Children learn so much through play, and I love it when I find tools that can help guide that learning while still being fun and enjoyable for the child. I recently had the opportunity to review the game Gnome Sweet Gnome from Timberdoodle.
Gnome Sweet Gnome is a game that children can play independently. It has several different skill levels, making it great for developing skills. It works on fine motor skills, critical thinking, comparing sizes, and color recognition and is great for preschool through kindergarten or first grade.
What is Gnome Sweet Gnome?
The game includes three different gnomes, each gnome is a different size and color. The Gnomes each come with a matching flower pot, each with a different depth. The different sizes and depths mean that when stacked in different combinations, you can see different amounts of the gnome. For example, if you put the smallest gnome in the deepest flower pot, you can only see the top of his hat.
There are forty-eight challenges included with the game (each challenge is a different picture that the child needs to recreate). The challenges vary from easy to expert levels. I loved that the challenges were all enclosed in a spiral-bound book. That means no loose cards that are easy to misplace.
How Do We Play Gnome Sweet Gnome?
The beginning challenges use only a few pieces, and the challenge card shows the color for all of the pieces used. Then, they get a little more challenging by using more pieces but still showing all of the colors. On the final levels of difficulty, some or all of the colors are grayed. Other than the easiest level, all the challenges have a solution picture on the back of the page so the child can check their work.
This game can be completed independently, or a parent could work with the child to check their work and help them problem-solve. Depending on their attention span and ability level, children can work through anywhere from one challenge to the whole book. Younger children can start with the easier levels, and as they get more practice and confidence, they can move up to the more challenging options.
Overall, we really enjoyed this game. My six-year-old wanted to check it out and went through all the levels in one sitting. Even though he had completed them all, he still wanted to play again on other occasions, so it was not a one-and-done activity.
He loves playing Gnome Sweet Gnome!
This is also a great game to prepare students for the more challenging IQ Gears that we reviewed a few weeks ago for Timberdoodle. They work on similar skills at different levels.
Where Do I Find Gnome Sweet Gnome?
I highly recommend this game if you have a young child and want to work on fine motor skills (stacking), colors, or problem-solving. You can find out more and purchase Gnome Sweet Gnome at Timberdoodle. It is also included in their preschool kit.
I love getting my hands on fun and educational games, little ways my children can keep their minds growing while they play. Thus, I was excited to get the opportunity to review Smart Games’ IQ Gears from Timberdoodle. We had reviewed another game, IQ 6 Pro, from them last year, so I had high expectations.
The IQ Gears was similar to the IQ 6 Pro but with added fun and challenge. It is a puzzle game that can be played independently or together, with players challenging each other to different levels.
What is IQ Gears?
The game consists of a playing board and seven puzzle pieces. Seven pieces may not seem like a lot, but there are so many different combinations and challenge levels that it is great for a variety of ages. The included manual has over one hundred challenges at five different levels, ranging from starter to wizard.
Each of the seven pieces is a different color and shape. They also each have small gears on different parts of the shape. On the outside of the playing board are two larger gears. The goal is to get the puzzle pieces to fit back on the playing board in a way that connects the two outside gears. So you should be able to turn one outside gear and cause the other outside gear to turn.
There are many possible combinations to make this happen, but each challenge has specifics that have to be in place. For example, it might show you the position of several of the pieces, and you have to figure out where the other pieces will fit. Some of the challenges show positions but with the pieces whited out so that you have to figure out which pieces they are using and get them all in the right places.
The easiest starter puzzles show the shapes of all the pieces on the board but only have a few of them colored in. All of these levels make it easy for people of different ages to enjoy the puzzle together.
How To Use This Game
As a homeschool mom, I loved that this game was working on critical thinking skills and was QUIET. It was very small and self-contained, so it worked well as a game for car rides. A child who needs to keep their hands occupied during read-aloud time could also use it.
It doesn’t have to be for school; it also makes a delightful family game to play in the evenings. It challenges teenagers and can be a great way to engage them in family time. My daughter was surprised at how challenging it was at first. She assumed that with only sevel pieces it would be too easy.
We enjoyed the game and were glad to add it to our collection. I encourage you to find out more about IQ Gears at Timberdoodle, where it can be purchased independently or as part of the 10th-grade kit.
