Pasta Sort {Tot Time}

  I hosted a busy bag exchange a couple of years back for my MOPS group.  It was wonderful; we still use most of the bags and I've added even more to our supplies here at home.  

Here is a link to my Pinterest boards for the exchanges....

{PreK Busy Bag}

{Toddler Busy Bag}

I'm constantly adding ideas from the wonderful world of Pinterest.  

This was a bag we received from the exchange, so I actually didn't even make this set.  There are a lot of great tutorials on dying pasta (and rice) so I'm not going to cover that.  

Ways we use this...

Sort the pasta by color

Sort the pasta by shape

String past (some of them) onto laces

Count as you sort

Make patterns with the colors or shapes or both

My sweet darling has even transferred some of this to her play kitchen...on her own.  

(Its those moments of silent play, where my mommy gut says to check, but the productive mommy brain says to let it go...then you regret it later when you are cleaning up the mess.)

This sorting tray I bought from Oriental Trading Company (I think) many years ago.  I don't see it on their site now, but you can use ice cube trays, cups, tupperware....and I'm sure educational site like Learning Resources have them.  Hindsight...I would not buy this again.  We don't use it enough, plus its big and bulky and doesn't fit on my bookshelf very well.

After using this for a bit I have some suggestions...

-Only use the hearty, thicker pasta.  The small spirals break easy.  

-Use them in a bigger tub.  Lesson learned the hard way...more than once.  The pasta will break!  Some of the little pieces might make their way into your carpet.  Your vacuum cleaner might not pick them all up.  You just might step on them.  They are sharp and it might hurt. 

Pipe Cleaner Color Matching {Tot Time}

First off....look at those cheeks!  I sure do miss that!  

(This is a picture from about a year or so ago that I found going through old files.)

This "busy bag" idea was a pinterest find here.  

Supplies needed:

Old plastic container (Crystal Light)

Different colored pipe cleaners

White hole reinforcers

Colored markers

How to:

Strip labels off of the containers.  

Punch holes in the lid.  (I made 7)

Put a hole reinforcer over each one.  

Color reinforcer to match pipe cleaners. (You can do this before or after you put them on.)

Cut pip cleaner to a little smaller than height of container.

For more toddler busy bag ideas go here.

Enjoy!

FREE Christmas Alphabet {Printable from 1+1+1=1}

She always has some great stuff.  I'm planning to use these over the Christmas break to review ABC order with my little one.  Every month I keep saying I'm going to start real school with her....next month.  Well, Jan is the month!  Really!  This will be a fun way to break her in.

Our Curriculum {2013-2104}

Before you freak out at the long list below....we don't do everything every. single. day.  

Some things are once or twice a week.  Somethings are once a month. Some things are 5 mns a day, some are 15 mns a day.

So.....while it looks like a lot (I've added more this year), I'm hoping it all works out.  

And if it doesn't....we drop some.  

Or work through the summer.  

Or every weekend.  

(Kidding!)

5th Grader
Bible - Christian Studies I and II by Memoria Press
Character -  10 days of Character Confessions of a Homeschooler (using this one per month!)
Math - Abeka Arithmetic 5
Latin - Latina Christiana I from Memoria Press
Grammar - Classical Conversations Essentials
Writing - Classical Conversations Essentials
Spelling - Spelling Power
Vocabulary - World Build from Dynamic Literacy
Literature Units - 4th/5th grade from Memoria Press
Poetry - Poetry for the Grammar Stage from Memoria Press
Classical Studies - Famous Men of the Middle Ages from Memoria Press
Classical Studies - Famous Men of Rome from Memoria Press
Classical Studies - D'Aulaires' Greek Myths from Memoria Press
History - Story of the World: The Middle Ages (finishing) then Early Modern Times
Science - Botany from Apologia
Geography - A Trip Around the World Series matching up with CC Foundations

Fine Arts - World Greatest Artist/Composers by Confessions of a Homeschooler

Classical Conversations Foundations

Music - Piano and Violin lessons

P.E. - USA Gymnastics Team

3rd Grader

Bible - Christian Studies I and II by Memoria Press

Character -  10 days of Character Confessions of a Homeschooler (using this one per month!)

