It’s that festive time of year again! This has always been my favorite time of year. When I look back at my childhood, my fondest memories were the fun traditions my family made together during the holidays. Children find comfort and bonding in these traditions and it generates a special joy around the home. Now my kids are all grown up but they still enjoy the traditions we made together and really look forward to the holidays. I believe it is because we come together as a family unit, enjoy fun activities together, and most of all look outside ourselves. I would like to share some ideas as well as some of our favorite traditions my family began years ago!
Enjoyed by families for generations, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade made its debut in 1924 to celebrate and show off the opening of their World’s Largest Store in New York City. Offering a whopping 1 million square feet of clothing, household goods, and children’s toys, the newly expanded store stretched across an entire city block and loomed 11 stories tall to accommodate the brisk business experienced in the early 1920s. Over a century later, the parade has only grown in notoriety and popularity. In this unit study, take some time to learn about America's favorite parade as it enters its 99th running!
Some homeschool parents respond with enthusiasm when given an opportunity to teach art. They pull up artist biographies, look up famous works of art, and find ways to practice the techniques of art masters with their children. These parents may or may not be using an art curriculum. If they are, they may be making lesson modifications based on their students’ ages, availability of art supplies, and time. But this isn’t all homeschool parents, is it?
Homeschooling parents are often accused of turning ordinary events into learning opportunities – even in the summer! Out here in Illinois where Rainbow Resource Center is located, the summer months are often hot and humid. This heat inspired me to think of some summer learning ideas to explore in your homeschool!
I love board games any time of the year but as Summer approaches, I am thinking about games that have a summer “vibe” and/or travel well for trips to the beach, picnics, camping or wherever else summer takes you! Here are three fabulous games that I have played and chosen that remind me of summer or that I have packed and played away from home.
Welcome to our June unit study in celebration of National Bald Eagle Day celebrated annually on June 20th. This short unit study is designed to take an hour and serve as a springboard for your children to go deeper into topics they would like to learn more about this Summer. As we work through the study, you will notice some words in blue–these are hyperlinked to child-friendly sites to provide more information. As always, supervised online time is recommended although at the time this unit was written, we have verified the content in the included links. Gather your children and let’s begin!
What fits into a 9 ½” x 6” space and is more fun than a whole barrel of monkeys on a rainy vacation day? You guessed it — these six games, which come in small boxes, but pack loads of vacation fun for the whole family!
Here’s the reality, you get 18 summers with your child…gulp! Spend them wisely and make the most of your time as you learn and make memories together! Here are some great ways to bond as a family thoughout the summer months.
“If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.” How many times have we heard this saying or have said this to our children? When we are learning a new skill, whether baking, a sport, crafting, or math homework, practice does make progress! We have this mentality when it comes to learning new things. What about when we are developing a new habit?
Summertime at Rainbow Resource Center means it’s time for our annual writing contest! Students from ages 7 to 18 (by January 1, 2025) who wish to participate will write and illustrate an original story involving time travel. Two or more winners in each age group are selected by a team of Rainbow Resource judges and will win cash prizes. One of these winners is selected as the Grand Prize Winner and will be published and sold on our website! Keep reading to learn more about the official rules and how to participate.
We fill our lives with a lot of busyness. In the case of homeschool parents, this can put a lot of pressure on mom and dad to do their best multitasking on a day-to-day basis. You always have a multitude of things to accomplish – not only homeschooling your children, but also cleaning, laundry,...
You have made the decision to homeschool! If you are anything like me, the fear, anxiety, and nerves soon start to weigh on your decision. The self-talk begins to chip away at the resolve over the well-researched, prayed-over, and supported decision you just made. Whether your first child is...
For my family, the end of the school year coincided with the beginning of my favorite season: garage sale season! That’s what I call it here in the Midwest. We’d visit towns near and far who were having neighborhood sales and spend the day seeing what treasures we could find! For my kids, they...
“One man’s junk is another man’s treasure!” In this article I want to talk about having a garage sale. I know, it’s a lot of work! But hear me out…During summer break (or at a time that is good for you), take the time to go through your house. We have done this just about every summer as a...
Pulling weeds isn’t the most exciting part of gardening, but it always brings me satisfaction. Some weeds come right out while others are stubborn and need a little extra pulling, often with a garden tool. When it has been hot and dry, I might even spray a little water first to make it easier....
