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How To - - -

Day 20 Homeschool Lesson Planning And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp

October 18, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Homeschooling at the beginning is not about stressing about homeschool lesson planning but learning how to lesson plan if you want to. Today is Day 20 homeschool lesson planning of the 31 Day Free Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers. 

There is a big difference.

Just as you would not expect your child to know how to read this year until you start together, you need to cut yourself some slack in how to lesson plan.

Day 20 Homeschool Lesson Planning And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp

Each new homeschooler’s background makes a difference if he or she feels qualified or not to teach their children.

Do not stress over the fact that you do not know how to lesson plan.

Struggling homeschoolers and even seasoned veterans are constantly scrutinizing their lesson plans versus how much time they have in the day to school.

Homeschool Lesson Planning Tips

Lesson Planning is Just As Much Lesson Journaling.

This may sound like another oxymoron but in the beginning, it is better to journal what you accomplished at the end of the day. This is a huge benefit for several reasons. One reason is because you can realistically see what you can achieve for the day.

This will fast forward your learning curve because you will plan closer to what your children can realistically finish for the day. Avoiding wasting valuable years being stressed out over unrealistic lesson planning will add joy to your journey.

Many organizing planning mommas have been misled thinking they have more hours in their days than the rest of us.

By seeing what was accomplished versus what was planned gives you a more realistic feel for lesson planning.

Write it All Down.

Paper planner, online planner, app or great big oversized calendar in your kitchen, it does not matter. Keeping track of what you do is all that matters.

Yes, I love my curriculum planner and I have found that many times anytime I tried something online, I came back to paper planners.

They work for me because I have it sitting writing there beside me and no need to boot up. However, that is just me. You may prefer and may do better with something else. It does not have to be elaborate, simple works best.

Launch A Lesson Plan.

Whether you are using a boxed curriculum or choosing each subject yourself, you will one day want to substitute a lesson plan.

Maybe you want to plan how to complete a book. Again, my suggestion is that because you want to learn how to lesson plan your first or second year, start right away. Jump into lesson planning now and test the waters.

Look at this example below of how to cover a grammar book for the school year.

Study each step as I have thoughts and questions that you need to ask yourself. It is an easy way to learn the beginnings of lesson planning because you have a resource.

Later on. as you become more skilled, you can make lesson plans from practically any resource.

Day 20: Lesson Plan or Lesson Journal? {31 Day Boot Camp For New Homeschoolers on My Blog}

7 Steps for Planning a Homeschool Lesson

  1. Determine the total days in your school year or time for the curriculum. Note: Typical days in a school year are 180. I will use that number too.
  2. . Decide how to divide the book/curriculum. Dividing by chapters is an easy way.
  3. Weed out chapters/content that you don’t want/need to cover. I started with 32 chapters and whittled it down to 30 that I feel we may need this year.
  4. Determine chapters you want to cover. I will cover 30 chapters over the course of a school year.
  5. Simple Division. Divide 30 chapters by 180 day equals about 6 days per chapter to cover it for the time I have allowed.
  6. Ask: Do I want to include special projects or testing ? Then adjust the number of days up or down depending on what type of projects.
  7. Can some of it be covered orally so that there is not so much writing?

A plan has to be adjusted to your needs and to your household and not copy what you see seasoned veterans doing.

It is hard to not compare yourself to seasoned veterans because you may have set real high expectations this year.

You may feel their success and confidence might be absorbed through some type of osmosis if you copy exactly what they are doing.

The problem with this is that you don’t lead their lives and vice versa.

Lesson planning and tweaking curriculum are learned arts. Give yourself some time and in the meantime take advantage of laid out or boxed curriculums if you want to.

New to Homeschooling Start with the Basics

1 – 7 Start with the Homeschool Basics

  • 1 Learn The Lingo (& free glossary)
  • 2: Homeschool Roots Matter
  • 3 What is NOT Homeschooling
  • 4: Confronting Relatives & Naysayers
  • 5: The Wheels on the Bus Go ‘Round & ‘Round
  • 6: Homeschool Hangouts & Socialization Situations
  • 7: Tied Up with Homeschool Testing?

