It’s spring break around these parts and summer is not too far away now. I find that public schooling often feeds feelings of boredom because kids are super scheduled all day and when they come home they still want “activity”. Few of us though want that activity to revolve around video games and television so educational toys have become increasingly popular among parents in recent years. There are a couple of reasons for this. Some parents believe that educational toys will not only “jump-start” their children’s learning, it will also help them retain skills that might otherwise go unused when school is out. Homeschoolers use educational toys as part of the regular learning process because earning through play is an amazing thing. Also, parents with disabled children have found that some educational toys help their children in a number of different ways.

Below are a few examples of educational toys.

1. Puzzles – Yes, puzzles are considered to be educational because they help kids (and adults) improve their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and their problem-solving skills. It can be a great for learning and family bonding to work together on large puzzles. If you know of any other families in your area who are puzzle enthusiasts you can swap puzzles to keep costs down. Some good ones to try are Geo Puzzles that teach geography and 4D Human Anatomy Puzzles that teach anatomy.

2. Building Blocks – Of course you have the classic blocks that have letters of the alphabet on them as well as numbers, those are always educational. But playing with unmarked blocks helps young children learn about three-dimensional shapes, spatial relationships and what it takes to build something. Therefore, these toys are considered to be educational too. For a fun spin on this try a wood marble run. We also love Tegu Magnetic blocks.

3. Musical Instruments – Do your kids love music? Many children enjoy music and enjoy learning how to play various instruments so give them the opportunity if you can. Playing musical instruments helps children improve their memory skills, become better disciplined, develop a sense of achievement, and build confidence in their skills. You can often find affordable instruments on Craigslist and at yard sales and auctions. We found a gorgeous flute in a velvet lined box once for only $20 at a yard sale!

4. Model Toys – Many people, both young and old, enjoy putting together models (boats, cars, airplanes, etc.) and learn a lot in the process. Children who put these objects together learn about the object itself as well as how various pieces fit together. if you want to keep it green then go for wood models like this Titanic model (my oldest boy would love this!) or this 1903 Wright Brothers Flyer. You could also use materials you have around the house to make sailboats and then take the kids to a nearby creek to sail them. Educational and fun.

5. Science Toys – Science toys are great educational toys. It doesn’t matter if a child is learning how to build a motor, make a geode, or see how electricity works, these toys can help teach it all.

But what if you have young children? Below are some of the best educational toys for babies and toddlers.

1. Markers, Crayons, Paper, Etc. – Your toddler will learn a lot by playing with various types of art supplies. Other examples include watercolors and molding clay.

2. Activity Tables – You can make your own activity/sensory tables for toddlers and babies. They hold their attention and help them learn at the same time! Put out some paint colors for them to mix, sand for them to pour and play in, and beans/rice for them to sift through and find hidden items in.

4. Wooden Toys – The first benefit of wooden toys is that they are BPA free, unlike most plastic toys. The second advantage is that they are incredibly durable and have been shown to last decades! I love these wooden sailboats and pretty much anything by Plan Toys.

5. Sticks and Rocks - Nature’s toys are good toys. My own kiddos always find something to do with sticks and rocks including sword fighting and building little forts. Last week we even painted some of the ones in our yard so now we have rainbow rocks and sticks. Using one’s imagination exercises the brain.

What are your favorite educational toys for kids?

Attn: Giveaway at the bottom of this post

It’s what is on our mind this time of year… back to school, or back to homeschool… whatever the case may be. We start thinking about scheduling, curriculum, activities, new Fall clothes, ways to stay on budget, and much more. It is also the time of year when I get lots of school related gear to review as a blogger. Many products and pitches don’t make the cut but others I find really helpful and the above are some of the winners I spotted this year.

We are doing a mish mesh of schooling stuff this year. I have one child who will be home most of the time, minus therapy sessions at a public school. He started attending last year for speech and developmental delay issues and they helped him so much it just amazes me. He is now 5 and could technically enter Kindergarten but I opted to keep him home and send him to the special needs program again. He will be gone for about 2 hours a day.

My daughter is very much looking forward to returning to her public school. She thrives in this environment, just as I always did. The girl is much like me. Although I don’t recall asking my mom to do a photoshoot of me in all my back to school fashions. Whether it is new clothing or thrift store clothing, the girl loves fashion. Here are some of my fave shots from the fashion show…

Isn’t that no poo hair gorgeous?

My oldest boy was all set to be homeschooled for another year and then an amazing opportunity kind of fell in our lap. I met an amazing lady a few weeks back and spilled my guts to her about our horrific public school experience in regards to this particular child. This angel just happened to be a kick butt lawyer who then pulled some strings to get us the chance to enroll in a unique private school. Instead of an hourly requirement the kids earn credits and thus he will be at school for much less time than his sister in public school. The approach is similar to Montessori with all grades being intermingled and there is also one on one time with tutors from OSU. The meals (a catered breakfast and lunch) are designed to exceed the lax state standards and be extra nutritious. Instead of a bus with dozens of students, a private car service transports the kids to and from school. There are also uniforms, which I happen to think is a good idea. The school sounds amazing so we figured that it was definitely worth a try. So, that is what out school year is shaping up like. We needed a mix of supplies for 3 very different schooling approaches.

One of the best back to school finds for us was Naked Binder. They have binders and folders made from 100% Recycled materials and they are recyclable themselves. They make their binders, folders, and tabs in Des Moines, IA in the US of A out of FSC certified, 100% post-consumer waste binders board, 100% cotton cloth, a few FSC certified papers and metal rings.  No plastics, vinyls or toxins. I like the natural and “naked” colors personally and they are super durable. Honestly my kids will be lucky to get any of the products sent to us for review because I want to snake them for my home office. They get an A++ from me as they are but if you want to personalize them for your kids I would suggest stickers.

And while we are on the subject of great green companies… Annie’s Homegrown, Stonyfield YoKids, Honest Kids, and Seventh Generation have teamed up to help families toss their brown bags this back-to-school season by offering a free Kids Konserve lunch sack with the purchase of participating products now through September 30, 2011. These re-useable lunch sacks are washable and made of recycled cotton and eliminate a great deal of waste that would otherwise occur from the use of daily paper or plastic lunch bags.

