Category: Freebies

Letter A Preschool Activities and Printable!

A

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

As a part of our relaxed preschool plan and my son’s strong desire to learn his letters, we are going to study a letter each week. Each week I’ll share snack ideas, sensory bin cards, crafts, and other resources for that letter.

I strongly encourage you to use only what seems to work for your child and keep it fun.  It is far better to wait until they are ready to learn than to push them too early.

We will be using the printable cards (free download below) in a sensory bin, eating “A” snacks, practicing making the letter in shaving cream, and doing an ant nature study this week.

We won’t be able to pick apples for another couple of weeks but we may also do some fun apple pages from the extra resources depending on how interested my four year old seems to be as the week progresses.

Letter A Snack Ideas:

  • Almonds
  • Apples
  • Apricots
  • Asparagus (might be better with dinner but still a fun ‘A’ food)
  • Ants on a Log (celery w/ nut butter and raisins)

Extra Letter A Resources:

Letter A Upper Case Craft Freebie

Letter a Lower Case Craft Freebie

Optional Letter A Activities:

Apple Picking

Ant Nature Study (you can observe them outside, create a habitat in a jar, or purchase an ant farm)

Don’t forget to download your free Letter A Sensory Bin Pictures to use this week!

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies!

Free 5 Day Learning without Worksheets Challenge: FREE 5-Day Learning Challenge We have done several of her different challenges in the past and they are lots of fun and easy to implement.

Fall in Love with Art - You ARE an Artist Clubhouse

You Are An Artist Clubhouse Memberships are now Open for enrollment! and having a 25% off Sale through September 4th!!

Apologia Digital Back to School Sale 25% off through 9/15!

Wind in the Willows on Audio for only $2.95

Alice in Wonderland on Audible for less than $1!!

FREE: Check out this great new FREE resource for classical and Charlotte Mason education! Classical Christian Education & Charlotte Mason. Great for folks already homeschooling or if you have friends that are looking into it!

September Hymn Study “All Things Bright and Beautiful”

bright and beautiful

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

While God did not gift me with musical ability I love music and find that it really has a lasting impact on me. I can remember the lyrics to songs that I have not heard in years as soon as I hear it start to play. When I am upset I often turn to music to help comfort and focus me. We enjoy listening to hymns, praise songs, and contemporary Christian music but I have found that my children won’t get that connection with the traditional hymns if I do not make a point to introduce them and share about the history behind the hymns.

This year we’re going to try something a little new. Each month I will be sharing a different hymn study with you. I will include links to background information and several different renditions of the hymn. The links are typically either free versions on Amazon Prime Music or YouTube. I will also have copy work and a worksheet to go along with the hymn each month. Finally, you will find nature study or other supplementary activities.

We find that hymn study is a great way to become familiar with traditional hymns as well as really connecting with them and understanding their meanings and backgrounds.

September’s hymn is “All Things Bright and Beautiful” by Mrs. Cecil Frances Alexander.  It was written to help the young children in her Sunday school class and was first published in 1848. You can find more background information about Mrs. Alexander and the hymn here and here.

It is our plan to listen to discuss the hymn as a family during our morning time and then have the children complete one page of the copy work each day until it is complete. Throughout the month we will listen to various renditions of the hymn and discuss what they song means in our lives. I also plan to have the children complete the fact sheet about the hymn and do the nature study activity.

Text and Sheet Music

Links to the Song:

Cambridge Singers (Prime Music)

Clovercroft Kids (Prime Music)

Instrumental (Prime Music)

Scottish Festival Singers (Prime Music)

Nature Journal Activity: Find something that is mentioned in the song (ex. Bird, river, sunset) and do a nature journal entry. You can draw a picture and describe what you saw. For older students you may have them research more about what they choose.

Hymn Study Fact Sheet (Free Printable)

All Things Bright and Beautiful Copywork(Free Printable)

 

I hope that you enjoy this hymn study and come back next month for another great hymn. I would love to have you share in the comments which hymns you would like to see us cover.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies!

