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5 Last-Minute Advent Calendar Ideas

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Counting down the days to Christmas is exciting. An advent calendar helps mark the days and keeps the anticipation building. These calendars can be elaborate or very simple. Here are some simple yet super fun Advent calendar ideas for your busy schedule this year.

Counting on Paper Chains

Looking for some easy Christmas advent calendar ideas for kids? This is the simplest Advent countdown option. Paper chains have a long Christmas tradition. They can be hung on trees, draped over mantles, and taped to the wall. This paper chain gets smaller as Christmas day gets closer. 

  1. Cut 25 strips of colored paper.
  2. Using glue, form the first strip into a circle.
  3. Loop the second paper strip through the first circle and glue.
  4. Continue this until all the papers are used and you have a chain of 25 links.
  5. Each day leading to Christmas, remove one link until they are all gone.
  6. An additional option is to include a Bible verse in each loop to keep your family focused on the reason for the season.

Christmas Advent Calendar Ideas

Getting a treat each day is another way to add to your advent calendar filler ideas collection. There are so many versions of this Advent calendar, however, a very easy and economical one begins with 25 toilet paper rolls.

  1. Collect all the rolls and make sure all white paper is removed.
  2. Arrange the tubes vertically, standing on end.
  3. Choose a shape for your calendar, this could be a tree, circle, or star. Use your imagination.
  4. With a hot glue gun, attach each of the tubes to form your desired shape. Make sure to run glue down the entire side of each tube. This will ensure stability.
  5. Around the edge of the shape, you can paint, cover it with ribbon, or leave it plain.
  6. Pipe glue around the edge of the shape on the bottom side and attach it to a piece of poster board. Trim the poster board around the shape. This gives backing to your calendar.
  7. Fill each tube with a treat, Bible verse, or small toy. 
  8. Glue circles of paper over each opening.
  9. Write numbers 1 through 25 on the paper coverings.
  10. Open one tube per day to find what is inside.

Christmas Advent Tree of Packages

Why not have an Advent tree? You’ll love this fabulous advent calendar gift idea. Using small gift bags or fabric tied in sacks, hang 25 small gift packages on a miniature Christmas tree. Make sure to draw a number on each package. Then open a small gift every day until Christmas. You can have a theme for these packages, such as Legos or candy. You could also include one piece of the nativity each day. Start with Mary and Joseph, and lead up to baby Jesus on Christmas.

Sharing the Story of Christmas

Another fun activity is a Christmas themed storytime. Wrap up 25 books in bright wrapping paper and place them in a basket or under the tree. Each night unwrap and read another story. These can be Christian themed books or a blend of simply fun Christmas books along with Bible classics. It is a wonderful way to mark the days and get in some precious family time during a very busy season.

Where to Find Premade Advent Calendars

Christmas Advent calendars are easy to find in a variety of places. Chocolate filled ones are available in more grocery stores leading up to Christmas. Many small toy companies, including Lego and Crayola, sell calendars that are cardboard boxes with individual doors. Each compartment has a new toy. You can also find wooden calendars in all shapes and sizes that can be filled over and over again on Etsy or Amazon.

Be sure to check out the Names of Jesus Printable Ornaments that are a perfect way to mark each day of Advent or decorate your Advent tree.

DIY Wooden Advent Calendar:

Now, this is NOT a last-minute project, but if you’re looking for a fun way to create some memories and finish with a lasting keepsake, be sure to check out our DIY Wooden Advent Tutorial!

We include step-by-step instructions as well as free printables templates that fit perfectly on small wooden ornaments. Click Here

How do you countdown the days to Christmas?

Free Trees Unit Study

Besides the fact that nature studies are the best way to enjoy the world God created, I love the fact that they are so easy and require very little money or preparation (aside from a couple of good field guides and such).  You really don’t have to have a very structured curriculum or one at all for your children to absorb and learn a lot.  Just get outside and dig deep into whatever topic you are interested in.

Investigating Trees in the Field

Grab your nature journal, a field guide, water and take a walk out into your own yard or a local park and take a deeper look at the trees. Of course, you have noticed them before but how closely have you really looked?

This time notice the bark, the limbs, the leaves, what types of animals and insects make their homes in and on a tree? Does it bear fruit? Investigate a woodpile, what is different about the cut wood from a rooted tree? Find holes made by woodpeckers or boring insects, carefully inspect knots, and exposed roots.

Take out your nature journal and draw a tree or a section of a tree. You can identify it at home later on at home if you are not able to while out in the field.  Look for fallen trees and note the roots, are they wider or deeper root systems? What kind of creatures make their home in a fallen tree? Does the tree produce food for animals or humans? Gather leaves, small fallen branched, acorns, pinecones, and other parts of trees to observe more closely at home.

Use a camera or smartphone to take photos of knots, leaves, signs of animal life, roots, and other parts of trees.

Younger children will enjoy gathering fallen sticks and leaves to bring home, investigating knots and rotten logs as well as making tree rubbings of the various trees you find.

If time and weather permits visit different areas to observe as many different trees as you can. Find trees that produce food for humans as well- citrus, apple, pecan, maple, etc…

Investigating Trees at Home

Once you have enjoyed a wonderful hands-on investigation of trees in their natural habitats you can continue it at home no matter what the weather is like.  Pick up an inexpensive tree slice from the unfinished wood section of your local craft store, I have a large one, some small tree slices that were bought for crafts and these little bitty birch slices I scored a whole bag of at Dollar Tree.   

Use these to check out the bark a little closer, count rings, measure the height, width, and circumference of the tree ring. Test the softness of the wood.

Use the photos you took out in the field to help you identify the trees, fungi growth, and other characteristics.

Pine Cone Science

If you were lucky enough to come across a few pine cones on your nature walk, you can use these free pine cone science notebook pages to expand learning. Students can color, label, and identify different parts of a pine cone.

Leaf Investigations

Grab some of the leaves you gathered from your nature walk and drop several different kinds in a large glass or bowl of water, be sure they are completely submerged. Be sure your leaves are fresh, this won’t work with dried out leaves!

Leaf Science Project for Kids

Set your bowls in a sunny window, you will need to leave them alone for a few hours.

