We’re one of those crazy families that does school through the summer. But there’s a reason to our madness! It’s so hot that going outside is just not feasible for long periods of time. PLUS we take off LOTS of time in the winter to be able to enjoy the outdoors and the holidays.

This past summer, I was looking for a short topic to study in both science AND history. Then I thought, “Why not combine them?” Hence, our study of famous scientists and inventors.

As Charlotte Mason homeschoolers, we’re always looking for books that tell an engaging story. These living books live on in our minds and hearts, help us not just take in information, but the develop character.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Please read my full disclosure policy HERE. 

Here are some of our favorite picture books about scientists and inventors. They cover a broad span of history, location, and people groups. I hope you dive into these books and inspire the next generation of scientists and inventors!

Picture Books about Scientists and Inventors:

Early Scientists and Inventors:

The Gravity Tree: The True Story of a Tree That Inspired the World

This first book is unique in that it covers hundreds of years of history and how one discovery leads to more. Really fascinating! I had no idea!Of Numbers and Stars: The Story of Hypatia

A really neat story about an ancient Egyptian woman who was a genius for numbers and astronomy as well as philosophy.

I, Galileo

Even with the whole world against him, Galileo bravely look into the night sky to see what God had created. His story is one of courage that turned the world upside down.

Neo Leo: The Ageless Ideas of Leonardo da Vinci

I knew Leonardo da Vinci was brilliant, but I had no idea how many things he thought up WAY before they were invented. This book also reinforced the importance of keeping a journal.

Newton’s Rainbow

An indepth look at the life of the man who revolutionized our understanding of physics. Cool to see what his younger years were like!

How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning

Such a fun book! This book pairs nicely with the one about Tesla and a study of electricity.

Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin

Another fun story about the genius of Ben Franklin. No problem was too big or too small for Franklin to tackle.

Dear Benjamin Banneker

Learn about the courageous man who strove to write a farmer’s almanac with accurate measurements and calculations. He also wrote a stunning rebuke to Thomas Jefferson on his views on slavery that have been preserved for young readers to see. Illustrated by one of the amazing Pinkneys, this book is not to be missed!

Snowflake Bentley

This book is GORGEOUS and won the Caldecott. When art and science come together, it’s awe inspiring! You’ll never look at a snowflake the same way again!

Biologists: 

Small Wonders: Jean-Henri Fabre and His World of Insects

The french naturalist, Jean Henri Fabre sure had the habit of attention down! Amazing how just observing what’s around you can lead to big things!

The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Just

We enjoyed learning about Dr. Just and his discoveries related to sea creatures! I thought it was noteworthy how many different fields he studied before finding his niche. 

Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist: The True Story of a World-Traveling Bug Hunter

Thoroughly enjoyed learning about this determined and observant entomologist! Fun pictures!

Buzzing with Questions: The inquisitive Mind of Charles Henry Turner

This book will warm every teacher’s heart that wants to raise curious students!

Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas

A delightful book about the man who is considered the world’s first geneticist. This was basically our first introduction into genes, dominance etc and there was so much to glean from this gem of a book. 

Modern Inventors:

Electrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World

Fascinating story about Nikola and his battles with Edison over AC and DC current. We learned a TON about electricity.

Samuel Morse, That’s Who!: The Story of the Telegraph and Morse Code

Communication would never be the same after Samuel Morse invented morse code! Great illustrations!

Secret Engineer: How Emily Roebling Built the Brooklyn Bridge

A fascinating look at the self taught woman who kept the Brooklyn Bridge project running during her husband’s long illness. 

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin

Awesome story about one of MY hero’s Dr. Temple Grandin who is autistic and leading the way in bringing about awareness and acceptance. Her brain is a gift! Great encouragement to kids that don’t fit the mold or think outside the box.

Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race

Follows the lives of four women that ROCKED at math and brought the US space program to new heights, despite prejudices.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Picture Book Edition

When a young man’s village suffers a drought and all the crops die, he doesn’t give up. Study library books and gathering materials from the dump, this heroic young man saves his people with his windmill. (Note: there is a full length novel of the same title that my boys gobbled up! Like read it three times in one week!)

Marvelous Mattie: How Mar­garet E. Knight Be­came an In­ven­tor

Great story about a determined young girl who wouldn’t let other intimidate her! Nicknamed “Lady Edison” Ms. Knight’s story is not to be missed!

