Dd10 and ds7 want more "hands-on"-that is NOT my thing; what can I do?

[HappyGrace]

Dd10 is wondering why we don't do sci experiments, salt maps, coloring things anymore. I used to try to do some of this with her, as she was the oldest (guinea pig!) Ds7 has never gotten any of this, poor little guy! I did explain to her that as an (advanced) 4th grader, that stuff starts to fade some due to time limitations. When we did do this type of thing, the learning really stuck and she enjoyed it so much. I wish I were a "fun" mom! I am a just the facts, keep things streamlined mom. :glare:

 

They do get art, music, etc. at co-op so they're not totally deprived. Dd even has a wonderful sci class where they do experiments (physics) almost every week. Both dc have done one salt map and some good hands on and games this yr in their history classes in co-op. But I would like to be better about doing something, even once a week. I've added in some math games; that's not exactly what the dc meant though.

 

Next yr we'll be back to Ancients and doing SOTW with AG and either HOD CTC or (maybe) TOG, so that should help a lot. What can I do in the meantime?

 

I don't like busywork and like meaningful activities (no making coonskin caps-lol!) It needs to be with stuff I mostly have on hand. I'm just so lame at this stuff!

 

I thought one thing I could do is read to both of them from Let's Read and Find Out sci books and have them illustrate with labeling/do a notebook page once a week. We just read Gail Gibbons' "From Seed to Plant" (picture book, but it was quite meaty) and I'm going to have them try to do a little drawing/labeling thing tomorrow. Nature journals are kind of a bust around here-we all have them and never use them. But maybe something guided like this might work, I'm thinking.

 

What about hands-on stuff? Easy but meaningful sci experiments? We mostly unschool sci because they love it and read a lot on their own. I'd like to keep them together for this type of thing rather than try to plan their own activities out at their own level, just for convenience. Thanks for any ideas!

[Lori D.]

Dd10 is wondering why we don't do sci experiments, salt maps, coloring things anymore. I used to try to do some of this with her, as she was the oldest (guinea pig!) Ds7 has never gotten any of this, poor little guy! I did explain to her that as an (advanced) 4th grader, that stuff starts to fade some due to time limitations. When we did do this type of thing, the learning really stuck and she enjoyed it so much.

 

 

 

You are so fortunate to have children who are able to *tell* you what their learning style is, and you can see that it's really worth your time to include the hands-on since it's how they really absorb and hold onto information! Definitely run with their interest -- and schedule a block of time to do hands-on.

 

 

 

I thought one thing I could do is read to both of them from Let's Read and Find Out sci books and have them illustrate with labeling/do a notebook page once a week. We just read Gail Gibbons' "From Seed to Plant" (picture book, but it was quite meaty) and I'm going to have them try to do a little drawing/labeling thing tomorrow. Nature journals are kind of a bust around here-we all have them and never use them.

 

 

Gently, and not meaning to rain on your parade, BUT... labeling and notebook pages are NOT hands-on, and I really don't think your kids are going to be happy with drawing/labeling (very similar to natural journaling) as a substitute for working with clay, mixing things in test tubes, building models of the pyramids, working with magnets, etc.

 

If you're doing "From Seed to Plant", then you need to have them DOING any activity that's in the book -- and more! Check out all these simple seed and plant hands-on -- you could do a 5 minute activity each day for a week:

- Dig a little garden (oh, and look! we found an earthworm! let's read about that, too!), and plant some seedlings from your local plant nursery. Perhaps even consider a compost pile, or a worm compost tub on the back porch (see the book "Worms Eat My Garbage")

- (5 minutes) Or have DC put potting soil in some pots and plant some seeds; they can even do small pots on a window sill in the house; keep a chart of what they see each day by drawing a little picture, and measuring how tall the seedlings get. Radishes will sprout and grow to eating size in just 4 weeks! Marigold flowers are fast growers and very forgiving.

