*Some links are affiliate links, see disclosure below*
If you find yourself needing a last-minute gift idea and do not want to brave the crazy of the stores on the week before Christmas I have some great options for you! I have included some of my favorite digital resources for both mom and children in this list.
For Children
You Are an Artist Clubhouse Membership! This wonderful art subscription will provide your child with countless hours of fun and instruction with chalk pastels and acrylics. We use those lessons each week and are always finding new favorites.
Musik At Home is a great program for babies through early elementary ages. My three-year-old love to do his music lessons!
One of my children is getting a couple months of Practice Monkeys lessons under the tree this year!
Fit2B is an amazing online fitness program and would be the perfect gift for a mom that was interested in fitness!
Adore Your Wardrobe is a really fun course that helps you to learn about your body type and how to find clothes that flatter your body type.
For the Family
A Kindle Unlimited Subscription is a gift that can benefit the whole family. There are books on there for all different ages and interests.
Audible offers gift subscriptions as well. This is the perfect time for families to enjoy an audiobook together.
Not Consumed is offering 25% off their gift cards right now with code: GIFT25
Whether you forgot something on your list, something got lost in the mail (or canceled last minute), or the Christmas bonus finally came in allowing you to make purchases, these digital gifts are the perfect way to finish your shopping without having to leave home. I hope this list is helpful as you finish up any last-minute shopping and allows you more time to spend with your family.
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.
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.
Christmas can be a wonderful, fun, and festive time of year, but it can also be stressful and overwhelming. There are so many fun activities both at home and outside of the house, family obligations, schoolwork, and life, and all combined, it can leave us stressed, overwhelmed, and burning the candle at both ends.
You might feel like you aren’t getting enough school amidst all of the activities. On the flip side, you might feel like you aren’t doing all of the Christmas activities you wanted to do amidst regular life and school.
Does It Have to Be That Way?
I want to spend a few minutes today encouraging you that you don’t have to feel overwhelmed. It is okay to take a step back and prioritize. I can’t tell you which activities to prioritize because that will be different for each family.
Take a few minutes and think about the future. When you look back on this season 5 years or 10 years from now, what are you going to wish you had done?
For some, that may mean putting aside some activities and choosing just one or two Christmas things that are important to your family. For others, that may mean setting aside the school books for a few weeks and focusing on the Christmas activities.
Our Christmas Plan
For our family, it looked different for different children. My high schooler did a Christmas unit for literature but continued with his other regular studies before our two-week break. We decided to keep moving forward in math and phonics (elementary) but focus on Christmas for everything else with my middle school daughter and elementary-aged son.
We did Christmas art and music lessons, an Advent reading and a family study of Luke for Bible, and lots of Christmas read-alouds.
We made a plan before Thanksgiving that I thought was workable, but the further into December we got, the more I realized it was still a bit much, so we adapted.
Adapting
We were behind on my middle school daughter’s Christmas literature, So, I found the audiobook on Hoopla (a free app from our library), and she listened to the book while she worked in the kitchen getting some treats ready.
It is so easy this time of year to over plan and over-commit and then not enjoy any activities. Every year I have to work at finding the balance, and I am still a work in progress. I do not write this letter from a position of perfection, but as someone who needs this reminder.
So I pray this year that you can step back and decide what will be important years from now and make that the priority during this season. That may change from year to year and is certainly different for each family.
I pray that you can have a fun and peaceful season without overwhelm and guilt.
Need a good way to organize all of these great printables and have access to them when you need them? Try a free Dropbox Plan.
Amazon Prime 30 day FREE trial. If you do not yet have Amazon Prime this is a great time to try it for free for 30 days! Get your Christmas shopping done with free shipping, enjoy Christmas music and more.
$10 Sign-Up Bonus for Ibotta and they are doing some major savings and rebates starting today. Great way to save money on the things you are already buying.
Two Free Audio Books with an Audible Trial and if you aren’t sure what to start with I’d suggest checking out the Green Ember or The Penderwicks for good family choices.