8-14 Homeschool Organization 101 for Beginners

  • 8: Organize Your Home – Then School
  • 9: Carpe Diem: Homeschool Schedule by The Day, Month, & Year
  • 10 Grocery Shopping Cooking Laundry
  • 11: Swoonworthy Learning Spaces & Homeschool Rooms
  • 12: Creative Storage Solutions for Homeschool
  • 13. Streamlined Record Keeping
  • 14 Homeschool Supplies List

15 – 21 Best tips for New Homeschoolers Choosing Curriculum

  • 15: Discovering Learning Styles
  • 16: Practical Tips for Learning Styles
  • 17: How to Choose a Homeschool Curriculum 
  • 18 Teaching Young Children – Elementary Homeschool
  • 19:  Guiding Homeschool Teens 
Day 20 Homeschool Lesson Planning And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp
Day 20: Lesson Plan or Lesson Journal? {31 Day Boot Camp For New Homeschoolers on My Blog}

Leave a CommentFiled Under: 31 Day Blog Bootcamp for New Homeschoolers, How To - - -, Lesson Plan Tagged With: new homeschooler

How to Determine the Best Learning Style Approach for Your Child?

October 15, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Determining the best learning style approach is much easier when you know about homeschool learning styles.

A learning style is not something I thought about when I started homeschooling or even when my kids were struggling.

However, had I taken time to learn what is the best learning style for each of my children, I would have saved myself unnecessary stress.

How to Determine the Best Learning Style Approach for Your Child?

And although a lot of resources exist about learning styles, I like simple explanations.

Instead of using the technical terms in the educational world, I find using the term learning personality is more beneficial.

It’s easy to understand that each child has a different personality and it affects how and what they learn.

Some children are more language arts focus, others more craft focus, and still others relationship focus.

Styles of Homeschooling

For example, when I started homeschooling, I used only a workbook approach. It’s the only learning style I knew from my experience in public school.

However, as I homeschooled longer, I researched the other learning style approaches besides just workbook approach.

The other four approaches besides workbook approach are

  • the Unit Study approach,
  • Classical approach,
  • Unschooling approach and
  • Charlotte Mason approach.
How to Determine the Best Learning Style Approach for Your Child?

Determining which learning style works for your family helps you to choose curriculum that works for your family.

Look at these questions which will help you to determine the best homeschool approach for your family.

  1. Do your child learn best by doing? Charlotte Mason, the Unschooling and Unit Study approach all focus on hands-on activities. Of course the topics you study about will be applicable, but each of these approaches advocates hands-on learning.
  2. Are you wanting your children to model great minds of the past? Then you’ll want to learn about the Classical approach.
  3. If your child prefers to stay on topic and you want to cover all school subjects through the one topic then research a Unit Study approach.
  4. Some families prefer that learning is child-led and the parent is only the facilitator. Then research the Unschooling approach.
  5. Maybe you live in a state where strict record keeping is necessary. Then, can you combine a workbook approach which makes test taking and record keeping easier with another approach loved by your family.

Why Your Child’s Learning Personality is Important Too

Because teaching styles are only part of choosing curriculum easily, I’ve included a link to my online course Identifying Your Homeschooled Child’s Learning Personality.

How to Determine the Best Learning Style Approach for Your Child? Determining the best learning style approach is much easier when you know about homeschool learning styles. A learning style is not something I thought about when I started homeschooling or even when my kids were struggling. However, had I taken time to learn what is the best learning style for each of my children, I would have saved myself unnecessary stress.

YOU WILL LEARN:

  • How to understand the way your child prefers to learn so that you can teach him in a way that he enjoys learning;
  • How to pinpoint your child’s learning personality;
  • A starting point in understanding (barring any special learning challenges or disabilities) and accepting your child’s preferred way of taking in information;
  • Understanding when the learning personality emerges; and
  • Teaching tips for each learning personality to stop the head-butting.
How to Determine the Best Learning Style Approach for Your Child?

