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Free Frogs Unit Study

Spring is a fantastic time to dive deep into a study of pondlife, here we are taking a closer look at frogs and learning all about them. I hope you will hop along on this journey with us and enjoy teaching your own little froglets all about these amphibians. From books to a hands-on life cycle project you will find loads of fun ideas here for a mini Frog & Toad Unit Study

Frog Sensory Tray

To change it up from the typical deeper sensory bin, I set out a simple sensory tray instead. Grab a tray ( found at Dollar Tree) or a large baking sheet, add a little water, a few plastic frogs, rocks, and moss for ground cover and you have a great hands-on habitat for your children to play in and discover. Add a magnifying glass, tweezers, lilypads, or anything else you like for exploration.

Hands-On Frog Life Cycle-Rather than just complete a worksheet labeling the different stages of a frog’s life cycle why not really get into it? Make it memorable by putting more into it with just a few simple supplies.

You will need:

Thick white paper
Green stamp pad
Green markers, pens, or colored pencils

Look up the frog life cycle online or in one of your books for reference. We chose to do eggs, tadpole, tadpole with legs, froglet, and frog for ours. Press your finger into a green ink pad (a green marker will work in a pinch) and press it into a thick white paper to stamp out each of the different cycles, use a thumb for the larger full-grown frog. Next use markers or pens to add details like a tail, eyes, legs, etc…

Grab these fun and fabulous life cycle of a frog worksheets — not only will your child learn more about the life cycles of living things, you’ll learn a thing or two! This set includes a free printable chart, life cycle minibook and a sequencing writing activity.

Frog Hopppin’ Math Activities

Math practice is always in order whether you have a full math curriculum you love or you do a lot of hands-on math. This fun and simple activity is a great way to stick with the frog theme and get some math practice in. I have kept it very versatile so it can be done with children from preschool through middle school by changing out a few simple things.

You will need:

Green construction paper or craft foam
Scissors
Permanent Marker
Plastic Frog
Craft Foam

Lilypad Math- Cut craft foam into lilypad shapes about 2”x2”. Write numbers 0-9 for younger children and go even higher if you are working with older children. Include symbols like +, -, x, and %.

Preschoolers- Line numbers up in order and have your child hop from number to number as they count with a plastic frog. Call out numbers and have them land on the proper number to work on number identification.

Early Elementary- Use your numbers and symbols to create simple math problems for children that they can answer verbally, by placing a lilypad with the correct answer after the equal sign, or let them write the answer on a dry erase board. Hop the frog from lily pad to lily pad to practice skip counting by 2’s,5’s, or 10’s.

Upper Elementary/Middle School- Use the numbers on the lilypad to create more complex problems. Add a decimal point or use fractions and have them add, subtract or simplify them.

Store them in a zippered baggie and pull them out for practice during your study.

Additional activities for your frog study:

Consider reading Frog and Toad or The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County as a read-aloud for your study.
List 10 different varieties of frogs and find out where they are native to, find each location on the globe.

Use the following words for spelling and vocabulary.

Tadpole
Spawn
Froglet
Lilypad
Amphibian
Larva
Pond
Cattail
Gills
Croak
Lily Pad
Toad

If weather permits and you have one near you head to a local pond and see if you can spot frogs in any of their life stages. Check carefully along the bank, frog eggs rise to the surface and look like a big glob of clear jelly with black dots inside. Try to catch and release tadpoles so you can get a better look at them. Head outside at night and see if you can find tree frogs, they are attracted to light and will often be right on your own porch. Listen to the sounds of frogs near the pond and in your own back yard.

Listen to these frog sounds and calls on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1Sc78-TOFs

Watch this video about Amphibians on Homeschool Pop. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIbTs5mKN_0

Make this Tree Frog Oil Pastel https://thecraftyclassroom.com/?s=frog

Create an adorable Frog shirt to wear! https://thecraftyclassroom.com/2009/06/19/ribbitribbitburp/
Create a graph to represent the types of frogs you find at home or on your nature walks for the week.

Keeping Christ at the Center of Easter

April 3, 2020 By Crafty Team Leave a Comment

Easter is on its way, and the stores are full of chocolates and bunnies. As Christians, we know what Easter is really about. We want our children to focus on Christ’s resurrection, not just the candy. Here are some fun ways to keep Christ at the center of your Easter celebrations.

Be More Christ-Like Ideas

At the Last Supper, Jesus did something amazing. He bent down and washed the apostles’ feet.

You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet,

you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

For I have given you an example,

that you should do as I have done to you.

Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master;

nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.

If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

John 13: 13-17

Washing the feet of others has become a symbol of service and devotion. Why not try it in your home? You can pair up family members to wash each other’s feet or have each person wash everyone else’s.

You can also do a metaphorical foot washing. Place the name of each family member in a hat or box. Have each member draw one name. Now each person has to decide how he or she will serve their assigned family member. This could be a fun game like “secret Santa.” Or you can serve each other openly. However, you chose to “wash each other’s feet” the point is to serve each other in big ways out of love.

Backyard Easter Scavenger Hunt Game

We all know about Easter Egg Hunts. This is a fun, biblical twist. Print out scripture verses on slips of paper. Fill plastic Easter eggs with the verses. Hide the eggs throughout your backyard. Now it is time to find the eggs! This can be done together or individually. For individual hunts, use color coded eggs to make sure everyone finds all the verses.