One of my favorite Amazon sales, just in time for Christmas shopping! Buy 2 Get 1 Free Books!
Free Makeover Your Morning 5 Day Challenge! This is a great way to help re-focus and get your day off on the right foot.
*some links are affiliate links, see disclosure below for more information*
Hot apple cider, hot cocoa, peppermint, sugar cookies…
There are so many delicious flavors that remind me of the Christmas season. I do not want to pick a favorite, but gingerbread certainly ranks very high on my list. I enjoy soft gingerbread cake and crunch gingerbread cookies!
This year, I thought it would be fun (and delicious) to do a unit study on gingerbread.
Gingerbread Cookies
History of Gingerbread
Gingerbread has a long and interesting history. A few variations are told, but we know that gingerbread has been around for a very long time. Years before Christ, possibly as far as 2400 BC, gingerbread was initially just preserved ginger, and it would be hundreds of years later before gingerbread became what we know it as today.
Gingerbread developed differently in different countries, from China to Germany to England. Queen Elizabeth I is credited with gingerbread cut into shapes and decorated with gold leaf. While gold leaf is not common anymore, shaped and decorated gingerbread cookies are still popular today.
Another common tradition is building and decorating gingerbread houses. This tradition originated in Germany in the 16th century, and they were made famous by the Hansel and Gretel story by Hans Christian Anderson. Today you can buy kits or create your own gingerbread houses.
You can find out more over at The Spruce Eats or PBS. You can also check out this documentary with Amazon Prime Video about gingerbread. (This is on our list to watch this year, but I have not yet watched it.)
Books for a Gingerbread Study
Books tend to be the backbone of our studies, and I love a good read-aloud. There are so many to choose from for this gingerbread study. Rather than choosing just one to base the unit around, I have picked out several that we could read during the study.
Gingerbread Study Books
Some of my favorites are the Jan Brett gingerbread books because of the stunning illustrations. She has several, but we particularly like Gingerbread Christmas and Gingerbread Friends for this study.
I also found this bilingual edition of The Gingerbread Man (included for free if you have Kindle Unlimited). My seven-year-old has been trying to learn Spanish, so I think he will enjoy listening to the story in both languages.
Hansel and Gretel is also a good story for a gingerbread lesson. There are many different versions with some excellent illustrations.
I even found this chapter book Rescue at Gingerbread Mountain that sounds intriguing, and I have not yet read it but did grab it with my Kindle Unlimited subscription to give it a try. It sounds like a great read for your upper elementary-age children.
Bonus Tip: If you want to add a few of these books to your household collection, Amazon is offering this $5 off of $20 book purchase, including several gingerbread books.
Gingerbread Art
You know I had to add some art to our study. We love this gingerbread and holly lesson included with our You Are an Artist membership (If you want to try it out but don’t want the membership, you can also purchase the Christmas Course.)
In addition to a traditional art lesson, you can build and decorate a gingerbread house or gingerbread men (maybe even both.) It is such a fun way to incorporate family members of all ages.
If you need a less messy option or have food allergy issues, you can make one from a foam kit.
Gingerbread Activities
There are so many gingerbread-based activities that you could do to go along with your students. This Gingerbread playdough is a hit with all ages. Younger children can use it like regular playdough, and older children often like using it more like a stress ball.
I found this Gingerbread House Kit idea that you could make ahead for your children to do. You could even have your children make them for their friends or family as an inexpensive but fun Christmas gift.
There are many free and inexpensive gingerbread-themed printables such as The Mailbox, Royal Baloo, and 123Homeschool4Me. These offer a way to stay in the gingerbread theme while reinforcing reading and math skills.
For older students, you could assign a gingerbread-themed writing prompt. For example, have them write their own gingerbread man story or do a descriptive writing exercise about a gingerbread house.
If you have done all of this and your child still wants more gingerbread fun, check out this list of fifty gingerbread activities.