The Fabulous Flying Machines of Alberto Santos-Dumont

Did you know there’s a debate about whether the Wright brothers should hold the title for the first flight? Find out the story of Alberto Santos-Dumont and his incredible accomplishments to the field of aviation.

Fun Inventions:

The Hole Story of the Doughnut

A whimsical story about the invention of the doughnut! What’s not to love! It reminds us that all sorts of things are invented for all sorts of reasons.

Mr. Ferris and His Wheel

Stunning illustrations highlight the story of the first Ferris wheel and the world’s fair. In this book we were reintroduced to other inventors of the time like Edison and Tesla.

The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons

I’ll never look at a crayon in the same way again! Kids everywhere will cheer their gratitude for not having to use charcoal, paint, or pencils to create artwork.

Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gum

Another fun one about perfecting the art of bubble gum. Warning: this book got my kids on a bubble blowing kick!

The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth

Very interesting book about an invention that changed the way the world relaxes. My boys think he’s a hero!

Mathematicians: 

The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos

Fun book about a boy that made friends with numbers. The book highlights that even though we’re all different, we all have strengths.

On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein

Einstein’s mother was told that her son was an idiot. I loved this book for the hope it brought to folks that don’t do well in traditional schools yet excel at thinking beyond the norm.

Fictional Inspiration:

Papa’s Mechanical Fish

One of our all-time favorite picture books EVER! This is a fictional take on a true story about a man who tried to invent a submarine in Chicago’s Lake Michigan. The illustrations are vivid and hilarious! The father is never deterred by failure and his family is full of grace and good ideas! Absolutely LOVE!

Rosie Revere, Engineer

Another fictional story that encourages kids to try crazy things and that failures are just stepping stones to success. I really enjoyed the rhyming text!

Ada Twist, Scientist

We didn’t read this one yet, but it’s by the same creators of Rosie Revere, so I expect good things!

Collections:

Picture History of Great Inventors

This is a great reference book with over 50 inventors highlighted! Great introduction to whet a child’s appetite to explore the life of more inventors.

Brilliant Ideas From Wonderful Women: 15 incredible inventions from inspiring women!

Fun collection of a bunch of women and their contributions and problem solving skills!

Do you know of any other picture books about inventors and scientists? Let me know in the comments below! We can’t have too many!

The post Living Picture Books about Inventors and Scientists appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.

Who doesn’t love a physical letter in the mail? (As long as it’s not a bill!)

The art of letter writing has been declining dramatically but it isn’t dead by any means. And what if you could combine the thrill of a beautiful letter with the wonder of learning about the world around you.

That’s just what these letters are designed to do and they’re the highlight of our day when they show up in our mailbox!

Whether you homeschool or are just looking for fun appealing ways to supplement your kiddos education, consider getting a subscription to some of these incredible educational letters.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.

GEOGRAPHY:

1. Letters from Afar

My son was obsessed with globes and the idea of traveling when I discovered “Letters from Afar”. Each month, a stunningly illustrated letter arrives from a fictional girl named Isabel as she shares her latest travel saga. It’s so suspenseful as the boys open the letter and start shouting guesses about where they think she’s writing from this time. We’ve learned so much about different countries and regions and it has started us down many a delightful rabbit trails. There’s also a little puzzle or hidden pictures game at the end of each letter that the boys really look forward to. 

2. American Heritage Adventure

These letters focus on the beauty closer to home by highlighting American national parks and historic landmarks like the Alamo and the Statue of Liberty. Produced by a homeschooling family (including their kids), the American Heritage Adventure series of letters will be sure to give you the travel bug. And it’s always exciting when we get a letter from some place we’ve already been. An extra cool touch is how each letter comes with a hand painted postcard that your kids can send to friends or relatives!

HISTORY:

1. Post from the Past

Imagine each month a famous figure from the past were to write your child a letter and share their life story in a way that sucks your kids in and leaves them wanting to learn more about their new friend? That’s what Posts from the Past is all about! And not only do kids get a visually appealing and engaging letter, but there are also additional downloads and activities related to that person for subscribers to use throughout the month. So. Much. Fun. So. Much. Learning.

