Sketch Books

A fun project we are doing this year is a drawing diary. I purchased some sketch books, these ones were about $4 and gathered up some markers, crayons and pencils. When we do something fun like a field trip or a cool science experiment I am going to have the boys "document" what they did by drawing a picture. This will help them remember what they learned as well as a fun activity (that will also be a "before dinner distraction"). :) Here is an example of their work! W drew his bicycle in a tornado (the biking part really did happen, the tornado... not so much!). We went to "Bike Safety Town" and learned all about street signs and road markings. L said the best part was going down the hill...

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Nature Walks, hands on Science!

Last week we went on a nature hike at one of our local parks. I can't tell you how much of a valuable resource parks can be! The kids love getting outside in nature and exploring, plus it gets mom some well needed exercise! On our hike we talked about habitats and what types of animals and bugs live in a forest habitat. We saw a mole trail and talked about how they live underground and burrow. We saw some neat holes in an embankment and talked about the bugs that might live in them! We saw how water can erode the earth. Here are some great resources for getting into nature! 25 Nature Activities for Kids United States Starte Parks Canadian Provincial Parks...

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15 Bean Soup!

This is a fun and frugal learning activity for your little ones! Seriously this bag of beans cost me $2.60 and we can use it over and over and over again! For our kindergartner I got him to sort the beans into like groups then count them into groups of 10. For our pre-schooler I asked him simply to sort. This is great for fine motor skills, as well as basic counting. We also used the beans to count by 10s. Other Things you can use beans for:playing bingo glue them to paper and make a mosaic Make bean bags Make Maraca's out of plastic containers It was great fun! When we were done we put the beans in a container and saved them for another day... or sou...

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Chicken Fajita Soup

Here is a quick and easy soup you can make with your home made chicken stock! It literally takes 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to warm through, that's it! You aren't really cooking anything just warming it up! Here's what you'll need: 6 c chicken stock 1 can diced tomatoes (or a few large chopped tomatoes) 1- 1 1/2 c chopped chicken (left overs from roast chicken works great) I can black beans about 1 c corn ( I used leftover corn cut off the cob this time but frozen is OK too) 1 T cumin 1 T Paprika 1 t chili powder salt and pepper   Place all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil, reduce heat right away. Your soup is done!You can serve it with lots of...

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Bubble Painting

Today it was so nice out we decided to do a messy craft outside! Be fore warned your kids will probably need a bath, or at least a good hose down after this! We got our instructions from the Family Fun Education website. Here's what you'll need: Grubby clothes tempra paint (different colors) dish soap straws shallow containers (we used old sour cream containers, they were a bit deep) water Popsicle sticks paper (we used a card stock heavy weight paper, but you don't need to) How we did it: Pour the paint into the container and add the soap. Stir with the Popsicle stick. Add a little water to dilute and stir. Take your straw and place it in the container, it works best if it's touching...

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Homemade Chicken Stock

Making your own chicken stock is probably the one of the easiest things you'll ever do in the kitchen! Let me show you how I do it! I start with a whole chicken. Drizzle the chicken with oil, or butter and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder or onion powder. Roast in the oven at 375F for about 3 hours, until the skin is golden. We usually have the roast chicken for dinner, then I wait until it cools and with my hands pull all the meat off the bones. What you have left is meat, the carcass and lunch for your hubby for the next day! Take the bones, fat, skin and bits of meat that are left and put them in the biggest pot you own! Fill it to the top with water. Now add your...

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What we did this week!

This was our first "un-offical" week of school. We are gradually working our way into a more structured day. This week we did Bible, numbers and letters with both boys. This is what we did today! We made an alphabet trail with Chalk. I wrote the letters on the driveway and it was W's job to connect them in order. We played a number game, I called out a number and the kids had to jump to it from the number they were on.  L has been fascinated with Cicada shells... kinda gross! :P  My tree climber.  My hubby had been building the kids a tree house, so they've been using the scraps to make tree cabins of their own! Creative play at work!  And one...

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Homemade Brownies

Sorry, this isn't a recipe, but a great life lesson instead! "Last week, I walked into my office to find a sandwich bag on my desk containing three chewy, tasty, homemade chocolate brownies. Some thoughtful and anonymous person who knew my love for tasty homemade brownies had placed them there, along with a hand written short story. I immediately sat down and began eating the first chewy, tasty, homemade brownie as I read the following story: Two teenagers asked their father if they could go the theater to watch a movie that all their friends had seen. After reading some reviews about the movie on the Internet, he denied their request. "Aw dad, why not?" they complained. "It's rated PG-13,...

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