Tag: resources

Holidays, homeschooling, joy

Creative and Stress-Free Thanksgiving Homeschool Activities for Kids

Jessica Lovett

Hi, there! Yes, I’m alive… It’s been an extremely busy couple of months, whack-a-mole-ing lots of health stuff and other big to-dos. Sorry for being missing in action a bit there. Oh, well – I’m here now! And, now Thanksgiving is almost upon us!

Thanksgiving week can be a busy time as we prepare to visit family, especially when you’re packing for Grandma’s house!

But don’t worry, I’ve got a list of creative and fun activities to keep your kids happily occupied.

They’re all 100% engaging and enjoyable ways to celebrate the season and make meaningful memories without spending a lot of money on supplies or needing lots of prep.

Hint: These aren’t just busy work kinds of things like word searches… I remember dreading those and crosswords as a kid. Holy booooring, Batman!

Thanksgiving: Celebrating the History & Traditions with Dave Stotts | Drive Thru History Special

This special episode from Drive Thru History dives into the history and traditions of Thanksgiving. Dave Stotts brings history to life in a way that’s entertaining and educational.

Cue the dad joes!! His engaging storytelling will capture your kids’ attention and provide a deeper understanding of why we celebrate this holiday. It’s perfect for keeping your kids engaged and learning while you handle travel preparations. It’s also entertaining for littles as well as older kids. Can’t beat that!

Thanksgiving Mats for Pattern Blocks

I know you probably have pattern blocks around the house somewhere. When you decide to homeschool, your Official Pattern Blocks arrive on your doorstep almost instantly. Well, just kidding… but it feels like everyone has these!

These Thanksgiving printable mats from This Reading Mama are fantastic for hands-on, creative play. Kids can use pattern blocks to create festive shapes and designs, combining art with a bit of geometry. It’s a wonderful way to keep their minds active and their hands busy with a fun, educational activity.

Fall Playdough Mats

These printable fall playdough mats, also from This Reading Mama, are a great way for kids to use their imaginations and fine motor skills. The fall-themed mats add a seasonal twist that will keep them entertained while you pack. I recommend laminating them or putting them in a page protector, taping the end.

They have the following pages to print for free:
● apple basket- add apples to the basket
● apple tree- add apples to the tree
● scarecrow- add a hat, scarf, straw, a face, etc.
● fall tree- add colorful leaves to the tree or ground
● raking leaves- add the prongs or handle to the rake
● pumpkin- add a face or vines to the pumpkin
● turkey- add colorful tail feathers
● Mayflower- add sails to the ship or water below

Printable Fall Leaf Crafts

This fall leaf craft from The Secret Life of Homeschoolers is perfect for busy homeschoolers, requiring only a few common supplies and a printer. Kids will collect fall leaves, hole-punch them, and glue the pieces onto printable worksheets to create beautiful fall pictures.

With three different worksheets to choose from, children can color their pages first, then use the hole-punched leaves to decorate. This craft not only encourages outdoor activity and fine motor skills but also provides opportunities for additional learning, such as leaf identification and creative storytelling. It’s a fun, engaging, and educational way to enjoy the fall season.

Easy Watercolor Resist Fall Leaves Art Project

This art project from Deep Space Sparkle is perfect for kids of all ages! Older kids can be more detailed while younger kids can focus on making the art more basic. Using watercolor paints and a simple resist technique, they can create beautiful fall leaf artwork.

It’s a great way to let their artistic side shine – while you take care of packing or stirring the cranberry sauce on the stove! Wait, you don’t do that? That’s my favorite thing, oh my goodness… It makes me feel like a Gummi Bear making Gummiberry Juice.

Free Printable Thanksgiving Poetry Book

I’m a HUGE fan of the Homeschool Compass! Poetry can be a soothing and introspective activity and as an English major, I don’t see poetry itself as an option. Our homeschool has always had lots of poetry in the air!

This beautiful, lush watercolor free printable includes beautiful poems perfect for the season, allowing your children to explore language and expression. Reading and discussing these poems can also provide a calming break in the midst of holiday hustle and bustle. We usually use these after dinner, covering one a night.