Free 5 Day Learning without Worksheets Challenge: FREE 5-Day Learning Challenge We have done several of her different challenges in the past and they are lots of fun and easy to implement.

Fall in Love with Art - You ARE an Artist Clubhouse

You Are An Artist Clubhouse Memberships are now Open for enrollment! and having a 25% off Sale through September 4th!!

Apologia Digital Back to School Sale 25% off through 9/15!

Alice in Wonderland on Audible for less than $1!!

FREE: Check out this great new FREE resource for classical and Charlotte Mason education! Classical Christian Education & Charlotte Mason. Great for folks already homeschooling or if you have friends that are looking into it!

FREE Fantasy and Fairytales StoryBuilders from Write Shop!

Final Days for this awesome sale!

August sale

Detective Givemore and Christmas and Holiday Freebies

 

kid-act-like-detective-vector-illustrations_QkH0o-_L

I hope everyone is doing well. This is just a quick note to remind you about all of the freebies in our free resource library and to let you know that we have just added a new one.  We have our monthly history resources, several fun recipes, a meal plan, a lesson plan template and lots more. For Christmas we have a planning guide, a giving guide (to help your children give back to others), and a fun bucket list.

Today, I’ve added a fun giving freebie, ‘ Detective Givemore’. This one is a code sheet to help them have fun while giving to others around them. It was designed with the spirit of giving in mind and is not Christmas specific so while we will use it at Christmas, it can be used any time of year. I tried to choose tasks that were fairly simple and did not require a lot of materials.

To get access to all of the great freebies, simply sign up below and you will get an e-mail with the password to the resource library. In addition, you will get an e-mail every other week keeping you up to date on new freebies and blog posts. I promise I won’t fill your inboxes with tons of e-mails and you can unsubscribe at any time. I pray these resources are a blessing to your family.

Resource Library

This post may contain affiliate or referral links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Common Questions about Lessontrek, and a Sneak Peek!

lessontrekblogimageLessontrek has been a very popular planning and scheduling tool at Schoolin’ Swag! Our friend Jason Pessemier has been hard at work, tweaking and upgrading as he can, to make this valuable tool even more user friendly and seamless.  I asked Jason if he would tell me what the most common questions about the product are, so users could find answers easily here at the blog.  Here is what he shared.

Common Questions

1. Question: How do I add hyperlinks in a lesson? I need to click to websites for my child’s assignments.

Answer: To set up, click a lesson block, paste the URL and click save. To access, navigate to the lesson block and click the Open button, then click the hyperlink in the upper left.

2. Question: How do I print in color?

Answer: Make sure your browser’s Print Settings is set to print in color. Most browsers set their Print Settings to Black & White

3. Question: What curriculum can I use in Lessontrek?

Answer: You can use any type of curriculum or you can create your own. Lessontrek was built to be as flexible and easy-to-use as possible.

4. Question: Can I add weekends to Lessontrek? We sometimes have classes or we like to add household chores to our calendar.

Answer: Yes, make sure to click the Show Weekend check box located inside your Student Home modal.

5. Question: Can I use Lessontrek if I’m a public or private school teacher?

Answer: Absolutely! We encourage anyone to use this if it fits their needs. School teachers are currently using Lessontrek and they love it.

Sneak Peek!

Here is a list of items Jason plans to add, as he is able:

  • Shared subjects/school years across multiple students
  • Bumping subjects/assignments
  • Monthly view
  • Report card printouts
  • Separate student/parent/teacher logins

There is some great pricing available right now at Lessontrek!

lessontrekpricing.png

Want to try a FREE TRIAL? Click here!

Got another question for Jason? Let me know in the comments!

Spoiled Rotten Mama Party!

spoiled3I am putting together a fun end-of-the-year giveaway at Schoolin’ Swag for our 4,600-ish wonderful, hard working, homeschooling mamas! Wanna take a peek at the lovely items being offered?

