It’s easy! Step 1 – pick your grade. Next, choose 1-2 books from each category starting with your core (Read, Writing, Math). Step 3 – place your order or contact me to have an an online event to get FREE and discount books!

This post contains affiliate links. For more information please read my full disclosure.

By making your own curriculum, you can let your children lead in their education. This means you can teach them about their favorite subjects while they learn exactly what they need for their grade level. Don’t be afraid to get creative with this and make it really fun for your kids!

To help you find books easily, I’ve created links to book lists for each grade level at the bottom of each curriculum guide. You can also use the search bar on the right in my Usborne books and more store to find what you need! Here is a list of the Best Books for every Homeschool if you’d just like some help supplementing curriculum you already have.

Homeschool with Usborne Curriculum Guides

Prek – K Package

Each year, choose from one of the following. Create the curriculum package that matches the area of study you wish to focus on.

Reading: Start to Read Pack OR Very First Reading Set. Wipe Clean Books (Letters Focused ones); Learning Pallette K Reading; First Hundred Words.

Literature: 1 Quarterbound cloth books; Fairy Tale Treasury and Usborne Nursery Rhymes; 2 Picture books; OR the Usborne Picture Book Gift Set.

Math:  1-2 First Dot-to-Dot; 1 Themed Wipe Clean book; Learning Pallette K Math; Big Book of Things to Spot

Science:  1 Science-themed Flap Book; 1 Science-themed Look Inside Board Book; 1 themed Lift the Flap;1 themed Big Book of Big

History and Geography:  1 themed Look Inside Board Book; Children’s Picture Atlas

Art: I can Draw; My First Color Book; Big Drawing, Doodling, and Coloring Book; Activity Books for Little Children

Critical Thinking and Fine Motor Skills: 1 Finger Match Set; 3 of First Stickers Books; 1-2 of Build a Picture Sticker Books

Click here to see a full selection of the different books. Then, view the Homeschool with Usborne video below to get a peek inside some of our best sellers.

Need help creating a curriculum for your specific child? Message me on Facebook here and I’ll make you a free book list.

1^st – 3^rd Curriculum Package

Each year, choose from one of the following, to create the curriculum package that matches the area of study you wish to focus on.

Reading and Writing: First Reading Set; 3 – 4 Beginners Books; Young Reading Series 1, 2, OR 3;  Any Series Fiction; My First Story Writing Book;  Illustrated Dictionary

Literature:    1 Myths and Stories; 1 Illustrated Originals; 2 Illustrated Stories; Shakespeare Collection

Math:  Learning Palette + 1 Wrap-up to Match Grade Level; 1 Illustrated Math Dictionaries; Lift the Flap Times Tables

Science: 1 – 2 Science Activities Books; 1 of 3 Science Experiments books; 1 of First Encyclopedias; 1 of Nature Encyclopedias; 1 Starting Point Science book

History and Geography: Time Traveler; Who Were the First North Americans; Then and Now; 1 of Themed See Inside Board Books; 1 Atlas

Art: Very First Art Sticker or My Very First Art; Art Treasury; Lift the Flap Art; Famous Artists Sticker Book; 1 Art Cards

Critical Thinking and Fine Motor Skills: 1 Pack of Activity Cards; 1 Language book; 2-3 of any Activities and Stickers Books

Click here to see a full selection of the different books for this grade level.  Then, view the video below for a peek inside some of the choices above.

Become a Brand Partner!

You can create your own homeschool with Usborne for FREE and get paid at the same time! There are no minimum sales requirements. No inventory needed, and you have the opportunity to earn the full cost of your kit back in 30 days! PLUS, I will personally coach you on how to build your book business or just as a fun hobby! Either way, we want YOU on the team! 

Click here to watch the web-class and learn more! Or sign up on my website! Don’t wait! Offer ends 3/31

4th – 6th  Curriculum Package

Each year, choose from one of the following, to create the curriculum package that matches the area of study you wish to focus on.

Reading and Writing:  Any Series Fiction; Write Your Own Story or Write Your own Adventure Story; Illustrated Thesaurus

Math: Learning Palette + 1 Wrap-­‐up to Match Grade Level (if not yet all used); 1 Illustrated Math Dictionaries; This is Not a Math Book

Science:  1 Discovery Books (Astronomy; Sharks; Snakes); Science Encyclopedia; 1 Mysteries and Marvels; 1 Complete Books (Science themed); Illustrated Science Dictionary; The World of the Microscope; 100 Things to Know about Science

History and Geography:  1 The Story of; Geography Encyclopedia; Sticker Picture Atlas; Lift-the-flap Picture Atlas; Encyclopedia of World History; World Religions; 1 World History; Castles;

Art: 1 Art Cards; Complete Book of Art Ideas,

Critical Thinking and Fine Motor Skills:  2­‐3 of any Activities and Stickers Books

Click here to see a full selection of the different books for this grade level. Then, view the video for a peek inside some of the choices for 4th grade and up.

