Winter Fun Ideas

It appears that winter is here already.  It's freezing and windy here today.  So I thought I'd blog about some fun things to do in the winter.  Sometimes in the winter, boredom sets in and can make kids whiny.  "What can I do?"  I hear it a lot in the colder months.  And when you homeschool, you are likely to hear it more because you are with your kids more.   Anyway,  I have been digging around the internet to find some ideas.  Here are some links I came up with.
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/winter/#

Paper Snowflakes

http://www.papersnowflakes.com/patterns.htm

This one has some fun stuff to do in the winter.  I like the idea of a popcorn, hot chocolate and game night.

http://www.blisstree.com/thriftymommy/free-fun-winter-activities/

Making pine cone bird feeders is a fun thing to do in the winter. Apparently using peanut butter on the pine cones is not a good idea. I've seen some people saying it chokes the birds and can kill them.  Here's a better, healthier for the birds, way to do it.

http://www.enviro-explorers.com/pinecone_web_page/pineconefeederindex.html

This Frosty the Cheeseball recipe looks fun and tasty.
http://www.parentsconnect.com/dishes/frosty_the_cheese_ball.jhtml?sem=SEO_SSP_Y

Winter Crafts
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/winter/index.html

What are your favorite things to do with the kids in the winter?

Summer Reading

School's out, or will be shortly. Parents, whether homeschooling or not are looking for ways to keep kids busy during the summer months. After the novelty of not having school wears off the kids are bored. One great thing about summer break is that there is alot of time to do things that are fun and relaxing. A great way to beat boredom in the summer and keep kids learning is reading.

Reading during the summer can be more fun if there are incentives involved. Most public libraries offer free summer reading programs. Reading books earns small, fun prizes. There are other reading programs to enjoy as well. For the budding philanthropist, here is a reading for a cause program from Scholastic worth checking into. Bookseller Barnes and Noble also has a great reading incentive program for summer readers.
If you are wondering what to read, these reading lists may give you some ideas. Other fun ideas for summer including kid friendly and safe blogging can be found at http://www.readingrockets.org/article/23428
So, grab a book and keep those reading and learning skills sharp this summer!