Other Homeschool Learning Style Resources:

  • What Are the Homeschool Top Main 5 Learning Styles
  • Day 16 Practical Tips for Learning Styles
  • Day 15: Discovering Learning Styles
  • How Understanding Homeschool Teaching Styles Makes You Successful
  • 35+ Best Homeschool Curriculum By Learning Style (free printable)
  • How Homeschool Learning Styles Helps You to Accept Each Child’s Differences
  • What Are the Top 5 Homeschool Styles
  • Homeschooling: Learning Styles – What’s the Difference anyway?

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Determine Learning Styles Tagged With: classical approach, homeschool, homeschoolapproach, learning styles, learningstyles, unit study approach, workbook approach

Day 19 Guiding Homeschool Teens And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp

October 14, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Guiding older children or homeschool teens is our topic for day 19 of the 31 Day Free Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers. 

Teaching teens can be a joy. I know there are many nightmare stories about teens.

And I too have experienced my sons’ surges of emotions, but I’ve breathed in every minute of enjoying their company.

Day 19 Guiding Homeschool Teens And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp

However, I have also learned in helping other new homeschoolers that teaching teens whom you have homeschooled from the beginning is quite a different story than teaching a teen that has just been pulled out of public school.

Academics have to be put on auto pilot if your relationship has suffered or is suffering.

Guiding Homeschool Teens

This is true whether you homeschool from the beginning or are just starting out. It is possible to restore and repair any strained relationships if you are willing to work on relationships at the same time as refining their school subjects.

Also, teaching homeschool teens requires a bit more of diplomacy over discipline. So, I hope in sharing these tips from the trenches, you will benefit.

Tips from the Homeschool Trenches on Guiding Teens

When your children are young, you are making almost all the decisions on curriculum. It is not that way as they grow older.

1. Preparing for Adulthood Means Your Teen Gives Input Now.

Give up some of the control without giving up the authority as a parent.

Include your child in some of the research, scheduling and selection of curriculum.

It will be hard for them to learn how to weigh a heavy decision when they are an adult like choosing a job or marriage mate when they are not allowed to make a decision on books, science experiments and teacher’s manuals.

Learning to make decisions and accepting consequences for decisions made are best learned under your roof and while they are still living with you.

Day 19: Guiding Older Children. {31 Day Boot Camp For New Homeschoolers on My Blog}

If your teen seems to be behind in every subject now that you are a full time homeschooler, don’t be discouraged.

2. Relationship Over the Three Rs – reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic

but take time to work through the lower grades. You’d be surprised at how fast a teen can get caught up when he is inspired and has your support.

This is one time in their life when a relationship means more than the 3 R’s. A good heart will be of far more lasting value than not learning how to do math on their fingers.

Besides, I know a lot of brilliant people who still do math on their fingers.

Capture his heart for the doing of good and all education will be used for that. We want to teach our children to be self-less, not self-serving when it comes to helping others. We don’t want to lose that goal in the academic road that lies ahead.

Your teen may not look like they need you now and even to other people may look like an adult, but now is the time they your solid and consistent principles are needed more than ever.

Toddlers require a lot of physical work and it can be exhausting. Teens require a lot of meaningful conversations that seem to drain me at times faster than any physical activity.

Day 19: Guiding Older Children. {31 Day Boot Camp For New Homeschoolers on My Blog}

Then I remember I have a few short years left now and don’t want to waste any opportunities and discuss all that is on their mind.

My household has changed now and I find it weird and strange to ask things like did you remember to shave before we leave for a field trip.

3.Relationship with Others Outside the Family is a Must

Teens need a network of true friends outside their family. Having friends adds to the joy of living and many homeschoolers do not want their children to be loners. A lot of homeschool teens enjoy their life and it is natural to want friends.

I read one article that said learning how to make friends is like riding a bicycle and neither one can be learned from a book. We encourage our sons to make friends with persons of all ages. Long lasting friendships are priceless treasures. While they are with you and are honing in on how to size up a man by his character, you can guide them about social relationships.

