Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Activity, Change, Progress

Tina Robertson

Day 27 10 Homeschool Tips to Break Out of a Homeschool Rut And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, Day 27 we have 10 homeschool tips to break out of a homeschool rut. You’ll love the other tips on my 31 Day Free Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers.

When learning about the Oregon Trail a few years back, we looked at pictures of wagon wheel ruts stretching across two thousand miles of untamed wilderness.

Ruts served as a guide to pave the way to the West. No doubt, hundreds of pioneers took comfort as they reached their destinations.

Day 27 10 Homeschool Tips to Break Out of a Homeschool Rut And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp

Ruts certainly paved the road for adventuresome pioneers and it is similar with our homeschool journey.

Homeschoolers that have gone before you have plowed ruts and left visible markers like free online curriculum and testimonies when their children graduated.

However, a rut can make each day uninteresting and lifeless. The longer you homeschool, the easier it is to become humdrum about it.

On Day 28, I will go over some questions on how to tell when burnout looms, but today I am sharing more about how to spice up your day. You know, get those creative juices of yours to flow.

However, these tips can help too when you are already burned out and the little yellow school bus back to public school is looking quite nice.

You’ll love the homeschool tips I share below.

Before I share some tips to bring the spark back into your day, I want you to trust the method in how to get those ideas to spout because it is not easy at times to get creative juices flowing.

Believe me when I say that my curriculum planner or unit studies today do not look anything like they did a few years ago. Refinement is a process in education too. 

I have to share this one thing that I learned when reading over the weekend about the brain and refinement of information.

I know, crazy to read about that, but only educators read about those kinds of subjects. Anyway, it was so fascinating to read how synapses can become more like a super highway of information through constant use.

The more you create and build your ideas about teaching, the easier it is to take one idea, tweak it and make it into another.

Information overflows and grows as these synapses working with dendrites bring information in.

10 Homeschool Tips to Spice Up Your Routine

I stand in amazement that we are so FULL of the capability of bringing our homeschooling ideas from a sagging bridge to an indomitable interstate.

Day 27 10 Homeschool Tips to Break Out of a Homeschool Rut And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp. I have 10 homeschool tips to break out of a homeschool rut. You’ll love the other tips on my 31 Day Free Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers. However, a rut can make each day uninteresting and lifeless. The longer you homeschool, the easier it is to become humdrum about it. However, these tips can help too when you are already burned out. #newtohomeschool

Look at these ideas that I hope gets your creative juices flowing:

1.) Instead of doing math worksheets for the day, take the day to read living math books. This instills in your children the fact that math is about using it for everyday living. Click on the picture above to see the different categories for books and read some next time your child chimes that math is boring.

2.) Read out loud together as a family. No, and I don’t just mean in elementary school. I read to my sons all the way through to high school. Their memories of sitting in my lap and now laying on the couch or sitting beside me as I read to them not only endears them to me but helps them to realize the beauty and value of reading. It’s not about them to learning to read, but it is about treasuring family relationships and restoring our spirit. It’s about the pleasure of reading without having to do an analysis of it.

3.) Take a family walk. Though my husband and I use to do this by ourselves, the kids have been joining us. They may ride their bikes while I exercise by walking, but the fact that we move for the day helps us to lift our heads out of the rut.

4.) Cut back some text books and add in a homemade lesson plan. I’ve said it before but anything homemade tastes better than box anytime. You really want to do this from the very beginning of starting homeschool so that you can become skilled at it as the years go by. For example, if your science lesson for the day said to read about the planets for the day, take time to act out the process. Your young kids will enjoy twirling around the room as they learn about terms like revolve and rotate. If you are doing some Shakespeare, then assign an older child to recite some of it. Most of us have that one kid that likes to dress up and make others laugh. He is also the same kid that will benefit from a skit like that because it is fun and brings laughter to learning.

10 Tips to Spice Up Your Homeschool Routine
10 Tips to Spice Up Your Homeschool Routine

10 Tips to Spice Up Your Homeschool Routine

5.) Instead of a co-op, meet with JUST 1 other family each week to do a project. I did this one year when I was planning too much and I felt like we needed a break. One week we met at my house as her kids looked forward to coming to my house. The next week we met at her house so that we could get out of our house. Both of us as moms were super busy so we kept it super easy when we met. However, just the fact that another educator was helping to plan gave us a huge impetus for our year. We cooked food from another country for one history assignment and made an ice cream Viking ship at another assignment.

