• glue sticks
• stapler
• 3 hole punch
• reward stickers
• E-Z grader & red pen
• Dry Wipe markers, eraser & cleaner
• Sticky notes
• brads & paper clips
• tape
• hole reinforcements
• scissors
• small Bible

I also created a paper caddy with an accordion folder. In there I have all kinds of papers and handouts. It’s grab-and-go easy. These two little tools make homeschooling a little easier for us.

image courtesy jonathangarcia

First day of school is an exciting day for any kid who’s heading off to school in a building. New supplies, new clothes–it’s all so fresh and brimming with potential. There’s not reason home educators can’t make the day one to remember. Even if you educate your children year round, chances are there is a date on the calendar that you can point to as the start of the next school year. Here are some things I’ve done to mark the occasion with style.

• I make a special breakfast. My children love crepes so that’s usually the choice.
• There’s a new outfit. It’s fun to have something new to wear, even though we don’t invest in a whole wardrobe at one time.
• When it’s school time there’s fun music playing. I make it a big deal that it’s time for the new school year.
• I wrap all their new school supplies in wrapping paper so it looks like Christmas. After they open them they put their supplies where  they go. I love to start the year with new crayons, pencils and glue sticks. It makes it seem new and special.
• We take pictures of them all together and alone.
• We allow them to bring a friend to school–dolls, etc. Usually we don’t want these distractions, but the first day is special, after all.
• We don’t do a lot of schooly things on this day. We set up our notebooks, talk a bit about expectations for the new year and talk about how they want to grow in learning.
• We have started making time capsule books (will offer directions in the next post). In a few years we will also be able to open one each year. Right now we are only making them. They are so excited! You can make a time capsule from an oatmeal box or shoebox.

School days are fun. It’s one of the only “jobs’ you’ll ever have that has a start and a finish each year, that has such satisfation and a way to start fresh on a regular basis. I hope you’ll make the first day special and convey to your children the idea that learning is important and worthy of celebration.

The premise is simple:

1. take a sheet of paper and fold in half.
2. Fill the pages with all sorts of interesting things.
3. Give it to your kids to read.

I made a little title that fit our family and set about filling it with jokes, extended family trivia, menus, weather, encouraging words and something exciting that was coming up for each of  the kids that we could all get excited about (or maybe an acknowledgement of some success).

They love to read it while they eat their breakfast. They feel grown up and they love to read about themselves and their family. It has opened up some great conversations too.

I don’t make one every day because I don’t have the time for that. I probably make one every week or so. It’s not fancy. I make one and copy it on the copier so there’s not a lot of color. It’s hand drawn with love and they never complain that it’s too homemade.

Why do it? It’s another way to connect with your kids. And my kids write for the paper too, so it strengthens their writing skills. And I can add “don’t forget” things, so they don’t get another nag session from me. They learn things about their extended family with my trivia and I feed their souls with poetry and their spirits with Scripture.

You’ll be surprised how much you cna fit into this little newspaper. If you make one, please take a picture and share the response in the comments below.

The Science Mouse is a homeschooled kid with a penchant for all things scientific. With a little help from her mom she publishes The Science Mouse, a terrific monthly ezine for kids with a different theme each month.

Tell us about you/your family. (hobbies, stuff you like, stuff you can’t stand)

I have two sisters and two brothers. I like to swim and really like when my dad takes me out for a bike ride. I just started softball and my brother is in t-ball. I have my own dog named Copper. He is a beagle and he is named after the puppy in The Fox and the Hound. We also have gerbils and chickens.

One of my least favorite things is sitting next to my six year old brother in the car because he won’t leave me alone. He always wants my attention, but sometimes I like to do things he isn’t big enough to do or to just read.

What you do like best about homeschooling? What do you like least?

What I like about homeschooling is not having six hours of school. What I don’t like about homeschooling is that I don’t have many friends in my neighborhood.

Have you always like to write? What’s your favorite subject?

No, I haven’t always liked to write. It depends on what I am writing about. I like it more when it is something I thought of. My favorite subject is reading.

Is starting up an online magazine what you thought it would be? How is it the same/different?

It isn’t quite what I thought it would be. It is more work than I thought it would be and I was hoping that I would get more contributions from other children. Mom says to be patient. My favorite part of the e-zine is getting to stay up late to work on it when the deadline is close.

Where did you get the idea for The Science Mouse?

I wanted to start a blog and I like science. My mom talked to me about maybe an e-zine and I liked that idea.

