Even though our homeschool is on winter break, that doesn’t mean that I can’t sneak in a little learning. I’ve collected a few free resource links for us to follow on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Our stockings are hung by the chimney with care! (The above photo is our latest chalkboard mural)
It’s Christmas Eve and our family is wrapping presents (yes, science toys and art supplies and books), baking cookies for neighbors, and listening to Christmas music! As busy as I am today, I just had to stop by the blog, and wish you all TIDINGS OFCOMFORT AND JOY! And send you our family’s new favorite Christmas song.
Our homeschooling winter break has officially started! Though practicing skills with last minute shopping, crafting, baking, parties, and parts in a Christmas play, the learning doesn’t stop.
Since studies won’t be mandatory, our thoughts can be focused on Christmas, fun, and playing Santa, (We decided when our oldest was young not to encourage a “belief” in Santa, but to encourage idea and play of Santa. We each draw a name and are responsible for filling that family members stocking, wrapping a gift or two and eating the cookies left out.)
Without lessons, my kids will no doubt be asking for extra computer time. I found these fun “Santa” sites for the kids to play on.
Join Raymond the Reindeer for a tour of the North Pole, short stories, and interactive games http://www.northpole.com/
A wonderful selection of Christmas themed games http://www.primarygames.com/holidays/christmas/games.php
The “Naughty or Nice ” rating from this site may not be accurate because this is what Santa said about me, “Nicer than nice. A real champ! I was really proud of all the hard work that went towards changing those “naughty” habits of last year. Treated friends nicely and was exceptionally honest (which happens to be one of my favorite traits!) It’s amazing what a good old fashioned “I’m sorry!” can do for a rating. Keep up the good work!” http://www.claus.com/naughtyornice/index.php
Claus.com has many other activities including an updated North Pole weather forecast, attend “Elf School” and earn your diploma, and more activities http://www.claus.com/village.php
Christmas Jokes for Kids https://www.activityvillage.co.uk/christmas-jokes
Our Christmas studies have been going well. We’ve been covering Christmas themed Bible, social studies, math, foreign language, music and language arts lessons since the beginning of December. However, science studies have been lacking. For our final week of learning of the semester, we’ll be focusing on science but will still be keeping our Christmas theme.
Made How is a “new to me” site. While exploring there, I found helpful articles explaining the background, materials, design, and manufacturing of popular holiday items. This site doesn’t have an index or search bar, so I’ve linked to each item individually below.
The first week of homeschooling Christmas we had 4 sick kids, 3 canceled events, 2 visitors, and roads closing due to a winter storm. Hey, that could (almost) be sung to the tune of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”!
We are making a slight change of plans this week with our “Christmas in Early America” studies, too. After a three day study/review of the original colonies, we started researching Christmas in the colonies. That was when we learned that in Boston, Christmas celebrations were against the law! In the other early colonies, Christmas was decorated , foods prepared, and celebrated by whatever traditions those early colonists brought with them when they sailed over.
So, for the rest of our learning days before we break for the holidays, our new lesson focus will be more of a “Christmas Around the World” theme.
This study will not actually take us away from our years course of study of Early American History, it truly relates to an early American theme…”The Melting Pot”. America is called this because we, the people, came from everywhere around the world, but coming to America made us one nation.
Below are the best of the internet links I’ve found for studying Christmas Around the World!
A nice collection Christmas songs from around the world
And just thinking of “melting pot” conjures images of melting chocolate chips for fruits, cookies, and pretzels and also of warm soupy cheeses for breads, veggies, and meats.
Our holiday cooking lessons and potluck dishes to share will most definitely have to be fondues!
Kid friendly instructions, tips, and fondue recipies
This first week in December has been all about counting the days until Christmas. I am just as bad, if not worse than the kids when it comes to the rush and excitement of the holidays. Also, we look forward to surprises each day and a welcomed break from learning as usual.
We’ve had special activities each day this week. We dug out the box of Nativity collectables from the garage and cleaned off our school shelves for them. We made a couple of trips to the grocery to buy cookie and treat ingredients for baking/cooking projects. We have also visited the craft store to stock up on the supplies we’ll be needing for our holiday art creations. There’s been old favorite Christmas movies watched. And of course, we loaded our bookbags up with stacks of library books with holiday themes. Finally, there were web sites with holiday studies that we have linked to each day. Below are the best of the online resources we have kicked off our learning through December with.
Daily Christmas countdown activities for both my teens and younger boys . One is a calendar which features an interactive game or activity for each day and another calendar with a different Christmas themed geography and history lesson. Both calendars are found here http://primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/teacher/christmas.html#advent
NORAD also has a site with a new interactive activity each day as well as some other north pole and Santa activities and resources http://www.noradsanta.org/
The teens also have an interactive calendar to link to each day. This one offers a new secondary level math video each day http://nrich.maths.org/10472
There is so very much I am thankful for, not just today, but everyday. And, dear reader, I am thankful for you! It’s my prayer that you are finding much to be thankful for as well.
Have a blessed holiday!
betty jo
Here are a couple of Thanksgiving themed posts just in case you are needing some last minute activities!
This week we began our Thanksgiving unit studies with a couple of Pre-Thanksgiving activities. Below are some of the links we followed as we both reviewed and learned about the early American Settlements of Roanoke and Jamestown.
For the school days from now until Thanksgiving we we will be notebooking, crafting, cooking, reviewing, and researching who, what, when, where, and why – everything associated with the Plymouth Colony. We will keep journaling pages and bulletin boards of what we discover.
Below are the links we’ll be using for resources as we travel back in time to visit early America over the next few weeks.
Plimoth Plantation “Just for Kids” Activities – Coloring, Talk Like a Pilgrim, Virtual Field Trip, History Detective, and more! https://www.plimoth.org/learn/just-kids
According to the special days calendar, June 7 is “Daniel Boone Day”, though October 22 is his birthday (1734). This American pioneer/frontiersman/explorer, is an interesting guy to study any day. Below are some links for free Daniel Boone teaching resources.
According to the special days calendar for October, the second Thursday is World Sight Day. This awareness day is sponsored by WHO (World Health Organization) and was established to draw attention to blindness and vision impairment. Below is a collection of free resources for teaching about the human eye and blindness.
There are many Bible verses relating to the eyes, blindness, and healing of the blind. However, Isaiah 42:16 is what I have selected for our homeschool Bible discussion, copy work and journaling
“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.”
To conclude our World Sight Day study we’ll be watching this informative video about the history, training, and use of seeing eye dogs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udUWaXxGo_U
Even though our homeschool is on winter break, that doesn’t mean that I can’t sneak in a little learning. I’ve collected a few free resource links for us to follow on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Still Learning Something New 