Category: Homeschool

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Homeschool New York Philadelphia

Breakdown of our Road School Revolutionary War Unit Study

My biggest goal for school last yaer was to tackle both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars with the kids. Fairly ambitious, but since we were going to be on the east coast for a few months, I really wanted history to come alive for us. About halfway through our trip, I realized that there was no way we were going to cover both wars. Wrapping our heads around just one was an impressive feat, but I loved the deep dive on the Revolutionary War we were able to accomplish. Even as an adult I learned SO much right alongside our kids. That was the most magical outcome of all.

Below I’ll outline what resources we used, what sites we visited, and how I feel like they fit in to our unit study. Some worked better than others, but mostly we reinforced concepts, events, and ideas over and over in different ways. It was incredible.

I’ll start with our physical resources and then move on to the actual places we visited.

Physical Resources

“Time Travel with Exceptional Americans” Audio Books by Rush Limbaugh

We’ve always listened to audio books as we drive, and when I learned about this Rush Revere Audible series I knew I wanted to try it out. We started with the Pilgrims and listened through Rush Revere and the Presidency. The audio books expound the events leading up to the Revolutionary War plus the Battles of Concord and Lexington. I wish Mr. Limbaugh had included the Battle of New York or even the end of the war in Yorktown to finish up, but we also learned the Revolutionary War was complicated, long, and world wide. So, we’ll take what we can get.

These books are written and narrated by Rush Limbaugh. We are not listeners of his radio show, nor do I know much about him as a person so I can’t comment on that, but we did enjoy the narration. I do love that he included that the first Patriots absolutely believed they had a divine mandate to free this country from Great Britain and were inspired by God. Being Christian, I felt that was super important to our studies.

“Brave Pilgrims” – Covers the early moments of our nation as the Pilgrims come over to Plymouth from England. Introduces William Bradford, Myles Standish, and Samoset.

“First Patriots” – Covers the Stamp Act, Intolerable Acts, King George III, and the Boston Tea party.

“American Revolution” – Covers the year 1775 including the Boston Massacre, lanterns in the Old North Church, Paul Revere’s Ride, and the battles of Lexington and Concord.

“First Presidency” – This was my least favorite only because it involves less time travel than the other books. We do get a look at the first three presidencies of the United States but we could have not listened and I would have been fine.

“Seeds of America” Trilogy by Laurie Halse Anderson

I read the “Seeds of America” trilogy by Laurie Halse Anderson a few years ago and loved them. I’ve mentioned them to my older two kids who tried to read them on their own and just couldn’t get into it. Since we were already listening to Rush Revere, listening to these as audio books didn’t make sense, and we just don’t have the time or energy to read aloud together (although I know there are incredible benefits to that!).

My solution? We started a book club. We assigned a certain number of chapters to be read in a day and then talked about them over dinner. We all loved it!

The series follows three young slaves, Isabel, Curzon, and Ruth through the course of the Revolutionary War and their fight for freedom alongside the Patriots. “Chains” begins in New York when the British invade (so picks up kind of where Rush leaves off) and are more focused on the characters rather than events. The characters remark on events, “I heard Washington escaped through the fog” but its a more localized tale about the hardships and the struggles of the people.

“Forge” takes place during the winter encampment of Valley Forge and is the story of Curzon and his fight as a soldier as well as being captured and returned to slavery.

“Ashes” follows the end of the war near Yorktown. I *wish* we had had time to visit southern Virginia to close up the unit study, but either way we definitely needed to finish the series to find out what happens to the characters!

The biggest takeaway of this series for us was the fact that while the Patriots were fighting for freedom they still kept thousands of African Americans in slavery.  The hypocrisy of this situation was not lost on any us, and spurred some really important discussions with our children. You can buy the trilogy on Amazon here.

Smash Journaling the American Revolution Timeline

One of the additions for school this trip as been our “Smash Journals”. Inspired by our friends over at KidProject.org I decided to help the kids keep a record of our travels while exercising their creative muscles. We bought $5 dot graph journals from Michael’s and the kids have journaled, sketched, printed photos,  and included stickers, National Park stamps, and ticket stubs.

