Showing posts sorted by relevance for query pe activities. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query pe activities. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query pe activities. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query pe activities. Sort by date Show all posts

Homeschool PE Egg Hunt for Elementary Students: Fun for a Family Get Together Party too!

Get Fit with this Creative Physical Education Easter Egg Hunt for Parties or PE Class

This Egg Hunt isn't just for Easter. Add physical fitness to your family get together, birthday party, gym class, or homeschool PE. Hide the eggs outdoors, and then hide physical fitness activities inside each egg. Make a game out of working out! In the video below, we improvised and had fun turning exercise into a fitness game that got the whole "family" involved. Enjoy!

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.


PE Games for Easter: Physical Education Activities

Fun Indoor Activities for Kids

Indoor Activities To Do With the Kids


When we leave summer behind and approach the colder months, kids want to stay inside. That means, it’s time to pull out the indoor activities to keep the kids entertained after school and on the weekends. Just because you’re stuck inside doesn’t mean the day has to be wasted! There are loads of great family-friendly activities to do indoors.


This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links.


IndoorActivitiesforKidsRainyDay


Be sure to click through the links to find all the fun indoor kids activities we've discovered.

If you're looking for great ways to keep kids entertained when the weather’s got you stuck indoors, look no further! Some or these activities, you might do regularly, others you may never have tried before, but they’re all great ways to keep the kids entertained while encouraging them to learn new skills. 

Baking 


How can you not love an indoor activity where you and the kids get to eat a tasty treat at the end? When the weather isn't very nice, baking is a great way to bring the family together, and you can learn some amazing new skills while you’re at it. 
Don’t worry if you’re not a great cook, the fun is in learning the new skill, and there are some great recipes for beginners out there. Even if you are a beginner, these recipes will have you baking up a storm!
Everyone wins when you get to do a fun family activity and eat some tasty baked goods at the end of the day.

Arts and Crafts


Keep everyone entertained for hours on end with a few well-planned arts and crafts projects. These might take a little bit of pre-planning on your part, but they’re sure to give your family an amazing day of creating things with their hands and bonding with each other. 

Any project with epoxy resin is bound to get the kids excited, and the results you can get with this product are awesome and perfect for a cold or rainy day.

Don’t worry if you’re not an arts and crafts pro, there are plenty of beginner projects to get you going like a pro. 

Kids CRAFTS from our blog.

Board Games


In the modern world of ultra-realistic video games, the old-fashioned board game still has its place. In fact, the classics are often the best, and there’s no better time to pull out the board game collection that when it’s raining outside. 
No matter how much technology moves on, the likes of Monopoly, Cluedo, Jenga, and Uno are always family favorites for a good reason. Once you get everyone together and involved in a game of Monopoly, you’ll find the time just flies by, and you won’t even remember that the weather is terrible outside. Make sure you’ve got a trustworthy banker, and you’ve got an afternoon of fun indoor activities for everyone. 




Rainy Day – Don't Worry


As we approach Fall, the weather might not allow for as many outdoor activities as usual, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to end. There are lots of fun indoor activities that you can enjoy with your family on a rainy day.  For more inspiration, check us out on Pinterest!

What looked like a boring weekend stuck inside, might just turn out to be a weekend full of joy and family fun. You can eat, drink, create, and play games with your family and friends while bringing everyone closer together. Just do a search in our blog for games, crafts, kids recipes, family field trip ideas, and fun indoor activities for kids. Stick with us, and you'll never run out of fun things to do!


Recommended:



Fun PE Activities for Outdoors

Stay in your Car Holiday Activities



Fun PE Games for Kids: PE Activities Gym Exercise

 PE Games for Elementary Homeschoolers


Getting PE time in as a homeschooler is difficult. Sometimes, you have to get creative. Kids love to play tag! These physical education games for elementary focus on old favorites, but each one has a new twist. Learn the country of origin of many pe activities for kids. Kids will love to play these fun PE games indoors or outdoors. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*

Fun PE Games for Kids: PE Activities Gym Exercise
Fun PE Games for Kids: PE Activities Gym Exercise.

