Ancient Egypt: Taamia Falafal

Welcome to week 2 of our Ancient Egypt Unit Study Series.  If you missed last week, be sure to swing over and learn about the core books I will be using throughout the series.  

To gain a better understanding of the culture of this people group, we cooked up Taamia Falafal, an ancient Egyptian meatless dish.  In our research of Falafal, we learned that there are other modern nations that make a similar dish.  The Egyptian version, however, is flattened instead of round like a meatball and is made with a few varied ingredients, as detailed in this original recipe.  

Operation Christmas Child Packing Party

It might seem a bit premature to be whipping out the Christmas posts already. But, in keeping with the local Walmart stores around the country...it's never too early! Once the school supply aisles are liquidated, it's time for Christmas garland...right?!

Well, there is a bit more method to my madness...

We're chattin' about Christmas today in honor of one of my family's MOST FAVORITE Service Saturday projects...the annual Operation Christmas Child packing party...consider it a fabulous Christmas bash one month early.

If you are not familiar with OCC, it is one of the world-wide ministries of Samaritan's Purse. Folks all around the globe pack empty shoe boxes full of needed essentials and small toys for children of impoverished countries. Gospel tracts are included with each box as the folks of Samaritan's Purse recognize salvation to be a person's greatest need. Boxes are dropped off at collection sites in Australia, Canada, UK, and the USA and then sent off to children in need.

Ancient Egypt: Mummified Apple Experiment

When beginning a study of world history, it's always best to begin at the beginning...with ancient civilizations. For the next few weeks, I will be sharing an on-going unit study of one of the oldest known people groups of the world, the Ancient Egyptians.

Lessons in Responsibility for My Son

It has always been a goal of ours, as parents of four boys, to train our sons up to be strong, Godly men who will lead their families in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Too often, the Hubs and I see American men acting like boys who have never grown up. Or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, as angry "tough guys" who are too beastly to care for their wives and children with love and tenderness. We pray that with the Lord's help we can steer our boys away from both extremes.

Top 10 FREE Educational Computer Games for Kids

One of the highlights of the school day for my Littles is when their Task Card says they may play a review game on the computer. Although there are many great "membership only" review sites that are well-worth the registration price, there are just as many FREE sites worth exploring. Here, in no particular order are our kid-friendly family favorites.

ABCYa

ABCYa.com

This is, by far, our GO TO on-line game site. I like the fact that I can choose the grade level of play. ABCYa.com does not just focus on one particular subject, but has a handful of both math and language games to choose from. I also appreciate the ONE PLAYER feature. My kids do not like competing against another unseen child via the computer. Instead, he/she is only challenged by his/her own personal score or time on the clock.

Arcademic Skill Builders

Arcademic Skill Builders

Filled with math and geography review games, Arcademic Skill Builders has many fun features. The one negative is the fact that your child will be placed in a group with other on-line gamers for a race to the finish. If your kids are like mine and get flustered with "race-type" challenges, you might want to pass on this site.

Cool Math Games

Cool Math Games

Logic skills is the main theme of Cool Math Games. Don't let the name fool you, however. There are many language skill building games included. The one negative of this site is that it does not review actual math or language skills such as addition and subtraction, but rather the logistical skills needed to perform those mathematical processes.

Dance Mat Typing

Dance Mat Typing

Want an inexpensive...in fact, FREE...typing program for your kids? Dance Mat Typing just might be in order. This funky site is produced by BBC schools and touts four easy skill levels to develop basic typing skills.

Game Goo

Game Goo

Admittedly, Game Goo is not my favorite site as many of the games are just fluffy wastes of time. There are, however, a few good ones that have topics unexplored on other sites. The quirky graphics are always a kid-favorite around here.

Knowledge Adventure

Knowledge Adventure

Half of the games offered on Knowledge Adventure have absolutely NOTHING to do with building knowledge, but are just fun, arcade-style challenges. If you are selective, however, there are many educational offerings worth pursuing.

 

Learning Games for Kids

Learning Games for Kids

Art, music, literature, geography, and even health are just a sampling of the extracurricular game links provided at Learning Games for Kids. It provides many core subject games, as well. Almost all of the games are links to different sites around the web. So, some parental discretion is in order.

Math Game Time

Math Game Time

Just as its name denotes, Math Game Time only provides math games. Like Arcademic Skill Builders, children are pitted against other on-line players for a race-to-the-finish-style game.