6.) If your kids don’t like to write, have them start a private blog. I know a lot of homeschool kids that blog and they make it private. They may only share with grandma or a few other close homeschooling kids. Kids that may not like writing suddenly find a purpose for sharing their thoughts.

7.) Volunteer service. I know a lot of us homeschool because we are not only worried about the reading grade but want to instill Godly character. My sons have taken turns in the past reading the Bible to some elderly ones in a nursing home. The elderly love hearing the Word and especially when it comes from such a sweet face. Food banks and some wildlife preservation places clamor for teens to help out too. What satisfaction we get from our homeschool day when we focus on others.

10 Tips to Spice Up Your Homeschool Routine

8.) Take your work to the park. We have done this many times. Either it has been the first day of school or when we get up in the morning, I can see that this day calls for a change in the routine. Packing our lunch or better yet, according to the kids, driving thru and picking up a home made pizza, we head to the park.

Ewwwwwwwww, homeschooling on the wild side!! It feels goooood!

9.) Start off your day with a different subject than normal. Though it sounds like a little thing, the smallest change in your routine can ignite the passion for learning and take you out of the humdrum. For example, I start off reading aloud to everybody, then have everybody start their math or writing.

10.) Stop. If you are in a rut and you can feel burnout coming, just stop and rest. Relaxation and rejuvenation combat the homeschool ruts. There is no need to be a super mom. In the end the praise we want is from our God, our husbands and our children. Nobody else matters. So take your time and stop to rest and take care of yourself. You ARE worth it!

Take these ideas when the homeschool rut hits and TRUST that you can create some awesomeness in your day if you are willing to continue to work on your teacher skills.

Day 27 10 Homeschool Tips to Break Out of a Homeschool Rut And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp

New to Homeschooling Start with the Basics

1 – 7 Start with the Homeschool Basics

8-14 Homeschool Organization 101 for Beginners


15 – 21 Best tips for New Homeschoolers Choosing Curriculum

22- 28 Homeschool Preschoolers, Highschoolers, and Resistant Learners

Do you have any ideas that may be a trickle now?

Easy Ways to Break Out of a Homeschool Routine

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Colorful and Beautiful 2023-2024 One Page Printable Calendar

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I’m rolling out early the 2023-2024 academic year one page printable calendar. You’ll love the other forms I have for my free homeschool planner.

I have two color choices available for this one page printable calendar.

And these printable calendars are the for academic year.

However, I have 12 months on one page in two color choices.

Colorful and Beautiful 2023-2024 One Page Printable Calendar

Too, all my calendars begin with July and go to June.

In addition, I print several copies of this calendar which is used as a reference in your homeschool planner.

In other words, you’ll want to print a couple of each one and place them at different places in your planner.

One Page Printable Calendar

Additionally, I prepare several different calendars for each academic and physical year.

Again, the academic calendars are July to June and of course the physical year calendars are January to December.

The point is all my calendars always have 12 months.

Next, look at the other two types of calendars I create each year.

First, I prepare a calendar for you to plan your homeschool year.

Colorful and Beautiful 2023-2024 One Page Printable Calendar

I release the planning schedule every year here on my site first.

Homeschool Planning Schedules

However, the permanent place for the planning schedule is on Step 5a. Choose Unique Forms JUST for You.

Here are some features and sections it has.

  • 12 months on one page so if you school year round, you can still track;
  • is a calendar where highlight weeks you plan to homeschool and mark out weeks you take off;
  • is used to track each day and total weeks by writing down; and it has a comprehensive key box at the bottom of the form for you to note things like first day of school, holidays, quarters, and goals for days and weeks to homeschool.
Colorful and Beautiful 2023-2024 One Page Printable Calendar

Finally, you’ll love these other planner products.

Look at these other homeschool planner products that I know you’ll love!

Colorful and Beautiful 2023-2024 One Page Printable Calendar

Other Homeschool Planner Resources

In addition, look at these other homeschool planner resources.

Colorful and Beautiful 2023-2024 One Page Printable Calendar

Also, look at the two color choices for this one page printable calendar.