7th Grade+ Curriculum Package

Each year, choose from one of the following to create the curriculum package that matches the area of study you wish to focus on.

Reading and Writing: Write Your Own Story; Write Your own Adventure Story; Write and Draw Your Own Comics; Illustrated Thesaurus

Literature: Illustrated Originals; Any Series Fiction; World of Shakespeare; True Stories;

Math: This is Not a Math Book; A Puzzle a Day; 50 Brain Games, Memory Puzzles. Illustrated Math Dictionary (if you don’t have one)

Science:  Pocket Books; Electricity and Magnetism; 3 Illustrated Science Dictionaries; 1 What’s All About

History and Geography: World History, World War book; From Pie Town to Yum Yum;

Art/Drawing Activities: Any Nature Coloring (can assist with Science); Any Pattern Coloring; Any Hobbie Guides; Optical Illusions

Click here for a list of the different books for this grade level.

Need help? Contact me and I can create a custom list for all your children!

The post Make Your Own Homeschool Curriculum with Books! first appeared on True Aim.

Heidi (affiliate link) is a work of fiction written in 1880 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, originally published in two parts as Heidi’s years of learning and travel and Heidi makes use of what she has learned. It is a novel about the events in the life of a young girl in her grandfather’s care, in the Swiss Alps. She is an orphan girl who has simple, but exciting mountain adventures! No wonder my daughter likes it. Heidi is one of the best-selling books ever written and is among the best-known works of Swiss literature.

I decided to look up some of the customs and traditions of the Swiss people. They are known for yodeling, cheese, wrestling, woodcarving and decoupage! I thought we would try our own little Swiss art project and made up a decorative template we could trace and make our own decoupage!

Decoupage for Kids

The picture below is an example of traditional Swiss Decoupage. As you can see, it is very intricate. Popular themes are black and white, cattle driving or Swiss scenery with floral and heart motifs. There is even a Swiss association called Friends of Decoupage!

For our decoupage, I made a simple template with birds and a flower. If you have older children, I have also made some templates with more intricate designs. You could also try making your own. A lot of artists will fold their paper in half and make the design, cut it out and open the fold so they have a mirrored symmetrical design.

The supplies we used in this craft were a cutting board, cardboard, craft paper, template, tape, a knife or push pin, a hole punch and some string.

We put the cardboard on a cutting board just in case we cut through the cardboard. After cutting out the template, we taped it on our craft paper and then started cutting with the knife. You’ll want to supervise your children very carefully so they are not putting their fingers in front of the knife and holding it correctly.

If you are worried, you can give them a push pin and have them poke small holes around the design instead. Then they can leave it the way it is, with just pin pricks in the paper showing the design, or they can cut it away with scissors.

We laminated ours with some clear adhesive paper and then hole punched the top to make a sun catcher.

The post Swiss Inspired Decoupage for Kids first appeared on True Aim.

But what I learned in school wasn’t history at all. History is not a line of unconnected dates and locations; history is a powerful story of men and women who impacted the world for better or worse. Everyone loves a good story, and true history is the telling of the finest, most powerful stories mankind has recorded.

So when I agreed to review Masterbooks Christian History: Biographies of Faith, it was with great hesitation. Would it be a study of dates, or powerful stories? I wasn’t disappointed.

I received 5 biographies of great Christian men; Life of Washington, Life of John Newton,  Life of John Knox, Life of Luther, and Life of Andrew Jackson. I only meant to thumb through the books in order to form an opinion, but the Life of Washington hooked me, and I read about half the book in a single sitting.

His story was incredible. And while the books are intended for seventh through ninth graders, I would recommend them to adults and even younger children. I plan to finish them myself.

5 Things that make a Great History Curriculum

Masterbooks Christian History: Biographies of Faith is a great history curriculum because it has these 5 qualities.

1. Fantasy is fun; history if better. If a kid’s hero is a comic book character, that’s not good. Superheroes overcome life struggles with superpowers, but our children don’t have superpowers. Biographies of Faith offers examples to our children of real flesh-and-blood heroes; heroes without superpowers; heroes our children could aspire to be like.

