Fortunately, as homeschoolers we have the freedom to take our learning outside whenever the weather allows.  We don’t have to wait for spring break or conference days!  We can declare an Outside Learning Day whenever we’d like!

Sometimes when the weather is beautiful, we can cancel classes altogether and just spend the day enjoying nature.  We can’t do that every day, however.  Sometimes the homeschool lessons must go on.  So, how can we take advantage of the beautiful weather when we’re homeschooling in the spring?

Here are 5 Fun Ways to Take Learning Outside:

1 – Field Trips – Field trips are a great way to get some real life learning injected into our children’s education.  And they are a great way to help kids get excited about learning.  It’s so much more memorable to learn about the Civil War by going to a battle field or a reenactment than it is to merely read about it.  When the weather is beautiful, try to come up with ideas for field trips that will get your kids outside such as a botanical garden, an organic farm, a state or national park, a beach, etc.

2 – Nature Study – Spring is a wonderful time to study the beautiful world that God has given to us.  Have your kids find a caterpillar, put it in a habitat, and watch it turn into a butterfly.  Collect rocks.  Go birdwatching.  Play in a creek.  Collect a tadpole and watch it turn into a frog.  Take the nature journals outside and allow your kids to draw whatever they observe.  Or bring the pencils and paper outside and have them write about what they see.  There are so many interesting ideas!

3 – Take a Hike – There are lots of lessons kids can learn when you take them on a hike.  They can try to identify animal tracks, identify trees and flowers, create an insect collection, and just have fun viewing the various types of wildlife that cross their path.  To keep it interesting, try to hike in a variety of terrain to keep your kids on their toes.  Rather than always hiking in the woods, you might want to try hiking along a beach, in a cave, through a prairie, in the mountains, or near a wetland.

4 – Gardening – Gardens are great places for kids to learn.  The more you allow your kids to be involved in your garden, the greater the learning opportunities.  Allowing them to help plan out the garden, including properly spacing the rows and plants, will give them practical practice with their math skills.  Asking them to research natural pest control options will give them a chance to develop their ingenuity and perseverance.  Weeding, watering, and watching the plants grow will help them to develop their patience and give them the opportunity to learn how to put in some honest, hard work.

5 – Physical Education – It’s natural for kids to want to spread their wings when they head outside.  Be sure you don’t keep your kids on too tight of a leash when you take them outside.  Let them exercise and have fun as well.  Some kids love to go on bike rides or jog.  Others enjoy kicking around the soccer ball or shooting some hoops.  Still others will want to dig in the dirt or play in a sandbox.  The sky’s the limit on this one.  You can be organized and set up an obstacle course for your kids to run through, or you can simply open the door and allow your kids free reign.  There is a time and a place for both approaches.

This spring, as the weather is warming and the sun is brightening, try to come up with some fun opportunities for you and the kids to head outside.  More memories will be made outdoors than if your kids are forced to sit inside with a pencil and paper for hours on end.

Have you found any other fun ways to take your homeschool lessons outside?  Please leave a comment below!

The post Homeschooling in the Spring: 5 Fun Ways to Take Learning Outside first appeared on True Aim.

When our kids are wound up, it’s hard for them to focus on their lessons.  It can also be hard to keep their attitudes in check and to act appropriately.  We’re setting our kids up for failure when we don’t give them opportunities to burn off their extra energy.  This is true for all kids but it is especially true for boys!