Finding the eggs is only the beginning, though. Now it is time for the scavenger hunt. You can hide small toys, candies, or tokens that correspond to each verse or have the children get creative. See who can find a symbol for each verse in your yard.

How to Make Resurrection Rolls

Resurrection Rolls are more than just another Easter treat. They tell the story of the burial and resurrection of Christ. These are easy to make and very kid-friendly. You will need a roll of refrigerator rolls or croissants, marshmallows, melted butter, and cinnamon.

Lay out all the ingredients and wash everyone’s hands.
Pour some cinnamon on a plate and place it next to the melted butter.
Give each child a marshmallow. Tell them that this represents Jesus’ body that suffered to save us from our sins.
Have each child dip and coat the marshmallow with butter. This symbolizes his mother and friends anointing Him with oil.
Roll the buttered marshmallows in cinnamon. The cinnamon represents the spices that were mixed with the oil.
Now give each child a roll or croissant. Stretch them out slightly but be sure not to rip them.
Wrap the dough around each marshmallow, just like Jesus was wrapped in a burial shroud.
Now place the wrapped marshmallows onto a baking sheet and put it in the oven. Tell the children about how Jesus was laid in a tomb that was sealed with a large rock. Close the oven door.
It’s time to set the timer. Just like the centurions stood watch, the timer will make sure we don’t take them out too soon!
When the rolls are ready, take them out and cut one open. The inside is empty, just like Jesus’ tomb.
The rolls will be sweet inside. Remind the children how sweet it is to be forgiven of our sins.

Christ in Easter Ideas

Jesus asked us to spread the Good News to all the nations! Many people will not get to be with family this Easter. They are too sick or frail to be home. The current pandemic has made life even harder for those in the hospital and nursing homes. Most are not allowing visitors. But there is always hope for those who know and love Christ.

Send messages of hope to your local hospital or nursing home. Make cards, draw pictures, or simply handwrite an Easter card. Include your favorite verse about hope. Let those who feel forgot to know how much they are loved.

How to Start a Kids Weather Station

March 29, 2020 By Crafty Team Leave a Comment

Homeschoolers don’t get snow days (most of the time) but the weather is still a part of their learning. Meteorology is an engaging science with plenty of hands-on learning opportunities. Let’s face it, the weather is always there! No matter where you live, you experience weather first hand, on a daily basis. This makes it a perfect real-world science for kids. Ready to get your kids hooked on learning about weather patterns and meteorological terms? Keep reading for a step by step guide on how to start a kid’s weather station in your homeschool.

Tools to Start a Homeschool Weather Station

Every scientist needs tools. For meteorology, tools can be pretty expensive and high tech, or simple and low cost. However, evey weather station will need a way to measure the following:

Temperature (Thermometer)
Precipitation (Raingauge)
Wind Direction (Anemometer)
Wind Speed (Anemometer)
Air Pressure (optional)

Pick out tools that fit your budget and outdoor space. Look for opportunities to double up on tools. For example, a thermometer might also have a barometer. Find a safe spot to house each of your tools, then create a routine for checking each tool.

Weather Journals for Kids:

Part of the fun of setting up a weather station is recording the daily weather! Encourage your children to record their findings each day in their weather journals. Using a daily weather journal will help you see patterns and over time help you predict what the weather will be. There are a variety of different types of weather journals available on SuperStarWorksheets.com You’ll find simple daily weather sticker charts, monthly calendar tracking sheets, and more advanced daily weather tracking which includes extras like wind direction, wind speed, precipitaion and more.

Annual Weather Tracker & Monthly Weather Tracker

You can also track the weather on an annual weather journal sheet to see longer-term patterns at a glance. It’s also a fun and colorful way to add some color to your homeschool classroom.

See Inside Weather & Climate Book by Usborne & Weather Sticker Chart

Weather Science Books for Kids:

Now that you have all those special tools and instruments set up, it’s time to learn how to use them! Grab a couple of good books on weather and weather predicting to get your homeschool weather station off the ground. Some recommendations are listed below.

Weather Tracing Pages for Fine Motor Skills

Weather Youtube Channels:

There are also some amazing channels on Youtube about meteorology for children. The best thing about them is they are free to use. It’s like getting your own personal meteorological science tutor delivered right to your school room! Let these experts help you start a homeschool weather station for your family.

Galileo Thermometer

Barometer, Hygrometer, & Galileo Thermometer

There are many decorative weather tracking options available as well. You might find that setting up a children’s weather station, inspires you to add more tracking elements indoors as well. Since these elements will be in your home, you might consider more visually appealing options if that is a concern for you.

Homeschool Weather Station Activities for All Ages

Time to add some hands-on learning activities. A homeschool weather station can be a hobby or a full blown science study. Add activities and experiments to suit your homeschool needs. The printables include everything from a weather journal to STEM challenges. If you really want to dive deeply into meteorology, check out the weather lab kits. These are packed with activities, information, and experiments.

Weather Lab Kits:

Electronic Weather Station:

If you opt to get a professional level weather station, you can even join the “Weather Underground” and help predict the weather for your area.

Need more kid-friendly weather station ideas? Try our preschool Kids Weather Station Printables Page!