- (5 minutes) Dampen a square of construction paper and put it into a sandwich-sized ziplock bag with 2 or 3 dry pinto beans that DC soaked in water for a few minutes first; hang the bag up on your fridge with a magnet and watch it sprout in just a few days; determine which are going to be the roots and which the stalk and leaves

- (several 5-10 minute sessions) Walk around the neighborhood and collect leaves from different trees; bring them home and compare them, or try to identify with a tree-identification book; make leaf rubbings with them; dry/press them and then place on a piece of construction paper and cover with clear plastic contact paper for placemats

- (5 minutes) Get several different pieces of fruit and veggies (bell pepper; seeded grades; apple, cucumber; peach/nectarine/avocado); cut them open and examine with a magnifying glass, and see the different kinds of seeds they have and discuss why that might be

- (10 minutes) Pick several different types of flowers from around the yard and cut in half and examine how their are similar parts to each, even though outside they are very different

- (5 minutes) Take a stalk of celery; cut off the bottom edge and put into a glass of water mixed with red food coloring; come back in an hour and discuss how the water has been taken up the celery stalk and colored the stalk and the leaves

- (5 minutes) Get a few loose carrots from the store that still have all the greens on top; have your DC cut the carrot tops off, leaving about 1 inch of carrot still attached to the greens, and place with the cut side down into a shallow saucer of water; after a few days, roots will begin to grow, and you can replant the carrot in a pot and it will re-grow; discuss how with carrots, we are actually eating the root

 

 

 

What about hands-on stuff? Easy but meaningful sci experiments? We mostly unschool sci because they love it and read a lot on their own. I'd like to keep them together for this type of thing rather than try to plan their own activities out at their own level, just for convenience.

 

 

A homeschooling friend of mine sounds similar to you -- SHE is a workbook learner, just-the-facts, let's-not-bother-with-hands-on. BUT, her kids really cement those scientific processes through experiments and hands-on. So, she comprises and uses a program -- Apologia Astronomy, Botany, etc. for elementary ages -- because ALL the supplies are right there and everything is scheduled for you, including when to do the hands-on. It is from a Christian perspective.

 

 

Other ideas:

 

- Get several good science kits and spend an hour once a week exploring with it; many kits come with guided instruction that explain not only what to do, but what the science behind the experiments are. Here are some great ones for gr. K-5 that include all your supplies, have instructions, and aren't too expensive:

1. Wild Goose 3-in-1 kits (http://www.rainbowresource.com/prodlist.php?sid=1268372119-336513&subject=11&category=3000)

2. Sun Print paper (http://www.amazon.com/Tedco-Deluxe-Sunprint-Kit/dp/0924886765/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1268372057&sr=8-1)

3. Science with Magnets Kit (http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Science+with+Magnets+Kit/008535/1268372119-336513)

4. Science with Light and Mirrors Kit (http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Science+with+Light+%26amp%3B+Mirrors+Kid+Kit/032362/1268372119-336513)

5. baking soda and vinegar Meteor Rocket (http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Meteor+Rocket/004341/1268372119-336513)

6. Erupting, Fizzing, Sparking Fun kit (http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Erupting%2C+Sparkling%2C+Fizzing+Fun+Kit/023247/1268372119-336513)

7. All About Rocks kit (http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/All+About+Rocks+Mini-Lab/000548/1268372119-336513)

8. Geo Science kit (http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Geo+Science/045283/1268372119-336513)

9. Going Green Magic School Bus kit (http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Going+Green+Kit+%28Magic+School+Bus%29/045355/1268372119-336513)

10. Diving into Slime Magic School Bus kit (http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Diving+Into+Slime%2C+Gel%2C+and+Goop+Kit+%28Magic+School+Bus%29/045354/1268372119-336513)

 

 

- "365 Simple Science Experiments with Everyday Materials" (Churchill, Loeschnig, Mandell, and Zweif)

- "365 More Simple Science Experiments with Everyday Materials" (Breckenridge, Fredericks, Loeschnig)

These two books are fabulous for simple, 5 minute experiments with things you really DO have around the house. In 5 minutes you can read about the experiment, do it, and then read the explanation of the science behind the experiment. Schedule 1 experiment every day (they are FAST and SIMPLE!), perhaps as a fun 5-minute restart after lunch, or as a mid-morning perk-up for everyone. Or, once a week, do 4-5 experiments that are all on the same topic (they are grouped by similar topic area).