7 Ways to Help Kids Use Up Their Energy

1. Outside Time – Spending time outside is an excellent way to let kids burn off their extra energy.  Kids should spend time outdoors every day, if possible.  We all need Vitamin D from the sun!  And fresh air is good for us as well.  If the weather is cold, bundle them up!  Try to have fun things to do in your yard so that they’ll want to go outside.  If you don’t have much of a yard, take them to the park or go on a walk with them.  You can even use school playgrounds during their off hours!
2. Extra Chores – When our kids are antsy, sometimes it’s because they’ve been sitting still too long.  Get them up and moving.  Ask them to help out with chores around the house.  It’s especially helpful to get your boys doing chores which include hard manual labor.  These tasks tire them out and help them to get their angst out in productive ways.
3. Time with Friends – When our kids spend time with their friends, they burn off a ton of energy and have a blast.  Invite another family over that has kids close in age to yours.  Or invite just a few friends over to play with your kids.  Make sure they spend at least part of their time with all electronics turned off for maximum effect!  And if you can get them to play outside together that’s even better.
4. Allow Messes/Noise – When our kids are filled with extra energy they’re going to be noisier.  Try to be patient.  If you expect them to sit quietly during these times, they may explode!  Encourage them to attempt something adventurous.  Help them to explore something they’re passionate about.
5. Exercise – Obviously exercise is a great way to burn off energy.  Put in an exercise DVD and do it with your child.  Have your son or daughter run laps around the house.  Challenge everyone to do a certain number of sit ups or push ups.  Ask your child to run down to the basement to get you an item.
   
6. Indoor Activities – You don’t have to go outside to burn off energy.  Help your kids to build forts with blankets and chairs, play active games with them such as hide and seek or Twister, have a dance party, make a car track with washi tape, let them swim in your tub, have a snowball fight with scrap paper, allow them to skate indoors by putting their feet inside tissue boxes, have an epic Nerf gun war… the possibilities are endless.
7. Creative Pursuits – Sometimes kids don’t need their bodies to be active as much as they need their brains to get some exercise.  Encourage them to write, direct, and star in a movie.  Gather various sized cardboard boxes so that they can make a rocket ship or a castle.  Dream with your kids about what they could do.  The sky is the limit in this category!

This winter, as your kids get antsy, try some of the above activities.  When we give our kids opportunities to burn off their extra energy, it is a win-win for the entire family.

Question:  Do you notice your kids have extra energy to burn this time of year?  Do you have any other ways to expend this energy that have worked well for for your family?  Please leave a comment below.

The post 7 Ways to Help Kids Use Up Their Energy first appeared on True Aim.

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This post is filled with parenting tips, activities for young children, crafts, devotionals, recipes, and more!

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Books and Movie Activities for Kids

Character Building Family-Friendly Movie Nights – True Aim

Everyone loves a good movie night, but it can be hard to find quality and clean films. Here is a list of quality films that the whole family can enjoy!

Cookie Monster Ice Cream – Study at Home Momma

Here’s a yummy recipe based off of the famous Sesame Street character.

For Mother’s and Daughters: Mama Bear and Brave – Deep Roots at Home

“Be strong and courageous,” the Bible commands. This is a unique article exploring the Pixar film Brave, what it means for daughters and their mothers, and how current spiritual warfare parallels with Brave.

5 Important Life Lessons from Inside Out – Little Nerd Family

Pixar’s latest hit on feelings is taking theaters by storm, and for good reason too. Here are five life lessons we can learn from it.

25 Hands-On Bible Activities – Christian Montessori Network

Here are some activities based on the best book of all – the Bible!

Book and a Movie: Pictures of Hollis Woods – Adventures in Mommydom

Pictures of Hollis Woods will forever be one of my favorite childhood novels. This heartfelt story centers around a 12 year old foster girl who goes to live with an elderly woman. The book was turned into a great Hallmark Hall of Fame movie starring Sissy Spacek, and that has a 86% 5=star rating on Amazon.

Learning With Minions – Brain Power Boy

Who hasn’t fallen in love with the minions from Despicable Me? Here are some Lego,, sewing, math, art, science, and language crafts to go with it.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Activities – Pre-K Pages

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, will there be enough room? Here are some great snacks, activities, and crafts to go along with the classic book.

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The post Book & Movie Activities for Kids and Mom’s Library #148 first appeared on True Aim.

