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Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

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

If you’re looking for rainforest science activities for kindergarten, you’ll love this living terrarium craft. Look for my other kindergarten tips and crafts on my page Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum. Also, look at my pages Rain Forest – Amazon and Rainforest Activities for Kids.

Are you learning all about the beautiful and fascinating rainforest habitat?

You can have your child make a diorama the old-fashioned way or try something new and end up with a beautiful living decor piece.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

This living rainforest diorama terrarium can be a great hands-on way to teach your child about the animals and plants of the rainforest and a lesson on self-sustaining environments.

This mini ecosystem becomes a self-sustaining environment with living plants once the lid is closed.

And it is a beautiful addition to your homeschool or living room. Add this idea to your rainforest science activities for kindergarten.

Nature Book

Also, I wanted to share this beautiful resource I found with you that is perfect for adding some botany into your studies.

Botanicum is an oversized book which has gorgeous illustrations that look like vintage museum prints.

There is a good section with information on rainforests including tropical trees and plants

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Also, beautiful, detailed pictures that are great for tracing or using as inspiration to draw your own.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Also, here are some rainforest facts.

Rainforest Facts

  • The Amazon Rainforest is the largest tropical rainforest.
  • In addition, there are two types of rainforests- tropical and temperate.
  • The average temperature in the rainforest is 82℉.
  • 6% of the earth is covered by rainforests.
  • More than ⅔ of the world’s plant and animal species live here.
  • It can take all the way up to 10 minutes for a raindrop to fall to the ground because of the thick canopy cover of the trees that slows it down.
  • 25% of medicines in production come from the rainforest regions.
  • The rainforest contains over two million types of insects!
  • Most animals and plants live in the canopy area of the rainforest.
Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

And the rainforest is made up of 4 different layers:

  1. The dark, damp Forest floor.
  2. The Understory, the part that makes up the shorter tree space between the canopy and the forest floor.
  3. The Canopy, the lush thicker tree filled area where most animals live.
  4. The Emergent Layer, the thick treetops that stretch up into the open air.

Other Kindergarten Resources

Too, be sure to not miss these other homeschool kindergarten resources.

Additionally, you love some more rainforest activities.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

You’ll love all the Amazon Rainforest resources.

More Amazon Rainforest Activities

Now, let’s dive into making this amazing living terrarium.

How to Make a Rainforest Living Terrarium

First, you will need the following items.

  • Potting soil
  • A large sealing glass jar, a gallon size is perfect.
  • Small succulents-real or faux
  • Other small tropical plants
  • Small rocks or pebbles
  • Rainforest animals
  • Moss. I used dried moss from Dollar Tree and you can include live moss on the forest floor if you have some.
  • Sticks or small limbs from the yard
  • Hot glue gun/glue sticks
  • White labels

Then, here are the directions.

Add a 1” -2” layer of small rocks or pebbles carefully to the bottom of the jar, this will help with drainage.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Next, place 2” of potting soil on top of the rocks.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Before planting the succulents spritz them well with water or give them a good dunk under water.

Now you can use real or fake succulents if you don’t want to keep up with watering but the care for succulents is minimal.

And once established, they need little care.

Plant your succulents and spread around the jar. We used a mix of real and fake succulents to fill the space.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Now to create the tall full lush trees we used some sticks we gathered from the yard.

Break them down to size so that they fit a couple inches below the lid once pressed into the dirt.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

 Make your trees by putting hot glue all around on the top of the stick.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Then, roll it around and press it into the moss.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten

You may repeat this step to fill in your tree as full as you would like.

Don’t forget to add some to your lower branches if your tree has them.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Once the glue has hardened you can press them down into the soil and rocks.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Finally, add in some rainforest creatures to live in your habitat.

Additionally, these toob animals come in handy for so many projects. Try to spread them out among the 4 different layers.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Spritz everything well and close up the lid.

Now your habitat is also a fantastic demonstration on the water cycle as moisture will form on the inside and on the plants.

That moisture will drip down and water the soil.

The cycle will repeat itself over and over. It is good to open the lid once a month for a few minutes and allow the plants to get fresh air.

Now, to learn a bit about the 4 layers -use a white label to write the 4 layers that make up the rainforest- The Emergent Layer, Canopy, Understory and Forest floor. 

Have your child place them in the correct place on the side of the jar to label each one.

Rainforest Science Activities For Kindergarten Amazing and Fun Living Terrarium

Your terrarium just needs indirect sunlight and do not place directly in the sun.

Day 25 Homeschool High School 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 25 homeschool high school. You’ll find the other tips on 31 Day Free Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers.

Quite a few years back in my humble homeschool beginnings my best friend and I went to a convention.

We paraded right to the very front row of a workshop about homeschool high school.