 

 

And consider the "Do and Discover" science experiment DVDs available through Sonlight; you and your DC could watch those, and then pick an experiment to reproduce at home.

 

 

 

Your children are still quite young; trust me, all the way up to middle school you can get all their schooling done in four days a week, and schedule Fridays for science experiments, art projects, field trips, math games, etc. "Friday fun days" worked great here for getting in all those more time-consuming things, and everyone really looked forward to that day. OR, make it Mondays as a way to look forward to getting back into your school week. OR, schedule one afternoon a week for science experiments. But DO put it on your schedule, and allow a block of time -- 1 to 2 hours so you really will DO it.

 

There's your pep talk -- now write that science hands-on block of time into your schedule with INK -- and ENJOY! :tongue_smilie: Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited March 12, 2010 by Lori D.
fixed typos

[....]

This is why we are throwing oak meadow into our mix. ...because I'm way too Type A to come up with the idea of "recreating a miniature Native American village" all up on my own. :tongue_smilie:

 

I'm just not very creative or fun...:D

 

Thanks for posting the info from Rainbow Resource. I'm going to look at those also.

[DarlaS]

Is she interested in learning any handi-crafts--for real? I hate "busywork" type projects too (science experiments aside) but maybe she'd like to learn to knit or crochet, embroider etc.

 

Your younger child will be trickier, but she's old enough to make something that does not end up in the trash.

[LoveBaby]

I am so not a hands on mama either. It's very hard for me to look at it for the educational value and not just the mess that it makes (along with all the other "messes" that are at my house!)

 

My oldest is a girl as well and she *loves* hands-on. She can also read, know's where the supplies are for everything and is excellent at supervising clean-up, so she is my project girl for our homeschool. About once a week or so, she goes through the various experiment/craft books that we have and picks one out to do with the younger kiddo's. I am around, of course, and am helping the youngest one, but she really owns it.

 

We've built praying mantis habitats, done salt-paper painting, grown beans in glass jars, made our own play-dough and used it for a history lesson. She even reads through the SOTW AG and picks which activities she'd most like to do. She is helping her brother's pick out what kind of plants they want in the garden this summer, so that will be a continuous hand's on project for them. I help her gather the materials and then she's off.

 

I'm planning on a more science experiment summer, since we just always lose science through the school year and she's going to be my right hand man in making sure the experiments get done. She's very determined and won't let me put her off, either, so it keeps me accountable!!

[Tonia]

2 ideas - find things they can do basically independently like the sonlight science kits (dvd, kit that goes with that level, and nonconsummable kit - we love these!). Another plan (more work for you, though) is to find projects to go along with your history or science, shop for the supplies, sort into ziploc bags with the instructions for the projects. Each week you just have to pull the bag for the week and let them go to it.

[Pippen]

I would have written the pep talk if Lori hadn't beat me to it. :) I was a science teacher and saw over and over again how much better hands-on cemented concepts for kids who are wired up that way. As a parent I saw my hands-on daughter who wasn't a big science fan to begin with, grow into a science hater with the pencil/paper/textbook/lecture approach. Last year she was just memorizing whatever was on the study guide so she could spit it back out on the test--not a lick of connection to the real world was happening.

 

- "365 Simple Science Experiments with Everyday Materials" (Churchill, Loeschnig, Mandell, and Zweif)

- "365 More Simple Science Experiments with Everyday Materials" (Breckenridge, Fredericks, Loeschnig)

These two books are fabulous for simple, 5 minute experiments with things you really DO have around the house. In 5 minutes you can read about the experiment, do it, and then read the explanation of the science behind the experiment. Schedule 1 experiment every day (they are FAST and SIMPLE!), perhaps as a fun 5-minute restart after lunch, or as a mid-morning perk-up for everyone. Or, once a week, do 4-5 experiments that are all on the same topic (they are grouped by similar topic area).

 

The original series ioriginally was topical and they combined them ,and then combined them again into 730 Easy Science Ecperiments with everyday materials. Lots of easily do-able experiments for cheap!