Consumers are invited to visit Annies.com/bts11, print out the form then mail in proof of purchase of all four brands. Eligible products include:

Any Annie’s Homegrown item
Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt 6-packs or Squeezers
Honest Kids Organic Drinks 8-pack carton or 64-ounce bottle
Seventh Generation Disinfectants (sprays or wipes)

These could already be on your shopping list for school lunches or for school supplies (the wipes) so the bag is a nice bonus. A

I also found two books that mesh well with this time of year. The first is Professor Wormbog in Search for the Zipperump-a-Zoo. It is a clever children’s book that uses the idea of little monsters (which my 5 and 7 year old loved) to teach concepts like the alphabet. The professor is searching for the elusive Zipperump-a-Zoo but he doesn’t know what one looks like or where to find one since no one has ever seen one. The book is a lot of fun and the ending was laugh out loud funny. B+

And I already mentioned Playful Learning once but it deserves another mention. It could easily be incorporated into preschool or homeschool activities and curriculum and I would highly recommend that after having had some time to read through this amazing book. The idea that meaningful learning can be achieved through play is well documented. What better way is there to teach then by making it fun and relevant to kids? Kids are natural scientists, artists, authors, mathematicians, and scholars. It is a drive innate in them to make sense of their reality and parents can leverage that natural curiosity and playfulness and channel it into a love of learning. The book is broken up into several helpful sections:

Nurturing Young Authors
The Joy of Reading
Mathematics at Work
Scientific Investigations
Exploration of Art and Artists
Growing Globally
Raising Citizens of Tomorrow

Instead of sitting down and thinking about how you can teach math today you can pull out this book and identify which playful activity you think would best help them grasp certain math concepts on their own. Its a wonderful resource and even if your kids attend school away from home you can still do these activities during evening and weekends hours because it’s learning disguised as FUN. A++

Sooo… that brings me to the giveaway. The folks behind the Annie’s Homegrown back to school promo have offered to give away a Kids Konserve lunch sacks w/ coupons from all participating companies (seen above) to 4 of my readers. If you want one please leave a comment below and I will choose random winners next week. If you comment with your Facebook profile please be sure to include your email in the comment section so I can contact you. Good luck!

After the family vacations, barbecues and fireworks have died down, it’s time to prepare for another year of homeschool. “Before everything else, getting ready is the secret to success,” according to sage-like advice from Henry Ford. This is especially true of homeschooling as we take full responsibility for our child’s education. Here is a checklist of activities to help you enter the new school year more prepared than ever.

• Read curriculum reviews at: homeschoolreviews.com, homeschool-curriculum.org, homeschooling.gomilpitas.com, cathyduffyreviews.com, and time4learning.com.

• Buy new curriculum on Amazon, Craigslist, Ebay, or your avenue of choice.

• Try the library for curriculum ideas with books like 52 Nature Adventures for City Kids and Playful Learning.

• Choose a few fall extracurricular activities. You may choose acting camp, nature camp, art camp, or look into your local history museum’s programming.

• Begin a list of field trips. You can attend concerts, plays, go to the local botanical gardens, visit a science center, visit a dairy farm, and plan a few seasonal / holiday outings.

• Look for flash cards, books, board games, and art supplies at garage sales.

• Read up on the art of homeschooling. Try: 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum, Homeschooling for Dummies and The Homeschoolers Book of Lists.

• Revise the kids’ chore chart and your daily activities schedule.

• Ask your kids what they want to learn about or do this this year. It may be making music videos for YouTube and it could be Krav Maga. At any rate it will be an interesting and fun year.

• Add volunteer opportunities with a local charity to the year.

At the end of the day, your kids will be well-rounded if you can pack a lot of diversity into their days. You not only want them to have a strong educational foundation, but you also want to prepare them for real world tasks, introduce them to the arts, and instill a spirit of giving that will transform them into warm-hearted adults. With homeschool you really cater the education to the needs of the child… something you just can’t do with most public and private school options.

What exciting plans do you have for homeschool this year?

December was a short “school” month obviously so I do not have as much to report as far as cool new-to-me resources. But I do have a few.

I find that we are not using the Oak Meadow curriculum I bought. I guess even that is too structured for me. I think we are basically a mix of eclectic homeschoolers and unschoolers and we tend to learn in units and based upon our interests. We don’t feel like tackling each subject every week (or month) or often times we want to incorporate those subjects into other ones and learn by doing. For some things I like textbooks and book reading and for others I like worksheets and labs.. history, math, science. Writing and spelling happen by doing the first three. So we have been using some of the resources below and using some more unconventional means of learning. We have been taking hikes a couple times a week and identifying birds, trees, and other aspects of nature. I signed my son up for Art lessons at a local studio, plan to enroll him in a gym class with personal trainer, and we visit the zoo or the science museum to see the exhibits, due sponsored activities, or take in the latest IMAX documentary. A documentary on The Great Lakes and one on Geckos is coming up. This week he is going to a Monster Truck Jam. I swear the kid knows all the trucks and drivers as well as what they have going on mechanically.

One interest lead unit we just completed lasted from November through December. My son wanted to study up on Bearded Dragons. He read library books about them, did Internet research, watched YouTube videos, and learned as much as he could about these reptiles. Then he did a display project all about them… what they eat, where they come from, the conditions in which they live, how to care for them ,ect.

Then we ended the unit by buying him a Bearded Dragon and the needed setup. The Bearded Dragon was a gift for doing such great research and he worked for and paid for much of the needed gear. My husband managed to get some great deals for him. The 20 gallon starter tank, lid, and UVB light were only $10 at an auction!

Meet Sammy… I have to say I was not anxious to bring a Bearded Dragon into the home but he/she is a cutie!

We have also taken a step beyond our unit study and my son has started (with my help) a blog all about Bearded Dragons. The education continues as he writes and makes videos for YouTube and his blog.

Homeschool is Cool Resources

History Odyssey: Ancients – We are loving this history curriculum. It essentially uses the books pictured at the top of this post… The Usborne Encyclopedia of World History, The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child: Volume 1:, and History Pockets: Ancient Civilizations, as well as several books we can get via the library. All of these resources are beyond excellent and can be used in conjunction without the History Odyssey curriculum but I like how it is presented and executed.

The Usborne Encyclopedia of World History – This book gets its own section because it ROCKS! The photos are beautiful, the info is wonderful, and it has Internet links that accompany each section that you can explore for fun stuff and more info. The section on Ancient Egypt for example has links to a resource for helping you recreate an Egyptian board game that young Egyptian kids would have played. Also a link to a place where your child can type in their name and see how it is spelled in hieroglyphs. This book could be a stand alone curriculum!

