Cereal Box Name Project for Preschoolers

 

This name project was so simple, but it was Owen’s favorite out of everything we’ve done recently!  He has been becoming increasingly aware of letters that he knows on books and signs and cereal boxes, etc.  I told him that we could cut letters of out cereal boxes and spell his name, and he has been after me to do it ever since I mentioned the idea to him!

We raided the recycling bin for boxes, and he got to work.

Owen really enjoyed cutting, gluing, and making sure that the letters

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Engineering for Kids: Build a Bridge with Straws and Straight Pins

Build a bridge with straws and straight pins

Last week, one of Aidan’s history lessons was about advancements in bridge building during the 1800′s.  We are reading Landmark History of the American People as part of Sonlight Core E.  I thought it would be fun to do a bridge building challenge to go along with our study of bridges.  I found this idea to build a bridge with straws and straight pins and thought it was worth a try!

The challenge:  Build a bridge out of straws and straight pins that can support the weight of 100 pennies in a small

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Learning to Tie Activity: Make a Yarn Collar for a Toy Dog

One of my homeschooling goals for Gresham this semester is for him to learn how to tie his shoes.  Thanks to all of the various types of shoes out now (besides just the basic velcro ones), Gresham has never needed to learn how to tie.  I decided that it would probably be good if he knew how!

To make learning to tie more fun, I told Gresham that we would make a dog collar for one of his stuffed dogs.

I set him up with two strands of yarn with a knot in the end.  I taped the yarn to

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Learning about Dragons from a Creation Perspective

Gresham has loved dinosaurs since he was about 4 years old, and now that he is a little older, he really enjoys dragons as well.  Last month, we went to volunteer for the second time at the Institute for Creation Research.  While we were there, Gresham was able to ask one of the scientists if dragons were real or not.  The scientist answered that dragons were simply dinosaurs.  We’ll never be able to fully separate out truth from fiction when it comes to dragon legends, but since we know that dinosaurs were created on the 6th day with all other

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Setting Goals for Homeschooling (Plus an idea for the unmotivated learner)

This semester, I am setting goals for homeschooling for the first time, and I think it’s going to help me simplify and focus my homeschooling priorities.  I got this idea from a homeschooling mom who successfully educated four children through high school.

I am setting goals for the boys in three areas:  academic, practical life (I borrowed this term from Montessori – it basically means life skills), and character.

Here are Gresham’s goals as an example.  Gresham is 6 and in first grade.  We may do first grade

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