When we began talk of the Revolutionary War I knew we needed a timeline so my kids could understand the events as they played out.

One afternoon in Acadia NP, Alyssa and I gathered all our crafty materials and spent a few hours with all the kids on a picnic table but by the bay helping put their timelines together. Originally we made space through the Civil War and we did end up adding dates for Lincoln’s assassination but most of our dates are between the Pilgrims and the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

“Everything You Need to Ace American History in One Big Fat Notebook”

We randomly picked up a copy of this book at Costco on our way to the East Coast. Thinking that my kids would just sit down and read it (which they do sometimes), Sam and I both felt it was a good resource to have on hand. While not a complete study of the Revolutionary War, the short section did help us fill in our timeline and reinforce events. You can also buy it on Amazon.

Places We Visited

I realize not everyone has the chance to visit, in person, the Revolutionary War sites in the eastern United States. However, most of these parks are run by the National Park Service and they have incredible information on their websites. So, you could still study the locations and the sites even if its from home.

Fort Stanwix National Monument – Rome, New York

This visit was a happy accident. We just happened to be in the area and were able to visit the fort. While the timeline was confusing (the fort was used in multiple wars) it did introduce the concept of the French and Indian Wars. We learned later that the Stamp and Intolerable Acts were direct results of King George III trying to pay off the war which made it relevant to the kids. See more about our visit here.

Plimouth Plantation – Plymouth, Massachusetts

I debated between this and the Boston Tea Party Museum due to the cost. It was fairly expensive, but I knew we could easily spend most of day exploring here. Plus, our friends wanted to go so that sealed it. My favorite part was sitting in the Native American village and listening to stories about the Wampanoeg culture. Unfortunately the Mayflower is under renovation and wasn’t there but we did also get to wander through the 17th Century English Village.

Overall I think I’d give the park a B-. It didn’t help that it was hot and humid walking through the English village and the kids were tired. Overall I’m glad we went though!

Boston National Historical Park- Boston, Massachusetts

I was SO excited for Boston. I was ready for the history, and to just feel the city. I’m not sure what went wrong but it really didn’t do it for me. We walked most of the Freedom Trail and saw the site of the Boston Massacre, Paul Revere’s House (pay to go in), the Old North Church (also pay to go in), and the Battle of Bunker Hill (climb to the top for free).

It was a lot of walking and kind of cool to see where things were but Boston has changed so much I didn’t get the history magic goosebumps I was looking for.

Minute Man National Historical Park – Concord, Massachusetts

I liked Minute Man NHP SO much more than Boston. Located between the cities of Concord and Lexington everything was slower paced and I could imagine what it would have been like in 1775.

The multi-media presentation a the visitor center is not to be missed. It was an INCREDIBLE detailing of the events that led up to the Boston Massacre, Paul Revere’s Ride & Capture, and the battles of Lexington and Concord.

Federal Hall National Memorial – New York, New York

We only happened by Federal Hall because of the Rush Revere series. We were listening to the “First Presidency” as we drove into NYC and he talked about the fact that Washington was inaugurated as the first president of the United States of America on the steps of Federal Hall. Huh. We should go there. So we stopped by. Unfortunately it was closed but since I’ve learned that the visitor center there is actually quite good. So, maybe check to make sure its open before you happen by!

Independence National Historic Park – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We visited Philadelphia 5 years ago just after purchasing the Airstream. It was one of our first moochdocking experiences and we loved hanging out with our friends. We didn’t plan super far in advance (yes, that’s usually how it goes) so we were unable to get tickets for Independence Hall. Consequently, touring Independence Hall was the ONE thing I wanted to do this time around. Sam had to work, so the kids and I drove in early and were able to acquire tickets for the late afternoon which gave us time to explore the Museum of the American Revolution.

The tour itself was actually kind of uninspiring (after ALL those years of waiting, lol!) but I can now check it off my bucket list.

