We love to use hands-on projects in our homeschool, and I have a definite preference for the kinds of projects that don't require me to hunt down expensive supplies. I don't care much for cleaning up messes either. Thankfully, we can usually find good ideas for projects that are simple and inexpensive, but give us an opportunity to learn by doing rather than just reading.
This is what we've done so far this school year.
Kennady did some sewing, and made herself a colonial era costume.
Yes, I had to buy some fabric for this, but only for the apron and collar and other white pieces. The pattern was from an e-book we reviewed from Golden Prairie Press.
The costume made another appearance when we had our own peaceful Boston Tea Party. Landon declined to attend in costume.
American history also inspired us to get hands-on in the kitchen. We've done some baking, including these Hamentaschen.
We had a 1930s Family Game Night. And we are planning on having a Route 66 1940's Diner Night this evening!
Our science this year is Classical Astronomy. The boys made a backyard compass and we regularly go out to observe the sun, moon, and stars. (Okay, lately, it's not been as "regular" as it should be!)
Astronomy has also provided some indoor hands-on projects, like making volvelles and working with a globe and light source. Both helped us understand the movements of the sun, moon, and stars in our sky and how we see those things from our earthly vantage point. We also used Oreos to learn about the phases of the moon.
It doesn't get more hands-on than our homeschool group's annual Christmas Craft Breakfast. This year my kids made a wooden farm-style bench, a t-shirt scarf, a cookie sheet memo board, and tealight lampshades.
Obviously, Art is pretty hands-on!
And to tell the truth, this year has in many ways, been LESS hands-on than many others!
What hands-on projects do you like to include in your homeschool? Please leave a comment, and if you don't already follow my blog, I would love for you to do that too. And head back to the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog to find out more about the 5 Days of Teaching Creatively Blog Hop! Today we are all sharing about Hands-On Projects. Follow the links below to see what others have to say.
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1 comments:
Love that Colonial outfit! She did a great job. We did a costume for our Little House on the Prairie study. I love how homeschooling doesn't mean being stuck at a desk reading a textbook all day. So much more fun to learn by doing!
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