Raising Lifelong Learners

Learning Fun at the Great Lakes Science Center

2013-05-17T09:49:00.001-04:00

I’m thrilled to be sharing about The Great Lakes Science Center during Museum Week over at The Homeschool Scientist. We really enjoy science and nature, but my kids are 10, 5, 3, and 4 months so it makes it a challenge to find places to take them where everyone in the family can have fun at their own level.

We’ve had a Family Max Pass for several years and love it as it allows us to bring the whole family, friends that may not otherwise be able to visit the GLSC, take in unlimited OmniMax shows, and see special exhibits. On this trip we brought our neighborhood friends – 4 year old twins that my kids play with almost every day. Everyone on this trip was entertained, even us moms!

Read the whole post about our trip, the museum, and all the other places featured during museum week over at Marci’s site – The Homeschool Scientist.

Sound Adventures from Rourke Publishing: A Supplement for Our Beginning Reader {A Review}

2013-05-16T01:40:00.000-04:00

I was given a set of Sound Adventure Leveled Readers to try out with my beginning reader in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.

Do you have a beginning reader at your house? Are you working on phonics skills and trying to build vocabulary at the same time? These books might be a fun addition to your home or classroom library.

What is the Sound Adventures series all about?

Sound Adventures are a 36-Book set that teaches phonics sounds through engaging stories – one sound per book.

In the following video, Molly shares her thoughts on the series and {in a completely unrehearsed inspiration} walks you through one of the books:

Pretty cute, isn’t she? Molly was excited to share about the books, and only looked uncomfortable in her first ever vlog a few times.

The kids are all enjoying the bright colors and characters in the books, and even Trevor will stop what he’s doing to listen to one of the stories as they’re read.

What I Like About Sound Adventures

I really enjoyed the cohesiveness of the series. The books are engaging and clearly go together. They’re not filled with normal phonics “a fat cat saw a rat” boring-ness. In these adventures, the kids are pulling out fanged fish, rafting in a river, and exploring volcanoes. It’s definitely a new twist on phonics.

How Rourke Educational Media Supports Teachers

Rourke is an educational publisher. That means that their primary goal in publishing materials is meeting the needs of learners and following standards and benchmarks found in schools. Their primary markets are schools and libraries – teachers and librarians.

What’s fabulous about that for homeschoolers is that they offer all sorts of support materials online that you can tap into for free to teach the phonics skills covered in the books.

At Rourke Classroom, a companion website, you’re able to download detailed teacher’s guides for each title in the series – and many of Rourke’s other books.

Where Can you Find Sound Adventures?

Rourke Classroom offers downloadable catalogs where you can check out all they have to offer, read up on the different specifications of each series, and order individual titles or the complete 36-book set.

Sound Adventures from Rourke Educational Media is a fun supplement to encourage a love of and skill in Reading. As I said, my kids love the books, and reach for them often – just for fun. I hope you take some time to check out Rourke’s website, like them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.

Inspired by Molly’s success, Logan asked to create a video too…so I’ll leave you with a super-cute three year old telling you about why she likes Sound Adventures:

What are your favorite resources for teaching phonics?

10 {of my favorite} Toys that Inspire Creativity

2013-05-14T02:15:00.000-04:00

I am a season of purging… Remember my word for 2013, simplify? No, well, I haven’t talked much about it as adding a new little one into the mix tends to complicate matters instead. Not that we’d have it any other way.

But, moving from a 3000 square-foot house into a 790 square-foot house has made us painfully aware that we have too many things. Things we don’t need. Things the kids don’t play with. Things that will likely never be missed once I get everyone out of the house for a day or two and bag it all up to donate or toss.

What’s my criteria for what stays and what goes? Simple, really… As I’m hoping to ignite a lifelong love of learning in my kids, and I value creative and critical thinking above all things – in play and life – I want the toys that stay to inspire creativity and creative play for all the ages that live under my roof. So, if it’s a toy that does it all for you…it’s gone. I want open-ended. I want imaginations to soar.

So, what makes up my top ten favorites? Well… they’re more categories than actual toys. And, to be on-par with FTC disclosure policies, I want you to know that the amazon links below are affiliate links. That simply means if you click on them and purchase something, I get a small commission from amazon for sending you over, nothing changes on your end, and you help us buy more great toys and books for our eclectic homeschool. Thanks for your support! Now, on to my favorites…

Building Toys

This “toy'” is a bit of a cheat because I’m actually sharing several, but I think they all go together. Open-ended building play takes up a lot of time in the Kessler household. While I’d LOVE to get rid of several of the following, I just can’t. Amazing things happen when I toss a box or two on the floor and start reading aloud. The kids enact the historical periods I’m reading about, come up with amazing 3-dimensional structures, or make towers to crash. It’s fabulous.

We love:

Train Table

We bought a Nilo Train Table when Trevor was two. It has been the best thing we have ever purchased. We’ve extended the legs to make it taller, added bins for storage underneath, and a bench for more storage and sitting. And there are more accessories we can add on in the future. It still looks as good as it did eight years ago and three kids later. It’s been used for train, cars, building, LEGO bricks, art, and as a fort. We love it.

Theater

Whether it’s a curtain suspended in a doorway on a tension rod, corner of the room partitioned off, a little stage built out of wood or a free-standing puppet theater, kids love to have a place to perform “shows.” We’ve had several different set-ups for the kids, and Molly and Logan in particular never tire of performing for anyone who will sit still. Check out these {we have one similar to the first, and I want the second!}:

Free-Standing Puppet Theater
Floor Model Puppet Theater {Can be used to play store & other things.}
Puppets
Costumes
Scarves

Magic Kit

Trevor has a few simple magic tricks and wants a few more… I love watching hi try to perfect the tricks and try them out on people. He uses creativity as he theatrically presents his tricks, and critical thinking as he times them up so that the illusion holds. We’ve purchased various kits and individual tricks over the years. Here are a few kits we’ve enjoyed:

Dollhouse

It took me a long time to find a dollhouse I liked for the girls. I was pretty strict in my search. I wanted wooden. I wanted a house that let them be the designers and the sound effects. I finally found one I loved, and of course we need all sorts of accessories to play with in it:

Art Supplies

Though it’s tough, I need to let go of my need to control the outcome and just let my kids create. The girls especially love to paint, draw, color, cut, and glue. I need to offer them more time to get messy. {And not freak out when I see those messes.}

Play House

We love our log cabin play house. It’s been in the basement, on the back deck, under a tree, in the middle of the yard, and this summer {hopefully} it will be smothered in sweet peas as the girls plan to train their peas to climb rope strung over its roof. We got our for a steal at a garage sale, and if you’re patient, you could too. We also had a cardboard one in the house for a bit that the kids loved to color. Neither of the ones we have had are made anymore, but the cardboard one below is similar to ours. And, wouldn’t the wooden log cabin be awesome?

Tents and Tunnels

I’m pretty sure it’s a fact that all kids love tents and tunnels. We have a large supply and bring them out on various occasions. I love that they fold up easily for storage and can be used anywhere.

Thomas the Tank Engine {for our train lovers}
Rainbow Tunnel
Variety Set

Role-Play Toys

While I don’t have room in my teeny house to set up a mini version of our own home, I do have an area in the basement that has an old chair {living room}, a toy kitchen, and doll nursery. Role play is so important for young children, and I want my kids to play what they see me doing. In their little home, they can cook, wash dishes, and take care of their babies. Even my big kid likes to join his sisters in role play. Here are some things we have to get you started:

Kitchen {this isn’t the exact one we have – ours is ten years old & not made anymore}
Food {we love all wooden food from Melissa & Doug}
Cleaning Supplies
Furniture
Doll Furniture

The Great Outdoors

So nature isn’t technically a toy, but it does inspire creativity. It’s so important to forget about all that stuff I mentioned above and simply get outside! Your kids can become explorers as you hike through the woods. They can be landscapers or master gardeners with a small plot of land. Simply being out in the fresh air can stir a child’s imagination – do you remember the book The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett? Little Mary Lennox began to thrive in the outdoors. The wind whipped color into her cheeks and stirred her blood just as her conversations with a robin stirred her imagination. Help your child find adventures like these.

How about you? What are YOUR top ten favorite creativity-sparking toys and playthings?

Every Tuesday, for the next ten weeks, I will be participating in a special Ten in Ten blog hop with iHomeschool Network. This blog hop is inspired by Angie of Many Little Blessings. We would love to have you join us during our ten week adventure. Please link up at Angie’s blog by clicking the image below.

Searching for the Best Wireless Plan for a Growing Family

2013-05-13T13:45:00.000-04:00

We’re on the hunt to add a cell phone to our household, and want a cheap wireless plan in order to avoid raising our bills too much. A few years ago we cancelled our house phone because we found that we were only using our cell phones, and the only calls that came through the house phone were sales calls.

Now though, we’re finding a few instances here and there that it’d be nice to have a third line.