What does “creative” mean to you?

Creative means to make up something and draw it or make a model or create something new.

Do you think you are creative? Why or why not?

I think I am very creative. I am always thinking of how to use things in new ways. For example, I made a stable for my horses out of things my parents were going to throw away.

What other creative dreams do you have?

I would like to write a book and have it published. I am writing a book right now called “The Horse Chronicles.”

What inspires you to be more creative?

The things I see.

What advice would you give to other kids who may want to start their own magazine? (How much time does it take to create an issue, what do you need, what’s the most important thing to know, etc.)

It takes a lot of time. Writing takes a lot of time, and so does typing. My mom helps me with that, but it still takes time. It takes time to let people know your magazine published. It takes time to answer emails and to learn about different things. Sometimes there are other things you want to do, but you have to work on your magazine if you want it to be successful. You also have to make sure you spell things right.

If other kids want to write for your magazine, how can they get in touch with you?

They can email me at thesciencemouse@gmail.com. Articles can be any length and it is OK for parents  to help like if a young child wants to dictate something. My mom helps me, too.

Please take a minute to visit The Science Mouse. She has videos, crafts, recipes and lots of articles that your kids will really enjoy, along with a FREE downloadable issue in PDF each month.

photo courtesy Wooties!

Younger kids:

• play post office and use it for the mail.
• cut out words, pictures, numbers for learning and review as flash cards
• use the grocery ads to create a pretend shopping list. Cut out the pictures of the items and glue to index cards. Tape a piece of bent index card to the back like a picture frame so it will stand upright. Set up a little store and practice shopping.
• Use the same cards to sort items by color, shape, food group, etc.
• Cut up junk mail for collage.
• Cut out words for creating new sentences or poetry.
• Play “I spy.”
• Use the mail to learn your address.
• Create a mailbox for them and fill it with junk mail they can open.
• When you get mail with stickers or stamps, let them play with them.
• Catalogs are great for clipping pictures for picture books and flash cards.
• Cut pictures from catalogs and give them as pretend gifts to each other.

For older kids

• Open up those credit card offers and analyze them. Calculate fees and interest and compare them against one another. Practice filling out the forms. Use it as a teaching tool.
• Compare grocery store ads and find the better bargain.
• Create a menu from the ingredients in grocery ads.
• Use sales letters as a template and write one of your own. Dissect it–grammar, word choice, use of punctuation and even the layout.
• Practice sticking to a budget with grocery ads and catalogs.
• Research unfamiliar foods and where they come from.
• Count how many different countries the grocery items come from.
• Use catalog pictures as writing prompts.
• Catalog item descriptions are great examples of concise, descriptive writing. Try to write your own.

photo courtesy the_toe_stubber

My friend Renae had a post the other day about saving art work and of course a quandary like that just gets my mind going. I have to write a post when I started a mental list of some potential ideas for you to consider. Keep in mind these are the keepers, the best stuff. You don’t have to keep it all, just keep the stuff worth saving and happily toss the rest when the kids aren’t looking.

• Laminate them. Punch holes in the corners and connect them with jump rings to make a curtain of art for a wall or a room divider or to cover a window.
• Laminate them to use as placemats.
• scan for use as a screensaver.
• Use them as wallpaper. Arrange them corner to corner like bricks and attach to the wall with sticky tack. When you want to change it up, just pull them down.
• Mount a piece on heavy cardboard with glue and cut into puzzle pieces. before you cut, make sure to scan it to make putting the puzzle back together a lot easier. Mail it to a relative or friend.
• Make a scrapbook. Google that if you need to know.
• Affix a weighted string to the ceiling and hang art on the string with clips or two magnets stuck together.
• Mail them to your relatives.
• Cut them up for collage or other projects.
• Recycle them. Use a different medium to add to it, trade pictures with siblings and add to the picture.
• Enter them in a contest.
• Use them as story book illustrations.
• Scan them and make T-shirts.
• Use them as story prompts.
• Trade art with another family. Take turns guessing the subject of the piece.
• Hold an art show. Display your art all over the house and invite friends and family. Serve simple snacks and have a short discussion on art appreciation or how to study a painting.
• Scan and print on fabric for use as pillows, quilt squares, tote bags or clothing.
• For 3-D things, take pictures of them. And for smaller things a high shelf or curio cabinet can be a nice place to showcase the best of the best.

courtesy the_toe_stubber

If you are an artist, musician writer, entrepeneur or general creative type and you homeschool, I want to talk to you. If would like to participate in a new ebook, please contact me at anna at annahawthorne dot com. Don’t miss this opportunity!