Come back after a couple of hours and observe what you see. Do you notice the bubbles forming on the surface of the leaf? Do the larger leaves have more bubbles?

The leaves are using photosynthesis ( converting sunlight into energy) and they are releasing the excess oxygen and water that they do not need. Using the water gives us a pretty cool look at how the process works, something we would not normally get to see!

Leaf Identification Activity

While you are waiting for your leaves to bubble grab a field guide or other book, we are loving our Nature Anatomy books as a reference, and see if you can identify the leaves you found.

Try some fun art projects with the leftover leaves like pressing and drying them between the pages of a book to add to your art journal, laminating a few for a fun little placemat, or making a leaf collage.

Parts of a Leaf Printables

For students who are ready, you can add in our free parts of a leaf printables. This set includes coloring pages, worksheets, cut & pates labeling, and notebooking sheets that are sure to liven up your leaf nature journals.

Leaf Art Project for Kids:

Students of all ages will love to make these stunning zentangle leaf art prints. These oak leaves turn out just as unique as the children making them! You’ll find a free printable template and step-by-step instructionss to create these fall beauties here.

Books About Trees for Kids:

Here are some fantastic tree books for reference, tuck a field guide for your area into your nature pack for deeper study out in the field!

Tree Vocabulary:

Branch, trunk, bark, photosynthesis, transpiration, deciduous, coniferous, forest, roots, leaves, canopy, rings, deforestation, blossom, foliage, and dendrophile.

Choose words from above depending on your child’s level to use as spelling and vocabulary words during your study. Use them as writing prompts for journaling, create sentences label the parts of the tree during your nature journaling.

Choose some trees that are in your area and include these as well – Ash, Alder, Maple, Douglas Fir, Birch, Pecan, Lime, Oak…

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Fall Science Experiments for Kids

This helpful set is filled with a week’s worth of fun, educational math games, hands-on activities, science experiments, art projects, early readers and writing prompts. Everything you need for fall to add a little holiday fun to your kindergarten or first-grade classroom this year!

Science:

This set includes five simple autumn science experiments and challenges. Each thematic activity guides students through a fun, hands-on science exploration with very little prep-work. Students work their way through the scientific method using the step-by-step science journals. Each experiment includes a follow-up activity for added learning.

Math:

Each day students will play a fun Thanksgiving themed game or activity then follow up their learning with a lesson sheet to show mastery. Games focus on learning to frame numbers to ten, basic addition, counting to 100, and counting by 10’s.

Art:

We include five stunning fall art projects that are perfect for Thanksgiving. Each project comes with a full photo tutorial, printable templates and easy to follow materials list. Students work with oil pastels, paint, textures, blending and more.

Reading:

This set includes three early readers covering social studies and history. Each story includes a carefully controlled word list and incorporates key vocabulary for extended learning. Students are provided narrative and comparison writing prompts that are not only simple to follow, but would make wonderful educational keepsakes.

Take Home:

T is for Take Home Review Sheets. These sheets can be used as review work in the homeschool classroom or as homework in a standard classroom. Each page features reading, writing, vocabulary, and character thinking points.

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Mushroom Unit Study

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September is National Mushroom Month, its the perfect time to dive into a nature study on the topic. You really don’t need to wander farther than your own backyard, the next open field, or local state park to unearth your next nature study. There are so many things to learn about and enjoy while keeping it simple.

Free Fall Unit Study

Just choose a topic, like mushrooms, and expand upon it with books, nature walks, videos, hands-on activities and even recipes. I have gathered some starting points for you here that would make a great unit study on their own, choose just one, or expand on them even further!

If you are unable to find any mushrooms growing wild in your area you can use your reference books or look online and complete most of these activities.

Mushroom Investigation- Go on a nature walk and bring some mushrooms home (we found all these in our own backyard). Be sure that you know they are safe, I personally prefer to be the one picking the mushrooms and I use gloves at that. Maybe that is overkill but it works for me. There are a few recommended books for learning about mushroom identification that I’m sure you could find at your local library before your nature hike.

Spore Prints

Mushroom Spore Prints- Spore prints are the powdery residue that is left behind under mushrooms and other fungi. They are often used to identify different types of mushrooms. You can make spore prints at home for some fun mushroom science!

How to Make a Spore Print:

Cut the stems off your mushrooms and spread them out on a piece of white paper with the gills (underside) facing down. Add a little water to the top of the mushroom by spritzing lightly with a spray bottle or use a paintbrush to apply.

Let your mushroom tops sit at least overnight. When your pull your mushroom top up you will see the unique prints it leaves behind

Mushroom Photo Hunt

For this activity, you can let your child use a digital camera or smartphone. Head out on a nature walk and look for different types of mushrooms or other fungi and capture them with a photo. If you want to know what you found right then and there you can use a program like iNaturalist to identify them immediately.

Print the photos or simply review them on the phone and research the names using a combination of internet and reference books, this is a great easy way to incorporate some research skills!

  • Research the names of each.
  • Identify at least 3 different types of mushrooms.
  • Determine whether the mushrooms are edible or not.
  • Observe the color, the size, the location you found them,

Spelling/Vocabulary-Have your child look up the definitions for and use the following words as spelling practice for the week: Fungi, spore, mycelium, scales, hymenium, annulus, stipe, gills, and volva. Younger children can work on simple terminology like cap, stem, mushroom.

Parts of a Mushroom Worksheet

Nature Journal Sketch- Whenever we do a nature study I like to spend at least one day a week creating a page related to our study in the nature journal. I like to give the kids a spiral-bound notebook with watercolor pages, it is great for many different mediums like a pencil to sketch, beautiful watercolors, chalk pastels, oil pastels, and good old colored pencils.

Free Mushroom Printables from Homeschool Clipart

Life Cycle of a Mushroom Worksheet

Encourage your child to lightly draw images of mushrooms with a pencil and then color it in with watercolor.  Once dry, let them label the types of mushroom as well as its parts depending on their ability. You can use your favorite medium but I love watercolors because they are light and easy to carry out in the field or to use at home. For your art journal, you could also draw and paint the life cycle of a mushroom.

Sauteed Baby Bella Mushrooms

I like to incorporate cooking into our lessons as much as possible because it can utilize so many skills- math, science, following directions, geography, knife skills, and other basic life skills. We grabbed some Baby Bella mushrooms from the grocery store and I incorporated them into a very simple dish for the kids to make and they were able to use knife skills and learn about stove safety while tasting something they made with their own hands!

