Homeschooling Archives - Page 3 of 5

Make a Super Simple Lesson Planner

September 13, 2020September 13, 2020jnjfroisland

Planners, and calendars, and schedules, oh my! Homeschool planning is a big subject in the homeschool world. YouTube videos abound with moms showing off their favorite planner or their favorite system for planning. You can sink a lot of dollars into some of the planners available for sale. Have you seen those moms that bullet journal their planners? I only wish I could be that talented and artsy. Nope, I need streamlined and simple, and maybe you do too. If so, come along and I’ll show you how to make a super simple lesson planner.

Super Simple Homeschool Calendar Planning

August 10, 2020August 10, 2020jnjfroisland

There exist veteran homeschool moms that are experts at homeschool planning and organizing. They are so good, they offer courses on how to follow their systems. I applaud those moms. I am not one of those moms. Yes, I just started my 16th year of homeschooling, but that doesn’t make me an expert mom. I’m more of a “tweak and change things” kind of mom who likes to keep things simple. Since there may be other moms who like to keep things simple, I’m starting a “Super Simple Homeschooling” series. I’ll be sharing the ways I keep homeschooling simple in our home. This post is on super simple homeschool calendar planning.

360° Must-See Virtual Field Trips

August 10, 2020March 31, 2021jnjfroisland

Whether we like it or not, distance learning is the norm this year for many. Kids will be confined to their homes for much of the day. They may not be able to physically get a change of scenery, but they can do so virtually. You might be saying, “My kid is going to be on the computer for school. You want him to be on it even more?” Well, yes. Here’s the thing about the 360° Must-See Virtual Field Trips I’ll be listing. Unless otherwise stated, they are interactive.

Vacation Bible School at Home

July 6, 2020July 6, 2020jnjfroisland

If your kids are like mine, they consider Vacation Bible School (VBS) to be a highlight of the summer. With COVID 19 still rearing its ugly head, many churches are opting to cancel VBS this year or host it virtually. If you’d rather do your own thing, you can conduct your own Vacation Bible School at home with some amazing free resources.

Homeschool Phonics Curriculum Review

June 4, 2020June 4, 2020jnjfroisland

If you’re a homeschooling mom, I’m sure that you are already looking at curriculum for next year. Knowing that some of you may be in the market for phonics curriculum, I wanted to give a review of the six programs that we have used. Yes, we actually have used six different programs. I admit to being a curriculum junkie, and I do have eight kids that learn differently. Laugh at me if you’d like, while you read my homeschool phonics curriculum review.

Fun Ways to Celebrate Children’s Day

May 5, 2020March 31, 2021jnjfroisland

Do you need a reason to celebrate during these crazy pandemic times? How about celebrating Kodomo no hi, or Children’s Day? It’s a national holiday celebrated in Japan on May 5 to celebrate the happiness and health of children. I’ll give you 5 easy ways to celebrate Children’s Day on May 5 or any other day.

Super fun 360° Virtual Factory Tours

April 19, 2020December 19, 2020jnjfroisland

The times, they are a-changin’. A month ago, I wrote a post called “10 Screen-free Indoor Activities.” The shelter in place mandate had just taken effect, and I wanted to help parents keep their kids off screens. Now, a month later, we rely on screens to keep us connected to others. We can also use them to take us places we can’t visit in person. Along those lines, I found 15 super fun 360° virtual factory tours for kids of all ages to enjoy.

Disney themed LEGO challenges

April 5, 2020August 10, 2020jnjfroisland

Are you on a quest to find things for your kids to do while you’re all on lock down? Our family is currently on week 3 of the shelter in place order with about 4 more to go (sigh). Though we already homeschool, I’m finding it’s helpful to “mix things up” a little and give the kids tasks to challenge them. LEGOs are my go-to to get my kids to think creatively. I’ve already made a 32 challenge printable you can read about here. To try something different, I made Disney themed LEGO challenges.

10 life skills to teach your kids when you’re stuck inside

March 30, 2020March 31, 2021jnjfroisland

In the busyness of life, it’s easy for me to forget about teaching my kids life skills. After all, teaching a skill takes time and patience, both of which are often in short supply. Now that we are homebound due to the “shelter in place” mandate, we have a little more time to work on these skills. If you’re like me, you might want to try these 10 life skills to teach your kids when you’re stuck inside.

Must-See Virtual Field Trips

March 23, 2020March 23, 2020jnjfroisland

Living where we do in California, we don’t experience snow days or any other days that force us to stay at home. With the “shelter in place” directive our governor has put into place in the wake of COVID-19 however, we are now forced to hunker down. Though we are allowed to be outside for walks, I know the kids are going to be itching to go other places before too long. With that in mind, I have compiled a list of must-see virtual field trips for kids of all ages to explore.