Museum of the American Revolution – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This was AMAZING. The Museum of the American Revolution is Philly’s newest, state of the art museum and they did an incredible job. They had lots of multi-media presentations, videos, artifacts, and summaries of the events. The museum is laid out chronoligcally so we journeyed from the ascension of King George III to the throne of Great Britain, to the early events and conflict of the American Revoluation, the battles, and finally the aftermath and how it affected both the United States and the world as an example of a democracy.

I loved that we had studied so much of this that my kids were like, “Yes! We talked about this!” They recognized many of the events, stories, and battles which took place so this was kind of an overview/review type experience. At one point, Andrew excitedly ran up to me and said, “They have a piece of Kind George’s Statue!” Yep. The one the patriots tore down after hearing the Declaration of Independence and melted into bullets (thanks Rush!).

We did learn more about the Native American struggle with choosing sides, the battle at Saratoga, the invasion of Philadelphia, and the Battle of Brandywine. Andrew also spent quite a bit of time aboard the privateering ship talking to a docent about the role they played in the war.

My FAVORITE part was the presentation of George Washington’s actual war tent. You guys! They have HIS TENT. It was a beautiful video presentation and reveal, I just wish they had given us a chance to stare at it a little longer. If I’ve learned nothing else through this study, its to complete respect this man who did so many amazing things for our country.

Valley Forge National Historical Park – Pennsylvania

Because we had been reading the “Seeds of America” series, I was equally excited to visit Valley Forge and explore the area with our kids. Valley Forge was a turning point in the Revolutionary War as we finally received foreign aid and Baron Von Steuben helped discipline and train our troops over the long winter. Totally fascinating.

Equally amazing was visiting George Washington’s headquarters and realizing the original banister was still in place. Totally geek out moment. We thoroughly enjoyed riding our bikes through the park and imagining what it must have looked with like all those troops nestled in for the winter!

While I we didn’t cover ALL the available sites, by the time we turned back west I felt we had done a pretty good job of studying the Revolutionary War. My only twinge of sadness was that we didn’t make it down to Yorktown to really round things out!

Have you studied the Revolutionary War with your kids? What are your favorite resources?

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Grand Teton NP Homeschool National Parks Yellowstone

What is the National Park Junior Ranger Program?

To date our kids have earned 112 Junior Ranger badges at the various National Park, National Historic Sites, and Monuments run by the National Park Service. Its a great way to learn more about the parks we visit, often giving us direction and more information about the wildlife, geology and history (see our list of badges).

We find these booklets are a great learning experience for kids and adults alike. Sam and I have learned a lot about our National Parks by helping our kids complete their activities. These badges aren’t just for kids though! Anyone can complete the work and be sworn is as a Jr. Ranger so don’t be afraid to ask next time you visit a NPS site.

We decided its time for a little Junior Ranger 101 and tried to tackle the most common questions we hear. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask!

What is a Junior Ranger?

The Junior Ranger program is an activity based program conducted in most parks across the country. Potential Junior Rangers received a booklet from the visitor center, and upon completion are sworn in and received a patch or badge. The motto of Junior Ranges is “Explore, Learn, Protect!” and the activities reinforce these values through puzzles, question and answers, observation, and outdoor activities. Each program is unique to the park and they vary widely. Some have been newspaper fold outs, some are extensive booklets with amazing graphics, some are simply printed in black and white and stapled together.

Where Can I Earn a Junior Ranger Badge?

Most National Park sites have Junior Ranger programs. Many people don’t realize they are even in a NPS run site – when we visited the St. Louis Arch three years ago I was shocked that there was an entire museum below ground run by the National park Service. Its official name is the “Jefferson National Expansion Memorial” and yes, there is a badge. I’m still waiting for the chance to get back there and earn it.

Wildlife refuges often have badges (we earned our first one in Florida last year), and many state parks also have their own programs. California’s program is quite extensive and time consuming as its designed for local kids to visit multiple parks over their summer break. Humboldt County also an an EdVenture Quest where kids can solve a riddle to earn a patch (California Jr. Ranger Program & Redwood EdVentures Quest). Colorado has one badge for all the parks, while Arizona has a unique button for each park.

