Christmas Activity Week

A week before our Christmas break and we decided to put HoD on hold.  We needed a week of catching up on our fantasy reading, spelling word list and extra Christmas themed activities while listening to Christmas songs and sipping hot chocolate! It was a perfect week of homeschool around our Christmas tree! 

We started our week making cinnamon & sugar snowflake tortillas! This was a sure hit! They loved cutting out their own tortillas. Folded them in half and then in half again. Do not crease. Ours were pretty soft and easy to bend without breaking but, if yours aren't, you may want to put them in the microwave for 10 secs or so to soften.  

Next, I let the kiddos butter their own and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top. We baked on 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes.  I suppose you could use different toppings if you like... cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic butter or chocolate drizzle. The cinnamon & sugar was a definite plus in our house and so was the yummy snowflake! 

Next, we decided to do some reindeer art!  I found a perfect demonstration from Pinterest that I will post here. 

Christmas Reindeer Art

It took us a couple days to complete these but, the kids really enjoyed this project.  I gave simple drawing directions and they were able to follow as they drew with pencil. 

We drew the reindeer shapes in pencil first. Then, we outlined our drawing with a black oil pastel. Next, the kids colored the rest with watercolors. 

They both did a great job! 

And, they all were individually unique. 

So cute! 

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Found another great spelling app this week for the kids spelling practice called 'Spelling Monster.'  The kids studied their -ir words after I entered their HoD word lists. This app was cute, kept their attention, had multiple fun spelling games using the custom words I added, and really helped them both as it was repetitive practice of their word lists. 

Yes, we also played this little game I found online. It was inexpensive and simple to duplicate and it really helped the kids determine the difference between nouns, adjectives, and verbs. 

We worked on this writing prompt. The kids named their elf and wrote about their favorite toy. 

"My elf's name is Jingle. Her favorite toy is an American girl doll."

Then, they colored their elf, cut out all the pieces and glued together however they wanted. 

I love finding cute ideas on Pinterest! You can get it here!   Free Printable Elf

We also did a couple Christmas math worksheets this week. Multiplication for ds and addition for dd!

Multiplication Christmas Tree    

Gingerbread Addition

This worksheet below was another fun and sneaky math paper  that we did  to help decorate a Christmas tree.  

You can get this math worksheet here!    Math Christmas Tree Decoration Worksheet

We finished up our fantasy reading this week of Charlotte's Web. I am really glad we chose this book. The story captivated both the kids interest and kept their attention. The characters were funny and I made them come to life easily with character voices, of course. They did a book review. 

Then, we watched the Charlotte's Web movie. I was surprised how much the book influenced this movie and was impressed with the characters. There were a few parts that were taken out of the movie but, overall the kids were able to enjoy as they watched. 

I would highly recommend watching the movie after reading the book.   We also colored pics of the story, they cut them out and then put them in the correct sequence to have their own Charlotte's Web story.  

I wish we had more time to do a Charlottes Web lapbook or diorama and we may decide to revisit this after the holidays since they liked it so much. 

For fun, we made life size gingerbread people! We traced the kids bodies a bit rounded on butcher paper and then cut and colored them.  Of course, my dd had to dress hers with a Christmas dress, red tights and black shiny shoes! 

We made a lot of silly & fun crafts but, we finished the week talking a bit about the meaning of Christmas and read the Christmas story. The kids colored, cut and put together this nativity scene all on their own.  It was neat because all the characters stood.  You can find this free printable nativity here.

Free printable Color/Cut Stand-up Nativity Set

We are officially out of school until after the first of the year but, you can be assured there will be many learning opportunities in nearly all that we do! I have to take advantage of all of those... Big & small! 

Hope you enjoy all the free Christmas activities above as much as we did! Wishing each of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! See you in 2014! 

Be blessed! 

Heart of Dakota - BLHFHG Unit 16

What a fantastic time off for thanksgiving with family and friends. Our bellies are full, our blessings are many, and we are ready for a couple more weeks of school before our Christmas break. 

At the beginning of this week, our outside time was spent as a family raking and bagging leaves day! There were so many that had fallen in our yard and the kids had an awesome time "helping" and playing in the leaves! Still loving this time of year and it isn't to cold yet! 

We started off the week with a new verse, Proverbs 15:3.   'The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.'  

We talked about a new character trait of integrity and doing the right thing even when no one is around watching.  We are never alone and God sees everything we do good and bad even when no one else does. 

Our poem this week was "God, Who Made the Earth" by Sarah Betts Rhodes. 

Copywork is never a favorite for either my 6 yo printer or 8 yo cursive writer but,  I'm daily impressed by the improvement I am seeing in their penmanship. This week the poetry was long and they both completed it without out too much complaining! 