Hummingbird Unit Study

We were lucky enough to not only watch hummingbirds sip nectar at this feeder but also grab a video to share with you. It sparked a desire for a Hummingbird unit study so I pulled together some ideas and we dove into learning about these beautiful tiny creatures, what they eat, how fast they fly, the size of their eggs and nests, and more. Did you know that hummingbirds are the only bird that can fly backward? They are quite the little aerial gymnasts!

Hummingbird Eggs/Nest Craft

Humminbird eggs are roughly the size of a kidney bean, it’s hard to imagine something so tiny! To give the kids a physical idea of what that means we made our own hummingbird eggs and built a tiny little nest to keep them in. It also makes a pretty little handmade display for your nature table or their desk as well.

You will need:

Air Dry Clay
Brown string/ Yarn
School glue
Bits of moss

Directions:

Roll two small pieces of clay into a small egg shape, use a real bean for reference if you need to.

Set aside and allow them to dry while you construct the nest.

For the nest cut several lengths of brown yarn or string and press them into a small bowl of school glue, be sure to coat them well.

Coil a piece of string covered in glue flat 3 or 4 times, or until its roughly the size of a quarter.

Now start coiling upwards until your nest is roughly ½” tall.

While your glue is still wet tuck bits of moss throughout the nest to make it look even more realistic.

Allow nest to dry completely, it will take at least overnight to harden well.

Research 3 types of hummingbirds and where they are most common.

Hummingbird Nectar

You can buy a ready-made humminbird nectar at the store but it is so simple to make your own that you will want to! Also, while many store-bought nectars are colored red there is really no proof that the nectar itself being red attracts them and red dye is just not good for anyone so we will skip adding any food coloring to ours.

You will need:

2 cups of filtered water
½ cup granulated sugar

Directions:

Heat water in the microwave or on the stove, it doesn’t have to be boiling, just very warm to help dissolve your sugar.
Stir in sugar until dissolved, allow to cool completely.
Add to your hummingbird feeder, store remainder in the refrigerator.

Hummingbird feeders should be cleaned out and refilled every few days, while they may still drink from it, the sugar water will grow mold easily and that can make them very sick.

Find out how much sugar a hummingbird must consume each day and how far they travel seeking out nectar.

DIY Hummingbird Feeder

You can easily make your own hummingbird feed to attract them to your yard for observation. We are going to upcycle and old spice jar, it is a great choice for this because it already has holes for them to feed on, and if you use a certain brand then they have red lids and red is one of the hummingbirds favorite colors.

You will need:

A clean spice jar (red lid if possible)
string/yarn
Silk flowers
Twig or popsicle stick

Directions:

Clean out jar very well- soak in vinegar for a while, rinse, and dry thoroughly.

Remove lid and cut off the flip-top portion, use a nail file to smooth the rough edge.

Use a strong tacky glue to secure a twig or popsicle stick to one side of the jar, be sure not to attach it to the lid with holes so this can be removed.

Glue flowers all the way around your plastic jar if you like to decorate it and help attract hummingbirds (and butterflies) to your yard.

Wrap a long piece of yarn around the neck of the bottle.

Fill with hummingbird nectar and replace the lid.

Hang in a tree where you can keep an eye on it.

You’ll enjoy all your new friendly visitors! Just be sure to change the sugar water every couple of days to keep it fresh. Old sugar water can grow mold which is harmful to little hummingbirds, so do take care of your new friends.

Hummingbird Nature Journal

*Draw your favorite hummingbird in your nature journal.*

Fun Facts

The average weight of a hummingbird is less than that of a nickel.
Hummingbirds have no sense of smell, rather they are attracted to red and orange flowers.
There are over 330 species of hummingbirds in North and South America.
While flying, their hearts beat an average of 1200 beats per minute. 250 at rest.
They are able to reach speeds of 30mph during forward flight.
Hummingbird wings beat between 50 and 200 times per minute.

Hummingbird Art Project for Kids

Hummingbird Window Cling Art Project for Kids

Learning about hummingbirds can make a fantastic unit study for your homeschool classroom. Especially if you time your studies up with Spring & Summer when hummingbirds are likely to be out and about. Besides nature journaling, you might consider making some beautiful window art so you can enjoy hummingbirds year-round. Click Here for a full art tutorial!

Hummingbird Science Worksheets

We’ve created a variety of free hummingbird worksheets you can use to put together a simple science journal with your students. You’ll find hummingbird coloring pages, parts of a hummingbird labeling worksheet, fun facts, Montessori cards and more! Click Here for Hummingbird Printables.

Hummingbird Books for Kids:

Use the following hummingbird vocabulary for spelling and vocabulary words, create your own crosswords

Nectar
Aggressive
Hover
Territorial
Species
Migratory
Pollination
Nutrients
Metabolism
Aerodynamics
Foraging
Gorget

Have a suggestion for our Hummingbird Unit Study? Leave a comment below! Looking for more Birding Fun? Try our USA 50 State Birds Activity Pack.

Homeschool Conventions by State

March 6, 2020 By Crafty Team Leave a Comment

You have made it through the dead of winter and are eagerly looking forward to spring. You are probably also starting to think about next year. Homeschool conferences offer the opportunity to meet other homeschool families, hear inspiring speakers, and browse through curriculum. It is important to fuel your homeschooling “tank” regularly. Homeschool conventions give you the motivation and information to keep going and solve any struggles you may be having. So, what are the best homeschool conventions 2020?

