Along your homeschool journey, you may hear the words “child-led,” “unschooling,” “self-directed,” “child-centered,” “inner-discipline,” “project-based learning,” or “the child is the curriculum.” What does it all mean? You might ask, “Am I doing enough?” “What should I be doing all day?” Although these terms seem to have generally the same meaning, they are vastly different…
If you are homeschooling your preschooler or kindergarten, you might be wondering how to teach handwriting. This can be intimidating, especially if you are new to homeschool. Let’s break the process down into 7 easy steps! Step 1Strengthen the Hand Muscles Before ever touching a pencil, your child will need to have developed enough hand…
Taking the leap into homeschooling can be intimidating. You might think, where do I even start? Every homeschool family’s journey is different, there is no right or wrong answer of how to homeschool. Step OneDefine your intention. Answer the question; Why? What are you homeschooling? What kind of education do you want to provide for…
Spending time outside with children is not only beneficial for their development but can also be a fun and bonding experience for the whole family. Here are some tips to help you spend more time outdoors with children: Create the Intention First, you must set the intention. Set a goal, and decided when you will…
Why teach children through nature? Nature is essential to the child’s development physically, mentally and spiritually. “We have forgotten that children are designed by nature to learn through self-directed play and exploration, and so, more and more, we deprive them of freedom to learn.” Peter O. Gray Gross Motor Development Climbing, swinging, hiking, walking, running,…
Acorn to Oak Acorn to Oak is a nature based, Waldorf-inspired curriculum. Acorn to Oak offers nature studies and homeschool resources designed to be taught to sibling groups of varying ages. Alphabet Forest Alphabet Forest is Acorn to Oak’s Early Years Curriculum. This curriculum can be used from the early years of toddlerhood into first…
This simple nature craft has gotten hours of use in our home. This is a great way to teach letter sounds and CVC words. We try to make all of our own learning manipulatives. Pictured here are our beeswax letters. A tutorial can be found here. What is a CVC word? A “CVC” is a…
Have you ever tried to set up a calm down corner in your home? Our calm down corner is utilized daily by my twin toddlers. My boys are just now learning emotional awareness and regulation. Our calm down corner provides them the space they need to quiet their mind and their body, and have some…
This pinecone craft is always a favorite in my forest school class! I always pair this nature craft with the classic book Owl Babies. This snowy pinecone owl is perfect for any winter nature table. We also used our pinecone owl in this sensory play set up. Cotton is a texture that some people love,…
Sensory Play Play Dough is a great sensory tool. It can be squished, squeeze and rolled. Apart from it’s tactile properties, it can also be scented to provide an olfactory sensory experience. Fine Motor Skills Playing with Play Dough strengthens the wrists, hands and arms. Pinching, rolling, poking and squeezing strengthens the fingers which will…
As child-led homeschoolers, we love to utilize board games in our homeschool. Board games provide an opportunity for connection, collaboration, and family bonding. Board games are a great tool to have, especially on rainy days. These board games will help your child build essential fine motor skills in a fun and engaging way. Fine motor…
Multi-sensory learning is an educational approach that involves engaging multiple senses during a learning experience. Specifically, multisensory learning is a process that consists of learning a new subject through the use of two or more senses, which may include visual, auditory, tactile or synesthetic, olfactory, and gustatory sensations. While research shows that more information is…
Have you ever noticed that pinecones open and close? This is the perfect simple science experiment to add to your tree nature study! We will learn about the anatomy of a pinecone and how pine seeds disperse. Supplies 2 pineconeA jar or bowl full of water Instructions Pinecones are open when they are warm and…
Kinetic Play Sand is a great sensory tool for kids. This sand has a great texture that kids find mesmorizing. This kinetic sand recipe will save you money, and it is an eco-friendly alternative to premade sand. Kinetic Sand Ingredents 1 cup Play Sand1/4 teaspoon dish soap1 tablespoons clear glue1/t teaspoons liquid starch Instructions Try…
If your child has a gluten sensitivity, you will want to make gluten-free play dough. Creating your own play dough ensures that there is no cross contamination. It also means your play dough is eco-friendly, and making the play dough is a great sensory activity in itself! Add essential oils and natural dyes to create…