Futuristic Activities for Kids: Fly to the Moon Lesson Plans and Companion Games

Activities for Outer Space Moon Lesson

Looking for new ideas for a children's Homeschool or VBS Futuristic Outer Space or Moon lesson for the kids? These futuristic activities for kids are fun and educational. We've included a few Outdoor games for P.E. activities too. Enjoy!



futuristic vbs for kid astronaut suit photo booth backdrop outerspace
Futuristic Space Astronaut Backdrop for Photo Booth Op.  
Outer Space theme VBS fun for school fundraiser too.



This post contains affiliate links.


Easter Party Favors: Peeps Dirt Pudding Dessert Cups

Easter Peeps Dirt Dessert Place Setting Table Display

This post is sponsored by DollarTree.com. I received the products mentioned here for free from Dollar Tree. This post also contains affiliate links. I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on the links.

Planning an Easter Dinner? We love all things Edible Art for Easter, especially when they serve double duty as a decorative place setting display for the table. These Peeps Dirt Dessert Cups will brighten up your Easter Holiday table. Everything you need is available at the Dollar Tree online where you can buy Easter decor in bulk. So, make a bunch of Easter Dirt Pudding Cups Party Favors for the entire family. Scroll down for more Easter Activities and Ideas to make your Easter holiday get together unforgettable. Enjoy! 


Easter Party Favors: Peeps Dirt Pudding Dessert Cups



12 Games, Crafts, and Activities for Kids for St. Patrick's Day

Looking for Classroom Curriculum or Fun After-School Activities for St. Patrick's Day, find them here!

If you are planning Saint Patrick's Day curriculum for an after-school program, homeschool, or early childhood and preschool classes, we've got everything you need from educational games to free printables to easy crafts for kids. Rather than make you search all over our site, we've rounded 12 of them up for you, and it includes some of our very first posts from way back in 2007. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*

Games, Activities, and Printables for St. Patrick's Day.
Games, Activities, and Printables for St. Patrick's Day.


















ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


3 Easter theme Physical Education Activities for Elementary Kids using Eggs

Want to add an Easter theme to homeschool physical education activities for elementary school age kids


Use plastic eggs and egg cartons in the games. To make a fun preschool activity or silly Easter party game add some bunny ears. These 3 games work for a kid's birthday party  and are fun to play in Sunday School at church. We also have a fun pe game for Easter. Enjoy!





Games: 3 Easter theme Physical Education Activities for Elementary Kids using Eggs
Plastic Easter Egg Games and Activities for PE/Gym.
Easter Egg Pockets Game                                                   
You need:  egg carton, markers, plastic Easter eggs, and 1 or more players.

How to play game: Any size egg carton will do, but cardboard egg cartons are easier to color with markers than styrofoam ones.


Cut lid off carton. Color each pocket a different color. Write a point value in each pocket. The points should be in increments of 10. So, if you want to use an egg carton with 8 pockets, the point values would be 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80. The larger point values should be in the pockets around the outside edges, since these are harder to get the ping pong ball into.

Place the your egg carton on the floor. Stand about four feet back from the carton. To make it harder you can stand even further back.

Now, try to toss a plastic Easter egg into one of the pockets. Where the egg lands is the number of points you get. Then, the next player takes a turn. The first one to reach a score of 100 is the winner!



Easter Egg Pass Game
You need: Plastic Eggs, Large Spoons, and an Easter Basket.

How to play game: Each player needs a large ladle or spoon. Each group of two players needs a plastic Easter egg. Player one starts with the egg balanced on his spoon. He tosses it to the other player, who in turn catches the egg in his spoon. The object of this game is to pass the ball back and forth without dropping it off the spoons. 


With a larger group of children, at a kid's birthday party, you can play a variation of this game by dividing in half and lining everyone up into a single file line and asking them to pass the egg down. 