It was one of our first homeschool conventions.

Sitting happily, we were hoping as if by osmosis that we could devour every seasoned veteran’s experiences about high school.

Day 25 Homeschool High School And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp

Then we both realized as the speaker started to talk that no bolt from the heavens would come down and infuse us instantly with high school expertness.

Bewilderment turned to plain anxiety when the speaker asks that parents of 14 and 15 year old kids come to the front row now so that he could assist them with the other parents presently sitting there.

A graceful and fast exit we tried to make as we had determined that we could not find a teen among our 3 year old and 5 year old.

Homeschool High School

I still get a huge chuckle today when I think about this, but it also reminds me of the deep-seated fear that I had of the high school years.

I agree with Sir Frances Bacon when he said: “Knowledge is Power” and especially when it comes to homeschooling in high school.

Knowledge is acquired over time so that it becomes of value and you will acquire it too.

3 Foundational Pegs When Homeschooling Highschool @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

3 Tips to Homeschool High School

Instead of focusing on exactly how you are going to do it, focus on foundational pegs that will keep you moving to homeschooling while in high school.

Here are some foundational pegs to take notice of:

1. Homeschool High school is Just A Continuation of Education.

Keep in mind that you still ARE the best teacher whether you arrive at highs chool after many years of homeschooling or whether your teen has just left high school.

Highschool is a readiness program for adulthood. You as the parent are the one most qualified to do that.

Focus on the 3 R’s and on creating a unique experience for your teen by pinpointing subjects that he will need.

I heart this motto and have kept it in mind as I planned courses for Mr. Senior 2013 and now planning for Mr. Awesome: “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else” by Judy Garland. How VERY true in high school.

2. Plan Backwards by Looking Forward.

Plan for life after high school by looking forward and working your way back for courses to fulfill.

If your child is college bound, then take time now while they are a teen to find out what the requirements are for college and adjust your transcript accordingly.

Not all highschoolers are college bound, but may prefer a vocational school or missionary service.

You still need to look forward at the requirements and work on those over the teen’s course of middle school and high school.

Learning to weed out knowledge or courses that are not relevant to your final goal should be accomplished during high school.

In other words, high school is not the time for busy work, but rather for subjects that will help your teen reach his goals.

3. Your Hat Changes from Teacher to Supervisor.

A few parents may yammer at the thought of given their child the teacher’s manual, but that IS part of homeschool high school.

However, how can they teach themselves if they don’t have access to it?

Sure, in the beginning a teen just out of high school may use it to find answers.

Then again that is all he may have been taught from his previous educational experience.

When he realizes that he actually needs to learn the subject, he builds an appreciation for learning.

He sees that you have placed confidence in him and that he needs to take his learning seriously.

Both of my older boys work their problems, then look at the teacher’s manual. However, I check their work by having them tell me at ANY given time what they know.

That is mastery of learning and the teacher’s manual becomes a tool.

Homeschool High School Tip

Resorting back to the teacher’s hat too during the high school years is common too.

It may sound absurd when I say you actually need to homeschool until 12th grade, but it is very true.

It is the manner in how you homeschool a young adult that will change.

They need your guidance and patience.

Whether they apply for colleges, look for part time work, look at missionary work or take care of their first car, your teens need you.

There is life after graduation and high school is just a continuation of the journey.

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 Unique Learners

Day 25 Homeschool High School And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp
Day 25: Homeschooling Happily Through Highschool. {31 Day Boot Camp For New Homeschoolers on My Blog}

The Best Free Viking Lapbook and Hands-on Ideas

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

My free Viking lapbook is such a fun lapbook and unit study. Be sure you look at my other fun Homeschool Lapbooks.

In the West, they were called Northmen, Norsemen and Danes.

In the East, they were known as Rus or Varangians. Vikings came from a word in the Old Norse language meaning “sea raiding.”

The Best Free Viking Lapbook and Hands-on Ideas

The Vikings came from Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Their land was rocky and they found it hard to grow crops.

Fun Viking Facts

The Vikings used long ships to raid and steal from other lands.

And the long ships were powered by sails or by rowing with oars.

Constantinople was the main city of the Byzantine empire. The Vikings traded there.

The Vikings were farmers and where it was colder they hunted game and fished.

Norse farmers grew barley, rye, oats, cabbage, onions and other root vegetables.

Also, they were both excellent sailors since they could maneuver so easy and soldiers since they knew how to fight too.

The Best Free Viking Lapbook and Hands-on Ideas

Next, look at some of these hands-on activities to go with this Viking lapbook.

Hands-on Viking History Activities

Here are a few you’ll like.

And add a few books for reference.

The Best Free Viking Lapbook and Hands-on Ideas

Finally, look below at the minibooks which come with this free Viking lapbook.