Do their friends have the same values? Do their friends like them for who they are and not what they can get from them?

Day 19 Guiding Homeschool Teens And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp

Even though their life in the next few years will have plenty of demands of adulthood, don’t close the gap on the care free days of being a young man or young woman too soon. They will pass through this stage and enter adult hood which has it own weighty responsibilities soon enough.

One day I will exhale, but for now I’m savoring every moment of guiding my teens.

New to Homeschooling Start with the Basics

1 – 7 Start with the Homeschool Basics

  • 1 Learn The Lingo (& free glossary)
  • 2: Homeschool Roots Matter
  • 3 What is NOT Homeschooling
  • 4: Confronting Relatives & Naysayers
  • 5: The Wheels on the Bus Go ‘Round & ‘Round
  • 6: Homeschool Hangouts & Socialization Situations
  • 7: Tied Up with Homeschool Testing?

8-14 Homeschool Organization 101 for Beginners

  • 8: Organize Your Home – Then School
  • 9: Carpe Diem: Homeschool Schedule by The Day, Month, & Year
  • 10 Grocery Shopping Cooking Laundry
  • 11: Swoonworthy Learning Spaces & Homeschool Rooms
  • 12: Creative Storage Solutions for Homeschool
  • 13. Streamlined Record Keeping
  • 14 Homeschool Supplies List

15 – 21 Best tips for New Homeschoolers Choosing Curriculum

  • 15: Discovering Learning Styles
  • 16: Practical Tips for Learning Styles
  • 17: How to Choose a Homeschool Curriculum 
  • 18 Teaching Young Children – Elementary Homeschool
Day 19: Guiding Older Children. {31 Day Boot Camp For New Homeschoolers on My Blog}

Leave a CommentFiled Under: 31 Day Blog Bootcamp for New Homeschoolers, Homeschool Teens _ From Teen to Graduation, How To - - -, Teach/Which Subjects to Teach/Cover EVERYTHING Tagged With: new homeschooler

27 Amazing Homeschool Lapbook Ideas for Science

October 12, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have 27 amazing homeschool lapbook ideas for science. You’ll love all my homeschool lapbooks for hands-on fun science.

Using a lapbook is not just for real young children and especially lapbook ideas for science.

I am not sure why that thinking permeates in the homeschool world and I have often wondered why it does.

27 Amazing Homeschool Lapbook Ideas for Science

We might feel that middle school or high school is supposed to be only about serious learning.

My thinking has changed and has been molded by many homeschool experiences but one thing that has not changed is the need to add a bit of fun to our everyday subjects.

Homeschool lapbooks can be as fun or as serious a hands-on tool for any child you’re homeschooling.

Free Printable Lapbooks

Also, quite a few of the lapbooks I have listed can be printed freely.

Too, when I prepare lapbooks, I created some with minibooks filled with facts.

You have the choice to print the blank form or use the prefilled minibook.

As we’ve done lapbooks throughs the years, I’ve realized sometimes we didn’t have as much as wanted to on our lapbooks.

Other times, we stayed much longer on certain topics.

Striking a balance of having some facts for the minibooks versus none is not easy, but you want to.

This encourages research and nurtures self-education.

27 Amazing Homeschool Lapbook Ideas for Science

Too, sometimes my kids preferred a combination of lapbooking and notebooking.

Lapbook Materials

Also, lapbooks are cost effective. Your kids can create one together or create one individually.

Once you’ve printed the minibooks and place them in the lapbook, the lapbooks can last for years.

Of course, using cardstock makes all the difference in how long the minibooks lasts.

And you don’t really need an expensive printer. I’ve use a mobile printer for years. And I use acid free glue.

Lastly, new flaps about different subtopics can be added to your lapbook as your child studies the science topic again.

27 Amazing Homeschool Lapbook Ideas for Science

Finally, look at the 27 amazing lapbook ideas for science below.

Other Homeschool Lapbook Resources

Also, look at some of these other posts for more help.