Putting It Into Action
Whether you spend one day learning all about gingerbread or sprinkle gingerbread activities into your learning over several weeks, it is sure to be a fun family time. There are hundreds of wonderful gingerbread recipes available on the internet, and I encourage you to try one or more. However, if you want to keep it super simple, remember there is nothing wrong with making memories from a box mix!
We enjoy the Betty Crocker Gingerbread Mix for making soft gingerbread cakes. We make them in a decorative pan similar to this and dust them with sugar. They look so beautiful and fancy, but they are simple and quick.
Remember; make this study work for your family. Do whatever activities interest you and skip the ones that do not. It is not about completion but learning and having fun together as a family.
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. You will also get a monthly newsletter email to keep you updated on what we have going on.
This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. 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
Need a good way to organize all of these great printables and have access to them when you need them? Try a free Dropbox Plan.
Amazon Prime 30 day FREE trial. If you do not yet have Amazon Prime this is a great time to try it for free for 30 days! Get your Christmas shopping done with free shipping, enjoy Christmas music and more.
$10 Sign-Up Bonus for Ibotta and they are doing some major savings and rebates starting today. Great way to save money on the things you are already buying.
Two Free Audio Books with an Audible Trial and if you aren’t sure what to start with I’d suggest checking out the Green Ember or The Penderwicks for good family choices.
One of my favorite Amazon sales, just in time for Christmas shopping! Buy 2 Get 1 Free Books!
Free Makeover Your Morning 5 Day Challenge! This is a great way to help re-focus and get your day off on the right foot.
*Some links are affiliate links; see disclosure below for more information*
Every year we do school a little differently in December. During the first couple of years that we homeschooled, I added many Christmas activities to our regular school. The kids loved the activities, but we were all burned out from trying to fit in everything.
Now, as much as possible, I trade out regular curriculum components for Christmas activities. For example, we choose a Christmas novel for our read-aloud, Christmas hymns for our music, and an Advent study for our Bible time. This keeps the fun but minimizes burnout.
Each year looks different as we learn and grow as a family, and we are in different ages and stages. Today I wanted to share what we are doing this year if you were looking for some fun ideas for your family. We have four children ages three to fifteen, and it will look a bit different for each child.
Family Christmas Studies
Our whole family will be doing Christmas hymn study together. We love listening to familiar Christmas music and learning more about the song’s origins. We also incorporate some fun art lessons.
Next, our Bible time will be Christmas-focused. We have been reading through the book of Psalms with one Psalm a day. However, we will switch that up and do a book of Luke each morning. We are also excited to be starting Jotham’s Journey this week as a part of our Advent study.
A Christmas Carol Study
Next, my high school son was slated to read one of Charles Dickens’ books after the New Year with his literature course. Instead, I decided that we would read Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. My son will read it independently, and I will have my younger children listen together on audio. Then we can discuss it as a family. After the reading, we will watch one of the children’s versions together as a family. I may also have my teens watch the regular movie. I think it will be a fun but meaningful Christmas activity.
I mentioned in our Hymn study that we love Christmas carols. In addition to the hymn study, we will add the SQUILT Music Calendar for December for an almost effortless way to add a little more Christmas music to our mornings. It is an easy addition to our morning time that we all enjoy.
Some of her classes match our hymn studies, but there are also many other fun Christmas paintings. From fun Grinch and Charlie Brown pictures to nativity paintings, there is something different we could do each day. She even has a new Saint Nicholas lesson this year.
Christmas Activities for Younger Learners
As my children get older, it can feel a little more challenging to take a break from the regular curriculum. However, it is a lot of fun with my three-year-old and seven-year-old, and there are many options.
First, we will be reading Christmas picture books each day. I love Christmas books, and we have quite a collection. I try to add at least one book to our collection each year. Many focus on the real meaning of Christmas, but we also enjoy some just for fun. One of our favorites is Cranberry Christmas. My husband also enjoys reading the Night Before Christmas to them each year.