In history, we talked about how the Indians were at peace with the settlers for  nearly 50 years. The settlers would trade beads, blankets, and knives for the Indian land. 

Our art project was to weave blankets using construction paper. The kids both had fun with this! 

Yes, my son couldn't resist turning his into a Nascar flag!  :)

The Indians learned over time that the material things would wear out and break and the settlers land remained. This made the Indians feel cheated. When Chief Massasoit passed away, his son, Phillip was angry with the colonists. King Phillip of the tribe called for war and the Indians struck in the evenings burning down the colonists houses and villages when they least expected.  It was a dangerous time for colonists. 

We read in Stories of the Pilgrims about 2 girls who were left alone as their parents journeyed to a nearby village.  The girls heard Indians on their land and had heard many stories of the Indians taking items and burning down homes.  The girls decided to work together to scare the Indians with lanterns. The Indians were afraid of things they did not understand and they ran away frightened by the burning fire in the lantern.  We talked about the reflection of light. 

In Science, we talked about how God gave 5 gifts to man to help them live on Earth - eyes to see, ears to hear, a nose to smell, a tongue to taste and skin to touch. We are starting with the eyes. We took pictures of the kids eyes so they could see what they looked like up close. Then, they colored their own eyes to match while we talked about the parts of an eye and then labeled it! This free eye printable is on my homeschool pinterest board. You can print it here.

  We experimented with shadows!  Even the dog was a forced volunteer for this experiment! We learned that the shadow was small when the light was directly overhead and the shadow grew larger as the light went down.  

                                                                 

In math, both kids are moving right along. Proud of our 1st grader who is doing above grade level and learning to carry her ones with double digit addition! 

My ds, 3rd grader, is stepping it up with multiplying double digit numbers. He struggled a bit with this but, we will refresh and repeat next week. 

We are continuing to read Charlottes Web and will be finishing up by watching the movie soon.  The kids are really enjoying the book so far as I read it to them.  We generally are reading about 2-4 chapters per day. 

Our emerging reader this week was a level 4 reader called Prairie School by AVI.  Here is a review from my dd:  

This is Aunt Dora in her wheelchair teaching her nephew, Noah how to read out on the prairie.  I just love the old fashioned wheelchair my dd drew with an umbrella covering Aunt Dora for shade.

Our writing prompt this week was inspired by our day reminiscing and putting our Christmas tree up. We  discussed our favorite ornaments.  For my 3rd grader, he wrote his and then edited his mistakes. For my dd, who is 6 well.... good luck trying to read her writings.  :)  

 You can get this free writing prompt on my Pinterest homeschool board  here.   * HINT*  it will connect you to Teachers pay Teachers but when you view the preview you can print it for free.

We took a break this week for a social activity to visit the library and meet up with other homeschoolers in our area to do several Christmas crafts.  There was quite a turnout and the kids enjoyed it.  It is important to us to keep our kids active and social with other children who are homeschooling too. They had a great time making crafts and meeting new friends.   The marshmallow snowman was a cute idea... and the dog liked it too when we got home and hung it on the fridge. YUM!  :(

We also enjoyed the festivities and fireworks at City Centers, Holly Dazzle.  It was crowded and chilly but, didn't keep us from window shopping, sipping on hot chocolate and singing along with the merry trombone players as they watched the lighting of the tree! Tis' the season! 

These 2 are very excited about the next few weeks with Christmas being so near! I guess, I am too... but, it is such a busy time of year.  It'll be much better after all the hustle and bustle of shopping and crowds, performances and  parties. Then, we can focus more on the joy of the reason for the season with our family and friends. 

Please feel free to post your comments below.  I'd love to hear from those that are following our journey!

Be blessed! See you next week! 

Heart of Dakota BLHFHG - Unit 15

Our verse this week was Matthew 25:21. This is what rainbow Copywork looks like when someone is racing and in a hurry to rush and get it done quickly. 

I know she can do much better than this and she tried a bit harder on her poetry Copywork. 

In poetry, we copied the poem 'The Cow' by Robert Louis Stevenson.  We made an art picture of Trinka the cow grazing in tall grass. Trinka was one of the early explorer cows that made the journey from Holland to New Amsterdam.  We learned a lot about cows this week and how cows chew their cud. One thought it was awesome and one was disgusted. Lol! 

In history, we learned that the Dutch established an area called New Amsterdam in what we today call New York. 