 

http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Science-Experiments-Everyday-Material/dp/1579123872/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268399785&sr=1-1

 

Along those same lines, only more colorful are the Reader's Digest How (Nature, Weather, Earth, etc) Works. In hindsight I wish I'd order them all at the beginning of the year to have on hand.

http://www.amazon.com/How-Earth-Works/dp/0895774119/ref=pd_sim_b_1

 

Out-of-This World Astronomy 50 Amazing Activities and Projects by Joe Thatigan has some nice little activities laid out in experiment form.

http://www.amazon.com/Out-This-World-Astronomy-Joe-Rhatigan/dp/1579906753/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268400779&sr=1-1

 

If hands-on isn't your thing, I agree that a package approach that can be done more independently by the students would be best. It sounds like you already know the benefits--hopefully you can find a way to get it done that fits you best.

 

Good luck!

[Sue G in PA]

I was never good with prep work. I could never get my act together to prepare and gather materials for science experiments or history projects, etc. Felt so drained just from the 'normal' responsibilities. My ds (10 at the time) wanted to do more hands-on stuff, too. So, I got a book from the library of science experiments and tole him to choose a half dozen that he wanted to do. I told him to make me a list of materials that we would need and we would go out and gather them all at once. That really helped me. I also told him that he would have to "run" the experiment and I would help. Of course, I read about it ahead of time (easy exp...about 10 min. to read and comprehend) but he took the lead. It worked out great.

[Pippen]

One more thought: my 5th grader really likes cooking and enjoys researching foods from period and then preparing a food or meal. It doesn't take a lot of effort or money on my part and she gains a lot from it.

 

Look here if you're interested:

http://www.foodtimeline.org/

[Sahamamama]

I thought one thing I could do is read to both of them from Let's Read and Find Out sci books and have them illustrate with labeling/do a notebook page once a week. We just read Gail Gibbons' "From Seed to Plant" (picture book, but it was quite meaty) and I'm going to have them try to do a little drawing/labeling thing tomorrow. Nature journals are kind of a bust around here-we all have them and never use them. But maybe something guided like this might work, I'm thinking.

 

 

2 styrofoam cups + dirt + 1 packet of bean seeds + water + sunshine = a child's definition of hands-on! (not another notebook page)

 

 

 

But, basically, I'm like you! I agree, no coonskin caps here, LOL. Then again, the things I remember most from my childhood (way back when) were hands-on projects. Some children really do enjoy (and learn from) handicrafts and hands-on projects. As adults, it's easy for us to think that life is all about the paperwork. Perhaps, for us, it is; but should a child's learning be all paperwork, or hands-on, or a wisely guided balance of good and necessary learning methods? Aim for balance.

 

Could they do "hands-on" projects on their own free time? Motivate your children to complete their work by offering them free time for hands-on when the "paper work" and the "stack of books" are done for the day. Reward them with simple kits and hands-on supplies. HTH! Good luck, non-crafty Mommy! :D :grouphug:

[2_girls_mommy]

If you are using the Let's read and Find out science series, each one usually has an activity or experiment to do. Nothing too difficult.

 

Then we do a coloring sheet or diagram for our science notebook about the experiment. My dds love it.

 

When you start back SOTW, there are tons of activities. I usually try to pick one a chapter. I have to admit that usually it is the easiest one of the bunch like make paper dolls, or paper anythings :) Yesterday we made pop out cards of the tower of london where young Henry V was held captive and disappeared. Last week we made paper dolls of Joan of Arc. They can work on these as we are reading and orally doing the questions.

 

As long as we do a big involved thing occasionally it keeps the excitement up. My kids love hands on, coloring, cutting/pasting, drawing, etc. too. Have fun. It is not that hard once you get going.

[HappyGrace]

WOW-Awesome help, everyone! Thank you!

 

Actually I wouldn't say it is their learning style, not at all. They are workbooky, but I do try to give them a variety (some oral, lapbooking, etc.) We do literature approach, so no textbooks really. Dd actually loves lecture approach when she has had it in co-op classes-takes lots of notes and retains it all! But hands-on is just FUN for them and I want them to have that!