2. Faith Is Not a Footnote. The way I learned history in school, Faith was a footnote. Our heroes may have had some religion, but it was inconsequential. Yet, a short reading of George Washington’s biography proves that he didn’t just have religion, he had a deep and driving Faith. In fact, his Faith was who he was, and it certainly directed his actions. Washington was not a great man, so much as he was a man of great faith.

Our schools and colleges are intentionally secularizing these Christian men. They want us to believe that Faith doesn’t matter. They want us to believe that great goodness can spring from Godlessness, but that isn’t the case. Christians will never retake America until we start putting faith back into our children’s history lessons.

3. Serious Reflection: When it comes to learning, I’m not a fan crafts and crossword puzzles, especially as kids get older. The questions in Christian History: Biographies of Faith foster serious reflection. I didn’t see any questions about dates, and few about places. Instead, most questions ask about pivotal moments and attitudes, drawing students’ attention to the character traits and wise decisions that distinguished these great men of history.

4. Only Essential: Did you know that George Washington had wooden teeth? That is about all I knew after studying Washington in school. The best part is, it is not exactly true.

For some reason, history textbooks in school give too many details, details that have nothing to do with history. Washington is not a remarkable historical figure because he had some false teeth. And the Pilgrims aren’t worthy of memory because they sailed on a ship called the Mayflower. Yet, I remember answering questions in school about those very things.

Luckily, Christian History: Biographies of Faith asks no such silly questions. The focus in on the essential facts and motives, the details that make these historical figures set apart from the other men of their time.

5. Vocabulary: Most of reading comprehension comes down to vocabulary. That is why I love that this curriculum starts off by having students define vocabulary words, in context, taken from their readings. Not only will this help them understand the material that they just read, but it will help them decode other, even more complicated, works in the future.

As someone who produces curriculum of my own, I am often very critical of other’s learning materials. However, I could not be more pleased with Christian History: Biographies of Faith. This is how kids should learn history!

Get 26% off ALL Masterbooks curriculum sets and FREE SHIPPING on any order over $75.  No Code Needed. Offer ends August 31st.

Masterbooks Gift Card Giveaway!

If you’d like to try out Masterbooks Homsechool Curriculum? They have a wide variety for children of all ages! Here is your chance to win 1 of 2 $75 gift cards to Masterbooks.com.

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  I was sponsored by Masterbooks to review their Christian History homeschool curriculum. All opinions are my own.

The post 5 Things That Make a Great History Curriculum first appeared on True Aim.

{Disclosure: I received a copy of The Electrifying Nervous System for review and was compensated for my time in writing this review. My opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review. Your experience may vary.}

The author, Lainna Callentine M.Ed., M.D. was an elementary school teacher before she became a medical doctor, a profession she left behind to homeschool her three children.  Her knowledge and experience in the teaching and medical field give her points in my book, and that is just scraping the surface of her accomplishments.

The Electrifying Nervous System

The Electrifying Nervous System is a basic overview of the human nervous system geared toward students in 3rd-6th grade.  It is the first book of 9 in the God’s Wondrous Machine series, though only 2 are available to purchase right now.  Dr. Callentine does well at piquing the interest of our younger generation in this field of study.  My oldest son (he’s 8) really liked the  “wacky and weird” facts, as well as the photographs.  Dr. Callentine Keeps descriptions and definitions short and interesting, unlike some science textbooks written for this age level.

The book is written from a Christian worldview, with many Scripture references scattered throughout, which I love!  It is also filled with interesting diagrams which catch the attention of young readers.  Even I found myself caught up in the wonder of the human nervous system!

My oldest is 8, and reads at a 5th grade level (thanks to his Father’s genetics), and the reading was a bit cumbersome for him.  He was able to comprehend most of it, but with some of the larger medical terms, he got a bit lost.  I think it would be perfect with review questions, hands on activities, or other helpful tools to reinforce learning. Supplemental materials can be purchased separately to help with that. This book was a good length, interesting, and full of facts and Scripture. Take a look at the book trailer below and see for yourself!

Homeschool Science Curriculum

If you are interested in teaching body systems to your children, give God’s Wondrous Machine a try! The series includes the respiratory system as well as the nervous system book that we used. Download a sample of the Nervous System Book here. With a few supplemental materials purchased from God’s Wondrous Machine, I think this would be a great addition to your homeschool science curriculum!