So, when I was offered the opportunity to try out a new service, I jumped on it. I wanted a chance to see if the program would work for us so that we could possibly stop our current service when the term was up and switch over.

I’ve been blessed to try out the Walmart Family Mobile Unlimited Plan with a new T-Mobile Concord Smartphone for the next four months. Trevor is thrilled that he gets to be one of the main testers for this program.

While I’m not an advocate of giving my ten-year-old {or any kid} expensive smartphones, there have been a couple times where it would have been nice to have another phone to give him to take to a friend’s or my father-in-law’s house.

If we’re going to add another phone to our plan, though, we need to start looking somewhere other than our current program as we spend a lot of money each month on phones with our current plan and I’m not sure about adding another line on.

This Family Mobile Plan from Walmart seems like it might be a good option. I’m interested to see how it works out as, if we decide to switch our services over permanently, I’d need some of the speed and apps I’ve come to depend on with my iPhone and Verizon service. As a work-at-home, homeschooling blogger and freelance writer, I rely a great deal on my phone.

Having a reliable phone service that allows me to check email and use the Internet, allows me to take my kids on adventures and homeschool them while still staying connected to editors and my research. When I first began freelancing, before adding homeschooling to the mix, I had a babysitter who came to the house for 15-20 hours a week. While that was great, and allowed me to keep specific office hours, I love the flexibility that now allows me to answer an email about a new book project while hanging out at the science center with my kids.

If I didn’t have that ability to connect, I’d be forced to stay at home near my computer during the rest of the world’s working hours so I didn’t miss out on assignments.

Over the summer, we have several mini trips planned, and it will be nice to have an extra phone along with us in case Trevor wants to go off with his friend’s family. He’ll still be able to get in touch with us. We also plan to use the new phone when we got out for some date nights coming up. We can leave a phone home with the kids and sitter, and all of our numbers will be programmed in.

Honestly, if the phone lives up to its name of Smartphone, I may be able to be convinced to switch. With the Walmart Family Mobile Unlimited Plan, I can hook up additional lines as I need them, can cancel at anytime, and can add more power or extras with a simple $10 purchase. To learn more about these options, check out my shopping trip via my Google Plus album.

Activation was simple, and I’m excited to try this phone out with my family over the next few months. I’ll check in during the second week of June with a post about how this phone and service is working out for our family. In the meantime, you can learn more about the services and phones Walmart Family Mobile offers at their website or on Twitter by following the #familymobilesaves hashtag.

What about you? Do YOU have a separate home line? Or do you have an extra cell phone that your babysitters or kids can use if they need it?

10 Things I’ve Learned from Homeschooling Gifted Kids

2013-05-07T02:55:00.000-04:00

Parenting gifted kids can be a challenge. They have unique needs and differences that sometimes make them a bit, ummm, unpredictable. Throw homeschooling in the mix and you are in for a wild adventure.

I wouldn’t have it any other way…

Over the past few years, through homeschooling my own gifted kids, I’ve learned a lot – about myself, parenting, and how kids learn, particularly how mine learn.

For example:

Days rarely turn out as planned

If I forget to be flexible, I’m a wreck, and everyone knows it. Kids get sick. They get caught up in a game. Sometimes they even {gasp} get excited about something they’re studying and don’t want to stop. I can easily kill a lifelong desire to learn by forcing my kids to move onto math when they’re engrossed in a book about Egyptian mummies.

There’s a reason we’re still studying Mystery of History Volume One {a one-year curriculum} three years later… we stay flexible.

What they think is cool, might not be to me

All kids, but gifted kids especially, have their own likes and dislikes. Gifted kids, though, tend to perseverate on their own interests to the annoyance of those around them. {Are all of you parents of gifted kids smiling and nodding right now?} I cannot tell you how many hours I’ve listened to a discourse on the characteristics of certain train engines over others and why some have stood the test of time, and others failed. Or how many weeks a certain 10-year-old has poured into recreating Tony Stark’s mansion and tower in our attic so that I probably know Iron Man and his lifestyle better than Robert Downey Jr.

But you know what? Gifted kids need others to listen to them perseverate from time to time. Instead of listening with glazed eyes and iPhone in hand, I’m learning to put the phone down and pay attention. A relationship is strengthening in the process.

What I think is cool, might not be to them

I’m not sure if you know, but I’m kind of a science nut… I enjoy all sorts of hands-on science and could do it all the time. My kids… well, they tolerate it. They enjoy science, and think it’s fun to play with and experiment, but going on l-o-n-g nature hikes and sitting by a stream writing in a journal is like pulling toenails out one at a time to a certain animal-hating 5-year-old.

While I’m learning to be okay that she’ll never volunteer to go salamander hunting with me at midnight on a rainy spring night, I’m okay with it as long as she knows that salamanders migrate and lay eggs in a vernal pool. She needs to appreciate God’s amazing creation, but she doesn’t have to love everything about it.

Life runs smoother when they are free to pursue their own interests

I’m a bit of a control-freak… There, I said it. I like to know what the kids are learning, when, and how. I want to direct everything in our homeschool so I make sure nobody misses anything.

It doesn’t work.

I know it doesn’t work to control everything when educating a gifted kid, because it once was my job to help other teachers see that gifted kids learn differently. I need to take my own advice and modify my days like I’d help another teacher modify hers.

I choose math and Bible study, and everything else, while organized by me, is based on the kids’ interests. We use lapbooks and unit studies to cover reading, writing, social studies, history, and some science. Life’s more fun that way.

Kids don’t have to finish the book

If a bright kids masters the math concept in 4 problems, why should I make him do the thirty that are included in the lesson? It’s pointless – and can be excruciatingly boring. Once a kid gets the concept… move on. We do.

School can take place anywhere

The backyard is the perfect place for read-alouds. The park bench or playground equipment can be a unique place to finish a math assignment. My kids end up on, under, or behind furniture. Molly tends to do her math in the bathroom while I shower. {It cuts down on sibling fighting, and keeps her near me, which she loves.}

Inspiration can happen anytime

A few weeks ago we went to The Warther Carving Museum on a last-minute field trip. I hadn’t prepped the kids. We didn’t talk about wood carving, what they’d see, the knife making business that has been in the Warther family since 1902. We just went and enjoyed.

My kids learned about ivory, carving, knife-making, and history. They marveled in the philanthropy and family values witnessed. They were amazed to meet the grandson of the carver – still carving like his grandfather taught him.

And Trevor has asked for {and received} a carving knife and wood blocks.

Kids really can learn from TV

I’m not a huge fan of TV, video games, and idle playtime on the computer. But these things became my friends this year during a challenging pregnancy and the first few months of new-baby survival time. While I slept and nursed, the kids watched Magic School Bus, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Time Warp Trio, Liberty’s Kids, and various Discovery Channel specials.

I am amazed at what they picked up this past year – and how much of it had nothing to do with me.

It’s important to have some idea of where we’re going

I know, it seems contradictory to some of the interest-led stuff I already talked about, but it really isn’t. I’m not good at completely sticking with a schedule, and my kids aren’t either. Schedules get blown and we get stressed… life happens.

But, we need to have an idea of what we want to accomplish or nothing will get done. If I don’t have some thoughts about how are day should look, I’ll sit around sipping coffee and procrastinating all day while Logan plays on the computer and Molly and Trevor hide out playing Legos.

Nothing gets accomplished, and we’re all grumpy.

I really do like being a homeschooling mom

I struggle with this sometimes. I listen to my friends talk about different moms groups they’re a part of, or different people whom they’ve met for breakfast while the kids are in school, and I get jealous. When I’m having a tough time trying to get to the grocery store without 4 kids in tow, and I hear about the books read, movies watched, and smoothies sipped, I wonder if I’d be happier that way.

But, then I sit with Molly and watch her see a word in a book I’m reading aloud that she recognizes. Or, I listen to Trevor plan the logistics, dimensions, and structural ramifications of building a disco hall onto Stark Mansion. Or, I see Logan use her bumblebee finger puppet to fly from flower to flower in the house collecting nectar to bring back to the hive and make honey.

And I know it’s worth it.

I’m the one sharing in these special moments. I’m the one watching their faces light up as they “get” it. I may feel stressed, overwhelmed, and just plain tired sometimes. Working from home, keeping a home, cooking for my family, and teaching them too might catch up with me sometimes, but there really isn’t anywhere else I’d rather be.

I love my kids. And I love homeschooling them.

Parenting the QBQ Way… A Book That Should Be on Every Parent’s Shelf

2013-05-07T01:19:00.000-04:00

This post contains affiliate links, thank you for supporting our homeschool. I was given a copy of Parenting the QBQ Way in exchange for an honest review, and two additional copies with which to bless readers. No other compensation was received.

Why won’t my kids listen? Who made this mess? When will you stop annoying your sister?