  • Fun Pharaohs and Queens Ancient Egypt Lapbook and Activities
  • Free Amazing Winter Unit Study and Winter Lapbook for Kids
  • Fun Apple Lapbook and Hands-on Unit Study for Multiple Ages
  • 15 Amazing Lapbook Materials to Use Besides Glue and Paper
  • 20 Free Homeschool Science Lapbooks to Teach Hands-on
  • 3 Free and Amazing Amazon Rainforest Lapbooks for Kids

Science Lapbook Ideas

Hands-on lapbooks goes hand in hand with learning about homeschool science.

The best way to learn science is through engaging activities created by the child.

Famous and Historic Trees

The beauty of unit studies is the ability to combine multiple subjects.

This famous and historic trees fun study combines nature, history, and geography. Add in some art and music and it’s a memorable unit study.

FBI Unit Study Experiment 2 (Invisible Ink)

So the teens gathered some supplies and printed off some of the invisible ink activities from the internet. The one they really wanted to do was the one using cornstarch.

An iodine solution is used to reveal the writing. You make a gravy using cornstarch and write with that

The Inuit & Arctic Circle Lapbook

The emphasis too is not just on the content or material to be researched but on presentation of the lapbook. I guess that is why I say I use my lapbooks for enrichment. We do unit studies, write some each day and like you, do math.

So I am not interested in presenting to my children or anybody else for that matter a bunch of blank uninspiring mini books.

{Pumpkins, Leaves, Corn, & More}

Doing a fall season or fall unit study is a great way to brace the change in the weather.

We love this time of the year! Here in Texas as least we have some leaves that change colors not to mention how wonderful spices and sweet potato pie smell!

Strawberry Lapbook

Strawberries are the very first spring fruit, and one of our field trips was strawberry picking so we used this lapbook to learn about them.

Apple Lapbook

If you’re looking for an apple lapbook and apple unit study, you’ll love the ideas here. Whether you’re looking for Johnny Appleseed ideas, fun crafts about apples or ideas about Isaac Newton and his apple, you’ll find them here.

Free Amazing Winter Lapbook

You’ll love this free winter lapbook for kids. Add to the other lapbooks I have here and you can create your own unit studies. In addition add it to my winter unit study.

And if you have multiple ages of children, this free winter lapbook has several minibooks with various topics.

Add the lapbook to a winter unit study or do it alone as an enhancement to your studies.

3 Free Amazing Amazon Rainforest Lapbooks

 I have three free Amazon rainforest lapbooks which go with our Amazon Rain Forest Unit Study And homeschool lapbooks make great tools for master learning about a unit study topic..

Free Wildflowers Lapbook

When the Texas wildflowers blanket the fields here we’ve never been able to stay indoors. We’re always thinking of ways to get outside.

Sharing this wildflowers unit study and lapbook along with some hands-on ideas, I hope they’ll help your kids get excited about a fun wildflowers unit study

Exploring Space and Astronomy Lapbook

Exploring space and astronomy free unit study for multiple ages is a fascinating study. It’s a glimpse into the sun, moon, stars, galaxy, and structure of the universe.

Why Bats Are Not Birds Lapbook

Why bats are not birds fun homeschool unit study and lapbook is an easy way to do a unit study with multiple ages of children.

Above & Below: Pond Lapbook

Whether you study a pond in winter or summer, a pond unit study makes for a great hands-on science project. You can add in so many different nature topics.

There are just as many things that grow above a pond as there are that live below in a pond.

Free Super Seashore and Beach Lapbook

I can smell the beach from here! Okay, maybe not where I live now, but I feel that way since I grew up with the beach a short 30 minute drive. And we never missed a chance to go to it.

We would cook crab or gumbo, spend hours on the shoreline and build a fire. Seashore watching was an activity I loved as a kid and I made sure my kids knew about it. I think you’ll love these ideas for a seashore watching unit study.

Foraging and Feasting Lapbook

My kids have always loved ways of learning how to live off the land. This foraging and feasting nature unit study is not only a way to teach Tiny some basic survival skills, but a great way to sneak in tips about how to cook.