When a whistle blows or you say, "On your mark, get set, go" the race begins and the egg is passed from spoon to spoon until it gets to the person at the end of the line. If the egg is dropped the team must start over. 


The last person drops the egg into an Easter basket at the end of the line to win. Or, try this variation: The fastest team wins or give each team an equal number of eggs and a time limit. When you blow the whistle, everyone must freeze. The team with the most eggs in their Easter basket wins.


In My Easter Bonnet Game

You need: Plastic Eggs, Easter Basket, 1 Easter Bonnet (Make one here) and enough bunny ears for all players.

How to play game: Before the game begins mark one of the plastic eggs with a tiny bunny face. For a preschool or Sunday school class let the kids make their own ears and bonnets beforehand.


Everyone sits in a circle like Duck, Duck, Goose only everyone is wearing bunny ears (Don't worry it is fun for older kids too). Place the basket of eggs with the bonnet in the center of the circle. One player is chosen to hop around the circle like a bunny. He chooses another player by tapping him on the shoulder. The second player, places his hands on the firsts shoulder (like a train) and they continue to hop around the circle adding to their bunny hop. The last player sitting grabs the basket and the bonnet. 


The bunny train circles him and then sits down. The player with the basket passes 1 egg to each of the other players. The player with the bunny egg must trade his ears for the bonnet. 


Now, the eggs are placed back into the basket, and everyone wearing bunny ears forms a new circle around the basket of eggs. The player in the Easter bonnet is now "it". This player must twirl around the circle and tap another player on the shoulder to twirl with him until all but one player remains again.


Play continues as before, and the person who gets the bunny eggs must trade his ears for the bonnet. Play continues until everyone has a chance to be "it".


If you can find the music for the Bunny Hop and Easter Bonnet songs, play them during the game to make it more festive :)



Recommended Reading:


Holiday Recipes and Games for Kids*

Egg Hunt Game for Physical Education

The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book: Fun and Easy-To-Use Games and Activities To Help You Teach Your Children Fitness, Movement and Sport Skills*



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ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


Call of Duty Theme Activities and Birthday Party Ideas for Boys and Teens

Call of Duty Ghosts or Black Ops, either way Teens or Little Boys will love these Party ideas and activities with an Army Theme

Teens (and Grown ups too, apparently) love Call of Duty. They love to role play, and they appreciate a good Black Ops Birthday Party theme too. So, why not indulge them with these crafts and activities. Enjoy!


This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*


Call of Duty Wall Art Poster project for teens.
Call of Duty Wall Art Poster project for teens.

That's right, men can do crafts too. And, to pretend play in style, they will need to fashion a mask for role playing or grownup dramatic play or use cut out our wall art and turn it into a mask! We also have Call of Duty Free Printable Coloring Pages they might like.


Call of Duty Theme Activities and Birthday Party Ideas for Boys and
Call of Duty Theme Activities and Birthday Party Ideas for Boys and Teens.



Call of Duty Skull Mask.

How to make a Call of Duty Ghosts Wall Poster

This was a very easy and simple craft to make. We took one piece of black construction paper, folded it in half lengthwise and then drew half of the ghost skull. You'll note ours isn't perfect. The Call of Duty Ghosts logo is actually thinner than ours, but don't you just love individualism? That's what makes it a work of art.

Call of Duty Ghosts Wall Poster Craft Activity for Teens
Teens will enjoy making Call of Duty Ghosts art for their room.

After we cut out the skull mask, we used a glue stick to attach it to another sheet of black construction paper. Then, we colored it in with white chalk following the logo pictured below.

Then, we took a soft, black crayon (Roseart) outlined the skull, and added in skull fracture details. If you prefer a mask, cut it out at this step Leaving the only the eyes as open as holes.

Now, use a hole punch to make holes just under the eyes on each side. Grab a birthday party hat, remove the elastic band, tie knots into each hole, and voila! You have a Call of Duty Ghosts Mask.

