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US Geography Board Games for Kids

US Geography Board Games for Kids

(There may be affiliate links in this post – click here to learn more. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

In this series of Games for Kids posts, I’ve been sharing some of the best educational games for the elementary and junior high age group.

(If you missed the US History Board Games for Kids post, you can check that out here.)

Our homeschool has benefited so much from using board games to supplement our other school work. We use games to teach new things, to review what we’ve learned, and just to make things more fun.

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US History Board Games for Kids

US History Board Games for Kids

(There may be affiliate links in this post – click here to learn more. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

One of the best ways I’ve found to get my kids interested in history (or any other subject, for that matter), has been by playing board games. 

“Gameschooling” is becoming more popular lately, and I can see why! Kids retain content so much better when they’re engaged and having fun learning!

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Our Homeschool Summer Break – Year 9

Our Homeschool Summer Break - Year 9

It’s that time of year again. 

Swimsuits. Pool parties. Watermelon. Ice cream trucks. And, best of all…

… the next chapter in Our Homeschool Summer Break blog series!

Okay, maybe a blog post isn’t better than ice cream (or any of those other things). But it sure beats swatting away mosquitoes while mowing the lawn!

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How to Homeschool Preschool – Part 2

How to Homeschool Preschool - Part 2

If you’re just tuning in to this How to Homeschool Preschool series, first check out Part 1 here. 

In Part 1, I shared how important playing is in your at-home preschool. In fact, some would say preschool should be all play since kids can learn so much so easily while they’re playing. 

But just because they’re playing and having a fun time learning doesn’t mean we allow them to act like crazy hooligans. A balanced homeschool needs to focus on character building, too. 

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Kids Are Always Learning (Even on the Weekend)

Kids Are Always Learning Even on the Weekend

The other day my six year old asked me what we’d be doing for school that day. 

“No school today,” I reminded her. “It’s Saturday.” 

With a delighted sigh of relief, she found a comfy corner of the couch and started reading Life of Fred: Butterflies. 

Side Note: If you’re not familiar with the Life of Fred series, it’s a quirky but effective math curricula adored by many homeschooling families. We’ve used it as a math supplement over the years and all three of my kids love it. 

When her brothers picked up other books in the Life of Fred series and proceeded to read math books for over two hours… on a Saturday… for fun… the inspiration for this post was born.

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Our Homeschool Summer Break – Year 8

Our Homeschool Summer Break Year 8

Years ago, I started writing about our plans for summer breaks. I shared the educational and homeschool-y things we did over the summer each year. If you read those posts, you might remember that each year I seemed to bounce back and forth between too academic and too relaxed. 

By our 5th homeschooling summer I’d found a good balance. (Yes, it really did take me five summers to figure it out…)

But just when I was getting the hang of things… the pandemic reared its ugly head. 

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Homeschooling in the Chicago Suburbs: Co-ops, Field Trips, & Family Activities

homeschooling in the Chicago suburbs: co-ops, field trips, & family activities

As I’ve written this post, all of my family’s belongings were loaded onto a 26’ moving truck and taken to our new home in another state! 

After searching online for co-ops and extracurricular activities near our new home, I realized firsthand how helpful it is when bloggers share their favorite local homeschooling resources!

So, before my family leaves the northwest Chicago suburbs, I want to post a “brain dump” of all the northern Illinois homeschooling resources I’ve found over the years. We’ve been parenting and homeschooling here for over a decade and have collected a list of awesome co-ops, support groups, nature centers, field trip ideas, and more! 

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Kids Are Always Learning (Even When They’re Bored)

kids are always learning - even when they're bored

Kid: “Mommy… I’m bored!”

Mom: “Good!”

I think this is how I’ll respond to my kids from now on when they complain to me that they’re bored. 

No, it probably won’t go over very well with them. But boredom – free, unscheduled, unfettered time – is a GIFT in our culture today. Too much free time can become an issue, of course. But, for many of us, time to think and dream and putter around is often lacking.

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Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (BFSU) Review – Part 2

This is Part 2 of my review of Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (BFSU) – the K-8 science curriculum my family has been using for years in our homeschool. In Part 1, I covered the basics – the overall approach and layout of BFSU. In this post, I’ll get into the more detailed pros and cons and share some bonus information to help you on your BFSU journey. 

(There may be affiliate links in this post – click here to learn more. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As I mentioned in Part 1, I purchased all three volumes of BFSU and haven’t received any compensation or products from the creators of BFSU. We’ve just loved this curriculum, and I want to share my experience and review to help other homeschooling parents decide if it’s right for them!)

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