims.

4) Color a picture or two of pilgrims, cut, and glue into the boat (pocket).

He's a messy one, ain't he?

Easy craft number 2- an Indian Corn with the colors of salvation. I was thrilled to find this Christian craft!

1) Print worksheet.

2) Let children paint the Indian corn with q-tips. We painted the husk green with a paintbrush.

These were cute, easy, and had such a great message. My little guy walks by the fridge and says, "The red is for Jesus' blood." I love to hear him say that. A lot.

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3 FREE Christmas Roll and Cover Games!

2015-11-16T04:09:00.004-08:00

If you're like me, you're tired of the same boring math homework that is sent home with kids. One of the kids I watch after school has a sheet with a list of math activities to choose from. Problem is, the activities don't change throughout the school year! And the activities are not even challenging enough for him. So why not replace one of those activities with something on their level? Especially when the teacher (or me for that matter) doesn't even know whether or not the kid played the game listed?

Whether practicing math facts for homework, tutoring, or at a math center, here is a fun activity I'm sure you've seen- Roll and Cover games. I made 3 different games for 3 different skill levels- basic addition, basic subtraction, and subitizing. If you are teaching children on different skill levels, this is a great activity to pull out. The younger ones (like my 2-yr old) won't know that older brother is playing a different game than he is, and vice versa.

Playing is very simple. For the addition and subtraction games, players simply roll 2 dice. If they are adding, they add the numbers and cover the correct sum with a game marker (buttons, gems, etc.). If they are subtracting, they subtract the smaller number from the larger one and cover their answer. For the basic roll and cover game, child rolls one die and covers what they rolled. Game is over when the page is filled. These can be single or multi-player games.

Everything comes easy to this 5-year old, so I love challenging him. While he knows the 0, 1 and some of the 2 addition tables, that's as far as we've gotten with addition. But who says he can't do this game? All he has to do is count the dots! And I have to say that he does need help counting those dots. He likes to start from 1, but with this game I was able to teach him that you don't start counting with 1 if you already know there are 6 dots on that die! He was getting the hang of that shortcut by the time we were done!

He loved this game, and what makes this Mama proud is that hours later he told me when he has a 4 on one die, and 2 on the other, that makes 6! So with little or no prep, and while having fun, your child can learn their math facts too!

I love adding color graphics to all of my printables, as it really makes learning so much more appealing! Print in grayscale if you wish, but I think the cost of color ink is well worth it when a child learned something and had a good time doing it!

Find this download for free in my TpT store!

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8 Ways to Teach with a Felt Board

2015-11-14T19:52:00.001-08:00

If you've seen any of my YouTube videos, you may have noticed the big blue board. That is my most valuable teaching tool- my felt board! If you don't know what one is, it is a piece of wood covered with felt. I use it daily and couldn't live without it! Here are 8 ways we use a felt board in our homeschool.

1) Bible

Bible Class

My children are taught the Bible daily, and I'll be honest- I need a little help in making the Scriptures come alive! You can either purchase felt characters or make your own. We are using a combination of both in this picture. The kids love helping put up the people.

2) Poetry

"The Swing" by Robert Louis Stevenson

We use the Abeka curriculum in our homeschool, and my kids have specific poems that they are supposed to learn. I never had to memorize poetry as a child, so this was something I had to get used to. I didn't really see a point, nor did I know how to make memorizing poetry fun for my kids. Did I learn how to use poetry in my class in college? Yes! I love poetry, and wrote it for years during my childhood! But memorizing classic poems . . . ?

I needed help, so I decided to make visuals. I found clipart online, colored them, and laminated them. Then, I hot glued felt to the back so they would stick to the board. My children get to see, touch, hear, say, and even act out the poems. This is one of our favorite things to do! What's fun is finding one of the poems we memorized in a poetry book from the library.

3) Phonics

Teaching phonics can be boring and downright frustrating if you do it wrong. I found these awesome free ice cream cones from TpT, printed, and laminated them. Then I wrote phonics blends on them and turned them into a matching game. I've also done it with cupcakes . . .

"hot chocolate" and marshmallows . . .

popcorn . . .

and more! Watch my Youtube video to see how we play!

4) Math

In the above picture we are using our felt finger puppets for counting. Sometimes we count up, sometimes we count down, and sometimes we do both! This particular poem goes like this:

5 baby owls learning to say who,

Flapped their wings and then they said, "Boo!"