Educaching – We haven’t tried this yet but it is on our too-get list. We do not have a GPS device as of right now but we have wanted one for awhile so we can start doing geocaching which is to use a GPS to find hidden caches. It has become a popular past time and this is the first curriculum to pop up that caters to the idea. It uses geocaching to teach math, science, and social lessons. Any curriculum that requires hiking and exploring sounds good to me!

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain – Good book alert! My son and I enjoyed this book as he read to us. William Dufris’s homey voice invites listeners to settle in for a favorite family story. As Jonathan’s mother plans for a family christening celebration, she realizes that only Aunt Emma’s pot is large enough to hold stew for 20 relatives and that only Jonathan can be spared from the farm work to fetch the cauldron. Dufris coordinates his pacing and mood to Jonathan’s trek over the mountain–speedy and jaunty as Jonathan sets off reciting his mantra “there are no bears on Hemlock Mountain,” poky as Jonathan stops to feed forest animals, and elongated and exaggerated as darkness falls. How alone IS Jonathan as he hides under the pot to wait for help?

Carschooling: Over 350 Entertaining Games & Activities to Turn Travel Time into Learning Time – Admittedly we don’t drive so much that we need to make travel learning a big concern. But travel fun is always good right? Once every other week we do usually make a trek up North to visit with grandparents so this book has been nice for ideas. Mostly it is full of games that you can play on the road like Backseat Spelling Bee or Highway Hangman… good stuff.

This article on Making Curriculum Work for You from the Weird, Unsocialized, Homeschoolers blog.

Enjoy!

]]> http://naturemoms.com/blog/2011/01/06/homeschool-is-cool-resources-for-december/feed/ 5 http://naturemoms.com/blog/2010/11/28/homeschooling-resources/ http://naturemoms.com/blog/2010/11/28/homeschooling-resources/#comments Mon, 29 Nov 2010 03:44:11 +0000 Tiffany http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/?p=5462

This will likely be a new monthly feature here as I chronicle our homeschool adventures. I have found so many wonderful new resources or fallen in love once again with ones I used previously. Even if you don’t homeschool these could provide you with some great weekend activities too.

One thing I have noticed about the Oak Meadow curriculum I am using is that it, at this point anyway, is more like an outline rather than a full curriculum. Instead of giving you concrete lesson plans it gives you ideas or general instructions on what to do and what to teach. Thus I spend 30 minutes reading through the weekly lesson and then finding other resources to make it all happen. I am essentially using Oak Meadow as a guide while I create my own curriculum or utilize parts of other curricula. In this way it is very similar to K12 but K12 went a step beyond and gave you EVERYTHING you need, word for word, activity by activity. I would rather the loose structure of Oak Meadow but it also has me thinking I could just create my own piecemeal curriculum next year since I am kind of doing that anyway. We shall see. I do admit that I might be slightly lost since I started mid year and many of the current lessons are referring back to concepts and material we haven’t covered. Thus I skip those and do my own thing.

Anyway, here is my “cool resources” list for the month of November:

Pandia Press – LOVE, love love, their R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey curricula. They have 3 basics areas of study.. Earth and Space, Life, and Chemistry. We are working our way through the Earth & Space book right now and it has 12 unit studies and corresponding lab projects for each unit. Weather and Seasons for instance (Unit One) has six labs. It is VERY much a learn science by doing it method of study. PERFECT for my son.

I just ordered the History Odyssey (Ancients) as well so it looks as though we may be using Pandia for Science and History. The only issue I see with the History curricula is that it requires several other books, some of which are kind of pricey and not available at the library. I will have to use it for awhile and see if we can work around that. But again, since we are jumping into this mid year I think this will help with our history lessons.

BrainPop – Educational videos on tons of different topics. My son really enjoys them.

Handwriting Practice Worksheets – My son really likes to write and he enjoys copy work. I was psyched to find these handwriting booklets in various topics that interest him… ala Titanic. This is a GREAT resource. FREE too!

Netflix – Their streaming video service is wonderful for homeschoolers! There are an absolute ton of educational videos from documentaries about dinosaurs and WWII bombers to the Holocaust. Oh and plenty of documentaries and videos about the Ancients like Greece and Egypt.

Drawspace – Great tutorials and activities for art and drawing instruction.

Home Spelling Words – Lists of spelling words by grade and by week. This is very handy since Oak Meadow doesn’t provide spelling words for you.

Passport Template – I am going to teach social studies and geography by living it instead of by the book. We will taking an “imaginary” trip once or twice a month and I wanted a passport to stamp during our travels and found this one. During our travels we will be cooking food from that region of the world and observing their customs.

So what wonderful homeschool resources have you found lately? Please share!

I am homeschooling again! Is it weird that I am the one most excited about it? Well, anyway a move and the many, many issues at the local school have given my oldest son and I reason to decide that homeschooling is in his best interests. This go round I have smartened up and decided NOT to use an online curriculum. Yes it kept me accountable and yes we knew exactly what to do and when to do it but it was so stressful and felt more like 5-6 daily hours of grueling homework rather than a relaxed school at home environment. This time I have decided to use Oak Meadow for our curriculum (with no online support). I bought a used syllabus on eBay and it is quite perfect for us I think… it has a slight Waldorf feel to it and it is no wonder because the creators of this curriculum were Waldorf teachers.

Also this time around I will not be his only teacher. I was VERY put out recently by my husband’s employer when they decided to switch him to second shift. I think I am going to be grumpy about it for a loooong time to come BUT it will mean my husband is home every day to help out with homeschooling. So I guess that is a bit of a silver lining.

One thing I have done this week is re-subscribe to all my favorite homeschooling blogs. I missed them so!! I prefer secular blogs but don’t mind a little Christian slant as long as it isn’t ONLY about that. Here is a list of my favorites.

1. Simple Homeschool – This blogs has several writers and lots of great info on keeping homeschool simple and organized. Today’s post was all about Circle Time, which is a part of the Oak Meadow philosophy.

2. The Homeschool Classroom – Every post is FULL of great resources and links.

3. The Curriculum Choice – This blog seems to center more on homeschool product reviews which is really helpful. it gives me ideas for new tools and resources.

4. Magic and Mayhem – This blog by homeschooling mom Alicia is awesome. I read it daily and wonder where does she get the energy?!? I love that much of their learning seems to take place by doing and living rather than by completing worksheets.

5. Stitching Life – Great project ideas on this blog. I bookmarked the Scream artwork post because I think my little artist would really enjoy that.

6. Teach Mama – MANY great projects and resources including many posts on outdoor learning.

Do you have any to add?