 

I guess I'm not as bad as I thought: dd is just now planning a garden, including compost, which we'll work on together. She read my book "The Self-Sufficient Life" (a lovely DK book for adults) and what each plant needs, etc. She planned it all out using area, perimeter (for fencing), budget for what she needs, and how much she can sell the veggies for, and how much profit, etc. We have and they love all the SL science experiment DVDs (but haven't done any of the experiments :blush:-I can try now though! Will look into getting the kits-I think dd could do these with ds.) Also we've done the leaf collecting, identifying, rubbing. Dh is good and does little things with them-like he made a self-powered little derby car with her for physics, etc. Ds has a "seed collection" on a poster that he adds to when he finds all kinds of seeds and labels (after reading "Seeds, Seeds, Seeds" a few months ago. So I guess I'm not TOO horrible-lol!

 

I love the idea of Fridays for fun stuff, but we have co-op on our 5th day, so that's out. Still, many of the ideas for links and books are so great-I have plenty of fodder now to figure this out. I like the idea of getting the materials gathered ahead and having them ready in bags. Love the food timeline idea-dd is a great cook and has been baking our sourdough bread from scratch since she was six! LOVE the Science Materials with Everyday Materials books-going to right away see if the library has them. That's just what I need; experiments that truly use things I have around AND explain the why behind it!

 

I'm going to take Lori's (excellent!) advice to put aside an hour a week to do this, to start, so I don't feel intimidated. Once I get my feet, we can add more time. Thanks for all the GREAT ideas and support! I'm kind of excited!

[Carol in Cal.]

Get them lots of really good materials--cardstock of various colors and textures, lots of fancy and colored paper, good felt pens, calligraphy supplies, paints, various yarns and threads, knitting needles, crochet hooks, embroidery supplies, beads, cloth, wood bits, tools, etc.--and let them go to town and figure out what THEY want to make. Get books that show the way--easy to more difficult step by step drawing books, craft books, carving books, that kind of thing. Encourage them to respond to their studies by expressing them in some way artistically. Let them use up a lot of material, and try and fail their way to success. That's what real artists do, and it's something I wish I had learned as a child instead of feeling like a failure if I didn't do everything right the first time. They will be so proud of something that they struggled with and finally created on their own, just the way they envisioned it.

[LauraGB]

If you have already taught the scientific method, Science in a Nutshell kits from Delta are great and there are a ton to choose from. I buy them, hand everything to the dc and let them do thier thing. Also, my dc really like the experiment books SWB suggests in TWTM. I think if the 10yo already understands, she can help the 7yo with the experiments and then gain some extra knowledge from "teaching" too.

[Lori D.]

I guess I'm not as bad as I thought: dd is just now planning a garden, including compost... She planned it all out using area, perimeter (for fencing), budget for what she needs, and how much she can sell the veggies for, and how much profit, etc. We have and they love all the SL science experiment DVDs... Also we've done the leaf collecting, identifying, rubbing. Dh is good and does little things with them-like he made a self-powered little derby car with her for physics, etc. Ds has a "seed collection" on a poster that he adds to when he finds all kinds of seeds and labels (after reading "Seeds, Seeds, Seeds" a few months ago. So I guess I'm not TOO horrible-lol!

 

 

 

Awesome -- not horrible at all!! You're doing quite a lot of hands-on, so give yourself a pat on the back! And "you go, girl!" :D Enjoy your hands-on family science adventures! Warmest regards, Lori

[ChristyM]

I have just been looking into a science series called God's Design...For Heaven and Earth and under that heading is Our Universe, Planet Earth, and Our Weather and Water. There are more installments but these are the three I am looking at. They are bite-size chunks of information with a VERY simple experiment each time with things mostly found around the home. You could easily look ahead to get the few things you need. Look into this curriculum for science if interested.

 

Another encouragement is to only consider one history project a week, plan them 10 weeks out, collect your stuff ahead of time (choose only the truly realistic ones) and remember this good advice I got a while back: projects do not really take that long to do, so don't get overwhelmed. If you can commit to one of those a week (start a salt map one week, let it dry a week and paint it the next - that is 2 weeks planned!) your kids will be stimulated. Another encouragement is to provide them materials to play with/experiment with on their own (paints, clay, pipe cleaners, etc..) and say "go for it."