Read Aloud Revival November Book List

This carefully curated list of Thanksgiving-themed picture books is perfect for cozy reading, putting temptingly in a basket by the couch. Reserving these books from your local library can provide hours of engaging and educational content for your kids. I always love the picks from Read Aloud Revival! Many of them have become family favorites year after year.

These activities are more than just time-fillers… they are invitations for your children to dive into the spirit of Thanksgiving with creativity and joy.

As you get everything ready for your family gathering, these engaging tasks will not only keep your kids happily occupied, but also deepen their appreciation for the holiday’s rich traditions and values.

Let the fun begin!

Scatter Joy,

Jessica Lovett

Need some ideas on starting your own warm, cozy Morning Music Playlist to scatter joy on busy homeschool mornings?

Subscribe to download your music playlist ideas printable!

homeschooling, parenting, travel

Homeschooling Through Life’s Storms: Finding Joy in the Journey

Jessica Lovett

💛 Need encouragement + practical help? Subscribe to get weekly homeschool support, free curriculum (700+ pages!), schedule templates, seasonal inspiration, and resources that bring joy back to your hardest days! Yes, I need this. →

Homeschooling is a beautiful adventure, but let’s be real – sometimes life throws curveballs that make it feel like you’re navigating a ship through a storm.

Whether you’re battling illness (of your own or of other family members), dealing with real estate headaches (buying/selling houses is no picnic!), or trying to keep up with lessons while traveling, it can be overwhelming. But take heart, dear homeschooler!

With a bit of creativity and a lot of grace, you can keep your homeschool ship sailing smoothly.

🤒When You’re Under the Weather

Being sick is no fun, especially when you’re the captain of the homeschool ship.

Here are some tips to keep things afloat:

🏡Navigating Real Estate Woes

Selling or buying a home can be a rollercoaster of emotions and seemingly-endless tasks, from signing forms to tacking repairs that pop up and have to be done NOW. Not to mention the total upheaval of moving!

Here’s how to keep homeschooling on track:

  • Incorporate Real-Life Learning: Use the experience as a learning opportunity. Teach your kids about the real estate market, budgeting, and the moving process.
  • Create a Portable Homeschool Kit: Keep essential supplies in a portable bin or backpack. This way, you can easily transition from one location to another without missing a beat.
    • Sonlight Lapbooks: These are wonderful – we have tried a couple – and easy to bring along with you. They have everything you need, even glue stick!
    • Power Homeschool: This is a good option for school on-the-go. We used it when we were moving and all our curriculum was in a box. FYI, the high school biology does push the theory of evolution as proven science.
    • Green Kids Craft Kits: These are also super fun kits that have great lessons for kids under 12 or so, depending on learning levels.
  • Stay Organized: Keep a checklist of tasks and deadlines. Involve your kids in the process – they can help pack, organize, and even clean. They can even learn organization and computer skills making labels for boxes and helping to keep things going smoothly.

🧳Homeschooling on the Go

Traveling can be an enriching experience, but it can also disrupt your routine.

Here’s how to make the most of it:

  • Plan Ahead: Research educational opportunities at your destination. Museums, historical sites, and nature reserves can provide hands-on learning experiences.
  • Pack Smart: Bring along portable learning materials like tablets loaded with educational apps, workbooks, audiobooks, and travel-friendly games. We never go anywhere without stuff to do and a snack! We use Kindles with the browser blocked and only approved apps sparingly. I love sticker puzzle and activity books because they don’t have small pieces to get lost (I’m looking at you, Legos!) and are easy to take anywhere.

🧩When Life Gets Complicated

Sometimes, life just gets complicated. Not through any fault of our own, sometimes, I might add! Maybe it’s a family crisis, a job change, or something else entirely.

