Thursday, July 30, 2015

Field Trips in Southeastern PA

There is so much to do and see here in Southeastern Pennsylvania!  Are you looking for a good day trip or coming to the area for a visit?  Here are some trips that we have taken.  Many have little or no cost involved!



There is the Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology in Philadelphia.  What a gem!!!  Read all about our visit here.



The Wings of Freedom Aviation museum asks for a donation only.  There is SO much history, including Amelia Earhart breaking a record right there in Horsham.  Read all about it here.


The Peter Wentz Farmstead was President Washington's headquarters during the Battle of Germantown.  So many hands-on activities and a working farm, too!  Read about it here.



The Three Arches historic home, originally built by the steward of William Penn just recently celebrated it's 300th anniversary.  Read my post here.



Of course, what trip to this area would be complete without visiting historic Philadelphia?  This post talks about the Liberty Bell, Franklin Court, Independence Hall and the Mint.  All free of charge!



Graeme Park is another wonderful field trip opportunity.  Dr. Graeme was a respected doctor, justice on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and port physician for colonial Philadelphia.  The mansion and grounds are open year round, but they also offer a homeschool day that we have enjoyed every year.  You can read it about here.




If you are visiting Philadelphia, the Franklin Institute science museum is a must-see!  Read about our visit here.





Cherry Crest Adventure Farm in Lancaster County, PA is a game and activity filled outdoor extravaganza.  They are open May-October.  Read about it here.





The Pennsylvania Farm Show held each January in Harrisburg, PA is a free event that is sure to please everyone on your list.  If it is not the animals, or activities, it will definitely be all of the food!  Read about it here.




Crystal Cave is not only beautiful and breaktaking, but quite educational, too!  See all of the details and stunning photos here.





Lake Nockamixon State Park is lovely and filled with many things to do such as going on a pontoon boat ride.  Check it out here.





There is so much to do and see in Hershey, PA.  Many people don't know about the museum called the Hershey Story.  It not only tells of the extraordinary life of Milton Hershey, there are lots of hands-on things to do like make your own chocolate.  Read about it here.





We have also visited Pottsgrove Manor, (a 1752 mansion and estate) where the kids did all kinds of activities including cooking, dipping candles, crafts and more.  It was only $2 per person.  





The Ardsley Wildlife Sanctuary is not only breathtaking, but completely free.





The Philadelphia International Airport offers FREE tours (on the tarmac!).  Look at the photo below, we were actually THAT close to a jet that has just come in for a landing.  




The Philadelphia Zoo has some new and incredible exhibits where the animals are actually walking over you!



Valley Forge is a must see for any freedom-loving American.
Again, completely free.




I mentioned Hershey, PA above for the museum, but of course, there is Chocolate World. Fun and Chocolate!  And, Chocolate World is free to enter.



Many people do not know that a WWII submarine and a warship from the Spanish American War are docked in Philadelphia.  You can visit both (and tour the inside!) for a nominal charge.





If you have sports fans, you can tour the sports arenas, including Citizens Bank Park where the Philadelphia Phillies play




These are just some of the things to do and see in Southeastern PA!  It is a treasure trove of field trip opportunities, that's for sure.  If you come to the area, I hope you enjoy.  :-)



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Monday, July 27, 2015

Try a New Recipe Tuesday- July 28


There was a 3-way tie for the most viewed post from last week!  They are:







In the first spot below is my Taco Beef Helper.  Delicious and easy.  Check it out!  :-)



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Sunday, July 26, 2015

Taco Beef Helper

I got this recipe from Jan at Tip Garden some time ago and just was able to try it out!  :-) She always shares the BEST recipes.

