Growing Up Wild is a collection of educational DVDs
that takes you into the remote jungles of Indonesia and shows you the
day to day life of the four Wild brothers. Each episode
will share an aspect of missionary life and offer activity ideas that
will cause your children to explore their world and connect with ours. -From the Growing Up Wild website.
Meet the Wilds! Mom, Dad, and 3 Wild brothers. The Wilds are an amazing family serving as missionaries in the remote tribal jungle of Indonesia.
We received Volume 1 and 4 of the Growing Up Wild dvds. Each included 3 15-minute episodes as well as an activity guide for teachers.
1. Amazing World Around Us - Amazing episode about the wildlife in the jungles of Papua.
2. Adventures in Culture - Learn along with the Wild brothers about the tribal culture...including nose piercing! (My kids loved this episode!)
3. Tribal Calling (See why the Wilds and other missionary families feel called to tribal missions.)
These dvds are a part of a 5 dvd series filmed by the Wild Family. It took them 3 years to film and produce these films that they consider "a tool to influence an army of future missionaries that would take the
Gospel to the remaining unreached people groups of the world."
Our entire family have truly enjoyed each episode of the Growing Up Wild dvds. It has been particularly timely for us as we have been studying missionaries this year as part of our read-aloud studies. It's been wonderful for our kids to get a glimpse into the lives of current day missionaries and to learn how this Christians are sharing the gospel "to the ends of the earth"!
As well as watching the episodes, we also enjoyed doing the follow up activities suggested on the teacher's guide which are a part of the DVD-Rom. Some activities were as simple as watching a creation video that the Wild brothers enjoy.
One activity included making a Venn Diagram to show the similarities and differences between the Wild hut and our own house. Our kids liked comparing our house to the Wild's hut, but that experience was quickly topped when they had the opportunity to make their own hut...
It is far more crude then the Wild hut, but such a fun project!
The Growing Up Wild dvd series would make a great addition to your homeschool studies and would also be perfect for a Sunday School Class series. The quality of the filming is excellent and the episodes are educational and inspiring.
Disclaimer: I have been given the wonderful opportunity to review many homeschool products over the last few years. The only compensation that I receive for my review is the free product. I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to participate in review groups and I have enjoyed trying out these products and giving you my honest opinion.
Who hasn't fallen head over heels for Pinterest these days? The other day my grandma walked into her kitchen and announced sadly, "My flipflop just broke."
Simultaneously both my aunt and my husband...yes, I said my husband...nearly screamed, "I know how to fix that!" I knew how to fix it too because, like them, I had seen it on Pinterest.
So I thought I would ocassionally post the results of pins that I actually pin and use. First up is some yummy "cookies" I made the other day after seeing them on Pinterest. The original pin came from a blog called Runs for Cookies Recipes.
Pumpkin Spice Cookies
This recipe is so simple that even I could make it. We did double the original in order to fit the needs of our super sized family....oh, and I added chocolate chips. :)
Ingredients:
2 boxes of Spice Cake Mix
1 large can of pumpkin
1 bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
Simply mix the Spice Cake mix and pumpkin together. Really easy, but you'll be a little worried at first. Try humming along with Dori from Finding Nemo..."just keep mixing, mixing, mixing...". Seriously, mix for several minutes and it will eventually look like the above pic. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Place spoonful "lumps" onto a baking sheet and bake according to cake mix directions. I got about 6 dozen cookies.
I have to admit, they were oh-so-yummy! But I think they were far too cake-like to be called cookies. I would consider them more like 'muffin-tops'. Whatever you call them, we will be making them again and again!
Pin It Now!
The Institute For Excellence in Writing (IEW) is one of those curriculum providers that I have admired from afar for many years. I have often passed their booth at homeschool conventions and thought, "When I am really ready to start teaching writing, I will check them out." But if I'm honest, I felt a little intimidated by IEW and just wasn't sure if it would be the right fit for our family.