Advent Calendars
Several years ago, I bought a Lego advent calendar. At that time, it was a massive hit for my eldest. Now, my seven-year-old enjoys it. We reuse it each year. Each day he takes out the Legos for that day and builds the object. It has been a lot of fun.
I decided to add a play-doh advent calendar this year for my three-year-old. He is not quite old enough for the Legos, but I knew he would want to get in on the fun. So each day we will spend some time with Legos and play-doh. They are great for working on fine motor skills.
We love our pattern blocks and have found them to be a big hit year after year! We the varying levels of difficulty in our pattern sheets, both of the children can use them and be successful. They think it is a lot of fun, and I like seeing them work on fine motor skills and spatial awareness. There are many other fun crafts and activities that we may add in as time allows.
Finally, we are going to be adding fun Christmas reading and math printables. There are so many fun and free printables. We can add in some math review and sight word practice; for some reason, addition problems are far more enjoyable when there is a Christmas ornament involved.
What Are You Doing for Christmas?
Overall, we are excited about this Christmas season. Life has been hectic lately, but we have carved out some time to be home and enjoy each other during the season. We have lots of good books to read (and some hot cocoa to accompany them) and great music to fill our ears and our hearts.
I would love to know what you are doing for Christmas school this year. Please share your ideas in the comments. Be sure to check out all of our other Christmas Ideas and Our Black Friday/Cyber Monday Deals.
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 updated on what we have going on.
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
Need a good way to organize all of these great printables and have access to them when you need them? Try a free Dropbox Plan.
Amazon Prime 30 day FREE trial. If you do not yet have Amazon Prime this is a great time to try it for free for 30 days! Get your Christmas shopping done with free shipping, enjoy Christmas music and more.
$10 Sign-Up Bonus for Ibotta and they are doing some major savings and rebates starting today. Great way to save money on the things you are already buying.
Two Free Audio Books with an Audible Trial and if you aren’t sure what to start with I’d suggest checking out the Green Ember or The Penderwicks for good family choices.
One of my favorite Amazon sales, just in time for Christmas shopping! Buy 2 Get 1 Free Books!
Free Makeover Your Morning 5 Day Challenge! This is a great way to help re-focus and get your day off on the right foot.
*Some of these links are affiliate links please see disclosure below for more information*
I hope you are doing well this holiday season. I have compiled this list of sales to help you get the best deals from the comfort of your home. There are sales, freebies, and deals of homeschool curriculum, extras, and a few ideas for moms!
There are more deals coming through Cyber Monday and I will be adding them to the list as they become available. Our family greatly appreciates your support through buying from our links. We hope to be able to give you the best deals and support the blog.
50% off any of our hymn studies now through Cyber Monday! Code: Christmas
All About Learning is offering a couple great Black Friday Deals starting at midnight on Friday! Free shipping over $50 and a Free Gift for the first 200 orders. This deal runs through Cyber Monday!
Tuttle Twins is offering several big sales through December 6th.
Not Consumed is offering 25 percent off all products. We love their missionary study and their Bible studies.
SchoolhouseTeachers.com has a great BOGO sale happening now! Their membership includes the whole family for one low price.
All About Learning is offering this brand new FREE Christmas Pack full of fun activities!
Evan-Moor has some great holiday freebies and 30% off everything only on Cyber Monday!
Fine Arts
Maestro Classics has some great Black Friday deals on Nutcracker and more.
You Are An Artist has this great FREE Grinch art lesson if you want to have a little fun after all that shopping! Or if you need a gift for a budding artist, their Membership is a great value.
For Mom
Tummy Team has some new lo prices on their amazing membership. Give yourself the gift of healing and health. This online abdominal and pelvic floor rehab is well worth the cost.
Fit2B is my favorite online fitness program and they have some great sales on memberships and individual courses right now! This is a great deal on some excellent fitness options.
HomeschoolStyleCo. is having some great sales this week. They have some cute shirts for the children and for moms!
Looking for ideas for keeping Christ in Christmas? Check out this FREE class!
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.
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.
