Life with the Family O

Category: Kid Fun

  • Digital Fun for Kids

    TechLink Online Kids
    We are always trying to find websites that have learning content rather the sites with games only. This has become even more important because lately our boys have developed an addiction to Super Mario Brothers, the old school version online. They explored all the learning websites and grew tired of them, so my husband had an idea.

    How about creating a web page, with them for other kids to use. They started working on it a few days ago and have come up with 4 different interactive areas. Since we homeschool it has been an awesome opportunity to have our oldest participate in planning it and then putting that plan into action, our 4 year old also helped. Now the boys get to see their work on a real live web page and they love it!

    Preston learning how to setup a page and insert pictures and text. He also learned how to add sound and effects and like most people he didn’t like hearing his own voice at first but still thought it was pretty cool. What a great learning experience! Hope you enjoy.

    www.techlinkonline.com

  • Charlotte’s Web Lapbook

    This year we are using Sonlight Core 1 for my first grader, I absolutely love the emphasis on literature and reading. We are currently reading Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, what a pleasure it is! Preston is really enjoying the story as am I. I wanted to try and come up with a Charlotte’s Web lesson, I also wanted to try lapbooking so I created this and thought it would be the perfect lapbook to make first. It’s designed to be interactive and a helpful learning tool, not just the book and characters but includes other animal facts and stuff like that too.

    Charlotte's Web Lapbook
    The Cover, Preston wrote the title across the top sheet and his version of the cover on the bottom left (took picture before)
    Charlotte's Web Lapbook
    Bottom right: Questions from each chapter, library sleeves
    Charlotte's Web Lapbook
    from the right hand side, cards from each category, match each card correctly, I cut these down after I took the picture, they were too long
    Charlotte's Web Lapbook
    Inside Center, What do Spiders eat, Spider Diagrams, What do Pigs eat?
    Charlotte's Web Lapbook
    more from inside center
    Charlotte's Web Lapbook
    top right – Animal Parents and Babies
    Charlotte's Web Lapbook
    Match the Animal picture with their name
    Charlotte's Web Lapbook
    Since Charlotte’s Web has the chapters in Roman numerals, Sonlight uses it to teach the numerals, here is a flip book I made up to ten (X)

    Charlotte’s Web Lapbook Download

    I thought this was pretty good for my first time although I did need to make some adjustments. There are many other children’s printables, lessons and activities I made if you would like to use them visit my Children’s Printables Page. Make sure and come back and let me know how it goes, share your blog. Please leave a comment, your suggestions and input can be very helpful. Feel free to use the material in a different setup I would love to see the results. Have fun and enjoy!

    It turns out that Lapbooking is really a lot of fun. I have some other projects we have worked on with other homeschool friends, I just need to get them posted!

     

    some coloring pages courtesy free coloring info.

  • A is for Animal

    D is for Dinosaur
    Oliver with his Dinosaur

    After checking out a ton of homeschool blogs this summer I was looking for an alphabet activity for Oliver to do, I came across an idea at totallytots.homestead.com.  It is called Now I Know My ABC’s and it shows pictures of animals made from each letter in the alphabet.  Here is what Oliver has made so far:

    A is for Alligator
    A is for Alligator
    C is for Crab
    C is for Crab
    D is for Dinosaur
    D is for Dinosaur
    Oliver's ABC Book
    Oliver's ABC Book

    He is keeping them inside of clear sleeves in his very own ABS’s book… he likes it so much!

  • Our First Field Trip!

    Botanic Gardens DenverWe did it! We went on our first official Field Trip for school. We have been studying flowers and how things grow, what more perfect place to go then the Denver Botanic Gardens. We went in the afternoon and the weather was perfect! We started by strolling the grounds and looking at all the native plants to Colorado. Then we headed into the Tropical Forest Greenhouse, WOW! The boys noticed the climate right away, Preston said it was “hot and wet”, perfect opportunity to explain humidity. I had the boys bring their science journals and some colored pencils, they each picked something they wanted to draw, both chose flowers they liked.
    Botanic Gardens Denver The greenhouse is a beautiful place with huge palms, almost fairy-tale like vines and flowers everywhere, waterfalls and a treehouse (sort of) to climb up and get a bird’s eye-view.

    After exploring the grounds we headed across the street to the top of the parking garage. That is where they have put an extrodinary kids area, just recently built over the Summer. What an awesome place!!
    Botanic Gardens Denver Mordecai Garden

    Denver Botanic Gardens
    Wood Stacking – LOVE THESE!

    Some features of the Mordecai Children’s Garden:

    -Scavenger Hunt Cards
    -Binocular Station with a lookout over the Gardens and the city.
    -A bear cave
    -A Mountain complete with bring and more binoculars
    -A garden to dig and play in
    -A stream that you can build a dam in
    -Mini-interactive stations, rock stacking, smelly flowers,wood stacking
    -Mini magnifying glasses throughout
    -So much more!

