american girl christmas
An American Girl Christmas
*Homeschooling Through the Holidays*

Christmas School is the perfect answer to how to Homeschool during the holidays !

The holidays are coming ! The holidays are coming !
Cooking, cleaning, preparing for company, shopping, parties, children’s plays,
church events, cooking some more, oh, yeah….and homeschooling !
Phew! I’m tired just from typing all of that !

How DO you homeschool through the holidays ?

Do you dream every year about decorating cookies with your kids, curling up by a fire and reading Christmas stories, making handmade gifts and cards, and spending time as a family focusing on the real heart of the holiday ?
Do you find it impossible to balance the long list of  “to-do’s” with all the
“want to do’s” ?
Something always falls short … school doesn’t happen, the fun stuff doesn’t happen, or the sleep doesn’t happen.   Sure you can clean the house at 1am when company is arriving in the morning…. zzzzzz.   Yep me too.  I’ve tried juggling all those plates.  Just not my forte.
Continue reading An American Girl Christmas – Holiday Homeschool →

american girl free unit study

 


~Turn of the Century~
Unit Study


Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904:
Growing Up During America’s New Century    

Welcome to the world of Samantha Parkington, and the 6th unit
in the series of American Girl/American History Unit Studies !

In this Unit, we will learn what daily life was like at the Turn of the Century-  imagine…the etiquette of high tea, ballroom dancing, or strolling through Central Park…or working grueling hours in a shirtwaist factory and living in a tenement.  We will delve into the Industrial Revolution and we will walk down the avenues of the World’s Fair  re-discovering the amazing inventions that were changing the world!  We will imagine life through the eyes of children seeing the shores of America for the very first time, and settling in a new country.  We will get to know the President, known for his connection to the “teddy bear”- can you guess who it is?  And we will also get to know some of his friends who called our attention to America’s great natural beauty.
What an EXCITING time to have lived !
What an exciting time to re-live !
Hope you enjoy this unit.

**Note:  This post contains Amazon affiliate links (directly to Amazon).  At NO extra cost to you, I will earn a small commission from any sales clicked on through the links on this page.  Thank you for helping me keep my units FREE !

* Turn of the Century Core Reading:

“Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904“

 

*Week 1: “Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904″-
Samantha’s World

1.  “Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904″-  Meet Samantha                         (p.  1 )
2.  “Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904″-   A Growing Country                  (p.  2-5 )
3.  “Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904″-   Factories & Invention             (p. 6-7; 26-27; 46-49)
4.  “Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904″-   Immigration                               (p.  42-45; 50-51 )
5.  “Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904″-   City Life, Country Life             (p.  10-13; 8-9)

*Week 2: “Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904″-
A Day with Samantha

1.  “Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904″-  A Girl’s Life                                          (p. 36-37 )
2.  “Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904″-  Ettiquette & Society                        (p.  32-35 )
3.  “Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904″-  Fun & Entertainment                      (p. 14-17; 28-29)
4.  “Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904″-  Fashion                                                 (p. 18-19;  30-31 )
5.  “Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904″-   Health & Beauty                               (p.  20-23 )

*Week 3: “Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904”-
The Turn of a Century

1.  “Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904″-   The President                                  (p.  24-25 )
2.  “Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904″-   The Reformers                               (p.  52-53 )
3.  “Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904″-   Changes for Women                   (p.  38-39; 56-57 )
4.  “Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904″-   Philanthropy                                  (p.  40-41  )
5.  “Welcome to Samantha’s World 1904″-   The Naturalists                              (p.   p. 54-55 )

Continue reading Samantha Turn of the Century Unit Study →

car games for kids

**5 Thanksgiving Car Trip Activities**
(You will be thankful for !)

“Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go…”

Sounds so nostalgic and cozy, right?  May be if Grandma lives just over the river and only
15 minutes away.   Otherwise, a Thanksgiving car trip with the whole family can be anything but enjoyable.

One is hungry. One is bored. One forgot batteries.
Someone is touching someone else; someone is making faces; and someone is breathing funny. I feel your pain.

BUT I have the answer to your holiday car travel woes!

In this post you will have everything you need to have a picturesque family Thanksgiving car trip to Grandmas !
Continue reading Thanksgiving Car Trip Activities →

American Girl History Books for unit studies
Great Books for
American History Units

At last !

Book lists for all the American Girl History Units…
all in one tidy place !

If you’re just visiting for the first time or you’ve recently subscribed, I hope you’ll also enjoy checking out these units.  I’ll link them below.
Are you a mom with boys ?  DON’T run !
You can definitely use these units with your boys too.  Just substitute some of the suggested American Girl books if they balk, with other books from this American History Booklist and the unit studies will work for your whole family !
Are you a mom with littles, high schoolers, and some everywhere in between ?
READ on !
These units are super flexible.  The spine is solid in all subject areas (minus math)-  just add in some activities (check out my corresponding Pinterest Boards),  adjust the reading requirements, and get ready for the most ENJOYABLE year of homeschooling ever ! Continue reading Books for American History Units →

old fashioned thanksgiving unit study

~An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving~

      Thanksgiving Unit Study



Stories to read aloud together, recipes, games to play, crafts, history, family devotional ideas, and lots more fun!

*Thanksgiving Reading:

* “An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving”  by Louisa May Alcott
(google reader, book format)
OR
Read/print it out  here
OR
Listen to “An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving” Audiobook (free)

*Watch the Hallmark movie version of “An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving” online
Continue reading ~An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving~ →