Christmas is my favorite time of year, and we love to incorporate Christmas into our homeschool. I have done various things throughout the years, from adding Christmas projects to our homeschool to entirely focusing on Christmas in place of our other curriculum. What will work best for your family will depend on your children, their ages, and various other personal factors.
This is a round-up of some of my posts with different ideas and activities. I encourage you to take the time to consider a variety of options and choose what will work best for your family. Make sure that you don’t overload the schedule, and you leave time for the many family and church events that tend to happen this time of year.
I have found that the more I can allow the Christmas activities to replace the regular activities, the easier it is to incorporate them into our day.
Books and Curriculum
Picture books and Bible studies are a great way to incorporate Christmas into your homeschool. We love reading as many books as possible from our collection and the local library. I try to add at least one new Christmas book each year. Be sure to check out the Cozy, Book Filled December post for links to some of our favorites.
Each year we change things up a bit and use some different resources. Some traditions and resources are staples and some we really enjoy but only use once. The resources below share what we have used during other years and some fun traditions that we have as a family.
Music and art are two of my favorite ways to incorporate Christmas into our homeschool. We love doing hymn studies (and have quite a few free ones here on the blog). We also enjoy letting the children listen to different music and learn to play Christmas songs together on their instruments. We incorporate lots of art into our Christmas studies, everything from art to match our hymns to fun Snoopy Christmas art.
Finally, I don’t know about you, but sometimes the stuff and the clutter can get overwhelming. It can be hard to know what to get my kids that won’t turn into junk that is in the way. I love educational gifts, but want them to feel special and not like I am giving them school supplies. I have included a variety of gift lists with ideas that can encourage their passions and avoid feeling like clutter.
I hope you find these ideas helpful! I will be sharing our 2021 Christmas School plans next week as well. I would absolutely love to have you share your favorite resource or tradition in the comments. I hope that you have a peaceful, joy-filled season.
Deals and Freebies
Need a good way to organize all of these great printables and have access to them when you need them? Try a free Dropbox Plan.
Amazon Prime 30 day FREE trial. If you do not yet have Amazon Prime this is a great time to try it for free for 30 days! Get your Christmas shopping done with free shipping, enjoy Christmas music and more.
$10 Sign-Up Bonus for Ibotta and they are doing some major savings and rebates starting today. Great way to save money on the things you are already buying.
Two Free Audio Books with an Audible Trial and if you aren’t sure what to start with I’d suggest checking out the Green Ember or The Penderwicks for good family choices.
One of my favorite Amazon sales, just in time for Christmas shopping! Buy 2 Get 1 Free Books!
Free Makeover Your Morning 5 Day Challenge! This is a great way to help re-focus and get your day off on the right foot.
We have reviewed many different homeschool products and programs, and I do not often say that a program was life-changing. However, I can honestly say that Practice Monkeys was life-changing for our daughter and has positively impacted our entire family.
We first encountered Practice Monkeys in the fall of 2018 when the Review Crew reviewed their violin program. We had a lot going on as a family during that time because of dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, but we decided to let my daughter give it a try. I thought it might be good exposure for her to have a few months of music lessons.
Little did I know that my daughter would be playing violin and piano, and recently cello three years later. My oldest son did violin for a while but really found his niche with Practice Monkeys guitar. My seven-year-old son is playing violin, and my three-year-old is working with my daughter to hopefully be ready to start violin lessons after the New Year. My daughter even dreams of one-day teaching violin lessons as her career.
Our Musical Family
Practice Monkeys Overview
Practice Monkeys is an online program for Suzuki method music lessons. They offer violin, piano, cello, and guitar. Monday through Thursday, there is a fifteen-minute group lesson for each level of each instrument. Students attend the lesson and then practice an additional fifteen minutes after class. In addition, students practice independently two other days per week.
If students are unable to attend the class during the set time, students can go in and practice at any time using recorded lessons. Students also have access to skill videos and other tutorials in their’ treehouse,’ which is just the area on the website that has all of the needed information for that level.
