Wordless Wednesday

As moms we don't want our little ones to grow up to fast, but the kiddos... well they can't wait to grow up!

Number Ninjas From Imagine Toys - Review

What is a mom supposed to do when it is summertime, and her children are thinking of fun and games, but mom wants to make sure that they keep up on their math skills?  Bring out the Ninjas!  The Number Ninjas that is! 

Yes, my boys were BEGGING to do math when I pulled this out of the box from ImagineToys.com.  Beggin I tell you!  So, being the most awesome mom in the world (at least according to their pleas) I cracked open the box - ever so carefully, just like a true Ninja.  I fell in love the minute I opened it because it is extremely well made.  I am always nervous when I buy a game or toy that it might not be durable enough to last through 6 wild boys, but this game will definitely hold up!

And I was happy to see that there was even a Ninja mom piece for me to play along with them who looks exactly like me , well, sorta like me - ok nothing like me except that we both have curly hair!

 We quickly read the directions, set the board up, and started to play.

Each player takes turns rolling three dice, two have numbers and one has an operation sign. The player adds, subtracts, or multiplies to figure out how many spaces they get to move.  Players move around the board in search of tokens which they earn by solving fun word problems.  The goal is to collect 4 tokens and then the golden dragon.

On thing that I really love about this game (especially because my kiddos vary in age) is the fact that you can differentiate the level of play based on the dice that you use.  Younger kiddos like Luke who are just mastering addition and subtraction roll the red dice and answer easier questions, while older kiddos use blue dice which add the skill of multiplication.  Their questions are a bit trickier too.

Our verdict?  We loved it!  Number Ninjas is a must have game!  The boys love the ninjas, mom loves the numbers, and the whole family is happy with a fun game to play!

You can purchase your own Number Ninjas here.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary Number Ninjas game from Imagine Toys in order to facilitate the review. No other compensation was received, and the opinions are our own.

Homeschool Planning - Setting up Your Homeschool Calendar

If you are anything like me, you want to do everything, and you want to do it now!  But, really, wouldn't it be easier, and so much calmer if you took things one step at a time? That's what I am trying to do, we'll see if that happens!

So, for today's organization/planning task, set up your homeschool calendar.  You can use a regular calendar, you can print this calendar template out, or you can try a calendar like Stephanie O'Dea' Totally Together which also includes sections to keeping your house clean and organized. (You can win a copy here!) Whatever you choose, just make sure it is something that you will use, and that won't add to your workload.

Now that you have picked out your calendar, it is time to start filling it in. Decide how many days you want to homeschool during the calendar year. Some families choose to Homeschool 4 days a week leaving one day as a fun day or co-op day.  Other families keep a traditional school year Monday - Friday approach.

Next, figure out what days you are NOT going to homeschool - for holidays, vacations, breaks, etc. Put those in your calendar now.

Look over the curriculm you have chosen (or your standards, themes, or whatever else you have planned). How many lessons are there? Tentatively divide them out among the days you plan on schooling.  I say tentatively, because things always happen. Maybe your child picks up a concept much quicker than you thought, or maybe they need a few extra days of review.

Don't forget to pencil in some planning days or hours for you!  It is much easier to spend a day planning when you don't have to spend that day teaching and grading as well.

Your last step - Relax and enjoy the rest of your day - I will have a new task for you tomorrow!

It's Planning Time!

Suddenly it is almost August! Where has the summer gone? I hope you have taken time for yourself so that you are feeling less stressed and refreshed - ready for a new year!  August is the time of year when homeschool parents really begin to think about the new year ahead. It is time to research new ideas to use in your homeschool, and new ways of doing some of the necessary things. I also begin to get excited about beginning the new year  fresh with my children.

As it is a new year, make some resolutions. Every homeschool parent can improve and make learning better for their children. Try some new things in your reading and math programs, improve your science program or teach more PE to improve the fitness of your children. If your organizational skills (or your children's) can be improved, work on this. Every year you should think about improving in some way!

Over the next few weeks I will be giving you some ideas for organizing and planning your homeschool year.  I will provide linkys for sharing some of your great ideas as well. And the best news?  I will also be giving away some fabulous back to school organzing and homeschool supply prizes through blog post contests and twitter parties.   Additional Prizes and Sponsors will be added - so check back frequently!

Prizes and Sponsors

(updated 7/25/11)

Totally Together organizer by Stephanie O'Dea

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See Book - Homeschool Parent

Coupon Binder - Fernley Family

Ultimate Back-to-School Combo - Mabel's Labels

$25 Gift Card to Target- Homeschool Parent

If you would like to share a blog post or sponsor this contest, please contact me at kellys3ps@sbcglobal.net for more information.

Free Animated On-line Books for your kiddos!

Howard B.Wigglebottom is an adorable bunny with a problem - Howard just doesn't listen!  I bet none of you have kiddos like that!  I know I have one or two with that problem a time or two!  The great thing about Howard B.Wigglebottom is that he is the lead character in a series of animated on-line books, (which are available absolutely free if you click here) that teach children about listening.

One of the things that I love about the books (aside from their amazing animation which will keep even your wiggly little ones engaged) is the fact that the words are printed on the page.  Your child can follow along as the story is read which is a great way to increase their own reading skills. Listening to reading is one of the best ways to increase a child's fluency as they hear a good reader reading.

Another great thing about the site is that it also includes free lesson plans and posters to use with your child as you read the books.

Our Family's Safari Adventure at Safari West

Who knew you could actually enjoy a safari without trekking all the way to Africa? I certainly didn't, but when a friend of our family mentioned his family's own trip to Safari West - it didn't take long for my hubby to hit the internet and book our own adventure.

When we got there, we started our tour with a walking tour around some cages that housed several types of birds and primates.

A few of the animals we saw:

And you may recgonize this beauty from the Safari West logo above!

And look at these amazing flamingos! Did you know that they get their pink color from the food they eat?

Check out this post for pictures from our safari tour on the jeeps!

Alphabet Chart

An alphabet chart is a fun way to help you child learn all of the letters of the alphabet along with their corresponding sounds.  You can have your child chant along as they point to each letter.  For example, they could say, "apple, apple, a, a, a" with the first two letters being the sound the letter makes and the last being the letter name.  You can print this one out here.