Gryphon House: Global Art ~ a TOS review

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My girls are huge arts&craft fans. So much so that I can not keep up with their creativity at times. When the review from Gryphon House opened up I chose to pick  The Homegrown Preschooler: Teaching Your Kids in the Places They Live book offered because I was able to pick up Global Art: Activities, Projects, and Inventions from Around the World at our homeschool convention used book sale for $5.00! Let me tell you a little more about this amazing art book.

Global Art was written by MaryAnn F. Khol and Jean Potter and includes over 135 art projects from all over the world for just $16.95. The recommended age is for children PreK – 5th grade.

Global Art makes geography, culture, and history real for children through direct, concrete experience. ~ back cover

With 190 pages this paperback book is filled with art projects from all over the world. Divided into 7 sections and representing projects from all 7 continents there are lots of easy to do art projects with detailed, step-by-step instructions to choose from. 

There is truly something for everyone in this great resource book.  Enhance learning with projects such as:

~ Mud painting

~Tet Trung Thu Lantern

~ Tin Lid Sculptures

~Double Roller Painting

~ Face painting

~ Sprayed Shamrock Stencils

Information on the Country, geography, culture and people is included for each project. Also each art project includes special key codes to let you know a little bit about the project before starting. Such as:

~ Experience level – 1-3 stars for difficulty level

~ Preparation needed -

• 1. all the items at home.
• 2. common art supplies needed.
• 3. familiar items needed but will need to do some extra planning or purchase.

~ Technique used – collage, painting, drawing, printing, sculpting or sculpting.

~ Caution – adult assistance is needed.

This is an excellent resource book to have on hand. There is something for everyone to enhance or add to your history or geography studies. I really liked the layout of the book with one project on each page. Plus the directions are very clear. My older girls can pull the book off the shelf and complete a project independently. I give this book 2 thumbs up and wholeheartedly recommend you checking it out too. Be sure to check out my review on The Homeschool Preschooler by clicking the link.

Be sure to see what my Crewmates thought of this book and the other book offered in this review, The Homegrown Preschooler: Teaching Your Kids in the Places They Live, by clicking the banner below.

 

Company ~ Gryphon House

Product ~ Global Art: Activities, Projects, and Inventions from Around the World

Price ~ $26.95

Ages ~ PreK – 5th

Format ~ paperback book

 

 

 

Weekly Wrap Up: Week 1 ~ back at it

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We headed back to school on Wednesday morning. Time seemed to pass so slowly because we were able to get so much done that first day. After breakfast we took our annual Back to School group and individual photos. The outtakes are so funny and we had a good laugh as I was uploading pictures.

  

Once pictures were done we headed into the room and made our time capsule cards. The girls chatted about favorites foods, books, movies, etc. as they colored their pages. When everyone had finished we stored the time capsule cards inside a baggie for safe keeping. We are planning on opening them back up on August 7, 2019. The girls will respectively be 22, 18, 16, 12 & 9.

Even though we are not at 100% full force with all our subjects, I realize that I need to make some changes. Mikayla still has a full week of morning practice until we can switch to evening schedule. By the time she gets home from the gym she needs an hour and a half to unwind and EAT! Putting me starting school with her at 3PM. While this is not impossible, it just makes for a long day of teaching. However, I knew this going in so I am adjusting my attitude towards it and going full steam ahead.

 

I have decided to adjust the requirements for Mikayla for next week, but not my expectations of the work that will be completed. If it means we have to do school on Saturday, which we will be doing tomorrow because we didn’t finish, then so be it. Being a competitive athlete is hard work both in and out of the gym, but school comes first and she understands this. I will hold off adding in Latin & Science for her until the week of the 19th but we are going to go ahead and add in everything else come Monday.

All in all things went well this first week. The girls are making connections from what they have read and my voice seems to be holding up so far from all the reading aloud.  The girls and I are loving Tapestry of Grace and all it has to offer. I overheard Madison, Mikayla & Montana have a discussion over Queen Elizabeth when Montana thought it was THE Queen that is alive today. I was super impressed when they broke it down for her and explained who she was and how James I was King. Yes, I know it is just week one but I truly do think this is the history we were supposed to study. I look forward to sharing all of our weekly wrap ups this year as it is my goal to complete 36 weeks.