Nevertheless, when I had the opportunity to review IEW's new Primary Arts of Language (PAL) program, I just couldn't pass it up. The PAL program is
designed to teach primary age students (grades K-2) how to begin with
reading and writing. I was particularly interested in this since I have a kindergartner this year. E5 started the school year using a different program, but I was finding that it just wasn't right for us. We kept trying to make it work, but I could tell that E5 would really flourish with something more hands-on and less like a workbook. The more research I did on PAL, the more it looked like exactly what I was looking for.
I have to say, at first glance the PAL program looks overwhelming.
Partially, that is because it is not just one program, but two complete
programs designed to fit perfectly together. I will briefly break the
components of each program down...
PAL Reading Teachers Manual PAL Phonetic Games book - This spiral bound book includes everything you need to create over 30 file folder games for your student to use with the reading program. The games are printed on cardstock, making them durable for repeated use, and all you have to do is cut them out and assemble them into file folder games. PAL Phonetic Farm Folder with Stickers - As students learn new multi-letter phonograms, they have the opportunity to put stickers onto their Phonetic Farm. As well as a reward tool, the Phonetic Farm is also helpful for reviewing the sounds. PAL Reading DVD Rom - Includes the following:
Instructional Video by Jill Pike
The Four Language Arts MP3 Audio by Andrew Pudewa
Nurturing Competent Communicators MP3 Audio by Andrew Pudewa
Poetry as an Integrator MP3 Audio by Anna Ingham
Intro to the Blended Sound Sight Program MP3 Audio by Anna Ingham
Primary Arts of Language: Reading Student Book (e-book)
If purchased separately, these items would cost $98. But the PAL Reading Complete Package is sold for $69.
PAL Writing Teaching Manual PAL Writing DVD-Rom - Includes the following:
Instructional Video by Jill Pike
Reading Comprehension MP3 Audio by Adam Andrews
Dictation, Narration, and Public Speaking MP3 Audio by Andrew Pudewa
The Four Language Arts MP3 Audio by Andrew Pudewa
Primary Arts of Language: Writing Student Books (e-book)
All About Spelling Basic Interactive Kit All About Spelling Level 1 - Teacher's Manual and One Student Material Packet plus bonus e-audio downloads
I was thrilled that the PAL Writing package included All About Spelling. AAS is a program designed by Marie Rippel that we have reviewed before and were already familiar with. I have enjoyed using AAS with my older kids and knew that the E5 would enjoy this multi-sensory approach as well.
If purchased separately these items would cost $113. The PAL Writing Complete Package is $89.
For a more thorough introduction to the PAL program, watch this video from Andrew Pudewa:
You may also be interested in this webinar recorded to answer many FAQs about the program.
Finally, I wanted to share how a typical day using the PAL program works. First, I will tell you that it did take me about a week to look through the contents of the program and to prepare the items needed. Both the Reading and the Writing program contained an introductory video on the DVD Rom that I watched immediately and found very helpful. I then set about printing out the student materials and assembling them in two separate binders (one for reading and one for writing). I also prepared all of the file folder games at once. You may choose to prepare the games only as needed, but I knew it would be helpful to me to already have them ready and available when I needed them.
Also, I will mention that E5 has only been using this program for a few weeks and we are moving slowly but steadily through it. So there are some components of the program that we haven't got to yet (namely All About Spelling) which will start later in the program.
At the beginning of the day, I will open both of my teacher's manuals (for the reading and writing programs) and set them side by side on my desk. I refer to them both and move back and forth between them as directed.
First, we will read the assigned poem. The poems are repeated for several days and each day the poem will be used to teach new phonograms, spelling, or grammar rules.
Next we will move on to the class journal. Our class journal is a simple notebook that I (the teacher) write in each day with the help of E5. We will head each day's entry with the date which gives us a great opportunity to review calendar skills and capitalization rules. Then E5 will help me to develop 2-3 sentences describing our day, which I will write. Again, we review capitalization rules as well as punctuation rules.