Colorful and Beautiful 2023-2024 One Page Printable Calendar
Colorful and Beautiful 2023-2024 One Page Printable Calendar

How to Get the Free 2023 to 2024 Calendars

Finally, how to grab the free academic calendars. It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access my subscribers library and this freebie.

However, not all of my freebies are in the library (wink).

I like to keep up to date with what is valuable to you so I can give you more, some freebies you must sign up again on the form below even if you are already a follower.

It’s the only way I have of freely delivering them to you. Just follow the steps below.

► 1) Sign up on my list.
► 2) Go to your inbox and confirm your email from the automatic reply I sent you.
►3) Last, look for my reply AFTER you confirm your email.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest – Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today is Wildlife Conversation Day. And we’re learning about wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest. Be sure you grab my Amazon Rainforest unit study and free lapbooks.

Two of the most easily identifiable birds are the parrot and the toucan.

Both birds are bright with distinctive colors.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

This easy paper plate craft is a great early elementary activity to go along with your rainforest unit study.

Also, I really enjoy including beautiful quality books.

Add in activities not only during a specific science study or project but pull them out during an art project to reference.

Science doesn’t only have to be taught during science.

Fun Bird Resources

A wonderfully illustrated book like The Big Book of Birds can be brought out to investigate.

In this case, look at the colors of the birds, the shape of their beaks and talk about their habitat and habits.

 Naturally, your child will pick up so much information as you read the little snippets aloud as they look at the pictures.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

These Exotic Bird Toobs from Safari LTD are also a fantastic addition to your rainforest study.

Too, you get a great variety of birds including a toucan and a blue and gold macaw.

 If you want a little more variety instead of just birds they also have a rainforest one with different animals

Rainforest Activities

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

This cutie is a Sun Conure which is a small parrot.

Fun Facts About Birds of the Rainforest

  • All macaws are parrots, but not all parrots are macaws.
  • Of the 3,800 species found in the rainforest, 1,300 of them are bird species.
  • Birds of the Amazon Rainforest eat a variety of foods including leaves, fruits, nuts and insects.
  • Of the 18 species of Macaws in the Amazon Rainforest, several are currently on the endangered list and some species may already be extinct.
  • A toucan’s bill has been adapted to crush and saw the food that it eats such as fruits and nuts.
  • The parrot uses its beak as an additional hand to assist in climbing up trees so it can locate harder to reach food.
  • Out of the four layers of the Amazon Rainforest, the majority of birds live in the canopy layer.
  • Rainforest birds range from tiny hummingbirds to large macaws.
  • Screaming and loud vocalization is the way wild parrots and other birds communicate with one other.
  • The loudest bird in the Amazon Rainforest is the male white bellbird.

Other Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest Resources

Then, add some more activities below.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Finally, look below to make a macaw and toucan bird.

How to Make a Red Macaw Parrot and Toucan Craft

You will need:

  • 3 paper plates
  • Craft paint
  • Craft feathers
  • Google eyes
  • Paintbrushes
  • Glue
  • Scissors

First, for the red macaw parrot, cut 2 paper plates in half.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Paint 3 of the halves entirely red, and for the final half it will be half red and half yellow.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Allow the paint to dry completely.

Cut one of the red halves in half again to create wings.

Glue the red and yellow plate (which is the head and beak) perpendicular to the solid red half that makes up the body.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Add the wings to the sides with glue as well.

Glue some craft feathers together to form a long colorful tail.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Also, attach the tail at the back of the plate to the base with glue.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Finally add a google eye.

For the toucan, it is much the same but with different colors. Cut 1 plate in half and paint it all black.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Cut a beak out of the second plate.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Use a piece of scrap leftover from the beak to make his tail, cutting it into a little wedge and painting it black as well.

We left his “wings” tucked in but you can create flapping wings like on the parrot if you want to add that step.

Paint beak beautiful bright colors and let your child look at them online or in a book for reference.

Let the paint dry and then add a little bright yellow to the throat area.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Once all the pieces are dry, glue the beak to the body across the top and glue the tail piece to the bottom.

Add a google eye to finish him up.

Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest - Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts

Kids Art History Board Game Ideas

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If you’re looking for fun kids art history board game ideas. you’ll love Professor Noggins. Also, look at the other History Games on my page.

Too, sometimes instead of an art history board game, you can substitute a card game and that is what we did.

I love the Professor Noggin games because they contain a wealth of information in an easy to play format and cover a huge variety of topics.

