Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Activity, Change, Progress

Tina Robertson

21 Hands On Homeschooling Ideas to Keep the Winter Chill Off {Activities for Tots to Teens}

| 13 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

21 Hands On Homeschooling Ideas to Keep the Winter Chill Off {Activities for Tots to Teens} @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

My secret confession is that I just LOVE winter when it comes to homeschooling. I love the cold and gray skies because it is such a refreshing change.

However, I know that for some homeschoolers winter can also seem humdrum and boring. So today, I have rounded up 21 hands on homeschooling ideas to keep the winter chill off.

From a free unit study to making a sweet treat, you’ll find an activity or two for your teen or tot.

Alphabet-Worksheets2-FREE-A-to-Z-Activity-Pages-from-This-Reading-Mama

remember to pin from original sources
{pic attribution: This Reading Mama}

Alphabet Letter Mazes {With Different Letter Fonts} by This Reading Mama
Wonderful Winter Beginning Sound Cards by Natural Beach Living
Free Trace and Try Handwriting Pages by This Reading Mama
Winter Snowflake Sensory Bottle by The Jenny Revolution
Build a Square Snowman + Printable Pattern by Minutes of Motherhood

DIY Discovery Box for Baby by Growing Hands On Kids
Frozen Inspired Free Printable Activity Pack by A Little Pinch of Perfect

2015-12_Snowflake with Sticks_A Little Pinch of Perfect

remember to pin from original sources
{pic attribution: A Little Pinch of Perfect}

Make Snowflake Sticks by Pinch of Perfect
Winter Bucket List for Kids by The Simple Parent
Easy Winter Scene & Snow Paint Recipe by a Little Pinch of Perfect

iced--cookies-682x1024

remember to pin from original sources
{pic attribution: Crystal and Comp.}

Easiest Way to Make Snowman Cookies by Crystal & Co.

printable-play-dough-mats-

remember to pin from original sources
{pic attribution: From ABCs to ACTs}

Printable Gingerbread Play Dough Mats by From ABCs to ACTs
How to Make a Corn Husk Doll by Gift of Curiosity

Montessori-inspired-caves-unit-Gift-of-Curiosity

remember to pin from original sources
{pic attribution: Gift of Curiosity}

Caves Unit Study by Gift of Curiosity
How to Make Straw Rockets by The Pleasantest Thing

How to Make Perfect Fake Snow by Playtivities
27 Books For Kids About Winter by Crystal & Co.
Make an Easy Gingerbread Suncatcher by Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds
15 Snowman Books for Children by The Jenny Revolution

SNOWMAN-OREOS

remember to pin from original sources
{pic attribution: Totally the Bomb}

Snowman Oreos by Totally the Bomb
Gingerbread Cookie Recipes by Spaceships and Laser Beams

And a little bit of coloring fun never hurts either!

Check out my 20 Ancient Civilization coloring pages and my 10 Westward Expansion coloring pages.

Here is what the 10 page download contains. I put a few key words to explain each picture on the page. This way you can use the coloring pages as title pages too.

Page 3:  Native American on horseback,
Page 4: Lewis and Clark Trek,
Page 5: Lewis and Clark and The Piegan,
Page 6: Lewis and Clark Exploring Rivers,
Page 7: The Plains Indians,
Page 8: Pioneer Life,
Page 9: Moving West,
Page 10: Westward Ho,
Page 11: Settlers, and
Page 12: Fur Trappers and Mountainmen

Here is what the 20 page download contains. I put a few key words to explain each picture on the page. This way you can use the coloring pages as title pages too.

Page 3: Ancient Egypt Court,
Page 4: Ancient Egypt Spinning,
Page 5: Ancient Egypt Life of the Royals,
Page 6: Ancient Egypt Battles,
Page 7: Ancient Egypt The Nile,
Page 8: Life Along the River – The Nile,
Page 9: Metal Workers & Crafts of Ancient Egypt,
Page 10: Egyptian Hieroglyphics,
Page 11: Egyptian Queen Cleopatra,
Page 12: Aztecs Floating Gardens,
Page 13: Aztecs,
Page 14: Aztec Life,
Page 15: Mayans,
Page 16: Ancient Greece Wedding,
Page 17: Ancient Greek Galley,
Page 18: Ancient Greece Crafts,
Page 19: Ancient Greece Bank,
Page 20: Athens,
Page 21: Spartan Warrior and
Page 22: The Vikings.