Mama Owl cried, "No, no, not boo,

Please, oh please, say, "Who who who!"

You repeat the poem, changing the word "boo" to rhyming words- glue, shoe, moo, etc. Although we aren't counting up or down, my 2-yr old is seeing 5 owls and memorizing what 5 actually looks like. And this poem teaches rhyming too, which is a nice bonus!

I have also taught patterns with my felt board, and numbers.

Here, my 5-yr old had to create numbers I told him. Sometimes I gave him a specific number. Other times I told him to make any number from the 50's family.

5) Music

I bet you can guess what song we are singing! That's right- "One little, two little, three little Indians . . . "

The kids put up the Indians as we count up, and they take them down as we count down. This gets a bit tricky, as they have to take turns. We mess up a lot, but this is one of their favorite things to do! This is a counting song, which covers two subjects at once.

6) Classic Stories

I like to teach my children classic stories. Although my 5-yr old can listen to stories and understand them even if they don't have visuals, my 2-yr old is not there yet. This morning I told, "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," tying it into our Bible review of Adam and Eve. Although Jesus is our Shepherd, the boy in this story was more like the serpent in the Garden of Eden because he lied. This is a great story for little ones who love to tell lies, or even for children that think everything is an emergency! I colored pictures to represent the different items in the story, laminated them, and then hot glued felt to the back to make them stick. The kids love, LOVE, story time with the felt board!

7) Story telling

I created a Halloween felt set for the kids to play with. I pulled it out and told them a fun story. Then, it was their turn to make up stories! I was shocked when my outgoing 5-yr old didn't want to tell a story at first, that is, until he saw his younger brother impress me! Watch my 2-yr old tell a Halloween story!

8) Free Play

Mix and Match Monsters

More Mix and Match Monsters

Race Car Fun

More race car fun with a homemade table top felt board

I love watching my boys create scenes and play with the felt pieces I made for them! Sometimes they tell stories, other times they are designing a scene. I personally enjoy creating the monsters with them! I have made lots of different playing sets- robots, frogs, etc. All you need is a good coloring book for some inspiration! Cut out whatever template you want, trace onto felt, cut out, and decorate using glitter glue, googly eyes, or more felt to add color and details.

Felt boards make a great addition to any family- whether homeschooling or not! And they are a lot of fun to create! Do you use a felt board? What are some ways you use yours? Comment below!

And as always, be sure to Subscribe so you don't miss any freebies or updates!

2 FREE Christmas Bell Addition Games!

2015-11-13T17:43:00.003-08:00

Another Christmas freebie? Yes!! I made this game to help my favorite 2nd grader work on her basic math facts.

Players spin a sum (spinners included), and find a math fact that equals the number spun. Players alternate turns until game board is covered. Player with the most playing pieces on game board wins!

A practice sheet is included for practicing any math facts that were answered incorrectly during game!

Get your game for free here! I love making these freebies, so be sure to Subscribe to get them all!

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7 FREE Skip Counting Puzzles!

2015-11-12T03:50:00.003-08:00

After checking my TpT store, I found my number one download is my Race Car Skip Counting Puzzles. I made them because I had trouble finding fun, eye-catching skip counting materials to help my son. Maybe I wasn't the only one! Here's another batch of skip counting puzzles, but this time you can have 7 of them- counting by 5's and 2's to 100! You can find them for FREE here!

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4 Simple and Frugal Ways to Teach the Bible

2015-11-11T09:55:00.001-08:00

Raising my children to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ is first priority in our home. While I don't shove the Bible down their throats, I do want them to get daily Biblical instruction. Ultimately I want them to have a heart for the Lord so they can live their lives to their fullest potential. Although this blog post is about teaching the historical accounts recorded in the Bible, they will learn to love God because of the truth they see in my husband and I. I will save that topic for another day!

My purpose in this post is to hand new moms or new Christians with just a few resources to help them teach their little ones about Jesus at home. It isn't an easy job. It takes time, effort, and money. But here is how I teach it simply and frugally. I am new at this myself, so please comment with any tips you have to new moms!

1) Every day after our morning routine (breakfast, clothes, hygiene) we gather in our living room to start our school day. Daddy is already at work by this point, so I do the instruction here. I pray, and then pull out their Bible verse binder.