Earning badges in beautiful parks with friends is the best!

The most unique badge we’ve heard of is the Eisenhower National Historic Site in Gettysburg for the Junior Secret Service Agent in Training program. You have to go to the Gettysburg National Battlefield Visitor Center and take a bus to the site, but then can be sworn in as  Junior Secret Service Agent. How cool is that?

Chances are, if there’s a visitor center they probably have a program for kids. You just have to ask.

How Does the Program Work?

Our first stop at most NPS sites is the Visitor Center where we pick up our books. Rangers are generally excited to hand them out and are supportive of kids wanting to learn more about the park! Books in hand, we take a look at the activities required. There are usually different age groups with various requirements. Older kids have to do more complicated activities, while younger kids have activities that are more appropriate to their age. The best part is that as they get older our kids are more capable of doing it one their own! At this point, Cara still needs quite a bit of help but she’s getting there now her reading skills are up to snuff.

Once you’ve completed the book, take it back to the visitor center and have the ranger check it over. They make sure the kids have done enough work and check their answers. Some rangers are extremely thorough (Saguaro National Park) and others give it a cursory glance and call it good. Depends on how much time they have or how many kids are lined up to pass off their books. The ranger then signs their certificate, and the kids line up for their pledge. After raising their right arm the kids repeat the pledge after the ranger. My favorite pledges involve promises to “eat their vegetables” and “obey their parents”. After they’ve been sworn in, they get a handshake and their badges!

Getting sworn in as Jr. Rangers in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

Does it Cost Money?

Most of the programs are free, but a few charge a nominal fee. Yosemite has both a free and a paid version (you earn a patch with the paid book), and Yellowstone charges $3 per book. I think they just get so many visitors that it would be cost prohibitive to provide the program for free at those parks.

What do the Badges Look Like?

Each badge is different. We’ve learned that some have the generic NPS logo (the arrowhead, bison, river, tree) on them, while others have a graphic specific to the park. The latter are definitely our favorite and now the kids are disappointed when its just the “regular” one.

Some parks have wooden badges and we are finding these more common. At first I thought they weren’t all that great, but slowly they’ve absolutely become my favorite ones. We’ve found wooden badges at Yosemite, Zion, Marin Headlands, Muir Woods, Chiricahua and Fort Bowie to name a few.

We’ve also run into a few metal badges. They tend to be smaller, but also are unique and fun to collect.

Most parks no longer have patches. I feel like budget cuts have made it impossible for parks to keep offering these. Sometimes you can buy a Junior Ranger patch in the bookstore (they are usually around $5) or if a park still has some, they offer the choice between a patch and a badge. We snagged up some of the last patches White Sands National Park had as they said they aren’t getting any more.

Only SOME of our badges!

Junior Ranger Hats & Vests

Some visitor center bookstores have a collection of Junior Ranger items. We’ve seen binoculars, books, pencils, and most importantly: hats & vests. We bought our kids hats when they had earned their first 5 badges, and then vests once those started to fill up. If we loaded ALL our badges and patches onto the clothing I’m sure I wouldn’t even be able to see my kids anymore! It does create quite a stir when they walk into a NPS site all decked out.

Photo with a tourist at Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

For awhile we sewed patches on the back of my kids’ vests, but then it got crowded! I still love having them on there, even if the kids don’t to wear their vests anymore. I think they just got tired of all the attention, plus the vests just got HEAVY.

At some point, I’d love to create a wall hanging for the badges, or even a quilt with a map of the USA and sew on their patches. There’s lot of options, but for now we collect and then drop them off in storage when we swing through Utah. We just don’t have room for all of them right now!

Other Options for Earning Badges

If you can’t make it to a National Park, or miss out on earning a badge don’t worry! Many of the parks have the booklets available for download on their sites and then you can mail it in (see our post How to Mail in Jr. Ranger Booklets to Get Your Badge).