Free Homeschool Planning Pack from The Crafty Classroom

Glad you asked! Here is a list I compiled of homeschool conferences 2020 by state. This way you can determine the best ‘homeschool conventions near me’. Whether you’re looking for the great homeschool convention nearest you or by state, we’ve got you covered!

If you know of any others, I would love to hear about them! Which homeschool conference will you attend this year?

Homeschool Conventions near Me in 2020

Alabama

Birmingham Homeschool Convention and Fair Birmingham, AL March 20

Mobile Teach Them Diligently Homeschool Convention Mobile, AL May 7-9

Alaska

APHEA 2020 Convention Anchorage, AK March 27-28

IDEA 22nd Annual Curriculum Fair Soldotna, AK April 29

Anchorage, AK April 30-May 1

Fairbanks, AK May 4-5

Juneau, AK May 7

Arizona

AFGE Convention Phoenix, AZ July 10-11

Free to Be 2020 Unschooling Conference Phoenix, AZ September 3-6

Arkansas

Teach Them Diligently Arkansas Rogers, AR March 6-8

California

California Homeschool Network Family Expo Garden Grove, CA May 7-10

SCOPE Homeschool Conference and Curriculum Fair Rockland, CA June 7-8

HSC Conference San Jose, CA August 6-9

Idaho

Homeschool Idaho Nampa, ID June 4-5

Illinois

APACHE Homeschool Convention Edwards, IL March 27-28

ICHE Family Conference Bourbonnais, IL May 28-31

Indiana

IAHE Conference Indianapolis, IN March 27-28

Iowa

Homeschool Iowa Conference West Des Moines, IA June 12-13

Kansas

2020 Kansas Homeschool Expo Wichita, KS May 15-16

Kentucky

East Kentucky Homeschool Convention Pikeville, KY June 27

Memoria Press Conference Louisville, KY July 6-7

Louisiana

LAgniappe Conference New Orleans, LA June 3-5

Maine

30th Annual “Lead the Way Home” 2020 Convention Rockport, ME March 19-21

Central Maine Homeschool Expo Bangor, ME April 21

Massachusetts

MassHope 2020 Convention Sturbridge, MA May 8-9

Northeast Unschooling Conference Wakefield, MA August 13-16

Michigan

2020 INCH Conference Lansing, MI May 15-16

Minnesota

Minnesota Catholic Home Educators Conference St Paul, MN May 29-30

Missouri

Midwest Parent Educator Homeschool Conference Kansas City, MO April 3-4

Great Homeschool Convention St Charles, MO March 26-28

Nebraska

NCHEA Lincoln, NE March 7-8

New Jersey

Refresh North Jersey Homeschool Conference Knowlton, NJ March 7

IHM New York Mahwah, NJ July 18

New Mexico

CAPE NM Albuquerque, NM June 19-20

New York

New York Homeschool Convention Rodchester, NY July 30- August 1

North Carolina

Thrive! The NCHE Annual Conference Winston-Salem, NC May 28-30

North Dakota

NDHSA Home Educators Association Jamestown, ND March 7-8

Ohio

Great Homeschool Convention Ohio Cincinnati, OH April 16-18

Teach Them Diligently Columbus, OH May 28-30

Oklahoma

Tulsa Homeschool Expo Tulsa, OK February 28-29

HSOK Celebration 2020 Oklahoma City, OK April 30-May 2

Oregon

Oregon Christian Home Educator Conference Albany, OR June 19-20

Pennsylvania

CHAP Conference Lancaster, PA June 12-13

South Carolina

Great Homeschool Conventions South Carolina Greenville, SC March 19-21

South Dakota

Christian Homeschool Conference of South Dakota Sioux Falls, SD May 7-8

Tennessee

Teach Them Diligently Nashville, TN February 27-29

CSTHEA Curriculum Fair Chattanooga, TN July 17-18

Texas

Texas Unschooler Conference 2020 Waller, TX April 16-20

Called to Teach Allen, TX April 30-May 2

The Woodlands, TX May 28-30

South Texas Homeschool Conference Corpus Christi, TX May 29-30

Texas Home Educators Conference The Woodlands, TX August 7-8

Utah

LDSHE Home Education Conference West Ogden, UT May 27-29

Virginia

LDSHE Home Education Conference East Virginia Beach, VA May 6-8

HEAV Virginia Homeschool Convention Richmond, VA June 11-13

IHM National Catholic Homeschool Conference Fredericksburg, VA June 19-20

Washington

Life is Good Unschooling Conference Vancouver, WA May 21-24

2020 WHO Conference Tacoma, WA June 26-27

West Virginia

CHEWV Homeschooling 101 Hurricane, WV March 21

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Parents Association Conference Stevens Point, WI May 8-9

Wyoming

Homeschoolers of WY 2020 Convention Cheyenne, WY May 14-16

Online Summits:

Sometimes, attending a homeschool convention isn’t possible. Perhaps you live too far away from the nearest conference. Or it could be that you are going through a season of life that doesn’t allow you to attend. Either way, online summits are a perfect way to bridge the gap between you and the homeschool convention you can’t attend.