Call of Duty Ghosts Logo
Call of Duty Ghosts Logo.

Call of Duty Birthday Party Ideas

From Birthday Party Ideas blog, Call of Duty Army Party.

Call of Duty Birthday Party Ideas for Army
Call of Duty Army Theme Birthday Party for Kids.
Enlist Recruit Desk for Call of Duty Theme Party from More Than Mulberries.


Enlistment Office Party Favors and Registration Desk
for Call of Duty Birthday Party.

Use some our our PE Games for Boot Camp Birthday Party Activities for your special event.

The website Boot Camp Ideas for Kids has many fun ideas for physical fitness that can be incorporated into an outdoor army birthday party.



kids army boot camp party ideas
Ideas for Army Boot Camp at Kids' Call of Duty Party for Boot Camp Ideas.

Recommended Items:















ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


Home School How to play games and get your Kids Moving (Activity games for Kids)

You played these games in PE class, now teach your kids how to play games in Home School. 

Here are rules for 6 activity games for kids that don't take up too much space. Preschoolers love them, so do older elementary students. For a real hoot, play them at a Teen Birthday Party! We've added a little twist to some of these kid's activities so don't let the names send you away. Enjoy!


How to play games Home School Ideas for indoor PE activity games for kids
Kids PE Activities: Simon says, "Bark like a dog!" 
Change an old game up by digging in a costume trunk.

Musical Chairs
To play you will need chairs (or carpet squares); one fewer than the total number of players, music you can stop and go easily (for a twist designate someone to sing). Start with the chairs in a circle. When the music starts, the players will walk in a circle around the chairs. After a few seconds, the person who is controlling the music shuts it off, and all of the players scramble to sit. The player left standing is out of the game. The remaining players stand up again, one more chair is removed, and the music starts again. Repeat until there is one player left in the game. If you have a large number of children, as they get out move them to an inner circle, and let them play inside around a single chair to heighten the action moving in the opposite direction of the outer circle.


Duck Duck Goose
Who doesn't love a game of duck, duck, goose? We change it up for the seasons and play Ghost Ghost Goblin or Bunny Bunny Chick (Must hop around the circle) Have the participants sit down in a circle facing each other. One person is "it" and walks around the outside of the circle gently tapping each player on the head and saying either “duck" or “goose." When a person is tapped on the head and called “goose,” they  stand up and chases the person who is “it” around the outside of the circle, trying to tag “it” before the player can sit down in the spot where the "goose" was sitting. If the "goose" is able to tag "it," then the "goose" can return back to his seat.  "It" repeats the same procedure again. If "it" is sits before being tagged by the "goose," then the "goose" becomes "it" and the game starts again. 

Balloon Volleyball

Blow up one balloon, and locate a divider to serve as a net. A doorway, some kitchen chairs, a jump rope on the floor, or a fence make great 'do not cross lines'. Players hit the balloon back and forth across the “net” until someone misses. When one misses the balloon, the other scores one point. The first team to reach 10 points wins.

Simon Says

Mark a line on the ground (jump ropes work great or sidewalk chalk) and another line about 10' in front of the first. "Simon" stands on one line; and the players line up on the other line. "Simon" calls out directions to the players telling them actions or movements to make to move forward. For example, if "Simon" calls out "Simon says bark like a dog," then all of the players who bark like a dog get to move forward one step. If "Simon" does not start with "Simon says," then the players should not move. If a player does move, he has to return to the starting line and begin again. The first player to cross over the line where "Simon" is standing is the winner. For a fun twist, have a costume trunk nearby so the players can get in character. For example, for hop like a bunny everyone must grab bunny ears.