2. Heritage Letters

From the creators of the American Heritage Adventures, comes this history themed letter subscription. Each month students will receive a letter “written by” a famous American as well as a photo with important facts on the back. Additionally, an “artifact” is included such as a picture, artwork, map, or quote related to the American legend. Their website also has free printables for extending the learning. Some of their previous features were about Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte the first female Native American doctor, Duke Kahanamoku an Hawaiian Olympic swimmer and surfer, Mercy Otis Warren poet, playwright, and pamphleteer during the American Revolution, and SOOOO many more people worthy of our time. 

SCIENCE:

Writings from the Wild

These letters have been ideal for my youngest animal loving son. Written from the perspective of young animal, kids will learn about what life is like for that particular animal along with fun animal facts and collectible cards with each of the animals they learn about. The illustrations a whimsical and vivid. My son will pretend to be that animal for the rest of the week! Get Writings from the Wild HERE!

LITERATURE: Letters from the Sea Tower by Bryana Joy

If you want your child to LOVE words and literature, not just consume it, consider getting these exquisite letters created by Bryana Joy Beaird, Letters from the Sea Tower (named after a story by J.R.R. Tolkien). Each letter features an author or poet, showcases their work and gets kids and adults alike pumped to read more by these iconic and influential writers. The illustrations are delightful and Bryana has made it her mission to preach the power of “story”. Words have power to give hope and meaning to life while helping us feel the full gamete of emotions. These may be best suited for older elementary into adulthood, but my boys are pretty well read and are thoroughly enjoying learning about the authors they already know and love!

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Taking care of the earth is everyone’s business. No matter how hard we try to live naturally and consume less, the impact will be minuscule unless we can pass those values on to the next generation; our kids.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Please read my full disclosure policy here.

If you’ve been looking for fun books to inspired your kids this Earth Day, check out these titles.

1. I Can Save the Earth!: One Little Monster Learns to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
2. The EARTH Book
3. The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle: A Story About Recycling
4. The Lorax
5. How to Help the Earth-by the Lorax
6. Why Should I Recycle?
7. Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth
8. I Am Earth: An Earth Day Book for Kids
9. The Earth and I
10. Earth Day Every Day
11. The Three R’s: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle
12. Fancy Nancy: Every Day Is Earth Day
13. Earth Day–Hooray!
14. It’s Earth Day!
15. Why Should I Save Energy?
16. Why Should I Save Water?
17. Biscuit’s Earth Day Celebration
18. Michael Recycle
19. The Adventures of an Aluminum Can: A Story About Recycling
20. Where Do Garbage Trucks Go?: And Other Questions About Trash and Recycling
21. 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World

What earthy friendly books would you add to the list? Let me know in the comments below. 

The post 21 Inspiring Earth Day Books for Kids appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.

The greatest quality of little boys (and by extension some grown men) is a wondrous imagination.

If you ever want to have an especially engaging, and likely entertaining, conversation with a little boy, ask him to tell you his favorite story.

Watch his eyes light up, as he tells you all about the daring exploits of the brave hero, and witness his forehead crinkle and his lip curl as he describes the heinous villain.

Now, I am happy to tell you that God has blessed me with 3 boys whom I know have spectacular imaginations. (The littlest can’t talk yet, but I assume his brain is just bursting with fanciful musings)

It’s one thing to have a conversation with my boys, (head’s up, it WILL be about Star Wars), but if you really want to delve the wonders of their imaginations, you need to go with them on an adventure…

Our family has found that some of the best adventures are waiting to be discovered in nature.

Thank you to the Toybrary of Austin for generously giving my family a membership in exchange for showcasing some of their amazing gear! 

Hiking with Kids

Most recently, we packed the boys into the minivan, gathered a few necessary (and a few unnecessary) items for the journey and we were off the the nearest National Wildlife Refuge.

Being that we were hiking with small children, we didn’t even make it a whole mile, but there was a lot of excitement along the way.

We visited a family of birds,

crossed a river on a path of wobbly stones,

scaled a mountain,

Braved the dark path through a winding forest of thorns,

and surveyed the inhabitants of a wide green valley.

The boy’s had a great time, and the only complaints we heard were about who’s turn it was to lead.

So, if you are wondering, “Okay, that sounds like fun, but how do I get my kids excited about a Nature Hike AND to agree on the same adventure?”