Homeschool Science Giveaway!

Master Books is celebrating God’s creation by giving away some awesome prizes to help you with your science curriculum. First, you’ll get a copy of The Electrifying Nervous System. Then, you’ll also receive 2 Geology Exploration DVDs in the Awesome Science series hosted by Noah Justice! This gift package is worth over $40, please enter the Rafflecopter below!

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The post Giveaway! Homeschool Science Curriculum: The Electrifying Nervous System first appeared on True Aim.

No-Nonsense Algebra can help both parent and student more easily navigate Algebra. {Disclosure: I received a copy of No-Nonsense Algebra for review and was compensated for my time in writing this review. My opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review. Your experience may vary.}

How We Use No-Nonsense Algebra

I would like to tell you about my experience with No-Nonsense Algebra from two perspectives.

First up is my high school aged daughter. She is a video based learner and has struggled along the way in math. We were recently faced with the need for her to take a college placement exam in math in order for her to enroll in a science class. She needed to place through basic Algebra. Using No-Nonsense Algebra as a quick refresher for her was super easy!

Now for my middle school aged son. He is a no fluff, get to the point, I want to skip it if I know it kind of kid. He excels in math. No-Nonsense Algebra is a great fit for him too. The lessons aren’t too long so he can finish them in a reasonable amount of time. He doesn’t have the attention span for anything too long or daunting.

Easy to Use Features of No-Nonsense Algebra

Lesson Break Down – In the Table of Contents (you can view the full Table of Contents here) the lessons are broken down into bite sized pieces, making them short and to the point.

Focused Lessons – Each lesson is focused on one thing, offering a quick introduction, some helpful hints, examples, and the exercises for that specific lesson and a quick review. In many cases this happens in just one page. This to the point style is perfect for my son who wants to get in and get out.

Online Videos – Each lesson has a corresponding instructional video. This is great for a video learner like my teen. She can watch the video related to a specific topic she is struggling with, get instruction and work out samples and then head back to the book to try some on her own.

Built In Review – While each lesson is short and to the point, built in review is offered along the way to help your student maintain the skills they have learned along the way. Thus allowing for better retention and flow.

Quick Reference Section – The back of the book features a Glossary of Terms as well as tables with things like important formulas, symbols and more. We have found the list of important formulas to be invaluable as a quick reference.

Readily Available Answers – For me, the teacher, I like having the answers readily available at the back of the book. They are right there so I don’t have to go grab another book, or pull up something online.

Affordable – I couldn’t write this without telling you how incredibly affordable No-Nonsense Algebra is! We have used many math programs and I was so pleased to see how affordably priced this is. At just $23.95 you get not only the book, but access to the online instruction videos too! Plus it is set up so that you can use it with more than one student in your home.

So whether you are looking to give your child a solid start in Algebra, or you have a student who needs to brush up on their Algebra skills, Non-Nonsense Algebra fits the bill.

Learn More About No-Nonsense Algebra

To learn more about No-Nonsense Algebra you can check them out on their website: MathEssentials.net

Or follow them via social media:

• Facebook
• Twitter

Math Essentials Giveaway!

Enter the rafflecopter below to win a curriculum of your choice from Math Essentials!

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The post Giveaway! No-Nonsense Algebra for Homeschool first appeared on True Aim.

This year, CurrClick is making it easy by giving you an awesome Freebie and giving away a $20 gift card to get any resources you need!

Geography Copywork Bundle Freebie

This bundle contains information on 3 different countries; China, India, and Australia! Kids love the pictures included in the content and there are extra pages for children to write what they thought about each topic.

We were especially interested in the India book. To download your free Geography Copywork Bundle, use code CC12days7 at checkout! Valid until 12/9!

Trail Guide to Bible Geography

When we do geography lessons, usually I just look up information and make my own lesson. During the holidays I have less time to plan so I looked at all the resources on CurrClick and had to pinch myself. When I looked at all the resources on CurrClick I knew I had been doing it all wrong.

The first thing that caught my eye was the Trail Guide to Bible Geography. It takes you on an amazing journey through the lands in the Bible and gives you insight into the Jewish culture. An amazing book to help you imagine what it was like in the Old Testament and in Jesus’ day!

More Geography Freebies

Another book to look at from CurrClick is Around the World One Country at a Time. Not only is this a good resource to have when your child happens to have an interest in a country, it is also a great companion to any geography curriculum you already have. I am really excited about it because when we study current events or recent historical events, we can look in this book for information about the area.