  • You will need 1 package Baby Bella mushrooms, 3 T. butter, 2 teaspoons diced garlic, 1 tsp. Dried parsley, salt, and pepper to taste.
  • Rinse and wipe off mushrooms well with a paper towel to remove any remaining dirt.
  • Slice mushrooms into thick pieces.
  • Melt butter over medium-high heat.
  • Stir in mushroom slices and all seasonings except garlic, sautee for 5 minutes.
  • Add garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
  • Add mushrooms to hamburgers, over green beans, or eat them straight off the dish!

Ideas for younger children:

  • Create your own mushrooms with playdough.
  • Make and paint a mushroom with paper plates.
  • Make a mushroom sensory bin with soil, moss and fake mushrooms.
  • Sort edible mushrooms by size.

Learning about mushrooms can be tons of fun! With all the possibilities for art projects, nature hikes, hands-on journaling, and even recipes, this is definitely a unit study you want to add to your fall line-up!

One Small Square Nature Journal

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Nature Journals are a popular way to engage children in the great outdoors. The flora and fauna of your local neighborhood become the teachers in the ultimate open-air classroom. Detailed nature studies are exciting, but can also be a good deal of work. As a summer alternative, try a tiny square nature journal. It has all the benefits and enticements of a full-blown nature study, packed into one little square. This makes it easier for kids to do on their own, and leaves plenty of time for summer fun!

For added learning, visit your local library or pick up this fantastic series of books called, “One Small Square.” These books feature beautiful illustrations of diverse flora and fauna tucked inside a small square picture of different habitats, and your children will be enthralled by them!

Find Your “Square”

The first step to this type of study is locating a spot. This is where the entire study will take place. It should be a spot that is easy to get to frequently. One in your backyard or a close by a park that you frequent would be perfect.

Your spot should be on the small side, only 2-4 feet wide and long. It should be compact enough for a child to do a thorough investigation in a matter of minutes. Try to pick a location that has a variety of vegetation.

Make a Habit of It

The purpose of a tiny square nature journal is observing changes over time. It invites the children to take a very close look. When observing large areas, it is easy to miss so many details. The larger trees, animals, and insects grab your attention. However, even the smallest of squares is teeming with activity.

Decide how often you will visit your little spot. Every day? Once per week? Make sure you will get in enough observations to see the smallest changes, but remember it is summer. This activity should not add stress to your day. Regular visits are crucial to this project, so think of how you can make them part of your routine this summer.

The Big Picture

A little square can be packed with big life. Observing the changes each visit, and recording them in your journal, will help children understand the bigger picture of your eco-system. So many tiny creatures, subtle changes, and little food chains keep the environment healthy and growing.

Drawing or photographing your spot on visits or at different times of the day can offer a deeper appreciation of what happens when we aren’t looking. By comparing photos or drawings from early summer to early fall, or early morning to late at night, your child will grow in his appreciation and understanding of the world around him.

Establishing Some Roots

A one tiny square nature journal inspires ownership. This is your child’s special spot. He will be more inclined to protect it and learn from it long after the project is over. Just like the roots of trees stretch far down below the soil where we can’t see them. Having a vested interest in a tiny eco-system will extend far past the summer project. This is a chance to really connect with nature on a deep level with a project that takes just minutes per day.

Free Nature Journal Printables:

Use these free printable Nature Journals to track your Small Square!

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

How to Fail at Homeschooling….

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Homeschooling your children is a monumental task. If you ask, most homeschool moms would tell you that their biggest fear is failing! Everyone wants to get it right and do the best for their children. However, sometimes trying hard not to fail at homeschooling is the surest way to fail! Here are seven ways to fail at homeschooling and what to do instead.

Making Homeschool Your Number #1 Priority

This would seem like a positive move. Making homeschooling your top priority will make you work harder and focus on success which will guarantee you do not fail, right? Wrong! Your homeschool is important but it cannot come before all the truly important people in your life. Your husband, your children, and God should always be your primary focus. When homeschooling ranks above everyone and everything else, you will be missing out on the special opportunities to enjoy your family and will quickly burn out. You need clear priorities that place homeschool in its proper place, as something you do not your sole reason for being.

Tips for Success:

Homeschooling is important and can become consuming. However, it should never take the place of your focus on your family and faith. After all, those are probably the reasons you started homeschooling in the first place. You will have more success if homeschooling is a family priority that does not get in the way of living your life.

Great Expectations

You start your homeschool journey or the new year with high hopes. You are going to make this the best homeschool ever. Your children will love every activity and excel in every subject. You will show the world how superior the homeschool model is! Failure is not an option. With homeschooling, you children will be perfect. They will enter college at 15 and earn full scholarships to the most elite programs. Your homeschool room with be the envy of every social media maven and you will still cook nutritious, three course dinners every night before spending hours in front of the fire while Suzy plays Schubert on the piano and Johnny recites Plato from memory. Ah, you will not only not fail, you will be perfect! Nothing is perfect though, and hoisting high expectations for perfection on your children will squash their desire to learn, as well as their creativity.

Tips for Success:

Goals and standards are good, but they need to remain in check. Perfection doesn’t equal success. If you don’t want to fail, accept that learning requires failure sometimes. Your children will not do everything perfectly. That is part of learning. Instead, be realistic. Kids will be kids. Let them explore and make messes. Give your children room to grow at their own pace. Enjoy the journey instead of rushing for the goal. Failing sometimes is actually the best way to succeed!

Too Many Extracurricular Activities

What about socialization? Homeschool kids need socialization. If they spend too much time at home they will be social failures. They need time with other children and rigorous activities. So, signing up for every extracurricular under the sun makes sense. You don’t want to raise socially awkward children. However, running to all the activities causes homeschool failure. Parents and children get tired and worn out. Family life suffers. Getting school work done gets stressful because of time constraints. Instead of giving kids a happy social experience, you create misery.

Tips for Success:

Extracurricular activities are good. They just need balance. Socialization happens everywhere. Homeschool children do not need to be at activities every day. Focus on a few activities that your child really want to do. Pick ones that fit your schedule, budget, and family values.