 

Hugs and love ya,

Also, you might want to grab some of these ideas:

Also, check out Free Winter Copywork for Middle School – Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
Winter Homeschooling Activities and Free Downloads. 5 Days of Look Alive
50 Keep Me Homeschooling Activities During the Long Cold Winter Days

Follow Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s board Winter ♥ on Pinterest.

How to Expose Homeschooled Teens to a Variety of Fine Arts (and Get High School Credit)

| 7 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Homeschooling teens is challenging, but it can be especially rewarding when you learn how to expose homeschooled teens to a variety of fine arts and manage to get much needed high school credits too.

Whether you have homeschooled from the beginning or just pulled your teen out of school, fine arts normally rate high on the priority list of subjects to cover by both mom and teen.

We don’t add them to our homeschool high school transcript just because a fine arts credit or two is normally required in most states for graduation, but we add them to our teen’s day because they enrich their lives.

How to Expose Homeschooled Teens to a Variety of Fine Arts (And Get High School Credit) @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Making the Most of the Teen Years

To understand the vast amount of opportunities that can not only enrich a teen’s life, but that can be added to his transcript, check out this easy definition found on the TEA (Texas Education Agency.)

Fine arts at the high school level include art, dance, music, and theatre.

High school students must complete one credit of fine arts to graduate from high school under the any high school graduation program.

As you can see there can be a wide variety of classes that fall under each category.

So normally homeschool teens can easily get more than one credit. Look at my tips for How to Log Hours For High School.

Mr. Senior 2013 used Sister Wendy’s Story of Paintingfor art history. That course easily fell under arts.

Mr. Senior 2013 and Mr. Awesome 2015 both took ballroom dancing for a year.

Ballroom dancing as fine arts @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

A side note on this, but believe me when I tell you that NEITHER son had an interest in taking what they thought was a sissy sport and boring one too.

They told me and hubby that they were not taking dance classes under no circumstances.

We took into consideration their likes, but also wanted them rounded out when it came to fine arts.

So their father put his foot down (ha ha corny, pun intended) and told the boys they were going to try out ballroom dancing and it ended up being their favorite fine arts course of high school.

Their experience was far from boring as they had hip young instructors who added in a lot of modern dance moves along with group dancing.

Dancing Your Way To Graduation

The Arthur Murray studio, which my boys took ballroom dancing lessons at also offered contests and performances, which easily fell under dance too.

Within a short driving distance from our house was a university that hosted regular free performances and dances on Sunday. This counts as high school credit too.

With a little bit of out of the box thinking, it can be quite fun, not to mention affordable to add fine arts to your curriculum.

If your child loves theatre or drama, check with your local homeschool group because they may offer classes.



If they don’t, why not start up one of your own? With a few teens and a hardworking mom or two, you can easily add drama to your day and add memories to your journey.

In one of the smaller cities I lived in, one theatre group allowed the homeschoolers to use the stage during the day since it wasn’t being used.

Most homeschoolers play a musical instrument or at least dabble in music lessons like violin, a piano or guitar. This counts too as fine arts credit.

If you live not too far from a major city, most larger cities have a fine arts museum.

Teens love a field trip or two visiting a museum as part of their art course. Grab some other highschoolers and enjoy the field trip along with your teen.

Look at some of these other options:

How to Expose Homeschooled Teens to a Variety of Fine Arts (and Get High School Credit)

What has your high school teen accomplished for their fine arts credit?

Look at these other tips:

Also, check out The Must Cover Subjects for High School Part 1 and Part 2.

Follow Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s board Homeschool Middle & High School on Pinterest.

3 Things To Try When Your Hands-Off Homeschooling Approach is a Failure

| 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

3 Things To Try When Your Hands Off Homeschooling Approach is a Failure @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

My homeschool confessions have come later in my journey. I would love to tell you it’s because I am a slow learner, but the truth of it is I am a stubborn teacher.

Though I could fill up a book about things I have tried and that have flopped, I am hoping that by sharing things to try when your hands off homeschooling approach is a flop, I know that you will be a much quicker learner than me.

I have heard many reasons excuses throughout the years about why hands on learning does not work like it takes too much time, my child would prefer to just read or I don’t like the mess.