Well, smart parent that you are, you probably know there are no fool proof ways to get your kids to AGREE ON ANYTHING 100 percent of the time.

However, here are 3 tips on how to encourage your kids to make Nature Walks an adventure:

1. Suggest Roles

This could be a favorite character from a book or movie, or it could be as simple as giving them a job. 

On our Kid’s Hike, my Husband suggested our oldest son be a Scout. He would excitedly run ahead a little way and then come running back to tell us what he saw. He felt special because he  knew what was coming before we did.

The middle one got to be the Captain. After the older one would come back, we’d ask the Captain what he thought we should do and which way he thought we should go.

Everyone got to do something creative and special to them and they could “own” their part of the trip. It’s also a good idea to switch up the roles often so no one gets bored or jealous. (We didn’t forget about the little one. He wasn’t really looking for a role. He just wanted to ride with Dad.)

2. Bring Some Special Tools

These should be something that kids do not normally get to use. That way it can feel like a privilege and will hold a child’s attention better. These can also compliment the roles that the kids adopt.

We brought along binoculars for the kids to use.

Our middle son insisted on bringing along a trail map and checking it to see where we were ever 50 yards or so.

Compasses and cameras are also a fun idea when hiking with kids.

3. Give them something to find

Discovering what makes up your world is one of the best parts about being a kid, and watching your kids discoveries is one of the best parts about being a parent.

If you are going to explore nature, making discoveries is easy. Look for bugs, look for flowers, look for footprints.

You can turn the search for pretty much anything into a quest for your kids. As we went along, we looked for birds and were fortunate enough to find a nest with eggs!

We got a set of two binoculars from the Toybrary of Austin. The “Toybrary” is a library for TOYS! Since getting a membership, my boys have enjoyed nature even more because of all the gear they can explore with! Liza, the owner of the Toybrary is great at finding educational, playful toys that help kids be kids! If you’re in the Austin, TX area, her shop is a must stop spot!

The Toybrary is also hosting fun events for families. See the calendar for more upcoming events.

Adventures are great opportunities for your family to make memories and grow closer. Just remember too that you can be a facilitator for your child’s imagination. Make suggestions, ask questions, be surprised, and be sure to listen.

You don’t have to pilot the Millennium Falcon to get there, but you will want to pack your own imagination.

Also, tell me about your family’s nature adventure. I love hearing your stories and your ideas can be a wonderful blessing to other families who are out with their kiddos!

The post 3 Tips for Fun Nature Hikes with Your Kids appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.

Have you ever noticed that toys have a life of their own?

When they first join your family, your kids play with that particular toy constantly. But as time goes on, the toys lose their charm and imagination can start to wain.

But I’ve found that you can kick things up a notch by bringing those “old” toys into a new situation. Put them in water, use them for crafting, or try turning down the lights.

This science activity breathed new life into our magnetic tiles while teaching my boys about the properties of light.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Please read my full disclosure policy here.

Thank you to the Toybrary of Austin for generously giving my family a membership in exchange for showcasing some of their amazing toys! 

Supplies:

A Mirror

Magnetic Rainbow Tiles

Flash Light

Directions:

Position the tiles between the flashlight and the mirror. Let your child play and explore. It might seem like the same old building toys, but in this new setting, it just seems cooler!

My son has been studying light in his kindergarten science curriculum. This science activity gave us the chance to talk about reflection, absorption, transparency, and colors.

He got creative and built a tent for his flashlight. It was rainbowtastic!

We got these sturdy mirrors from the Toybrary of Austin. The “Toybrary” is a library for TOYS, and high quality ones at that! Since getting a membership, I actually have a chance at keeping my house clutter free! Liza, the owner of the Toybrary is so sweet and loves getting educational, playful toys that help kids be kids! Austinites, check them out, you won’t regret it!

On December 3rd from 5 – 8pm, there will be a parents night out that kids will LOVE going to! See the calendar for more details. 

The colors were simply mesmerizing.

Check out that concentration!

Gotta love that “science is fun, mom!” expression!

The post Mirror and Light Science Exploration for Preschoolers appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.

As the weather cools, and the leaves fall, kids start dreaming of one of the year’s highlights; trick-or-treating on Halloween!