Not Addressing Learning Needs

Taking a one size fits all approach is a sure way to fail. You choose the top rated curriculum. You know, the one “everyone” at co-op is raving about! This is what will make your homeschool successful. Your child struggles with the work. It isn’t working for him, and you don’t understand why. You keep at it. He just needs to try harder. Failure is not an option. But instead of progress, you both get more frustrated.

Tips for Success:

The beauty of homeschooling is that it is personal and individual education. Trying to force a square peg into a round hole will never work. Every child has learning needs and a unique learning style. If a program isn’t working, the problem is probably the program. When you find resources that fit your child’s learning needs, your homeschool will thrive.

Self Defeating Attitude

There are two sure fire ways to fail at homeschooling. The first is to believe that you will fail. The second is comparing yourself to others. Comparison is the thief of joy. There is no one right way to homeschool. When you set yourself up as not being good enough, you set yourself up to fail. It’s easy to think that someone else, especially someone you only know through social media or blogs, is doing a better job that you. Everyone has struggles and everyone experiences homeschooling failures sometimes.

Tips for Success:

Instead of feeling like you don’t measure up, look at what is going well. Work on building the homeschool that works best for your family. No one has it all together, all the time. You can do this, believe in yourself!

Expecting School at Home

Most homeschool parents went to traditional brick and mortar schools. They know how school works, so they model homeschooling on their experience at traditional school. However, homeschooling is not school at home. Schools are designed like a factory, they are setup for production and testable results. There are rigid standards and strict schedules. Alternatively, homeschooling is an education model, with more flexibility. If you are trying to replicate school at home, it will increase your chances of failure.

Tips for Success:

Homeschooling should be about education at home. It is a lifestyle, not a school choice. Develop a love of learning in your home. Focus on the experience, not checking off boxes to keep up with public schools. You chose to homeschool because you wanted to escape public school education. Dare to be different and educate your children as a family, not a school. There is a fine balance between pushing for childhood development, hitting suggested milestones, and the standards of educational growth while allowing self-led learning, engagement, and natural discovery. Finding that balance for your own homeschool will lead to a successful outcome.

Free Homeschool Student Portfolio

Simple homeschool planning resources you will actually use!  These resources will help you meet state homeschooling requirements as well as add a little organization to your homeschool goals for the year. Inside you’ll find the following resources:

  • Colorful Cover Sheet
  • Student Profile Sheet
  • Monthly Tracking Log
  • Weekly Tracking Log
  • Daily Attendance Sheet
  • Quiz & Test Scores
  • Field Trips Log
  • Physical Education Log
  • Volunteer Hours Log

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Free Homeschool Portfolio

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Homschool Planner

Print our Free Student Portfolio!

Homeschool record keeping is an important part of a successful homeschool. There are many systems for record keeping available. One of the most popular and flexible systems is a portfolio. This quick start guide will show you how to easily build a portfolio successfully for each of your children. Here are our favorite tips and tricks for keeping a homeschool portfolio. Our Homeschool Portfolio is a limited time Subscriber Freebie Available Here

What is a Homeschool Portfolio?

A portfolio is a means of record keeping and assessment. It demonstrates what has been learned by a child in a specific area of study or over a particular time period. The portfolio is more than just a collection of grades or transcripts. Portfolios show a student’s ability and experiences. It is a living collection that grows and changes over time

Portfolios eliminate the stress of completing an end of year assessment. Instead of expecting students to demonstrate everything they have learned in a large test, portfolios allow them to show how their learning has progressed. It also allows for creativity and personalization, something that can never happen on a paper and pencil test.

Why are Portfolios Important?

Portfolios are important for many reasons. Some states require families to maintain homeschool portfolios. Other states give the option of creating a portfolio or taking a standardized test. The portfolio is a concise way to show everything that was accomplished over the year. Knowing your state homeschool laws should be the first step in planning a portfolio. Check out Understanding Your Homeschool Requirements by State to learn more about what your state requires.

In addition to state homeschool requirements, there are other reasons to keep portfolios. Some homeschool charter schools require student portfolios. Also, portfolios are a perfect option for high school. Since portfolios are highly personalized, they are a perfect choice for demonstrating high school credit earned. Even if you are not required to keep a portfolio, it is a very useful record keeping system.

What are the Daily Logistics of Maintaining a Portfolio?

The portfolio is a yearly assessment but has to be maintained daily. The single binder portfolio is the most popular, and required by some states. Other options include an accordion file portfolio and digital portfolio. It is important to make daily maintenance simple. Keep one binder for each subject. Also have a binder for additional logs and sheets. (see below) Each day add completed work to the subject binder. Also. record grades, attendance, etc in appropriate logs. Keep all binders in a central location. (Students can help maintain binders, too!). At the end of the year, you can pull what you need from these binders. That will make year-end assessments quick and easy to complete.

What Should Be Included?

Every portfolio is unique. There are as many different styles as families who keep them! Always include whatever is required by your state. You can then get creative with the rest. Remember that less is more! A portfolio is a snapshot of the homeschool year. It should not include EVERYTHING! Include just enough to meet state requirements and demonstrate growth. Here is a sample list of what to include:

  • Colorful Cover Sheet: This should include the title “Homeschool Portfolio” and space to write Student’s Name and School Year
  • Student Profile Sheet: This contains all pertinent information about the student. It will include strengths, weaknesses, course of study, and other personal details.
  • Monthly Tracking Log: The log sheet shows how many days each subject has met. There is a log for each month of the school year. The page is a grid with subjects across top, room for 31 Days on left side, and totals on bottom
  • Weekly Tracking Log: Similar to the monthly tracking log but it breaks the records into weeks. This is set up with subjects on left side, days on top, and totals on right.
  • Quiz & Test Scores: This is a record of all quiz and test grades received for each subject.
  • Field Trips Log: Include where you went, the date, and what was learned.
  • Exemplary Examples of Work: Show off student progress. Include a collection of the best work from the year in various subjects.
  • All State Requirements: Make sure that all requirements are met and included.
  • Physical Education Log: Keep a log of what activities/sports were counted as physical education and time spent on each.
  • Extra Curricular Log: This is a place to record what is done outside the classroom. Include clubs, activities, and performances. Be sure to also note any special awards or recognitions earned.
  • Volunteer Hours Log: Volunteering is real work learning. It is also a requirement for graduation in some states. Record all volunteer activities, dates, and how long was spent on each event.

