5 Days of Back to Homeschool- Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of my 5 Days of Back to Homeschool series!  If you missed yesterday's post, you can see it here.


Field trips.  A necessity in our homeschool for so many reasons.  I know that my children learn so much more from seeing and doing, then just looking at something in a book.   It is so rewarding to walk into a room where George Washington planned a battle, to dip a colonial candle, to hike a trail or take a boatride. There are so many things to do and see inexpensively.  With 4 children, I am the queen of finding low or no cost excursions.

So, take a look at all of the wonderful ideas below and hopefully you will find some good ideas for your own family to enjoy!  :-)

Here in PA, we have visited the Peter Wentz Farmstead, where Washington stayed while planning the Battle of Germantown.  There was no cost for that trip.

We visited a homeschool day at Pottsgrove Manor, where the kids did all kinds of colonial crafts, cooking and more.  It was only $2 a person.

We took a boatride in a local state park for no cost.

We hiked a trail at a local nature sanctuary.  Again, free.

Of course, there is the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Carpenter's Hall, the Mint and all of the other wonderful sites in Independence National Historical Park all for free.

We visited the 300th anniversary of Three Arches historic home.  There was entertainment, gift packages and much to see and do for the kids and grownups.  All free.

For my son's 16th birthday, I called the Philadelphia International Airport and found out that they give school groups FREE tours.(and homeschoolers ARE a school group)  :-)  We not only toured the terminal, but were given security clearance and an escort to go out onto the tarmac.  Incredibly cool and a once in a lifetime experience for NO COST.

Here are some ideas from friends of mine, as well:

In this post, Tracy tells us all about Mr.Slim Goodbody, A Farm and a Planetarium visit.

In this post, Marcy tells us all about Frugal Field Trips and gives us some wonderful suggestions

If you live or near Washington, D.C., it is a wonderful place to visit with most of the sites free since they are owned by the government.  In the post below, Marcy tells us all resources to study and places to visit in our nation's capital.

Don't forget to enter the awesome giveaway with cash and curriculum prizes!

Here are just some of my 50+ colleagues who are participating in this hop.  Go on over and see what wonderful things they had to post!

Dawn @ Double O Farms
Tess @ Circling Through This Life
Lisa Marie @ The Canadian Homeschooler
Lexi @ Lextin Academy 
Karen @ My Harbor Lights
Jen @ Happy Little Homemaker
Joanie @ Simple Living Mama
Lori @ At Home: where life happens

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Try a New Recipe Tuesday- August 12

It is Tuesday (almost) and that means it is again time for recipe sharing!  :-)

The most viewed post from last week was:

Japanese Yakisoba Recipe from Crystal's Tiny Treasures

An InLinkz Link-up

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5 Days of Back to Homeschool- Day 1

I am excited to be participating in the 5 Days of Back to Homeschool Blog Hop with my colleagues on the Schoolhouse Review Crew.



I hope that you will return each day to see my posts and of course, to enter the mega-giveaway.  :-)



In this series, I will cover the following topics:

• No or low cost field trips (Day 2)

• Lots of Homeschool-related Free Printables (Day 3)

• Making good use of your local library (Day 4)

• Keeping a record of all of your memories (Day 5)

Hope you enjoy it!

Here are just some of my 50+ colleagues who are participating in this hop.  Go on over and see what wonderful things they had to post!

Dawn @ Double O Farms
Tess @ Circling Through This Life
Lisa Marie @ The Canadian Homeschooler
Lexi @ Lextin Academy 
Karen @ My Harbor Lights
Jen @ Happy Little Homemaker
Joanie @ Simple Living Mama
Lori @ At Home: where life happens

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FREE Kindle Cookbooks

Who doesn't love a good cookbook, especially a FREE or nearly free one?  Here are some that are free (or nearly free) as of the time I am writing this post.  Enjoy!  :-)
(affiliate links included)

HERE ARE THE FREE BOOKS:

Things Mother Used to Make: A Collection of Old Time Recipes, Some Nearly One Hundred Years Old

Salads to Go

Slow Cooker Recipes: 30 of the Most Healthy and Delicious Slow Cooker Recipes

40 Juicing Recipes for Weight Loss and Healthy Living

40 Top Quinoa Recipes for Weight Loss

40 Top Paleo Recipes

Smoothie Recipes for Weight Loss

Home Canning : Step by Step Guide

Smart School Time Recpes: The Breakfast, Snack and Luncheon Cookbook for Healthy Kids & Adults

Baking in Your Skillet

Hearty Soups: A Collection of Homemade Soups

Weekend Breakfast Ideas

Cheap and Delicious: Secrets to Saving Money in the Kitchen and Serving Delicious Meals

Just Desserts

The French Toast Cookbook

Here are ones that are nearly free (.99):

Vegetarian Recipe Cookbook

Family and Kids Breakfast Recipes

Simple Dessert Recipes for Kids

Afternoon Tea: Muffins, Scones and Breakfast Casseroles (#1 Best Seller in Casseroles)

Homemade Tea Recipes: Top 50 Most Delicious (#1 Best Seller in Coffee and Tea)

The Paleo Diet for Vegetarians

Unexpected Food Combinations that Sound Bad but Taste Great

Happy reading (and eating!)  :-)

Don't forget to stop by and enter the awesome giveaway going on right now for cash and curriculum prizes!

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Check out this awesome giveaway!!!!!

It is Back to Homeschool Time! Next week, not only will you see dozens of bloggers  (including me!) participating in the "5 Days of Back to Homeschool" series, but the week will culminate with the drawing for the awesome giveaway below.