Online conferences come to you. You often get lifetime access, so you can watch when it is convenient for you. Also, they usually have some type of vendor fair. Now, it isn’t the same as holding a book in your hand. However, online homeschool vendor halls still give you the chance to explore new curriculum and resource options. Here are some suggestions if there are no homeschool conventions near you in 2020

Homegrown Generation https://homegrowngeneration.com/

The Homeschool Teaching Online Summit 2.0 https://homeschoolsummits.com/

Homeschool 2.0 Global Summit https://hgsummit.com/

Homeschool Mom Conference https://mailchi.mp/d1e895905925/homeschool-mom-conference

Are you going to a homeschool convention this year? If so, which one are you attending, and is it in person or online?

Winter Field Trip Ideas to Beat the Cold Weather Blues

December 13, 2019 By Valerie Mcclintick Leave a Comment

It’s cold and snowy outside. The kids are restless and spring is months away. Winter can make homeschool difficult. You feel trapped. (Possibly going crazy) Homeschool cold-weather blues are common. Don’t let them get you down. Escape your schoolroom and find these winter field trip ideas.

Winter can be the best time to take a field trip. Everyone needs a chance to get out, stretch their legs, and have a change of scenery. Here are four ideas for homeschool winter field trips.

Aquarium Exploration

Too cold for the beach? Have the ocean come to you! Aquariums are fun and fascinating for the whole family. You can take a trip around the world in an aquarium. There may be penguins from the antarctic and hippos from the hot jungle. An aquarium trip can be educational and recreational. Take some time to relax and just watch the fish swim. Or dive deep into learning with educational programs and informational brochures. The perfect way to beat those homeschool winter blues.

A Trip to the Mine

What, really? A field trip to the mine is not your typical excursion. However, caves, caverns, and mines stay at a constant temperature. So no matter how cold it is this winter, they will be tolerable. In fact, you will welcome the relative warmth underground.

Make sure to find a mine or cavern that is set up for tourists to visit. Exploring caves can be dangerous. However, across the country, there are mine, cavern, and caves that are managed and safe. Take a tour with a knowledgeable tour guide. It’s amazing what you can learn in a couple of hours underground!

Field Trip into the Cold

Sometimes, you just need to embrace the cold. Winter provides plenty of opportunities for fun. What says winter more than ice skating? It’s great exercise and so much fun. Ice skating is also a phenomenal brain-building activity. Skating requires balance and cross-body actions, both of which activate the language centers of the brain. Plus you will be building pathways between the two hemispheres of the brain. This is essential for children to develop their math and reading skills, without even trying. So, head to your local skating rink or a thoroughly frozen pond, and exercise your brain and body. Oh, don’t forget about snow tubing, skiing, and snowshoeing. Bundle up and have some fun.

Field Trip to Nowhere

Sometimes the best plan is no plan at all. Take a drive out to the country, or a cruise around town. Drive down streets you have never traveled. Stop at that local shop that you always pass but never go into. Just see where life takes you. We often spend so much time getting places, we miss everything in between. A field trip to nowhere could keep you close to home or take you as far as time allows.

Practice map reading skills along the way. Everyone has GPS, and that is a great tool. It will always lead you home. But for the field trip, shut off the GPS and find your way the old fashioned way. Unplug from your devices. Turn off the radio. Just enjoy the scenery and time together. You can become a party of explorers. Sometimes, we need to be tourists in our own backyard.

100 Homeschool Field Trips

If you are looking for more inspiration for finding fun homeschool field trips, we’ve put together a master list of 100 homeschool field trip activities you can add to your calendar! These low-budet trips are just right for homeschooling families and your children will love them!

Homeschool Planning Guide

Are you overwhelmed with planning your homeschool field trip? Here is a free homeschool field trip planning guide that will help you keep organized. We’ve organized this planning guide into six sections with tips and local recommendations.

Fine Arts
Local Government & Business
Museums
Parks & Recreation
Outdoor Activities
Group Tours

Click Here for our Free Printable Guide

Christmas Coloring Countdown Printable

December 12, 2019 By Valerie Mcclintick 2 Comments

Last Minute Christmas Countdown

Did you forget to do a Pinterest worthy Advent Calendar this year? Don’t worry, I’m right there with you. I blame Thanksgiving. It was just too close to Christmas this year, wasn’t it? I mean, I ordered a bunch of tiny treats to put in my wooden advent calendar but I just never got the Christmas Rubbermaid out of the garage in time…and here we are half way through December.

Well, look. Today I have a simple, no-excuses Christmas countdown calendar you can print up for your kiddo. There are not mini-chocolates or extra things required. Just print it up, make a few cuts, and you’ll have yourself a working countdown calendar that your little one will look forward to for the rest of the month. And hey…..just tell them they get to color in the first 12 days as a special 12-days of Christmas bonus.

Free Printable Christmas Countdown

Let’s face it….there is just something so FUN about counting down to Christmas Day! Children LOVE to wake up and mark another day off the calendar. You might already have a felt advent calendar, or even a wooden advent calendar, but there is something extra fun and unique about creating your own countdown keepsake.

Simple Christmas Countdown Calendar

I’ve seen quite a few Christmas countdown calendars over the years, and while they are super-cute, sometimes they are just too much work to set up! Especially when Thanksgiving ends up really close to Christmas, there just isn’t enough time to transition from one holiday to the next. Well, this Christmas Countdown Coloring project solves that problem as it couldn’t be simpler.