These items are being donated by mamas in our group, many of whom also have home businesses to help make ends meet. This is one of the few times each year that we allow personal advertising in the group, and I’m happy to give the opportunity to help a great cause! Homeschooling!

spr1From Charissa Rice (Mary Kay), we will have a bundle including the Satin Lips set and Ultimate Mascara!

From Rebecca Pahnke Thomas, we have Mint Bliss Energizing Lotion from Mary Kay (she is not business building, just being SO sweet in donating!) as well as Citrus Bliss Invigorating Essential Oil Blend from doTERRA!

From Hope Turner (Young Living), we’ll have a cute diffuser necklace and a bottle of “Stress Away” essential oil, as well as a couple of other samples and a Lavender Bath Soak.

srm5From lovely member Lynette Dickson, we have a hand crafted natural bronzer, using  the winner’s choice of combination of cocoa powder, rose powder, and ginger root powder for shimmer. Mmmmmmmmmm…chocolate and shimmer!

From Perfectly Posh member Leah Cherrone, we have the donation of the “Posh to meet you” kit by Perfectly Posh contains a Good Vibes BFYHC (big fat yummy hand cream-smells like mango with a hint of coconut), a Strawberry Fields Forever chunk (bar soap, smells like strawberry and lime–I LOVE THIS…SO yummy!) and a Santa Monica Smooth lip balm (peach, orange and mint, with a hint of caffeine). Also included in this bundle is a “dogbone” pillow made of  dress weight denim. It is medium firm (not softy soft, not hard).  It is designed for neck support and easy to carry or hang to store with the handles.

srm93Next, from Krysten Glor (31 Gifts), we have a $25 gift certificate to use however the winner’s heart desires! So many cute choices!

 

From Karen Daniels (Plexus), we have a 7-day trial pack being offered! I have loved the “Pink Drink”…certainly worth giving it a go if you’ve never tried it!

srm9From Ashley Moore’s Etsy shop, we have a $20 gift certificate to use toward her super cute selection of hair accessories and baby barefoot sandals (which are darling)!

srm91Now, from Dana Malone of One Buffalo (products with integrity), we are offering a bundle of natural, organic body care products, including:

  • Natural deodorant made with only organic coconut oil, arrowroot powder, non-GMO corn starch, organic shea butter, baking soda, beeswax and organic lemongrass essential oil

  • Lotion Stick – Mint, made with only organic shea butter, organic coconut oil, beeswax and essential oil

  • Lip Balm, made with only organic cocoa butter, organic coconut oil and beeswax

srm92From our wonderful crochet guru Denise Hockenberry, we’ll have a cute and practical spa bath set including 3 wash cloths, 6 face scrubbies, and 1 soap saver!

srm95Further, from Jen Figueiras (Jamberry Nails) we have a $20 gift certificate, plus a mini application kit and the 2 sheets of accent nails! Just in time for summer! 🙂

srm98From one of our newest members, Brittany Barber (It Works), we have an Ultimate Body Applicator (value $25), which is a non-woven cloth wrap that has been infused with a powerful, botanically-based formula to deliver maximum tightening, toning, and firming results where applied to the skin.

  • Tightens, tones, & firms
  • Minimizes cellulite appearance
  • Improves skin texture & tightness
  • Mess-free and simple to use
  • Results in as little as 45 minutes
  • Progressive results over 72 hours
  • Made with natural ingredients

srm97Moving on (!), we have a Moonstruck 3D Fiberlashes set from Amy Hardy Moye (Younique)! Increase your lash volume by up to 400%!

srm99From our darlin’ brand new Avon rep Diana Doggett, we have a fun little package including nail polish (Pastel Pink), lipstick (Divine Wine), and Mark lip gloss duo (Glow Baby Glow and Girly Girl)!

pressingpause

Finally, from two wonderful authors, Karen Ehman and Ruth SchweKaren Enk (I LOVE “Hoodwinked” which was also co-authored by them), we have a copy of “Pressing Pause“! I am so tickled to be able to include this in our event!

