Almost Unschooling Grama

  Earlier this summer, we found a tub of water outside that had a ton of tadpoles in it. We decided to bring in 7 of them to watch them grow.  On July 20th they were so little! Each week we would change their water and count them. Every week they got bigger and some would disappear. They grew and grew! And soon they had legs! We ended up with just one. He still had a bit of a tail, but he was jumping around outside of the water so we let him go. Goodbye, little buddy!

  When I was in school, the only thing we ever used index cards for were speeches and research papers, but these things are actually worth their weight in gold!  For homeschooling, there are only a few things that I consider essential. You can get along without fancy curriculum, lesson plans, and even the internet if need be, but index cards are a mainstay at my house! They are cheap and versatile. Over the years I've used them for sooo many activities.  Bible: Write one word (or phrase) on each from your current memory work, mix them up and race to see who can put them in the right order or set them out on the floor for a "memory walk".  Spelling: Use them for the simplest spelling curriculum ever! F or several years I tried to teach my children how to spell. Every year I would get a new “curriculum” and follow it precisely, but nothing worked. Finally came up with my own... 1st day: Find 2 words they don't know how to spell. Have them write those words 7 times. A ...

Friday, we went to Keokuk to see the insect zoo at the library. Lil Red was into touching everything but Princess Brilliance was a little more reserved. We saw tarantulas, giant roaches, beetles, giant centipedes, walking sticks, scorpions, and more. Here are some pics! Did you know that scorpions glow under a black light?

  We had some fun at the park on Tuesday! Our theme for this month's  party was the beach/ocean. We did science experiments showing how currents work, how sharks float, and how baleen whales eat. We made sandcastles with kinetic sand. And cute little sailboats! We also played some games with hula-hoops, pool noodles, and beach balls. We decided to wait until August for our next party, but we will have a Tuesday morning hang out at the park for kids, parents, and/or caregivers if you'd like to join us. I will be at the main playground at the Nauvoo State Park around 9:30ish for an hour or two as long as it's not pouring down rain. Give me a call if you have any questions! 309-221-0785

  Once a month, Shanda and I try to plan a special educational-themed party. This month we planned a one-hour party in the Nauvoo State Park, but since it was a little chilly and we only had 2 families involved, we decided to have it at my house and make a whole day of it.  We started out by making meat pies. corn pudding and butter for lunch.  Instead of making a big pie, we opted for making individual pastries so everyone could be involved in rolling out the dough. We used whole wheat to make it more authentic and talked about how the grain would be processed, the meat would be cooked, and colonial ovens. We also made butter by shaking 1/2 pint of cream in a jar. We all took turns and it took forever! After each round of shaking, we would check the butter and the kids would taste it. This picture is the final product: butter and a cup of buttermilk! After lunch, we made quill pens and blueberry ink. We thought the ink would be blue, but it was actually a brown color! We...

We went to the St. Louis Science Center on Friday.    They didn't have as many exhibits as usual due to Covid, but we had fun! It took a bit, but Lil Red worked up the courage to touch a dinosaur! We explored electronics Mechanics The Mars rover. And our solar system. But the video games were the big hit! Especially the fitness games! We learned about the bell curve. And liquid nitrogen! Then we tried out the wind machine. I tried to get a picture with all 3 kids in there, but Lil Red was the only one brave enough to stick it out. It looks like he's screaming and trying to get out, but he was having a ball!

  We don't follow a strict schedule at my house, but we do have a basic routine because routines help kids feel secure. Every family will have a different routine because every family is different. Here's a typical day at my house: In the morning, the kids get up and watch tv quietly while I work on my Bible name translation project, schedule posts on my FB page, or work on learning the foreign languages I want to learn.  When the kids get hungry, we have breakfast, brush teeth and hair, and get dressed. Then we do our morning chores and head outside to play for a bit.  Once we have the wiggles out, I read the kids their pick of library books and do a project or play a game, followed by snack time. Next, I work with each of the kids individually while the other plays educational games on the computer. After lunch, we head outside again for at least 1/2 hour, and then it's rest time. Each of the kids picks out a Bible cartoon and everyone sits quietly until they are over. ...