‘I Am Jim Henson’ Is Here… and It’s Fantastic!
Delight your child’s imagination and creativity with ‘I Am Jim Henson,’ the latest addition to Brad Meltzer’s ‘Ordinary People Change the World’ series.
Continue Reading
Author: Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley
Gameschooling: Play More in the New Year
Game-based learning can be such a blast. With a new year on the horizon, resolve to add more play to your day with a 31-Day #GameschoolChallenge.
Continue Reading
Encourage Kindness at Home with This Fantastic Book
Books are powerful. It is wonderful when you can find a book that changes your family forever. Today, I’d like to talk about one of those books.
Continue Reading
bionicTOYS Flex-Bricks: Because Nature Is Flexible
Nature is flexible which is why you should check out these LEGO compatible flex bricks now on Kickstarter. bionicTOYS are great for construction-based play. Your children will learn physics as they play!
Continue Reading
12 Educational Stocking Stuffers Kids Will Love
I’m sharing some of our family’s favorite EDUCATIONAL stocking stuffers. I promise these items will be fun for your children and inspire learning.
Continue Reading
3 Alternatives to Elf on the Shelf to Inspire Kindness
Many years ago, we tried the Elf on the Shelf. It was a desperate parenting move; I had a newborn, a toddler, and a brazen 3-year-old. In our case, the Elf on the Shelf backfired. That scoundrel caused far more trouble than he was worth.
If you are in a similar boat, or if you are just in need of an alternative, I have three fantastic options for you.
Continue Reading
Boredom Fuels Creativity and Imagination in Children
As a parent, it can be challenging to listen to whining and squabbles over boredom, but if you can get past that, boredom fuels creativity and learning!
Continue Reading
As a Happy Distraction, This Yodelling Pickle Is Everything
Need a happy toy to make you smile? The yodelling pickle has got your back.
Continue Reading
Delight Preschoolers With ‘Tinyville Town’
Delight your preschooler with the ‘Tinyville Town’ series by Brian Biggs. The community will remind you of Richard Scarry meets Mr. Rogers!
Continue Reading
10 Fantastic Family Games for Your Game Closet
Our family loves board games and, as a homeschool mom, I rely heavily on board games as a resource for learning. Our homeschool routine is built upon carefully selected read-alouds and educational family games. I’ve seen so much learning happen in this way.
Continue Reading
‘Unbored Treasure Hunt’ Sparks Imagination and Creativity
We are a game loving family and we cannot resist a new find. Today I’m going to tell you about a new favorite game in our closet: ‘Unbored Treasure Hunt.’
Continue Reading
Make Bath Time Educational with Tub STEM
I do not think you need to spend much money to have some STEM fun. My children have enjoyed STEM challenges using cardboard boxes and broken pool toys. They have built forts and fairy houses. And one time I make a tinker kit for only $5.
That said, I spent a little money on our Tub STEM and the learning and peace has been priceless.
Continue Reading
My Favorite Milestone: And Why I Love Brave Writer
Last Thursday, my youngest son read his first three books to me. As a bibliophile and homeschool mom, building a love of written language has been on my mind from the beginning. That is why I chose Brave Writer as our homeschool language arts curriculum. I know, without a doubt, that Brave Writer helped us to grow a love of the written word in our children.
Continue Reading
ThinkFun’s ‘Memory Yoga’: A Fun Twist on an Old Classic
What happens when your traditional memory game meets yoga poses? ‘Memory Yoga’ from ThinkFun! Work on balance, coordination, mindfulness, and memory in this fun twist on an old classic!
Continue Reading
10 Ways to Make Talk Like a Pirate Day Fun…and Educational!
September 19th is a favorite day for the buccaneers out there: International Talk Like A Pirate Day! Kids love pirates, and with good reason. They get to dress up, speak differently, and attack enemies… but did you know you can take an educational spin on Talk Like a Pirate Day?
Continue Reading
Fostering a Love of Science in the Early Years
Early science education should be far more hands-on and fun. It’s important to foster a love of science in the early years.