Have you started back to school yet? If not, when do you start back up?

Legacy Documentaries: The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder ~ a TOS review

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Growing up I always wanted to live in the simpler times of Walnut Grove. I grew up watching the reruns of the Little House on the Prairie TV series and now that I have 5 daughters we love watching the TV series on DVD. The older girls and I are huge fans of the Little House on the Prairie, both the TV series and the books. (The younger girls will come around soon too ) So guess how excited I was when I found out we could add a documentary about The Laura Ingalls Wilder to our DVD collection! *estatic* Dean Butler, who played Almanzo on the TV series has produced two original documentaries, Little House on the Prairie: The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura with his company Legacy Documentaries.

Little House on the Prairie: The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder tells the untold story of the life and times of Laura Ingalls Wilder from a historical and fictional perspective. Telling the story of the now well know prairie girl who becomes and author of some of the greatest children’s books of all time. Detailing the simpler times when family, courage and love were the most important thing in life. Oh, what a better place our country would be if we could get back to that mindset.

The 75 minute documentary tells of Laura’s adult life as a writer and how for 13 years she wrote for a newspaper column, “As a Farm Woman Thinks”. I love that title! Laura also wrote poems to help support her and Almanzo’s farm, Rocky Ridge Farm during its troubled times. The DVD also tells of the rather rocky relationship that Laura had with her daughter, Rose over her writing her memoirs. I for one am glad that she did follow her heart and write.

I personally LOVED this documentary! As a child growing up watching the reruns of Little House and then reenacting prairie life with my dolls this brought back great memories. Our family has the entire collectors edition DVD collection of The Little House TV series that we love to watch on family movie nights or trips up North. We also have the box set of the books to enjoy for years to come. This DVD has sparked the girls wanting to know more about Laura and her family and I am especially excited that Mikayla has the opportunity to take a Little House on the Prairie class at co-op. I read the books to her a few years ago as we did a unit study on the series so I am glad she will be able to delve in and read them on her own now.

Even though I know who the “real” Laura is, Melissa Gilbert will forever be Laura Ingalls Wilder in my minds eye. Someday we hope to visit Laura’s childhood home. I wholeheartedly recommend you check out this documentary and the one about Almanzo too. This DVD will be the best $24.95 you have spent all year.

Be sure to check out what my Crewmates thought of this documentary and the one about Almanzo by clicking the banner below.

Company ~ Legacy Documentaries

Product ~ Little House on the Prairie: The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Price ~ $24.95

Ages ~ all ages

 

Wordless Wednesday ~ 1st day back

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Brainfood Learning: Fascinating World of Mammals ~ a TOS review

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  How does a beaver build a dam? Which animal wears a coat of velvet? Montana is my animal lover so I was pleased when the Fascinating World of Mammals DVD from BrainFood Learning was offered to us a few weeks ago to help answer these questions.

The Fascinating World of Mammals DVD is the brainchild of Bryce and Jennifer Mooney who sought to create quality educational videos for their children. They wanted videos that not only held the child's attention but yet challenge them to think about the concepts presented. To accomplish this they produce videos that encircle a broader knowledge base by blending vocabulary and concepts above age range and on age range to appeal to a larger audience.

In the Fascinating World of Mammals  is a DVD video which retails for $14.99 and is approximately 52 minutes long. Geared towards children aged 3-11 your child will learn many new and interesting facts about ten different animals including:

- Kangaroo

- beavers

- elephants

- moose

- dolphins

- lions

- giraffes

- bears

- bats

- chimpanzees

With a short introduction on each animal to share a new concept such as, echolocation, hibernation, vertebrates, or ruminants, you child will be captivated by quality of the video presentation. The end of the video provides a review section for your child to complete just to test the knowledge.