Reading is something that I enjoy year-round, but our summer schedule often allows more time for reading than other times of the year. While summer is never quite the slow, easy time I have in my dreams, I do take homeschooling off my plate for a few months.
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My children go to camp, do 4-H activities, spend time at the river, and engage in many other activities that keep us on the go, but many of them do not require much of my time. This leaves me with a little more flexibility to read.
This summer, I read several great books, both fiction and nonfiction. For years, I was staunchly on team “real paper books,” and while in many ways that is still my preference, I have found it easier to hold a baby and read on my phone. Going digital also opened up lots of more cost-effective options, like Kindle Unlimited and borrowing ebooks through Hoopla from our library.
Book I Read This Summer
Habits of a Sacred Home by Jennifer Pepito
Habits of a Sacred Home was a wonderful book to start my summer reading. I found it inspiring, challenging, and yet not so heavy as to be hard to read. It covers “9 practices from history to anchor and restore modern families.” By reading one chapter a day, I could take the time to focus on and reflect on each habit. I was most inspired and challenged by the chapters on the habits of prayer and simplicity.
Until the Streetlights Come On by Ginny Yurich
This book has been on my bedside table since shortly after it was published, but life kept getting in the way of me reading it. However, I am so glad that I could take the time to read it this summer. It reaffirmed my desire to give my children more time outside, more time engaged in authentic play, and more time adventuring together as a family. It also brought up some great points about different types of light and some other science behind all of this that I had not known before. I am excited about growing further in these areas this year.
Once a Queen by Sarah Arthur
On my own, I would never have picked up Once a Queen, but I am so glad that I did. It is a middle-grade fiction novel with excellent fantasy elements reminiscent of Narnia. Read Aloud Revival was doing it as a book for mama book club, and I decided it would be fun to read it with them and have my teenage daughter read it. It was the perfect summer reading, light, and fun, with a little mystery and some fun references to Narnia for those who know the series. My only complaint is that the sequel will not be out until next year!
Your Teenager Isn’t Crazy by Jeramy and Jershua Clark
Your Teenager Isn’t Crazy: Understanding Your Teen’s Brain Can Make You a Better Parent is an engaging book that offers lots of scientific information and practical application. I have not quite finished reading it, but I have loved what I have read so far. It really helped me better understand my teenagers and gave me ideas for how to respond to them and help them through the emotions and reactions of the teenage brain. (As a bonus, this is available on Kindle Unlimited!)
Chasing Slow by Erin Loechner
Chasing Slow: Courage to Journey Off the Beaten Path is the story of how Erin Loechner, a TV show star and viral blogger, took control of her life and slowed down. It is less practical self-help strategies and more autobiographical, but inspirational ideas are intertwined into the story. It was a good, easy read, but I wish there were more practical tips. I felt like it did a great job showing the benefits of Chasing Slow, but I would have liked a little more help with the application side of the equation. (This title was also a Kindle Unlimited read.)
My Current and Upcoming Books
Michael’s Gentle Wife by Karen Andreola
I had a gift card for Amazon last month, and I knew just what I would buy. Michael’s Gentle Wife by Karen Andreola was at the top of my wish list. I had already read the two books before this one, Pocketful of Pinecones and Lessons at Blackberry Inn. So, I knew that I wanted to get my hands on this latest book. I am only a few chapters into it, but I love it so far. It is an easy-to-read story full of ideals and slower living. Set in the 1930s, things are different than today, and while it is written a bit more idyllic than real life, I also find it to be encouraging as we seek to slow down and enjoy our homeschool day.
The Opt-Out Family by Erin Loechner
Within about a month, I saw several references to The Opt Out Family by Erin Loechner in books I read. I also had several friends mention it. I want to take a second look when something keeps appearing like that. I found this one as a digital loan in our library app and have just started it as well.
I am looking forward to reading it and hopefully gaining encouragement and practical strategies for further reducing our family’s dependence on screens while balancing our desire to stay connected.
Well Lived by Sally Clarkson
Finally, Sally Clarkson is one of my favorite authors who has encouraged and inspired me along my homeschool journey. She writes about the ideals that we try to impart to our children and share in our home. She has encouraged me to continue living out those ideals over the years, even when things are imperfect, which has paid off in many ways. I have had the privilege of reading the first chapter of her new book, Well Lived: Shaping a Legacy of Gratitude and Grace, and I look forward to reading the rest of it when it comes out next month.