Welcome to Mom’s Library

This post is filled with parenting tips, activities for young children, crafts, devotionals, recipes, and more!

Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the next Library!

Click here to see all Mom’s Library Posts

Last Week’s Posts

DIY Cardboard Castle – The Practical Mom Blog

Paint With Yarn – The Practical Mom Blog

Kid Construction: Beyond Blocks – P is for Preschool

11 Fantastic Books for Little Girls – Classically Homeschooling

Top 10 Elementary Science Tips – Classically Homeschooling

Free Forest Animals Coloring Pages – Preschool Powol Packets

Patriotic Straw Rockets – Preschool Powol Packets

Pocket Page in a Book – Crafty Journal

4th of July Crafts – Crafty Journal

Wire Charm Wrap Anklet – Jewelry Making Journal

Explore Spain – MommyMaleta

5 Ways to Score Big at Hanna Anderson – MommyMaleta

Teach Your Kids Spanish – MommyMaleta

Months and Days of the Week in Spanish – MommyMaleta

16 Easy Summer Activities for 3 year olds – The Practical Mom

Best Way to Introduce Kids to Classical Music – Non-Toy Gifts

DIY Baking Kits for Kids – Non-Toy Gifts

6 Ways To Use Sticker Books – Growing Book by Book

40 Books for Preschoolers – Growing Book by Book

Alphabet Activities – Letter Pull – Growing Book by Book

4th of July Activities for Kids – Raising a Monkey

Fun in the Sun – Teaching Mama

4th of July Sensory Bottle – Teaching Mama

Pigeon Activities Inspired by Mo’ Willem – Teaching Mama

Grandma Camping – What Happens at Grandma’s

Making Prints – An Idea on Tuesday

Save Your Plastic bottles – An Idea on Tuesday

Smokey the Bear Forest Fire Safety – Kinders Garten Vintage Homeschool

July Themed Activities for Kids – Living Montessori Now

Toddler Fine-Motor Activities – Living Montessori Now

Shark Unit – Living Montessori Now

It Can Happen to Anyone – One Habit to Never Forget Your Child in the Car – Intoxicated on Life

13 Fun Outdoor Activities to Develop Handwriting Skills – Intoxicated on Life

Glitter Fourth of July Flag – Mini Monets and Mommies

Homeschool Planners Round Up – Year Round Homeschooling

What Does a Year Round Homeschool Look Like? – Year Round Homeschooling

Free Ice Cream PreK Learning Pack – Year Round Homeschooling

The Courage to Take Courage – The End in Mind

Horses in Art and Literature – The End in Mind

Bearing Unnecessary Burdens – The End in Mind

Driveway Rhyme and Match Game – Dabbling Momma

No Sew Superhero Cape – Sunny Day Family

Puddle Painting – There’s Just One Mommy

Tips for Teaching Scissor Cutting Skills – Pre-K Pages

Alphabet Sensory Bins – Pre-K Pages

Play Dough Center – Pre-K Pages

Nature Study – Going on a Bug Hunt! – There’s Just One Mommy

4th of July Ice Cream Sandwiches – Spoons of Grace

Flag Windsocks – Little Fingers, Big Art

Celebration Fireworks with Color-Resistant Crayon and Paint – Little Fingers, Big Art