My Hits and Misses for Hands-On Homeschooling

Guess what? They may be all true, but because there is no denying the sticking power of hands on learning, I hope these ideas to ease into hands on learning will you have rethinking your present hands off approach.

Don’t Jump Ship Completely.

When I moved over to a more hands-on approach, I folded in a few activities a week, not each day.

As frustrated with my hands-off approach, which was not working, I knew that I needed time to make the transition. By not abandoning my present homeschool approach, I could slowly learn to add in hands-on activities.

I didn’t want to get overwhelmed with adding something new to my approach and besides I had to have time to mull over the fact that though a mess might be created in my home, it had a purpose.

Not only did my boys become engaged with learning that day, but they were ready to return the next day.

Meet with Just ONE Other Family.

Another thing I did when I wanted to transition to a hands-on approach was to meet with another homeschooling family each week.

If you’re a party animal homeschooler this may defeat your purpose because the more kids you have, the more you have to plan.

By meeting with just one other family, you can divide homeschool planning time between two homeschool moms.



This idea turned out much better than I even could have imagined. Not only did I have time to play by having activities every other week, but I could watch another mom that already used hands-on activities with her kids.

It was such valuable learning time for as a homeschool teacher.

A huge added bonus was that my boys had hands-on activities each week as the other homeschool mom and myself took turns planning.

Start off Easy.

Another hurdle that kept me from trying a hands-on activity was thinking that activities had to be long, drawn out and with lots of materials.

I had my light bulb moment when I saw my boys playing with puzzles.

From that moment, I learned that I set up my own boundaries to hands on learning because I thought activities had to be complicated.

Who is living and schooling in a perfect homeschool world? Good thing we can start over when we flop.

Don’t be intimidated by using a hands-on approach. It can be easier than you think.

What ideas do you have for easing into a hands-on approach?

Hugs and love ya,

Look at these posts that will help jump start you into a hands on approach without overwhelming you.

Easy Hands On Homeschooling Ideas When You’re Not the Bomb Mom
Blurring the Line Between Living and Learning When Homeschooling
When My Homeschool Curriculum Has Lost That Lovin’ Feeling

 

Beautiful Sunkissed Curriculum Planner Cover- Build Your Own Unique Homeschool Planner

| 3 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Sunkissed Curriculum Planner. Beautiful curriculum cover to build your own homeschool planner @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

I am tickled to share my newest creation.

I have created a beautiful sunkissed curriculum planner cover.

I loved this newest curriculum planner cover not only for the soothing colors, but also because I made it undated. This means you can use it year after after year or skip a year, grab a different cover for one year and then come back to it.

Too, I added a place on the front so that you could put your name on it before you laminated it.

Simple, with sassy colors and I love it.

Curriculum Pages for Planner

This cover is part of the classical cover series, which means I used paid fonts so that it is unique.

Guess what? It cost only .99  and you can get it today.

Important: READ THIS FIRST.

Before you email me asking where your download link is or tell me that it is not working, read this to ensure that you get your pretties timely and that you don’t pay for something and not get it.

All my products are digital. You will not receive a physical product for anything in my store. A digital physical year calendar does not mean a physical product or calendar.
Downloads are INSTANT. When you pay, you will receive an email with a download link INSTANTLY. Depending on your internet connection, the email could be just 30 seconds or so, or a bit longer. The point is it will be soon, not a week later,etc.
The email with the download link will go to the email you used for paypal. If you used your husband’s paypal, your downloads will go to that email. Please check that email and your spam before emailing me telling me you can’t find it.
Links are TIME SENSITIVE, meaning you need to download right then AND save to your computer. Please do not email me a week, two weeks or a month later telling me the “link is not working” because it has expired or because you did not save it to your device. I will not respond to those emails.
If a link is not “clickable” when you get your product download email, then copy/paste the link in your browser and your digital product will open.
Please put my email tina @ tinasdynamichomeschoolplus dot com in your address/contact list so that your product does not go to spam.

MY GUARANTEE: To treat you like I want to be treated which means I know at times technical problems may cause glitches, so I will do everything possible to make your experience here pleasant. I value your business and value you as a follower.

I stand behind my products because they are actual products I use and benefit from too.

Though I cannot refund purchases after you have been given access to them, I will do what I can to be sure you are a pleased customer.