Inside of the binder are baseball card protectors. I purchased them from Walmart for a few dollars- well worth the investment. And inside of the protectors are the ABC Bible verses my children (2 and 5) have memorized. On the first day of school I began teaching the "A" verse ("all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23). After the boys memorized it (a week later), I let them place it in the very first spot. To avoid fighting, I let the one who knew the Bible verse the best add the card to the slot. Then, I took out the card and handed it to his brother. He got to put it in the slot. We have had NO fighting at all with this method. You think my 5-yr old outshines his brother every time? Not so! My 2-yr old thinks mathematically. He knows the Bible verse references better than anyone in our family!

I bought these wonderful ABC Bible verse cards with my son's K5 Abeka curriculum. They are a little bit too wide to fit in the baseball card slots. But no problem- each card has a border around it. I trimmed them on the left and right sides to make them fit perfectly! They were $3 or so- so inexpensive that I'd rather buy a whole new set than laminate them. I am thinking about making a free set similar to these, if they would be a help to you (comment below if you would like to see something like that!).

2) After prayer and Bible verses, it is story time! This is where teaching the Bible gets fun (or not). Our favorite way to learn our Bible stories is by using the felt board.

A felt board is so easy to make. Grab a piece of scrap wood, wrap some felt around it, and hot glue the edges. Voila! The Bible story pieces can be very pricey, about $20 per story set! I purchased a set on Amazon for $20- but it included several stories and a lesson plan book! Sadly, I can't seem to find it on there anymore! The pieces were uncut, which is why they were so inexpensive.

You can also make your own felt people, if you're crafty. Find some clip art you like (you could even find some in a children's Bible) and print it out (mirror image) onto t-shirt transfer paper. Then, iron it on. Cut the pieces out and you're done! I haven't gone this route yet because I haven't found Bible clip art that doesn't look like cartoons :/

Or, you can find coloring pages of Bible characters (online or in books). Color the pictures, laminate, and then hot glue a scrap piece of felt to the back. In the above picture I'm using this method (Adam and Eve) combined with factory-made characters.

The kids don't always listen to Bible stories very well, but they absolutely love to listen when they know they get to help put those figures up!

3) I found this great website one morning when it was time to teach a Bible story that I didn't have any visuals for. The site is called Bible for Children. They have the Bible stories laid out like a children's Bible. You click on the story you like, and read to the kids. The stories are longer and more detailed than a children's Bible, which I love. The images do look a little wonky sometimes, but the kids don't care. Since I teach Bible on the living room floor, the computer is easy access for us.

4) And of course, if you are short on time, knowledge, or just want some variety- you can always rely on a good old fashioned Children's Bible.

The stories are only a page or two, and many, many stories and details are left out, but they do hit the main topics . . . usually. I have found many Children's Bibles at the thrift store, but this particular one came from Sam's Club. It was the first one that appealed to me after searching high and low! It is called The Beginner's Bible, and they have it on Amazon as well. The one I bought from Sam's came with the blue and green cover.

And those are the four main ways I teach the Bible to my kindergartners. We do listen to Bible songs throughout the day (we love Veggie Tales), and we also make Bible crafts from time to time. But the above 4 ways are done on a daily basis. God bless!

10+ FREE Christmas Do-a-Dot Pages!

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Are YOU ready for Christmas? In years past, I have been finished with all of my Christmas shopping by AUGUST. Last year, we finished on Christmas Day (seeing as how my husband was building my boys a kitchen from scratch). But the majority of the shopping was done in October! But this year . . . ? I am 8 and a half months pregnant, my kids don't need a single thing, and I am preoccupied with other things (like homeschooling two boys and this blog). As sad as it is to say this, I haven't bought a single Christmas present. In fact, my son turns 3 in 2 weeks, and I bought him 2 things- a pair of shoes and a car.

I'm seriously behind.

What about you? Are you an early or late shopper? And what about getting in the Christmas spirit? Are you already listening to all 8 Christmas songs (haha, just kidding)!

Here is one way to get in the spirit of things! Visit my TpT store, download this file, and print out as many or as few of these Christmas Do-a-Dot pages as you'd like! I'd love to hear how you use them! Make sure you comment below! Are you liking all of these freebies? Make sure you subscribe by email, otherwise you'll miss out! Subscribers will be offered free printables right to their inbox!

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FREE Race Car Silhouette Matching Game!

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My little one LOVES matching games! He can't wait to get his hands on this one! I just printed the 3 pages of race car cards, laminated them, and cut them out! He is begging to do school, but he has to wait ;) It is Sunday after all, and this Mama needs a break too! Visit my TpT store to grab your free download! Please leave feedback or comment below!