I don't know if it is on the way, but there's the petrified forest. I can't remember if it is in Arizona or new Mexico. It would be cool to see and I think the kids can run around in certain spots. Veggie tales would be good to watch for both of your kids. When your 2 y.o. sleeps perhaps popular mechanics for kids for your 5 y.o. or an audio book. My kids also play with an innotab from vtech. Good luck.

On the other hand, I used start up science when they were about 3 1/2? I liked those. I think it was 4 books for $20. I don't know how old your child(ren) is. But was disappointed when I received My pals. Such a shame since I like singapore math so much. hth

I have pals (?) for the first year and I think it is too easy.

Speaking of apps, does anyone know of an app for plants/trees/flowers? More specifically, one can take a picture of the plant and then scan it on the app to see what it is? I know far fetch. ........but thought I'd ask anyhow. We did go hiking yesterday and the scavenger hunt from the website was a blast. We tried the senses as well. All we heard were airplanes. Lol i guess all the birds have flown south, but now that's something for them to think about. :) Thanks for all the suggestions!

Yeah, that's pretty much where I'm at. That's why I started this thread. :) My son is perfectly happy playing in dirt in the yard. He loves to walk/run up and down the trails. But that's about it. Of course, they pick up sticks and rocks, etc. I have a ziplock bag they put it in. But I thought I was missing something. And sure enough got some good responses. :) I also went on the website of the nearby national park and it had some good information. Unfortunately, no ranger tours. :(

A walk with a ranger is a great idea. I don't know why I didn't think of that! Thanks for the idea.

Thank you so much! I don't appreciate nature like I should. So, I needed some direction and both of you guys gave some good suggestions. Lori D. I especially like the first, fourth, and fifth sites. :)

Hello, So what does one do during a nature walk for a 5 1/2 and 4 y.o.? I have the "First Field Guide Trees" by the National Audubon Society and I think it's fantastic. However, by the time I find the tree in question the kids have moved on. lol What do you do? I don't really want to study all the flowers and trees. lol Not my cup of tea. Thanks for any input.

SuperCharged Science Legos - it's my creativity curriculum :) Life of Fred series

Well what did you do? Lol

I think it depends on your child. OPGTR is great, but dry. My friend used it and it seemed that her child was reading in no time. I use phonics pathways and love it. However, if your child is a kinesthetic learner something like all about reading or logic of English is better. Some I see Sam books are free online. Progressive Phonics is free online as well. And yes as always read read read to her. :)

The used bookstore that sold it said that it was in very good condition with little markings in it. Had 4 1/2 stars....something like 97% good ratings with about 9,000 reviews. I took a chance. Got burnt. Could have contacted the bookstore I'm sure, but got so busy and it was about 2 weeks later when I looked through it. Good to know that it's not always like that. I haven't had any problems from sellers from homeschoolclassifieds.com.

I use it as a supplement.

Oh I'm sorry about suggesting life science. You want something for animals!

I like real science odyssey's life science. I'm doing it with my almost 6 y.o. and 4 y.o. there's little preparation, but I don't know any science curriculum that doesn't involve some sort of preparation unless you just read books. So far I've been able to get my materials from Walmart. I think there's about 3 items it said to order ahead of time, it'll tell you in the beginning. Oh I almost forgot! Welcome! :)

Lit2go.com has the same reader. We've only listened to 4 books though.

I like homeschooling on my own terms too. Lol Plus, would you be able to keep the materials/books? I know the charter school in my state won't let us keep the materials/books.

If you want to do something separate you can try doing math or logic books separately. You can also teach 2 different foreign languages. If your oldest is waiting around she can do something else. Read a book? Do a book from the critical thinking company? Build with legos? Personally, I would try to keep as many subjects together as I can just to save time for other things.

I believe a math book by Zacarro is supposed to be supplemental as a challenge. I also plan to use books by the critical thinking company to help challenge my kids. You could also join organizations called Odyssey of the Mind or Destination Imagination. They are supposed to help kids think outside the box. Hth

I would definitely switch program. Something with a more kinesthetic approach. I would also explain why he has to do phonics. Perhaps dad could do this? My son responds better when my dh is involved. I'm not sure if it's a guy thing or what. I agree with a pp to let him choose what to do first. A little freedom does go a long way. Also, keep in mind (I'm not sure how to explain this) that the more you take away his xbox the more focused he will be about playing it. He may think that you think it's important. For example, when we set certain days to play the wii, they were always asking if they could play on it. But now we have it set up where they can play on it everyday. You know what? For some reason it's not enticing anymore. They don't play on it everyday. Also, what has helped me is letting him play first. Run around, get a small trampoline, play with him for a little while, etc. Probably at this age he has a lot of energy and want attention? Just my 2 cents. I hope it goes well for you this morning.

For your last question, no. He's gifted, I'm not. It's possible it could be because he is closed to his sibling and parents who are normal.

Reading before bedtime. It's bonding time as a family. What about you?

I agree. Also, see a covd to rule that out. I think it's great that he can do mental math. Good luck.

I agree. Also, see a covd to rule that out. I think it's great that he can do mental math. Good luck.

I agree with pp. However, if you are concerned about this, you could try a different approach. For example, I think MCT grammar is a story format. Or The Sentence Family involves drawing and coloring. Hth