The Dutch sent a ship from Holland and it carried cows, pigs, & sheep to America.  The pastures were not prepared so the animals were placed on an island to keep them safe from wolves and bears and in one area. The Indians had never seen these type of animals before and were very curious. Of course, there was eventually not enough grassland/food for the animals so they decided to move them off the island and watch over them closely on the mainland. 

We played a little game keeping the animals corralled on the imaginary island while a small canoe rowed them one at a time to and from the shore. 

The people were excited to have the cows, sheep and pigs in America. We talked about the many reasons we need these animals. 

We made homemade ice cream. The kids mixed milk, vanilla and sugar in a small Baggie. Next, we put it in a larger Baggie with ice and salt. The kids gently shook the bag for 5 minutes and were happy to find ice cream inside when the time was up! Of course, we added chocolate syrup and m&m's for extra yumminess! 

Some of the cows that they brought over on the ship ate poisonous weeds and died. Watching over the cows while they grazed in the pasture was an important job for the young boys. 

The kids made a picture of Trinka the cow with her red ribbon on her tail. We also talked about how cheeses, butter, cream, curds & whey can all be made from cows milk.  We poured milk in a glass and added 1 1/2 TBS of vinegar. After 5 minutes, the curd separated from the whey. One was actually brave enough to try the curds with a little salt! She said it was yummy! 

We couldn't resist to go on an impromptu field trip to a local farm.  Wish it would have been a little more sunny and warm out but, the kids had a great time feeding the animals and observing the cows! They couldn't imagine getting on a boat with all those cows like the early settlers did! Especially not on a canoe! 

We learned that later English warships sent by the brother of the king of England (the Duke of York) came and took over New Amsterdam. The Dutch governor named Peter Stuyvesant, who had a wooden leg, ordered the Dutch men to fight the English.  The English had more guns and cannon than the Dutch. The Dutch would not fight. "It is foolish to shed blood for nothing..." Governor Stuyvesant surrendered at last. He could not fight alone. Down came the Dutch flag and up went the English flag.  The English changed the city's name to New York. 

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We have been reading our fantasy book, Charlotte's Web. We talked about the character moods and retelling the story.   The kids are really enjoying these books as we read to them. I love seeing their imaginations working as they listen.  

Our emerging reader this week was Buffalo Bill and the Pony Express by Eleanor Coerr.  The kids voted and they both liked this story!  The little one had some difficulty with words in this book but, overall did well with a level 3 reader. 

They liked the part where Billy dressed a scarecrow up with a pumpkin head and put it on a horse. The robbers were tricked and thought the fake scarecrow was the rider on the pony express. 

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With our spelling, I had both kids write out their words on a dry erase board. This Little Miss decided to write a poem with her words.  I see a couple misspellings but what a cute and creative idea for her! 

This is how she read it to me....

'Never ever over. Over?

Faster! Faster under river. 

Under, under? Not there!

Here? No, we're almost there.

Here she is!'

Not to shabby for a 6 yr old's first attempt at writing poetry! 

For a fun activity, the kids colored and cut this Thanksgiving number order puzzle. 

In art, we talked about symmetry and the kids both finished these thanksgiving pilgrim boy and girl drawings.  

We are taking off school to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family.  Our thankful tree we made is overflowing  with thankful leaves as there are so many blessings in our lives. Hope each of you have a safe and joyous Thanksgiving and have time to reflect on the blessings in your life too. 

Be blessed! 

Heart of Dakota- BLHFHG Unit 14

Couldn't have asked for a better weekend, spending time with family and enjoying the crisp autumn air. The extra day off on Monday for Veteran's Day was nice too and especially since we got to spend it with our favorite military man. I may never understand ones willingness and bravery to give their all for our country but, I'm so thankful for the amazing men and women who do just this everyday. I'm hopeful to impress upon my children the importance of our country and never forgetting the sacrifices that have been made for our freedom. 

Along with the holiday, we squished in dental appointments and a field trip to the Mariners Museum. We combined our HOD school week into 3 days which can be a bit rocky & stressful but, doable with cooperation from the little ones.   I love the flexibility that homeschooling offers when planned accordingly. Unfortunately, I failed to plan as well as I should have so this week was a bit of a struggle trying to get everything in.  I think overall though, we did a good job and made it through just fine! 

The Mariners Museum in Newport News was fantastic & interesting.  The kids seemed to relate everything they saw to 'Stories of the Pilgrims' and the Mayflower.  Which helps me know they have been paying attention!  There was a display of Columbus' ship, Ninã  that we discussed in the earlier units. The kids thought it was neat to find it at the museum.  

Our verse this week was John 14:1-2.  We talked about how our hearts should not be troubled because we know that God is preparing a place for us in heaven. What an awesome promise to hold onto in our troubled world we live in. 