In addition to all of these wonderful books, I have been indulging in some fun Christian fiction through my Kindle Unlimited subscription. A chapter or two at night before bed is a great way for my mind to unwind and relax. My son has been reading some books on his Kindle, and my daughter has as well, so we find it to be a great deal, and we save money each month over what we would have spent to buy the individual books.
I am always adding books to my pile, and I would love to hear your recommendations as well.
So many times, people tell me they are worried about homeschooling, or non-homeschoolers will ask if we are doing public school for high school. I remember when we first started homeschooling, and I was not sure what high school would look like.
However, with my oldest graduated and in college and my daughter going into her junior year, I can say that homeschooling high school is actually easier than homeschooling in the younger years. Students are more independent, and I have become more of a facilitator than a teacher.
My daughter is on a slightly different path than my son, so her junior-year courses look somewhat different from those he took. She wants to focus on her music and work towards an associate’s degree in music (and possibly one in biblical studies).
Therefore, we are taking a few core classes from the community college, some life skills electives, and a big focus on her music. Our plan is for her to complete the core classes when she graduates, which will leave her with only music classes at the community college.
Fall Semester:
She is taking English 111, Public Speaking, and College Success this semester from the community college. She chose to take all of these courses online. High school juniors and seniors can take community college classes for free in our state.
Spring Semester:
She will take English 112 and one or two more courses this spring. She will probably take US History and Music Appreciation, but we will make a final decision once the class schedule is available. Our community college partners with several local schools to provide classes, and my daughter is interested in taking some of the same classes as some friends in a local private school. So, she will make a decision in the spring based on what she needs and what they are taking.
At Home:
This year, at home, she is taking Culinary Arts. We desire for all of our children to leave our home with an excellent working knowledge of cooking, food safety, and culinary skills. We created a course a couple of years ago for my son.
We used Good Eats episodes to teach various skills, had hands-on experience included, and a food safety course. We also added in some activities from SchoolhouseTeachers.com. My daughter will complete the same course, except we traded out a few lessons based on their interests. For example, my son is a hunter and enjoys making his own jerky, so we did a jerky lesson for him, but we are baking more for my daughter.
My daughter is continuing her viola lessons with Practice Monkeys for her music this year. Her instructor, Mrs. VanKleek, is specifically working with her on the skills she needs to be prepared for her time at the community college while also continuing her Suzuki curriculum. In addition, my daughter is working with a local instructor to enhance her piano skills for playing at church. She currently plays in our youth group band but hopes to soon be ready to play for Sunday morning worship.
We are also looking into voice lessons and her potentially joining a new local youth orchestra. In addition, she is talking to several friends about teaching some beginner lessons.
Morning Time
In addition to her for credit courses, she will be joining us for our family morning time. During our morning time we will be doing Bible and World Watch each day. We will also do a rotation of other subjects including fine arts, hymn study, logic, and more.
Since she had plenty of courses for her required credits, we will not be using morning time as a high school credit this year, but you can check out High School Credit for Morning Time Studies to find out how to make it a credit or check out Morning Time Plans 2024 to see exactly what resources we are using this year.
*Some links are affiliate links; see full disclosure below*
My ten-year-old is going into fifth grade! He developed a love for reading last year, which made me so happy. He struggled in his earlier years with reading, but once it clicked he made great progress and started reading for pleasure. He also loves fishing, hiking, and anything science. He would love to be able to skip math, but alas I feel math is an important part of his education.
Reading:
He will be working through All About Reading Level 4 to continue to strengthen his phonetic skills. Now that he is reading well independently, we may skip some parts of the curriculum, but I find there are still some important skills to learn.
He will also be using Read Aloud Revival’s family book clubs, The Prairie Primer (see history section below for more info), and plenty of independent reading.
Spelling
We have been working on All About Spelling, and he will continue to work his way through that. There will be even more focus on that this year now that his reading is more comfortable. We found All About Spelling years ago when my oldest was a struggling speller, and it has been our family favorite ever since.
Writing
For writing, we will be using Master Books Handwriting A to Zoo to review some handwriting skills. He will also be doing First Language Lessons to work on some grammar. In addition, nature journaling and some other creative writing assignments will help improve his skills.
