Nature Journaling Club Page: Rosemary
Tag: activity
Nature Journaling Club Page: Tomato
Nature Journaling Club Page: Feverfew
Wintertime Forest Finds
We decided to explore an entirely unknown part of our home forest today! We’ve been talking a bit of a break from traditional homeschooling and are leaning a bit on our unschooling/relaxed schooling at the moment. Little Maxwell was just getting so frustrated, overwhelmed, and downtrodden by it all and since we don’t usually do a summer vacation or many of the usual “off days” that the public school does, we figured it couldn’t hurt to give her some time. A day out in the forest was just what we needed and what luck! It was warm as could be: in the high sixties!
In January!
Not wholly unusual in our great state of Tennessee. The weather here is bonkers, yo.
Papyrus and Hieroglyph Activity – ResearchParent.com
https://researchparent.com/papyrus-and-hieroglyph-activity/
This activity was so cool and the kids loved getting to see their names in the ink cartouches! 10/10 definitely recommend for your ancient Egypt lesson plans!
Which Card Will It Be?
Little Maxwell choosing her card of the day after seeing me do it. But she couldn’t pick just one! There were way too many pretty ones! So she picked a whole stack! The card decks featured are the Everyday Witch Oracle, the Everyday Witch Tarot, the Halloween Oracle (that’s the black cat card you can see next to her hand), and last but certainly not least, the Isis Oracle deck.
These are all personal favorites of mine that I certainly recommend, especially if you’re looking for a deck that really speaks to you. These all use imagery that’s fairly easy to understand and conceptualize and out of all of the decks that I’ve seen and used over the years, these have my favorite imagery of all, especially the Halloween Oracle and the Everyday Witch Oracle. 10 out of 10 definitely recommend! 🙂
Little Witchling Waiting By The Window
Our Learning Lessons: Airplanes!
Hello all! I hope this Thursday find you well. 🙂
So last night, Little Maxwell decided that instead of going to bed like I wanted her to, she wanted to know how airplanes could fly. The question came after she made a request, with all the seriousness that her 4-going-on-40 toddler self could muster, for me to food her a paper airplane. The discussion spiraled into how different ways of folding the paper could make the airplanes fly further or (in my case) not at all.
There were loop-de-loops and markers. There were frustrations and poorly read Google instructions! There was even a video of a paper airplane competition by the illustrious and off-the-cuff Dude Perfect!
But where is the educational value, you may ask? In math and science. That’s right. Paper airplanes equal math and science. Today I’m going to tell you how.
So where is the math and science? As for math, This was a great opportunity to discuss place values or rankings like first, second, third, etc. Strangely, I hadn’t yet found the opportunity to teach that. Also if you’re a child is a little older than mine, pull out a tape measure and measure the distances that each plane flies. You could even discuss the metric versus standard system measurements for each distance.
The Magic School Bus show was a classic childhood staple. Who could forget the ginger-haired Ms. Frizzle and her cold-blooded bestie? Coolest teachers assistant ever, am I right?
Well our kids can laugh along with the class as they navigate everything from old iron mines to human immunology with the OG Frizz as well as the series follow up, The Magic School Bus Rides Again, on Netflix! Both are equally fantastic and humorously educational. The best part? There’s an episode that features airplanes and what makes them fly!
And there’s the science, bitches! Yes! You may now have a celebratory glass of wine while they fall down the cartoon rabbit hole, satisfied with the knowledge that you did that school thing today.
Hell, add some vocabulary from the show on there for English, an airplane craft for Art, and then set them loose outside to throw airplanes at each other for an hour. Boom. P.E. Nailed it.
We also love the kids science shows SciShowKids on YouTube and Emily’s Wonder Lab, a recent addition to the Netflix queue. Both give quality educational and entertaining content for those times when it’s the middle of a three o’clock slump, your coffee maker just took a flying leap and you have a Zoom meeting in five.
All of this came from a simple question about airplanes that would have been so easy to brush off with some simple platitude. Instead, it turned into a full day of fun and learning.
What will your next day bring, I wonder?
With Peace and a Passion for Learning,
Ta!
My COVID Daily Quarantine Challenge Part 2!
Here we are at Part 2!
Feeling a little less stir-crazy? No? Well, at least you’ve entertained those restless natives for a bit! Read on, Journeyer!
Day 16:
Create a plan for your dream vacation and draw, collage, build, write, paint or whatever a piece about it! Show them off to friends online and tell everyone about them.