Does your house sound like mine? Do you practice “victim thinking” like this? I do, and I’m now convinced, thanks to John G. Miller and his book Parenting the QBQ Way, that I’m asking the wrong questions. I now know we need a change in our family’s thinking. I’m so ready for change that I immediately gave the book to Brian and had him read it too. We’re slowly improving our ways.

What is QBQ Anyway?

The question behind the question, or QBQ, is what we should be asking ourselves instead of the questions we typically do – you know, like the ones above.

Why? When? and Who? questions lead to victim thinking {why me?}, procrastination {things will change someday}, and blame {it’s HIS fault}. This is the WRONG thinking when it comes to personal accountability…and that’s what we want, after all, right? We want our kids to take responsibility for their choices. We want them to own their successes and their failures.

In other words, we want them to be successful.

Successful people, good people, just people, right people – the people we want our kids to be – take responsibility. They don’t look to blame others for their mistakes. They look to make changes in their own lives.

The QBQ asks What? and How?

How can I be a better parent? What can I do to help my child do better in school? This changes the focus from blame to accountability. From victim parenting to proactive parenting.

What I Love About QBQ

On the website I read, “Personal accountability begins at home with responsible parenting. In a world that seems completely lacking in accountability and personal responsibility at times, moms and dads can make a difference by practicing personal accountability in their parenting on a daily basis.”

How true…and desperately sad. The world does seem lacking. Victim thinking abounds, and spills over into the home no matter how vigilant we are. We need to instill a sense of personal accountability in our kids if we are to successfully combat that negative influence that’s so pervasive today.

While reading the book, I realized how often I fall into that same trap when parenting. I blame the kids, I blame my husband, I blame the outside influences that come in no matter what I do… but the truth is it starts and ends with me. I can be responsible for my own expectations and outcomes. I can take responsibility and accountability and be the change I want to see in my home and in my family.

I love that John and his wife Karen write in a conversational tone that makes Parenting the QBQ Way an easy read. The book, while almost 150 pages, reads very quickly and effortlessly. It makes sense and presents an easy shift in thinking.

Why You Should Read Parenting the QBQ Way

If you want to…

eliminate entitlement thinking in your home
prepare your children for successful adulthood and leadership
stop thinking like a victim, procrastinating, and blaming
do the hard stuff {training and teaching} when your kids are young

…then you need to read this book.

Learn more about John, his family, and his books at his website and blog. And buy his book. I promise you, this is a purchase you will not regret. In fact, John has generously given me two books to giveaway. TWO readers will win autographed copies of Parenting the QBQ Way by John G. Miller. Simply enter in the form below.

Entry -Form

We can all learn to parent better. Our kids are the future…and that future is being shaped by our parenting today.

How can you be a better parent?

First Holy Communion–My Beautiful Goddaughter

2013-05-05T01:35:00.000-04:00

Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. John 6:54-55

It was such a blessing to witness my beautiful goddaughter make her First Holy Communion yesterday. Though we arrived a bit crazed after a long drive back from some weekend fun in Columbus, just seeing this sweet girl giddy with her excitement about finally being able to come to the table with the rest of her family wiped out everything else. Her mama {my bestest friend} said later that this little one kept grinning up at her during Mass saying, “It’s almost time, Mom!” I love how eager she is in her faith.

And while this day, her very first time taking Holy Communion, is incredibly beautiful and special, how amazing is it that she can now partake in the miracle of the body and blood every time she attends Mass. Our God is incredible, as is our faith in the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Watching her walk up, with cupped hands, bow and receive the body was a beautiful moment I’ll never forget.

Congratulations, Faith Elizabeth. I love you very much.

I’m linking up with my friend Dianna over at The Kennedy Adventures:

Have a blessed Sunday,

iBlog–THE Comprehensive Blogging How-To

2013-04-30T23:40:00.000-04:00

The Only Blogging eBook You’ll Ever Need

A team of fantastic bloggers {including ME!} has gotten together to bring you the definitive guide to blogging. From choosing your topic, a platform, and design, to promotions and working with brands, iBlog: everything you need to know about blogging from 30 top bloggers covers it.

Just check out the table of contents:

Building a Vision for your Blog
Finding your Niche
Blog Design 101
Designing and Starting your Blog on Wordpress
Designing and Starting your Blog on Blogger
Disclosure and Privacy Policies
Writing and Using an Elevator Pitch
Blog Planning and Organization
Basic SEO
Stock Image Tips
Blog Photography 101
Streamlining your Research
Getting your Blog Off the Ground
Building Your Brand
Building Community Through your Blog
How to Get Subscribers
Guest Posting
Link-Ups, Hops, and Other Events
Using Facebook to Grow your Blog
Facebook Parties
Facebook Hops
Using Twitter to Grow your Blog
Using Pinterest to Grow your Blog
How to Create Your Own Printables
Selling your Own Products
Using Affiliate Marketing
How to Write a Media Kit
How to Write a Product Review
Working as a Virtual Assistant
Running a Group Blog
Marriage and Blogging
Balancing Motherhood and Blogging
Balancing Homeschooling and Blogging
Using your Blog as a Ministry
Time Saving Blog Tips
The Power of Attending a Blog Conference

Are you ready to buy the book? CLICK HERE to go to the website and get your copy now!

It’s all about COMMUNITY

Really, the days of isolation are over. You don’t need to figure it all out yourself if you’re embarking into the world of social media to the confusion of friends and family. People have gone before and want to help you avoid some of the mistakes they’ve made along the way… I know I’d have LOVED this resource a few years ago.

And because I really DO think it’s a great book, full of fantastic contributors, I want to give away THREE copies to three fabulous readers. Simply enter in the Rafflecopter widget below. And if you can’t wait to get your copy and start reading, buy the book now and you’ll get your money refunded if you win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So what are you waiting for? Buy the book now and be on your way to blogging-awesomeness! I know you’ll love it – the challenge will be finding time to read and absorb all the goodies – almost 400 pages!

And stick around… we’ll have more goodies and projects coming your way. If you’re not an email subscriber yet, now would be a great time to subscribe.

Enjoy the book – and let me know what you think.

SustainabiliTea - Bigelow Tea & Earth Day

2013-04-29T02:58:00.000-04:00

We’ve been interested in ecology and simple things we can do to make the world better for a long time. I love when I find out that a company I already know and love supports this vision as well. I was proud to be selected to let you all know about Bigelow Tea’s SustainabiliTea initiative.

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This is a sponsored post on behalf of Collective Bias® and Bigelow Tea #CBias #SocialFabric #AmericasTea all opinions, thoughts, and activities are my own.

I love that Bigelow Tea is a family company that was started in Ruth Bigelow’s kitchen in 1945, and is still family-run today. I love their commitment to quality. And I now love what I’ve read about their SustainabiliTea initiative.

Bigelow Tea:

has achieved 0% waste-to-landfill certification for all three of their facilities. They have trash, recycle, and compost bins in their facilities and use compostable dishes and flatware in their employee cafeterias.
has installed solar panels to cut back on their outside energy usage.
uses energy saving practices like motion-sensors to turn lights on only when needed, high efficiency bulbs, and more.

Check out this video to learn more:

One of the reasons I love supporting companies like Bigelow Tea who make an effort to keep our environment healthy is because I try to instill a value of God’s creation in my kids. We do what we can to take care of the environment, even if it’s just our own backyard.

And, in honor of Earth Day and Bigelow Tea’s commitment to helping to protect our natural resources, the kids and I decided to get dirty, and invite some new, and wiggly, friends to live with us.

I’ve mentioned that we recently moved. At our old house we had a large compost bin in the yard, and left the new owners piles of wonderful, rich compost to use in our old flower beds.

Since we’re only planning to stay here for a year or two, we wanted to try our hand at vermicomposting instead of traditional composting as it takes less time to produce useable compost, and we can realize the benefits this summer in our gardens.

To celebrate Earth Day last week, the kids and I put together a new worm bin and are planning on building a small garden of their own next to the “log cabin” playhouse in the backyard. Won’t it look cute in the spot where the little table is? Molly plans on stringing twine up and over the roof and training sweet peas to grow up it.

We plan on gardening anyway, and have belonged to a CSA {community-supported agriculture} for the past two summers where we go pick up a weekly farm-share of produce, eggs, and meat and “eat with the season.” I thought it would be a great extension to have the kids take care of their own garden without any help from me. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate in time for today’s post, so you’ll have to check back later in the week as we plan to cut, till, and plant their garden Tuesday or Wednesday.

Originally, we’d planned to build a worm bin as it’s pretty easy to do {you can check out this post for a great step by step tutorial}, but with my sweet nocturnal baby keeping me up at night, I just didn’t have the energy to break out the drill and deal with it, so we bought the ultra-cool Worm Factory along with our red wiggler worms online before heading to Walmart to pick up some Bigelow Tea to sip after working hard on our project. Check out our entire shopping trip by flipping through my Google Plus album – make sure to leave some comments and let me know your thoughts.

