Blog Archive

The Universe: The Earth, Sun and Stars Activities with Free Printables

This week we finish up part 3 of our study of the Universe with a study of the Earth, sun, and stars.  The experience has been fabulous!  Everyone has learned so much (including Jason and I).  

I love how the Montessori curriculum starts with the biggest concepts and then works it way to smaller ideas.  It's so much easier to understand one's place in the world and Universe this way.

The Universe: The Earth, Sun and Stars with Free Printables

Here are our activities this week!

The Universe: The Earth, Sun, and Stars Activities with Free Printables

   

Pink Series:  Short "i" Spelling with Moveable Alphabet


Pink Series:  Short "i" Spelling with Moveable Alphabet

We continue our extensive study of language using the pink series.  This post includes all of my short "i" activities and printables.  

I'm so impressed with how much progress the kiddos have made with their spelling.  Bulldozer has made the most progress by far.  I owe it to our fabulous Montessori Cursive Moveable Alphabet.  It really does work miracles.  

Bulldozer isn't quite comfortable using the one in cursive, but he LOVES his Montessori Small Movable Alphabet in print.  The objects for this activity were those we had around the house.

Pink Series:  My Book of Short "i" Sound Words


Pink Series:  My Book of Short "i" Sound Words

This week the kiddos are creating their own book of short "i" words using Montessori Phonetic Reading Blocks for the Beginning Reader.  They have become quite proficient at using the blocks as their control.

Source: I created the printable for this activity. Pink Series Printable Pack 3 is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post.


Pink Series:  Cursive Short "i" Word & Picture Match Up


Pink Series:  Cursive Short "i" Word & Picture Match Up

I always find it so fascinating that each kiddo selects a different pink series activity to do over and over again each day throughout the week.  This one is Dinomite's favorite.  

The first day it was on the shelves, he reminded me I had forgotten to add the control of having each word printed on the back.  Once I corrected the error, he has selected this activity every day to see how many he can identify without looking at the print on the back of each card.  It only took him a couple days, and he was all set.

I used a pink marker to write the words in cursive on the front of label card, then printed each word on the back using the same marker.  Words include:  jib (part of a sail), mix, dip, wig, lit (candle), kid (baby goat), tip (pencil), & pin.

Source: I created the printable for this activity. The Pink Series Printable Pack 3 is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post.

Pink Series:  Short "i" Picture & Phrase Match Up with Grammar Symbols


Pink Series:  Short "i" Picture & Phrase Match Up with Grammar Symbols

Last week I put our short "e" pictures and phrases on the shelf without grammar symbols.  The kiddos barely touched them.  

This week, I've brought the grammar symbols back, adding an extra twist of having article, adjective, and noun phrases, as well as article, noun, & verb sentences.  The kiddos have really enjoyed the activity.  They love working with our Montessori Wooden Grammar Symbols!

Source:  Source: I created the printable for this activity. Pink Series Printable Pack 3 is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post.

Montessori-inspired Math Activities using Bead Bars with Free Printables

Activities on our math shelves consist of those shared in my post:  Montessori-inspired Math Activities Using Bead Bars w/ Free Printables.

Solstices & Equinoxes


Solstices & Equinoxes

There is so much to study about our Earth!  This week the kiddos were introduced to solstices and equinoxes.  We reviewed the chart in this activity, talking about the months of the year, etc.  It came at a perfect time as the days are getting shorter and shorter and they kept asking why.  

Since this is a really big concept for the kiddos to understand, I made the activity simple, by having them put the chart back together, first using the pieces provided, and then placing the labels in the correct spaces.  

Princess discovered that a great control for the activity is making sure the cycle created is oval shaped.  I have a feeling that we may start celebrating solstices, just to remind them of what they've learned!

Source:  I created the printable for this activity. The Universe: The Earth, Sun, & Stars Printable Pack 1 is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post.  

Day & Night Around the World


Day & Night Around the World

The kiddos have been learning how the Earth circles around the sun, while spinning, at a slight tilt this week.  To simplify things a little bit, I decided to have the kiddos use our globe with a flashlight to understand that when one part of the Earth has daylight, the opposite side is in darkness, experiencing night.  

Each kiddo has enjoyed selecting countries where it's daylight, based on where they shine the flashlight, and then looking at the opposite side of the Earth to find a country where it's night.  Princess has done this activity every day it's been on the shelves.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity. The Universe: The Earth, Sun, & Stars Printable Pack 1 is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post. 