Subscriber Freebie!!

For a limited time, our Student Portfolio is available to our newsletter subscribers for FREE! All you have to do is claim your free download by confirming your subscriber email address. If you’d like to join our subscriber list, we would LOVE to have you! It’s free to join and all the details are here.

Also…..Dont’ Miss our FREE Homeschool Planning Pack

Simple homeschool planning resources you will actually use!  Less is more when it comes to organizing and planning out your homeschool year.  These resources will help you set goals, keep track of curriculum decisions and orders, and teach your student to keep an independent weekly calendar.

  • Homeschool Goals
  • Homeschool Curriculum Planning
  • Independent Student Calendar

Can You Afford to Homeschool?

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Homeschooling, like anything with kids, can be very expensive! You may be hyperventilating when you search for curriculum options. This can lead many prospective homeschoolers to quit before they begin. They feel like they could never afford homeschooling. Homeschooling does not have to be expensive!With a little planning, it is very doable. Before diving into purchasing curriculum, learn how to budget like a ninja for homeschooling. Here’s a four step plan for you to make an annual plan that works.

Take an Inventory of Income and Expenses

The key to making anything affordable is knowing how much you have to spend. Knowing how much you have coming in and going out is vital. If you already keep a budget, great! Look over it and decide how much you can allocate to homeschooling.

If you don’t have a written budget, or your budget is tight, dig a little deeper. Take some time to look over your expenses. What other expenses need to be covered? Is there anything that can be cut or modified to make more room for homeschool resources? You may want to get a budget tracking app, such as MINT, to help with tracking expenses. After a few months, you will have a better idea of where your money is going.

Decide What You Can Afford

Now that you have analyzed your expenses, it’s time to build your budget. How much can you afford to spend? How much money and how much time. Time probably wasn’t what you were thinking. Saving money takes time! Yes, there are ways to homeschool for almost nothing but, everything has a cost. If you are choosing to create everything yourself to save money, you need to find a way to budget more time. There’s no such thing as completely free. Buying a boxed curriculum is expensive, but you will not have to create lesson plans, activities, etc.

On the other hand, you can save hundreds of dollars by building your own curriculum. You will need to budget time to gather all the materials, write out lesson plans, make up tests, and so on. Homeschooling can be affordable, just be realistic when budgeting your time and money.

Create Goals for Each Student

Homeschooling can also get expensive when you don’t have a goal. It is easy to get swept up in the amazing curriculum options. It is important to know what you need and truly want your children to learn. What subjects are required? Is there anything else that you want to add? Be careful not to add too much. One or two additional subjects is plenty. Remember this is about budgeting time and money. If you buy more curriculum than you can use, you are wasting money.

Try our FREE Homeschool Goals Worksheet!

Look at your goals and make a list of exactly what you need for each child. Are there any special tools you will need( such as a microscope or laptop?) See how many resources you already have or can borrow. Now it’s time to divide your overall budget between your children according to their needs.

Do Your Homework

Research is an important part of being prepared. Know what you want and research the options BEFORE attending any type of curriculum sale or homeschool conference. This will help you stay focused and make an informed decision. Look into how the curriculum works and what learning styles it serves. Read over reviews for potential curriculum choices. Know how much the curriculum choices cost and what they go for used. Having a short list of ideas will keep you from getting overwhelmed with the options. Also, an informed consumer makes better decisions. Your research will keep you on budget and help you avoid buying something you don’t really want. Remember sales representatives can be very convincing. Of course, they all sell the “best” resources around.

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How to Conquer the Clutter in the Classroom

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Are the papers starting to get out of control in your homeschool or classroom? Have you accumulated a ton of curriculum over the years and it’s overwhelming? It’s time for a clean space — here’s how to conquer the clutter in the classroom.

It’s easy to allow your homeschool space or classroom to get messy. But, there’s a solution for all of it — declutter! It’s time to get your organization skills sharpened along with those fresh, new pencils. Here are 5 quick tips on getting your room tidy and neat before the school year ends. Less mess, less stress!

1. Write a quick list of homeschool curriculum

First, you need to know what you have before making decisions on what homeschool curriculum to keep or toss. Once the list is finalize, mark the curriculum that you need to keep for the next 2 years. Now that you have a comprehensive list of unnecessary homeschool materials, take them through a triage process. It’s very simple — reuse, recycle, or remove!

2. Removing unwanted homeschool curriculum

It’s now time to get rid of the paper pile up! You want a clean classroom, don’t you? You’ve loved on this curriculum for many years, and it worked for your homeschool child or classroom. Yet, it’s ready to go to a new home. I know, it’s tough. You have fond memories and know how valuable it is, so let someone else enjoy it too.

Here are some questions to consider:

  • Will I use this in the next 2 years? If yes, it’s a keeper! Put it in the keep pile for organizing later.
    • But, can I reduce the double copies, ripped pages, or broken materials to make it more manageable?
    • Can it be stored digitally and/or displayed on a tablet?
  • If I won’t be using it in the next two years, it’s time to give it away, sell, or store it digitally. Below you’ll find ways to sell or donate your used homeschool books, manuals, worksheets, and materials.

Remember, storing too many items takes up time and space, which ultimately takes up precious time from other important obligations. Plus, if you are getting a paycheck, it reduces your pay.  Yes, you heard that right! If you are taking time to store unneeded items, you’re making less money based on the hours it takes to store them. If you’re a homeschool teacher, your wasting time without your family or doing something you love.

Also, recycle any of those papers, including duplicate copies, you longer need. Just think of it this way — your messy papers just may be transformed into thoughtful greeting cards to brighten someone’s day!

3. Remove the Broken Writing Utensils

Yes, we could come up with a hundred projects on how to recycle those broken crayons. But, if the ‘Recycle Old Crayons in the CrockPot’ is not on your school calendar this year, toss them! Plus, get rid of any pencils or pens that don’t work, are short, run out of ink, or just not useful anymore.

