Free Homeschool Resources - Fun and Educational!

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Ranked #319 in How-To, #3,513 overall

Nearly 100 free educational resources can be found here!

 

Welcome to our world of homeschool fun.

We take our job as parents and home educators seriously, but that doesn't mean we don't have fun! We hope our children will grow up to kind, caring, and well educated adults. We want them to look back on their childhood and remember it was Fun! So at our house, we try to focus our activities on those that meet both needs - educational and entertaining.

For almost 10 years now I have kept lists of our favorite educational websites which are useful and equally important, the children found them to be enjoyable! Here you will find fun in many forms - printable worksheets, on-line educational games, apparel, books, games and a few unexpected surprises, so let's get started . . .

It's Never Boring at Our House! 

Indoors or Out

I have talked to many people who imagine that our children sit around at little desks while I (mum) stand over them as they do "school work." While home education might look like that at some houses, it's a bit different around here. With a skateboard halfpipe in the backyard, an in-ground trampoline in the front yard and a big mattress on the living room floor (it's our indoor trampoline), we can always burn off a little energy - even on the rainy days. While winter sports seem to be the children's main focus, we also keep up with the academics. However, there is no reason not to always have fun.

LINK OF THE MONTH 

November 2009

Another Great Resource for music teachers and aspiring musicians. Congratulations on a brilliant page Stefanie!

featured lens Violin Teaching - Fun and Effective

I started this Squidoo Lens in hopes of sharing some of what I have found useful when teaching (especially studies)...but more importantly as a way for us to build a continuous, growing source of valuable teaching aids for both string teachers and st...

BE TRUE TO YOUR (HOME) SCHOOL 

We are proud to be homeschoolers, so why not show it off like the schooled children.

Maybe it will stop that ridiculous question - why aren't you in school today? These and other designs are at: My Homeschool Store or click on any item below for general or purchase information. (All are copyrighted and protected)
homeschool bus bumpersticker
Homeschool Research Department t-shirt Homeschool Kid embroidered hat Homeschool Athletic Department shirt Homeschool University shirt : unsocialized homeschooler -budget shirt shirt We Homeschool Here mug

STARS - a new game by Sarah 

Contributed by Homeschooler Sarah, age 9

Hi, my name is Sarah. One way I had fun homeschooling this week is by making a game called "Stars." I got the idea from a Roman game I saw in a history book. I decided to change the game a bit and that's how "Stars" came about. To play you need an eight by eight square board (a chess board will do). I made my own because it was fun and I made it colourful. You also need 32 playing pieces (16 of each colour) and 2 stars, one of each colour of the pieces. Sit on the opposite side of the board from the other player. Now place all of your pieces (not the stars), one per square on the two rows in front of you like in the photo.

Each player can place his/her star on any empty square on the board. The youngest player goes first. Players take turns by moving one piece either forward, backwards or sideways (not diagonally) by one space. Your star moves the same way, but can also jump over any piece that is in its way. To get an opponent's piece off the board you have to sandwich it between two of your pieces. You must say "sandwich" and then remove the piece. Here are two examples:

To win the game, you have to get all of the other player's pieces off the board. It was really fun to make the game and I even beat mum!

Arts and Crafts Resources 

(too many free arts and crafts resources to list here, so it has its own page!)

featured lens Homeschool Fun - Arts and Crafts

Arts and crafts accounted for the majority of our early years of homeschooling. We loved coloring pages, drawing or any type of creative outlet. As the girls grow, arts and crafts projects still play a major roll in our education, but the focus has b...

Learn to Count with Thomas the Tank Engine 

1..2..3..4..

We used to change our wall posters frequently when the girls were young. We found it kept them interested. Click here to see a collection of our favorite educational posters. Here a fun poster for preschool number learning:

Thomas Counting

Thomas Counting Art Print
Click here for more information or to buy at AllPosters.com

Math Resources 

(so many free links and resources Math has now has its own page!)

featured lens Homeschool Fun - Learning Math

Math - Just the word used to make my daughter run and hide, now she loves it! What turned her around was finding the right resources for her learning style. Here you will link to over 25 free math webpages offering a variety of different math games,...

Fun Trivia Adds a Bit of Challenge to Homeschool Days 

Contributed by Homeschooler Melissa, age 11

Hi, my name is Melissa, and I'm going to tell you about something I do that makes homeschooling more fun. I play Fun Trivia. It is an online quiz site with crosswords, team tournaments and over 100,000 quizzes. I have an account and play games to earn badges. You could do the same, or just play a quiz as a guest. I also joined a team ( I'm part of Anyone, Anywhere, but I think it's not that popular anymore, and I might change teams) so I could play in the daily and monthly tournaments. I am also a treasure hunter, but it's really hard and can take months or years to earn the pot of gold badge. Clues appear randomly at the top of my screen, and I write them down.

I think all the quizzes are made by Fun Trivia members (it was free to join). Creating quizzes is quite a lot of work. First, you have to play at least 100 quizzes to learn how quizzes are made. My favorite quiz topic is Harry Potter. I also like most quizzes about animals, books, spelling, and computer gaming. There are many other quizzes about hundreds of different things, and I always learn something new because interesting facts are a part of each quiz. When I was ready to make my quiz, I had to create a quiz name, put it in a category, and then write it. When it was done, I sent my quiz to an editor. The editor sent me a note saying what I had to fix, and after I fixed it she sent me a congratulations note and my quiz was live. Because I have already created a quiz, I can help you a bit with this tip from my editor. She said that there needs to be at least 2-3 sentences of interesting information after each question. My first quiz is on Pompeii. I hope you will try it. (Click on the "take Melissa's Quiz" button to link over and test your knowledge.)

Science Resources 

(so many free links and resources Science now has its own page!)

