Are you extra busy this time of year?  We are!  Our calendar is filled with Christmas program rehearsals, a holiday workshop, caroling, and parties.  We’re decorating, crafting and baking.  And of course, there’s light displays to drive by, extra shopping, and gifts to wrap and deliver.  Oh yeah, there’s homeschool lessons, too.

Not only are we counting the days down until Christmas, we’re counting the days left in our semester.  I know some homeschooling families that take off the month of December, as nice as that sounds, it isn’t for us. We keep on learning through December, and we have about two more weeks of homeschooling before we’ll be ready for a break .   However, with the added busy-ness, regular lessons won’t give us the time we need to pursue the activities that make this time of year so special.

Below are  the online links to Advent and Christmas countdowns that we are using for quick lessons that are helping us check off our daily subjects.  Not only have the kids been liking these (probably because it’s extra computer time and the studies are short), I like them too.  It’s wonderful to have a break in lesson planning and to devote my “teacher time” to all the activities December brings.  It’s fun knowing that we have surprises waiting for us to learn about each morning.  And since these resources are brief, we have the afternoons for all those extras.

For Bible references and a little related trivia each day until Christmas – http://www.jamtrust.org/resources/adventcalendar/AdventCalendar.html

Learn Something “Christmassy” every day for 25 days  –  http://www.whychristmas.com/adventcalendar/

Countdown with Math –  secondary grade levels (6-12)  –  http://nrich.maths.org/11330

Countdown with Math – primary grade levels (1-5)  –  http://nrich.maths.org/11078

For Science, a Chemistry Countdown  –  http://www.compoundchem.com/2014advent/

Unlock a New Game Each Day Until Christmas  – http://www.santagames.net/calendar/index.htm

World Geography and Cultures  – Read about Christmas traditions around the world  (We used this as a study link last year and it’s great!)  –  http://projectbritain.com/Xmas/calendar/index.html

Liverpool Museum has a historic display to share each day – http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/christmas/advent/

For even more Christmas Advent and Countdown resources

I hope you enjoy your final learning days until the holiday break.  I wish you Merry Homeschooling!

betty jo