Several members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew have joined forces during our August Back to Homeschool Blog Hop to bring you these incredible giveaways, totally more than $1300 in homeschool curriculum and Paypal cash!


 

 

Grand Prize Giveaway

In the Grand Prize  Giveaway, someone will win $765 in curriculum, plus $150 in Paypal cash to help you finish up your homeschool shopping! You could win all of the following. Please click on the prize links to learn more about each product.  From Home School Adventure Co. -- Philosophy Adventure--Pre-Socratics and Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal (digital editions) From Diana Waring Presents -Experience History Through Music From Writing with Sharon Watson - The Power in Your Hands: Writing NonFiction in High School and Writing Fiction [in High School] From Homeschool Legacy -- Westward Ho I & Westward Ho II Once-a-Week Unit Studies From The Old Schoolhouse Magazine -- One-Year Membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com From Shining Dawn Books -- Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Bundle (Charlotte Mason Homeschooling, Loving Living Math, Grammar Packets, and Creative Nature Walks) From Memoria Press -- Latina Christiana I Set From Excelerate Spanish -- Excelerate SPANISH DVD Lessons 1-6 From WriteShop -- Winner's Choice of WriteShop Primary Book A, B, or C (Teacher's Guide + Activity Pack) From New Millennium Girl Books -- Isabel Writing Bundle  From Write Bonnie Rose -- Asia: It's People and History From Home School in the Woods -- Project Passport: The Middle Ages  From NotebookingPages.com -- Lifetime Treasury Membership From Victus Study Skills System -- Victus Study Skills Student Workbook & Teacher Edition Bundle From the Schoolhouse Review Crew bloggers -- $150 Paypal Cash

 2nd Prize Giveaway

In the 2nd Prize Giveaway, someone will win $325 in curriculum, plus $100 in Paypal cash to help you finish up your homeschool shopping! You could win all of the following. Please click on the prize links to learn more about each product.  From Home School Adventure Co. -- Philippians in 28 Weeks, The Wise Woman with Literary Analysis Question, and The Wise Woman Print Set (digital editions) From Writing with Sharon Watson -- Jump In: a workbook for reluctant and eager writers From Home School in the Woods -- K-2 Lap-Pak: Knights From Write Bonnie Rose -- Printables Bundle (Writing Prompts About Space Bonus Pack; Revolutionary War Activities: Patriotic Copywork; Revolutionary War Activities for Kids: Puzzles, Games, and Quizzes; Praying Through the Produce Aisle; Summer Olympics and Paralympics Unit Study) From Excelerate Spanish -- Excelerate SPANISH DVD Lessons 1-6 From Memoria Press -- Prima Latina Text Set From New Millennium Girl Books -- Callie's Contest of Courage Mid grade novel and Callie's Contest of Courage Literature Guide From The Old Schoolhouse Magazine -- One-Year Membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com From the Schoolhouse Review Crew bloggers -- $100 Paypal Cash

To enter, use the Rafflecopter below. Residents of the U.S., ago 18 and older only. See more Terms and Conditions in the Rafflecopter. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Try a New Recipe Tuesday- August 5

It is Tuesday (almost) again and that means it is time for another week of wonderful recipe sharing!

The most viewed post was last week's hop was:

BBQ Baked Beans from Feeding Big

An InLinkz Link-up

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TOS Review- Mathletics

Today I am reviewing Mathletics by 3P Learning.

The program is meant to be a supplement to whatever math you (or your children's school) is using for your child(ren).  We use Saxon here and Mathletics worked wonderfully in conjunction with that.

If your child is competitive at all, they will definitely like that component of this program that will allow them to compete in math races against students from all over the globe.  This is not a mandatory part of the program, but can certainly encourage the naturally competitive child to work on his/her math skills.

This K-12 program (yes, there are advanced math options available!) is currently being offered for a discounted price of $59 per student.  You can try it out before committing.  See the screenshot below.

What I liked best about the program is how you can customize it to your child's needs.  You can set up assignments according to where he/she needs the extra work.  These will need to be done first before they can move on.  The student still earns points as they progress.  :-)

If he/she gets a problem wrong, they are not only given the opportunity to try again, they are taught HOW to do it properly.

Below is an introduction to the program:

In addition to the optional "Live Mathletics" I mentioned above, there are many different options for your child that include:

• Activities- Includes pre-test, engaging math activities and problems that culminate with a test
• Problem Solving- Interactive fun!  New games are unlocked with different activities
• Times Tables Toons- Sing and dance your way through the times tables!  Great way to learn them! (see below for an example of a catchy tune)

• Printable Workbooks- available for you to peruse at anytime
• Rainforest Maths- More animation and fun for K-6 (see below)

Kiddos 3 and 4 (4th and 6th grade) used this several times a week.  It turned out to be a fun summer bridge opportunity to keep fresh and skilled with their math.  It was a wonderful way to have fun learning and not even truly realize that learning was taking place.  The animations kept their attention and were engaging.  They were able to move at their own pace and be reinforced and "rewarded" every step of the way.

As a homeschool parent and former classroom teacher, I would recommend this program for a number of reasons.  Firstly, it has many benefits.  In engages the child and targets the areas where they may need some strengthening.  There is reporting constantly to the parent/teacher and it can be customized to each child's needs and abilities.  There are graphics and animations that are appealing to kids, so it keeps their interest, but it is by no means easy.  My kids were definitely challenged.  They earn "points" so their hard work is rewarded.  I also like that there are options all the way up to 12th grade.  

To find Mathletics in social media, click on these links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathleticsglobal

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mathletics_usa

My colleagues on the Crew also reviewed this product, but with all different grades.  To read their reviews, click on the banner below:

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