Next we will move on to printing where E5 will review the letters he has already learned to write and sound out, as well as learn new letters using the PAL Letter Stories. The letter stories are an adorable way to help students learn both the sound and construction of a letter. For example, the letter 'c' is the happy letter. He's happy be cause he is a c-c-cookie who someone has taken a bite out of. (The letter 'c' looks like a round cooking that is open on one side because someone has taken a bite.)
Next, we will enjoy story time. A new short story is provided each day in the teacher's manual, which I read out loud and then ask questions pertaining to the characters/setting, problem, climax, and clincher of the story. I love that in kindergarten, E5 is already learning the elements of a short story!
Then E5 will get to play a few file folder games to reinforce the sounds and words he is learning.
E5 is always excited to get to this part of the day. Not surprisingly, he loves playing games and I love a curriculum that includes learning games as part of their program!
After playing games, we will have a work period...generally this is just a color, cut, and paste one-page activity that reinforces the sounds and words that we have learned that day. E5 is a bit of an artist and has always enjoyed coloring and creating things. He happily spends long periods of time working on art and craft projects and he shows no exception during the work period section of PAL. He actually enjoys it.
Finally, we will add stickers to the Phonetic Farm which E5 will tell you is his favorite part of the day. Exploring the Phonetic Farm allows him the opportunity to review the sounds we have been learning. Sometimes we will have a spelling test or other end of day activities that PAL recommends.
Here is E5 with his sister, L4, who has also been following along with the PAL program. They are playing the Color game together. I love it when there is fun and smiles in my classroom!
Final Thoughts: The Primary Arts of Language by IEW is a thorough program. While I initially thought it seemed overwhelming, I found that there was a tremendous amount of help available within the program to make it easier for me to understand. Once we delved into the program, I found it easy to use with each part of the day broken down step by step. Generally, it takes us about 1.5-2 hours to move through the material for the day. However, I think we, personally, are a bit slow. This is new material for E5, he enjoys taking his time with coloring and playing games, and we also allow for a slower pace so that my 4 year old can follow along.
Also, I am happy to report that E5 has begun reading his first words using the PAL program! He is not just memorizing, but beginning to sound out words. Even though he is my fifth child to learn to read under my tutelage, I never ceased to be amazed and humbled at being a part of the process. It is quite a blessing!
Primary Arts of Language was absolutely the right fit for our family. I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a beginning reading and writing program. Several families reviewed this program, so feel free to check out other reviews at the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog.
Disclaimer: I have been given the wonderful opportunity to review many homeschool products over the last few years. The only compensation that I receive for my review is the free product. I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to participate in review groups and I have enjoyed trying out these products and giving you my honest opinion.
The first time I heard of Grace & Truth Books, a family owned online Christian bookstore, was about three years ago. We were struggling with some, *ahem*, character issues with one of our children ...including, but not limited to, lying. We really wanted to nip this problem and were taking several courses of action. One thing I thought would be important to do was to include books that dealt with character during our read aloud time. Someone recommended Grace & Truth Books and we quickly ordered several titles from The Children's Character Building Set. These books were exactly what I was looking for and I would definitely encourage parents to check this series out!
So when the opportunity to review a book from Grace & Truth for the Schoolhouse Review Crew came up, I didn't hesitate to accept! I already knew that Grace & Truth published quality books and quality literature. I was sent a copy of With the Children on Sundays by Sylvanus Stall.
From the Publisher's Preface...
"'With the Children on Sundays' is as unique as it is wonderful. It was first published in 1893 as a series of children's sermons and then was brought back into print in 1995. This new edition is an evidence of the consistent desire to have it available to the Christian public. Please allow us to walk you through its content and usefulness. The book is perfectly designed to be a weekly book for family worship, as well as a ready-made Sunday school curriculum for children from the ages of five to eleven. Each chapter uses an object lesson that teaches biblical truth, as well as wonderful illustrations that can be copied and used for coloring. Each chapter then closes with a series of questions that can be used to review the contents of the chapter."