Now it’s time for some homeschool organization! Gather all of those colored pencils, markers, pens, and pencils you are keeping. You’ll find all you need to know below under Permanent Storage Solutions.

4. Resell Your Teaching Curriculum and Homeschool Resources

Make some extra money by reselling your previous purchases or inherited items. You’d be shocked at how much you can make by free advertising online using Craigslist, Facebook or a small percentage on eBay.  

For free advertising, just search for “Craigslist + Location” and you’ll find a section ‘For Sale’. Facebook is also an easy way to make a little money from used homeschool materials. Click on Marketplace on the left hand tool bar, then select the ‘+Add something’ button on the left.

5. Permanent Storage Solutions

Now that the clutter is finding a new home, let’s discuss your homeschool curriculum and materials you want to store. Classroom organization is key to a stress free space.

There are many permanent storage solutions, and there’s not a perfect solution for everyone. But, here is what I’ve seen worked best digitally and physically.

Digital Storage Solutions

Google is a great way to store digital homeschool curriculum and printables. All you have to do is create a Gmail account, and you have 15G of free electronic space. Create folders based on grade then subject. It will make your job a lot easier when you’re looking for homeschool curriculum!

Another great tip is to name your digital files by product and brand. If you ever lose a file, you can always search for it by name.

Physical Storage Solutions

There are many homeschool hacks and classroom organizing tools available, but here are my frugal favorites:

What organizing tips do you have to help clean out the classroom clutter? Whether you are a homeschool mom or classroom teacher, we all deal with messes whether its paper, pencils, or programs. It’s time to get organized for a happy, stress free school day!

5 Easy Tips to Refresh your Homeschool Space

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Tired of the same old boring appearance with your homeschool? Is it time to give it a fresh, new appearance without killing the budget after a long break? Try these 5 easy tips to refresh your homeschool space!

Sometimes we need to kick it up a notch with our homeschool or classroom space. Maybe our students seem to be disengaged, disinterested, or discouraged. Or, as teachers, we can get a bit frustrated with the lack of color, excitement, or aesthetic appeal in our high traffic area.

It’s time to rejuvenate our bland and boring homeschool. It’s also time to put a little pep in your step as you walk into your genius making space. That’s why making these 5 small changes is an affordable solution, giving you and your students a whole new outlook on education in a fun and inspiring way!

Bean Bag Chairs

Having the right set of furniture is important to encourage learning. If kids are uncomfortable, they may lose focus and may get the squirms and wiggles.  You might want to consider adding colorful Bean Bags to the decor!

Bean Bag chairs are naturally comfortable since they fit the contour of your position. They’re soft and attractive to kids, help promoting the learning process. Plus, they’re not stiff and hard like a typical school chair.

Having multi-sensory experiences keeps students active participants, especially for kids with special needs, including attention deficit disorders.Try these Bean Bag Chairs that come in different patterns and colors, are affordable, machine washable, and kid friendly!

Stability Balls

Sitting for long periods of time can get frustrating for kids, especially if they like to be active and engaged while learning. With a stability ball for kids, your child can stay active and participate in their education all at the same time!

You may consider using these exercise type balls as a station and rotate in groups with the bean bag chairs. That way, everyone gets a turn and keeps the kids connected and focused!

Large Area Rugs

Having a center where kids can sit and listen is another great tip to refresh your homeschool. Choosing a themed rug doesn’t have to be difficult, choose something that will encourage your children to run to the rug when it’s read aloud time!

There are a ton of large area rugs to choose from, but if your children are learning their ABCs, this ABC rug will teach and comfort your students.

Choose Bright Colors

Using bright colors promotes creativity and it’s inviting for kids. Teachers can add bright colors using fun chairs, wall decor, or area rugs. Try to keep with a color theme or using all colors of the rainbow. It would make a great learning tool reciting the colors of the amazing rainbow!

Get Kids Involved

Still stumped on what changes you can make to refresh and reboot the classroom? Get the kids involved in the decision making process! Not only will they give you great ideas, they’ll be proud of the choices and actively participate in all of the new decor! You’ll find kids love to help and giving them a hands-on experience is a huge part of the learning process.

Bringing new energy to your room with these easy ideas is a great habit for homeschool moms and teachers! Whether you make a few small fixes or revamp the entire room, either path will make a huge difference in your attitude and stamina! And, you’ll gain more connections, participation and energy in learning with all of your students.

Want to take a peek inside our homeschool classroom? We homeschool in the dining room and have some great tips to help you make the most of small room homeschooling. View Our Homeschool Classroom!

Fine Motor Activities for May

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If you are looking for ideas for your May Preschool Themes, today I have a great set of resources you can use to create many fun hands-on learning opportunities in your classroom. Our monthly fine motor activity packs have quickly become one of our best-selling resources for good reason! They are low-prep, interactive, simple, yet engaging activities that students of all ages are drawn to.

If you’ve missed any of the previous months, you can pick up the discounted Fine Motor Activity Bundle here. Here is a peek inside our May Fine Motor Activity Pack.

Seeds & Plants Fine Motor Printables

Our first theme for May is seeds and plants. Students work on a variety of different skill building exercises designed to create a thematic unit for your preschool classroom.

  • GEOBOARD: Students use rubberbands to create the pictures on a geoboard. Each sheet features a letter of the alphabet alongside a thematic picture.
  • MAZES: Students solve the mazes and follow the prompts. Each page features thematic mazes alongside a tracing activity or prompt.
  • PLAYDOUGH: Students use playdough to complete the prompts. Prompts require students to form and shape the dough to make pictures, solve problems, or complete the scene.

Spring Flowers Fine Motor Activities:

April showers bring May Flowers! After learning about seeds and plants, your classroom will be filled with flowers of all sorts!

  • TRACING: Students trace the pictures with colored pencils or fine tip markers. Each page features thematic content and prompts students to complete the pictures.
  • SNAP CUBE CREATIONS: Students use counting cubes to make thematic pictures These cubes can be snapped together. If you do not have cubes, students can color the squares in the grid to match the picture.
  • PUZZLE PICTURES: Students use puzzle blocks to create thematic pictures. These sheets feature thematic shapes and provide students with easy and more difficult patterns. A full-color example is available for easy reference.