Math
He will be continuing with Math for a Living Education this year. We both love the format; it worked very well for him. There is generally enough practice for him without it being too much busy work. If there are concepts where he struggles, we can add in some extra practice.
I am still looking at options for extra practice with math facts to help him speed up his computation skills.
Science:
This year both of my younger boys wanted to learn about rocks and geology. They became intrigued on our trip out west this spring and wanted to keep learning. I had never taught a geology course, but I dug around to see what we had and what resources were available. We believe in a young earth creation and wanted primarily resources that aligned with those beliefs. Using Master Book’s Geology book and Northwest Treasures Rocks and Minerals for Little Eyes book, I created our own geology study. You can find out more and get a free copy of it over at our post: Creationist Geology Unit Study for Elementary and Middle Grades.
In addition, we will be doing nature study at least weekly (we often do it more when the weather is comfortable.) Sometimes our nature study is as simple as going outside and observing, but we also love to use our subscription to Homeschool Nature Study to take things a little further and help me find some great activities and ideas.
History:
We are generally a Story of the World family for history, but last year we did the new Tuttle Twins American History Volume One book. I had planned to go back into Story of the World Volume 3 this year, but the boys were very interested in the history of the western part of the United States. We had a chance to visit parts of the Oregon Trail and a Pony Express stop as well as many other historical places west of the Mississippi on our spring trip. So, I decided to use a curriculum that would allow us to dive a little deeper into some of those areas.
We are using the Prairie Primer, which is a unit study style program that teaches history, science, health, and more through the Little House on the Prairie book series. We will not be doing all of the activities and will focus mostly on the literature and history components.
Art
This son is the one I refer to as my little artist. He loves to draw, paint, and create. We will continue to use our membership with You Are An Artist chalk pastels for his online art lessons and provide him with lots of time and materials to be creative.
This year he plans to focus on some of the acrylic paint lessons that are included in our membership to broaden his art skills. He also plans to explore independently with water colors and other mediums.
Morning Time:
Morning time is my favorite part of our school day. We will do our daily Bible study and watch World Watch for current events each day. In addition, we plan to do a rotation of fine arts studies, poetry, Tuttle Twins books, and more. You can find out more about the resources we are using this year at Morning Time Plans 2024.
We have a seven-month-old in the house, so I am holding all of our plans in an open hand and praying for the best. We will do what we can, when we can, and trust that God will fill in the gaps. I will adjust as we go along, but I think this is a good start and I am excited about our choices this year.
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.
My six-year-old is so excited to get started with first grade. He actually started his math over the summer because he did not want to wait. I am not naive enough to think that means we won’t have bad days or tough subjects, but I am glad he is enjoying school at this point.
It is important to evaluate curriculum options each year based on what worked and did not work in the past and on the individual student.
*This post contains affiliate links, see full disclosure below.*
Reading
We found All About Learning Press years ago when we struggled with spelling, and it has been an excellent fit for all my children. We started All About Reading Pre-Reading level last year and learned all of his letters.
Due to some speech difficulties we put aside the letter sounds for until this fall so that he had time to work on them in his speech therapy. This year I plan to finish the Pre-Reading level and begin working through level 1. I love the phonetic approach and the fun touches included in this program.
We will be supplementing this with some great programs from Schoolhouse Teachers. They have a fantastic series with a short video for each letter to reinforce what we are learning in AAR.
We will be continuing lots of reading aloud and he loves to listen to audiobooks in his free time or while he is working on chores. We also utilize our Read Aloud Revival membership for fun literature study.
Math
Math for a Living Education is a math series from Masterbooks. My son loved the kindergarten level so much that he finished it in April and he has already begun the first grade level.
We love how they weave a story through the book to show real-life examples of math skills. I also find that there is enough practice without being overwhelming or feeling like busy work. (If you have a child that needs extra practice, they offer a separate book with additional reinforcement.)
In addition, we will be using some calendar math from Schoolhouse Teachers to reinforce essential math concepts as well as days of the week, months of the year, etc.
Science
After our bucket list National Parks trip last year, both my ten and six year-olds really wanted to learn more about rocks. I dug around to see what we had and what was available for elementary geology from a Christian perspective and decided to create my own course using materials from a couple different companies including Master Books and Northwest Treasures. You can get a free copy of my creationist geology plan and find out more over at this post.