]]> http://naturemoms.com/blog/2010/11/08/best-homeschooling-blogs/feed/ 17 http://naturemoms.com/blog/2010/05/27/what-do-kids-really-learn-in-public-schools/ http://naturemoms.com/blog/2010/05/27/what-do-kids-really-learn-in-public-schools/#comments Thu, 27 May 2010 17:06:17 +0000 Tiffany http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/?p=4569

(My daughter in an Amish schoolhouse)

I have written much about homeschooling versus public schooling. I have done both and each has advantages and disadvantages. I pretty much allow my kids to make their own choice as to the type of schooling they prefer and all three are in public schools right now. But for weeks now I have been considering pulling rank and taking my middle child, my daughter, out of school and continuing her education at home. I always thought she would be the best equipped to handle public schooling but some changes in her mood and behavior lately are causing some concern. She is only in Kindergarten for cripes sake but if this year is an indication of more like this to come… I am so very afraid.

Academically she is doing well and this is no surprise.. she is a VERY smart cookie. Socially she is doing well, she has friends and she enjoys school for the part. So I guess I am the one with the problem. I have a problem with her being more than a little obsessed with how fashionable her clothes are. I have a problem with her throwing tantrums if I try to make her wear the wrong color, a skirt that has not been bejeweled in some way, or heaven forbid.. a plain t-shirt.  I have a problem with everything she wears or owns either adding to or detracting from her “popularity points” at school. No I am not kidding.

I have a BIG problem with my six year old little girl acting more like a freaking teenager with every single day she spends in these public institutions! I also see a problem when observant family members start using terms like “mean girl” or “diva” to describe some of her behavior lately and not because they dared say it, but because they have a point.

This just confirms for me that public schools are the WORST type of social setting for kids. They may or may not be good for education but for socialization and for exposing kids to good role models… they really suck. I am putting so much effort in counteracting the bad stuff she learns there that it just makes sense to pull her out altogether.

I have some big decisions to make over the summer. Do you have any advice or experience for me?

See & Spell Puzzles

So as part of my xmas shopping I have been heavily researching cooperative board games. We have a few already for younger kids but not so many that will keep my oldest boy begging for more and none that my hubby and I could play alone after the kids go to bed. I want something fun, educational, and if possible, cooperative or collaberative rather than overly competitive. I think I will pick one or two up NOW though so we can get a jump on the season.. my oldest has gone fishing on his own every day for a month but the past couple of days the trips have been short since it gets cold and dark earlier.. soon he may not go at all.

Luckily I had a few good games in mind, suggested to me by some wonderful unschooling moms, and those opened the door to even more awesome possibilities. Here is some of what I found. They are not cheap like what you find at Wal-Mart but supposedly the quality leaves the usual Hasbro type games in the dust.

Shadows Over Camelot- This is a 90 minute game that takes you into the world of Camelot and Knights. It is collaborative and it would be especially good for us since we have been watching and enjoying the BBC show Merlin. Evil forces are gathering around Camelot – The Black Knight was sighted atop a desolate ridge a scheming Morgan plots her revenge; the Saxon troops are on the move; and acres of timber are being felled for the siege engines. And yet Lancelot has all but vanished, with Excalibur yet to be recovered. These are heavy times indeed. Will you, young squire, come forth and pledge allegiance to your fellow Knights at the Round Table? Is your heart of pure intent and ready to sacrifice for the good of all? Or will the dark promise of power seduce you into treason? As the incarnation of the Knights of the Round Table, players work together to defeat the forces closing in on Camelot. This game was recommended by a TV free family I met on another web site of mine… for its educational nature. I think the next one would be good on that count too.

The Colosseum Board Game – My son and I watched a two hour documentary a few months back on the Colosseum and he was so enchanted with the structure and the world of ancient Rome that I ended up buying him several large Roman history books that he devours nightly. He is so much like me… I love ancient Roman history too and this game looks amazing. As commanded by the Emperor, Rome is in the midst of a 100 day celebration commemorating the opening of the greatest public arena ever conceived by man – the Colosseum. Players earn wealth and glory as one of Rome’s greatest impresarios by producing grand spectacles in the hopes of attracting the most spectators to your events.

Another game I know my son would love is Cleopatra And The Society of Architects. He and I both can’t get enough of ancient Egyptian history, mummies, pyramids, Pharaohs, etc. And Cleopatra is a tie in to ancient Roman history as well. In this game, she calls on the members of the Society of Architects to build her a magnificent new palace in Alexandria – with a Pharaohs ransom to the design that pleases her most. It includes a true, three-dimensional palace that players compete to build. Players strive to become the wealthiest of Cleopatra’s architects by constructing the most magnificent and valuable parts of her palace. The twist however is that players will be tempted to deal with shady characters and trade in materials of dubious origins in order to help them build faster.

Ticket to Ride- This is a game recommended to me by several unschoolers. It is great for learning about geography. It is an award-winning strategy game that challenges players ages eight and up to complete multiple train routes connecting major cities. As miniature trains begin to populate the board map of North America, secret city-to-city rail connections are completed or hopelessly blocked by merciless competitors. There is also a Europe version. These might be just what you need to help kids struggling with their geography or social studies lessons or classes.

Carcassonne- Yet another unschooler recommendation… how it is they find these awesome games? The Carcassonne is a clever tile-laying game. The southern French city of Carcassonne is famous for its unique roman and medieval fortifications. The players develop the area around Carcassonne and build cities, roads and monasteries in the South of France. The skill of the players to develop the area will determine who is victorious. The game is for ages 8 and up and 2 to 5 players. Who do you think is going to know more about medieval history.. the kid in a classroom or the kid playing a strategic game set in that time period? This game is actually pretty cheap in price and I think it may be because there are many expansions packs you can purchase to add on to the game.

They look like fun right? What games to YOU play to keep everyone entertained when the weather is less than optimal?

This boy just amazes me with how smart and talented he is and yet this is a child who struggles in school. His strengths are very much mechanical and architectural and schools just don’t put much emphasis on these interests and strengths. Public school fails him and many other students so it is my job as the parent to counteract damage, be his advocate (on his side always), and use off-school time to help him grow and flourish. And he doesn’t even need much help in that regard anymore… this kid is taking flight on his own.

I have gotten tons of emails lately from people offering resources that will supposedly help my kids stay up to snuff academically while they navigate their summer vacation. I also know several parents that are consumed with using the summer months to “homeschool” so that their public school kids have a leg up when school starts again.

