App Love

I recently got an iPad & love it so much.  We have been having so much fun finding new games.  There are so many great educational games that my kids love to play.  I thought I would highlight a few each week & share the ones we have tried and love.  There are a lot of free ones, or ones that have a lt version that you can try before you buy.

Here are some of our favorites:

Chirp (there is a Lite version, which is what we have now, but I plan to buy the full)

This App lets you listen to bird songs of tons of different birds.  You can also choose a region on a US map and see the birds native to that area. 

Stack the States (US geography, has a lite version) & Stack the Countries (world geography- my 6-year-old knows all the countries in Africa & Asia now because of this game  These 2 games are a really fun way to learn geography.  My husband and I also enjoy playing these games

Mad Libs- just like the old fashioned one we know and love... There is a free version, as well as some additions that you can purchase.

ABC Easy Writer- This teaches writing for kids- they can trace letters and numbers. 

Bob Books- we love these easy reader books, the app is really cute, too. The have a lite version fro free that you can try first.

Brain Pop- this free app has an educational video each day with a little quiz after.  It's fun to see what the new movie will be each day.

                                              

Young Music Genius- teaches about music theory  and instruments in a really fun way

Gofun- this is a cute puzzle/shape mathching game.  It is inspired by the Montessori methods.  My preschooler loves it.

My First Puzzles- there are a bunch of different ones that we like- dinosaurs, alphabet, numbers, snakes ( I think those are all free ones)

 Lego Creationary, and Lego Instructions, both free and fun if you have lego lovers...

I have tons more that I will continue to share- what do you love? 

Alphabet Scavenger Hunt

Here is a simple, but fun way to practice the letters of the alphabet.  Use a few old magazines, and let your kids hunt for the letters.  It is great for working on their motor skills as well- they love to cut and paste, right?  This kept my 4-year old busy for a while.  I went through and helped her out by cutting out some of the larger letters- article headings. Good luck with the letter Z!

Ice Painting

This was a perfect activity for a hot sunny summer day.  The kids really enjoyed watching the ice melt and swirling them around as they did.  Here is how you do this simple, but fun activity:

ice cube trays
food coloring
popsicle sticks (cut in half)

Fill the trays with water & put a few drops of food coloring in each one.  You can mix colors or do different strengths of colors for variety.  Put a stick into each & freeze overnight. 

Get out lots of paper.  I used my newsprint roll of paper (from a newspaper office, I bought the roll end for only $3- it has lasted me for YEARS!)

Do they taste good? nope. 

Moments That Matter Most

I found this video to be so inspiring- Just what I try to do in my life.  Slow down and pay attention to the things that matter most.

Love & War

Love & War Devotional for Couples, by John and Stasi Eldredge

I received this book to review on my blog.  My husband and I have enjoyed reading this book together.  It is a book full of inspiration, scriptures, and exercises to increase communication and respect in marriage.  My husband is a therapist, so he loves this kind of stuff!  We both enjoyed the discussions that were brought on from reading this together.  Those late night talks are my favorite!

It is a set of devotionals for 8 weeks- you read one together each day. One section I really liked talked about how it is important that we are not exactly alike- because our differences and strengths complement each other.  I have a great marriage.  Reading this book really re-emphasized that and only brought us closer together. 

Here is a video of the two of them talking about this book.



You can read the first chapter of the book here.


WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group provided this book to me for free in exchange for this honest review as part of their Blogging for Books program.

Blog Award!

Jen over at Chestnut Grove Academy awarded me the Versatile Blogger Award!  Thanks so much!!  This is my very first Blogger award.  I feel so special.

Here are the rules for receiving and giving this award:

Thank the giver.

Tell seven things about myself.

Award 10 new bloggers with the award.

So, here goes:

1.  I love reading- I am usually in the middle of 2 or 3 at a time.

2.  I LOVE food.  I love to cook & try new recipes- I also run a cooking blog.

3.  I grew up in Florida- and truly miss the beach and salty humid air.

4.  I have a degree in Home Ec. Education, but homeschool my kids...

5.  I love reading & collecting ideas of things to do with my kids- spend too much time doing it probably.

6.  I sing.  Have always really loved to- wish I could do it professionally sometimes.

7.  I love crafts- but usually have piles of unfinished projects. 

And my awards go to... (Drumroll please)

http://teachingtwostinkers.blogspot.com/

http://www.teachingblogaddict.com/
http://livingmontessorinow.com/
http://www.littlebrickranch.com/
http://stylemom.blogspot.com/
http://www.nurturemama.net/
http://www.everydaytastes.com/
http://activitymom.blogspot.com/
http://homespunlight.blogspot.com/
http://missmoe-thesearethedaysofmylife.blogspot.com/

Addition Bingo

I made another math game to share with you this week. It is called Addition Bingo.  You have two players and you take turns placing a number onto the board.  You choose a predetermined number that you want your row to add up to.  The first one to get a row that adds up to that number wins.  There are number circles to use with it as well.  Click on the image below to download it. 