To set up this countdown calendar, all you need to do is print out the two pages; the cover sheet that includes the numbered windows, and the background sheet that contains the pictures. Use scissors, or an Exacto knife to cut the windows on three sides as shown in the photos, then glue the cover sheet over the sheet with all the pictures.

Each morning, when you child wakes up, have them open another window and color in the Christmas picture! Every day they’ll be greeted with a new festive holiday character to color in. By the time Christmas comes around, you’ll have a special keepsake of their hard work you can keep for years to come! If you have nieces and nephews, or if you are sponsoring a child overseas, this is a lightweight advent calendar you can send along for not very much in postage.

Christmas Coloring Countdown

Print this free countdown to Christmas calendar on cardstock for best results. If you have colored paper for the the numbers that would add some holiday cheer!

Homeschool Spelling Curriculum

November 10, 2019 By Valerie Mcclintick 2 Comments

Interactive Spelling Activities for Any List

I don’t know about you, but spelling has been a constant struggle in our homeschool. We’ve tried many dedicated spelling curricula over the years, and they are either much too easy or much too hard for my children. Often they are quite boring and require hours of writing and rewriting words with little to no interactivity.

Additionally, they are often expensive, requiring us to purchase a teacher’s manual or a slew of manipulatives that my students bore of quite easily. For spelling, what I really need is a variety of engaging ways to encourage my children to practice their spelling words. I want them to have FUN while working on their spelling words. Is that too much for this homeschool mama’ to ask?

Well, this month, I decided that I had enough, and set out to create my own spelling word resources. I chose the following goals for this resource:

Let me tell you that I am BEYOND excited to announce our latest product: Editable Interactive Weekly Spelling List Pack

Editable for Any Word List
Adaptable for Multiple Ability Levels
Weekly Progression of Knowledge
Covers Written & Oral Spelling Activities
Covers Syllables, Vowels, ABC Order, Beginning Letters
Interactive, Hands-On Activities & Games
Is Virtually NO-Prep for Me :)

Let me walk you through how this spelling product works! Basically, on the first page of the product, you’ll type in your own word list (10 new words and 2 review words), and it will instantly AUTOFILL your words directly into all 18 pages of the document, giving you an entire week of custom spelling activities and games. Isn’t that exciting? Here is how a typical week will look:

Spelling PreTest

(Optional) If you’d like to see you’re your student knows beforehand, you can have them take the spelling pretest. This is also helpful for students to see their own progress. We recommend having students take this spelling pre-test at the start of the week on Monday. Remind your students that they aren’t expected to know these words, it’s just for them to compare their progress at the end of the week.

MONDAY:

(after the optional spelling pretest)

Robot Roll Game: Students roll the dice, add the number. Students match the number they rolled to their spelling words and write that word in the empty box.
Inspect & Trace: Students identify consonants & vowels, tracing their spelling word with different colors. Next, students circle the number of syllables in their word.

TUESDAY:
Spelling Practice Fold & Peek: Students practice writing their spelling words. Words are written along the right side of the paper where students can fold, cover, or peek as needed.
Dab & Spell Aloud: Students use bingo daubers to find and dab their word. Each time they dab, students spell the word aloud.
Word Worm: Students spin and read their spelling word aloud. Students then write the word on a worm and spin again.

WEDNESDAY:
Letter Boxes: Students write their spelling words in the shaped boxes.The shapes of the boxes give students a clue as to what letter might fit in the box.
Roll & Write: Students roll the dice and practice writing their spelling words in the columns. The first column to fill up is the winner!
Target Word Practice: Each letter has a number value. Students write their words, then calculate the value based on the number chart.

THURSDAY:
Rainbow Alphabet: Students write their words in alphabetical order. Then students write their words in rainbow colors.
Spelling Word Cards: This set provides you with spelling word cards for each of your spelling words. Cards can be used for flashcards, or as a memory
Spin & Dab: Students spin and dab a letter from the word they land on until the word is spelled completely. Students read and spell each word aloud. Crayons can be substituted in place of a dauber.

FRIDAY:
Mystery Spelling Word JumbleStudents decipher the spelling word by identifying the beginning letter of each picture and writing the letters in order on the line.
Spelling List BingoStudents play spelling BINGO in small groups with these bingo board cards. Since each word has the possibility to be called multiple times, students can choose strategically.
Spelling Bee GameStudents practice spelling their words as they collect each one for their game board. Students must collect and spell each word correctly to win the game.Full instructions provided on the game board. (2 pages)

Click Here for more details on Interactive Spelling

Pros & Cons of Homeschool Unit Studies

November 1, 2019 By Crafty Team 2 Comments

If your family is tired of textbook learning, or you have a child who learns best through hands-on projects, unit studies could be your best friend. Unit studies are short or long term curriculum plans that teach most or all of the coursework revolves around the same theme. So, instead of having math, science, history, and language arts as separate subjects, they are all integrated into one subject one a theme, such as horse, the civil war, space, or art history.

Topic-based lessons can be a fascinating way to homeschool. Before beginning them in your homeschool, here are some of the pros and cons of homeschool unit studies.

Free Mushroom Unit Study from The Crafty Classroom

Pros of Unit Studies

Unit studies could be just what your family needs. They are engaging and easily adaptable to various levels. This means the entire family can work together instead of having to teach every child a different program for each subject. Here are some other positive attributes of unit studies.