Although the worms came before the worm bin, we were able to improvise and spend a few days observing the worms in a large animal cracker jug. According to Logan, the worms are “really cute.”

Once it came, we built our Worm Factory and got it ready to house our 1000 Red Wigglers, taking some time for learning facts about worms and doing some observations.

Take some time to download the free printables below. One is the fact sheet I made for the kids to share some facts about our new “employees.” The other is the observation sheet I created for them to put in their science notebooks.

Vermicomposting is fascinating, and I can’t wait to show the kids what happens to all of the food scraps we put in, but it’s tough work setting everything up.

We took a break to sip some yummy iced tea made with ‘I Love Lemon’ herbal tea with added Vitamin C. I steeped the tea in hot water for about 5 minutes, then poured it over ice and frozen raspberries in a glass for the kids. It was so refreshing, and we were able to toss the tea – bag and all – right into our newly constructed worm bin!

To learn more about Bigelow Tea, its sustainabiliTea initiative, and its products, follow the #AmericasTea hashtag on Twitter, check out their website, like them on Facebook, or join their community to chat.

As for the Kessler kids, they’ll continue learning about worms, vermicomposting, and gardening over the next few weeks, and I’ll share more printables and posts about this fun & cool projects. And, while I don’t share Logan’s opinion that worms are “cute",” I do think it’s amazing that they can eat our leftovers, help reduce our waste, and give us nutrient-rich compost in the process.

Maybe the Kessler house can eventually be waste-free like the Bigelow Tea facilities!

Have a great week,

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Bigelow Tea #CBias #SocialFabric #AmericasTea, however I’ll never share anything I don’t totally believe in, and I DO appreciate this company and LOVE its teas and environmental efforts!

Make a Simple Electromagnet

2013-04-25T02:16:00.000-04:00

So glad you’re here! It’s been fun exploring electricity and magnetism over the last two weeks. If you’re new here, consider starting back at day one of the series and downloading or printing the activities to build a cohesive unit study for your child. Today we’re talking about electromagnets.

In 1820, Hans Christian Oersted noted that an electrical current creates a magnetic field when he moved an electrical wire near a compass and the needle jumped. Michael Faraday discovered that the reverse was true a few years later – a magnetic field could also generate electricity. The relationship between electricity and magnetism was confirmed.

Electricity and magnetism have many differences though. A magnetic field always flows into itself and cannot be separated from its poles. An electrical current, though, can flow out and back into itself. this is what makes it possible to use electricity to run toys, lamps, televisions, and other household items. Magnetism can pass through materials that electricity cannot like glass and plastic.

Electromagnets are made when an electrical current runs through a wire. The current creates a magnetic field that disappears when the electricity is turned off. In today’s activity, your child can create and experiment with an electromagnet.

You’ll need:

a long screwdriver or nail
coated wire
paper clips or small metal washers
D battery and holder

Try it this way:

Spread the washers or paper clips on the table or desk.
Wind your wire 10-15 {or more} times around the screwdriver.
Attach one end of the wire to one end of the battery in its holder.
Attach the other end of the wire to the other end of the battery.
Pick up the screwdriver, it now has an electrical charge running through it creating a magnetic field. Run it through the pile of metal objects.
How many things did the electromagnet pick up?

Now, let your child experiment. How can he or she make the electromagnet stronger? Would it make a difference to add more batteries? How about wrapping the coils tighter? Looser? Wrapping the wore more or fewer times around the screwdriver?

Come back tomorrow for the last day {for now} of electricity and magnetism. We’ll explore some of the uses for magnets in our world. If you haven’t already, take a moment to subscribe by email. Great things are coming in the next few months. I’d love for you to stick around for them.

I’m looking forward to wrapping up the series with you tomorrow. Have a great day, and thanks for checking us out today!

Exploring Magnets

2013-04-24T01:12:00.000-04:00

Over the last two weeks, we've explored basic electricity -- static electricity, current electricity, switches, and a bit of history. Today we're moving on to magnets.

Magnets are really cool to kids -- big and small. You really don't need to do too much with them besides dump magnets of various sizes onto the table and let the kiddos have at 'em.

And I do that often, beginning as early as age 2. Now, obviously you need to use caution and know your kids, and I'd never recommend letting toddlers have small magnets unless you're supervising, but there is a huge value in introducing real opportunities for exploration at very young ages.

So, let's do that today. No matter how old your kids are, collect some magnets, and dump them out. I recommend having a variety of types and strengths so they can really make some discoveries.

Set out bar magnets, horseshoe magnets, wands, refrigerator magnets, and disks. If you can order them {they're inexpensive, and really cool}, get some iron filings so your kids can see a visual representation of the magnetic field. These are available as loose filings and enclosed in plastic cases. Choose the ones that best fit your situation depending on the age of your kids.

Need some ideas about good magnets and kits for kids? Check out the carousel below for some of the things I’ve used or have now. {Affiliate Links}

Amazon.com Widgets

Along with the various magnets you've collected, set out different things to investigate for magnetic attraction. Try to have a large variety, including some surprises. Flatware, and aluminum foil seem to many kids like they should be attracted to magnets, but they're not. Collect buttons, ribbons, coins, small metal objects and toys. Put them in a pile and let your kids explore.

While they're doing this, observe and ask questions. See if they sort the objects spontaneously, then ask them why they did that. Watch them discover that like forces repel and opposite forces attract. They will.

Through this kind of free exploration and discovery, the greatest understandings emerge.

You can do a few things once they've played.

Formalize the learning if you want. Ask your kids first to either dictate what they discovered or write it on the notebooking page below. Then, talk with them about their discoveries. Explain what they were observing.

Whatever you choose to do following their explorations, just remember to keep it fun. Let them learn to enjoy learning – it’s a great way to grow lifelong learners.

Have you been finding this unit attractive? Okay…that was corny, but it works. Stick around for the next couple of days to finish off the series with me. We’ll explore electromagnets tomorrow – my favorite.

While you wait for tomorrow’s post, check out some of the other great iHomeschool Network bloggers and their posts like Heather as she shares Adventure Box Theme Ideas or Michelle’s great ideas for Screen Free Fun.

Horseshoe magnet photo credit: explainthatstuff via photopin cc

Testing Conductors and Insulators

2013-04-23T01:45:00.001-04:00

Day 6 of Electricity and Magnetism is here – phew! Are you gathering materials to use this as a unit study for your elementary kids? I hope it’s been a helpful supplement to your homeschool. Today we’re testing conductors and insulators.

Have your kids wondered why wire is coated in rubber, thick plastic, or another material? Some materials carry electricity better than others. These are called conductors, and things through which electricity cannot travel {or travel through poorly} are called insulators.

Cut a piece of wire for your child and strip the coating off the tip of it. Explain that the metal inside is a very good conductor of electricity and the coating is an insulator. It keeps the electricity flowing along the circuit within the wire.

When wires are connected to batteries and bulbs, the bulbs light because there is a good conductor making a path for that current. Insulators act as a barrier to the flow of electricity. In this activity, your child can test different materials around the house to see what are good insulators and what are good conductors.

You’ll need:

three pieces of insulated wire
D battery & holder
bulb & holder
Materials to test: glass, fabric, wood, silverware, foil, etc.

Try it this way:

Connect one wire between the battery and bulb.
Connect another wire to the other end of the bulb.
Connect the final wire to the other end of the battery.
Touch the open ends of the two wires to each other to form a circuit and test the bulb.
Touch the two open ends of the wire to each material you are testing, one at a time. If the bulb lights up, it is a good conductor. If it doesn’t, it is a good insulator.
Record your results on the notebooking page below.

Were you or your kids surprised by any of the results? I always think it’s fun to test things around the house – or measure them in math. Using things kids are familiar with to put school concepts into perspective forms a connection that lends relevance to the topic.

Sick of electricity yet? Come back tomorrow when we explore how magnetism relates to electricity and play around with magnets a bit. While you wait, be sure to check out some of the other bloggers participating in the Hopscotch.

Make a Simple Switch

2013-04-22T01:41:00.000-04:00

Welcome back, friends! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We had fun around here. We were blessed to have the opportunity to try a new snack and pick up some delicious coffee to try for some sponsored posts this past weekend. And… we got the worm bin we’ve been waiting for, and are looking forward to sharing an ecology unit with you next week.

Today, though, we’re back with the second half of the 10 Days of Electricity and Magnetism, part of the iHomeschool Network’s Spring Hopscotch.

On Friday, we talked about simple circuits using everyday materials. Your kids now know that a circuit is a circular path through which electricity flows unbroken. Now, we’re going to take that simple circuit and add a switch.

When your kids experiment with batteries, wires, and bulbs, they learn that a current of electricity needs a power source. Batteries provide a direct current {DC}, while electrical outlets provide alternating currents {AC}. If the current of electricity running along the circuit is broken for any reason, items {like flashlights, lamps, computers, and televisions} will not work.