Kids Art History Board Game Ideas

In addition, the games cover nature, science, animals, birds, reptiles, history, and geography.

Today we are going to look closer at Professor Noggin’s History of Art.

Games teach children, critical thinking, curiosity, accepting failure, creativity, innovation, and more.

9 Things to Love About Art History

However, look at these nine things I love about Professor Noggin’s History of Art.

  1. Teach on a specific subject in a fun way.
  2. Are easy to learn and play.
  3. Build observation and memory skills.
  4. Have a quick play time.
  5. Are portable for road trips and waiting at doctors offices/restaurants.
  6. Have a great price point- around $10- $15
  7. Cover an excellent variety of topics- currently 39 titles on their website.
  8. Have two levels of play for players of different skill levels.
  9. Games have a variety of trivia, true or false, and multiple-choice questions.
Kids Art History Board Game Ideas

The only drawback is that they are small games with limited questions.

I like to get as much value out of things as I can so I started thinking of other ways we could use the games beyond their intended use.

First, look at some of these other fun history games.

Fun History Games Resources

Look at them below.

Moreover, Professor Noggin’s History of Art is an easy way to introduce artists and their masterpieces to kids of any age and ability.

Even if you do not know a lot about art, you can learn art history through a game.

Too, when you use this game, you teach so much more than just a particular artist or style of art.

Through art history you learn geography, get a better understanding of various time periods throughout history, improve reading and research skills, and more.

About Professor Noggin’s History of Art Game

However, look first at a few facts about how the game is intended to be played.

Professor Noggin History of Art comes with 30 cards.

The cards contain a famous artwork on one side and 6 questions on the other.

In addition, there are three questions for the younger or newer student and three for older children or more knowledgeable players.

Also, it’s recommended for ages 8 and up.

From this game you will learn about.

  • Famous artists
  • Major art periods
  • Works of Art
  • Art techniques
  • World architecture
Kids Art History Board Game Ideas

Next, look at these there creative and fun ways you can use the game to turn into a learning day.

8 Ways to Use a Art History Game

I have come up with 8 fun and educational additional activities  to do with this art history game to extend the basic game,

1. Get Artsy Fartsy

If you are not using a formal art curriculum, games like this are a great choice.

First, you can choose cards and have your child attempt to recreate the art piece including using the same medium.

These little tubes of acrylic paints really help you feel like an artist.

Next, do an artist study.

Kids Art History Board Game Ideas

However, I also want you to know about this wonderful Art History for Kids curriculum.

2. Do an Artist Study

Randomly choose a card and study that artist for the week.

Focus on their art, techniques, life story, what period or style they were.

Kids Art History Board Game Ideas

Add in this fun book The Story of Paintings.

3. Focus on Art Period Definitions

Additionally, there are plenty of great vocabulary and spelling words to choose from in this game.

Flip through cards to list all the great art periods and list them. Have your child define each one.

4. Guess the Story

Further, have your child write a poem or a story about an art piece before they learn anything about it.

Then check out the real story or at least the name behind it and see how close they were.

5. Reverse Pictionary

Another one is to pull a random card or one of your choosing and describe the photo for your child and have them draw it from your description.

Kids Art History Board Game Ideas

This can end up being funny and entertaining.

6. Teach Geography or World Culture

Also, pull a random card and locate the country on the map where the artist is from as well as the museum where their artwork is displayed.

Kids Art History Board Game Ideas

This scrunch map gets a lot of use as a favorite resource for just about any theme we choose.

7. Place the Cards in Timeline Order

Give your child a stack of 5 random cards and have them lay them out in timeline order.

Kids Art History Board Game Ideas

They either from memory if they can or allow them to research the time periods in a book or online.

8. Host a Fun Share and Tell

Finally, host a share and tell.

Go through the stack of cards with your child.

Each of you choose your favorite artwork, share it and tell why. And you can include extended family members.

Kids Art History Board Game Ideas

Encourage your child to use descriptive words to help strengthen their vocabulary.

What do you think? Ready to turn a game into a fun and full day of learning?

Day 26 Tips for Resistant Learners And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today is day 26 tips for resistant learners You’ll find the other tips on 31 Day Free Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers.

Channeling a self-willed child is like either hitting a concrete wall or floating along a calm stream.

In my experience, I know that a child alone does not determine whether you hit this wall or float calmly.