Ingredients
1 pre-made pantry kit (see below)
1 pound ground beef or turkey
2 1/2 cups hot water
1 cup brown rice
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
Tortilla chips (optional)

Pre-made Pantry kit (great to have this made in advance, so you can just grab it and be ready to go!)
In a gallon sized ziploc bag, place one can of diced tomatoes and 1 cup of uncooked instant brown rice.  Set aside.  In a sandwich-sized bag, mix sauce packet:  3 tablespoons dry milk, 1 tablespoon corn starch, 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning (click here for my homemade taco seasoning), 1 teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder and sugar.  Label sauce packet and place inside gallon bag with the tomatoes and rice.  Label gallon sized bag and attach this recipe for future use)

Directions
Brown ground beef.  Drain.  Add hot water and contents from pantry kit. (diced tomatoes, rice and sauce packet)  Stir together and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer on low for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is cooked.  In the last few minutes of cook time, stir in cheese.  Cover the pan for the final few minutes of cook time.  When rice is done and cheese is melted, let mixture stand uncovered for about 5 minutes before serving.  This will help thicken the sauce.



Serve with tortilla chips.  Enjoy!  :-)




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Saturday, July 25, 2015

My Week in Review #43


My post is linked the in the first spot below.  Our week was filled with racecars, miniature golf, bowling, 4-H and more.  Come take a look!  :-)





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My Week in Review/THMJ/Weekly Wrap-up July 24/25

How is July almost over already?  The days are just flying by!

How has your week been?

We got to see Austin Dillon's #3 car at our local Walmart.  How cool is that?




We also went out for miniature golf with some good friends


Kiddo #4 and I even got some mom/daughter bowling time in.  Gotta love the Kids Bowl Free program!  :-)


And there's been the kids at Taekwondo and Kickboxing and for those of you in 4-H, you understand the frenzy of this time of year with getting projects and posters ready for the fair.  Much going on!  What happened to the lazy, hazy days of summer?  lol.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.  God bless!






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Wednesday, July 22, 2015

TOS Review- Home School in the Woods

Today I am reviewing Project Passport World History Study: Ancient Egypt from Home School in the Woods.


Home School in the Woods Review

Have you heard of this company?  Amy Pak has created a myriad of hands-on project packs, activities, and lapbooks on many different historical topics.  Her materials truly make learning fun. How can they not be?  The Project Passports are filled to the brim with projects that include writing, crafts, cooking, drawing and more.

There is so much included in this study that it can be overwhelming at first, but Amy thought of that and has an entire "travel itinerary" ready for you.  Yes, travel itinerary!  Think travel, my friend.  You will be preparing your child's passport for the journey of a lifetime that includes timelines, making period clothing, "visiting" historical cities, writing a newspaper and so much more.  You will definitely need 8-12 weeks to thoroughly cover all of the activities and materials in the unit.  There are 25 stops or lessons in the unit, but as with all homeschooling, the beauty of it is that you can choose to do as many or as few "stops" that suit your family.


Home School in the Woods Review

What did some of the Stops include?  The first stop was trip preparation--making your passport, learning important travel tips and creating a map for your journey.  Other Stops have the student learning all about trade, agriculture, science, everyday life, medicine, education and so much more.

Stop 5 was a favorite here because we recently visited a museum where we saw real Egyptian mummies and artifacts, so this stop about pyramids, mummies and sarcophagi was so timely!




Be sure to stock up on cardstock, colored pencils, glue sticks and paint.  As you prepare your Stops, you will see what is needed so you can make the necessary purchases.  Trust me, it is very well worth it.  We are looking forward to continuing this study far into the school year.  We want to delve so much more into it.  To see the Scope and Sequence of this study, click here.

If your kids are hands-on learners, they will love this unit study and the others like it.  My colleagues reviewed some of the other Project Passport titles that include the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Reformation and ones on Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome will be added soon.






When material is experienced in such a manner (utilizing all of the senses), real learning will be taking place and your child will truly delight in the process.  I know mine did.  If they are learning and they are interested, stimulated, and above all, happy, we can truly say that we are doing our job as homeschool parents.

Kudos, Home School in the Woods!

To find them on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolinthewoods
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/HSintheWoods
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hsinthewoods
Google +: https://plus.google.com/b/109711152019235885312/+Homeschoolinthewoods/posts

Home School in the Woods Review

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