Other Homeschool Lapbooks

You’ll love my other lapbooks for multiple ages.

The Best Free Viking Lapbook and Hands-on Ideas

Minibooks for Free Viking Lapbook for Homeschooled Kids

The minibooks included in this download are:

  • Drakkar-Knarr-Viking-Ships minibook
  • Key dates in Viking History timeline
  • Viking Woman Coloring Page or Front Cover
  • About Viking Ships Notebooking Page
  • Draw Your Vikings and Who Were the Barbarians Notebooking Pages
  • Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland Layered Book
  • North America Explorers Cover
  • Vikings are Known For Their …. Book
  • The Vikings are Less Well-Known For
  • Viking Ship Base
  • Were Also Known As. ..
  • Words and Pocket
  • Land of the Vikings Geography
  • Who Were the Vikings minibook
  • Written in Stone – About Runes minibook

How to Get the Free Lapbook

Finally, how to grab the free page lapbook and notebooking pages. It’s a subscriber freebie.

 1) Sign up on my list. 

2) Grab the freebie.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Egypt Crafts For Kindergarten Create a Fun Kid Sized Mummy

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

If you’re looking for Egypt crafts for kindergarten, you’ll love this kid sized mummy. Grab my other craft ideas on my kindergarten homeschool curriculum page.

Here is a fun hands-on way to teach younger children about Egyptian mummies.

This activity literally puts them in the middle of it and they are able to complete it mostly on their own from start to finish. 

Egypt Crafts For Kindergarten Create a Fun Kid Sized Mummy

Those types of activities have a lot of value for learning as well as enjoyment.

Also, add in a few Ancient Egypt activities to make your day a fun learning day.

More Egyptian Crafts for Kindergarten

Make a fun mini sensory bin to explore more.

I have some great figures below that would go perfectly with this activity.

Egypt Crafts For Kindergarten Create a Fun Kid Sized Mummy

Then, below are some facts for you to share with your eager learner.

Fun Egyptian Facts

  • What is a mummy?  The body of a person that has been preserved after death.
  • Why did Egyptians make mummies?  They believed that preserved bodies could be used in the afterlife.
  • Was everyone made into a mummy? No, just those who were rich and could afford it.
  • Who did Egyptians believe was the god of mummification? Anubis with a human body and the head of a jackal was the god of mummification.
  • Were mummies buried with anything else? Yes. Often they were often buried with personal items, games, food, and more so they could use them in the afterlife.
  • Where were the mummies placed? In a Sarcophagus, which is an elaborate stone coffin.
  • Do people still make mummies today? Mummification is not very common but there are a few places that still practice it like Papua New Guinea.

Also, add in more kindergarten learning ideas below.

Other Tips and Crafts for Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum

Egypt Crafts For Kindergarten Create a Fun Kid Sized Mummy

Finally, look at these hands-on ideas.

In addition, you can grab a roll of shipping paper at Dollar Tree (well the $1.25 Tree now) as well as a 4 pack of toilet paper and the paper plates to complete this project with plenty left over to spare for other crafts.

Egypt Crafts For Kindergarten Create a Fun Kid Sized Mummy

All three come in handy for many things so it is totally worth the few dollars investment to have them on hand.

How to Make a Kid Sized Mummy

You will need:

  • An excited little learner
  • Brown roll of paper
  • Toilet paper, crepe paper, or torn copy paper
  • 2 paper plates
  • Gold paint
  • Scissors
  • Markers

Roll out your brown paper as long as your child and trace around them with pencil.

If you have more than one child you might let them take turns tracing one another.

Egypt Crafts For Kindergarten Create a Fun Kid Sized Mummy

Darken the lines with a black sharpie marker so that it is easier to cut around the lines later on.

Have your child brush glue all over one section of the outline.

It’s okay if they go over the lines, this will be cut out later.

Have them press pieces of toilet paper all over the glue, pressing in well.

Tear off different lengths of squares from 1 piece to longer strings of 5 or 6 with your child to cover different areas.

Again don’t worry if it overlaps the outline.

Egypt Crafts For Kindergarten Create a Fun Kid Sized Mummy

Repeat the glue and papering process until it is completely covered. 

They can put on one layer or more, just keep adding glue.

Egypt Crafts For Kindergarten Create a Fun Kid Sized Mummy

Allow your “wrapped” mummy to dry.

While you are waiting for it to dry completely, cut the center out of one paper plate and cut out the curved strips of the ruffled edges.

Paint one paper plate gold all over as well as the two strips you made.

Egypt Crafts For Kindergarten Create a Fun Kid Sized Mummy

Let the gold paint dry.

When dry, have your child draw on the death mask details with a marker or paint pen.