In addition, we will be doing nature study at least weekly (we often do it more when the weather is comfortable.) Sometimes our nature study is as simple as going outside and observing, but we also love to use our subscription to Homeschool Nature Study to take things a little further and help me find some great activities and ideas.
History
My original history plans had us moving back into Story of the World. However, after our trip and based on my children’s interests, we decided to use the Prairie Primer this year for history and literature combined. This plan goes through the Little House on the Prairie book series and incorporates history, science, and other subjects.
We will mostly focus on the literature, history, and cooking projects that are included. However, I may also add in a few of the other subjects as we have time and interest. I will note that there are some nutritional lessons that I would disagree with ( I think its just outdated information) so we will just skip those components.
I think the boys will enjoy learning more about the history of the settling of the western part of the United States and be able to make connections to some of the wonderful places we visited on our journey.
Art/Music
Nana would probably cringe if she heard me say it, but I am not an artist, so I love having an art program that will help my children in my area of weakness. We have been using You Are An Artist Chalk Pastel lessons for several years with my older children, and we love them.
Music is another area where I like to call in help teaching, and we use Practice Monkeys for music lessons. We have been with them since 2018, and I cannot say enough good things. Joseph will continue to take violin lessons as well as receive some help from my high school aged daughter. They offer Zoom Suzuki violin, cello, guitar, and piano lessons at a super affordable rate for families.
Handwriting
I am excited to be trying Master Books Handwriting A to Zoo this year. I love that in addition to handwriting he will pick up some fun animal facts and that it gives glory to the Creator. I also appreciate that it is fairly open and go, which is important for me as I balance teaching three students and having a baby in the house.
Morning Time
In addition, we will do family Bible and World Watch during our morning time each day. We will also rotate in a variety of other subjects. You can see more about what we are incorporating during Morning Time this year and learn why it is my favorite time of the day in this post: Morning Time Plans 2024
A Typical Day
All of these subjects (except music lessons and some of our nature study) can be completed in the morning. If my first grader is being diligent about his studies, he can be finished in time for lunch with everything on his checklist. Violin and nature study are the exceptions because the music lesson is scheduled in the afternoons and we often do our nature walks and hikes in the afternoons as well.
This schedule allows him to get a good foundation in the academic subjects but still have lots of time for free play and exploration. We try to ensure he gets several hours outside each day and plenty of time for building with legos and other projects. Over the years, I have come to realize that children can learn as much through that free play as they do through academic instruction.
I would love to know what your favorite resources are for first grade! Also, if you have any questions, please ask them in the comments.
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.
Over the years, we have changed many things in our homeschool, but through it all, we have tried to maintain some form of “morning time.” There have been years when morning time more typically happened in the evening (we could rename it family time), but we have tried to keep that learning time together.
We have incorporated a variety of subjects, and it looks a little different each year, but two things have remained the same: we learn together as a family, and we incorporate some type of Bible study.
*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links. See below for more information. *
This year will be the first year with one of my children, out of the nest, so to speak. My oldest is headed off to college this year. I also have a young baby that will add a bit of noise and chaos to our mornings. In order to be realistic with the baby, I am trying to keep mornings simple this year.
Every Day Morning Time Choices
Our two main morning priorities will be our daily family Bible reading and World Watch. Over the years, we have used a wide variety of Bible curriculum and enjoyed many of them, but I often found it hard to be consistent when using curriculum and trying to make it work for all ages. However, several years ago, I read Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible and realized I was over complicating things.
Now, as a family, we read one chapter a day from the Bible, going through an entire book. This keeps it simple and easy to maintain, even during busy seasons. We read (or listen to it on my phone app) the chapter and then discuss it. My husband bought me a wonderful set of commentaries that we pull out if we have questions or want to dig deeper into a verse. We have found this to be hugely impactful and easy to maintain.
After the Bible, World Watch is our second priority. We even kept these two components when we were traveling last spring. If you are not familiar, World Watch is a news program with a Christian perspective designed for students. It is ten minutes a day and covers a variety of major news topics and fun interest stories.
I find that it has opened the door for many conversations, helped my teens better understand what is happening in the world, and given us all more perspective. We have found that watching and discussing works well for our family, but I did want to mention that they now also have downloadable worksheets that you could add to your World Watch time if you felt your student needed that or to help you use it for high school credit.