12 Days of Christmas CurrClick Giveaway!

One lucky reader will win a $20 Gift Card to CurrClick so you can buy some more Geography resources, or any other lessons you’ve had your eye on!

For more freebies, visit the 12 Days of Christmas series from CurrClick!

I was not compensated for this post but received a Free Trial Guide to Bible Geography book.

The post Geography Resources Giveaway and Freebie! first appeared on True Aim.

When I first started teaching my daughter around age 3 I had no intention of homeschooling. She just loved learning, reading, and playing, so I went for it and tried to teach her as much as time would allow. As I saw the amazing amount of information she could take in and get excited about, I knew that this was something I wanted to do for her long-term.

Now Audrey is in 1st grade, but it is a little tricky. She is way ahead in math (probably 2nd grade level) and a little bit ahead in reading and writing. So I didn’t know how she would do with 1st grade Pearson Homeschool Phonics, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Pearson Homeschool Phonics

We received the Pearson Homeschool Plaid Phonics Level B. It comes with a Teacher Resource Guide and a workbook. The curriculum is divided into 7 units that cover specific sounds and spelling skills.

Since I have been teaching Audrey reading for quite some time, I was able to look through the teacher resource guide and see what units my daughter could skip. If you’re not sure what level your child is, there are pretests and post tests for each unit.

I saw the skills in unit 1 and knew that would be too easy for Audrey. Unit 2 looked like it was a great place to start because the majority of it would not be hard for her, but there were just a few sounds and skills she needed more practice on. By picking a unit level that wasn’t challenging at first, I know Audrey would be encouraged and confident while limiting frustration.

We really like to do project based and themed learning so I fit this curriculum into our homeschool style. Instead of doing every page of the workbook, we skipped pages and made the curriculum work with our routine. I was surprised how much Audrey liked the spelling activities and writing prompts. It also made a great quiet time activity for her when she was bored or when I needed to help my other children with their work.

If you’re looking for a curriculum that shows you step by step how to go through each lesson and provides reinforcement activities, this would be a perfect match. With activity ideas and themes, this 1st grade phonics textbook is the full package.

Right now Pearson is having a BIG sale! Get 25% off any K-­6 MCP Plaid Phonics bundle through September 15th using Promo Code BLG25. Just choose your grade below:

Grade K ~ Grade 1 ~ Grade 2 ~ Grade 3 ~ Grade 4 ~ Grade 5 ~ Grade 6

Also get 25% off with code BLG25 on all these Pearson Products:

● enVisionMath Bundle Grades K­6

● myWorld Social Studies Bundle Grades K­6

● MCP Plaid Phonics Bundle Grades K­6

● Interactive Science Bundle Grades K­5

Follow Pearson on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+  for help with curriculum choices and teaching resources.

* Pearson Homeschool products currently being reviewed, discussed here, and sold on www.PearsonHomeschool.com are not updated with the new Common Core standards and are copyright editions prior to the implementation of this law.

The post 1st Grade Pearson Homeschool Phonics Textbook Review first appeared on True Aim.

Once upon a time there was a homeschooler who was searching for answers to her problems. What are my little ones going to do while I teach my older children?  How can I choose good books for my child’s reading level? I wonder if I could save money on food so I could buy more supplies for our homeschool? History, where to start?

She lived happily ever after because she jumped on the chance to buy this year’s Homeschool Omnibus!

The Homeschool Omnibus is the Ultimate Homeschooling Resource. A homeschoolers dream library! This year there are 83 new titles + 24 Audio MP3s both in PDF and Kindle format.

Over $545 worth of books for just $25!

We’ve included our History Book Set with 5 different history books designed to give young children a solid foundation in Biblical, World and American history.

Here are a few more books I’m really excited about:

• Help! I’m Homeschooling! by Tricia Hodges from Hodgepodge
• Simply Homeschool 2nd Edition: Have Less Fluff and Bear More Fruit by Karen DeBeus from Simply Living for Him
• Spice Up Your Homeschooling by Sara McGrath from Unschooling Lifestyle
• You Can Do It Too: 25 Homeschool Families Share Their Story by Lorilee Lippincott from Loving Simple Living
• Homeschooling 101 by Kris Bales from Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers
• Circle Time: Plan the Best Part of the Day by Kendra Fletcher from HomeschoolingIRL
• 101 Independent Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers by MaryEllen Bream from Imperfect Homemaker

To see a full list, click here.

Not only that, you’ll be entered to win one of 3 Kindles, plus get these additional bonus deals and freebies from 25 of your favorite companies!