Time Zones Around the World


Time Zones Around the World

It's one thing to understand that part of the world is experiencing night while the other is experiencing day.  But to understand time zones takes a little more effort.  This activity is an introduction to the concept.  

The kiddos look at the varying times shown on the pair of clocks, and then use the magnifying glass to find the countries on the world map.  They use the glass beads provided to mark the country pairs.  This map has all of the time zones indicated with red lines and also with numbers at the bottom and top.

Source:  The map used for this activity was found on the internet.  The labeled clocks used in the activity were found in an image on the internet.  

Geoboard Constellations


Geoboard Constellations

I decided to get crafty this week, only because I had the materials on hand.  We've studied constellations several times in the past and I wanted to try something new.  So, I bring you our geoboard constellation activity!  

The kiddos are in love with it.  It took them a bit to coordinate their fingers, but once they had that down, they were set.  

The only thing I wished I would have changed about the activity is having smaller rubber bands to use.  Oh well.  It's definitely not stopping them from having fun.  

The kiddos use rubber bands to create constellations on the board (in case you didn't get that.).

Source:  The idea for this activity came from School Time Snippets.  The free printable for this activity comes from Mrs. Home Economist.

Nebula Classification & Sorting


Nebula Classification & Sorting

I am so excited about this activity!  We've studied stars in the past, learning about the life cycle of a star, constellations, etc., but we've never studied stars like we are right now!  

The kiddos have found studying nebulae quite fascinating.  This activity includes the five types of nebula, definitions of each type, and at least 5 different examples of each type of nebula to sort.  Just looking at the sorting cards is absolutely fascinating!

Source:  I created the printable for this activity. The Universe: The Earth, Sun, & Stars Printable Pack 1 is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post. 

Elements in Space


Elements in Space

This week we continue to keep our Periodic Table of the Elements activity on our shelves.  However,  I've only included elements in space, to help the kiddos focus on those as part of our unit study, especially in regards to nebula.

Source:  The Free Periodic Table & Cards are available HERE.  The idea for this activity was inspired by those at The Pinay Homeschooler.

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We hope you enjoy your free printable.

Note: If you are already a newsletter subscriber, open your most recent newsletter. At the bottom you will find a link to the Subscriber Only Freebies page, along with the password in case you forgot it.


Don't forget your free printables!

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy the resources below.

The Universe: Music & Art Activities The Universe: Earth, Sun & Stars Laws of the Universe Moon Activiites for Tots & Preschoolers The Universe: Milky Way & Solar SystemMontessori-inspired Stars Printable Pack Montessori-inspired Sun Printable Pack Montessori-inspired Moon Printable Pack Montessori-inspired Solar System Printable Pack Space Exploration Printable Pack 




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Gift Ideas for 8 (and 9) Year Old Boys (Dinomite's Wish List)


This post contains affiliate links.

Yesterday marked only 3 months left until Christmas. For some that doesn't mean anything, but for those on a tight budget, or those who are early shoppers, it means everything.  As I contemplated what gift guides to compile for the holiday season, I decided the best items to share would be those that my children actually want and are approved by me (their official Christmas wish lists).  This post is the first of a 6 post series that will roll out over the next few weeks.  The series will include:

Gift Ideas for 8 (and 9) Year Old Boys-Dinomite's Wish List

Gift Ideas for 6 (and 7) Year Old Boys-Bulldozer's Wish List

Gift Ideas for 6 (and 7) Year Old Girls-Princess' Wish List

Gift Ideas for 2 (and 3) Year Old Girls-Sunshine's Wish List

Gift Ideas for Mom-Renae's Wish List

Gift Ideas for Dad-Jason's Wish List

This first post: Gift Ideas for 8 (and 9) Year Old Boys, may just be my favorite guide.  Dinomite selected every item on the list.  He spent a significant amount of time window shopping on Amazon.  Lol.  If I had the funds to do so, I wouldn't hesitate purchasing all items on this list.  They are fabulous!  I have a feeling grandparents are going to have a tough time narrowing down choices this year.  Usually it's super easy to find items for the girls but not for the boys.  This year the opposite seems to be happening.  Dinomite has created an AMAZING list!