Morning Time Rotations
In addition to our two main components, we will try to incorporate one additional subject each day. Those will include fine arts, hymn study, logic, poetry, books of the Bible, and any other topics that I want to fit in as a family. Sometimes, we may do the same subject each day for several weeks; other times, we may rotate daily depending on our needs. This allows us to cover various topics without adding too many different things in one day (which would make it unmanageable).
For those rotations, we will be using the following resources:
Fine Arts: We will be using the Fine Arts program from You Are An Artist. They have a variety of fine arts courses that focus on different eras and topics.
Hymn Study: For the hymn study, we will use the studies I have already written and some new ones I will add throughout the year.
Logic: We use the book The Fallacy Detective to study logic and logical fallacies. While I don’t particularly care if my children can remember a fallacy’s exact name, I appreciate how it helps them identify fallacies in different arguments. (And they have come to love calling them out by name.)
Poetry: For poetry, we love the Poetry for Young People series. It is a great way to learn more about a poet and their poetry through read-aloud.
Books of the Bible: I realized that while we were covering a lot of Bible in our home, my younger boys had not memorized the books of the Bible, so we decided to grab the Books of the Bible set from Danika Cooley to work through this year and help them not only memorize the books but also understand a little more about them.
I am looking forward to our morning time together this year. We plan to do it right after breakfast to start our day together, but when that doesn’t work, we can be flexible and do it any time. I would love to hear what you are using for your morning studies this year.
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 add new items to the library each month. 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. However, it does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
Deals and Freebies
Schoolhouse Teachers is also offering a BOGO great sale! They are a great place for a one-stop shop curriculum or for having many options to fill in different electives and courses into what you have already chosen.
Don’t miss this FREE Shipping deal from All About Learning Press! We utilize both All About Spelling and All About Reading in our homeschool.
Tuttle Twins has some great new books available, as well as their new Academy on pre-order!
You might be exploring Petroglyph National Monument with teens if you hear one of them say, “I wonder if hundreds of years from now people will be looking at today’s graffiti this way.”
Petroglyph National Monument is a site in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with several different trails featuring rocks with petroglyphs.
(We have been taking advantage of my son’s Every Kid Outdoors Pass and visiting as many National Park sites as possible. For this post, I will use National Park to mean any park site, including historic sites, monuments, etc.)
*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links. See below for more information. *
Our Suggested Itinerary
Petroglyph is different from many parks because it is located in a city, and the different trails are several miles apart. Your first stop should be the information center. This is a small center that offers information and a gift store. There are also vault toilets at this location.
This is where you can get your passports stamped, your junior ranger books, and a good map of the trails. There is one small trail behind the information center, but no petroglyphs are there.
Once you have your map, you can choose one or more trails. We only had a few hours at this site, as it was a stop along our route for the day. So, we chose to only go to the Boca Negra location. This location has three trails, picnic tables, and a bathroom.
Some of the trails are wheelchair accessible, and they have viewing tubes for those who can’t get up close. However, we hiked one of the trails up the canyon and were able to see many different petroglyphs up close. There was also an amazing view of the area from the top of the trail. We enjoyed the hike and the petroglyphs but did not feel like we missed out on anything by not being able to go to the other locations.
If you only want to visit one or two trails and the information center, you can do this park in about two hours. However, if you have more time, you could check out the other trails and spend a full day exploring.
Science and History at Petroglyph National Monument
The primary focus of this park is the petroglyphs. There is much to learn about indigenous cultures from the drawings they left behind. While there are some information boards about the petroglyphs, we found that we needed more information to dig into the history. We purchased the Easy Field Guide to Southwest Petroglyphs to help my children learn more.
From a science and nature perspective, the canyon is volcanic rock, which provides a really interesting nature study. You can also see a variety of different desert plants and animals. We enjoyed seeing all of the plant and animal life, but if I had it to do over again, I would get field guides like this plant guide and this guide for animals to bring with us.
If you get a chance to visit, let me know how you like it. Don’t forget to take your park passport and get it stamped! We have found that the passport is a great way for the children to get a souvenir at each park with no additional expense after the initial purchase.