From Egg to Sea Turtle Lapbook

We made a detour on finishing up high school for a quick nature read about sea turtles. I chose Our Sea Turtles as a spine and we weren’t disappointed. Today, in sharing from egg to sea turtle nature unit study and lapbook, I’ve rounded up some awesome links and ideas for you.

Also, I created a fun lapbook for about upper elementary to middle school for your kids.

Beautiful Human Body Lapbook

The completed human body lapbook. Have you been following along as we did our huge human body lapbook and unit study?

We have had a ton of fun with our unit study and today, I want to give you one more minibook about the eye and some clip art to go on the

Free Earth Science Lapbook

 I have the rest of the minibooks to go with the free earth science lapbook, which is Earth’s Structures. Too, I have a cover which can be used as a lapbook cover or for clip art to decorate notebooking pages.

Remember, for this lapbook, I am using the free middle science book that I shared with you earlier as a quick science spine.

Arctic Region

The Arctic is literally the end of the world. It takes its name from the Greek word for bear, arktos, because the land is under the constellation of the Great Bear.

The Arctic region is at the top of the Northern Hemisphere. The Arctic Ocean is about 5.5 million square miles of water. The Arctic is really a giant sheet of sea ice that floats on top of the Arctic Ocean.

Amber - Freezing Gold Lapbook

In ancient times it was called the gold of the North. Amber has been called freezing gold, a window to the past, a time capsule, captured sunshine and a golden tear. It is all of these things.

Carnivorous Plants Lapbook

The term carnivorous plant may conjure up in your mind  a scene like this one where the unsuspecting victim in a swamp is being snatched up by a flesh-eating plant.  But carnivorous plants are a very interesting group of  plants that aren’t near as big as they are shown in this picture.

Coral Reef Lapbook

Coral reefs swarm with brilliant colored fish, starfish, giant clams and sea slugs. They are not only beautiful to look at; but they are home to thousands of other species. Coral reefs can be large or small and are some of the oldest ecosystems on the planet.

Peregrine Falcon Lapbook

The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the “Duck Hawk” in North America, is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae.

Toads - Amphibians Lapbook

In many ways amphibians are unique with changes that are either rare or nonexistent elsewhere in the animal kingdom. Compared with other vertebrates, amphibians tend to be overlooked.

Honey Bees Lapbook

Your kids will love this honey bees unit study and lapbook.

Whether you want to learn about how honey bees are fascinating master pollinators, learn about the interesting social activities in the hive, learn about beeswax, or know what is honey, these honey bee activities and resources will be helpful

Free Arctic Ground Squirrel Lapbook

Nature study in the winter can be fun and it doesn’t have to be complicated. We decided to add to our Arctic and Inuit Unit Study by doing an Arctic ground squirrel lapbook.

Oceans Lapbook

The oceans cover more than two-thirds of the earth’s surface. Though the waters on the earth are really one world ocean, they are referred to by many names: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern.

Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook

It’s such a beautiful and bright bird during winter and because it doesn’t migrate, it’s a great bird to study really at anytime.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Lapbook Tagged With: earthscience, homeschoolscience, lapbook, lapbooking, lapbookresources, lapbooks, life science, physical science, science, sciencecurriculum

4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten

October 10, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I have some engaging bat activities for kindergarten. Find some other fun kindergarten crafts on my kindergarten homeschool curriculum page.

October is the perfect time of year to swoop into a mini unit on bats. These adorable and often misunderstood creatures are a great way to introduce concepts like echolocation and nocturnal.

I have a few do it yourself ideas and a fun sensory bin bat activities for kindergarten. This sensory bin is so easy and inexpensive you can make it with just items in your pantry.

4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten

The benefits of sensory bins are many for preschoolers and kindergarten aged children.

They can explore and build their imaginations.

Also, they are good for self regulation, promote fine motor skills, and simple life skills.

That is all before adding in some extra educational activities.

Bat Unit Study Resources

First, include a few of these books to begin your study.