Day 26 Tips for Resistant Learners And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp

Our children, like us, are products of what they have experienced learning to be at this point in their lives. They are a reflection of positive or negative experiences.

I agree that it can be hard to look at the positives of a self-willed child, but we need to understand the difference between a rebel and a resister.

They are not the same.

However I want you to understand that a rebel is somebody that consistently disobeys authority.

Resistant Learners

On the other hand, a resister is somebody who can refrain or just not do something or they may actually just resist you.

Even the most well informed parent has a hard time telling if it’s resistance or rebelliousness.

Take a look at some of these tips to decide which is which and put them in your homeschool arsenal for when you need them:

1) Does your child only express what you think is rebelliousness during school? If so, then it may be resistance no matter how ugly the show down between you and your child was. This tells me that whatever assignment he is doing could be causing some anxiety. Is it too hard? Is he gifted and it’s too easy? Are you presenting curriculum that is hard to learn because it is not his learning style?

On the other hand, if he is rebellious about doing his school, doing chores and is cruel on a daily basis to his siblings and shows disrespect to you as his parent, it may be rebelliousness and not the new homeschool routine. It becomes a case of discipline or parenting

Homeschool Rebels or Resistant Learners

Hear my heart on this. If this is the case, you are not alone.

Some children do grow out of this, but just have a hard time dealing with body changes and hormones.

Don’t be too quick to pin the label rebel on him, but if it does happen, cut back your school to focus on what is important and that is your relationship.

I have found more cases than not, kids are resistant learners.

2) What value is learning if we can’t investigate our interests? Children, like us want to learn about things that interest them too. A child may become self-willed if he was forced to bend to another one’s will or stay in sync to a scope and sequence that was not a good fit. If that force was not motivated by love as it is by parents, then a child might be asking “why risk getting hurt?” Then rebellion sets in and it becomes a battle of the wills. Again, place a precious value on what your child tells you and this helps them to resist the urge to be a rebel.

Too, I’m going to switch gears here on you.

Who is Tina Robertson

But before you can appreciate how I can help you, here are a few things about me. Sure, this free new homeschooler boot camp is all about you.

However, you need to know that I’m not new to the homeschool world.  

It has been several years since I wrote this series and I want to update you on my successes. And I’ve helped HUNDREDS get on the road to homeschooling.

Too, I have 3 homeschooled grads. So I’m well past having my oldest kid being 10 years old.

Day 21 Time Tested Tips For Homeschool And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp

But the best part is that what I have for you works.

Also, look at a few other things about me.

And I have a detailed self-paced online homeschool Kickstarter course. It is a detailed comprehensive course for first time homeschoolers.

Day 21 Time Tested Tips For Homeschool And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp

That is enough about me.

Day 21 Time Tested Tips For Homeschool And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp

New to Homeschooling Start with the Basics

1 – 7 Start with the Homeschool Basics

8-14 Homeschool Organization 101 for Beginners

15 – 21 Best tips for New Homeschoolers Choosing Curriculum

22- 28 Homeschool Preschoolers, Highschoolers, and Resistant Learners

Even if his ideas are far-fetched, he knows you gave him a listening ear.

3.) Boundaries equal limits and children thrive within them. A rebel will push and test the limits. Inconsistent discipline, inconsistent school schedule and inconsistent rules breeds a rebel. All three of these things can be taxing to get a handle on when you’re new to homeschooling.

It is better to do less in the day and keep expectations clear so that you are not frustrating any of your children, than it is to push ahead and then take off days because you are behind.

Consistency, no matter how small keeps mutiny in homeschool to a minimum.

Create boundaries and a few rules so that they are easier to remember. A

flexible, but clear schedule posted in a prominent place helps everybody to see how to get the day started.

We all have buttons that can be pushed, so we need to realize when our resistant learner is pushing them. If you have to postpone correction because our emotional tanks are empty, do so.

When both a child’s and parent’s emotional tanks are empty, this is a collision course and not the best time to correct behavior.

Day 26 Tips for Resistant Learners And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp

You are not alone. We ALL deal with resistance and rebellion and as long as we’re human we can’t completely eradicate it, but we can cope successfully with it.

Hugs and you know I love ya,

Day 26: Homeschool Rebel or Resister - Are You the Cause? {31 Day Boot Camp For New Homeschoolers on My Blog}