Soft School

Soft School

I hesitate even adding Soft School to the list as it is mostly just a glorified worksheet. But, if you are in need of some "jazz hands" to add to an otherwise "regular" math or language worksheet, this might be just what you are looking for. Players are asked simple review questions and must type their answers in order to progress to the next question.

Spelling City

Spelling City

Highlighting spelling and vocabular practice, Spelling City is a membership only site with a handful of FREE games for unregistered visitors. The biggest "pro" to this site is a "make your own list" feature. You can type dozens of individualized words for each of your children. The "con"...you have to re-enter the list every time you re-enter the site.

Starfall

Starfall

The free phonics review games and digital "readers" provided at Starfall make it another GO TO site for my younger learners. Although my middle boys still need an older sib to help with the technical part of handling the computer track pad, the actual site is very preschool friendly.

I realize that this does not even scratch the surface for on-line offerings. But, these 10 games have become our most-used resources. Do you use computer review games in your homeschool day?

What's your GO TO on-line review game?

American Girl History Units: Julie

Ironically, we started our American Girl History Units on a birthday...the birth of our nation...and we are ending it on one too...the birth of...well, ME. Fitting that the era of history we are looking at today is the era of my birth, the 70s. As our guest writer, Susan Mathis, points out, the 70s were a rather dark time in our country's past. But, as has been said...If we don't study history (and all its parts), we are doomed to repeat it. Because of some of the themes of this particular American Girl Series many moms, myself included, have opted to forgo reading them...at least for a little while. But, I encourage you to tuck Susan's thoughts away for future reference.

Zoo Trip {and FREE Animal Game Printable}

We were given FREE tickets!  Who doesn’t love that?!  Two hours away from our wee-lil’ town, in our state capital, our “neighborhood” zoo was offering a special, limited-time dinosaur exhibit.  Naturally, I tend to veer away from dino-type offerings from the world, but as I knew it would mostly be life-sized models, my younger boys can not yet read all the evolutionary hogwash plastered on the display signs, and the Hubs and I could have an on-going Creation-focused conversation with all the Littles as we walked the tour, I agreed that this would be a fun expedition for my dino-lovin’ Super Boy and his side-kick siblings. 

I won’t bore you with all the nitty-gritty of our little field trip except to give you a few tips for traveling to a long-distance field trip destination and a FREE Printable. 

• Packing a lunch, easy-to-manage snacks, and water bottles to avoid the outlandish snack bar prices goes without saying.

• Backpacks are a large family’s best friend.  Even little ones can tote their own necessities if given a size-appropriate pack.

• Be on the lookout for “pop up” special exhibits.  Larger destinations like theme parks, zoos, and museums often have side-show attractions on major weekends or holidays to accommodate a larger crowd.  (While walking the park, we spied a zoo attendant sitting on a bench holding a turtle.  She invited anyone to come pet it and learn a few interesting facts.  As she was hidden under a shade tree, she went unnoticed by passersby...affording us front row “seats” to the entire presentation.)

• Often, if “special” tickets have to be purchased in addition to general admission prices, those tickets are good for not ONE, but several different park perks.  Or, they often can be redeemed for dollars off other attractions.  If you are traveling a great distance, consider paying a few extra dollars for the “special” tickets in order to get a full day's worth of fun.  (Our general admission tickets were free from a family friend, but we still had to purchase the passes to enter the dino exhibit.  These, however, gave us half off the park tram which came in handy toward the hotter part of the day when we no longer felt like walking.)

Preparation is the key to a successful long-distance field trip.  Check out these helpful sites for field trips in your area.

1. Hip Homeschool Moms-a list of fun field trip destinations in EVERY state.
2. Online College.org-a collection of 50 general suggestions
3. Homeschool Entrepreneur-ideas for creating a field trip to explore vocational possibilities
4. Factory Tours-a comprehensive info list of all tour-able factories in the US
5. Field Trip Factory-partnering businesses and educators for great field trips

 

And now for the FREEBIE…

While on our two-hour-long trek TO the capital and the two-hour-long trek BACK home, we entertained ourselves with a few zoo/animal-themed car games.  Two that were especially fun were a “Name That Baby Animal” and “Name That Animal Group” guessing game.  Essentially, I just called out an animal name and the first person to chime in with the correct answer earned a point.  Most of the group names were unfamiliar to my kids, so, it was a great way to introduce them.  Later, as we saw many of those same groups at the zoo, the kids were able to recall a few of them.  I have put all of our "fun" on an easy-to-print-and-bring-along page just for you.  Enjoy it on your next zoo outing or long car ride!

