The Value of Collections

Bookmaking Fun with Kids

Getting the Most out of Your Art Museum Trip

15 Great Uses for a Digital Camera

Art Preservation Made Easy–and Fun

Family Newspaper

Finally! A Use for Junk Mail

I hope you’ll find a new idea here that you can use in your home education.

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 rick

TED talks are very popular, and with good reason. If you aren’t aware of TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) then visit their archives for public speakers and topics that run the gamut. They are interesting to watch, especially when looking with a speaker’s eye. Older kids and high schoolers can glean a lot from a TED talk. Things to watch for: the choice and use of visuals, the length, the manner of speaking. YouTube is another place for tons of terrific videos of speakers on any subject you can think of.

To gain public experience, there are opportunities everywhere. Home, church, clubs, nursing homes, teams–there are lots of places to get in some speaking times. Maybe you could head over to the local retirement home or homeless shelter. Or create a video on a topic you enjoy and teach someone something. Create a need and fill it with a speech.

What do you want to talk about? Maybe a poetry reading, an original story or reciting memory work. Almost anything you can think of would make a good topic. Sermons and great speeches from the past are great practice for unsure speakers.

Even speaking at home can be helpful for shy speakers. An audience that is familiar, loving and supportive can go a long way to boosting the confidence of a kid who is apprehensive about public speaking. If it would help, practice with an audience of stuffed animals.

I hope you’ll give your kids many opportunities to speak publicly. It’s a necessary skill that will take them far in life.

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.

photo courtesy liza31337

Fake It. Each person has a turn being the Word Master. Read the word, but not the definition, aloud. All other players make up a definition for that word and everyone writes theirs down. The Word Master reads all the definitions aloud, including the real definition. Everyone votes on which they think is real. Each vote for your definition earns a point.

Charades. Choose a word from the dictionary at random. Act it out.

Random Poetry. Give the kids a set of two numbers. The first one is a page number and the second is a word number on that page. Give a list of 10 or so sets of numbers and have them write all the words down. Then have them assemble the words in a poem. They key is they must use all the words.

Guess the Word. Read the definition and offer multiple choice answers. Three points for first right guess, two for two tries and one for three. First one to 20 points wins.

Scavenger Hunt. Have them look for words in the dictionary like “a word with three syllables” “The word that comes after homogenous” or “A word from a latin root” first one to finish wins.

Dictionary Drill. You need more than one of the same dictionary for this one. Each kid has a dictionary closed in their hands. When you give the word, they look it up. First one to find and correctly read the definition wins that  round.

Definition Scramble. Put the words on index cards and the definitions on separate cards. Spread them out on the floor and have the kids jump on the cards from the definition to the answer.

Dictionary Twist-up. Write your chosen words on a plastic tablecloth from the dollar store (write each word in three different places). Write the definitions on index cards. Use a die to decide which body part to use. (1 is left leg, two is right leg, three is left arm, four is right arm, five is your choice, six is roll again). Roll the dice and then read the definition aloud. The players must put the arm or leg on the word that was defined.

A collection is important, at least for the moment. Kids have a strong connection to certain collections of things. They can evoke emotion even years later. Encourage your child to collect something that speaks to them. And if you really want to connect with your child, get excited about their collection too. Ask questions, help with research, offer to help. It’s an informal way to connect with your child, especially boys, who can shy away from “sit and talk” conversations. They are also easy choices when Gramma calls to ask what your kid wants for a birthday gift.

What do you do when your child’s collection has outgrown the shoebox? Give up a shelf in your home for more public display. This can validate your child’s passions and let them know you value what’s important to them. You can also clear space in their room for display. If their collection is going to be more long term (or valuable), like baseball cards or stamps, it pays to learn how to best store and display a collection like that.

Collections for younger kids can be a no-brainer for school activities. Counting, sorting, categorizing, maintaining and pricing can all be sneaky ways your kids can learn without it seeming like another school lesson. You can have them write about their collections, learn where their collections are produced or used, do art projects about them and older kids can do research papers on themes and objects. Teach them to save their money to add to their collection or to buy a container for it. Use collections as object lessons. And who knows but that their interest will turn into a lifelong passion or even a career.

When the excitement has passed and they have moved on to the next collection, don’t just toss it. Make a memory of it. Take photos and/or video of them with their possessions. Have them write how they feel about it. If you can, store away their favorite few items from the collection and start a new collection of all their collections. They will thank you when  they are grown and can look back on a box full of wonderful memories.

In case you find yourself in a rut, here is a list of creative expression. You can also download the 25 creative notebooking ideas here.

1. paper folding
2. portraits
3. write a story and illustrate it
4. collage
5. mosaic with construction paper or magazine pictures
6. drawings
7. cut outs
8. silhouettes
9. rubber stamping
10. stickers to add to a picture or draw around
11. photographs
12. coloring pages
13. printable fonts that can be colored
14. pockets to put things in
15. door or flaps to hide things
16. pop-ups
17. paintings
18. rubbings or impressions
19. CD recordings of kid’s voice, documents, music, video, etc.
20. fold out pages for long projects
21. sew paper
22. create an award
23. cut words and letters from newspapers or magazines
24. create a small book and place in a pocket on a page
25. paper weaving

If you want to add to the list please leave a comment.