Farm Animal Fine Motor Worksheets

After learning about all the new plant life that comes with spring, students will be thrilled to work on new farm life activities! This collection provides students with fun fine motor worksheets based on barns, and farm animals.

  • LISTENING SKILL SHEETS: Teachers will read the directions aloud and the student listens carefully to finish the task. Tasks involve fine motor elements, coloring, and prepositional positioning of drawings
  • CUISENAIRE™ ROD PICTURES: Students use colorful centimeter rods to build thematic pictures. Students are asked to color the rod key to show how many rods they used of each color.
  • BRICK BUILDERS: Students use classic building blocks to recreate these thematic pictures. Students work on storing, planning, and stacking before creating their final picture.

Mother’s Day Preschool Printables

Towards the end of May it’s time to celebrate our end of the year holidays; Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. With these printables activities, students will have a fun bouquet of tulips to give to Mom.

  • DOT & POKE: Students cut apart the halves. Students solve the dot to dot activities. Then, students use a push pin to poke a picture onto colored construction paper. See full instructions below.
  • CUT & SORT CROWNS: Each crown features a theme alongside a 4-step sequencing pattern. Students cut out the pictures and glue them in the correct order. Students write their name, color the pictures, then staple the sides to make a crown.
  • DAB & DOT: Students use daubers to dab by number in order to reveal the mystery picture. (Hold at a distance to help students see the pictures).

Memorial Day Fine Motor Worksheets

Finishing out our May themes is a collection of Memorial Day printables you can use to creat a patriotic unit in your classroom. Students can learn of the great sacrifice our men and women in uniform have made, and how we celebrate and thank the for their courage and bravery.

  • CUT & PASTE CRAFTIVITY: These crafty projects are perfect for little hands.Students color, glue, and cut to make fun, thematic pictures.Pair with a simple writing prompt or poem for extra learning!
  • POM PICTURES x 2: Students use pom-poms to complete the picture.For added difficulty have students use plastic tweezers to pick up the poms. Alternatively, students can glue poms to make these sheets into a simple craft project.

Our May Fine Motor Activity Pack is available as a single download, or part of our year-long Fine Motor Bundle here in our TPT store!

4 Easy and Frugal Homeschool Art Projects

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I don’t know about you, but the homeschool day goes really fast! And, it can be hard fitting in the time-consuming, clean up-consuming subject of art. To help my fellow homeschool moms, I’ve come up with a simple, yet SUPER engaging list of easy and frugal homeschool art projects.

Kids LOVE art — getting messy is fun! And, any creations they concoct can be proudly displayed or shown lovingly to their Grandma on FaceTime.

However, for Moms — crafts can be exhausting! The time suckers and messy materials can be somewhat daunting for our busy days! Yet, we also know our children’s joy and creativity soars with art. It’s an important subject NOT to skip.

That’s why these fast, simple, and frugal art activities are perfect to use as boredom busters for any preschoolers, kindergartners, and elementary school aged kids.

Are you looking for simple items you can purchase to keep your Homeschool Art Supply Closet full?  We’ve compiled our favorite, frugal products and brands to make it easy for you to keep your art cabinet stocked.   All of these products are tried and tested in our own homeschool classroom, and are well loved by the kiddos.  We’ve picked these specific items because of the price and the quality, this is a list you don’t want to miss!  Click Here

On a budget? No problem! Most craft materials can be found at the Dollar tree or on Amazon at a great price (and shipped right to your door!). These art crafts are also wonderful time fillers and distractors for after school, on weekends, playdates, and gift giving!

Popsicle Stick Crafts

The possibilities are endless with popsicle stick crafts but when you’re in a hurry, here are some exciting ideas. Remember, kids have vivid imaginations and giving them materials only will get their creative juices flowing! Grab some glue sticks, washable markers or paint and ask the kids to get creative.

Here are some ideas to use for Popsicle Stick crafts:

  • Build Tic Tac Toe Grids, glue together, and cut out 9 pieces of paper to fit inside boxes. Write ‘X’ and ‘O’s using markers on pieces of paper with different colors.
  • Make a star using 2 triangle shapes. One will be upside down on top of the other. The kids can paint or color them with markers.
  • Create a frame with sticks shaped as a square. The kids can write “family” or any words they wish or paint with favorite colors.

Beads

Beads are wonderful materials to make gorgeous designs, bracelets, necklaces, and much more! These innovative ideas may require a purchase of a bead kit for a low price. Using beads strengthen hand eye coordination, focus, creativity and fine motor skills!

Please note: We wouldn’t recommend attempting beads until your child is about 5 years old or any child who puts things in their mouths.

Pipe Cleaners

Pipe cleaners are one of the most versatile and simple craft materials you can use for tons of kid activity! They come in a variety of colors, they’re inexpensive, and easy to manipulate into any shape!

Here are some ideas to get you started with your creative kid:

  • Make a flower arrangement: draw and color a flower, cut it out, and pull stem through. Put it in a pretty vase or cup and pass it onto a neighbor!
  • Bend and twist 2 favorite colors to make a bracelet or necklace.
  • Cut pipe cleaner in half, add a wonderful array of colorful beads, and twist the end.

Playdough

Playdough is SO easy to make! Here is a step-by-step recipe and tutorial.  Just combine 2 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons of oil, ½ cup salt, and 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar. Then, start adding 1 to 1 ½ cups of boiling water in increments to determine best consistency. Food coloring is also an option for a variety of colors.

Give each child a ball of dough, and the sky’s the limit! If you see some inactivity, throw some cookie cutters on the table for a little help. You’ll be amazed at what your child can create with his/her imagination!

Now, if you just don’t have the time or prefer commercial play dough, check out this colorful Play dough package.

Finding ways to give your kids creativity time fosters mental growth, stimulates new ideas, and encourages new pathways of thinking and problem-solving! Take time today to give your children these wonderful opportunities to grow and learn exponentially!

Looking for more easy and frugal ideas on homeschool art projects? Check out these crafts, activities, and printables here!

Amazon Book Coupon Deal for You!

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Don’t you love when you spot a deal that is so good you have to SHARE it with a friend?

Today, I found one of those deals and just had to pop on to SHARE the coupon code with you.

Amazon is offering $5.00 off your $15.00 book order when you use code: BOOKGIFT17 at checkout.