Handwriting - A Reason For Handwriting

Math - Abeka Arithmetic 3

Latin - Prima Latina from Memoria Press

Grammar - Rod and Staff Beginning Wisely

Grammar - Classical Conversations Pre-Essentials

Writing - Classical Conversations Pre-Essentials

Spelling - Spelling Power

Vocabulary - World Build from Dynamic Literacy

Literature Units - 4th/5th grade from Memoria Press

Poetry - Poetry for the Grammar Stage from Memoria Press
Classical Studies - Famous Men of Rome from Memoria Press

Classical Studies - D'Aulaires' Greek Myths from Memoria Press

History - Story of the World: The Middle Ages (finishing) then Early Modern Times

Science - Botany from Apologia

Geography - A Trip Around the World Series matching up with CC Foundations

Fine Arts - World Greatest Artist/Composers by Confessions of a Homeschooler

Classical Conversations Foundations

Music - Piano and Violin lessons

P.E. - USA Gymnastics Team

1st Grader

Bible - Listening to Bible stories from the Jesus Storybook Bible when read with above

Character -  10 days of Character Confessions of a Homeschooler (using this one per month!)

Handwriting - A Reason For Handwriting

Math - Abeka Arithmetic 2

Grammar - First Language Lessons 1 and 2

Writing - Writing With Ease Level 1

Spelling - Spelling Power (All About Spelling was too easy so we are switching)

Classical Studies - D'Aulaires' Greek Myths from Memoria Press

History - Story of the World: The Middle Ages (finishing) then Early Modern Times

Science - Botany from Apologia

Geography - A Trip Around the World Series matching up with CC Foundations

Fine Arts - World Greatest Artist/Composers by Confessions of a Homeschooler

Classical Conversations Foundations

Music - Piano lessons

P.E. - Soccer/Gymnastics/Karate

Preschooler

Letter of the Week (simplified) from COAH 

Lots of active play and reading

Phew!!!  Its going to be a fun year!

(All the curriculum is linked either to the book on Amazon or the manufacturers site.)

Link to a Freebie from Confessions of a Homeschooler {Tot Time}

I am a huge fan of Confessions of a Homeschooler.  This year I bought her Letter of the Week curriculum for my 3 year old tot.  (I already have some fine arts, geography and book studies.)  We will use bits and pieces of LOW the first time around, then add in more next time. 

Sometime last year I grabbed, printed and laminated her Alphabet Block Cards.  I used them for "busy work" for my Kindergartner and the, at the time, 2 year old had fun lining up the shapes.  This year, they are actually part of her curriculum....a part which I know she already enjoys!

CofH is offering a free download:

Black and White 1-20 Pattern Block Cards 

At the bottom of the link, you can also go get:

Color 1-20 Pattern Block Cards

Sequence Pattern Block Cards

Alphabet Block Cards

Yep!  I grabbed all of them!

Ice Cream Counting {Tot Time}

I have a barely three year old at home.  For any of you that have younger kiddos, you know how difficult it can be trying to homeschool your older ones and keep the little one(s) entertained.  We haven't formally started preschool with her, but I'm surprised how much she's learning just by being in the room and having the older kids read and play with her.

About a year ago I hosted a couple of busy bag exchanges. 

Toddler Busy Bag Exchange I

Toddler Busy Bag Exchange II

Pre-K Busy Bag Exchange I

Pre-K Busy Bag Exchange II

Well, these busy bags have proved to be a HUGE help in keeping #4 busy.  

Now that she's a little older, her learning needs and attention span are changing so I created a little Felt Ice Cream Cone Counting game.

{Go here to see the full tutorial on how I put it together.}

This one is a hit!  She carried her "scoops" around.  Matches them by color, pattern and (of course) with her 3 yo randomness. :)

Since I originally made the set, I've added sherbert colors to the mix.  I realized rather quickly that she wanted to do them all at once so had to increase the number of scoops I had made. Now we have neapolitan, sprinkles and sherbert.