I can’t say that I don’t think about this sometimes but mostly I just realize that they are always learning. Maybe it is not the exact stuff they need to know for whatever grade they are entering but for kids in public school, summer is just about the only time that really allows for our children to direct their own learning experiences. And they do learn… all on their own.

A few weeks ago my kids asked me to renew their JumpStart subscription. Well, actually it was my son’s subscription and he used to play the JumpStart game when he was being homeschooled. When he went back to public school he lost interest and I cancelled it. But for the past few weeks my kids have been playing the JumpStart game version for their particular age groups and having a blast. They solve math problems, do spelling, and learn a variety of other things from these games. My 5 year old daughter especially learns a lot because she watches her older brother while he plays too. For parents that seek activities to help their kids stay sharp this is a good one but it is only for kids on the 4-10 year old age ranges. I do have a few complaints about the actual performance of their software but the activities are awesome. The games also really help them learn how to use a computer quite well.

My nearly 9 year old son also got to fulfill a HUGE dream of his. He got to ride down a quarter mile racetrack as a passenger in a 11 second car. He kept saying over and over that it was the single best moment of his life. ;) Here he is standing next to a race car that runs on Ethanol. He is very interested in alternative fuel racing.

This week my 5 year old has also started reading and that was all her idea. She wanted to read before she entered kindergarten. She read me four books this morning from the BOB collection (which we adore).

To keep my son reading I have been a bit sneaky. When he wants to go to the water park in the morning or go to the skate park nearby I grab a book and have him read it to me first. I tell him I have been eyeballing this book and I would just LOVE to hear it before we go… works every time. In the evenings I read Harry Potter to him.

Learning is also occuring via weekly trips to the zoo and at the local Science Center. We are lucky to live 9 miles away from COSI, voted by Parents magazine as the best science museum in the country. I bought season passes so we can go as much as we want and this summer they have an Ancient Egypt exhibit with artifacts, mummies, and a replica of the Rosetta Stone. We also saw an IMAX movie there are about mummies. My son and I LIVE for that stuff. We both adore Egypt, history, and archaeology.

So all in all I see no reason to worry that their brains are rotting away and they will enter school and have difficulties. Their brains are fully functional and leading them to places and activities that truly interest them.

BUT at the end of the last school year we got some new neighbors and my son plays with them almost daily. He started to relay comments made by their parents about how he wasn’t in a “real” school and it started to make him feel bad about himself once again. In short, one of the kids next door is real jerk…and so are his parents (and I hope they are reading this). But despite how I feel about them and their attitudes my son likes to spend time with them. Having to wait until they (and his other neighborhood friends) get home from school to be able to play started to get rough on him. I took him to homeschool kids events and socials but he just didn’t click with any of the other kids.

The arrival of winter was another kick in the gut as he went from spending 5+ hours a day playing and exploring outside to staying in all day. If it was just cold outside with no snow…he didn’t want to be out there. And unfortunately we have had many cold days since early October (8-20 degrees) and only a few snow days.

My son indoors and bored is like having a caged tiger in the house. All his little quirks and tics (autism spectrum) came out full blast…including one that got REALLY bad. He will be sitting eating or playing and all the sudden emit a loud scream that could wake the dead. He doesn’t even know he did it and if you mention it he can’t explain why he screamed. Imagine that happening 2-3 times an hour. So the past couple months have been tough on us with frazzled nerves to go around.

I was not surprised then when he came to me and asked if he could go back to regular school. He missed being with other kids and having a busy schedule…especially when he sees his sister going to school and having all kinds of fun…pajama parties, a Thanksgiving feast, a Christmas play, and birthday invites from all her new friends. He was tired of his neighborhood friends teasing him about homeschool and acting as if they were somehow superior. And when he enlisted Dad’s help to convince me I knew he meant business. :(

Soooo…..I gave him 3 options for different schools he could go to. Ironically he was dead set against going to the same school as last year even though his friends are there. He ended up choosing a city school that is not so close by but has a kick butt art program. He told me it was between that school and a fourth choice I hadn’t offered…a nearby Catholic school. I am happy he chose the one he did because we are … not Catholic, LOL. We enrolled him, went shopping for new clothes, and he started yesterday. It is still really early but he is VERY happy so far and yesterday he came home with homework that he already knew forwards and backwards. It was awesome to see the boost it gave him to realize he was actually ahead. And since he is back in school we re-instated a bed time (something we usually don’t have) and he is so jazzed about school he has been going without complaint.

I am kinda sad our homeschool adventure has ended but how sad can I be when I see how happy he is? I have to remember that I didn’t start this because I thought homeschool was the best way to school your kids and that public schools all suck. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. I started this to do what was best for my son and right now he tells me that what he needs is at a brick and mortar school. I owe it to him to do my part to make it work.

First we got a brand new HP computer from the school and that was followed by many boxes of new materials. I am so impressed by the quality and the diversity. It is obvious that these learning items were not designed by K12 but rather they took the best of the best from other sources to make one awesome curriculum.

In the Language Arts box for example we got a few workbooks but mostly it was reading books….TONS of them. We have already done 5 of the lessons and most involved reading stories and talking about them. If my son was able to answer the questions about the story with an 80% or better (and he did) he passes and moves on to the next lesson. Fun and easy!

The Science box had safety glasses, sand, beakers, mirrors, a magnifying glass, seeds, a compass, etc. It appears that most of the science lessons revolve around experiments. Our first science lesson had an online video that we watched about viewing the earth from space then we had to identify continents and tape paper animals to the area where they live on an inflatable globe. It was very enjoyable for my son.

The art box had prints of different paintings and sculpture, tempera paints, pastels, brushes, clay, and more. We did our first art lesson Thursday.

The Phonics box had workbooks, video DVDs, flashcards, letter slides, whiteboards, and other cool stuff. This section does appear to be very structured but this is the area where my son needs some extra work so we’ll see how it goes.

The history box has CDs, maps, and reading books.

The math box we have gotten yet. Many of the materials arrived late.

You have to get 920 hours for the year and finish all the lessons. Of course if your child can do the end of lesson assessment you can skip right to it and avoid the work…love that feature because it enables me to teach the lesson any way I want as long as he gets the main points that they want him to learn. We went over directions NWES, as we drove around running errands and he did the assessment without having to do the printable worksheets from K12.