Since we are already accustomed to have a time of family worship about three evenings a week, my husband and I looked the book over together and decided that it would perfect to use during that time. So instead of using this book only on Sundays, we have been using it about three times a week. With the Children on Sundays first begins with a Preface and chapter on 'Suggestions to Parents'. These suggestions include how to "play church" at home which is essentially suggestions for a home family worship time. There are also ideas for how to reinforce the lessons taught in each sermon (chapter) with drawing, playing games, bible drilling and more. There is even a list of Bible Questions and Answers that would be great to review with your children on a consistent basis.
There are 52 sermons - or chapters- included in this book, each about five pages long with delightful black and white illustrations. Each chapter suggests an object that can be used to help illustrate the point of the sermon. For example, a magnet is used to illustrate how Jesus is the 'great drawing power'. A child's bank is used to discuss the idea of treasures on earth and in Heaven.
Now my husband will be the first to tell you that he is no planner. And since he was leading these lessons, he would generally just pick up the book and start reading the sermon once the kids were settled down. The objects were generally represented with an illustration, but for some of the more unfamiliar items (like a clam, or wormy apple, or anchor), I would find pictures online for the kids to explore.
The wording and stories of With the Children on Sundays will definitely take you back to a different time...over a century ago as a matter of fact....and sometimes that made it difficult for my youngest ones to follow. But the lessons in each sermon are truly classic, each based on the timeless Word of God. I think this book truly makes it easy for a parent to lead their children in a time of family worship in the home.
With the Children on Sundays is currently out of print, but Grace & Truth Books has a limited number of copies available for purchase, currently priced at $17.50. My suggestion would be to grab this book up before it is no longer available. The Schoolhouse Review Crew is reviewing this other books by Grace & Truth. Check out the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog for those reviews.
Disclaimer: I have been given the wonderful opportunity to review many homeschool products over the last few years. The only compensation that I receive for my review is the free product. I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to participate in review groups and I have enjoyed trying out these products and giving you my honest opinion.
I'm weary for a lot of reasons, but I am especially weary at the moment from the multitude of comments I have been hearing lately about how judgmental we Christians are. It's all over the place really...the media, Facebook status posts, in the comment section of any semi-Christian-related online article, and on the tip of every unbelieving or I'm-a-Christian-but-I'm-not-one-of-those-Christians tongue. And it's making me feel weary.
I mean, after all, what exactly does it mean to pass judgment on someone? Granted, I'm sure you have probably met some Christians who have been judgmental. I have. I've also been a judgmental Christian from time to time. However, I have to admit that before becoming a Christian, I was judgmental a lot more of the time. Which brings me to the point that I'm sure you've met plenty of judgmental people who aren't Christians, too. You know, some might say that when you group all Christians together and call them judgmental, that you are the one passing judgment.
I digress.
So I looked up the word 'judging' in the Webster's 1828 dictionary. (The word 'judgmental' wasn't there.) This is what I found:
JUDG'ING, ppr. Hearing and determining; forming an opinion; dooming.
Now, I'm just going to assume that no one is actually concerned about Christians 'hearing and determining' or 'forming an opinion'. After all, doesn't everyone these days believe that everyone's opinion has merit? I mean, what you believe is true is true for you and what I believe is true is true for me, right? Unless of course, I believe that there is an absolute truth, and especially if I believe that absolute truth is equivalent with biblical truth, and that couldn't possibly be true! That opinion has no merit whatsoever ... only opinions that agree that my true is true and your true is true can be true. Right?
Once again, I digress.
So, I'm thinking that the most appropriate definition according to Webster for what many people mean when they say that Christians are constantly judging others is 'dooming'. And I'm curious, what is it exactly that you find us, as an ENTIRE group, doing that is so 'dooming'? I think I know the answer. Okay, I won't be cheeky...I know the answer! I know it because so many people are screaming about it these days. Here it is...
Christians are judgmental because we refuse to acknowledge 'sin' as 'okay'.