Red Light, Green Light 
Mark a line on the ground and another line 15-20' in front of the first. The person who is the "traffic light" stands on one line, and the players line up on the other line. The "traffic light" faces the players when it is a red light. When the "traffic light" turns his back to the players it is a green light, and the players can move towards the finish line. As soon as the "traffic light" turns back to face the players the light is red, and all of the players must freeze. During this time, no players are allowed to move. If a player does move on a red light; he has to go back to the starting line and begin again. The first player to cross over the line where the "traffic light" is standing is the winner. For a twist, add a yellow light where players must move slowly (they could even be required to crawl) or a blue light where players must walk backward. We always just shout out the light color.

Cherry Pickers

This stretching exercise requires the players to stand with feet shoulder-width apart and arms at sides. Then, the player will bend forward at the waist, reaching down and touching fingertips to the ground in front of his feet. He will then move his fingertips back so they are between his legs, and then back farther so they are through his legs. This movement should resemble picking cherries. The players stands back up, claps hands, and repeats the movements again. Pair two children back to back, and have them try to touch each other's fingertips.


Recommended Reading:

Great Big Book of Children's Games: Over 450 Indoor & Outdoor Games for Kids, Ages 3-14*

Games for Parties

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ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


Plan an Indy 500 Race Theme for a Kid's Birthday Party or Special School Activity

Indy 500 Theme Race Party with Cardboard Racecars

The Play Connection, Inc. (my alter ego) did lots of fun preschool activities that are great for a birthday party or for kids' outdoor pe games. Due to the proximity of Indianapolis, an Indy 500 racing theme is always popular in May. Plan Indy 500 kid activities for a fun field day at school, and make your own race cars from cardboard boxes. Enjoy!

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.*


Indy 500 Activities for Kids
Indy 500 Activities for Kids.



Use recycled household items as props  including a plastic milk jug for a gas can.
Use recycled household items as props- 
including a plastic milk jug for a gas can.


Ideas on how to plan an Indy 500 Race Birthday Party: 

  • Purchase inexpensive, large, black buckets to use in a pit stop race game. 
  • Recycle a milk jug, paint it black with spray paint or acrylics, and use duct tape or paint to spell out G-A-S.
  •  Turn a milk crate upside down to use as a Winner's Circle.
  • Hang a race banner (we got ours at the Dollar Tree).
  • Make 9 colored race flags for a realistic race experience.


How to make cardboard Cars for party or pretend play.
Trick out your cardboard car with paper plate wheels or 
fancy, cardboard fan wheels.

Wondering 'what do the flags mean or stand for in the Indy 500 race'?  

  • Green means go! Of course, you already knew that! Just like shouting "Green Light", the green flag is waved to signal the start of the race. It is also used to for restarts after a caution flag.
  • Yellow flag signals caution for a hazard. It could be an accident, debris, rain, maybe a silly goose got loose on the track. The pace car hops on the track to lead the other cars in safety. When we play Red Light, Green Light, we use yellow to signal walk very slowly.
  • Red flag STOP! Do not pass go, do not collect $100 dollars. A red light means freeze in your tracks. It is for accident or rain conditions.  Head straight to the pits or stay parked. No repairs, tire changes, or gassing up allowed. In other words, no fair cheating!
  • Red flag with a yellow "X" means the pits are closed to all vehicles.
  • Black flag means a penalty to a car on the track. Don't break the rules! It's also used for mechanical failures.
  • Black flag with a white "X" black-flag penalty.  Your car isn't keeping score anymore.
  • Blue flag or blue flag with yellow diagonal stripe Get out of the way, slow poke, a faster driver is about to pass. We use a blue light in our game to signal to turn around and walk backward toward the finish line.
  • White flag the end is near! It's the FINAL lap.
  • Checkered flag  Hooray! We have a winner. This flag means the race is over.
For our race car game of Red Light, Green Light, we purchased dowel rods and squares of fabric from Joann's Fabrics. To attach, rub glue on the dowel, wrap one end of fabric around the dowel, and staple as close to the stick as possible.

Let the kids paint and decorate their cardboard box cars.
Lay out aluminum foil, tissue paper, paper plates, and colored duct tape.  
Let the kids' diy imagination run wild.