Switches allow us to break the circuit to stop the flow of electricity – and turn things off. While inexpensive switches are available online on Amazon or other retailers, basic switches can be made with simple materials at home, too.

Have your child try adding a switch to the circuit he or she made in the last activity.

You’ll need:

a switch {usually under $2} or:
- small piece of wood or cardboard
- two metal thumbtacks
- large metal paperclip
three pieces of wire
bulb and bulb holder
D battery and battery holder

Try it this way:

Insert the battery and bulb into their holders.
Connect one wire between the bulb holder and one end of the battery holder.
Connect another wire to the other end of the battery.
If you are making your own switch, lay the paperclip on the cardboard or wood, push a thumbtack through it, securing it to the board, and push the other thumbtack into the board across from the first so that the paperclip can be rotated to touch both, creating a metal path for electricity to travel.
Wrap the other end of the wire on the battery holder to one side of your switch.
Connect the last wire between the switch and the bulb holder.
Light the bulb by closing the switch so the electricity can flow through an unbroken current. Turn the bulb off by lifting the switch.

Now that you’ve introduced switches to the mix, let your child play some more. How many bulbs can be lit by a single battery? How bright can he or she make the bulb light up? Need supplies? Click below {affiliate links} to order some for really cheap on Amazon.

Amazon.com Widgets

Having fun? Come back tomorrow to explore conductors and insulators. Meanwhile, check out some of the other hopscotch bloggers like Lauren who is sharing 10 Days of US Presidents and Marianne who shares about homeschooling a large family.

Seattle’s Best Coffee & Taking My Mornings Back

2013-04-21T13:40:00.000-04:00

I am not a morning person.

At all.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again many times, I’m sure. Getting up in the morning and getting myself going has always been a problem for me. Seriously…I’m a disgrace to all stay-at-home, work-at-home, and homeschooling moms.

There have been brief moments in my past that I’ve been good about getting up and staying on top of my day – and those periods are historically the ones where I’ve been the happiest, healthiest, and most productive. I’m ready to take my mornings back, get up, and get going before the kids do.

Maybe we’ll actually get a whole day’s worth of work done.

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Seattle’s Best Coffee #cbias #SocialFabric

Seattle’s Best Coffee is challenging you and me to take our mornings back. What does that mean? Well… For me, it means riding the momentum gained after sleepily getting up early in the morning last week to head to sessions at the awesome 2:1 Conference, and continuing to get out of bed – even if I don’t want to.

I hope to take back my mornings – and subsequently, my days – by getting up before the kids, enjoying my first cup of coffee without anyone chattering in my ear. {Seriously, how can anyone so small make so much conversation early in the morning??}

The quiet time will hopefully center me, give me some time to read a devotional, and allow me to {finally} be a step ahead of my kids. And when you’re homeschooling two, keeping a certain {ahem} death-defying three-year-old out of the ER, all while nursing and cooing over a sweet new baby, well… you need all the edge you can get.

I heard about the Seattle’s Best Challenge, and was thrilled to have the opportunity to head to Walmart to pick some up along with other morning essentials. I was even more thrilled with the $1.50 off coupon I won from Seattle’s Best’s Challenge site. Check it out – you may win a free bag!

I loved that I had the choice of “levels” so that I could decide if I wanted Light and Crisp or Dark and Intense. I was feeling pretty medium, so I chose Level Two – Light and Lively. You can follow my whole Walmart shopping trip by checking out my Google Plus album.

While I’m definitely a work-in-progress, I did manage to get up before the kids twice this week. We’ll try to forget about yesterday when I slept in until 10:00 a.m. Hey – I’m a work in progress, and Brian was home. I think he needs to have the pleasure of ~~having his ear talked off~~ enjoying breakfast with the kids once in awhile.

I’ll keep at it. I received a lovely Bible for Busy Mamas in my 2:1 swag bag, and am looking forward to enjoying many mornings with it and a yummy cup of Seattle’s Best Coffee flavored with my Heath Bar creamer. A yummy {and peaceful] way to start my day – and take back my mornings. {Even if this little guy wants to thwart me anytime I try to get a good night’s sleep…}

How do YOU take back your mornings? {Or how do you give yourself an edge in the mornings? Really…I need all the advice and help I can get!} Leave your comments to help me out!

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Seattle’s Best Coffee #cbias #SocialFabric but only take on campaigns I believe in or need – and I definitely NEED all the help I can get in the mornings!

Healthy Snack Alternative: Fruti Frozen Fruit Bars

2013-04-20T12:46:00.001-04:00

Over the past few years, we have really been making a concerted effort to eradicate all artificial ingredients from our family’s diet. For meals, it’s been pretty easy. We eat meat, grains, and vegetables, mostly cooked from scratch. Real food, cooked in a real way.

Snacks can be a little more challenging. Especially for an on-the-go and active family like ours. {or yours?} We want things that can be grabbed easily for at-home or in-the-car snacking, and while I’ve found lots of all-natural granola bars and snack packs of nuts, I haven’t been completely satisfied with the frozen snack treat options I’ve run across. Until now…

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Fruti #cbias #SocialFabric #FreshNFruti but rest assured that I will never share a product I haven’t tried or liked.

I love frozen treats – ice cream, popsicles, sherbet, sorbet, milkshakes, smoothies… you name it, I love it. The kids do too, and with warmer weather {hopefully} coming, we’re ready to stock up. When the chance to try an all-natural, premium non-GMO, fruit-as-the-main-ingredient, popsicle came up, I jumped on it.

After all, what kid doesn’t like popsicles?

Can you see the strawberry chunks in that bar in the picture? Yum! The box we picked up from Sam’s Club contained four delicious flavors – Pina Colada, Strawberry Cream, Strawberry, and Caribbean Mix. If you’re interested in checking out some of the snack options I saw when shopping at Sam’s Club, check out my Google Plus Album.

I can say, without a doubt, that these fruit bars will be replacing our normal frozen treats. The creamy Pina Colada and Strawberry Cream taste like ice cream bars, and the Caribbean Mix and Strawberry bars taste like popsicles. The Natural Fruit Corporation takes pride in using fruit as close to harvest time as possible. They are committed to using fruit as the first and largest ingredient – that means that they don’t need any artificial flavors or colors. The bars get it all from the fruit.

And let me just say that the lack of artificial colors and flavors is a HUGE selling point for me. We eliminated petroleum-based colors and flavorings a few years ago, and not only saw an incredible {and instant} improvement in Trevor’s hyperactivity, we were also able to keep him off the stimulant medications the school {at the time} and his doctors were suggesting. I can tell now if any of the kids have had foods with certain dyes and flavorings. We do not buy them anymore.

Are you interested in learning more about Chunks O’ Fruti All-Natural Frozen Fruit Bars? You can check out their website, like them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter. Right now these bars are exclusively available at Sam’s Club. Is there a Sam’s near you? Visit on May 13th for an in-store demo and tasting of Fruti bars and yogurt.

I’m always on the lookout for all-natural, healthy, and fun family snacks, so if you have a favorite, let me know. What are you and your kids snacking on?

“I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Fruti #cbias #SocialFabric #FreshNFruti”

Make a Simple Circuit

2013-04-19T01:22:00.001-04:00

Hi there! We made it through the first half of the 10 Days of Electricity and Magnetism series. Are you inspired to tackle this fun subject with your kiddos? We’ve covered a lot this week: bits of history, static explorations, and yesterday we talked about making an electroscope. Today we’re moving along… and talking about how electricity can move too.

Static electricity, for those who haven’t caught on, is electricity that builds up in something. The charges build up until they jump to something else, like the spark of lightning that jumps from cloud to cloud we talked about the other day. Current electricity, what we’ll explore today, is moving electricity.

If you want something to work – your computer, a flashlight, your brother’s remote control car – the electricity needs to move through a circuit. A circuit is the path the electricity flows. I like to remember that it’s like a CIRcle since CIRcuit starts the same way.

All circuits work the same way. Electricity leaves the source of its power, travels the path, and goes back to the other side of the power source in an unbroken path. So, for example, in a flashlight, the power leaves the negative end of the battery, travels through the wires to the bulb, then through more wires and back to the positive end of the battery.

What’s really cool about electricity and circuits is that you can make one at home without any special equipment. Ready to try?

You’ll need:

aluminum foil
tape
a D-cell battery
a small light bulb {maybe from a flashlight}

Try it this way:

Cut two pieces of aluminum foil and fold them into strips.
Tape one to the positive end of the battery and the other to the negative end.
Touch one strip to the bulb, just under the glass.
Touch the other strip to the silver tip on the end of the bulb.
The bulb should light up because you have created an unbroken circuit with your “wires.”

If you really want your kids to have some fun, let them play with this for a bit. Ask them what would happen if they added two {or more} batteries, or more wires. Better yet, give them wires and more bulbs and batteries to try out. I keep wires, wire cutters, batteries, bulbs, bulb holders, switches, buzzers, and battery holders in a small plastic container and let the kids play with them when they want.