That is what it boils down to, right? It really upsets people when someone disagrees with their life choices (or in some cases - the life choices of someone they know) and actually says out loud that it is wrong. But is disagreeing with someone being judgmental - is it dooming them? Or is it simply disagreeing.
After all, isn't it Christians (true, bible-believing Christians) who are the first to admit that they are nothing but sinners saved by grace themselves? Apostle Paul said,
"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even
though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I
was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Here
is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst." -1 Timothy 1:12-15
And I would really like to clear the air for those of you who think I am judgmental. I would like to stand in agreement with Paul. I am the worst of sinners.Even though I was once a blasphemer and a liar and an adulterer, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus!
Paul goes on later to describe how even after becoming a Christian, he still struggles with sin...
" I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing." -Romans 7:18-19
I hear you, Paul...I'm so with you!God has changed my heart and I seek to do His will, but I struggle every day. I struggle with acting out in anger. I struggle with laziness and selfishness. I struggle with hypocrisy. I struggle with sin because I am sinner.
But still, I will not tell you that sin is 'okay'.
Romans 6:23 says, "The wages of sin is death" .
If God calls it sin, I will call it sin ... whether it is your sin or my sin. So does that make me judgmental?
Maybe it does. You know, now that I think about it....maybe it's not the fact that you call me judgmental that really bothers me. Maybe its what you imply with the word. Because it seems that no one can ever make a statement about all those "judgmental Christians" without following it up with another comment almost exactly like the following...
Why can't we just treat everybody as equals?
And this is the one that really burns me. Why is it that you think that if I disagree with you, I'm not treating you as an equal? And if that really is your logic, than why in the world can't you treat me as an equal?!
Romans 3:23 says, "For ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."That meansYOU sin, I sin, WE ALL sin. That's equality, folks!
John 3:16 says, "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so
that EVERYONE who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."(NLT) To follow up with Romans 6:23 it says, "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." You see, God loves ALL of us, despite our sin. He sent His Son to die for ALL of our sins and He offers the gift of free salvation to ANYONE who will accept it. That is equality!
And by the way, if I disagree with you or something you do ... that DOES NOT mean I hate you. It doesn't even mean 'I don't like you'. And it certainly doesn't mean that I find you 'unequal' to me. It just means I disagree with you. As a Christian, I am called to love you...and to be honest, because of the way God has changed my heart over the years... most of the time, I even want to love you! I want to show you the love that God has shown me. I can love you, without loving your sin.
And finally, while you are screaming for all that equality for ALL, could I ask you one favor? Will you truly consider equality for all? Will you give Christians the right to have an opinion without deeming us as 'haters' and 'homophobes'? Too much to ask? Fine. Then will you consider equality for ALL regardless of their age or 'ability to contribute to society'? Will you consider equality for the unborn?
Just thoughts to chew on tonight.
I'm sorry if I've come off as sarcastic this evening. I'm sorry if you feel I've been rude. Like I said, I'm just feeling a little weary.
I have to apologize ahead of time for the excessive amounting of gushing that is to come in the following paragraph. I'm sorry, but it must done...
I am continually amazed at how Apologia Educational Ministries does it again and again. I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore. From the time we first opened an Exploring Creation Science text (and we've been through most of them), to Apologia's Worldview Curriculum, to most recently readingI Don't Have enough Faith to Be an Atheist offered by them, we have been enamored. But more importantly we have been inspired, we have beeneducated, and we have been drawn to the heart and the word of God. I mean, surely at some point even the most trusted company will produce a product that this opinionated mama isn't absolutely in love with, right? So far, Apologia keeps proving me wrong...
Last month I was sent a copy of Journeys of Faithfulness: Stories of Life and Faith for Young Christian Women written by Sarah Clarkson and published by Apologia. Now, I must say that I am pretty sure that I no longer fit the category of how I would define a "young" Christian woman, especially considering that the age recommendation by Apologia for this book is ages 12 and up. So, I was a little hesitant abouthow relevant I would find the book. I soon found that I had no reason to worry.
