Curriculum and Supply

Easy DIY Chalk for Tons of Sidewalk Chalk Fun All Summer Long

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This DIY chalk recipe may contain affiliate links.

DIY Chalk is so easy to make-- it's the perfect way to prepare for summer. Simply make your own sidewalk chalk with a few easy-to-find ingredients for a bucketful of chalk that will last you all summer long! This homemade chalk recipe is also perfect for giving fun-shaped chalk pieces as party favors or gifts to friends! You can make your own chalk in any color you can imagine. Perfect kids DIY.

As a child, I remember many, many hours spent playing with chalk. There was just something fun about creating artwork for hours. I spent so many hours getting my hands and knees and elbows multicolor from sprawling on the driveway to draw. My kiddo is a big fan of chalk art, and all of his friends love it, too, so we’ve been going through a ton of it lately. I decided it was time to get creative to bring forward the most pigmented, best chalk for our money (and guess what? It’s easy to make, AND more affordable than buying boxes of chalk).

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Unicorn Kinetic Sand

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This recipe for DIY Unicorn Kinetic Sand may contain affiliate links.

This Unicorn Kinetic Sand is the perfect sensory toy, and in bright, vibrant sparkly colors, it looks just like a unicorn, too! Easy to make and fun to play with, you can make DIY Kinetic Sand at home!

I love kinetic sand. There’s just something so peaceful about squishing it, shaping it, and playing with it. But what I didn’t realize was that I was spending way too much on the kinetic sand at the store… making it at home in my favorite unicorn colors is easy and affordable! Kinetic sand is such a great therapeutic tool, too. My son has autism, and allowing him to play with kinetic sand while listening to me read has been a huge help to him when it comes to focusing. It’s also a great sensory tool! Here’s how to make your very own kinetic sand at home!

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Activities for the Book “Very Last First Time”

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This post about Very Last First Time Activities may contain affiliate links.

What was your Very Last First Time? We all experience important “lasts.” Our last first day of school, our last first time going to the dentist, and more. In the book, the main character experiences her very last first time doing something alone-- going and collecting mussels off of the sea bed. Whether you are rowing the book or just enjoying reading it with your kids, here are some extension activities for the book Very Last First Time. | Five in a Row | FIAR | Homeschooling | Unit Study | Hands-On Learning | Play to Learn | Kindergarten | Arctic Homeschooling Activities | Tundry Homeschooling Activities | Books to Go Along With Very Last First Time |

We all have Very Last First Times in our lives. A very last first day of school, a very last first time doing the monkey bars all by yourself, a very last first thing that you’re doing all on your own. For the main character in Very Last First Time, it is the very last first time she’ll ever walk on the seabed by herself. After that very last first time, she will have already done it before. It won’t be a first time anymore.

The book Very Last First Time is so packed with things you can explore and learn: amazing information about Inuit culture, how mussels are gathered, and what an arctic tundra is like. It’s also packed with information about family relationships. It discusses how to handle fear and important situations. Of course, it is also about growing up and tackling new milestones. Maybe you’re enjoying the book with your child for fun. Or, perhaps you’re rowing it as a part of your Five in a Row curriculum. You might even be tackling the book as part of a unit study. Regardless, there are plenty of fun Very Last First Time activities to do with this book!

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7 Things My Son Has Learned from Playing Minecraft Every Day

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If Steve and Alex are household names, if your child hears a hiss and thinks "creeper," or if you see everything in block form... you might have a Minecraft player in your house! Don't Panic-- Minecraft teaches some really amazing skills to kids (and adults) of all ages! Here are some things my child has learned from playing Minecraft-- it's incredibly educational, but it also promotes good social skills, too! Here's how.