Bird Watching Feeder – Little Fingers, Big Art

10 Outdoor Bubble Activities for Kids – Jellibean Journals

Free Meal Planning Printable – Becoming Christine Smith

Super Easy DIY Mini Light – A Little Pinch of Perfect

10 Awesome Summer Sensory Play Ideas – A Little Pinch of Perfect

Loaded Potato Salad – Gator Mommy Reviews

Forest Scavenger Hunt – Tree Valley Academy

Free Printable: Patriotic Word Search – Superheroes and Tea Cups

Patriotic Handwriting Sheet – Superheroes and Tea Cups

Pool Noodle Shark – JDaniel4’s Mom

10 Math Activities with Toy Cars – School Time Snippets

Feed the Shark Motor Games for Kids – School Time Snippets

Look and Find Box – Mosswood Connections

Strawberry Brownie Skewers – One Little Project

50+ Raspberry Recipes – One Little Project

4th of July Goodness – Our Home of Many Blessings

Shark Week – Our Home of Many Blessings

Eric Carle Books Giveaway – Our Home of Many Blessings

Paddington at the Beach – Our Home of Many Blessings

Top Picks and Tips for Preschool – BJ’s Homeschool

How Do You Do It With Eight Kids? – The Character Corner

DIY Sidewalk Gel Paint – Craftiments

Alphabet Game – Mosswood Connections

4th of July Crafts for Kids – Elemeno-p Kids

Summer Activities Cards – Elemeno-p Kids

Shark Crafts and Activities – Elemeno-p Kids

7 Home Recipes for Sunburn – Midwest Modern Momma

7 Tips To Make Fresh Flowers Last Longer – Midwest Modern Momma

Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Poppers – Midwest Modern Momma

You Can Travel the World With Kids and Enjoy It – Life Over C’s

Free Transportation Themed Printables – Life Over C’s

Rainbow Counting to 5 Busy Bag – Life Over C’s

Why I Didn’t Tell Anyone I had A Special Need’s Child – Life Over C’s

Parenting a Child With Developmental Delays – Life Over C’s

Amazing Coconut Almond Smores – Life Over C’s

Noah’s Ark Coloring Pages – In All You Do

Bible Characters Emergent Characters – In All You Do

Garden of Eden Coloring Pages – In All You Do

Pros and Cons of Classical Homeschooling – Learning 2 Walk

Easy Breakfast Sandwich – Learning 2 Walk

Smores Ice Cream – Learning 2 Walk

Noah’s Ark Read Aloud Activities – Embark on the Journey

31 Days of Learning With Read Aloud’s – Embark on the Journey

Summer Speech Tips – Chirpy Chatter Box

Free Fourth of July Printable Pack – Embark on the Journey

USA Flag Kid Painted Canvas – Mama’s Happy Hive

Safari Do A Dot Free Printable – Gift of Curiosity

Toss the Balloon Letter Game – Gift of Curiosity

Introduce Probability to Kids – Gift of Curiosity

Shark Activities – Brain Power Boy

10 Non-Fiction Shark Books – Brain Power Boy

Fun Math Video Games and Apps for Older Boys – Brain Power Boy

3 Sizzlin Beach Crafts – Hands on as we Grow

Hot and Cold Liquid Fireworks – Planet Smarty

Gifts Kids Can Make With Aluminum Foil: Picture Frame – Planet Smarty

Group Work for Independent Learners – Planet Smarty

Work on the Big Skills during Summer – ABC Creative Learning

Inside Out Inspired Kids Crafts – ABC Creative Learning

Medy’s Avocado Ice Cream – Deep Roots At Home

History of Chronic Pain – Deep Roots at Home

Boys Think and Process Differently Than Girls – Deep Roots at Home

Creating a Multiple Intelligence Lesson Plan – Mimi and the Grands

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The post Moms Library #146 first appeared on True Aim.

This post contains an awesome giveaway! For more information please read my full disclosure.

Welcome to Mom’s Library!

Filled with parenting tips, activities for young children, crafts, devotionals, recipes, and more!

Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the next Library!

Check out last week’s Mom’s Library for more fun Activities for kids!

This Week’s Giveaway

Lilla Rose Flexi Clip

The Flexi Clip is a beautiful, durable, comfortable hair accessory that holds securely all day. They are made with piano wire giving flexibility, so they will not cause headaches like tradition clips. First time customers get a B3G1 Free specials. Just contact Lilla Rose Independent Consultant Laurie for details.

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This Week’s Featured Posts

Chalk Board Pumpkins

What a fun activity to write messages or draw different designs for all your fall guests!