Where:
Information Center: Albuquerque, NMUnser Blvd. NW at the Western Trail intersection, approximately 3 miles north of I-40
Trails are located within a few miles of the information center.
Hours of Operation:
Information Center is open from 9 am to 4 pm seven days a week (closed on major holidays)
Food: No food is available on site, but restaurants and parks are nearby.
Pro tip: find a grocery store that sells Biscochitos, the New Mexico state cookie. The anise flavor is delicious.
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 add new items to the library each month. 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. However, it does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
Deals and Freebies
Schoolhouse Teachers is also offering a BOGO great sale! They are a great place for a one-stop shop curriculum or for having many options to fill in different electives and courses into what you have already chosen.
Emotions can be intense and confusing for young children. Even as adults, we sometimes struggle to put our emotions into words, and it is often much more challenging for young children. I was excited to get the chance to review Spark’s How Does Bear Feel?: A Social Emotional Learning Tool for Timberdoodle.
What is How Does Bear Feel?
How Does Bear Feel? is an activity that teaches children about different emotions and helps them recognize the body language cues associated with those emotions. The kit includes 50 double-sided story cards (100 stories), 20 bear emotion cards, and an instructional card.
You read a story card aloud, and the students help to pick out which of the bear emotion cards they think the bear would feel based on the story. Then, they can also talk about how the card displays that emotion.
For example, the big smile shows he is happy. The open mouth and arms up show a surprised bear. The crossed arms and frown show an angry bear. The other side of the instruction card also shows a miniature version of each of the emotion bears and names the emotion.
How Did We Use How Does Bear Feel?
I used How Does Bear Feel? with my son, who is just finishing up kindergarten. He sometimes struggles with expressing and handling his emotions. We sat down and made it a game. I would read a card, and he would find the emotion bear he thought matched.
Then, he would name the emotion and tell me why he thought that was the right bear. Sometimes, I would ask him about other emotions that might also be correct to help him think about the situation.
For example, a bear might be happy and surprised simultaneously. He enjoyed the game and had no issues understanding how to play. You could also use the bear emotion cards to help students talk through their own experiences or make up different scenarios that apply to them.
What Did We Think?
Overall, I thought that How Does Bear Feel? was a great tool for helping young students learn to understand and talk about emotions. I really appreciated that it not only helped them name the emotions but also examined body language to help them recognize and understand body language in others.
I appreciated that it had twenty different emotions to help students work through different nuances of emotion and see that they can feel a variety of emotions in any one situation. I also liked that it was flexible in the amount of time spent using the product. You could do a card a day in just a minute or two. You could also sit for as long as the student was interested and go through different story cards.
This product is generally great for ages three to six but could also be used for older students struggling in this area.
If you have a young child who is struggling with expressing emotions, understanding social cues, or handling big feelings, go to Timberdoodle and check out How Does Bear Feel?. You can purchase it individually or it is included in their Pre-K kit.
Is it a tree? Is it a rock? At Petrified Forest National Park, the answer to both questions is yes. We left New Mexico and headed west to Arizona to visit several national parks. Petrified Forest National Park was first on our list and it did not disappoint.
(We have been taking advantage of my son’s Every Kid Outdoors Pass and visiting as many National Park sites as possible. For this post, I will use National Park to mean any park site, including historic sites, monuments, etc.)
*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links. See below for more information. *
Our Suggested Itinerary
There are two visitor centers at Petrified National Park, one at either entrance, and they are twenty-eight miles from visitor’s center to visitor’s center. Due to bad weather the day before, we only had a half-day in the park. We could see most of what we wanted, but if possible, I would recommend a full day if you do a lot of hiking.
There are some excellent trails throughout the park, but if you do not have much time or have people with physical limitations that make hiking difficult, you can still see a great deal from various overlooks.
We started at the park’s south end with the Rainbow Forest Museum and Visitor’s Center. We chose this due to our location, but it worked out perfectly. We visited the visitor’s center to pick up our junior ranger books, took a short hike behind the visitor’s center to learn more about the petrified wood, and then started through the park.
If at all possible, you will want to drive the entire twenty-eight miles through the park. There are many parking lots and “overlooks” where you can see various features. Some you can see right from the parking lot, and others may require a short walk.
There are also some longer hikes available. On the day we were there, it was overcast and rained, so we mostly stuck to shorter hikes to make sure we were not too far away from the van in case the weather worsened.