Minecraft. It’s one of those ubiquitous games that it seems most kids are playing at one point or another. I’m not too worried about the Minecraft fascination, though. The thing is, there’s a lot of educational value in Minecraft. Many schools are even adding it to their curriculum! At first, I really didn’t get the appeal… so it’s a game. With blocks. And… everything is super boxy. And there’s no real end goal* (I’m from the Mario generation… you play the game, you save the princess, game over) which just blew my mind. When we got it, I didn’t think much of the game, obviously. But there are 7 important things my son has learned from playing Minecraft every day.

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Where I Find TOTALLY FREE Educational Apps for Our Homeschool

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Educational apps are a great addition to the homeschool classroom, but they can be expensive. Here's how we get FREE apps for our homeschool! #AmznUnderground [ad]

One thing I love about homeschooling is the flexibility… homeschooling can happen anywhere at any time. So, if the kiddo is really big on a certain topic, we can center experiments, books, math problems, and more around that specific topic… the flexibility works really well for us. Another thing that I love is how additional tools, like educational apps, can really supplement the learning process!

Educational apps are a great addition to the homeschool classroom, but they can be expensive. Here's how we get FREE apps for our homeschool! #AmznUnderground [ad]

It’s a fact of life that technology is now a major part of education– even public schools are embracing the use of apps as an educational support, and it’s something we’ve embraced in our homeschool as well.

Educational apps are a great addition to the homeschool classroom, but they can be expensive. Here's how we get FREE apps for our homeschool! #AmznUnderground [ad]

But apps get expensive. I think the worst part is when I pay money for an app, only to find out it’s only partially accessible because much of the app is locked away behind in-app purchases, meaning I have to pay more and more, or ultimately find a cheaper app to fill it’s place. I dream of a world where the entire app costs one price, without a ton of in-app purchases… and that world is actually starting to exist with Amazon Underground.

Educational apps are a great addition to the homeschool classroom, but they can be expensive. Here's how we get FREE apps for our homeschool! #AmznUnderground [ad]

If you haven’t heard of it, and you homeschool, Amazon Underground is a MUST-HAVE. It works with Android smartphones, but also Amazon Fire tablets.

Educational apps are a great addition to the homeschool classroom, but they can be expensive. Here's how we get FREE apps for our homeschool! #AmznUnderground [ad]

With over 300 educational apps, you just download and go… and in-app purchases on the apps that have the “actually free” sash on Amazon Underground? THEY ARE FREE.

We’ve got a lot of favorites– most of the Dr. Panda series, for example, is available on Amazon Underground, meaning we can play to our hearts’ content.

Educational apps are a great addition to the homeschool classroom, but they can be expensive. Here's how we get FREE apps for our homeschool! #AmznUnderground [ad]

For us, Amazon Underground means the freedom for Zack to explore apps that are educational and still interesting… lately, he’s been fascinated with maps, so we can use Actually Free Amazon Underground Apps like GeoFlight USA, a fun geography quiz. When his interests were all about dinosaurs last week, he could play Caillou the Dinosaur Hunter. Because his interests change so fast, I’m not trying to buy educational apps to keep up. Now, I can be assured that it’s just free.

But you know, life isn’t always spent on school, so luckily there are a ton of great apps that Zack and I both love for leisure, too. One of my personal favorites is Fish Out of Water… I’m a little bit obsessed with those fish! The game there has in-app purchases where you can purchase crystals to do different things… and check out what happens if you push the button to buy more– it says it’s FREE (even for that $15 pack!), and that Amazon Underground is buying the in-app purchase for me. A few seconds later, and the crystals magically appear (and my bank account stays completely intact!)

Educational apps are a great addition to the homeschool classroom, but they can be expensive. Here's how we get FREE apps for our homeschool! #AmznUnderground [ad]

Educational apps are a great addition to the homeschool classroom, but they can be expensive. Here's how we get FREE apps for our homeschool! #AmznUnderground [ad]

Outside of homeschooling, we’re also loving the new Frozen Free Fall Icy Shot game! It’s a twist on the popular Frozen Free Fall app, and with over 100 enchanting levels– and I can’t get enough of it. It’s got all of my favorites– Anna, Elsa, Olaf, and even some Snowgies (aren’t they so mischevious?!), and it’s got that classically fun “take aim and shoot” gameplay that I loved with the first Frozen Free Fall. Snag that app totally free right here!

