Homeschooling, Pinterest, "I Do."

Homeschooling and Pinterest are a match made in heaven!  It is almost overwhelming how MUCH educational material is out there!  When I first pictured myself as a homeschooling mom, I thought I would be making a weekly trip to the teacher supply store.  Nope!  I am, however, making a daily or twice daily trip to Pinterest to find something cool and fun for my kiddos.

So, cheers to homeschooling, cheers to Pinterest, and cheers to my handy printer that delivers some amazing materials with a simple click.

Money, Money, Money

So, my 2 older kiddos are obsessed with coins!  Since we are learning about the values of coins, I thought that I would whip up a new game today that would motivate and excite them.  It was a success!  How did I make up the game?  Well, Pinterest had a game that looked fun, but it required too many materials.  I used the idea I saw on Pinterest and modified it so that I could grab some simple materials in my home. 

If you are interested, here is how we played the game. #1 Grab a 5 quarters, 10 pennies, 5 dimes, 10 nickles, and 20 pennies.  #2 Grab 21 index cards or cut up construction paper into 21 cards.  On four cards, write the number "10".  On five cards write the number "5".  On ten cards, write the number "1". AND, on 2 cards, draw a sad face. #3 Write the names of the coins next to the coins on a whiteboard or piece of construction paper (as pictured) and set it up as a reminder of the value and name of the coins.  #4 Mix up the cards.

How the game is played:  Turn the cards over, have the children turn them over one at a time.  If they draw a "1", simply give them a penny, etc.  If the child draws a sad face, they turn in ALL of their money.  Once a child reaches twenty-five cents, they are the winner.  Simply repeat the game over and over.  As an added bonus, let the children divide up the game money and keep it!

Lessons Learned

Today we had an art lesson on our agenda.  The idea in my head, definitely did not translate into something to be "pinned" on Pinterest.  However, it did turn into my three children having a LOT of fun.  What was supposed to be "apple art," ended up in a water extravaganza in the backyard.  After finishing our silly pathetic art project, I turned on the hose to wash everyone's paint smeared hands.  Well,...the sound of the running water was the sound of the beginning of fun in the sun for my kiddos.

The "lesson" for today is that big ideas can flop, but can turn into enjoyment that was never planned for!  Yay for the backyard hose!  Boo for an art project destined to end up in the trash can!

My First Homeschool Blog

As someone who grew up as a "homeschooler," I never thought that I would homeschool my own children. How did I make the crazy, huge, crazy, "am I nuts?" decision to homeschool? Well, it wasn't something that I pondered for too long. Along with my spontaneous decision making self, I simply made the decision to do so, and then I was off.

I must admit, that I didn't spend hours upon hours researching the best program out there. I figured that since my children love to learn and I love to teach, we would pick a program and go with it. I chose k12 simply out of convenience, and have discovered that I love it! How cool is it that a brand new computer, printer, and tons of materials are mailed to your front door?! Since I am a former classroom teacher myself, I found the arrival of all of this stuff almost better than the arrival of Santa's sleigh.

Why didn't I scour the universe for the perfect curriculum? Well, from my experience in the classroom and with my own kids, I know that curriculum does not do the teaching itself. Learning is SO much more! If I'm given curriculum that is well done and I follow it to the "T," then my child is going to learn. However, if I take that curriculum, add a dose of my own creativity, and simply go wherever the learning experience leads, then my child will become a "learner on the go." My children and I will look for opportunities to learn everywhere we go!

As a novice homeschool mommy, I am thrilled to take this journey with my kids! My three kiddos are a huge blessing from God and the opportunity to learn alongside them is an added bonus!