Day 17:
Skip out on sugar for a day! Is it difficult? Why or why not? Try it out longer if you feel you can and see how long you can go! Tell us here in the comments!
Day 18:
Make a list of the things you’re grateful for today and share it with someone. Reflect on ways that you can let those around you know that they are appreciated.
Day 19:
Make cards for those at your nearest assisted living facility or retirement community and send them in the mail. Use a single large manila envelope or a few envelopes with several cards inside each to save on postage! Many of those in elderly facilities don’t have family to visit and/or get visits very often. These facilities are also one of the places where the COVID virus is hitting the hardest. Receiving a letter could really make the difference in someone’s life today.
Day 20:
Make a meal together and then eat it around lit candles for a cozy time!
Day 21:
Have an electricity free hour each day! That’s right. Think of it like Earth Hour but once a day! It can even be during the day instead of at night, if you want. Not only will it save you money on your electric bill but it can have a positive effect on the environment! Was it difficult for you to do? Is it something you would do more often? Write it down in your journal!
Day 22:
Organize your most cluttered space! Follow the Kondo method! What were you able to say goodbye to?
Day 23:
Family video game tournament! What did you play? Who won? Which game was your favorite and why? What would you play if you had another game tournament together?
Day 24:
Make a giant floor game board with tape or other things! Play tic tac toe, hangman, etc
Day 25:
Family photos! Try different outfits, photo styles, maybe even a fashion show!
Day 26:
Paper ball basketball tournament!
Day 27:
Look through old family photos! Talk about where you were, how you were feeling then. It’s it different from now?
Day 28:
Write a Family Constitution including a mission statement and each person helps contribute a “law” as well. This helps even the littlest find a way to communicate what is important to them and what issues have been weighing on them. Lately, choose a motto! Everyone should help contribute in it’s creation!
Day 29:
Have a chore race or Olympic Chores! Turn each core into a race or game like the Olympics and at the end, vote on gold, silver, and bronze awards!
Day 30:
Unsubscribe from stores and unwanted emails! This will save you so much time, thought energy, and aggravation in the long term.
Day 31:
Clean out a junk drawer or bathroom cabinet!
Day 32:
Focus on Love today! Being stuck inside with stir crazy people for extended periods can be trying on the nerves and patience. Give each other three hugs throughout the day to let each other now that even in the trying times, love is still there.
Day 33:
On a not too cool day, if it’s an option geographically, open the windows, turn on fans, and air out the house! It’s been just as quarantined as you after all!
Day 34:
Try something you’ve never done before! Never done a headstand? Gone backyard foraging? Identified birds in your yard or flowers? Never jogged a mile? Try running around your yard with a step counter! If you don’t have one, there are apps that will act as a (dubiously correct) counter for you.
All of these are things that are not only good for beating that isolation blues but many are also great for you, your household, your pocketbook, or your mental health. Did you finish the challenge? Let us know what you were and weren’t able to do! Did you enjoy it? Let us know in the comments and stay positive, Journeyers!
With Peace and Passionate Hope.
Ta!
How To Keep Your Kids From Going Crazy During COVID Isolation!
Emergency homeschooling? Extended spring break? Wondering if you can expel, suspend, or transfer your child out of your class? I mean, you’re just the parent, right? Aren’t there other people who don’t get paid enough to deal with this craziness during the day?
But seriously, we are all prone to restless bouts cabin-fever and our children? Especially so. They are, after all, tiny whirling energy tornadoes shoved inside of skin suits. They already have a surplus of energy but being trapped in the house with nothing to distract them but screens and anxious adults? You’re just asking for them, you, or both to have a nervous breakdown. The flood of fear filling our homes and our social media pages affects them too. They feel it too but have years, maybe decades, less emotional development to cope with it.
So what can we do?
Have no fear! We have arrived here today with a few things that you can do that we’ve been doing in our own home this week! Currently this is day three of isolation for us but I prepared some things to keep us occupied and learning throughout our time inside.
These are just a few things that you can do to help your kids from losing their marbles and transforming from your sweet boys and girls to agents of hell intend on your doom and immediate demise. They are all also wonderful ways to really spend some quality family time together. Light some candles and let the hygge commence!
Let me know down below what you’re doing to beat the Corona quarantine blues!
With Peace and Passion.
Ta!
Little Journeys Everywhere 