What is your favorite educational app? Let me know in the comments below, then learn more about Amazon Underground and get some totally free apps on your Android Smartphone here!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

DIY Hidden Cord Charging Station

- Mama 6 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BTSwithHP #CollectiveBias

Back to school is such an exciting time... but it can mean an extra need to stay organized and powered up. Here's a simple way to make a DIY charging station for your desk that clears up those crazy cords, too! Plus, I share a few ways we use computers in our homeschool lessons! #BTSwithHP [ad]

I’m seriously having the hardest time handling the fact that summer is pretty much over… we’re in the last few days of the pool being open for the summer, back to school sales are in full swing, and the curriculum has arrived, which means it’s pretty much time to get back in the swing of homeschooling… and that means a major need for organization and staying powered up. Today, I’m showing you an impossibly easy DIY charging station for YOUR desk!

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5 Back-to-School Must-Haves Your Exchange Student NEEDS!

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #JustACallAway #CollectiveBias

Exchange students have unique back-to-school needs that you might not think of. Here are 5 things exchange students must have before they go to school. #JustACallAway #Ad

I didn’t realize how prevalent hosting exchange students was until my family started hosting about a decade ago. Through the years, I’ve met a lot of host families, and I’ve gathered some tips of the must-haves that exchange students need to go back to school. In some ways, it’s just like back-to-school shopping for your own kids, but in some ways, it’s just a little bit different, and I’m so excited to share the 5 things your exchange student really needs before they go to school in America.

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How to Start Art Journaling Your Bible Study

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This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and DaySpring, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #DayspringSadieRob http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

If you're wanting to feel a deeper connection to the scripture, or meditate on it more, try art journaling your verses. Regardless of your skill level or your medium, it's a great thing to incorporate into Bible study. Here are some tips to get you started. #DayspringSadieRob #liveoriginal #PMedia #ad

Sometimes I feel disconnected. Like… I am reading the words God is putting in front of me during Bible study, but like they’re not always connecting as well as I’d like. It’s not my comprehension. It’s my worry– it’s the constant string of thoughts on my mind that prevents me from fully disconnecting with the world and connecting with God in that peaceful, calm, quiet moment. As I read, it seems my mind is on a million to-dos, all of the things I haven’t accomplished. And I needed a way to disconnect. I really, truly did. I thought about how much I love to meditate over a coloring page or any other form of art. And then I realized… “I can do that with the Bible. I can have that meditative disconnect between me and the world so I can hear what God is saying to me.” So, I decided to make Bible art journaling a priority.

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Creating a Color Theme Unit for Kids

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MamaPlusOne is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Additional Affiliate links may also be used.

Colors are the perfect theme for a preschool theme unit! This color unit is a great idea for teaching kids the basics of colors, color mixing, and more. Whether you homeschool, need daycare activities, or are a preschool center, you'll love the ideas in this unit that use COLORS!

Is there anything more fascinating to a child than color? I’ve never met a child that didn’t love rainbows, have a favorite color they are passionate about (even if it changes on a daily basis), and love pointing out every color they see… “Look mom, that’s a green train.” “I want the purple grapes!” What better way to inspire kids with even more colorful thoughts than to use a color theme unit?

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14 (More) Valentine’s Books for Kids

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MamaPlusOne is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Searching for the perfect book for your child this Valentine's day? Look no further- this book has 14 top picks, ranging from toddler to tween, and working for boys AND girls!

It’s no secret I love books. I especially love to give my son new books for every holiday I can. Those seasonal endcaps at stores during each holiday season? It’s impossible for me to resist putting one of everything in my basket when it comes to the book aisle. But, after a few seasons of obsessive book purchasing, I’ve narrowed down some more of my top picks so you can choose the perfect Valentine’s Day books for your child!

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