You can also mail in your books if you don’t make it the Visitor Center before it closes, or just run out of time to get it done.

There are also badges connected to multiple parks, or even no parks at all. We’ve earned the Ocean Steward Badge (picked up at Olympic National Park), Wilderness 50th Anniversary, Junior Night Ranger Explorer (coolest patch ever!), Paleontologist, Underwater Explorer (picked up in Wisconsin and turned in in Florida), Historic Preservation, and the Centennial Jr. Ranger.

We’ve also printed off the Junior Archaeologist Book, Cave Explorer, and the Underground Railroad. I have these on hand and we work on them occasionally to supplement our school work. Eventually we’ll mail them in to collect our badges!

 Web Rangers Online

Last, but not least, there’s also a Web Rangers program! It is an online activity for kids where they learn about, History, Nature, Puzzles, Science, Parks and Animals.

After logging on, each child gets to design a ranger station. From there, they can explore many activities about our presidents, animals, sea, earth, and lots of other topics! My kids also like that there are lots of fun puzzles to do to.

As they complete activities, a bar graph on the side moves on the category of Easy, Medium, or Hard. When you finish all of the activities the “lamp of brilliance” turns on and you can submit your name for a patch!

Related Articles – For more information check out these other great articles  on the Jr. Ranger Program!

Currently Wandering – Our Kids Earn Their 75th Junior Ranger Badge

Faith Takes Flight – The National Park Jr. Ranger Program

Take That Exit – Earn Junior Ranger Badges at State, National Parks

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Giveaways Homeschool

Learning the Guitar with jamstik+ & Four Chords {Plus a Giveaway!}

There are many perks to the traveling lifestyle, but there are also a lot of activities and hobbies we have put on hold. When we were selling the house and most of our stuff, I looked longingly at the guitar I had bought 6 months previously. I had every intention of learning to play, but naturally life got in the way and I never found time to dedicate to practicing. I grew up playing the piano and love to have music in our lives which is something we’ve definitely missed!

Last summer, Sam found a company called jamstik+.  We don’t have room for a full size guitar, but the jamstik+ is small, compact, and lightweight and comes with an app to actually teach me to play. We contacted the company and they graciously sent us two jamstik+ guitars so Rachel and I could both learn how to play.  Over the last 6 months we’ve written about our experience in three different posts for their blog (Part I & Part II), but I figured it was time to post over here as well!

The Guitar

The jamstik+ connects to our devices via Bluetooth, so there are no cords between the jamstik+ and the device we are using. Its also smaller than a normal guitar, and a bit harder to hold in your lap. We’ve found using the included neck strap helps keep it in a more comfortable position.

When we’ve gone back and forth between a regular guitar and the jamstik+ over the last few months, we have noticed the difference in fret board in size. Also, friends that can already play the guitar take a minute to get used to the smaller fret board and fingerings! Overall we’ve had success transitioning between the two and Rachel has already asked for a “real” guitar once we settle down somewhere.

Where to Buy: On Amazon or use code “CurrentlyWandering on jamstik.com for 15% off your order (more color choices here!)

The Lessons

JamTutor is their lesson app. Its easy to get set up and the lessons progress fairly naturally. The lessons include picking single notes, strumming, chords and introduce “Arcade Mode” which is a fun way to play with background music. Kind of like “Dance Dance Revolution” video games where you have to step on the correct arrows as they scroll down the screen. Arcade Mode is Rachel’s favorite and she spent close to an hour one day just going through the different challenges.

My favorite part about the jamTutor app is that we can start and stop as needed. I realize that for some that may be de-motivational, but for me it’s a perk. Sometimes life gets crazy busy and there is little time to practice. Not having the guilt of paying for lessons is such a blessing! Granted, it can be hard to get started again, but we’ve found that repeating a few lessons or arcade challenges brings us up to speed very quickly.

In a small space, it is also nice to have a guitar with headphones! Rachel can play right next to Sam while he’s working and both are able to accomplish their tasks. Occasionally I’ll have her practice without headphones just so I can hear her progress, but mostly she will have them in.