Passion Led

We are all motivated by our interests. Children learn better and retain more information when they are engaged. The easiest way to engage children is by appealing to their likes. Choose unit studies that your child will love doing. This eliminates the “boredom” of school and makes even the less desirable subject interesting.

Customizable

A unit study is what you make it. It can be on any topic you choose. Even the sky isn’t the limit. Traditional curriculum follows a set pattern. There are only so many different textbooks available. Most are not built around specialized topics. A unit study can also be customized to your family’s schedule and make-up. The same unit study could be used for one student, or adapted to be used with five at different levels.

At Student’s Pace

A homeschool unit study moves at the pace of the student. Unlike traditional lesson plans that tell a student what to do each day. Homeschool unit studies give the student a goal and resources to explore at his own pace. Siblings can explore the same subject matter according to their ability. The point is not to get everything completed, but to master the topic at hand.

Endless Possibilities

The greatest pro for unit studies is the endless possibilities. Anything can become a unit study. They can include field trips, projects, blogs, experiments, and volunteer work. Unit study-based homeschool curriculum is never limited to just books. There is no wrong way to do a unit study and the same topic can be explored many times from different angles.

Cons of Unit Studies

While unit studies have so much to offer, they aren’t for everyone. There are drawbacks to this kind of homeschooling. Before delving into the world of unit studies, consider the following cons.

Can Be Time Consuming

Putting together homeschool unit studies are a good deal of work. It requires much more of an investment than just using a textbook program. You will need to plan out every aspect of the unit study, find resources, create or find projects, and decide what your ultimate goal is. There are pre-made unit study available. These will save time, however, you will still have to gather the resources. Unit studies are doable for most homeschool families. Just make sure to evaluate how much time you have to invest before beginning.

Need to Stay Organized

Tackling a unit study requires organization. You will need to keep on top of what books and resources are needed when. Make sure to allow time for checking out books, ordering supplies, and delivery. Also, it will take a little more attention to stay on top of what students are doing.

Watch the Expenses

Don’t fall down the rabbit hole! Unit studies can easily get very expensive. Be conscious of costs when planning projects, tools, resources, and books. There is so much out there to explore, and so many ways to do it. Have a budget and stick to it. On the topic of getting carried away, it is easy to over-plan and want to do more than is humanly possible to complete. The best unit studies homeschool curriculum does not have to be expensive or elaborate, but it is easy to get carried away.

Non-traditional

Homeschool unit studies are not like traditional schools. There are no daily lesson plans. Assigning grades is not like marking paper tests or quizzes. They are very open-ended and free form. If you like structure and a more traditional school approach, you may not enjoy unit studies. However, unit study homeschool curriculum can be what you make them, just decide how flexible you are willing to be.

Do you have any pros or cons to add?

Now that you are aware of the pros and cons of homeschool unit studies, here’s HOW to create a unit study that’s fantastic and fits your family perfectly!

Or, if you are looking for great examples of fabulous unit studies, grab my favorite free unit studies right here:

Pumpkin Unit Study

If you love all things fall and harvest, like beautiful imperfect round pumpkins there are many wonderful ways to incorporate them into your homeschool routine. Pumpkins can be turned into math, science, and history lessons, but also so much more. For a pumpkin unit study, you really need no special supplies or expensive curriculum, just a few pumpkins and some basic items you already have around the house.

Pumpkin Math

Grab a ruler, a scale, and a flexible measuring tape. Bring home several pumpkins or head to the pumpkin patch with them and work on some math skills.

Measure the height, width, and circumference of several pumpkins. Weigh pumpkins on a scale, remove the pulp and seeds and weigh them separately.
Have younger children place pumpkins in a line in order of largest to smallest and reverse. Cut open a pumpkin and count the seeds.

Once your pumpkin is cut open measure the amount of seeds vs. pulp.
Cut a small pumpkin in half, then quarters, then eighths to introduce or reinforce fractions with your child.
Use pumpkin seeds as manipulatives for counting, skip counting, grouping, creating arrays, use a fine tip sharpie to write numbers on clean dry seeds to use to create math problems.

Label the Parts of a Pumpkin

For this hands-on activity, you just need toothpicks and a bit of cardstock. Cut cardstock in small 1”x2” squares. Write the parts of a pumpkin on each piece of cardstock- stem, seeds, pulp, skin, and ribs.

Tape each piece to a toothpick. Cut pumpkin open or in half and have them stick the label in the correct place, hands-on fun is much more memorable than a worksheet!

However, if you’d rather not label an actual pumpkin, I don’t blame you one bit! You can still work on labeling and identification when you use our free Parts of a Pumpkin labeling worksheet. The set includes a Coloring Page, Notebooking Page, Chart, Labeling Sheet and a Cut and Paste Activity. You can also grab the pumpkin clipart to use within your own teaching resources, just be sure to read the Terms of Use first.

Cinnamon and Sugar Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

An easy pumpkin recipe is a great way to enjoy a hands-on activity for math, science, and reading skills. Recipes help children learn to follow directions, introduces them to fractions, scientific reactions, and more.

You will need:

¾ cup Pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin spice
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Remove the seeds from your pumpkin.
Wash well, drain in a strainer and remove all bits of pumpkin pulp.
Dry seeds well.
Toss in a bowl with melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon.
Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Allow to cool then store in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
A delicious treat to enjoy while learning all about pumpkins!

