Happy Home Schooling Christmas Style! This eLetter (Terry’s Terrific Learning Connections or Terry’s Tender Loving Care) is meant to encourage and inspire families homeschooling their children.
Christmas is getting closer each day. Perhaps you are looking forward to it – perhaps you aren’t. Perhaps you are wondering how you will get everything done or perhaps you already know you won’t get everything done (like me!). Perhaps you are hurting over the loss of what could have been and are aching over what is. Wherever you and your family are, I’d like to remind you God is with you and nothing in the past year has been a surprise to Him. Sleep in peace.
In the next month or so, we have an opportunity to slow down, focus on the meaning of the season AND to continue bonding with the hearts of our children. I’d suggest making every effort to do so – because while the days are long, the years are, oh, so short. We really don’t have much time with each of our children. What you do today – each day – counts!
AND how lovely it is, that you have made the decision to home school your children. No, it isn’t easy, but it is worthwhile. It sometimes takes all our energy, time and money, but what else would we rather spend our energy, time and money on? (Smile)
Here are a couple of lovely DIY Christmas Advent Calendars with family activities for each day. (I realized quickly we couldn’t do BIG fun ideas every day, so we ended up doing a big activity one day and had little, easy activities spaced strategically. It’s all about having fun together and making memories!) *The first one has room for a couple candies each day, while the second idea would be fun for the card makers among us!
DIY Advent Calendar from Paper Rolls
What about some Christmas jokes? Smile. Here is a Christmas Jokes Paper Chain Countdown. What fun!
This is a great idea for LEGO Lovers. A LEGO Christmas Countdown. (It isn’t free, but $4.95 is a small price to pay for something set up so well.) 25 days of Christmas Themed LEGO Challenges
This is an absolutely lovely way to encourage your children to count their blessings at Christmas. A quick and easy Advent Blessing Jar.
Pick one stick at supper time and everyone name as many as you can in the category. (Use what you have – this could be done on paper, too.)
Another Advent Blessings Clue Hunt Idea – little hearts (and big hearts, too) turned in anticipation towards Christ. Very nice. A search for candy with meaning. Great printable.
Wow, this is a lovely idea. (I’d recommend getting some big kids or dad to help!) This mom used it as part of her Christmas decorations.
She also has an idea for an Unwrapped Christmas Book Advent, too. Cool idea that is easily made and reusable!
Love this idea. An Advent Nature Table with stones between Mary & Joseph and the Wise Men. Each day, remove one stone and the Wise Men move closer to the Nativity.
What about an Acts of Kindness Advent and encourage your whole family to take part? (Be creative in these times!)
And of course, adding in Printable Advent Cards about the Reason for the Season would be a great idea, too. This mom even has an Advent Writing Activity for families who would like to do that!
This last link has a great idea about a rhythm to our days. Love it.
One of my best seasonal homeschooling tips is to get a binder together. I made one for Christmas with 31 page protectors for December – each labeled from 1-31 – and I reused it from year to year. In late November, I would do an online search and print off the best ideas / worksheets that I thought we would use. Of course, I always printed too much (and was very flexible about what we did – sometimes my plans had to change), but it still gave me a bit of direction for Christmas Home Schooling (and I saved what we didn’t use for next year!)
We actually stopped our formal, structured homeschooling in early December and I added in crafts, baking, sewing, and more that counted as hands on homeschooling. I’ve gone through some of my Christmas Pinterest Boards (check out terryinalberta if you want more ideas – I have thousands saved in over a hundred categories) and gathered the best quick and easy ideas for you. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Holiday with your family!
WISDOM Booklets of the Month
WISDOM has four new booklets for their families. I hesitate to mention all of them, but what a lovely Christmas (or New Year) Gift for WISDOM families! Each is plumb full of home school encouragement for parents.
Home School Encouragement 2 - There are days when home school parents can feel discouraged and drained. This booklet is full of encouraging articles to raise your spirits and help you to stay the course.
For Fathers 2 - This booklet is full of encouragement and tips for the Home School Dad. Most articles are written by home school dads FOR home school dads! (Great for a stocking stuffer!)
High School 2 - Home schooling through High School can be tough, but it is totally doable and totally worth it! This booklet has a second batch of encouraging articles and inspiration for home school parents.
Marriage & Home Schooling - Along with home schooling and loving our children, staying happily married is one of the best things for parents to do. This booklet focuses on encouragement and tips for the married couples among us.
(Email terry@wisdomhomeschooling.com and let me know which ones you would like to have mailed out to you. I’ll get them out as soon as I can!)
Happy Homeschooling!