If you don’t want to take up space on your computer, a DVD is available to purchase for just $8 more!

Hurry! Sale ends 8/24.

• The deadline for refunds is September 5. Positively no refunds will be given if the file host shows that you have downloaded any files.
• The ebooks will only be available until September 25, please do not delay in downloading them. See the FAQ.
• DVDs can be purchased until September 20.

The post The Ultimate Homeschooling Resource Library first appeared on True Aim.

I’m so excited to be apart of the Read Around the World Summer Reading Series from the Multicultural Kid Blogs. You can travel around the world through different books and explore different countries and cultures.

We are all different, and the history of our country partially defines who we are – our personalities, opinions, and beliefs. It is so important to me to teach my children about the different cultures of the world through history and geography so they have a better understanding of where they come from and how to relate to all of God’s people.

I’ve chosen a book that combines all of those things; history, geography, and culture and invites the reader to experience it through art!

Artisans Around the World: Northern Asia (affiliate link) is my book.  Each section covers a different region of Northern Asia and includes maps, popular land features, historical facts, and art projects inspired by the culture.  It’s an amazing series of books available for many different countries!

We choose Japan because we love Sushi and Origami!  First we read the section on Japan and practiced identifying it on the globe.  We learned about the ancient culture which is engrossed with nature and religion.  We also learned of it’s modern marvels like the Bullet Train that travels over 168 MPH.

My daughters liked learning about traditional Japanese homes and how they sit on cushions at a low table for meal.

The project that the book provided was to make your very own traditional Shibori floor cushion.  Although we didn’t have time to make it, I’ll definitely keep it in mind for future sewing projects.  It is so easy and you can use fabric markers in place of tie-dye to make the decorative designs the book showcases.

Instead, we created our own Morning Glory Origami.  I love this particular Origami flower because very young children can make it with limited folding steps.

My youngest (4yrs) needed a little help with hers, but with a little practice she’ll be able to do it all on her own. The little Origami flowers make beautiful decorations and mobiles.

And what’s a geography/history lesson without food from the region?  So another day we made Sushi Hand Rolls.  I let my children make their own rolls with just a couple rules.  They have to try at least 1 of everything I put on the table and they have to eat what they take.  I have one child that will take everything and not be able to finish it and the other child won’t take anything.

All of these things were a great little introduction to the country of Japan, but there is so much more to learn!  And so many more places to explore.  I can’t wait to find another great book at Multicultural Kid Blogs.

Do you like Japanese food?

For more learning activities for kids, like us on Facebook or follow us on Pinterest.

The post Reading Around the World: Japan first appeared on True Aim.

My daughters love geography.  I think it fascinates them to learn about how different the world is from place to place.  Most of all, I think they love making the connection of where they are in relation to where loved ones are, or have been.

Most of my family lives in Oregon and California, so when we received our Travels with Charlie book (affiliate link), I was please to see that it was the Way Out West book covering all the western states and not just Idaho.

We loved this interactive geography book from Blue Apple Books because it was a search & find book that gave us lots of fun facts and landmarks to find.  It’s a great book for younger children because it doesn’t give too many details and the pictures are really memorable.

We enjoyed our book out in the fabulous Idaho sun that shines almost everyday.  The girls enjoyed looking for Charlie the dog and talking about the different landmarks on the map.  I had them take turns finding all the things on the map and then helped explain each one to them.  They really liked the picture of Lava Hot Springs and want to make it their first Stay-cation destination.

Kid-Made Maps

After we read all about Idaho, we decided to paint our own map and the things from the book we liked best.  Of course we couldn’t let the good weather go to waste, so we took our painting outside.

I traced a large outline of our state on paper roll paper and taped it to the fence.  The girls used the book as a reference to put the places in the right spot on their kid-made maps.

It’s hard to get all of the amazing things about Idaho to fit in the confines of our little maps, but I think the girls did a great job.

If it wasn’t for the setting sun, they would have worked on their paintings all day.  I love the additions they made for things they love about Idaho like the sun, and of course Audrey’s heart for all the friends and family we have here.

Are you an Idahoan?  I’d love to chat about your favorite place to go in our amazing state!

Do you live in a different state?  What is your favorite thing about it? You can find your state below in the Booking Across the USA blogging series!

Be sure to like us on Facebook or follow us on Pinterest for more geography fun!

The post Booking Across America: Exploring Idaho with Kid-made Maps first appeared on True Aim.