Learning Songs

Rachel has far surpassed me in skill as she is assigned practice for school and I get, well, lazy. Distracted? Otherwise engaged? She’s been fairly diligent and has learned to love and look forward to playing. I’m so proud of her.  I love listening to her sing and even our other two kids will sing along with whatever song she’s playing.

She now practices songs mostly using the FourChords app. From their website: “FourChords Guitar Karaoke is the fastest way to learn new songs! The songs are displayed in adjustable karaoke-style display with easy chords, an acoustic backing track and lyrics. Songs are re-arranged into easy versions, no knowledge of tabs or sheet music needed. Each song includes chord charts.”

Her current favorite songs are: “Eye of the Tiger”, “Gironimo”, and “Pompeii”. Using the app, she’s easily able to filter songs by chords. She can choose to exclude the pesky B chord, for example, and only look through songs she knows the chords for. She loves there are culturally popular songs as well as achievement awards that keep her motivated to practice! She’s also learned a few strumming patterns (something not included in jamTutor right now) and can easily switch between chords as she plays. I’m very jealous.

Last week out in the grasslands we utilized Sam’s video skills and put together a little music video of her playing. Notice the drone footage. Yep. More on that later!

The Giveaway!

Now to the REALLY good part! We’ve teamed up with jamstik+ to give away a guitar, travel case, and a 1 year subscription to the Four Chords app! We are super grateful for their generosity and can’t wait to get this instrument into one of our reader’s hands. Use the widget to enter below. Contest ends on February 5, 2017 at midnight Mountain Standard Time. Good luck!

jamstik+ & Four Chords Giveaway

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Biking Homeschool Outdoor Gear

Teach Your Child to Shift with a Woom4

Its no secret we are fans of Woombikes. We were introduced to them in 2014 as Cara was ready to leave training wheels behind. We had a fantastic experience as she basically just climbed on the bike and pedaled away (6 Reasons to Buy Your Child a Woombike).

We’ve now reached another milestone with Cara’s bike – that of upgrading to one with shifters. We reached the point where she was spinning her wheels as fast as humanly possible and still couldn’t keep up with the big kids. She had the muscle, the awareness and desire to be faster, better, and more in control – she just needed the tools.
We visited Woom headquarters in Austin, TX last spring and Mathias upgraded her Woom3 to a Woom4 with a rear derailleur and an 8- Speed SRAM X4 twister shifter. Since then, we’ve been working with her on when and how to shift her gears based on the terrain she’s riding. Its honestly been a bit of a fight. For awhile she wanted to leave her gear in the middle and pedal like she always has. Slowly, she’s come to the realization that she can go farther more quickly and with less effort if she utilizes the entire range of her gears.

Its slow progress, but progress nonetheless. We happened in to a tradition to have each of our kids complete a 25 mile bike ride by the time they turn 8 years old. Rachel did hers with Sam back in Lehi pre-travel, and Andrew completed his with the Watermelon 4th of July ride in Minneapolis. Cara is 6 so we have just two years to get her ride in. Time to get training and gears will be an essential part of completing that ride.
As our experience is one shared by many parents, I thought we could give some advice on how to ease the transition between bikes.  I talked with Mathias, the owner of Woombikes USA, and he helped me outline 6 suggestions to help your child transition more smoothly to a bike with shifting capabilities:

1. Prepare and Anticipate

Kids transition easier when they know what is coming so talk about shifting even while your child is on a single speed bike.  Most of us just get on our bikes and go, but talking with your child about the bike components and why they are useful can help anticipate the change.  Show your child how your bike shifts (simple as picking the back wheel off the ground while remaining stationary) so they have a visual concept as well.

Ever ahead of the game, Woom has introduced a SRAM Automatix 2 Hub on their Woom3 bikes which has an internal mechanism that automatically shifts into a higher gear once 6 or 7 mph is reached. Total genius! Mathias said, “The design is hands-free, keeping your child’s focus on the road. On top of that, the hub functions as a learning tool. The mechanism also teaches [kids] timing. When they feel the bike change gears, children are passively learning how to time their shifts. Without ever touching a shifter, they can go faster, ride smoother, and move up to their next bike with total confidence. By the time the controls are in their hands, they’ll be ready for any adventure!”