There’s something really cool about being allowed to freely explore with wires and batteries. The kids in the pictures above are friends who have all helped me out on past book projects, testing experiments and playing with science so I can see what works and what doesn’t. All of them, girls and boys, have loved being able to play with the electricity stuff. They come up with some pretty amazing ideas through this play.

And what’s great is, if you want to set something up, the materials are inexpensive. If you’re interested in doing this with your kids, the foil and tape will work well and will elicit the “that’s cool” response we’re hoping for. But, if you want more materials, they’re easy to find online or in science supply catalogs. If you’re looking for ideas, check out the carousel below for some supplies we own {these are affiliate links}.

Amazon.com Widgets

Ready for more? We’ll take a break from the series for the weekend, but make sure you come back on Monday to find a cool way to make your own switch to turn the simple circuit you made on and off. In the meantime, check out some of the other Hopscotch bloggers like Kendra who is talking about Raising Boys and Angie who is trying some fun New Experiences.

Be sure you stick around for the series and beyond. Click on the picture below to subscribe by email.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Make Your Own Aluminum-Leaf Electroscope

2013-04-18T01:18:00.000-04:00

Welcome back to 10-Days of Electricity and Magnetism, part of the iHomeschool Network Spring Hopscotch. If you’re new here, you might want to read from the beginning as each post builds upon the last to help you pull together a cohesive unit study for your kids. You might also want to take a minute to subscribe by email so you don’t miss a post.

So far this week, we’ve talked briefly about big developments in the history of electricity and magnetism and played around with static electricity. Today we’re going to build an aluminum-leaf electroscope that can actually detect electrical charges in object you have lying around.

William Gilbert invented the first electroscope in 1600, calling it a versorium. It had a metal needle that moved freely inside and turned towards charged objects when they came near.

Over the next two-hundred years, the electroscope went through many different changes, all with the same goal in mind – create the best instrument for detecting electrical charges in objects. First, a hanging thread was added that was attracted to charged objects nearby. Then, tiny balls made out of pith {plant fiber} were added to the ends of the thread to make it easier to see when the thread moved toward charges. They would become charged when they got close to an object, and since they now had the same charge as whatever they were near, they would repel. How far apart they were after repelling indicated how strong the charge was.

In the late 1700s, the electroscope was fine-tuned further. Gold foil leaves were used because the gold was more sensitive than the pith or thread.

In this activity, we can use aluminum foil to replace the gold foil. You’ll be able to use your electroscope to check for sources of static electricity around you.

You’ll need:

jar with a lid
clay
aluminum foil
scissors
metal paper clip
a balloon
a square of wool or flannel

Try it this way:

Straighten the paper clip out.
Poke a hole in the lid of the jar big enough for the paper clip to slide through.
Push the paper clip through the hole in the jar lid and bend the end that is on the underside of the jar into an ‘L’ shape.
Form your clay around the clip on the outside and inside of the jar lid to secure it and make sure it is sealed tight.
Take a piece of aluminum foil and roll it into a 1-inch ball and put it on the straight {outside} end of the paper clip.
Use the scissors to cut a strip of foil about 5 inches by 1/2 inch. Fold it in half and set it on the ‘L’ shaped end of the paper clip.
Put the lid on the jar and close it tightly, sealing the strip of aluminum foil inside the jar.
Rub the square of flannel or wool vigorously on the balloon and hold it near the foil ball. Look at the aluminum strip inside the jar. The ends should move away from each other due to the static electricity on the balloon.

Look around the house. What else might have a charge? Write a list of things to test with your electroscope, and make a prediction as to whether or not it holds static electricity. Then, test it with your electroscope and write down whether or not your hypothesis was correct. You can do this in a science notebook or on the printable below.

We had a lot of fun with this, and were surprised by some of our results. Making an electroscope is another way to explore static electricity and learn more about the electrical charges that surround us. Are you enjoying this study? I hope so. Take a minute to sign up for emails by clicking the picture below if you haven’t done so already. There are more unit studies like this coming in the future, along with lots of great content.

Have you taken time to check out some of the other 10-Day series in the iHomeschool Network’s Spring Hopscotch? I’m having a great time exploring topics like Using Games in School and 10 Days of Raising Boys.

Thanks for coming by today. I hope to see you tomorrow when we explore simple circuitry.

Exploring Static Electricity

2013-04-17T00:36:00.001-04:00

Welcome to day three of the spring hopscotch! Have you subscribed by email yet? It only takes a minute, and you’ll make sure you don’t miss a lesson.

Have you ever seen a small spark fly after you’ve walked across the carpet in your socked feet and touched the doorknob? Have you felt the small {or not so small} jolt? I remember snuggling under the blankets in the middle of winter when I was young, and marveling at the small sparks that made their way from my feet to my belly when my pajamas rubbed against the wool.

These sparks are caused by static electricity. Pajamas and blankets rub together and electrons jump from one fabric to the other.

During thunderstorms, giant sparks of static electricity – lightning – jump from cloud to cloud. The air moves and causes ice and water droplets to rub against each other in the clouds. The clouds become charged with static electricity. Positively charged particles rise to the top of the clouds and the negatively charged particles fall to the bottom of the clouds.

The negatively charged particles are attracted to positively charged particles on the tops of other clouds and on the ground, and jump toward them, causing lightning. Cool, huh? Check it out.

I love playing with static electricity {in small doses} because it’s tangible—the kids can actually experience it. With just a few simple materials, you can demonstrate the power of static electricity, too.

You’ll need:

a completely dark room or closet
a balloon
felt, wool, or flannel piece of cloth
a piece of metal like a tray or doorway

Try it this way:

Put the piece of metal on a table or stand near a doorknob.
Grab the balloon and fabric, then turn off the lights.
Stand next to the doorknob or metal piece, and rub the balloon quickly with the fabric.
Pass the balloon close to the doorknob or metal.
Watch closely – you should see a small spark of static electricity jump from the balloon to the metal.
You just made lightning!

Play around with different fabrics and materials. Rubbing a balloon against your hair, then pulling it slowly away from your head, will make your hair seem to stand on end. Your charged balloon will also “stick” to some surfaces as the charges try to jump from one to another. Try different things – see if the balloon will stick to the wall or the underside of the table.

Are you ready to try this out yourself? Are you building your own electricity notebook, adding these activities to your science journal, or just like having activities in printable formats? Click on the thumbnail below to download an informational notebooking page and an activity sheet that can be used to turn this static electricity demonstration into an experiment.

I hope you’re enjoying this series. Let me know how you hope to use the activities with your children, class, or co-op. And, don’t forget to check out some of the other amazing iHomeschool Network bloggers and their 10-Day Series. There are some really fun ones to visit like Teaching with Lego and You Can Be An Artist.

See you tomorrow when we explore electroscopes.

Electricity & Magnetism: A Timeline of Discovery

2013-04-16T01:53:00.000-04:00

Hi! Welcome to day two of my spring 10-Day series. If you’re new here, take a moment to subscribe by email so each installment of the series can be delivered into your inbox & you don’t miss a thing!

Today is all about discovering the history of electricity and magnetism. Electricity wasn’t invented, it was discovered. It’s always been around, but it’s taken the work of many scientists over hundreds of years to learn all we know about it now – and the cool thing is that people are still learning new ways to harness and use its power!

Before Benjamin Franklin tried out his famous experiments with kites and keys, others were learning. You and your kids can begin your study with A Brief History… Electricity and Magnetism, a printable I prepared to get you started. Just click on the thumbnail to download it.

The printable really is a brief overview of the history of electricity, but if you want to learn more about the different discoveries that have led us to where we are today, there are many more thorough timelines online. You could have your child copy down one of the timelines on notebook paper or make a mini book to add to a science notebook or lapbook. Here are a few sites I’ve used:

Timeline of Electronics – About.com
Electricity Timeline from 600 BC – Jonesboro, AR City Water & Light
Electricity Timeline – U.S. Energy Information Administration
Kidipede: Electricity – Science for Kids

My kids learn really well with videos, so I like to find some to start off our units. Here are a two I’ve used to learn about electricity and magnetism, including one of my favorites from Schoolhouse Rock:

Books are a great way to encourage your kids to continue their learning on their own. I always scatter a few around the house related to whatever we’re studying. There are wonderful books about electricity and magnetism that you can check out at your local library or find on Amazon {note - these are affiliate links} to enhance your study. Here are a few I like:

One of my favorite things to do when we study a science topic like electricity and magnetism is to set up a discovery table so the kids can play with the materials themselves as we learn about the topic. Some things I’ve put out are:

As you know, I’m passionate about hands-on learning. So, a study of electricity and magnetism wouldn’t be complete without several activities and experiments. I hope you’ll come back tomorrow to learn all about static electricity with us.

Don’t forget to check out some of the other great Hopscotch topics by heading over to the iHomeschool Network and clicking through some of the links.