On average you need 5 hours a day to meet the hourly requirements but if you finish (5) 60 minutes lessons in only 20 minutes each then cool beans….you can be done for the day or get ahead. 12 hours of supplemental time can be added each week too! That means over 2 days worth of time can be spent on field trips, watching educational movies, playing games, ect. That feature really rocks. Can’t get that at a brick and mortar school!

We had to add a new set of shelves to our homeschool area to house all the new goodies but so far it is going REALLY good and my kiddo is having fun….which is the most important thing. I also spoke with his assigned K12 teacher and she was awesome. She invited us to an ice cream party next week and told us to check the K12 calendar where there are probably 6 dozen other events planned with other K12 students and parents. So far so good!

We got the Tag sytem along with 3 books and immediatley got to work. I signed up for an online account, downloaded the audios for our books, synced the audios with the Tag pen and off my 4 year old daughter went…to listen. The books are basically read to the child by the Tag pen and you can hook it up to earphones if it is hard to hear (as we found). The child is prompted to follow the story closely and listen for subtle cues that indicate is time to turn the page.

What I liked about this system as opposed to the other LeapFrog reading systems is that it has no bulk. There is no clunky and wasteful plastic case to carry around, no audio cassettes that get lost, etc. This sytem as has regular size books, usually hardbacks, and the pen is the size of a small flashlight. These would be a snap to put inside your purse to take on a trip (as I intend to do this weekend). The stories are also engaging. My daughter listens to all of them at least once a week, usually more. She has 5 books now… Ozzie and Mack (comes with it), Kung Fu Panda, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Mrs. Spider’s Tea Party, and Adventures Under the Sea. They have many more too. We have our eye on Fancy Nancy at the Museum. The Tag pen can only hold about 5 audios at a time.

My only issues or sticking points are the fact that the Tag pen prompts you to change the batteries often when I would prefer that it just let them go dead and the cost of the books, $13.99 each. But the quality and the entertainment value is worth it IMO.

My only concern was that she might start to prefer listening to the Tag instead of her mom and dad but no worries there..she just loves to be read too.

The LeapFrog Tag is available at Amazon.com

All this summer I have been doing unschooling while I researched many different homeschooling approaches and compared curriculum. I wanted to go into this with as much knowledge as possible. I think anyone who knows me will tell you that when I decide to do something it has to be perfect…it has to be an Oscar worthy performance. I have very high standards for myself and yes it does get tiresome. I think I went through the usual self doubt that many homeschooling parents go through…can I do this? Will I be a good teacher? Will I have sufficient time?  Will I fall flat on my face and make my son pay for my mistakes?

Well, I have a lot of faith in unschooling and wanted to go that route but innevitably I gave in to my fears and also to well meaning family members who insisted that I was being way to casual with my son’s education. I also started to see some unfavorable attitudes develop with an unschooling approach…such as the day my son announced that he did not need to read to do mechanical/engine work (his ultimate goal) and therefore would not be reading or working on his reading anymore. This is one sure way to make my heart stop…reading is like oxygen to me.

So…I made the decision that feels like half and half to me. My son has been enrolled in an online school that uses the K12 curriculum. It is structured and there will be tests on core skills but it is also VERY flexible I found after numerous phone calls to their offices. There is no grading of assignments and homework, there is only testing of basic skills that they need to pass with an 80% or better. They have online tutorials and textbooks for the parents to use in their instruction but using them is really optional. You can teach any which way you want to as long as the basics are covered. So when my son has science this year and needs to learn about the planets we can read their textbooks together and do the suggested activities OR we could go to a planetarium, see a space IMAX movie, create a planet mobile, or watch cute little videos at BrainPop Jr. The journey is not as important as the end result which makes me VERY happy. He can also go at his own pace…he does not need to be at the same level for English and math…he can just work according to his own needs and skills. If need be he could be doing second grade math and science and first grade writing and spelling. This program is hugely flexible and still allows me to incorporate my own ideas and opportunities for LIFE learning. They provide us with a computer and all the required books. They even arrange field trips and parties with other homeschooled students.

In doing the initial placement tests I can see that my son is behind his peers in reading and writing… or so they say. I am not worried about it. Interestingly though he is advanced in his language skills. He is awesome at narration, picking out details in a story, identifying the overal theme or lesson, or picking the missing words that complete the sentences. He is also great with definitions. I think his language skills have a lot to do with the fact that his father and I have always talked to him like an adult. Even when our kids were babies we never used baby talk…we talked to them like we would talk to anyone else. We didn’t “dumb things down” so to speak. If they need clarification we were happy to offer it but otherwise we just talked to them without any special exceptions for their age. Instead of “Oh baby….does baby want some num nums and some baa baa with milkie?” We would ask: “Payton would you like something to eat? Would you like bananas? Here have some warm cereal with bananas and this cup with milk inside it. I will sit here next to you and read this newspaper.” Just more evidence that life teaches a great deal of the lessons they need to learn…sigh.

Both of my older children blow me away with their language skills although I have shared before that my 30 month old is almost completely non-verbal thus far..so we are scratching our heads over that one.

So…we will see how a more structured homeschool approach goes. I figure we can quit anytime right? We are actually considering moving to another city nearby this spring as well…and ahem…farther away from certain naysayers. But that’s not the reason for the move! We want to live in the big city again. We could downsize and simplify. If we do move it will be nice for my son to have some routine and familiarity.

Let the journey begin!

1. What was your motivation for homeschooling? Was it based on religious reasons? Was is it based on curriculum – did you want more freedom in choosing what your children were being taught? Was it based on socializing – wanting to have more control in the people with whom your children came into contact with? Was it based on logistics – the nearest school being 20 miles away? What made you finally decide to go this route?

My decision to homeschool was based upon necessity IMO. I had always toyed with the idea of homeschooling so that our family could travel but by the time my son was ready for Kindergarten he REALLY wanted to go to school and so I let him lead the way. K was good but in first grade we got a rude awakening. We transferred to a new state where the students were very much ahead of my son academically. In his K class in Arizona they played games, did art, and learned their ABCs. When we transferred to K in Ohio the kids were already reading, spelling and reciting all the US states, and more. You should have seen me at his graduation ceremony when I saw what the other kids could do…you could have knocked me over with a feather. I also learned that these kids had started school at age 4 with free preschool via the city school district. They already had two years of all day school under their belts and my son had only one year of half day school.

Obviously you can see why he started to have problems in first grade. IMO he is right where he should be academically…perhaps a little behind in reading but that I attribute to the school making him feel like a failure when he couldn’t read as well as the other kids. He lost interest in it. The cookie cutter mentality and the unwillingness to have realistic standards was what motivated me to pull my son from public school. If he couldn’t keep up they insisted on making him feel like a “special case” and that was NOT okay by me.