Animal Group Names Printable

Baby Animal Names Printable

Set Your Homeschool Day on Autopilot with Task Cards

Many years ago, I came across some information about Sue Patrick's Workboxes, an organizational system designed to aide her autistic son in developing independent study skills.

In the simplest of terms, workboxes are made from a drawer organizer cart. Each school day, you fill the drawers with school assignments or fun activities and instruct your child to work their way down the cart, doing the task in the first drawer before moving on to the next one. Your child would be motivated to do the school work you've placed in one box in hopes they'd find a reward such as a fun game, a snack, or a pass for a break in the next box.

My Type A personality loved the idea of this well-ordered school-day tool.

I appreciated the autonomous learning that the workbox method promised. As an added bonus, I was assured that if I implemented something similar in my own home, those dozens of learning games collecting dust in my school cabinet would finally get played with.

American Girl History Units: Molly

Today's series in our American Girl History Units brings us to a pivotal time in our nation's history. The United States was beginning to see growth and prosperity after the despairing years of the Great Depression. Then came the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor and, once again, America was deep in the trenches of hardship. As our guest writer, Susan Mathis points out, the "Molly's" of the '40s would be in their 70s today and might still be alive to tell many heroic tales of men and women...and even children...who did their part to defend our country during WWII.

God's Girls Club: Devotion

Glad you've joined me for the very last meeting of our Summertime God's Girls Club, a mother/daughter group that seeks to find joy in femininity and impart a love of homemaking to the next generation of Proverbs 31 girls.

(This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for full details.)

Throughout the summer, we have enjoyed working our way through Lady in Waiting for Little Girls: Strengthening the Heart of Your Princess by Jackie and Dede Kendall. 

Table Manners/Hospitality Skills:

• Review all manners and skills learned throughout the summer.

Tea Party Snack: vanilla ice cream topped with honey

Character Quality: Devotion

Just as we desire to spend time with our earthly fathers and make them a high priority in our lives, we should strive for complete devotion to our heavenly Father.  He desires to build an eternal relationship with us and has left us with a life-long conversation...His Word.  With a brief look at Psalm 119:103, we learned that God's word is sweeter than honey.  Its loveliness should compel us to read often and draw us nearer to Him.

Biblical Example:  Mary (Luke 10:38-42)

When given the opportunity, Mary placed high value on spending time with Christ...hearing from Him...learning from Him...devoting her full attention to Him. She knew that spending time with Jesus was the best way to spend her time. Hearing Him speak was like honey...honey to her mouth. Her devotion to Christ was clear to everyone present that day. We, as God's Girls should strive for the same devotion and seek to read His Word in an effort to "sit at His feet" as Mary did.

Handcraft:  

a simple, one-handled bookbag, part 3

At our last meeting, the girls cut and sewed the bag portion of the book bag.  At this week's meeting, we completed the entire bag by sewing the strap together.

To make the strap portion of the book bag: 

Lay right sides of the strap fabric together and pin in place.

Sew both "long" sides with a 1/4 seam.  Leave the two "short" sides unsewn.

Reach your fingers inside one of the small unsewn ends and pull the fabric "right-side-out."

Tuck the unsewn ends in to the strap about 1/4 inch.  Iron the entire strap.

Sew a 1/8 inch topstitch all the way around the strap being sure to enclose the two small unsewn ends.  

Use a measuring tape to find the exact middle of the strap (or just fold in half lengthwise).  Pin each end of the strap to the sides (seam) of the bag portion about 1 1/2 inches down from the top of the bag. 

Sew a 1 inch box to attach each side of the strap to each side of the bag.

Here are the girls and their completed bags.  Sweetie Pea made her book bag for her brother, Super Boy, who did not have a library bag.  She was sooooo excited to come home and finally reveal the secret gift that she had been working on for about three weeks.  

Thank you so much for joining us this Summer for our God's Girls Club!  May God bless you as you seek to train the next generation in Proverbs 31 living.

If you missed any of our fun...

God's Girls Club: Obedience

God's Girls Club: Service

God's Girls Club: Faith

God's Girls Club: Inner Beauty

God's Girls Club: Devotion

Helpful Habit: Good Morning Board

With the start of the school year, we have waved goodbye to our more relaxed summertime schedule. One helpful habit to help us adjust to a more rigid schedule has always been to establish clear morning time routines.

With seven people living in a very small home, certain habits and routines are not only helpful but mandatory. I am a firm believer that children find safety and success in having clear boundaries. Our morning time goes much more smoothly with clearly defined expectations. Enter our Good Morning Board.