Journeys of Faithfulness is a bible study, a devotional, and a collection of engaging biblical fiction stories all wrapped into one. The book is divided into four parts each devoted to the stories of a biblical heroine/s. The Table of Contents is as follows:
Part One : Mary & Martha Chapter One: Learning to See
Chapter Two: A Circle of Glory
Chapter Three: The Hush of Love
Part Two : Mary, Mother of Jesus Chapter Four: Story-Formed Soul
Chapter Five: Swords and Starlight
Chapter Six: The Great Adventure
Part Three: Esther Chapter Seven: Heart Alive
Chapter Eight: For Such a Time
Chapter Nine: Courageous Beauty
Part Four: Ruth Chapter Ten: Claiming the Light
Chapter Eleven: To Walk in Darkness
Chapter Twelve: Desire of My Heart
Each chapter is also divided into four parts. In each chapter, you will first find a short story. Sarah Clarkson has artfully crafted twelve short stories based on the biblical stories of these historical women. I'll be honest, my favorite genre is biblical historical fiction but I consider it a rare find to find an author who does it well. I want to read a book that is riveting and inspiring, that offers me an escape but delivers me safely to worship at the feet of the One who created me. If I am going to read a work of fiction, I want it to inspire me. Sarah Clarkson delivered with each chapter. Obviously, she has taken some liberty when writing, but she still stays true to the biblical truths of each story. Her stories offered new insights into the lives of these women that I thought I already knew so well. Miss Clarkson, if you are reading, I am hoping to see full novels in your future...I will be first in line to purchase them! I hope you stick with biblical fiction...it's my favorite. :)
Following the short story, each chapter contains a devotional written by Clarkson that is a few pages long. Once again, I was impressed with how Clarkson wrote truthfully and transparently. As a fellow "wear-my-heart-on-my-sleeve" kind of woman, I appreciate that Clarkson was willing to share her struggles and the truths that God led her to. I agree that the material in both the stories and devotionals are suitable for ages 12 and up, but don't let the "young" label stop you from delving into this book if you are quite a few years away from age 12 like me! These devotionals would be suitable for all ages and stages of womanhood. As a matter of fact, I found God gently convicting me almost immediately at the beginning of this book with Clarkson's following passage:
"The Spirit of God is alive and calling out from the very core of our hearts. We have the Bible available to us, and we can offer a prayer at any moment. But the great requirement is that we be still enough to listen. We must hush our hearts every day so that we can learn, hear, and follow."
Finally, each chapter includes a bible study and several lined blank pages to record your own personal "Journal Journey". The bible study includes 3-5 scripture passages chosen by Clarkson that relates to the story lesson to be looked up as well as life application questions.
I would definitely recommend Journeys of Faithfulness by Sara Clarkson. It is a beautiful study and book and at only $13, it would also make great Christmas gifts for the women in your life! Be sure to check out the Apologia website to read a sample first chapter and the Schoolhouse Review Crew for more reviews of this product.
Disclaimer: I have been given the wonderful opportunity to review many homeschool products over the last few years. The only compensation that I receive for my review is the free product. I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to participate in review groups and I have enjoyed trying out these products and giving you my honest opinion.
The first time I heard about Activities in a Bag was about five years ago. Another local homeschool mom was coordinating a Preschool Activities in a Bag swap. Since my kiddos were in 2nd, 1st, and K and I had 3 little ones under that, I was certainly intrigued. I signed up to participate, was sent instructions to make 20 of the same "activity", then met up at a local park to swap. I came home with a large brown grocery bag filled with 20 gallon size bags, each with a different preschool activity. I was hooked! My kids were hooked! And I have been recommending Activities in a Bag ever since!
So how do they work exactly? Well, first you will need to purchase a Preschool Activities in a Bag ebook. (If you are coordinating a swap, only the swap coordinator needs to purchase the ebook, not everyone participating.) Currently, there are two volumes. You can purchase them for $15 each or $27 for both. I received both volumes for review. If you are coordinating a swap, you may also want to download this Coordinator Handbook for FREE!