2. Don’t hate me for asking this. How to you handle socialization? What steps do you take to make sure your children are around other children and adults? Are you active in a home school group? Do you spend a lot of time at church activities? Maybe you utilize the local Y for activities and they meet friends there?

Socialization is one reason I wanted my son to attend public initially. In general I don’t think homeschooled kids are lacking socialization but MY son was when the it came time to enroll in Kindergarten. He spent years being sick and in and out of hospitals (vaccine injury). He couldn’t be around other kids so much because he had a very weak immune system. We had spent a year in Ohio…on a remote country farm. We didn’t know anyone really other than family and we had NO neighbors that had kids. Then we moved back to AZ (for my cancer treatment) and were living on a remote mountain with NO neighbors at all. It was a 30 minute drive into town and all my friends had kids much younger than my son. He wasn’t getting to socialize at all. Kindergarten seemed like a blessing…and it really was. He made friends and he loved his school. Then I did the worst thing I could have done probably…I moved him back to Ohio. :(

I wasn’t impressed at all with the socialization he got in first grade. A twerp would spit in his lunch or touch his food because he has a germ phobia. Girls were regularly kissing him which he despised. Older kids on the bus would make him hold their books and one 5th grader even slapped him across the face. Being an out-of-towner in a small town put him at a disadvantage too.

That kind of socialization he can do without! Now he socializes regularly with two kids his age that live behind us (our yards touch) and a younger boy who lives down the street. My son knows what is going on with all our neighbors before I do. My moms cousin also has two grandsons (both older) who come and spend the day with us. He got to spend a week recently with his cousin that lives in Mexico too. We go to the park, to museums, to children’s plays, to art camps, etc. He goes to the drag races with his grandfather and Uncle to watch his grandfather race almost every weekend and meets all sorts of people. He gets plenty of socialization and my other two kiddos do to. They are not exposed to people with the same family life, the same values, the same religious beliefs only. I want them to be exposed to all sorts of people with different values and beliefs.

3. Do you use the public school system for any part of your child’s routine? Some children here come to the school for band or chorus, or maybe for science class. Do you send your child to the public school to take advantage of any of their programs?

Not at this time but I wouldn’t hesitate to do so in the future.

4. Do your children begin and end school at the same time each day? Do they have a strict schedule, at least as far as waking up and reporting to the school area of your home? If not, when/how will you transition your children into following a more rigid schedule – awaking at the same time each day so that they can follow a routine outside of the home like for college and work?

We have no schedule. We wake when we want to wake, sleep when we want to sleep, and do schoolwork when the inspiration strikes. At this young age I think schedules for the sake of teaching them what holding a job will be like is silly. Especially since I work from home and I have no schedule….I work when I want to work. Of course my kids learn about keeping appointments and scheduling activities whenever we have a workshop to attend or a play to see. If they don’t manage their time well they miss out on things. Those are life lessons and they learn them on their own. I want them to know that they don’t have to do the 9-5 workday or that work has to be tedious. I want them to know what they actually want in life and then go after it…whatever that may be…even if means selling chalk drawings on a beach in between surf sessions.

5. How many spelling bees has your child won? Oh, I’m kidding. We all know most of the recent national spelling bee winners have been home schooled children. I just wanted to throw a little funny in there?

I wouldn’t be likely to enter anything like this but it is cool that homeschooled kids are frequent winners.

6. Do you have a sense of humor? It’s probably a little late for me to ask that but…

Oh yes…no stuffiness here. We all LOVE to laugh.

7. Where do you find your curriculum? Do you shop for it and order it? Do you create your own?

No curriculum so far. We have an assortment of workbooks, printables (paid and free), we visit the library often, we have online learning games, we play educational board games and do puzzles, we take field trips, and we work on whatever interests us that day. For instance…a few weeks back we went to COSI. We sketched a crime scene, looked under a microscope at hair samples, looked at dog DNA strands, watched an autopsy, watched a circumcision, participated in hot air balloon races, used a bottle rocket, toured a submarine, and went through flight training for a NASA space shuttle. We also watched an IMAX movie about renowned American climber John Harlin III, and his journey to the Swiss Alps to climb the Eiger, a peak famous for its treacherous north face, a vertical rock wall that juts more than a mile into the air. We stayed all day until they had to kick us out at closing time. They learned more in one day than they would have in a week at school…and we do stuff like this all the time.

8. Do you have any worries at all about teaching your teenagers the higher level math and sciences? I, for one, could not teach chemistry to my children but I could probably teach them calculus. Is this a concern for you?

Well, I did high school myself (at home) in two years. I taught myself algebra and the like with books. I got accepted into college at 16 and tested out of all the intro math and science classes. I also did plenty of advanced level science classes…biology, anatomy, organic chemistry, etc and I had a 4.0. So it can be done. :) My hubby is a math wiz. However, if my kids need extra help I will get them tutors.

9. What bothers you the most about the reputation home schoolers have? What things do you hate to hear people say about you for your choice? I really hope you don’t say that it’s my previous post.

The idea that bothers me the most is that all homeschoolers are religious fanatics who are trying to hide their kids away from the real world and breed intolerance. That is SO not what we are about.

10. Be honest, do you, at least in your mind sometimes, judge those of us who choose public school? Do you ever think we are making a bad choice for our children? Are you vocal about that disapproval?

Honestly…no. Homeschooling isn’t for everyone or every child. This year I will have one child at home and one in private school. You do what works for your child. Public school could very well be in our future again some day and if it is I will be just as involved in their educations as I am at home. I do think public schools are pretty awful across the board but that just means that parents need to become activists for change. If change will ever occur it will take a certain percentage of people leaving them (homeschool) to get their attention and a certain percentage need to stay and try to re-work things. Everyone has a part to play.

Recommended Reading: 100 Top Picks For Homeschool Curriculum: Choosing The Right Curriculum And Approach For Your Child’s Learning Style

A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-first Century

Knowledge Adventure has several options in Educational Software but the series we have is called JumpStart World. They have games for toddlers to second grade. Honestly these games are so cool I think it might be hard to try any others…these are top notch. They are 3D and have VERY good graphics…not cheesy or cutsey at all. My hubby plays online role playing games and he was quite impressed with the quality of these.