 

I get overwhelmed by the hands-on stuff too but I also see that my kids love it and retain the content of the week better when it is associated with a project.

Blessings!

[HappyGrace]

Thanks again to everyone-I am having so much fun checking out all the suggestions! It's really helping to motivate me!

[MelanieM]

We love Super Science Concoctions and Gizmos and Gadgets for fun, easy science experiments.

 

My friend was just telling me how much she likes Mudworks, so we'll be checking that out soon. We generally enjoy all the MaryAnn Kohl books we've encountered, so I'm sure it will be a hit.

 

Making paper is a really great hands-on activity. We have a kit similar to this one, but it's easy enough to make your own screens and use scrap paper from around the house.

 

Needle felting or wet wool felting is a great handicraft to get into. My kids especially love making wool beads and ornaments with wet felting techniques. (I like needle felting myself!)

 

Jewelry making using store bought beads, or making your own beads with polymer clay (or using some of the clay recipes in the Mudworks book!) could be great fun. My kids love this stuff as well.

 

What I like about a lot of the handiwork type activities is it makes for great Christmas presents for the grandparents! :D And the kids love doing something 'real' versus busywork type activities.

 

Now I'm inspired to dig into some new fun, hands-on projects this week! :D

[birchbark]

 

Here is a similar thread.

[MariannNOVA]

This is a great thread -- I am NOT a hands on, warm, fuzzy, kind of teacher -- not in the classroom, not at home. I would (and have) paid someone to do those 'fun' things that kids love. In fact (this is SO bad), when my dd31 was a brownie in first grade, the brownie moms 'hired' someone to come every week and be the brownie leader (i.e., do the fun stuff with them) -- in 1985, that was unheard of.

 

As I said, thanks for the thread........DH is good at that kind of stuff and he likes it.......I may delegate it to him.

[yvonne]

>>>Needle felting or wet wool felting is a great handicraft to get into. My kids especially love making wool beads and ornaments with wet felting techniques. (I like needle felting myself!)<<<

 

Any suggestions for a very first book on this, preferably something my daughter could do on her own. :)

[Hannah]

We have and they love all the SL science experiment DVDs

 

I just wanted to pick up on this. We got some of the kits from SL and I also spent some time going throgh the Usborne books and putting together a large chest for all the other 'things you have around the house' - which we invariably don't, like empty cans, jars, cardboard tube, empty yoghurt containers, drnking straws, paper fasteners, etc.

 

So, now the DVDs are open and go for us. Dd's can watch and then go outside or into the kitchen and try things out.

 

We also did this with another family for a while. We'd meet weekly, play a few experiments from the DVD and then let the kids loose with the materials they'd need to go and experiment on their own. They had loads of fun and invariably it lead to them experimenting further to find what works.

 

Afterwards, we'd briefly discuss what they'd learned and the science behind it (from the parents notes in the Usborne books).

[MelanieM]

>>>Needle felting or wet wool felting is a great handicraft to get into. My kids especially love making wool beads and ornaments with wet felting techniques. (I like needle felting myself!)<<<

 

Any suggestions for a very first book on this, preferably something my daughter could do on her own. :)

 

Magic Wool or Felt Wee Folk might be good options. Neither book is especially written for children, but the techniques are child-friendly.

 

If you're looking for needle felting, I would go with a kit like this or this as all the supplies and directions are included. Your daughter could probably do this on her own but she'd need supervision, especially at first, because the needles are very sharp. If she's not especially coordinated or doesn't have good fine motor control, needle felting might not be a great fit for her right now.

 

Oh! I haven't seen this book in person, but it looks sooo sweet! A story and instructions -- looks like fun! (I think I'll get this for my own 7 yo!)

 

You could also just get some wool roving and print off directions for simple projects. Here are directions for felt balls and wool felt beads.

 

Toymaking with Children has some felting projects kids could do on their own, and it has lots of other great activities as well. (It also has lots of stuff you'll likely shake your head at and never do if you're not into hands-on, so be forewarned. lol!)