Continue Reading
Games in Your Homeschool: Learning Through Play
Among the biggest of homeschooling perks in my world is the fact that our family is able to play games frequently. We don’t have to try to squeeze in a family game night on an already jam-packed weekend, but rather we can play daily and sometimes multiple times daily if we desire.
Continue Reading
Poetry Doesn’t Have to Be Scary… And Here’s Why
When I was a little girl, I loved poetry. Somewhere along the path to adulthood, I became disconnected from poetry… until I had children. And now, as an unexpected homeschooler, I find myself appreciating poetry in a way I hadn’t before. Thanks to the Brave Writer curriculum we love, we make space for poetry every week! Today, I’m sharing our family’s favorite titles and a few tips for adding poetry to your homeschool routine!
Continue Reading
What’s Your Parenting Kryptonite? (Mine Is Puke.)
Puke is my parenting kryptonite; it makes me feel like a failure, powerless.
Continue Reading
Parenting Thunder-Phobic Kids
Oh my gosh, you guys. We had a night over here.
Continue Reading
Ignite an Interest in STEM With Groovy Lab in a Box
With all the monthly box subscriptions available on the market these days it can be tough to choose. As an educator mom and unexpected homeschooler, we have tried a number of monthly subscription kits over the years. Some are fantastic and some are anything but… and then there is ‘Groovy Lab in a Box’, which is amazing.
Continue Reading
Allow for Natural Writing Development With Brave Writer
The Brave Writer lifestyle is not only fun and easy to incorporate into your family’s routine but it also results in oodles of fun family experiences and memories that are sure to last a lifetime.
Continue Reading
Beat Boredom With Big Bubbles
It’s summertime and the living is easy… until a kiddo comes up to you complaining that he is bored. Today, I’m sharing one of our tried and true boredom busting strategies: big bubbles.
Continue Reading
Stealth Summer Learning
I am a big fan of stealth learning. When children are engaged in fun, hands-on activities, they are often unaware that they are practicing important skills. So much learning can happen through fantastic books, play, and games!
Continue Reading
Grisham’s ‘Theodore Boone’ Series: Legal Thrillers for the Younger Audience
Gone are the summer days when I could while away the hours reading everything ever written by an author. As a mother to three little people, I’m lucky if I can finish a chapter without interruption, let alone a series! But did you know that John Grisham has written a legal thriller series for young adults?
Continue Reading
ThinkFun’s ‘Escape the Room: Mystery at the Stargazer Manor’
Escape the Room games originally started as digital adventures. More recently, Escape the Room games have turned into physical adventures for small groups. Players are locked in a room and in order to escape, they must work together to find clues and solve puzzles. These in-person games have become widely popular across the globe. Now, ThinkFun has developed a tabletop Escape the Room game.
Continue Reading
Shark Week for Little Kids
June 26th marks the beginning of the Discover Channel’s annual and much-anticipated Shark Week. My children love to learn about sharks. Over the years, we have amassed quite the collection of shark-related reads!
Continue Reading
Using Books to Ignite Your Child’s Imagination
As a bookworm and homeschooling mom, I absolutely love a good read aloud. I always know I’ve picked a good one when my children reenact the book once the book has ended. Together, they travel to a world of play and imagination. The story fuels their interactions and sparks their creativity.
I thought it would be fun to share three of our family’s recent favorites. These read alouds are fairly new to us, and yet already well-worn. Each of these titles ignite creativity and imagination in my children. I hope your children love them too!
Continue Reading
When News Is Nightmarish: Parenting Sensitive Souls
Let’s face it: The news is scary.
It’s always been scary, but it has certainly upped the ante recently.
And this week? Downright painful.
When I was in 6th grade, I remember reading about Darwin and the theory of natural selection. I was wholly fascinated by it all. I fantasized about traveling to the Galapagos one day. I wanted to swim with the sea turtles and make important discoveries.
And then the Gulf War hit.
Continue Reading
Entice Busy Toddlers With Irresistible Read-Alouds
As parents, we all know how important it is to read aloud to our children daily. Still, I will be the first to admit that it can be tough to reel in raucous toddlers. How do you get busy little bodies to sit still for a read aloud?
Continue Reading