Nature Anatomy is a great living science book that has so many applications.

There is a beautiful two page spread on bats that is perfect to go along with the sensory bin.

You can also go with Bats by Gail Gibbons if you want something to reference during your play and learning in the sensory bin.

I also found this fantastic bat skeleton at Dollar Tree.

I wasn’t sure at first because of the scary teeth but realized that it offered a great learning opportunity to talk to your child about the myths surrounding bats.

And the fact that while yes there are vampire bats, the majority of bats are peaceful bug and fruit eating creatures.

4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten

If you look at the plastic skeleton you will see that anatomically it is pretty close to a real bat skeleton.

You can use it as a tool to label the different parts of a bat and talk about how they use their ears for echolocation.

Share a fact about what is echolocation. Bats emit high frequency sound through their mouth or nose and listen for the echo.

From the echo, the bat can determine the size, shape and texture of objects in its environment.

Too, add in my free Bat Unit Study.

4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten
  • Dynamic Why Bats Are Not Birds Lapbook For Multiple Ages

    Dynamic Why Bats Are Not Birds Lapbook For Multiple Ages

    $4.00
    Add to cart

Learning About Bat Activities

Too, once you create your sensory bin for kindergarten, add some other ideas for learning.

  • Add letter tiles to work on beginning sounds or even spelling out simple words like bat, night, wing, or fly.
  • Hide the letter tiles in the rice and have your little bat swoop in and grab one then tell you the name of and sound that the letter makes.
4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten
  • Roll a die and have your child count out the appropriate number of bats to match the number.
4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten

Let your child play and develop their imagination in the sensory bin while you read aloud from Stellaluna.

Busy hands mean the brain is free to take in and hold onto information.

  • Add spoons and cups for scooping, measuring, pouring, and investigating the sensory bin.
  • Talk about the fact that bats hang upside down rather than resting on top of the branch the way birds do. Demonstrate with the pasta bats and sticks in the sensory bin. Introduce the concept of nocturnal animals if your child is not already familiar with it.
  • Bats are most active from dusk to dawn. Make your bin a deep purple that makes it look like dusk, just after the sun sets but before it is completely dark, the time that many bats begin to feed. This is a great way to open up the topic for conversation. They are sure to remember these things taught during play.

And add pincers or tongs for picking up the bats to build fine motor skills.

How to Make a Bat Sensory Bin

Now, look how to make an easy bat sensory bin from things you already have in your home.

Here is a list.

  • Food coloring or liquid watercolors
  • Uncooked white rice
  • farfalle(bowtie) pasta
  • White beans
  • Sticks from the yard.
  • And a container or bin
4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten

First, I had liquid watercolor on hand so I used that to color my rice and pasta but you could also use food coloring or watered down craft paint as well.

Place your rice in a large bowl or ziploc bag and add coloring. Shake and knead the bag or stir until it is completely covered.

4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten

Next take a small handful of bowtie pasta and toss in a bag with black and/or brown coloring until coated well.

If you do brown, black, and even gray it gives you the opportunity to talk about the different colors of bats. 

4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten

You could also just use black beans if you have them on hand for your night sky.

Spread rice and pasta out on a baking sheet in the sun to dry. The liquid watercolors dried up in less than 20 minutes.

4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten

Once your materials are dry, add the rice to a large baking dish or other shallow container to create a dusk colored sky.

4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten

Next, add some sticks gathered from the yard to give your bats somewhere to fly around and hang from.

4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten

Sprinkle a few great northern beans (or beads or pom poms) for stars.

4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten

Finally, add your bats.

4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten

Finally, add these other science fun activities.

Other Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Activities

  • Native American Crafts for Kindergarten How to Make a Kids Pinch Pot
  • 15 Fun Resources For History for Kindergarten Homeschool.
  • 19 Fun Hands-on Rainforest Activities for Kindergarten
4 Fun and Engaging Bat Activities for Kindergarten

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Teach Kindergarten Tagged With: bats, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, kindergarten, life science, science

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