Archives for October 2015

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I love to mix up our school days around the holidays and add in what I call Funschool. We are very big on traditions in our family and try to live life in rhythm with the seasons. It helps us appreciate God’s blessings and acknowledge the beauty of His creation.

With 5 kids, my days are very busy. Our Funschool activities need to mesh with our daily studies in order to not get behind. I use a variety of methods to blend the fun with the everyday:

• themed Funschool unit studies
• grammar practice using mad libs
• seasonal poetry assignments
• holiday research projects
• monthly writing prompt calendars
• themed copywork
• holiday coloring pages during read alouds
• crafts that are also home decor

The key to balancing all of this is to have a way to organize ideas. I created Pinterest boards for each season and holiday. I pin things all throughout the year that we might enjoy. My very specific boards make it easy to browse through each month and choose what we’re going to do. Once I’ve decided, I assigned our activities to weeks using my Monthly Creative Planner. It is one of my subscriber freebies, but you can download the October planner page by clicking on the pic below.

I have a list of websites that are my go-to places for seasonal printables and ideas. These are some of my favorites:

• Activity Village – tons of creative printables
• Mathwire – seasonal math games & activities
• Make Learning Fun – themed printable activities
• Red Ted Art – art & craft projects for every season
• Sunday School Kids – Christian crafts and activities for the holidays
• Education.com – holiday worksheets & coloring pages (5 free a month)
• Teaching Heart – ideas for themed units
• A to Z Teacher Stuff – thematic units & lesson plans
• Education World – holiday lesson ideas
• Homeschool Share – unit studies & lapbooks

I also like to incorporate games, puzzles, and music into some of our Funschool days. We own all of these listed below. Some are out of production & ridiculously priced, but I am linking to them anyway because I’ve discovered they sometimes bring them back! You can also keep an eye out for them a thrift stores.

And lest you think I’m some kind of crafty, organized, type-A mom, let me be transparent with you. 

• I enjoy crafts but the mess & chaos make me feel like I need to breathe into a paper bag.
• We actually get around to doing about half of what I plan, and sometimes it’s because we are missing that one crucial supply and I don’t want to go to the store AGAIN.
• Our Funschool started in the early days of our homeschool because I am easily bored and couldn’t stand the thought of doing the same thing every.single.day. 
• We’ve had days where our Funschooling totally wiped out this non-multitasking mama and we never got around to the school books. And you know what? That’s okay! We’re making wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. 

Now it’s your turn. Do you have some FUN advice for homeschoolers? Do you need help in that area? Leave a comment!

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