Category: Learning at Home

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Patriotic Learning Activities

In my last post, I shared a couple of printable worksheets/activities that you could use to teach your kids or students about Independence Day. Since not all kiddos are interested in worksheet-style learning, I’m back with a few more ideas! Teaching kids about the history of our nation is so important. It’s important for them to understand how our country was founded and to know about the incredibly brave men and women who fought (and still do fight) and worked so hard to establish America. 

Teaching kids about history doesn’t have to be boring. It’s easy to incorporate play and games into their learning. Below are a few ideas you can try!

Patriotic Sensory Bin

Using any sensory bin base you’d like (my favorites are rice or beans), you can add small patriotic themed items. Ideas include small flags, red, white, and blue gems/stars/pom-poms, small pictures of national monuments or presidents, and so forth. Bury the items in the sensory base, and let your kids get to work exploring and finding fun treasures!

Patriotic Matching

Print off two copies of several pictures of our national symbols, monuments, presidents, Founding Fathers, etc. Glue them on to paper squares and play memory. Whenever a match is made, take a minute to talk about why the object or person in the picture is important to America’s history. 

If memory style matching isn’t something your child likes, you can place one set of pictures on the table or wall, then hide the other set of pictures around the house or room. Again, as matches are found, talk about each picture.

Independence Day Trivia

This is a great activity for older kids. Write down several questions (and answers) about the history, places, and people of our nation. Divide kids into teams and have an Independence Day Trivia Face-Off. If the person whose turn it is can answer the question without their team’s help, two points are awarded to that team. If they need the team’s help, one point is awarded for a correct answer. If the first team is unable to answer correctly, the second team gets a chance, earning one point for a correct answer. You could place a small flag in the center of the table, and the first person to grab it gets the first chance to answer the question.

Tally the points as you go, and the winners get a red, white, and blue rocket popsicle!

Historical Story-Telling

Assign each child a story from our nation’s history. Give them a few minutes to prepare, then have them re-tell the story in their own words. Another version of this would be to have them write and illustrate a children’s book telling the story they have been assigned.

American Role Play

Rather than having them verbally re-tell a story or event, have children reenact an important event. Provide props and costumes if available!

A Star-Spangled Sing-A-Long

Teach kids the words to our national anthem and have them sing along. Be sure to explain what all the words mean, the history behind why the song was written, how it became our national anthem, and even a little bit about the man who wrote it! 

Patriotic Crafting

There are endless options here— have kids create a flag out of various materials, use different methods to paint “fireworks”, or create a mosaic of the flag, a monument, or person. Never underestimate the power of construction paper, scissors, and a glue stick! 

Whatever you decide to do, remember to keep it age appropriate, make it fun and engaging, and let kids use their imaginations! The material and skills learned are the most important part of activities like these, so there isn’t one “perfect” way to get things done. Relax, have fun, and remember that messes can be cleaned up!

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Independence Day Printables

Independence Day is such a fun holiday. Beyond the parades, fireworks, and BBQs, there’s so much history behind the day. Most kids aren’t in school at this point of the summer, so it gives parents an incredible opportunity to teach their children a bit about the history of our nation and the sacrifices and work it took to build our country. No matter your political views, I think we can all acknowledge just how incredible it was what our Founding Fathers did!

Whether you’re staying home this Fourth of July or traveling to be with family and friends, you can use these free printable activities to both keep your kids busy and teach them a little bit about our nation’s birthday!

** These printables are FREE, but please only use them for personal or classroom use. Do not resell, re-post, or claim as your own. **

4th of July I-SpyDownload
Independence Day Word ScrambleDownload
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Educational Road Trip Activities

We decided to surprise our kids with a trip to San Diego last week. We’ve been planning the trip for six months, and had the hardest time keeping it a surprise! We decided to drive rather than fly because we are a family of seven— five kids (four still in a car seat or booster), and two adults. Plane tickets for seven, plus a rental car large enough to fit all of us would have blown our entire trip budget in one fell swoop. The drive, however, was twelve hours one way— and that’s without bathroom breaks or lunch stops. Ugh. 

