Home Heart Strings - Home, House and Home, Recipes, Home Living, Homemaking, Cleaning, Decorating, Holidays
Home Heart Strings is all about house and home, recipes, family, garden and gardening, cleaning, home living, pets and pet care, organizing, homemaking, decorating, holidays, shopping, plants and flowers. Home Heart Strings - Because home is where the heart is.
HUGE Coloring Sheets Collection Printables
(Great for Christmas, Homeschooling, Etc!)
Printable Kid Activities… Printable Sheets, HUGE! Over 6,000 Pages! Makes a Wonderful Gift Too!
This fantastic collection has 6,800 printable coloring pages! Great for homeschool, church, just having fun, those rainy days, traveling, etc. Kids love to color and with this huge collection of pages, they won’t get bored or run out of pages. Print them off and use them again and again, child after child, year after year! A great investment and for only $9.97, it’s one fantastic frugal deal!
Upon purchase, you will be able to download the Coloring Sheets Collection immediately, so there’s no waiting. That’s 6,800 pages to print and color, plus they are nicely sorted to find what you want!
You can have fun and teach your kids about Columbus Day at the same time. Crafts and activities are a great way to give kids a hands-on experience that underscores their learning. Here are some ideas for kids’ activities for Columbus Day.
1. Boat Race
For this activity, gather the following items:
* Wading pool
* 3 egg cartons, Styrofoam or cardboard
* Floral foam
* Craft sticks or wooden skewers
* White paper
* Scissors
* Electric fan
* Permanent markers and/or crayons
* Hot glue gun
First, cut the egg cartons apart along the hinge. You will be using the lids. Lay slabs of floral foam evenly in each lid so that it’s balanced. Decorate the outside of the egg carton lids however you like. Maybe give them a wooden look with brown, gray and black crayons and markers.
Cut sail shapes from the white paper and decorate them with the names of Columbus’ three ships (the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria). Hot glue the sails to the craft sticks or skewers, then stick them into the floral foam sail-side-up.
Fill the wading pool with several inches of water. Keeping the cord and fan well away from the water, place it near enough to create a breeze on the water. Line up the ships, turn on the fan, and have a boat race.
2. Spanish and Italian Feast
Christopher Columbus was a native of Italy, and his trip was funded by Spain’s Queen Isabella. Find recipes online or at your local library for classic regional foods and have an ethnic meal. Here are some ideas for various foods and dishes.
Spanish:
* Paella (traditional chicken and rice dish)
* Gazpacho (cold vegetable soup)
* Chorizo (pork sausage with paprika)
* Tortilla de Patatas (tortilla made with potatoes and eggs)
Italian:
* Frittata (savory pancake with egg and various ingredients)
* Fresh pasta (making pasta noodles can be a fun activity in itself)
* Tiramisu (sponge cake-based dessert with chocolate and Kahlua liqueur)
* Risotto (slow-cooking skillet rice dish)
3. Make a Map
Use butcher paper, large sheets of brown wrapping paper, or even brown paper bags (cut along the seams to make a flat sheet) to make a big map. Research in order to get Columbus’ route accurate, and draw a map of the countries and the route. You could use construction paper to cut out three little ships to go along the route on the map.
The finished map can be put up on a wall if you like, and the ships moved a little each day.
4. Explore
You don’t have to go finding another country, but the whole family can go out exploring with a goal in mind. Put away the GPS and use a paper map and a compass to go on a drive or a hike. Circle the destination on the map and find your way using the old-fashioned implements. You could also replicate this spirit of exploration and map reading with a scavenger hunt.
Many families whose children are struggling in school wonder if homeschooling is a valid option. While these facts about homeschooling may make deciding whether to homeschool a little easier, there is so much to consider before choosing this option. And remember, even though homeschooling is a great option for many families, it isn’t right for everyone.
The requirements for homeschooling will depend upon where you live. Some states are very strict while others are somewhat lenient. Most of them are somewhere in between. You can learn what the requirements are for your state by searching on the internet and using the term “homeschooling requirements (your state).” You will most likely find a large list of websites which provide the requirements for homeschooling in your state.
One website you may want to consider visiting is that for Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). They list the homeschooling requirements for every state in the United States. You will find so much information on this one website it is considered one of the best places for those thinking about homeschooling.
Depending upon where you live, you may have several options about who will teach your child. Most states allow parents to teach their children whether they have an education background or not. In some other states, you may have to prove you have a teaching degree. Your children can also be taught through church schools, private schools or be tutored. Some states also allow your children to be taught by teachers through an accredited school but via computer or satellite. HSLDA will explain the requirements for your state.
Some states require annual exams for homeschoolers but not all of them have that requirement. In fact, some states don’t require any testing at all until the child is near graduating from high school. Look over the requirements from the state you live in and then decide if their requirements are something you and your family will be able to adhere to.
The costs associated with homeschooling vary greatly. Unlike public schools, homeschooling families must purchase a curriculum for each of their children. You can purchase an entire year’s worth of curriculum from one company or find curricula for each individual subject. The choice of what you use to teach your children generally lies with the parents. And with the wide variety of curricula available, you can find something which will meet your family’s budget.
Perhaps your children would like to play sports or be involved in extracurricular activities. Not all states allow homeschooled students to participate. You can ask the school board if homeschooled children are allowed to play in the district where your family lives.
Homeschooled students have more opportunities than they had in years past. Many colleges seek out and recruit homeschooled students. They can apply for and receive scholarships much the same as students who attend public schools.
Many parents think about homeschooling if their children struggle in school. That’s not the only reason to choose homeschooling, however. If you’re thinking about it, these facts about homeschooling may be helpful in making the decision.