Pumpkin Coloring Printables

A quick and easy activity to have around when the kids are bored or to incorporate into your preschool.

Felt Pumpkin Faces Book Activity

This book is in my favorite series. Check out this fun activity to go with it!

Pumpkin Carving Practice

Your little ones probably can’t carve a real pumpkin on their own, but with this craft they can practice!

Pumpkin Eater Themed Printables

Combine learning and fun with these free printable activities!

Simple Pumpkin Science

I’m really curious to see what our pumpkins do in this experiment.

Would you like to participate?

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The post 6 Pumpkin Activities for Kids and Mom’s Library #113 first appeared on True Aim.

This post contains an awesome Giveaway! For more info read my full disclosure.

We love fall because of the cozy atmosphere, the harvest, and the start of the holiday season. Hope you enjoy some of these fall themed activities as much as we do.

Learning with Fall Leaves

Colors, counting, even sewing; leaves make great learning tools that all children like to collect.

1. Practice letter sounds with a fall ABC roll and say game. Pick up the game and practice motor skills by having your child move the small nut without his hands, just the tray!

2. Work our your memory with a free printable Autumn leaf memory game.

3. Leaves make a great material for beginners to sew with! The crunchy ones might not work as well.

4. It’s like a puzzle, leaf shadow matching makes a great file folder game!

5. Number art made easy, try this number recognition fall tree painting.

6. Go on a nature walk and learn to identify a tree by its leaves with these identification cards.

 Fall Apple Learning Activities

Apples are in season so why not use them in your learning activities!

7. Get some more ABC practice in with this simple apple letter tree activity.

8. Free apple themed printables will brighten up your lesson plan.

9. Make math fun with lots of free apple themed math printables and learn how to use them Montessori style.

10. There are lots of fun ways to count and learn number recognition with apples!

11. Apple science teaches children all about fruit and what’s inside an apple.

12. There’s even more ways to play and create with apples here.

More Unique Fall Learning Activities

Have you found some inspiration? If not, here are a few more learning activities that kids will love!

13. Sing, sing a fall song or teach your kiddos some fun rhymes for circle time!

14. A guess who game combines critical thinking with language arts and includes a cute owl craft too!

15. Pumpkins make handwriting practice festive! Get a free printable here.

16. With the fall harvest comes Thanksgiving, a perfect learning theme for fall.

17. The Creator of the universe invented fall, so you know you have to try one of these fall Bible activities.

18. You can’t go wrong with a few more fall arts and crafts for those fine motor skills.

Fall Mega Cash Giveaway!

I’ve partnered with lots of other bloggers to bring you a Mega Cash Giveaway and lots of other ideas for Fall Activities for kids! 4 lucky people will win $500 cash.

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Check out even more fall activities while you’re here!

The post Giveaway! 15+ Unique Fall Learning Activities for Preschoolers first appeared on True Aim.

Welcome to Mom’s Library!

Filled with parenting tips, activities for young children, crafts, devotionals, recipes, and more!

Be sure to subscribe so don’t miss the next Library!
Check out last week’s Mom’s Library for 15 Apple Activities!

This Week’s Features…

Optical Illusion Sphere Art

Montessori Sphere Activities

Learning Letters with a Sphere

Zen Garden

Add some marbles and it would be a Sphere Zen Garden

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The post Sphere Themed Activities and Mom’s Library #105 first appeared on True Aim.

View all our past resources here!

Welcome to Mom’s Library!

Filled with parenting tips, activities for young children, crafts, devotionals, recipes, and more!

Be sure to subscribe so don’t miss the next Library!
Follow the Mom’s Library Pinterest Board to see all of our featured posts.
Make sure you check out last week’s Mom’s Library for 15 Preschool Alphabet Activities!

This Week’s Giveaways!

Fall Reading Pack

This pack includes 25 Fall themed early reader books.  Teach your children to read with real books they love!

