Our First Advent Calendar: 24 Days of Yuletide Fun

After days of trolling Pintrest for Advent Calendar ideas, followed by more days of collecting materials and a very late night setting up, our first family advent calendar is up and creating christmas magic.

Instead of 24 Days of candy (and candy crazed kids) I opted for 24  of activities (with some candy here and there).

The whole kit and caboodle cost $100 including all materials, gifts, and activities (could be cheaper if you already have supplies).

Materials:
Gift bags
String
Command Strip Hooks
Clothespins
Tags numbered 1-25 (25 if you want to include your xmas tree for the big day)
24 cheap craft items, books, gifts, and treats

Catching up and Re-establishing Routine

The turkey has been transformed into tetrazzini and the black Friday deals are in the bag. The kids are thoroughly strung out on pie and their eggnog addiction is in full swing. So, in an attempt to push the proverbial reset button on the family today we did nothing but homeschool in the morning and playing in the backyard followed by crafts.  Nothing crazy, nothing new, we just got back to normal after after family fun and altered schedules.

The boys were still a bit crazy-to the order of about a dozen xmas ornaments ripped off the tree, but they did help put them back.  So, that’s something. We said goodbye to November and tomorrow we begin our 25 days of fun and activities advent calendar! I’m going to be busy setting it up tonight. Pictures to come- of course!

Morning 92, 93, and 94: Family Homeschool

We’ve had family in town for the past week and as a consequence homeschool has taken a back seat. I love playing hostess, but have little time to execute lessons and calm the boys down into their routine while Daddy is off work and their grandparents are “sleeping over”. Nevertheless, when I was away on errands my husband and my parents both held homeschool without me. Maxwell enjoyed “teaching” them his routine and of course, they loved it too. Was it a structured lesson? No. Did the routine Maxwell led my family look exactly like what I do? No. Did the boys have fun sharing their love of learning with family? Yes.

We may not have made a great deal of academic headway in the last couple of weeks, but it’s obvious the boys have been growing through the love of their family.

Paint Clean-Paint Messy: One Day, Two Very Different Painting Experiences

Painting is an all senses on deck experience for my youngest son and lately he’s been asking to do it more and more often. Sometimes I’m up for the hose ’em down when they’re done style of backyard body painting, but other (most) times I’d rather not. Research suggests that the sensory simulation of finger painting is very beneficial for the brain development of little ones. So, finding time for that kind of immersive creation is important. There’s also strong  empirical evidence that my kids have no business finger painting while I’m trying to make breakfast at 8am. There’s a time for everything.

Clean “Painting”:
Paper towel or paper
Brush
Small amount of water in a cup (to minimize spillage)
This “painting” in quotes because…well there’s no paint. I was actually shocked at how content he was with this super clean painting substitute. Thinking about adding a paint brush to my arsenal of purse items as another tool for keeping the kids occupied at restaurants. “Why yes, I would like water and a paper towel.”

Messy Painting:
Non-toxic Paint
Brushes
Rolls of paper
Something on which to put mass quantities of paint. We used a baking pan.
This is Painting with a capital P because it is an all in experience. There’s no painting smock in the world that can handle the mess that ensues when I get my two boys outside for mural finger/face/body painting. After they’ve had a good time smearing with their hands I take the paper off of the wall and put it on the ground so their feet can have a turn. Then I get out the hose and towels.

Turkey Buns: Thanksgiving Breakfast Just Became A Thing

For those of you already daydreaming about all of the gastronomic joy that is going to take place during Thanksgiving dinner this year, consider adding thanksgiving breakfast to the turkey day festivities. You have to get up early to watch the a Thanksgiving Day parade anyway; so, why not make these easy, tasty, and adorable little Turkey Buns with your kids? We made these last year and they were a huge hit. They’re seriously delicious, in the same perfectly salty sweet way of chicken and waffles. You can make the bacon and rolls in advance (or morning of) and then just have the little ones put everything together by adding the sugar googly eyes, candy corn nose, and sticking in the bacon feathers.

Ingredients:
Your Favorite Cinnamon Rolls–homemade, store bough, or pilsbury.
Bacon–we used uncured-nitrate-free bacon, but you could use turkey, veggie, or whatever kind of bacon floats your boat
Sugar Googly Eyes–you can find these in most baking aisles
Candy Corn–left over from halloween and usually on clearance at the supermarket
Some kind of frosting to glue the eyes and nose in

“Hands On” Learning Tip

The boys will take this morning’s homeschool lesson with them all day-on their hands. Simply writing or drawing on your kiddo can be a handy way to help them remember a new concept. Plus, it’s super versatile!

After discussing Maxwell’s sight word of the day “and” I wrote it on his hand and told him every time he found and showed me the word I’d give him a high five on his and hand.

For little brother, he got his shape of the day-triangle.

Other ideas for “hands on” learning:
1. Left vs right
2. Letter of the day
3. Number of the day
4. Color
5. Shape
6. Sight word
7. Vocabulary

Classroom in the Kitchen: Making Edible Legs

We’ve been learning all about the body; our most recent topic has been muscles and bones. It’s hard for kids to understand that there are things inside of them since they can’t see it.  So, with the help of some simple ingredients we explored the most basic elements of the legs-bones, muscles, fat, and blood- in our kitchen, and ended the lesson with a tasty snack!

Materials:
Premade pizza dough (skin)
Marinara (blood)
Mozzarella cheese stick (bone)
Shredded cheddar cheese (fat)

Objective: (for 3-5 year olds)
Child will be able to identify skin, fat, bone, and blood.
Child will be able to briefly explain the function of:
Skin-helps us feel
Blood-sends oxygen and nutrients around our body
Bone-helps us stand up and makes blood
Muscles-helps us move

A note on objectives: these are variations on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and are likely very similar to objectives for prek in most states. The expectation is not that the child will master the objective after just one lesson, but rather that they are simply working towards mastery over time