Do you have any great resources for learning all about electricity and magnetism? Share your thoughts in the comments.

10 Days of Electricity and Magnetism

2013-04-15T00:30:00.000-04:00

Hey! What are you planning to do with your kids over the next two weeks? Want to take a break from the books and have some electrifying fun? I'm teaming up with some amazing bloggers and participating in a 10-Day Spring Hopscotch...you can check out all the great topics by clicking on the button at the end of this post.

I've seriously been neglecting the hands-on science fun we usually have going on around here since Isaac was born, so I'm using this 10-Day series as an excuse to pull together a hands-on science unit study. This week, I'll share information, history, projects and experiments, and printables that all explore electricity and magnetism.

I hope you'll stick around and download, print, and share this fun series with your kids and your friends. Make sure you don't miss a post by taking a moment right now to subscribe by email if you haven't already. In the coming months, I'll have freebies and bonuses for my email subscribers, so you'll want to be signed up so you don't miss out.

This series will include {links will be live once post is active}:

A timeline covering some of the major discoveries in the science of electricity and magnetism
Static Electricity
Electroscopes
Make a Simple Circuit
Switches
Conductors and Insulators
Magnet Exploration
Electromagnets
Different Uses of Magnets

Sound like fun? I'm really excited about this -- and so are my kids. Most of the materials you'll need for these activities can easily be found around the house, a few -- like wires, bulbs, and switches -- are inexpensive and worth the investment if you want to order some. I keep them in a plastic shoebox and let the kids explore with batteries when they feel like it. The batteries don't generate enough electricity to do harm, and the kids really learn a lot through experimentation.

Be sure to come back tomorrow and learn all about the history of electricity {in a slightly abbreviated format}. I'll have a simple notebooking page you can print so your kiddos can keep track of their learning throughout this study. In the meantime, check out some of the other great Hopscotch topics by heading over to the iHomeschool Network and clicking through some of the links.

Have you ever studied electricity with your kids?

Button Photo Source: limowreck666 via photopin cc

The Tortle: Preventing Flat-Head Syndrome in Babies

2013-04-12T01:12:00.000-04:00

Disclosure: In compliance with the new FTC guidelines, I want to let you know that we were given a Tortle to try, free of charge, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, opinions, photographs, and musings belong to me and the cranky baby who endured the endless photographs I took of him in the cute elephant hat.

When Isaac was born, I was given the opportunity to try out a new hat with him, designed to help prevent plagiocephaly or torticollis, also known as flat-head syndrome. The hat, called the Tortle, is a stretchy cloth beanie with a support roll on one side. It is designed to keep infants from spending all their time putting pressure on one side of the backs of their heads.

According to the website, flat-head syndrome has increased over 600% since 1992 when doctors began heavily campaigning for babies to sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS. The support roll on the back is firm, so babies can’t roll their heads completely, but soft enough that it isn’t uncomfortable.

When you put it on your baby, you position the support roll behind one ear. At each feeding, you switch the roll to the other ear to ensure that when baby is in a stroller, carseat, or lying down, he is not always putting pressure on the same spot.

Having a newborn can be scary, and anytime you have a chance to prevent something that has become as common as flat-head syndrome as easily as this, it is worth considering. I think the Tortle is a great product, and would be a welcome addition to a new mom’s arsenal as she takes care of her sweet newborn. Unfortunately for us, Isaac didn’t care to wear it, though it was super-soft, and super-cute. The picture above is the only one I have with him sucking on a pacifier , and I think it was just to humor me while I snapped a few {not-so-happy} pictures. He seems to have developed the Kessler-Kid-Attitude already!

So, while it didn’t work for us, you may want to check it out: http://www.tortle.com/

3 Ways to Make Spring Cleaning Fun for the Whole Family

2013-04-11T01:00:00.000-04:00

3 Ways to Make Spring Cleaning Fun for the Whole Family

Spring cleaning is an annual task that almost everyone dreads. Fortunately, spring cleaning can be the perfect time to help your kids develop a good work ethic and enlist extra hands for the job.

Try these ideas to get your kids involved in your spring cleaning efforts and teach them the importance of hard work:

1. Turn cleaning into a game

Send your kids on an “Easter Egg Hunt” a few days/week early. Hide a few chocolate Easter eggs under piles of clothes and shoe boxes in their closets and tell them that if they can neatly pass folded clothes to you to put into the storage bins, they'll find several Easter chocolates to munch on.

To your kids, it will be an Easter egg hunt. To you, it'll simply be a way to start a new spring cleaning tradition while creating a mutually beneficial situation for both you and your children. Ensure that all the candy is accounted for, lest you have a surprise during next year's cleaning.

If you don’t want to use chocolate, create tokens for your kids to “find” while cleaning. At the end of spring cleaning, they can then turn in those tokens for prizes {books, music, a sweet treat, etc.}.

2. Be honest and plan ahead

Older children, especially teens, won't be tempted by a few pieces of chocolate. Rather than dressing the day up as an Easter egg hunt, be honest. Tell the older kids that you need help getting some spring cleaning done and offer a fun ending to your busy day of cleaning.

Offer to end the day by getting their choice of takeout and renting a movie of their choosing.Not only will this give your family time to bond, but you'll also get some spring cleaning done. In all aspects, this is a winning situation!
Be sure to let everybody know about the spring cleaning day well in advance. Your spouse and/or older children may need time to clear their schedules in order to be available to participate.
Older children can handle bigger tasks. It's best to let them choose a task (from a list that you've created) and tackle it on their own. By doing so, they'll feel as if they had a say in the task at hand.

3. Rewards

Kids of all ages respond well to rewards. As mentioned above, a piece of chocolate or a slice of pizza will help entice your kids into spring cleaning. However, a larger reward will have your kids jumping for joy on the day of your spring cleaning adventure.

Offer to purchase your child a new book from their wishlist if they help you spring clean the house and keep their room clean for a month thereafter.

Sweeten the deal for yourself by offering them a subscription to a favorite online game or iPad app. Offer the subscription in exchange for spring cleaning, and offer to keep the subscription active as long as their room is kept tidy and their chores are done.

Remember, there's a difference between bribing and incentivizing. Incentivizing consists of providing a reward as motivation for completing a safe and beneficial task. Kids respond tremendously well to all types of rewards and only you can judge what rewards will properly motivate yours. Treat your kid to a reward and earn yourself an extra set of hands for spring cleaning.

How do you make spring cleaning fun for the whole family?

Ashley Pichea invites her blog readers to join her in “doing LIFE together – living intentionally by faith everyday” at LIFE by Ashley Pichea where she shares her faith, her family, and her homeschooling adventures. Ashley invites you to connect with her on Twitter {@apichea} and Facebook {fb.com/lifebyashleypichea}.

Homeschooling Can Be Like Middle School

2013-04-08T02:59:00.000-04:00

Sometimes being a homeschool mom is like being in middle school all over again. You are awkward and shy in this new situation, especially when you are the only one of your friends that has even considered this crazy, unpaved path—let alone embraced it, and fighting to find your way. That can be discouraging, whether you’re just starting out, have just moved to a new home, or just want to find your place in the homeschool community.

Picture this... a homeschooling mom reads that her local library offers free classes once a month for homeschoolers.

Perfect, she thinks. This will be a great opportunity to meet other homeschool moms and kids, so we can all make friends. After all, all of the homeschoolers we know live at least 45 minutes away, so it’s a challenge to meet up regularly.

People come to homeschooling for a lot of different reasons.

Some feel called to homeschool from the time their kids are small.
Some realize that they don't want their kids to be gone from them for so many hours at such a young age when they face the prospect of all-day kindergarten.
Some try to send their kids to school -- after all, isn’t that what you're supposed to do -- and then realize for a variety of reasons that school is not the right place for their child.

Regardless of how or why a family comes to homeschooling, new or transplanted moms may feel isolated. It can be tough to get to know other homeschoolers in the area. She might be facing incredulity, or downright animosity, from those she once counted as friends. Or she may have a family who rails against her family’s choice to go against the norm education-wise.

Homeschooling moms need to know local moms who are in the homeschooling trenches alongside her. SHE needs friends that get it -- even more than her kids do.

So that mom, upon hearing about the local library’s classes, may head there on science day, despite the difficulty in packing up two school-age kids, a headstrong three-year old, and a fussy two month old, and just make it there on time for the morning class. Loaded with a diaper bag, baby wrap, stroller, and snacks for the preschooler, she may head to the children’s section after dropping off her big kids, especially if the librarian told her that the other moms hang out there, talking while the little ones play.

Her heart seeking friendship, she may sit there listening and yearning for a way to break into the conversation. But, since all the moms seem to know each other, and have scores of things to catch up on, she may hold back, not knowing what to say.

Like a wallflower at a middle school dance, she wants to join in, but doesn't know how, especially as the women sitting near her pay no attention, even though her tu-tu garbed three year old is playing with their kids.

