Some days you just need to shake things up in your homeschool. It's not that you (or you kiddos) don't like your curriculum, but sometimes doing something different can bring some fresh perspective and give a break from routine. Activity Bags have done that for us lately.
Activity Bags are just that: bags of planned activities that have all of the needed ingredients or parts and are just waiting for your child to grab them and have fun learning! This idea began with pre-made activity bags for preschoolers, but now they also offer idea books for Math Games, Science Experiments, Travel Activities, and Preschool Activities. This concept was created by a couple of homeschool moms, so they know their stuff. They also offer numerous ideas for creating an activity bag swap with other homeschool moms~a fantastic idea, if you ask me!
Our family has been using the Math Games In a Bag and have really been enjoying it. It's quite easy to do. Simply download the ebook and begin browsing for math games that strike your fancy. I found several that I thought my kids would enjoy and simply printed them off, placed all of the needed materials in a gallon-sized plastic bag and had them ready to go when needed. Their favorite has been math bingo. We have played many, many rounds of it--and I have to admit I've enjoyed it, too.
We also received Science Experiments In a Bag--eBooks 1, 2, & 3. These are absolutely filled to the brim with fun activities and experiments to do at home. I almost didn't know where to begin because my kids LOVE this sort of thing. However, I narrowed it down to a few to start with and began printing. Once again, it was as simple as printing off the activities per the instructions (some call for different colored paper if possible) and adding the needed ingredients.
The cool thing about the instructions with all of these eBooks is that they come with directions for making bags for one, ten, fifteen, or twenty. Thus it's incredibly easy to coordinate a swap if you so desire. In the intro of each eBook there is a page that tells you if the activity works best indoors or outdoors, general supplies needed, ages it's appropriate for, and many more helpful tips. I was very impressed with the amount of details that have gone into creating these eBooks.
My children have had no trouble at all grabbing these bags and diving into a fun activity that they can basically do on their own. Because the instructions are clear and easy to follow, it's a great way to start them on independent studies. I am looking forward to having several of these ready at all times to direct them to as needed. These are also a fun way to break up your school day if you just need to break out of the regularly-scheduled-program, if you know what I mean. We've certainly needed to do that lately.
Each of these eBooks are $15.00 and can be ordered directly from the Activity Bags website. The 3 Science Experiments In a Bag are also available in a bundle for $39.00.
You can also receive a FREE Activity Bags sampler just by completing a survey for them!
Don't forget to head over to the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog to read about how other homeschool families are using Activity Bags!
Comments