Hurry to shop because the offer expires at 12/15/2017 at 11:59PM

Here are some of my favorite titles to recommend:

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Amelia Bedelia Box Set by Herman Parish 

Beautiful Word Bible NIV published by Zondervan

The Biggest Story by Kevin DeYoung

I’m super excited about this offer, especially with Christmas coming and my need to creatively stretch and combine my homeschool and Christmas budget together.  There are a few restrictions that apply, but there are still hundreds/thousands of books to choose from!

Happy Book Shopping!!

Fruit Shaped Mazes for Kids

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A fun collection of Heathy mazes for students!  Each activity page teaches children the health benefits of a specific fruit.  Students read, write, maze and trace their way to a good understanding of healthy fruits.

This fantastic set of healthy fruit activity pages is a great way to combine health with writing activities.  Print this set FREE from BrainyMaze.com

 

Apple Maze & Activity Sheet

Apples grow on trees. Apples have good fiber. Apples can be red, green and yellow.

Banana Maze & Activity Sheet

Bananas grow on trees. Bananas have lots of potassium and help us digest food.

Blueberries Maze & Activity Sheet

Blueberries grown on bushes. Blueberries help to lower cholesterol and keep our hearts healthy.

Cherries Maze & Activity Sheet

Cherries grown on trees. Cherries can be red, pink or black. Some cherries can help us sleep better.

Grapes Maze & Activity Sheet

Grapes grown on a vine. Grapes can be red, green, yellow or purple. Grapes help to keep our hearts healthy.

Kiwi Maze & Activity Sheet

Kiwis grow on trees in tropical climates. Kiwis are full of fiber and are good for digestion. Kiwis are very high in Vitamin C.

Lemon Maze & Activity Sheet

Lemons grow on trees. Lemos are acidic and help our bodies stay balanced. Lemons detoxify and are good for our livers.

Oranges Maze & Activity Sheet

Oranges grow on trees. Oranges are filled with Vitamin C which help to keep people healthy.

Pears Maze & Activity Sheet

Pears grow on trees. Pears are full of fiber and are a goo source of Vitamin A which helps our hair, skin and nails.

Strawberries Maze & Activity Sheet

Strawberries grow on small strawberry plants. Strawberry seeds are on the outside and are full of Vitamin C.

Watermelon Maze & Activity Sheet

Watermelon grow on vines. Watermelon are mostly water and help us to stay hydrated. Watermelon have very few calories.

 

Alphabet Order Worksheets

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abcordermazes

At BrainyMaze we’ve got a fun new set of Alphabetical Order Mazes for your kiddos!  Children work their way through the maze by following the letters in the correct order.  Below the maze is opportunity to practice handwriting skills by filling in the missing letters.  This set includes three different mazes and we’ve got more on the way so stay tuned!

Print ABC Order Mazes from here

Making Art with Nature Prints

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Over the years I’ve noticed that there are some art projects that we only try once, and there are some that we repeat over and over because they are so much fun!

Making Nature Prints is one of those projects.

I think it’s because they are so simple to make, and the kids are always so thrilled with how their prints turn out.

How to Make Nature Prints:

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Step 1. Purchase Sun Printing Paper.  This is a special paper that will change with exposure to sunlight.  It comes with a black bag inside and you must keep it dark until you are ready to use it.

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Step 2.  Choose something from nature that will leave a fun shadow on your paper.  Look for leaves with interesting edges and shapes.  Lay it on your paper in the direct sun for one to two minutes, being very careful not to touch it or move it in any way.

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Step 3.  Remove your item to reveal your print!  How neat is that?!

 

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Step 4: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat!

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Buy Sun Printing Paper Here

Pin this project for later:

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Free Compound Words Learning Game

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If you have a child who is showing progress with their reading ability, you might want to spend a day or two teaching them some compound words.

Compound words are words that are made up of two other words that have been “compounded” together.

I have three boys so I like to tell my children that they are “pounded” together because what little boy doesn’t like the idea of pounding something together?

Anyway, I designed this game to be single or multiplayer.  Single players simple match up the words on the four different boards correctly.  Compound2

Multiplayer can be played by placing all words into a small container and drawing one at a time and looking for the needed word on your board.  There are four different boards making a total of 32 compound words for children to learn.

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With younger children you could wait to cut the words completely apart, and first introduce them to the words:

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The entire game is available in Black and White as well so those of you wanting to save on ink can print to your hearts content!

I’ve also included follow up worksheets for each word.  These are blank boards with lined paper for children to write in their words and can be used alongside or after the game.

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Print our free Compound Words Game Here from our sister site File Folder Fun.

Find More Free First Grade Languages Games Here

 

 

Names of Jesus Advent

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NamesofJesusAdventPin

Our Names of Jesus Advent Ornaments have been such a huge success over the years that I wanted to update them with new designs and even expand the options you have when making them.

I know there are so many Jesse Tree Ornaments available online, that I wanted to do something a little different and create Names of Jesus Ornaments that actually FIT onto the unfinished wooden Craft ornaments so you can make a sturdy set that will last for years to come.

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First you’ll need to print out our ornaments.  We provide you with Black and White so you can design your own, or Color Versions that are print ready!

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Ned You’ll cut out and glue your designs to the front of the ornament.  We used Modge Podge glue so that we can get that see through coat over the top of the ornaments.  This gives them added protection over the years.  Use a pen to write the coordinating Name of God onto the back of the ornament.  If you’re using these as a countdown you might also write in the day as well (i.e. Numbers 1-24).

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You can then decided to hand these with a small ribbon (above) or to place on an advent tree with small nails (below).

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Either way you’re sure to have created a meaningful tradition with your family each Christmas.  Pair these ornaments up with the FREE Names of Jesus Advent Unit Study Here and you’ve got yourself a month long curriculum.

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You could even turn all the ornaments around so that children can reveal a new name of Jesus every day until Christmas.

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Print Your Own Names of Jesus Ornaments Free Here

ProductChristmas

Try our Christmas Activity Pack Today!

Filled with 40 pages of games, crafts, activities and worksheets for K-5 students.

Game

Find More Free Christmas Printables Here

Ornament Bible  Verse Printables

Christmas Coloring Pages

Pop Up Nativity Craft

Preschool Christmas Printables