If you want this season to be more than just candy candy candy, try some of these awesome Halloween themed science activities! From self-inflating ghost balloons to chemical reaction bubbling cauldrons, these experiments are sure to delight!

Bubble Spider Webs – by Preschool Powol Packets

Spider Web Science – by Buggy and Buddy

Flying Teabag Ghosts – by Playdough to Plato

Self-Inflating Ghost Balloons – by Mama Smiles

Creepy Density Experiment – by Science Sparks

Static Electricity Dancing Ghosts & Bats – by Inspiration Laboratories

Magnetic Slime – by Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

Halloween Pumpkin Slime – by Little Bins for Little Hands

Candy Corn Slime – by Craftulate

Glow in the Dark Pumpkin Slime – by Learn Play Imagine

Glow Water – by Fun at Home With Kids

Bubbling Potions – by One Perfect Day

Corncob Popcorn Experiment – by Tinkerlab

Candy Corn Science Experiment – by Coffee Cups and Crayons

Candy Chromatography – by Kids Activities Blog

Need more seasonal fun? Check out this huge list of Pumpkin Sensory Activities! 

The post Frightfully Fun Halloween Science Experiments appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.

Science is the way to open your child’s world even further.

Teach them how to investigate and analyse. And with a quality microscope you can make the minuscule, HUGE.

A big thank you to Southern Science Supply for providing our family with a Dlite 1.3 Megapixel, 10-200x zoom microscope to review. 

The Dlite 1.3 Microscope is a great compact microscope. It has a built in adjustable light and comes with a small adjustable stand or can be held by hand. There are four focal tips included to help when not using the stand.

The microscope plugs into a computer via a USB cable and projects the images on the screen.

We’ve just begun exploring all that the software can do, but my son’s absolute favorite thing is capturing these enlarged images. They can be compared, edited and more!

Here’s the inside of his recently lost tooth. (Please excuse the dirty fingernails!)

This microscope is perfect for little hands and rather sturdy (thankfully!). There is a large toggle on the scope to adjust the focus.

My boys are always collecting things to investigate under the scope. I can see their wheels spinning as they begin to really see how things are made and how they work.

I think my favorite thing about this kit are the included sample specimens. They’re varied and interesting. My three year old loves the star fishs while my oldest is a fan of the lichen.

So if you’re looking to invest in your child’s mind and want to instill a love of learning, I HIGHLY recommend getting a microscope from Southern Science Supply.

The world just became bigger AND smaller all at the same time!

The post The Benefits of Microscopes for Kids appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.

I have been dreaming of this day for 20 years.

My oldest is about to start kindergarten and I get to be his teacher!

As a girl that was homeschooled from K-12th herself, I have always planned to homeschool my own kids for a number of reasons. But now that the rubber is about to hit the road, I find myself having to make specific choices in philosophies and curriculum for my son.

After reading these books on homeschooling schools of thought, I settled on our own unique mix between the Charlotte Mason model and the Classical model. While I’ll probably write a more detailed post on this later, suffice it to say that I love Charlotte Mason’s approach to learning. It centers on “living books” and interest lead studies. It’s a low stress way to get students to fall in love with learning and literature. The Classical method is more structured but is also literature heavy. My biggest draw to it is the Logic and Rhetoric stages of middle and high school, that teach kids to think well. Students are taught to communicate, persuade, and debate. Because what good is knowledge without influence? I also love their approach to history. They go through the whole of history every four years in chronological order (which is surprisingly lacking in most curriculums that tend to start with American history first.) Another plus is their study of Latin and a strong focus on the arts.

So with these philosophies in mind and my goals firmly planted, I settled on these books to aid us in our first year of formal education. I hope it will help you make your selections of the best kindergarten homeschooling curriculum. 

Please note: while I’m an experienced participant in homeschooling, this is my first year teaching. I have enough humility to know that things won’t always go as expected and I may need to change my approach drastically. This is my best first attempt based on my research and my understanding of my unique son’s needs.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Please read my full disclosure policy here. 

I’m very grateful to Veritas Press, Cornerstone Curriculum, and Berean Builders for providing me with my very top first choices in kindergarten curriculum at my request. The opinions that follow are my honest assessment. 

