Monday, August 15, 2011

The Great Restock - or Back to School Sales

The stores are bustling these days, sales for school supplies and for a homeschooler it's not a moot point, even if you see education as something that happens year-rounds. Make the best of these sales, as you'd be surprised at what you can find. Don't be afraid to buy in advance, nor to take advantage of end of season sales. Just buy a size or two up, because the odds are, you child will need them at some point and the weather and your child's size will coincide.

I have to say that being homeschoolers, I like that my child doesn't have to dress like the popular kid. Because, as I've discovered at her summer recital for her parks and rec program, she is the popular kid. She is able to set her own trends with her friends, not only her homeschooled friends, but her public school and private schooled friends.

But hey – that big box store and then the office supply store are both having sales like you couldn't believe, so along with the clothing re-stock (and thank heavens for being in a state with no sales tax on clothing) we also buy our supplies for the year ahead, restocking on some, and building up the cupboard for the coming year.

So what's on our list?

  • Safety Scissors

  • Manilla Construction Paper

  • Colored Construction Paper

  • Watercolor Markers

  • Spiral bound notebooks

  • Crayons

  • Glue Sticks

  • 3 ring binders

  • folders

  • Extra Large Manilla Paper (for if/when we do lap books)

Add into it things that you might find useful and take it with you. Have fun and remember, on September 1, you don't have to haul your child off to school early in the morning, as he or she has been learning all along.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Discovering a learning experience at the Ren Faire

Well it's Ren-Faire season here again. Time for oulandish ticket prices bad food on a stick and a chance to expose your little one Shakespeare.

What?

Yes, that's right. Shakespeare. Now I'm not suggesting you go in unarmed, and in fact a pre-emptive trip to the library to get “Tales from Shakespeare” by Charles and Mary Lamb, illustrated by Joelle Jolivet, and introduce your first-grader to an abridged version of the Bard's stories.

Abridged versions of "Hamlet", "Midsummer Night's Dream", "Macbeth", and "Romeo and Juliet" are included and will make all those men in tights saying “Forsooth” and “Milady and M'Lord”not appear so strange to your little one.

Most Renaissance Faires will have entertainment for all ages, and you might just find a Punch and Judy show, a bird of prey exhibit, and maybe even archery games or a pony ride. These are all things my little one loves seeing when we go and are welcome activities when our paths cross with the booths or displays.

When you get home, its time to get back out the art supplies. Let your child tell a story on paper about where they went, pictures, drawings, maybe make paper Knights and then draw armor for them, or make a princess cone hat and trail ribbons off of it for your little Princess...the possibilities are limitless when it comes to your child's imagination.