Quick Facts About Pumpkins:

In Colonial America they sliced to top off the pumpkin, removed the seeds and pulp then filled it with milk, spices, and honey, They then baked it right over hot ashes to make the first pumpkin pies!
Pumpkins are made of 90% water.
Every single part of the pumpkin is edible, even the stem.
Pumpkin is considered a fruit, mainly due to its seeds.

Decorating pumpkins this year but want an educational spin on it? Paint your pumpkin like a globe, label the oceans and continents. Have older children label additional details.

Pumpkin Art Project for Kids

If you want to add a little fall fun to your classroom try these DIY Pumpkin Window clings! Your kiddos can each design their own colorful pumpkin, using these special paints, and our free pumpkin template. You’ll have a unique fall decoration you can hang up for years to come!

Educational Pumpkin Books

Pumpkin Vocabulary

Pumpkin is from the Greek Word ‘pepon’ which means ‘large melon’.

Use the words below as spelling and vocabulary words for your child. There are many ways they can be used such as in sentences for handwriting and grammar,

Pumpkin, Gourd, Seed, Vine, Rind, Pulp, Seedling, Gourd, Harvest, Stem, Tendril, Ribs, Sprout, Skin, Leaves.

Pumpkin Geography

Read the following pumpkin facts aloud and have your child locate the places on a map.

Pumpkins are grown on every continent but Antarctica.
Morton, Illinois considers itself the pumpkin capital of the world.
The world record for the largest pumpkin is 2,600 pounds and was grown in Germany in 2016.

More Pumpkin Printables & Ideas:

We have a great variety of free pumpkin printables and teaching resources you can add to your unit study. These are great for adapting your lesson for younger students:

Hummingbird Art Project for Kids

We’ve designed two different ways to make stunning window cling hummingbirds. The easier version is presented first and the more difficult version is second.

Hummingbird Art Material:

Hummingbird Template

Faux Stained Glass Paints

Laminating Sheets

Hummingbirds Field Guide

For either project, you’ll need the free hummingbird template along with some basic supplies. The reason you’ll need a laminating sheets is because that is how we’ll be making the plastic for the base. You’ll also need a laminator to run the blank laminating sheets through to strengthen the plastic. If you don’t own a laminator, you might consider just purchasing plastic sheets for crafting. However, I believe that the least expensive method is with the laminating sheets, especially if you’re doing this project with a large group.

Hummingbird Art Project 1

This first hummingbird art project tutorial creates a more modern stained glass looking bird. It’s also a bit easier so it might be better for younger children. A hummingbird art project for older children can be found below. However, the first few steps are the same as far as prepping so read through the next few steps before scrolling to the more realistic version.

Step 1:

Before starting the project, you’ll want to prepare your plastic. Basically, you’ll run your laminating sheets through the laminator wihout putting anything in between the sheets. The end result is a stick plastic sheeting you can use as the backdrop for your project. I always run a few extra so I have plastic sheets on hand. TIP: Purchasing laminating sheets is much less expensive online

Step 2:

Tape your plastic sheet on top of your hummingbird template. If you need to be able to move your project while it’s drying overnight, then tape them both to a piece of scrap cardboard as well.

Step 3:

Using black paint, outline the shape of the hummingbird. Set aside to dry. I set mine aside for about 40 minutes, and it wasn’t dry, but it had set enough that I could continue.

Here is how the bird will look when fully outlined. If you are doing this project with younger students, you might consider doing the outlining for them. That way there is no waiting and no frustration with outlining.

Step 4:

Once your outline is set enough, you can fill in the colors. Just be careful not to jab your paint nozzle into the black paint. The outline seems to help the paint settle into the unpainted areas, so don’t worry if you don’t get the paint right up to the edge as it will settle a bit and spread out as it dries. I started with a blue beak and a green head.

Step 5:

Continue to add colors to fill in the hummingbird’s body. I used Pink, orange, white, welly and green on the rest of the body. Then blue on the tail.

Step 6:

Using different hues is a good way to add colors to the bird’s tail. I added turquoise, light blue, and then violet.

Step 7:

Here is how I filled in the hummingbirds wings. I used blue, green and yellow for the top of the wings and then orange, pink and white for the underside of the feathers.

Step 8

Here is how the bird looked once completely painted in. You can fill your bird in any way you want though! The more color the better! When finished, set it aside to dry overnight

Step 9

Here is how the bird looked in the morning. The colors all seem to have darkened up a bit, but don’t worry…once the light shines through you’ll see those beautiful colors again!

Step 10

Use a pair of scissors to cut out around the hummingbird. I don’t know if you can see in the photo above, but I went about 1/3 of an inch all the way around the bird.

Once you’ve got your bird cut out, it’s time to hang it on the window! How stunning is that!? Mine stuck on either side, but the side with the paint did seem more secure. However, I’m not sure if the paint will transfer to the window on a hot sunny day so I’m going to leave it with the plastic side touching the window for now.

Hummingbird Art Project 2 (Realistic)

If you have older students, or maybe you want to create a hummingbird alongside your kiddos, you might appreciate these more realistic version. This tutorial is pretty much the same, however we won’t be outlining the bird, and we’ll be blending the colors as we go.