In our Bible Study, we read in Exodus 14:5-31 about how God protected the Israelites and saved them from the Egyptians. The Lord watches over His people. We talked about the miracle God did when He parted the Red Sea and allowed the Israelites to cross safely.  He showed the Israelites that He is the one true God.  We talked about the God we serve is the same God that saved the Israelites. Can you imagine how amazed the Israelites must have been to see the waters of the Red Sea part?

We filled a bowl with water and added black pepper to the top. We placed a bar of soap into the center of the water and the pepper quickly parted to the sides of the bowl.  The kids amazement was much of the same in awe of the black pepper separating.  Very neat demonstration.

In history, we learned this week that an Indian came to warn the pilgrims that a ship was coming. The pilgrims feared that it may be a French ship coming to capture their settlement in Plymouth. They were relieved to discover a red cross on a white flag which showed it was an English ship.  The kids each made an English flag. 

The English ship carried the pilgrims friends and family but, it did not have suffice food nor were the Pilgrims prepared to add an additional 35 more to the settlement as they were already struggling to feed everyone throughout the winter.   They were able to visit a tribe of Indians and get more corn that they needed. God continued to provide for their needs. 

The pilgrims had a surprise visit from an Indian messenger and they weren't able to understand what he was saying. The Indian warned of an attack on the pilgrims.  He showed them a rattlesnake filled with arrows and ranted. Governor Bradford of the Pilgrims removed the arrows and replaced with gun powder and sent it back to the Indian chief as a warning. The Indians did not attack. 

We read about snakes and we made a snake too! The kids glued on hole punch dots one by one. This was a very tedious art project... especially for my little perfectionist. They pressed forward and the snakes turned out very cute. They liked the way the snake skin felt but, may I suggest making an even smaller snake!  

This week we also learned the great Chief Massasoit became very sick. He sent a messenger to the pilgrims for help. The Indians soon learned that broth, fresh air, water & quiet time worked better than the dancing, painted faces and ranting medicine men trying to scare away his sickness. The Indians found that the medicine men did not have the power they thought they did.  

In Science Exploration, we learned that broth is digested more quickly than food because it doesn't have to break down. 

The broth dripped easily and quickly through the stomach (coffee filter) into the small intestine (glass). The cracker takes longer  to dissolve and digest.  The nutrients were able to reach the intestine faster with broth. 

In geography, we took a closer look at our globe and labeled and colored the continents and oceans.  They drew a line around for the equator.  You can print this globe printable from my Pinterest Homeschool board,  here.

The puppy loves going to school with the kids... Especially when there's a blanket around.  

In math, we used mini marshmallows as manipulatives to help with adding and subtracting.  My 6 yo was concerned with adding several numbers and finding the missing addend (2+1+3+___= 9) .... until we added marshmallows.  Then, she loved it and wanted to do more math! The little one kept needing extra marshmallows along the way.  For some reason they just kept disappearing! Lol! 

Our copywork is going well and becoming less of a struggle each week. Here is a peek at my older son's poetry cursive writing.  His hard work and practice is paying off as he is doing so well and I am very proud of his beautiful writing.

The kids had fun playing this Thanksgiving themed... sight word & math game called Word Bump. It was great practice as they counted the total of 3 dice and bumped each other off the squares with lots of word writing practice. You can get the game from my Pinterest homeschool board...   Click Here

This game helped with their weekly sight word practice. In our lesson this week we learned about -or. 

We read Amelia Bedelia for our book in the Emerging Readers set. The kids took turns reading.  Both are excelling with sounding out words and loved this silly story. 

After our readings, I have the kids complete this listening worksheet. 

Translation:  "The dressed up chicken"

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This week with our piano lessons, the kids practiced dictating and clapping rhythms. They both can play 'Hot Cross Buns' using the correct notes and rhythms.  They liked using these cards we made from the hardware store paint sample cards to create their own rhythms to clap out.  The cards are perfect sized for notes and would make great flash cards for sight words, math facts or just about anything else you can think of. 

They both tried to make a difficult rhythm to trick each other on the rests. It was fun watching them do so well with this and creating their own rhythms.   They also learned how to play 'Frog in the Middle' on the piano and sing the So-Mi-Do pattern. You can find out more about our free online piano lessons at  https://www.hoffmanacademy.com

We soaked up the sun walking outside and our dd decided we should make this shadow chain. 

It truly is the simple things in life that give happiness.  Their giggles of joy and silliness are priceless. I pray those sounds always echo in my mind and flood over the cries, struggles, and mischievous moments. 

Please take a moment to comment, I would love to hear from you if you are following our homeschool journey!

See you next week! 

Be blessed.