In an effort to keep us all sane during our drive, and to try reduce the amount of screen time, I spent the months and weeks leading up to our trip planning, designing, and putting together activities for my kids to do in the car.

I needed the activities to meet a few criteria: they needed to be adaptable and entertaining for ages 4-9, able to be done without my help, not messy, and somewhat educational. I didn’t want slime in my car. Play-doh wasn’t an option, either, and neither were puzzles. I knew they wouldn’t want to color for the entire drive. I started with Pinterest as a spring board, and went from there. I found a few ideas there, and changed them to fit my needs and budget. I spent some time using Canva to design the games and activities, and purchased a couple off of Etsy. I sent them to my favorite print shop to be printed, then spent some time cutting, laminating, and assembling the activity bags (I used mesh zipper pouches I found on Amazon). Most of the supplies came from Amazon or the dollar store, making the activities very affordable. Since I know we aren’t the only family road tripping this summer, I thought I’d share my ideas! 

  • I downloaded and printed some free coloring pages from various websites. I also printed off my summer I-Spy pages— you can find those here.
  • I made sure each of my kids had their own set of Crayon Twistable colored pencils. I chose these for a couple of reasons: they don’t need a pencil sharpener, they color well, and they don’t melt or break easily like crayons do.

Now, for the activities that took a little more prep work and time:

  • Link Pattern Task Cards– Each kid was given their own set of task cards and plastic links. The goal was to use their links to copy the patterns on the cards. They also had a lot of fun making their own patterns, necklaces, bracelets, and chains. 
  • Block Pattern Task Cards– I created a set of 20 task cards. I bought some plain 1” wooden tiles and some 1” square stickers on Amazon. I put a sticker on one side of each tile and a small magnet on the back until I had enough squares for each of my kids to have six of each color. I put a 4×6” adhesive magnet on the inside of the lid of a pencil box. The objective was to use the wooden tiles to recreate the patterns and designs on the task cards. Again, they had fun following the pre-made patterns as well as creating their own.
  • Popsicle Stick Hair Tie Matching– Using large popsicle/craft sticks, I colored random stripes of colors on each stick. My kids then took small hair ties and put them on the corresponding color on the stick. It was a simple activity that took very little prep.
  • Lacing Cards– I chose several images I knew my children would like, sized them to be around 4-5”, and punched holes around the image. Using a shoelace (or any kind of string would work), they laced the string through the holes. This is an excellent fine motor skill!

My kids enjoyed the activities, and their attention was held for good amounts of time. As a bonus, they also did some of the activities at our rental condo when we had down time. The activities will also be added to our quiet bag rotation, so I know they will be used frequently. Any of these activities would also be an excellent addition to any classroom for quiet time activities and/or enrichment time.

So, yes, they were a lot of work, but it was a labor of love, and our sanity was (mostly) saved! 

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Summer How-To List

Summer time tends to provide kids with ample amounts of free time, which can be a blessing and a curse. Some kids do really well with extra time, and are very creative in how they fill their extra hours. Others, however, struggle with imagining up ways to spend their days, which often leads to lots of, “Mom! I’m bored!” 

Many families create a summer bucket list in hopes of finding ways to reduce boredom over the summer months. It’s a great idea, and provides an easy answer to, “What should we do today?” I’m a big proponent of having the kids help create the list. Obviously, adults should over see the list making to ensure that the desired activities are within the financial, time, and logistical limits the family has. 

In addition to a summer bucket list, I’ve also heard of many families instituting a summer “how-to” list. Each family member comes up with a list of a few things they want to learn how to do over the summer break. Lists could include important life skills such as how to do laundry, cook a meal, tie shoes, mow the lawn, place and pick up a food order, and so on. Other skills might include new hobbies, such as learning to sew a pillow, draw, crochet, or code. Again, adults should guide list making to help kids set realistic goals and to ensure that goals are feasible. 