 

While I'm at it... One of my absolute favourite books for crafting with kids is Green Crafts for Children. There are 35 projects in the book, and they're all adorable things that kids can actually do. I fell in love with this book the moment I say it, and bought it for myself as a Christmas present. :D

 

I hope that helps some! :)

Edited March 13, 2010 by MelanieM

[momee]

Looks like more than enough info for you. Here's a thread I started on how to make hands-on stuff happen.

More ideas of what to do than how, but still very great info.

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=156565

[yvonne]

Wow, thank you, Melanie! My daughter will be in craft heaven! :)

 

Magic Wool or Felt Wee Folk might be good options. Neither book is especially written for children, but the techniques are child-friendly.

 

If you're looking for needle felting, I would go with a kit like this or this as all the supplies and directions are included. Your daughter could probably do this on her own but she'd need supervision, especially at first, because the needles are very sharp. If she's not especially coordinated or doesn't have good fine motor control, needle felting might not be a great fit for her right now.

 

Oh! I haven't seen this book in person, but it looks sooo sweet! A story and instructions -- looks like fun! (I think I'll get this for my own 7 yo!)

 

You could also just get some wool roving and print off directions for simple projects. Here are directions for felt balls and wool felt beads.

 

Toymaking with Children has some felting projects kids could do on their own, and it has lots of other great activities as well. (It also has lots of stuff you'll likely shake your head at and never do if you're not into hands-on, so be forewarned. lol!)

 

While I'm at it... One of my absolute favourite books for crafting with kids is Green Crafts for Children. There are 35 projects in the book, and they're all adorable things that kids can actually do. I fell in love with this book the moment I say it, and bought it for myself as a Christmas present. :D

 

I hope that helps some! :)

[woolybear]

I haven't read all the other replies, so if this is repetitive I'm sorry. Here's two other possibilities:

 

1) Find a nearby crafty homeschooler (or not) around 12-15 yo and see if they can come one afternoon a week to do that kind of stuff with your kids.

 

2) Find a nearby crafty/hands on homeschool mama to have over one day a week (or alternate houses). You could work with her dc on more book type work while she does hands on stuff.

 

Woolybear

[TCB]

What a great reply Lori D!! I've just sent that to myself as an email as I too am not very good with the hands on stuff and can use all the help I can get.

[Emmy]

great thread - so many awesome ideas!

[woolybear]

How about for history you get one of those kits that's all put together? I think maybe it's Hearts and Hands or Hands and Hearts?

 

Also check out http://www.artprojectsforkids.com and the Crafty Crow http://www.belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow/

[Lovedtodeath]

Oh, I thought of one! Pop Bottle Science. I just got it and some of it looks like a 10 year old could do them on her own. It also comes with most of the things you need (like balloons, pop bottle, cork). I am impressed with the variety of projects. It hits all 4 areas of science.

[MelissaMom]

schedule Fridays for science experiments, art projects, field trips, math games, etc. "Friday fun days" worked great here for getting in all those more time-consuming things, and everyone really looked forward to that day. OR, make it Mondays as a way to look forward to getting back into your school week. OR, schedule one afternoon a week for science experiments. But DO put it on your schedule, and allow a block of time -- 1 to 2 hours so you really will DO it.

 

There's your pep talk -- now write that science hands-on block of time into your schedule with INK -- and ENJOY! .

 

Thanks for the pep talk....it trickled down my way. I have always toyed with the idea of a day for games, hands-on projects, etc. but never had the guts to do it. I'm like the OP, 'let's just get through the facts.' But the things my kids remember are the hands-on stuff. Funny, when I look back at my education, that's what I recall too....dissections, clay in coffee cans in art class, making soup in school, eating the rice paper off something.....Hmmmmm! I'm so glad I'm in the planning mode for next year. THANKS!:001_smile:

[cougarmom4]

Just one more website for you to look at:

http://pbskids.org/zoom/printables/activities/

 

If you remember the PBS show, Zoom, this site has lots of hands-on activities for kids to do. I like this site a lot, because, first of all, it's free! They also have the activities typed out on instruction sheets to be read by the student--in simple to follow directions. I used their ClubZoom info to teach a science club at my kids' school a few years ago and it was a blast!