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Appleseed Lane Activity Box

These little gift boxes include math and science activities that your children will love!

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This Week’s Featured Posts…

Living Room Spider Web Maze

Problem Solving, fine motor, and critical thinking skills; this activity has it all!

Make Your Own Sensory Slime!

This stuff just looks so fun!

Free Emergent Monster Readers

I love these cute little books to encourage any young reader!

Autumn Songs For Kids

4 Cute Original songs with directions for felt play to go along with them!

DIY Fine Motor DashBoard Toy

This idea was just too fun!  I can’t wait to see if my children can make their own.

Roll a Monster

I would love to see what kind of monsters the kids make from a roll of the die.

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The post Featured Free Resources for Moms and Mom’s Library #67 first appeared on True Aim.

My favorite thing about this craft is that it’s perfect for different ages.  I had children ages 3-8 working on this with vigor!  They wanted to add more animals to it each day, until it was jam packed.  Here’s how we did it.

Supplies: Paper Roll Paper, Animal Coloring Pages, Coloring Supplies, Scissors, Tape, Poster Paint (optional), Painting Supplies (optional)

First, I talked to the children about our project and reviewed the different habitats where animals live.  Next, I handed out Animal Coloring Pages to the kids and told them to do their best coloring job.  They really got to work!

The following day we worked on making a background.  I separated a long piece of paper into 4 parts with a pencil.  We sat at a long table and each child worked on a different habitat.  We painted a jungle, a mountain, water, and a grass land.  

Of course, you could use any supplies you have on hand to make your background: like paper and glue, markers, pencils, or even crayons.  As we created our habitats, I asked the kids where they thought their animal lived.  They were stumped on a few, like the peacock, so we looked them up online.  It was a great learning opportunity.

Meanwhile, my toddler worked on his favorite animal activity – his Noah’s Ark Puzzle Boat.  He loved taking the animals in and out of the boat and practicing his animal sounds!

Finally, when everything was dry I posted our habitats to the wall.   We cut out our animals and gave them a home.

Here’s what the whole thing looked like.  We continued to add animals throughout the week.  I was so proud to display it on the wall.

The post Animal Craft: Habitat Mural for Kids – Summer Camp at Home first appeared on True Aim.

Welcome to Mom’s Library!

Filled with parenting tips, activities for young children, craft, devotionals, recipes, and more!

Be sure to subscribe so don’t miss the next Library!
Follow the Mom’s Library Pinterest Board to see all of our featured posts.
Make sure you check out last week’s Mom’s Library for 6 DIY Toys for Young Children.

This Week’s Giveaways!

Piano Lesson Materials

If you have ever wanted to teach your child to play the piano here is your chance!  Three people will win a copy of FreePianoLessons4Kids.com Materials than go with their free lessons!

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 Children’s eBook – Blucy: The Blue Cat

We’re giving away 4 copies of this amazing book by Julia Dweck

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This Week’s Featured Posts…

Ultimate Water Obstacle Course

Beat the Summer Heat!  Create your own water park in the backyard!

DIY Bow and Arrow

What child doesn’t enjoy making something that can shoot?

Summer Fun Noise Makers

The bugs are out anyways so let your kids make some of their own noise!

Play with Ice

Keep cool, experiment with different shapes, and let the good times roll.

Healthier Summer Fun Snack

 These Yogurt Parfait Cones would be fun for a summer breakfast.

Experimenting with Sponges

Trick them into cleaning the table!

Dance Painting

Get messy and dance to create a few “feet” of art!

10 Ways Fun Ways to Use the Sprinkler

Unique ideas to make the sprinkler their favorite again.

Make Your Own Popsicles

What flavor is your favorite?  I love coconut.

Loose Parts Obstacle Course

Children will love to build the course themselves!

Would you like to participate?

If you were featured please grab a button.

  

The post 10 Summer Fun Activities and Mom’s Library #54 first appeared on True Aim.