Language Arts Curriculum 

Let me admit upfront; I may have gone a bit overboard in this category. I love all things language and literature, so we’re coming at this on all fronts.

We are going to learn phonics using the Veritas Press “Phonics Museum Combo Kit” curriculum. It’s an incredibly thorough program with a Classical approach. This curriculum has the premise of a knight named Percival who guides children through an art museum as they collect sounds and phonics rules. It comes with primers that were written with only the sounds that students have already learned up to that point. It does a great job of getting kids ready to read their first book early so they get a taste of how fun it can be and are motivated to keep learning.

The curriculum set comes with all sorts of addition games and tools besides the workbook. There’s a board game, a CD with phonics rules set to music,  flashcards, puzzle pieces with all the different letters and blends so you can piece words together, and much more. There is a copious amount of material with 155 lessons and each one jam packed with activities. I highly doubt we’ll be able to finish each lesson each day, but I’m cool with that. (Check back in a couple months when I give this curriculum a more thorough review after we’ve used it a while.)

Since my mom lives close by, she is stoked to help me homeschool for her second round of teaching. Some quick background first. My brother struggled to read until 5th grade. Back then, not much was known about learning disabilities, but my mom didn’t let that stop her. She heard about the LiPS: The Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program for Reading, Spelling, and Speech and knew it would help my brother. It’s a totally different approach to language arts and focuses on sensory and kinetic learning. For example, instead of simply memorizing sounds with their letter symbols, students are taught to look in a mirror to see what their mouth, lips and tongue must do to form each sound. It works totally different areas of the brain and was the turning point for my brother who is now a highly successful engineer. So while my son may not have dyslexia like my brother, I’ve decided with his SPD it certainly won’t hurt to try this approach to reading and language development. My mom is chomping at the bit to do it, and as a very experienced homeschooler, she believes this is the best way to learn to read. I’m undecided, so we’re just going to do both! Ha!

And since I’m a huge Charlotte Mason fan, I’ve set aside an entirely separate subject hour for reading aloud to my boys. I’m currently gathering a list of great works of literature that spark the imagination. We’ll spend our low key afternoons reading and exploring new worlds together. I must say, out of all the subjects, I’ll looking forward to this the most!

Science Curriculum

A lot of the books I read advised me to put off science in kindergarten, but I just can’t do it. My son is enthralled with the idea of experiments, and I just can’t say no to his curiosity!

I really enjoyed science when I was homeschooled, especially in high school. I used textbooks written by Dr. Jay Wile and found them great at explaining concepts. I was pleasantly surprised to see Dr. Wile is still writing science books.

We are going to be using “Science in the Beginning“. It is organized around the seven days of creation, so the first section focuses on the study of light, the second section on water and air, and so on. Nearly every lesson has a very doable experiment. It’s written from a Christian perspective with the goal being to know God better by exploring His creation. I really love that’s it’s meant to be used for various age groups at the same time. Any child, K-5th will get plenty out of it and can do it with their siblings. When my other boys are school aged, this will save me a lot of time and work!

The curriculum kit has review questions at the end of each chapter. There are two basic ones for the young students, as well as more involved follow up assignments for the middle and oldest students. There are tests included in the “Helps and Hints” book, but they are not required. The author recommends this material only for older students that need some practice preparing for the scholastic rigors of exams.

Because there are so many lessons and because this curriculum can be used for all grade schoolers, I’m sure we’ll take more than a year to complete it and probably cycle back through it more than once.

Math Curriculum

Numbers give me the cold sweats. I attribute some of my fear to the curriculum my parents used with me when I was homeschooled. (So yeah, definitely not going the Saxon route!) My brain doesn’t work that way, and I don’t think my son’s does either.

I wanted a curriculum that’s more than just more memorization and more testing and more boring. I think I’ve found it in “Making Math Meaningful Level K“. Also founded on a Biblical worldview, MMM by Cornerstone Curriculum strives to help kids understand and apply mathematical concepts, not parrot back facts without understanding. The main focus of the first year is on understanding the concept of equal/not equal and knowing how to make things equal. Sounds simple, but the concept is often lost on students if they’re not taught it. They’ll be getting the WHY behind math, and that is something I can get excited about!