Experienced homeschool moms, take notice. You might have been that woman once, and you might be again someday. Life’s seasons ebb and flow, and you never know when you’ll be in a place of yearning, trying to break the ice and make new friends, for yourself and your kids.

If you see a mom with little ones hanging out while there is a homeschool class going on, chances are she's there for the same reason you are -- waiting for her big kids to finish using PEEPS candies to learn about science, and looking for a little fellowship. Reach out to her and invite her into your conversation.

While I'm not a brand-new home school mom, I am living in a new city. I know many homeschoolers with kids my kids’ ages, but they live too far away for casual drop ins when the work gets done or the weather’s nice.

I was that lonely mom last week.

I sat for an hour next to a group of women, good Christian homeschoolers from the sound of their conversation, who talked around me and my little ones. I longed to join in, and meet some new, local friends. I wanted to find a few kids near Trevor’s age that live close. The poor guy is stuck playing with little ones all the time as the neighborhood kids are all under 5.

I didn't know how.

I was ignored, and so I wrote while Isaac napped and Logan twirled in her tutu. And afterward, when Trevor and Molly joined me and talked a mile a minute about all the cool things they did in class, still the moms took no notice of the new family. We chose books to take home, played with the toys a bit longer, chatted with the librarians, then packed up all of our things and headed home to make lunch.

It probably doesn’t seem like I’m reserved when you read my blog or follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, but it's true. I find it difficult to initiate conversation in new situations. I’d much rather stay home and read a book or play with my kids.

I’m that awkward middle school kid who is unsure, and awkward, in those situations.

While it was a tough hour for me, and I left the library discouraged, I’m glad God put me in that situation. I know how sad and uncomfortable it was to sit there while the conversation swirled around me, and I resolve to pay attention the next time I’m somewhere and see a young mom who may need another mom to reach out and draw her in.

I implore you to do the same.

The Gifted Child and Delight Directed Homeschooling

2013-04-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

The following is a post from my friend Heather.

I like to think that Billy is gifted. He is 5 and knows how to add, subtract and is really learning how to read and write well (when he feels like it). He loves technology (he could work the iPhone at age 2) and likes video games. He is very self-motivated and loves to be busy working on something; if he is laying on the couch, he is sick. He likes to ask and answer trivia questions. He loves figuring out new things.

I've never officially had him tested for giftedness; and I probably never will. We'll just take it a day at a time. I'm not trying to ignore his giftedness or deprive him by any means. In fact I intend to do just the opposite.

This is why we became delight directed homeschoolers. My goal for Billy's education, first and foremost, is to train him up with a love for and trust in God; building for him a strong spiritual foundation on the Rock.

Second, I want to see him develop a desire to learn for the rest of his life.

I believe that God has given all of us our own special gifts. When we can learn to recognize those gifts in our children and encourage them to develop mastery in the subjects which they find delight in - not just momentary fun, but a true lasting delight - I believe God can use them in amazing ways.

The delight directed learning method is an excellent way for us as parents and teachers to discover our children’s talents and passions, and work at a pace that works for them.

Children are naturally curious. The delight directed learning method is the perfect way to encourage that curiosity. In addition, this method can offer the gifted child the opportunity to - instead of simply working on increasingly difficult material - actually create part or all of their own learning.

Each time our student desires to know about a topic, we have the opportunity as teachers and learning facilitators to show them how to learn and how to make connections with other areas of life. As your child grows this learning can become more student-driven. In this way we train them to become independent lifelong learners.

Another cool thing? There is no "right" way to be a delight directed homeschooler! You can use a box curriculum as a starting point and adapt it to suit your child's interests or you could gather resources from the internet and the library to truly individualize all aspects of your curriculum; or anything in between!

If your child is gifted in math, work ahead, no problem! I am a fan of unit studies in our delight directed homeschool. The idea of taking one topic and looking at it from various subject areas makes a lot of sense to me. Lately I've been using holidays and celebrations as the starting point for our lessons. Here is an idea of what that looks like for us: Let's say your student is getting excited about the 4th of July, for example. At an elementary level you could:

Research and discuss the history of America or the history of the holiday itself (social studies)
Sing patriotic songs or play them on an instrument (music)
Make holiday-inspired crafts (art)
Read books that take place during that time period (English/literature)
Study the history and construction of fireworks (science)
Go on a field trip to a historical site

And this is just the beginning! You and your child's imaginations are your only limitations! You could create your own unit study like I have above or, if you prefer, you can purchase a pre-made unit study from any number of retailers.

A “gifted” label isn’t what matters. “The more important question is what are you doing to challenge the child,” says Arlene DeVries, co-author of A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children. (Source: Scholastic.com)

I pray that you would consider the delight-directed learning approach and see how it can make teaching your gifted child even more memorable and fun!

Want to know more? Come on over to Homeschooling...On Faith and Coffee and read about what a day in our delight-directed homeschool really looks like. For more information and resources on delight directed homeschooling check out my Delight Directed Homeschooling Pinterest board. It's full of posts and articles about what delight directed homeschooling looks like in other homeschools, strategies to implement delight directed learning into your homeschool and even how to asses learning in a delight directed homeschool.

Heather is married and blessed to be called “mom” by 3 awesome boys (and 2 German Shepherds). She blogs about homeschooling, her faith and their family (coffee mug in hand!) at Homeschooling… On Faith and Coffee http://www.onfaithandcoffee.com

Kids in the Kitchen: Sausage & French Toast Kabobs

2013-04-01T02:39:00.000-04:00

Need some breakfast inspiration? We had some fun creating a new Tyson Sausage recipe this weekend.

With four crazy kids {one of whom is a nocturnal baby} I need easy protein ideas for breakfast because we learned a long time ago that if Trevor didn’t eat a nice serving of protein at breakfast, he was in for a rough day. {And, then so were the rest of us…} There’s a problem with that, though.

I am not a morning person.

Shock… Horror… I know. A homeschooler that does not like mornings? A mom of four who loathes speaking to anyone before several cups of coffee and a long, hot shower? Yes, it is true. I do not like to get out of my warm bed, fight my bleary-eyed way into the kitchen, and actually make a protein-rich, healthy breakfast for the little people who are already chattering away.

So I scramble eggs. Protein-rich and quick, right? Yeah, well, the kids are sick of eggs, and want more. They want sausage and bacon and ham, muffins and smoothies, pancakes and waffles all lovingly prepared and enriched with protein powder or ground nut meal.

Imagine my absolute delight to hear that Tyson, already a brand we love, has fully-cooked sausage patties available for non-morning people like me, and they’re newly available at Sam’s club. When I heard about the opportunity to test them out and get creative in the kitchen, I turned the idea over to the kids again, and we headed to Sam’s Club to get what we needed to make another fun meal-on-a-stick. You can check out the chaos that ensues when a family of six heads to the wholesale club on a weekend day in our Google+ album by clicking on the photo below:

While Sausage & French Toast Kabobs might not be the quickest way to get protein into your kiddos in the morning, they were a lot of fun to make and super yummy! We’ll definitely be making them again, though not necessarily on a day we need to be out the door quickly.

The Tyson Fully-Cooked Sausage, on the other hand, will stay in the freezer and get pulled out often – sausage and egg scramble, sausage patty on a biscuit, sausage sandwich, sausage and pancakes, etc. – the possibilities are endless. This is going to be my new go-to breakfast protein.

Despite the fact that they took a little time to assemble, the prep for these kabobs was done in a snap. Logan sang to us while I heated the sausage in a skillet and baked the French toast sticks. Two minutes per side on the sausage, 12 minutes in the oven for the French toast. I cut the sausage in quarters, cut the French toast sticks into cubes, and Molly and Trevor worked on fruit – Trevor cut strawberries for the kabobs and Molly peeled and segmented clementines.

With the prep done, it was time to assemble. We set out a variety of natural syrups, wooden skewers, and plates mounded with strawberries, French toast, and Tyson Sausage Patties. Each of us put together our own kabobs. It made for a fun family breakfast.

Did you start a recipe box last time the kids shared a recipe with you? If so, you can click on the recipe card below and print a new card for their collection. If not, you may want to start a collection of easy recipes your kids can handle alone or with a little help. These kabobs would be a perfect start to that collection.

I love getting new and easy meal ideas and shortcuts, don’t you? Do you have any great tips or tricks to getting a quick protein-rich breakfast on the table for those busy mornings? I’d love to hear them – join in the conversation on my Facebook page, find me on Twitter, or leave a comment below. And if you haven’t already, take a moment to subscribe by email – there are some fun things coming up you won’t want to miss.

For more breakfast inspiration, check out the Tyson Fully Cooked Sausage Pinterest board or follow the #DoItAllMom hashtag on Twitter.

I hope your week is off to a great start!

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Tyson #cbias #SocialFabric. All thoughts, opinions, and ideas are mine and the kids, and we’d never share anything with you that we don’t believe in. We WILL be eating this sausage again…and I really LOATHE mornings!