On your mark, get set, go! Mark off a track with chalk, tape, or use cornstarch paint in the grass. Get your flags ready to wave. Have parents or helpers use a stopwatch to track each child's time. No need to compete against others. Race around several times for your best lap. Now the fun begins!




How to Pretend Play Race Red Light, Green Light Game
On your mark, get set, let the games begin!

How to Play Pretend Pit Stop


Get parents and teachers involved with the fun. Before the game begins, designate a pit crew for each "driver". 


During a caution flag, have everyone pull into the pits. One member of the crew must run around the car 4 times checking pretending to check tires. 

Another crew member will take the pre-filled milk "Gas" jug (water) and pour it into the black bucket. 

Then, the crew members must use a funnel to re-fill the jug. Have the driver time the crew for even more giggles. When all the water is gone, the drivers can take off again.

Measure the water in the jugs to see which pit crew wins a prize. Just pour it back into the buckets, and see which one retained the most water (gas).


A game of Red Light, Green Light is fun around the track too.


Recommended Reading:

Things to do in Indiana: Indy 500 Race Activities for Kids

Eat My Dust! Henry Ford's First Race* 


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ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


Homeschooling: What to do When Summer Break Drains the Brain? Sneak in Fun Learning Opportunities

Does Summer Break Drain the Brain? Try Sneaking in Educational Experiences Kids Enjoy

School is coming to a close, but learning shouldn't come to an end. We are just finishing up our first year of homeschooling.  After all the hard work, I'd hate to see it slip away this summer.  We've got plans to supplement with summer learning field trips, outdoor nature journaling, riding and music lessons, and 4H club. I'll also offer Friday day camps for friends of The Play Connection, Inc.




The beginning of every school year is filled with review from the previous year.  Summer heat shouldn't melt our kids brains.  Summer Camp programs are great for socialization, pe activities, and becoming one with nature.  Opportunities to improve reading are everywhere. Playing the Alphabet Game on a long trip encourages billboard and street sign reading. Library trips offer a sneaky way to cool off, relax, and enjoy a new book. Do you read bedtime stories? Here's a fun summer reading list

Busy summers lend themselves to lazy days near the poolside or under a favorite tree curled up with a good book. Funny, kids never seem to curl up with a good math problem.  



Homeschooling Online Math Programs for Summer Learning
Don't forget to practice math this summer.  
Leap ahead of the pack with daily lessons.

Do you practice math in the summer?  Keeping track of allowances, shopping for items at the Dollar Tree, or having your child watch the clock for break time, chore time, and lunchtime are easy ways to implement mathematics into your lazy summer days.  If you are worried about summer brain drain and the summer learning slide, you might like a more structured math program. 



Summer Brain Drain: Online Games and Camps
Summer Brain Drain? Try this.

LeapAhead! is an easy, affordable, and flexible summer online math program. Keep your child engaged with math worksheets aligned with the common core standards. The program offers a fun math worksheet creator for members. I love the Challenge Math for gifted and talented students. The online summer math program is great for kids who need a little extra help too. This program works for both homeschoolers and brick and mortar students. 




Let your computer act as a summer tutor while you enhance the online learning with fun math games and activities. You can make math a fun, summer activity too!




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Homeschooling During the Coronavirus?

School Closure Home Learning


Have you unexpectedly been tossed into the throes of homeschooling since the Corona virus pandemic? If you've suddenly had to to become the school teacher, cafeteria lady, and janitor during these school closures, you're well aware that home learning is more difficult than it looks. So, how do you do homeschooling during the coronavirus pandemic? As seasoned homeschoolers, we're here to help. Below is a list of our favorite homeschool resources and some articles specifically addressing these troubled times and how to help your kids cope. What a life lesson this is, right?

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

For more on our personal journey scroll to the end.


Homeschooling During the Coronavirus?