While students can be successful using the recorded lessons, I do highly encourage students to attend as many live lessons as possible. We can’t always make the live lessons, but I do feel like they are very beneficial.
Each Suzuki level is broken into smaller levels of Practice Monkeys so that students are practicing with students of similar abilities. Each level has a check sheet of skills and songs to be mastered before moving to the next level. When a student has mastered the items on the check sheet, they pay for a private assessment, and then if they pass, they move on to the next level. The instructors are happy to help make sure your student is ready for assessment before you schedule it. The assessment also provides some one-on-one time in which they get information and help with the skills that are coming in the next level.
Do Online Music Lessons Work?
When we first started, I was concerned about whether or not my children would get enough help with online lessons. I knew that I did not have the skills or time to help them with these instruments. However, I did not need to be worried. The interactive nature of Practice Monkeys has allowed them to all grow and be successful, even online. There is immediate feedback provided in the daily zoom classes and help class on Wednesdays to offer any additional one-on-one support that they might need.
My daughter did an in-person strings camp this summer through a local program. All of the teachers there were impressed with how well she played and the skills she had learned from Practice Monkeys.
Matthew’s Guitar Lessons
My oldest son is fifteen and took violin for several years. He was learning a lot and doing well with it, but it was never his passion. When Practice Monkeys started doing guitar lessons, he jumped at the opportunity. He has been doing guitar for about a year now and loves it! He practices without being asked and is always looking for ways to improve. He is even working towards being able to play the guitar at church in our youth group band. The lessons are giving him skills and confidence in his abilities. We are also using these classes as a music performance elective for his high school studies.
Benjamin’s Violin Lessons
Benajmin’s Violin Assessment
My seven-year-old has been playing violin for several years now. At first, his progress was slow because he was consistent about playing and practicing. However, as he has matured, he has gotten better at practicing and is now moving forward. During this review period, he moved from level two to level three and is very excited about the new songs he is learning. I love that it is teaching him about the benefits of hard work and consistency. I also appreciate that he loves sharing his music with anyone willing to listen. Mrs. Van Kleeck and the other Practice Monkeys teachers are super patient with their students, but I especially notice it with the younger ones.
Elizabeth’s Music Lessons
Practice Monkeys has made an impact on all of my children, but not more than my daughter. She started with violin three years ago, added piano almost two years ago. She has alarms set on her watch to remind her to practice each day, and she is very diligent. She even helps Benjamin with his violin lesson each day. Because of her time with Practice Monkeys, she even did her 4-H presentation on being a violin instructor and is considering going to college for music or getting Suzuki trained.
For Christmas last year, she asked for a cello. We were able to get her one, but we could not add cello lessons to her piano and violin lessons. However, with this review, she was able to add cello into her already busy music schedule. Since she had been working independently a little with her cello and had a good understanding of the music from her violin studies, she has been able to move quickly in her cello lessons. She started at level one but was able to take an assessment after just a few weeks and moved to level two. She continued working hard and should be moving up to level three later this week.
She enjoyed her cello lessons so much that she is asking grandparents and other family members to gift her money towards lessons for Christmas and her birthday to continue taking classes next year (her dad and I gave her a two instrument limit for what we will pay).
Costs
Now that I’ve told you about these excellent programs, you might be thinking it sounds great, but you could never afford it. Before Practice Monkeys, we had priced out music lessons, and they were out of the budget. However, Practice Monkeys is very affordable. It is $50 per month per instrument for the whole family. So, even though I have two children in violin at different levels (and at times have had three), it would only cost our family $50 for violin lessons. This includes the lessons Monday through Thursday, help class as needed on Wednesdays, and the recordings. Our family feels like this is a great value, especially since I do not have to load everyone up in the car and drive to lessons.
Having the lessons online was a significant benefit for our family. With three children wanting to do music lessons and a three-year-old who just wants to play, it would have been too much for us to drive to different classes. However, my children step upstairs and turn on the computer to do their lesson while the rest of the family continues with whatever they need to do.
