What Does Monday, Birds and Whipped Cream Have In Common?

They all share a National Day of January 5th together. Bet you didn't know that, ask your homeschoolers if they knew that one too. National days can provide an opportunity to learn , educate and discuss all while having lots of fun.
My favorite site for information related to "national day lists" is www.NationaldayCalendar.com , subscribe to the newsletter and get their daily listing for each day in your inbox.

NATIONAL THANK GOD IT’S MONDAY DAY

National Thank God It’s Monday Day is celebrated each year on the first Monday in January. This day was created to celebrate all things that start/happen on a Monday in the the upcoming year, such as; a new job, a promotion, birthdays, holidays, vacations and etc. This is also a day, which starts out the first full week of the new year, to look ahead with positive hope, energy, enthusiasm and excitement for all things to come in the next 12 months.

National Bird Day

Born Free USA emphasizes the importance of National Bird Day and lists it as a day to shine a spotlight on issues critical to the protection and survival of birds, both captive and wild.

National Bird Day, an “unofficial” national holiday, was created to promote avian awareness.

According to Born Free USA, nearly 12 percent of the world’s almost 10,000 bird species are in danger of extinction.

Celebrated annually by half a million adherents through:

• bird-watching
• studying birds
• educating others
• other bird-related activities
• A particularly important National Bird Day activity is bird adoption. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper article, many bird enthusiast celebrate by adopting birds on this day and educating future bird owners about the special issues involved with taking care of birds, including the “proper care, cleanup, noise and biting, feeding, diet and their need for daily interaction”.

Watch for another full post related to studying birds soon.

NATIONAL WHIPPED CREAM DAY

There is that little something that adds a final touch to ice cream sundaes, cake, milk shakes, hot cocoa, pie, pudding and many other desserts and it is annually celebrated on January 5. This is National Whipped Cream Day.

This holiday falls on the birthday of Reddi-wip founder Aaron “Bunny” Lapin. Aaron who invented Reddi-wip in 1948, was born on January 5, 1914 and died on July 10, 1999.

National Whipped Cream Day celebrates whipped cream’s contribution to the dessert world.

Often sweetened and sometimes flavored with vanilla, coffee, chocolate, orange and other flavors, whipped cream is also sometimes called Chantilly cream orcreme Chantilly.

Recipes from the 16th century included whipped cream that was sweetened and aromatised. The names “milk snow” and “snow cream” were used. In these recipes, naturally separated cream is whipped, typically with willow or rush branches, then the resulting foam on the surface would from time to time be skimmed off and drained, which was a process taking an hour or more.

The English name “whipped cream” found it’s beginning in 1673. The name “snow cream” continued to be used throughout the 17th century.

To celebrate National Whipped Cream Day, try one of the following “tried and true” recipes:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/whipped-cream/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sturdy-whipped-cream-frosting/

http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Caramelito-Cookies-with-Vanilla-Whipped-Cream-and-Candied-Nuts-Food-Network-289869

http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Milk-chocolate-mousse-with-coconut-whipped-cream-357990?columns=4&position=9%2F71

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Groovy Idea for Your Homeschoolers #Christmas lists #Stem #homeschool

Homeschooling is groovier with a lab in a box, perfect gift idea for your homeschooling kids or grand-kids. Because children are natural engineers, Groovy Lab in a Box blends Scientific Inquiry and the Engineering Design Process, which allows children to create ingenious inventions, enhance critical problem solving skills and have FUN! 

Everything is including in the box, I love that idea so I don't have to round up a bunch of extra stuff. 

How does this work you ask? 
Select your preferred subscription plan.  Choose from “Join Now” or “Gift It” plan options.  The “Join Now” plans automatically renew based on the subscription package while “Gift It” plans are non-recurring.  All subscription plans enjoy free shipping within the United States.  Your subscription includes a monthly delivery of Groovy Lab in a Box science inquiries, engineering design challenges, and access to “Beyond…in a Box”; the member’s only web-based learning section on the website.

What is in each box.......everything you need, all sorts of fun stuff, and lots lots more!!
as a homeschooling mom I am just in love with our box each month!! Order yours today HERE

National Play-Doh Day-- Happy Squishy Learning Fun #learning #play #homeschooling

Yes, that's right Play-Doh has it's own National Day of the year, I have to admit that I never knew this and had to do some research for myself first.
Play Doh has been one of our favorite play and educational tools for years, from early in our children's lives they have been exposed to the squishy, moldable fun stuff.  I myself will confess joy and laughter to the delightful smell when you open that little yellow container ...lol, there is just something magical about the stuff.

Here are some historical points to share with your homeschoolers: 

National Play Doh Day is observed on September 16, 2014. Play-Doh is a modeling compound used by young children for art and craft projects at home and in school. Composed of flour, water, salt, boric acid, and mineral oil, the product was first manufactured in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S., as a wallpaper cleaner in the 1930s.

When a classroom of children began using the wallpaper cleaner as a modeling compound, the product was reworked and marketed to Cincinnati schools in the mid-1950s. Play-Doh was demonstrated at an educational convention in 1956 and prominent department stores opened retail accounts.