1.  LEGO Minifigure Year by Year: A Visual History

2.  Shark Tooth Fossil Set

3.  Animal X-Rays (Purchased)

4.  Geo World Bugs World Collection of 12 Real Insects (Purchased)

5.  Ultimate Fossil Kit - Set of 15 Real Fossils - Includes Rare Specimens! (Purchased)

6.  Marina Style Deluxe Aquarium Kit-5 Gallons (Purchased)

A science kit paired with a book makes a fabulous gift for any scientific explorer!

1.  LEGO Jurassic World Raptor Rampage 75917 (Purchased)

2.  LEGO Hobbit 79017 The Battle of Five Armies

3.  LEGO City Arctic Outpost 60035

4.  LEGO Superheroes Marvel's Ant-Man 76039

5.  LEGO Super Heroes 76034 the Batboat Harbor Pursuit (Purchased)

6.  LEGO Pirates Soldiers Fort

1.  TRIVIAL PURSUIT: World of Harry Potter Edition

2.  Love Letter Batman Boxed Edition Card Game (Purchased)

3.  LEGO The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3920

4.  Yahtzee: Avengers Age of Ultron Iron Man Board Game

5.  Monopoly: Jurassic World Edition Board Game

6. NFL Game Day Board Game  (Purchased)


1.  Schleich Female Giant Panda Toy Figure

2.   Safari Ltd. Goliath Grouper

3.  Safari Ltd Wild Safari Dinosaurs Megalodon

4.  Schleich Therizinosaurus Toy Figure

5.  Safari Ltd Wild Safari Sea Life Hammerhead Shark

6.  CollectA Sea Life Shortfin Mako Shark

(Animal figures paired with books make great gifts!)
1.  Disneynature: Monkey Kingdom 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack

2.  Newsies (Collector's Edition) (Purchased)

3.  Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

4.  Star Wars Trilogy Episodes IV-VI (Blu-ray + DVD) (Purchased)

5.  Jurassic World - Limited Edition Packaging (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD) (Purchased)
Dinomite watched Jurassic World at the Drive-In this summer and LOVED it!  This was after watching the first three Jurassic Park movies.  This is the only movie on his wishlist that is rated PG-13.

6.  Monsters Inc (Purchased)

No matter which sports team(s) your child likes, the ideas here can be easily accommodating.

1.  San Francisco 49ers 2015 Score NFL Limited Edition 17 Card Complete Team Set

2.  Sports Illustrated Kids (Purcahsed)

3.  Babe & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure (Purchased)

4.  Big 10 Conference 2014 Pocket Pro Mini Football Helmet Set

5.  NFL San Francisco 49ers Kid's '47 Brand Basic MVP Adjustable Hat, Red  

6.   San Francisco 49ers 60''x80'' Royal Plush Raschel Throw Blanket - Sky Helmet Style

Dinomite owns a Nintendo 2DS.  All of games in this section are specific to the Nintendo 2DS.  If your child owns a different game system, chances are, the games recommended here are still available.  You just need to check.

1.  Double Compartment Carry Case For Nintendo 2DS (Purchased)

2.  LEGO Jurassic World - Nintendo 3DS (Purchased)

3.  Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (Purchased)

4.  LEGO The Hobbit - Nintendo 3DS (Purchased)

5.  Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 - Nintendo DS (Purchased)

6.  LEGO Legends of Chima: Laval's Journey - Nintendo 3DS (Purchased)
1.  PLAYMOBIL Tactical Unit Car

2. PLAYMOBIL Covered Wagon with Raiders


3.  Transformers Age of Extinction Generations Deluxe Class Bumblebee Figure


4.  Transformers Age of Extinction Generations Leader Class Optimus Prime Figure


5.  Schleich Griffin Knight King On Horse Toy Figure


6.  Schleich Dragon Knight King On Horse Toy Figure


1.  The Complete Harry Potter Film Music Collection

2.  John Williams - Greatest Hits 1969 - 1999 (Purchased)

3.  The Lord of the Rings: Motion Picture Trilogy Soundtrack


4.  John Williams Conducts John Williams: The Star Wars Trilogy


5.  Music From The Pirates Of The Caribbean Trilogy

6.  Newsies: The Musical (Purchased)

If you were unable to find any gift ideas for the boy in your life, be sure to check back soon to see Bulldozer's lists. Among other things, his list will include some fabulous items for Star Wars and superhero lovers!

For more details about why our family puts wish lists together each year, be sure to read this post!

Have fun shopping!
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