2. Have a Visual Classroom

Once you have a new bike with shifters, take the time to visual explain how the bike works.  Mathias suggests that, “It’s much easier to show them, rather than tell them.  If you tell them while they are on the bike, then they are too busy and can’t really focus on your words.  Visually explain the concept while one parent is holding the saddle, and the other is rotating the pedals and shifting.” Seeing an adult bike in action is one thing, but when its their bike the concept just might have a bit more traction.

3. Ride Alongside Them

Kids love spending time with their parents, and we find many teaching moments as we hike, bike, or paddle alongside our kids. As we ride with Cara, we can coach her along the trail. “There’s a big hill coming up – shift now down to a 2,” we’ll tell her. Or, “Cara you are spinning your pedals, try shifting up to a 6.” We can judge the terrain we are riding and coach her as we go. She loves spending time with us, an we’ve been able to make more progress than if we just sent her off on her own.

4. Have Older Children Help Teach

Whether its a sibling or a friend, other children can definitely have an impact on your child. Mathias noticed that, “Parents sometimes have trouble using the right words  to communicate the concepts.  Other children who already know how to shift could use their skills and way of explaining so that the other child learns it more easily.  I saw this at a biking event, where one 5 year old explained another 5 yo how to use [their bike] in a fun an easy way.” We’ve definitely noticed this as Rachel and Andrew encourage and instruct Cara as she learns.

5. Bike in Familiar Territory

Mathias recommends to “Choose a place where your child feels most comfortable, i.e. playgrounds, parks, running tracks, safe neighborhood streets.” Cara feels most comfortable on paved pathways so that’s where we try to have most of our teaching moments. Mountain biking is great, but trails can be unpredictable and rocky. Riding the same section of trail or path over and over can also be beneficial. Kids will get used to the trail and can anticipate shifting patterns, which will also build their confidence.

6. Be Patient

Just as teaching a child to ride a bike can take time, the complicated act of shifting will take time for your child to master. I get impatient and frustrated more easily than I’d like, and have to consciously tell myself to chill out.  There are hills I know Cara can climb, but she choose not to. There are times where she is whining and frustrated and wants to give up.  The long term benefits and learning will be worth it. We believe that as our kids learn skills through outdoor activities they will be more confident and capable in all areas of their lives. Perseverance, determination, and not quitting are qualities  we would love our children to develop!


Categories
Airstream Accessories Daily Life Homeschool

Our Favorite Board & Card Games for Elementary Kids

Looking for great board or card games for kids? Check our list of educational, fun, collaborative and creative games to play with your children!

We live in 188 square feet of space, but we definitely make room for games! Whether they are educational or just for fun, playing games is a fabulous way to spend time together as a family.

With kids in the 6-11 range, sometimes its hard to find games that will appeal to everyone. We have some we play all together,  but we also play teams or even do one on one with an older kid.

Collaborative games like Castle Panic or Desert Island are great for younger kids because everyone is working towards the same goal!

Check out our list and then leave a comment below with YOUR favorite family game!

hanabi

 

Hanabi: This is a cooperative card game. As a group you are trying to launch a spectacular firework show, only its so dark you can’t see your own cards! You have to share information about other players’ cards and figure out the right order to play them in. Cara (age 6) struggles with this one and usually plays on a team. Definitely more difficult than it sounds!

noggins

Professor Noggin: There are many versions of Professor Noggin’s games. We have Ancient Civilizations & National Parks. They are a great trivia game and easy to play ever for smaller kids. Does include reading, but its easy enough to help younger kids read the questions for other players.

dominion

Dominion: This is our current favorite game and the kids have asked for more expansions, which makes the game even more fun. You choose 10 sets of cards to play with and build your own deck as you play. The goal is to end up with the most victory points at the end of the game. It took Cara a bit to get into it, but she holds her own and wins more often than I do! There are plenty of expansions to extend play and make it exciting! We also have played Intrigue, Seaside, Alchemy, & Prosperity. Some are full sets and other just have the Kingdom Cards.