    Denver Botanic Gardens
    Scavenger Hunt Card

    What an awesome start to our year!
    Botanic Gardens Denver Mordecai Garden

  • Hermie Tot Book

    I have not made any lapbooks but I am researching them and a super-sweet friend is going to give me a tutoiral. For practice I decided to try a Tot Book, it’s a mini-version of lapbooks. We tried this one today it’s another great idea from the 1+1+1=1 blog. It is a Hermie Tot Book from the Tot Section of the blog. I intially had my youngest in mind but as I was going through it I think my 4 year will have fun with it too, I will try after I laminate the pieces. My 2 year old jumped right in and was super eager, we must LAMINATE. He liked it a lot and played with it for about 10 minutes! Thanks Carissa!

    Toddler LapbookTop Left – Bug book, Bottom Left – Accordion Counting Book, Bottom Right – Colors
    Toddler Lapbook

    Oliver liked the lapbook so I’d say it was a success!

    These were for a book that shows the names of the characters and then has a blank one for the child. I improvised and laid them all out and glued them to the inside. Sam liked seeing all of them, he was excited… it was so cute. Thanks again to 1+1+1=1, I have been so inspired and motivated!

  • Learning to Count, Add & Subtract

    This is a great idea from one of my favorite blogs, the
    1+1+1=1 Blog

    When I was learning to count my teacher showed me this method, not sure what it is called but it helped me tremendously when learning to add and subtract. I saw this and thought it would be great for Oliver. I hand wrote the numbers and he is using cylinder shapes from the Dollar Spot at Target. On a side note, the Dollar Spot also had packs of squares and triangles, great manipulatives!
    Counting Center
    Each number has the corresponding # of dots on it.

  • Legos, Who Knew?

    Legos

    I have to admit I had no idea about this phenomenon we are embarking upon. Since my oldest is now 7, he has graduated to new toys. In particular, he has gone completely, crazy-overboard over LEGOS! He can’t get enough, he builds and builds and then builds some more. I love to see his imagination stirring, the things he has come up with are so inventive, I love the outlet LEGOS provide. Creatively, scientifically, they are awesome. After he got his first set and loved it, I set out to find used Legos. I am a huge believer in buying toys on craigslist, eBay, etc. However, it seems that this has proven to be not as easy of a task as I thought. Before, any toy, really anything the kids wanted I have been able to find used at an awesome price. No so with Legos. If you can find any used they are only slightly less than retail. It’s really intriguing. Talking with other moms who have boys, they have all chimed in with their Lego stories- BOYS LOVE LEGOS!`

    I also just found this way cool organizer, holder thingy-bob … Definitely on the wish list! It’s called Box4Blox, it’s a fantastic idea.

    Preston playing Legos
    Pizze Delivery Spaceship… all the square pieces are boxes of pizza

    Legos
    Starfighter complete with door for the Pilot

  • Toddler and Preschool Centers

    Figuring out to do with my preschooler and toddler while I work with my 1st grader will be a challenge, however with these fun centers – I know it will be easier.  I had them all put away for about a week then decided to let them see everything and get their hands on it.  I told them they were our school centers, they loved them!  This morning when I went to pull them out they were so excited, I love it!

    A huge shout out to Carisa at 1+1+1=1.  I got all of my ideas on these centers from her blog post titled “Toddler Trays”.

    Manipulatives

    Lots of items from the Dollar Tree + some math manipulatives

    Homeschool Preschool Centers

    Oliver loves scooping

    Homeschool CentersHomeschool Preschool CentersToddler Homeschool Center

    Samuel likes the spoons and cups

    Elementary Homeschool CentersPreston playing with Base 10 blocks from math manipulative set

    HUGE SUCCESS!  They didn’t even play with everything either.  I will be returning to the household section of Dollar Tree to come up with some ideas.  Thanks Carisa!

  • Like Father/Mother, Like Son

    My oldest boy, who will be 7 in August, has decided he wants his own website.  He wants to share lego and play-doh ideas with everyone.  He also makes video games and he will be posting tutorials and games.  I look forward to teaching him how to blog all on his own.  I will incorporate it into our homeschooling.  My husband and I are both techs and are more than equipped to teach our boys.  Hope you enjoy, it is just now brand new, look for content in the next couple of days!

  • Sweeter than most?

    OliverIs it possible that some people can be sweeter than others?  In taste I mean.   Well, ok, let me explain.  I am kidding about taste but my poor sweet little Oliver is constantly the target of bees and spiders, every summer his lil body gets nasty bites and bumps.  I feel so sad for him, his brothers are completely left alone.

    On Thursday he was playing on the playground when a bee flew up his shirt sleeve, became trapped and proceeded to sting my lil baby 3 times!

    Friday night after his bath, I noticed a huge ruddy and red spot on his shoulder, it was about 4 inches in diameter with two bite marks right in the middle.  He said it hurt and then I remembered that he had a fever the prior evening.  We hopped online and couldn’t decipher what type of bite.  However, over and over we read that if it was a black widow or brown recluse to seek immediate medical attention.  So here we go, off to the ER at 10PM.

    Good news!  Oliver was put on antibiotics and this morning, already it looks better.  The doctor said he has sensitive skin and it was a bad reaction to another type of spider, she didn’t think it was black widow or a brown recluse.  She found anouther bite on his ankle and it was becoming infected so she cleaned that one up to.

    But why o why does Oliver become the target?  Is he sweeter than most?  I sure think he is.