Advertisements promoting Play-Doh on influential children's television shows in 1957 furthered the product's sales. Since its launch on the toy market in the mid-1950s, Play-Doh has generated a considerable amount of ancillary merchandise such as The Fun Factory. In 2003, the Toy Industry Association named Play-Doh in its "Century of Toys List". (With material from: Wikipedia)

You can make your own Play Dough , many recipes are online in all types of scents and colors. 

The basic recipe I like uses baby oil to make the dough super soft and pliable, here is that recipe I found on another blog - www.notjustcute.com who posted this awesome card on Pinterest. 

If you are looking for flavors, scents and added colors-- Koolaid and Jello powders make great additives that are washable. Pumpkin spice is awesome! 

Here is another site with some fantastic links to tons of Play Doh recipes http://nurturestore.co.uk/play-dough-recipe-flavours 

What can you do with Play-Doh ? Just put your kids at the table and let them play....well yes, but there are so many more educational options for the moldable creations. Challenge your kids to do these fun ideas.....

Homeschooling Ideas to Challenge Kids with Play-Doh 

• Mold ABC's out of dough
• Mold their name, their sibling's names, pets names etc.
• Make funny faces with hair
• Make a clock with the hands set the the correct time (use a paper plate)
• Using printable Play- Doh mats, create fun ( many printable mats free online- just search)
• Make their favorite animal
• Mold and count out balls in 5's and 10's ,25's 50's 100's 
• Make pattern kabobs with different colors 
• Molding and making basic shapes out of dough
• Shape first letter of the color of the dough used
• Create farm animals , jungle animals etc and talk about habitats
• Create emotions on white paper plates and talk about feelings
• Mold models of Earth and other planets
• Mold phases of the moon
• Create a healthy meal example (on a paper plate)
• Make a volcano 
• Make an addition equation with dough molded out (then check with subtraction)
• Use playdoh to make a Plant and Flower, label the parts of both
• Make a skeletal form and label the bones
• Roll out dough and imprint with objects found around the house, see if sibling can guess the object.
• Make a brain out of Play doh
• Make other body parts or organs out of dough (be creative)
• Make gourmet foods, sushi etc 

There is so much more you can come up with to spark your homeschoolers minds, using Play doh with Lego's is another way to teach subjects. Adding some extra zing to your lessons helps to bring the love of learning and fire for more into your child's heart. Praying for you today! 

Find some great Play doh deals on Amazon via widget above (clicking helps to support our blog and family-thank you in advance)

Building a Better Student with Dom Testa-- Spell Check #education #learningtools

One of my co-workers at the radio station said something interesting to me this week. He said, “Spell check made me into a good speller.”

At first I thought he was kidding, but no. He told me that he was horrible at spelling when he was younger, but through the years spell check taught him. And it stuck. Today his computer and phone rarely need to correct him.

I walked away and thought about the significance of this observation. At their core people seem to scowl at technology in terms of education and all-around learning. 

In fact, almost daily we hear someone lament that “kids ain’t learnin’ nothin’ with them darned screens in their face all day.”

But is that true?

Try doing an online search using these five words: How technology helps students learn.

You’ll discover a vast archive of stories, studies, and stats that show how devices - even the frightening phone or the terrifying tablet - can open up a world of information to students who perhaps never found education . . . well, interesting.

Our non-profit foundation, The Big Brain Club, provides all sorts of services and resources to schools, but we always try to make technological donations an important part of the equation. Why? Because teachers tell us that gadgets often help them to connect with students who otherwise would sit in the back of the room with their arms crossed.

It will be argued, of course, that some kids will try to sneak over to the games instead of the lesson, but that’s not a generational thing; it’s human nature. And it shouldn't detract from the positive effects that lurk at our fingertips. 

What, we throw out the entire system because a few people corrupt it?

Voltaire taught us that perfect is the enemy of good. Well, electronic tools can be harnessed for good. Lots of good.

Instead of crusading to get phones and tablets out of the hands of students, let’s search for more ways to make each gadget an accessory to education. If, over time, spell check can help a grown man - who we normally view as stuck in his old habits - to become more proficient with language skills, then imagine what other devices can do if unleashed upon minds that are more naturally open to learning.

I spell that S-u-c-c-e-s-s.

Dom Testa is an author, speaker, morning radio show host, and has kept a ficus tree alive for twenty-four years. He’s also the founder and president of The Big Brain Club, a non-profit student-development foundation. His new book, Smart Is Cool, is now available. More info at www.DomTesta.com.

The First thing you should learn with your homeschoolers

Learning your children and their style of learning should be one of the first things you learn before you start homeschooling. Our very first year of homeschooling I found this out the hard way, it took me all year long and part of the next year to learn that all 3 of my children learned Totally different! Even if you are a parent of a child in a traditional school , you will find that homework and completing classroom assignments will be much easier if you know that your son or daughter learns by "hands on" and not visually, or that they learn better when running around in circles and not sitting very still in a seat. Imagine if you could tell a classroom teacher at the start of the school year what kind of learner you have, so she/he can tailor some of the lesson plans around their needs maybe (if they are actually willing)
As a homeschooling parent of course we are blessed to teach our kiddos at home. We can set up a classroom like a traditional school if that is how your child will learn better, or have class on the couch surrounded by a zoo of stuffed animals, dolls or race cars if that is what works for your child!
The info-graphic below is an example of the types of learners we may encounter in our family. Do you recognize any of these learning styles in your children?

                                                                     Source: thehappyhousewife.com via Leslie on Pinterest