Worried how school closure and remote learning will affect your child? Love them, support them, build them up, and they'll be fine. Think homeschoolers are weird? Maybe, depends on your perspective, but we're more normal than you think. We only had 7 months of brick and mortar school, but our previously homeschooled kids made the best of their first year of brick and mortar school. They miss school so much. When this is all over your kids will look forward to going to school too! I've added a photo album for our long time readers and fans. Enjoy!


homeschool success stories
I love this post! We have a similar experience.
Keep scrolling to see our homeschoolers' success in public school!

Tips for Home Learning and Coping during School Closures and Covid19 




Coronavirus Memes Covid18 Memes Apocalypse
These are scary times, so here's a Coronavirus meme to lighten the mood.

Educational Resources for Homeschooling during the Coronavirus

  • Many of our older homeschool resources that target elementary students are listed in the homeschool tab on this site: Homeschool Learning Lessons for Elementary Age You can also do a search on our site for specific types of lessons like, grammar, math, and science.

  • BrainPop has the most fun videos; I love them as much as my kids do. BrainPopJr. is great for the younger set. They are a paid service, but offer a free movie of the week and other free lessons.


  • Mobymax has free options for remote learning and homeschoolers. The great thing about this website is they find and fix learning gaps. Kids can take assessments to see where they fall and then do educational activities based on their grade level in different subjects. It's a great way to see if your child has been falling through the cracks in public school.



  • Khan Academy is not for the faint of heart. If you're all in to the homeschooling thing, give it a try. We used it for several years. It's a free learning resource originally targeted toward middle schoolers and high schoolers, but now offers lessons for elementary too. It feels a lot more like "real school" than some of the other online options and keeps track of your progress and grade level.

  • Why not give this difficult time a fun spin? Our Summer Camp Handbook is edutainment at its best! Enjoy science experiments, PE Activities, and more disguised as fun! 

  • We also love CrashCourse with John and Hank Green. (Yes, that John Green!) You'll even find some of their lessons on Khan Academy. These are super fun, especially for older students.

Best Homeschool Blogs











First day of public school 2019.

We hope these resources help ease your mind and put you on the right track for remote home learning during the Coronavirus pandemic situation. Remember, homeschooling isn't easy and not all parents nor all kids are cut out for it. 



Bowling allows for socialization and physical activity. During the quarantine,
bowl with your game console or set up milk jugs to knock down with a basketball.

Do the best you can. Don't overdo it! If you take it too seriously, your kids won't enjoy it and neither will you. Make learning fun, make it light, and focus on those skills that are best learned at home: writing letters, sending emails, tying shoes, telling time, how to follow a recipe, chores (consider doing laundry a PE activity,) working on cars, putting together puzzles, dice games, Minecraft Uno or any Uno game, and anything that brings your family closer together.



Dress up day.

Note:
This past year, my kids decided to go back to public school. My 15 year-old was placed as a high learning junior taking all senior and college level courses, my 13 year-old is a well-rounded, straight A, school loving eighth grader. 

In previous years, we spent a maximum of 2 hours a day on book learning. The rest  of our day was focused on healthy outdoor activities, field trips to museums, special events at the library, and a local homeschool group for "socialization." Turns out, it was more than enough. 

Take it easy, don't stress out, and remember that YOU CAN DO IT!









Made the grade, first semester honor roll.


Never played football in his life. Made the team!


Loving the school band.

My son was looking forward to performing in the high school play, finishing building a home for Habitat for Humanity, trying out different sports and clubs, and now, that will have to wait until next year. My daughter was on an academic team, loving art club, playing in the school band, and appreciating school for its many wonderful opportunities. I took great pride and joy watching them try new things. My heart aches for their loss and for the loss of those long time public school seniors who are missing out on their last school dance, possibly graduation, and all the joys of being a high school senior. If nothing else, this experience will teach us not to take life for granted. 

Never forget, no matter how stressful it gets, getting to stay home with your kids is a gift.

Good Luck, go hug your kids!