Probably our families favorite units (after sports and crafts). With a rocket scientist in the family, you can be assured that science is always fun. That's probably why it got so big that it now needs its own page:
featured lens Homeschool Fun - Learning Science

I think our favorite unit of study is science. But when dad's a rocket scientist and mom's a rocket mom, what do you expect. (Yes the "Rocket mom" comment was a play on words, but dad really is a rocket scientist!). We do remind our...

This is the funniest Homeschool Video I Have Ever Seen 

Two Thumbs up to Tim Hawkins!

If you're a homeschool family, turn up your volume and spend a minute and 9 seconds with this brilliant video. Tim Hawkins is a wonderfully funny and always "G" rated comedian. If you love this video, you can click here to see more from Tim Hawkins.

Tim Hawkins - A Homeschool Family

http://www.timhawkins.net Oh, the misconceptions and realities of homeschool life, from comedian (and homeschool dad) Tim Hawkins. To view this video in HIGH RESOLUTION, click on the above link.

Runtime: 69
1012579 views
1390 Comments:

curated content from YouTube

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Geography Resources 

(so many free links and resources geography now has its own page!)

Living half way around the world from our birth place, it is no surprise that we would study geography. But to keep it fun and interesting, we study geography based upon postcard trading and Flat Stanley. Our list of free resources got so big that now has its own page:
featured lens Homeschool Fun - Learning Geography

Our girls learn about geography through the eyes of other children all around the world. Through postcard trading, pen pals and Flat Stanely, our children have developed quite a passion for geography. We also love to travel and to learn about new pl...

Disney Princesses Help Teach the Alphabet 

One of our favorites when the girls were younger

Alphabet posters hanging on the wall are a subtle reminder of the letters. Click here to see a collection of our favorite educational posters.


The Disney Alphabet
The Disney Alphabet Art Print
Click here for more information or to buy at AllPosters.com

My Favourite Books on Homeschooling 

The ones that stood the test of time.

When we first started out we read everything we could find on home education. The "Unschooler's Handbook" gave us an overview on how unschooling could work in our family. We also read "The Well Educated Mind," to get differing perspectives and help us to form our own style. It descibes a classical education which is the exact opposite of the Unschooling Handbook. The third book to remain in our collection all these years is the Read Aloud Handbook. We use this book year after year. It contains a long lists of suggested reads, with brief descriptions and recommended ages.

Bob Books are here as they are the best set of learn to read books we have seen.

"What your xxx grader needs to know" books have continued to prove useful year after year. I believe they are available from preschool to American 6th grade.

The Unschooling Handbook : How to Use the Whole World As Your Child's Classroom

The Unschooling Handbook : How to Use the Whole World As Your Child's Classroom

by: Mary Griffith

A great read! Gave an over view on how unschooling can work in your family. We read both this plus "The Well trained Mind" when the kids were quite young, to get differing perspectives and help us to form our own style.

Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 12/08/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $16.95

The Read-Aloud Handbook: Sixth Edition

The Read-Aloud Handbook: Sixth Edition

by: Jim Trelease

We use this book year after year. The newly revised and updated fifth edition of The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease uses his trademark Q&A format to address such issues as television, library funding and the Harry Potter phenomenon. A "Treasury of Read-Alouds" in the back of the book suggests starting points for parents. He has long lists of suggested reads, with brief descriptions and recommended ages.

Amazon Price: $10.88 (as of 12/08/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $16.00

Bob Books, Set 1: Beginning Readers

Bob Books, Set 1: Beginning Readers

by: Bobby Lynn Maslen

This is the best set of learn to read books we have seen. We tried out lots, but these simple books were the most loved by our girls. Once we turned to Bob Books, the girls learnt to read easily, quickly and finally realized how fun reading can be.

Amazon Price: $9.93 (as of 12/08/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $16.99

What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know: Preparing Your Child for a Lifetime of Learning (Core Knowledge Series)

What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know: Preparing Your Child for a Lifetime of Learning (Core Knowledge Series)

by: E.D. Hirsch Jr.

Truth be told, we own the whole series of these books. The are brilliant books to remind us that we are moving along right on track. They also offer lots of stories, sample and fun ideas.

Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 12/08/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $15.00

The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had

The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had

by: Susan Wise Bauer

This book does what it says, it descibes the classical education. We found it to be quite rigid, the exact opposite of the Unschooling Handbook. However, these are the two of the three homeschooling books which have remained on our book shelves all these years, as they are great reference material. (The third book we still have is the Read Aloud Handbook)

Amazon Price: $18.45 (as of 12/08/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $27.95

A Few of My Favorite Squidoo Homeschool Pages 

There a too many brilliant homeschool lensmasters to list them all!

featured lens Chronological History of the World Unit-Studies for Homeschoolers

We are secular homeschoolers, and as such we will be studying the progression of evolution, both of our planet Earth, and of humans and all other life-forms over the course of history. This is a history unit that will carry our family through the ne...

The Final Stop 

One more chance to view a sample of Zazzle products

Make-It-Yourself Customizable Gifts! (a small sample of the choices)
Colorful Borders mugColorful Borders mousepadColorful Borders magnetSample Postcard postcard
Home School Apparel

Homeschool University shirtHomeschool Athletic Department shirtHomeschool Research Department shirtHomeschool Research Department shirt


Home School Novelty Items
Homeschooled Hat - Pink hatHomeschool University keychainHomeschooled mousepadHomeschool University mug

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About the Author 

Lensmaster Pukeko has been a member since May 17 2009, has rated 719 lenses, favorited 699, and has created 106 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "Sarah Albom". See all my lenses

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by Pukeko

We have always homeschooled, and have collected many great resources. Hope you find them useful.
Click here for my story or meet my girls, Melissa Alb... (more)

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