Conclusions
I honestly was not exaggerating when I said this program was life-changing for my daughter and our family. It allowed her to explore a music interest in ways we otherwise would not have been able to offer her. The program’s flexibility and affordability allow each of my children to pursue their musical interests and passions without burdening our time and finances.
Maybe you have a child interested in learning a musical instrument, but you are worried about adding one more commitment out of the house, or you looked at the costs of private lessons and knew that it wasn’t in the budget. I highly encourage you to give Practice Monkeys a try. Be sure to click on the graphic below to see what other people thought about the lessons and check out some of the other programs they offer.
We have had the opportunity to look over and review the I Know It math practice website over the last several weeks. I was somewhat familiar with the program from having used it several years ago with my older children. During this round, I wanted to check it out from the perspective of my second grader.
What is I Know It?
I Know It is an online subscription-based math review program. It is designed to help students work on and improve math skills that they have already been taught. You can set up accounts for multiple students from your household and assign each of them their topics and skills to complete. They can also work on skills that they pick.
The program is broken down first into grade levels from kindergarten to fifth grade. Then each grade level is broken down into various mathematical sections, such as geometry, measurement, fractions, etc. This makes it simple to tailor it to the needs of the student. Each practice assignment is fifteen questions. Fifteen is enough not to be moving too fast, but not so many as to get boring or take an exceptionally long time.
I Know It Math
Hints and Solutions
I always like to see what happens when a student answers questions correctly and incorrectly. I know It gives them positive reinforcement when they answer correctly, saying things like “fantastic” or “let’s make it three in a row.” There is also a robot that dances and makes funny moves. When a student answers incorrectly, it says, “sorry, you are incorrect.” It also gives the correct answer and an explanation. I appreciate that it explains the incorrect answers to help students understand what they did wrong.
There are also hints available, so if a child does not understand the problem, they can ask for a hint before answering. I like how it levels the help and encourages a child to be successful. Additionally, there is a sound button that you can press for the computer to read each question aloud. Reading the question aloud is very helpful for allowing younger children to be more independent and making sure struggling readers do not miss math problems because of their reading challenges.
Graphics
The robot graphics are colorful and fun. I think they would be engaging for many students. The robot dances, grows flowers out of his head, and other funny moves when a student answers correctly. He looks sad when the answer is incorrect. I think it is a fun addition to the math practice but not so much that it is distracting.
Conclusions
Overall, I think I Know It is a good math review program. It does not stand alone as a curriculum but offers an excellent tool for helping students practice math skills. I appreciate that instead of going through all of the skills, I could pick and choose the skills that my student needed. I also like the reports and data that helped me track how they were doing without being with them while they worked.
I encourage you to click on the graphic below and see how other Review Crew families used I Know It in their homeschools.
*Some links are affiliate links, see disclosure below^
Fall life here on our little homestead can get quite busy. It is time to finish canning, preparing animals for the winter, and it is state fair time! The summer garden finishes up, and we plant our fall gardens. For us, the state fair means entering projects, showing turkeys, and multiple trips to our state capital for the festivities. (It also means enjoying lots of yummy foods, but that is for a different post).
Why Charlotte’s Web?
As I was thinking about balancing all of that with our school work this year, I decided that it would be fun to do a literature study that went along with our animals and the fair. What better book than Charlotte’s Web?
Charlotte’s Web is a great independent read for third or fourth grade, but I wanted to use it as a read-aloud with my second grader and my three-year-old. My second grader showed pigs at our local livestock show for a couple of years, so I knew he would connect with the story.
We started with reading Charlotte’s Web and then adding in some fun activities to make for a great study.
Charlotte’s Web Art
We always enjoy adding art to our studies, and this is no exception. Nana, from you, are an Artist, has some incredible lessons that go with Charlotte’s Web. The pig, farm, and even spider lessons all go so well with the book. Your student can do them independently or take what they learned from the lesson and put them all together into a giant farm painting.
You could also make a string art spider web. This would be a fun project for older children that can handle a hammer and nails.