Here’s how to keep your homeschool steady:

  • Prioritize: Focus on the most important subjects and let go of the rest for a while. It’s okay to scale back. Just keep going! That’s what is important. A rope of consistency running through makes a big difference!
  • Seek Support: Lean on your homeschool community. Whether it’s friends, a local church, co-ops, or online groups, don’t be afraid to ask for help. People are happy to bring you a casserole, feed your dog, or jump in when needed! Let others be a blessing to you.
  • Practice Self-Care: Remember to take care of yourself. A well-rested and healthy parent is better equipped to handle the challenges of homeschooling. Whispering Wildflowers hot tea, David Arkenstone music, and a really engaging fictional novel that has 0% to do with my real life problems go a long way for me.

Finding Joy in the Journey

Homeschooling through difficult times is no easy feat, but it’s also an opportunity to teach your children resilience, adaptability, and the importance of family.

Your children will learn that there is constant change in life and that it is possible to sail through these things without giving up, becoming frazzled, or running away from the problem.

Embrace the changes, find joy in the little moments, and remember that this too shall pass.

Your homeschool journey is unique, and every challenge you overcome together strengthens your family’s bond.

Keep sailing, brave homeschooler. The storm will pass, and the sun will shine again. 🌈

Scatter Joy,

Jessica Lovett

Need some ideas on starting your own warm, cozy Morning Music Playlist to scatter joy on busy homeschool mornings?

Subscribe to download your music playlist ideas printable!

homeschooling, joy, parenting

“M-O-R-N-I-N-G spells morning!”

Jessica Lovett

“M-O-R-N-I-N-G spells morning!”
“I love afternoon too,” said Grasshopper.
The beetles stopped singing and dancing.
“What did you say?” they asked.
“I said that I loved afternoon,” said Grasshopper.
All the beetles were quiet.
“And night is very nice,” said Grasshopper.
-excerpt from Grasshopper on the Road by Arnold Lobel

Have you ever read Grasshopper on the Road by Arnold Lobel? It is a charming little collection of stories. The first one, “The Club,” is about a group of beetles that Grasshopper encounters on his journey. They are all chanting about how much they love mornings and won’t tolerate anyone who believes that mornings are not best, or that all times are great, for that matter.

This seemingly simple tale is actually quite profound. It is about not only accepting others but about discovering one’s own personality quirks and preferences and being true to oneself – a gentle reminder even amidst the cacophony of differing opinions and perspectives.

“This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.”
~Shakespeare, from Hamlet (act 1, scene 3)

Because my kids love this story so much, if they are sleeping super late, sometimes I’ll hop into their room, pretending to hold a sign and say cheerfully, “MORNING IS BEST! UP WITH MORNING! DOWN WITH EVENINGS!” This never fails to make them chuckle a little bit, even in underneath the cloud of heavy growth-spurt-sleepiness that sometimes befalls them.

Since they both love that book – and all of Lobel’s books! – that has become an inside joke with our family.

Books become part of your family’s personality – ironically even books about finding one’s personality.

Now, I say all this to the point that I am not a morning person at all. I’m a Night Owl and a card-carrying member of Down with Mornings Club, right there holding signs petitioning against the morning beetles on the road, if I’m honest with myself. Choosing to make mornings joyful is 100% a choice.

When the morning goes smoothly, you know what? The whole school day goes better! That’s just how it is. And, as the parent, I’m setting the vibe for the day. That’s my superpower!

You, as a parent, have that superpower, too! Try exercising it sometime!

Steps to Scatter Joy in the Mornings:

🧇Make an effort to prep breakfast for the kids the night before, especially if you’re a Night Owl like me and don’t cook as well upon first waking up… without lots of coffee.

🎵Make a special playlist of morning music to play that is soothing and peaceful.

🙂Smile at them when you see them rouse out of bed in the morning.

🤗Be sure to hug them and act glad to see them when they first wake up!

Even if your own warm blankets are calling you louder than the feelings of affection that you have right then are, you’ll start to feel better yourself.

Scatter Joy,

P.S. My kids have started calling any relaxing music that is New Age or borderline classical simply Morning Music! We’ve created a genre!

Need some ideas on starting your own warm, cozy Morning Music Playlist?

Download your music playlist ideas printable!