The idea of a “how-to” list is appealing to many, since it provides kids with something to do, but also gives them an opportunity to learn something and keep their minds active. It’s a win-win! 

To help you get started on your own summer “how-to” list, I’ve created a free download you can print off and use with your kids. Even if you don’t have kids, you can use this for yourself– there isn’t an age limit for learning new things!

** As always, this download is free, and should only be used for individual and classroom use. Please do not resell or claim as your own. **

My Summer How-To ListDownload
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Avoiding the Summer Slide

Just looking at the name, the term “summer slide” seems like it might be a fun thing! Summer? Slide? Wahoo! In reality, though, a summer slide in the context of education isn’t as fun as it might seem. When we talk about a summer slide, we are referring to what happens when students get an extended break from learning. Sometimes it is also referred to as the summer slump. Without constant practice, many students tend to regress and forget some of what they have learned during the school year. 

Keeping information fresh in their minds will help kids to more easily jump back into learning in the fall when school starts back up again. In addition to an easier transition back into school, summer learning practice helps kids’ minds stay active and growing. This can be done through various methods. Below, you will find a few ideas to help your kids stay on track during summer break and avoid the summer slide.

For mid-upper grades:

  • Encourage daily reading. Most public libraries have a free summer reading program, offering prizes and other incentives as kids read books. You can also download my free summer reading tracker here.
  • Find and print some pre-made worksheets. The inter webs are teeming with options, many of which are free! You can easily find a plethora of downloadable worksheets for any grade or any subject. Some good websites to try include Pinterest, Teachers Pay Teachers, or Super Teacher Worksheets.
  • If you’d rather have a book of worksheets for your kids to work through, rather than printing off a bunch, there are many options for practice workbooks that can be ordered through Amazon or other retailers.
  • Print off or create some building block challenge cards and have your kids use their imaginations to create whatever the card suggests. Some ideas might be to use blocks to build a house, car, flower, animal, and so on.

For preschool-lower grades:

  • Incorporating learning into their play time is a great way to get them engaged and excited about learning practice. 
  • Puzzles are a fantastic way to keep young (and more mature!) minds active and engaged.
  • Cut out several paper shapes of varying sizes and colors. Have your kids sort them by shape, color, or size. You can even have them order the shapes from largest to smallest or smallest to largest. 
  • Practice letter and number writing using different mediums such as play-doh, pipe cleaners, string, etc. 
  • Do an alphabet search and match activity by writing all 26 letters (lower case) of the alphabet on a large piece of paper. Use 26 sticky note sheets and write all 26 letters in upper case. Hide the papers around the house and have your kids find them then match the upper case letter to it’s correct lower case partner. 
  • Using the same idea as the alphabet search and match, do a number search and match, where you have kids match the numeral form to the word form of a number (ex: 1 and one). You can also write numerals on a large piece of paper. On sticky notes, draw dots or shapes to match the numerals you have on the larger paper (ex: 5 on the large paper and five dots on a smaller paper).
  • Incorporate math into snack time by having your kids count out how many crackers, marshmallows, apple slices, etc. they have on their plates. 

The options are endless, and they don’t have to be expensive or fancy. Sometimes the best activities are the simplest. The goal is to provide kids with opportunities to keep their minds active and engaged during the summer months, with the hope that come fall, their minds will be able to more easily transition to learning mode.

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Life-Long Learning

My husband’s job has recently started requiring him to go into the office full time rather than work from home most of the week. We live over an hour from his office, so rather than driving by himself every day, he has opted to join the company vanpool. He now finds himself with anywhere from two to three hours total of commute time, sitting in the back of the van. Instead of wasting his time playing games on his phone, he’s decided to learn some new things. He has researched grilling techniques so that he can get the most use out of his new grill. He’s started learning a new language. He’s read informational articles on self-improvement. He’s proving that learning doesn’t have to stop once you leave formal schooling. 