They are also very educational and engaging. In JumpStart World first grade you have 12 levels of play and the first level begins in the learning arcade where you have 18 lessons to complete..of course they are so fun the kids never know they are lessons. One of my son’s favorite lessons involves swimming through the ocean collecting rubies and avoiding eels. This helps him with motor skills and hand eye coordination and then after one round he is transferred to a screen where you have to put mixed up numbers in the correct order. Once you do that you can go on and play the game some more.

Another lesson involves watching and listening to a story and then afterwards answering questions about the story. Other lessons require you to match objects, find the one that doesn’t belong, finish patterns and sequences, solve problems, and locate missing words in sentences. Disbursed among the lessons are adventures and they get better the further along you progress. You can unlock hidden caverns, look for treasure, and learn to scuba dive. You also collect gems (kind of like points) along the way and you can buy game gear with them to make the game more fun. The whole game world they have created is really remarkable and it is based on natural and state curriculum standards.

If you subscribe online the adventure keeps going too and more units, lessons, and adventures open up. I love the fact that they have really created a FUN, engaging way to learn. I also love that they provide incentive for kids to want to keep doing the lessons and progressing further. My son likes to play 1-2 times a day for an hour or so…taking breaks to do other things, play outside, etc. His progress and “grades” upload to the Jumpstart web site after every session so I can login at any time to see what he was working on and how he did…this helps me identify anything he is struggling with. In the parent area I can also create custom badges and awards if I want to. I can see why this game has won over so many parents!

Next up we might try the Math Blaster game they have…since I love Jumpstart World so much I know I can pretty much expect awesome quality and a great learning environment from this one too.

See also: JumpStart World Kindergarten

The game has three levels of play so it is almost like having three different games in one. The first level is for kids starting at age 3. Basically you go around the board collecting produce (eggs, apples, corn, or watermelon) if you land on a produce space or you chill out on a playground or school bus space. When a player reaches the Farmer’s Market stand, play stops and produce cards are counted. The player with the most produce wins.

In the second level, for ages 5 and up, you use two dice. One to move on the board and the other to calculate how much you get paid for selling produce. So if you move 2 spaces up on the board onto a watermelon space and you roll a six on the other die then you use the produce chart to deduce that you have earned $12 selling watermelons. When a players reaches the market the game stops and money is counted to determine a winner. This level is great for teaching how to count money.

The third level, for ages 7 and up, involves both dies, money, and the produce cards. It gets a bit more complex but basically you use the dice and the chart to determine how much money you get based upon how many produce cards you have collected…so more math is required for this level.

All three levels are fun and it inspires a curiosity in farming, an awareness of the value of food, and it is great for teaching basic math concepts and chart reading. The game is colorful and well crafted too. It is an awesome game for homeschoolers teaching math concepts and if you are just playing for fun you aren’t disappointed there either. I highly recommend it!

And while your here, check out some of the other educational, eco themed, socially conscious games we like.

And who says you need a classroom to learn? This week my kids and I have done so many fun and educational things together I am in wonderment about why I didn’t take this approach before. My son requested that homeschooling commence immediately…no break for summer. This is just fine with me as it allowed me the opportunity to show him first hand how he can in fact learn without sitting at a desk doing drills or being lectured at. I included pictures from my flickr stream if you are interested.

First up we went to visit honest to goodness castles right in Ohio. They are called The Piatt Castles, built by two wealthy brothers. They were named after the Mac-A-Cheek valley where they reside, Mac-A-Cheek and Mac-O-Chee. The names of the castles, the valley, and the stream that runs through it are all derived from the word, Macachack, the name of a Shawnee village that was located there in the late 1700s.

It was a great experience getting to tour both castles, one of which has most of the original furnishings. One of them even has a secret underground passage found only 2 years ago. It led from the house to the conservatory. Both castles had their own chapels too, which was incredible to see.

My kids and I learned about Ohio history and about how people used to live in the 1800s. The indoor toilet at the larger castle was fascinating. I also loved the fact that for each section or room in the castles there was an activity table set up for children to play and draw. Some of the activities included building castles, creating a mosaic, and playing with old fashioned toys.

Next up we went to a classic car show downtown and to The Popcorn Museum. My oldest son is a huge car buff so the car show was a big treat for him. He also got to pose next to the Speedracer car so he was a pretty happy camper. His great-uncle had a car on display too.

The Popcorn Museum was fun too. Highlights included seeing a huge collection of popcorn wagons, getting to see a train exhibit, and my son’s fave…getting to see a stuffed horse named Prince Imperial that belonged to Napoleon the third and lived in the 1800s. The horse was absolutely gorgeous and had a mane that was so long it dragged the ground by several feet if left down. He had the world’s longest mane.

The people at The Popcorn Museum really rock…they know their Marion history and that are happy to tail you around and answer any and all questions you have about just about anything. When you leave everyone gets a bag of of fresh popped popcorn.

Next up we visited The Harding House, which is the home of former US President Warren G. Harding. I have toured it several times…very interesting. My daughter also got to visit a little one room schoolhouse nearby too. All of these adventures have been getting marked with a sticker on a  board game we got from our local visitor’s bureau….just something they cooked up to make summer learning fun.

Yesterday we went to COSI, a hands on Science Center. My 9 year old nephew said it was the best science museum he had ever been too and since this kid has been to science museums in probably 5 continents that is saying something. It was REALLY fun and educational. The highlight for me was the CSI exhibit. Basically we walked into a crime scene…a skeleton in the desert, we had to look for clues and then go to the lab where we evaluated 8 pieces of evidence. We compared bullet casings, matched DNA, matched hair samples to the species, and looked under a microscope to identify pollen. Then we went into the coroner’s office to view our deceased on a slab and determine cause of death and then finally we visited Grissom’s office to report our findings. SO FUN!!!!

This is my oldest sketching the crime scene:

Other points of interest included a bottle rocket, a mini submarine, a news station where kids get to be a part of the action, a 45 minute movie about climbing the Alps, the recycling exhibit, and robotic trucks the kids had a blast with.

They also had MANY videos you could watch of surgeries and medical procedures. I personally LOVE that…I wanted to be conscious for my colon resection even – they said NO. :(  We watched a birth, a postmortem sperm retrieval, and gasp…a circumcision. It was beyond gross and made my nephew almost yack. I think all parents should have to watch that video before they decide to get their boys cut (something I am against). I can guarantee after watching NO ONE would have it done. It is a horrific, ghastly process.

Well, this made for one eventful and fun week…and we aren’t done yet. This homeschool stuff rocks the planet. ;)