brain-quest

Brain Quest: We were given this game by a fellow traveler who had finished with it. We adjust the rules as necessary depending on how much time we have to play. Great all around knowledge. I was super excited when my kids could correctly identify a preposition. Score for for home school!

gubs

Gubs: Every time we visit family my niece asks if we brought GUBS.  Whimsical with great illustrations, this game is a fast, easy one. Players try to collect the most GUBS while defending against Lures and even the Gargok Plague. Not a lot of strategy or reading involved.

castle-panic

Castle Panic: This is another collaborative game. Players defend the castle against invading monsters. There’s less strategy involved and it was a little too easy to win every time. Which I believe is why there are expansions for it.

wizards-tower

Wizard’s Tower: Adds the elements of a friendly wizard who can help defend your castle with his magical spells. We don’t have this one… yet.

dark-titan

Dark Titan: This is the first expansion we bought, and I wish we had done Wizard’s Tower first. Dark Titan felt fairly complicated and we really struggled figuring it out the first time we played. I think it takes some getting used to.

dragonwood

Dragonwood: Bought this one on a whim for Rachel’s birthday last September and we love it! Play is simple – you roll dice in order to capture monsters. Some cards give you extra abilities and the game ends when both dragons have been caught.

ticket-to-ride

Ticket to Ride: I’ve loved this game for years, but its been fun to introduce my kids to as they get older. We typically play open hand so I can help the kids plan their routes (especially Cara). I have to try really hard not to block them once I know where they are going!settlers-of-catan

Settlers of Catan: My two oldest (ages 11 & 9) have played this one on their own. I’m fairly terrible at Settlers, so its not my favorite game but the kids love it.

zingo

Zingo: We got this one for Cara (age 6) to help with reading. It takes practice to get good at calling out the letters, so more often than not we take turns choosing a letter instead of racing. There area a few different versions including Sight Words & Bingo.

scrabble-jr

Scrabble Junior: Our older two will play this, but its not much of a challenge. I honestly like that I don’t have to think up words. Instead the board is preset and we have figures to move around the edge of the board as we score points. If you finish a word that’s the same color as your token you get an extra point!

forbidden-desert

Forbidden Desert: This is our favorite collaborative game. As a team you are stranded in the desert and must fight off thirst, sand, and windstorms in order to collect the pieces of your ship and get home! Our kids are actually pretty good at this one, and because its collaborative play all our kids join in.

forbidden-island

Forbidden Island: Similar to Forbidden Desert, but this time you are stranded on a sinking island! As a team you have to collect the four treasures and make it to the take off point before your island disappears completely.

trekking

Trekking the National Parks: We found this one at a National Park last fall and have enjoyed playing it. Gathering trek cards allows players to move across the map and claim valuable park cards. If a player is the first to visit a National Park, they collect that park’s stone, which award bonus points at the end of the game. The visuals on the board & cards are stunning which helps make the game even more fun to play!

enchanted-forest

Enchanted Forest: My mom owns this one and I have played it since I was little. Its a fun memory match game that is easy enough for even young kids to play. Roll the dice and round the board, sneaking a peek at treasures hidden in the Enchanted Forest along the way. Be the first player to find the treasures the king seeks and the kingdom is yours!

cant-stop

Can’t Stop: Players try to win three of the eleven number columns as quickly as possible. During their turn, players may roll the dice as long as they wish-provided that they can place or move at least one of their runners (each player has 3). If, after rolling the dice, a player is unable to do so, his turn ends immediately and he loses everything that he achieved during that turn.  You have decide if you are going to roll once more or stop when its safe!

Winter evenings are a great time to settle down and play games around the table as a family! Its too dark or cold to be outside, and I we can hardly put our kids to bed right after dinner. Games are staple around here and we would love to hear what some of your favorites are in the comments below!