Have fun playing math!

One Pretty Thing

Thanks to One Pretty Thing for the features this week! If you haven't checked out her amazing blog, be sure to plan on spending way too much time, for the rest of your life...

How to make a bath last, and last

Let's have some fun while practicing those motor skills!

Just give your kids a pair of kid-friendly scissors and a few squares of foam (from the dollar store for a big pack!) and watch them be creative as they piece shapes together on the bathroom wall!







-Mara

The Burgess Animal Book for Children- Read Along Chapter 3

I started a page for the Burgess Animal Book Read along.  I have been a little slower than I hoped to be on updating it, but  I finally got the links up for Chapter 3 today.  Check it out here. 

Wordless Wednesday- Neighborhood Cookie Walk

Real Rhyme or Silly Rhyme

tI got this idea from a friend of mine and I really liked it.  You make a chart with a line down the middle.  One side of the chart says Real Rhyme, the other says Silly Rhyme.  You can use any word families, or try out these paint chip word families.  Have the kids tell you if the word is a real rhyme, or a silly rhyme.  Then they can write it on either side of the chart.

For example: The word you start with is sat- cat (real rhyme), dat (silly rhyme)

 I made a simple one for you to download if you would like. Click on the image below.  Enjoy!

Painting the Driveway?

I have seen this idea a few different places and was anxious to try it with my kids.  When I told them we were going to paint the driveway, they were instantly interested.  How often does Mom say that they can do something like that?? 

So here's the quick & easy recipe to paint the driveway:

equal parts cornstarch & water (I did 1 c. of each)

few drops of food coloring

I divided it out into a muffin tin and did different colors in each section.  We painted with some old foam brushes. 

Did you notice the "I Love Mom" painted in there?  Guess it was a good project! :)

P.S.  It washed off easily, too.

Summer Fun List

We decided to make a list of the fun summer things we want to do.  Summer time is my very favorite.  I love the warm weather and all of the fun activities that go on. 

Here is an adorable way to keep track of your fun summer activities- I might just try it...

Here is our list: (could it get any longer???)

• Swimming
• Rodeo
• Go to new parks
• Fly Kites
• Hiking
• Bubbles
• Make Ice Cream
• Water Balloons
• Family Picnic
• Attend an outdoor play/movie
• Water Parks
• Popcorn & movie
• Children's museum
• Petting Zoo
• Fishing
• Camp in backyard
• Make smores
• Dinner in the mountains
• Go to the zoo
• Sidewalk chalk
• Go to the Splash pad
• Summer parades
• Summer Movies (our theaters do children's movies for $1 in summer)
• Read books in back yard
• Make an obstacle course in back yard
• Bowling (also free for kids in summer)
• Local historical sites
• Aviary
• Local summer festivals
• Farmer's market
• Geocaching
• Scavanger Hunts
• Star Gazing
• Fireworks
• Make & eat popsicles
• Feed ducks @ the pond
• Play in sprinklers
• Mini-golf
• Soccer
• Paint Rocks
• Make Forts
• Slip & Slide
• Nature journal
• Nature texture rubbings
• Library
• Banana splits
• Puppet shows
• Free summer concerts
• Hopscotch
• Pick berries
• Can fruit & jam
• Garden

Celestial Education

One resource that has influenced me more than almost anything else in my homeschooling is a video titled Celestial Education.  It was a talk given by an amazing woman named Michelle Stone.  She gave it at a conference a few years back and recorded it.  I purchased it & have been sharing it with anyone willing... It is now posted online at LDS Liberty, and I am really excited about that.  I hope I can help others come to the realization of the importance of incorporating the gospel in all areas of study while teaching your children. 

Check it out.  It's not short, by any means, so plan on spending a few sessions watching it.  I hope you enjoy it, and that it influences you like it did me!

LDS Liberty also did a radio interview with Michelle Stone that is worth listening to as well. 

Interview Part 1,  Interview Part 2

Tactile Memory Game

Here is a simple game you can throw together for your little kids with stuff you probably have around the house already.  Fill balloons with various things that feel different.  We used: rice, flour, cotton balls, oats, noodles, and dried beans. Do two balloons with each item.  I let my kids help me fill them, which was messy, but they liked it a lot!  Then let the kids squish them and match the balloons by how they feel.  It's a great sensory activity.