While the books might not be flashy, there’s a TON of manipulative work with real life objects. The tactile, kinetic learner will love it. There are 36 weeks of lessons and can be easily completed in 15 mins a day. It keeps math from being a mystical idea and makes things concrete through observation, interpretation and application. (Cornerstone Curriculum has other subjects including a Science program that we will use as a supplement. It focuses on using the scientific method to learn about the world around them.)

History/Social Studies Curriculum

After reading up on Classical education, I really wanted to follow the way they layout history by going in chronological order and covering everything from start to finish every four years. But as you might expect, that’s a little too much for a kindergartner to handle.

When I saw Bede’s History of ME from Veritas Press, I knew it was the perfect stepping stone to help my boys be ready to handle a vigorous study of history. Meant to be used once a week, this short book is gorgeous and kid friendly. Students are introduced to the concept of a timeline and over the course of the study make all sorts of them. What kid won’t enjoy making a timeline of toys! Kids will also learn about family trees and understand the basic geography of where they live. There are lots of fun projects without taking up gobs of time. It’s the perfect foundation to lay the more serious study of history upon.

Bible Curriculum

I still don’t see the need to follow a curriculum at this point. We have a bunch of our favorite children’s story Bibles that we read from during breakfast. I want to add more reading of the actual Bible. While it may seem boring to young ears, I want them to learn young how to glean treasure from its pages.

We’re going to try again this year to memorize the New City Catechism. It’s great for learning theology systematically and help kids understand how to view the world. We’ll also spend some of our read aloud time learning about the lives of famous missionaries. I’m also really excited to use The Big Picture Bible Timeline. It will help my boys visualize the full scope of the Biblical narrative, and they get to color the highlighted stories!

The boys are involved in the AWANA program as well so they’ll be memorizing scripture regularly. And of course, I will by God’s grace, bring the gospel into every situation we find ourselves in, both academically and otherwise.

Extra Curriculars

My son will be spending one day a week with other homeschooled students, learning social skills and some extra fun electives. He’ll be taking art, music, speech, gym, even Spanish. I’m excited to watch him excel and make some friends while he’s at it. We’re apart of a support group that gets together for social events and field trips as well.

So that rounds out our plans for the coming school year. Whew! I’m exhausted just thinking about it. 

If you have questions about any curriculum mentioned above, email me at julie@mymundaneandmiraculouslife.com.

If you’ve tried any of curriculum I’ve talked about, leave a comment in the section below. I’d love to know what parts you found helpful or that your kids loved learning about.

The post Our Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Choices appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.

Don’t miss out on these wonderful ways to learn and play with balloons! Get the body and the brain engaged with these balloon activities for learning and play!

Gross Motor

Water Balloon Stomp – by Sunny Day Family

Balloon Tennis – by Little Bins for Little Hands

Animal Balloon Herding – by Adventures of Adam

Water Balloon Games for Kids – by Proverbial Homemaker

Number Recognition Game – by Danya Banya

Balloon Yoyo – by What Do We Do All Day

Science

Static Science Balloon Pepper Beard – by Go Science Kids

Pop Rock Balloons – by A Little Pinch of Perfect

Make Your Own Bazzoon Phone – by Planet Smarty Pants

Static Electricity Butterfly Experiments – by I Heart Crafty Things

Balloon Rockets – by the Joys of Boys

Easy Preschool Balloon Science – by Preschool Powol Packets

Balloon Baking Soda & Vinegar Experiment  – by Little Bins for Little Hands

Balloon Boats – by Life with Moore Babies

More Play and Learning Ideas

Practice Sight Words with Balloons – by Sugar Aunts

Squishy Squashy Sensory Balloon Games – by Mosswood Connections

Teaching Emotions Balloons Activity – by ArtsCrackers

Water Bead Balloon Hand Strengthening – by Best Toys 4 Toddlers

Great Day for Up Reading Game – by Growing Book by Book

Simple Texture Balloons for Tactile Sensory Play – by Little Bins for Little Hands

The post Rockin’ Balloon Activities for Learning and Play appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.

In our totschool, we’ve found some incredibly fun books about space. (Check out this list before going to your local library!)

After your done snuggling up and reading about astronauts and space, head outside for some gross motor fun and hands-on science with this fun moon crater activity that I guest posted over at Pre-K pages. 

The post Moon Crater Gross Motor Activity appeared first on My Mundane and Miraculous Life.