Egypt Crafts For Kindergarten Create a Fun Kid Sized Mummy

Add the two strips underneath the sides of the full plate and let them hang down, glue in place.

Cut out your completely dried mummy or let your child cut it out on their own.

Egypt Crafts For Kindergarten Create a Fun Kid Sized Mummy

Apply a mask over mummy’s face.

Your child’s mummy is all ready to go on display.

Day 24 Finding homeschool Curriculum For Unique 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 24 finding homeschool curriculum for unique learners. You’ll find the other tips for this new to homeschool boot camp on 31 Day Free Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers.

When I first started leading classes for new homeschoolers, I thought the most challenging parents I had to help were those with triplets.

Then, numerous parents who are homeschooling children with special needs or unique learners entered my workshops throughout the years.

My journey of understanding their needs began because I do not have a special needs child.

Day 24 Finding homeschool Curriculum For Unique Learners And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp

How would it be possible to help somebody if I didn’t have a child with special needs? I did have one child with speech delay so I could sympathize, but it is still not the same.

By helping families that have children with ADHD, dyslexia, processing disorders or autism, I learned that these parents have to be the best advocate for their children.

There is no way another person can fully appreciate what a parent goes through that has a unique learner.

These parents seem to find an inner strength that I admire.

They share with me how their special needs child slapped them in the face because the child didn’t know how to deal with feelings of frustration.

They find a way each day to look past those types of things and go on.

Parents with unique learners are the backbone of the homeschool community.

They know the traditional way of learning in a classroom will not meet the needs of their children, most of whom are very bright.

5 Sanity Savers for Parents of Unique Learners @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

5 Sanity Savers For Parents of Unique Learners

My best advice to these parents who are determined to homeschool with a hardiness that a lot of us can learn from is this:

1.) There is nobody else, even professionals who knows your child better.

Make it your determination to know EVERYTHING there is to know about your child’s strengths and weaknesses.

2.) Without trying to make you feel defeated, I want you to know that there does not exist curriculum that is just for unique learners.

There is curriculum that is easier to tweak for your learner, but most of it does not fall into the boxed curriculum method..

3.) Do not try to follow the scope and sequence of ANY curriculum.

Children that learn differently develop skills, for example, like reading at a later time. Teach to their strengths.

They may be developmentally ready later for reading but excel at math. Focus on what they can do instead of what they cannot do.

4.) I have learned that visual aids help challenged children chart their progress.

Because a lot of unique learners may also be right brain learners they have to “see” math or “see” language arts.

They can be learners that learn whole to parts, which is opposite of the way that phonics is taught. This is opposite of the way a lot of public schools teach.

For example, phonics is taught through letter sounds put together to form words, then sentences and then paragraphs which is parts to whole words and sentences teaching.

Challenged learners sometimes learn better by seeing the whole picture first or globally, then focus on the parts.

5.) Resources that educate you are far more important in understanding curriculum than looking for years in frustration trying to find curriculum that your child can use.

They help you to turn any resource into something that a unique learner can use.

Homeschool Resources for Teaching Unique Learners

Look for curriculum that is more visual along with learning aids or hands-on that makes it easier to teach children that learn differently.

An example of some of the curriculum resources that parents have used for unique learners are: All About Spelling, Math U See, Living Math, Brave Writer, Handwriting Without Tears, Explode the Code, Games like Stack the States on the iPad, Eyewitness Book by Dorling Kindersley, Kidspiration Software and Life Of Fred.

Some take delight in making lapbooks.  My blog has lots of free lapbooks.

Tapping out music to sounds they are learning or creating art to learn about history are other creative ways to learn.

Online resources about history and geography, drawing significant events in history and even playing Mine Craft are strengths of visual learners.

Please do not discount creative ways like playing games as not learning.

Children of any age can learn any subject by playing a learning game, but unique learners especially benefit.

More importantly than finding curriculum is understanding the fact that you are teaching a child and not curriculum.

Do not get on the band wagon of those who always use a left brain measuring stick for progress. If you do, instead of realizing the brilliant child you have, you may feel like you have a child that is always behind.

When we all accept that our children learn outside the box and equally praise a gifted artist right alongside a child that read early, then we have tapped into the real meaning of an excellent education.

Struggling with the challenges of a unique learner now produces a confident teacher later.

Resources for Educating Unique Learners

By helping families that have children with ADHD, dyslexia, processing disorders or autism, I learned that these parents have to be the best advocate for their children. 

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 Unique Learners

Day 24 Finding homeschool Curriculum For Unique Learners And New Homeschooler Free Bootcamp
Day 24 Finding homeschool Curriculum For Unique Learners. {31 Day Boot Camp For New Homeschoolers on My Blog}