No Foolin’ Preschoolin’ Event is Shaping Up! UPDATED

playlearnI’m excited about our No Foolin’ Preschoolin’ Giveaway on April 1st at Schoolin’ Swag! We have some great companies and publishers already on board. Take a peek (click the live links to browse their sites and check out their donations!):

I’m looking forward to adding more to the list! These are great helps, to enhance the time you have to invest in your Pre-K student. Life is full of educational moments, whether it is simply investigating nature or developing gross and fine motor skills through play. SO much happens through play in our little ones. We shouldn’t underestimate its importance!  This is not a time to become rigidly academic. This is time for exploration. What feels cold? What smells spicy? Which is big and which is small? What does my name look like? Where does the sun go at night? How many crackers are on this plate? How do plants grow? What color is the sky? How can I say hello to my Spanish speaking friend? Which musical instrument do I like the best?  Oh, so much to learn!

mrrogers

Teaching a love for learning is of utmost importance at this age, and fun materials can be great tools to use in accomplishing this! Cultivating a love for reading for preschoolers often happens in mommy’s lap, so we hope to offer some lovely books for your snuggle time, too!

Having preschool materials on hand can be of great help to some parents who may need a little assistance in guiding their children developmentally. Sometimes we don’t know where to start…sometimes we have so many things going on in the home, we don’t know HOW to start! I hope this event is an encouragement to you!

 

“I Love Language” Event at Schoolin’ Swag! (UPDATED!)

languagesComing up on February 15th, we’ll be having a new event at Schoolin’ Swag, featuring products centered around language…foreign languages, Latin, as well as American Sign Language.

Here are the companies/publishers which will be featured:

Don’t miss it!  Prizes will post beginning 9am on 2/15. We’ll allow a full 24 hours for posts to remain up (to cover our friends in all time zones), and winners will be drawn at 9am on 2/16.

Free Lessontrek Membership–start the New Year right!

lessonfamOur fabulous lesson planning superhero, Jason Pessemier of Lessontrek, is about to make your New Year fabulous!

Extended to the first 700 (you read that right!) folks who really need a new plan for this New Year, he is offering a FREE FOR LIFE membership!!! Here are the instructions (follow them exactly):

1) Go to this link. Click the Sign Up button in the upper right hand corner of the website, then click the 14 day trial (this will enable the Referral Code text box where you enter the code), if you choose the 14 day option and not enter the code, you will not receive the Free Membership. If you click either the Monthly or Annual plan it will not work as this is a free code, so no credit card needed.

2) Enter the code exactly like this (or else it wont work): FFL15
If you don’t enter the code and only do the 14 day trial, you will not receive the Free Membership.

3) Enter the rest of your information (make sure your email address you use doesn’t have capital letters).

4) Then proceed to checkout and begin planning your new school year!

**This offer expires January 5, 2016.**

What “Homeschool Homestretch”Is Looking Like!

nopeekWe have had a great time during our “Homeschool Homestretch” event!  So far we have been able to offer these encouragements to lucky winners in our group:

Today’s giveaways include:

Coming up, we have these FABULOUS donors still to feature (the donations are a secret…no peeking or peeling back the gift wrap!):

Come join us! Prizes post at 9am (Mtn Time) daily, with winners drawn via Random.org at 9pm. Two prizes tomorrow, and the remaining for a Grand Finale on Friday!

“Homeschool Homestretch” Event!

finish2I decided on a whim to see if I could scoot together some terrific incentives to help our great members at Schoolin’ Swag to finish the semester well!

So, next week, December 14-18, I’ll be posting at least 2 giveaways a day!  Postings will go up at 9am and close at 9pm that night.

I’ll give you a little peek under the tree, by letting you know the donors I have thus far (but that’s all–no particulars on what they are giving us!):

Donors:

— Homeschool Buyers Co-op
— Time4Learning.com
— All About Learning Press
— Stubby Pencil Studio
— The Critical Thinking Co.
— Dyslexia Games (The Thinking Tree)
— CurrClick.com
— Pandia Press
— Love to Learn 

Be sure to drop in daily!