Hugs and love ya,

Tina Signature 2015c

If you have used my 7 Step Homeschool Planner before, then for your quick reference I have listed each page or step below!

{The only thing quick here are the steps because this free planner has grown to over 400 free downloads spread throughout the 7 easy steps. Grab your cup of caffeine, coffee!}

7 Easy Steps – “Tons of Options & Pretty Color”

Step 1. Choose a Pretty Front/Back Cover

Step. 2. Choose Calendars/Appointment Keepers

Step 3. Choose Goals/Objectives

Step 4. Choose Lesson Planning Pages Right For You!

Step 5a. Choose Unique forms JUST for You! Not a kazillion other people

Step 5b. Choose MORE Unique Forms JUST for You!

Step 5c. Choose MORE MORE Unique Forms Just for You!

Step 6. Personalize It

Step 7. Bind it! Love it!

Linking up @ these awesome places:
Thoughtful Spot|Inspire Me Monday|Mommy Monday|Modest Monday|Good Tips Tuesday|Hip Homeschool Hop|Laugh & Learn|Turn It Up Tuesday|Moms Library|A Little Bird Told Me|A Little R & R|Coffee and Conversation|Resolutions and Solutions for Mom|Homeschool Nook|Faith Filled Parenting|Mummy Mondays|

Snack Like They Did In Ancient Greece – Make Baklava (Delicious)

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

Make delicious baklava when studying about Ancient Greece @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Moving on to our next hands-on activity for our newest unit study which is Ancient Greece, we decided to look for something “delicious” to do.

We also have the book, TOOLS OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS: A Kid’s Guide to the History & Science of Life in Ancient Greece (Build It Yourself), which is fantastic for hands-on ideas.

Tiny was reading about what the Greeks snacked on and some of the foods are still with us today.

Learning that the Ancient Greeks rolled out pastry real thin and made Spanakopita (spinach pie) or Baklava, we decided to try out a new recipe.

Deciding that Baklava sounded better to make because it would give us a sugar high, we opted to make it.

Baklava is a dessert made with phyllo, walnuts and honey.

I will warn you though that if you are a foodie blogger you might cringe at our substitutions and make do ingredients.

Living here in Ecuador some ingredients like phyllo dough are not even obtainable.

I read in one place on the internet when we were looking for a simple recipe that you shouldn’t even make it if you don’t have phyllo pasty dough. I am sure I am doing some awful foodie injustice.

Good thing I am not a foodie blogger because I would be fired from the hall of foodie fame deliciousness because we did substitute and make do with what we had.

Did I mention it came out super good and we had a ton of fun in the process?

Check out the ingredient list:

■phyllo pastry dough OR make it like we did. I used this easy recipe from Living in the Pie Life
■I had about 2 cups of walnuts at the house, but we could have easily used more.■About a teaspoon of cinnamon.
■We had some local honey – a small jar.
■Couple of sticks of butter melted.
■3/4 cup of sugar.
■vanilla extract to taste.

1 Baklava  2 Baklava

We made a well for our dough and added in all the ingredients.

We were so focused on getting this dough “right” that we forgot a few pictures.

But it came out perfect for us. We allowed the dough to “rest” and while it rested, we crushed the walnuts in a ziploc bag.

Then Tiny mixed the cinnamon in with the walnuts in a bowl and set it aside.

We also melted butter in a bowl and set it aside.

3 Baklava  4 Baklava

Our dough was less than perfect, but Tiny was pleased with it and so he started rolling it out.

We buttered every layer and that gave it tons of that light feeling and sweet layers. Butter fixes everything.

5 Baklava  6 Baklava

So he rolled out one piece of the dough and brushed with butter. Then he spread some of the walnut and cinnamon mixture on top.

He did that for a couple of layers. After that I cut through and made the diagonal slits.

7 Baklava  8 Baklava

While it was baking, we warmed some local organic honey and vanilla in a sauce pot.

After our baklava was baked, we let it cool down just a minute.

9 Baklava 10 Baklava

Then Tiny spooned the delicious honey sauce over the baklava and allowed the sauce to soak through.

Tiny shocked himself because  our make do baklava was absolutely delicious with crusty and sweet layers.

It was a fun way to read some about what the Ancient Greeks ate and try a dessert too.

12 Baklava

Hugs and love ya,

Tina Signature 2015c