Charlotte’s Web Snacks
Charlotte’s Web Snacks
We love having snacks that go along with our reading. For Charlotte’s Web, you could do fair foods like funnel cake or cotton candy. You could also make spider-themed snacks like spiders made from pretzels and peanut butter balls. Root beer could also be a fun treat.
There are some great field trip opportunities with Charlotte’s Web. Many farms and agritourist businesses are happy to have students come get hands-on experience with animals. Since we raise many of our animals, our field trip was to the North Carolina State Fair.
When you think of fairs, you might think of rides and games. While there are plenty of those, the fair is so much more than that. There are animals to see, cows to milk, racing pigs, livestock shows, exhibits of canned goods and other homemade crafts, and so much more. We also never turn down the chance for maple cotton candy and funnel cake!
For activities closer to home, you can go outside and search for spider webs. It is a great chance to learn more about spiders and observe them in nature. You could also use a geoboard and rubber bands to make a spider web.
Charlotte’s Web Movie
The first movie that my older two children saw in the movie theater was Charlotte’s Web. Our local theater shows older movies for a significantly reduced price during the summer. We went and saw Charlotte’s Web, and they loved it. Since I won’t find it at the theater this time, I am planning a fun movie night at home when we finish the book. We will make some of the yummy Charlotte’s Web snacks, pop some popcorn, and even have some root beer.
Then settle in together on the couch to watch Charlotte’s Web. While I will be focusing on my younger children, I expect that even my teens will want to join in this family movie night.
Other Farm Study Resources
If your child loves Charlotte’s Web or Farms, these resources can help you take the study a little further. I would love to have you share your favorite ideas or resources in the comments. I hope you enjoy this Charlotte’s Web Unit Study.
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.
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
I am usually a Christmas after Thanksgiving person. I do my shopping ahead of time, but I don’t typically break out the books, music, and decorations until after Thanksgiving. Then we decorate and celebrate all the way to Three Kings Day or Old Christmas. This year, I made an exception to review The Giving Manger by WorthyKids and tell you all about it. This way, you can get it in time to use it throughout the Christmas season.
The Giving Manger
I love Christmas, the lights, the music, the food, the decoration, the atmosphere, and most of all, the reminder of the precious gift of Jesus. However, sometimes all of the extras (which I love) can crowd out the true meaning of Christmas.
What is The Giving Manger?
The Giving Manger is a great way to help your family focus on the real meaning of Christmas and encourage an atmosphere of giving. The Giving Manger kit includes a hardcover book, a small wooden manger, a bundle of straw, and a wooden baby Jesus.
The idea is that you will read the book together as a family and then set up the manger. Throughout the Christmas season, family members can serve Jesus by serving others. Then they place a piece of straw in the manger for each act of service. This concept is based on Matthew 25:40 b, which says, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
I read the book, written by Allison Hottinger and illustrated by Emily King, with my younger boys, and we loved it. It is a beautiful hardcover book with beautiful illustrations. The book tells the story of a family who did this project. It helps the children understand the importance of giving and even shares ways that different ages can serve. There is also a spot at the end where you can record memories from each year you complete The Giving Manger.
Ideas for Using The Giving Manger
Our family will re-read the book after Thanksgiving and set aside a special place for the manger. We have always enjoyed serving others, but I love how this set helps the children understand that we are serving Jesus when we serve others.
The Christmas season can get very busy, and I know I have to keep things simple, or they will feel like a chore and won’t get done. I love that this is simple and easy to do. In about 30 minutes one day, your family can read the book, set up the manger, and discuss ways to serve. Then you can take advantage of service opportunities together or separately as they arise.
Giveaway
I am very excited to share with you that WorthyKids has graciously offered me the opportunity to give away a The Giving Manger kit to one lucky reader! Click on the link below to enter! Open to US Addresses Only! Also, be sure to click on the Review Crew graphic to check out how other families are using The Giving Manger. The giveaway is live from 11/10/21-11/17/21.
The Schoolin' Swag Blog 