1. Make a relief design art project. Draw with it on paper. Make sure the lines are nice and thick and don’t fill in any spaces. Let it dry overnight. The next day you can place another sheet on top and rub with crayons or colored pencils and create some great rubbings. Try lots of different patterns and you can mix and match for interesting effects.
2. Use it as a resist. Once again, draw a line drawing with the glue in nice thick lines. Let it dry overnight. The next day get out your paints and color in your picture. The colors will stay within the glue lines and you can end up with a great effect that looks a bit like batik.
3. Use it to make play putty for the kids on a rainy day.
4. Make some Papier Mache goodies.
5. Use it like a glue stick. Now isn’t that handy?

Still have some glue left? For even more fun visit here.

• Go when your family is at their best. for some it’s morning, for others the afternoon. Assess your family’s best time and go then. And remind the kids about the usual–whispering, not touching anything, etc. so they know what to expect, especially if it’s their first time.
• Go on free day. Many museums offer days with free admission. Take advantage.
• Check the schedule. Before you head out the door check the museum’s listing of temporary exhibits. Maybe one fits what you are studying. Mark future exhibits on your calendar so you won’t forget.
• Study a local artist that has work in your museum before you go. Your kids will enjoy the artist’s work much more when they feel connected to the artist. Maybe you can even schedule a studio tour with the artist. It never hurts to call and ask!
• Leave prepared. Have all the stuff you would have wherever you go. Feed the kids. Wear comfy shoes.
• Get a map. Plan out your tour, learn where the bathrooms are (and the fire exits too) and see what’s available for viewing.
• Get a tour from a docent. They will tell you all the interesting tidbits you might never learn otherwise. They are passionate about the museum and will usually offer a great tour.
• Go on a regular basis. You don’t have to see the whole thing at once. Take it in small bites and savor each moment.
• Buy a membership. Membership really does have its privileges. Members have access to private shows, special events, classes and newsletters. And if you are a regular museum goer you’ll save money on admission.
• Plan a visual scavenger hunt. Make a list for the kids to check off, such as “a lady with a hat” or “a piece of fruit” or “a statue of a horse” and let them look for them.
• Don’t skip the gift shop. It’s a great place to pick up unusual gifts. And they almost always have neat things you can use in your homeschool, like sunprinting paper, models and art prints.

Creative types are long on ideas. We have them running out our ears. If ideas were green beans we would have bushels and pecks. I know I sometimes can’t help myself. If we pass an empty storefront, my family often plays a game of “what business would do well there.” If I hear a business owner struggling, I brainstorm ways to help them out of their pickle. If I hear a homeschool mom frustrated about an area, I tend to think up a dozen ways to help her out of her situation. We love to think of how we would spend a million dollars, how much good we could do for the world.

There is nothing wrong with these activities. They are not bad, in fact, they can be brain stretching exercises that can help me think in new ways. However, if the thoughts come and come and come, then it can become a problem.

We are not to be slaves to our thoughts. In fact, we are to take every thought captive (2 Cor. 10:5). Out thoughts are to serve us. Just because an idea comes to mind does not mean it should be acted upon. Every good idea is not a God idea. And it takes listening to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit to distinguish the difference.

I used to think that if an idea popped into my head I should do it, just because it was there. This is not Christian maturity. The mature Christian seeks God’s direction–the when, the how, the if. It seeks the mind of the Lord, not their own mind (Acts 22:14). If God gives the go-ahead–if it is His will as laid out in His Word–then I am free to pursue that idea (John 8:28). Otherwise I need to wait (1 Cor. 2:16, Is. 55:9).

What do I try to do now? I write down all the ideas that come into my head. Some are for me now, some are for others who cross my path, some are for me later, some go in the circular file. If I write it down then it gives me peace and that little idea is not rolling around untethered in my head. Also started this blog as a outlet for some of the crazy ideas I get. I talk to my husband too and he helps me as another filter. He is much less emotionally attached to an idea than I am and can help me work through it or let it go. These tools help me harness my creative energy so that it is working for me, not just causing chaos and disorder in my thought life.

We must sanctify our minds and think on things that are lovely and of good report. We must treat our thought life as holy ground. Don’t let just any weed come in and ruin the garden you have made. Keep your thoughts in order and your creativity will serve you well.