Painted DesertPetrified Wood
The south side is very focused on the petrified wood, and there are many pieces you can see and some you can touch. Be sure to grab a map at the visitor’s center to know what is available at each stop; some are just trailheads, others are overlooks, and some have picnic shelters and restrooms. If you were in the park all day, one of these stops would have made a great lunch stop. No food is available on the stretch between the two entrances (except for an ice cream shop).
We personally really enjoyed the Giant Logs and Crystal Forest trails. They were short, relatively easy trails with great up-close views of the petrified trees.
When you cross into the northern side of the park, it is known as the “Painted Desert.” The terrain changes and there are some beautiful scenic overlooks over dessert mesas with brilliant, colorful layers. Even on a cloudy gray day, it was stunning to see.
Along the way is a small museum and national landmark, the Painted Desert Inn. It was closed when we reached it on our visit, so check the current hours of operation if you want to stop there.
At the end of the twenty-eight-mile drive is a second visitor’s center, a lovely gift shop, and a restaurant. If your children have completed their junior ranger booklets along the way, they can turn them in here (you can also get them here and turn them in at the other visitor’s center if you are going in the opposite direction). They also have junior paleontologist booklets you can get, and you work through them at several National Parks sites.
We arrived at this point after the restaurant had closed, but the gift shop had some beautiful (and expensive) pieces of petrified wood. They also had a small box of pieces you could buy that was very reasonable and made a great souvenir. (It is illegal to collect petrified wood from within the park.)
Tips for the Area
If you are finished at the park and looking for a treat, there is a little “hole in the wall” type restaurant in Holbrook, AZ just a short drive from the park called Mr. Maesta’s. We stopped because they had fry bread and Indian tacos. The inside had an eclectic atmosphere with LOTS of vintage decor. We picked up the fry bread and tacos to-go and they were delicious.
If you wish to camp (tent or RV) nearby, check out Homolovi State Park. It was a beautiful park in its own right with some amazing Native American ruins and nice hiking trails. It is also in a great spot to do day trips to several other sites.
Science at Petrified Forest National Park
Petrified Forest National Park is full of science opportunities. There is so much to learn about the petrified wood and the science behind the Painted Desert. Students can learn how different minerals cause the different layers to be different colors. The process of petrification is explained along the short trail behind the visitor’s center (a brochure with more details is available at the trailhead).
There are also exhibits about the different plants and animals that call the area home.
All the displays at national parks present information from an evolutionary point of view. However, as creationists, we still felt there was much to learn from visiting and understanding the basic process. We then added listening to a couple of episodes of Jonathan Park and reading about the Petrified Forest from Answers in Genesis to our learning to help my children understand how the Genesis Flood could have caused the petrified forest.
There is also a little bit of history with a pull-out dedicated to an old Studebaker and the things done by the CCC.
If you get a chance to visit, let me know how you like it. Don’t forget to take your park passport and get it stamped! We have found that the passport is a great way for the children to get a souvenir at each park with no additional expense after the initial purchase.
Where:
Northeastern Arizona
Westbound Interstate 40 travelers should take Exit 311, drive 28 miles through the park, and connect with Highway 180 at the south end. Travel 19 miles on Highway 180 North to return to Interstate 40 via Holbrook.
Eastbound Interstate 40 travelers should take Exit 285 into Holbrook and then travel 19 miles on Highway 180 South to the park’s south entrance. Drive the 28 miles north through the park to return to Interstate 40.
Hours of Operation:
Park Road Hours
Park hours are 8 am to 6 pm.
Visitor Centers and Museum Hours
Painted Desert Visitor Center and Rainbow Forest Museum & Visitor Center
8 am to 5 pm
Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark Hours
9 am to 4 pm
Costs:
$25 per vehicle (or $15 for an individual) or Free with a pass
There is an ice cream store at the Painted Dessert Inn and a restaurant at the north entrance. (Also, see my note above about some great fry bread a short drive from the park.)
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 add new items to the library each month. 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. However, it does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.
Deals and Freebies
Schoolhouse Teachers is also offering a BOGO sale right now! You can get two years worth of curriculum for your whole family for less than $300.
We love the Who, What, Why book series from Thinking Kids Press and now is a great time to buy with 20% off! You can check out our review here.
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