Your ebook will contain instructions and printables needed to create
over 30 activities. (ebook 1 has 34 activities and ebook 2 has 33).
Each activity requires simple household item and should be placed in a
gallon ziplock bag. Affix the included label with instructions to the front of the bag for simple, educational activities to pull out at a moments notice. Preschoolers will stay busy with these fun bags while at the doctor's office, while you are homeschooling older siblings, or fixing dinner...or just because they don't want to stop having fun!
Here are a few pics of our bags...
This activity is made up of printed puzzles that are laminated. Puzzle pieces are printed on different color cardstock and all three puzzles are kept in one bag.
Beads are strung on a string to create a long, bendable "rope". Preschoolers can use the included shape cards to practice making shapes with their beaded rope.
This number recognition activity includes beads for counting out numbers. Students can pull a card, count out the beads, then flip the card over to count the dots and see if they counted correctly.
Now, as I said before, I had participated in a Preschool Activity in a Bag Swap years ago, so I already had most of these bags. But I jumped at the chance to review the ebooks, so that I could revamp my bags. Admittedly after five years of play from my many children, some of the activities had been lost or emptied of their contents. As I read through the ebooks (which include detailed instructions as well as helpful printouts to keep your swap details organized), I am thinking that I will also organize another swap. It's perfectly fine to purchase one of these ebooks and just make a couple of activities at a time. But it is so much easier (and I think more cost effective) to get 15 moms to each make 15 of two different activities. And quite frankly, with a kindergartner, preschooler, and two toddlers I know that I would love to have more than one set of these activities!
The activities in Preschool Activities in a Bag cover many different skills from number recognition, letter recognition, beginning phonics, patterns, shapes, colors, fine motor skills, sorting, and more. Many of the activities require simple supplies that you will most likely have on hand. For example, one activity calls for plain paper, crayons, and paper clips. Other activities will require more difficult to find items like foam letters or a dowel rod. This is another reason why I would prefer to do assemble bags for a swap than individual bags. I don't mind going to the hardware store and buying 15 dowel rods, knowing that another mom is going to a craft store for foam letters. It saves time, money, and energy to do a swap.
Both Preschool Activity in a Bag ebooks 1 and 2 are outstanding resources. I didn't favor one over the other, but felt that they were both equal in giving a variety of preschool age appropriate activities that were fun and educational.
Here are a couple more pics of L4 enjoying Preschool Activities in a Bag.
I was excited about this, because I knew my big kids would love it. Plus, it was super simple to put together. All you need is printouts from the ebook, a binder, plastic page protectors, 3 ring zipper pouch, a thin dry erase marker, a piece of felt (to use as an eraser), and a die (only used in two of the activities). I quickly had two copies printed out and put together two Travel binders for my kiddos!
As you can see, we fit our supplies into the zipper pouch. Over 40 fun travel activities (like tic-tac-toe above) are included in your ebook. More activities include ad libs, hangman, counting cows, road sign bingo, mazes, the license plate game, and so much more!
Our kids have been having so. much. FUN. with the travel binders! They've even been playing them at home! Travel Activities in a Binder are definitely most suited for children who are reading and writing. My younger children were able to play some of the games with help from their big siblings. But for the most part, it has been my 2nd-6th graders who have enjoyed these games the most. At only $15 for the ebook, I think this is a great buy. I will definitely purchase any additional Travel Activities in a Binder ebooks that are to come!
Also, don't miss the opportunity to get an Activity in a Bag sampler for free, just by filling out a simple survey at the Activity in a Bag website. You can also read more reviews of these products at the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog!
Disclaimer: I have been given the wonderful opportunity to review many homeschool products over the last few years. The only compensation that I receive for my review is the free product. I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to participate in review groups and I have enjoyed trying out these products and giving you my honest opinion.