The value of continued education is immeasurable, as are the things you can learn. The local university where I live offers adult continuing education classes each semester for anyone over 18 years old. The classes are either free or very low cost. They cover subjects like welding, dancing, all kinds of art, physical education, and so on. The goal isn’t to get a degree, but simply to learn a new skill. 

Learning new skills, information, or hobbies does wonders for our adult brains. It keeps them thinking and working. Research shows that continued learning allows brain cells to continue to stretch and grow. Learning improves the brain’s ability to remember things, giving you an edge as you age. Some studies even show that healthy brain activity can delay the onset of memory related conditions such as Alzheimer’s or dementia. 

Other benefits of life long learning include increased creativity, better mental flexibility, more creativity, greater self-confidence, increased career advancement opportunities, more fulfillment in your job and in life in general, increased personal growth, and increased motivation.

When you engage in adult education, you often have the chance to create new friendships and relationships, often leading to other opportunities. You might learn new ways to do things. Perhaps you might pick up a new skill that can benefit yourself or your family. Even if you aren’t pursuing further education for financial gain, learning and researching can prevent boredom, expand your interests, and make you a well-rounded thinker, none of which are bad things!

Just because you aren’t actively working toward a degree or any other kind of certificate, you don’t have to stop learning. Education is for everyone, and it provides both tangible and non-tangible benefits. You don’t have to sign up for a fancy class or spend tons of your free time learning— even a few minutes a day spent reading about a new topic can benefit your brain more than you’ll know. So the next time you find yourself with a few spare minutes, you might consider reading up on how to grow a successful garden or how to bake the perfect cheesecake rather than mindlessly scrolling social media. You’ll be surprised at what you learn, and your family will thank you when you put a slice of homemade cheesecake in front of them! 

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Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills- Do Both Matter?

Schools are an excellent place for teaching important (some crucial), measurable skills like reading, math, science, other technical skills, and so on. These kinds of skills are called hard skills, and are pretty easy to track progress in— there are clear, definitive answers and methods to how these skills are learned and carried out. Other learned skills, however, don’t have answers and methods that are quite so cut and dry. These are referred to as soft skills— behavioral traits like leadership, time management, communication skills, critical thinking, and problem solving, among others. 

Should schools be responsible for teaching both kinds of skills? I think they already partially are. I believe that when you teach hard skills, the soft skills sometimes just naturally work their way into the teaching and learning. For example, if you are teaching a science concept, and students are put into groups to do an experiment, they will naturally be forced to use problem solving, team work, communication, and other soft skills. 

Soft skills are equally as important (if not more so in some situations) as hard skills are. In fact, many employers today tend to favor soft skill knowledge over hard skill knowledge. In a digital world where people are spending less time interacting face to face, employers today need people who can take responsibility, lead a team, communicate, and effectively solve problems. 

If employers are favoring soft skills over hard skills, then how do we as teachers ensure that we are providing opportunities for our students to learn these important soft skills that will aid them as they grow, progress, and eventually enter the adult world? Like was mentioned before, a lot of it stems from things that are already happening in our classrooms. So many of the activities and projects we ask students to take part in naturally lend themselves to teaching these crucial soft skills. Group work encourages communication and leadership. Reports and presentations give students a chance to practice leadership and communication skills. Word problems and other kinds of problems allow students to use critical thinking skills. Larger projects provide excellent lessons and chances to learn time management and organization skills. 

Soft skills can even be learned outside of the classroom, in places like home, church, or while doing a sport. Sports provide many valuable opportunities for soft skill attainment, and can teach those skills in ways unlike anything else. Parents can encourage their children to learn and practice soft skills within the walls of their homes by providing children with opportunities to lead family meetings, do chores, work as a team with siblings, or manage and balance their activities and time. Church groups can also provide great opportunities for kids to learn communication skills, leadership skills, and empathy.

While some children are seemingly born with natural soft skills, others need to be taught. As adults, we ought to do our best to encourage and teach the youth of today these soft skills that will greatly aid them in the coming years. Our future selves will thank us later.