Castles are cool. And, that we have one in our backyard is extra awesome. From Houston, you can arrive at the drawbridge of Newman’s Castle, in Bellville, Texas, in just over an hour. We took our scout pack and hit the road. The castle is just outside of Bellville heading north on Highway 36. You turn off onto the unassuming Old Highway 36. The road is definitely old. It is rutted with asphalt repairs and peppered with potholes. Finally, you turn off the paved road and head into the forest. The signage is few but the maps are well marked. About a quarter mile theRead More →

advent

Advent is the beginning of a season of anticipation and delight! The celebration of the coming of Christ’s birth. Beginning December 1st Christians across the world will begin to countdown to the day of Jesus’ birth. There are a lot of options for your countdown from chocolate to stickers. We love those but sometimes we want to delve a little deeper. This year, we have updated our 2014 Advent activities to be more streamlined, easier to use, and budget-friendly. You can enhance it with the suggested gifts or simply focus on the season. The suggested gifts are all things that will be easy to findRead More →

Animals of Texas Printable Do you ever create something and think, “Dang this is cute! The world should see it!” While working on a scout project I put together this Animals of Texas printable and had these same thoughts! Fortunately, I have a platform to share and share alike! Let’s get down to business! I will not make you read through my life story, my great love of Texas, or which Texas critter is probably my spirit animal and why. But, we do want to see your keyboard around here more often! Use this button to subscribe to our mailing list and we will getRead More →

Let’s set sail for a STEAM Summer starting with a Balloon Powered Sponge Boat! Most of our kiddos’ activities are completely canceled or at least significantly altered. But, that does not mean we can not have a great summer. This sponge boat is the first post for a summer of fun STEAM-themed summer activities. Never miss a post. Subscribe in the footer to be alerted of new activities! MATERIALS: Scissors Permanent Marker Ruler (optional) Balloon & a smaller balloon (optional) Flexible Straw Rubber Band Sponge (at least ¾” thick) pencil (optional) BALLOON-POWERED SPONGE BOAT DIRECTIONS:  1. First, measure the short side of the sponge andRead More →

Today’s Guest Post is from Sara Gruber about her daughter’s experience learning about the Battle of Gettysburg from her backyard. Thanks for sharing! The new norm? Sitting at the kitchen table, trying to do my “job” while homeschooling my two daughters. Oh, you have a literature Zoom at 2:30 pm? My mind runs through today’s to-do list… which report can I finish in that 30-minute window? Your worksheet is taking a while? Maybe I can draft a media release now so I won’t be up as late tonight. Every minute is painstakingly filled to maximize productivity and it’s somehow become our normal. What’s more? EvenRead More →

at home on the bay oyster bed

The Galveston Bay Foundation is launching a new program called At Home with The Bay. Their mission is to preserve and protect Galveston Bay as a healthy and productive place for generations to come. As such, it is making things easier by providing enriching programs to all kiddos and their parents while we are all unable to actually explore the Bay. This new program, At Home with The Bay, is a weekly video series. Geared towards Elementary & Middle School students, it will cover a wide variety of conservation topics related to the Bay. The goal is to get students of all ages outdoors and connected with nature through hands-on STEM curriculum.Read More →

The Outdoor Education Center (OEC) at Camp Olympia is a way to bring your students’ STEM learning into a real-world hands-on environment. Situated in the Piney Woods of East Texas on Lake Livingston, the Outdoor Education Center at Camp Olympia is a beautiful, unique learning environment that both students and teachers rave about. Read More →

teaching place value rainbow colored abacus

Teaching place value takes abstract thinking and concepts to hands-on fundamentals that children need to build their entire mathematical understanding. For some kids it is easy to pick up for others it takes a few different approaches before the concept “clicks.” We have used many options in our own homeschool and rounded up our top picks from those from educators who have been there. Get Practical & PracticeLet the Kids TeachSimple TipsManipulativesWhole Body LearningGamesDigital Games & ResourcesSongs and Videos Place Value Books Take a Break Taking a break from an idea and revisiting it later is a great strategy for many disciplines. If you canRead More →

Or, how to do a Unit Study for any book! We are homeschoolers. Not those homeschoolers. You know, the ones whose kids are up practicing their violin at 7 a.m. after a nutritious breakfast. But, those homeschoolers are great. We’re also not those homeschoolers. You know, the ones who follow their children’s whims even if it leads to daily binges of Fortnite or spending weeks tracking down every dinosaur-related book, field trip, and video in the area. But, those homeschoolers are great. We are somewhere in between. The homeschoolers that find both ends of the spectrum fascinating but is not really either of them. Usually,Read More →

By Annette Hines When my daughter, Elizabeth, was young, I used to dread the transition from her school program to her summer program as much as she was looking forward to it. Elizabeth was blind and in a wheelchair. She didn’t speak and used a lot of medical equipment to eat and breath and well, just live. Along with the change in the weather from rainy spring to beautiful hot summer days came the treacherous change in personnel, scenery and numerous threats to my medically fragile child’s health and well-being! Over time I developed this checklist to maintain my sanity and her safety. As parents ofRead More →