We first watched this video on the way to Mikayla’s physical therapy appointment one day after practice. I knew we would have time to burn as we came straight from practice so I popped the DVD in and it was complete silence the whole way to the Dr's. not a peep was made from Mikayla, Montana, or McKenzie as they were enthralled by the movie.

 

Like I said, Montana is an animal nut! Often times she will ask me a question like " why can't lions climb trees if they are a cat"? Huh! So we head off to research this and find out it is because lions are too heavy to climb trees unlike some of the other species of the cat family. She really enjoyed watching this video and has watched it about 8 times over the course of the review period picking up on more piece of information each time. While her favorite animals are Cheetahs, she did like learning about all the other animals on the video too. We give this DVD video two thumbs up and recommend you checking it out soon too. I plan on purchases the other two DVD's offered, Fascinating World of Birds DVD and Fascinating World of Insects DVD down the road for us to watch and learn from.

Be sure to check out what my Crewmates thought of this DVD and the other two being offered for review by clicking the banner below.

Company ~ BrainFood Learning

Product ~ Fascinating World of Mammals DVD

Price ~ $14.99

Ages ~ 3-11 years old

Format ~ DVD

Gryphon House ~ The Homegrown Preschooler: Teaching Your Kids in the Places They Live ~ a TOS review

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While my 3 oldest girls have had the opportunity to attend a brick & mortar preschool, my younger two have not. Both Montana & McKenzie have had all of their formal learning at home. Even though this is my 5th and hopefully not my last time, through preschool I am always looking for new ideas to keep it exciting and fun. I was really excited when we were chosen to review The Homegrown Preschooler: Teaching Your Kids in the Places They Live from Gryphon House.

The Homegrown Preschooler: Teaching Your Kids in the Places They Live was written by early childhood experts and homeschool veterans Kathy H. Lee & Lesli M. Richards. The Homegrown Preschooler is a jam-packed 204 page paperback book filled with big photos for your preschooler. With 200+ tried and true easy activities, recipes, organizational tips, charts & check lists this book is sure to please.

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.

~ Albert Einstein, physicist

 

The book is divided into 2 sections. The first half, 9 chapters, includes the following chapters:

Chapter 1: Homeschooling – Harvesting a Bountiful Life

Chapter 2: Learning Through Play

Chapter 3: Sowing the seeds – Preschool Learning

Chapter 4: Setting the Stage

Chapter 5: Home Life = Learning – Slow Down and Teach

Chapter 6: Who Has Time For This?

Chapter 7: Organizing It All

Chapter 8: Days and Seasons That Don’t Fit in the Box

Chapter 9: Special Circumstances

Several educational theories including Montessori, Charlotte Mason, etc. are presented throughout the book. The 9 chapters above reminded me of things that I already knew and did with my older girls. I appreciated the reminder as I want to do with McKenzie before she leaves the Preschool stage.

Tell me and I will forget.

Show me and I will remember.

Involve me and I will

understand.

~ Chinese Proverb

The second half of the book includes tons of hands-on activities to do with your Preschooler. The activities include activities on home life, math, large & fine motor skills, reading, science and art. There are also recipes for paint, clay, and playdough. Sure you can find these recipes online, but I like that it is handy and all in one reference book.

We have had a great time going through this book. McKenzie and Montana have been doing most of the activities, but sometimes we rope in the big sisters. I have been trying to incorporate 1-2 of the projects weekly to keep McKenzie busy and learning.

I loved that this book feels like Pinterest in a book.The Lt. is going to make McKenzie a Plexiglass Easel when he is on leave next month. I think I am more excited than her Even if you only have one Preschooler left at home I definitely recommend you picking up a copy of this book and using it as a reference.

Be sure to check out what my fellow Crewmates thought of this book along with the other book being reviewed, Global Art: Activities, Projects, and Inventions from Around the World, by clicking the banner below.

Company ~ Gryphon House

Product ~ The Homegrown Preschooler: Teaching Your Kids in the Places They Live

Price ~ $29.95

Ages ~ 2 years old and up